Cat Breet: Breaking the Habit of Running & Finding Yourself Along the Way

What if the habit of running isn’t about restlessness, but rather survival? And what happens when you finally decide to stay?

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with Cat Breet, an HR leader and public speaker for more than 200,000 people, and one of those people you instantly gravitate toward. As she prepares to leave Winona, Minnesota for a new chapter in Hawaii, Cat reflects on the patterns that shaped her – and the tools that helped her change them.

Growing up in an alcoholic home shaped Cat into what she calls a “runner” in her twenties, moving between jobs, states, and relationships, rarely staying long enough to feel rooted. But eventually, a combination of financial pressure, meaningful work, and a relationship worth fighting for forced her to pause, reflect, and choose differently.

What makes this conversation especially powerful is Cat’s deep commitment to knowing herself and the practical ways she’s learned to make decisions that honor both logic and emotion.

In this episode, Cat shares:

• How childhood instability can create a lifelong pattern of running
• The turning point that helped her stop running and start building stability
• Practical ways to understand yourself using tools like DISC and StrengthsFinder
• A step-by-step approach to decision-making that balances logic and emotion
• Why naming the worst-case scenario can reduce fear and create clarity
• How learning to ask for help can change both your personal and professional life

Cat’s message is simple, but deeply earned: Yes, you can.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between running and staying, logic and emotion, or fear and possibility, this episode offers both inspiration and real tools to help you move forward with confidence.