Calm the Chaos: Recent Episodes
Deborah Voll
Calm the Chaos is a podcast which provides women in midlife resources on how they can eliminate the chaos in their life so that they can begin to focus on their goals and dreams! Deborah believes that every women in mid life deserves to find her passion and purpose in life! Host is a certified professional life coach who interviews guests weekly.
In this episode of "Calm the Chaos," we explore the importance of transitioning mindfully from work to personal time and how it contributes to our overall well-being. We discuss practical strategies for creating a sacred transition and share insights on the benefits of reflection, gratitude, and aligning with personal values during this process. This episode features a ten-minute guided meditation to help listeners unwind from the day's stresses and ease into their personal time with a sense of peace and purpose.
Key Points
- Understanding the significance of transitioning from work to personal time for mental health and work-life balance.
- Exploring practical strategies for creating a peaceful transition, including reflection, gratitude, and alignment with personal values.
- Highlighting the benefits of mindfulness practices and guided meditation in promoting relaxation and inner peace.
- Providing listeners with actionable steps to incorporate mindfulness into their daily routines and enhance their transition from work to personal time.
Featured Meditation:
Title: Peaceful Transition Meditation
Duration: 10 minutes
Description: A guided meditation to help listeners unwind from the stresses of the day, release tension, and transition mindfully into their personal time. The meditation encourages reflection, gratitude, and aligning with personal values to create a sense of peace and purpose.
Conclusion:
As we navigate the complexities of modern life, the way we transition from work to personal time plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. By incorporating mindfulness practices and guided meditation into our daily routines, we can cultivate inner peace, reduce stress, and create a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Links and Resources
Let's connect for your free 60-minute 1:1 Discovery session please click on the link below!
Discovery Session with Deborah
My website
Free Worksheets!
Read this blog post on Sixty and ME!
I look forward to connecting with you!
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to lose sight of our true passion and purpose. For women in midlife, this can be a particularly challenging time as we navigate transitions and reflect on where our journey has led us. If you find yourself yearning to reconnect with what truly sets your soul on fire, this guided meditation is for you.
The Journey Within Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a serene garden, surrounded by vibrant blooms and the soothing sounds of nature. This garden represents the landscape of your inner world – a place where your deepest desires and aspirations reside. As you wander through this metaphorical garden, allow yourself to explore the essence of each flower. What stirs your soul? What ignites a spark of joy within you?
Trusting Your Intuition During your exploration, remember that the journey is not a race. It's essential to take your time and trust your intuition and guidance. Allow yourself the space to delve deep into your innermost desires and dreams. Embrace the process of self-discovery with patience and compassion, knowing that each step you take brings you closer to your authentic self.
Cultivating Clarity and Purpose As you connect with the flowers that resonate most deeply with your soul, envision yourself fully embracing your passion and purpose. Feel the excitement and fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with your true self. Know that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and create the life you desire.
Closing Thoughts As you emerge from this guided meditation, carry with you a sense of empowerment and inspiration. Trust in the journey ahead, knowing that your passion and purpose are always within reach. Remember, you are a radiant being with infinite potential. Embrace the beauty of your uniqueness and allow it to shine brightly in the world.
Take a moment to honor yourself for embarking on this journey of self-discovery. Know that by nurturing your passions and embracing your purpose, you are not only enriching your own life but also inspiring those around you to do the same.
In the gentle whispers of the wind and the fragrant blooms of the garden, may you find solace, clarity, and the courage to pursue your dreams with unwavering determination.
Embrace your passion. Embody your purpose. The journey begins within. If you are interested in connecting for your free 60-minute 1:1 Discovery session please click on the link below!
Discovery Session with Deborah
My website
Free Worksheets!
I look forward to connecting with you!
Edwige Gilbert is a transformational Guide and Founder of New Life Directions. She helps others to reinvent their lives and creates fresh starts driven by a purposeful vision. As an international speaker and author of "The Fresh Start Promise" and" Victim to Victorious", Edwige turns stress into success by clearing unwanted habits and behaviors, creating self-confidence and exuberant enjoyment of life, or as she calls it in French, "Joie de Vivre"
Growing up in Cannes, France Edwige grew up being raised by her grandmother who was preoccupied with her well-being and stopped her by not allowing her to take chances. She interpreted that as being incapable and having a low level of confidence.
Later, she joined her parents in New York City. In addition to this message and the stress of moving, she turned to emotional eating. As a result, she gained 30 lbs so during this time she moved to work on her internal journey. Through her exploration, she acquired many certifications including life coach and hypnotherapist. During this time, she lost weight. It was a result of finding a safe place within herself.
Edwige walks us through what she has learned including her stress exercises which can be done driving or in a meeting. This exercise gives you the space to be neutral instead of going into a reactionary state
We discuss both of her books: Transform Stress into Success and Victim to Victorious! We start by coming from a place of awareness. What do I think? What is my awareness? How am I talking to myself? Besides positive affirmations to ourselves, Edwige stresses the importance of using positive imagery as well when tackling your goal.
It's time to shift from hurt to heart, should choose, can to can, and have to desire! You can then feel the softness of the words and the emotions it creates.
At the end of the day, count your victory instead of your defeat!
Our journey starts with self-awareness! Where am I? How do I feel? What's going on in my life? Take the time for self-reflection without judgment.
Links and Resources
Connect with Edwige Gilbert
Watch and try the Dexxtra Technique
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Priscilla Long is a Seattle Based writer, poet, and longtime independent teacher of writing. She is the author of seven books to date and numerous publications in literary journals. She grew up on a dairy farm on the eastern shores of Maryland attending Moravian Seminary for Girls and Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
She writes science, poetry, history, creative nonfiction, essays, and fiction. Priscilla lives in the Seattle area and serves as the founding and consulting editor of Historylink.org which is a free online encyclopedia for Washington State History
Today we are discussing her book: Dancing with The Muse in Old Age.
What you’ll learn in our conversation
- Priscilla wrote this book not only for herself but for everyone over the age of forty! Shy of turning 80, she wanted to approach this new era proactively with information and knowledge of science. Priscilla wanted to draw from people who were thriving, creating, and connecting in their communities.
- In writing this book, Priscilla learned a lot about the science of aging gracefully which involved cognitive development v ( which works the same in children as in older individuals ) and movement. As a result, she now bonds with her fit bit and makes sure to get regular exercise.
- Throughout the book, there are many people cited who are in the 70,80, 90’s who are continuing to put to use their creativity and/or learning something new in the arts! Helping with cognitive creative development. Priscilla gives us several inspiring examples from the book of some famous and not-so-famous people who are active, learning, and creative!
- You can also express your creativity in different ways by gardening, cooking, social justice, and community involvement.
- The models that Priscilla shares in the book are inspiring and follow their dreams right up to the end of their life. Even when they run into limitations they continue to find a way to contribute in the best way possible.
- We discussed Angela Glendening who didn’t feel that she had any “creativity” in her body but knew she was good at supporting the underdog. She picked a mission to support and that became her passion and purpose. A great story!
- When you do choose what to do, there will be a community around it and you will make connections and start meeting like-minded people. This will help your overall health and wisdom.
- Is it possible to be more proactive in composing one’s life towards flourishing?
Links and Resources
Connect with Priscilla Long
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Kamini Wood is a certified professional coach who helps people take the courageous steps to identify their limiting beliefs, the reasons for their stagnation, or feelings of not-enoughness, so they can have what they want professionally and personally to live a fulfilled life.
She is the creator of AuthenticMe® and CEO of Live Joy Your Way, a coaching company helping individuals shake free of their fears, unhelpful mindsets and behaviors in order to have healthy relationships and move forward on the professional path they choose.
Kamini herself has gone from a people-pleasing, perfectionist, holding herself back by playing small into someone who recognizes her worth and sees that by embracing it she can create room for others to do the same.
She is a best-selling author, and holds specialty certifications in various modalities including life, wellness, teen life, conscious uncoupling, calling in the one, new money story, breathwork, meditation and diversity, equity inclusion and belonging. She is also trained in conscious parenting and coaching for children.
Here is what you will learn from my conversation with Kamini
- Kamini went through her own self-transformation. She realized that she could take her personal experiences with her business acumen and service people from a coaching perspective. With formal training, she is now servicing her clients and living her true authentic life!
- The importance of relational self-awareness
- The Concept of self-compassion and self-forgiveness
We don’t need to be carbon copies of one another! We can come into our true selves and then beautiful things will start to happen!
- How to deal with imposter syndrome which we all face from time to time!
We have the ability to control our narrative and challenge our beliefs about ourselves.
Resources and Links
Connect with Kamini Wood
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Alice Inoue is an award-winning author and life expert who has dedicated her life to helping others find answers to life challenges. Alice has created a great number of books on self-love and happiness and allowed herself to grow more through her long-running column in Hawaii’s largest publication, Midweek.
Alice’s multiple exposure living in places such as San Francisco, Taiwan, Japan, and now Hawaii definitely led her to this wonderful path in guiding others through their journey of life and now has established Happiness U – a business with a heartwarming purpose for organizations and individuals who are seeking unprecedented clarity.
Her capability of translating languages in English, Chinese and Japanese do not only resonate in linguistics itself. It potentially connects one energy to another being and allows us to answer our purpose in the progress of self-transformation, may it be personal or professional.
This episode will surely allow our growth to cross-pollinate with other aspects in life — starting a business, building a relationship with other people, touching base with our clients or even just loving ourselves.
Let’s take a look at what Alice shared on this episode!
- Her journey from living an unhappy life to finding happiness
- Finding aspects such as strengths and purpose in people’s lives that they didn’t know they had
- Establishing the curriculum of Happiness U by defining ‘purpose’ and ‘happiness’ that originally didn’t exist in the life of Alice
- Acknowledging the challenges that one faces but still learning one’s purpose and serving values that are beneficial towards our growth
Series of questions that Alice asks to clarify one’s purpose:
- Where do you nurture others in your life on a daily basis?
- Where do you provide structured discipline?
- Where are you a connector, an ambassador, a cross-pollinator?
- Where do you connect people to people, places, and services?
- Where are you a catalyst for change in others?
While we fuel ourselves up in finding our purpose with endless opportunities, we also have the ability to make these with the greatest love, heartfelt love, and powerful principles of life.
Alice challenges us to consistently use one minute of our morning. Sit, close our eyes, take three deep breaths and ask ourselves: what do we need today? As we ask ourselves this question, answers in finding ourselves will follow through with enough desire and attention – indeed Happiness.
How about U? Find out more about how Happiness U leaves an indelible mark in the lives of people by having numerous training, classes, sessions, and programs. May it be mastering many facets of change, increasing energy for greater productivity, using the power of body language, or thriving during shifting times, allowing Happiness U to become part of your life.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Connect with Alice
Grab Alice’s Destination to Happiness here
Alice’s Special gift to listeners here
Attend classes in Happiness U
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take the Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
In November, Cassie Christopher and I presented a live workshop titled, How to set intentions for the holidays and into 2023! We had wonderful participation during the event and thought it would be helpful to play you a recording of the workshop AND give you access to the accompanying worksheet! Just in case you missed it live, you haven’t missed the content!
Cassie Christopher has been on the podcast before and is a registered dietitian nutritionist who supports her community to break free from the all-or-nothing diet mentality! Who couldn’t use that when entering the holidays? She has helped over 100 women eat with joy in her Courage to Trust Method where you create a supportive relationship with food, your body, and your health.
Since we are both coaches we wanted to bring to you during this season an opportunity to create some self-care for yourself around the holidays! This was the perfect partnership and I hope you enjoy the training and take a moment to click the link to access the worksheet!
In this training, you will
- Brainstorm what’s important for you this holiday season
- Identify your top three intentions
- List the steps for your top intention to create movement and confidence!
- Ask yourself, Why is this intention important to you?
- Who will hold you accountable?
- How will you create space in your day/week to focus on your intention?
Links and Resources
Connect with Cassie Christopher
Grab the Worksheet for you to complete!
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Meghan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 19 years of experience treating patients with a multitude of diagnoses, injuries, surgeries, and medical complications to help them achieve their optimal mobility and functional ability. She’s worked with all sorts of people - whether it be kids with a sprained ankle, or their moms with lingering post partum pains. Meghan also likes to think of herself as one of her patients. She acknowledges that everyone has flare ups and pains once in a while, but the long term solution to that is not giving your body more rest, rather engaging it in more movements. Of course, almost everyone has busy lives, but Meghan encourages making little adjustments in your life to combat your joint and pain issues - like multitasking when you’re on a walk, or fixing your computer alignment while you're sitting at your desk, or carving out just an hour in the day for active movement.
Meghan is extremely passionate about moving the body and working the muscles. With that, she’s found another passion: Yoga. She managed to find the right community and instructor that made her feel empowered, push her limits, and also quiet her to-do lost brain.
Now, she is on a mission to teach people about their joint pain so they can live the active, pain-free life they want. Meghan has developed How to Move Without Pain to reach more people who want to live, work, and be active without joint pain and strain holding them back. She’s even in the process of developing a program - Bone Boost - to help people with osteoporosis engage in the right types of movement and work all parts of their body!
What we discussed:
As we age, it’s important to be consistent with movements instead of just doing them abruptly for a couple of months and then stopping. As our muscles, fibers, and overall flexibility changes, Our bodies need to get used to the movement, it has to feel lived in, instead of just a binge of movement.
General movements like walking, stretching, or swimming is key to loosening up the tightness in your body and soothing those irritated muscles.
The difference between hurt and harm - what are the short-term and long-term pains and irritations? What is the pain threshold like for each of them, and what can we do to identify and curb these sorts of issues?
It may be counterintuitive, but the way to get your body to get over soreness and pain is not to sit down and rest more, but to move!
Osteoporosis is something that you cannot feel, and you aren’t aware of when it’s happening. So, it’s important to ask yourself: What’s my balance like? How strong am I?. Although you may not be able to identify your degrading bones, you can control the types of movements you do and make adjustments to your lifestyle to counteract those issues.
Strength training coupled with mobility exercises are key to controlling osteoporosis. Meghan is developing a program for people to follow, which incorporates a diverse basket of exercises for controlling osteoporosis!
Using your muscles will work wonders for you! Staying still is detrimental.
We talked about her online community. Meghan publishes an informative article every week about things that her patients normally ask her, like “what’s a rotator cuff?”. She aims to make it informative, but also relatable! She also publishes an email newsletter on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Meghan’s Timed Loaded Standing Test measures the time a person can stand while holding their arms straight out in front of them, holding 2lb dumbbells.
Set Timer for 30 seconds!
How many can you do?
How to do the test:
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart while holding 2lb weights
Hold weights out in front of you, elbows straight with thumbs up and hands at shoulder height.
As soon as the arms are out straight, the timer starts.
When the weights can no longer be held out, the timer stops.
This test is a great way to know your back and upper body strength and endurance. This test can be very helpful as a starting place and then work to increase the time, especially in the years when osteoporosis is a concern.
Meghan’s community is growing day by day, with more and more people getting empowered to be consistent with moving their bodies!
Links and Resources:
Connect with Meghan Griech
Follow Meghan Griech on Instagram
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Need a new resume? Connect with me for your Resume Audit here Leave the work to me!
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Ann Richardson is a writer who believes that life is full of serendipity, which makes it more fun. Ann Richardson’s recent book, The Granny who Stands on Her Head, comprises a series of reflections on growing older but also includes some stories from her life. She has written numerous other books, including one about the people who provide hospice care and one about being a grandmother. Ann was born in Washington, D.C., USA, grew up in New York City and has lived with her husband in London, England since 1968. Ann and her husband have two grown-up children and two grandsons.
When she needed to find part-time work when her first child was a baby, Ann discovered a love of qualitative social research. Although she has loved writing ever since childhood, she never thought of trying to become a writer when she was young, because she felt she did not have enough to say. She also needed to support her husband, while he was doing a PhD. Much later, she gained a PhD herself.
Her career in research involved interviews and focus groups with a wide spectrum of situations and people, including people with learning difficulties and carers for the elderly but also many others. She wrote numerous books and articles from her research and was always recognized as a good writer. Since retiring, she has chosen to write books on new topics as set out below.
This episode is definitely one for the books, especially for those people in the latter years of their lives, beginning to reflect both on their current lives and the coming of the end of life. Ann likes to think about the what-ifs in life.
Ann shared these amazing points in this episode!
- The story behind the three books she created before The Granny who Stands on Her Head
- Wise Before Their Time: Ann became close friends with a man with AIDS who was organizing a conference of people with AIDS; she carried out interviews there and put these together into this book.
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Life in a Hospice: Ann worked in a hospice as a volunteer and realized how strange it was to look after people who were dying. She carried out a series of interviews with people working in hospice care about the nature of their work and its impact on their lives.
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Celebrating Grandmothers: After she became a grandmother herself, Ann thought it was so interesting that she decided to undertake a series of interviews with grandmothers about the positive and negative aspects of their lives.
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Ann was asked to write a series of blogs about grandmothers and other matters for an online women’s magazine. While doing these, she started her journey in writing The Granny who Stands on Her Head.
This is about the nature of being old:
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Connect with Ann Richardson
Buy Ann’s The Granny who Stands on Her Head here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take the Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Dami Roelse is a certified life coach, writer, and retired mental health provider. Born in Holland, Dami has traveled the world extensively, lived on different continents, and has learned to use her travel as inspiration for living. As she entered the 3rd phase of life Dami lost her life partner. She went for a long walk in the Himalayas to escape the reality of life without her life partner. This trek in a desolate wilderness at a high altitude gave her back her sense of belonging. You can read about Dami’s spiritual quest and trek in the Himalayas in her book: “Fly Free, a memoir of love, loss, and walking the path”.
Since then Dami uses long-distance hiking and backpacking as a means to deepen her connection with nature and the universe.
Her book, "Walking Gone Wild, How to lose your age on the trail”, explores and explains walking, hiking, and backpacking as a means of re-invigorating life for women as they age. Interlaced with stories of real women who have built confidence through walking, it presents a new model of aging with vitality, grace, and a deepened connection to life.
Aside from trekking in the Himalayas and Morocco, walking and hiking in Europe, Dami has hiked more than 2500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in the last 9 years. Dami writes about the benefits of walking, hiking, and backpacking for women50plus.
Dami shares the following
Dami didn’t start walking serious distances until the age of 65! For her 65th birthday, Dami decided to “do something big” like walk a length of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon which is the state she lived in at the time.
This summer 2022, Dami finished the last piece of the Pacific Crest Trail, 2,650 miles! The entire journey took ten years and in the last stretch this summer she completed 180 miles at 75 years young!
At the beginning of her journey, Dami had lost her husband and felt a bit disoriented and was wondering “who am I” and “what am I doing with my life”. She was close to retirement. The trail gave her time to think and it was out on the trail that she discovered who she was. She felt connected when she was out in nature. For Dami, she found her place amongst the old-growth trees.
Dami says that her purpose is not to hike long distances but to really know herself and increase her awareness. It’s also to share the possibility of how to do that with other people, especially women. She enjoys coaching women on their “third phase of life”. Through posting her travels within her Facebook group and website Dami has been an inspiration for women of all ages to do the same!
When we get older we get set in our ways and it often becomes difficult to get out of our comfort zone and try new things. Dami encourages us to go where we fear to live. She shares how she was afraid of the desert and how a walk helped her to conquer that fear. Break what you are fearful of and try it in smaller bite-size pieces to get a sense of what to expect and build your self-confidence!
Dami’s book, Walking Gone Wild, shared stories about women who started walking and what it did for them in their journey. She shares their stories and their “why” for walking.
Walking Women Fifty Plus Facebook group has over 3000 followers who are sharing their stories and offering encouragement and tips!
Dami shares some of her favorite hikes and the advantages of using walking poles.
We leave you with a great challenge! Tune in for details.
Links and Resources
Connect with Dami Roelse
Connect with Walking Women 50 Plus Facebook Group
Dami’s Books
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Tracy McCubbin is the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You'll Ever Need (June 4th, 2019). She has always referred to herself as "Obsessive Compulsive Delightful," but who knew she could turn that trait into a booming business? While working for a major television director in Los Angeles, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Coupled with keen time-management and organizational skills, Tracy soon found more and more people were asking her for help. Before she knew it, dClutterfly was born.
Ten years and thousands of clients later, dClutterfly is Los Angeles' premier organizing and decluttering company. Tracy is a regularly featured expert on Hallmark's Home & Family, has a column on MindBodyGreen, and has regular declutter segments on Fox 5 and ABC Eyewitness News, KTLA Morning Show, KCAL9, and Good Day Sacramento. She and her company have also been featured in Real Simple, Women's Day, and ShopSmart.
When not decluttering, she is the proud Co-Executive Director of OneKid OneWorld, a non-profit building strong educational foundations for children in impoverished communities throughout Kenya and Central America.
She lives in Los Angeles and knows where her keys are.
In my discussion with Tracy, we discuss the following
Tracy didn’t start dClutterfly until she was in her forties! It’s never too late to discover your passion!
The Book, Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Decluttering book you’ll ever need focuses on the seven emotional clutter blocks and why we feel stuck with our stuff! Tracy shares ways to break free from these emotional clutter blocks!
After her first book, Tracy noticed that even after getting a space organized people were still bringing in “stuff” to their spaces. There is this hole that is inside of us, something missing that we are needing to fill and unfortunately for most, we fill with things. She then wrote the book, Make Space for Happiness which focuses on our clutter magnets!
The shopping and the stuff are not making us happier.
How can we make space for happiness? We discuss that first step!
Tracy shares the first steps in working with a client in organizing and decluttering their space! Words of wisdom that you too can incorporate when you are taking those first steps!
Decluttering is an emotional process and Tracy shares how to move past the emotion so you can feel the lift of having a clutter-free space. For items you have been gifted from a relative it’s important to realize that someone else’s history is not your history. Do you use it? Love it? If not then it’s time to pass it on to someone who will use and appreciate it!
We discuss inspirational stories to get you motivated to tackle your space!
Tracy shares her Senior Downsizing checklist and shares some of her top tips!
Are you ready for Tracy’s challenge? Give a listen!
Resources and Links
Connect with Tracy McCubbin
Purchase Tracy’s Books here
Grab the Senior Downsizing Checklist
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Kurt Leichty is an Air Force combat veteran and former Police Officer. He has taken his training and experience from both of those worlds to create a fitness program for military members, cops, and firefighters. His certification is from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is specifically designed for him to focus on these special populations of tactical athletes. He uses the same training for our heroes that he does for the public. This year, or early in 2023, Kurt will be opening a non-profit gym called MetaFit where the public can come train side by side with the heroes and learn to train like the heroes.
I personally work with Kurt and he was able to help me build my confidence in the gym to lift free weights and tackle those intimidating machines! Kurt is the real deal and works with clients both in person and virtually. If you are on the fence about strength training, I encourage you to reach out to Kurt for support and motivation! I have definitely noticed a difference in my overall strength when in the garden, swimming, or riding my bike!
Here is what Kurt has to share in this episode!
It’s important to lift heavy and be consistent to get results
Women lifting heavy is the most efficient way to lose weight, burn more calories, and tone your body!
Lifting heavy can help with muscle strength and bone density. As we age, this is a big concern because if we were to fall later in life we need bone density to heal!
Building muscle will cushion your bones so if you do fall, your bones are better protected from a potential break.
Kurt shares his journey and what inspired him to begin working with people and how he feels he is promoting goodness in the world.
When people focus on fitness and health then they are more positive, happier, and feel that they can accomplish more and go after their dreams!
Kurt shares that in your strength training journey, by month two you will start to feel the difference in your strength, by month three you will see the difference in your body, and by month four, people will start noticing that something is different about you!
Why it’s important to lift every day and how to rotate your strength training to accomplish this goal.
Why it’s important for Kurt to have a nonprofit organization where the general public, police officers, and military members can work out together.
How to spice up your lifting program so it doesn’t become dull
How you can get your feet wet with your own routine by following Kurt on Instagram where he encourages and shares exercises for you to try! All Kurt’s links are in the show notes.
Why it’s important to overestimate the amount of support you will need to accomplish your fitness goal and rally those around you to help, including your personal trainer.
Any of the money you pay for personal training with Kurt goes back into the programs and the building for the community in Utah.
Resources and Links
Follow Kurt Liechty on Instagram
Check out MetaFit
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Tania Vasallo is the founder of The Courage To Be Happy, a global community of high-achieving women entrepreneurs working to become financially empowered and independent. She also hosts Increase Your Income and Impact, her signature live event to help women expand their businesses and mindsets.
Born to a Spanish father and an American mother and raised in Spain, Tania was constantly in search of freedom from a patriarchal society. She now specializes in transforming a mindset of lack to a mindset of abundance and prosperity so that her clients discover their own autonomy in their personal and financial choices. With her guidance, her last Money Magic Miracles cohort of 28 women made over one million dollars collectively in just eight weeks.
Tania lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband, daughter, and multiple pets.
Tania shares her journey with money and how learning from her mistakes, she helps to empower women and work through their money mindset!
You will learn how to
Take the first step in tackling your money mindset
Why it’s important to get curious about how you handle money and how things happen
What are our thoughts about money and how to shift the paradigm
What are your money “blocks”
How to advocate your power with money
Examine your beliefs surrounding money
Steps to learning more about your money!
Common mistakes that women make with money!
What is a wealth account and how can it provide you freedom with money
Grab Tania’s free guide: Women’s Top Money Mistakes! Link in the show notes.
Links and Resources
Connect with Tania Vasallo
Grab Tania’s Free Guide: Women’s Top Money Mistakes here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Over the past five years, Mike and Kim Barnes found themselves navigating problems they never saw coming from their parents: Alzheimer's, pacemakers, COVID pneumonia, and the tough decision to move parents into retirement communities.
They've learned to balance the many facets of parenting aging parents, including medical, financial, and everyday-life decisions, emotional rollercoasters, protecting their parents from scams, and more, all while parenting their college-age kids, and building their careers.
Mike & Kim each spent 30 years on TV. Kim's TV career includes 15 years as an award-winning reporter and news anchor and Mike's includes 29 years as an award-winning sportscaster.
They've realized that so many adult children go through the same trials with their parents, yet hardly anyone talks about it. Most struggle in silence. That's why they created a community to provide information, resources, and support.
We are all aging gracefully including our parents! Now is the perfect time to get ahead of the game and start having conversations with our parents and children about not only the legal aspects of our estate but all the other pieces of our lives that we need to know in order to transition to being an advocate for our parents!
This information doesn’t need to be a mystery! If everything is summarized in one spot then it will make the journey smoother for everyone!
Mike and Kim have created a community, Parenting Aging Parents where you can access information, resources, and a Facebook community so you are never alone.
Here is what we explore in this episode!
- Mike and Kim share their journey as they navigate these waters with their parents! You don’t know what you don’t know!
- How to balance Kids, careers, and aging parents
- Navigating these waters with their parents has ensured that they have their “ducks in a row” for their children. We can be better prepared for our children!
- What are those practical questions everyone 40+ needs to ask their aging parents?
- Make sure you are on the same page with your siblings about expectations for your parents' well-being. This can solve a lot of miscommunication and hurt feelings going down the road.
- Besides the financial aspects do you know the passwords for the computer and bill paying sites? If you had to step in on a moment’s notice, would you be able to pay their bills for them?
- How to protect your parents from internet scams!
- How to communicate to your parents how you are trying to help and give them a gift in helping.
- How Mike and Kim are working towards making this community to the workplace. As employees with aging parents, it’s important to be informed and be prepared so employees are not worried about “what if”. It makes for a more productive employee! Can you introduce Mike and Kim to your organization?
Where is the best place to go if you are wanting more information on helping your parents? Go to their website: https://parentingagingparents.com/ from there you can access the interviews, resources, and their handbook: The Caregiver’s Key
This information will help you to deal with the crisis at hand with your loved one and you won’t be needing to scramble with all the other details of their lives as you’ll have their booklet.
Resources and Links
Connect with Parenting Aging Parents
Grab The Caregiver’s Key
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Deb Johnstone is a professional speaker, writer, transformational coach, stylist, midlife transition mentor, and yoga teacher. She is the founder of Women Reinventing MidLife and Transformational Pathways Australia.
Deb is the creator of her signature program HER Rediscovery and the Women Reinventing MidLife Club. She’s the host of the YouTube channel, WRM TV, and host of the WRM Summit Series where she supports women in the middle phase and beyond to rediscover themselves, build confidence and find new exciting directions.
Deb shares the following
- Her journey and how she hit a turning point in her life with the loss of her father. For Deb, she lost her foundation, sense of identity, confidence, and motivation. Working through the grief process she experienced some “aha moments” and shares those with the listeners. Deb then shares her exploration process and how she rediscovered herself. It was then that she created her Facebook community and then the summits were born!
- As women in midlife, we have wisdom we have gained over the years. How do we utilize that wisdom to grow and possibly help others!
- What was Deb’s biggest lesson from the loss of her father and how that has impacted her life?
- As we nurture others do we run the risk of losing ourselves?
- What is Women Reinventing Midlife? It’s Deb’s group platform where she helps women rediscover who they are now and enable them to gain clarity of direction.
- Deb shares details about the Women Reinventing Midlife Summit and how you can sign up for this free event that starts on July 25th, 2022!
Links and Resources
Connect with Deb Johnstone
Sign up for the Women Reinventing Midlife Summit! Link here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Emee Estacio is the Founder of The PAME Code. She is a chartered psychologist with over 20 years of experience in health, community, and positive psychology. Her passion is to help people embrace their true worth, so they can live happy and fulfilling lives. Throughout her academic, coaching, and research career, she has worked closely with individuals and communities to unlock their full potential using simple and easy to apply methods for limitless success in life. She is the #1 best-selling author of the "Psychology in Your Life" book series, including titles such as "The Imposter Syndrome Remedy", "Change Your Life for Good", and "Fear is Not My Enemy". She is also now helping aspiring authors fulfill their lifelong ambition to write and publish their own books with her flagship course, "Self-Publishing Made Simple".
Emee shares with us the following
- How she made a major career pivot after the arrival of her son! How that decision was in alignment with what she wanted to prioritize for not only herself but her child. Great words of wisdom for anyone at a crossroads in life!
- How she started to question her identity and went into a crisis where she was in a cyclone of feeling down, lethargic, and stuck in a cyclone of imposter syndrome and her own identity crisis.
- Emme shares how with the support of people around her she was able to get the help she needed and shares how you can too!
- How one friend reached out during this period of time threw her a lifeline and helped to get Emme the appropriate help.
- It’s OK to accept help when you need it!
- How important it is to make a conscious decision and set the intention that you are going to take the steps to move forward.
- It’s not only important for ourselves but to be a role model to our children that it’s ok to stop and take time for self-care
- It is normal to experience self-doubt when you are trying something new!
Emee’s Tips for Dealing with Imposter Syndrome!
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is that true?
- Is it logical?
- Is it constructive?
Do you have any evidence to support what you are thinking about yourself?
Emee gives a lot of great examples with some specific thoughts one may have while experiencing imposter syndrome!
Emee shares her business, Self Publishing Made Simple! She combines her expertise in psychology and self-publishing to help entrepreneurs to write and self-publish their stories! She has created a community for coaching, community, and support.
The doors will be opening in the first part of July for her group program and you can connect with Emee in the show notes below!
