Pressure, Rhythm, and Growth:
Leading with Balance in Every Season
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:00:01 Welcome to Heart Glow CEO®, where high achievers evolve into purpose-driven powerhouses. I'm Kc Rossi, your Integrative Leadership Coach. Join us to break free from people pleasing and burnout. Exploring mindset, embodiment, and soul alignment. Discover expert insights, success stories, and actionable tips for wholistic wealth on your terms. This is where transformation meets the modern, mission-driven leader. Let's go!
Hello, my friend, and welcome back to Heart Glow CEO®. As I sit here, today is the very first day of Q4 2025. It's also one of the most beautiful days outside weather-wise. I have blue skies, warm sunshine, and a cool breeze outside my window. I hear birds chirping. I'm looking at the leaves changing and gently falling to the ground. And it makes me think of cycles and rhythm. I know this podcast is designed to be evergreen, something you can listen to months or even years from now. But it's not lost on me that today marks the beginning of a brand new quarter. And not just any quarter, the final stretch of the year.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:01:22 Whether you're tuning in right now, in real time, or further down the road, what we'll talk about today is universal because it's about growth. And growth, as you know, doesn't follow a calendar. What I want to explore with you today is the idea that things grow under pressure. Now, I'm not here to repeat the old saying, no pressure, no diamond. That's been done. And while it's true, it feels a bit one-dimensional because in reality, growth is more like the ocean waves that rise and fall, rhythms that ebb and flow. Pressure is a part of that rhythm, but so is release. And when we understand both sides, we step into balance.
I want you to take a moment. Take a nice, deep breath here with me. I want you to visualize the wave of growth. Imagine standing at the edge of the ocean, barefoot in the sand. The tide is coming in and then retreating over and over. When the wave rises, it can feel exhilarating. The power, the energy, the sense of momentum.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:02:45 That's often what happens in our careers or businesses when things are on the upswing. We land the client, secure the promotion, hit the milestone. But what tends to happen in those moments. Instead of fully celebrating, we immediately raise the bar. We think, if I could do this, then I must do more. Higher, faster, better.
The wave hasn't even completed its rise before. We're already pressuring ourselves to climb higher. The benchmark moves and the celebration never gets its full breath.
Now let's flip it. Imagine the wave pulling back. The tide recedes, and the shoreline looks bare and exposed. That's what it feels like when things slow down, when sales dip, when projects stall, or when you're even questioning if you're in the right role at all: that low tide can trigger imposter syndrome. Those thoughts that whisper, ‘Maybe I'm not enough, maybe I'm failing. Maybe this proves I was never really capable in the first place.’
But here's the truth. Both the rising wave and the receding wave are necessary.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:04:07 They're both part of the natural rhythm of the ocean, and they're both part of the natural rhythm of growth.
Let's pause here and look at pressure itself in nature. Pressure is a creative force. Seeds push through the dark, compact soil to reach for the light. I actually have a plant behind me. I've been putting more and more fresh, green alive plants in my office, and I have this one, which is so inspirational. I got it at a little art show from a woman who thrifts these beautiful, ceramic pots and then does cuttings. So it's it's just such an amazing metaphor even of the reduce, reuse, recycle, honor things that maybe just look super small, but actually can grow into something really amazing. So I have this I think it's called The Mother of 10,000 Tongues, which I think is just an interesting, name. And of course, I had to look it up because I love symbolism and it symbolizes fertility and growth, and persistence. And man, I can't believe that I was just drawn to this.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:05:21 And I was not only drawn to this plant when it was very small, but I was drawn to put it in my office. And I'm so glad that I have it here, because when I have those low tides, I can just look at this amazing nature on my desk and think of it as this small cutting. That, in all honesty, I probably would have tossed because it just looked like, oh, that's like, that's a cutting. That's an afterthought. That's not really, you know, the big, beautiful eye candy plant that's just kind of like a clipping or something that you would just weed through. I think that often happens where we don't necessarily have the vision to see what the potential is. We're only looking at the very short-sighted bit, and that's what I did when I saw this. But I was like, oh, the Pats. Cool. It's reasonable. I'll get it. And what's interesting now is it has. I wish this podcast could have a visual so you could see the growth it has shot up.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:06:24 It's one of my most prolific plants in my collection. It's so tall. I'm going to have to go and find some very large steak. I picked up a piece of rebar. I think it's maybe 30in, and if that doesn't even come close to what this needs, it literally looks like Jack and the Beanstalk. It's so cool. So I know that that was a little bit of a tangent, but when I'm thinking about pressure as a catalyst that comes to mind that seeds push through the dark, compact soil to reach the light. This plant behind me, it does so many contortions to reach the light. To continue to grow. I honestly think it's going to hit my ceiling. It is so tall. And then we look at caterpillars pressing against the walls of their cocoons before emerging as butterflies. Even our own muscles grow when we put them under pressure through resistance. Pressure is not the enemy. It's the container that calls us forth in our potential. And here's the nuance. And I often find that the gold and the glitter is in nuance.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:07:41 The nuance here is pressure without release creates burnout.
Imagine if the tide only came in and never went out. The shoreline would drown. Life would suffocate in the same way, if we only push and never allow rest, reflection and integration, we collapse under the weight.
