Call Her Brilliant

In this episode I’m speaking with Jen Espinosa-Goswami who has spent her life focused on personal improvement, starting with her 100-pound weight loss as a college student and most recently as a marathon runner. She is a speaker and holistic coach, where her passion is to facilitate bliss for every woman. Jen is a member of the National Weight Control Registry, and her weight loss story has been featured in national publications.

Despite challenges with weight from an early age, Jen grew up with loving friends, family and enjoyed being a star student at school. A month before she graduated from college, her grandmother, who she was very close to, passed away. A trigger moment for Jen, she was faced with the possibility of her own mortality and her health journey.

Jen talks about her weight loss journey, how she built the mental strength to run her first marathon, and how to use these strategies in your own life.

Show Highlights

[02:28] How Jen made the mental shift and change of mindset to start her weight loss journey.

[05:12] Her unhappiness of the vision she saw of her future self.

[06:43] Jen took a year to reach her goal weight.

[10:55] Running marathons and why she decided to run.

[14:18] Why I find marathon runners so interesting.  

[17:51] How Jen emotionally moved past running when she was exhausted.

[19:39] The evolution of her weight loss coaching program.

[22:34] Why it’s hard to recognize your daily small wins.

[24:08] Finding the right virtual exercise program for yourself.

[25:38] Three strategies to get and stay fit!

[31:07] Why she wouldn’t change any of her challenges in her life.

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Weight Less Chronicles

Work with Jen

In this episode, I speak with Irene McKenna, an empowerment and parenting coach for moms who want to ditch the overwhelm, step off the cycle of reactivity, and feel confident that they can parent successfully. 

Irene shares her own journey which started almost ten years ago with her two sons born 15 months apart. “In the beginning, it was a crazy town around here, and to say that I lost myself was a bit of an understatement.” Irene shares how she discovered health and parenting coaching, and how this led to a shift in her parenting, and a reduction in overwhelm. 

Irene talks about what empowered motherhood looks like, and the four pillars that set us up for successful parenting.

Show Highlights

[02:04] Why Irene became interested in working with moms and parents.

[03:33] Areas where moms struggle the most. 

[06:39] Four pillars for successful parenting. 

[09:14] Why it’s important to give yourself grace. 

[11:30] Often our reactions to our children reflect our own childhood experiences.

[14:40] Irene’s advice on how to stop when we feel like we are out of control.

[18:04] How to calm our stress response by engaging with our body. 

[22:58] Giving kids ownership translates into cooperation.

[25:11] How to teach values in boundaries.

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Visit Irene on the web

Check out her Facebook Group Thrive and Motherhood

In this episode, I'm joined by Christy Primmer to chat about self-care and success. Christy is an author, a registered mental health counselor, the founder of the "Think Like a Lady, Act Like a Boss" coaching program, and a self-care junkie.

When asked what got her into the field of self-care, Christy replied, "I know all too well what it's like to hold myself back, whether it's in personal relationships or professional career development." She made her mission to empower and show other women how to create and live the life that they desire.

Christy views self-care from a holistic perspective - financially, spiritually, physically, mentally, sexually, and emotionally. We talk about why it’s important to create boundaries around these life elements if you want to achieve success. Learn why Christy uses a non-negotiable list when it comes to priorities and boundaries.

Show Highlights

[02:14] Why self-care is important when it comes to success.

[03:17] Christy’s definition of boundaries. 

[05:49] Non-negotiables and how we can easily ignore boundaries.

[14:52] Physical side effects of living a stressful life. 

[16:14] How to get past negative roadblocks in our thought pattern.

[19:01] Outsourcing work to others to give yourself a better quality life.

[21:59] How Christy has optimized her mindset for success.

[23:08] Her experience hiring her team and delegating tasks to other people. 

[25:19] The importance of staying in your lane. 

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Check out Christy Primmer on the web

FB: @PrimetimeConsultingServices

IG: @christy_primmer

In this episode, I'll talk about decision fatigue and how it can leave you feeling tired and burnt out. Listen in to learn one of my top strategies for fending off decisions fatigue and feeling more in control of your energy.

