What if everything you’ve been told about cholesterol, statins, and hormones isn’t the full picture?

In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Elizabeth Plourde, who brings decades of research and firsthand experience inside the medical system. We explore how “normal” ranges have changed over time, why so many people are prescribed medications without deeper investigation, and what your body actually needs to function optimally.

This episode is about empowerment—understanding your body, asking better questions, and not blindly outsourcing your health decisions.

• Why “healthy ranges” for cholesterol have shifted over time
• The role of cholesterol in hormone production and brain function
• Why lowering cholesterol may not always equal better health

• Common side effects (including muscle pain and fatigue)
• Why many people are prescribed statins without full context
• The importance of understanding risks vs. benefits for YOU

• Why hormone decline impacts nearly every system in the body
• The difference between synthetic vs. bioidentical hormones
• How hormone imbalance can affect mood, energy, bones, and more

• Why most people don’t question their doctors—and the risk of that
• How fear-based recommendations influence decision-making
• The importance of becoming your own health advocate

• Your body is not broken—it’s responding to imbalances
• “Normal” lab ranges don’t always mean optimal health
• Cholesterol is essential for hormone production and brain function
• Medications are not always the root-cause solution
• You have more power than you think when you ask questions and explore options

This episode is personal.

After navigating my own health challenges and being pressured into solutions that didn’t feel aligned, I realized how important it is to trust yourself, get educated, and advocate for your body.

Most people don’t realize how much pressure exists inside the medical system until they’re in it.

You don’t have to accept the first answer you’re given.

• Learn more about Dr. Plourde’s work on EMF and health:
• https://www.emffreedom.com/
• The Great Cholesterol Myth by Jonny Bowden & Stephen Sinatra
• EMF Freedom: Solutions for the 21st Century Pollution by Elizabeth Plourde
• Hysterectomy, Ovary Removal, and Hormone Replacement by Elizabeth Plourde
• CoQ10 for heart health and energy support
• Vision Alive Max (eye health support mentioned in episode)

If this episode resonated with you, it’s time to go deeper.

Join me for the 14-Day Manifestation Challenge where we apply this same level of awareness and empowerment to your thoughts, emotions, and outcomes.

👉 http://jjflizanes.com/14day

Healing isn’t about blindly following instructions.

It’s about becoming aware enough to choose what’s right for you.

What happens when you’ve achieved everything you thought you wanted… and it still doesn’t feel right?

In this powerful conversation, JJ Flizanes joins Allison Lane to unpack the hidden experience so many high-achieving women face—but rarely talk about: outgrowing the very life they worked so hard to build.

From anxiety and burnout to the quiet feeling of “this can’t be it,” this episode dives into why success can start to feel empty—and what’s actually underneath it.

Together, JJ and Allison explore the deeper emotional, psychological, and subconscious patterns that keep brilliant women stuck, invisible, or second-guessing their next move—even when they know they’re meant for more.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected, restless, or unsure of your next chapter… this conversation will help you understand why—and what becomes possible when you finally listen to that inner call.

1. Why high-achieving women often feel unfulfilled after reaching success
2. The difference between burnout vs. outgrowing your current life
3. How subconscious beliefs and core wounds drive overachievement
4. Why “mindset work” alone isn’t enough—and what actually creates change
5. The hidden role of addiction to achievement, control, and validation
6. Signs you’re repressing your true purpose (and how it shows up physically and emotionally)
7. Why visibility feels so hard—and how fear of judgment keeps you playing small
8. The truth about needing more certifications, degrees, or “permission”
9. What happens when you finally align with your purpose, passion, and dharma
10. How to move from confusion and stagnation into clarity, energy, and momentum

1. Success built on external validation or compensation will eventually feel empty
2. Anxiety, burnout, and even physical symptoms can be signs of misalignment
3. You don’t need more credentials—you need clarity and alignment
4. You are not for everyone—and hiding keeps the right people from finding you
5. Growth requires stepping through discomfort, not avoiding it
6. When you align with your truth, life becomes lighter, more energized, and more supported

When you stop ignoring that inner knowing and start listening:

1. You feel lighter and more energized
2. Your nervous system begins to calm
3. Opportunities and alignment start showing up
4. You gain clarity on your purpose and next steps
5. You move from performing… to truly living your truth

If this episode resonated with you, you are not alone—and you are not stuck.

JJ and Allison are hosting a live masterclass to go deeper into this conversation:

📅 April 10

🔗 Register: jjflizanes.com/brilliantwomen

🎟️ Use the free VIP code in the show notes

Allison Lane helps accomplished women expand their visibility, authority, and impact—guiding them from industry experts to recognized thought leaders through books, media, and strategic positioning.

JJ Flizanes is an Empowerment Strategist, author, and podcast host who helps people heal emotional patterns, uncover core wounds, and align with their purpose to create lasting transformation.

