I wholeheartedly believe we are all creative beings, just in different ways. Some people paint, some write, some design gardens, and some design buildings. Creativity is what helps us fully express ourselves, all with some serious side benefits like reducing stress and anxiety. Yes, please. Today, I’m sharing my own story of how I “found” my creativity, what it’s done for me, and what it can do for you. Expressing ourselves through our creativity will never be time or effort wasted, I promise you.

Wow. Mallory and I had the best chat about the deconstruction and reconstruction of herself, her marriage, her religion, and so much more. She’s rebuilding her life in a way she’s always wanted and she's such a great example of what can happen when we choose ourselves. I hope you find her story as relatable and inspiring as I do.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I show up for people and if I’m doing it enough. Maya Angelou said it best…”'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And I can’t help think that if we focused a bit more on how we can positively impact others, through acts of kindness, encouraging words, thoughtful gifts, etc., then we’re going to be leaving this world better than we found it. Today, I’m reflecting on my own actions and if I’m doing enough as well as how it’s being received. I’d appreciate your listen and sharing it with someone you care deeply about!

My guest today is Kate Moon, yoga teacher, mentor, and retreat leader, whom I met last spring at a women’s retreat at Sansara Resort in Panama. Kate was the retreat liaison for guests while we were there and I instantly knew Kate was someone I wanted to get to know more. I kept in touch with her via DM’s on Instagram and once I learned more about her life story, I knew I had to bring her to your attention. As the title says, Kate has been to hell and back but now takes her clients around the world and back on her amazing retreats. I can’t wait for you to listen to her incredible story and hope you find her as AWEd as I do.

Season 4 is finally here! Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s been like as a podcast host for the past three seasons and what’s coming up next season. Join me for a cup of coffee as I share the challenges, rewards, and goals I have while also discussing a bit of what to expect moving forward. I’m also celebrating with some gifts for a lucky listener, so tune in to find out what I’m giving away and how to enter.

FINALLY! I’m giving you my recap of our trip to Portugal this past June. I’m sharing a bit of our itinerary, what we loved, what we learned, and whether we will go back again.

You may be thinking, "Duh, more freedom," but that’s not it. Freedom actually has nothing to do with what I’m sharing in this episode. Even if you’re not an open nester yet, I’m sharing some things I’ve learned to help you love your open nest era someday, too. This one’s short and sweet. You’re welcome! :)

Have you ever met someone who makes you say “I’ll have what she’s having”? Well, Sarah’s one of those people. Today, I am talking with Sarah about her “Wholey Schmidt” moments in life and how she’s arrived at the most free and joyful she’s ever been. Sarah is the host of the podcast, Wholey Schmidt, and a wildly successful investor and philanthropist. Can philanthropists be successful? Who knows but if they can, Sarah tops the list. We chat about her early adulthood cancer diagnosis, how it changed her, what life has looked like since, and how she arrived at her best life now at the age of 53.

In this week’s episode, I’m finally sharing my experience of living in Colorado this past spring. We learned a lot, loved a lot of things, and also had our share of disappointments. But I would do it all over again and plan to next spring! We were able to be only an hour from our boys during their college baseball season (they played on the same team!) and it was such a memorable time for our family. I’m giving you a glimpse of what life was like living in two different rental homes as well as how we spent our time when we weren’t watching baseball or working.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing what I think may be the hardest task I’ve ever undertaken: learning how to love myself. I’ve spent my entire life trying to learn how to love deeply (especially myself), and I found a book recently that’s helping me put this task back on my radar. The reason I want to focus on learning to love myself is so that I can better love others in my life. I know it’s a significant obstacle to having the type of relationships I desire, deepening the ones I currently have, and in how I show up for myself. I’m sharing what book I’m reading and what I’ve read so far that’s made the biggest impact.

Today, I’m sharing a brief recap of my yoga and meditation retreat in Panama. Ironically, the yoga and meditation ended up not being the main events for me. I walked away with some unexpected gifts from places, people, situations, and even disappointments. I hope you take a listen and perhaps my experience may help you reframe something you might be going through now or down the road.

