HOW I SEE IT

#150: On today's episode, Jess Girod, creator, season 27 contestant of The Bachelor, and season 9 contestant of Bachelor in Paradise, jumps on the podcast for a conversation about heartbreak, self-worth, childhood wounds, and the relationship patterns we unknowingly carry into adulthood. Jess opens up about growing up in a household filled with conflict, the fear of repeating her parents' relationship, and the realization that she was settling—not just in dating, but in life.

Through stories of heartbreak, healing, situationships, and self-discovery, Jess shares how some of her most painful experiences became the catalyst for deeper growth. The girls unpack self-abandonment, fear of intimacy, closure, emotional availability, dating standards, and what it actually means to build a relationship rooted in authenticity rather than familiarity. This conversation is a reminder that healing isn't about finding the right person—it's about becoming someone who no longer abandons themselves.

The girls get into:

• fear of repeating your parents' relationship
• growing up around conflict and how childhood wounds shape adult relationships
• why we often settle for what feels familiar
• self-abandonment and losing yourself in relationships
• navigating betrayal, heartbreak, and relationship trauma
• why heartbreak can become one of life's greatest teachers
• fear of intimacy and emotional vulnerability
• learning that authentic love requires authenticity from yourself first
• why closure isn't something another person can give you
• situationships, rejection, and unanswered questions
• relationship patterns and breaking cycles that no longer serve you
• self-worth while single
• the pressure women feel to find a relationship
• dating standards, emotional availability, and self-respect
• why the right relationship won't require convincing, chasing, or forcing
• choosing hope after heartbreak

This episode is for anyone healing from heartbreak, working through childhood wounds, questioning a relationship, struggling with self-worth, or trying to break old relationship patterns. If you've ever found yourself settling, seeking closure, abandoning your needs, or wondering why the same lessons keep showing up in your relationships, this conversation will remind you that healing begins when you stop looking for validation outside of yourself and start trusting what you already know.

CONNECT BELOW:

Follow Jess on Instagram

Follow Jess on Tik Tok

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow Han on Substack ⁠here⁠

watch HOW I SEE IT on YouTube ⁠here⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

#149: On today’s episode, founder of fashion brand Brule, Kenzie Burke, jumps on the podcast for a vulnerable conversation around mental health, emotional extremes, identity wounds, and the importance of staying true to your purpose.

Kenzie opens up about struggling with her mental health from a young age, going viral and creating immense success to losing herself in entrepreneurship, and eventually being forced to confront her deepest fear: bankruptcy. The girls unpack shame, emotional instability, validation, purpose, and how sometimes hitting rock bottom becomes the very thing that allows you to rebuild your life in a more honest and authentic way.

The girls get into:

• struggling with mental health and emotional extremes
• going viral young and making half a million dollars in 3 months
• entrepreneurship, instability, and losing yourself in success
• panic, anxiety, shame, and emotional burnout
• why bankruptcy became the most healing experience of Kenzie’s life
• identity wounds and constantly seeking external validation
• the difference between acting from authenticity versus acting from wounds
• the pressure to “have it all together” in the age of social media
• learning how to trust yourself instead of outsourcing your worth to other people
• chasing emotional highs vs healing the root
• why slowing down can feel terrifying
• emotional rock bottoms and rebuilding your life
• bravery, risk taking, purpose, and fear of mediocrity
• relationships, settling, and building a life that actually adds value

& MORE!

This episode is for anyone navigating emotional extremes, shame & self-worth wounds, or the uncomfortable process of rebuilding yourself after realizing the life you built no longer feels aligned with who you truly are.

