Your Life Unbounded

About Your Life Unbounded

Helping overthinkers make decisions using coaching, engineering, and design thinking. Leave with tools that you implement right away.

Publisher

Gloria Julien

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

29 Apr 2026

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Ep #8: The Surprising Habit That Keeps You Stuck in Job Search Hell

   In this conversation, Gloria Julien, a career and life decision coach, discusses an exercise designed to help individuals disrupt cyclical patterns that keep them stuck. Through mapping current states, identifying triggers, and exploring new options, she emphasizes the importance of considering different behaviors to create meaningful change. Takeaways Disrupting cyclical patterns Exploring new options Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Disrupting Patterns 05:27 Understanding the Current State 10:50 Identifying Triggers and New Options 15:03 Exploring New Behaviors 18:30 Encouraging Incremental Change

2. 

   14 Aug 2026

   Ep #7: Why You Keep Comparing Your Career to Everyone Else's

   You drop your kid off at a new camp, feeling good about the decision. Then a text from another parent makes you question everything. In this episode, Gloria breaks down why analytical thinkers and high achievers get stuck comparing their life choices to everyone else's, even after hitting every milestone on the list. She traces the pattern back to her own life, copying her sisters into flute, hurdles, and eventually engineering, and explains why gratitude journals and meditation never fixed the real problem. Then she hands you a framework: how to turn any "maybe I should do that too" into a small, testable experiment you can run in under 30 minutes, so you build real self-confidence instead of borrowing someone else's blueprint. Key Takeaways Why comparison feels safe even after it stops working for you The real reason self-help fixes like journaling and meditation don't solve comparison A 2-step experiment you can run this week to test any "maybe I should" impulse How self-confidence actually gets built (hint: it's not a feeling you wait for) Resources Join the free NJ Career and Life Decision Lab meetup every Wednesday at 12:30 PM ET. We'll unpack this episode with the community (that's you!) Open to anyone, anywhere. Register here. (https://www.meetup.com/nj-career-and-life-decision-lab/) Support one another: Send this episode to one person who needs permission to lead the life they way. Or, bring them as your guest to the Meetup! Thank you. Follow me Instagram: @gloriajuliencoaching (https://www.instagram.com/gloriajuliencoaching/) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gloriajulien (www.linkedin.com/in/gloriajulien) Website: https://www.gloriajulien.com (https://www.gloriajulien.com)

3. 

   6 Aug 2026

   Ep #6: Imposter Syndrome at Work: How a Whiteboard Pun Helped Me Get Out of My Own Way

   For 8 years, I pivoted roles, changed teams, and climbed the ladder in engineering. None of it touched the imposter syndrome, loneliness, and depression I felt every single Monday. The job was never the problem. In this episode of Your Life Unbounded, I get specific about the years of career moves that didn't fix how disconnected I felt at work. And the one small, low stakes choice that finally did: a $0 souvenir mouse pad, followed by a weekly pun on a whiteboard outside my cubicle. What you'll learn in this episode: Why changing jobs or titles doesn't fix imposter syndrome rooted in self-suppression The design thinking question that turns "what's wrong with my job" into "what do I actually control" How one small object became the first domino in getting my personality back at work Why small actions mattered more than big career pivots The aesthetics of joy concept behind my cubicle redesign, and the book that sparked it Try this micro-action this week: find one object for your desk that's genuinely just for you. Not for coworkers. Not for approval. One object, no audience but you. Mentioned in this episode: Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, by Ingrid Fetell Lee. https://aestheticsofjoy.com/the-book/ (https://aestheticsofjoy.com/the-book/) Go deeper: join the free NJ Career and Life Decision Lab meetup, Wednesday, August 12 at 12:30 PM ET. We'll unpack the 10 Aesthetics of Joy and what they mean for your work life. Open to anyone, anywhere. Register here. (https://www.meetup.com/nj-career-and-life-decision-lab/events/315953964/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share-btn_savedevents_share_modal&utm_source=link&utm_version=v2&member_id=476841691) If this episode gave you language for something you've been feeling, send it to one person who needs permission to take up a little more space at work. Bring them as your guest.

4. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Ep #5: That Time I Learned About Sunk Cost Fallacy from a Paper Science Course

   Have you ever found yourself doubling down on a direction simply because you’ve already invested time, money, or energy into it—even when every signal in your body is screaming system failure? In this episode of Your Life Unbounded, host Gloria Julien (Life & Career Design Coach and ex-mechanical engineer) shares a candid story from her junior year of college. Driven by an underlying insecurity about her engineering major and a nostalgic childhood love for paper craft, Gloria signed up for a paper science elective without running a proper diagnostic. What followed was a semester-long battle against atomic formulas, uncomfortable auditorium seats, and steep hills—all maintained because of a sunk cost mindset and the fear of an inconvenient drop fee. Tune in to discover how to calculate the real ROI of your commitments and why cutting a bad investment early is often the smartest strategic move you can make. Key Takeaways Insecurity Drives Misaligned Choices: How feeling uncertain about your core identity can lead you to rely on past nostalgic hobbies rather than strategic alignment. The Sunk Cost Optimization Trap: Why we mistake mental, physical, and financial investments (like buying the books or riding the bike up the hill) for reasons to stay. Friction vs. Flow: How ignoring initial gut signals turns a minor course correction into months of energetic drain. Calculating the Real Cost: Financial fees are explicit, but the invisible tax on your mental clarity, focus, and energy is often far more expensive. Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & The nostalgic pull toward paper science. 01:00 – Peer comparisons in Junior year: Mechanical engineering niches vs. internal uncertainty. 02:45 – The reality check: Biking up campus to an auditorium of atomic formulas. 04:10 – Surviving Chemical Engineering with a little help from a generous friend. 05:20 – The friction fees: Sunk cost fallacy, parent expectations, and out-of-state tuition. 07:30 – Re-architecting the decision: What setting aside stubbornness would have unlocked. 09:30 – The Life Design Prompt: What is the real cost of staying put? 14:00 – Building an unbiased community for career decision-making & How to connect. Resources & Connect with Gloria Want to be a part of the "Messy Middle" community? Email Gloria: gloria@gloriajulien.com (mailto:gloria@gloriajulien.com) Subscribe: Follow Your Life Unbounded on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

5. 

   23 Jul 2026

   Ep #4: From $2M Deals to $10K in Vases: De-Risking the Pivot with Jennifer Johnson (The Plant Place)

   What happens when your corporate operating system demands a high-stakes presentation from a hospital bed? For former industrial engineer Jennifer Johnson, it was a critical system alert. Rather than making a reckless leap, Jennifer treated her exit as a deliberate 8-year design process: 5 years of ideation, 2 years of systemic planning, and 1 year of physical execution to launch The Plant Place in New Jersey. Gloria Julien and Jennifer deconstruct the real variables of a major pivot: moving from a corporate salary to zero, solving health insurance logistics, placing a $10,000 bet on glass vases, and discovering why true fulfillment is about liking the person in the mirror. Key Design Takeaways The Hospital Bed System Alert: Pushing through burnout for corporate approval is an ROI calculation that never balances out. The 8-Year Timeline: Planning for years isn't "procrastination"—it's a sophisticated risk assessment for a safe transition. Skin in the Game ($10K in Vases): The mental threshold where data collection ends and tangible commitment begins. The Burnout Overhead: Exiting corporate life drastically lowers baseline operating expenses (commutes, wardrobe, stress spending). The Identity Dividend: Trading $2M deal closings for a child making a mini garden yields a better category of fulfillment. Timestamped Chapter Highlights [00:00] The Opening Hook — Delivering a presentation from a hospital bed. [01:15] Your Life Unbounded — Hesitation as a risk assessment masquerading as data. [03:12] Deconstructing the 8-Year Pivot — Engineering, medical marketing, and ideation. [05:30] Pressing the $10K Button — Moving from spreadsheets to an inventory order. [06:35] Corporate Variables — 401(k) allocations, 2–5 year profitability, and health insurance. [08:00] The Identity Dividend — Realizing "I like myself better" outside corporate metrics. [10:50] Recalibrating Lifestyle Costs — Living without the corporate burnout tax. [22:07] Overthinking Advice — Why "Never Say Never" breaks rigid expectations. Notable Quotes "They were going to forget tomorrow that I did this presentation from my hospital bed. That’s when the switch flipped. I realized I had to do this for my life." — Jennifer Johnson "Your hesitation isn't a lack of courage. It is a highly sophisticated risk assessment masquerading as data." — Gloria Julien "Closing a $2M corporate project doesn't touch the feeling of a Daisy Scout hugging your leg because she had a great time learning how to plant." — Jennifer Johnson Resources & Links The Plant Place: Visit the studio in NJ or check out workshops: plantplaceusa.com (http://plantplaceusa.com) Gloria Julien Coaching: Move strategically from career ambivalence to clear execution with Joy by Design: gloriajulien.com (http://gloriajulien.com) Instagram: @gloriajuliencoaching (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/gloriajuliencoaching)

6. 

