The Work of You
This is a podcast about the leadership that matters most — the kind that starts from within.
Hosted by certified behavioral coach and Enneagram expert Jen Ostrich, The Work of You is for high-achieving humans ready to stop repeating patterns and start leading themselves differently.
Through insights from coaching, the Enneagram, and her own personal inner overhaul, Jen brings honesty, humor, and sharp emotional clarity to the table. With real talk, self-awareness tools, and a healthy dose of tough love, she helps you uncover what’s driving you, shift what’s no longer serving you, and ultimately do the work of you — one honest episode at a time.
This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about finally understanding yourself — so your choices, relationships, and leadership can actually align with who you truly are.
The Work of You
Breaking Free from the Patterns That Hold You Back
What if your patterns — even the ones that trip you up — are actually trying to protect you?
Let's dive into personality patterns -- what they are, why they are essential to understand about ourselves and how to learn how to manage them. I share the single most profound developmental experience I've been through, the Hoffman Process (link below) where I came to terms with my patterns and learned how to manage them. We'll dive into how to identify yours and tools to learn how to recognize when and where they are showing up. Always remember -- you are NOT your patterns; they are a part of you...but not all of you.
Episode topics:
- What are patterns - essentially automatic ways of being/acting/believing/feeling
- How patterns come to be from early on as a child - what it looks like to adopt, rebel or react patterns
- You are NOT your patterns - they are a part of you but not all of you
- Patterns were created as a protective measure - as a means to feel safe, loved, etc. Why it's so helpful to understand what yours is and how it's trying to protect you
- Example of 9 motivations and fears of the Enneagram - where your patterns live
- My experience in the Hoffman Process - where you learn how to face your patterns and learn how to manage them
- Specific questions and prompts to recognize your own patterns and how to manage them
Coaching Prompts:
- What’s one pattern you keep running that feels familiar and automatic?
- When did this pattern first show up? What could it be protecting you from?
- What would it feel like to thank that pattern for the role it’s played to date and then try a different response and see how that feels.
Resources | Links:
The Hoffman Quadrinity™ (scroll to bottom of this page to see the symbol/description of my tattoo)