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Kenzie ⁠here⁠

follow Brule here

shop Brule here

CONNECT with HAN:
follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow Han on Substack ⁠here⁠
watch HOW I SEE IT on YouTube ⁠here⁠
shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
work with Han: [email protected]

00:00 – Introduction
02:22 – Struggling with mental health from a young age
03:25 – “Tortured artist” tendencies & emotional extremes
04:14 – Why purpose felt so important
07:04 – Going viral & making half a million dollars in 3 months
07:57 – Entrepreneurship, identity, & losing herself in success
08:42 – Why success stopped feeling aligned
09:30 – How entrepreneurship destroyed her self confidence
12:58 – Money insecurity, instability, & emotional stress
14:16 – Filing for bankruptcy & confronting her deepest fear
15:04 – Why bankruptcy became the most healing experience of her life
17:10 – Being forced to slow down & face yourself
20:12 – Sometimes the best way to find yourself is to get lost
21:00 – Authenticity vs acting from wounds
21:30 – Feeling unseen as a child & seeking validation
22:00 – Learning to trust herself instead of outsourcing her worth
24:36 – Chasing emotional highs & trying to “feel something”
24:58 – Finding peace in emotional stability instead of extremes
26:30 – Why chasing the high never heals the root
28:35 – Restlessness, bravery, & fear of mediocrity
28:50 – Why slowing down can feel terrifying
29:27 – Different forms of bravery
31:00 – Knowing when you need to take the risk
33:55 – Relationships, standards, & refusing to settle

#148: On today’s episode, Masha Kay, nervous system regulation coach, jumps on the podcast to unpack the deeper psychology behind high achievement and how it’s a tool for nervous system regulation. Han shares her Substack (linked here), which opens a conversation into what it actually means to heal beyond just intellectualizing your patterns and explore how many ambitious people use work, achievement, and constant productivity as coping mechanisms to avoid feeling, and how protector parts developed in childhood can continue running our lives long after we no longer need them to survive.

The girls get into:

• productivity as a coping mechanism & form of emotional avoidance
• why high achievers struggle to slow down
• nervous system regulation, trauma healing, & somatic healing
• what “parts work” actually is
• protector parts & how they try to keep us safe from feelings that once weren’t safe to experience
• why intellectualizing your healing is not the same as embodying it
• dissociation, overwhelm, & constantly needing to stay busy
• reconnecting to the body & learning how to feel below the neck
• why healing can actually feel unsafe for the nervous system
• inner child work, emotional suppression, & survival strategies
• how ambition and achievement can become trauma responses
• why awareness alone doesn’t always create transformation
• learning how to feel instead of avoid
• the difference between numbing and true healing
• Learning to surrender to the process of healing

& MORE!

This episode is for anyone who feels they may be using productivity and achievement as a form of emotional suppression or avoidance, anyone feeling frustrated in their healing journey despite being “self aware,” anyone pursuing trauma healing and looking into nervous system regulation, or anyone wanting to better understand parts work, protector parts, inner child healing, and what it actually means to feel instead of intellectualize.

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Masha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check out her program here

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow Han on Substack here

watch HOW I SEE IT on YouTube here

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

00:00 – Introduction
02:44 – Productivity addiction & high achievers using work to cope
03:58 – Achievement as nervous system regulation
04:47 – Why ambitious people struggle to be with themselves
07:54 – Productivity as emotional avoidance
08:41 – Work, avoidance, & disconnecting from feeling
09:13 – What are “protector parts”?
09:41 – Understanding parts work & internal family systems
12:46 – Why healing can feel blocked
16:15 – When the “high achiever” part takes over healing
18:31 – How protector parts keep us safe
20:14 – Awareness, observation, & compassion in healing
22:35 – Dissociation & living outside the body
27:35 – The inability to stay present with feeling
32:40 – Intellectualizing vs actual self awareness
36:44 – Anger, discomfort, & emotional control
37:58 – Observation creates separation from emotion
39:39 – Beginning somatic experiencing
41:32 – Reconnecting to the body through orienting
52:55 – Why slowing down is harder for high achievers
1:00:00 – Numbing vs actual healing
1:05:37 – Building ambitious lives to avoid pain

#147: On today’s episode, Les Alfred, podcast host of She’s So Lucky, jumps on to share her story; how she left corporate, navigated a major career pivot, and learned how to build self trust while redefining success on her own terms. We talk about identity shifts, mental health, and what it really looks like to grow through uncomfortable transitions.

