Dear Midlife...

So, today we have a mind-bending, trailblazing conversation with our guest, GIllian Pothier, that changed the way we perceive masculine and feminine presence in our own daily lives. Gillian helps us to rethink society's negative portrayal of masculine and feminine nature and how it is this portrayal that is creating a self-destructive paradox.

Gillian holds the belief that we all contain within us a little bit of both masculine and feminine energy. For women, in particular it is only through this complementary union with the masculine that we can learn to be fully expressed in our feminine, as well as, be anchored in our beauty, truth, and creational power.

We are not saying you have to change your personal anthem from Katy Perry's "Roar" to "Feelings" by Morris Albert? However, Gillian's perspectives on this topic really caused us pause. We, typically, stand for women rising to overcome the constraints the patriarchy has imposed on us for decades. However, this conversation made us reconsider if there is opportunity for our own personal expansion and growth by exploring more of our feminine energy and gave us insights as to how to do this.

Gillian is no stranger to the difficulties of today’s dating pool. Just like many of us, she's spent years seeking a lifelong partner, experiencing nothing but heartbreak. But, she found that embracing her femininity was what it took for her to resurrect dull and flatline romantic relationships and harnessing this energy was how she found a partner where erotic sex, joy, and love reign supreme. 

In this episode, Gillian teaches us:

1. When women start to un-numb and bring back to life the truth of their feelings, women can come home to the aspects of themselves they have discarded in order to survive in a masculine society.
2. We are overdriving the truth of our nature in order to "produce", "perform" or "generate" more and more and women are exhausted and depleted, as a result. We need to massively disrupt and de-armor ourselves in order to come back to our true "yin" nature and re-awaken to our own truth.
3. When women go to work in masculine structures and then bring that energy into the home they may be unconsciously perpetuating the patriarchy. Women are depleted and over-functioning because we are terrified that our male counterparts are not capable of making important decisions.
4. Women have been unconsciously corrupted by masculine energy and that is robbing us of the joy, delight and sensuality of receiving. When we allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to receive, we honor our feminine and the masculine need to give, provide and protect.
5. Necessity causes women to build up around golden cages of protective armor that prevents us from the living into the vulnerability that is our feminine energy.

You can find Gillian at: 

Website: www.feminineeros.com 

Special Audience Giveaway:  

8 Ways to Cultivate Your Feminine Allure http://www.devotion.gifts

Social Media:  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gillian.pothier 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/feminine_eros

Youtube - @feminineeroswithgillianpot1489 - Feminine Eros with Gillian Pothier

We'd love to continue this juicy conversation!! Leave us a review or join our Facebook Group and Instagram and let us know your thoughts on the topic of masculine and feminine. We want to build a community where these conversations thrive! 

According to a 2020 report from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the US. 45,979 Americans died by suicide and there was 1.2 million suicide attempts in 2020 alone.  Further, According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center 2019 Data reports that 33.6% of Females self-reported being in a Depressed Mood, 64% report Mental Health problems and 38% were being treated for Mental Health problems. 

With all of the above data, we couldn't help but pause to ponder the could these feelings we have of being “stuck” actually be mental health issues worth exploring, understanding and resolving? 

Similarly to teens who don’t run home to report bullying. Women who choose to not allow the robust world to squeeze all of the next chapters of life out of them - may not run home or to a loved one to report symptoms of “silently quitting their lives” while beckoning themselves to get “unstuck” (for the last time or for real this time). 

So, we explore these themes in our episode today with our guest, James Hayes, to discuss the theory of contextual conceptual therapy, or CCT. CCT looks not at what is broken, but explores what is happening within us that may be just misunderstood, in the way we may be misunderstood if we speak a different language in a foreign country. CCT brings to the surface answers that already exist within us and helps us learn to love ourselves in the way we give love to others.

