In this conversation, Bernadette and I talk about:

• How a Supreme Court ruling on the steps of the Massachusetts State House launched her first business
• What it actually felt like to walk away from six-figure weddings in New York City at the height of her success
• The abundance mindset work that got her through her hardest season — and why it's still a daily practice
• How Inclusive 360 was born directly from imposter syndrome
• What self-love actually has to do with professional freedom
• How she designed a life led by her two core values: freedom and optimism

Get Inclusive 360 by Bernadette Smith: https://amzn.to/4dRfiDo

You're a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero: https://amzn.to/4dzXlI6

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero: https://amzn.to/499yf1o

The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu: https://amzn.to/3RQ0v37

Five Things Newsletter by Bernadette Smith: https://amzn.to/3RQ0v37

Get the Designed Pause Decision Kit — 50% off with code PAUSEPOD

In this episode I talk about what it actually looks like to make a decision that belongs entirely to you — without asking for a panel, without defending yourself before you’re ready, and without owing anyone an explanation you didn’t agree to give.

We cover:

• Why the imaginary audience is more dangerous than the real one
• How to protect a decision while it’s still forming — without being secretive
• The three categories of people in your life and who gets access to what, and when
• What to actually say when people ask — and how to say it without apologizing

Download the free Designed Pause journaling prompts: www.designedpause.com

That's not a logistics problem. That's an audacity problem.

In this episode I walk through the four things that make pausing feel impossible for high-achieving corporate professionals — and why finding the audacity to slow down is one of the most strategic things you can do.

We cover:

1. The permission problem — why you keep waiting to earn rest you were never going to be handed
2. The identity threat — why pausing feels like disappearing, and what's actually on the other side of that fear
3. What you're actually afraid of losing — and what I found out when I lost it anyway
4. Why audacity is a skill, not a personality trait — and how to start practicing it today

Download the free Designed Pause journaling prompts: www.designedpause.com

This episode gives you a 7-day plan to find out.

Each day has one task, built around the same framework inside the Designed Pause Decision Kit:

1. Take the Designed Pause Quiz
2. Decode your pause type
3. Do your financial reality inventory
4. Map your other obligations
5. Assess your energy and capacity
6. Calculate your pause length
7. Work through your 48-Hour Decision Map

Get the Designed Pause Decision Kit — 50% off with code PAUSEPOD

Get the Fast Track Prompt – 50% off with code PAUSEPOD

Deidra shares what she's been learning about being intentional with where she is instead of waiting to get back home, the small but meaningful wins (a nail tech who changed her life, a gym she actually walks to), what's happening with her contracts, and how she genuinely feels after making this move.

No sugarcoating. No romanticizing. Just the real update — including why she's not homesick, not lonely, and feels more like herself than she has in years.

If you've been wondering what a designed pause actually looks like from the inside, this episode is it.

Ready to design your own? Grab the free journaling prompts: www.designedpause.com

Maybe you give the polished answer. But inside there's this moment where you think... I'm not sure I know.

That's not a you problem. That's what happens when you spend years getting really good at knowing what everyone else needed from you.

In this episode, I'm walking you through four questions designed to help you find your way back to the answer. They're not easy questions. But they're the right ones.

We cover: — Why high-achievers lose touch with what they want in the first place — Why not knowing is actually an honest starting point, not a failure — Four questions that move from the surface to something much deeper — What to do with what comes up

If something lands for you in this episode, the free journaling prompts in the link below are where this work continues. Thirty prompts, no cost, built for the moment when you know something needs to change but you don't quite have the words yet.

↓ Grab the free journaling prompts www.designedpause.com

And if you're ready to go further — map your opportunities, figure out what to pursue first, build an actual strategy for your pause — the Fast Track Prompt is also available on the site.

Salary. Benefits. What you'd have to give up. And the number stops you.

That math isn't wrong. It's just incomplete.

You've been calculating what you'd lose by leaving. You haven't calculated what you're spending by staying. And those are two very different numbers.

In this episode, I'm walking you through a four-category framework for the full cost of staying — the one that includes everything your spreadsheet has been leaving out.

We cover: — Why the financial calculation alone always makes staying look cheaper than it is — The physical costs you've normalized so completely you stopped noticing them — The identity and relationship costs that compound quietly over years — The one cost category on this list that has no recovery option

This isn't about convincing you to leave. It's about making sure you're working with accurate numbers before you decide anything.

If the honest accounting in this episode brought something up for you, the free journaling prompts in the link below are the right next step. Thirty prompts, no cost, built to help you get underneath the financial math and into what you're actually weighing.

↓ Grab the free journaling prompts www.designedpause.com

But if you've come back from every trip feeling fine for two weeks — and then the hollow feeling returns right on schedule — that's not a rest problem. That's data.

In this episode, I'm walking you through a four-question framework to help you figure out what you're actually dealing with: burnout that rest can fix, or something deeper that rest just delays.

