Welcome to Heart Glow CEO, where high-performing leaders learn to regulate stress, strengthen self-trust, and make clear decisions without sacrificing their health or values. I'm Kc Rossi, Integrative Leadership Coach. Expect practical nervous system tools, conscious leadership insights, and real conversations that bring achievement into alignment.
Take a deep breath with me, and let's dive in. Today, February 17, is Lunar New Year, and it begins the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese Zodiac. Now, let me be super clear, I am not going to get super woo-woo here or pretend I'm suddenly an astrology expert.
I don't follow it deeply, but I definitely am in to gleaning the highlights and lasering in and lasering out. And I love a good leadership metaphor, especially one that gives us a clean moment to choose a new way. Because if you're listening right now, maybe in the car, maybe making dinner, or walking the dog, you're not tuning in because you need more information.
You're tuning in because you're ready to move. You're ready to stop carrying your mission like it's a boulder strapped to your ribs. You're ready for momentum that doesn't cost you your health, your joy, or your relationships.
So let's use this moment, Lunar New Year, Fire Horse, as a leadership reset that's practical, grounded, and actually useful. Here's the big idea. The Fire Horse isn't about doing more.
It's about moving with direction. And maybe you've seen some graphics floating around social. Some are really beautiful, very evocative.
So definitely have a look at that. I get very inspired by visuals. So have a look at that, because the visual in itself just explains the energy of this year.
This momentum and passion and heat rising. Yeah, it's very cool. And one thing I want you to think about is as a high-capacity, mission-driven female leader, we don't usually need motivation.
It's not usually a motivation issue. It typically is a friction problem. And what I mean by that is friction from too many priorities.
Friction from being the emotional container for everyone. Friction from caring a lot in systems that often reward urgency over integrity. And this is such a big one for my nonprofit leaders.
And in fact, I just got off a coaching call about an hour ago and really just examining if there's over-caring going on in the equation. And sometimes that's really sobering when you dig deep and you get really honest. You kind of know what it feels like when you over-care and how your body responds.
And then how emotions can tend to lean to resentment. Something that started out really from that center point of the heart of really caring and having that beautiful quality of empathy. But then when it actually starts to go over that 50% line and you're holding on, maybe even caring more about the situation than the other person, then over time friction starts to come in and it does something really sneaky.
It makes you confuse motion with progress. So today I'm giving you a simple framework that you can use this week. It doesn't matter when you plug into this podcast.
This will work at any time. But especially if you felt stuck, tired, or quietly disappointed that you're not showing up like the version of you that you know is in there. And the cool part is when we have a mile marker, whether that is 1-1 of the year, like our typical calendar New Year, or we're looking at the Zodiac New Year, this New Year momentum actually helps.
In psychology, it's a concept called the fresh start effect. It's basically this. When we hit a meaningful time marker, like the New Year, a birthday, a new month, our brain naturally organizes life into before and after.
And that mental reset makes it easier to recommit to goals because it separates you from the identity of how I've been doing it all along. So maybe you can relate to this. Like, I'm going to start my diet on Monday.
Or I'm going to really up my movement practice because I have a bathing suit to fit into for my vacation. I have a wedding dress to fit into for my ceremony. So whenever we have these mile markers, it stimulates this fresh start effect, which is kind of cool.
I'm a fan of utilizing our brain neurology to support us. So why not? Translation is, you are not broken. You're human.
And your brain loves a clean chapter. So do I. So whether you care about Lunar New Year culturally, spiritually, or not at all, it still works as a leadership tool, a clean chapter. So let's make it count.
Now, this fire horse kind of concept, I really wanted something that was more momentum related. So thinking about it like three moves. I want you to imagine a horse for a second.
Strong, powerful, forward-moving. Do you have the visual in your mind? There's such a beautiful, powerful presence. And a horse doesn't sit around taking 47 personality quizzes and waiting for permission to begin.
A horse moves when it knows where it's going. And fire, when you start looking at the elements, fire amplifies. It makes things brighter, faster, and more intense.
