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About this Episode:

In this episode of the Transformative Leader Podcast, I’m happy to bring you a conversation with speaker, author, and business coach, Sallie Holder, about hitting “rock middle“—living an unfulfilling life of undoubted success—and how we can find true fulfillment beyond it. Sallie is a nationally-recognized speaker, business coach, trainer, and guide, and has spent more than fifteen years helping businesses, entrepreneurs, and employees identify what’s getting in their way and then break down those barriers to success. Sallie Holder is also the bestselling author of Hitting Rock Middle: The Roadmap From Empty Success To True Fulfillment, podcast host, and founder of The BRIMM (Beyond Rock Middle Movement).

Sallie is on a mission to change the way people (especially women) think about what’s possible for them. As a child prima ballerina, straight-A Honors Student through Law School, Sallie achieved every medal, award, and accolade in her 15-year career path to the top. She expanded companies internationally, advised Fedex and Michelin, closed high-budget deals, and ran teams of hundreds of people… until it all came crashing to a halt. She found herself crumpled in the fetal position on the bathroom floor, festering a dark secret: she hated the cage of her own creation. She had hit “Rock Middle.” As her life spiraled downward greased by the deepening habit of alcohol and a marriage in question, Sallie had it all on the outside, but felt miserable inside. Eventually, she found a way to bounce back, and now, she uses that experience to help her clients break out of their silent scream in success and into true fulfillment. 

This was a great conversation on an important topic with a fascinating guest. I believe we have all felt what it’s like to hit “rock middle,“ and many of us might even think that’s the norm. It’s especially common for high achievers and usually comes with a hefty dose of Impostor Syndrome to boot. So, this is such an important topic to be addressing, and falls right in line with our mission of transforming the workplace experience into one of inspiration and fulfillment, rather than dread and dissatisfaction. It was great having Sallie on, make sure to check this episode out and check out her website and book as well!

Some topics discussed in this episode include:

• How Sallie’s journey to “rock middle” started and how she found her way out of it.

• What exactly is “rock middle“ and how is it different from rock bottom?

• Thoughts on how we define success, internally and externally, and how they affect the fulfillment we experience.

• Why success and fulfillment are never thing that just “happen,'“ but have to be the result of intentional action.

• Why coaches are so indispensable in helping us see things for what they are, and get out of own way.

• And much more…

Sallie Holder is a sought after coach, speaker, trainer, and guide to her clients breaking out of their silent scream in success and into true fulfillment. Sallie earned a degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University and followed that by earning her law degree. While spending more than ten years practicing labor and employment law, advising small companies as well as giants like FedEx and Michelin, she grew passionate about the growth of businesses. Moving beyond her law practice, she became an entrepreneur, starting her own business in coaching. Here she discovered her true passion: helping others make the bold choices that lead to lasting success and happiness.

Guest Links:

To learn more about Sallie and her work, you can visit her website and check out her podcast. You can also find her book on Amazon. You can connect with Sallie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The Transformative Leader Podcast publishes every Thursday. If you enjoy the show and would like to help new listeners discover it, please leave us a rating and review on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform, and share the podcast with others. Would you like to suggest a guest for an upcoming episode, let us know here.

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