Fuel Your Strength

If you've wanted to start strength training but you don't know where to begin, I've got you. I've been a strength training enthusiast consistently since 2010 and a coach since 2013. I've seen and heard just about everything when it comes to fears and apprehensions that women have about lifting weights. Sometimes those fears come from lack of knowledge and other times, it comes from people that tell women outright to "be careful or you'll get hurt." That last part's gotta stop.

In this episode, I'm sharing five tips to help you get started with strength training. These may not all work for everyone, but my hope is that they serve as potential entry points for you as you gather knowledge and do some research. Strength training has so many powerful physical and mental benefits that I hope you'll get experience.

Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com

Resources from this episode:

• Pre-order The Core 4 & get all the bonuses
• Toning – Ep 162
• Strengthen Your Body – Pillar of Health 2
• How to Build a Stronger Body – Ep 134
• Made Strong Program
• Basic Barbell Program
• Harder to Kill Club

Follow Steph on:

Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter

I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Caroline Potter is a wife, mother, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, entrepreneur, and believer in taking things slow and enjoying the seasons of your life. After an autoimmune diagnosis at age 20, Caroline took her world that had been shaken and turned it into a thriving food blog business. Today Caroline lives with her husband and a new baby in Spain and has embraced the European lifestyle and the freeing mindset both physically and mentally that true peace can bring.

Instead of doing everything for everyone, Caroline believes in doing just a few things really well and being at peace with every human being needing to ask for help. Today Caroline is here to share her mantra of learning to say no by strengthening the muscle, making time for yourself throughout your day, and getting out of the hustle to instead focus on your own needs.

Being intentional with your decisions doesn't mean your decisions are perfect, it means trying your best in every situation and letting the rest happen to set yourself up for success. Caroline believes that when you can cut yourself a break and set yourself up with intentions, you can take control of your decisions and be successful long term.

The mental ramifications of a chronic autoimmune disease can often be as bad if not worse than the physical symptoms, so it is important to take care of all aspects of yourself. Caroline provides tools to help you figure out your conscious living approach, and explains why allowing yourself the ability to focus on your passions and explore your opportunities is also your greatest chance to heal.

How does Caroline's story relate to your own experience with autoimmune diseases? Share with us in the comments on the episode page.

• Viewing stress management and green products as tools in your health arsenal
• How to organize the physical and mental clutter you feel to become more productive
• What taking the weekends off social media has done for Caroline's brain and mindset
• Ways to make small steps over time to improve your health sustainability long term
• Taking the steps necessary to not be defined by your disease but thrive because of it

"When I finally did rebrand and I really went after what was really on my heart, I started working fewer hours and I started making way more money and way more impact." (17:02)

"Once you say the first no, it gets so much easier after that." (22:02)

"Just having that margin to breathe and to dream and to educate yourself, whatever that may look like to you. And I think that is where you are going to find the greatest success and also the greatest contentment." (23:11)

"I wouldn't be talking to you today if it wasn't for my disease and I wouldn't have a lot of people in my life if it wasn't for my disease, so I see now the positives but man it was really really hard." (33:18)

"We put so much pressure on ourselves, and that doesn't do anyone any good. You know all the healthy good in the world isn't going to save you if you dont have the right mindset going into it." (44:16)

• Take the Conscious Living Growth Style Quiz
• Flourish Living Website
• Women Who Flourish Series
• Follow Caroline on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest
• Order Core 4 The Book Here

Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

It's the 200th episode of Harder to Kill Radio...say what! Crazy to think that we're here celebrating this milestone nearly four years after launching the podcast. Podcasting has been a fun and sometimes wild ride, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Harder to Kill Radio has brought me yet another medium with which to connect with you, the listener, and meet you where you're at. It's also afforded me the opportunity to connect with so many amazing people out in the world who are doing incredible things for others and sharing their stories with you.

In this episode, I'm reflecting back on the last four years. I'm sharing more about why I created a podcast and what it takes to make a show each week. I'm also letting you in on some lessons I've learned as well as revealing some of the most popular episodes to date. And, I muse on what the future may bring.

Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com

On today's episode:

• Looking back at 4 years of podcasting
• Why I decided to start a podcast
• What it takes to make a show
• Lessons I've learned
• The most popular episodes
• Why podcasting is awesome

Resources from this episode:

• Pre-order The Core 4 & get all the bonuses
• Harder to Kill Club

Follow Steph on:

Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter

I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Ola Alghazzouli came to the United States at age 11 from Damascus, Syria. With her new home, she found a string of language and cultural differences that lowered her self-esteem and made her body conscious to the point of bulimia and binge eating. After being introduced to weight lifting, Ola was inspired by the changes she saw in her body and the power that focusing on the positive changes she was seeing gave her. After coming out the other side of her shame surrounding physical strength as a Muslim woman, she embraced her new found ability and feels passionate about helping others do the same.

Getting back to basics, being outside in nature, art therapy, and movement is what Ola believes to be the key contributors to finding your purpose and loving your body. We are discussing the importance of stepping back and allowing your body to take a break, how to find your purpose through fitness and ways that Ola is able to blend faith and fitness without pushing a religious agenda.

You don't have to be perfect, but if you keep working towards your goal from a place of enjoyment and purpose, you can heal your relationship with your body and live in the true paradise known as Akhirah. Ola is here to open your eyes to the intersection of functional fitness, Muslim faith and the divinity of being in your purpose.

How does your self-body image as a teenager impact how you interact with fitness today? Share with us in the comments on the episode page!

• Addressing the stigma across cultural borders towards women bulking up
• Exploring themes women struggle with from adolescence into adult life
• Tips on how to work out and eat healthily during Ramadan
• The physical and mental benefits of being outside and moving your body
• Learn how different fitness modalities can help you transition through difficult points in your life

"I was afraid of the gym at the beginning, but once I got hardcore into weight lifting, I started seeing differences in my body, and not caring about who was looking at me." (16:02)

"For anyone who is super exhausted, you are not going to find motivation until you give yourself a little break, take a deep breath, take care of your body, and know why you are doing it." (23:56)

"When 2014 happened, my grandma passed away, and I was like 'oh my gosh, my body is a responsibility for me, what the heck am I doing with it?' And that is when the whole awakening happened, and now I see that it is all meant for me, I am meant to be this trainer." (28:54)

"My main goal and hope is that I am able to help people see their body in a positive way. And it's not just about toning out or losing weight, it's about getting a strong mind, loving who you are and what you look like as of now." (30:48)

"Just go for it, you never know what you can do until you do it." (44:31)

• BeFit4Akhirah Website
• Join the Ramadan Prep Fitness Challenge Here
• Purposeful Fitness with Coach Ola Podcast
• Follow Coach Ola on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
• Pre-Order The Core 4 by Steph Gaudreau

Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Ever had someone comment about how much you're eating with a particular tone of disgust or fake surprise? If you're a woman who puts anything more than child-size portions on her plate, the answer is probably yes. As a society, women are expected to be bird-like eaters who push two leaves of lettuce and a cherry tomato around their plates. (Thanks, diet culture.)

In this episode, I'm examining – and ranting about – why minding your own plate is probably the best idea. It's complicated how we got to this tiny portions club in the first place. And how we're going to collectively get out of it isn't straightforward either. One thing I do know? Plate-shaming someone ain't gonna help.

Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com

Resources from this episode:

• Pre-order The Core 4 & get all the bonuses
• Diet Culture – Ep 142
• Harder to Kill Club

Follow Steph on:

Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter

I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Our society has a keen knack for creating stigmas that make us feel less than. Diet culture and this restrictive mentality around food are slowly killing our bodies natural rhythm, and that is what Dana Monsees is dedicated to helping correct. Entrepreneur, nutritionist, and founder of Real Food with Dana, Dana is passionate about helping people realize that smaller is not necessarily better.

This episode is all about healing your relationship with food, finding a nutritional path that works for you, and dismissing what society thinks of your size and being content with who you are. Dana is here to create a space to think about how you approach food, explain why restriction diets are not always better, and share ways that you can motivate yourself to make the changes you want to make. Dana believes that by understanding diet culture and what it subconsciously forces us to do, we can break free of these limitations and find our bliss.

