Soqratic Sandbox

Author: Priya Raman

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  • Podcast Episode 12: Recovering From Burnout

    Priya talks with a former finance director about the year after burnout: what recovery looked like, why rest alone did not fix it, and how she rebuilt her working week around energy instead of hours.

    • Why burnout is a mismatch, not a weakness.
    • The difference between rest and recovery.
    • Three questions to ask before saying yes to new work.

  • FAQ: How Coaching Sessions Work

    How long is a session?

    Fifty minutes, by video call. We leave ten minutes so you are never late for your next meeting.

    Can I reschedule?

    Yes, with twenty-four hours of notice. Sessions moved with less notice count as used, except in emergencies.

    Is what I say confidential?

    Yes. When a company pays for coaching, we share attendance with them, never content.

  • Sleep Is a Leadership Skill

    Leaders who sleep badly make harsher judgements, read neutral faces as hostile and take more risks with other people's work. None of that feels like tiredness from the inside.

    • Keep the same wake time every day, weekends included.
    • Stop work messages an hour before bed.
    • If you cannot sleep after twenty minutes, get up and read.

  • Imposter Syndrome for New Coaches

    You do not need to be further along than everyone. You need to be one step ahead of the person you are helping, and honest about where you are.

    A reader asked how to stop feeling like a fraud with her first paying clients. The feeling usually means you care about doing the job well. Keep notes on the results your clients get; evidence is the most reliable answer to the voice that says you are not qualified.

  • Resilience After Losing a Big Client

    One of our clients, a solo consultant, lost a retainer that made up forty percent of her income. Her first instinct was to discount everything to fill the gap quickly.

    We worked on separating the facts from the story. The fact was a cash-flow gap of three months. The story was that her business was failing. Once the two were apart, she could plan for the gap instead of reacting to the story.

    She kept her prices, reached out to five past clients and filled most of the gap within ten weeks. The lesson she took away was to never let one client exceed a quarter of revenue again.

  • Building Habits That Stick

    Habits fail when they depend on motivation. They last when they are attached to something you already do and made small enough that skipping them feels silly.

    Anchor, shrink, celebrate

    • Anchor: after I pour my morning coffee, I will…
    • Shrink: write one sentence in my journal, not a page.
    • Celebrate: notice it, even with a quiet yes.

    Grow the habit only after it has run for two weeks without effort. Most people scale up too early and then quit entirely after one bad day.