Shamelessly Ambitious I Helping Ambitious Women Prevent Burnout + Create Nervous System First Success in Business, Motherhood, & Life

By Ashley McDonald, Therapist & Nervous System First Business Mentor

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Category: Entrepreneurship

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Episodes: 215

Description

Shamelessly Ambitious is an honest, grounding, and vulnerable podcast for ambitious, emotionally intelligent women who are done proving themselves, tired of living in constant high-functioning burnout, and craving a life and business that actually feel good.


Hosted by Ash McDonald—therapist, nervous-system-first business mentor, and speaker this show blends clinical expertise with lived experience to deliver nervous system tools, embodied strategies, and radical permission so you can expand your capacity, root into emotional steadiness, and build sustainable success that supports your whole life.


If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, caught in productivity guilt, or stuck running on stress, this podcast meets you where you are—with therapeutic insights, embodied practices, and heartfelt stories that create real shifts. Whether you’re navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, or the messy middle of redefining success, each episode helps you slow down, regulate, and return to a felt sense of safety in your body.


With over a decade of experience at the intersection of therapy and leadership, Ash pulls back the curtain on what really works—offering grounded guidance you can apply in real life.


What you’ll hear:

  • Honest conversations about burnout recovery, nervous system regulation, and redefining success
  • Somatic tools, meditations, and practices that build inner safety and capacity
  • Stories of motherhood, mom-life, ambition, and the courage to create a life and business that feel rich and real

If you’re asking the following questions, you’re in the right place:

  • How do I stop tying my worth to productivity?
  • How do I know if I’m experiencing high-functioning burnout and what do I do about it?
  • How do I balance motherhood and leadership without losing myself?
  • How do I calm my body when I feel overwhelmed or overstimulated?

This is the podcast for when you’re ready to reclaim peace, expand what you can hold, and create success that doesn’t cost you yourself. Tune in and take the next step toward a regulated, rooted, and deeply fulfilling life.


