Is Your Silence Sabotaging Your Success? – Penny Locaso on Fear, Leadership & Decision Fatigue

Are you holding back from making a decision that could change everything?

In this powerful episode of Decisions That Count, neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and co-host Michelle O’Brien sit down with behavioral scientist, leadership coach, and founder of HackingHappy.co, Penny Locaso, to explore the hidden cost of inaction—especially for ambitious women navigating fear, self-doubt, and societal expectations.

We unpack the science behind decision fatigue, the authority gap, and why so many high-achieving women struggle to label themselves as experts—even when they’ve earned it. Penny shares her groundbreaking Intentional Adaptability® framework, insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, and practical strategies to break free from fear-based non-decisions that silently sabotage success.

Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, parent, or simply someone battling the mental load of modern life, this conversation offers deep insights and actionable tools to help you reclaim your voice, your impact, and your decision-making power.

🔍 Key Topics:

• The psychology of fear and non-decision

• How internalized conditioning silences expertise

• Why inaction drains mental energy

• Gender dynamics in leadership and pitching

• Building resilience and reclaiming expert authority

• Practical mindfulness and brain-optimization tools

🎯 You’ll learn:

• Why not deciding is a decision

• How to dismantle the “ick” factor around expertise

• The science behind decision fatigue—and how to overcome it

• Simple ways to reset your brain and take intentional action

• How to create inclusive environments that empower women to thrive

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

05:52 Conditioning and Gender Dynamics

09:06 – Gender Gap in Leadership

18:02 – Empowerment & Resilience

33:38 – Mindfulness & Brain Resets

46:13 – Disrupting Autopilot Thinking

56:04 – Penny’s Top 3 Takeaways

✨ Guest: Penny Locaso Behavioral Scientist | Leadership Coach | Creator of the Intentional Adaptability® framework 🔗 Explore More from Penny Locaso:
🌐 Website: https://hackinghappy.co💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennylocaso📄 Expert Checklist: https://app.hackinghappy.co/howtobecomeanexpertchecklist📚 HBR Article on VC Bias: https://hbr.org/2017/06/male-and-female-entrepreneurs-get-asked-different-questions-by-vcs-and-it-affects-how-much-funding-they-get
🎧 Hidden Figures Podcast Series: https://hackinghappy.kartra.com/page/hiddenfigures

👥 Hosts: Dr. Shawn Watson – Neuroscientist & Founder Michelle O’Brien – Marketer, Mum, Marathon Runner

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🧠 Hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and marketer-mum-marathoner Michelle, Decisions That Count explores how science-backed insights can help you overcome decision fatigue and unlock peak performance.

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💡 If you found this episode helpful, like, comment, and subscribe. Share it with someone who could use a reset on how they make decisions. Let’s build better brains together—one choice at a time.

Your decisions shape your life. Make every decision count.

📣 Ready to step into your expertise? Share this episode with a woman you admire—and call her what she is: an expert. 💡 #DecisionsThatCount #DecisionFatigue #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #PennyLocaso #Expertise #Empowerment #Mindfulness #MentalLoad #Neuroscience #CognitivePerformance #IntentionalAdaptability #AuthorityGap