Links and Resources
Connect with Emee Estacio
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Linda Ward is a Writer and Life Coach living in Minnesota. She specializes in helping mature women find everyday happiness and satisfying life. She zeroes in on life after divorce, retirement transitions, and finding courage no matter what the circumstances. Her inspiring new eBook is called, "Crazy Simple Steps to Feeling Happier. " Linda’s Professional background is Social Work and Counseling.
Linda shares how she came to write her book: Crazy Simple Steps to Feeling Happier and shares some of her favorites during our discussion! Steps you can implement right now! No purchase necessary ( wink, wink)
During our conversation, Linda shared that it was through her own life circumstances that she found her inner courage. A difficult time where she had to dig deep to find and even surprised herself with how much courage she had in those times and still holds on to today! Now Linda is passionate about helping others to find their inner courage!
Here is what else you will learn from our discussion
- We can often make finding happiness too complicated. It’s really simple! There are simple things you can do each day to lift your mood.
- Parenting adult kids can be agony and the first step is to let go and how you can transition into parenting adult children!
- Courage is needed in everyday life!
- Linda shares how she found her inner courage and how you can too!
Throughout Linda’s experiences she has learned that even if life feels out of control, you can have the inner peace and courage to deal with it!
Resources and Links
Connect with Linda Ward
Linda’s Book: Crazy Simple Steps to Feeling Happier
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Jean Atman is a Consciousness Coach and Quantum Healer. Her greatest joy is to spark awakening and facilitate deep level healing in the collective. She has been called to reach beyond her beloved practice and is on a mission to assist in the ascension process on a grander scale.
Jean is passionate about sharing her wisdom, tips, and tools that have proven to be the most effective in influencing her journey as well as for her clients!
What You will learn in our conversation!
- How to stop living on the basement floor and rise to a higher level of vibration! You don’t need to sit and suffer! Rise from the basement to the PENTHOUSE!
- The first step towards raising your vibration!
- Things in the universe are happening FOR us!
- Who are you surrounding yourself with each day? Are you surrounding yourself with others that can help you rise to the next floor?
- You are more powerful than you think!
- What you are resisting is the exact thing you need to sit with right now!
- 2022 is a powerful year for purging and letting go! How do we “uplevel” and drop things off? Letting go of old belief systems, pain, and hurt
- How does our subconscious mind hold all the old belief systems?
Jean shares her group coaching program Limitless she will be launching on June 21st you are pop over to her website and check out!
Links and Resources
Connect with Jean Atman
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Cassie Christopher is a Registered Dietitian, Emotional Eating Expert, and owner of Cassie Christopher Health Coaching. She has a Master's degree in Nutrition and specializes in helping women in midlife and beyond find the Courage to Trust themselves around food. She helps women stop the cycle of all-or-nothing dieting that leads to numbing emotions with food so they can develop a supportive relationship with food, their body, and their health, so they can eat with joy instead of eating to seek joy.
Cassie shares why an “all or nothing” dieting causes women to struggle and that compassion for ourselves is the answer! She has definitely turned her pain and life experiences toward helping others and has created a program to support her community!
In my conversation with Cassie, we explore the following
- Food is not the problem ( and neither are you )
- It’s time to start listening to your body. It will provide you the clues so you can make choices that support you instead of numbing out and restricting your foods!
- How to learn to have courage and trust surrounding food.
- How to “debrief” after a situation where we have lost control or sense of “will power”.
- What you can do instead of stress eating and how to calm your cravings!
- How to jump off the dopamine wagon with certain foods!
The Four Pillars of the Courage and Trust Method
- Calming the Nervous System
- Self Compassion
- Listening to Ourselves
Cassie shares her free resource: You’re Done with Dieting but still want to heal emotional eating” with the Calm the Chaos community! The link to this resource is in the show notes!
Resources and Links
Connect with Cassie Christopher
Debbie photo: https://cassiechristopher.net/about-me/#deb
"You're Done Dieting but Still Want to Heal Emotional Eating": cassiechristopher.net/free
Courage to Trust Method: https://cassiechristopher.net/courage-to-trust-method/
Book a free Compassionate Clarity Call with me: https://cassiechristopher.as.me/compassionate-clarity
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
My guest this week is Sheree Clark, a Midlife Courage Coach who calls her practice Fork in the Road. Sheree says she became a courage coach because she believes “it takes guts to live the second half of your life for you when you’ve lived the first half for everyone else.”
Sheree has written and presented on topics ranging from managing regrets and finding your passion to overcoming career burnout. A serial entrepreneur, Sheree owned a successful advertising agency for over 25 years before pivoting to become a life coach when she was in her 50s. But Sheree didn’t abandon the creativity of the advertising world when she started her coaching practice. She’s well-known for her fun talks and presentations as well as the unique exercises she’s developed to help clients in achieving their goals.
In her personal time, Sheree enjoys spending time in her art deco home which has been featured in a variety of publications. Sheree and her Maine Coon cat Lotus also work on their yoga poses.
Here are some things that Sheree shares with the listeners!
- If you want something different for yourself you can absolutely have it! No matter what anyone else says, including the voice in your head!
- Unhappiness or unmet potential is one area of your life that steals the joy from other areas of your life.
- One thing you need to have in to be able to make changes or shifts in what you really want is courage. Courage can be created, renewed, and even borrowed.
- At any given moment we are all at a Fork in the Road. Sometimes it's a big decision or smaller choices that are just as important.
- It takes guts to live the second have of your life! Especially when you’ve lived the first half for everyone else.
- Trust the messages you get. They come through to you at any time. Tune in and be present to yourself.
Links and Resources
Connect with Sheree Clark
Link to Sheree Clark Summit: Why Midlife is a Time for Action! Link here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Juggling life for years led Daniela Sulek to hit a wall. Her entire way of life and being changed when what she now calls “humaning” led to her developing serious illnesses while pregnant with her third child, and almost cost her her life. With her “play your way through life” philosophy, she now helps renowned yet unfulfilled leaders move into a permanent state of ease, joy, and passion. By transcending from the conditioned human to the consciousness of their true self, they shift into effortlessly creating by being, instead of creating by doing.
Daniela has been on the show before and is returning to share more wisdom about how to function at a higher level of consciousness!
In our conversation, here is what you will learn
- How you can get off the bus of doing and start being in life!
- How you can find a deeper sense of joy, peace, and passion in your days
- When you let go of the controlling and planning then you can find the joy in life!
- Anxiety and stress are a result of human conditioning
- Life is happening FOR YOU, not to you.
- Tips on how you can begin to get into a state of being and some challenges for you to accept!
Maybe you are missing the joy and passion in your life and need to get off the bus and start BEING! I invite you to reach out to me and schedule your free clarity call to discuss what’s holding you back!
Resources and Links
Connect with Daniela Sulek
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Julie Morgenstern is one of the leading experts on organization, business productivity, and time management. The author of six best-selling books, a consultant to large corporations, and a sought-after speaker, Morgenstern has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, and NPR’s Fresh Air and helped thousands of people transform their homes, businesses, and attitudes about every kind of clutter. The New York City-based Julie Morgenstern Enterprises has been successfully in business for over 30 years.
What You’ll Learn
This book will help you clear the clutter for good! Julie takes a different approach by using the SHED process. Moving beyond throwing things out and walks you thru the pitfalls of decluttering
Declutter is identifying what’s obsolete and no longer serves you
Organizing is designing systems that make you more efficient where you are right now
SHED stands for
Separate the Treasures
Heave the Trash
Embrace your Identity
Drive yourself Forward
Finding your Theme: What is your big picture? What do you want to express or experience in the future? What do you need to let go of and where are you heading?
Points of Entry!
Clutter is not junk! Clutter is an attachment to something you are struggling to release. Ask yourself what does it represent? Go in with love and tenderness for yourself.
Being in the present moment!
You can also use this process to evaluate your commitments, schedule, and habits!
Resources
Julie Morgenstern's Website here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
I recently had the opportunity to join Dr. Melissa Bordogna in her weekend event the Epic Self Project for Midlife! This was a wonderful opportunity to connect with those that were looking for inspiration in a variety of topics from experts in their field. With my expertise being in career and life coaching, I guided the participants into the importance of identifying your theme when moving into your next chapter! We had a great discussion and wanted to give you the opportunity to hear it on the podcast!
For this discussion, I created a worksheet that you can access on my website: https://www.deborahvoll.com. Go to the Work with Me tab and click on the workbook. You will see it offered mid-page!
Here are some of the reasons you will want to tune in this week for our discussion!
- How creating an overarching theme for your next chapter is so important and how it will help you to stay focused on your “end goal” for your life!
- I share my Theme for this next chapter and give examples on how I hold myself accountable towards that theme and how you can too!
- What is the first step in this process?
- What stories have we been telling ourselves what type of excuses have we been giving ourselves in moving forward?
- The tool for unlocking your inner desires
- Ideas on how you can hold yourself accountable towards your vision and theme
- How to step into the action and the doing!
- How to show more compassion towards yourself in this process.
I hope you will take the time to download your worksheet and complete it for yourself! If you begin working on the worksheet and feel that you need to be gently challenged to move forward, please reach out to me. I would love to be able to help you start this journey!
Resources and Links
Connect with Deborah Voll
Identifying Your Theme for Your Next Chapter Worksheet
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Grab Your Free Clarity Session today!
Diana Raab, Ph.D. is a memoirist, poet, blogger, thought-provoker, and award-winning author of ten books, including four poetry collections, including her latest, Lust. She blogs for Psychology Today, The Wisdom Daily, Thrive Global, Sixty and Me, and many others. Her most recent nonfiction book is Writing for Bliss. She teaches workshops on writing for healing and transformation. Her poetry chapbook, “An Imaginary Affair,” is forthcoming by Finishing Line Press
Diana begins our discussion by sharing how she began her journey of journaling at a young age and that a tragic loss prompted the gift of a journal.
During our interview, we talk about the writing process and how to use writing to express our thoughts, gain insight into our emotions, and use it to heal to move forward.
We dive into these other discussions and Diana shares her insight on
- How to create rituals prior to writing and how that helps you to get focused and grounded for the work you are yet to begin
- We dive into why storytelling unites us as humans
- How storytelling can be presented in your story to capture all the senses of the reader.
- How to find your true voice as a writer
- Why you would want to write a LOVE Letter to yourself!
- How you can write for your emotional truth
- What if you want to write about others? What’s the best way to handle those types of situations.
- How being fearful of writing something will dappen your creative process! Just go for it and write that first draft!
At the end of the interview, Diana leaves us with a fun challenge so get out your pen and paper!
Resources and Links
Connect with Diana Raab
Writing for Bliss the Book
Conversation Card here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Stephanie Raffelock is the author of Creatrix Rising, Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women. She also penned the award-winning book, A Delightful Little Book of Aging A graduate of Naropa University’s program in writing and poetics, Stephanie was a contributor to the Rogue Valley Messenger in Oregon. She has blogged for Nexus Magazine, Omaha Lifestyles, Care2.com, as well as SixtyandMe.com
A recent transplant to Austin, Texas Stephanie enjoys an active life with her husband, Dean, and their Labrador retriever Mickey Mantle Raffelock.
For Stephanie, writing is an encore career! Stephanie is passionate about her work and sees midlife as a bridge from one part of your life to another. What we have seen in society over the years is the message that when you hit midlife, you’re done! Stephanie is here to say that this messaging is not true! Not only are women finding their voices, but they are also raising them! This has become her work, to write about women and aging. How we see ourselves as we age and how we get stuck in the stereotypes of aging and how to break free from those stories!
We begin by discussing her book, Creatrix Rising! Creatrix comes from the three Greek fates. There was the spinner, the weaver, and the cutter. The weaver was the creatrix. The word means a woman who makes things. Stephanie felt that was a great word for what happens to us in midlife as we move out of the motherhood phase ( whether or not we’ve had children) We can then move into a phase of creativity. We become women who make things, whether that’s leadership, gardening, or cooking. Creatrix is a positive archetype that gives power and empowerment to women at midlife.
Stephanie shares one-story in her book about a woman named Austin. Austin lived life to the fullest until the very end. She knew what it was to be a woman who makes things and never stopped. She goes on to share that women need to reassure themselves in life that they grow psychologically and spiritually until the day they die. There is no endpoint! We just need to change the way we talk to ourselves and how we perceive ourselves moving forward.
Our discussion continues to focus on the importance of staying curious and having gratitude in our life. Stephanie feels that you grow old the day you stop feeling impassioned by the things you love and what you stand for in life.
We discuss a lot about how important mindset is moving forward into this next chapter and how we need to treat ourselves kindly and be careful on how we speak to ourselves! Perhaps look in the mirror each day and tell yourself, “hello gorgeous! You got this! “. What a beautiful way to start the morning!
Resources and Links
Connect with Stephanie Raffelock
Blog Article: We Matter at Every Age
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
You are listening to Episode 112 of Calm the Chaos! In this episode, I am sharing an interview where I was the invited guest with Nicole Christina from the Zestful Aging podcast! It was a lot of fun!
Nicole has been a psychotherapist for over 30 years and has her own podcast: The Zestful Aging Podcast. In her interview with me on Calm the Chaos, we talked about what is Zestful Aging, why are we here, and what type of legacy we will leave behind.
Today on her show, I am sharing my journey with my book, The Tell-All Guide to Airbnb Hosting, and the lessons I have learned about myself and others! If you are considering ways to make some extra money and you’ve been thinking about short-term renting in your home or on the site then this is a great episode as I share my experiences!
If you are not interested in hosting then perhaps you use the Airbnb site as a guest? This interview will also give you some insight on how to be the perfect guest on this type of platform.
Either way, fasten your seat belt because we take you on a journey!
In this interview, you will also get to know me better and how I continue to reinvent myself after the age of forty and continue to expand my horizons!
It’s important to stay curious and take a step if you are interested in learning more about something. You never know where the path will lead once you put yourself in motion!
Resources and Links
Connect with Nicole Christina
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
My Author Page to learn more about my Book
Daniel Mangena is an International Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Broadcaster, and Coach. He is best known for his highly successful Micro2Millions program, being the author of Stepping Beyond Intention and his Do it With Dan and Beyond Success podcasts. He is completely self-made and has spent decades perfecting his world-class coaching methodology.
His mission statement: “To spearhead an evolutionary uplift in universal consciousness, by awakening people to the importance of their unique role and enabling them to manifest their dream life.”
Daniel has learned his lesson’s later in life through losing his fortunes not once but twice. What he learned through this process is the importance of your energetic relationship with something and the importance of developing that relationship with something to allow it to stay. He focuses now on conscious deliberate creating.
We discuss how to break free of emotional blocks to get that desired dream life that so many of us are seeking! Daniel shares that our desires within ourselves are ready to be birthed and most of the time, we are not allowing it to be part of our world.
Daniel reminds us that everything we experience is a result of where we are in our environment. The actions we are taking, the habits, behaviors, and choices we make, and the people, places, and things that surround ourselves.
We go on to discuss the conflict between our conscious and unconscious thoughts and how 97% of our behaviors are run by unconscious programs. For the most part, the actions we take are not conscious choices. That’s why for many, we are misaligned with our thoughts and outcomes. You may be ready to go out and achieve something new but most often our habits and behaviors are not matching the desired outcome. The reason why is that our unconscious thoughts don’t match the desired outcome.
One way to get into alignment with our unconscious thoughts is to create an environment that supports us in getting in alignment with our thoughts and desires. Our thoughts, fears, and desires are built from our environment from our journey from infant to today! We need to understand that our environment can support us and if we curated it appropriately then the change will come easier and have the desired snowball effect.
Begin to ask yourself: What do we want to manifest or create for ourselves and then how does my environment right now support the emotional state and outcome that I want to achieve?
Ask yourself: Are your existing habits and emotions supporting my emotional desire or are these habits and emotions disrupting those desires and allowing me to step into something different. Changing your emotional state will change the quality of your thoughts!
We continue to discuss more opportunities to get in alignment with your unconscious and conscious thoughts and emotions by looking at how our environment and habits can support us
I ask Daniel about a blog article he wrote about Rejecting the Cookie-Cutter Approach to a Life of Intention. He encourages us to seize the day uniquely our own and not get lost in waiting for some big magical moment to show up for us! Instead, listen to the small whispers that lead you to your big vision. Play in those seemingly insignificant synchronicities that lead you to the outcome that you desire!
Daniel’s Challenge for you!
Ask Yourself
- How will you feel, what emotions will you experience when you have achieved your goal?
- Write down those emotions!
- Does my environment support those emotions? You may need to start to clean up your environment or start to create an environment that supports you in having the goal that you desire!
Resources and Links
Connect with Daniel Mangena
Special Link for Calm the Chaos Listeners
Do It With Dan Podcast
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
A descendant of Afghan nobles, Tareq Azim’s family was forced to flee their homeland in 1979. He assimilated in the United States through his love of sports, excelling in wrestling, boxing, and football. In 2004, Azim decided to visit his home country, and upon arriving, he discovered countless children living on the streets, waiting for the inevitable recruitment into terrorist networks and anti-peace militias. Azim’s close encounter with the ravages of a war-torn society taught him how pain can generate the most intense forms of fear, anxiety, and depression. He had found his salvation through sports and physical activity, and he knew these children could, too.
Growing up with the fear of not having and not belonging. Tareq was desperate to belong and asked himself, How do I belong?, how can I become a part of this American Society? For Tareq, it was the power of sport and physical activity. It was through organized sports in High School that he learned what embracing the discomfort meant and what it meant and how to challenge yourself and face your truth. It was then that Tareq recognized what was preventing the rest of his community to feel this same way of belonging. It was while playing football in high school that he experienced that feeling of acceptance from himself and others.
Once Tareq’s confidence was raised through sports, he pushed himself to do other things like running for ASB President. He continued to push through to do things even when it felt out of his comfort zone and scared.
He then came to the realization at age 17, what prevents the optimization of human capacity and capability is fear. Now when he feels fearful he recognizes that this is where his opportunity lies within himself.
It was then that he started to hold himself accountable publicly and started using the fear of being judged by not completing his goal as fuel to pull the trigger on things that he felt were right for himself vs. falling victim to judgment. He was using it!
Tareq believes that we have the freedom to define our own narratives and definitions of behaviors. He helps individuals to recognize the value of fear vs. fear being something you should avoid and allowing it to be a disease that decimates everything else in your life. We use fear as an excuse on why we don’t move forward and we see individuals running away from the responsibility of being aware of what you’re fearful of. Once you are conscious of what it is and what's preventing you from being strong, you can then embrace the fear and define what it is for you at that moment.
Tareq shares with us how to conquer the fear once we recognize it and call it out. It’s when you identify it and make the decision to embrace it that you can move forward. Give it a responsibility and give it permission to do what it is there to do for you.
Links and Resources
Grab Your Copy of Empower by Tareq Azim
Tareq Azim on Instagram
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Juggling life for years led Daniela Sulek to hit a wall. Her entire way of life and being changed when what she now calls “humaning” led to her developing serious illnesses while pregnant with her third child, and almost cost her her life. With her “play your way through life” philosophy, she now helps renowned yet unfulfilled leaders move into a permanent state of ease, joy, and passion. By transcending from the conditioned human to the consciousness of their true self, they shift into effortlessly creating by being, instead of creating by doing. My conversation with Daniela begins by her sharing her journey and how in the beginning her life and health escalated to a point where she became very ill and realized that she wanted to know the truth and things needed to change. For her she wanted Freedom. To her Freedom is to be who she wants to be whenever she wants to be! And to do whenever she wants to do!
Daniela takes the pain she experienced and turned it into her passion so that others can know their true selves and let go of the human conditioning and be free!
Daniela shares her motto: Learn From Everyone, Follow No One. You are unique and have a unique blueprint. There is no need to follow anyone. You learn and take what you want and discard what you don’t like. Think of life as an all-you-can-eat buffet!
We discuss that fear is a product of the mind. When we live in fear, guilt, and anxiety we are living of the mind and not living in the true higher consciousness of self. In order to have a higher consciousness of self, we need to hold absolute trust in life and know that we are good and all is amazing. That everything is happening for me
We then go on to discuss how to let go of the “doing” and “going” so that we can step back and “be”. How do we surrender to that in our life? It’s really a shift in consciousness. A shift in your thought and emotional patterns in your state of being.
Our discussion journeys on to discussing how to be present and with others and show up with no expectations or bringing any of the past “humaning” into the moment and how that will have a powerful impact on your relationships. Daniela encourages us to be and not get hung up in expectations on how things need to turn out or what needs to get done. Just be open to having what needs to transpire at that moment.
Daniela challenges us to do this with the next person we encounter: Don’t look at them as to how they should be but just be with them. Look at them as to how they are. Let go of what you need from them or how they should behave. Be with them as they are and be you as you are and see the change.
Links and Resources
Connect with Daniela Sulek
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Jackie Parsons was born and raised in England. SheI studied languages from an early age and developed a passion for Latin cultures. She speaks French, Spanish, and fluent Italian. Jackie has led tours in Europe since 1992, specializing in walking tours in Italy since 2007
Her first degree in Spanish took her to the mountains of Mexico and to the South American Andes, where she took part in a Raleigh International expedition to Chile. Her enthusiasm for Italy developed alongside my love of its art, history, culture, food, wine, and people. She has also studied Italian art and culture with the Open University. As a Teacher of Modern Languages in the UK, she was a fully qualified expedition leader for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Jackie and her husband own and operate Hedonistic Hiking which are group walking tours led in Australia and Italy!
Jackie joins us today from Italy and their home in Tuscany where it’s been their base for the last three months! This is where they live while they are running their Italian Tours.
We chat about how she started Hedonistic Hiking Tours and her inspiration started at a very young age with her love for languages. She had a very inspirational teacher that encouraged her students to go one step further and to look for the adventure! Don’t be afraid of where you are and what you want to do in life. Not wanting to do what was “expected of her”, Jackie focused on her passion for traveling and shared how that journey evolved into what it looks like today.
Hedonistic Hiking Tours gives Jackie and her husband the opportunity to explore the things she loves the most: Sharing her love of food, wine, and walking! Sounds good to me! She enjoys sharing what she loves about Italy and seeing the joy on their faces when they are on their experience!
Jackie shares with us the different levels of intensity in their walking tours and there is something available for anyone’s physical ability. They meet you in your comfort zone or you can push yourself with something a bit more challenging. On the lower level hikes, there is a support vehicle so if you are feeling that after lunch you would like to return to your hotel to relax by the pool you have that option! The tours are designed for the older generations which helps a lot to manage your expectations! We may not be elite athletes but we are looking for a fun and memorable tour experience! For Jackie one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing each day the increased confidence in their faces and the joy in their face!
I ask Jackie to share her favorite walking tour and she immediately says that it’s the one she is currently on at that moment! However, she does come around and share one of her favorite tours in Italy! You’ll need to tune in to hear her describe this tour as it sounds amazing and dont want to give it away!
Jackie shares about what she’s learned about herself through this process and how starting their business they took a risk and stepped out of their comfort zone. They let the business evolve without a 20-page business plan. They did have focus and a direction but they trusted that things were going to progress as they should. She shares that You don’t know what you can achieve until you do it! Don’t get caught up in the weeds and spend your life in the planning process! Start with one foot in front of the other.
Maybe 2022 or 2023 might be the year for you to do some exploration in Italy or Australia? Check it out!
Resources and Links
Connect with Jackie Parsons
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Judi Jacobs is a former plaintiff’s tort trial lawyer. She began her journey into teaching and learning about technology in the early part of my legal career. Like many of us, she did not grow up with a computer and is not a computer engineer. She is not a so-called “digital native.” (i.e., I am not under 35!) Her first experiences with computers came through work in my law firm as she had to struggle to learn how to do things by trying and failing.
When something went wrong with a colleague or my computer, she would watch how the “tech guys” (never women in those days) fixed the problem. Then, the next time I experienced a similar issue, I would resolve it by trying to retrace the steps of the tech guys.
As a mother of five children, she had no choice but to stay on top of technology. Each one had different skills and unique needs and abilities on the computer. One was an expert at getting around the Netscape Nanny software I installed. She had to stay one step ahead of him to recognize when he was hacking it to try again or use another piece of software. Through the necessities of life, I discovered a love of computers and mobile devices.
In 2005 Judi started Tech Wizard where she supports her community with online classes and 1:1 support as it pertains to working with your computer or phone!
Even though Judi was thrust into learning the technology for both home and at work, she realized that she enjoyed it, was good at it as well as had the patience to teach others. It brings her a lot of joy and gratification in seeing people get more comfortable with the technology and learn how to do things!
Judi shares that it’s the fear and hesitation from people not wanting to look “dumb” that often gets in the way of them seeking help. We have to remember that for a lot of us we did not grow up with a computer or smartphone. These tools were thrust in front of us later in life so our learning curve will be different.
It’s best to work on the foundational skills as that is what you’ll be using every day and it will give you the opportunity to use them consistently so you can raise your confidence level.
The most popular thing that people request help on right now is their phones. We are using them 24/7 and they are mini computers. In the palm of your hand, you have the ability to access and use so many different features. You may not even realize you are not using them. You don’t know what you don’t know!
We discuss things that we should be doing at the start of every year on our computers to ensure that things are running smoothly and keeping our technology safe and up to date.
Judi also encourages us not to use our email “inbox” as a storage box. You should be managing your email on a daily basis. You either file or get rid of it after it’s been read. She gives some great analogies that will help you to see your inbox in a new light which may spur you on to dealing with those emails with a specific action.
The Tech Wizard offers online classes and specific 1:1 help so if you are thinking to start working independently and then reach out for some specific help then that option is available to you.
Resources and Links
Connect with Judi Jacobs at The Tech Wizard
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Welcome back to Calm the Chaos! You are listening to Episode 106 and today my guest is ME! Yes, that’s right today I’ll be doing all the talking! And…. it’s a big day as today marks the 2nd year anniversary of producing the podcast Calm the Chaos!
I decided to do this episode solo because for most of you listening you may just see me as a podcast interviewer of other subject matter experts! But.. I am first and foremost a coach for women over forty and I guide them on a journey to transform their lives!
What does that mean exactly?
Many women first reach out to me when they need some career guidance. Maybe they are wanting a job change or re-entering the job market after having been absent for some time while raising a family. When we get into working on this area a lot comes up for clients surrounding mindset and how they feel about themselves. I challenge them on how they are thinking about themselves and some of the beliefs that are holding them back from moving forward in all areas of their lives!
Today, I wanted to talk to you about celebrating! How are you celebrating YOU? If you are listening to this podcast, I am assuming that you are a woman over 40!
When you take a look back at your past self over the years, what have you done where you can now say Thank you! What moments would you like to thank that person that sculpted you into who you are today?
Perhaps it's thanking your past self for taking that certification, entering a partnership with someone you love, helping someone else with their challenges, getting that diploma, raising children, trips you went on, the courage to get out of your comfort zone and join an organization, the opportunity to care for my parents, putting up with that annoying boss so you could finally get the position of your dreams! What do you want to say to your former self?
Today I would like for you to write a letter to your past self and say thank you! What will you say to yourself? It doesn’t need to be a long letter. Take a couple of minutes to write down your first thoughts. We call this a brain download. There is no right or wrong way to write this letter! Pour your favorite beverage, get cozy in your chair and have some fun with this exercise!
Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you have. How you treat and talk to yourself, and think about yourself is key to having a healthy relationship mentally, emotionally, and physically.
If we only focus on everything and everyone but ourselves, we drain the cup which leaves us little to pour to the rest of the world. Is that really fair to you and everyone else?
I want you to be gracious with your past self in how you are doing today. Don’t beat yourself up for the past or the realization that things haven’t worked out the way you hoped back then. Take the opportunity now to be present and start building a better relationship with yourself.
One way to cultivate a better relationship with ourselves is through acknowledging the gifts and moments in our past.
For me, I am thankful that I had the opportunity to raise two beautiful children. And, that I am staying focused on serving my clients and grateful for all those who are helping me!
Now.. let’s turn our attention to the Celebration! I want you to take a look at the letter you wrote to yourself!
What are you most proud of? Was there a moment where your energy flowed and you said to yourself “job well done”. Perhaps it was how you made an impact or how you handled a challenging season.
Now I want you to stop and go to a special place for you. It could be in your home or outside at a park. I call it your “happy place”. Take the opportunity to step out of your routine for just a few minutes. This is time for you to disengage from your routine!
Now we are going to commemorate the moment! Make a toast, say a prayer, treat yourself to a favorite beverage, light a candle or have that slice of cake!
In life, we need to have a moment where we fill up the gas tank! By taking a moment to acknowledge a moment or moments that were significant and special to us, it breeds positive energy and motivation to continue. We then will feel more self-confident in tackling new goals and areas of our lives when we feel unsure.
Many women I work with have a hard time with this exercise because we often don’t take the time to stop, look back and pat ourselves on the back. Until we sit down and write that letter we may hold onto that sticking thinking that we haven’t “done much”. And that’s nonsense! We are all unique with many experiences that shape us into who we are today! It’s time to recognize those moments, acknowledge and celebrate!
I hope this episode today will help you to get a perspective on your past self and all the many circumstances that have shaped you into who you are today! I would love to hear what resonated for you and how you took a moment to celebrate!
Today, I will be lighting a candle and remembering all the weekend mornings where I was in my office either interviewing, editing this podcast, putting the show notes together, or updating the website! It’s a journey that requires a lot of discipline but in the end, has been worth it! I have been meeting wonderful people from all over the world who are helping my listeners to calm the chaos!
I continue to do this podcast because I truly believe that if we can calm the chaos in our lives then we are better able to hear our inner desires! I am going to celebrate and thank you all for being here each week to learn and grow!
If you feel that this podcast is a weekly gift to your life then I would ask that you take a moment today and rate, review and subscribe to the podcast! Then take a screenshot and share it with three of your closest friends!
Would you like to see more coaching like this on the podcast? Let me know! Drop me a note from my website www.deborahvoll.com using the contact me form! I would love to hear! I am constantly growing and evolving with my coaching and the podcast! This show each week is for YOU and I would love to hear what type of support you need!
Just as a reminder there are multiple resources on my website that you can access if you are looking for some support in your journey! Jump over and subscribe to my email list, take the Quiz and see if you are ready for your next chapter!
Resources and Links
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Lisbeth “Lis” McKinley, is a Certified Professional Organizer, move manager, public speaker, and owner of LET’S MAKE ROOM, LLC based in Oakland, California, now in its 12th year of operation. Lis, along with her team at LET’S MAKE ROOM, helps clients achieve their unique vision of the organization, before or after moving, remodeling, or refreshing and unclutter their living, work, and storage areas.
Lis speaks to both professional and community groups about downsizing, organizing, productivity, and paper management. Her talks have inspired hundreds of people to enjoy their lives with less and get more done.
Lis is from New York City, holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and lives in Oakland with her husband, three cats, and a Chihuahua.
Lis is a returning guest to the podcast who today shares how she is helping her community. Today we talk about downsizing and how to let go of years of stuff without the tears! At the start of the year many people have decluttering and organizing in mind so this is a timely interview to get you focused if this is your intention!
She shares that often we accumulate the stuff of no fault of our own. For many it can be the circumstances of losing a spouse or caretaking for someone and things got worse. It’s a challenge facing a lot of people in this country and she is happy she can be there in person or virtually to help them through the process.
