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What does real culture change look like in workplaces, communities, and beyond? In this inspiring episode, leadership strategist, neurodiversity expert, and founder of The Oni Project Dr. Zakiya Mabery joins Kim Romain and Louise Neil to explore how courageous conversations, accessibility, and inclusion reshape the way we work and live.

You’ll hear powerful insights on:

• Why accommodations are not special treatment, but human needs
• The hidden cost of masking and the toll it takes on well-being
• How leaders and peers can foster psychological safety
• Practical ways to advocate for yourself and support others
• Simple grounding practices to stay present in tough conversations

If you’ve ever felt the weight of proving you belong or wondered how to create more inclusive spaces, this conversation will remind you that your voice matters and culture shifts when we choose humanity first.

Key moments in this episode:

00:00 – Welcome & Introductions

07:57 – Conversations Leaders Need to Have

09:46 – Accommodations & Hybrid Work

13:11 – Educating Peers on Disability & Inclusion

14:55 – Advocacy Beyond the Workplace

19:19 – Humanity & Responsibility

22:35 – The Burden of Masking

25:15 – Grounding & Coping Practices

30:01 – Handling Bullies & Celebrating Wins

33:40 – Breath & Courageous Conversations

34:59 – Final Highlights & Takeaways

Connect with Dr. Zakiya Mabery

Website: https://www.theoniproject.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiyamabery/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedrzakiya/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thezakiyamabery9925

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What happens when the details slip through your fingers and you decide not to beat yourself up about it? Like when you show up to an event on the wrong day or forget if you put an appointment on your calendar. In this episode of The Empowered and Embodied Show, we explore how self-awareness and acceptance open the door to something bigger: self-liberation.

We share stories of letting go of judgment, refusing to waste energy on frustration, and finding freedom in the messy moments of life. Along the way, we talk about limiting beliefs, the ripples our choices create, and how embracing mind, body, soul, and strategy wholeness gives us back our energy and ease.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the “shoulds,” this conversation is a reminder that it’s not about the details... it’s about the freedom that comes when you let them go.

Key takeaways in this episode:

• Acceptance gives you freedom and energy.
• Self-awareness is just the first step toward self-liberation.
• Wholeness means aligning mind, body, soul, and strategy.
• Letting go of judgment creates more joy and ease.
• Your choices create ripples that impact others.
• Inner change fuels collective change.

Key moments in this episode:

00:00 Welcome & Introductions

02:09 Attention to Detail – when calendars, events, and memory go sideways

05:21 Shifts in Self-Awareness – noticing yourself in a new way

08:31 The Journey to Self-Liberation – why awareness is just the beginning

09:52 Understanding Self-Liberation – what freedom really means for us

14:15 Acceptance and Wholeness – embracing all parts of yourself, even the messy ones

20:58 Self-Liberation and Acceptance – how letting go gives you back energy and ease

24:50 Freedom from Social Conventions – breaking free from the “shoulds”

29:39 Integrating Self-Liberation into Daily Life – practical ways to live this out

36:35 The Ripple Effect of Personal Work – how your shifts change more than just you

39:25 Embracing the Process of Self-Discovery – honoring the journey, not just the destination

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Stress can feel so normal that we forget there’s another way to live. In this episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with Lydia Knight -- author, executive coach, and founder of The She Center. We explore why our brains and bodies can get stuck in cycles of stress, burnout, and perfectionism and unpack how shame thrives in secrecy, why “stress feels like home,” and what it really takes to create safety, belonging, and authenticity within ourselves.

This conversation offers gentle, practical insights on letting go of old patterns, shifting your “emotional home,” and building a more centered way of leading and living. If you’ve ever wondered why stress keeps pulling you back, or how to move toward peace without pushing harder, this episode is for you.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Stress and burnout can feel familiar, but they don’t have to be home.
• Curiosity is the antidote to self-judgment.
• Psychological safety starts within.
• All emotions matter; they’re the full music of being human.
• Healing is about letting go, not efforting.
• Self-trust grows through practice, not perfection.

Key moments in this episode:

00:00 – Welcome & Introductions

01:35 – The Journey of Authenticity and Leadership

04:39 – Understanding Shame and Its Impact

07:16 – The Process of Healing and Centering

12:42 – Creating Psychological Safety Within

13:28 – The Role of Emotions in Authenticity

16:13 – Curiosity vs. Judgment in Self-Discovery

19:24 – The Complexity of Human Experience

25:30 – The Pendulum of Healing and Letting Go

27:20 – Building Trust and Safety in Ourselves

31:48 – Celebrating Progress and Emotional Homes

39:16 – The Power of Community and Support

43:25 – The She Center and Its Mission

46:18 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Lydia Knight:

Website: https://theshecenter.org/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lydia-knight-tsc/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshecenter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theshecenter

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@theshecenter

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Sometimes your body says hell no long before your mind catches up. In this episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, we go deep into the language of the body... you know, those visceral yeses and no’s that reveal more than logic ever could.

From laughing over quirky Canadian slang that Louise's dad apparently made up and she thought everyone knew about it (“giver tar paper”) to unpacking how emotions, conditioning, and even menopause shape our ability to trust ourselves, this conversation is raw, funny, and deeply real. We explore how alignment, avoidance, and awareness show up in everyday life, and why listening to your body is the ultimate act of self-trust.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why visceral reactions matter (and how to recognize them)
• The difference between speaking from emotion vs. logic
• How avoidance and spiraling signal misalignment
• Trusting your body through midlife, hormones, and change
• Practical ways to reconnect with your body’s wisdom

Join us for a heartfelt, unfiltered conversation about learning to trust yourself one signal at a time.

Key moments:

00:00 – Welcome & introductions

02:26 – Visceral Reactions and Emotional Responses

04:39 – Trusting Your Body's Signals

07:16 – Navigating Yes and No in Conversations

09:44 – The Complexity of Emotions

11:51 – Avoidance and Alignment with Values

17:59 – Navigating Internal Conflicts

20:32 – Emotional Processing and Communication

23:25 – Trusting the Body's Signals

27:23 – Understanding Hormonal Changes

33:00 – The Language of the Body

36:25 – The Journey of Self-Discovery

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In this episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil sit down with burnout recovery coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and ordained pastor Nicole Havelka to explore why slowing down feels so radical in a culture obsessed with doing.

Together, we dive into:

• How burnout shows up differently for each of us, and why it’s not just an individual problem but a collective one
• The pressure to constantly prove our worth through productivity and “being the best”
• Why the word can’t disempowers us, and how to reclaim choice in our lives and work
• The surprising overlaps between burnout, perimenopause, and values misalignment
• Practical ways to create compassionate workplaces, embrace rest, and focus on impact instead of output

If you’ve ever felt buried under the weight of doing it all, this conversation will remind you that rest is not only possible, it’s essential, powerful, and deeply radical.

Key Moments

0:00 – Welcomes and introductions

03:57 – Doing vs. planning: the trap of over-strategy

08:25 – Replacing “proving” energy with body awareness

11:12 – Duality of busyness and rest

13:56 – Redefining “being the best”

22:05 – Pebbles, rocks, and ripple effects

23:28 – Burnout is a collective issue, not individual

26:51 – The exhaustion of being a change agent

32:25 – Awareness as the first step to choice

34:30 – Reclaiming choice instead of saying “can’t”

37:48 – Bodies, yoga, and honoring differences

39:45 – Rethinking work culture and flexibility

41:46 – Final reflections and takeaways

Connect with Nicole Havelka

Nicole started her business, Defy the Trend, in 2018 to support change agents and values-aligned organizations while they embrace a more rested life and create compassionate workplaces through mindful time management, transformative coaching and restorative yoga and meditation. When she’s not working, she is nurturing herself by doing experimental cooking, watching/reading apocalyptic literature and television, traveling to new places and spending time outdoors. Learn more about her at defythetrend.com or subscribe to her Substack, Just Rest. 

https://defythetrend.substack.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-havelka-35762022/

https://www.facebook.com/NicoleHavelkaConsulting

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFkq_yGnNi_JFnTIIzJytNA

https://www.pinterest.com/defythetrend

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In this candid and deeply personal episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil explore what it means to find and use your voice, especially in midlife, in leadership, and in systems that were never built with us in mind.

From perimenopause to purpose, silence to self-expression, they unpack the physical, emotional, and energetic ways our voices get stifled... and how to reclaim them with intention and integrity.

If you’re ready to stop swallowing your truth and start speaking in ways that feel real, grounded, and powerful... this episode is for you.

“You’re not too quiet. You’re discerning.” — Kim Romain

“I’m tired of being told how to do life by people who don’t know me.” — Louise Neil

Key Takeaways:

• You don’t have to be loud to be powerful
• Midlife can spark a deeper connection to your voice
• Feeling stuck in your throat is often a sign of misalignment
• Your body gives you clues when your voice isn’t being heard
• Human Design can help explain how your voice works
• You get to choose how, when, and where to speak
• Reclaiming your voice is an act of alignment and power

Key Moments:

00:00 – Welcomes and Introductions

05:05 – Using Your Voice with Intention

09:57 – Shifting from Public Sharing to Intimate Conversations

13:05 – When Leaders Don’t Want to Add to the Noise

14:30 – Listening vs. Speaking: The Midlife Reclamation

17:44 – The No-F*cks Fifties and Finding Your Fire

20:16 – The Power of Saying What’s on Your Mind

21:11 – Human Design, Throat Centers, and Communication Blocks

24:51 – Aligning the Head, Throat, and Body

29:18 – Slowing Down and Staying Intentional

33:58 – Why Some Spaces Feel Unsafe to Speak In

38:14 – Finding the Right Room and Doing the Inner Work

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Why does talking about money feel so hard? In this episode, Kim and Louise are joined by financial and art therapist Rachel Duncan of The Money Healing Club to unpack the tangled emotions so many of us carry around money.

Together, we explore:

• How shame shows up in our financial stories
• The cultural and systemic roots of money avoidance
• Why budgeting isn’t always the first step
• How art therapy can unlock healing and rewire old beliefs
• The intersection of nervous system regulation and financial well-being

Rachel shares a gentle and radically compassionate approach to money that centers self-trust, creativity, and community. Whether you’ve struggled with scarcity, felt like you’re “bad with money,” or simply want a new way to relate to your finances, this conversation offers both insight and relief.

“The more money you have, the more you think about money. Safety doesn’t come from having more; it comes from knowing how to be with it.”  - Rachel Duncan

Key Moments:

00:00 – Welcome and Introductions

03:55 – Let’s Talk About Money Shame

06:18 – Why We Don’t Talk About Money

09:10 – The History of Women, Money, and Pockets

13:06 – Generational Scarcity and Self-Fulfilling Scripts

20:08 – Money, Community, and Financial Activism

24:28 – Blending Financial Therapy with Art Therapy

29:04 – Somatic and Visual Processing for Money Trauma

31:32 – Why Budgeting Isn’t the First Step

36:13 – The Psychology of Poverty and Present-Moment Survival

39:23 – Economic Ecosystems and Recession Mindset

43:56 – Guided Visualization: Money as a Creature

49:07 – Closing Reflections and Gentle Invitations

51:06 – Final Thoughts and Thank You

Connect with Rachel:

• moneyhealingclub.com
• The Money Healing Club Podcast
• Rachel’s free mindful spending email course

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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In this episode, Kim and Louise unpack the invisible habits, systems, and stories that keep us stuck on autopilot. From midlife identity shifts to menopause brain fog to the pressure of always needing to be “better,” this conversation dives deep into how we relate to energy, awareness, and the myth of who we used to be.

We explore how mindfulness can interrupt unconscious patterns, how language (including the body's) helps us make meaning, and why community is essential for navigating the messy, beautiful transitions of life. This one’s for anyone who’s feeling disconnected, disoriented, or just plain over it.

Whether you're sleepwalking through your days or just craving a new way of being... this is a reminder that you're always evolving.

“Your life gets to be your story; no one else can write it for you.” — Louise Neil

“The body speaks in a language most of us haven’t even tapped into.” — Kim Romain

Key themes:

• Why energy awareness matters more than energy output
• How menopause impacts identity and presence
• The difference between knowing the words and speaking your body’s language
• Creating your “dream team” of support before crisis hits
• The freedom that comes from claiming your evolution

Key moments:

00:00 – Welcomes and Introductions

02:24 – Autopilot, Energy Leaks, and Conservation

06:12 – The “Shoulds” Around Self-Care

09:47 – Aging, Identity, and Midlife Awareness

17:23 – Sleepwalking Through Life and Losing Awareness

20:31 – Disconnection as a Symptom of Menopause

23:50 – The Body’s Language and What It’s Telling Us

26:35 – Building Your Support System and Dream Team

30:26 – Preparing for Life’s Messy Middles

32:33 – Saying No to Help and Trusting Your Timing

36:37 – What Helps Us Navigate Uncertainty?

39:08 – Your Life Is Your Story; You Get to Write It

42:19 – Acceptance, Awareness, and Belief in Something Bigger

44:12 – If We’re Not Evolving, What Are We Doing?

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What if time doesn’t need to be managed, but liberated?

In this episode of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim and Louise are joined by holistic time coach Becca Rich for a soul-stretching conversation about how we relate to time, and how that relationship is shaped by hustle culture, systemic oppression, and internalized shame.

Together, we explore what it means to practice time liberation by listening to your unique rhythms, breaking free from toxic productivity patterns, and redefining what it means to spend your time well. If you’ve ever felt like you’re always behind, never doing enough, or stuck in someone else’s schedule… this one’s for you.

Inside this episode:

• The truth about time shame and the myth of “falling behind”
• Why “time management” often reinforces systems of oppression
• How rest, rhythm, and community reclaim your agency
• The role of presence, pleasure, and purpose in bending time
• Simple, embodied ways to shift how you experience your days

Key Moments/Chapters

00:00 – Welcomes and introductions

02:28 – What is a relationship with time?

04:24 – How systems of oppression shape our time

08:42 – Time scarcity and community solutions

10:17 – Making time liberation accessible

13:13 – Listening to your body’s rhythms

15:30 – Deconditioning from hustle culture

18:46 – Time liberation as reclaiming agency

22:58 – Time shame and the myth of sameness

25:04 – Redefining productivity

31:14 – From burnout to body-led time

37:54 – Time expansion and bending time

40:30 – There is no behind

48:18 – Closing thoughts and gratitude

About Our Guest:

Becca Rich is a holistic time coach, hypnotist, and founder of multiple soul-aligned businesses supporting neurodivergent, sensitive, and spiritually curious humans. She’s here to help you reclaim your time, your energy, and your wholeness.

Find Becca at: https://www.theholistictimecoach.com/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccacrich/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theholistictimecoach/

Listen to Becca’s podcast: Not Too Productive

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Is it burnout or a slow leak of energy you weren't expecting?

In this honest, unfiltered conversation, Kim Romain and Louise Neil explore what it really means to feel drained in midlife, how perimenopause and menopause shift our physical and energetic capacity, and why the old hustle-driven definitions of success no longer apply.

They dive into:

• Why reacting all day long isn’t the same as responding
• How to tell when your “plate” has actually gotten smaller
• The emotional and physical cost of pretending you still have the same bandwidth
• Learning to honor your energy instead of push through it
• What it means to redefine enough on your own terms

Whether you’re navigating midlife, shifting your pace in a world gone wild, or wondering why the drive you used to have just isn’t there anymore... this episode is a permission slip to slow down, tune in, and trust your own rhythm.

"Our brains are rewiring themselves. Estrogen was the fuel, and it’s no longer reliable." - Louise Neil

"When we honor what our bodies need… we stop pushing through things that are actually hurting us." - Kim Romain

Key Moments: 

00:00 - Welcome

03:12 – The difference between reacting and responding

04:50 – Burnout, Human Design & sacral fatigue

06:38 – Fireflies, distractions & energy drains

08:00 – Leaky buckets and where the energy goes

12:18 – Midlife, menopause, and the rewiring we don’t talk about

16:00 – Rejecting hustle culture & old expectations

21:52 – How to honor your energy (even when you can’t stop)

23:18 – Grace, seasons, and letting yourself off the hook

28:37 – Accepting your current capacity

33:37 – Discernment vs. responding: the language of self-trust

41:36 – Final takeaways: grace, difference, and your own rules

43:38 – What we’re up to and where to find us

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com