Connect Inspire Create

Your emotions are not a problem to solve. They are data, energy, and often the most honest guidance you have, especially when life gets messy.

I sit down with Sophie Malahieude, an emotional balance guide, yoga mentor, and author of "Beyond Emotions", to talk about what happens when we stop trying to control feelings in our minds and start listening to them in our bodies. We get into why so many of us were taught to hide anger, fear, and sadness, and how that training can turn into emotional suppression, overthinking, and a loss of self-trust. Sophie...

You can be incredibly self-aware and still feel stuck, and that gap can be exhausting. We sit with the part of growth that does not respond to better explanations, tighter logic, or another attempt to “fix” yourself. Instead, we lean into curiosity and a surprisingly effective tool for emotional clarity: writing bad poetry on purpose.

I’m joined by Margaret Bryden, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, author, and the founder of Sage Insight Therapy in Salt Lake City. Margaret shares why “bad poetry” is not a joke, it’s permission. When you stop trying to write something im...

Kindness lands in ordinary moments and still changes our state of mind when we feel depleted. I connect self-compassion to confidence and show how gentle accountability helps us take small steps, learn, and choose again without self-criticism.

• noticing how small gestures restore calm and courage
• allowing ourselves to receive support instead of always being the strong one
• challenging the belief that we must feel confident before acting
• practicing gentle accountability by choosing a meaningful next step
• building self-trust by keeping small promises and celebrating follow-through
• replacing the inner critic with curiosity through kinder quest...

A fight can look like it’s about chores, texts, or tone, but underneath it’s usually about safety, belonging, and the fear of not mattering. I chat with relationship mentor Valerie Greene to get honest about what’s really happening beneath relationship conflict and why the same argument keeps coming back even when you swear you’ve already “talked it out.” If you’ve ever felt stuck between chasing connection and shutting down to protect yourself, you’ll recognize the cycle immediately.

We dig into anxious and avoidant attachment patterns without blame, and we name the real enemy: surv...

Your brain might be begging for a bigger plan, but what if the real breakthrough starts with a smaller moment? 

Let's walk through three words that create space for clarity and better decision making: pause, notice, choose. Pausing isn’t shutting down your life. It’s creating a tiny gap between a trigger and your response, especially before you reply to a hard message, pile another task onto your to-do list, or spiral on the same thought. Then we practice noticing with compassion: what feels most present right now, what you’re carrying that doesn’t need solving t...

Confusion can be one of the loudest warning signs, especially when a relationship leaves you doubting your memory, your emotions, and your sense of self. I’m joined by Carine Van Hee, an artist, author, and speaker whose work shines a clear light on emotional manipulation, toxic relationship patterns, and the subtle ways control can masquerade as love. If you’ve ever thought, “Is it me?”, this conversation gives you language for what felt impossible to explain.

We talk about why many unhealthy relationships don’t start with obvious red flags. Carine breaks down the early “lovely” stage, how lov...

Anxiety can feel like a glitch in your brain, but what if it’s actually a signal from your whole system? We sit down with Elke Scholz, a registered psychotherapist, certified EMDR therapist, and expressive arts therapist, to explore anxiety from both clinical experience and lived reality. The big shift is simple but powerful: instead of only trying to shut anxiety down, we learn how to listen to it, translate it, and respond with more self-trust.

We dig into why anxiety sometimes has no obvious trigger and how “out of the blue” episodes can be rooted in physio...

When you’re smart, capable, and driven, it’s easy to believe the answer to discomfort is more effort: more thinking, more optimizing, more self-improvement. But what happens when that approach stops working and you’re left with emotional pain you can’t logic your way through? That’s where this conversation gets real.

I’m joined by Jenna Smith, creator of the Resourcing Method, to talk about what it looks like to reconnect with the intelligence of your mind, body, heart, and spirit. We dig into why left brain dominance can keep high achievers stuck, why emotions are...

A Crohn’s disease diagnosis can feel like a life sentence, especially when you’re told medication is the only option. I sit down with Jen Germain, a certified functional medicine health coach and founder of Compass Health Coaching, to share what changed when she started asking a different question: why is my body inflamed in the first place?

Jen walks us through her health crisis in 2020, the fear and frustration of being dismissed, and the practical steps that helped her reclaim momentum. We break down functional medicine in plain English, talk gut health and root cause heal...

Grief can be lonely even in a room full of people and it can be confusing in ways nobody warned you about. When we lose a spouse, a child, a parent, or even a life role like a job or a marriage, we are not only missing someone or something. We are rebuilding a sense of identity, safety, and future.

I sit down with Dr. Lynn Banis, a psychologist, coach, and grief and resilience mentor, to talk honestly about what helps when life breaks open and you are left trying to figure out who you are now.<...

