156 | Fun Because: How to Recalibrate the Realm of Possibility + Collapse Timelines by Dismantling Hustle and Reclaiming Joy with Kari the Fun Coach

Listen to Fun Because: How to Recalibrate the Realm of Possibility + Collapse Timelines by Dismantling Hustle and Reclaiming Joy with Kari the Fun Coach on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Your player of choice

What if fun isn’t just a bonus—but the strategy that changes everything?

In this powerful and joy-sparking episode, I’m joined by Kari Esmail—also known as Kari the Fun Coach and bestselling author of Fun Because: How to Succeed Without the Hustle. Together, we dive into what it really means to dismantle hustle culture, recalibrate what’s possible, and reclaim joy as a core tool for success. Kari shares her signature framework—the Pyramid of Fun—and breaks down how connection, play, and creativity can literally rewire your nervous system, collapse timelines, and unlock wildly aligned growth in your life and business.

Whether you’re a high-achieving woman navigating burnout, an entrepreneur craving more flow, or someone who’s tired of saving joy for “someday,” this episode is your permission slip. We explore how small shifts in how we dress, interact, and approach our daily routines can radically change the energy we carry—and the opportunities we attract. Kari’s science-backed insights and vibrant storytelling make it clear: your joy isn’t frivolous—it’s foundational.

Tune in to learn how to fun-ify your life, shift your default patterns, and start creating from overflow instead of obligation. It’s time to stop waiting to enjoy your life and start living like your wildest dreams are already unfolding—because when you lead with joy, they are.

Meet Kari:

Kari Esmail is a bestselling author, ICF Certified Professional Coach, and the visionary behind Fun Because: How to Succeed Without the Hustle. Based in Charlotte, NC, Kari is a vibrant force for change, helping high-achieving women around the world break free from burnout, dismantle hustle culture, and reclaim fun as a revolutionary path to success.

Known as @karithefuncoach across the internet, Kari blends science-backed strategy, personal storytelling, and soul-level truth to guide women in recalibrating what’s possible. Through her signature framework—the Three Elements of Fun: connection, play, and creativity—she shows us how to thrive not despite joy, but because of it. Her work is a breath of fresh air in a world addicted to grind, offering tangible tools to live with more energy, inspiration, and alignment.

Whether she’s writing, coaching, podcasting, or leading retreats, Kari’s mission is simple: to remind women that fun isn’t frivolous—it’s foundational. Ready to collapse timelines and create a life that feels as good as it looks? Head to @karithefuncoach and start fun-ifying your life today.

In this episode, Fun Because: How to Recalibrate the Realm of Possibility + Collapse Timelines by Dismantling Hustle and Reclaiming Joy, Kari and I explore:

• Kari’s journey from burnout and hustle to joy-driven entrepreneurship
• The hidden cost of hustle culture—and how to break free from it
• How to collapse timelines by prioritizing fun, play, and creativity
• The science behind joy as a powerful productivity tool
• Kari’s Pyramid of Fun framework for lasting success and fulfillment
• The 3 Elements of Fun: connection, play, and creativity—and how to integrate them daily
• The 8 Play Personality Types (based on research by Dr. Stuart Brown) and how to identify your personal play style
• How high-achieving women can recalibrate their nervous systems for more energy and ease
• The mindset shift from “earning joy” to living in joy
• Why fun isn’t a reward—it’s a revolutionary strategy
• Tangible practices to infuse more play, presence, and color into your everyday life

Feeling the call to ditch the hustle, reclaim your joy, and recalibrate what’s possible? Don’t keep it to yourself. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow high-achieving woman who’s ready to collapse timelines, redefine success, and start living like fun is her birthright.

Connect with Kari:

Explore Kari’s world and start integrating more fun into your life today.

• Website: karithefuncoach.com
• Instagram: @karithefuncoach
• Buy Kari’s book, Fun Because
• Download the free “Fun as a Strategy” Breeze Guide
• Join the International Fun Side Community

Connect with Emily:

Stay connected and keep up with my latest updates, podcast episodes, and personal growth insights:

• Instagram: @emilyreuschel
• Facebook: Emily Reuschel
• LinkedIn: Emily Reuschel
• Email List: join here
• Website: www.EmilyReuschel.com

Related Episodes to Keep Exploring:

• Episode 133 | Healing Hustle Culture and Burnout: How to Break Free and Uplevel Your Life, Career, and Business with Sheena Schuy
• Episode 129 | Grow, Hoe & Sow: Cultivating Joy and Authentic Living with Kylie Epperson
• Episode 128 | Curiosity Meets Courage: Embracing the Joy of Reinvention

Resources & Links:

• Sign up here to get the inside scoop to my book writing journey!
• Book me as a speaker for your next event – email inquiries to emilyreuschel@gmail.com or schedule a call here
• Wild & Waking – Produced by Jill Carr Podcasting | Learn More

More about Wild and Waking: 

Wild & Waking is more than a podcast—it’s a sacred return to who you’ve always been.

This space is for the woman standing at the edge of everything she’s outgrown. The one who’s checked all the boxes, followed all the rules, and still feels the quiet ache for something more honest. More alive. More hers.

She’s begun the unraveling—of roles, expectations, identities that no longer fit. She’s remembering the voice beneath the noise, the rhythm beneath the hustle, the truth beneath the performance. She’s reclaiming her joy, her intuition, her fire. And she’s rising—not as a version of who she was told to be, but as the truest expression of who she already is.

Hosted by soul expansion coach Emily Reuschel, Wild & Waking is for the spiritual entrepreneurs, coaches, rural changemakers, and conscious leaders dismantling old paradigms and creating new ways of living, leading, and becoming. Through raw conversations, deep reflections, and embodied wisdom, we explore what it means to awaken a life of abundance, authenticity, and purpose.

This is for the woman who holds both sacred rage and radical joy. Who moves with reverence for the seasons of her life. Who isn’t afraid to break cycles, speak truth, and dismantle what no longer serves—not to destroy, but to create. To rebuild a world rooted in the celebration of difference, the beauty of nuance, and the power of sovereign, embodied leadership.

If you’re ready to come home to yourself—fully, fiercely, and without apology—welcome.

We’ve been waiting for you.

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