In this episode, James teaches us:

1. Traditional therapy is meant to "fix" what is "broken". Contextual Conceptual Therapy (or CCT) looks at not what is broken, but explores what may be just misunderstood
2. Sometimes we become someone we are not to protect the someone that we are. Then we spend all of our time trying to be worthy...but, the deception is that we always were.
3. Understanding of self give us freedom. We have a life path that has been predestined and laid out before us. In moments when we have a mental health events, our life then feels like a train that has been derailed and just needs to get back on track.
4. CCT is about loving ourselves as much as we love the most important persons in our lives. We give our love away, but don't give it to ourselves. If we took the love we give to others and focused it on ourselves, that is where our greatness would come from.
5. Our emotions are messages from our inner spirit. We need to slow down and hear what they are telling us. Every time we tell a lie to ourselves, our inner spirit takes a blow. Stop saying what you won't do, because that's the next thing life will ask you to do.

If you're struggling and need support, please link to the Suicide Therapy Website and know you're not alone. We are here to love you and lift you up as we strive together to be our best selves for the next chapter in our life. If you want to be part of our community, join our FB group and follow us on Instagram.

So, not long ago, Trinity visited her childhood home and it was a surreal experience for her, as you will hear in our show. She stared into the "eyes" of the home (the windows that faced the street) where she endured so much pain and suffering as a child. She surprised herself as she stood in the street doubled over in pain and grief and wept for that little girl she was so long ago.  What she realized is that this wound that she THOUGHT she had healed was still very present. Even further, she felt the stress and anxiety in her body for at least a few days after that experience. 

Thank you, Trinity, for sharing that very personal story and for reminding us that trauma is held in our bodies until we can release it. Our guest today, Alison Rothman, is an expert in the realm of embodiment and sustainable healing. She specializes in working with women in (primarily) in midlife, to help them holistically heal their trauma, and relationships, mind, body and spirit!

She is all about bringing tools and practices into everyday life to create potent and lasting shifts and changes. Most of the clients she works with have tried traditional therapies, with no success. The body of work that she has created is unique, deep, and effective in creating sustainable healing and bringing women back into alignment with their most authentic and embodied selves. 

Alison a Body-Centered Holistic Empowerment Coach, Transformational Group Facilitator, Mentor, Teacher, Emotional Doula, Guide, and Advocate. She is an expert in the somatic healing arts and therapy, yoga and meditation, authentic embodiment, and holistic healing. Through her extensive studies, practices, and experiences she provides clients and students with the ability to access their innate inner resource and release debilitating life patterns in order to access their truth, power, and reclaim their body, mind, heart, and soul connection.

Alison, herself, has survived several highly traumatizing life events including a house fire and a near death experience.  Additionally, she has navigated divorce and single motherhood for over a decade and has utilized her practices in support of her own embodiment during times of stress and challenge.  So, she carries with her an embodied understanding of the wisdom and intelligence of the body and brings to her sessions a deep intimacy with herself, her own process of life experiences, and uses these various embodiment practices, deep self-inquiry, and the exploration of an array of natural health and wellness modalities to help women just like you transform their lives.

She leads women’s wellness retreats and groups, works one-on-one with clients, is the host of the podcast: Embodied and Awake, blogs, offers online empowering courses, and public speaks sharing her stories and wisdom.

In today's episode, Alison teaches us:

1. Meditation does not mean you're in a "blissed out" state. In meditation, your shit will come up. But, this is an opportunity to access yourself in a way in which you are not reacting, but responding while breathing and learning to sit with the discomfort. It's a way to learn to be good at being with yourself.
2. We hold every trauma, every experience in our bodies. Therefore, if we want to fully "heal" ourself, we can not separate the body mind connection. Traditional talk therapy is important, but we have to tap into body, mind and spirit if we want to fully heal ourselves.
3. Our healing comes in layers and we are never given more than we can handle at once. Pace yourself through the process. In those moments when our body is signaling us that we have some unresolved trauma to navigate, we have to learn to lean into it and move through it.
4. Don't suppress your feelings. Take time to discover how to ground yourself and reconnect with your body. You can connect to nature through your senses, take a bath, journal, cry. Find your own means of release...to move the energy up and out.
5. The ongoing goal is to instill different ways of meeting ourselves so that we can rise up repeatedly in this life we've been given not matter what has bubbled to the surface.

