
Beyond Awareness: Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Samantha Hawley | Inspired by Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Marie Forleo, Hillary Kerr, Mel Robbins
Show overview
Beyond Awareness: Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 242 episodes. That works out to roughly 80 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence, with the show now in its 4th season.
Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes — most land between 11 min and 25 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 34 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 101 episodes published. Published by Samantha Hawley | Inspired by Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, Marie Forleo, Hillary Kerr, Mel Robbins.
From the publisher
Beyond Awareness (formerly Journal Entries) is for successful women in leadership and business who know exactly what they need to do but can't make themselves do it. You know you need to prioritize yourself, delegate more, set boundaries, stop bringing work home. You've tried therapy, coaching, retreats. You know the solution - but you either can't follow through, or when you DO, it doesn't stick. Host Samantha Hawley helps business owners and executives earning $100k+ excavate the root beliefs underneath the execution gap. Why do you keep not doing the thing? Why doesn't it feel better when you do? Using strategic journaling and emotional excavation, we go beyond awareness into why you're actually stuck in the pattern. This isn't about more tactics or tips. This is about understanding why awareness isn't enough and what actually needs to shift for you to change. You'll hear about: decision fatigue, why you can't prioritize yourself, nervous system regulation, being present with your kids, root cause of overwhelm, why boundaries don't stick, self-sabotage patterns, and how your internal state impacts everything. Perfect for: Female CFOs, VPs, directors, executives, business owners, and women in leadership who are tired of knowing what's wrong but not being able to change it.
Latest Episodes
View all 242 episodes242. How to Come Back to Yourself (From Constant Noise to Clear Intuition)
241. Journal With Me: How to Shift Your Identity (Even When It Feels True)
240. From Doing Business the “Right Way” to Creating What Actually Feels Aligned
239. Journal With Me: When Your Life Looks Nothing Like You Expected
238. What Changes When You Stop Waiting for Life to Feel the Way You Want
237. Journal With Me: How to Make Decisions Faster (When You Keep Putting Things Off)
236. The Simple Way to Start Decluttering & Feel Less Overwhelmed
235. From Rushing and Always Being Late to Calm Mornings (Why It’s So Hard to Slow Down)

S4 Ep 234234. Journal With Me: From Staying Quiet to Speaking Up. The Beliefs That Made You a People Pleaser
You had something to say. You felt it come up. And then you pushed it down.You told yourself it’s not necessary. That it’s better to keep things smooth. But later, you’re still thinking about it.That’s not random.There’s a belief underneath that moment. One that decided speaking up changes how you’re seen. That it creates tension. That it makes you a problem.And that belief didn’t start here.Today you’re sitting down with your journal and going into that. Looking at where staying quiet began, what it gave you, and what it’s been costing you.Journal Prompts: Think about the last time you didn’t say something you wanted to say. What were you afraid would happen if you did say the thing?Where did that fear come from? Not this situation, go back further. Who in your life made you feel unsafe or uncomfortable to speak up or to ask for what you needed?What did you learn about yourself from that person or from that experience? Finish the sentence: When I speak up, I am…How did this belief keep you safe as a kid? And what has staying quiet actually cost you?What do you want to believe about speaking up instead? Speaking up means…... Speaking up doesn’t have to mean…...What is one thing you would say this week if you knew your relationships, your job, or your reputation wouldn’t crumble?If something clicked for you while doing this, stay with that. Not the whole story. Just the part that felt true. You don’t need to fix it all at once. Seeing it clearly is enough to start.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 233233. Why You Keep Falling Back Into Old Patterns (Even After Doing the Work)
You did the work. You named the belief. You felt the shift.And then somehow… you’re right back in it.Saying yes when you meant no. Filling your time again. Second guessing yourself. Apologizing after you finally spoke up.It makes you question everything. Like maybe it didn’t actually stick. You’re back at square one.This is the part no one prepares you for.Releasing a belief isn’t the finish line. It’s where things start to get real. Old patterns don’t just disappear. They come back in quieter, sneakier ways. And if you don’t recognize them, it’s so easy to think you’re doing something wrong.You’re not.What’s happening here is part of the process. The discomfort, the pull to go back, the confusion… it’s your system trying to find what’s familiar.Once you can see how it shows up for you, you move through it differently. Not perfectly. But with awareness that actually changes something.If you’ve been in that space of “I thought I already worked through this,” this will land.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 232232. Journal With Me: From "I Don't Know My Purpose" to Finally Seeing It
You’re asked what you’re passionate about and your mind goes blank.Not because it’s not there. Because you haven’t slowed down long enough to hear it.Your days are full. Work, kids, responsibilities, constant output. You keep everything running, but somewhere in that, you lost connection with what actually lights you up.So instead of trying to “find” your purpose, this is where you start seeing it differently. Through what you’ve already lived. Not something you need to go out and create.Today you’re sitting down with your journal and walking through prompts that bring you back to yourself in a way that actually feels honest.Journal PromptsWhen someone asks what you’re passionate about or what lights you up, what happens? Do you go blank? Change the subject? Give an answer that doesn’t feel true?Think about the hardest season of your life. What was actually happening? How did it feel?How did you cope during that time? What did you do to protect yourself, your time, or your energy?What came out of that season? Who did you become? What did you figure out?Because of what I went through, I am really good at…............Picture someone in the middle of what you already survived. What do you want to say to her? What does that show you about what you’re here to do?If you’ve been feeling disconnected, unsure, or like everyone else seems to know what they want except you, this is for you.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 231231. From Exhausted and “Everything’s Normal” to Finally Feeling Like Yourself Again
