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The CEO Sage — Business
The CEO Sage

You’re vitally important and completely invisible. You’re performing in what you once dreamed. The thing you built to free you has become the thing you’re trapped inside.

You’ve built something real. A business that works. A reputation that precedes you. By every measure, you’re succeeding.
And something is wrong that you can’t quite name.

You’ve tried the frameworks. You’ve bought the courses. You’ve followed the gurus. And on some level you know that none of it is going to give you what you’re actually looking for, because what you’re actually looking for is yourself.

This is The CEO Sage—a podcast for the woman who is ready to stop looking outside herself for the answer.

Kris Plachy doesn’t offer you recipes or tactics or the “real way” to scale your business. She offers you something more rare: permission to listen to what you already know. In intimate, unflinching conversations, she names the truths you’ve been waiting to hear aloud. That your wisdom matters more than the strategy. That your self-trust is the asset worth protecting. That what feels like failure might actually be an invitation to something better.

If you’ve achieved the success everyone told you to want and discovered it wasn’t what you were looking for, this is for you. If you know something needs to change but can’t see the path, this is for you. If you’re ready to stop performing and start revealing—to yourself first, then to the world—this is for you.

The CEO Sage. Where the work of becoming begins with the work of remembering who you already are.

Copyright: Copyright © 2019 - 2021 Kris Plachy

Latest Episodes:

Success Won't Fix Your Worthiness Problem Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

What if your worth wasn't tied to your revenue, your output, or anyone else's approval? In this episode, Kris takes us deeper into the heart of worthiness and why so many high-achieving women still wrestle with believing in themselves—even after building successful companies, raising families, and achieving goals most people only dream of.

Kris breaks down the difference between self-trust (believing yourself) and self-worth (believing in yourself), and why the latter is the quiet, constant hum that shapes everything you do. She explores how conditional worth shows up in subtle ways—like people pleasing, avoiding difficult conversations, or downplaying your own success—and why guilt over what you've built is often a sign you don't fully own your value yet.

Here's what we explore in this episode:

The false scorecards and hidden "supervisors" you've been measuring yourself against
Why women tie worth to achievement, perfection, or proving
How guilt for your success erodes confidence and leadership
Why rest can be a radical act of reclaiming value
What it looks like to live differently when you truly know your worth

This episode is your invitation to stop proving, release guilt, and reclaim the truth: you are already the prize.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Your journey starts with clarity. Head to thevisionary.ceo/trust and take the Self-Trust & Self-Worth Index Kris designed to give you immediate insight.

Stop Compartmentalizing Your Confidence Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

Why can you trust yourself to build a multimillion-dollar company—but not to have one hard conversation? In this episode, Kris pulls back the curtain on the anatomy of self-trust. From visionary ideas to money, health, relationships, and leadership, she reveals why so many women compartmentalize their confidence—rock solid in some domains, shaky in others.

You'll hear how past experiences, identity "totems," and cultural conditioning quietly erode our confidence, and why fear, vulnerability, and inherited stories often dictate where we doubt ourselves most. More importantly, Kris shows you how to begin repairing that trust—through awareness, reframing, and practice—so you can finally stop second-guessing and start standing fully in the leader you already are.

Here's what we explore in this episode:

The surprising gap between visionary trust and day-to-day confidence
The different domains of self-trust—and where women most often stumble
How identity, environment, and old narratives shape what you believe about yourself
Why it feels safer to trust money or process than people or intuition
Practical ways to build competence and leverage your strengths to close the gaps

This episode calls you to stop treating self-trust like a mystery and start treating it like a skill. You don't have to be perfect—you just have to start believing yourself again.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Your journey starts with clarity. Head to thevisionary.ceo/trust and take the Self-Trust & Self-Worth Index Kris designed to give you immediate insight.

Breaking the Generational Code of Self-Doubt Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Why do so many accomplished women still doubt themselves—even after building extraordinary lives and businesses? Kris continues her Self-Trust & Self-Worth mini-series with a powerful exploration of the programming women inherit from generations before us.

She invites us to reflect on the systemic, cultural, and ancestral patterns that quietly shape how women value themselves—and why even the most accomplished female founders still lie awake at night second-guessing their own decisions.

From hiding success out of guilt to resisting difficult conversations at work, Kris shows how the paradox of female leadership is never about capability—it's about the stories we've absorbed about what women "should" be. And she challenges us to stop playing small, stop apologizing for what we've built, and start owning the lives we've worked so hard to create.

Here's what we explore:

Why inherited programming makes self-trust harder for women than men
The cultural double standard that shames women for success
How female founders get boxed in by guilt, doubt, and "shoulds"
The hidden cost of over-functioning and perfectionism
Why leadership requires both confidence and compassion

This episode is your reminder that you are not broken—and you're not alone. The work ahead isn't about fixing yourself, it's about unlearning what never belonged to you in the first place.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Your journey starts with clarity. Head to thevisionary.ceo/trust and take the Self-Trust & Self-Worth Index Kris designed to give you immediate insight.