Acknowledging that you will need to make a lot of decisions when going through this process is an understatement! I recently took some time to go through some rooms with the theme of downsizing and had to make some difficult decisions. Lis shares that clutter is nothing more than delayed decision-making! The decisions are often delayed because we don’t know what to ask ourselves. Her role is to ask those important questions which support their end goal.
Lis walks us through some important questions to ask ourselves and shares a poem that one of her clients wrote that may help you get a different perspective
Questions
Do You Love It?
If I saw it again in a store would I buy it?
Does it suit who I am now? ( Are there things associated with a past life? )
Poem
Yearning
Yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that. You cannot hold onto the old, all the while declaring that you want something new. The old will defy the new, the old will deny the new, the old will decry the new. There is only one way to bring in the new, you must make room for it.
Lis shares the process of how she helps her clients to downsize by doing all of the sortings of the items by category and then having them go on a “reverse” shopping trip! This makes the process easier for what they do want to keep and move forward in their next chapter! The client is only involved in the “editing” process.
During our conversation Lis shares a personal experience of making a difficult decision about how to let go of a record collection and how she worked through that process. This helps us to see that everyone has this challenge and it can take time and asking the right questions. It's a beautiful story and a great teaching moment about letting go of the hard things in our home!
We also talk about how when we let go of things in our home it makes room for many other opportunities and we do feel lighter and better prepared to spend time doing other things rather than managing our “stuff”. Lis encourages us to imagine what our life will feel like when your project is all done. What are you doing this for? How will that make you feel? What are the values that you relate to and how do they align with your organizing goals.
Lis shares with us some fun and creative ways to get rid of the stuff once you’ve managed to go through your personal items. These are great ways to contribute and support your community!
Resources and Links
Connect with LIs McKinley
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Theresa Levine lives in Davidsonville, Maryland with her husband Jeff and their four boys. As an entrepreneur with a background in psychology, nutrition, and fitness, she has been helping women work on various aspects of their mental and physical health for over 25 years. Her struggles with ADHD, trauma, and the chaos and overwhelm of being a mompreneur with big goals and responsibilities led her to learn how to cultivate the success, clarity, and inner peace that used to feel so elusive to her. Using a unique blend of Energy, Psychology, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Tapping, and Strategy, Theresa empowers other mompreneurs to overcome anxiety, distractions, and limiting patterns so they can feel happy, present, and fulfilled as they align their beliefs, actions, values and vision for the business and daily life!
In my conversation with Theresa, we start by discussing her journey and how she raised her boys and recognized through their lives that they had ADHD. It was then that she noticed some patterns and had herself tested and diagnosed. So for her, it’s been a process of understanding and finding ways to manage their diagnosis. Theresa looks at ADHD as a gift! She feels that is where all of her creativity and curiosity come from throughout the day as her mind takes these little journeys. What a great way to flip something that can seem overwhelming into something positive and empowering!
Theresa shares how she discovered EFT and how she uses its principles to help with focus and shifting thoughts and energy within our mind and body! While working in her networking marketing business, she attended a seminar where they had someone come in for the day and teach EFT tapping, The day focused on teaching the basics and how to use it to relieve stress and anxiety. It was that day that she realized that she could be using these techniques for so many more areas of her life and this modality could be the answer for her! It was then that Theresa knew that she had to explore it further and enrolled in getting certified as an EFT Practioner. Attending that seminar with curiosity and an open mind was truly transformational! How she felt after the seminar was amazing and didn’t need to understand how it worked but just knew it worked!
During our discussion, Theresa walks us through how to do EFT Tapping by explaining that by tapping certain meridian points on our body we can release pain and negativity in the body. She explains each tapping point on our body and how easy it can be and can be done almost anywhere! Even without people noticing which is amazing as we can do this in a public setting when we may feel anxious, nervous, or angry about a specific situation. Theresa also shared how she used EFT tapping prior to getting on the podcast interview today to help her feel grounded, focused, and positive about how she would be showing up and contributing to the interview.
Theresa shares that tapping for just ten minutes a day can lower your stress hormone cortisol by up to 43%! Cortisol can have a tremendous impact on our mind and body so why not try something that can lower those levels?
With tapping comes incorporating a mantra and we discuss how to decide what mantra you need to use in combination with your tapping. Theresa advised starting with the problem you are experiencing.
For Example: Even though I feel anxious about ______________, I deeply love, accept, and forgive myself. She repeats this mantra three times with a nice deep inhale through the nose and exhales through the mouth. It’s important to keep your mantra simple. It’s also important to be specific because it helps to hunt down those blockages and specifically remove them. It’s important that we honor the feeling and accept ourselves! It’s also important to access at the beginning of your tapping how you feel on a scale of 1-10 and then how you feel after the tapping. This will help you to gauge your success.
We discuss that tapping can be used anywhere and for a lot of different reasons! Fear of flying, heights, spiders, venting to others about your day! Just by tapping different points of the body, you can release the fear and negativity you are feeling and be able to move forward!
Theresa feels that when setting goals and reaching forward it’s important to reach backward and learn from the lessons. We need to honor where we’ve come from and how much we have already accomplished. Sometimes we may experience goal trauma in setting goals which makes us fearful of trying again or setting too aggressive of a goal. We walk through the seven Chakras in our body and how when we declare a goal, it moves from the of our head ( crown chakra ) to the root chakra and working that goal through all of the different chakra systems so you can internalize it. Theresa starts with the root chakra because that’s where all of our feeling of unsafety are hiking and need to be released in order for us to move forward. If we don’t have a safe place for each of these stages for the goal to manifest then it cannot become physical.
Our lives can be busy and crazy at times and it’s important to have a good coping mechanism to deal with these circumstances and triggers. It’s also important to deal with our feeling and work through them because if we don’t then we will end up creating more chaos for ourselves and could possibly make ourselves physically ill. Perhaps now is a good time for you to discover EFT tapping?
Resources and Links
Connect with Theresa Levine
5 Minutes to Freedom Ebook
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Sheena Nancy Sarles is a lifelong student of well-being in body, mind, and spirit. She is a certified Yoga instructor, a Holistic Life Coach, a Reiki practitioner., and has been called, a serial entrepreneur! From her life experiences, she has followed an organic path. As she became aware of her own aging, she created Growing Younger Gracefully™ workshops, classes, and newsletters to address how we can age and enjoy the process. From there, she curated her studies and practice of well-being in her book, “Growing Younger Gracefully: Your Guide to Aging with Vitality, Resilience, and Pizzazz”. We start at the very beginning of her journey since she has such a long list of accomplishments! Sheena started out in a career in public relations and fundraising but became interested in yoga. She thought that in her late forties that perhaps dancing was a little hard on her body! So, she got into Yoga and from there started to think about aging. As an anti-aging person, she thought of this process as a gift. How can she approach aging differently for herself and others?
Sheena continued to study and do research to explore how to look at aging in a positive and healthy way. It’s not a disease that needs to be fixed or something to remedy. It’s something we have and we want to enjoy it as long as we can!
It was then that her friends encouraged her to give a class so she jumped right in and then asked herself, “what have I done!”. She started teaching and her classes began to grow in popularity. For Sheena, she reminds us that when we are in our youth we are growing, learning, and curious and that doesn’t need to stop as we are aging. She asks, “how can we do this with some elegance?”
From there Sheena created Growing Younger Gracefully and it became workshops.
The Three Pillars
Nutrition
Movement
Attitude
Through this journey, Sheena continued to look for healthy organic products and soon realized that many products include chemicals and high costs. She then started to do more research and experimenting and created her own facial serum which she began using and sharing with family and friends. From her facial serum, she then launched a body serum
As Sheena continued to go through this process she began to be curious and confident and would then say, “you know what? Let’s put it out there and see what happens!” She wasn’t intimidated by failure but motivated by success!
We then discuss how Yoga helped Sheena when she suffered the loss of her mom and dad and that breathing through Yoga poses could help her grieve but still be present. It didn’t take the pain and grief away but it helped her find a “place to be”. Sheena incurred more loss in her life and it was then that she was in a grief writing workshop at the local hospital wherein a response to a question about her grief, she invited everyone to open up to healing through a pose, and from there she started to teach yoga for healing loss.
It’s wonderful to see how Sheena has turned a tremendous amount of pain into something purposeful. Not only to help herself but to serve others.
Sheena shares about her Tuesday evening Free Zoom Group that she makes available to her community where you can drop into her group and experience one of her sessions.
She reminds up to keep alive and active and not be fearful but to really enjoy our aging.
During our conversation, we discuss some of Sheena’s blog articles and talked about rituals and the importance of having rituals in our lives. It helps us to create meaning in our lives. It’s a wonderful discussion and will prompt you to think about rituals perhaps you have each day without realizing it.
Resources and Links
Connect with Sheena Nancy Sarles
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
For more than four years, Pam Lamp has explored one new thing every single day! On her website, Who I met today, she writes about these discoveries and the wonderful people she's met along the way. Pam loves a good book, the beach, and is an animal person. Pam lives in Nashville with her husband.
Pam shares that her journey began back when her kids were grown and she and her husband moved from Houston, Texas after twenty years to Nashville. This happened in her late fifties and she found the move a difficult adjustment. It was one morning where she thought that she would get up every morning and do one new thing every single day! She hoped that by doing this that she would meet new people and create a sense of community. At the time, she didn’t know where this would take her but she thought that she needed to get out there and get involved! For Pam, a new job was not in the cards as she wanted to be available to her elderly parents and her kids were in different cities so she wanted flexibility in her life!
She started by reading local magazines and Googling different things to do and she created her list! The items to do each day didn’t have to be big events! Some days she would go take a walk in the park or check out a bookstore. What Pam found is that it gave her something to talk about at the dinner table with her husband and her world expanded!
One day, Pam’s husband asked, “if you could do anything, what would you want to do?” Pam replied that she wanted to meet people and write up their stories! He then said, “why don’t you do it?” So in 2017, she started her website and began telling her story! For Pam, this has been the biggest gift of her life.
Pam shares how she didn’t have a plan and was scared to death! She shares about her first interview where she faced her fear and not only had a great conversation but had the time of her life! She shares how she tackled those limiting beliefs that can come up for us when we are trying something new. For Pam, she focused on taking that next step. She has also developed a “thicker skin” for putting herself out there to ask for interviews but she still gets a bit fearful but the more interviews she completes she is getting more comfortable and confident!
How does Pam decide who she interviews? It’s all about being curious! If she is curious about a topic or someone then that’s the direction she heads and Pam shares a couple of examples in our interview. She does focus on positive stories as she feels there is enough negativity in the world. Pam also shares some of her stories on her blog and people she has on her list to ask in the future!
Pam has created a series called the Orchid Series which are articles about women who are over 75 years young! The common thread that Pam has found in writing their stories is that finding your purpose is so important and keeping engaged with something as you get older is key.
She also shares what is was like at the beginning of her journey when she created her website and was vulnerable in the process of sharing her writing and stories. For a lot of women, they have a book or stories to share and this can be a hurdle that needs to be overcome by looking at the mindset, and Pam shares what worked for her. She also shares overcoming the technical hurdle in creating a website.
Pam shares what she has learned about herself through her journey, “ You need to make yourself happy. You can’t rely on other people to make you happy.” She is also less anxious having a passion and something she can not wait to get up and do in the morning. Pam finds that if she focuses on doing the next right thing then you don’t have to worry so much about the outcome and the “what if’s”.
Resources and Links
Connect with Pam Lamp
Katie and Greg’s December ADEVNTure
Betty Nelson Age Will Not Define ME
I Miss You When I Blink Mary Laura Philpott
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Rachel Arbuckle is a Navy Veteran, wife, mom, and founder of 2000 Paces Photo Organizing. After a series of fires forced her family to evacuate and leave behind photo memories that were scattered throughout their home, Rachel was motivated to help others spend less time worrying about organizing and protecting their memories and more time making them.
In 2014, a series of fierce fires roared through San Diego County, the largest of which started on the mountain just behind Rachel’s home. She had only minutes to grab a few items. Her instinct was to gather all of our photos, but she panicked when she realized her precious memories were all over the home in boxes, picture frames, and albums. She ended up grabbing what she could as her family headed to safety.
After many days of worry, she was able to return home to the memories we had to leave behind. Thankfully, her home was spared, but others in our community were not as fortunate.
This experience not only solidified her commitment to protecting her family’s collection of photos but prompted her to found 2000 Paces Photo Organizing, encouraging people to organize and protect important memories.
After the fire, Rachel came back home and followed through on her commitment to getting her family's photo memories organized and then ultimately left corporate America to start her own business. This was an unexpected turn of events and for her at some point was terrifying. She continued to focus on what she could accomplish for other people! What are their needs, what solutions do we need to make sure that we care about servicing them the way they need to be. Then one day after a lot of hard work, she realized that she was creating a successful business! It was from there that her business began to develop and she needed to learn more about the managing of the business.
We dive into the process of what to do with all these photos that are either in albums or boxes! Rachel recommends starting by putting everything in one place and taking an inventory of what you have on hand. Pull everything out of every nook and cranny! She reminds us that it took years to create all these memories and they are not going to get organized overnight! Take a look and weed out the duplicates and then the photos where you don’t know who the people are in the photo! Then ask yourself, What are your goals with your photos? What do I want to accomplish?
Rachel shares with us the unique approach her team takes with every client to ensure that your photos are handled with care and they are meeting your goals. How they may organize your photos may be different from how mine would be organized. There is a consult and interview process to make sure that you are creating a relationship with the person who will be handling your job.
We discuss some stories about work she has done for other clients over the years and share that a lot of her clients will say, “I wish I had asked my mom about these pictures sooner” We always think there is more time. More time to ask, more time to organize, and more time to share.
Rachel gives us permission to throw out those photos where we don’t remember who the people are or the event was not significant to us. ( That’s why it’s so important to ask questions now while those that are still with us can share about those memories )
All of Rachel’s employees are trained through a specific process and handle a mock project prior to taking on a client. When you go to engage with them you are assigned a photo manager so there is one person who is rocking on your project through the entire process.
I ask Rachel how leaving corporate America and forming this business has changed her life! She says it’s hard to remember what her life was like before she started her company. It’s something she and her team have created and that she is proud of their accomplishments! For her, it’s exciting to be a business owner but at the same time, there is a huge responsibility as people are counting on you. Not only the employees but their families.
Rachel loves mentoring and providing feedback to her team. At some point, we all need to work so why not be working at something we love? She is now working harder than she did in her corporate job but it’s something she is passionate about and she is having fun while making an impact!
Resources and Links
Connect with Rachel Arbuckle
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Samantha Coffin is a wellness and mindset coach focused on helping women go from a life full of symptoms to a life full of living. As a child, Samantha personally struggles with health and wellness. She reminds us that if you don’t prioritize your wellness now then you’ll be forced to prioritize your illness later! Samantha’s website is called the Wellness Rewind where she offers 1:1 Wellness supports, offers great articles, recipes, and your personal guide to wellness.
Samantha is returning guests to the show and we dive into her story about her health journey and how she turned her pain of being sick to seeking the solutions for herself into providing to support for others so they would not need to go through her same pain. She started to learn to heal her own body at the age of eighteen. Instead of surviving, she wanted to thrive and took matters into her own hands! She then began to reach out to help friends and family with their own health issues and gain the confidence to help others. But it didn’t come with tackling a lot of mindset issues and the dreaded imposter syndrome! It’s been a rewarding journey and now she sees not only how her coaching helps her client but how it impacts their families and carries through to other people they touch!
We discuss the commonly known story of when the flight attendant says that you need to put your oxygen mask on first so that you can be there to help others. If we don’t put on our mask first we can’t help others and then we all suffer. We also need to fill our cup so it will overflow and help others! That’s why it’s so important and not selfish to focus on ourselves. We also need to realize that our children and grandchildren are watching our moves so when we begin to take care of our needs and see that we are nourished mentally and physically then they will do the same.
So how do we want to show up in the new year? How do I want to be taking care of my health and nurturing my mind, body, and spirit? We discuss how this time of year we are bombarded by messages in the media about what we “should” be working on but it’s a good time to ask ourselves if we what we are being “expected” to work on algin with our values and do they really matter to you?
The first question to ask is
What do you really want and WHY do you want it?
Take the time to sit and answer what can sometimes be a difficult question to answer.
We jump into changing our frame of mind and thinking of not making a RESOLUTION which is a firm decision not to do something which doesn’t sound like a very fun way to start the new year to thinking of it as INTENTIONS which is how do I intend to live. An intention is how I intend to aim or plan. It helps us to focus more on progressing as a human over a perfection mindset that you might get with a resolution!
We talk about the process of setting goals and discuss SMART Goals. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timebound. We talk about setting a weight loss goal and how we may want to look at breaking it down so that you have actionable steps that can be measured and attained so you can see your progress and feel empowered!
Our discussion turns to uncover your WHY so that you are clear as to why this goal is so important to you. As you work towards your goal, there will be challenging moments and it’s important to have it written down so that you can remind yourself when the going gets tough!
When choosing a goal here’s a tip! When you think about it does it make you feel alive and excited? Are you feeling excited to do it or are you filled with dread? If you are dreading it, then let’s find a different goal!
Perhaps you would prefer not to set a goal but do something a bit more creative? Here are some ideas we discuss:
A Monthly Theme for the month based on your intention
A Word for the Year
A Bucket List
22 things to do in 2022.
How can we remind ourselves of our goals or micro-goals?
A-List to check off
Putting our micro goals on a sheet of paper in a jar and taking one out to do each month.
Post-it note reminders!
This will help us when we don’t feel aligned and need some additional support!
We also talk about ACCOUNTABILITY
Who is going to hold you accountable? Is it a friend, coach, family member? Be sure you take the time to pick your accountability partner and have a set time for check-in points to discuss your success and celebrate!
Be sure to revisit your goals!
Take some time mid-year to revisit if these goals you set at the beginning of the year still resonate and are worthy of your attention! Sometimes our circumstances change and we need to acknowledge that this goal isn’t aligned to us anymore and it’s ok to let it go!
How do I want to feel this year? What are the steps that I need to prioritize in my life ( people, places, and things) so that I can achieve this feeling in my life!
If you are looking for some books to encourage you to help develop good habits, we discuss the following books
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Tiny Habits by BJ FOGG
We talk about how to create new habits and discuss how to look at the cue, routine, and reward! A perfect example is what you may or may not do when you walk through the door at the end of a long day! What do you first go to out of habit based on the cue of walking at the end of the day through the door? I share an example from my own life and how I changed the routine and the reward! And you can too!
Are you ready to take that first step and crack the door to new possibilities in the new year? I hope this episode will help you to pause and take the time to create a goal that is true and resonates with you in the new year! Happy New Year!
Links and Resources
Connect with Samantha Coffin
Samantha’s Article: A New Approach to A New Year: Intentions vs Resolutions
Book's mentioned in the podcast links above in show notes
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Jennifer and I discuss her book, Why Bother! Discover the Desire for What's Next. Since it's the end of the year, it's the perfect time to stop, notice and celebrate the arising of the desire within yourself! This desire is what gives us the juice, courage, and inspiration to get over the fears that we often feel when we come to this place in our lives. Let’s take the time today to flip that question, Why bother into something positive! In my interview, we discuss the six steps of why bother!
JENNIFER LOUDEN is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book. Since then, she’s written six additional books on wellbeing and whole living, including The Woman’s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. Jennifer has spoken around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has written a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine. Plus, she’s been profiled or quoted in dozens of major magazines; two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and has appeared on hundreds of TVprograms, radio shows, and podcasts—even on Oprah. Jennifer has been teaching women’s retreats since 1992 and creating vibrant on-line communities and innovative learning experiences since 1999. She writes weekly to her email list of 20,000 and hosts an online paid community of over 600 members. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
What You’ll Learn
How to go from Despair to the Desire for wanting more!
Steps to Why Bother
- Leave Behind- Examine the excuses we make!
- Ease In- Get the fire going. You matter and what you want matters! Take the time to turn towards yourself
- Settle In and Find the Stillness. At our core is peace and well-being. Unless we sit in the stillness we don’t know or hear what we want.
- Desire- Life is speaking to you. Allow yourself to feel that desire
- Become by Doing- You begin to experiment
- Be Seen- Be seen as your whole self
The Oasis Group with Jennifer
Jennifer’s Challenge for the listeners!
Resources and Links
Jennifer Louden Website here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Katharine Chestnut is the founder and CCO of Alkaloid Networks, a coworking space she founded in 2015. Over the past two decades, Katharine has navigated the realm of self-care, studying multiple wellness disciplines to support her own personal growth. Her new book, Inner Affirmations, is a testament to her practice of personal self-care and the kind of growth that comes from a mindful journaling routine.
Katharine’s journey started twenty years ago when she was introduced to her mentor, Sue Meyers who in her own right was a million-dollar realtor turned spiritual guide. Sue was teaching weekend workshops in the area and Katharine decided to attend. The focus at the workshop was on non-dominant handwriting.
When Katharine was introduced to this practice in the workshop, she was asked to write down her answers to a series of questions and you would write the answers with your dominant hand. Then 30 minutes later you would answer the same question but with your non-dominant hand and get a completely different answer!
After the workshop, Katharine did her research and found that using your non-dominant hand, helps you to slow down and be more mindful in your writing. You have to be very thoughtful about creating what you are writing as it’s not coming that easy! Because you are being more mindful and you have to slow down, your ego gets out of the way.
This may sound a bit strange, but when you’re using your dominant hand, you are writing what you should be feeling and thinking. This makes sense because your ego and logic are driving you. When you switch to the other side, your ego short-circuits a bit and quiets down so it can become authentic and what is true for you at your core.
When Katharine would analyze the answers to her questions with both hands, she was stunned. It really did resonate with her and the differences and similarities in her journaling. But the differences that she journaled were far more of the essence of what was true at her core.
Since that day, Katharine has been practicing non-dominant journaling as her main focus of practice!
Katharine offers every Monday morning at 9:30 am EASTERN on Insight Timer a weekly practice where you can participate. Check it out!
Years later while Katharine was journaling, she wrote down a word/ phrase that she wanted to continue to think about throughout the day so she wrote it on a piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket so she could look at it throughout the day. She wanted to refer back to it so she could come back to a place of calm and grounded throughout the day. Katharine would pull it out throughout the day, take a deep breath, and be able to go back into that space of calm that she desired. It was then that she started doing it more and after time she would be pulling out of her pocket these little affirmations!
It was those little slips of paper, often referred to Katharine as her “love notes to self” that became her book! Even to this day, she still writes down an affirmation and puts it in her pocket because it helps her to heal and focus on what’s true in her life.
If you go to Katherine’s website you can see her daily inner affirmation which you can write down for yourself and stick in your pocket!
Katharine began to put her marketing skills to work and began creating a brand for herself and her work so that she could begin to reach more people with teachings!
We discuss how to make daily affirmations a part of your daily routine and how to write affirmations that resonate with us which are true to our inner beliefs and desires! Katharine shares that it doesn’t need to be hard to access that place of calm and knowing and if you have a pen and piece of paper, you can do it from anywhere!
Katharine shares about her Sunday evening routine which helps her to stay focused. She asks the questions
How did my week go?
What did I plan to do?
What could have gone better?
How do I want to feed my spirit and soul this week?
From there she is more mindful about heading into the next week with an intention for herself
Katharine will be creating some new content that will be available to her community in 2022 so I invite you to go over and check out her website at the link below!
Links and Resources
Connect with Katharine Chestnut
Order the Book: Inner Affirmations
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Melissa Houston is a CPA and Financial strategist for CEO’s. Melissa helps successful business owners increase their profit margins so they can keep more money in their pocket and increase their net worth! Melissa is a columnist at Forbes.com and the host of The Business Society Podcast
Melissa started her journey as a social worker and worked in that sector for five years and realized that long-term it may not be the best fit for her. She then went back to school and chose to account as it was the “responsible, reliable choice” but then realized that something was missing and that was her interaction with people! It was at that time that she decided to go out on her own and combine her social working skills with her in-depth knowledge of money! For Melissa, it’s wonderful to be able to help women entrepreneurs in every aspect of their business to ensure that they are setting their business up for financial success!
There was a period of about a decade where Melissa suppressed her feelings of wanting to go into business for herself. Suppressing and not dealing with her feelings meant they came out in other ways and self-sabotage ensued. She ended up being in a situation where she was spending money recklessly to make herself feel better about what was lacking in her life. She continues to share this season with us and the impact that it had on herself and her marriage. At that point she stopped and took a look at herself and that she was not being true to herself. Melissa learned a lot about herself during this experience which helps her assist other women in a non-judgemental approach. She’s been there and done that! Messing up and feeling shame doesn’t define who you are, it’s just part of the experience! Melissa was in her late forties when she made this pivot in her career so it’s never too late!
In our conversation we dive into, How do I even know if I need a money coach? A lot of that surrounds knowing if your business is profitable or not. So often business owners will only evaluate their business on how much money they have coming in the door. So if you don’t know if you are profitable or if you don’t have a financial plan for your business moving forward then you are a business without a direction.
The purpose of being in business is to make a profit and if you are not operating at a profit eventually you will go bankrupt. Sadly 82% of businesses fail due to being financially mismanaged. If you can understand how to manage your finances you can eliminate so much of that problem!
Let’s say you are ready to hire a financial business coach! You may be wondering what it is you need to think about? How do you know if you are picking the right team member? We dive into all those things that you will want to consider moving forward.
Melissa also shares some of the limiting beliefs she hears from her clients and how your mindset around money and your business is so important! This is a big part of her offering to be a financial expert and coach. We dive into discussing some of these beliefs and new ways of looking at yourself and your business!
We discuss so many other topics as it relates to running a business! There are lots of valuable nuggets in this podcast! Melissa also shares advice on how she works with an entrepreneur who has been in business but never paid herself! She reminds the listeners that what you are doing is not a hobby and that you need to have in your budget to pay yourself! Melissa also shares the number one mistake that women entrepreneurs make and that is not understanding your numbers.
What is the secret equation to running a successful business? Bringing in those sales and knowing how to manage your money!
Melissa offers both 1:1 Coaching and her Confident Cash Method on her website. The Confident Cash Method is a five-step framework that she takes her clients through. This process gives you a high level of understanding of your business so you can make smart and informed decisions that are going to make your business profitable.
Resources and Links
Connect with Melissa Houston
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Fran Braga Mininger is a writer, author, content provider, and creator of The Years Beyond Youth.com. She writes about an era in a woman’s life that can be exciting, engaging, and vibrant despite or perhaps because of, what comes with age. Her work has been featured on Sixty and Me, Ruminate Magazine, KQED Radio, She Rose Revolution, Changing Aging, and other online and printed publications.
Fran retired around 59 years young and for the first few months, it was fun to have all the freedom and to be able to do what you wanted. She started to feel restless and wondered, what comes next? It was at that time that Fran went into therapy as she found it was a bigger transition than what she could manage on her own. Her therapist told her, “ this is the next stage in your life, and it’s up to you to create it! “ Fran took that message to heart and began the process of waking up every morning at 5 am and sat at her computer to write! She found that writing was very fulfilling and she was finding interest in the things it was being revealed. Most of what was being written was coming from a place that she hadn’t processed in her mind.
During encounters with friends, Fran began to share her writing and they encourage her to share her important messages with others. She then started a writer's Facebook page where women came and enjoyed her writings. This then progressed to submitting her writings to other publications for women. Fran also has her blog and feels that she is on a great journey!
Fran shares that a helpful piece of advice she received from her therapist was, slow down, don’t be so hard on yourself, what you want will come! Say YES to a lot more things! I know when I am working with clients in the self-exploration process, I encourage them to say YES and be open to new experiences as you never know where they will lead and who you may meet!
I ask Fran about what it was like to be so vulnerable in putting her writing out in public as a lot of time, she was writing about herself! She shares how she participated in a writers group and that experience in sharing and what an impact that had on her life. The feedback she received from the group, helped her to keep moving on to the next thing! Every time she would release something it would be more personal than it was the last time. The comments that she gets back through her work are so rewarding and fulfilling and she knows from those comments that she is making a difference.
The reason why Fran gets up at 4 am to write is because she wants to share! And the number one message she wants to share with the woman over 40 is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. There is a whole tribe of us out there doing the same. You just need to take one step at a time!
While we are discussing Fran’s work, I ask her about a recent article: Living Deeply, and ask her what living deeply in your life means to her. She shares that she noticed at one point, she was having a lot of superficial conversations and that her writing was deep but she wasn’t having conversations on that level. During that year, she started to be more vulnerable and have more truthful conversations with the people she trusted. When she found that people were resistant or didn’t want her to change then she let go of those relationships. For Fran, it’s part of the growing process. It’s reflection, introspection, and spending time with yourself.
I invite you all to visit Fran’s blog and become a part of her community! Her writings will inspire you and cause you to reflect on your own journey.
Resources and Links
Connect with Fran Braga Meininger
Fran’s Article Living Deeply
Fran’s Article Wooden Spoons of Comfort
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Danielle Collins is THE Face Yoga Expert! With over 17 years of experience teaching to millions worldwide! Danielle believes in combining traditional techniques that have been used for thousands of years with modern scientifically proven research. Believe it or not, Face Yoga has been proven to make you look three years younger in 20 weeks as these results were conducted by dermatologists at Northwestern University! Not only does she provide the tools to her community to do this in their home but she supports her community with a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, shop, and teacher training! Danielle makes herself accessible and is a wealth of information on how to nurture your mind and body!
Danielle’s journey started 19 years ago when she had just completed university and was starting her career but began to feel very unwell and went to see a doctor. She was diagnosed with a virus called glandular fever. At that point, she was housebound and bedridden for a good part of a year. It was during that time that a doctor told her that there was nothing they could do for her. Basically, this is how you’ll live for the balance of your life! It was during this time that someone recommended yoga. This gentle method of taking care of herself kick-started her journey to a path of healing herself from the inside out.
During this period of discovering yoga and seeing the results on how she felt within her body, she called on other experts to learn meditation, positive thinking, visualization, massage therapy, and acupuncture. It was by combining a lot of these techniques together that she was able to feel healthy and strong within 18 months!
Coming through to the other side of her illness, Danielle knew that she had suffered in this so that she could share her experiences with other people. She knew that there were other people perhaps going through a similar illness or may just want to learn some simple and effective techniques to help them feel healthier and happier.
It was then that she took some training in relaxation therapy, yoga teacher training, nutrition, and face massage. Initially, she started out by teaching a lot of relaxation and yoga classes. It was then that she wanted to do something that was natural for the face. Danielle explains that at the time, there wasn’t a lot available and all the focus was strengthening our bodies from the neck down. There are 57 muscles in our face! With her knowledge about facial massage, she wanted to develop a protocol where people could do these techniques at home.
Danielle goes on to share how we can strengthen and relax certain muscles. We do have control over how we can naturally keep our skin vibrant and healthy! This is when she developed the Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method. Not only is she teaching these principles to students but she has written two books on her methods which have been translated into 12 different languages.
Danielle shares some of the feedback she has received from people who have used her face yoga method and some pretty incredible before and after pictures! But most of all their face looks vibrant and healthy. They also notice a release in the stress and tension in their face as well as a reduction of headaches and sinus issues.
