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I've spent a lot of time thinking about alignment—not just as a personal-growth concept, but as something that directly affects how we lead, build businesses, make decisions, and live our lives. In this episode of The Story Engine Podcast, I sit down with Esther Wildenberg, an executive coach, entrepreneur, consultant, and AI business owner who has spent more than 20 years helping leaders recognize when they've drifted out of alignment and find their way back. Esther describes alignment as the place where our purpose, passion, heart, identity, and actions are working together—and when they are, we create a kind of inbound energy that attracts the right people, opportunities, and growth.
We get very practical about what happens when that alignment disappears. Esther calls it "founder's fatigue": when we become obsessed with everything that isn't working, blame our employees, clients, finances, or circumstances, and convince ourselves we simply don't have enough time. She explains why stepping away from the business can actually be one of the most productive things an entrepreneur can do, including her unconventional three-day process of removing clients from their normal environment—and even taking away their phones—to create enough space for clarity. We also dive into Esther's own experience during the COVID pandemic, when a company pivot, a newborn son in the NICU, isolation, and an identity crisis forced her to completely rethink how she was living and leading. Ultimately, this conversation is about learning to step out of the trenches, reconnect with yourself, and create the kind of business and life that actually supports the person you want to become.
Highlights-
(02:49) – Esther defines alignment and explains why getting your energy, purpose, passion, identity, and messaging into sync can dramatically change how your business grows.
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(03:58) – Why alignment is so difficult: the uncomfortable necessity of slowing down, creating silence and solitude, and actually listening to what your life is telling you.
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(06:49) – The biggest challenge of growing a team: why the people you hire will never care about your business exactly the way you do—and why entrepreneurs need to let go of that expectation.
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(08:24) – Why a candidate saying "no" to a past employer isn't necessarily a red flag—and the question Esther asks to uncover whether someone has actually learned from their failures.
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(09:23) – "Founder's fatigue": the warning signs that you're out of alignment, including constantly focusing on what's broken and blaming everyone around you.
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(12:25) – The hidden cost of the hustle: how an obsession with productivity, money, and growth can quietly destroy your health, relationships, and sense of balance.
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(12:55) – Why entrepreneurs may need to stop thinking in three- to five-year plans and start developing the ability to pivot every 90 days to six months.
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(14:48) – Esther's unconventional alignment reset: stepping completely out of your business for three days to gain enough distance to actually see the problem clearly.
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(15:09) – Why Esther takes away her clients' phones—and how she believes 90% of their problems can begin to resolve once they're removed from the environment creating the stress.
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(17:34) – The power of changing your environment and surrounding yourself with people who face similar challenges, including Esther's experience in high-level masterminds.
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(19:30) – Why taking an hour for yourself in the morning can actually make you more productive, focused, and magnetic throughout the rest of your day.
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(20:36) – Esther's raw story of founder's fatigue during the COVID pandemic: a company pivot, a newborn son, six weeks in the NICU, isolation, and a complete crisis of identity.
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(23:17) – The turning point: how Esther hired a coach, changed the direction of her company, and shifted from focusing on sales and revenue to helping people thrive and connect.
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(24:31) – The podcast question that changed Esther's perspective on her own impact—and helped her realize she didn't need to reach thousands of people to make a meaningful difference.
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(26:00) – Why Esther stopped preparing for podcasts and stages and began trusting what she calls the "download" of what she needs to say in the moment.
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(31:54) – Esther explains why vulnerability is central to her work and how she uses her own painful experiences to help others move through similar challenges faster.
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(34:12) – Esther's powerful prediction about the future of AI and technology—and why the ability to deeply connect with other human beings may become our most valuable skill.
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(35:21) – Her final challenge: build real communities, become an excellent communicator, and strengthen the human relationships that technology can never replace.
