Design Your Life, Your Way - Strategic Growth for the Conscious Midlife Entrepreneur

Have you ever wondered how the heartbreak of grief can become a catalyst for profound healing and personal transformation? In this poignant episode, I sit down with Andrea Wilson Woods, a remarkable woman who turned her devastating loss into a powerful force for change.

Show Notes | Transcript

At my lowest points, I could just go hug this 200 pound dog. And he was always there for me. There's something very healing about animals because dogs give you that unconditional love." - Andrea Wilson Woods

Andrea shares the heart-wrenching story of raising her younger sister, Adrienne, only to lose her to liver cancer at the tender age of 15. Andrea talks about how she turned her grief into a mission, becoming a patient advocate and founding the nonprofit Blue Faery. We delve into the deep emotional battles she faced, including the challenge and pain of writing a memoir that included her sister's journal entries.

Discover how Andrea:

Embraced an unexpected role as both sister and parent at a young age

Navigated the intense emotional terrain of caregiving during Adrienne's 147-day cancer battle

Found purpose in pain by founding the Blue Faery nonprofit organization

Explored unconventional healing modalities to process her grief decades later

Key insights include:

The power of unconditional love in the face of unimaginable loss

Why grief doesn't have an expiration date – and why that's okay

How changing your environment can unlock emotional breakthroughs

The importance of finding healing methods that resonate with you, even if they're unconventional

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Andrea Wilson Woods:

bluefaery.org

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

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TRANSCRIPT

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Namaste. What if the deepest pain of your life became your greatest source of healing? Join us today to learn how one woman's 147 day journey through loss revolutionized her approach to grief and could transform yours, too. But before I bring her on, I want to welcome those of you who may be new to live love, engage. I am Gloria Grace, and I help feed female entrepreneurs, attract clients who align with your values, and become your biggest cheerleaders. And joining us today is a woman that I have known for a couple of years. I was actually fortunate enough to be on her podcast a few years ago. Her name is Andrea Wilson woods, and she is a keynote speaker, a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery, the Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer association. And her bestselling and award winning book, Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days, is a medical memoir about raising and losing her sister to liver cancer. So without further ado, I'm going to bring her up onto the stage and welcome you, Andrea, to live love, engage.

Andrea Wilson Woods

Thank you so much, Gloria. Now, Grace, I've been looking forward to this because like you said, we know each other.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

I know. Yes. It's always nice to be able to have a chat with someone that you've chatted before with. I don't think my English was very good there, but whatever. I feel like my preposition was in the wrong place, but whatever. Anyway, yeah, so we do have something in common in that the fact that we have both lost a sister to cancer. But the similarities in our stories really am there. So I would appreciate if you could share with our audience a little bit today a little bit about your sister and your journey and how has kind of led you to where you are today and the work you're doing.

Andrea Wilson Woods

Yes. So we do have that in common. And the major difference is I ended up raising my sister. So my sister and I have the same mother but different fathers. Her father actually died before she was born, so she never knew him, unfortunately. And there was a 14 year age gap between us. And when my sister was eight years old, she came to visit me in Los Angeles for what was supposed to be a two week Christmas vacation. And the day after Christmas, our mother called and said she didn't want to be a mother anymore. And I did not put this together at the time. It took me years to actually make this connection, but that was three days before my mother's 50th birthday. And so I don't know if it was a combination of a midlife crisis, but she also was a drug addict, and she had lost her nursing license for shooting up morphine at work. And so I had watched her life just fall apart than previous year, and I had even been sending my mom money. And so when she said that the day after Christmas, I just told her, I said, well, if I take her now, I'm not giving her back, because. Because I saw the destruction and of my sister's childhood. And so I ended up taking physical custody that December of 1994. And then eventually I went to court and won full legal custody of my sister.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Wow. Yeah. And like I said, we do have other things in common, too, because I had, there was a 14-year difference between me and my brother. Well, I was the baby of the family. It sounds like your sister was as well. So, yeah, it's interesting how things like that happen. So, yeah, so what happened? I mean, how did it wind up that she was diagnosed with cancer and what happened there?

Andrea Wilson Woods

Yeah. So I raised Adrienne all through my twenties, and she did have a very difficult time in middle school. She had a very serious bout of depression. And I. I sort of accidentally, when cleaning her room, found out how suicidal she really was, and so got her into therapy right away. And we were very fortunate that we just got the best therapist for my sister on the planet. So shout out to Denise, whose name I changed in the book, but I could say her name now. And we were so fortunate. And so we really thought we got through that. And she started high school. She was really just embracing who she was, and she stopped trying to fit in and be like others. And she had a great boyfriend, a lot of friends, honor students. And so here she is. She's about to finish her freshman year of high school at Burbank High in southern California. And I came home from work, and I was actually a teacher. And usually when I walked in the door, she would be at the kitchen table doing her homework, because that was a rule in our house. She had to do her homework first.

But instead, on that day, on May 16, 2001, I walked in, and she was on the living room floor curled up in a fetal position, saying she couldn't breathe. Now, mind you, the day before, she was fine. And so we went to her pediatrician. He didn't like what he saw. He sent us to the local hospital to get a CAT scan. So we go through the emergency room, and it was actually an ER doctor who told us that Adrienne had tumors in her liver and lungs. And that hospital in Burbank, it's for adults. It's not for pediatric patients. So that night, she was transferred to children's hospital Los Angeles. And that was one of many, many rides in an ambulance. And that was day one of her 147 day cancer journey. I think one of the few blessings we had was that because she was so young, they moved very fast because they could not believe what they were seeing on that CAT scan. She had a biopsy within two days that confirmed that she had stage four hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common type of primary liver cancer, also known as HCC, and that had metastasized to her lungs. And it was just shocking that she was doing her first round of chemotherapy a week later.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Yeah, it's crazy how those things can come up so fast and, you know, similar with my sister, no symptoms, and then all of a sudden pain. And from the size of it, when it was finally diagnosed, I mean, it was not a small tumor. And so it had been growing for a long time, but it's weird how those things happen. In looking at the website that you started, the nonprofit, I saw that she was keeping a journal, which, again, it's similar. My sister did that as well. She started to documentous her experience through that. Can you talk a little bit about that? Was that something she decided to do on her own, or did somebody else encourage her?

Andrea Wilson Woods

She was always a writer. She started keeping paper journals when she was ten years old. You know, it's kind of funny, and I still have them, you know, and there's those, like, little paper journals that locked, but not really. So she always loved to write, and she was a voracious reader as well. And she started keeping a journal online before she was diagnosed, and I was not allowed to read it, but other people were. Had spies that read it to make sure, because I was still worried about the depression. But so she. Yeah, so she started journal online before she was diagnosed and decided to continue writing in it throughout. And so she wrote in that journal up until about three weeks before she died, was the last entry in that journal. So she. Yeah, she was an amazing writer.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Now, did you include any of that in your book then that you wrote, or?

Andrea Wilson Woods

Yes. So I did not read her journal in its entirety until about a year and a half after she died. And I kept a medical diary when she was diagnosed. And when I decided that the structure of my book would be like a journal, I decided to include excerpts from her journal beginning on day three....

