Bloom Your Mind

In this episode, Marie shares a behind-the-scenes look at preparing for her very first Moxie Retreat in La Jolla — and a realization she had mid-workout that cracked open today's topic: we apply hedonistic adaptation to ourselves. We celebrate other people's wins, build gratitude practices for the world around us, and then completely skip ourselves. Marie explores what hedonistic adaptation is, how it shows up as constant gap-chasing, and why turning your gratitude practice inward is one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) things you can do for your health, your productivity, your presence, and your relationships.

What You'll Learn

• What hedonistic adaptation is and how it quietly shapes the way you see your own life
• Why your brain's negativity bias keeps you focused on the gap instead of the growth
• The health, creativity, and presence benefits of a gratitude practice aimed at yourself
• How recognizing your own work makes you more likely to keep doing it
• The ripple effect: how appreciating yourself trains your brain to appreciate the people around you
• A simple weekly practice for noticing where you've been taking your own awesomeness for granted

This Week's Assignment

Look at where you've been taking your own awesomeness for granted.

• Where have you been taking yourself for granted?
• Look back at yesterday, last week, and as many weeks before that as you can.
• What are you grateful for yourself about? What have you accomplished that you're proud of?
• Take a moment to recognize even the tiniest things.
• Notice the ripple it creates across your life and the lives of the people around you.

Memorable Quotes

"I take myself for granted. And I watch my clients do this day in and day out."

"That vision for what we are creating and who we are becoming is never a measuring stick."

"If I don't notice it for myself, it's gonna go unnoticed."

"As we train our brain to look for what we like… we're going to do that with other people too."

"When we see and acknowledge the unique, special people in the world around us… it creates reality for them."

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Moxie Mastermind — next round starts in September. A special perk is being announced Saturday for anyone who signs up by next week. DM Marie on Instagram or reach out directly 
• Related episodes:
  • Look How Far You've Come — on measuring progress against where you started, not against the ideal
  • Retros Are Everything — on building reflection into your iteration process

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!

Many of my clients come to me with a clear vision of what they want—connection in their relationships, growth in their business, confidence in their body—but when we look closely, the energy they’re putting in doesn’t match what they’re trying to create.

And most of the time, they don’t realize it.

In this episode, we talk about how to code your energy on purpose—so that what you’re putting into your life is aligned with what you actually want to experience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why misaligned energy is one of the biggest reasons we don’t create what we want
• How to define energy as the combination of your thoughts + your feelings
• A recap of the regenerative design cycle and how energy moves through it
• Why the energy you put into an idea determines what comes back to you
• How to intentionally “code” your energy to match your desired outcome
• Practical examples of how this shows up in relationships, business, health, and social life

Energy isn’t vague—it’s specific.
Your thought + the feeling it creates in your body = your energy.
And that energy is what you’re putting into everything you do.

In the regenerative design cycle:

• You have an idea you want to make real
• You put energy into that idea
• That energy moves out into the world
• And then the world reflects that energy back to you

So if you want something different back…
You have to code your energy differently going in.

You change your life by changing the energy you bring to it.

When your thoughts and feelings align with what you want to create, everything starts moving faster.

So this week, ask yourself:
What energy am I putting in—and does it match what I want back?

And then… code it differently.

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!

What if the thing you're rallying against is actually a signal pointing toward something you deeply value? In this episode, Marie explores how to reframe your energy — moving from fighting against what you don't want, toward fighting for the life, relationships, and work you actually want to create. With personal stories, client examples, and research from the Gottman Institute, this episode is a practical invitation to find your North Star and align your actions with it.

In this episode: 

• The road trip update: Marie recaps a Big Sur road trip with her 9- and 13-year-old, designed entirely by the kids — and why these trips are a deliberate practice in flexibility, problem-solving, and connection.
• The retro phone story: Marie accidentally orders a vintage audio guestbook instead of a landline. What starts as a mistake turns into a surprisingly magical idea for her upcoming Moxie Retreat — a live example of "the obstacle is the way."
• Fighting for vs. fighting against: The core framework: our brains are wired to threat-scan and focus on what we don't want. But when we flip the question — "What am I actually fighting for?" — we generate more motivation, alignment, and energy to act.
• The musician client: A session with a client who listed everything he wanted to fix. Marie redirects the conversation toward his creative vision — and the "problems" begin to dissolve on their own.
• The Gottman Institute research: Couples who focused on building connection with each other did far better than those who focused only on conflict resolution. What you focus on grows — in relationships and beyond.
• Applications across life: Marie walks through how to flip the framework in four areas: health habits, relationships, environmental/social concerns, and burnout at work.
• A personal story: criticism and clarity: When a trusted person criticized Marie's work, she initially wanted to protect herself. By asking "what am I fighting for?", she found her answer — and a firm, values-aligned boundary.

