Your Brain's BFF

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Let's create the life you actually want. Figure out what you want. Get shit done. Stop feeling like crap.

Pooja Venkatraman


    • Aug 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 6m AVG DURATION
    • 548 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Your Brain's BFF

    444. You don't need advice to figure out what's next. You need to clear your emotional cobwebs.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 1:32


    Over the next few days, I'm going to share the most common emotional cobwebs that keep people stuck and confused about their next career step.Make sure you're subscribed to my email newsletter so you don't miss a thing: poojav.substack.com

    443. The hidden first step high achievers overlook when deciding their next career move

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2025 4:14


    You have to take one hand off the monkey bar to reach for what's next

    442. Is it a bad day, or a bad job?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 1:49


    A simple exercise to help you figure that outBook a free consult call here! https://poojavcoaching.com/contact

    333. You are an emotional athlete.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 2:30


    The overlooked form of athleticism that you need to create the life you wantCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    346. Why self-criticism is so seductive

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025 4:11


    441. My 3 second Nickelodeon slime trick for staying in flow – even when everything is going wrong

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 2:21


    The real performance unlock is when you can stay in flow even when everything is off track.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    440. What an ER nurse taught me about imposter syndrome

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 4:15


    The opposite of imposter syndrome isn't confidence. Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    439. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 8:30


    How are you going to remind yourself of the reframe?Part 1 of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achieversPart 2: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-c0aPart 3: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-59cPart 4: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-508Part 5: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-5cbPart 6: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-671——— Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contactRead client testimonials: https://poojavcoaching.com/testimonials-page

    438. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 6)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 9:24


    How is this a win-win?Part 1 of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achieversPart 2: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-c0aPart 3: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-59cPart 4: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-508Part 5: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-5cbCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    437. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 5)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 6:45


    What is the lose-lose framing your brain has come up with?Part 1 of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achieversPart 2: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-c0aPart 3: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-59cPart 4: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achievers-508Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    436. If you're always worried about what other people think, ask yourself this question

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 5:03


    435. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 4)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2025 6:18


    Where are YOU, relative to all the stuff happening in your brain?

    434. Stop trying to prove yourself to your boss

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 3:23


    And do this instead.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    433. Most people don't know this about me…

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2025 4:28


    Did you know that I first discovered coaching because I was looking for a weight loss solution?I tell the whole story in this episode :)What started as “how do I stop stress eating?” turned into “holy crap, this is changing my entire life.”And if you want to learn more about the toolkit that not only helped me stop stress eating…But also made me more productive, got me onto a new career path, and changed my entire life…Come talk to me and let me tell you all about it :)Drop by for a no-strings-attached coffee chat ☕️We can just chat, I can tell you a bit more about me, and I can give you a coaching perspective on whatever's on your mind.Book one here: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatOr you can book a consult call, and we can map out a full coaching engagement.Let's set your goals, map out a plan to get there, and go through my six-point decision-making checklist to see if we'd be a good fit :)Book a call here: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact

    432. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 3)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 8:53


    431. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 8:28


    When your brain gets STUCK Below The Line, it's the mental equivalent of having an autoimmune disease.Part 1 of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/the-biggest-mistake-high-achieversCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    430. The biggest mistake high achievers make that inadvertently caps their performance (part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 16:24


    Is your brain Above The Line or Below The Line?Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    429. This 4th of July…set the right expectations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025 4:25


    Because holiday weekends can be weirdly high-pressure.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    243. How to think about tradeoffs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025 4:04


    First ask: How can I do this without tradeoffs?Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    372. 3 signs you're hitting the limits of the Stressed Out Overachiever operating model

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 6:58


    Not your limits overall as a person. Just the limits of your current operating model.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    378. Don't change jobs without asking yourself this question

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2025 3:45


    Is it the job, or is it your own mental operating model?Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    338. The 4 kinds of self-doubt + The quick & dirty solution to each

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 6:02


    428. How to rest without feeling terrible about it

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 6:18


    Employee Mindset vs. Asset MindsetCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    427. 3 words to add to your vocabulary for less stress and more flow today

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 3:47


    “My brain is...”Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    367. Why working harder isn't making you feel better

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 6:40


    Tell me if you ever go through this sequence of events…Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    426. My ex-boyfriend used to tell me I was wrong about this…

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 4:45


    But I think I was right.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    425. Don't set goals for achievement. Set goals for momentum.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2025 2:35


    Doable > DauntingCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    424. How to tell if you really want what you say you want

