Beyond the Pain: Heart and Home Healing After Loss

From a suicidal 16 year old to a thriving 21-year old Bench World Champion, Joy Rindfleisch shares her inspiring story of having to completely start over after a devastating injury and 13 years of hard work and dedication in competitive gymnastics. 

Joy started when she was only 3 years old and worked her way up to a level 9 gymnast (almost the highest level you can be), when all the sudden at age 16, a broken ankle took her completely out of her "way ahead career" of being a competitive gymnast. As a young girl with big dreams for herself, she found herself completely broken, depressed, hopeless and on the verge of suicide admitting, "if I can't do gymnastics, what's the point of living?" 

Her determination and mindset shift to becoming the best and strongest version of herself took her from her absolute lowest of lows to a super successful powerlifter and Bench World Champion, just two years later. 

In this episode, we discuss: 
-Joy's struggle with eating disorders after she lost her ability to compete 
-The lowest moment of her journey and what eventually made her decide to make a change
-Joy's rediscovering of hope for her future
-The practical daily changes Joy made to restabilize her mental health
-How intuitively eating made the biggest impact on her physical health
-Eliminating processed foods helped her regain some of her mental stability through perspective shift
-Being feminine and strong can coexist in the gym
-Sharing her struggles and story of overcoming anxiety and depression online

I hope this episode shows you that no matter your age, disabilities or life circumstances, that there is ALWAYS hope for a better future and an opportunity to rebuild yourself and to find purpose again. 

Find Joy on social media!
Instagram, Tik Tok & Youtube: Joyjoysfitness_

"We look good, we lift good." ;)

What good is living longer if you're not living BETTER? Are you ready for the ultimate health cheat codes for the best human experience you can get? 

Dr. Mark Sherwood, founder of the Functional Medical Institute in Tulsa, OK, joins the show this week and shares with us exactly what it means to "biohack" our health to become the absolute best and healthiest versions of ourselves that we can be - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. It's not a one size fits all.

During this episode, we discuss: 
-The difference between traditional medical doctor's offices and Dr. Mark's medical institute
-Learning on how to not identify as a "sick" person
-How our mental/emotional and physical health are completely tied together
-The definition of "biohacking" and how we can do accomplish it
-Stop blaming genetics
-The physical effects that grief & trauma can have on your physical body: depletes our immune systems which make us more susceptible to bigger health issues
-The impacts of food on our physical AND mental health
-Where to start if you're ready to improve your overall wellness
-Become addicted to giving hope

As hope dealers, Dr. Mark Sherwood and I prat you leave this episode feeling super encouraged and filled with HOPE. 

Connect with and follow Dr. Mark: 
drmarksherwood.com
Instagram: @dr.marksherwood
Don't forget to download his FREE ebook entitled "Health, Hope & Freedom," available on his website!

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY EPISODE!

So let's talk about what grief looks like 3 years later (for me) and the biggest/most important life lessons I have learned since losing my daughter to get me where I am today: depression free, medication free, low anxiety and in the best physical and mental health of my life!

Biggest take away? Healing (of ANY kind) is completely possible when we are willing to dig deep, do the hard work and decide we don't want to stay like this forever. Thank you so much for being here and following along my journey! 

Don't for get to subscribe and leave a positive review if you're enjoying :)

Looking for the holidays to be LESS stressful and filled with much more (real) joy and not just temporary hits of high?

This week, I am sharing my holistic home holiday guide, which is aimed at reducing stress and increasing joy not only during the holiday season, but beyond the new year as well. There is no shortage of dopamine hits around the holidays, but my goal is to help bring you long lasting peace and joy in your heart with the most practical tips I have, based off of experience and LOTS of research. In this episode, I discuss: 

-The importance of decluttering your home leading up to the holidays (and the simplest way to maintain it throughout the year)
-How to maintain a healthy diet but also learn to indulge in the holiday treats stress free
-What is keeping you stuck in a constant loop of negativity and comparison 
-The VERY important task of nurturing our nervous system, especially during the holidays (and the very simple ways to do it!)
-How practicing gratitude literally rewires our brain to feel more joyful and less stressed, almost mindlessly
-My FAVORITE way to make the mundane tasks feel more joyful
-Rushing is stealing all of your joy and prioritizing preparation is your missing ingredient

These tips are timeless. They will help reduce your stress and increase LONG LASTING joy, no matter what time of year. I hope you feel uplifted and encouraged after listening to this episode. Happy Holidays!

Follow me on Instagram for more heart and home healing! @emmysmaz 

Interested in a pain free, totally different than what you see on TV and potentially ENJOYABLE birth experience?!

On this week's episode, I sit down with the creator of the Pain Free Birth E-course creator, Karen Welton. Over 12 years ago, Karen's journey in the birth education world began as she began prepping for the birth of her first born daughter. In a world where childbirth is often synonymous with fear, pain and trauma, she thought to herself, "There HAS to be another way." Her quest for knowledge and understanding about the physiological and spiritual aspects of childbirth led her to have a mostly pain-free and completely transformative experience with her first born daughter. This was the catalyst to becoming a childbirth educator, e-course creator, doula and podcast host, to start telling as many women as she possibly could about her fearless and almost completely pain free birth experience.

