Your Kick Ass Life Podcast

Today, I am joined by the wonderful Cybele Botran for a truly enlightening conversation that delves into reparenting and inner child work. Cybele is a SHE RECOVERS® and Holistic Recovery Coach, dedicated to empowering sober or sober-curious women.  Cybele’s mission is to guide women in shedding the heavy burdens of people-pleasing and perfectionism, and instead, foster the growth of resilient boundaries while rediscovering the pure essence of their inner child. This episode is a captivating exploration of inner healing, reparenting, and the rekindling of your inner child. Don't miss this opportunity to learn, grow, and rediscover. You’ll hear: Inner Child Energy vs. Inner Teen Energy and the distinctions between the energy of your inner child and the more adolescent inner teen (8:50) Cybele introduces us to the concept of reparenting. This journey is about becoming your very own nurturing parent, guiding yourself with compassion and understanding. (11:43) R.E.P.A.R.E.N.T - an acronym for healing: Cybele wa

One of my favorite people, Britt Frank, returns to the podcast this week! We are exploring a topic suggested by a listener - obsessive love and love addiction. When I received this suggestion, I knew Britt was the perfect person to help me address things like what is obsessive love versus healthy love.  Britt Frank, MSW, LSCSW, SEP is a trauma therapist, teacher, and speaker who specializes in the "Science of Stuck." She works to empower people to understand the inner mechanisms of their brains and bodies. When we know how things work, the capacity for CHOICE is restored and life can and does change. In this episode you’ll hear: Britt starts out by defining “love addiction” and then explains the difference between love addiction and someone who has an anxious attachment style (5:03) What is actually happening when someone feels like they have obsessive love (14:47) We explore a list by SLAA about twelve characteristics of love and sex addiction (17:01) “Awareness without shame creates change.” (23:02) H

Recently a colleague I was catching up with asked me if I still love 1:1 coaching as much as I used to and I immediately said YES, and launched into an excited monologue of why I love it so much. There was such enthusiasm in my “speech”, that I turned on the mic and camera, and made both a podcast episode and video for you. This is especially for anyone who’s been interested in working with me.  You have the option to check this on video, so if you’ve ever wondered what I look like when I record a podcast episode, check it out (hint: it’s not glamorous!) You’ll hear me talk about in this minisode/video:  The thing that happens when I know I’m not a good fit for someone. And I used to be this person!  What’s absolutely REQUIRED in order to see changes when you hire me as your coach.  What one of my most recent clients said about the ending of our coaching together.  What “the work” actually entails in terms of you, the client.  Some of the many things you get from working with me so we don’t need to work

Rose Hackman is on the show this week! Rose is a journalist whose work on gender, race, labor, policing, housing, and the environment―published in The Guardian―has brought international attention to overlooked American policy issues, historically entrenched injustices, and complicated social mores.  Rose’s book, Emotional Labor, is a journalistic deep dive in which she shares the stories of hundreds of women, tracing the history of emotional labor, exposing common manifestations of the phenomenon, and empowering us to forge pathways for evolution, justice, and change. Throughout our conversation, we often discussed emotional labor from the female perspective and explored its effect on race, class, relationships, and the workplace. If, after listening to our conversation, you’re intrigued and want to learn more, I encourage you to check out Rose’s book!  In this episode, you’ll hear: Emotional labor: Rose describes what it is and looks like in different scenarios (4:18) How race, gender, and class unequally

This is the second of two archived episodes that I’ve pulled from last year, because, well, this one was one of my favorites! I hand picked Carole Cullen to come on and talk about what it means to be a Certified Gottman Method therapist and she delivered! Next week we’ll be back with all new interviews! We’re wrapping up the relationship theme this week with guest Carole Cullen. I specifically wanted to include a guest in this series who was trained from The Gottman Institute and Carole fit the bill and y’all— she is amazing! In this episode, we talk about the seven principles for making relationships work. I took lots of notes while I was interviewing her and I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of this too   Carole Cullen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, AAMFT Clinical Supervisor and public speaker. She is a Certified Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapist specializing in working with couples in crisis. She has a group practice in Wake Forest, NC where she helps couples learn practical tools