We jump into how to get started and it really depends on how much time you have in your day and the type of results that you want to achieve. A great starting point is her ten-day course.
On her website, you’ll be able to see the opportunity to connect and subscribe to her podcast and her products. We do discuss her newest product: The Fusion Mask. This product is natural, vegan, and organic. It won’t be harsh or react to the skin. You can use this product a couple of times per week. It’s designed to draw out impurities in the skin, hydrate, and encourage cell renewal and natural cell turnover. It helps to stimulate the natural production of collagen.
In our conversation, we discuss how face yoga can help to produce more collagen and elastin in our skin. We naturally tend to lose about 1% of collagen each year from around the age of 18. Massage is very helpful with cell turnover and renewal as it gets into the middle layer of the skin. Boosting circulation and help get fresh blood and nutrients into the areas where collagen and elastin lie. By strengthening and toning those muscles under the skin you will be providing that structure and everything will look more lifted!
Maybe today is the day for you to get curious and connect with Danielle! Perhaps give Face Yoga a try?
Links and Resources
Connect with Danielle Collins
Danielle’s 10 day Face Yoga Course
Fusion Mask and Serum
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
This podcast episode is the journey of my client Sky who recently completed her 8-week coaching program with me to gain the clarity and confidence she needed regarding her next career move!
Sky came to me recently unemployed and feeling confused about what to do next. She wasn’t sure if staying in her early childhood education was the best move for her and she was needing some guidance to help make that decision and gain the skills she needed to show up with confidence to be able to discuss her experience and skills during the interview process
Sky wrestled with the how-to effectively seek employment and those beliefs that “nobody was going to want me as a woman in midlife”. She also felt that she was “too old to change what she was doing”. She had a lot of negative mindset going on at the time of our first meeting!
Sometimes making that initial call to a coach can feel scary and be vulnerable with someone you don’t know very well. Sky shares how she felt after that first free sixty-minute introductory call with me. “It felt good like I was connecting with somebody who understood my situation and help tease out what I wanted and what would make me happy and fulfilled”.
It was clear after our initial conversation that Sky didn’t feel that great about herself or her situation. For her, it was like a lifeboat came along and she was going to jump on!
Sky shares what it was like to show up for the coaching each week and do the homework which combined self-exploration and career coaching. Sky loved the exercises because they showed her that what she was looking for in the future and it whatever she chose would need to be meaningful and purposeful. She also learned that she had a lot of knowledge about families and wanted to a be service to her community!
During this process, Sky created some big dreams and big goals for herself, and for her, it was helpful to have someone help break those down into small steps that she could follow so that each week she accomplished those goals!
Sky shares how she enjoyed working through the worksheets in the Passion and Purpose Workbook. She shares her favorite worksheet during the eight weeks and that the exercise made her feel like she was an investment and does have a value to provide and there are things that she wants for herself and her future! She loves going back and reading what she wrote on the exercises during the coaching process as it helps her to see how far she has come during this period!
We discuss that time in the coaching process where Sky felt that turn in her mindset and how she saw herself. That process evolved from the very first session where we tackled some of her ongoing nightmares and how to work through that process. Then she had her mirror work assignments which in the beginning she was whispering her mantra and now she is comfortable looking at herself in the mirror and believing what she is saying to herself! Even now she is continuing to remind herself in the mirror that she deserves her ideal life! This helped her keep her goals and focus while making ongoing progress.
There are many coaches out there on the internet and Sky shares why she decided to work with me through the eight-week coaching process and how she felt about our initial introduction. ( I’ll let you listen to her own words! ) So important to hear if you are looking to reach out to a coach!
It became apparent through the coaching that Sky was someone who values creativity, autonomy, and independence. She also wants to give back to her community! She wants to be someone who helps people! Sky decided to take her certification to become a life coach and will be opening her coaching business which focuses on helping families. Her business… is Clarity Parenting and her focus will be helping families with young children. A lot of what she will be offering is providing behavior guidance to families! She will also help families find the right type of childcare for their children and offer a unique perspective coming from her professional background.
Sky is confident now that she can do this and she can create her ideal lifestyle and dream career! She shares that having someone to help guide you to overcome the mindset that is holding you back is very helpful in the process. Also having a coach that can help you take a look at yourself and help you see the value in who you are for yourself and the world is helpful.
What are you waiting for? If you are feeling confused, overwhelmed or stuck in what to do next for your career journey let’s connect for your free sixty-minute session so we can get to know each other! Go grab your favorite beverage and fill out your application!
Links and Resources
Connect with Sky
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Cindy Burnett is the host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast where she interviews authors about their latest works. An avid reader and book reviewer, Cindy loves to talk about books everywhere she can. In addition to hosting her podcast, she actively promotes books she loves on social media including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Cindy writes two book columns for The Buzz Magazines, Buzz Reads, and Page Turners, and reviews books monthly for Bookreporter.com. She is also a co-creator of Conversations from a Page, a Houston author event series that brings authors and readers together in a relaxed and welcoming setting; the group recently added an online book club as well. As a SheReads.com contributor, she writes "best of" book articles in the genres of historical fiction, non-fiction, and mysteries. In addition to reading, Cindy loves theatre, art, movies, National parks, travel, and hiking in Colorado during the summer.
Cindy shares her journey on going from lawyer to retirement to take care of children and then ultimately finding her passion and purpose! She shares how it was seven years ago while working on a volunteer project for her kid’s school that someone recognized her love for reading and invited her to be a part of their Facebook book group! It was by being in the group, meeting, and interviewing authors that it snowballed to where she is today! ( You just never know when saying yes to something will turn into something more! )
She shares that going through this process was exciting because she always loved reading books and loves to talk so it was fun to see that it could turn into a career! The path wasn’t easy nor a straight line! It took a lot of exploring and correcting to form the circle she feels that she has created today!
Cindy’s journey continued by hosting a book event in the home for her friend’s book that was published. The response was fantastic and many people showed up and loved the event. Soon everyone was asking about the next event! From there Cindy continued to invite authors to the home for these in-person events. It’s during these events that Cindy and her co-host would interview the authors in a very intimate atmosphere! Sounds like a lot of fun!
Then in 2021 the pandemic hit and in-home author hosting events were not realistic and people suggested that she host a podcast and take her interviews to the airwaves! So began the journey of researching what it would take to produce a podcast and before she knew it she was recording up to three podcasts a week!
Cindy shares about her journey in learning the art of podcasting and all that goes into producing a show and how she conquered the learning curve! For Cindy, Google became her friend!
We talk about how to overcome the self-doubt in taking on a new project and overcoming that learning curve! There are so many resources out there to lend a hand:
A Coach who’s walked in your shoes, Google, and YouTube! I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos myself when I started my podcast! Such a great resource for learning how to do something new! Also, ask for feedback! People are willing to share and provide help if you reach out and ask.
Cindy shares that with her podcast business, she picks something new to focus on each month which is great advice when starting out. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Take it slowly, learn and get a good grasp of one aspect of the business or customer before moving on to something new!
We talk a bit about the book industry through the pandemic how right now they are seeing supply chain issues and what are the consequences of those shortages. If you have a specific book that you would like to give for the holiday season then now would be the time to make that purchase!
Cindy shares a book that she is reading right now and one that she is listening to as well!
The print book she is reading now is called: Woodrow on the Bench, Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog
The book she is listening to is called: Taste, My Life Through Food
Our conversation turns to Cindy giving some advice to women over forty who are on the fence about going after their dream. She encourages you to find that something that you love to do! When she was an attorney, she like being a lawyer just fine but she loves what she does now! Can you turn that something that you love to do into something that can move forward into a career?
Resources and Links
Connect with Cindy Burnett
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Terry Tucker has been an NCAA Division I college basketball player, a Citadel cadet, a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, an undercover narcotics investigator, a SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, a high school basketball coach, a business owner, a motivational speaker, an author, and most recently, a cancer warrior. He is the author of, Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Living Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life. Terry and his wife have lived all over the United States and currently reside in Colorado with their daughter and Wheaten Terrier, Maggie. In 2019, Terry started the website, Motivational Check to help others find and lead their uncommon and extraordinary lives
Terry shares that your life should be about your purpose and finding the reason why you were put on this earth, and then living for that reason! Terry had the opportunity to mentor a young man who asked him how to be successful. Not just in his job but in life! He didn’t want to give him a general answer but provide him with something deeper so he created ten principles and then sent them to him. From there, Terry thought that he had a life story to contribute under each principle and that’s how his book Sustainable Excellence was born.
During Terry’s cancer treatment which began in April of 2020, he sat down during that period when he was healing to build the stories underneath each of the principles.
We start by discussing the four truths which are a part of Terry now which he learned during his nine-year cancer journey
Terry’s Four Truth’s
- Control your mind or it will control you
- Embrace the pain and suffering we all experience in life and use it to make you stronger and a more determined individual
- What you leave behind is what you weave in the hearts of other people
- As long as you don’t quit - you can never be defeated.
Terry’s Three F’s
- Faith
- Family
- Friends
This is what’s helped Terry through his cancer journey and we spend a good deal of time talking about the four truths and how to make those a part of your life.
Terry shares that the only way you’re going to live is if you are growing and if you are not growing, then you are dying. He encourages us to take the pain we are feeling and flip it inside so that it’s burned as fuel and use it as energy to make us stronger people. Instead of running from pain, Terry has learned how to use it to make him stronger. I love this portion of the interview!
We are reminded to surround ourselves with people who are going to be positive and uplift us to be successful. Get the negative people out of your life! You don’t have to reach your goal alone. There are people out there who want to be available to help you be successful!
Something to think about is, what are people going to say about you at your funeral?
( don’t get that confused with living your life based on what people think ). If you don’t like what people are saying about you then you have time to change it now! We get so focused on today that we lose sight of the big picture. Take a look at the end of your life! Be happy that you found your purpose in life and that you lived it!
Terry shares a Native American Black Foot Proverb:
When you were born, You Cried and the world Rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice!
Terry reminds us that you can never be defeated! All of us have goals and they often take longer than we anticipate but if you get discouraged don’t give up! As long as you don’t give up, then you can not be defeated!
We discuss that your purpose doesn’t need to be your job! Your job can be that “something” that is there to pay the bills. Your purpose is whatever you feel in your heart. Terry shares that if there is something you think you should do but scares you then go ahead and do it! At the end of your life, the things you are going to regret are not the things that you did, but the things that you didn’t do and by then it will be too late.
Our discussion moves into Terry sharing his process for writing his book and how he disciplined himself to write every day ( except Sunday). Even if the content was not good, he sat down to put something on paper. We even chat about the editing process and what’s that like for an author and how he would listen to their advice, sleep on it and then realize that they were the experts and end up making the changes! Terry also learned that his job was not to sell books but his job was to help people. If you help people, then the book will take care of itself. Terry wrote his book to make a difference and he is impacting so many lives.
We also talk about how to show up for a friend and family member with cancer. Terry’s words of wisdom are so helpful. Hearing firsthand what Terry has experienced going through his treatment was very helpful and he shares those moments and opportunities. Don’t be a friend who sits on the sidelines! If you want to get involved in someone’s life then get involved! Make a meal, walk the dog, cut the grass!
Terry shares his advice for a woman over forty who is at a crossroads in life and is wanting to find her passion and purpose! You have things to give! Just keep going and move forward one day at a time. Keep looking for it and look for it with an open heart. Your purpose will energize you!
Resources and Links
Connect with Terry Tucker
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Jean Atman is a Consciousness Coach and Quantum Healer. Her greatest joy is to spark awakening and facilitate deep level healing in the collective. She has been called to reach beyond her beloved practice and is on a mission to assist in the ascension process at a grander scale.
Jean is passionate about sharing her wisdom, tips, and tools that have proven to be the most effective in influencing her journey as well as for her clients!
We begin by discussing Jean’s journey towards her practice and how she was born into a tumultuous life with a lot of toxicity. When you are dealing with that and a lot of this type of energy you develop a particular belief system about how the world works and how you are loved. As she was growing up, she realized that life didn’t feel good and found herself having a lot of struggles.
At this point, she felt that there should be more to life and it didn’t need to contain so much darkness! Jean feels that she was meant to walk through the darkness and find the light! She then took a deep dive into herself and what she was creating and how she was taking responsibility for the creation of her life around her.
Jean has spent decades unearthing and unpacking all the old belief systems that she grew up around and began shifting them into something she preferred instead. Her process was working with the mental and emotional aspects of these beliefs and their triggers.
In the old paradigm, we often believe that our shadow parts are scary and that we should be afraid of going into that place. Jean says that once we recognize that the fear inside of ourselves are pieces that need nurturing, love and compassion then it’s easier to make that transition and go inside. Jean shares that she began to go on retreats and take time to be with herself and create a sacred space to rest and listen.
For Jean, her meditation practice was what helped her to learn about herself. She shares that when you can be present within yourself that you can gain access to all sorts of places that are typically hidden or ignored because of the busyness of life. We talk more about Jean’s meditation practice and how that’s such an important part of her life and through the years she has learned that she’s not alone when mediating.
We discuss her practice of energy healing and how when you start to clear your field and decongest, you allow something else to come in which can be transformational. At this point, we can choose something better in a higher vibrational aspect for ourselves.
Jean shares with us how she helps her community to be a consciousness creator! She shares how she dives into limiting beliefs and triggers as information. It’s important that as this information comes in and creates a discomfort that we do not stuff it down or deflect it but learn to be comfortable with the discomfort and ask ”what is that within you” and what’s being triggered right now. All those uncomfortable feelings are a wound that’s being poked and prodded to say “I’m here and I am needing something from you” When we take that deep dive to see what that is we can unearth it, nurture, and start to clear those feelings. Once you no longer carry that around within you then it’s a healed space.
Jean believes that we can become conscious of how we are creating our worlds and once you start to heal those things and start choosing something different for yourself you are in a healed place.
We discuss what it really means to rest and restore the body which is so important to have this transformation. Jean shares that it’s not just the typical “go to bed” rest. That’s just the basics! We get so busy with all the external moving parts of the world that we need to give ourselves permission to “pause”. Be in the stillness. We need to stop the momentum and check in with ourselves. At that point, we can ask ourselves how we are feeling about ourselves or a situation and feel the discomfort. Then perhaps if we need to shift our path we, can feel that and make those slight changes.
Jean shares her insight on how to begin and nurture a mediation practice which is very helpful for those beginning or needing to understand how to acknowledge those thoughts that may creep in while taking that pause. She shares that there is no failing or succeeding in meditation that it’s just practice! Be kind to yourself!
Jean offers a course to her community: Limitless which is a foundational shift for people! The first portion of the course work is to challenge the foundation of what’s not working in your world. You talk about limiting beliefs, triggers, the inner critic, and all those pieces that are working against you. Once you recognize what is not working then you can begin to make the shift. Jean also includes mindfulness practices, journaling exercises, and prompts so you can get into your inner world. She also offers community-guided healings. By moving that energy out then you can feel lighter and choose something different and better for yourself. The second part of the course is focusing on the aspects of money, relationships, health, vitality, and the gift of receiving. After you’ve had the opportunity to build a new foundation then you can align the other aspects of your life!
Resources and Links
Connect with Jean Atman
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Book Your Spot for the Free 60 minute Clarity Session here
Dyna Vink is a certified health and nutrition coach who refused to give in after her doctor, dietician, and trainer gave ineffective advice on how to navigate perimenopause. She now coaches women through her site Holistic Nutrition Lifestyle
Dyna started her journey as a director of marketing with several high-tech companies over the years. She had what some may consider a dream job. But in her thirties started to stumble which affected her confidence and belief in herself. Different symptoms starting coming up and she didn’t know what to make of them and hadn’t connected the dots to the “change in life”. Dyna shares with us those symptoms that she was experiencing and how she was working on her own towards trying to find a “magic pill”. Even at her annual check-up, the doctor proceeded to fat-shame her and prescribed a crazy diet of processed foods. She knew that this was not the path to gaining back her overall health.
It was after consulting her doctor, trainer, and dietician that she started to dive into reading women’s aging literature so that she could understand what was going on with her mind and body. She started to make some small changes and focused on a lifestyle approach after all the other exhaustive options.
It was after her journey, research, and education that Dyna felt that she would like to become a health and nutrition coach so that she could help other women through this challenge. Dyna feels that we should be talking more about perimenopause and menopause in our daily lives. It’s nothing to be shameful about. She makes herself available through coaching and education.
We discuss how Dyna intakes a new client and how every client’s situation is handled uniquely and there is no “cookie-cutter” approach. Dyan’s focus is a lifestyle approach and to think of food as medicine.
Food is one of Dyna’s first pillars that she focuses on because it’s so important to our overall well-being and the good news is that this is something that we can control. If we can control the way we eat and resolve some symptoms and problems like inflammation, bloating, joint pain, brain fog, and sleep then it’s a big win for our overall health and well-being.
Another pillar that Dyna focuses on with her clients is quality sleep. Many women come to her stating that they are having issues with weight gain and one of the first questions is, are you getting enough sleep? Sleep is not only vital to your physical health but to your overall weight loss. If you don’t get enough sleep then your cortisol levels go up and that’s a stress hormone that over time can be very toxic to the body. If you can’t get proper sleep then your body can’t perform the general maintenance of removing dead cells and rebuilding tissues.
Dyna makes available on her website an article: Eleven Foods Ladies in Peri-menopause should never eat. I will go ahead and put a link to this article in the show notes!
We discuss exercising for health and exercising for weight loss and how that affects women in perimenopause and menopause. Dyna also shares a client success story which is a great reminder of how we treat our overall health and wellbeing.
So what about the women who are listening that have already gone through the menopause journey and are on the other side? What should we be concerned about moving forward? Dyna shares that a focus on bone and muscle strengthening is very important as we get older and we should not let this area of our practice slide. And please don’t forget to work on your balance! There are many practices and exercises she shares that can help us to stay focused on keeping this an area for commitment.
Dyna closes by leaving the listeners with a challenge and tips on being successful. Are you ready to take her up on this for a short period of time? I know that I have been focusing on her challenge and already seeing some changes in my overall health and well-being.
Resources and Links
Connect with Dyna Vink
Get the Article: 11 Foods that ladies in perimenopause should never eat.
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Lesleigh Tolin is an advanced Grief Recovery Specialist. She has twelve years of professional hospice experience and it has been a dream to help others with end-of-life challenges having experienced an inordinate amount of loss on her own. It’s now her personal mission to work with adults internationally who have been impacted by emotional loss either current or past to transform their pain into power. Her Grief Recovery Method is the only evidence and action-based program for healing grief in our nation.
Lesleigh shares that at the start of her journey, she was dealing with her grief by seeking out different coping skills but it was after being introduced to the method that she uses today with her clients that her life was changed. She was able to process the pain. It was then that she wanted to give back and began teaching this method to others. Lesleigh now serves her community internationally!
We discuss that as women in midlife we have walked quite a journey and perhaps when first reaching out to a grief specialist, they may be coming for one instance but in the end, there may be a discovery of more underlying grief that has not yet been acknowledged. Lesleigh shares a great analogy of wearing a backpack when you are born and through the years accumulating more grief and putting it away until finally you are unable to deal with the amount of grief and need to seek help.
Lesleigh walks us through the definitions of grief:
Grief is the natural and reaction to loss.
Grief is the conflicting mass of emotions that we each feel when anything familiar changes
Grief is reaching out to someone who has always been there for us and they are no longer there for us ( either physically or emotionally )
When grieving, it doesn’t always need to be about something sad. It can also be about something good.
Lesleigh makes sure that each of her clients they feel that they feel safe, seen, and secure in their heart-to-heart discussions each week. It’s a place where they can communicate about those lost expectations, hopes, or dreams.
We discuss the six common myths in our culture surrounding grief and our conversation highlights all six of the myths. One common myth is “give it time”. Lesleigh gives a wonderful explanation as to how time does not heal grief and that action within time heals. Not just time it’s action within time.
Lesleigh goes on to share how to comfort someone when you don’t know what to say at the moment when someone you love is grieving. It’s simple but effective and will speak from your heart.
Lesleigh's introductory program is an eight-week program in which she leads 1:1 support and a book from John James: The Greif Recovery Handbook. The client would receive the book, worksheets and then meet weekly with Lesliegh to begin walking together on this journey. This is a structured, compassionate and experiential process that has therapeutic effects. At the end of eight weeks, you have an emotional toolbox so they can process any future loss.
We discuss the importance of doing this work with a guide because it can be stressful, exciting, and challenging. Lesleigh is there for you each week and in-between sessions so if something comes up and you need support she will be there for you to process your thoughts and emotions.
Lesleigh goes on to share a client’s story and how they were able to transform their life by going through this process. It’s a beautiful story and it's her purpose to her work with others.
Lesleigh found this calling at the age of seventy! She believes in youth- ing and not aging and we continue to discuss those stories that women may tell themselves in midlife that they are “too old” to try something new and find their passion and purpose in life!
It’s never too late to begin a journey that’s expressive of your heart! There is only this moment and life is short!
Resources and Links
Connect with Lesleigh Tolin
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Today be prepared to be inspired! My conversation this week is with my client: Julia Schmidt who this year completed her eight-week coaching experience.
Julia came to me needing some help in a career search but what she gained were a new career, increased self-confidence, and a completely new mindset!
In our interview, she shares with the listeners
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Where she was at in the beginning of her career search and how that felt and the stories she told herself about her work/life experience and capabilities. Her thoughts on what she felt she was qualified for in a search and how she was limiting herself and her full potential.
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What the coaching process looked like for her and how she worked through the Passion and Purpose Workbook while working towards her career search. She shares how the combination of self-exploration with career coaching homework proved to be a valuable exercise for her journey. This is not just a career coaching journey! You are stepping into the opportunity to learn more about yourself and how your thoughts and emotions drive your actions and create your results!
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Why she picked a coach to work with and how this experience was different from other 1:1 experiences
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How her mindset has shifted in her ability to take on new challenges
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Where she is at right now in her new job and how she is showing up differently each day!
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Her advice to any woman over forty who is on the fence about working with a coach
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What the process looked like for her when reaching out for coaching and why she would recommend it to others.
Julia is living her dream life and you can as well! I believe that we are the author of our next chapter and that in less than eight weeks, you can transform your life!
If you are on the fence on your next steps and lack the confidence to move forward, I invite you to reach out to me for your free 60 minutes Clarity Session so you can discover what is holding you back from your dream career!
This is an exciting process and you will be coached during this sixty-minute call and know in the end if you are ready to move forward! You can apply for a Clarity Session through the link in the show notes!
Resources and Links
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Sharon Valenti’s thirst for knowledge led her to spend time in various places around the U.S., as well as a journey throughout India and the shores and villages of Indonesia. Consistently pursuing her own awakening, she is motivated to help others do the “work” and seek a shift within themselves. In this podcast, we are talking about mastering your thoughts and emotions!
Sharon shares that in her past growing up she experienced a lot of physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse. But through her work, she has acknowledged that each of these moments of trauma in her life served a purpose. She feels it makes her more empathetic to others who have walked that same road. Sharon considers herself a success story because she chooses not to stay in a victim mindset. Now she can offer that same help to others.
During our discussion, Sharon shares that what moved her forward to finding the peace and joy in her life was when she recognized that she was blaming everybody else for what was going on in herself and not taking responsibility. She then learned how to question the stories that she was creating. Each time she was triggered by someone she taught herself to “get still” and find out what was the belief she had going on about herself that triggered those feelings. Sharon gives some great examples about how when we are younger some experiences can lead us to believe things are really not true about ourselves. Sharon found that when she stopped arguing with reality, then the peacefulness in her life began to take root.
Sharon goes on to share that there are three types of Business
- My Business
- Your Business
- The Divine’s Business
When we are in our “own business” then we are showing confidence in ourselves. We ultimately raise our energy. In our conversation, Sharon gives some great examples on this scenario. It’s up to us to train our minds and body to stay in our business.
It’s important that we seek validation within ourselves and not look to other people to give us that reinforcement and raise our energy vibration.
Sharon also shares how she stays in the present moment so she is aware of the true reality of the situation. She gives some great tips on how to train your mind to do that very thing! We are told to stay in the present moment but we are never taught.
We discuss staying in our own business and Sharon shares a great mantra: How do I know it should have happened? Because it did. When you embrace that you realize that the past has already happened and you don’t keep revisiting it in your mind. It only causes pain to keep arguing with reality.
Sharon encourages us all to show up and question what people say about us and if it’s true. We don’t need to prove anything to anybody. Just simply being alive is enough. How are you uplifting yourself with positive information and people? When you start to surround yourself with positivity in your life, the negative people will drop off.
Remember to question those underlying beliefs. Are they really true and whose beliefs are they anyway? Be careful, you may be carrying around someone else’s belief.
Resources and Links
Connect with Sharon Valenti
BluePrint for Stress Release Course here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Hope Kelaher is a therapist who has extensive training in relational and systematic therapy. Her passion is helping those who are struggling with anxiety and depression find healing connections among family and friends. Hope is the author of Here to Make Friends. How to make friends as an Adult
Hope begins by sharing that two years ago she was supporting a close family member who got preoccupied with working and taking care of their family and woke up one morning and felt anxious and depressed about the loss and lack of connections in their life. Being a relational and systemic therapist, this is something she sees quite often in her practice. During this process, Ulysses press reached out to her and asked what she thought about writing a book and so the journey continued. She saw this as a sign and went all in. This is a short book with nuggets of good reminders for those that are invested in building out a greater community of life for themselves.
Reflecting back on writing the book, Hope learned that it’s ok to have different types of friendships who are in your networkand can give you what you need. We all cannot be everything to everybody at the same time. It is important to examine when you do need support around relationships or finances and that you recognize who it is that you can turn to for that support. A friend may be a strength to you in one area and perhaps not another.
It seems that life priorities have a way of getting in the way of us taking the initiative to cultivate new friendships. Hope reminds us that we can’t always rely on that friend being there and that the relationship needs to take ownership from both sides. She has seen in her practice that sometimes we underestimate the amount of work it takes to maintain a good relationship.
We discuss creating authentic friendships and how being vulnerable, having reciprocity and healthy conflict resolution is key. Hope shares examples of this from her own life which is very helpful.
Hope shares what she views as a “soulmate friendship” which is different than a friendship of utility and pleasure. As friends, you are serving a purpose in each other’s life. You are not just liking a post on Facebook. You show up differently and bring to the relationship different a different type of vulnerability.
We discuss that cultivating new friendships is almost like dating and we need to be open to giving people a chance and putting ourselves out there in social opportunities which can be hard for those that may suffer from social anxiety. Hope gives some tips on how to manage these types of situations. We discuss different platforms that are available for people that want to connect and meet new people which may be a great possibility for you to explore!
Keep in mind that when you put yourself out there to make a connection and it doesn’t work for some reason, please remember that many times it may not have anything to do with you. They may just be unavailable to be open at that time. Don’t take it personally! Hope reminds us that like dating, you need to cast a wide net.
Hope shares that her book is collaborative and she is hopeful that people can reflect on their own relationships and the way they show up. There are a number of exercises that people can pick and choose from throughout the book. Her goal was to have concrete exercises that people could access and be able to check in with themselves. Hope shares a couple of the exercises that she likes in the book that you may want to try yourself.
This is a great conversation that will help you to access your friendships and how you are showing up for others and what you may need from others in the future!
Links and Resources
Connect with Hope Kelaher
Purchase her Book: Here to Make Friends. How to Make Friends as an Adult
Hope Kelaher on Instagram
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Lori Ann King is on a mission to inspire you to live a life of true health, love, laughter, and freedom! She is the Amazon best-selling author of Come Back Strong, Balanced Wellness after Surgical Menopause, and a two-time contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series.
Lori didn’t start off being a writer or an author as this journey came to her a bit later in life. She found that she was communicating best when writing and it was her way to process those things around her easily.
In 2014/ 2015, Lori experienced some health challenges and with her doctor, decided to remove an ovarian ovary and ovarian cyst. She went into the surgery expecting to be right back at it in no time but that’s not what happened. She woke up having a full hysterectomy and a full ovariectomy which means that everything was gone. With this procedure, you pretty much lose all your hormones so that puts you immediately into surgical menopause.
Lori thought that menopause was night sweats and hot flashes but she wasn’t prepared for all the other symptoms that came: insomnia, the rollercoaster of emotions, weight gain, and brain fog. She immediately felt out of balance.
It was by researching online and getting involved with other blogs that she discovered other people writing on this topic and started to contribute with her writings. She started to share her story to be an inspiration to others and it was then that she started to write and she kept on writing! She found that through writing, she was connecting with women globally which was very humbling. Menopause is a global issue and we need to find a way to deal with these setbacks so we can find our balance and come back stronger!
Lori goes on to share her experience of waking up and not being in control of her emotions and being frustrated by the pain and bloating in her body. Little did Lori know that this would be years of trying out how to feel good again in her body. This involved some hormone therapy and a lot of lifestyle changes as well. She really had to ask herself “ Is this how I want to feel for the rest of my life or can I change it? “.
Since writing the book, Lori has connected with women all over the world who have thanked her for writing her story as they feel less alone. We as women want to be seen, heard, and be part of a community and not feel so alone.
We talk about how her book has helped women who are going to be getting a hysterectomy and what they can do for themselves as it relates to hormone therapy and other modalities. She also has many suggestions on how to enlist the help of a friend or family as support prior to a procedure and how they can support you in the overall journey.
Lori was very fortunate that the doctor she was working with at the time was very knowledgeable in hormone therapy and felt that it is an art and science. The Science part is the testing and the art is listening to the patient or symptoms and working together down the path together. Her doctor empowered her to play a role in her health.
She shares that if you are not vibing with your doctor and something doesn’t feel right then find someone that has the same belief or that treats you as a powerful part of the partnership and collaboration.
Lori supports her community with her course: Balanced Wellness During Menopause and coaching. Lori shares that she can’t go back and change what happened to her but perhaps she can help ease someone’s pain through their situation. Her course is born out of the book and helps women get through any type of situation, illness, surgery, or setback. The concepts are specific to all menopause and not just surgical menopause.
Lori goes on to share about another book that is coming out in September 2021 which is called: Transform. It’s a book about using your mind to transform your body. It comes from her and her husband’s journey. And if that isn’t enough there is another book called: Wheels to Wellbeing which is also being released that same month. This book helps us to understand the spokes to your wellbeing so that you can live a more blanched life.
We discuss how Lori and her husband continue to make intentional goals and be one another’s support in tough and challenging situations. They have a beautiful relationship that offers a lot of support and you’ll love hearing their story!
Lori asks the important question. What does healthy mean to you? What does movement mean to you? It’s finding those things that you love to do, and define what healthy means to you that’s so important to your overall success. We need to give ourselves grace and love during this change. So often it comes from a place of hate and we need to come from a place of self-love. Lori wants to live every single day as healthy and she can because there are people in her life that are counting on her! And she needs the energy to do that! :)
She encourages us to find the right movement that works for us and listen to our bodies. Sometimes we may feel like being more physical and other times we may need something less like yoga or Thai Chi. Be curious and open to finding what works best for you. It doesn’t need to be the same routine every day to be a form of self-care. Listen to yourself and honor what comes up for you, that’s self-care.