If you’re constantly feeling drained and juggling endless tasks, that's a clear sign that you’re overdue for setting some healthy boundaries in your business. Tune in to learn why setting limits is crucial for protecting your time, energy, and ultimately, enhancing your success as an entrepreneur.

Show Notes

"Setting boundaries is a powerful act of self-love. It's a way of taking care of yourself and showing how much you value yourself." - Gloria "Grace" Rand

As heart-centered, spiritually-minded entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves saying "yes" when we really want to say "no." It's time to explore a powerful tool that can transform your business and personal life: boundaries.

In this enlightening episode, I share practical tips for identifying core values, communicating boundaries assertively, and enforcing them consistently. Drawing from personal experiences, I talk about the emotional barriers that might prevent you from setting boundaries and offer insightful solutions to overcome guilt and fear of conflict. Dive in to learn how setting clear boundaries can enhance your productivity, self-worth, and overall well-being.

Discover how boundaries can:

Boost your productivity and reclaim control of your schedule

Cultivate healthier relationships with clients, colleagues, and loved ones

Enhance your self-worth and earn greater respect from others

Key takeaways include:

Practical strategies for identifying your core values and non-negotiables

Effective communication techniques for asserting your boundaries with grace and confidence

Tips for managing guilt and fear of rejection when setting limits

The importance of inner work in maintaining healthy boundaries

Whether you're struggling with clients who constantly push your limits or finding it challenging to separate work and personal life, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap to reclaiming your time and energy. Get ready to discover how setting boundaries can be a powerful act of self-love and a catalyst for both personal and professional growth!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Listen to Related Episodes:

Dissent with Grace: Fostering Healthy Debates

The Female Entrepreneur's Guide to Self-Love

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

Are you aware feeling drained, overwhelmed, and unable to tap into your full potential could actually be hidden stress symptoms? In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Dr. Gala Gorman, a licensed acupuncturist, naturopath, and author, to explore the hidden culprits behind chronic stress and how they might be sabotaging your life.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Your body's been managing that for a really long time, and it just finally hit the point where your body said, 'Whoa, I cannot do this any longer.'" - Dr. Gala Gorman

Dr. Gala Gorman is an advocate for getting to the root cause of the health issue and treating it naturally. Drawing from her decades of experience and personal journey, Dr. Gala reveals the surprising truth about stress that goes far beyond our typical understanding. She introduces us to the concept of "kryptonite" - those invisible stressors that silently drain our superpowers and leave us feeling defeated.

In this informative conversation, you'll discover:

The 12 categories of toxicity that could be secretly wreaking havoc on your health and energy levels

Why traditional stress-reduction techniques might not be providing lasting relief (and what to do instead)

The telltale signs your body is crying out for help - from mysterious weight gain to persistent headaches

The "Fierce Five" food sensitivities that could be fueling your stress and how to address them

Whether you're a high-achieving entrepreneur struggling to maintain your edge or simply feeling overwhelmed by life's demands, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap to reclaiming your inner "Super Woman." Get ready to unmask the hidden kryptonite in your life and rediscover your innate resilience and power!

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Dr. Gala Gorman:

Website: drgala.com

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Namaste. Has too much stress left you feeling overwhelmed and underproductive? Well, it's time to ditch that kryptonite and reclaim your superpower. I hope you are going to join us today as my guest is unveiling the secrets to conquering stress and unleashing your inner hero. But before I bring her on, I do want to welcome those of you who may be new to live. Love. Engage. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract clients who align with your values and become your biggest cheerleaders. And joining us today in just a moment is Doctor Gala Gorman. She is a licensed acupuncturist, naturopath, and author who offers practical advice and programs for people who are experiencing health issues resulting from chronic stress. And she helps women, in particular, relieve their symptoms, restore their energy, and reclaim their superwoman status. So, without further ado, I am going to bring her on and officially welcome you, Gala, to Live. Love. Engage.

Thanks for having me, Gloria Grace. I am looking forward to our conversation today.

Me too. And one thing I didn't mention, and you're going to have to forgive me, because I don't remember exactly the title of your book, but I know it has kryptonite in the title, which is why I mentioned kryptonite.

Yeah. The title is, what's your kryptonite? You can see in my little.

That's right. Oh, there it is right there. On the banner.

Right. And the subtitle is, manage the toxic stressors threatening your superwoman status.

Okay, well, I think that's where we need to start, right there. Tell us a little bit about, you know, what is your kryptonite? And, yeah.

So the way I usually talk about this, in a way that I think helps women to understand is, you know, in the superhuman world, kryptonite for Superman or Superwoman, kryptonite is never, like, sitting out on the dining room table. Right? They just feel their superpowers being drained. And because of their past experience, they know that kryptonite must be somewhere nearby, and they have to figure it out fast in order to distance themselves from it in whatever way is most appropriate, and then their superpowers are restored. We have a similar sort of situation in our own world where all these things that potentially cause us stress escalate, essentially to toxicity. And that could be emotional stress, which is what emotional, mental stress is what most of us think of as that kind of stress. But what we tend to overlook that is actually more challenging to deal with are some of the other stressors like mold, you know, which in my world is referred to as microtoxins, bacteria overgrowth, viruses, as we all know what that has looked like in the last few years. And so there's twelve categories of toxicity is just how I sort of grouped them together. But only one of those categories is emotional toxicity. There are a lot of other ways that toxicity affects us. And then what happens is, if we're, if our body is already trying to manage toxicity, that is basically invisible, we're not seeing, and then we end up in a very stressful period. That is the kind of stress we normally think of. Our body doesn't have the same resilience to deal with it. And so what tends to happen is we apply techniques like meditation or journaling or whatever, and we kind of get ourselves soothed and our nervous system kind of back to regulated. And then we find that that feeling doesn't last. We find ourselves being escalated back to feeling really overstressed and anxious really quickly. And that's a good sign that you've got some other toxicity that's kind of boiling beneath the surface.

That's interesting. So, yeah, I never really thought, thought about it in that way. So my question then is, okay, if you are experiencing something like that, then how do you go about trying to figure out what is, if it isn't regular emotional stress or you've been able to calm it? And I love that you mentioned meditation and journaling. My favorite things.

Yeah, I honestly sort of found this out through trial and error myself, you know, as over the last 40 years, essentially. But I love to meditate as well. I literally can sit for hours and just, you know, lose myself in contemplation and love that feeling of being really sort of serene. But I would regularly have somebody that I was seeing myself for help with symptoms. And this is decades ago at this point, but I would have them tell me, you need to reduce your stress. And I would say, golly jeepers. I already do all the things you're supposed to do. Like, what else am I supposed to do? And eventually, it was determined that there were some other stressors that I had going on that had to be addressed in order for the regular stress reduction techniques to actually be, work long term.

Essentially, what were some of the symptoms then that you were experiencing that sort of made you, I guess, maybe either made you seek help or that someone else was noticing, even though you thought that you weren't stressed out.

