This week’s episode features special guest Lauryn Evarts Bosstick from The Skinny Confidential.  She joins us to talk about her goals with her brand, being her authentic self, and dealing with a family member’s addiction.

The Skinny Confidential has become a multi-platform brand full of blog posts, social media content, podcast episodes, and even YouTube videos.  From wellness, to business tips, to life advice, Lauryn has it all covered. Talk about total lady boss!

Lauryn’s goal is to stay as authentic as possible with her followers and show them that it’s okay to have a balance of health and fun.  Or as she calls it, “holding kale in one hand and champagne in the other.” Hilarious!

Having this balance between healthy living and doing whatever the F you want is really important, especially in our age of social media. Lauryn has no shame in sharing her experience getting plastic surgery, while still sharing the message of health and self-love.

We need to be more accepting of those choosing to enhance their appearance. There is no shame in the botox game! Just remember not to compare yourself to others no matter your body type.

You do you, and don’t care about what others think.

This mantra has even helped Lauryn get through pushback she’s had online.  She is a self-proclaimed over-sharer (perfect influencer personality!), and totally accepts hat not everyone is going to be on board with her and her journey. #ANDSOITIS

Not only does Lauryn stay true to her authentic self, she also wants her followers to be informed, which is why she brings incredible experts onto her podcast. (Seriously, listen to this episode with Khalil Rafati owner of Sun Life Organics) This brings the perfect mix between authenticity and relying on authoritative perspective to her audience.

“You have to be your own guru.”  Lauryn always tells her audience to go out and do research on their own.  If you are unsure about something, gain knowledge and form your own opinion.  Don’t just blindly follow everyone else.

This is what makes The Skinny Confidential’s brand so relatable and popular.  Authenticity is really important to followers nowadays.  We are stepping away from that perfectly curated feed, and leaning toward a more realistic image.

We want the in-between scenes, not just the highlight reel, of an influencer’s life.  Sharing your struggles and being real is highly valued.

Lauryn has helped pave the way, and has done so by sharing her story on her podcast.  A big part of her journey was handling her sister’s addictions and recovery. As a family member of an addict, she found it really difficult to relinquish control and allow growth to occur naturally.

“It’s hard to watch someone you love and care about kill themselves in front of you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The best thing you can do is stop trying to control your loved one’s situation, and allow them to see reality and the bottom for themselves.  Her family’s experience has given her a lot of empathy for family members of addicts, even for her own parents. Once her family broke that cycle of co-dependence, things started to look up.

There are plenty of ways you can support a family member going through recovery.  One way is to join a support group yourself, so you can gain some perspective. You can join groups like Families United for Recovery, which was started by Alexis’ mom.  Or you can go to free groups hosted by recovery centers, like the weekly groups at Alo.

Remember: recovery is not linear.  There will always be highs and many lows, so as long as you stay in tune with your loved one’s journey and come from a place of love and respect, healing will take place.

Speaking of love, there is an aspect of love that tends to go unnoticed for many women, especially moms.  And that is self-love! We need to find ways to wind down after a hard day, that doesn’t necessarily involve opening a bottle of wine.

Alexis explains a few ways she winds down, this includes spending time with her daughters, long showers, body scrubs, essential oils, and acknowledging her feelings, instead of suppressing them. Learning to talk yourself in a way that is nourishing can be more beneficial than you think.

Lauryn loves to practice grounding/earthing, whether that is sticking your toes in the sand at the beach, or walking barefoot on the grass. Getting in touch with nature is a great way to unwind.

From eucalyptus leaves to salt lamps, Lauryn is a wealth of information when it comes to self-care! And this is only a fraction of what you can find on her blog.

Lastly, we can’t talk about self-care without addressing our love/hate relationship with social media.  It can be hard to disconnect, especially when you are trying to build a brand that requires a lot of content and engagement.  Just thinking about all we “should” be and do puts a weight on our shoulders, and leaves an open door for anxiety and depression to enter.

As someone who produces lots of content each day, Lauryn knows that a healthy balance is important to keeping your sanity.  She tries to put more energy into creating content than consuming content. And when she does, she is careful about who and what she is looking at.  If we are feeding ourselves with negativity from certain accounts, we need to take a step back. Instead, we can start following people that make us do and feel better.

Try limiting your scrolling time on Instagram and narrowing down the stories you watch to about 5 accounts, some of her favorite business accounts being Ed Mylett and Gary Vaynerchuk.  She also recently spoke to the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, and his biggest advice was becoming more disciplined about the type of content you are consuming online.  

This way, if certain accounts are making you depressed, just unfollow. We’ve all been there and could use a good cleanse once in a while!

Ultimately, learning to be your own guru, finding what works for you, and living as your authentic self is going to bring you joy.  If you want more info on how to reach these goals, check out Lauryn’s podcast, The Skinny Confidential, and stay tuned for a special round table episode she has in store!  

#ANDSOITIS

If you or someone you love needs help, visit Alo House Recovery.

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