Plan Simple with Mia Moran: Recent Episodes
Mia Moran
Bestselling author, Mia Moran serves up the Plan Simple show for parents who want to create a healthier, happier home— one meal at a time. Listen in for informative conversations on food, family, and valuable strategies to make meals meaningful and fun!
“How do I hold on to the beauty and the joy of my everyday life? In a journal.”
–Minette Riordan
Let’s throw out the rule on journaling and open up to curiosity. I’m really excited to talk with creative guide Minette Riordan about how journaling helps her capture joy and balance all the things.
For Minette, journaling is about connection to the self and understanding how to really pay attention and listen to how you are today. And there are lots of ways in including using stickers, colors, images, whatever helps you meet yourself on the page.
If you’ve struggled with morning pages or find your words drying up or perfectionism creeping on to the page, let’s take another look at magic of putting pen to paper. And if you love journaling, tune in for more ideas to deepen your practice.
We talk about:
- Perfectionism and not editing yourself as you go
- Using your journal as a playground for new ideas or to check in on your inner battery
- How writing things down helps us identify patterns
- Using a question as a point of entry.
- Accepting that whatever you put on the page — three words, a tiny sketch — it counts
- How to create a 100 day project you can stick with
ABOUT MINETTE
Minette Riordan, Ph.D. is the creative guide women over 50 turn to when they feel lost, stuck, or uncertain about what comes next and are ready to reclaim purpose, creativity, and meaning in the second half of life.
A teacher, artist, writer, and expressive arts facilitator, Minette combines storytelling, journaling, intuitive art, and mythic wisdom to help women reconnect with the parts of themselves they may have set aside while caring for others, building careers, and meeting life’s many demands. Through her workshops, retreats, online programs, and the Sisterhood of Wisdom and Wonder, she guides women to become the Queen of Their Own Damn Story and design lives filled with greater authenticity, joy, and purpose.
Minette holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and is an award-winning entrepreneur who has spent more than two decades helping others navigate meaningful personal and professional transformation. She lives in Loveland with her husband Brad, where she paints whimsical animals, drinks strong coffee, and remains endlessly inspired by stories, nature, and the creative process.
LINKS
- https://www.minetteriordan.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/drminetteriordan/
- https://www.facebook.com/DrMinetteRiordan/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/minetteriordan/
- https://www.youtube.com/@drminetteriordan
- Pause Magazine, issue 5
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- START WITH A QUESTION. If you are often stuck looking a blank page or simply grumbling on the page, try starting with a question. Some ideas: What matters now? What are my core values? What does freedom look like for me? How do I want to spend my time, my energy, and my money in the years remaining? Or even start with What questions do I want to be asking myself?
- ADD COLOR. Sometimes it takes a while to get into our words or ideas. Sometimes we can express ourselves better with color. Try adding color to your page, a wash of paint, a crayon scribble. Does it express how you feel? Does it open a new door?
- HOLD DAILY LIGHTLY. Play with consistency and commitment in a 100 day journaling project. What does it look like of you batch journal for three days to deal with travel? What does it look like if you skip a prompt that doesn’t apply or appeal to you? How can you commit and flex and see what happens when you show up consistently?
In this episode, I’m talking with FLOW365 member Thuy about building a business that honors her health, creativity, spirituality, and life as a mother.
Thuy’s business has taken many forms, from spray tanning and teeth whitening to face reading, space clearing, and tea ceremonies. Instead of forcing herself to choose one perfect path, she is learning how to bring all the pieces together while focusing on the actions that create income now.
We talk about why rest is power, how slowing down can help you move faster, and what happens when you create spaciousness without losing momentum. Thuy also shares how planning, community, and loving accountability have helped her stop spiraling, trust her intuition, take massive action, and build a rich life alongside a growing business.
This conversation is a beautiful reminder that your health and lifestyle do not have to compete with your ambition. Sometimes they are the very things that make your next level possible.
If this peaks your interest about FLOW365, let's talk: https://plansimple.com/flow365
Quick Wednesday, extra episode on why I'm so passionate about the concept of a village. And how both a range of women and small intimate groups help with followthrough.
What happens when you have meaningful work to share, but resistance keeps getting in the way of putting it into the world?
When Cathy Towle joined FLOW365, she was trying to grow her work as a shaman, medium, and spiritual entrepreneur. She had decades of experience, deep wisdom, and plenty of business knowledge, but she was struggling to translate it all into consistent action.
In this conversation, Cathy shares how planning, accountability, and being supported inside a community helped her move forward without forcing herself to follow someone else’s formula.
As she kept showing up, imperfectly, her resistance began to soften. She filled her private practice, created systems that made her business easier to run, found clearer language for her work, and made more room for creativity, health, family, and the rest of her life.
We talk about:
- Why experienced women can still feel like beginners in a new season
- The relationship between willingness, imperfect action, and momentum
- How structure can support intuitive and creative work
- Why we need a container that allows us to be honest about where we’re stuck
- Growing a business while navigating caregiving and real life
- What becomes possible when you stop trying to do it perfectly
This is a conversation about trusting yourself, allowing your path to unfold, and finding a way of planning and following through that actually feels like your own.
Interested in FLOW365? Learn more at https://plansimple.com/flow365
Are you trying to hold your business ideas, health goals, family needs, appointments, errands, and dreams in your head—all at the same time?
In the second episode of this three-part series, I’m sharing how to give everything a place so you can stop treating it all like an emergency.
I’ll walk you through the four areas of FLOW—Food and Wellness, Life, OM, and Work—and show you how I use different containers of time, from a three-year vision to the next 90 minutes.
You’ll also hear how this approach helped me write a bestselling book and helped one FLOW365 member write three novels while working full-time and raising three boys.
When your plan holds your dream, you can be present for the next step.
Learn more about FLOW365 or book a call with me at https://plansimple.com/flow365.
What if the reason follow-through feels so hard isn’t the task itself—but how lonely it feels to become someone new?
In the final episode of this three-part series, I’m sharing what feminine follow-through really looks like: coming back into balance, remembering what matters to your future self, taking the next loving step, and getting the support you need.
I’ll share why a village matters, how support helped one FLOW365 member keep growing her business during a demanding season at home, and how this process has helped me continue creating through one of the most challenging years of my life.
We were never meant to hold the dream, make the plan, and follow through on it all alone.
Learn more about FLOW365 or book a call with me at https://plansimple.com/flow365.
What if having it all didn’t mean doing everything, being perfect, or squeezing more into an already-full life?
In the first episode of this three-part series, I’m sharing the first step in creating what you want across your business, health, family, and life: start with calm.
I’ll show you why the emotions you bring to planning shape the choices you make, how planning can become an act of care for your future self, and how to use my CALM framework.
Meaningful momentum doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from making your next decision from an emotional place that can actually support you as you take your next step.
Learn more about FLOW365 or book a call with me at https://plansimple.com/flow365.
“The more I've worked with the dead, the more my life has blossomed.”
–Perdita Finn
Our ancestors didn’t have money and grocery stores and medicines … they had their ancestors. We do too. I’m so excited to talk with Perdita Finn, the author of Mothers of Magic, about tapping into all the mothers on the other side.
Perdita wrote about what it meant to be a mother before patriarchy, what has happened to our idea of being a mother within civilization — and what it might look like to imagine the mother beyond it.
Mothering and how you’ve been mothered takes up more space than many of us even realize in its different iterations, so this conversation feels powerful.
We talk about:
- Human history as wanderers and what changed when we began settling
- The erasure of the grandmother and the war on young women
- Why one mother is not enough (you’re not supposed to be)
- The deep roots of why women’s friendships feel fraught
- Feeling held by love on both sides of the veil
- Fretting and handing over your worries
ABOUT PERDITA
Perdita Finn — writer, woodwife, witch — is the author of Mothers of Magic.
LINKS
- https://takebackthemagic.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/perditafinn/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/perdita-finn-12764224/
- Pause Magazine, Issue 5
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- CREATE A FRETTING PRACTICE. It’s okay to feel your worries and not silence them. Try naming your worries and handing each over to an ancestor. How does it feel when you do this every morning for a week?
- CALL ON GRANDMOTHER ANCESTORS. We were not meant to mother alone. We hear that sometimes but do you believe it? One mother is not enough. What happens when you call upon your mother, grandmothers, generations before to help you in your own mothering or in your need to be mothered?
- SEEK WISDOM FROM LIVING GRANDMOTHERS. Who do you know who embodies grandmother energy. Take them to tea. Ask them lots of questions. Bring what you are sitting with and get an elder’s perspective.
“Real conversations lead to opportunities and opportunities lead to sales.”
–Sue B. Zimmerman
You can’t outsource conversations. Sue B. Zimmerman, specialist in intentional online marketing and simplifying social media strategy believes Instagram conversations are great for business.
It’s about building trust and engaging in conversations, but that doesn’t have to take hours. Sue shows us how social media can feel less like a thing you should do and more like a thing you enjoy that leads to opportunities which lead to sales.
We talk about:
- How each feature on Instagram is an opportunity to show up in a unique way
- The benefits of a live instead of a video and how to build trust with video
- A time breakdown for creating social content and fitting it into pockets in your day
- How to use strategic commenting to engage with people
- Tagging leads in DMs and responding to everything
- Sharing things that are entertaining while making sure there’s a clear connection to your business
ABOUT SUE
Sue B. Zimmerman is a lifelong entrepreneur, relationship-driven sales mentor, and sought-after online marketing educator with more than 30 years of business experience. Known for her no-BS teaching style and ability to simplify social media strategy, Sue has privately coached hundreds of entrepreneurs to grow their visibility, confidence, and revenue through authentic connection and intentional online marketing.
LINKS
- suebzimmerman.com
- https://learnwithsbz.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/suebzimmerman/?hl=en
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/suebzimmerman/
- https://www.facebook.com/SuebZimmermanEnterprise/
- Pause Magazine, Issue 5
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- 15 MINUTE CHALLENGE. Spending too much time creating social? Set a timer for 15 minutes. Use that time to create your post. A tip from the magazine: Your life is the content. Ask yourself: What in my life today connects to what my audience needs?
- TIME GAP COMMENTING. You can schedule 15 minutes to go in and comment strategically, but you can also try using those little gaps of time — while waiting in line or between calls. Comment strategically on complimentary accounts. Get involved in the conversation.
- TRY GOING LIVE. Going live has a different energy than you talking to your phone for a video. Even if you aren’t that used to being in front of the camera, you can learn to be more comfortable. And video builds trust.
“The Oracle cards are simply a method for spirit, God source, or your spirit team or a loved one to speak to you.”
–Patty Lennon
From corporate to business coach to spiritual guide — Patty Lennon takes us on a wild ride and shows what happens when you really listen to your intuition and guides.
Patty Lennon is the resident oracle expert for Pause Magazine. She does a card pull for each issue and helps teach readers how to use Oracle cards in their lives.
Patty explains how she got here, what Spirit means to her, how Oracle cards are like a telephone. Then we dive deep into using the cards
We talk about:
- Following what you are good at and what people need — and how sometimes that isn’t your way
- Why Oracle cards are tool that helps get your brain involved
- The patterns that can emerge when you pull cards day after day
- The kinds of questions to bring to the cards
- How to deal with a message you don’t like and how to use an explainer card
- Getting ready to pull a card
ABOUT PATTY
Patty Lennon, a former type-A corporate banker who discovered there was more to life than making money, is the best-selling author, keynote speaker, certified coach, and founder of The Receiving School®. She’s the resident oracle expert of Pause Magazine.
LINKS
- Make Space for Magic Book
- https://www.pattylennon.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/pattylennon/
- https://www.youtube.com/@PattyLennon
- Pause Magazine: Issue 5
- https://plansimple.com/let-go-and-receive-with-patty-lennon/
- https://plansimple.com/trust-your-calendar-with-patty-lennon/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ENGAGE WITH A CARD. Let the image speak to you first. Notice what draws your attention, what emotions arise, what feels familiar or surprising. After receiving that, then turn to the guidebook message connected to the card.
- PULL A CARD FOR 14 DAYS. What happens when you pull a card for 2 weeks straight? (Or longer?) Pull a card every day and see what emerges over time.
- FOLLOW UP TO A CARD YOU DON’T LIKE. Ask for help understanding the card that upsets you. You can put the card aside and come back to it the next day. Or you can pull an explainer card from a different deck and see what that opens up for you.
“It's always an option for you to want to do incredible things.”
–S.E. Martin
Not sure what’s next? I’m talking with writer S.E. Martin who has continued to evolve with the support of FLOW365.
Shauna’h went from career and mom with little kids to side hustles and travels in Spain to published author. It’s been amazing watching her evolve. We featured her books in our Romance Collection in Pause Magazine’s summer issue.
Shauna’h loves the structure and the container of FLOW, the rituals and routines that work for her even when life gets busy. She’s been with us since 2019 and finds the support and community continue to help her do incredible things.
We talk about:
- How support can help you not lose yourself in the now and look ahead to what you want
- The importance of learning to take care of yourself
- Why you can keep getting things out of FLOW as you evolve
- Making choices — what you can cut out to keep the things that really matter
- How FLOW’s Get It Done days help move projects forward and balance the things you need to do
- Getting overwhelmed trying to figure it all out yourself and how amazing the FLOW community is
ABOUT SHAUNA’H
Shauna’h writes under the pen name S.E. Martin. She is an enrolled member of the Mohawk Nation at Six Nations of the Grand River in Ohsweken, Ontario. She grew up in Niagara Falls, New York, and now lives in New England with her husband and children. She is the author of the Medicine Game series — contemporary sports romance rooted in Haudenosaunee culture and community.
LINKS
- https://mybook.to/MedicineGameSeries
- https://www.instagram.com/semartin_writer
- Get S.E. Martin’s hockey romance delivered to your inbox
- Pause Magazine, Issue 5
- FLOW365
“We're all creative. We just lose track of that at times, but you don't need to do much to get started. We all have an artist inside of us.”
–Holly Becker
“What haven't I done yet that maybe I could do that would make other people happy?” That’s the guiding question to Holly Becker’s business world. Holly is an artist and multi-passionate entrepreneur who writes books, teaches, classes, does interior design … all under a creative umbrella.
What could you do that would make other people (or yourself) happy? Maybe give art journaling a try. The beauty of it? No rules. It’s easy to start. And you can dive into any topic or emotion in your journal. It can be healing or fluffy and fun.
Holly talks about journaling in this conversation and also in the summer issue of Pause Magazine.
We talk about:
- Trying the things that are interesting to you and finding the umbrella that holds them together
- The power of accountability when doing the things that make a difference
- Showing up even when it feels like you are talking to an empty room
- Tricks for getting past being uncomfortable talking on camera
- Why to art journal
- How to get started with art journaling
ABOUT HOLLY
Holly Becker is an interior designer, author, journalist, teacher and founder of the blog decor8.
LINKS
- https://www.decor8blog.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/decor8
- https://substack.com/@decor8
- Pause Magazine, Issue 5
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
- Palette Perfect by Lauren Wager
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ASK A QUESTION. Ask yourself Holly’s guiding question: What haven't I done yet that maybe I could do that would make other people happy? Don’t censor or make excuses why you can’t do it. Just list ideas.
- COLLECT ART SUPPLIES. Gather some materials you could use for art journaling or collage. Keep it simple: old magazines, washi tape, pens you love, photographs, paint swatches, old kids artwork, ticket stubs … Add a blank book, scissors, and a glue stick and you are ready to get you started.
- CREATE ONE JOURNAL PAGE. Don’t worry about making it pretty or conveying a deep idea. Just start putting things on the page and see what wants to emerge. Remember, you don’t have to share this with anybody, so be messy, play. Don’t love it? Turn the page and try again.
“I was in the shower recently and thought, 'Man, if I can make this happen every year for myself to be in FLOW365, it changes the game. Period.'" —Heather
If you've ever felt like you're juggling your business, your family, your health, and your dreams, and wondering why it all feels so overwhelming, this conversation is for you.
Heather is a shamanically trained intuitive healer, Reiki practitioner, sound healer, podcast host, and founder of the Hear Her Sisterhood. She's also a mom of teenagers, a wife, a gardener, a dog lover, and someone navigating all the beautiful and messy realities of midlife.
In this episode, we talk about what happened when she stopped trying to figure everything out on her own and stepped into community and accountability. Instead of adding more to her plate, she found clarity, momentum, and permission to build her business in a way that honored her sensitivity and her real life.
We explore why slowing down can actually create more growth, how showing up imperfectly builds consistency, and the unexpected magic that happens when you make a plan and allow it to evolve.
In this episode, we cover:* Why highly sensitive entrepreneurs need a different approach to planning and productivity * The loneliness that so many solo business owners experience * How community and accountability create momentum * The difference between doing everything perfectly and simply showing up * Creating a business that supports your life instead of competing with it * Why Friday planning and Monday accountability became Heather's anchors * Learning to give yourself permission instead of beating yourself up * How honoring your energy can lead to more clients and greater ease * The role of intuition, intention, and planning in sustainable business growth * What it looks like to slow down and actually move forward faster
Connect with Heather* Website: DivinelySensitive.com * Instagram: @DivinelySensitive * Podcast: Hear Her Podcast
Connect with MiaLearn more about FLOW365 and create momentum in your business, health, and life at https://PlanSimple.com/flow365.
Sign up for the free workshop on July 15: https://PlanSimple.com/workshop.
Read the latest issue of Pause Magazine.
“Now we're showing up in full Technicolor and saying, ‘This is who I am.’”
–Sheila Darcey
When you turn 50, two things happen: you don't give a hoot about what other people think … and you start to really understand and embrace your power. I’m really excited to talk with Sheila Darcey, a visionary artist and the author of Sketch by Sketch, about how she claimed herself as an artist and developed a tool that you don’t have to be an artist to use.
The SketchPoetic method is an embodied, somatic practice. Sheila says “The moment you're attached to the outcome or the audience, it becomes art.” And that’s not what this is about. It’s less about what things look like and how they feel. Sheila explains the process in issue 5 of Pause.
Check out the conversation and give SketchPoetic a try. Sheila suggests 7 days is for healing or releasing something. If you want to make a habit, try 21 days, and if you want transformative growth, try consistently for 40 days.
We talk about:
- The invitation of unfinished and “messed up” sketchbooks
- How Sheila developed SketchPoetic
- Discovering emotions under emotions and rewiring emotional neuropathways
- Doing a body scan before you start sketching
- Plateauing with a practice and how to loosen your grasp
- The energy of our marks and how our intuition shows when we are in flow and take the time to pause and look after
ABOUT SHEILA
Sheila Darcey is a visionary artist and author of Sketch by Sketch, guiding others back to themselves through the healing language of intuitive art.
LINKS
- http://www.sketchpoetic.com
- https://sheiladarcey.substack.com
- https://www.instagram.com/sketchpoetic/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- PLAY WITH WHAT’S THERE. My foundation opened up into my sketch book. Maybe you spilled coffee or a page got marked by a pen in your bag. Instead of tearing out the page or starting a new book, play with what’s already there.
- DO A BODY SCAN. Before you try the SketchPoetic project or journal or try another creative act, pause for a minute and do a body scan. Acknowledge how you feel throughout your body.
- LOOSEN UP. There is benefit to sustained practices, but sometimes things that serve us begin to feel stale. We don’t get the same thing out of them. What happens if you try holding your practice more loosely for a week? For example, sketch in the sand or the dust instead of a notebook. Skip your morning pages and write a single page … in crayon or list the first 5 words that come into your head. Allow they practice to shift.
“People think once you hit retirement age you're in decline, but we really have the most amazing years ahead of us.”
–Nadja Piatka
You’re not too old to reinvent yourself. Whether it’s getting stronger, launching a new business, or eating healthy, you can start anytime. I’m really excited to talk with Nadja Piatka, a health influencer in her 70s, who is living proof.
Nadja lost everything and hit rock bottom when her husband left. She started a business making muffins locally and, within a year, had products in McDonalds, Tim Hortons, Subway, and more. When she retired, she found herself seeking something else.
Her pilates teacher suggested that she share how to stay fit and healthy on social media. She went from no Instagram account to viral posts and hundreds of thousands of followers at Nadja Eat Move Glow.
We talk about:
- Building consistency with exercise and with food
- Showing up with the joy of what you do to attract people
- The importance of identifying your target market and choosing what products or services to share with your audience
- 80-20 living
- Getting leukemia and choosing how we want to live in later life as motivators
- Leaving or letting go of what’s not working for you to make room for what is really meant for you
ABOUT NADJA
As an unemployable single mother of two, plagued by creditors and no income, Nadja Piatka began baking muffins and brownies at home and testing them on her two teenage children. She was soon selling her baked goods to local coffee shops. With a one hundred dollar investment she grew her business from her kitchen to becoming an international supplier to the food industry and a Best Selling Author. She’s now a health influencer showing that reinvention has no expiry date.
LINKS
- https://www.nadjaeatmoveglow.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/nadja__eat_move_glow
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadjapiatka/
- Pause Magazine, issue 5
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- BRING THE JOY. If you are creating social or other content feeling like you have to do it, your audience can tell.Try to bring more joy, liveliness, and your genuine excitement or passion to what you create. Think more about what you love and less about how you are supposed to dot it.
- MORE PROTEIN. We need more protein as we age for day to day and long-term health. Start adding protein to breakfast and weave some into meals and snacks all day. Ideally, you get most of your protein from healthy whole foods, but you can also add protein powder to smoothies as a way of adding in more. Think about swapping high sugar snacks for high protein snacks for double benefit.
- PRACTICE 80-20 EATING. Try nourishing your body with high-protein, high-fiber, and low-sugar foods 80% of the time. The rest of the time you enjoy your favorite treats — without guilt. Commit to this shift for two weeks and see how you feel.
What if the thing you're creating today actually began decades ago?
In this solo episode, I'm sharing the story behind the first print edition of Pause Magazine—and how a dream that started more than 25 years ago finally found its way into the world.
From buying domain names in my twenties, to creating an early online magazine while raising three young children, to launching Pause at 50, this episode is about trusting the unfolding of your own timeline.
I also share the inspiration behind the Pause Manifesto and why I believe a woman's most powerful years are not behind her. In fact, they may be just beginning.
In this episode, you'll hear:
- The surprising story behind Pause Magazine and the magazine that came before it
- Why some ideas need years—or decades—to mature
- What I learned from interviewing women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s for this issue
- Why so many women are stepping into their most meaningful work later in life
- The full Pause Manifesto and the vision behind the magazine
If you've ever wondered whether you're too late, whether your best work is behind you, or whether an old dream still matters, this episode is for you.
Plus, you'll get a peek inside the new Soulful Summer issue of Pause Magazine and hear what's coming next on the podcast as we dive deeper with many of this issue's contributors.
One prom-night emergency.
A week in the hospital with my daughter.
A college move-out.
A college graduation.
A forgotten passport.
A magazine launch.
And somehow, through it all, I stayed present.
In this episode, I'm sharing what the past month taught me about time, planning, capacity, and what it really means to "have it all."
The biggest lesson wasn't about getting more done. It was about learning how to hold more without losing myself in the process.
I'll take you behind the scenes of a month that felt like a year and share why I believe momentum and calm aren't opposites. In fact, we need both.
If you've ever felt like one unexpected event could derail everything, this episode is for you. You'll also hear why these experiences inspired my new workshop, You Can Have It All: Create Momentum and Calm in Business, Health, and Life, and why I believe there's still plenty of time to make 2026 your year.
“You spend less than you earn every month . . . This is the basis of all personal finance.”
–Lori Atwood
Feeling behind with money? Money stuff = anxiety for too many of us. There’s shame and guilt involved, and a sense we don’t know what we should know.
At 50, I have a gazillion questions and it’s time to stop fretting and start learning. Lori Atwood, founder of Fearless Finance, is here to answer questions, no judgement.
First step, stop comparing yourself to others. Start here: spend less than you earn every month. This is the cornerstone to personal finance and Lori talks about how to make sure you are there. Lori tells us about the other four basic building blocks of personal finance.
We talk about:
- How to deal with income fluctuations we often see as entrepreneurs
- Dealing with flux moments, like being between jobs
- Separating personal and business money
- Paying off credit card debt starting with the lowest amount
- Why to merge finances in a family
- Getting past guilt and shame
ABOUT LORI
Lori Atwood is the founder and CEO of Fearless Finance and a CFP® professional. Lori created Fearless Finance to make expert, fiduciary, hourly financial planning accessible to everyone with no sales, no minimums, and no judgement. Lori’s been in finance for over 25 years starting in investment banking, asset management and private equity before starting Fearless Finance in 2016.
LINKS
- fearlessfinance.com
- https://www.instagram.com/fearlessfinance/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/fearless-finance/
- https://www.facebook.com/fearlessfinance
- https://www.tiktok.com/@fearlessfinance
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- SPEND LESS THAN YOU EARN. Add up all your household income. Add up all expenses. Check your checkbook and credit card statements for things you might have missed. Subtract expenses from income. If you get a negative number, you’re spending too much. Look at where you could cut back to bring spending under earnings.
- CHECK YOUR 5 PILLARS. Spending less than you earn is the most important piece, but there are 4 other pillars to check. Do you pay yourself consistently? Do you have an emergency fund — and is there enough in it? Do you have a rainy day fund? Do you know the difference between the two? Are you saving (enough) for retirement? Do you have debt? If so, do you have a plan to pay it down?
- PAY OFF A DEBT. It’s hard to get in front of debt. Stop using a card with a rotating balance. Try paying off the credit card that has the lowest balance. This gives you a little win that can help you keep going to get debt down. Can’t pay it all off now? Decide how much you will start paying monthly until it is paid off.
“When your business model is really optimized, the money's good. You have the kind of lifestyle you want. You have the kind of income you want. You're working towards your legacy and it meets your why.”
–Carolyn Herfurth
Is a fuzzy business model slowing you down?
Carolyn Herfurth is a strategist and business model geek, and we’re diving into something a lot of us don’t have clear when we start our business or experience growth.
In the simplest language, the business model is all the offers, products and services that you make in order to make money. But you can have low, medium, or high touch offers. It’s not one size fits all—but finding the right fit for you at every stage of your business makes such a difference.
We talk about:
- Variety in filling your funnel
- Having the confidence to charge the right rates and changing rates to allow for the support you need to fill a program
- Getting clear on what we are offering and why and what the price is
- Decluttering your business model
- Why a thought partner is so important
- Quarterly check ins on the five pillars of your business.
ABOUT CAROLYN
Carolyn Herfurth is the strategist expertise-driven founders hire when they’ve built something that works and are ready for what’s next.
With 23+ years in business design, she uncovers the unmined gold in their experience, assets, and ideas, so they can create their next big thing.
LINKS
- Carolyn in Pause Magazine
- https://cherfurth.substack.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynherfurth/
- https://instagram.com/carolynherfurth
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TRY THE SIMPLIFIER. Try Carolyn’s Simplifier to help you develop your business plan. Ask yourself: What's the thing you're selling? What's the problem it's solving? What's the promise you're making? And what is the purpose of that thing? Why does it exist? And then what's the price?
- DECLUTTER YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. What are you still offering that no longer works for you? It might be something you no longer doing or an opt-in that leads nowhere. Even if people love it, if it doesn’t work for you and the rest of your business, you can move it out.
- DO A QUARTERLY CHECK IN. Check in on each of the five pillars: What is your relationship with your business now? Is your business model clear? How are you regarded as a thought leader? How easy and effective is your marketing? How are sales (is it easy to close)? Rate each of these on a scale of 1–10. Then explain in a sentence why you rated yourself that way. What does it show you about what needs to change.
“I know in advance what my body and soul need in order for me to call it a summer that feels just how I want summer to feel.” – Mia Moran
We think summer will take care of itself. It’s a go with the flow time, a less structured time, a different time — and it really needs a plan. Your summer plan needs to honor the vibe of the season and keep you connected to the things you want in this season.
I’m going to talk to you about Anchoring, but we’re not going to jump into it right away. So often when I see people feeling overwhelmed or struggling with planning, it’s because they’re skipping the first steps in the process: Centering, Visioning, Deciding.
Anchoring is when we make space for the things that really matter. It’s the part when we actually put things on our calendar.
One way to anchor for summer is to start with some key dates. Some things I’m starting with:
- Vacation time (don’t forget to add things you need to do to prepare or re-enter)
- Business events or launches
- Start and end of summer dates (these might be different for different people in your family)
- Key family events — graduations, celebrations, appointments
- Flexible space for things you want to happen
And then there is the restorative summery part … the reading more, the gardening, the moving your body differently, the relaxing. We plan for that too. Join me to plan a summer that turns out just how you want it to feel: https://plansimple.com/summer
LINKS
- A Smarter Way to Plan Your Summer
- https://plansimple.com/summer
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
- KNOW HOW YOU WANT SUMMER TO FEEL. Decide how you want this summer to feel. You need to know that before you put anything on the calendar.
- HONOR YOUR BUSINESS. What commitments have you already made for your business this summer? What have you been doing that you don’t want to lose momentum on and have to restart this fall? Make a list. You’ll want to make sure these things are part of your summer plan.
- ANCHOR KEY POINTS. Pull out your calendar and make sure key dates are on there: start and end of summer (this might be determined by when kids are home or when you are at a summer place for example), vacations, business events or standing appointments, family celebrations or other events. You’ll add other things — like the morning swim you want to take daily or the weekly family dinner — but having some of the big rocks as anchors gets you started.
One more doable thing you can do!
SIGN UP TO PLAN SUMMER WITH ME
We’ll look at summer through all the lenses — energy and health, work, family, summer vibes — and come up with a way to hold both spaciousness and momentum this summer. 90 minutes to design a summer that actually feels good... across your work, life, and well-being. Join me:
https://plansimple.com/summer
“Summer needs a slightly different plan layered on top of your 90-day plan.”
–Mia
Do you ever lose sight of your goals over the summer — or get resentful because other things are happening?
Routines and schedules change. You’re traveling or having visitors. There’s often a desire for spontaneity that’s different from the rest of the year. And it’s hot, our energy may dip, even as longer days feel like more time to do things.
Things get wobbly in the summer. That’s why I love to have a specific summer plan. A plan helps you recognize and navigate wobbles.
In FLOW 365 we just set our 90-day goals, but I’m going to weave that together with my summer plan. (And you can do it with me.)
Things that often get wobbly in the summer
- Marketing or work on business growth
- Healthy eating
- Sleep, regular workout, or other health practices
- Personal space and time
Questions to ask before you look at your calendar:
- How do I want to feel this summer?
- What would make this summer really feel like a win?
- What do I not want to drop this summer?
- What will make my future self proud and happy?
A plan helps you find a baseline for the things you want to keep momentum going on while enjoying the season.
LINKS
- May Momentum https://plansimple.com/may
- Where I’m sharing about my plan and what I do
- https://www.instagram.com/plansimple.co/
- https://substack.com/@themiamoran
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- SET YOUR FEEL FOR SUMMER. Before you look at your calendar or start to think about goals, decide how you want this summer to feel. Then ask: What would make this summer feel like a win? This doesn’t mean you won’t do other things, but the feel and the win will guide other decisions.
- ANTICIPATE YOUR WOBBLES. Summer gets especially wobbly. Maybe it’s because our schedule and routine often shift dramatically, and we want some spontaneity in the summer. Knowing what’s likely to get wobbly or fall through the cracks can help you navigate. For example, you might find you aren’t as active being visible in your business or you miss yoga more weeks than you show up or you’ve been eating clean and feeling great, but too many BBQs and ice cream shops throw you off. What’s likely to get in the way of doing and feeling the way you want this summer? What’s likely to get wobbly?
- CONNECT WITH YOUR FUTURE SELF. Think to the end of summer. Imagine yourself there, moving into the next season. What is your future self proud of? What happened this summer that you are celebrating?
“Once I put the plan in place, I have to let go of it, meaning that there needs to be space in my life to listen to my intuition.”
–Dr. Mary Sanders
You are highly intuitive. Are you listening and trusting the golden nuggets you are receiving? I’m talking with Dr. Mary Sanders, a chiropractor, a medical intuitive, and a positive psychologist about intuition, energy, and grounding.
Mary’s story, like most, isn’t linear. She takes us around the globe and through many years of learning and opening up to her gifts.
We agree that planning allows you to be more in the present — even when things don’t turn out as you planned. The plan allows you to keep moving and the movement opens up new channels.
We talk about:
- Mary developing different ways of perception due to her hearing deficit
- How travel can be disorienting (and what else can disorient us)
- What can ground you anywhere in the world
- Long spiral routes to what you are meant to do
- Centering our energetic body in the present, not the past or future
- How planning and intuition can work together.
ABOUT MARY
Dr. Mary Sanders is a Doctor of Chiropractic with an emphasis in Functional Nutrition and Positive Psychology. She also obtained a Master’s Degree in Intuition Medicine from the Academy of Intuition Medicine.
Her life’s purpose is to guide you in aligning with your true self, embracing your inner wholeness, and transforming your physical, emotional, and energetic well-being. Her unique expertise lies in an integrative healing approach that combines the intuitive power of energy medicine with the proven tools of positive psychology.
LINKS
- https://www.drmarysanders.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmaryesanders/
- https://www.youtube.com/@dr.maryesanders
- https://www.facebook.com/dr.maryesanders
- https://www.instagram.com/dr.maryesanders
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- CHECK YOUR RESOURCES. At one point Mary refers to chocolate and red wine as resources — right before burnout. Sometimes we do rely on resources that aren’t really serving or helping us. What are you using for “resources” right now? Are they helping?
- WHAT GIFT HAVE YOU IGNORED? What is something you are good at or meant to do that you haven’t studied or tried because it wasn’t practical? How could you explore this gift — either a giant leap or a tiny step? Journal things you could do.
- PRACTICE PLANNING AND PIVOTING. Do you avoid planning because too much seems up in the air? Or create a plan and hold onto it rigidly? What if you made a plan and acted on it, with room to adjust and change? Check in before your next step. Is your intuition on board? Go for it.
“What would happen if I spent a whole day on my body, mind and soul?”
–Mia
What would you do if you focused on YOU for a month?
I get really intentional about planning my birthday month, and I’m going to show you how to do that so you can plan for your birthday month too. If your birthday is far away, go put a reminder in your calendar two weeks before your birthday with the link to this episode. Or decide you’re going to embrace planning a month for you now.
May is a really busy time, and I think part of the push to do this is that it’s powerful to put yourself first when you are being pulled in other directions. I know that when I have a plan and I’m intentional, I can make things happen even in busy times. I have a business focus and as part of my uplevel, I’m inviting entrepreneurs to join me for daily business practices inside of FLOW365 for a month. I’m calling May Momentum.
Why a month? It takes the pressure off one day. It means I can flex with the weather, with big events and weekend plans. I can weave in the things I want even with important dates for my business. Once I have the ideas, I make space on the calendar for them.
Some things I’m excited to include:
- May Momentum
- Artist Dates
- Clearing out stuff
- Ceremony with Sarah Jenks
- Time with friends
- A whole day focused on my body, mind and soul
Questions I ask:
- What needs completion?
- What needs or wants attention?
- What would it look like to celebrate me?
LINKS
May Momentum https://plansimple.com/may
Where I’m sharing about my plan and what I do
- https://www.instagram.com/plansimple.co/
- https://substack.com/@themiamoran
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ASK THE QUESTIONS. Ask yourself three questions a couple of weeks before your birthday month: What needs completion? What needs or wants attention? What would it look like to celebrate me? Braindump, journal, just put all the ideas down. Decide what things are important to you. If your birthday month is a ways away, your doable change now is to put a reminder in your calendar for two weeks before your birthday month with these questions and the link to this episode.
- IS THIS ME NOW? Sometimes we have ideas that fit on the surface, but they may feel a little flat or like a past you. Pause and question whether the idea really fits you now. Maybe it does with some changes, or maybe it’s not the right thing for now.
- COMPLETE ONE TASK. Sometimes we start tasks but don’t quite finish them. I sorted through a bunch of stuff and decided to get rid of things, but still have the bins of things. Completion looks like getting those out of my house by a tag sale of donation to Goodwill. Maybe you have something written but not published or gathered but not returned. What could you complete today.
“If it ain't joyful, I ain't doing that shit.”
–M. Shannon Hernandez
I’m talking to M. Shannon Hernandez, author of Practical Joy: Simple Tools to Cultivate More Joy Every Day and founder of Joyful Business Revolution. She opens with her mantra: If it ain’t joyful, I ain’t doing that shit,” and we dive in from there.
Shannon explains the difference between joy and happiness this way: Joy is an inside job, while happiness comes from things on the outside. Joy is living in alignment with our core values. And you can plan for joy.
Shannon shows us how to weave joy into our marketing — and the shift that happens when you stop thinking about marketing and start thinking about messaging.
We talk about:
- Planning your day based around your 3-4 top values and how your future self drives joy
- Cultivating joy every day, no matter what’s going on — with examples — and working through the non-joyful parts to get to joy
- The difference between marketing and messaging, and bringing joy to the messaging of your business
- Finding your messaging pillars
- Why making time to connect with people is essential
- Using AI — how to show up as you, how to use AI to streamline not make things busier
ABOUT SHANNON
When consultants, strategists, speakers, and trainers know their work has outgrown their message, and they need messaging that reflects its depth and converts without compromise, they call M. Shannon Hernandez. Shannon is the strategist behind the Profit-Driven Messaging Ecosystem™ and a fierce advocate for protecting voice and authority in an AI-driven world.
LINKS
- https://joyfulbusinessrevolution.com/profitmessaging/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mshannonhernandez/
- https://www.facebook.com/maryshannon.hernandez
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- PLAN FROM YOUR VALUES. Identify your top 3–4 values. Each morning for a week, identify what you will do each day to live each value. Notice how it changes the way you approach your day. What things easily fit in? What things feel challenging? What things fit if you shift the way you think?
- IDENTIFY YOUR MESSAGING PILLARS. What are the three things you talk about in your messaging? Start by looking at what you are already talking about. Think about what your future self wants to be doing — what are three things important to that work? What things already bring joy or spark real connection with people? Work with these pillars or anchors to streamline your messaging on your website, in emails, in podcasts or blogs, in talks and workshops.
- REACH OUT TO OTHERS. Connecting with others is essential to your business success. Do it as a joyful thing. Do it as a real human looking to connect with someone else. If you are bringing networking energy or a checklist of numbers energy to it, try leading with a different gesture, with connection, with real curiosity or interest.
Why does follow-through sometimes feel impossible—even when you know what you want?
In this episode, I’m diving into one of the most overlooked (and powerful) parts of the FLOW planning process: vision. This step is something you can access in minutes, even seconds, to help you move forward when you feel stuck.
If you’ve been feeling frozen, overwhelmed, or like you “just can’t move,” this isn’t about discipline or doing more. It’s about reconnecting to where you’re going, and letting that pull you forward. This is the role of vision.
In this episode, I walk you through:
- The 5-step FLOW planning method (and where vision fits in)
- How to use vision at different scales—from 3 years to the next 90 minutes
- Simple ways to practice vision so it becomes natural (not another to-do)
- How to shift from past-based thinking to future-based action
You’ll leave with a practical way to reconnect to your vision, so you can take your next step with more clarity, ease, and momentum.
Because you already know what you want. Sometimes you just need to remember.
“That's why the natal chart is so cool and human design and gene keys are these beautiful tools that give us permission to be ourselves.”
–Danielle Hendrickson
I’m a Gemini. For a long time, that’s all I knew about astrology. But it fascinated me. Turns out, all I knew was my Sun sigh, and I’m really interested in Moons, because the moon maps to the feminine cycle.
I’m excited to share this conversation with Venusian astrologer Danielle Hendrickson, who writes the Astrology Report for Pause magazine every month.
I asked Danielle for Astrology 101, and she used this analogy. You’re in a car, and you are the driver. The car is being fueled by your sun. Your sun is the gas in the tank, and it’s making you move towards your ascending sign, which is who you are here to become. To find out who else is in the car, and why they matter, take a listen.
We talk about:
- The shift in our creative center when we reach menopause
- Venus returns happening every eight years and how you can see your feminine rising over time
- Understanding your signs to understand your path and be more yourself
- How your relationship with the moon may change in perimenopause, menopause, and beyond
- Mapping the moon, your cycle, and your Venus week
- The 19-month Venus cycle
ABOUT DANIELLE
Danielle Hendrickson is a women’s spiritual guide, Venusian astrologer and priestess devoted to helping women remember and embody their Sacred Feminine blueprint. Through her Venus Readings, she reveals each woman’s unique codes, illuminating the goddess she is here to embody and the gifts ready to come alive through her. She is the Foundress of Circle of Roses, a sisterhood rooted in the Rose lineage, where women are nourished in community, live in rhythm with the Moon + Venus and are committed to walking the Way of Love.
LINKS
- https://www.daniellehendrickson.net/masterclass
- Danielle on Substack
MENTIONED LINKS
- Pause Magazine
- PlanSimple Moon Tracker
- How to Utilize the Full Moon to Make Better Plans
- How to Discover Your Rhythm by Observing the Moon
- Get to Know the Moon with Dr. Aumatma
- Lunar Abundance with Ezzie Spencer
Moon Board that Danielle mentioned
- Venus Tracker
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- FIND YOUR MOON. You probably know your Sun sign — that’s the horoscope you usually look up. What about your moon? Use an online moon sign calculator to find your moon and learn more about it.
- MAP THE MOON CYCLE. Use our moon tracker, the moon board Danielle mentioned, or any other way to track where the moon is in its cycle, where you are in yours (if you are cycling) and what you notice about yourself in different parts of the cycle.
- GET A BASIC CHART. I highly recommend you get a reading from a real astrologer, especially if you are interested in the sacred feminine. If you’re ready, your doable change is to book an appointment. Not ready, try asking AI about your chart to get a starting point. What resonates?
If follow-through feels harder than it should, the problem might not be your plan. It might be that you’re skipping the most important step.
In this episode, Mia shares why getting centered is essential to productivity and how a simple pause can shift everything. Learn how centering helps you stop repeating the past, connect to your future self, and actually follow through on what matters.
Plus, discover quick, practical ways to reset your energy—even in just a few minutes.
“Make sure that you're not just posting and running away.”
–Nina Froriep
How do we start to use LinkedIn in a really smart way? I’ll admit I have mixed feelings, but I’m trying to embrace it. There’s no one better to help do that than Nina Froriep, a content + engagement strategist and a LinkedIn personal brand builder.
My first aha from Nina — LinkedIn likes and rewards consistency and engagement. It’s not enough to just put stuff out there. You really want to engage with people who comment on your posts and go like or comment on others. You want to keep the conversation going.
You need to be there. You need a professional presence that tells who you are and what you do. Nina and I dig into how much and how to make the most of that time.
We talk about:
- Engagement can go along way even without posting (and why you should still post)
- What the algorithm rewards now
- How often to post and how to get more engagement
- Creating an editorial calendar to balance thought leadership and events
- Easy ways to add content that engages
- Reusing what you have
ABOUT NINA
Nina is a LinkedIn™ featured LinkedIn Brand Builder and a Content and Engagement Strategist for Creators, Coaches + Consultants.
She works with service-based entrepreneurs and visual artists to create strategies and digital content so they can grow their companies organically and elevate the conversations they're having in their areas of expertise.
Nina is a “recovering” film producer and documentary filmmaker. She’s seen it all, from the early days on independent features to big national TVcommercials, corporate mega-shows, and Emmy award-winning documentaries, including one she produced and directed called Abraham's Children.
Nina is a visual artist, and loves spending time outdoors, especially in her native Switzerland, with her owner Tigger, an 11-pound Dachshund mix who has her well trained.
LINKS
- https://clockwiseproductions.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-froriep/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- BE CONSISTENT. Pick two days a week to post and do it every week. Put it in your calendar. Block off the time to write it. Get it out there.
- ENGAGE. Keep the conversation going. Go comment (18 words or more!) on posts by people you know. Respond to comments on your posts. Respond to another commenter. Build real engagement. Struggle to post consistently? Show up and engage consistently first.
- ASK A QUESTION. Ask smart questions. Ask people which of three covers they like and why. You can use a question as a post or at the end of a post. You can reply to a comment with a question. Give people something to respond to.
“When you are multi-passionate, you are invited to exercise your muscle of presence and priorities and capacity.”
–Tess Masters
What if being multipassionate was your greatest gift — not a flaw?
Tess Masters embraces her multipassionate life. She runs an amazing nutrition platform, which helps women over 40, be healthy again and lose weight and have energy and sleep and not have hot flashes. But she doesn’t stop there. She’s an actress, speaker, podcaster, chef, and author too. As an Enneagram 7, she doesn’t want limits, and she is so expansive.
We talk about how she thrives in her multipassionate life and about her food/wellness program (because food affects everything we do!)
We talk about:
- Knowing your boundaries and making choices — and how boundaries can be fluid and change at different seasons times in your life.
- Modeling self-care and compassion as a coach — and how people often respond better than you expect
- What we can learn about our relationship with food and how we choose to nourish ourselves
- The power of coaches and communities to help us see what’s hard to see from the inside
- Learning to lean into the pause and a slower pace, to luxuriate and evolve
- Making food joyful, not drudgery or a list of restrictions
ABOUT TESS
Tess Masters is a wellness coach, speaker, podcaster, chef, and author ofThe Blender Girl,The Blender Girl Smoothies, andThe Perfect Blend published by Penguin Random House. You can find hundreds of easy recipes attheblendergirl.com.
Tess and her team of dietitians have helped over 30,000 people get healthy using science-based food and lifestyle strategies. The “Good, Better, or Best, Not Perfect” philosophy of the programs encourages participants to empower themselves in all parts of their lives to find a balance of self-care and fun!
Tess and her health tips and recipes have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Yahoo Living, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, and many other media outlets.
As a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with many brands, including KitchenAid, Vitamix, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, and many others.
Tess has a passion for sharing stories that inspire people to go after what they want. On her podcast, It Has To Be Me, she interviews trailblazers about how they conquer fear to take action on the things they’re dreaming about.
LINKS
- skinny60.com
- https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/
- https://www.pinterest.com.au/theblendergirl/
- https://twitter.com/theblendergirl
- https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl
TESS ON PLANSIMPLE
- It Has To Be You with Tess Masters
- Empowered Food Choices with Tess Masters
- Eat to Thrive with Tess Masters
- The Skinny with Tess Masters
- Blend It with Tess Masters
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHOOSE SELF-CARE. Self-care and compassion make such a difference, but sometimes we back off from them because we don’t want to disappoint others. Think about the last time somebody modeled self-care and how you reacted. Try an act of self-care yourself.
- WHO ARE YOU NOW? Where are you getting stuck in old stories? Who are you now? I was once really dogmatic about food. It served me well at the time, but now, not so much. Are the decisions you would have made a decade ago that feel different now? Slow down and look at the boundaries and decisions in your life now. Are you working from an old story?
- CHECK OUT SKINNY60. I’ve done this program several times and I keep learning more and adjusting to my now body. Take a few minutes to explore this program to see if it might help you reclaim your health and navigate this stage of life in your body (which, of course affects everything else).
Concentrating during chaos can feel impossible — especially when life is unpredictable, confusing, and messy (hello, snowstorms… and everything else happening in the world). In this episode, I’m sharing a simple metaphor I couldn’t stop thinking about: the trees outside my window.
It really struck me that nature isn’t fighting chaotic weather — it’s prepared for it.
We’ll talk about why your brain interprets chaos as a threat (and why your nervous system will always prioritize survival over productivity), how decision fatigue and fragmented attention make it harder to focus, and what to do instead.
Using a tree framework — roots, trunk, branches, and seasons — you’ll explore how to get more rooted in what doesn’t change, simplify what you’re trying to do right now, stay committed without rigidity, and let this season be the season it is.
If you’ve been overwhelmed, second-guessing everything, researching instead of choosing, or feeling like everything needs a reevaluation… this one is for you.
“Boring isn’t about making life smaller — it’s about finally doing what I said I wanted to do.” —Mia
My highly passionate, creative, maybe ADHD, manifesting generator — or simply feeling scattered — sisters, I hope you find one piece in here that helps you.
I’ve chosen “boring” as my word of the year.
The need for boring energy has shown up through the health challenges of the past two years — a diagnosis that led to brain surgery, a series of illnesses, and recently falling and breaking my arm and sacrum.
And surprisingly, saying boring has helped me finally follow through — actually doing the things I know will create the life and goals I want.
As I lean into this word, I’m learning a lot. Here are some of the biggest lessons so far:
1. Avoid Shiny Objects
Have you ever gone to post something on social media and resurfaced 90 minutes later unsure what happened — and the post isn’t even a thought anymore?
Me. All the time.
But I’m changing that. Boring means going in with intention, doing the thing I came to do, and leaving before the distractions take over.
2. Notice the Negative Behaviors That Pretend to Help
I’m really good at rushing and multitasking — but I miss things, slip and fall, and lose focus.
Sometimes what feels connecting or exciting is actually avoidance. Watching a show can feel cozy, but sometimes it replaces harder conversations or needed rest.
Choosing boring brings me back to what I actually said I wanted.
3. Follow My Own Needs (Not Outside Expectations)
If you feel like you have to post constantly or send daily emails because “that’s how business works,” you might be following someone else’s priorities.
Same with life. Sending kids to school sick because they’re supposed to go? That’s another outside rule that I choose to break. Working sick. I go inward before I decide what I’m going to do.
Boring asks: what rhythm actually works for me?
Choose alignment over expectation.
4. Do One Thing Really Well
As a highly creative, multi-passionate person, this is hard — and it comes up constantly in coaching.
But constraints are powerful. When you focus on one thing at a time and do it well, it’s deeply satisfying — and often moves you forward faster.
5. Simplify to Reduce Decision Fatigue
When you simplify your calendar and choose to do less, you remove constant decision-making.
And when decisions decrease, energy increases — especially for the uncomfortable but meaningful work.
6. Simplicity Is Hard — But Transformational
We resist simplifying, even when we know it helps.
But slowing down, simplifying, and focusing allow us to actually move forward instead of spinning in possibility.
You might notice overlap in these lessons — and that’s the point.
Simplify.
Slow down.
Focus.
Do the things that really matter.
How could that serve you this year?
7. What’s Your Word?
And if boring is not what you are here to play with. What are the big lessons you need to learn from your word of the year?
DOABLE CHANGESIf any of this resonated, here are three ways to experiment with your own version of “boring” this week:
SIMPLIFY YOUR CALENDAR
What’s one thing you could remove next week? Where are the bottlenecks or overwhelm points? What could you decide in advance?
PICK ONE THING
Instead of trying seven or eight things — even if you’re great at multitasking — what happens if you choose ONE and do it really well?
DOES THIS SERVE ME?
Pause and ask: does this actually support what I want? Does watching a show create connection — or avoid conversation? Are you staying up past bedtime to do it? What might you be saying no to without realizing it?
“Curiosity is a foundation for connection.”
–Nathalie Pincham
Doing everything you’re supposed to do and just running on fumes? Knowing you’re good at what you do (but starting to wonder) because business is floundering? You’re not alone! And there are things you can do. I’m diving into that with coach Nathalie Pincham.
Nathalie works with people on both strategy and success mindset. That includes figuring out what’s holding you back, and it could be what made you successful to this point.
She’s created a series of 10 archetypes that can help you understand yourself and your business and believes in the power of curiosity.
We talk about:
- Reconnecting with your purpose — and getting help figuring out what’s blocking you
- Profit vs. revenue — figuring out your numbers
- Why you shouldn’t be doing everything in your business just because you can
- Better questions to ask than “what do you do?”
- What opens up when we stay curious
- Bringing more intentionality and connecting to purpose to all things
ABOUT NATHALIE
Nathalie Pincham of Your Success Tonic offers strategic coaching for visionary leaders and founders and believes one curious question can change the whole trajectory of your week (or your business!).
LINKS
- https://www.yoursuccesstonic.com/
- https://www.yoursuccesstonic.com/quiz
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaliepincham/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ANCHOR IN YOUR WHY. If you’re feeling like things aren’t working, take some time to remember your why. Why are you doing this? What really matters? Remind yourself that you are doing something valuable and have something important to share. This allows you to start building your business from a place of strength.
- ASK DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. Instead of asking “What do you do?”, ask people: What do you need? What drives you? What inspires you? Be curious about them. See what opens up when you ask questions that let people show you more of themselves.
- COACH FROM CURIOSITY. In conversations with clients, stay curious. Leave your assumptions aside. Ask questions about what’s coming up for your client, how they are feeling based on their face and their words. Pause if you find yourself too tied up in strategy to be curious. Check in with your curiosity.
“When we’re planning our year, we’re at eagle view. When we’re living our day, we’re at mouse view—and we don’t want to mix those up.” - Mia
If you’ve ever felt behind because you didn’t start your “year plan” on January 1st, this episode is for you. In this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m sharing why I love a 12-month plan you can start anytime—and the simple framework I use to create a calming, big-picture map for the next year of your life and business.
There’s a reframe I come back to often, and I share it in this episode: we often overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year. This episode is an invitation to stop waiting for the “right” time and start creating a 12-month plan that meets you where you are and supports who you’re becoming.
I also share a personal story about what it’s looked like for me to receive very real invitations to slow down—and why having a 12-month plan helps me stay grounded, focused, and flexible when life changes in an instant.
In this episode, I talk about:1. Why January 1st is often the hardest time to force a full-year plan 2. How a 12-month plan can start whenever you’re ready (February, your birthday, September—any time) 3. The difference between planning from eagle view (big picture) and mouse view (day-to-day), and why mixing them creates overwhelm 4. How I review the past year without judgment and mine it for clarity 5. The framework I use to create a one-page “year map” I can actually live with 6. Why seeing your year on the wall is surprisingly calming 7. How to plan for real life—health, family, work, and uncertainty—without losing momentum
The elements of my 12-Month PlanIn this episode, I walk you through the planning process I use inside FLOW365—a process designed to help you see the year clearly without turning it into a massive to-do list.
I start by choosing a word for the year. This word becomes a lens for decisions, boundaries, and how I meet challenges as they come up. It helps me ask, What would this look like if I honored this word?
From there, I create four vision statements, one for each area of life I want to hold in balance: food & wellness, lifestyle, OM (my inner life and nervous system), and work. These are written in the present tense, so they act more like anchors or mantras than distant goals.
Next, I narrow each vision into three points of focus per area. These are the few things I’m committed to paying attention to over the next 12 months—simple, clear, and realistic. This keeps the year intentional without becoming overwhelming.
I also choose a card for the year—an intuitive pull that reinforces the themes I’m working with and offers guidance when I need perspective or reassurance.
Finally, I identify what feels like the biggest obstacle to living this year well and pair it with a quote that helps me meet that challenge with steadiness and compassion.
Together, these elements create a one-page “map” for the year—something I can return to again and again as life unfolds.
Doable ChangeI have one doable change from this episode: schedule when you will do your yearly plan.
Whether you do it on your own or with support, put the time on your calendar. Choose a date, clear the space, and give yourself the gift of planning the next 12 months with intention.
If you want to do this with me, I’m hosting a free live 3-hour planning session on February 13, where we’ll create your 12-month plan together, step by step. You can sign up at plansimple.com/workshop.
“Our success, our happiness, our life depends on the people we know and the relationships we have.”
–Dana Hilmer
Do you have an Abundance spreadsheet? I have one that includes clients, past clients, partners, people I want to connect with. Sometimes it guides my connection … and sometimes I just start reaching out and serving people. Because more connection is amazing.
I’m so excited about Dana Hilmer, the Unretirement Transition Coach, about her own transitions and the upswing many of us find ourselves on in our 50s. Dana thrives on connection in her business and life and we talk a lot about what that looks like.
Dana shared a tip in issue 3 of Pause Magazine that I loved. We started our conversation with her 3x3 Connect practice. Basically, each day you connect with three new people, follow up with three people, and serve three people.
We also talk about:
- Actually connecting and getting to know people instead of playing a numbers game
- Letting curiosity lead the way and sharing with excitement rather than it being transactional
- How to organize your contacts and when to let it be organic
- Connecting first and sprinkling serving throughout the day
- Getting out of our heads and feeling awkward about reaching out
- Extending your gratitude practice
ABOUT DANA
Dana Hilmer is an UnRetirement transition coach. She’s the founder of Wiser and Free, where her mission is to help people navigate their (un)retirement journey to create a life of more freedom, purpose and possibility.
With over a decade of experience as a personal leadership and midlife reinvention expert, she’s helped hundreds of people realize their potential and navigate big life transitions to create their next act with confidence, excitement and peace of mind.
When not working she is spending time with family and friends, trying new experiences (last year it was pottery and improv!) and doing anything that gets her into the great outdoors. She lives in Madison, CT with her husband and is the proud mom of three young adult sons.
LINKS
- https://www.wiserandfree.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/danahilmer/
- https://www.instagram.com/dana.hilmer/
- Pause Magazine
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- 3x3 CONNECT CHALLENGE. See what happens if you try this practice for a week. Each day, connect with three new people, follow up with three people, and serve three people every day. Serving people might look like commenting on or sharing something they’ve posted, but the gesture is one of service.
- BLOCK TIME FOR YOUR MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT. It’s easy to get caught up in our clients' needs and the little tasks. Block 1–2 hours every day (or 1 day a week) for your most important project. What happens when you actually hold that time for the thing that moves things forward?
- EXTEND YOUR GRATITUDE PRACTICE. Every day, write down something that happened that day that you’re grateful for, something good that happened. Then answer this questions: What did I do that allowed for that?
“Take what resonates, add your own magic and swipe left on the rest.”
–Heather Dressel
Winter calls us inward, but the world can be noisy. What if you could get quiet enough to hear your inner guides? I’m so excited to have Heather Dressel — I call her the intuition whisperer — back on the show.
We tend to love spring and summer, the energy of creation and productivity. Winter can look so still and lifeless, but so much is percolating under the snow — and within. Tending to our winter energy can lead to greater growth.
That said, there is a lot to distract us from that this time of year. Add to that the programming deeply ingrained in most of us to keep pushing and striving all the time. Learning to get quiet and go inward can be challenging — even if it is appealing to you.
We talk about:
- How going inward can feel amazing for introverts and the need to balance that with emerging
- Being gentle with yourself as you learn to get quiet — it’s okay if it’s uncomfortable
- Forgetting about all or nothing and remembering our ability to begin again and again
- Getting curious to shift practices that aren’t working in a particular season
- Tuning into your inner guiding voice, not your inner mean girl squad and learning to trust
- Tools — like music and oracle decks — to help you tap in
ABOUT HEATHER
Heather Dressel is the founder of Divinely Sensitive and the Hear Her podcast. Heather is a highly sensitive empath herself, and launched her business to lead a community of women who identify as highly sensitive or empaths or both. Divinely Sensitive provide resources and support as they learn to honor their unique sensitivities and unleash their superpowers.
LINKS
- https://www.divinelysensitive.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/divinelysensitive/
- https://www.facebook.com/divinelysensitive/
- Hear Her: Sitting in Your Shit
- Hear Your Intuition with Heather Dressel
- Divinely Sensitive with Heather Dressel
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- INNER INQUIRY. Close your eyes and ask a simple question to your heart's beat: How is my heart today? What do I need today? You don’t have to be sitting in meditation to do this. You can do it throughout your day, so it doesn’t become another thing on your to do list.
- SIT FOR 3 MINUTES. Set a timer for three minutes, close your eyes and sit quietly. It’s okay if it feel uncomfortable or if you find yourself checking your timer or shifting your body. Try to sit through that. This practice changes as you get used to it. Be kind to yourself as you start.
- MUSIC MEDITATION. Ask for a potent message. Hit shuffle play on playlist. Listen. See what happens. You might move. You might hear words in the lyrics you need. You might cry. Let yourself be in the music for the duration of the song.
“Journaling is one of the quickest, most readily available tools to tap into your soul.”
–Kim Marie
Too much hustle and feel like there should be more in this season? December is a potent time to figure out what's next. I’m talking with Kim Marie, creator of the Sacred Nights of Winter journal, about the sacred pause of this season.
Winter lends itself to slowing down and going inward, which makes it a powerful time for journaling. What should you write down? For the Sacred Nights: record your dreams, reflect on the year past, envision the year to come, spend time reviewing your day, and consider the cosmic virtues. Each day maps to part of the year.
I’ve done this practice many times and love the insights I get when I revisit my journal throughout the year.
We talk about:
- Committing to journaling for the Sacred Nights of Winter
- Revisiting the journal — the cards, the insights, the dreams — in the appropriate month
- Noticing your own seasonal rhythms
- Setting intentions for the year instead of resolutions and aligning with the seasons and moon
- Why you might want to dialogue journal and how to do it
- How journaling gets us out of our heads and helps us act from our soul
ABOUT KIM MARIE
Kim Marie is a Holistic Women's Empowerment and Spiritual Coach supporting women in the second half of life to awaken their inner wisdom, heal their Soul-sickness, and live a Soul-fulfilled life.
Through her powerful mentoring, publications, programs, courses, and retreats, as well as her group coaching program, Solace, Kim brings a unique, and magical, blend of ancient wisdom, archetypes, Soul-led leadership, and practical spirituality to support visionary women longing to step into the fullness of their authentic expression.
Kim is the author of the Sacred Nights of Winter Journal, the Sacred Seasons Journals, and the Soul Planner. Her products and programs support women to remember who they are, reconnect to what matters most, and rebirth themselves into the life of freedom and joy they envision.
LINKS
- Sacred Nights of Winter Journal
- https://YouTube.com/KimMarieCoaching
- https://Pinterest.com/KimMarieCoaching
- https://LinkedIn.com/in/KimMarieCoaching
- X.com/KimMarieCoach
- https://Instagram.com/KimMarieCoaching
- https://Facebook.com/kim.marie.3192
PAST EPISODE OF PLANSIMPLE
- Journaling to Heal with Kim Marie
- Small Move 7: Stepping on the Path to Holistic Empowerment through Journaling
- Going Within with Kim Marie
- Navigate Your Year with Kim Marie
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- COMMIT TO JOURNALING FOR A WEEK. Journaling every day can feel like a lot. Remember we are talking about doable changes. Commit to one week. Make it part of your morning routine. See how it feels. At the end of the week, ask: How did this work for me? Do I want to commit to this for another week? Do I want to adjust what journaling looks like for me?
- JOURNAL THE SACRED NIGHTS OF WINTER. Each morning, record your dreams, reflect on the year past, envision the year to come, spend time reviewing your day, and consider the cosmic virtues. Each focus on one month of the year. For more guidance, try Kim’s Sacred Nights of Winter journal.
- PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SEASON. Start with this season. What’s going on? How do you feel? How is your energy? What are you drawn to do? When we work with our own rhythms and energy, we do so much more with ease. It starts with really tuning into your energy. Journaling can help you see patterns.
In this episode, I talk about the unobvious reasons planning feels hard — the tiny, hidden parts of a plan that quietly derail our follow through. I share real examples from life, business, and the holiday season, and show how supporting ourselves differently makes everything feel more doable. If you’re stepping into a full month or year and want planning to feel easier and more aligned, this is for you.
I’m talking about the power of the pause, how it’s not a break from life, but an essential part of how we live, plan, and create. When I give myself space to pause, I reconnect to what matters most. In this episode, I share how pause has become my most important practice, how it shapes the way I plan, and why it’s the key to moving forward with more intention, ease, and alignment.
December can be the rush… or the reset. In this episode, I’m sharing why I’m so passionate about making December matter—how I went from hanging on to the season to aligning it with what my family and I actually need. I tell the stories: the year we cozied and decorated everything for a kid who needed softness, the year we all agreed to travel, and the year I dreamed a whole new chapter from my couch.
If you’re craving a gentler, more intentional season, press play. We’ll talk about pausing now, planning from clarity, and letting December become a portal into who you’re becoming. And yes—I’m inviting you into Make December Matter, my 4-part guided experience with a comprehensive workbook and replays if you can’t come live. Join me and let’s design a December that feels like you. (https://plansimple.com/makedecembermatter)
“At some point, feeling good wins over old thoughts.”
–VJ Hamilton
Struggling with autoimmune disease — or uncomfortable symptoms that you’ve just learned to live with? What if you could reverse your symptoms? I’m so excited to talk with VJ Hamilton, registered nutritionist and a functional medicine practitioner who specializes in autoimmune disease.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease fairly late in life. When I was diagnosed, it just made so much sense and explained so many things. It also led to change. And that can be hard to navigate on your own.
Perimenopause and menopause symptoms and those of autoimmune diseases — like brain fog, joint aches, and fatigue — can be signs of both. Plus shifts in hormones can certainly trigger changes or unmask hidden inflammation. Testing and treatment can help.
We talk about:
- Autoimmune disease 101 — what we’re actually talking about
- Triggers vs. root causes and how to find the root cause
- How to advocate for yourself with doctors and what other practitioner you might want to see
- Simple changes you can make to improve your health
- Focus not on what you have to cut out for food or what exercise you have to do, but what you need and what you like
- Eating whole foods instead of prepared meals and how to navigate restaurants and special events
ABOUT VJ
VJ Hamilton is the founder of The Autoimmunity Nutritionist and an expert in autoimmune disease, specialising in skin disorders, chronic fatigue, joint health, and digestive issues for both men and women.
As a Registered Nutritionist with a Medical Science degree (BSc) in Biochemistry & Immunology and having completed the full certification programme at the renowned Institute for Functional Medicine, VJ uses evidence-based nutritional therapies to support her clients in transforming their health.
LINKS
- https://theautoimmunitynutritionist.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/theautoimmunitynutritionist/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/theautoimmunitynutritionist/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO. Changing your lifestyle doesn’t have to be terrible! Make a list of things you love to do. Ways you like to be active, rest, connect with others. Make a list of things that make you feel good! Plan for more of those things in your life. That might look like swapping dancing for a gym session or eating food that gives you energy or going to bed on time.
- RESET IDEAS AROUND FOOD. Here are a few ways to try this Doable Change. First, instead of asking, “What do I have to cut out?” think about what foods you can eat that you enjoy. When you do have to give something up, like cake at a party, remember how you would feel if you ate the cake. Finally, when it comes to eating with others, think about why you are going out? Is it really about the food or the company? Put the food in perspective.
- BE A DETECTIVE. Notice how you feel when you eat certain foods. Do you feel sluggish or heavy? Do you feel gassy or bloated? Does it seem to affect your sleep? Tracking this kind of information can help you see patterns you might not notice and these patterns can be clues to foods that might not serve you.
“People want human connection more than anything. They want the transformation.”
–Amanda Kijek
I’m really excited to talk with Amanda Kijek, who has helped me so much with launches and challenges. She moved from a brick and mortar business to the line world and helps entrepreneurs launch and make 10K months and beyond.
After her own deep dive on marketing and spending too much money learning about it, she decided to create something for women who too busy, don't have a team, and don’t know how to hire someone and train them — but want results and need the money.
We get clear on what launching is — maybe not what you think — touch on building cold leads, and really zooming in on your message.
We talk about:
- What a launch is — something you can do over and over
- Getting past the trust recession by letting people try you on in person
- Explaining what you do in the simplest terms — and in relation to what people actually need
- Adding “So you can …” to the ends of you description of what you do
- Starting conversations and leading people to the next conversation point
- Sharing vulnerable things from your life
ABOUT AMANDA
Amanda Kijek helps already-successful coaches stop hustling for one-off sales and scale to consistent 10K+ months without ads, overwhelm, or tech headaches.
She’s a best-selling author, CEO of Amanda Kijek Coaching, and the creator of the 5-phase Peaceful Launch framework and Profit Accelerator Mastermind—programs that have helped hundreds of coaches build stable 6-figure businesses with repeatable, timeless strategies.
With 23 years of entrepreneurial experience—from brick-and-mortar to online—Amanda built the system she wished existed as a new mom: one that gets clients now and is actually done-for-you and with you. She runs her multiple 6-figure business in under 15 hours a week and is passionate about helping other coaches scale without sacrificing family, freedom, or peace.
LINKS
- https://amandakijek.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablemompreneur
- https://www.instagram.com/amandakijek/?hl=en
- https://ca.linkedin.com/in/amandakijekcoach
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE YOUR MESSAGE REALLY CLEAR. Think about what’s keeping your clients up at night, what they are Googling. Don’t use your expert language. Keep it really simple. And add “so that you …” to the end of your message to help the client see the results.
- SHARE SOMETHING VULNERABLE. We all want deeper connection, and when we share something vulnerable, it helps people connect with us. Aim for once or twice a month. But your first step: Make the first vulnerable post.
- PRACTICE BEING CONSISTENT. Instead of trying to come up with something new to post, seek different examples, anecdotes, or other ways to tell people again what you you do. Your message should be consistent. It might even bore you, but you want your audience to really get it. It’s the human piece around it that keeps people engaged.
“It's normal that athletes hit adversity and they're nervous, but they don't typically have the skills to navigate through all of that.” – Coach Bre
Does your kiddo spiral after one bad play or mistake in their sport? Do they lack confidence in themselves? Breanne Smedley, or Coach Bre, who helps girl athletes improve their mental game — and helps moms support their athletes.
I never expected to be a sports mom, but here I am with a high school volleyball player, trying to find the right way to help her. Unfortunately, most coaches aren’t trained to help kids in face adversity or develop resilience, so you can’t rely on your kid’s coach to help them develop their mental game.
As moms, we want to help them manage the pressure, but don’t know what to say. Coach Bre works with both athletes AND moms to grow a new generation of confident girls who excel and find joy in their support.
We talk about:
- What to do if your kids don’t want to talk after a practice or game
- The LOVE framework — let her lead, open the space, validate the emotion, encourage reflection
- Making sure we don’t only focus on the amazing achievements when we give praise
- Helping kids see their identity beyond being an athlete
- Teaching kids snapback routines
- Dealing with coaches — looking at tough vs toxic
ABOUT COACH BRE
Breanne Smedley or Coach Bre is the co-founder of the Elite Competitor, where she’s changing the game by making mental training accessible and effective for girl athletes. Coach Bre is a former college athlete and four-time state championship volleyball coach. She combines her background as a longtime educator with a proven system that helps girls build confidence, bounce back from mistakes, and play with resilience under pressure. Through her signature program, The Elite Mental Game, she’s helped thousands of athletes—and their moms— transform how they show up in sport and life.
LINKS
- https://elitecompetitor.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/elitecompetitorcoach
- https://www.instagram.com/elitecompetitorcoach
- More on the LOVE framework
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- LISTEN WITHOUT FIXING. We all want to fix things for our kids, assure them that they are good at what they do, but that doesn’t really help. Try validating their feelings and making space for them to talk more instead of offering solutions or praise.
- RESET YOUR POST-GAME EXPECTATIONS. Your kiddo might be grumpy or want space after a tough game or practice. They might not want to analyze every play. They may not feel like going to dinner and being polite. Adjust your own expectations and let them take the lead on that ride home.
- SHIFT YOUR PRAISE. We can unknowingly set expectations for our kids by lavishing praise for major achievements. When we praise hard work, effort, leadership, not giving up even when things aren’t going right, we help set the bar a different way.
“It's not time that heals, it's what we do in that time.”
–Dawn Michele Jackson
We don’t do grief well. And unprocessed grief has consequences. I’m talking with grief specialist Dawn Michele Jackson about what we get wrong about grief and processing loss.
Grief isn’t just about death — it is a natural reaction to any kind of loss. Your kids leaving home, changes in your body, moving, changing jobs, divorce, losing a close friend, … and yes, death. We can grieve very personal losses or public and collective losses.
You’ve probably heard that time heals, but it isn’t that simple. Let’s talk about how to actually face loss and work through our grief.
We talk about:
- Not saying “I know how you feel” and what to do instead
- What happens when you don’t deal with grief — and why we often don’t address it
- How even happy things can cause grief
- How losses can compound
- Giving people an opportunity to talk about who or what they’ve lost
- Why you shouldn’t hand a grieving person a tissue — and other ways to allow people to have their emotional response
ABOUT DAWN
Dawn Jackson draws on three decades of nursing experience and her expertise as an Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist to help others heal their hearts, transform their lives, and rediscover joy. She is the bestselling author of Journey to Peace and Healing and Journey to Self Discovery: 100 Days of Soulful Reflections, as well as a contributing author to multiple international bestselling anthologies.
LINKS
- https://www.dawnmichelejackson.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-michele-jackson/
- https://www.facebook.com/dawnmichelejackson
- Pause magazine (Find Dawn in issue 2): https://plansimple.com/magazine
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- FEEL YOUR OWN GRIEF. What have you lost recently? Have you allowed yourself to feel it? Are you staying busy and numbing? What if you opened up to your feelings?
- BECOME A LISTENING HEART. Next time somebody mentions a loss to you, instead of telling them you know how they feel or giving them a platitude to make them feel better. Try listening. Ask them about the person or pet or thing they lost. Give them a chance to talk.
- MODEL GRIEVING TO OTHERS. You don’t have to be strong and keep your emotions in. Show your kids and others around you that it’s okay to feel and express your feelings. That might mean crying about a loss or letting people around you know you are having a sad or hard day.
“In the world of AI, people are hungry for honest, authentic conversations.”
–Dolores Hirschmann
If you’re posting all the time on social media, and wondering where the clients are you’ll want to listen to this conversation with Dolores Hirschmann, who helps people harness the power of speaking to grow their businesses.
She shows us the difference between speaking and having an intentional, strategically built talk that takes people from point curious to client. This is different from telling your story. Once you create your talk, it’s rinse and repeat. Creating new messaging, new content, new talks every day can actually hurt your business.
Even if you can’t picture yourself on stage or in front of the mic, putting your talk together creates clear, focused, tight content that you can use in other ways in your business.
We talk about:
- Authenticity to build trust with your audience
- Have your key point and give people multiple ways to engage with that idea
- How creating a framework lets you really delve into your creativity
- The things you need to think about when looking for speaking gigs
- How to measure the success of your talk (it’s not applause)
- Using technology to streamline the process of securing speaking gigs
ABOUT DOLORES
Dolores Hirschmann is an investor, strategist, speaker, and founder of Masters in Clarity, a strategy and business coaching firm. She helps service professionals grow their businesses and establish thought leadership. A former TEDx organizer, she specializes in positioning experts, authors, consultants, and coaches for success.
Dolores recently sold a company to Pete Vargas and Grant Cardone, supporting its growth to multiple 8 figures in four years. She built a software platform to help speakers get placed on stages and advises businesses on preparing for profitable exits. Masters in Clarity provides fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) services to help companies design and execute marketing initiatives and set up automated marketing systems. As an investor, Dolores acquires and scales small businesses, ensuring their legacy and long-term success.
LINKS
- writeyourtalk.com
- www.mastersinclarity.com
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ASSESS YOUR SPEAKING. Do you find yourself stumbling when you try to say what you do? Do you ramble too much on sales calls? Do you have your story down pat, but don’t know what to do with it? Are you at a loss when it comes to how to get in front of an audience? What’s getting in your way of speaking?
- UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF SPEAKING. Think about a powerful speaker you’ve seen. Think about how seeing some one talking built your trust or interest in working with them. Remember this when you start to wonder if speaking is for you.
- GET HELP FROM A PRO. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or figure this out on your own. Getting support creating your talk and finding speaking gigs can make the process so much easier. A lot of us worry about getting in front of an audience; being prepared helps. See the links for Dolores’ webinar and program.
In this companion episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, Mia sits down with four more FLOW365 members—Eve, Kelly, Kiyomi, and Susan. Each of these women is building a very different kind of business, from creative ventures to service-based work, yet they share a common thread: the desire to grow with alignment, balance, and follow-through.
You’ll hear how they are weaving business growth with family life, health, and self-care—and what makes FLOW365 the support system that keeps them moving forward. Their stories reveal that there isn’t one “right way” to build a business; there’s your way, with the right accountability and community beside you.
If you’ve been curious about FLOW365 or are craving a more aligned way to move into fall, this episode will give you a glimpse of the community, accountability, and practical planning support that make lasting change possible. (https://plansimple.com/flow365)
In this special episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, Mia introduces four incredible FLOW365 members—Jen, Heather, Kelley, and Roxanne—who share what it really looks like to juggle careers, families, and personal wellbeing while still moving toward their big dreams.
You’ll hear how each of them is navigating this busy season, what tools and support have made the biggest difference, and why they chose to stop going at it alone. This conversation is an honest look at what it means to plan in a feminine-first way, follow through on what matters most, and find balance when the world feels overwhelming.
If you’ve been curious about FLOW365 or are craving a more aligned way to move into fall, this episode will give you a glimpse of the community, accountability, and practical planning support that make lasting change possible. (https://plansimple.com/flow365)
Have you ever felt “off track”? In this episode, I share why that story keeps us stuck and how tuning into the season you’re in—whether it’s fall, a time of healing, or a family transition—can help you feel grounded, productive, and aligned again.
If you want to join me for a pause and a reset, sign up at https://plansimple.com/reset
“I am transforming lives, and I'm transforming businesses.”
–Andre Toro
I love a story about a woman who changes her mind, because a lot of us wish we could do what someone else is doing. Portrait photographer Andre Toro made the big switch to follow her passion, and I can’t wait for you to hear her story.
Andre is the amazing soul behind my 50th birthday photo shoot (you can see some of her work in the inaugural issue of Pause Magazine. Before she launched her photography business, she studied Electrical Engineering in Venezuela, got an MBA at MIT, and worked in the tech industry.
How do you make that kind of pivot work? I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation.
We talk about:
- The concussion that changed her life and set her on the path to her photography business
- Giving herself time to build her brand, adjusting their family budget during her growth, and how doing great for the industry wasn’t enough to replace what she had been doing
- Recognizing the skills she brought to something she had never done before, and the identity crisis when she first made the change
- Outsourcing all the non-kid, non-photography things and running a lean business
- Creating a high-touch, luxury business and becoming an aspirational brand
- How she sets and meets goals — and what happens when something falls through or health issues arise
ABOUT ANDRE
Andre Toro is a portrait photographer specializing in family photos and headshots. She’s a passionate soul, obsessed with human connection and emotive storytelling. Andre studied portrait photography at Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle and started a side hustle. After an epic concussion, Andre decided to follow her passion and started her full-time photo portrait business. Andre is a Venezuelan mom of 2 beautiful girls, married to her love-at-first-sight husband.
LINKS
- https://www.andretorophotography.com/about
- https://www.instagram.com/andretorophotography/?hl=en
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreina-andre-toro-54a23918/
MENTIONED LINKS
- https://plansimple.com/magazine
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- OUTSOURCE SOMETHING. Andre’s belief is that if it’s not client facing, it shouldn’t be you, and at home, anything not kid related outsource. What can you outsource at home or at work? Make a list of possibilities. Pick one to outsource now.
- SET A QUOTA. Set a monthly quota for yourself. Then break it down to see how you can meet it. What can you do if something falls through? What are the other routes to your quota?
- YOU CAN DO IT. Feeling a little uncertain because you’ve never done “this” before? Make a list of all the things you’ve done — skills, experience, strengths. How do those apply to the thing you want to do? I bet you are more ready than you think.
“Everything in nature needs a pause to help you recalibrate, pull your energy back, remind yourself. That’s where our power becomes even more potent — when we’re able to step back and remember.”
–Kendra Woods
Your human design reminds you: this is who I am. This is how my energy is designed to operate.
I love that way of looking at it. If you haven’t explored Human Design or have your report lost on your drive somewhere, take a listen to this conversation with Kendra Woods, who is a breakthrough mentor for sole-led entrepreneurial women who specializes in Human Design.
We dig into shame and struggle of feeling like you should be further along or moving faster — and why you’re doing fine. We really look at the ways we are always becoming and how Human Design helps us navigate different transitions and seasons.
We talk about:
- How everything needs a pause to reflect and recalibrate — you can’t just keep moving on to the next thing
- Human design helping us remember who we are — because we forget sometimes when we’re in the middle of everything
- Taking back our own power and knowing how we best make decisions — we don’t all do it the same way and your HD authority can help
- Trust your own timing — don’t bogged down in what other people’s timeline looks like
- As we evolve and grow our businesses do too
- Remembering that you are the breakthrough
ABOUT KENDRA
Kendra Woods is a Soul-Led Breakthrough Mentor and the founder of Soulful Success by Design, where success is measured not by hustle, but by alignment, embodiment, and truth. She supports visionary women entrepreneurs in breaking through inner limitations, reclaiming their power, and building businesses rooted in soul and self-trust.
Through her unique blend of Human Design, Somatic Coaching, NLP, EFT, Hypnosis, and intuitive guidance, Kendra helps women transcend conditioned ways of being and step into their next evolution—with clarity, courage, and confidence.
With a background in Business Administration (BBA + MBA) and over a decade in corporate leadership, Kendra bridges grounded business strategy with soul-aligned energetics. Her mission is to help women return home to themselves and build lives and businesses that feel like sacred self-expression.
She is the author of Mind Boss Habits: 12 Steps to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Action, The 7-Step Morning Manifestation Guide, and a contributing author in the Amazon bestselling book Girl Get Up and Win. Kendra’s work has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Bella Magazine, and numerous podcasts and summits.
LINKS
- Breaking Free: 7 Mindset Traps and How To Overcome Them https://kendra-woods.mykajabi.com/breakingfree
- www.kendrakaywoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfulsuccessbydesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendra.woods.756
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- LEARN ABOUT YOUR HUMAN DESIGN. If you don’t have your chart, get it done! If you have it, but it felt confusing, go find what your type and authority are and then learn about those.
- RECLAIM DECISION MAKING POWER. Once you learn more about how you best make decisions, use that the next time you have to make a decision. It might mean sleeping on it or having somebody ask you questions or feeling into your body. It’s different for each design.
- SCHEDULE AN END OF WEEK PAUSE. Set aside a few minutes to reflect on what you did over the past week. Ask: What went well? What didn't go well? What have you learned from both? Who have you become? How will that inform what you do next week?
“Self worth is not something that's earned. It's something that is remembered.” –Tannaz Hosseinpour
Individualism and isolation are doing a number on us. Relationship specialist Tannaz Hosseinpour helps us see why things aren’t working — and what we can do about it.
We all want to belong, even us introverts who need time alone. We want the village we were promised, but to be able to make the most of it, we need to be able to receive it.
Tannaz and I explore both how the collective can support us and what we need as individuals to thrive.
We talk about:
- How prioritizing individualism over collectivism and masculine energy over feminine leads to problems
- Why we need connection to energy bigger than ourselves and learning to feel safe receiving
- The impact of COVID and our resultant sense of safety on relationships now
- Having an internal anchor to ground yourself
- How to set boundaries with others and ourselves
- 5 different kinds of intimacy we crave
ABOUT TANNAZ
Tannaz Hosseinpour is a relationship coach and registered psychotherapist (qualifying) who helps individuals build emotionally secure relationships, starting with the one they have with themselves. She blends nervous system regulation, psychodynamic insights, somatic modalities and belief reprogramming to help clients break free from limiting patterns and feel safe in love, purpose, and self-expression.
LINKS
- https://minutesongrowth.com/about/
- https://www.instagram.com/minutesongrowth
- www.facebook.com/MinutesOnGrowth
- https://www.tiktok.com/@minutesongrowth
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- SMALL STEPS TO FEELING SAFE WITH PEOPLE. Post-Covid, a lot of us don’t feel safe in public or large groups, and we may not even realize it. Taking small steps to spend time with people can make a difference. Try getting together with one or two people. Breathe through discomfort. Remind yourself you are safe. Try a small group.
- SET A BOUNDARY. Instead of getting angry at somebody else when you feel hurt, express your “I” statement about how you feel and what you would like. Enforce the boundary. If the other person does not respond, choose the change your actions.
- TAKE A BREAK. Next time you find yourself in an argument or going around and around in circles of not understanding, take a break. Give yourself at least 20 minutes to re regulate. Come back to the conversation when all parties have had a chance to do that.
“Divorce is mostly about money.”
–Gabriella Martinelli
Married? Do you know where your money is? I’m really excited to talk with Gabriella Martinelli, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, about what we need to know about our finances and protecting ourselves before or during a divorce.
Even if you don’t think you are headed in that direction, you can protect yourself, because if you don’t know where the money is or don’t have access to the accounts, and something happens, you’re stuck.
Divorce is often messy — a mix of emotions, laws that aren’t clear, and financial confusion. Getting clarity around the money can help you make choices from a better place.
We talk about:
- Why so many women don’t know about money — and why it’s a problem
- Financial and nonfinancial contributions to the family
- Fear about not having enough money and trust about money going both ways
- Protecting your business early and keeping business expenses separate from household expenses
- Questions you should be asking and how you can start to find information
- Why you should hire a CDFA before an attorney if you are moving toward divorce
ABOUT GABRIELLA
Gabriella E. Martinelli is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®) and founder of Ever After Wealth®. With 21 years of experience in divorce finance, including 16 working alongside top attorneys, Gabriella helps individuals and professionals navigate the financial complexities of divorce with clarity and confidence. She makes complex financial topics easy to understand, offering real-world strategies that empower listeners to take control of their financial future.
LINKS
- https://www.everafterwealth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everafterwealth/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/everafterwealth
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR FAMILY FINANCIAL PICTURE. What accounts do you have? What investments? What debt? Are your names on those accounts? Ask questions. Collect information. Ask for more access. It’s not only useful in case of divorce, but also in case something happens to your spouse and you need to do more than you are doing financially.
- DIG DEEPER. Gabriella offers some ideas about using tax returns, credit reports, and other documents to start to gather information on your own if you feel you can’t ask questions or don’t trust the answers.
- PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS. While protecting your business may take multiple changes, the first step you can take is to talk to an attorney about protecting your business as your livelihood in case, separate from other assets. From there you can make decisions about what you need to do.
“How do we create emotional safety and help each other regulate these emotions?”
–Tarah Kerwin
Do you keep having the same fights over and over? Do you feel like your partner is just trying to set you off? I’m really excited to talk with relationship counselor Tarah Kerwin about relationship renovation.
We dive into how childhood trauma (big and little) affects our relationships. Even if you think you didn’t experience trauma, Tarah shows us how different experiences can affect how we react to our partners, who tend to trigger us the most.
Many of us are in a transition period, perhaps becoming empty nesters or one person retiring, or stepping more into ourselves as responsibilities for others change. How does this shape our relationship? How can we make decisions based on clarity instead of anger or frustration or fear?
We talk about:
- How childhood trauma shows up later and how kids can reflect back our trauma
- The three Ps for relationships — predict, plan, prepare
- Codewords to stop overwhelm and resentment
- Tara Brach’s RAIN technique
- Developing emotional safety go through transitions together and making decisions from a place of clarity
- Creating a time to prioritize your relationship
ABOUT TARAH
Tarah Kerwin, along with her husband EJ, is dedicated to transforming couples’ lives through meaningful connection and support. They’ve built not one but two companies, with their second, Relationship Renovation Coaching Consulting and Media, offering coaching sessions to couples worldwide through the innovative Relationship Renovation @ Home Program. Their goal is to provide real tools for couples to thrive, no matter where they are.
The company also features a world-renowned podcast that dives into everything you want to know about relationships, helping listeners navigate the complexities of love and connection. Tarah’s passion lies in helping couples experience less suffering and more growth.
Tarah’s journey into the field began with her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 2004. After beginning her career as a Marriage and Family Therapistin California, she moved to Arizona in 2010. It was there that she and EJ founded Relationship RenovationCounseling Practice, which set the foundation for their collaborative work.
LINKS
- https://relationshiprenovation.com/
MENTIONED RESOURCES
- https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- MAKE A CODE WORD. Create a code word that means, “I’m overwhelmed and starting to get resentful” or out of your zone of tolerance. Discuss what you need to do when you use your code word. If your partner chooses one too, respect their needs when they use it.
- SCHEDULE TIME TO FOCUS ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP. Even if you are in couples therapy or counseling, schedule time outside to focus on your relationship. Have time regularly where you are together and focused on each other.
- PREDICT, PLAN, PREPARE. At the beginning of the day, stop and think about what’s going to happen. What is likely to make you angry, defensive, hurt, or otherwise challenged? How could that situation be better? Prepare to handle the situation in a way that is less triggering.
In this episode, I’m sharing a personal update—I'm heading into surgery—and how I planned for real time off. From setting up my business to letting myself receive help, I talk about what it means for me to rest, heal, and still feel held. Whether you’re navigating a big life moment or heading into summer vacation, I hope this helps you plan your time off with more intention and care.
“Your brand is going to evolve. Your business is going to evolve.”
–Barb Pritchard
Summer is a great time to update your brand, and I’m talking with Barb Pritchard, a brand strategist and intuitive designer about what that really looks like.
We talk about why you want to be consistent across platforms — but you brand is more than fonts and colors. You are a big piece of your brand and need to show up visually and in words.
And while you might want to redo your website and be done, your business and your brand are going to continue to evolve. This season is a great time to see what’s working and what’s not.
We talk about:
- Oracle cards and following breadcrumbs — yes, intuition as a business guide
- How following formulas doesn’t feel natural — and what happens when you really show up as you
- Learning to talk naturally about what you do
- Thinking about how you want people to feel when they interact with your brand
- Why brand photos matter so much
- Changing one small thing at a time to see what resonates with your audience
ABOUT BARB
Barb Pritchard, the creative force behind Infinity Brand Design, is a visionary brand strategist and intuitive designer with over 20 years of experience. Specializing in an empathy-first approach, she empowers spiritual entrepreneurs and shapes transformative brands, aligning mission-focused businesses with their soul clients. Leveraging her vast experience with Fortune 100 & 500 companies, Barb fuels growth and authenticity in impactful, heart-centered ventures. As the driving spirit of Infinity Brand Design, Barb is also an acclaimed author, speaker, and advocate for living a purpose-filled life, finding joy in global exploration, cultural immersions, and nurturing connections.
LINKS
- https://www.infinitybrand.design/
- https://www.facebook.com/ImBarbPritchard
- https://www.instagram.com/infinitybranddesign
- https://www.pinterest.com/infinitybranddesign/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbpritchard/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE A SMALL CHANGE. If you aren’t getting the results you want, try changing a few words or one photo. See if you get a different reaction. Sometimes a tiny change can shift the effect dramatically.
- KNOW YOURSELF FIRST. Do you know: What lights you up? What do you want to do? What are you here for? What is your passion? The answers to these questions are essential for talking about yourself clearly.
- BOOK PHOTOS. Book a photographer for brand photos. Someone else can help show, visually, who you are. Even if you don’t like being in pictures, you’ll want good ones of you — headshots but also you in action at what you do.
“Planning isn’t about doing it all—it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be, one aligned action at a time.” —Mia Moran
Planning doesn’t have to feel rigid, overwhelming, or like it’s just one more thing to do. In today’s episode, Mia shares 10 powerful shifts you can make today—straight from the FLOW Planning System—that help you align your time, energy, and attention with what matters most.
These are small changes that make a big difference—whether or not you use the FLOW Planner.
From leading with the feminine to bringing magic into your weekly rhythm, this episode will inspire you to plan in a way that supports your health, your purpose, and your becoming.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why planning with the feminine first changes everything
- How to prioritize what matters—while still getting the have-to-dos done
- The difference between habits and projects (and why it matters)
- The power of seasonal planning and daily anchoring
- How reflection, intuition, and structure can work together
Resources Mentioned:
- Get the FLOW Planner + Course for $12
- Download the FREE Today Page
Connect with Mia:
- Instagram: @plansimple.co
- Website: plansimple.com
“Our gut health is connected to our hormones, our blood sugar and our metabolic health, and when we understand the science behind how our body works, we realize that feeling good during menopause isn't just about managing the estrogen and the progesterone. It's about figuring out these other pieces.”
–Tess Masters
Did you finally figure out how to eat for your body — and then it stopped working? Or you never figured it out and lately it’s just been bad? If you’re not feeling good in your body, it’s time to do something about it.
That’s why I’m so excited to talk with Tess Masters. She’s my health cheerleader and food guru. She’s helped me uplevel my food again and again.
Our food is a lot more nuanced than we think, but Tess can help you learn what works for you and how to make shifts when that stops.
We talk about:
- How our bodies change as we age, over seasons, as our hormones and medications shift — and our food needs to change with that
- Protein and the problem with too much or not enough
- The changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause
- Paying attention to sleep and stress, noticing how your body reacts to different foods
- 60-day reset for a digestive reset, to go through two hormone cycles, and to turn new ideas into habits
- Finding balance, choosing to stick with foods that make you feel good, and not feeling left out
ABOUT TESS
Tess Masters is a wellness coach, speaker, podcaster, chef, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend published by Penguin Random House. You can find hundreds of easy recipes at theblendergirl.com.
Through The Decadent Detox® and Skinny60® health programs, Tess and her team of dietitians have helped over 30,000 people get healthy using science-based food and lifestyle strategies. The “Good, Better, or Best, Not Perfect” philosophy of the programs encourages participants to empower themselves in all parts of their lives to find a balance of self-care and fun!
Tess and her health tips and recipes have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Yahoo Living, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, and many other media outlets.
As a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with many brands, including KitchenAid, Vitamix, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, and many others.
Tess has a passion for sharing stories that inspire people to go after what they want. On her podcast, It Has To Be Me, she interviews trailblazers about how they conquer fear to take action on the things they’re dreaming about.
LINKS
- Free Master Class Menopause: 3 Secrets To Lose Weight and Reduce Symptoms The Delicious Way
- Skinny60® Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/
- The Blender Girl website: https://www.theblendergirl.com/
- The Decadent Detox Cleanses: https://www.thedecadentdetox.com/
- It Has to Be Me: https://ithastobeme.com/
- Facebook @theblendergirl
- Instagram @theblendergirl
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/
TESS ON PLANSIMPLE
- It Has to Be You with Tess Masters
- Empowered Food Choices with Tess Masters
- Eat to Thrive with Tess Masters
- The Skinny with Tess Masters
- Blend It with Tess Masters
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- NOTICE HOW YOUR BODY FEELS. How does your body feel now, in this stage of life, in this season? What feels good? What is challenging? Simply track how you feel throughout the day for a week.
- PLAY DETECTIVE. What happens when you don’t have your usual smoothie? Or when you have a glass of wine with dinner (or don’t)? What happens when you’re on vacation and don’t eat any of your usual things? Paying attention to what you are eating and how your body reacts can give you clues to changes you might want to make.
- PAY ATTENTION TO PROTEIN. We all need protein, but in perimenopause or menopause, you might need more if you haven’t been getting enough. That said, too much or too much at once isn’t helpful. Notice if you are getting protein throughout the day. Pay attention to the kinds of protein you are eating.
If we don’t choose the reset, life will usually choose it for us. In this episode, I dive into the magic of consciously resetting—your energy, your goals, your relationship with time itself. I share personal stories of how, just this past month, I’ve had to reset my beliefs about healing, how my household runs, and how I lead in business.This isn’t about quitting. It’s about re-choosing—with clarity.Whether you’re feeling off track or just ready for something new, this conversation will help you remember that pausing, reflecting, and realigning isn’t a detour—it is the path.Hear how I’ve navigated recent shifts in health, home, and leadership.
Explore how to reset your relationship with time and planning.
And leave with a fresh way to meet yourself, right where you are.
→ Join the Productivity Reset at plansimple.com/reset
What if the secret to your next breakthrough isn’t pushing harder—but pressing pause?
In this episode, I explore the surprising power of slowing down. We talk about the kind of pause you choose—and the kind your body chooses for you. From the quiet wisdom of the third trimester of pregnancy to the fog (and insight) of perimenopause, you’ll hear why learning to pause may be the most productive thing you do this year.Plus, I’ll share how Pause Magazine was born from this exact moment in my life—and why I think now is the perfect time for a different kind of productivity conversation.
Get inspired to listen inward.
Reframe your relationship with rest.
And discover what happens when you stop long enough to really hear yourself.
→ Get your free digital copy of Pause Magazine at plansimple.com/pause
“What does creating balance look like in the summer?”
–Mia
When you thank summer, do you think vacation, barbecues, and ice cream? I find that a lot of us have a vivid image of how summer should look — and we don’t stop to see if that’s what we really want.
Or we have an idea we want to dial back on business or health or other goals, but it’s jarring to jump from spring to summer and back to fall when you let things get out of balance in summer.
What if, instead, you were intentional about what you really wanted this season?
What if you made a plan that:
- helps you stick to how you want to feel
- takes into account exterior rhythms that change in the summer
- anticipates obstacles or stressors
- doesn’t neglect any part of your life
- moves you forward on a goal or dream
Listen in as I explain how I make my summer plan and how different situations make each summer look different — but very much mine.
Then join me to create your own summer plan:
PLAN YOUR SUMMER EVENTS
- Free 1-hour workshop What Goes into Summer Planning
Get clear on the things you need to consider when making your plan
- 3-hour Workshop Plan Your Summer
- Join me an FLOW365 members for step-by-step summer planning—leave with a plan for balance and what you really want in your summer
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DREAM ABOUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT. Forget the movies and magazines. What do you want your summer to look like? What would feel amazing? What goals or projects are you pulled to move forward? What would lead you into fall without feeling like you “got off track” and need to restart?
- IDENTIFY YOUR SUMMER STRUCTURE. What is happening in your summer that will affect your time or energy? Think about kids, work, other family members, health stuff, plans that are already set. Are you launching a kid? Will you have kids home for the summer — and do you control that schedule or do they? Do you have a family vacation already booked? Are you having surgery?
- KNOW YOUR SUMMER STRESSORS. Where do you tend to get out of balance as you head into summer? What has stressed you out in past summers? Is it triggering people or exhausting events? Is it unpredictable schedules or different demands? Is it not eating well and feeling the results in your body or energy? Knowing those challenges can help you plan for them.
“When you're not in fight or flight or freeze mode, you're able to be creative and come up with different solutions and bring in different information about what's going on in your world.”
–Cori Myka
My family likes to jump into the water, swim out to the buoy, step onto the way out there rock. I don’t love swimming. I’m one of many adults who are uncomfortable in the water. My guest today, Cori Myka, specializes in helping adults overcome their fear of water.
I haven’t had anybody show up in FLOW365 and say, “I want to learn to swim” or “I want to get more comfortable in the water,” but we could easily work with those goals. I love the self-compassion and the tiny steps Cori brings to her method.
And she’s created a niche business around helping adults get comfortable in the water.
We talk about:
- How learning something new can be daunting — especially when we look at what experts are doing
- Starting by figuring out the biggest thing getting in the way
- Being kinder to ourselves when we are taking new steps
- Practicing feeling safe, calm, and confident as you are learning
- Letting your interests drive your niche
- Testing assumptions when we try something new
ABOUT CORI
Cori Myka is the founder of Calm Within Adult Swim, with over 25 years of experience in adult swim education. She specializes in helping adults overcome their fear of water through a unique blend of mental and physical training techniques. Her mission is to empower individuals to become confident swimmers and embrace personal growth by working with students and certifying instructors.
LINKS
- https://adultswimlesson.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/calmwithinadultswim
- https://www.instagram.com/calmwithinadultswim
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- IDENTIFY BLOCKS. What is the biggest thing getting in the way of your current project, something you want to learn, or trying to launch? There may seem to be an obvious answer, but what happens when you peel back on that answer? Often there is a fear or worry standing there. Understanding that helps you start to find a way past it.
- PRACTICE CONFIDENCE. We talk about having confidence when learning or trying something new. It doesn’t have to be huge confidence, just enough to take the next tiny step.
- TAP INTO YOUR INTERESTS. Looking to niche? What really piques your interest? Where are you already doing something that not a lot of people are doing? Spend some time exploring what that interest or passion could look like as a niche.
“Every business owner, if they take the time to really craft a powerful message and do that foundational work of getting clear on how they tell their story, can then repurpose that story.”
–Kris Jones
Do you freeze when you have to write about your own business or tell someone what you do? Kris Jones, StoryBrand guide and Founder of Red Door Designs, explains why and what we can do about it.
The two main problems are that we’re too close to our business and can’t see it clearly and we’re experts on what we do, but our clients aren’t. We need to understand where our potential clients are and meet them there.
Getting an outside perspective helps a lot, but can also learn to mine your own story for gold and clear the clutter.
We talk about:
- Making potential clients the hero of the story
- Building trust and resonance first
- Crafting a powerful story and how to repurpose it
- Not being active everywhere — making your website the center of your business and choosing 2–3 other things that are fun for you
- Not outsourcing your own voice, but getting a guide
- How much can change when you dial in your story
ABOUT KRIS
Kris Jones is a StoryBrand guide & Founder of Red Door Designs. Mentored by the Author of Building a StoryBrand - Donald Miller himself & with over 23 years of experience and clients like Nike & Adidas under her belt, she is extremely passionate about helping coaches & service providers replace all of their marketing with a single story, so they can multiply their revenue and focus on what they do best.
Kris has been able to achieve incredible transformations for her clients, including increased revenue by 300%, record-breaking lead calls and clients booked, scaling from 30k months to 300k months, charging 6x more for the same service.
Kris believes that writing copy for your own business doesn’t have to feel like torture. In fact, once you know how to tell a compelling story, it can actually be fast, easy and fun.
LINKS
- https://www.reddoordesigns.com/
- https://www.reddoordesigns.com/free-resources
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddoordesign/
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/reddoorportland/?fref=ts
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reddoordesigns/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reddoordesign
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET A NEW PERSPECTIVE. Try reading your copy with a potential client’s eyes. Where are you writing from expertise instead of their perspective? What do clients actually say to you when you talk to them? What do you say that resonates when you talk to people? Is that language (not just the idea) in your web copy? If you are struggling, ask for input from somebody who isn’t an expert in the same field.
- ELIMINATE CLUTTER. Read a web page or email you’ve written, ideally one you didn’t just finish. What is the main story or gold? What is just clutter? Cut that out.
- DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO SHOW UP. You don’t have to actively engage everywhere. If you feel like you need a presence, you can make a few core pieces for a platform you are not active on. But focus on your website first and then choose two things that are fun for you — short video? podcasts? Blogging? Love letters to your audience? Find what’s fun (and remember, not every part of the process needs to be fun).
“When I halved my calendar, we doubled our business.”
–Hanna Hermanson
Sick of the marketing bro energy that doesn’t work with your energy? I’m really excited to talk with Hanna Hermanson, the founder of Feminine Marketing Boutique, about the difference between masculine and feminine energy in marketing.
What if instead of asking people to buy, you invited them in? What if marketing were less pushing yourself to do uncomfortable things and more about collaborative action?
It doesn’t mean you don’t need structure. Hanna shows us how to be creative, be in flow, and have a cohesive message around our marketing.
We talk about:
- The importance of building relationships
- Asking better questions than what time to post on Instagram
- How to build consistency
- Looking at where your last 10 clients came from and doing more of what attracted them
- How to test/get familiar with your intuition (and how Human Design can help)
- Creating spaciousness by letting go of roles, clients, or other things that aren’t a hell yes
ABOUT HANNA
Hanna Hermanson is the CEO and founder of the Feminine Marketing Boutique, helping women-led businesses scale beyond 6-figures, using a feminine marketing strategy that hinges on the principles of collaboration, connection, and relationship-building. Hanna is the host of The Feminine Marketing Show, and is currently “walking the walk” as a lifestyle entrepreneur, living in Merida, Mexico.
LINKS
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahermanson/
- Hanna’s newsletter dfycopywriting.org/free
- https://www.instagram.com/hannahermanson_/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DO MORE OF WHAT WORKS. Take a look at your last ten clients. What attracted them to you? What worked to get them as clients? Are you currently doing that in your business? Could you do more of that?
- IS THIS A HELL YES? For everything you do this week, ask: Is this a hell yes? Or Does this light me up? Use the answers to make decisions about what you are doing short term — and what you can step away from long-term.
- MAKE MORE WHITE SPACE. We all need white space (or as we call it in FLOW, gold space). This isn’t time scheduled to do something, but it is time held open for what we want and need in the moment. It could be rest or going to Costco in the middle of the day or taking a walk outside. You can create white space by scheduling it and holding it ope, cutting things that are not a hell yes, or getting up earlier. We recommend one of the first two.
In this solo episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a big shift I’ve been feeling—personally and professionally. After a season of intentional coasting, I’m stepping back into growth mode in a whole new way. I’m sharing what’s changing in my business, how I’m redefining balance in midlife, and why now feels like the right time to go all in. If you're craving aligned action and love a good behind-the-scenes look at how a business grows, this one’s for you.
In this unscripted, unedited episode, I go rogue (no intro music, no team!) to share something I felt called to say out loud. If you've been feeling the swirl—the overwhelm, the heaviness, the chaos of the world right now—this episode is for you.
I’m sharing how I’ve been navigating this moment as a mom, a coach, a woman approaching 50, and a leader in this community—and why I created Practice What You Preach Week.
This isn’t just for entrepreneurs (though I definitely had you in mind)—it’s for any woman feeling out of alignment with the wisdom she shares with others. Whether it’s in your business, your home, or your relationships, this is a space to pause, reset, and walk your talk.
We’ll dive into what it means to show up with integrity and alignment, even when the world feels upside down—and how doing so can ripple into everything from your marketing to your motherhood to your energy.
If you’ve ever felt like the shoemaker with no shoes, this week is for you.
If you’ve been consumed by the swirl and want a way out, this week is for you.
If you’re ready to take aligned action again, this week is for you.
Join us at: plansimple.com/challenge
“We may be coming to the end of our reproductive cycles and our function as reproducers, but we still have brains, we still have bodies, we still have metabolism to maintain.”
–Kate Wells
Who’s seeing changes throughout their body as they go through perimenopause or enter menopause? I got so much out of this conversation with Kate Wells, owner of Parlor Games, a company focused on products and education to support women in menopause and perimenopause. Kate was a teacher in her previous life, and I learned so much from her.
Kate introduces us to 5 hormones we need to be paying attention to at this stage of life: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol. We talk about the role of each and what we can do to promote health around each.
Perimenopause and menopause can be confusing. Let’s shed some light on it.
We talk about:
- Why stress can impact us so much at this time of life
- What causes symptoms like bloating and breast tenderness
- The reason you are ready to fly off the handle for the littlest thing
- What’s natural and normal — and why that may not be optimal
- How many things hormones like estrogen and progesterone do in our bodies
- Why it’s so hard to find a provider who knows about perimenopause
ABOUT KATE
Kate Wells is a hormone expert and true biochem nerd who has been educating practitioners about hormones for many years. Starting out as a High School science teacher, and then pivoting to the business world, Kate knew she wanted to combine her passions for science and business and found the perfect match in leadership roles at labs specializing in hormone testing and hormone formulation. Kate is the author of A Forecast for Health: Understanding Your Potential for Lifelong Wellness and is the CEO and co-founder of Parlor Games LLC. Kate holds a BS, MBA, and has completed a Fellowship in Herbal Medicine. Kate and her team at Parlor Games are on a mission to save the world one vagina at a time by continuing to educate women and health practitioners on the role of hormones in optimal longevity.
LINKS
- Website: https://www.parlor-games.com/
Social Media:
- https://www.instagram.com/parlorgamesfun/
- https://www.facebook.com/myparlorgames
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/parlor-games/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewellsmba/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- KNOW YOUR HORMONES. Learn about the various hormones that are shifting in perimenopause and the effects they have. Too often we just hear about estrogen, but you also want to know about progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol.
- LEARN ABOUT HORMONE THERAPY. Not all health providers understand current beliefs about the safety of hormone therapy. Take some time to educate yourself about the benefits and risks.
- PUSH BACK ON NATURAL AND NORMAL. Just because something is natural and normal, doesn’t mean it is optimal. Many things we are told we just have to accept and deal with as women could be better. Start by identifying what’s different in your body that isn’t working for you.
“It's never too late, and you're never too old to do anything.”
–Fiona Lambert
We don’t have to become invisible as we age. We don’t have to gain weight, lose fitness, slow down or stall out. What if you could be in the best shape of your life at 60?
Fiona Lambert, author of Invincible Not Invisible, set herself that goal just nine weeks before turning 60. I love her energy and the belief that it’s not too late and you aren’t too old. I got inspired to transform my health again before my 50th birthday.
Fiona believes in having a purpose driving you and 21 day habit resets. And like we do in FLOW, she believes in 90-day goals and lifestyle changes made up of consistent small changes. Can’t imagine changing your diet or finding time to exercise? Listen in for how she did it — and check out our Doable Changes to start your own wellness shift at any age.
We talk about:
- Breaking stereotypes about our ideas of wellness, fitness, and what’s happening in our bodies as we age
- Having a purpose and deadline for an end goal
- The power of HIIT training for transforming your body and fitness — even when you don’t have a lot of time
- The challenges of making a change like giving up sugar or alcohol — and how the challenge diminishes with time as it becomes your norm
- Shifting to more protein and less carbs as you age — and stocking your fridge with foods that fit your goals
- Fiona’s 5 Ps—Purpose, planning and preparation, perseverance, people to support you, and positivity
ABOUT FIONA
Just nine weeks before her 60th birthday, successful fashion businesswoman Fiona Lambert decided to get into the best shape of her life consciously exercising more and being mindful of her diet.
By cutting out alcohol and eating more protein than carbohydrate, she lost weight, gained muscle, and more importantly, she was sleeping better, feeling confident and full of energy, laughing in the face of the common presumption that we slow down as we get older.
Through Fiona’s personal story of being a senior executive at major UK fashion brands over 35 years, mothering two children, working up from a designer and going on to successfully transform brands in the industry for years, she's a fearless entrepreneur and has now used her passion and energy to become a fitness idol and author.
Fiona’s new book, Invincible Not Invisible, proves you don't need to feel invisible in later life and shares her message that it is never too late to get into the best shape of your life. Drawing on her own experiences and business background, she provides practical insights, effective strategies, and actionable tips for anyone looking to achieve their best shape and reclaim their vitality, irrespective of age.
LINKS
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fionalambertofficial
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-lambert1
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. And don’t forget — having a bad day doesn’t mean you are done! Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- TRY HIIT WORKOUTS. HIIT workouts are high intensity interval training. HIIT workouts can help you lose weight and boost your metabolism. You can do them at a gym, with a personal trainer, or even at home. Book a session with a trainer, sign up for a class, or find a HIIT workout video online. Start with 15 minutes to start your day. See how it feels.
- MAKE HEALTHY SNACKING EASY. Fill your fridge with foods that are better for you to snack on. Include veggies and foods high in protein and fiber. Watch out for extra or expected sugars. Have veggies cut or of snacking size to make it easy for you to eat the foods you want to be eating.
- FOCUS ON ONE OF THE Ps. Fiona lists these 5 Ps as part of her plan: purpose, planning and preparation, perseverance, people to support you, and positivity. Pick one to focus on this until you feel like it is set. Then pick another P.
“Health is a lifelong process. But when you start thinking, okay, if I loved my body, if I truly loved my body, how would I treat it?”
–Sarah Haas
A lot of times women raise their hand for weight loss, because it's how we've been conditioned to react to the health world, but what if we actually focused on health?
So many of us have negative self-image. We’re used to zeroing on our perceived flaws, but what if we focused on how amazing our bodies are? What if we focused on the little shifts we can make that make us feel amazing?
I’m diving into that with Sarah Haas, integrative nutrition health coach, weight loss & diabetes expert, certified personal trainer, and speaker, who is taking a stand for women’s health.
We talk about:
- Taking stock of what you want the second half of your life to be like
- Cultivating the feeling of enoughness and love
- How we project ideas about weight and body image onto our kids … even if we don’t talk about it
- Changing out of a punish, restrict, deprive mindset to focus on what you need, protein, vitamins, rest, movement, down time …
- Making a 1% improvement a week adds up to 52% change in health over a year
- Focusing on taking care of our bodies in perimenopause/menopause and pushing back on the idea that it’s all downhill from here
ABOUT SARAH
LINKS
- https://sarahhaaswellness.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/sarahhaaswellness/
- Boss Body podcast
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. Instead of going all in, in ways that are not sustainable, you can stack up a series of Doable Changes that build to that big change that you crave. This is the 1% change we talked about. Choose one Doable Change that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CULTIVATE A FEELING OF ENOUGHNESS. Instead of trying to change yourself, start by loving yourself and feeling like you are enough. Start each day by repeating I am enough or another loving saying.Throughout the day ask yourself: I loved my body, if I truly loved my body, how would I treat it?
- MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED. Too often when we think about health, we think of the things we can’t have or focus on things we have to push to do. Make a list of all the things you need to take care of your body. Here’s a start: protein, vegetables, movement, rest … keep going.
- FOCUS ON 1% IMPROVEMENT. Pick one thing from your list of what you need and focus on weaving it into your week. Remember, you aren’t aiming for perfection, just a 1% change. Maybe you add one more veggie to a meal or make sure you start your day with water or set a timer to take your supplements.
“Being able to really prioritize yourself and your health is going to give you the ability to show up as your best self.”
–Jillian Greaves
Your body is waving the white flag — fatigue, digestive issues, thinning hair, anxiety … Are you paying attention? You wouldn’t be the only one too busy taking care of kids and parents and a business to tend to your own health.
But it’s time to shift our priorities. Functional Dietitian and Women's health specialist Jillian Greaves explains small, slow sustainable changes can have ripple effects — and why it’s essential for entrepreneurs to prioritize health.
We start with food. That doesn’t have to mean elimination diets or restrictive plans. Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, which is important when you feel like you can’t do one more thing. And the good news is, you’ll start to notice some differences in energy and mood — and maybe other symptoms — pretty quickly.
We talk about:
- Make slow, deliberate but sustainable changes based on the why, not simply on suppressing symptoms
- Starting with food, especially eating for blood sugar regulation, including breakfast ideas
- Eliminating decision fatigue around eating without losing joy
- The effects of chronic stress in our own lives and in the world around us
- Creating pockets for restoration of your nervous system
- Changes in perimenopause being one more way your body is talking that you should listen to
ABOUT JILLIAN
Jillian Greaves is a Functional Dietitian and Women's health specialist, the owner of the private practice Jillian Greaves Functional Nutrition & Wellness, and the creator of the PCOS Root Reversal Program. Jillian provides comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle counseling to women, with a special emphasis on PCOS, hormone balance, and digestive health. Jillian and her team help women identify and address the root causes of their hormone and digestive symptoms using advanced lab testing, personalized nutrition, and supportive lifestyle therapies as the first line of intervention. It's her mission to empower women to take back control of their health, reclaim their confidence, and to experience life at its fullest potential.
LINKS
- Website: https://jilliangreaves.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jilliangreavesrd/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are 3 Doable Changes from this conversation:
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Start by listening to your body. It’s easy to ignore what it is trying to say because you think you don’t have time to deal with it, but what if you started paying attention. Notice your energy throughout the day. Notice your mood or anxiety. Notice changes in your skin, hair, weight. Not to judge, just for information.
- START WITH BREAKFAST. Start your day with a breakfast that includes some protein (and ideally some veggies). Eating to maintain balanced blood sugar starts in the morning and can affect your mood and energy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can batch cook a frittata to heat up through the week or try yogurt with nuts and berries. And take time to eat before you rush out the door.
- CREATE A POCKET OF CALM. Take time to reset your nervous system. There are many ways to do this, but a few minutes of breathwork can make a big difference. Try to work these in throughout the day. Consider a few breaths before each meal.
“Caring about your pelvic floor has big impacts later on.”
–Tanya Goodrich
What if we got it all wrong with kegels? A lot of us don’t know a whole lot about what our pelvic floor even is, but we’ve been told to do kegels. Tanya Goodrich, PT and women’s pelvic health specialist, clears up what the pelvic floor is, why it’s so important, and why kegels might not be what you need. (Oh, and they call them blueberries now.)
The pelvic floor is the group of muscles that sling between your pubic bone and your tailbone, like a hammock. And what a lot of people don’t realize is that your pelvic floor is part of your core.
A lot of the things that we’ve been told we just have to accept — like leaking a little after having kids — is common, but not normal. You don’t have to just take it.
We talk about:
- How to retrain your bladder if you have to pee all the time — and how frequently you should be going
- Considering hormone therapy and getting a healthcare team that is up to date on current menopause studies
- How stress affects the pelvic floor and why somebody might need to loosen their pelvic floor
- Why so much change happens in the pelvic floor during perimenopause/menopause
- The connection between constipation and the pelvic floor and 4 steps to get you pooping: hot beverage in the morning (bonus for coffee), big circle massage starting at your right hip bone, a heat pack, and walking; and relaxing instead of pushing
- How to warm up for good sex
ABOUT TANYA
Tanya Goodrich, PT, DPT, a distinguished figure in women’s pelvic health, brings over 15 years of experience to her practice and advocacy efforts. With a background in dance from the California Institute of the Arts and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of California, San Francisco, she possesses a unique blend of expertise.
As the founder of Healthy Pelvis Physical Therapy, Tanya specializes in addressing a wide range of pelvic health issues, including those related to pregnancy, postpartum care, menopause, pelvic pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and sexual health. She extends her influence beyond clinical practice, serving as a recognized speaker on these topics and providing guidance to organizations like Evernow, focused on menopause care, and Blossom Birth and Family, a nonprofit supporting women and families in the Bay Area.
Tanya is also a member of the medical board for Hot Pause Health, a fast-growing community dedicated to empowering women through their peri/menopause journeys. In this role, she contributes her expertise to advancing education and support for women navigating this transformative stage of life.
Through her comprehensive approach and dedication to education and innovation, Tanya Goodrich continues to make significant contributions to improving women’s pelvic health and well-being. Tanya was recently featured in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper as an “Architect of Change” for women’s health.
LINKS
- https://healthypelvis.com/ourteam
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR PEE. Do you fall into the camp of holding your pee too long or going too frequently? You should be going every 2–4 hours. If you don’t go enough, make your doable change to make time to go when you feel the urge … or at least every four hours. If you go too frequently, start trying to retrain your bladder by counting how long you pee. You’re aiming for 12 seconds or more.
- PREP FOR GOOD SEX. Do you need something to warm you up for sex? Do you have a lube you love? Get some. Then play to see what really works for you or try something new.
- TRY THE POOP PLAN. Start your day with a warm beverage—coffee, tea, hot water. Then do massage in the belly area, starting at your right hip bone. Then use a heating pad. Then walk. The idea is to get things moving!
What if I could get over all the little things that keep holding me back and really be the healthiest version of myself by my 50th birthday?
–Mia
I’m pretty health focused. In fact Plan Simple started when I was 33 with three young kids and a business .. and I wasn’t the healthiest version of myself. There was a day I couldn’t try to power through on coffee any more.
I started with yoga. I changed my food — went raw vegan (without even knowing what kale was). I kept it simple and self-loving and I stuck with it. My wellness journey unfolded from there.
But then in January I found sickness just pummelling our family. And I realized that I’m doing what I’ve been doing for 15 years.
My 50-year-old body is different than my 33-year-old body. I’ve been coasting. It’s time to stop relying on an old version of me to make decisions for now and future me.
What would it look like to be the healthiest version of me when I turn 50?
Sometimes we stick with what we are doing because it’s easier than going all in on something new.
But this isn’t a whim or a “should” goal. I truly want to feel amazing — and have energy to show up my best for my clients and my family.
Three things happened:
- I’ve gained about 45 lbs, which I attributed to perimenopause.
- I found my feet hurt so much I almost couldn’t walk when I first got up in the morning.
- I went to the doctor for an ear problem, and they told me I needed surgery.
I knew my body was not in good shape for surgery. What if I could heal my ear another way? Or what if I could make myself ready for surgery?
And at the same time, my kids are growing and I'm loving seeing their interests — and I want to be healthy and mobile to be able to visit them wherever they are in the world.
It’s time for change.
I believe that all of us have our next doable step.
That means you can start wherever you are — and that wherever you are there is a next step.
I’ve been coasting when it comes to health for a while now, and I can’t anymore.
Here are of the things I’m doing:
- Focus on Food — that means meal planning and doing my friend Tess’s program, it means rethinking sugar and protein
- Rethink Exercise — I got out of my usual routine and it’s been hard getting back for physical and emotional reasons. I’m trying new things and pushing — with loving intent — what I think I can do.
- Add More Rest and Mediation— I can work my body, but I also need rest. I’m trying more healing mediations and scheduling more time for them.
- Remember Hydration and Supplements. Sometimes we just need to come back to what we know we need.
This doesn’t just happen. We need to decide. We need to schedule. We need boundaries. And we need support (I’m putting my team together).
I’m working on all of it this month, and I hope you’ll try it too — whatever you need for your healthiest self.
What would happen if you felt really good right now?
HEALTH EPISODES
- PlanSimple Food and Wellness
LINKS
- Join SK60 with me this March.
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- VISION YOUR HEALTHIEST SELF. What would your healthiest self look like? What would she feel like? What would she do? Our health impacts our activities our energy and how we show up for ourselves, our families and our businesses. What would your life look like if you were your healthiest self?
- DECIDE WHAT’S NOT WORKING. I’ve been coasting, doing the things that worked for my 33-year-old body, but it wasn’t working anymore. Things that might need tweaking: your food, they kind or amount of exercise, how much rest you need, how much alcohol or caffeine you consume … What happens if you make a little shift with that one thing?
- SET ONE BOUNDARY. Nobody will be as invested in your health changes as you will be. Set one boundary and be clear about it with yourself, your friends, your family, your clients … anyone who will try to sway you. Set a boundary around what you eat or when, or not scheduling during your exercise class or getting to bed on time for you.
“Get the discipline of really tracking your numbers on a daily basis.”
–Dahiema Grant
How much money should you be making? It’s a question we grapple with as entrepreneurs, and I dig into it with Dahiema Grant, who helps entrepreneurs succeed with the money side of business.
One of the reasons Dahiema’s money ideas meshes so well with PlanSimple is that she doesn’t separate the person from the business. The lifestyle you want plays a big role in determining how much money your business needs to bring in to cover expenses and pay for your lifestyle.
Let’s get more comfortable with money and develop good money practices. We’ll see when it makes sense to get financial help, too.
We talk about:
- Non-negotiable morning routines and how they set us up for success
- Money habits that can flex with how much or little money you have
- A gross profit goal and what you actually net
- How getting really specific about what you want helps you get there
- Being on top of your money, even if you outsource a lot of financial activities
- Getting support on historic financials and strategic projecting
ABOUT DAHIEMA
CEO & Founder, Dahiema Grant, is a purpose-driven entrepreneur who walks a path of faith, empowerment, and service. She deeply understands the unique journey of female entrepreneurs—their challenges, aspirations, and the strength it takes to build something greater than themselves. Guided by a spirit of mentorship, she finds profound joy in uplifting young girls and women, using her gift for numbers as a tool to foster abundance and success.
She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting, an MBA in finance, and a CPA license. With almost two decades of experience in the small business sector, she has gained deep insight into the challenges entrepreneurs face, equipping her with the wisdom and expertise to help them overcome obstacles and thrive. Through her wisdom and practical strategy, she has helped numerous clients navigate obstacles, cultivate resilience, and achieve sustainable growth—not just in their businesses, but in their personal and spiritual lives as well.
Dahiema is also a passionate endurance runner, a testament to her unwavering discipline, faith, and perseverance. She has completed countless races, including the NYC Marathon, the Chicago Marathon, and the esteemed Boston Marathon. With every mile, she embodies the same principles she brings to her work—determination, commitment, and the belief that with faith and dedication, all things are possible.
LINKS
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsg-advisory-cpa/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TRACK YOUR NUMBERS DAILY. Get in the habit of looking at your numbers daily. Include revenue and expenses. See how much you are taking in and how much you are actually taking home. If you have outsourced money, make sure you are getting regular reports — and looking at them.
- SET REVENUE / FINANCIAL GOALS. Know how much you want to bring in through your business, and also have a sense of how much you want to net. Both are important to meeting your financial goals. Once you know what those goals are, you can start making decisions
- CREATE YOUR APPROACH TO MONEY. Dahiema talks about how her money approach works no matter how much she is making. Try creating an attitude of gratitude around your money. Choose to be a good steward of your money. How can you live within your means?
In this episode, I dive into my personal journey with money—how it’s been both a challenge and a powerful teacher for me. I share the money stories I grew up with, the obstacles I’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and how I've healed those limiting beliefs over time. As I approach 50, I’m reflecting on what it means to step into a new chapter with clarity around money and my future. Join me as I unpack how I’ve learned to be in a relationship with money, heal my past, and create a future where money works for me in a meaningful way.
“I define wealth as the luxury of choice.”
–Kaitlyn Carlson
Do you like the sound of financial freedom or work optional? If you’re uninspired by the idea of a retirement fund and underwhelmed by the idea of money management, this conversation with certified financial planner Kaitlyn Carlson is for you.
A financial planner helps you take the 30,000 foot view of your financial situation. They see your business, your other assets, your liabilities. They see where you are and where you want to be … and the different paths to get you there.
If you are looking for the luxury of choice, wealth creation needs to be part of your plan.
We talk about:
- Living in your purpose and looking at your work optional date
- 3 levers you can change the numbers you settle on make you panic
- Writing down your financial goals
- Growth over time and why to start now even if you can’t save what you think you should be saving
- Using a retirement calculator
- Getting help with financial planning instead of feeling like you have to know everything about it
ABOUT KAITLYN
Kaitlyn is the Founder & CEO of Theory Planning Partners, a boutique wealth creation firm for the top female entrepreneurs in the United States.
Before launching Theory Planning Partners, Kaitlyn spent the majority of her career at UBS Financial Services, Inc., where she held roles in both the southern and northeastern regions of the U.S. There, she developed more than 300 financial plans for clients with assets ranging from $500,000 to $1 Billion. Subsequently, she became an advisor on a private wealth management team that managed over $600 million for a few dozen families. Her career began in asset management with Putnam Investments.
Kaitlyn is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™️ (CFP®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor™️ (CEPA™️), and an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®). Outside of work, she is a spiritual seeker ravenous to understand why we are here and how to make a meaningful life.
Kaitlyn lives in Marblehead, MA, with her husband, Jake, their three children, Russell, Luke, and Grace, and their affectionate dog, Bacchus. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, reading, traveling, and trying new restaurants around Boston.
LINKS
- theoryplanning.com
- https://www.instagram.com/theoryplanningpartners/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- FIND YOUR FREEDOM DATE NUMBER. Use a retirement calculator to figure out how much you need to live the lifestyle you want based on when you want to be work optional.
- ADJUST YOUR FINANCIAL FREEDOM NUMBER. If your freedom date number scares you, change one of the levers. You can adjust how long before your freedom date, how much money you want to live on monthly, or play with your savings rate. You can keep adjusting too.
- START INVESTING. Don’t think that you have to hit your number right away. Start now with what you can do. Work toward reaching that monthly goal (and know that if you exceed it, you will make up for some of the lower months).
“The more money that is in the hands of women who are conscious and doing amazing, the more money gets put back out into our families, our communities and the global collective.”
–Christine Walsh
We need to get better with money. Money triggers us in a way that nothing else does. I’m talking with Christine Walsh, a financial transformation expert, about why — and what we can do about it.
We dig into why what you’ve learned about money management probably isn’t right for you as a woman and an entrepreneur. We talk about how improved stewardship around money allows us to change things in the world.
What I really love about Christine’s approach is that it is both practical and energetic.
We talk about:
- Shifting how you think about money from something that gets you things to something that brings change
- Getting clear on your values and where your spending is and is not aligned
- Why you don’t probably don’t have to give up Starbucks
- Starting with no judgement to improve your relationship with money
- Tending to your money like you’d tend a plant you want to grow
- Recovering power by facing our money story
ABOUT CHRISTINE
Christine Walsh, master certified coach, fractional CFO, speaker, and author is revolutionizing the way women access financial independence in their businesses and their lives. She coaches motivated women to amplify their money through deep mindset work, accessible tools and practices, and sound financial strategy developed over her 25+ years of successful financial leadership. Her #1 best selling book, Be The Queen of Your Money, teaches women how to create an abundant future by transforming the financial narrative holding them back from a life of abundance on their terms. She can be found at RebelRiseFinance.com and in the mountains of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
LINKS
- https://rebelrisefinance.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/christine.marie.walsh/
- https://www.facebook.com/chriswalshcoach
- Money Archetype quiz
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- REVIEW YOUR SPENDING THROUGH YOUR VALUES. Get really clear on your values for your business and yourself (they may be the same or have overlap). Then look at where you are spending money and what you are spending it on. For each thing you spend on, assess whether it is in alignment or not with your values.
- CHECK ON YOUR MONEY EVERY DAY. If you want your money to grow, you have to tend to it. Start by checking on it daily. Do it with compassion and no judgement. Get used to keeping money in sight instead of hidden.
- CHANGE YOUR MONEY STORY. If you frequently say, “I’m not good with money” or another stale story, it’s time to shift your money story. Start by looking at your beliefs about money — what it’s for, how we get it, who has or deserves it, how you judge it — and your fears about it. You may want to work with a coach or find a women entrepreneur to do this work with. Start with one positive money mantra for yourself. Practice saying that instead of your old money story.
“Every single woman needs a little bit of money of her own”
–Tess Waresmith
61% of women would rather talk about death than money. Are you one of them? Let’s change that! Money is regularly on my growth edge, so I’m learning along with you about something I feel like I should know more about — investing.
I’m excited to talk with financial educator and investor Tess Waresmith. It feels like women are playing catch up when it comes to money, and Tess wants to reduce the gender wealth gap. Even if you feel like you are living paycheck to paycheck, this applies to you. And if you’ve heard that the younger the start the better, there are still benefits to starting if you are 50 or older.
I always say planning is deciding in advance, and you ask for your future self. Investing is another way of taking care of your future self. And Tess explains why you need to know the basics—even if you decide to outsource your investing.
We talk about:
- Why you don’t need a dollar for dollar budget and what you need instead
- How to invest money if your income varies from month to month
- How to actually invest without having to time things right and pick the right stocks
- Multiple benefits of making small investments regularly
- Whether you should invest or pay off debt first
- Age and whether it’s too late (it’s not!)
ABOUT TESS
Tess is a speaker, financial educator, and the founder of Wealth with Tess, a financial education community that helps women learn how to grow their money using simple investing strategies so that they can retire comfortably and live life on their terms.
After losing thousands in investing mistakes in her 20’s, Tess learned everything she could about wealth building and built her net worth from 0 to 1 million as a single 35 year old woman. Tess has recently been featured as a financial expert on Business Insider, Fox 5, and has over 70,000 followers across social channels.
Now she’s on a mission to reduce the gender wealth gap and help more women reach financial independence through simple investing education. Thousands of women have attended her free investing workshops and hundreds of women have joined her small group coaching programs to learn how to take control of their money. Tess believes that more money in the hands of women is magic.
LINKS
- https://www.instagram.com/wealthwithtess/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tesswaresmith/
- https://www.moneyconfidentclub.com/founders
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET INTENTIONAL ABOUT SPENDING. You don’t need to have a complicated spreadsheet for a budget. Start paying attention to where your money goes. Identify the key buckets your spending fits into. How much income is going to necessary expenses? How much is extra? Where does that money go? Is what you are spending on important to you? Could you move some of it to the future you bucket?
