Podcast
A Spark Of Awareness
Hosted by Sophie Vo · EN
A Spark Of Awareness is a weekly 15-minute reflection practice for conscious leaders to practice self-awareness. Your time to pause, and sit with yourself. No distraction, just self-listening.
Every week, Sophie Vo will offer a human prompt, drawn from real transformation work with tech and gaming founders, executives, and leaders to help you step out of old scripts, reconnect with your truth, and lead from integrity, presence, and self-mastery.
Sophie is a leadership guide for high-achieving and conscious leaders. With 17 years of leadership experience in the tech and gaming industry, Sophie has built and led 30+ global teams across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and has mentored over 200 executives across VC-backed startups and public companies. A four-time founder, her most recent venture scaled to six figures in its first year and evolved into ORIN, a curated global network redefining leadership for women.
riseandplay.substack.com
riseandplay.substack.com
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Where Is The Feminine In Leadership?
Feb 2400:16:19Tap to summarizeRecording from Eagle River, Wisconsin closing the first US ORIN Retreat co-led with Devon Wyland, Sophie Vo Vo reflects on feminine–masculine polarity in leadership and why this theme is triggering, at the moment.Sophie describes masculine leadership as structure, boundaries, control (and when imbalanced, dominance, aggression, and competition) and feminine leadership as flow, intuition, and emotional attunement—qualities she says are often missing at workplaces. She notes many women leaders have learned to lead through masculine models, which can be exhausting and can hide feminine power, while in business operations many women lean too far into unstructured feminine flow when building a business requires masculine structure, method, discipline, and strong boundaries. This podcast reflection invites both women and men to develop missing parts of their polarity: women reconnecting to feminine presence without shame or stereotypes, and men cultivating empathy, listening, and emotional presence rather than outsourcing emotional labor to women. Sophie shares her personal journey of being raised in a performance-driven, competitive, controlling environment, feeling uncomfortable in women’s spaces, and later reconnecting to her feminine side to lead and build her work from authenticity, truth, and soul alignment rather than performance. The episode closes with reflection prompts to identify where listeners are overdeveloped (masculine force/control or feminine lack of structure), suggestions to rebalance through learning structure or practicing softness and imperfection, and a short grounding meditation focused on breath, sensory awareness, and a held inhale. 00:00 Welcome to A Spark of Awareness (Why inner authority matters)02:44 Feminine & Masculine in leadership: Why this theme triggers us05:02 Redefining the feminine leadership: Presence, authenticity, and trust07:15 The reversal for women: Masculine presence, feminine business ops09:22 My personal journey: From performance to feminine reconnection11:23 Practical reflection: Diagnose your polarity + rebalance practices13:06 Guided grounding meditation (breath + senses)15:05 Closing: Next retreats, integration prompt, and how to connectRecommended Books on Feminine Leadership 🌹* Women who run with the wolves (by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estés)* Muse: The Magnetism of Women Who Stop Abandoning Themselves (by Dr Amanda Hanson)Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Get Out Of The Drama Triangle!