When you are able to find the middle ground between crash diets and falling off the wagon, you can find a place of true body acceptance. Dana encourages you to ditch the diet cycle, break down your fearful or anxious relationship with food and exercise, and start removing those triggers to trust your body. By focusing on an abundance mindset you can stop relying on controlling your diet and exercise to give your life sanity, and instead enjoy the freeness of the human experience.

Dana has a wealth of nutrition knowledge and strong opinions to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes and improve how you interact with food and your body. It is time to break free of the diets and beliefs that have kept you hating your body and start embracing the beauty you hold inside.

How do you relate to Dana's story of disordered eating and regaining your strength? Share with us in the comments section on the episode page.

• Thinking critically about the things we do as a society and how it impacts our body image
• How to identify a shame spiral and get out of it without destroying yourself
• Identifying where your nutrition overload is coming from how to remove those influences
• Practical ways to pull back on the way you restrict yourself in all walks of life
• What it is like to navigate the Olympic weight lifting space without becoming body obsessed

"Food and sustainable lifestyle changes can make a big difference in peoples health without doing any therapy type nutrition or medical intervention." (11:24)

"A lot of the clinical manifestations that I see in my practice are because people are overstressed, overworked, under eating and over exercising because they don't feel worthy enough in their bodies to take up space." (15:37)

"Just being in a larger body doesn't predispose you to have all these health conditions. It is the lifestyle choices that you make that are actually causing the health conditions." (31:25)

"List the millions of diets out there that have all worked for someone, and that still doesn't necessarily mean it is going to work for you." (45:24)

"It is because I have finally come to a place where I care about nourishing my body instead of trying to make myself take up less space." (1:04:37)

• Break the Diet Cycle Course - Sign-up With Your Email For Future Launches
• Real Food with Dana Website
• Real Talk with Dana Podcast
• Follow Real Food with Dana on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
• Contact Dana at [email protected]
• Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout Time - BuzzFeed
• Pre-Order The Core 4 by Steph Gaudreau

Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

When you're actively doing things to improve your health – and ultimately feel better in your body – it's so tempting to keep searching for The Magic Bullet. (No, not the mini blender.) The Magic Bullet is that secret sauce, the obscure health hack that everyone hopes will be just around the corner. Diet culture promises quick fixes that are so tempting but don't pan out in the long run, leaving you feeling worse than before.

In this episode, I'm sharing nine positive things you can do for your health that don't involve searching for the magic bullet. I'm not going to lie, nothing on this list is sexy or trendy. It's all basicAF but oh so powerful when you commit to consistently applying them in your life. If you're wondering where to begin, choose one and run with it. These ideas will catch you the bigger fish.

Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com

On today's episode:

• Why magic bullets don't exist...
• And why they're so very, very tempting
• 9 basic but powerful ways to start feeling better in your day to day

Resources from this episode:

• Pre-order The Core 4 & get all the bonuses
• Diet Culture – Ep 142
• How to Stop Chasing Health Trends – Ep 178
• Harder to Kill Club

Follow Steph on:

Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter

I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Chasing your dreams can be scary, but it can also be fun and enjoyable when you are aligned with who you are and what you want. After a successful career as an opera singer, Shirin Eskandani realized that she had spent her life chasing her dreams only to end up never satisfied and looking for more. She decided that this was no way to live life, and started Wholehearted Coaching to help other women embrace their dreams and become okay with failure.

This episode goes beyond fitness and nutrition to help you realize the restrictions you have placed on your life and break free of those conditions. Shirin is exploring the importance of finding joy in the daily micro-moments, how to apply mindfulness and mindset work to find aspects of serenity and ways to accept your life as it is, instead of focusing on the 'if only' mentality.

Joy is rooted in the unconditional acceptance of yourself and your life, and nobody deserves that more than you. Stop making yourself feel bad about the things you cannot control, and empower yourself to get back up when life pushes you down. Shirin provides tips and encouragement to get you on that mindful hustle, embrace your why, and learn to be okay with failure while having fun.

