Episodes

Going back to work after five years as a stay-at-home mom wasn't part of Melyssa's original plan.


She stepped away from a successful engineering career to stay home with her three boys.


Five years later, she made another big decision: she went back.
In this episode of Freedom of Enough, I sit down with Melyssa, an engineer with a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering who took a five-year career break to become a stay-at-home mom before eventually returning to the workforce.


We talk ho...

What if trying to make marriage 50/50 is creating resentment in marriage?


In this episode of Freedom of Enough, Kim explores why keeping score in marriage can quietly turn a partnership into a transaction—and why the 80/80 approach of radical generosity offers a different way forward. Inspired by The 80/80 Marriage, she shares what she and her husband have learned about navigating seasons when one person simply has more to give than the other.




From sleepless nights and demanding careers...

Leaving a corporate career after 40 years and eventually becoming a vice president, John Connors did something unexpected: he bought a horse farm.


But this conversation isn’t really about horses. It’s about career reinvention, burnout, identity, purpose, and figuring out what comes next when the life that looks successful on paper no longer feels like enough.
In this episode of Freedom of Enough, John and I talk about:


• Reinventing yourself after a long and successful career
• Why achieve...

Identity after job loss : What happens when you get laid off and realize how much of your identity was tied to your job title, paycheck, and productivity?


In this episode of Freedom of Enough, I share what it felt like to lose my job after months of feeling burned out and secretly wanting more time—and the identity shift that came when the structure, title, and professional validation suddenly disappeared.




The layoff brought a mix of emotions I didn’t expect: relief, loss, freedom, fear...

Identity after motherhood can feel complicated when you spent years building a successful career. You worked hard for the degree, the title, and the life you thought you wanted. But what happens when becoming a mom changes how you see success?


In this episode of Freedom of Enough, I sit down with Marissa, creator of Leading Little Humans, to talk about leaving a successful career after having kids and the identity shift that comes when the title you worked so hard for is no longer how you def...

Feeling guilty for resting, even when you're exhausted? You're not alone. For years, I believed that staying busy meant I was doing enough.
But after juggling motherhood, a full-time career, writing a book, launching a podcast, and trying to do it all, my body had a different message. When a sudden bout of vertigo forced me to stop, I realized I wasn't just tired—I was depleted.




In this episode, I share how the concept of the seven types of rest transformed the way I think about productivi...

What happens when a successful TV reporter becomes a stay-at-home dad?
In this episode, I sit down with Aaron Martin, a former investigative reporter who became a stay-at-home dad. We discuss fatherhood, ambition, identity, and the pressures society places on men and women to define success in certain ways.


Aaron shares his personal journey, the lessons he's learned through parenting, and why choosing a different path doesn't mean giving up on your dreams—it may simply mean redefining them.

...

Why am I not happy when I've achieved so much? For most of my life, I believed success was something to be earned through constant achievement. Better grades. More degrees. Bigger titles. Higher salaries. Another accomplishment to prove I was moving forward.




The problem? Every time I reached a goal, the finish line moved.


In this episode, I share my personal journey from living with what I call "Achievement Fever" to redefining success on my own terms. Growing up in a culture where bein...

Why am I never satisfied, no matter how much I achieve?
The world constantly tells us to do more, be more, and have more.



Work harder.


Achieve more.


Earn more.


Buy more.




But what happens when you stop chasing "more" and start defining what's enough?


Welcome to the very first episode of Freedom of Enough.


In this introductory episode, host Kim Patten shares the story behind the podcast and the question that inspired it: When is everything ever enough?


After years of ch...

When the loudest voice in the room is the one from your past, it can leave you feeling not good enough, no matter how much you've accomplished.


Why do we still feel behind, even when we're succeeding? Why does "enough" seem to move farther away every time we get closer?




In this episode of Freedom of Enough, Kim explores the hidden voices that shape our sense of worth—from the expectations we inherited from our parents to the ambitious younger selves we still try to impress. She introduc...

Money doesn't buy happiness. So why do we keep chasing more?
The Number in the Fog: Most of us have a number. A salary. A savings goal. A net worth. A figure we believe will finally make us feel safe, secure, and free.


But what happens when you reach it?
In this episode of Freedom of Enough, I explore why money is often the ultimate moving goalpost. After achieving many of the financial milestones I once believed would bring lasting peace—including paying off my home and becoming debt-free—I ...

Ambitious women, do you believe you’re already enough?
What if you didn’t have to accomplish more, look a certain way, be the perfect mom, or keep up with everyone else to feel worthy?


For so long, I thought having it all meant doing it all. But somewhere along the way, I got so busy chasing every version of success that I barely had time to enjoy the life I had built.


Welcome to Freedom of Enough.


A podcast for ambitious women ready to break free from comparison, perfectionism, and the...