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 5:11


    A 30 second testCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    423. The Salt Fat Acid Heat of productivity and ambition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 4:19


    If you're feeling stressed or stuck – adjust one of these ingredientsCoffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    422. A quick test to figure out if you need a coach, or if ChatGPT is good enough

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2025 6:12


    I use AI in my own self-coaching all the time…and there's no way I'm letting go of my own coach.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    421. What my favorite sci-fi novel can teach you about building the career you want

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2025 3:41


    The enemy's gate is down.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    420. The Two Kinds of Motivation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 6:10


    One will burn you out. The other will keep you in flow.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    419. Is your career a garden or a jungle?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 2:46


    I recommend building a jungle.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    418. Don't avoid mistakes. Make praiseworthy mistakes.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 7:54


    Use this spectrum to toggle your brain out of fear and back into flow.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    417. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 7)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 5:07


    Mistake #7: Expecting the process to be linear.Previous parts of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenPuzzle box video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAa1KUfDEFn/Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    416. The #1 reason you feel behind…

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2025 3:22


    It's not a productivity problem. It's an emotional avoidance problem.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    415. If you would have passed the marshmallow test as a kid, listen to this

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2025 3:39


    You're probably burning out right now. Here's why.Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    414. What an ancient Indian parable can teach you about your job search

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 5:18


    Akbar and Birbal tell you to stop cold-applying to jobs on LinkedInCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    289. The stakes are so much lower than you think

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 1:31


    So relax and have a great long weekend :)Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    413. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 6)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 5:21


    Mistake #6: Using the School Grading Model instead of the Matchmaking Model.Introduction to this series and Mistakes #1-5: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    364. Stop prioritizing your tasks by importance

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 4:54


    And start prioritizing them by this insteadCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    412. Should you quit your job, or not? (with Master Coach Amelia Noël)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 37:18


    I recently had a chance to meet Amelia Noël, a Master Certified Coach and creator of the Breaking Free from the Grind coaching program.I was so excited to meet her because we are both card-carrying high-stress high achievers.She's a Columbia Business School grad. I'm a Harvard Business School grad.She worked in investment banking and consulting. I worked in corporate strategy and consulting.We both did our coach certifications at the Life Coach School, which means we both talk about the “Circumstance | Thought ➡️ Feeling ➡️ Action ➡️ Result” framework all the time.We both now work with high-stress high achievers to them break free from the grind of their careers and build their careers around flow :)And we just recently had an awesome conversation on her podcast, Breaking Free from the Grind, about helping our clients navigate the question of “Should I stay, or should I go?” in their careers.In this episode, we talk about…

    267. Jealousy is super useful

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 1:07


    Find the signal in the noiseCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    411. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 5)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 10:31


    Mistake #5: Being in Execution Mode instead of Exploratory Mode.Previous parts of this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when5 quick and easy career experiments: https://poojav.substack.com/p/5-quick-career-experiments-you-couldCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    218. Be disciplined about the right things

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 2:46


    The right things aren't what you think they are.Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    410. No amount of rest will fix a life that's not in alignment

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 6:33


    You don't have a laziness problem. You have a misalignment problem.Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    409. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 4)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 4:07


    Mistake #4: Prematurely accepting tradeoffs.——— Intro to this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenMistake #1: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-3bbMistake #2: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-544Mistake #3: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-544Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    408. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 3)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 5:27


    Mistake #3: Discounting the value of your craft because it comes easily to you.Intro to this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenMistake #1: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-3bbMistake #2: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-544Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    407. Something feels off. But is it Type 1 Wrongness or Type 2 Wrongness?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 3:06


    One is signal, and the other is noise.Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    406. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 8:13


    Mistake #2: Thinking in terms of industries and functions…Instead of thinking in terms of goals, blockers, and problems to be solved.Intro to this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenMistake #1: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-when-3bbCoffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact——— 

    405. 7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 8:18


    Mistake #1: Thinking in terms of jobs and roles…Instead of thinking in terms of applications of their craft.Introduction to this series: https://poojav.substack.com/p/7-mistakes-high-achievers-make-whenSubscribe to my email newsletter: https://poojav.substack.com/Coffee Chat - one-off brainstorm about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contactMy “your job vs. your craft” idea is heavily influenced by Simone Seol's concept of “your profession vs. your artistry,” which she elaborates on in this podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4eGc3hQ01JjtzhErJv1DY1?si=hDt4ge33Q0q5kR-XXoJLyg——— 

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