Resources and Links
Connect with Lori Ann King
Connect with Lori on Instagram Here
Free EBook Wheels to Wellbeing
Purchase any of Lori’s books here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Elizabeth Dunkel is a writer, author and is here today talking about her journey in writing the book: How to Live Like A Millionaire on a Retirement Budget! I found Elizabeth through her website a couple of months ago! Her writing is wonderful and she tackles some great topics for us, women, over forty!
Elizabeth starts by sharing how we think about retirement your entire life and dream of what it will be like for yourself and then you get to retirement and say, “ what is this?” There is a fine balance between living a full life and preparing for retirement. She says that in preparing to retire, you don’t want to air on the wrong on either side! Elizabeth shares how your forties are a great time to get your financial house in order! That first step is to become financially literate.
She goes on to share that if you are not financially literate in your forties now is the time to get there! The personal journey she shares about having gone through a financial crisis and learning more about the financial services industry helps us to understand and be able to move forward with a new story for women over forty!
Elizabeth wanted to write her book so she could show how luxury and abundance is a mindset. There are ways to live beautifully and luxuriously and like a millionaire on very little money! It’s all about changing priorities. It’s about living beneath your means but NOT scrimping!
She goes on to say that luxury is all about developing your personal style and being authentically you. It’s about finding pleasure in the tremendous sensuality of life that is around you. Elizabeth goes on to share that buying the perfect tomato and making a tomato sandwich with homemade bread is extraordinarily luxurious. It’s your care and time that went into making that sandwich that made it beautiful.
Elizabeth shares that retirement is not a moment which is really how we viewed it long ago. You worked for a company and on a specific day, you received the gold watch. Those days are over! Retirement now takes a few years to ease into your mind and body. She shares that it is a process of turning into a person who can truly pursue their passions. Elizabeth goes on to share the passions that she has discovered in this later season of life.
In her book, she shares how to eat, travel, and dress like a millionaire and during our interview shares some of these lessons she has learned. One great share from Elizabeth is that rushing is not luxurious! Stop rushing to the airport! It only creates and causes stress and makes you sweaty. By leaving to the airport early you can arrive calm and have the time to relax and that doesn’t even cost a penny! She shares many more examples in our conversation.
We then have a great conversation about the process of aging and how we all have a special season of growth during each decade and how important it is to recognize and honor that journey! It’s a beautiful conversation where Elizabeth shares her review of each season so that it may help us all to take a moment to enjoy ours!
Elizabeth shares a great quote regarding fear: “Fear is not an option”. - Diane Von Furstenberg. There were plenty of times Elizabeth was afraid but she had to put her fear aside and take a risk to move back to the states and start a new life. You can live with fear but at some point, you have to put it aside so you can challenge yourself to move forward.
Lastly, Elizabeth shares that being retired is like being a college student with money. You can read, sleep late, go to the movies. You are now a student of life! How are you preparing for retirement and are you becoming financially literate? Share in the comments!
Links and Resources
Connect with Elizabeth Dunkel
Check out Elizabeth’s Writing at Sixty and ME
Order the Book How to Retire Like a Millionaire on a Retirement Budget
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
When Beth Garrett is not helping women dress for success, you can find her out on the dance floor! Today Beth shares what dancing has done for her life and hopefully inspires you to get out there and give it a try! If not the Carolina Shag then any form of dance that fills you with joy!
After retiring from corporate America, Beth decided to take up dancing. She’s always wanted to dance and one day someone invited her to dance and after one lesson, she’s never looked back! Today Beth shares her passion for dancing and is encouraging us all to get out, be curious and try new things! Who knows, maybe line dancing is in your future!
Beth shares for the listeners that her line dancing is primarily the Carolina Shag which originated in Myrtle Beach, SC and it’s a beautiful dance. Think of dancing to any four-count music like: Under the Boardwalk. ( take a listen )
After Beth’s move to Roanoke, Virginia she felt isolated and lonely and she didn’t have a lot of friends. It was after she started going to the dance events that she met people that have now become her very best friends! Beth loves that dancing provides you with a sense of community.
For a lot of women that would like to dance but don’t have a partner, line dancing is a great option because it doesn’t require a partner and you never feel left behind. You can feel included and make friendships along the way.
Not only is line dancing inclusive, but it challenges your brain. If you choose, you can continue to learn new dances which help you utilize your memory! Dancing is a great way to get out, challenge your memory, and get some exercise!
How do you find someplace to learn dancing or start to get involved in a community? Beth shares that a good place to start is your Parks and Recreation Department which may offer classes. You may also want to check Facebook or ask your friends if they have heard of any groups.
Beth tackles the fear someone may feel going to an event on their own and how to get over that hurdle because she’s done it too! She offers some insight, so if you are on the fence about going to an event on your own perhaps this will help you make the leap.
Beth and her husband are now taking their RV to the road and attending beach music events in their geography! They have made a lot more friendships with other couples doing the same with camping and attending the events which was very surprising to her the following in the line dancing community.
Dancing also helps Beth maintain her flexibility and help with her weight management. Some extra bonuses that she has enjoyed along the way.
Beth is now helping a DJ grow his audience! She created a Facebook page and is now teaching line dancing to others with his music on Tuesday evening! I’m sure Beth never thought that she would be teaching the dance but she finds it fun and rewarding!
I hope that Beth has inspired you to dust off your dancing shoes and get out and find some dance moves that you’ll enjoy! Share with the community if you are now dancing!
Resources and Links
Under the Boardwalk, By The Drifters
Learn to Dance the Carolina Shag Dance
Connect with Beth Garrett at Elevating Your Image
Beth’s Previous Interview on Calm The Chaos here
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Sarah Snyder returns to the podcast to share her newest book: DIY Solo Retreats! Sarah is a writer and conversationalist whose passion is helping others connect spiritually to the outdoors, nature and science.
This conversation will inspire you because we all need to take more time to practice self-care. A DIY solo retreat is not about getting in the car and driving to your nearest spa. This is about intentionally creating time and an environment to nurture yourself. In her book, Sarah shares how to create a retreat in your home or remotely because let’s face it, with the pandemic we may want to remain socially distanced. Also, many of us don’t have the luxury of going away for a retreat consistently so finding a way to create these opportunities is the best way to acknowledge and honor your needs. Plus recharge your battery!
Sarah started her journey with the book by sharing on her blog different aspects of retreating. She received feedback that they were all very helpful and was asked if she could put together a book for her community. She then decided to take on the challenge and realized that there was a lot more she could share and expand on within the book. The book: DIY Solo Retreats, is under 25,000 words so it’s short and an easy read and will inspire you to take some time to create a retreat for yourself!
Sarah shares why we need to create time for ourselves to retreat. The retreat allows us to Calm the Chaos and turn into ourselves and own the power that we have internally. The only way to do this is to schedule this time into your day or week! Even 30 minutes per week is something and so important. It helps us to cope with the challenges that we are facing personally and as a collective society!
We talk about “ME “ time and for Sarah, she defines that as MINE EXCLUSIVELY, which I thought was brilliant! Had not heard of that before but it rang true for me. The conversation then dives into being purposeful about the time we are creating for ourselves by having an intention of what we want to achieve in that time. It can be simple or complex. Sarah recommends simple as she feels that simple is always best. If you don’t set an intention with your retreat, then Sarah shares that from her experience, your mind may just run off thinking about your to-do lists! That wouldn’t be very peaceful, would it? Sarah shares some tips on how to keep even a short period focused and intentional for those who may just be beginning this practice.
Sarah shares the importance of creating a set space for yourself to have your ME TIME and be able to retreat. This way your body and mind recognize that when you arrive at this place that you are safe and can then relax and set your intention. Your mind has a muscle memory that knows that when you are in that space you know what to do. As you become more experienced with your practice it will be easier to take it to other locations.
Our discussion turns to how to prepare emotionally for a retreat. Sarah says this is important especially if you are going to be dealing with a difficult topic or getting quiet and listening for answers that need some type of resolution. For example, you may be contemplating a move or a job change and need to get quiet and have some clarity about questions you may have regarding these opportunities. You’ll need to prepare yourself for what comes up. Her words of wisdom are to expect the unexpected that may come up for you during your ME TIME
Sarah shares her tips on how to put together a full-day retreat and why taking the time for an entire day to yourself is so important. For Sarah, many of her full-day retreats involve being out in nature. She may take herself out on a “date” to a botanical garden or a nature preserve. Somewhere peaceful where she can connect with herself and nature. By getting away and out in nature you are less likely to be distracted by responsibilities at home.
We discuss the importance of getting quiet and finding ways to listen to yourself. To Calm the Chaos, we need to get quiet in our minds and surroundings so we can hear our true desires!
Sarah encourages you to permit yourself to take this time because it’s yours, you deserve it, and don’t ever tell you that you are being selfish!
Links and Resources
Connect with Sarah Snyder
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Sandy Davies is the formulator and founder of HappyPause. Happy Pause is a plant-based preservative-free natural moisturizing balm for vulvovaginal dryness.
Sandy starts by sharing a bit about her story and why she invented her product HappyPause!
HappyPause Balm started when Sandy was dealing with a difficult perimenopausal experience. When she developed the product Sandy was thinking that if she could help just one person, then it would be a success and now she has connected the product with hundreds of women around the globe!
Her journey started by going to numerous general practitioners and being told “it’s just peri-menopause” and one doctor actually offered her counseling! She then discovered a book and realized that she was not alone! Vaginal dryness and atrophy is a real thing. Sandy then went to a chemist and what she was given created a terrible reaction. After the reaction, she looked at the ingredient list and realized that the label had too many chemicals! It was then she thought, “there has to be a better way than this”.
HappyPause is available in a balm and you need only a tiny pearl and as it penetrates the skin, it stays on the skin for hours and helps as Sandy says: “you put a spring back in your step”. As Sandy started the journey to developing the product she first ordered products from across the globe to test them out and found that for some of them, it wasn’t a very pleasant or comfortable experience. She felt the product needed to be simple, feel good, and last.
The testimonials about HappyPause are numerous and most women comment about how the product has changed their lives!
Sandy walks us through some symptoms of vaginal dryness and what can create this problem for most women. We may be experiencing the symptoms and not be aware of the root cause. She goes on to share that there has been so little research in the past but that 20% of women have severe dryness and of that 20%, less than 18% have ever talked to our doctor.
Women in menopause have enough irritations during this time. If we can eliminate one additional, then Sandy feels as though she’s made a difference!
In the formulation of the product, Sandy goes on to share that in her journey she is reminded that you need to trust your inner voice. It doesn’t lead us astray. There were a lot of people who weighed in on what ingredients should be included. After hearing everyone’s input, she went back to the original base product in the formulation. She shares that the simplest idea can be the best idea. We don’t need to overpower with perfumes or preservatives! She loves keeping her product basic and pure.
Sandy continues to speak with other women who have tried the product. Her conversation affirms that dryness is having a big impact on everyone’s wellness and wellbeing and how one product can change how you feel about your intimate core which is the secret to flourishing everywhere!
Links and Resources
Connect with Sandy Davies and HappyPause
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Are you ready for a discussion with someone who is passionate about making meditation and wellbeing practices easy? Hanna Milton is a mindful and well-being instructor! Every technique that Hanna traces is scientifically proven, rooted in mindfulness, and hand-selected based on her personal experience.
Hanna shares in our interview how she didn’t always live a mindful life. In the first six years of her adult life and entering her career, she felt like life was a constant struggle and she was pretty miserable. Her focus at the time was to work really hard and focus on progressing her career? Perhaps that’s similar to your story? At the time, she felt that her happiness would come “someday” when her things were “sorted out”.
When Hanna discovered mindfulness and the world of mental wellbeing, she realized that she was searching for happiness and calm in all the wrong places!
It was at that time that she started to respond to life from an internal place. It wasn’t about changing the external or being something she wasn’t already. It was then that she set out on a mission. For that, Hanna began to retrain her mind and that meant turning down the volume on negative self chatter and anxious thoughts. Also, learning to respond to unpleasant emotions better and how her body was contributing to her misery. Making her feel tenser and worked up. Slowly things started to change for Hanna. Because her practices were so life-changing, she declined to launch a well-being business.
We take a deeper dive into what it means to Hanna to retrain your mind and what that looked like for her in her practice. One of these techniques is called: Diffusion which is to create some space between your and your thoughts. She goes on to give some excellent examples of how to use this technique.
Hanna then shares why she started focusing on helping people reduce stress and anxiety through mindfulness. It goes back to her earlier days when she felt this at work but figured that this was just part of life. It was after her mindfulness practice getting implemented that she realizes that everything she thought was “normal” to experience in her work life was anxiety and stress and she was passionate about helping others through her community. Life doesn’t need to feel like an uphill challenge!
Hanna tells us that you can train your mind to be on your side! Your mind can help support your happiness and well-being. She shares about her online class which is available which is all about retraining your mind to be on your side by introducing the techniques that you will have in your toolbox!
You can free yourself by acknowledging that life will always have ups and downs and we need to learn how to manage our thoughts and emotions. Difficulties will always pass and this can be reassuring. We can also choose to decide how we want to think about a specific circumstance so we can drive a different emotion.
Hanna wants people to trust that there is another way to live and that it requires putting in the effort to make it a part of your reality! Mindfulness does require repetitive practice and effort.
Links and Resources
Connect with Hanna Milton
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Kate Erickson shares about how she uses The Mastery Journal to Calm the Chaos in her life! The journal helps her to stay more focused and productive every day! Kate shares how the Freedom journals was their first tool and has you focus on achieving one goal with set targets within 100 days! After the rollout of the Freedom Journal, their audience was asking them, “how do you focus on multiple things and move forward in a productive way and still get to enjoy life?” That’s when the Mastery Journal was created! The Mastery Journal is how to master productivity, discipline, and focus in 100 days!
Kate already felt like a pretty productive and disciplined person when it came to focusing and getting things accomplished. However, when she started to use the journal, what she was doing in six hours, she was now doing in 3 ½ hours! Who wouldn’t love to have that type of productivity! I know I would love to have more free time for the things I enjoy! She shares her passion for helping people understand that very small tweaks in how you set yourself up for success every day can make a massive difference!
The Mastery Journal is a powerful tool in helping people focus on the right things and not let everyday distractions get in the way of us accomplishing our goal!
The Mastery Journal starts by having you plan out your morning routine which plays a big part in how you create momentum for your day! You get to plan out that day before what that looks like for you and a desired start and end time. They pick a beginning and end time because if things are “open-ended”, you are more likely to get distracted or take that much longer to get done! I’ve had a lot of success saying that this is only going to take me one hour and by golly, I get it done in one hour! You stay focused to get it done!
After the morning routine, you go into four focus sessions. You set up a focus time and then a refreshing time ( which would be time for you to get up and get that next cup of coffee or tea and do some stretching ) By writing down your four focus sessions, it helps you not to break your focus!
In each of the sessions, you score yourself with a discipline and productivity score. This is on a scale of 1-10. This is great feedback for you to better understand how you can better prepare for the sessions and if you did get distracted was it in or out of your control?
We book-end the journal by planning for tomorrow! What went well for the day and what didn’t go so well? We can then ask ourselves, how can we plan better for tomorrow? So, before your feet hit the floor the next morning you already know what that routine will look like and your goals and objectives!
I share my experiences with the Mastery Journal! How using this as a guideline has given me the freedom and more time to do the things I love without having the guilt that I should be working on something more for that day!
Kate shares the type of results and feedback that others have gotten by using the Mastery Journal! It does give you the freedom to pursue more or just take the time to relax!
Links and Resources
Get your copy of The Mastery Journal
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Samantha Coffin is a wellness + mindset coach focused on helping women go from a life full of symptoms to a life full of living. As a child, Samantha personally struggled with health + wellness. She doesn’t have many memories where she wasn’t sick. Yet the various doctors she saw had few answers and many told her that her experiences were “normal”. After FINALLY being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Lyme Disease, and Endometriosis she decided to take her health into her own hands. She got her master’s in Gender + Women Studies + became a certified health coach!
When Samantha finally received her diagnosis, it was a sense of relief and dread at the same time. You have an answer but if you know anything about lyme, endo or celiac, you have it for life as it is a chronic illness. We begin to discuss her wellness journey in working with her doctors and how she needed to find her own path because Western medicine didn’t have a solution. Samantha had to trust her own intuition and began to assemble her own wellness team. She goes on to share some of the protocols that she found to help her with these inflammatory conditions. Samantha also talks about her diet and the foods she has eliminated which have helped her overall wellness.She doesn’t think of this as deprivation of foods. Sammantha instead chooses not to experience those symptoms any longer. What a great way of thinking turning your thinking of deprivation to self care!
It was on this journey that Samantha realized that this is what she is supposed to be doing and started getting her certifications! She started supporting friends and family and then took on clients.
Then in 2019, Samantha walked away from a job that was pulling her apart and didn’t resonate with her anymore so she began to explore her next chapter! She then started working with a functional practitioner in her office and received her certification as a health coach. It was then that she knew that this was where she was meant to be! Even though she may have moments of self doubts she remembers her own journey and reminds herself that she is doing this because “no one should have to struggle for over 20 years!”.
We then go on to discuss how her living in alignment with her passion and purpose has changed her life! She provides us some beautiful insight on what that looks like for her every day! Don’t we all deserve this same beauty? We also talk about what it’s like to dive feet first into your passion full time. Samantha shares some things that have
helped her on this journey of going all in full-time in her new career.
Samantha then goes on to share some stories about the healing journey of some of her clients. Which was very inspiring!
We go on to discuss Samantha’s blog and how she aspires to have a cookbook someday and has a lot of fun recipes on her site for her community! She started to create these recipes out of necessity because she didn’t want to eat the “fake stuff”. One of her first was Vegan Mac and Cheese Samantha then goes on to share that the Maple Tahini Cookies are very popular on her site
Samantha goes on to remind us that if you don’t prioritize your wellness now then you’ll be forced to prioritize your illness later!
Resources and Links
Connect with Samantha Coffin
Get the Recipe for Maple Tahini Cookies
Get the Recipe for The Best Mac and Cheese, Vegan
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
In this episode of Calm the Chaos, my friend and fellow Airbnb host Dana turns the tables and interviews me about my new book: The Tell-All Guide to Airbnb Hosting, Proven Tips, and Tricks for Successful Hosting!
In this interview, Dana digs into asking me what inspired me to write the book and what that process looked like for me throughout that journey
What inspired me to write the book is that my kids encouraged me to take it on and so many people thought that hosting was an easy job! I had many people think, “you just put a mattress in a corner and call it good”. That’s not all that is involved and not why Airbnb was created! Back in Airbnb’s humble beginnings, the purpose of the home-sharing concept was to give people traveling a welcoming home experience and have people experience local neighborhoods to get a true flavor of traveling to that area.
Dana goes on to ask me a bit about my home and what I make available to my guests. We then go on to discuss how this platform has played such an important part of my life being a single mom raising two children. At the time I started this journey, my kids were older and there was college to pay for, new roofs for the home, and other home improvement projects on the horizon. Besides being able to meet people from all over the world, the financial stability that came from home-sharing was important!
I will share some of the tips in the book on how to get started as a host and important things to think about for yourself before you embark on this journey! Things that will help you when the going gets tough, and you ask yourself “why am I doing this?” Because those moments will happen! In the book, I paint a realistic picture of hosting in your home but set you up for success by sharing stories and tips so you’ll learn from my years of experience!
In the conversation, I do share some specific instances of guests, their situations, and the lessons I learned along the way from their visit. Every guest comes with a lesson and it may surprise you!
Even if you are not thinking of hosting, this is a great conversation because it will help you to see how to be a great guest! Dana even asks me “ What makes a great guest when using Airbnb?” I share that in our conversation.
We end our conversation by discussing what it was like on the author’s journey! I had never written a book before and share how I reached out to numerous people for help! When I didn’t know how to do something, I found the person who could help! It’s important to just start the process. You don’t have to figure it all out ahead. Half the fun is not knowing which direction things are going to go. It’s important to have an open mind and be flexible to go “with the flow”.
Have I inspired you through this conversation to do something you’ve always wanted to do? It may not be to write a book and that’s just fine! Everyone has a unique journey but hopefully, you can learn from mine!
Resources and Links
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Grab my book! The Tell-All Guide to Airbnb Hosting
Ashley Holt is passionate about bringing women’s voices and leadership into the world! After facing divorce and becoming a single parent, Ashley reinvented her life and turned her pain into her power and purpose! She is the author of Goddess, Wake up! Through all of her books, Ashley’s mission is to empower others to claim their power, recognize their highest potential and live their best life!
We begin our conversation by jumping in to discuss Ashley’s journey through her divorce and how being introduced to positive affirmations changed her life! For Ashley, this was a “mind-blowing” transformation. Growing up, Ashley didn’t have a lot of confidence and felt very insecure. When she started using positive affirmations, it took her a while to get comfortable speaking those words into existence. What Ashely found was that they started to work! It was then that she started researching how these affirmations help to rewire the brain. She then began to listen to these affirmations while she slept. She then asked herself, why was she just learning this information? It was then that she started teaching these affirmations to her children.
She then started to incorporate these affirmations into children’s books so other children including her own would be exposed to these affirmations as well. Ashley started to share her stories at schools and libraries. As her children grew up she ventured into writing books for teens. Through her talks with teen girls, the mom’s would reach out and say that even they needed these messages and that’s how she eventually wrote books for adults.
Ashely then goes on the explain that during this time she realized that what she needed to do was to share how she got through her pain and begin sharing how she started to lie a life based on her potential instead of the pain. This became the seven steps to the goddess mindset transformation! The commitment to this transformation is that it takes five minutes per day. That’s not very long!
We then dive into the contents of her book. The 28- day goddess mindset transformation is based on the word G.O.D.D.E.S.S Each letter is an affirmation and teaching.
G- Get outside your comfort zone
O-Overcome negative self-talk
D-Dare to dream big
D- Declare your desires to the universe
E-Expect Miracles
S-Stand In your truth
S-Surrender to self-love
Ashley shares that towards the end of the 28 days, you will have gotten outside of your comfort zone and allowed yourself to see what is possible. You are beginning to not just dream but dream BIGGER!
When you think of a goddess, she stands in honor of her superpower and you can not take that away from her because it is her very essence. Ashley feels that we are all here with one special gift and we are supposed to shine into the world. We need to stop hiding that goddess within us because the world is waiting for it! What is your goddess superpower and how do you find it?
Ashley encourages us to stop playing small and unleash her inner goddess!
Resources
Connect with Ashley Holt
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Natalie Wester is a solo international traveler and blogger who retired before sixty. She is now inspiring women in midlife to permit themselves to change the life they’ve been living so they can live a life they love!
After two careers and a season that was spurred by loss and a long-term relationship ending, Natalie decided she needed a change! On a trip to New Orleans Natalie had an encounter with three women who shared how they changed their lives and felt inspired to do the same. On the plane back to Clevland, she thought that she would just retire! I mean why not? She then met with her financial planner and set in motion to retire the following year.
Natalie then embarked on a journey of visiting six countries in seventy days! This took around two and a half months and she took just one carry-on and had a budget of fifty dollars a day. Natalie shares how she felt the night before starting this journey and how she faced a panic attack and her fear of flying. She thought to herself, take one step at a time! I just need to get to Portugal! During her thirty-day stay in Portugal, Natalie began to feel more confident and was able to overcome her fear of traveling alone, getting lost, and her fear of heights. It was empowering for Natalie to feel that she could navigate this trip on her own!
Natalie shares with the listeners her most interesting experience within the seventy days which was her trip to Morocco. She shares about her hike experience in the high Atlas mountains where she needed to get out of her comfort zone and face her fear of heights! The experience of being in the home of a Berber family and sharing a beautiful meal and the sunset on the drive back was one of her highlights and made her get out of her comfort zone.
We then go on to discuss how Natalie has an interest when she turns 65 to move to Portugal and how she landed on this location. With all of her criteria, Portugal checks all of her boxes!
Natalie then goes on to share how she started her Instagram account as a way to stay connected to her family and friends back home. She then went on to sign up for a class and took a course on creating a website. And there her blog was born! The response to her blog has been very encouraging and the private emails from people regarding her content has been very gratifying. She is so glad she faced her fear and hit “launch” on her site! Being authentic and unfiltered is difficult and you do put yourself out there when you are creating content for a blog or social media! She has been finding her voice and the confidence to be increasingly transparent.
I then ask Natalie to share about being state teacher of the year and her meeting with President Obama. This is on her website and felt that it was important to recognize this accomplishment and her experience at the Oval Office. ( Way to go Natalie! Let your light shine! )
Natalie goes on to share about her midlife re-imagined apprenticeship to become a whiskey distillery intern. It was her curiosity in learning more about whiskey distilling that she began to figure out a way for her to learn in a real-world environment. It was then that she spoke to the CEO of Cleveland Whiskey and created her position. She then started a twelve-week program! She has been learning a lot about herself and the business. She doesn’t yet know what she will be doing with all this knowledge but she doesn’t need to have it figured out yet! Natalie is having a good time, learning something she has a passion for, and is ok not having all the answers!
You don’t need to travel solo for seventy days to find Natalie’s interview inspiring. Her message is all about moving forward and facing your fears! Now let’s get moving!
Resources and Links
Connect with Natalie at The Hot Goddess
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Tony Loyd is a leadership development expert who helps people who are frozen and frustrated in their careers and aspires them to be purpose-driven leaders! Oftentimes, people may feel inspired but stuck. He helps people develop a bridge from an idea to innovation to impact!
Tony’s podcast, Social Entrepreneur is about interviewing people who are making a dollar and a difference. These are people who are making money but the money is in service to that mission. Tony goes on to share some of these people who he has interviewed and how they are making a difference. Even though Tony interviews individuals worldwide, he provides two examples in his local community which is inspiring!
To help people in this process of creating something bigger than themselves, he asks his clients the following questions
What breaks your heart?
What inspires you?
Those answers are the clues for what you can do in the world!
The next question is
What unique strengths and abilities do you bring to the table?
Tony goes on to share what he would say to the woman in midlife who feels that it’s too late for them to tackle anything inspirational or imaginative. Tony then goes on to share how tackling the questions above and taking baby steps is your first step to making things happen. Ask yourself, what is my one month, ninety-day plan, and then one year plan. Last but not least, what are the daily habits that are going to get me there? Remember, if you take small actions every day then you can make a lot of progress!
You have value in the world! Stand firm and tall! Burning out your candle doesn’t make anybody else's candle burn any brighter. Tony then goes on to encourage all the listeners that if you have something to share that now is the time. We need you more than ever to shine your light and stand tall!
We then go on to discuss Tony’s book: Crazy Good Advice, Ten Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. He took what he learned from the 150 people interviewed and boiled it down to the ten pieces of advice that was given repeatedly. During this process, he came up with one sentence “miracles find you while you’re in motion”. If you are sitting still, then these moments or miracles can not find you. It’s when you go into motion that you run into those little moments of serendipity. So miracles find you while you are in motion. Don’t you love that?
Resources
Connect with Tony Loyd
Grab the book: Crazy Good Advice
Connect with Deborah Voll
The mid-life Quiz here
Download your Passion and Purpose Workbook
Alison Wearing is a best-selling author, playwright, and performer. She is also the creator and facilitator of Memoir Writing Ink. In our conversation, Alison shares how she guides people through the process of transforming personal stories into a memoir.
Alison shares her background as a full-time writer and her thoughts and feeling which surround that journey in calling herself a full-time writer! She mentions how writing letters in lieu of conversations helped her to realize that she was a writer when she received some feedback on a letter sent to a former professor. They encouraged her to submit it to the newspaper and how once it was published, she had this feeling of shock and began to see herself as a writer.
She then began being interested and traveled to places that seemed to cast some darkness to see what she could find. Her travels took her to Serbia and Iran amongst many places. Alison’s writings about her travels in Iran led to her first book. She then goes on to share about her journey after that book and how that process was for her mentally and emotionally.
Alison then goes on to share how conducting a public reading in Mexico lead someone to suggest that she do some theater which she hadn’t considered because she felt that she was a writer. ( the stories we tell ourselves ) We talk more about the labels we give ourselves and how often they limit us. The next thing she knew after doing some thinking, she then created a show and began performing a one-woman show across the country! This adventure led to her creating another performance based on her book: Confessions of a Fairy Daughter.
We dive into speaking further about the labels we give ourselves and how that affected Alison and how imposter syndrome haunts so many people, especially women. She shares a couple of stories of when someone asks her what she does, she had a hard time saying that she actually is a writer or does theater. Have you had this happen to you where you wanted to own a new story for yourself but had a difficult time shouting it from the rooftops? Alison recalls a time when she began making a full-time living at acting and yet had a hard time saying out loud that she was an actor.
Alison shares how she started her program Memoir Writing Inc. She was asked to teach a series of masterclasses regarding English and writing. Not having ever taught, Alison embraced the opportunity to do something uncomfortable that frightened her. It felt right at this time to move into the discomfort as she believes that’s where the energy is in the process and that’s where the mystery unfolds. She said YES! Then began figuring out how to do this. ( A big YES for Alison! ) She shares what this process looked like for getting ready for this next journey. From there Alison began organizing her own retreats and taught more. When she would perform, she would give a workshop the next day and the workshops became more of what she did and she enjoyed it more and more. Soon the writing retreats were in France and Mexico.
( Anyone ready to sign up yet? Sounds fun! )
She found in the classes that people had a similar set of obstacles when people began writing their memoirs and she was beginning to cover the same type of information. It was then that Alison began saying the same thing over and over again so thought “ I should record myself saying these things so that I can have their basic questions answered”. This is how the process began with the workshops. She thought that she would love to make this available to anyone, anywhere so they don’t need to come to the workshop and could complete the material on their own time. Her workshop is now a twelve-week program that is comprehensive. Not only is it an online program but she does offer an online community so there is live support with Q & A‘s so you have the opportunity to interact and get feedback.
Alison finds her work teaching her memoir classes very rewarding. Her greatest joy is waking up and opening an email from a student who shares a breakthrough in their writing. Or to say that they just finished their project.
We then go on to chat about why people find it so important to write a memoir. The value of writing the story is not whether or not it gets published, the value is in the “excavation of it”. One of the great primal urges in human existence is to know and understand ourselves. Perhaps that is why getting our lives on paper is so important. When we know ourselves, then we are fuller and richer people. Not just for ourselves but for everyone we come into contact with in our journey. These are Alison’s actual words that she shares and I felt that it was very interesting to share regarding this need to capture our “time”.
Our discussion about writing a memoir takes an interesting turn where Alison shares how when writing your story down, you begin to feel removed from the story and there is an unexpected “liberation” in the process. You begin to take “my story” into “a story”. It no longer defines us in the same way. The story has shaped us but we are so much more than our story and we are more than the story of what happened to us.
You may be asking where do I start when writing my memoir? The challenge is not what to write about. It more what NOT to write about so you have a central theme that can emerge. We are looking for a higher purpose to the story. Alison shares that’s what we’re looking for when we re-examine our life. We are looking and making meaning of our life.
We wrap up our conversation by talking about the literary contest which Alison is running on her site. It is in honor of a woman that attended her retreat in France in 2019. She was 34 years old, Amy McCray and she was writing about a terminal diagnosis that she had received. Alison created a literary prize in her honor to raise money for her living legacy which raises funds for ovarian cancer research.
