Beautiful Work Beautiful Life

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, co-host Laurel Boivin explores a question many of us wrestle with during times of uncertainty: Can we trust life?

Drawing from personal experience, reflections on unexpected life detours, and lessons learned through coaching others, Laurel examines the difference between trust and certainty, and why our desire for certainty can often keep us stuck. She invites listeners to consider whether trust is less about knowing what will happen and more about our willingness to continue participating in life despite uncertainty.

Along the way, Laurel explores the relationship between trust and faith, reflects on how unexpected experiences often shape our lives in meaningful ways, and offers practical ways to cultivate greater trust through self-trust, presence, curiosity, and small forward steps.

This episode is a gentle reminder that while life rarely offers guarantees, we may not need certainty to move forward. We may simply need the willingness to stay open, take the next step, and trust ourselves to meet whatever comes next.

Episode highlights:

Why trust and certainty are not the same thing—and how confusing the two can keep us stuck.

The difference between trust and faith, and why both matter during times of uncertainty.

How unexpected detours often become some of life's most meaningful chapters.

Why trusting life begins with trusting yourself.

Three practical ways to strengthen trust: staying present, taking the next step, and remaining open to possibility.

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. Can we trust life?

2. What parts of your life today were planned, and what parts of your life today happened unexpectedly?

3. How much of your life today was part of your original plan, and how much was an unexpected surprise or detour?

4. What is actually true right here, right now, in this moment?

5. Where in your life are you looking for certainty, and where might life be inviting—or nudging—you to trust the present moment?

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin, life coach and founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, helps high-performing professionals overcome overwhelm and disillusionment by increasing self-awareness and shifting perspective to improve performance, increase personal contribution, and experience a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose. Laurel began coaching after a 30-year corporate career.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

In this episode of the Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, Laurel Boivin explores what it means to reclaim your voice as an ongoing practice. Moving beyond awareness alone, she shares how using your voice requires intentional action, small moments of honesty, and the willingness to stay connected to yourself even through discomfort.

Through personal stories, reflections on relationships and visibility, and practical guidance, Laurel explains how many people learn to hold back their truth in order to stay safe, agreeable, or accepted. She offers compassionate encouragement for listeners who are learning to interrupt old patterns, build self-trust, and express themselves more honestly in conversations, relationships, and leadership.

This episode is an invitation to practice reclaiming your voice one small step at a time — not through perfection or dramatic change, but through presence, awareness, courage, and authenticity.

In This Episode

• Why awareness alone is not enough to create change

• The connection between voice, self-trust, and authenticity

• How people learn to become agreeable, accommodating, or silent

• Three practical ways to begin reclaiming your voice

• Staying connected to yourself through discomfort and uncertainty

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. Where in my life have I learned to hold back my voice?

2. What automatic responses or patterns do I notice in conversations?

3. What truths, opinions, or feelings have I been hesitant to express?

4. Where might I benefit from pausing before automatically responding?

5. What would it look like to practice using my voice in small, safe ways?

6. How do I typically respond to discomfort when expressing myself honestly?

7. What opportunities in my life might be inviting me to step more fully into my voice?

8. What does reclaiming my voice mean for me personally right now?

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, cohosts Laurel Boivin and Laurel Holland explore how our voice, both spoken and unspoken, can quietly shape the course of our lives. Through personal stories and reflective dialogue, they uncover how early conditioning, family dynamics, and unexpressed emotions can limit self-expression and keep us from fully stepping into who we are.

The conversation invites listeners to reconnect with their authentic voice as a pathway to clarity, confidence, and self-trust. By examining what was once silenced, practicing safe expression, and speaking desires out loud, listeners are encouraged to move toward greater alignment between who they are and the life they want to create. Ultimately, this episode is a gentle but powerful reminder: your voice is not just a tool for communication, it is a gateway to transformation. 

You’ll hear these highlights and more

• How conditioning shapes your voice

• The cost of staying silent

• Speaking your desires out loud

• Finding safe spaces to express

• Building trust in your voice

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. What were you allowed to talk about—and not talk about—growing up?

2. How did your parents or caregivers respond to the way you expressed yourself?

3. Which parts or “qualities” of your voice do you use often—and which do you avoid?

4. Where in your life are you not getting what you want—and what role might your voice be playing in that?

5. Are you speaking out loud about what you want, or keeping it inside?

6. What do you want most right now—and can you write it down and say it out loud to yourself?

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

​​In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, host Laurel Holland sits down with voice teacher, author, and songwriter Barbara McAfee for a powerful, experiential exploration of voice as a pathway to confidence, embodiment, and inner power.