In this episode, we discuss:
-Debunking the pain myth of labor
-The power of your mindset during labor
-Having a redemptive childbirth experience (specifically after loss)
-The fear, tension, pain cycle
-Finding gratitude during labor

Are you ready to embrace a completely different perspective on childbirth? Then this episode is for you! We hope you walk away feeling transformed, empowered and ready for a FEARLESS birth experience.

Find Karen on Social Media!
Instagram:  @painfreebirth
Click on Karen's link in bio for all the info on her FREE Masterclass and her Pain Free Birth E-course!
Youtube:  @painfreebirthwithkarenwelton  
painfreebirth.com

Ready for some more joy in your life?!

It may be scary, but it’s also where a lot of joy lies.. Taking RISKS. 

In this episode, my goal is to gently nudge you with a reminder that we only get one life. ONE LIFE to live and when it’s over.. Do you want to feel regretful? I know I don’t. Today I discuss: 

-The biggest risks I’ve taken in life and how they’ve paid off

-Pouring yourself out for other people is what brings us deep joy

-Life is scary and hard whether we like it or not; we might as well learn to make scary/hard decisions on our own

-Not living with regret when our life comes to an end

I hope this episode encourages you to step out, take risks and live life to the absolute fullest.. Before it’s too late <3

Are you a Mom who constantly feels overwhelmed and chaotic?

Today's guest, Susan Heid, has built a following on social media of over half a million women and shows them every day how to turn their "chaos to calm."

In this episode, we discuss the following:
-Parenting struggles are often tied back to a lack of systems and routines in the home
-There is no "cookie cutter" home routine that will work for everyone; it's important to develop what works for you
-The homemaker is the manager of the home, not always the "doer" of all the tasks; get your children involved
-No matter your season of life or what your "9-5" looks like, you are the homemaker and it is a sacred role
-We are not victims to our schedules; we always have a choice and don't have to do it all just because we are moms
-Saying "yes" to everything our children want to participate in often requires unseen sacrifices that lead to an unfulfilled life at home
-Relieving anxiety, overwhelm and chaos in our lives, starts with how we run our homes
-Susan's TOP THREE things to beat overwhelm in your home

We hope this episode inspires you to take ownership of your sacred role as a homemaker and truly changes your life from the inside out. 

Follow Susan on Instagram: @confidentmom 
Grab her FREE "Start Here" Checklist on Instagram
2025 Weekly Household Planner - now only $5!
2026 Weekly Household Planner coming soon!

Feeling anxious during your pregnancy after loss? 

In this episode, I come to the mic by myself to give you a real and raw look into my current fears and anxieties around my current pregnancy (after a full term stillbirth 3 years ago). But I don't just leave you hanging in fear. I also am thrilled to show you what I'm currently doing that brings me so much hope and helps me feel more in control.

During this episode, I discuss:
-My frustrations with the traditional medical field in dealing with loss moms (and how I'm protecting my peace through it)
-The scary thought of having no "safe zone" in pregnancy and how every living child is a miracle
-How to deal with others around you who aren't speaking your same "loss language"
-How learning to take (and release) control is the ultimate hack to finding inner peace

I hope this episode brings you encouragement and inspiration to find hope and joy among deep pain and anxiety. 

There are few things that are harder for a mother whose first conceived child was stillborn after a perfectly healthy pregnancy, than to put on her brave face during her subsequent pregnancy. 

Today on the show, I am joined by Serena Zaicos who decided to start her own podcast, The Still Hopeful Podcast, to document her own pregnancy after loss journey after her first born son Christopher was stillborn. On this week's episode, we talk about the following topics:

-Serena's preexisting fears of stillbirth and how they manifested during her first pregnancy
-The "before" and "after" of loss (and how we change because of it)
-The mix of devastation and relief when facing your monthly period after loss
-The emotional roller coaster of clearing out your late child's things to make room for a new baby
-How to recognize the difference between our hopeful days and fearful days and learning what to do on those days 
-Choosing to parent our late children in our own unique way
-The loss of identity as a "loss mom" when finding out you're pregnant again
-Navigating how to answer triggering questions and deciding how much to share

If you are currently pregnant after loss, trying to conceive after loss or maybe you're early on in your loss and not quite ready to even think about trying to conceive again.. I hope this episode brings you some hope and encouragement, no matter where you are in your journey. 

You can find Serena on Instagram:
@thestillhopefulpodcast

You can find "The Still Hopeful Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts

In just 11 short months, Bethany went from having a completely normal life with her husband and children, to burying her husband. How does one learn to live after something like this? How does one pick themselves up after a tragedy like this? 

In this episode, Bethany and I talk all about her journey from finding out her husband was sick, to 5 years later (current day) - remarried and continuing to honor her late husband every day. We also talk about:

-Finding a witness to your grief is monumental
-Struggling with your faith and the lack of tools the church often has to help grievers
-Grief is a series of ongoing choices
-Honoring our past loved ones coexisting with new relationships

I hope you are encouraged by this week's episode with Bethany. Here is how you can connect with her:

Instagram: @bethany.ann.spencer

For those of you who are learning to lament and bring your grief before God in a way that honors what you've been through, without sugar coating it - you can take her course called "Sorrow + Song."

Sign up for Bethany's weekly "Hope Note" - every Sunday morning, Bethany sends out a note of tools, resources and encouragement, completely for free. 

Join Bethany's "Exhale Retreat" - your sacred invitation to rest, remember who you are and celebrate who you are becoming. Happening January 2026.

You can find more information about all of these things and even shoot Bethany a DM right on Instagram!