What happens when success on paper doesn’t feel like success in life? In this episode of The Phoenix Table, Sam sits down with Dr. Kristen Kale — entrepreneur, author of Notivation, and unapologetic truth-teller — to unpack her journey from chasing hustle culture to designing a life she actually loves.

Dr. K shares raw stories of early struggles with learning disabilities, building and selling multiple companies, and the breaking point that forced her to stop living for others and start living for herself. From fainting in her closet to reclaiming her health, from being overlooked in male-dominated boardrooms to standing tall in hot pink, Dr. K reveals the unfiltered lessons that helped her shift from exhaustion to empowerment.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or someone stuck in “shoulds” and “can’ts,” this conversation will challenge you to redefine success on your own terms — and remind you that rising isn’t about doing it all, but about doing what matters most.

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🎙️ Subscribe for New episodes every Wednesday.

🔥 Stay Connected:

The Phoenix Table is where raw stories rise from the fire. If today’s episode moved you, consider subscribing and leaving a review — it helps others find this space.

• Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections and behind-the-scenes content.
• Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephoenixtable/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanderson41/

In this episode of The Phoenix Table, we dive deep into the quiet pressures we place on ourselves—the "shoulds" that stack up and quietly define our identity. Sam unpacks how the collapse of her first business revealed just how much of her self-worth was built on productivity, achievement, and outdated expectations.

Through personal stories and mindset shifts, she explores what happens when we stop living by the rules we didn’t choose—and start asking what we truly want. From motherhood to leadership to self-worth, this episode is an invitation to trade guilt for growth and rewrite your story from a place of clarity and power.

🎙️ Subscribe for New episodes every Wednesday.

🔥 Stay Connected:

The Phoenix Table is where raw stories rise from the fire. If today’s episode moved you, consider subscribing and leaving a review — it helps others find this space.

• Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections and behind-the-scenes content.
• Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephoenixtable/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanderson41/

In this deeply personal episode, Sam takes you back to the moment everything she built came crashing down — the collapse of her first business, the grief that followed, and the unexpected clarity it gave her.

This isn't just a story about loss — it's about identity, shame, resilience, and the quiet rebuilding that happens when no one’s watching. She opens up about what it felt like to shut down a company, lay off a team she loved, and question her worth when the titles and success disappeared.

But what she found in the ashes was something she never expected: space to redefine who she is— not as a CEO, a wife, or a mother — but as herself.

If you've ever had your life detour off the path you planned… this episode is for you.

🔸 Why shame can silence our greatest lessons
🔸 What it means to lose your identity — and slowly reclaim it
🔸 How failure made room for a life that fits better

This is a story about the messy middle — and the beauty that can rise from it.

🎙️ Subscribe for New episodes every Wednesday.

🔥 Stay Connected:

The Phoenix Table is where raw stories rise from the fire. If today’s episode moved you, consider subscribing and leaving a review — it helps others find this space.

• Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections and behind-the-scenes content.
• Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephoenixtable/
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanderson41/