Together, they unpack how our voices are shaped by culture, conditioning, and lived experience—and how reclaiming the full voice can unlock clarity, presence, and self-expression. Barbara introduces her Five Element Voices framework (earth, fire, water, metal, air), offering listeners a fresh lens for understanding communication, leadership, and authenticity.

This conversation is both deeply compassionate and playfully practical—an invitation to stop fixing your voice and start befriending it.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why voice is not just communication—but manifestation

• How conditioning and trauma shape which parts of our voice are “available”

• The Five Element Voices and what each reveals about power and presence

• Why confidence grows through practice, not perfection

• How play, sound, and experimentation restore wholeness

• What it means to trust the intelligence of your voice

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. What is my story about my voice?

2. Which element of voice feels most familiar to me right now?

3. Which voice feels least accessible—or most uncomfortable?

4. Where might I be confusing “authenticity” with habit or conditioning?

5. What part of my voice might be waiting for permission to return?

Links/Books mentioned - Barbara’s website - www.barbaramcafee.com , Barbara’s email - [email protected]

Barbara’s TED talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze763kgrWGg

Barbara’s original song “Yes” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1HIPsvFgTI&list=RDI1HIPsvFgTI&start_radio=1

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

Barbara McAfee is a master voice coach, author, keynote speaker, and singer/songwriter who merges lessons from 12 years in organization development with the transformative power of sound. Her bestselling book, Full Voice, is based on her 30+ years as a voice coach, supporting people from many professions to find their voice, whatever that means to them. Her new audiobook, Vocal Intelligence, came out in 2025. Since 2013 she has been training others to carry the sacred work of “midwifing voices” into full expression. Her approach shifts the way people think about and use their voices forever. Barbara has produced nine recordings of mostly original music and is founder of the Morning Star Singers, a volunteer comfort choir in the Twin Cities.

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, Laurel Boivin invites you into a deeper exploration of what it really means to find your voice. Through relatable, everyday moments like leaving a conversation wishing you had said more, she uncovers the subtle ways we hold back our truth to avoid conflict, maintain harmony, or meet expectations.

Laurel reframes voice as more than communication.

She offers a compassionate look at why we learn to hold our voice, the cost of doing so, and how to begin reconnecting with it through awareness and small, intentional moments of honesty.

In This Episode

• Why we learn to hold back our voice

• The emotional and physical cost of silence

• Voice as a reflection of self-trust

• How misalignment shows up in everyday moments

• Reconnecting with your voice through awareness

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. Where in my life do I tend to hold back my voice or stay quiet?

2. What do I notice in myself when that happens?

3. What am I trying to manage or protect in those moments?

4. What feels true for me right now, even if I’m not ready to say it out loud yet? 

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.
The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, Laurel Boivin brings the conversation on alignment full circle by exploring what it actually feels like to be out of alignment, and what to do when you notice it.

Rather than dramatic moments, misalignment often shows up quietly: subtle tension, lingering fatigue, disconnection, or a sense that you’re moving through life on autopilot.

This episode offers a compassionate and practical approach to reconnecting with yourself, without needing to overhaul your entire life. Through awareness, pause, honesty, and small intentional shifts, Laurel reminds us that alignment isn’t something we achieve once, t’s something we return to, again and again.

Listeners will hear

• How misalignment quietly shows up in your body, energy, and daily life

• Why feeling “off” isn’t a problem, but a signal worth listening to

• A simple four-step process to come back into alignment

• The power of awareness, pause, and honest self-reflection

• How small, intentional shifts create meaningful realignment

  
  

  Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration: 

  1. Where in my life do I feel slightly out of alignment right now?

  2. What is one small step I can take to move toward alignment?

  3. Is there a boundary that needs strengthening or attention?

  4. Is there a value that I am overlooking?

     
     

  Host/Cohost/Guest Info

  Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

  Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

  The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]
  

In this episode, cohosts Laurel Holland and Laurel Boivin explore why living in alignment is more complex, and more transformative, than it initially appears.

They unpack the internal systems that must come into alignment (values, beliefs, behaviors, and identity), and how misalignment often shows up as resistance, control, or feeling stuck.

Through personal stories and coaching insights, they illustrate how conditioning, self-worth, and unconscious beliefs can quietly shape our choices. Ultimately, this conversation invites listeners to approach alignment as an ongoing, evolving practice—one rooted in self-honesty, curiosity, and the courage to live in deeper truth. 