Life is too short to run away from what could be your passion. By intentionally cultivating the way you want to feel you can improve your mood, change your mindset, and live how you feel truly free. When you are able to stop and find beauty in the little things, you will be amazed at the power of the world around you and become reunited with your inner intuition.

How do you find happiness in your everyday life? What passions have you been too scared to actively pursue? Leave me a comment on the episode page!

• Embracing what is and what is not working well in your life with no judgment
• Advice and tools for those who struggle to find something to be joyful for
• How to face your fears when experiencing a business or life transition
• The importance of savoring the moment you are in to gain perspective on your life
• What to do if you are struggling with your 'why' and how to find what works for you

"I got that exact thing that I wanted, that condition that I had been waiting for and hoping for, it happened, and I didn't feel the way that I wanted to feel. And at that moment I truly realized that we get to create the way we want to feel." (7:29)

"I don't just want my business to thrive, I also want to thrive too." (14:54)

"The ability to be in gratitude and in awe of your life in any moment, that to me is joy. It is really on the inside." (22:58)

"Everyday there is something you can celebrate, there is something that you can enjoy and there is something you can savor." (32:24)

"A lot of the time we actually are living our purpose, and we just don't even know it because we think it is supposed to be this huge grand thing. And it's just what makes you come alive, that's it." (42:39)

• Sign Up for WholeHearted Woman Group Coaching Here
• Join Shirin's Email List Here
• The Glow Up Retreat Website
• Whole Hearted Coaching Website
• Follow WholeHearted Coaching on Facebook | Instagram
• Pre-Order The Core 4 Book Here

Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

Pretty much everyone I know has been struck by imposter syndrome at one point or another. It's that feeling that – especially when you're about to do something big – that you're a complete fraud and everyone else is gonna find out how unqualified and phony you really are. For some people, imposter syndrome is a nuisance-like mosquito buzzing in their ear. For others, it's a voice so loud that it can shut them down from sharing their goodness and gifts with the world.

I'm not the world's foremost expert on imposter syndrome, but as a human that's lived with it for most of my life, I've developed a few ways to deal with it when it comes up. In this episode, I'm sharing five strategies I mix and match to move past feelings of being an imposter. Maybe some of them will resonate for you!

Remember to find the show notes and other episodes on StephGaudreau.com

On today's episode:

• Imposter syndrome in a nutshell
• 5 strategies that have helped me move through imposter syndrome

Resources from this episode:

• Pre-order The Core 4 & get all the bonuses
• Dr. Tee Williams – Ep 143
• Ask Steph V2 – Ep 176
• Harder to Kill Club

Follow Steph on:

Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter

I'd really love it if you would take 10 seconds and subscribe to the podcast!

Travel, whether it's near or far, often has the effect of getting you out of your comfort zone. Adam and Vanessa Lambert at Bee the Wellness have witnessed, firsthand, the transformative power of travel. When combined with community and getting outside of your ordinary, travel can teach you so much.

I first was introduced to Adam and Vanessa Lambert – former fire fighters turned wellness coaches and international adventurers last year. From the first time I talked to them – on their podcast – it was clear they both have an incredible zest for life and electrifying energy. I had them on Harder to Kill Radio a short time later, and a friendship was born.

Last summer, Z and I were lucky enough to meet Adam and Vanessa in person at their BeeFest retreat in Northern California. There, we got to experience how truly special they are when it comes to planning meaningful and memorable travel retreats. I came home feeling refreshed, invigorated, and inspired.

On this episode of the show, I'm welcoming The Lamberts back to talk about the magic of travel and why it's good for your brain. We also chatted about how you can create that space even when you can't go on a trip. And, we let the cat out of the bag about an exciting partnership and what it means for you!

• Creating moments of quiet in your life
• Getting out of your environment can lead to big transformations
• Training for an adventure can give you a massive sense of purpose
• Our big announcement!

• Get on the pre-sale list for Peru 2020
• Episode 109 with Bee the Wellness
• Bee the Wellness

Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest

I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!