The girls get into:
• The journey of becoming who you were before the world told you who to be 
• Leaving the “safe” corporate path
• Going back to therapy and the difference between talking vs. actually feeling 
• Self blame and control and how it shows up
• Letting go of the “balanced” label and allowing yourself to evolve publicly 
• Breaking out of boxes, authenticity, and why it’s the only way to grow 
• Rebranding as a natural result of evolving through life 
• The real cost of pivoting: identity shifts, social pressure, and financial dips 
• Being misunderstood, judged, and projected onto as you grow 
• Self-trust, risk-taking, and learning to bet on yourself 
• How to build confidence by doing small things differently every day 
• The reality of success: why it takes years, not months 
• Closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be 
• Fear of being seen vs. fear of criticism
• Letting go of controlling how people perceive you
• Performing vs. being your authentic self
• Mirror work and learning to extend kindness to yourself 
• Confidence vs comparison

& MORE

This episode is for anyone navigating a career pivot, leaving corporate, building self trust, struggling with mental health, going through an identity shift, or learning how to embrace change and step into their next level—even when it feels uncomfortable.

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Les ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow She's So Lucky Podcast here

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

leaving corporate, how to leave corporate, career pivot, career change advice, building self trust, how to trust yourself, personal growth, identity shift, rebranding yourself, life transitions, entrepreneurship, women in business, mental health, mental health hacks, healing journey, therapy, wellness, confidence, fear of being seen, overcoming self doubt, authenticity, building a business, growth mindset, success habits

TIMESTAMPS:
00:54 Intro & meeting Les Alfred
03:19 Becoming who you were before the world told you who to be
05:50 Leaving corporate & wanting more
07:51 Hitting a low point & wellness transformation
10:20 Corporate vs entrepreneurship skills
13:48 Returning to therapy
15:04 Talking vs feeling emotions
15:45 Self-blame & high-functioning habits
18:32 Letting go of the “balanced” identity
19:13 Breaking out of boxes & authenticity
20:16 Rebranding through life transitions
21:12 The cost of pivoting (identity, social, financial)
22:00 Being misunderstood & judged
24:09 Not responsible for others’ triggers
25:33 Struggles with vulnerability & trust
29:27 Self-trust & taking risks
30:31 Building confidence through small changes
32:40 The reality of long-term success
35:30 Closing the gap to success
38:49 Fear of being seen
40:30 Letting go of perception control
42:53 Performing vs authenticity
45:05 Mirror work & self-kindness
47:42 Confidence & comparison

#146: On today’s episode, Han sits down with Ksenia Zaytseva, founder of Bur Bur Hair Care, to talk about her story. From moving to the U.S. without speaking English, to building from nothing, and the mindset it takes to keep going when there’s no proof it’s going to work.

This is a conversation about perseverance, self belief, and committing to a path without a plan B. The girls get into:
• moving to the U.S. without speaking English & starting over
• why “no plan B” changes the way you show up
• living “comfortably uncomfortable” vs actually taking risks
• delusional self belief & trusting yourself before there’s proof
• ignoring what feels logical to follow what you know is meant for you
• why thinking from point A to Z keeps you stuck
• navigating hardship, sacrifice & starting from nothing
• being told something is impossible—and doing it anyway
• money as energy & removing a scarcity mindset
• how your beliefs shape the reality you experience
• breaking limits & refusing to keep yourself small
• the mindset behind building Bur Bur Hair Care
• why scalp care is the most overlooked part of beauty

Ksenia shares how she pushed past what felt logical to follow a deeper knowing that she was meant for more, why success came from continuing to show up without validation, and how her relationship with money as energy shaped the way she built her life and business.

This episode is for anyone who feels like they’re starting from nothing, questioning their path, or trying to trust themselves before the results show up. It’s also for anyone who knows they’re meant for more but is still learning how to move through fear, take risks, and actually go after it.

