Brave Enough to Be

You might remember that I took a “break” from the podcast in April.

(A break during which I recorded and worked on seven new episodes!)

In today’s “episode” (it’s a mini one, clocking in at around five minutes), I explain why we’re taking an indefinite hiatus from the podcast this time.

I love this podcast and I love that you listen in every week! It’s a true labor of love, and I know this time away will help me better focus my time and energy on my long-term goals (like writing a book!), while figuring out if and how I can best show up for this passion podcast project too.

In the meantime, if you’d like to keep in touch, you can subscribe to my Sunday Night Newsletters which I promise to keep sending :) And, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to catch up on the last 27 episodes of the podcast — they’re all so good!

Thank you, as always, for being here — and I look forward to connecting with you again soon!

In today’s episode, I’m joined by indie author and maker, Christina Cato. 

As an author, Christina enjoys writing romance, sci-fi/fantasy, dystopian fiction, but is open to whatever stories pop into her head: From steamy romance to historical thriller, she goes where the characters and stories take her. She has three published novels on Amazon, but has written one more, and is currently starting on her fifth book — a fictional tale based on her recent experience getting COVID-19! 

Christina has also been building Star Wars droids since 2015 (she has two complete droids) and has facilitated a thriving community of women-identifying builders through the Stardust Builders Initiatives. She is also an historical re-enacter with the Society of Creative Anachronisms; a Stormtrooper, Imperial Officer, Imperial Combat Driver, Imperial Transport troop Driver for international Star Wars fan-based organization, 501st Legion; and a volunteer for 501st events that include Make-A-Wish granting, fundraisers, STEM based events. 

And in all the spare time she has left, Christina can also be found hamming it up at conventions in the various cosplay she enjoys and working full-time for Nike. 

Christina was introduced to me by my friend Jon, who works with Christina at Nike and told me she was an awesome creative dynamo — and he was so right.

In today’s conversation, we talk about how Christina got into the world of droid building and how it’s helped her open doors for other people, how she’s learned to stop caring about what other people think and how that’s changed her life, and the one action that has led to every success in her life.

We also talk about:

• How she became a published author after giving up on writing early in her life, and how she takes the seedling of an idea and turns it into an entire story
• The power of representation for women and people of color
• How to unplug from the people in your life who have a negative impact
• The best way to begin accessing our joy and following our whimsy
• Why it’s not just okay, but should be encouraged to be bad at things
• How living as your full self creates more space in your life 
• Why there is no right or wrong way to do anything
• . . . and so much more!

Christina’s passions range from the technical to the hands on, but it’s always inspirational.  More than that, she tries to do it her own way, using her own “voice” rather than merely copying everyone else.

I loved our conversation because it reminded me of how powerful it is to live as my full self and to follow the things — the activities, the relationships, the career paths — that really feel good to me. 

That’s where Christina has found the most success and the most happiness, and after having this conversation, I’m more convinced than ever that the same is true for all of us.

Thank you, as always, for listening — I hope you enjoy the show!

—

Follow Christina:

• Twitter
• Facebook Group: Cato’s Cloud
• Facebook Group: Stardust Builders Initiative
• Website (Under Construction)
• Amazon

Other Notable Links:

• Christina’s Our Star Wars Story
• Looking for Leia

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by mental health counselor and advocate, Taylor Nolan.

Taylor is a Seattle native who appeared on Season 21 of The Bachelor, where she popularized emotional intelligence, and then was on Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise. 

Since appearing on The Bachelor franchise as a reality TV personality, Taylor has expanded and transitioned her brand into being a podcast host. In December 2017, Taylor launched the Let’s Talk About It with Taylor Nolan podcast. 

As an alumna from Johns Hopkins University with an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Taylor is helping spread awareness and breaking the stigma around mental health and taboo topics.

Through both her time as a reality TV personality and hosting her podcast, Taylor has connected with America and her followers with her courage to tackle uncomfortable and controversial topics, and her passion for mental health advocacy. Taylor’s other passions include environmental sustainability and animal rescue.

I first heard of Taylor when I listened to her on another podcast and I was so excited to reach out to her. As you’ll hear in the conversation, we share a lot in common and it was really fun to share insights and experiences and learn more about all that she’s done and continues to do.

In today’s conversation, we talk about how Taylor creates boundaries between other people's emotions, experiences, opinions and her personal energy or professional work; how she’s learned to let go of other people’s opinions of her and show up as her authentic self; and her experience of growing up biracial in a white family.