If you’ve been quietly wondering, “Is this all there is?”

That question isn’t a problem.

It’s the beginning of your next evolution.

Have you ever felt like you're doing all the right things—vision boards, appreciation lists, meditation, inner work—and yet nothing seems to be moving?

In this solo episode, JJ shares a deeply personal reflection on the space between where you are and the next version of who you're becoming.

Sometimes feeling stuck isn't a sign that something is wrong.

Sometimes it means your container is expanding.

Drawing from her background in fitness, manifestation work, and recent personal experiences—including a powerful birthday medicine journey—JJ explores why growth often feels uncomfortable and why contrast is actually necessary for transformation.

If you've ever wondered why the Law of Attraction seems to stop working when you need it most, this episode will help you understand the deeper shift that may be happening within you.

This conversation explores the moment when the old version of you is dissolving, but the new version hasn't fully arrived yet—and how learning to trust that process is one of the most important skills in manifestation.

• Why people feel stuck even when they're doing all the personal growth work • The stage of transformation where the old identity dissolves • Why contrast is necessary for growth and expansion • The resistance training analogy for emotional and spiritual development • The real reason manifestation sometimes feels blocked • Why your container must expand before your desires can manifest • The hardest part of the Law of Attraction: feeling aligned before the evidence shows up • How collective energy and world events can affect personal growth • Why you may be in a "caterpillar to butterfly" phase of transformation • What it means to recognize yourself as an extension of Source energy

We don't attract what we want.

We attract where we are.

If the life you're calling in is bigger than what you've experienced before, you must become the energetic and emotional container capable of holding it.

That expansion often feels uncomfortable—but it's a sign that growth is happening.

If you resonate with this conversation, JJ invites you to join the next 14-Day Manifestation Challenge starting April 1st.

This challenge is designed to help you strengthen your manifestation muscle and learn how to stay aligned, hopeful, and grounded—even before the results show up.

Because the real work of manifestation isn't controlling circumstances.

It's becoming the person who can hold the reality you're calling in.

Join here: jjflizanes.com/14-day

Register for the next free 14 Day Manifestation Challenge starting April 1st http://jjflizanes.com/14day

In this episode, JJ sits down with returning guest Lori Shelley, a coach who helps women navigate the emotional and practical aftermath of betrayal. Lori shares her background—from 12 years in financial planning (including training leadership), to 13 years at home raising her kids, to 13 years in HR—and how her own life experience led her to coaching women in midlife who are rebuilding after major relationship disruption.

Lori opens up about discovering her husband's long-term deception through what's often called "drip disclosure"—learning the truth in pieces over time—and how that process created intense nervous-system dysregulation: depression, short temper, feeling worse as she approached home, and eventually rage that didn't match the partial information she had. She explains how a formal therapeutic disclosure helped bring alignment between what she felt and what was actually happening—creating clarity, validation, and a turning point for healing.

Together, JJ and Lori discuss why the right support matters. Lori describes the difference between approaches that frame partners as "co-addicts" versus betrayal trauma frameworks that recognize the impact of deception on safety, intuition, and identity. She shares how 12-step style groups (including COSA) can provide a safe starting place—especially when the group's structure and energy support growth instead of staying stuck in the story.

Lori also explains how she works with women today through groups and individual coaching, including:

• A group for women navigating separation/divorce after betrayal, and

• A deeper healing experience called The Spiral Path, a 6-month program exploring:

  1. what you want to leave behind,

  2. what you want to acknowledge, and

  3. what you want to walk away with.

  
  

JJ highlights Lori's unique zone of genius: blending emotional healing + financial and career support for women facing divorce—helping clients move from "I'm not okay" to regulated, grounded, and clear about what they will and won't accept moving forward. Lori shares one of her favorite group check-ins: noticing glimmers (small signs of hope) and naming what you're beating yourself up about—so you can begin to come back to yourself.

Connect with Lori: Website: LoriShelleyCoaching.com (Book a free 30-minute consultation) Facebook: Lori Shelley Coaching

In this solo episode, JJ breaks down how to move through the powerful momentum of the Fire Horse year without burnout by focusing on just three aligned priorities. Rather than getting swept up in urgency, overcommitment, or scattered action, she shares how to use this high-energy cycle for sustainable expansion through identity, intentional creation, and body-led balance. This conversation is your reminder that success this year comes from congruence, not doing more. If you're ready for guided support, join JJ's free 14-Day Manifestation Challenge starting April 1st at JJFlizanes.com/14day, and download her Metabolic Makeover program (a $500 value) completely free at JJFlizanes.com/mm using the code JJFREE.

