Up to Something: Recent Episodes
Lara Hollers
The Up to Something podcast is a weekly dose of ah-ha and how-to for creatives, communicators, marketers, and entrepreneurs. Each week, we’ll explore how to level up your thinking and (re)focus your time and energy to make a more meaningful impact–and express more of who you came here to be. Through informational shows and interviews, you’ll walk away each week with new ways to think and new steps to take to help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and courage. Hosted by Lara Hollers, an award-winning writer, speaker, and storyteller based in Austin, Texas. Meet Lara and learn more at: LaraHollers.com
Think you're too old to level up your fitness? Think again. This week, we're joined by fitness coach and competitive Spartan racer Robin Legat.
Robin shares why we can get started...and level up...at any age. She shares her personal journey of how she went from being the last picked for the team as a kid to blazing the roller derby track in her 20s and 30s.
Today, at 47, Robin helps others embark on their fitness journeys to unlock their potential, build resilience, and show up to life with greater confidence.
YOUR ONE THING:
This week, my invitation and challenge to you is that wherever you are on your fitness journey, to try something new. Take a yoga class. Try a new workout. Find a walking group. Or just sign up for the race, like I did. Do something this week to MOVE your body in a new way. Above all, have FUN with it.
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- "The Mental Health Benefits of Physical Exercise," VeryWellMind, Aug. 18, 2021
- Robin Legat Coaching
- Seasoned Athlete Podcast with Robin Legat
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
LET'S CONNECT!
You can meet me and learn more at my website: LaraHollers.com. Or connect with me at LinkedIn.
Do you need a timeout? Certainly, the pandemic has delivered a universal timeout over the past two years. And we're used to giving our kids timeouts. But in our day-to-day lives, we also need to step away sometimes. Perhaps from your kids, your work, or your life.
This week, we explore how to know when you need an adult timeout.
And how you can utilize the old adage of STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to reconnect with yourself. So, you can return back to the demands of your life feeling more centered and open.
YOUR ONE THING:
This week, your One Thing is to take a purposeful time out. When you feel that rise of anger, frustration or overwhelm...or that sinking of doubt, guilt, or shame…or you just need to step away…STOP…take a timeout.
Turn inward to LOOK at your thoughts, how you feel, what’s going on…
Finally, be willing to LISTEN to see what insights, ideas, patterns or actions you might do differently or what’s here for you to understand.
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- "The Science of Timeouts: How to Make Them Work for Your Kids,"LiveScience, Aug. 30, 2016
- "Ten Lessons from Our Pandemic Year," Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, March 15, 2021
- “Pause to Find the Cause,” by Jean Lien, Feb. 13, 2022
- Macrina Wiederkehr, Author
SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE:Be sure to subscribe where you listen to podcasts. And while you're listening, be sure to rate & review this show.
Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
LET'S CONNECT!
You can meet me and learn more at my website: LaraHollers.com. Or connect with me at LinkedIn.
The COVID pandemic has stirred up every part of our lives. But perhaps most significantly how we think about work. Dubbed "the great reshuffle" by the World Economic Forum, millions of people worldwide have left their old jobs in search of new roles.
If you're one of them, then today we're joined by resume and career advancement expert Matt Warzel. As founder and president of MJW Careers, Matt works with organizations and job seekers in transition.
In this show, Matt discusses why we've arrived at this great reshuffling, and more importantly, what steps you can take to engage in more meaningful work.
YOUR ONE THING...Your One Thing is to revisit your LinkedIn profile even if you aren’t seeking a new role. Is it current and clearly articulating your experience and strengths? Does it reflect your personal brand? If not, take some time and update it!
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- "Explainer: What is the Great Reshuffle and how is it affecting the jobs market," World Economic Forum, Feb. 7, 2022
- “Pulse of American Worker Survey," Prudential, 2021
- Microsoft Work Trends Index, 2021
SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE:Be sure to subscribe where you listen to podcasts. And while you're listening, be sure to rate & review this show.
Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
LET'S CONNECT!
You can meet me and learn more at my website: LaraHollers.com. Or connect with me at LinkedIn.