Last week I interviewed a journalist named Rose Hackman, who wrote a book called Emotional Labor: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power, and it got me thinking about a few things. So much so that I turned on the mic right after I got off Zoom with her, and recorded this minisode for you.  First, I muse on what emotional labor looks like at work, but more specifically, as I personally reflect on my past relationships, what it looks like in romantic partnerships. I know my experience isn’t uncommon, so you may see yourself in my story.  We all have patterns in our lives, and most of us have had them for decades. It’s a HUGE ask to expect yourself to see the patterns you don’t like, and just change them. There’s a lot of “messy middle”.  This minisode is about identifying those patterns and hopefully coming to a decision about what you’ll accept… and for the things that have become unacceptable, or what I call in the episode “too expensive”, deciding what you plan to do about it.  Resou

This week I’m bringing you an archived episode…Dr. Ellen Vora was one of my favorite guests and since I know so many of y’all struggle with anxiety, I knew exactly the episode I wanted to re-air! Enjoy her again and the very important message she shares.  Dr. Ellen Vora is on the show this week to share several holistic approaches to the treatment of anxiety. Ellen is a holistic psychiatrist, acupuncturist, and yoga teacher. She takes a functional medicine approach to mental health—considering the whole person and addressing imbalance at the root. In this episode, we talk about whether or not we are experiencing an anxiety epidemic, strategies for addressing anxiety, the difference between “false” and “true” anxiety, and so much more. I am beyond excited to introduce you to her. She is so smart, has a wealth of information, and I had so many questions for her. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!  Some other topics we explore: The cause of the anxiety epidemic (5:54) Ellen talks about her ap

Dr. Adrienne Youdim is on the show today and has a very interesting story in her journey as a medical weight loss doctor. I’ll let you listen in as she talks about this journey in the first few minutes of the show, but in a nutshell, she wrote a book based on what she’s seen over and over again with her patients and in her own life. Which led her to write a book teaching women to reach a place of self-acceptance, purpose, and meaning. Dr. Adrienne’s mission is to transform our relationship with food, our weight and our bodies to one that is informed and empowered, inspiring people to live more physically and emotionally fulfilling lives.  Her book talks about the many, many ways women are hungry and although we only have time to talk about a handful of them, I’m sure you’ll resonate with the ones we do touch on, and if you want to know the rest, you’ll have to grab her book!  In this episode you’ll hear:  What brought Dr. Adrienne to write a book that isn’t really about weight loss, even though she was a doct

The topic of today’s minisode comes from one of our Make Some Noise listeners! Earlier this year, we sent out a survey, and y’all showed up (THANK YOU!). One listener asked if I could riff on the following topic: Grieving changes, like kids aging, and experiences you thought you'd have by a certain age. I have a feeling you all have struggled with at least one of those she mentioned, so I put together a list of steps to think about if you are. Listen into  the minisode to get an in-depth look at these, especially number three!  Acknowledging the grief— don’t dismiss it.  Feel whatever you feel, don’t make yourself wrong for it. And know those emotions may circle back around over and over again.  Work on letting go, in other words, work on detachment. Many times we feel like if we have this or that, it would make us happier, more fulfilled, or more successful.  Journal and talk to people who make you feel seen and heard on this topic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about how to cultivate grit and resilience with Danielle Cobo. Fittingly, Danielle is a career coach who works with organizations to develop the grit, resilience, and courage to thrive in a rapidly changing market. In this episode we also talk about proactively preventing burnout, how to accelerate your career, and how to turn life challenges into purpose and growth. Danielle is just delightful and I hope you love this conversation as much as I did.  Featured topics: How to identify stress triggers and take proactive steps to prevent burnout (5:39) Danielle answers, “Are you born with grit? If not, how can you cultivate it?” (9:03) Fixed mindset vs growth mindset: what it is and how it plays out in our lives(13:03) What is your X Factor? What excites you? How can you redefine success on your own terms? (23:03) Advice for women who want to accelerate their careers (23:54) An exercise to help cultivate resilience (32:33) “The person you are today is because of what you’ve overcome.”