   17 Jul 2026

   Ep #3: The 4C Framework: How to Update Your Decision-Making Baseline for a Career Shift

   Stop trying to optimize your life like an engineering problem. Looking for a 100% career guarantee isn't strategic planning—it's just perfectionism keeping you paralyzed. In this episode, Gloria breaks down why smart, analytically minded professionals get trapped waiting for absolute certainty before making a career move, and what it actually takes to finally break free from decision paralysis and bet on yourself. You'll learn: Why your risk-assessment brain misinterprets career ambiguity as an active threat to your self-worth, rather than an experiment to explore Why "socially prescribed perfectionism" turns a standard career pivot into a terrifying identity crisis How collecting endless advice from friends and colleagues is actually a subconscious tactic to deflect responsibility over making the choice yourself How to trade the impossible quest for a textbook guarantee for low-stakes, curiosity-driven experiments that build real confidence How to use the 4C Framework—Claim, Clear, Choose, Commit—to update your baseline and stop treating your life as something to be optimized If you've been waiting for more data, a perfect script, or a guarantee that your next move will succeed before you change directions — this one's for you. Work with Gloria: Learn more about Joy by Design, my signature coaching program designed for analytical minds who want to stop decision paralysis and commit to their next career direction: https://www.gloriajulien.com (https://www.gloriajulien.com) Follow Gloria Julien: Instagram: @gloriajuliencoaching Website: (https://www.gloriajulien.com/)https://www.gloriajulien.com (https://www.gloriajulien.com)

7. 

   2 Jul 2026

   Mini-sode: Maybe... Engineering's not for me?

   The conversation explores the struggle of a chronic overthinker in a STEM career, the discovery of true joy and identity outside of work, and the transition to entrepreneurship with confidence. Takeaways Finding joy outside of work Transitioning to entrepreneurship with confidence Chapters 00:00 The Struggle of a Chronic Overthinker

8. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Ep2: Your Pros and Cons List Is Lying to You with Amelia Noel

   Your pros and cons list isn't giving you the answer you think it is. It's just your fears, organized into bullet points. In this episode, Gloria sits down with executive coach Amelia Noel — who spent 15 years moving from journalism to advertising to consulting to investment banking before becoming a coach — to talk about why smart, analytical people get stuck in the messy middle of a career change, and what actually gets them unstuck. You'll learn: Why your pros and cons list reflects your fears and biases, not facts Why your brain runs every "what if it goes wrong" scenario and almost never "what if it works out" How to trade one big question ("what do I want to do with my life?") for small, testable ones that actually build evidence Why a career change is always a viable option, no matter how long you've been in a role Why you're not the same person who made your last career decision — and why that means you're allowed to choose differently now If you've been waiting for more information, more certainty, or more time before you move — this one's for you. Connect with Amelia Noel: 🎯 Take the free 3-minute BFG Mindset Quiz to uncover which primary mindset is driving your stress, overwhelm, and overworking — and get customized tools to break free starting today: https://orka8dfenx8.typeform.com/BFGmindsetquiz?typeform-source=www.amelianoelcoaching.com (https://orka8dfenx8.typeform.com/BFGmindsetquiz?typeform-source=www.amelianoelcoaching.com) 📞 Book a consult call to talk about enrolling in Breaking Free from the Grind, her program for accelerating your career without losing your sanity: https://amelianoelcoaching-scheduling.as.me/?appointmentType=18292940 (https://amelianoelcoaching-scheduling.as.me/?appointmentType=18292940) 🌐 Website: https://www.amelianoelcoaching.com/ (https://www.amelianoelcoaching.com/) 🎧 Listen to her podcast, Breaking Free from the Grind, every Friday at 9am EST: https://breakingfreefromthegrind.buzzsprout.com (https://breakingfreefromthegrind.buzzsprout.com) Follow Gloria Julien: Instagram: @gloriajuliencoaching (https://www.instagram.com/gloriajuliencoaching/) Website: https://www.gloriajulien.com (https://www.gloriajulien.com)

9. 