USE CODE HOWISEEIT for a discount when shopping BUR BUR here

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Bur Bur here

shop Bur Bur here with code HOWISEEIT for a discount

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction & meeting Ksenia Zaytseva
01:30 “No Plan B” mindset & why most people quit too early
03:06 Growing up in Russia & feeling out of place
04:30 Moving to the U.S. with no English & starting over
07:45 Living “comfortably uncomfortable” vs taking risks
11:39 Letting go of fear of judgment
13:48 Committing fully to your path without a backup plan
15:05 Why thinking too far ahead keeps you stuck
16:40 Expanding what you believe is possible
17:20 Sacrifice, survival & chasing something bigger
19:40 Believing in yourself when no one else does
23:30 Emotions aren’t stop signs—they’re signals
25:35 Trauma, pivots & rebuilding your identity
29:18 Rejecting rules & creating your own path
31:00 Being told your business will fail—and doing it anyway
32:45 Money as energy & abundance mindset
34:00 The world mirrors your beliefs
36:49 Breaking limits & redefining what’s possible
39:00 The origin story behind Bur Bur Hair Care
41:30 Why scalp care is the missing piece in beauty
44:30 Hair growth myths & what actually works
46:10 The craftsmanship behind Bur Bur brushes

self growth for women, mental health podcast, healing journey, self worth, emotional growth, personal development podcast, therapy work, self awareness, mindset and growth, delusional self belief, no plan b mindset, overcoming adversity, starting over in life, trusting yourself, navigating trauma, identity growth, women in business mindset, entrepreneurship mindset, money mindset, money as energy, abundance mindset

#145: On today’s episode, Han and her best friend Britt are recapping their experience at Coachella, something that ended up being way deeper than either of them expected. What started as a festival weekend turned into a reflection on inner child healing, self awareness, and the ways we disconnect from ourselves in the name of being “productive,” “mature,” or “put together.”

They also break down the reality behind the curated content, why Coachella isn’t always as fun as it looks online, and what the environment revealed about their relationship to joy, play, and shame. Han and Britt also get into dating standards, self respect, and what it actually looks like to do the work in therapy, learning how to move through discomfort, question your patterns, and reconnect with parts of yourself you may have shut down over time. The girls get into:

• why Coachella is seen as the “playground for your inner child”
• feeling disconnected from your inner child
• why “fun” can feel unproductive or uncomfortable
• the judgment we hold against our younger selves
• learning how to experience joy without shame
• doing the work in therapy & building self awareness
• getting uncomfortable for the sake of growth
• the reality of Coachella vs. what you see on social media
• why the festival isn’t as glamorous as it looks
• Everything you need to know about artist passes
• how curated content shapes perception
• dating standards, respect & the bare minimum standards
• navigating modern dating & emotional maturity

This episode is for anyone who feels disconnected from their inner child, struggles to let themselves experience joy without overthinking it, or is working through self awareness, shame, and healing in a deeper way. It’s also for anyone navigating dating, redefining their standards, or realizing that what you see online is rarely the full picture.

00:00 Coachella Recap & First Impressions
01:18 Why We Never Planned to Go to Coachella
02:33 The Truth About Coachella (Expectation vs Reality)
04:20 Why Coachella Isn’t What It Looks Like Online
05:57 Coachella as the “Inner Child Playground”
06:57 Feeling Disconnected from Your Inner Child
09:28 The Swings Moment: Why Fun Felt Uncomfortable
10:42 Why “Having Fun” Can Feel Unproductive
11:04 Realizing the Judgment Was Toward Ourselves
13:02 Inner Child Healing & Reconnecting to Your Younger Self
14:10 Why It’s Hard to Let Yourself Experience Joy
16:09 Self-Judgment & Shame Around Your Past Self
19:05 Getting Uncomfortable for Growth
20:15 It’s Not as Fun as It Looks (Honest Coachella Experience)
21:04 Social Media vs Reality at Coachella
23:24 Dating Standards, Respect & the Bare Minimum
26:13 Women Are Evolving & Modern Dating Dynamics
30:10 Coachella Stories, Chaos & Fun Moments

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Britt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

coachella recap, coachella 2026, coachella experience, festival recap, social media vs reality, inner child healing, self awareness, personal growth podcast, healing journey, working through shame, therapy work, dating standards, modern dating, self respect, emotional growth, mindset, reconnecting with your inner child, women’s self development

#144: On today’s episode, Abby Krage, Co-Founder of Tyrian Health, joins the podcast to talk about women’s health, functional wellness, and UTI prevention, breaking down why so many women normalize chronic discomfort, how antioxidants support overall health, and why going back to basics is often more powerful than relying on quick fixes.

