Did you know being an excellent listener is a way to practice great boundaries?

It’s hard as hell to do, with a human ego standing right in the way…but it’s also the skill with the single biggest payoff.  

Listening as a boundary tool always surprises people when they hear it for the first time. Until a few seconds later…when they have a lightbulb moment. 

Great listening makes the space between two people clear, instead of muddy. 

When we listen to someone without argument, disagreement, or judgement and instead reflect back what we’re hearing; we hold up a mirror that lovingly keeps them accountable to what they’re sharing. We keep the space between us clear, until it’s time for us to share. And this keeps us more accountable to our own words as well. 

Great listening reverses a triggered nervous system, bolsters empathy and connection, and ultimately gives each person we’re in relationship witn the one thing that they want most. 

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

• How being a great listener =  having great boundaries 
• How to keep clarity around “what’s yours and what’s mine” during disagreements 
• How listening keeps us, and others accountable  
• How listening moves us out of fight or flight and into empathy 
• What to do when we don’t agree…(this might surprise you!)  
• Learn why we letting others have their feelings and experience is the golden ticket for us to have our own experience too 
• Why being the better listener is worth it, every. Single. Time. 

If I could give the world a gift, and just download every human with one skill, it would be to listen to understand others across differences. 

Truly listening to understand someone is truly seeing them. Listening is loving. And that’s just sexy. 

All of us just want to be heard and understood. In order to experience that, we need to hear and understand. 

So let’s hold hands and go first. 

You and me. 

Let’s listen first.

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Listen to this 
• The Bloom Room

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Bekah Salazar and Marie McDonald are lifetime sister-friends. We are also all about becoming EXPERTS at loving ourselves so that we can give our best to the world...and even more importantly than that, because we deserve it. 

And so do you. 

We see the people around us giving everything to families and work and communities, and we want to help our people to slow down; say no to everyone else a little more, and say YES to ourselves.

Together, we created the Art of Self-Lovin’ and you’re going to hear all about it in this episode. This content is a sneak peak at an all-day in-person workshop and online course available through the Bloom Coach website. 

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

Self Lovin' on the inside: 

• Learn how to examine your automatic thoughts about yourself, where they come from, and the feeling states they generate in your body. 
• Hear examples of how to shift those thoughts into beliefs that create a more fulfilling life. 
• Learn two tools for generating lists of self love attributes and desires that are in line with your intuition and your body wisdom. 
• Understand how to honor the finite resource of your time and love by choosing to put your energy into people, communities and projects that reciprocate and fill your cup. 

Self Lovin' on the outside: 

• Hear a nod to the holy trio of self lovin’: water, sleep and movement. 
• Understand how style as a form of self expression is a great way to practice self lovin’. 
• Be introduced to skin care rituals as a form of meditation, completing the stress cycle, and daily self lovin’ on the largest organ in the body. 
• How dietary choices that support gut health and protecting the microbiome protect our overall health. 

Self Lovin’ is an art. 

Let’s get really good at practicing it.

Mentioned in this episode: 

• EP 18: The Tool That Changed Everything 
• EP 24: Nostalgia for Now 
• Bekah Salazar on Instagram 
• Wear it Well by Allison Bornstein

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Ever feel like stress just piles on stress? We all know stress is a part of life, but are we handling it right?

For most of us, we tend to get stuck in a cycle of feeling stressed, instead of finishing the cycle by shaking it off and actually resolving the issue.

In this episode, leaning into one of the two stress experts, the Nagoski sisters, I'll break down what stress is and our modern day stressors, share three stories that focus on the non-helpful ways we tend to deal with stress, and give you a few different ways that you can alleviate stress in your daily life.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Strategies for managing stress and reclaiming balance in your life
• How burnout and trauma symptoms often overlap 
• Actionable techniques for completing stress cycles to prevent burnout
• Ways to integrate stress-relief practices into your routine

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski Ph.D.
• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Do you want your big idea to stop being just an idea? Or are you constantly starting and stopping, never actually reaching your goals?

In this episode, I dive head first into the second main ingredient for you to reach your goals. Consistency.

Whether it's starting a business or building healthy habits, they rarely become reality overnight. It happens bit by bit, by just getting better and better at noticing what feels like us and what doesn't.

And learning how to turn the volume knob in your brain really helps you stay consistent no matter where you are in your journey to making your idea real.

What do I mean by that?

You'll hear more of that in this episode.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How small, regular actions, lead you towards achieving your goal
• Managing your thoughts using two volume knobs metaphor
• How consistent practice can help you live more authentically
• Examples of how consistency can be applied to various aspects of life

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Ep 109: Commitment

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

This year, I decided to live a "Year of Zero Lies." Everything that I do or say, I commit to being 100% authentic.

