Podcast Summary: Strategy Hour | Online Marketing for Business Growth
Episode 998: When What Used to Matter… Doesn’t Anymore
Host: Abagail Pumphrey
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode is an intimate, reflective solo by host Abagail Pumphrey, focused on the evolution of personal and business values through different seasons of life. Abagail gets candid about her own recent experiences of value shifts, the concept of liminal space, and how listeners can make peace with changing priorities without guilt or confusion. She delivers actionable reflection prompts, shares real-life anecdotes, and encourages listeners to embrace slow, intentional living as a path to redefining success and fulfillment both personally and professionally.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Nature of Values and How They Change
- Abagail opens with the idea that values aren’t static like a “set-in-stone compass,” but shift through life’s seasons—more akin to “constellations” that subtly change with your perspective (03:33).
- “I used to treat values a lot like a checklist... but I felt incredibly disoriented when those no longer felt aligned.” (03:38)
2. Impact of Life Transitions and the Liminal Space
- Major life changes (travel, career shifts, health events) frequently force reevaluation of what is truly important.
- Abagail describes returning from a transformative trip that left her feeling like she had “woken up from her life” (07:50).
- Introduces “liminal space” as the psychological in-between during major transitions (08:56-10:23):
“Liminal space is a place of transition. It's literally a threshold that exists between one destination or state and the next... It's awkward and weird and frustrating to be there. But that's where I was.”
3. Signs and Experiences of Value Shifts
- Value shifts don’t happen all at once. They’re more like assembling a puzzle with pieces revealing themselves over time (07:05-08:45).
- The struggle is often not apathy or depression, but a natural “rearrangement” to make space for who you’re becoming.
- Abagail normalizes feelings of disorientation and encourages patience with the process.
4. Reflection and Assessing Alignment
- Suggestions for self-inquiry:
- “If someone followed you for a week, what would they say you truly value?” (11:35)
- “Are you spending time on things out of residual obligation, even if they no longer feel right?”
- Advises listeners to observe where their time, energy, and money truly go—since these are tangible reflections of values (11:25-12:20).
5. Permission to Slow Down & Reframe Success
- Pressures to power through transition can backfire, sometimes with negative health consequences, as Abagail shares openly about her own experience post-surgery (21:35-22:30):
“I tried to power through, and when I tried to power through, I put myself in the hospital... So rest is important. Giving yourself time is important.”
- She details her shift away from constant productivity (posting, producing, networking) to slower, more intentional pursuits (reading, puzzles, writing a book).
6. Trusting the Process & Letting Curiosity Lead
- Encourages letting curiosity dictate how to spend your time during these liminal phases (11:52-12:10).
- Cautions against excessive influence from others or social media when discovering (or rediscovering) one's values (23:30-24:45).
- Not all old values disappear; often, what changes is the way you embody or express them (24:49):
“If freedom was a value in the past, you may have viewed that as having more flexibility, having more time freedom... What if freedom now means emotional peace, so you're automatically choosing the less stressful option, even if that's choosing something that'll bring you less money?”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On The Nature of Liminal Space
“Liminal space is a place of transition ... It's awkward and weird and frustrating to be there. But that's where I was.”
[10:00] -
On Self-Discovery During Value Shifts
“Values aren't permanent declarations. They're living agreements between who you were and who you're becoming. And the only way to hear clearly again is to slow down long enough to listen.”
[25:05] -
On Energy and Choices
“If you keep choosing things that immediately give you the ick... why do you keep choosing that? ... Don’t spend your time there. Spend your time on things that bring things to you.”
[16:47] -
On Redefining Freedom & Success
“If freedom was a value in the past, you may have viewed that as having more flexibility ... What if freedom now means emotional peace?”
[24:56] -
On Permission to Evolve
“It's okay to change. It's okay to evolve.”
[25:20]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:33 | Values as shifting constellations and not static checklists | | 07:50 | Disorienting aftermath of returning from a life-changing trip | | 08:56 | Introduction and explanation of "liminal space" | | 10:23 | Description of the emotional landscape of transitions | | 11:25 | Reflecting on where your time, energy, and money are going | | 13:07 | Actionable prompt: Imagine someone observing your week | | 16:47 | On choosing only projects, people, and tasks that give energy | | 21:35 | Personal story about pushing through and resulting health challenges | | 23:30 | The importance of cutting social media and outside influences | | 24:49 | Examples of how a core value (freedom, creativity) may shift in expression | | 25:05 | Reframing values as “living agreements” between past and future selves | | 25:20 | Permission to be okay with change |
Actionable Takeaways
- Accept that values naturally shift; let go of guilt or need to "power through."
- Watch where your time, energy, and money naturally flow—it tells you what you actually value.
- Use slow seasons to reflect, realign, and imagine what success and value look like without outside influence.
- Give yourself permission to say “no” to obligations that no longer fit, and “yes” to what gives energy and authenticity.
- Redefine success and freedom as they make sense to your current self, not your past self or society’s expectations.
Overall Tone & Style
Warm, thoughtful, and gently motivating—Abagail mixes vulnerability with pragmatic reframing, inviting listeners into self-compassion and intentionality as they navigate inevitable shifts in their businesses and lives.
Recommended for:
Entrepreneurs, business owners, or anyone in a season of transition or reevaluation, especially those feeling disoriented by changes in motivation or values.
For full notes, free resources, and more:
https://bossproject.com/podcast