Episodes

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, ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 pr...

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 peacef...

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”...

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 u...

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: Why I intentionally stepped away from the podcast for a few weeksA memorable horse-riding adventure through ...

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 pla...

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-criticis...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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 neuro...

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 mo...

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...

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 is...

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 cl...

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, compassiona...

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 “doi...

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...

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 exp...