Falling asleep is often less about forcing sleep and more about creating the conditions where your nervous system finally believes it is safe to let go. This guided sleep story leans into that idea with a simple promise: right now there is nowhere to be, nothing to solve, and nothing expected of you. Using bedtime relaxation, mindful breathing, and a slow-paced visualization, the practice helps you shift from a busy mind into a calmer body.

From there, let's drift into a calming visualization, floating on the softest cloud beneath a sky full of stars. As thoughts pop...

When Worry Takes Over: A Simpler Way Beyond Overthinking

What if overthinking isn't helping nearly as much as we believe it is?

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I'm joined by Danish clinical psychologists  Shang Olsen and Michelle Lindhardt  for a thoughtful conversation about why our minds become caught in cycles of worry, overanalysis, and self-doubt—and how we can begin responding differently.

Many of us assume that worrying means we're preparing, being responsible, or protecting ourselves. But as Shang and Michelle explain, worry ofte...

In this conversation, I’m joined by author and personal branding strategist Chanoa Inez, creator of MAGNETIZE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND™ and author of Dream On: How to Create the New Life of Your Dreams After Upheaval or Loss.

Together, we explore the tender intersection of grief, identity, ambition, and reinvention. Chanoa shares honestly about sudden loss, the identity shock that can follow, and how long it can take to feel safe enough to dream again.

We also talk about the deeper side of personal branding. Chanoa invites us to consider how inne...

Burnout can make you feel like you’re failing at life, faith, and health all at once, even when you’re trying so hard to do “the right things.” I sit down with Dr. Katherine Lanning (Katie), an occupational therapist and founder of Transformed for Life Ministry, to talk about what happens when wellness is driven by insecurity and shame, and what changes when you finally have a foundation strong enough to hold your healing.

Katie shares her story of growing up as a military kid, carrying a quiet sense of instability, and later navigating trauma that shaped h...

Your body is not being dramatic. It might be being brilliant.

I sit down with Cindy Costley, speaker, trainer, and creator of the Electromagnetic Body Desensitization Technique (EBDT), to talk about the hidden patterns our bodies carry and why symptoms often have a purpose. Cindy shares her lived experience of severe allergic reactions that began in her teens, years of functioning in survival mode, and the startling realization that what looked like random illness was actually a patterned protective response tied to stress and trauma.

We get practical and specific about trauma integration and nervous...

As the day comes to a close, I invite you to slow down, take a gentle breath, and allow yourself to simply be.

In this first Stories for Unwinding – A Gentle Story Before Sleep, we begin with a few mindful moments to help your body soften and your mind become a little quieter. Through slow breathing and a simple Positive Intelligence® sensory exercise, you'll gently shift your attention away from the busyness of the day and into the present moment.

From there, I'll guide you along a peaceful path beside the ocean at sun...

Confidence rarely arrives as a lightning bolt. More often, it shows up after you take one small, slightly uncomfortable step and realize you’re still standing.

I’m joined by Belinda Coker, an Australian hiker, writer, and educator who helps women in midlife rebuild confidence through practical adventure and responsible travel. Belinda opens up about the moment she looked in the mirror, didn’t like who she’d become, and chose movement as her way out.

 We talk about why “action before confidence” isn’t a motivational slogan, it’s a trainable process that reshapes self trust throug...

What Your Symptoms May Be Trying to Tell You. What if your symptoms are not your body failing you, but your body trying to get your attention?

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I’m joined by Beth Mielbrecht for a thoughtful conversation about women’s health, body trust, and learning to listen to the signals our bodies are sending.

So many women are told that everything looks normal, even when they still feel tired, anxious, achy, inflamed, or simply not like themselves. Beth invites us to look at symptoms differently. Not as something to f...

Mindset Matters: Sometimes You Need to Step Away to Move Forward

After a quiet month away from the microphone, I'm sharing a personal update from Portugal and what this season of slowing down has taught me about grief, restoration, and trusting ourselves one step at a time.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn't to keep pushing forward. It's to pause.

In this episode I reflect on:

Your podcast can be heartfelt and still be strategic.  I’m joined by Jordan Blair, a podcast producer at Buzzsprout and co-host of BuzzCast, to unpack the real-world basics that separate podcasts that fade out from podcasts that grow. We start with something deceptively simple: your “why.” Jordan shares how clarity of purpose shapes everything from topic choices to guest selection to podcast marketing, and why listeners only return when they know exactly what they’ll get every time they press play.

From there, we get practical about podcast audio quality and listener experience. Jordan explains why “good enough...

Perfectionism has a sneaky way of turning a perfectly good life into a project you can never finish. I sit down with author, fiber artist, and motivational speaker Lorie Kleiner Eckhert to talk about reinvention, resilience, and the moment you decide that “good enough” is not failure, it’s freedom. Lorie’s newest book, Chai On Life (a playful nod to “chai,” the Hebrew word for life), becomes our jumping-off point for how to move through big transitions with more self-trust and less self-criticism.