You can find more of Alison at the following links:

READ HER REFLECTIONS

WORK WITH ALISON

Website | embodymylife.com

FB | @embodylifeholisticwellness

Join the Acceptance Circle

Alison is a tremendous believer in the potential that each of us holds in our own capacity for wellness and that often what is needed is that person to remind us of our innate goodness.  She reminded us of this in our conversation and we are here to remind YOU that you can heal your trauma and transform your life and you don't have to do it alone! We are on this journey together. Today Trinity shares with you her personal trauma as a way to encourage you to remember, and embrace who you truly are.  Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and leave us a review to tell us what you're carrying with you!

Our guest today, Mayda Poc, is a badass who went from Wall Street to working as an International Life Coach for Executives. She's lived all over the world, Paris, London, New York City (damn is there anyplace this woman hasn't been?) and was living life in the fast lane...until life tapped her on the shoulder and said "'Hey girl! Why don't you slow down a bit?" and handed her a cancer diagnosis that caused her to re-evaluate her place in the rat race and gave her pause to reflect on what really matters to her.  It was in that space that she regained balance in her life and how spends her career helping busy women and executives just like us find more zen, fulfillment and purpose in their lives and careers.

You know, Mayda, as a typical overachiever, holds multiple certifications and accreditations in Life Coaching, Career and Corporate coaching as well as health coaching and aims to help women heal their mind, body and spirit. She helps women find their feminine essence, even in more 'masculine' settings, and teaches women everywhere that we do NOT need to let go of who we are as WOMEN and can lean into our femininity and STILL be relevant as women in middle age.

Hell yes! Women have been so conditioned to believe that youth and beauty is our only asset.  But girl, we are here to remind you that you are strong and powerful and, with your years of wisdom and experience you CAN find your place in life and work...AND find yourself!

In this episode, Mayda reminds us:

1. Sometimes life just pushes you in the right direction and you're, virtually, forced to do something differently. Other times, the message to make a shift comes with a whisper and requires more intentional planning. Embrace it all.
2. When the time is right, look inside yourself and at all of your resources: time, money, knowledge, and choose a path forward from a place of empowerment vs. lack of choice.
3. It's normal to panic. We see perfection everywhere....in advertising, social media...but, what we don't see is the hard work that went into getting them to that place. Ask yourself what is the panic about...then tackle that fear/concern. Eventually, there will be no more obstacles and you'll know you're accountable to the choices you make.
4. Know your worth and have a plan to continue to progress, evolve and grow. Examine that which you are avoiding as a possible "teacher". Embrace your feminine energy in the workplace.
5. Leverage your "emotional" voice to become the voice of reason in conflict and to show compassion to peers and colleagues, when needed.

You can find more of Mayda at:

Website | maydapoccoaching.com

LinkedIn | @maydapoc

Instagram | @maydapoc

Facebook | @maydapoccoaching

And if you woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and thought, "Well who the hell is that woman staring back at me in the mirror?!" YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! We are here in the middle going through all this crazy shit with you. It it our purpose to stand together so no woman has to brave midlife alone. That why we bring you these valuable interviews each week! And if you're loving our message...PLEASE leave us a review so we can continue to share these juicy conversations with you each week. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook

Girl...we've been single a looonngg time. And, let's face it, building intimate connections and relationships at this age, ain't easy. I was thinking the other day that there must be some secret key or special sauce that makes it easier to connect with people. The good news is THERE IS! the secret key to building connections is called emotional intelligence! Our guest today, Dr. Patrick Kilcarr is a Georgetown University Professor, Therapist and Author of the book "Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life", He's here to take us on a masterful journey into the power of emotional intelligence. So, if emotional intelligence is the secret to unlocking personal transformation and reaching one’s full potential, why are there so few personal guides on how to use emotional intelligence? Well, Enter Dr. Patrick Kilcarr, who has dedicated his life to studying and teaching EI and his latest book, Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life: Expanding Your EI to Make Courageous Decisions and Transform Your Life, is the guide you're looking for. Dr. Kilcarr closes the gap between what is written about Emotional Intelligence and demonstrates what it looks and feels like to achieve and maintain it, especially if our formative years were paved with drama, trauma, and disappointment. This conversation is so thoughtful and riveting in the way Dr. Kilcarr gets us to think about the power of EI. And to tell you the truth, I'm not surprised. He is one of the leading experts in Emotional Intelligence and has been the Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Personal Development since 1999. Further, he is a master trainer in emotional intelligence and certifies professionals to use the EQ-i2.0 (the most valid and reliable self-assessment of emotional intelligence). All of his work is directed toward strengthening the individual with respect to his/her innate talents and abilities. You can find more about his teachings on his website. 

In this episode, Dr. K teaches us that:  Emotional intelligence is about understanding your emotions and how those emotions impact the relationships in your life and, conversely, the emotions of others and how they impact you. We can use emotional intelligence to get ahead of those things that may trigger us emotionally. To an extent, there is an emotional vibration that we begin to feel before the trigger occurs, and it is in those moments when we have a choice about how to navigate what is to come. We are sometimes so overly cautious in being politically correct, that it prohibits us from asking the tough questions to really get to know someone else. When you see an emotional cue from someone else, open the dialogue with a question. "Did I just do something to make you uncomfortable?" Conversely, when someone says something that triggers you, call attention to it and invite conversation.

One key component of E.I. is the recognition that we're all imperfect, most people have good intentions and to talk about it when a mistake is made. In that space, we can begin to make conscious changes. There are 4 things that indicate whether or not we're living a balanced, emotionally intelligent life: self-regard, relationships, optimism, and self-actualization in the frame of are we doing what we want in our lives right now?

And here we thought we had to start a damn podcast to build connections with you ladies out there. But, since I mentioned it, We DOOOO want to connect with YOU! We love you and hope you love Dr. Patrick's message in this episode about how powerful emotionally intelligent connections can be. We want YOU to join the conversation. Leave us a review, follow us on Instagram and join our FB group.

In his book "The Side Road: Finding Joy and Purpose Though the Twists and Turns of Life" our guest today, Link Forester, takes his readers on a journey of self-discovery and finding purpose amidst life's unexpected twists and turns. As a seasoned traveler and adventurer, Forester draws from his own experiences, navigating the ups and downs of life, to offer practical insights and wisdom to readers. 

Baby, girl, We KNOW you are on the "road less traveled", "the side road" the "detour"...the "we don't know where the hell this road is going" road in midlife. This shit is messy, but it's all a beautiful, scary, crazy journey isn't it?! And you know, We get a choice through all of this messiness. We get to chose, this path or... that path. We can CHOSE to pursue happiness or...chose complacency.

We're choosing the pursuit of happiness. Life is too short and in his book, Link inspires readers to embrace the unexpected detours and challenges that life presents, and to find joy and meaning in the journey. And we're here to tell you that sometimes it's necessary to go off the beaten path, to explore new avenues and possibilities, and to trust in your own inner compass to guide you towards your true purpose. 

And YOU know that we are on this journey with you. We are all navigating the messy middle with a rare blend of humility, faith, and (hopefully) a good fucking sense of humor, because this shit is for REAL. But, know you don't have to go it alone. You have your girlfriends to guide you.

In this episode, Link teaches us:

1. None of us escapes life unscathed. It is your confidence in your faith, what you believe and the "long game" will help you navigate the difficulties in life with perspective.
2. The "main thing" in life is relationships. They are hard and they can be messy, but that is really what life is all about.
3. The "Side Road" is all about doing things with a sense of purpose. It's about not making decisions based on how you feel or what is the easiest thing but, instead, what is most important to you.
4. One of the secrets in life is having a spirit of forgiveness. If we go deep enough, we'll find some "ugliness" within us. We should not be so quick to find it in others, life it short.
5. Find your purpose in something other than work. your story is so much bigger than what you do or how much money you make.

You can contact Link at linkforesterauthor.com and get social with Link on FaceBook!

We want to bring more women like you with us on this journey. We want to form a tribe of empathy and compassion to support one another through all joys and challenges that midlife brings to us. But, we can't do that without your help. Please share your favorite episode with one friend this week or leave us a review so that we can "link" arms (pun TOTALLY intended) and take on midlife together. You can find us on Instagram and join our Facebok Group.

So, in this episode, Trinity shares with us how she spent 10 years of her life bound to an extremely religious christian cult in which she was brainwashed, manipulated and forced to adhere to their restrictive practice and policies and made other sacrifices for her community in order to reach salvation in the afterlife.

I can't imagine what that must have been like. But, interestingly, I feel like a lot of women still willingly sacrifice our sense of self in different ways and succumb to the "programming" (if you will) of societal norms and lose site of our Self (with a capital S). We do it for the greater good of our families, our children and what (we perceive) to be our own wellbeing...In return, there is great reward...but, I often think about what is lost in the process. And the reality is that once you're part of this community and you depend on it for shelter, love, community, it is so hard to extract yourself and just ...walk away.

That's exactly what our courageous guest today, Vera LeRee did. She was also born into an extreme polygamist cult to her mother, who was the 3rd wife of her father, and was one of 57 children. Vera recently released her book  "Dad Scares Me, God Scares Me: My Journey from Polygamist Cult to Freedom" and shares with us today her gripping account of growing up in this cult, to her escape, and how she was able to build a successful life from nothing.

Vera shares her struggles and triumphs as she sought to break free from the oppressive control of her father, husband, and their polygamist God. Her story is one of hope, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit.

She went on to build a successful multi-million dollar business and pursue her passions for psychology, health, and wellness. Vera is now the founder of Purevee Organics, a supplement company for women, and a mentor for individuals looking to break free from their own mental bondage and achieve self-love and confidence. 

In today's episode Vera teaches us:

1. Listen to and honor what your heart is telling you. It may not be easy, but you are worth it!
2. Women remain entrapped....in a relationship they are no longer happy with, in a life that feels inauthentic, in a job that has no meaning because they are juuussstt comfortable enough. Being comfortable outweighs the fear of the unknown so they accept their current state as the "norm" despite the impact is has on their spirit.
3. In these moments of quiet desperation, start to get curious and question what life could be like.
4. In order to get on the other side of fear you have to push through the fear. In order to do this, sit with the fear. Imagine this fear in your head and then pull out a piece of paper and list 20 benefits that will come with facing your fear
5. In turn, you can equally reflect on the most negative and difficult experiences your life and also list 20 benefits of having had that experience. This exercise helps you move beyond your own inner narrative about your unworthiness and feel empowered.

To find more of Vera:

https://linktr.ee/veralaree

And if you are also out there struggle to find your own identity. Maybe you have (similarly) given over yourself to everyone else, we are here to remind you of your worth and your strength. We are here to remind you that you're not alone. We're your sisters, your friends your tribe and are here to lift you up and support you. Please join our Facebook community, follow us on Instagram, and leave us a review HERE. We need your help in brining this support and wisdom to other women just like you!

You know I (Shelby) once had a friend who told her at a party that she hated being her friend. Of course, she was drunk and maybe a little bit high...but, Shelby was taken aback by the comment nonetheless. But, when she asked why, her reply was even more astounding...You know what she said...?!

I know you're on the edge of you'r seat or, perhaps, you're actually laughing that I even asked why. Her answer was that she is too perfect...Like what the hell, right? She said, you "have two kids, you're a single mom and...SOMEHOW...you always have your shit together! You look good and you always bake homemade cookies for the holiday parties and the staff and I just can't take it!"

At first Shelby was angered by the comment. But, then thought, "well you know she's right?! Girl, perfectionism is Shelby's friggen best friend. She keep it all tight...maybe so tight that she doesn't get to experience the joy in the messiness of life. What do you think would happen if you just...let it go and forgave yourself for being Imperfect?"

