Feels Like Flow: Recent Episodes
Briana Cullen
Join me every Tuesday to talk purpose & getting unstuck. Let's make work enjoyable, whether you want to reinvent your career, start a new business, or free yourself from to-do list overwhelm. I want you to get paid to be yourself & look forward to the moments AFTER your first cup of coffee. I'm Briana Cullen and each week I share enthusiastic ideas for going from stuck to progress to flow. The new productivity is not about doing more, it's about doing things differently. This podcast will get you to do the things you've been wanting to do forever! You might start craving time in your office.
If you're rethinking how you use social media, this episode is for you. I'm in the midst of my own reset, particularly with Instagram. The most recent data shows that on average we're spending more than 3 hours per day on our phones, with 1 in 5 spending more than 4.5 hours.
These do not add up to my best days. For now, I'm taking a long break to decide how to move forward. Some considerations:
- Wanting to be more present in daily life
- Seeking contentment over aspiration
- Valuing deeper, two-way connection
- Developing ideas further than a quick share on IG Stories
- Rebuilding my ability to focus and reach creative flow
- Getting clear on what I really want rather than getting caught up in mimetic desires
Some favorite resources if you're exploring your own relationship with social media:
Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport (book)
Stolen Focus, Johann Hari (book)
How to Break Up with Your Phone, Catherine Price (book)
The Shallows, Nicholas Carr (book)
Wanting, the Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, Luke Burgis (book)
The Social Dilemma (documentary)
Your Undivided Attention (podcast)
Off the Grid (podcast)
Connect on Instagram: @brianacullen
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Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
This conversation with Adela Hussain will rev up your energy and commitment to go after your entrepreneurial dreams.
Adela's enthusiasm and confidence is contagious. We talk about how to get unstuck on visibility, surround yourself with the right people, and take more action.
From management consulting to fashion tech startup to PR maven teaching clients how to DIY their publicity --
Adela’s the founder of Starts Ups & Co and is a master at helping you pitch your business to people that don’t know you…yet.
Adela discovered she had a talent for pitching when she first started doing PR for her own fashion tech start up and was featured in 14 publications in 12 months, including the Harvard Business Review without pitching!
She has been featured in the BBC, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Stylist, Psychologies, Metro and 10 other publications. She was also a finalist in Cosmopolitan’s Self Made Award in 2017 and in 2018 she was in Sarah Woods’ Top 10 Female Founders In The UK To Watch list.
Known for her high energy and laser-sharp thinking, Adela she spent 20 years as a management consultant and did cool stuff like help British Airways acquire an airline, be on a new board for Sky and boss men around in India for tech tool launches.
Her Pitch to Press programme and PR Hero School have helped hundreds of founders fall in love with PR and master their media pitching to sky rocket their sales.
Want to see your name and business in the media? And bring in instant new leads, clients, collaborations and credibility?
Grab 10 Steps to get your business in the media now. This powerful guide has helped entrepreneurs land features in Harvard Business Review, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Stylist, Red Magazine and more. Your newsworthy business begins now. Get it here: https://www.pitchtopress.com/
Connect with Adela on Instagram: @startupsandco
Connect on Instagram: @brianacullen
Grab the guide for productivity aligned with your Human Design.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
If you're anything like me and a new year gives you big energy for simplifying and organizing, you will love this episode. The motivational boost I got from talking to Michelle has held strong -- I've honestly spent time getting organized every single day since we recorded a few weeks ago!
Michelle Urban is a professional home organizer and owner of The Organize House, a full-service organizing company in Portland, Oregon. Michelle helps families achieve order by removing the clutter and creating organizational systems that support daily routines and habits and work with the natural flow of a home.
We talk about the most common obstacles people face when it comes keeping their space tidy and how that affects daily life. I also share some of my own personal challenges with organizing and Michelle talks me through possible solutions.
One of my favorite takeaways: "Everyone is embarrassed of their space and we shouldn't be. We all live very similarly, we just just don't know it."
I'm so excited for you to meet Michelle, I know you'll love this conversation!
Find Michelle online and get her free decluttering checklist at The Organized House.
Connect with Michelle on Instagram for daily inspo: @theorganizedhouse.co
Connect on Instagram: @brianacullen
Grab the guide for productivity aligned with your Human Design.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
I promise you are in for such a treat with this first interview on the show. Mary Schroeder is a professional touring circus artist and an online entrepreneur co-leading a business that facilitates transformational retreats all around the world.
