Unbehaved

You’re Not Past Your Prime. You’re Reinventing It.

Stacey Lindsay, author of Being 40, on the Made-up Timelines and Harmful Stories We Carry and How to Finally Let It Rip
Award-winning journalist Stacey Lindsay has spent her career asking the real questions most others shy away from—and in this conversation, she turned that same lens on the judgements about how life is supposed to go based on our age. 
We talk about the invisible measuring stick we’re held up against, the pressure women face around having kids, beauty ideals, and our careers, and the question that quietly chips away at many of us: have I done enough? 
We get into what Stacey calls "delayering"—the ongoing, never-finished work of taking off inherited stories, other people's expectations, and judgments you've been carrying for so long they feel like your own skin. We talk about outsourcing our self-worth, the two kinds of stress (and how your body already knows the difference), and why so much of what women do in their 20s and 30s is quietly, relentlessly in the service of other people's comfort.
And then Stacey introduces the concept that rocked my little world: the Autumn Queen—a different archetype for women in midlife, one that has nothing to do with decline and everything to do with renaissance. Because it turns out the systems at play don't want to give us a word for this stage of life, and there's a reason for that.
This episode drops on the week of Stacey's book launch. It's the right week to listen.

How to Be Ambitious Without Burning Out—with Amina AlTai

USA Today best-selling author Amina AlTai on Painful versus Purposeful Ambition
You've been told that ambition is the answer—that if you just work harder, push further, and want it badly enough, you'll be happy. You'll be successful. But what if the ambition you've been chasing is actually eroding your quality of life? Making you sick, overly stressed, exhausted, and unhappy. 
In the first episode of Unbehaved Season 2, Meghan sits down with best-selling author of The Ambition Trap, Amina AlTai, to dismantle everything we think we know about ambition.
Amina draws a line between "painful ambition"—the kind that grinds you down in a broken system that works against you—and "purposeful ambition," the kind that actually sustains you. They get into why there is no outworking a broken system, why we overdevelop our work identity at the expense of everything else, and why clarity doesn't come from sitting still and overthinking—it comes from moving, even if the first step is laughably small.
There's also a moment involving a dance party that might make you rethink your entire definition of quality of life.
If you've ever felt like you're sprinting on a treadmill someone else plugged in, this one's for you.

The Anti-Overwhelm Playbook: How to Stop Drowning in Busy

If you’re constantly overextended, guilty when you rest, or exhausted by the pace of life — this is for you.
In this Better Than This Season 1 finale, Meghan French Dunbar reveals The Anti-Overwhelm Playbook: four simple, research-backed practices to help you de-stress, set boundaries, and flourish within imperfect systems.
Drawing on stories from real women and thought leaders, Meghan explores how guilt, judgment, and “busy culture” keep us stuck — and how to reclaim your agency through essentializing your time, relationships, inputs, and behaviors.
You’ll learn:1️⃣ How guilt and judgment keep us stuck in overwork2️⃣ Why depletion makes good leadership impossible3️⃣ The Impact–Energy Matrix for saying no without guilt4️⃣ How to “clean your closet” of draining relationships5️⃣ A soul-feeding filter for what you watch, read, and scroll6️⃣ Gentle guardrails for your health and habits
This episode is your permission slip to rest, recalibrate, and lead from a place of wellbeing — because flourishing isn’t a privilege, it’s a practice.
 

The Unexpected (And Very Real) Leadership Superpower of Intuition

How to tap into your inner wisdom to transform how you lead
Intuition often gets dismissed as “soft” or “woo”—especially for women in business. Yet, it’s one of the skills some of the world’s most successful business leaders lean on most. 
In this episode, Meghan reframes intuition as a bona fide leadership super power: a rapid-cognition system that helps you spot risk, improve decisions, and choose the path of greatest relief and resonance. Guests Vicki Saunders, Diana Propper de Callejon, and Stephanie Nadi Olson share how they navigate by intuition in high-stakes decisions, from walking away from “crunchy” timing to choosing the next right move that feels frictionless.
You’ll hear a raw story of ignoring gut warnings with a powerful stakeholder and get simple practices to regularly tap into your intuition. If you’ve ever gaslit your gut to keep the peace or ignored an intuitive idea because it deviates from the norm, this conversation gives you language, tools, and permission to trust yourself—and lead with more clarity, resonance, and inspiration. 
What you’ll learn
A practical tests to ensure your aligned with your intuition when making tough calls
How intuition improves complex decision-making and deception detection
Three daily/weekly practices to strengthen intuitive signals
How to follow intuitive “breadcrumbs” from ideas to outcomes
 

Why Women Aren’t Actually Better Leaders Than Men

Beyond Gender: The Case For Holistic Leadership
Are women better leaders than men? Many recent studies suggest the answer is yes. But in this episode, Meghan French Dunbar challenges that idea — and explains why exceptional leadership isn’t determined by gender identity.
Meghan digs into the history, the research, and a surprising perspective that explores what really sets the most effective leaders apart. She shares stories of toxic bosses, caring mentors, and deeply personal moments that bring great leadership to life. 
If you’ve ever wondered what truly makes a great leader, or how to lead with more humanity without sacrificing effectiveness, this episode is a must-listen. Because the best leaders aren’t defined by gender — they’re defined by their character.