We cover: — Why vacations and pauses solve completely different problems — The difference between physical exhaustion and identity exhaustion — How to tell if your question is a passing thought or a pattern — What it actually takes for the feeling to go away permanently

If something lands for you in this episode, the free journaling prompts I mention are in the link below. Thirty prompts, no cost, built for the person who knows something needs to change but doesn't have language for it yet.

Grab the free journaling prompts www.designedpause.com

Nobody warns you about this part.

You plan for the financial shift. You prepare for the identity questions. But what about the people? What actually happens to your relationships when you step away from corporate life?

In this episode, I'm getting honest about one of the most unexpected parts of a designed pause — the way your connections shift, who stays, who fades, and the surprising new relationships waiting for you on the other side.

We talk about:

• Why some corporate relationships don't survive the transition — and why that doesn't mean they weren't real
• The role intentionality plays in the relationships you want to keep
• How to stay open to the new connections that will propel your next chapter
• What happens with family — the ones who don't understand and the ones who show up completely
• And the simple, ordinary moments that end up meaning everything

This one is personal. And if you're a high-achieving professional privately questioning whether the life you've built is actually the life you want — it will meet you exactly where you are.

🎁 Grab the free journaling prompts to start your own designed pause: www.designedpause.com

Keywords: career break, sabbatical, burnout recovery, women in leadership, leaving corporate, relationship shifts, intentional living, life after corporate, career transition, high achieving women

What does it actually feel like to walk away from a career that defined you — and come out the other side with more clarity than you've ever had?

In this episode, I sit down with someone who lived it: my mom. She took a designed pause before it had a name, before there was a roadmap, before anyone was telling high-achieving women it was okay to stop.

We talk about the moment she knew she had to step away, what she thought a break would feel like versus what it actually felt like, and the unexpected shift that helped her finally hear herself clearly.

If you're a director, VP, or senior leader who is quietly exhausted and still telling yourself you're fine — this one is for you.

🎁 Grab the free journaling prompts to start your own designed pause: www.designedpause.com

Keywords: career break, intentional living, burnout recovery, women in leadership, sabbatical, life after corporate, high achieving women, finding yourself, self-discovery, career transition

Missing parts of your old life does not mean you made a mistake. Often, what you’re missing is the familiarity of old patterns, not the job itself.

My name is Deidra Green, and welcome to Designed Pause — a space for women who are intentionally rethinking their careers and learning how to stay grounded through change.

In this episode, I share:

• Why missing corporate life is normal during a career pause

• The top three things I miss about corporate life

• The top three things I don’t miss — and why

• How predictability, people, and identity show up after leaving corporate

• Why you have to “land” in your decision instead of romanticizing it

• How to stay grounded when nostalgia creeps in

This conversation is for corporate Black women who are considering a career pause and want an honest, balanced perspective — not fear, guilt, or fantasy.

You can appreciate what corporate life gave you and still choose something different.

Get the Designed Pause Decision Kit: www.designedpause.com

✨ Subscribe for calm, honest conversations about intentional career pauses 💬 Comment below: What’s one thing you think you’d miss — or wouldn’t miss — about corporate life? 👍 Rate this episode if it helped you feel more grounded in your decisions

During my Designed Pause, I’ve been spending part of my time living in Saint Lucia, and while there are many upsides, I want to share some of the unexpected challenges that don’t always show up on social media.

My name is Deidra Green, and welcome to Designed Pause — a space for women who want to think through lifestyle shifts and career pauses intentionally, not romantically.

In this episode, I share:

• What it’s really like arriving and departing from a small island airport

• Why patience and flexibility matter when living abroad

• The realities of driving, traffic, and infrastructure in Saint Lucia

• How daily life works without dryers, traditional addresses, or online bill pay

• What housing, landlords, and transportation actually look like

• Why island life requires a different pace — and mindset

This conversation is for women who are considering living abroad or incorporating travel into a career pause and want a realistic picture, not just the highlight reel.

Living abroad isn’t about expecting things to work the same way they do in the U.S. It’s about adapting to a new way of being.

Get the Designed Pause Decision Kit here: www.designedpause.com

✨ Subscribe for honest conversations about intentional career pauses and life design 💬 Comment below: What would be a deal-breaker for you when living abroad? 👍 Rate this episode if you appreciate realistic, grounded perspectives

My name is Deidra Green, and welcome to Designed Pause, a space for women who are thoughtfully rethinking their careers and learning how to design what comes next with clarity and intention.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• What corporate life prepared me for that still serves me today

• Why documenting your work and keeping “receipts” matters during a pause

• How project planning and time management support a hybrid career pause

• Why it’s okay — and often necessary — to change direction

• How building optionality reduces fear during transitions

• What corporate life did not prepare me for, including trusting your instincts

• Why pauses require self-trust, patience, and internal validation

This conversation is for corporate Black women who are successful on paper but want to move into their next chapter with intention — not urgency or pressure.