We also talk about:

• Her psychotherapy practice and what drew her to the work in the first place
• Why she applied to be on The Bachelor and why it ended up actually being a traumatic experience — and why she decided to go back for Bachelor in Paradise
• What she posted during Black History Month that had me in tears, and the work she’s done to accept the parts of herself she’s rejected
• How we’re both reconnecting with our naturally curly hair and why that’s been such an important journey
• . . . and so much more!

This is another conversation that was recorded back in early April and, as all we know, so much has changed in our country and in the world in the months since then. 

But even back in April, this was a really special conversation where we touched on topics that still feel relevant and important today. Our conversation around being biracial was especially important and impactful to me.

Taylor is an incredible advocate and resource of information and insight, as both her podcast and her Instagram consistently feature the sometimes uncomfortable, but always important conversations around what’s happening in this moment and what it’s like to be human through all of it. 

After you give today’s episode a listen, I hope you’ll go follow Taylor and her work, because she really is doing incredible things in the world and I feel grateful to have shared this conversation with her.

Thank you, as always, for listening — I hope you enjoy the show!

—

Follow Taylor:

• Instagram
• Let’s Talk About It Podcast

Other Notable Links:

• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by coach and healer, Camille Kelley.

Camille is a queer coach and healer for business owners, creatives, entrepreneurs and leaders looking to release the stress, overwhelm and burnout of the “hustle” and step into flow and fun so that they can experience more magic, play and excitement while creating bigger and better results by doing less. 

Camille uses a unique mix of EFT/tapping and creativity practices along with traditional coaching with a focus on self-love to guide her clients to overcome fears, blocks and challenges in order to step into their most powerful, vibrant selves. 

I was really lucky to meet Camille in a Facebook group late last year. I had a really incredible creativity coaching session with her, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

She has been such an incredible advocate for my writing and my projects — including this podcast — and it was so much fun to share this conversation with her, learn more about the life experience that led to the work she does now, the practices she uses now, and the ways she’s brave enough to show up as the fullest expression of herself now!

In today’s conversation, we talk about how she’s begun to live life as her full self (and why it’s an ongoing process), the tools and processes she uses to move through challenging situations and emotions, and how a family tragedy helped her see the beauty in life that she had lost sight of.

We also talk about:

• How she tuned into who she really was and what she really wanted — and what happens when you accept the parts of yourself that you thought were wrong
• What she does when she’s afraid to step into a more authentic version of herself
• How to release trapped energy and emotions in your body
• How showing up imperfectly has made her a better coach, fiance, daughter, and human
• . . . and so much more!

As with last week’s episode, Camille and I recorded our conversation back in late April — but again, as with last week’s episode, I think so many of the insights that Camille shares and the tools she offers are relevant to and really helpful for living through the times that we’re in. 

Camille is a really sparkly, wonderful, wise human being and I’m certain that her penchant for pursuing joy and play and showing up as your messy, imperfect self will appeal to anybody who’s listening.

I know it did — and it does! — for me.

Thank you, as always, for listening. I hope you enjoy the show!

—

Follow Camille:

• Website
• Instagram (Finding Sparks)
• Instagram (Camille Kelley)
• Facebook Group (Finding Sparks)
• Events
• Win a Session

Other Notable Links:

• Brave Enough to Be, Ep. 20 - Karissa Kouchis

• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

• Brave Enough to Be, Ep. 24 - Nailah Blades Wylie

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by coach and community builder, Nailah Blades Wylie.

Nailah is the CEO of Color Outside, a curated travel company for ambitious women of color who are ready to create unapologetic, soul stirring lives through outdoor adventure. She started Color Outside as a safe place for women of color to come together and unlock where they're feeling stuck so that they can fully step into their joy and shine. When she's not leading adventure retreats or consulting with brands you can find Nailah hiking with her husband or playing intense games of hide-n-go seek with her two tiny kids.

I have known Nailah for many years now — since we were both “young female entrepreneurs” in LA — and every conversation I’ve had with her has been filled with wisdom and insight that I want to immediately apply to my life. It was really an honor to have her on the show and to continue to learn from her.

In today’s conversation, we talked about how she’s gotten comfortable with taking big leaps, how companies can do a better job creating more inclusive spaces for marginalized communities, and why it’s so important to her to get outside and help other women of color find joy doing the same.

We also talk about:

• Her three-part framework for how to be a more inclusive brand

• Why decentering ourselves is the key to building better communities

• What having two kids and two companies has taught her about balancing the many requests for her time and energy

• Why now, maybe more than ever, it’s so important to keep dreaming

• . . . and so much more!

I also want to note that we recorded this episode back on April 22nd. Had we had this conversation any time in the last three weeks, I have no doubt we would’ve talked about what’s going on in the world — and about how that’s impacted us individually, how that’s impacted the Black community, and why it just continues to highlight how important Nailah’s work is in the world.