Yeah. So I was not sleeping well, and that started, gosh, in my twenties, honestly. And in hindsight, I can point to kind of when it started, I was in a relationship that would eventually become my husband, and he snored. And I had never been in a situation like that before. And just chronically, over years period of time, my sleep was disturbed, like I was already. I'm already a fairly light sleeper, but my sleep was regularly disturbed, and the effects of that compounded. I was already like a, you know, overachiever in my, you know, normal life. So, so not sleeping at night and trying to pedal to the metal all day long, those two things just simply do not go together for more than a few days, you know, in a stretch. And. And so when I was out of that situation and I still found that I could not sleep, it was clear that I had done some damage over that period of time. And the other ways that tends to show up is we obviously have chronic fatigue. And the question is, do you have chronic fatigue because your body's not making energy, or do you have chronic fatigue because you're not sleeping well? Or are you not sleeping well because you've got some toxicity buildup that needs to be addressed? So it can really, it's understandable that, you know, people say, well, where do I even start? Because it is a conundrum. But essentially, when you've got symptoms, whether that is not sleeping, whether that is weight gain, that would not be able to be pointed to something. You know, for example, I have been not in my normal situation. We've been sort of on a, like, quasi sabbatical situation for the last few months, and. And so I've been splurging a little more on dessert, and, you know, the kinds of things that I would have tell myself, not indulge in. Right. And so, you know, don't be surprised when you've got five extra pounds that kind of, like, accumulates over that period of time. Now, it's going to take me a little bit of time to sort of work that back off by doing all the things I know I'm supposed to be doing all the time. But, um. But, you know, when you can't point to a situation where, you know, you've just not been doing what you're supposed to do, but nothing's working. The other thing I point to, especially as we age, is that we just start to look a little puffy, like there's, like, a layer of fluid almost that just accumulates in certain areas, but almost looks like your whole body's just a little puffy. And so that tends to be what's referred to as interstitial fluid....

Are you living life on autopilot, missing out on the richness of each moment? In this eye-opening episode, I explore the transformative power of living fully in the present and seizing opportunities to pursue your dreams.

Show Notes

The only place you can truly live is in the present, and that is right now. So how can you make this the best moment of your life right now? - Gloria "Grace" Rand

Drawing from personal experiences, including my long-awaited trip to Hungary and organizing my own 60th birthday retreat, I share how embracing the present moment can lead to profound personal growth and fulfillment. You'll discover why waiting for the "perfect time" often means missing out on life's most precious experiences.

In this insightful episode, you'll learn:

The startling statistic about how much time we spend mentally elsewhere and its impact on our lives

Practical strategies for reclaiming your time and living more fully in the present moment

The importance of identifying and pursuing your dreams, no matter your age or circumstances

How to balance living fully in your business without sacrificing your personal life

Key takeaways include:

Mindfulness techniques to help you stay present and engaged in daily activities

The power of visualization in achieving your goals and living your dreams

Practical tips for overcoming obstacles like self-doubt and financial concerns

The value of setting intentions and taking small, consistent steps towards your aspirations

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Listen to the previous episodes in the Live Fully, Love Deeply, Engage Authentically series:

The Female Entrepreneur's Guide to Self-Love and Abundance

The Female Entrepreneur's Roadmap to Authenticity

Related episode: Live Without Regrets - Jodi Wellman's 4000 Mondays Challenge

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

Have you ever felt skeptical about how tools like meditation, tarot cards, and/or flower essences can be a path for professional and spiritual growth? If so, you're not alone. In this enlightening conversation, I sit down with Rachel White, known as the "Skeptical Shaman," to discuss how skepticism can actually be a powerful tool for uncovering deeper truths on your spiritual journey.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Spirituality helps cultivate intuition. It helps you think for yourself, get to know yourself, and also, just in terms of daily self-care." - Rachel White

As the owner of Totem Readings, Rachel White blends the "woo" with 25 years of corporate experience. During our interview, Rachel shares her fascinating path from Catholic school to atheism, and ultimately to shamanic practice, revealing how maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism led her to profound spiritual experiences. We explore the often-misunderstood difference between skepticism and cynicism, and why cultivating discernment is crucial for anyone on a spiritual path.

Through our discussion, you'll discover:

Practical benefits: Learn how spiritual practices can boost intuition, self-awareness, and even support your physical well-being

Tarot insights: Uncover how tarot cards can serve as a powerful tool for tapping into your intuition and navigating life's challenges

Plant wisdom: Explore the fascinating world of herbalism and flower essences, and how connecting with nature can profoundly impact your spiritual growth

Intuition's value: The dangers of toxic positivity in spiritual communities and why it's essential to trust your instincts when something feels off. 

Whether you're a curious skeptic or a seasoned spiritual seeker, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on navigating the complex world of spirituality with both openness and discernment. Get ready to challenge your assumptions and discover new ways to connect with your inner wisdom.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Rachel White:

Website: totemreadings.com

Women in Podcasting Awards

Live. Love. Engage. has been nominated for a Women in Podcasting Award in the Mindset category. Voting is open between August 1 - October 1, 2024.

We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria Grace Rand

Namaste. Have you ever considered that skepticism about spirituality could actually be the key to unraveling deeper truths? Well, we're going to be diving into this topic today with a woman who is known as the skeptical shaman. But before I bring her on, I would like to welcome those of you who are new to live, love, engage. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract more clients with calm, clarity, and confidence by releasing those negative thought patterns like self doubt and poor self worth. And I'm really delighted to be bringing on our guest today because we've already been having a lovely conversation. And like, wait, we need to stop because I want to save it. I want to save it for the podcast. So her, her name is Rachel White, and she is an unusual spiritual practitioner who blends 25 years of corporate experience with the woo. And she is also a podcaster as well. She hosts the Skeptical Shaman podcast. She's the owner of totem readings and creator of the totem cart, Tarot Deck, I should say. And so without further ado, I'm going to go ahead and bring her on and welcome you, Rachel, to live. Love, engage.

Rachel White

Thank you so much. What an intro. Wow.

Gloria Grace Rand

Well, thank you. And you know, you deserve it. And I'm really. Yeah, as I said, I was really, really fortunate to have come across you, and I want to dive right in and have you talk a little bit about why, why skepticism is a form of discernment.