Corporate skills don’t disappear during a pause. They evolve.

www.designedpause.com

✨ Subscribe for calm, honest conversations about intentional career pauses 💬 Comment below: What skill did corporate life prepare you for — and what did it not? 👍 Like this video if it helped you rethink how your experience still serves you

But slowing down intentionally is not the same as losing momentum.

My name is Deidra Green, and welcome to Designed Pause — a space for women who are rethinking their careers, their pace, and the lives they’re designing with intention.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why slowing down feels so uncomfortable in high-achieving environments
• The difference between intentional pauses and unintentional stagnation
• How invisible work like reflection, planning, and discernment actually counts
• Why comparison makes thoughtful decisions harder
• How to reframe your pause as alignment, not delay

This conversation is for corporate Black women who are successful on paper but know that speed without alignment comes at a cost.

Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. Sometimes it’s how you finally get clear on where you’re going.

www.designedpause.com

✨ Subscribe for calm, honest conversations about intentional career pauses 💬 Comment below: What does slowing down bring up for you — relief, fear, or both? 👍 Like this video if it helped you rethink pace and progress

Who are you without your job title? What will people think? What will you say when someone asks, “So… what do you do?”

In this episode of Designed Pause, host Deidra Green explores the deeper, often unspoken fear behind stepping away from work: the loss of external validation and the pressure to remain “successful on paper.”

As a millennial who checked all the boxes and climbed the ladder, Deidra reflects on how true fulfillment in her life has often come from moments that went against the grain — decisions others might have labeled mistakes or risks.

This conversation is about reclaiming your identity beyond your title, trusting that nothing you’ve accomplished can ever be taken from you, and learning how to protect your vision when others don’t yet understand it.

• Why identity is a major barrier to taking an intentional career pause

• How job titles become entangled with self-worth

• Why your skills, experience, and lessons always come with you

• What people at the end of their lives actually regret — and what they don’t

• How to guard your heart and protect your ideas during a transition

• Why you are worthy simply because you exist

• How a Designed Pause can help you realign with what truly matters

• Mel Robbins Podcast episode with Dr. Karl Pillemer (on end-of-life regrets)

• Free journaling prompts to help you reflect on identity and desire

• The 7 Primal Questions (book) — to explore the deeper question driving your ambition

My name is Deidra Green, and welcome to Designed Pause, a space for women who want to take an intentional career pause without creating unnecessary financial stress.

In this video, we talk honestly about money and career breaks, including:

• Why money fears stop women from pausing — even when they want to

• The importance of planning a career pause instead of “jumping ship”

• How to take inventory of your finances without judgment

• Being honest about the lifestyle you want during your pause

• The difference between expectations and financial reality

• The real financial changes I made to design my own pause

I share practical examples from my life — downsizing, restructuring expenses, using credit strategically, and increasing cash flow — not as a blueprint, but as proof that there are more options than you might think.

This conversation isn’t about deprivation or hustle. It’s about honesty, planning, and designing a pause that actually works for your life.

If you’re a corporate Black woman considering a career break, sabbatical, or transition — this video will help you think differently about money and possibility.

✨ Subscribe for conversations about intentional career pauses and designing your life 💬 Comment what expense or mindset shift you think would make the biggest difference for you 👍 Like this video if it helped you reframe money and career pauses

In this episode, I share:

• Why a career break must be planned before you take it
• How a lack of planning can turn a pause into a new source of stress
• What my first career pause taught me after leaving a director role at a large financial firm
• How I’ve been intentionally preparing for my second pause for years
• The three types of career pauses: Passive, Active, and Hybrid

I’m currently on my second career pause — traveling between the United States and Saint Lucia, doing contract work, and building Designed Pause — and this time, the difference is intentional planning.

This conversation is for corporate Black women who are successful on paper but know something needs to shift. Not because they’re tired — but because they’re uninspired or misaligned. If you’re considering a career break, sabbatical, or simply want exposure to new options, this episode will help you rethink what a pause actually requires.

Here is a link to the tool I mention in the episode: www.designedpause.com

✨ Subscribe for conversations about intentional career pauses and designing your life 💬 Comment which type of pause you think you need right now: passive, active, or hybrid

👍 Like this video if it helped you reframe what a career break really is

Over the next five years, I grew from field trainer to Vice President, all because I took the time to pause, listen to my own voice, and move with intention. In this foundational episode of Designed Pause, I share:

• Why I chose to take another career break after senior leadership

• What an intentional career pause actually looks like

• How listening to your own voice can create clarity and new options

• Why you’re not tired — you’re uninspired or misaligned.

This podcast is for corporate Black women who are successful on paper but quietly questioning what’s next. Not because something is wrong — but because alignment matters. During this pause, I’ll be traveling between the United States and Saint Lucia, doing remote contract work, and documenting what it looks like to intentionally design your life in real time.

If you’re considering a career break, a sabbatical, or simply want exposure to new options, you’re in the right place.

✨ Subscribe for conversations about intentional planning, career clarity, and designing your life

💬 Comment where you are in your own pause — questioning, planning, or already transitioning

👍 Like this video if it helped you name something you’ve been feeling