I ask Alison if there is anything else she would like to share with the listeners and she mentions how much she loves being a woman in midlife and wouldn’t want to go back! She shares that for many of us the expectations of the “should do’s” begin to fall away which is really nice. She also feels that she has so much more to offer the world than when she was 25 or 30.
Resources and Links
Connect with Alison Wearing
Check out Memoir Writing Ink
Connect with Deborah Voll
The mid-life Quiz here
Download your Passion and Purpose Workbook
Kat Vellos
Kat Vellos is a connection coach and trusted expert on the power of cultivating meaningful friendships! This was perfect timing as I just posted on my blog a post about Making Friends in midlife! Kat cares about connection and having high-quality interactions. Over the years she has facilitated many groups and workshops.
It was after her move to the bay area in California did she notice that it was difficult to establish ongoing friendships. Kat then noticed that others were having the same challenge and she became curious and started to do some research and conduct some interviews to understand why this happens to people. And more importantly, why do we care about it!
We dive into talking a bit about introverts and extroverts and how each type of person has different ways of getting their social needs met and it’s important to recognize that as you move forward in your journey.
Kat shares with the listeners what surprised her the most about her research was how many people said that they struggled to make friends in adulthood and found it difficult to connect with others. We then discuss how a lot of the ways we developed relationships when we were younger are not relevant as we get older and our circumstances change. Our conversation moves into how if you have children their relationships bring you into proximity to other adults and those friendships happen naturally and as times progress if you don’t “name” the relationship and say you want to work on it then it drifts away. A very natural process that I too have experienced with both my kids over the years. Our lives change and evolve and some of these relationships move to different stages. As we now look for friendships in midlife, seeking out friends where we are in the same proximity is a great place to start!
Kat then gives us some advice on not giving up on relationships too soon. Perhaps you’ve extended an overture to someone to have coffee and maybe it went well or was rocky. Cultivating a new friendship is like dating. You need to give it a couple of opportunities for the energy to thrive! She reminds us that the same advice that applies in a dating relationship applies in a platonic relationship! Give it a two-date minimum and give each other enough space and grace to show up. Kat shares that Jeffery Hall’s research says it takes between 90 and 200 hours to convert a stranger into a best friend. And it needs to be 90 hours in the first three months of meeting each other! Now that’s commitment.
We go on to discuss that everything doesn’t need to feel orchestrated or a big event that is stressful to put on the calendar. It can be a bite-size at a time that you are reaching out to connect. A 30-minute coffee chat or a short walk is a great way to connect. You don’t need to commit to a three-hour lunch. Kat gives some great tips on how to create some touchpoints with new friends so you can learn more about each other and cultivate those meaningful connections! She describes this as finding ways to weave your life together. I love that phrase. It’s so fun to think about how you can start weaving another person into your life? Do you have someone in mind right now where you’d like to take that first step and begin to “date”?
Kat goes on to share different ideas on how you can weave various touchpoints into each other’s lives. She has some very creative ways to share. She looks at these as “friendship connection activities''. It might even involve art or music. Just to give you some ideas which she elaborates in the interview. Some fun creative ideas.
We then discuss how reigniting old friendships is a great way to cultivate some connection that you may be wanting in your life. That person already knows you and you have a common history that just needs to be brought up to speed. These people already have context about where you come from and what your life has looked like so far. There is already a built-in appreciation, familiarity, love, and trust that is fertile ground to resprout!
Kat then discusses her book: We Should Get Together and shares some of her most surprising comments she has received from readers. She also shares about how some are guilty of not making time with their friends because they are defaulting all their time to spend with a partner. There are still ways to connect with friends if you do feel that your time is being stretched in other directions and you still want to be intentional about weaving in connections. Kat shares some great tips for bridging the gap.
During our conversation, Kat shares about the Connection Club on her website which she started in the summer of 2020. This was a result of her research and people wanting to stay in touch with their friends but being very busy. This is an opportunity for people to get together as a group virtually and write letters and cards to the people that we care about. It’s scheduled and on the calendar. Who wouldn’t appreciate that? Kat also has another group called: Here to make friends. This is a group for people who want to make friends. She shares all the details about how this group is run and the benefits of being a member. It sounds like a great place to connect and build some new friendships!
One last nugget that Kat shares are to be mindful of what type of connection you need. Who are the people that are most likely to help you meet that need? There are all different types of connections and there is no one-size-fits-all for every human being. It’s so important to know yourself and what you have to offer a friend and be generous with that too!
We also dive a bit into discussing how to manage yourself and your social life while getting back into socializing and connecting with friends after a year we had in 2020. It’s ok to listen to your true needs and honor them. And be compassionate with yourself.
LINKS
Connect with Kat Vellos
Kat’s Book We Should Get Together
Kat’s Connection Club
Connect with Deborah Voll
Take The Midlife Quiz
Passion and Purpose Digital Workbook
Dr. Keira Barr turns conventional methodologies on their heads so midlife women can feel comfortable in their bodies and the skin they are in. Dr. Barr creates a bridge between hormones, skin, mind, and body to optimize a woman's midlife experience! Dr. Barr empowers women worldwide to take control of their health, and their hormones in menopause. She is also the best-selling author of The Skin Whisper! I’ve always known that our skin is our largest organ but Dr. Barr goes into more detail about how to honor ourselves and pay attention to our skin!
Dr. Barr’s experience with her skin goes back to her childhood where she had a painful experience being bullied for birthmarks on her face. Her skin became a source of pain, shame, and embarrassment. She then tried to conceal these birthmarks by spending too much time in the sun and as a result, suffered a consequence later in life which was her wake-up call. I’m sure we’ve all been there as teens. I recall being on the beach in California putting baby oil on my skin to “get tan” only to have a severe sunburn. I think a lot of us ladies, unfortunately, had our share of burnt stories.
After this event, Dr. Barr realized that everything she thought she was doing right for herself, she was doing wrong and she was stressing her body physically and emotionally. The stress pushed all her hormones out of whack to create imbalances in the body. Experiencing migraines, anxiety, and bloating the doctors were not connecting the dots.
Thankfully Dr. Barr was able to navigate a new path and found functional and integrative medicine to heal herself. She admits that she is still on the journey as she is always learning new things. Her mess became her mission! She was wanting to help women see their skin differently and as a source of information. She wants to empower women to take control of their health in midlife!
During Covid, Dr. Barr started a new practice that is 100% virtual. Dr. Barr works with women to create a strong foundation of health and then looks at hormone replacement therapy. To create a strong foundation she does a deep dive into looking at how we move, the food we eat, nutrition, and sleep! She helps women peel back the layers on what is holding us back, keeping us stuck and feeling unwell. Dr. Barr works 1:1 but also supports women in the community so that we can learn from others how to transform our traumas into triumphs! Which is so beautiful. Knowing that you are not alone and that you can hold space for one another to learn from one another is powerful.
Dr. Barr has found that for women sleep and stress usually take a back seat. We tend to think “I’ll get to it later”. So often we have that one more thing we need to get done in the evening or we stay up way too late in the evening? Sound familiar? Guilty! Generally, we push through until we hit a breaking point. She goes on to share that normally we don’t realize how much things are impacting us until our body shows us a sign. Our body and skin both give us signals.
The goal of The Skin Whisper is to communicate that our body is sending our skin messages. It’s best to hear those messages when they are whispering rather than a shout! Unfortunately, most of us don’t get that message until it is a SHOUT! We dive into how our skin shows us messages especially in midlife! Dr. Barr shares with us some of the ways that we might see these changes in our bodies. I can tell you that I have started to notice them heading into my 60th birthday month!
We also discuss estrogen and how it plays a significant role in creating collagen in our skin. Progesterone plays a role in skin elasticity too. As these hormones decrease, you may notice more fine lines, skin sagging, and dark spots on your skin. So cortisol does break down the collagen and elastin in your skin which accelerates aging and inhibits healing.
Your skin is a wonderful information center that you may need to give yourself a little more tender loving care. Take some time to look under the hood and see what it might need.
The discussion continues to follow the path of bioidentical hormones. Dr. Barr shares some insight into an old study, its data, and findings. Then say that recent studies recanted their findings that there was not an increased risk. This information was very helpful to hear and may bring some clarity to past misinformation. In looking at bioidentical hormones, it is looking at protection our brain health, cardiovascular health, bone health, vaginal health, and musculoskeletal health.
Dr. Barr shares that “we are a constant work in progress and we need to celebrate every single win along with the way because those small wins add up to huge triumphs”
During our conversation, Dr. Barr shares what is included in her book The Skin Whisper so it leaves you with some nuggets to look into further when reading the book. Your skin is a reflection of your overall health and well-being. Not just on the surface but beneath.
Your skin can be your greatest cheerleader and confidant!
Resources
Get your copy of The Glowing Skin Guide
Connect with Dr. Keira Barr
Connect with Deborah Voll
Access the Purpose and Passion Workbook
Take the Midlife Quiz
Maryanne O’Hara is the author of the book Little Matches, a memoir of grief and light. Her book is the result of a blog she started while her daughter Caitlin waited for a lung transplant. Since her daughter’s passing, Maryanne became a certified end-of-life doula so she could speak to the state of end-of-life care in our culture.
During our discussion, Maryanne shares that the blog was a way for her to keep everyone abreast of the news all at once and that this waiting went on for two and a half years. It was a lot of waiting and Maryanne felt the need to write and as a result, a wonderful surge of humanity gathered around them. After losing Caitlin, the only thing that made her feel “ok” was writing on the blog.
Writing the blog was a way for Maryanne to grieve out loud and for her to stay connected to everyone including her daughter. She felt that writing the book about Caitlin would help people. She then combined not only her entries but Caitlin’s as well into the book: Little Matches. Maryanne shares how she settled on the title of the book, which was taken from a passage in a Virginia Woolf book. It’s Maryanne searching in the dark for those little sparks of light that make life meaningful. The light that keeps her going.
Maryanne believes that grief and joy can coexist and she is always going to grieve Caitlin. Which is so beautiful to share. So many feel that there is a period for grief and we must move on but here Maryanne gives us hope that we can live in two realms at the same time. Maryanne goes on to share how she has lived with grief and joy.
Maryanne decided nine months after Caitlin’s passing that she wanted to write something more permanent than blog posts and to have it be a tribute to Caitlin and serve other people. She then heard about Dani Shapiro’s memoir writing retreats. She signed up and had a goal to write ten pages before the start of the retreat. The retreat was a beautiful experience, it was in a lovely inn with yoga, meditation, and plenty of writing! During this writing process, Maryanne learns more about writing, her style, and how she views writing fiction vs. non-fiction.
We then discuss what Maryanne learned about herself in the process of writing the book. For her, it was hard to write the person and it took a lot of bravery on her part and at one time waking up in a panic and thinking, “what have I done?” She felt that Caitlin was braver than anyone she has known and if she can be brave then why not me?
Maryanne shares about Caitlin’s writings in the book and how while waiting for a lung transplant a lot of her time was spent writing and being a good friend via text and email as they had moved from Boston to Pittsburgh. Caitlin had a lot of old soul wisdom which comes out in her writing. A lot of her writing is full of good life advice. Maryanne then goes on to share a passage of Caitlin’s writing from the book.
We also talk about how Maryanne feels about trusting your compass. We are all born with a sense of intuition but women seem to trust in more in midlife. She has found that not listening to her intuition, it’s a big mistake. Maryanne believes that our intuition does not let us down. She goes on to talk about focusing on being a decent, good person and focusing on your relationships and making them strong and healthy that it’s the only way to live. As you get older she feels that’s going to be the only thing that matters.
Maryanne shares what prompted her to become an end-of-life doula. She has always been a volunteer and after Caitlin’s passing, she wanted to do hospice volunteering and share with the listener the role of an end-of-life doula and why this individual is so important and their role. Taking the class was also helpful as she is not out talking about the book which will include medical professionals and wanted to be able to speak to that in her engagements.
Maryanne goes on to share how she enjoys helping with the legacy writing for an individual and it’s always a good time to reflect on the path you are on and what you’ve done with your life so far. She loves it so much that she will be offering some workshops for people so they too can learn how to write their legacy paper.
I love this quote from my interview with Maryanne, “ I think that if you at least acknowledge the fact that you aren’t going to live forever, it can help you live better now and appreciate your life”.
Maryanne also goes on to challenge the listeners to think about What are you doing? What do you want out of life? What makes yourself happy and what do you lose yourself in? Whatever it is and makes you feel content and gives your life a feeling of purpose then embrace it. We are temporary and not here forever. Be true to yourself and listen. Find your purpose as it gives your life meaning.
Connect with Maryanne O’Hara
Selected Writings from Maryanne O’Hara
Connect with Deborah Voll
The midlife Quiz here
Download your Passion and Purpose Workbook
Adele Stickland, Get Gorgeous!
Adele Stickland has over twenty years of experience in the well-being industry and has a unique insight into stress and negativity and their effect on weight gain for busy woman.
She has an online platform and offers a twelve-step coaching and nutritional program.
Adele started her career in the corporate world and felt like she did all the things you were supposed to do, got a law degree because she thought it would be the right thing to do. But when she finished her law degree she realized that it wasn’t for her future. She then landed in advertising and continued on that path right up to the birth of her son. After the birth of her son, the demands of the career and wanting to be at home for her son got to be too much. One day there was one incident and she walked away from the office, her career, and never looked back!
It was then that Adele decided to do something she was passionate about and that was to start a career as a fitness professional. She then began to learn more about fitness and nutrition. She soon realized that her clients needed more than exercise and nutrition to succeed in their wellness goals. It was all about having the right mindset. Now she starts the clients’ journey by focusing on mindset and brings in the exercise and nutrition through the backdoor! Her coaching evolved through her own experience and client interaction.
This brought about her best-selling book: Gorgeous! How to Be, Look and Feel Fantastic Every Day which is now an international bestseller! ( Congratulations Adele! Quite an accomplishment )
We dive into discussing the importance of knowing you are why when making any transition and how that played a role in her leaving her corporate job and making the transition in those early days with her coaching. The corporate world felt very much like masculine energy, a push and pull where what she is doing incorporates more female energy where you let things come to you and it’s not forced. A big key to creating more female energy is to incorporate more reflective time for yourself to look back and ask yourself questions. If you don’t take quiet time to reflect then you miss the clues and breadcrumbs!
Adele shares how midlife menopausal women aren’t served in the same way as everyone else and a lot of the studies conducted do not include women over forty and there are so many changes in our bodies to consider. We also don’t eat or exercise in the same ways and our hormones are changing which makes our muscles tighter and that’s why moving, stretching and posture are so important in midlife.
Adele is obsessed with posture because of osteoporosis! If we don’t use our posture, we lose it! If we are kyphotic ( rounded shoulders ) Hovering over a desk all day we not only get the rounded shoulders and poor posture but we lose our muscle and bone density. Once you start to lose it, bone degradation starts to happen. This is why our exercise routines should be different as we get older to support the needs of our bodies now! She walks us through those exercises which complement our bodies in midlife and do not rob our adrenals.
Adele continues to share some exercises we can do at home to get those shoulders back and use those muscles in our upper back! By going to Adele’s YouTube channel she does have some Pilates workouts that can get you moving, stretching, opening up the upper body, front of the chest, and strengthening the upper back.
We circle back the conversation to getting in touch with your WHY for wanting to be healthy and lose weight. It’s so important when starting with any goal, and that’s the reason why I have in my coaching this worksheet: Understanding Your Why as the second worksheet in your journey to self-discovery. Without that, you are likely to have a tough time obtaining your goal. Adele shared a story of how one of her clients found their WHY.
Adele shares with the listeners her Gentle Reset Program which is offered every six weeks. This is her group coaching program. She shares how fun it is to get women from various backgrounds together and how they share their different ways of seeing things and sharing their perspectives. You get the group adherence and you also have self-development at the same time. It’s also a great way to create community.
We dive into her book Gorgeous and the process of her writing that first book. The first part of the book is the concept of mission, mindset, and purpose and how to get out of your way. Then she dives into the nutrition part of the journey.
Adele shares how she calms the chaos in her life and how she discovered meditation and that journey today. She shares how going on a retreat to India was her first step to discovering the practice and how that trip impacted her life. Adele also shares how this year she feels like she is in the flow of life and that’s because she’s acknowledging what she's grateful for and letting go of being in control.
Links
Connect with Adele Stickland
Connect with Deborah for Coaching
Take the Quiz to see if you are ready for your next chapter!
Download your Passion and Purpose Workbook
This week’s conversation is with Kelly Page who helps women over forty drop weight, increase their energy and find balance! Her website www.tastingpage.com is where she makes available resources for you to dive into opportunities to connect with not only herself but her community
Kelly shares with the listeners her journey from corporate America to Tasting page! During her time climbing the corporate ladder she was doing everything she could to stop on top and stay healthy! Working towards eating the right things but asking why she didn’t ever feel good. She just assumed that everyone was stressed out like herself! She continued to ignore these feelings and went on climbing the corporate ladder even though her adrenals and hormones were off.
It was one day when she was called into the “big office” and offered the promotion and then she did what most people would love to do. Wait for it! She shook his hand and said “thank you”, quit and then moved to Paris! Kelly shares how a life changing event gave her a new perspective on her life which helped her to make this decision.
During her time in Paris she combined her passion for writing and food and began writing for the food scene and travel. It began to be easy just working for herself.
It was after coming back from Paris Kelly attended nutrition school and felt that when she was done with her studies she wanted to share this information with others. Knowing that women over forty was an underserved area it became a passion of hers to start a community.
Kelly shares the most common topic that women come to her for help when hitting midlife. We discuss how she onboards her clients to get them from where they are at right now in their health journey to where they could be. Part of that process is evaluating where the biggest obstacles are and start working to remove them. Food is a big place to start that process.
We also get into “snacking” and the importance of a full nutritious meal with all the right nutrients so you don’t need to snack. This helps you in watching your insulin levels and helps to avoid insulin resistance which we go into a further discussion on why that’s so important.
We also dive into how stress plays a part in our overall health. When we are stressed the cortisol is secreted and when the cortisol is high then our blood sugar is off. That’s why it’s important for her to look at food intake and stress reduction.
Kelly shares some success stories with former clients and how has working together impacted their overall sense of wellbeing. Originally they will come in to work on one thing and be able to target a lot of other areas and feel more confident in their body!
Her website has a lot of valuable resources where she shares great recipes to keep you balanced and articles about what she is seeing in her community. There is also a healthy living quiz. She looks at the five important areas that contribute to your health.
We also dive into midlife women and alcohol consumption and how it gets harder for us to metabolize the sugar and the carbs from these beverages. A lot of women are stopping their use of alcohol all together and feel so much better.
Kelly shares how she calms the chaos in her life and why meditation is such an important part of her daily ritual. She also encourages her clients in this practice of coming back to your breath in the process. The practice of meditation has a wonderful effect on you throughout the day even when you are not in the meditation moment. Kelly shares that what’s great about meditation is that “it’s magical, free and you can do it at home anytime you want”
Resources
Connect with Kelly Page at Tasting Page here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz! here
Susan Heinrich began her career as a newspaper journalist and has written about business, travel, and parenting. Her current favorite topic is midlife! She has had a wanderlust for as long as she can remember and her passion is traveling and helping women in midlife gain the confidence to explore and reap the benefits of traveling! Susan supports her community with her website, Midlife Globetrotter where you can find inspiring articles for women in midlife and inspiration for that future trip!
Despite the year starting off slow with the ongoing pandemic, we are optimistic that this year we may be able to do more international travel! Now is the best time for us to be dreaming and researching those dream trips!
Like a lot of women, Susan jumped off the career track when her children were young. Finding it hard to juggle everything she made some hard choices and decided to continue doing some freelance writing. In her late forties, she felt that something needed to change in her life. Feeling a bit confused not knowing that next step she refers to this as her “midlife upheaval”. Susan says that this period of time turned out to be a blessing because she took the time to do some self-exploration and realized that she had put a lot of her own interests and passions aside to focus on her family. Which isn’t bad but she felt it wasn’t working for her anymore.
Susan started thinking about what she loved to do, what she was interested in, and how she wanted to be spending her days. It was at that moment that she decided to return to writing. Travel had also always been a passion so she eventually blended the two together!
In 2017 Susan had the opportunity to take a trip to India with some friends. Having some hesitation about leaving her family behind for three weeks, she decided to go anyways and was glad she took that first step! She learned that so often things that are at first glance something we can’t do that for whatever reason turn out to be not true. The is a way to make these things happen when they are important enough to us.
It was on this trip that Susan was reminded about all the things she had forgotten about herself. For her, it was an inspiring experience, and wanted to share the opportunity of travel for midlife women. Starting the website seemed like the next best step!
In the process of setting up the website, she learned that there were going to be a lot of technical things to learn and may present a challenge but the joy of connecting with other midlife women and sharing her passion for travel far outweighed the learning curve associated with the challenges!
Susan shares that we often sell ourselves short and we think that it’s too late to learn something new or to pivot into a new direction. We may give up on a dream before we ever start which is a shame. But once a midlife woman decides she is going to do something then anything is possible!
When traveling there is the opportunity of having a sense of more freedom in our lives. For Susan that comes when she travels solo and she feels that’s because when we travel with our family, our identities and rules are such a part of our daily life that we still carry that with us when we are traveling. When we are able to have enough physical and mental distance from our lives, we remember things about ourselves that we have forgotten. Also, when we travel we are putting ourselves out of our comfort zone and we are forced to try new things and experiences! The best part of that is that we see that we are capable of more than we thought! It’s a great way to boost our self-confidence and who doesn’t love that?
Susan shared and I’ve always believed that when we expose ourselves to something new then that helps us to spark that creativity and you feel more alive and in the present moment! Susan shares that travel can be a bridge back to parts of yourself that you’ve forgotten. Travel can enrich our lives in so many ways!
Susan shares some of her memorable trips she has taken around the world and how she’s done some trips within groups and solo traveling! She has had some amazing experiences and may inspire you to consider going somewhere you’ve never imagined yourself. Susan is hoping to go to Africa in 2022.
During our conversation, Susan shares some tips on getting around solo and the benefits of hiring a local guide to get you acquainted with the area and at the same time develop a relationship with a local! She also shares some tips on how to get over your fear of getting out there solo on your first trip! A great recommendation is to research a small group tour that specializes in a new interest or current hobby. There are so many options out there now to explore! There may be people of all ages and from various countries which adds a new dimension to the experience.
Susan shares about the resources on her website and how she is supporting her community. She certainly covers the topic of travel but also shares some of her own personal experiences so that others can learn and grow once they learn from her lessons. Susan also provides a monthly newsletter for you to keep in touch.
Connect with Susan here
Connect with Deborah here
Connect with Deborah on Facebook and Instagram
I had the opportunity to connect with Melissa this week for the podcast and am excited to share how she is serving her community and how you can let go of stress and unlock your creativity one doodle at a time!
Melissa Lloyd has twenty-plus years of professional design and communication and combines that with her passion and connection to humanity, psychology, art therapy, and mindfulness. In her community, Melissa encourages you to learn how to navigate the stormy seas of life, reduce stress and rejuvenate your mind!
Melissa shares that she always embraced her creativity from a very early age. This interest led her to a lot of different opportunities around the world! She always knew that she wanted to be a designer. For over twenty years she was in the design and communication industry which led to some burnout and she ended up asking herself, “ What is this all about and where am I going?” She worked towards finding those more quiet peaceful states of “being”. She knew the place of peace was in the creative process.
One day Melissa sat at her dining room table and doodled circles upon circles and had no expectations. She was going to give herself five minutes to sit there and “be “. What she found is that she got lost in the process and said “wow”! She then started this process of going back to the paper each day. She doodled each day with no expectation and that’s where the journey began!
Even though some of the things on the page looked terrible she permitted herself to do more doodling! She then began to be interested in the science of doodling and what happens psychologically when we are doodling. She stopped judging what the doodles looked like on the page and began to embrace the process.
In school, we are taught that doodling means we are not paying attention and has a negative connotation. When in fact, it has a very positive effect and helps people to move outside of their comfort zone and into more peaceful places. By doodling helps to reduce the cortisol levels and helps you get into the present moment. Doodling is very tactile and full sensory! People that doodle while listening can retain up to 30% more information than people who don’t. It also helps to bring some playfulness back into your life. And guess what? Playfulness is connected to anti-aging! Such a huge bonus for us women in midlife!
We explore in our conversation how Doodle Lovely can be such a gift to us women in midlife! Typically we are taking very little time for ourselves to get quiet and do self-exploration. By doodling, this allows us to have a pause and reflection point to go into that space so we don’t miss that opportunity when it comes knocking on the door! I know for myself when I get quiet and use my tools for self-exploration, I am better able to see opportunities when they present themselves! It’s a lovely gift.
By doodling, we are giving ourselves the space to let you and let the emotions process.
Melissa shares about the development of the workbooks on her site. The first one: Creative Mind, Happy Soul Journal is about starting simple and creating a habit through the prompts, doodling, journaling, and mood tracking. Melissa wants us to be able to grow by filling in the page! With the journal, you can sit down for a short period and get lost in something. Which I don’t know about you but that’s a gift these days!
During our conversation, Melissa also shares the benefits she is seeing with Doodle Breaks with business and their employees. As well as her Doodle by Numbers!
Connect with Melissa at Doodle Lovely here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
Take the mid-life Quiz here
This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Sonya Sophia who is a revolutionary leader in the field of Emotional Freedom Techniques. Sonya shares how to bring peace and joy into her life with EFT TAPPING. She started down the journey of self exploration to find a modality to help stop the “crazy in my head” Past traumas and being a new mom motivated her to find a solution so her child could have a different experience than her growing up.
Each discovery brought her closer and gave her more consciousness and tools. Even then she felt overwhelmed and withdrawn. Sonya was looking for a spiritual practice that would take a couple of hours a day. She wanted a modality where once the area is “cleaned” it’s “cleaned”.
During her journey her friend noticed how Sonya was beginning to be more withdrawn and came over to share an EFT Tapping session. At the end of the session she was laughing and smiling. After four more sessions, Sonya felt that she had healed her PTSD from her dating experience and her brain was functioning better.
Sonya feels that her life is divided. Before EFT and after! For her it was like opening a screen door. She could see out the door but once she opened the screen door everything was bright and clear. After that, she never looked back!
Sonya then embarked on a path of learning everything she could about EFT Tapping through reading, forums and classes. She was able to contribute to the field as the practice was gaining momentum and people were learning more about the benefits of the practice through sharing and testimonials.
We discuss that there is no right or wrong way to tap! The body is very flexible and forgiving. There are reset buttons all over us and there is one command that clears: self-acceptance and self-love. What we are doing is accessing the reset buttons and talking to ourselves in a loving way while acknowledging and accepting what’s not working.
Even though EFT is non-denominational it feels like a spiritual practice because what you’re doing is pulling love into your body and bringing it to where there’s fear and self-loathing and pain. That’s what corrects what’s been going on in our mind because the cells have stored that memory. It’s not just stored in your brain but all over your body.
Sonya shares how this practice helps people who have experienced PTSD, and sexual abuse survivors and has recently been approved by the Veterans Administration in the last few years.
There are ten key points to tap on your body and Sonya shares why those points are key and how they are “circuit breakers” for that channel of an electrical impulse that runs through the body. Sonya shares in the interview a great analogy for us to understand these points and their function.
We share how to incorporate EFT tapping into your routine and how this practice is so portable you can do it from anywhere!
Sonya also shares how her tapping circle which is available on her website is helping people and how everyone coming together to work on their individual needs is helping her community. Sonya refers to each session as emotional hygiene which makes perfect sense and her goal is the healing of humanity.
She shares that her life is her own art project …. And she wants everyone to remember and embrace that thought.
Sonya walks us through a tapping session and you’ll be able to see for yourself just how different you feel about your circumstance before and after the session. She is also making the tapping circle free for one month to all of the Calm the Chaos listeners! www.worldtappingcircle.com/freemonth
Sonya has just launched her podcast There’s a tap for that. Link here
As a busy woman in midlife I can see how incorporating tapping on a daily basis can help your overall emotional health. Why not try to incorporate tapping into one of your morning or afternoon routines and see for yourself? For myself, I am going to start working on doing some daily tapping after my journaling. It will be fun to see how I begin to clean up the circuits in my body! I would encourage you to share with the community if you found this episode helpful by leaving a review for the show!
How to connect
Connect with Sonya here
Sonya’s Podcast here
Connect with Deborah at her website here
Connect with Deborah on Facebook here
Connect with Deborah on Instagram here
I recently had the opportunity to interview my former client Andrea for the podcast! What fun to be able to have Andrea share her journey of finding a new career with the listeners. In our conversation, Andrea shares where she was at the beginning of her journey in finding a new career and where she is at today!
Andrea is a Pacific Northwest resident and mom of a nine-year-old girl who is a very important part of her life! Any type of career change had her daughter first and foremost in her thoughts. She shares that it had been a struggle for her to figure out a good career fit for herself in the past because she didn’t take the time to listen to herself. She spent too much time listening to a lot of the other outside noise and other people’s advice. Sound familiar? Even though she had a lot of different ideas on a career she didn’t trust herself.
Our conversation continues as Andrea shares a bit about how she was managing her job and why it was important now to move forward and prioritize a career change. We discuss what mattered most to her in this decision and why she felt that life coaching was a good fit for her on this journey. For Andrea working with a coach was a step forward in her future!
Andrea felt that us working together was a good fit and that in our exploratory call we discussed a plan that resonated with her and she could see herself accomplishing her goal. Andrea picked the 1:1 Eight Week Coaching Package and at first felt that perhaps that would not be enough time to get her desired results. But she soon acknowledged that the sessions were “super focused”. Andrea says that “you just have to take a step in the right direction” and that’s what she did through her journey. Having someone there each week to hold her accountable was helpful as well as having a safe place to share with no judgments made the process easier.
Throughout the discussion, Andrea shares what the process looked like in finding her new dream career which would leave her feeling confident and fulfilled. Not only did she have our weekly 1:1 session but she also had weekly worksheet homework and describes that process and how it helped her along the way. Andrea shares that the Priorities and Time Tracker worksheet were very enlightening and helped her to be more proactive with her goals and blocking time for those priorities was a key to success.
Andrea did land her dream career before the end of the eight-week session and feels wonderful that she is doing something fulfilling and helping people which was a big priority. She is also showing her daughter along the way that anything is possible. She shares that if you are on the fence about coaching think of it as an investment in yourself. “Why shouldn’t you invest in yourself if you are not sure what to do?” “ You just gotta decide that you’re important and that you are worth it”.
Lastly Andrea shares “You’re worthy of having your dreams and having the blessings and beautiful things that you are desiring”.
I want to thank Andrea for being courageous to come on the podcast to share her story! It takes a lot to get out of your comfort zone to do a podcast. I’m sure you are inspiring women in midlife with your journey!
Are you ready to start your next chapter? Let’s connect for your free exploratory call. What are you waiting for?
Resources
Connect with Deborah on Instagram here
Connect with Deborah on Facebook here
Deborah’s website here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on I Heart Radio, iTunes and Spotify
Ada Calhoun/ Author
Why We Can't Sleep: A Women's New Midlife Crisis
Even though Ada identifies the Gen X community this book is geared toward women in middle age who are going through alot but recognizing that we all hit a period of time when we are trying to do too much as a generation of women and we feel overwhelmed
For Ada this season happened a couple of years ago during a summer season. Ada had some work issues, credit card debt, career concerns and children going into different seasons at the time and it felt that everything was piling up. For evenings she would stare up at the ceiling until four in the morning thinking “where did I go wrong?” and “why is this so hard”?