- START AN ACCOUNT. Set up a regular investing account or a retirement account with a brokerage, such as Vanguard or Fidelity.
- SET UP WEEKLY INVESTMENTS. Set up a weekly investment, even if it’s small. You can set it up to come out of your bank account automatically. Set a time to review your revenue and spending and see if you can increase the amount of money you give to your future self.
“Your business is not about tasks. It is about finding the big rocks to move the needle. And so much of what's on the task list does not create business.”
–Christine Campbell Rapin
Are you spending the time on the right things in your business? So many of us think that we could move faster if we just had more time. I’m talking to business advisor Christine Campbell Rapin about building a sustainable business.
It’s not about going in 150% all the time. It’s not about perfecting social. It’s not about being everywhere all the time. In fact, the most important thing for you to do might not even be on your to do list.
Christine shares the two essential things she thinks entrepreneurs need to focus on. We dig into the need to sell, into money changing hands. She asks: what can you do today that is simple, repeatable, boring, predictable, that moves the needle? Because movement is the key.
We talk about:
- Why posting on social media isn’t making an offer
- Asking: Who can I connect with today?
- Marketing is about moving the right people toward you (and the wrong people away)
- Building a circle of influence and controlling your digital footprint
- Why you need to make more offers than you are today
- Selling instead of creating something new
ABOUT CHRISTINE
Christine Campbell Rapin is an energetic, tell-it-like-it-is business advisor, mentor, consultant, speaker and 3x international best-selling author with more than 25 years’ experience in marketing, sales and operations working with start ups to the biggest companies on the planet. She’s supported over 400 companies to create a combined revenue more than $1B and believes business growth CAN be elegantly simple when you focus on the 3 non-negotiable business foundations that build a client growth engine.
LINKS
- Website: https://www.christinecampbellrapin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christine.campbell.rapin
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinecampbell1
- Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@christinecampbellrapin
- Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christine-campbell-rapin
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- HONEST ASSESSMENT. Take a look at your to-do list for your business and where you are spending most of your time. Is any of that making an offer? Is any of it moving the right people closer to buying? Then look at your audience. Are you talking to the right people?
- INCREASE YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE. You get to decide how you do this: networking, strategic alliances, partnerships. Pick something. Schedule time each week to reach out and connect with these people. Build the relationship, but don’t forget to let them know what you have to offer.
- MAKE YOUR OFFER. Identify one person you should have a conversation with. Set it up. Make your offer. Remember that only 20–30% of people will say yes at any given time. Repeat your offer. You could make your offer daily for a week, and see how that changes your actions.
Instead of forcing yourself into the January 1st narrative or waiting for the 'perfect time,' discover how seasonal planning can honor your unique rhythm and help you align with your true desires. I share why I believe 90-day planning is more effective than annual resolutions, how to identify and honor the season you're in, and why this process allows you to evolve with ease.
Whether it’s designing a season of creativity, nurturing, or bold action, this episode will guide you through creating a holistic plan that feels good and works. You'll also learn the key steps to making time a container for your dreams. Tune in for inspiration, a practical process, and a new way of thinking about time and growth.
“Having a streamlined, functional, spacious home literally improves your life on every level.”
–Shira Gill
Is decluttering your home on your list? So often I’m talking with women about big business goals and the thing that keeps coming up is their full closet, the cluttered living room, or all the boxes in the basement.
I asked organizing expert Shira Gill about why we get stuck on this idea — and what we can do about it. She said: “A disorganized space signals to our brain that our work is never done. Having a streamlined, functional, spacious home literally improves your life on every level.”
Decluttering your home can help you lose weight, get your finances in order, improve a relationship, or start a business. Even with that motivation it’s not easy, but Shira has amazing tips for our biggest stumbling blocks.
We talk about:
- The big reasons we have a hard time letting go: How our identity gets tangled with our stuff and the scarcity mindset of “what if I need this someday?”
- Asking yourself what life you want to lead now or in the future — and whether the stuff is part of that life (or part of your life for this season)
- How to get rid of hard to rehome things and setting boundaries around getting things out of your house
- Clearing a microspace (less than a room) at one time
- Getting into a decluttering flow and creating common ground around what “decluttered” means for shared space
- Decluttering our digital spaces
ABOUT SHIRA
Shira Gill is a world-renowned organizing expert and the bestselling author of three books: Minimalista, Organized Living, and LifeStyled. She’s a sought-after expert for media outlets and has been featured by Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, People, Forbes, goop, Architectural Digest, Oprah Daily, Vogue, and The New York Times. Her popular newsletter The Life Edit has subscribers from all 50 states and 140 countries.
LINKS
- www.shiragill.com
- @shiragill
- Newsletter + Community
- Organized Living
- Minimalista
- LifeStyled
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- PICK A MICROSPACE TO DECLUTTER. Instead of biting off too much — your whole house, or even a whole room — pick something more specific, like the coats in the entry way. This is a lot more manageable and you can get some wins.
- CREATE A BOUNDARY. Sometimes we get so caught up in selling something or getting rid of it the right way or we choose what to get rid of but then it sits in a bag. Create a boundary around getting rid of things. Here are a few examples: I’ll ask three people and if nobody wants it, I’ll throw it away. I’ll drop any bags of clothes on my way to the grocery store every Saturday. I’ll try to sell something that is worth more than $200.
- SET A STANDARD. One of the challenges of decluttering and keeping spaces neat is having multiple people in a house. Have a family meeting and agree upon standards for common areas, such as the kitchen, living room, or entry way. What belongs there? How should things be stored? When does cleaning happen and who does it?
“Sometimes what we need and want in our heart of hearts is not what other people are telling us we want, should want, or should need.”
–Jennifer Zwiebel
Imagine spending hours hibernating and dreaming. There’s an energy at this time of year of looking ahead and envisioning our future, and FLOW365er Jennifer Zwiebel is brilliant at helping people do that. I’m so excited to share her process and ideas with you.
We often shut ourselves down quickly when we begin to vision. Sometimes there are real logistical obstacles to navigate, and sometimes there are stories in our head we need to navigate. If you keep getting stuck, Jennifer’s process will help.
Magic opens up when we get into a space of trust, curiosity, and exploration. Let’s dive in!
We talk about:
- Creating sacred space and permission for yourself to vision
- Mindset work that keeps us from moving forward
- Using true statements to calm down your mind about obstacles
- Being playful with our visions and actions
- 5 pillars: passion, commitment without attachment, adaptability, partnership, and trusting the timing and evolution of ideas
- Wicked (go see it) and how it demonstrates visioning and creating
ABOUT JENNIFER
Jennifer Zwiebel is an entrepreneur coach and founder of VisionCraft, where strategy meets magic. Jennifer coaches highly intuitive entrepreneurs to bring their most meaningful visions to life. She helps her clients get clear on what they really want, embrace their potential, release obstacles, and trust their extraordinary visions. From Implementation Labs to The Visionaries Playground to customized one-on-one coaching, Jennifer creates safe spaces for entrepreneurs to explore, share, and realize their unique purpose and gifts. Join the magic at visioncraftcoaching.com.
LINKS
- https://www.visioncraftcoaching.com/
- January Visionary’s Playground Retreat
- https://plansimple.lpages.co/flow365/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TRY THE TRUE NORTH PROCESS. Our fears or limitations often stop us in our tracks as soon as we have a big idea. Start by noting the obstacle or limitation. Identify the truth in each one. Go as far as you can with the true statements. This can help calm down your mind. Then ask if there are things you need: something you need to learn, someone you need help from.
- CREATE A SAFE SPACE TO REFLECT. Give yourself some time and space away from others. Ask questions like: What has my life has been like? What has my work been like? What have my creative pursuits have been like? What would I love?
- MAKE IT FUN AND EASY. If you have something you have been meaning to do, but keep not doing it, ask how you could make it fun and easy. Take a more playful approach and see what happens.
In this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m sharing my transformative yearly reflection process. I’ll walk you through why reflecting on the past year is such a powerful tool for stepping into your future self with clarity and purpose. I’ll open up about the challenges and breakthroughs of my 2024, from health scares to personal growth, deepened relationships, and finding joy in unexpected places.
Together, we’ll explore how to shift your perspective, celebrate who you’ve become, and use reflection as a foundation for aligned choices in the year ahead.
If you’re ready to rise into your best year yet, join me for my free Resolution to Result event, where we can do this process together. Visit plansimple.com/resolutiontoresult to sign up.
Let’s reflect, learn, and rise together!
"The more we can claim and own our wins, the more we’re able to create even more success. It’s about shifting our mindset and letting ourselves celebrate, even the small ones." — Amy Ahlers
If you’re ready to step into 2025 with a clear mind and an open heart, let me introduce you to one of the most transformative exercises I do every year: The Year-End Completion Ritual.
I discovered this process over 10 years ago from the incredible Amy Ahlers, and it completely changed how I approach the end of the year. Back in 2019, I had the honor of interviewing Amy about this ritual, and I’ve been practicing it ever since—always on the solstice.
Why the solstice? For me, it’s a powerful time to pause, reflect, and create space for what’s next. This ritual shifts my mindset and helps me feel grounded as I ease into the slow, intentional planning for the year ahead—a process that unfolds over the next six weeks.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to try it for yourself.
Step 1: Take Inventory of the Past YearStart by looking back on the year that’s wrapping up. Use your calendar or journal to jog your memory and make two lists:
- Wins, Accomplishments, and Completions: What are you proud of? What did you complete or accomplish? Even surviving a tough season can count as a win.
- Losses, Failures, and Incompletions: What didn’t go as planned? What felt heavy or unfinished?
Some things might show up in both lists, and that’s okay. For example, a challenging life transition might feel like both a loss and an accomplishment.
Step 2: Celebrate Your WinsNow, take those wins and go deeper. Ask yourself:
- What strengths or skills did I develop?
- Who have I become because of these experiences?
This step is all about honoring your growth. As women, we’re often so quick to skip over our successes. But this is your chance to pause, reflect, and truly celebrate yourself.
Step 3: Process Losses and FailuresThis part can feel heavy, but it’s so freeing. Amy introduced me to the Perspective Scale, a tool to process emotions and reframe our mindset.
Here’s how it works:
- Rate each loss or failure on a scale from 1 (despair) to 11 (joy).
- Focus on moving up the scale one step at a time. If you’re at a 3 (anger), what thought or action could bring you to a 4 (worry)?
The goal isn’t to force positivity—it’s to create authentic shifts in perspective.
Step 4: Identify Your LessonsReflect on what this year taught you. Write down 3-5 lessons in a way that feels empowering.
Instead of: “I never trust my gut instinct and it gets me in trouble,” try:
“When I trust my gut instinct, I make better decisions.”
This small shift reframes your lesson as an opportunity for growth rather than self-criticism.
Step 5: Complete the YearThe final step is a simple but powerful ritual to close out the year:
- I release… (What are you letting go of?)
- I celebrate… (What are you proud of?)
- I will remember… (What lessons will guide you into the new year?)
Write it down, read it out loud, and feel the weight of unfinished business lift off your shoulders.
Why This Ritual MattersEvery year, I walk into this process feeling a little overwhelmed and walk out with a sense of clarity, peace, and readiness for what’s next.
This isn’t about rushing to set resolutions or forcing yourself into the “new year, new you” mindset by January 1. It’s about honoring where you’ve been so you can step into the future with intention.
Want the Planning Pages?If this resonates with you, I’ve got you covered! Email us at support@plasimple.com, if you just want these pages. If you want the whole 2025 planning book that is for sale on Amazon for $12, go grab it and start designing your best year yet!
Let’s make this the year we step into our goals with clarity and ease.
“Everything that you want is just outside of your comfort zone.”
–Jen Mazer
We’re all dreaming up our lives … and those dreams can be reality. I’m so excited to have Jen Mazer, the Queen of Manifesting, back in conversation about dreaming and manifesting.
When we believe what we see in our dreams, it’s more of a direct line to it happening. Instead of “trying,” we act from a place of trust and expectation. It’s time to stop pushing away the ideas that come and trusting them.
We need to get out of our comfort zone and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Everything we need is outside of our comfort zone — and if we step out of that zone, we can get what we want.
We talk about:
- Overcoming resistance and trusting yourself so that you can trust the universe to support you
- Gratitude practices and paying attention to synchronicities
- Making time to focus on your big dream
- 3 questions to ask: What do I want? How will I feel when I have that thing that I want? How can I feel that way now?
- Reflecting on the past year before amplifying the new year
- Thinking about what actions would make a ripple effect in your life
ABOUT JEN
Jen Mazer is the “Queen of Manifestation.” She’s always been able to dream up outrageous adventures and actually live them out—from rubbing elbows at a small private cocktail party hosted by Martin Scorsese, to living rent-free in the East Village of Manhattan for 10 years, to paying off over $38,000 of debt in less than a year, having her artwork published in the New York Times, traveling the world, meeting the man of her dreams (a successful rock star), giving birth at home to both of her children on the same day 9 years apart, and starting a green school in Africa.
Jen is a sought-after transformational speaker and coach. She teaches people how to manifest their biggest dreams while making an impact on the world. She is known for her signature Manifestation Masters Program and Private Success Coaching.
She's the author of Manifesting Made Easy (Simon & Schuster) and Co-Founder of the board game Sparked.
Learn more at www.queenofmanifestation.com.
LINKS
- http://www.queenofmanifestation.com/
- http://www.facebook.com/QueenofManifestation
- Instagram @jenmazer
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE. List 5 things you love. Then do one of those things. It doesn’t have to be related to your big dream. You don’t have to spend a whole day doing the thing. Just doing something you love can shift your vibration.
- GET AT THE FEELING. Manifesting comes from a feeling place. Ask yourself these 3 questions: What do I want? How will I feel when I have that thing that I want? How can I feel that way now? Do something that will help you feel that way now.
- FIND GRATITUDE AND SYNCHRONICITIES. Write down your gratitudes. Be proud of how you showed up. Write down any synchronicities that showed up for you too. Taking time to notice them and write them down helps you see and open to more.
“We can make friends in any stage of life — and good friends.”
–Adam Dorsay
Do you crave more connection? Wondering who your people are at this stage of life? I’ve been exploring that myself and it keeps coming up in FLOW365, so today I’m diving into a conversation about connection with psychologist and coach Adam Dorsey.
It starts with connecting with yourself. Adam suggests asking yourself, “What really brings me alive?” And he shares his FEED filter — Does an activity get you in Flow? Does it Energize you? Does it Educate? Does it add Depth?
We all connect differently and have different schedules for connecting, but even introverts like me need connection.
We talk about:
- Four kinds of connection to self, others, the world, and something greater
- How we all connect differently
- Adam’s driveaway test for connection
- Meeting people through shared interest causes or meetups
- How dogs help us meet people
- Whether our in-person connection has changed since the pandemic
- Taking the risk to be vulnerable
ABOUT ADAM
Dr. Adam Dorsay is a licensed psychologist and executive coach in Silicon Valley where he serves high-achieving adults (including professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes). Adam is the host of SuperPsyched, an award-winning podcast with over 200 episodes available on all platforms. He has given two highly regarded TEDx Talks: one about men and their emotions and the other about friendship in adulthood and his book on the topic of the four ways people connect is available on October 1, 2024.
Beyond his private practice, Adam is a resiliency expert who co-created an international program for Facebook’s Online Safety employees for several years. He now serves as the resiliency consultant to DigitalOcean and has frequent requests from the media for interviews. He has provided keynotes and trainings to multiple corporations and organizations, including Microsoft, Linkedin, and the California Psychological Association.
He is happily married, the father of young boys, and he has a hypoallergenic 33-pound Australian Labradoodle therapy dog named Raffi, who lives at his home and works at his office.
LINKS
- Website: https://dradamdorsay.com/
- Book: Super Psyched
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradamdorsay/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-dorsay-psy-d-a582a2/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dradamdorsay
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CONNECT TO SELF. Before you work on connecting with others, deepen your connection to yourself. Start by asking: “What really brings me alive?” Not sure? As you go through your day, check your activities with the FEED filter: Does it get you in Flow? Does it Energize you? Does it Educate? Does it add Depth?
- TRY THE DRIVEAWAY TEST. Next time you are with somebody, check your connection with the driveaway test. How do you feel as you leave doing something with someone? Do you feel heard? Do you feel like there was a real, rich exchange? Do you feel discouraged, defeated, deflated? The answer tells you something about your connection with that person.
- MAKE A FRIEND DATE. Take a risk and initiate something with somebody you’ve met in a group setting or elsewhere. Ask if they want to get coffee or meet for a walk.
In this episode, I share the unexpected lessons I gained from my commitment to practice yoga every day throughout November. From discovering that I can do hard things to learning the importance of building trust in myself, I dive into how this journey transformed my habits, mindset, and approach to life. Yoga became more than just a physical practice—it touched on hydration, meditation, deep listening, and intuition. Tune in to hear how showing up every day, even when it’s tough, can lead to bigger personal breakthroughs and how you can apply these insights to your own life.
If you’re ready to show up for yourself and create lasting change, this episode is for you!
We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we just hustle harder, push through, and give more, we’ll break through—but life doesn’t always work that way.
In this episode, I’m sharing a taste of FLOW365 and one of our monthly OM sessions. These gatherings are where our incredible teachers, like Kelly Lubeck (today’s guest) and Julie Hannon (coming soon), guide us through grounding practices to regulate our nervous systems, tap into intuition, and unlock our magic.
It’s transformative work—practices that calm and energize, bring clarity to our vision, and help us get unstuck in the face of challenges. Often, years of resistance can shift in just an hour.
Tune in for inspiration and tools to carry you through the holiday weekend with ease and intention.
In this episode, we dive into the power of follow-through and why it’s one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. I’ll walk you through the simple steps of the FLOW planning process and share stories and examples of how honoring your promises to yourself can lead to greater clarity, confidence, and results. If you’ve ever struggled with sticking to your plans or feel like you’re not making progress, this episode is here to help you shift from overwhelm to action. Let’s explore how following through can transform your life—one small promise at a time.
Every woman in FLOW365 has a unique story.
Some are building businesses, others are caregiving for elders. Some are raising littles, while others are launching young adults into the world.
But one thing they all have in common? They’re committed to prioritizing their wellness and well-being while creating lives of meaning.
In our latest podcast episode, I sat down with four incredible FLOW365ers—Kelly, Eve, Susan, and Kiyomi—to share their journeys, what they’re balancing, and how they’ve transformed through FLOW365.
Here’s a glimpse of their stories:
- Kelly moved across the country while launching her first group program, majorly decluttering her life, and navigating the joys and challenges of single motherhood with a tween.
- Eve shifted from chaos to calm, transitioning from teaching to launching her own book and course, supported by FLOW’s planning and accountability system.
- Susan left corporate life to build her own business, embracing a more feminine, aligned approach to planning while rediscovering her creativity.
- Kiyomi is rebalancing her life after a decade of caregiving and stepping fully into her identity as an artist, creating works that bring peace and beauty to the world.
Each of these women shows what’s possible when you have the tools, structure, and community to follow through on what matters most.
If you’re curious about how FLOW365 could help you balance business, life, and wellness, this conversation is a must-listen.
In this episode, Mia Moran dives into the two essential components of creating a life you love: envisioning your future and mastering follow-through. Learn how consistent dreaming helps pull you forward, even through challenging times, and why small, intentional steps are the secret to making progress without overwhelm.
Mia shares her personal strategies, from setting alarms with purpose to breaking down goals into manageable steps, and explains how planning, accountability, and centering practices can help you achieve meaningful follow-through. Whether it’s a big dream like writing a book or a self-care goal like daily yoga, Mia’s insights will inspire you to simplify the process and reconnect with what matters most.
This episode is packed with actionable tips to help you center, envision, and take steps toward the life you want—one plan and one moment at a time. It also has a not to miss invitation at the end.
In this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, Mia dives into her three favorite weekly practices that have completely transformed how she shows up in her life and work. These aren’t just routines—they're powerful tools she uses with her FLOW365 community to create clarity, focus, and real progress. Learn why Mia swears by Friday planning sessions, the power of setting your top 3 priorities each Monday, and the magic of focused, distraction-free “get it done” sessions throughout the week. Plus, discover how you can try these methods during her upcoming "Flow Week" and the annual "Make December Matter" event. Whether you’re looking to bring more ease into your busy schedule or simply want to end the year on a high note, this episode offers practical insights you can start using today.
“Your level of consistency is important — and different than frequency.”
–Lisa Mullis
You have an amazing solution for people … but you can’t seem to convert. You have a million ideas, but they don’t end up on the page or screen. What’s getting in your way? In FLOW365 when we talk about our three most important things, creating content comes up for at least half the people every single week. I bet some of you struggle with this too.
I’m really excited to talk with Lisa Mullis, marketing and messaging specialist about making our content easier to create and more effective.
We talk about what we actually mean when we talk about content and how much we actually need. Two helpful takeaways: consistency is more important than frequency, and you can and should reuse your content!
We also talk about:
- How a 10-minute writing practice can get you unstuck and bring more ease to weekly content
- Why we start talking about solutions too soon and the CAASE framework
- How much content you need to produce and the difference between consistency and frequency
- Reusing your content
- Why we need to repeat ourselves and think about each piece of content standing alone
- Thinking about social media platforms as tools you use, similar to productivity tools, and picking the one that works best for you.
ABOUT LISA
Lisa Mullis is the founder of Paraphrase Communications. She combines 23+ years of messaging, marketing, and small business acumen with a team of tech specialists to help coaches, consultants, and creatives build their businesses.
Lisa is driven by a belief that small business has the power to positively shape our economies and communities and a desire to help entrepreneurs and organizations doing good in this world expand their ability to make a difference.
Whenever she can get out from behind the screen and jump into RL, she’s usually off adventuring with her family on foot, mountain bike, or boat somewhere near or far to where she’s based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
LINKS
- https://www.paraphrasecomm.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhmullis/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- WRITE DAILY FOR 10 MINUTES. Do 10 minutes of ramble or freeform writing every day. Pick a time to do it, set a timer and just keep putting words on the page. This practice can help unstopper what gets stuck in your brain.
- TALK ABOUT WHERE YOUR CLIENT IS. Practice talking or writing about the challenge your client or customer is experiencing. Then identify attempts they have made to fix this issue. Consider an analogy for the issue. This will help you build a bridge to your solution for potential clients or customers.
- FOCUS ON CONSISTENCY. What if instead of focusing on being all the places and posting/emailing frequently, you focused on consistency? Pick a manageable frequency. Commit to sharing your content (whatever format you chose) when you say you will. Tell somebody you are going to do it. Schedule time to ramble write, polish the writing (don’t stuck on perfect), and post/send it.
In this episode, Mia explores how tapping into your deepest desires can simplify goal setting and help you create a life that feels aligned. Discover the difference between want and desire, and how connecting with your future self can reveal what truly matters. Ready to transform how you approach your goals? Press play to learn more.
In this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m diving into why creating a 90-day seasonal plan is a game-changer for balancing all the pieces of your life—work, wellness, family, and more. I’ll walk you through the exact process, starting with centering yourself, getting clear on your vision, and defining what success really looks like (beyond just checking boxes). We’ll also talk about identifying those sneaky obstacles that can trip you up and how to take actions that truly align with what you want.
And, of course, I’ll share how FLOW365 can help you follow through with ease—because life isn’t meant to be about the hustle, but about living fully and on purpose.
Ever feel like the different parts of your life are siloed?
It wasn't until I really integrated all the parts of my life that I really understood that I needed to think about all the parts of my life if I really wanted to get stuff done.
That’s why I created FLOW365 — to bring together all the parts in a supportive circle, because I also learned we aren’t meant to do any of this alone.
I’m so excited to have four FLOW365 members here to talk about the impact of FLOW on their business and the rest of their lives.
Here are some of the things they had to say: “FLOW is not just about business, but it is a core piece of my building a business.”
—Jennifer Zwiebel
I moved through my life differently because of FLOW. Coming into FLOW actually set me up to move through life with so much more ease and grace and focus and joy — as a human and a spouse, partner, a friend, as a community member, and specifically as a business owner.
—Roxanne Lowery
FLOW creates a sacred container that really allows me to flourish in all the ways.
—Kelley Grimes
Coming into Flow, I was like, my goodness, every person I meet, there's like this connection, a soul level connection that I learned something from every single person. And it's just very magical. It's such a magical place.
—Heather Hester
ABOUT JENNIFER, ROXANNE, KELLEY, AND HEATHER
Our guests today are all FLOW365ers. You can find more about each of them and connect with what they do here:
Jennifer Zweibel, Founder of Vision Craft Coaching, works with highly intuitive entrepreneurs to help them get very clear on what they actually want and build out strategies that make sense for their lives and then create an incredible space of collaboration and digging into what they authentically are here to create and bringing that to life.
- https://www.visioncraftcoaching.com/
Roxanne Lowery, founder of Infinite Flow, is a therapeutic sound practitioner based in Atlanta. Roxanne uses sound and other modalities to to help people who are ready for transformation change and deepen in their life and on their spiritual path.
- https://www.infiniteflow.one/
Kelley Grimes, founder of Cultivating Peace and Joy, is an empowering counselor and workshop facilitator and the author of The Art of Self -Nurturing, A Field Guide to Living with More Peace, Joy and Meaning.
- https://cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com/
Heather Hester, founder of Chrysalis Mama, provides support and education and empowerment to LGBTQ people and their families. Heather is also the founder and host of the podcast, Breathe Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen, as well as the author of the book, Parenting with Pride.
- https://chrysalismama.com/
- Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen
“It's hard to succeed as a woman if we leave parts of ourselves out of our vision…. We need inclusive plans to show up to our full life.”
You are not your business.
When we untangle ourselves from our businesses, when we make quarterly business goals that are separate from but aligned with our seasonal goals, we thrive in business and life.
I explain:
- The difference between seasonal and quarterly goals
- Why you might have more than four seasons and how to define your seasons
- How to think about both kinds of goals and the actions you’ll take
- Why our actions sometimes don’t look the way we think they will
- How you can move forward without hustling
- An amazing way to get support in creating and implementing both your seasonal and quarterly goals
LINKS
- https://plansimple.com/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- IDENTIFY YOUR SEASONS. Seasons and quarters don’t always align, and often we have multiple seasons of different lengths. For example, the holiday season might feel different from winter. You might have three weeks of back to school transition between summer and fall or maybe you think vacation, back to school, back to business … Identify the season you are in now and what is coming next.
- THINK ABOUT QUARTERLY GOALS. I give some questions in the podcast to help you identify your quarterly goals. Take some time to journal on those questions. What’s one goal for the next quarter?
- WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES? Sometimes our actions seem a little out of place with our goals, but in addressing our obstacles they move us forward. For example, maybe before you can do the creative work you need on your book, you need to get more sleep. Or maybe you need to do mindset work on visibility before you can reach your marketing goals. Note the obstacles in the way of your goals. Identify actions you could take to move past them.
“Learning gets me excited about something new. And so I'm using that energy to really step into the fall and see how I'm wanting to meet these things that are already on the calendar.”
—Mia Moran
Learning new things doesn’t have to derail plans you already set. Learning can get you refocused and re-energized about what you are doing.
We’ve started Back to Business week, and there are so many ahas happening. It’s not too late to join — and even if you aren’t an entrepreneur, you’ll get a lot out of days 4 and 5.
Each day offers several 5-minute videos that are with so much greatness, and if you are overwhelmed by the idea of listening to 55 talks (which you can do in an hour a day for one week), I wanted to show you how I am weaving them in.
Let’s set up your fall and get you into learning and applying what you learn to the things you already plan to do.
LINKS
- https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHOOSE YOUR FOCUS. You can’t do all the things at once. What do you really want to focus on this fall? Choose four for business and three for the rest of your life. Then get more specific. If one of your focus areas is marketing, where are you focusing within that? See the Back to Business week workbook 1 for a worksheet on this Doable Change.
- SET UP YOUR WEEKLY FLOW. We need to put the things we are going to do into time, and we do that with a weekly plan, but it helps to start with a weekly flow. So when will you work with clients? When will you spend time on the focus areas you chose? Block that out so you can see it visually.
- CREATE YOUR MORNING/CLOSING PRACTICES. How we start and end the day matters. A new season is a great time to reset your daily practices. What is the first thing you want to do each day? Think about a practice that will support your throughout the day or set you up with a strong start. What is the first thing you want to do when you start work? And finally, how will you signal to yourself that you are done working and close in a way that sets you up for the next day? Pick ONE of these routines to set up now. Once you are in practice with it, add one of the others.
“We come here with a soul blueprint and we know exactly what we came here to deliver, to learn and to give and who to give it to.”
–Gosia Gorna
In 5 minutes, Gosia Gorna taught me the idea of the expansion game and being able to expand yourself to be open to so many more possibilities than I think we often let ourselves be open to. I can’t wait for you to meet her.
The voices that try to protect us are voices of fear, and so often they keep us from expanding and doing what we were meant to do. Those times you procrastinate or don’t send out the email or make the call are your response to that fear. But the biggest fears are actually showing us where to go.
A loving community or coach can help you spread your wings and fly. Ready to expand?
We talk about:
- Playing with your fears
- Holding both sides of things
- What shifts when you approach things as a spiritual quest instead of a series of to dos
- Why “what do I need to do?” shouldn’t be the first question you ask yourself in the morning
- Breath and the courage to meet yourself
- The power of taking the time to just be
ABOUT GOSIA
Gosia Gorna is an award-winning coach, best-selling author, and international speaker. As the creator of the powerful fear release method 'The Expansion Game' and a business intuition trainer, she helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs and luminaries enhance their clarity, confidence, and visibility. With over 20 years of experience, Gosia supports impactful success by focusing on sharpening vision, fostering outstanding decision-making, and integrating business intuition as an essential business tool. Her mission is to turn fears into impactful successes, supporting change-makers in sharing their groundbreaking ideas, writing best-selling books, commanding the stage, and influencing globally. She is dedicated to helping clients achieve extraordinary outcomes in their fields.
LINKS
- Website: www.gosiagorna.com
- FB:https://www.facebook.com/gosia.gorna.1?locale=en_GB
- Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@GosiaGorna
- The Expansion Game book: https://www.gosiagorna.com/the-expansion-game
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- SET THE INTENTION. Set an intention for what you want and see it done. Really see it done. Focus on being with it, being here. See if it shifts the feeling of the to dos.
- SET SURRENDER ALARMS. We need reminders to pause. Because these pauses are often 5–10 minutes, they can feel awkward to calendar. Try setting an alarm called Pause or Surrender or Just Be throughout your day. Use a pleasant sound, like a gong or bell. When it goes off, pause and just be for a few minutes.
- ASK EXPANSIVE QUESTIONS. To get the most from your intuition or angels, think about the kinds of questions you ask. Instead of asking “Why can’t I make money?” or “What is wrong with me?” start asking expansive questions. You’ll need to pause and get quiet to listen to your intuition to hear the answer, but start by asking good questions.
“We all know that when we write copy, we have to talk to the ideal person, but I find it's really easy to introduce bias and start talking about what you want or what you think they want and not what they actually want.”
–Mimi Zhou
Are you talking about the right things? Sometimes our copywriting misses the mark because we talk about what our potential clients or customers need … instead of what they actually want. I’m really excited to talk with conversion copywriter Mimi Zhou about how we really drive action with our writing.
You can be really good at what you do without being really good at talking about it. It can be hard to get out of our own heads and what we know. We need to use the language our clients or customers use. How do we do that?
We talk about:
- How to gather the data that drives the writing
- How to get a better response on questions on social media
- The kinds of numbers you need for the data to be relevant
- Selling one thing
- Trigger events in marketing
- Creating a timeline for that shows the before, the buy, and the steps in between
ABOUT MIMI
As a conversion copywriter, Dr. Mimi Zhou revels in customer research--because when you understand what your audience wants, you don't need to guess what they'll pay you for.
Her copywriting projects are built on a thorough research foundation where she studies info your audience provides through reviews, surveys, interviews, and more. Her ability to parse data into numerical information and read between the lines to hear what customers say beneath the surface helps her understand what customers want even when they don't tell you directly.
A fun fact about Mimi: Her path to becoming a professional researcher began at UC Berkeley and culminated in her PhD at New York University. Later, her belief that knowledge is power led her to seek copywriting training from the original conversion copywriter, Joanna Wiebe (founder, Copyhackers). So Mimi literally got a professional research degree and then studied copywriting with the original conversion copywriter herself!
LINKS
- https://mimizhou.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/mimithezhou/
- linkedin.com/in/mimizhou/
Mimi is also one of the amazing teachers for Back to Business Week. To learn how to write headlines that hook in your ideal reader (and so much more in over 50 5-minute teachings), get your free ticket to this event that will help you land in the new season: https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- SURVEY YOUR READERS. Create an 8–10 question survey about what they need and where they are. Your goal is to stop guessing about what people want and be able to talk to them about what they want. Have you heard the advice to sell people what they want and give them what they need? To do that you need to hit what they really want, not what you think they need.
- ASK A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION. Tired of not getting a response on social media posts? Try asking a simple question with multiple choice. One choice can be “Something else” with a chance to elaborate, but you’ll probably get more responses on the options you give.
- CREATE A TRIGGER TO BUY TIMELINE. Ask current or recent clients what they were looking for or what they needed when they found you. Find out where they were when they started and what convinced them to buy. Pay attention to their actual words. Use this information when you write your copy.
“The more dialed in your messages, the more you're going to attract the right people.”
–Tiffany Neuman
You can be multi-passionate AND dialed in. If nicheing hasn’t worked for you or your brand is all over the place, check out this conversation with branding strategist Tiffany Neuman, who helps women find their message and step into their power as thought leaders.
Tiffany says defining your niche can be limiting and lead to a place where you get bored or want to blow up your business. Instead find the golden thread that ties all your offers together.
Getting your messaging dialed in makes it easier to talk about what you do and attract the right people.
We talk about:
- Cyclical habits on social media instead of a spray and pray approach
- Choosing spaces where you have fun
- What it looks like to dial in your message when you are multi-passionate
- What people think your brand is … and what it’s really about
- Creating a brand operating system
- What it really means to be a thought leader
ABOUT TIFFANY
Tiffany Neuman is a visionary branding strategist who helps driven women entrepreneurs make their message a movement. After 15 years in the corporate world, working with brands like Adidas, Stoli Vodka and Burt’s Bees, she left to establish a revolutionary branding business that stays one step ahead of trends. Tiffany now works with clients across the globe to help them 10x their sales and shine even brighter as thought leaders. She is a contributor for Entrepreneur and has been featured in Forbes multiple times as a branding expert.
LINKS
- https://yourlegacybrand.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyneumancreative/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyneuman
- Make Your Message a Movement — starts September 9
Tiffany is also one of our dynamic teachers for Back to Business Week. Want to hear more from her? https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. You don’t have to be on all the platforms or show up every day. Decide where you have fun engaging with people on social. Decide how much showing up feels good. That might change by season or depending on what you have going on.
- FIND YOUR GOLDEN THREAD. What is the golden thread that ties all the things you do together? Listen to the examples in the podcast to help you think about what that looks like. Start listing all the things you do. Look for what runs through them all. Sometimes it helps to get outside ideas on this. Hearing what other people think you do for them can help you find that thread.
- EXPLORE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP. How do you feel about being a thought leader? A lot of women assume it’s not them. What’s in your way? Do you need mindset work on visibility or playing small or imposter syndrome? Try making a list of your accomplishments and areas of expertise (or if you have trouble claiming expertise what you are known for or talk about the most). This can be another exercise where it helps to work with a coach or partner who can help you see yourself. Pick one of those steps and schedule it.
“You are the value, not the tips and tricks, not the service, the product, you are the value.”
–Jude Charles
It’s not enough to share the lesson. You need to share the journey … and that’s where the story comes in. I loved talking with Jude Charles, about using story in our businesses.
When you tell a story — whatever the medium — the story becomes like a movie theater in people’s minds. The story sticks with them and triggers a reaction. They might forget the details of the tip or information you shared, but they will remember the story and make meaning from it.
To have that power, story should be specific. The details give it life. Jude demonstrates the level of detail that engages without overwhelming us.
We talk about:
- Noticing which stories are conversation starters
- Why we should stop devaluing our own stories
- Focusing on what’s there for you right now to get out of your own way
- Putting in the reps: Practicing telling the stories, even as an introvert, until you get more comfortable
- A 5-minute practice to find your own stories and testing those stories
- How to quickly prepare to speak and include stories
ABOUT JUDE
For over 18 years, Jude Charles has been producing documentaries for entrepreneurs. He has produced stories for Google, Steve Harvey, and dozens of visionary CEOs. Jude teaches you how to dig deep to find compelling stories that no one else knows, and then leverage those stories to grow your business. Jude’s mission is to lead and empower entrepreneurs to have relentless, unwavering courage.
LINKS
- https://judecharles.co/
- storybankjournal.com
- https://www.instagram.com/judecharles/
Jude is also one of our amazing teachers for Back to Business Week. To check out his story and learn about changing the story in your head, get your free ticket to this event that will help you land in the new season: https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GATHER A STORY. Take 5 minutes at the end of your day to record a story. Think back about what happened. Pick something memorable. Then: Create a title. Tell what happened. Identify the lesson.
- DO THE REPS. Practice telling your story. One technique is to record it on your phone and then listen to it to get really familiar with your story and get comfortable with your own delivery.
- FIND THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON. Do you have a tip or practice or other teaching you share often? What’s the story behind it? Can you reverse engineer to find the story that leads to the lesson? Because the story is what makes gives the lesson heart and is most likely to be what sticks with people or even moves them (even if they take a different lesson from it).
Now that kids are back to school, let's get revitalized and refocused on business. It’s hard to end the year strong when you’re struggling with feeling like the year itself is slipping away, not knowing what to prioritize, and juggling a new routine. What if it was as simple as creating a landing pad?
“Intuition lives in the pause, in the quiet … intuition is going to feel calm. It's going to feel like you're in flow.”
–Wendy Sterling
Are you overthinking things? Listening to fear? Let’s change that. Let’s listen to your intuition and get you in flow with this conversation with intuitive business coach Wendy Sterling.
Wendy reminds us that Intuition lives in your body, not your mind. We talk about how to tune into your body and be present with yourself more.
It seems counterintuitive when you are rushing around trying to do all the things, but taking a minute to breathe, center, and check in with yourself and listen to the whisper of your intuition makes a huge difference.
We talk about:
- How Mia listened to her intuition and brought more ease to a process
- Trusting your intuition and that you’ll come out okay on the other side
- Staying open to how you get business and how abundance comes to you
- The power in the pause — and why pausing isn’t doing nothing
- Recognizing the learning and growth in the obstacles we face and our failures or mistakes
- The power of collaboration and connections
ABOUT WENDY
Wendy Paige Sterling is a Transformation Coach who empowers female business owners to disrupt their industries by harnessing the power of their intuitive "I Can" voice to create impactful and fulfilling businesses. Using her proprietary Chrysalis-Effect methodology, she helps clients reconnect with their soul's wisdom, transforming trauma into a source of power and aligning business practices with personal passions and core values. A sought-after speaker and two-time international best-selling author featured on NBC, Good Day LA, and Daily Blast Live, Wendy is known for her no-nonsense coaching style, guiding ambitious disruptors to navigate significant life transitions, embrace challenges, and achieve profound personal and professional transformations. As the host of "The Power In The Pause" podcast and creator of the “I Can” movement, Wendy continues to inspire a global audience to embrace their intuitive capabilities and reconnect with their soul's purpose and mission.
LINKS
- https://wendypaigesterling.com/
- Wendy is also one of our amazing teachers for Back to Business Week. Want to hear more from her? https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TAP INTO YOUR BODY. Start paying attention to where you feel things. Where does fear show up in your body? What does it feel like? Where does intuition show up? What does that feel like? Check in with your body when you are reacting to things or making a decision and start to learn where and how you feel things.
- PAUSE, BREATHE, LISTEN. There is power in the pause. Try pausing and taking a deep, diaphragmatic breath. Get grounded and settled. Then listen to the wisdom available to you. It will be a whisper. This can take 5 minutes. Try it throughout your day.
- RETHINK AN OBSTACLE. One piece of mindset work is looking at obstacles as opportunities. What can you learn from an obstacle, setback, or mistake? How can you change or do something differently? Next time you find yourself asking “Why is this happening?” or telling yourself that you screwed up, pause and ask, “What can I learn here?” or “Where can I go from here?”
In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes to show you how I think about change — transitioning from summer to fall, kids heading off to college, my body being in a new phase, and all the changes that happen as an entrepreneur growing a business. If you want to join me to Get Back to Business this September — in other words navigate the transition from your summer rhythm to your Q4 rhythm with me — join us for BACK TO BUSINESS WEEK https://plansimple.com/backtobusiness
If you have a kids who’s off to college or beyond and you’re noticing, it’s hard to concentrate, join me in RELEASE https://plansimple.com/release
“There's just nothing better than being able to say that you have some recurring revenue happening in the background of your life.”
–Melissa Lanz
Dream of having a business you can take time off from and still make money? I’m talking about recurring revenue with Melissa Lanz, founder of Fresh 20 and expert in subscription services and memberships.
Melissa’s subscription business has allowed her to buy a home, set up a pension fund, put her kids through private school, travel the world with her family and care for sick parents. She advocates for starting subscription and membership programs rather than high ticket businesses.
A goal of a 6-figure business won’t drive you forward. Your business can be huge, but you need to start with a real why, a real reason you want to make the money.
We talk about:
- Starting with limited resources and a personal list of 400
- Amplifying your own message
- Being really clear about what you want to do with the money you make
- Launch mindset and learning from your members/subscribers
- Interesting ideas for subscriptions
- The magic of automating your processes
ABOUT MELISSA
Melissa Lanz is a former internet marketing executive who quit her day job to promote good eating habits in the midst of a national health crisis. As founder of The Fresh 20, Melissa strives to bring fresh food back to the household table and reduce the amount of processed ingredients being used. During the fall of 2009, Melissa dedicated her efforts to creating this tool for busy families and singles stuck in a takeout rut. To further her goal to be a part of The Food Revolution, she wrote The Fresh 20 Cookbook (Harper Collins 2013) and also promotes education in nutrition and healthy cooking through speaking, locally in Southern California and throughout the country.
LINKS
- The Fresh 20
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DEFINE YOUR WHY. What do you want from your business? Do you want to buy a house? Travel? Retire a spouse? Send your kids to college without loans? Be really clear about what you want instead of an amount you target. If you are just getting started your initial why might be smaller — like keeping your babysitter.
- TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. You need to amplify your own message. What your most excited about right now about what you are doing? Why are you so passionate? Practice talking about it. If you aren’t talking at all, set a goal to talk to five people this week. Once you are warmed up, bring it up everywhere.
- AUTOMATE ONE PROCESS. Automation is essential for passive income and to buy yourself some time away from your business. To automate a process, start by documenting it. When you see the steps and who does what, you can see where you can delegate or outsource more (and have the information somebody else needs to do the job). You can also see where you can use technology to set ahead or automate.
“I keep hearing you can't make friends as an adult, and I push back on that because I have. Every time that comes up, I think about who I have in my life, how I met them, and how we expanded things.”
–Sara Barry
You can’t make friends as an adult … or can you? Friendship comes up every season as a goal for people in FLOW365. The issue amped up during the pandemic, but continues to be a challenge. I’m excited to talk with Sara Barry about making and maintaining friendships.
Let’s be real. It IS hard to make friends or even keep up with the friends we have at this stage of life. It takes time and intention.
We look at questions like: How do we make friends when we move to the suburbs or country? How do we maintain friendships when we are busy with business and kids? How do you move beyond seeing somebody at yoga class or meeting them in a mastermind to connecting beyond that?
We talk about:
- Shifts in friendship over time and as your life changes
- Intentionally making time for friendship and ways to connect
- Being the one who always initiates and not taking no personally
- Getting clear on what you want from friendship — do you need a 2 am friend, a friend you talk to daily, somebody to talk about work with, somebody to go places with …
- Creating ways of connecting that sustain themselves — accountability check ins, weekly walk, annual traditions
- Reaching out to friends you’ve been out of touch with
ABOUT SARA
Sara Barry is a content advisor and copywriter for coaches and other heart-centered entrepreneurs. As a content advisor, she helps clients decide which content to create, say what they really want to say, and make the most of the content they create. As a copywriter, she helps people build connection through content, streamline processes, and turn short content into books. Clients call listening her superpower and regularly end calls saying they feel so much calmer with clarity and a plan to get their content done.
LINKS
- Sarabarry.com
- https://substack.com/@sarabarrywrites
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarabarry/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ASSESS YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. Make a list of friends you have. How did you meet them? How do they fit into your life right now? What are you missing in your friendships? Do you need 2am friends? Do you miss having people you talk to or hang out with every day? Use this assessment to think about what you really want from friendships and what you already know about making friends.
- PLAN TO CONNECT. Make a list of people you want to connect with in the next month. Include people you see regularly and people you haven’t talked to in a while. Schedule time to reach out — write a letter, send a text, schedule a call, walk, coffee date, or other outing. Make time in your schedule to actually do the thing with your friend.
- EXTEND A NEW FRIENDSHIP. Sometimes we meet people in one context and don’t know how to go beyond that. Practice taking the next step. Ask that person in your mastermind to be an accountability partner. Suggest coffee or a walk with the person in your yoga class. DM the person in a group that always says things that resonate.
“When you make a choice with your masculine oriented foot, you walk in action and you must do that. But then with your more feminine energy foot, you notice what has begun showing up and unfolding synchronistically.”
–Kim DeYoung
Do you ever look back to see how you got where you are? What a difference one choice can make? What if you could use choice making more intentionally? I’m talking with Kim DeYoung, coach and author of The Book of Choice about making meaningful choices.
When you are making change, it starts with a choice. I always say planning is choosing in advance. You have to act on the choice, but you start with the choice itself. Kim and I differ in language, but follow similar approaches. If you’re not a planner, her words may resonate.
What unfolds when you make the choice and act? What synchronicities can you start to see? What can you learn from the choices you’ve already made? And in case you need to hear this: there's no wrong choice. There's always a lesson.
We talk about:
- The magic of acting upon synchronicities, like reaching out to a person because their name came repeatedly in a week
- Choosing to explore something as a juice entry point
- Choosing against the grain
- Mapping choices and a self-Q&A process
- Different kinds of choice makers and how that can work for you or get in your way
- What happens when the need to choose becomes a bottleneck in our lives
ABOUT KIM
Kim DeYoung is a seasoned choice coach, facilitator, speaker and author of The Book of Choice. With over two decades of experience coaching creative, visionary entrepreneurs, Kim has helped countless individuals make meaningful choices to bring their ideas to fruition. She’s happiest when she’s engaging in interesting conversations about meaningful choices.
LINKS
- http://kimdeyoung.com
- Guide: 5 Questions to Ask Before Making a Meaningful Choice - http://ChoiceQuestions.com
- http://YourChoiceBook.com
- https://www.instagram.com/kim__deyoung
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimdeyoung/
- https://www.facebook.com/choicecoachkim
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHOOSE TO EXPLORE. I love this reframe. If you know you want to change but aren’t quite sure where you are heading or feel stuck getting started, choose to explore. For example, I choose to explore eating better or I choose to explore where I go next in my work.
- MAP A CHOICE. Think about a choice you made at some point in the past. Map where that choice has taken you — opportunities that came about, people you have met, doors that opened.
- ACT ON SYNCHRONICITY. You know those times when you keep hearing about a person? Or you are talking about changing your food and a local class comes up that fits right in your schedule? Or when three people from different parts of your life suggest you try something? Act on that. Reach out to the person, take the class, explore the thing people suggest you try — not with expectation, but with curiosity about what will happen.
“If you're drawn to pull a car, just do it.”
–Crecia Cipriano
I’m infatuated with oracle cards. They’re such a cool entry to start trusting your intuition more that I’ve woven them throughout the new FLOW Planner. I’m excited to talk with Crecia Cipriano, an intuition-driven decisionmaking coach who uses cards in her coaching practice.
Cards can give guidance, validation of something happening, new perspectives, and new connections. And there are all kinds of cards, so everyone can find a deck (or several) that fit their vibe.
You can do year or quarter ahead spreads. You can do daily pulls. There are so many different ways to use oracle cards to tap into your intuition (and use that for planning). Are oracle cards part of your toolbox?
We talk about:
- What exactly a pull and a spread are
- Year or quarter ahead spreads, daily card pulls, and pulling a card when you felt drawn to or need guidance
- Reminders of claiming statements or affirmations from your pulls
- Coming into new relationship with the cards we pull for a year or season
- How to interpret cards
- Why to use or not use the guidebook information
ABOUT CRECIA
Crecia Cipriano is an intuition-driven decisionmaking coach who helps passion-powered coaches, course creators + other small biz visionaries access all the calm, confidence + clarity they need to make the moves that matter most in their business + claim joy like it’s their job (because it is!)
With her signature card coaching method, Crecia helps you tune in to your own inner wisdom, tune out the noise of what everyone else wants, thinks + believes, turn up the volume on your unique message + magic and sing it out in service of your most positively thriving life + business.
Crecia is trained in Transformative Coaching through The Graduate Institute for Holistic Studies and Wild Soul Movement philosophy + methodology with Elizabeth DiAlto.
Her unique coaching style has been molded by a lifetime of self reflection + deep inner learning, enriched by a personal tarot + oracle card practice of over 30 years, and is grounded in a 17-year career in education + ed leadership and 5+ years in the online business space as an affiliate program strategy + messaging coach, asset creator + guide.
Crecia thinks you are magic in motion, and that it’s time you started acting like it ;)
LINKS
- https://www.instagram.com/thriveandbloom/
- https://linkedin.com/in/crecia-cipriano-6899b6101/
- Oracle Cards with Mia Moran
- More on oracle cards in our Soulful Summer activity book
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHOOSE AN ORACLE DECK. There are so many different kinds of oracle cards. They come with quotes or various kinds of artwork. They have different themes and styles. Find a deck that resonates with you. Can’t decide? Choose more than one … they will serve you at different times.
- PULL A CARD. Take a minute to get grounded and detach from what else is going on. Shuffle the deck. Pull a card. Look at it. Start with what you see without trying to attach meaning. What does it evoke in you? If you know something about symbolism you can add that in. If you choose you can read the guidebook that comes with the cards.
- TRY A SPREAD. You can do a past-present-future spread, a card a month for the next quarter, or a 5-card spread for the coming season with these questions: Where should I focus my energy in this season? What must I clear in order to grow? How can I live in alignment with the energies of this season? What should I explore? What’s waiting for me in the next season?
“Our journals are a place to really be curious, to actually discover things we don't already know, to ask powerful questions.”
–Lynda Monk
Can journaling help with burnout? Social worker and life coach Lynda Monk found that reflective practices help avoid burnout. Fortunately, she was a lifelong journaler and journaling is a reflective practice.
You don’t have to be a long-time journaler to get benefits. It took me a long time to develop my own practice, and I’m excited to get you some tools to develop yours. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re interested it can be a powerful self-care tool.
Instead of just recording what you did, try making a list of questions about your life or some aspect of your life. Then use each of these questions as a journaling prompt. Think of your journal as a means of exploration and discovery. You can also include affirmations, intentions, gratitude, stream of consciousness writing.
We talk about:
- What to write about — questions we have, the things that keep going around and around in our minds
- Getting clear on your why of journal because that can shape the form of your practice and your reason can motivate you
- Picking a time that feels easy — it might not be first thing in the morning — and recognize how much you can pack into a short time
- Letting go of perfectionism in our journal and in our practice
- Noticing patterns in what we write and what we can learn from that and using it as a mindfulness practice
- How to use ideas if your journal becomes a catch all
ABOUT LYNDA
Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW, CPCC, Director of The International Association of Journal Writing (IAJW.org), an inspiring membership community for journal writers worldwide, is known for her profound insights into the therapeutic and life-changing power of journaling. Through her dynamic speaking engagements and educational sessions, she inspires individuals to harness the power of writing to heal and transform their lives. Lynda is the co-editor and co-author of several books including Affirmations for Self-Love – a guided journal, The Great Book of Journaling; Transformation Journaling for Coaches, Therapists and Clients; Writing Alone Together, and she is the author of Life Source Writing™️. Lynda is Registered Social Worker and Certified Professional Life Coach, with 30+ years’ experience teaching, speaking, and coaching in the areas of burnout prevention, self-care, wellness and writing to heal. She lives with her family on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada, where she tries her best to write every day.
LINKS
- https://IAJW.org / https://lyndamonk.com
- Journaling Gift:https://iajw.org/journalwriting/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iajw__/
- Twitter:https://twitter.com/lifewritercoach
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndamonk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAJW.org
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS. If you get stuck wondering what to write about, write a list of questions you are curious about or things that are on your mind. Then use one of those as a prompt the next time you sit down to journal.
- CHOOSE YOUR WHY. What do you hope to get out of journaling? That why may help shape what you write about or when. Use that why as a motivation when you are struggling find the time or follow through. “I’m going to journal now, because …”
- SET A TIMER. It’s amazing what you can write in 5–10 minutes. You can do it first thing in the morning or during those awkward gaps of time. Schedule 5–10 minutes or pull out your journal when you see a space like that. Set a timer, write, and when the timer goes off, let yourself be done.
“If we're gonna be creative, there needs to be space in our life.”
–Parrish Wilson
You don’t have to write or journal every day to have a regular practice, but having a practice can be extremely powerful and even healing. Writing therapist Parrish Wilson agrees with me that an every day isn’t required.
Parrish uses therapeutic writing, which is any writing that supports our mental well being. That could be many things — autobiography, memoir, poetry — but the most common form many of us are aware of is journaling.
How do we use journaling if we don’t do it every day? What does a journaling practice look like? Is there a difference between journaling on your own and journaling with a therapist? We dig into these questions.
We talk about:
- Reasons to journal in different moods
- Getting to know your own rhythm and flow in creating a practice and allowing writing to happen without being tied to an outcome or plan
- Expressive writing as a combination of facts and our thoughts and feelings about them
- The heal and release cycle and why you might feel worse, temporarily, after writing
- Ways to do more embodied writing
- That it’s the writing, not the therapist that does the work in writing therapy
ABOUT PARRISH
As a Writing Therapist, Parrish Wilson brings together over twenty years of experience working and writing in the field of mental health. She holds an Masters in Counselling and Spirituality, and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing. Her studies have focused on therapeutic writing as a tool for processing trauma and emotional distress. In her work with individuals and groups, Parrish crafts transformational writing experiences leading to deep personal transformation. Writing therapy takes many forms and Parrish can support you however you are pulled to write: journaling, memoir, poetry, essay or short story. In her non-work life, she’s a mama to two neurodivergent boys and a big fan of restorative yoga, high quality tea and messy (aka loved in) houses.
LINKS
- parrishwilson.com
- Instagram: @parrishwilson
- Facebook: Parrish Wilson Creative
- Facebook group: Writing Vibes
- LinkedIn: Parrish Wilson
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- FIND YOUR WRITING FLOW. Writing first thing in the morning or writing every day might not be your thing. Experiment with when you feel in flow writing. Try creating a writing block of time each day, but realizing it might look different. Some days might be words on the page, others might be research or brainstorming or reading.
- WRITE WITHOUT LOOKING. You’ve probably heard about writing as if no one would read it. Parrish suggests looking away from your screen so that you don’t get caught up in errors or beautiful phrases. Try writing without reading as you go along or looking back at your writing.
- GET EXPRESSIVE. Write about what happened and how you felt about it. Remember that it’s normal to feel worse after writing something hard. Notice, though if you continue to spiral around it. Consider working with someone who can help you with therapeutic writing.
“The assignment is alignment. How do you come into that place of alignment for what's true for you?”
–Karen Kenney
Curiosity over check marks — spiritual mentor Karen Kenney talks about how rote activities and putting spirituality on our to do lists doesn’t work.
There’s a difference between a habit and a ritual. Karen talks about the 5 Ds of a daily spiritual practice (DSP): daily, dedication, determination, discipline, and devotion. If you’ve ever had your meditation practice turn into another to do, it’s the devotion piece you want to look at — whatever the actual practice.
There’s no one size fits all when it comes to a spiritual practice. You need to get curious about your purpose and the what and when and how that will work for you — and why.
We talk about:
- Creating your DSP and getting curious about what works for you
- Bookending your day with love
- They why behind spiritual practices first thing in the morning and right before bed
- Not using spiritual practices to beat yourself up
- Growing into a practice and getting over resistance
- The effect on your nervous system
ABOUT KAREN
Karen Kenney is a certified Spiritual Mentor, Writer, Hypnotist, Integrative Change Worker and Coach. She’s known for her dynamic storytelling, her sense of humor, her Boston accent and her no-bullshit approach to Spirituality and transformational work.
She’s been a yoga teacher for 25 years, is a Certified Gateless Writing Instructor, and is also an author, speaker, retreat leader and the host of The Karen Kenney Showpodcast.
A curious human being, life-long learner and an entrepreneur for 20+ years, KK brings a down-to-earth perspective to the spiritual principles and practical tools that create powerful shifts in people’s lives, relationships and businesses.
She works with people individually in her 1:1 program THE QUEST - and in her group program THE NEST.
Her approach brings together tools that coach both the conscious and unconscious mind. She combines Brain Science, Subconscious Reprogramming, Integrative Hypnosis, and Spiritual Mentorship to help clients regulate their nervous systems, remove blocks, rewrite stories, rewire beliefs, and reimagine what’s possible!
Karen wants her clients to have their own lived experience with spirituality and to not just “take her word for it”. She encourages them to discover and deepen their own personal connection to Self, Source and Spirit in tangible and actionable ways.
Her “Your Story To Your Glory” process helps people to shift their minds from an old thought system of fear to one of Love - using compassion, empirical evidence and humor, her work is effective, efficient, and wicked fun!
KK’s been a student of A Course in Miracles for 30 years, has been vegan for 20+ years, and believes that a little kindness can make a big difference.
LINKS
- https://www.karenkenney.com/
- Build Your Spiritual Team freebie: https://www.karenkenney.com/freebie
- The Karen Kenney Show Podcast: https://www.karenkenney.com/podcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenkenneylive/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkenneylive/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKenney
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- START AND END YOUR DAY WITH LOVE. Start your day with five minutes of your spiritual practice. Try this as you wake up because of the opening that phase of wake/sleep has for us. Take five compassionate minutes to look back on your day before bed.
- GET CURIOUS. Instead of putting meditation (or whatever practice) on your to do list day after day, ask yourself what this practice means or does for you. Do you like the effect it has on you? Are you doing it because somebody else told you to? Is there a different practice that would serve you better? For example, if you have trouble sitting still for meditation, would walking mediation serve you? (Note, it doesn’t have to be meditation!)
- REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE LOVE. What happens if you remind yourself that you are love every day? What if you go about removing barriers to that or to believing that?
“The more I got into it, the more I saw how the cycles of the moon are this beautiful, loving, unconditional container for us to be human.”
–Kerri-Anne Livingstone
Let’s do a moon deep dive, because getting into more natural rhythms is so freeing and fascinating. I’m really excited to talk with Kerri-Anne Livingstone, a clarity coach who taps into the cycles of the moon.
We focus on four cycles of the moon: the new, the waxing, the full and the waning. Kerri-Anne explains the significance of each and how to make the best use of each phase. We can use each phase something different: anchoring, action, full expression, and assessing and learning.
The moon has you even if your body doesn’t cycle. So you can map your energy to the moon as a guide. And no matter where you are, you belong in whatever phase you’re in within the moon’s beautiful, cyclical, supportive container.
We talk about:
- Slowing down and intention setting with the new moon
- Feminine stages: maiden, mother, crone, and the often overlooked hag
- Finding full expression and connecting during the full moon
- Using the elements of earth, air, fire, and water to your benefit during different parts of the cycle
- The difference between new moon and dark moon and how to approach each
- When you are off cycle with the moon
ABOUT KERRI-ANNE
Keri-Anne Livingstone is a certified Clarity Coach and emotional regulation specialist, guiding women through life's biggest challenges to have more peace, power, and presence through private coaching sessions, her online programs and Radical Acceptance Retreats held around the world.
With over a decade of experience and a lifetime of learning, Keri-Anne is known for delivering potent insights and perspective, drawing from her deep understanding of the human experience to help clients connect to their truest selves with clarity and confidence.
Her unique and intuitive approach transcends surface-level solutions, diving deep into root causes to create lasting change. Through her expertise in somatic experiencing, compassionate inquiry, and internal family systems, Keri-Anne provides safe, brave space for fundamental shifts, healing and growth.
Clients who work with Keri-Anne experience transformative outcomes, including a significant increase in confidence and self-awareness, a regulated nervous system, reconciliation of toxic patterns and relationships, healing from trauma, and experiencing a profound sense of trust and peace within themselves.
Her commitment to creating a safe, sovereign, and supportive process to explore and grow, ensures women feel empowered to reclaim their power, rewrite their story, speak their truth and live life on their own terms, unapologetically.
Whether it's anchoring yourself to weather a storm, rewriting your story, or daring to disrupt the status quo, Keri-Anne is here to see and celebrate you every step of the way.
LINKS
- www.keriannelivingstone.com
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keriannelivingstone
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daringtosuck
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/keri.anne.livingstone/
- Podcast: https://www.keriannelivingstone.com/podcast/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ANCHOR DURING THE NEW MOON. Identify when the next new moon is. Remember this is a time to rest and go inward. What can you cancel or shift to give yourself more rest? Can you get quiet and hear your intuition? If building in more rest for the next new moon feels stressful, try shifting your schedule now for the new moon after that.
- PLAN A MONTH AROUND THE MOON CYCLES. Remember that the four moon phases follow these purposes: anchoring, action, full expression, and assessing and learning. Take a look at your plan for the month. What can you shift fo fit that schedule better? For example if your busiest week is the new moon, can you move some things? Can you take more action during the waxing stage? Can you launch or go live during the full moon?
- REFLECT AND LEARN. Just as we need rest periods, we need time to notice, reflect on, and examine what we did and learned During the first three weeks of the cycle. During the waning moon, take some time to journal. Ask yourself: What’s changed? How am I different?
“If we take away the idea of 24 hours, and instead put in the idea of a 28-day cycle, which is our feminine cycle, time expands.”
–Dr. Aumatma
Stop trying to get it all done in a day! Women are meant to work on a 28-day cycle, not a 24-hour, testosterone cycle. I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Aumatma Simmons about getting to know the moon, our cycles, and how thinking about time from a feminine perspective can change everything.
Dr. Aumatma is a naturopathic endocrinologist focused on fertility. She’s found fertility issues stemming from an imbalance in masculine and feminine energy. Things shift in all areas when women step into their feminine power.
To do that, we shift to a 28-day cycle. If you are menstruating, it’s your feminine cycle. If you aren’t (or if you are in the place where things are unpredictable, like me), you sync to the moon.
We talk about:
- Why you may struggle with doing things you want in your life the same way every day
- How to use your cycle to get more done
- When to focus inward
- Wanting to stay on the high energy, but needing the period of rejuvenation in our cycle, and the effects of not filling our cup during our menstrual cycle
- What to do if you cycle is determined by medication or is in flux and how to sync to the moon
- Women receiving more than giving
ABOUT DR. AUMATMA
Dr. Aumatma is a double board-certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist, in practice for close to 20 years. Dr. Aumatma founded the Holistic Fertility Institute to support badass power couples to create the family of their dreams and to train doctors who want to specialize in fertility. She is the best-selling author of "Fertility Secrets: What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Baby-Making.” She is on a mission to help bring healthier babies into the world by creating healthier parents and a healthier planet. To expand that mission, Dr. Aumatma co-founded Madre Fertility, a smart fertility analysis that individualizes people's fertility journey through diet, lifestyle, and supplements, based on key data. Dr. Aumatma has been featured on ABC, FOX, CBS, KTLA, MindBodyGreen, and The Bump as the Holistic Fertility Expert. Reach out to work/ train with Dr Aumatma: IG/TikTok @holisticfertilitydoctor or www.holisticfertilityinstitute.com
LINKS
- www.holisticfertilityinstitute.com
- Instagram: @holisticfertilitydoctor
- Tiktok: @holisticfertilitydoctor
- Soulful Summer Activity book — with moon/cycle tracker
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it — and remember it might not look the same day to day through your cycle.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TRACK YOUR CYCLE OR THE MOON. Start tracking your cycle. If you don’t have a menstrual cycle or it is not predictable, start tracking the moon. Track your energy with your menstrual or moon cycle. (You can find a tracker with ideas for playing detective in the Soulful Summer Activity book linked above.) If you already track, start shifting things to better use your energy.
- PRACTICE RECEIVING. Women often give, give, give to the point of burnout, but we need to receive. Practice saying yes when somebody offers to help you or do something for you. Practice asking people to do things for you.
- REST AND RECHARGE. Try easing back during menstruation or the new moon. Reschedule things. Skip a workout if you aren’t feeling it or do something lighter. Give in to more rest. See what happens when you rest and restore during this time instead of pushing through.
“We don't have to feel shame about some of those ways that we react.”
–Heidi Fischbach
Stuck at 11 all the time? Overreactive? Think rest is a dirty word? This conversation about our nervous system with nervous system coach Heidi Fischbach is for you. She helps people feel at home in their bodies and go from anxiety and overwhelm and shut down to authentic connection.
This is one of my favorite topics — one I’ve been working on myself for a while now — and I’m excited to help you get started or make a plan to move forward with nervous system work. Our nervous system connects our bodies, minds, and emotions — and impacts our relationships.
One of the things I love about nervous system resetting is that it doesn’t have to take years to undo something. As Heidi says, our bodies are good at being in the now. We can make a body-based shift that changes a lot.
We talk about:
- Different states of our nervous system — and what happens when we get stuck in one
- Burnout and learning that rest isn’t a dirty word
- Defensiveness as a sign we don’t feel safe and why we need an embodied sense of safety
- What happens when you can’t trust your body
- Not making change, but making change possible
- Shifting from “what’s wrong with me” to friendly awareness
Bonus: Nervous System Exercise with Kelly Lubeck
We do regular nervous system regulation in FLOW365, and we’ve include an exercise with our teacher Kelly Lubeck.
ABOUT HEIDI
Heidi Fischbach is a nervous system coach and an award-winning (featured) speaker who has facilitated body-based transformation and healing for tens of hundreds of clients and students.
Heidi has developed a unique science-backed and body-based program to help her clients reset stress- and trauma-based patterns of coping so that they can feel safe and at home in their bodies and meaningfully connected to themselves and what matters to them.
Heidi brings decades of therapeutic massage and Focusing experience, which she combines with a Polyvagal Theory-informed understanding of the nervous system. As a result of Heidi’s Nervous System Reset Program, women are able to lay down new neural pathways which allow them to transform anxiety into calm and meaningful connection.
ABOUT KELLY
Kelly Lubeck, MPH, is passionate about changing the world for the better, through individual and community-level healing programs that inspire wellness, health and soul- centered, embodied leadership. Kelly guides changemakers and leaders to heal their individual nervous systems and release self- defeating patterns of self-sacrifice and overgiving in their work and relationships that lead to burnout, anxiety and illness. Kelly is currently a teacher in FLOW365.
LINKS
- https://heidifischbach.com/
- 5 Steps Back to Calm
- https://www.youtube.com/@Heidistable
- ReadySetPause Facebook group
- FLOW365
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU FEEL UNSAFE. Even when we can rationalize that we are safe, we don’t always feel safe. There are exercises you can do to help you feel more safe. For your first step, practice noticing when you feel unsafe. Some hints may be defensiveness, tension in different parts of your body, being overly calm, tamping down things you want to say.
- PRACTICE FRIENDLY AWARENESS. The next time you find yourself asking “What’s wrong with me?” practice friendly awareness. Notice what’s happening around you. Notice what’s happening in your body. Maybe ask yourself, “What’s wrong, honey?”
- RESET YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM. There are many ways to reset or regulate our nervous system. We do this work regularly in FLOW365, because it’s so important for health and also improves our productivity. Try the exercise Kelly shares. This isn’t a one and done practice. Schedule time to do it throughout the week.
“Remembering the childlike joy and wonder of connecting to color on the page is a great first step for anyone, even if you've never tried art journaling.”
–Minette Riordan
Journaler or not a journaler? Whichever camp you fall into, check out art journaling. It might be the kind of journaling you’re into. It might be the door to your purpose or new insights
I’m talking to creative mentor and artist Dr. Minette Riordan as part of our Summer Soul Series. We're looking at different tools to help us be more fulfilled humans at a stage when we're looking for a lot of meaning. Art journaling has potential to open our understanding — and we deserve to have fun!
We start with this definition of art journaling (there are others): a creative practice and process of self discovery and meeting yourself on the page such that the page becomes a mirror that reflects your inner beauty back at you. It’s not just for people who think of themselves as artists; it’s for everybody.
We talk about:
- Getting past our creative scars and reconnecting with our younger creative self — and the sensory details of crayons and other tools
- Using art journaling to bring curiosity, wonder, and play into questions like who am I? and why are we here?
- The power of a page of spirals and making meaningful pages without worrying about them being pretty
- Don’t get too precious with supplies or too attached to your journal
- Befriending (or even drawing) your inner critic
- What we can learn about ourselves through this process
ABOUT MINETTE
Award-Winning Entrepreneur and Best-Selling Author, Dr. Minette Riordan is a creative mentor and artist with close to 20 years experience guiding others to live their best lives. She loves supporting midlife women to reclaim their creative brilliance and design a meaningful and purposeful vision for their lives. Her mission is to empower women to share their creative light with the world. She believes that when we are all working in our creative genius, we can solve all the world’s problems. She is an artist, author of 3 books and creative spirit who is a wee bit obsessed with coffee and dragons.
LINKS
- www.minetteriordan.com
- https://www.minetteriordan.com/quiz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drminetteriordan/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drminetteriordan
- The Power of Habit
- Your Brain on Art
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens. And action can be fun!
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET SUPPLIES. You don’t need fancy art supplies to start. Go on a scavenger hunt in your house. Gather art supplies left from your kids or grandkids or a past hobby. Gather old magazines, scissors, and glue sticks for collage. Or go to the children’s section of the store and get a cheap drawing pad, some crayons and markers.
- MAKE A 15-MINUTE ART JOURNAL DATE. Schedule 15 minutes for your art journal. Tie it to a habit you already have — do it with your coffee first thing or add it to your morning routine. Schedule 15 minutes at the end of your lunch. Set your materials out. Set a reminder. Show up for yourself.
- ASK WHAT DO I NEED TODAY. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Start with a prompt or question, like What do I need today? Don’t overthink. Just start putting color or image on the page. Add words if they come to you. Remember, you aren’t trying to create a pretty page, but a meaningful one. When you are done, ask yourself what the page tells you.
“When we're present, we know what we want. We know how to get it.”
–Christina Granahan
Let’s dig deeper into the Enneagram. Last week we got the basics on the Enneagram, and today I’m really excited to share more in this conversation with Enneagram-informed Therapist and Coach Christina Granahan to help you really use your Enneagram.
If you’ve looked at your Enneagram at all, you probably know your type or number, but do you know about energy centers? Christina shares the three main energy centers — body, heart, head — and how an imbalance can affect us.
When we get all three of our energy centers on board, we are more present. The Enneagram is one of many modalities that can help us come into presence and make change in our life through being present.
We talk about:
- Triads and which energy centers different triads are often weak in
- Cancel culture and forgetting the head center
- Questions different types should ask themselves to balance their energy centers
- Holding your type tightly and loosely
- Shadow work and shining light on the parts of us we hide or don’t see
- Finding more energy or right-sizing your energy by doing Enneagram work
ABOUT CHRISTINA
I’m an Enneagram-Informed Therapist & Coach. As a social worker and coach, every single question I ask is in service of the client's agenda - moving them forward into action while building their awareness around what motivates them, what holds them back, and what choices they make in their perceptions and assumptions about the people and situations around them.
I use the Enneagram to do this work because it is the most efficient, accurate framework for bringing consciousness to unconscious behavior. By illuminating and objectifying aspects of our lives, we are better able to bring change and choice to them. The Enneagram shines a light on the personality and all the habits therein, to allow you to work with them.
LINKS
- Website: https://christinagranahan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/granahancoaching/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinagranahan/
- Enneagram and Conscious Living
- Enneagram 101 with Kelly Travis
- Enneagram Institute for RHETI Enneagram test: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
- The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Russ Hudson and Don Riso
- Enneagram Made Easy by Deborah Egerton
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TAKE THE ENNEAGRAM TEST. The best starting place with the Enneagram is taking a test to find out your type and wings. You don’t want a quick 10-question test. You want a recommended version. When you take it, don't overthink the questions, just answer. Don’t spend too much time in your head. Remember to hold your results lightly and loosely.
- LEARN ABOUT YOUR ENERGY CENTER. If you’ve learned about your type, now try learning about your energy center. Which energy center is least active for you? Take a step — awareness might be the first one — to get that energy center more on board.
- NOTICE WHEN YOU’RE DOING THAT THING AGAIN. Of of the things the Enneagram does is point out things about ourselves that we may want to admit are part of ourselves. First, remind yourself that whatever it is, is part of you, but not the whole you. Acknowledge when you are “doing the thing again.” That awareness is the start of a shift.
“The Enneagram gives you a roadmap into “how do I grow?”
–Kelly Travis
We all have different core motivations — and the Enneagram lets us understand ourselves and others better. We’re doing an intro to the Enneagram with Kelly Travis, a wellness and career coach and certified Enneagram practitioner.
The Enneagram is one of the tools you can use to become more you and to navigate the world in a way that is more authentic. It’s another way to slow down and connect with your center.
The Enneagram shows us the good and bad sides of our types — or to put it another way how our type helps us and how it can hold us back if we aren’t aware and don’t adjust.
We talk about:
- how our core motivations mix with our thinking, feeling, and action centers to create our type
- an overview of the 9 core types
- recognizing ourselves — strengths and struggles — in our types
- our wings and lines creating a picture of potential for us
- how the Enneagram can help us understand conflict and team dynamics
- advice for completing the Enneagram test and reading your results
ABOUT KELLY
Kelly Travis leverages her skill set as a wellness and career coach, organizational facilitator, speaker, and certified Enneagram practitioner to help clients achieve their professional goals – whether as individuals, teams, or organizations. Kelly is a wellbeing and work expert, dedicated to helping clients create productive and meaningful work cultures while also prioritizing employee wellbeing. Her strengths include relationship building, team motivation, and leadership development at all levels. Kelly also works with individuals ranging from high-level executives and business owners to rising stars, providing coaching in areas such as health and wellbeing, emotional intelligence, professional growth, healthy leadership, and team development initiatives. As an accredited Integrative Enneagram practitioner with a Bachelor's of Science in Public Health Education and Promotion, and certification as a Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Kelly has the expertise to help you achieve your goals while staying healthy and balanced. Kelly's passion for aligning goal achievement with wellbeing began in college, where she captained the UNC-Charlotte cross country team as a collegiate All-American runner. Kelly has worked with prominent clients such as NASA, Dropbox, Nevada State Bank, and many others, helping them create thriving and collaborative work environments
LINKS
- www.kellytravis.net
- The Enneagram Effect podcast
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withkellytravis/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- TAKE THE ENNEAGRAM TEST. The best starting place with the Enneagram is taking a test to find out your type and wings. You don’t want a quick 10-question test. You want a recommended version. When you take it, don't overthink the questions, just answer. Don’t spend too much time in your head.
- LEARN ABOUT YOUR TYPE. When you get your results, read about your type and other information. Start with the report from the test itself. Want to go deeper? You can schedule time (set a timer) to research more — it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole, so put a container around it for yourself. And don't be surprised if there's a little bit of ickiness. Part of the Enneagram is learning to look at our full self with clear eyes. Understanding the things that feel like flaws or drawbacks is just information we can use.
- NOTICE HOW YOU SHOW UP. Once you have this information, notice how you show up. Start by noticing. It may point to strengths you can lean into more. It may also point to areas you may want to work to shift‚ not to be less you, but to work more effectively and authentically.
“The dream work is helping to clear energetic resistance.”
–Amy Pearson
Do you remember your dreams? We’re talking about how to remember them and what to do with them. Amy Pearson, a master coach and dream analyst, shows us how dreams can help clear resistance and help us move forward.
Sometimes we have to stop doing the obvious step to get ahead and try tapping into modalities that unlock more, like dream work. What happens to your goals when you really start to look at your dreams? What happens when you slow down and find ways to hear your intuition?
It can be helpful to get support in analyzing or understanding your dreams, but Amy talks about ways you can get at meaning from your dreams on your own, too.
We talk about:
- why dream work is so important
- how to actually remember your dreams
- how to make meaning of dreams on your own
- incubating dreams to help answer questions
- what things can affect our dreams and our ability to connect with them
- using dreamwork to heal imbalances between masculine and feminine energy
ABOUT AMY
Amy Pearson, founder of Being Amy, is a master coach, writer, dream analyst, speaker and instructor who strives to make the world a better place by telling the truth … in public. No apologies. Her coaching approach is irreverent, incisive, and deeply compassionate. She calls upon an eclectic mix of modalities, including The Work, metaphors to invoke waking dreams, dream analysis, Internal Family Systems and self-compassion. Amy is currently finishing up her first book, a work of creative nonfiction called Forgiving Amy. She lives in Ashland, Oregon, with her husband, three children, one dog, two cats, five chickens, and four koi.
LINKS
- https://dreamalchemywithamy.com/
- BeingAmyTheBlog.com
- @beingamytheblog
- https://www.facebook.com/beingamytheblog
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. Sometimes the action we need to take isn’t obvious. Sometimes it’s a way to step more into our intuition.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- WAKE UP EARLY TO REMEMBER DREAMS. Try waking up 1.5–2 hours before you usually do to start to capture your dreams. This might look like setting an intention to remember your dream and rise earlier. It might be being more aware when you wake to use the bathroom. In any case, write down whatever you do remember, even if it isn’t much. Try voice recording on your phone or keeping a notebook by your bed or in the bathroom.
- INCUBATE ANSWERS. Before bed, write a question you are seeking an answer to. Ask your dreams to help you answer it. This helps set the tone for what you want your dreams to bring up.
- WORK WITH YOUR DREAMS. You don’t have to be a walking dream dictionary to find meaning in your dreams. Start by noticing how you feel when you wake from a dream. What do you notice? What is getting your attention? What associations do you have from your current or past life? Taking time to work through these questions and noticings can help you find meaning from your dream.
“You get to be who you are. I get to be who I am. And I can trust that in myself and know that there are a million ways to do it because there are a million different ways that we're all designed.”
–Jackie Johnstone
Skeptical of Human Design? Think it’s too woo? Certified Human Design for Business Consultant, Jackie Johnstone was too, even now, she says it could all be bullshit — but it can be useful too. If you’re looking for decision making to feel easier, to get out of your own way, check out Human Design.
When you first look at your chart, there are all these numbers and lines and shapes and colors. You want to know what they mean? And there’s more information on the side. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or get lost down a rabbit hole. We’re here to talk about how to make it something that actually helps you.
Jackie describes Human Design like an onion — you can learn and take it layer by layer. And start to implement it.
We talk about:
- How understanding Human Design can help teams work better together
- Our bodies holding wisdom to help guide us to the right decision
- The different ways we feel or sense what we want
- Experimenting with decision making
- Different variables that can affect how you “trust yourself”
- Using Human Design in marketing and business decisions
ABOUT JACKIE
Jackie is a certified Human Design for Business Consultant, Subconscious Transformation Coach and Breathwork Facilitator (and classic Manifesting Generator who can't pick just one!). She helps passionate business owners get their message out into the world in a way that's satisfying and successful -- and works with their unique energetic blueprint. Jackie is a recovering overthinker who is constantly blown away by the wisdom in our bodies. She describes herself as a weirdo at the intersection of "woo" and science. Of magic and practicality. Of intuition and strategy. (And loving every minute of it.)
LINKS
- https://www.jackiejohnstone.ca/
- https://www.instagram.com/jackiejohnstone/
- A Plain English introduction to your Human Design: https://www.jackiejohnstone.ca/decode
- Human Design 101 with Megan Seamans
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action — instead of getting lost down the rabbit hole of research or learning. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- START WITH YOUR CHART. Start by getting your chart. It may look overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it all out at once. Pick one layer of the onion to start with, maybe your type, maybe your authority. And remember, you can focus on you — you don’t have to learn all the types or all the kinds of authority.
- EXPERIMENT WITH DECISION MAKING. Once you know a little about your Authority, or the way you make decisions, experiment with it. Notice when you rely on logic instead of how you feel. Notice what happens when you approach decisions in different ways.
- START WITH HOW YOU FEEL. In the FLOW system, we start with how we want to feel. We get centered so we can make decisions from a place of groundedness and starting with our inner self. Where you feel things and how might vary based on the particulars of your Human Design, but start by noticing how you feel in your body.
“What if you honored your flow, you honored what felt good and it unfolded better than you even imagined.”
–Megan Seamans
Need more ease? Human design shows you how your energy is designed to move with the most amount of ease. I’m so excited to talk to Life & Energy Coach Megan Seamans about Human Design and how you can use it to be the must “you” version of you.
We start with the basics: the five Human Design types. Projectors are guides. Generators are doers. Manifesting generators are multi-passionate movers. Manifestors are bold disruptors. Megan gives examples of what all that looks like. Your type is one of the first things you look at when you have your chart done. (See link for how to get that done.)
Beyond your type your chart shows you how you are designed to make decisions, where your opportunities come from, your strengths, and how your energy moves through your body — and more.
We talk about:
- How you make decisions and listening to your inner voice
- Getting your chart done and where to start with it
- Noticing what’s worked for you in the past
- Getting back into alignment when you feel stuck
- Recognizing old stories about who we are and adapting to a new way of understanding
- Understanding relationship dynamics through Human Design
ABOUT MEGAN
Megan Seamans is a certified Life & Energy Coach who helps big hearted humans create success without the stress of comfort zones, people pleasing, or burnout getting in the way. She teaches clients how to integrate their Human Design so they can balance out into life on purpose.
After helping hundreds of humans around the globe, Megan’s been named the Clarity Queen as her coaching helps crystallize their vision into reality, with no overwhelm required. Centered on ease, she loves holding space for clients to get unstuck and finally live their extraordinary stories.
LINKS
- https://www.meganseamans.com/purposebydesign
- https://www.meganseamans.com/hd-chart/
- https://www.instagram.com/meganseamans/
- https://www.facebook.com/MeganSeamansCoaching/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action gets a bad rap. You can be kind to yourself. You can practice being AND doing, but for change to happen you have to take steps. The way we take care of ourselves is making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
Here are three Doable changes that we chose from this conversation.
- GET YOUR HUMAN DESIGN CHART. The first step is to get your chart done. You can do this online. Identify your type, your authority, your profile and your channels. You don’t have to know what it all means, but start with knowing these pieces about yourself.
- EXPLORE ONE PART OF YOUR CHART. You don’t have to learn it all at once. You could read more about your type or your authority. Order a book, search online, or schedule a call with a Human Design specialist. Remember, your goal is to learn more about yourself — not get all the details of Human Design firm in your head.
- HOW CAN I LEAN INTO WHO I AM. If you re getting stuck, notice if there is something from your chart that you should lean into — a strength or a better way of decision making. What happens if you let go of old stories about what you should do and choose the path of more ease? Experiment.
My wish for you is that you find pockets of real deep rest and restoration and relaxation and growth this summer. It's what I'm doing too! On this episode I talk through some powerful things to get curious about — your future self bucket list, you "now" natural rhythms, using oracle cards, journaling (through art or writing or both). Listen in, and don't forget to download the activity guide at https://plansimple.com/summer.
“You are going to be out of your comfort zone, so just embrace it.”
–Leslie Danford
Don’t see the product you want on the shelf? What if you create it? That’s what Leslie Danford did. She’s a nutrition junkie with a corporate background in beverages and consumer products. In 2020, when her job disappeared, she started fiddling and founded Vitaminis.
One of the first things Leslie did was hire a babysitter. With four kids at home, she needed the dedicated time to do the work of starting and running the company. That gave her time to do interviews and play with ideas before investing more in a beverage formulator.
Her initial product idea had to do with gut health, but she was launching during covid and what everyone wanted was something for immune health, so she started there. Her interviews — market research — helped her find the right product to lead with.
We talk about:
- how she moved in and out of corporate while she launched her business
- mixing her passion for clean food with her professional experience
- knowing when to call in help and how she found it
- some of her yummy, healthy product options
- shifting from an online presence to retail sales and what that entails
- the growth outlook for her business
ABOUT LESLIE
Leslie Danford, founder and CEO of Vitaminis, a clean-label functional food and beverage brand. She has always been passionate about nutrition, but she is not a foodie. For her, it's like a math equation, and it's important to cover all of your nutritional bases. In 2020 she combined her personal interests with her formal business training to launch Vitaminis. Previously she worked in beverages and consumer products at large corporations. She earned her MBA from Harvard University and her BA from the University of Chicago.
LINKS
- https://vitaminisbrand.com/
- Instagram @vitaminisbrand
- LinkedIn Leslie Danford
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET CHILDCARE. If you have young kids at home, childcare, even a few hours a week, makes a difference in your business and even your selfcare. See what happens when you invest in a few hours (or more) for yourself.
- DO MARKET RESEARCH. Set up conversations with people you know or friends of friends or people in groups you are in who are potential customers. Ask them questions to help them see which of your ideas have legs. It may not be what you think, but when you respond to a real need, you have a stronger start.
- TAKE THE NEXT STEP. Sometimes things don’t work out. Instead of quitting, try taking a break. See if you get a new perspective. Take the next step, even if you are discouraged or not motivated. The next step, even if you aren’t sure about it, may move you in the right direction or help you see what you should do next.
I used to find that I would have a strong idea of what summer “should” feel like. Then there was the reality of juggling work, family and summer. This summer the I decided to think about it differently. This episode is a piece of that.
“People need tools to help them put together a plan to care for their loved one. They also need to get really good at asking for help.”
–Sammie Stephens
We’re not prepared to become the family caregiver for our parents. Yet so many of us are thrust into that role. How can we be more prepared? How do we handle this challenge?
Sammie Stephens, an adult-geriatric nurse practitioner, who works with caretakers and has experienced that role herself, says it starts with conversations we aren’t good at having. Often these happen as a result of an event, like someone breaking a hip.
Caretakers need to set boundaries around their time and what they can do, especially because they are often juggle so many other things, including children, businesses and more. But often, what they need first, is a plan. Sammie helps us navigate both in this conversation.
We talk about:
- what you need to have in place legally to be able to get medical information to advocate for your loved one
- using tools like CaringBridge to communicate what is going on and how people can help
- taking care of your own health/body and using available resources so that the burden is not all on you
- planning and budgeting for the cost of care
- advance care planning and understanding what your loved one wants
- setting boundaries, assessing needs, and building in self-care
ABOUT SAMMIE
Sammie Stephens is an Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in
both the clinical and administrative side of healthcare. She has a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from New Mexico State University. She is also a graduate of the Real Balance Global Wellness Coach training program.
In 2015, Sammie established a health coaching program for a Level II Trauma hospital in
Wyoming. The program aimed to improve health and decrease burnout risk for employees. The
following year, she played a key role in developing an integrative health clinic at the same
hospital. The clinic focused on helping community members reduce the risk of heart disease,
diabetes, and stroke.
More recently, she served as a Nurse Practitioner for seniors, providing compassionate care to
patients in various locations including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and
private residences. In 2022, Sammie started Vivac Health to help family caregivers understand
and navigate the healthcare system so their loved ones can get the care they need.
LINKS
- https://vivachealth.com/about/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammiestephens/
Navigating Your Life and Caring for Aging Parents with Courtney Nalty
- Unsharing with Kamini Woods
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Sometimes we don’t act because we’re emotionally stuck or because the change seems so huge. Change comes from action. Even a little shift can make a difference, especially when you keep making those micro shifts.
Choose one of these doable changes that piques your interest or resonates with where you are — and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DEFINE BOUNDARIES. Think about where you are in your life right now. What other responsibilities do you have? How is your own health? What are the actual needs? Be clear on what you can do and what you need help with. Define the boundary and then seek help for the rest.
- ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS. We don’t have conversations about advanced care planning or end of life, but we need to. Even if your loved ones are healthy and independent now, you can start having conversations about what they would want if they couldn’t speak for themselves. You can also start talking about where and how they’d like to live their later life.
- CREATE A SELF-CARE PLAN. Caregivers often stop taking care of themselves to take care of others. This isn’t sustainable. Make a self-care plan for yourself. Start with sleep, nutrition, appointments and care for health conditions that you already have or that come up.
“Don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it's paid help or friendly help, ask for help.”
–Courtney Nalty
Are aging parents one of the things you’re balancing right now? Or maybe you see coming? So many people in FLOW365 are balancing caring for parents along with kids, their own health, their business ... and it’s hard. Courtney Nalty wants to make it easier.
Courtney Nalty, is the founder of Generational Support and the creator of The Caregiver Toolbox, which helps people get ready for something a lot of us don’t want to think about — caring for our parents. We’ll talk about ways to prepare to make it more easeful — and things you can do if you are already in the thick of it.
If you google aging in place on, you're going to be inundated with ideas and solutions. Getting advice from somebody who has done the research already, who can guide you, can smooth the way. Then a really important place to start is with what your parents want.
We talk about:
- How elder law attorneys can help you, having power of attorney before an emergency and having copies of the paperwork
- Safe house checks and medication management
- Starting conversations about what your parents want by talking about what you would like later in life
- Specific challenges related to a hospital discharge
- Knowing who to talk to when it comes to bank accounts, stuff, homes, and more
- Dealing with dementia
ABOUT COURTNEY
Courtney Nalty is a daughter, wife, and a mother of three. She gets the need to find time for everyone and give the best support to all. Courtney spent 11 years working in a retirement community in many different roles. She also helped care for her father when he was fighting cancer. Courtney knows caregiving takes time, research, education, and even a little trial and error, and she’s here to make life easier for others navigating generational support in the 21st century. She’s the creator or The Caregiver Toolbox, which helps people gain knowledge and confidence while reducing stress in caring for a loved one.
LINKS
- https://generationalsupport.com/
- The Caregiver Toolbox
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Sometimes we don’t act because we’re emotionally stuck or because the change seems so huge. Change comes from action. Even a little shift can make a difference, especially when you keep making those micro shifts.
Choose one of these doable changes that piques your interest or resonates with where you are — and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- START THE CONVERSATION. One of the first steps is finding out what your parents want. You can ask directly, but if your parents are reluctant to talk, try one of these techniques: Using a checklist or workbook — try just leaving it on the table and seeing if they start filling it in or talking — is one way to get started. Another entry to these conversations is talking about your own wishes for your late / end of life. Remember, this isn’t a one and done conversation.
- GET ORGANIZED. Do your parents have power of attorney, living wills, and final wills in place? Do you have copies of them or know how to access them? Do you know your parents’ accounts and passwords? Do you know their doctors, health conditions, medications? You don’t have to gather everything at once, but it can be helpful to start collecting this information if your parents are willing. Start with a check list. Schedule time for each item on the list.
- FORM YOUR TEAM. Ask for and accept help, paid or otherwise. You could start by making a list of people you may need on your team, such as an elder law specialist, care managers or social workers. You could list people you could turn to for task support — their neighbor or a friend who could help with errands or the local senior center. Make a list of people who can support you, as a caretaker. Anticipate support you may need — resources for caretakers may help you do that — so that you can research before you are in an emergency situation.
“Not only are you putting good into the world, but it feels good too.” –Jenn Klein
Are you an overgiver? Women can get into a position of over giving or giving in a depleting way. How can we navigate giving in a better way? I’m talking with Jenn Klein about the benefits of generosity and volunteering — and how to make that a rewarding part of a busy life.
We talk about the helper’s high and the health benefits of giving. We also look at volunteering as a couple or a family. Jenn reminds us that volunteering can be a form of self-care, a way to fill your cup, not drain it.
We talk about:
- The boomerang nature of giving
- Working with organizations and being intentional about putting kindness into the world
- Giving three ways — time, treasure, talent
ABOUT JENN
Jenn Klein is a world-class and highly respected nonprofit fundraiser, author of the book Giving Is Selfish, speaker, coach and a proud mother of two boys.
For more than 18 years, Jenn has helped nonprofits grow through best fundraising practices and strategies. Jenn also coaches individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices, which, at their core, include giving to charity.
Jenn is on a mission to share the benefits of generosity, not just for others but also for yourself and our world.
LINKS
- Website: https://youareaphilanthropist.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jennklein/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youareaphilanthropist/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkleincoach/
DOABLE CHANGES
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- ASSESS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT GIVING. Sometimes we get on a board or volunteer for an event and start to feel drained instead of filled. It might be the wrong work or the wrong time in your life. Get clear on how your volunteer hours make you feel — which things excite or energize you? Which do you dread? Knowing this can lead to change.
- DECIDE WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER. You can give your time, your talents, or your treasure. What do you have to offer? How can it serve a cause you feel passionate about?
- PUT KINDNESS INTO THE WORLD. Maybe this isn’t a time in your life when you have a lot of time to give. You can still put kindness into the world without a formal or ongoing volunteer gig. Offer smiles or compliments. Send a thank you note. Hold a door. Offer to help a neighbor with a task you see them struggling with. Try building a little more kindness into your day.
“You have to market twice as much as you think you do, which is why simplifying really is important.”
–Christine McShane
Tired of feeling frenzied and behind on marketing and sales? Copywriter and content marketing strategist Christine McShane is going to help us make a summer content plan so we can stay calm and sane all while connecting with and selling to our people.
You don’t have to be an annoying telemarketer. You don’t have to send spammy emails. You do have to market your business. That starts with getting back to basics and getting really clear on who you serve, what they need, and how you help.
You don’t have to do it all. You shouldn’t do it all — that’s a route to burn out. Christine suggests choosing three channels and explains how to choose based on your business model.
We talk about:
- What gets in our way when it comes to marketing and how to shift our mindset
- Decision fatigue and how to make good decisions less often
- Understanding the seasons of your business and of your client businesses and how to scale back in the summer
- Repurposing popular content
- Noticing what you open and like to read, thinking about what people want when you show up in their inbox
- Ways to actually get it done.
ABOUT CHRISTINE
Christine McShane is a copywriter and content marketing strategist that believes just like great cooking, you’ll get the best results with simple and high quality ingredients. If you’re a mission driven personal brand, marketing can feel exhausting or confusing. But the best part is that you’ll get the best results if you show up as yourself.
Christine creates content strategies for service based professionals and even writes the content for them. She also writes their website copy and sales funnel copy to have genuine and effective conversations with dream clients.
LINKS
- christinemcshane.com
- Power of 3 Content Marketing training
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- GET BACK TO BASICS. Ask yourself and get really clear on: What am I trying to accomplish in my business? Who am I trying to serve? Why am I different? How do I get in front of those people that I want to serve and show them how I'm different and show them how I can make their lives better, whether it's solving a pain point in their lives or bringing them some joy or helping them achieve a dream or a combination of the three.
- CHOOSE YOUR CHANNELS. Where will you show up? Choose three channels: email, podcast, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, FB group or other networking space … You don’t have to be everywhere. Choose places you like to be. Choose places where your ideal clients or customers spend time.
- NOTICE WHAT YOU CONSUME. Which emails do you always open? What podcast do you never miss? Whose content do you love? While you will have your own topics, your own voice, and your own rhythm, you can learn from what engages you. It’s also a good reminder to help you get out of the mindset that people will get tired of hearing from you or that marketing is always spammy.
As you may have heard, May was my birthday month, and I have a habit of celebrating my birthday month. On this minisode, I talk through what happened, what did not, and what I learned along the way. May was nothing like what I planned, and it far exceeded my expectations!
“I get to be the creatrix, the creator, of my own life and my own experience.”
–Sil Read
Being human is a hero’s journey. Are you ready for yours? I’m so excited for this conversation with my mentor Sil Read in this special birthday episode about stepping into the next part of your life.
What is it about midlife? Life is a constant cycle of death and rebirth, and midlife is more intense because you've got the time element. You realize it isn’t infinite. Other parts of your life may be changing.
For you to rebirth yourself — and you get to be the creatrix of your life — some part of you has to die. You can choose to slow down time and honor the transitions and the change.
We talk about:
- The power of retreats
- Showing up with crone wisdom and beginner’s mind
- Holding opposites
- Stages of maiden, mother, crone, and being with the wisdom of the crone even if we aren’t there yet
- Trusting the process and that a new life will welcome you outside of the chrysalis
- What we can discover from symbols and archetypes
ABOUT SIL
Sil Read is a mother, author, teacher, and a coach for women. She is proud to call herself an elder. Sil brings 40-years of experience working with women to her coaching and teaching: experience as a nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, and workshop leader.
Sil graduated from Brown University where she majored in Women's Studies. She studied with the renowned Jungian author and analyst Marion Woodman for two decades and graduated from Woodman's BodySoul Rhythms training in dreamwork, archetypal psychology, and the art and science of listening to the wisdom of the body. Sil loves guiding women in reclaiming rejected parts of themselves, so that they can experience their wholeness and, therefore, a more conscious and authentically lived life.
LINKS
- Sil’s Site:https://www.silread.com/
On the PlanSimple Podcast:
- From the Inside Out with Sil Reynolds
- Mothering with Sil Reynolds
- The Heroine’s Journey with Kristin Hanggi
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- HOLD OPPOSITES. You can hold an inner or outer conflict quietly instead of trying to resolve it quickly. Start by asking yourself: What opposites am I holding today? Holding that conflict can help birth the new. Start with identifying your opposites and holding both.
- SLOW DOWN. The secret to having the space to do what you want is to slow down. It can be super helpful for somebody else to hold and guide space for you in this process. Your doable change today could be saying yes to a retreat that’s been intriguing you. It could be blocking time to disconnect from your devices and spend time in nature.
- ENGAGE WITH CRONE ENERGY. What can you learn from crones or elders? If you are in or entering that stage, can you tap more into the freedom of not carrying what others think? If you are not there or just entering, can you find a crone mentor or circle to learn from and support you in your change?
“Part of my mission is to teach women business owners that it's so empowering to be able to look at and know your numbers.” –Sara Fins
Not a numbers person? Uncomfortable with money? Let’s make it easier and something you actually do. I'm really excited to talk with Sara Fins, a financial coach and retired CPA. She has experience as an accountant in corporate and gets the needs of entrepreneurs from a decade of running her own health coaching practice.
So many of us are triggered by financial things because of money stories we picked up when we were younger. Sara explains how to use triggers to help us actually take action around our financial lives.
We talk about how to really keep it simple while getting more comfortable with money. If you’d like less of a panic and scramble at tax time, if you’d like more confidence about your financial situation, and to actually start attracting more money, this conversation is for you.
We talk about:
- Having a financial accountability buddy
- Starting by paying attention and actually looking at what’s coming in and out of your business
- Why having separate accounts for business saves you time and headache
- Creating a good-better-best money plan
- Making a habit of paying yourself — even in the beginning
- Creating your own financial checklist — where to check when you track revenue or expenses
ABOUT SARA
Sara Fins is an expert Financial and Certified Health Coach and retired CPA who spent over a decade as an accountant in the corporate world and a decade running her own health coaching practice. Now she blends her accounting background and entrepreneurial experience to help other solopreneurs manage and master their business finances with ease.
Through her private coaching programs, workshops, and her signature course, “Easy Business Bookkeeping,” Sara helps small business owners feel confident managing their business finances so they can save time, stress less and keep more of the money that they earn.
When Sara isn’t working with clients, you’ll find her hanging out with friends and family or curling up with a good book in her Long Island, New York home. She loves to travel and see the world and her favorite place to relax and recharge is at the beach.
LINKS
- www.sarafins.com
- https://www.facebook.com/easybusinessbookkeeping
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafins/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- PLAN A MONEY DATE. Pick a regular time to look at your accounts. See how much money is coming in, when, and now. Notice where money is flowing out and how much. Any tracking you do will flow out of starting to pay attention. Paying attention will help you make better decisions and scramble less at tax time.
- SEPARATE ACCOUNTS. In addition to being a good business practice for tax purposes, you make your own life easier when you keep your business accounts separate. You know that expenses from your business bank account or on your business credit card are for business. If you don’t have separate accounts, set them up. If you have separate accounts, take the doable step of making sure you are working with the right account each time.
- MAKE A GOOD BETTER BEST REVENUE PLAN. Think of this as what you need to cover expenses, what you need to be making a little money, what your aspirational goal is. Then really look at the numbers. What are your offers? How many do you need to sell to hit good, better, or best? Is that possible? Do you need a different offer or different rates?
“Motivation is great, but habits begin with taking action.”
–Patricia van Essche
You deserve to be fully present. Yes, even if you are parenting or caretaking for aging parents. I asked Patricia van Essche, pilates instructor and artist, about why we might want to check out pilates during perimenopause. Her response is about more than exercise.
Let’s start with exercise. If you are looking for a 10-minute workout, pilates is not it — but it still might be for you. We have so many things promised to us in short bursts of time, but some things (most things) take longer. Pilates can help your back and your posture. The breathwork is powerful and beneficial for the body.
Patricia also talks about community and connection with pilates — and the power of showing up for yourself. We look at how to start a habit, how Patricia’s clients managed to start a habit with pilates — even juggling a lot and needing 50 minutes for a class.
We talk about:
- How parenting shifts but doesn’t end as you kids get older even into adulthood
- Writing down the thing you want to do and your plan
- How habits start with action and how we start slow and build
- Having somebody hold space for your commitment
- Reinventing yourself at any age
- Setting aside time each week for the things you want in your life
ABOUT PATRICIA
PVE is a bon vivant as well as an accomplished artist and illustrator. Whether it be a portrait, house or lively scene, her colorful, effervescent images are always fresh and whimsical. PVE perfectly captures "Artful Living" a well lived and celebrated lifestyle.
From her hilltop studio aerie, Patricia van Essche, better known to her clients, fans and followers as PVE, creates illustrations and art pieces which depict a celebrated lifestyle of colorful and chic homes, pets, events and more. Whimsical, lively illustrations are the centerpiece of PVE’s artistry; which includes capturing favorite moments and images; design collaborations; creative commissions; enthusiastic consulting with entrepreneurs… and blogging about it all. Call on PVE to add art, color, beauty to your life and turn an image of what you love into a commissioned work of art to be cherished always.
PVE was born in Louisville, Kentucky into a talented, entrepreneurial family which led her to attend the University of Cincinnati’s renowned College of Design, Architecture and Art where she studied Fashion Design. PVE was drawn to live in Manhattan and traveled the world as a designer and design director for fashion’s elite Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Liz Claiborne brands.
PVE debuted PVE Design, a showplace for her own art, inspiration, and creativity. As an accomplished artist and illustrator, she has worked for numerous private commissions as well as with exclusive clients including J. McLaughlin, Secrets Gourmet, The Park Avenue Fund, The Princess Grace Foundation and Lava Barre. PVE lives in Westchester County, New York. PVE is devoted to living artfully. PVE is currently teaching Pilates at Club Pilates in Ardsley and Scarsdale. Patricia inspires others to find the joy of art and wellness.
LINKS
- Pvedesign.com
- Instagram @PVEDesign
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DECIDE WHEN TO WORK OUT. If you want to build an exercise habit, start by deciding when you like to work out. Do you want to get it done first thing in the morning? Would your lunch break work best? Once you choose the time, block it off in your calendar. If you are going to take a class, book the class.
- WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT. Get really clear about what you want. Write it down. That came up more than once in this conversation. Whatever challenge you want to tackle — lose weight, read a book, become a Pilates instructor, create more art — make a list. Write it down.
- SET THE TIME FOR WHAT YOU WANT FIRST. I asked Patricia how she juggles it all. She sets aside a certain number of hours for pilates and a certain number for her artwork. What things do you want time for in your life? How much time do you want to give them? Choose. Block of the time. Show up for yourself.
“We can't go through menopause correctly if we have too much stress. This is a natural process, but a lot of our current societal stuff interferes with this natural process.”
–Ana Stauch
What does it really mean to get healthy? I’m not talking about scheduling your mammogram and colonoscopy (though that too). What can you really DO and who can help us through that? I’m so excited to talk with Ana Stauch, a nurse practitioner who helps women navigate perimenopause and midlife health.
Ana talks about four pillars we need to tend to for health: nutrition, sleep, movement, and connection. Some of those look different as we age. We need more protein. We need to prioritize sleep. We need movement that helps build muscle.
We don’t need to overcomplicate it. There is a lot in our lives that may seem to make it hard, but you can give yourself permission to prioritize the things you need to do for your health.
We talk about:
- The deep toll stress takes and why we need to get serious about it
- Finding a healthcare provider you like and trust (and a tip for finding one)
- Experiencing a similar symptoms to puberty — but not being able to just slam the door and retreat to our room
- Transitions and stepping into our purpose at this stage of life
- The four pillars of health — one is connection
- What labs can tell you if you dig deeper than the norm
ABOUT ANA
Ana Stauch is a nurse practitioner from Jacksonville, Fl. She has helped thousands of women navigate hormonal changes and improve their health over the past 24 years.
She opened her primary care practice — A New Way Healthcare — in 2018 and more recently developed a program called New You which guides women through midlife addressing hormones, holistic health and self development. She is also the medical advisor for Radiate Wellness Products. Ana is Level-1 certified in Functional Medicine and a member of the National Association of Menopause Society.
She lives in Atlantic Beach, Fl with her husband and three sons, two of which are away at college. She enjoys practicing yoga regularly, walking on the beach, reading, traveling and is currently in her own perimenopause journey!
LINKS
- anewwayhealthcare.com/newyou
- radiatewellnessproducts.com
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
We tend to overcomplicate things. Doable changes are small actions that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Keep it simple. Keep building.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- KEEP IT SIMPLE. Get quiet for a minute and your gut and your intuition know exactly what you need to work on first. You know that maybe six cups of coffee or drinking two liters of soda isn't a great idea. You know if don't do any movement most of the day. You know if you go to bed too late every night. Write down whatever comes up. You know what you should work on. Then keep it simple. Park further away from the door. Cut your coffee in half. Once you’ve made an adjustment you can take stock again and make another shift.
- FIND A PROVIDER YOU TRUST. This is huge, and it can be hard. You can ask friends for recommendations. You could ask a compounding pharmacy for provider recommendations if you want providers who might think outside the box a little more. You can look for people who specialize in perimenopause/menopause. If you don’t feel heard or are told “it’s just age,” keep looking. This one may take a while, but it will pay off when you find one.
- PRIORITIZE SLEEP. Of the four pillars, this is a particularly important place to start. Unwind a little before, but don’t use devices with bluelight right before bed. Set yourself up in a cool, dark room. Go to bed with enough time to sleep for seven to nine hours. If getting to bed on time is the issue, what gets in the way? Do you need to eat later? Leave a chore for the morning? Turn off your phone sooner? Your doable change might involve changing your environment or routines.
May is my birthday month. For the past few years, I’ve been making a plan for the month that gives me lots of little wins, so by the time my birthday rolls around, I feel super celebrated… by me! In this episode, I’ll take you behind the scenes of my plan, and give you some questions you could ask yourself. If you want a birthday planning sheet, send us a DM on Instagram that says “birthday plan”, and we’ll get it to you.
“When you take the focus off of the weight and focus on the habits, it's amazing how your body changes.”
–Krystal Taylor
Exercise is not a chore. So many of us look at exercise as a thing we have to do to transform our body or maybe to improve our health. But what if we switch that up? Krystal Taylor is a certified personal trainer who realized that the real transformations were about changes in energy and confidence.
That isn’t to say that you won’t see changes in your body, but things shift when you change your focus. And for people who are exercise-phobic, think about movement. There are lots of ways to move your body.
What do we do so that we can keep being active in our 70s and 80s (and beyond)? How can we really build an exercise habit?
We talk about:
- Focusing on habits like water, sleep — but one at a time
- Creating a realistic plan that you can be consistent with instead of burning yourself out
- Not restricting yourself when it comes to food—especially carbs—and accepting foods are part of your plan (not a cheat food or cheat day)
- What an accountability partner can do for you
- Simple ways to add more movement to your day
- Being kind to yourself and focusing on the why not the how
ABOUT KRYSTAL
As a Certified Personal Trainer, Krystal Taylor has helped hundreds of people who are on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. She doesn’t believe in fad diets, but instead in adopting a healthier lifestyle. The change happens with your mindset first so that’s her focus.
As a former Adjunct Professor and Corporate Trainer, Krystal has always had the desire to educate people. While she enjoyed those jobs, she realized her passion was to help people get healthier and look better. So she decided to merge her training skills and love for fitness to be able to provide the best programs she could for her clients and gain specializations in Fitness Nutrition and Weight Management.
She offers virtual training programs (meal and exercise), unique fitness products (playing cards), and consultations.
LINKS
- www.fitnessisnotagame.com
- F* The Scale: Don't Let A Number Weigh You Down
- YouTube @FitnessIsNotaGame
- Facebook @FitnessIsNotaGame
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- MAKE A REALISTIC PLAN. When you get overly enthusiastic and decide to work out every day … you’re likely to burn out and quit. When you are realistic about how much you are ready to add in for your body and what you can fit into your schedule, you are more likely to succeed. Two times a week that you do consistently is better than five times a week you don’t do. Once you make the doable amount happen consistently, you may find ways to build in more if you want to.
- ADD A FEW MINUTES OF MOVEMENT. Start adding more movement to your day in micro increments. You could dance it out to your favorite song. Add push ups off the counter when you fill your water bottle. Walk the dog or work in your garden. You could pick one thing that you tie to something else, like the water bottle example, as a way to build the habit, or pick something new each day … dancing one day, a dog walk the next.
- FOCUS ON YOUR WHY. Knowing your why helps in two ways. First it can help motivate you when you don’t feel like following through on your plan. In addition, you can shift your mindset with your why. “I can’t eat pizza” is a lot different from “I feel bloated when I eat pizza too often.” “I’m going to exercise because want more energy” is different from “I have to work out to lose weight.”
Feminine Productivity is a new way to navigate time. Most of the stuff in the time management world was created by men. I’ve got nothing against men. I’ve got nothing against great time management books. And very often the people who are writing this information have dinner waiting for them when they get home.
As women, we hold so much — kids of all ages (cause they don't stop needing us as young adults), careers, the changing landscape of our bodies, aging parents, homes that need attention, vacations, breakfast, lunch and dinner, often for not just us.
Listen in to learn how Feminine Productivity is a way forward.
“I've learned to really just start to give myself permission to live a really good life.”
–Linda Perry
Are you stuck in the shoulds? So often even when we have a vision, it isn’t ours — it comes from the outside. When Linda Perry started asking “Is this the life I want to be living?” and pushing back against beliefs that had come from outside it led to enormous change.
Linda is a mindset coach, and I’m excited to talk to her about making a vision a reality. The first step is to give yourself permission to put something on paper … and allow it to change. Linda recommends putting on your experimentation hat.
Don’t worry about the how. Linda calls “the how” the killer of dreams. We need more clarity about the what and the why.
We talk about:
- Releasing beliefs that keep us from what we want, like I don’t deserve a vision, I can’t reach a vision, if I try I’m going to lose everything
- Creating a list of wants
- Choosing to act now, not someday, how to claim time, and what happens when you do
- Being in integrity with ourselves
- Letting go of gold stars and owning your self-worth
- Shadow work and how it helps us
ABOUT LINDA
Linda Perry is a mindset coach & business strategist who works with individuals, business owners and their teams become more self-driven and move toward 7-figure success. So many people get stuck on a plateau and don’t know how to move forward, Linda uses a mindset first approach to support individuals and teams to tap into their core motivations, strengths and frees them from their blocks so they can soar past 7 figures.
She is also a recovering attorney & copywriter and uses her skills of persuasion to show business owners how to make the impact they desire. Linda works with clients through her private coaching, group courses and workshops. She is also the lead business instructor at Levin Life Coach Academy where she teaches new coaches how to build a thriving coaching practice.
LINKS
- lindamperry.com
- The Top Three Blocks Keeping You from Getting to Six Figures and Beyond
- Instagram @Linda.m.perry
- LinkedIn @lindamperry
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- FIND YOUR VISION. Go ahead and write your vision on paper. You don’t have to figure out how to do it. You don’t even have to stick with it for the next 5 years, but write down what you want. Then ask: Is this really what I want — or is what I think I’m supposed to want? Keep experimenting until your vision feels clearer and more from the inside.
- CLAIM 5 MINUTES. Choose something you want to do and put 5 minutes on the calendar for that thing. Do the thing for 5 minutes. Do it every day for a week. Do you want to keep going? Do you want more time? Notice what happens to time and your ideas.
- HOLD YOURSELF IN INTEGRITY. We’re often good at being in integrity with others, but not with ourselves.Identify one thing you’ve said that you want to or would do for yourself — it could be related to health or business or something you love doing. Do the thing as if you were doing it for someone else. Remind yourself that you deserve to be in integrity with yourself.
“You can actually speak up for yourself with poise and grace and kindness.”
–Amy Green Smith
Can you be compassionate and assertive at the same time? I’m really excited to talk with Amy Green Smith about self-empowerment and how she stopped being a people pleaser.
Don’t think you are a people pleaser? We go beyond the idea of people pleasing being something a timid wallflower does. Any time we alter who we are in order to gain favor from another person or party at a cost to us is people pleasing. Sometimes we people please to stay safe. It’s important to see where people pleasing is keeping us safe and where it is stealing our joy.
We don’t always have to be disrupters. Sometimes we just want to be ourselves. The middle path can be messy, but it’s possible to stand up for ourselves without anger. We can communicate without yelling and screaming or biting our tongue all the time.
We talk about:
- Taking up equal space with people with different ideas
- Setting and holding boundaries around challenging areas in relationships
- How to live life according to what you want, not other’s demands
- Recognizing and feeling dichotomous feelings and not falling prey to guilt
- Going back to your internal compass and checking your intention
- Questions to ask to find your truth
ABOUT AMY
Amy Green Smith is a certified and credentialed life coach and hypnotherapist, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-worth.
With acute focus on helping people “find their voice”, she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor and has been a featured expert in Inspired Coach Magazine and on Fox 5 San Diego.
LINKS
- Website: https://amygreensmith.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyamygreensmith/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyamygreensmith/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHECK YOUR INNER COMPASS. You will get a lot of feedback from other people, and it’s not helpful. When you are feeling bad about how people react to something you say or do, return to your inner compass and check your intention.
- FIND YOUR TRUTH. Use this three prong question to find your truth in any situation. Ask: What are the facts of the situation? What am I making up? What else could be true?
- SET A BOUNDARY. Boundary setting is not easy. It takes time and energy, but it is an important step to living the life you want to live and giving up harmful people pleasing. Start by getting really clear about what you will and will not tolerate. Then communicate that firmly and with compassion.
Imagine you have a big puzzle to solve. It's so big that it might feel overwhelming to finish it all at once. So, instead of trying to put all the pieces together in one go, you decide to break it into smaller parts — so smart!
That's what a 90-day plan is like! It's like breaking the big puzzle (a year) into smaller puzzles that you can solve one at a time. In this minisode, I dive into why this is such a win for women.
Here's why it's super cool:
Less Scary: Just like solving a smaller puzzle feels easier, focusing on smaller goals for 90 days makes big goals feel less scary.
Flexibility: 90 days provides enough time to make significant progress, yet it's short enough to adjust your plans based on changing circumstances or feedback.
Easier to Focus: When you know you have 90 days to finish something, you can focus better because you don't have to worry about what will happen far in the future. As some, we hold so much. Achieving goals within a shorter time frame boosts motivation and confidence, encouraging you to continue working towards your long-term objectives.
Feels Like a Game: It's like playing a video game with levels. Each 90-day period is like a level. When you finish one level, you feel awesome and ready to tackle the next one.
Learning to Plan: You learn how to make plans and stick to them. This skill is super important because it helps you achieve your dreams, just like beating levels in a game gets you closer to winning.
Makes Big Goals Possible: Sometimes, big goals seem impossible. But when you break them into smaller pieces with a 90-day plan, you realize that every step gets you closer to your big dream.
Evaluation and Adaptation: At the end of each 90-day period, you can review your progress, evaluate what worked and what didn't, and make adjustments accordingly.
So, a 90-day plan is like your secret weapon for making big dreams come true, one small step at a time!
“By conciously choosing foods, you are not only fueling your body but also honoring its needs.” – Mia
Bringing more feminine into your day isn’t about doing more. It’s about how you do what you do. It’s about support in what you do. More feminine in your day brings more balance and ease.
When you are used to the masculine — to pushing through, to doing all the time, to a focus on efficiency and what you did not how you felt — things might feel hard. Some of the same things can feel easier, calmer, or more joyful when you bring in the feminine.
In the first episode about feminine productivity, I explained a new process for planning that takes into account intuition, how you feel, and visioning. In the last episode, I show you to weave the feminine into your business. Today, let’s look at how to weave it into your day-to-day.
If you are juggling a bajillion things and think this can’t work for you, I promise it can. I’ve used this process myself for years and taught it to hundreds of women who are doing the things they said were important to them and feeling good at the end of each day. I’ll teach you a new way to plan and love your day today in the free workshop Take Control of Your Day.
7 Simple ActionsThese simple actions can shift the energy or your mood, support you, and help you tap into your intuition. They can happen in a few minutes and some even while you are doing something else.
1. Start the day with gratitude. Gratitude is a way to center. It’s a tool we can use to lift our vibration before making a choice. It leads to different choices. Starting the day with gratitude is like setting the foundation for a beautiful house; it provides a sturdy base upon which to build the rest of your day.
2. Support your body. This is an act of love and the feminine leads with love. Choose what you will feed yourself and how you will take care of yourself. By consciously choosing foods, you are not only fueling your body but also honoring its needs. Choosing nutrient-rich foods that nourish your body from the inside out can have a profound impact on your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. Similarly, how you take care of yourself physically—whether through regular exercise, adequate rest, or practicing mindfulness—reflects your commitment to prioritizing your health and vitality. When you support your body, you are sending a powerful message of love and appreciation to yourself and laying the groundwork for a great day.
3. Pull an Oracle card. Oracle cards are a powerful tool for tapping into intuition and gaining insight into various aspects of life. By pulling an Oracle card, you invite a moment of reflection and connection with your inner wisdom. These cards often carry symbolic imagery and messages that can provide guidance and inspiration for navigating your day.
4. Leave space in your calendar. In our fast-paced world, it's easy to fill our calendars with endless tasks and commitments, leaving little room for spontaneity or self-care. By intentionally leaving space in your calendar, you create opportunities for rest, creativity, and magical moments. Embracing this openness allows you to flow with the rhythms of life, rather than constantly pushing against them.
5. Ask for help. Doing everything alone is baked into the patriarchy, and somewhere along the line many of us came to understand this as we are doing it better if we can figure it out. This is just not true. The feminine likes a village. When something comes up that you can feel yourself tensing up, ask “who not how,” and see what pops in. Many of us tend to lean on one person for everything. A big part of what we will do in our course, Feminine Productivity, is actually design our village
6. Get quiet. In the midst of “the busy,” finding moments of quiet can be incredibly nourishing for our feminine spirits. Whether it's through meditation, spending time in nature, or simply sitting still for 30 seconds, getting quiet allows you to tune into your inner voice and cultivate a sense of peace and clarity. These moments provide a sanctuary where you can recharge and reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.
7. Make hard or boring situations more sacred. Light a candle and make a cup of tea when you are paying bills. Turn on calming or motivating music while you cook. I first learned to meditate while washing dishes and folding laundry. Approaching pockets of time that feel boring or hard with a sense of reverence can transform them into opportunities for growth and connection. By infusing everyday activities with a touch of sacredness, we honor the present moment. This shift in perspective reminds you that even in the most challenging times, there is always an opportunity to find joy and meaning.
Take control of your day by weaving in more feminine.
And we can show how to use a new style of planning and following through to realize your amazing visions, feel more balance and ease, and really learn how to bend time. Our course Feminine Productivity shows you this new way of being and how to do, even when you are trying to balance too many things and can’t figure out the time. This is how you make it happen.
“I check in with my intuition before I plan for anything.”
–Mia
When you think about the qualities that go into building a successful business, things like strategic thinking, self-discipline, decisiveness, efficiency, focus might come to mind. When I asked Chat GPT to give me the top attributes of masculine energy, these were all on that list.
When I asked Chat GPT about the top attributes of feminine energy, some of the words that stuck out to me that have been most important in growing my businesses are intuition, flexibility, reflection, desire and belief.
There’s a lot of masculine energy that comes into building a business, but today I want us to consider how we can bring the feminine energy into our businesses and lives.
It’s not that masculine energy is bad, but many of our systems and structures are infused with a lot of negative masculine. Even if they contain positive masculine attributes, we need more balance with the feminine. We need both masculine, but many of us were taught, or see around us, all the masculine stuff, and do not value, or even learn, the feminine pieces.
We will be officially launching the Feminine Productivity course soon that helps you bring more feminine energy into your business and day.
For now I want to share more about implementing in a new way in your business. I’m going to use the example of how I weave feminine into building a course, but what I share will work for any goal — filling your private practice, writing a book, growing your social media, landing a new big client.
Listen to those kind, gentle intuitive nudges.If we can listen to our intuition, we have found our path to a result. The feminine is subtle, sometimes quiet. She is waiting for the right time, not because she is scared, but because she is wise and just knows. She grows to the rhythm of her seasons.
Three years ago, I dreamt about the name of the course, Feminine Productivity. I loved it. I knew that was the name the second it rolled off my tongue. I bought the url. The same knowing that delivered the name, kept telling me not now whenever I sat down to write. I did not always listen. I made a workshop with the name. It was our least attended ever. I forced myself to write, but no new words came.Then a few months ago, at a retreat, I started getting whispers of what to include. I matched the whispers with extra time to capture them, and more extra time to be quiet enough to hear.
A week or so ago, I was questioning what I was doing up so late writing. The behavior looked similar to a hustle and push mentality that has not resonated in a long time — but it did not feel that way. Instead, I was filled with excitement and purpose. I felt an internal urgency to communicate the concepts of Feminine Productivity right away. It reminded me of giving birth, and that was my intuition showing me that it was time. I was in the season of making. And I was up for it because I had just come out of a season of rest.
What does this look like in practice?
For me it’s quiet mornings that are nurturing to me. I spend time quieting my mind and connecting to my intuition. I go between meditation, stretching, journaling, and I love pulling an Oracle card.
I have a waterproof pad in the shower, because I so often get intuitive hits there.
I don’t pack my days, because it’s harder to hear or see those intuitive nudges when I’m super busy all the time. I slow down on purpose. I take time between meetings and tasks when I can.
I eat food that literally keeps my channels open.
I check in with my intuition before I plan for anything. When I sit down to plan my week, I take time to breathe and get quiet. When I’m about to plan a big project, I often pull an Oracle card.
Wondering about how to fit intuition into your own planning process? I’ll teach you how to do that in Take Control of Your Day. If you are tired from juggling a bajillion things, you should sign up for this free workshop.
Establish belief.Mindset is really important in business. Every business coach I have ever worked with teaches one part business and one part mindset.
In the masculine model, we spent time doing things based on measurement and metrics.
The feminine bases choices on feeling.
I was on a call this morning with a client. She has told me many times how good she is at what she does, and how she is different from her competitors. She said exactly what she was going to do this week to focus on new sales, but there was no wind in her sail. Her energy felt flat. I asked her to tell me what a client would say about working with her. The positive energy and beautiful words flowed, and we made it her mantra.
Now she still has sales goals, but she starts with that mantra then moves to the task at hand.
What does this look like in practice?
Here are some specific actions that weave in the feminine when I’m trying to follow through on a project or plan.
Write down what’s holding you back. Reflection and contemplation are feminine. Write down what you’re nervous about and what’s feeling hard or overwhelming. Then identify one thing you can do to counteract those fears. This is where a tapping session, or yoga class, or understanding of your human design serves your work.
Even if I spend 30 minutes writing what’s holding me back, I gain time because those obstacles can get solved instead of keeping me in procrastination mode or plowing through and making something that’s not great (that’s a waste!)
Hype yourself up. Write a short (1–3 paragraph) review of your own work, as if you were your own biggest fan. Read previous compliments from clients for inspiration. What makes your work great? Why should someone work with you? There’s a lot of faith in the feminine — faith that your initial idea is amazing, faith it will all work out. When we get into the doing, it is so easy to lose that connection. This practice helps you feel it again.
Connect to others who have been before you. Read a book or listen to a podcast about someone who has already done what you are doing. Borrow someone else’s belief, while you build yours.
Feed desire.Those intuitive nudges are powerful and the best way I have found forward. When we have that initial intuitive hit, knowing, nudge, one could also call it a desire. In my experience, it’s the desire piece that makes a big difference in how a goal goes, and it’s the fleeting part.
When an idea or next step comes intuitively into our hearts and guts, it's strong and clear and fueled by desire. Let’s say you get the hit that now is the time to make the course or write the book. The desire makes that almost seem easy.
Then 10 minutes later our brain kicks in. All of a sudden, we are already behind, overwhelmed, and it does not seem so fun anymore. We keep pushing and it only gets worse. Our brain is trying to protect us from change, which it sees as unsafe.
It’s our job to keep the desire alive and get back to the place of ease and flow. Remember how I stayed up late writing the course? Weaving in the feminine was the key to feeling focused and efficient (there’s that balance!)
What does this look like in practice?
Imagining the best case scenario. Before I make a plan, I write about my desired outcome. I write about how the outcome would impact my life, my family, those I’m helping. I really build the desire, I cultivate it in this story I’m telling. I go back and write it in the first person. I read what I wrote before I sit down to work. It’s challenging to do something for future you. This exercise brings your ideal future into the present.
Feel the benefits of the result. This practice is about really feeling the outcome you want. I close my eyes and feel what it feels like to be done and have achieved the result I want. Sometimes I have to say it out loud a few times, so I can really get that energy of desire. This exercise helped me understand how flat some of my “wishes” had become, and how important it is to my motivation and focus to really feel that quality of desire.
Clear energy. I find desire often gets squished by other areas of my life that are not getting my focus at that precise moment. So for example, I sit down to make slides for the course I’m working on, and the mess around me is super distracting. When I take 10 minutes to tidy it up, the energy of my work space is lighter. Or it’s time to be creative and something with one of my kids is weighing on me. The feminine art of clearing that energy makes those ideas come so much faster.
I hope that what you are seeing is where the feminine needs some time and space, and how these things don’t take extra time — they are actually making us time.
If you’re curious about this process of bending time and bringing more balance to your life (even if you are juggling too many things), I’ll teach you how to do that in Take Control of Your Day. Sign up for this free workshop here.
“In the feminine model of planning, we have to be willing to trust our hearts and guts and intuitions and future selves and make a plan to fulfill what they are dishing out.” –Mia
Many of the women that we work with don’t love the idea of being a planner.
They want freedom — and a plan feels like the opposite.
I get it.
Here are a few truths about me:
- I’m a creative who went to art school because the structure of other school wasn’t working
- I have been labeled dyslexic and ADHD.
- I am a manifesting generator in Human Design, which means I need to be able to change my mind and try lots of different things.
- I have had bouts of being utterly tortured by procrastination.
I didn’t want the structure of a plan, but I started listening to stories of very successful women, who worked 3 days making plenty of money, were great mothers, frequented yoga, traveled… all the things. And I realized that they made a choice and charted a course.
Planning as a Creative ProcessPlanning — even for people who don’t like to plan — shifts when we shift how we plan. We need to stop putting together a puzzle of all the things we are “supposed” to do when we plan.
When we start weaving a tapestry of what matters most, planning becomes a creative process.
When we get creative and focused on what matters, we’re more likely to keep showing up for planning. When planning this way becomes a practice, eventually our days are composed only of what really matters to us and our destiny.
My favorite definition of planning is this: Planning is just making choices in advance.
When I say that to FLOW members or our audience, women heave a big sigh of relief or give a huge AHA!
Women are often more willing to be a planner when they shift how they think about planning.
Mixing Masculine and Feminine in the Planning ProcessIf you’ve pushed back against planning, you are probably thinking a lot about masculine models of planning.
First let me clarify, when I talk about masculine and feminine planning, I’m talking about energy, not gender.
The way we plan and make choices as a society is very masculine, and the negative side of that is that planning has largely been about how much we can do. This is why “busy” became a badge of honor, even though it leads to burnout, stress, sickness, and other issues.
That isn’t to say masculine energy in planning is all bad. The problem is the feminine is squeezed out completely.
We need a balance of masculine and feminine energy to make a good plan. Since we are so entrenched in a masculine model, I think most of us need to dive deeper into the feminine.
When we bring the feminine in, the planning process becomes that tapestry of the life we want.
Understand the FLOW Planning MethodI drew heavily on feminine energy in creating the FLOW Planning Method, a new way of planning (and yes, it works for non-planners). Let’s take a look.
Center
The first step is to center. We want to make choices from the inside out, so we want to be as centered and grounded as possible when it’s time to make those choices. When we are centered, we can make choices that truly honor our future self.
Vision
From Center we Vision. We create a picture and feel the result we want as if we’ve done it. We shift our identities in advance and make the change energetically before we make it physically.
Center and vision together can take as little as 2 minutes, though sometimes we give more time for bigger decisions or longer term plans.)
Decide
With our vision set, it’s time to Decide. When we are deciding how we will spend our time, we often default to what everyone else is doing and what we’ve done before. But if we’ve taken the time with Center and Vision, we can access a new way that sees a clearer next step that is completely aligned with our future self.
At this point, our decisions or “knowings” feel so right. That does not mean that 5 minutes later we won’t doubt ourselves. Often a “who am I?” or “this feels too hard” will show up. A good plan helps us face our limintig beliefs in new ways.
Part of the Decision step brings in feminine trust/faith and matches it with the masculine quality of breaking things down and organizing them. We get things out of our head and on paper (or into a doc) quickly, then we organize them — sometimes into teeny tiny steps, sometimes into bunches of like things, always prioritizing 3 things that feel true at the soul level and letting the rest fall into place around.
Anchor
So much shifts when we make decisions a little differently. By this state in the process, we have prioritized things in a more aligned way, but we still have a glorified to-do list. We will quickly get overwhelmed about our new idea or way of being, because the part of us that KNOWS we can do it does not understand time. We need to Anchor what we’ve said yes to in time. We do this differently for different things. Some people like knowing that they have a morning where they have cleared the space for creativity. Others may have something that needs more specificity — 30 minutes of food shopping, 30 minutes getting organized in the kitchen, and an hour of meal prep. The key is to anchor all the important things.
Follow through
When we have gone through the four steps above, follow through shifts, because there is a combo of focus, time bending, and momentum that creates a different result. I’ve found that even people who say they aren’t good at follow through, become finishers when they’ve done the rest of the process.
There are different ways to apply these steps depending on what you are doing, but they work for a big project or in a 90-minute time block. We walk through those later, but basically it's about bringing awareness to recentering, revisioning, redeciding, and re anchoring yourself and then taking the next step.