Episode Date
212. Shamelessly Unedited in Europe
Oct 13, 2026
211. Shamelessly manipulating the people I love
Oct 06, 2026
210. Shamelessly Making Life Harder
Sep 29, 2026
209. Shamelessly Practicing Ambition Again: 90 Days to Find Out If I Still Want This
Sep 22, 2026
208. Shamelessly Reclaiming My Edge
Sep 15, 2026
207. Shamelessly Unaligned & Doing Shit I Don’t Want to Do
Sep 08, 2026
206. Shamelessly Not Having It Figured Out
Sep 01, 2026
205. Ash Unplugged: It’s Kind of Chic to Know Where You Suck
Aug 25, 2026
204. Shamelessly Reclaiming My Ambition: The Disconnection Epidemic
Aug 18, 2026
203. The Grief of a Declining Business: Identity, Income & Starting Over with Megan Yelaney
Aug 11, 2026
202. The Grief of Motherhood: Ambition, Identity Crisis & the Versions We Leave Behind with Sophia Parra
Aug 04, 2026
201. The Grief of Losing Your Parents: Caregiving, Business & Keeping Life Moving with Cait Howard
Jul 28, 2026
200. The Grief of Being Witnessed: What My Husband Really Thinks About Being Married to an Ambitious Woman with Jake McDonald
Jul 21, 2026
199. Your Life Is What You Tolerate: The Mindset Shift That Changed My Summer
Jul 14, 2026
198. The Grief of Belonging: Friendship, Family & the Village That Never Showed Up with Emily Merrell
Jul 07, 2026
197. The Grief of Reinvention: Divorce, Career Pivots & Becoming a New Version of Yourself with Delia Monk
Jun 30, 2026
196. The Grief of Being Human: Marriage, Motherhood & All the Invisible Losses with Chrissy Powers
Jun 23, 2026
195. The Grief of Aging: Beauty, Ambition & Becoming a New Version of Yourself with Bryn Daylor
Jun 16, 2026
194. Ash Unplugged: The Rebrand, My Red Flags & Everything I Hate Right Now
Jun 09, 2026
193. ADHD and Ambition: Why Your Fast Brain Is Your Greatest Business Asset
Jun 02, 2026
192. What Regulation Actually Means (It’s Not the Zen Bullshit You’ve Been Sold)
May 26, 2026
191. The Internet Made Hustle a Dirty Word
May 19, 2026
190. I Quit Social Media for 8 Months (Here’s What Changed in My Business)
May 12, 2026
189. The Shift Happening in Online Business And How I’m Adapting
May 05, 2026
188. The Most Dangerous Thing Ambitious Women Do In Their Business
Apr 28, 2026
187. What I Actually Do When Everything Feels Like Too Much
Apr 21, 2026
186. The AI Identity Crisis No One Is Talking About
Apr 14, 2026
185. The Control Pattern Driving Your High-Functioning Burnout
Apr 07, 2026
184. Why You’re Not Getting Sales: The Visibility Mistake Most Entrepreneurs Make
Mar 31, 2026
183. [Bonus Episode] Luteal Phase Meditation
Mar 26, 2026
182. Perfectionism in High-Achieving Women: Why Doing Less Gets Better Results
Mar 24, 2026
181. Success Anxiety: Why Achievement Makes Women Play Smaller
Mar 17, 2026
180. [Bonus Episode] Ovulation Phase Meditation
Mar 12, 2026
179. Decision Fatigue Is the New Burnout (+ The Truth About Your Business Lag)
Mar 10, 2026
178. Identity reconstruction after burnout
Mar 03, 2026
177. [Bonus Episode] Follicular Phase Meditation
Feb 26, 2026
176.How I Would Rebuild My Business Without Hustle or Burnout
Feb 24, 2026
175. Invisible Labor: Why High-Achieving Women Feel So Overwhelmed
Feb 17, 2026
174. [Bonus Episode] Menstrual Phase Meditation
Feb 12, 2026
173. Why High-Functioning Women Feel Exhausted: Hormones, Stress, and Undereating with Leisha Drews (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 6)
Feb 10, 2026
172. Marketing Without Burning Out: Building an Energy Aligned Strategy with Kaitlyn David (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 5)
Feb 03, 2026
171. [Bonus Episode] Money Is Energy: The Nervous System Side of Wealth and Receiving
Jan 29, 2026
170. Beyond the Algorithm: Using Human-First AI to Protect Your Energy in Business with Kelly Sinclair (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 4)
Jan 27, 2026
169. Human Design & Energetic Hygiene: Micro-Shifts to Heal Hidden Energy Leaks with Danielle Laura (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 3)
Jan 20, 2026
168. [Bonus Episode] Outgrowing Your Ambition: Identity Shifts After Success