   9 Jun 2026

   Ep1: The Only Poor Decision is Not Making One

   In this engaging interview, Allison shares her inspiring journey through multiple career pivots, emphasizing the importance of following your instincts, embracing creativity, and taking small, incremental steps toward change. Discover practical insights on networking, decision-making, and overcoming fear to unlock your true potential. keywords career pivots, creativity, networking, decision-making, personal growth, coaching, career change, small wins, intuition, professional development key topics Career pivots and reinvention The role of creativity in professional life Networking and building support systems Decision-making and trusting intuition The importance of small wins and incremental progress guest name Allison Task Titles From Food Network to Coaching: Allison Task's Journey of Reinvention The Power of Small Wins in Career Transitions sound bites "Small wins build confidence and momentum." "Trust your gut when making opportunities." "Incremental wins lead to big change." Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Career Pivots 10:03 Networking and Building Connections 20:14 Embracing Creativity and Vulnerability 30:14 Finding Clarity in Career Transitions resources Allison Task's Book: Personal Revolution, A Year Of Self Care Journal, Morning Motivation. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=allison+task&crid=2STNIEHZHB2AW&sprefix=allison+task%2Caps%2C138&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=allison+task&crid=2STNIEHZHB2AW&sprefix=allison+task%2Caps%2C138&ref=nb_sb_noss_1) Allison Task's Website - https://www.allisonfishman.com (https://www.allisonfishman.com) guest links Website - https://www.allisontask.com (allisontask.com)

10. 

    8 Jun 2026

    Mini-sode: Maybe it's not about the job title

    Gloria discusses the three ways people make a career change and shares her personal experience of feeling lost and disconnected despite changing roles multiple times. She realizes that she had been rearranging the furniture in a house she never wanted to live in. Takeaways Three ways of making a career change Feeling of being lost and disconnected Chapters 00:00 The Three Ways of Making a Career Change

11. 

    3 Jun 2026

    Mini-sode: Why don't I have confidence already?

    The conversation explores the concept of self-confidence and the different ways people build it. It emphasizes the importance of authenticity in developing confidence and the impact of personal creativity on self-discovery. Takeaways Self-confidence is built through innate traits, a supportive environment, or achievement. Authentic confidence comes from embracing personal creativity and self-discovery. Chapters 00:00 Building Self-Confidence

12. 

    28 May 2026

    Mini-sode: How does one "discover themself"?

    The conversation explores the ways people discover their passions and interests, emphasizing the impact of upbringing and the importance of a safe environment for exploration. It also highlights the significance of giving oneself permission to explore and develop interests, regardless of age. Takeaways Discovering passion through upbringing Exploring interests in a safe environment Chapters 00:00 Discovering Passion

13. 

    21 May 2026

    Mini-sode: Are you outsourcing your self-trust?

    The conversation explores the importance of self-trust in making a career change and the negative impact of outsourcing validation. It delves into the inconsistency between personal beliefs and seeking external validation, highlighting the challenges and consequences of this behavior. Takeaways Self-trust is essential for making a career change Outsourcing validation leads to uncertainty and confusion Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Self-Trust

14. 

    29 Apr 2026

    Mini-sode: What is the "right" career choice?

    The journey of self-discovery and career progression involves recognizing patterns, reflecting on choices, and embracing uncertainty. The pressure to have all the right answers can be pervasive and inhibiting, but acknowledging the unknown is essential for growth and fulfillment. Takeaways Self-discovery through reflection Embracing uncertainty Chapters 00:00 Recognizing Patterns and Reflection 06:09 The Journey of Self-Discovery

15. 

    29 Apr 2026

    Mini-sode: What do you do when doubt creeps in?

    Gloria is facing a decision about whether to pursue a new opportunity, despite having doubts. She grapples with the uncertainty and seeks clarity through asking questions and acknowledging her conflicting emotions. Takeaways Embrace the coexistence of doubt and excitement in decision-making. Seeking clarity through asking questions and acknowledging conflicting emotions is essential for making informed decisions. Chapters 00:00 The Decision Dilemma

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