293: The Hidden Costs of People Pleasing (and How to Stop Paying Them) with Michelle Gauthier

What happens when the life you dreamed of finally arrives… but it doesn’t feel good? 

On paper, Michelle Gauthier had the life she would’ve put on a vision board when she was young: a thriving 20-year corporate career (with a strong salary, to boot), a husband, two kids she had longed for, and the house to match. Yet underneath the surface, she was anxious, overwhelmed, and in pain. In one bold season of life, she made the terrifying choice to divorce, quit her job, and start over—earning just $12,000 her first year as a life coach.

In this conversation, Michelle shares her journey away from overwhelm, and what it took for her to build a new career. We dive into the fears and financial realities of walking away from “golden handcuffs,” and the mindset shifts that allowed Michelle to trust herself–and her ability to make money.

Along the way, Michelle reveals the hidden costs of people pleasing—both emotional and financial—and introduces her powerful “Love & Fit Test”, a simple-yet-effective decision-making framework to help you stop saying “yes” when you really mean “no.” You’ll also hear her practical tools for planning your week, reducing overwhelm, and breaking free from patterns of overwork and overcommitment. (Yes, please.)

Here’s what you’ll learn in this week’s episode of Love, your Money:

• 03:04 How Michelle navigated multiple major life transitions–divorce, launching a business, and parenting solo—simultaneously
• 05:50 What she thought about money in the early days of rebuilding: replacing income, saving, and staying grounded
• 08:01 From rock bottom to real clarity: how Michelle built her coaching practice and found her message
• 11:01 The financial lessons Michelle learned growing her business, and what she’d do differently in hindsight
• 13:53 Why she chose to coach overwhelmed working women—and how her past helps her connect to her clients
• 16:26 What people pleasing actually looks like, how to recognize it in yourself, and the hidden costs of people pleasing—including the financial ones that quietly drain your resources
• 21:12 Michelle’s “Love and Fit Test”: how to make empowered spending decisions that align with your values
• 28:47 The “Calendar Cleanout”: a practical way to start clearing mental load and reclaiming time
• 33:22 How your money mindset can keep you stuck—or set you free—during life or career transitions, and simple but powerful shifts you can make this week to reclaim your energy and financial agency
• 39:01 Michelle’s personal money beliefs, how she built healthy saving habits, and why that courage changed her life

Show Notes
To get access to the full show notes, including all the resources mentioned, visit: https://hendershottwealth.com/podcast/michelle-gauthier-hidden-costs-of-people-pleasing

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Hendershott Wealth Management, LLC and Love, your Money do not make specific investment recommendations on Love, your Money or in any public media. Any specific mentions of funds or investments are strictly for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice or acted upon by individual investors. The opinions expressed in this episode are those of Hilary Hendershott, CFP®, MBA.