FINE is a 4-Letter Word

·E223

I Can't Get Off the Highway with Melissa Coloton

April 2
35 mins

Episode Description

What happens when your life looks successful and you keep telling yourself it is… but then you find yourself pulled over on the side of the highway with clammy hands and unable to breathe?

Growing up in a loving, hard-working family deeply rooted in farming traditions, Melissa Coloton learned early on the importance of honesty, compassion, and the power of expressing love. Unlike most families, hers openly verbalized affection. “I love you” was the punctuation to every goodbye. This warmth, however, was balanced with discipline and high expectations. Because Melissa’s mother became a parent at sixteen, she was vigilantly determined to give her children the best possible chance, insisting on hard work, achievement, and a relentless pursuit of success.

Melissa spent 20 years building a successful career in sales. She was really good at it. The kind of good that keeps you locked in. Promotions, performance, steady income… all the things that say, “stay right here.” And for a long time, she did.

But underneath that success was constant pressure to get it right. To not mess up. To keep proving herself. What looked like ambition on the outside was really a fear of failure she didn’t even recognize at the time.

That panic attack on the highway left her feeling lost, disconnected, and unraveling, fearful that she’d die without ever honoring her true purpose.

With the help of a life coach and the practice of self-compassion, Melissa learned to listen to her own needs, confront the chronic sources of anxiety, and eventually gained the tools to manage and move through challenging emotions.

Eventually she was able to unlock the “golden handcuffs” of her sales career and step into work that centers around honoring yourself and creating aligned success so you can avoid the kind of burnout that she experienced.

We’re talking about how technology and societal shifts have fostered loneliness and a loss of communal support. But our conversation is optimistic about the resurgence of retreats, gratitude dinners, and analog gatherings. Listen in to hear the whole story.

Resources


Hype Song

Unstoppable by Sia

https://open.spotify.com/track/1yvMUkIOTeUNtNWlWRgANS?si=a2507f11148f41b1

Invitation from Lori:

This episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit.

Smart business leaders know trust is the foundation of every great workplace. And in today’s hybrid and fast-moving work culture, trust isn’t built in quarterly town halls or the occasional Slack message. It’s built through consistent, clear, and HUMAN communication.

Companies and leaders TALK about the importance of connection and community. And it’s easy to believe your organization is doing a great job of maintaining an awesome corporate culture. Because you’ve got annual all-hands and open door policies, and “fun" team-building events.

But let's be real. Leaders who are serious about building real trust are finding better ways to strengthen culture, create connection, and foster community.

That's where I come in. Forward thinking companies are hiring me to produce internal/private podcasts. To bring leadership and employees together through authentic stories, real conversations, and meaningful connections. Think of it as your old-school printed company newsletter - reinvented for the modern workforce. I KNOW, what a cool idea, right?!

If you run, work for, or know of a company that wants to upgrade communication, facilitate connections, build community, and maintain culture, let's chat. Message me at Lori@ZenRabbit dot com.

Because when people feel heard, they engage.

See all episodes