Essential Pause: Leading and Living with Intention Archive
We live in a world obsessed with motion—growth, productivity, and doing. But what if the real power lies in the pause? The Essential Pause Podcast invites you to explore the in-between spaces where reflection, awareness, and intentional action take root. Grounded in Dr. Carey Borkoski's Substack and her book Dancing with Discomfort, co-hosts Carey Borkoski and Dr. Es Swihart weave together their experiences as coaches, educators, researchers, and parents to explore stories, insights, and practices that build self-awareness, deepen emotional intelligence, and help us stay present through discomfort. Each episode offers an honest reflection, a story you’ll recognize from life or leadership, and an essential practice you can try right away. Think of it as a gentle reset button—a chance to slow down, notice, and choose how you want to show up. Whether you’re a leader, a parent, or simply someone craving more presence in your everyday life, these conversations are an invitation to pause—on purpose.
Episodes
In this episode of Essential Pause, Carey shares a personal story about back pain and an unexpected lesson from a massage therapist: the place that hurts isn’t always the source. Using the PAUSE framework, she explores how we often seek advice, mentoring, or coaching for symptoms rather than the deeper systems shaping them. This conversation invites listeners to slow down, treat discomfort as intelligent data, and resist the rush t...
This brand-new podcast, created in partnership between Dragon Podcasts and Loyola University, invites you to step into the in-between spaces—where reflection, awareness, and intentional action take root. Guided by Loyola University’s Dr. Carey Borkoski—coach, educator, and researcher—this series opens a thoughtful conversation on how we lead and live with greater clarity and purpose.
In this episode, Carey is joined by Jesse Tubbs, an adventure racer and coach whose understanding of pausing was shaped in high-stakes, multi-day races that rely on map-and-compass navigation across biking, hiking, running, and kayaking terrain. Jesse shares how slowing down—once a source of frustration—became essential for course correction, team alignment, and success, reminding us that the fastest person on the course can still ...
You often already have what you need to lead, teach, or coach. In this episode, Carey is joined by Jessica Harrington, a values-based higher ed director committed to strengthening the practices and understanding of leadership, creativity, & innovation through program development, mentoring, and coaching. Together, they explore the role and importance of showing up authentically, centering others, and trusting your presence to p...
Not all pauses are planned. This episode shares how unexpected events—like sudden disruptions or surprises—can become moments of reflection and recalibration. Discover strategies for turning the unplanned into opportunities for clarity and deliberate action.
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