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In this episode, host Ellen Williams interviews Erin Mote, CEO of InnovateEDU and co-founder of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, as she recounts her transformative moment of realizing she felt detached from her work’s impact. Once working at the intersection of technology and national security, she found herself in boardrooms advising tech giants but missing the direct connection with communities. It was only after an emotional epiphany—crying during a flight while watching a children's movie—that she acknowledged how much she wanted to be back in a role serving people more directly. This led to launching Brooklyn Lab in downtown Brooklyn, with a mission centered on equity, personal connections, and supporting students furthest from opportunity.

Through InnovateEDU, Erin now strives to bridge practice and policy in the education sector, placing empathy, vulnerability, and generosity at the core of her leadership. She underscores the necessity of checking in with oneself to ensure authenticity and alignment with personal values, and she advocates for a “slow start” each morning to pause, reflect, and approach each day with intention. Her story is a reminder that sometimes “pressing pause” can steer you toward work that aligns more closely with both passion and purpose.

To learn more about Erin visit innovateedunyc.org

To learn more about Ellen visit thesalientstrategist.com

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In this episode of Time To Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with CEO Megan Steckly of CompuDopt. She shares how she dramatically grew the nonprofit—from a shoestring budget and three-person staff to a multimillion-dollar organization serving hundreds of thousands across 24 states. Amid the rapid expansion, Megan realized she was burning out: working around-the-clock and feeling stuck in a cycle of constant urgency. She describes how she “pressed pause” by seeking therapy, enrolling in a drawing class, embracing yoga, and hiring a COO. These steps helped her let go of micromanaging, reduce stress, and create room for other leadership voices to thrive. Megan’s key takeaway is that leaders should watch for signals of overwhelm—such as irritability and fatigue—and proactively pause, even with a short break, to reconnect with themselves and lead more effectively.

To learn more about Megan, please visit computdopt.com

To learn more about Ellen, please visit thesalientstrategist.com

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams interviews Ruchi Pinniger, founder and CEO of Watch Her Prosper. Ruchi recounts her background on Wall Street, where she excelled in leadership and team-building, yet felt unfulfilled. She took a sabbatical hoping to discover her true passion, dabbling in nonprofit work, baking, and decorating. Although she temporarily returned to the corporate world, Ruchi soon decided to leave permanently, realizing she found more joy in mentoring others than in climbing the corporate ladder. With encouragement from a coach and her husband, Ruchi listened to what her network repeatedly told her: they needed help with their numbers. This led her to launch Watch Her Prosper, where she provides financial guidance, bookkeeping services, and “money mindset” support to women-led businesses.

Ruchi’s story underscores the power of pressing pause, trusting one’s instincts, and blending skills with genuine passion. She encourages leaders to recognize when fear and a desire for control may be blocking growth—both personally and within a team. Her approach centers on separating emotion from data, helping clients transform financial confusion into clarity, and using visualization to reframe limiting beliefs. Through her work, Ruchi empowers entrepreneurs to pause, evaluate, and make confident, informed decisions that fuel both professional and personal prosperity.

To learn more about Ruchi, visit watchherprosper.com.

To learn more about Ellen, visit TheSalientStrategist.com.

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams, CEO of The Salient Strategist, interviews Donna Cravotta, CEO and founder of Cravotta Media Group. Donna shares how, after 18 years running a virtual agency that managed everything from PR to technical fixes, she realized she had built a business she no longer loved.

By taking stock of her 40-year professional journey, Donna recognized she was devoting precious time and energy to services that drained her—such as constant website fixes and juggling multiple social media accounts—rather than the strategic visibility work she excelled at. To address this, she decided to let go of tasks that didn’t light her up, offloading or discontinuing them so she could refocus on her strengths: guiding clients toward meaningful, intentional visibility.

Donna’s advice to leaders or entrepreneurs at a crossroads is to pay attention to the signals—both mental and physical—indicating it’s time for a reset. In her experience, the key is giving yourself permission to prune away responsibilities that no longer serve you, thereby freeing up space for the work that truly aligns with your goals and expertise.

To learn more about Donna, visit https://cravottamediagroup.com/
To learn more about Ellen, visit https://thesalientstrategist.com/

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Urs Koenig, founder of the Radical Humility Leadership Institute and author of Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human. Urs shares his powerful story of “pressing pause” on his life at age 50 to rejoin the Swiss military as a United Nations and NATO peacekeeper.

Inspired by his father’s volunteer work in Somalia decades earlier, Urs felt a deep call to take on meaningful international service—despite the personal and professional sacrifices required. He explains how stepping away from his coaching business for nearly two years, and leaving his family behind during his deployments was both challenging and transformative. Upon returning, Urs shifted his career from full-time executive coaching to keynote speaking, illustrating how pressing pause can open doors to new possibilities.

Throughout the conversation, Urs and Ellen discuss the importance of honest self-assessment and reflection, recognizing self-talk and doubts, and being prepared for potential pushback when making life changes. Urs emphasizes that realigning one’s work and relationships with personal values can be profoundly rewarding, even when it’s difficult.

