What if the extraordinary results you're chasing are hiding in the ordinary daily tasks you're overlooking?

In this episode, Dr. Lani Jones shares how she helps mid-career professionals navigate the "what's next?" question through psychology-informed business coaching. Lani is a clinical psychologist who works in the leadership space, doing one-on-one coaching with professionals asking "I've checked all the boxes, where do I go from here?" while also working with organizations on culture and clarity. She started her career in a hospital setting as part of an interdisciplinary team before opening a private practice, but COVID became the unexpected catalyst when evaluation needs dropped while therapy demand skyrocketed, and she began working with entrepreneurs and executives on leading through crises and balancing professional ambition with caregiving. Lani's innovative approach centers on deep-dive calendar audits that reveal what's truly important versus what's done out of obligation, helping seasoned professionals reclaim agency they've forgotten they have. Her biggest win was helping a C-Suite executive who achieved her life's goal but was miserable, and after 18 months she was loving work again simply by claiming her agency and rebuilding her calendar. Beyond her professional achievements, Lani champions the motto "the extraordinary abides in the ordinary."

Lani reveals the relationships that transformed her business: three powerhouse women she met in a mastermind group for testing psychologists around 2018-2019, who after the mastermind ended gelled so deeply that one said "I think we need to meet in person," leading to yearly gatherings where they show up so vulnerably that if two end up in the same city there's a text guilting the others to fly in even for 36 hours. These women became her biggest champions who championed her pursuit of coaching saying "pursue this, it's okay to transition out of clinical work," and because Lani had all her cheerleaders behind the scenes giving her business advice while personally supporting her, she could show up powerfully for an early coaching client, a founder drowning without systems who couldn't afford mentorship. She worked with her pro bono, introducing her to key people and helping her handle burnout, leading to Lani's realization that it wasn't just about these three women but about the broader relationship ecosystem she'd built over years where she could say "let me share my people with you."

[00:03:20] Clinical Psychologist in Leadership and Business Space

Works as consultant and coach with mid-career professionals
One-to-one coaching with those asking "what's next? I've checked boxes, had success—where do I go from here?"
Works with organizations and leadership teams on culture, clarity, evaluation procedures
Does workshops and trainings

[00:04:20] Started Career in Hospital Setting

Worked with variety of medical professionals as part of interdisciplinary team
Focused on diagnostic side: evaluation and testing
Moved to opening private practice during COVID

[00:04:40] COVID Changed Everything

By happenstance started working with group of entrepreneurs and executives
Covering topics: leading through pandemic, going through reorg while dealing with divorce
Climbing corporate ladder while being caregiver at home
Talking about dual roles

[00:05:00] Merging Business and Psychology

Being business owner herself, loved talking all things business
Using psych expertise to address people-related challenges
Coaching was way to merge love of both business and psychology
Help people maximize impact and show up as best selves in all spheres

[00:05:40] The Need Shifted Dramatically

Stay-at-home mandates, children in schools at home
Need for evaluations drastically dropped off
Need for therapy greatly increased
What she'd been doing totally unexpectedly shifted

[00:07:40] C-Suite Client Success Story

Woman came to her, been in C-Suite about a year
C-Suite was her entire goal—everything she'd done was for this
Year in, I was not very happy, asking "is this it? Is this what it's supposed to feel like?"
Crisis moment: "What do I do now?"

[00:08:20] Deep Dive Calendar Audit

First step with all clients: calendar audit
Can say such and such is important, but calendar reflects what truly is
Spend week or two doing deep dive: mindless scrolling, transport times, all the things
Start peeling back layers in all spheres

[00:08:40] What's on There Out of Obligation?

What's under obligation or guilt?
What did you really want to say no to but said yes to?
Seasoned professionals often forget how much agency they have in a situation

[00:09:00] The Big Win: Nothing Externally Changed

By end of their time together, she was really loving things again
Nothing significantly changed externally: same role, two elementary age kids, married
Started claiming her agency, taking more control
Peeling away guilt and "shoulds"

[00:09:40] Rebuilding Calendar to Bring Life

Rebuilt calendar to things that brought her life, things she wanted to say yes to
Even within job position, had more flexibility than she was claiming
Structured schedule to maximize deep think time
Had flexibility in when and how she was taking meetings

[00:12:40] Met in Mastermind Group

When first starting practice, sought out business mentor
Was in mastermind group—all testing psychologists in private practice
Very specific niche, all virtual across the country

[00:13:00] Four Women Really Gelled Together

At end of mastermind, herself and three women really gelled
One said "I think we need to meet in person"
Met up in person number of years ago for first time
Have yearly gathering somewhere in world, one plays host

[00:13:20] Guilting Each Other to Fly In

If two end up in same city, there's text message
Guilting other ones to fly in even for 36 hours to be with them
Powerhouse business owners

[00:13:40] Biggest Champions and Cheerleaders

Been some of her biggest champions and cheerleaders...

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary with Dr. Lani Jones