And there are a few next-level keys to “feminine followthrough” that I will teach in Feminine Productivity. If you want to learn more and do a deep dive into how to plan your day, make sure to come to our upcoming workshop!
We change our vibe before we make a choice, the outcome changes.In the feminine model of planning, we have to be willing to trust our hearts and guts and intuitions and future selves and make a plan to fulfill what they are dishing out. We need to get real about time and take the steps. When we practice this again and again, new sychronicities open up. EVERYTHING changes.
“I want to approach my business in a way that feeds me as opposed to depletes me.”
–Jeannie Spiro
Now is the right time to grow and change … but you have to sell it. Today I’m talking with business and sales strategist Jeannie Spiro about her own path to entrepreneurship, how she sold her programs, and how ideas about what she should do almost derailed her.
Jeannie asks some really important questions: What does running by business from home look like now? What's important to me now? Who's important to me? How do I want to spend my time? We have plenty of people telling us what we need to do, but these questions are at the core of why we do what we do.
But we’re also in business to make money, and that means making sales. I know a lot of women who are uncomfortable with sales, but Jeannie shines at it. We dive into what she does and what gets in our way.
We talk about:
- Doubts about whether it’s the right time for a next step and building faith in yourself
- Letting go of things that aren’t working
- The difference between marketing and sales — and why getting in front of the most aligned people is so important
- Dropping into your heart before you sell.
- Setting up systems to support your sales
- Practicing selling because the more you get comfortable with making invitations, the easier it gets when you go even higher up
ABOUT JEANNIE
Jeannie Spiro is a business and sales strategist specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and conscious coaches with building an impact-driven, high-end coaching business.
Through her private coaching and mastermind programs, she's helped hundreds of clients turn their expertise into high-ticket programs and develop sales systems that allow them to consistently generate multiple six and seven figures in their business.
In the past 35 years, Jeannie has closed millions in sales by selling one-to-one, selling from the stage and selling without complicated sales funnels. Through her programs, she now teaches clients her unique sales framework that allows women to stop stressing about how and when to sell and fill their programs and be able to consistently and more predictably achieve their sales and revenue goals.
Jeannie's on a mission to help more women monetize their expertise and multiply their income and impact.
When she's not helping clients monetize their business, she can be found spending time with her family, traveling, or binging the latest series on Apple or Hulu.
LINKS
- jeanniespiro.com
- The Ultimate Speaking Lead Generation System: https://jeanniespiro.com/guide
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jeanniespiro
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanniespirocoaching
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- WHAT FEEDS YOU? What does it take to have a business that feeds you instead of depletes you? Try journaling on these questions: What does running by business from home look like? What's important to me now? Who's important to me? How do I want to spend my time? You can also pay attention throughout the day for the next week or month to what depletes you and what fills you up.
- DROP INTO YOUR HEART. Get used to pausing before selling. You can even practice this a few times without making an offer after. Get really clear on the importance of your offer. It can help to read or listen to testimonials to remind yourself of the impact you’ve had. Get excited about what you do and your why. You need to believe fully in what you do to be able to connect.
- HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS. Having more conversations about what you are selling gives you practice talking about it. It takes the pressure off a little because you are having lots of conversations, and you practice making the invitation. Set a number of sales calls to have. Then reach out to set up those calls. Talk about your offer or service whenever it comes up.
This is a minisode where I am thinking about a topic. In this case, that's coming up in my life. I'm going to take you behind the scenes today and I'm going to talk about this topic for hopefully under 15 minutes. Although, I'm not going to lie. That's the hardest part of these minisodes. I could talk for hours on almost all the topics, but I'm going to try to keep it short and I'm doing this so that we can be focused on one topic.
“The mess is where you find the magic.”
–Tess Masters
You have permission to go after whatever you want, no matter what. That’s the idea behind Tess Master’s new podcast It Has to Be Me.
Tess has been on the show before and we’ve talked about eating to thrive and food choices and hormones and blender recipes. Today we’re talking about the magic in the mess.
What happens when you get really clear on what you want? What happens when you give yourself permission to go for what you want — and to celebrate all you’ve done? You have to go through the mess — the talking it through, the doubting, the crying, the rejoicing, the trying on different hats and deciding what is and isn’t for you — to get to the magic. But you can get there and celebrate it!
We talk about:
- Valuing stillness and quiet and listening to your intuition
- Your purpose being connected to your heart’s desire
- How your capacity expands in “it has to be me” moments
- Limiting your potential by not making time to be the healthiest, most energetic you
- Making decisions based on your now or future self, not your past self, and differentiating between what is yours to be or do, and what isn’t
- I’m not enough and I’m too much are part of the same story
ABOUT TESS
Tess Masters is a wellness coach, speaker, podcaster, chef, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend published by Penguin Random House. You can find hundreds of easy recipes at theblendergirl.com.
Through The Decadent Detox® and Skinny60® health programs, Tess and her team of dietitians have helped over 30,000 people get healthy using science-based food and lifestyle strategies. The “Good, Better, or Best, Not Perfect” philosophy of the programs encourages participants to empower themselves in all parts of their lives to find a balance of self-care and fun!
Tess and her health tips and recipes have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Yahoo Living, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, and many other media outlets.
As a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with many brands, including KitchenAid, Vitamix, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, and many others.
Tess has a passion for sharing stories that inspire people to go after what they want. On her podcast, It Has To Be Me, she interviews trailblazers about how they conquer fear to take action on the things they’re dreaming about.
LINKS
It Has to Be Me
- https://ithastobeme.com/
The Blender Girl website:
- https://www.theblendergirl.com/
Skinny60® Health Programs:
- https://www.skinny60.com/
The Decadent Detox Cleanses:
- https://www.thedecadentdetox.com/
Facebook @theblendergirl
Instagram @theblendergirl
YouTube
- https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/
TESS ON PLANSIMPLE
- Empowered Food Choices with Tess Masters
- Eat to Thrive with Tess Masters
- The Skinny with Tess Masters
- Blend It with Tess Masters
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CLEAN UP YOUR FOOD. A lot of times we try to shift our food because we want to lose weight or deal with a health issue. When we clean up our food, we also clean up the pathways within us. It makes it easier to hear our own intuition and get clear on what we want. Play with something new: blended foods, raw foods, more veggies. If this feels too big, schedule some time to explore the links to our shows with Tess where we share lots of ways to make clean food easier. From there, choose one change you will make.
- CELEBRATE WHAT YOU’VE DONE. We’ve been taught not to promote ourselves or take too much pride in what we’ve done. Stop today and celebrate yourself. Having trouble? Celebrate somebody else first (we’re usually better about that). Then find something about yourself to celebrate. You probably know what it is, but you are holding back.
- GET QUIET AND LISTEN. You get the biggest downloads when you're still and quiet and you just listen, but we don’t get quiet very often. Schedule time to get quiet. Find a space away from other people. Turn off your phone. Sit through all the chatter about what you should be doing. See what happens as you move beyond the discomfort of getting quiet. The more you do it, the more practiced you get. Commit to doing it regularly for a trial period.
On this minisode, Mia goes over 5 ways that you can make time for your health. She has noticed how much our "to-do list" culture gets in the way of us making doctors appointments, eating good food, taking supplements, moving our bodies, and the list goes on. In her opinion, we are just focusing on the wrong things.
“So many people keep failing in their well being because they don't understand that food is not about food.” –Marie-Claire Hermans
It’s time to take a stand for your health. Imagine facing bouts of paralysis, incontinence, memory loss, and a sense of losing life as you know it. Marie-Claire Hermans had multiple doctors tell her it was all in her head. She finally found one who helped cure four of six diseases.
When he told her the other two — fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome — were incurable and she’d have to just live with them, she slammed her fist down. She was not going to have it. She went on a quest to cure herself and found her answer in raw foods.
She started a business, moved to New York from Belgium at age 60, and published her first book at age 65. She’s here to talk about her book and where mindset and food intersect.
We talk about:
- Needing a long-term vision to guide food changes
- Leaving a legacy of love and being loved
- Having health transformations instead of body transformations, lifestyles instead of diets
- Eating for more energy, more stamina, more focus in your business or career so you can enjoy more of what you love and how many things change when you open up your abundance of energy
- The orgasmic feeling of eating all raw foods
- Creating a health plan like you would create a business plan
ABOUT MARIE-CLAIRE
In 2018, Marie-Claire sold everything she owned, packed two suitcases, and moved from Belgium to New York City to start a new life… she was 60.
Just nine years earlier, she healed herself of two “incurable” diseases after barely surviving a killer cocktail of six. She threw everything overboard she was taught to eat, and stopped cooking all her food. Now she shows high-performing women how to explode their energy, charisma, and style for a profitable presence. How? With a plant-based lifestyle that supports their ambitious dreams and fits their busy schedule.
LINKS
- Plant-based Energy with Marie Claire on the PlanSimple podcast
- Energy For Experts — https://www.energyforexperts.com/
- Plant Based for Profits: How to Eat for Success paperback
- Plant Based for Profits: How to Eat for Success ebook
- Facebook @energyforexperts
- Marie-Claire’s Facebook Author Page @marieclaireauthor
- Instagram @energyforexperts
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum.
Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CREATE YOUR VISION FOR YOUR 90S. How do you want to be doing in your 90s? How do you picture your health, your body, your ability to enjoy activities and people you love? If you have a lot of negative or ideas about aging, think about the most vibrant people you know. Get a really clear vision of yourself decades in the future.
- MAKE A HEALTH PLAN. Most of us don’t plan for our long-term health. It’s so far away. It feels like too much to change all at once. Yet we plan for so many other things. Make a plan for your health, based on your long-term health vision. You don’t have to do all the things at once, make the plan so you can start making more doable changes that lead to your long-term goals.
- TRY RAW FOOD. All raw food isn’t for everyone — or for all the time, but it is a very different experience. You get all of the life force of the food, and it can have huge impacts on energy. Try this doable change as an experiment. Commit to doing it for a week, and check in to see how your body feels. We have more advice on the podcast about raw food if you want to explore more before you get started.
“When women actually start to lean into and embrace their cycle, it becomes like your superpower.”
–Renae Fieck
Your cycle is more than your periods. Too often we are only aware of our period, but working with the four parts of our cycle can make a huge difference in our work and life. I’ve been paying more attention to my cycle for a few years now, and I’m really excited for this conversation with Renae Fieck, cycle coach and business strategist.
If you pay attention, you’re likely to notice different energies and moods throughout each month of your cycle. Renae has dubbed them: the recharge, the accelerate phase, the connect phase, and the reflect phase. You can work with these phases instead of trying to push through them.
No, you can’t plan your whole life around your cycle, but you can still organize some of your work around them. You can also be kinder to yourself when you need to do something not at the optimal time. And you can make other changes in your life to support yourself through the various stages.
We talk about:
- What happens when we create space for ourselves and follow our rhythm
- Ways to track what’s happening — noticing goes a long way.
- Seasonal and other long term cycles in our lives
- Shifting your exercise throughout your cycle
- Finding more confidence and turning your cycle into your superpower
- What it looks like for women who don’t have a cycle now
ABOUT RENAE
Renae is a mom of 3 and occupational therapist. She helps women optimize their time and energy through unlocking the power of their cycles so that they can be thriving high achievers. Through her method she helps women balance the demands of life, make a bigger impact, and get bigger results without adding more stress or needing more time. She’s the host of the Cycle Advantage Podcast. She can be found at renaefieck.com.
LINKS
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renaefieck/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risingmoms
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RenaeFieck
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@renaefieck
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/renaefieck/
- Gift: renaefieck.com/ditchconsistency
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Sometimes action feels so hard. You can be kind to yourself and take action. Our cycles are a great example of how! And we can also take care of ourselves by making the steps doable and focusing on one thing at a time. We take time to integrate the change and then move on to the next one. Pick a Doable Change that resonates with you the most to start from.
- TUNE INTO YOUR BODY. Working with your cycle starts with noticing your cycle. You can use tools to track your basal body temperature. But you can also simply ask: How am I feeling today? What's actually happening in my body? What does my body need today? Keep it short and simple.
- CREATE SPACE AROUND YOUR PERIOD. For this part of your cycle, create space for yourself. Take a social media break...
“Creativity isn't just art. It's not just fun crafts or photography. Creativity is learning to step outside the box and create in different ways.”
–Beryl Young
How do creativity, productivity, and ADHD come together? What about a job in an accounting focused business and creativity or a job and entrepreneurship? We talk about what creativity really is, getting diagnosed later in life, and flowing between a job and running your own business with creativity coach Beryl Young.
Beryl really wants people to see creativity as more than just art, fun crafts, or photography. She manages to infuse creativity into a job in the accounting world. She says creativity is just a way that we solve our problems and we find fulfillment during the day. It’s essential self-care. But we often see creativity as extra, and some people find creativity intimidating.
Beryl was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 40, after her daughter's diagnosis. I’m seeing more and more women who flew under the radar and are now getting diagnosed. Beryl has found a lot in the creative entrepreneur space, and it's an important piece of the conversation.
In addition to creativity and ADHD, we talk about:
- reinventing yourself, again and again, as a creative act
- being creative with structure — and burnout happening when we are constantly overflowing structure
- letting go of workaholic tendencies and remembering to be creative
- how creativity feels extra, what it really is, and how to weave it into your days
- letting go of perfectionism and asking what you need creatively on a given day
- how many different ways you can be creative
ABOUT BERYL
Beryl Young is a creativity coach who supports women in finding greater productivity through sparks of creative self-care. Formally diagnosed at age 40 with ADHD, she realized just how much she’s relied on creativity throughout her life to harness her neurodivergent traits and thrive. Using tools like mindful photography, intentional journaling, and conscious doodling helps women cultivate more space in the chaos of daily life and show up with greater courage and confidence. Beryl previously was the creator and founder of the Momtography photography method and her work has been featured on TODAY parents, Huffington Post, PicMonkey, Digital Photography School, & The Shameless Mom Academy.
LINKS
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyoungcreativepage
- Opt-In: https://beyoungcreative.com/sparkstudiosignup/
- https://beyoungcreative.com/100stepsplansimple/
- Instagram: @creating.courage OR @100stepsproject
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- 10-MINUTE RULE. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, stop what you're doing and take 10 minutes to do something. It could be tidying up a corner of your home that's just for you, setting up your creative space, making a playlist that you love.
- OWN YOUR CREATIVITY. Do you get intimidated by the idea of creativity because you don’t like results or...
This meditation is a great way to get centered before sitting down to make a plan — especially a wellness plan. We took it out of a longer session, so that you can use just the meditation. Go to the previous episode to fit this meditation into a bigger framework.
“Planning is deciding in advance, after taking the time to get centered.” – Mia
Let’s make time for your health.
We recently ran a week-long planning event where we took women through the steps of making a 6-week wellness plan.
You can go through the whole training here, and in this episode I walk through some of the key questions posed in the first three sessions.
In this episode we share the 5 steps of the FLOW Planning Method — center, video, decide, schedule and follow through.
Mia shares a few key questions that are a part of the Make Time for Your Health Planner.
1. Ask why you want to make time for your health? Ask 3 times.
2. Make a list of thhe obstacles that keep coming up.
3. Make a list of all your wants — whether they are old or new.
4. Decide your next step for each want. Remember your next step can be to let it go forever or until another season.
5. Let your gut and your why guide you in choosing your top 3 priorities for the season ahead.
“With meditation, you become a sensitizedsuperhero, completely in control, with endless possibilities at your fingertips.” – Tara Stiles
This meditation is a great way to get centered before sitting down to make a plan — especially a wellness plan. We took it out of a longer session, so that you can use just the meditation. Go to the previous episode to fit this meditation into a bigger framework.
Once you have the sense of the direction you are going, we have compiled a playlist of our best wellness episodes to help you follow through.
You can also download the full playbook with tips from each podcast episode. Just remember to decide what you want first. The expert episodes are meant to support your dreams, rather than tell you what your dreams should be
“If you can rest your body, if you can rest your mind, sleep just happens. It's a side effect.”
–Kali Patrick
Can’t sleep? It’s the worst. Whether you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep or get quality sleep, not sleeping impacts everything! Sleep is a hot topic in the FLOW365 community right now, and I know too many women who aren’t getting enough sleep. That’s why I’m so excited about this conversation with Kali Patrick, an adult sleep coach.
Poor sleep affects movement, mood, and what we eat, so you really need to prioritize sleep when we are making time for your health. What does “good sleep” even mean? First, Kali says we need to look at our whole sleep experience, not one night. We often create bigger sleep problems by getting in our own head about one or two bad nights of sleep.
The first step is actually having a sleep vision. “I need to sleep better” isn’t going to motivate you. You need to ask yourself: What’s important about getting better sleep?
We talk about:
- Setting sleep goals — and knowing how to support yourself to get there with doable changes
- Giving yourself enough sleep opportunity and setting boundaries with yourself and others to promote good sleep
- How to deal with middle of the night waking
- Simplifying your bedtime routine
- The difference between recreation, rest, and sleep … and how it affects what you do before bed
- Have a sleep rhythm and understanding that you can get back to if you choose or end up out of it for a night
ABOUT KALI
Kali Patrick is an adult sleep coach and #1 bestselling author of Mastering Your Sleep Puzzle: Your 12-Week Guide to Sleeping Better. She helps stressed-out tired people reclaim their sleep, energy, & enthusiasm for life.
Kali blends her training as a nationally-board certified health & wellness coach and therapeutically-trained yoga teacher into a practical and flexible approach to help busy people improve their sleep long term.
Kali’s personal experience with both insomnia & burnout add a different dimension to her approach and make her a leading—though often contrarian—sleep expert. Kali believes that everyone has the ability to sleep naturally without any of the products, pills, potions, & gadgets marketed by the $65 billion sleep aid industry*.
Learn more about Kali and her programs at KaliPatrick.com.
LINKS
- Free 30-min Clarity Call (required entry to 1-1 coaching)
- Course: The Sleep Academy
- Book: Mastering Your Sleep Puzzle: Your 12-Week Guide to Sleeping Better
- Freebie: Lifestyle Habits Wrecking Your Sleep (sample book chapter)
- Twitter:...
“Get rid of the all or nothing mindset that it needs to be some super intense thing.”
–Dr. Anthony Balduzzi
Do you need different food and exercise in your 40s and after? Is it too late to start working out? I’m so excited about this conversation with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, founder of The Fit Mother Project. We talk about long-term health as a motivator and how to actually make change happen as we age.
Why does it feel like what was working doesn’t any more? And what can you do about it? Dr. Anthony says the margin of error goes down when you don’t have as much estrogen providing energy, bone strength, and vitality. That means we need to do strength training, really get control of our nutrition (we’ll talk about some shifts here), make sure you’re moving, take the right supplements, and optimize sleep.
If you’re looking at that list and thinking, “I don’t have time,” we’re going to talk about pulses of exercise, how to mix cardio and strength training, and shifts in food that can make a big difference. Plus how these changes can give you more energy … that can help you do more of the good stuff for your body.
We talk about:
- Having a standardized healthy breakfast and getting more protein in your diet
- The need for movement AND workouts
- Experimenting to find what feels good for your body
- Starting strength training — it’s not too late and it doesn’t have to take hours
- Micro workouts, combining cardio and strength training and ways to trading intensity for time
- The importance of recovery time
ABOUT DR. ANTHONY
Dr. Anthony Balduzzi is a health and weight loss expert and the founder of The Fit Mother Project and The Fit Father Project — the leading health & weight loss programs for busy moms and dads over 40. Dr. Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Nutrition & Neuroscience from the University Of Pennsylvania and a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Balduzzi is most proud of the fact that he's helped over 30,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy through his programs.
LINKS
- The Fit Mother Project
- https://www.youtube.com/@FitMotherProject
MENTIONED LINKS
- Empowered Food Choices with Tess Masters
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- DIAL IN BREAKFAST. Having a standardized healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day. You want some healthy fat, some protein, lots of vitamins and minerals. Have a plan and keep it simple. You could have an egg with sauteed greens, other veggies or berries. You could do overnight oats with hemp seeds, chia seeds, and almond milk. You could do a smoothie with protein powder, almond milk, and veggies. You can eat the same thing everyday or swap out what veggies you have with your eggs or what fruit you put in your smoothie. Some of these things you can even prep ahead. Dial in breakfast and see what that does for your day.
- BUILD DAILY MOVEMENT. In addition to working...
“I believe in doable and done over perfect and procrastinated.”
– Mia
At the end of every episode, I share 3 doable changes. Why? Doable changes are the key to all the big changes we want in our lives. And no matter how busy you are, doable changes work.
Often when we decide we want a change, we try to take on all the parts at once or try to take a giant leap from where we are that is too hard or unsustainable.
Then with a list in hand, of unchecked items, because we just made it 5 minutes ago, we start to feel overwhelmed or behind. That feeling does not help us take action.
For years, I craved change. I was constantly starting a million things, doing them half assed until I could no longer bear it, then hiding, then repeating. I felt like I was part of the movie Groundhog Day!
The problem was I’d try to change everything all at once, from what I ate to how I worked to my exercise routine — oh, and I would start at 5:45 am with meditation. Honestly, meditation was on my calendar for years! It tortured me, until I actually made it “doable.”
Now, instead of “trying” to make a million changes at once, each week there is one thing that I actually work on. By focusing on something each week, I have found that at the end of the year, I have a beautiful set of practices or habits that are genuinely mine.
You can develop new habits or practices too. Getting into FLOW doesn’t have to be daunting. You can make meaningful change in your life by choosing doable changes and committing to them.
We are going to focus on food and wellness this month. I thought I would share a few tangible examples of how some of these have played out in the food and wellness area.
Have you signed up for Make Time for Your Health?
(Event square)
14 years ago, I needed a doable change to get healthy. I had gotten some advice to go raw vegan and basically detox. I really wanted to follow through but that really did not feel at all doable to a non-cook with 3 kids under 5. To make it doable, I ate basically the same things everyday for 3 months. That got me the food change I was looking for. Once I was eating a new way and had some health and energy changes, I was able to add in more variety, but I need to make it as simple as possible to make the change doable.
3 years ago, giving up alcohol was a doable change one week. I decided to not drink in any circumstance for one week. Of course that week there were a few tempting scenarios — a work party at my spouse’s work where I felt awkward, a very long day that I traditionally would have ended with a glass of wine, and a relaxed Sunday where my husband cracked open a cider. The “change” was really about riding the wave of discomfort when temptation arose. The second week, I chose a doable change for work while staying focused on alcohol. I had not made a choice not to drink ever, but I wanted to see what I could do with the discomfort. Sometimes a smaller window makes a change feel possible, and you can choose it again and again. Three years later, I am still alcohol free.
114 days ago, I made a commitment to do Qigong every day. I made it a doable change and it became effortless. It felt so great on my body and soul. I have done it almost daily since. A few weeks ago, I went on a family vacation and could not find the space to do it. The truth is, I could not find a quiet space inside with Internet connection. So this week, my doable change is to practice outside without a computer some days, so I have that as a tool too. I felt different on vacation. Everything feels better with my daily Qigong practice. I’m committed to it, now my practice needs to get looser and flexible.
Sometimes a doable change is finite. When we had Jadah Sellner on the show, one of the doable changes we shared really resonated with me. It was to
“A mother's love liberates.” —Maya Angelou
Our kids’ teen years can be a struggle and a disruption, or they can be the medicine we need to connect to our kids AND our purpose.
What does talking about this have to do with what we do around here? Many of us plan for the physical hours of mothering in the early years, but we rarely consider the time it takes to process the mental load of the later years.
Listen in for all the details. Read the post for the basic idea.
A few years ago Sil Reynolds and I created a container for a group of mamas for five weeks. Sil offered us this definition of motherhood, “Allowing our kids to become themselves.” I love this definition for mothering kids of all ages, and it helps me understand what has worked and what has not.
Our job is not to be perfect. Our kids grow as much from what we do right as what we do wrong. Openness to evolve has been most helpful.
I believe the work is ours, and often we make it about our kids.
I did a lot of work on parenting in the early years that led to work on family values, family meals, less stuff. We loved the work of Kim John Payne who wrote a book called Simplicity Parenting that led to fewer toys and activity and no media. It was actually the foundation for what became Plan Simple Meals. It was simple at the beginning. As our kids became tweens and then teens, it got harder for me and my husband to agree, because we each got triggered in different ways.
My experience of helping my teen who was really suffering two years ago started like one would expect. Hours combing through therapists. Daily emails to colleagues and friends who might have ideas. It was one deadend after another, until I totally surrendered.
I saw the gift that was in front of me not only to help her, but to heal generations before and after us. I saw my responsibility in the situation. I saw the only way I could tap into my mama instinct in this extreme situation was to be 100% present. Sometimes that looked like sitting with her for 3 hours patiently waiting for her to eat. I started to see the connection between me being ok when she was not and her getting better. I danced with her. I hugged her often. I held my tongue hourly, and sometimes presence had me walking out the door alone.
I didn’t talk about this at first. I wanted to protect my kids and to make sure I was healed too, but this phase, these challenges of motherhood kept coming up in our weekly FLOW365 calls. I wasn’t the only one spending hours looking for a tutor or therapist while not getting work done or having things fall apart at home. I wasn’t the only feeling like I wasn’t taking care of my body because I was taking care of something else.
Often we think that parenting teens is less intensive than parenting younger kids, but really things just shift. Our teens still need us, but in different ways. Our role is still to allow our kids to become themselves, and that doesn’t mean stepping back.
The world really wants you to parent from the outside, but this phase needs you to source from the inside.
Here are 3 keys that have helped me LOVE being the mom of 3 teens (and they are still working as I move into the parent of a young adult too!).
Listen. Kids want to be heard. When your teen opens up to you, try to listen without jumping to conclusions, judging them, or even trying to come up with a solution (unless you are asked).
It’s hard to listen without fixing, but it builds trust and encourages them to come to you in the future.
How can you listen? Each kid is different, but try:
- Going for a walk
- During car rides
- While cooking or doing other things around the house
- Saying goodnight, sometimes this end of the day opens them up
How do you listen without fixing?
- My daughter and I danced...
When we come in tune with the moon cycle, it’s a way to come in tune with ourselves, and then when we come in tune with ourselves and our environment, there’s an invitation to become more present.” – Ezzie Spencer
What happens if you throw out what you think you know about calendars, goals, and noise—the magazines, commercials, comments from family members …?
My mission is to help women move away from all that outside noise and tune into their own bodies, minds and souls so that they can guide themselves towards their best lives.
I used to describe myself as a weird mix of very practical and a bit woo. I’ve come to realize that a lot of what I used to call woo is my most authentic feminine self… just living in a masculine world. I realized my conditioning around the calendar and masculine planning systems did not serve me. When I finally let go of the noise, I found the solution that let me shed 85 pounds, write a book, be there for my kids in ways I did not think a working mom could, and so much more.
Tracking your energy levels and planning from an informed place can be a transformative practice — and the moon cycle fits right into that. I learned from FLOW’s resident shaman, Julie Hannon; Sarah Jenks; and Ezzie Spencer.
Learning about the moon cycles helped me track my natural tendencies and rhythms. That means I can make plans that reflect my natural flow. This has helped immensely with both my productivity and happiness. It took me out of the model where every day is the same, and into a more informed space of each day being a bit different, and that cycle repeating every 29 days.
The coolest part about the moon as it relates to women and planning is that it helps us understand our own unique, consistent patterns — the tired days, the energetic days, the focused days, the loving days each repeat themselves in a very logical way. By knowing our energy, we gain a deeper understanding of our natural rhythms and patterns, and can identify our most productive times and low energy times.
Our culture has told us that low energy times are “bad” and we need to always be productive, but this is not the feminine way. When my energy is low, and I rest, ideas often flood in. My creativity is high.The trick is to understand my energy highs and lows and craft a life that lets me respond to my energy accordingly.
To do that, you need to know not only the cycle of the moon, but what that means for you! You do this by tracking.
Tracking our energy empowers us to make more informed life choices, such as adopting healthier sleep routines, food habits, and stress-management techniques. This self-awareness helps recognize early signs of exhaustion, enabling us to take timely breaks and prevent long-term fatigue. By honing the skill of energy tracking and informed planning, we unlock the door to a more balanced, productive, and fulfilling life.
Download the Moon Journal here to track your energy with the moon cycle.
New Moons and Full MoonsEach part of the moon cycle has an energy, and you’ll find that through tracking. The new moon and full moon are special times in the cycle.
Keep track of the full and new moon dates, so you know when each one occurs. You can find the full and new moon dates for your location online or in a lunar calendar.
New moons are for intention setting. I start my 90-day seasons on a New Moon, and our FLOW365 planning retreats often fall near new moons as well.
“Intentions set on a New Moon will be blessed and held into reality.”
– Sarah Jenks
Full moons are a time to manifest and release. Using the full moon as a symbolic time for self-reflection, manifesting, and release, can be a powerful practice for personal...
“Freedom isn't being able to do what I want whenever I want to. Freedom is not feeling pressure about it, and by planning it out, I don't feel the pressure.”
–Lori Ovebroeckling
Can you be supermom AND feel super balanced? Lori Overbroeckling, author of Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too!, says yes! As the mom of four with a corporate job and a business, she’s learned how to make time for all the things that fill her cup.
First, let’s clarify. Does it work perfectly every day? No. Are there stressful moments? 100%, but overall, she feels balanced and good about how she spends her time. It wasn’t always that way. Weekly planning helped turn things around.
It allowed her to see things that weren’t going to work and choose to move them or delegate them or cancel them. In other words, she got to be intentional instead of putting out fires all the time. Her plan, and this idea is not new if you have been around for a while, includes not just work, but all her family stuff, a meal plan, workouts … all the stuff in one plan.
We talk about:
- Planning from calm instead of panic
- How essential white space is in your plan
- Buffer time, adjusting the schedule as you go (without just throwing it out), and the mindset of letting go and moving on when your plan doesn’t go as planned
- How to ease the pain of back to school schedule changes (or any big schedule change)
- Cutting out extras to be able to provide more emotional support during transitions
- Carrying a piece of summer into fall to ease transitions in our family and our work
ABOUT LORI
Lori Whitney Oberbroeckling is a mom of four, corporate leader, podcaster, productivity expert, and author of the book Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too! She is passionate about helping parents who want fulfilling careers–or side hustles or passion projects–while also wanting to feel present and connected to their families.
LINKS
- Facebook Page: https://www.Facebook.com/secretsofsupermom
- Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretsofsupermom
- Amazon Link to Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VSDJ398/
- Website: https://www.secretsofsupermom.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/secretsofsupermom
- LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/secretsofsupermom
MENTIONED LINKS
- Parenting Simplified with Kim John Payne
- Connect, Collect and Then Direct with Kim John Payne
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.
Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar....
“When we declare, we do. When we think, we dabble.” -Mia Moran
I used to have a bookshelf of productivity books (mostly unread), a recycle bin of half-used calendars and planners, and too many days where my bag was filled with ideas and reminders on sticky notes and envelopes.
I know I’m not alone, because over the years of helping families plan healthier meals, I kept hearing it again and again. We just can’t get together for family dinner. I’m too busy for selfcare. I don’t have time to cook the meals I really want to eat. If I work, I won’t be there for those I love, much less take care of me.
We are all busy. As entrepreneurs and loving women, as passionate people who want to explore our interests and live healthy lives, we struggle to find the time or make the time.
I learned I couldn’t separate my healthy lifestyle goals, my family, and my spirituality and self-care from my work planning. Once I get it all on one page and look not for balance, but for FLOW between the different parts of my life, it starts to make sense.
This isn’t a quick fix solution, nothing that really works is. Instead you focus on breaking down your goals and continually flowing forward. And when you get off track, you have your system to come back into FLOW.
I created the FLOW Planning method, because it was what I needed, and as I shared what I was doing, other women got interested. I want you to keep moving toward the life you want: a life where you reach your big business goals—and have time for family and health and spirituality too.
So grab a notebook and a pen and the calendar on your phone. I’ll walk you through my process (and share my daily planning pages). At the end I will share the easiest way to put this process into action.
All Your Life on a PageThe FLOW Planning Method is a mix between journaling and calendaring. It is a way to keep moving towards what you want, one season and one day at a time.
It’s about knowing where to focus and what little things you can do in all areas of your life that will have a big impact.
It’s about starting from a kind, gentle, centered energy — always.
It’s about allowing yourself to imagine the best possible life, over and over, in each area of your life.
The FLOW process breaks life into 4 categories:
- Food & wellness
- Lifestyle & family
- Om (aka spirituality and self-care)
- Work
Too often we commit to our work or parenting for a phase of our life, and ditch the rest. When you get really intentional in all4 areas, magic starts to happen.
Lean Into Your Feminine Energy with the FLOW ProcessRemember the FLOW brings together all parts of your life. As you go through the steps don’t separate out work and home and self-care and health.
- Tune in.Let your soul guide you. Don’t choose based on what you think you need. The feminine gets centered and gets connected to a vision before making any choices.
This is when you engage your imagination, journal, meditate, walk, pull a card, open to a passage. Let yourself be guided and calm.
-
Get everything out of your head and onto paper.We hold so much in our heads and it holds us back. Just the act of getting everything down on paper can greatly affect your productivity, your creativity, and decrease your stress level. In the FLOW Planning Method, we call this transfer from head to paper.
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Trust your intuition and vision to help you make a plan for the next 90 days.I always encourage women to think about their future self. 5 years tends to be a good timeframe, but really its about dreaming where money and current situations are no longer an issue. Design your top goal in each of the 4 FLOW categories for the next season. It’s more productive to focus on the next 90 day season.
Stillness and...
“Today is the best time to start. Our tomorrow self is eagerly waiting. Our yesterday self no longer knows best.” —Mia
I wanted to share with you something that I teach, a simple tool that is behind all my big changes, and in recent years FLOW365ers.
How often do you get a download or an idea but struggle to bring it to life because your plate is so full? This gets even harder when you want a life of balance, a life that lets you be there for those you love and where you are not burned out.
I have lots of planning tools and balance tools in my toolbox. I’ll be sharing more of them, but I wanted to start with the one that kickstarted my health transformation 14 years ago — and has helped me every day ever since: the Today Sheet.
How Do I Find the TimeA few years ago, maybe 7, I went on the road to promote my book Plan SImple Meals. I thought I’d be teaching meal planning and how to feed your kids healthy food.
Instead I kept getting the same question over and over: How do I find the time?
I saw a sea of women who were frustrated because they literally couldn't figure out how to get to work, get their kids, get home, and make dinner. And I realized it wasn’t about dinner. This question came up around so many things that we say we want to do: exercise more, write a book, launch something new in our business, declutter the house, spend time with our kids, get back to a hobby like dancing or photography, meditate …
We all have the time we need to make the changes we want. But we don’t always see it.
Why? Because we are so busy doing everything. And there iis too much noise to notice.
Doing is necessary, but it needs to be balanced by being. Another way to look at this is that “the doing” is a masculine energy, and we live in a world that is skewed very masculine.
So let’s start by getting comfortable with the feminine and bringing it into how we think of tiime. Rather than starting from the long to-do list that you feel rather detached from, start by getting centered and allowing the vision to come forward. We make better decisions when we come from a place of feeling centered. We are better able to schedule from a place of being decided.
Once we have our vision and we’ve scheduled, we need to follow through. But here’s what makes this process different: we aren’t working from the assumption that every day is the same or that you are working 9–5.
Following through recognizing your cycles and seasons.
Learning to Bend TimeI struggled to answer that question women asked about how to find the time. It seemed that as I was making these big changes, there was time.
Time to learn how to cook. Time to eat raw vegan and be a great mom and grow a design company. Time to write a book as a dyslexic human who believed she wasn’t a writer. Time to educate my kids on the road and speak at schools and eat well.
I had always been told I had ADHD, or that I was just “creative,” because finishing on time or early was not my thing. But in the case of these important life things, in this phase, I was doing pretty great.
I started to look at what had worked for me.
It started with a health change. I was running a design company that was going well. I had a husband I loved, and three great kids. And I was exhausted and 70 lbs overweight from my three pregnancies. One day, staring at a stack of coffee cups and wondering how I could have no energy, I drew a line in the sand. It was time to get healthy.
It started with getting really clear on what I wanted, what was essential.
The first step I took: Ask around the office, “What would you do if you wanted to get healthy today?”
Everyone said I should go to a yoga class, so I called the babysitter and said I was going to be late.
For the first time ever I took care of...
“Productivity is a byproduct of focus. If you prioritize focus, productivity will follow.”
–Megan Flatt
Writing a book takes focus. Ask Megan Flatt, the author of Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better. The book answers the questions: What if instead of hustling harder, we focused more? What if it's not about getting more done? What if we actually did less, but did it better? Megan says she used all the tools she shares in the book to write the book.
We talk about getting big projects done, why checking things off the list isn’t necessarily the main goal, and napping without guilt. We can’t just prioritize getting stuff done. That’s hustle culture talking. “But I want to get stuff done!” you say. Don’t worry. You can, but if you prioritize focus instead of productivity, everything shifts.
It’s like wellness. If you focus just on the number on the scale, you don’t get the full picture. You might get where you want to go, but not actually be healthy. If you focus on moving and choosing healthy foods, you move toward your goal, gaining benefits along the way. It’s the same with productivity and your business.
We also talk about:
- The fact we aren’t supposed to focus all the time. That means your work day has periods of focus and periods of rest or non-focus.
- Scheduling time for your important but not urgent activities
- Understanding that your highest contribution shifts and setting boundaries to protect time for what you deem to be most important
- Whether you are making time for the $10,000 / hour tasks or just the $10 / hour tasks
- Mapping your energy and creating your own daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythm
- How to make time for focus 3 ways: schedule it, plan it, set it
ABOUT MEGAN
Megan Flatt is a business growth strategist on a mission to make entrepreneurship easier. She believes you can have a thriving business, a community and a life — and you don’t need more time, you need more focus. She’s the founder of Focus Sessions and the author of Focused: Reclaim Your Time, Ditch Overwhelm, and Do Less Better.
In Focused, she shows you how to find your focus, what to focus on, how to make the time for focus. Megan started Focus Sessions, a science-backed system to provide dedicated, distraction-free virtual coworking to help people get their most important work done. The monthly membership helps you find your focus, create a solid plan and stay out of overwhelm. Megan’s favorite affirmation is “you have exactly the time you need.”
Besides helping business owners focus, Megan is obsessed with lattes, post-it notes and romance novels. Outside of work, you find her focus turned to her husband and two kids, probably near the water, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can catch up with Megan at focus-sessions.com or letscollective.co or @focussessions.
LINKS
- Focused book: http://focus-sessions.com/focusedbook
- Website: https://www.focus-sessions.com/
- Instagram: @focussessions +...
“Self-confidence starts when you decide ‘I am going to start to create a relationship with myself’.”
–Candy Motzek
Self-confidence. We need to step into it as women. I lead off my conversation with Candy Motzek coach of coaches with discussion of self-confidence. Confidence is actually two things — an emotion that ebbs and flows and something deeper inside, a more core piece of us, inner-confidence. That’s what Candy had to repair. Maybe your self-confidence has taken a hit too.
Does this sound familiar? You did all the things you were supposed to do: good grades, gold stars, taking care of spouse and kids, putting everyone else first. But you find yourself asking, What about me? or Who am I?, it’s time to re-awaken your self-confidence.
And it can be transformative. Candy shares the story of a client who went from despairing, not knowing what to do to vibrant and on fire in three months. What changed? She found herself. She respected herself. She took care of herself. Her self-confidence was back. The first and most important step? Decide that you are going to start a relationship with yourself.
We talk about:
- Choosing to start a relationship with yourself. The work may take time, but that decision can happen in an instant.
- Journaling as a tool for self-discovery. Think of it as a coffee date with yourself. We share some simple prompts to get you past the blank page.
- Using journaling to clear out your head, like you’d clear out a junk drawer, and expressing a full range of emotions. Journaling out the crap is required!
- The compounding effect of the life you are building for yourself.
- Embracing your inner critic and recognizing it as the voice of evolution
- What self-confidence actually looks like and finding your own moments of courage
ABOUT CANDY
Candy Motzek is an author, podcast host, and business coach for life coaches. Candy helps smart people start successful coaching businesses. She believes that coaching transforms lives and that being a coach is a calling. She helps her clients get unstuck & feel more confidence and clarity so they can play bigger, sign clients & create more meaningful success. She is a 'recovering' corporate executive & engineer who combines practical strategy & mindset in her calming unique approach.
LINKS
- Podcast: She Coaches
- Free gift: candysfreegift.com
- Website: stepintosuccessnow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candymotzek/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candy-motzek/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- CHOOSE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF. This is the very first step to building your self-confidence, and it’s the most important. If you do one doable change start with this one.
“The promise with exquisitely aligned is that we become more intuitive. We become our own inspiration.”
–Gina Vincent
Frightened and enlightened? Or run for the hills? How do you face intimidating invitations from the universe? I’m really excited to dig into this question with Gina Vincent, a transformation expert who helps women be more aligned. I often say planning is deciding in advance. I also believe planning is a form of alignment. What happens when you look to the horizon instead of getting too stuck on what’s in front of you?
Gina believes in making time for rest, for allowing invitations to come to us. We need time and space for our heartfelt desires to open.
Conversations bring balance to our lives — even if they are conversations with ourselves. We can do that through journaling or meditating. These things help us find our voice, why we feel as we do, and what we are dreaming about or desiring.
We talk about:
- Pairing your voice with your intuition
- When not to speak
- Finding our soul level truths
- Balance, like a tree pose, and finding that in our lives
- Becoming our own inspiration
- Bringing energy into yourself and then giving it to someone else.
ABOUT GINA
Gina Vincent is a transformation expert, podcaster, speaker, and writer. Since 2003, she has been stretching high women's personal boundaries. In 2017, she created the parent company, Blissed-Out, Fit, & Feisty to move women to express their truest selves in their relationships, health, and wealth. More recently she launched Exquisitely Aligned; a 3-key proven strategy she discovered while advocating for her husband’s future and that of their family, while he lay fighting for his life. As a New Yorker by birth, she moves fast and does not sugarcoat things. Working one-on-one with clients, she speeds up their journey so they do not waste any more time trying to figure it all out on their own. Exquisitely Aligned is the final stop for a woman who is ready to live life on her terms, making her bigger impact, and shining unapologetically lighting the way for others.
LINKS
- Facebook:facebook.com/ExquisitelyAligned
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@exquisitelyaligned
- Website: https://exquisitelyaligned.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/exquisitelyaligned/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/exquisitelyaligned/
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is how change happens.
Often we feel like our actions have to be huge to match the bigness of our desires, but we have seen over and over and over again that the little things add up. By stacking up a series of Doable Changes, you will create that big change that you crave. Choose the one that really resonates with you this week and really make it part of your life.
Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOURSELF. You can speak your ideas aloud or journal them. You could start with the question: How do I feel? Why do I feel this way? Or What do I truly desire? Keep writing (or talking) often times the answer is there, but not
“When you decide from a place of self-love about anything in your life, that's when your choices start to stick.”
–Tess Masters
Can you eat Oreos and be healthy? Tess Masters, author of The Blender Girl and creator of SK60® health programs says yes. It’s all about balance — and not judging ourselves.
Obsessing about food and letting food choices rule the rest of your life isn’t healthy. What if instead, you felt really empowered about your food choices? What if you stayed present and enjoyed the eating experience? What if you noticed how you felt after eating different foods and used that to make decisions? What if you started from a place of self-love?
Food is not just food. Tess reminds us that a lot of clarity comes when you are nourishing your body in a really strategic, efficient way with beautiful foods that help your body to function the way it's supposed to. What’s murky that might be clear if you nurtured your body?
We talk about:
- How to actually be kind to yourself when it comes to food and why we eat things that may not be the healthiest choices
- The power of the pause as a way to distract yourself from a food that might not make you feel great and the difference between really wanting something vs. a habit
- The connection between stress sugar and dis-ease
- Knowing your superpowers or what’s working and using that as an anchor
- The power of gratitude and noticing both what’s good and bad
- Being healthy, having energy, and looking and feeling amazing in perimenopause and menopause
ABOUT TESS
Tess Masters is a lifestyle personality and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of The Decadent Detox® cleanses and SK60® health programs. You can find hundreds of easy recipes at theblendergirl.com.
Tess and her delicious healthy food have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Yahoo Living, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, WGN, and many others.
In high demand as a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with Vitamix, KitchenAid, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, Driscoll’s, Earthbound Farm, Vegetarian Times, and many others.
Away from the blender, Tess enjoys a diverse performance career. She has toured internationally with acclaimed theater productions, worked in film and TV, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns, audiobooks, and popular video game characters.
She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
LINKS:
- Website: https://www.theblendergirl.com/
- SIGN UP FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP:
“Our bodies are truly magnificent and really resilient.”
–Amanda Hinman
Dreading or hating menopause? Feeling it’s all downhill from here? It doesn’t have to be. I’m talking with Amanda Hinman, a functional medical health consultant, who helps women optimize health by balancing hormones naturally. You can write a different story for your health later in life.
One of the problems we face is our doctors don’t always talk about the hormonal changes we are experiencing. And even if they do, they are often compartmentalized—even though they interact within our bodies. We need more information. That means more testing and somebody who understands how to read those tests to get at the root cause.
We talk about:
- The 6 major hormones that change in menopause, not just the ones we are used to hearing about
- How these hormones interact and influence each other
- Becoming an empowered health leader for yourself
- Surprising results, like how eating healthy may not be working you if you look at what your body is actually taking in
- The importance the experience of eating almost as much as what you eat
- Learning to appreciate your body being a key step to health changes
ABOUT AMANDA
Applied Functional Medicine Certified and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Amanda Hinman used to feel exhausted and overwhelmed while struggling with an auto-immune condition. Life circumstances shaped her mission, to empower women to be in the driver’s seat of their health when her family was faced with multiple health crises and was able to overcome them against professional medical expectations.
Amanda specializes in helping successful women between the ages of 40-60 who are struggling with hormone imbalance and exhaustion to heal naturally and gain 3 hours of energy every day so they can maximize their impact on their careers and family.
Amanda founded a functional medicine company called the Hinman Holistic Health Institute and together she and her team have helped 100’s of women reclaim their health from the terrors of Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, anxiety, PCOS, pituitary tumors, and more.
LINKS
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hinmanamanda/
- Hormone Assessment: https://www.hinmanholistic.com/hormone-health-kit
- Website: www.hinmanholistic.com
DOABLE CHANGES
At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action.
Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it.
Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:
- APPRECIATE YOUR BODY. Appreciating your body is a great starting point to make decisions and choices about your health. Think about how amazing it is that your body does what it does. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, notice that your body and its systems are amazing.
- UPGRADE YOUR EATING. Instead of eating at your desk or rushing through a meal you just stressed about getting on the table, upgrade that experience. Take a break to eat your lunch. Take your breakfast out into the sun. If you can’t destress during making dinner, take a few slow breaths to destress before you start...
“We're coming to a place in time where life itself is making us go inner world focused.”
–Kristin Hanggi
There’s more than the hero’s journey. Kristin Hanggi and I are talking about the heroine’s journey and feminine productivity. Kristin is a multi passionate director, writer, producer, artist, and poet, who compares the hero’s journey — or the outer world journey — and the heroine’s journey — or the inner world journey.
The hero’s journey is an amazing framework, and when I first heard Kristin speak about the heroine’s journey, there was no doubt in my mind, I needed to get her on the podcast. Right now we are living the heroine’s journey individually and collectively. We need to heal our feminine and masculine.
The creative path will take you to your stuck places. You need to stay in the process to evolve. It’s not always comfortable and is often hard. We talk about overcoming limiting beliefs and thoughts of scarcity. Most importantly, Kristin shares the framework that helps navigate our sould’s journey.
We talk about:
- The role of mentors in the heroine’s journey
- The Dark Night of the Soul and what comes after
- Separation from the feminine, losing connection to the earth and our bodies
- The outward quest for success and spiritual aridness and not feeling fulfilled
- Healing our relationships with our bodies and the earth and reconnecting to and learning to trust the original wisdom that lives inside
- Finding the integration or sacred marriage between the masculine and feminine
ABOUT KRISTIN
Kristin Hanggi is a theater, television, and film director as well as a passionate multi-hyphenate — writer, producer, artist and poet.
She is best known for directing and developing the international smash-hit Rock of Ages, which received five Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical. She has directed productions of Rock of Ages all over the world, including Broadway and the West End. Ms. Hanggi also known for developing and directing the acclaimed pop opera bare, which ran to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles and off-Broadway, and has gone on to have over 500 productions internationally.
In February of 2022, Kristin directed the film Accidentally Brave, produced by Steven Soderbergh, based on the award-winning off-Broadway solo show by Maddie Corman (that Hanggi also developed and directed).
As a film and television director, Hanggi directed an episode on the Emmy-nominated Netflix musical series Julie and the Phantoms. Other film directing credits include: Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, an adaption of Rachel Cohn & David Levithan's popular novel of the same name, starring Victoria Justice, which debuted in Netflix’s top ten. She made her feature directorial debut in 2013 with the indie Grantham & Rose with actress Tessa Thompson. For television, Ms. Hanggi adapted and directed the hit book series, Dear Dumb Diary into a musical movie, under Executive Producer Jerry Zucker for Walden Media.
She is preparing the stage musical Romy and Michele: The Musical for 2024, and working with music artist India Arie on a stage show of her music.
A partial list of other past stage productions: Clueless (with Dove Cameron); Pirate La Dee Da (currently being produced for television by John Legend and Ryan Seacrest); Atlantis by composer Matthew Lee Robinson; the initial production that launched the Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy (starring Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, among others).
In 2020, she released a poetry book entitled “God, Sex, Musical Theatre” which has been optioned to be turned into an unconventional...
“Don't put a timeline on your dreams. Put a timeline on your action.”
–Jadah Sellner
What if you slow down? What if you stop hustling? I’m so excited to talk with Jadah Sellner, author of She Builds, about slowing down, avoiding burnout, and still reaching your goals.
Jadah says one of her superpowers is being connected with what matters most in any given moment. This superpower helps her not feel overwhelmed or busy … even when there is a lot going on.
Another secret of staying center, calm and focused? A holistic support system. She includes peers or colleagues—people going through the same things as you, mentors or coaches—both for business and life, and people who can hold safe emotional space for you. Do you have a holistic support system?
We also talk about:
- embracing an anti-hustle mindset and the idea that burnout is not an option
- the FEAR cycle (forcing, exhaustion, avoidance, rigidity)
- putting a timeline on projects, but not dreams
- honoring the season of your life and giving yourself permission to slow down
- setting intentions for breaks and scheduling in the things you say matter
- tune in to what is nourishing for your body and creating a self-care menu for yourself
ABOUT JADAH
Jadah Sellner is a best-selling author, business mentor, host of the Lead with Love® Podcast, and sought after international keynote and TEDx speaker. Jadah helps founders grow their businesses to the next level without sacrificing what matters most. Her work has been featured in: O: The Oprah Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CBS’s The Doctors TV, and on the cover of Woman’s World. Jadah loves taking bubble baths, playing board games, and dancing to Beyoncé. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.
LINKS
- shebuilds.com/vision (code PLANSIMPLE)
- jadahsellner.com/
- Instagram: @jadahsellner
- TEDx. Love in Business
- PODCAST. Lead with Love
- BOOK. Simple Green Smoothies
Doable Changes from this episode:
- NOTICE THE FEAR CYCLE. Sometimes before we make a change, we need to notice where we are. Pay attention to when you are in the FEAR cycle: forcing, exhausted, avoiding, or rigid. Get curious about what could change.
- SCHEDULE 1 THING THAT MATTERS. Often times there are things we say matter — family game night, healthy meals, a break. Pick one thing, and schedule it. Put it in your calendar. If it’s a thing you want to happen again and again, like game night, schedule a month of it (or more). Hold that time for what you believe matters, before anyone else claims it.
- MAKE A SELF-CARE MENU. What actually nourishes your body? Your mind? Your relationships? Make a list of activities that help different parts of you. Choose things that really nourish you, not things that you see on a generic self-care list. Make a menu for yourself. Remember, this is not a to-do list to get checked off, but something to help you when you are feeling depleted or ready to refresh. Choose what sounds good from your menu next time you take self-care time.
“Get out of fight or flight so you can hear your heart.”
–Denise Walsh
Too many tabs open in your head? Denise Walsh and I talk about the cascading effects of chronic stress and multitasking (I bet you have 16 million plates spinning too). Let’s close some of those tabs with this conversation.
Remember How to Dream
Your dream life starts with a dream, but sometimes we’re so burnt out we don’t even know what our dream is. Start by creating space to hear yourself again. It’s about being intentional
The 90-Day Transformation
Denise is as big a fan of 90 day seasons as I am. She says, “Three weeks is what makes a habit, 90 days is what truly can solidify it.” We can make a lot of shifts in 90 days, but it’s not so far out there we don’t even start.
We talk about:
- Starting the day with 15–30 minutes of journaling including gratitude
- Creating a dream plan to make that morning routine happen
- How changes create domino effects that impact our life
- Finding your it’s possible dream step
- Bringing the right energy into following up with leads
- Network marketing and what you can get out of it beside making money
ABOUT DENISE
Denise Walsh is a proud wife and mother, former clinical psychologist, motivational speaker, and multi-million dollar-earning entrepreneur.
Denise started her career by working with families at a local mental health agency as a clinical psychologist but left the practice to pursue a successful career in the direct sales industry. Her impact as a leader in that field, coupled with other certifications as a Jack Canfield trainer and experience as an elite coach with the John Maxwell Team, has given her the unique ability to help people tap into their ultimate potential and find their greatness. She has found her calling inspiring others to go after their dreams and has helped more than a million people find their purpose and fulfill their God-given destiny.
LINKS
- http://www.DeniseWalsh.com
- https://denisewalsh.com/books/
- https://www.facebook.com/thedenisewalsh
- https://www.instagram.com/thedenisewalsh/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- JOURNAL EVERY MORNING. Decide how you will make 15–30 minutes of journaling happen. Will you get up early? Do you need to go to bed earlier to make that happen? Make a plan. Have your journal ready. Write about your dreams and desires. Write your gratitude.
- QUIET YOUR MIND. Journaling may help you quiet your mind by getting ideas out onto paper. Meditation is a great way to quiet the mind. Both of these are practices. Even if it feels like it isn’t working at the moment, see what happens when you stick with it. Try paying attention to your breath or using a meditation app.
- MAKE YOUR DREAM MEANINGFUL. Once you quiet your mind and find your dream, make it meaningful. Ask: Why do I want this? What is that gonna do for me and my family? How is that going to bless those in my life? Does your dream feel attainable? If not, what version of your dream does?
“You live feeling like you're not enough because you really aren't being enough.”
–Jill Avey
Are you diluting yourself? Spreading yourself thin and feeling like you aren’t doing enough, because you aren't being enough? I’m talking with Jill Avey about saying no, second acts, and stepping up to the next level.
Jill helps women who are at the director and VP levels get promoted to the next level up—and you can’t do that if you are diluting yourself. Whether you are looking to step up to a new level or step into act 2, Jill has a lot to share. She rose up to third in her company before leaving to start her own business.
One of the ways we dilute ourselves is by providing free labor. When was the last time you raised your hand to volunteer for something? Was it aligned? Did it move you toward your goals? Or was it about something else? We talk about people pleasing, being a team player, and disappointing others so we don’t disappoint ourselves.
We talk about:
- Noticing when you are giving away labor and asking why and what if you give money instead of labor?
- Not taking things on just because we can see what needs to get done and have a hard time seeing them not done
- Personal strategy retreats and regular check ins with yourself
- Creating a to don’t list
- Focusing on top 1-2 goals instead of dabbling in a bunch of them
- The magic of groups of women supporting each other in business
About Jill Avey
Jill helps women leaders get promoted to the Director and VP levels. She does this by supporting her clients to develop their strengths, increase their influence and navigate gender bias.
She believes that everyone has talents they haven’t yet fully realized. She is inspired to help her clients find deep fulfillment in their careers both personally and financially. Her approach is grounded in research, applied behavioral science, and her own personal experience as an executive.
LINKS
- 7-Step Passport to Promotion private podcast at https://sistersmart.com
Doable Changes from this episode:
- MAKE A DON’T LIST. What are you doing now that is not serving you? What can you stop doing right away? What things will take more time to step out of? How can you start to take those things off your plate?
- STOP RAISING YOUR HAND. If you find that you’ve volunteered for something, ask yourself why you did it. Is it something you feel strongly about? Were you trying to be seen as a team player or people pleasing? Try to pause before volunteering for anything new. Ask yourself if it serves you to do it or if there is a way to contribute without the free labor.
- FOCUS YOUR ENERGY. Look at your goals. Which two are most important to you right now? What happens when you set your other goals to prioritize and focus on the top two?
“The first step of moving to the more masculine pieces of the job search is pulling back to the feminine and being like, am I taking really good care of myself right now? ”
–Nic Frick
Recessions, layoffs, pivots, career pauses, and resume gaps… Nic Frick knows you can get a job you love in spite of these things. She’s about to birth a baby and a book called How to Get Any Job You Want, and she helps her clients get amazing jobs. And some of these people are moms.
We know that people who have raised children are unbelievable powerhouses, but it doesn’t always feel that way when you are presenting yourself in the work world. But you can reprogram your thoughts to believe it’s possible to get the job. Nic says that before moving to the more masculine pieces of the job search (resume, LinkedIn), come back to the feminine.
Sometimes learning to make your current job more tolerable is the thing to do. You can do that with boundaries and releasing guilt.
We talk about:
- Getting realigned with the more feminine pieces of a job search, which are community, collaboration, pleasure, joy
- Taking a holistic approach to your job search — taking care of yourself, being clear about all the parts of you that you want included in your job
- Using the CARE method (clarity, action, right fit, enjoyment) to balance self-care and work
- Setting boundaries (even if feels scary) helps us create better jobs for ourselves and others
- Ways to release guilt or get past our inner critic and feelings of unworthiness
- “I love myself so I …” as a way to take care of self and show our kids to do the same
About Nic Frick
Nic Frick is a tech recruiter turned career coach + toddler mama.
With over a decade of experience hiring for customer service teams, speaking with 3000+ candidates as a tech recruiter, and training hiring managers on how to interview, she’s learned the ins and outs of what it takes to get any job you want (and actually love it) without compromising on your values or your wallet.
Through her transformational coaching programs, Nic helps women land their dream jobs by showing them the exact steps it takes to not only create a career — but also a life — that matches their values so we can change the world together.
Most days, you can find her sharing a bottle of champagne with her book club, spending time with her friends at her monthly brunches, going to the movie theater alone, and exploring restaurants with her hubby and daughter in San Francisco.
LINKS
- nicfrick.com/careerguide
- nicfrick.com
- www.instagram.com/heynicfrick
- www.linkedin.com/in/heynicfrick
Other Job Search Shows
Doable Changes from this episode:
- REFOCUS YOUR JOB SEARCH. Before you dive into your resume or LinkedIn, turn to the feminine side of the job search—community, collaboration, pleasure, and joy. Think about what you want and why you are going back to work or looking for a new job.
- SET A BOUNDARY. It can be as simple as taking lunch away from your desk. Other ideas: leave on time to pick up your kids, put hours you answer message in your sig line — and follow it. Say I’m not available during X time. Hold that time. Practice doing it without guilt.
- “I LOVE MYSELF SO …”. Practice this affirmation throughout the day. It’s a way to remind you to take care of yourself, and if you have kids at home, you model taking care of yourself to them. “I love myself so I brush my teeth.” “I love myself so I go for a walk.” “I love myself so I take a break for lunch.”
“It takes a long time to become young.”
— Pablo Picasso
Do you ever feel depleted and tired, like you never make time for yourself? If so, you don’t need to wait for your birthday month to take some time for yourself. However, as a giver, sometimes having a specific reason to ask for help can make it easier. On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I take you behind the scenes of my birthday month, and give lots of ideas for how you can uplevel your mindset and self-care any time of the year.
Here are the top 3 things I consider as I head into my birthday month.
(You can hear EXACTLY how I’m answering these questions by listening to the episode.)
Reflect on what has been
The first step to celebrating my birthday month is to find some quiet time to be with a journal, a piece of paper, and a pen. I get centered and grounded and reflect on what has happened over the past year. I look at both the celebrations and amazing things that have happened and are happening, and I also consider what I’m ready to let go of.
Consider who I am becoming
The next step is to consider who I am becoming. I get grounded by taking a walk around the block or doing a 10-minute meditation, and then I ask myself, “who am I five years from now?” I love thiis question because it frees me up from feeling like things have to happen tomorrow.
Note: If five years doesn’t do it for you, try breaking it down into smaller chunks of time. Consider what you want to achieve in the next 90 days, six months, or one year. What kind of person do you want to be in those shorter periods? Or what would be your deepest desires without your current constraints of money, health, relationships?
Plan my month
Now that I’ve reflected on what has been and considered who I’m becoming, I plan my birthday month. I consider the activities and experiences that will make me happy and fulfilled in the exact season that I am in. I make a list of those things and then schedule them throughout the month.
Don’t forget to include self-care activities in your plan. This could include things like a massage, meditation, or simply taking a long bath. Whatever makes you feel relaxed and recharged should be included in your plan.
In conclusion…
Your birthday month is a great time to reflect on what has been, consider who you are becoming, and plan to become her. But remember, you don’t need to wait for your birthday month to take some time for yourself. Any time of the year is a good time to prioritize self-care and uplevel your mindset.
“Meditation, journaling, time and nature — if anybody was to pick one of those three with the intention being an observer of your thoughts, your life will shift and it will shift fast.”
–Nicole Crone
Our thoughts are power! I’m excited to talk with Nicole Crone cultivating and manifesting your best life through the power of your thoughts and feelings. We define words that get thrown around like mindfulness and manifesting and look at how they work.
Nicole defines mindfulness not as shutting off the mind, but mastering the awareness of the repetitive thoughts that are happening in the mind. That’s the idea that guides her and our conversation. Manifesting is a thought and a feeling together … and we’re doing it even if we aren’t trying or believing.
Nicole’s top tools for mindfulness are meditation, journaling, time and nature. Nicole says that if you pick one of those things with the intention of being an observer of your thoughts, your life will shift and it will shift fast!
We talk about:
- Making the time — it doesn’t have to be morning — and that may shift as life shifts, but make the time
- How we’ve both personalized Morning Pages
- Manifesting as thought and feeling together and you manifest both the things you want and some hard things you learn from
- If you don’t know what you want, try asking what you don’t want or consider whether you want to be doing, creating or talking
- The Reticular Activating System—and finding proof of what we want in our lives
- Thinking about what you want in all the different parts of your life
ABOUT NICOLE
Nicole Crone is a professional Co-Active Leadership trained coach and NLP practitioner. Alongside Kaila Pilecki, Nicole co-founded My Aligned Purpose in June 2020, to support women entrepreneurs. Nicole is an international best selling author and podcast host.
The spiritual teachings Nicole provides come from her Registered Yoga/Mindfulness training in Hatha, Yin and Vinyas as well as sitting in ceremony with Peruvian Shaman medicine women. As a former high school teacher, connector and visionary, Nicole has coached over 200 people to become best selling authors on Amazon, and has coached 1000’s of women inside of our My Aligned Purpose programs. Her mission is to support women in elevating their mindset and proving to themselves that anything is possible.
Nicole loves time outdoors with her husband and two dogs, living in the pacific northwest on Vancouver Island. She is a human design generator, an Aries through and through, a big lover of coffee, dogs, travel and considers herself a learner for life.
LINKS
- www.myalignedpurpose.com
- https://www.instagram.com/thenicolecrone/
- https://www.instagram.com/myalignedpurpose/
- https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/my-aligned-purpose-podcast-map-podcast/id1504392927
- https://www.facebook.com/myalignedpurpose
Doable Changes from this episode:
- MEDITATE. You can use an app to help you. You can simply sit and notice your breath and where your mind flows. Remember it is a practice. It might feel different on different days and different times of your life. Try going in with an open mind instead of thinking “I can’t meditate.”
- JOURNAL. Try writing three pages each morning. It could be first thing when you get up or when you get to your desk. Don’t edit your thoughts. Just put them down on paper. You can choose to start with some structure: what happened yesterday, what I’m looking forward to today. You could choose to do a brain dump and then see what thoughts stand out or where you could shift your mindset.
- GET INTO NATURE. Get off the road. Turn off your phone. Don’t turn on music. Just walk and pay attention. See what you notice. Tune into your thoughts and what is showing up around you.
We need to slow down, and slowing down actually just means having some boundaries.
–Amy Mangueira
Recovering chaser of busy Amy Mangueira lost hearing in one ear before she slowed down enough to realize something was wrong. We talk about burnout, our need to slow down, and how to stop chasing busy (even if we want to be a great mom, make money, and follow our fitness goals.)
You can still be driven and have boundaries. It means not letting clients run all over you, not letting them expect (or expecting yourself) to answer messages at all hours. You can go hard, but you also need space to slow down and rest or recover. The time doesn’t have to even out, but the energy does.
Sometimes we lose our identity and our confidence. We get so focused, so invested in some part of ourselves … mothering, our business … that we lose balance. We lose sight of our core values. We can have an epiphany about what’s wrong or what’s missing, but we need the actionable step. We talk through ways to make that change.
We talk about:
- Taking time to assess what we really want and who we are now
- Getting used to a slower pace and using joy as a metric
- Learning not to replace busy in one part of your life with busy in another part of your life
- Making a list when you are stressed, seeing the patterns, and choosing an action
- Setting boundaries to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your own life
- Using delegation to be leaders to ourselves
BIO
Recently recognized by the NYC Journal as a Top Life Coach to watch out for in 2022, Amy Mangueira helps people all over the world live burnout-free by bringing clarity, direction, and positive habits into their lives by filling the gap between where they are now and where they want to be. A 4x entrepreneur with successful acquisitions under her belt, Amy has turned her focus to Humans First Coaching, a coaching network dedicated to guiding over 300 leaders in organizations on how to build healthy cultures, reduce burnout, take care of themselves, and put their employees first. She also has a custom jewelry company that creates fine jewelry for runners, Victory Co. Amy is also an author, her book, “The Path to Break-Free from Burnout,” is set to release in early 2023.
As the host of the self-care podcast “Life on MY Terms,” bringing in thousands of listeners from across the world, Amy chats with experts to help listeners become 1% better and take charge of their lives.
An avid runner, Amy is soon to be one of the first 1000 women to complete the Abbott 6 World Major Marathon series. When she isn’t running Amy volunteers as a coach and program sponsor for Girls On The Run, a national non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening girls’ social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills to successfully navigate life experiences through running. She lives in St.Petersburg, Florida with her husband, son, and French Bulldog.
LINKS
- Website
- Instagram - Personal: @projectamy
- Instagram - Podcast: @lifeonmyterms_podcast
- The Path to Break Free from Burnout
MENTIONED LINKS
- Stretch Joy with Laura West
Doable Changes from this episode:
- MAKE A STRESS LIST. When you are feeling stressed make a list of what’s going on. Do it for a few days. That helps you see patterns that emerge. It takes awareness to make change.
- SET A BOUNDARY. Boundaries put us back in the driver’s seat of our life. You’ll gain confidence as you set them, so you can choose an easy one to start with. You can set boundaries at home or work. For example, tell your family that you aren’t available to problem solve until you’ve been home for half an hour or tell your boss you will be taking the lunch time on your schedule and it isn’t available for meetings.
- PRACTICE SLOWING DOWN. When you’re used to chasing busy, slowing down can feel uncomfortable. Block off some white space (or gold space) on your calendar. Use this for non-taxing things that you enjoy. Shift your thinking from to do list to simply doing. For example, if you run, run without headphones or your watch. Take a walk without your phone.
“We are all creative. Creativity is a survival strategy.”
–Miriam Schulman
Goodbye starving artist stereotype. Miriam Schulman left Wall Street and became a thriving artist. We talk about how she found her purpose and learned to work the business side of art. Her book, podcast, and signature coaching program help other artists turn their art into businesses.
It starts with mindset. So often we try to keep ourselves safe and tell ourselves why we can’t do something or get in our own way. The more creative we are the easier it is to come up with these stories. Have you ever done a deep dive on learning before you start something? You want to learn how to do the thing perfectly the first time, but then you get conflicting advice and don’t know what to do. So you don’t do anything. That’s your brain trying to protect you. Time for a mindset shift.
Here’s a reframe on procrastination. If you think you procrastinate because you lack self-confidence, that you put off doing the thing because maybe you won’t be good enough, flip that. You lack self-confidence because you don’t do the thing. Every time you do the thing, you build your self-confidence.
We talk about:
- Morning routines — exercise and brain puzzles — to help with mindset
- Working with a coach because it is hard to see your own limiting beliefs, including all or nothing thinking and fortune telling
- Doing things based on distorted thinking instead of inspired thinking
- Correcting language — “I didn’t have time to” becomes “I didn’t make time to”
- Decision drama
- Rescheduling appointments with yourself
ABOUT MIRIAM
Today's guest is an artist, author, and host of The Inspiration Place podcast. She’s helped thousands of creatives around the world develop their skill sets and create more time and freedom to do what they love. Her signature coaching program, The Artist Incubator, teaches artists to go from “so-so” sales to “sold-out” collections.
After witnessing 9/11, she abandoned a lucrative hedge fund to become a full-time thriving working artist. Featured in major publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, Where Women Create, Art of Man, and Art Journaling magazine. Her artwork has also been featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. NOW,
Her book with HarperCollins Leadership, Artpreneur, provides the actionable steps to turn your creative ideas into a thriving business. Please welcome to the podcast, Miriam Schulman!
LINKS
- Podcast: schulmanart.com/podcast
- Freebie: schulmanart.com/BELIEVE
- Book: ArtpreneurBOOK.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schulmanart/
MENTIONED LINK
- Let Go and Receive with Patty Lennon
Doable Changes from this episode:
- START WITH EXERCISE. What happens if you start your day with exercise? Try it. You don’t have to get up at 5 AM, but do exercise before work. See how it affects your day.
- ADAPT YOUR LANGUAGE. Notice when you say things like “I don’t have time” or “I can’t afford.” Try saying, “I didn’t make time” or “I choose not to put my money there now” or “I don’t prioritize this right now.”
- MAKE A DECISION. Get out of decision drama. What’s a decision you need to make? Make it. Don’t research all the options. Don’t spend hours searching for the best price. Choose. Commit. Move forward.
“You need to build the muscles in order to strengthen your sage so that it's there ready with a bit of a louder voice than the saboteur voice.”
–Jackie Meek
What if your mind served you … instead of working against you? I’m really excited to talk with Jackie Meek about getting off the roller coaster of “the mom juggle.” Our brain OFTEN defaults to the negative, but we can learn to choose how to respond (or not respond) to things.
We talk about the saboteurs of our brain, including the pleaser saboteur. While it can help us stay safe, we can overdo “people pleasing.” When you start to feel resentful that nobody else is helping. When you say yes when you mean no and you've overcommitted, that’s the saboteur pushing you to do things that are not in your best interest under the guise of keeping us safe.
In addition to saboteurs, we have sages in our brain. Jackie shows us how to up our positive quotient or the amount of time that you are using your sage muscles as opposed to your saboteur muscles in the brain.
We talk about:
- What happens when we put our expectations on other people
- Focusing on your five senses and a secret tool for dealing with triggers to press pause before you respond
- Building your sage muscles throughout the day, so that voice is louder than your saboteurs
- Asking the question: What would my wiser elder self do?
- Essential maintenance, or how we really take care of ourselves
- Sharing the language of the sage and the saboteur with our families
ABOUT JACKIE
Jackie Meek helps frazzled mums to confidently boss the mum juggle. She set up her business, Future Path Life Coaching in 2016 and equips mums to reduce the emotional roller coaster, minimise negative chatter and worry less. She has a passion to come alongside mums, having a difficult birthing story having experienced giving birth extremely prematurely, loss of a baby, postpartum psychosis and post natal depression. Jackie offers 1:1 coaching as well as a group coaching programme, The Mum Boardroom, an oasis for busy mums to focus on challenges in a supportive and inspiring environment. She also facilitates a 6 week online Positive Mental Fitness Bootcamp equipping mums to build their mental fitness so they can face life's challenges resourcefully.
EPISODE LINKS
Find Jackie:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiemeek/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futurepathlifecoaching
- Website: https://www.futurepathlifecoaching.co.uk/
Mentioned Links:
- https://www.positiveintelligence.com/
DOABLE CHANGES FROM THE EPISODE
- NOTICE EXPECTATIONS. Where are you often triggered? We discuss the example of dinner. Maybe it’s that or bedtime or how when you do something fun with your kids and they don’t behave the way you want them to. Think through what expectations you are putting on the situation. What happens if you pay attention to those expectations and shift them?
- TUNE INTO ONE OF YOUR SENSES. Next time you are triggered, tune into one of your senses. One way to do this is to rub your finger and thumb together firmly. This takes your attention away from your saboteur brain and choose how you want to respond.
- CONSULT YOUR WISER ELDER SELF. Ask your wiser, elder self what she would do in a certain situation. This takes you out of the moment and allows you a different perspective so you can choose your response.
You’ve probably heard me reference FLOW365 or FLOW365ers on the show. This is our community for women balancing BUSINESS, MOTHERHOOD (often kids are in the teen and young adult phases), and changing BODIES (because we are no longer in 30-year old bodies).
“There's something about the women that are drawn to this group that show up here. It's a level of support that I've never experienced before.” We get these kinds of comments regularly, so I finally pressed record and made an episode that talks about FLOW365, who it's for, and how it makes a difference… In case you are tempted.
https://plansimple.com/flow365
“There's nothing the nervous system doesn’t affect. It affects our physical health, our mental and emotional health, our spiritual health, how we set goals, our relationships, whatever we're creating in the world.”
–Kelly Lubeck
Is your nervous system triggered? It is … but there’s something you can do about it. I’m really excited to talk with Kelly Lubeck, a healing practitioner with lots of experience working with the nervous system. Kelly’s passionate about the nervous system, because it affects our health and well being, our relationships, and our work.
Kelly talks about the different parts of our nervous system. Some—fight, flight, freeze—are about survival. There’s also a part about love and connection that sustains us and allows us to heal and thrive.
Sometimes our nervous systems get stuck in go mode. We can’t step into loving connection. We can’t sleep. Our hormones get dysregulated. We might feel anxious or burned out. Other times or other people get stuck in freeze mode. They start to shut down. That might look like chronic fatigue or depression. Kelly likes to remind people that “the world needs you well.”
We talk about:
- The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
- Modern life makes us feel like we are in being chased by a lion mode all the time, but we aren’t and our bodies aren’t meant to be that way.
- Being calm all the time is not the goal — we need the go energy sometimes, but we need to be able to turn it off
- Learning to undo the good girl mechanism that makes us try to calm what’s around us
- Doing generational work of healing
- Patterned and predictable vs. doing the new and how we get triggered by new habits
ABOUT KELLY
Kelly Lubeck, MPH, is passionate about changing the world for the better, through individual and community-level healing programs that inspire wellness, health and soul- centered, embodied leadership.
Changemaking is hard work – and can extract a toll on those who deliver it. Kelly guides changemakers and leaders to heal their individual nervous systems and release self- defeating patterns of self-sacrifice and overgiving in their work and relationships that lead to burnout, anxiety and illness. As they expand their capacity for changemaking, this healing ripples out to the world and changes it for the better.
Kelly helps women leaders to stay grounded, centered, and embodied in the midst of changemaking, so they can deliver and lead impactful work, enjoy meaningful relationships and have deep connection with their purpose, without sacrificing body, mind and spirit to their mission. And that makes an even greater impact.
Kelly’s work happens at the intersection of public service, shamanic healing, yoga teaching and philosophy, science of the nervous system, skilled and soulful coaching, and a variety of holistic health approaches.
She draws upon her personal experiences of journeying back from an unexplained health crisis and burnout (twice!) to guide committed changemakers with clarity, wisdom, confidence and compassion.
Kelly integrates her extensive background of over 25 years of developing and leading public health and early childhood programs in Latin America, the U.S. and Africa, with over 15 years leading educational and resilience building, holistic healing programs, keynotes, workshops and retreats to individuals, groups and organizations around the world.
She earned her Master’s in Public Health at Columbia University. Her holistic training includes her yoga teacher training certification (RYT), Healing the Light Body shamanic healing certification, Sacred Depths coaching certification, holistic health coaching certification, and years of study on the nervous system and trauma healing with a variety of teachers. Her finest teacher thus far, though, is her 12-year-old child, who’s taught her about most things in life and her capacity for love.
LINKS
- http://www.kellylubeck.com/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- ORIENT YOURSELF. Take time to orient yourself in your physical space. Look around you. Notice where you are. Notice your surroundings. This practice is grounding, and it can be calming or activating for different people or at different times. This practice becomes more beneficial as it becomes familiar.
- IDENTIFY FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE. Remember that the goal is not to be calm all the time, but we also don’t want to feel like we are being chased by lions all the time. Start by simply noticing if you are in fight, flight, or freeze mode. Notice if you have channels open to love and connection. Are you flowing between modes or are you stuck in one?
- NOTICE SIGNS YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM IS OFF. Our bodies often tell us when something is off. Are you feeling anxious? Having trouble sleeping? Having digestive issues? Do you feel like you can’t settle down? Or maybe you can’t get off the couch? Don’t beat yourself up, but start to pay attention and observe the signs that you might need to make change or get help.
“There's a difference between productivity and focus. There's a difference between getting more done and getting the right things done.”
–Megan Flatt
What if it’s not about being productive? What if it’s about being focused? I’ve got business coach Megan Flatt back on the show to talk about focus and rethinking all of our ideas about productivity. Wanna get stuff done? Don’t worry. We’ll talk about how getting clear on how we want to feel and finding our focus lead the way.
We aren’t meant to focus all the time, but most of us feel like we should. The idea that starting early, pushing hard, and getting a lot done is a virtue that’s deeply ingrained in us. We’re pushing back against capitalist and patriarchal ideas. We’re looking at new ways to own our time.
What would you do if you had 90 minutes to focus? Our to-do list culture often has us doing a lot of unimportant things. They are things that keep life running, but they don’t help us step into our greatness or do our most important work. We dive into how to change that.
We talk about:
- Being focused and productive in short spurts
- Letting go of the idea that you need to work all the time or at a certain time
- Knowing your own best focus time and saving it for your most important work
- Using focus for deep work, planning, and clearing the deck
- How your to-do list might be sabotaging your productivity (or getting clear on goals, projects, tasks)
- Getting out of overwhelm by getting more overwhelmed for a minute
BIO
Megan Flatt is the CEO of Let’s Collective, a business growth strategy firm devoted to making entrepreneurship easier. She is also the founder of Focus Sessions, a virtual coworking and accountability membership to get your most important work done. Let’s Collective’s mission is to help small businesses scale without burning out through strategic planning, revenue focused decisions and science backed accountability.
Megan is obsessed with lattes, post-it notes and helping women make money. When not doing that, she’s hanging with her husband and two kids, probably near the water, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can catch up with Megan at letcollective.co or focus-sessions.com.
LINKS
- https://www.focus-sessions.com/
MENTIONED LINK
- Focus with Megan Flatt
- Well Planned Holidays with Megan Flatt and Mama CEO Panel
- Sticking to Your Weekly Workflow on the Well Planned Series with Megan Flatt
- Starting a Business after “Momming” with Megan Flatt and Mia Moran
- Starting a Business on the Well Planned Series with Megan Flatt
- Systems & Support on Well Planned Series with Megan Flatt
- Well Planned—Dealing with Overwhelm with Megan Flatt
- Well Planned in 90 Days Cycles with Megan Flatt
- Spinning Plates with Megan Flatt
- Well Planned: Overwhelm vs. Laziness
Doable Changes from this episode:
- KNOW YOUR MOST FOCUSED TIME. When we work when we are most focused and ready, we tend to get more done with more ease. What time would you choose to work if you didn’t have guilt around not working at expected times?
- BREAK YOUR PROJECTS INTO TASKS. Too often we put projects on our to-do list. Then we don’t do things because they feel too big. Break your projects into the simplest steps. If you can’t do it in an hour, it probably has more steps. Schedule time for each step or task.
- SET A FOCUS SPRINT. Set aside 90 minutes to focus. Turn off all distractions. Write down specifically what you will do in that time. Turn on a timer and go. Give yourself a short break in the middle and then get back to it. When the 90 minutes is up, let go of focus.
“What we think we want is often not what we truly want … We have to give ourselves permission to have what we want.” –Jill Hope
What does your voice of desire say? That’s one question Jill Hope asks. Jill is a money mindset coach for women, or as I like to say an abundance coach. The voice of desire is one of 5 voices that Jill teaches to help women unlock the blueprint to unleash our money-making power.
Jill’s first business was fairly successful, but it didn’t flow. She had worked so hard to get where she was, but she wasn’t making the money to do the things she wanted to do. She had taken all the classes, worked with coaches, done all the things (sound familiar). She stopped listening to the outside voices and started asking, “What does Jill want?” This got her out of autopilot. It led to more body awareness, more clarity about who she was. And that translated to more dream clients.
We talk about this process. She didn’t check out of her family or her business for a year. She kept asking the question as she did daily life. She kept acting on the answers. She learned to give herself permission for what she wanted.
We also talk about:
- Noticing where you aren’t being authentic … even when you think you are.
- Recognizing fears around our desire for money or abundance
- The Five Whys process to get to the root of what you want
- Learning to listen to the voices that lead us toward our purpose and our dreams (and intuition is just one of the voices we need to listen to (and we need to learn to listen to it in different areas of our lives)
- Tuning into your desires and not micromanaging the how
- Working on your money relationship
ABOUT JILL
Jill Hope is a money mindset coach for women, a writer, inspirational speaker, and founder of I Shine®.
After a successful 22-year corporate career, Jill made the leap into entrepreneurship to pursue her passion of empowering women to connect with, listen to, and embody their authentic voice, own and express their unique gifts, and receive richly doing purpose-based work that they love.
Jill offers free weekly videos on her YouTube channel that support mompreneurs to make more money in their business (https://www.youtube.com/@JillHope-ishinewealth)
This is Jill’s second iteration of her business, having built a successful initial business coaching moms to build confidence and inner strength in their kids, and certifying facilitators to empower kids through her proprietary I Shine® Inner Wellness Curriculum and Powerful Girl Within® Curriculum.
LINKS
- https://www.youtube.com/@JillHope-ishinewealth
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/highestlevellife/
Free Gift: 4 Secrets To Skyrocket Your Business And Bank Account Masterclass: https://ishinewealth.com/masterclass/
MENTIONED LINK: Raising Great Girls (Yourself Included)
DOABLE CHANGES FROM THIS EPISODE
- ASK WHAT DO I WANT? Practice asking yourself what you want throughout the day. You can apply it to different situations from what do I want for breakfast to when do I want to brush my teeth. When you are faced with too much going on around you, ask What do I want? When somebody asks you to do something, ask, What do I want.
- DIG FOR THE WHY. Identify something you want. Ask “Why do I want this?” Write down the answer. Ask, “Why do I want that?” Again write down the answer. Keep doing this until you have asked “why” five times. This should help you get to real reason behind your desire.
- NOTICE YOUR VOICE OF JUDGMENT. Notice when you are judging yourself around money or what you want. You don’t have to act on your voice of judgment, but start to notice what it tells you. This can help you understand parts of your money relationship and let you explore more of your real why.
“How do we stretch our joy and give ourselves permission for more and more joy, not only to choose things for joy, but to accept joy?”
–Laura West
What if you opened your wild creative heart? Helping people do that in business is business coach Laura West’s mission. If you have trouble giving yourself permission to seek joy or can’t imagine how joy and business go together, you need this conversation. This one is very much for the entrepreneurs, but it all overlaps with life, so if more joy sounds good, listen up.
You might know how it goes when you aren’t joyful in your business. You’re less creative, less connected. If you are joyful, you are more likely to say yes to putting yourself out there, to pick up the phone and make a call, or be innovative.
What if we get rid of words like strive and hustle and grind? What if we stopped buying into the idea that work has to be a drag? Forget your morning routine. Start your morning joy ritual and see what opens up.
We talk about:
- Finding joy in the people you work with and what you bring to them
- Exploring your personal habits to see if you are aligned with joy
- What to do when things that are supposed to bring us joy become tasks or shoulds
- The Good morning, I love you ritual
- Offering compassion to yourself and taking time to cultivate your joy muscles
- How finding joy can mean finding your voice
BIO
Laura West knows when you are aligned with your joy and passion, you are more innovative, creative, and confident and success is inevitable! She has helped 1000s of conscious business owners over the last 20+ years unlock their Soul Work, personal power, creativity, and leadership presence.
Laura is the CEO of the Center for Joyful Business, international business success coach and host of Joyful Business TV. She helps coaches, healers and purpose-driven entrepreneurs discover their creative leadership inside and out, so they create a wholehearted successful business. She is passionate that you can do meaningful work that makes a positive difference while making great money!
She is also the author and creator of The Joyful Business Plan, a right brain creative planning toolkit, Success Scripting™ and creator of 100s of programs, workshops and creative tools.
GUEST LINK
- Web: JoyfulBusiness.com
- Fb biz: https://www.facebook.com/CenterForJoyfulBusiness
- Fb group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/joyfulbusinesscommunity
- Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahwest/
- Insta: https://www.instagram.com/laurawestjoy/
- TV: joyfulbusiness.com/jbtv
Doable Changes from this episode:
- CREATE A MORNING RITUAL. If your morning routine has started to feel like a task or chore you have to do, shift to a morning ritual. Use the ritual to set your intention for the day. Do you need an “I love you” ritual? Some dreaming on the page? Some joyful music?
- SCRIPT IT. What is your dream? It could be what you want the year to look like or a project you are excited about or your home. Laura recommends scripting it. That could be in writing or walking and imagining. Either way, let yourself see it (not plan all the details, but see, with joy.)
- ACT LIKE THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE. Choose to be the person you want to be today. As different things come up during the day, make the choice aligned with that person. Take it one choice at a time.
“I think of self-care as taking care of my body, mind, energy and soul. I have learned to take this role very seriously because it is foundational to all that I do at work and home.”
I was definitely sold early on the idea that self-care is getting a pedicure, a regular massage, or going to yoga class. Two problems with this. First, both are pretty big things! Second, they made me think of self-care as something “extra,” as a luxury.
Self-care is not extra!!! It is necessary, especially for those of us who call ourselves caregivers. We have to fill our cups in order to be able to fully give to those we love with no “martyre energy” attached.
It has taken me years to REALLY walk my talk in this regard. Today I thought I would pull back the curtain of my thinking about self-care today.
Are you sick of the word self-care? For me, it got really overused, and it became one more thing to do right! I was definitely sold on the idea that self-care is getting a pedicure, a regular massage, or going to yoga class— these are pretty big things! Problem is that they made me think of self-care as something “extra,” as a luxury.
I would like to offer that self-care is necessary.
On this episode, I go into 3 different self-care concepts and ways to integrate them.
- Awareness of what we need
- Food as self-care
- Planning as self-care
Noticing—and giving yourself—what you need is an act of self-care. Any act of caring for ourselves is self-care. Taking care of basic needs — nourishing food, water, moving our body, sleep — is self care.
I believe we can all find simple acts of self-care we can do every day. I also believe in setting aside regular time for “bigger” self care. Maybe that yoga class, but maybe something else.
Let’s look at some of the super basic self-care acts that we can work into our lives regularly no matter what hats you’re wearing.
Do you need to get outside for some fresh air? Do you need 10 minutes of quiet with nobody bothering you? Do you need to eat? It’s easy to brush that off because you're too busy or you just need to finish one more thing. But you can stop and give yourself what you need.
Getting in the practice of just listening to what you need, I believe is where most of us need to start — given the conditioning I think most women got.
And then we can expand that view, and let what is basic grow and evolve. I promise it does.
On this episode I talk about 10-10-10, a tool originally taught to me by Nina Manolson. I highly recommend!
Here are some self-care moves you can use. Most of them cost nothing and can fit into little pockets of your day:
- Take a shower or bath
- Plan your meals
- Get dressed
- Talk a walk
- Pause to check in with what your body needs in stressful moments
- Ask for help
- Receive the help (asking and receiving, two separate things)
- Go to bed on time
- Make sure that the food you're eating is really serving your body
- Exercise
- Read a book
- Put your feet up for five minutes
- Take three deep breaths throughout the day
- Drink eight glasses of water daily
- Write in your journal for 15 minutes
- Do three minutes of breathwork
- Get outside and feel the sun on your face
- Turn on your favorite song and dance
- Write down 3 things you are grateful for at the beginning or end of each day
- Plan for a more in depth self care session (a massage, a day hike, lunch with a friend, a leisurely visit to a museum or botanic garden or bookstore, a morning alone at a cafe … what really restores you?)
Eating well and how you prepare food can be self-car — or not.Nourishing yourself is self-care.
We show up better for ourselves, for our families, and for our businesses when we are nourished. So stop skipping meals or living on caffeine and cookies.
If nourishing yourself feels hard, look at what you can do to make it easier:
- Know what is for dinner—this saves you time and energy throughout the day.
- Move dinner forward during the day (prepping veggies while you make your morning smoothie or putting something in your slow cooker or stopping at the market while you run other errands).
- Plan a day to batch prep/cook.
Planning and intention setting are self-care.Planning means you are putting your dreams, goals, and needs into time. You are being intentional about how you spend your time and energy.
Planning means you are paying attention to your needs when the smart part of your brain is activated.
This does not just mean planning for self-care, it’s planning your days, weeks and months to respond to what you really need — around work, home, and wellness.
If you are having trouble putting yourself first, by noticing what you need in the moment, you can plan in a moment when your brain can make the space for you. This is the #1 reason I am so passionate about planning!
Reclaim that intimacy between the two of you outside of the setting where you parent, work, do your normal life.
–Christal Allen
Has your relationship taken a backseat to everything else in your life? I’m really excited to talk with Christal Allen, a certified Life & Relationship coach, about how we can reconnect and work through some of the stuff that gets in the way of a satisfying relationship.
First, let's acknowledge that all the caretaking—kids, parents, pets …— can be draining. When we feel like we don’t have a full cup, putting something into our romantic relationship can feel like one more thing we have to do. If you’re thinking, “Why do I have to be the one to do something about our relationship?”, we get into that!
Do you have a list of things that your spouse does right or wrong? Things that you want them to do that they don’t? Things you think they should just know? A sense that things could be more equal. You’re not alone. Christal suggests starting with getting clear on what equality looks like when it comes to managing your household and when it comes to you and your relationship. Once you know that, can you communicate it in a way that is not blaming or criticizing?
We talk about:
- The conversations we have in our heads but never with our partners (and how that doesn’t work) and not giving up on communicating your needs
- Recasting the stories you are telling yourself as truths
- Four steps to rekindling a spark in your relationship: picture the result, what do I need to do, what do I need to feel, what do I need to believe about my relationship to create this result
- Defining date night for you and your partner
- How to get talking and reconnecting if you’re a little rusty
- What to do when your partner is ramping down or retiring and you are coming into your own
BIO
Christal Allen-Harrahill is a mom, wife, and certified Life & Relationship Coach. She is the Strong Marriage Coach for professional women who want to stop having the same fight with their partner.
Through her Private Coaching and Mastermind programs, she helps women create Strong Marriages through Identity Transformation. This work results in them improving their relationship and running households that support their dreams.
Christal is relatable with a down-to-earth vibe that makes you feel seen, safe, and cared for. She believes women are change makers, and that families and generations are forever changed when women engage in their own unique transformation.
When she is not spending time with family and friends, or helping clients, she is learning something new, enjoying the outdoors, drinking tea, or watching The Golden Girls!
LINKS
- Website: https://christalallen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachchristal/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christal-allen-harrahill-0982b296/
- Free Love Language E-Book: https://christalallen.com/contact/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- PLAN A DATE NIGHT. Date night doesn’t have to be dinner out or a movie. It can be walk together, going rock climbing, taking a class. Date night doesn’t even have to be “night.” It can be going to lunch or out for coffee. Date night is a space for you and your partner to reconnect. Decide together what you’d like to do, or take turns planning something you think you’d both like.
- START TALKING. If you are deep in caretaking mode, it can be hard to talk about things other than the kids. Question packs for couples can help jumpstart conversations and help you both get to know each other better.
- FIND THE TRUTH. Are you stuck in a loop of “He doesn’t support me” or “never does X”? What if you restate that. For example, instead of “He never does anything around the house. I have to do it all.” Try: “I'm thankful that I'm so capable in taking care of this household and I have a husband that helps.” Next doable step, communicate what kind of help you would like more of.
A lot of people who have really big dreams and visions and incredible messages for the world shoot themselves down, because they don't think it's possible
–Ashley Luldlow
What are you doing in 2023? Not sure yet? That’s okay. Take some time to dream big and get excited about your vision. I’m talking with Ashley Ludlow, a multi-passionate entrepreneur and mama, who runs a digital media agency and is also a songwriter, about her unique vision process — vision board videos.
Do you ever have an idea that you’re so excited about for a minute? But then the overwhelm and the doubt and the “why didn’t I do this earlier?” kicks in. That dread or disappointment or frustration can stop us in our tracks. That’s why having a tool that reconnects us to the excitement helps.
Ashley suggests that you start your vision board video process by taking time to dream or vision. Let it be big and real about what you want in your life, where you want to be, who you want to be with. Don’t put any limits on it, but get really clear on what you want, not what other people want or expect of you.
We talk about:
- The myth that something has to give and how we can have all the things we really want in our lives
- Learning to imagine what’s possible and dreaming big, exploring the dreams of all the parts of you—your spiritual self, physical self, relationships, finance … asking what would happen if you got rid of the boundaries—family expectations, financial stressors
- Using present tense and positive vision statements and not getting hung up on the visual or techy parts of creating a vision board video
- How to actually use a vision board video once you’ve made it
- Nature and creative play as ways back when you’ve forgotten how to dream
BIO
Ashley Ludlow is a Creative Business Strategist and Technology Consultant. In addition to running her own agency, Ashley is a Musical Keynote Speaker, encouraging creative entrepreneurs to see the great value in life and the fantastic role they play in it. She truly believes that anything is possible. Having 12 years of experience in business, design, and technology, Ashley now enjoys supporting heart-centered business owners get their digital ducks in a row and authentically represent the essence of who they are in the digital world. When she’s not behind her computer or on stage, you can find her visiting Disney Parks, spending time with family, or both. Ashley has been married for 16 years and has 5 beautiful children.
LINKS
- Website: https://www.ashleyludlow.com/
- Vision Board Video Workshop Series: https://solmiga.com/vision
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ashleyludlow/
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AshleyLudlow
MENTIONED LINK
- Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks
Doable Changes from this episode:
- PLAY OR GET OUTSIDE. Have you forgotten how to dream? Sometimes we are so overwhelmed or burnt out that we just can’t seem to dream big. Or maybe we’ve set up so many boundaries that we don’t know how to see beyond them. Try getting outside or doing creative play—jumping on a trampoline or squishing so play dough around to open yourself up.
- DREAM BIG. You need time for this. Time when you are uninterrupted. Time when you are not trying to do something. It feels counter-intuitive, but taking this time helps you do more. Get really clear on what you want, not what others want or expect from you. Don’t edit or judge your dreams — and don’t put up barriers or try to figure out the how.
- THINK POSITIVE AND IN THE PRESENT TENSE. There are two parts to this one. Write about your dream as if it has already happened instead of in the future tense. I am a published author instead of I will publish my book. And keep it positive. Focus on what you want instead of what you think you need to stop or avoid. I eat lots of delicious veggies that make me feel fabulous instead of I stop eating so many cookies.
“If your culture or tradition doesn't have the specific ritual you are craving, then you are absolutely permitted to make up a ceremony of your own devising, fixing your own broken-down emotional systems with all the do-it-yourself resourcefulness of a generous plumber/poet.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert
What do we mean by ritual? For me ritual is about mindfulness, more pause, and connection. It brings in feelings and boundaries.
Whether you are thinking about the holiday season or starting new things in the new year, rituals can be a new twist to “habits.” Some of my own seasonal rituals include how I celebrate Solstice and journaling during the Sacred Nights of winter. Neither of these is a ritual I grew up with. I added them when they were what I needed during the season — and they grew, adapted or deepened over time.
The same is true some of my other most important rituals throughout the year:
- Weekly planning
- Family dinner
- Morning pages
The key to rituals is to remember they are not to-dos or practices we do out of habit or conditioning. They are actions done with reverence or mindfulness. The same action can be a ritual or a dreaded to-do. In the new year, I want to bring more ritual to my supplement protocol, tidying, and parts of my business. We can bring ritual into all parts of our life.
Here are three ways I’m going to play around with ritual in the new year. Maybe you’d like to try these doable changes too.
- HIGHLIGHT RITUALS IN CALENDAR. Do you color code things in your calendar? Try using a specific color for anything you want to make more of a ritual. Let that color remind you to slow down and be mindful around your actions, even if it’s something simple like drinking more water.
- NAME THINGS ACCORDINGLY. Ritual is about intention and being mindful, and how something feels can change by the way we approach it. What we call something reflects our approach. Can you see the difference between Carpool and Connect with Kids listed on your planner? Choose something you want to have more of a ritual around. Rename it based on your feeling or intention around it.
- CREATE REMINDERS OR CONTAINERS. Rituals shouldn’t feel hard. Sometimes we just need a container or a reminder to do it. That could look like putting your journal next to your tea mug to remind you to make tea and do morning pages. It could look like a practice you follow to calm and focus yourself before you start work. It could look like a timer set on your phone to see what your body needs in the mid-afternoon. Pick one ritual and one reminder or container you can set around it.
“A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth of wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow. Your consciousness is being re-minded of the wisdom of your own life. I think ritual is terribly important.”
― Joseph Campbell
“Planning is choosing in advance, so you can decide from a place of calm.”
– Mia Moran
I have shared a lot about how this is my favorite time of year.
solmigadesign@gmail.com
ove lights, trees, presents, family-time, the feeling of the winter holiday — AND I also love the challenge and opportunity of practicing being my true self in a time with lots of obstacles.
One of the choices I am making this year is to take time off, REALLY.
For years, I was confused about vacation. When the kids were younger, I thought of my kids’ time off as my time off. I would say yes to client work as an escape.
On Friday, my youngest gets out of school. On Saturday, I will pick up my oldest from college. My middle one doesn’t get out of school until the 23rd. None of this defines my time off or my vacation.
What does vacation really mean to me?
Vacation means I’m not doing everything.
That means I’m not the one doing all the extra: more dirty dishes, more meals, more tidying than usual. It’s so easy for me to slip back into the “mom” who does it all, so the way I stick to this one is consistent clarity. I have to remind myself — and the others in my family that doing all the home stuff is not my job alone.
Vacation means I’m not doing client work.
One of the reasons I am a good coach is that I really hold the energy of my clients. I can do this sick, tired, and even when I feel disorganized. Still, I need to reset and recharge a few times a year. I need space to reset and recharge, so I can hold space for others.
Vacation means I have self-care sprinkled into every day.
For me that includes real basics like clean food and hydration. It also includes:
- Journaling
- Yoga
- Supplement Protocol
To protect all these things, I need to block out time for it. There will be moments I go above and beyond for my kids, and there will also be moments where I will just walk out the door to go to hot yoga.
Your self-care may look different, but whatever it is you need to protect the time for it.
Vacation means I’m honoring MY plan.
I am not relying on school holidays, bank holidays, my husband's holidays, or my own past limiting beliefs about what a holiday or vacation is. I am relying on myself and really choosing.
I’m choosing what my holiday looks like — what feels good to me, not the “ideal” that isn’t in alignment with what I want or need.
I’m choosing my time off. My official dates are December 21 – January 2. And I’m being intentional about that time. While I said no work on vacation, I’m allowing some FLOW365 planning on December 28 and 29, because it’s planning that serves me.
I’m making intentional choices based on my own wants and needs. I’m making choices for my future self.
One of the questions in the 2023 planning book is about what your ideal life really looks like — uncensored. Many thanks to Sarah Jenks for this question.
- Who are you becoming?
- What choices do you need to make to become that person?
- What would she prioritize? What is she capable of?
- It’s not always easy, but it always makes sense.
Doable Changes from this episode:
- BLOCK OFF TIME OFF. We all need time to reset and recharge. Time “off” that is devoted to doing all the things for everyone, spent wrangling logistics of travel and visiting, or creating an “ideal” holiday, is not the same as recharge time. Block off time to recharge time and decide what you want to do with that time.
- DEFINE VACATION. I shared some of my fuzzy thinking about vacation in the past and how I am defining it now. Make a list of what vacation means to you. What do you need to do to protect your vacation time?
- JOURNAL ON YOUR FUTURE SELF. Journal on these questions: Who am I becoming? What choices do I need to make to become that person? What would that person prioritize? What is she capable of?
“You should have a closet full of clothes that works for the body you have right now.”
–Andrea Putnam
What am I even wearing? After two years of Zoom calls, I find myself put together up top and I don’t know what on the bottom. Sound familiar? Andrea Putnam, a fashion stylist who helps women get to the core of who they are and step into their style, is going to help us change that.
Andrea is a FLOW365 member, but she didn’t come into FLOW as an entrepreneur. She came in as a mom thinking about reigniting passions. She came thinking about going to school, but the visioning and OM sessions helped her get in touch with her heart’s desires, and things took off from there.
If you’re not ready to give up your yoga pants, don’t worry! I love mine too. Andrea’s top piece of advice covers that one. Get intentional. Know your values around how you want to show up, and let that guide you.
We talk about:
- Body goals and proportions and how they affect what we wear
- Finding you way back to your style when your life and/or body change — and having a closet of clothes that fits you now
- Approaching style as self-care
- Creating a Pinterest or vision board of style
- Customizing your closet to who you are, so that when you look in you see yourself and that inspires you (minimalist, capsule wardrobes, not for everyone!)
- Stylists vs magazines—stylists aren’t selling you a garment. They’re selling you empowerment, self-awareness, and self-knowledge
BIO
Andrea Putnam is a fashion stylist. She is not only passionate about helping women save time and money on their wardrobes through creating strategies that work for them, she’s also devoted to helping women see how amazing and powerful they are. Andrea helps women get the wardrobe of their dreams, that isn't just for a fantasy life, but is for the real life they have right now. Because the woman you are right now is totally deserving of that. Don't you think?
LINKS
- https://www.andreatheimagealchemist.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/andrea_the_image_alchemist/
- https://www.facebook.com/image.alchemy.consulting/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- FIND YOUR STYLE FOR NOW. Take some time to figure out where you are at. Journal on questions like: What do I really want? What are my goals for my life? Then make a Pinterest board of outfits that speak to you at the place you are right now.
- GET SPECIFIC WHEN SHOPPING. Know exactly what you are looking for to take away some of the decision fatigue. And you can look for deals, but also look for things that make you feel great. Don’t hold back on those.
- LET IN SUPPORT. You don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s figuring out your style or starting your business, you don’t have to do everything yourself—that’s a good route to burnout. Support might come in the form of hiring somebody or joining a group or getting an accountability buddy.
Don't you just want to flow with the energies of the planets?
–Wanica aka Ms. Astrology
On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Wanica, or Ms Astrology about how astrology can be fun and useful in our lives.
I decided on my birthday that I wanted to have my chart read (I wasn’t even quite sure how to say it), and googling led me to Wanica. I loved the experience and wanted to share that with anybody who is into astrology, anybody who is curious, or anybody who doesn’t know just how fun this can be.
Wanica explains how she got into astrology during a divorce and a very intense time in her life. She knew she was a Sagittarius but she didn't realize the energy of the moon and different planets in her life. As she delved into it, her reaction and the way she was handling her situation made sense in a new way. She decided to learn more and help other people use astrology to find flow.
We talk about:
- The three parts of your chart you need to know (hint: you need to know your time of birth to know all three)
- The effects of different phases of the moon on our feelings and actions
- How knowing our kids’ charts can help us understand them
- The effects of our signs being predictable and how we can learn to work with them
- What’s coming up astrologically this summer and the effects it may have
- New moon and full moon rituals
BIO
Wanica, aka Ms Astrology, was lovingly given the nickname "Ms Astrology" by friends who teased her for always chatting about the sky. She first learned we are more than just our Sun Sign in 2012, since then she has used Astrology as a way to enlighten, guide and heal not only herself but also family, friends and of hundreds of clients. Wanica believes in and works with all sorts of healing modalities including Astrology, Tarot & Oracle Cards, Candle Magic, Herbs, Crystals, Oils, Sound Healing, Numerology, Reiki, & (of course) Intuition. She offers private sessions (aka "readings), a weekly subscription service that meets live known as The Cosmically LIT Collective, courses and public speaking events - any platform possible to help people better understand themselves.
LINKS
- www.CosmicallyLIT.com
- https://www.instagram.com/msastrology/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- KNOW YOUR SIGN. If you know you’re a Sagittarius or Gemini or some other sign, that’s one starting place, one most of us know, but to understand your chart, you need to know your sun sign, your moon, and your rising sun. To find those, you need your time of birth. Knowing those can help you start to understand more of yourself, so start by identifying those three pieces.
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE MOON. The full moon and new moon bring new energies, and each one is different. You can use the moon info Wanica shares and create your own moon ritual, or start simply noting when the new moon and full moon occur. What do you notice about yourself these days? How do you feel? What are you pulled to do?
- GET A READING. I loved my reading! It was so fun and freeing. Next on my list is getting readings for my kids. Try it. Be open. See what you learn that could help you be in flow.
“There's a specific intentional quality to mindfulness, and that's without judgment and with kindness.”
–Shahin Najak
You don’t need to sit on a cushion to be mindful. I’m excited to talk with Shahin Najak, mindfulness and meditation coach, about getting past mindfulness as a buzzword. What does it really mean to be mindful— and more importantly, what does it look like in real life?
Mindfulness means paying attention to the moment. Shahin broke that down into two parts: having awareness and, this is important, not judging. Can you be aware of how often you judge — without judging yourself for it? That awareness is one starter practice Shahin shares. Mindfulness is about the practice.
We think of mindfulness as of the mind or brain or head, but it’s deeply connected to the body. You need to notice what’s happening in your body. It takes paying attention, awareness, curiosity, and openness — and again, without judgment.
We talk about:
- The simple practice of checking in with yourself and the importance of noticing your body and physical sensations
- What it means to build a cushion
- Pausing before buying for mindful gift buying
- Grounding yourself (this is a practice you can teach your kids too). Be where your feet are.
- Sending kindness to others
- Noticing what trips you up
BIO
Shahin Najak is a Mindfulness and Meditation Coach, Speaker, and Educator, based in West Vancouver, BC. She supports parents and children with private coaching sessions; teaches and conducts workshops at Community Centres, Schools across Lower Mainland communities, and Canada. She also speaks at business organizations across Canada.
In her previous career, Shahin was an Occupational Hygienist, training and educating employees in Occupational Health and Safety - How chemical and physical stresses in the workplace can affect our well-being. Now, her work revolves around supporting parents & children, teachers, and other employees working in corporations big and small in accessing and incorporating Mindfulness strategies in our daily lives as a pathway to create and craft a life of inner peace, love, compassion, and self-acceptance.
Shahin believes that the daily practice of Mindfulness can bring about a clarity that allows us to savor the moment and live a meaningful and passionate life.
LINKS
- https://www.mindful-changes.com/
Doable Changes from this episode:
- CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF. Throughout the day, ask: How am I feeling right now? How does that feel? What does that feel like in my body? You can ask this anytime—when you first get up, while waiting in line, as you cook dinner, driving to an appointment … Each time you check in, you build in awareness and build your mindfulness practice.
- BUILD A CUSHION. Don’t have 15 minutes for self-care? Build yourself a cushion. Scatter them through the day. Take a moment between tasks to feel your body. Maybe you are sitting in your car after grocery shopping and you feel the steering wheel in your hands. You stand with the sun on your face for a minute when you step out to get the mail.
- SEND SILENT KINDNESS. Pick five random people you come across during the week and send them silent kindness. For example, if somebody cuts you off, send the thought, “May you get home safely.” If you see somebody laughing, send the thought, “May you always have joy.” You can say it in your head, or say it aloud to model for your kids.
“I knew that my house was the thing that I couldn't seem to figure out and conquer. I did not realize that it was because I had too much stuff.”
–Cass Aarssen
You don’t need more bins and baskets to declutter your home. Decluttering comes up a LOT in people’s goals in FLOW365, and when we talked about plans for the week, three women, who I now refer to as “the Decluttering Ladies” kept coming up. So I knew I should get them on for some tips and tricks! If you are sick of having a mess, check out this conversation with Cass Aarssen and Dana White.
Maybe the most important takeaway: decluttering is getting stuff out of your home. Organizing is shuffling stuff from space to space. If you start with organizing or try to do both at the same time, it doesn’t work. You need to get rid of stuff first and get down to your clutter threshold.
And then we need to get real about clutter. Decluttering isn’t a do it and done thing, and it’s not a quick process. That doesn’t mean it has to be overwhelming. You can grab a trash bag and a donation bin and fill them for 5 minutes. We look at specific ways to tackle your mess.
We talk about:
- Real life gets messy again, but getting things back under control is a quicker process than the original
- The difference between staging (all those pretty Pinterest organizing ideas you’ve pinned) and real life (even for a professional declutterer and organizer)
- Finding an organization system that works for you and organizing using the question, “Where would I look for this first?”
- Choosing the right starting spot (and why a closet may not be it) — the Decluttering Ladies suggest entryway or bedroom
- Removing trash from an area, then easy stuff that has a home elsewhere as a way to clear space and energy for stuff that may involve harder decisions
- How to deal with other people’s stuff — focus on your stuff
BIO
Cassandra Aarssen is the creator of Clutterbug, a home organizing business which provides education, inspiration, and support to over 500,000 families worldwide through her YouTube channel, podcast, and various other social media platforms. Cassandra is the host of HGTV’s “Hot Mess House” and is also the author of four best-selling organizing books, “Real Life Organizing,” “Cluttered Mess to Organized Success,” “The Clutter Connection,” and “The Declutter Challenge.” As a recovering “super slob,” Cassandra has discovered through her own journey with clutter that organization is not one-size-fits-all.
Dana White is a decluttering expert, much to her own surprise. A Slob Comes Clean is the completely honest (and never-ending) story of Dana’s personal deslobification process. As she finds ways to keep her home under control, she shares the truth about cleaning and organizing strategies that actually work in real life for real people. People who don’t love cleaning and organizing. Dana is a blogger, speaker, and decluttering expert. She is also the author of “How to Manage Your Home without Losing Your Mind” and “Decluttering at the Speed of Life.”
LINKS
- https://www.takeyourhouseback.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/takeyourhouseback
Doable Changes from this episode:
- TRASH PURGE. Grab a trash bag and pick an area to declutter. Just get rid of all the trash—old receipts, expired food, scrap paper … This is a great place to start because you can practice getting rid of stuff without making a lot of decisions.
- 5-MINUTE DECLUTTER SESSION. Grab a trash bag and donation bin. Set a timer for five minutes, and start filling your bag and bin. Don’t organize. Don’t overthink. Just see...
“Tapping is this beautiful tool that allows you to gently experience those emotions and hold space for those emotions and feel them so that they aren't staying stuck in the body.”
–Lauren Fonvielle
Looking for relief from stress, anxiety, chronic pain, or trauma. Have you tried EFT, or tapping? If you’re curious about what this is and how it works, you’ll want to listen to my conversation with Lauren Fonvielle, an Integrative Energy Practitioner who specializes in EFT.
EFT is short for Emotional Freedom Technique, also referred to as tapping. With this technique, you gently tapping on certain points of the body and acknowledge how you are feeling. Lauren compares it to acupuncture. In acupuncture, they place needles at the end points of the meridians where energy moves through our body. In EFT, we apply light pressure on similar points while talking out loud about how we are feeling. It may sound weird if you’ve never tried it. Even Lauren was skeptical at first, but there are studies to back it up.
Tapping can take you out of fight or flight or freeze mode, which means you can make better choices and decisions. You can use tapping proactively too. If this tool isn’t part of your toolbox, take a listen and see if it’s something you want to add.
We talk about:
- How tapping reduces the amount of cortisol in your body and rewires your brain
- Using tapping to deal with stress, anxiety, physical pain, cravings, and limiting beliefs
- Making tapping part of your daily self-care by adding it to something you already do
- Where to tap and what to say
- Tapping on the negative emotions so we can feel and release them
- Exploring instead of ignoring thoughts that come up
BIO
Lauren Fonvielle is an Integrative Energy Practitioner, specializing in EFT/ Tapping for stress, anxiety, chronic pain and trauma. Her passion is to guide her clients on a journey of self healing to break through obstacles - physical, mental, or emotional - that are keeping them stuck and holding them back in life or business. She believes we all have the answers within, and sometimes we just need a little help accessing them.
Lauren's field of study includes training and certification in various concentrations including Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), yoga instructor, reiki, mindfulness & meditation, and sound healing. She delights in making the connections between science and spirituality, and incorporates this into her practice. She also brings over 15 years of prior experience from her roles in marketing in both the corporate and non-profit sectors to further assist and support her entrepreneurial clients.
LINKS
- Website: https://www.mindshiftwithlauren.com
- Masterclass:https://www.mindshiftwithlauren.com/masterclass
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/laurenic0le/
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenFonvielle
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LaurenFonvielle
Doable Changes from this episode:
- TRY TAPPING. Use the tapping sequence in the podcast or Lauren’s masterclass to try tapping. Tap the different parts of your body, talking through the emotions as Lauren demonstrates. You may notice a difference right away, or you may need to go through the process a few times.
- MAKE TAPPING PART OF DAILY SELF-CARE. Lauren suggests adding...
Radical healing should be a non-negotiable for every woman, especially women of color. –Simona Sillah Curious about crystals? I’m really excited to talk with Simona Sillah about using crystals and other energy and mindset modalities for radical healing. Body, mind, and spirit work together, so we look at the energy around all of that. Simona shares her story of a health crisis that went ignored by traditional healthcare. She advocated to learn more. She finally got treatment that was making her sicker. That’s when she sought out more holistic healing practices. What does it mean to surrender? How do you practice radical acceptance? It can be hard, especially when you want to be in control, so we talk about what that actually looks like day to day. But when the mind, body, or spirit is out of whack, the rest aren’t working right either. Simona lists healthy thoughts, choosing what she consumed, and healing crystals as three pieces of her healing. We talk about: Recognizing our weaknesses and working on them Learning to be kind to ourselves, including finding the grain of truth in what people say about you without shaming yourself or putting too much attention on what they say Paying attention and giving yourself what you need, whether it is rest, a certain food, kindness Lessons that we learn and need to learn again and again Choosing crystals and using them to harness higher intentions Specific ways to use crystals, or what using crystals actually looks like day to day
BIO Simona Folasade Sillah is a changemaker for underrepresented communities, working as a Community and Content Manager for SoGal Foundation by day and running her online metaphysical boutique ENHERGY for her side hustle. She offers over seven years of marketing and communications experience, with an extensive background in business development, public relations, entrepreneurship, and small business coaching. She holds her Master’s degree in Communications Management from the University of Southern California, working alongside organizations —https://www.cdph.ca.gov/ ( California Department of Public Health) (CDPH),https://www.bbbs.org/ ( Big Brothers Big Sisters),http://www.makehers.com/ ( MAKEHERS) — providing equitable solutions and resources for underserved and marginalized communities. Simona’s professional footprint has afforded her the opportunity to execute her life mission of empowering and galvanizing the creative and entrepreneurial pursuits of disruptively unique women — inspiring authenticity, self-confidence, and unmitigated grit. She’s played a pivotal role in the advancement of female founders and women in business, within the Greater Sacramento Region, serving as Creative Business Coach for thehttp://www.hackerlab.org/ ( Hacker Lab), in partnership with thehttps://www.sac-iedc.org/ ( Sacramento Inclusive Economic Development Collaborative). Motherhood has been Simona’s most prized life assignment, serving as a guide to her two young children, Josiah and Logan. When she’s not stewarding her carbon copies towards boundless love and success, you may find her exploring a city near you, salsa dancing in a local discotheque or encouraging women of color towards radical healing! LINKS http://www.enhergy.co (www.enhergy.co) Twitter: @simonafolasade IG: @enhergyalchemist LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonafolasade/ ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonafolasade/) Business Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/74914667/admin/ ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/74914667/admin/) Business IG: @http://enhergy.co/ (enhergy.co) Business Twitter: @enhergy_co
Doable Changes from this episode: BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Pay attention to your inner dialogue over the course of the day. Where are you beating yourself up? Reframe that to be kind to yourself. What can you notice about what you are doing well? KNOW YOURSELF. Pick one time of day to check in with yourself. (You can do this throughout...
Come MAKE A PLAN for your holiday season so that you END 2022 GROUNDED and enter 2023 with ENERGY and BALANCE. Join us NOVEMBER 17 +18, 10am–4pm ET for this restorative and fun home retreat experience!!! Grab your free ticket at https://makedecembermatter.com/ (https://MakeDecemberMatter.com)
“You have to be pretty courageous to be alcohol free in this society.” –Karolina Rzadkowolska If we can be gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free … Why can’t we be alcohol free? I’m talking with Karolina Rzadkowolska, a certified alcohol-free life coach about going alcohol free. You don’t have to have a problem with alcohol to reconsider how it affects your life. Even small amounts can affect energy, sleep, and overall how we feel. It can be hard to not drink. Karolina says she thought that “normal adults drink.” She worried about having to explain to people why she wasn’t drinking. But when she took an extended break from drinking, she fell in love with how she slept every day, how she felt in the morning, the sense of integrity and pride she felt for herself. Taking a break can show you how alcohol is affecting you (even if you didn’t realize it) and what you are really missing in your life. Going alcohol free opens all these doors in our brain and it also changes our identity. Sounds like something to experiment with right? We talk about: Looking at is as an experiment and using Dry January as one way to try out life without alcohol Debunking the myth that alcohol relaxes you and finding new rituals to relax Identifying why you like to drink and shifting your mindset Finding joy after feeling the uncomfortable negative feelings you feel after you stop numbing with alcohol The mind, body, and soul changes that happen when you stop drinking Getting past the idea of a drinking problem and focusing on not drinking for wellness
BIO Karolina Rzadkowolska is a certified alcohol-free life coach who helps intuitive women ditch alcohol and discover their greater purpose. She’s worked with thousands of clients through her online courses and coaching to change their drinking habit and unleash a new level of health, happiness, and potential to go after their biggest dreams. Her book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You (HarperCollins) came out on bookshelves on January 4th. She’s the host of Euphoric the Podcast, founder of Euphoric AF, and her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Sunday Post, Popsugar, Real Simple, Elite Daily and multiple TV shows. Karolina’s passionate about helping you discover what really makes you happy outside of a beverage and design a life you love. She would love to hear from you at www.euphoricaf.com. LINKS Book and Free Gift: Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You http://www.euphoricbook.com/gift (www.euphoricbook.com/gift) www.euphoricaf.com www.instagram.com/euphoric.af
Doable Changes from this episode: EXAMINE WHY YOU DRINK. Make a list of reasons you drink. Then really look at each one through a new lens. Is drinking really doing what you think it is for you? That might mean learning more about how alcohol affects your brain and body, or it might mean questioning beliefs, such as alcohol makes me more confident. CREATE A NEW RELAXATION RITUAL. If you use alcohol to relax, create a new ritual for yourself. It could simply be replacing an alcoholic beverage with a non-alcoholic version, but it could be something completely different. You could sit and have a cup of tea before dinner or light a candle and take three breaths or close the door and have a quiet moment before starting dinner. EXPERIMENT AND NOTICE. Try a Dry month. If that feels like too much, start with a week. Notice how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Notice how you sleep. Notice your energy levels during the day. You may also notice when you want a drink during the day … What's going on? What do you really want? Get curious.
“What we need when we are heading towards winter is really more nurturing, more warmth, more slowing down.” –Ruth Balsiger You can come home again! Ruth Balsiger helps people to come back home to the most glowing, healthiest, feel good version of themselves. I’m so excited for this conversation with Ruth to help you to come back home to your body! Instead of looking at our body as something to fix, Ruth looks at our bodies as a place to come home to. We nurture our bodies and they nurture us. We get to the best version of ourselves when we move away from the idea of a quick fix to think about actually rejuvenating, regenerating and healing. She shares steps you can take to come home again and again — even in the busiest parts of the year. We talk about the importance of planning for health and taking small steps. These small steps are about falling in love with the feeling of coming home again without adding overwhelm. We talk about: How she learned about healing and recovering at age 15 from having a brain aneurysm and how coming home to her body shifted and changed through her life Different ways of creating mindfulness including adding movement Shifting what we eat based on the season When and how to use a detox or cleanse Getting at root causes and finding ways to rebalance Slowing down to eat, soothing your nervous system and other important parts
BIO Ruth is a Nutrition & Health Coach, Yoga Teacher & Personal Trainer, Author and Podcast host. She is passionate about guiding, supporting and empowering you to uncover the best version of yourself. She learned at the age of 15, when she suffered a brain aneurysm and against all odds made a full recovery, how very powerful our bodies are and that they have the incredible innate ability to heal, rejuvenate and recover given the right support. It took her a few more life lessons to understand that total glowing health starts with self-love and is an ongoing and very holistic journey comprising body, mind and soul. She loves adding new tools to her holistic healing box and she includes the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, mindfulness and much more. It is her mission today to remind you of your birth right to live your best life and feel absolutely amazing in your wonderful self. LINKS Website:https://www.ithriveforhealth.com/ ( https://www.ithriveforhealth.com/) Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Ithriveforhealth/ ( https://www.facebook.com/Ithriveforhealth/) Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ithrive_health/ ( https://www.instagram.com/ithrive_health/) Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1848014 ( https://www.buzzsprout.com/1848014) LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-balsiger-1b8198101/ ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-balsiger-1b8198101/)
Doable Changes from this episode: SHIFT YOUR MOVEMENT WITH SEASONS. Take stock of what your body wants as the season shifts. If you are coming into winter, you might want to slow down a little. That doesn’t mean, not moving, but it might mean a gentler flow instead of power moves. Choose a way of moving and see how that feels in your body now. PICK A MINDFULNESS FOCUS. When I say mindfulness, you might think about meditation or being in the moment. Mindfulness is a way of being that carries throughout your day. You can eat mindfully, start your day mindfully, move mindfully. Pick one way you want to add mindfulness into your day. NOTICE HOW THINGS FEEL IN YOUR BODY. Ruth’s tips and suggestions are doable changes by design. The goal is to help you fall more in love with how actions feel in your body, without feeling overwhelmed. So notice how your body feels when you add more herbal tea or adjust your movement of food for the season. What feels good? That’s a guide for you.
“I'm more concerned about the numbers on your tests than I am about the scale.” –Risa Groux Passionate about good food and feeling good? I’m really excited to talk with Risa Groux, a functional nutritionist who is passionate about helping women figure out the foods that will heal them. You can love food and feel better! Risa is focused on prevention, root causes, looking at the body as a whole unit — and she’s a data freak. She focuses on data to help figure out the right foods for each individual. Her process with clients includes a detox, testing, and finding the right diet type. A lot of the tests Risa uses aren’t covered by insurance. We discuss functional medicine, talk about how these tests differ from the tests most doctors run, and why they are important to do. We talk about: Weight loss as a side effect Being passionate about good food AND feeling good The difference between detoxing and giving your digestive system a break Why you might not have a diet type that works for you for life Why fiber is important Checking labels and all the toxins in products we use
BIO Risa Groux, CN is a Functional Nutritionist and Certified Autoimmune Coach in private practice in Newport Beach, California. She has always been passionate about nutrition and good health. Risa was so concerned about purity that she made her children’s baby food from scratch. Today she is passionate about cooking and creating healthy, nutritious food. She works with a wide array of clients from professional athletes, adults, and kids to the Biggest Loser from season four. Risa works with issues like diabetes, autoimmune disease, cancer, digestion, thyroid, and hormone imbalances, to name a few. Risa firmly believes that the body can heal itself with whole foods we obtain from the earth and sees living proof of that in her office each day. She looks at root causes using functional nutrition guidelines, blood and stool tests, and knows that weight loss is a side effect of wellness. LINKS https://www.risagrouxnutrition.com/ (risagrouxnutrition.com) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/risagrouxnutrition (Risa Groux Nutrition) Insta: https://www.instagram.com/risagrouxnutrition/ (@risagrouxnutrition) Twitter: https://twitter.com/RisaGroux (@RisaGroux)
Doable Changes from this episode: CHECK OUT DIFFERENT FOOD FRAMES. Have you ever tried a diet because somebody else had good results with it? We’re all different. Check out different food frames based on your specifics. Try the FoodFrame quiz on Risa’s site or check out her book. GET TESTED. Testing gives a lot of data that can help determine why you aren’t feeling great — and what foods might help you feel better. Functional medicine can give you a lot more information than conventional medicine, and tests often provide different kinds of details to help map out your food. CHECK YOUR LABELS. Look at cosmetics, shampoo, sunscreen, food … What are you putting on or in your body? Where can you get a little cleaner? If that feels daunting, pick one area to focus on. Start with awareness. Then decide what you can cut out and what you could replace with something with fewer toxins.
“If you nurture those people and show trust, they show trust in you.” – Janice Porter Are you leaving on the table chasing new leads? Janice Porter is a relationship marketing specialist. She says most people hear that and focus on the word marketing, but the focus should really be on the relationship part. Her work centers around building relationships and nurturing relationships to grow your business. She talks about nurturing the people that you’ve already done business with. Having a lot of past clients or connections doesn’t do you any good if you don’t nurture them. Part of it is knowing when to give and when to ask. Even though we are talking about relationships, we’re also talking about marketing, so you may be wondering about social media. Janice asks two questions: Where is your target audience? Do you feel comfortable there? We talk about: Using LinkedIn for networking and content strategies Why greeting cards strategies can get you noticed Connecting and nurturing by paying attention Listening to heartfelt prompts Setting up a system to make nurturing easy and authentic Optimizing your LinkedIn profile
BIO Janice Porter is a relationship marketing specialist, podcast host, and LinkedIn trainer. She has an innate curiosity, which she has leveraged into building business relationships and teaches others how to do the same. Her passion is working with people who want to build their businesses through relationship marketing and networking – and she does that using online and offline strategies. LinkedIn training is a huge part of Janice’s business. She believes all business professionals need to have a magnetic LinkedIn profile, and that LinkedIn is THE platform for attracting new clients, strategic partners and referrals. Staying connected, and nurturing relationships comes next – and Janice shows clients how to implement a “tangible touch” follow-up system to do just that. Janice really values the friendships and business relationships she makes and when she meets someone new is always thinking: “How may I support you?” LINKS Website: https://www.janiceporter.com/ (https://www.janiceporter.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1 (https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1) Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1467446457 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1467446457)
Doable Changes from this episode: SEND A CARD. When’s the last time you got a card in the mail? I bet you opened it when you did. Snail mail cards get noticed. Try sending one for a client’s birthday or to congratulate them. PAY ATTENTION. Not sure what to send a card for? Pay attention. If you follow a client on social, notice when they have a work win, a life milestone, or something else going on. Send a card letting them know you are thinking of them. The more you do this, the more you’ll start to pick things up. SET UP A SYSTEM. Sending cards is hard without an address. Get in the habit of asking for addresses and getting them into your system. You can set up specific times to send cards to contacts (though some will be spontaneous because you got a heartfelt prompt.)
Make a plan and then leave room for spirit to show up and make it easier for you. –Julie Hannon How do you manifest your life? How do you show up for the sacred? These are some of the questions Julie Hannon addresses in her work. Julie is a shamanic healing arts practitioner, and both a member and teacher in FLOW365. She works with clients one-on-one, teachers people to live a shamanic life, and she mentors other people doing healing arts. Julie talks about what work-life balance looks like when you recally center or prioritize life and spiritual practice. She says she’s always thinking about where her joy is. As part of the discussion, we rethink the work week and time off. For Julie this includes recognizing Thursday as a sacred day of showing up for your work, to learn, and for celebration. We talk about having a clear vision. Julie shares her experiences of not always knowing how things will happen, and instead trusting spirit. Imagine that things will work and letting things be easy. We talk about: Asking what business needs and what you need, because both need attention for things to flow Listening to your body and energy. Julie says: if I don't feel energized and excited about something, then it's not the right time. Meditation and dreaming and asking spirit for help
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Julie’s three pieces of wisdom: NOURISH YOURSELF SO THINGS CAN FLOW. Eat well and stay hydrated. It affects sleep and fuels your work. Don’t forget to do the things that nourish you — like seeing friends or being by water for Julie — too. SCHEDULE YOUR LIFE AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FIRST. We talk about scheduling in FLOW — putting things into time. Julie starts with set events in her business (a weekly meditation on Sunday and Sacred Circle on Thursday, for example), and then schedules her own practices (swimming and meditation) before clients. What would happen if you put yourself on your calendar first? START WITH YOUR VISION. Start with a vision or dream. What do you really want? What would your life look like? You don’t have to know how to get there to get really clear on the vision. Meditate on your vision or dream. Allow space for it.
BIO Julie Hannon is a shaman and a teacher, committed to helping you discover yourself, your joy, and the beauty in life. Julie is passionate about connecting with people and helping each and every one discover their own special strengths and gifts. This practice is the doorway on the first step of your journey. Julie weaves all her experiences together to create magic. She combines her expertise as an energy medicine practitioner, HeartMath Coach/Mentor and student of spiritual wisdom traditions with more than twenty years professional experience as a human resources director. Throughout her work, she has been a professional facilitator and teacher, moderating, leading groups and creating programs and retreats. LINKS Website: https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/ (https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliehannonshaman/ (https://www.facebook.com/juliehannonshaman/) Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TRVHannon (https://www.youtube.com/user/TRVHannon) https://plansimple.com/making-space-for-the-sacred-with-julie-hannon/ (Making Space for the Sacred with Julie Hannon) https://plansimple.com/perfectly-unfolding-with-julie-hannon/ (Perfectly Unfolding with Julie Hannon)
“Bringing women together to connect is the backbone of my existence.” –Alicia Berberich Empty nesting? What if we call it the shift instead? For Alicia Berberich, having kids leave opened up a lot of time and energy, but she said that’s just part of it. Our bodies are changing and our energy shifts with that too! This is a time when we have time to focus, and we can really accomplish what we're called to do. Alicia says, “My whole life has been about connecting and drawing women together in connection.” One of the things I loved about her story is that she started coaching because she wanted to help her daughters grow into the best they could be. And she has done so much to help women reach their goals. Alicia talks about how important planning is to her. Even when you look at someone who seems really organized and doing a lot, planning helps. We talk about visioning where you want to be in five years and the power of being really clear on your values. We talk about: The shift and the freeing of energy that comes with it Unexpected twists and benefits, like how she started teaching water aerobics Using your values as a guide
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Alicia’s three pieces of wisdom: SET YOUR PLAN AND REFLECT Use the FLOW planner, because it gives you the questions you need to think about to organize your week. Create your plan on Monday, and at the end of the week, reflect on what worked and what didn't. This starts to help you figure out what you can do better next week. BE PRESENT AND CONNECT. Even though we led with the energy that comes from kids leaving home, Alicia is really clear that making time to connect with your kids is essential. Listen to them. Validate them. You can apply this tip to a retired spouse too. Have time you are very present and connect with them — and time when you focus on your essential work. KNOW YOUR FUTURE SELF. Know where you want to be in five years. Then go backward to figure out what you need to do to create that today. What little things honors that future self? What step can you take toward the goals that get you there?