Feb 1700:19:38Tap to summarizeIn this episode of ‘A Spark of Awareness,’ Sophie Vo Vo delves into the concept of the Drama Triangle, also known as the Triangle of Karpman. She outlines its three roles: rescuer, victim, and persecutor, and explains how these roles manifest in various relationship dynamics including business, co-founding partners, client relationships, and romantic partnerships. Sophie emphasizes the importance of recognizing which role one is playing to break free from the cycle of conflict. She shares personal experiences and techniques for how to stop the drama, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, self-compassion, and personal responsibility. The episode also provides actionable steps for regulating oneself and moving from being in a reactive mode to a more proactive, creator mindset. 00:44 Understanding the Drama Triangle Roles07:01 Real-Life Examples of the Drama Triangle07:06 Personal Journey and Insights10:26 Breaking Free from the Drama Triangle13:11 Practical Steps to Avoid Drama14:56 Grounding and Closing MeditationOther resources: * Triangle of Karpman: READ* Book Attached (by Amir Levine, Rachel S. F. Heller)Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Self Sabotage #5: The Solo Survivor Mode
Feb 1000:16:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Sophie Vo dives into the fifth self-sabotage pattern, known as the 'survivor syndrome,' where leaders prefer to do tasks alone and rarely ask for help. We revisit the previous patterns like shutting down intuition, people-pleasing, leading from fear, and having an empty cup. Sophie shares her personal story of growing up in an immigrant family where she had to take on responsibilities at a young age. This pattern, born from early experiences of mistrust and betrayal, impacts professional and personal life. She suggests examining the origins of this distrust and encourages small experiments towards trusting others to break this self-sabotage cycle. Trust cannot develop by thinking alone; it has to be practiced. The episode concludes with grounding meditation and journaling exercises to help listeners reflect and reprogram behaviors to stop sabotaging themselves.Extra resources recommended:* It Didn’t Start With You (by Marc Wolynn)* Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents (Lindsy Gibson)* Life is a Game. You don’t like your life? Rewrite it: READ HEREEnjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Self Sabotage #4: Leading With An Empty Cup
Feb 300:16:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Sophie Vo Vo discusses the fourth self-sabotage pattern for leaders: having an 'empty cup,' and being depleted of energy. Many leaders operate in survival mode without realizing it, manifesting through signs like excessive fatigue, skipping breaks, poor sleep quality, and using free time for rest only, due to exhaustion. And then repeat the cycle. Burnout is around the corner…The role of a leader's energy is critical in the overall performance of their team and business. Sophie shares her personal experience of reprioritizing all daily tasks to focus on high-impact activities only and introduces an 'energy audit' coaching exercise to help leaders identify what drains and replenishes their energy, and rearrange their habits to optimize for energy, rather than time.Additional resources:* Energy in, Energy out Self-assessment: Download Here* Atomic Habits (by James Clear)Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Self Sabotage #3: Leading With Fears
Jan 2700:18:39Tap to summarizeIn this weekly reflection of ‘A Spark of Awareness,’ Sophie Vo presents the third self-sabotage pattern in leadership: fear-based decision-making. Drawing from her own experience and the hundreds of founders she has worked with, Sophie outlines how fear influences leaders’ decisions, leading to detrimental outcomes for teams and organizations, and eventually business growth.You will get actionable insights on recognizing fear-driven behaviors, differentiating rational and irrational fears, and how to bring them to light so they have less power over you.This reflection is a reminder of the importance of making decisions from a place of integrity rather than fear, advocating for conscious leadership. Listeners are encouraged to slow down, connect with their bodies, and reflect on their fears to lead more effectively.Reflection points:* Recognizing Fear in Decision Making* Evolutionary Perspective on Fear And Why Most Of Our Fears Are Not Real* Good vs. Bad Fears* Managing Fear: Techniques and Coaching Exercises* Transgenerational Fears and Their Origins* Closing Meditation and Reflection Extra resources recommended:* Fear Settings Journaling (by Tim Ferriss): * It Didn’t Start With You (by Marc Wollyn)Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness.. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Self Sabotage #2: Being A People Pleaser
Jan 2000:18:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of 'A Spark of Awareness,' the focus is on the second self-sabotage pattern: being a people pleaser. Sophie Vo, explores how people pleasing manifests in various behaviors such as avoiding conflicts, difficult conversations, struggling to say no, or over-explaining your boundaries. Through personal anecdotes, she highlights the cultural and psychological origins of people pleasing and its detrimental effects on both personal and professional relationships. Sophie offers actionable advice on how to recognize these patterns and practice setting boundaries by delaying responses and learning to say no. Leaders are encouraged to practice these skills and reflect on their experiences, with more on self-sabotage patterns promised in future episodes.Extra resources recommended:* Boundaries (by Henry Cloud)* Boundary Boss (by Terry Cole)* Attached (by Amir Levine), to understand more the origins of your people pleasing patterns.Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Self-Sabotage #1: Shutting down your Intuition
