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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.