It was right at this time that Oprah.com asked her to write an article about this generation of women which was not only liberating for Ada but became this book! While writing the book, she realized she was not crazy and there are a lot of women going through a very difficult time as well.
In the book, Ada looks at all the reasons why the title is true. Women have anxiety about their careers, company loyalty, benefits and staying relevant. In another chapter, the conversation is around divorce and how 40% of women have divorced parents which may come with emotional baggage. The topic surrounding money is shared and how the cost of living is so much higher now and the wages are just not keeping up accordingly.
Many Gen X women were told that they could do anything so then they began to think that they should do it all and do it perfectly. This led to a lot of perfectionism and a sense of failure if they didn’t excel at one thing or everything! This has led to a lot of shame and anxiety which is shared throughout the stories.
Women share how they need to look at all these things they have to accomplish and feel that they are doing it alone. Most women have felt that they were left to fend for themselves. This leads to not only a lot of anxiety but loneliness.
One of the chapters written that resonated with Ada is the perimenopause chapter. Women discussing these feelings that would come on suddenly. Sometimes sadness or anger would just surface at unexpected times. Ada shares how she became angry because in all the years of going to the doctor and reading women’s magazines, no one had ever said the word “perimenopause”. And that’s why this chapter is lengthy as she talked to a lot of doctors and wanted to give women the information and the knowledge to know that there is something you can do about it!
The feedback that Ada has gotten from readers about the book is that they feel seen as they had been feeling invisible. And that by hearing from the other women it made them feel less alone.
To Calm the Chaos Ada loves to go on walks, cook, hang out with her kids and gets a lot of enjoyment listening to Agatha Christie Audio books! Ada also gives a piece of advice to Gen X women: Be honest about what you are dealing with and with other people.
Links
Connect with Ada here on her author page
Connect with Deborah here
Connect with Deborah on Facebook and Instagram
Calm the Chaos/ Kaley Chu
Kaley Chu is an author, speaker, people connector and Business Development Manager at Equi Wealth. In 2018 Kaley turned lunch into a life changing experience. Not just one lunch, but 100 of them with total strangers over the course of a year. After publishing a book based on her learnings, Kaley now shares her journey and the lessons distilled with the rest of the world.
What You’ll Learn
- Kaley’s lack of confidence and shyness in a business meeting pushed her into her journey of 100 lunches with strangers!
- When she became an immigrant in Australia did she become self conscious
- Kaley chose her lunch hour to connect with others
- Kaley started 100lunches.com so more people could connect easily and embark on this journey
- We discussed her first lunch experience!
- Her lunches give her a new perspective on how to reflect on life.
- Kaley shares her most memorable lunch
- What prompted Kaley to write her book?
- You never know when the next life changing connection is going to be made
- Kaley leaves us with a challenge!
Resources
Connect with Kaley here
Connect with 100lunches.com here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
Calm the Chaos/ Sarah Snyder
Sarah Snyder is a writer, storyteller and conservationist whose passion is helping others connect spiritually to the outdoors, nature and science. She has been writing professionally since 1991 and her work has appeared in multiple publications. Sarah is the author of three nonfiction books and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Her latest book, The Value of Your Soul: Rumi Verse for Life’s Annoying Moments, due in September 2020, is a spinoff of her memoir, Plant Trees, Carry Sheep: A Woman’s Spiritual Journey Among the Sufis of Scotland. Sarah lives in Virginia, where she participates in oral storytelling and writes about self-care and self-renewal through retreats on her blog, Luna River Voices.
What You’ll Learn
- Sarah’s life long passion for writing and how she combined that love with nature. How she got back to her passion
- Sarah’s “day job” provides her the freedom to develop her creative writing life and her goal is to be an inspiration to others
- Little Me = Ego Driven / Bigger Me = Spirit Driven
- You can pursue your passion and purpose while having a career!
- Sarah discusses her memoir and moves to Scotland where she stayed for six years! How her plans changed the moment she arrived.
- Lessons during stay in Scotland
- Choose how to respond vs. reacting
- Is it a mistake or learning opportunity?
- Surrendering isn’t about giving up or giving in, it’s about opening up to opportunity
Resources
Connect with Sarah here at Luna River
Connect with Sarah on Facebook here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Rachel Greene
Rachel Greene was born and raised in the southern US and now divides her time between Bali and Highlands NC with her partner, John, and their dog Molly. She has been teaching Pilates for almost 2 decades and is the co-founder and owner of JUST BREATHE, an active lifestyle brand offering Pilates programming, luxe fitness accessories and healthy inspo. Rachel's love for Pilates technique, personal experience with chronic pain, easy to understand teaching style and friendly nature make her teachings highly effective and enjoyable.
What You’ll Learn
- How Rachel found pilates as a result of her back pain
- Pilates is based on spine health
- It’s the imbalance in the body that contributes to back,neck and hip pain
- The differences between the reformer and mat
- Start with a safe sequence to let the mind relax and let go of the pain as it can be deep down in the nervous system
- Rachel has been teaching in Bali for twelve years and is now teaching online! She has expanded her reach into your home!
- Rachel focuses on helping her clients work through imbalances and helps them to move safely
- There is a challenge!
- Find a movement system you like and embrace it!
Resources
Connect with Rachel here
Wellness Routine Weekly Checklist here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Patty Bonsera
Patty Bonsera, CFEI, is a former Securities Trader who became a Financial Wellness Advisor to support women 40+. In an industry built for men, she founded Fear.less Girl Financial as a better way to help midlife women feel confident and beautiful about their finances and to celebrate midlife with soulful abundance. She will coach you, teach you, and celebrate with you every step of the way.
What You’ll Learn
- Was 2020 a wake up call for estate planning?
- Estate planning is a comprehensive financial plan
- Patty shares scenarios on a smooth transition of an estate vs. a not so smooth
- Revocable trust vs. non revocable
- How to approach the topic of estate planning with your partner
- Start an annual financial summit
- How to pick the right person to help you with your estate plan
- How to engage with patty
- Patty’s morning routine
- The Midlife Cate is coming soon!
Resources
Connect with Patty here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Paula Staffeldt
Paula is a former organizational development practitioner, with over 20 years experience in corporate training, leadership development, and coaching. She earned a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology with a cognate in Theology from the University of Denver. Paula’s expertise includes Reality-Based Leadership, Crucial Conversations, and Contemplative Leadership.
As a board-certified coach, an ordained ministerial counselor, and a certified Focusing guide, Paula brings a wealth of expertise and understanding to her work.
In her study of transpersonal and nondual psychology, Paula discovered how the practice of Focusing freed her of being identified with the ego, allowing her to live more consistently from a state characterized by wisdom and grace. This is why Paula shares this practice with others, so that they may also experience a transformed way of being
What You’ll Learn
- How Covid came along and changed Paula’s plan
- Paula focuses on spiritual training and development for leader and people who are spiritual seekers who are looking to dissolve their ego and live from a higher level of consciousness
- How Focusing works, an example and what to expect
- Examples of how focusing has helped people
- What Paula has learned about herself through her journey
- How can you connect with Paula
- How does Paula calm the chaos
- Paula’s challenge for the listeners
Resources
Connect with Paula here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Jennifer Louden
Jennifer Louden is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her 1992 bestselling debut book The Woman’s Comfort Book. She is the author of six additional books, including The Woman’s Retreat Book, The Life Organizer, and her newest release, Why Bother? She appeared on a number of television and radio shows and podcasts—including The Oprah Winfrey Show. As an entrepreneur and educator, Jennifer has offered women’s retreats for over 25 years. She lives in Boulder County, Colorado.
What You’ll Learn
- Why Bother is a discernment question. It’s not one to get “right”
- Asking ourselves Why Bother brings us into the present moment!
- Why Jennifer wrote the companion Journal to the book
- Jennifer shares her expectations for her book Why Bother and the realities.
- This is your life and you get to choose!
- There are two doorways to Why Bother: Self Compassion and Wonder
- Jennifer’s challenge to the listeners
- What’s next for Jennifer? A business mastermind!
- It’s never too late to do the inner work for yourself!
Resources
Connect with Jennifer here
Jennifer’s conversation with Deborah in April 2020 here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of several books of poetry including Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, and Lamp of the Body. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, Tin House, The Gettysburg Review, The Southern Review, and more.
What You’ll Learn
- Every ending is also a beginning
- How a “note to self” each day on Instagram turned into a book
- All of us are in a “what’s next” place
- What helps Maggie go to that still and quiet space
- Feel the loss and the space. Think: I get to rebuild something here
- Our thoughts create our reality
- We do not get to choose the circumstance
- How Maggie felt while writing her book
- Going through a divorce forced Maggie to go back and look at her life
- What actions can we be taking now on behalf of our future self
- Maggie’s challenge to the listeners!
Resources
Connect with Maggie here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Denise Wellik-Peterson
Denise Is the Creator or The Use Your Cycle Method and Founder of The Menopause Project
She has been a Personal Trainer for 18+ years and Hormone Specialist for the last 6 Specializing in Peri and Menopause
Denise started working with women over 40 #BecauseMenopauseDoesntHaveToSuck
and not enough of us are talking about it.
It's her belief that with a few simple lifestyle tweaks we can continue to be vibrant, vital members of society.
What You’ll Learn
- Why some women are reluctant to start a conversation surrounding menopause
- Your hormones are about so much more than having babies!
- What prompts people to reach out to Denise for her services
- Each half of the month we are ruled by Estrogen or Progesterone
- How do we amplify our hormones when we need to for ourselves?
- What’s causing those night sweats, hot flashing and how to eliminate
- The difference between a man and woman’s cycle. How to manage in your favor!
- Lean in to what your body wants while still making gains!
- Success stories with her clients
- How we can support our hormones
- Stress and Cortisol. The Tiger is chasing you!
- Advice to our daughters now!
- Denise’s challenge to the listener
Resources
Connect with Denise here on Facebook
Connect with Denise here on Instagram
Denise’s YouTube Channel here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos Birthday Episode and Interview with former coaching client: Sue
Deborah Voll is a certified professional life coach for women in midlife who are seeking their life purpose and passion! From her own experience, Deborah believes that once women calm the chaos in their lives, they’ll have more time and energy to focus on what really matters! As the creator and producer of her own Calm the Chaos weekly podcast, she discusses a variety of exciting life-changing topics with experts who share tips for living a life of happiness and passion. Through her eight-week one-on-one coaching program, Deborah safely creates a space for women to come alive with the clarity of how to achieve the meaningful moments they want for their best years ahead. She feels just as fulfilled as her clients do when they crush their goals with the help of her results-oriented workbook “Find Your Purpose and Passion.” Deborah loves living in Redmond, Washington, where she raised her two adult children and found her own midlife purpose when she certified as a professional life coach, proving it’s never too late to find your new passion in life! Read more about Deborah at www.deborahvoll.com where you can sign up for her weekly newsletter and take a free quiz to discover how ready you are to start your next chapter!
What You’ll Learn
- Sharing the one year anniversary of the show! How Deborah met the challenge of learning podcasting, getting out of her comfort zone and being open to whatever happened on the journey!
- How far podcasting has come in one year for the podcast community. Currently in 2021 there are 1,750,000 shows in the universe! Wow!
- Why Deborah created the show and the lessons she learned about herself
- Deborah shares an interview with a former coaching client. How life coaching helped her find her next chapter and what is was like to coach with Deborah
- What is your desire? Write down that one desire! How will you feel when you’ve accomplished your goal? What emotion are you feeling? When you can associate an emotion with that desire you are beginning your journey!
Resources
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Larry Indiviglia
Larry Indiviglia wrote 126 Days, 11 Minutes: Our Love Story to honor the life of Gayle and their love for each other. Although brief, Larry considers his relationship with Gayle as one of the most profound experiences of his life. He also hopes 126 Days, 11 Minutes inspires others to say “yes” to love even when logic says, “no.” Larry believes there are many beautiful souls who are looking to discover and experience unconditional love. His book shows it is possible.
Larry Indiviglia is President of INDsightsForLife, Inc., a fitness professional, presenter, and author as well as a business and life coach for the Todd Durkin Mastermind Program. Larry is also a retired naval reserve officer and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. He holds a MA in Corporate Fitness Administration and an MBA from the University of San Diego.
Larry has authored articles in Coronado Lifestyles Magazine, Shipmate, The Coronado Eagle, The Gratitude Book, and Balanced Body, Balanced Life. Additionally, he was extensively quoted in Runner’s World and TheNewYorkTimes Hisworkovera30-yearfitnesscareerhasinspiredmotivatedandencouragedpeople to grow and do their best. His powerful ability to connect with people helps them transform their lives and businesses. His goal for 126 Days, 11 Minutes is to help you transform your relationships by learning to love unconditionally.
Larry lives and works in San Diego, has two children: Joe and Lauren, and one grandson, Luca. Larry’s first book INDsights for Life: Rising Up - Reaching Higher – Together, is an inspirational guide containing daily messages of hope, belief, caring, and love. It is available on Kindle and Audible.
What You’ll Learn
- Larry’s journey to meeting Gayle
- His sense of urgency in writing the book
- Gayle’s number one lesson: Always Live in Your Truth
- How Gayle managed her cancer for four and a half years
- What Larry learned about himself through his journey
- How learned to be a supportive caregiver in someone’s last stages of life
- Larry’s process in writing this book and his accountability partner
- Together is better!
- Journaling and how Larry fits it into his day and how it teaches him to be present
Resources
Connect with Larry here on Facebook
Get the book here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Tracy Reid
Tracy Reid is passionate about working with women who want to create a more flexible lifestyle so that they can have more freedom in their lives to spend time with their loved ones or pursue their own dreams and goals
As a certified lifestyle and business coach, Tracy has coached hundreds of women over the past 16 years and have helped them to gain clarity about their business and lifestyle desires.
What You’ll Learn
- Tracy’s journey with a diet and lifestyle change based on health concerns
- How Tracy managed her health journey to heal herself from the inside out and remove any of the harmful toxins in her body.
- Why Tracy decided to go silver!
- Why Tracy wants to change the narrative for women wanting to go Silver
- How to manage the “grow out” process
- You need to acknowledge the beauty not yet there!
- Be prepared to think of the stumbling blocks you’ll have along your journey. How are you going to show up and deal with the challenge?
- What “me time” means to Tracy
- Tracy’s morning and evening routine.
Resources
Connect with Tracy on Instagram here
Connect with Tracy on YouTube here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Kate Erickson is the engine at Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award winning podcast where John Lee Dumas interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE. She is also the host of the podcast Ditch Busy and co-author of the The Podcast Journal: Idea to Launch in 50 Days. Her goal: to help entrepreneurs ditch busy and achieve financial and lifestyle freedom.
What You’ll Learn
- What are you saying “yes” to in your day?
- How to set realistic goals
- Planning ahead and knowing your priorities
- Half of your “to do” list does not matter!
- It’s not about getting more done. It’s getting the right things done
- You need to hold yourself accountable to do the work!
Resources
Connect with Kate Erickson here
Kate’s instagram here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Beth Garrett
Beth Garrett is a certified Wardrobe Consultant who helps Women “Get Excited” about how they look. She has worked with hundreds of women to help them look more vibrant and youthful without spending a lot of money on expensive surgical procedures. Beth believes that our mental health and self-image is directly affected by what we see in the mirror. Color is magic and can instantly transform how one looks; and we all deserve to know what colors enhance our natural beauty. Beth has had a fascination with how colors look on different skin tones for decades. Upon retirement from Corporate America, she decided to become a Color Me Beautiful Certified.
What You’ll Learn
- Beth’s journey from corporate IT Department to Color me Beautiful
- How Beth followed her curiosity and intuition
- As we age our pigmentation fades and we need to revisit what colors look best on us to make us sparkle!
- How to get a color consult virtually
- Why you don’t need a “little black dress”. What color do you need ?
- Thinking about accessories and how they can enhance our appearance
- Success stories from past clients!
- How does Beth Calm the Chaos in her life!
- How you can engage with Beth for your color consult virtually
Resources
Connect with Beth here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
Deborah’s Pinterest page for Beth’s before and after photos! here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Nicole Christina
Nicole Christina is the host of Zestful Aging Podcast, an interview show heard in 92 countries. She’s also a psychotherapist of 30 years, specializing in eating disorders.
Nicole’s guests are change makers from a variety of disciplines; filmmakers, writers, advocates, poets, musicians, Arctic researchers, athletes and entrepreneurs, many of whom are experts in their fields. The Show has a humanitarian focus, and looks at the importance of leaving your own legacy. Leaving a legacy is a way of contributing to the common good, which has shown to have a significant impact on aging well.
Zestful Aging is a media partner with the International Federation of Ageing, based in Toronto. Nicole is working on her first book: “Not Just Chatting; How to Become a Great Podcast Interviewer”.
Find out more at ZestfulAging.com.
What You’ll Learn
- What is Zestful aging?
- Why are we here? What’s the point and What legacy am I going to leave behind?
- Nicole’s journey to podcasting in midlife!
- Nicole shares stories of past clients who found their passion and purpose which then became their legacy!
- Why is it important to find your tribe?
- Tips on connecting with people in midlife
- Is there more for you out there in the world? Where are you curious?
- Nicole’s challenge for the listener!
Resources
Connect with Nicole here
Connect with Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos Bonus Episode
Deborah Voll is a certified professional life coach for women in mid life who are wanting to explore their life purpose and passion moving forward! She is also the creator and producer of her own podcast Calm the Chaos, a weekly podcast where she hosts guests and explores their journey and how what they offer can help her audience. Deborah believes that once we Calm the Chaos in our lives you have more time and energy to focus on what really matters to you! Deborah guides her clients thru a workbook she created “Find your Purpose and Passion”. When Deborah is not coaching or hosting her own podcast, she is an Airbnb host, gardening, walking, connecting with friends and loving life! You can reach Deborah at www.deborahvoll.com where you can sign up for her weekly newsletter and take the midlife Quiz to find out if you are ready for your next chapter!
What You’ll Learn
- How you can be successful in 2021 achieving your Goals!
- Why most people fail at their goals and what we can learn from past failures
- How you can access the Fourteen Day Goal and Execute Challenge
- This is the year for you to be successful
Resources
Get the Goal Challenge here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
Calm the Chaos/ RevelEleven
RevelEleven is a unique blend of inspiration and information, community and conversation, friendship and focus. RevelEleven events are an opportunity to listen to outstanding women speakers and support and challenge each other to be the best we can be. They also host retreats in Seattle, Roslyn and across the globe.
Since March, Joanie + Monica have hosted more than 70 virtual events, pivoting from in person events due to the pandemic. Drawing women from all over the world, topics have included everything from The Art of Breathing and Finding Self Worth to Gardens that nurture and yoga classes
What You’ll Learn
- How did Joanie and Monica create the group RevelEleven
- What do their guests and members bring to their in person and virtual community
- What type of speakers have they had in the past
- Discussion about their destination retreats and the benefits
- What’s next on the horizon for RevelEleven
- How do they both Calm the Chaos in their lives!
Resources
Connect with RevelEleven here
Connect with Deborah here
Take the midlife Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast Apple Podcasts ,Spotify and I Heart Radio
Calm the Chaos/Victoria Lane
Victoria Lane was born and raised in Syracuse, NY, where she is currently employed by Syracuse University as a book designer at SU Press. Until she was about 35 or so, she spent every summer at my family's summer home on Otisco Lake, where she developed a love of fishing and creating art work. Victoria loves to fish and paint (mostly painting trout and other freshwater fish; go figure). She is also a calligrapher and has done commissions for wedding invitations, certificates, poetry, etc. She finds it most enjoyable and rewarding. Right now Victoria is looking forward to retirement in about 6 mos. when she hopes to be able to do some travelling; both domestic and international. Of course that is all very much up in the air at this point. Victoria maintains a positive outlook and also looks forward to more volunteer work with Casting for Recovery. She has a daughter and sister whom she loves dearly and tries to spend as much time with as possible. Victoria is looking forward to retirement as a new chapter in my life.
What You’ll Learn
- Victoria shares how she discovered her passions and turned them into her purpose!
- Her journey to calligraphy and how she maintains her side hustle creating beautiful works of art!
- Victoria’s journey to Casting for Recovery!
- How Victoria was thrown into the deep end and faced her fears of public speaking during a retreat
- How you can contribute to Casting for Recovery!
- What Victoria has learned about herself through her volunteer work.
- How did Victoria set herself up for retirement
- How does Victoria Calm the Chaos in her life!
- Victoria’s challenge for the listeners
Connect with Victoria here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Goal and Execute Challenge Link here
Calm the Chaos, Cara Downey
Cara Downey is a once-therapist turned museum archivist. She is the founder of Freagh Cottage Residency for Artists + Writers, a creative residency located on the west coast of Ireland. She is also a co-founding editor at Empty House Press, a small magazine focusing on home, place, and memory. She recently relocated to the wilds of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where she works at a small museum by the ocean attempting to read 100-year-old handwriting.
What You’ll Learn
- Cara’s journey from mental health therapist to where she is at today working at the museum, her online publication and managing her cottage in Ireland for creatives!
- What prompted Cara to make her home available?
- Cara shares about Freagh Cottage and what makes it unique
- The collaboration with her friend on Empty House Press
- How Cara Calms the Chaos in her own life
- What’s next on the horizon for Cara and Freagh Cottage
Resources
Connect with Cara and Freagh Cottage here
Empty House Press here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
Take the Midlife Quiz and see if you are ready for your next chapter here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes. I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Emma Smreker, is 30 years old and lives in Oklahoma City, OK. She is a high school French teacher, and has been teaching for 7 years. She has been speaking/learning French for 18+/- years, and is a total Francophile. She has lived in Amiens, France for a year and worked as an English Teaching Assistant. Emma created her instagram account @inusedbooks in February of 2018 because of her love of used books and the treasures she found inside them.
What You’ll Learn
- How finding one receipt in a used book changed her journey
- How she shares her curiosity for uncovering the untold stories surrounding her finds in used books
- How each find is it’s unique treasure
- Her passion has helped to reunite people with their items
- We are all connected to people more than we realize
- If you find something that brings you joy then embrace it and allow it into your life!
- Emma shares a couple of stories of her memorable finds
- Don’t let moments of self doubt ruin your journey of self discovery
Resources
Connect with Emma here on Instagram
Connect with Emma here on Facebook
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a
Calm the Chaos/Wendy Zanders
Wendy Zanders is a Professional Home Organizer and Your Declutter Coach who is passionate about helping families Collect Memories and Experiences, NOT Things. An underperformer in grade school due to undiagnosed attention deficit disorder (ADD), Wendy worked hard and surpassed the expectations of everyone around her. Early in her career, she found that she had a knack for systems and organizing, but found herself living in a totally disorganized home after several episodes of depression. She helps overwhelmed families and special needs families get organized by helping them identify what has created the disorder in their lives, and by helping them create systems so they can get back in control of their possessions and homes. Wendy also works with families like herself that are struggling with ADD, depression, PTSD and anxiety.
What You’ll Learn
- Wendy’s observation of her gifts in the military and how she translated those to her full time career!
- How Wendy trusted herself to take the leap into a new career and leave the military behind.
- Why she wrote book: From Brokenness to Strength
- How Wendy serves her community through her Focus Time with Wendy
- Wendy’s advice: Don’t wait for the approval of others! Do YOU!!
- What does success look like for you?
- How does Wendy Calm the Chaos in her life
- What’s next for Wendy and her declutter coaching community!
Resources
Connect with Wendy Zanders here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Deborah Voll, Life Coach
Deborah Voll is a certified professional life coach for women in midlife who are seeking their life purpose and passion! From her own experience, Deborah believes that once women calm the chaos in their lives, they’ll have more time and energy to focus on what really matters! As the creator and producer of her own Calm the Chaos weekly podcast, she discusses a variety of exciting life-changing topics with experts who share tips for living a life of happiness and passion. Through her eight-week one-on-one coaching program, Deborah safely creates a space for women to come alive with the clarity of how to achieve the meaningful moments they want for their best years ahead. She feels just as fulfilled as her clients do when they crush their goals with the help of her results-oriented workbook “Find Your Purpose and Passion.” Deborah loves living in Redmond, Washington, where she raised her two adult children and found her own midlife purpose when she certified as a professional life coach, proving it’s never too late to find your new passion in life! Read more about Deborah at www.deborahvoll.com where you can sign up for her weekly newsletter and take a free quiz to discover how ready you are to start your next chapter!
What You’ll Learn
Deborah shares
- Tips and Ideas for How to Calm the Chaos this Holiday Season!
By going to the link below and accessing the worksheet you will be able to gain clarity on what’s most important for you during these weeks and alleviate the common burden of stress while remembering how to stay grounded in your reason for the season!
Resources
Get your WORKSHEET here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Mary Beth Mannino
Mary Beth "MB" Mannino is a former PR + advertising sales professional turned Certified Breathwork Facilitator, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Health and Wellness Coach. With her relatable and down-to-earth nature, MB’s mission is make health, wellness and mindfulness accessible to everyone so that you can feel comfortable and confident advocating for your own wellbeing.
Whether she’s leading and guiding others through powerful self-healing modalities or sharing her insights on the latest in health and wellness, MB leaves you feeling lighter, brighter and reconnected.
She lives in Metro Detroit with her husband, Steve, their Corgi Cooper and their soon-to-be first child, arriving in January 2021.
What You’ll Learn
- Mary Beth’s journey from corporate burnout to breathwork and meditation
- How to look past people pleasing and step into your own truth
- It’s never too late to start your journey!
- Your path only needs to make sense to you.
- How every emotional experience or response that we have in our bodies has a corresponding breath pattern.
- Breathwork allows us to thrive!
- Your “why” on a meditation practice
- Hints on how to start with daily meditation
- How you can work with Mary Beth on her website
- Breathwork exercise
- Mary Beth leads us through a meditation at the end of the podcast!
Resources
Connect with Mary Beth here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Amber Fife lives on 4 wooded acres in South Jersey with her professor husband and home schools her 4 children. With degrees in math and art, Amber found photography the marriage of the two.
After a decade of being in business and moving across the country, Amber felt something was missing, and she wanted to not feel crippled by anxiety. Her healing began in 2016 as she returned to her artistic roots and made time for creating on a regular basis.
Finding so much success in her own life, Amber began Women Create Weekly in 2018, a blog and online membership to help women find themselves again through art. She enjoys running both businesses and finding life balance on a daily basis.
What You’ll Learn
- Amber’s journey thru photography and her weekly community Women Create Weekly
- How to trust your journey, be open to possibilities and let your light shine!
- What does each week look like for the women in the Community? What are they working on and how can you participate?
- What type of benefits has Amber seen from women who participate in the platform?
- What’s the most rewarding part of Amber’s journey
- How does Amber calm the chaos in her own life
Resources
Connect with Amber here for Women Create Weekly
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Mitzi Beach
Interior designer, author, speaker, and 50+Marketing & Lifestyle Specialist. Author of new book “Design SMARTS. Design Hounds top 100 influencers, 2018, member of High Point Style Spotters and High Point Market Design Bloggers Tour. Quoted in Wall Street Journal, Aging in Place trends plus article in Women’s Health Magazine July/August 2019
What You’ll Learn
- Mitzi’s journey with interior design to incorporating “lifesizing” for women in midlife
- What is lifesizing and why should you care!
- Your 50’s prepare us for what our life will be like in our 60’s and 70’s.
- Find people who appreciate your gifts and talents. You have choices!
- Why Mitzi started her private Facebook group
- Ten Reasons to Downsize Now!
- Life Lessons and advice to women in midlife
- Mitzi’s challenge to the listener
Resources
Connect with Mitzi here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/Dr. Pepper Schwartz
Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, Award from the American Sociological Assoc. for Public Understanding of Sociology; On Air Relationship expert for Married at First Sight since it's inception,
50 academic articles and 25 books, two New York Times Best Sellers, ( The Normal Bar: the surprising secrets of happy couples and American Couples : Money , Work and Sex). Latest books: Dating over 50 for Dummies, Snap Strategies ( with Dr, Lana Staheli) Past President, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Previous: Glamour Magazine columnist and AARP columnist and also Love, sexuality and relationship ambassador for over a decade,
Appearances on the Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20 CBS morning show, Oprah, etc. Married to Frederick Kaseburg, two children and three grandchildren. Lives on horse farm outside of Seattle with a lot of animals.
What You’ll Learn
- What is the impact of a healthy sex life
- Is sex necessary for a good marriage?
- Does any research show that as we age our hormones dictate the desire for pleasure?
- How does our sexual relationship change as we move past sixty years young!
- How have people’s relationships and intimacy changed due to COVID lockdowns
- How does Dr. Schwartz Calm the Chaos in her life?
- What is Dr. Schwartz’s challenge for all of the listeners
Resources
Connect with Dr. Pepper Schwartz here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Michelle Vina-Baltsas
Michelle Viña-Baltsas is a professionally trained coach and certified intuitive eating counselor. She supports midlife women who are ready to rewrite their stories around eating, body image and movement. Her unique approach to living guides women to focus on meeting their own needs and respecting their bodies at all shapes, sizes, weights, and ages without apology.
What You’ll Learn
- Michelle’s journey to an intuitive eating coach
- What is intuitive eating?
- What does an intuitive eating program look like with Michelle’s guidance?
- Why is this an important topic for women in midlife?
- Discussion on a weight neutral approach
- Success Stories around Michelle’s coaching
- What is exercise resistance?
- Discussion on food and the holidays!
- Michelle’s challenge to the listener
Resources
Connect with Michelle here
Connect with Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Lisbeth McKinley, Professional Organizer
Let’s Make Room
Lisbeth “Lis” McKinley, is a Certified Professional Organizer, move manager, public speaker and owner of LET’S MAKE ROOM, LLC based in Oakland, California, now in its 12th year of operation.
Lis, along with her team at LET’S MAKE ROOM, helps clients achieve their unique vision of organization, before or after moving, remodeling or to refresh and unclutter their living, work and storage areas.
Lis speaks to both professional and community groups about downsizing, organizing, productivity and paper management. Her talks have inspired hundreds of people to enjoy their lives with less and get more done.
Lis is from New York City, holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and lives in Oakland with her husband, three cats and a Chihuahua.
What You’ll Learn
- What prompted Lis to leave her job and how she felt she was capable of doing more with her life.
- How did she start Let’s Make Room
- What are the services she provides
- What lessons can she share to other women thinking of starting something new
- How does Lis connect with clients virtually?
- What is the “ paper clutter monster”?
- What are the three questions to ask yourself when holding a piece of paper?
Act, Is this something you need to act on now or in the future?
Contain, Is this something that needs to be contained for future reference?
Toss, Can you toss this and find a way to access it later?
