We spend so much of our lives waiting — for the perfect moment, the right conditions, the feeling of being “ready.” But here’s the truth: you’re not a pizza. There’s no timer that suddenly goes DING! when you’re perfectly done and ready to be served to the world.

In this episode of Grow with the Flo, I dive into the myth of readiness. I share my own story of starting this podcast before I felt prepared, and explore why confidence doesn’t come first — competence does. Drawing from psychology, philosophy, and my own journey, I’ll show you how waiting keeps us stuck, and how action — even messy, imperfect action — is what actually builds confidence and growth.

Journaling Prompts:

• Where am I waiting to feel “fully ready,” and how is that serving me… or stalling me?

• What is the smallest next step I can take today?

• When in the past did I grow by acting before I felt ready? What strengths showed up?

• What am I most afraid might happen if I act too soon — and how could I handle it if it did?

If anxiety were an ice cream shop, it wouldn’t just be chocolate and vanilla — it would have hundreds of flavours. Some familiar, some surprising, and some so unusual you almost wouldn’t believe they exist… until you realize someone, somewhere, lives with them every single day.

In this episode of Grow with the Flo, I explore the many “flavours” of anxiety — from the well-known ones like social or performance anxiety, to the less-talked-about fears like toilet anxiety, fear of forgetting to breathe, or even fear of swallowing your tongue. I share personal experiences, stories from friends, and insights from psychology and philosophy.

You’ll learn why these anxieties — no matter how unusual they seem — are never silly, always valid, and what they all share at their core.

Journaling Prompts:

• What flavour of anxiety shows up most in your life?

• What story does it tell you? And is that story really true?

• How does your body react — can you notice the patterns?

• What would one small act of courage look like against that fear?

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Rose, an author who knows what it’s like when anxiety takes over your life. For two years, Lauren was housebound, navigating agoraphobia and the raw reality of toilet anxiety — the kind of struggle most people don’t dare to talk about.

We dive into the shame, the panic, and the coping strategies that helped her slowly reclaim her freedom. Lauren shares openly about blankets over her head on the way to hospital, writing her book, and the weekly meditation sessions that now anchor her healing.

This is not a polished conversation — my cat meows, her dog barks — but maybe that’s the point: anxiety isn’t polished. It’s messy, human, and something so many of us secretly carry.

I found it so refreshing how openly and freely Lauren speaks about this taboo topic. By putting words to what many people feel but rarely admit, she helps strip away the stigma and shows us that healing begins with honesty.

About Lauren Rose

Lauren is an author and mother of two from Australia. She has written a book about building a compassionate relationship with ourselves through panic and anxiety, and she also runs a podcast and YouTube channel on agoraphobia, panic disorder, and toilet anxiety. Lauren is a big believer in books, cups of tea, and laughter.

A common theme in her work is learning to accept anxiety as a part of what makes us whole. What began as an attempt to “overcome” anxiety in her writing evolved into a love-letter to her anxious self — an invitation to feel the fear and everything that comes with it, and to meet it with compassion.

Lauren openly shares her personal experiences of agoraphobia, being housebound, re-learning how to travel and explore, returning to work, and finding a gentle appreciation for her body despite the challenges of toilet anxiety.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Book: Here You Are, Courageous (Hay House) — available wherever you get your books

• Calm Community videos: Lauren’s free weekly meditation practices on YouTube

• Anxiety doesn’t have to be something to “get rid of” — it can be accepted as part of your wholeness.

• Toilet anxiety and agoraphobia are far more common than most people realize, and talking about them helps remove shame.

• Healing is not always glamorous — it’s messy, nonlinear, and often requires compassion over control.

• Sharing openly (even about taboo fears) creates connection and makes others feel less alone.

  
  

✨ If you’ve ever felt trapped by fear or embarrassed by your body, this conversation is a reminder: you’re not alone, and there’s strength in sharing the unshareable.

We often think of money anxiety as proof we’re failing. But what if it’s actually a compass—pointing us toward growth, freedom, and a new definition of success?

In this episode, I share my own journey with “dream life” vs. financial stability, and why success has to be defined on our own terms, not society’s.

Everywhere I look, I see women lifting each other up. But when it comes to men, vulnerability is often missing—and the cost is enormous.

In this episode, I explore male loneliness, the stigma of “man up,” and why brotherhood rooted in openness might just save lives.

Most of us wait to feel confident before we begin—but confidence doesn’t come first, competence does.

In this episode, we explore the Confidence-Competence Loop, I'll share stories of teaching AcroYoga and launching this podcast, and unpack the psychology behind why we rarely feel “ready.”

Learn why small actions matter, and how to build confidence through doing, not waiting.

Overthinking often feels safe—like a waiting room where nothing bad happens, but nothing moves forward either.

In this episode, Flo shares how overthinking has shown up in his own life, why our brains get stuck in loops, and how comparison and guilt keep us paralyzed.

Discover how reframing overthinking as a signal—not an enemy—can unlock the next step forward.

Dark Forest Mini-Series, Part IV
Loneliness is one of the hardest feelings to sit with — but what if it isn’t just emptiness? What if it’s pointing us toward something essential?

In this episode, I explore my own experience of feeling lonely in a crowd, the science of why humans need connection, and how loneliness can guide us back to belonging.

Dark Forest Mini-Series, Part III
Have you ever felt like everything just… lined up? From chance encounters to uncanny timing, moments of flow and synchronicity can feel magical — or simply like coincidence. In this episode, I dive into the science, the mystery, and my own stories of flow, while leaving room for the skeptic in all of us.

Dark Forest Mini-Series, Part II
We often think growth has to be hard — discipline, hustle, pushing past our limits. But is that the only way?

In this special 10th episode, I ask: can growth also be soft, kind, and gentle?

Together, we’ll explore what it means to grow without force, and how to trust the quiet rhythms of change.