Emotional Business

In this episode of Emotional Business, host Olga Skipper speaks with coach and leadership expert Anna Shakhovets about the profound identity shift women experience when becoming mothers. Anna shares her personal journey and introduces the concept of matrescence—the emotional, psychological, and professional transformation that accompanies motherhood.

They explore how this shift impacts leadership, ambition, creativity, and a woman's sense of self, and discuss why grief, anger, and uncertainty are natural parts of this transition. The conversation provides clarity and tools for female executives navigating motherhood and for coaches supporting women through this period of change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How motherhood acts as a deep identity shift, not just a career pause
• Why matrescence mirrors other major life transitions
• The role of grief and loss in redefining oneself as a mother
• Why women often focus on logistics instead of the emotional transition
• How creativity emerges from the chaos of early motherhood
• Why ambition often increases—not decreases—after becoming a mother
• How to normalize difficult feelings like anger, guilt, and confusion
• Why the motherhood transition is cyclical, not linear
• How coaches can incorporate motherhood perspectives into leadership work

Keywords: motherhood, female executives, identity shift, coaching, leadership, transformation, emotional business, motherhood transition, women empowerment, personal growth

 

Book we mentioned: Jessie Harrold - Mothershift : Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage

 

Links to find Anna:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-shakhovets/

https://www.reco-consulting.com/

 

If you want to work with Anna, join the interest list for The Fireside Circle for Female Leaders — a space to learn how to lead with depth, clarity, and connection.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYVb5ZlpXLDxwta5aXn6RkD8_DP3ARGeJrmV-6D9pOBTh4bw/viewform

In this episode of Emotional Business, host Olga Skipper is joined by Laura Dittscheid — seasoned marketing leader, former CMO, and now the founder of NOOLA, a better-for-you food brand built publicly and intentionally for women navigating low-energy seasons and demanding everyday rhythms.

Laura steps into the conversation at a pivotal moment: the first months of building her own venture after an already successful career, a full family life, and years spent leading and scaling major female-focused D2C brands. Together, Olga and Laura explore what it truly feels like to start something new from a place of maturity, clarity, and lived experience—far beyond theory or youthful trial-and-error.

This episode takes you inside the emotional, strategic, and deeply personal layers of stepping into entrepreneurship: leaving a senior role, confronting unexpected realities, and managing the internal dialogues that shape every major transition.

In this episode, we explore:

• Stepping Away from the CMO Identity — what it takes to detach from a high-status role and start fresh
• Redefining the Terms of the Journey — setting boundaries, expectations, and non-negotiables in a new chapter
• The Shift from Strategist to Executor — the shock of doing everything yourself after years of leading teams
• When Your Network Helps—and When It Overwhelms — managing advice, opinions, and the noise of well-meaning supporters
• The Complex Reality of Finding a Co-Founder — from mapping competencies to dealing with misaligned readiness
• Navigating the Comparison Trap — why comparison surfaced so strongly and how Laura is learning to regulate it

Together, Olga and Laura move beyond the glossy narratives of entrepreneurship and dive into the real tension, honesty, and inner negotiations that shape a founder’s earliest months.

This episode is for seasoned professionals or executives considering a shift into entrepreneurship - especially later in their careers. It will resonate deeply with anyone battling comparison, external pressure, or the emotional weight of building something meaningful from the ground up. Founders wrestling with the search for the right co-founder will find this conversation particularly grounding.

So get comfortable and enjoy this rich, resonant, and insightful conversation.

Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur!

 

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction to Emotional Business
00:19 — Meet Laura Dige: From CMO to Entrepreneur
00:59 — The Journey of Transition
06:18 — Challenges and Realizations
14:43 — Finding Balance and Overcoming Obstacles
27:27 — The Search for a Co-Founder

 

Connect with Olga:
Instagram: Olga Skipper

LinkedIn: Olga Skipper

Website: www.olgaskipper.com

 

Connect with Laura:

LinkedIn: Laura Dittschield

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Trish Perry, executive coach and founder of Harmonized Coaching, about the critical issue of workplace trauma.

Trish draws on her experience as both a corporate leader and a coach, sharing insights on how emotional wounds appear in professional settings and how they impact leadership, relationships, and team dynamics. The conversation introduces practical frameworks and tools to acknowledge, interrupt, and resolve trauma while cultivating psychological safety and accountability.

This conversation explores:

• Defining trauma and identifying workplace-specific manifestations
• Trish’s personal experiences with trauma in leadership and how they shaped her approach
• The AIR Method (Acknowledge, Interrupt, Resolve) for addressing work trauma
• Practical tools such as the Wheel of Control and distinguishing facts from narratives
• How unresolved trauma influences decision-making, relationships, and company culture
• The responsibilities leaders have to themselves and their teams in healing
• How coaches and executives can apply these frameworks to foster healthier workplaces
• Real-life examples and case studies illustrating the impact of trauma and its resolution

This episode is essential listening for executives, founders, HR professionals, and coaches who want to understand and address the emotional undercurrents shaping modern workplaces.

 

Website: www.harmonizeu.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishperry/

Free Wheel of Control Gift: Email me WHEEL OF CONTROL at   trish.perry@harmonizeu.com

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Alina Nilsson, Managing Partner at Gamegroove Capital and visionary entrepreneur, about navigating ambition, motherhood, and meaning in leadership.