What Happens When You Finally Believe in Yourself Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Kris launches a brand-new mini-series with a masterclass on Self-Trust and Self-Worth for Female Founders. And she encourages us to ask: Why do we trust ourselves to build entire businesses—but not to have one hard conversation?

After wrapping the seven transitions of Beyond the CEO, this next season dives deeper—into the paradox that so many successful women face: the ability to make bold, visionary moves while quietly second-guessing themselves in the day-to-day.

Across the next five weeks, you'll hear Kris unpack her full Self-Trust and Self-Worth masterclass, designed to help you see how every "tactical" problem—whether it's firing someone, raising your rates, or stepping back from the business—is rooted in how much you believe yourself, and how much you believe in yourself.

Here's what we explore:

The paradox of female founders: bold vision paired with constant second-guessing
The difference between self-trust ("I believe myself") and self-worth ("I believe in myself")
Why tactical problems are often symptoms of deeper trust and worth issues
How overachievement and shame fuel cycles of exhaustion and over-functioning
What changes when you finally believe yourself and believe in yourself

This episode is your invitation to stop treating the symptoms and start healing the root. Because when you strengthen self-trust and self-worth, you don't just lead better—you build a business and a life that finally feels aligned with the woman you've already proven yourself to be.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Your journey starts with clarity. Head to thevisionary.ceo/trust and take the Self-Trust & Self-Worth Index Kris designed to give you immediate insight.

The Most Overlooked Step Between Leading and Leaving Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

What's your plan for the business you've worked so hard to build?

After walking through all seven transitions in the Beyond the CEO series, Kris is turning her focus to what comes next: the tactical and strategic steps every founder must take to ensure the business can run—and even thrive—without her constant presence.

This isn't just about getting through today's to-do list. It's about preparing your business, your team, and yourself for what's ahead—whether that's scaling, exiting, or simply reclaiming more of your life. Because the truth is, too many women wait until they're burned out before asking the hard questions: Is my business ready? Am I ready? What happens after this season ends?

Here's what we explore:

Why a team audit is as essential as cleaning out your closet
The leadership shift from telling to asking—and how it changes everything
How to capture your wisdom and IP so others can use it without you
The possibility of creating generational wealth through an exit
Why retirement isn't the end—it's a call to design a future with purpose

This episode is your invitation to stop avoiding the practical steps and start laying the foundation for a business you can lead and leave. Because the earlier you prepare, the more options you have—and the more freedom you create to design what's next.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Wanna know more details about the Sage: Coaching for Female Founders that will be starting in October? Visit www.thevisionary.ceo/beyondtheceo to add your name to the interest list.

The Transition That Changes Everything Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Are you willing to release control and trust others with what you've built

In this episode, Kris closes out the Beyond the CEO series by walking through the final transitions that take you from structure and strategy into wisdom and possibility. It's not just about building processes—it's about letting go of false truths, reclaiming clarity, playing without an agenda, and stepping fully into Sage energy.

This is where leadership becomes less about control and more about trust, curiosity, and freedom.

Here's what we explore:

The surprising power of asking "What do you think?" instead of giving answers
Why restless, "itchy" seasons are signs of growth, not failure
How boredom after success reveals what was missing all along
The trap of being needed versus the freedom of being trusted
What Sage energy looks like in practice—and why it always whispers, "There's more.

This episode is your invitation to stop defaulting to what's inherited, expected, or safe—and start building a business you can both lead and leave. Because when you do, you create the freedom to explore what's next and the impact to feed the future with your wisdom.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

Interested in more of what we've been teaching here?

Visit www.thevisionary.ceo/beyondtheceo to add your name to the interest list.

Want some coaching on these transitions I've been featuring in this series?

Visit www.thevisionary.ceo/callin to learn more and submit an application. If selected, your call will be published on this podcast in future episodes.

Your Next Chapter Won't Come From Your Old Blueprint Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Have you been intentional about what stays in your life—and what goes?

If you've been following this special Beyond the CEO mini-series on the seven transitions every founder must face, you know last week was all about play, curiosity, and exploration. Now, in Transition Six—Intentional Design—we take everything you've discovered in that playful, curious phase and start shaping it into a grounded, deliberate vision for what's next.

This isn't about hustling toward another "should." It's about building your next chapter with clarity, purpose, and your own rules. Kris shares why this stage only works if you've truly given yourself the gift of experimentation first—and how skipping that step leads to recreating the same patterns you've outgrown.

She walks through her own clarity breakthroughs (including a newfound love of pickleball, hosting in-person gatherings, and refining her environment) and invites you to ask yourself: What's in? What's out? What's worth designing into the next version of your life?

