Remember being a kid and dreaming of the person you hoped to be one day- a teacher, an actress, a lawyer, an astronaut, a doctor. Common, we all did it. We imagined what our future lives would look like, yet for many of us, those dreams soon our sole identity. My friend Jess’s identity sat in her dream to be a doctor. She shaped her life around that path, yet life through her fast one and said, yep sorry, not today. What was she supposed to do with that? Who was she supposed to be? Being a doctor was her life. Her change journey consists of learning how to unshackle herself from this identity in order to become the woman she was destined to be.  It was a hard and painful process, but it serves as an important reminder that we are not just one thing, we are an entire box full of things! So, as we move through Jess’s story, ask yourself, is there anything in your life that you are tying your identity too? We all do it, so don’t be ashamed. We are here to remind you that you are not alone. And with that, let’s get Ellavated.  

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

In this episode, I will be speaking with an old teammate and good friend of mine, someone who wishes to remain anonymous. Her story is special to me because of its rawness as well as it’s familiarity. As a college athlete myself, I am uniquely aware of the body image dysmorphia that exists within the female athlete community. I lived it myself. We are conditioned to assess ourselves every day, because that is how we become the best, we live by our performances. And thus, our perceptions of our bodies change. We learn to tear apart the very parts of us that allow us to be athletes to begin with. It’s sick and twisted, but it’s real.

Even more than just the athlete community, I cannot think of one woman who at one time or another has not struggled with body image issues. Carb cutting turns to anorexia, anorexia to bulimia without you even realizing it. I am telling you, it happens all the fucking time, and it is definitely a problem that needs to be talked about. So, I hope the rawness and vulnerability of this episode inspires you to have conversations with the women in your life, because we all need to support each other as we continue to transform the perceived body image that a woman is supposed to have. That perception needs to be slashed and I’m ready to join in the fight, so I hope you are too. As we move through this story, what I hope you walk away with is how she learned how to release the control and found a way to love herself again without the identity of being a collegiate athlete. Today, she is a musician and physician, a beautiful combo that allows her to see life in a really unique way. Listen to a song she wrote at the end of the podcast! And with that, let’s get Ellavated! 

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Ella Rae James: @ellaraejames
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

In this episode, I will be speaking with a good friend and colleague of mine, someone whose power and passion continues to remind me that it is ok to go against the flow of society, to be different, to feel like you stand out. My friend Katie essentially turned her life upside down to follow her dreams, a path that was very different from what she felt the world was telling her to do. Marriage and motherhood were her original destination, but now she is shattering the ceiling of what a woman can do in her career.  Confident, determined, and full of self-love, I truly believe that Katie embodies the presence of a woman who knows who she is, what she wants, and what she brings to the table. The world’s perception is no longer a part of her plans, it has been forcefully asked to leave, and with that, let’s get Ellavated.

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

In today’s episode, I will be speaking with someone who is honestly one of the most important people in my life. She is my sister, my pinky, my best friend. Growing up together, Devin and I have remained uniquely involved in each other's life, so her story is very special to me, because for a lot of it, I was there. I felt her pain, I witnessed her resilience, and now I get to admire her growth. Devin has had to move through some deep pains in her life; a distant father and hurtful relationships resulted in her believing that she was really just not worthy of love, especially God’s love. Over time, she continued to seek love in all the wrong places, hoping that those people would fill this hole, yet she learned her brokenness could only be healed by her.  She had to learn to love herself, every single part of herself – the good, the bad, the ugly. And she practiced that self love again and again, releasing the shame, the hurt, the pride. She has discovered what it really means to be loved by a man, but more importantly what it means to be loved by God. Her energy, her light are ever present, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. And with that, let’s get Ellavated! 

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

This episode is a great one! Hosted with my dear friend and soul sister Shruthi who continues to shine her light in my life. Shruthi is a first-generation Indian woman who like many others, went through a journey to understand where she stands in this world, with one foot in her Indian heritage and one foot in American culture – and this in balance led to deep layers of shame building up in her soul – shame of her past, her very being. What I hope you all take away from our discussion today is recognizing how many of us have that voice in our head telling us that we are not good enough. Telling us to do more, be more. That the world will not like our truest self.  Shruthi has found unique ways to conquer those whispers, and I am excited to share her story with you. And with that, let’s get Ellavated! 

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

In this episode, not only do I get to catch up with a good friend of mine, but also a fellow entrepreneur, someone whose determination and self-acceptance continues to push me. Kiara's story is multi-faceted, as are most, but specifically hers’ involves the combination of queerness and blackness. Growing up in a family that elicited fear and shame towards gayness, Kiara had to learn how to set the necessary boundaries to truly sink into herself, to love the parts of her that she felt pulled to push away. Through her struggles, I hope to profess to you the importance of setting boundaries and distancing yourself from those who seek to shame you, even if they are people who you truly love and care about. And with that, let’s get Ellavated!

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

Welcome Everyone! I am so excited for today’s discussion, because not only is this our first episode, but our interviewee is absolutely FIRE. My friend Steph is one of the most powerful and audacious people I know. 

Steph’s story is a mixture of things from learning how to sink into her bi-racial background to learning to exist in a way that allowed her to be her truest self. For years her fears enabled abuse, trauma, and so many layers of unhappiness but now she is no longer silenced or caged and her beauty and presence rest in her determination to be free from other’s perceptions. I am so excited for what she has to share with you, and with that, let’s get Ellavated! 

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Megan Lancaster: @meganrlancaster
Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcast

The Ellavation Podcast was created to inspire healing through community. Each episode is hosted by writer and entrepreneur Ella Rae James, with the goal of elevating the stories of every-day women who have experienced hard things, yet amidst their pain chose to embark on a journey to create a new set confidence in who they are, what they deserve, and what they are capable of - their ultimate redemption story.

Their stories consist of heartbreak, eating disorders, depression, stigmas, stereotypes, rejection, racism, abuse, and so much more. Each episode will be shaped around their story, what they learned, how they grew.

We believe that our pain, brokenness, and trauma are what uniquely unite us, because we have all experienced them in one way or another. But even more so, our healing and self-discovery processes are the reminder that together, we are so much stronger than we are alone.

So, if you are ready to be Ellavated, tune in and follow our social media channels as well!

Ella Rae James: @ellaraejames

Ellavation Podcast: @ellavationpodcst