Finding Your Zone of Genius and What's Right for You- Looks Like Work, Season 3, Ep 10
There’s a version of work that doesn’t drain you.
Where flow isn’t a myth, and effort doesn’t always mean exhaustion.
Where you look up from your laptop and realize you’ve been happy—not just productive.
That’s what happens in your zone of genius.
In this episode, I sit down with Tali Slonim—former corporate HR exec turned coach, author, and founder of The Stretcher—to talk about how she found her way from hustle to harmony. Not because she had a five-year plan. But because life threw her some curveballs—and she had the courage to ask better questions in response.
We talk about what happens when your resume says “success,” but your body says “not this.”
And how writing, honesty, and radical self-inquiry helped her reclaim a career (and life) that fit.
Inside this conversation:
What the “zone of genius” actually feels like in real life (not just in books)
How life events like divorce, grief, and war reshape priorities
The slash life: author / coach / founder / mother / human
Why vulnerability builds credibility, not weakness
Writing a book in three months while in flow
Daily writing as a tool for clarity, creativity, and survival
Creating physical environments that support the work you actually want to do
Redefining success through the lens of proportionality, not pressure
Tali’s core inquiry invites reflection at every level:
👉 “What’s truly right for me? What aligns with my values, my long-term journey, and even my body?”
This episode is a reminder that brilliance doesn’t have to feel like burnout.
That the work you’re meant to do might not look like work at all.
And that alignment isn’t about getting everything “right”—it’s about getting honest, and staying that way.
"On your stone, no one writes 'she didn't spend enough time at work' or 'she was a great HR executive.' People always talk about the kind of friend you were, about the kind of mother, the kind of person you were."
Resources & Mentions:
"The Big Leap" by Dr. Gay Hendricks (zone of genius concept)
Catch up on previous seasons of Looks Like Work wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify | Apple | Podbean
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