This week's invitation: Where are you fighting against something right now? Flip it. What are you actually fighting for? Articulate the vision — the life, relationship, health, or work you want to create — and let that become your North Star.

Mentioned in this episode

• Book: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
• Research: The Gottman Institute / The Love Lab — couples & connection studies
• Concept: Ikigai — Japanese concept of life purpose
• Product: After the Tone — vintage audio guestbook rentals
• Retreat: Moxie Retreat, La Jolla — sailboats, private chef, coaching (next one: October)

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!

At some point in life, many of us quietly stop imagining.

We make the big decisions—where we live, what we do for work, whether we partner or have kids—and then without realizing it… we start maintaining instead of creating.

We stop setting bold goals.
 We stop asking who we want to become next.
 We stop imagining what’s possible.

In this episode, we flip that pattern.

We talk about reverse aging—a way of thinking about your life where instead of your most exciting, expansive, alive years being behind you… they are still ahead.

Where your future is more interesting than your past.
 Where you are still becoming.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How we unconsciously “lock in” our identity after making major life decisions
• Why stagnation happens when we stop imagining new possibilities
• The concept of reverse aging—living as if your best days are still ahead
• How “being ridiculous at first” helps suspend disbelief and unlock creativity
• Why blue sky thinking is essential for innovation in your life (not just business)
• How to re-engage your imagination to create a more expansive future
• Questions and lenses to ask about the future to open up possibility 
• Five areas to reimagine with the lens of the best days still to come 

Let yourself be ridiculous at first.

When you let yourself imagine again—without limits, without immediate realism—you reconnect with possibility.

And from that place, everything opens up.

So this week, ask yourself:
 What would my life look like if I were reverse aging?

And then let yourself begin.

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 notice how sometimes, when you have the smallest margins and the most to do in a small period of time…for some reason that seems to be exactly when the tire is flat, the dog gets out, or you start getting that tickle in the back of your throat? 

It was one of those weeks for me; with two back to back speaking events separated by a red eye flight, when I got really sick, for the first time in years. I didn’t have time to prepare the way I normally would. I had to re-think what was most important and how to pull it all off in a way that honored the people who were counting on me. And what happened next surprised me. Less preparation, and more presence can be a really, really good thing. 

For so many of the women I coach, we’ve been socialized to believe that we need to do more, serve more, prepare more; provide more value. But what if we’ve been over-relying on doing… at the expense of being?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why so many of us over-prepare, overwork, and over-function as a way to prove our value
• How the gender gap shows up in our belief we need to do more 
• The hidden belief that “I have to do more to be enough”—and how it shows up in work, leadership, and life
• How over-preparing can actually block presence, connection, and impact
• How our capacity increases when we understand our value is our mind, our presence and whatever we bring in the moment
• How releasing pressure allows you to be more open, responsive, and powerful in the moment
• How to understand your yellow zones, and make a goal to increase your comfort with doing less 
• How increasing your self-trust ripples out into every area of your life

What if your value is already inherent—because you exist?

When you start from that place, you show up more open, more grounded, more connected, more present to what’s actually happening - and ironically, that’s when your best work comes through.

You are valuable because you’re you. Not because of how much you do. Not because of how well you perform. Not because of how prepared you are. When you release the need to prove, you unlock a different kind of power and capacity.

A more grounded power. A more connected presence. A more magnetic way of moving through the world…and way more fun. So this week, experiment with doing a little less…
And being a whole lot more.

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!

If you’ve ever thought that focusing on the good in your relationship is “cheating” or “fooling yourself,” this episode is your reset.

Because the truth is: this is exactly what the most successful, long-lasting, deeply fulfilling relationships are built on.

In this episode, we dive into five powerful (and yes, a little sassy) mindset shifts that will help you become the spark in your relationship. The one who brings the energy, the connection, the playfulness, and the depth—on purpose.

Because love isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you create with how you think.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why focusing on what’s working in your relationship is backed by research—and not delusion
  How your thoughts shape what you see, feel, and create in love
• Why the most successful couples actively choose beliefs that strengthen their bond
• How to use mindset as a tool to increase connection, attraction, and appreciation
• Five specific, practical mindset hacks you can apply immediately to transform your relationship
• How research supports the effort we put into mindset as the highest yielding investment we can make in our relationship. 