This week we are talking about shifting perspective, embracing change, and midlife reinvention. Wendy Valentine, writer, motivational speaker, master coach, and host of The Midlife Makeover Show, is a champion for midlifers. She’s my guest this week! Since Wendy’s own midlife revolution, she’s been helping people all over the world navigate challenges to create their best second half of life.  In this episode, Wendy and I talk about the idea that there is more than one purpose to find or fulfill, amplifying the voice of your inner cheerleader (and quieting your inner critic), why midlife awakening is about perspective not a crisis, and Wendy’s seven steps to finding F.R.E.E.D.O.M.   Featured topics: How Wendy turned a midlife crisis into a midlife awakening (5:49) Amplifying your inner cheerleader and quieting down your inner critic (17:00) Why Wendy leaves her completed journals in airports (20:05) Getting unstuck from a mundane or manic midlife and discovering your next courageous step towards a better

I got a lot of messages after I released episode 540, all kinds– either sending me love and support, saying you relate and have been through what I’m going through, and some of you in a spot where you’re not sure if you should stay or go.  And of course we all know how the social media algorithms work, and there’s some videos that have come across my feed in the last month or so that spoke to me and that topic and I wanted to share them with you.  For legal reasons, these are hypothetical, and I may or may not be able to relate to these in my own life.  I’ve included the links to each video and transcribed below. Listen in to the episode for my commentary on each one.

We’re shifting gears a little bit on the podcast this week! Tara McMullin joins me for a conversation about goal setting, money and finances, and the economy (because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s confusing). I’ve known Tara for over a decade, she is so incredibly smart, and I am excited to introduce her to you finally! For those new to Tara, here is a little more about her. Tara is a writer, podcaster, and producer. For over 13 years, she’s studied small business owners—how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. She's the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework To Change The Way We Approach Goal Setting.  Featured topics: The different types of goal setting and the overlap between goals and finances (5:31) The expectation of unrelenting growth is unrealistic and at the root of many things wrong in our financial system (13:05) How culture impacts the way we view money and growth (14:07) Our economy: breaking down business and economic understanding. (1

Today’s episode is about changing definitions, taking up space, and prioritizing women's health. We can't make social and cultural changes until we can talk about the thing that we're trying to change - and in this case, it’s the way our culture currently perceives and uses the word pussy.  My guest is Jacqueline Buckingham, an actress, activist, and advocate for women's health.   She says, “I believe that embracing the word pussy, not just as women, as a culture, is the start of shifting the huge imbalance we have in our world.”  Jacqueline is an impassioned voice for body positivity and mental health. We are so in alignment with the work that we both do in the world. I knew I had to have her on when the time was right. It is time for you to be introduced to this woman and her amazing work. Featured Topics:  Huge pussy is a movement to redefine the word pussy - an otherworldly, orgasmic, resilient, flexible, life-giving humanity vessel (4:26) What sparked Jacqueline to create a movement to change the assoc

Scrolling through Instagram the other day, I came across a reel from my friend and colleague, Christine Gutierrez. The message she gave in this short video (you'll hear the clip in the episode) gave me pause, and I watched it several times.  I loved it so much I wanted to not only share it with you, as well as record my own thoughts as it pertains to my life and expand on how this could apply to you as well.  I muse on… what might need to die, what needs to rest, what needs to be in stillness so that you can move to the next season that your life is calling you to be in. Perhaps it’s old identities, relationships, or how we look at certain relationships.  Listen in as I expand on this amazing bit of wisdom and break it down around how it might apply to YOUR life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KC Baker is someone I have known for over a decade in the online spaces, and I have always admired her work. So I am thrilled to introduce you to her and her wisdom in this week’s episode! Together we discuss how to cultivate the internal safety and freedom to speak up authentically in your personal and professional lives. KC also shares several spiritual practices to help get connected (or re-connected) with oneself and the world in which we live.  KC Baker is the founder of WomenSpeak and has been a pioneer for the last 14 years in bringing a feminine approach to public speaking and leadership training with her unique embodiment and nervous system rewiring practices.  Featured Topics:  KC’s TED Talk Voice: A Love Story and how she came to do the work she does today (4:30) Tantra practices: what they are and how KC uses them in her work with women speakers. “Tantra it really is about exploring through living fully and fully being alive in the body.”  (11:24) What it means for women to connect with their D