Jan 15, 2026
167. The Energetics of Being Seen: Healing the Visibility Wound with Renee Bowen (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 2)
Jan 13, 2026
166. Reverse Engineering the Life You Want & Reclaiming Your Energy & Identity with Heather Chauvin (The Energy Is Everything Series | Part 1)
Jan 06, 2026
165. [Bonus Episode] The Self-Improvement Industry Is Eating Women Alive
Jan 01, 2026
164. My Nervous System Friendly Planning Process for the Year
Dec 30, 2025
163. Becoming Her: Why Burnout Often Comes Before Reinvention
Dec 23, 2025
162. [Bonus Episode] When Stress Gets Stuck in Your Body And How to Release It
Dec 18, 2025
161. When Parenting and Business Collide: Regulating Stress in Hard Seasons
Dec 16, 2025
160. How I Plan Profit Without Burning Out (Regulated CEO Strategy)
Dec 09, 2025
159. [Bonus Episode] Motherhood and Identity Loss: Rebuilding Capacity After Burnout
Dec 04, 2025
158. The Money Myth That Keeps High-Achieving Women Burned Out
Dec 02, 2025
157. Rewiring Your Nervous System for Long-Term Success
Nov 25, 2025
156. [Bonus Episode] The Problem with AI Therapy (and How to Use It Safely)
Nov 20, 2025
155. High-Functioning Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Being the Capable One
Nov 18, 2025
154. Running a Business Without Social Media: A Nervous System Friendly Strategy
Nov 11, 2025
153. [Bonus Episode] Nervous System Reset Meditation for Overwhelm and Stress
Nov 06, 2025
152: Why I’m Taking a Year Off Social Media: Protecting Your Nervous System and Business Energy
Nov 04, 2025
151. The Beginner’s Mindset: How to Find Yourself Again Without Controlling Everything
Oct 30, 2025
150. Cortisol Addiction Explained (and How to Break the Cycle)
Oct 29, 2025
149. Seven Signs You’re in High-Functioning Burnout
Oct 28, 2025
Welcome to Shamelessly Ambitious with Ash McDonald
Oct 24, 2025
148. The Final Episode In My Beyond Profit Era
Aug 20, 2024
147. The Perfect Business Plan Doesn’t Exist
Aug 13, 2024
146. I Am Safe Enough To Go Slow
Aug 06, 2024
145. Reparenting My Inner Child & Creating Moments To Heal The Younger Me
Jul 30, 2024
144. Backyard Reflections: Somewhere In Washington Becoming Her & Reassessing My Boundaries
Jul 23, 2024
143. A Life & Business Above the Standard
Jul 16, 2024
142. Sharing My Reinvention & The Thing I Fucked Up In My Business
Jul 09, 2024
141. A Time I Didn't Belong
Jul 02, 2024
140. Experimenting with a New Schedule: My Top 3 Foolproof Tips for Time & Energy Management
Jun 25, 2024
139. How I Shift My Perspective For A Rich & Present Life
Jun 18, 2024
138. The Balancing Act: Work, Kids, & The 'More Than Enough' Mindset
Jun 11, 2024
137. Self-Sacrifice & The Need To Belong
Jun 04, 2024
136. The Catalyst To My Deep Depression, Emotional Eating, & Call To My Selfish Era
May 28, 2024
135. How Falling Victim To Societal Standards Caused My Breaking Point & Selfish Era
May 21, 2024
134. Am I Burning Out? Super Important Announcements
Dec 26, 2023
133. 4 Steps To Cultivate Magic & Real Connection | RTWOS EP 8
Dec 19, 2023
132. Finding Contentment In All Seasons | RTWOS EP 7 with Katie Quesada
Dec 12, 2023
131. The Naked Truth of Success & Discontentment | RTWOS EP 6 with Shay Bacani
Dec 05, 2023
130. Unexpected Struggles of Success | RTWOS EP 5 with Jenn Pike
Nov 28, 2023
129. Entrepreneurship is Lonely | RTWOS EP 4 with Kaili Meyer
Nov 21, 2023
128. Depersonalizing Failure | RTWOS EP 3 with Topsie VandenBosch
Nov 14, 2023
127. Money Mindset Toxicity | RTWOS EP 2 with Erica Reitman
Nov 07, 2023
126. Hitting My Rock Bottom | RTWOS EP 1
Oct 31, 2023
125. My Take On Quantum Leaps
Oct 24, 2023
124. Triggering Others, Impulsivity & Never Settling (A Story)
Oct 17, 2023
123. Slowing Down To Speed Up
Oct 10, 2023
122. Making Over-Delivery The Standard
Oct 03, 2023
121. The Type of Marketing That Does The Human Good
Sep 26, 2023
120. My Journey To a Million Dollars
Sep 19, 2023
119. Navigating Client Conflict & Resolution
Sep 12, 2023
118. Cringey Yet Glorified Industry No-No's
Sep 05, 2023
117. Million Dollar Mindset
Aug 31, 2023