In this process  of personal discovery, I have learned five simple, but incredibly powerful questions that have helped me gain a clear blueprint for what to focus on and what to change.

The clarity questions I offer will help you uncover hidden desires, find areas for growth, and make choices that feel authentic and aligned with your values.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Living authentically and truthfully, focusing on what truly matters to you
• Five clarity questions to help you find your true desires and say no to demands that don't serve you
• Why the biggest challenges in life are the most important for growth
• The power of being deeply honest in every interaction and decision

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Ep 24: Nostalgia for Right Now

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Recently, we celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary, which means they've been together for half a century! If you think about it, their relationship is an idea they made real and stayed committed to it for 50 years and counting. 

Those lovebirds made me ask the question: what is it really that makes our ideas a reality? Is it luck? Is it talent? 

In this episode, I talk about the most common beliefs people think about, and why commitment will make your ideas real above all else.

No matter what your goals are, may this episode inspire you to go after your dreams with more belief in yourself and your beautiful blooming idea.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How commitment, resilience, and perseverance makes ideas real
• Using the regenerative design cycles to make a clearer path for your goals
• How failures can become a way to make changes and improvements 
• Why it’s important to think about your commitments, why you made them, and to make sure they match your goals

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Ep 92: Regenerative Design
• Ep 107: Design a Regenerative Year

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Do you ever make New Year's resolutions? This episode isn't about if you should or shouldn't. Instead, it's about a great way to make any idea – big or small – happen.

We'll talk about three month goals,  a framework for achieving your big goals by breaking them down into manageable chunks.  This creates a clear path with actionable steps, enabling our brain to visualize and execute the necessary actions.

If you want to achieve more this 2025, whether it's personal growth, professional success, or simply bringing a long-held ideas to life, this episode is your first step to achieving those goals.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to breaking down your new year goals into smaller steps 
• The importance of community support in making your ideas real
• How to articulate your goals to make them achievable
• Using the 90-day goals framework to make your ideas bloom this year

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Before the end of the year, we usually spend this time to make up a list of things that we want to do or change. We call that our New Year's resolution. Today we're going to be more specific on that. 

In this episode, we're going to talk more about designing your life for the coming year and making your choices based on a regenerative reasoning. That means that you're going to choose to put your time and your energy into things that give energy back to you.

We'll talk about setting goals for the next 90 days and that includes saying no to the things that you don't want to do and yes to the things that you do want to do.

You get to decide what you want out of this experience. Express your ideas and live the life that only you can, putting your incredible contribution into the world.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Regenerative design as a reflection and design tool for your coming year
• Strategies for intentional living by setting boundaries to preserve energy
• Practicing nostalgia for the present to cherish the uniqueness of each moment
• Setting 90-day goals to approach your reflection for the year in a way that really focuses in on what is generating energy for you

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Ep 92: Regenerative Design
• Ep: 24: Nostalgia for Right Now

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Have you ever noticed how we often approach new things with a fixed idea of how they should be? Whether it’s a trip, a project, or even a conversation, we tend to follow familiar patterns. But why? 

In today's episode, I'll share with you a perfect experience last weekend to illustrate that when we let things flow and let go of expectations, our experiences become more magical. I'll also give you some questions that you can ask yourself, that might help you step outside the box of same expectations or patterns.

Join me in this episode as we explore how to embrace the unexpected, and create experiences that are truly yours.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to embrace and find joy in life's unpredictability
• Strategies for unleashing creativity by reimagining spaces and situations
• How to work with the flow rather than resist it
• Questions to ask yourself to think innovatively and outside the box to create extraordinary experiences

Mentioned in this episode: 

• the.bloom.coach on IG

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!

Imagine puffing a dandelion into the air. As you blow on the dandelion, all its little feather-like flowers go out into the world.

When we put our ideas out, they spread like a dandelion and other people get to experience and build off of them.

In this episode, I want to talk about our wonderful and magical experience in Vancouver and how this experience exemplify that sharing our thoughts into the world creates an innovative impact in our community.

Can you imagine being part of a community like that?
We'd be one big arena of blooming people.

Remember, your ideas are bigger than you. So put them out there and let it go.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The benefits of creating and sharing ideas with others
• How our ideas' true worth is in their impact on the world
• Letting go of ego and embracing the ripple effect of shared ideas
• Our recent experience of being in a community of shared thoughts

Mentioned in this episode: 

• the.bloom.coach on IG

How to connect with Marie:

• On the Web | The Local Bloom
• Instagram: @the.bloom.coach
• All Things Marie on LinkTree

JOIN THE BLOOM ROOM!
We'll take all these ideas and apply them to our lives. Follow me on Instagram at @the.bloom.coach to learn more and snag a spot in my group coaching program!