I remember feeling decision fatigue not so long ago. Not only was I working longer at the time, but I was also learning new skills, making my brain think extra hard. More decisions to be made = more brain resources.

At the end of that week, my brain hit a wall, and I couldn't make a simple decision about what colors I wanted on coasters for my office. My brain reached decision fatigue, and it couldn't make a simple choice.

Decision fatigue doesn't have to revolve around a big life decision. Every decision we make pulls from our mental resources. Change, whether positive or negative, stresses our brains. At a certain point our brains just run out of energy to make decisions.

Learn what you can do to avoid decision fatigue, how to create a routine during the pandemic, and how to make your life as normal and routine within your control.

Show Highlights

[01:14] Signs and symptoms of decision fatigue.

[02:17] Our brains work best when we do predictable activities. 

[03:35] My experience of decision fatigue.

[05:07] Decision fatigue happens to all of us at some point.

[07:25] You can become burnt out from having to make decisions in a time of change.

[11:06] The best cure for decision fatigue is keeping the same activities in your daily routine.

[14:18] Some practical strategies to reduce brain fatigue.

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Check out Episode 022 

In this episode, I’ll talk about a fear that holds so many of us back - the fear of failure. Have you ever held yourself back from trying something new or going after your dream because you were scared of failing? Listen in to learn one action item that you can do today to start training your brain for confidence.

It’s scary to fail because failure brings up so many negative feelings and thoughts. We are usually scared to take that leap because we don’t want to mess up! However, did you know you don’t fear failure? What you actually fear is being judged for failing.

Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang tells the story of how he goes after his dream of being an entrepreneur, then fails! Then he sets out on a quest for 100 days of rejection, trying to purposefully fail and get rejected 100 times, in order to learn why we are so scared of failure and how to overcome this fear. 

Find out the science behind the fear of failure and rejection, why your brain works best when on a team, and why your brain is designed to make other people like you.

Show Highlights

[01:22] Have you held yourself back from trying something new because you were scared of failing?

[02:24] What you actually fear is being judged for failing.

[04:38] The science behind the fear of failure and rejection.

[08:40] What happens when we want everyone to like us.

[11:44] The result on your self-confidence when trying to get everyone to like you.

[12:39] People are watching you and waiting to judge you - this is your perception.

[14:07] Jia Jiang’s quest for 100 days of rejection.

[16:35] Often the result of your actions isn’t as bad as what your brain thinks will happen.

[17:42] Confidence is a skill that your brain learns.

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Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang

In this episode, I'm sharing why it's possible to do both too much and too little when it comes to your brain health. If you’re feeling burnt out and just want to sit on your couch until this year is over, I’ll walk you through how to get your brain out of this funk and move towards your goals.

Your brain loves routine and consistency, which is why this year has been hard for so many people. Our lives were completely disrupted by the pandemic, and our regular daily activities were thrown out the window.

Busy has now become the "new normal." It's currently socially acceptable and encouraged to burn the candle at both ends. However, on the flip side, not being busy at all is also hard for your brain.

Find out why your brain will resist change and stall your momentum, and why now is the best time to get back on track for the new year.

Show Highlights

[01:20] A big change this year has been a fluctuation in the change of pace in our lives.

[02:40] At first, the time at home worked well for organizing the home and starting a new project.

[04:25] Why not being busy enough is hard on your brain.

[07:12] Your brain is going to do its best to talk you out of your previous routines.

[08:30] Are you happy with where you are in all aspects of your life?

[09:30] Why you want to aim for the middle ground when it comes to your brain. 

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In this episode we’re talking about how to find the courage to say what’s on your mind, and stand up for yourself. Listen in to find your voice and stop worrying what everyone else thinks!

Two fears usually stand in our way of speaking up: the fear of rejection and the fear of embarrassment. When those fears creep in it’s easy to convince yourself that your idea doesn’t matter, and so you hold back and don’t share your thoughts with others in the conversation.

Find out how to train your brain to act with courage to enable yourself to break free from fear and speak up! Learn how to remove the inner doubt stopping you from speaking your mind.

Show Highlights

[01:20] How many times have you held back in conversations?

[03:24] Wishing you had the courage to speak up.