We get practical and personal: why many of us wait decades to give ourselves pe...

Midlife gets labeled as “the beginning of the end,” but that story falls apart the moment you meet women who are building businesses at 80, traveling solo, starting podcasts, or simply reclaiming their strength after a hard season. I sit down with Heike Yates, midlife fitness expert, Pilates teacher, and author of Pursue Your Spark, to talk about why midlife is better understood as an upward turning point and how women can rebuild energy and confidence without extremes, shame, or the exhausting pressure to “start over.”

We dig into the mindset shift that changes everything: the idea that you must...

What if aging isn’t a slow closing of doors, but an expansion into a wider life? That’s the heart of this conversation with entrepreneur and longtime podcast host Ande Lyons, creator of Don’t Be Caged By Your Age and an outspoken advocate for thriving after 65.

We talk about how identity shifts as we get older, how internalized ageism quietly narrows our choices, and why “aging out loud” can be a form of leadership. This is positive aging without denial: we name the hard realities, then choose agency, purpose, and visibility anyway.

If you’re sea...

We slow down for a short Mindset Matters pause and reflect on why feeling stuck doesn’t mean we need to start over.

 I share how staying in the process, taking breaks without quitting, and meeting grief with honesty helps us keep moving forward with more ease.  

• bringing back short “bits and bites” style segments between longer guest interviews  

• exploring why “new plan” thinking can create extra pressure  

• practicing a gentler kind of discipline that leaves room for imperfect days  

• staying consistent through seasons of stepping back and returning  

• shifting the show...

If you’ve ever done “all the right things” for your mental health and still felt stuck, this conversation will challenge what you’ve been told to expect. I’m joined by Brisbane-based psychotherapist, educator, and author Yildiz Sethi, who makes a clear case for moving beyond coping strategies and symptom management toward deeper healing that actually changes the pattern underneath.

We talk about why the dominant medical model can quietly lock people into labels and long timelines, even as neuroscience, neuroplasticity, and epigenetics keep proving the brain and nervous system can change. Yildiz explains why so much thera...

What if the clarity you’ve been searching for isn’t in another strategy… but already within you?

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I’m joined by Jennifer Zach, executive coach and author of Somatic Awareness: Leading with Body Intelligence. Together, we explore a different kind of leadership — one that begins in the body, not just the mind.

Jennifer shares her 3N Model™ — Notice, Name, Navigate — a simple, practical framework to help you recognize stress before it takes over, make more grounded decisions, and communicate with greater presence.

In this conversation, we explore:

What if getting funnier could change the way you show up in your life… not just on a stage, but in your work, your conversations, and your confidence?

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I’m joined by Lynn Harris, founder of GOLD Comedy—a comedy school, creative community, and content studio where women and non-binary creators grow their voices and build meaningful careers.

Lynn shares how a moment at 16 shaped her understanding of comedy, confidence, and the extra layers many women navigate when stepping into visibility. What began as an observation became a lifelo...

The job search can sometimes feel like sending your résumé into a void.

Applications go out… and silence comes back.

In my latest episode of Connect Inspire Create, I sat down with recruiter insider Megan Applegate, who spent years reviewing thousands of résumés and sitting in hiring manager discussions.

Her perspective was eye-opening.

Many highly qualified professionals are filtered out long before a human ever reads their experience. Not because they lack skill, but because their résumé isn’t speaking the language recruiters and hiring systems ex...

Transitions can arrive by choice. And sometimes they arrive without asking our permission.

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I chat with Ashley Jablow, founder of Wayfinders Collective and creator of Life Design School, to explore what it means to redesign your life during seasons of change.

So what is Life Design, really?

In our conversation, we explore:

 • How Life Design differs from traditional goal setting
 • How to begin when the ground feels unfamiliar
 • How clarity and courage coexist with grief
 • Why community matters in seasons of reinvention<...

Ever felt life quietly tilt beneath your feet — not in a dramatic way, but enough that you knew something had shifted?

In this episode, I’m joined by Brheanna Myers, who shares how surviving a near-death experience became the beginning of a deeply human spiritual awakening. Together, we explore what awakening really looks like — beyond social media narratives — including the grief, disorientation, and gradual reorientation that often come with it.

This conversation is grounded, compassionate, and practical. Brheanna offers gentle ways to reprogram the subconscious and regulate the nervous system while staying fully rooted i...

In this episode of Connect Inspire Create, I’m joined by Lidia Axe.  Coach, strategist, straight-talker, author, and four-time Camino de Santiago pilgrim.

Our conversation weaves together business, trust, consistency, and what it really means to move forward without pushing yourself into exhaustion or self-doubt.