Alina shares her journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to building a global career in tech — all while redefining what it means for women to “have it all.” She reflects on the early lessons from her father’s mentorship, the strength of the women in her family, and the ongoing challenge of integrating personal and professional life.

This conversation is a deeply honest look at how leaders can blend drive with presence, and success with emotional growth.

This conversation explores:

• Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment and lessons from family business
• The role of mentorship and strong women across generations
• The creation of Emerge Conference and its impact on the tech ecosystem
• Balancing professional ambition with motherhood and self-care
• Redefining what “having it all” really means
• The emotional complexity of leadership and seeking professional support
• How vulnerability and reflection strengthen modern leadership

For any woman balancing ambition, care, and self-definition — this episode offers insight, honesty, and hope.

https://gamegroove.vc/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamegroovecapital/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinanilsson/

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Yi-Wei Ang, Chief Product Officer at talabat, one of the world’s leading food delivery companies, about courageous leadership, product excellence, and the human side of innovation.

Yi-Wei’s story spans continents—from Malaysia to Dubai—and each chapter has shaped his view of leadership, culture, and design. Starting his career in UX research, he built his way into product leadership while keeping people, empathy, and impact at the center.

This conversation explores what it takes to lead at scale with authenticity and courage: creating psychological safety, balancing empathy with decisive action, and remembering that great products begin with great humans.

Olga and Yi-Wei discuss:

• Courageous leadership and why psychological safety fuels innovation
  
• What makes a great product: balancing customer value with business growth
  
• How global experience and cultural diversity shape leadership
  
• The impact of parenthood on empathy and prioritization
  
• The loneliness of senior leadership — and the importance of finding your tribe
  
• How authenticity and continuous learning sustain long-term success
  
• Why discipline, structure, and self-care routines keep leaders centered
  

If you’re a product leader, founder, or executive navigating growth and complexity, this episode is a masterclass in clarity, courage, and connection.

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Gonzalo Arenas, VP of Operations at Dunia, about the evolving role of operations in startups and the human side of building sustainable businesses.

Drawing on his bicultural upbringing and diverse career, Gonzalo shares how pragmatic idealism shapes his approach to leadership, trust, and team-building. He offers a grounded look at what it truly means to operate at scale — balancing empathy with efficiency, and adaptability with structure.

This conversation is a masterclass in what modern operations and leadership demand today: low ego, high transparency, and continuous learning.

This conversation explores:

• How Gonzalo’s upbringing shaped his pragmatic idealism
• Why operations play a crucial role in long-term business success
• The importance of adapting to the needs of the company as a COO
• Building trust through low ego and high transparency
• Using empathy to understand and connect with stakeholders
• Why choosing the right CEO to partner with is critical
• The value of hands-on experience in small teams
• Continuous learning as the foundation of effective leadership
• Knowing when and how to implement process
• How asking insightful questions adds real value

For founders, leaders, and operators alike, this episode is a reminder that operations isn’t just about execution — it’s about alignment, empathy, and trust.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gonzaloarenas/ 

Book mentioned in the episode https://store.darrenhardy.com/products/the-compound-effect 

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Šárka Betke—entrepreneur, former FinTech leader, and mother of two—about what it truly means to craft your own path.

Šárka shares her journey of moving from a successful career in finance and technology into the world of purpose-driven business. She opens up about learning to trust herself amid external doubt, the courage it takes to start again, and how to bring the wisdom of past experience into a completely new chapter.

Together, Olga and Šárka explore what authenticity in leadership looks like—especially during times of internal transition—and how leaders can communicate openly with their teams while staying true to themselves.

This conversation explores:

• Crafting a career path that reflects who you are—not who you’re “supposed” to be
• Moving from FinTech to purpose-driven entrepreneurship
• Integrating lessons from your old career into a new vision for work and life
• Building your vision through external doubt and self-trust
• What Šárka would tell her younger self when she left employment for entrepreneurship as a mother of two
• How to stay authentic as a leader while navigating your own transitions

This episode is for:
🌿 Women in traditional industries finding their voice early in their careers
💡 Anyone wondering if it’s time to make the jump into something new
✨ Those who doubt their vision—but know it’s worth pursuing anyway

For Olga, this was the most optimistic yet truthful conversation on creating your own path.

 

https://www.vinofactum.wine/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinofactum

https://www.linkedin.com/in/%C5%A1%C3%A1rka-betke-12a7a457/

 

On Authenticity 

https://youtu.be/1lJDm6-SJQI?si=mS1KP0tjDpup3PaE 

In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper sits down with Nektarios Liolios—former banker, FinTech pioneer, and mental health advocate—to explore the unseen human side of startups.

From his early career in banking and FinTech to co-founding The Future Farm, Nektarios has experienced the high-stakes, high-stress reality of entrepreneurship. His story shines a light on the toll burnout can take—and why connection, resilience, and community are essential for building sustainable success.

This conversation explores:

• The hidden costs of burnout in the startup ecosystem
• Why connection and community are critical for resilience
• How “rootedness” influences leadership and wellbeing
• Realigning founding teams to sustain long-term ventures
• How The Future Farm is normalizing conversations about founder mental health
• The role of coaches, advisors, and emotional intelligence in supporting entrepreneurs

For founders, investors, and leaders alike, this episode is a reminder: sustainable startups begin with sustainable people.

 

http://linkedin.com/in/nekliolios

https://www.thefuturefarm.co/

https://foundology.org/