You’re eating well. You’re working out. You’re keeping up with everything. But you’re still tired.You’re more irritable than you want to be. And it feels like your body just isn’t keeping up with your life.You’ve been told everything is normal. But something about that doesn’t sit right.We get into what could actually be going on underneath that. From stress that doesn’t switch off to the way your body starts to compensate when it’s been pushed for too long. The symptoms that get brushed off. The patterns that quietly build.This is for the woman who knows something feels off, even if she can’t explain it yet.Resources mentioned:Dr. Miranda Naylor's Website: https://drmirandanaylor.com/Free clarity call with Dr. Miranda: https://drmirandanaylor.com/schedule-now/Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 230230. Journal With Me: How to Stop Relying on External Structure and Start Trusting Yourself
You set the alarm. You follow the plan. You stick to the routine.But underneath it, there’s this quiet fear that if you don’t, everything might fall apart. So you keep relying on structure to hold you together.Today, we go deeper into that pattern. Not to fix it, but to understand what’s actually driving it and where it came from.Journal Prompts:Where in your life are you relying on an external structure, system, or routine to keep yourself in check?What are you afraid would happen if that structure disappeared? Get specific about what losing control actually looks like.Where did you learn that you couldn’t be trusted to handle that on your own?Is there any evidence that that belief isn’t always true? Where have you been okay or even better without the structure?What would it feel like to trust yourself in that area? And what is one small way you can test that this week? Pick one and actually do it this week. Notice what happens.If you’ve ever felt like you need rules, routines, or systems just to stay in control, this is for you.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 229229. How I Stopped Setting Alarms, And Pressing Snooze 6 Times (and Still Woke Up Early)
You stop the alarm. Then again. Then again.Before you know it, you’ve pressed snooze six times and you’re already behind your day.This isn’t about discipline. It’s the pattern your body is stuck in.In this episode, I walk you through what actually changed for me. Not forcing myself out of bed. Not setting more alarms. But shifting the way I wake up so I don’t need to fight myself in the morning.If you’re tired of starting your day already frustrated and rushing, this will land.A question to sit with after this episode:Where are you relying on external structure because you don’t trust yourself or because you’re afraid of what happens if you trust yourself instead, like setting alarms?Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 228228. Journal With Me: When Being Called Sweet Doesn’t Feel Like a Compliment
You hear it and something in you tightens. “You’re so sweet.”It's meant as a compliment. But sometimes it lands differently. Almost like the word is pointing at something smaller than who you really are.In Tuesday’s episode we talked about reclaiming sweetness as strength. Today we are looking at the meaning you have attached to that word and where that story came from.Journal PromptsWhen someone calls you sweet, how does it land? What are the positive meanings and what are the ones that do not sit well with you?Where did those negative meanings come from? Was there a moment, relationship, or tone that shaped how you interpret the word sweet? Were those people actually defining you? Or was the word reflecting something you already felt about yourself?What proof do you have that the negative version is not the full truth?Where have you been bold, decisive, or direct even if it was quietly?Finish these sentences. I want sweet to mean that I am…...I want my sweetness to be perceived as…...Looking at your answer above, are you already living that? If yes, celebrate it. If not, what is one small step you can take this week?If you do this exercise, I would love to hear what came up for you. You can reach me through email; [email protected] with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 2 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 227227. How to Stop People Pleasing and Still Be Seen as Sweet
Someone calls you sweet. It sounds like a compliment. But something about it feels off.Because sometimes “sweet” carries an unspoken meaning underneath. Easygoing. Agreeable. The person who keeps the peace instead of saying what they actually want to say.Over time that can quietly turn into people pleasing.This episode is about the complicated relationship many of us have with the word sweet. How it can feel both kind and diminishing at the same time. Especially in work and relationships where being taken seriously matters.After a conversation where Sam spoke up, challenged someone, and asked direct questions, the feedback she heard was that she was sweet. That moment raised a new possibility.Maybe sweetness does not cancel out clarity. Maybe you can ask for what you need, say what you actually think, and still be someone people experience as kind.If being nice has ever made it harder to speak up, this conversation might change how you think about it.The episode ends with a few journaling questions to reflect on what sweetness means to you and whether it could actually be one of your strengths.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 226226. Thinking About Work 24/7 Isn’t Passion - It’s Keeping You From Being Present
