Ambition Without Compromise
Ambition Without Compromise is the space where powerhouse women of color — with a special heart for Black mothers and future mothers — come to redefine success on their own terms.
Hosted by Monique R. Shields, executive coach, entrepreneur, and mentor to women at the highest levels of leadership, this podcast dives into the real challenges women face when juggling bold professional pursuits with the responsibilities of being present partners, mothers, and whole, healthy individuals.
Through honest conversations and powerful stories, you’ll gain insights on:
- Balancing ambition and freedom without burnout
- Crafting sustainable work-life integration
- Protecting your mental and emotional well-being
- Building intentional communities and seeking mentorship for growth
Whether you're scaling your business, stepping into a higher leadership role, or simply seeking clarity about what success means now, this show offers the tools and stories to help you thrive without compromise.
Follow Monique wherever you listen to podcasts and step into a world where ambition and joy can coexist.
Ambition Without Compromise
55 | When You Do The Most But Expect The Least: Letting Go Of Shrinking Yourself
Text Monique directly! Share thoughts, feels or feedback!
This week's episode dives into self-love and transformation! Join Monique as she discusses the importance of recognizing your worth and embracing your true self.
Inspired by a profound coaching conversation with a client, she explores the concept of being "low maintenance" and its detrimental effects on women, particularly women of color. Monique unpacks the societal pressures that lead us to minimize our needs and accomplishments, urging us to embrace our bigness and the unique contributions we bring to the world.
This episode is a call to action for all women to acknowledge our worth, celebrate our achievements, and demand the support we deserve. Press play to start your journey to break free from the limitations of self-doubt and step into your full power.
📢As a special note, Monique is opening her coaching waitlist for February 2025. You can sign up through her website to receive updates and secure a spot for transformative one-on-one coaching.
GEMS DROPPED
“An interesting gift of having a strong reflection practice is that the reflection teaches you a lot around what did and didn't work right. What did I learn? What do I need to let go of? What were some of the strengths and the weaknesses of that season? What were the lessons? And now I get to take stock of what in me has changed and what that means for my future. It's not like the analytical sort of assessing and processing, it's something that has the fundamental elements of who I am.”
“The concept of being low maintenance, it's really a special designation that's reserved only for women. It was designed to keep women mentally busy with this impossible sort of dance and not having needs. And so what we're supposed to do is to be small.”
“I think, hopefully, prayerfully, at some point, we have the opportunity to one day catch wind that something is off. Like, how am I supposed to be small and need nothing, yet bear all this fruit, create all of these things and be the vessel for such huge transformation in the world? There's a discrepancy.”
“There are some baseline needs that we all have…ways that we can be more specific, to be more precise about how our bigness functions. When it comes to this level of acceptance and understanding about ourselves, about fundamentally who we are and what we have to offer baseline level, can't nobody take that. Nobody is going to shame you. And it just becomes an opportunity to exist more restfully, more peacefully. And is one of the greatest manifestations, I think, of self love.”
"We are making outsized contributions in the places and spaces that we care about, and we are not treating ourselves in accordance with that contribution. We think others deserve more than we do because there's this distortion that exists in who we actually are."
“We all deserve to have our distorted mirrors absolutely demolished and to see ourselves, in our true radiance and all of our unique nooks and crannies and w
CLAIMED is a 6-month group coaching experience for Black mother in senior leadership ready to stop performing and start becoming. This is for the woman who’s done everything “right” on paper—but knows a deeper version of success is calling. If you're craving real support, expert guidance, and a powerful circle of women who get it, you're in the right place.
Text me your name and email via the link in the show notes to get details and apply.