And, when I think about Nailah, I think about joy. I think about the joy she cultivates in her own life, I think about the joy she helps women of color find in the outdoors, I think about the joy she brings to the lives of the people who know her!

I’m so grateful for this conversation, because everything we talk about — everything Nailah so graciously shares — is still so important to our current societal conversation.

Thank you, as always, for listening. I hope you enjoy the show!

—

Follow Nailah:

• Website

• Instagram (Color Outside)

• Facebook (Color Outside)

• Instagram (Nailah Blades Wylie)

Other Notable Links:

• Brave Enough to Be - Episode 1

• She Is the Universe

• Brave Enough to Be - Episode 4

• Writing Pad

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In this week’s solo episode, I do my best to address what’s going on in the world following the murder of George Floyd (and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and . . . ), sharing more about my experience and offering some thoughts and next steps I’ve been exploring.

As a biracial American woman, I live in a Black body and I benefit from a whole lot of privilege, including white privilege. I think that's important to start with because it obviously influences everything I have to say and how I show up in the world.

I also want to note that this episode centers a lot of my experience, and much of the conversation is directed toward other people with white privilege or internalized racism.

For all of the reasons I just shared, this episode is a little more off the cuff. It’s just me talking to you.

I felt that it was important to share directly from my heart, my thoughts, my feelings, because that’s all I know. I know my own experience, my own learning (and unlearning), and my own commitment to where I go next.

In today’s episode, I dive deeper into:

• My background and personal experience as a biracial Black woman in America

• What I’ve experienced (and why) over the last few weeks

• What I’m learning (and unlearning) about white privilege, white supremacy, the roots of racism, and how I’ve unwittingly perpetuated this system

• The big life lessons — which apply to this moment, but also all aspects of life — that I’m currently remembering and integrating

• Where I’ve messed up (with this podcast, in particular) . . . 

• . . . and my current commitments to do better.

• And, as always, so much more!

It’s my hope that something in this episode will connect with you, will touch you, will inspire you to make your own commitment to do better — for the Black community and for humanity. 

Thank you for listening.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by author and poet, Brianna Wiest.

Brianna has built a worldwide readership through thousands of published articles and tens of millions of views. She is a senior contributor at Forbes, a top contributor at Medium, and writes and consults for national publications. 

Brianna is also the author of five books — and her latest, The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery is being published in June 2020! Her dream is to use the power of words to help people awaken to their fullest potential, build emotional intelligence and fulfill their life purpose

Brianna is one of my favorite writers; someone whose every word I want to share on an Instagram Story and just say: “YES, THIS.” I believe her words resonate not just because she braids them together so well, but because she is so good at exploring and explaining the human condition. 

In today’s conversation, we talked about how you can begin to change the way you think, what she’s learned from her most popular pieces, the piece of advice that’s most contributed to her prolific writing career, and why it’s so important to let go of attachment to the outcome.

We also talk about:

• What self-sabotage is, how to identify it, some of the main reasons we self-sabotage, and the practical steps she took to begin shifting her behaviors in her own life
• The piece of advice that’s most contributed to her prolific writing career and the unconventional way she finds flow while writing
• Why self-hate is a learned thing (and how to unlearn it)
• The questions to ask yourself whenever you keep running into a block in your life
• . . . and so much more!

Brianna was one of the first names on my “Dream Guest” list when I was first thinking about this podcast, and I’m so grateful that we got to share this conversation. 

I’ve admired her as a writer for so long, and after this conversation, I like her even more as a person. 

—

Follow Brianna:

• Website
• Medium
• Instagram

Other Notable Links:

• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
• Resilience by Eric Grietens

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Felicia Sullivan.

A marketing executive and novelist, Felicia has been building brands and telling stories for decades. She's the author of The Sky Isn't Visible From Here (Algonquin Books/HarperCollins Publishers) and Follow Me Into The Dark (Feminist Press). Currently, she's roaming around California with her tabby cat, Felix — and that’s just one of many reasons I was so excited to talk with her today!

I first became familiar with Felicia’s work when I was applying for a new job several years ago, and found that she was one of the few women in a leadership role at the company. Though she left that job shortly before I started, I continued to follow her work with fascination and admiration.

Felicia is not only an incredible and prolific writer, she is an adept explorer of the human condition: finding ways to communicate her own experiences, transitions, and transformations in ways that both entertain and educate everyone who reads her work.