Jan 1300:18:34Tap to summarizeIn this coaching reflection episode of ‘A Spark of Awareness,’ we dive deep into the vital role Intuition plays in creative leadership. In a world saturated with technology and external validation, it's easy to lose touch with our inner authority and self-mastery. This first episode highlights the #1 self-sabotage pattern: ignoring intuition. Many leaders today operate solely from the mind which is 20% of their full potential, by disregarding the body's inherent wisdom. The episode offers practical steps to reconnect with intuition through creative practices and daily self-awareness exercises. Every episode closes with a short guided meditation designed to help listeners connect with their breath and bodies, creating space for intuitive feelings to surface.Additional resources:* The Pathless Path* The Creative Act: A Way Of Being (by Rick Rubin)Enjoy this Self-Awareness practice 👁️Thanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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Introducing A Spark Of Awareness
Jan 500:08:57Tap to summarizeDear listeners, I am evolving The Rise and Play Podcast. Time has come.Over the past four years, your support, feedback, and presence have meant very much to me and through this work, we’ve explored the leadership lessons of more than 150 founders, CEOs and leaders in the gaming industry, and the podcast reflected the journey.I was living myself as a gaming executive and leader, learning alongside my peers, and now I am evolving, and so is this podcast. Last year, if you have followed my journey, I fully crossed a threshold in my own life and identity, and I stepped away from the role and the structure of gaming leadership and into my full path as an entrepreneur and conscious leadership guide where I support leaders as we cross their own threshold from confinement, old scripts, duty identity into self-mastery, freedom, and truth.From this work. I have also founded ORIN, a sisterhood of conscious women leaders who are crossing the threshold and are doing this in group and in beautiful awareness. And I also now accompany many CEOs and leaders in one-on-one through that deep transformation. So the podcast will now become a reflection of this path and of the evolution I am witnessing in the leaders I work with.To reflect this transition, the podcast is shifting into a new format. And let me be clear here. I wanna respect your time and mine and offer something that is meaningful, grounded, and truly valuable of this time. There’s already so much content competing for our attention. And I don’t wanna add more noise, distraction, or information to consumer.And instead, this podcast will become a practice, a weekly discipline. A pause, a moment to step back, reconnect, and ask yourself the right questions. The same questions I work , with the founders and leaders I coach. And each episode will be between 10 and 15 minutes, what I call a “human prompt”, where I share what is alive in my work with leaders, the patterns I’m observing, because they are repeating over and over again across hundreds of leaders I’ve worked with.In the end, it is about being human and its human patterns, and you will get the wisdom that emerges from real journey of transformation. Maybe you are in yourself and need support, so this content will not be preplanned. And it’s definitely not an AI prompt. It is a human to human conversation and drawn from everything that I’m learning with my clients and with my own experience as an entrepreneur.It’s an invitation to cross your own bridge. From a legacy expectation, maybe a legacy of company or your story to more agency and your inner freedom and truth. And the first series I will open next week is about self-sabotage, patterns in leadership. The patterns I’ve identified across more than 200 leaders I’ve worked with. It’s so funny because they appear again and again, and I thought it is time that I actually reveal them because it’s going to make my work easier as we can start from the same basis, and you can also benefit from them without having to go through this yourself, which will help develop your self-awareness, which is the first step of transformation.So the first pattern. We will explore in my first episode is a disconnection from intuition because many leaders are externalizing the wisdom, living primarily in the intellectual mind and losing more and more of a connection to their inner voice. I hear every week. I would say even every day, people who are outsourcing the authority to chat GPT, they can’t even think for themselves.They don’t even know how to listen to themselves. And they’re, I would say, letting that muscle die by outsourcing it more and more to a machine or to others. And when intuition is discarded, distrusted businesses and the leaders as one with in them become flat. And we see businesses that are built from trends comparison.Imitation instead of authenticity. Conviction, something that is true and original. And this is what is going to emerge in an era where everything is mostly likely produced by an ai.And in this era, people will not seek for more information, but they will seek for what is real. They’ll seek truth. So in each episode, I will share concrete experiences from my work with clients from my own journey and other reflections and practices you can use to transform your patterns at your own pace into self-mastery.The main thing I’m asking from you is discipline. You don’t need more knowledge. You need commitment and discipline, and that’s the work I do in my coaching. This is my invitation. So if you feel you’re standing at the edge of a threshold, something needs to change. You are entering a new chapter of your life, asking yourself whether the way you are living, leading, and spending your time still true to you.The space is for you and you are not alone. If you here to continue to consume content, , without accountability, this podcast is evolving to a place that, it’s not going to be aligned. It is for leaders who are willing to do the work. This is my 15-minute coaching practice for free if you really wanna do the work, but maybe are not in a place yet to work with a coach.So I’m very excited to introduce this new evolution, this next chapter of this podcast. This is: A Spark of Awareness.I look forward to being with you there. See you next week. SophieThanks for tuning in to a Spark of Awareness. Subscribe for free to receive your weekly dose of consciousness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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The Fear of Becoming You: Why Some Leaders Change, and Others Never Will