Rachel White

Yeah. Well, long story, very short, I'll give the executive summary is I went to, to catholic school basically my whole life in fits and starts and including college. I went to Loyola in Chicago. And coming out of all of that Catholicism, I went right into what I jokingly call smug atheism, where I was like, oh yeah, science explains this. I got this on lock. I know everything about everything and really was operating in that mode, in that paradigm until I had a very profound spiritual experience, very unexpected, wasn't pursuing any of this, wasn't reading any books. And it was an event that was so kind of overt that neighbors in my old building were witnessing objective phenomenon. And I had to go back to the drawing board. And what was interesting about that was the skepticism I had applied to Sunday school and asking questions I didn't feel like were getting answered in the catholic church growing up. It was the same skepticism that was present as I was questioning the other paradigm I had gotten into. It led me to shamanism and to my own shamanic practice now. So I think people view being skeptical as being cynical. And to me, those are two very different things. Skeptical is just like, I'm curious. Tell me more. And extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence. And if we're doing something real, there should be some evidence, even if it's qualitative. So I have a podcast where the main topic is, get curious, use your discernment. And it's fairly repetitive in the space of, you don't have to explain to yourself why you're uncomfortable about something. You just are. And it could be, yeah, you're getting triggered or you're growing, but it could also be the person's a creep or it's a cult. And so giving yourself permission to just feel it out, take your time, let things sit, observe them, and then, but keep moving. Don't let a bad actor throw you off of spirituality.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah. That is so important, really, because it has so many benefits, spirituality. So, in fact, I'm going to ask you about that. So since you had this journey going from learning about catholic school, then becoming an atheist, so what have you found the benefits of being spiritual now in your life?

Rachel White

Yeah. Well, I think it's way more actionable and pragmatic on a human skill than people realize. Because people tend to equate spirituality with their experience of religion. Right. Some people have very good experiences with religion, but a lot don't. And what I found is it helps cultivate intuition. It helps you think for yourself, get to know yourself, and also just in terms of daily self-care. You know, I have a mug here, actually. This was made by my beautiful client, Audrey. Shout out to Audrey. Pottery class. But herbal tea, you know, I'm now an herbalist, bringing these things in when I'm not feeling good. My throat is a little scratched. I make flower essences now. These are all things that have been used by various cultures for thousands and thousands of years, and we've kind of become disconnected from them. And we've seen religion and spirituality as this far off thing about morality and sacrifice and self-punishment instead of like a thing you can leverage for your own benefit every day. So that's a lot of what I focus on as well on the podcast.

Gloria Grace Rand

Yeah. And I do, I can relate to this in so many ways because I, especially the intuition part, because I don't know about you, but when I was younger, that I would have, like, these intuitive hits and I wouldn't always pay attention to them. And in fact, sometimes I would just be like, eh, you know, whatever, and ignore it. And then, as I like to say, it would bite me in the butt, frankly, because I didn't pay attention to it. And so, as I've grown on my spiritual journey, I definitely am number one. I'm here. I'm getting, like, more intuitive ideas and things that will come up, and then I'm paying attention and I'm acting on them.

Rachel White

Yeah, yeah. You've built a muscle memory of. I call it when I do, like, spiritual transformation coaching work with clients, it's a trustful with you and spirit, and you start little, and I don't like high stakes stuff. I'm not one of those coaches that's like, you got to take the plunge. You got to quit your job. You got to. It's like, no, no, no. Don't. Chill out. It's okay. You can build this slowly and methodically, but spiritually, building this relationship of trust, of. You've never let me down. Every time I get a hit and it feels this way or it comes in this way, it always ends up working out for me. They've never let me hang out the wind before, and as a small business owner now, because totem is my business, I self-publish decks, I make things, et cetera. I use intuition all the time now, and I'm very grateful, I have a strong muscle memory with it that I did some of the hard infrastructure work early, before the stakes were this real. And, in fact, I just invested in a podcast tour, which is something I did three years ago, and it's, on paper, kind of insane. It's money. If you grew up poor like I did, you're like, we could do a lot with that money, but you just go, yeah, no, it's going to be okay when you check in in your body, and other things are not okay when you check in with your body. And I turned down a television opportunity because it just did not physically feel good when I held it in my body. It's the best way I can describe it. Yeah.

Gloria Grace Rand

Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I've had opportunities in the past sometimes, too, where something comes up and it's like, yeah, I'd really like to do this, but it's just. It's not the right time or frankly, I just don't have the money for it. And I've then said, you know what? If it's meant to be, it'll come around again. And it did,...

Are you tired of feeling powerless in the doctor's office? Discover how to be your own advocate and champion health equity to overcome cultural bias in your medical records.

Show Notes | Transcript

"When the person is referred to as non-compliant, what it tells you is that the person is not following directions... And if you write non-compliant in the medical records two or three times, that person is not going to help us." - Dr. Mauvareen Beverley

In this raw and insightful conversation, Dr. Mauvareen Beverley, patient engagement expert and author of "Nine Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity," pulls back the curtain on the unconscious biases and systemic barriers impacting care for women and minority communities. Through eye-opening anecdotes spanning her 20-year tenure as an executive-level physician, you'll bear witness to the transformative impact of asking "why" instead of making assumptions.

You'll emerge with the tools to:

Advocate for a comprehensive social history in your medical records beyond reductive labels like "non-drinker, non-smoker"

Understand the deep-rooted fears that can fuel "non-compliance" and learn the "SPOT Methodology" for addressing these concerns

Reframe your perspective to recognize the "common thread" uniting all human experiences with illness, transcending societal divides

Discover powerful strategies for communicating your needs without feeling dismissed or judged during medical appointments

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Dr. Mauvareen Beverley:

Website: drbeverley.com

Book: 9 Simple Solutions to Achieve Health Equity: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Patients

Email: mbeverleymd(at)gmail.com

Phone: (914) 409-2767

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We'd love your vote! Go here to express your support: womeninpodcasting.net/live-love-engage

Thank you!

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

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❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

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Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

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TRANSCRIPT

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Namaste. Did you know that unconscious and unconscious bias, I should say, and non compliance can have a life or death impact in a healthcare environment, especially for women and minority communities? So the author of nine simple Solutions to achieve Health Equity, a guide for physicians and patients, is going to be joining us today to talk about how to advocate for yourself and loved ones in patient care. But before I bring her on, I would like to welcome those of you who are new to live, love, engage, and introduce myself. I am Gloria Grace. I help female entrepreneurs attract more clients with calm, clarity and confidence by releasing negative thought patterns like self doubt and poor self worth. And I am really looking forward to this conversation today with Doctor Mauvareen Beverley as my guest. And I apologize if I pronounced her name wrong because I was going over it before we started, but hopefully I got it right. But I'm going to bring her on shortly. But in addition to being an author, she is a patient engagement and cultural competence specialist with 20 years of experience as an executive level physician. So I'm going to, without further ado, welcome, doctor Beverley, to live love, engagement. Welcome.

Dr. Mauvareen Beverley

Thank you so much, Gloria. I'm honored to be here with you. And you did pronounce my name correctly.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

I'm good. Thank goodness. Okay. I wasn't sure. It looks easy, and yet somehow my mind is wanting to trip over it. But I'm going to get right into talking about bias and health disparities that show up for women and minorities. And I'm wondering if you could share with our listeners and our audience on YouTube, what does that look like in practical terms? Maybe you can give some examples of that.