What story is running behind the scenes in your life? Evolving our stories, you know that inner narrative, we tell ourselves about who we are or what’s possible in our lives is ultimately what determines our outcomes.
That's why this week, we are looking at how we can let go of the old story that's blocking us from stepping forward to enact lasting change.
YOUR ONE THING...What is the recurring story you’re telling yourself? There may be many but to start it’s exploring the primary one. And if you aren’t sure yet what story is really blocking your life, then just start to notice where you feel the most weighed down. Perhaps in love, your health, your creativity, or your money.
After you’ve identified one, then it's time to get curious about it: What results do you see reflected in your life because of that story? And what might life be like if that story changed? Who would you be without that story? Most of all, are you willing to change it?
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- “The Real Runner Behind Brittany Runs a Marathon,” Runner’s World, Aug. 21, 2019
- New Faces, New Futures, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, 1936
- Psycho-Cybernetics, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, 1960
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
How often do you start something and then weeks or months later find your excitement dwindling? You're bored, confused, or frustrated. So, you quit or wander off to start the next new thing.
This week we're talking about why we're tempted to quit when the new wears off. And better yet, we'll explore how we can outsmart our brains to stay the course and realize new levels of success.
YOUR ONE THING...So your One Thing this week is to really get honest with yourself about why you start and want to quit. And more importantly it’s to check in with yourself about your “no matter what reason.” Do you love your reasons why?
If so, good. Write them down and keep that list in front of you. Everywhere! And if not then come up with better reasons that you love.
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- “Do You Have Shiny Object Syndrome?” Entrepreneur, February 9, 2017
- “Pure Novelty Spurs the Brain,” Science Daily, August 27, 2006
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Are you consuming as much as you're creating? And vice versa? We're wired to consume...and to create. But when we get out of balance, it can show up as so many things: bored, restless, blocked, and weighed down.
This week we define what it means to consume and create - and more importantly how we can find a space of balance to live lighter, freer, and expressing more of who we came here to be.
YOUR ONE THING...This week, your One Thing is to stop and notice your ratio to consuming vs. creating? Is that working for you? Are you out of balance in some area of your life? And what might you do to balance that to find a rhythm of consuming…and creating and taking action that works for you?
RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE:
- “Americans Spent on Average More than 1,300 Hours on Social Media Last Year,” Forbes, June 24, 2021
- “How Much of Your Time is Screen Time?” Uswitch, June 15, 2021
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Ahh, money! By midlife, it's a dicey conversation as by now we've developed our money mindsets, habits, and ways we deal (or don't deal) with money in our everyday lives—not to mention the big stuff like sending kids to college or retirement.
Today, we begin the conversation with exploring how we can shift our narrative— and our practices around money—with our first guest. My spouse, Jen Hollers, is a certified financial planner and wealth manager who has spent the past 25 years working on every side of money.
She shares her own struggles and lays out some practical insights to help you rethink money at midlife. Plus, we share some of the ways we've wrestled with money as a couple (especially in blending our lives in our 40s) and how we're overcoming those.
YOUR ONE THING...This week, I invite you to take the ideas Jen shared and explore those for yourself.
- Mindfulness: Are you tuned in to how you feel as you make, save, or spend money?
- Education: Where are you needing to dig deeper to understand your financial habits?
- Practice: What simple actions can you start taking today to improve your financial health?
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Ready to get started in your alcohol free (AF) journey? This week, in Part II of our Breaking Up with Booze series, I share the top 4 tips and takeaways needed to help you take a break. You can listen to Part I here.
Whether you're taking a break for Dry January or at another time, these 4 tips are the essential first steps to consider as you get started. Plus, I share some of my favorite resources, podcasts, and books.
RESOURCES IN THIS SHOW
- Awesome Alcohol Free (AF) YouTube Video Series(Lara's Video Blog)
- One Year No Beer(Community)
- Take a Break from Drinking with Rachel Hart (Podcast)
- The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray (Book)
- We Are the Luckiest by Laura McKowen (Book)
YOUR ONE THING...This week I invite you to take the first steps in your AF journey. Whether that's just getting clear on your why, finding a community, or listening to a resource.
Remember this is a journey! One that takes curiosity, compassion, and courage.
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
"Sure I'll have another..." How many times have you uttered those words, then hours later wished you could take them back?
In our culture, there's been very little gray space around drinking. So for years I was confused about how or why I'd let go of drinking...willingly. You know, without AA or being pregnant.
Yet, I desperately wanted to break up with booze. I wanted to live life lighter, freer, and more expressive and I knew on a deep level that drinking was blocking that.
Drinking was blocking my light.
And given my time in the sober curious and alcohol free (AF) communities, I know I'm not alone. There are millions of us in this gray space, wishing we could make changes and not sure how.
We don't need AA. We need to redefine our relationship with alcohol...on new terms.
That's why this week, I offer the first of a two-part series "Breaking Up with Booze." In this show, I share my personal journey in redefining my relationship with drinking. And in Part II, I'll share lessons learned and ways you can make taking a break even easier.
YOUR ONE THING...This week I invite you to watch my transformation through my YouTube video blog. These 13 videos include tips and ideas on ways to get started. Plus, you can literally SEE the changes I went through in lightening up. Click to watch...
Awesome Alcohol Free (AF) YouTube Video Series
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Sure, we’re all excited to plan for success. But are you equally prepared for setbacks, curveballs, and even failure?
If the COVID pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our best laid plans can be thwarted in a moment's notice.
So how do we keep showing up and stepping up in the midst of change?
This week, we are bringing a new spin to an age-old conversation of success and failure. We’ll explore how you can navigate your response to perceived failures and setbacks.
And that begins by getting really clear about the places you’re tempted to quit on yourself–and by anticipating today how you might respond to tomorrow’s curveballs.
YOUR ONE THING...This week your takeaway is to plan for failure. Think about the big thing you’re after right now…maybe to let go of weight, debt, a work project, or a creative project.
Pick one place in your life where you’re focusing this year. As you sit down to brainstorm your plan for your success and build that roadmap of how you will achieve it…think about all the places you may hit roadblocks or potential failures.
- Where might you face adversity and feel tempted to quit?
- Is there a time each day that feels more challenging?
- Is there a person in your life who likes to offer “practical” advice and invariably drags you down?
- Do you foresee a potential roadblock of time or money?
Whatever those places might be…write those down. Then review that list and come up with a plan for how you’ll respond to each one.
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Do you know what you want? REALLY know what you want? And are you taking steps to bring that into reality?
This week, we'reexploring the weight…and the wait…that happens when we get stuck wanting. While we may have good intentions, the reality is we often find ourselves wanting without acting.
Whether in our health, finances, careers, creativity or relationships, we may worry about what others think. Or that we don't deserve it. Or maybe that it's just not possible.
In this episode, we'll cover...
- Why you may get stuck feeling weighed down in the wanting.
- How to identify what you want.
- Discover 2 steps to move from wanting and fearing it...to living it!
Your One Thing ExerciseYour exercise this week is to block an hour of your day, grab a piece of paper or your computer, and give yourself space to write your manifesto…and be specific!
Question 1: What do you REALLY want?You’ll want to describe what it’s like to have it…what does it feel like? What’s the outcome? Who are you being in having or expressing this in the world?
Question 2: What is 1 step I can take this week to move out of just wanting it?Read back over your manifesto and make a decision on at least 1 action you can take this week to start moving out of just wanting, and into living it. It can be simple and small. Small steps build momentum to the big things.
Referenced in This Episode
- Rumi
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
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Finally, please share this episode with a friend or colleague who could use some inspiration.
Do you ever wake up wondering how in the world did I get here? And what’s next?
There’s a reason we often find ourselves burnt out, bored, and blocked by midlife. It’s because we’ve spent DECADES trying to do and be everything we’re “supposed to do and be.”
This first episode of Up to Something encourages you to dig deeper. I briefly share my own journey of waking up in my early 40s feeling heavier than ever and how I pivoted from a place of burn out to one of momentum.
Most of all, you’ll discover the single most impactful word that so often sets us up for suffering. And how to shift it so you can explore what’s really possible.
Be sure to subscribe, rate and review! Learn more at LaraHollers.com