I am so very honored to have THE Libby DeLana on the podcast today. I’ve been admiring her for a long time for how she shows up in her life—for herself, for her friends, for her community, and out in the wild, wild world. Libby is a creative director, author, cold joy enthusiast (listen to the episode to figure out what that means!), world traveler, adventure seeker, daily walker, fly fisher, podcaster, aspiring pilot…the list goes on and on. Today, we talk about the inspiration behind her daily walks, why she continues to do it, her travels, her methods and mindset to overcome hard things, and so much more. I can’t wait to share this episode with you and would love to continue the conversation in our Substack community (our private chat group) after you listen.

I used to let fear run my life and not in a good way. (Yes, there's a good way to use fear.) I avoided things that I was afraid of: deep water, confrontation, sucking at something, and speaking in front of people. It wasn't until I let that fear guide me that I found true empowerment in my life. Don't get me wrong--I'm still afraid of many things but I no longer allow that fear to keep me from doing hard things in my life. It actually serves as a guide as to what I need to explore. In today’s episode, I’m sharing stories of what I’ve been fearful of and how I used to to help me rather than hinder my life. Let me know over on Substack or in the comments a fear you’ve used to find empowerment in your own life.

This week I’m sharing about our time in Colorado (we’re renting for 2.5 months!) and how I’m retraining my brain to search for the things I want in life rather than spending all its time conversing energy. I want it to spend energy helping me, not hurting me. Come listen to see what I’m talking about and how you may be able to do the same.

Today, I’m sharing more about an upcoming “adventure” we’re having and how it’s part of my search for “home". I’m excited for what I’m about to embark on and what it may show me about what “home” looks like, feels like, or where it might be. There’s only one way to find out so come along with me as I share where I’m headed for the next six weeks!

Peptide therapy is being touted as the next health “hack” out there but I consider it to be more like a way to fix a broken system. I share the what and the why behind starting peptide therapy, my personal experience with it, and why my experience is vastly different than what we’ve been told in mainstream media. This is not medical advice nor a recommendation to start but it is an honest conversation about my own experience with peptide therapy.

I’m sharing a bit of how The Friendship Project is going and don’t worry, if you don’t know what that is, I share it in this episode as a refresher. I’m also sharing an A-HA I recently had from a Substack post I read about why friction in our friendships is vital to their health. I think so many of us are feeling alone right now and we may be causing our own pain without even realizing it!

We’ve all heard this phrase over and over throughout our lives as if it’s the only way to live. But what if I told you it’s actually not good for your health? I KNOW! We’ve been lied to all these years! Chasing happy isn’t the way but in today’s episode, I’m sharing what I’ve learned IS the way to getting exactly what we want out of life.

I LOVED social media when it first came onto the internet and phone app scene. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were my happy places. I was keeping in touch with college friends, meeting writers and other creatives, and getting inspired daily in these spaces. Until I wasn’t. Today, I talk honestly about my disenchantment as of late and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I share my struggles with giving it up entirely but also why I’m pulling waaaaay back from it all. I’d love to hear how you’re navigating it all or if you’ve given it up yourself. Come find me at the various places below and let’s chat after the podcast!

There are no rules to how you prep for this next year or how to acknowledge what’s gone by but I think doing some reflection and intention setting is time well spent. I spent the beginning of the new year reflecting on 2024: what were my wins/reasons to celebrate and what I still struggle with (limiting beliefs, time management, etc.). Then, I looked ahead into 2025 and set some intentions for what needs to go, what I need to do more of, and what I am great with continuing. I’ve only been doing this the past couple of years so it’s not exactly a regular practice for me but I love the focus it brings me as well as the chance to acknowledge all that I did (or didn’t do) in the past year. It’s not too late to give it a go yourself and I highly recommend taking the time to celebrate the wins and plan for how you want to show up for yourself, others, and the world for that matter in the year ahead.