Dr. Mauvareen Beverley

I think unconscious bias, obviously, is a stereotype about particular groups of individuals, and it does not address the reality of who that person is, necessarily. And what I find the relationship. One of the common relationships in medicine is the word noncompliance. And so now there's a nice word, non adherent. And when the person is referred to as non compliant, what it tells you is that the person is not following directions and not following any instructions that's given. And if you write non compliant in the medical records two or three times, that person is not going to help us. And it's been proven that negativity in the medical records is geared worse towards African Americans, particularly african american male. And when you write non compliant, there's never a why question that's included. So we don't know why a patient didn't follow directions, but we are going to write non compliant. And I'll give you an example how the unconscious buyer. And the word non compliant was addressed in a particular patient. And so at Kings County Hospital, I was in charge of the congestive heart failure readmission prevention program. And when Medicare came in and said, if you take, if you. I'm sorry, if you are readmitted in 30 days with only pay for one admission, whereas prior to that they would pay for 24, 68, ten admission. So here's an example of the non compliant and how we saved a life when we asked the why questions and eliminated the unconscious bias. 60 year old african american male, recenter diagnosed with congestive heart failure, returns. Two weeks later, congestive heart failure decompensated due to non compliance. My team had to ask why, and they referred to me as doctor B. They said, please, we have to ask why? Because doctor B is going to bug out if we don't x why? So we asked the patient, why didn't you take your medication? I can't take the water pill, which is another word for diuretic that flushes out the body so that the heart pump better. And the problem is it makes the person urinate a lot. So we asked him, why can't you take the water pill? And I'm glad you're sitting down, glory. Because his answer was, because I drive the number seven train. Oh, so when the train is delayed because the driver has to find a bathroom. Yes. When you see a shift, 11:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. what do you do when you get home? I do some chores. I make breakfast. I take some of my medications. But if I'm going on my shift, I don't take the water pill. We brought this to the attention of the cardiologist, the same cardiologist who was ignoring him. And he said, okay, take the water pill. When you get home, be aware, it may wake you up during the day, but by the time you get to your ship, you'll have less of a reason to urinate. And to the degree that you do, we're going to give you a cubicle to use in the private space. You know what the patient's response was? If I knew I had to choose between peeing and breathing, I was, yeah, I think so. Conversation. So, you know, without the why question, he would have been readmitted multiple times and who's going to care about him? And if he were to pass at mortality, it would have said died due to non compliance. But the key takeaway from this particular case, the patient. We made it such that the patient didn't have to choose between his job and his health, but also that we recognize him as a human being, and we needed to know why he couldn't follow direction. And in my experience, asking the why question resulted in a lot of better health outcomes. Did it solve all the problems? No, but it solved a large percentage of what would have been, could be mortality.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Yeah, absolutely. I can understand that because I can also understand it from the point of view of the patient and his not wanting to do that. And I guess there's the. One of the issues is that we really do need to not be afraid of speaking up to healthcare providers and to ask questions. And I suppose he may have thought that, but maybe he didn't feel comfortable even enough to ask. I'm so glad that you were advocate, but I guess that's why you kind of wrote the book. Tell me a little bit about that. Is that one of the reasons about that?

Dr. Mauvareen Beverley

And it's what I refer to in my book as stopping my tracks moments that led to boots on the ground, simple solution. And the stopping my tracks moments came from speaking to patients and recognizing that currently in. In healthcare, and also the topic of health disparity and everything now is nicer word. Now there's health equity. The patients are not included in the solution. And in my book, the stop in my tracks moments came from patients that actually led to boots on the ground, simple solution. And it was humbling. And what I realized is that obviously, heart failure is age related. Most of the cohort of patients were between 60 and 92. And what I realized is that the english speaking african american population is not included in the cultural competence conversation. The elderly black population had the worst health outcomes in all disease categories. When you consider the atrocities that they endured, it's unacceptable. And again, one of my stopping my tracks moments went into see a patient in Brooklyn, is what I call the merging of the african diaspora was a large caribbean population. There's a large African American. And the spanish population were interested. They weren't from Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico or Mexico. There were Panamanians under colonial rule. The British sent the english speaking population to Panama. To do what? To build a canal. So they have English and spanish name Ronaldo Austin, Antonio Martin. And typically they look black. And the top language was English. And the bulk of the patients that were African American came from the Carolinas....

Have you ever walked on eggshells around a loved one, wishing you could have a healthy debate without fear of sparking conflict? Or found yourself regretting harsh words exchanged in the heat of a disagreement? Maintaining healthy relationships while navigating differing beliefs can feel like an uphill battle. But what if there was a path to respectfully debate without damaging precious bonds?

Show Notes | Transcript

"Keep the door open for continued conversation. It illustrates the relationship is more important than whether someone is right or wrong." - Philip Blackett

Ever wonder how you can disagree with someone you care about without causing a rift? In this candid conversation, Philip Blackett, author of "Disagree Without Disrespect," reveals a compassionate 5-step framework for engaging in meaningful dialogue - even when viewpoints clash. Drawing from his diverse background spanning ministry, entrepreneurship, and an MBA from Harvard, Philip shares transformative insights to separate ideas from identity, actively listen beyond surface assumptions, and prioritize the relationship over being "right."

Through personal anecdotes and eye-opening examples, you'll emerge with:

Powerful strategies for defusing tensions when disagreements feel intensely personal or emotionally charged

Profound insights into cultivating curiosity to understand others' perspectives and the "why" behind their beliefs

Eye-opening reframes for cherishing diversity of thought as a gift and keeping the door open for continued growth

Practical tips for communicating respect, even amid differing opinions - from handshakes to shared experiences

Whether navigating political debates, workplace conflicts, family gatherings or disagreements with your closest confidante, this insightful conversation offers a refreshing roadmap to approach differing opinions with empathy, self-advocacy and the grace to nurture - not sever - important relationships.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Philip Blackett:

Website: philipblackett.com

Book: Disagree without Disrespect

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Namaste. Do you find it challenging to share a difference of opinion with employees or clients, family or friends? Well, the author of Disagree without Disrespect is joining us today to offer his guidance on how to disagree with the people you love and work with without damaging your relationships. So. But before I bring him on, I'd like to welcome those of you who are new to live, love, engage, and let you know that I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract more clients with calm, clarity, and confidence by releasing negative thought patterns like self-doubt and poor self-worth. And I am delighted to have Philip Blackett as my guest. In addition to being an author, he is a consultant and entrepreneur. He has a Master of divinity degree and an MBA from Harvard Business School, so he's no slouch. So I'm going to bring him up to the stage right now, and we're going to officially welcome you, Philip, to live, love, engage.

Philip Blackett

Thank you so much, Gloria, for having me. Happy to be here with you.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Well, I'm really glad to be talking about this, because if anybody, frankly, in the world, but definitely in the United States, there's just been so much strife, I guess, and discord, and it just seems to be so difficult to be able to disagree civilly with anyone anymore. Tensions just get really high. And I know that, you know, you've obviously written a book on this, so let's just get right to it. So let's talk about, you know, how are we able to have conversations? How can we start having conversations with people and be able to disagree respectfully?

Philip Blackett

Right. So I think it's a great question, Gloria, and it's a question that goes beyond just this year. This is something that we have to navigate every year with everybody. Because here's one thing that I would say to you, Gloria. I know for a fact that if you and I spent a week together, I can assure you two things are going to happen. One, you're going to find some things that you and I are in complete agreement with, feel like we're brothers and sisters. The other thing I'm going to guarantee you on is you're probably going to find some things that either you disagree with me on or vice versa. I disagree with you on, and we might be on polar opposites, and that's normal. That's okay. You see, the problem isn't disagreements in our relationships. It's how we navigate them respectfully. And it's not having to deal with an election. This can go for two people thinking differently about a problem or believing in something different beyond just who you're going to vote for. Because one of the things I learned is that in any interpersonal relationship, whether it's your, you with your kids, your parents, your colleagues at work, your friends, you're bound to find a disagreement. You're bound to find something that you don't see eye to eye on. But that doesn't mean that you can't be in a relationship or in friendship with that person. I would argue the opposite, that it is possible for us to disagree with someone's view and still respect and love that person in a healthy relationship.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Well, I understand that you've got, you have, like, a five step framework for doing this. Can you share, you know, maybe at least a couple of. Couple of those steps? I don't know if you may not want to necessarily give everything away. I suspect it's in the book, and we want people to be able to buy the book, but maybe you can, you know, share one or two steps with us.

Philip Blackett

Yeah. So I think the first thing we have to do if we want to disagree with others respectfully, is first separate the idea or belief from the identity of the believer. The reason why that's important, Gloria, is that oftentimes depending on the person, depending on the idea at hand, you may come across somebody that is so intertwined with that idea or belief that it essentially becomes who he or she is. And so the challenge with that is if you're disagreeing with that idea or belief, that person may take of it as you're disagreeing with who they are. If you're criticizing that idea or belief, they may take it as you criticizing them or hating them, which makes sense for them to get defensive, raise their guard up, maybe be aggressive, maybe get into some name calling with you because they're trying to defend themselves. But if you can separate the idea or belief from the identity, then we can actually have a going conversation about this. That's the first step.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Yeah, that makes, that makes sense. I mean, because I can, because just thinking about it, it's like if you really can feel like, you know, they're just really hurting you because you're so closely tied in with that. So how, how can you. Well, actually, I'm going to ask you this first. How can you, how can you recognize that? Because I'm wondering if, because maybe it doesn't seem necessarily like it may be easy to recognize. I don't know. What do you think?

Philip Blackett

Well, an easy way to find out is somebody's emotional response. Right. And somebody is really drawn to what you're talking about. If they feel particularly heightened as far as their response to you, whether it's in their voice and their mannerisms, if it's in their actual body posture, then you might have struck a nerve here, you might have pushed a button that you can at least be able to say, hey, let's push back a little bit. Pump the brakes a little bit. I'm not attacking you. Let's be clear. I'm not criticizing who you are. I actually respect you. It's more so the idea or belief we're talking about, that's where we see differently. And that's okay.

Gloria “Grace” Rand

Now what happens, though, because I'm, because I'm thinking sometimes it just seems like, and I'm thinking right now, I had, I had a friend of mine, I think, who was in a conversation with someone where it was just, she just couldn't get through to her, and she finally just had to just kind of walk away. So is, does there come a point where sometimes, you know, if you, even if you're, you know, trying to say, you know, look, I'm not attacking you, you know, I'm just a, you know, I'm just, it's just this issue. Do sometimes, do you just have to kind of back off?

Philip Blackett

Absolutely. Sometimes, it's not, it doesn't behoove you to have a conversation with someone if you feel like either it's going to get personal pretty quickly, if we're going to get involved in name calling rather than actually debating the merits of the issue at hand or if you feel in some way threatened. I wouldn't want you to be in a position like that. And so it probably is best for you to advocate for yourself, to say, you know what? I don't mind having this conversation with you, Gloria, but I sense that this is pretty tense, and I don't want this to, you know, threaten one or the other or make one of us feel bad. And so if it's not the right time, if it's not the right topic, I'm perfectly fine with us opting out of having this debate or of us having this conversation. We can talk about something else. We can do something else. We don't have to have it. Because what I've learned is that when somebody's sharing their perspective or opinion with you, Gloria, we ought to take of it as a gift. The reason why I say that is because oftentimes, most people don't have to share with you anything, oftentimes in fear of disagreement and fear of what that disagreement can lead to, a lot of people keep their conversations on the surface level unless they come across

Imagine discovering that the key to healing unresolved emotional wounds lies in your astrological chart. Lisa Tahir, licensed therapist and author of "The Chiron Effect," reveals how understanding the placement of the planetary body Chiron can illuminate the root causes of self-sabotaging patterns like low self-worth, people-pleasing tendencies and feelings of unworthiness.

Show Notes | Transcript

"We all wrote our astrological charts. We wrote that before we came into our earthly existence. It’s with free will and our consciousness that we can change and choose any outcomes and potentials for yourself. And that's what Chiron can reveal to you." - Lisa Tahir

Have you ever felt like something deep within is holding you back from fully embodying the abundance, love, and success you desire? If so, this insightful conversation with Lisa Tahir could be the breakthrough you've been seeking. Drawing from her two decades of clinical experience and her pioneering work in Psychoastrology, Lisa demystifies the astrological placement of Chiron, known as the "wounded healer." With practical insights and examples, such as the challenges faced by those with Chiron in Pisces, Lisa offers a roadmap to self-care and emotional healing tailored to individual needs.

In this compelling interview, you'll gain:

Profound insights into the meaning of your Chiron sign and how it pinpoints areas requiring deeper self-love and healing

Powerful self-forgiveness practices to release layers of self-criticism and embrace radical self-acceptance

Techniques for cultivating self-empathy when painful memories resurface, allowing you to provide the compassion you may have lacked

Eye-opening examples of how unresolved core wounds can manifest, from struggles with self-care to strained relationships

Thought-provoking perspectives on free will, authoring your life experiences, and consciously choosing different outcomes

Whether you're well-versed in astrology or a newcomer to this ancient wisdom, prepare to realize your innate worthiness and address the core wounds that have been holding you back. Let this interview be your guide towards personal empowerment and profound healing.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Lisa Tahir:

Website: nolatherapy.com

Podcast: All Things Therapy

Email: lisa (at) nolatherapy.com

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Namaste. Do you feel like unresolved pain and emotional wounds are actually hindering your personal growth and business success? Well, our guest has a unique perspective on how to heal these core wounds that are keeping you from achieving your true potential. But before I bring her on, I just want to welcome those of you who may be new to live. Love. Engage. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract more clients with calm, clarity and confidence by releasing negative thought patterns like self doubt and poor self worth. And I am looking forward to this conversation with our guest today. Her name is Lisa Tahir, and she's a licensed therapist, the founder of Psychoastrology, and the author of the Chiron Effect, healing our core wounds through astrology, empathy, and self forgiveness. So I'm looking forward to doing this. So without further ado, let me bring her up here to officially welcome you, Lisa, to live love. Engage.

Hi, Gloria Grace. Thank you so much for having me on today. I am delighted to be here.