116. Meshing Intentionality & Hustle Culture
Aug 29, 2023
115. The Most Underrated Business Strategy
Aug 24, 2023
114. Don’t Be An Asshole
Aug 22, 2023
113. When We Give, We Receive
Aug 17, 2023
112. Building a Personal Brand That Connects
Aug 15, 2023
111. A New Era of Conscious Coaching
Aug 10, 2023
110. How I Found Contentment AND Sustainable Success
Aug 08, 2023
109. Burnout is Back UNLESS You Do THIS
Aug 03, 2023
108. Building Your Dream Team
Aug 01, 2023
107. Embracing Discomfort
Jul 27, 2023
106. Quality Over Quantity
Jul 25, 2023
105. Making Business Feel Better
Jul 20, 2023
104. My Secrets To Creating Irresistible Content
Jul 18, 2023
103. Are You Treating Your Business Like A Business Or Hobby?
Jul 13, 2023
102. Setting The Stage For Your Next Launch
Jul 11, 2023
101. Navigating The Messy Middle & Tough Questions To Ask Yourself
Jul 06, 2023
100. My ROI From Long-Term Podcasting
Jul 04, 2023
99. The Four Foundational Steps of Business
Jun 29, 2023
98. Your Income Starts Here
Jun 27, 2023
97. The Magic Of Momentum
Jun 22, 2023
96. The Piece You’re Missing When It Comes To Achieving Your Goals
Jun 20, 2023
95. The Good & Bad Of Finding Comfort In Your Business
Jun 15, 2023
94. The Interconnection Between Relationships & Business
Jun 13, 2023
93. Redefining Success as a Mom
Jun 08, 2023
92. How Digital Nomad Life Shaped Me & Changed My Business Strategy
Jun 06, 2023
91. The Do's And Don'ts Of Income Dips
Jun 01, 2023
90. What Worked Before Might Not Be What Works Again
May 30, 2023
89. You Need THIS For Business Sustainability
May 25, 2023
88. Your Aligned Nervous System Attracts More Money
May 24, 2023
87. Creating More Money As A Result Of More Every Day Obsession
May 23, 2023
86. A Story Of A Woman Who Knew She Was Made For More
May 23, 2023
Welcome to Shamelessly Ambitious with Ash McDonald
May 18, 2023
85: Wrapping Up The Year With A Bow And Some CEO Boundaries
Dec 06, 2022
84: Living The Dream & How To Be Seen with Nina Gibson
Nov 29, 2022
83: Money Loves Alignment
Nov 22, 2022
82: Is The Coaching Industry Broken?
Nov 15, 2022
81: Healing to Help Others Heal and Realizing Love Is Easy with Molly Rasanen
Nov 08, 2022
80: Is Ayahuasca For You? Here's My Personal Reflections
Nov 01, 2022
79: Cultivating Inevitable Success From Within (The Momentum Project: Day 30)
Oct 30, 2022
78: What To Do When Everything Feels Hard (The Momentum Project: Day 29)
Oct 29, 2022
77: Patient With Results, Impatient With Action (The Momentum Project Day 28)
Oct 28, 2022
76: How Much Fun Are You Having In Your Business? (The Momentum Project Day 27)
Oct 27, 2022
75: Using Human Design To Up Your Social Media (The Momentum Project: Day 26)
Oct 26, 2022
74: You Can Magnetize Clients To You (The Momentum Project: Day 25)
Oct 25, 2022
73: Change Your Life By Doing This In Your Biz (The Momentum Project: Day 24)
Oct 24, 2022
72: Get More Done With Less Time (The Momentum Project: Day 23)
Oct 23, 2022
71: How I Started My Online Business (The Momentum Project: Day 22)
Oct 22, 2022
70: The Only "Niche" You'll Ever Need (The Momentum Project: Day 21)
Oct 21, 2022
69: The Messages In The Low Vibe Days (The Momentum Project: Day 20)
Oct 20, 2022
68: Something Sneaky Is Costing You Money (The Momentum Project: Day 19)
Oct 19, 2022
67: How To Love Showing Up On Instagram (The Momentum Project: Day 18)
Oct 18, 2022
66: The Only Real Way To Gain Confidence (The Momentum Project: Day 17)
Oct 17, 2022
65: Want To Coach Better? Be Your Best Client (The Momentum Project: Day 16)
Oct 16, 2022
64: The Three Things I Do To Make Thousands (The Momentum Project: Day 15)
Oct 15, 2022
63: My Best Launch Had No Expectations (The Momentum Project: Day 14)
Oct 14, 2022
62: Build A Business You're Obsessed With (The Momentum Project: Day 13)
Oct 13, 2022
61: Ayahuasca Night 3 - Evolution Through Love (The Momentum Project: Day 12)
Oct 12, 2022
60: Ayahuasca Night 2 - Healing Together (The Momentum Project: Day 11)
Oct 11, 2022
59: Ayahuasca Night 1 - Creating From Possibility (The Momentum Project: Day 10)
Oct 10, 2022