Here's what we explore:

Why play and exploration are prerequisites for true clarity
How to sculpt a new vision without dragging old expectations into it
The importance of refining, not just adding
Why environment, people, and commitments all deserve intentional choice
How universal truths guide every stage of your evolution

This episode is your invitation to stop defaulting to what's inherited, expected, or safe—and start crafting a life and business that reflects the woman you are now.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

The best way to stay in the know? Get on the list. I've got some exciting things coming your way, and I always share with my email list first. Head to the thevisionary.ceo/notes and opt in.

Join me in Hawaii

Learn more at www.thevisionary.ceo/hawaii

You Don't Have to Stay in Your Comfort Cage Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Play. Stillness. Curiosity. When did you stop giving yourself that permission? You're going through the motions in a life you once dreamed of—and wondering when that dream stopped being yours.

In this episode—the next in Kris's series on the seven essential transitions every successful woman must navigate—she invites you to consider the one most of us avoid: curiosity, play, and exploration.

This isn't a conversation about productivity or purpose. It's about what happens when you finally lift your head, look around, and realize: the version of you running the show today isn't the woman you were 20 years ago. So why are you still living like she's in charge?

Kris shares stories from two recent retreats—including the meditations, discomfort, and unexpected conversations that shook something loose. And she poses a question that might just be your wake-up call: What if it doesn't matter which path you choose next—only that it brings you joy?

Here's what we explore:

Why women who "have it all" still feel restless
The comfort cage—and how it tricks you into staying stuck
How exploration opens doors clarity alone never could
Why you owe it to yourself (and your future) to get uncomfortable
The identity shift that comes from doing something—anything—new

You can't find what's next wearing the coat of who you used to be.

So try something on. See how it fits. And don't be surprised if it changes everything.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

The best way to stay in the know? Get on the list.

I've got some exciting things coming your way, and I always share with my email list first. Head to the thevisionary.ceo/notes and opt in.

Loving the podcast? Let me know.

If this episode resonated with you, would you take a moment to leave a quick review on iTunes or Spotify? It means the world—and it helps more women find this work.

As a thank you, I have a little something I'd love to send your way. Just email a screenshot of your review to hello@thevisionaryceo.com.

The Striver's Dilemma: Who Are You Without the Push? Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

In this fourth installment of the Seven Transitions Every Successful Woman Must Navigate series, Kris explores the fog that can settle in after years of striving, building, leading, and achieving.

When the urgency fades, when the goals have been met, when your days are no longer dictated by survival or ambition... who are you now?

This is the striver's dilemma.

In this episode, Kris shares reflections from two recent retreats—one with Arthur Brooks, one with Rebecca Campbell—that offered wildly different but equally profound insights. She weaves together data, mysticism, and lived experience to guide you through the discomfort (and deep potential) of Transition Four: Reclaiming Future Clarity.

You'll hear:

Why dreaming after success feels murky, not magical
How the absence of urgency can feel disorienting instead of freeing
The one question to ask before launching into your next project or business
Why the next version of you won't be found in a revenue dashboard or your to-do list

If you're standing in the in-between—done with what was, unsure of what's next—this episode will meet you there. Not with answers, but with the kind of questions that can change everything.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

The best way to stay in the know? Get on the list.

I've got some exciting things coming your way, and I always share with my email list first. Head to the thevisionary.ceo/notes and opt in.

Loving the podcast? Let me know.

If this episode resonated with you, would you take a moment to leave a quick review on iTunes or Spotify? It means the world—and it helps more women find this work.

As a thank you, I have a little something I'd love to send your way. Just email a screenshot of your review to hello@thevisionaryceo.com.

If You're Still Holding On, What Are You Really Afraid Of? Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

You're not trapped by your business, your team, or even your schedule.

You're trapped by the stories you've been telling yourself about what has to happen next.

In this third installment of the special mini-series on the seven transitions every successful woman must navigate when she knows it's time for something new, Kris unpacks the beliefs that quietly hold you back—the false truths that keep high-achieving women stuck in businesses they've already outgrown.

She gets right to the heart of the stories we cling to when we're afraid to move on, and dismantles them one by one. Like the belief that if you step back and the business doesn't thrive, you've failed. That if you're no longer running things, you've somehow lost your relevance. That wanting something new makes you ungrateful—or worse, that letting go means it was never enough to begin with.

Here's what we explore:

Why it's not your job to make the business live forever
How to let go without guilt, shame, or fear of becoming invisible
The difference between relevance and resonance—and why resonance is what actually matters
What it means to be a woman in transition and still be powerful
How to redefine your value outside of what you produce

This episode is not about dismantling your success—it's about unhooking from the beliefs that keep you small, tired, and holding on too tightly.

Contact Information and Recommended Resources

The best way to stay in the know? Get on the list.

I've got some exciting things coming your way, and I always share with my email list first. Head to the thevisionary.ceo/notes and opt in.

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