“We are wired for connection, but kindness, empathy, and connection is a skill we must learn,” says guest Dr. Jody Carrington. Dr. Jody is a renowned psychologist sought after for her expertise, energy, and approach to helping people solve their most complex human-centered challenges.   Dr. Jody joins me for a conversation about connection, understanding the purpose and power in acknowledgment and feeling seen, and how to find our way back to self and each other. I believe in Dr. Jody’s work and hope you enjoy our conversation! In fact, I will leave you with another powerful statement from Dr. Jody, “We are wired to do the hard things, but we were never meant to do any of this alone.” Featured Topics:  Why connection and reconnection are so important in the world right now (5:16) Acknowledgment and feeling seen is the answer to everything (16:37) Emotions will not kill you, but not talking about them might (24:44) How to reconnect and find our way back to each other (33:32) Creating an emotional languag

This was a hard episode to record.  As you probably know, I’ve been married to my second husband, Jason, for a long time, since 2008.  And after ten months of committed therapy, in January of this year, we decided to end our nearly fifteen-year marriage.  Out of respect to him and our children, I won’t disclose the details of the reasons we split, but will speak in vague ways and talk about my part… the things I acknowledge that contributed to the end.  Listen in to this minisode as I share what I can, and share a message I have for any of you who are in a place where you’re wondering if you should stay or go in your own relationship.  I share as much as I can, and I wish I could share more details with you. North Carolina divorce laws are weird, and at least for now I need to keep some things private.  But, soon I’ll be able to tell you what the last seven or so months have brought me. There are already enormous learning lessons that I hope will be helpful for many of you.  Learn more about your ad choices.

This week I am bringing you a guest whose work I find to be simply fascinating. Lena Morgan’s passion is to reunite people with their most powerful selves while healing old stories along the way. A midwife for over a decade, Lena shares insights on healing our life’s stories, unpacks six fight languages that keep us in conflict, and explains the importance of sacred partnerships. We also talk about intuition, including the difference between your intuitive voice and inherited voice (aka inner critic), and how to learn to trust your intuition. This episode is packed with new and interesting ways to understand yourself, make meaningful decisions, and, most importantly, heal. Lena has created a new path to better understanding ourselves and our partners. Her goal, as always, is to help you heal the stories and change your world. Feature topics:  Lena shares how her experiences as a midwife led her to create The Storyteller Collection and help others heal the stories that kept them in a specific version of thems

This week’s episode is for anyone who struggles with anxiety, fear, and self-limiting beliefs (like, all of us?).  If you're like me, you like to live in your head a lot and have a little bit of an anxious brain. If so, you're in good company with me! You’re also going to love today's guest, Chris Cirak.    Chris Cirak is an author, speaker, and mediator passionate about making sophisticated topics accessible, meaningful, and inspiring experiences. With an extensive background and design, psychology, and tech, he breaks down traditional teachings to make ancient wisdom accessible and discoverable by modern audiences. Featured topics: Techniques to help quiet an overactive mind and reduce the exhaustion caused by it (3:29) How to overcome living in a place of anxiety and fear  (15:55) Ever wanted to try yoga or meditation but struggled with starting? Chris offers some thoughts and advice for those who find either practice too hard or boring (26:28) Strategies to connect with your authentic self and step in