[06:08] In our modern world, the fear of being judged can hold us back.

[07:50] Our brain’s default response is to doubt ourselves when we want to speak up.

[09:37] Holding back and not saying what we feel creates significant stress on our body.

[11:30] Train your brain to act with courage through practice.

[13:45] Build a mental barrier of courage in your mind.

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Today, we’ll talk about how your brain learns and why your biological memory systems can help you reach your goals or hold you back from success. Stay tuned and I’ll share one strategy to use those memory systems to your advantage and help your brain move toward success!

There’s a famous patient in neuropsychology named Henry Molaison who changed how we understand memory. Henry suffered from severe seizures, which limited his daily activities. Doctors tried medications, but nothing gave him relief. As a last effort, doctors removed his temporal lobes from his brain. Although this gave him relief from his seizures, he couldn’t remember anything before his surgery in 1953!

Although he worked with his doctor, Dr. Brenda Milner consistently for over 50 years, each time she came to visit he introduced himself as if he never met her before. From these studies with Henry we learned that our brain has different types of memories.

We can take what we learned from Henry to help us understand why you learn bad habits (without even being aware), how you can unlearn these negative habits, and how to find more time in your day.

Show Highlights

[01:18] Learning from a case study of a man named Henry, known as “Patient HM.”

[02:38] Patient HM’s background.

[05:34] How Henry’s memory improved although he didn’t remember doing the tasks.

[06:07] Explicit or declarative memory and implicit memory and how we use these types of memories.

[07:19] Practicing bad habits will keep you from succeeding.

[10:42] Our brain’s hard wiring learning systems make it easy for us to learn bad habits.

[12:17] Weekly challenge activity: Keep an activity log during the week. 

[13:47] Check out my personality quiz - link below!

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Today, I will share the two responses we can have when we react to pressure: the chicken little response and the ostrich response. Knowing your brain’s default response to stress can help you feel more in control. Listen in to find out how to keep your brain back on track to be more successful under pressure.

Every day we are faced with stressors. When we are faced with uncertainty, we tend to fall into one of two patterns. At one end, our mind goes to worrying. The other extreme reaction, we tend to ignore the situation.

Learn how you can find a happy medium when faced with stressors, how to learn the signs that your brain is falling down the default panic path, and why negatively reacting to stress can drain your body and keep you stuck in a negative emotional loop.

Show Highlights

[01:05] Know your brain’s default response to stress. 

[02:44] What we do when we are faced with uncertainty.

[04:16] Why our brains can really get in our way when we have to deal with a stressor.

[05:30] Some people are more prone to getting into this negative brain pattern than others.

[07:01] Draining brain resources from worry leaves us feeling burnt out.

[08:00] The chicken little response is a mental habit. 

[10:08] What happens during the ostrich response.

[12:35] Examples of situations that can trigger stress response in our brain.

[13:28] Ignoring stress can make you prone to being sick more often.

[15:40] Falling into one of these patterns can have significant long-term impact on our health and success.

[17:30] What’s your brain’s default panic situation? 

[18:32] Steps you can take to get out of the panic cycle.

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Today, I’m going to share my Top 10 Tips for Boosting Energy! If you feel like you’re running out of steam by the end of the day, and wish you had enough energy and motivation to do what you want to do, then listen in to this episode.

We all have times of the day where our energy and motivation starts to shrink. Remember that your brain has limited resources, and we often don’t realize that we’ve used our resources until we hit a wall. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up on the day! 

Learn how you can manage and schedule your day to create more energy, quick strategies you can use to boost your energy, and why planning your day relieves stress and work for your brain.

Show Highlights

[01:14] When does your motivation fizzle?

[02:16] How stress drains your daily energy. 

[03:52] Pushing or willing ourselves to do more only leads to burnout.

[05:30] Know when you’re at your best. 

[07:27] Create a calendar with your work patterns.

[08:15] Plan your days, weeks and months.

[10:33] Switch activities if you feel that your brain is getting tired.

[12:39] Try getting outside for fresh air when you need motivation.

[14:32] Taking mental breaks allows you to get more work done.

[15:53] Eat a snack to boost your energy.

[18:20] Remind yourself why what you are doing is important.

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