She's every bit as inspiring as that sounds. Mary and I are in a mastermind group together and every time she speaks, we all swoon with our mouths hanging open at her magnetism and ingenuity.
We cover so many juicy topics --
- Why a very rough patch in Mary's teens made her present day joyful life possible
- Moving to Europe in her early 20's to go to circus school (!)
- How her income dried up during lockdown and having to pivot led her to discover new passions
- The mindset and practices she uses to make progress on big goals
- Mary's personal manifestation process and why her relationship with her body is so important
- Trying new things even when you're terrified
A few gems from Mary:
"As I started to heal, I got access to the feeling of joy in my body, and it was something I was unwilling to let go of."
"Discipline liberates creativity."
"Creativity is like a geyser and you can turn it on or not."
Mary Schroeder is a creative circus entrepreneur and digital marketing nerd. Specializing in combining handstands and hula hoop juggling, she tours her original productions all over Europe with the company she co-founded, Hopscotch. In addition to spending lots of time upside-down, she's the operations boss at Unconventional Life, a global retreats and personal development company co-run with her sister. Her mission is to empower others to tap into their somatic superpowers and use the body's inner wisdom as a wellspring of joy, deep fulfillment, and success. You can find her at Unconventional Life's next retreat in Egypt in May 2023!
I'm so excited for you to meet Mary, I hope you love this conversation!
Find Mary's business at Unconventional Life Show. You can also learn about the launch she mentioned for Art of Experience Retreats.
Connect on Instagram: @brianacullen
Connect with Mary on Instagram: @maryandcircus
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Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Quick intro to season 2, so happy to be back! Sharing what's next for the podcast including some inspiring interview episodes coming up.
Also sharing a personal update about what I'm focused on in 2023, including some specifics about my human design, allowing things to flow, and a fun manifestation that came out of nowhere.
"When you want to grow flowers, you don't start with the petal. You have to plant the seed first..."
Connect on Instagram: @brianacullen
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work and sign up for the email list.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Casual episode this week about my own process with seeing where I've been overly focused on outcomes and shoulds at the expense of joy and flow. Sharing how we get back on track and all the benefits of releasing perfectionism, including access to flow.
It's not always easy to follow the advice to "do what lights you up!" and I'm talking about the courage we need to play and experiment and plug back into our potential. Plus a few bits about human design and other current hopes and excitements.
Let's get into it!
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work and sign up for the email list.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Change is scary and new ideas can be fragile. When you want to change careers (or change your life!) and the people around you aren't supportive, it can be crushing.
But it doesn't have to be! On this episode we're talking about how to convert the 5 main categories of people in your life from naysayers to supporters.
And no matter what -- you are not here to be the best supporting actor in someone else's movie. This is your life!
Book mentioned: The Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Branden.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work and sign up for the email list.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
A lead producer on a major daily talk show gave me some unforgettable career advice that I think most of us (women especially) really need to hear.
Whether you're updating your resume, preparing for an interview, or exploring what careers are even possibility for you -- make sure you're not underselling yourself.
What's the BEST attitude to bring into any career change? Let's talk about it.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
If you find yourself checking off lots of to-do's, ordering all the supplies, setting yourself up for success -- WITHOUT making big progress toward your goals -- this quick episode is for you.
Of course we want to build a foundation but there's a fine line between putting our best foot forward and procrastinating.
Don't let procrastination and perfectionism keep you stuck, try this instead.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
What did laying people off teach me about the kind of work that lights me up? And more importantly, how can you gather clues about your purpose from what you're doing TODAY? Even if you hate your current job or feel passionless and stuck. Today's episode has a practical strategy to do just that.
Book I mentioned: Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
If you're in the mood for the lighthearted side of self-help today, this may not be the episode for you! I'm diving into some of the real struggles I've had as an adult, prompting by one bad day last week that reminded me of how far I've come.
- From struggling with an eating disorder to feeling comfortable in my own skin (and safe with ice cream in the house)
- From very single and sad about it to happily married
- From feeling miserable and trapped in my job to craving time in my office
In some ways I feel like a completely different person from 10 years ago. But it has been a rocky ride!
I felt like sharing in case anyone out there is in the midst of their own dark night and could use some camaraderie.