Well, I'm really intrigued. I've been doing a lot of, well, I would say, especially this year, really kind of delving into core wounds, dealing emotional blockages, ancestral healing and things like this. And I even had a session with an astrologer earlier this year where she did mention Chiron and a little bit. But for those of you out there, especially who are watching and listening, who maybe are not familiar, maybe you're not familiar with astrology, or maybe you are, but maybe you've never heard of Chiron before. I thought we could start there with you explaining a little bit about what is Chiron and what does that have to do with our core wounds.

Sure, Gloria Grace, I would love to. And I come to this work as a licensed psychotherapist for over 25 years. For me, when I discovered this placement in our astrological charts, Chiron, which in astronomy is designated as both a minor planet and as a comet, and it orbits an elliptical orbit between the planets of Saturn and Uranus. It was discovered in the seventies by an astronomer named Charles Cowell, and he noted that on elliptical orbit, it was the first heavenly body in its class noted in astronomy to have that type of orbit. Therefore, it was named Chiron, after the Greek centaur in mythology, who is the founder of the healing arts of medicine, of therapy. And we all encounter Chiron and this Greek kind of nomenclature. When you go to the doctor and you see the staff of medicine with the two snakes intertwining. Chiron gave that staff of medicine to Asclepius, whom he tutored. So I found that to be just really interesting. Yet I was curious when I meditated, Chiron just started coming up as I was asking the question, how do I help? My clients who are really successful predominantly are living wonderful lives, though they might stumble a bit emotionally with feeling not good enough or unworthy of the love that they deeply desire and are able to give even to others. Yet it seems like there's a bit of a disconnection somewhere in receiving all that they really want, the abundance, the love, the feeling of value and worth. So why I believe it's important for you to know your Chiron placement is that this placement in your astrological birth chart, Chiron will be in one of the signs. It will be in Pisces, Gemini, cancer, Aquarius. And it's typically different than your sun sign that you know off the top of your head. Most likely when someone asks what your sign is. Knowing your Chiron sign helps you understand this one area on a spectrum. On one end is vulnerability. This might be an ouch, like just an ouch for others of you who have encountered deeper traumas, sexual abuse, domestic violence, profound neglect, maybe being in different foster homes, for example, and all that comes with that. That's a deeper core wounding within yourself and knowing displacement reveals where you need to really support yourself in your affirmations, in your healing work. When you start to feel it dip in your mood, I, you can source it back to this area that you can strengthen yourself in. How does that feel to you, Gloria Grace, as I share it?

Well, it's. It is so interesting. And I do, like I said, I've done a little bit of research in it and checking. I know that you've got some great resources on your own website of how you can kind of delve into this. And I know when I was looking at mine, mine is in the sign of Pisces, which is interesting because it's like both my mother and my grandmother are Pisces, and that is their regular sign. And I know there's a lot of stuff, let's say, in my family and with how just the generations have been, it's really interesting. But I want to talk a little bit more, or have you explain now a little bit more of then. So if we understand this a little bit and you get to figure out where Chiron is in your house, but how then does that relate to being able to then address these wounds and be able to heal it?

So if I could just take Chiron and Pisces that year. Your placement is as an example because I think it makes it more real. What dealing with something personal. So Chiron, in the sign of Pisces, speaks to this vulnerability or wounding. If it's a deeper wound for you and your struggle for self-care, and that is because you tend to really love to help others, it's very authentic, it's very genuine that you really thrive at seeing where people need to be supported and going there. Yet two things tend to happen. One is that you deplete yourself and neglect put on the back burner what might be better and a better interest for yourself, for example, be it the time you spend helping others or the lengths that you go to do that, and you become depleted. And you may even develop a resentment in the back of your mind that's hard to acknowledge because, again, you really love being helpful. It's authentic. But then when you become depleted, it's like, oh, what about me? And you might feel even underappreciated by others. And that can happen because often you see this need that somebody might not have even asked explicit help with, and you start to fill in those places and spaces, and somebody might even be like, whoa. Like, kind of not welcome what you're doing. And for you, it's so natural. And you feel underappreciated and might even feel angry, like, wait, I'm doing this for you. And it turns out the person never asked you to or you didn't inquire, may I do this for you so it can get sticky really fast?

Yeah.

And has that been true? I see you nodding your head.

Oh, definitely. I would say in the past, for sure. And I've gotten better at because that is one of the things that I've definitely grew up becoming this people pleaser and wanting to take care of people, for sure, because I wound up taking care of my mom a lot of the times because she had a lot of health problems when I was a kid growing up. And so that I do want to help others and. And one thing I struggled with was actually then learning to ask for help for myself.

Yes.

So I have had to learn how to do that and. And not just jump in. And so I've gotten much better at it. And, you know, and it's. It's. It's all degrees and we all have to continue to work on. Work on these things. But it's. Yeah, it's. It's very interesting how you're talking about that.

...

Is your inner critic keeping you from taking action to build your business? Join us as entrepreneur, author and coach Liah Kraft-Kristaine shares transformative strategies to help you silence that self-sabotaging voice and replace it with empowering self-talk for business success.

Show Notes | Transcript

"Become your own perfect coach or the set of perfect parents you never had. Ask yourself: What lie am I telling myself about myself? What lie am I telling myself about life? What lie am I telling myself about other people?" - Liah Kraft-Kristaine

How often do you find yourself dealing with the endless cycle of procrastination as you avoid taking the next step? Or the overwhelming perfectionism that leaves you paralyzed instead of propelling you forward? As an entrepreneur, these forms of self-sabotage can derail even your most heartfelt visions. 

Liah Kraft-Kristaine discusses the roots of self-sabotage and how unresolved inner conflicts and negative self-talk can hold you back. Liah's remarkable journey includes building four successful businesses, two non-profits, practicing law, writing 19 books, and speaking across four continents. She's also a former broadcaster on CNN and PBS television. 

Using the powerful metaphor of a glass filled with ice cubes, Liah illustrates how pursuing your passions can bring up hidden issues and limiting beliefs, providing a golden opportunity to address them and move toward both happiness and professional success.

In this episode, you'll emerge with:

Transformative reframes for dismantling limiting beliefs about yourself, your potential for success, and others' perceptions of you

Practical strategies to interrupt the self-sabotaging patterns that breed procrastination, negative self-talk, lack mentalities around time/money, and more

Eye-opening examples of resilience in action - from building a home with just $4,000 to rising above systemic discrimination in the workplace

Inspiring reminders to embrace your uniqueness and the "divine discontent" that signals you're being ushered towards greater growth and purpose

Useful tips for staying hydrated to maintain mental sharpness and overall well-being

Whether you're just launching your entrepreneurial journey or are a seasoned business owner, this insightful conversation offers a compassionate roadmap to unapologetically owning your brilliance. Prepare to amplify your self-trust, resilience and ability to thrive by releasing the self-sabotaging patterns holding you back.