In this episode, JJ Flizanes welcomes Erin Hines, a Human Design business coach (and repeat guest from West Coast Women Rising), to kick off a new series-style conversation on Human Design—what it is, why it's gaining traction, and how it can help you better understand your energy, decision-making, and natural way of operating in life and work.

What You'll Learn

• What Human Design is and where it came from (a modern system developed in the late 1980s)
• How Human Design blends ancient and modern systems (astrology, I Ching, chakras + physics/biology concepts)
• The "science of differentiation": why your uniqueness matters and how it supports more ease in life
• The 5 Human Design types and what each one needs to manage energy well:
• Generators & Manifesting Generators: consistent energy when doing what lights you up; built to respond
• Projectors: here to guide; thrive by waiting for invitations and honoring rest
• Manifestors: here to initiate; thrive by informing and allowing cycles of burst/rest
• Reflectors: sensitive mirrors of environments; thrive with downtime and supportive spaces


• How type can reduce shame and friction (e.g., why open-ended questions can feel hard for "response-based" types)
• The basics of reading a Human Design chart: Type, Centers (defined vs open), and deeper layers like gates/channels

Mentioned in the Episode

• Erin's free Human Design chart option (available many places; Erin's includes helpful click-for-explanations)
• Erin's "Intro to Human Design" custom report for deeper insight
• Erin's podcast: Rebel to Rise: Where Business Meets Human Design (includes business strategy + HD education)

Connect with Erin Hines

Erin's website: DarnGoodBusinessCoach.com Find Erin on: LinkedIn Listen to: Rebel to Rise: Where Business Meets Human Design

JJ welcomes Sheila Donohue for a conversation that blends entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and the art of curated Italian wines and foods. Sheila shares how her company, Verovino, sources small-batch, farm-made wines, olive oils, and specialty foods—many not readily available in the U.S.—and delivers them to both consumers and businesses across America.

• Meet Sheila in Bologna: Sheila shares her life in Bologna, Italy, where she's lived since 2001, and how Italy shaped her expertise and relationships with producers.

• What Verovino does: Verovino curates and imports authentic, sustainably made, small-batch products—primarily from Italy, plus select producers from other countries and California—selling B2B and direct-to-consumer.

• From fintech to food & wine: Sheila explains her background in financial technology (fintech), her sommelier training in Italy, and how her personal immersion in artisan food culture inspired the company.

• Starting from a "clean slate": In 2017, after major life changes, Sheila began building Verovino—funded through savings—and took early action by importing product and going door-to-door to find customers.

• How the business grows: Sheila emphasizes the importance of continuity (repeat business), building scale, and covering operating expenses. She explains how an omni-channel strategy helps stabilize the business:

  • Distributors nationwide

  • Wine stores & restaurants (especially in California)

  • Direct-to-consumer shipping across the U.S.

  • Corporate gifting & events

  
  

• Marketing & education that compounds: Verovino invests in education and storytelling through digital marketing—especially their blog and YouTube channel—to build long-term brand trust and demand.

• Product philosophy: As a sommelier-led team, Sheila curates for variety and distinction: reds, whites, rosés, orange wines, sparkling (dry and sweet), plus standout olive oils—including single-varietal olive oils with specific pairing profiles.

• Events as a growth engine: Sheila shares how tastings, fundraisers, private events, and collaborations introduce people to the products—because tasting creates appreciation and connection.

• Specialty foods: The conversation highlights a Piedmont hazelnut producer offering toasted hazelnuts, caramelized hazelnuts, hazelnut creams, pasta, and pestos—plus JJ's enthusiasm for pistachio cream and clean ingredients.

• Wine club & gifting: Sheila describes Verovino's monthly or quarterly wine club, curated shipments with insider notes and stories, and a growing trend of gifting memberships (including personalized letters).

• Gift sets: Verovino offers curated gift sets—popular in December—and a standout option that pairs wine + olive oil, plus expanded options for non-wine drinkers.

• A second brand line for broader appeal: To avoid being pigeonholed and to meet different market needs, Sheila shares how Verovino expanded into a separate line for more "recognizable" wines, including Prosecco and kegs—ideal for events and high-volume restaurant service.

• Advice for new producers: Sheila emphasizes the need to stand out in a crowded market—especially as the wine industry faces headwinds—and to clearly differentiate your product and message.

• JJ connects her own journey as a winemaker (High Vibrational Wines) and discusses why she values small-batch, purpose-driven production over mass distribution.

• A fun community collaboration emerges: JJ invites Sheila to co-create a March event in Ojai with "Women Behind the Business: Real Conversations," potentially adding a wine tasting experience—and they discover their birthdays are both in March.

• Website: Verovino.com

• YouTube: Vero Vino

• Instagram & Facebook: VeroVinoGusto

Closing: JJ encourages listeners to explore Verovino for personal discovery, gifting, and creating meaningful food-and-wine experiences that bring "a taste of Italy" home.

