A 600kg horse landed on Hacia Atherton while she was training for international dressage. What followed: six months in the hospital, 30-plus procedures, and 117 days of work just to stand for ten seconds. She studied for her CPA exams from a hospital bed, went on to earn a master’s in positive psychology, founded an organization fighting for women in the trades, and wrote a book about the billions hiding in plain sight in workplace culture. She and Jolie get into the emotional cage the Industrial Revolution built, why telling men they’re allowed to feel means nothing without the tools to do it, and why belonging, not titles or diversity programs, is what actually moves the needle.

Key Takeaways
• 1,300 lbs of horse, 30+ procedures, six months in hospital.
• 117 days of work just to stand for ten seconds.
• Grit got her through; curiosity unlocked the recovery.
• She left rehab early for a CPA exam; they called a psychiatrist.
• Breath was the one thing she controlled. It became her anchor.
• Factory-era economics built the tough-it-out archetype we still live.
• We told men they could feel, but never gave them the tools.
• Disengagement costs the world ~9% of global GDP.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:17 Law, and a pony named Honey Babe
02:40 The accident: 600kg in slow motion
04:10 Six months, 30+ procedures, and dehumanization
09:43 A PhD in turning trauma into triumph
10:11 CPA exams from a hospital bed
13:17 The book as anchor, breath as control
17:57 Emotional pain is as real as a broken arm
21:41 The billion-dollar blind spot in culture
26:21 Masculine vs. feminine leadership
33:05 The SAD acronym and why words carry weight
34:09 Belonging as the real fix
39:18 Outro: find Hacia and her book

Like this one? Follow Revenue Mind, and leave a review if it hit home. It’s how more revenue leaders find the show, and how we keep mental health right next to the number.

Links
Hacia Atherton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haciaatherton/
Empowered Women in Trades: https://ewitrades.com/
The Billion Dollar Blind Spot: https://www.haciaatherton.com/billion-dollar-blindspot
Jolie Shapiro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolieshapiro/
Revenue Mind: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revenuemind/