If you're skipping this one, I feel you and see you next week with more about fulfillment at work.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Of all the things that stop us from taking action toward our goals, worrying what other people think is a biggie. It can manifest as perfectionism, procrastination, self-sabotage, or just trying to be "realistic". Some of us worry what strangers will think, some of us are more afraid to express the real us in front of friends, family, acquaintances.
So how do we care less? And is that always the right goal? Let's get into it!
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Journaling is one of the most recommended awareness practices, and the one I've turned to the most over the years.
Let's talk about the actual process of journaling: How do you know what to write about in order to feel better, develop insight and awareness, and start your day with more motivation and confidence?
I suggest being a bit ruthless about poking around in your thoughts and finding which ones are causing the most heartache. Then we explore whether other beliefs would serve you better in getting what you want. And how to figure that out on the page.
Journaling can be a practice to rewrite the story that we have about ourselves and the world and our place in the world.
Journaling can be a way to tap into emotions, access a good cry, process our feelings.
Journaling can be a way to get to know ourselves better, to think something through, to get at the truth, to make a decision.
Journaling can be a way to give ourselves a pep talk, encouragement, motivate ourselves.
Journaling can be a way to taste the future that we want, to imagine it on the page, to try it on.
On the episode I mention:
- Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way, and Morning pages
- 750words.com
- Byron Katie and The Work
- Gratitude journaling (in small bits every day, for a relationship or a job)
- Amy Spies and her Mindful Writers' Practice Group at Insight LA
One of the not-so-secret reasons I don’t tend to stay stuck: I almost always have an awareness practice that I’m using regularly.
What is an awareness practice? What makes a good one?
That’s what we’re getting into in this episode. The benefits, the strengths of different options, and how to choose one that will work for you. Or make your own!
On last week’s episode we talked about different ways to think about internal blocks, walls, barriers between us and what we want. Awareness practices are a fantastic way to work through those internal obstacles.
Favorite awareness practices I mention in the episode:
- Meditation
Especially guided meditation. I love Tara Brach. * Yoga and kundalini yoga. I love Yoga with Adriene. * Walking, running, hiking. In silence! No podcasts, eeeep. * Going to see movies alone. Remember? Also reading memoirs. * Therapy & coaching * Having a wing woman * Creative hobbies * Breathwork. My current love, discovered via Amy Kuretsky.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
If you’ve ever tried a career, project, goal you thought you’d enjoy and instead it felt terrible, there’s a chance it wasn’t for you. But there’s also a pretty big possibility that unresolved trauma is between you and your purpose.
What is getting in the way of working toward what you really want, or even figuring out what you really want? How do you make progress toward it? What can you do when you get stuck?
On this episode we’re talking about different ways to think about internal blocks, walls, barriers between us and what we want. I’m sharing some concepts from a variety of teachers and writers so that you can recognize this kind of block when it comes up for you.
People, concepts and books I mention in the episode:
- Martha Beck and her book, Finding Your Own North Star
- Yoga and samskaras
- Eckhart Tolle, the pain body, and his book, A New Earth
- Jess Lively, emotional bean bags, and her podcast The Lively Show
- Lacy Phillips and To Be Magnetic
- Pema Chodron and the concept of shenpa
- Michael Singer and his book, The Untethered Soul
You can find the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Today I’m taking you along as I talk about the many starts and stops along my career path. Almost 15 years ago I decided that I wanted to be a coach and then I get super honest about why I gave it up almost immediately. Cut to today: I'm back to coaching and loving everything about it.
What changed? Everything, but mostly I changed. I grew into the person who could match my passions with my experiences and strengths.
I spent a lot of years and life force energy working toward my purpose. It might be much quicker and easier for you. Maybe the route to your dream career is well-defined. Or maybe it’s something you have to craft yourself, picking up clues along the way. This episode will help you do just that.
Remember!
- Even when you don't feel like you're making progress, you are. It's just a spiral.
- Sometimes what you think is the main entrée is just the appetizer.
- Sometimes the thing you think will be your thing is just a window.
- Some journeys are very, very long, but you feel better almost as soon as you embark.
- Sometimes things not working out can be the catalyst for the change you really need. Once you learn that, you have less fear of things not working out. It's one thing to say "everything happens for a reason", and it's another to have the experience of reaching a new place you're grateful for and being able to look back at all the stumbles along the way.