Nov 2500:28:14Tap to summarizeIn this new coaching episode host Sophie Vo and co-host Maria Gillies are tackling the “Fear of Becoming You,” uncovering the profound themes surrounding leadership, self-awareness, and personal transformation. These themes have resonated particularly for women leaders navigating the complexities of authenticity and growth.Changing: The Paradoxes of GrowthIn our discussion, we delved into the paradoxical nature of personal growth. Many leaders express a desire to rise and transform while simultaneously fearing what that transformation might entail. The fear of “becoming someone you do not want to be” often mirrors a deeper apprehension of losing integral parts of oneself in the pursuit of growth.Identify When You Are Sabotaging YourselfChange starts with awareness.Recognizing where you feel stuck or conflicted—such as the fear of becoming your own Villain—can unveil deeper self-limiting beliefs. Trust that acknowledging these feelings is the first step toward overcoming them.Recalibrate Relationships: In and Out As you grow, you may need to reassess your relationships, including the one you have with yourself. Growth often requires reevaluation and sometimes letting go of connections that no longer serve your true self.This requires courage, and is part of the process of change.Practice Daily Self-AwarenessTrue self-awareness involves daily practices of introspection. Writing down and honoring your boundaries can guard your authenticity and prevent self-abandonment. 3 Signs You Are Not AlignedLeadership isn’t merely about external success; it’s about fulfilling your role while staying true to yourself. When shadows loom in leadership, signals manifest physically and emotionally, disrupting our well-being. Watch out for these:* Physical Symptoms: Stress or burnout symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, and physical exhaustion suggest misalignment in your path and priorities.* Emotional Up and Downs: Feelings of loneliness or disconnection, even when surrounded by people, are strong indicators that introspective work is needed.* Constant Misalignments: Recurring conflicts or dissatisfaction in professional and personal settings often highlight deep-seated issues begging for resolution.✍️ Coaching ToolsFor leaders seeking to address these shadows, fostering a conscious, self-aware mindset is crucial. Here are some practical options:* Daily Journaling: Spend time each day reflecting on your thoughts and feelings. Focus on areas that are out of alignment and use journaling to explore their roots.* Boundary Setting: Identify what is yours, what is not yours? Establish boundaries that protect your time and energy. Practice saying no.* Weekly Calibration: Regularly pause to assess your emotional state and recent interactions. Are they nourishing or depleting? Consciously decide who and what fills your environment. Change it.* Journey with a group: Join communities or circles where you can share experiences and gain diverse perspectives. These spaces offer opportunities for learning, healing, and collective growth.Don’t be afraid to explore those uncomfortable questions: “What am I afraid of losing in the process of becoming who I truly want to be?” “When did I last ignore my instincts, and what was the outcome?”“What relationships in my life truly support my growth, and which ones do I maintain out of fear?”Remember that personal growth is not linear. On December 20th, I’ll host online a free masterclass to go deeper on the themes to realign your life and purpose, overcoming the fears of becoming You.Thanks for reading Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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73. Pivoting Your Company Strategy 360 - with Nicolas Godement
Apr 18, 2023Tap to summarizeYou know it, you need to drastically pivot your company otherwise it will go bankrupt. So, what do you do, and how? Nicolas Godement, Managing Director at Twin Sails (previously known as Asmodee Digital) shares the exciting transformation journey of a company that started as a board game IP publisher to a PC and console game publisher. When Nicolas joined the company in 2018 to support the CEO, the financials were not good, the team morale was low. How do you start with that?Get the practical steps from Nicolas on how to pivot a company strategy, team, and branding. How do you accompany the teams throughout this uncomfortable phase? Those changes don't happen overnight if you want to them be sustainable. They usually take 2 to 3 years. Are you ready to lead that journey in your company?Thank you to our sponsor! Identify your ideal audience with today's sponsor Solsten to streamline development decisions and get to market faster. Visit go.solsten.io and mention Rise x Play for a demo and receive 30% off your first Solsten engagement crafted to your studio’s needs.Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play: https://www.riseandplay.io This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com
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