Is It Too Late to Change? How to Build a Career You Actually Love

Are you stuck in a “should” career — one that looks good on paper but leaves you unfulfilled? Or maybe you’ve even settled for work that makes you miserable but feel like it’s too late to change?   
In this episode of Better Than This, Meghan French Dunbar shares stories and insights on how to build a career you actually love. You’ll hear real-life stories, including how Alison Bailey Vercruysse left banking for food entrepreneurship, how Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne left Wall Street to invest in women of color, and how you can start turning the dials toward joy, meaning, and well-being — no matter where you are right now. From following your passions, to finding purpose, to prioritizing your quality of life over titles and status, Meghan offers a fresh blueprint for success that leads to genuine flourishing. 
 

Why Authentic Leadership Works: How to Be an Authentic Leader in a World That Rewards Conformity

Authentic leadership is proven to be better for your relationships, your team, your bottom line, and your well-being. Yet, leading authentically is easier said than done at work—especially for working women and other marginalized leaders who often feel pressure to change themselves to belong in a system built by and for others. So how do you tap into your authentic leadership anyway? 
In this episode, we’ll dive deep into why authentic leadership is so important and how to cultivate it in your work and life. With insights from top CEOs like Melanie Dulbecco, Stephanie Nadi Olson, and Alfa Demmellash, you’ll discover three powerful mindset shifts to help you lead more authentically, avoid burnout, and finally feel aligned. If you’ve ever felt like you have to act a certain way to be taken seriously at work—more polished, more professional, more together—this episode is for you.
You'll learn:
Why trying to “fit in” at work may be quietly burning you out
How authentic leadership actually makes you more effective and respected
Three mindset shifts to help you show up with more confidence, clarity, and calm
The real reason so many women feel like they’re “not quite themselves” at work—and how to fix it
Plus, you’ll hear a story about a woman in Birkenstocks singing Nina Simone at a business conference. (Trust me—it’s worth it.)
This episode isn’t just about leadership. It’s about reclaiming yourself—at work, in life, and in every room you walk into.
 

Overcoming Perfectionism: Mindset Shifts to Move Beyond Fear of Failure

Perfectionism often masquerades as ambition, but it's frequently rooted in fear. In this episode of Better Than This, host Meghan French Dunbar delves into the journey of overcoming perfectionism and embracing failure. Through a personal story of public failure, research-backed insights, and three practical tools, you'll discover how to:
Shift your mindset around risk and failure
Break free from the constraints of perfectionism
Build a life aligned with your authentic self
Whether you're a professional woman hesitant to launch a new venture, a leader afraid to voice your ideas, or someone stuck in unfulfilling routines, this conversation offers actionable strategies to help you move forward with clarity, courage, and confidence.

Reclaiming Joy—Why Prioritizing Joy Is a Key to Flourishing, Leadership, and Wellbeing

How to Break the Cycle of Guilt and Rediscover What Makes You Come Alive
In this episode of Better Than This, Meghan French Dunbar explores why so many working women have become disconnected from their joy—and why reclaiming it is a beautiful act of resistance that can transform your work and life.
Grounded in research from the Harvard Flourishing Program and positive psychology pioneer Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, this episode explains why joy is essential for human flourishing, better leadership, and long-term resilience.
Through personal storytelling, societal critique, and real-world research, Meghan shares the three powerful practices she uses to re-center joy. Whether you’re burned out, thriving, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you reconnect with the parts of life that make it truly worth living.

The Achievement Trap: Why So Many High Achievers Aren’t Thriving (and How to Break Free)

Why the traditional playbook for success is broken—and how to rewrite it so you can truly flourish. 
Most of us were handed a definition of success—climb higher, achieve more, never stop—without questioning if it actually leads to a good life. In this episode of Better Than This, Meghan French Dunbar shares her personal story of achievement addiction, burnout, and rebuilding her life around something deeper. You'll learn why traditional ambition leaves so many high achievers unfulfilled, the science behind flourishing, and three powerful practices to help you redefine success on your own terms.
If you're tired of chasing goals that don’t deliver the life you want, this episode will help you start writing a better story.