These five mindset shifts are simple—but they are not small.

They change what you notice.
 They change how you feel.
 They change how you show up.
 And that changes everything in your relationship.

You don’t need your partner to change first.
 You get to lead.

And when you do, love expands.

That’s what I’ve got for you this week. 💛

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!

We’ve all felt some version of it at some moment in our lives; some more than others. Often, the people who experience it most intensely are the people you would least expect.

Imposter syndrome can come for leaders. Founders. Experts. High-achievers who are objectively doing incredible work.

And yet privately they’re thinking things like:

• I don’t belong here.
• They might see through me.
• I don’t know enough.
• I’m not at the caliber of the people around me.
• I’m not okay with this, but I can’t say it out loud. 

In this episode, I share a different way of understanding imposter syndrome based on both psychological research and years of coaching leaders and entrepreneurs.

Because over time I began noticing something fascinating: almost every time someone experiences imposter syndrome, something is being hidden.

Not because they’re a fraud—but because there’s a thought, doubt, disagreement, lack of preparation, or truth they don’t feel safe expressing.

When we understand that, imposter syndrome stops being something to “fix” and becomes a signal we can listen to.

In this episode, I share a personal story of experiencing imposter syndrome while leading a company-wide meeting, moments where I stepped into new roles I hadn’t fully embodied yet, and what I’ve learned from supporting clients through this same experience.

We explore how imposter syndrome works psychologically, why it shows up so often in high-achieving people, and how to work with it in a way that leads to more authenticity, confidence, and growth.

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

• What imposter syndrome actually is and why it often shows up in high achievers
 • The common thoughts that create the feeling of being an imposter
 • My core observation: imposter syndrome often appears when we’re hiding something or being inauthentic
 • How the brain’s threat detection system contributes to these feelings
 • Why stepping into new roles or identities can trigger imposter syndrome
 • How environments and power dynamics can amplify imposter feelings
 • The difference between self-doubt that needs coaching and signals that something in your environment needs to change
 • Why authenticity is one of the most powerful antidotes to imposter syndrome

We’ll close with three ways to work through imposter syndrome, so that you can own your own voice, your space, your ideas, and sometimes- ask for backup to help you do that. Because imposter syndrome isn’t proof that you don’t belong.

Often it’s a sign that:

• You’re growing into something new
 • Something in the environment needs to shift
 • Or there’s a truth inside you that wants to be expressed

The antidote isn’t perfection. It’s authenticity.

Showing up honestly, owning what you know, owning what you’re still learning, and saying the unseen out loud when it doesn’t feel quite right, allows us to step through impostor syndrome and keep stepping forward with all of our moxie. 

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!

What does it really mean to become the compassionate observer of your own mind?

In this episode, we explore the practice of stepping back and watching your thinking instead of becoming consumed by it. Because here’s the truth most of us forget: you are not your thoughts, and you are not your feelings.

But when we first begin noticing our thinking, many of us run into a new problem. We judge it. We see a thought and immediately think, Nope. That’s a bad thought. I can’t think that. I can’t be the kind of person who thinks that. So we push it down.

We do the same with feelings like resentment, anger, or jealousy. We shove them underground. And when we do that, those thoughts and feelings don’t go away—they just move into the subconscious where they start running the show.

So today we talk about a different approach: learning to observe your thoughts and emotions with curiosity instead of judgment, so they feel safe enough to reveal themselves. Because when we can truly see what’s happening in our minds, that’s when real change becomes possible.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What it means to become the compassionate observer of your thoughts and emotions
• Why suppressing thoughts and feelings actually gives them more power over you
• The “watch the thinker” practice and how it helps you separate yourself from your thoughts
• Why the subconscious “elephant” always wins when we try to control ourselves through judgment
• How creating safety and compassion toward your own mind allows hidden patterns to surface
• Real examples of how compassionate observation reveals patterns like over-responsibility, fawning responses, or shrinking in moments of leadership
• Why curiosity—not criticism—is the key to seeing what’s actually holding you back
• How practicing compassion with yourself naturally increases compassion for others
• Why releasing self-judgment makes you more confident, more present, and more magnetic in your relationships

When we practice compassionate observation, something surprising happens.

We stop judging ourselves—and when that happens, we stop assuming everyone else is judging us too. Instead of walking into a room wondering “Do they like me?” we walk in thinking “There you are.”

We become more present.
More open.
More connected.

And ironically, that’s when confidence and magnetism start to grow.