We dive into this question today with our guest, Vicki Smith. And, don't worry, we also get into Trinity's obsession with "fixing" everything! Because this is what often happens when we experience some kind of trauma. For Trinity, as a child, she had to fix all of the problems to ensure her people were safe under tumultuous circumstances and she still does that today. Shelby felt like being perfect was the only way to garner attention and affection from her ever-busy executive parents. She still feels like she has to hustle for love. But, Vicki teaches us that the internal narratives that show up as different parts of ourselves don't know that we've grown up and no longer need to be protected.

Vicki is a psychotherapist and a coach who is in private practice for over 20 years as well as a mindfulness meditation teacher who has studies yoga and Buddhism. And, Shelby...take note, Vicki works with people pleasers and perfectionists as a specialty now and was trained in Internal Family Systems or IFS in 2012 and received it as a client before that to let go of the intense anger she felt towards her father, who she now suspects suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder. Because of the IFS approach, she separated herself from his toxicity and forgave him and healed herself. Vicki now uses these tools as foundational in the work she does with her clients.

She created Power to the Pleasers in 2020 and her approach is to use the 8 Cs of Self-Leadership (which we discuss in this episode) to help the different parts within each of us know that they no longer need to so vigilantly protect us. People pleasers are usually pretty harsh with themselves and this approach helps them begin to treat themselves with more kindness and shift the pattern of self defeat.

In this episode, Vicki teaches us: 

1. We all have an "internal counsel" of different parts of ourselves that "govern" our life and keep us safe. The Managers are the first line of defense and how we show our selves to the outer world. The second line of defense are the protectors and the third are the firefighters (which includes any kind of addictive behavior used to take our nervous system way down.
2. Ask our parts what they need from us and what would happen if they stopped protecting us...in truth, we may no longer need protecting, but our parts are unaware that we are no longer in danger. By asking them these questions, we can help our parts relax from their soldier post.
3. When one part is alleviated of their duties, it allows more space for the Self (with a capital "S").
4. We can treat our parts like we would any close friend. we listen to them, we show them compassion we embrace them, because, in the end, we are really giving these things to ourselves, when we do.
5. While we often look for the quick fix in our current society, working with all of your parts is a beautiful and gradual unfolding on learning new ways to approach life.

To find more of Vicki:

website | https://www.powertothepleasers.com 

Instagram | @power.to.the.pleasers/

Look girl....if you're out there and that inner voice inside your head is telling you that you're not enough...not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough...This episode is for you and know that you're not alone! We're all in the messy middle together and we got your back. Leave us a review and share this episode with a friend, or your dentist, or your housekeeper, or a colleague, or the mail carrier or whomever you think needs to hear it. We love you!

Make sure we're connected

Instagram | @dearmidlife

Facebook | DearMidlife

You know, women in midlife are often starting over in some respects. This time in our lives can be a period of rebirth, reinvention and (if you're Gweneth Paltrow or one of the other fancy schmancy celebs out there) "re-coupling". Regardless, building new relationships at this time in life is imperative, but not always easy.

That is an understatement! Girl, have you tried dating these days? And yes...I'm talking to you out there? EVERYBODY comes with some kind of baggage...and when I say baggage, I'm talking about those old-timey trunks they used to pack to take on a ship across the Atlantic kind of baggage. Lol and its hard to unpack THAT kind of baggage and, at the same time, show up with the kind of transparency and vulnerability it takes to forge new relationships when the stakes are high and the relationships are complex and with more than one player involved.

Forging romantic relationships not only requires navigating your potential partner's history, but the children and familial ties they bring into the relationship as well. Our guest today, Maria Natapov, is the daughter of divorced immigrants and a stepparent herself and this led her to her work now as a Stepparenting Coach and a Rapid Resolution Therapy Practitioner to help others, heal, expand and grow as she provides support to help her clients navigate these complex relationships to transform chaos into harmony.