BIO Alicia Berberich loves helping women achieve their goals and has been running workshops and mastermind groups to help women stay on their path. She’s the founder of Alicia Berberich Presents, Women’s Marketing Luncheons and Women in Business Roundtable in San Francisco. She’s also a certified direct response copywriter. Alicia’s work has evolved to meet the ongoing needs of her clients, all around the area of accountability. She helps women create marketing strategies and copy that gets attention and opens new channels for her clients. It all starts with understanding where her clients want to go with their business and developing a path to get there. Alicia is the mother of three college students and has two Labradors who run her days. LINKS Website: https://www.aliciaberberich.com/ (https://www.aliciaberberich.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaBerberich (https://twitter.com/AliciaBerberich) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicia_berberich/ (https://www.instagram.com/alicia_berberich/)
“Bringing women together to connect is the backbone of my existence.” –Alicia Berberich Empty nesting? What if we call it the shift instead? For Alicia Berberich, having kids leave opened up a lot of time and energy, but she said that’s just part of it. Our bodies are changing and our energy shifts with that too! This is a time when we have time to focus, and we can really accomplish what we're called to do. Alicia says, “My whole life has been about connecting and drawing women together in connection.” One of the things I loved about her story is that she started coaching because she wanted to help her daughters grow into the best they could be. And she has done so much to help women reach their goals. Alicia talks about how important planning is to her. Even when you look at someone who seems really organized and doing a lot, planning helps. We talk about visioning where you want to be in five years and the power of being really clear on your values. We talk about: The shift and the freeing of energy that comes with it Unexpected twists and benefits, like how she started teaching water aerobics Using your values as a guide
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Alicia’s three pieces of wisdom: SET YOUR PLAN AND REFLECT Use the FLOW planner, because it gives you the questions you need to think about to organize your week. Create your plan on Monday, and at the end of the week, reflect on what worked and what didn't. This starts to help you figure out what you can do better next week. BE PRESENT AND CONNECT. Even though we led with the energy that comes from kids leaving home, Alicia is really clear that making time to connect with your kids is essential. Listen to them. Validate them. You can apply this tip to a retired spouse too. Have time you are very present and connect with them — and time when you focus on your essential work. KNOW YOUR FUTURE SELF. Know where you want to be in five years. Then go backward to figure out what you need to do to create that today. What little things honors that future self? What step can you take toward the goals that get you there?
BIO Alicia Berberich loves helping women achieve their goals and has been running workshops and mastermind groups to help women stay on their path. She’s the founder of Alicia Berberich Presents, Women’s Marketing Luncheons and Women in Business Roundtable in San Francisco. She’s also a certified direct response copywriter. Alicia’s work has evolved to meet the ongoing needs of her clients, all around the area of accountability. She helps women create marketing strategies and copy that gets attention and opens new channels for her clients. It all starts with understanding where her clients want to go with their business and developing a path to get there. Alicia is the mother of three college students and has two Labradors who run her days. LINKS Website: https://www.aliciaberberich.com/ (https://www.aliciaberberich.com/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaBerberich (https://twitter.com/AliciaBerberich) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicia_berberich/ (https://www.instagram.com/alicia_berberich/)
If you are looking for deep, foundational support and resourcing to help you move in life, I strongly encourage you to look at FLOW365. –Roxanne Lowery You can change your state in a moment. Curious? Check out this conversation with Roxanne Lowery, a therapeutic sound practitioner, who has a quick practice you can use anywhere to change your state. Roxanne has been navigating becoming an entrepreneur and caretaking for her parents. She’s part of the wisdom that comes from the most amazing women in FLOW365. Roxanne explains that sound has the ability proven by science to relax the autonomic nervous system. Sound can take us from sympathetic—fight, fight, or freeze—into parasympathetic, which is resting. We talk about how she uses sound to help people achieve transformation. Being a caretaker is demanding, whether we’re talking about kids or aging parents — or both. Add special needs like a parent with Alzheimer’s and there’s a greater demand. Roxanne talks about the challenge of caring for her parents while also building a business. And we talk about the support in community where others get it because they are or have lived it. We talk about: Being in a transition space — leaving a high stress career, working part-time and caretaking, and the learning curve of being a new entrepreneur How vital self-care is for caretakers Connecting with what lights you up, in Roxanne’s case creativity
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Roxanne’s three pieces of wisdom: KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BIG PICTURE. Visioning and connecting to your future self can help you focus and choose your goals and actions in this season and for each week. It can help keep all the things that need to be done on a daily basis in perspective. DO A DAILY BRAIN DUMP. We are trying to hold so many ideas and pieces in our head, and it’s exhausting. Do a brain dump to get everything onto paper so you can stop holding onto it. Some of those things will make it into your weekly or daily plan, but some will be things you just stop trying to remember. Making a daily practice of a brain dump can help you sleep better, focus, and find more balance. BEING NOT DOING. There's been such a growth of information out there about mindfulness and being here now, being present. Sound creates a beautiful container for us to be present without any expectations, without having to do anything. Dance or other movement is another way to come into the body and be. Focusing on breath is another way to do this. Even a really short time can make a difference. Or try humming. It makes you an instrument and the sound and vibration can change your state in moments.
BIO Roxanne Lowery is a certified Therapeutic Sound practitioner, licensed Healing Minister and gifted musician who has devoted over 35 years to exploring consciousness, transformation and creative expression. Using ambient sound therapy to create immersive experiences, she blends artistic musical explorations with transformational awareness to create an atmosphere for sonic and vibratory revelations of body, mind and spirit. As a facilitator and practitioner with vast experience in many modalities including kinesiology, the ReUnion Process, PSYCH-K, Auric Light Alchemy and The Reconnection/Reconnective Healing, her work and training has taken her into the depths of transpersonal growth and the human potential movement with clients and workshops. Roxanne is certified by the International Sound Therapy Association (ISTA) as a Therapeutic Sound Practitioner. Through Mitch Nur's 9ways Academia, she is a credentialed Gong teacher with certifications in Sound Theology and Gongs; and she...
Workshop: Fulfilled Mom“In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.” – Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn This is part of a series of workshops where we are unpacking how the FLOW Planning Method can be used to create magic in specific areas of life. In this case, we are looking at motherhood. If you want to go deeper and be supported in doing this work, join us for Easeful Motherhood. We start September 22. In a world where being busy has become a badge of honor and women are juggling more than ever, let’s take an hour to consider what really matters and how that can play out in our lives as mothers. We will look at: An updated look at work/life balance and how to define motherhood in the context of your life. 5 questions to answer every Friday that will exponentially increase how present (and calm) you are with your kids. What your calendar has to do with how fulfilled you are as a mother — and it's not about who has to be where and when or what's for dinner (though both are useful things to have in your calendar!).
This workshop will be useful for mothers with toddlers, women whose kids have left home, and every mama in between. Listen to this workshop with a paper and pen in hand. Workbook Image Grab the Workbook here » (Easeful Motherhood Image) Join us for Easeful Motherhood »
“Find your joy again. It doesn't have to be necessarily what you were doing before.” – Kimberly Quirk What happens when you have a chronic illness — and you’re an entrepreneur and mom? How do you make it work? Today I’m talking with Kimberly Quirk, FLOW365 member and Live Well Health Founder. Her passion for working with her health coaching clients stems from her own chronic illness. Listening to your body is important for all of us, but especially so when you are dealing with chronic illness. That can be hard when you are exhausted, taking care of kids, trying to work, and taking care of all the other stuff. But if you don’t listen, your body will get louder. Kimberly shares the progress she’s made and the power of finding your joy again. Overwhelm is real, so small wins really matter. Kimberly offers hope and practical support to people living with chronic illness. We talk about: The power of rest and why we should stop thinking of rest as lazy The sleuthing that is needed to find answers when it comes to chronic illness How food can make a difference
Kimberly shares that her experience in FLOW has helped her: Balance the different parts of her life by rethinking time Feeling more purpose and meaning Feel accountable
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Kimberly’s three pieces of wisdom: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Our bodies hold a lot of wisdom, but we don’t always listen. Whether you have chronic illness or not, listen to what your body is telling you. Do you need rest? Is the food you are eating not serving you? Is something “off”? That’s a sign to make a change. NOTICE WHAT BRINGS JOY. Kimberly reminds us that what brings joy may not be what it was before. What is bringing you joy now? Remember, it doesn’t have to be something big—it could be doggie kisses or the sun on your face or a favorite song coming on. Notice what brings joy and seek more of that. BE A FOOD SLEUTH. One thing that can make a big difference in our health, our energy, and even our mood, is food. You could try an elimination diet to see how you do off different foods. You could also just start by noticing how you feel after eating certain foods. Are there foods that make you sleepy, antsy, achy …? What happens if you don’t eat that food? Get curious.
ABOUT KIMBERLY QUIRK Kimberley Quirk is founder of Live Well Health Coaching, LLC and a health coach who is passionate about working with women over 40 to overcome their chronic lyme disease healing blocks. She became a health coach because of her own health crisis as she has struggled for a decade with chronic illness from lyme disease, toxic mold illness, mast cell activation syndrome, hashimoto’s thyroiditis, POTS, chronic urticaria, depression, anxiety, and SIBO. Kimberley attended Duke Integrative Medicine’s health coaching certification course and became a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach in 2017 with the first health coach certification exam offered. Kimberley is the author of an ebook, “Toxic Mold: How to Protect Your Home and Your Health”, for health media company, Health Means. She has had advanced training in toxicity, mold illness and mast cell activation syndrome from Dr. Beth O’Hara at MastCell360 and attended practitioner workshops by Dr. Neil Nathan. Kimberley has a BS in Business Administration from Babson College with a double major in marketing & communications and a minor in Australian Studies. She was recently accepted into a functional medicine certification program at the School of Applied Functional Medicine. Kimberley is a mother of two and lives with her partner, Greg plus two sweet, senior dogs,...
“There is a collective force rising up on the earth today, an energy of the reborn feminine... This is a time of monumental shift, from the male dominance of human consciousness back to a balanced relationship between masculine and feminine.” — Marianne Williamson For 12 years now, I've been making choices in a way that is so different from the first 35 years of my life. As a result of how I make choices, I don't say, or think, things like "I fell off the bandwagon," or "I have to get back on track." For five years now, I have had the privilege of guiding hundreds of women through the same process. Here is what I will talk about: 3 productivity myths that don’t serve us women Why striving for balance is so important 5 ways to tap into your natural feminine genius that will leave you with a true sense of accomplishment
What to go deeper? You are invited to FEMININE FOLLOW THROUGH — an opportunity to follow through on a goal using your feminine genious for 4 weeks.
“You need to plan, AND you need to leave a little bit of room for magic.” – Heather Maguire Do you trust your intuition and let it guide you? One audience that we serve really well in FLOW365 is intuitive spiritual entrepreneurs. Today I’m talking with Heather Maguire, FLOW365 member and founder of Unconventional Intuitive. She guides people in business and in relationships to be in touch with their intuition. When utilizing the FLOW Planning method, we always start by tapping into the intuition. So I was so excited to talk with Heather, who knows the FLOW Planning Process intimately, and whose work is helping others tap into their intuitions. She is amazing at helping her clients find meaning in their lives by finding their truth in a situation. She shares, people ask, “How do I know if this is real or if I’m just making it up?” Heather says that isn’t a helpful question. What’s more helpful is figuring out what your intuition feels like, and it’s often a nudge or a calling, a sense that something feels right. Heather uses her abilities to help people understand more who they are — what's going on in their body and in their mind. And she helps people understand how their thoughts and feelings are impacting the energy and the people and the circumstances around them. We talk about: Using intuition in business and relationships, especially mother-child Having a plan but leaving room for magic, controlling what you can control Experimentation and play as a powerful process Setting intentions and Heart Rock Walks
Heather shares that her experience in FLOW has helped her: Blend planning and intuition by leaning into a consistent word that she chose intuitively. Calm down her relationship with time and helped her get more realistic with time Recognize the possibilities in time through structure
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Heather’s three pieces of wisdom: CHOOSE A WORD. Pick a word that you want to guide how your life feels. Then really connect with that word throughout the day. Use it as a guide or filter. REIMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES. If you are stressing about something or thinking about how things could go wrong, try imagining a different outcome. What possibilities does that open up? How does that shift your energy? GET REAL ABOUT WHAT’S POSSIBLE IN A DAY. When you get real about what’s possible in a day, you can get even more focused in choosing what to do to move toward your goals. Start by noticing how long things really take. Try working with the time you have instead of the things you want to do.
ABOUT HEATHER MAGUIRE Heather Maguire is an intuitive and medium who offers private sessions, group events and workshops. Her readings provide clarity and uncover what's below the surface but impacting your daily life and your ability to accomplish your goals. Her intuitive sessions are like a comforting, therapeutic conversation that leaves you feeling safe, grounded and loved. Having been intuitive her whole life, Heather has always been fascinated by the connections between people and the conversation beneath the conversation. She enjoys helping people uncover their own intuitive abilities and believes that at the end of the day, what matters most is honoring the truth of who you are. She likes to say, "You're not broken. You're not an accident. Who you are is who you are meant to be. You have permission to love your whole self!" LINKS MENTIONED IN OUR EPISODE https://unconventionalintuitive.com/ (https://unconventionalintuitive.com/) Heart Rock Walks https://unconventionalintuitive.com/heart-rock-walk/ (https://unconventionalintuitive.com/heart-rock-walk/)...
“You need to plan, AND you need to leave a little bit of room for magic.” – Heather Maguire Do you trust your intuition and let it guide you? One audience that we serve really well in FLOW365 is intuitive spiritual entrepreneurs. Today I’m talking with Heather Maguire, FLOW365 member and founder of Unconventional Intuitive. She guides people in business and in relationships to be in touch with their intuition. When utilizing the FLOW Planning method, we always start by tapping into the intuition. So I was so excited to talk with Heather, who knows the FLOW Planning Process intimately, and whose work is helping others tap into their intuitions. She is amazing at helping her clients find meaning in their lives by finding their truth in a situation. She shares, people ask, “How do I know if this is real or if I’m just making it up?” Heather says that isn’t a helpful question. What’s more helpful is figuring out what your intuition feels like, and it’s often a nudge or a calling, a sense that something feels right. Heather uses her abilities to help people understand more who they are — what's going on in their body and in their mind. And she helps people understand how their thoughts and feelings are impacting the energy and the people and the circumstances around them. We talk about: Using intuition in business and relationships, especially mother-child Having a plan but leaving room for magic, controlling what you can control Experimentation and play as a powerful process Setting intentions and Heart Rock Walks
Heather shares that her experience in FLOW has helped her: Blend planning and intuition by leaning into a consistent word that she chose intuitively. Calm down her relationship with time and helped her get more realistic with time Recognize the possibilities in time through structure
This is part of a series where we will be highlighting the work of some FLOW365ers. I ask each one, what are three pieces of advice from your expertise that you know will serve the Plan SImple audience. Because they know the process so well and are part of the audience, their pieces of advice are so valuable! Heather’s three pieces of wisdom: CHOOSE A WORD. Pick a word that you want to guide how your life feels. Then really connect with that word throughout the day. Use it as a guide or filter. REIMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES. If you are stressing about something or thinking about how things could go wrong, try imagining a different outcome. What possibilities does that open up? How does that shift your energy? GET REAL ABOUT WHAT’S POSSIBLE IN A DAY. When you get real about what’s possible in a day, you can get even more focused in choosing what to do to move toward your goals. Start by noticing how long things really take. Try working with the time you have instead of the things you want to do.
ABOUT HEATHER MAGUIRE Heather Maguire is an intuitive and medium who offers private sessions, group events and workshops. Her readings provide clarity and uncover what's below the surface but impacting your daily life and your ability to accomplish your goals. Her intuitive sessions are like a comforting, therapeutic conversation that leaves you feeling safe, grounded and loved. Having been intuitive her whole life, Heather has always been fascinated by the connections between people and the conversation beneath the conversation. She enjoys helping people uncover their own intuitive abilities and believes that at the end of the day, what matters most is honoring the truth of who you are. She likes to say, "You're not broken. You're not an accident. Who you are is who you are meant to be. You have permission to love your whole self!" LINKS MENTIONED IN OUR EPISODE https://unconventionalintuitive.com/ (https://unconventionalintuitive.com/) Heart Rock Walks https://unconventionalintuitive.com/heart-rock-walk/ (https://unconventionalintuitive.com/heart-rock-walk/)...
“If you’re struggling with meal planning make a master list … if you're struggling with starting a business think what the barrier to entry is to make the barrier a little more attainable.” –Melissa Griffiths Don’t like planning because you want to go with your intuitive or creative flow? I get that, but having a plan actually gives you more freedom. We talk about meal planning, content planning, and getting it all done with Melissa Griffiths, a food blogger and photographer and mom to five kids. Whether you need a meal plan or a business plan, we’ve got something for you in this episode. Melissa loves helping families reclaim dinner time, and we talk about her content planning, her ideas about meal planning, and how to get things done in any season (spoiler alert, you don’t do it all yourself). We dig into her process for meal planning, which has a lot of similarities to mine! There’s a rhythm and structure to it that makes it easy. And there’s plenty of flexibility to keep things fresh and satisfy everyone at your table. We talk about: Asking for help in business and our home life Content planning and block scheduling Leaning into the season and shifting how we work to reflect that How to plan and go with your intuitive, creative flow Meal planning by category (like soups, taco night, breakfast for dinner) and with the rhythm of your week in mind Meals that let everyone eat what they want … without cooking a million separate meals
BIO Melissa Griffiths, is a food blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer who loves helping busy families reclaim dinnertime and enjoy their time together. She also specializes in sourdough baking, quick and easy dinners, and back to basics recipes. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreational Management and Youth Leadership and is a member of the Bread Baker’s Guild of America and the American Society of Baking. She's been blogging since 2009 and professionally since 2012 and her blog, Bless this Mess, reaches over 1,000,000 people monthly. Melissa and her husband live on a 12-acre farm in Southern Utah with their 5 incredible children, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, honey bees, and a million night stars that only country life can show you. She loves to cook for friends and family, grow flowers and vegetables in her massive garden, read all the self-help books, and hike all over Utah. LINKS Blog (https://www.blessthismessplease.com/ (Bless this Mess)) Dessert Blog (https://www.barbarabakes.com/ (Barbara Bakes)) https://www.instagram.com/blessthismessblog/ (Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/blessthismessblog/ (Facebook) https://www.pinterest.com/blessthismess/ (Pinterest) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmMHqHdkC2NeLWEEa0ZtU8A (Youtube) https://blessthismess.activehosted.com/f/160 (Free recipes in email, free meal planning printables, and more)
MENTIONED LINK Mia’s book https://www.amazon.com/Plan-Simple-Meals-Energy-Healthy/dp/1533490643/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Z8JNVHZ0M7SW&keywords=plan+simple+meal&qid=1661369101&sprefix=plan+simple+meal%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-1 (Plan Simple Meals)
Doable Changes from this episode: ASK FOR HELP. We tend to try to do it all alone, but that doesn’t work. If asking for help is hard for you, start with a small ask. It could be a few hours of babysitting, delegating a household task you hate, or hiring a VA for a small project. BATCH WORK. Whether it’s making a big batch of meals, prepping vegetables you’ll use throughout the week, or writing all your content in a block of time, batching work saves time. Instead of switching from task to task, you stick with one thing and jam out a bunch of stuff. MAKE A MEAL PLAN. There are two steps you can take in this one change. Make a master list of meals you can make (these should be things that you already know you like and how to make). Then set up a weekly rhythm—Monday soup night, Tuesday Tacos, etc. Fit foods from your master list into your rhythm.
“Listen to your children, try to understand their world and where they're coming from.” –Dr. Abroes Pass-Turner Do you ever dismiss or minimize what your kid is feeling? Do you ever feel like their emotions are out of control? I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner, doctor of counseling psychology and author of Rex's Journey: Helping Children Understand and Cope with Emotions, about emotional intelligence and helping kids regulate emotions. So often we go into “fix it” mode when our kids have big emotions. We want to make things easier for them or we’re just trying to make dinner or get through the grocery line. But having kids bury emotions doesn’t help. We know that when children learn how to regulate their emotions, they have less stress and less anxiety and they're better able to problem solve. As parents we can listen, validate emotions, and help kids work through them. We talk about: A simple breathing exercise to help kids calm down and start over The difference between validating and indulging feelings Modeling emotional regulation and processing for our kids The power of positive self-talk Working with ADHD or ADD in kids How parents and psychologists or other professionals work together to support kids
BIO Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner is a Doctor of Counseling Psychology and the owner of APT Counseling Services LLC. She is a professor at Grand Canyon University in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Georgia Military College. Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner is an author and published the books Rex's Journey: Helping Children Understand and Cope with Emotions, ADHD Warrior: Helping Children Conquer ADHD Unwanted Behaviors, and Childhood Sexual Abuse: Pathway to Mental Health Issues and Delinquent Behavior. Dr. Pass-Turner has worked in mental health for over 20 years and has experience working with children and adults. Dr. Pass-Turner is an expert in working with behavioral and emotionally disturbed children, adults, families, and offenders within the criminal justice system. She is currently an Advisory board member for the Muscogee County Youth Detention Center Department of Juvenile Justice. Dr. Pass-Turner conducts professional seminars and workshops that focus on enhancing professional development and life skills. LINKS drambroespass-turner.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/APTCounselingServices (aptcounselingservices) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drambroes17/ (Drambroes17) Twitter https://twitter.com/drambroes?lang=en (DrAmbroes)
Doable Changes from this episode: TRY BREATHING. Try this simple breathing exercise: Breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for four counts. Teach your kids to do a few rounds of breathing when they are upset before trying to do anything else. You can try it too if you are anxious or angry. You can even try breathing together. DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU SMILE. This came up twice in our conversation. Kids can use an activity they enjoy (one that really lights them up, not one that we like them to do). But parents need this too. We’ve all heard you need to put on your own oxygen mask first and that self-care is important. Think quality, not quantity, and choose the thing that really fills you up. That may not be the things you see on self-care lists. LISTEN AND EXPLORE. Really listen to your kids. Ask questions to explore what they are feeling and why. Your job isn’t to fix things, but to help them understand and work through their own emotions. You can help them see a new perspective without diminishing their feelings or telling them to get over it.
Sometimes it’s the simple little changes that make a HUGE difference in making our busy family lives feel a bit more manageable. I’m all about doable changes. Here are 15 lifestyle hacks from my podcast guests to transform your family’s days.
1. Do a 5-minute decluttering.
Overwhelmed by clutter or even the idea of decluttering? Try this tip from https://plansimple.com/declare-dominion-with-katherine-north/ (Katherine North): Set a timer for 5 minutes and see what you can clear in one area. Put dirty laundry in the hamper, backpacks in the closet, clear the coffee cup from your desk. This isn’t the time to sort through papers or wash the dishes. Just clear space.
2. Cut down on how much stuff you have.
The two things I hear most from families is that they are two busy and that they have too much stuff. Too much stuff can keep us busy, so I love this tip from https://plansimple.com/parenting-simplified-with-kim-john-payne/ (Kim John Payne): Balancing and cutting down on how much stuff your child has (books, clothes, toys, etc.) can reduce pressure on your child and improve behavior. Start simply by cutting clutter to reduce the number of books, toys, clothes, gadgets and other extraneous items in a kid’s room and around the house in general.
3. No inflow without outflow
https://plansimple.com/turn-it-over-and-take-a-step-with-desha-peacock/ (Desha Peacock) believes in upgrading our lives. She suggests working with the idea that for something to come in, something else needs to go out. If something is worn or not your style anymore or just doesn’t get used, trash it, donate it, or sell it to make room for things that you will use. (And if you are weighed down with stuff, start by simply making space before bringing anything new in.)
4. Create an outbox.
Decluttering can lead to other change, so I love this specific tip from Katherine North: Set up one space where anything that needs to leave your house—from library books to outgoing mail to a dish to return to your neighbor—goes. Put outgoing items in that one place, and when you leave the house check to see if anything needs to go with you.
5. Play with your kids.
https://plansimple.com/lead-by-example-with-christie-kenedy-manuel/ (Christie Kennedy Manuel) talks about a lot of the power of moving your body—how it can clear your head, make you more intentional, give you better sleep, and help you feel better. One way to add some movement into your day is to play with your kids. Instead of using playground time to do more on your phone, run around with your kids. Run around with them, play tag. Get active. It’s good for you and for your kids—physically and for the fun and connected factor.
6. Block off time for what you value—and batch the rest.
https://plansimple.com/consistency-with-marie-levey-pabst/ (Marie Levey-Pabst) advocates for making time for what we really value, but she gets that there is other stuff that just needs to get done. She suggests that you choose something you really value and create a block of time when you will do it. It doesn’t have to be 20 hours a week, but maybe one or two hours, or half an hour a day. Mark it in your planner. Then keep that appointment. Turn off notifications on your phone and have that focused time. The stuff of life doesn’t go away just because you have focused on your values. Batch like tasks and block off time for that. This could look like setting aside an hour to make phone calls for appointments and deal with papers or setting aside an afternoon to batch cook meals for the week. It could even look like setting aside every Thursday for family time. You’ll know to say no to other engagements that day and if there are things you want to do—a movie you want to see or a museum you want to go to—you’ll schedule it on family day rather than dither about when to go.
7. Systematize one thing.
Mama CEO and planning expert https://plansimple.com/focus-with-megan-flatt/ (Megan...
We established essentially a collaborative parenting style. We collaborate not only together, but with the children. –Katie Keene Wouldn’t you love a peaceful home and respectful children? It can feel nearly impossible for parents, that’s why I’m talking with Katie and Steve Keene about home economy and collaborative parenting. Collaborative parenting involves collaborating with each other, and their kids. Mom and dad are still in charge, but the kids wants and interests and opinions are heard. They set up a family government with clearly defined rules, expectations, and consequences (these apply to parents too). This allows kids to know what to expect. They established a home economy that took pressure off of everyone to do all the things that need doing in a home. It also helped the kids become more independent and self-confident. Plus their kids are learning financial responsibility. We talk about: What a home economy actually looks like Family meetings and developing a team mentality Starting with a long-term vision about what you want for your family Coming to agreement about what you want kids to learn before they leave your house Accepting and learning from failure How to use the home economy model with kids who are schooled outside the house
BIO Steve and Katie are family success consultants, as well as the creators of the Family Success Secrets podcast. Steve also offers executive coaching for business owners looking to optimize their team efficiency and employee satisfaction and retention rates. They have been married for 20 years, have 5 incredible children, have lived through numerous moves and military deployments while raising their family – all while discovering the special needs that two of the children were born with. They have endured hardship and have built joyful resilience through the process. They love to travel, meet new people, eat good food, and are completely hooked on helping families transform their lives from chaos and tension into lives lived with purpose and passion. LINKS Find Katie and Steve here: https://linktr.ee/familysuccess (https://linktr.ee/familysuccess) Course: https://familysuccesssecrets.com/course (https://familysuccesssecrets.com/course)
Doable Changes from this episode: MAKE A DECISION TOGETHER. Steve and Katie talk about growing up with different kinds of lights on their Christmas trees. They had to decide what they would do for their family: go with one option or the other, alternate years, combine? Find something where you and your partner have different ideas from upbringing or personal preference. Make a decision together for your family. VISION TOGETHER. If you are parenting with somebody else, you probably have different visions about what you want for your family and how to get there. Start with a long-term vision. What’s important to you? What are your preferences? What are your absolutes? How do you want to feel when kids come home to visit in 20 years? Get your long-term vision aligned before you try to make a plan or rules for now. LOWER EXPECTATIONS. Notice one thing you are expecting of yourself. It might be carefully posed pictures for the first day of school or having a pristine house or dinner looking perfect. How can you lower that expectation and give yourself a little grace? It might help to think about why it is important to you. Are you trying to meet others’ expectations or is there something valuable to you in the expectation? How can you keep the value but give more ease?
What we eat can support how we we work, mother, and take care of ourselves. Meals can be a grounding piece of our days and or family’s days, AND often the 21 meals that happen each week fall on us. So how do youo make that process easier, healthier and more fulfilling? That’s what we dive into in this episode.
The college application process doesn't have to be stressful, but it does take a lot of planning. –Beth Pickett Stressed about the college application process? It can be very ungrounding when we don’t understand a process, and the process has changed a lot in recent years. I’m talking with college admissions counselor and author of College Admissions: The Essential Guide for Busy Parents Beth Pickett to demystify the process. Instead of starting with a list of schools, start with the student. Who are they? What do they want to do? What kind of environment do they want? The best school for many students may not be an Ivy—and many students, even top students won’t get into some of the schools they apply to. Parents can start by looking at their own desires and expectations for their child. Are they trying to give the child something they didn’t have? Do they think a certain school is a golden ticket to financial security? Are they influenced by their own knowledge of certain schools or the reactions of their social circle? If you can recenter on your child and what will really serve them, it goes a long way. We talk about: Timeline of the process from thinking early about what classes a student will take in high school to actual application deadlines and what happens if a student graduates early Visiting colleges near you (even if you aren’t applying there) to get a sense of schools of different size and setting The importance of demonstrating interest Handling getting a no from a college (for parents and students) and why not to take it personally Using extracurriculars and summer experiences to explore interests to help make decisions about what you are looking for in a college Ways to decrease stress in the process
BIO Beth Pickett is the founder of College Prep Counseling and Director of Academic and College Advising. She has been working with students across the U.S. as a college admissions counselor for more than a decade. Her clients and essay students have earned admission to Harvard, Yale, Brown, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Williams, Tulane, Colgate, Cornell, and many other colleges and universities across the U.S. A graduate of Stanford, Beth also earned a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA and started working with families as an independent admissions consultant in 2007. She began teaching summer essay-writing seminars to 80+ rising seniors annually. By helping students learn to articulate their goals, Beth helps students learn about themselves and how to make a plan to move forward in a methodical and precise way. She feels privileged to mentor students as they navigate the rite of passage that is selective college admissions. Beth is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and resides in the seaside town of Ventura, California, with her two teenage boys. LINKS https://www.amazon.com/College-Admissions-Essential-Guide-Parents/dp/1949550893 (College Admissions: The Essential Guide for Busy Parents) https://www.facebook.com/groups/admissionessentials (https://www.facebook.com/groups/admissionessentials) https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-pickett-bb3463185/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-pickett-bb3463185/) https://www.instagram.com/collegeprepcounseling/ (https://www.instagram.com/collegeprepcounseling/) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwQr0aEHdUREidpSxxiZfMw (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwQr0aEHdUREidpSxxiZfMw)
MENTIONED LINKS https://plansimple.com/all-about-hormones-with-dr-anna-cabeca/ (All About Hormones with Dr. Anna Cabeca)
Doable Changes from this episode: CHECK YOUR OWN IDEAS. Get really clear on what you want out of this process. Questions to ask yourself: What do I want my child to get out of college? What do I think going to college (or a specific college) will do for my child? If I’m set on my child getting into a specific school, and Ivy or similar, why is that important to me? What do I consider a “good school”? How...
Planning all things motherhood was something I resisted for a long time — mostly because I thought it was all about family vacations, medical forms, and school year extracurriculars. BUT, then I started understanding what really needed space, and I could see that if I did not leave time in my weeks for the pieces that actually make the the mom I want to be, they would never happen! I am talking about pauses before responding (or yelling), individual connection time, building a village, and so much more. Tune into this episode to see how I think about planning for motherhood every week. This is part of a new solo series that will air each Saturday. To get notified, please make sure you are subscribed to the Plan Simple Podcast.
We’re so busy running our agenda that we lose out on who our child is and what they really want. –Robbin McManne Your child’s behavior is never personal. I’m not sure who needs to hear that today, but that’s one of the pearls from my guest Robbin McManne, a parenting coach and mom to teen boys. The first thing Robbin wants parents to know is that this is a tough time and it’s okay if you are struggling — and there’s help! We prepare for the birth, but not necessarily the lifetime. There’s a lot of brain science to understand where our kids are developmentally through their lives. Even though we study a lot for our jobs, we don’t learn a lot of what we need to know to parent well. Robbin helps people unravel their kids' behaviors. It’s possible to build a strong relationship with kids as they grow so that they want to stay connected with us. We need to honor who they are over our own agenda. We need to set up boundaries and strong scaffolding, but we need to slow down, get quiet, and listen to our kids. Parenting is not an emergency. We can slow down. We need to respond, not react. We talk about: Understanding our own triggers as parents and how our kids mirror what we need to heal How punishments, threats, and rewards work in the short term but backfire when the stakes are higher How parenting affects how we show up at work and the importance of supporting parents It not being about or a reflection on the parent when kids are going through something Letting go of the stories in our heads and seeing what our kids need in the moment (even when that moment is a meltdown) and how we can coregulate Self-care and making sure you are okay as a mom being the most important thing you can do for your family.
BIO Robbin is a Certified Parent Coach, author of The Yelling Cure, podcaster and speaker. She works with parents from all over the world to help them build more connection and find more joy and cooperation in their parenting. Robbin is a former ‘Angry Mom’ who, for over 12 years, juggled a full-time corporate career while being a mom and wife, prior to becoming a Parenting Coach. She understands firsthand how many moms struggle to balance work and family. Robbin's work focuses on building and strengthening the parent child relationship so that children grow up with resilience, confidence and strong emotional intelligence. She works with parents to help them understand their own emotions and frustrations in parenting, so they can help build their children’s sense of self without losing themselves in the process! LINKS http://www.parentingforconnection.com/ (www.parentingforconnection.com) http://www.instagram.com/robbinmcmanne_parentcoach (Robbin on Insta) https://twitter.com/robbinmcmanne (Robbin on Twitter) http://www.facebook.com/parenting4connection (Robbin on Facebook) https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbin-mcmanne-33a26439/ (Robbin on Linkedin) https://www.youtube.com/c/ParentingforConnection (Parenting for Connection on youtube) https://pin.it/2R9QWhg (Pinterest) https://parenting-our-future.captivate.fm/episode/plan-simple-meals-your-kids-will-love-with-mia-moran-pof89 (Mia on Robbin’s podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode: SLOW YOUR BREATH. When your kid is upset, try sitting with them and getting quiet. Slow and deepen your breath. They will probably start to follow your breath, without guidance. Let them feel their feelings. REMIND YOURSELF IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU. When our child has challenging behavior or is struggling with something, it’s easy to take it personally. Why are they embarrassing me, why won’t they cooperate … Remember it’s not about you. Ask what your child needs in the moment. Do they need connection? Do they need to calm down? Do they need to feel heard? TAKE A BREAK. Take a day off. Take a nap. Schedule the time and ask for help. If you can’t do it for yourself at first, do it fo your kids, because making sure you are okay is the most important thing
As we wrap up a few episodes of guests talking about entrepreneurship, I thought I would share a bit about what I’m thinking about when I make my work plan each week.. I may do an episode in the future about how I make choices and make the PlanSimple plans. This episode is all about things other than marketing, sales and fulfillment. Today I am talking about the things that take time, that I, at first, did not realize need time. And I hope to show you how making time for them has really helped with my productivity, confidence and joy. This is part of a new solo series that will air each Saturday. To get notified, please make sure you are subscribed to the Plan Simple Podcast.
You can change your money story and build wealth. –Kaila Pilecki More money and more ease … isn’t that what we all want? I’m really excited to talk with Kaila Pilecki of My Aligned Purpose about money mindset and systems. If both of those make you groan, you definitely need this conversation. Many of us equate money with freedom … but sometimes growing money can feel restrictive. We talk about how to make restrictions around money feel better. We also explore a more expansive approach that recognizes the value behind spending for growth. Choosing the approach that works with your own nature is essential. Systems are another thing that can feel restrictive. I fought against planning and systems for a long time before realizing the freedom they can bring. Whether it’s systems around your money or attracting new clients or any other part of your life, systems can bring more ease — and they don’t have to be a big deal to create. We talk about: Money mindset and changing your money story (making money won’t make you a horrible person) The easy way to set up a system — start with what you already do Creating an amazing customer experience to make it easier to make money Understanding whether you are wired to start or finish things — and how to partner with somebody to make things happen Setting yourself up for success by getting clear and realistic about how long things actually take Delegating — and really letting go of somethings — so that you can focus
BIO Kaila Pilecki is a Certified Executive Coach and co-founder of My Aligned Purpose, a coaching and learning company for ambitious women entrepreneurs. She has over a decade of experience, working in leadership and fundraising roles with non-profit organizations, where she raised millions of dollars to facilitate social change. An entrepreneur through and through, Kaila has established and operated multiple businesses including her coaching practice, managing real estate, painting houses and creating artisanal, cultured butter. Kaila specializes in creating effective, profit driven business systems that take the guesswork out of growing and scaling your business. LINKS https://www.myalignedpurpose.com/ (https://www.myalignedpurpose.com/) https://www.instagram.com/myalignedpurpose/ (https://www.instagram.com/myalignedpurpose/)
Doable Changes from this episode: ASK MONEY QUESTIONS. One place to start with changing your mindset around money is to ask yourself: Where am I currently spending money? Where do I want to be spending money? What could I do to shift where I spend my money for better alignment? DOCUMENT A SYSTEM. We think of setting up systems as a big project. Start with what you already do. Document each step. Pay attention to how long each step takes. Schedule things. What parts of the system do you hate doing? Delegate or (if possible) delete. What parts don’t run smoothly? You can tweak your system once you have it set up. THINK LIKE A CLIENT. How can you make it easier for people to work with you? Take some time to visit websites of other people in your field. What is super clear and smooth? What feels hard to navigate? Do you know what to do when you land on the page? Can you find what you need? Take the best and bring it to your own site or process. Check your site or process for things that aren’t working.
As an introvert, I always knew that unstructured time is really necessary to thrive. What I never understood are the benefits of planning that time in advance! It’s life changing!!!! If you are an introvert or live with one, then listen in!
The key to growth is really challenging everything that we believe. –Dr. Michelle Gordon Did Covid give you a wake up call? It’s never too late to change course as my guest proves. I’m talking with Dr. Michelle Gordon, surgeon turned coach who now helps entrepreneurs get past being stuck or burnt out to relaunch their lives. Whether it’s the pandemic, the end of a relationship, a death or health crisis … these turning points give us a place to relaunch. Sometimes the universe has to hit you over the head for change to happen. We have deep-seated, even subconscious, ideas about money and what we are supposed to do. We’ve internalized others’ expectations, and we get so stuck doing what we are doing, sometimes we don’t even realize we could change — but we can. It starts with challenging everything we believe. It takes letting go of the stories we tell ourselves. And we need to ask questions like, “What would it look like if …?” Dr. Michelle did all of these things and helps others make this transformation too. We talk about: Thinking about what we want without doing the things we want — and how to change that Why we need to think big to make things happen Getting stuck on pre-conditioned beliefs about money Replacing negative self-talk with positive talk Success stories of people who made big changes in their lives How changing your place can help you change your thoughts and patterns
BIO Dr. Michelle Gordon is a board certified general surgeon, author, and coach. She pivoted from medicine to coaching and helps exhausted high-achieving entrepreneurs relaunch their lives through transformational travel and coaching. LINKS https://drgordon.me/ (https://drgordon.me/) https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscover.drgordon.me%2F&e=ATOPn9dzzzQt4gkosjL61xDZJdO2_0CJUMyeX8atVHvoYWcjyZJ0FYEJoM8oQTMUO-SykFSXCW0u_EBThKNt4A&s=1 (discover.drgordon.me) https://www.instagram.com/drmichellegordon/ (https://www.instagram.com/drmichellegordon/) https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon (https://www.facebook.com/drmichellegordon) https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellegordon/) https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/launch-your-life-podcast/id1471592943 (Launch Your Life Podcast) https://plansimple.com/ (From Overwhelm to Ease)
Doable Changes from this episode: TRY POSITIVE SELF-TALK. Dr. Michelle talks about changing negative self-talk about her body and her self. Whenever you hear yourself saying something you hate about yourself, change it to “I love …” See what flows from motivating yourself with love. QUESTION ONE BELIEF. What’s something you believe about yourself: I can’t make this much money any other way. I could never run a business. I’m not good with money … Question that. Challenge it. What if the opposite were true? GO SOMEPLACE NEW. Take yourself out of your house, your city, your usual routines. Go someplace new. It doesn’t have to be far or exotic (though it could be). Getting away from your usual place can help you step out of stale beliefs and thought patterns.
I am about to embark on a journey of deep care for my body that I know will result in losing, or better said, “releasing” some weight that landed on my body after an intense year in my life and also hormonally. I am noticing that I am not so attached to the weight (this time), and more to what it represents, and how to be the healthiest version of myself right now, in the most loving way possible. If you are interested in what I am thinking about as I make a plan for the next 8 weeks, this is the episode for you! If you are interested in any of the resources shared, please find them in the link in the bio of our Instagram feed @plansimple.co. This is part of a new solo series that will air each Saturday. To get notified, please make sure you are subscribed to the Plan Simple Podcast.
It's not about growing the audience. It's about getting to know the audience that you already have and see what you can offer them. –Ina Coveney You don’t have to build your audience for your business to thrive. If you’ve been struggling to grow your audience or growing it but not seeing the results you want, you’ll want to listen to my conversation with Ina Coveney, a business coach who helps entrepreneurs with a small audience get clients. After years in corporate, she quit her job to start her own business. We talk how she actually left, about the flop of her first course, her start in helping people leave corporate jobs, and her pivot to helping entrepreneurs who are already committed build their businesses without building huge audiences. As part of all that, we dig into ideas about what you should or “have to” do and listening to your own intuition. Ina says that online business isn’t that different from in-person business — we just don’t know how to start conversations online. If you’ve ever been cold pitched in a DM, you know about people starting conversations that don’t feel good. What if you could learn to start conversations that DO feel good online? What if you could turn that into a successful business? We talk about: Translating an in-person business to the online world Knowing your ideal client (and that it’s not everybody who follows you) How to connect by continuing a conversation instead of starting it Having a conversation and getting to know people without making a pitch Making social media super easy with repurposing and simple post types and how to be consistent, even when your energy isn’t Continuing to move in the direction your intuition tells you to go, even if the destination keeps changing
BIO Ina Coveney is a business coach and host of The Global Phenomenon Podcast. She helps up-and-coming online coaches monetize their tiny audience through organic lead generation strategies before they invest time and money in audience growth. Ina reached 6-figures in her business before ever cracking 1,000 followers on any of her platforms, and her mission to help coaches do the same. LINKS https://www.instagram.com/yourengagementcoach/ (Instagram @yourengagementcoach) http://100postideas.com (100 Engagement Post Ideas) https://getclientsfirst.inacoveney.com/gc1-signup (Get Clients First) https://www.inacoveney.com/ (https://www.inacoveney.com/) http://theglobalphenomenon.com/itunes (The Global Phenomenon Podcast) https://plansimple.com/speak-up-with-alexia-vernon/ (Speak Up with Alexia Vernon)
Doable Changes from this episode: IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS. This isn’t about creating an avatar. It’s looking at people who are following you (or maybe even people you are following) and seeing who feels like they might fit. Don’t overthink it. Just go with your gut. Then start a conversation. See where it goes. Some people may love what you do but not be a great client. That’s OK. CONTINUE A CONVERSATION. Instead of starting a conversation, you can continue one somebody else started on social media. Comment on or message somebody about something they posted. Don’t think of it as getting a client, just as having a conversation. CREATE SIMPLE SOCIAL POSTS. Pull a tip or quote from something you’ve already written. Pick an image and write a great caption. Find a post you shared a while ago and use it again. Create 5–10 and then schedule them.
Just because we have to take care of our children doesn't mean that we can't prioritize ourselves. –Gianna Diggs How do you prioritize yourself when you have kids and a business? You know you need to, but how does it actually happen? I’m talking with Gianna Diggs, a mindset and intuitive business coach for mom entrepreneurs about fitting self-care into your life, techniques for getting past your fears, and how understanding yourself better allows you to work with your own personal strengths and energies. You'll never get over a fear at every level, even when you’re doing great. There’s always the next level to unlock. Understanding that and having tools like affirmations and meditation to get past mindset blocks can help move through the things holding you back. Understanding yourself and how you work is important. You need to be in alignment with the decisions you make for your business, no matter what a coach or other advisor tells you. You need to be the authority of your business. We talk about: Using business astrology to help you work around difficulties How Human Design affects energy and how to find your Human Design type Using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to work through fear or worthiness or other blocks What the RVI method (recognizing, validating, and implementing) is and how to use it Prioritizing yourself and making time to use the tools How you can prioritize yourself even while you prioritize your kids
BIO Gianna Diggs is a #girlmom, Human Design enthusiast (6/2 Emotional Projector! ) Cancer sun, Leo moon and rising, lover of skittles, airheads, romance novels, 90’s Hip-Hop And R&B, and laughing until her belly aches! She uses intuitive and energetic modalities such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Time Techniques, Human Design, Gene Keys, and Business Astrology to help you release your limiting beliefs and blocks, stand in what makes you unique, and then use your uniqueness to gain clarity around how you can create more freedom to do the things you love. LINKS 7-Days to Self-Care Free Challenge: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62ace0d4849e4b4fbbbea39f (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62ace0d4849e4b4fbbbea39f)
Waiting List for Self-Care Planner: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62acede7849e4b4fbbbea3b1 (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62acede7849e4b4fbbbea3b1)
https://www.giannadiggs.com/ https://www.giannadiggs.com/podcast/ (https://www.giannadiggs.com/podcast/) https://www.instagram.com/giannadiggs_/ (Gianna on Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/giannadiggs (Gianna on Facebook)
Figure out your human design: https://www.myhumandesign.com/get-your-chart/ (https://www.myhumandesign.com/get-your-chart/) https://humandesignamerica.com/books/general-education/item/69-human-design-the-science-of-differentiation (Science of Differentiation) https://plansimple.com/choose-with-kelley-grimes/ (Self-Nurturing with Kelley Grimes)
Doable Changes from this episode: LEARN ABOUT YOUR HUMAN DESIGN TYPE. Start by finding out what you type is. Then read online or get a reading to help you understand your type and what that means for you in your life and business. TRY TAPPING. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or tapping is one of the techniques for getting past mindset blocks. We have a whole podcast on https://plansimple.com/tapping-with-jill-wener/ (tapping). Give it a try. PICK ONE THING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. Gianna talked about getting her nails done. What’s your thing that makes you feel good? Notice if you find yourself resisting doing it. Work on the mindset around that. Then schedule time for your thing (and follow through!)
It is that ability to say the things you want to say out loud that allows you to show up and ultimately make an impact. –Alexia Vernon Do you speak up for yourself? For issues that matter to you? I’m talking with Alexia Vernon, a speaking coach, and we’ve talked before, but this conversation is a little different. We’re talking about being able to walk into any conversation and unapologetically speak up for yourself and any ideas or issues that matter to you. One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes this ability seems selective. We can advocate for our kids, but struggle to advocate for ourselves at work. Or you can speak up for your business, but feel like you’ve lost your voice in your marriage. We talk about the why behind this and how to find your voice in any situation. We talk about layers to address: stories about speaking up and how they feel in your body, messaging and practicing what you’re going to say, presence or using our bodies, and calling people to action. We talk about: The difference between ruminating and practicing what you will say The missing piece when you have a conversation but nothing changes Asking yourself where you are feeling constriction when you want to speak up and using breathing or visualization to bring a sense of safety and release to help open those spaces Using pleasure points instead of pain points to move people to action (in business and personal situations) Setting boundaries clearly and having a shared vocabulary when working with a team or clients Not waiting until the top emotion is anger or resentment to have a conversation
BIO Alexia Vernon is a sought-after advisor to executives, senior leadership teams, entrepreneurs, coaches, and consultants who want to speak with an unshakeable presence, sell their ideas, navigate daring conversations, develop high performing teams, advance their thought leadership, and make a lasting positive social impact. Alexia has supported thousands of leaders and speakers through her Step into Your Moxie® corporate offerings, online training, live events, mastermind, and certification programs. LINKS https://stepintoyourmoxie.com/ (https://stepintoyourmoxie.com/) https://plansimple.com/more-please-with-alexia-vernon/ (More Please with Alexia Vernon)
Doable Changes from this episode: NOTICE CONSTRICTION. When you feel yourself struggle to speak up, try to notice where in your body you feel it. Is it in your knees, your thighs, your belly, your throat? Start by noticing. Then see if you can release using breathing or meditation. PRACTICE WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. When we are passionate about something, we think we’ll be able to just riff off the top of our heads and say the important things that move people to action. But without practice, we often miss the mark. You don’t have to write out and memorize a speech, but think through what you want to say. Practice saying it. CENTER THE OTHER PERSON. Think about what you want from the conversation: what change do you want, what do you want the other person to do? What do they need? What is their motivator? Can you lead with that?
Dr. Anna tells us exactly what's happening in our bodies after kids, and different ways we can respond and feel our best. Take good notes! This episode is taken from Camp, a program we led in Summer of 2021 — the purpose was to pause and learn some new ideas and tools as women who are 40+. Day 1 was all about the body. We ate good food, moved in gentle ways, and learned about our hormones (and other under discussed topics). I am so excited for you to listen to this conversation with Dr. Anna Cabeca!!! What she shares will help you feel in balance in your body, but can also help make sense of relationships! Let’s all focus on one doable change this week. Plan for YOUR body. What would happen if you planned your week in service to your body? Would you sleep differently? Eat differently? Drink differently? What if you ditched what you are supposed to do? What if you treated your body like your best friend? What does she need right now in this phase? About Dr. Anna Best-selling author, Anna Cabeca, DO, OBGYN, FACOG, is known nationally as The Girlfriend Doctor and is host of The Girlfriend Doctor show, where she welcomes experts and guests to the show to share their insights on how women can truly thrive in body, mind and spirit. Dr. Anna is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She holds special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She lectures frequently on these topics throughout the world to large audiences. Her first two highly acclaimed books, The Hormone Fix and Keto-Green 16 are best-sellers. In addition, Dr. Anna is the creator of several popular virtual transformation programs – The Keto-Green Way to Breeze through Menopause, Sexual CPR, and Magic Menopause. She offers Keto-Green nutrition plans to online subscribers, is the founder of her Girlfriend Doctor Club, and the host of the vast Keto-Green community on Facebook. A passionate health advocate for both women and men. Dr. Anna has appeared on numerous television shows and has been interviewed by ABC, CBS, and NBC. Sought after by various other media, Dr. Anna has been featured as a women’s health, nutrition, weight loss, and hormone expert in Shape Magazine, Woman’s World, First Magazine, InStyle, Huff Post, Mindbodygreen, and others. Forbes Magazine reported on her success in creating and building a successful business around her flagship product Julva - an all-natural, over-the-counter cream that she developed to treat vaginal dryness and discomfort. Dr. Anna is also the creator of other top-selling health products such as Mighty Maca Plus. Dr. Anna lives in Dallas, Texas with her daughters, horses, and dogs.
Living from passion and purpose isn't so much a destination as an attitude towards life. –Natalie Matushenko What’s your purpose? Are you living it or are you living somebody else’s dream? Lately women in FLOW365 have been grappling with purpose, so it seemed like a good time to talk with Natalie Matushenko, a friend and a coach who is obsessed with purpose. Natalie was living a life that looked like she had it all: flying around the world working on multi-million dollar projects for the World Bank. The money was good. She had six weeks of vacation … and she hated what she did. So she decided to travel through Southeast Asia for a year. During that time, she realized that she didn’t have to spend her life doing something she didn’t want to do. She found herself surrounded by other people who weren’t loving what they were doing, who wanted a way out. Natalie is a dreamer and big thinker trained to think systematically, and she came up with a seven-step process to figure out what your passion and purpose is. She’s been teaching it for years. We talk about: How hard it is to get out of the boxes we were raised in (but it’s possible!) What parenting takes out of you and how you can choose your own path Using quiet, meditation, and journaling to figure out who you are then taking action on the things that speak to you (I need to make space for art) Purpose being something you are willing to suffer or struggle for Getting past the idea of selfish and remembering that we when we follow our intuition and dreams we give our kids permission to be themselves and teach them they deserve to follow their inner voice Focusing on creating the life that fulfills you and makes you happy — not trying to change others.
BIO Natalie Matushenko helps soulful, ambitious and multi-passionate women uncover their purpose and start passion-driven businesses. She’s been on her own journey to explore the changes in life after 40. Natalie has created her dream life and believes that anybody can do it! She left a high-flying career in international development to pursue her own version of success. She has lived in the US, Colombia, Ukraine, Spain and Italy and has traveled extensively to over 50 countries. She speaks English, Spanish and Russian fluently and can get by in French. Natalie is passionate about learning from different cultures, creating community, being in nature and creative expression. She volunteers with several organizations that focus on the empowerment of women. Natalie currently splits her time between Colombia, South America and the United States and spends a couple months a year traveling the world with her husband and three daughters. LINKS https://nataliematushenko.com/ (https://nataliematushenko.com/) https://plansimple.com/uncovering-purpose-with-natalie-matushenko/ (Uncovering Purpose with Natalie Matushenko) https://plansimple.com/life-after-40-with-natalie-matushenko/ (Life After 40 with Natalie Matushenko)
Doable Changes from this episode: ASK WHAT AM I MEANT TO KNOW? Ask the question: What am I meant to know? Spend a few minutes meditating, focusing on breath, or simply sitting quietly with that question. Then journal, briefly your response. This starts the process of bringing you within, of connecting to yourself and your yearnings and your desires TAKE ONE STEP. Getting a better sense of what you want is great, but the real magic comes when you act. That’s what doable changes are all about. You don’t have to pick up your life and move to another country. You don’t have to quit your job. If that’s your next step, go for it, but you can also take a small, next step: Sign up for an art class; Email somebody you want to connect with; Schedule time to work on your book; Take a walk or plan tomorrow’s healthy breakfast … Pick one step to do. Do it. Then the next one. REMEMBER WHAT USED TO LIGHT YOU UP. Not sure what makes you happy? Meditation and journaling might reveal something....
“Carving out time once a month for monthly OM, is like opening up a space for spirit to show up and partner with us.” –Julie Hannon Potential and possibilities — what’s getting in your way? In FLOW365, we have a monthly Om session, a sacred circle led by shamanic healer, teacher, and OM guide, Julie Hannon. I’m talking with Julie today about making space to access how we want to be and what's in the way of that and how to clear out those obstacles to access all of our potential and our possibilities. The circle we create is powerful. Julie notes that circles are the oldest form of coming together. We’ve come together around fire in circles and women in circles of seasons and care, and birthing circles. There's no hierarchy, just connection to each other and the sacred. So what does Om or circle have to do with planning and goals? Meditation, connecting with spirit, coming together … These things help us bend time. It’s one of those things that’s easier to experience than to believe by hearing, but again and again, we see people find more time and spaciousness even as they meditate or come into sacred circle more. We talk about: The power of meditation and overcoming resistance to it Mind, body, spirit connection, and how opening sacred space opens up different parts of our brains that get shut down when we are stressed The opportunities and resources that show up for us when we get out of feeling stuck in danger and overwhelm Getting out of the rut of habits and worn neural pathways and creating new pathways How having a guide helps in meditation and exploration Making space for the sacred to partner with us
BIO Julie Hannon is a shaman and a teacher, committed to helping you discover yourself, your joy, and the beauty in life. Julie is passionate about connecting with people and helping each and every one discover their own special strengths and gifts. This practice is the doorway on the first step of your journey. Julie weaves all her experiences together to create magic. She combines her expertise as an energy medicine practitioner, HeartMath Coach/Mentor and student of spiritual wisdom traditions with more than twenty years professional experience as a human resources director. Throughout her work, she has been a professional facilitator and teacher, moderating, leading groups and creating programs and retreats. LINKS https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/ (https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/) https://plansimple.com/flow365/ (FLOW365) https://plansimple.com/perfectly-unfolding-with-julie-hannon/ (Perfectly Unfolding with Julie Hannon)
Doable Changes from this episode: TRY GUIDED MEDITATION. Whether you meditate regularly or have tried it and it hasn’t worked, consider guided meditation. Go in open and see what happens. CREATE SPACE FOR SPIRIT. You can be guided with something like monthly OM in FLOW365. You can light a candle and set an intention. You can sit quietly for 5 minutes and concentrate on your breath. I have been dialoguing with spirit in a journaling process I learned in Julia Cameron’s latest book Seeking Wisdom. ASK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. This works best once you have gotten your brain out of the danger zone and into possibilities. Ask yourself where you want to go. Follow your own lead, get curious. Get out of your own rut and see what opens up.
Don't shame yourself from wanting to do the work that you love. –Becca Carnahan Flexibility and fulfillment? Yes, please — but what does that really mean? I’m really excited to talk with Becca Carnahan, a career coach who specializes in helping moms find fulfilling jobs that they love without giving up the flexibility that they need. We start with some of the questions that help people define fulfillment for themselves: What skills do you want to use on a regular basis? Who do you want to surround yourself with? What impact do you want to make? What factors play into fulfillment from a job perspective and from a life perspective? We ask questions to define flexibility. The question of flexibility and fulfillment may come up while you are in a job, but how do you address that when you are re-entering the workforce after time without paying work? We get into 4 steps for approaching the search and finding something that really works for you financially and with fulfillment and flexibility in mind. We talk about: What it means to job craft and how that can lead to more fulfillment and flexibility Results-focused jobs vs. facetime-focused jobs and the effect of company values Starting from what you want to do, not what you think you are qualified to do Getting clear and comfortable with what you have to offer before you try to sell somebody else on it Defining what you want work and parenting and other parts to life to look like Anticipating life shifts that will change your wants around work
BIO Becca Carnahan is a career coach, author, and mom of two. She specializes in helping Millennial and GenX women make big changes and find more joy and fulfillment in their careers. She leads with enthusiasm to make the process fun, brings the expertise gained over a 14 year career in career and professional development at Harvard Business School, and adds empathy so you feel truly seen and heard. Career and life don’t live in separate boxes. Becca gets that and helps clients think about life and career holistically and work with her to find or create your dream job. LINKS https://beccacarnahan.com/
Doable Changes from this episode: DEFINE FULFILLMENT. What skills do you want to use on a regular basis? Who do you want to surround yourself with? What impact do you want to make? What factors play into fulfillment from a job perspective and from a life perspective? Try journaling about these questions to get a clearer sense of what fulfillment really looks like to you. ASK FOR THE FLEXIBILITY YOU NEED. First define what flexible means. Do you want to get your kid off the bus every day? Do you want Fridays off this summer? Do you want to work from home on certain days? Do you want days with no meetings? Get really clear on what you want. And then ask for it. LOOK AHEAD. Becca knew that she wanted something different when her son started kindergarten, and she anticipates other changes as her kids get a little older. What life changes are looming? How might these affect your work? Can you plan for that now? Start by looking 1–5 years ahead. Write down changes you see. Maybe talk to people with kids that age. What will be happening? How do you want things to work? What might flexibility look like in that situation? What steps could you take today to move in that direction?
“I’m here to normalize the fact that women can have a really successful business, make very good money, make an impact, AND have a very high quality of life — unapologetically.” – Fabienne Fredrickson What if you could have it all? What if you had a life filled with all the “things” you love? Fabienne Fredrickson is truly happy with her life, her work, herself. She’s created multiple seven figure businesses, written multiple books, takes 14–16 weeks of unplugged vacation each year, doesn’t work evenings or weekends, has a happy marriage, and lovingly mothers three kids. You’re probably saying that’s nice, but “I can’t.” Sometimes we need to start with the possibilities. We need to nourish ourselves with pleasure, fulfillment, getting our curiosities and needs met. We need to feel worthy enough to live the life we want and worthy enough to say no, without feeling bad and worthy enough to put our own needs before the needs of everybody else as a form of self care, not selfishness. We usually know what gives us pleasure. Why do we stop ourselves from having that? We talk about guilt and being taught to put everyone else first. But when we take care of ourselves first, when we deem ourselves worthy of having what we want, we are more loving and less resentful and bitter. And we can all learn to do this. We talk about: How to feel your own worthiness and how when parts of your life that don’t work showing where you aren’t paying attention or taking personal responsibility Living from the inside, not from outside responses Knowing what you like—and what you don’t like (yes, this can be shuttling your kids to sports) The courage to be criticized How making money, and lot of it, gives women a voice and a choice Setting up our day to leverage both our feminine and masculine energy
BIO Fabienne Fredrickson is a beloved mentor to thousands of women in business. As founder of The Leveraged Business program, Fabienne has reverse-engineered how she scaled her business to several million annually, while remaining powerfully feminine. Her book, The Leveraged Business: How You Can Go From Overwhelmed at 6-Figures to 7-Figures (and Get Your Life Back) is the definitive roadmap showing women how to increase their income and impact with heart. Find her at Boldheart.com. LINKS http://theleveragedbusinessbook.com (theleveragedbusinessbook.com) https://www.instagram.com/fabiennefred/ (https://www.instagram.com/fabiennefred/) https://www.facebook.com/iamboldheart/ (https://www.facebook.com/iamboldheart/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiennefredrickson/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiennefredrickson/) https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Your-Magnificence-Richer-Abundant/dp/1401946445 (Embrace Your Magnificence)
Doable Changes from this episode: CLAIM ONE THING YOU WANT. What is one thing you want to do today? Do that one thing … even if it isn’t what others want. It could be planning a meal based only on what you feel like eating, staying home from your kids soccer game, choosing the playlist for the car, reading instead of watching a movie with your family. Claim what you want. MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE. If you don’t know what you want and like, you surely know what you don’t like. Make a list. Include things you don’t like, even if you think you are supposed to like them. Fabienne talks about not liking driving her kids to all their sporting events—so she didn’t. You don’t have to figure out solutions yet, just make a list and get really clear on the things in your life that you don’t actually like. PLAN YOUR DAY. Is your day all push? What if you planned your day with a rhythm like Fabienne's: start with your feminine energy, shift to some masculine push tasks, shift back to feminine for lunch. Flow back and forth, making room for both each day. Write down what that looks like. Try it.
“Get uncomfortable because that creates growth.” –Marcy Predmore Let’s talk about women making money. It’s a topic we tend to shy away from, but every time I do work on making money or my mindset around money or my past limiting beliefs on money, amazing things happen. Money is a great teacher, and I’m excited to talk with Marcy Predmore about the synergy of money, health, wellness, and your mind. We tend to have a lot of emotions around money, but money itself is just a tool. We grew up with other people’s habits and traditions and emotions around money, but we don’t have to stick with them. For any of you who come from a “money is the root of all evil'' tradition or equating money with greed, consider this: The more you're able to help other people get what they need and want, the more blessings of abundance flow to everybody involved. And then there’s motherhood and our own well being. How do we fit these together with money making? What mindset blocks are getting in your way? Can you create a thriving business if you are disconnected from yourself? We get into all these juicy questions. We talk about: Leaning on mentors Getting uncomfortable as part of growth Using nurturing practices, including affirmations throughout the day as part of personal growth The energetic tool of writing what you want on white paper with blue ink with your right and left hands Releasing your fears, anxieties, and other feelings about money so that it can flow Sharing a different money legacy with our kids
ABOUT MARCY Marcy Predmore-McPhee is an entrepreneur from Estes Park, Colorado. As a single mother, Marcy began her journey to financial independence in the life insurance industry to provide for her and her son. Twenty years and a lot of hard work later, she is consistently recognized as a leader in the industry. In 2015, Marcy and her husband, Tim, saw a way to help others on their financial journey and started Private Banking Concepts with the goal of educating people on how to secure wealth while building a lasting legacy. Marcy and Tim have always focused on an education-first mindset to teach individuals the core knowledge and tactical how-to of implementing concepts used by banks and the wealthy elite to make their money work for them. Links: https://t.sidekickopen84.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cVQDhVYt8g559hl3kW7_k2841CX6NGW36PLmz7t55SYW7s-thm2FPXdxf197v5Y04?te=W3R5hFj26QkHmW4mKDt649M9DrW4fGz-t41TQqzW3N_GDH3F6jG2n4cg7sG213&si=8000000020664046&pi=e6a0cb4b-684d-4dde-9468-010b83cc069b (www.privatebankingconcepts.com) https://t.sidekickopen84.com/s3t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cVQDhVYt8g559hl3kW7_k2841CX6NGW36PLmz7t55SYW7s-thm2FPXdxf197v5Y04?te=W3R5hFj26QkHmW4mKDt549K45WW3zgFCB43T9x2W3Kck1j3zfnz8W3T1jDH4rGQhZF3Z_szYSywJ1&si=8000000020664046&pi=e6a0cb4b-684d-4dde-9468-010b83cc069b (www.ordinarywomenextraordinarywealth.com) https://www.facebook.com/PrivateBankingConcepts (https://www.facebook.com/PrivateBankingConcepts) https://www.facebook.com/groups/ordinarywomenextraordinararywealth (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ordinarywomenextraordinararywealth)
Doable Changes from this episode: FIND A MENTOR. Mentors share knowledge and experience. They can help us see outside our own perspective, teach us tools, show us paths. What area in your life do you need help with right now? Look for a mentor. Think about people you already know. Start exploring that topic or area and see who comes into your life. Ask other people for connections. GET AWARE OF YOUR MONEY THOUGHTS. Money is just a tool, but we tend to have a lot of emotions, habits, and traditions around it. Start to notice these. They might show up like, “There are more important things than money” or “You’re greedy to want more” or “I just want enough to take care of my kids.” They might be a sense of scarcity or striving or feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing. What’s one different idea you want to embrace? Write it down....
“Values are like an anchor, like a calm security blanket for everybody.” –Jenny Warner Are you ready for summer? Did you think about values and boundaries when planning your summer? I’m talking with Jenny Warner, a parent coach who delights in helping parents learn how to make parenting fun and how to let their kids figure out who they are. She’s a mompreneur with a twelve-year-old, a busy husband, two dogs, an active healthy lifestyle and a fabulous spiritual practice. In other words, she’s got a lot of balls in the air like the rest of us, and she shows up to calls for FLOW365 with a smile. There are some big concepts that serve us well and adapt with us as our kids grow: expectations, values, boundaries. But we need to get really clear on what our values are, personally and as a family. We need to let go of expectations we bring in from childhood posing as values. Jenny helps parents unpack their baggage and move forward with more ease. Think about what you really need to know as a parent. Think about what your gut tells you (or what it might if you knew how to listen to it). That’s the kind of parenting work Jenny does. We come back to the village concept of sharing ideas and information. All of our kids are different, and we all have different perspectives, but we all have something to share and learn. We talk about: How to lean into the expansive energy of summer Why screen time can be trigger and how to reframe it Planning from a place of values and how values can energize us and curb pushback Using family dinner or teachable moments to share family values How kids want boundaries (even if they fight them) and how to create and maintain boundaries Connecting values and boundaries and creating a plan for the summer
BIO Jenny Warner is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Shine Brite who sees the potential in people. She loves seeing the look of wonder in a kid’s eyes. She loves their imaginations, their questions and their optimistic spirits. She has developed some amazing programs to take parents and their children on a journey of discovery. The information that parents and children discover from this journey together illuminates their worlds, and allows them to see things differently. LINKS Join the Challenge: Jenny’s Site: https://ishinebrite.com/ (https://ishinebrite.com/)
Doable Changes from this episode: IDENTIFY YOUR OWN VALUES. Values are a great starting point. To identify yours, start with a list of values. Cross off any that don’t resonate. Highlight any that do. Read through the list again. Keep narrowing it down until you have about 5–10. Journal on what this means to you and how it shows up in your life. KNOW YOUR FAMILY VALUES. Choose 7–10 words that define your family or family values. Do this together, maybe at dinner time. Connectivity and taking care of the planet our two of ours. (https://plansimple.com/family-brand/ (I talk more about values here)). Talk about how this value shows up in your life. What do you do or not do because of this value? SET A BOUNDARY FOR SUMMER. Boundaries should be consistent and clear. Maybe certain boundaries change in the summer. Maybe there is a later bedtime or more freedom to choose activities. Think about boundaries you have (or wish you had). Get clear on what that looks like for summer. If it is different, talk about why (You’re older now and can have more responsibility or Our overall schedule is different in the summer, so we are making some changes around bedtime that we will revisit when school starts again.) Communicate the boundary clearly and maintain it. Kids need and want boundaries.
“You can't manage time. Time is a fixed commodity…. Time is not the variable. The variable is how you manage yourself in time.” –Jackie Woodside What would happen if you managed your energy instead of your time? I’m talking with Jackie Woodside, who went from hot mess to happy and blessed, and learned to manage her energy instead of time. If you are chronically busy, chronically pressured, always overcommitting, and always feeling like you have too much to do, this is for you! Jackie was diagnosed as an adult with ADHD and dove into the mind-body connection to learn to retrain her brain. During a silent retreat, her energy management system emerged. She originally called it Calming the Chaos and recently updated it to The Four Keys to Productivity and Peace of Mind. Like a lot of listeners, Jackie was high functioning. She had an impressive career, was involved in sports leagues, and was taking classes. In other words, she was doing a lot and it looked like she was on fire, but she knew she wasn’t reaching her potential or making the most of her capabilities. She was doing everything last minute and putting off things that were important to her, like writing a book, for short-term tasks. We look at how things changed. We talk about: Your BEATs (your beliefs, emotions, attitudes, and thoughts) and how you can manage them and why you need to focus on beliefs and attitudes before your to dos Specific practices that Jackie uses for self-development and adjusting BEATs, including self-coaching dialogue and shifting perspectives Having the neurological and psychological capacity to change our inner world and the difference between your mind and brain Dealing with procrastination Going from values to vision Planning your time and make to dos things you can do
BIO Jackie Woodside, CPC, LICSW is a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, radio and television personality and seminar leader who is passionate about expanding the edge of human potential. Jackie provides custom training programs, workshops and keynote speeches for businesses, government and non-profit organizations, spiritual centers and national organizations around the country. LINKS http://jackiewoodside.com (Jackiewoodside.com) On Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jackiewoodsidespeaker ( Jackie Woodside Speaker) Also on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/VibeTribers/about/ ( The Vibe Tribe with Jackie Woodside) https://plansimple.com/redesign-with-jackie-woodside/ (Redesign with Jackie Woodside)
Doable Changes from this episode: MAKE TO DOS DOABLE. Take a look at your To Do list. Find an item on there that is too big or vague. Something like Write book or Declutter the house. Break this down to one tiny task. Write chapter 1 or Research Topic X for 30 minutes, or Clean out the junk drawer OR Make a bag of shoes to donate. Then schedule the time to do that task. KNOW YOUR VALUES. Jackie talks about turning values into vision and how she color codes her calendar to reflect her values. The first step to this is knowing your values. Start with a list of values. Cross off any that don’t resonate. Highlight any that do. Read through the list again. Keep narrowing it down until you have about 5–10. Pick one to focus on. How will you incorporate it into your life today? GET INTO NATURE. Being in nature calms the brain. Get outside into some green space. If you can’t do that, nature pictures can help. But spend some time in nature to help calm your brain. Do this before you do any kind of planning or visioning. Do it daily for an overall calmer system.
“If I don't feel invisible to myself, then I don't care what the culture thinks about me.” – Sil Reynolds Loving your life has more to do with your inner life than your outer circumstances. But most of us try to change the outside. In this episode, I’m talking with Sil Reynolds, my mentor and an “elder” in my circle, about transforming from the inside out. Do you ever hear work-life balance and feel like it’s one more thing you are supposed to “do” or make happen? Sil and I discuss the feeling of inner balance and the balance of energies between masculine and feminine or doing and being — and how we need both for balance. The overemphasis of masculine qualities, like logic over feeling, have been detrimental to all of us. Bringing the two together, like we do in FLOW where we start with feelings and a creative process and then move into logic and time, is essential for balance. We talk about: A new way of thinking about the patriarchy and its effects on all of us What we learned from the COVID slowdown Resisting the masculine and learning to find the sweet spot where masculine and feminine energy work together in planning The value of multi-generational conversations and the power of learning from someone who has done the work before you Celebrating yourself and not looking for external validation Living into your future self
ABOUT SIL Sil Reynolds is a mother, author, teacher, and a coach for women. She is proud to call herself an elder. Sil brings 40-years of experience working with women to her coaching and teaching: experience as a nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, and workshop leader. Sil graduated from Brown University where she majored in Women's Studies. She studied with the renowned Jungian author and analyst Marion Woodman for two decades and graduated from Woodman's BodySoul Rhythms training in dreamwork, archetypal psychology, and the art and science of listening to the wisdom of the body. Sil loves guiding women in reclaiming rejected parts of themselves, so that they can experience their wholeness and, therefore, a more conscious and authentically lived life. LINKS Sil’s Site: http://silreynolds.com (silreynolds.com) Mothering + Daughtering: http://www.motheringanddaughtering.com/ (Motheringanddaughtering.com) https://www.amazon.com/Mothering-Daughtering-Keeping-Strong-Through/dp/B08DHLQ5JL/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1603809719&sr=8-1 (The Book) On the PlanSimple Podcast: https://plansimple.com/mothering-tweens-and-teens-with-sil-reynolds/ (Mothering with Sil Reynolds )
Doable Changes from this episode:DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL. How you want to feel is the starting point to balance and transformation. You do need to put things into time, but too many people do that without thinking about how they want to feel first. Let your feelings lead. PLAN TIME FOR SPACE. That may sound counterintuitive, but we need to slow down. We need space in our lives, and it doesn’t just happen. Look at your calendar for next week. Block off time for space, to be instead of do. To see what happens when you slow down. Once you block off the space, put a firm boundary around it. MAKE AN AGREEMENT WITH YOUR FUTURE SELF. Who will you be in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? How will you feel? What will your home be like? What will your ideal day be like? What is one thing you can do to bring that into action in the next 90 days? Get more journaling prompts and ideas here: https://plansimple.com/planning-with-purpose/ (Planning with Purpose).
“I really let my heart lead.” –Desha Peacock Have big goals that seem to go against the grain of the world around you? Listen up, because I’m talking with author, lifestyle design coach, and retreat leader Desha Peacock, who consistently builds a life that suits her dreams and creativity — even though it goes against the mainstream. We dive right into how she thinks about the life she’s creating. It starts with her values, the top two being family and travel/adventure. Eight years ago, she quit her job, started a business, and pulled her daughter out of school and brought her to Mexico for a month. She talks about how she made that happen from the hard conversations with her husband to trading spaces — and about the synchronicity that happened from that trip and where it led her. We also get into the challenges we face as women when we try to take care of ourselves or follow our dreams if that involves leaving children. But how it backfires if we only take care of others. So how does she make the magic happen? We talk about: Clarity of desire — what’s the ideal situation you would love to happen Supporting practices like meditating to clear and let go, gratitude, asking for things, visualizing, plus how to turn things over to a higher power and also take practical action The four ways of being stuck: Stuck in the Muck, Lost Your Mojo, Creative Overwhelm, Out of Alignment, plus how to get out of creative overload (hint, it’s not about choosing one thing) Getting ideas out on paper — and finding a good time for them in your calendar Email as a more effective business tool than Instagram and Desha’s course to help people build their list Navigating family, a major launch, and the rest of life during cancer treatment
BIO Desha Peacock is a published author, lifeSTYLE design coach & retreat leader. With a background in career development & intuitive sense of style, Desha helps women create their Sweet Spot: a self-defined place of success and beauty.Her first book Create the Style you Crave, was listed by the Huffington Post as one of the best books to buy your girlfriend & has sold over 10,000 copies. Her second book, Your Creative Work Space can be found in bookstores around the nation and online. Desha holds a Master’s degree from The School for International Training, is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator & leads retreats across the globe. She’s been quoted or featured in Origins Magazine, Design Sponge, Flea Market Décor Magazine, The Jungalow, ABC.News, The Huffington Post, The Houston Chronicle, YahooNews.com, Career Rookie, US News Money, Where Women Create and many more. LINKS Desha’s NEW Listbuilding Course:https://www.zivatribe.com/course/list-from-scratch ( https://www.zivatribe.com/course/list-from-scratch) Quiz: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/61fd93d2115fc80018fb720b (https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/61fd93d2115fc80018fb720b) Desha’s website:http://www.sweetspotstyle.com ( www.sweetspotstyle.com) Desha’s Instagram:http://www.sweetspotstyle.com ( )https://www.instagram.com/deshapeacock/ (https://www.instagram.com/deshapeacock/) Desha’s Past Podcast Interview:http://www.sweetspotstyle.com ( )https://plansimple.com/make-space-with-desha-peacock/ (Make Space with Desha Peacock) https://plansimple.com/meet-desha-peacock/ (Meet Desha Peacock) on Plan Simple
Doable Changes from this episode: GET CLARITY OF DESIRE. Start by asking: What is the ideal situation I would love to happen? Don’t shut down ideas because you don’t know how it will happen. Just get really clear on what you truly desire. TURN IT OVER AND TAKE A STEP. Desha uses a combination of turning things over to a higher power. Say what it is you need your universal manager to figure out. Then take a practical step. Remember, you don’t have to figure everything out to take each step. GET IDEAS OUT ON PAPER AND CALENDARED. If creative overwhelm resonates, this is a...
True self-care is about how you respond to how your body is feeling in each moment. –Andrea Paquette “Maybe I'm not that lovable. Maybe my wants and needs belong on the back burner.” Have you ever felt that way? We’re talking with Andrea Paquette, the author of Loveable: How Women Can Heal Their Sensitive Hearts and Live and Love as Their True Selves. Loveable is a guidebook for women to come into their full self expression and truly love themselves. Are you the fixer? The one that holds everything together, the one who makes sure everybody else is all right? Are you constantly trying to do all the things for your family and your business? What would happen if you pulled back? Andrea and I talk about how receiving is a muscle and if we develop it we can use it in different parts of our life. We talk about dropping the conditioning about how we should be on all the time or do everything right. We can get past false beliefs like: I’m not good enough, I’m not measuring up, Nobody likes me, There’s something wrong with me. The masculine way that we have learned how to be doesn't fit with the feminine body, but we can find a different way. We talk about: How we’ve learned to function on a superficial level and how we can get past that Inner work being an ongoing process and that we need to release things again and again Finding and healing hidden wounds from childhood, including using tools like meditations and visualizations Learning that the world can go on without you, that you can do less and it will be okay Trusting and following your intuition and what resonates, recognizing the strengths in your feminine body and energy, and asking for help Getting past blocks on understanding what we need and on getting it
BIO Andrea Paquette, MSN, APRN, is board certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and a Holistic Nurse Practitioner. She specializes in natural treatments for emotional and mental health issues in women, adolescents, and children. Her private practice is located in Londonderry, NH. While treating children in her private practice, she recognized the need among mothers for new strategies to cope with chronic stress, low energy, and feeling disempowered. In 2018, Andrea completed training as a Life Coach and began coaching and teaching women to express their authentic selves, use their talents in the world, and create a life they love. Her coaching business is Woman to Woman Life Coaching. Andrea also has extensive experience teaching and speaking about personal development, spiritual growth, parenting, and child emotional health. With over thirty years of experience in the healthcare field, Andrea's mission is to support people on their journey to vibrant physical and emotional health, happiness, and fulfillment in life. Andrea lives in Manchester, NH, has two grown children she adores, is a devoted yoga student and an ocean and food lover. LINKS https://www.amazon.com/Lovable-Women-Sensitive-Hearts-Selves-ebook/dp/B09RNG29WB (Andrea’s book Loveable) https://andreapaquettenp.com/ (https://andreapaquettenp.com/) https://www.facebook.com/andreapaquettellc (Andrea on Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/womantowoman_lifecoaching/ (Andrea on Instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-paquette-msn-aprn-pnp-bc-aphn-bc-08b50822/ (Andrea on LinkedIn) https://plansimple.com/the-life-you-want-with-deborah-knight/ (The Life You Want with Deborah Knight)
Doable Changes from this episode: TRY A HEALING PRACTICE. Order Loveable. The book is broken into three parts: childhood stories, how things show up in adulthood, and holistic healing practices. These are practices we are meant to revisit again and again. Pick one to try. STEP OUT OF SOMETHING. Andrea shares a story about asking her husband to pick up the kids because she was at a doctor’s appointment. I shared the story of how I had to let go of things when I had Covid. Pick one thing to step out of and turn over to somebody...
“If something pulls at your heart, if something brings you complete joy, go try it out!” – Deborah Knight Do you know who you are at the core? My guest on this episode helps women really connect to the essence of who they are so that they can create the life that they want and know inside exists. I’m excited to share this conversation with Deborah Knight about manifesting, gratitude and so much more! What is manifestation anyway? Manifestation is about creating a life that's more in alignment with who you are. We all have a gift to bring to the world, and it is powerful when you manifest from that place of knowing your gift. And we can love ourselves without judgment … even when we make mistakes. And you can’t ignore the hard stuff. Deborah says, “You can’t just push through trauma. You’ve got to feel it. The only way to get to the other side so that you can create with more ease, speed and grace is to feel those things.” And you need to find the gratitude. We dig into all that and talk about: Going back to your childhood to find your essence and then exploring Getting past what we’ve been taught about hard work and learning to accept ease and joy How to feel ease in your body and listen to your intuition and journaling on the question: What is this trying to show me? Bending time, getting into flow, tuning into the emotions of your future self, and visualizing yourself as if everything you want is already here Raising up your inner vibration emotion to gratitude, joy, peace, love Seeing your kids as perfect just as they are and losing your expectations
ABOUT DEBORAHDeborah is the creator of the Magic of You Coaching Programs — to help you see yourself as the true gift and magical being that you are. She holds space for you like no other, to be seen, heard, and loved for who you truly are. When you see yourself through her eyes and allow yourself to shine you’ll find the confidence and a spiritual connection to yourself that is unbreakable. You become the Warrior of Light for your family and your community. Your light, your strength, your love, and your compassion ripples out into the world around you, and everything begins to flow to you with more ease and grace. Your World becomes the world of your dreams. LINKS https://www.facebook.com/CoachDeborahKnight (Deborah on Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/mastermanifestors333 (Deborah’s Facebook group) https://www.instagram.com/Deborah_Knight_11/ (Deborah on Instagram) Connect by email
MENTIONED LINK https://plansimple.com/manifesting-and-receiving-with-star-staubach/ (Manifesting and Receiving with Star Staubach) https://plansimple.com/jenmazer/ (Manifesting Change with Jen Mazer) https://plansimple.com/let-go-and-receive-with-patty-lennon/ (Let Go and Receive with Patty Lennon) https://plansimple.com/flow365 (Flow365)
Doable Changes from this episode: JOURNAL ON CHALLENGES. If there is a past experience that keeps coming up, take some time to feel around in your body. How does it feel? Where do you notice it? Then journal on this question: What is this trying to show me? WALK THROUGH THE DOORWAY. Use a doorway as a trigger and picture who you really want to be when your dreams have come true. Get really clear on that. Then every time you walk through the doorway, you are walking into that life. TRY WABI SABI LOVE. Shift your perspective. When your kids are frustrating you, try thinking about them not being there. As you accept what they are doing, they feel the difference in your energy, and they start to shift.
"Who can you call at midnight?" - Danielle Laporte We all have our strengths. We all are powerful but we cannot do it all alone. It takes a village. It takes the support of one another to help achieve our goals and dreams. In this last of the four-part series, discover how the external world that we live in can be stacked against our success, the importance of cultivating these relationships to overcome these obstacles, and finding the accountability in yourself and others to be the person you want to be. Highlights: Once you feel like you are coming into alignment, that is when you will start to notice and interact with those that can support that. Create the most intentional version of your village. Because a village is made out of structures and people and systems and values and rules, you get to build it all. Accountability is really about each of us individually, taking the personal responsibility to be the person that we are each called to be, and then finding the support to make that happen. Discover the framework to build your own village We may need different accountability within our different goals, so there might need to be a different village focus at different times.
You can have it all — work, motherhood, and wellness — and feel balanced. We were just never taught how. We have all used a planner to schedule our day, make our lists, and just be busy. But planners set us up for always doing and never being. It is time to create that balance in our lives. Highlights: The system behind the planner was made for men who were not balancing work with what was happening at home and with the children. Making lists is an intuitive, feminine, creative, calming practice however they can eventually take on a life of their own — becoming the never-ending, always expanding to-do list. Your intuition is smart too — the smartest. That kind whisper and nudge can tell you exactly how to parent, grow a biz and what to eat. But here is the thing about the wise voice within us … it does not understand time. On the other side of dreaming and sketching out goals and to-do lists, you have to find the time. Otherwise, we set ourselves up for emotions that stop us in our tracks.
Throw out your plan for the year. You could get great things done in 90 days — maybe even more meaningful things than what you previously set out to do in a year. We dramatically underestimate how much we can get done in two or three years, but overestimate much we can get done in a day or a week. Highlights: Change can happen faster than you think. The journey is a journey. There is always a next level and each level comes with its own obstacles. You will be on your journey each and every day. Figure out a workable next step and kept it embarrassingly simple. Each time you take a doable step, find the next doable step. Not change your thinking, you will have done all the same actions with very little result. This idea of listening to your intuition, taking a small step, seeing the next step is uncovered, taking that step … happens every week in FLOW365. Movement literally creates momentum and miracles.
Getting healthy and becoming who I am all started with a stack of 7 coffee cups on my desk. My life looked good: I had aspirations, an amazing husband, three kids under 5, and my dream career. But I was tired, and I wasn’t savoring my time with my kids. Everything about home started giving me anxiety — the mess, the food, getting three kids to bed. And one day I counted the coffee cups on my desk. Seven cups of caffeine, and I was exhausted! That was the day I decided to feel great. Challenge Consider one 10 minute GOLD NUGGET that you could add to your day to create more balance. Trust what intuitively comes in and write it somewhere. Later today, or right now if you have a moment, schedule that thing in your calendar.
Ready to REALLY, once and for all, stop the craziness that is living with a feeling of overwhelm 24-7? The Plan Simple Podcast Is For: ● Women who want to tell a new story about the balance of work and family ● Women who don’t want to sacrifice their health in pursuit of this balance ● Women ready for less stress and more life I am a mom of three, a wife, and a life coach who also makes time for wellness—and I am dedicated to helping overwhelmed women create lives where they have room for a meaningful career, an amazing home and family life, and are taking great care of themselves — we’re talking, mind, body spirit. We go behind the scenes into the successes and the dark moments and hard days. My goal is that you stay inspired and full of ideas to make lots of little, doable, micro changes in your life that when added up will make a HUGE difference in your life. Ready, Let's do this!!! Let’s move your life from overwhelm to ease.
“Your intuition is always looking out for what is best for your highest good.” –Heather Dressel What does your intuition sound like? Heather Dressel’s here to talk about hearing your intuition — and acting on it. Creating the space to hear our intuition is why I do what I do. If you have trouble following your intuition or aren’t even sure what you should be hearing or feeling, this one’s for you. Before we get into intuition and Heather’s new podcast on that subject, we take a peek at what self-care looks like for her. Because here’s the thing: self-care looks different for all of us, just like intuition. Knowing what you need, not what you’re supposed to do for self-care, is important. And sometimes there’s an overlap of hearing what you need in the moment. You may be wondering: How do I know that it's my intuition? Or how do I trust my intuition? It’s a learning process because our intuition shows up differently for all of us. It might be a soft voice you hear, something you see in your mind's eye, a gut feeling … You can learn how your intuition shows up by asking questions and paying attention to what you feel. We talk about: The difference between intuition and mean girl voices or your inner critic Finding a balance of masculine and feminine energy The power of asking: Is this going to move me forward? and how intuition plays with time Using your intuition with your to do list How healing our energy and not trying to hold all the things can help us hear our intuition Being kind to yourself and seeing the invitation that was offered when you don’t listen to your intuition.
BIO Heather Dressel is the founder of Divinely Sensitive and the Hear Her podcast. Heather is a highly sensitive empath herself, and launched her business to lead a community of women who identify as highly sensitive or empaths or both. Divinely Sensitive provide resources and support as they learn to honor their unique sensitivities and unleash their superpowers. LINKS https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/hear-her-with-heather-dressel/id1612832301 (Hear Her podcast) https://www.divinelysensitive.com/ (Divinely Sensitive) https://plansimple.com/divinely-sensitive-with-heather-dressel/ (Divinely Sensitive with Heather Dressel on PlanSimple)
Doable Changes from this episode: LEARN HOW YOUR INTUITION COMMUNICATES. One of the things that can be tricky is figuring out what your intuition sounds or feels like, because it’s different for all of us. Start by getting still and quiet and asking a question. Pay attention to the response. Do you hear a voice telling you the answer? Do you feel a tingle in your gut? The more you know how your intuition shows up, the easier it is to tune in and notice it. ASK: IS THIS GOING TO MOVE ME FORWARD? You can ask this question of your intuition about anything. Is writing this article now going to move me forward? Is taking a walk going to move me forward? Is another cup of coffee going to move me forward? Practice asking and listening to the answer you receive. NOTICE WHEN YOU DON’T LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION. Don’t beat yourself up about not listening to your intuition, but notice when it happens. Get curious. What kept you from listening? Notice the invitation your intuition offered. Notice how things might have been different if you had.
Work-life balance is really a mindset issue and a boundary issue. –Aimee Greczmiel Is work-life balance all in our heads? Aimee Greczmiel is a coach for corporate moms and recommends thinking about mindset management rather than time management when it comes to balance. After 18 years in corporate, she became an entrepreneur and helps working moms reach their goals and bring balance and “being” (as opposed to doing) energy to their work lives. Before kids, Aimee felt she had complete control over her time and where she was focusing her energy and attention — then she became a mom. It wasn’t just that she had less time. She had an awakening and found there were parts of her ambition and her achievement that didn't serve her in motherhood. Motherhood was more about slowing down, savoring, being instead of doing. So she took a deep dive into something so many of us struggle with: work-life balance. One big take away: if you don’t have any boundaries around your time, work will consume all of it. That’s true whether you are in corporate or an entrepreneur. We talk about: Developing a mindset of being present with your family (not thinking about work when you are not working) Communicating your priorities to leadership at work Thinking about mindset management rather than time management when it comes to balance Using the TFR model to deal with feelings and release mom guilt Focusing on the positive instead of always scanning for problems to solve Going to the mental gym with tools like meditation and journaling that don’t take much time each day (and how it’s hard to see the benefits until you engage with the practice for while)
BIO Aimee Greczmiel is a former Fortune 500 VP who has taken her passion for mentoring and personal growth to help working mothers experience more patience, fulfillment, and ease both in and outside of work. Aimee guides working moms to get clear on their desired outcomes, so they may leave a lasting legacy for their family. Aimee is an action-oriented mentor who has helped hundreds of individuals reach their goals, while overcoming personal and professional challenges. LINKS http://www.corporatemomcoach.com (www.corporatemomcoach.com) FREE 30 Minute Clarity Call with Aimee: https://calendly.com/aimeegreczmiel/30min (https://calendly.com/aimeegreczmiel/30min) FREE Self-Care Menu (Top 20 Self-Care Activities for Working Moms): https://www.corporatemomcoach.com/selfcaremenu (https://www.corporatemomcoach.com/selfcaremenu) Instagram: @aimee.greczmiel
Doable Changes from this episode: BE CLEAR ABOUT PRIORITIES. We talked about communicating your priorities, but before you can do that you need to be really clear about what your priorities are. If you say my family is my priority, what does that mean? How do you want to make family a priority? What does that look like to you? Put aside what you think is expected at work and think about what really matters to you. Write down what that means to you. FIND A POSITIVE. In FLOW365, we celebrate every Friday. We’re conditioned to scan for problems, move on to the next thing we need to do, but when we take time to celebrate, we acknowledge what we have done and we build a different energy and way forward. Find one positive at the end of the day. Write it down and share it with a friend, colleague, or your community (pick somebody who will celebrate with you)! TRY MEDITATION. Meditation has a lot of known benefits, and you don’t have to meditate for a long time to see benefits. Try a mediation app and commit to 5 minutes a day. This isn’t a quick fix, but one that builds over time.
When you're familiar with your benefits and what your coverages are, it definitely empowers you to have the conversations that you need to have. –Kyana Brathwaite Be empowered with your healthcare! I’m talking with Kyana Brathwaite of KB CALS. She provides caring advocacy and liaison services to help people find their way in the often confusing and not warm and fuzzy healthcare system. Most of us learned not to question doctors and not to trust our bodies, and it’s time to get past both of those things. We talk about finding healthcare providers you trust and can work with (and why that might not look the same in every situation). We also talk about advocating for yourself. But beyond the actual practitioners, there’s the cost and how insurance works. Most of us don’t know what’s covered or what’s not. And when we’re in a health crisis, we may not slow down to ask the questions we need to ask. Kyana wants to change all that. We talk about: Logging in and playing with your insurance website or your patient portal so that you know how to navigate it Being the expert in your own body, giving input into your healthcare, and expecting a doctor to work with you Researching providers before you ask for a referral Exploring ancillary benefits, like gym memberships Why you should read your summary of benefits Interviewing providers and knowing what you need in a provider
BIO Kyana Brathwaite is a registered nurse, wife, mom of two wonderful kids, and CEO & Founder of KB CALS – Caring Advocacy & Liaison Services. She has worked in the medical field for over twenty years and knows that healthcare interactions can be a deeply personal experience. KB CALS partners with clients to assist in wayfinding, provider matching, benefit utilization, insurance research, and health and wellness planning by coordinating a community of support, including medical practitioners, health systems and insurance providers to best fit your needs. LINKS https://www.resourceinhealthcare.com (https://www.resourceinhealthcare.com)
Doable Changes from this episode: PLAY FOR 15 MINUTES. So often we need to learn about how our health benefits work when we are under duress. Taking time to learn how to navigate the system and find information before you need it can take a lot of pressure off. Learn how to log in to your health insurance site or your healthcare portal. Play in there for 15 minutes a week (put it on your calendar). Look around at what’s available. SET UP YOUR TEAM. Know what you need from each provider. Take time to research providers you may need. You can read reviews, talk to people you know, call the office and ask questions. Look at your insurance for coverage. If you can do this before you need it, even better. Think about your providers now. Do you trust them? Work well with them? If not, start looking at new options. SLOW DOWN. When faced with a health crisis, many of us rush into action or just say yes to whatever is suggested to us. In most cases, it’s okay to slow down. Ask questions: What are my other options? Is the procedure covered by my insurance and what will my costs be? Could we try …? What are the risks of this action / of not taking this action? Who else does this work? Make a list of questions you might need to ask next time you are faced with a health issue.
“Healthy, focused food and simple recipes and cooking should be fun and easy.” –Debbie Brosnan On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Debbie Brosnan from the Effortless Kitchen about taking the stress out of cooking and making meal prep more enjoyable. If you’ve been around, you know that I didn’t not know how to cook for a long time. I couldn’t find kale in the grocery store. I just had no idea what I was doing. Taking a cooking class made such a difference for me, and if you are thinking “I don’t know how to cook” or “I’m just no good in the kitchen,” a cooking class might be just what you need. We talk about cooking classes and people who are intimidated to even try one (and why Debbie’s class aren’t intimidating for anyone) and other tips to make meal prep, including planning and shopping, easier. We talk about: Gaining confidence in the kitchen (and the grocery store) Having five go-to meals in your pocket Prepping ingredients (like cooking grains or roasting veggies) ahead instead of preparing whole meals Getting your whole family involved in the meal process How leftovers are your friend — for lunch, frozen for future meals … Tips for adapting recipes and meals for different eater’s needs/preferences
BIO Debbie loves all things food and found her way from personal chef to virtual cooking class instructor as she and her business adapted with the need for virtual events. Debbie is a passionate self taught home cook who began her journey cooking alongside her mother and grandmother as a young child. Her focus is on healthy food that tastes amazing using simple recipes so that those who take her classes will continue to make those dishes and others in their own kitchens. The Effortless Kitchen offers weekly classes, custom parties and corporate events and all are interactive and fun. By popular demand, recorded classes are now being offered for those who can’t make the live classes and want to cook on their own time. Debbie is thrilled with the shift in her business as she can reach more people and share her gift with everyone. In 2022, Debbie is adding on culinary travel as an offering for those who have the travel bug. LINKS http://www.theeffortlesskitchen.com (www.theeffortlesskitchen.com)
Free Potato Soup with Grilled cheese croutons class https://cook.theeffortlesskitchen.com/fosignup (https://cook.theeffortlesskitchen.com/fosignup)
OTHER LINKS https://www.skinny60.com/?ref=3 (Tess’s Cooking Club)
Doable Changes from this episode: TAKE A COOKING CLASS. If you are uncomfortable in the kitchen, cookbooks can be daunting. A class can help you learn a lot of lingo and techniques and see what they really mean. See the links above for a free recorded class from Debbie or her schedule for live Zoom classes. She’ll make the process easier from start to finish and you’ll get some camaraderie along the way. PREP AN INGREDIENT. If prepping all your meals for the week feels like too much, what about prepping one ingredient. Make a big batch of rice or other grain. You can use it throughout the week or freeze portions of it to make meals easier later on. Or you could roast a bunch of veggies to use in salads or as a side. FLEXIBLE MEALS TO MEET DIFFERENT EATER’S NEEDS. If you are juggling different dietary needs and preferences in your family, try grain bowls. You can choose a grain that works for everyone or even use cauliflower rice. Then everyone puts together their own bowl with different protein and veggie options. Another way to approach it is to look at your recipes and know your substitutions (like coconut aminos for soy sauce) or see what could be left out (does the recipe really need cheese)?
“Your clothes can empower what you're gonna do for the day.” –Stefanie Johnson Let’s feel great about all the clothes in our closets!!! On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Stefanie Johnson, the founder of SwapIt. SwapIt is a clothes swapping business that helps women and people who wear women’s clothing create a wardrobe that doesn't force you to choose between what you love, your budget or your values. The SwapIt store is organized differently. You can’t just go and find your size, because sizing is irrelevant. While this might sound difficult and like it would take more time, when you aren’t tied to a size that, let’s face it, might not fit, you can focus on what the clothing looks and feels like—is it you? Could you see yourself wearing it? My daughter, who is tiny, walked out with a sweater in XL that she loves. In a regular store, we probably would have missed it. Stefanie also talks about shopping your own clothes in a different way. Instead of looking at the clothes in your closet every day to decide what to wear, Stefanie suggests making a Look Book. Take pictures of yourself in your clothes. Put all the pictures together. Then when you are choosing clothes, look through your pictures. We talk more about the benefits of a LookBook and how to create it. We also talk about: How we feel in our clothes and the mindset of clothes that don’t fit Our need for white space — in our calendars and our closets Time blocking and giving all the parts of our lives the attention they deserve How you can outfit plan, just like you meal plan The pain of laundry and how to deal with it How to find your style and work with the clothes you have (or want to swap)
BIO Stefanie Johnson has always been a big thinker and problem solver. Upon completing her BA in finance from University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Johnson moved to New York City to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. During her time at the non-profit she participated in a greening fellowship. Throughout the Fellowship, Johnson learned how to incorporate sustainable practices into a nonprofit’s decision process. But she wanted to do more. Johnson believes that being green isn’t about having less, it’s about doing things differently. So in 2015 she founded SwapIt - a new take on thrifting that includes swapping clothes and personal styling. Beyond her entrepreneurship she is a wife and mom of three young kids. LINKS http://www.swapit.cool (www.swapit.cool) FB https://www.facebook.com/aswappinggoodtime (@aswappinggoodtime) Insta https://www.instagram.com/aswappinggoodtime/ (@aswappinggoodtime)
Doable Changes from this episode: CREATE YOUR LOOK BOOK. Start trying on your clothes. Mix and match things you don’t normally put together. If you find an outfit you love, take a picture for your Look Book. If in this process you find something you just don’t like on yourself, let it go (donate or swap it!). TRY A CLOTHING SWAP. If you are in the Boston area, check out the shop! If not, you can organize clothing swaps with people you know. It’s a great way to add new pieces and clear stuff out of your closet you won’t wear. IMPROVE THE LAUNDRY EXPERIENCE. We talk about a bunch of tips for making laundry a better experience: you could send it out, get a partner or kid to take over the task, try pre-sorting to simplify the process, or pair it with something you enjoy (like listening to a podcast or fun music. If you happen to love laundry, try one of these tips for another household chore you don’t love.
Every single business owner has the perfect way for them to make a difference in a way that they naturally connect with other humans. –Christina Frei This episode is part of a series for the entrepreneurs in the Plan Simple Community about making the touch points in your business feel easier and more purposeful. I’m super excited to talk to Christina Frei about marketing. Marketing is something a lot of us don’t love (often because of our preconceived notions). Christina says that marketing is really an opportunity for business owners to make a difference in people's lives, so that they make the decision to move forward and work with you. It’s a transformative transaction. It starts with the “inner game” of marketing. Are you ready to go out and change lives? Do you feel unstoppable? Do you know your magnetic way of helping others? And from there you find your innate marketing genius. We talk about: Having a contribution mindset and a generosity practice Remembering that fun is part of the equation Showing up as a compelling leader or expert (wherever you feel good showing up) and how that inspires people and makes them want to work with you Avoiding marketing resignation Understanding your own innate marketing archetype and using it to your advantage What generosity really means (a reminder a lot of women, especially moms, need)
BIO Christina Frei is a marketing consultant, author, and creator of the Generosity Practice mindset work and the Innate Marketing Genius tools and method. She helps brilliant, mission-based entrepreneurs look smart and get hired. In between, she chases her dog around with a stuffed animal snake, meditates on a pink couch, and obsesses over the perfect cup of green tea, all in a seaside town north of Boston. LINKS https://www.innatemarketinggenius.com/ (https://www.innatemarketinggenius.com/) https://www.amazon.com/Generosity-Practice-40-Days-Unstoppable/dp/0578958023/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=generosity+practice+christina&qid=1633714771&sr=8-1 (The Generosity Practice)
Doable Changes from this episode: GET GENEROUS. Think about a time when you loved giving something to someone and they loved receiving. Think about the energy that flowed out of that experience. What would you feel great giving right now? GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY. Start noticing how you feel when you send an email or do any other kind of marketing. Are you feeling resigned? Like somebody is going to see your message or respond? How can you change that attitude? Remember major change takes time, but you can assess and switch up your mindset before you hit send. FIGURE OUT OUR MARKETING ARCHETYPE. Christina identifies five marketing archetypes: nurturers, adventure guides, door openers, steady presences, and celebrators. Listen to her descriptions in the podcast or take the quiz on her website. What’s your type? How can you work with your type instead of with what marketing gurus tell you that you should be doing?
You are loved. You are cared for. You are worthy. Always. You always have support and all your desires can and will be met. If you do one thing, let go and receive. That is what creates space for magic. –Patty Lennon On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Patty Lennon, who helps women learn to receive and create magic. She teaches from experience and continues to learn herself. I’m so excited about her new book Make Space for Magic that dives into this topic. I watch so many people stack their schedules so full that there is no space to receive and create magic. And I learned how much room there can be for magic, if we are open. The past year was one of the hardest years of my life personally, and there was more magic that I would have ever experienced or known. In the moment it was incredibly hard, but I’m so grateful for all of it. We talk about: Why we need to let go to receive and what the work of letting go looks like How different giving up and letting go are Seeing signs from our spirit guides telling us we are enough, we are loved How the way we make space can create an energy of resistance The Five Rules of Receiving and the 100% rule Facing terror and sabotaging ourselves
BIO Patty Lennon is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, certified coach, and founder of The Receiving School®. She is a former type-A corporate banker who discovered there was more to life than making money. Patty holds a masters in psychology and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Daily Worth.She blends brain science and metaphysics to help her fellow humans manifest their dreams into reality. LINKS https://www.pattylennon.com/ (https://www.pattylennon.com/) https://patty-lennon.mykajabi.com/makespaceformagicbook (Make Space for Magic book) https://www.pattylennon.com/podcasts/ (Make Space for Magic podcast) https://plansimple.com/trust-your-calendar-with-patty-lennon/ (Trust Your Calendar with Patty Lennon)
Doable Changes from this episode: ACCEPT YOU ARE ENOUGH. Patty says that whenever spirit guides come, some of the first things they say are “You are loved” and “We’re proud of you.” What if we believed that? What if we believed we were loved and enough. Tell yourself that every day. Start the day saying it into your mirror. Leave yourself “I love you” or “I’m proud of you” notes. Keep repeating this message. STOP RESISTING CLAIMS ON YOUR TIME. Creating space for magic doesn’t just happen, but creating too much resistance energy doesn’t help either. Patty recommends getting to a point of letting claims on your time wash through you instead of holding them off. One first step to doing this is using a time framework, where you block off time for yourself. SIT WITH THE FEAR. The brain can only hold fear for 1– 2 minutes. When you feel the terror that you won’t succeed and want to leave the work you are doing to grab a cookie, you are trying to get out of that discomfort. Instead, set time for 90 seconds or 2 minutes. Sit and breathe through the fear without switching what you are doing. When it passes, continue with your task at hand.
“Tell the image makers and magazine sellers and the plastic surgeons that you are not afraid. That what you fear the most is the death of imagination and originality and metaphor and passion. Then be bold and LOVE YOUR BODY. STOP FIXING IT. It was never broken.” – Marion Woodman Dear amazing women, Today I find myself wanting to write you a letter, something a bit more personal than usual… I am about to go on a journey, and I want to invite you for the ride. But I cannot authentically do that until I tell you a story — the one that starts when I landed in a Weight Watchers program at age 11, continued onto disordered eating in high school, zig zagged through every diet created into my 30s, and ends with me in a “healed” body 12 years ago — or so I thought. Here’s the deal. I am all about learning and passing what I learn back out to you. Sometimes I do that very literally. Sometimes I learn things that get passed back through expanded capacity in my coaching and teaching. I always make sure I am only talking about things that I have resolved, and that’s going to make today’s message different. I am a bit more in the messy middle with one of my 2022 intentions, but every bone in my body is encouraging me to share with you now… Here’s the story. 2021 was both the hardest year of my life and the best year of my life. In November of 2020, I admitted that my then 14-year old daughter was not OK. She needed help, and I decided that I was the one to help her. This was me following my intuition. (I was told by people I trust that she needed more institutional help.) I quickly realized a big piece of me being able to help my daughter was me healing myself. At a very high-level that looked like… I looked at all the hard moments in my childhood and re-felt them to heal them. I cried a lot. I wrote a lot. I rewrote a lot of my past. I talked it through with a coach, a healer, and a select group of friends frequently. I did this at strategic times, so I could be with clients and my kids during the day as a functioning human. I practiced staying in the present moment as much as possible. This helped me operate from intuition and love, and have a chance of doing all the right things for my girl and community. By July 2021, I had my girl back. Not only was she back, she had become a new version of herself — as had I. In October I felt really good about the experience and led a 6-week class with my mentor and coach, Sil Reynolds, called Easeful Motherhood, where we had the honor of supporting an amazing group of moms as they navigated their tricky corners. All was great, except as my family needed less support, I realized that in holding the space for a kid to heal — while also navigating parenting 2 other kids, nurturing a marriage, serving beautiful clients, growing a business, and living in a pandemic — I literally ignored my body. So that brings us to the past few months…. I embarked on a journey to take impeccable care of myself — my body, mind, and soul. I’ve made a few agreements with myself.
1. I decided that all action to take care of myself will come from love. If there is an action that is feeling like “I’m supposed to be doing this” or “I should be doing that,” I will slow down and get back into alignment with myself before “doing” anything.
2. I decided that there is no end destination. This meant not starting with food — until I am as sure (as I can be) that I am doing it out of love for myself vs. shame that I gained weight in the last year — as body-image seems to be the most complicated conditioning from my past. In fact, I do not want food changes to come from any motivation other than a desire to take good care of my body. I also don’t want to send anything but ungraded messages to my girls (and you) about food and body. This has been the hardest agreement with myself. Quick fixes are appealing.
3. I decided it’s really important I share the journey with you. I’m not...
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 12 – Possibilities in 2022 Before I get to a goal from my vision, I allow myself to become aware of ALL the possibilities. I have found that as women, we very quickly get to, “I don’t know if I’m doing this right” mode when we start writing down goals. And from that place we look around us for the answers, rather than within. We want to have our 2022 Goals come from within. One of the most impactful ways I know to do this is to get excited about possibilities…
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 11 – Your 2022 Oracle One of my favorite New Year rituals is drawing a card for each month of the year. This year my friend https://www.instagram.com/lainielovedalby/?hl=en (@lainielovedalby) made a beautiful deck that I will be using. If you don’t have a deck, no worries! You can download an oracle app. You could flip to the page of an inspirational book. You could find a deck and do this one in a few days! We will share some of our favorites over on Instagram!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 10 – Cravings Cravings might be one of the reasons it's hardest for us to say yes to upgrades in what we feed ourselves. I know goals around weightloss and better health will be filling FLOW Planners in 2022, so I would love us all to have an understanding of what else plays into cravings. This is important work, and will help you make time for the things that will actually help you stick to your healthy ways. AND it comes with some great planning pages… of course!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 9 – 5 Dates to take that will change how you think about money So often I hear from women who are not moving towards their dreams because of money. So often I hear from entrepreneurs at this time of year who are super stressed about biz numbers that are different from what they thought, or are starting to stress about taxes. Each year in FLOW365, taxes, and the dread that comes with that task for many takes over and becomes an obstacle in moving towards goals. So this year, I want everyone to have a plan to make the system of money easier!!!! Here is the thing… women who have money will change the world!!! Our partner and friend Megan Flatt from https://www.instagram.com/letscollective.co/?hl=en (Lets Collective) reminded FLOW entrepreneurs of this last week when we were planning what we want to earn in 2022. I think one of the most actionable talks I have ever hosted on money and entrepreneurship is with LuSundra Everett, EA https://www.instagram.com/homebiztaxlady/ (@homebiztaxlady) at camp this summer. YOU WILL FINISH WITH SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR!!!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 8 – Your Year on Your Wall We go through the process of putting our year on the wall, each year in FLOW365. I LEARNED A LOT when we did it this year about what resonates in such uncertain times. Today’s gift sums those steps up, and gives you the pages for YOUR YEAR ON A WALL!!! Get on the gift list at https://plansimple.com/12gifts (https://plansimple.com/12gifts) to get printouts for the year!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 7 – 2022 Astrology Today’s gift is about taking in what the stars are telling us about 2022. At our 3 day event early in 2022, we had the amazing Mallory Mason give us a glimpse into 2022. Our attendees LOVED it, so we’ve decided to gift it to our whole community. Take it in anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to go to the page on our site with all these presents!!!! We have a visual download to help you see what Mallory is saying.
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 5 – Get clear on your vision I find it is very hard to stick to goals, and sometimes even create them when we are not connected to our vision. I know you are probably tired from yesterday… But take the podcast on a walk. Move the energy in your body. Give yourself 15 minutes on the other side to capture your authentic vision. If you are having any trouble, I recommend listening to https://www.instagram.com/divinelysensitive/?hl=en (Heather’s) guided meditation from day 1, or going through Completing the Year with https://www.instagram.com/amyahlerscoach/?hl=en (Amy Alhers) from the day 3 gift. Sometimes there is just too much guck, and too much outside noise to connect with our vision. That’s ok. It's practice!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 5 – Slow down and make space for love Some of you all follow my process for creating an Advent calendar each year. I do not create ours from a religious perspective, but instead from a conscious decision to slow down. It acts as a reminder each day... The thoughts that show up each day, help us do this. And on Christmas day, the thought is always something about LOVE and putting that before presents and expectations. AND I always find the way I can do that as a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend is to connect to my heart first, so I can connect to the sacred all day long. I hope that today, you can take the time to listen to a meditation by https://www.instagram.com/julieh205/?hl=en (Julie Hannon) from Inner Peace and Wellness. Take 20 minutes to connect to your heart, to love, to open up sacred space in your home. Make sure to document what comes up. I will be starting my day with this as well!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 4 – Your Word I think I originally started choosing a word of the year 10ish years ago when https://www.instagram.com/daniellelaporte/?hl=en (Danielle Laporte) first came out with the Desire Map. I remember Danielle sharing that her word for the year was “abundance.” I remember just considering that word seemed so scandalous and REALLY exciting at the time. Ever since then, I have chosen a word each New Year's Day. I talk about my process on the podcast today. I talk about trying words on and seeing how they make you feel…. I wanted the word “abundance” to work for me the same year it worked for Danielle, but it was NOT my word that year! Get on the gift list at https://plansimple.com/12gifts (https://plansimple.com/12gifts) to get a list of possible words!
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 3 – Complete Amy Ahler’s has been using and teaching this tool since the late 90s! I have been doing it for about 5 years. I am so excited for you to do it this year, and next year, and the year after that. It is one of the most effective ways I have found to feel complete about the year and TRULY move into your desires for the next. My advice. Listen to the episode with Amy. Print out the workbook we made to take you through the process. Schedule some time to go through the process. It is A LOT to take in in a single day. I will be waking up extra early for the next few weeks to do my own deep work, and this is part of that process. I will walk through the steps for 3-5 mornings. When you get into some of the goal setting gifts (coming up), it is great to have this handy to remember where you are.
We are giving away 12 days of gifts. The idea is that we create a bridge from the Winter Solstice to the New Year! We chose 12 tools, ideas, and strategies that are all about ending this year and planning next year. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 2 – RELATE Vanessa Linsey is wise, honest and really funny! She’s this amazing combo of magical and practical that is made possible by her commitment to presence. When she is not teaching about moon cycles, she is a mediator. She is also an amazing mama, who has created a literal Brady Bunch. “When we can hold the line in the present moment, in the midst of challenges and triggers, we can further align with our healthiest and best source – providing us with our biggest potentials…. The person who triggers you most – let’s imagine this person is your best teacher.” – Vanessa Linsey Listen to her full talk with some really actionable communication strategies! And download the printable that you will want to keep handy!
We just decided that we are going to give away 12 days of gifts. Happy Solstice!!! Today is the darkest day of the year. For me this starts a two week period of deep reflection and planning for the year ahead. I literally look forward to it starting at Thanksgiving! This year I thought that I would take you through some of the processes that are really meaningful to me. Each day, we will release an episode, and many of the days will have fun (and very useful) printables! DAY 1 – RELEASE Today I want to give you a guided meditation that the amazing Heather Dreassel https://www.instagram.com/divinelysensitive/?hl=en (@DivinelySensitive) led at our last event. I love honoring the Solstice. For me it is a time of releasing everything that does not serve me — and it’s become that for my kids too. We each write what we are letting go of and burn it in the fire. It serves as an amazing family tradition, AND I take some alone quiet time to go even deeper. RELEASE. Listen to today’s prompt and Heather’s guided meditation on the https://plansimple.com/podcast/ (Podcast). Get quiet. Write it down. Share what you are releasing.
Journaling is a path to come home to ourselves. –Kim Marie We have some bonus episodes of the PlanSimple Podcast with some of the speakers from our recent event Your Best Holiday Season Ever, including this episode’s guest Kim Marie. I believe there is magic in writing things down. I wanted someone who is really into the flow of journaling to share that with my audience—and journaling is what Kim Marie does. After an injury one year that involved surgery on my wrist, I stayed on the couch by the fire for a lot of time between Christmas and New Years. I found myself just dreaming more and getting clear on what I wanted to do. I found myself wanting to journal. And I discovered Kim Marie’s Sacred Nights journal that taps into the magic and power of this time of year. Kim introduces journaling as a path to come home to ourselves and talks about why we aren’t home, what it means to come home to yourself, and how to get there. We talk about: Spiraling through cycles again and again in rebirthing ourselves Remembering who you are and knowing what you want and what you value, and figuring out how to show up as yourself and make a difference in the world What happens if we don’t look at who we really are Planning and capturing dreams as forms of journaling Journaling to process emotions or work through things + other ways to journal
BIO Kim Marie is a Transformational Life and Leadership Mentor, guiding women to find their middle way between success at the cost of selling their Soul, and playing small at the cost of success. Through her annual Sacred Nights of Winter journal, online courses, speaking, nature retreats, her Solace monthly mentorship program, and her unique blend of archetypal, Indigenous and practical wisdom, Kim takes women on a journey to connect with their Inner Wisdom by remembering who they are, reconnecting to what they truly care about, and rebirthing into the life they re-envision for themselves. She is the mother of 2 young men, and lives in Boulder, CO. LINKS http://plansimple.com/sacrednights (Sacred Nights of Winter Journal) https://kimmariecoaching.com (KimMarieCoaching.com) https://plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365)
Doable Changes from this episode: TRY DIALOGUE JOURNALING. One of Kim Marie’s favorite journaling methods. It’s a way to bring together different parts of yourself or to deal with inner conflict. Write out the conversation as if you were talking to a friend. You can ask questions, make a request. Just stay curious and put it on paper. COMMIT TO JOURNALING THE SACRED NIGHTS OF WINTER. Get a copy of Kim Marie’s Sacred Nights of Winter Journal (there’s an online option, so you still have time—see link above). You’ll work with the journal for 13 days and nights, starting reflecting on the past year, envisioning the year to come, and tuning in to the messages of your Soul. LEAN INTO WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU VALUE. This is a process that we come back to again and again, and one way to do that is to feel held in community and have a framework and coaching that help you continue to choose to lean into your values and goals. In https://plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365), we choose doable changes for all the parts of our lives again and again. Your doable change today can simply be to check it out and set yourself up for a year of leaning into your life.
Your intention will bring you back to what's important. And when we're in alignment with what's important, we feel nurtured. –Kelley Grimes We have some bonus episodes of the PlanSimple Podcast with some of the speakers from our recent event Your Best Holiday Season Ever, including today’s guest Kelley Grimes, who wrote The Art of Self Nurturing. I’m so excited to have her talk about self-care, not as the buzzword that it’s become or another thing on your today list, but as a non-negotiable essential. We talk about self-care specifically around the holidays. Kelley talks about choice and empowerment — choosing what we do for the holidays, not just doing traditions because we feel obligated. One way to do this is to declare an intention for the holidays and then use that as a lens to look at what you are choosing to do. Kelley recommends making a list of ways to nurture yourself. She breaks it into three parts: body, mind, and spirit, because there are different parts of ourselves that need to be nurtured. She also includes self-nurturing that can be done alone, with a partner, with family, or with others. We talk about: Putting your intention someplace you can see it Writing yourself a A permission slip for self-nurturing How permission giving and making a commitment go hand in hand Specific ideas for nurturing different parts of ourselves That commitment to prioritizing yourself is the real act of self-nurturing, whatever you do Self-nurturing is an ongoing act with ripples from ourselves to others
BIO Kelley Grimes, MSW, is a counselor, speaker, internationally bestselling author, and self-nurturing expert. She is passionate about empowering overwhelmed and exhausted individuals to live with more peace, joy, and meaning through the practice of self-nurturing. Kelley also provides professional and leadership development to organizations dedicated to making the world a better place. She is married to an artist and board game maker, has two empowered daughters, loves singing with a small women’s group, and is overjoyed to be a new grandmother. Learn more athttp://www.cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com/ ( www.CultivatingPeaceandJoy.com) and download your free Self-Nurturing Starter Kit. LINKS https://www.amazon.com/Art-Self-Nurturing-Field-Living-Meaning/dp/1732742537 (The Art of Self Nurturing book) https://cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com/aosn-vip/ (The Art of Self Nurturing starter kit) https://plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365) https://www.instagram.com/plansimple.co/ (PlanSimple on Instagram)
Doable Changes from this episode: CHOOSE A YEAR OF SELF-NURTURING. Leaning into your life—figuring out what you really want and making time for that is ultimate self-nurturing. Allowing yourself to be held is self-nurturing. Making space for sacred circles and calming your nervous system are self nurturing. Your doable change today could be to choose FLOW365, choose to have all of these self-nurturing acts (and more) as part of your life for a full year. That one doable step opens up support for so many more doable changes. SET AN INTENTION. Set your intention for the holiday season or this week or today. How do you want to feel? Declare it. Write it down and put it where you can see it. As you approach things throughout the day or week or season, ask: Does this fit with my intention? Let your intention guide your choices and how you show up. WRITE A PERMISSION SLIP. Permission and commitment go hand in hand, so give yourself permission for self-nurturing. THat means giving yourself permission to prioritize yourself, your needs, your intention, what matters to you. Write it out as a permission slip. And then commit to one act of self-nurturing. (And then another and then another …)
We all get caught up in the hustle, the busyness, the millions of things that need to get done. And we get pulled away from that important work that moves our business (and our lives) forward. –Megan Flatt On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Megan Flatt, founder of Focus Sessions, about getting things done 90 minutes at a time — and how this fits with the goals and planning we do in FLOW365. Focus Sessions are hosted virtual co-working sessions to get done the important things that move you towards your goals. In FLOW365, we used to do something similar called Get It Done sessions, because it’s easy to have a plan, but get distracted. Focus Sessions take advantage of something called social effervescence. We perform better when others around us are doing a similar thing. Add in a flow to get you focused and some accountability, and Focus Sessions really help people get things done. We talk about: The difference between physical co-working spaces and virtual co-working (and how you could use Focus Sessions in a co-working space) How to prepare to focus The power of declaring and sharing what you are going to do Choosing a bucket for your focus session—Deep Work, Planning & Visioning, or Clearing the Deck—and why each is important Creating a container to get things done — and scheduling when you will do things Finding what’s working and not working in our focus and productivity so that we make adjustments
BIO Megan Flatt is the CEO of Let's Collective, a business growth strategy firm devoted to making entrepreneurship easier. She is also the founder of Focus Sessions, a virtual coworking and accountability membership to get your most important work done. Let's Collective's mission is to help small businesses scale without burning out through strategic planning, revenue focused decisions and science backed accountability. Megan is obsessed with lattes, post-it notes and helping women make money. When not doing that, she's hanging with her husband and two kids, probably near the water, in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can catch up with Megan at http://letcollective.co/ (letcollective.co) or http://focus-sessions.com/ (focus-sessions.com). LINKS https://www.focus-sessions.com/ (https://www.focus-sessions.com/) https://plansimple.com/flow365 (https://plansimple.com/flow365)
Doable Changes from this episode: CHECK OUT FLOW365. If you’re intrigued by the idea of Focus Sessions, check out https://plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365). Focus Sessions are part of this year-long program because we know it’s not enough to have a goal and a plan — you need time to do the work too. And when you can do it with other people and accountability, you’ll be even more productive. SCHEDULE TIME TO DO DEEP WORK. If you aren’t a FLOW365er or Focus Session member, you can still schedule time to do Deep Work. Block off 90 minutes on your calendar. Turn off notifications. Put up a do not disturb sign. Take some deep breaths to settle in. Then declare exactly what you are focusing on. Text it to a friend for some accountability. Set a timer and begin. CLEAR THE DECKS. When you’re overwhelmed with a to-do list that’s out of control or your desk is so chaotic you can’t think, it’s time to clear the deck. Clearing the deck clears mental space and energy for other work and may help replenish and refresh you to do your deep work and visioning. Set a timer and do a bunch of tasky items—filing, making appointments, powering through emails, declutter your desk.
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein I did not love school. School was actually some of the hardest days of my life. And then I found glimpses of a different kind of info – about entrepreneurship, food, personal development, mindfulness, productivity, spirituality, magic … It started somewhere near my 30th birthday with 3 books — Simplicity Parenting, Think and Grow Rich, and The Artist’s Way. They opened my worldview and I became a lifelong learner. Fast forward 16 years … I am aware everytime I press submit on a podcast that I am adding more content into a world overflowing with content. I have a bookshelf filled with books, some (many) unread. I have a folder filled with eBooks. And then there is so much learning that lives in a cloud — courses, summits, audible books, and an inbox FILLED with ideas. Most of us accumulate more knowledge assets than we consume or implement. These days I do a lot of teaching — in FLOW365, on summits, on other podcasts, in other peoples courses. This has made me super conscious of my capacity to learn and implement. Add pieces about FLOW, Monday Calls and Focus Sessions, Planning Sessions. I make an effort to learn and implement more than I teach. To do that, I have to make time and space for learning, growing and implementing in a way that fits in my life, so I thought I would share some of that back out… I decide what learning season I’m in depending on what I need instead of what the world might think I need. Start by knowing what you need – what change you want to make. I have gotten good at discerning between what I need to learn and what is a shiny object. If I buy a summit, I don’t try to do it all. I look at all the talks and commit to the ones that will really support the change I am trying to make. I have a learning budget that is more about return on time than money. This season I dived into perimenopause and a partner program for PlanSimple — two totally different topics relevant to this season. I’m hopeful that the partner program will have a good return on money, but also in time (more partners helping me fill programs means less time doing it myself). Perimenopause isn’t likely to bring me money directly, but it saves me time and helps me work through something that could derail me. Learning about food, parenting, coaching, running a podcast … all fit into different seasons for me, and that learning paid off whether or not you could see it in my bank account. I balance learning between different learning modalities — audio that I can walk with, coursework that I am in front of a computer to do, reading and writing. I keep a google sheet with all online material — name of course, link to sign-in page, username, password, expiration date. I check this spreadsheet before I buy something new, a trick I learned after buying my third Pinterest course. You may find another way to keep track of things, but I highly recommend organizing your learning material. I decide when I will learn the material. Sometimes I get something I cannot do immediately, and sometimes I am ready to go right away. I always decide on my own timeline, so I don’t feel behind. Once I learn it, I decide if (and when) I want to implement new ideas. I take notes by documenting to-dos, habits, and the most important thing. Just because you paid for a class or a book, doesn’t mean you have to do it. You might find something that doesn’t resonate or that one piece makes you say Yes and the rest falls away. Or you might realize that what you learned would be better implemented in another season. Documenting each lesson when you are learning is a way to remember what I need to know when it is time to implement. I’m all for learning broadly, because we don’t know what we don’t know, but too much learning without implementing can make us feel behind or like something should be different but...
“I believe that the holidays are a good opportunity to practice all the things we say we really want in our life.” How are you feeling about the holidays this year? I talk about holiday planning year after year, and every year is a little different. The holidays give us a chance to practice the things we say we really want in our lives: boundaries, going toward what we want instead of what we think we have to or are supposed to do, flexing our emotional muscle. This time of year is also a time to think about the upcoming year and what we really want—how we want to be at home, in our relationships, with our bodies, at work, in our business. It’s a time to dream, and at the same time, I found that the holidays have fought my dream. Do you want energy, but eat and drink to oblivion? And then feel the need to get your life back on January 1? Do you have big business goals to wrap up the year AND want to make magic for you kids who are home for two weeks? (and no plan to make either happen?)
This is the time to take impeccable care of yourself. Yes, you. I know, you expect to take care of everyone else during the holidays, but it’s time to change that story. Your Best Holiday Yet is going to help you do that. We’re going to build a bridge between an amazing holiday season and your best year ever. Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, so this is a good time to start practicing, not me first, but me too. I’m sure you have a picture of a beautiful Thankgiving in your head. The people, the decor, the food … but how does that actually make you feel? Start by asking: How do I want to feel? Erase what you know about the holiday and start your planning with what would feel good? Think about who you want to be with, what you want to eat, and how you want the day to flow. I talk about exactly how I revamped my Thanksgiving years ago and the freedom and joy I felt on that day. And our holiday continues to evolve, changing year to year, but I have a framework that helps us stay focused on the feeling we want from the day. You can choose what you want to do and what you want to eat to make you feel fabulous. In this episode, I’m talking specifically about the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, but there is a lot you can apply to other upcoming holidays. And because Thanksgiving focuses around food, I’ve made you a Thanksgiving food planner. Download your Thanksgiving Food Planner here. Looking for your food planner for December? Or some support in flexing your emotional muscles in the holiday season? Your Best Holiday Season Ever is coming up December 3, 4 and 5!!! In three afternoons — eastern time — we are going to get relaxed, re-energized and ready for the Holiday Season and 2022! I hope you will join us. As always this event is FREE. This time it is actually live!!!! I feel like we need as close to real connection as possible right now. This means our teachers will be teaching live, and you get to interact with them and an amazing community live.
You actually have to slow down and figure out who you want to be. –Michele Julian On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Michele Julian, a healing life coach and meditation teacher about tools for this time we are in now. It’s a really important time to pause and really listen to ourselves.
If you’re feeling like life has been on pause and you’re ready to resume, you could think about it as a time to process what’s happened. You could use it as a time to ask: Why do I want to be doing this particular thing that I'm doing today? Is it something that's really helpful for me and my family? Or is this something I've just been programmed to do to think that I am supposed to be doing this?
But beyond that, how do you process this experience and take care of yourself? One of the shifts is how you think about self-care. What happens when we make self-care non-negotiable? What happens when we turn to coaches and counselors to support us out of overwhelm and through grief and trauma?
We talk about:
Figuring out what your real, basic self-care is
Using a variety of tools—oracle decks, Journey dance, and more—to support yourself
A map to create more understanding in our physical, mental, and spiritual body
Journaling through the moon cycle
The importance of really slowing down and being
Getting out of your monkey mind
BIO
Michele Julian is a healing life coach and meditation teacher. She works with clients to heal their body and soul from the inside out so they can live a life of power, presence, and purpose. She runs the Rise of the Goddess podcast and is the creator of the Julian Method. She helps clients find, nurture, honor, and embody the goddess they are, through One-on-One Coaching and group programs.
LINKS
https://www.beingandbecoming.me/ (https://www.beingandbecoming.me/)
https://juliangoddesscoaching.com/podcast-page/ (The Rise of the Goddess podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
ASK QUESTIONS. There is no “normal” to go back to, so we need to look at what we are resuming, letting back in, or continuing to do. Try asking these questions for a week and see what you find out: Why do I want to be doing this particular thing that I'm doing today? Is it something that's really helpful for me and my family? Or is this something I've just been programmed to do to think that I am supposed to be doing this?
BACK TO BASICS SELF-CARE. Forget getting nails done, massage, meditation. What are the real basic self-care actions you need? It could be as simple as taking a shower or eating a nourishing meal or getting outside. Pick something. Make it non-negotiable. Do it, and notice how it makes you feel.
PAUSE. If everything is moving too fast, pause. Take a weekend, a day, an hour out of your schedule. Slow down. Get still. Let yourself feel what the last 18 months has been like for you. Notice how you feel and what you need right now. Notice what feels hard, what needs to change. Don’t worry about changing, just start by noticing.