Resources:

Join the Soulful Women's Network

Connect with Liah Kraft-Kristaine:

Website: LifeKraft.com

YouTube: Lifekraft with LiahKK

Video: How I Built My Home in 30 Days for Less Than $50K

Connect with Live Love Engage:

Send Gloria Grace a message

☕ Support the podcast

❤ Love this episode? Leave us a review and rating

LinkedIn: Gloria Grace Rand

Facebook: Gloria Grace Rand

YouTube: Gloria Grace Rand

TRANSCRIPT

Any kind of lack that you keep pointing out to yourself or experiencing, including a lack of time, is signaling to the universe that you are a match for lack. I am Gloria Grace Rand, founder of the L.O.V.E. Method and author of the number one amazon best seller Live. Love. Engage. - how to stop doubting yourself and start being yourself. In this podcast, we share practical advice from a spiritual perspective on how to live fully, love deeply, and engage authentically so you can create a life and business with more impact, influence and income. Welcome to Live. Love. Engage.

Namaste. Procrastination, perfectionism, and a lack of focus. These are not exactly the qualities you want to have if you want to be a successful business owner. Instead, they're really forms of self sabotage, which today's guest knows how to overcome. And that's what we're going to be talking about today. But before I bring her on, I do want to welcome those of you who are new to live. Love, engage. I am Gloria Grace, and I help female entrepreneurs attract more clients with calm, clarity and confidence by releasing negative thought patterns like self doubt and poor self worth. And our guest today is a delightful woman who I've met a while ago. Her name is Leah Kraft Christain, and for more than 20 years, she has coached entrepreneurs, authors, and professionals in product presentation and promotional skills. And she's built four successful businesses and two nonprofits, practiced law, written 19 books, spoken in nearly 500 cities on four continents. She also builds houses. We might get to that if we have a chance, and that's not enough. She's also a former broadcaster on both CNN and PBS television. So without further ado, I am going to bring her on and officially welcome you, Leah, to live. Love, engage.

It's great to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Well, I am really just amazed by all the things you're doing, and it makes you wonder. Our topic is self sabotage. Have you ever done that yourself? Because it doesn't seem like it, because you've been able to do so many different things. So maybe tell us a little bit about, I guess, if you have done that as well. But maybe just what causes people in general to kind of engage in that?

Well, I think most people actually don't know what kind of conversation they're having in their own heads, I think that's a starting point for everyone. And the trouble is, we can live with ourselves alone and not have to deal with it at all. If we aren't interacting with people very much, or if we're not in a relationship, or if we're not running a business or writing a book or creating anything at all, we don't have to face the garbage going on in our own heads. But here's the truth. Every time you start moving towards something that you are attracted to, that makes you feel a sense of joy, excitement, even the sense of love. Love is what we should feel when we're feeling passionate about our businesses and about what we do. And as you're falling in love. But what I know for myself and for all the clients I have worked with who have discovered this for themselves also is when you love something, when you want the push to the good, there is an amazing thing that happens to all of us. If you think of yourself as a clear glass with ice cubes down at the bottom, ice cubes of unresolved garbage issues, when you are in love with your business, your partner, your whatever, it's like pouring clear water into that glass and what's going to happen? The ice cubes rise to the top. And that means then you have to deal with it now. And if you then, because you're thinking all these thoughts you hadn't thought about for a long time, because you pushed into the back of your mind, now you're thinking things like, I don't know if I'm going to be successful. I don't know if people will welcome what I have. I don't know if they're going to like me. I don't know if I'm going to find my tribe. I don't know if this is going to work. I don't know how I'm going to live to next month. All of the garbage of lack of abundance and lack of welcoming and lack of self welcoming comes to the fore. And I'm sorry, but that is how it works, because why the universe is giving you a double chance to deal with it now, so you can get out of your own way. And if you can deal with it, if you've got the strength to deal with it and look at it and say, now look. So that happened to me in second grade. That does not mean it's going to repeat itself now. But I have had so much experience with it, and that is why I teach what I teach. I start with the foundations of happiness, of working on your inner relationship with yourself, which, of course, is what you talk about, about loving yourself, about getting that feeling going, of the love energy. There's so many reasons why women in particular have a problem with this. We know that. For me, my family history, I was told by one of my sisters that all of us have a problem with manic depression. You might as well get on lithium, because none of us can stay feeling good for any period of time. And I said, if that's true about our body chemistry, and I'm not going to test myself and I'm not going to find out because I don't want to have a label for it, I am going to find ways to work on myself. And if I have to work on myself four times harder than anybody else just to get to a modicum of a feeling of happiness. That's what I'm going to do, because I have to learn how to live well. That was a little earlier on in my life when I started having these nose dives when I was 13 years old and then having that persist and for no reason that you could really see. But it was the self talk. It was a lot of the issues that we all have. But when I got into law school, I had an experience that I thought, well, this is where I want to be. I love this. I'm excited about it. I want to do women's law. I want to do international law. I want to do these wonderful things to help humanity. And I had the good fortune of being put on what's called law review, which means I wrote for a legal publication within law school. That is a high honor to receive. Yet when I graduated from one of the top law schools in our country and went out to find a job in Atlanta, Georgia, now, I am from near Canada, so I did not get the mentality of the old boy system. And it was strong and alive when I got out of law school. But I really was clueless. I really was naive in the max. So when I was offered $7.50 an hour to be a practicing attorney, I took it, thinking, I will learn. I will grow. I will start here. Fine, I'll do that. It took me nine months to quit after going in and asking for raises multiple times, after setting up the law firm with their own securities and exchange department for every state in the US so that we could submit our private placements for huge real estate offerings. After doing all of that and still getting no recognition and no raise, finally I left. Now,...

Self-love isn't just a buzzword - it's the secret ingredient to unlocking your full potential as a female entrepreneur. In this episode, you'll learn why putting yourself first is crucial for business success and discover practical ways to cultivate self-love.

Show Notes

"When you love yourself, you're going to take care of yourself. You're going to show up better for your clients and your team members." - Gloria "Grace" Rand

Holistic business guide Gloria "Grace" gets refreshingly real about her own journey to radical self-love and how it transformed her ability to confidently pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. Leveraging tools like the L.O.V.E. Method and sound healing to release her own negative beliefs, Grace now helps female entrepreneurs do the same so they can attract more clients with calm, clarity, and confidence.

Through personal anecdotes and sage wisdom, Grace reveals:

Why unconditional self-acceptance is essential for setting healthy boundaries with clients and prioritizing self-care.

How mindfulness practices like meditation can enhance creativity, intuition, and inspiration — key ingredients for a thriving business.

Practical tips for amplifying your self-love practice through daily affirmations and learning to say "no" without guilt.

The transformative power of light language to release limiting beliefs and ancestral wounds hindering your self-worth.

Whether you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey or you're a seasoned business owner, this insightful episode offers a compassionate roadmap to unapologetically owning your value. Get ready to embrace a self-love practice that amplifies your confidence, resilience, and ability to thrive.

Resources:

Receive Daily Inspirational Messages of Love and Light plus Self-Love & Self-Worth Affirmations at: bit.ly/LoveLightNotes

Join the Soulful Women's Network on Facebook to connect with a group of fun, creative, powerful women supporting each other in business and life.

Daily stresses weighing you down? Past traumas holding you back? Invest in a 30-minute Light Language Sound Healing Session to gain inner peace and emotional freedom. Secure your spot now at gloriarand.com/light-language-healing.

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