58: My Journey To Inner Healing With Ayahuasca (The Momentum Project: Day 9)
Oct 09, 2022
57: The Key to 'F YES' Energy & Inevitable Success (The Momentum Project: Day 8)
Oct 08, 2022
56: Who Would You Be If You Could Not Fail? (The Momentum Project: Day 7)
Oct 07, 2022
55: Life Lessons From A Digital Nomad (The Momentum Project: Day 6)
Oct 06, 2022
54: Success On Your Terms Is Possible (The Momentum Project: Day 5)
Oct 05, 2022
53: My Secret Strategy for 20K Months (The Momentum Project: Day 4)
Oct 04, 2022
52: Using Your Intuition To Know What You Want (The Momentum Project: Day 3)
Oct 03, 2022
51: The Affirmation-Confirmation Loop (The Momentum Project: Day 2)
Oct 02, 2022
50: How To Create Your Own Rebirth & Rebrand (The Momentum Project: Day 1)
Oct 01, 2022
49: Mastering your ‘Masculine Phases'
Sep 27, 2022
48: Mastering your 'Feminine Phases'
Sep 20, 2022
47: Success is Not Circumstantial with Andi Johnson
Sep 13, 2022
46: Owning your Power with Kelli Moore
Sep 06, 2022
45: My Secret When It Comes to Creating & Selling Offers
Aug 30, 2022
44: How To Simplify Your Biz & Make Things Fun Again
Aug 23, 2022
43: Your Next Best Business Strategy - Part II
Aug 16, 2022
42: Your Next Best Business Strategy
Aug 09, 2022
41: Energy Leaks: Are You Giving Your Power Away? [Inside DEVOTED]
Jul 26, 2022
40: When Loss Changes The Way You Do Business with Lauryn Laszczak
Jul 19, 2022
39: How Costa Rica Transformed My Life & Future Plans
Jul 12, 2022
38: Permission to Quit with Kelsey Van Kirk
Jul 05, 2022
37: Why I Tell My Clients to Drop Their “Niches” [Inside POTENT]
Jun 28, 2022
36: The REAL Behind The Scenes of Moving to Costa Rica
Jun 21, 2022
35: What a CEO DAY Gets to Look Like {Real BTS Training from Voxer}
Jun 14, 2022
34: How To Stop Feeling Like You Never Have Enough Time
Jun 07, 2022
33: I Passed A Massive Milestone The Same Month I Questioned My Success
May 31, 2022
32: Money-Making Magic with Jenn Kennedy
May 24, 2022
31: The Actual Key to Preventing And Fighting Off Burnout
May 17, 2022
30: How to Make Business (And Love) Fun Again with Katie Grimes
May 03, 2022
29: What To Do When Business (or Life) Feels Hard
Apr 26, 2022
28: How Passion and Pleasure Impact Your Business with Ashae Sundara
Apr 19, 2022
27: My Husband’s Take On Being Ambitious & Devoted
Apr 12, 2022
26: Becoming Magnetic by Implementing Energetic Standards
Apr 05, 2022
25: Therapy Reimagined with My Real Life Therapist Andi Johnson
Mar 29, 2022
24: Finding Your Synergistic Strategy For Success
Mar 22, 2022
23: The ONE Tool You NEED To Uplevel Your Coaching Business
Mar 15, 2022
22: YOU Are The Strategy - Understanding Human Design With Kari Russel
Mar 08, 2022
21: My Full-Circle Moment
Mar 01, 2022
20: Biggest Business Mistakes I’ve Made
Feb 22, 2022
19: Aligned High Performance Hacks with Taylor Thompson
Feb 15, 2022
18: Emotional Power - Holding More So You Can Have More
Feb 08, 2022
17: The Journey to My Inner Guide & Why This Is The Ultimate Code to Your Success
Feb 01, 2022
16: The Life-Changing Habit of Cycle Syncing with Rachelle Demoskoff
Dec 28, 2021
15: How to Run a Full Time Business on a Part Time Schedule with Holly Haynes
Dec 21, 2021
14: The Real BTS with My OBM, Shaina Braun
Dec 14, 2021
13: Steps to Leverage Your Time with Grace Blacksea
Dec 07, 2021
12: [Candid Conversations] How My Stress Manifests Itself
Dec 02, 2021
11: The Ultimate Energy Hack
Nov 30, 2021
10: Learning to Feel Good in Your Body with Alex Beyers
Nov 23, 2021
9: What it Means to Live in Energetic Alignment
Nov 16, 2021
8: Burn It All Down & Rise Awakened
Nov 09, 2021
7: Upleveling Outside of Your Business with Megan Rempel
Nov 02, 2021
6: The First Step to Business Expansion
Oct 26, 2021
5: [Candid Conversations] The Unexpected Hardships of Being a Mom & CEO
Oct 21, 2021
4: Confidently Taking Up Space with Beth Bowen, Sober Women’s Coach
Oct 19, 2021
3: Cyclical Morning Routines for Success
Oct 12, 2021
2: The 4 Components of CEO Self Care
Oct 05, 2021
1: How Feminine Energy Can Help You Be a Better CEO
Oct 05, 2021
Introducing Shamelessly Ambitious with Ash McDonald
Sep 10, 2021