You can control a lot of symptoms with fitness, nutrition, mindset, and self care. Are you going to cure menopause? No, we're all going to go through it, but you can feel better while going through menopause. –Shelly Burns On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Shelly Burns, a chiropractor and 20-year veteran of the fitness and health industry, about something we don’t talk about enough—menopause and perimenopause. It’s really important for us to understand what’s going on with our bodies and to learn how to navigate this time in our lives.
Shelly shares her own story of gaining weight, having increased anxiety, and having a doctor who didn’t help her. She found a new doctor and did some bloodwork and learned that her hormone levels were super low. Her doctor recommended a low dose of HRT, which made a huge difference in her daily life, from her relationship to her work and even not feeling like she was having a nervous breakdown. She had no idea what she was going through was perimenopause.
Once she knew, she made changes to her workout and nutrition. She adjusted her mindset and worked on self-care. Twelve weeks later, she had lost the weight she gained and people noticed not just that but how she was showing up. They wanted what she had, so she created a blueprint to help people change. Because the first step is knowing what you are going through, and the second is accepting that you have to change your approach to your body.
We talk about:
Working with people (doctors, trainers, other wellness providers) who understand perimenopause
Shifting workout focus to mobility and weights and ow weight gain in menopause can cause a spiral of other problems
Changing how you eat (different thing work for different people, but it’s probably different from what you’ve done)
Working on mindset and not giving up
Acupuncture and massage as tools to support you through menopause
What we don’t know and how important it is to talk about and have a community of women during this transition
BIO
Shelly Burns is a 20-year veteran in the Health and Fitness industry. She wants to help empower women with her experience, personal coaching, training style,and advice on how to maneuver perimenopause and menopause. Her stories and struggle during this difficult time has led to the creation of The FIT Menopause Blueprint™.
Over the past few years, Shelly has helped 100's of women get their desired results in weight loss, energy level improvement, hormone balancing & sleep quality improvement with her online program.
She is very passionate about helping women with their journey physically, mentally and emotionally.
LINKS
https://maneuveringmenopausesummit.com/maneuvering-menopause-summit-2021n7sszym6?affiliate_id=3365511 (Maneuvering Menopause Summit)
https://drshellyburns.com/ (https://drshellyburns.com/)
https://www.menopause.org/ (https://www.menopause.org/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NOTICE WHAT’S HAPPENING. It’s easy to brush off symptoms of menopause on COVID or stress or life being too busy. It doesn’t help that we may have healthcare providers who dismiss what we are going through. Start by getting really clear on what you notice in your body. Pay attention to things like weight, energy levels, hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, discomfort, changes in your cycle. It can be hard to remember accurately, so try tracking for a month (or more).
TRY ACUPUNCTURE. We talked about acupuncture as one specific tool to help alleviate symptoms and help you feel better. If you have never tried it, give it a try. Shelly and I both find it makes a world of difference. Like acupuncture, massage can be supportive in this transition. Or simply give yourself more self-care. If you’re currently not
Anything that we do as parents is really fine, as long as we're being kind and loving. –Mia Moran On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m sharing 10 of the most important parenting concepts I’ve learned and implemented over the past 18 years. I’ve picked these up from different places — which I credit as I go. Some came easily and some took a while to figure out and untangle, but all of them have made a difference to me as a mother and to my family.
Family dinner is non-negotiable.
I got this one from my mom and dad. And while I focus a lot on food here, the concept of family dinner is not about food, but about the company and the connection it brings. Family dinner provides a connecting point at the end of the day and a landing pad for love. When you make family dinner a regular thing, it provides consistency when life may otherwise feel chaotic. It becomes part of the rhythm of your days.
We don't have to "fix.”
This concept started with my own intuition and got refined and solidified by my work with Kim John Payne. More recently this idea was backed by my conversation with Trace Bell. Often when we are trying to fix something, we are trying to fix something in our own past, and also trying to fix takes us away from really listening. Often what kids need is not for us to solve a problem or make something better, but to witness their experience. That can be done with listening eyes or questions. One tool that we use, usually at family dinner, is roses and thorns. Each person shares something good from their day, something hard from the day or something they are worried about tomorrow, and something they are looking forward to.
You don’t have to go to every game.
Right now after 18 months of missing things—games and performances and school events—we may feel like we should go to everything. It is great to go to a game or other event and be fully present, but it’s not always easy. Michael Thompson taught me that there is value in having a kid tell you about their experience, because you are present in a different way. I started going when I could really be present and listening to the amazing stories the rest of the time, full present at the dinner table. (Notice how the dinner table keeps popping up?)
Talk about sex openly and early.
Does talking about sex feel uncomfortable? Does it feel too early? You want to be the one your kids talk to about sex (and any of the hard things to talk about sex, our bodies, money, drugs, alcohol ... ). Dr. Sharon Maxwell said that if you haven’t told your kid about sex in second grade, you are too late. If you’re too late, don’t worry, I was too, but make a plan to talk and set yourself up as the established and trusted source.
Hugs have power.
A small but meaningful addition to my parenting tool box was delivered in a story by Danielle Laporte. I knew that hugs were important, but she talked about hugging her tween son for at least 20 seconds, and I thought that sounded like a looong hug. So I started counting and realized how much I was rushing hugs. A 20-second hug is one you can land in, unrushed, and be present.
Self-care and adult time are essential.
I grew up in the South in New Orleans where self-care was modeled in manicures, pedicures, getting hair done. My parents modeled the self-care of adult time. They’d take trips without us, go on dates, go to gatherings without kids. Later I learned what self-care really means. It can be cheaper and simpler than what I grew up with. It can be peeing instead of holding it in, working so cashflow isn’t a problem, standing up and taking a deep breath after slouching in front of a computer, going to bed instead of watching a movie (or sometimes snuggling and connecting while watching the movie). Self-care is responding to what you need in the now. One resource I love for self-care is The Art of Self Nurturing by my...
“Every spiritual journey is totally unique….Parents need to be comfortable with the fact that their kid's spirituality might look different from theirs.” –Trace Bell On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Trace Bell about parenting and your kids’ spirituality. Trace is the son of renowned spiritual teacher and speaker, Rob Bell, who wrote Love Wins. Trace talks about the freedom he had to explore his own spirituality even when his father was a pastor and founder of a megachurch.
Trace was never interested in organized religion, and never considered himself a Christian. His parents let him explore his own path and his own doorways into spirituality. He asked a lot of questions about infinity and his consciousness, and his parents encouraged his curiosity.
He finds that a lot of parents are in a hard place: they don’t want to hand down the religion and religious structure they were given, but they do want to instill a deeper sense of spirituality in their kids. Some worry that if they don’t give kids the framework that their kids will go astray. His work helps parents figure it out.
We talk about:
Teaching kids spirituality through your own way of being and letting kids find their own doorways (even if that’s scary to you)
Asking questions about your kids questions
Ways to explore this process if you are part of a church or organized religion yourself
How pushing spirituality on kids out of obligation or something inauthentic can turn kids off
Rituals, meditation, and creating body-spirit connection
Taking a new look at time
BIO
Trace Bell is a spiritual teacher and consciousness guide. He is the son of author and teacher Rob Bell. Trace graduated from UCLA a year ago with a degree in political science and has spent the last year teaching with his father and working with people on their own spiritual journeys and personal evolution. On the Robcast Trace has talked about time, awareness, spiral dynamics and much more. Trace works with parents on how they can talk to their kids about spirituality in new ways and how they can parent from a spiritual perspective. Trace uses the psychological development model spiral dynamics to help people live a more whole, integrated and aligned life. It's been an incredible first year out of college for him and he is having so much fun getting to work with incredible people on their spirituality and development.
LINKS
https://www.tracebelll.com/
https://robbell.com/podcast/
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW YOUR OWN SPIRITUALITY. To teach your kids spirituality, start with what works for you. Where do you find your spirituality most open to you? Is it in a church or synagogue? Is it outside in nature? In a place where you are helping people? Show your kids what fills you with wonder or curiosity. Be open about where you are uncertain or struggle or have questions. Maybe journal on your concerns. What are you really worried about if you don’t pass on a framework that doesn’t feel authentic to you?
ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH QUESTIONS. Instead of trying to have all the answers, try answering questions with questions. Acknowledge that a lot of the things kids may be curious about are things that humankind has grappled with for centuries. Not having all the answers is a way of nurturing curiosity and allowing kids to find their own doorways.
CREATE ONE RITUAL. Rituals are part of many spiritual traditions. It can be as simple as lighting a candle to create a sacred space or turning off all technology for a sabbath space for your family. Think about what is meaningful to you, what you want to share (not force on your kids, but...
“Easeful Motherhood is a practice of providing peace, so that our ‘children can become themselves.’” – by Mia, based on Sil’s definition of mothering Motherhood wasn’t meant to be a juggling act, yet many of us moms have had “too many balls in the air” since the day our kid was born — and then came the pandemic.
The pandemic made a few things about mothering better, and a few things way harder.
Whether or not you experienced it as a good break or the hardest stretch of mothering yet, it changed us.
This fall is different from any other fall.
Our kids are different people after living through the past 18 months.
We are different, and maybe a bit weary.
And with all the “different,” there is a huge opportunity to show up and support our kids, and ourselves, in a new way.
This fall, as our kids head back to school and we navigate work and home, I would love to invite you into a new way to show up in your role as mom.
This episode is a letter from me to you, mama — really from Sil and I to you.
The short story is that you are invited to lean into a more easeful way for 6-weeks this fall with me and the AMAZING Sil Reynolds — who I literally think is the wisest mother mentor around.
If you feel like you are always juggling…
If you are feeling depleted or frustrated in your role as mama…
If you are not sure if you are doing the mothering thing any differently than your mom, and you want to…
If you have a kid who is REALLY struggling or going through a big life change…
If you just want motherhood to be more easeful and a whole lot less stressful…
If even ONE of these things is true, then you’ll want to https://plansimple.com/easeful-motherhood (read more) or
listen in above ....
https://plansimple.com/easeful-motherhood (Learn more and join us for Easeful Motherhood »)
“We actually need grounded adults who have our back, no matter what.” –Eliza Reynolds On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Eliza Reynolds, who co-wrote Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years with her mom Sil, who has also been on the podcast. Eliza has been coaching preteen and teen girls for 15 years and offers an amazing perspective to moms.
Let’s start by talking about the preteen/teen period. So many of us are taught to dread it, to expect it to be awful, but Eliza flips that script, calling it the brilliant, fun, ferocious, intense pre-teen, and teenage years. And she thinks parents and kids need and deserve true, nonjudgmental support.
We dig into peer-culture and toxic mean girls. You’ve probably learned that kids pull away from parents now, that they want to interact more with their peers, but there is a lot of toxic peer culture. Preteens and teens need you to hang in there with them — and they need to be part of communities with healthy peer culture.
We talk about:
Intentionally building community based on shared values and finding mentors for yourself as a parent
Helping kids build relationships with other adults and getting involved with intergenerational mentorship
Dealing with things that come up from your own preteen/teen years
Why resistance does not mean rejection
Holding limits and boundaries and teaching kids how to take care of themselves
Letting go of trying to be a perfect parent and being a real one
BIO
Eliza Reynolds is the professional daughter with the inside scoop and a champion for preteen and teenage girls living full lives. An expert on mother-daughter relationships, she’s been coaching preteen and teen girls to connect with their mothers, and with themselves, since she was a teen herself.
Together with her own mother, Sil, Eliza is the co-author of Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years, (she wrote the sassy side) and the co-host of We Thrive TV. The mother-daughter duo have taught sold-out workshops nation-wide for thousands of mothers and their preteen and teen daughters for the past 10 years.
On her own, Eliza has her undergraduate degree from Brown University, was trained as a sex educator for Planned Parenthood, and was a consultant for Eve Ensler, (“Vagina Monologues,”) on her book for teenage girls: I Am an Emotional Creature.
LINKS FOR BADASS GIRLS ACADEMY
http://badassgirls.ontraport.com/t?orid=887&opid=3 (PARENT FREE Resource FROM ELIZA » )
http://badassgirls.ontraport.com/t?orid=887&opid=1 (BADASS ACADEMY APPLICATION ») http://badassgirls.ontraport.com/t?orid=887&opid=1 ( )
http://badassgirls.ontraport.com/t?orid=887&opid=4 (BADASS ACADEMY INFORMATION SESSION » )
OTHER LINKS FROM PODCAST
https://www.amazon.com/Mothering-Daughtering-Keeping-Strong-Through/dp/B08DHLQ5JL (Mothering and Daughtering Audio Book)
Eliza’s https://badassgirls.me/podcast (Be Real Podcast)
https://plansimple.com/mothering-tweens-and-teens-with-sil-reynolds/ (Mothering with Sil Reynolds )(Plan Simple Episode)
https://plansimple.com/easeful-motherhood (EASEFUL MOTHERHOOD EXPERIENCE WITH SIL + MIA)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET CLEAR ON YOUR VALUES. Getting clear on your values matters for a couple of reasons. One, you’ll share your values with your kids based on what you say and do. But also, if you are looking to intentionally create community, you’re going to look for people who share those. So start by listing your values, what they mean, and how those show up in your life. You might start with some of the ideas here: https://plansimple.com/family-brand/ (https://plansimple.com/family-brand/)
SEEK...
TK. —Mia Moran This is one of three episodes of the PlanSimple Podcast about rethinking time. I’m continuing to explore my own ideas about time and sharing exercises that resonate with me and my FLOW 365 group about different aspects of time.
You can catch up on the first episode about planning and the freedom it gives us (and the dreaming exercise I gave).
You can catch up the second episode about realization time lives within us and a way to get grounded in time right now.
In this, the third episode about time, we focus in on today. We’ve identified our big 5–10 year dream. We’ve looked at the remaining five months of the year. And now we’re zooming in even more.
I talk about:
How looking closely had time helps us loosen our grip on time and finding middle ground between being a prisoner to our schedule and detaching from time
Getting what we really want folded into our day
The why behind the Today sheet, how recycling your Today sheets as a way of letting go of the day, and how to simplify this process even more
Starting with “What is going to move me forward today?”
Being conscious and aware of how you spend your time
Keep coming back to Today if you get off track.
(Today Sheet Image)
Doable Change from this episode:
FOCUS ON TODAY. For this exercise you need the Today sheet, linked above. This sheet, from the FLOW planner is a daily practice of acknowledging both the creative lists piece of planning and how that exists in time. The left side of the sheet is full of questions and lists. The right side is grounded in time from 6 AM to 11 PM
Set your intention.
List three things that will move you toward that intention. (This is about impact not about how much time it fills up.)
Block out your time.
Time track and take notes about what really happened at the end of the day.
Note gratitude.
USE A POST IT. A Post-it is a great way to simplify your Today process. Write what you are grateful for, write 3 things you are committed to doing, and what’s for dinner (because food nourishes us to accomplish the things that matter—and writing it down takes way a lot of the overthinking).
SHARE. What’s on your Today sheet? Share your intention or your three things or your gratitude here or if you’re ready to share, but not with everyone, you can message me there
FLOW 365 is a time to lean into your best life, to dream, to plan, to do and find flow. And you may make big shifts in thinking—like some of the ideas I’ve been sharing about time—we get really practical. Our plans take into account what’s happen in our lives, what we want, and the steps we need to take.
Here’s what a week in FLOW looks like:
Monday calls—Everyone gets a chance to share your three big rocks—the most important things, the things that are moving you toward your 5–10 year vision. They may not be the most time consuming things, but they are the things you need to be intentional about.
Fridays we have a big group planning call. I lead with a reflection about time or what’s been coming up over the week. We get grounded in gratitude. And we plan our week.
In addition there are learning opportunities, like how to plan a morning or evening routine the move you toward your best life, or digging deeper into meal planning. Sometimes we dive into different categories of goals—food goals, lifestyle goals, work goals, spiritual goals. We choose a 21-day focus to change a habit. We also have get it done sessions where you show up and do the work you need to do.
For all of this, you choose what to show up for, you choose what you need to live your best life.
And every 90 days we have a retreat where we get grounded in our goals. The next...
“We do not live within time, time lives within us.” — Rob Bell This is two of three episodes of the PlanSimple Podcast about rethinking time. I’m doing my own deep exploration of time and working through it in FLOW365 and sharing my thoughts here even as they evolved.
You can catch up on the first episode about planning and the freedom it gives us (and the dreaming exercise I gave) here.
In this, the second episode about time, we focus on the idea that we do not live within time, time lives within us. We continue to loosen the grip time has on us—in our whole lives or in some aspect of our life. And we have to remember that we can’t bring the past or future into the present except by the stories we tell ourselves.
I lead with the exercise (see below) and talk about:
How time feels different right now and a way to start grounding in time (without getting stuck in it)
Rituals and systems that may need to be adjusted as we move into a new season
Noticing the urge to do everything all at once right now, look at where things should actually happen based on the energy of each month
Moving back and forth between a creative list and time
How mapping our dreams helps us avoid panicking about time — instead of OMG there are only five months left in 2015, we can relax into those five months
Getting out of a scarcity mindset about time
LINKS
https://robbell.podbean.com/e/time-in-us/
Exercise
LANDING IN TIME. For this exercise you need a month at a glance calendar for the rest of the months of 2021 (August–December) and some colored pens. You can use a paper one if you have one or print one from online. Lay out the months in front of you on the floor or a table. Ask what does August mean to me? What does September mean? Do this for all the months.
Open up your planner or digital calendar, scan through your emails… What do you have coming up? Kids going back to school, holidays, business launches … just start to mentally gather it.
Start marking things up — here’s where we are on vacation, here’s where kids start school, here’s the transition into new routines, here’s a new planner going out into the world … Notice the energy around each month and what naturally works into the blocks of time.
SHARE YOUR AHAS. What did you learn about time? Where do you feel like you’ve landed? Share here or if you’re ready to share, but not with everyone, you can message me there or send an email.
GET READY FOR STEP 3. This is the second episode of three about time. Take time to dream, do this exercise about landing in time and then come back to find out what’s next.
FLOW365 is a time to lean into your life, to dream, to plan, to do and find flow. We work with the different cycles and seasons of our lives and move with intention toward big dreams. It’s amazing work to do in a community of committed women.
This is the last time I anticipate running a 90-day session of FLOW and the last time I run it at this price. Are you ready to get in FLOW, ready to move your dream forward, ready for deep support and community?
“Planning is a gift from our past self to our future self so that we can receive the gift in the now — and BE in the now.” – Mia
I have been thinking a lot about time the past few months — in an effort to understand why time felt different during the at-home phase of the pandemic and how we can keep the good parts going — with my journal, in the early mornings, at the beach, and between client calls.
I pressed the record button on three episodes last week. This is not “perfectly” flushed out content, BUT it is very relevant as we head out of the rhythm of the last 18 months and into the rhythm of fall (and the different kind of uncertainty it brings). Each episode has some ideas —they are a weaving of the FLOW planning process as you may have come to know it mixed with some new ideas that are an updated way for me to talk about time while also older than you and I — and each episode has a planning exercise to move you forward.
In this first episode, I talk about being in the now. I have found that obsessing about the future and wallowing in the past can muddy the “now moment.”
My antidote to this is a plan.
Planning creates a container for us to land in our dreams and helps us loosen our grasp on time. So in a way planning gives us freedom. — even though it may seem like the opposite.
When we try to hold time too tight, we can’t move forward... and this stuckness leads to the feeling of overwhelm.
Right now many of us are holding on to time very tightly — well because we may feel like we just lost a year and then some.
Right now many women are experiencing more overwhelm than ever.
Side note. There are reasons to process the past and dream of the future, in fact that’s what this episode is about, we just don’t want to get stuck there in an effort to avoid the present.
Listen in to hear all the nuggets and then do the exercise below (also explained on the episode).
EXERCISE
CREATE A VISION. Make time and space to dream and to write down your dream. Don’t get locked into how things are supposed to be, the pandemic, the kids' ages, your current living arrangement, or the fact you need more money. Just ask yourself, “How do I want my life to feel? What does that look like with work, home, vacations, health, energy, relationships?
Keep it simple and find small chunks of time to do this exercise. Schedule three 15 minute dream sessions. I love doing this right before bed or first thing in the morning.
Create the physical space to dream. Light a candle to create an intentional space, play music that brings you joy, and find a notebook or paper that feels special. Or clean off your bedside table and put a notebook, favorite pen, and some special objects by your bed. Ask the question “What am I trying to create in my life?” before you go to bed.
If you get stuck… Focus on a time 5–10 years from now, enough you get out of whatever is making you feel stuck right now. Free yourself of all limiting beliefs by casting a dream that has possibility because it is in 10 years.
SHARE YOUR VISION. Tell us what your vision is! Share here or if you’re ready to share, but not with everyone, you can DM me there too or just send an email!
GET READY FOR STEP 2. This is the first episode of three about time. First make time to dream, then come back to find out what’s next.
You are invited into FLOW365 if bringing this dream into reality is something you would love some structure and support with.
FLOW365 is all about bringing our dreams to reality, through planning, leaning into one thing, and creating flow between different areas of our life. During our FLOW365 Retreat at the end of August, we’ll get really clear on our 90-day goals for the next season, whether you think of that as fall or this period of your life, where you are in your business, your marriage, with your kids or with your parents … We’ll work through...
I love the consent of anti-racism because it's not just choices, but it's action. –Brandyn Campbell On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Brandyn Campbell, a consultant who helps companies build and articulate their commitment to racial justice. That means building inclusive environments and fleshing out their values and how those can align with being anti-racist.
This is not an easy conversation. I’ve realized over the past year ways that I am not anti-racist, ways I am not inclusive. There is a part of me that worries I could make a mistake, say the wrong thing to Brandyn in this conversation, or others. I know I am not alone in this fear, but it’s really important to have these conversations as part of change.
We talk about putting this into practice in our businesses. Brandyn says it can be easier for small business or solopreneurs because there are fewer layers of politics to navigate. It starts with identifying core values.
We talk about:
How to handle making mistakes and how to use them to move forward
Ways to identify core values or brand values, decisions to make based on your values and how that can be hard in the short term, and the power of being values aligned and how it sets you apart from your competition
Aspirational values and steps we take that move us further into alignment with our values (we talk specifically about being inclusive as a value)
Little steps you can take, like buying books from a Black-owned independent bookstore instead of Amazon
Remembering that actions, like pointing out to an event organizer that their panel should be more diverse, don’t have to be a big controversy
Talking with our kids about racism and also setting and living values as a family
BIO
Brandyn Campbell combines her passions for communications and diversity to help businesses build and articulate their commitment to racial justice. The founder of Brandyn Campbell Communications, she draws on 15 years of experience providing training and strategy on multiculturalism and cultural competence. Brandyn has worked with clients around the world to provide actionable solutions to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their communications and cultures. Brandyn lives in suburban Philadelphia and loves reading, laughing, music, hiking, and going on adventures with her two children.
LINKS
http://www.brandyncampbell.com (www.brandyncampbell.com)
https://www.instagram.com/brandyncampbellcomms/ (https://www.instagram.com/brandyncampbellcomms/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE MAKING MISTAKES. Making mistakes is part of learning and change. Practice not getting defensive when you get called out or called in. Practice saying, “I didn’t know that. Thank you for telling me.”
IDENTIFY CORE VALUES. Journal about your core values. Think about this as an internal exercise, not something you will put on your website. Just define for yourself what you believe and why. You can choose to make these public, but doing it as a private exercise takes away the pressure to find the right words and lets you focus on the belief.
PICK ONE SMALL WAY TO LIVE YOUR VALUES. We discussed some of the ways we can live our values. It can be as simple as buying the books that we would buy anyway from a Black-owned independent bookseller instead of Amazon. Or sending a message to an event organizer pointing out a lack of diversity in their panel or making an effort to bring different perspectives to our own panels or podcasts. Pick one way and lean into that for the next month.
If you can turn and look at any spot in your home and feel good about yourself, then your home is giving you good feedback. –Moni Castaneda On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Moni Castaneda, about Feng Shui and how to set up our homes so that we can be more relaxed, more productive and get along with others better. If you do a lot of tidying and decluttering, we’re going to take a step back here to what comes before that — and the beauty and energy of it!
We talk about the two things we avoid: the things we really should be doing but don’t want to do and the things we would love to do but deprive ourselves from doing because of the thing we think we should do. So we talk about permission and what we learn and what we do for others.
Moni shares some of the nine principles of transformations people need to go through and then connects those to things we can do in the home to make change.
We talk about:
Pouring a lot of love and energy into our kids and how to shift that as they grow or have even moved out on their own
Living a life of strategy, balance, and not wearing yourself out
Harmonizing the elements of your life
Changing the language you use to bring about change
How windows, mirrors, and artwork reflect our relationships
The way changes in the home support the transformation of us as people
BIO
Moni Castaneda is a Feng Shui Consultant, Speaker and Author. Feng Shui is the ancient Asian art that teaches us how to live in harmony with our surroundings. Moni has integrated modern Western architecture (for which she trained) with ancient Feng Shui knowledge to create the Nine Steps to Feng Shui® System, a step-by-step method to study and practice this art. With this method, Moni helps clients turn their current homes into dream homes, where they may live happy lives and realize their full potential.
LINKS
https://www.ninestepstofengshui.com/ (https://www.ninestepstofengshui.com/)
https://www.instagram.com/fengshuiforus/ (@fengshuiforus)
Doable Changes from this episode:
FIND YOUR BEAUTY. Moni says that it’s amazing how beauty transforms clutter. So start with beauty. She gives the example of having a beautiful couch that is always covered with stuff so you can’t see it. Clear the stuff. Look around your house for things that are already beautiful. How can you make the beauty shine? It might mean putting things away or clearing things or changing things (maybe using a basket instead of a plastic bin)? But instead of looking at the clutter, look at bringing out the beauty of one thing.
CHANGE YOUR WORDS. Our words have power, and when we keep using negative language it impacts our lives. Start by noticing your negative language, things like I’m so disorganized or I’m a terrible mother because the toys aren’t picked up. Start eliminating negative language or bringing in more positive language.
START WITH WHAT CLICKS. Journal on the ideas Moni talks about—different kinds of transformation, the relationship between home and ourselves, the idea of beauty, whatever else you heard. What really stands out for you? Why is it important?
Listen to the rest of my talk with Moni, including her Feng shui tips and ideas for transforming your home to transform your life (along with so much other wisdom and goodness) at CAMP!
http://plansimple.com/camp
“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.” ― Michelle Obama The past year was no joke. We became teachers that were never trained to teach, were asked to get the same quantity of work completed with more consistent interruption, and many of us were simultaneously surrounded by kids, family and community members in crisis.
We rolled up our sleeves and we got to work. There may have been pieces of our new normal that almost seemed better — way less driving, less transitions, a slower calmer pace, Zoom calls with grandmas and aunties, a clarity of what matters most. But there were also pieces that were really hard — being far away from loved ones, kids bouncing off walls, masks, no alone time, so much cooking, stressful and time-consuming grocery runs, sickness, tight money. It was a bit different for each one of us, but it was easy for no mom.
And now, as the world opens back up and we release kids back into their worlds of elementary school, middle school, high school or even college, I am hoping we can all slow down enough to remember who we have become.
Camp covers 5 themes — body, presence, money, motherhood and play
Camp offers us some tools, some practice, some community to navigate these areas.
It is virtual, but designed to be more than you stuck in front of a computer.
You will move, plan and take action.
You will rest, reset and flow — which is what we need now more than ever!
If you upgrade, we also will give you audios, so you can listen from your phone for the rest of summer and into fall… It’s all content that you will want to dive into.
My dream would be for you to gather a group of friends and do this together!
Here is a listing of the CAMP offerings!
Monday, July 12 – Friday, July 16
Live classes will be so FUN live, but will also be posted as the finish, and the recording will be up for 24 hours….
Monday: BODY
10 AM ET— Meal Planning for Your Week with Mia
1 PM ET — Amazing Salads with Tess Masters
3 PM ET — Q and A with Tara
You schedule your time…
All About Hormones with Dr. Anna Cabeca
Navigating the Healthcare Sysytem with Kyana Brathwaite
Cravings with with Jennifer Philips
Pilates with Tara Frederickson
JourneyDance with Toni Bergins
A Meditation with Heather Dressel
Kitchen Tools with Mary Lummerding
Tuesday: PRESENCE
10 AM ET— Sacred Circle with Julie Hannon
12 PM ET— JourneyDance with Toni Bergins
3 PM ET — 90-Minute Get-Something-Done Session with Mia
You schedule your time…
The Enneagram with Christina Granahan
Being Present in Your Home with Moni Castaneda
Intention and Candles with Prsha Calmers
Writing your spiritual stories with Becky Sims and Shuana’h Fuegan
Wednesday: MONEY
10 AM ET — Create Two Weeks of Social Media with Christine McShane
12 PM ET — Your Money Vibe with Jackie Woodside
4 PM ET — Create a Budget with Shay McMillan
You schedule your time…
VisionMaker Process with Jennifer Zweibel
Get Systems Set Up So Taxes Are Easier with LuSundra Gass Everett
Tapping with Jill Wener
Radical Self-Care: Confronting Your Online Order History with Kristin Ivey
Be Anti-Racist with Your Money with Brandyn Campbell
Thursday: MOTHERHOOD
1 PM ET— Easeful Motherhood with Sil Reynolds
2 PM ET — Moving your Nervous System from Surviving into Thriving with Kelly Lubeck
You schedule your time…
How to Raise Happy Humans with Jenny Warner
Who Are the Women Who Came Before You? with Dana Jones
The Gift of Alternative Adventures with Evelyn Castro
Friday: PLAY
10 AM — Playing with Manifesting with...
Tapping gives a regimented way to process negative emotions. And then you feel amazing afterwards. –Jill Wener On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jill Wener, the meditating doctor. Facing stress and burnout herself, Jill found mediation. She overcame her initial skepticism and learned the science behind Conscious Health Mediation. In 2017, she learned another technique—Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as EFT or tapping—that helped her overcome limiting beliefs.
We talk about really feeling your emotions and giving ourselves permission to have more positive feelings. Along with this Jill talks about reframing thoughts, so that we are focusing on what we want to grow. Tapping becomes a modality for processing your emotions.
Jill briefly explains how tapping works: You say things out loud as you tap on different points on your face and chest. And then you can embody that feeling and sit in it and allow it and embrace it. Then you allow it to pass and to integrate and shift. Then there is a cognitive shift. And you feel amazing after.
We talk about:
How flexible and adaptive tapping is — and how easy it is to start
Learning tools that you can use on your own (they may take time and practice, but you can get ongoing benefits on your own)
Meditation and how it perks you up better than Starbucks
Mediation being more preventative, while tapping is more like a spot cleaner
Seeing negative emotions as a gift
Tapping with your kids
Tapping is one of those tools that can bend time, but making you feel amazing in a short time and helping you release negative thoughts and emotions getting in your way. Jill will walk us through tapping during CAMP!
Are you signed up yet? Do that now so you have time to plan your amazing week. https://plansimple.com/camp (https://plansimple.com/camp)
BIO
After 10+ years practicing Internal Medicine in a busy urban hospital, Jill knows firsthand what severe stress and burnout feel like. In the midst of her own emotional turmoil, she was introduced to Conscious Health Meditation, and it had a profound effect on her well-being. Due to her medical background, Jill was initially skeptical of spiritual practices. However, as she learned the science behind Conscious Health Meditation, she embraced the training and marveled at the results of her efforts. The only Conscious Health (also known as Vedic) Meditation instructor in Georgia, Jill completed her training in Rishikesh, India in April, 2016.
Jill strongly believes that there is no 'quick fix'; no singular technique can address all of the physical and emotional challenges of today's society. When she discovered the evidence-based technique of tapping (also called the Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT) at a conference for women physicians in 2017 and began using it herself, she was amazed at how well it complemented her meditation practice and helped her to let go of long-held limiting beliefs. She became a tapping practitioner in 2019, and finds tremendous joy facilitating incredible growth and benefits with her tapping clients.
A nationally-renowned expert in physician wellness, Jill has published several articles on KevinMD, led physician wellness programs around the country, and lectured at the national level on stress and the benefits of meditation and tapping. She has been interviewed on multiple TV and radio shows as well as podcasts (in the medical community and beyond). In addition to her online and in-person meditation and tapping programs, Jill leads meditation retreats all over the world and is the co-founder and Chief Wellness Officer of the TransforMD Mastery Retreat for Women Physicians. An (always aspiring) anti-racist, Jill is the creator of the Conscious Anti-Racism curriculum, in which she (along with her business partner Dr....
I want to create a marriage where we're both growing and where we speak the same language. –Sarah Jenks On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with my good friend Sarah Jenks again! Sarah has been in the personal development space, empowering women around their bodies and spirituality and empowerment and feminism for 12 years. Today, we’re talking about marriage.
Sarah discusses her fear of outgrowing her husband because of the personal development work she was doing, while he was staying stuck. She dispels the myth that she could do all the work for both of them. In talking about the need for both partners to do inner work and work on their marriage, she explains its not just about the marriage but also about not undoing all the inner work women do for themselves.
We talk about an imbalance of money and how that affects the dynamic in a couple along with other antiquated ideas about marriage that people often get stuck in.
We talk about:
Rethinking how we think about money, including spending and who has the right to it
Our partner not being the problem, the marriage being the problem
Creating new agreements and dynamics and standards for how you show up with each other in your marriage
Why both partners need to be invested at the beginning of a marriage course
Different ways to talk about wanting to do this marriage work
How conflict shows up in our other relationships and our bodies
BIO
Sarah Jenks is the mother of three, a woman who has struggled with body image and lack of direction, and someone who knows what it’s like to feel flat, overwhelmed, frumpy and exhausted. Through her own transformation and years of study in the Sacred Feminine, emotional eating and life coaching, she has been guiding thousands of women for over 10 years through the process of remembering their brilliance and their unique mission in this lifetime.
LINKS
https://sarahjenks.com/ (https://sarahjenks.com/)
https://plansimple.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
https://plansimple.com/it-only-takes-one-with-stacey-martino/ (It Only Takes One with Stacey Martino)
Doable Changes from this episode:
ADDRESS “I CAN’T AFFORD IT.” If you find yourself saying, you can’t afford something that might shift your personal experience, like working on your marriage or getting a babysitter so you can have conversations, look at where you are spending money. Start with a list of recent purchases and monthly expenses. Consider whether you could afford something that could make a real difference in your life.
RETHINK WHO MAKES MONEY. If you fall into the paradigm of one person making the money and thus having control over the money. Start to factor in the value of the work done by the partner who makes less or no money. Start to factor in how taking care of the kids, driving them to school, being home at night with them helps the other person make money. Start to shift the paradigm.
SAY WHAT YOU NEED. If you are unhappy in your marriage, if you want to work toward change, say how you feel and what you need. Sarah talks about a few different ways she tried this conversation and acknowledges that she had to say it several times before it sunk in or connected. If you aren’t ready to say it, think through what it is you need to say.
The more that we do this, the more I realize it's just a matter of how you reach the people that want what you have. –Dan Morris On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Dan Morris, one of the founders of BC Stack, the ultimate A-Z Resource on what’s working in today's digital marketing, bundled together for an amazing price. I love the way BC Stack helps entrepreneurs in so many ways. If you are already running an online business or thinking about starting one, you’re going to want to hear more about this.
In addition to a thriving entrepreneurial business, Dan has 11 kids, yes, eleven. We talk about parenting and the things he learned to do for his kids. We also talk about how he's adopted simple living and less stuff—plus selling with his kids.
I’ve talked to Dan’s wife and co-founder of BC Stack, Rachel Martin, about motherhood previously on the podcast. Now it’s Dan’s turn. Join us as we dive into online business entrepreneurship.
We talk about:
Being a single dad and rethinking division of labor
Not wanting to go back to a job or trying to make entrepreneurship work after last year, and how Dan got into online business as the result of a recession
Using a hub and spoke format online in different kinds of business and building an audience with a free offer
How they started BC Stack and how they avoid freebie seekers
The win-win-win of BC Stack for entrepreneurs
Tools for finding good business ideas and getting things done
BIO
CEO of Audience Industries and BC Stack. Dan also runs the Tracing The Path Podcast, a series of stories from the 20th Century in the style of Paul Harvey and Charles Kuralt.
LINKS
https://plansimple.com/bcstack2021 (Grab your copy of BC Stack)
https://plansimple.com/the-brave-art-of-motherhood-with-rachel-martin/ (The Brave Art of Motherhood with Rachel Martin)
http://plansimple.com/camp (Join us for Camp!)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY BC STACK. This one is time sensitive because it only happens once a year, but check it out. There is SO much value in there for $47 if you are starting an online business or trying to grow one you’ve already created. (Plus you get a new course we created now!)
KNOW YOUR TENDENCIES. Are you like Dan? Do you follow the path of least resistance? Do you put off things because you don’t know how to do them or think they’ll take a long time to do or learn. Start by noticing your tendencies. Then see if you can find a fix or workaround—could you hire somebody to do something? Take a course (maybe in BC Stack)? Just try it and maybe see it’s not that hard?
CREATE A SYSTEM. It could be meals and shopping. It could be a “do the thing you don’t want to do” system. Set it up so you don’t have to think about it.
DO SOMETHING YOUR PARTNER USUALLY DOES. Really see what it is like to be in their shoes. If you have never taken out the trash, be on trash duty. If you never make dinner on Friday night then make dinner on Friday night.
You have to make sure that your spending plan and your savings plan match your personal beliefs and values. –Shay Budgets On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Shay about a topic that isn’t sexy and hasn’t always been interesting to me, but that I think is really important—budgeting. Talking about money is a little taboo, but so important.
We talk about how most of us don’t learn about money or budgeting. And because most people are so uncomfortable talking about it, we don’t learn about money or budgeting. That really needs to change. Getting comfortable with our money stories and knowing where our money is going is so important to feeling in flow.
Shay’s going to teach us to create a budget at Camp—and you might be thinking, that’s not what I want to do in the middle of the summer, but doing this work together can be truly nurturing, an act of self-care.
We talk about:
How making and sticking to a budget is a lot more than math
Flip-flopping the idea of buying on credit and paying off with saving up to buy with cash
Patience and gratitude in money work
Focusing on permission rather than restriction
Overcompensating and other reasons for spending
Connecting our thoughts and intentions with our actions and values
BIO
Shay McMillan is a wife, full-time employee, business owner, social media influencer, planner, goal setting expert, organizer, budget coach and more.
She is determined to create and lead a life that she absolutely loves and enjoys. She currently works in a helping profession and thoroughly enjoys her work. However, she feel she has a duty to do more – to help more. That’s where her social media influencer career comes in. She created a budget-centered YouTube channel in 2017 and then created other social media accounts too.
While her financial freedom journey is going relatively well, she also includes everyday, real-life struggles and successes, that impact her financial situation.
Shay’s current obsessions include her husband, budgeting, planning, organizing and decorating/furnishing her new house and her new pup. You can expect to see a ton of each on all of her social media profiles.
LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywGBDSlAWYNWMbZ19vaFcg (Shay Budgets on YouTube)
https://www.instagram.com/shaybudgets/ (@shaybudges) on Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/shaybudgets (Shay’s Facebook page) https://www.shaybudgets.com/ (https://www.shaybudgets.com/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE GRATITUDE. Recognizing and appreciating what you have is a piece of the “money work.” Make a list of things you have that you are grateful for.
PRACTICE PATIENCE & SAVING. Choose one thing that you want but do not need right now. Practice putting aside money each month for that thing. You could even calculate how much more you would spend if you bought it on credit now and paid the same amount you would save to pay it off.
CONNECT TO YOUR VALUES. Connecting to values can help you figure out where you want to spend money — and where you don’t. Just because other people spend money on date night out, expensive gifts, the latest phone, or daily coffee, doesn’t mean you have to. And it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t spend money on those things if they are things you truly love and want in your life. Start by making a list of values. Then when you are going to make a purchase, ask, Does this align with my values?
Shay will be one of the “camp counselor” at Camp FLOW July 12–16. Shay will teach us how to make a personal budget. We’ll also have cooking classes and meal planning; yoga, mediation, and breathwork; a day focused on motherhood; and lots of play including oracle cards, art projects, and a dance party … and SO much more....
The beautiful thing is relationships really only ever take one person to shift things. –Stacey Martino On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Stacey Martino about relationships. She has had such a powerful impact on me and my family. What would happen if you focused 90 days on your relationship? That’s what we are here to find out.
The result that comes from focusing on relationships is the higher version of yourself, more peace within, and a real level of authentic happiness that you feel during the day. When you think about your partner, your children, what you're creating … when you think about the legacy that you're leaving with them and how you are a role model for your kids, when you think about the passion that you have with your partner and how that fuels you up, you feel rock solid, unshakeable, fueled up. The version of you is happier than you even thought possible.
We talk about the kerfuffles and struggles of daily life. When we are in these places, we get stuck on asking: How could we make this better? How can I get them to change or finally listen to me? Stacey suggests switching focus: What’s working? How can I elevate our relationship so that we reduce struggle in a way that feels good? This isn’t about pleasing everybody, but it is a shift in how we think and approach things.
We talk about:
Working on your relationship even when things don’t feel that bad
How you can do the work on your own
The idea that your response to someone is always causing the next reaction in a cycle
Learning to understand the differences in how you and your partner are wired (understanding how your kids are wired helps too)
Taking the time to learn and rethink so you have more productive time and energy with your family
Removing judgment and seeing the world with more appreciation
BIO
Stacey and Paul Martino have proven that it only takes ONE partner to transform a relationship... ANY relationship!
The Martino’s are on a mission to empower people to get the Unshakeable Love and Unleashed Passion they want in their relationship... even if their partner REFUSES to change!
Stacey and Paul, are the creators of Relationship Development®️ and their 8-Step Relationship Transformation System®️. Through their strategic coaching, online programs and sold-out live events, Stacey and Paul have helped save thousands of marriages around the world (by working with only one spouse).
While the divorce rate averaging 50 – 70% and couple’s work resulting in about an 80% divorce rate... the Martino’s RelationshipU program results in a 1% Divorce rate and a 99% SUCCESS rate over the last six years.
Those amazing results are unheard of! And that’s because the Martino’s have cracked the code on relationship with their Relationship Development methodology.
Stacey and Paul have created hundreds of proven tools to empower real people to reclaim their happiness and create a transformation, even in relationships that looked hopeless.
The Martino’s are changing the way relationship is done®️!
LINKS
https://relationshipdevelopment.org/ (https://relationshipdevelopment.org/)
https://plansimple.com/staceymartino/ (Rock Solid Synergy with Stacey Martino)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE DROPPING JUDGMENT. One of the biggest changes you can make is to stop judging. Drop your nagging or chirping voice. When we stop judging, we allow ourselves to appreciate more. We can feel more peaceful. This can be a big change, but you can start small. Work on it for 10–15 minutes a day.
MAKE A LIST OF THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU. Start making a list of the things that bother you. (This can work hand in hand with dropping judgment. Things that bring up your judgment voice belong on the list.) This is a list of things that you...
“ Yoga was one of the only places I didn't feel like I had to be an overachiever. ” – Linda Wells
On this episode of the PlanSimple Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with The Wellness Warrior Linda Wells. Linda is a yoga teacher who believes wellness is your birthright and is on a mission to create a wellness rebellion. She uses yoga to help students develop resilience.
Linda says that yoga found her in the most stressful times of her life, even when she didn’t know it was yoga. As a young adult, trying to find her way, she discovered Virupa yoga, a kind of restorative yoga that taught her to sleep. She didn’t practice yoga for a while, but rediscovered it with Leslie Salmon Jones. She loved the energy of Afro flow yoga and realized she could become a yoga teacher and wellness coach.
Although yoga has been part of my journey for about 20 years, I’ve never had an in depth conversation about it on the podcast, until now. In part that is a sense of privilege related to yoga. I felt like I was sneaking off to 90-minute yoga classes when I should have been mothering or working. We unpack that idea and how yoga can be more accessible
We talk about:
making yoga accessible for different bodies, abilities, and time and financial availability
teaching love, kindness, and compassion (including to yourself)
befriending your body despite what dominant culture tries to tell and sell you
practicing so you can age gracefully
yoga as a quest to trust yourself
checking assumptions about race, body size, wellness, and who can do yoga
BIO
Linda N. Wells, M.Ed., E-RYT 500 is The Wellness Warrior. Her mission is to create a wellness rebellion by teaching people how to assert personal agency by reclaiming themselves through adaptable yoga. Recognizing that stress may be an unavoidable part of our lives, Linda draws upon her in-depth study to help her students develop resilience in the face of modern life demands.
Linda is certified to teach yoga at the 500-hour level. She holds multiple training certificates, including Trauma-informed yoga for youth and teens, Accessible Yoga for people with disabilities, living with chronic pain, and larger bodies. She teaches in various settings, from Boston and Brookline Public Schools, studios, to her highly-attended summer outdoor series, to universities and notable appearances in New England. Linda's formal education includes an M.Ed. specializing in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, and BA in Political Science and Economics from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Linda is also a trainer for Resilient Schools and Youth with the Benson Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine. Additional certifications include The Institute of Nonprofit Management from Boston University and Reiki Usui Level 2. She is an alum of Northeastern University Community Enrichment Fellows, Citizen Schools Teaching Fellowship and the South End/Lower Roxbury Youth Workers Alliance Steering Committee.
LINKS
https://www.lindawellnesswarrior.com/ (https://www.lindawellnesswarrior.com/)
MENTIONED LINK
https://melissawest.com/ (https://melissawest.com/)
https://onbeing.org/poetry/invitation-to-brave-space/ (Invitation to Brave Space by Micky Scottbey Jones)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY 5 MINUTES. It’s easy to get stuck in the idea that to do yoga you need an hour or more to go to a class. Linda says that you can do yoga wherever you are in a few minutes. If you’ve practiced yoga before, try a breath exercise or a simple pose for five minutes or less. If you’ve never done yoga there are lots of online tools to help you learn. Check out 5-minute practice and fit that into your day—it can be an energizing start to the day or a great way to...
Health is a direct reflection of self-love and self-esteem. –Tess Masters
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk to my friend Tess Masters about using food to feel really good.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that changing food changed my life. It’s really how I started on my journey years ago. I had things really dialed in … and then I hit 45 and I found myself moody and hormonal. I thought maybe this was just how I was supposed to be, but I didn’t like it. Tess convinced me there was a new level, a new food place for me where I could feel good again. And she was right.
Tess’s program the Skinny 60 helped me right away. It wasn’t a lot of “new” stuff. It was nuances of what I knew. It was putting together different strategies in different ways. As Tess said, it’s “finding the perfect blend of those strategies and of those foods for you and your needs at this time.” Our bodies change, and understanding what you need, now, makes a difference!
We talk about:
The importance of gathering information as a our needs, our hormones, our stress levels, and other things change
Better markers than weight, like digestion, energy throughout the day, sleep patterns, how your skin looks
The importance of a digestive tune up
Making truly sustainable changes focused on balance and feeling better and loving the food you are eating
Four principles: priming your digestion, nourishing yourself with balanced nutrition, pacing what you eat throughout the day and your exercise, and restoring
Cooking as a gift to yourself and your family
BIO
Tess Masters is an actor, lifestyle personality, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend. She is also the creator of The Decadent Detox™ cleanses and Skinny60™ weight loss program. You can find hundreds of easy recipes at theblendergirl.com.
Tess and her delicious healthy food have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Yahoo Living, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, WGN, and many others.
Away from the blender, Tess enjoys a diverse performance career. She has toured internationally with acclaimed theater productions, worked in film and TV, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns, audiobooks, and popular video game characters. She lives in Los Angeles.
LINKS
Tess’s program: https://www.skinny60.com/60-day-reset/?ref=3 (Skinny60™) (If you sign up through this link, you also get to plan with Mia)
https://www.theblendergirl.com/ (Theblendergirl.com)
Books
https://www.amazon.com/Blender-Girl-Super-Healthy-Drinks-100-Gluten-Free/dp/1607746433/ (The Blender Girl)
https://www.amazon.com/Blender-Girl-Smoothies-Gluten-Free-Paleo-Friendly/dp/1607748932/ (The Blender Girl Smoothies)
https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Blend-Blender-Energize-Revitalize/dp/160774645X/ (The Perfect Blend)
https://www.thedecadentdetox.com/ (The Decadent Detox™)
Other PlanSimple Podcasts with Tess
https://plansimple.com/the-skinny-with-tess-masters/ (The Skinny with Tess Masters)
https://plansimple.com/blend-it-with-tess-masters/ (Blend It with Tess Masters)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET SUPPORT. While a lot of healthy changes may be common sense or things you know, getting support to put the right pieces together for you now, can save you a lot of time. Find an accountability friend and see if the two of you can support eachother to drink more water or make smoothies or ditch something that’s not serving you. You can check out Tess’s Skinny60 with the link above.
ADD VEGETABLES. We all...
What if we met our children with this kind of wonder of who are you and how can I help you become that person? – Sil Reynolds
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with mothering and mothering expert, Sil Reynolds. Sil is the co-author with her daughter, Eliza Reynolds, of Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years.
The teen/tween years can be a confusing mothering time, especially because we get the message that this is a time of freedom for us as mothers. It’s way different than the early years, but many of us find it’s a time we really need, and want, to be there for our kids — yet society can make us feel like this is helicopter parenting. Sil is full of wisdom and experience about this time in our mothering experience, and I am so grateful to call her a mentor and teacher myself.
Sil and her daughter created a way of mother-daughtering during adolescence that's invigorating instead of draining. Teen girls get such a bad rap, but Sil calls them oracles because they’re so in touch with another way of seeing.
Here’s some of what we talk about on this episode:
Helping our kids become the person they are, not the one we want them to be and how life-giving it is to meet your kid on the level of the soul
Understanding that you are an expert in mothering your child
Really being involved in your tween/teen’s life and letting them rely on you
Slowing down and practicing hearing and following your intuition
How there will be ruptures, misunderstandings, mistakes, arguments and the important thing is not to avoid them but to repair them
The difference between mothering and parenting
The importance of having a circle of other mothers supporting you
BIO
Sil Reynolds is a mother and a mothering expert. She is the co-author, with her daughter Eliza, of Mothering and Daughtering: Keeping Your Bond Strong Through the Teen Years. For fifteen years, the mother-daughter duo taught workshops for thousands of mothers and their preteen and teen daughters.
Sil brings 40 years as a Family Nurse Practitioner and psychotherapist to her current work as a one-on-one mother-daughter coach. She was a senior student of the renowned Jungian author and analyst Marion Woodman. As a specialist in eating disorders and body image, she’s taught Geneen Roth’s Breaking Free from Emotional Eating workshops. She’s taught at Multiversity, and the Esalen, Omega, and Kripalu Institutes. But the crown jewel in her resume is, of course, her now 30 year-old daughter Eliza. Fun fact: Sil brought the first yoga class ever to Brown University as an undergrad, as Eliza calls it, this = awesome hippie lady status. Find out more and learn how to turn conflict into open-hearted connection at motheringanddaughtering.com.
LINKS
Sil’s Site: http://www.motheringanddaughtering.com/ (Motheringanddaughtering.com)
https://www.amazon.com/Mothering-Daughtering-Keeping-Strong-Through/dp/B08DHLQ5JL/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1603809719&sr=8-1 (The Book)
Eliza’s Program for Teens: https://badassgirls.me/ (https://badassgirls.me/)
MENTIONED LINK
https://plansimple.com/parenting-simplified-with-kim-john-payne/ (Parenting Simplified with Kim John Payne)
https://neufeldinstitute.org/resources/books/ (Gorden Neufeld books)
Doable Changes from this episode:
REFRAME REJECTION. It is normal for adolescents to push back their parents, to test and try to figure out who they are. A lot of times parents take this as rejection. Over the next few days, notice when you feel like your tween/teen is rejecting you. What if you step back from that and reframe it as them pushing back, but not pushing you away or...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kim John Payne about simple parenting. His work was some of the most important parenting work I did early on and I feel the benefits every day. As parents, we want to provide for and protect our children, and yet we see them being subject to a pace of life and stresses that very few of us adults ever had to cope with. We want to change something, do something, but also keep our life on the rails. If you have kids and want to add more ease and rhythm to your day, this is a great place to start.
Simplicity Parenting is not about adopting a specific parenting philosophy or a long list of all the things you have to do. Instead, it is an invitation to do less. It can feel hard to go against the grain, against all the voices that seem so loud, but really you can make some big changes with little steps.
We talk about:
Decluttering spaces and how it leads to a sense of spaciousness + setting up a toy library
Having rituals for different parts of the day (e.g., bedtime, mealtimes …) and how they can grow with you kids
Using rhythms to keep things “normal” when something unexpected (like a loss in the family) happens or to get back on track when you get off (say over the holidays)
Simplifying schedules and giving kids time for decompression and creativity
Filtering adult conversation and information
Setting boundaries around screens to allow for more time for creativity and connection with people, nature, and family.
BIO
Kim John Payne is a best-selling author of Simplicity Parenting©, consultant, Director of the Simplicity Project, and Founding Director of The Center for Social Sustainability.
Kim John Payne, M.ED, has been a school counselor, adult educator, consultant, researcher, educator and a private family counselor for twenty-seven years. He consults with schools worldwide and has written several books that have been translated into 27 languages. He has appeared frequently on television including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox; on radio with the BBC, Sirius/XM, CBC & NPR and in print including being featured in Time Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Parenting, Mothering, Times Union and the LA Times.
Kim strives to deepen understanding and give practical tools for life that arise out of the burning social issues of our time. He lives on a farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts with his wife and two children.
LINKS
https://plansimple.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Collect, Connect, Then Direct with Kim John Payne)
https://plansimple.com/words-of-wisdom-from-kim-john-payne/ (Words of Wisdom from Kim John Payne)
Doable Changes from this episode:
DECLUTTER ONE THING. Decluttering can feel daunting if you try to tackle your whole house at once, so start with one thing. It could be your child’s room, or if that feels like a lot, start with the closet or the toybox or the book shelf. If you have goals around healthy eating, declutter your pantry. You can even declutter your calendar. Pick one thing at a time to declutter and do that.
SET UP A TOY LIBRARY. Preschools and daycares do this all the time, and you can too. Pick 20 toys to keep out. Put the rest in bins. Rotate the toys periodically. This reduces overwhelm and creates calm by decreasing the clutter. It makes clean up and storage easier, and it’s amazing how much interest kids have in toys they haven’t seen in a while.
CREATE A RITUAL. If you don’t have rituals for various parts of the day—wake up, getting ready for/leaving for school, coming home, meal time, bedtime—pick one and create your ritual. If you have rituals, take a look and see if they can be simplified or strengthened. If you feel chaotic in the morning or at meal or bed time, it may be a sign you need a simple ritual. Create your ritual and...
The body is so good at healing when we create the environment for it to be able to do so. –Melissa Deally On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Melissa Deally, an Integrative Health Practitioner focused on brain and gut health. Gut health can be hard to wrap our minds around. It’s inside. We can’t see it. It doesn’t sound particularly appealing. And yet it has such big effects. Melissa and talk about the benefits of getting interested in (even excited by) gut health.
The idea that gut health is the root of all health goes way back to Hippocrates, and then we lost that idea for a long time. But gut health and our microbiome is starting to get attention again. Knowing that 90 to 95% of all disease is triggered by the environment we create inside our body, we can learn to create an environment that is inhospitable to disease.
Instead of going to the doctor for a pill when you get sick, why not be proactive in your health. Melissa and I explore steps you can take to do that, and show how quickly you can start to feel better when you make change.
We talk about:
Recognizing that some of the physical ailment or discomfort we feel is not normal
How brain fog and gut health are connected
Breaking emotional attachments to foods that no longer serve us
Using functional medicine labs to see what’s happening inside the body so you can find a path to healing
Finding what your body wants you to eat and reframing that from being to deprived to being a choice
Helping our kids and recognizing those common complaints and even learning issues can be related to gut health and food
BIO
Melissa is an Integrative Health Practitioner, Registered Health Coach, Speaker and host of her “Don’t Wait For Your Wake Up Call!” podcast. Melissa neither diagnoses nor cures, but helps bring your body back into balance by helping you discover your “toxic load” and then removing the toxins. Melissa gets to the root cause of your health issue, using functional medicine lab tests that help you “see inside” your body to know exactly what is going on, and then she provides a personalized wellness protocol using natural herbs and supplements. Melissa’s business is 100% virtual and she specializes in holding your hand and guiding the way to healing so that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
LINKS
http://www.yourguidedhealthjourney.com (www.yourguidedhealthjourney.com)
To book a complimentary 30 min call with Melissa: https://yghjappointments.as.me/?appointmentType=16156436 (https://YGHJappointments.as.me/?appointmentType=16156436)
Discover Your Toxic Load Quiz: https://welcome.yourguidedhealthjourney.com/yourtoxicload (https://welcome.yourguidedhealthjourney.com/yourtoxicload)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NOTICE HOW YOU FEEL. Start by noticing how your body feels. Do you have stomach aches? Headaches? Are you stuffed up or feeling like allergies all the time? Do you feel lethargic (always or in certain parts of the day)? Do parts of your body hurt? Do you feel heavy or weighed down? These are just a few of the questions you can ask. Do a body scan? What feels good? What feels off somehow? What have you told yourself was just “normal” for you? What have you told yourself was just aging? What if you started from the premise that not feeling good isn’t normal?
GET TESTING. Functional health testing can help you figure out what’s happening inside. That information can save you a lot of time testing and trying. It can give you information to start making plans on healing or making changes that will help your body feel good.
MAKE IT A CHOICE. Know your why. Know that the food choices you make are to make your body function well and feel good. Know why you are changing your eating and focus on...
“Harvesting some time for silence, harvesting the time of stillness, harvesting the time to just be with the discomfort of not knowing is going to strengthen your muscles to be who you can be.” –Masami Covey
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Masami Covey, a health intuitive about getting quiet and why it is so important. Masami brings together East and West, left and right brain, science and spirituality to help people find and create wellness.
Most of us have spent a lot of time and home this year. As we return to some of the things we missed, we may feel “busy” entering back into the equation. It’s really easy to get stuck seeking, looking for answers that are actually within you.
When we take time for silence and stillness and being with the discomfort of not knowing, we strengthen our muscles. A lot of times we resist being in liminal spaces, spaces of uncertainty, but if we can use tools like meditation, breathing, and mindfulness to stay in that space, wonderful things can unfold.
We talk about:
Listening to our intuitions
Coming back to your breath (you can do this 26,000 times a day)
Listening to our inner voice to figure out what food will really nourish us
What happens when we don’t listen to our gut or our intuition
3-stage test — muscle mind, heart-mind, gut mind to and coming to an agreement
Asking at different chakra levels “Is this good for me now?” — plus Masami’s favorite chakra
Setting boundaries from a better feeling place
BIO
Masami Covey is an experienced Health Intuitive, somatic practitioner, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Positive Neuroplasticity Practitioner, and applied linguist. Masami believes that we are each our own primary healer. She offers a dynamic framework for connecting our subtle “body language” with physiology, anatomy, emotion, nutrition, and lifestyle practices. She embraces the power of both scientific knowledge and focused intuition to reveal the interconnection of body, mind, and spirit. Masami was born and raised in Japan in a bi-cultural family, and she draws extensively from her blend of East-meets-West cultural, linguistic, and energy healing experiences.
LINKS
https://masamicovey.com (https://masamicovey.com)
MENTIONED LINK
https://plansimple.com/the-invisible-inner-barrier-to-womens-happiness-with-dr-valerie/ (The Invisible Barrier to Women’s Happiness with Dr. Valerie)
Doable Changes from this episode:
COME BACK TO YOUR BREATH. You can come back to your breath 26,000 times a day, not that you have to focus on all of them. But take the opportunity to focus on your breath. Give attention to your exhale, so you aren’t taking in more than you release. Focus on five breaths several times throughout the day.
IS THIS GOOD FOR ME NOW? Close your eyes. Bring something to your head and ask, “Is this good for me now?” focus on the now. Notice what you mind says. Notice if your breath changes. Bring the item lower, near your belly. Ask the same question. Notice if you lean in or away from the object. Let your heart be the referee. Notice the feeling. If you don’t feel the answers right away, keep practicing. Paus
EMPTY OUT FOR INTUITION. If you are snacking all day, whether on food or information or anything else, you won’t be able to hear your intuition. You need to make space to empty out a little. Try making a no snacking zone. That might mean a break from eating or a time when you turn off your phone or put it away, when you walk without listening to a podcast … what would creating quiet and emptying out for intuition look like for you. Remember, these aren’t instant...
It is day five of The Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge, and we are defining our 90-day goals — so that we can embark on the journey! Today, we will be defining our goals and looking at the steps we will take over the next 90 days to reach them. If you are not in the challenge yet, come sign up at http://plansimple.com, so you can get access to all the material.
It is day four of The Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge, and we are starting to get clear on how to start to live into our 5 year vision — in a doable and achievable way of course! Today, we will be looking at what piece of your vision you are going to lean into for the next 90 days. If you are not in the challenge yet, come sign up at http://plansimple.com, so you can get access to all the material.
It is day three of The Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge, and today we are writing the path to our dreams! Make sure you have done the brain clearing exercise from day 1 and the dreaming exercise from day 2. Before you do today’s work, as always, take a deep breath and connect to the wisdom that is you.
If you are not in the challenge yet, sign up at http://plansimple.com so you can get access to all the material.
It is day two of The Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge, and today we are dreaming big! Make sure you have done the brain clearing exercise from day 1. Before you do today’s work, take a deep breath and re feel that feeling of “empty.”
If you are not in the challenge yet, sign up at http://plansimple.com (http://plansimple.com) so you can get access to all the material.
It is day one of the Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge, and we are starting with one of my favorite tools! I use this tool every Sunday night. It is built into the FLOW Planner in multiple ways. AND for today, we are using it to get grounded and ready to be super creative visionaries for the next few days.
If you are not in the challenge yet, sign up at http://plansimple.com.
“We cannot prevent circumstances from happening but we can choose how we show up to them.” I’m so excited to be back with the Plan Simple Meals Podcast. This week we’re talking about something that can’t wait: getting out of survival mode — and becoming who you really want to be.
As we head out of the pandemic and into a new way, it’s time to recheck in with what you really want. So much is possible—even in the current state of the world! We need to pause and get clear on your vision, in order to plan for it and bring it into reality. You may feel overwhelmed with all the things on your plate right now. You may be ready to just adapt to whatever comes. That’s why this work is essential right now.
Recently I asked a group of FLOW 365ers to reflect on the past 90 days and answer this question: Who have you become? Answers ranged from somebody who exercises every morning to a balanced entrepreneur to a wise woman (hear the whole list when you listen to it—so much good stuff).
When they asked me to answer the same question, I had to think for a while. I have become the mom I really wanted to be. Getting there was messy and uncertain and not what I expected, but I got there, by being intentional and committing to my path—even when the external stuff, the pandemic, my kid’s own struggles—didn’t go the way I expected.
Hear more about:
Why I learned to look at who we become
My 90-day plan to be an intentional mom
What happened when I realized something was wrong and how my adventure in becoming this version of me started
Learning that my role was not to fix, but to hold space for my kid to feel—and how I learned to do so
The joy of watching somebody else become
How I created the support I needed to do my own work of becoming
Ready to become the next version of you? Start here: The Get Out of Survival Mode Challenge.
Join me to step out of the day to day and get really clear on what you want and who you want to become! Leave with a vision for your life and a system to bring that vision to reality — no matter what happens.
You can do so much more than get by. Join the free challenge now: https://plansimple.com/thrive-today/?fbclid=IwAR1fbtVHv35hx6SfTSl4KSLK8p_prHPNz3Nd8938NELmALa-8hu6uBvSMdA (https://plansimple.com/thrive-today/)
MENTIONED LINK
https://plansimple.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Collect, Connect Then Direct with Kim John Payne)
Doable Changes from this episode:
ASK WHO HAVE I BECOME. Journal on this question. You can consider the last 90 days or the past year of the pandemic. Do you like who you have become? Are you proud of her? (Don’t ask this to judge, but to help you forward.) How did you become this person? Who do you want to become next?
CREATE A SUPPORT SYSTEM. I could not have become the mother I really wanted to be without support. So often we think we need to do it all alone. That we can’t isn’t a sign of weakness, but of knowing what we need. Start by getting really clear on what you need. Braindump a list of ways people could help you. They could be practical, like making dinner so you can work longer or watching your kids. They could also be things like providing an accountability check-in, listening without trying to fix, sending you encouragement, connecting you with resources … start with a list of what could help, then ask for it. If creating a whole system doesn’t feel doable, ask one person for a specific kind of help. Then build from there.
CREATE BOUNDARIES. We can every everything, but not all at once. One of the reasons I love planning for a 90-day season is that it allows me to go all in and make progress on something, knowing that there will be time to lean into something else. But to go all-in on something, we have to say no to other things. Whether you are dealing
FLOW365 is so powerful and I love seeing the effect it has on our members. Sometimes it looks like somebody reaching a big goal that they set, but just as often it’s one decision leading to clarity that opens an unexpected door or the ripple effects making changes in one area of life to all the other areas.
I’m going to introduce you to three women who have thrived in FLOW 365. You’re going to love these stories.
https://www.studio51ruralzen.com/ (Porsha)Porsha is a massage therapist who had a small side hustle selling candles and jewelry. She was trying to decide about dialing back on the massage and leaning more into her creative business. She came into FLOW365 trying to make a decision about the direction to take with her business. She was struggling with some health issues and home renovations and struggling to balance it all.
Then COVID hit. Massage took a back seat and Porsha put a up a website for her candle business. Her first email brought in over a thousand dollars in sales … and it’s continued to climb. She went from doing a few craft shows and people in town knowing her business to shipping things all over the country. Her candles are made of ingredients you’ll want to have in your house and are beautifully packaged!
Favorite parts of FLOW:
Lists and planning—Doing an extensive braindump and then moving things around and matching it with the calendar helped keep focus on the business.
Focusing on balancing FLOW—Working on different parts of her life helped Porsha lose weight and deal with some health issues—and that flowed out to changes for her husband too
Meal planning. Food has always been a part of FLOW. Sometimes it takes a backseat, but sometimes a plan and some meal prepping make a huge difference in busy days. Porsha talks about prepping for the week and how that helps when business is booming.
https://porchchairprayers.com/ (Becky)Becky invested in herself as she was turning 50 and doing a lot of thinking about what’s next. When COVID-19 cancelled a planned trip, she and her husband talked about how to reallocate that money … and investing in herself felt like the right thing. And she got to travel with her mind and meet all kinds of people she never would have met otherwise.
Becky came in very organized (though you don’t have to be to be part of FLOW 365) and she had a goal. She wanted to majorly declutter, and she started doing that. But as she did, two things happened: she found old writing she had done and as she decluttered her space, she decluttered her energy. She decided she was ready to start writing, and started a blog.
Favorite parts of FLOW:
The calls & the group—getting to talk to other people who were figuring out and working toward goals and getting feedback from Mia
Having everything in one place—All of our parts are part of one whole and having all of our planning in one place helps. Plus setting a vision and how you want to feel
90-day planning—Having a bigger overview of the 90 days that you can refer back to as you go through month by month
Noticing & adjusting—Doing the FLOW process, makes it easier to prioritize a certain part of your life or to notice where you aren’t doing what you need. For Becky it was self-care and after the realization, she leaned into it.
https://aplaceofjoy.com/ (Jennifer)Jennifer works with entrepreneurs to find balance between their vision and their lives. She helps people by setting strategy, breaking down big projects, creating accountability, creating a safe space to look at the things that scare them or the places where they are sabotaging themselves so they can end up in a place of their own joy and success. She came into FLOW365 needing a lot of this herself — as we often do.
When COVID hit, she came across a free planning...
Fear is really about not feeling comfortable in the unknown, which is what trust is all about. –Jennifer Urezzio On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jennifer Urezzio, about fear, intuition, and connection — and how all of that plays into our planning.
One of the reasons many of us plan is so that we can do more, fit more things in, or really, ideally fit the things that really matter in. One of the things we don’t always plan for is moments of om and connection. So we dig into that today.
But we start with fear. Fear is really not feeling comfortable in the unknown and shows us where we need to learn to trust. In moments of fear, we need to connect with knowing we will be safe. We need to pause and connect this way many, many times a day, but when we do it is so powerful.
We talk about:
How when you are connected you realize challenges aren’t about you
Learning to listen to your intuition by remembering the times it steered you right and asking: What do I need to hear today?
Getting really clear on your core values and how they are fulfilled internally
Your body as an indicator of how you are feeling about things
Learning to say no and how to communicate effectively (and how to do that around the holidays, especially during the current pandemic)
Not taking responsibility for other people’s decisions
BIO
Jennifer Urezzio is the founder of Soul Language – a paradigm that puts tangibility to Soul so a conscious connection can be established to enable crystal clear decisions for success. Jennifer is also a master intuitive and the author of two best-selling books. Currently, she has trained over 30 practitioners worldwide in Soul Language. At this time there are over 5,000 individuals all over the world connecting to their Soul Languages.
LINKS
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/asked-and-answered-by-soul/id1537594615 (Listen to the Podcast)
https://www.soullanguage.us/ (https://www.soullanguage.us/)
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferurezzio (https://www.facebook.com/jenniferurezzio)
https://www.facebook.com/SoulLanguage/ (https://www.facebook.com/SoulLanguage/)
https://www.instagram.com/soullanguagefounder/ (https://www.instagram.com/soullanguagefounder/)
https://twitter.com/SoulLanguage (https://twitter.com/SoulLanguage)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferurezzio/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferurezzio/)
http://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferUrezzio (http://www.youtube.com/c/JenniferUrezzio)
FREE GIFT:
https://www.soullanguage.us/sacredpractice/ (https://www.soullanguage.us/sacredpractice/)
Creating a Sacred Practice That Works Why do we need a sacred practice? When we feel separate from our higher power, that separation shows up in our lives as lack, pain, and suffering. Participating in a daily sacred practice that fits who you are will allow you to create in a more powerful way, feel more at peace, and know that you are safe no matter what challenges may appear in your experience. As a spiritual renegade, your sacred practice needs to be flexible, fun, and innovative like you.
Doable Changes from this episode:
PAUSE AND LISTEN. We get messages, but many of us have trouble hearing them. Pause and ask yourself: What do I need to hear today? Pause and listen. Go back to this practice throughout your day.
TUNE INTO WHAT YOU KNOW. Do you ever dismiss your intuition because you think it’s always wrong? Start to learn to trust yourself by thinking about a time (or times) when your intuition was 100% spot on. Connect with that feeling and that space in yourself as you listen for your own inner wisdom.
NOTICE IN YOUR BODY. Start noticing what your body is
The tool that has served my family (and me) the most during the holiday season over the years has been our Advent/Countdown Calendar. It is the tool that I use to focus on what matters most and get my family excited too. Hint: I am not talking about the chocolate-filled variety!
At this point I have 2 teens and a tween. Every year I wonder if we are done with the "magic" of the countdown calendar.
We have not had an easy few months in our house, but as we head into December everyone made sure I was making us an Advent Calendar...
So I have, alongside the members of FLOW365, and I would love to teach you this tool too!
When we learn to express ourselves in a way that is authentic, real for us, and powerful — that has influence — we can create amazing change in the world. –Michelle Barry Franco On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Michelle Barry Franco, a speaking and thought leadership coach about communication and the impact it can have. She’s also the mom to three teenage girls and talks about the importance of her work in raising them.
Michelle talks about the importance of creating enough space and quiet to know what we really want, that this is a critical starting point for good communication. Knowing what we want is the first step to asking for it. Then of course we get into asking effectively. We talk about thinking that we don’t feel like we deserve what we want. Many of these thoughts aren’t even ours. They are thoughts we’ve picked up over time. Thoughts are just thoughts.
Michelle talks about your stand, which for entrepreneurs in your area of thought leadership, but which can also be a stand you take in your life, for example talking to your kids. Know what you want to say—situationally or as a consistent message.
We talk about:
Knowing who you are talking to and being able to put them in context
Why so much miscommunication happens because we don't take time to understand where the other person is coming from
Using the idea of understanding somebody to help through the holidays
Bring more love, compassion, and understanding to the conversation while still standing firm in our values
Being able to take a strong stand and change your mind
Knowing when you are done with something, letting go of limiting beliefs, and what that can open up
BIO
Michelle is a speaking and thought leadership coach. Her mission is to support and inspire those who feel a powerful call to share their stories and expertise from the stage in stepping into their most authentic powerful expression as a speaker. Michelle has over 30 years of experience in the study and practice of public speaking. She has a Master’s degree in Speech Communication, a BA in Cognitive Psychology, and certification in the Whole Person Coaching. Alongside 10+ years of teaching public speaking at the college level, Michelle works with founders, leaders, authors, and transformational healers of all kinds to help them tell their stories and change lives with their message. Witnessing the ripple effects of their stories, lessons learned and expertise, as it serves our world so positively, is the greatest gift of her work life.
LINKS
MichelleBarryFranco.com/
https://michellebarryfranco.com/freebook/
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT. Understanding is key to effective communication. Next time you face a challenging situation, take a little time first to try to better understand the person you are communicating with, whether it’s your partner, your child, your boss, a client, your audience.
GET QUIET. We come back to this one again and again. What happens if you get quiet? What do you learn about yourself and what you want?
CHECKING YOUR THOUGHTS. Are your own thoughts getting your way? Or maybe they are thoughts you have inherited, been handed by others, taken in so many times you believe they are yours. Try acknowledging they are thoughts but not you, not the truth, not in charge.
In this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Valerie, the author of Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment. She named Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD) and describes it as everything that you thought was wrong with you and tried to fix it with personal development and therapy and medication and self-medication. And she talks about recognizing this as something that we carry in our system, something that we can heal and interrupt that cycle of transmission of trauma and fully liberate ourselves. We start by defining patriarchy as a system of oppression that has been in existence for a very long time. In this system of inequality and oppression, all power—political, financial, and moral—has been in the hands of men. The only way for women to have access to any resource was through a man, which created a whole lot of trauma and trauma adaptations that still play out very strongly in our relationships, even in the most conscious and loving relationships.
Dr. Valerie’s exploration of this area started with a question many women ask: What’s wrong with me? After a stroke-like incident that doctors attributed to stress, she began examining her life more deeply. It all looked good, but she started to connect the dots and realized she was responding to unseen trauma.
We talk about:
Recognizing experiences of trauma that may not seem like a big deal and that unprocessed and repressed joy are a kind of trauma
It's not easy to minimize our own trauma, but that doing the work to heal ourselves opens us to participate more fully in the world
How the ripple effects of your own healing can affect others and that healing is passed through DNA, so change can affect the transmission of trauma
Shifting from What's wrong with me? to How good can it get?
How the patriarchy lays claim to women's time and how to reclaim your time
The deep-seated fear of our own power
BIO
Dr. Valerie Rein has discovered Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD) and created the only science-backed system for helping women achieve their ultimate success, happiness, and fulfillment by healing the intergenerational trauma of oppression. She holds an EdM in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University and a PhD in Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Her bestselling book, Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment has been heralded by Amazon reviewers as "the most important body of literary work of our modern times" and "perhaps the most important book of the century for women." Her cutting-edge programs have helped thousands of women shift from survival to thriving and master the game of "How good can it get?" in their work and personal lives.
LINKS
https://drvalerie.lpages.co/the-thriving-experience/ (Virtal Retreat—The Thriving Experience)
https://www.drvalerie.com/book (The first chapter of Dr. Valerie’s book + resources)
http://www.drvalerie.com (www.drvalerie.com)
https://www.instagram.com/drvalerierein/ (https://www.instagram.com/drvalerierein/)
https://www.facebook.com/drvalerierein (https://www.facebook.com/drvalerierein)
Doable Changes from this episode:
STOP COMPARING. So often we get stuck in a game of comparison. We notice something traumatic in our own lives, but minimize it because there are so many worse things in the world. When you find yourself doing that, stop and acknowledge what is challenging you at the moment.
GET MORE RESOURCED. Learning is a doable change you can take to help you take the next step. Read Dr. Valerie’s book you can order it off Amazon through a local bookstore directly or via bookshop.org. And you can get the first chapter and additional resources from her...
Is what you're doing actually in alignment with how you want to feel and what kind of a life you want to live? –Becca Piastrelli On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Becca Piastrelli, about belonging and connection. Even when we are doing, doing, doing, and around people a lot there can be loneliness or disconnect.
That disconnect or lack of belonging can be a sign that we aren’t aligned with how we want to feel and the kind of life we want to live. So we need to look at how we are connected to the natural world, other people, and with yourself. You need to reach out to people, learn to love yourself, and build your belonging muscle.
One of the big tools Becca brings to feeling more connected is using practice, rituals, and intentions. These things can be calming to the nervous system and bring a greater connection to our lives. Where do you start? Where you feel the most longing.
We talk about:
Recognizing discomfort as a place where growth happens
Planning for space as much as for doing and cutting back on what we do and honoring unstructured time
Having a closing ritual to your day (it could be as simple as closing your lap top and doing what you really feel like doing)
Avoiding counterfeit connection
Being realistic with how long things take
The benefits of not doing all the time
BIO
Becca Piastrelli is a writer, land steward, womxn’s coach, and ancestral folk medicine keeper. She’s a storyteller, deep fertile listener, and gather-er of community. She’s dedicated to supporting womxn in experiencing a deep sense of belonging through connecting with the cycles of nature, ancestral wisdom, working with their hands, and being in meaningful sisterhood. She's seen it set them free time and time again, going on to start circles in their towns, quit their toxic jobs, and shift the dynamics of their relationships.
LINKS
https://beccapiastrelli.com/ (https://beccapiastrelli.com/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SET UP A CLOSING RITUAL. It’s easy in our ever connected world to work all the time. Create a ritual for yourself to close the day. It could be as simple as closing your laptop or shutting out all your tabs. If you work from home, it could be stepping outside before coming back in.
HONOR WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO. Sometimes we go against what we really want in the name of self-care or self-interest. Maybe you love to paint or read. Or you set up time to see friends. But when the time comes you really just want to sit or nap. Try doing that. Try doing it even if you feel guilty or like you “should” be doing something else. What happens if you do that every day for a week?
PLAN FOR SPACE. We all need downtime, unstructured time, time to be still or do what moves us. Block off space in your planner for this kind of time. Write Me or Space or Top Priority. If it helps write Dream or Rest. Let that space be what you want it to be when you get there. Just don’t fill it with overflow from your day. Let it be unstructured, no to do lists, nothing to check off.
There are definitely moments in time when each woman says “I'm sick of my own BS. I'm sick of feeling this way.” –Martha Van Camp In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Martha Van Camp about weight loss. If you know my story at all, you know that my journey into
health and wellness and time management started with losing 85 pounds. Today we’ll talk with Martha about her story and methods!
Martha struggled with being the “big girl” most of her life and tried diet after diet. Finding herself raising 7 kids with a deployed husband, she gave up on herself for a while. She hit 40 and decided she wanted a change. She started researching foods and micro- and macronutrients and lost 50 lbs in 10 months. She calls herself her first client. From there she went on to enter bodybuilding competitions and started her own company. (Even if those aren’t your goals, she’s got a lot to share with us!)
There is never a perfect time, but there are moments when we can’t go on anymore. We wake up and we’re just done fighting the scale, walking into our closet, and finding nothing that fits. We look at all the piled up coffee cups and feel exhausted and know something has to change. If you’ve been saying “When the kids are older,” “When they go to school,” “When they go to college…” this is for you. Because the longer you wait, the longer the programming that says you aren’t important kicks in. What if today is the day, you say enough?
We talk about:
Thinking about our own relationship with food, what we’re carrying from childhood and how that and anything else is showing up now
What else you fix when you fix your food (spoiler alert—you can literally change your whole life)
Different ways to look at food—Martha recommends focusing on the macronutrients: protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats
Getting to a caloric deficit, but that may not be what you think
The need to make changes in what you eat—and when—as your hormones change with age (we talk intermittent fasting here)
The importance of listening to yourself and what you know about yourself
BIO
Martha VanCamp is the Founder and Head Coach for #beMarthaFit, an online wellness and weight loss coaching program. She is also a NESTA Certified Master of Wellness and Weight Loss Coach. Martha coaches approximately 500 monthly clients all over the United States and overseas military bases, via an established online platform. She provides clients a customized meal plan, high accountability, and wellness/life coaching to achieve their goals.
Martha’s company also offers a subscription recipe website for anyone looking to lose weight. The website offers low cal/macro-based recipes for all meals and snacks.
Martha, who struggled with her weight from childhood until the age of 40, and was a self-proclaimed ‘diet junky’, finally conquered her own weight battle by doing extensive research on how the body processes food for energy. Over a period of 4 years, Martha lost 100 pounds. In addition, she has owned a CrossFit gym and competed in numerous bodybuilding competitions on the East Coast.
Martha believes clients must focus on “fixing their food” first in order to not only achieve their weight loss goal but also to attain other life-goals.
Martha and her program have been featured numerous times on national television networks like CBN and TBN. Martha is a mom to seven children and resides in Tampa, Florida.
LINKS
https://bemarthafit.com/ (https://bemarthafit.com/)
https://www.facebook.com/beMarthaFit/ (https://www.facebook.com/beMarthaFit/)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fat-positive-with-nicola-salmon/id1089766926?i=1000465470147 (Fat Positive with Nicola Salmon)
Doable Changes from this episode:
As you get more intimate with your cycle and the rhythm for you, then you can have those moments where you are by chance out of sync and bring yourself back to homeostasis because you know how to take care of yourself through your rhythm. –Lena Dolter On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Lena Dolter, about getting in flow with our own cycles, yes, those cycles. We’re talking about our monthly cycle, periods, and how to lean into them and plan with them instead of work against them.
It starts for many of us with periods being something we don’t really talk about. There is a disconnect between the information we are given and what we experience in our own bodies, and in some cases, like Lena’s, that disconnect can lead to a disconnect from self. So connecting with your cycle and to what is happening in your body is first off a reconnection to self.
One of the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to overwhelm and planning is assuming we have the same energy all month long. We don’t. There’s a part of the month we have more masculine energy (external, productive drive) and a week to 10 days of internal energy
We talk about:
To start to learn about our own energy, we can ask these questions: How do I feel physically? How do I feel mentally? How do you feel emotionally? How do I feel spiritually?
How our internal energy days are still productive they just look different and if we make space for them they can actually be quite creative
Recognizing that painful periods and PMS are not normal, though we’ve been led to believe they are
Having an inner rhythm, whether you get a period regularly, irregularly or not at all, and using the moon as a guide
Encouraging our daughters to embrace their cycle and power
BIO
Lena Dolter guides women to reconnect with their deepest self-trust so they can honor what they need without guilt or shame. If you are a woman who wants to stop working against herself, who is open to connecting with her body to support her in life, healing, and accessing her highest self, Lena’s work is for you.
LINKS
http://www.lenadolter.com (www.lenadolter.com)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/570522799777930/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/570522799777930/)
MENTIONED LINK
https://plansimple.com/moon-rythm/ (Moon Rythmn on PlanSimple)
https://plansimple.com/lunar-abundance-with-ezzie-spencer/ (Lunar Abundance with Ezzie Spencer)
https://plansimple.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
https://plansimple.com/intuitive-tools-with-sara-walka/ (Intuitive Tools with Sarah Walka)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ENERGY. Regularly ask yourself these questions over a 3 month period: How do I feel physically? How do I feel mentally? How do you feel emotionally? How do I feel spiritually? Start tracking your answers. Overtime can you notice patterns?
GO INWARD. What happens if you don’t try to keep pushing when your energy tells you otherwise? What if you allow yourself to clear your schedule? What if you allow yourself to rest or get more support? Notice what happens to your energy, your creativity, and your productivity.
PLANNING BASED ON YOUR CYCLE. As you gather more information about your cycle and your energy, start using this information in your planning. Block off the days when you anticipate being lower energy or more inward focused. See what happens when you plan around giving yourself what you need on those days. Are you less overwhelmed because you fit projects into days when you have the energy to do them? Do you get more done because you make space for creativity? Do you feel more in flow?
Walking is a great antidote for a crappy day. –Joyce Shulman In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Joyce Shulman, founder of 99 Walks and author of Walk Your Way to Better about entrepreneurship, the power of walking, being intentional, and reaching goals and dreams.
Joyce is a serial entrepreneur. From Rover to Macaroni Kids to 99 Walks, Joyce has used the power of walking to come up with great ideas and make them happen. So it’s no surprise that her latest mission is to get one million women walking.
During the pandemic, a morning walk was important for me and my kids. Joyce and I talk about how walking is a great time to have a conversation with kids because they are shoulder to shoulder, not face to face. And when talking to teens, sometimes less eye contact is more effective.
We talk about:
Walking for your mind, your mood, and your body and the difference between walking and exercise
Starting your day with a walk or using one to break up your work or stop a spinning brain
Setting intentions at night to start the next day off right
Choosing clothes the night before and other steps to start your morning right
Thanking your fear and taking risks
Understanding whether you have big dreams and are scared to move forward or if you are good with a different type of dream or goal than society usually pushes on people
Getting really clear on what you want your life to look like in 10 years
BIO
Joyce Shulman is an idea junkie, an entrepreneur, a mom, a speaker and an author. She’s a recovering lawyer and spent the second decade of her professional life creating community and empowering women as the founder and CEO of Macaroni Kid, a multi-million dollar, hyper-local media company. Now she’s encouraging women to take ownership of their minds, their moods, and their bodies through the simple act of lacing up their sneakers and walking together.
LINKS
https://www.joyceshulman.com/ (https://www.joyceshulman.com/)
https://www.99walks.fit (https://www.99walks.fit)
Social @99walks
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734257601?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 (Walk Your Way to Better)
There's a really big and super important distinction between people who have really big dreams in their heart and are afraid of something standing in the way of them going after them and people who aren't wired like that, and society is telling them they should be. —Joyce Shulman
Doable Changes from this episode:
WALK DAILY. Decide which works better for you, getting out the door for a walk to start your day or using a walk to break up your work. Not sure? Try a week of one and then a week of the other. Make it nonnegotiable to see how walking for 20–30 minutes can affect your mind, your mood, and your body.
SET YOUR INTENTION. Try setting your intention as part of your bedtime routine. Think about how you want to show up the next day. Don’t get too much into the nitty-gritty to-dos of the day, think more about how you want the day to feel—is it about productivity, space, joy? Each will be different, but try setting your intention the night before.
PICK CLOTHES THE NIGHT BEFORE. Set out your clothes the night before, whether it’s workout clothes, something comfortable for walking, what you need for your first Zoom of the day. What else can you set up—coffee, a breakfast plan? Take more decisions out of your morning to let you roll into the first thing. If walking is your first thing, you can get up, get dressed, and get going before your brain tries to talk you out of it.
Food is so connected to the human experience—it absolutely needs to be a joyous thing. –Tess Masters I have lost 20 pounds in the past 55 days!!! And I have our amazing guest to thank. I feel the best I have felt in my 40s! This is a must-listen if you want to get healthy now, which might just be the most important goal we can all have in 2020...
In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Tess Masters, the Blender Girl, about clean eating—and why it matters. Getting to a better place with our own eating can feel kind of daunting. It’s something we know we “should” do, but getting really clear on our own why and the real benefits can certainly help us make a real change.
Tess and I talk about those benefits. Additional energy is a big one. I know I felt the change and Tess reports how much the people she works with comment on sleeping better, having more energy with their kids or partners or for the things they love to do, not feeling exhausted. Beyond energy, their digestion is better, their gut health is better. Plus your skin glows, your hair is more lustrous, you feel good in your body and often that shows up as more confidence and a sense that you can achieve your goals.
Given all that, why don’t people make the change? It’s not easy, but it helps to start from a place of abundance. So often when we shift to healthy eating we focus on what we can’t have. What if instead celebrate what you can have? Tess helps people find foods that satisfy their cravings in a way that truly nourishes them.
We talk about:
Getting over the beginning hump and how your body wants to stick with these changes that feel good if you can stick out the beginning
How a 90-day focus gives you time to let go of previous habits or practices that aren’t serving you and shifting to new ones
How “falling off the wagon” can actually be helpful because it reminds your body how the things you used to eat or drink made you feel
Using your choices as data points about yourself, how you respond to food, your emotional trigger points, etc.
Adapting foods you love to be healthier (and getting more comfortable in the kitchen)
Tracking your food, sleep, and movement
BIO
Tess Masters is a lifestyle personality and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend. She is also the creator of The Decadent Detox™ cleanses and Skinny60™ weight loss program. You can find hundreds of easy recipes athttp://theblendergirl.com ( )theblendergirl.com.
Tess and her delicious healthy food have been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Glamour, Clean Eating, the Today show, Fox, Home & Family, and many others.
In high demand as a spokesperson, presenter, and recipe developer, Tess has collaborated with KitchenAid, Vitamix, Williams-Sonoma, Four Seasons, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Silk, So Delicious, Driscoll’s, Earthbound Farm, Vegetarian Times, and many others.
She lives in Los Angeles.
LINKS
http://plansimple.com/skinny60 (Join me in the Skinny60 ») Download 20 Skinny60 Recipes »
http://theblendergirl.com (Theblendergirl.com)
https://plansimple.com/blend-it-with-tess-masters/ (An earlier conversation with Tess on the Plan Simple Podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NOTICE HOW YOU FEEL. Start noticing how different foods make you feel. Write it down. Do you feel tired or bloated after eating something? Do you feel regret or comfort? What do you crave? Start paying attention and noticing. This is all data that can help you shift to healthier eating.
CHANGE THE COMPOSITION OF YOUR PLATE. Use the 80–20 rule. That means 80% of your plate should be non starchy vegetables and 20% of your plate...
“I felt like if I wasn't thinking about dieting, and my relationship with food, so frequently, I would be able to produce and contribute so much more in the world.” –Lia On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Lia about one of my favorite and most dreaded topics—weightloss. Lia helps women ditch the diet drama and lose weight from a place of love. With a background in education and life coach training from Martha Beck, Lia has a lot to share about reframing how we think about weight loss.
Both of us have a long history of dieting and struggling with weight, and we know many women struggle with this. Changing our approach can help so much. We talk about starting from understanding what's going on when we eat—hormonally, psychologically, in our brains in general—and how we can use that knowledge to empower ourselves to change our relationship with food.
Lia shares her experience jumping from diet to diet, trying all the things and never getting results. She talks about how she just gave up and decided she was the weight she was going to be. She was teaching about body diversity and self love… but she couldn’t quite shake being uncomfortable in her body and her relationship with food. And she felt like she was wasting so much potential by spending so much time thinking about weight and food. That’s when she shifted to mindset tools.
We talk about:
Losing weight by focusing on mindset and getting curious
Counting cash not calories—and not letting relationship with food get in the way of doing big things in the world
Understanding the difference between physical and emotional hunger
The hunger scale and knowing our physical cues of hunger
How our hormones respond to hunger and fullness (and how we get unbalanced)
Finding what works for you (it isn’t the same for everybody)
BIO
Lia Pinelli is a weight loss coach who focuses on helping badass women ditch the diet drama and lose weight from a place of love. Her clients are women who achieve at the highest levels.
They do it all: run companies, excel at their careers, raise children, manage their households (a full-time job in itself!), squeeze in time for exercise (or at least try!), and stay abreast of current events.
They quite literally do it all. Except for one thing. Stop overeating. And that is where Lia’s work begins.
LINKS
http://www.liapinelli.com (www.liapinelli.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET CURIOUS. Start with curiosity. Ask: What happens if I eat this? How do I feel when I eat ___? How do I feel if I change when I eat? Use what you learn to start to make changes about what you eat or choose not to eat or when you eat or how much. Stay curious about how it feels.
NOTICE HUNGER CUES. Do you know what hunger feels like? If you are used to eating at specific times or even eating throughout the day, you may not know your hunger cues. Are you eating because you are physically hungry or emotionally hungry? Before you eat, ask, “Am I hungry?” Stop carrying snacks around. See what happens. Instead of looking at the clock for meals, see what happens if you wait and listen to your body.
TRY TWEAKING. Our bodies change. They change throughout our cycles and throughout our lives. If you feel like you have something that works for you and then it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to make tweaks based on what you are noticing about your body. Not sure you know enough yet, try something, see how it feels and then adjust.
The first step in planning — or just shifting out of overwhelm is to get everything out of your head and onto paper. It is fall. A new season. A time for new goals.
We are in the midst of a planathon to get your fall goals set up and working for you… You can still join in and self pace the material. It is so worth having a plan in hectic times!
Every time we are setting a 90-day goal or choosing the 3 big rocks we will focus on for the week, I always start with the same tool. I get everything out of my head and onto paper.
The purpose of this exercise is to clean out our minds and clear a way forward.
As women, we hold entirely too much info in our heads. The fact that the dry cleaning is at the dry cleaner, the dinners we want to cook, the forms that need to be filled out for the kids, the classes we would like to enroll them in, who each kid is getting along with and who they are not, the fact that you saw the spare sock behind the bed, all the big dreams and aspirations that we are waiting for the right time to create, a list of books we want to read, the three times you will exercise this week …
It is too much.
It does not leave any room for creativity, innovation, or ease.
Holding all this in your head actually creates quite the opposite — stress.
Get it all on paper So the first step in planning — or even shifting out of overwhelm is to get everything out of your head and onto paper.
Here is how it goes down:
You set a timer. Start for 15 uninterrupted minutes.
Ask yourself what need to happen “this fall” or “this month” or “this week”
And start writing. You might put little things like call mom, do laundry, fill out school form. You most likely have big things in your head, things you always wonder if you can figure out, like write that book, start my own business, make x amount of money, I want to fit in those jeans, I need to find a weight loss mentor, I want to help my kids get more friends, I want to plan some daily fun, we need a beach day, want to go apple picking, need to set up the house for learning, need to order some school supplies, check-in with IKEA on the desk, remember the pillowcase in basement… and on and on.
Get it all from your head onto fresh, crisp paper.
I get asked a lot if it is good to make as you go. I find that makes the process take a bit longer and makes important items stay in your head instead of making it to paper.
So do your dump in the random order of your brain.
If you stop writing before your timer goes off, ask yourself, what’s missing. What’s just for me? What’s so big I am scared to add it?
If the timer goes off and you are feeling in the middle of the process, ask your self how much more time do I need? And recommit to the timer.
Make sure you are FULLY committed.
Once it’s all out on paper, what do you do with your list?
Then organize your list I feel like this is the equivalent of cleaning out the closet. First, you get everything out. When you look back at the closet (which is now empty) you might feel a sense of space, relief, calm, joy. When you turn around and look at the pile on the bed, you are going to feel a brief moment of dread.
I want you to put the piece of paper aside for a moment, maybe even a whole day. Enjoy that empty brain of yours. Feel what it feels like to have done that.
This is the part of the FLOW planning process where we decide how we want to feel for the time ahead — your fall, your week, or today.
With a clear mind and your newly defined feeling pulling you forward … let’s organize the braindump.
In our cleaning analogy, organizing the braindump is taking the clothes that you have dumped onto your bed from the closet, deciding what you want and what you don’t and putting them back in an order that supports you better than before you took everything out....
Put your goal out there and find everything you can possibly find to align and feel good and feel happy. –Sharon Wilson In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Sharon Wilson, Founder, and Chief Inspiration Officer for over 22 years at the Coaching from Spirit Institute about attracting your ideal clients. She thinks of your ideal clients as your soul clients and says they are already here and are called at a soul level for you to serve them.
Sharon started her own business and replaced her corporate executive income with a newborn baby. How did she make the leap? She was miserable in her job, dealing with her misery by shopping, deeply in debt, and in a struggling marriage. She asked that if there was anything up there it would be a good time for something to show up. The powerful spiritual experience that followed set her on the road to becoming a spiritual coach.
While she was still in her corporate position, people started showing up and saying they had a dream they were supposed to talk to her. People kept showing up for help, and she started honing her life coach skills. Then she got pregnant and really sick and had to leave her job. Her husband thought it would be temporary, but her journaling and meditation showed her it was time to take the leap and launch her spiritual coaching business.
We talk about:
How she replaced her corporate executive income within three months
Getting really clear on the stories we tell ourselves and letting go of guilt
Being really careful about who you tell your dreams and goals to so that people don’t dissipate your energy
Episode aligning and adjusting vibrations
Understanding your relationship with money
Writing a partnership agreement with your inner guidance
ABOUT SHARON
Sharon Wilson is a co-author of "Intentional Change” and Mastering the Laws of Attraction with best selling author and human potential expert, Jack Canfield.
Sharon has worked in executive roles in both profit and nonprofit organizations in sales, management, marketing, human resources, organizational training, and much more.
She has worked as a mindset mentor and consultant with Fortune 500 companies to support empowerment and increasing employee productivity and a sense of happiness with mindset training and an appreciative inquiry approach.
Sharon also mentors individuals to create online businesses turning their passion into a prosperous business.
Sharon’s passion is supporting people to empowerment in all aspects of their lives and work.
Sharon lives in Pennsylvania with her loving husband of over 20 years. They are blessed with an amazing daughter, who has as one of her goals to be an acclaimed film director and humanitarian, She is one of the greatest joys in their life!
LINKS
http://plansimple.com/planathon (PlanSimple’s Planathon »)
https://spirit.isrefer.com/go/aasc/mia/ (Sharon’s Adventure »)
https://coachingfromspiritinstitute.com/ (https://coachingfromspiritinstitute.com/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NOTICE THE STORIES YOU TELL YOURSELF. What are you telling yourself about your situation? Do you think you have to do it all? Be super mom? Never make a mistake? Really examine the stories you tell yourself and how it affects you. Can you start to tell a new story?
TRY EPISODE ALIGNING. State your intentions for an upcoming episode, a podcast you will be on, a dentist appointment, hanging out with your kid. Then surrender any worries or anxiety.
REWRITE YOUR MONEY RELATIONSHIP. Take some time to examine your money story. Then rewrite it. Say what you want out of the relationship. Be clear and direct.
Start being okay with wanting what you want, and decide that you are worthy of it. –Amy Pearson In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Amy Pearson, who is a life coach about how she gets so much done. We talk about focus and time management strategies that help her see time as a gift.
We start out talking about mornings. Amy talks about becoming more of a morning person and what parts of her morning set her up for a good day. Plus we consider the challenges of alone time when we are all stuck home together. And we recognize that we all have different daily rhythms and how working with your own rhythm (including going to bed on time for you and getting up at the right time, again for you) can make a huge difference.
Amy says she is her own best mentor, and that talking to herself nicely in her head is really important to what she gets done. She’s replaced her inner critic with an inner mentor. This paired with her outer strategy of time management helps her accomplish a lot.
We talk about:
Being willing to forgive yourself and how that helps you be compassionate and talk kindly to yourself
Setting boundaries
The big rocks, small rocks, sand idea of time management (the FLOW planner is built on this idea)
Scheduling time for yourself so you don’t burnout
Work hard/less work cycles and honoring your real intention
A willingness to be uncomfortable to succeed as an entrepreneur
BIO
Amy Pearson, founder of Being Amy, is a Master life coach, a coach mentor and instructor for Martha Beck’s life coach training. She’s a teacher, coach, writer and speaker. A former approval addict (with the occasional relapse), she is now addicted to success. Her mission is nothing short of world peace by empowering every woman on a mission to magnify their tribe and make an epic impact doing their own unique thing in the world. Based on years of research into what she calls “Approval Addiction,” she created a personality assessment called “The Approval Quiz.”
LINKS
https://www.approvalquiz.com/ (https://www.approvalquiz.com/)
https://www.beingamytheblog.com/ (https://www.beingamytheblog.com/)
https://plansimple.com/flow-planner/ (https://plansimple.com/flow-planner/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW YOUR OWN RHYTHMS. We talk about rhythms in terms of when we go to bed and when we wake, when we need rest. Start paying attention to what your body wants. When do you want rest? When does your body want to go to bed? What happens if you honor that instead of resisting? Play with different waking times and see how it feels.
SCHEDULE YOUR BIG ROCKS FIRST. Your big rocks are the most important things that move your toward your goals. Schedule those first. Then schedule you smaller rocks around that. Your sand or least important things, will fill in the gaps.
PRACTICE WITH AN INTERNAL MENTOR. Start by noticing the voice inside your head. Try switching it to a kinder voice, one you might use with somebody else. When you start to hear the critic voice, see if you can stop, accept yourself as human, and forgive yourself for any mistakes. Then try speaking to yourself kindly. This is a work in progress and starts by stopping that critical voice when you start hearing it.
You don't need a lot to look good, to look put together. –Anita Costello In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Anita Costello, the designer at Bacah, a sustainable clothing company, about minimalism, fashion, and making conscious choices.
She was always, even as a child interested in fashion and credits her mother with that interest, but she says minimalism is really connected to parenting for her. Having go-to, simple outfits that made her feel good made things so much easier. She realized that you don’t need a lot to look good and put together. It’s about being true to your style. You can look nice, not frumpy, by choosing pieces that look good AND feel good.
We also talked about sustainability, because it’s easy to buy clothes without even thinking about what you are supporting. I think this is especially true if you spend a lot of money on your kids and put your own closet last or when you are pressed for time and want a quick choice.
We talk about:
Being honest with yourself about what your style is
Knowing your core colors and understanding your silhouette and what is flattering
Questions to ask when shopping to maintain a minimalist closet
Making trendy things the smallest portion of your wardrobe
Questions to ask and things to think about when it comes to sustainable style
Knowing who you are supporting when you purchase clothing
BIO
Anita Costello is the founder and designer of the eco-aware brand Bacah. Her mantra, “Life is complicated enough, what you choose to wear doesn’t have to be.”https://forms.omnisrc.com/signup/v1/5eff780b99f0b70dec6824c1_5f00f53d99f0b7131f03ff37.html?omnisendAttributionID=email_campaign_5f124caa99f0b742be89c4e2&omnisendContactID=5eff78184572ea2b1a6b66c8&utm_campaign=campaign%3A+Metamorphosis+%285f124caa99f0b742be89c4e2%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=omnisend ( Click here) for styles to help you uncomplicate your closet.
LINKS
https://bacah.design/ (https://bacah.design/)
https://bacah.design/pages/vbs?_pos=1&_sid=8903fe3f5&_ss=r (Determine Your Vertical Body Shape)
https://plansimple.com/33-things-with-courtney-carver/ (33 Things with Courtney Carver)
Doable Changes from this episode:
LEARN ABOUT YOUR STYLE. Understanding your style means having clothes that look and feel good. Start with Anita’s sheet on vertical body shape to understand what is flattering. Pay attention when people tell you to look amazing in a cut or color. Notice what colors you are drawn to again and again. Do you love jewelry or shoes or other accessories? Notice which pieces in your wardrobe you gravitate to. Ask yourself what it is about these pieces.
READ LABELS. Start to understand your clothing by reading labels. Notice what materials clothing is made from. Pay attention to where things were made. As you look at new pieces, pay attention labels. Ask why the t-shirt only costs $3. Ask yourself if you really need 10 t-shirts or if one or two more sustainable tops would serve you better. You do not have to revamp your whole wardrobe, start to notice and make a choice about one item. Then another.
DECIDE AHEAD WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO WEAR. If mornings are hectic, try planning advance what you will wear for the next day. (You could even set up several days in advance.) Layout each outfit in a convenient place or hang it together in your closet.
"When you shift your focus to what you want to keep, it's a much more interesting exercise and not as stressful." –Kristyn Ivey
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kristyn Ivey, a professional organizer and certified KonMari consultant about organizing and decluttering.
Decluttering and organizing is about examining the things we surround ourselves with. While a lot of us want a decluttered and organized house, getting there feels daunting and like a huge chore. We talk about remembering the benefits of a decluttered space, and Kristyn points out that the KonMari method gives permission to keep what you want (and let go of the things you don’t—but the focus is what you want to keep).
The process starts with examining your ideal lifestyle and living environment, with questions like: What is your why? What do you love? How do you want your home to feel? How do you want it to look? What would your life be like if it were clutter-free?
We talk about:
Planning your tidying event, keeping in mind three things: the size of your home, the level of clutter, the pace of your decision making
Working with other people’s priorities and conversations about decisions
Digging in and making decisions instead of doing a little tidying here and there
Do the whole process for yourself and focus on your own stuff before you even think about kid’s or partner’s stuff
How the process changes your consumption patterns
Adjusting the KonMari method order (clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous, sentimental items) to fit your current needs—start with what is causing you stress
BIO
Kristyn Ivey, is a professional organizer who is dedicated to teaching busy families, professionals, and creative entrepreneurs how to let go of “stuff” and attract a truly abundant life. She’s the founder of For the Love of Tidy. With over 1000 hours of tidying experience, she’s been featured in Good Morning America, Bloomberg, HuffPost, Vox, and the Chicago Sun Times, with live appearances on ABC7, FOX32, Windy City Live, and more. She also co-hosts the weekly podcast Spark Joy celebrating the transformative power that comes from surrounding yourself with joy. She is also the author of the #1 Amazon Best Seller The Tidy Home Joy Journal and regularly chats about clutter with packed audiences, eager to shift their understanding of what it means to be organized in their home and life.
LINKS
https://fortheloveoftidy.com/ (https://fortheloveoftidy.com/)
https://www.sparkjoypodcast.com/ (Spark Joy podcast) https://fortheloveoftidy.com/joy-journal/ (The Tidy Home Joy Journal) https://plansimple.com/kon-mari-method-a-chat-with-my-friend-lillia-flores/ (More on the KonMarie Method from the Plan Simple Podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
THINK ABOUT YOUR WHY. Before you start going through your stuff, set aside time to think about why you are doing this. Get clear on your ideal lifestyle and living environment. Ask yourself: What do I love? How do I want my home to feel? How do I want it to look? What would my life be like if it were clutter-free?
SCHEDULE YOUR TIDYING EVENT. Commit to digging deep and doing the work in large chunks. Think about 3–5 hour tidying moments. Put 6 of these on your calendar. Plan for what you will tackle during each. (KonMari method usually moves through categories in order—clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental).
WORK WITH WHAT YOU CAN HANDLE. If you’ve read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you know that it suggests pulling everything that is in a category out at the same time, (so for example, pulling out all of your clothes from every closet and bin and drawer. Kristyn recommends working with what...
“Mindfulness is a very simple practice, but it's not easy. It's taking in what we're doing or feeling at the moment and really going down into our body and asking, ‘where am I feeling this?’” –Shahin Najak In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with mindfulness and mediation coach Shahin and really get into what mindfulness and mediation mean and why actually tapping into these practices means so much.
We start by really defining these terms because they have become such buzz words. Mindfulness is an awareness of this moment without judgment. Noticing where you feel things in your body is a piece of it. Both mindfulness and mediation are practices. The more you practice, the more you feel the effects.
So many people I work with set 90-day goals of becoming more mindful of developing a mindful practice, which is wonderful. But these are often the first things dropped. People stop practicing because a kid gets sick or it’s stressful about work. We talk about how to make it work—working on other practices before you start meditating.
We talk about:
Starting with the question, “How do I want to show up today?”
The peanut butter resource—pause, breathe, respond
Coming to your sense—notice 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste
Mindful journaling about the thoughts that come up during meditation, noticing habitual habits of behavior
Turning a mediation practice into a habit by tying it to something else.
Using a breath with longer exhalation to help calm fear.
BIO
Shahin Najak is a mindfulness and meditation coach, speaker and educator, based in West Vancouver, BC. She supports parents and kids with private coaching sessions; teaches workshops at community centers, schools, and speaks at business organizations across Canada. Her work revolves around supporting parents & children, teachers and other employees working in corporations big and small, in accessing and incorporating Mindfulness strategies in our daily lives as a pathway to create and craft a life of inner peace, love, compassion and self-acceptance.
LINKS
http://www.mindful-changes.com (www.mindful-changes.com)
Manifestation Masters
https://www.manifestation-masters.com/?orid=1865&opid=20 (https://www.manifestation-masters.com/?orid=1865&opid=20)
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO SHOW UP. Ask yourself each morning, How do I want to show up today? Throughout the day as you go about your life, notice if you are showing up the way you wanted to.
PRACTICE THE PEANUT BUTTER RESOURCE. You can do this wherever you are—at a stoplight, waiting in line when something upsets you. Pause, breathe, respond. What happens if you commit to doing this throughout the day?
COME TO YOUR SENSES. When you feel fear or are upset, try coming to your senses. Take the time to come back to your body and notice: 5 things you see
4 things you hear
3 things you feel
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
Commit to your decision and see it through until you have received the physical results of your intention. –Jen Mazer In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I can’t wait to share my conversation about manifestation with Jen Mazer.
Manifesting might sound like a buzzword, but Jen says that we are manifesting all the time. People come to her when they want to be intentional about what they're creating instead of just letting things come to them. We talk about setting the stage for what you want and really being clear with what your intentions are.
A lot of us may have an intention or a vision, but we wonder: How do I go from this current life that I have to this dream life? How can I get there? We talk about these visions, the dream life as using your imagination to tap into your desires, and imagination allowing us to tap into our intuition.
We talk about:
Moving from “I’d really love to, but” to “I’m going to” but why mantras and affirmations can be a problem
How doing something that makes you feel good on a daily basis raises your vibration and moves you closer to your big dream
Putting your big dream first, even if it is a small action before you get buried in your to-do list
The difference between fake it until you make it and embodying what you want
That we made a choice that got us into our current situation and we can make a choice to change it
Stepping out of our comfort zone
How manifesting is like GPS when we hit obstacles—we can still get there, but we might need another route
BIO
Jen Mazer is The Queen of Manifestation®. She is a sought-after transformational speaker and coach. She teaches people how to manifest their biggest dreams while making an impact on the world. She is known for her signature Manifestation Masters program and Private Success Coaching. Jen is the author of http://www.queenofmanifestation.com/book/ (Manifesting Made Easy), and Co-Founder of the board game,http://www.playsparked.com ( Sparked).
LINKS
http://manifestation-masters.com/limitingbeliefs?orid=1865&opid=14 (Get access to Jen’s current FREE masterclass )
https://www.queenofmanifestation.com/ (https://www.queenofmanifestation.com/)
https://plansimple.com/jenmazer/ (Jen Mazer on a previous Planned Simple podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE GRATITUDE. Notice the good in your every day, even the parts or situations you do not love. Try looking at your whole life with rose-colored glasses. Think about what you are proud of in your day. Switch the focus from I don’t want to I get to or from guilt to pride.
ACT LIKE IT IS A DONE DEAL. Block off time for your dream vacation. Schedule the triathlon you plan to run. Commit to it. Then take a step. Find a running coach or beginner's plan. Whatever your vision is, act like it is reality.
COMMIT. Instead of saying, “I’ll try,” commit to your vision. State it in present terms, not maybe terms, not future, but as it is. Start simply by owning and sticking to your vision, not second-guessing it.
I'm a strong believer in incorporating mindfulness and gratitude practices into what you're already doing because none of us are going to create time. –Melissa Mueller-Douglas In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Melissa Mueller-Douglas, the founder and facilitator of MYRetreat about self-care and retreats. Melissa started MYRetreat on her 30th birthday to support herself and the other mothers in her life.
These retreats are 90 minutes long, which means in the time you could watch a movie on Netflix, you could do something important for yourself. Melissa says that the moments of silence in the retreat are powerful because it’s the first time in a long time women are sitting intentionally with their thoughts and themselves. The pause helps women realize everything and everyone they are putting ahead of themselves. It helps many people start to put themselves first. Creativity bubbles out of it and they become better caregivers, mothers, wives. They understand themselves and their purpose better.
Melissa shares a mindfulness and gratitude practice that can be part of what you are already doing.
She has a great planner tip — make a Got Done list. Make a list of things that are important to your self-care, like exercise, play, family and friends, mindfulness, and gratitude. In your planner, write down any time you do something related to one of these areas. You can even color-code it with one color for each area. Look back and reflect on your week. See what you got done!
We talk about:
Making a got done list
How to incorporate something new into something you already do to avoid overwhelm while exploring new interests
The idea of rotating to avoid burnout—so some people can take a break while other people step up
Saying no to things that don’t serve you or your purpose
Using chocolate (or another treat) to engage the senses and help you be mindful
BIO
Melissa Mueller-Douglas, LMSW is the founder of MYRetreat, the retreat where mindfulness and gratitude meet. She is celebrating her 9 year wedding anniversary and is the proud mama of two enthusiastic and creative kids. She believes self-care is a necessity and with chocolate mindfulness it’s luxurious.
LINKS
https://www.rocmyretreat.com/ (https://www.rocmyretreat.com/)
https://myretreat.teachable.com/ (https://myretreat.teachable.com/)
https://www.instagram.com/rocmyretreat/ (https://www.instagram.com/rocmyretreat/)
https://www.facebook.com/rocmyretreat/ (https://www.facebook.com/rocmyretreat/)
http://pepperlane.co/ (http://pepperlane.co/)
Read https://www.amazon.com/Post-Traumatic-Slave-Syndrome-Americas/dp/0985217278 (Post Tramatic Slave Syndrome)
Doable Changes from this episode:
MAKE A GOT DONE LIST. So many of us make endless to-do lists. We’re good at writing down the things we need to do. But what if we started giving ourselves credit for the things we got done? Use your planner to write down things each day you got done—especially the things related to self-care. Use categories like exercise, play, mindfulness, family and friends, or whatever categories are important to you.
SAY NO TO SOMETHING. Next time you are asked to do something, pause. Ask yourself if the task or project serves you or your purpose. If it doesn’t say no. Look at your current commitments. Which serves you or your purpose? You can step away from the others.
PRACTICE CHOCOLATE MINDFULNESS. Get a piece of good chocolate. Feel the weight in your hand. Notice the sound of the wrapper opening. Notice the color, the shape, the texture. Bring the chocolate to your lips, notice changes happening in your mouth or body. Take three deep breaths. Take a bite. Notice the flavor, the texture, the feel. Savor it. (Melissa walks
“When change is big we have to reimagine the systems at work in our lives.” – Mia Moran This summer is not at all how you may have pictured it in January.
I am hearing a lot of “I wish it would just go back to normal,” and I get it because there are many things about last spring and summer that felt easier — there was camp, it was relatively easy to go for a swim, go camping, go to the beach, get gas in the car, my kids all had excursions with grandparents — I had moments of summer bliss and moments of focused work.
But, I have been thinking A LOT about what normal was. Everything I do here is at some level to disrupt “normal,” because many of us are eating too much food that is not nourishing us, doing too many things each day which causes us to be in a constant state of busy, very rarely have time to just be, and working really hard and while our kids are at school and beyond for hours that were set for us by factory workers during the Industrial Revolution.
What if we really need a new normal?
What if the biggest health crisis and racial justice movement are here in front of us so we can make some real changes?
When women decide to step into FLOW, our accountability program, It is because they have decided to make a big change in themselves — the food they eat, the work they do, way more balance, some actual self-care.
We always start with a plan because when change is big we have to reimagine the systems at work in our lives. This is big, and big needs a blueprint.
You may have some big changes you want to see in your life, or you may be just trying to survive in the current state of the world, which is asking us to change — the current state of healthcare and racism are two systems built to keep us small.
So let’s make a plan.
This is not a heavy plan.
I will be talking about a 90-day plan again real soon where we can tackle some big goals.
But for now, this plan is meant to keep us moving forward in little but meaningful ways.
It is subtle but conscious.
It may not be the planning of a revolution, but it is the grounding you may need to see your part in a revolution.
It is not camp, but it is a few little things that will give you a few hours to get work done, knowing the kids are not drowning in video games.
When life gets so big and heavy, my people tend to do one of two things — take it all on and stand pretty motionless because “taking it all on” is debilitating, or putting blinders on and getting something done, but that focus is dependent on the world working in predictable ways and having kids in school (or camp), and that's not our reality right now.
So let’s find that middle ground.
Let’s take in what’s happening all around us.
Let’s understand what we can do about it right now.
Me, I was to get my perimenopausal body feeling better, so I am a strong and healthy version of myself today.
I also want to do my part in being anti-racist, and right now that is about learning.
I want to be super connected and have fun with my kids while they are home — I also want them to pitch in at home at a new level.
I want to get good work done efficiently.
I want to pay attention to how we use resources as a family.
And from this, I make my summer plan. As a family, we do a family plan — and each kid can do their own.
https://plansimple.com/summerplan (I made you some planning sheets)! But I will also tell you what’s on them in case you just want to think about these on your own paper.
Here are some of the things to think about (and that make up the planning sheets)...
A plan just for you
books to read
self-care rituals
food goals
make the world better
work projects
around the house
learn
fun
things that can wait until August
A family plan
rainy...
If you look around your life at exactly what you have, your marriage, your kids, your house... your business, your job ... it's all from your thoughts. You can change your results by changing your thinking. —Laura Swartzbaugh In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Laura Swartzbaugh, who is a life coach for coaches about the power of our thoughts and feelings.
Our brains are wired to skew negative. Say for example you’ve talked to a potential client, and then they ghost you. Your brain is likely to tell you that the person doesn’t believe in your business or that you aren’t that good. But really there are a lot of other more likely scenarios.
We talk about how we move from a circumstance to thought to a feeling to action to a result. How changing your thinking can change your results. It starts with taking responsibility (and credit) for everything in your life.
We talk about:
How we react when we take action that is not aligned with a plan or vision or dream—and what to do instead
Getting to really clear on the emotion behind the action (name it, tame it)
How self-judgment derails us, and how compassion is what we need
The problem of avoidance of emotion and how we need to feel the “negative” emotions
Growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset
How the ability to change our thoughts and actions relates to anti-racism work
BIO
Five years ago, you would have found Laura on her couch holding a big glass of wine and searching for her future husband on “Human Ebay” (what she calls Match.com). She was burned out by teaching. She was lonely and bored and ate to entertain herself. She was sure that happiness wasn’t available to her. On the outside, it looked like she loved her job, was crushing it as a single mom and loved life. But on the inside, she was constantly judging herself for nearly every choice she made.
Today, Laura is happily remarried and works full time coaching life coaches.
She feels confident about her decisions -- from relationships and career to food and alcohol. She made all of this happen through life coaching.
She spends all day helping other life coaches create this level of certainty, confidence, and trust in their own lives. She believes coaching is the secret sauce to living a more meaningful and joyous life.
She is a certified Life Coach through The Life Coach School. Prior to becoming a coach she was an educator for 27 years. She attended Carleton College, has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, and a master's in Educational Leadership. (She was sure more education would help her feel worthy). Before retiring from teaching, she taught at a number of universities including the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota as well as teaching high school history and English for a decade in the Chicago area.
LINKS
How To Take Action: What Every Coach Needs To Know (https://tinyurl.com/ybyrmpjn (https://tinyurl.com/ybyrmpjn))
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY COMPASSION. Next time you do something that doesn’t support your vision or plan, first simply notice how you feel. Then instead of beating yourself up, acknowledge that you made a mistake. Be compassionate with yourself.
FEEL THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. We want to feel joy and excitement and fun, but what about disappointment or sadness or rage? Often we criticize ourselves for the feeling or for the situation that led to the feeling, or we try to numb ourselves from the feeling (eating, drinking, binge watching, scrolling …). Let yourself feel the emotion. Name it. Know it will go away, but that avoiding it does not help.
REVISIT. We used the analogy of the spiral staircase or “not my first rodeo” to talk about the idea that just because we face something...
I'm not going to be one of the ones on Twitter, tearing it down. I'm not going to be out in Philadelphia protesting today. I choose to have a direct impact financially. –Shalena Broaster For the past few weeks, I have been sad, and a bit paralyzed — wanting to speak up, but asking myself, “who am I?”
Then I got this email from an amazing speaker at our Art of 90 Days event that aired in May, Jackie Kotei. I figure that it is much better that you hear from her than me.
This is what Jackie wrote:
“The death of George Floyd and the blatant disregard for black lives has to stop.
I've spent these past few days filled with grief, sadness, anger, outrage, frustration.
I hang out in many masterminds and communities where I am one of just a handful of black women.
And I've been speaking out, demanding that my mentors and colleagues join me in the fight.
Black lives matter!
And I invite you more than anything to take action.
Today, I'll be attending a peaceful protest to make sure people know it's not okay to kill people because of the color of their skin.
Now is the time to act.
Now is the time to not stay silent.
Whether you donate, protest, write letters, read books...please act!
It's not enough anymore to say you stand for love and peace if you're not willing to use your voice now, when it matters most.
If you don't know what to say, that's ok. Just be real and be ok with it being messy. Also be ok with feedback and people helping you gain greater awareness around what you're saying and how you're coming across.”
So with imperfect action and I am sure some “wrong” words, I’ve invited back my friend Shalena Broaster on this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast — an amazing coach to entrepreneurs, a mom, and a Black woman. All three of these parts of her identity come up in our discussion today.
The conversation we have is uncomfortable for me, but necessary. I am finding I need to own my discomfort. Discomfort is needed, and it has been my own white privilege that has let me escape what I am feeling right now in the past. My black friends have wanted me here for a long time. For my white friends, it is OK to feel horrible. I believe it is part of the path to the solution. I’m learning, stepping into hard conversations, and taking action. I may not get it right—in fact, I know I’ll get it wrong sometimes, but it’s critical for me to show up and do this work.
If you’ve spent any time here, you know that I focus on 90 days at a time. My goal for the 90-day season that I just kicked off is to give racism the time it really needs so that I can educate and uneducate myself, feel all the feelings, and move into massive action.
This conversation is one small piece of that.
Shalena and I talk about:
Bias and discrimination in education, both Shalena’s personal experience with her son and broad systemic issues
Cutting down on the media we consume and how that is a necessary strategy to get work done, how it is also a privilege, and how we need to not check out sometimes to be part of the conversation
Her response to watching George Floyd murdered, how her son by age 6 is seen as a threat because he is black, how she came back to the image of her own son watching George Floyd call out for his mama, that this was a modern-day lynching, the difference in police response to known White men who killed people and to a Black man who hadn’t
How words and names matter, how we all need to do work on this issue—Shalena talks about why she is a Black woman and not a woman of color and how she took an LGBTQ plus workshop and put what she learned into practice—how we need to act on what we learn
Marie Forleo shutting down conversation about George Floyd, but not about COVID-19
How responses to issues, like drug use, change when it becomes a White
This episode is from our event, the Art of 90 Days. This is a lesson that may be stopping some people from signing up, so I want to make sure more of you can hear it. Why Focus on Selfcare?
Self-nurturing is deeper than self-care. It’s not just the activities but how we do them. Self-nurturing is the act of caring for ourselves by deeply nourishing, cherishing, and encouraging our own growth and potential. What's on the other side is more peace, more joy, more meaning, and a deeper connection and feeling of belonging in our relationships. Life feels less overwhelming and exhausting because we approach everything differently.
What Does a 90-Day Goal Look Like?
Do something measurable. Don’t say, “I will add more self-care.” Say, “I will develop a nurturing morning routine in 90 days” or “I will know how to spend an hour a day nurturing myself in 90 days.”
What Are Some Habits That Are Part of this 90-Day Goal?
Start small and build. For example, start with 10 minutes 3 times a week of something that is deeply nurturing—meditation, a walk-in nature, connecting with gratitude, journaling.
Approach this practice with compassion and flexibility.
Build a plan to deal with resistance—do you have options and choose the one that feels most right in the moment? Do you work through the resistance? Is it approaching things differently (doing Shavasana instead of a yoga flow? Doing 10 deep breaths instead of your usual mediation session)?
What Are Some To-Dos That Are Part of this 90-Day Goal?
Schedule time for nurturing, even if it is only a few minutes a day.
Create a list of things that you do to nurture yourself.
Schedule three check-ins with yourself each day (How do I feel? What do I need right now?)
“I have a vision of women really embracing themselves on a journey of self-discovery, on a journey of creativity, on a journey of knowing themselves in a really deep and powerful way so that, that is the attention and intention that they bring to all of their relationships.” -Kelley Grimes
Kelley Grimes, MSW, is a counselor, speaker, internationally best-selling author, and self-nurturing expert. She is the founder of Cultivating Peace and Joy and is passionate about empowering overwhelmed and exhausted women to improve their health, wealth, and relationships by getting to the root of their habit of self-neglect and guiding them in cultivating a sustainable practice of self-nurturing. Kelley believes in nurturing peace in the world from the inside out. In addition, she provides professional and leadership development to organizations dedicated to making the world a better place. She also teaches self-nurturing to women overcoming domestic violence, homelessness, and other major life challenges at local non-profits. She is married to an artist, has two empowered daughters, and loves singing with a small women’s group. Her new book, The Art of Self-Nurturing: a field guide to living with more peace, joy, and meaning will be published in Sep 2020. Find Kelley at https://cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com/ (https://cultivatingpeaceandjoy.com/).
“You need to remember the best legacy you can give your kids is an example of a life well-lived.” — Brooke Costillo Today I am creating a different kind of episode — one that I have loved listening to myself, from others.
All week, I took notes.
What choices did I make?
What happened, and what did not happen?
Where did I win, and what did I need to learn?
Is there anything that I am experiencing that might serve you?
These are questions I asked myself, and then just pressed record — going day-by-day through the last week.
A few highlights:
I threw out my back
I re-configured my to-do list
I learned a really important lesson from my coach
I made some extra space for my kids
I took a day off, which has not been happening since we’ve been home
Tell me about your week.
What are you learning in this unique time? Come share over on Instagram @plansimple.co
Have you signed up for the Art of 90 days yet? You will not want to miss this event! If you are excited about hitting some of your 2020 goals but feel a bit defeated by the current stay-at-home orders, this is for you!
Sign up even if you think you are too busy or can’t because your kids are home… We will help you find the talks that will best serve you now, no matter how much time and attention you have, or don’t have! https://plansimplemeals.com/artof90days-signup/ (Grab your free ticket here »)
“Full Moons get all the attention, but New Moons are super powerful. They mark the beginning of a Moon cycle and hold the energy of new beginnings and growth. Intentions set on a New Moon will be blessed and held into reality.” – Sarah Jenks A few years back, as I was looking into the best way to organize the FLOW Planner, I researched many systems, including the idea of planning time as it relates to the moon cycles.
My mission is to help women move away from all the outside noise and tune in to their own bodies, minds, and souls so that they can guide themselves towards their best lives.
I had discovered years ago that conditioning around the calendar and what others thought was not serving me to hit my own wellness goals. In fact, it was not until I let go of all the noise — magazines, commercials, comments from family members – that I could find the solution that led me to shed 85 pounds.
I researched a lot of systems that would serve women better than the 12-month planners that many of us abandon by February, feeling more guilty about empty pages than abandoned goals. That’s why The FLOW planner takes on one 90-day season at a time and is updated. I ask meaningful questions to help you set balanced goals, decide what part to tackle each week, and recommit each day.
And the moon cycle fits right into that. Starting to understand the moon cycles helps me track my natural tendencies and rhythms. That means I can make plans that reflect my natural flow. This has helped immensely with both my productivity and happiness.
I start my 90-day seasons on a New Moon.
(HINT: There’s one TODAY—but if you miss it, don’t worry, you can start anytime because if you haven’t been tracking the moon, you’ll want to start with just noticing some things.)
Your job is to play detective. We are different each day of the month.
The good news is that our cycles repeat and are not as random as we may have once imagined.
The coolest part about the moon as it relates to women and planning is that you will find it creates a consistent pattern — the tired days, the energetic days, the focused days, the loving days each repeats themselves in a very logical way.
There is so much to learn about the moon, but the most important part is that you find your own relationship with the moon.
I made you The Moon Journal as your companion to start.
Get the MOON JOURNAL
An 84-day experience to discover your rhythm
“When we come in tune with the moon cycle, it’s a way to come in tune with ourselves, and then when we come in tune with ourselves and our environment, there’s an invitation to become more present.” – Ezzie Spencer
I was surprised to see how real moon tracking data is—and how helpful it is when I sit down to map out a 90-day goal. I now plan in a way that truly honors my energy.
I noticed that each month, there is a day that I need to stop and take a nap. I never plan tons of writing on those days. My energy is much better for thinking than doing. This is usually right before the new moon.
Sometimes I am on fire creatively and can focus for hours. This is usually during the waxing gibbous, before a full moon. This is a great time for me to create and design anything.
After the full moon is a great time for me to offer something to my audience. I do not naturally like selling, but on these days my enthusiasm is so high, it feels much easier to make an offer.
Seeing the patterns repeat on paper gave me power over my days.
This does not mean that I take days off whenever I have a tiring day — I am a mom and run a business — but I do know on those days that good food is super important, that I might say no to a kid who wants a friend over, and that staying up to watch Netflix is not a good idea. I work these boundaries into my plan.
Even though we go through the same moon stages, my...
We are in such a strange time — home as families trying to get all the things done and not burnout. Learn how Mia is planning her weeks during the "Coronaseason" to include time for work, homeschooling, healthy meals, movement, self-care, and even some downtime! Listen into this episode with a piece of paper and a pen to make your plan.
Download planning sheets at www.plansimple.com/coronavirus.
It is such a strange time. We are being asked to stay home, to be ok with uncertainty, and keep a safe distance from each other. Events and activities that we have been preparing for or waiting for are cancelled. The same goes for our kiddos. It is hard to experience, much less explain.
We feel disappointed. A moment later disappointment almost feels selfish.
None of it feels comfortable. It is easy to slip into fear—and easy to pass the fear onto our kids.
And all this said, I am determined to see the opportunity in what feels like a huge obstacle.
No one will be the same after this experience, so why not be better?
I am planning week by week and creating the momentum in my heart for this to last longer than the 3 weeks (now 8) school is currently cancelled.
On a normal week, I work from home while my three kids are at school and my husband is at the office. Now we are all home. Nothing is normal. If you are not already in this situation, it may just be a matter of time.
I want to take you through making a plan for the next few weeks, and maybe beyond.
Planning resources for this unusual time can be found by clicking on the bar on top of http://plansimple.com (plansimple.com).
The simpler my life got outside of my closet, the more apparent it was that there was a problem in the closet. –Courtney Carver On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Courtney Carver, the author of Soulful Simplicity. After getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, Courtney started experimenting, first with food and diet, than in reducing stress. The common thread she found in the changes she was making—simplicity.
It may not seem like simplifying your closet, changing what you eat, and reducing debt have a lot in common, but Courtney talks about changes in all these areas. She realized that so many things that simply felt like adulting, could be easier, different. Simplifying in all these areas and more reduced stress.
One of the things we dive into is clutter, and how decluttering can become it’s own stressful thing. Either it’s something that keeps showing up again and again on your to-do list and never getting done, or you do it and then clutter builds up again. Courtney remembers the five minutes of feeling good when everything was decluttered and in its place before it all fell apart. Then she made a change. She decided to really get rid of stuff and only keep what she really wanted in her house and, the important part, she resisted bringing in new things.
We talk about:
How the more stuff you bring into your house, the more you want to bring stuff in
Understanding why you are shopping to help you resist bringing in things you don’t need (and really don’t want)
The 333 challenge to simplify your wardrobe
The feeling of space and lightness that comes with releasing clothes that don’t fit you, clothes other people that you don’t love, other clothes you don’t wear for whatever reason—and how this winnowing makes decisions easier
Noticing the stories we’re telling ourselves and how they keep us hanging onto or buying stuff
Holding onto or letting go of books
BIO
Courtney Carver writes things. She wrote a book called Soulful Simplicity and the simplicity blog,http://bemorewithless.com ( bemorewithless.com). She shares things that make her laugh and cry on Instagram (@bemorewithless). She doesn't know her Myers Briggs Type but she knows she's an introvert because she needs to be free from humans several times a day (cats and dogs are always welcome). Aside from her seasonal wardrobe, she doesn't count her things.
Carver doesn't have an impressive degree, awards, or a big, fancy home full of stuff. Instead, she selectively surrounds herself with her favorite things and people she loves. She does work she truly cares about, goes on adventures (in the world or in her own backyard) and likes chai lattes with almond milk while reading or writing.
Her new book, Project 333, The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really is So Much More will help you create a capsule wardrobe and a beautiful life.
LINKS
https://bemorewithless.com/ (Bemorewithless.com)
https://bemorewithless.com/soulful-simplicity/ (Soulful Simplicity)
https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/ (Project 333 book)
https://bemorewithless.com/project-333-challenge/ (Project 333 challenge)
https://plansimplemeals.com/kon-mari-method-a-chat-with-my-friend-lillia-flores/ (KonMari Method)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NOTICE YOUR STORIES. As you get dressed or flip through your closet, notice the stories you tell yourself. I can’t get rid of that, my mom made it. I might need that suit for an interview. These jeans will fit me again. It’s good to have choices in shoes. What if you changed the story? And notice what you are drawn to, what you wear again and again. Ask: What if I wore these things for the next three months?
TAKE THE 333 CHALLENGE....
Week 5. What part of your vision can you tackle in the next 90 days? As moms, the rug is always being pulled from under us when we plan for a year. We are more likely to get into perfection paralysis and stay out of action with the concept of a resolution. Very often I hear stories of people getting done in 3 months what they thought they would get done in a year when they focus on 90 days. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/plansimple.co/ (@plansimple.co )
Refer to the 90-Day Goal Planning Sheet that you can download at http://plansimple.com/simplify2020 (plansimple.com/simplify2020).
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kate Varness, a professional organizer about our stuff and the internal stuff that goes with it. Kate started her organizing work when she had three kids under 5. A lot of the people Kate works with are in a period of life transition. Often times a change has happened, and they haven’t quite caught up in their life. They need to figure out the skills they need, the stuff they need, and the help they need for their present situation.
I noted that sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I declutter something and that opens up space to have ideas. But Kate wrote that sometimes we actually can't let go and declutter some of the things in our physical space if we don't have an idea of where we're going. We have trouble letting go of stuff that is tied to identity if that identity is changing because we don’t have a new idea to fill it.
We talk about:
Tuning into and honoring your own desires (do I like this? Do I not like this?)
Brainstorming a list of things you want to do or ever wanted to try
Getting past the idea that your value as a human is based on what you do or how much money you make
Getting out of your comfort zone and the space for change it creates
When decluttering start with what’s easy—find 15 things to trash or donate each day, work through the things you are pretty sure about and then move on to the things you are more ambivalent about
Learning to receive and believe you are worthy
BIO
Kate is an author, speaker, coach, professional organizer, and the founder of Green Light Organizing and Coaching who loves helping women live their best life. She’s a Certified Professional Organizer specializing in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD) and a Certified Organizer Coach (COC). Kate understands that organizing and life solutions need to be practical and family-friendly. It’s not about a pristine, perfect house, but about mindset shifts and gaining momentum that goes beyond an organized house.
LINKS
http://greenlightorganizing.com (Greenlightorganizing.com)
https://www.greenlightorganizing.com/books-courses/ (Kate’s book Who Am I Now?)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TUNE INTO YOUR DESIRES. If you are taking care of others, it can be easy to lose sight of what you really want. As you go through your day, ask yourself: Do I like this? Do I want to do this? Start by noticing. Then try saying yes to something that you want. How does it feel?
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Challenge yourself to do one new thing every day for a week. Wear a temporary tattoo, burst into song in the grocery store … whatever it is. The goal is to move out of your comfort zone and notice what happens to the way you think.
CHECK YOUR ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. What’s the worst-case scenario? If you are feeling stuck about letting go of something or making a decision, ask what the worst-case scenario is? Think about how you could handle that. Does it change how you feel about letting go or your decision?
“If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.” ― Yogi Berra It is officially week 4 of the 30 weeks and 30 doable changes challenge. Download planning packet at plansimple.com/simplify2020
Each week I am suggesting a doable change that relates to planning your best, most well life. Each week, I am doing the change alongside you. Each week, I will have a short episode that goes along with the change.
Week 4. Plan your week. Last week, we focused on a big brain dump to get the clutter out of our heads and onto paper. This week, focus on writing down the things that really matter as you think through the week ahead. Having a paper planner may seem redundant, but there is magic in writing down your goals. So schedule it all: your food, lifestyle, and work in one place. So often we schedule work, doctor’s appointments, and kids activities, but we leave out the fun date nights, one-on-one time with our kids, and self-care time. Include the doable change you are focusing on. Plan for all of it on the same calendar!
Refer to the Week-at-a-Glance Sheet in the planning packet that you can download at plansimple.com/simplify2020
It just sucks the whole joy out of life if you’re having to permanently be doing things all the time to keep your body small. – Nicola Salmon On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Nicola Salmon, a fat-positive fertility coach about weight and health. So often we equate thinner bodies or lower weight with health, which can have a terrible impact on people, especially women.
Nicola was diagnosed with PCOS and was told early in life that she wouldn’t be able to have kids. The protocol was to lose weight, which put her into a yoyo of dieting and weight loss and gain. After a traumatic experience, she turned to acupuncture. As she did so, she made other tweaks in her life. It turned out she got pregnant more easily than expected and wondered if other people had a similar experience—and how she could help.
We talk about how healthcare professionals can be misinformed and harmful when it comes to women’s weight and health, whether it is pregnancy-related or life in general. More importantly, we talk about practical steps you can take to make healthcare visits less triggering—things like not getting weighed unless there is a specific need to know your weight, asking about other options besides focusing on weight loss.
We talk about:
The racial background of fat shaming
The importance of health-promoting behaviors vs. weight loss
Diversity and accessibility issues related to weight
The problem with BMI
Teaching kids to embrace difference in bodies and about consent for their own bodies
Being kind and gentle to yourself and being in the body you are in
BIO
Nicola is a fat-positive and feminist fertility coach and author of “Fat and Fertile”. She advocates for change in how fat people are treated whilst accessing help with their fertility. Nicola supports fat people who want to get pregnant using her unique FAT+ve fertility framework to find their own version of health without diets, advocate for their bodies, relearn how to trust their body and believe in their ability to get pregnant in their current body.
LINKS
Instagram @fatpositivefertility
nicolasalmon.co.uk
Doable Changes from this episode:
STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF. Weighing yourself has no real benefit and can set you up. If you are in the habit of weighing yourself, see what happens if you stop.
ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF. Take a different approach with your healthcare provider. Tell them you don’t want to be weighed (unless there is a specific reason, for example getting anaesthesia). If they simply tell you to work on weight loss, ask for other treatment options. What would they recommend to other patients? Push for the treatment that feels right to you.
HELP KIDS EMBRACE BODY DIFFERENCE. Talk about body diversity. Model how you want your kids to engage with people of all body shapes and sizes. Stop criticizing your own body or talking about what you want to change. Talk about what your body can do instead of what it looks like.
It is officially week 3 of the 30 weeks and 30 doable changes challenge. Download planning packet at https://plan-simple-meals.ck.page/7063207149 (plansimple.com/simplify2020) Each week I am suggesting a doable change that relates to planning your best, most well life. Each week, I am doing the change alongside you. Each week, I will have a short episode that goes along with the change.
Week 3. Get everything out of your head and onto paper. We talk about cleansing our bodies through diet and clearing clutter from our homes. This strategy is about clearing your head of clutter. We hold a lot in our heads. Getting everything out of our heads and onto paper frees up a lot of mental space for being present—and taking action on things that matter.
Refer to the Brain Dump Worksheet in the planning packet that you can download at plansimple.com/simplify2020
Remember, set a timer, and let it all out. Then set a timer again the next day and do the same. Do it for a few days until your mind feels clear. Put the paper away before your mind leads you back to overwhelm — really feel the emptiness.
Food is the F in FLOW, and it’s where my story starts, but lately, I feel like I’ve been talking less about food. So I’m really excited to talk with Allison Schaaf on this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast. Alison is a chef, nutritionist, registered dietician, and founder and CEO of Prep Dish, a meal planning company featuring gluten-free, paleo, and local foods. Having a plan reduces stress and helps you eat better. I’ve shared the tool of writing what’s for dinner on a Post-it in the morning. Allison agrees that the key to healthy eating is to not wait until dinner time to decide what is for dinner. Having a plan also cuts down on picky eating and struggling with kids at dinner time. Kids don’t have the capacity to answer the question of what’s for dinner.
By taking a week's view, you can build in efficiency—having the same soup on Monday and Thursday so it doesn't feel like leftovers or making pesto to have on salmon on one day and on chicken later in the week, so it feels like a whole different meal. You have fewer things to prep, but also feel like you have variety.
We talk about:
Batching and prepping ahead, plus ideas on when to do it
Time upfront saving you time for the rest of the week
The importance of family meals and how planning and prepping ahead can change the whole feel of your evenings and give you more quality time
Gluten-free, paleo, and keto options that allow people to try eating different ways to see what feels good for them (all real food, all with a focus on delicious)
The headspace planning opens up, plus getting past the mindset that food is a chore
Tips for the overwhelm of grocery shopping including online resources, curbside pick up organizing your list like your grocery store, and going alone
BIO
Allison Schaaf is a chef, nutritionist, registered dietician, and founder and CEO of Prep Dish. For six years and counting, Allison has made her way into the hearts and kitchens of home cooks all over the globe. Allison created Prep Dish after a decade as a personal chef and gourmet chef at high-end spas because she knew there was a more efficient, cost-effective, and sanity-saving way to put healthy, crowd-pleasing meals on the table. Her personal cooking style shifted after she experienced major changes in her health and appearance after adopting a gluten-free and Paleo-ish way of life.
LINKS
prepdish.com/plansimple
https://www.facebook.com/PrepDish/ (https://www.facebook.com/PrepDish/)
https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ (https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/)
https://twitter.com/prepdish (https://twitter.com/prepdish)
https://www.pinterest.com/prepdish/ (https://www.pinterest.com/prepdish/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW WHAT’S FOR DINNER AHEAD OF TIME. Plan your week of meals every Friday. An even smaller Doable Change, write what’s for dinner on a Post-in in the morning, so you know. You can pick up anything you need while you are out for the day. You could even do a little prep while you make breakfast or lunches. But just knowing ahead can lessen the stress of dinner time. You can get a free two-week trial from PrepDish that tells you what to buy, what to prep ahead, and what do to each day.
CHECK YOUR MINDSET. Does dinner feel like a chore you have to do? Are you reluctant to commit to prep time because it seems like a lot of your Sunday? Notice how you feel about planning, prepping, and making dinner. What happens if you switch those thoughts around. I’m making food that gives me more energy and makes me feel great. I’m teaching my kids about being together as a family and eating healthy. I’m going to be so excited on Wednesday when dinner comes together so easily. What new story can you tell yourself to support healthy eating?...
Week 2. What is one small hack that would support your vision? This is a small action — a little thing that will help you move towards the vision you created last week — something you can start today!
For example, Last year what stuck out to me was that I have a few big goals that I will need money to make happen. If I think too much about those goals, they feel impossible and overwhelming, but if I do something to move towards the money part, I feel better. So, my hack was to put money in my calendar — I scheduled bill due dates, weekly money meetings with myself every Wednesday, accountability calls with a friend, a money date with my husband (like mentioned in the episode with Bari Tessler.) These are all small tweaks that move me in the direction of being the person that I need to be to make my ideal scenario happen.
This year what stuck out how healthy I am in my 5-year vision. My hack, read The Hormone Cure.
What is your hack? How can you move forward today?
Download planning packet at plansimple.com/simplify2020
When we come in tune with the moon cycle, it's a way to come in tune with ourselves, and then when we come in tune with ourselves and our environment, there's an invitation to become more present. – Ezzie Spencer On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Ezzie Spencer, author of the Lunar Abundance book and journal, and creator of Re. Love, about moon phases and how tuning into the moon affects us. Ezzie started her career in law focusing on domestic violence and women’s safety. When she realized something elemental was missing from her own life, she started to tune into her body's rhythms and cycles, and reconnected with the moon cycle. She began to notice patterns in her energy and her desires correlated to the cycle of the moon. She found that the moon cycles are not only a way to feel better and more energized, but also a way to be a lot more productive as a result. The moon cycle and our own corresponding cycles marry predictability and change. We talk about: Tracking the moon and letting it be a mirror to yourself Slowing down to notice what we are feeling in the moment and connecting it to the moon cycle Setting intentions at the new moon Becoming more in tune to your intuition and able to separate from external voices Showing up daily for our intentions as we move through other cycles of the moon Moving into a more sustainable pattern of being and doing phases and learning to embrace the pause Celebrating what we have achieved and received
BIO Dr. Ezzie Spencer is a best-selling author and coach living in New York City. Starting out as a lawyer in Australia, Dr. Ezzie worked in the area of women’s safety, which led her to complete a Ph.D in emotional well-being after domestic abuse. During her doctorate, she started personally coaching women on well-being. First through her coaching, and then also her books, talks, retreats, and online platforms, Dr. Ezzie has supported tens of thousands around the world to heal and harness their personal power. Dr. Ezzie specializes in helping women recover from toxic relationships so they can rebuild epic self-confidence, rekindle their optimism about the future, and finally find the courage to put themselves back out there to attract real love.
LINKS https://www.ezziespencer.com/ (https://www.ezziespencer.com/) http://www.lunarabundance.com/ (Lunar Abundance) Free lunar planner: http://www.lunarabundance.com/free-lunar-planner/ (http://www.lunarabundance.com/free-lunar-planner/) To book a call about recovering from toxic relationships: https://www.ezziespencer.com/apply (https://www.ezziespencer.com/apply) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ezziespencer/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/ezziespencer/)
Doable Changes from this episode: TUNE IN TO THE MOON. Start by simply tracking the moon and noticing what’s happening. You can watch the moon or use a moon cycle planner. Then journal about how you are feeling, your energy, what you want, how your own cycle compares. SET NEW MOON INTENTIONS. Use a lunar planner to find the next moon. Then use that time to set an intention. There is always another new moon, so there’s always an opportunity to start. Really ask yourself, what is it that I want to welcome into my life? Allow yourself to really listen to the answer from your heart and body wisdom. Think of it more about feeling than about a goal. CELEBRATE. Take time to celebrate what you have achieved and what you have received. This practice can help you continue to trust and live with more ease and flow.
I am officially landing in 2020, so it is officially week 1 of the 30 weeks and 30 doable changes challenge. Each week I am suggesting a doable change that relates to planning your best, most well life. Each week, I am doing the change alongside you. Each week, I will have a short episode that goes along with the change.
Start with a vision. I love this strategy by Marc Allen. On a single piece of paper write out your ideal scene five years from now. Five years is a period of time that’s long enough to be able to imagine a great change in yourself. At the same time, it’s close enough that you can imagine yourself looking similar and having the same personality, and while technology changes fast, you aren’t waiting for time travel in order to achieve your goal. Be as creative as you can be. The biggest limit to our own lives is our imagination. Refer to the Ideal Scene worksheet in the planning packet.
Download planning packet at plansimple.com/simplify2020
“A goal that is worthy of you is one that stretches you. It stretches your way of thinking, it stretches your way of believing. It stretches your way of being.” – Shalena Broaster Shalena DIVA Broaster is a global business coach who helps new online coaches start their online coaching businesses. DIVA stands for discover, invest, value, and appreciate.
As we are entering a new year filled with dreams and aspirations, Shalena gives us some tools to help us realize our wildest dreams. She shares the obstacles she faced as she walked towards her dreams, which included being homeless and losing custody of her son.
Shalena literally is light and shares some amazing ideas about creating the life we want.
Here is the CliffsNotes version...
Start by asking for what you want. You can’t manifest what you want without knowing and saying what it is.
Sometimes you have to make a decision, and once you make a change, things start to happen. But you have to go with the information, the tools, and the information that you have at the time.
Everyone wants to talk about those, those mountaintop moments. But Shalena tells people about what they're going to experience in the valley, because we're made in the valley.
Choose a goal that is worthy of you. A goal that is worthy of you is one that stretches you. It stretches your way of thinking, it stretches your way of believing. It stretches your way of being.
Know that you will have setbacks, but don’t let setbacks become a red light that stops you. Know that it just comes with the territory of goals that are worthy of you.
There is no right way to do things … and no wrong way. You have to go back to trusting and listening to your inner self. There is no right way. There is your way.
Remember that when you plant a seed, it takes time for it to grow before you can harvest it. Don’t get discouraged or try to reap right away.
Listen in above to hear the whole story and all the nuggets of wisdom that Shalena gives us in the episode.
BIO
Shalena “D.I.V.A.” Broaster is the best-selling author of “Fire Your Friends: A Woman’s Guide to Becoming Her Own Best Friend” and an award-winning speaker. Her clients call her “The D.I.V.A.” because she loves to show women how to discover, invest, value and appreciate their lives and business.
LINKS
Learn 4 easy ways to start a profitable online coaching program. Learn how to find your niche, identify your ideal client, create digital products that sell and more.
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE GETTING QUIET IN THE MORNING. Take even 10 minutes in the morning to get quiet and hear yourself. Add some movement and sunshine, even better. Jumpstart your creativity for the day with this practice.
TEST THINGS OUT. Have you heard something that sounds like it might help you? Test it out. Not everything will work the same for everyone, so try things that intrigue you or sound like they might serve you. Test and notice what happens.
CELEBRATE YOURSELF. It can take time to get to the big goals or big wins we want. Celebrate the little wins along the way. Notice the changes that are happening even if you aren’t ready to reap the full rewards yet.
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.” — Steve Jobs I often serve up a platter of doable changes and let you choose — in fact I give you three at the end of every podcast interview…
I never want you to focus on more than one-a-week, but I know that we are all at different stages in our journeys.
For the past 2 years, I have taken myself through a series of 30 doable changes that always yield big returns when I focus on them.
The first year I did it alone.
Last year I invited you to the PlanSimple community.
Each time I do it, I learn new things and create better habits.
So I made a few changes, and would love you to join me for the next 30 week journey!
Maybe you’ve tried some of these ideas before, but they are practices that bear repeating.
It takes creativity, focus, and consistency to reach our dreams.
If you spend the next 210 days doing one thing a week to move you towards your ideal life, imagine how you will feel 1 year from now. If you cannot imagine... let me suggest that you might feel healthy, happy, organized, accomplished, productive, grateful — to name a few!
Whether you are trying to get healthy, parent better, improve your relationship, meditate, or make more money, you need to master your time.
We have created prompts for a change a week that will help you rock 2020.
If you integrate these doable changes each week, you will undoubtedly see change. But remember, this works when you focus on one doable change at a time. If you are feeling super motivated and decide to jump in on all 30 changes at once, you are likely to get overwhelmed and burn out without making change.
Focus on one change each week.
I’ve laid out these specific changes for a reason. As I mentioned, I’ve seen these work again and again for myself and for clients. AND if a particular change doesn’t resonate with you, skip it. Remember, consistency counts. But if you miss a day or a week or get off track, just start again. Keep making doable changes that move you toward the big changes and the life you want.
Here are the first 5 weeks...
Week 1. Start with a vision. I love this strategy by Marc Allen. On a single piece of paper write out your Ideal Scene five years from now. Five years is a period of time that’s long enough to be able to imagine the great change in yourself. At the same time, it’s close enough that you can imagine yourself looking similar and having the same personality, and while technology changes fast, you aren’t waiting for time travel in order to achieve your goal. Be as creative as you can be. The biggest limit to our own lives is our imagination. Refer to the Ideal Scene worksheet in the eBook.
Week 2. What is one small hack that would support your vision? This is a small action — a little thing that will help you move towards the vision you created last week — something you can start today! For example, I have a few big goals that I will need money to make happen. If I think too much about those goals, they feel impossible and overwhelming, but if I do something to move towards the money part, I feel better. So, my hack is to put money in my calendar — I am scheduling bill due dates, weekly money meetings with myself every Wednesday, accountability calls with a friend, a money date with my husband. These are all small tweaks that move me in the direction of being the person that I need to be to make my ideal scenario happen.
My hack is:
I will start today by:
Week 3. Get everything out of your head and onto paper. We talk about cleansing our bodies through diet and clearing clutter from our homes. This strategy is about clearing your head of
clutter. We hold a lot in our heads. Getting everything out of...
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie
For many years I dreaded the question, “what did you do today?”
Most of those days I did more than my 20-year old self thought possible.
I spent a big chunk of each day designing websites for clients.
I figured out what a family of 5 would eat for three meals a day, and then played airplane with spoons to get more in their mouths than on the floor.
I drove more than was environmentally responsible to get everyone where they were going.
I played doll, figured out lego sets, and pretended to make ice cream.
I wiped bums.
I ensured that clothes were clean and cute.
There was often a trip to target.
I took the trash out.
I bathed the kids.
Sometimes I took a shower, but not as often as I wanted.
I hoped that carrying a car seat counted as weight training and running up our apartment stairs counted as exercise.
By 6, I was done, and there were usually a few more hours until bedtime.
If you asked me what I did that day, you might have gotten an empty stare or the “busy” word.
Does any of this sound familiar?
The truth was...
Inside it felt like I did nothing.
Then about 10 years ago when I decided it was time to take care of my body, I also started the practice of planning one day at a time.
This practice changed my life.
It helped me lose 65 pounds.
It helped me focus in on what mattered most each day.
I still did all the things, but I also hugged more lovingly, took more showers, went to yoga, and started to feel really proud of what a day can hold.
Today, if you ask me how my day was, I usually have a big smile.
This does not mean I don’t have long lists.
This does not mean that sad things don’t happen.
It does mean that each day I go through a process and know that what matters most has a place in my day and that always feels good.
This practice became the foundation for the FLOW planning process.
It is super simple, and today I break it down on the podcast.
At a high level, it looks something like this:
Start with gratitude. Before tending to my kids or grabbing my phone in the morning, I recall 3 things I am grateful for. They can be small, but I have to feel that gratitude in my gut and write it down on paper.
Choose 3 things. From that space of gratitude, I choose the three things that I am committing to doing that day. I usually have a list of hundreds of things that I think I want to do, but I choose 3.
Decide the food. After the three things, I choose what we will eat for the day. I write down all the things on a piece of paper. If I have made a meal plan for the week or subscribed to one, I still do this.
Time block. I put my morning ritual, which includes this planning, my three things, and my food time into my calendar that has the hours. This makes a list fit into the actual day.
Reflect and learn. At the end of the day, I see how it went. I learn from what went well and what got derailed. I do this in writing, without judgment, and with a lot of curiosity.
It is a simple practice.
It is five steps.
Listen to the details in the podcast above.
Get the five-part video series and Today Planning Sheet.
I need to be comfortable but I need to also look pulled together, professional, neat. – Trish Carey In this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Trish Carey about "wardrobe" as part of a simplified life. We talk about being on-trend without being trendy or throw away and how to elevate your everyday look.
One key thought: women don’t need six different wardrobes. You need essentials, pieces you can wear year-round, things that you can mix and match, and they should be great quality. And when you mix in things that are largely lifestyle and part performance—you can go to yoga and then move seamlessly into the rest of your life without a complete wardrobe overhaul. It’s possible to be comfortable and look pulled together, professional, and neat.
We talked about the thought that goes into your wardrobe beyond what you are wearing. Where we shop and what we buy matters too. Are you buying throwaway clothes? Are you buying something from a company that supports other entrepreneurs, other women?
We talk about:
Having too many clothes and how a smaller, but better-selected wardrobe serves us better
The benefits of a capsule wardrobe with pieces that work year-round
How upgrading your basics can make all the difference
Conscious spending
Finding out about a trend before it happens
Making connections and live experiences even when working in an online space
BIO
Trish Carey is a stylist with Peach. She left the corporate world to stay home with her two daughters. After 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, she decided she was ready for something new and discovered Peach in its early days. She loves what she does as she’s grown as an entrepreneur, fulfilled her love of fashion, and even more fulfilled her love of relationships with other women, all while fitting into the nooks and crannies of her life.
LINKS
http://www.discoverpeach.com/s/trishc (www.discoverpeach.com/s/trishc)
Trish on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trish.leadpeachpartner/ (trish.leadpeachpartner)
https://uncommonthreads.org/ (Uncommon Threads)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CLEAR YOUR CLOSET. We talk about upgrading your wardrobe, but before you buy anything, start by knowing what you have and clearing out what you don’t need. I did the Mari Kondo method, but do what works for you. Pull out anything that no longer fits; is stained, torn, or otherwise in bad shape. Let go of anything you never wear or put on and take off. Look at what you have. Look at what you wear every day.
UPGRADE ONE BASIC. Choose one basic of your wardrobe. A white t-shirt. Black leggings. Whatever it is you wear regularly. Shop consciously to buy a new one. Think about something that fits well and makes you feel amazing. Think about fabric and fit. Think about where you are buying it and from whom.
SHARE A COMPANY YOU LOVE. Helping other women entrepreneurs can be a big feel-good thing—and you can find some amazing products too. If you have a product you love from a woman-owned business, give it as a gift, recommend it to a friend.
“Every time I bring something, I try and bring something that is a version of what we all love to eat during the holidays, but it's a healthier version.” Do you ever get into overwhelm and despair and feel like you spend the end of November and the whole month of December in the kitchen? A few December food planning strategies can really help.
Being in charge of holiday meals, especially when that means living up to memories and magical expectations can be really heavy. So how do you find joy in that?
Remember that the holidays are about community and lean into that. Start with joy — and keep coming back to that.
Divvy up the cooking. Melissa talks about having lasagna for Christmas eve dinner, and instead of making them all herself, they have a family cookoff and everyone brings a pan of lasagna. Somebody brings a salad. Divide things up to take the burden off one person.
Plan a potluck. You don’t have to provide a meal. Have people stop by whenever they want. Bring something if they want. It takes a lot of pressure off of people to be there at a specific time, and it takes the pressure off one person to cook.
Choose food you can prep ahead. Lasagna, enchiladas, a big pot of chili … having foods you can prep ahead, heat, and let be make things a lot easier. Try crockpot cooking.
Batch cook for December. Melissa says, “There are so many other things I want to do, right? I want to, I want to get crafty and like hand-write notes for holiday cards and I want to make, you know, neat things,” and those things take time. When you batch cook, you free up some time from making dinner every night.
So there’s the time factor, but there’s also what we’re eating and how much. Here are a few tips to not get so off track with eating during the holidays:
Measure out portions and store them in individual containers, ready to grab.
Set boundaries (no eating candy from the bowl on everyone’s desk, limit your beverages, etc.)
Start with water.
Create an indulgence calendar. Choose when you will indulge, instead of just mindlessly doing it all the time.
Choose a healthier version of your favorite holiday food.
Every time I bring something, I try and bring something that is a version of what we all love to eat during the holidays, but it's a healthier version.
Whether it’s holiday food or day to day eating in December, prep ahead. Cook some rice. Get your herbs ready. Chop some veggies. It’s so much more efficient to do it all at once. “That prep ahead ... makes the week so much more joyful, because when you start to get busy and you have those things, and there's a sense of pride about it… doing the work so that you can have more joy with your family.”
BIO
Melissa Lanz is a former internet marketing executive who quit her day job to promote good eating habits in the midst of a national health crisis. As founder of The Fresh 20, Melissa strives to bring fresh food back to the household table and reduce the amount of processed ingredients being used. During the fall of 2009, Melissa dedicated her efforts to creating this tool for busy families and singles stuck in a takeout rut. To further her goal to be a part of The Food Revolution, she wrote The Fresh 20 Cookbook (Harper Collins 2013) and also promotes education in nutrition and healthy cooking through speaking, locally in Southern California and throughout the country.
LINKS
https://www.thefresh20.com/ (The Fresh 20)
http://www.makedecembermnatter.com (Make December Matter)
http://www.plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365)
Doable Changes from this episode:
Batch Prep. Take some time on Sunday (or whatever day works best for you) to prep ahead for the week. Make a batch of rice (or other grain). Chop and roast some
Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions, getting by on autopilot, even with the things you supposedly want to do? Kelly suggests living more consciously by thinking of your life as an exciting, ongoing project. To do that, you can use the Project Me Life Wheel, which has eight areas of life on it:
Productivity & time mangement
Family
Health
Love
Work
Fun
Money
Personal growth
You do a quick assessment for each area of your life, using prompts, to see how things have been going in each area. It isn’t about making your life perfect. It’s more about seeing what areas of your life are pretty consistently going okay and where you might want to put some attention.
From there, you take ideas about changes you want to make and create an action sheet. The key is to make a choice to focus. Even if you feel like all areas of your life need work, choose where you will focus this month—and remember you can choose a new focus next month.
For December specifically, having a plan can make what can be a hectic month so much better. Start with questions like What was the best part of last December? What was the worst? What do I have to do? What do I want to do? Then think about what you want more and less of, what you will stop and start, what your challenges are, what you need to figure out. What is your holiday wish list? What do you want from yourself? Take all of that to create your dream December.
Write down how you want to feel this month. Keep it front and center.
Then make sure you are incorporating what you want into your day. That means making a plan for the day that includes the things you said you want and avoids the things you didn’t want.
Once you've filled in all these lovely little spaces and Once you've gotten clear about what you want out of December and what you don't want, … make sure that you're doing things each day from that in December.
Bio
Kelly Pietrangeli is the creator of myprojectme.com and author of the book Project Me for Busy Mothers. Kelly is on a mission to help women step out of auto-pilot and into higher levels of conscious living. As a mother herself with two teenagers, she understands the struggle with the juggle. Her website and book are a treasure trove of resources and inspiration. She also runs an online membership club called Project WE to help women who want to work on their lives alongside Kelly and a super supportive community.
Links
https://projectme.lpages.co/my-dream-december/ (Plan your dream December)
https://myprojectme.com/ (Life Wheel )
https://plansimple.lpages.co/advent-workshop/ (Mia’s Advent Calendar Making Class)
https://plansimple.lpages.co/make-today-matter/ (Mia’s Make Today Matter 5-Day Challenge)
3 doable things Assess your life. Take a few minutes and look at the different areas of your life. This doesn’t have to take long. Make it fun. Take yourself out to a cafe and give yourself a little time. Give each of the eight categories a rating of 1–10 (10 doesn’t mean perfect). Pat yourself on the back for things that are going well. Notice where you might want to shed some attention in the next month.
Pick one life area to work on. Choose one life area that could use a little attention. What’s going to make a difference here? List 1–3 things you can do to make an improvement in this area.
Plan your Dream December. Get really clear on how you want this month to feel. Know what you want more and less of. Think back to last December to learn from it. Then design a December you love (right now is a great time to be doing this work). Keep your vision front and center and use it daily to set up a plan that aligns with your vision.
Are you the planning type or a go with the flow type? It’s possible for a plan to give you more freedom.
Leonie talks about setting goals, seeing dreams, setting a vision of what you want to create, and working with the energy you have.
86% of people do not think about goals or do not set goals.
80% of people don't think about their goals at all.
16% of people will think about their goals, but never write them down.
3% of people will write their goals down
Just 1% will actually think about that goals, write them down and regularly review them.
It's that 1%, that tiny, tiny 1% that are among the most successful people in the world.
The closer you stay connected to the vision of what you want to create in your life, the faster it's going to manifest for you and you're going to keep pouring more and more energy into it.
That means your goals workbooks (however you document goals) shouldn’t be pristine. They should be dog-eared. They should feel like very like well-loved companions who are the guiding light for your journey for the next year.
You don’t have to do it all in one sitting. In fact, making a plan takes time and thought. The week before New Years and the month of January are a wonderful time to make your plan for the next year.
Dream big. We only get one round at the rodeo and it's so much more fun to be achieving your goals.
Leonie’s life and biz workbooks are an amazing way to write down those goals in a place you can keep coming back to them.
Bio
Leonie Dawson is an artist and illustrator with a $10 million business. She started her business about 10 years ago and works about 10 hours a week, leaving her time to be with and home school her two girls. She says, “We have a pretty gentle creative life together. We just spent a lot of time together and I feel really, really blessed that I've been able to have businesses that fulfilled my creative urges and more than abundantly take care of us as well."
Links:
https://leoniedawson.com/shop/ (Get Leonie’s workbooks.)
http://www.makedecembermatter.com (Get all 14 talks + planning sheets that make up the Make December Matter Experience)
3 doable actions:
Look at the past year. Look at what worked, and at what didn’t. Take time to look back and have gratitude and insight and clarity for what's happened. Understanding that is a huge piece of the puzzle to setting goals moving forward.
Make a hundred list. Make a list of 100 things you want to do in your business and in your life. It can be really hard coming up with a hundred things, which means you stretch in all different directions. It's a really exciting list to tick off.
Give yourself a deadline. You don’t have to complete your planning workbook in one sitting. Take time to do the year in review. Take time to think about the questions and dream. But give yourself a deadline. Then choose what works for you—setting aside a little time each day or doing a sprint to finish it up. But finish it … and check back regularly throughout the year.
I am kind of obsessed with this time of year — the good, the bad and all the wonderfulness in between. I think it can be magical for women, for families, for relationships, for the birth of our biggest ideas.
But it can also easily be quite the opposite.
That is the part I want to protect for both you and me, and our kids.
In today’s episode, I reflect on some of my biggest lessons learned, why I am so passionate about this time of year, and an event that I curated and is coming up in one week — Make December Matter.
I created Make December Matter so we can all make this our most magical holiday season — which leads into 2020 being a year that really stands out in our lives.
You can sign up at http://www.makedecembermatter.com/ (www.makedecembermatter.com).
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kirsten Tyrrel, an entrepreneur and podcaster and host of Marvelous Moms. One of the things that I love is that she ends each interview with the question: What makes you a marvelous mom? It catches people off guard, because we have a hard time saying what makes us marvelous moms, but we should all answer that question daily! We talk about her homeschooling her three kids. She tried it originally a couple of years ago, but realized it wasn’t working. Then she felt the urge to try again, because it felt like such a good fit with entrepreneurship—and she could take a long family vacation when everyone else was back in school. Plus it fits their free-spirited family to do a lot of immersive, exploratory learning.
Kirsten talks openly about her big dreams, including her decision to become a millionaire and an epic trip she wanted to take—and then makes them happen. She talks about pushing through places where a lot of people give up.
We talk about:
Starting from nothing and pushing through challenges and even failure
How success breed success because once you do something you have faith you can do the next thing
When people tell you things will be hard and choosing to make them easy
How much kids learn naturally when they aren’t in school
Setting boundaries, creating habits and then letting things FLOW
The power of authentic experiences and connections
BIO
Kristen is a passionate entrepreneur who calls herself a connection strategist. Through her gift and skill of connection, she has built 7 figure businesses, has a thriving network of like-minded women, and has hosted a live event with 1,000 people and celebrity keynote speakers! She’s the creator and host of The Marvelous Moms Club podcast and the Kirsten Tyrrel podcast to share even more of the behind the scenes about her business and life as a mompreneur. She’s also the mom of three beautiful, amazing children.
LINKS
https://www.kirstentyrrel.com/ (https://www.kirstentyrrel.com/)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marvelous-moms-podcast-with-kirsten-tyrrel/id1071714413 (Marvelous Moms)
http://www.marvelousmomsclub.com/ (http://www.marvelousmomsclub.com/)
https://www.instagram.com/kirstentyrrel/?hl=en (Kirsten Tyrrel Instagram)
Doable Changes from this episode:
EXPLORE THE IDEA OF EASY. Next time somebody tells you that something is going to be so hard or you feel yourself starting to fall into the mindset that something will be hard, pause. Ask, “What if this were easy?” Approach whatever it is you are doing with the idea of ease and see what falls into place.
SAY WHY YOU ARE A MARVELOUS MOM. Try answering this question every day. Say, “I’m a marvelous mom because …” It could be something you did that day or something you know or have learned about yourself. Say it aloud to yourself. There is magic in hearing it. Write it down. There is magic in that too.
STATE YOUR DREAM. Whether you share it with a podcast to millions or tell one supportive person, say your big dream aloud. Even it if’s scary or feels hard or you have no idea how to make it happen. Start by saying and owning your dream.
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Heather Maguire, about intuition. Heather is an intuitive, a medium, and the mom of two teenagers. Intuition is knowing things without thinking it out or without a known reason. Our intuition is so important but so often I hear people saying it isn’t really their thing. Heather says, “A lot of people who feel like they don’t have an intuition or they don't hear it or connect with it are people who have an idea of what it's supposed to look or sound or feel like. Part of developing your intuition or beginning to hear your intuition better is understanding what your intuition looks and sounds and feels like.”
So sometimes we don’t hear our intuition because we haven’t learned to understand our own intuition. And many of us aren’t really in tune with our bodies, which makes it harder to connect with our intuition.
We talk about:
Getting more comfortable in our bodies by regularly practicing feeling different emotions
Understanding the difference between fear and intuition
How things keep coming back to us if we don’t listen to our intuition
How doing a little less can actually help us move forward
What happens when you trust and give up the need to do everything ourselves
Using planning in a healthy way to make space for what’s important
BIO
Heather Maguire is intuitive and medium who offers private sessions, group events and workshops. Her readings provide clarity and uncover what's below the surface but impacting your daily life and your ability to accomplish your goals. Her intuitive sessions are like a comforting, therapeutic conversation that leaves you feeling safe, grounded and loved. Having been intuitive her whole life, Heather has always been fascinated by the connections between people and the conversation beneath the conversation. She enjoys helping people uncover their own intuitive abilities and believes that at the end of the day, what matters most is honoring the truth of who you are. She likes to say, "You're not broken. You're not an accident. Who you are is who you are meant to be. You have permission to love your whole self!"
LINKS
https://unconventionalintuitive.com (https://unconventionalintuitive.com)
https://thinkup.me/ (ThinkU)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRUE/NOT TRUE EXERCISE. Stand up, take a few deep breaths and clear your energy and then just start playing around. Think of things that are true and then think of things that are not true. See how your body reacts to known truths and known untruths. This will help you understand how your body reacts when you aren’t sure about things.
JOURNALING TO GET OUT OF PANIC. We use journaling for a lot of reasons. Try using it to get out of panic. Start your day by writing down all the thoughts flooding into your head. Read it through to see what you are feeding yourself. Then help the pendulum spin by writing some new thoughts.
FEEL YOUR FEELINGS. One of the big blocks to our intuition is not being in our bodies. One way to start to change this is to practice feeling our feelings. Take 10 seconds each day to fully feel your feelings (you can practice with a chosen feeling or let yourself fully feel something that comes up for you). Feel it and then move on.
As long as you take care of your health and you really try to live consciously, life just gets better and better. – Natalie Matushenko On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to have Natalie Matushenko back on the show. Natalie is a leadership coach, teacher, adventurer, and a really good friend. She’s dedicated to women living passionately, and so she’s hosting a summit on how to lead an extraordinary life when you’re over 40. I’m part of the summit and really excited today to talk to her about what she’s learned as she gets ready for it!
Natalie talks about her own journey of hormone-related issues, health scares, relationships falling apart, things that seemed OK for years suddenly not being OK … She said, “I’ve been doing personal growth for 20 years and it still felt like my entire life was turning upside down.” So she went looking for answers and talked to a lot of amazing women … and put together a summit for us.
When we talk about this time of life, being over 40, going through perimenopause, a lot of us think about hormonal fluctuations. This is real! But Natalie also links these physical changes with the soul work of asking what you need to change or let go of and really stepping into our own power.
We talk about:
Shame around getting older and why we don’t talk about what’s happening to us
Ways to balance hormones in addition to hormone therapy, like diet, meditation, and exercise
Sex drive increasing and how to take advantage of that (plus orgasms are good for you!)
How kids leaving home is a transition, but also an amazing time for you
Simple practices for raising our happiness set point, like practicing gratitude, acceptance of what is, and noticing the good things in your life and paying attention to them for 10 seconds.
Abundance, money archetypes, and how little changes in your surroundings can bring huge changes in your life
BIO
Natalie Matushenko helps soulful, ambitious and multi-passionate women uncover their purpose and start passion-driven businesses. She’s been on her own journey to explore the changes in life after 40 and brings together an amazing array of women experts in areas ranging from hormones to money to sex to beyond in the Women Living Passionately Summit. She’s the also mama to three girls.
LINKS
https://extraordinarylifeafter40.com/ref/Mia+Moran (Extraordinary Life After 40 Summit)
https://plansimplemeals.com/uncovering-purpose-with-natalie-matushenko/ (Uncovering Purpose with Natalie Matushenko)
https://www.shashisolluna.com/ (Shashi Solluna)
https://susanbratton.com/about/ (Susan Bratton)
https://plansimplemeals.com/pleasure-is-productive-with-janna-denton-howes/ (Pleasure is productive with Janna Denton-Howes)
https://plansimplemeals.com/plan-for-sex-with-caitlin-cogan-doemner/ (Plan for Sex with Caitlin Cogan Doemner)
Doable Changes from this episode:
LEARN MORE. One of the first steps to making a change is knowing your options and getting information. https://extraordinarylifeafter40.com/ref/Mia+Moran (Sign up for the Women Living Passionately Summit). There is so much good information for women over 40. Sign up, then set aside time to watch the interviews.
TAKE MINI STEPS TO HAPPINESS. Try simple, quick, throughout the day practices: express gratitude, accept what is, notice and take time (10 seconds will do it) to pay attention to the good things in your life. Identify three-five times during the day you will do this or set a reminder on your phone. Take those 10 seconds … then see if you find yourself doing more on your own.
TALK ABOUT IT. Talking about what is happening in our lives and our bodies helps us learn more and understand that it’s not just us. Topics of health and sex and our bodies have been silenced for a...
I recently ran a live event for a small group of women where we sat around my kitchen table and planned Q4 — October, November, and December. Each woman came to the table wanting to get really clear on how to finish this year in business strong.
As we went through the exercises, however, the stories we heard were about household goals, relationships that needed attention, and food habits that wanted to be cleaned up.
And sitting there, with this group of AMAZING women entrepreneurs, I was reminded of why I do what I do, and that no matter how big our goals are we need our food, our home, our relationships, and ourselves to feel nourished.
This week I have been doing a fascinating exercise myself around simplifying. I bought Courtney Carver’s course, Soulful Simplicity. As Courtney was teaching to clean out spaces, I also was prompted to clean out all my closets and the basement from my own coach.
Here’s the interesting part… every time I set my timer, leave my computer and declutter, amazing things happen in other areas of my life.
The only reason I make the time to do the work in a course or from a coach is because I make a plan. My plan gives me the structure to show up to the life I want to create — even though I may think I have better things to do than clean out a closet in the moment.
On this week’s podcast, I talk you through the process that I shared with the women at the kitchen table.
I also made you some worksheets so you have a place to answer the questions for yourself.
You can download the planning sheets here »
In case you just want the prompts for your own journal, these are the questions we answered.
I recommend setting a timer for 15 minutes for each prompt and trying to focus on the task at hand for the full 15 minutes. If 15 minutes comes and you feel incomplete, make a choice as to whether you want to set the timer once again. Know that you can feel complete with the 15 minutes.
PLANNING PROMPTS
What does your life look like 5 years from now? If you have young children I would imagine 10 years from now. Think about what a day looks like. You can reflect on what just happened and what you are looking forward to on other days, but get yourself through a whole day.
Do a masterlist, aka brain dump. This is EVERYTHING in your mind in no order and unfiltered. I need to brush my teeth. I need to buy more apples. I want to find a great skirt. I want to write a book. I need to call and make that doctor appointment. I need to organize Christmas break. I want to help my kid with that friendship. I want to renovate our third floor… you get my drift.
Decide how you want to feel this season. This season is the next 3 months — the busy fall through the holiday season. Why do you want to feel this way? What does that look like? Words are limited and loaded, so really describe this feeling (or set of feelings) for yourself.
With all of this intel in mind, decide the 4 things you are going to work on in the next 90 days. I want you to choose one thing in each FLOW category — Food and wellness, Lifestyle and family, Om (aka spirituality and self-care), and Work.
Make a one sheet. With your four goals decided. Make a one-sheet with the list of activities you need to tackle and habits you need to cultivate to move towards this vision in the next 90 days.
You’ve got this!
I ask people how much money they make, how they do it, how much money they take home and so naturally people come into my show and they tell me “I’m nervous.” – Claire Pelletreau On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with entrepreneur Claire Pelletreau, who teaches online business owners how to use Facebook and Instagram effectively for their businesses and runs the Get Paid podcast. She’s also mom to a 3 ½-year-old.
Claire isn’t shy about talking to people about money. So we dive right in about money—making it, spending it, budgeting it, and how people are nervous about talking about it. Along with that, we talk about childcare, stay at home moms and working moms, breastfeeding, and the guilt and judgment involved.
We talk about:
Choosing childcare that works for you and the outer or inner judgment about childcare
Making friends and working as forms of self-care
The pressure put on moms to breastfeed
Making decisions for your business that move you toward bigger goals and the ones that work for the immediate situation
Discomfort about talking about money and learning to deal money
Secondary infertility, depression, diet changes and how budgeting changed the mindset around IVF
BIO
Claire Pelletreau is an entrepreneur who teaches people how to run Facebook and Instagram ads for their businesses. She’s the founder of the Get Paid Podcast. She lives in Philadelphia with her three and a half-year-old daughter and her Argentine husband.
LINKS
https://clairepells.com/category/podcast/ (The Get Paid Podcast)
https://clairepells.com/ (https://clairepells.com/)
https://goop.com/the-clean-plate/ (The Clean Plate)
https://www.youneedabudget.com/ (YNAB)
Doable Changes from this episode:
OWN YOUR SELF-CARE. If you love your work and talking about work, own that. Let that be your self-care. If you feel like something else is fun or gives you joy, own that. Sometimes the definition of self-care is too narrow and we judge people for not taking care of themselves. We all have different kinds of self-care. Know what yours is.
FIND YOUR PEOPLE. People who “get it” are so important. We get to talk to them about things we love or even do things we love with them. They help and support us in what we do. Think about who in your life supports you in the different parts of your life. Who supports you in your work? In your lifestyle? As a parent? In your healthy living? Often we have different people we turn to in different parts of our lives. Look for—and connect with—your people.
DECIDE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING. Whether you use YNAB or work on budgeting on your own, try this. Know how much money is coming in. If you are an entrepreneur and it isn’t regular, start tracking so that you can see how much comes in and when and maybe notice trends. Then decide ahead of time where your money is going to go.
To go from that place of “I know” to “I actually treat my body in the way that she deserves, in the way that she really needs to be taken care of,” there’s a huge gap in there for most of us. – Nina Manolson On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m delighted to have Nina Manolson back. She’s been on the podcast twice before, and I always love talking with her. She’s a holistic health coach and health and wellness coach, and I love her approach to food and body.
We start off talking about compassionate eating and how just saying the word compassion can help you soften. But we often don’t extend compassion to ourselves, and then we add a push dynamic to our relationship with our food and our body, which leads to tightness, restriction, and striving. Compassionate eating isn’t about your eating plan … it’s about how you treat yourself with whatever you are eating.
A lot of us know what we need to do, but we get caught up in managing food and body, but the management model isn’t very successful. And what if you don’t know what you should be eating? It comes back to compassion and listening to yourself and what you need.
We talk about:
Living “next door to your body” and how living in your body helps you learn what you need
Getting support to learn to interpret what our body is trying so hard to tell us
Recognizing that some experiences don’t serve us—even if they might seem healthy on the surface (Nina shares her conclusions about a rock climbing trip that wasn’t serving her)
Being body current—responding to the body you have now, not the one you want to have next summer or the one you had back before kids or 30 years ago
Hormonal changes, how our body is always changing
Developing a compassionate relationship with yourself and quieting your “mean mirror” voice
BIO
Nina Manolson is a certified holistic health coach, a board-certified health & wellness coach, a certified Psychology of Eating Coach and Teacher, and she has a masters in counseling psychology. She is passionate about helping women end their food and body struggles and begin healthy, vibrant living that becomes a habit and easily fits into their busy lives.
LINKS
http://ninamanolson.com/body-thing/ (We Got The Body Thing Wrong)
http://ninamanolson.com/compassionateeating/?referrals=10 (Compassionate Eating Course)
https://plansimplemeals.com/get-along-with-your-body-with-nina-manolson/ (Get Along With Your Body with Nina Manolson)
https://plansimplemeals.com/ninamanolson/ (Eating on Purpose with Nina Manolson)
https://plansimplemeals.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-nina-manolson/ (A Day in the Life of Nina Manolson)
https://plansimplemeals.com/recipes/nina-decadent-dandy-drink/ (Nina’s Decadent Dandy Drink)
Doable Changes from this episode:
LISTEN TO YOUR “MEAN MIRROR” VOICE. To start being more compassionate with yourself, start simply by listening to the conversation that is currently going on with you and your body. Notice that conversation and put a label on it: “Oh, that’s my inner critic” or “That’s my mean mirror voice.” We need to hear that voice so that we can start to cultivate a voice of compassion or kindness toward ourselves.
CALL YOUR BODY BY A LOVING NAME. To get into a relationship with your body, stop referring to your body as It. Start talking to yourself kindly, using the word darling or lovey or some other name you’d use with someone you love.
ASK: WOULD I SAY THAT TO SOMEBODY ELSE. When you find yourself talking critically to yourself, ask, “Would I say that to my daughter?” or “Would I say that to a friend?” or “What would I do if I heard somebody else say that to my daughter or a friend?” Use those cues to help you find a kinder way to talk to yourself.
We are so distracted by what we think we should be doing, what we think we should be accomplishing, what we think we should be creating. We’re just so off-center from what’s most important. – Elena Lipson On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk about taking care of yourself with Elena Lipson, a coach, speaker, and retreat leader who helps women stop putting themselves second to everyone and everything in their lives.
We talk about the difference between work-life balance and work-family balance. The second so often takes you out of the picture completely. So many women say, “I just don’t have time to take care of myself.” It’s not that we don’t know what to do, it’s that we have a hard time prioritizing — and recognizing that balance isn’t stable, it moves back and forth like a pendulum.
Another way to think about balance is not to think about everything being equal, but to think about how things feel. Are they fulfilling? Are you giving attention to the things you want to give attention to? Elena says, “You’re actually course correcting all the time. That is the best description of entrepreneurship and motherhood and womanhood and life. You’re constantly course-correcting based on what is feeling really fulfilling right. What do I need to put my attention to.”
We talk about:
Putting your top priority on the calendar first
Delegating things that get in the way of your top priority
The idea of daily alignment, which may mean putting attention to different places or including different things in your life day by day, and also checking in with yourself daily to see if what you are doing feels right
Having a criteria to help you make decisions and say no—and modeling how you use family criteria in decision making
Elena’s HOME acronym (Health crisis, Overwhelmed, Motherhood, Entrepreneurship) and how your choices lead to repercussions through all aspects of your life, including your body
What self-care really is
The importance of moving your body first thing in the day
BIO
Elena Lipson is a Divine Self-Care Mentor, speaker, transformational coach and retreat leader. She’s also the creator of The Divine Self-Care Circle, a year-long journey for women who are ready to say YES to igniting their divine feminine and dropping the hustle in exchange for creating a life they love with ease and grace. Elena works with incredible women all over the world to help them become the #1 asset in their life, business and the bedroom. Elena helps women reconnect to their intuition and re-claim their voice.
LINKS
http://www.elenalipson.com/ (www.elenalipson.com)
https://elenalipson.mykajabi.com/p/divineselfcarecircle (The Divine Self-Care Circle)
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elena_lipson/ (elena_lipson)
Elena’s http://www.elenalipson.com/podcast/ (podcast)
https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382 (Essentialism )by Greg McKeown
http://theyearofyesbook.com/ (Year of Yes) by Shonda Rhimes
Doable Changes from this episode:
MOVE YOUR BODY FIRST. Elena encourages people to move their body first thing every morning. We know that movement has health benefits, but moving your body also gets you out of your head (and our of the habit of scrolling through your messages and social media). Take a walk. Do some yoga. Dance. See what happens when you start your day with movement.
CALENDAR YOUR TOP PRIORITY FIRST. Do you put all your work dates and times on your calendar first? What would happen if you started with your priorities—the things you really wanted to make time for? Whether it is being there for your kid’s events, family dinner, or a project that lights you up every day, put it on your calendar first. Then...
Agile is all about flexibility, reevaluation and inspecting and adapting what we’re doing. That’s the agile mindset and I bring that philosophy into my family. – Stacey Ackerman On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Stacey Ackerman, the founder of Agilify Training, about Scrum. Not sure what that is? Don’t worry! Neither did I until very recently … and then I couldn’t wait to learn more.
Scrum is a management framework based on collaboration and teamwork, focus and getting things done in small iterative ways. The goal is to get things out quickly, get feedback and make a change. Stacey is a scrum coach in the corporate world but has also used the framework in her home life. One of the key things is to get all the players involved. That means getting your kids involved in the process if you are using Scrum at home instead of just dictating their jobs.
Stacey talks about how the process has changed as they use it more and more. She talks about getting her kids involved in the planning and using it as a way to increase responsibility and accountability for chores before fun.
We talk about:
Trello as a tool to organize home and work tasks
Friday planning sessions and Monday check ins with an accountability partner
The idea of timeboxing—giving yourself a certain amount of time to focus and get something done
Having fewer tasks going at once for greater productivity
Sprint reviews and retrospectives—meetings or ceremonies at the end of a sprint
Creating a backlog—all the things that have to happen—and prioritizing
BIO
Stacey Ackerman is the founder of Agilify Training. She’s a coach and trainer with a background in marketing. She became passionate about agile as a better way to work in 2012 when she experimented with it for an ad agency client. Since then she has been a Scrum Master, agile coach and has helped with numerous agile transformations with teams across the globe. She’s also a speaker and mom to three kids.
LINKS
https://agilifytraining.com/ (https://agilifytraining.com/)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPL9w1o9j1yaj95Cp7wdrag (Agile for Marketers) on YouTube
https://agilifytraining.com/blog/ (Agile for Marketer) blog
https://www.greenlightcard.com/ (Greenlight)
https://trello.com/ (Trello)
https://backlog.com/ (Backlog)
http://plansimple.com/flow365 (FLOW365)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CREATE A HOME BACKLOG. Have a family meeting and create a backlog (a list of all the things that need to happen) for either the things it takes to run your household or for a specific project (a move, a vacation, etc.). Pull out the sticky notes and get everyone’s ideas. You can then prioritize and assign tasks to different people.
TIMEBOX. Take a look at your list of things to do. Choose one important task for this week. Mark off on your calendar when you will do it, including how long you have to work on it. When the time comes, turn off all distractions. Focus on the task at hand and get it done.
DO A SPRINT RETROSPECTIVE. When a sprint is done, stop and look at how it worked out. Use the information from this retrospective to make adjustments going forward. For example, look at the chores assigned to your kids. Were they too difficult? Did they have too much to do? Do they need more guidance or different tools to accomplish those chores going forward? Make adjustments as needed.
Learning to pay attention to the lunar cycles helps us pay attention to ourselves, which helps us hear intuitively. – Sara Walka On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Sara Walka, the head magic maker and founder of The Sisters Enchanted, about moon cycles, intuition, cards, and other tools.
Intrigued by tarot since she was 15, Sara has been following an intuitive path for the past 20 years. Leaning into her intuition led her to quit her job as a candy sales rep, go to graduate school, become an educational consultant, and then eventually to start The Sisters Enchanted. We talk about letting intuition guide us.
And then we talk about lunar cycles and ebb and flow. So often we fight against a cycle, feeling like we need to keep doing things all the time. Sara talks about recognizing the changes in the sky and in our own energy and how we can learn to pause and not feel bad about doing that. I love that she says this from her knowledge of the lunar cycles and ackowledges that as a mom and a business owner, it can be challenging to let ourselves do that. But it starts with awareness.
We talk about:
Finding and using the energy periods within a cycle – and then resting (the full moon or the new moon tend to be intense periods for different people)
How those pauses help us to hear what our bodies and intuition are telling us
How to use lunar cycles whether or not your own cycle lines up and the benefits of tracking both cycles and your energy
Looking at other cycles, like the 24-hour day learning what part of the day feels more energetic and which part feels slower and then combining this knowing with what you know about the 28-day lunar cycle
Oracle cards and pendulums as tools to help us hear our intuition
How emotional attachment related to having kids can get in the way of our intuition
BIO
Sara WalkaLunar is the head magic maker and founder of The Sisters Enchanted. She makes magic mainstream and helps people magnify their magic, stretch their soul, and learn to love their life and themselves. The Sisters Enchanted strives to spread magic, optimism, and spirituality to an increasingly chaotic world through monthly membership programs, free Facebook group, and courses. She’s the mom to a five-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son, and currently can usually be found at home with her kids in Connecticut or cultivating communities on the internet.
LINKS
https://thesistersenchanted.com/ (thesistersenchanted.com)
The Sisters Enchanted on https://web.facebook.com/thesistersenchanted (Facebook)
The Sisters Enchanted on https://www.instagram.com/the_sisters_enchanted (Instagram)
The Sisters Enchanted on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCADT28S-fnH2FErE7CC0XIw (YouTube)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRACK YOUR ENERGY. Start noticing and tracking your energy. Write down how you feel at different times of the day and throughout the 28-day lunar cycle. You can find a lunar calendar online to help you find when the moon is full, new, or at any other stage. You may want to track your energy during your own menstrual cycle too, whether or not it matches up with the lunar cycle. Starting to see patterns may take some time, but try simply getting into the habit of awareness and tracking.
WRITE IT DOWN. Writing down the thoughts that seem crazy or like, “Why am I thinking this?” Then circling back later in the day to see what happened, what you noticed, how you felt, or what you realized.
PULL AN ORACLE CARD. There are oracle decks for every one. Find one that speaks to you. Then pull a card first thing in the morning. See how it plays out for you throughout the day. Does it help you hear and trust your intuition a little more?
When the going gets tough. We hide. Well, I don’t know about you but I do… When we make changes in our lives it can feel strange to us, our families and our friends. Others may resist our changes because they feel threatened. They wonder if you are judging them. They don’t want to change or even think that they might have to. They are uncomfortable when you don’t do the things you always did before. As humans, we are not programmed to love change, so this is totally normal. It’s hard to stick to our changes when we are getting disapproval or too many questions or enticements to do what everyone else is doing and just fit in. But you can do it. With your why, a plan, and a little accountability and support you can do it.
5 Steps to Make the Change You Crave Here’s what you need to get through the discomfort to stick with the changes you crave.
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Accept that change is hard and feel OK with change. Do one doable change at a time. Know your big why. When I made my big change to lose weight, it was really about having energy. I didn’t know how to cook, but I did what was doable. For me, it was making 5 not-even recipes day after day until I got the energy. Then I learned how to cook. Then I was able to integrate healthy eating into our family. But it all happened by committing to what felt doable. What is doable to you is different from what is doable for other people.
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Keep it super simple. Big change can feel overwhelming, that why here at Plan Simple, we focus on One Doable change at a time. I like to look at Doable Changes as experiments. Lean into one change at a time and see how it feels. We include ideas for doable changes at the end of every https://plansimplemeals.com/podcast/ (podcast) or get a 101 https://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (Doable Changes) for different areas of your life. (Just remember to focus on one at a time.)
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Recall what works regularly. Write down what you are grateful for. Write down the “magic moments”—those times when what we need comes to us when we make choices and take actions to move toward our goals. It helps us block out what other people think and focus on what is working. It also helps us quiet our own mind from telling us we are crazy for doing this. Write down the shifts. Write down the ways life is getting better. Learn to notice the magic. Write it down. Look back at that when it feels hard. Keep going.
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Don’t lecture, just lead. When you start to make amazing changes in your life, people notice. They notice your glow or your energy or how organized your house is or how unflustered you seem all the time. People start to ask questions. We want others to feel amazing too, and sometimes our response comes out as a lecture or judgey way: You need to give up gluten or commit to yoga or stop overscheduling your kids or set regular work hours …
Instead, be a walking example. Bring a gluten-free treat to a party so that people can love what you love instead of notice what you aren’t doing. Live your calm or your energy or your joy … whatever good comes up for you.
- Find accountability. Not everybody will be ready for the changes you are making. Having like-minded people to talk to when things get hard and to hold you accountable can make all the difference. You may find these people at your school, in a moms group, or in Facebook groups. Check-in weekly just to tell someone what you are planning to do — from not yelling at the kids to eating more kale to finishing the presentation that you are working on—and then check in to say how it went.
If you want to look at your life holistically and make big changes, FLOW 365 might be just what you are looking for. We mix big vision goal setting, planning around your cycles, resources to help you keep moving forward with regular support and accountability. Check it out here...
You know what you want. You crave big change, but you can’t seem to get there or even gain momentum toward the life you really want. We’re going to look at three blocks to making a change, and more importantly, what you can do about it.
Block 1: We fill our calendars. We see an empty hour and we say yes to a playdate. We see an empty day and we say yes to volunteering all day at our kids' school. We see an empty weekend and say yes to the birthday party, the show, and the neighborhood cookout.
Work ends at 5, we run to get kids by 6:00 we need dinner on the table by 6:10 for the rest of our evening to work. We don’t make time for the things we say we want to do. We literally schedule ourselves out of our own lives.
Let’s change that.
Build in space. Go through your calendar and schedule space — ramp up and ramp down time, blocks of nothing gets scheduled time, transportation time, 10-year plan time. Get really real about how long things take.
Make time for the important things. If you really want to eat better, schedule time to meal plan and prep. If you want to write a book, put that time on your calendar and hold it sacred. Put it on your calendar so you don’t fill that space with the things that don’t matter.
Commit to one doable change at a time. Big changes happens as small actions we take again and again. You aren’t going to lose 65 lbs in a day. You won’t write your book by the end of this week or have meditation part of your morning routine overnight. Set yourself up—in your calendar—to make one change. Set aside 5 minutes to meditate every morning next week. Set your alarm. Get up. Do it. Plan your meals. Stick to the plan. See what happens when you set yourself up to move toward your goals. Really fit it in your change. Feel curious. Maybe even have some fun.
Block 2: Our calendar system limits us Do you keep all the parts of your life separate? Kid rosters are stuck on the fridge. Your meal plan is on a chalk board in your kitchen. Appointments and work show up on your phone. But everything is separate and all over the place.
We’re reacting to what’s coming in and not what’s going on big picture.
Let’s change that.
We need a plan that has the whole picture in it. We need a plan that honors our seasons and cycles. Plan for the next 90-day season. What pieces of your big plan can you work on during those 90 days?
But when we look at this, we need to look at our lives holistically. That’s why I created the FLOW process. FLOW stands for:
Food
Lifestyle
Om (selfcare and down time)
Work
What do you need to focus on in this season to work toward this life you crave? Maybe you are focused on one category right now, but often categories affect each other. Making a choice has magic in it. One member of FLOW365 was working on a big change at work, but she kept coming up against barriers. She decided to focus on clearing clutter at home for the next 90 days, and as she did so, the work stuff fell into place.
Trust that you are going to live in this bigger way of living and that what you choose now to move you forward has less pressure.
Block 3: It’s hard to be different. It is hard to be different. We don’t have a blueprint for parenting, for entrepreneurship, for so many of the things we want in our lives. We get input from the media, from our community, from the Internet … we don’t even hear what we want.
I hear this a lot around food changes. “I feel good when I don’t have all the sugar” or “I want to go gluten-free” but how do I go the party or have dinner out?
Let’s change that.
Put your big why someplace you can see it regularly. Let your why to pull you forward instead of feeling like you are constantly pushing to make a change.
We’ll talk a lot more about this block in the next post: Make Big
Overwhelm does not happen because our to-do list is miles long. Our to-do list is always going to be miles long! Overwhelm happens when what we are doing — what we are choosing to check-off from our to-do list — differs dramatically from what our heart knows will lead us to our ideal life. Let me give you a small example that I hear a lot: I don’t have time to exercise.I can’t find a consistent time. I am always in my car driving kids to soccer, ballet, and play dates. There is just no time, and I am exhausted.
In this case, your body literally knows it needs exercise to be its best, yet you are paying attention to all the things that you added to your list because you thought you had to.
I could tell you that I have friends like https://plansimplemeals.com/daimanuel/ (Dai Manuel) who could give you easy 20 minute workouts you can do at home or https://plansimplemeals.com/catherinebasu/ (Catherine Basu) who has personal trainers that work with you through your computer screen. But you might raise other obstacles that are driven by overwhelm or the things you think you have to / should do.
Your overwhelm triggers might be different. It might be that you are always tired and you cannot sleep. It might be that you are always with kids so you cannot get your work done. It might be that there is never enough time to make healthy dinners. Or it might be that you are always working so you feel like your family and home are falling apart.
What I have found over and overworking with women is that we can only change our habits when we change our perception of time and our perceived limits that time brings into our lives.
I want to offer you 3 ideas and some tools that go with each that might help.
3 Steps to Ditch Overwhelm and Feel Great First, let me tell you a bit about my obstacle 10 years ago. I had a perfect life on paper, but I was exhausted and very overwhelmed. In a total breakdown moment, I was able to pinpoint that I was 65 pounds heavier than I had ever been, always had a coffee in hand to get me through the day, and operated in survival mode most of the time. I always felt short on energy and time, and was at my wits end by the time I was supposed to get dinner on the table.
One day, seeing the huge stack of coffee cups on my desk, I decided I needed to change. I made the decision to feel great. I believed it was possible. I found support. I took action one doable change at a time. I now have the tools to be the best I can in every one of my roles, every day. It all starts with knowing what you want.
Know what you want When you know what you want, you can choose things on your list that align with what you want and say no to what is totally misaligned. That might mean delayed gratification as you move toward a larger 10-year vision. For me, it meant getting really clear on https://plansimplemeals.com/family-brand/ (family values)—my own values, my spouses, and what we believed together. These things help us make decisions about what we take and leave. Get your planning sheets for what you want here.
What will it feel like when you get what you want? This is like the imaginary play you did when you were young. Maybe you haven’t exercised your imagination lately, but this is a great way to do it. See yourself living the life you want. Is there a word that comes to mind? A smell? A memory?
We can feel the finished result before we experience it, and that can help us stay the course to get there. Try writing out what you want as if it has already happened. I exercise daily and I have so much energy. We enjoy healthy, delicious dinners every night and feel nourished by the food and connection. Whatever your vision, write it out as a done deal.
Understand and learn how to honor your different cycles We are expected to live in a go go go environment, always doing,...
I realize how much I love and crave planning ... It helps me be all what I want to be and get things done … It doesn't mean everything gets crossed off the list that day, … but it will get moved to the next day and the next day until it is done. – Carrie Allen On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Carrie Allen, about how she finds flow between a full-time, high-level job that includes lots of travel, four kids and a new husband, and running her own business. While Carrie always seemed to “get things done,” she’s learned during her time in http://plansimplemeals.com/flow365 (FLOW365) to find more balance between different parts of her life.
The http://plansimplemeals.com/flow365 (FLOW planning system) helped her to be more mindful. She learned that she could care about food, self-care, lifestyle, family and work without being a workaholic. She learned to think about seasons and what she wanted things to look and feel like. She started blocking time for the things she wanted, and she started to feel more well-rounded.
We also talked about her moving from a very masculine view of time that fit with her corporate job to a different kind of rhythm.
We talk about:
Meal rhythms as a way of planning
Knowing what’s for dinner as a tool
The importance of family mealtime and how that can help you balance other things
How leaning into your dreams or doing something creative can be self-care
Writing lists, meditation, and other ways to get grounded—and what we can do when we get quiet and grounded
How having a plan doesn’t mean everything gets checked off the list every day, but you can keep moving toward your goals
BIO
Carrie Allen founded August Table with her husband Krister to inspire people to connect with friends and loved ones for meaningful conversations around a table. They are passionate about beautiful design, eating delicious healthy food, and connecting with loved ones around the table. August Table features hand block printed linens for your table, your kitchen and you. In addition to running August Table, Carrie runs the corporate innovation program at the Cambridge Innovation Center. She has four kids ages 13–21.
LINKS
https://augusttable.com/ (August Table)
https://www.instagram.com/plansimplemeals/?hl=en (Plan Simple Meals Instagram)
https://www.today.com/style/celebrate-kathie-lee-s-last-week-today-her-favorite-things-t151250 (August Table on the Today Show site)
Doable Changes from this episode:
BLOCK TIME. Choose one thing you want to do—meditate in the morning, take time to meal plan, rest, do a creative project. Block out time on your calendar to do that thing. Even if you are only meditating for 5 minutes, block out that time.
MAKE A MEAL RHYTHM. Instead of trying to come up with a new meal every single night, set up a rhythm that makes it easier to make a meal plan. For example, make every Monday bean night and Tuesday grain bowl night and Wednesday soup night. Having a rhythm makes meal planning and decision making easier. Once you have a rhythm set up, start with what you already know you like. From there you can experiment with new recipes — or just keep going with what you know.
CHOOSE ONE FOCUS. There are so many things we want to do—work ideas, home projects, family adventures, health needs … It’s easy to lose focus and not make progress on anything. For the next season (90 days), choose one focus. For Carrie, it was healing her foot and ankle. It could be to launch a new product. It could be to sell your house or declutter the basement. It could be to feel better in your body by eating better and moving. Let any other goals and actions flow around your core focus. What will you focus on this season? Write it down. Tell somebody who will...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m talking with Paul Salter, a registered dietician whose mission is to help people break free of poor relationships with the scale, food or feeling trapped in the cycle of weight loss and regain. We start with the problem of girls starting to diet as early as 5 and 6 and being taught so young that being thin is essential. And yet, my food story starts with weight loss, with losing the 85 pounds I was carrying from pregnancy. Paul talks about the scale as one marker of progress, but that it isn’t always the right marker and shouldn’t be the only one. Energy can become a powerful marker instead.
Then we dive into why dieting doesn’t work. How we don’t think about what or how we’ll eat after our diet or cleanse ends. Short plans—usually 30 to 90 days—are designed to make you feel successful. You feel like you can do it, knowing it will end, but when it does end and the plan doesn’t fit with your lifestyle, you don’t know what to do. We need to find a sustainable plan for our food.
We talk about:
Keystone habits, things we do that have the biggest return on investment, such as meal planning and meal prep
Getting clear on your foundational foods—your 4–5 main staple food groups that you need every day—making a list of foods you know you like and make you feel your best, and flexing what and when you eat around your foundational foods
How to get past the noise to know what to eat. For everyone, that’s wholesome nutrient-dense foods and then paying attention to what doesn’t sit well with you
The “what the hell” phenomenon and ways to reframe to get overall or nothing/black or white thinking when it comes to food
Two ways to handle feeling weird about food choices at family or social events
Training your brain to scout the positives by writing down a non-scale related victory each night
Having an after-action plan for when you get off track
BIO
He's obsessed with helping men and women who have a history of yo-yo dieting develop the mindset and behaviors essential to achieving long-term weight maintenance and he takes great pride in his ability to provide impactful education, resources, and support to help you do just that.
The past few years, he's worked one-on-one with more than 1,000 men and women, helping them to transform their lives while collectively losing tens of thousands of pounds of body fat.
He's served as a Sports Nutrition Consultant for the prestigious Renaissance Periodization, a lecturer in the Health Sciences Department at Northern Arizona University, as the Nutrition Editor for Bodybuilding.com, and as a Sports Dietitian for IMG Academy.
LINKS
https://thepaulsalter.com/start-here/?fbclid=IwAR1SS-I5EGDEqnr9HuH7hNtqJx0t0vD2PEnwPD9sAkf4sYSQ3LQIhG-YeKg (Thepaulsalter.com)
https://www.instagram.com/paulsaltercoaching/ (Paul on Instagram)
https://www.youtube.com/c/paulsaltercoaching (Paul on Youtube)
https://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Show with Sarah Jenks)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CULTIVATE A VISION. The first step is to cultivate a vision of what you want your future relationship with food and the scale to look like. Answer questions like What does my social or dining out lifestyle look like? How many times do I want to spend having meals out or tending social gatherings with your family? How many times do I want to work out in a week regardless of the form of exercise that you choose? Having a clear, detailed vision is necessary to taking action steps to move in the direction you want to go.
WRITE DOWN WINS. Each night before bed, write down one non-scale victory or positive. It could be related to your workout, the way you feel, the way you felt wearing a certain outfit, your energy of the day,...
On this episode of the Plan SimplePodcast, I’m so excited to talk with Tess Masters, aka The Blender Girl. Tess is all about the perfect blend, our own personal mix of different notes and philosophies, culture, work, love and relationships, hobbies and literally food that make our perfect blend in health and happiness. Oh, and she believes food needs to pull us in at a glance and be mind-blowingly good. Tess talks about her food philosophy and how she came to love blending. One of the biggest takeaways? Bringing joy back into the mix. Tess went from evangelizing one way of eating over another to “coming at health and nutrition and food from a place of abundance and joy rather than depletion.” When she started focusing on all the incredible things that she could do as opposed to all the things I couldn’t eat or couldn’t do or whatever, everything changed.
Tess isn’t just the blender girl. She an actress too and travels a lot. And since travel and summer barbecues (or winter holidays or this week’s birthday party, or pick your reason) are two of the big challenges I hear people talk about when it comes to eating food that serves you, we talk about that too, and she shares her tips on eating and feeling great when traveling.
We talk about:
Blender recipes that get self-proclaimed meat lovers to crave mushroom stroganoff, green hating kids to eat kale smoothies, and everyone to swoon over cauliflower, and the alchemy of flavors you can get when you blend that you can’t get other ways (hint, try red pepper and strawberry)
Why it’s worth investing in a high power blender (and the fact that any blender is better than no blender)
The sachets Tess carries on a plane—what’s in them and how they help keep her feeling good
Bringing something you can eat to events—and choosing what you will eat to be part of a celebration
The importance of staying hydrated, when we travel and in general to support our eating decisions
How to handle questions about what you are eating/not eating (because sometimes it’s what other people think that keeps us from eating in a way that gives us joy)
Ways to get kids to eat healthily… including changing tastes and getting them involved
BIO
Tess Masters is an actor, voice-over artist, and a food fanatic. She went to a naturopath in her teens because of extreme lethargy and learned that she is gluten and dairy intolerant. That led her to explore how food affects us. She tried pretty much everything: vegetarian, vegan, raw foods, Ayurvedic philosophy, Chinese yin and yang, alkalinity, Body Ecology anti-candida principles, blood-group strategies, and zillions of green smoothies … One day her dad asked if she was having fun. That was a turning point to getting more intuitive with her eating, to cherry-picking from different plans to find what works for her. And Blender Girl was born. She started blending foods, finding new combinations, and sharing her amazing recipes to help others find their flexible wellness plan.
LINKS
https://www.theblendergirl.com/ (The Blender Girl)
http://thedecadentdetox.com (TheDecadentDetox.com)
https://www.theblendergirl.com/products/ (Cookbooks by Tess)
https://www.theblendergirl.com/recipe/tastes-like-ice-cream-kale-smoothie/ (Taste-Like-Ice-Cream Kale Smoothie)
https://www.theblendergirl.com/recipe/creamy-vegan-cauliflower-soup/ (Cauliflower Soup)
https://www.theblendergirl.com/recipe/mushroom-stroganoff/ (Mushroom Stroganoff)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY A BLENDER RECIPE. If you think healthy food can’t really taste all that good or that your husband won’t eat or your kids will say, yuck, try a delicious recipe that is also healthy. We’ve included 3 of Tess’s favorite, yummy recipes in the links—or check out her website or cookbooks for...
“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his [or her] freedom.” - Bob Dylan I’ve been thinking about freedom today for a number of reasons – it was just Independence Day in the US, I recently visited my 101-year-old grandmother who still lives independently, and I had a two-week road trip with my family while still coaching the members of FLOW365.
I want to share what I thought freedom was, what I have come to learn it to be – and how I practice making choices on a daily basis to experience freedom.
For a long time, I thought freedom meant buying whatever I wanted, doing what I wanted when I wanted, and eating everything in sight. Sometimes it felt good, but more often than not my desires were based on other people’s agendas. I needed to reconsider freedom.
I started paying really close attention to all the people in my life over the past few years — guests I interview here, coaches I have hired, colleagues I respect, my grandmother, Oprah, Brene Brown — I am so curious how each person finds their version of freedom.
I want to pass on some of my biggest lessons about freedom today. I don’t have all the answers. I come from many years of bad habits and limiting beliefs, so these are all things I experiment with and practice on a daily basis.
Freedom is saying no to foods and substances that don’t serve me. Who knew? I get asked all the time if I feel left out at parties when a cake comes out in its full dairy and gluten glory. (For those of you who are new to my world, I have chosen not to eat those things.) The truth is that it may have been hard at first, but 10 years in, I choose the energy, good-health, and waistline that come with eating what I know serves me. I never knew in my 20s that I had the freedom and choice to feel well all the time.
My latest “no” has been to alcohol. A few months ago, I realized that even though I was not consuming that much alcohol, I would grab a glass of wine at the end of the day so I could feel fun in a moment when I was feeling exhausted. I realized that I had stripped myself of the freedom to be fun or admit I needed to go to bed. This change has not been easy — trips, weddings, holidays all draw me towards wine bottles, but it has been a really important experiment in finding “my fun.” And I have to say, a mere 90 days in, it feels so freeing knowing that I can be fun all on my own.
Freedom is deciding, making a plan and sticking to it. Not everyone gets this point because it seems counter-intuitive. Eating junk food every day is not freedom, because though it is fine today (after a little tummy ache maybe), it may catch up with you later.
The same is true about exercise, sleep, and water. If any of these things aren’t optimal for a day, it’s not a huge deal. But put that on repeat and you have a problem. After too little sleep for a week, a month, 3 months, you will not have your best ideas and you are more likely to get the cold your kid brings home. On the other side, FLOW365ers continually report the freedom they experience from meal planning – the time saved, the worry averted, the kids who eat more variety than ever, how easy the kitchen becomes.
Planning does not mean you are rigid and never do anything on a whim. It means you have set great boundaries, so you know when to say yes and no, and when you say yes to something out of the ordinary it feels great. When I don’t plan, there are many yeses that feel bad. I think it is the uncertainty of really knowing whether I have the time and space to do that thing and live into my ideal life at the same time. If I slip into not planning or not following through with my plans, I turn into martyr mom. I carefully planned my last trip with my family down to New Orleans. I included time to spend with my grandmother, time to spend with family and friends, time to visit our favorite eating spots. My grandmother...
"Technology is distracting us all the time. It’s incredibly effective ... because the people that are designing these apps understand how our brains work better than we do." – Sharon Maxwell On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Chelsea and Sharon Maxwell, an amazing mother-daughter duo. Sharon Maxwell is a clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience. Chelsea has a masters in education and has been working with her mom for 5 years to bring information about sexuality in the digital age to families and schools—and a larger message about navigating parenting in the digital age.
I first met Sharon about 7 or 8 years ago when she spoke at my son’s school about talking to your kids about sex. (It starts earlier than you think!) Since then, I feel like so much has changed. Sharon believes that we have less control over the environment our kids are in on a daily basis: “If you want to be the person that acculturates your child and give them what your values are as a family, your capacity to do that has diminished.”
Sharing values is really important because it affects how we approach all kinds of questions. One of the ways Sharon and Chelsea like to frame this discussion is with the phrase, In our family, so In our family, we believe that ..., in our family we think this is what’s important … Beyond values, it’s important for kids to understand how their brain works and how apps and other technology are designed to manipulate them.
We talk about:
Talking with teens about ways in which technology is actually manipulating how you spend your time and how you think about very important issues.
Understanding how your brain works, so you can understand why it’s hard to stop playing a game or disengage from devices
Learning to exercise self-control, including tools like what to do with the energy of wanting something
Phones and other technology as a distraction from doing hard things and the effect on developmental milestones—and how parents use these things as distraction too
Teaching kids to use technology, the same way you would teach them to drive a car
Being a creator, not just a consumer
Talking with your kids about values, specifically around entertainment, information, and communication
BIO
Sharon Maxwell, Ph.D., is a psychologist, author, and educator. She’s a a practicing clinical psychologist, specializing in adolescent and family therapy. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Talk: A Breakthrough Guide to Raising Healthy Kids in an Oversexualized, Online, In-your-face World, and is currently working on a new book with her daughter Chelsea about raising healthy and responsible kids in a media-driven culture. She and Chelsea bring her Sexual Health and Responsibility Curriculum, to public and independent schools.
Chelsea Maxwell, Ed.M., is a learning designer and educator. After receiving her BA from Vassar college, Chelsea specialized in curriculum development as well as technology and innovation at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently focused on educating students about healthy relationships. Bringing years of experience as a director of mentoring for children and teens, Chelsea creates interactive and dynamic learning experiences for students of all ages. She has begun developing a series of online courses and is working with her mother, Dr. Sharon Maxwell on a book about raising healthy and responsible kids in a media-driven culture.
LINKS
http://www.maxwelled.com (www.maxwelled.com)
https://scratch.mit.edu/ (Scratch)
Doable Changes from this episode:
DON’T AVOID UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS. For one week, pay attention to when you turn to your phone to avoid uncomfortable situations. That may checking messages instead of talking to other parents at pick up, or...
We have different energies at different times of year, at different times of the month, at different times of the day.... Every day can look a little bit different and you can start to learn what that might be as you’re planning in advance. On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk about planning your week, and the weekly 3 for moms. As I get ready for another year of FLOW 365 and prep changes for the next round of the FLOW Planner, I’m thinking a lot about how I plan and why it matters. I am also gathering as much of the science behind planning as I can.
As we shift into summer, I’m thinking about setting up for a summer that feels good for my whole family. I recently did a whole series on summer planning. If you missed the planning sheets, you’ll find the link below.
Planning the summer can help you have the summer you want, but it’s important to think about each week too! I’ve been reading Michael Hyatt’s Free to Focus, and I really recommend it, but … there’s a lot of masculine energy around it. Based on my own experience of finetuning how I plan and helping so many women plan their days, weeks, and seasons to get more of the life they want, I’m sharing some of his ideas with my own tweaks.
Planning Your Week Steps
First, I’ll say that I love to plan on Fridays. Michael Hyatt says he usually plans on Friday, Sunday, or Monday morning. For me, Friday works best. It gives you the weekend to prep for the week and set up and support you need.
Find your magic moments Michael talks about wins, but in the FLOW process, we find the magic moments each day—in all the areas of our life.
Review your week Analyze how things went. See what you can learn. Get curious instead of judgemental. Again, look at the whole picture of your life—your work, your family, your food, your self-care ...
Make a master list Michael talks about reviewing your list and notes. This step in the FLOW process is Masterlist. It is therapeutic to get everything out of your head onto paper. Plus once things are on paper, you stop using up brain space holding on to it and you have it in a format where others can see it, whether for accountability or support or whatever. There’s also another step that matters—a process for reviewing that list and crossing things off or saying no to things that don’t serve you and your goals right now.
Check your goals, projects, events, meetings, and deadlines We’ll talk about how Michael presents this … and a more female version based on different types of cycles.
Set your 3 Big Rocks One of the key things here is to remember that some of your big 3 might be about work, but some might be about family or home. We set ourselves up for more success and feeling better when we look at our life as a whole. That also means leaning into our own cycles of when things get done.
Plan your rejuvenation This is step 6 for Michael, and it’s an important one. For me, there is certainly a need to plan for rejuvenation—in the FLOW process, there is a whole strand called OM, which is about spirituality and self-care and downtime. But part of the planning process is also about understanding the ebbs and flows of your energy, throughout your day, your monthly cycle, or the seasons of the year.
I really loved reading Free to Focus for the process, but also to really highlight for me some of the ways that my FLOW process really fits for women and moms.
I love seeing what happens when women embrace the planning process and get the support and accountability they need to make big changes. And those changes are so different—getting a huge project done or getting more sleep at night have big impact. I’ve interviewed four of the amazing women from FLOW 365, and you can hear their thoughts on the process and program and the...
I’m not interested in the sort of practices that serves as an escape from life or my humanity. I want to deepen into connection with my life and my humanity. – Robin Sandomirsky On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Robin Sandomirsky, who I find guru-esque, and she’s taught me to be present. I’ve learned so many tools from her and as we tap into our OM, I think she can help us in so many ways.
We start out talking about what a spiritual practice even means … or if that’s the best way to say it. Robin likes the term awareness practice or simply being. Because both of these things can feel hard when you are a busy being a mom and working or running a business, we dig a little deeper into that this looks like. Robin finds ways to invite ourselves to land fully in our body and in the “now.” One of her tools is her Souls of the Feet meditation (https://mailchi.mp/e9c88ea4bccc/free-download (free on her website)) that we have linked up below.
This is one of many awareness shifting practices. Practices are something we protect, something we aim to do regularly. A daily practice can be life changing but, but it is also a commitment and can feel daunting. Anything between a minute and an hour a day could be a daily practice, and you can always start small and build.
We talk about:
Getting out of our thoughts and how that can transform a day (or even your life)
The difference between ceremony, practice, and glimpse
Looking at practice as building a new skill
How so much tension we’re experiencing is our not being okay with what’s going on, and learning to put down judgment and simply acknowledging how you feel
Recognizing the story we tell ourselves in challenging situations (Robin shares a professional and a personal story about that)
Getting a teacher to teach you tools, give you resources, and help you develop a practice
BIO
Robin Sandomirsky’s mission is clear: to discover the most awake and compassionate expression of herself, and to support any other living beings who are interested in doing the same. She is a guide, collaborator, teacher and guru whose spiritual and intuitive and practical and magical work allows her to directly access the inner workings of her clients, in a way that gives them true inner peace and freedom, is life altering for those who get to work with her. She works 1 on 1 and with groups. She is also a single mom to a 13-year-old son and almost 11-year-old daughter.
LINKS
http://soyala.com/ (soyala)
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/robin.soyala/ (robin.soyala)
https://www.facebook.com/robin.soyala/?hc_ref=ARRgjbP4nFsdXvZxwCROa3iCpC_ST5VKSuBV3SGVtg01vl68f_wPGb7QotsBgpsDnZE&fref=nf (Facebook)
Free downloadable practice: https://mailchi.mp/e9c88ea4bccc/free-download (Soles of the Feet)
https://www.amazon.com/Shift-into-Freedom-Open-Hearted-Awareness/dp/1622033507 (Shift Into Freedom) by Loch Kelly
https://www.lotuswei.com/ (Lotuswei)
https://weiofchocolate.com/ (Wei Of Chocolate)
Doable Changes from this episode:
UNHOOK FROM THOUGHT. One of the practices Robin suggests is unhooking from thought and dropping your awareness into your feet. Get the free download from her site and try this practice. This practice just takes a few minutes. Try it, then repeat throughout your day.
PRACTICE DEEP BELLY BREATH. Pause and gently fill your low belly and then empty it fully and completely. Focus on that area of the body dropping your awareness down there. Take a few deep belly breaths, allowing yourself to focus on the breath and sensation in the body. Repeat throughout the day.
USE YOUR SENSES TO HELP YOU UNHOOK FROM THOUGHT. Taking a minute to unhook from thought is a way to shift something in your day. You...
The FLOW process exists because I needed to prove to myself that I could work while also eating well, making lifestyle choices that feel free, and having time for me. This balance is perhaps hardest for me in the summer — well, until I acknowledged what a big transition it is from the school year to the summer, and realized that I can feel any way I please if I train my brain to feel that way.
It starts with a word.
My seasonal “flow” is always an important guide in my life, but I especially feel its significance in the summer with work. I have had summers where I wanted to feel ease and my work bucket was overflowing with challenging work. I have had summers where I wanted to feel productive and all my projects were on hold until the fall. (Luckily I had the sense to write a book that summer!)
I am super clear in summer what I want to feel like and the best way for my work to support that. My word for this season is reliable. My creative juices have been flowing. The next cohort of FLOW365 is ready to get going in late summer. The next version of the FLOW planner needs some love, attention and creativity, so it is ready to hit the market in September. It all feels so exciting… until I remember that there are 3 kids home all summer and trips that are already planned.
So this is what I do.
I am super clear about what I want to do workwise this summer, and what can wait until late August. I make choices in May instead of as I go in July. (If you are listening now, it’s not too late. Make the choices now that will guide the rest of your summer.) I do this by dividing a paper in two and writing — one half is summer work and the other is fall work. I draw arrows, cross things out, and let myself go until I know I have a plan. Sometimes I rewrite nicely. This summer there is work that really wants to make its way in the world, so I have built in lots of work hours. I tell everyone in my life in advance what to expect and what not to expect of me.
I batch more than usual. I find the summer is way more about chunks of time vs. consistent daily tasks. This means it makes way more sense to create all social media posts one day and spend the next day creating 5 podcasts, so the next two days I can spend at the beach with my kids. It is really hard for my brain to start and stop creativity, so I try to test that as little as possible.
I practice presence. When I am working, I want to be 100% looking for my amazing clients in the eye (on Zoom), not being asked to watch my daughter do her new and improved cartwheel. When I am with my kids, I want to be able to watch that cartwheel with every cell in my body and ignore the notifications coming from my phone. This is in part being clear with my family and knowing when I need to leave the house to work somewhere else so I am not distracted by kids. This is also in part leaving my phone on the charger or putting my computer in its case and fully engaging in the grass and energy of the kids running through it — knowing that there is work time scheduled in the not too distant future because it is on the calendar.
I figure out two work retreats. I very much practice presence. I am far from perfect. Because I know this about myself, I have created a ritual that has my back. I schedule two weeks where all of my kids are out of the house, and I have the whole day and night to get done what I need to get done. Sometimes this means all the kids go off with my husband. Sometimes I divide them up between grandparents. Last year one went away to camp. It is a puzzle, but it is so important for my sanity and staying in business!
I bring my journal everywhere. I shared two extremes to share my focus on practicing presence, but there are many in-between moments. I take the kids to the beach and my husband takes them all on a walk. I take the kids and friends for a swim at the pool, and they are hanging with their friends. In both scenarios, I may indulge...
Summer is definitely a time that we can forget to take care of ourselves and our spirit. I give some super practical tips and a planning sheets in the Summer Lifestyle Episode and some food strategies that can definitely support a spiritual practice in the Summer Food episode, but we get to go deeper here. First off, let me redefine what I mean by Om here.
The website doyouyoga.com explains Om really well:
“There are many different translations, uses and regards of the word Om, but in “simple” terms (HA!) it is the basic sound of the world, used to contain all other sounds. The sound of God, of the universe, etc. It’s a Sanskrit vibration or mantra made up of three different sounds (aa, au, and ma) that is used often at the beginning and/or end of yoga classes to not only join students with teachers, but also to connect us deeper with the entire universe.
While it’s believed to be the sound of creation, many like to think of it as the sound of silence. I know, crazy right? But I’m not talking about the kind of silence you might experience in an empty house or down a quiet street. I’m referring to that silent sort of vibration you may experience when you’re completely still. So, when we chant OM by ourselves or with others, we’re in a way tuning into that silence, that vibration inside of us to resonate with the silence and vibration of the universe.
It really is quite a beautiful thing, if you think about it, opening your mouth to make one simple sound, just to be reminded that you’re an integral part of existence right here, right now.”
I very much experienced this sense of quiet every time I go to my yoga class where we start and finish each class with OM, and over the years I have been able to bring that quality to other parts of my day.
Another observation is that I hear the “perfectness” of the sound much better at the end of class than the beginning once my body and mind have calmed down.
And this is why this category is such an integral part of the FLOW process… because I really need the calm to make good choices about food, parenting, my home, my marriage, and my work.
So let’s consider OM and summer.
I don’t know about you, but summer can feel “full” before it even starts.
My friend Amy gave me her spreadsheet template that goes through summer week by week, weekend by weekend, and person by person. When I filled it in and looked at it, I felt so good that I know who is doing what when, but it is easy to get too focused on what we are “doing.”
The first thing I do to support the idea of OM in the summer is going through the calendar and put in all of the downtimes. For us, this means weeks of no camp, a weekend in nature camping, and the days where we unplug. It is not the road trip to New Orleans, the week with my parents, or even my biz retreat week (more on that in the next episode). Those weeks all promise to be fun and summery, but they are not all about restoration. Be bored. Creativity, connection with ourselves, deep calm are all fostered by true boredom for ourselves and our kids.
The second thing I do is brainstorm all the ways that OM can enter my daily life, even when we are on an adventure. What creates that deep sense of OM – and how can you work it into your day? For me, it usually means building my morning routine around OM-centered activities. This summer I am working on a 30-minute daily meditation practice, working with oracle cards (a very new practice), a daily walk, my morning pages, and reviewing my food for the day. If I do these 5 things, the day can have many twists and turns, and I can still keep my cool. My morning routine actually gets easier for me in the summer. My kids sleep a little later. My husband has a little more flexibility to help out in the mornings. I hop out of bed with less grogginess. That said, it is so easy to forget or fall out of my usual patterns when traveling, so I try to set myself up for...
Make sure to listen to all four episodes in the Summer series — Food, Lifestyle, Om, and Work. These four episodes are a series that I created as an “extra” as we transfer from the school year to summer. If you feel a bit overwhelmed by the busyness that can be summer, you aren’t alone and this episode is for you. Summer has way more transitions than in the school year: a different camp every week (or maybe no childcare at all), but you still have all the same responsibilities you had when the kids were in school. That can make it hard to have the “easy” summer you might dream about, the one of beaches and vacations and laid back fun. When I started planning my summer, thing changed. By planning I don’t mean overscheduling, but it does mean thinking through what you want out of the season, what needs to happen, and how it can happen. Since I started my summer planning, I have crafted summers that are a refreshing combo of dedicated work time and full on kids time. Mixed in with some me time and some date moments. I no longer dread summer, and I hope after a little planning you won’t either! The planning sheets, which I highly recommend downloading, look so simple that you may forget to do them, but I can tell you from personal experience that they can completely change the feeling of the summer. You can do this work even if you have your whole summer planned out. This is really about filling in the little details so you make time for the things that matter – on rainy days and sunny ones. These are four things I’ve done to make a huge difference in my summer. We set summer goals. We sit down as a family and map out some of the things we want to do together and individually over the summer. As always, I look for balance (that’s why I created the worksheet that balances rainy day things with sunny day things, individual things with family things, social events with quieter time.) The list lives on the fridge. If I am working, and my kids can visit the list and see that one of their goals is to make a book and can escape to do that. If we wake up and we thought it was going to be a beach day, but it is raining, we already have many possibilities to choose from. We also include rituals that we want to implement, like allowance, pickling, and canning, which are easier to become habit when we are relaxed. And come September we are relaxed, satisfied, and have fresh jam for the winter.
I let go of too much scheduling. This may sound the opposite of planning, but not being overscheduled is a key to our summer. My kids are older now, but even when they were all camp age, I often chose a babysitter over camp. Why? Not having to get us all out of the house in the morning buys me all kinds of freedom. I get to go to yoga or on a run at 6:00am because I don’t have to be back to pack lunches and have everyone out the door by 7:30. It allows me to work a few very full days and have a whole day at the beach at least once during the week. Most importantly, it lets my kids just decompress and be kids after a full year of learning and a stricter schedule. I feel like they get time to actually integrate what they learn! When we do schedule things, we make sure there is downtime on either side!
I make extra time for food. There are so many ways we can foster healthy family eating in the summer: There are farmers markets everywhere, so I can easily shop local and eat in season, and the kids can pick out produce and meet farmers. We can also visit farms to pick our own berries or tomatoes. I can cook with the kids in a more relaxed manner. And we enjoy family dinners that don’t always come together as easily during the school year, because the days are longer and bedtime can be more relaxed. We make healthy smoothies and popsicles, and lots of pudding. I feel like there are more meals in the summer (though there aren’t!), but on the flip side, that gives us more opportunities to eat well!
I make time for...
What do you want from this summer? Summer, like the winter holidays, comes with a lot of baggage around what it should look like. I have had summers where I wanted to honor a big work project. I have had other summers where I wanted to be home as much as possible and still others when I just wanted to travel with the kids and see as many old friends as possible. Whatever the summer looks like, the change of season is a great time to re-evaluation and plan. What is your core desire this summer? Your food, lifestyle, om and work goals need to reflect that core desire.
Food, Lifestyle, Om (spirituality and self care), and Work add up to FLOW, and I am going to spend four episodes walking you through the FLOW planning process for you and your family this summer.
Start every season by figuring out how you want to feel and what that looks like to you.
This season I have decided I want to feel reliable, which means something slightly different in each quadrant of my life. For food and wellness, being reliable means asking, “How can I use this season to move my Food Goals forward?” It means looking at the goal I have set for myself for my 90-day goal and where food fits into my 10 year plan. (You can still get all the prompts to create your 10 year plan on Instagram!)
My 90-day Food goal is a weight loss goal for the first time in 9 years. My long-term food and wellness vision is around eating really high vibration food that keeps my energy even and gets created with ease. So here are the different things I am planning for now, so that my summer supports my goals.
Farm to table
I want to eat as local as I can. I want all of us to experiment with new veggies. I will never forget the summer of Kohlrabi. I got this bulb that I had no idea what to do with and now it is the main component of one of my favorite salads.
I use this time to look at our calendar and figure out if it makes sense to do a farm share or visit the farmers market. This year I am doing a farm share. Last year I did farmer’s markets. No matter what you choose, the thing we need to do now it get dates in the calendar. Farmers markets, your share pick up dates. Other things you might consider is looking up farmers markets where you are vacationing or places where you can pick your own. Berries, peaches and tomatoes are items I love getting lots of to freeze.
High raw
With my weight goal, I have decided to return to my habit of high raw for the summer. Tune into episodes with https://plansimplemeals.com/plant-based-energy-with-marie-claire/ (Marie Claire) and https://plansimplemeals.com/evarawposa/ (Eva Rawposa) for the benefits and tips. Summer is just such a good time to do this! For me high raw is about creating new smoothies, innovative salads, yummy dips, getting fancy with the dehydrator (which does not heat up a kitchen like the stove).
This month, I am doing a decluttering project. How does that relate to food? Books are happening next week, and I will make a special section for books that have a raw food focus to use for menu planning.
Cook with kids
Or let them learn. So last summer I got this lesson from my then 14 year old son, who broke his foot mid May and totally changed his summer plans. We all wallowed for awhile in how many books could he read and if all our media policies would go to hell because 3 months of crutches is a LONG time! In the end, he taught himself to cook. He wanted to figure out how to make the perfect omelette, what sandwiches the French enjoy, and how to make the best oats. Not all his choices fell into my way of eating, but he definitely learned a skill.
For little ones, summer gives us the opportunity to involve them more. They can wash lettuce, cut a cucumber, shake the jar of dressing, maybe even measure what goes in the jar. Popsicles and ice cream are so fun to make, and I can make them in a way that I want to eat, which means there is none of the sugar like...
Before you set any financial goal or any goal in your life ... really understand and have a clear picture of what you want your life to look like – Sandra Grahame On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Sandra Grahame about balancing business and mothering in the summer alongside the bigger topic of women with money. I personally have been working with Sandra because I’m really focused on upgrading my money situation this year.
Summer is fast approaching, so we are diving right into getting into summer mode for your business and with your kids. We talked about getting ahead of things and how different summers can feel different energetically and how to lean into the energy of the season. That means planning ahead. If you want to take your foot off the gas in the summer, you need to ramp up earlier in the year. If you want to be launching in the fall, you need to do some prep work over the summer.
Sandra helps people upgrade their money experience. It started for her with talking with a friend, reading all the books she could, and starting a “club” to deal with debt and other money issues. She points out that it wasn’t just about debt, but about the rich life she and her friends wanted to be living … and the payoff when far beyond paying off debt.
We talk about:
Setting a clear picture of what you want your life to look like before you set a goal
Putting money where your heart and dreams are instead of spending impulsively
Thinking aloud with your kids about your thoughts about spending
Developing “spending awareness” (it’s not about knowing where every dollar goes)
The importance of an abundance mindset and what an abundant mindset means (it’s not 1000 lattes) in business and life
Starting a money group
Looking at summer as an incredibly rich opportunity to kind of have those slow summer days and give yourself some time to plan and think about upgrading how you deal with money, how you look at your business or exploring what that might look like
Being intentional about time in the summer
After being invited on Oprah and co-authoring two books to share her own success story, Sandra has made it her mission to help others discover how inspiring and amazing it is to make your wildest goals happen. She is a mom, wife, entrepreneur, and 100% believes we can all bring our richest goals to life.
LINKS
https://smartcookies.lpages.co/profit-by-design-webinar/?fbclid=IwAR1FxLA0Ufbt53ulgRAlDicWO5--7z0h8uNeRPZBxh6gRQ2ZRp1GehTwrG0 (Profit by Design webinar)
http://www.smartcookies.com (Smartcookies.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CREATE A VISION. Before you set a goal, create a vision for the life you want to lead. I often create a ten-year vision. Sondra does a three-year and one-year vision. Either way, take some time to get quiet and really picture the life you want. It doesn’t have to make sense or seem possible. You don’t have to know how to get there, but getting really clear on what you want helps you start setting goals and making small changes that get you there.
THINK ALOUD ABOUT SPENDING. Talking through your thought process when you are thinking about spending can help you and your kids be more aware of money, spending, and goals. For example, acknowledge something that appeals to you or that you feel pulled to buy. Talk about why you want it, why you need it or not, how it affects your goals.
GAIN SPENDING AWARENESS. Go through your bank account and see where you are spending money. Ask questions like: Does this give me joy? Is there a return on investment for business expenses? Does this move me toward my goal? Is it appropriate given what I’ve said is important to me? You can do this by yourself or get a friend who wants to work on money to do it with you.
I want to create a movement #PelvicFloorAwareness. – Kathy Kates On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to have Kathy Kates here. Kathy is an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner with a specialty in helping patients to alleviate pelvic pain and we’re going to talk about something I think doesn’t get talked about enough: pelvic floor health.
Kathy is the first to acknowledge that this is an area most women don’t know enough about. After surgery and chemotherapy to treat breast cancer, Kathy was in surgical menopause … and a lot of pain. She thought that because she is a nurse practitioner who takes care of women that she should be able to figure it out. It took her own nurse practitioner to tell her that she needed pelvic floor therapy.
Sometimes things we think are just normal … aren’t. Like leaking urine during or after pregnancy. Kathy recommends preventative care and thinks women should see a pelvic floor specialist before pregnancy as well as during and after. One of her key messages – get rid of the shame and get aware of your pelvic floor.
We talk about:
Baby spinning (she explains what it is) to promote balance in the pelvis
Avoiding painful sex in the post-partum period or during menopause
Incontinence and prolapse
The effect of posture (the position of your screens affect more than you think)
Making sure your abdominal muscles, glutes, hamstrings and quads are strong and doing their job so you aren’t adding pressure to your pelvic muscles
What an internal exam to help with the pelvic floor is like
Engaging your diaphragm when you breathe and being still
BIO
Kathy Kates is a bilingual Family Nurse Practitioner at a Boston area community health center and a specialist in pelvic health. In addition, she is a speaker and teacher on the topic of pelvic health. Kathy is the mom to a 12-year-old. Prior to her medical training, Kathy was a professional musician, playing locally with the Boston Pops and also traveling the world. Together these career paths have fostered a lifelong curiosity about the body from a biomechanical perspective. Her passion lies in educating others on how they can function optimally in order to live their healthiest lives. Kathy offers a unique perspective, not only as a medical provider but also as a patient who has experienced pelvic pain after treatment for breast cancer.
LINKS
https://pelvichealthsupport.com (PelvicHealthSupport.com)
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pelvicfloornp/ (@pelvicfloornp)
http://www.theraspring.com/about-us/ (Theraspring - Myofascial Release Healing Center)
https://pelvicguru.com/ (Pelvic Guru)
https://www.pelvicpain.org/ (International Pelvic Pain Society)
https://www.myofascialrelease.com/find-a-therapist/ (John Barnes Myofascial Release)
https://plansimplemeals.com/pleasure-is-productive-with-janna-denton-howes/ (Pleasure Is Productive with Janna Denton-Howes)
Doable Changes from this episode:
MOISTURIZE AND LUBE UP. Get into a moisturizing routine for your vulva, labia, and vagina. Pair that with plenty of lube for sex. Kathy makes some recommendations https://pelvichealthsupport.com/its-all-about-the-lube/ (here).
ADJUST YOUR SCREENS. Kathy says that alignment of the spine makes a big difference and one thing we can do to help toward that end is keeping screens at eye level. Try making some adjustments and see how it feels.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A PELVIC FLOOR SPECIALIST. We talked about many specific times when you may most need a pelvic floor specialist—pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, post-partum, pre-menopause or menopause—but it pays to be proactive. Get an exam and talk about any issues (no shame) you are having and to see what you can do to improve your pelvic floor...
It’s about seducing. It’s not about forcing. You can’t force anyone to eat healthily but, you can seduce people and you can because you are the walking example of what it can do to you. – Marie Claire On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Marie Claire, an energy coach for experts, author, speaker, and certified raw food coach about raw food and reigniting our energy.
We talk about three main problems that lead to disease: toxicity, undernourishment through overeating, and trauma. Marie Claire believes that every problem holds a solution, so by finding the main problem in disease, we can find a solution. When you are toxic, you need to detox. When you dehydrated, you need to hydrate. When you have experienced trauma, you have to process the trauma.
When you start eating a plant-based diet, you cut out a lot of toxins and additives that are made to get you hooked on foods. You start infusing your body with intact vitamin, minerals, and enzymes. It’s incredibly effective in a short time. Maybe going plant-based or eating healthy every day feels impossible. Marie Claire’s clients often say that too … but change is possible. We dive into that.
We also talk about:
The challenges of eating out and ingredients to watch out for
How to eat healthy when with family or friends
Boosting your immune system before travel and other travel tips
Digestive enzymes to optimize digestion
How it is easier to stay miserable than to change and how to deal with the mindset
BIO
Marie Claire, an energy coach for experts, authors, and speakers. She’s a certified raw food coach who started her own business after 50. (You wouldn’t know to look at her that she’s 61.) After getting diagnosed with 6 different diseases, being paralyzed and in pain, she was treated and sent home, still feeling terrible, and told to take an antidepressant. That’s when she discovered raw food. After 10 days of going raw, she was surprised to notice she had no pain. Three months later, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome were wiped away. She felt like she was given a fresh start and began her business Ravishing Raw. She later rebranded as Energy for Experts and helps busy professionals and women entrepreneurs make changes that lead to increased energy and health.
LINKS
https://www.energyforexperts.com/ (Energyforexperts.com)
http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/ (http://ravishingraw.com/wordpress/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
START THE DAY WITH A GREEN SMOOTHIE. For seven days, replace your first-morning coffee with a green smoothie. You may be resistant, but commit to it and notice how it feels.
SET UP SYSTEMS. Your system could be to make a batch of green smoothies for the week or to set up four days worth of salad on Sunday. The system saves you time (it’s quicker to batch prep than to prep each day). It takes away the excuse, “I don’t have time” when it comes to making breakfast or lunch. And it means you don’t have to decide each and every time to make a healthy choice. You set yourself up for success.
BRING A HEALTHY TREAT. If you are going to a party or dinner, bring something that you know you can eat and enjoy … a fabulous salad with homemade dressing, a raw dessert, beet tip with cucumbers … check out the https://plansimplemeals.com/recipes/ (Plan Simple Meals recipes) for ideas. Bring enough to share and get over the mindset that you are “different” by eating the way that makes you feel fabulous.
“I want you to dream big because dreams make plans different than your average to-do list (and you are not average!)” - Mia There was a long time where I really loved the idea “live today like there is no tomorrow.” I wasn’t a planner and I wanted to be more “fun.” But, the truth is I never did anything that daring or even extremely fun.
In my 20s and early 30s, I ate bad food and racked up some debt. I never paced myself. It was my last day, so why not?
When I turned 40, I started to consider this idea in more depth. I had changed my food in my 30s, and I wanted to see how I could apply that mindset to my work and money in my 40s.
I have the privilege of having a grandmother who is 101, and who I can still chat on the phone with and have great talks with. As she was approaching 100, I wondered, “How would I live differently if I knew I had that much time? What would I do differently today if I knew I wasn’t even halfway through my life? Why would I live today like my last day, if I could live today in a way that got me to 100?!”
Trying to imagine what your life will be like at 100, may not be useful (or easy to imagine), but looking ahead 10 years is doable and important. It sets you up to plan your todays in ways that make sense now and move you toward the life you want.
This is what I had done when I changed my food... just not on purpose.
This is why I always do an exercise with clients where we paint the picture of what life looks like in 10 years – before planning for meals this week, creating a 21-day checklist, or utilizing any of our many tools.
It is this specific practice that helped me lose 85 pounds 9 years ago, gave me the courage to write my book and go on the road for a year with 3 kids, and has me hydrating as I write this post.
Let’s paint a picture of your life in 10 years.
I want you to dream big because dreams make plans different than your average to-do list (and you are not average!)
At the end of this exercise, you’ll have a vision of the life you want, the one that sets you up to plan today that you love. When you plan days with this exercise as your foundation, you get more done, spend more quality time with those you love, eat well (and healthy), and just take better care of yourself.
You can do this … even if you have a busy weekend planned, even if your kids are on break next week. This is all about big dreams and doable chunks.
Step 1: Mark your Calendar
We crave space to think and dream and then we wonder why we cannot find it.
Block off 15 minutes on your calendar with “space” or “dream” for the next 5 days, or you can block off an afternoon to do this all at once.
This will be your time to answer the 10-year vision questions.
Literally block off the time on your calendar, because it’s so easy to think you’ll find 15 minutes when the day comes … end then you’re rolling into bed, exhausted, without having done it. Make space for what matters (here, time to dream) and hold that time for yourself.
Experiment with what feels great. You could:
wake up 15 minutes earlier
set a time for 15 minutes before you start your work day
sit for 15 extra minutes at lunch
write while your kids draw
spend the afternoon at your favorite coffee shop
Feeling at all guilty about taking some time for yourself? I did and then I realized the importance, not only for me but for my kids. Free time, thinking time is the biggest thing missing from all our calendars. Making space for thinking and dreaming is a great thing to model for your kids, so don’t stress if they need to be around. It is a good practice in boundaries. “Mama is sitting for 15 minutes to do my thing…” When they see you being creative and dreamy and not sucked into a phone, you have modeled something fabulous!
Prompt #1: How will you feel in 10 years?
List 5–10 adjectives that really explain...
Women need to ... know that they’re beautiful without all of that makeup. – Becky Kuhlman On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Becky Kuhlman, a Beautycounter consultant, about safe skincare and beauty products. From what not to use to safe sunscreen, we talk about keeping yourself safe and healthy. It’s not just what you put in your body, but what you put on it. Becky started with sunscreen. When she was living in India with her kids, she recognized the need for sunscreen but knew even then that most sunscreens weren’t safe. In this pre-Beautycounter world, she used a product called Blue Lizard to protect herself and her kids from the sun – and the ingredients in sunscreen.
She talks about the Never List she got from Beautycounter and how it changed what she buys. (We’ve linked the list up below for you.) She mentions specific ingredients you should watch out for and what they can do to our bodies.
We talk about:
Using mineral based sunscreens, which are safer for you and the environment
Starting with the things that you leave on your skin like lotions and sunscreen
Using coconut oil and olive oil in your skin care regimen
The importance of reading ingredients and recognizing the number of chemicals in US products—it’s not enough to rely on labels like “natural”
The challenge and necessity of cleaning up you deodorant
Embracing our wrinkles and natural beauty
Her work with Beautycounter, doing something with a purpose, and weaving work throughout your day
BIO
Becky Kuhlman is a Beautycounter consultant and mom to two teenage girls. She’s passionate about educating people and advocating for cleaner products.
LINKS
http://www.beautycounter.com/beckykuhlman (www.beautycounter.com/beckykuhlman)
Specific Products or Posts Referenced
https://www.beautycounter.com/the-never-list (Never List)
https://typeadeodorant.com/ (Type:A Deodorant)
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/cleansing-balm (Cleansing balm)
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/countersun-mineral-sunscreen-mist-spf-30 (Sunscreen)
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/dew-skin-tinted-moisturizer-spf-20 (Dew skin)
https://www.beautycounter.com/product/overnight-resurfacing-peel (Overnight resurfacing peel)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CHECK OUT THE NEVER LIST. Grab a copy of the Never List (linked above). Then start checking the labels of products you already have. Set aside those with ingredients on the Never List. Read the label of every product you buy. You can start making changes to what you buy or simply start by getting aware how many dangerous chemicals you are putting on your skin.
MAKE A PLAN TO CLEAN UP YOUR PRODUCTS. Start with the things that stay on your skin and go from there. Put dates in your calendar, giving yourself time to purge and get what you need. Remember, it does not all have to be expensive. For a simple swap out that doesn’t involve buying new products, try using olive or coconut oil on your skin. Becky even talks about mixing in some sugar and possibly flower extracts to make a simple body scrub.
TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF. There are a lot of ways we are exposed to toxins. Try taking your shoes off when you come in the door to reduce what you track into and through your house.
We have to get into what it means to have an authentic, caring, respectful, responsive relationship with our body – instead of managing her all the time. – Nina Manolson On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk again with Nina Manolson, health and wellness coach who works with women around body image and their relationship with their bodies. She has so much to say about what we eat and why and how we feel about ourselves.
We talk about rules about eating and how they end up backfiring because we react to the restriction. Nina says we need to start with naming our body dissatisfaction. And then we need to name the body management things we do (paleo, keto, raw food, Weight Watchers, …). This isn’t self-care.
So what do we need to do? “We really have to bring to the table more of deep listening. What does my body want and need? And sometimes to get to that deep listening, it takes some healing, it takes some work because many women, somewhere along the line, got divorced from their body.” Are you divorced from you body? Do you need to reconnect and build that relationship? That’s what we get deeper into.
We talk about:
The many things that make us feel separated from our own bodies—birth, nursing, medical crisis, trauma
Embracing the complexity, intricacy of who we are and honoring our aging and our changing body
There’s nothing wrong with saying that sometimes food is what I need for some emotional solace, but we need other tools beyond that
The importance of listening to what’s right for your body
Learning to shift that so that self-care actually doesn’t feel like another chore?
How the process of working with your relationship with your food and with your body opens a door to so much more
BIO
Nina Manolson is a certified holistic health coach, a board certified health & wellness coach, a certified Psychology of Eating Coach and Teacher, and an author. She is passionate about helping women end their food and body struggles and begin healthy, vibrant living that becomes a habit and easily fits into their busy lives.
LINKS
http://ninamanolson.com/body-peace (http://ninamanolson.com/body-peace)
http://eatonpurpose.ninamanolson.com (http://eatonpurpose.ninamanolson.com)
https://plansimplemeals.com/ninamanolson/ (Eating on Purpose with Nina Manolson)
Doable Changes from this episode:
NAME BODY MANAGEMENT. Just getting aware of the body management thoughts and things you do is an amazing start. Just start noticing and calling out things like “I’ll start on Monday” or talking about your latest diet or “I’m cutting out carbs” or whatever it is. Say, “I see you body management.”
HELLO TECHNIQUE. Nina suggests that hand on the heart and hello goes miles towards starting the relationship with your body. She also talks about saying hello to food to get into a relationship with food. And then Hello pleasure. Use her http://ninamanolson.com/hello-technique/ (Hello Technique) to start to connect to your body and your food instead of just having rules about what you do and don’t eat.
ASK WHAT DO I NEED? Ask your body what it really needs? Nina notes that this is a tricky question and that learning to really hear what would make you feel most at ease, most at home in you body or nourish you the most is a process. But start by asking the question and seeing who shows up at the table, what answers you get.
The more real we are with each other, the more freedom we have. – Rachel Martin On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Rachel Martin, author of The Brave Art of Motherhood, creator of Finding Joy, and mom to seven kids. This is a must listen, so make sure to hit play above, or where ever you listen to podcasts! With 23 years of motherhood under her belt, she is still in still in the thick of it with her youngest being 7.
We started out talking about her book. Why brave? Rachel said she loves the word and, without realizing it, had been writing on her website about being a brave mother. The art part relates to sip and paint classes where everyone is aiming for the same image. In the end, everybody’s painting looks different but, nobody’s is perfect. Motherhood is like that. “We’re all trying our best being brave and we’re all living this motherhood story.”
Rachel points out that when we focus on the internal dialogue of, “Why am I not doing it as well as they are?,” we miss the real beauty of what we do. At the same time we are looking at others, we want to hide. When we do let people know what is really going on behind the scenes out of shame, we deny ourselves friendship, responsibility, and doing different things. So, part of my quest as a writer and as a friend to moms is to be like the realer we are with each other, the more freedom we have.
We talk about:
The difference between pulling it together to do what you need to do and hiding your real experience from everyone including your friends. It helps all of us when we can say, “I’m struggling.” What happens when we finally show what’s really going on (Rachel’s experience was an offer of help, instead of the shaming she feared)
How our experience and attitudes affect our kids, including their relationship to money
That it’s good to interact and play with our kids but, it’s not a necessity all day long.
How easy it is to lose yourself without even realizing it and the benefits of letting your kids see you cultivating yourself
That it’s okay to not know what you want to do and just try things (they way we encourage our kids to do)
Setting dates for accountability, having an accountability person, and celebrating microgoals
Recognize the power and bravery that take to stand up and do it again and again.
About Rachel
Rachel believes in the power of the human spirit to overcome, to thrive and to find deep joy and because of that she pours out her heart via these platforms: she is the writer behind the site FindingJoy.net and author of The Brave Art of Motherhood. Her articles have been translated into over 25 languages, her site reaches millions of visitors per month and she has a robust, engaged Facebook community.
Her content has been featured in The Huffington Post, iVillage, The Today Show, Star Tribune, PopSugar, Motherly, Parents, What to Expect, NBC Parents, Dr. Greene, and many more. She speaks worldwide encouraging moms and entrepreneurs to live each day with purpose and drive. Beyond that, she’s a single mom to seven, and calls Nashville, Tennessee, her home.
LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Art-Motherhood-Confidence-Yourself/dp/073529139X (The Brave Art of Motherhood)
Rachel’s website https://shop.findingjoy.net/ (https://findingjoy.net/)
Rachel’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/findingjoyblog (Finding Joy Blog)
https://plansimplemeals.com/kon-mari-method-a-chat-with-my-friend-lillia-flores/ (KonMari Method with Lilia Flores)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CELEBRATE MICROGOALS. Set goals with dates and get an accountability partner to help you stay the course. But instead of just focusing on the big goal, take time to celebrate microgoals … little things that you do each day or steps toward your larger goal. Too...
Planning becomes a kind of self-care. – Brandi Bonica
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Brandi Bonica about her experience with the FLOW Planner and FLOW 365. A lot of the people in FLOW 365 are entrepreneurs of one sort or another, but Brandi is a nurse, saving people throughout the day. I love seeing how the FLOW process resonated with her and had all kinds of ripples in her life.
Brandi’s FLOW Situation
I have two little girls. One is just turning six and and four and a half. My main job, other than mothering, is being a critical care nurse. I work part time at a hospital, which is wonderful because I can save my career but also be home to raise my children. But, finding balance in that is hard as well so that’s why I leaned towards Mia’s FLOW 365.
Key Tool: Putting Your Planning Together
While Brandi has always been a planner, she had ideas in lots of places, and it was hard for her to see the big picture. FLOW 365 helped her because it looks at the whole day, the whole month, the whole 90 days in one book. It allowed her to refocus her goals, thoughts, and tasks. She says, “I was a little skeptical about leaving my old planner behind but now I look back and now this is my new bible.”
And it wasn’t just the plan, it was the journaling in the same space too, “It forced me to ask those questions or to refocus my attention on things that are important to me, but I’ve never been one to journal in the past so that was really great to have that all in one place.”
Key Tool: Finding Your Rhythm
“I was really able to look at my home-life balance and really make it predictable, make it automatic, so I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel every week…. I could spend my energy doing other things instead of constantly thinking about meal planning or shopping or planning for the kids.”
FLOW Changes
Food: I participated in a couple of weeks of making some freezer meals and putting them away so I would have a lighter load during dinner times or meal times. It started during the holidays, but I continue to use that little tool throughout the rest of the months, just based upon what my life was going to look like. If I know I have a really crazy couple of weeks coming up where I’m traveling or my husband is traveling or just late nights, I can pull one of those out at anytime. So I have made it kind of part of my weekly process is to look at a new recipe or reinvent an old one but to put one freezer meal away a week.
Lifestyle: Instead of trying to do all the things during the holidays, Brandi chose to be purposefully present, purposefully planning things that are important to us and just letting go of things that aren’t.
OM: Planning becomes a kind of self-care.
Work: Shifting to focusing more on work and tasks and how to time-block those things so they aren’t interfering with my home and personal life.
We also talk about:
Having more mental space for goals
The power of working with a group of women from different places and walks of life, all looking for more flow
Choosing a word for a 90-day cycle to set an intention or guide you
How tools that get you through a busy period like the holidays can benefit you throughout the year
How saying no, also allows you to say yes
Freezer meals and moving meals forward throughout the day
BIO
Brandi Bonica is a critical care nurse and the mom of two young children. She found a community and a new process to bring great ease to her life through the FLOW planner and FLOW 365.
LINKS
https://plansimplemeals.com/planning-food-for-the-holidays-with-angela-litzinger/ (Planning for the Holidays with Angela Litzinger)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CHOOSE A 90-DAY WORD. Some...
You have a relationship with your own self just like you do with other people. ... nourish the relationship with yourself. – Lee Lee McKnight On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Lee Lee McKnight about parenting and mindfulness and how they can go together. Lee is the publisher of Perpetual You and mom to a 11-year-old and a 6-year-old.
Lee Lee talks about not finding parenting fulfilling. She said, “I just decided that I wanted to enjoy motherhood in my own way and throw the rules of all the parenting manuals out the window and just see if there’s a way that I could reclaim it for myself.”
We talk about being as present as you can with each kid at the age they’re at, and about being mindful about when you are being a mom and about when you’re working (especially if you work at home). Lee Lee reminds herself, “I’m only one person,” which means you can’t do it all for everyone at one time. She says it helps to really tune in to where your kids are right now — and to recognize that they need different support at different times.
We talk about:
letting your kid be who they are and getting to know them as a person instead of placing your own expectations on them
Being in tune with what your own needs and your kids needs helps you avoid mommy guilt by giving kids what they need and doing your own thing
Making space to be present with your kids when you know they will or even might need a lot from you (like right after school)
The power of mantras and some of the ones she uses as a parent: This is right now and it’s not forever and I am the right mom for my kids
Slowing down and noticing what’s going on
Knowing and sharing your values
Intentional living and not taking what other people do or say personally.
BIO
Lee Lee McKnight is #ladyboss behind The Perpetual You--a lifestyle brand curated for women living intentionally--and the mom of Henri (11) & Wayne (6). In 2018, Lee Lee began co-hosting the podcast, Mama Now Conversations, and in 2019, she began a YouTube series on Intentional Living. She is also at work on a book about the intersection of privilege and intentional living practices. You can find Lee Lee on Instagram @wordsbyleelee or in Hamden, CT—where she’s most likely hanging out on the front porch of her family’s 1920s bungalow.
LINKS
https://mamanowconversations.podbean.com/ (Mama Now) podcast
http://www.theperpetualyou.com/?fbclid=IwAR1kt48OQ3pydITxu7dc9aahGvBoSHQ_GUzdbvtpZ_kRWyY1zJxk5a763Is (The Perpetual You) magazine (upcoming digital issue,https://issuu.com/theperpetualyou/docs/tpy_series10_3-issuu ( Create Wealth by Embracing Dimensions))
Perpetual You on https://www.instagram.com/theperpetualyou/ (Instagram)
Perpetual You on https://www.facebook.com/theperpetualyou/?eid=ARBEn8dGl9f3qX3M78FWwaa5H5C98eKl-0rFyTT5pejWUbROHKSmMma3R4Jdalg0zDB8yLIajAWXBZe4&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=100001444001671&fref=tag (Facebook)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHAmUYymN2uoVQ-4PAcraSA (Words by Lee Lee) YouTube channel
https://plansimplemeals.com/consistency-with-marie-levey-pabst/ (Consistency with Marie Levey-Pabst)
Doable Changes from this episode:
USE A MANTRA. Lee Lee shares some of the mantras she uses (and has more on her YouTube channel). Find one—or create one—that works for you. Two keys as you create yours—make it positive and make it believable. Repeat it to yourself throughout the day. Write it down and post it around your house.
LET GO OF WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL. Your kids are people and responsible to some extent for themselves. So if it isn’t a safety issue, try giving them ownership of their choice. For example, if your child wants to wear their shirt backwards, let...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Hélène Defrance, a olympic athlete turned nutritionist, and a member of FLOW 365. While I focus a lot of my work on moms and the demands of matching work and food and self-care with parenting, Hélène reached out to me and said, “You know, I’m not a mom but I think I’m supposed to do this program.” And she did and it’s been fabulous! Hélène spent 10 years sailing and working toward the Olympics. She qualified for Rio, where she got the bronze, and got a world champion in 2016.
For the past two years, she has changed her focus and is now working as a nutritionist. She’s passionate about nutrition and how our food habits and digestive system can affect our health. She educates and advises people about nutrition.
Hélène’s FLOW Situation
I felt stuck…. I was stressed everyday and I didn’t feel accomplished at any time. I had some vision ... but, for some reason I never was able to stop and think how I could get to there. Six months ago, that felt too wrong. I needed to get some help.
While Hélène was feeling this way, she was seeing private clients and serving as the nutritionist for a a big deal football team. She was doing so much and not taking it in. I love watching the women in FLOW 365 begin to see what they are doing and accomplishing.
Why Planning Matters
Hélène started out asking “Where is the time for all the other things in the planner?” As she started seeing where she was spending her time—lots of time exercising and shopping and working late but not doing the hard things—she was able to start making changes.
Key Tool: Group Meetings
I love when we all meet up online and share where we are and next steps for us.
These meetings are a chance to share and get advice from Mia and the rest of the group. And having a group of people who understand what you are doing is really special. When somebody can really hear that while you’re making the little changes that bring joy, it helps you with the momentum.
Key Tool: Daily Debrief
I’ve got my routine every night. I spend probably 15 minutes with my planner and I write things down. I look at what I’ve been doing…. I do my little debrief with myself and I really love it.
There things we don’t do because they feel hard or take longer than we think they’ll take or we busy or for whatever reason don’t start them. Debriefing gives you a chance to go back without judgement. It gives you a chance to see why things didn’t work or to move things up in your planner.
Key Tool: Word of the Cycle
At the beginning of every 90-day cycle (the FLOW planner includes a page for this), choose a word that you want to embody for this 90-day season. It’s a really simple but meaningful practice and helps you decide what you focus on or don’t focus on.
Hélène’s word was serenity and it helped her be more present, build trust and confidence, and feel more relaxed. She started a meditation practice and spent more time in nature.
FLOW Changes
Food: Being precise about nutrients, not just calories; choosing quality food from carefully chosen farms; having boundaries around food when traveling or busy
Lifestyle: Better flow between different parts of her life
Om: Meditating more. Adding in exercise but not using it to squeeze out other activities.
Work: Having more reasonable end times to the day.
Big and Little Shifts from Flow 365
Hélène describes her biggest shifts in the first two cycles of FLOW 365: I feel so much joy and I’m so positive. Everything feels like it’s fun.
BIO
Hélène Defrance is an athelete and nutritionist. Hélène spent 10 years sailing and working toward the Olympics. She qualified for Rio, where she got the bronze, and got a world champion in 2016. She now works as a nutritionist with private...
When our kids push our buttons, it’s not a problem with our kids, it’s a problem with us. – Bonnie Harris On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Bonnie Harris, a parenting and child behavior specialist. I love getting parenting experts on the show because as we’re figuring out how to lead healthy lives and do the work that we want to do, we also have kids. At the end of the day, we can feel bad about how we’re parenting, and it’s helpful having tools that support the way we’re trying to show up to the world as a parent. Bonnie hopes our talk will alleviate some of the pressure parents put on themselves.
Bonnie says her work right now is often focused on helping parents let go. She explains that it feels like you are saying, “Now, I’m cutting the rope and letting this little boat drift out to sea to fend for itself,” but really, you are letting go of that voice in your head that says you aren’t good enough, that you’re doing everything wrong.
Bonnie explains that our perceptions lead to feeling overwhelm, frustrated, depressed, helpless and that all of these feelings that come from our head, not from circumstances and not from our kids. These feelings then lead to our reactions. In a nanosecond, we react in ways we know is not effective. Then we regret it and go down the spiral of “I’m a terrible parent.” But it’s possible to break this cycle and Bonnie has lots of great ideas for us!
We talk about:
The power of the connected relationship: “A connected relationship is the number one preventive measure of anything that any parent is afraid of happening to their child”
Separating judgement from facts and reframing what you’re telling yourself every day
A step-by-step process to stop reacting in the moment
What to do when your agenda and your kids agendas aren’t aligned and how to problem solve with your kids
Self care being “as critically important as getting your child a nutritious meal”—and the many different forms self-care can take (it’s not all mediation and pedicures)
Starting by paying attention to your reactions and thinking about what caused them
Making this work a priority
One rule for making meals more peaceful—do not talk about food
BIO
Bonnie is a parenting and child behavior specialist. She speaks and teaches internationally and is the author of two books. She has designed and taught parenting workshops and counseled parents for more than twenty five years. She holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education is from Bank Street College in New York City, and works with the Connective Parenting Philosophy, which allows parents to understand where their children are coming from both developmentally and temperamentally and to respond with appropriate expectations. Bonnie lives in NH with her husband and is the mother of two grown children and three grandchildren.
LINKS
https://bonnieharris.com/ (Bonnieharries.com)
https://bonnieharris.com/ (Connectiveparenting.com)
https://bonnieharris.com/books-etc/when-your-kids-push-your-buttons/ (When Your Kids Push Your Buttons)
https://bonnieharris.com/books-etc/confident-parents-remarkable-kids/ (Confident Parents, Remarkable Kids)
https://plansimplemeals.com/raising-great-girls-yourself-included-with-jill-hope/ (Raising Great Girls with Jill Hope)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PAY ATTENTION AND PLAY DETECTIVE. Start by simply paying attention to how you react during the day. Note what you did (maybe you yelled at your kids). Notice how you were feeling. Try to figure out what you were thinking, what button were your kids pushing? Keep a journal for the week.
PRIORITIZE SELF-CARE. Bonnie reminds us that self-care is as essential as giving our kids a nutritious meal. Think about what really nourishes you. It...
“One of my favorite parts of this group is you and the way that you lead and the way that you inspire … everytime I talk to you, I feel better. You always make me feel like I can conquer what I need to conquer and it’s like no big deal.” – Heather Dressel On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Heather Dressel about her family, her business and her experience during https://plansimplemeals.com/flow-365/ (FLOW365).
Heather has an 8-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. She’s been a stay at home more for ten years, and this is the first year she said she can do something for herself. And she’s doing something really exciting—starting her own business, called Divinely Sensitive. In addition she moved to a new state recently.
In the midst of all this change, she was resistant to committing to a full year process, here’s what happened when we met in person:
I just had this knowing … this feeling that we were going to work together … When we started talking and you told me about this program [https://plansimplemeals.com/flow-365/ (FLOW365)], there was like a ping in my heart that was like, “Ooh, you need to get her information and stay in touch with her. This sounds something that it could be really great for you.
Heather’s FLOW Situation
Heather needed to focus on healing from serious chronic illnesses and disease and learning about foods that make her and her family sick. She is transforming from full time mom to a business owner. Over the past couple of years, she’s had really amazing spiritual awakening and she’s settling to this new home. That’s food, lifestyle, om and work right there.
She says, “I had so much going on, I needed support, I needed a system, a gentle, ever changing, forgiving structure that would inspire me to show up to be my best self in all of those areas.”
Why Planning Matters
I always loved the idea of planning. Planning looked like tons of notebooks and lists floating around my kitchen and everything scattered. As much as I love order and planning, I just never really found a way to make it work for me and I still struggle with consistency, but I’m definitely getting better since I started FLOW.
Just Show Up
You show up when you show up. “It goes totally in alignment with what I’m trying to do with my entire life to let go of the perfectionist and just show up and do the best I can in that moment.”
Key Tool: Braindump
I always say there is magic in writing things down. It helps us really be focused on our goals but it also lets us let go of trying to hold all the information in our heads. Heather says, “Just the braindump alone is super helpful for me. If I fully get to that, it’s like I’ve let everything out, I’ve looked at it, I’ve read it, and it kind of sits with me.”
A braindump, or as I like to call it a Master List, can be super helpful, but for Heather, they used to be overwhelming. Here’s what changed:
A huge shift for me was doing this dump list and then breaking it down in the back of the journal to the food, work, om and lifestyle. I’m a really visual person and so seeing everything in the way it’s organized in the journal is a lot less overwhelming for me than looking at pages and pages and pages of list.
And what’s on our list can change season to season. Right now I might be really focused on work, but in a couple of months I might feel pulled to really reconnect with my food. But when you see it written down, and you don’t put it on your calendar it isn’t going to get done.
Key Tool: Week at a Glance Pages
The FLOW planner has a number of sections, and Heather’s favorite is the Week at a Glance page: I never took time to think about how I wanted my week to feel. Who has time to think about that? It’s just revolutionary for me. What is my vision for the week? What do I want to receive this week? What do I want to give this week? It’s just give...
“Am I good enough? Yes I am.” – Michelle Obama We all have our own journey, but so often there is something, sometimes one little thing that we take from somebody else’s experience that helps us. This is me being 100% real about what I think about, what I do (and sometimes what I don’t do). I’m still figuring out the flow between work and family and wellness. Here are a few lessons I’m learning and continuing to play with. I am enough. I spent most of my life thinking I wasn’t thin enough or rich enough or smart enough. A few months ago I was trying to figure out the next steps in my business, and I actually had the thought, “I am not man enough.” I’m still tested by the idea of being enough, but the why behind putting time into my wellness is to remind myself everyday that I am enough.
Freedom does not mean no rules. Boundaries are so important. In order to feel well in my body, I had to understand what I should eat. I’ve had a rule around not eating gluten and dairy for 10 years now, but many rules are shorter lived. I like to call them experiments: ditching coffee for a week, committing to a cleanse for 21 days, gifting myself a good nights sleep. This year I am working on work boundaries. I’m making the effort to work 8–3 while the kids are in school, keeping weekends for family, and planning for sick days or vacation days.
Big Rocks have to come first and be non-negotiable. Big Rocks are three things that move you towards your dreams. They do not have to take the most time, but every day I do them, I feel like I got something done. Where do you want to be 10 years from now? What small thing can you do today to move you towards that? Think about 30 minutes writing the outline for your book, 1 hour prepping food for a cleanse, 10 minutes sharing your passion project with a friend, a day cleaning the basement.
Planning is my best tool with the highest ROI. A big part of planning is committing and making space, so the act of planning really makes me consider what things even belong in my day. Productive does not mean busy. When I plan, I’m not always reacting. Instead, I make sure I’m making space for the things I want to do and to get done the things that need to get done.
My plan is not a set and forget thing. My planner can look a little messy, but I found out recently that is OK! I went through a phase where I wanted super beautiful, Instagram-worthy pages, but lately I realize the messier the better, because life is messy. Sometimes by Wednesday my meal plan is off, a kid gets sick, or I don’t have time to cut all the veggies for ratatouille the night I have it planned. Sometimes I don’t get something done at all for work or around the house, so I need to make more time to do it later in the week. Sometimes I ignore a timeblock all together, but if I am going to take my planning seriously, I have to move it somewhere else. I actually go back and account for changes I make in my planner. Messy, but it makes my planning real and helps me stay accountable.
My money is an important part of my wellness journey. I have a lot of really limiting beliefs about money and my worth. My MO has been to ignore it, but I know that doesn’t work. I feel very much at the beginning of my journey on this issue. In the past few years I have gotten more confident being honest about money. I think more about what I need, why I’m willing to spend on things (maybe it was ethically made or supports a friend in business), and what causes I want my money to go to.
Measurement is not all bad. I was inspired by an amazing coach named Christie to really ritualistically acknowledge money as it comes in. Know when payday is, have a gratitude practice when you see the money in your account. It took me a while to actually do this. This year I also started using an app called YNAB, short for You Need a Budget. Measuring money can be...
As the heart awakens, we feel more and more grateful for no reason. – John Prendergast On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with John Prendergast about making space for spirituality. I met John at a retreat in 2018 and so many of his teachings connect with things we end up talking about here on the podcast.
One of the most important aspects for me was quieting your mind. When John said, “Let’s just sit” it sounded so much easier than trying to meditate. If you are raising kids and dealing with how you were brought up and everything you have to do and all the world around you moving so fast, there’s so much coming at you that it’s really hard to hear the voice inside you. But, as John says, if we get quiet, we can start attuning to our inner knowing.
We talk about the difference between thinking and awareness. John explains, “The thinking mind, the ordinary thinking mind, is really helpful in terms of practical problem solving but, it’s not very helpful in terms of actually recognizing what I would call our “true nature.” Getting out of the thinking mind helps us realize that.
We talk about:
How disconnecting from our thoughts brings relaxation and attention can then drop down much more easily into the body.
Dealing with situations with our kids by getting quieter within ourselves and tapping into our inner wisdom
This process not being selfish because it’s about self-indulgence, but actually it’s about true self intimacy.
Using small breaks in your day to tune into yourself instead of looking at your phone or listening to the radio
Recognizing our core limiting beliefs and then getting quiet and going to the heart, not the mind, for an answer and transformation
How awareness can help us work through unfinished “stuff” in our lives—we need to notice where we feel it in our bodies and the stories we tell about it and finding the very core of it
The power of gratitude practice and even deeper gratitude we’re alive and that we’re awake and that there is an extraordinary mystery of human life that’s unfolding
John shares this practice:
Take a little time out of your routine, say 10 or 15 minutes in the morning, before the day begins, to quietly sit in a comfortable place where you’re not going to be interrupted.
Sit upright, comfortably.
Close your eyes or have them partially open.
Take a few deep breaths and just feel yourself held by whatever it is you’re sitting upon.
Know that there’s no problem that you have to solve in the moment.
Shift your attention down to the heart area or the belly. Use your breath to anchor your attention.
Thoughts about what you need to do or plans for the day may arise. Just let them fall away.
Begin to simply open to the silent, open sense of awareness. Let it deepen.
Attuning with the quietness can affect your whole day. This practice can take some time to get used to, so give it few weeks for a fair trial.
BIO
John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is the author of In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself (Sounds True, 2015) and the forthcoming The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence (Sounds True, 2019). He is a retired adjunct professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a psychotherapist in private practice. John studied for many years with the European sage Jean Klein as well as with Adyashanti, and he was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt.http://www.listeningfromsilence.com ( www.listeningfromsilence.com)
LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Inner-Guidance-Trust-Yourself/dp/1622032071 (In Touch)...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Sue Rock Tully, a stylist and coach with Stella & Dot, the mom to two teenage daughters, and a member of FLOW365. I can’t wait for you to hear how she’s flourished and how you can too! Sue left a corporate job when her kids were in fifth and sixth grade. When she had a corporate job, she felt like everything was planned. “I just knew what my goals were, I knew what my schedule was, I knew when my trips were, I knew all of that. I felt like I had a handle of things.” Leaving that world left her floundering, and FLOW365 helped ground her.
Sue’s FLOW Situation
I was in a place where I hadn’t had a lot of focus and I wasn’t feeling productive. … I liked, especially that FLOW 365 wasn’t just about work…. the focus across everything I found especially appealing.
Key Tool: Getting Everything on the Same Page
Sue talks about how the holistic approach of FLOW 365 and the FLOW Planner have helped her get into FLOW and make space for and “count” all the things that she does. For her it looks like getting her family schedule into her planner first—plays, school events. Then blocking her business around that. She doesn’t work full time because she doesn’t have to. She can look at the different parts of her life and recognize that taking her business to another level right now doesn’t fit with her family. At the same time she is thriving at the level she’s at.
Key Tool: 90-Day Seasons
Each FLOW Planner covers 90 days.
I like how it’s broken up into seasons. The fact that it’s a three month season and thinking about life that way is new to me…. I’m not a really big, big goal setter. All of those sort five or ten years things are very daunting to me. Even a whole year of what I want to accomplish. The three months feels so doable to come up with really actionable and achievable things.
I like too that we’re thinking into January ... because it doesn’t feel like that big end at New Years sometimes feel like a little cliff or something. This just feels like a slope. Flow again...
Key Tool: Community & Accountability
“I love the group…. We’re all so different but, it feels so good to be together…. Community in general is such a great thing. It’s not easy to create.” FLOW 365 is build around a community that includes regular group meetings and communication that allow for accountability toward our goals or to just check in with what we’ve done in a non-judgemental way. It’s always amazing to me how groups come together and how a diverse group of people can really support each other and just how amazing that is. It’s so needed maybe this particular time maybe in history.
In https://plansimplemeals.com/flow-365/ (FLOW 365), we plan at a lot of levels. We get together for high level seasonal plans. We break things down my month and then by week. And we keep all of the things that matter front and center—food, lifestyle, OM (spirituality and self-care) and work. FLOW 365 is a high-end, yearlong program that helps entrepreneurial moms make time and space for clean food, joyful home lives and meaningful practices — alongside work, of course! It is designed to help you increase productivity without decreasing joy.
Key Tool: Coaching
Sue says, “You’re very insightful. There’s just some advice that you’ve given that you may not even realize that comes so easily to you… You can hear people’s desires or where they need things when we have our group conversations. You just get right to it.”
FLOW Changes
Food: Thanks to FLOW planner, I haven’t had a week without a dinner plan in a while. Before if I didn’t know, the entire day was spent thinking about, “What are we gonna do for dinner?”
Lifestyle: Because it’s holistic, getting the laundry done or going grocery counts as...
I want you to be completely convinced that you are beautiful, that you are sexy, that you deserve pleasure. – Caitlin Cogan Doemner On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Caitlin Cogan Doemner about sex. Do note, that this is not one to listen to with your kids...
Caitlin runs a successful coaching business with her husband. They’re raising four kids. And they have sex every day. Caitlin didn’t think anything of this until she started talking to some friends and realizing they didn’t do the same thing. She credits daily sex with the energy she has to do other things—and she and her husband wrote the book on sex every day. They actually wrote his and hers versions, so you can both read it an be on the same page.
Caitlin has three main tips. The first is to sleep naked, and she offers practical suggestions to make this happen—buying a heated blanket, having a bathrobe at the end of the bed, not co-sleeping. The second is eating from the menu, which encompasses appetizers (anything that gets us ready for sex), side dishes (everything that connects with sex—fantasy, candles, music, narrating what you are doing …), entrees (what brings you to climax), and desserts (what comes after, like cuddling). And third, prioritize pleasure in every area of your life a little bit more—and you cum first.
We talk about having different love languages and how understanding and honoring them is so important. Caitlin needs words of affirmation, while her husband craves touch. Acts of service, quality time (schedule that date night regularly!), are also love languages. We tend to give what we want to receive, but that doesn’t work when we have different love languages. Understanding each other’s language and using it helps lead to more and better sex.
We talk about:
Body shame around being naked together
Having your husband do bedtime with the kids while you shift from mom mode to wife mode
Not faking orgasms but giving your partner a system to get you there
Using mutual asking and giving feedback about what you both want in a way that’s not emotionally charged
The excuses we come up with — and the benefits we could be reaping (like reducing stress and cortisol levels, a rise in happiness endorphins and so much more)
How do deal with “I just don’t feel close to my husband right now/anymore”
Doing a two-week trial of sex every day
Being convinced that you are beautiful, that you are sexy, that you deserve pleasure—and that you should be enjoying sex.
BIO
Today's guest is Caitlin Cogan Doemner - she's best known for her expertise in sales and business strategy, growing her company, Virtual Coaching Sales, to $600,000 annually in just 4 years, she's published two books and has been invited to speak to entrepreneurs at both Harvard and Westpoint.
But we're talking to Caitlin today about a much more personal topic - her marriage - and her new book "Sex Every Day" which shares the 3-step process she and her husband have used to prioritize their pleasure in the 10 years they've been married - while raising four kids!
LINKS
http://www.sexeverydaybook.com/ (Sex Every Day book)
http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-and-caitlin-doemner/sex-every-day-how-to-prioritize-pleasure-in-your-marriage/hardcover/product-23974387.html (Sex Every Day book also)
http://virtualcoachingsales.com/ (Virtual Coaching Sales)
http://www.5lovelanguages.com (www.5lovelanguages.com)
https://plansimplemeals.com/pleasure-is-productive-with-janna-denton-howes/ (Pleasure Is Productive with Janna Denton Howes)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SLEEP NAKED. One of Caitlin’s first tips is having more sex is to sleep naked. Give it a two-week trial. To help make it work, try sheets you love, a heated blanket if your house is cold,
The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past. – Marie Kondo Three years and a few months ago, I was sitting on the beach trying to relax into a family vacation. It was one of those weeks that had snuck up on me, and I left behind what felt like 100 unfinished projects.
A few days in, I opened the Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and literally read it from cover to cover while the rest of my family swam. We were not too far from home, and when my husband got out of the water, I looked him in the eye and said, “I have to go home.” With that, I packed my stuff and drove the 1.5 hours back to out house, leaving my computer and any work I would be tempted to tackle back at the vacation rental.
Within 6 minutes of getting home, I emptied my closet and 2 drawers, got all clothes from bins in the basement, and all coats from the front hall closet. On my bed was the biggest heap of clothes I had ever seen. I started the process of holding each piece of clothing and feeling if it gave me joy — sounds crazy I know, but 7 hours later I had a pile I was keeping and many trash bags that I was ready to let go of.
It is amazing how different tidying up is with your heart instead of with your head. I highly recommend reading the book, and now you can get inspired by Marie’s new Netflix series.
There are still a few areas left to go in my house, but my closet has been in great shape for 3 years….
“We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.” ― Marie Kondō,
Today on the podcast I have my friend Lillia Flores on the show. We both went through decluttering phases at similar time, so I thought it would be fun to talk Marie Kondo with her.
If you don’t know the basics of this method, you focus on a category of stuff at a time—clothes, books, papers, other stuff, with sentimental stuff last. You gather everything from that category and hold each piece and decide if it sparks joy.
Here’s what we talk about:
Making the space to make decisions about letting go of things without others weighing in
Appreciating what you have and how it has served you – and letting it go if it doesn’t serve you or spark joy any more
How to break up the process to fit in your life – making blocks of time to go through a category of stuff
What you can learn about yourself by what you choose to keep
Creating a sacred space
Organizing in a way that makes sense to how you use things (and this doesn’t mean buying lots of new bins and boxes)—creating a flow to your home
The joy, peace, and calm that come with clearing out stuff
That this is a process to do again and again, that you may notice yourself start to cling to certain things and can find out what that’s about
I’ve created a worksheet to help you declutter >> Decluttering Worksheet
LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549478271&sr=8-1&keywords=mari+kondo (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up)
https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Joy-Illustrated-Organizing-Changing/dp/1607749726 (Spark Joy)
https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379 (Tidying Up with Mari Kondo)
https://plansimplemeals.com/the-decluttered-life-with-deirdre-nesline/ (The Decluttered Life with Deirdre Nesline)
https://plansimplemeals.com/the-art-of-feng-shui-with-sara-nelson/ (The Art of Feng Shui with Sara Nelson)
https://plansimplemeals.com/declare-dominion-with-anna-kunnecke/ (Declare Dominion with Anna Kunnecke)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SET INTENTIONS & MAKE A PLAN. Use the worksheet to decide how you want to feel in your home and make a plan of some specific things you can do to...
What do you own? Do you love it? Does it mean something to you? Are you using it? – Sara Nelson On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Sara Nelson, a feng shui and reiki practitioner about how we can shift our energy with feng shui practices.
Sara discovered reiki after having some health issues including numbness in parts of her body. Her doctors thought it was stress, but that didn’t feel right to her. She started have reiki sessions, which helped, and decided to learn Reiki herself. She now has a Reiki practice and teaches reiki as well. The energy work of reiki, paired with a long-time love of interior decorating and DIY projects, led her into feng shui.
For those of you who don’t know about feng shui, it’s the energy of your space and the energy that you take up in your space as well. Sara explains, “By moving things around and clearing your space and then honoring your space by marrying it with elements ... you create a home that becomes a sanctuary that nurtures you and holds you and all of your life.”
We talk about:
Feng shui in relation to decluttering and minimalism (they often go together, but aren’t the same). Feng shui is more noticing elements in your space and how to support each area of your home.
Asking four questions to help make decisions: What do you own and do you love it and does it mean something to you and are you using it?
Taking the first step of knowing what you have—going through your stuff and getting rid of things. Then organizing what’s left.
Starting with one room and really impact that space. Live with the change.
Using the GUAS—career and life purpose, helpful people and travel, love and relationships, health and wellness, abundance and wealth, children and creativity, fame and reputation, family and community, and wisdom and knowledge—to help arrange your space
Some tips for specific spaces in your house, including clearing stagnant energy—think cobwebs or a drawer of stuff you never use, creating balance in your bedroom, and where to put mirrors
Starting to clean up the common areas will eventuallyy impact your kids.
BIO
Sara Nelson is a Reiki Practitioner and is certified in Feng Shui. She invites you to join her in (re)discovering how your space and attention to self can bring you to a calm and happy place. She lives in Maine with her family and loves the beach, her garden, and hibernating in winter.
LINKS
Sara’s website https://www.thedreamydragonfly.com/ (https://www.thedreamydragonfly.com/)
Sara’s story of feng shui in action https://www.thedreamydragonfly.com/blog/what-are-you-lookin-at (https://www.thedreamydragonfly.com/blog/what-are-you-lookin-at)
https://plansimplemeals.com/the-decluttered-life-with-deirdre-nesline/ (The Decluttered Life with Deidre Nesline on the Plan Simple podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CHANGE THE ENERGY IN ONE SPACE. Pick a drawer, a cabinet, or a closet with stale energy (i.e., stuff that you don’t use much). Go through that space. See what you have, what you use, whether it means something to you, and if you are using it. Move out things that don’t fit those criteria.
CHANGE UP YOUR BEDROOM. Sara gives lots of specific advice about setting up our bed rooms for good feng shui. Think about balance—nightstands that look balanced, pillows or anything else in even numbers. Choose photos or images that you love and are about you and your partner; remove pictures of kids or other people. Move your mirror out of your room. Have the door visible from your bed. If all of this seems like too much all at once, pick one or two of those things that feel doable.
LIGHT YOUR CANDLES. Lighting your candles invokes fire energy. Having a lot of unlit candles around isn’t good energy, so if you...
Decluttering is so much easier if you think about it as a lifestyle. It’s something that’s ongoing. – Deirdre Nesline On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Deirdre Nesline, a personal organizer about the importance of clearing clutter and creating the space we want to help improve the rest of our year. One of the big ideas Deirdre shared was the idea of thinking of decluttering as a lifestyle, not a task or series of tasks. you think about it as a lifestyle. Like it or not, it is something that’s ongoing. There are times when task oriented decluttering makes sense, like when you are moving, but mostly, and what we focus on in this episode, is a decluttering lifestyle.
Deirdre talks about clutter blindness—how we drop stuff on say the kitchen counter or table instead of putting it where it belongs. That creates stress and builds a habit that creates more clutter. If instead we build new habits, we start to decrease clutter regularly.
Deirdre shares tons of tips about clearing places that are already cluttered and setting up new habits to make decluttering more of a lifestyle than a task we dread. And she points out that things usually take less time than we think—we waste a lot of time and energy thinking about doing them.
We talk about:
Getting into the habit of putting things where they belong throughout the day
Starting with a piece of a task that feels overwhelming, like taking just the lights off the tree
Tips for clearing your desk (and keeping it clear) like cutting back on mail by using Direct Mail and cancelling catalogs, and using a filing system to give papers you need to deal with a place
Using index cards with tasks you need to get done by a deadline at a glance
Getting rid of excess or unhealthy kitchen tools
Letting go of guilt of getting rid of expired food and decreasing food waste by organizing cabinets (all of the same food together) and meal planning from your pantry
How decreasing clutter saves time and money
Choosing a few meaningful items from somebody who has died and letting go of the rest
Teaching your kids how to let go of things they no longer want and need (and how this can be harder in practice than theory)
Doing a clutter walk through with a friend
Five minute, focused declutter sessions (work up to 15 min)
BIO
Deirdre Nesline is a personal organizer in Connecticut, Florida and online. She assists people & their families who struggle with where to start and complete de-cluttering their homes so they can de-stress and enjoy a full life without extra burdens. She helps people who are ready to take control of their lives and develops solid systems which allow them to step away from items & stresses that no longer serve their new DeCluttered life.
LINKS
http://www.declutterbydeirdre.com/ (Declutterbydeirdre.com)
http://www.declutterbydeirdre.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Paperwork-to-save-1-2019.pdf (What to do with your papers tool)
https://dmachoice.thedma.org/index.php (Direct Marketing) to decrease junk mail
https://plansimplemeals.com/planning-food-for-the-holidays-with-angela-litzinger/ (Podcast with Angela Litzinger) on prepping food
Doable Changes from this episode:
DO A CLUTTER WALKTHROUGH. Have a friend over (you can do the same for her) and just walk through your house. Ask her to point out clutter in a non-judgmental way. She can ask questions like Why do you have that there? or Why is the mail piled up on the counter? This helps you see areas where clutter has built up that you might not even see anymore. It can also help you see where your organization may not make sense.
TAKE ONE STEP. Pick a big task that you’ve been dreading. Then just take one step toward making it happen....
Everything benefits when you start to let go of the things that weigh you down. – Jill Hope On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jill Hope, the founder of I Shine, a family coaching practice. She’s mom to a son, but her work has brought her to focus on helping women who want to find their passion and/or raise raising empowered girls.
On the podcast, Jill describes what an empowered girl looks like. She makes decisions based on how she feels. She follows her passion and her joy. She actually knows what she’s passionate about because she’s really connected to who she actually is. She is not afraid to take healthy risks. She is confident about who she is.
According to Jill, one of the big things we need to do — women, men, girls, and boys — is awaken to our divine feminine energy. We all need to be able to fully express ourselves.
We talk about:
How parents can help their kids by self-reflecting, asking the right questions and giving yourself space to hear the answers
How place in the family can affect kids
The power of having trust and a vision of what you want
Looking at your own thinking around whatever challenges your daughter is facing
Using your passion to guide all decisions or choices
Why we tolerate things we don’t want—and how to stop
How your whole life gets better when you look at what’s within you
BIO
Jill Hope is a globally selling author, motivational speaker, and founder of I Shine, a family coaching practice located in Chicago. Her life’s mission is to help busy moms and their kids create clarity, fulfillment, passion, and purpose. As a part of her mission, Jill works with schools and local community organizations to mentor kids and teens, as well as provide schools around the world with her Inner Wellness Curriculum for kids in grades 3 through 5 (ages 8-11).
LINKS
http://powerfulgirlwithin.com/?fbclid=IwAR2cTWBkTv77K-18-8OqWBphlZRO5OvNHnrfIkCgopwbbDjxm4KpgeGJT1I (Five Keys To Raise Empowered Girls)
https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Test-Effortless-Discovering-Purpose/dp/0452289858 (The Passion Test)
https://plansimplemeals.com/ninamanolson/ (Nina Manolson on the podcast)
https://plansimplemeals.com/enjoy-your-child-with-michael-thompson/ (Podcast with Michael Thompson)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SELF-REFLECT ON ISSUES. If you are dealing with an issue with your kids, look to your own experience first. Ask questions like: Where have I felt this way in my own life? What would I have to be believing that would have this be true for my daughter right now? Ask questions and make space to hear the answers. See where your experience might be affecting your perception.
CULTIVATE A VISION. Start with a vision of what you want. If that’s hard, begin by identifying what is happening that you don’t like. Look to the opposite of that for your vision. Having a vision of what you want is the first step to stopping setting and beginning to having a life you love. January 28
WRITE IT DOWN. Try writing every day as a way to work through things. You can uncover deep insights and pull stuff out of your heart and out of your soul when you write it down.
When we go back and align our lives with our values, it can put everything back in tune. – Becca Lane On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Becca Lane, a Waldorf teacher and Simplicity parenting specialist about toys—how do we handle all the toys already in our house and the influx that seems inevitable to many people this time of year.
What happens when we simplify? “We find when children simplify or when parents simplify and children have this space that has been simplified, that parents say the children cooperate more both inside and outside of play time. They are able to keep their rooms tidier. It doesn’t become this once a month going in with a backhoe to clean everything out. It becomes a process that is manageable in your life keeping a room tidy.”
This happens for a couple of reasons. When our personal space is cluttered, our minds are too. Plus, even though we think choice is a good thing, too many choices leads to overwhelm. So what do we do about it? How do we get some things out of our house? And how, with the holidays, do we prevent the same number from just replacing those we got rid of? We dive into both questions.
We talk about:
Not involving children 9 or younger in the simplifying process, but focusing on one space and simplifying yourself quickly all at once—and how much kids love seeing their cleared up space
Boxing up toys for a while if you are afraid kids will miss things (they usually don’t) or creating a toy library that you rotate through
Simplifying first, then organizing what is left—Getting to a point where your kids can tidy up within five minutes with adult help/modeling
Tying back into your values when you think about the toys you buy and keep
How to acknowledge the love and generosity of people who want to give your children gifts, even as you are asking them to give less stuff
Ideas for cutting down on gifts from other people: setting numbers limits for grandparents, providing a list with internet links or catalogs with very specific ideas, giving experiences like ballet lessons or a zoo membership, non-toy gifts like tools to help children cut vegetables or work in the garden
The importance of being able to receive as well as give, and the fact that material things aren’t bad, but we need to work on balance and intention
Simplifying isn’t a thing you do and are done with.
BIO
Becca Lane is the director and lead teacher of the play-based preschool/kindergarten Little Round Schoolhouse. While she initially trained and taught as a public school teacher, she now holds certification from LifeWays North America (a Waldorf-based training) as well as several certifications from Simplicity Parenting. In addition to her time in the classroom, Becca also coaches parents and families in Simplicity Parenting and provides consulting for early childhood programs. She and her family live on the edge of the forest outside of Asheville, NC.
LINKS
http://www.beccalane.net (www.beccalane.net)
https://www.beccalane.net/p/email-capture-9ae06d72-22c7-4142-9eed-771a06ccec80 (Toys simplification formula)
https://www.facebook.com/beccalanesimplicityparenting/ (Becca on Facebook)
https://plansimplemeals.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Kim John Payne on Plan Simple Podcast)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SET YOUR VALUES. Tying decisions about toys to your values helps you make choices and send clear messages to other people who want to give things to your family. Think about personal and family values. This may mean cutting out or back on plastic toys or buying toys that will last. It may mean choosing tools or equipment for activities like cooking or gardening or outdoor exploration. Whatever it is, you can use your values as a filter as you make decisions about what you...
How do you get through the holidays as a mom and business owner? On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, we have a special treat. I’m talking with Megan Flatt and four other Mama CEOs about how they find flow between business and family and keep things sane during the holiday season.
Since we’re talking about work and family, let’s introduce ourselves, what we do and our kids ages. I’m Mia Moran. I help people plan their days. It means spending a lot of time in front of the computer while my 15, 13, and 9 year old are in school. It’s busy, so slowing down is hard for me.
With me today:
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO, a business growth strategist, and a planning pro who helps mom entrepreneurs grow and scale so they can reach their business goals and be present for their families. Her kids are 7 and 10.
Stacy Spensley is a coach for parents of young kids through coaching classes and community. Her kids are 5 ½ and 2 ½ and she’s having a third in a few weeks.
Sara Barry is a content strategist, client success manager, and a writer. She uses words to help people make connections. Her kids are 10 and 8.
Erika Tebbens is a consultant who provides sales strategy for passionate motivated women entrepreneurs. She shows them that sales doesn’t have to suck. Her son is 14.
Sonia Ruyts owns a brick and mortar yarn store and is a coach to creative small business owners. She has kids who are almost 4 and 9.
I love that we have a variety of kids and ages from 0 to 15. We have kids not in school and in school and home schooled. We have a range of business experience here. We also have people who love the holidays and others who really down play it. Hopefully something will speak to you.
We talk about:
Setting boundaries—Try setting boundaries around your work time, even if you are not good about it during the rest of the year. Schedule some down time. Think about doing one thing a day (or less as suits you). Talk about boundaries around gifts with your family. Consider the “a want, a read, a wear, a need” criteria to simplify things.
Setting priorities—What’s most important to you and your family? Ask your kids what they really want to do. Make sure those things have a place and then let the other things go.
Putting your big rocks in place early. Get your work schedule and the kid’s school schedule on the calendar. Know what things have to happen at certain times and what things you want to make sure happen. Get those on the calendar and let other things flow around that.
Knowing your business. Is this a time to push for your business or a time to scale back and set yourself up for a strong January? For retailers, it’s a busy time, which can affect how you schedule other things.
Choosing things that are meaningful to you. Sara creates an Advent calendar of holiday books that helps her slow down and read with her kids and get in the holiday and giving spirit. Erika has something they do over the course of the winter to extend the feel of the season and does some volunteering. Sonia loves taking her family to her big, local light display and getting silly. Stacy gets Christmas jammies every year.
Slowing down. Find out the way of slowing down that works for you, which may mean setting a day of home/down time or make choices about what you do or focusing on teaching kids about baking rather than pushing to get everything done. It could mean choosing to celebrate with extended family on a different day instead of trying to run around to many places on the actual holiday. Consider pacing the excitement by opening gifts as they come—then you can put things away when the shine wears off and take them out again later.
Deciding what you want for you family. Getting really clear with yourself and your spouse with what you want for the holiday season. Then work with...
I have permission each and every day to pursue my craft in order to take love and care of myself and be my best self for the most important people in my life. – Amy Tangerine On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so, so excited to talk with Amy Tangerine, who runs a creative company that helps women believe that they are creative and that you can craft a life you love by infusing creativity, fun and intention into your every day.
We talk about the joy of making, which can be about the product, but is often about the process or the time you spent making. Amy talks about being really present in the moment when she is crafting.
As moms we can tap into our own creativity, but we can also nurture creativity in our kids. Amy talks about her mom starting her onto the idea that she could create things and people would buy them. But we also talk about how the plan to sell can detract from enjoying the process of creating.
We talk about:
The value of being able to achieve your dreams no matter how big they are
Modeling creating for our kids and the pros and cons of craft kits
The power of paper planners and finding the way to plan that works for you
Everyone having 10 minutes a day to do something creative—and that there is creativity in everything we do if we recognize it
Giving ourselves permission to be creative, including the permission slip Amy shares in her book
Enjoying where you are and remembering that everything is a phase
How much a handwritten note can brighten somebody’s day
BIO
Amy is the Founder of Amy Tangerine, a creative lifestyle company that creates online content as well as fun, tangible products like tee shirts and craft supplies. Amy wrote the book, Craft a Life You Love, has taught workshops all over the world, makes YouTube videos, and consults with awesome brands and clients. Amy's mission is to inspire women everywhere to feel joy and confidence by infusing creativity, fun and intention into the everyday.
LINKS
http://www.amytangerine.com/ (Amytangerine.com)
https://www.instagram.com/amytangerine/ (Amy’s Instagram)
http://www.amytangerine.com/blog/ (Amy’s blog)
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQq7x9kln3StzjMPX0Efkg (Amy’s YouTube channel)
http://www.amytangerine.com/workshops/ (Amy’s scrapbooking class)
http://www.amytangerine.com/craft-a-life-you-love-preorder/ (Amy’s book Craft a Life You Love)
Advent Calendar that you can make for your family
Doable Changes from this episode:
MAKE 10 MINUTES FOR CREATIVITY. Amy says that everybody can find 10 minutes a day to be creative. Can you take 10 minutes before your kids get up or during lunch or after your kids are in bed? Know what you would like to do with that time—doodling, journaling, scrapbook a page … whatever it is take 10 minutes every day.
GIVE PERMISSIONS. In her book, Amy has a permission slip for creativity, because you need to nourish your soul first. Give yourself permission: The most important of my day is the part where I take care of myself and feed my soul. I cannot be the best partner, the best employee, the best boss, the best parent or the best friend if I’m not at my best. Therefore, I have permission each and every day to pursue my craft in order to take love and care of myself and be my best self for the most important people in my life. Sign it, and live it.
WRITE A HANDWRITTEN NOTE. A handwritten note can brighten somebody’s day more than you know. Take a few minutes to write a note to your child, partner, or friend. Or write one to a client or coach or mentor. Don’t worry about perfection, just write from the heart and hand letter it.
How do you stick to your weekly flow? We’re back for another episode of Well Planned, a Plan Simple series with Megan Flatt. Megan is a business growth strategist who works with female entrepreneurs, specifically mom entrepreneurs. She helps women build thriving businesses that they can feel good about and sustain them while still being actively present in the day-to-day lives of their kids and their families. One of her secret weapons is the Weekly Workflow, which we talked about on a our Systems and Support episode. I like to call it time blocking.
A weekly workflow is different from your schedule, but it’s what helps you schedule all the important stuff. For example, you might have certain days you see clients and certain days that you work on creating content or record your podcast and certain days that you do other things. You assign certain blocks of time to particular task buckets—then you fit specific tasks into those buckets.
We discuss making a plan (even if you aren’t a planner), and sticking with it. We also talk about how to stay on track when stuff comes up—a kid emergency or something else that causes you to change your plan. Because stuff always comes up. So what do you do about it?
We talk about:
Making sure there is enough buffer space to let you shift things around, for example to reschedule calls if you have a sick kid or to keep moving on a project if you are in a groove or even if something fun comes up that you want to do—if you schedule every week down to the minute you lose that necessary flexibility
Having a framework and then plotting out the week OR just taking the time to plot out the week, whichever is working for your life right now
Creating rules and boundaries, like saying I don’t see clients on Fridays, for yourself to help make things easier
Using a framework for home and selfcare stuff as well as business stuff (like Mia’s food rhythm or Megan making sure she eats lunch every day)
Deciding whether or not your plan is realistic and what needs to happen for it to be realistic—and getting realistic about how we are actually spending our time
Accounting for transitions between activities—you need time to stretch or get more water or switching gears mentally
Knowing your own personality and what kind of accountability or motivation you need
We touched on motherhood and balance and being the default parent, but we’d love to talk about it some more
Have a question for Mia and Megan? Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask).
You will get prompted to record your question and we’ll try to answer it.
Or just email your question to mia@plansimplemeals.com
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO, a business growth strategist, and a planning pro. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (Meganflatt.com)
https://plansimplemeals.com/systems-support-on-well-planned-series-with-megan-flatt/ (Systems and Support episode)
http://podcast.farnoosh.tv/ (So Money)
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Tendencies-Indispensable-Personality-Profiles/dp/1524760919 (The Four Tendencies)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385348630/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3 (Better Than Before)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062414852/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 (The Happiness Project)
Doable Changes from this episode:
ADD BUFFER TIME. Try adding buffer time into your day. Think of this as transition or runway time, the time you need in between activities....
Our soul actually longs to turn in at this time. – Kim Marie On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kim Marie, a transformational life coach who creates an amazing journal this time every year. If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, this may sound familiar, because I had her on last year.
At the time I had just discovered her journal, but hadn’t had a chance to use it. Now that I have, I wanted to have her back on to talk about it again, because it was so transformational for me last year. For years I had embraced the idea of getting quiet and sitting by the fire and writing during the holidays—and then I saw something Kim Marie posted about using this time for journaling in a very powerful way.
The Sacred Nights Journal focuses on the period from December 24 to January 6. This process being open to everyone; even though the sacred nights fall in the Christian Christmas and Advent season, they are also tied into winter solstice and changes in the natural world and light. The process helps move us away from the hustle and bustle and consumerism of the season and extend the magic. Kim says, “I realized not only was this beautiful tool for quieting myself and really gleaning the wisdom of my own inner self during this time but, it became like a guide book, like a map for my life in the coming year and that what was incredibly powerful to me.”
We talk about:
The power of waking up and remembering and recording your dreams
Connecting with your journal every day, even if you just jot down one thing—how whatever you write down, even if you don’t understand it at the time, gives you guidance in the coming year
The 12 virtues, or practices, associated with the months, like courage
Finding our truth in the world and recentering
Creating rituals during this time of year, lighting candles, reading stories, slowing down
Taking the responsibilities and the commitments you have and weaving them in with intention around what you’re trying to create during this time of year.
Taking space for sacred time for yourself even when your family is around
Kim Marie is a Transformational Life Coach supporting her clients to awaken their inner wisdom and transform their lives. Through her powerful programs and courses, including Mother’s Medicine, Wisdom Rising, and her forthcoming online group coaching program, Awakening Wisdom, Kim supports women to remember who they are, reconnect to what matters most, and rebirth themselves into the life of freedom they envision. She is the mother of two teenaged boys.
LINKS
https://kimmariecoaching.com/sacrednights/ (https://kimmariecoaching.com/sacrednights/)
https://plansimplemeals.com/navigate-your-year-with-kim-marie/ (Navigate Your Year with Kim Marie)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredNightsCommunity/ (Sacred Nights Community)
https://plansimplemeals.com/planning-food-for-the-holidays-with-angela-litzinger/ (Planning Food for the Holidays)
https://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
Doable Changes from this episode:
JOURNAL DAILY. Write down one dream or even part of one. Jot down a word or phrase that sticks with you even if you don’t know why. If you have time, write more, but make space to write something every day. Kim Marie’s Sacred Nights journal does an amazing job walking you through a thought process for the 12 days after Christmas, but you could simply reflect and journal on your own if that’s what feels doable to you.
CREATE A RITUAL. Create a ritual that slows you down at this time of year and moves you with intention toward the feeling and kind of space you want. That might mean lighting and Advent wreath or eating dinner by candlelight. It might mean...
Fruits and veggies are so important to our thriving health! I sometimes talk about what we could take out, but adding the 10 servings of suggested fruits and veggies a day is huge!!!! Eating more fruits and vegetables reduces inflammation thus reducing your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and some forms of cancer.
The fiber in fruits and vegetables may help to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Eating more fruits and vegetables may help reduce your chance of Type 2 diabetes.
Foods that are rich in potassium like oranges and bananas may help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Almost all fruits and many vegetables are low in fat, calories and sodium.
Fruits and vegetables are naturally cholesterol free.
Eating whole fruits and vegetables adds fiber to your diet. Fiber fills you up, causing you to naturally make better food choices.
Woman of childbearing age or in their first trimester of pregnancy need folate (folic acid), a nutrient that is found in fruits and vegetables. Folate reduces the risk of birth defects during your baby’s development.
https://www.plansimplemeals.com/printables/10ways-veggies.pdf (https://www.plansimplemeals.com/printables/10ways-veggies.pdf)
Ten ways to eat more fruits and vegetables
Have a salad every day for lunch & pack it in a jar for easy transport
Place veggie sticks on your kitchen table: carrots, celery, cucumbers, red peppers
Start the day with a green smoothie
Add veggies to non-veggie dishes – spinach in meatballs, radishes in tunafish, carrots and cauliflower in lentils
Bridge the gap with Juice Plus (Contact the person you know who sells juice plus, or email Mia and talk with her, mia@plansimplemeals.com)
Have fresh fruit for your afternoon snack
Start with plants when planning your meals — then fill in the rest
Top your toast with Avocado, tomatoes, or banana and almond butter
Make ice cream out of frozen berries
Keep your fruit bowl filled and on an organized counter
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with my friend and gluten/allergen free food expert, Angela Litzinger. She’s an amazing cook and blogger, and we’re talking about planning for the holidays. Even if you don’t like the holiday promotions that happen earlier and earlier in the year, thinking about and prepping for the holidays now can make things so much calmer for you—and help you stick to your budget by spreading things out. When Angela and I talked in late October, she was already starting to cook for the holidays, so now is definitely not too early to get started.
Angela suggests starting by writing out what you plan to serve for any holiday meals (she plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time). The first time you do this, it will take a little longer, but save your plan, and if you tend to fall back on tradition, next year will be easier. Once you have a list of foods you want to serve, make your grocery list. Separate out pantry items (that you can buy any time, like canned pumpkin or nuts). You can keep an eye on sales and buy a few items each week to keep costs down. Then plan what you will make each week or weekend and make sure you add any fresh ingredients you’ll need on hand to your list.
We talk about:
Taking charge of a meal or volunteering to cook to reduce stress levels if you have specific ways you eat, such as gluten free
Asking for a clean, separate space to be free of cross-contamination if you are eating at another home and feeling confident about providing the food you and your family needs
Making double batches of what you are cooking anyway and freezing some for the days around the holidays to add more ease and allow more family time
Exactly how to freeze meals, what freezes well, and how to keep track of what’s in the freezer
Teaching kids to cook and getting their help to batch cook
What FLOW365 has meant for Angela
LINKS
http://angelaskitchen.com/ (Angelaskitchen.com)
http://angelaskitchen.com/2018/11/03/how-i-plan-food-for-the-holidays/ (Angela’s planning for the holidays plan)
http://angelaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/thanksgiving-2008-final.pdf (Angela’s Thanksgiving Meal Plan)
FLOW 365
Doable Changes from this episode:
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS. Plan what you will serve for any holidays where you are hosting or if you need to prepare food your family can eat. Write out the menus for these meals and any other other special foods you plan to make (Christmas cookies for example). Then make a master shopping list for all the foods you need to buy.
PREP HOLIDAY MEALS AHEAD. Cooking or prepping ahead, a little each week, can make your holidays easier. Find a time that works for you each week to do a little extra cooking for the holidays. See Angela’s blog post and Thanksgiving menu for ideas of things to prep ahead.
BATCH & FREEZE. Angela recommends doubling up on what you are cooking anyway as a way to stock your freezer with meals that will make the days around the holidays easier. The idea of filling your freezer came up recently to help moms with business as they were getting ready for a launch. Having meals in the freezer is a gift to yourself, because you can nourish yourself and your family and get a break on a day you need it.
Do you have a checklist for launching or any advice about launching and still being a very hands-on mom? We’re back for our 6th episode of Well Planned, a Plan Simple series with Megan Flatt. Megan is a business growth strategist who works with female entrepreneurs, specifically mom entrepreneurs. She helps women build thriving businesses that they can feel good about and sustain them while still being actively present in the day-to-day lives of their kids and their families. She has a lot to say about our question today.
Today, our question comes from a mom with an eight year old and a eleven year old. She’s been a stay at home mom, and now she is about to launch a business dedicated to helping highly sensitive women thrive. She asks for advice, or even a checklist, for launching—and specifically how to launch while being a mom and still needing to put a lot of time into that.
We start with some high-level advice, but we’ll get to the details and the checklist, promise!
Some of our key takeaways are:
Clarity comes from action. Megan suggests getting your idea or your product or your business out as quickly as possible and then wearing your researcher hat to test, tweak, and polish from there. Don’t hide or get lost in creating a website and the perfect logo and all that. Everything we create can evolve with us. Nothing is set in stone.
Do less better. Aks yourself, “What is the next right decision for me?” Then pick one social media channel or one product or one ideal client to focus on. There are so many things you could do, but you’ll get further by doing less better.
Create systems to control your content. One way to do less better is to not feel like you have to recreate the wheel constantly when it comes to content, but if your content is on Facebook and Instagram or another social platform, make sure you have it in a file you control too. That makes it easier to find when you want to adapt or reuse content and helps protect you as social platforms continue to evolve.
Write it all down. Writing down your plan helps you see get really clear on what you are doing. It also helps you see where you are trying to do 4 months worth of work in 6 weeks. You can also save space for an idea that isn’t the right idea for right now. Say you want to start a podcast, but right now you are focused on launching your new Mastermind, you can put your podcast plan into Q3 of next year.
Start with the end result. Before you start mapping out steps 1, 2, 3, think about the end result you want. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the things we think we should or need to do, if you really tap in into what you want and what your goal is now, most likely you can figure out how to get there. It’s often simpler than we think if we stay focused on the results we want.
The journey can feel very long and mundane but, it’s so worth it in the end. – Lisa Marie Grantham On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Lisa Marie Grantham, a coach and spiritual teacher and the founder of the School of Magical Living. She considers herself a student of life is is passionate about so many things. She discovered coaching and loved it, but burning out turned her to start her online business.
She had three small kids when she started her online business journey, and today is an empty nester. She divorced and moved and felt like she was starting over at 49, but now finds herself in a sweet spot in her life.
Thinking about the quote “magic is the new yoga,” she discusses her interest in the divine. Her’s how she explains it: “magical living is working in alignment with universal law, in alignment with your deepest desires and intentions, and co-creating with the divine. That’s basically magical living in a nutshell.” We talk about how magical living is part of your OM, and how to fit that into your own FLOW system.
We talk about:
Bookending your day (starting and ending with a sacred practice)
The divine coming to each person in the way that is right for them and how to curate your own spiritual practice
Realizing that our kids can do things for themselves and to help around the house—and that they need to to become self-sufficient
Having things around, like crystals and essential oils, that help keep you on track and surrounding yourself with beauty
Making the mundane, magical (even laundry)
The matrix of the elements fire, earth, air, and water and creativity
BIO
Lisa Marie Grantham is a business coach and spiritual teacher. She’s the Founder of The Goddess Lifestyle Plan® and School Of Magical Living™, a past columnist for Aspire Magazine For Women, an Amazon International Best-Selling Author, and leader/facilitator of The Goddess Lifestyle Sisterhood™. Lisa has successfully created a thriving, global brand while raising her children. Lisa is passionate about teaching ambitious, soul-centered women how to live magically everyday and to create an abundant life and prosperous laptop business they love!
LINKS
http://www.schoolofmagicalliving.com (www.schoolofmagicalliving.com)
https://www.schoolofmagicalliving.com/sisterhood/ (Goddess Lifestyle Sisterhood)
https://www.schoolofmagicalliving.com/abundance-alchemy-2-2/ (Abundance Alchemy)
https://plansimplemeals.com/boundaries-on-well-planned-series-with-megan-flatt/ (Well Planned episode on boundaries)
https://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
Doable Changes from this episode:
BOOKEND YOUR DAY WITH A SACRED PRACTICE. Lisa Marie starts and ends her day with prayer. You might choose to meditate, light a candle, express gratitude. You could say something like Lisa Marie does, “ Thank you for this day. Thank you for using me in the highest way possible. I’m done. I’m outta here.” It doesn’t have to be a big, long practice. A few minutes—or even a few seconds—can do a lot. Choose a simple OM practice and start and end your day with it.
ADD MAGIC TO THE MUNDANE. There are things we have to do that feel mundane—laundry, paying bills, making dinner. Try adding magic to these things. Add essential oils when you wash clothes to help you stay present when you fold them. Light a candle and enjoy a glass of wine when you pay bills. Shake off your bad mood before you start cooking dinner.
INVOLVE YOUR KIDS. If you have babies, this may isn’t the doable change for you right now, but tuck it away. Help your kids learn self-sufficiency—and help yourself stop feeling like you have to do everything. Give kids a task appropriate for their age. If they haven’t...
"Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you." -Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Megan and explore a question about launching a store.
We talk about “flow” vs. balance. Especially how sometimes you flow a little more to the family side and sometimes you flow a little more to the business side. We even acknowledge that a little bit of chaos is okay too—and even necessary to get things done sometimes.
And then there’s selling stuff. Usually when we start a business, we go into it because we are passionate about doing something or something we make. We want to share our skills or our product with people and make their lives better. But to do that, we need to sell it, and that’s hard for a lot of people. Selling doesn’t have to feel slimy, but we need to unpack our feelings about selling and learn to do it.
We talk about:
The mental shift of saying “I have something to offer” rather than thinking about sales
Embracing who you are and what you bring to the table
Focusing on one thing and really leaning into it—and using that focused effort as research to see what works
Telling people you are there and what you do
Megan’s “so that” exercise to get crystal clear on why you do what you do and what you really sell
Thinking about sorting not selling and not taking it personally when people don’t buy
Have a question for Mia and Megan? Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask).
You will get prompted to record your question and we’ll try to answer it.
Or just email your question to mia@plansimplemeals.com
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO, a business growth strategist, and a planning pro. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (Meganflatt.com)
https://augusttable.com/ (AugustTable.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT YOU DO. Use Megan’s “so that” exercise to gain clarity on what you’re really selling. Fill in the blanks: I sell ___ so that ___. You may need a few rounds of “so that” before you get to the emotional response you are looking for. Keep this answer front and center when you think about selling.
TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU DO. Let people know you are there. Every day, make a point of sharing your website, a product, a blog post … something at least once. It could be telling your neighbor that you do health coaching. It could be emailing an old client to let them know what are doing these days. It could be sharing your website on Facebook. There are lots of possibilities, and even if you feel like you talk about what you do all the time, there are people who have no idea. Tell them!
FOCUS ON ONE THING. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the things you could or should do to sell your product or service, but try this instead. Focus on one thing. For the next six weeks, double down on Facebook ads or pushing a challenge by email to your list or reaching out individually to your best prospects. Whatever it is, stay the course and see what happens. If it’s working, keep going. If not, pivot. But take the time to see before you jump all over the place.
Nothing is impossible and there’s not such thing as no. – JB Owens On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with JB Owens. She calls herself an Extraordinary Lifestyle Designer and her most rewarding work is helping women transition from doing what they have to, to doing what they love. She’s a megapreneur with a lot of businesses. (She even helped me bring the FLOW planner to life!) Even though she has so much going on she doesn’t seem scattered.
She doesn’t see anything as impossible. When she sees an idea from somebody, she starts asking questions like, “How do we get that done? What do you need me to do? What are the steps to make that happen?” And I love that she helps other women learn to overcome what feels impossible.
She shares part of her journey from abusive relationships to single mom to taking charge of her life and becoming a megapreneur. The biggest take away was that she didn’t listen to buy into the stereotypes that others want her to fit into. She decided she didn’t have to go on government support just because she should; she decided that a single mom could travel the world—and so much more.
We talk about:
Her line of non-toxic, reusable feminine products
Her morning routine that starts and 4 and includes meditation, journaling, a run, and writing (and knowing that you don’t have to do what somebody else is doing—you need to do what works for you)
Putting the thing you don’t want to do at the top of your list.
Getting dressed for work so that you can be your best
The importance of boundaries—and of getting back to your practice when you decide to bend them
Getting quiet so you can hear your answers (meditation works, but so do a lot of other things)—and the answer she heard to take her kids and travel for the year to teach them about the world and other cultures and community
Learning to pull from your own well
Changing work into fun as a way to do all the things you want to and her hack of asking every morning, “What’s gonna make me happy today?”
BIO
JB Owen is passionate about inspiring women to believe in their dreams and become the fullest expression of themselve. Her LIVE EXCEPTIONAL brand is all about teaching others how to be their exceptional selves. It inspired JB’s vision behind her global movement Lotusté, designed to encourage women to honor and respect one another by supporting each other in their own success. It motivated JB’s to design the most comfortable, fashionable, washable feminine product on the planet, called Lotus Liners. She is mom to a 13 year old and a 10 year old and is currently writing two parenting books.
LINKS
https://www.lxyourlife.com/ (Lxyourlife.com)
https://lotusliners.com/ (Lotusliners.com)
https://www.lxyourlife.com/rated (LX rated)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jb.owenlovesyou?ref=br_rs (JB Owen personal page)
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JBOwenOfficial/ (JB Owen official page)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jb_owen_/ (JB Owen - Live Exceptional)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildyoubilliondollar/ (Build You Billion Dollar)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiu7Jpjxal4&list=PLgedtq-mD8QNBsjNWsdO22pgQhc9ROP9y (Finding Love)
http://theflowplanner.com/optin15438678 (The FLOW Planner)
[doablechanges url="http://plansimplemeals.com/101/"]
Doable Changes from this episode:
EAT THE FROG. What’s the thing you don’t want to do today? (It might be the thing you’ve moved from list to list to list because you keep not wanting to do it.) Put that at the top of your list, and don’t do anything else until you’re done. The goal here isn’t to put a huge project at the top of your list, but to put a task that you are dreading there so that you stop avoiding it
Choose a boundary that feels really luscious and feels really nourishing and feels really exciting. Don’t choose the boundary that feels like it’s punishment. I’m back again with my friend and former business coach, Megan Flatt. Today is a lesson in Plan B. Normally we answer questions from listeners, but the system to take questions got hacked, so we’re going to dive into talking about boundaries this week and get back to your questions next time. Boundaries came up last week when we were talking about systems and support, and it’s a great topic to go deeper with.
Being a mom and being an entrepreneur are both 24/7 roles. You don’t clock in or out of either role, which makes it really easy to start feeling like you should be doing something as a mom or for your business ALL the time. That’s just not sustainable. That’s where parameters and boundaries come in.
Megan shares how she uses a guiding word to help set boundaries (right now she’s working with abundant ease). And we discuss how having boundaries provides structure—and more actually gives you more freedom.
We talk about:
Creating a meal rhythm and how I actually ate more variety within this structure
Decision fatigue and how to cut down on decision making
The importance of setting work hours (even if they change week to week)
Creating work blocks and using them to shift tasks and restructuring our time to be more effective
Using boundaries to make conscious decisions and be in charge of your day (even when it’s messy)
Working with our own cycles instead of thinking things have to be the same all the time (or that our work days and weeks have to look like anybody else’s)
Have a question for Mia and Megan? Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask).
You will get prompted to record your question and we’ll try to answer it.
Or just email your question to mia@plansimplemeals.com
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO, a business growth strategist, and a planning pro. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (Meganflatt.com)
https://plansimplemeals.com/systems-support-on-well-planned-series-with-megan-flatt/ (Well Planned: Systems and Support)
https://plansimplemeals.com/well-planned-overwhelm-vs-laziness/ (Well Planned: Overwhelm vs. Laziness)
https://plansimplemeals.com/well-planned-in-90-days-cycles-with-megan-flatt/ (Well Planned in 90-Day Cycles)
https://plansimplemeals.com/creating-a-rhythm-book-talk-episode-4/ (Creating a Meal Rhythm)
https://plansimplemeals.com/meganflatt/ (Spinning Plates with Megan Flatt)
https://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
https://plansimplemeals.com/pleasure-is-productive-with-janna-denton-howes/ (Pleasure Is Productive with Janna Denton-Howes)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CREATE A MEAL RHYTHM. Identify different “nights” for your rhythm (soup night, grain bowl night, bean night ... ). Keep it simple by making a list of foods you already eat that fit each night; get creative by checking cookbooks or online for other recipes to try. Set up one week of meals with your rhythm and add any ingredients you need to your shopping list. Look to see how your rhythm can help you move forward, (e.g., you can chop veggies for soup and your lunchtime salad at the same time).
SET WORK HOURS. Pull out your planner or a week calendar page and block off your work time. Think about what hours work for you to work—that might...
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
You may have a full on pantry, or you may have a few cabinets or shelves where you keep things that don’t go bad — rice, canned tomatoes, crackers, nuts.
If you are like most people, sugary cereals and cookies that you bought because of PMS or a screaming kid also make there way on the shelves.
If you are like me there are probably also some expired cans and jars that you never intend to use, or crumbs that spilled when a child helped themselves.
I have found that when this space we call a pantry is under control, it opens up new possibilities and ease on our wellness journeys.
When thee contents of our pantry are in opposition to the food choices we want to make, it makes things kinda hard.
I have helped countless women clean out their pantries. I get called in quite frequently when gluten is an issue, and it seems like an impossible thing to REALLY give up. I always agree that it must feel impossible when I see a pantry full of gluten crackers and treats.
If you are trying to make a change or feel like some order would help you with the overwhelm you feel in your kitchen, this is a doable change I would highly recommend!
We all need to do this from time to time. I always do it in the fall as the holidays approach…
Spend a week, or two, cleaning out, redesigning, and filling your pantry with great stuff... Here are some things you could do to make that happen.
You can download this checklist and the planning sheets that go with it https://plansimplemeals.com/printables/pantry-packet.pdf (here).
Take inventory of pantry.
Fill out the ditch list.
Clean the bottom of the shelf so there are no crumbs or dust.
Go through the pantry and take out anything you wish was not in there. Get it out of the house or put it in a place you will use it.
Design your pantry.
Make a list of the things you use each week that don’t go bad, yet you are always buying (almond milk for me!).
Buy pantry items online once for the month.
Buy containers and move food from distracting boxes to clear containers that makes all food more equal.
Journal about what you would love to bring in your kitchen.
Journal about what you like and dislike about shopping. Get clear on what has to change.
I need to create system to save time and make me more efficient for every patient I’m seeing and helping. Also, when should I think about getting some help to make my documents looking better? On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m back with my friend Megan Flatt for Well Planned, the series where we answer your questions about planning. Megan is a business growth strategist who focuses on helping business owners scale and grow their businesses while also being present for all the other important things in their lives like their kids and families.
Today we have a two-part question from Ellen about creating systems and outsourcing. Ellen asks this in reference to her business seeing and healing patients, but we’re going to talk about how to use both of these tools for business and home.
Megan’s number 1 tool is the weekly workflow. I love that word and it fits so much better than weekly schedule. For a weekly workflow, you might have certain days you see clients and certain days that you work on creating content or record your podcast and certain days that you do other things. One key piece is having some fluidity or “buffer time.” This allows you to spend a little more time on a project you are super inspired on or to deal with something at comes up. Check out the link below for Megan’s weekly workflow worksheet and video.
We dive into:
Setting boundaries and work hours to improve your business and your quality of life
Documenting things you do again and again, from writing up answers to the questions you get all the time to documenting a process you go through again and again—and then using some of this documentation (create a video or handout) to add value to your clients
Setting up systems for home (example meal planning, grocery shopping, or carpooling), which gives us a sense of more time
Setting up systems to make it easier to outsource
Working in focused two-week sprints to build momentum and cut down on “runway” time needed for multiple projects
Progress over perfection, or not letting a lack of perfection stop you from launching or sending things out
When and what to outsource and that just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you need to be doing it either at all or you need to be the one doing it in your business or at home
Have a question for Mia and Megan? Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask).
You will get prompted to record your question and we’ll try to answer it.
Or just email your question to mia@plansimplemeals.com
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO, a business growth strategist, and a planning pro. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (Meganflatt.com)
https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/147915?v=6 (Megan’s Weekly Workflow)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SET BOUNDARIES AROUND YOUR TIME. When do you start working and when do you stop? What days do you work and what days do you not work? What are your non-negotiables? Maybe you decide you don’t work on the weekends or after you kids are in bed, or perhaps you don’t respond to client emails or texts after 5 PM. Simply starting to set boundaries around these things will improve your quality of life. You can take this one step further and create your https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/147915?v=6 (weekly workflow).
SYSTEMATIZE ONE THING. Pick one thing to systematize this week. It could be creating a meal rhythm and setting aside time to make a plan each week or deciding that you always fill up...
It is almost the time of year where there are sweets at every turn. I start getting asked at Halloween, how I do it… How do I walk into a party and see a plate of brownies and not want it?
The truth is that what I feel like on the other side of gluten and dairy is not worth it!
Sugar is a bit trickier. My body does not really do that well after a plate of gluten-free, dairy free cookies whose first ingredient is sugar, but that can be a harder boundary on some days.
I find hormones, tiredness and stress are all reasons I mindlessly indulge.
The cool thing is that just by knowing that, I can make more informed choices.
Are there times when I devour an amazing sugary treat? You bet!
If I did it everyday, would I be able to ever say no? Would I be the same person as the person who eats less sugar in her lifetime at age 75. I don’t think so.
Sugar is more addicting that cocaine.
According to the American Heart Association, the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are:
Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)
Women: 100 calories per day(25 grams or 6 teaspoons)
In the grande pumpkin spice latte on trend now at everyone’s favorite coffee shop there are 49g of sugar, or to 12.25 tsp.
So, yes, if I am treating myself for wellness instead of sickness, I need to make sure I don’t get addicted to sugar, and the best way I know to do that is to make healthy sweet treats, because I do not feel so hot when I feel deprived!
Please do not take on the whole list at once. Choose one, play with it, and then move onto the next one.
We love thinking through changes as “Weekly Wellness Experiments.” Each Sunday, choose what you will work on for the week, make a plan for how to weave it into your schedule, then play.
Make a sweet treat or two every Sunday, so you have something to grab all week long.
Make a family commitment to avoid all boxed sweet treats for a week.
Make a healthy sweet treat for your next potluck.
Bake or blend with your kids.
Commit to a smoothie bowl whenever you are craving ice cream, and a smoothie when you find the chocolate desire is so powerful.
Find a brand in your health market that fits the gluten-free, vegan low sugar model. Know it is there if you need it.
Create a monthly system for buying nuts, seeds, superfoods and flours needed for sweet treats.
“The busier you are, the more intentional you must be.” ― Michael Hyatt So often we are on the move. It feels like we never stop, but at the end of the day, we don’t feel like anything has been accomplished. In fact we feel like an utter failure because of our inability to check anything off our list.
When asked how our day was, we say, “busy,” but instantly feel like an imposter. After all, if we were really that busy, we’d feel accomplished, right?
Not necessarily.
I don’t know about you, but I have spent whole days on my computer, but at the end of the day my inbox still has 1000 emails, and I know more about my friends on Facebook than they know about the Planner I just created because I got lost in my feed and forgot to post! I have spent whole days cleaning the house only to feel like the basement is a small store filled to capacity. I have spent whole days driving kids everywhere but feeling like I got nowhere.
But there are some planning tricks that I have found really helpful, and some of them might be just the little tweaks you need today to feel less busy and more accomplished.
Know how you want to feel. Busy is a feeling. I have had days that I have decided I want to feel calm, present or even abundant that don’t look that different than a busy day, but they feel different. It is because I go through my day with a different outlook, or I tweak little things — sitting for lunch, shutting off my phone at my daughter’s dance class, listening to great music while cooking, standing and stretching for 3 minutes for every 40 minutes I work.
Block out every minute of your day. Many of us dream of times we get to be alone, with no one who needs us, no one whining or pulling at our shirt. We yearn for some downtime to just put up our feet. When we can, we leave some spaces in our days, but it never seems to work hou. It goes soemthing like this: you leave some space on a Tuesday afternoon because last Wednesday you were dreaming of a nap, or maybe some extra time to walk to the store instead of driving. You looked at Tuesday, saw it was wide open, and you knew you could wait. Then on Monday, your daughter’s best friend wants to come over. You say “Not today” because there is a dentist appointment, but Tuesday would work. You just gave up your free moment. Instead, choose a color that represents downtime or selfcare. Block out time in your digital calendar or actually draw a rectangle around the time in your paper calendar. That way, all kinds of time are accounted for—including down time—not just “busy” time.
You can only be in one place at one time, so decide to be there. Have you ever truly sunk into a moment where time almost feels as though it is standing still? Maybe you are watching your kid do something spectacular, or you see something so beautiful in nature. These are moments when nothing else matters. What would happen if you just observed your daughter dancing instead of sitting in class writing your grocery list? What would happen if you told your son that you will help him in one hour and until then you focus with out distraction on writing the email that you have been avoiding? What if there were no phones at the dinner table? Presence is powerful. You can get a ton done in a power hour, but if you are focused on one thing it will never feel busy.
Define your 3 big rocks. Your big rocks are three things that move you towards your big goals. Compare them to busy activities: things like doctors appointments, client work, driving kids to school, things you will do because you have to. Picture this visual: a glass vase with three piles next to it — 3 big rock, a pile of pebbles and a pile of sand. When the sand goes in first, then the pebbles, it fills the vase and there is no space for the 3 big rocks. When the 3 big rocks go in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, it all fits perfectly. The truth is we have to make time for the projects that really matter to us...
Could you discuss the difference between the feeling of overwhelm of taking on too much versus just being lazy and needing to get up and get stuff done? On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m back with my friend Megan Flatt for Well Planned, the series where we answer your questions about planning. Megan is a business coach who focuses on business growth strategies for female entrepreneurs — specifically mama entrepreneurs—women who are running thriving businesses while still maintaining the “home fire” so to speak. She Post-it notes and planning as much as I do.
Today we have a question from Maggie, a mom of four small kids who has one side business with her husband and is trying to start another one. She asks about the difference between overwhelm and taking on too much versus just feeling lazy about getting stuff done.
First we want to take out the idea of being lazy. As a mom you are taking care of people, that’s not lazy. Megan reframed the issue as: Is this a situation where I need to get my act together and put a plan in place and take action—or am I overwhelmed because I just have too much going on? So often we tell ourselves we need to be better at time management or be more productive, but really we just literally have too many things happening.
We dive into getting clearer on what you feel and why, plus tools for dealing with the feeling that you just can’t get stuff done. We talk about:
Checking in with your body and trusting your intuition
Knowing your stress or overwhelm triggers
The power of doing a brain dump, but not making it your to do list
Getting really clear on the end goal so we know why we’re pushing to do something—and how this helps us take down time (which by the way doesn’t mean you are being lazy!)
How to use Post-it notes to stay focused on our end goal (or as Megan likes to say, Do less better)
Checking in on basic self-care like sleep, food, hydration
Not letting overwhelm be a habit
Have a question for Mia and Megan? Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask).
You will get prompted to record your question and we’ll try to answer it.
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO and a business growth strategist. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (Meganflatt.com)
http://www.ourrealwork.com/ (Jess Ryan)
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW YOUR STRESS TRIGGERS. Look back on the last few times you felt stressed or overwhelmed. (Do this at a time when you are not in the thick of feeling that way.) What really caused you to feel that way? Were you over tired? Had you skipped lunch or had too much coffee? Were you afraid you were forgetting something? Was your to do list too long? Had you been bombarded with needs as soon as you walked in the door? Was a messy space causing you stress? Knowing what causes you stress helps you find the tools to defuse it. Megan gets stressed when she feels like she might be forgetting something or doesn’t know all the things she needs to do, so she does a big brain dump. Somebody else might get stressed when they skip exercise, so they know they need to get to the gym or go for a run when things start pressing down on them.
CHECK IN ON BASIC SELF CARE. There are a lot of things that come under the umbrella of self care, but soo many times we miss the basics. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed or like you just can’t motivate to do something, check in on the basics. Ask yourself: Have I slept? Have I eaten? Have I had enough water? Have I...
Remember that every single green drink you create is an investment in your quality of life — now and always. ~Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Juice It is no secret that I LOVE smoothies!
Here is the deal. I do not love to cook by nature. I have figured out how to find joy in the kitchen because I love to feel good, and I discovered that what I eat can make me feel great or pretty bad. The think about smoothies is they are a fast and yummy way to get my fruits and veggies, super foods, and hydration.
I use smoothies to start the day off well, during the 3pm slump instead of coffee or a cookie, and before going out.
Because the food is blended, I feel it differently, and it is so much easier to digest!
Smoothies are a great tool for a family trying to live a healthy and vibrant life. I want to make sure you have the resources you need to make this change in your life.
In order to make this a lifestyle change, my suggestion is just to focus on this one thing for a week. Commit to a smoothie lifestyle, plan for it, prep for it, and have fun fitting smoothies into you days in different ways.
At the end of a week, you will have some new smoothie practices, and hopefully feel great!
Here are some things you might consider:
Look up some great recipes. There are recipes in the FREE SMOOTHIE PLANNING PACKET, and our friends at Simple Green Smoothies have some great ideas.
Designate a day of the week where smoothies will be the family snack.
Designate a day of the week where you will send a smoothie to school.
Create your own morning green smoothie practice.
Build your pantry with smoothie ingredients.
Build your freezer with smoothie ingredients.
Find a friend and swop smoothies throughout the week. Accountability is a great thing when trying to create a new habit!
Buy straws, to-go cups, ball jars or thermoses to make drinking smoothies more portable or fun.
Find a protein powder you love. Remember to make sure it is whole food vs. isolated protein. I love Juice Plus Complete.
Get a high-speed blender. Here is a link for a refurbished 5200 with free shipping… which is what I recommend.
Don’t have the funds for a high-speed blender? Create a Vitamix plan. Can you set money aside each month? Is there someone (or a group of people) who always get you gifts you don’t use… can they help?
Come share what you create and ask Qs on Instagram! Use the hashtag #plansimplemeals so we can see you, or just come join the smoothie conversation wherever you see a smoothie image!
Here are the links I shared in this episode…
Join me in Faster Way to Fat Loss with Amanda Tress. You can sign up here or shoot me an email with questions.
Get your Vitamix here.
Learn more about Juice Plus here, and if you have any questions, shoot us an email.
Jen Hansard’s Episode
Eva Rawposa’s Episode
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jennifer Bronsnick, a mom coach and human design specialist. Not sure what human design is? I didn’t know either, but it’s pretty amazing. We actually start by Jennifer explaining human design. She says it’s pretty straightforward: “How can you get out of your head and tune into your intuition and tap into your gut, that inner knowing, that inner voice so that your life path unfolds just how it should be.” Human design is a tool that helps you find out what you’re here to do, what your life purpose is. And helps you make decisions that are in alignment with your soul rather than doing what we think we are supposed to do.
She talks about the different types within human design. In the links below you can see how to get your chart read to figure out your type. Jennifer talks about how running charts for family members provides insight into family dynamics and how people work together.
We talk about:
Sleep to help prevent burnout and how different Human Design types need different sleep
Knowing your own early burnout cues
Understanding our own nutritional needs, based on bio-individuality or listening to yourown body and what works for you
Mindfulness as a tool, including EFT (tapping), meditation, and guided self-hypnosis
The option of saying no
A reminder that you are enough: “You are not alone, you’re doing a good job, you are strong and you are enough”
BIO
Jennifer Bronsnick, MSW, LCSW is passionate about supporting individuals to heal from burnout and families to be resilient. As a mother of three daughters under 9 and a survivor of postpartum depression and anxiety, Jennifer knows exactly how challenging life can be. She also knows that there is hope for all of us and with accurate information, support and inspiration that everyone has the capacity to thrive.
Jennifer’s years of clinical experience as a social worker, her training in Mindfulness, Human Design, EFT and other healing modalities gives her the unique ability to guide individuals on their path to health and wellness. You can also learn more about Jennifer athttp://www.themindfulfamily.com ( www.themindfulfamily.com).
LINKS
http://www.themindfulfamily.com/ (http://www.themindfulfamily.com/)
http://www.themindfulfamily.com/society/ (Thriving Mama Society)
http://www.themindfulfamily.com/blog/2017/6/3/how-to-care-for-a-child-having-a-panic-attack?rq=Panic%20Attack (Jen’s blog on panic attacks)
http://www.mybodygraph.com (www.mybodygraph.com)
https://www.withandrewjohnson.com/ (Andrew Johnson) relax
https://www.youtube.com/user/eftwizard (Brad Yates) on tapping
https://www.youtube.com/user/TryItProductions (The Tapping Solution) by Nick Ortner
The FLOW Planner
[doablechanges url="http://plansimplemeals.com/101/"]
Doable Changes from this episode:
WORK WITH YOUR TYPE. Your Human Design type can give you so much insight into your purpose and what you need. I’m fascinated by the idea that different types have different sleep needs! While it isn’t the answer to everything, it’s another tool to help you make decisions in alignment. Check out Jennifer’s website or the link she suggested to get your chart read and learn about your type.
TRY TAPPING. EFT is a healing tool that uses tapping on certain points in the body. If you’ve never tried it, consider adding it to your tool box. Use the links above to get the basics on tapping. Then commit to tapping every day for a week. If you’ve tried tapping in the past, but let it fall away, try adding it back into your day.
LEARN TO SAY NO. Jennifer talks about how different types are better able to respond to different types of questions. Generators work better with yes or no questions while...
It’s another part of our Well Planned series on the Plan Simple Podcast. I’m talking again my friend Megan Flatt, a business coach to Mama CEOs and pro at planning. We’re taking on a question from the audience today. Angela is getting back into her business and blog and feeling really overwhelmed — and like she needs to be making some money. Megan and I agree that getting all your ideas out on paper helps when you’re facing overwhelm. Once it’s down on paper, you stop worrying about the things you might forget. Plus you can start to make sense of things—figure out what has to happen now (hint: It’s not everything), what you can hold off on, delegate, or let go of all together.
We dive into getting past overwhelm, dealing with breaking back in after a break, and both practical and mindset approaches to the money piece.
We talk about:
Writing down the stories in your head and seeing if they are even true
Using a brain dump to get out all your ideas and a 90-day plan to make sense them
Starting with the results you want
The importance of grounding yourself so that you can listen to your intuition
Making the right next decision instead of getting paralyzed by all the steps
Doubling down on what works
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (meganflatt.com)
http://plansimplemeals.com/well-planned-in-90-days-cycles-with-megan-flatt/ (plansimplemeals.com/well-planned-in-90-days-cycles-with-megan-flatt/)
Questions for Mia and Megan?
Go tohttp://plansimplemeals.com/ask ( plansimplemeals.com/ask). Click the play button and record your question.
Or email mia@plansimplemeals.com.
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW THE RESULTS YOU WANT. Before you take the next step or even create a plan, think about what results you want. If you know where you are headed, you can make better decisions about how you choose to spend time, money, and other resources. So right now, get clear on your results.
MAKE THE RIGHT NEXT MOVE. Are paralyzed by all the things you could do or feel like you should do, or by all the steps to get to your goal? Make one decision. What is the one next thing you need to do? Decide that and do it today. Then repeat.
LISTEN TO YOURSELF. Most of the time, even when you are overwhelmed or feeling really uncertain, you know what you want and need to do. We offer a few of ways listen to yourself. Try getting really quiet. This might mean meditating or going for a walk or doing a big braindump and then covering it up so you can breathe into the space in your head. Listen to what your intuition tells you. Say what you are going to do and notice how your body feels—do you tense up or light up? That’s a clue. Or literally listen to yourself. Megan suggests talking to a good friend, one who can listen without advising, because sometimes just hearing yourself say an idea aloud gives you clarity. Pick one of these tools and try listening to yourself the next time you feel overwhelmed.
“The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” – François de La Rochefoucauld
The goal for any kid’s lunch is to keep it easy to eat and full of nutritious food that helps them be present and productive during school day. I find the simpler and more repetitive lunch is, the more successful my kids feel in general.
For children, lunch is a time to learn how to eat a meal away from parents. For smaller children, this starts with simple things like understanding the order in which to eat different foods, and how to open containers. For older children, this is about how to feel awesome about their homemade meal when others may be eating highly-processed foods.
Time management is an important skill that can be learned through the school lunch process. Lunch is an opportunity to be social and schools generally don’t give it enough time, so navigating how to sit and get to eating and chewing is big! The more you can preview and talk through lunch at home, the more comfortable your kids will become. And do remember it is a learning process. Don’t punish uneaten lunches. Use them as an opportunity to understand what is going on and empower your child to do it differently next time, or for you to pack it differently. (Uneaten lunches do make a good snack.)
Not all food tastes good packed in lunch. There are many healthy foods that don’t keep well when packed at 8 am, and by afternoon, they either look or taste awful. We’re going to consider all that as we go through the formulas and hopefully you’ll get a lot of strategies for different fruits and vegetables that stay fresh until lunch.
I do want to mention the importance of packing kids’ lunches if they are away for school each day. Very often, I fear, parents work so hard on the other meals throughout the day that lunch is a time to “let ourselves off the hook.” I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty if that is what they choose because I empathize with busy parents. I know that we are all doing the best we can. It is a privilege to be able to pack lunch when there are many families who need to elect to get free lunch.
I challenge you to scrutinize the lunch menu at your child’s school and question if it’s the best choice for a healthy life. Maybe ask yourself: Does every meal have gluten? Does every meal have dairy? Is every meal highly processed? Does every meal have high sugar? Which meals are a little bit better? If you’re trying not to pack every lunch, are there certain days that make more sense than other days? If it’s a school where there is a choice, how can you empower your kids to choose the best things for themselves? That’s huge, as soon enough kids grow up, and move out of the house and become adults. They will have to live in the world independently and make their own decisions about food. How can you start influencing them now so that they will be prepared with valuable knowledge when that time comes?
For younger kids, take into consideration that lunchtime at school can sometimes be stressful. Beyond food, other factors make lunchtime unique, like sitting at tables, socializing with other children, and eating without adult supervision. Depending on what the school’s set up is, lunchtime can be overwhelming, and occasionally opening up a lunchbox in front of friends can make a child feel vulnerable. Maybe their neighbors are eating differently or making different choices. It just opens up all sorts of things for kids. Empower your kids ahead of time so that lunch feels successful and they are confident around their peers, even at a young age. You can do that by explaining what’s in the lunchbox, and by sticking to that idea of rhythm.
Now let’s make school lunch feel more doable. What can you plan for this weekend and next week that will help you make this part of your life easier?
Here is the checklist, but it is also all packaged up above…...
Trust your gut and find joy. – Dr. Sarah Byrne On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Sarah Byrne, a Board Certified Family Medicine physician and the co-owner of Root Family Medicine, primary care, a holistic primary care practice.
I love the way she thinks about wellness and healing. We talk about the things you can do at home and for yourself to improve your health and wellness, things like self-care, knowing your body and the power of your intuition.
I asked Sarah for her top three self-care tips and she said the importance of having time to yourself without guilt about doing “nothing”; strengthening your body with slow, but powerful, herbal medicine, and doing things in a fun way instead of avoiding the things you feel like you “should” do.
We talk about:
The importance of self-care to wellness
Her approach to how what we eats affects our health, especially gluten and dairy
How to gather what you need different kinds of doctors and then make a decision
Checking in on your energy and stress levels
Ways to destress, like a ritual herbal tea and better sleep
Making the things you have to do (paperwork, driving kids from place to place) more enjoyable
Dr. Sarah Byrne is a Board Certified Family Medicine physician. Sarah chose to practice Family Medicine because she feels it allows her to build a strong doctor-patient relationship, care for people throughout their lives, and encourage diverse approaches to healing. Throughout medical school, in addition to her required medical school training, Sarah pursued an independent path in Integrative Medicine; prior to medical school, Sarah tried her hand at photography, writing, and teaching; all of these experiences contributed to her valuing a creative and open approach to the practice of medicine. She is the co-owner of Root Family Medicine, primary care, a holistic primary care practice.
LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsSmOvMK5BYH6jZ4IsDgipw/featured (Sarah’s YouTube channel)
https://www.instagram.com/homesteadfred/ (Homestead Fred)
https://drlowdog.com/books/healthy-at-home/ (Healthy at Home)
Anyone who wants to Join me for my next round of FasterWay, https://fasterway.samcart.com/referral/nwhCcoUv/WltkJLRU6U8RgJpc (check it out here). Then email me and tell me you are doing it. I have a special gift for anyone who joins me! Super excited to have some friends in the next round!!!!
Doable Changes from this episode:
MAKE TIME FOR YOU. This is a really simple doable change that feels daunting to many of us. So try this: pick half an hour this week to do your own thing. Do something fun or something relaxing that’s just for you—even if it looks like doing nothing.
BRING JOY TO A WELLNESS ACTIVITY. If you hate drinking water or exercising, how can you make it more joyful? Maybe you make tasty spa water or get a fun water bottle. Maybe you make your work out space more enjoyable or try a new activity. How can you turn a “should” into something that brings more joy?
UPGRADE YOUR MUST DOS. As much as we upgrade our lives, there will still be paperwork, bills, dishes or laundry, people to shuttle around … so how do we make those things less stressful? Like bringing joy to a wellness activity, try making the experience more pleasant. Light a candle or have a special tea while you do paperwork, crank up your favorite music or a podcast you love in the car or while doing household chores.
Our lives are not compartmentalized so the support we get can’t be either. – Megan Flatt On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited because we’re starting a new series that we’re calling “Well Planned.” I have my friend Megan Flatt, an expert planner and business coach to Mama CEOs here with me for this 10 week series.
We have similar planning ideas, but I tend to focus more on food and lifestyle, while Megan tends to focus more on business. What I’ve found is that no matter what issue you are dealing with, you usually need a holistic approach, so we’re bringing our perspectives together.
This week we talk about 90 day cycles or seasons and why 90 days is the ideal amount of time for a plan.
We talk about:
The importance of recognizing the different seasons, big transitions, and energy shifts in our lives and how 90 day cycles honors those
Using 90 day planning to focus now — and set goals for later
The refreshing idea that you can start a new 90 days anytime—and your 90 day cycles can even overlap some (in a way that feels helpful, not overwhelming)
The difference between dreams and goals and projects
Starting with how you want to feel and then aligning what you do with that
Doing a braindump and then organizing all the idea about things you want to do
BIO
Megan Flatt is a Mama CEO and a business growth strategist. She’s been working with clients for years to create strategic growth plans in their business that allow them to scale while still being present for the important moments in their families’ lives. She shows Mama CEOs with big vision and great ideas how to get those big CEO ideas into a day-by-day plan where they actually happen.
LINKS
http://meganflatt.com/ (MeganFlatt.com)
http://plansimplemeals.com/meganflatt/ (Spinning Plates with Megan Flatt )on the Plan Simple Podcast
Questions for Mia and Megan?
Go to http://plansimplemeals.com/ask (plansimplemeals.com/ask). Click the play button and record your question.
Or email mia@plansimplemeals.com.
Doable Changes from this episode:
DO A BRAIN DUMP. Megan and I both agree in the magic of getting things down on paper. If you are feeling overwhelmed or ready to create a plan, start with a brain dump of all the things you want/need to do. You can write each one on a separate Post-it note, do this on the Master List pages in your http://theflowplanner.com (FLOW planner) or just do it on paper. Once it’s all down, you can start to see which ideas are for now and which can wait for another 90 day cycle
TURN A GOAL INTO A PROJECT. Goals are big and overarching and sometimes we get stuck because we put a goal onto our To Do list. Try turning a goal into a project and then breaking it down into action steps. For example, maybe you want to break out of overwhelm or feel more spacious. One project to help you get there is to clean out the basement. Then you can break that down into action steps or tasks: Schedule one day a week to work on the project. Go through one bin each day. Drop off donations and trash, etc.
CHOOSE YOUR FOCUS. One of the beautiful things about 90-day cycles is that they can start any time. What if your 90 days starts now? Choose what you will focus on in the next 90 days. I like to pick one focus for each of these areas: Food, Lifestyle, Om (spirituality and selfcare), and Work. The goal is to narrow your ideas down and focus on one thing per area so that you can really get it done (instead of being overwhelmed or scattered by all the things you could do.
“I used to blame everyone else for my stress. Then I took responsibility. I now know, I can not only create stress in my life, I can also create balance.” – Mia In this world where busy is a badge of honor and FOMO (fear of missing out) is so real, I wanted to dive into a topic that comes up for a lot of us in the transition from summer to fall — stress.
It is hard to avoid with pressures at work, home and school. It is easy to let stress take over our body and minds. But I have also found whether or not I “feel stressed” is more of a choice than I once thought.
Here are 10 behaviors that have helped me eliminate stress in my very full life — most of the time!
Say No. I do not have to volunteer for everything at school even though I am constantly told I should. I don’t have to say yes to a moms night out even though I really want to go. I don’t have to say yes to a second (or third) soccer league. I don’t even have to say yes to the travel team. I don’t have to say yes to a work project that will keep me up late at night. The things that really need to get done, will get done—but there is a lot that doesn't have to get done at all (or at least not by me—or you).
Take care of yourself first. Right now, every morning when I wake up, I go on a walk, write 3 pages and meditate for 5 minutes. It takes a tiny fraction of my day. On days when I forget, (because I sometimes I do), I feel the difference. I have had other seasons when I am focused on my sleep, my food or my relationships. Here are some things I have played with:
Green smoothies
Water with lemon
Stretching
Reading a book
Making my lunch
Oil pulling
Dry brushing
Food supplements
A shower!
Brushing teeth
Blow drying hair
Salt scrub
Journaling
Hugging a child
Prepping food
Jumping rope
Hula hooping
Planning my day
Emailing a friend
Finding a new recipe
Shopping alone
Yoga
Organizing a drawer
Warm tea
Waking up early to be alone
Green juice.
I love Nina Manolson’s Teaching of 10-10-10 — which is simply to spend 10 minutes 3 times a day to take care of yourself.
Notice if certain foods make you feel more on edge. Hello, gluten and dairy! Literally these foods made me sick. I’ve been gluten- and dairy-free for years now, and it’s made a difference. Still, I definitely indulge from time to time in not so healthy gluten-free stuff. This summer it was potato chips—and they made me stressed. What foods put you on edge? Maybe gluten or dairy don’t make you feel great either. Or maybe it’s sugar or coffee … start noticing. A simple food diary might help you pair emotions with food. We are all different, so this is your exploration.
Say yes to help others. This is not meant to counter saying “no.” This is not signing up for room parent or raising your hand to work on Saturdays. This is meant to say yes to little things that make someone else feel really good. Say yes to extra snuggles with your kids. Help a neighbor clear the sidewalk of snow or rake leaves. Hold a door open for a mama with a stroller. Say thank you to a teacher. (Listen above to hear the story about the dog my daughter and I rescued at Trader Joes!)
Learn that it is not all about you, and you cannot control everything. Last week, I was supposed to record several podcasts … and my guests all had emergencies. These were literally real life big things, and my initial reaction was to be stressed out that no one wanted to be on the show. It had nothing to do with me whatsoever. In my initial stress at a missed episode, I did not have compassion that I wanted to have for their situations, and I could not access one creative...
“Through Celiac and various food allergies, I have actually gotten to know and trust my body, and so has my daughter — for that I will always be grateful.” – Mia Today, I am talking allergies, because the truth is, life is not always easy with food restrictions — specially at this time year that is filled with transitions and new situations.
In our house we have Celiac (no gluten), dairy allergies, a red dye allergy, a beef allergy, and a gelatin allergy. It was pretty overwhelming when we started out 8 years ago, but navigating food has gotten easier and easier, and many days feels like a blessing.
Today on the podcast, I share my best 7 tips for navigating a food allergy or sensitivity, and then I get my 12-year old daughter on to share her wisdom.
We talk about:
what to pack in school lunches
how to speak up for yourself
educating family members
getting kids to feel good about themselves and their food
the best parts of not being able to have gluten and dairy
what it is like to eat out
why family dinner rocks
Doable Changes from this episode:
Make an allergy cheat sheet. Make a one-page sheet that you can post on your fridge, give to family, and share with teachers. The top of the sheet explains what your child cannot have, and a brief explanation of what that means. The bottom of the page lists some things they can have and love. The bottom section might change a bit for the school version. Be as specific as possible.
Spend a week talking about how you feel. How do you feel after a great meal? How did you feel that time you got “glutened” or you saw a friend have an allergic reaction? Show your kids that it is important to talk about these things — both the food and the emotions. Invite them to talk too.
Make lunch enjoyable. It is tough when you cannot eat what your friends eat, or is it? This is sometimes a story we can tell ourselves and pass onto our kids, but we can change it. Make sure lunch is enjoyable. Do you have containers that make it easy to eat in 20 minutes? Does the food still taste good at lunch? Do you have the occasional treat to stick in? Does your child feel safe where he/she is eating? Lunch is hard for every child. How can you use it as a tool to make your child feel even better about their allergy? Add a love note — it does not always have to be about the food!
Most of us were not taught how to have a relationship to money … We’re learning it as adults. It needs to be done in baby steps. There’s lots of learning curves. We need to be loving, gentle and compassionate around it. – Bari Tessler On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited on many levels to talk with Bari Tessler about money and mindset. Her approach to money is really similar to the way I approach food and health.
Bari trained as a psychotherapist and brings that framework to her money methodology. We talk about bringug attention and awareness and compassion to all the big areas of life that are challenging or that we have shame around—including our relationship to money. I love that she does so much work with healing to start our money work.
She recognizes that most of us are never taught to have a relationship with money or how to have conversations about money. As we learn these things as adults, we need to baby steps and accept the learning curve. And we need to be loving, gentle and compassionate to ourselves around money and this learning process.
We talk about:
The first step to change being awareness, getting curious, gathering data, whether it’s money or food or some other change we need to make, and how to use a body check in to gain awareness as an antidote to money shame.
Tapping into our personal money story—what we got from our parents, from religion, from other aspects of our lives
Staying with big emotions so that we can work through them (because they will keep coming up)
Focusing on your values as you do money work and even aligning your bookkeeping with your values + the dance couples do to align their values and spending patterns
Creating a money map that includes basic needs, comfortable lifestyle, ultimate or needs, wants, desires
The concept of a money date and how to make them enjoyable
BIO
Bari Tessler Linden, M.A., is a Financial Therapist, Mentor Coach and Mama-preneur. She has guided thousands of people to new, empowered, and refreshingly honest relationships with money through her nurturing, body-centered approach. Her methodology weaves together personal, couple, and creative entrepreneurial money teachings into one complete tapestry. She is the founder of The Art of Money: a global, year-long money school, which integrates Money Healing, Money Practices and Money Maps. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Inc.com, the Huffington Post, US News & World Report, Reuters Money, The Fiscal Times, USA Today, The Cut, Girlboss, Nerd Wallet, The Simple Dollar, REDBOOK Magazine and Experience Life Magazine. Bari is also the author of The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness, published by Parallax Press.
LINKS
http://baritessler.com/ (BariTessler.com)
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Money-Life-Changing-Financial-Happiness/dp/1941529208 (The Art of Money)
http://baritessler.com/2012/02/money-love-for-you-your-honey-four-phases-my-best-tips/ (The Four Phases of Money with Your Honey)
Doable Changes from this episode:
DO A BODY CHECK IN. Check in on a few levels. On a physical level, what are you noticing? On a sensation level, what are you noticing? On an emotional level, what are the emotions that are present? On a breathing level, how deep, how shallow, where in your body? This only takes a minute. Try it anytime you are interacting with money this week, like when you have money conversations with your spouse, when you are looking at your balances or paying your bills, when you’re at about to purchase something.
PLAN A MONEY DATE. Start with 20 minutes with your partner. You each get 10 minutes to talk and 10 minutes to listen deeply. Share your money stories. To do this, answer questions like: What is your mother’s relationship with money? How...
Good enough can really be the enemy of happiness. – Tanya Wheeless On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Tanya Wheeless, the founder and CEO of HappyGrace about happiness.
Tanya tells about excelling in law school and in her law career, applying for a CEO position at age 27 and getting it, and pushing herself to new heights and loving it … until it didn’t feel good. She shares how she found herself crying every day and realizing something needed to change. So she made that change and now helps other women find their way to happiness.
Her top piece of advice when you realize that things could be better: give yourself a break. If you are used to pushing yourself to the next place you want to be, switch gears—don’t get aggressive about getting happy. To be different you have to do different.
We talk about:
Letting go of things you can’t control
The magic of 90 days
Tanya’s GLOW Method (Gratitude, Letting go, Owning it, With love)
Fresh prompts for gratitude, like what went wrong today that turned out okay?
Creating a gratitude practice at dinner
Finding quiet time every day
How dreaming more opens things up
BIO
Tanya Wheeless is the Founder and CEO of Happy Grace, a company whose products give women a simple daily system to keep their souls healthy, happy and refreshed. A passionate speaker, writer and entrepreneur, Tanya’s mission is simple: help every woman become the woman of her dreams by applying the ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research that changed her own life.
LINKS
https://www.happygrace.com/collections/all (Tanya’s workbooks)
Text “Happy Now” to 33222 to get daily motivation
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRACTICE GRATITUDE DAILY. There are lots of ways to do this, and none of them have to take a lot of time. You can say a prayer, write in a journal, add things you are grateful for to an app. You can even integrate your gratitude practice into something else you already do—like sharing gratitude part of family dinner.
FIND QUIET TIME EVERY DAY. Every day take 10–15 minutes for yourself where you can just be in silence and breathe. You can meditate or just be quiet. That might mean getting up 15 minutes before your family to have your quiet time or sitting alone in your car for 10 minutes when you get home before you go in. Just give yourself that time.
MAKE SPACE TO DREAM. Let yourself dream about what life could be like. Own what you want, even if you can’t imagine how you could get there. Simply owning your dreams starts to create space.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
Enjoy your child. All of your worry does not help that much. – Michael Thompson On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Michael Thompson, a psychologist specializing in children and families. He’s the author of Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, and Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions about Raising Sons among others.
We start out talking about the importance of family dinner and about how we talk at dinner matters. Family dinner is a safe space for kids to talk about what is happening during their day. As parents we hear about things and want to fix them, but that’s not necessarily what our kids want or need. One point that Michael made that struck me was, “The parental point of view is not the kid point of view.”
Our conversation moved into the differences between boys and girls. Michael started by saying, “We’re all human beings and we all have feelings and our feelings can get hurt and we have yearnings and longings to be cared for and respected.” The difference is often how boys and girls play and display their feelings.
We talk about:
The need for friends, but not needing a BFF at all times
An important question to ask when you intervene in a child’s friendship: “Would I have wanted my father or mother to do this to me?”
When parents become bully groups isolating a particular kid
The school environment not working for boys and the importance of schools and parents holding boys accountable
Raising feminist sons vs. raising boys who aren’t jerks
Why not to go to all your kid’s games or events
Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
LINKS
http://michaelthompson-phd.com/books/best-friends-worst-enemies/ (Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children)
http://michaelthompson-phd.com/books/raising-cain/ (Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys)
http://michaelthompson-phd.com/books/speaking-of-boys/ (Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions about Raising Sons)
http://michaelthompson-phd.com/books/its-a-boy/ (It’s a Boy: Your Son’s Development from Birth to Age 18)
https://www.rachelsimmons.com/books-and-advice/the-curse-of-the-good-girl/ (The Curse of the Good Girl) by Rachel Simmons
Doable Changes from this episode:
JUST LISTEN. Try just listening to your kids at family dinner or in the car or wherever you tend to talk. Notice your own desire to “fix” things, but don’t. Instead of asking what went wrong or focusing in on a situation you find troubling, ask What went well today? Or a more open question.
LET KIDS BE KIDS. When behavior is bothering you, stop and ask if the behavior is appropriate for your child’s age. This can be especially important for boys. Remember that your perception of a situation may not be your child’s perception. Before you intervene, ask yourself, “Would I have wanted my parent to do this?”
SKIP A GAME. You don’t have to go to every game your child plays in or event your child is participating in. Pick a game to skip and schedule something you’ll enjoy for that time. Let your child know you won’t be there, but be neutral about it. Listen later when they tell you about the game.
I wanted to get back to something that meant something to me. And cooking and feeding and nurturing always meant a lot to me. – Melissa Lanz On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Melissa Lanz, the founder CEO of The Fresh 20 meal planning service and a business coach.
Her business started as a one-off favor to a friend, another busy corporate working mom, who felt like she needed a meal plan to eat right. And the catalyst for change was when her husband said, “We need to talk.” She realized she realized she didn’t do the things she loved anymore, she wasn’t present for her two little kids, and she wasn’t spending time with her family. Things needed to change. She talks about how she decided on her business and got it started.
It was a big risk, going from making 6 figures to 0, but Melissa was in so much pain she says it didn’t really feel like a risk. Do you need to hear this today? “People live in a lot of pain and don’t want to change their situation because they feel that it’s too risky. They don’t realize that the other side of that risk is a rescue for their happiness, for their health.”
We talk about:
$50 weekends as a tool for saving money and helping with transitions when finance change
How getting creative about family time and going out on the cheap can lead to things that fuel and enhance your life
Having a plan that lets you buy healthy foods even on a budget, save time, cuts waste—and lets you get your kids involved with grocery shopping without ending up with lots of junk in your cart
Finding the spot where you can slow down in the week
Creating a food rhythm can relationships with your kids, your spouse, your friends
Making soup to cope with fear
BIO
Melissa Lanz is a former internet marketing executive who quit her day job to promote good eating habits in the midst of a national health crisis. As founder of The Fresh 20, Melissa strives to bring fresh food back to the household table and reduce the amount of processed ingredients being used. During the fall of 2009, Melissa dedicated her efforts to creating this tool for busy families and singles stuck in a takeout rut. To further her goal to be a part of The Food Revolution, she wrote The Fresh 20 Cookbook (Harper Collins 2013) and also promotes education in nutrition and healthy cooking through speaking, locally in Southern California and throughout the country.
LINKS
https://www.thefresh20.com/ (The Fresh 20)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PLAN A $50 WEEKEND. Put your credit card away and take $50 cash with you. That’s it for the weekend. Get creative—have a potluck instead of going out to dinner. Go to the park with your kids. Find free entertainment in your area. Notice what feels hard about this change—and then try again. What happens as you get more used to living this way?
USE A MEAL PLAN. Make a meal plan for the week. Use The Fresh 20 or come up with your own. Focus on real foods, but don’t be afraid to have overlap—the chicken you make on Sunday can go into your salad on Tuesday, the big pot of beans you cook can go into burritos one night and offered in rice bowls another. Having a meal plan makes this kind of overlap and batching.
TAKE YOUR KIDS GROCERY SHOPPING. I know a lot of women who don’t want to take kids grocery shopping because it takes too long or they buy too much junk. Try it this way: Go in with a list. Have your list focus on the perimeter of the store (fresh produce, meat, eggs/dairy). Tell your kids you are only buying things on the list. Have them help you find things—make it a treasure hunt.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A
Remember when you stand up and declare that you’re making health a priority, you allow those around you to do the same. It really is an opportunity for us to ignite health into the world. - Dr. Mindy Pelz On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Dr. Mindy Pelz, a chiropractor and founder of one of the largest natural wellness clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s the author of The Reset Factor and founder of the Resetter Tribe. Her interest in the power of food stems from getting diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in college and healing herself with diet changes.
We talked about the ketogenic diet, which you may have been hearing about. I had some misconceptions about that Dr. Mindy cleared up. She describes it like this: Keep your carbohydrates low, down, under 50 grams and keep your protein under 50 grams. Really what you rely on is more fat. When you cut back on carbs and bring in more fats like avocados, nut butters, and butter, it forces the liver to secrete more ketones. Your brain thrives on this, you are less hungry, and your mind gets really clear.
The other part of the ketogenic diet is fasting. When you go 13–15 hours without eating, you cells start to detox and repair themselves. For Dr. Mindy, that looks like stopping eating at 8 PM, having coffee with a little butter in the morning and then not eating until about noon or 1. Coffee, water, and tea work here because they doesn’t raise your blood sugar.
We talk about:
Net carbs and how to figure out how much you are eating (including the hand tool Carb Manager)
What fasting looks like for her and how she recommends you should start
What her ketogenic meals actually look like
Training your body to be a fat burner, not a sugar burner
Teaching your kids what nutrition looks like
Rushing Woman’s Syndrome and learning to calm ourselves down
Really believe in yourself. When it comes to health, don’t give your power away. – Dr. Mindy Pelz
BIO Dr. Mindy Pelz D.C, Founder of Reset Factor, is crazy passionate about helping families stay healthy. For the past 20 years, she has been in the health trenches with busy Silicon Valley families. Her focus is on giving families the tools to reset their body’s microbiome, detoxifying heavy metals, improving brain function, strengthening immunity, balancing hormones, and creating health plans that have all members of the family thriving.
LINKS https://drmindypelz.com/ (https://drmindypelz.com/)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/resetters/ (Resetter Tribe)
https://www.carbmanager.com/ (Carb Manager)
https://www.amazon.com/Rushing-Womans-Syndrome-Never-Ending-Do/dp/1781808163 (Rushing Woman’s Syndrome)
Doable Changes from this episode:
KNOW YOUR CARB INTAKE. Start by simply measuring your food and plugging it into https://www.carbmanager.com/ (Carb Manager). This doable change is about awareness. Just get used to measuring and tracking. Making adjustments can be your next step.
TRY A 13-HOUR FAST. See what happens if you stop eating at in the late evening and don’t eat again for 13 hours. You can have water, tea, or coffee in the morning, but don’t eat breakfast until later. For breakfast get some fat—egg, avocado, nuts. Experiment and see how it feels. Love this https://herbivorepost.com/vegan-keto-shopping-list/ (vegan keto list) too.
SLOW DOWN. When we are always rushing, our cortisol levels go up, which leads to hormonal issues. Focus on slowing down. Schedule yoga or mediation into your day. Block off an afternoon to check out—don’t work, say no to social invitations. Hang out with your family or take complete down time.
“Wheat is ubiquitous in our culture. It is in our national song of pride – amber waves of grain. It is in the bible as both wheat and bread... It is in our food, makeup, lotions, Play-Doh, envelopes and stamps, in our compostable eating utensils, plates and cups, our artwork, holiday wreaths, and even out toilet paper (eeek!)” – Nadine Grzeskowiak On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Nadine Grzeskowiak. She’s the Gluten Free RN and the author of Dough Nation. She was diagnosed, by accident, 11 years ago with celiac disease and has been researching and educating other since then. Celiac disease is a world-wide issue, and celiacs is grossly underdiagnosed. And many people who have diabetes also have the genes that predispose you for Celiac disease. It’s a big problem.
Should everyone be gluten free? People with Celiac disease should certainly, but what about everyone else? Given the number of people who do not realize they have Celiac disease and the fact that gluten causes inflammation in everyone, cutting out gluten can’t hurt. I always encourage people to try it and see how much better you feel.
A lot of people think that going gluten free is too hard. Nadine and I agree that it really isn’t hard. You need to get back to whole, real foods. If that’s not how you’ve been eating, that can feel complicated, but in many ways it is simpler.
We talk about:
Getting over addictions to gluten, dairy, and sugar (and what gluten and dairy have in common)
Focusing on what you can have—tons of fruits and veggies and protein—instead of trying to swap out gluten free sweets or bread
How to help your kids, since many people start on this road to help their child, by going through diet changes yourself first or doing it as a family
How our tastebuds actually change as we shift how we eat
The importance of knowing where your food comes from
Why fast meals aren’t the goal, but cooking real food doesn’t really take as long as we think
Finding healthcare providers aligned with your health goals
BIO
Nadine Grzwskowiak had been an RN in Oregon for 18 years, working in emergency departments and trauma centers throughout the state. In November 2006, she was finally diagnosed with celiac disease. By that time she thought she would be dead in six months or less. She was 40 years old. Nadine saw and worked with multiple doctors, and still could not figure out what was killing her.
Within two weeks of being on a gluten-free diet, Nadine felt much better. By February 2007, she started RN On Call. In March 2007, Nadine became a gluten intolerance/celiac disease educator. Nadine can save more people with this information than she ever could have saved in the emergency department.
LINKS
http://plansimplemeals.com/flow365 (FLOW365)
https://glutenfreern.com/ (Gluten Free RN)
https://glutenfreern.com/category/podcast/ (Gluten Free RN podcast)
https://www.amazon.com/Dough-Nation-Disease-Diagnosis-Activism/dp/0996189246 (Dough Nation)
Email Nadine
https://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeRN/ (Nadine on Facebook)
https://www.instagram.com/glutenfreern/ (Nadine on Instagram)
https://re-findhealth.com/ (Primaldocs.com)
For genetic testing: https://www.teralab-datascience.fr/en/home/ (TeraLab) or https://glutenpro.com/en-us/ (https://glutenpro.com/en-us/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
EXPERIMENT WITH GLUTEN-FREE. If the idea of giving up pizza and beer (or pasta and bread) forever puts you in a panic. Try going gluten free for one week. Focus on real foods—lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein. Just see how it feels. Notice when you are craving certain foods and how you feel without them.
KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES...
“When we declare, we do. When we think, we dabble.” -Mia Moran
If you are anything like me, you have a bookshelf of productivity books, a recycle bin of half used calendars and planners, an too many days where your bag is filled with ideas and reminders on sticky notes and envelopes.
I know I’m not alone, because over the years of helping families plan healthier meals, I realized that while some people needed recipes or to learn how to cook (just like I had), most people really needed more time. I kept hearing it again and again. We just can’t get together for family dinner. I’m too busy for selfcare. I don’t have time to cook the meals I really want to eat.
We are all busy. As entrepreneurs and loving parents, as passionate people who want to explore our interests and live healthy life, we struggle to find the time, make the time. I know because I keep searching for the ultimate planning method to make it all fit. Nothing is perfect, but I learned not to separate my healthy lifestyle goals, my family, and my spirituality and self-care from my work planning. Once I get it all on one page and look not for balance, but for FLOW between the different parts of my life, it starts to make sense.
This isn’t a quick fix solution, nothing that really works is. Instead you focus breaking down your goals and continually flowing forward. And when you get off track, you have your system to come back into FLOW.
I created the FLOW Planning method, because it was what I needed, and as I shared what I was doing, other moms got interested. I want you to keep moving toward the life you want toward a life where you reach your big business goals—and have time for family and health and spirituality too.
So grab a notebook and a pen and the calendar on your phone. I’ll walk you through my process (and share my daily planning pages). At the end I will share the easiest way to put this process into action.
What the FLOW Planning Method Is All About
The FLOW Planning Method is a mix between journaling and calendaring. It is a way to keep moving towards what you want, one season and one day at a time.
It’s about knowing where to focus and making sure you aren’t spending too much time in any one part of your life. It’s about knowing what little things you can do in all areas of your life that will have a big impact.
Here’s how it works.
- Commit to the 4 categories. The FLOW Planning Method is based around four categories:
Food & wellness
Lifestyle & family
Om (aka spirituality and self-care)
Work.
We usually commit to our work or parenting for a phase of our life, and ditch the rest (at least in our planning), but when you get really intentional in all 4 areas, magic starts to happen.
- Get everything out of your head and onto paper. We hold so much in our heads and it holds us back. Just the act of getting everything down on paper can greatly affect your productivity, your creativity, and decrease your stress level.
In the FLOW Planning Method, we call this transfer from head to paper the master list. This process also shows you if you are out of flow and too focused on one part of your life so you can adjust.
- Trust your gut and plan for the next 90 days. Life changes, and while you may have big, long-term goals, it’s really productive to focus on just the next 90 days. So in this phase, you’ll design your top goal in each of the 4 FLOW categories for the next season.
Here’s where the trust comes in. Take time to get still. Let yourself get creative. Listen to what really feels right, what you want to lean into. Stillness and slowing down are essential parts of the process.
Once you identify your goals, know your why. What is going to motivate you to keep moving toward those goals when life starts moving fast...
We have to be really intentional about creating empty spaces to let our minds wander, breathe and be creative. – Christine Koh On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Christine Koh, a multimedia creative who has done so many things. She’s a co-founder of Boston Mamas, co-host of the podcast Edit Your Life, co-author of Minimalist Parenting, and co-creator of Brave New Worlds Designs, an advocacy focused t-shirt design company.
We talk about all these amazing ideas and how she has time for them. I love her belief that we need empty space—either in time, or uncluttered scene, or a vast landscape—to kind of restore ourselves and let ourselves be creative. She talks about looking ahead and finding your “Goldilocks” level or the just right level of activities in given week and how she decides what to say no to.
One of the tools she uses is getting of the hamster wheel of parenting shoulds. Christine encourages parents to remember that they are in charge of the situation and can carve out a life that works for their family. Sometimes that means learning to say no graciously, no excuse needed.
We talk about:
The benefits of not always being there for our kids events
Back ups and having other people in charge of scheduling
Old school poster boards and tech tools for planning and scheduling
Using an out of office responder to gain focused time
Creating your personal and professional village
Committing to 10 minutes a day for yourself
BIO
Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative. She spent a decade in academia. Christine was about to become a professor when she decided to hang up her academic spurs in favor of more flexible and independent ventures. Since leaving academia in 2006, Christine has forged a new career focused on creating content to help people live better, happier, and with elevated purpose and intention. She is the founder/editor of Boston Mamas, a pioneer in the hyperlocal lifestyle niche; co-host of the Edit Your Life Show, a podcast devoted to helping people edit their lives to make room for awesome; co-author of Minimalist Parenting, a book to help parents enjoy family life more by doing less; designer/co-owner of Brave New World Designs, a stylish, advocacy-oriented design collection; and creative Director at Women Online, a communications firm that specializes in using social media for good. Christine lives in the Boston area with her husband Jonathan and daughters Laurel and Violet.
LINKS
http://www.christinekoh.com/ (http://www.christinekoh.com/)
On Instagram http://instagram.com/bostonmamas (@bostonmamas)
https://www.bostonmamas.com/ (Boston Mamas)
http://www.minimalistparenting.com/book/ (Minimalist Parent)
http://edityourlifeshow.com/ (Edit Your Life)
http://www.wearewomenonline.com/ (Women Online)
http://plansimplemeals.com/treat-your-calendar-seriously-with-morra-aarons-mele/ (Plan Simple Podcast with Morra Aarons-Mele)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BraveNewWorldDesigns (Brave New World Designs)
https://en.todoist.com/ (ToDoist )
Doable Changes from this episode:
SAY NO TO SOMETHING. Remember that you are in control of your life and don’t have to say yes to all the “shoulds.” You also don’t need an excuse to say No. Practice responding, “I’m not able to make it. Thank you so much for thinking of me.”
COMMIT TO 10 MINUTES A DAY FOR YOURSELF. I believe we deserve more than 10 minutes a day of self-care, but sometimes thinking about an hour at the gym or getting a massage feels overwhelming. Commit to 10 minutes of self-care every day—even it’s just locking the door while you take your shower.
DO A TO-DO LIST SCAN. Take a minute to scan your to do list every morning. See
If you’re not feeling good in some way with the life that you designed, it’s time to step back to look and redesigning it. – Jackie Woodside On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jackie Woodside, an author, speaker, professional development trainer and coach with years of experience as a therapist.
We start out talking about to-do lists. Jackie teaches to-do lists are a setup for failure. If you’re addicted to your to do list like a lot of people I know, that may sound crazy. But here’s the problem: the to-dos are never tied to a time when they will get done and so often we underestimate how long things will take.
Jackie suggests taking 10–15 minutes to debrief and write down all the things you have to do that day. Then put it on your planner—when will you do it? This is where you realize you can’t actually do all of these things. The overwhelm and stress we feel comes from not being able to do all of the things we think we can/need to do.
We talk about:
Getting real about what you can actually do and saying no to things you can’t do
Not making automatic default choices because it’s what everybody else is doing
Getting super clear on your core values and scheduling your life based on all your core values (Jackie even color codes her schedule)
Full life integration vs. work-life balance
Doing a “daily debrief” where you go back through your schedule and move anything that you didn’t complete to another time slot in the week
How our belief that we don’t have enough time or money keep us stuck in not having time money—and how starting with possibility or yes opens things up
Creating a transformational, strategic life design.
BIO
Jackie Woodside, CPC, LICSW is a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, radio and television personality and seminar leader who is passionate about the expanding the edge of human potential. Jackie provides custom training programs, workshops and keynote speeches for businesses, government and non-profit organizations, spiritual centers and national organizations around the country.
LINKS
http://jackiewoodside.com (Jackiewoodside.com)
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackiewoodsidespeaker (Jackie Woodside Speaker)
Also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VibeTribers/about/ (The Vibe Tribe with Jackie Woodside)
https://jackiewoodside.com/store/calming-chaos/ (Calming The Chaos)
https://jackiewoodside.com/store/money-vibe-financial-freedom-formula/ (Money Vibe)
https://jackiewoodside.com/product/time-for-change-essential-skills-for-mastering-the-inevitable/ (Time for Change)
https://jackiewoodside.com/life-design/ (Life Design)
https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/The_Drama_of_the_Gifted_Child.html?id=ygE5DgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false (The Drama Of The Gifted Child)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PLAN WHEN YOU WILL DO THINGS. Instead of a to do list that is really a brain dump of all the things you think you need to do, make an intentional list. Take 10 minutes to jot down all the things you can think of. But then get really realistic about how long things take and what fits into your schedule. You will have to say no to some things.
THINK POSITIVE. Next time you find yourself saying, “I don’t have time” or “I can’t afford to do that,” pause and rethink. Tell yourself, “I do have time” or “Yes, I’m going to do that class I’m super excited about” or “Yes, we’re going to get out dream house” — even if you don’t know how yet. Start by believing in the possibility.
DEBRIEF AT THE END OF THE DAY. Even if you get really good about being realistic with your time, things will come up that derail your plan....
The microbiome is something that not only affects your immunity but it changes over time. It’s kind of like your fingerprint. – Jacqui Bryan On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jacqui Bryan, a functional nutritionist, health coach, and whole health educator. Jacqui had worked in healthcare for years as a nurse and consultant, but after going through treatment for breast cancer, she decided she needed to educate herself and found others wanted to learn what she was learning.
We dive into the microbiome, the trillions of bacteria on and in your body. If you’ve been hearing about gut health, that’s part of your microbiome. And these tiny living things affect how our body works. They affect our weight. They affect our immune systems. We’re still learning more about the microbiome all the time, and Jacqui has a lot to say about this topic.
One of the best things we can do to nurture our microbiome is eat clean. That means lots of real, whole food, like nine to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables daily—one apple, a cup of leafy vegetables ... Getting all these servings in and variety does so much to keep you healthy
We talk about:
The effect stress has on the gut and why it is so important to reduce stress
How everything is connected in our bodies and health
The problem of not unplugging and the stress that puts on us
Eating clean as a stress reducer, especially when it comes to sugar
Building a health care team and recognizing that you are the expert on your own health
Treating root causes instead of using a Bandaid approach to health issues
BIO
Jacqui Bryan has been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years. She earned a Master’s of Science in Health Communication from Tufts University School of Medicine. Jacqui's personal experience with a devastating breast cancer diagnosis in 2003 spurred her to create educational programs on the connection between disease and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Jacqui is also a professional speaker and regular consultant on healthy lifestyle modification. As a health coach and educator, Jacqui combines years of medical experience with behavioral strategies to help her clients replace risky behaviors with ones that support a healthier life.
LINKS
http://www.jacquibryan.com/ (Jacquibryan.com)
EmailMe@JacquiBryan.com
Doable Changes from this episode:
EAT A VARIETY OF FRUITS AND VEGGIES. If 9–13 servings of fruits and vegetables daily sounds daunting, start where you are and just upgrade that. Add one fruit or vegetable to every meal. Pick one you don’t usually eat or round out your rainbow. Make a game of getting a variety of colors each day.
UNPLUG. Jacqui talks about the stress we have because we are never unplugged. Create an unplugged zone in your life. Maybe it’s the dinner table and all electronics are off. Silence them too, because even if you don’t check your phone, the little ping that a message came in keeps you from the unplugged space.
BE AWARE OF SUGAR. Sugar is huge when it comes to microbiome health, and part of the problem is that people aren’t even aware how much sugar they consume. This week, notice where sugar is in your diet and how much. Think about drinks (including coffee drinks, soda, alcohol …), salad dressing and other condiments, and breads and cereals in addition to foods you think of as having a lot of sugar.
I could have the health that I was desiring. It was up to me. If I believed it, I could have it. And I didn’t have to do it alone.
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m doing something a little different. I celebrated my birthday recently, which is a time of reflection for me, and I decided I wanted to share my story in a different way. Nine years ago, I was an exhausted, uninspired, fat, workaholic mom of three kids under five. I hit a wall and knew something had to change.
I had no idea how profound the changes in my health, happiness, family, spirituality, and work would be.
Today I’m focusing on three key lessons I’ve learned in the past nine years, and talking with two of the people that I’ve learned from and with too!
These are the core lessons I’ve learned:
Change starts with me, but I can’t do it alone.
I have a lot to learn – and there are so many people who can help me.
Accountability by friends can make a huge difference.
I’m going to talk about all of these today because I think we all need these lessons, and even if we’ve learned them, we need reminders. (Myself very much included!)
Believe in the Change You Want When you’re ready, you know it. And all you have to do is take the first step. I had no idea how I was going to change, all I knew was that I was ready to do whatever it was going to take to not be tired, not feel yucky, not feel like a bad mom, not have so much extra weight on my body …
I met one of my mentors, Taylor Wells, the next day, and she gave me my “last diet.” She had me eat real food. Lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds. But besides the food, Taylor taught me a bigger lesson: That I could believe that I could have the health that I was desiring. That was up to me. If I believed it, I could have it.
Taylor shares these bits of wisdom:
I believe that when you feel something in your heart and it resonates ... go with that.
What you focus on, grows. Choose to focus on things that make you feel good.
Stop arguing with your limitations. Tell me what you can do, what you love, what you want.
Whether it’s creating a vision for yourself or starting a morning routine, start where you are, any way that you can. Just start.
Mentors Matter After Taylor got me on my path, I got really excited about learning. I found so many teachers and mentors (you’ll find a lot of them in the links). Nina Manoloson taught me to cook. And she taught me the 10.10.10 Method. The idea that scheduling 10 minutes for something for you makes a huge difference.
From there it was like a web of meeting people. One person led to another, and I found that what I needed kept showing up in my life when I needed it. I learned so much about food and family (and bringing the two together). As I explored the idea of bringing kids along for the ride, I found Kim John Payne and integrated a lot of his simplicity parenting ideas.
I learned about blogging and organization and abundance. And just when I realized I was creating an expensive hobby, I found Marie Forleo and B-school and learned how to love marketing. She also taught me that everything is figureoutable. Through B-school, my circle continued to widen.
Get an Accountability Buddy I eventually ended up doing a year-long program with Fabienne Fredrickson. My big takeaway lesson: I need to be personally responsible for everything that happens in my life. This is the cornerstone of having a great life.
What’s interesting was that this lesson wasn’t very different from what I had learned from Taylor but I had, at this point, spiraled up. I was at a new place. I could hear new things.
Fabienne gave me this great tool to actually take personal responsibility — an accountability buddy. Somebody who we check in with regularly. Somebody...
My definition of self love is being more committed to your happiness than to your suffering in every moment. – Nitika Chopra On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Nitika Chopra, a chronic illness advocate and self-love guru. She has battled psoriosis since she was 10 and psoriatic arthritis since she was 19. While that may sound grim, Nitika is a beacon of light with amazing energy and we talk about her journey from getting diagnosed to bringing this lightness.
She talks about the really hard years when she was in school, so hard she just wanted it to end. And she talks about getting the message, “This isn’t about you” when she wasn’t 15. She’s still holding onto and living this message.
On social media, life might look pretty good for Nitika, but she’ll be the first to tell you that she probably spent the first half of her day crying or journaling or meditating or talking to God f just to get in the right space to be able to thrive.
We talk about:
The challenge of getting a diagnosis so that you can learn how to feel better and move forward
The power of acknowledging how you feel (even when your feelings are really dark)
Knowing what you need so that you can get your needs met
The importance of making food, sleep, and emotions a priority
Elimination diets, gut health, and knowing what doesn’t work for our bodies
Finding a doctor who really means your needs
BIO
Nitika Chopra is a talk show host, beauty & lifestyle expert, self love guru, and chronic illness advocate. She was diagnosed with chronic disease over 26 years ago, and she’s come a long way. She was overwhelmed with pain, insecurity, confusion and battling depression and found self-care as a saving grace. She learned that she was more than her condition, developed compassion for her condition and herself, and her perspective shifted from extreme despair to a deep faith that there was a better way. She is more committed to her happiness than her suffering, and she shares her experience and joy with others.
LINKS
https://nitikachopra.com/ (nitikchopra.com)
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nitikachopra/ (@NitikaChopra)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/739612412909003/ (The Chronic Illness Crew)
http://plansimplemeals.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Kim John Payne)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET THE SLEEP YOU NEED. Instead of checking your email at 10 PM, go to bed. The extra sleep will serve you well. Understand what your body needs for sleep and commit to getting it.
NOURISH YOURSELF. Nourish yourself. It doesn’t have to be a candlelit, hour long exploration of your soul. It isn’t about what dinner looks like. Take 15 minutes to put together a simple, nourishing meal and eat it. No matter how busy you are, this will serve you.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR FEELINGS. Even though Nitika believes in being more committed to your happiness than your suffering, she also believes that acknowledging what you feel just makes everything better. If you are having a hard time, instead of trying to push past it or deny it, acknowledge it. Say, “I’m so sad right now” or “I’m really disappointed” or angry or frustrated … or whatever it is. Just acknowledging it can help your body relax and help you move past it.
To really lead the lives that we desire and be the role models our kids deserve, we need to move past the myths that keep us stuck. I made the Flow Planner and developed the FLOW Planning Method, to help free ourselves of these myths. MYTH #1 – I have to get work done first to create space and time for family. OR I have to be mom now and put my career on hold.
What if work is never feeling done because you feel incomplete? What if that incompleteness has nothing to do with work, but with your energy, your connection to one of your kids, your relationship with your spouse, your desire to go clothes shopping, or longing go to a yoga class.
If you are pulled towards mom, what if your incomplete feeling means you have something more you need to do on this planet?
We think we have to choose between work and family, but if we know that we can fit in both helps us be in FLOW.
MYTH #2 – If being busy at work leads to success, then busy at home will lead to success.
I fell into this myth. When Felix was little, we did things at every moment. By the time Perla came a long we couldn’t, but I got the advice that maybe that was a good thing. Being at home — cooking, digging, resting, and playing without entertaining is amazing for you and your kids.
When did busy become a status symbol? Not being busy at home is a really good thing.
Suggested resource: Simplicity Parenting and http://plansimplemeals.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Kim John Payne on Plan Simple Meals)
MYTH #3 – Being domestic means I’m not a good at my work, not a good CEO, not a real ladyboss.
This is something that is really embedded in our belief system, but I am not convinced it is true. We are always trying to prove ourselves as women. We get back to work as soon as we can after kids. We feel shame around working from home. But we should be proud of being able to raise our kids and run our busineses. Listen in to the podcast from http://plansimplemeals.com/seasons-and-cycles-with-jenny-fenig/ (Jenny Fenig) who runs and amazing business and homeschools two of her 3 kids.
MYTH #4 – It is just a phase. It will all get better when ...
Yes, stuff changes in your life, but you need to give yourself permission to create the life you want now.
If you wait until your kids turn (fill in any age) or when you make more money, when you move, when the school year ends … you’ll find that when you get to that point, what you want will change. So that doesn’t really work.
You can start creating the life you want right now, wherever you are.
MYTH #5 – I just don’t have the time.
It takes time and practice to learn that this one isn’t true. There are people who have achieved amazing things who have the same amount of time as you and I do in our days. We choose how we want to spend our time. So let’s start choosing the things we want instead of putting them aside.
I love this quote from http://plansimplemeals.com/more-please-with-alexia-vernon/ (Alexia Vernon): “I’m not carrying around a story in my head that I’m busy, I don’t have enough time, that I’m unhappy. I’m choosing to bring the energy to everything of “I have time, I have space, this is what I have chosen, and thank you more please.”
Are you ready to let go of the story that you are too busy? Can you get past the other four myths?
How do we change things? How do we fit in the things that make a difference all the time, instead of some day.
I think it takes two parts: vision and a plan. We have to consistently recall both.
And remember that this is an ongoing process. This isn’t something that we are ever done with.
How can we spend our days loving the process?
An amazing life lives in loving the process. Here are 11 ideas to help you love the process:
Have a vision. Make sure your vision includes 4 categories: food and wellness, lifestyle and family, om...
We can get our gut so healthy, and we can reverse a lot of health issues doing so. – Jade Venables On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jade Venables of the Healthy Mommy Movement summit about gut health. Not quite sure what gut health is all about (even if you’ve been hearing about it more and more)? We’ll get you up to speed. Jade shares her own health journey away from osteopenia, borderline diabetes, carpal tunnel and chronic fatigue and healing her son who was rushed to the hospital at 18 months due to an autoimmune disease. In the process, she learned a lot about gut health, how the gut is related to the brain, how the gut really affects every system. We can get our guts healthy, but our brain wants to take over, so we can undo a lot of good work with stress. That’s where things like meditation and exercise come in—health as a complete package. Jade owns up to not being very fit, which I love, because we’re all imperfect making small changes in the right direction. We talk about: How understanding the why of giving up gluten and dairy can blow your mind and help you make the change The problem with our healthcare system and schools when it comes to healthy eating Ways to feed kids without making them feel left out (and how sometimes worrying about feeling different is our story, not their) Using smoothies as snacks and treats at home or when you are out Products—(those for our bodies like shampoo or toothpaste and otherwise, like cleaners or air fresheners) that we use at home can affect the gut Creating a non-toxic medicine chest tool box
BIO Jade Venables is a health advocate and creator of “The Healthy Mommy Movement,” a free, online summit. For the Healthy Mommy Movement summit, Jade interviewed doctors and experts about health issues to prove that our bodies are waiting for us to heal them and to help moms make healthier choices for themselves and their families. LINKS https://thehealthymommymovement.com/ (thehealthymommymovement.com/) https://www.ewg.org/ (Environmental Working Group (EWG)) https://www.drdingle.com/ (Dr. Dingle)
Doable Changes from this episode: HAVE A QUICK, GO-TO STRESS BUSTER. Stress can do a number on our gut. Next time you start to feel extra stressed, take some deep breaths, take 5 minutes to meditate, or take a short walk. First start noticing your stress and using a tool like this to reduce it. You can also try adding one of these tools proactively into your day before you feel stressed. MAKE A FRUIT SMOOTHIE. Next time your kids want an afterschool snack or any of you need a sweet treat, try blending some bananas and strawberries with a little water. Or mango and pineapple. There are so many combinations. You can bump up the goodness with some spinach, but if you aren’t sold on green smoothies yet, try just fruit and water. See that it can be sweet and simple, real food that feels like a treat. CHANGE ONE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT. You can use baking soda on your teeth. You can use vinegar as a glass cleaner. You can use essential oils instead of perfume. There are lots of non-toxic products for home and body. You do need to read the labels, but you can use a tool like https://www.ewg.org/ (Environmental Working Group (EWG)) to help you find one a replacement product for an unhealthy product you currently use. Good starting points: shampoo, deodorant, detergent, any household cleaner.
Pleasure is productive... It’s not a side thing that you’re doing, it’s the main event. It helps you do what you want to do in your life. – Janna Denton Howes On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, we’re talking about something of a taboo topic—sex. I’m so excited to have Janna Denton-Howes, a marriage coach and expert on sex and the male brain here today. We really dive into it, so put in some earbuds if you’re listening in with kids around.
It’s funny, we DO talk about sex, and Janna has 4 pillars to share for couples wanting more and better sex, but the first three are outside of the bedroom. We start off talking about why we need more pleasure, and not the sexual kind. Janna gives lots of examples of prioritizing pleasure in our lives, and amazingly, it’s not necessarily about making more room in our calendars.
We do talk about scheduling though. Janna recommends scheduling sex, but not like she did at first. She shares the experience of scheduling sex for Friday night and feeling sick thinking about it every Thursday. Instead she suggests scheduling exploration dates. For two hours or more, you prioritize pleasure, trust what feels good and what does not, and you stay connected with your body in a sexual experience rather than thinking about what he wants, what lights him up.
We talk about:
Sex being good for your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness, drawing a line of having sex anymore unless you want it—and also about how you can learn to want it more
Prioritizing your pleasure in daily life—Janna explains how this isn’t the same as self-care
Letting go of “shoulds” and trusting what feels good and what doesn’t
Connecting with your body on an emotional and physical level and how you can be compassionate and start a conversation with yourself, even when it feels awkward and triggers childhood or religious shame
Taking charge of the sexual experience and how more pleasure does NOT involve “spicing things up”
Scheduling sex in a way that doesn’t feel like more pressure to perform—and how only having scheduled sex can be freeing
Why to separate sex from date night and how to actually have sex when you have kids in the house
Tips for talking with kids about sex
Janna Denton-Howes is a professionally trained Marriage Coach who is known for her popular program, 30 Days To Wanting It More". Affectionately called, "Chief Libido Officer" and "Husband Whisperer" by her participants and coaching clients, Janna not only helps married women take sex off their to-do lists but brings couples back to each other.
LINKS
http://jannadentonhowes.com/ (http://jannadentonhowes.com/)
http://jannadentonhowes.com/30-days/ (30 Days to Wanting It More)
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Sex-Through-Mindfulness-Cultivate/dp/1771642351 (Better Sex Through Mindfulness)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRIORITIZE YOUR PLEASURE. This doesn’t have to cost anything and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Janna gives examples of just enjoying the feel of water on your skin in the shower or taking a walk because you enjoy it (not for exercise) or having a dish soap you enjoy the scent of while you are washing dishes, or enjoy the sunshine streaming through your window. Prioritizing pleasure isn’t something you have to make more time for, it’s something you can do while doing anything else in your day.
GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY. I talk a lot about food and how it affects our bodies, but I admit, I didn’t really know parts of my body until my first baby was born. I’m not the only one. Get a mirror and get to know your vulva, labia, and clitoris. Maybe your doable change is just saying those words right now. Do that, and then have a look. Explore
SCHEDULE SEX. Go ahead, block off a couple of hours in your planner. Label it SEX or...
You don't need a longer to-do list. We need to get you back to you. What do you want? – Jen Liddy
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jen Liddy, an accountability and mindset coach about planning systems and order and creating more ease.
Jen has always been super organized and describes herself as a linear thinker. We talk about how that helps and sometimes limits her. I love her explanation of how she can fill in her schedule like Tetris blocks, but she realized—and this is so important—that some of those blocks need to be empty blocks for recharging.
She even tells here clients, who come in tell her that they need to be more productive and get more done, that they need a new calendar or planner—they need to get back to themselves, what they really want.
We talk about:
The difference between being organized and being balanced
The fact that doing more isn’t the answer—in fact constraining your to do list helps
The expansiveness in slowing down (even when it is hard for you)
How our bodies tell us what we need—things like getting sick again and again or gaining 25 pounds—but we don’t listen
Setting up your day and choosing what is in it so there is not panic about getting “everything” done
The importance of accountability, especially to obligers, and how accountability can be fun instead of judgmental
BIO
Jen Liddy is an Accountability & Mindset Coach with a mission to support, guide, & coach people to achieve that goal that's been nagging at them for so long now! Her dream job is helping entrepreneurs feel supported, get organized, confidently make decisions, achieve goals—and have a life again.
LINKS
https://jenliddy.com/ (jenliddy.com)
https://www.facebook.com/jenliddycoach/ (Facebook @jenliddycoach)
https://www.instagram.com/jenliddycoach/ (Instagram @jenliddycoach)
http://plansimplemeals.com/trust-your-calendar-with-patty-lennon/ (Plan Simple Podcast with Patty Lenon)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CONSTRAIN YOUR TO DO LIST. Yes, you need a place for all the things in your brain. Call it a braindump or a parking lot, but not your to do list. Choose the 3 things you really want to get done for the day. Write them on a Post-it and keep them in front of you. You will get more things done, but you stay focused on the 3 things you write down.
DO THE UNCOMFORTABLE THING. Most of us put something on our list that we don’t really want to do. It’s hard or will take a lot of energy, so we don’t do it. Do the uncomfortable thing. Once you do that and realize that you can do hard things, you gain confidence and start getting your list done more regularly.
BUILD EMPTY BLOCKS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE. Empty blocks are essential for recharging. If you aren’t in the habit of including empty blocks in your schedule, it can feel a little strange or uncomfortable. Try adding one in this week. Don’t schedule anything else in that time. Use that for something that recharges you. As you get used to this doable change, try adding in more empty blocks.
It's never going to be balanced perfectly, but I think if you schedule it out and you plan it, then it can happen. – Patricia van Essche On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Patricia van Essche, a multipassionate artist, entrepreneur and mom. Her kids are in college or working now, and I love getting tips from parents a little further down the line. We talk about how she has flowed from one focus to another and the creativity that flows through it all.
She explained how she left a big job to be home with her kids. During that time she began doing decorative painting. When that fell out of fashion, she focused on her illustrations. Most recently she discovered pilates and is training to be a pilates teacher. She’s very passionate about her work, but also about being with her kids and about the food. We dove into how she found balance through systems, planning creativity.
While, I’ve been shifting away from focusing only on food on the show, Patricia’s passion for food is strong. We talked about the food she ate growing up and the desire for quick food, and about how she pulls things together quickly, even if it isn’t a fast meal. She talks about recipes that incorporate what she has on hand, using a slow cooker, and paying attention to the beautiful details.
We talk about:
Being creative with food and showing your kids how to be creative and independent
Favorite kitchen tools that keep good food simple, like a juicer and slow cooker
How paying attention to the beautiful details helps us and those around us eat better
Focusing on how your body feels as a way to look better and the 80-20 rule (20% exercise and then 80% nutrition)
Pilates as a restorative practice that benefits mind and body and can help us heal
EFT as way to release and putting love into what you do greatly
BIO
Patricia van Essche, better known to her clients, fans and followers as PVE, is a bon vivant as well as an accomplished artist and illustrator. She has worked for numerous private commissions as well as with exclusive clients including J. McLaughlin, Secrets Gourmet, The Park Avenue Fund, The Princess Grace Foundation and Lava Barre. PVE lives in Westchester County, New York. PVE is devoted to living artfully. She’s the mother of a college student and 25-year-old twins. And she most recently trained to teach Pilates and practices Yoga, Meditation and inspires others to find the joy of art and wellness.
LINKS
http://www.pvedesign.com/
Doable Changes from this episode:
Know what you're going to have for dinner in the morning. Patricia got this tip from her mother, and it is one I share often. Simply knowing what you will have for dinner in the morning takes a lot of fretting and uncertainty out of your day. Plus when you know the plan, you can move food forward throughout the day.
No toys at the table. Dinner is a sacred time to connect with your family, to talk about what was good and bad about the day. You can’t do that when people are plugged in to their technology. Create a basket for phones or another system so that you can can focus on your family at a meal. (You can even ask guests to follow this ritual as well.)
Keep binders of food ideas. Patricia talked about Thanksgiving as a favorite meal and how she uses a binder to keep notes that she can refer back to the next year. You can also use binders for simple recipes you want to try (tap into this when you are feeling stuck or in a rut), past meal plans (some times I recycle a week that worked well), favorite recipes you use again and again.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you
take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots...
Once you realize that something is not serving you in any way that's joyful or helpful …, then you can start to release it. But until you're ready, this practice won't call to you. – Vanessa Gobes On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Vanessa Gobes, co-founder of The Chrysalis Center, about transformation. We talk about the huge transformations she made in her own life and why she started the Chrysalis Center.
We talk about meditation as a tool that can change your brain (and your life), but only if you are ready. If you aren’t ready to give up the stories that aren’t serving you, if you can’t let go of your own bullshit, then this practice won’t help. But if you ready to change, it’s a powerful tool.
Another strategy Vanessa offers is being with what is. She talks about being in the mud, and how if we get curious and explore that feeling of not wanting to be in the mud, we can come to a greater understanding. We tend to want to fight against being in the mud, but we can learn so much and change in good ways if we can be in those tough situations.
We talk about:
Stripping out what doesn’t serve you and following joy
Different ways to practice meditation and why 10 minutes a day can change you
How chakras fit in with meditation
Trusting that things will work out and that we will have what we need when times are hard
Cultivating relationships with people we can turn to when we need them
Setting yourself up for success with the right transitions—in meditation and life
BIO
Vanessa Gobes coaches women and men through the darkest parts of parenthood (and life) with humor and humility, demonstrating that even the worst challenges can be viable paths to healing, insight and joy when approached with curiosity. Since co-founding Chrysalis in 2015, her teachings have stretched beyond mindfulness, exploring how spirit can be more readily accessed through insight practices. Vanessa is a happily unmarried mother of several and author of the upcoming perscriptive memoir “Metta Mom: A Mindful Guide to Managing Your Mood & Your Brood,” represented byhttps://www.corvisieroagency.com/authors.html ( Corvisiero Agency NYC).
LINKS
http://www.facebook.com/vanessa.gobes (www.facebook.com/vanessa.gobes)
http://bit.ly/soulopreneur-may2018 (Soulopreneur)
https://www.insidethechrysalis.com/ (Chrysalis Center)
https://insighttimer.com/ (Insight Timer meditation app)
http://plansimplemeals.com/dance-to-dinner-with-denise-costello/ (Podcast: Dance to Dinner with Denise Costello)
http://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (Podast: Living in Your Box with Sarah Jenks)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PLAN TIME FOR TRANSITIONS. Whether you are meditating, getting dinner on the table, or trying to get your kids out the door, leaving enough time for transitions sets you up for success. Before you start to meditate, simply observe your surroundings. Give your kids notice that they need to get ready (if you know it takes them 20 minutes to put shoes on, start them on that early). When you schedule things on your calendar, be realistic about transitions.
MEDITATE. Even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Check out the brief meditation Vanessa did with us in this show, or use an app like Insight Timer to help you develop a practice. I like to meditate first thing in the morning, but find the time that works for you and write it in your calendar.
GET CURIOUS ABOUT DISCOMFORT. We will all be in situations that are uncomfortable. Instead of fighting against them, try just getting really curious about how it really feels, what we don’t like about it. We can choose to change, but first we need to see where we are.
REALLY...
The first realization you have to have is nobody is going to make time for you in your schedule to work on your passions. – Kerry Connelly On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kerry Connelly who calls herself “writer, speaker, coach, Jesus freak (of the progressive sort).” She’s hard to put into a box, but she is somebody who gets the idea of FLOW. You’re going to love hearing what she has to share about all areas of FLOW, but especially the Om, or spirituality part.
Kerry is passionate about helping women take those leaps into the unknown—or said better reconnecting with the voice inside that is our gift to the world. She helps women identify their gift, what they do that is going to help other people.
We talk about her book Pause and how we—all of us, busy moms, hard-working entrepreneurs, those still in corporate—can pause to make time for the things that really matter to us.
We talk about:
Time, and how even if it doesn’t feel like it, it is the only resource that is completely and 100% in your control.
Learning to budget your time the way you budget your money
Working in 90-day sprints
Choosing the 3 most important things and putting those into our planner first
How allow ourselves to dream and then take action, even if we aren’t exactly sure what our goal or dream is gives us more clarity that helps us keep moving
Simple things anybody can do to set yourself up for a win
BIO
Kerry Connelly is an emerging voice in the world of progressive Christianity, a sought-after speaker and coach, and an author. Kerry has over twenty-five years of business experience in corporate, non-profit, and direct sales arenas, and she brings that experience to her coaching clients, her writing, and her speaking.
LINKS
http://www.kerryconnelly.com/ (Kerry’s website)
Kerry’s blog http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jerseygirljesus/ (JerseyGirlJesus)
Kerry’s most popular post: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jerseygirljesus/excuse-idols-showing-athletes-kneeling-totally-biblical/ (Excuse Me, Your Idols Are Showing)
http://www.kerryconnelly.com/podcast/ (Kerry’s podcast)
https://www.joyrevolt.com/ (Joy Revolt!)
Kerry’s book http://www.kerryconnelly.com/pause-the-book (PAUSE: Making Time To Walk With God)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CHOOSE YOUR PRIORITIES. The first step to making time for your priorities is knowing what they are. While it can feel like everything is important, choose 3 priorities to focus on and put first for the next 90 days. Try to choose 2 that are related to wellness or a passion project, something other than work/business.
SCHEDULE YOUR PRIORITIES FIRST. If eating healthy is a priority, mark off time to make a salad for lunch. Literally put it in your planner before anything else. You might need to schedule time for grocery shopping or to go to the farmers market. If being active is a priority, put your morning walk and your exercise class on your schedule before you start making other appointments.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR A WIN. What little thing can you do to set yourself up for a win? Do you need to have a notebook and pen with you at all times to jot down brilliant ideas? Do you need phone numbers for sales calls in case you are stuck someplace? Is it something as simple as putting your keys in the right place or putting your exercise clothes out so you are ready for class in the morning.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge...
The more we experience places of timelessness, the more time we have in our day. – Julie Hannon On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with my friend, and shaman, Julie Hannon about how to bring more OM into your life.
If you’ve followed my FLOW planner process, you know that the OM refers to the quiet spaces between the busyness—downtime, meditation, unstructured afternoons, walks in nature, a yoga class, journaling, reading, bedtime routines, healing rituals, self-care, and planning. We often put these things on our list, but not on our schedule. Julie and I talk about how and why it is so important to make them part of our daily life.
We dive into seasons, contracting, and how things show up just as they are meant to be. Julie talks about intention and trusting that things are going to unfold perfectly.There’s so much good stuff here.
We talk about:
A simple breathing practice that can change your day
How a gratitude practice counteracts the fear that surrounds us
Listening to what your soul needs (even when it isn’t logical)
Knowing where your nectar is in the day (how do you connect to your spirit?)
Creating ceremonies to feed a deep craving for ceremonial space that we all have
Reconnecting with your intuition
Julie leads a brief mediation
BIO
Julie Hannon is a shamanic healer and teacher. She is committed to helping people discover their self, their joy, and the beauty in life. She is passionate about connecting with people and helping each and every one discover their own special strengths and gifts. She works with people to remove barriers to possibilities. She bring diverse training and multiple certifications in energy work and yoga to her work, along with more than twenty years professional experience as a human resources director, where she worked with executives, teams, organizations, and individuals, leading them on a journey of discovery and successful transformations. Throughout her work, she has been a professional facilitator and teacher, moderating, leading groups and creating programs and retreats.
LINKS
https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/ (https://www.innerpeaceandwellness.com/)
http://bit.ly/soulopreneur-spring2018 (bit.ly/soulopreneur-spring2018)
Doable Changes from this episode:
BREATHE. Lay your hands on your heart and breathe into that space and then breathe out. Start to follow your breath and observe your breath in and out of your heart space. Really see in your heart for a little bit. Give yourself the gift of six slow inhales and slow exhales every day in and out of your heart.
FIND YOUR NECTAR. When you set up your planner or to do list for the day, ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I’m gonna do for myself?” Make sure there is something sweet, something just for you on there, every single day.
CREATE A SIMPLE CEREMONY. Julie offers the example of having a book of earth prayers on the table and having somebody choose one blessing to read before dinner. It could be lighting a candle and breathing before you start your work for the day. It can be simple, but intentional to create a special space.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you
take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of...
You don’t have to be June Cleaver preparing every little thing from scratch. You don’t have to be perfect. – Denise Costello On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Denise Costello, the founder of The Energized Body and co-founder of Chrysalis Center for Meditation and Wellness. Denise’s journey started with food, but moved into movement. We’re going to talk about both, plus an amazing experience she’s offering this spring.
Denise lived a very healthy lifestyle. She integrated exercise, movement, cooked and ate healthy. But when her twins were babies, she heard radio report on cancer, saying that by the time her children turned 18, one of six people would have cancer. She got really serious about protecting her family and trying to lower their risks. So she dug into integrated medicine and tried recipes and meditation—and she gathered other moms to share what she knew. Then she turned helping moms and families into a business.
Two important things about Denise were that she realized a healthy lifestyle was doable—even with twins and an adopted daughter. Even when her husband was in the Navy Reserves and gone for long stretches. Even while running a business. She approached situations like making dinner with joy — and without a need to do it perfectly. We’ll talk about specific tips for make it easier.
We talk about:
Getting your kids involved with food prep and cooking
Setting your own standards of normal instead of worrying about what other people think
Using a Crock Pot (I think I’m finally convinced to try)
Kitchen hacks to make prepping dinner easier
Making cooking more enjoyable—Denise describes her kitchen “sitch” and why music matters
Fitting in movement, being forgiving of yourself, and Denises 80% rule
BIO
Denise Costello is the sometimes called the Fit Foodie. She’s the founder of The Energized Body and co-founder of Chrysalis Center Meditation and Wellness. She started out as a nurse and got excited about empowering individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle, thereby keeping them out of the hospital. Her interest in health and wellness increased and got personal with the birth of her twins. Her mission is to help you eat your way happy & healthy so you can feel your best, be your best & give your best.
LINKS
https://theenergizedbody.com/ (The Energized Body)
https://www.insidethechrysalis.com/ (Chrysalis Center for Meditation & Wellness)
http://www.starthub.org/events/soulopreneur-spring-pop (Soulopreneur Spring Pop-up)
MENTIONED LINK
https://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2009/06/vanilla-bean-cake-grain-free-gluten-free-sugar-free/ (Vanilla Bean Cake from The Spunky Coconut)
http://journeydance.com/ (The Journey Dance)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TAKE SHORTCUTS IN THE KITCHEN. Chop and freeze onions so you have them ready when you need them—or buy them pre-chopped. Look for basil, garlic, and ginger pre-chopped and frozen. What other prep could be done for you? How else could you set yourself up for ease another day? These kinds of shortcuts lead to healthier meals, instead of unhealthy choices.
MAKE MEAL PREP ENJOYABLE. Create an enjoyable situation before you start cooking. Turn on music, light a candle, pour yourself a cup of tea — create the right mood.
PLAN MOVEMENT. Denise says, “First you have to make movement a priority in your head, and you plan it.” Getting movement in first thing in the morning is great. You get it done before you get distracted or pulled in other directions. Getting up early can be tough for some people, but Denise suggests that when you exercise, you sleep really well, which might make getting up early easier.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how...
This episode of the Plan Simple Podcast is part of a seven tools in seven days series. I’ve shared my ideas on finding your why and your family brand. Today, I’m so excited to talk about the simplest meal planning tool. I call it The Post-it Strategy. It’s so simple, and yet so powerful, whether you plan out your meals in great detail or not. The Post-it Strategy = In the morning write on a Post-it what’s for dinner.
It’s that simple. Here’s why it’s powerful:
You are making a choice and getting clarity.
You know what you need to do to make dinner happen. (Do you need to turn on the slow cooker? pick up an onion at the store? Can you chop an onion right now?)
You cut out time lost to wondering and thinking about dinner.
You cut down stress later in the day because you aren’t trying to make a decision and figure out how to make it happen when everyone is already stressed.
You cut down on drama about what kids will eat.
Doable Changes from this episode:
WRITE WHAT’S FOR DINNER ON A POST-IT. Decide what’s for dinner and write it on a post-it. When you do that, check to see if you need anything and create a plan to get it—will you stop at the market or will your spouse be near the store? Do you need to pull something out of the freezer now or prep something? You don’t have to do it all now, but part of deciding is helping you know enough to make sure you can make it happen later.
MOVE FOOD FORWARD. I love the idea of moving food forward. It’s one more way to add ease into eating well. So when you decide what’s for dinner, notice if there is anything you can do—put in some meat to marinate, chop an onion. Another way to do this is to prep for one meal while you are prepping another. Are you making a salad for lunch? Chop some extra carrots for dinner. Think of something, and it can be little, that puts you one step closer to the next meal.
MAKE MEALS MATCH YOUR DAY. Before you decide what’s for dinner, think about your day. Do you have one kid with an appointment at 3:30 and another getting out of play practice at 5 and another who needs to get to basketball by 6:30? This is not the day to make a meal that takes a lot of prep and cook time. With a plan you can still eat healthy, real food on busy days, but make it easy on yourself by batching or prepping ahead on a less busy day.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
A family brand will really help you make choices as a family … what you say yes to, what to say no to, what to get mad about, what to let go, what to really firmly to put your foot down about because these are your core beliefs. – Mia Moran
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk about family brands as a way to help our families live healthier lives.
I come from a design background, and I used to work with a lot of clients around what they stood for or believed in. It dawned on me a couple years ago, that a brand was a really useful tool for families as well. Just like knowing your personal why helps you stay the course, knowing your family why or what you believe in helps you find your way.
Sometimes as individuals we have different core beliefs, which can lead to tension. Understanding these deep seated beliefs and honoring them helps us as individuals, couples, and families.
My husband wants to be the best human possible to our planet. It’s not that I don’t want this, but it isn’t ingrained in me, and so we approach everything from trash to getting from here to there in different ways. But for a while when he would re-sort the trash to get the recycling and the compost in the right place, I felt judged. After doing the core values exercise, it shifted the energy for me. This is a value we share as a family. This is something I can work on with humor and gentleness.
In this show I’m talking about:
My family’s core values
How getting really clear on the core values can change the tone of the conversation
Choosing 7–10 words that really define your family
Deciding what those defining words look like in your family
Using a family meeting and repetition to share family brand with your children
Shifting and adjusting your family brand as needed
Doable Changes from this episode:
CHOOSE WORDS THAT DEFINE YOUR FAMILY. Choose 7–10 words that define your family or family values. Connectivity and taking care of the planet our two of ours. Use my word list for ideas or brainstorm your own. Make sure you take into account the values of both parents and any older children.
MAKE A POSTER OF YOUR FAMILY BRAND. You can do this. Your kids can do it. You can do it together. It could start “In this family, we …” , or you can just list the words. Get clear on what you mean by each word.
FOCUS ON ONE WORD THIS WEEK. Choose one word to focus on this week. When you have to make a decision, think about your word. Which choice brings you more inline with that word? How can you incorporate that word into your daily routine more? For example, if your word is connectivity, you might choose to turn off the TV and play a game together or say no to the PTO meeting so you can have family dinner. You might make a point to give hugs regularly or look the kids in the eye before they walk out the door in the morning. Just keep touching back to your word.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help youtake small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
On this episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Sarah Jenks. If I have ever met anyone who truly walks her talk, and then turns around and teaches us all the lessons she has learned, it is Sarah. We dive deep into her story which starts with her longtime body image issues and how she finally made her life full of joy. We then move into motherhood where, once again, Sarah;s beliefs of who she thought she could be were tested. Through her struggles, she created some amazing magic tools and healing rituals, so that we too can thrive — and she shares some of them with us!
When I first me Sarah, I was drawn to her clarity. You will hear first-hand on this episode how her quest for clarity has really shaped her life – and what that means for her family, business and us.
We talk about: Lies women tell ourselves about the choices we have in life
Listening to our bodies and intuition
Sarah’s inspirational story of going from being a totally stressed out mom to designing the life of her dreams — yurt and all!
How our feminine menstrual cycle perfectly matches the moon's cycle, and how men are very different
The novel idea of taking whole days and doing what we want, without guilt
See full show notes at http://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/living-in-your-box-with-sarah-jenks/)
Notice how your world can change if you come to yourself with a place of acceptance instead of judging. – Lindsey Goldwasser On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Lindsey Goldwasser, a holistic health advocate, wellness educator, and energy expert (because who doesn’t need more energy?).
Lindsey got into health coaching as a result of a combination of serious health issues (turns out she had a parasite) and completing yoga teacher training. She felt more grounded through mindful movement, and that led her to more mindful and clean eating. We talk about moving from emotional eating to mindful eating.
We also get into a topic that fascinates me—essential oils. I’ve talked with a number of people about essential oils, and Lindsey talks about them specifically related to emotional eating (along with other uses).
We talk about:
Muscle testing as a tool to figure out what you should be eating or not eating
Staying hydrated to help stop emotional eating
Getting curious about what we really want to eat
Bringing food that you want to eat to parties
Saying no and dealing with holiday parties as an introvert
Using essential oils to destress and fight depression
Lindsey Goldwasser is a holistic health coach, wellness educator, and energy expert (in addition to your biggest cheerleader and accountability partner). She is also a yoga/meditation instructor, and http://www.etsy.com/shop/downwarddye (indigo dye business owner) in Arlington, VA. Lindsey works with motivated women and men striving for more balance, more energy, and more healthy habits during everyday life struggles, as opposed to surrendering to stress and digestive issues. By coaching others through lifestyle shifts, nutritional values, and self-care tactics, Lindsey empowers her clients to take control of their health and wellness long after their work together!
LINKS
Find Linsey here: https://www.novawholesomehealth.com/ (https://www.novawholesomehealth.com/)
Get essential oil info here: https://www.novawholesomehealth.com/essential-oils/ (https://www.novawholesomehealth.com/essential-oils/)
http://eepurl.com/cVe0IP (Cheat sheet on essential oils and emotional eating)
Follow her onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsey_g_yogi/ (https://www.instagram.com/lindsey_g_yogi/)
http://plansimplemeals.com/lead-by-example-with-christie-kenedy-manuel/ (Plan Simple Meals: Lead by Example with Christie Kennedy Manuel)
http://plansimplemeals.com/daimanuel/ (Plan Simple Meals: The Importance of Keeping It Fun with Dai Manuel)
http://plansimplemeals.com/jessicaclapphennessey/ (Plan Simple Meals: Making and Oils with Jessica Hennessey)
http://plansimplemeals.com/our-skin-with-rachael-pontillo/ (Plan Simple Meals: Our Skin with Rachael Pontillo)
http://plansimplemeals.com/carrieannekilleen/ (Plan Simple Meals: The Nourished Momma with Carrie Anne Killeen)
Doable Changes from this episode:
DRINK WATER. Lindsey says that making sure she is hydrated all day and the day before a party helps her avoid emotional eating. Hydrated means drinking enough water or lemon water, not a lot of juice or soda. In my family, we fill up vessels in the morning that we can drink throughout the day at home or on the go to make sure we drink enough. Lindsey suggests making a game of seeing how many cups of water you need to drink to have light yellow urine.
SAY NO. It’s OK to say no to another event or to something that adds stress to your life. It’s OK to say no to to another glass of wine or the hosts specialty. Saying no can be hard, but it can also be a form of self-care. Lindsey suggests making this a doable change by not saying No to everything. For, example,...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Stephanie Stiavetti. She’s a trained chef who helps regular people feel fabulous about cooking. Steph learned taught herself to cook as a kid, but stopped in her teens and 20s. Some significant health issues led her to learn to cook and feed herself again. She went to cooking school and pastry school and has worked in restaurants. Now her focus is helping other people be amazing home chefs.
Steph has some amazing cheat sheets that help you in the kitchen. Things like basics about oils and sauces . . . basics that help you make it easily—and amazing.
We talk about: What 5 tools you need in your kitchen
How to find the right knives (and cut safely)
The world’s simplest sauce
What oils to use for cooking
How to make a salad dressing that will make you love salad
Salting food (even things that would surprise you)
BIO Stephanie Stiavetti is a classically trained personal chef and cooking teacher. She teaches people how to be a badass cook, even if they consider themselves a total failure in the kitchen.
LINKS Steph’s website: https://fearlessfresh.com/ (https://fearlessfresh.com/)
https://shop.fearlessfresh.com (Steph’s store and cheat sheets)
Steph’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FearlessFreshNinjas/ (facebook.com/groups/FearlessFreshNinjas/)
Doable Changes from this episode: GET ONE TOOL YOU LOVE. The right tools make cooking easier and more enjoyable. Get a knife that feels right in your hand or the slow cooker you’ve been thinking about or a hand blender … and then use it for one week to see how it feels and how it changes your food experience.
ADD A LITTLE SALT. A little salt goes a long way. As Steph says, it can be the difference between hating the salad dressing you make or loving it. She recommends ½ tsp of salt for 2 cups of dressing. I add a pinch to my morning smoothie. Try adding a little salt to something you normally don’t salt and see what changes.
MAKE COMPOUND BUTTER. Sometimes what gets in our way of eating real food is feeling like it lacks flavor, especially if you are used to more processed food. Steph talks about making compound butter as a super basic sauce. Use her ratio, 1/4 pound of butter plus three tablespoons of fresh herbs plus one teaspoon of spices, to make a compound butter to flavor your food. (She has a cheat sheet for this to give you more ideas about what to use).
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
Relevant Episodes: http://plansimplemeals.com/daimanuel/ (The Importance of Keeping it Fun with Dai Manuel)
http://plansimplemeals.com/lead-by-example-with-christie-kenedy-manuel/ (Lead by Example with Christie Kennedy Manuel)
Thanksgiving is fast approaching here in the US (which means we are in the full swing of the holiday season. You have your plans. You know who is making what.
But maybe it doesn’t look quite like a Martha Stewart magazine.
Maybe it looks great but you feel stressed out, anyway.
PlanSimple Holidays will help you makeover your holiday season, but today I want to focus on mini changes that can help make an already planned holiday (like the one 2.5 days from now) feel happier and healthier.
You already know you are going to your aunt’s house with all your extended family and their kids. You know that you all raise kids a bit differently.
Or maybe you are spending the holiday more alone because your family is not near by, and though it seems like it would be fun to get together with friends, that is not what’s up.
And of course there are thousands of scenarios between that have little things “wrong” with them.
So what are some things you can do to make the day happy and healthy?
Know why the day is important to you. Not the textbook version, your heart version. And communicate that to your spouse and kids. Make sure you include one thing in the day that that maps back to that — a family walk, a gratitude ritual, an hour alone (those could be mine!).
Understand what could go wrong. Is it that you have a child who is allergic to dairy and you’re not sure if aunt Suzy really heard you? Or maybe you have a really picky eater and you fear a full on tantrum? Or maybe you don’t approve all the parenting styles parents, but you end up saying “yes” to an inappropriate movie out of guilt for being “that mom.” Maybe it is you. Maybe you always over eat on the holidays. Write it out. Get it all out of your head and onto paper.
Make a plan for each thing that you are worried about. Bring food for the allergic child. Pre-frame the food with the picky child. Decide with your spouse what will go down when the movie comes out. Figure out what food will leave you feeling good and have a strategy for knowing when you are full. Can you pause and check in? What does that look like in a party situation?
Chose in advance and write it down.
I did not make up this process.
Corporations have been using it for years for customer service.
Have you ever noticed when a barista makes something wrong at Starbucks? The barista (mostly) keeps smiling, and gives the drink to a customer who wants it, and then happily makes you a new one. The customer can get angry and downright mean, but the outcome is always the similar. This is because Starbucks has a process for this, and employees map out what to do with an angry customer before one even shows up.
This can work for our holidays too!
https://www.facebook.com/PlanSimpleMeals/ (Come tell me )what’s not going to go wrong for you this holiday season.
If you want to plan for a stress-free and fabulous holiday season, join me in PlanSimple Holidays (http://www.plansimpleholidays.com (www.plansimpleholidays.com)).
I always tell people declarations are powerful. Make the declarations for yourself and commit to it. – Kim Marie On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Kim Marie, a transformational life coach and mom of 12 and 15 year old boys. Kim and I met in an online group for people interested in the Waldorf philosophy.
I have learned so much about how I parent and show up for meals from the Waldorf classroom, so I knew you would love to hear what she has to say about the holidays.
As the world around us gears up for the busy holiday season, we can choose to breathe, go inward and get quiet within ourselves.
Kim shares traditions from around the world and talks about what is happening in nature at this time of year and says, “We have a whole lot going on below the surface if we’re willing to tap into it during that time of year.”
Some ideas we dive into:
The power of declarations
Honoring holidays as a season, not as a day
Using a journal as a guidebook for your life
Anything artistic, including writing, to get your deepest desires out of your head
Giving yourself permission to say no
Her journal coming out in December and how set an intention to make space for journaling
BIO
Kim Marie is a Transformational Life Coach supporting her clients to awaken their inner wisdom and transform their lives. Through her powerful programs and courses, including Mother’s Medicine, Wisdom Rising, and her forthcoming online group coaching program, Awakening Wisdom, Kim supports women to remember who they are, reconnect to what matters most, and rebirth themselves into the life of freedom they envision.
LINKS
http://kimmariecoaching.com/SacredNights/ (http://kimmariecoaching.com/SacredNights/)
http://www.awakenyourinnerwisdom.com (www.AwakenYourInnerWisdom.com)
http://www.plansimpleholidays.com (www.plansimpleholidays.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
MAP OUT YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON. Put in key dates so you can see the time as a whole (think of a holiday season, not a holiday as a day). Consider what you want to happen before and after key dates. Try mapping out your holiday season on paper by hand.
JOURNAL FOR 12 DAYS AROUND THE NEW YEAR. To make time, set an intention to have a little bit of time to journal before you go to bed at night or do the best you can to get up before the children and journal a bit in the morning. When you journal, try connecting one day to each month. Your journal can become a guide to your life. Kim’s journal is designed to help you do this.
CONTRIBUTE FOOD THAT SERVES YOU TO HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS. You can have a wonderful healing, nourishing meal that you look forward to it. It means getting creative and breaking away from what you’ve always done, but it pays off to be nourished and leave the holiday meal feeling great.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
Including yourself and creating a rhythm based on how your soul really wants the holiday time to be will create more joy. – Mia Moran On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, let’s talk about the holidays. I haven’t always loved the time between Halloween and New Years, but that’s changed.
It’s supposed to be such a wonderful time, but for most moms I know the holidays are overwhelming. We do too much. We eat foods that don’t work for us. Kids get sick. Schedules are off. And we feel compelled to do so much. Six years ago, I asked myself, “Whose traditions are these anyway?” I totally revamped our holidays—and I really love this season now.
Today I want to share five really simple tweaks or tips that can really help during this time of year to just make everything feel more manageable:
Write down what’s for dinner every morning
Know what you want your holidays to be like—and why that’s important to you
Have a sugar plan
Create a rhythm for the time kids are out of school
Schedule your mama moments (yes, you need time for you!)
Listen in to get more ideas on how to use these 5 tips to help you out this holiday season, plus another tool I have to help you out.
LINKS
https://plansimplemealslab.com/pdf (Healthy Snacks)
http://plansimpleholidays.com (Plan Simple Holidays)
Share ahas, questions or comments on the https://www.facebook.com/PlanSimpleMeals/?fref=ts (Plan Simple Meals Facebook Page)
Email Mia with comments, questions or for an accountability buddy
Think of each of the five tips as a Doable Changes from this episode. Try one each day this week.
Then join me for http://plansimpleholidays.com (Plan Simple Holidays) for more doable changes, presented in doable steps to help you make this a holiday season you truly enjoy and feel good about.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
Almost anything seems to get better if you gluten out of your life. – Anne Sarkisian On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Anne Sarkisian, a author, an artist, mom and grandmother. We met at a gluten-free expo and she has so much to share about gluten and dairy intolerance—and if you think this doesn’t affect you, listen in, because she talks about how she realized how much these things were affecting her family.
Anne’s grandson was pale and thin. He lacked energy and was irritable. He got tested and they changed his diet, and everything changed. Anne and her family made major changes too, and Anne talks about how cutting out gluten, and then dairy, has improved her own health.
Anne encourages people to get tested, because you can be affected for 10 years before you develop an obvious problem. And if you have a child who is hungry all the time or really irritable, you may want to get them tested.
We talk about:
Surprising symptoms that you may have a gluten intolerance
Why you need to advocate for yourself as many doctors don’t know enough about gluten intolerance
Why dairy issues are related to gluten-intolerance
The long-term serious health issues related to gluten
The surprising places we find gluten
Family gatherings made gluten free
BIO
Anne Sarkisian is the author of Toxic Staple and an advocate for gluten intolerance. Anne and much of her family were diagnosed with a gluten-intolerance, and since then she has been learning extensively about the problem with gluten. She is a mother and grandmother, and her experience with one of her grandsons got her started on this journey. In addition to her work on gluten intolerance, Anne is an artist and gardener.
LINKS
http://toxicstaple.com/ (http://toxicstaple.com/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
GET TESTED. The idea of changing your lifestyle might feel daunting, but as Anne and I discussed, it’s not that hard to eat gluten-free, especially these days. The first step, before you start playing with your diet is to get tested. Anne recommends particularly the stool test. You may need to push for testing, but it’s worth knowing.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR KIDS. Anne knew something was off with her grandson even before they got tested. Things to watch out for: complaining of hunger frequently (even after eating), not wanting to eat, irritability, inability to focus, skin issues, frequent illnesses . . . the list goes on. Keep track of what’s happening and ask about gluten testing.
SLOW DOWN. Anne talks about getting caught up in the holiday rush and not taking care of herself. You need to slow down. Eat the things you know serve your body, drink enough water, move your body, sleep. If you have a really busy day or stretch of time, make a plan to work these basics into your day before you crash.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
Mia talks about creating a vision to being a better parent amongst being bombarded by crazy happening surrounding her life and the community at large.
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Marie Levay-Pabst, who works with parents to create balanced lives. As the mom of two, she has done the work herself and knows that there is no magical time unicorn. Marie suggests starting by tracking. For two weeks, every day you either note something you’re grateful for or a moment you experience joy. Just track that and where you are spending your time. Don’t judge, just track. This will help you start to notice what you value, which is a critical piece of creating balance.
Marie walks us through the basics of her process from tracking to naming values to creating a plan to living it. And she reminds us that there is always a reset (thank goodness, right?) and that it’s cyclical. “So many people run into thinking there’s some elusive fix version of their life out there they just have to find and that’s not true. It’s cyclical, our lives are cyclical. Our children are always changing. Just about the time you figure out what they need, they need something new.”
We talk about:
struggling with work-life balance even if you are hugely efficient and the reminder that there is no one “fix,” our lives our cyclical and balance is something we create again and again over time
identifying personal and family essential values to guide where you put your time and energy
tracking time, joy, hopes, plans, and dreams to help you create balance
ruthless time blocking, in small doses, to match your values
minimizing time spent on things that don’t align with your values and how batching tasks helps take care of the stuff of life
the role of to-do lists: “Your to-do list is not your self-worth. It’s a list that keeps that stuff out of your brain. You can put your mental energy on things that matter most.”
BIO Marie Levey-Pabst is founder and a life-balance consultant at Create Balance. She teaches overwhelmed parents who are struggling to balance family, work, and personal fulfillment how to create balance around their own unique essential values, priorities, and personal strengths. She is a mother of two, a life-long educator, a coach and a writer.
LINKS Create Balance—http://www.createbalancedlife.com (www.createbalancedlife.com)
Family Meetings with Cate Stillman - http://plansimplemeals.com/cate-stillman/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/cate-stillman/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRACK MOMENTS OF JOY. For two weeks, notice moments of joy each day. Track what gives you joy without judgement. This is a starting point to see what you want more of in your life.
TIME BLOCK RUTHLESSLY. Choose something you really value. For many parents Marie works with it is focused time with their kids. Create a block of time—not 20 hours a week, but maybe one or two hours, or half an hour a day—when you will do this. Mark it in your planner. Then keep that appointment. Turn off notifications on your phone and have that focused time.
BATCH TASKS. The stuff of life doesn’t go away just because you have focused on your values. Batch like tasks and block off time for that. This could look like setting aside an hour to make phone calls for appointments and deal with papers or setting aside an afternoon to batch cook meals for the week. It could even look like setting aside every Thursday for family time. You’ll know to say no to other engagements that day and if there are things you want to do—a movie you want to see or a museum you want to go to—you’ll schedule it on family day rather than dither about when to go.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Star Staubach, the mom of three kids, 8, 6, and 3, and she runs the business Ignite Radiance , working with women who are dedicated to creating change in their lives and in their businesses. Star talks about a point in her business when asked about her goals all she could think was to run away. She just needed a break. And opportunities appeared. Star says we all have these rules about budget and what our husband’s needs are or our families, and we need to suspend those sometimes and allow ourselves to dream. We talk a lot about manifesting and receiving. I love this quote, “There are desires within us that we are scared to even say out loud and the first course of action is just be still and allow yourself to hear that space.” As moms, especially, it is so easy to put our desires aside or fear what they will do to our families, but we can desire and receive.
We talk about:
surrounding yourself with people you feel safe around who can hold your vision
manifesting and not seeing signs all around us
saying yes to possibility, enjoying a dream and opening to receiving
that manifesting and receiving isn’t selfish
asking for help to get what we need—like getting a babysitter so you can go out and play with a friend
surrendering things on our to do list to make space
BIO Star Staubach is an Energy Transformation Strategist. She’s been supporting clients to transform their lives and businesses for nearly a decade. In her Bad Ass Manifestation (BAM) parties, she teaches powerful, practical and easy tools to support you to open yourself to what is possible, beyond the confines of the rules that you think you have to live by.
LINKS http://igniteradiance.com/bam-2 (igniteradiance.com/bam)
Doable Changes from this episode:
STATE YOUR DESIRES. What do you really want? Transformation started for Star when she said out loud that she wanted a break. Get past the fear and the judgement and the “shoulds” and the “can’ts.”Just say your desire, whether it is a trip to Paris, a bra that fits, or an hour to nap.
ASK FOR HELP. Put it out there what you need. Be willing to let somebody help. If you aren’t used to asking for help or receiving and this feels hard, make small ask: Can you watch my kids for half an hour so I can walk alone? Can you pick up milk for me while you are at the store? Hire a babysitter for the afternoon just to have some time to yourself. See that it’s OK. Get used to putting your needs forward and asking for and receiving help.
LET GO OF PERFECTION. When you start to feel like your life doesn’t measure up in some moment—your dinner isn’t Insta worthy, the project you did with your kids is just a big mess in your house not Pinterest worthy, you screamed at your kids or they didn’t eat their veggies—take a breath, say “Wait a minute. This is real.” Remember that all that stuff online and in the parenting blogs, it’s edited and selected out of messy lives just like yours. Breathe, accept what is, remember that you are doing fine.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you....
I’m not carrying around a story in my head that I’m busy, I don’t have enough time, that I’m unhappy. I’m choosing to bring the energy to everything of “I have time, I have space, this is what I have chosen, and thank you more please.” – Alexia Vernon On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Alexia Vernon. She’s somebody I know outside of this show, and she’s the person behind any reason that I stand on a stage with any amount of confidence. She helps people get over their fear of public speaker to stand in their own spotlight. She’s also the mom to a 3 ½ year old. We start out talking about balance.
To me it seems like Alexia is doing the dance of the ebb and flow of time between family and work. She says that things adjust seasonally, though what she is doing now isn’t what she was doing a year ago or will be doing a year from now. Right now, she’s in the midst of a shift as she works on a book.
And that shifting and morphing isn’t new. When her daughter was born, she moved from a very travel-intensive business to an online business that worked better with her life. I love seeing how different people make things work.
We talk about:
the problem of underestimating the help you need
how the self-care we choose and fit in can change in different seasons of our life
not getting stuck in our stories
reverse engineering timelines for goals
having a day during the week when you don’t work
making simple meals
BIO
Alexia Vernon is the go-to expert for helping TEDx speakers, entrepreneurs, executives, online experts, business professionals, educators, and creatives get over their fear of public speaking and deliver their spotlight talks. A motivational speaker focused on heart-centered and high impact communication, values-driven leadership, and women’s empowerment, Alexia not only cultivates the voices of thought leaders, she is one.
LINKS
http://www.hotshotspeaker.com (www.hotshotspeaker.com)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/spotlightspeakerssalon/?ref=ts&fref=ts (Spotlight Speakers Salon on Facebook)
Find Alexia on social media @AlexiaVernon
Doable Changes from this episode:
WRITE DOWN HOW LONG THINGS TAKE. A lot of us underestimate how long thing take to do right. That means we get frustrated because we don’t get things done in time or our schedules get off as we scramble to finish. Try taking notes on how long it really takes to do something. Use this the next time you are planning.
STOP SAYING I’M BUSY. Busy can be a state of mind. If you are too busy, it may be time to take something out—or it may be time to change your mind. If you really want to be doing everything you are doing, stop saying you are busy. Say, “I have time. I have space. I choose this.” See if that shifts things for you.
MAKE SIMPLE MEALS. Meals don’t have to be complicated or fancy to be healthy and tasty. Pick a few things that you can repeat again and again. Meals that don’t have a lot of prep—like Alexia’s salmon with coconut aminos, brown rice, and veggies—make getting dinner on the table less stressful so you can enjoy dinner time more.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or...
I talk a lot about rhythm because at one point I was held captive by a schedule that did not leave me feeling very well.
The seasons serve up a framework — the food that is available, the light, the vibe.
We can’t fight what nature serves up, and thrive.
As a mom and entrepreneur there are other seasons and rhythms all around us.
Life is constantly changing.
School year vs. summer.
The kids ages and phases.
The moon cycles.
Our menstral cycles.
The hustle vs. the rest and receive
Pregnancy.
The weather.
It is intense, and if we don’t pay attention, if we fight what our body needs, we get sick and tired.
Yesterday, I had to catch myself.
I was pushing really hard. I have been for a few weeks.
When a mom pushes too hard, the whole family feels it.
There were signs, but I ignored them. I was all work and no play.
My kids were aggravated. My husband was annoyed.
We were not eating well.
Life is busy. It’s fall.
I have a little girl who is braving her way at a new middle school. I have two others returning to their old school but after a year on the road with me. We are all finding our way through the bustle of fall, after a really unstructured summer.
I am launching a planner (a paper one) that will help both of us find balance, more often. (It was meant to be available for ordering last night.)
A week ago, I pulled out a copy of the FLOW planner and plugged back into a system that I know works.
When I felt like I had tuned back into my bigger vision around food, life, work and selfcare, the busyness had more purpose, and it was not all about work!
I ate better.
I was present for my kids and husband.
I slept well.
There was space.
When there is space, I find it much easier to make good choices.
Yesterday at 2pm I got word we could not go live with the planner.
At 3pm, 2 baby squirrels fell down the chimney.
I cried. I breathed. I laughed. I danced with my kids. We cleaned the house. We cooked some stew.
Then at 7pm, I threw the “prelaunch” party, which just 5 hours earlier was the launch party.
Life throws us all sorts of curve balls. It always will.
But when we fill our days with things that matter, we can roll with it.
Today, I opened my planner.
I know what to do for work.
I know what is for dinner.
I have chosen the 3 most important tasks to get done.
I have taken time to be grateful.
I am tracking my water and my veggies.
I am tuning in with my kids.
And I have the space to deal with a family of squirrels living in my fireplace.
And on Monday, September 25, at 11am, you too can feel the FLOW!
In the meantime, I have an activity for you if you are feeling like fall is a bit too busy.
Take out 4 pieces of paper (or 2 back and front).
Label each one with each of the following words, one per page — Food, Life, Om, Work.
Then get EVERYTHING that you are holding in your head onto those pieces of paper using the 4 categories as structure.
Food might have grocery shop, order beans online, streamline dinner, buy a lunchbox, ask Mia where she buys nuts, and so on.
Life might have look for fabric for pillows, get kids activities in calendar, find gymnastics class, find sitter for date night…
It probably needs some explaining. This is where downtime...
Flip the switch of always being productive, making something happen and just realizing “You know, when I have a Mama Monday, it actually is productive.” – Shereen Thor On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m super excited to talk with Shereen Thor, the founder of Awaken the Rebel, a movement to get people to stop living the life they think they are supposed to live and to design their life on their own terms. She’s a mom of two in the midst of the baby years.
Shereen started out living toward other people’s expectations until a friend convinced her to go to a personal development seminar. It woke her up and changed her life. She quit her job, started doing stand up comedy, and started dabbling as an entrepreneur.
She started her life coaching business Awaken the Rebel about the same time she started her family. When her second pregnancy was in danger, she went on bed rest and moved from “Oh, motherhood needs to fit into my business” to , it’s “My business needs to fit into motherhood.” We’ve been talking about work-life balance a lot, and here is where Shereen started to feel hers.
We talk about:
tapping into your body to find the direction you are supposed to go
getting really clear on your intention and committing to yourself, even when you don’t understand why you are doing it
asking what you need as a mom instead of thinking you should be a certain kind of mom
a weekly flow that includes family time, mama self-care time, household needs, and work
having a place for an idea dump
how date night makes being a family and couple more fun
BIO
Shereen Thor is a host, author, rebel, movement starter, and serial artistpreneur who lives life on her terms and helps others do the same. She facilitates live events and retreats and does 1-1 coaching as part of leading a movement that helps people stop settling for less and live an extraordinary life by their design. She’s also the mom to two young kids.
LINKS
http://awakentherebel.com/ (http://awakentherebel.com/)
http://awakentherebel.com/topics/podcast/ (http://awakentherebel.com/topics/podcast/)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CREATE A WEEKLY WORKFLOW. Shereen talks about having family weekends, Mama Mondays, house-focus Tuesdays, open day on Wednesdays, and work-focused Thursdays. Your week might look really different, but what would it look like if you created your own flow for the week. Think about family time, work time, home time—how can you make space or it all? Map it out on paper and then live with it or a while to see how it works.
CREATE AN IDEA DUMP. We all have so many ideas—new offerings for our business, people we want to connect with, things to pick up at the store—that our brains get cluttered. When we put it down on paper (or at least in our phones), we don’t have to worry about remembering it. At the same time we don’t have to deal with it right then. So if you get a business idea while you’re doing family time, jot it down and focus back on the moment.
DO DATE NIGHT. Ideally, date night becomes part of your regular weekly flow, but start with planning one. As Shereen says, it’s more fun to have a family, more fun to be part of a couple when you have date night. Date night changes the communication and flow of energy, so you enjoy being together instead of just running through logistics together.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week.
Spreadsheets and calendars can be communication tools. It’s a burden on one person to know everything and control everything. – Monica Froese On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Monica Froese, who left the corporate world after her daughter was born and now teaches mom entrepreneurs how to ditch their 9–5 careers and start thriving online businesses. I love just how organized Monica is—I think she has a spreadsheet for everything. That’s actually how we connected originally.
Monica talks about how she left her job and changed her mindset to fit in running a business, self-care, and more time with her daughter. We talk about how what you need to do expands to the time you have to do it—and how to use that idea to our advantage.
Monica is intense in her workouts and her business, but she makes sure she has down time. I’ve been really focused on how managing our calendars helps make time for the important things, and we talk about the different ways she creates space in her calendar.
We talk about:
adding ramp up/ramp down time into our schedules, whether it’s time to shower after a workout or a day to deal with undone business after travel
scheduling “no plans” days
using tools like Google calendar and shared spreadsheets to communicate with your partner
having a place for things—like mail or keys or Christmas presents—to save us time
how Monica uses her grocery stores app to create a shopping list and help budget
letting other people give our kids experiences that we want them to have that aren’t fun for us
BIO
Monica Froese is a mom to a 4-year-old with another child on the way. She left corporate to create a life that worked better for her. She runs her own business teaching mom entrepreneurs how to ditch their 9-5 careers and start thriving online businesses while balancing work and family at the same time. Monica says, “I don’t believe that women have to choose between their careers and family. You can have anything you set your mind to.”
LINKS
https://redefiningmom.com/ (redefiningmom.com)
https://redefiningmom.com/family-budget-spreadsheet (Monica’s home budget spreadsheet)
Connect with her on https://www.facebook.com/redefiningmom/?fref=ts (Facebook), https://plus.google.com/+Redefiningmom (Google+), https://www.instagram.com/redefiningmom/ (Instagram) and https://twitter.com/redefiningmom?lang=en (Twitter) @RedefiningMom and on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/redefinemom/ (RedefineMom)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SCHEDULE TIME TO WORK OUT. One doable tip I often give is to move your body for 15 minutes throughout the day, but sometimes you want or need a longer workout. The best way to get it is to schedule that time, including your ramp up and ramp down time. If you schedule 1 hour to work out, but don’t add in time to get to the gym or to shower afterwards, you won’t have a positive experience.
STREAMLINE GROCERY SHOPPING. How can you streamline your grocery shopping? Monica uses an app from her store to create her grocery list. Whether you use an app like this or create your own master list that you update before shopping, a list will save you time and money (and keep you from unhealthy purchases). “If it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.”
MAKE A LIST (OR A SPREADSHEET). If there are things you do over and over, make a list or spreadsheet to keep track of it. You don’t have to keep all the loose pieces in your head, and by sharing that document, somebody else can help out. For example, your kids can help pack for a trip or your husband can take kids to an activity that you usually manage. By systematizing repeatable tasks, you free up time for other things.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Emily Kristofferson, who I met through Facebook years ago because she was talking a lot about farmer’s markets and healthy cooking. But she’s also an online business coach, marketing strategist and and execution expert, and we eventually worked together. She’s also the mom to a 10-year-old. Since Emily and I first met over food, we started talking about that, and Emily says cooking is one of her hobbies. She talks about different ways she incorporates cooking with her son, from having him do the math to half recipes to practicing his printing by writing the grocery list. And she tells us about having a different kind of picky eater.
Emily started her business to be there for her son and do what she loves, which may sound familiar to many mom entrepreneurs. But work quickly took over until she did some boundary work.
We talk about:
Why boundaries are essential to balance
Finding little ways throughout the day to take care of ourselves
Creating an ideal weekly calendar and moving yourself toward it
How taking time off helps us get good ideas and improves energy and focus
Exchanging time to give ourselves what we want
Setting up time each week for work, yourself, even getting groceries
BIO Emily Kristofferson is an online business coach, marketing strategist, and expert making your ideas a reality. She helps passionate entrepreneurs cut through all the business-building information they’ve been hoarding to create a personalized strategy to grow their business, now. Her clients have had multiple five figure launches, grown their businesses to five figures a month, landed a 5-part series on TV, and finally made the switch from hobby to profitable businesses. When she’s not coaching and consulting, you can find her taking my son for a swim, experimenting with healthy recipes, or cooing at her cats,
LINKS http://emilykristofferson.com (emilykristofferson.com)
Spiralizer (https://www.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M)
http://plansimplemeals.com/kimjohnpayne/ (Plan Simple Meals with Kim John Payne)
Doable Changes from this episode: TAKE 5 MINUTES FOR YOU. Start by giving yourself 5 minutes of pleasure in your day. It could be taking your lunch out into the sun instead of eating hunched over your desk or talking 5 minutes to breathe in between tasks. Enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon instead of letting it grow cold or talk your dog for a walk. Get used to making little space for things that give you joy in your day.
SET UP YOUR IDEAL WEEK. We can do so much if we plan for it. What are the important pieces that you want to be part of your life every week? Scheduling work all the time isn’t sustainable, so schedule in some down time. Schedule in time for grocery shopping and meal planning and cooking. When will you take care of house needs and scheduling appointments? Set up your ideal. Try to live it. And don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do it perfectly. Just move yourself closer to that ideal.
GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER. An accountability partner can help you move toward your goals, get past stuck points and just be there for support. We all need that. Choose somebody who gets your life. Emily picked a friend who got the online business space. If you are looking for support in healthy living goals, pick somebody who will support you in where you want to go.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Natalie Matushenko. Natalie and I have known each other for years and it’s great to have her here today. She’s a coach, soulful mentor, and teacher. She’s also the mama to three girls, ages 7, 12 and 15. Natalie grew up in the Ukraine until age 8, when her family emigrated to the United States. She grew up with the idea of getting good grades to get into a good college to get a “good” job. She talks about how she left the high paying, high powered job to do what she loves—and how she helps other people do what they love.
That experience of going against the norm and people’s expectations helped her to move her family to Colombia after she realized that living in another country was a deep seated dream. We dive into following dreams, dealing with details and getting past fear.
We talk about:
living with purpose and passion being an attitude not a goal
the power of passion to drive a project, even a really hard one
pairing meditation and visioning with breaking things down into lists and schedules
using meditation to be more productive
having a plan but keeping it flexible to meet changes in your week or life
finding your passion and making changes little by little toward it
BIO Natalie Matushenko helps soulful, ambitious and multi passionate women (and a few good men) uncover their purpose and start passion-driven businesses. She’s also the mama to three girls.
LINKS http://nataliematushenko.com/ (http://nataliematushenko.com/)
http://nataliematushenko.com/7-steps-to-living-your-purpose/ (7 Steps to Living Your Passion & Purpose)
Doable Changes from this episode: WRITE IT DOWN. We have a lot to remember—appointments, goals, new ideas—writing it down helps. For one week, try writing down everything you have to do and keep track of. Try writing down your ideas that you don’t want to forget. Carry a small planner or notebook with you to keep these things together.
DO SOMETHING FOR YOU FIRST. Self-care is so important, but it is easy for it to get lost in the busy shuffle of the day. Start your day with something for you, whether it is a walk or meditation or something else that makes you feel good.
SAY NO. To make room for the things we really value and want in our lives, we have to cut out things that aren’t necessary. You get to decide what you make space for in your life, even though you will likely feel pressure from others. Try saying no to an invitation, an activity, volunteering, event at work that you don’t really want to do. See what you can make space for—or just see what it feels like to clear those things you don’t really want to do.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this out! I have watched friends have these for years, and am so excited to have my own! (Psssst… There are amazing curriculums that have been
Every four months I say, “What does my schedule look like right now currently as it is. What do I want my schedule to look like. What would be my dream schedule and how can I get there.” – Shay Hrobsky On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Shay Hrobsky, a mompreneur with her own marketing company and two kids, who’s trying—like most of us—to find some kind of balance and getting ready to launch something help others with balance.
Shay explains how she left a job that caused her literally to pass out from stress, how working from home turned back into working too much, and how she finally started her own business. And then she talks about hitting the breaking point and cutting back to find what worked for her.
This year Shay’s core values are fun, transparency, community, being connected and cozy. She explains how she uses these as touch points throughout the year to make decisions about what she does. She asks questions like: Is this a part of one of the values that I have for this year? Is it going to move me towards my goal? Is it going to help? These kinds of practices are so important.
We talk about:
Taking stock and how it helps us cut out the stuff that doesn’t matter
Boundaries and being present with our kids
Not being perfect and self-forgiveness meditation
Letting our kids know that we love our work
Gratitude practices, morning routines, and self-care—and what to do when you can’t get your routine in
What to do when you can’t get your morning routine in
BIO
Shay Hrobsky is a hybrid biz-life coach. She specializes in mindset & personal growth, digital marketing and Facebook ads. She helps clients create a business that feels like home to them around their family and family time. She doesn’t like the word mompreneur, but she is an entrepreneur and a mom to two daughters.
LINKS
http://shayhrobsky.com/ (Shayhrobsky.com)
https://www.facebook.com/shayhrobsky (facebook.com/shayhrobsky)
https://gabbybernstein.com (Gabrielle Bernstein)
https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Not-So-Obvious-Guaranteed-Transform/dp/0979019710 (The Miracle Morning)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TAKE A WALK IN NATURE. We need to get outside and move our bodies. A walk in nature hits two at once. You may choose to meditate while you walk, listen to a podcast or your favorite music, or just get quiet. However you want to do it, try walking daily. See how it feels when you go by yourself and when you take your kids or family along.
CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE. Shay describes her own morning routine, which includes meditation, journaling, and exercise. These are all great things to include in a morning routine, but the key is to find what you need to start your day right. Keep practicing your routine, even if you have to finish parts of it later in the day. Aim for all in the morning, but don’t beat yourself up when it doesn’t happen.
SET CORE VALUES. Stop and think about what is really important to you. For Shay, this year, community is big, so she rules out activities that don’t connect her to community. Set your own core values to use as a filter for activities.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m unbelievably excited to talk with Patty Lennon, an intuitive entrepreneur coach for women and mom of a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old. Patty went from overweight, overwhelmed corporate job mom to a lifestyle she loves. She’s very open about it not being easy, but by listening to the little voice inside her, she found what was right and what worked for her. And she talks about learning to cut back on work and re-prioritize health, despite fears of what it would do to her business.
One of the things we talk about is finding time and making space in our lives. Patty points out that we don’t have to do things just because we see the need. Try asking yourself this question: “Will that thing that you’re about to agree to do... will it leave you more filled up when you’re done?” If the answer is yes, say yes. If not, pass.
We talk about:
not letting other people’s agenda take over your day
giving up roles that don’t serve you to make space for parts of you that are unrealized
learning to trust your calendar and releasing things that don’t get done
decluttering your to-do list
having only 3 priorities a day—and how once things become habits they don’t have to be priorities
knowing what you will do with your time when you make more space
BIO Patty Lennon is an intuitive entrepreneur coach for women. Her mission is to ensure purpose-driven entrepreneurs know how to grow their business in a way that feels in alignment with their soul. She is the mom to two kids.
LINKS http://www.pattylennon.com/ (pattylennon.com/)
https://www.facebook.com/PattyALennon/ (facebook.com/pattyAlennon)
http://pattylennon.com/time (Patty’s time management system)
Doable Changes from this episode:
PRESERVE YOUR OWN AGENDA. When you feel the need to respond to every email, text, Facebook message or request, you are letting other people’s agenda rule your day. Choose two times during the day to check and respond to email. If finding an answer or completing a task gets in the way of your agenda, say no or assign it to a later time.
DECLUTTER YOUR TO-DO LIST. We talk a lot about doing a braindump to get things out of our heads and onto paper so we can stop worrying about it. Now, take it a step further. Do the braindump, then literally cross of things that don’t have to happen now (or ever). Cross off things that are on somebody else’s agenda but don’t serve you.
CHOOSE 3 PRIORITIES FOR THE DAY. While you may feel like you can’t narrow it down to three, do it for a week and see what happens. (You may need to declutter your to-do list first). Any more than 3 things, and you can’t call them priorities. So, what three things need to happen today? Schedule those, and schedule a break for yourself.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this out! I have watched friends have these for years, and am so...
Let’s be the designer of our lives. Let’s have forethought. Let’s dream a little bit and let’s sketch a little bit and let’s create this whole. – Krisstina Wise On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Krisstina Wise, whose money class really helped me. Krisstina helps millions of people each year discover the true path to wealth, health, and happiness. And since we are talking about balancing work, life, and food, she’s the perfect guest today.
So let’s start by talking about balance. For most of us it is elusive. Some say it doesn’t exist, and I know Krisstina didn’t always have balance in her life. She says that for her, balance looks like taking care of all the categories that add up to a good life to her. That means giving more attention to certain parts of her life at certain times. Our lives aren’t static and neither is balance.
That’s true for us as moms. Krisstina says that young children is just a stage of life. It make make you feel “out of balance,” but you can still design the young children stage to meet as many of your needs and wants as possible. And when it’s not small kids, you’re navigating around something else.
As we dig into the idea of balance, we talk about:
Letting go of the idea that there is a “there” that’s ever good enough
Creating a holistic life not one of linear silos
How money and health are self-care practices
Getting out of the to-do list mentality and into the lifestyle focus
Starting the day with the hardest thing
Focusing on yourself so that you can focus on others.
BIO
Krisstina Wise is a real estate mogul, Millionaire Coach, and creator of several multi-million dollar businesses including Goodlife Luxury, The Paperless Agent and most recently, WealthyWellthy. She is also an international speaker and the award-winning author of the Amazon Best-Seller Falling for Money, a romance novel for your bank account. Named one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders in the country, she has been featured in USA TODAY, as well as by Apple, Contactually and Evernote for her creative leadership with emerging technologies.
After nearly losing her life in 2013 and spending almost half a million dollars to get it back, she is changing the world again by inspiring others to build extraordinary wealth and optimal health. By sharing her extreme successes and abysmal failures, Krisstina reveals the elusive secrets of the uber wealthy (and why health is where to invest first). Through cutting-edge, research-based education, access to the world’s top wealth strategists and doctors, Krisstina is helping millions each year discover the true path to wealth, health, and happiness. You can find Krisstina on her WealthyWellthy Life podcast, her free weekly Millionaire Masterclass, and here on her website at WealthyWellthy.Life.
LINKS
http://wealthywellthy.life/ (wealthywellthy.life/)
http://plansimplemeals.com/daimanuel/ (Plan Simple Meals with Dai Manuel)
Doable Changes from this episode:
BE PRESENT. Practice being present in small increments throughout your day. Instead of thinking about the next thing on your to do list, focus on and enjoy what you are doing, whether it is helping kids with homework or chatting with a friend or making dinner.
SKETCH OUT YOUR GOOD LIFE. If a balanced life is one where you are paying attention to all the parts that are important to you, what are the parts that need your attention? Which are getting attention right now? Which need more attention right now? What would give you joy? Start with awareness.
DO THE HARDEST THING FIRST. When we have something we know will be hard to do, we often put it late in the day—and then it gets pushed off and pushed off. Make a practice of putting your hard thing first in the day (after self-care). By getting it...
“Since I as far back as I can recall, I have been in love with the calendar. I can look at a month or a quarter and drop things into it and know it’s up to me then to breathe life into that.” – Jenny Fenig On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m super excited to talk with Jenny Fenig, a coach, author, and spiritual brand strategist with three kids. And she talks about a lot of things that I’m super passionate about right now.
One of the things we talk about is different seasons of our lives—and the actual seasons of the year. Jenny talks about embracing the energy of the different seasons, which I think is so important for ourselves and our families.
And we talk about choosing things we can get excited by. We don’t have time to waste, so what we choose to do needs to matter to us. It’s so easy to put up with things, but there is another way. We dig into that.
We talk about:
how things change in parenting and the need to adapt to the changes
strategic planning and tasking out big projects (and using Asana as a tool)
getting fired up and having a mission
having support in your family and from outside
finding quiet and communicating your needs
getting a lot done even if you don’t have a lot of time
BIO
Jenny Fenig is a passionate woman, wife, mom, yogi, adventurer, and award-winning entrepreneur. After spending a decade climbing the corporate ladder as a communications executive and event producer in New York City, Jenny burned out and quit her high-pressure, six-figure job to become a yoga teacher and figure out how she could rebuild her life from the ground up with freedom and faith as her foundation.
The corporate refugee discovered the fields of coaching and online business and immediately knew she found her soul’s calling. Jenny guides entrepreneurs to be smart, soulful marketers with rock-solid systems to reach more, make more and play more. She lives in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts with her husband and three children. Find out more at http://www.jennyfenig.com (www.jennyfenig.com)
LINKS
http://www.jennyfenig.com (www.jennyfenig.com)
http://jennyfenig.com/schedule/ (Jenny’s schedule template & tips)
https://www.facebook.com/pg/jennyfenig/posts/?ref=page_internal (Facebook @JennyFenig)
http://www.amazon.com/Get-Gutsy-Fearless-Finding-Calling-ebook/dp/B00RT2A6B0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (Get Gutsy: A Sacred, Fearless Guide for Finding Your Soul’s Calling and Living Your Dream).
https://www.amazon.com/Surrender-Experiment-Journey-Lifes-Perfection/dp/080414110X (The Surrender Experience)
http://plansimplemeals.com/cate-stillman/ (Structure Precedes Evolution with Cate Stillman)
Doable Changes from this episode:
START THE DAY WITH LEMON WATER. Try starting your day with warm lemon water. Just heat water and pour over a quarter lemon in a glass. This is a great way to start the day in summer or winter.
MOVE YOUR BODY. There are a lot of ways to move your body and finding one (or several) that works for you is important. Don’t think you have to have an hour free to go to the gym. Try taking a walk with your kids just to get moving. It’s good for you and for them too!
FIND QUIET TIME. Quiet time is really important, but it can be hard to get with kids. Try going for a walk or taking a shower. And ask for it. Ask your partner to take the kids on errands or stay home with them so you can get in a quiet walk.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you
take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge
“When you’re feeling really, really overwhelmed, just taking a piece of paper and a pen just dumping everything that’s on your mind for five minutes can help so much.” – Anna Kunnecke On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with Anna Kunnecke, who runs the online coaching business called Declare Dominion. She’s also mom to 5 kids ages 2 to 11.
We talk about Anna’s daily compass that helps her focus on the most important thing each day. She shares her strategy of choosing 3 goals a quarter and then 3 goals for the week. And while, like the rest of us, she finds herself spending some weeks putting out fires, she uses these goals to refocus.
We also talked a lot about clutter—how it gets in the way of getting things done and how to deal with it. Anna shares practical tools she uses and mental reset ideas too. There are so many great ideas in this conversation!
We talk about:
how being ruthless with physical clutter can help us stay on track with goals
her “5-minute swoop” routine for clearing clutter
having an outbox for things that need to leave your house
how taking the time for higher mental work (that you feel like you don’t have time for) leads to higher productivity
mental load and being realistic about—and getting—the help we need
how having a “uniform” makes your morning easier and lets you love what you wear.
BIO
Anna Kunnecke is a writer & life coach who helps soulful women get bigger, stronger, and braver in all areas of their lives. She’s on a not so secret mission to help the wise women take over the world.
LINKS
http://www.declaredominion.com (Declaredominion.com)
http://www.queensweep.com (queensweep.com)
https://www.amazon.com/Overwhelmed-Work-Love-Play-When/dp/0374228442/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte)
Doable Changes from this episode:
DO A 5-MINUTE DECLUTTERING. Set a timer for 5 minutes and see what you can clear in one area. Put dirty laundry in the hamper, backpacks in the closet, clear the coffee cup from your desk. This isn’t the time to sort through papers or wash the dishes. Just clear space.
CREATE AN OUTBOX. Set up one space where anything that needs to leave your house—from library books to outgoing mail to a dish to return to your neighbor—goes. Put outgoing items in that one place, and when you leave the house check to see if anything needs to go with you.
FOCUS ON 3 KEY THINGS EACH WEEK. Take half an hour each week to sort out your week. While you aren’t overwhelmed, choose the three things that are most important for that week. As you go through the week and life intervenes, keep coming back to those three things to focus and get things done.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this out! I have watched friends have these for years, and am so excited to have my own!...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Morra Aarons Mele, an author, founder of a social impact agency, Internet marketer, and mom of three. We started talking about the myth of balance, which led into discipline, boundaries and limits. Morra talks about being an overachiever who has learned to execute and move on. And we discuss how sometimes we violate our own boundaries, especially how we treat our bodies.
We talk about:
the magic of being an ambitious introvert
finding your vision: what you want, what your boundaries are and what the non-negotiables are
managing your digital life and creating an online presence that works within your boundaries
the idea of work-life fit
putting everything on your calendar
respecting your own needs—and your calendar
BIO
Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of award-winning digital agency Women Online and its database of women influencers, The Mission List. Morra is the author of the forthcoming book Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home).
LINKS
http://www.wearewomenonline.com/ (Women Online)
http://www.themissionlist.com/ (The Mission List)
https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062666109/hiding-in-the-bathroom (Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home))
Morra on Twitter: @morraam
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153 (Quiet by Susan Cain)
Doable Changes from this episode:
CREATE A VISION. Schedule a little time to think about what you actually need, what your boundaries are, and what your non-negotiables are. This is the starting point to creating the life you love. So for now, start by listing those three things.
CREATE DIGITAL BOUNDARIES. Because we live in the digital age and can be connected 24-7, doesn’t mean we have to be or should be. What are your boundaries around being connected? There’s no right and wrong, but having boundaries is really helpful. Try setting one boundary this week—don’t check your email after 8PM or put our phone in a basket during dinner.
PUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR CALENDAR. Respect your needs by scheduling everything on your calendar—including down time. Go back to your boundaries and vision and notice how you are feeling when you look at your calendar. If it is too jam packed, find what can give and add some more off time. Schedule some in before you get too busy.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this out! I have watched friends have these for years, and am so excited to have my own! (Psssst… There are amazing curriculums that have been created by the company, to make these a no brainer for schools too!) Read more here, or contact, tower@plansimplemeals.com to learn more, and set up a free 20 minute phone Q and...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Desha Peacock a lifestyle design coach who helps multi-passionate entrepreneurs who seek freedom, prosperity, travel, beauty and meaning create their sweet spot style. She works from her home in Vermont and is the mom to a 10-year-old. While Desha lives in Vermont, she knows that Vermont winters are not good for her mental health. She knew she desired warmer, sunnier winters—and she made it happen. We discuss how she uses visioning to manifest what she needs. (Not just those warm winters, but a cute and ridiculously affordable summer office space too.)
So we talk vision, but we also get into some of the real logistics—how do you manage your schedule? What do you do with your kids when you need to run a retreat? How do you pull off professional when your family (or the dog) keeps interrupting?
We talk about:
The power of writing things down, whether it’s appointments in your calendar, goals or dreams
The idea of balance as a bigger picture strategy rather than something to strive for minute to minute within our day
Using vision books to manifest what we want—and as a gratitude book
Our favorite home systems and hacks to save time and avoid fights
The importance of having your own sacred space in your home the nobody messes with
How to declutter our homes—and our lives—by upgrading, whether it’s new things or more earning
Desha Peacock is an author, speaker, retreat leader and lifestyle design coach. She’s helped hundreds of people find their “Sweet Spot”— a self-defined place of success and beauty. Her first book Create the Style you Crave on a Budget you can Afford, was listed in the Huff post as “the book to give your girlfriend” and sold out in less than 20 days. It is now in it’s second printing.
LINKS
Desha’s website: http://www.sweetspotstyle.com/ (sweetspotstyle.com)
Connect with her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deshapeacock/ (@deshapeacock)
Doable Changes from this episode:
WRITE DOWN GOALS & DREAMS. Is there a change you want to make in your life? Write it down. Whether it’s a goal to lose some weight or a dream to travel more, writing it down—as if it is already real—helps.
CLEAR YOUR HEAD. Writing things down also helps solidify even mundane things like when an appointment is or what’s for dinner. When you put things like these, or your latest great idea on paper, you clear your head and make room for other things.
UPGRADE TO MAKE SPACE. Work with the idea that for something to come in, something else needs to go out. If something is worn or not your style anymore or just doesn’t get used, trash it, donate it, or sell it to make room for things that you will use. (And if you are weighed down with stuff, start by simply making space before bringing anything new in.)
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you
take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this out! I have...
“You cannot plan for everything, which is why planning is so important.” Last week my mom fell playing tennis and broke her hip.
Originally this was a week to get a lot done in my business. I have designed a planner that I am counting down the days to show you, but there are lots of little things that need to happen so that I can.
I created the space. My 13 and 11-year olds were going to Washington DC with my parents, and my little one was going to camp.
The week started when my 11-year old broke her toe. One more home for the week, but I was OK. I immediately made a plan for a “get some work done”/”go on fun outings with girls” balance.
While at the hospital getting a boot for my daughter, I got the call that my mom fell while playing tennis and an ambulance was taking her to the hospital.
In the matter of 30 minutes there were a lot of choices to be made, and I learned some really valuable lessons about motherhood, being a daughter, work, and food.
I share them on the episode.
I talk about…
The importance of a tribe
Keeping things simple
Eating well, even when that is hard
I also share my three big lessons for the week, aka, the things that did not go so well, including…
Making space on either side of crazy days
Drinking enough water
Time blocking, setting rhythm, and checking in regularly
It's not our job to get our kids to eat. It's our job to supply them with the food at regular times. But from there, they are certainly the best judges of their own appetite – Jennifer House On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Jennifer House, a mom of three and a registered dietitian, who has a private practice helping moms nourish their families with confidence.
Jennifer works a lot with moms around first foods and early feeding. She follows World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, Dietitians of Canada recommendations to wait until about 6 months to start solids.
We talk about baby-led weaning, skipping the purees and feeding babies what you eat when they are ready. This makes life easier for parents and allows babies to control how much they want to eat. And when you are feeding your baby what you eat, it can help make meals healthier for everybody since we often want to feed our babies healthy foods.
But we don’t just talk about babies, we talk about setting kids up for good eating habits as they grow.
We talk about:
teaching kids to listen to their own bodies regarding how much to eat (and how hard it is for parents to let go and let how much they eat vary from day to day)
how behavior can be an indicator of food allergies or sensitivities
ideas for what to feed babies: eggs, chili (rinsed to reduce spiciness), meat from a slow cooker, egg or chicken or cucumber from salad . . .
how less parental pressure and more kid control can actually help with picky eaters
the ways we influence our kids around food through our own behavior whether it is what we eat or how we talk about food or our bodies
LINKS http://FirstStepNutrition.com (FirstStepNutrition.com)
http://BLWCommunity.com (Solid Steps to Babyled Weaning Facebook group)
https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Baby-Led-Weaning-Recipes/dp/0778805794 (The Parents' Guide to Baby-Led Weaning)
https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction-research/reports/importance-of-family-dinners-2012 (The Importance of Family Dinners)
https://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2009/06/vanilla-bean-cake-grain-free-gluten-free-sugar-free/ (White Bean Cake from The Spunky Coconut)
Doable Changes from this episode: MAKE A NO YUCK RULE. Practice not saying “Yuck” or complaining about part of a meal they don’t like. Teach your kids to say “No thank you” or simply leave what they don’t like. For your part, resist the urge to make them eat the food they leave to the side.
SERVE A FAMILY MEAL. Instead of catering to picky eaters, make a family meal that reflects the way you want your family to eat. You can make adaptations, like rinsing a spicy chili for babies or adding hot sauce for mom, but serve everyone the same food.
GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED IN GROWING FOOD. This can be a windowsill box of herbs or some lettuce in the backyard. Kids get intrigued with seeing things grow and getting to pick and eat food, which may encourage them to try foods they otherwise would shun. This one takes a little while to take root, but plant something this week or buy some herb plants that kids can start snipping from right away.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on...
We can feel sick, and gradually we feel better. We kind of forget how sick we felt. So, we don’t connect what we’re eating to how we felt. – Maria Quintana-Pilling On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Maria Quintana-Pilling, Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner. She’s a health coach who teaches live and online cooking classes, and she knows a lot about food, so this is going to be a fun conversation!
Health and how we feel in our bodies is a wake up call to a lot of my guests. That was my story as well. Maria started to dabble in nutrition after being diagnosed with fibroids, and after surgery to remove fibroids, she got really serious about it. She found that the changes she made were more nuanced than some people report, but still profound.
We dive into going gluten-free and dairy-free, including why you might want to try it and how to approach it. We look at the difference between gluten-free and grain-free and why to try one over the other.
We talk about:
Things you might not have considered when you think about gluten-free (condiments, alcohol, makeup?)
How different foods work for different people, how what works for us may change at different stages of our lives, and the kinds of clues your body gives you about foods that may not work for you
Why soaking or sprouting grains is important
Using pesto and quinoa or rice bowl for more balanced meals
Ways of balancing protein, fats and carbs that don’t look like a traditional plate
Why detoxes are helpful
BIO
Maria Quintana-Pilling is a certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner, certified nutrition consultant and natural chef, specializing in digestive and women’s health issues. She received nutrition training from Bauman College in Berkeley, CA, the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, AZ, and Holistic Nutrition Lab Full Body Systems. She runs short detoxes and in-person and online cooking classes. She’s is the mom to a 7-year-old son.
LINKS
Contact Maria
https://urbanspicenutrition.com/ (Maria’s Urban Spice Nutrition website with summer detox & quinoa bowl recipe)
http://plansimplemeals.com/recipes/go-to-ricebowl/ (Mia’s Go to Rice bowls)
Doable Changes from this episode:
TRY QUINOA BOWLS. I’ve talked about how I use rice bowls as an easy, adaptable meal, and I love Maria’s suggestion of a quinoa version. Find links to both above. Grain bowls are very adaptable—you can use different grains, proteins, veggies and seasonings. And if you put the different components in separate bowls, it’s easy to adapt for different nutrition needs and tastes.
UPGRADE YOUR SNACKS. Remember that we need a balance of proteins, fats, and carbs. Choose whole food snacks with an aim to include all three. One way to do this is to add some nut butter to a fruit snack.
DO A 5-DAY DETOX. A detox gives your liver a break from processed food and refined sugars and other things like caffeine and alcohol, allowing it to do its job better. The first couple of days can be really hard, so it can be usefu l to have the support of a group, but people usually start feeling better around day 3. If you aren’t ready to give up sugar or processed foods altogether, try a detox.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a...
Do your family dinners count? I was 33 and I had five major dreams attained. Handsome husband, check. Three beautiful kids, check. A design company of my own, check. Home owner, check. A white picket fence, check.
These were dreams embedded deep in my soul, since the days of lemonade stands and doll play, and 90210 episodes.
But all the sudden they felt not enough.
My dreams were changing.
I was struggling in my role of mom.
I was exhausted.
I did not know how to cook, and I was being tested by a long list of home items that simply did not exist before kids.
My new dreams included a full night’s sleep, 10 minutes to take a shower without being interrupted, a day away (anywhere) from my family, I'm kidding, a little, but really, what I most wanted was a personal chef..., who would feed all of us and wash the dishes. But somehow those dreams felt wrong. I was a mom, and moms happily make dinner.
The thing I have not mentioned is I gained 85 pounds in my first pregnancy and did not lose it.
One day at my office, at about 3pm. I remember looking up at a stack of Starbucks cups — maybe five — that had collected over the course of the day. I remember thinking I have to get home soon to the kids. I remember wondering what they should have for dinner. I remember feeling exhausted and wondering how that was possible after all that coffee.
I remember knowing that something had to change.
So that day, staring at the coffee cups, I decided to tackle the one thing that felt tangible, my weight.
And the next day — with a little help from a coach — I changed my food.
I had been on a few diets in my life, but this one was different.
I was eating real food.
I tell people the weight melted off. but I am not sure that it was that it happened so fast or it just did not matter.
Within days, I was off 3 medicines that I took daily, and my energy was off the charts (with no coffee!)
I understood for the first time in my life that what I ate was attached to how I feel.
How could I not have known this?
I had added in foods that I had not known existed 2 weeks prior, or if I did, I would have definitely not known what to do with them - kale, collards, cacoa, nori, saurerkraut. .
I needed to get my oxygen mask on first, and once it was securely on, I turned my eyes and heart to my 4-year old daughter who was not thriving.
She did not pay attention in school, she had a hard time sleeping, and she was covered in eczema. And nothing that doctors were prescribing was working — from therapy or cream.
Luckily, I was able to turn to food. One week after no dairy and no gluten, we had a different child. She was rash free, and her teacher felt she had a new child in the classroom.
Meanwhile, I had dove into the world of food. I did this by talking to every health “guru” who would take my call. I learned so much about food and ingredients from this group, but the thing that stuck out to me most was that lots of their kids rebelled and left the house to eat crap.
And this is when I realized my work as a mom was one part food and one part parenting. My goal became learning how to raise kids who would someday become healthy adults.
And to be clear, by healthy I mean mean using all the tools that are in our control and come from the natural world to avoid sickness and brain fog — food, sleep, water, exercise to name a few.
We almost always look at what we need to eliminate when we think of getting healthy, whether it’s our health, our kids health or our family’s health, but it is also important to think about what we are putting in — from fruits and veggies to our day to day experiences.
I know the minute I talk about “adding” anything it can feel overwhelming. Who has time to add one more thing? And it’s that concern that is at the very heart of what I want to share with you today.
The food you eat
Choosing to look at at a situation with a different perspective or different way can change everything. – Paula Sacco On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Paula Sacco, a certified professional coach who specializes in helping women rediscover, reimagine and redesign their lives in order to fulfill new purposes and connections.
Paula is the mom of three teens, and we talked about what it’s like with older kids. She talks about how friendships change as our kids get older. Sometimes we need to make more of an effort to get together when we aren’t seeing friends at kids activities regularly or because we or our friends get more involved in work.
Friendships aren’t the only thing that changes. Our perception of time changes too. Paula works with a lot of women who want to figure out how to make more time in their lives for themselves and what they want to do—and then as kids get older it turns into almost too much time.
We talk about:
How kids health issues can be a way into changing our eating
The need to revisit how we eat when new changes occur in our bodies
Making a point to sit down for family meals
Regularly putting good food in front of the kids so they learn to eat well based on their bodies
How things change when you take care of yourself
Why it’s important to pay attention to how you talk to yourself
The radical self-care of getting away
Looking at your life going forward and what you want it to look like
Paula Sacco is a certified professional coach who specializes in helping women rediscover, reimagine and redesign their lives in order to fulfill new purposes and connections. Paula loves building a community of women who transform their lives by focusing more on their individual passions and goals. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, two teenage sons, and her daughter who is spreading her wings at college. So excited to dive in into so many things because I can’t even imagine college.
LINKS
paulasacco.com
paula@paulasacco.com
https://www.facebook.com/PaulaSaccoCoaching/ (Paula Sacco Coaching on Facebook)
Doable Changes from this episode:
SET AN INTENTION. Decide what you want your reality to be, like I am a neat person who always puts things away. Write it on a note card. Keep that by your desk and by your bed. Look at it at different points throughout your day.
CONNECT REGULARLY WITH FRIENDS. Pick a day, say the third Wednesday of every month, and invite your friends—no RSVPs, just people coming as often as they can. Meet for coffee or to talk about goals, but get together.
FIND YOUR WHY. If you want to make a change, knowing why can help you get there. For example, you know “I should workout” why is that important? Keep asking that over and over until you get to that core of why it’s important to you.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
If you are as psyched as I am to grow veggies on a patio this summer and indoors all winter, you are going to want to check this...
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Sara Fins, a certified health coach and mom of two. I feel like she and I are really aligned on what we do: helping busy moms create a healthier life through doable changes (without spending a ton of time or money). We talk about how Sara gets her kids to be healthy eaters and how she helps other parents bring more healthy eating to their families. One of the things we need to do is model healthy eating. Sara starts out telling parents that this isn’t a quick fix. But as kids see you eating something again and again, they start to get curious, and they want to try what you are doing.
Another thing we’re trying to instill in our kids is to listen to how their body feels. Sometimes that means letting them have things that we don’t think of as healthy and letting them see what that feels like. As they get older and have more control, we have to hope they’ve learned from our modeling and reminders to listen to their body and do what feels right for them.
We talk about:
Offering healthy options—and choosing them ourselves
How to handle birthday parties (and why)
Learning to cook through “layering” experience if you don’t even know the basics
How to get kids involved in the kitchen
Why meal planning and meal prep make healthy eating more doable
The importance of eating with your kids
BIO
Sara Fins received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She teaches busy moms to feed themselves and their families better through manageable, practical steps without spending hours in the kitchen or tons of money at the grocery store.
LINKS
http://www.sarafins.com (www.sarafins.com)
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=healthy%20meal%20ideas%20for%20kids (Healthy Meal Ideas for Kids Facebook group)
Doable Changes from this episode:
OFFER A CONSISTENT HEALTHY OPTION. Whether you are just starting to feed your kids, working with picky eaters, or trying to make a shift from eating a lot of processed foods, offering something healthy consistently helps. Serve carrot sticks with every meal along with whatever other veggies you have.
TRY COOKING ONE THING NEW. Whatever your confidence level in the kitchen, pick something that seems doable and try it. If you can make a salad, try making your own dressing. If you have cooked a chicken, try making chicken soup. Trial and error isn’t a bad way to learn to cook. You can take classes to get new ideas and techniques, but there is a lot you can learn by just getting in the kitchen and attempting to put a simple meal on the table.
MAKE A MEAL PLAN. Creating a meal plan means you come into each meal knowing what you need to do and knowing you have what you need. No more getting derailed by poor planning. A meal plan doesn’t have to be complicated. It can include cooking a big batch of rice and a big batch of beans early in the week and using them in different ways. It can mean breakfast for dinner. Think simple, but plan.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you
take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list...
When we're looking at our skin, when we're applying our products, it's really important that we do so with love. –Rachael Pontillo On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Rachel Pontillo, who among other things is a certified international health coach, licensed aesthetician and natural skin care formulator and educator. We talking about skin care and how food and what we put on and in our bodies matters.
Rachael has a lot to share on reading labels and on making your own skin products. For starters, she recommends products with short ingredients lists. And while you may have heard the advice not to use products with names you can’t pronounce, she points out that many of us have trouble with Latin names, though these are often used with natural ingredients. She reminds us that all products contain chemicals, we’re choosing between toxicants and safer ingredients or non-toxic ingredients.
Rachael recommend making your own products—and teaches people how to do it. And she is proof that even a busy mom running a business with kids involved in activities can find the time.
We talk about:
How to assess skincare products and what ingredients you want to avoid
The ways homeschooling opens up different time and what it can teach us and our kids
What oils to keep in your skin care pantry and how to use essential oils safely
How to use clay and what’s in your kitchen to make a simple skin clarifying mask
Getting kids involved in decision-making and skin care products
Why taking care of your skin at night matters
The “Skin Trigger Trifecta”: gluten, sugar and dairy and why changing how you eat really affects your skin
Rachael Pontillo is the best-selling author of Love Your Skin, Love Yourself and co-author of The Sauce Code. She’s an AADP and IAAHC board certified international health coach, a licensed aesthetician and natural skin care formulator and educator. She’s the president and co-founder of the Nutritional Aesthetics Alliance and creator of the popular skin care and healthy lifestyle blog “Holistically Hot” and the 6-week online course “Create Your Skin Care.” She’s also an avid herbalist, self-professed skin care ingredient junkie and lifelong learner. And, of course, she’s also a mama.
LINKS rachaelpontillo.com createyourskincare.com http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/) https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/ (https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/) MadeSafe.org Soup Making Guide
Doable Changes from this episode: START THE DAY WITH A GREEN SMOOTHIE. Racheal and I both do this. Rachel loves green smoothies because they add both fiber and hydration, which helps with elimination. There are a lot of good reasons to love green smoothies. Try it for one week and see if it changes your skin (or anything else for you!)
BUY OR MAKE ONE PRODUCT. Don’t feel like you have to toss everything you use. Choose one you are running out of or one that you think is particularly problematic. Make or buy something better and try it for one week.
GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT. Rachael points out that any change toward a healthy lifestyle takes time and involves choices. Don’t get hung up on whether you are doing it right—give yourself credit for the changes you make.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember...
We can reframe how we look at how we eat together as a family. – Julia Sarver On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Julia Sarver, a holistic health coach and business strategist for health coaches. She’s run her own health coaching practice based in Portland, Oregon since 2009 and has led over 1,000 clients to success with her short detox program (we’ll dive into that).
Julia and I talk about what it’s like eating outside the norm. Julia’s mom is from Denmark and had ideas about food that didn’t fit the Standard American Diet, so Julia grew up eating healthy meals and not having dessert every day. Even so a health crisis made her take a new look at what she was eating.
We talk about detoxing and the mindwork around making major changes in how you eat. Julia is all about getting people to make the better decision in the moment—and showing them how much better they can feel. We both agree that too many people tolerate things in their lives because they don’t realize how much better it could be.
We talk about:
How Julia found out her body couldn’t handle gluten or dairy (she was convinced that she’d never eat anything delicious again)—and how she felt when she cut them out
Why short detoxes are successful—they’re approachable and and you have a moment when you rebel and decide to up and quit
Trusting our bodies and how we feel, not just studies
Simplifying meal routines and meal planning and having a list of go-to places to give yourself a break
Finding a way for you to eat that works for you without you feeling guilty about it
And Julia’s best birthday meal ever.
BIO
Julia Sarver is a holistic health coach and business strategist for health coaches. She’s run her own health coaching practice based in Portland, OR, since 2009 and has led over 1,000 clients to success with her short detox program. She’s also the mom to the world’s cutest 3-year old. Julia loves a giant salad with a side of fries, and doesn’t like sugar-coated anything—including advice.
LINKS
http://eatwithoutapology.com/ (eatwithoutapology.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. If you are making changes to your diet, focus on what you can eat, instead of what you can’t. Stock up on delicious foods that fit your new way of eating, so that when you are hungry you can eat something yummy that serves your body.
WRITE DOWN WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOUR BODY. Keep a journal about how you feel—did you sleep poorly, have gas, feel bloated, get tired at 1PM . . . It’s easy to overlook symptoms until you start to see how often they happen. Knowing what is happening in your body (and that you can do something about it) is a doable step toward deciding to make a change.
SIMPLIFY MEAL ROUTINES AND PLANNING. Have a few go-to breakfasts that you put in rotation. Simply what you cook—few ingredients, steamed veggies. It doesn’t have to be fancy to be healthy. Focus on what works, not what you think you “should” be making.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/...
Once I made the commitment to find a way to get better, things that I never heard of just kept showing up in my life. – Elaine Gardner On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m so excited to talk with holistic health expert Elaine Gardner. Elaine’s experience with debilitating pain during her period, intestinal discomfort, seasonal allergies, brain fog, severe fatigue, and horrible muscle spasms led her to her holistic lifestyle.
Elaine began her body healing journey with supplements and a variety of bodywork. When her son got ear infection after ear infection and had endless childhood viruses, she also used body work with him to reduce the problem.
Elaine has made changes to her food and taught her kids to pay attention to food and how it affects them. Elaine explains how she made small steps toward change and how she encourages people to do the same.
We talk about:
What our hormonal system does (so much more than we think)
Why we need to control stress
What we teach our kids and how they navigate their bodies and food as they get older
How to find alternative medicine practitioners for kids (and why it’s worth paying for services for our kids and ourselves)
The power of sleep and water
Why we have to learn not to just push through
Elaine Gardner is a holistic health expert. She’s working on a new program called Food Freedom, a guide to loving and planning and buying the right food for your health. Elaine helps people find the right foods that serve them and their health.
LINKS
http://www.designyourhealthylife.com/ (http://www.designyourhealthylife.com)
Doable Changes from this episode:
COMMIT TO MORE SLEEP. For one week, make a commitment to getting more (and quality) sleep. Remove electronics from your bedroom. Make sure the room is dark. If you have to get up at a certain time, get yourself to bed earlier. And if you get woken up in the night, work on an alternative—have a partner take over childcare one night, allow yourself to nap the next day.
CHOOSE ONE FOOD CATEGORY TO CHANGE. Elaine talks about taking fruit juice out of the house and then cutting out non-organic foods. Pick one thing to adjust this week. Get it out of the house and buy a healthier alternative. Maybe you cut out sugary juices or only buy organic produce this week.
PUT YOURSELF FIRST. As moms, it can be hard to take care of ourselves. You have to make the effort and put yourself first; it’s not selfish it’s actually the best thing you can do for the other people in your life. So choose what you will do for yourself and put it on your calendar. Then make that a non-negotiable appointment.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you.
http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/)
When we don’t feel strong within ourselves, we tend to be sort of tumbled about by all of the outside influences of what we should be doing. – Deb Blum
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with transformational coach Deb Blum. She helps moms find more freedom, fun and fulfillment within the lives that they live right now. You know I believe in doable changes, and Deb is about working with the life you already have. Love that!
Deb and I talk about how to help your kids thrive by showing up with confidence and solidity, whether it’s about what you serve for dinner or anything else. We talk about our own paths of getting past all the “shoulds” to do just that—and how to be solid and flexible at the same time.
We talk about busyness related to those shoulds and as a form of distraction. Deb says, “Whenever I decide to do something, I seem to always have time to do what I decide to do.” We talk about making time for by choosing what’s really important to us.
We talk about: How parenting demands shift as our kids change—and how to stay involved as they grow
How we bring our own food challenges to the table and still get our kids past them
The fact that busyness is a distraction and setting decision parameters to help say no to busy
The ripple effects of turning your focus back to yourself
Going paperless as a form of freedom
How tapping into our own enoughness changes everything
Deb is a coach, consultant and speaker. She is a creative problem solver and freedom catalyst, who helps set moms free from all of the perceived limitations that they have. As a catalyst, she guides people into greater acceptance of of who they are, because that acceptance alone brings so much inner peace and happiness. She believes that we can transform our lives within the life we already lead.
LINKS http://inspire4life.com/ (Debblum.com)
Doable Changes from this episode: Know your goals and let them guide every decision for one week. So if your goal is to be healthy and strong so you can be active with your family, apply that to decisions about what you eat and do. Make your decision and be confident and firm with it. This works wonders with reacting to kids responses to what’s for dinner (and sometimes even helps cut back on negative responses.)
Set decision-making criteria for saying no. This can look a lot of different ways. You might say I’ll only volunteer if I’m actually engaging with my kids (no committee work) or we only do activities two nights a week or we spend time as a family on Sunday, so we say no to invitations. Having decision-making guidelines helps you easily weed out things that don’t fit your personal and family values.
Go paperless for a week. Deb talked about the freedom of being paperless and the tools she uses to be paperless. Try being paperless for one week—use your phone or your iPad for note taking. Create a digital binder of meal plans and recipes. Experiment with tools to make paperless work for you.
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or http://plansimplemeals.com/101-doable-changes/ (download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you).
...
Are we giving ourselves permission to step back and say “But wait...what do we really want to be doing?” – Amanda Hinman
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, I’m really excited to talk with Amanda Hinman, who helps moms get in touch with their intuition, improve communication, and finding time for yourself. Amanda’s life looks pretty amazing right now, but a few years back, her oldest daughter was struggling with seizures. Amanda’s husband’s anxiety was through the roof with a stressful job and the family health issues, and Amanda’s autoimmune condition was exacerbated. She felt guilty and helpless as a mom. Things shifted for Amanda when she started working on her own self-care. That had a ripple effect her whole family. She is the momma of four girls. Amanda says, that her life isn’t perfect now, but “It’s an ongoing journey of “let’s have fun together and let’s connect and let’s use our time in ways that we enjoy instead of feeling this obligation to-do list.” Amanda and I talk about how we, as moms, are experts on our own kids—and we need to tap into our intuition. Amanda talks about listening to her own intuition in dealing with her daughter’s health and tells her clients: I’m not the expert on your child. You are the expert on your child. I’m going help you unpack those layers you need to tap into that intuition.
We agree that busy is a choice. Amanda shows us how to decide the way you want to live your life instead of feeling like you’re a victim of circumstances. If you have kids in lots of activities, you need to ask yourself: Are we giving ourselves permission to step back and say “But wait...what do we really want to be doing?” instead of doing what you feel like you should be doing.
We talk about:
the importance of down time
how to take baby steps toward the life you want to be living
what to do when you are already overscheduled
how to help your kids make healthy decisions about activities and downtime
how we make food choices that support the life we want and our own individual circumstances
how to communicate about all these things by starting from the same place.
Amanda runs the Hinman Holistic Health Institute and knows first hand how getting in touch with your intuition, improving communication, and finding time for yourself create ripples of change throughout your family and life.
LINKS
https://www.hinmans.com/ (Get in touch with Amanda or to get her free Vibrant Child Starter Kit)
https://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2009/06/vanilla-bean-cake-grain-free-gluten-free-sugar-free/ (Spunky Coconut’s Bean Cake)
http://plansimplemeals.com/staceymartino/ (Podcast with Stacey Martino)
Doable Changes from this episode:
Lean into your intuition. It may feel hard when you are in the doctor’s office, but the saying “mother knows best” is wise.
Prioritize dinner. This may mean saying no to a few things, but feel what shifts at home.
Look at your calendar with a lens of “Is this serving me?” Don’t quit everything today, but feel into where you can fit in more family downtime (hint: it could be dinner!).
REALLY getting healthy as a family can be a big lifestyle change. But no matter how insurmountable it may feel, focusing on one doable change at a time can help you take small steps toward your big goal.
A healthy lifestyle is really made of lots of little things that when repeated regularly and added together over time make a huge impact on your life.
Choose one Doable Change every Sunday night — one thing that you are willing to play with for the week. The key is to keep it doable and fun! Write that thing on a sticky note or your phone so you remember it. Then put 3 things on your calendar that support it.
Choose from the changes above or download a list of 101 Doable Changes we made for you....
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals Podcast, Mia talks with RB Fast. They dive into the very exciting topic of Urban Homesteading. Wait until you hear how and where RB sources her food. It is quite inspirational! RB shares her strategies for balancing her garden with her work and parenting. She also describes her family ritual for visiting a farm to harvest tons of veggies, along with her system for freezing and preserving.
RB shares an overview of the Montessori philosophy, how she practices it at home, and how our kids can embrace the philosophy at home to be more self-reliant in the kitchen. RB finally shares what her day looks like from school pick-up to dinner. For anyone questioning family dinner, this is a must listen!
RB Fast is a coach and mentor for school leaders and the CEO of http://montessorimatch.com/ (MontessoriMatch.com), a hiring website for Montessori schools. She believes that education is a powerful tool for social justice and that school leaders are key to making major change in our society. When her family gets home, she shuts down her computer to focus on spending together growing and preparing food while laughing a lot. She lives in Denver, CO but escapes to see the world as much as possible, usually in pursuit of cappuccino and cheese. Follow her journey on social media @VegucationMama or keep up with her thoughts on school leadership at https://beelineconsulting.net/the-latest-from-rb/ (https://beelineconsulting.net/the-latest-from-rb/)
And don't forget to join a growing group of mamas trying to make great choices in their families at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com/ (www.healthymomsmeetup.com).
On this episode, Linda Rothey and Mia dive into Linda’s journey of getting healthy, and look at how Linda went from a junk food fanatic to her most amazing healthy self. She talks about her journey when a friend asked her to do a detox and she decided to go all in. She explains how hard it was at the beginning, but how a few weeks in her daughter acknowledged that her mom was happy. Mia and Linda talk about diving into life and motherhood post detox. Linda shares how she got her three kids involved too. They have a fun tangent about all the things that end up on our to-do lists that we simply don’t need to do. Linda talks about how the answer can just be “no” to all those things that get in the way of our food, and she shares a few specific stories of how she has said “no” lately to make time for family hikes.
Linda Rothey is dedicated to helping moms rediscover their whole selves through healthy eating and mindful thinking. She is a mom of three, professional educator, entrepreneur, and the founder of detox4moms.com, where she’s building a community of moms who are living intentionally, establishing healthy boundaries, and opening themselves up to receive the life of health, happiness, and love they’ve always wanted. Above all, Linda is as real as they come: no frills, no lace, nothing fake—just a mom with a little bit of attitude, a love of corny jokes, and an immeasurable admiration for moms just like you.
And don't forget to join a growing group of mamas trying to make great choices in their families at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com/ (www.healthymomsmeetup.com).
On this episode Mia chats with Sara Bradford. This is a long episode filled will lots of nuggets. They dive into her upbringing which is filled with nuggets for moms wanting to raise kids who grow up loving food and how she kept it real as she studied nutrition. Sara makes mouths water with her description of food being beautiful. She talks kitchen prep mindfulness — music, flowers, kids, essential oils, gratitude. She talks about stepping off the scale and how to really care about the journey. Sara shares her viewpoint on sugar which we can all learn from, including birthday cakes and treats, so love moves away from sugar and towards what actually matters in a moment. She talks about balance as compared to an extreme diet, and how she uses “dumps” to get ladies to move into balance and simplicity. She talks a lot about how to eat with the seasons, and even touches on how possibly green smoothies do not make sense all year long. Sara Bradford is as passionate about red wine as she is about green smoothies. When she's not writing about menstruation in her nutrition blog, she is a mama, a no-b.s. nutrition resource for awesome women tired of nutrition b.s., and fearlessly leading women with her signature program The Community Dump -- a series of seasonal cleanses designed to get women as passionate about food and cooking and living as she is. Find her at http://nourishrealfood.com (nourishrealfood.com) OR http://communitydump.teachable.com (communitydump.teachable.com)
Dolores starts by talking about how she can call herself a fulltime mom and a fulltime professional and how that has helped her find balance. Dolores shares her story from a large size 12 to a size 6, and how she got there by getting rid of her scale. She also serves up some really cool facts about how our brain works and sometimes tricks us into keeping on weight. She also shares why the weight was really important for her to conquer. Dolores shares her experience with sugar, and then Mia and Dolores talk about how that also affects their kids. Dolores shares how being from Argentina might give her an advantage in terms of what she simply does not sweat, and how delegating is so powerful. Dolores and Mia touch on business and how to find your purpose so you feel fulfilled — and why moms really need to tap into their purpose. It is about remembering who you are as a human being with dreams, and hopes, and goals, and how to honor that and give our kids permission to do the same. Dolores leads Mastermind Groups, Workshops and Speaks Internationally about the behind-the-scenes aspect of reaching your goals. Through both Private Coaching and her 5 STEPS TO CLARITY PROGRAM, Dolores helps her clients set the foundation from where they will design their strategies.
As a Speaker Coach and TEDxOrganizer, she brings the TED Speaker model to all levels of communication in business. Through her program 18 Minutes of Impact: Moving Your Audience to Action the TED Way, Dolores helps her clients infuse a bigger story, a bigger vision into sales presentations, VC investment pitches, and overall B2B marketing communications, clients achieve a higher level of engagement and resonance with their audiences. You can find her online at http://www.mastersinclarity.com/ (http://www.mastersinclarity.com/).
And don't forget to join a growing group of mamas trying to make great choices in their families at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com/ (www.healthymomsmeetup.com).
Parrish shares how she started to look into a holistic lifestyle in her 20s when she needed to improve her mood. She shares how healthy choices became a really important family value when she had kids. She talks about how her standard operating procedure is all food is home cooked, and then goes onto elaborate how she is passing that onto her kids and what that looks like in a day. Mia and Parrish talk about how they are each teaching their kids to bake — and the power of that skill. They dive into scheduling, and how to really stick to a schedule that allows us the time we need to cook. Parrish shares a really great strategy for unplugging from social media and how it has gained her some extra time.
Parrish Wilson is a Writing Coach for female entrepreneurs who want to make an impact on the world and change the lives of their clients through the written word. She can be found at http://www.parrishwilson.com/. (http://www.parrishwilson.com/.)
And don't forget to join a growing group of mamas trying to make great choices in their families at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com (www.healthymomsmeetup.com).
Mia and Christie dive into what it means to get results with fitness and grabbing “me” time as a busy mom. She talks about how powerful it is to come home and “be fit” even when your kids don’t see it happening. They talk about the gym vs. the bootcamp model, and Christie shares how the bootcamp model was just the amount of accountability she needed when her kids were young. “No guilt, no blame , no shame, just figure out what’s going to work for you and make it happen,” says Christie. Christie has some great tips for how to get kids involved in fitness. They dive into why it is so important for moms to take time, and how you can make time for yourself and your body. You can sign up for Dai and Christie’s Whole Life Fitness Challenge at http://wholelifefitnessmanifesto.com/ (http://wholelifefitnessmanifesto.com/). And don't forget to join a growing group of mamas trying to make great choices in their families at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com (www.healthymomsmeetup.com).
Mia is spending 7 days in a row going through 49 of her 101 Doable Changes. The idea behind a "doable change" is that you choose one to focus on each week and fully lean into it, fitting it into your busy schedule. By focusing on just one thing you can have fun with it, and watch how all the little things add up over time in your family. Day 7 of the Doable Changes Podcast Series cover 7 "ninja" changes for after you have down the basics — from growing your own veggies to using new cleaning supplies. If you have not gotten the full list yet, you can grab it at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes). Also, join Mia for a free class at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/learn (www.plansimplemeals.com/learn).
Mia is spending 7 days in a row going through 49 of her 101 Doable Changes. The idea behind a "doable change" is that you choose one to focus on each week and fully lean into it, fitting it into your busy schedule. By focusing on just one thing you can have fun with it, and watch how all the little things add up over time. Day 6 of the Doable Changes Podcast Series focuses on food changes. If you have not gotten the full list yet, you can grab it at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
Mia is spending 7 days in a row going through 49 of her 101 Doable Changes. The idea behind a "doable change" is that you choose one to focus on each week and fully lean into it, fitting it into your busy schedule. By focusing on just one thing you can have fun with it, and watch how all the little things add up over time. Day 5 of the Doable Changes Podcast Series is on family-focused changes. Our kids get so marketed to by the food industry. These changes zero in on some of the things we can do to market healthy habits in our families. ! If you have not gotten the full list yet, you can grab it at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
Mia is spending 7 days in a row going through 49 of her 101 Doable Changes. The idea behind a "doable change" is that you choose one to focus on each week and fully lean into it, fitting it into your busy schedule. By focusing on just one thing you can have fun with it, and watch how all the little things add up over time. Day 4 of the Doable Changes Podcast Series is on planning and scheduling — sometimes healthy habits are as simple as making the time! If you have not gotten the full list yet, you can grab it at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
Mia is spending 7 days in a row going through 49 of her 101 Doable Changes. The idea behind a "doable change" is that you choose one to focus on each week and fully lean into it, fitting it into your busy schedule. By focusing on just one thing you can have fun with it, and watch how all the little things add up over time. Day 3 of the Doable Changes Podcast Series is on the kitchen — from appliances top our space — 7 doable changes that will make cooking good food easier! If you have not gotten the full list yet, you can grab it at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
Mia continues her series of doable changes that can impact your week. Today she focuses on mindset, and the power the mind has over what we eat. She takes about getting clear on your why, and gives tools for sticking to a path that supports that why. On this episode she also talks about family brands and story telling as tools to change the family's mind. Don't forget to download the full list of 101 Doable Changes at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
This is a special series! For 7 days in a row Mia will go through 7 Doable Changes A DAY that will transform your health and your family — that is 49 all together. These doable changes are not meant to be items that get added to your already overflowing to-do list, but rather fun experiments that you can choose from weekly and play. That is right. You just focus on that one thing for 7 days and watch your experience with food, family and meals go from overwelming and sometime downright stressful to zen. Today Mia dives into the 7 most basic ones, and gives useful tips for integrating them into busy family life. These changes are part of a longer list caled 101 Doable changes that you can download at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes (www.plansimplemeals.com/101changes).
Mia is back for season two of the Plan Simple Meals podcast. In season two she will dive into the lives of other busy moms committed to making good choices for their families. On this episode she talks about talking breaks, community, and getting our families to the table. Make sure to come join the conversation on our Facebook group where you can join in on the conversation with other moms — sign up at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com (healthymomsmeetup.com).
On this episode Mia chats with Karen Schachter. They dive into what it means to heal an eating disorder and come into a relationship with yourself, and then doing the same thing again as a busy mom. Karen shares how we were not trained as girls to listen to ourselves, and how we end up on this treadmill of feeding other peoples' expectations. She talks about being a feeler instead of a judge, slowing down, sitting, tasting, and feeling pleasure. Karen compares being in a woman's body to living in the wild west. Karen talks about what it is to change your mindset to become a feeler, and how to shift to look inside yourself rather that the opinions of those around you. She shares her favorite tools of slowing down and letting yourself experience pleasure. When we find our diologue of loving kindness with our bodies, we are modeling that for our kids. You can find Karen at http://www.KarenSchachter.com (http://www.KarenSchachter.com). Don't forget to sign up for the Plan Simple Meals January Jumpstart at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/januaryjumpstart (www.plansimplemeals.com/januaryjumpstart).
On this eoisode, Mia gets to talk with Cate Stillman of http://www.yogahealer.com (yogahealer.com). Kate starts the conversation by acknowledging that within our family we often don’t have the tools and structure to evolve. Cate dives into values and how impactful it is to codify our values — when you have set values then you have the structure. (Take action and figure out your family values.) Cate talks about taking responsibility of our health, and shares the tool of family meetings. She shares how to use this idea of values and meetings to really empower our kids and live the life we want to create. Kate goes into a 101 overview of Ayurveda and yoga, and explains how we can use both to better understand the life we want to live. Cate talks about how we are disempowering our next generation (this is very real!), and she gives a very clear picture how we can empower our kids. Everything Cate shares is great for thriving in 2017, and if listeners take action, lifestyles will change!
Kate shares a Free Family Values Workshop: http://yogahealer.com/values-workshop (http://yogahealer.com/values-workshop )and a Connectivity Kit Coupon: XCYBERSALE.
We likely already know where we are spending the holidays, but are you looking forward to it... Perhaps you redesigned your holidays and simplified this year or perhaps you are doing the same thing and dreading it... You do not have to dread it, and that is what this episode is all about. Visit http://www.plansimplemeals.com (www.plansimplemeals.com) for more information about the January Jumpstart and Meal Mindset Mastery.
In this solo episode, Mia dives into 10 myths we tell ourselves about food during the holidays that leave us feeling not so great... And of course, she busts those myths and shares some ways you can too!
On this episode, Mia and Carrie dive into gifting food. Carrie shares her proccess for making holiday food gifts and shares lots of ideas for packaging them. She shares how she had a life changing experience with the product Juice Plus... Wait until you here her story! Mia and carry talk about different ways you can package yup your favorite healthy products this December, and give a gift that will last way longer than 2017. Carrie's new blog can be found at https://augustardor.com/ (https://augustardor.com/). If you are intereted in learning more about Juice Plus, email mia@plansimplemeals.com and Carrie and Mia will find a time to chat with you.
On this episode of the Plan Simple Meals podcast, Mia talks with Gwen Gardner, founder of Simply Chickee. Gwen shares her story of breaking up with her boyfriend, finding out she had breast cancer, and finding out she was pregnant all in a 3 day timeframe.... What! It is quite a story, but lucky for us it lead her to look at cotton. Mia and Gwen talk about cotton, cream, and sustainablity. After this episode, you will think twice about what touches your skin. Gwen is a wealth of knowledge about gifts and share her ideas for holiday shopping and packaging. You can find Gwen at http://www.simplychickieclothing.com/ (http://www.simplychickieclothing.com/.)
On this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia and Jessica talk about simplifying, slowing down, and making gifts this holiday season. Jessica shares three different recipes for making presents with essential oils — you will never believe how easy it is to have chemical free body products! She also shares how different oils effect our minds and bodies, and how one might use them to make the holidays and parenting easier! Here are links to some of the concoctions we talk about — “Smells Like Christmas” Holiday Room Spray (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Kmz-wgmNo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Kmz-wgmNo), )Lavender Lemon Bath Salts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ba9HbeM-Y&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ba9HbeM-Y&feature=youtu.be), and )Homemade Body Butter Recipe (https://www.youngliving.com/blog/homemade-body-butter-recipe-giveaway/ (https://www.youngliving.com/blog/homemade-body-butter-recipe-giveaway/). )Make sure to join the conversation at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com (healthymomsmeetup.com).
Let's use this holiday season to show our kids what it is like when we are fully present during festive times. This week Plan Simple Meals will be broadcasting 6 days in a row! This episode looks at 6 ideas that you may consider in creating a simpler, healthier and happier December. Let's do this! Join the discussion over in our private Facebook group — you can sign-up at http://www.healthymomsmeetup.com (www.healthymomsmeetup.com). Plan your holiday gifts and enter to will prizes!!!
On this episode Mia and Jessica Felix dive into how to calm ourselves in crazy parenting times like dinner, bedtime, and getting out the door. Jessica talks about taking care of ourselves first so we can then take care of our family. She shares how often we push down our feelings of overwhelm, and once we have taken care of ourselves, then step to is acknowledging that we are overwhelmed, and give ourselves a time out. She gives a great dinner strategy for picky eaters, as well as a way to honor kids "real" food preferences. Jessica shares her 30 days to calm parenting e-course that you can grab for free at http://www.earlyendeavors.com (http://www.earlyendeavors.com. )(You can also join Jessica's free facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/earlyendeavorsparenting/?fref=ts (https://www.facebook.com/earlyendeavorsparenting/?fref=ts))
Today Mia chats with Kate Anthony. They dive into theperfection and messy moments that moms have to work through each day. Kate talks about aspiring to do the best we can in the most aware way possible vs.like super woman. She talks about your parenting blueprint and how mapping out yours lets you make new choices — she goes through some of the key questions you need to ask yourself. They dive into self care and some of the most powerful (and simple) tool for filling your buckets. You can find Kate at http://kateanthony.com (kateanthony.com), and look for her special class she launches 3 times a year. You can also join her group on Facebook, which is called https://www.facebook.com/groups/1807188656234160/ (the Lost Moms Club).
On this episode, Mia and Carrie talk about choosing yourself or choosing how you grew up thinking you should be — white picket fence and all. They talk about how words alone can shift how nourished we feel. Carrie shares about how she used essential oils, started hanging with people who believe what she wanted to believe, and how she focused on the life she wanted, to shift her life from feeling stuck to thriving. We talk about extracurriculars, what our kids teach us, and how we may not need to do it all. Join her summit at http://www.thenourishedmommasummit.com (www.thenourishedmommasummit.com) (Mia is a featured guest and the event is free while it is live).
On this episode Mia chats with Courtney Wycoff of Momma Strong. Courtney shares her journey as a professional dancer and pilates instructor, but was noticing that lots of the women she worked with were dealing with lots of back pain. She tells her story about of being a mom of two little kids and feeling lots of back pain herself, so she hit the books and started to figure out what could help her. She talks about developing strength across the back line of the body — planks instead of sit-up and a focus on glutes and mid-back as some simple starting points. Courtney also talks about some of the mistakes we make when thinking about our pelvic floor muscles. They talk about strength and more aerobic exercise, and Courtney has a really refreshing perspective on stress and the nervous system. At the end they touch on kids and fitness. You can connect with Courtney athttp://www.mommastrong.com/ ( http://www.mommastrong.com/).
On this episode Mia tackles a question she has gotten a lot lately about what to do when your child will not eat what you make. The answer has less to do with the food and more to do with how you show up. Make sure to come join the conversation at http://healthymomsmeetup.com (healthymomsmeetup.com).
Mia speaks with Neil Cannon about inflammation and how we can eat so we don't get the host of medical issues associated with inflammation. They dive into food, exercise and mindset. They touch on dairy, animal protein, and calcium. He talks about his favorite blood tests and how we should all get them. They touch on vegetable juices and smoothies. You can get in touch with Neil from his blog at https://mojomultiplier.com/ (https://mojomultiplier.com/) and download free chapters from his book at http://vitalitysecretbook.com (http://vitalitysecretbook.com).
In this episode, Mia dives into the topic of how much is too much? When does healthy eating actually get in the way of our happiness? Mia talks about cravings, the stories we tell about food, and how to use a strong why to pull you forward. Mia will let you off the hook a little, but also challenges listeners to create new stories for their kids. By the end of the episode, Mia makes it pretty clear that we can be happy and healthy. She leaves listeners with some great tools, including her free workshop that you can sign up for at http://plansimplemeals.com/eatwell (http://plansimplemeals.com/eatwell).
In this episode Mia and Lacey Sherwood discuss how to get back to the present moment after your kids get back to school.
On this episode Mia gets to chat with Suzanne Brown of http://mompowerment.com/. They talk for a bit about a hot topic for all parents transitioning from the summer to the school routine — getting out the door in the morning. They talk delegating, exercise, food, meditation and listening to your body. You may want to order from http://mabelslabels.com/ after hearing how organized Suzanne is with clothes. At the end, Suzanne shares her bedtime routine too, so she can wake up ready for her productive mornings!
In this episode, Mia and Catherine Middlebrooks talk about the importance of self care — specially before, during, and after a trying day of work and being a mom. Catherine is a longtime yogi and trained yoga instructor, who found her practice tested after returning to her day job when her first child was a few months old... She has created an entire business that makes yoga accessible to the busy mom! Catherine shares the one simple thing you can do that is scientifically proven to work calm any overwhelmed mom. She shares why she thinks her kids never reject the food she gives them. Catherine references the Ellyn Satter Institute where she adopted the practice of dessert with dinner. http://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org (http://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org) Get Catherine's sanity saver at www.brbyoga.com/sane.
In this episode, Mia talks about finding your stride with your new food landscape. Her favorite strategy is creating a rhythm around her family's meals so that everything can get done, regardless of how much time she has.... And she gives listeners the tools to create their own rhythm. She also goes into the benefits of creating a rhythm around what foods happen on each day. She shares how this tool helps moms combat overwhelm and gives kids a path to get unstuck from any "picky eater" habits. The book is available by going to http://www.plansimplemealsbook.com (http://www.plansimplemealsbook.com) and comes with an online portal that gives readers access to worksheets, checklists, and planning sheets to make all the content in the book real for each reader.
In this episode Mia explores what is means to "find your food" and how this can transform your relationship to food and your kids' relationship to veggies. She shares stories and of course breaks it down into doable steps, so you can get going today. This series is really great along side the book — you can get to the book and access the worksheets and planners that are in an online portal at http://www.plansimplemeals.com (http://www.plansimplemeals.com).
This is episode 2 of 10 of the Plan Simple Meals Books Talk Series. In this episode, Mia talks about setting intentions as a way to pull you forward with your food goals. She shares the various intentions she has set over the years — starting with weight loss then shifting to her daughter's food allergies, family dinner and self care. She shares how to find your intention and her favorite 10 years out exercise. In the second half of the podcast, Mia talks about how to use your intention weekly and daily to keep you on task with your current doable change. If you want to sign up for the 14 Day Shift – a free snack challenge – make sure to sign up at bit.ly/14DayShift. Register for workshops in your city with Mia at http://www.plansimplemeals.com/workshops. And if you get the book, make sure to get the corresponding worksheets and meal plans at http://www.plansimplemealsbook.com. (http://www.plansimplemealsbook.com.)
This is the first episode of the Plan Simple Meals Book Talks series, where Mia dives deep into the concepts of the Plan Simple Meals Book. In this episode Mia shares why it is really important to make lifestyle changes one doable step at a time. She shares her 10 favorite doable steps towards a healthy family lifestyle and how those may look different from family to family. She announces the 14 Day Shift that you can sign up for at bit.ly/14DayShift. She also shares that these 10 doable changes are part of a series of 101 that you can grab at http://bit.ly/101doablechanges (http://bit.ly/101doablechanges).
On this episode Mia talks with life and business coach, Kathy Stowell. They start talk speaking about self care and Kathy's fun 5 step acronym, "S.H.O.E.S" — sleep, h20, organic living, exercise, stillness. Kathy shares the story of a rough winter and how to work together as parents when sleep feels impossible. They dive into the topic of Simplicity Parenting and how sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture and how simplifying can help sleep. Kathy then dives into her 4 pillars of Simplicity – S.A.F.E. – stuff, activities, flow, electronics. Kathy shares how she simplifies food in her house by using repetition and shares her current go-to meals. You can find Kathy on her site at http://www.blissbeyondnaptime.com. (http://www.blissbeyondnaptime.com.)
On this episode, Mia interviews
Katherine Ozment — an award-winning journalist and author of Grace Without God: The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age. Katherine talks about the "nones" and how they can give their kids some of the gems that families used to get from organized religion. They talk about Katherine's findings talking to families across the US about rituals — solstice, dinner, and sacred time. Mia shares some of her family's rituals and how she made a decision not to sign up for soccer. Katherine talks about how we make space for things that are not transient but more timeless, and how she has brought the conversation home to her family. They both share how they lead by example, and how that may be the best teacher. You can connect with Katherine at her site, http://katherineozment.com/ (http://katherineozment.com/).
In this episode, Mia and Lauren Greutman – money expert, author, speaker – dive into budgeting for food. Lauren is a wife, mom of four and a recovering spender who - with her husband - figured out how to get out of $40,000 of debt and now she helps others manage their finances. Lauren shares how managing her food budget opened many doors for an amazing life since it was such a big part of their spending. They talk meal planning, food shopping, cooking in advance. Lauren shares some amazing strategies for saving money and spending smartly. You can connect with Lauren at http://www.iamthatlady.com/ (iamthatlady.com).
In this episode, Mia and Rebecca Egbert, CEO of The Mother Love discuss her latest product Little Mother's Helper cards along with lots of ideas to evolve into the mama you've always wanted to be with the support you need along the journey. Rebecca shares a wealth of information from the perspective of a midwife who has helped many mamas in those early months of motherhood. Visit Rebecca at http://www.littlemothershelper.com/ (http://www.littlemothershelper.com/).
In this episode, Mia talks with Dr. Michelle Sands — who is empowering moms to be happy, healthy and hot while still having the energy to outplay their kids — and wow is she empowering to talk to. She talks about the health issues that can be fixed by diet that are different than weight — she dives deep into hormones. She talks about motherhood and the daily balance of being a doctor and a mom. You can connect with Michelle at http://metabolicmamma.com/ (http://metabolicmamma.com/.)
In this episode Mia talks with Jen Hansard of Simple Green Smoothies. Jen shares when she had her first green smoothie and why she was willing to give it a try after moving to Florida in the middle in the summer. Jen talks about wilted spinach and what happened when she figured out how to buy spinach and not let it go bad. Don't miss her sippy cup strategy. Jen shares how she made this shift at a moment where money was really tight. She also shares a time in her life where her son always had ear infections and took antibiotics, and the changes she made to his diet to make him healthy and happy again. Jen shares how she packs smoothies in her kids lunch and her favorite variations. Sign-up for the next challenge at http://www.simplegreensmoothies.com/30day.
In this episode Mia talks with Dai Manual who empowers us to live a 'FUN'ctionally fit life. He shares how he was morbidly obese in middle school and made lifestyle changes in high school that changed his life. He shares how he integrates fitness into his family life with his girls, and how fun is a big part of his success. Dai also shares how building a life around health really paves the way for doing what you want in life and how building a foundation for your health and fitness really sets you up for life... Come sign up for Dai's 28-day challenge with me at http://www.daimanuel.com/ (http://www.daimanuel.com/).
In this episode, Mia shares some of her beliefs on what we eat, how we eat it, and how moms are the only ones who have the privilege to really change the Standard American Diet. She covers three main points : how we got to where we are today, how to end the overwhelm around food (specially from 6-8), and what we need to think about first as we start to tackle this large topic of food. In covering these 3 points she dives a bit deeper into advertising, rhythms, family dinner, dairy, gluten, and sugar. Mia shares a free resource 101 Doable Changes that you can get today at http://bit.ly/101doablechanges (bit.ly/101doablechanges).
This is an episode filled with scheduling tips where Miatalks to Megan Flatt — a consultant for mama CEOs. They talk about thedifference between “juggling” and “plate spinning” which will make every momwant to learn about plates! They talk about making choices to do the things weactually want to do as moms. They talkabout the little things you can do to fit things like exercise and shopping into your week — itis as simple as changing your mind and doing simple actions. Megan shares the idea of a weekly workflowand making realistic lists of what you can actually get done, so you end thedeal feeling accomplished, and how to use post-it notes to group your buckets. Megangoes into summer and how you we can have a good one where you stay in line with your family values. Download Megan's free guide "Launch Like a Mother" http://meganflatt.com/launch/ (http://meganflatt.com/launch/.)
Mia relates with Lainie Love Dalby in her complicated journey with food and explores how she eventually seeks out good information and heals her body. Lainie talks about our bodies as a vessel and how we have to take care in order to truly shine. She shares her journey to find the right doctors that got her the clues she needed to get healthy — she coupled that with listening deeply to her body, accepting her body each day, and specific tools and protocols which she shares on the episode. Two great resources Lainie mentions are Flo Living (https://www.floliving.com/ (https://www.floliving.com/)) and how to find an Integrative Holistic Physician (http://www.abihm.org/search-doctors (http://www.abihm.org/search-doctors)). Lainie and Mia have a conversation on how we can pass better messages onto future generations — specifically our daughters. It all boils down to feeling worthy. Lainie is offering Plan Simple Meals listeners her "I am Worthy Guide." You can get it at http://bit.ly/IamWorthyGuide (bit.ly/IamWorthyGuide).
In today’s Plan Simple Meals podcast, Mia and Chef Lilly talk about what it means to eat seasonally. Lilly share her strategies for always having simple meals on hand, when she sticks to the food that is in season in her backyard, and the foods she enjoys from other places. Mia asks Lilly to share how she gets through a day with food and kids and how she has made her kitchen a relaxing space. Visithttp://www.mamaglow.com ( to get a sample week — Lilly style)!
Mia talks with Stacy Rowan about how to we can custom build our lives – even at a time when usually we feel like we are doing things for everyone but ourselves. She shares her journey from a corporate job to a happy mom of twins. Stacy shares when healthy eating started to be important, and how she budgets for good food, always shops alone, and navigates teaching her girls to eat well too. Visithttp://www.intruthandbeauty.com ( )http://www.custombuiltlife.com/ (www.custombuiltlife.com) to claim Stacy's free gift. Show notes: http://plansimplemeals.podbean.com/www.plansimplemeals.com/kelleygrimes (www.plansimplemeals.com/stacyrowan)
In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia interviews Joe Cross. Joe is the creator of two amazing movies, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and The Kids Menu. On this episode you will learn about Joe's AHA at age 40 and how he changed his food to change his life. He talks about the problems that schools face today, role models, and including our kids in their food preparation. He sprinkles the episode with many very actionable steps from his movie like the size of your bowl and taking cereal out of its packaging. He says that the only thing he knows for sure is that we need to figure out how to add as much plant-based food into our diets as possible. This is a must listen, and my all time favorite quote is this: “We are not responsible for our children, we are responsible to our children.” You can find out more about Joe at http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/ (http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/) and his latest movie at http://www.kidsmenumovie.com/ (http://www.kidsmenumovie.com/.)
In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia chats with her first cooking mentor, Nina Manolson. In this naturally flowing conversation, Mia and Nina touch on a wide assortment of topics that are all really important and actionable. They talk about feeling good in your own skin, and passing great habits on to our kids. Nina talks about silent inflammation, sugar and disease. Mia and Nina get excited about sweet treats like fudge and frozen bananas that are good for you and being the "yes" mom. Nina gets into how it has to be about more than the food — lifestyle, food, and mindset. Both Mia and Nina get quite passionate about the cost of scales and weighing ourselves.
Get Nina's free gift at http://eatonpurpose.ninamanolson.com (http://eatonpurpose.ninamanolson.com).
In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia chats with Jovanka Ciares. Javanka shares her journey from exhausted to healthy and some of the key steps she took to feel amazing. She talks about the importance of a plant-based diet, the benefits of water, and how eating healthy oils can help your brain. Mia asks Jovanka to talk about the gut and how to know that all is well inside your body — and this is when they do dive into poop! Listen in to this informative and action packed episode and join Jovenka for a wellness smackdown at http://jovankaciares.com/.
It was a busy two weeks with tons of amazing nuggets. I hope you got inspired, but I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. In this episode we will get into strategies that will help you to create healthy habits that stick — using the nuggets that we learned in the first 9 episodes as examples. You will leave this episode with a plan!
Show notes:
www.plansimplemeals.com/mia_change
Eva is a Raw food Chef who literally used food to heal her body. She is also a wife and mom who has figured out how to create the family life she desires and the food habits she knows serve her — even though her husband and step sons sometime have different eating habits. She explains her go to recipes and what she is trying to pass on to her 4-year old daughter. Visit www.uncooking101.com to learn more about Eva.
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/evarawposa
Have you ever felt like you don’t have enough time to exercise? In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Catherine Basu, Personal Trainer, and owner of Fit Armadillo® shares strategies for fitting exercise into your busy life as a mom. Catherine shares easy tips for moving and strengthening your body. They talk yoga…. And being in tune with your body, and what you can pass onto your kids.
Show notes:
www.plansimplemeals.com/catherinebasu
Values are like an internal compass. They keep us on track to be who we want to be and when we are aligned with them, life feels pretty awesome! In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Danielle shares how she got off the hamster wheel of life by identifying her core values and then invited her husband and two sons to do the same. Now her family uses their values to skyrocket dinner conversations and avoid conflicts. Listen in and learn how find your own values and use them as a road map to navigate your life. Visit www.coachonthego.net to learn more about Danielle.
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/daniellereed
Mia and Relationship Expert, Stacey Martino discuss parenting, marriage, and healthy food. Learn why Stacey thinks a rock solid relationship between mom and dad is the number one way our kids feel safe and secure at home and out in the world. She also believes that If you want your family to eat healthier food you have to dig in and make better choices as a united front! Learn more about Stacey’s supportive offerings at www.relationshipdevelopment.org
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/staceymartino
If you ever feel like it is too hard to stay on course with healthy eating, this episode is for you. Jen helps us envision our dreams and gives lots of simple tools for making them happen — gratitude, acting "as if", mindset, meditation and more.. She shares how food plays a roll in both her family and business. We talk about how food can help us achieve our dreams, and how our dreams can help us eat better. Jen gives listeners permission to talk care of themselves as a powerful way to get our kids to eat their veggies — she shares some of her go to dishes on the way. You can find more out about Jen at queenofmanifestation.com.
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/jenmazer
In this episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia interviews Robin Ray Green. You'll hear about Robin’s journey to good food with her kids along with an overview of acupuncture, 3 big tips to get healthier, and the 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine and how you can customize your parenting based on the 5 Elements. Learn more about Robin at www.RobinRayGreen.com
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/robinraygreen
In today’s Plan Simple Meals podcast, Mia and Latham Thomas discuss the discipline of a Glowtime Self-care practice and the importance of recharging yourself on a regular basis. It is all about really knowing what YOU need to thrive by choosing the right foods for you and understanding what foods give you the most energy. Visit www.mamaglow.com for fun and supportive resources and get the glow!
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/lathamthomas
Mia talks with Kelley Grimes about how to make a choice everyday to nourish ourselves with food, getting Intentional about the food we offer our kids and how Kelley's daughter used food to heal herself. You will also be treated to a supportive grounding exercise called the "The Arriving Technique." Visit www.intruthandbeauty.com to claim Kelley's free gift and be sure to check out her website at www.cultivatingjoyandpeace.com.
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/kelleygrimes
In the first episode of Plan Simple Meals, Mia interviews Kim John Payne M.ED. Kim is the author of the #1 Best Selling book, Simplicity Parenting. You will learn about “Simplicity Parenting”, how Kim has used gardening in his own family, breakfast strategies for food and wellbeing at school, and a visioning technique that may help calm the kids before they get to the table. He calls mealtime “Soul Protein” And shares the importance of creating rituals with family at the dinner table. www.simplicityparenting.com
Show notes: www.plansimplemeals.com/kimjohnpayne
Welcome to the first episode of Plan Simple Meals! Bestselling author, Mia Moran serves up this new podcast for families who want to create a healthier, happier home— one meal at a time. Listen in for informative conversations on food, family, and valuable strategies to make meals meaningful and fun!
In this episode Podcast Coach, Shann Vander Leek interviews Mia Moran about her brand new Plan Simple Meals Podcast. Listen in If you want simple solutions to help your busy family eat clean and live well.