One of my favorite books about career design is Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Let's talk about freedom and flexibility and our relationship with it and how it has everything to do with our joy and satisfaction at work. Not to mention how easily we are able to access flow and how easily we are able to create a work life that is sustainable and that allows for the kind of lifestyle that we want.
In most situations there is more freedom and flexibility available to us than we allow ourselves to take advantage of because of our own pesky fears and doubts. Most of the examples I'm giving are from the workplace, but the same dynamic often applies within the way you parent or date or relate to your family and friends or spend your time and energy or eat or exercise -- you get the gist.
I'm sharing two sayings that have shaped my life and helped me heal, a funny story about the freedom of an ice cream cone and how we can all expand our freedom zone.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
If your end goal is looking forward to the part of Monday morning that comes AFTER your first cup of coffee and craving time in your office (or working from wherever you want!)...
How do you go from being miserable in your job to finding work that lights you up when you just don't know WHAT you want to do? Answering this question is one big goal of this podcast and this episode will be part 1 of many.
Today we're talking about 5 steps for:
- Finding ways to hate your current job less, free up your time, energy and attention for other things. Especially:
- Committing to figuring out what you want to do next and giving energy and attention to exploring your interests.
This question also inspired me to create a free list of unbelievable helpful resources for finding more happiness in your work life. Stay tuned to find out when that's available.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you tune your filter to identify happier work opportunities today.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
We have a tendency to want everything to work out perfectly the first time around. And it makes sense, of course we do -- we want things to fall into place smoothly with minimal upset.
And this hope that the first one is THE one could apply to so many things --
- the first guy you date
- the first job you interview for
- the first idea that pops up when you're searching for your purpose
- the first eating/exercise plan you try
- the first coach/therapist/spiritual practice
It shows up in minor everyday ways and in big life choices.
It’s totally normal, of course we don't want to go through the frustration and disappointment and what feels like wasted effort of things not working out right away.
But today we’re talking about a few problems with this tendency, and what’s possible when we can embrace learning from experience, leaning into challenge, and developing a growth mindset.
You can find the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Hardly anyone talks about how little fear we actually feel because we're always trying so hard to avoid it. It can show up as lack of interest, indecision, shiny object syndrome, and of course, procrastination. Today I'm talking about how to recognize fear when it's getting in the way of what you really want. We'll also hit on little procrastination (that one task you're avoiding) versus BIG procrastination (a dream for your life that you waffle back and forth about). I also share a personal story of what it looks like to get ourselves to jump into the cold water of fear and how much life force energy is waiting for us on the other side!
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Has a movie ever changed your life? Like, really opened you up to a new way of seeing yourself and the world? In this episode I talk about how going to see movies by myself helped me dig out of a challenging time and why our late 20's/early 30's can be so pivotal. I also talk about Saturn Return, purpose, and being appreciated for who we are and the impact you make on the world. I hope this episode inspires you to believe in yourself a little harder.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
Everyone wants to give us their advice! About our careers -- what to do, how to do it, how much of it to do. About our self-care, spirituality, family life, and free time too. Who should we listen to and how should we handle getting advice? Especially during this age of endless information at our fingertips. It will have a huge impact on your daily life and how you reach your goals. Let's talk about it! Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work. Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve Music: Chris Shards
You know that saying “leap and the net will appear”? Sometimes you have to knit the net so it can catch you. Kicking off with a personal story about the last time I changed jobs. Got myself into quite a jam but sometimes we surprise ourselves with how well we can rise to a challenge. I’m sharing one very helpful mindset shift that kept me calm and productive and best of all resulted in a great new gig.
As mentioned in the episode: I loved this interview on The Robcast with Debra Searle.
Debra Searle’s Tedx talk.
Connect on Instagram: @feelslikeflow
Grab a free guided meditation to help you feel happier at work.
Podcast cover photo: Natalie Gildersleeve
Music: Chris Shards
This show is designed to make work enjoyable, whether that means reinventing your career, starting a new business, or freeing you from to-do list overwhelm. Really it's about helping you get paid to be yourself & look forward to the moments AFTER your first cup of coffee. I'm Briana Cullen and each week I share an enthusiastic dose of encouragement for going from stuck to progress to flow. The new productivity is not about doing more, it's about doing the right things differently. This podcast will get you to take steps in a direction you've been wanting to go forever! You might start craving time in your office.