The saying goes, we always seem to have either time or money – but never both at the same time. But is this really the case? Are all people abundant in one, really lacking in the other? If someone has the balance right, what’s their secret? If you want to unlock next-level success in your business, career or leadership, then this podcast has the answers you’re looking for.

 

Phil Rose talks to Dr Sharon Spano, author of The Pursuit of Time and Money, about what she’s learned from her years of research and executive coaching. Rather than a picture of time and money at war with each other, she’s discovered from interviews and data crunching that they’re tightly interrelated and, with the right mindset shift, we can rethink (and become abundant in) both.

 

Running alongside, her own story of profound loss shows how we can grow through life, gaining greater perspective, deep compassion and genuine generosity as we go. It’s a compelling tale of days spent working next to her son’s hospital bed and the years that have followed without him.

 

You’ll want to listen out for:

 

A few quotes we love:

 

1. On being enough:

 

"I think I would have wanted her to believe that she was enough. Because I was such that achiever that needed another degree, needed another lesson, needed another seminar. I'm always striving, striving, striving. It's only been in the last two years where I finally settled in to believe that I am enough."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

 

2. On feeling stuck as a sign of growth:

 

"If you're feeling stuck in life, you are not failing. You are most likely leaning into a later stage."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

 

3. On the abundance mindset:

 

"We live in a world of abundance. We really do. It doesn't always feel that way. But we are above the reptile. We have the mind to change our circumstances if we so desire. I really do believe that."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

 

4. On the legacy of her son Michael:

 

"My purpose came to life through his life, but then even deeper, so through his death. It's a legacy — his life is a legacy that I try to live up to."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

 

5. On time integration and presence:

 

"I don't believe in the phrase work-life balance because I don't think we're ever fully balanced. I think we have to learn to integrate the circumstances of our life, the reality of what we're in, with what's available to us in terms of time, money, whatever those resources are, even energy. The key to integration is to be where you are and be present where you are."

— Dr. Sharon Spano

 

Other Quotes to consider: 

 

‘As much as we feel [as leaders] that we’re in a fishbowl these days, being watched, people don’t feel seen or connected.’

 

‘I don’t think we’re ever fully balanced. We have to learn to integrate the circumstances of our life and the reality of what we’re in with what’s available to us – whether that’s time, energy or money.’

 

‘The reality is, it’s never convenient to take time for ourselves away from the business.’

 

‘I was led to believe that rich people were bad… What I’ve learned is that you need entrepreneurs with philanthropic hearts to do good for others.’

 

‘Remember, we live in a world of abundance.’

 

‘The expansion of consciousness allows us to have a bigger, broader perspective on the world. It’s no longer egocentric on me, mine and myself. I’m looking around at what’s happening in the world and the universe.’

 

We hope you enjoy this utterly uplifting but completely grounded episode. It’s refreshing to hear that when we tune into what the heart yearns for, we’ll unlock next-level success.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, we’d love to hear from you – feedback makes our day. Remember to subscribe and share so that others can enjoy it too. Thanks.

 

 

Asking How do I get to the next level in my business?’ This episode challenges the idea that you need to sacrifice time for money and vice versa, and that you have to be more than you are.

 

Phil Rose talks to Dr Sharon Spano, executive coach and author of The Pursuit of Time and Money about how time and money aren’t opposing forces but deeply connected and shaped by mindset. Leaders move through developmental stages, and the drive that created success can later limit growth.

 

Feeling stuck or unsatisfied? It’s a sign that expansion is underway. Through coaching and a shift from scarcity to radical abundance, entrepreneurs gain perspective, integrate life and work, unlock sustainable next-level success – and are able to do the good in the world they’ve come here to do.

 

Key insights include:

 

•                The scarcity-abundance spectrum is more nuanced than most people realise; fear-based decisions and responsibility-based decisions can look identical from the outside but lead to very different lives.

•                Entrepreneurs at the Achiever stage are natural creators and goal-chasers, but risk blind optimism and inadvertently imposing pressure on the people around them.

•                Time integration, not work-life balance, is the more honest and achievable goal for today's leaders.

•                Feeling stuck is not failure — it is often the signal that you are growing into a later stage of development and need support to make the transition.

•                The emptiness of success is real, and the antidote is not more achievement but a deeper connection to purpose, presence, and the people who matter most.

•                You are enough. The most powerful shift any leader can make is from perpetual striving to a settled state of being.

 

 

Dr. Sharon Spano helps high-impact leaders break through what’s holding them back to become better leaders—for themselves, their families, and their businesses. With a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, Sharon combines science and personal development tools to help CEOs, consultants, and entrepreneurs achieve sustainable growth and radical fulfillment.

 

Working with high-impact leaders, she helps them uncover what’s holding them back so they can become better leaders: for themselves, their families, and their businesses.

 

The following books, tools, and frameworks were referenced or are directly relevant to the themes discussed in this episode.

 

 | Resource | The Pursuit of Time and Money by Dr. Sharon Spano The Pursuit of Time and Money: Step into Radical Abundance and Discover the Secret to a Meaningful Prosperous Life
| The Leader's Edge Quiz — sharonspano.com/sparks
| The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
| Work by Jean Piaget on developmental psychology
| Dan Sullivan's Strategic Coach programme
| The Harrison Assessment
| Listen to the podcast: The Other Side of Potential (and stay tuned for her brand new podcast The Unstuck and Unstoppable Leader coming soon) 
 | And support the work of the Michael Spano Foundation today as they help disabled people live independent, meaningful and community-active lives.  

