Break Down. Wake Up.
Break Down. Wake Up. is about discovering the world changing wisdom within our distress. I’m Meg Mateer, a psychology nerd turned business consultant and entrepreneur. Join me to hear from leaders about when things in their lives were breaking down and to listen for the wisdom waking up. Along the way, we’ll explore fresh perspectives like (1) how distress is a driver of success, not a barrier to it, (2) how our personal and professional lives are inherently connected and (3) how our individual experiences can help solve broader societal challenges. When things are breaking down, important wisdom is waking up.
Episodes
33 episodes
Special Episode! The Wisdom in Our Distress: Meg Mateer at Brainwash Festival
Many of us were taught to hide our difficult experiences and emotions because it would indicate that we’re crazy, unsuccessful or broken. But what if, instead, these feelings are wakeup calls for positive change? In this talk , you’ll hear from...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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37:24
032 - FINAL EPISODE SEASON 1 Break Down. Wake Up. podcast :)
Season 1 of the Break Down. Wake Up. podcast is officially complete! In this episode, I take a look back on the last 31 episodes and give you a broad overview of what we've covered in this season. You'll also hear my personal st...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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36:56
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031 - SOLO EPISODE - Sharing insights from the last 9 episodes
How can our distress inspire activism, career shifts, and new businesses? In the latest episode, I highlight some of the biggest insights that have been inspired from the last 9 episodes. I also share my perspective on ho...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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17:44
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030 - Speaking outside of the checkboxes with Nora Bateson
How involuntary family separation during her international migration awakened a complexity systems thinker to the illusion of safety in institutions and an even deeper need for people to listen to and understand contextNora Bates...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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1:10:50
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029 - Liberating students from a colonized system of education with Miriam Freed
How her own professional struggle led an education leader to understand the link between trauma, learning and social injustice in the classroom. Miriam Rachel Freed spent the early part of her career working in education for ...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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54:25
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028 - Breaking down is wisdom waking up group program - Solo Episode!
How can we use our distress as a catalyst to personal and professional growth?In this episode, you'll hear about the online group program where you can discov...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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17:23
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027 - Using different modes to manage uncertainty with Sam Swidzinski
How shifting his emotional states helped a psychology researcher survive challenging life events that were out of his control. What happens when your own emotions feel overwhelming in a situation you cannot control? And what ...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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50:23
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026 - Five types of wisdom we can discover from listening to our distress - solo episode!
What kind of wisdom can we get from exploring our distress? This episode is for people, teams, and organizations who want to learn why its worth it to explore and share our experiences of distress and how this exploration makes a deep and la...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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24:59
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025 - Control vs. discovery based approaches to transformation - solo episode!
How we can use the experiences we have been trying to control to uncover the answers we have long been searching for - an unique approach to create sustainable change in our personal & professional lives, our organizations and our world....
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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25:24
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024 - Activism that begins with listening - solo episode
There's a new type of activism on the rise....one whose action starts with listening...and why it is fundamental for moving beyond the rising polarization within ourselves, our relationships and our society. In this episode, I share mor...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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20:57
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023 - Giving life to DEI & workplace wellbeing with Vivian Acquah
How her own pregnancy and postpartum depression sounded the alarm for Vivian Acquah about workplace discrimination and the need for deep listening in inclusion effortsVivian Acquah was a successful professional working in finance...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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56:43
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022 - Investing in the advantages of age with Suzanne Noble
How suddenly losing her income in the pandemic inspired a serial entrepreneur to help other people over 50 start their own businesses. Suzanne Noble had a successful 20 year career in public relations - but when she decided t...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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51:17
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021 - SOLO EPISODE - Sharing insights from the latest 10 interviews
What if professional development actually looked more like a balance beam than a corporate ladder? In the latest episode, I introduce this concept and highlight some of the other biggest insights that have been inspired fr...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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23:57
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020 - Hearing harmony within diversity with Dmitriy Gutkovich
How his experience hearing voices helped an ambitious rising leader find inner peace and explore a variety of perspectives on how to foster broader harmony.From an early age, Dmitriy Gutkovich had his sights on politics and public...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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41:36
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019 - Sensing an unsafe work culture with Marcel Schwantes
How a sudden physical injury helped a former healthcare leader see the impact that a fear-driven management style was having on his wellbeing and performance in a high stakes environment. Marcel Schwantes was set up for an ac...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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54:54
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018 - Giving voice to gender inequity with Helene Geijtenbeek
How an educational trip on diversity and inclusion helped a grants consulting partner realize her own complex experiences with gender inequity as a female corporate leader and inspired her to create change in her organization and beyond<...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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55:52
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017 - The wisdom within life transformations
How my leap from corporate consultant to entrepreneur brought me close to some of my biggest wake up calls to understand myself and follow my gut in business. This episode is an interview I did with Agnes Bilik on her podcast, Raw and Re...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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59:17
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016 - Listening to the wake up calls - solo episode!
How my own breakdowns, when I finally paid attention to them, inspired and facilitated my transition from corporate consultant to social entrepreneur. I spent the first eight years of my career working in corporate consulting, climbing t...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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16:00
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015 - Exploring alternate realities to get healing with Oryx Cohen
How experiencing extreme states of consciousness helped a non-profit chief operating officer process childhood challenges, improve his marriage and shift his approach to leadership Oryx Cohen was a leader in an organization t...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:10:57
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014 - Discovering her inner compass through loss with Lene Rachel Andersen
How the unexpected death of her mother at a young age helped a futurist thinker and philosopher finally pursue her professional dreams and realize her potential. Lene Rachel Andersen almost always felt like she did not fit in...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:11:15
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013 - Slowing busyness to find answers in his inner unrest with Mark Harris
How finally paying attention to his physical and emotional pain helped a senior finance director reconnect with himself and support key relationships in work and life. On the outside, Mark Harris had it all: he was a talented ath...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:17:38
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012 - Listening to her whole self...even the nasty bits with Nadja Taranczewski
How coming to terms with her own relationship doubt and a part of herself she did not want to see brought an executive coach deep compassion for herself and others. Nadja Tarancezewski had a degree in psychology, was working as a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:19:45
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011 - Discovering safety and wisdom within the body with Elisabeth Kristof
How simultaneously losing both her business and the health of her partner showed an ambitious wellness entrepreneur that her stability started with herself. Elisabeth Kristof had poured herself into her business for years until s...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:10:23
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010 - SOLO EPISODE! Sharing insights from the first 9 interviews
I recap the major themes that arise in the guest interviews and share my perspective on how these themes can help us solve personal, professional, and broader collective challenges. It's been 6 weeks since the podcast launched and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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55:54
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009 - Integrating an epiphany through daily practice with Jules Evans
How a ski accident gave a practical philosopher the insight to liberate his own self worth from the judgments of others and to discover his own career path. After years of social anxiety and self consciousness, Jules had an unexpected aw...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:14:50
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