Think about that. Because we're looking at a couple of different elements here. You're looking at the energy of this beautiful, powerful creature of a horse.
You know, I just see it galloping through this big, open pasture with its mane flowing. And it has no care in the world. And there's so much freedom.
And there's not like looking in the rearview mirror. It's all forward-focused. That's what comes up for me.
But when you're pairing that with fire, well, there's no stagnation now. There's passion. There's heat.
There's energy. There's burning what doesn't serve you. That's really powerful, too.
Like clearing out, burning away. Burning away those pieces of your identity that no longer serve you. In fact, I attended a grief circle over the weekend.
And I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I wanted to be in the presence of the people that were facilitating it. I had trust with them. And so it was three and a half hours of really sharing and connecting all aspects of personal grief and collective grief.
And it was really powerful, and it was really interesting to see the multi-generational shares and to see how people perceived grief. But what I thought was interesting and why this is coming to mind is there was an amazing Native American woman that brought her gift of music into the space. And with her drumming and with her voice and with the gift of her elders even sharing the words and the power and the medicine in the music, I legitimately felt as if I was this creosoted chimney.
And I have a wood stove, so I don't know. Imagine with me if you are in a different kind of heat. But once a year I get my chimney cleaned from burning fires in the wood stove.
And when she was singing, and I was right next to her, so it was really loud and really powerful. And it just felt like the inside of my chimney, there was like a wire brush going on when the music and the drums were in there. And I just felt this breaking away of old and crusty bits, whether that was on a cellular level or this energetic aspect or these thought patterns that I have thought so many times that they have become crusted and held me back from being an open channel and from being this vessel to not only give but to receive.
So it was this really beautiful, powerful experience. And what's coming to mind is this correlation with fire and that fire amplifies and it makes things brighter and faster and more intense. And it burns away what no longer serves you.
And it has a catalyst to amplify. And so I'd love for you to ask yourself this firehorse leadership question. Where do you need to move with courage without adding chaos? And one of the things when you think about courage is that initial root of the word is kur, which actually translates into heart.
And so because I'm such a fan of heart work, I want you to even think about that through the lens of where do you need to move with heart without adding chaos? Because I feel courage and heart can be interchanged. So this week we're doing three things here with this momentum concept. One is choosing your honest move.
And not a reinvention or a whole brand overhaul, but just an honest move. This is the action you've been avoiding, not because you don't know what to do, but because it would make something real. And I think that this is an interesting concept, especially for women who are used to holding so much and making sure that everybody else is cool before they get their needs met.
And I think of a mama making sure that everybody has their dinner plate full and then whatever's leftover, maybe she can pick their leftovers, or she has a smaller portion. But just to be sure that everyone is okay, that is just a little bit of the scenario that I have in my head when I see these women that just give tirelessly and they settle for the crumbs. And I think one of the coolest things, in fact, a recent client that just is wrapping up seven months of work with me, in her testimonial about our work together, she literally shared, you know, like, I can't tolerate crumbs anymore, I am the whole damn cake.
And when I read that feedback, like I had a smile from ear to ear, like, yes, yes, that is the best feedback that I can receive, is when a woman stands in her power and realizes her worth and is no longer willing to tolerate the leftovers. So a couple of examples here. Maybe you're ready to ask for a raise or a title or flexibility.
Or maybe setting the boundary that you keep hinting at is something that you really need to verbalize in a clean way. Perhaps it's time you raise your rates without this big, long story of why it's not the right time. Maybe it's ending an almost right project or partnership or pitching yourself in the room that you belong in.
Or maybe just scheduling the appointment, like saying yes and taking it from this perpetual Groundhog Day to-do list and literally putting it into play. Or saying no to the thing that you're doing out of guilt and it's kind of like slowly or secretively sucking your energy. So your one honest move should feel a little bit spicy.
Not panic and dread, but also kind of like stretching you. If you pick something that feels like performance, you're going to burn out, so I don't want it to be like shoulds or this super big, long to-do list. If you pick something that feels like truth, you will come alive.