 

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AI generated Keywords and phrases in this episode: 

SEO & AI SEO Content

Primary SEO Metadata

Suggested Page Title: Breaking Free from the Emptiness of Success | Dr. Sharon Spano | Sparks by Ignium Podcast

 

Meta Description (155 characters): Executive coach Dr. Sharon Spano joins Sparks by Ignium to explore purpose, time integration, and why high achievers still feel empty — and what to do about it.

 

URL Slug Suggestion: /sparks-podcast/dr-sharon-spano-emptiness-of-success-purpose-time-money

 

Primary Keyword Targets

 | Keyword | Search Intent | Priority
| Emptiness of success | Informational | High
| Purpose-driven leadership | Informational | High
| Scarcity vs abundance mindset | Informational | High
| Time integration work life balance | Informational | High
| Executive coaching for entrepreneurs | Commercial | High
| Human development stages leadership | Informational | Medium
| Entrepreneurial mindset and money | Informational | Medium
| Feeling stuck in business | Informational | Medium
| Imposter syndrome high achievers | Informational | Medium
| Leadership fulfillment coaching | Commercial | Medium
| Finding purpose after loss | Informational | Medium
| Leader's Edge quiz | Navigational | Medium

 

Long-Tail & Conversational Keywords (AI Search Optimised)

These phrases are structured to match the way people ask questions in AI-powered search tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google SGE, and voice assistants.

 

•        "Why do successful people feel empty?"

•        "How do I find my purpose as a business owner?"

•        "What is the difference between scarcity and abundance mindset?"

•        "How can I stop feeling stuck in my career?"

•        "What is time integration and how is it different from work-life balance?"

•        "What are the stages of human development for leaders?"

•        "How does developmental psychology apply to entrepreneurship?"

•        "What is blind optimism in entrepreneurship?"

•        "How do I know what stage of development I am at?"

•        "What is the Leader's Edge quiz?"

•        "How do I create a personal purpose statement?"

•        "How do high achievers deal with burnout and emptiness?"

 

The following Q&A content is structured for inclusion on the episode page to maximise visibility in AI-generated search summaries, featured snippets, and voice search results.

 

Q: Why do successful people feel empty or unfulfilled?

 

A: According to executive coach Dr. Sharon Spano, this phenomenon — which she calls "the emptiness of success" — is common among high achievers who have spent their careers at the Achiever stage of human development. They have pursued goals relentlessly, built businesses, accumulated wealth, and achieved the life they planned. But because their identity has been so tightly bound to striving and achievement, reaching those goals leaves a vacuum. The deeper question of purpose — what truly matters and why — has often been deferred. Dr. Spano's work helps leaders reconnect with that deeper purpose, understand the stories and drivers from their past that have shaped them, and move from a state of perpetual doing into a more grounded state of being.

 

Q: What is the difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset?

 

A: A scarcity mindset is characterised by the belief that there is never enough — whether time, money, or opportunity. It often drives fear-based decisions, such as refusing to spend money on experiences or relationships out of anxiety about the future. An abundance mindset, by contrast, is rooted in the belief that you have the capacity to create what you need. Entrepreneurs often naturally operate from abundance — they believe they can always generate more income or find more time. Dr. Spano's research found that moderate scarcity and moderate abundance can look similar in behaviour, but the underlying motivation is fundamentally different: one is driven by fear, the other by confidence and creative agency.

 

Q: What is time integration, and how is it different from work-life balance?

 

A: Time integration, as described by Dr. Sharon Spano, is the practice of consciously weaving together your professional and personal life rather than trying to keep them in separate, equal compartments. The concept of work-life balance implies a static equilibrium that is rarely achievable in practice, particularly for entrepreneurs and executives. Time integration acknowledges that life is dynamic — there will be periods when work demands more, and periods when family or health must take priority. The key is presence: being fully engaged in whatever you are doing in the current moment, and making deliberate choices about where your time and energy go, rather than allowing circumstances to dictate them by default.

 

Q: What are the stages of human development, and why do they matter for leaders?

 

A: The 12 stages of human development, grounded in close to 80 years of research, represent the evolution of human consciousness — encompassing personality, worldview, values, and decision-making. For leaders, understanding these stages is powerful because it explains why people think and behave differently, and why some leaders feel stuck or unfulfilled despite outward success. The most common stages in the workforce are Expert and Achiever, which together account for approximately 58 to 60 percent of the working population. Later stages — including Pluralist, Strategist, and Construct Aware — are associated with a broader perspective, greater empathy, and a more systemic view of the world. Dr. Spano's Leader's Edge quiz at sharonspano.com/sparks offers a starting point for identifying your own centre of gravity.

 

Q: How do I stop feeling stuck and start growing again?

 

A: Dr. Spano reframes the experience of feeling stuck as a positive signal: it often means you are on the threshold of a developmental shift, moving from one stage of consciousness to the next. This transition can feel disorienting because your old identity, beliefs, and ways of operating no longer fit, but the new ones have not yet fully formed. Rather than pushing harder or making dramatic life changes, Dr. Spano recommends seeking support — from a coach, mentor, or therapist — who can help you see what you cannot yet see for yourself. The transition is temporary, and on the other side lies a broader, more fulfilling perspective on your life and leadership.

 

Hashtags for Social Media Distribution

#SparksbyIgnium #DrSharonSpano #PurposeDrivenLeadership #EmptinessOfSuccess #TimeIntegration #AbundanceMindset #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #EntrepreneurMindset #FindYourPurpose #HumanDevelopment #LeadersEdge #WorkLifeIntegration #PersonalGrowth #PodcastForLeaders

 

Sparks by Ignium is produced by Ignium Consulting. For more information or to work with Phil Rose, visit phil@igniumconsult.com.