- What’s next on the horizon for Lis and Let’s Make Room
- How does Lis calm the chaos in her life
Resources
Connect with Lis and Let’s Make Room here
Connect with Deborah here
Take the midlife Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast Apple Podcasts ,Spotify and I Heart Radio
Pattie Hanmer was born in England and lived there until her mid 20's. Her appetite for adventure, new experiences and hunger for spiritual growth took her to Australia and New Zealand until 2000 when she set sail again and came to the PNW. Pattie spent many years studying healing practices, personal development, she holds certifications in hypnotherapy, reiki, life coaching, feng shui and has studied with some of the best-known teachers worldwide, such as Dr Jean Houston, Denise Linn, Joe Dispenza, and many others. She has participated in many creative arts, painting, encaustic, mosaic, writing, and interior design. Her world is varied, colorful and her passion includes cooking, creating sacred space and coaching others to find joy in the arts. She is a teacher of the Artist Way and has taught classes for over 5 years. She has created a magical space for participants to be immersed in the studying the artist way, her home, garden and studio is an inspiring, healing, tranquil retreat sanctuary.
Each class follows the Artist Way and Pattie infuses her wealth of creative processes, coaches’ individuals to explore their own hidden muse, and provides a safe fun environment to learn, grow and share so as to deepen each person’s experience.
Her intention is to be a change agent through inspiration by living in beauty.
What You’ll Learn
- Pattie’s journey to the Pacific Northwest and what drew her to Vashon Island
- What made Pattie choose The Artist’s Way to teach and coach to her students
- What type of art classes does she incorporate into her teaching
- Pattie shares stories about some of her past students and how they have grown thru her coaching
- What are Pattie’s plans for the oasis moving into the new year
Resources
Pattie’s website here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes , I HEART RADIO and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Sherry is a nutrition coach and a personal trainer. She helps midlife women lose weight and reduce the symptoms of menopause using simple fitness and nutrition habits. She went back to school to study fitness and nutrition in her 40s and worked at the YMCA instructing fitness classes and doing personal training for 6 years before starting her own business. She now has a number of online programs and one on one coaching for women going through menopause.
What You’ll Learn
- Sherry’s journey from project manager to personal training and nutrition coach
- Benefits of exercise for women in menopause
- Success stories of women in Sherry’s program
- How to get started on your own program or challenge your existing program
- Sherry’s challenge for the listeners
Resources
Sherry’s website here
Connect with Deborah here
Take the midlife Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast Apple Podcasts ,Spotify and I Heart Radio
In this Episode I am announcing the Fourteen Day Goal and Execute Challenge which begins on October 12, 2020!
This is a free challenge! Once you sign up on the website, you'll receive a welcome email. Beginning on Monday October 12th, you will receive a daily email with the worksheet link. Each day you will be guided through your journey of planning and the execution of your goal.
Do you have a list of items you've yet to prioritize? Maybe pick a couple as potential goals for the challenge! There is still time to finish the year strong. It's not over yet!
You can sign up for the challenge here
Visit my website here
Take the midlife quiz here
Looking forward to having you join the challenge!
See you on October 12th!
Deborah
Calm the Chaos/Amy Schmidt
Amy is a podcaster, author, public speaker, blogger and CEO of ARS and Associates and founder of the brand Fearlessly Facing Fifty. Her mission is to empower and encourage women forty plus to go all in and not lose their identity or become invisible. She want to embolden women to push their fears aside and create the life they envision for themselves going forward into midlife and beyond
What You’ll Learn
- Why Amy wrote her book Cannonball, a book for women in midlife
- How Amy faced her fears before, during and after her TV interview!
- Amy’s story about running her 5K . Her training and event. Stepping into something that was uncomfortable and making it happen.
- A health scare on Easter Sunday and how that became an important lesson that she shares with our listeners
- What is refocusing and recalibrating in midlife?
- Making yourself a priority! Have you gotten sidetracked on a goal or thrown off course? It’s never too late to begin
Resources
Connect with Amy here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Marty Wingate
Journalist, Author , Mystery Writer
USA Today best-selling author Marty Wingate writes mysteries set in England. In the First Edition Library series (Berkley), Hayley Burke is the curator of a collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery. Book two, Murder Is a Must, will be released October 2020. Marty also writes the Potting Shed books (Alibi) featuring Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England, and the Birds of a Feather series (Alibi) follows Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village.
Marty also writes historical fiction. Glamour Girls (Alcove Press, January 2021) follows the story of a young woman pilot in World War Two Britain.
Marty prefers on-the-ground research whenever possible, and so she and her husband regularly travel to England and Scotland, where she can be found tracing the steps of her characters, stopping for tea and a slice of Victoria sponge in a café, or enjoying a swift half in a pub
What You’ll Learn
- How Marty went from Journalist to Mystery Writer
- Marty’s advice for women in midlife
- How does she stay focused on her goals
- Where in Marty’s journey did she struggle with trusting the process
- Where does Marty find inspiration!
- Marty’s favorite Gardens in the UK
- How does Marty Calm the Chaos in her own life
Resources
Marty Wingate: Author of The First Edition Library mysteries (Berkley)
The Bodies in the Library
Murder Is a Must (October 2020)
WW2 historical women's fiction Glamour Girls
(Alcove Press, January 2021)
and
The Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather mysteries
martywingate.com
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I Heart Radio
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Leyla Alyanak is a journalist and former foreign correspondent. At 43, she made a major decision to reinvent herself and travel the world solo for six months – she was gone nearly four years, before cell phones, apps and Google. She found time to get lost in a Mozambican minefield, paddle her way out of a flood in the Philippines, and get stampeded by an elephant cow in Nigeria. Always an activist, she has worked for the World Wildlife Fund and for several health-related United Nations agencies.
Today, at 67, she consults for the UN on human rights, continues to publish widely, and travels the world solo as often as she can, documenting it all on Women on the Road, the website for solo travel over 50. A few weeks ago, taking advantage of the coronavirus lock down in France, where she lives, Leyla launched a new travel website called Offbeat France!
What You’ll Learn
- What are some issues for women that come up in conversations regarding traveling alone
- The number one question on the site
- Saying YES when the opportunity arises!
- Concerns for women while traveling and how to address them
Safety
Feeling Lonely
Language
- Age is an advantage!
- Discussion about her new website Offbeat France
- Leyla’s advice for women over 50
Resources
Connect with Leyla Women on the Road here
Leyla’s new website Offbeat France here
Connect with Deborah for Life Coaching here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast Apple Podcasts, Spotify and I Heart Radio
Calm the Chaos/ Debra Prinzing
Debra Prinzing, The Founder and Creative Director of the Slow Flowers Movement Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for American Grown Flowers. Through her many Slow Flowers-branded projects, she has brought together a national conversation that stimulates consumers and professionals alike to make conscious choices about their floral purchases. Debra is the producer of SlowFlowers.com, the online directory to American grown farms, florists, shops and studios who supply domestic and local flowers. Each Wednesday, approximately 5,000 listeners tune into Debra's "Slow Flowers Podcast," What You’ll Learn
- How Debra went from being a curious journalist to begin her journey into writing about the farmers and their flowers
- What does slow flowers mean?
- Who is getting involved in the movement?
- How Debra didn’t have a plan but followed her curiosity and trusted the path she was on was the right path
- How did COVID-19 affect the flowers farmer and florists in the country
- How did Debra started her podcast with a class and some inspiration
- Discover all the different platforms that Debra represents by visiting www.slowflowerssociety.com
- How can you support the slow flowers movement in your community?
Resources
Debra Prinzing’s Platform The Slow Flowers Society here and Debra Prinzing here
Connect with Deborah Voll for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Bonus Episode September 2020 Barbara Badolati
Barbara Badolati has been featured in several publications, podcasts, TV and is a Ted Talk speaker. She is a business coach for coaches, a mindful meditation teacher for organizations and the creator of Be Well Retreats where she provides virtual retreats for her community.
What You’ll Learn
The next Be Well Retreat Schedule:
BeWell Retreats presents The Miracle of the Mind, transform your story
a virtual mini-retreat Saturday, September 26
12:00-4:00pm Eastern / 9:00am-1:00pm Pacific or whatever time zone you’re in anywhere in the world.
Featured Presenters: Dani Green, Nate Guadagni and Barbara Badolati
Feeling stuck or in a rut? Our lives play out from the stories we tell ourselves. What if you could use your thoughts and imagination to create a new story? One that your subconscious would agree to! This retreat allows you to try out self-hypnosis, qigong movement and a playful envisioning activity allowing you to change any area of your life you so desire. Includes a full Retreat Guide to use during and after the retreat.
Early Bird special Sept 8-18 $49 includes the 15 page Retreat Guide or $79 for the Full Retreat Experience includes Friday evening Mix & Mingle, the Retreat and Retreat Guide plus our After Glow Gathering with $275 worth of Bonus Retreat gifts.
Registration closes Friday, September 25 at noon Take advantage of the Early Bird prices by September 18!
Resources
Connect with Barbara here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, I Heart Radio and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Debra Atkinson, Flipping 50
Hormone Balancing Fitness Expert Debra Atkinson has helped over 150,000 women “flip” their second half with energy and vitality. She’s the author of You Still Got It, Girl: The After 50 Fitness Formula for Women; Navigating Fitness After 50 and Hot, Not Bothered. Debra hosts Flipping 50 TV and the Flipping 50 podcast - an AARP top podcast for adults 50+ that has over 1 million downloads.
She is a frequent speaker and her recent TEDx talk is Why Everything Women in Menopause Learned About Exercise May Be a Lie will be published any day!
What You’ll Learn
- What is Flipping 50!
- How at 49 years young, Debra was “all in” with her biz
- How Debra dove into Entrepreneurship and got leaner and stronger at the same time
- How much exercise research involves women
- How Debra created the 50 Fitness Formula
- What is hormone balancing fitness?
- Exercise and Diet are stress! Don’t do both at the same time
- Why CARBS are our friend
- What it’s like to work with Debra
- Details about the STRONGER program. Link below to sign up!
Resources
Flipping 50 website here
Link for STRONGER 12 week program here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes, Spotify, and I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Kim Brown Seely
Kim Brown Seely’s bestselling memoir, UNCHARTED, was recently published by Sasquatch Books/Penguin Random House. Winner of the 2016 Lowell Thomas Journalist of the Year Award and a Nautilus Book Award, she worked for many years as senior editor at Travel & Leisure magazine, contributing editor at National Geographic Adventure, and travel editor at Microsoft. She is a contributing writer for Virtuoso Life magazine, where she has won nearly a dozen awards for her work and enjoys writing about far-flung places. She is a former board president of Seattle Arts and Lectures and currently serves on the board of Copper Canyon Press. She graduated from Stanford University.
What You’ll Learn
- The journey Kim and her husband took together and the lessons they learned
- How does your identity shift when you become an empty-nester?
- The dream for her and her husband. Moving to dreams together and how they meshed.
- What was the trip?
- The Great Bear Rainforest
- What is it like to be disconnected from technology for such a long period of time?
- Humor goes a long way in a bad situation!
- The empowering part of taking a journey together as a couple
- What did Kim learn about herself on the journey
Resources
Kim’s website here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify, I HEART RADIO
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos/ Margaret Vandergriff, The Moving Coach
Margaret Vandergriff coaches self-employed empty nesters from living in a place that no longer meets their needs to an exciting new place that does. She founded Margaret Vandergriff, the Moving Coach in 2017 to help others navigate their search and figure out their best places to move, so that their empty nest years can be their best years yet! Margaret created her signature Find Your Happy Place method to identify and match like-minded places and people by drawing on prospect research and strategic planning expertise she honed over 30 years as a consultant helping nonprofits find and access more than $20 million in grants. Margaret currently lives with her husband and four cats in rural Iowa and is eagerly anticipating a move to Eugene, Oregon.
What You’ll Learn
- How Margaret’s experiences prompted her to start the moving coach
- How does Margaret guide someone thru their relocation journey
- The Five Step Process!
Reflection
Dream
Plan
Research
Scouting Visit
- What are your priorities when considering a new location?
- How do your options compare to your ideal location?
- What is a scouting visit report card?
- What do you people neglect to consider when relocating
- Margaret’s 30 day Challenge in September!
- Your Challenge Questions for now
How does where you live make you feel?
Specifically, what do you love and not love about where you live?
What would you change about it if you could? Are these things significant or trivial?
When you come back after being away, do you feel like you’re returning home or do you wish home was someplace else?
Does where you live meet your needs now and into the future, or do you feel like your needs would be better met someplace else?
Resources
Margaret Vandergriff The Moving Coach web site here
Connect with Deborah for Coaching here
The mid life Quiz here
Enjoy the show?
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Patty Gale is a former Securities Trader who became a Financial Therapist to help women rediscover midlife and their money.
She founded Fear.less Girl Financial to bring together financial and personal self-care to create clarity, simplicity and direction, even if you don’t like budgets, spreadsheets or math. As she says, “Finally, a feminine approach to personal finance.”
Patty is the soothing voice of reason when it comes to finances with a mission to reach 1 million women.
She believes money stories are not taboo and is passionate about removing the stigma. She also knows what it feels like to be confused about who to trust for unbiased guidance, which is why she does not sell insurance or investments.
Patty is an active member of the Financial Therapy Association, the Females & Finance Community and has been a featured guest on various midlife podcasts.
Says Patty, “Every midlife woman deserves to live the life and security she craves.”
Visit www.FearlessGirlFinancial.com to request her free MidLife Money Guide for Women.
What You’ll Learn
- Patty’s journey for securities trader to Fearless Girl Financial
- What is a mid life review?
- 2008 recession and COVID-19 financial and health crisis
- Women clients in a financial industry. What are their needs?
- Where did we come up with retirement? Is that even realistic these days?
- Patty’s Plan
- Creating a Desired Lifestyle
- The Financial Plan
- What are the tools in your box and how can Patty help you fill in the GAP
- The importance of estate planning!
- Patty’s morning routine
- The emotions in finances
- Taking back ownership of your finances!
Resources
Patty’s website here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
Take the mid life Quiz here
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Calm the Chaos, Episode 27
Denise Bustard, Sweet Peas and Saffron
Meal Prep Discussion
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
What You’ll Learn
- Denise started the blog as a hobby and now runs the website full time
- The value of meal prep in calming the chaos!
- Most popular recipes on the website!
Seven Different Stir Fry Recipes
Twenty-four Lunches for the freezer
- Tips for Freezing
- How Denise calms the chaos in her life!
- Her challenge for the listeners
Resources
Sweet Peas and Saffron Website here
Sweet Peas and Saffron YouTube Channel here
Deborah’s Pinterest here
Deborah’s Website for Life Coaching here
Enjoy the show?
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Dr. Christina is an online life coach who utilizes her clinical psychology education + wellness practices to help high achieving, ambitious women learn to take better care of themselves, obtain internal peace and live the life they truly desire. Dr. Christina lives in beautiful Central Oregon with her husband and two fun loving toddlers.
What You’ll Learn
- Values, What is your Northstar?
- What are your basic needs?
- What’s in your bank account and where are you getting your deposits and depletions?
- How do we dim our light?
- What are your moments that matter?
- Find the “gems” in your day
Resources
Christina Cruz Website here
Rick Hanson Book Resilient here
Connect with Deborah for coaching here
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Calm the Chaos, Episode 25
Rachel Anne Ridge
Flash, The Homeless Donkey who Taught Me About Life, Faith and Second Chances
Rachel Anne Ridge is an author, professional artist, and speaker in Texas. Together with her husband Tom, she bootstrapped her way through the Great Recession, raised a family, and rediscovered her purpose in the midst of the everyday juggle of life. Her books, Flash, The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith, and Second Chances, and Walking with Henry are inspired by the stray donkeys (yes, donkeys) who interrupted her juggling act and revealed how ordinary (and sometimes hilarious) events help us find our higher purpose and deeper faith. Rachel is mom to three adult children and Nana to five littles
What You’ll Learn
- How Rachel made a pivot in mid-life and published her first book at 50 years old!
- The day a donkey showed up on Rachel’s doorstep!
- Rachel’s journey to become an author
- Exploring Creativity and Desire
- Facing her fears of public speaking
- Saying YES! Which opens more doors!!
- Rachel’s challenge to the listeners
Resources
Rachel Anne Ridge Website here
Deborah Voll Life Coaching website here
Morning Pages Julia Cameron’s book The Artist's Way here
Enjoy the show?
Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos, Episode 24
Laura Valenti, Elemental Soul Medicine
Laura Valenti began her career in law, supporting women who were victims of trafficking into prostitution or domestic violence. Over two decades, she trained formally and informally in many modalities including contemporary shamanic practice, the Andean Cosmology, Physical Theatre, Clowning, Laughter Yoga and Polarity Therapy.
In her travels to California, Peru, Ecuador, and the UK she had the opportunity to share her work with many individuals from all over the world, including vulnerable adults, people in drug and alcohol rehabilitation and indigenous communities.
She is a certified Movement Medicine dance teacher and facilitator. She completed 4 Advanced pieces of training of the School of Movement Medicine: 1: Heart and SEER – Systemic Essential Energy Retrieval, 2: Ritual, 3: Soul Retrieval, 4: Initiation - dancing with life cycles: from birth to death.
She is also a qualified sound & voice therapist and certified coach. She is currently completing a CPD course on somatic coaching and trauma-informed coaching practice.
Laura was born in Italy, where she learnt about good food and hospitality, colourful swearing and native ancient forms of ecstatic dance. She overcame many challenges, from losing her mum at a very young age to depression, drug and alcohol addiction, abusive relationships and cancer. She lives in Spain with her partner, still loves cooking and eating and dedicates her life to healing and creatively transforming suffering.
What You’ll Learn
- The background of Movement Medicine
- How movement medicine helps us to connect with ourselves, others and nature
- How Laura became interested in movement medicine
- What does a class look like as a participant
- We need to start listening with self inquiry
- How to work with Laura 1:1
- What is Somatic Coaching
- How Laura calms the chaos in her life
- Laura’s challenge for the listeners!
Resources
Laura’s website Elemental Soul Medicine here
Work Deborah on your next chapter here for 1:1 Life Coaching
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos Episode 23
Jennifer Louden, Author
Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next
JENNIFER LOUDEN is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the concept of self-care with her first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book. Since then, she’s written six additional books on wellbeing and whole living, including The Woman’s Retreat Book and The Life Organizer, with close to a million copies of her books in print in nine languages. Jennifer has spoken around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has written a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine. Plus, she’s been profiled or quoted in dozens of major magazines; two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and has appeared on hundreds of TV programs, radio shows, and podcasts—even on Oprah. Jennifer has been teaching women’s retreats since 1992 and creating vibrant online communities and innovative learning experiences since 1999. She writes weekly to her email list of 20,000 and hosts an online paid community of over 600 members. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
What You’ll Learn
Go from Despair to the Desire for wanting more!
Steps to Why Bother
- Leave Behind- Examine the excuses we make!
- Ease In- Get the fire going. You matter and what you want matters! Take the time to turn towards yourself
- Settle In and Find the Stillness. At our core is peace and well-being. Unless we sit in the stillness we don’t know or hear what we want.
- Desire- Life is speaking to you. Allow yourself to feel that desire
- Become by Doing- You begin to experiment
- Be Seen- Be seen as your whole self
The Oasis Group with Jennifer
Jennifer’s Retreats
Jennifer’s Challenge for the listeners!
Resources
Jennifer Louden Website here
Deborah’s Website for Life Coaching here
Take the Quiz on Deborah’s site here
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos, Fran Hogan
Brown Butterfly
Fran and Laura launched Brown Butterfly in 1999. Their goal is to create a line of 100% natural and healthy skincare and bath products that are free from chemicals, synthetic fragrances, parabens, petroleum, etc. using the best organic botanical ingredients available. All Brown Butterfly products are cruelty free and Leaping Bunny Certified.
Brown Butterfly Philosophy
Each item is individually handcrafted using the finest natural ingredients.
Only pure vegetable oils are used. We don’t use synthetic based oils or petroleum. We don’t use animal by-products, nor do we condone the use of testing on animals.
Only pure essential oils (aromatic essences from plants and flowers) are used as fragrances. Pure essential oils are known for their therapeutic qualities in both skincare and emotional wellbeing. This is the healing art known as “Aromatherapy”.
We do not use parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleum, propylene glycol, DEA, TEA, imidazolidinyl or diazolidinyl urea.
Brown Butterfly products give you a natural and safe alternative that is human and earth friendly. We are Certified by Leaping Bunny as a cruelty free company.
All items are handcrafted in small batches to ensure superior quality control and consistency.
We guarantee your complete satisfaction.
What You’ll Learn
- How did Fran and Laura come up with the name Brown Butterfly
- What is their top selling product?
- What is the purpose of a complexion oil?
- What type of complexion oils do they make
Nourishing
Purifying
Harmony
Rejuvenating
Normal
- They do make a men’s aftershave
- Understanding Rosacea
- How does Fran Calm the Chaos in his life?
- Fran’s challenge to the listeners
Resources
Brown Butterfly website here
Brown Butterfly Instagram here
Find Deborah’s coaching here
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos
Episode 21 Nicolette Vajtay
Inspired Living Feng Shui
Nicolette believes that everyone deserves a great life, profound love, a meaningful career, freedom to play, travel and share abundance. Nicolette consults both on-site and on-Skype with National and International Feng Shui clients all over the world, working with clients with various lifestyles and equally diverse interests. She is continuously inspired by her experiences with her clients and awed by how a tiny shift in our environment (and a huge shift in our thinking) can open up a whole new life.
Nicolette’s mission is to help you create your most magical life.
What You’ll Learn
- Nicolette’s journey to Feng Shui
- How your environment affects our nervous system
- Sharing on how she has seen work for others in their environment
- The front door is the mouth of Chi, new energy passing thru
- Does your home energize or deplete you?
- How Nicolette calms the chaos in her own life
Resources
Nicolette, Inspired Living Feng Shui Website Link here
Calm the Chaos Coaching Website here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Calm the Chaos/ Episode 20
Iris Higgins, Hypnotherapy
Iris Higgins, MA, CHt is a certified hypnotherapist, working primarily with women entrepreneurs. Multipassionate, Iris got a master's degree in psychology and was halfway through a second master's in nutrition before she discovered a love of hypnotherapy. She has been working with clients virtually for the past 8 years, helping them to connect in with their highest selves and overcome limiting beliefs. She believes that we all have the answers within us; that sometimes we just need a little guidance to find them.
What You’ll Learn
- Iris’ background and journey to getting to Hypnotherapy
- Difference between Client and Script based
- How Iris made a pivot in her life to hypnotherapy
- Difference between hypnotherapy and meditation
- How to pick your hypnotherapist
- Pateron program available
- Free six minute guided meditation at the end of the podcast “Caring for your Anger”
Resources
Iris Higgins Website here
Daylio Mood Tracker here
Mary Lee Lebay here
Calm the Chaos Coaching. Book an exploratory session here
Calmthechaoscoaching.com
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
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Episode 19 Julie Morgenstern
Author
When Organizing Isn’t Enough
SHED your stuff, change your life
About
Julie Morgenstern is one of the leading experts on organization, business productivity and time management. The author of six best-selling books, a consultant to large corporations and a sought-after speaker, Morgenstern has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, and NPR’s Fresh Air and helped thousands of people transform their homes, businesses, and attitudes about every kind of clutter. The New York City-based Julie Morgenstern Enterprises has been successfully in business for over 30 years.
What You’ll Learn
This book will help you clear the cutter for good! Julie takes a different approach by using the SHED process. Moving beyond throwing things out and walks you thru the pitfalls of decluttering
Declutter is identifying what’s obsolete and no longer serves you
Organizing is designing systems that make you more efficient where you are right now
SHED stands for
Separate the Treasures
Heave the Trash
Embrace your Identity
Drive yourself Forward
Finding your Theme: What is your big picture? What do you want to express or experience in the future? What do you need to let go of and where are you heading?
Points of Entry!
Clutter is not junk! Clutter is an attachment to something you are struggling to release. Ask yourself what does it represent? Go in with love and tenderness for yourself.
Being in the present moment!
You can also use this process to evaluate your commitments, schedule and habits!
Resources
Julie Morgenstern Website here
My new website here! Pop on and take the quiz and book a free exploratory call
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 18
Moving forward from COVID-19 and facing our grief
We discuss how to move forward from our experiences with Covid-19 and address our grief. All of us at some point need to ask ourselves to let go and grieve what we lost as a result of our experiences during this time. Let’s work towards moving forward mentally and emotionally.
What You’ll Learn
- Based on your experience, what do you need to face for yourself and accept that in order to move forward you need to grieve that moment or occasion in your life that is lost forever. We will explore some of those occasions.
- Grief doesn’t fit in a box. Some forms of grief take year to work through while other types take a few months or a single moment of deep acknowledgement
- The path towards addressing your grief
Understand
Recognize
Touch
Move
- Take a moment to sit and acknowledge and move thru the exercise provided in this podcast episode
Resources
Calm the Chaos Coaching. Book an exploratory session here
Calmthechaoscoaching.com
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 17
Shannon Douglas
Honest Magazine
Shannon Douglas is the creator of Honest Magazine, a quarterly publication exploring our food and its roots. With a unique perspective, her magazine takes a slow-paced, intentional look at our food and the ways it comes to us
Note from Deborah! This is independently published by Shannon and advertising-free
Explore a current issue here!
What You’ll Learn
- How Shannon went from Photographer to magazine publisher!
- What is Honest Quarterly?
- How did Shannon work thru her self-doubt in putting herself and her magazine out for people to enjoy
- What is the hardest part of photographing, writing and editing the magazine on your own?
- What inspires Shannon in her work
- How you can find Honest Quarterly!
- Win your free copy of the recent issue of Honest Quarterly!
Resources
Honest Quarterly here
Calm the Chaos Coaching. Book an exploratory session here
Calmthechaoscoaching.com
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 16
Denise Voll
Burien Family Acupuncture
Denise is a licensed acupuncturist and east Asian medicine practitioner. She graduated from the Northwest Institute of acupuncture and Oriental medicine in 2001 and has been in private practice for nineteen years. She is a co-founder of Burien family Acupuncture in Burien Washington and cofounder of the community acupuncture Project in Issaquah, Washington . She is certified in cranial sacral therapy, sound therapy, and is a certified yoga instructor.
What You’ll Learn
- What is acupuncture and it’s benefits
- General misconceptions of acupuncture
- Stories about some of her patients that have benefited from acupuncture treatments
- What makes Burien Family Acupuncture unique in their community
- What’s next on the horizon for Denise!
Resources
Burien Family Acupuncture Website here
Phone number for Burien Family Acupuncture 206-244-2471
Calm the Chaos Coaching. Book an exploratory session here
Calmthechaoscoaching.com
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 15
Carla Heins
Sacred Space Vibrational Healing
Carla Heins is a multifaceted energetic practitioner of many modalities. Having walked through the greatest grief she had ever experienced through the loss of her soul Dog Takota, she founded Sacred Waves Vibrational Healing where she empowers people to have the courage to integrate their own grief and loss while being fully supported, heard and validated.
What You’ll Learn
- What is Sound Bathing
- How did Carla discover this modality for herself?
- What type of benefits as she seen not only in herself but her clients
- Discovering different types of sound bathing.
- How Carla calms the chaos in her life
- What’s next on the horizon for Sacred Waves Vibrational Healing
Resources
Find Carla here on her Facebook page
Carla’s contact phone number (425) 877-9140
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 14
Author: Beth Howard
Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie
Beth Howard quit her lucrative web producing job to bake pies at a gourmet deli in Malibu California. On her journey she began blogging about how pie can make the world a better place which led to writing books about it. Her first book. Making Piece: A memoir of Love, Loss and Pie is the story of how pie helped her heal from the death of her 43- year-old husband.
What You’ll Learn
- What led Beth to walk in one day and quit her job at a dot com company and move to Southern California
- What did she learn about herself handing out pie to stranger on the beach in Venice CA
- How did touring the country and sharing her story help Beth process her grief after the death of her husband.
- Beth discusses trusting her intuition and “track record”.
- Why did she decide to write the book Making Piece
- What’s next on the horizon for Beth
Resources
How to find Beth Howard Link Here
Enjoy the show?
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Calm the Chaos/ Episode 13
Jen Boyd, Elements of Harmony.
Feng Shui discussion
About
Jen’s down-to-earth approach to Feng Shui makes the ancient study easy and understandable for today’s lifestyle. Jen also brings attention to the importance of self-care and how to honor your personal Ch’i.
Since 2003, Jen has worked with hundreds of clients all over the world to provide solutions for reinforcing life and business goals and improving situations, such as: financial, interpersonal relationships, health, career, and more.
Jen is a certified Feng Shui practitioner from the Western School of Feng Shui in Solana Beach, CA and has taken advanced training on the Five Elements, and studied with Alex Stark.
What You’ll Learn
- What is Feng Shui
- How Jen started her journey and ultimately became a Feng Shui practitioner
- What is your personal Ch'i?
- Sharing how Feng Shui has impacted others to improve their overall energy and experiences.
- How to connect virtually for a session with Jen
Resources
Connect with Jen here to learn more about Elements of Harmony!
Calm the Chaos Coaching . Let's connect. Contact me for an exploratory session!
Don’t miss an episode! follow the podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Calm the Chaos/ Episode 12
Amy Paine Photographer and her book Just Me
About
Amy Paine is a Seattle portrait photographer and enjoys encouraging women to see how truly beautiful they are in their own skin with or without makeup. Amy helps people to challenge their feelings of “not enough” and grow in their confidence in every season of life. She is the creator of the book Just Me.
What You’ll Learn
- What lead Amy to begin her journey as a portrait photographer
- Her inspiration behind the book Just Me
- How did her clients respond to their photo sessions not wearing any make up in front of the camera
- What Amy learned about herself thru the process of creating the book
- How Amy calms the chaos in her own life
Resources
Amy Paine Photography website
To order the book Just Me click here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify
- Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and share with a friend!
Calm the Chaos, Barbara Badolati
Wellness and Mindful Coach
Creator of Bliss Within
About Barbara
Barbara has been featured in several publications, podcasts, TV and is a Ted Talk speaker. She is a business coach for coaches, a mindful meditation teacher for organizations and the creator of Bliss Within a virtual retreat.
What you’ll Learn
- Barbara’s journey sharing a mindfulness practice and helping people to find the bliss within themselves.
- What does being blissful mean to you?
- How can you create more bliss?
- Announcement of the Bliss Within Retreats
Resources
Calm the Chaos Coaching link here
Barbara Badolati web site link here
Register for the Bliss Retreat here!
Schedule a free 30 minute zoom call with Deborah here
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast and subscribe via Apple Podcasts
Calm the Chaos/ Episode 11
Anastasia Allison, Conversation about her career journey and the founder of the Kula Cloth
About
Anastasia Allison is a former park ranger and police officer turned full-time entrepreneur after a nearly fatal incident while driving home from a snowshoeing trip at Stevens Pass, Wa. That single incident was a catalyst for her own journey of self-discovery. A lifelong musician, Anastasia is also the violinist for the duo called The Musical Mountaineers. She is also the founder of a gear company called Kula Cloth, which makes the very first antimicrobial pee cloth for all the places you “go”.
What You’ll Learn
- How Anastasia went from being a railroad police officer to the founder of the Kula Cloth
- What did she learn about herself during her journey
- How did she work thru her limiting beliefs about herself
- Did Anastasia work with a coach during her journey of self-discovery?
- How does Anastasia calm the chaos in her life
- What’s next on the horizon for Anastasia and her company!
Resources
The Kula Cloth Website
Enjoy the show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on ITunes and Spotify. Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast!