Great Life Experiment Podcast

Great Life Experiment Podcast

Welcome to the Great Life Experiment Podcast! Join me, your host Monique Schafer as we grapple with the messy and beautiful, and ever-changing world of our personal and professional lives, and the business world around us. There is no one right way. Let’s experiment together. NEW Episodes April 2026

Episodes

July 2, 2026 44 mins

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.

Long before we reach exhaustion, our emotions, our relationships, and even our bodies begin telling us that something is out of alignment. The question is: are we paying attention?

In this episode, Monique welcomes multi-time CEO, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Heartnomics founder Hanna Bauer to explore a new way of thinking about leadership - one that builds resilience before burnout even takes h...

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You don’t always need more discipline to find your creative spark again. Sometimes, all you need is one conversation. 

In this episode, Monique reflects on what happens when creative energy begins to fade under the weight of a full, demanding life, and how, unexpectedly, one conversation can shift everything. 

What starts as a reflection on corporate pressure, survival mode, and creative depletion becomes a powerful...

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AI is moving fast, and the pressure to keep up can feel even faster.

In this episode, Monique unpacks the quiet guilt many professionals are experiencing as AI reshapes workflows, product strategy, and the future of work. From internal company initiatives to the endless stream of LinkedIn hot takes, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has already figured out the tools, the language, and the pace of change. 

But the real...

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February 26, 2026 11 mins

So often we find ourselves frustrated at work, in teams, in family, or in friendships, because someone else isn’t showing up the way we think they should. We get stuck waiting for them to act, to decide, and to fix things. And in that waiting, we surrender the control that’s always been ours. 

In this episode, Monique dives deep into the concept of reclaiming your agency, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming pe...

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Leadership isn’t about doing it all. It’s about making clear decisions, defining accountability, and protecting your team’s energy.

In this episode, Monique draws insights from a quarterly business review to explore how leaders can prevent cognitive overload while maximizing team performance. She highlights the power of clear roles, well-defined accountability, and strategic prioritization - not just to keep proje...

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Life doesn’t slow down when you’re overwhelmed. 

In this episode, Monique explores what it’s like when all aspects of life demand attention at once - work, parenting, health, leadership, and personal projects. She examines how to stay present and effective without letting overwhelm take control.

Monique reframes difficulty as an opportunity rather than a failure. She shares practical strategies for navigating...

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In this episode, Monique gets honest about breaking her own consistency streak and why giving ourselves grace matters in a messy, overwhelming world. She talks about holding space for real feelings at work and at home, and shares practical, down‑to‑earth ways she’s using AI in real life—from planning a family trip to synthesizing feedback and even learning to build with AI through a product boot camp. Take what resonate...

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January 22, 2026 13 mins

At the start of every year, we quietly hope that this will be the one where we finally feel in control of our time. We imagine a calendar that feels calm, a life that feels balanced, and a year that feels ours. 

But the truth is, most of us aren’t overwhelmed because we lack discipline. We’re overwhelmed because we’re trying to keep every option open, and the pressure of possibility quietly becomes a weight t...

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If 2026 is going to be your year, the secret isn’t doing more. It’s doing the small things consistently. 

In this episode, Monique reflects on the power of showing up for yourself, even when life is busy or messy. Drawing from her experience of launching The Great Life Experiment Podcast, she shares why repeated small actions, not perfect execution, are the key to building identity, momentum, and meaningful results...

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Have you ever been in a meeting when someone proposes an idea, and your first thought is, “That will never work”? Maybe you hesitated to speak up because you didn’t want to come across as negative, or worse, shut down creativity. But what if that gut reaction could actually become your most powerful tool?

In this episode, Monique explores how diverse experiences, expertise, and biases can shape the way we respond ...

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November 27, 2025 9 mins

Thanksgiving is more than just gratitude. It’s a mirror for what’s next. 

In this Thanksgiving episode, Monique invites you to reflect on your life in a way that honors what’s really good, while listening to the whispers of your next chapter. She offers a grounded, compassionate perspective on gratitude that goes beyond the usual “be thankful for what you have.” It’s an invitation to listen ...

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Missed the live workshop? Here’s everything you need to know to catch up and move your ideas forward. 

In this episode, Monique recaps the Great Life Experiment Sprint, sharing key lessons, breakthroughs, and exercises from the two-day workshop. From uncovering your real “why” to experimenting with new ideas and using AI thoughtfully, she distills the most important takeaways to help listeners move forward wi...

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What if the same principles that build great products could help you build a life that feels more aligned, intentional, and alive?

In this episode, Monique reflects on the unexpected ways product thinking has shaped the way she creates, leads, and makes decisions that matter. She shares how the principles of discovery and design apply not just to business, but to family rhythms, unfinished ideas, and the quiet callings that never s...

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There will always be more time to do than the time we have to do it. 

In this intimate birthday reflection, Monique invites you into the truth most high-achievers avoid: There will always be more ideas, more ambition, more responsibility than there will ever be time. And strangely, accepting that might be the most liberating shift of your life. 

Monique explores the transition between seasons, the grace required, the cour...

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Product leadership has always been about navigating complexity - people, priorities, and pressure to deliver. But in a world being reshaped by AI, where change is faster than our ability to process it, the real challenge isn’t what we do, it’s how we think. 

In this episode, Monique sits down with Ravi Mehta, one of the most respected voices in modern product leadership. Ravi has served as Chief Product Officer at ...

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The best leaders aren’t setting goals. They are setting puzzles. 

In this episode, Monique sits down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, to explore a new paradigm for leadership in a world obsessed with metrics. Radhika’s framework has been adopted across 40+ countries, helping leaders, founders, and teams replace goal-chasing with vision-led learning. 

Through her concept of puzzle setting,...

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Collaboration doesn’t have to feel complicated. With the right framework, teamwork can become clear, aligned, and surprisingly easy. 

In this episode, Monique introduces the P.A.I.D Model, a framework designed to bring clarity to collaboration. By identifying four key roles — Pilot, Advisors, Informed Stakeholders, and Decision Maker —  teams can navigate complexity with less friction. 

Monique expl...

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We’ve all had those seasons where our career feels stuck, where the questions are loud, but the answers feel far away. But what if the way forward isn’t another job search, but a different way of seeing your path?

In this episode, Monique shares a simple yet powerful framework that has guided her own career moves. This practical tool helps you uncover what you truly want out of your career, recognize the strengths you a...

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How are you, really? Sometimes it feels easier to give the polite answer than to name what’s true when the world feels heavy and your heart is carrying more than words can hold.

In this reflective solo episode, Monique opens up about what it means to live with the weight of so many emotions at once and why protecting our energy is our first responsibility. She shares the small but powerful practices that kept her grounded - c...

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When the rules of the game keep shifting, what does bold leadership look like?

In this 'Ask Monique' episode, Ben Schafer (Rev Op Leader and husband) joins Monique (Product Leader and Advisor) to explore a listener's questions: do we make bold moves in uncertain times? And how do you, as a leader, show up with all this uncertainty?

Together, Monique and Ben explore the nuances of courage, risk, why inaction is often the riskiest of...

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