You're at dinner and you're already mentally planning tomorrow's client call. You've been calling it passion. Dedication. But what if it's actually the thing standing between you and the life you keep saying you want?Last night I did a future self visualization that felt like a total flop. No income numbers, no business wins, no morning routine inspo. Just a calm, confident woman looking back at me. And honestly? It bummed me out at first.What came up after that is what this episode is really about. I'd been wearing constant work thoughts like a badge of honor, proof that I cared, proof that I was built for this. And the idea of not thinking about work felt like slipping.This one is raw, unscripted, and I'm sharing it as it came to me.If you have a few minutes, reflect on this Journal prompts:Start with the work if that’s what comes up first. Money. Business goals. Success. What do your relationships actually look like? How do you feel when you walk through your front door? What are you doing simply because you enjoy it?What does being present feel like in your body? Who are you if you’re not thinking about work all the time?Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 225225. Journal With Me: The Real Reason Your Book Is Still on Your Vision Board
Your book is still on your vision board. You’ve talked about it for years. Maybe you’ve even outlined it in your head. But you haven’t started. Or you started and stopped.This episode is the companion journaling session to Tuesday's conversation with Kim O'Hara. We’re not talking about publishing strategies or writing routines. We’re looking at the identity gap between wanting to write the book and becoming the woman who actually does.The real reason it’s still sitting there might not be time, discipline, or your kids’ schedules. It might be something deeper.Strategic Journal promptsWhy do you want to write this book? Not the polished answer. The real one. Do you want credibility? To feel like an expert? To prove something? Or is there something inside you that needs to be said? If no one ever read it, would you still want to write it?Write down every reason you haven’t written it yet. I don’t have time. I’m not an expert. I don’t know where to start. People will judge me. My story isn’t interesting. Put all of it on paper.Go back through those reasons and circle the ones that are really just “I’m not enough” wearing different masks. For those circled beliefs, ask yourself: What would have to be true for me to feel allowed to write this book? Is that even my voice?Think about the version of you who doesn’t write the book. She waits until she feels ready. What does she believe about herself? How does not writing the book keep her safe? What is she protecting by staying small?Picture the version of you who writes the book. Even if it’s messy. Even if no one reads it. What does she believe about herself? What identity shift has to happen to become her? What has she been trying to tell you that you keep ignoring?What is one small act of joy you are going to do this week just because it sounds good? Not because it’s productive. Not because it makes money. Just because it fills your cup.This episode is for you if your book has been living on a to do list, a Notes app, or a vision board for longer than you want to admit.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 224224. Get Inspired to Finally Write Your Book (Without More Discipline) feat. Kim O'Hara
Your dream to write a book will not leave you alone. It shows up when you’re folding laundry. It taps you while you’re driving. It whispers at night when everything is finally quiet.And then your brain says, you don’t have time. You’re not ready. You’ll be better in five years. So you wait.In this conversation with book vision strategist Kim O’Hara, we talk about what’s actually stopping women from writing their books. It’s not time. It’s not discipline. And it’s not a lack of rituals. It’s trust.Kim shares why writing the book is what shapes you into the next version of yourself.If you keep saying you’ll start “when things slow down,” this is for you. If this conversation stirred something in you, don’t rush to outline a chapter. Build trust in tiny ways. The book will come from there.Resources mentioned:Website: kimohara.com Overwhelmed to Organized— Free downloadable worksheets to help you move from overwhelmed to writing your bookInstagram: kimoharacoachSubstack: I Give You PermissionPodcast: This Delicious LifeBook a clarity call with Kim: https://scheduling.kimohara.com/#/BookClarityCallWork with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 3 open spots: Work with meConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook

S4 Ep 223223. Journal With Me: What You’re Afraid Will Happen If You Say No
You told yourself you'd say no this time. But when they asked, you said yes anyway. Again. This is a continuation of part three of the Beyond Awareness series that was aired on Tuesday. Today, we're journaling through what you're actually afraid will happen if you say no.You're not saying yes because you want to help. You're saying yes because you think saying no means something about who you are as a person.Journaling Prompts:1. Think about something you recently said yes to that you didn’t actually want to do. What was it? Why did you say yes? What did saying yes give you in that moment? Did it make you feel needed, helpful, like a good person, like a team player?2. Imagine you had said no. Walk through what you think would have happened. Would they have been disappointed? Would they have thought less of you? Would you have felt selfish or guilty? What is the worst case scenario your brain was trying to avoid?3. If you weren’t the one everyone could count on. If you weren’t the person who always said yes and showed up… If you chose yourself and said no confidently…What would that mean about you? Would people still like you?Would you still be a good leader, mom, partner, friend? Would you still be worthy of your success?4. What would you need to believe about yourself or trust about your relationships to say no without guilt? Finish this sentence: I’m allowed to say no to ______ without it meaning ______.If you notice that you’ve been saying yes to prove you’re kind, capable, or worthy, that’s the belief that needs to shift.Work with me:Breakthrough Intensive - You already know you should slow down, delegate more, stop overcommitting & be emotionally present. So why can't you? That's what we figure out in 90 minutes + integration call 2 weeks later. Book your BreakthroughExhale: Private Coaching - For women ready to do this work until it sticks and you can't revert back. 4 open spots: Work with meFree Calm Mind Blueprint: http://www.samanthapenkoff.com/calm-mind-podConnect with Sam: Instagram | Facebook