What happens when someone listens to every single episode of your podcast for over a decade?

In this special conversation, JJ celebrates a major milestone by sitting down with longtime listener Vicki, who discovered the show years ago while walking through life's biggest transitions — caring for an aging parent, navigating a demanding career, and eventually stepping into retirement.

What unfolds is a heartfelt, real-life story about how small daily shifts, emotional healing, and consistent self-care can quietly transform your life.

Together, they explore what it really means to:

• Find purpose after retirement

• Create more joy without "doing more"

• Set boundaries as a helper or caregiver

• Stay healthy and strong as we age

• Use accountability and community to break old patterns

• Choose growth, even in life's next chapter

You'll also hear JJ reflect on the journey from the early days of Fit to Love to now — how podcasting became a living, evolving conversation, and why connection with listeners matters more than download numbers.

This episode is a reminder that healing doesn't have to be dramatic. Sometimes it's one new habit, one brave boundary, or one small mindset shift at a time.

If you've ever wondered:

• What's my purpose now?

• How do I take care of myself without guilt?

• Is it too late to change?

This conversation will feel like sitting down with a wise friend who's walking the path right alongside you.

✨ The next 14-Day Manifestation Challenge starts soon — join at jjflizanes.com/14day

JJ welcomes back Michelle Reittinger, author and host of The Upside of Bipolar, for a bold, hope-filled conversation that challenges common cultural narratives around bipolar disorder. Together, they unpack "myths" that can keep people stuck in fear and identity-based labels—and invite listeners into curiosity, root-cause investigation, and a more empowering view of symptoms, healing, and personal responsibility.

In This Episode, We Cover

· Michelle's story: diagnosed in 1998, years of intensive psychiatric treatment, polypharmacy, and a breaking point that became a turning point

· Why a diagnosis can feel like an "answer," but often doesn't explain why symptoms started

· The difference between a "cluster of symptoms" and an identified disease mechanism

· Why curiosity (vs. shame) changes everything—especially with intense symptoms like rage, anxiety, and dissociation

· The "detective" approach: identifying triggers, patterns, and underlying contributors

· The role of foundational health (nutrients, sleep, nervous system regulation) in emotional resilience and symptom reduction

· Why suppressed emotions can show up as anxiety, depression, physical pain, or crisis states

· How identity, victimhood, and relationship dynamics can unconsciously reinforce staying stuck

· A grounded reminder: do not abruptly stop medications—tapering/changes should be done slowly and safely with qualified support

Notable Takeaways

· Labels can reduce curiosity—and curiosity is often the doorway to change.

· "Symptoms" are information; the goal is to explore what they're pointing to.

· The most empowering question isn't "What's wrong with me?" but "What happened—and what is my system asking for now?"

· Healing can have a social cost: if your "sick role" has been rewarded with attention, protection, or lowered expectations, getting better can feel threatening (even subconsciously).

Resources Mentioned

· Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker

· The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

· Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno

Connect with Michelle

· Website: theupsideofbipolar.com

· Free resource: Mood Cycle Survival Guide (available on her site)

· Podcast + book links are also on her website.

What if the deepest wound you carry isn't about what happened to you—but about whether you ever felt truly held by life itself?

In this powerful and intimate conversation, JJ is joined by a longtime soul sister, healer, and registered nurse who shares a deeply transformative experience that healed a lifelong sense of abandonment—not just from people, but from God, Source, and existence itself.

After more than 25 years of personal growth, spiritual practice, and emotional work, she realized there was still an existential fracture beneath it all: a quiet belief that life was not fully safe, that love could be given endlessly but not fully received, and that stepping into her full calling might come at a devastating cost.

What unfolded during a sacred, carefully held journey became a profound reclamation of safety, trust, and belonging—at the nervous-system and soul level.

This episode is not about escapism or quick fixes. It's about:

· How early experiences can fracture our sense of safety with life itself

· Why control often masks a fear of annihilation or abandonment

· What true surrender actually feels like in the body

· Healing the relationship with Source beyond religion or belief systems

· Learning to receive love after a lifetime of giving

· Releasing the fear that being fully seen could destroy you

· Embodiment, integration, and lasting nervous-system change

JJ also speaks to the importance of integrity, preparation, emotional readiness, and sacred containment—emphasizing that this kind of work is not for everyone, not always, and never casual.

At its core, this is a conversation about remembering who you are, restoring trust in life, and discovering that you were never alone—not for a single breath.

If you've ever felt:

· Like you don't fully belong here

· Afraid to take up space or be fully visible

· Deeply loving but unable to receive

· Spiritually devoted yet quietly disconnected

· Called to something more but scared of the cost

This episode may speak directly to your heart.

This is not an escape from life.It's an invitation into the truth of who you really are.

http://Karinrose.love