Lidia shares how walking the Camino reshaped her relationship with focus, simplicity, and inner clarity, and how those same principles show up in her work with coaches who are “doing all the things” yet still struggling to gain traction.

We explore the emotional side of buil...

Marketing that converts isn’t about louder posts or cut-and-paste avatars. It’s about words that work like assets—clear, human, and grounded in what buyers actually care about. We sit down with copywriter and strategist Rachel Allen, whose globe-trotting path from a Hong Kong hustle to a thriving practice shaped a no-nonsense approach to positioning, storytelling, and using AI without losing your voice.

We start by dismantling the half-page “ideal client” myth and replace it with psychographics and lived context—beliefs, pressures, and change moments that drive decisions. 

Rachel lays out the four essentials behind every...

What if burnout isn’t just about toxic workloads—but about the passions you love most? We sit down with burnout prevention specialist and self-care strategist Daniela Wolfe to unpack why going all in on your business, family, or mission can secretly drain your energy when boundaries fade. With clear stories and science-backed tips, Daniela shows how small, daily shifts keep your inner fire bright without burning you out.

• Burnout arising from passions without boundaries
• Stress vs burnout explained with a bonfire analogy
• Self-care as daily necessity using eight pillars
• One-minute practices to lower stress and b...

What if the simplest boundary—phone away, head up—could be the lever that changes your work, your relationships, and your peace of mind? I am chatting to speaker and community strategist Kelsey Green to unpack digital minimalism without the guilt trip, exploring how small, repeatable choices create space for deep work and genuine connection.

 Your attention is your edge; let’s protect it together.

We explore how intentional digital boundaries can restore focus, lift creative energy and rebuild in‑person community. Kelsey Green shares tools, stories and a simple structure that turns good intentions into repe...

My guest today is Inna Segal, a pioneering intuitive healer and the bestselling author of The Secret Language of Your Body. Inna has dedicated over two decades to helping individuals unlock the secrets of their body's wisdom, facilitating profound healing on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.​

Through her transformative teachings and intuitive insights, Inna empowers people to reconnect with their inner guidance, fostering self-healing and personal transformation. 

Whether you're new to the world of intuitive healing or seeking more profound understanding, our conversation promises to be enlightening and inspiring.​

We explore how t...

Cheryl Einhorn is the founder of Decisive, a decision sciences company that trains people and teams in complex problem solving and decision-making skills using the AREA Method. AREA is an evidence-based decision-making system that uniquely controls for and counters cognitive bias to expand knowledge while improving judgment. Cheryl developed AREA during her two decades as an award-winning investigative journalist writing for publications ranging from The New York Times to Foreign Policy Magazine, Barron’s and Harvard Business Review.

Ever wonder why some people make decisions easily while you agonize?

Cheryl Einhorn introduces her AREA method th...

Dorien Morin-van Dam is a seasoned social media strategist with nearly 15 years of experience helping brands grow through smart, sustainable strategies. A Certified Social Media Manager and Agile Marketer, she also consults on AI strategy for small businesses, showing teams how to use AI in marketing responsibly and effectively. Dorien turns organic content and emerging tech into measurable results, speaks internationally, and hosts the Strategy Talks video podcast. 

Dorien shares her expertise on creating effective short-form videos that captivate audiences across different social media platforms, revealing the transformation from content creator to storyteller. 

She offers va...

Dawn Krusch, organizational psychologist and leadership development specialist, reveals how mindfulness practices bridge the gap from separateness to togetherness by first understanding ourselves and our own needs. Through her personal experience of receiving a "download" during deep meditation that led to launching Psych Around the Globe, Dawn demonstrates how inner work creates the foundation for meaningful connection with others.

• Between 30,000-50,000 thoughts pass through our minds daily, each transmuted through our emotional center
• Connection begins with understanding yourself, your values, and learning to trust your inner guidance
• Active listening requires being truly present rather than simply...

What if the patterns you keep experiencing aren't just coincidences, but signs of a deeper loop you're stuck in? Leadership strategist James Robbins had this revelation when he discovered he was living what he calls a "copy-paste life" – experiencing the same challenges, emotions, and even physical ailments on the same dates year after year.

Our conversation explores how we get trapped in these loops and, more importantly, how to break free from them. 

At the heart of this discussion is courage – the courage to speak your truth and the courage to be authentically yourself, even when...

Ever wondered what happens when women truly see themselves through fresh eyes? Liz Hansen, owner of Chicago Boudoir Photography, reveals the transformative magic that occurs in her studio every day.

"Is that me?" It's the question Liz hears most often when women first see their unedited photos during a boudoir session. That moment of recognition, seeing yourself as beautiful, powerful, and sensual exactly as you are has changed the lives of over 2,000 women who've stepped in front of Liz's camera since 2018.

What began as Liz's own personal transformation through a boudoir session has evolved into...