All of this begins with one simple practice: watching your mind with compassion.

So today, your job is simple. Notice your thoughts. Don’t judge them—just acknowledge them. Let your emotions move through you. And from that place of awareness, choose the thoughts that move you toward the life you want.

Little by little, that’s how your moxie grows.

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!

In this episode, I interview Maggie Roach Black in a live conversation about the partnership Maggie and I have built over 18 years of working together.

We talk about what makes a work partnership not just functional — but dream-level aligned. The kind of partnership that makes better work, deeper impact, and a lot more joy possible.

This is an inside look at how we think, how we collaborate, how we navigate challenges, and how we’ve stayed each other’s primary thought partner and creative partner for almost two decades.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The traits and values we find make deeply compatible work partners
• How we manage our minds to get the best out of ourselves and each other
• How we navigate challenges without damaging trust or momentum
• Why we’ve been able to sustain a primary work partnership with each other for nearly 20 years
• How meetings on the beach, working dinners and laughing about EVERYTHING keeps us stronger
• Why joy, partnership, and collaboration directly translate into stronger outcomes and better work
• How we create deep organizational impact by helping leaders and teams access their bestest best
• How we help mission-driven organizations build cultures where humans actually thrive
• The next big idea we’re building together — including retreats in Paris

This conversation is really about what becomes possible when you build work relationships rooted in trust, growth, shared values, and hilariousness. 

When partnership is aligned, work gets better.
 Impact gets bigger.
 And the experience of building something meaningful becomes a whole lot more fun.

Maggie Roach Black

Maggie is an executive coach, mom of three wild daughters, holder of multiple degrees from Stanford University, and co-founder of Bloom Leadership. She loves spending her days coaching individuals, training managers and leaders, and helping all kinds of people get unstuck (along with volunteering at her kids’ schools and Girl Scout troops). Her career experience includes leading a scaling business, building processes for staffing and decentralized culture at scale, strategic planning, managing functional teams of managers for people at all levels, and working directly with teachers and kids. She thrives on helping individuals and teams to set the right goals, and believes every work experience can be fun.

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!

Today we’re revisiting one of the most powerful frameworks I teach: the Regenerative Thought Model — and then taking it one step further into real-life application inside relationships, leadership, and everyday human interactions.

At its core, the model is simple:

There are factual circumstances in the world.
 We observe them (ideally from a compassionate, grounded space).
 Our thoughts about those circumstances create our feelings.
 Our feelings drive our behavior.
 Our behavior creates our results.

And then the sneaky part:
 Our results almost always appear to prove our original thought true.
 Our brain says, “See? I knew it.”
 And confirmation bias strengthens that thought, those neural pathways, and that belief system over time — keeping us locked in familiar patterns.

Here’s the next layer most people don’t realize:

You are always inside a thought model.
 All day long.
 And so is everyone else.

The problems start when we accidentally jump into someone else’s model without realizing it.

This happens when someone says something, does something, or gives off body language or energy — and suddenly we stop relating to our own thoughts and feelings and start trying to interpret, validate, or live inside their perspective instead.

Then we start asking:
 “Is their perspective right?”
 “Is my perspective wrong?”
 “Should I feel differently?”

But thoughts are not objectively true or false.
 They are subjective interpretations.

When we forget that, we create confusion, emotional whiplash, and disconnection from ourselves.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• A clear refresher on the Regenerative Thought Model and how it shapes every result in your life
• Why you are always inside a thought model — and how other people are too
• How and why we accidentally jump into someone else’s model
• The four main reasons this happens:
  • Momentarily forgetting that thoughts are subjective
  • Our deep wiring for belonging and not wanting to be excluded
  • Our brain’s threat detection system over-focusing on potential negatives
  • Mirror neurons making emotional states contagious
• How to recognize when you’ve stepped out of your model (sudden emotional shifts, confusion, disorientation, self-doubt)
• Why staying in your model doesn’t mean ignoring other people — it means staying grounded while gathering data
• A simple 4-step process to:
  • Notice when you may be in someone else’s model
  • Separate their perspective from yours
    Reconnect with your own grounded thinking and emotional state
  • Take in useful information from their experience without abandoning yourself

When you learn to stay in your model, you stop getting emotionally knocked over by other people’s storms. You can be present, empathetic, and connected — while still staying anchored in yourself.

If you want support practicing this in real time:

Bloom Room — foundational thought and emotional skill building
Moxie Mastermind — high-level application while building real-world ideas, leadership, and impact

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!