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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/