Choosing a Life Without Guilt

Our very own Laurice Lambert recently sat down with Tony Dufresne, PhD, on the She Talks Confidence Podcast for a conversation titled How Women Can Thrive in Business and Life Without Guilt. Her story will feel familiar to anyone who’s ever juggled career, family, and everything in between while quietly wondering if there’s another way to live.

For years, Laurice wore busyness like a badge of honor.

She is a healthcare business attorney, the CEO of Aligned Health Law, a mother, a friend, a leader, and a proud member of the Women’s Purpose Community. Her days were packed from the moment she woke up to the moment her head hit the pillow. She was always the first to raise her hand, the one who stayed late to finish the job, the person others counted on to fix things.

And she said yes to almost everything.

From the outside, it looked like she had it all figured out. But on the inside, she was tired. Not the “I need a nap” kind of tired; the deep, soul-level fatigue that comes from constantly putting yourself last. She had given so much to everyone else that she could barely remember the last time she had done something purely for herself.

One day, she stopped. She took a breath, and asked herself a question she’d never really paused to consider: What do I want my life to look like, not for everyone else, but for me?

That moment changed everything. Today, Laurice lives and leads by three simple, but powerful, truths.

Balance Isn’t Doing It All — It’s Doing What Matters

Laurice is clear that balance doesn’t mean juggling everything. It means deciding what deserves her energy. She admitted that early in her career, she thought waiting to have children would make things easier. Instead, she learned the opposite: “It is much easier to have your children earlier when you have less responsibilities on you, because the further along in your career you get… the harder it is going to be.”

Her definition of balance evolved into protecting what mattered most: time with her children, being present for her family, and knowing when to lean on her husband Matt. She describes their partnership as essential: “The longer we’ve been married, the older our kids have gotten, the more of a team we’ve become.”

By letting go of the things that didn’t serve her, she found the freedom to show up fully for the things that did. Saying no to what was unimportant created space for deeper, more meaningful yeses.

Ambition is a Gift, Not Something to Hide

For years, Laurice kept her boldest dreams tucked away, worried they might be “too much.” But starting her own firm pushed her to bet on herself. It hasn’t been easy: “The last two and a half years of my life building this business have been the hardest and the most I have ever worked. I have never worked more than I have in the past two and a half years.”

Yet she has no regrets. “Is it worth it to have your own business? 100%. I would not do it any differently. It has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I do not believe that I would be… I can’t go back. I love my team. It’s the best team I’ve ever been a part of.”

Her ambition is no longer something she hides. It’s something she embraces, knowing that when rooted in her values, it’s a force for good.

Caring for Yourself is a Leadership Strategy

Perhaps the most important shift Laurice made was reframing self-care. It’s not a luxury, but a necessity. As she explained: “If you’re not okay, then you won’t be able to be okay for your clients, and you won’t be able to be okay for your family. You’ve got to be okay. You have to prioritize yourself however you can.”

Her practices are simple but intentional, such as walking outside during calls, strength training on Monday mornings, regular meditation, journaling, and working with a spiritual coach. Even carving out 20 minutes for herself helps her show up stronger as a leader, a mother, and a partner.

Laurice’s journey shows that thriving without guilt doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing what matters, honoring your dreams, and caring for yourself as fiercely as you care for others.

If you’ve been saying yes to everything, feeling stretched thin, or quietly craving a different way of living, let this be your reminder: you are allowed to choose a life that feels right for you. In the Women’s Purpose Community, women like Laurice are proving every day that you can lead with heart, define success on your own terms, and build a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

And if you’d like to hear Laurice share her story in her own words, listen to her conversation on the She Talks Confidence Podcast—a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful change starts with a single decision to do things differently.