To learn more about Urs, visit www.urskoenig.com.
To learn more about Ellen, visit www.thesalientstrategist.com.

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams welcomes two guests: executive coach and Morningstar Ventures CEO Andrea Chilcote, and philanthropic advisor Stephanie Borsari. Andrea explains three common reasons professionals “press pause” in their careers: being involuntarily forced into change (such as restructuring), retiring without clarity on the next chapter, or experiencing a slow values or lifestyle clash. Stephanie falls into the last category; though she had a successful career in executive management, she discovered her role was unfulfilling and misaligned with her deeper values. With Andrea’s guidance, Stephanie decided to leave her position and step back to rediscover what mattered most.

During her professional sabbatical, Stephanie tried out various creative pursuits—writing poetry, considering new hobbies, and reevaluating her work identity. Eventually, she discovered she wanted to return to philanthropy on her own terms, establishing an independent consulting practice that allows her to focus on connecting private foundations and donors to meaningful causes. Andrea notes that not everyone must become a business owner; what’s important is to discover the path that authentically aligns with one’s strengths and values.

Both Andrea and Stephanie emphasize the privilege of taking a reflective pause, underlining the honesty and integrity needed to answer difficult questions about one’s true calling. Modern leadership, Andrea adds, acknowledges no individual can have all the answers. Stephanie now embraces vulnerability and emotional connection as key to her identity, and they both advise leaders to press pause the moment they discover they are no longer their best selves or are working for the wrong reasons.

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams speaks with Henry Poydar, founder and CEO of Steady, a predictive coordination platform that grew out of his earlier venture, Status Hero. Henry describes two pivotal moments when he paused to reconsider his next steps. After co-founding Bantam CRM and joining Constant Contact post-acquisition, he spent three years working on a major systems integration project—a process he likens to open-heart surgery. Longing to return to hands-on product development, he created Status Hero, a tool that addressed the challenges of large teams trying to stay aligned asynchronously. Eventually, he built Status Hero to a seven-figure ARR before realizing he needed additional capital to scale beyond his solo efforts. Choosing investors who shared his commitment to sustainable growth allowed him to assemble an elite distributed team and rebrand as Steady, expanding the product’s capacity to serve entire organizations.

Throughout the conversation, Henry highlights how his technical background fueled fast, iterative development and let him adapt Status Hero to user feedback almost instantly. He also underscores the value of maintaining strong networks, crediting connections from Constant Contact and elsewhere with helping him raise the kind of funding that aligns with his vision. Finally, he emphasizes the importance of transparent communication and context-sharing so that everyone on a team understands the “why” behind decisions. According to Henry, leaders should be deliberate about taking time to reflect, ensure the entire organization remains curious and informed, and continuously reinforce the mission and values that guide the work.

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In this special New Year’s episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams compiles lessons from several Season 1 guests to help leaders make 2025 a purposeful and growth-oriented year. Each guest highlights a key insight for personal and professional development:

• Stay Open to Possibilities
  DC Glenn, half of hip-hop duo Tag Team and CEO of CLG Investments Inc., discusses the importance of setting aside ego and embracing every opportunity as it arises. He compares past experiences to a “language model” that informs future decisions, emphasizing continual learning and evolution.
• Lead Authentically on Social Media
  Jaci Clement, CEO of Fair Media Council, underscores the need for leaders to be visible online. She recommends sharing enough personal insights to humanize yourself without overexposure, reinforcing that people want to see the real face behind the brand.
• Accept Life’s Uncertainty
  Alan Furlong, CEO of The Growth Doctors, recalls a life-altering injury at 16 to illustrate how quickly circumstances can change. He reminds leaders that there’s never a full guarantee of certainty, and that sitting with “unknowing” often reveals new opportunities that align more closely with market needs.
• Root Decisions in Core Values
  Barbara Fonti, founder of The Fonti Group and chief business coach at Big Dream Executive Coaching, emphasizes creating a personal “root document” of non-negotiable values. By aligning decisions with these core values, leaders can bring authenticity and consistency to every role they play.
• Plan Your Pause
  Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier, leadership psychologist and author of The Resilience Plan, stresses the importance of scheduling pauses just as strategically as you schedule other organizational activities. Building “pause time” into your routines safeguards resilience and mental well-being.
• Pause for Collective Good
  Carol Silva Moralez, CEO of Upskill NWA, advocates not only for personal pauses but also for team-wide reflection. By giving everyone thinking space and involving them in critical decisions, organizations foster a culture of collaboration, well-being, and continuous improvement.

These insights form a powerful blueprint for stepping into 2025. Ellen invites listeners to begin the new year by pressing pause more deliberately—allowing space to focus on what truly matters, stay open to possibility, and stay grounded in personal values. Season 2 of Time to Press Pause promises more real-life C-Suite stories, offering further inspiration for leaders ready to thrive in the year ahead.