In today’s episode, we talked about why she decided to pack up her life in LA and spend a year traveling California (and what that experience has been like in the middle of a global pandemic), how she’s made a lot of radical changes in her life over the last few years (and what those transformations have taught her about resilience), and why it’s not a good thing that we tend to surround ourselves with people who are so similar to us — and what she does to combat that in her own life.

We also talk about:

• How she’s been brave enough to show up as the truest expression of herself in every facet of her life
• Why she’s put herself through what she calls “the reckoning”: gleaning people from her life who were no longer healthy
• Why it’s so important to question and challenge what you believe, and how she does that regularly
• How to convey your truth as a writer, and why her writing has evolved over the years
• How to write (or create or do anything) without comparing yourself to everyone who seems better or further along than you
• . . . and so much more!

I have learned so much from Felicia over the years — first, as a follower of her work and later as a friend — and I continued to benefit from her wisdom and the breadth of her experience in this conversation. Whether you’re a writer, a traveler, or just a human hoping to become truer to yourself and your path, this episode will give you valuable insights to guide your way.

—

Follow Felicia:

• Medium
• LinkedIn

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Karissa Kouchis.

Karissa, also known as "KK", is a Tony Robbins National Speaker. She advises and consults with Fortune 500 companies, teams, groups, and organizations on the areas of Peak Performance, leadership, organizational behavior, psychology of achievement, and sales mastery. 

KK has brought her high-energy training to over 500 events for companies like Salesforce.com, Zoom Video Communications, Keller Williams, Beautycounter, Equinox, Fox Sports, New York Life, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Marriott Hotels, and Barre3 Fitness. She guides audiences to experience the highest standard of training so each individual can make immediate and massive shifts in not only performance and business, but in their lives.

Karissa is a firecracker and she lit such a fire in me to live as the woman I want to be and already KNOW I AM. Her words are powerful and I hope they resonate with you — and compel you to action! — as deeply as they did with me.

In today’s episode, we talked about how to exercise the power of your mind, designing your life instead of letting your mind lead you on autopilot. We also talk about how she became the youngest nationwide trainer for Tony Robbins with zero qualifications and zero professional selling and speaking experience — and the specific tools she’s used to absolutely kill it on the job.

We also talk about:

• How to deal with the people who aren’t comfortable with your personal growth
• Why self-development doesn’t have to equal massive changes in your life (at first)
• How to get the things that you want, even if you don’t feel (or just actually aren’t) qualified
• How shifting your identity will change your life and how you do it
• Her powerful (proprietary) journaling technique for setting herself up for success and creating a “sexy” future
• Her advice to help you show up in a more powerful way starting TODAY
• . . . and so much more!

After months of following her on Instagram, I knew it would be such a joy to share a conversation with Karissa, and she still completely blew me away. I know it’ll change your life too, if you give it a listen and start to put her wisdom into action starting today.

—

Follow Karissa:

• Website
• Instagram
• Unleash Her Power Within Discount: Text PODCAST to 77948

Other Notable Links:

• Create The Story You'll One Day Tell with Karissa Kouchis (Tory Dube Podcast)

• Enneagram Institute

• Jen Sincero

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Shirin Eskandani.

Shirin is a life coach, public speaker and writer who specializes in mindfulness and mindset work. She has been a featured wellness expert on the Today Show and Cosmopolitan Magazine, and prior to building her successful coaching business, she was an award-winning opera singer, performing at Carnegie Hall and The Metropolitan Opera.  

Certified by the International Coach Federation, Shirin’s holistic approach to transformation is influenced by her background in meditation, spirituality and the arts. She is also an inspiring and dynamic speaker who has presented at ALT Summit, Ignite Womxn Summit, Well Summit, Heal Haus and the Assemblage. Shirin is co-founder of The Glow Up and Brown Girl Brunch.

Shirin is brilliant, thoughtful, and wise. In today’s conversation we talk about how her realizing her dream of becoming an opera singer showed her that hustling for your worth never works — and also led to her work as a successful coach.

We also talk about:

• How things shifted when she started focusing on her internal work over her external achievements
• How she works with science-based work and spiritual tools in tandem to heal herself and her clients 
• How to identify and listen to your intuition (as opposed to the ego/fear voice)
• What it means to heal as an individual in service of the collective; as opposed to the (usually) solitary work of self-help — and why it means we have to look at things that aren’t just “love and light”
• . . . and so much more!

I think the conversation we shared is so important to hear always, but especially right now when a lot of us are feeling a little lost, a little overwhelmed, in need of some healing, and perhaps more dedicated than ever to finding and following our purpose.

—

Follow Shirin:

• Wholehearted Coaching Website
• Instagram
• Wholehearted Coaching: The Podcast

CREDITS

Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen

Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)