So the invitation is not to eliminate pressure, it's to understand it as a part of the rhythm, to welcome it, and also to welcome the exhale that follows. For you, the executive, the entrepreneur, the mission-driven leader. This rhythm is especially important. Why? Because your work isn't just about profit margins and quarterly reports. It's also about purpose, people, and impact. And with that level of meaning comes an added layer of responsibility. It can feel like the stakes are always high. The pressure is always on. But here's the paradox. If you allow yourself to be swallowed by constant pressure, you lose the very presence and perspective that makes you a great leader. Balance doesn't make you less ambitious. It makes you sustainable.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:09:04 Let me repeat that. It's a little bit counterintuitive, or at least counterculture. Balance doesn't make you less ambitious. It makes you sustainable, man. My hand is raised for that. I spent many years in my career. I started out in the early 90s as a full-time entrepreneur. As you know, I've had at least a dozen businesses. Many of those years have been spent in burnout, chasing my tail, and raising the bar. So that sentence, that sentiment, that lifestyle about sustainability, and how I get to no,w and maybe, maybe I needed to get into my 50s to even get that wisdom. I hope for you, no matter what your age, is, that you can let that sink in.
That you get to define what sustainable successes for you. I know for myself, it's so much more than numbers in my bank account. Yes, that's important. Yes, we have more choices, opportunities, and power when we have more zeros in our bank account. But to really celebrate the rise, to really lean into what holistic wealth is.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:10:26 That's my passion. That's what I help my clients with. How do we come home and not feel exhausted, resentful? Burned out? How do we come home if if we're working for an organization and not have the repetitive mindset of man, they don't know where I'm coming from. They don't know how hard I work. Nobody sees my value. Like on loop. How do we come home and not have that? And to really feel like I showed up, I was seen, I was heard, and I made a difference. And if it's somebody who works at home like me, how do we end our day? How do we close up our computer and feel like, yeah, what I did mattered? Who I am matters, and to sit in the comfort and discomfort of whatever that ocean is doing. Today, I may be at a rise and be feeling like high as a kite. Man, this is amazing. Or I might be at a low and be like, oh my gosh, that's all I did this month.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:11:35 And I need to be able to self-regulate enough to know that I'm enough. And this is my invitation for you. No matter what your productivity is, you are enough. You always have been and you always will be. When you're in an up season when the wave is cresting, your challenge is to pause and celebrate before you rush to raise the bar. Celebration is not frivolous. It's fuel. It marks the movement. It honors the work you've done, and it integrates confidence into your nervous system so that you don't constantly feel like you're chasing a moving target. What would life be like? Just think about that for a minute. What would your life be like if you could rewire your brain? If you could program your physiology to integrate confidence into your nervous system? Think of it like breathing. If you only inhale and never exhale. Eventually, you'll collapse. Celebration is the exhale of growth. So today I encourage you to look back not just at what you haven't done, but at what you have done.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:12:59 Acknowledge it. Name it. Share it with someone you trust. Let yourself feel the joy of riding that tide. And when you're in a down season. When the tide is low and the sand feels cold and empty. That is your moment to remember. Nothing is wrong with you. The tide will rise again. In fact, the receding wave is what makes space for the next surge. The pause is not proof of failure. It's preparation for growth. This is where imposter syndrome often sneaks in. And that voice that says you've lost it. You were never really good enough. But the truth is, you're simply in rhythm with nature. You're not broken. You're breathing. So in those moments, anchor yourself in trust. Trust that growth is cyclical. Trust that your value isn't tied to constant achievement. And trust that sometimes the most important work is happening underground, like roots strengthening before the next bloom. Look at nature. Look how beautiful she is. I am in awe of my geraniums this year, and I know that that sounds kind of weird, but I am.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:14:24 I have them in two locations, both at my house and at my partner's house, where my offices and I planted them in May. They are the most incredible workhorses I have ever seen. They're so gorgeous. They just continue to bloom. They need very little maintenance. I think the color is getting richer and deeper and more vibrant through years, And I think about that. Like we all have that opportunity inside of us as well. Through wisdom comes this grace and sensibility, and it also gives us permission to. Shine even brighter, to get more vibrant, to get more fragrant, to have the changing seasons. And now, like today, it was 40 degrees this morning. And these little buggers, they don't care. They actually look happier. And so for me, and I hope for you with this topic, when we're looking at pressure, when we're looking at outside and inside circumstances that may not be ideal, that might be a little edgy, that are pushing us to feel a little discomfort.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:15:38 I hope that you can know and step back and get a little perspective, that it is all a part of the greater good it is all a part of making you stronger, more resilient. Giving you this new window to be brighter and more vibrant, and more fragrant. As we step into Q4 2025, or whenever you happen to hear this, you have a choice. You can close the year in a frantic pressure, trying to prove yourself by doing more, faster and harder. Or you can close it with balance, with intention, with an understanding that your growth is not a straight line, but a wave. If you're cresting now, celebrate it. If you're in a valley, honor it. Either way, you're in rhythm, and when you align with that natural rhythm, you lead from a place of wholeness, not depletion. So here's the image I want to leave you with. Picture yourself as a part of that shoreline, standing steady as the waves come and go. You don't panic when the water pulls away.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:16:53 And you don't cling desperately when it rushes in. You trust the rhythm. You honor both the pressure and the release. And in that trust, you find balance. That's the posture of a sustainable leader. That's the posture of someone who doesn't just survive the waves but learns to move with them. As we enter this final quarter of the year, I invite you to choose balance to celebrate your highs, to soften your lows, and to trust that both are growing in ways seen and unseen. Because in the end, growth is not just about pressure, it's about rhythm. And when you align with that rhythm, you're not just growing your career or your business, you're growing your capacity to lead with presence, purpose, and heart. That's what I have for you today, my friend. If this resonated, I'd love for you to share it with someone who might need this reminder as they close the year out. And if you're ready to cultivate even deeper balance as a leader. Check out my latest programs and resources.
Kc Rossi, PCC 00:18:10 I'll link them in the show notes. Until next time, keep honoring your rhythm and breathe joy. Thanks for listening.