So here is your line. This week, my one honest move is... and fill in the blank. Say it out loud in the car.
Say it into the mirror as you're getting ready. Whisper it over your cutting board as you're chopping your veg for dinner. Let it be real.
Two is name what staying still is costing you. This is where thought leadership becomes leadership. Because your brain is really smart.
It will give you excellent reasons to delay. I'm busy. It's not the right time.
So and so is sick. Let me just get through this week. Once things calm down, then I will tuck it in.
My friend, you know that that's not reality. Things don't usually calm down. You calm down.
You choose and you lead. So we are going to tell the truth about the cost. I want you to ask yourself, if I delay this for three months, what will it cost me? What will it cost me in energy and confidence? What will it cost me in resentment, in health, in money? What will it cost me in self-respect? And here's the part mission-driven women need to hear with love.
Your mission does not require your self erasure. You don't get extra moral points for suffering quietly. You are not here to be the noble pack mule of your community.
God, that even sounds harsh when I'm saying it. But you are here to lead, and leadership includes you. So I really want you to name the cost honestly, not to shame yourself, to wake yourself up.
And number three is create a 48-hour proof point. Because I know my friends love the data. They love the data.
And this is the difference between a nice idea and a new identity. Momentum doesn't come from inspiration. It comes from evidence.
Evidence that you do what you say you'll do. Evidence that you can trust yourself again. So here's the deal.
Within 48 hours, take one visible step toward your one honest move. Not the whole thing, just a proof point. So that proof point could be you send the email draft, even if it's not perfect.
You launch the website, okay, even though you don't feel it's 100% perfect. You ask for the number. You make the offer.
Whatever the thing is, your heart is already whispering. You already know immediately what it is. A proof point is small enough to do and meaningful enough to count.
Because the truth is, your nervous system doesn't trust your intentions. It trusts your patterns. I want you to think about that.
Your nervous system doesn't trust your intentions because you've had the same intention over and over and over again. But what it does do is it trusts your patterns. And patterns are a compilation of habits.
Repetitive habits become a pattern. And the patterns weave your personality. Your personality then becomes your identity.
And it's how you present yourself to yourself and to the world. And the fastest way to rebuild self-trust is to not overthink. It's to create proof.
So 48 hours, one proof point. And this Fire Horse warning label, because I have to say this, Fire Horse energy can come in the shape, in the package of over committing, moving too fast to avoid feeling, taking on more because you can, and calling intensity purpose. And so I think that you can relate to this.
Because honestly, I am you and you are me. And we like to fit a lot in. But here's your non-negotiable for the year ahead.
Your pace must match your capacity, not your ideals. And your ideals are gorgeous. But your capacity is real.
And a thought leader isn't someone who says impressive things. A thought leader is someone who models what works in real life. So this year, we're not doing push harder.
We're doing move cleaner. And I want you to bring that beautiful picture of the Fire Horse, just roaming, running free, having this outlet, knowing where she's going. Even if there's no roadmap, there is still intentionality.
So a finishing invitation is, you know, sometimes people will start the new year and they'll pick one word. But I'd like you to pick three. I'd like you to pick three because we're just doing it a little bit differently for the Chinese Zodiac.
And whether your words are clarity, courage, and simplicity, or self-respect, focus, and follow through, or integrity, steadiness, and momentum, you get to choose your three because it becomes this trifecta strategy that you can plug into. And that's it. So you don't need more hype.
You need a clean decision and a small action that proves that you mean it. And I would just love for you to be curious about what this Fire Horse year has in store for you. Because this can be a new chapter in your leadership.
Really allow that fresh start effect to take seat for your amplified results. And amplified results don't necessarily need to be louder or busier, just truer. All right, that's all I have for you today.
I hope that it resonates. If it does, share this episode with a friend. And I'm always grateful to receive feedback at lovethepodcast.com slash brilliance.
Until next week, my friend, breathe joy.