Today, she shares with us how we can make small shifts during our most difficult seasons to work through whatever challenge we may be facing. And she reminds us that we already have all the gifts and everything we need inside of us right now to do it, it’s just about unlocking the path to it.  

Maria is an expert at helping people navigate new experiences such as stepparenting or blending a family, or building new relationships, in general, where the stakes are high, there are multiple stakeholders each with their own specific needs, and it's necessary to quickly create and build rapport and connection.  She also specializes in helping people identify and heal trauma through the Rapid Resolution Therapy modality which helps them shift unwanted or disturbing thoughts, emotions, and actions in a painless, quick, pleasant way (yes, you heard that right...pleasant) with lasting results. 

In this episode, Maria teaches us:

1. When forging new, complex relationships where there are a lot of parties involved and the stakes are high, jumping in with both feet may not be the right approach. It does take time and it is important to know this: identify and get clear on your own boundaries and values (such as how to approach discipline and parenting and what you're comfortable taking on as a step-parent) and then gain alignment with the other parties involved.
2. You are exactly where you need to be right now.
3. Building trust means being vulnerable yourself. Show up authentically, as you are, and don't pretend to be something you're not.
4. Acknowledge and embrace difficult moments and invite conversation about them so as to diffuse the negative energy. Otherwise, the tension within these moments builds and becomes amplified.
5. Our brains are wired to fill in any gaps in factual information with our own narratives and imagination and these perceptions may or may NOT be true. When navigating difficult conversations, make sure you're coming to the table in a regulated frame of mind.

To learn more about how to work with Maria, visit her website at SynergisticStepparenting.com

Website offer: https://synergisticstepparenting.com/work

LinkedIn | @synergisticstepparenting

Facebook | maria.natapov

Here’s a link to Maria's brief (under 9 min!) podcast episode on Rapid Resolution Therapy: https://synergisticstepparenting.com/what-is-rapid-resolution-therapy/

And when you're in the process of unpacking that big old trunk, honey, and need some help or support from like-minded women going through the SAME shit, we're your girls. Join our Facebook Community, make sure we're connected on Instagram and share this podcast with a friend. No one needs to navigate the messy middle alone. 

In this episode, I share story about running with my daughter in the mornings and how difficult it can be at first to try something new and form new habits. We had to talk through how she can do hard things.

Our guest today Katherine Louis has a podcast called "You Can and You Will" to remind her audience of women everywhere that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! Katherine is a Business & Mindset Mentor for female leaders and artists.  She guides and supports women along their way to living that exceptional career and life they didn´t think they could, working on their self-esteem and finding their full potential.

Women empowerment is her mission (cue "I am Woman Hear Me Roar") as the majority of women still live below their potential. Today we discuss that sometimes even the most successful women still struggle to find their zone of genius and to live authentically.

Katherine hails from Germany and has been an entrepreneur for 16 years in the space of self-development and communication. She now coaches and mentors females to let go of the past and believe in themselves.

In today's episode, Katherine Louis teaches us:

1. We must find and operate in our zone of genius.
2. Whatever beliefs your caregivers adopted and imposed upon you will be ingrained or "programmed" within you from an early age. These old narratives can be a barrier to success if we don't change our mindset
3. Society tells us we have to be and do it all, have a job, be a mom, be the perfect spouse ad look like the models in the magazines! It take courage to ask for help. Life and Success is not found in perfection. It is discovered when you go outside of your comfort zone!
4. When building new habits you're, literally, forming new neuropathways in your brain. That takes time (at least 3 weeks or longer) and you will most certainly slip up sometimes. You have to just get back up and do it again next time.
5. What you're looking for is already inside of you.

You can find Katherine at:

Website | Katherinelouis.com

Spotify | You Can and You Will Podcast

Apple Podcasts | You Can and You Will

Girl, we know forging a new path isn't always easy! We're here to tell you that you don't have to go this journey alone. We are here and are forming a tribe of women in the middle who will support and lift one another up along the way. We encourage you to join our community on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it. We love you!