In This Episode

• Why alignment often feels harder than expected

• Signs you may be living out of alignment

• How values and beliefs shape your experience

• The role of conditioning in keeping you stuck

• Why self-worth impacts what you allow in your life

• Using values as a filter for decisions

Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. 

1. Where in my life does things feel forced, resistant, or out of flow?

2. What do I say I want—and am I truly acting in alignment with that?

3. What beliefs might be underneath the places I feel stuck?

4. Which of my values are currently being honored… and which are not?

5. What conditioning or old patterns might I be ready to release?

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, Laurel is joined by nurse wellness coach Kristen Reed, founder of Nursing Your Way to Wellness, for a deeply human conversation about healing, alignment, and trusting the quiet nudges that reshape a life.

Kristen shares her journey from years on the front lines of hospital care to building a whole-person wellness practice, shaped by two life-altering accidents, profound recovery seasons, and an unwavering commitment to listening inward. 

Together, Laurel and Kristen explore what it really means to live in alignment: not as perfection or linear growth, but as integrity between body, values, purpose, and care for self.

This is a conversation about stillness as medicine, boundaries for people who love their work, and the courage it takes to let go of what no longer fits — even when it once mattered deeply.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How major life disruptions can become portals to clarity, healing, and purpose

• What “living in alignment” looks like in real life, especially for caregivers and helpers

• Why stillness, sensory rest, and nervous system awareness are essential inner-work practices

• How to trust the nudge toward change, take small aligned action, and release self-betraying stories

Poem mentioned:

Please have me go where you'd have me go. 

Do what you have me do. 

Say what you'd have me say.

Please use me in service to my highest good, in service and love. 

I am ready and willing to allow my full connection to my spirit. 

I am no longer burdened by what I have left behind.

Heaven above me and Earth below me, support me on my way.

Host/Cohost/Guest Info
Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

Kristen Reed is a registered nurse, nationally certified health and wellness coach, and the founder of Nursing Your Way to Wellness. With 17 years of experience in bedside nursing at leading hospitals, including Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Kristen brings deep clinical insight to her whole-person approach to health. Her work is rooted in helping women understand their bodies, regulate stress, and build sustainable habits that support energy, balance, and wellbeing. Kristen blends evidence-based health coaching with a compassionate, human-centered lens shaped by her own healing journey. She is passionate about empowering women—especially in midlife—to feel confident, informed, and aligned in their health and lives. You can learn more about Kristen and the work she does at www.nursingyourwaytowellness.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is ⁠[email protected]⁠ and for Laurel Holland is ⁠[email protected]⁠.

What does it really mean to live in alignment, and how do you know when you’re not?

In this episode, Laurel Boivin explores alignment as an internal experience of integrity — when your values, energy, body, and choices are no longer in conflict. 

Laurel shares her personal story of leaving a corporate role that once fit but no longer aligned with who she was becoming — and the grief, uncertainty, and courage that came with that decision. She also unpacks how misalignment shows up physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, especially for capable people who are skilled at pushing through.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and begin choosing what fits you now.

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, Laurel Boivin explores what it truly means to express your emotions with grace and confidence. Building on previous conversations about befriending emotions and developing inner strength, this episode focuses on giving your emotions a voice—without suppressing them or letting them spill out in ways you later regret.

Laurel shares a simple, practical framework to help you communicate your emotions clearly, calmly, and respectfully. She also explores why so many of us struggle with emotional expression, how unexpressed emotions can lead to disconnection and resentment, and why learning this skill is essential for self-trust, healthy relationships, and sustainable leadership.

This conversation invites you to move from holding or hiding your feelings to expressing them in a way that creates clarity, connection, and deeper alignment with yourself.

Episode Highlights

• Why emotional expression is the natural completion of emotional processing—and what happens when we skip this step

• The difference between suppressing emotions, reacting impulsively, and expressing them with intention and clarity

• A simple 4-step practice to communicate emotions with grounded confidence

• How regulating your nervous system changes the quality of your conversations and relationships

• Why expressing your emotions builds self-trust, reduces resentment, and creates more authentic connection

Journaling prompts suggested to further your exploration:

• Where in your life might there be an emotion that needs a voice?

• Is there something you’ve been feeling but holding back to keep others comfortable?

• How might it benefit you—and your relationships—if you expressed that emotion with care and clarity?

Host/Cohost/Guest Info

Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love’s 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel’s great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.

Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine.  You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is [email protected] and for Laurel Holland - [email protected]