FINE is a 4-Letter Word

Growing up in a household where freedom was paramount, Pia (Myo Lischter) Mailhot-Leichter was raised by rebellious, artistic parents. From her mother’s escape from small-town Quebec at 19 on the back of a motorcycle bound for Morocco and New York, to her artist father who lived outside society’s lines, Pia inherited both a fierce independence and a romanticized view of constant movement as the solution to life's problems. Education was another cornerstone value, instilled early on as the key to independence, especially for women. The foundational beliefs of freedom, strength, and visionary self-expression became the undercurrents that shaped Pia’s journey. 

By seventeen, Pia had already left home, continuing her mother’s legacy of carving her own path through life. After years of living what appeared to be a successful creative life in London and Copenhagen, Pia found herself caught in a destructive pattern of using movement and busyness to avoid dealing with deeper issues. Following a messy divorce, an unhealthy rebound relationship, and throwing herself completely into building a creative studio, she was maintaining the facade that everything was "fine" while internally falling apart. The wake-up call came when she was fired from her partnership role, leaving her metaphorically thrown through the windshield of the fast-moving car that was her life, staring at the shards of what she thought was working. 

Instead of immediately jumping into job hunting mode, Pia listened to her intuition and made a radical choice to embark on a solo four-week journey across China, Mongolia, and Russia via the Trans-Siberian Railway. 

A therapist invited her to learn how to stay instead of running, which became a catalyst for her inner transformation. Pia learned that staying busy and on the move was a form of distraction, a way to avoid sitting with pain and uncertainty. Through stillness, she gradually rewired her nervous system and uncovered the importance of discernment. She built resilience to sit with discomfort, understanding that pain minus the mental story is simply pain, not suffering. 

Throughout this conversation, Pia reminds us that uncertainty is actually fertile ground for creativity and growth. By running “experiments” in life, leaning into discomfort, and treating every chapter as an adventure rather than a test to win or fail, she embraces messy, beautiful humanity.  

Her story is an invitation to break free from inherited scripts, anchor into self-compassion, and write entirely new lines—proving that sometimes, the bravest act is simply to stay. 

Resources:  

Raised with strong faith values across multiple religious traditions, Meshell Baker discovered early on that the best people she encountered weren't defined by their specific beliefs, but by how consistently they practiced core principles of love, kindness, and service. In the beginning of her career, Meshell was exposed to diverse spiritual communities while selling Yellow Pages advertising in the most racially diverse county in America. Her experience would later become the foundation for everything she built. 

After a period of incarceration that stemmed from personal trauma and lost confidence, Meshell threw herself into rebuilding through corporate success. She became exceptional at climbing the ladder. You know the routine, the one that involves chasing promotions, better cars, bigger paychecks. On paper, she was winning. But she felt like she was running on a hamster wheel, hitting milestones that gave her five minutes of satisfaction before she had to chase the next achievement high.  

The turning point came during a Bible study group where she discovered her gift for helping women transform their confidence and step into their power. She realized this work brought her more joy than any corporate achievement ever had. 

Now as an entrepreneur and confidence coach, Meshell has learned the crucial difference between transformation and transaction. She emphasizes that once you transform internally, the external transactions (success, money, opportunities) naturally follow, but the reverse isn't true. Her story illustrates how confidence isn't something you summon on demand like an Amazon delivery. It’s a way of being that you embody through consistent practice and self-compassion, even when, or especially when, you don't feel like it. 

Resources:

Meshell Baker’s website: https://meshellrbaker.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meshellrbaker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeshellRBaker

Instagram: http://instagram.com/MeshellRBaker

Christopher Bylone grew up on a New Jersey family farm where no one was above mucking stalls, and lending a hand wasn’t optional. His grandfather, decades ahead of his time, taught him that inclusion wasn’t a corporate policy; it was just what decent people did.

Those lessons stuck. They carried Christopher from agriculture to analytics to becoming a respected voice in diversity, equity, and inclusion. When his company’s diversity metrics stalled, he spoke up, “We have no strategy.” That bold truth redirected his entire career toward DEI leadership. He went on to build a team from zero headcount and zero budget into a million-dollar operation. On paper, he was thriving. But inside? He was the four letter “fine.”

Working at Krispy Kreme, he loved the mission but dreaded the grind. Seventy-five percent of his time was spent executing instead of shaping strategy. Then came the layoff. And with it, the uncomfortable truth that “fine” had become his hiding place.

That pattern didn’t stop at work. After years of insisting he could lose weight on his own, Christopher realized grit wasn’t enough. Well-meaning people told him to “just diet harder,” but he made a different choice and underwent bariatric surgery. It was a turning point that forced him to evaluate not only his habits but his relationships as well.

Now, 90 pounds lighter with 30 left to go, he’s learned that accepting help isn’t weakness: it’s wisdom. The people you surround yourself with can either hold space for your growth or keep you stuck in the old story. As a lifelong gardener, he’ll tell you not everything that looks like a weed needs to be pulled. Sometimes, it just needs to be moved.

Through therapy, reflection, and better boundaries, Christopher discovered that true friends don’t have to agree with your decisions but they do have to respect them enough not to stand in your way.

What happens when a basketball star loses everything from his NBA dream, his identity, and even his beloved coaching job at his alma mater?

In today’s episode of "Fine is a 4-Letter Word," you get to meet Coach Matt Doherty, who opens up about the masks we wear, the power of vulnerability, and why saying "I'm fine" can be the most dangerous lie we tell ourselves.

Coach Doherty grew up on Long Island with dreams of basketball greatness. He achieved remarkable success as a three-year starter at the University of North Carolina under legendary coach Dean Smith. But his NBA dreams were cut short, leading him to Wall Street during the decade of greed where he began self-medicating with alcohol.

After building a successful coaching career that culminated in his dream job as head coach at UNC, Matt's world came crashing down when he was fired after just three years in a very public manner. This devastating blow, combined with his struggle with alcoholism, forced him into a period of deep self-reflection and transformation. The turning point came through discovering emotional intelligence and the power of vulnerability, leading him to remove what he calls his three masks: the "tough guy mask," the "smart guy mask," and the "I got my shit together mask."

Today, Matt is an executive coach using his hard-earned wisdom to help leaders avoid the landmines he stepped on during his own leadership journey. Through his work with peer advisory groups and his book "Rebound: From Pain to Passion," Matt demonstrates that true strength comes from exposing your struggles to the light instead of hiding them.

Get ready to hear about the morning routine that changed his life, why he believes vulnerability is the new invincibility, and the surprising origin of the word "coach." Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or just trying to get out of bed some mornings, this episode will challenge you to take off your masks and step into who you're meant to be.