Abby also opens up about stepping into leadership through unexpected loss, building confidence from within, and what it really looks like to choose optimism, even in the middle of hard seasons.

This episode blends both the physical and mental side of growth, touching on healing, discipline, and learning how to move through challenges in a way that actually moves your life forward. The girls get into:

• why growth happens in the hardest, most uncomfortable seasons
• stepping into responsibility after loss
• confidence as an inside game
• Developing skills through disciplined learning
• why optimism is an active choice (sometimes hourly)
• letting go of control, rejection & learning how to surrender
• reframing breakups & choosing gratitude over attachment
• why you really can learn anything if you care enough
• functional wellness vs. “quick fix” culture
• going back to basics instead of overcomplicating your health
• the truth about women’s health & why chronic UTIs are often normalized
• antioxidants, aronia berry & how they support overall health
• the reality of our food system & why education is everything
• breaking big goals into small steps & building real momentum

This episode is for anyone who is going through a hard season and needs to be reminded that growth is still happening, for anyone navigating learning a new skill, identity shifts, or for anyone who wants to feel more empowered in their health, mindset, and daily choices; especially, when it comes to understanding your body and not settling for feeling “off” as your baseline.

SHOP TYRIAN HERE

00:00 Growth happens in the gutter
01:56 Abby joins the podcast
04:41 Discovering functional wellness
12:50 Mentorship & stepping into the business
13:45 Losing her mentor & everything changing
15:15 Choosing to carry on the mission
16:35 Becoming the person with the answers
18:35 Confidence, belief & achieving anything
20:58 Optimism as a daily practice
21:20 Navigating heartbreak & reframing endings
22:46 Choosing positivity vs. sitting in sadness
23:45 Letting go of control & surrendering
24:52 What is aronia berry?
27:34 Antioxidants & overall health benefits
28:40 Quick fixes vs. going back to basics
29:15 Women’s health & chronic UTIs
33:52 Aronia benefits (immune, brain, longevity)
36:56 The truth about our food system
49:06 Podcasts as mindset shifts
52:15 Small steps vs. the “big picture” overwhelm

women’s health, UTI prevention, functional wellness, antioxidants benefits, aronia berry, chronic UTIs, hormone health, preventative health, women’s wellness podcast, confidence mindset, personal growth podcast, health education, natural health solutions

CONNECT BELOW:
Follow Abby here
Follow Tyrian Health here

Shop Tyrian here

CONNECT with HAN:
follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
work with Han: [email protected]

#143: On today’s episode, Lindsay Arnold, professional dancer, Dancing with the Stars pro, and founder of The Movement Club, shares what it really looks like to evolve. From achieving her goals at 19, to stepping away from Dancing with the Stars to pursue something different, Lindsay opened up about identity, growth, and her journey through entrepreneurship and motherhood. The girls get into:

• why “making it” is a moving target and can leave people feeling stuck 
• evolving without losing who you are at your core
• letting go of control and trusting the unknown
• staying authentic in high-pressure environments
• separating your worth from your career
• making decisions that feel right but still uncomfortable
• stepping away from a dream to step into a new chapter
• identity shifts through motherhood and personal growth
• postpartum, body image, and redefining movement 
• building a business from a place of lived experience
• creating space for all phases of life in fitness
• balancing ambition with being present in your life
• why evolution is necessary for long-term fulfillment
• trusting yourself without needing guarantees
• allowing your dreams to change as you grow

This episode is for anyone who has to leave an identity behind, who is struggling to evolve and push through discomfort, or who is going through a major life transition; whether you’re pushing through your mental health, entrepreneurial journey, or motherhood.

CONNECT BELOW:

Follow Lindsay here 

Follow The Movement Club here

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why growth requires evolution
04:30 Achieving her dream at 19
08:05 Control vs happiness
11:00 Walking away from Dancing with the Stars
14:00 Why the right decision can still feel hard
17:45 Detaching identity from career success
25:50 Creating The Movement Club
27:20 Pregnancy, postpartum & body changes
32:30 “Show up as you are” approach to fitness
36:30 Balancing motherhood and ambition
40:40 Movement, discipline & mental health
44:15 Identity shifts through motherhood
51:20 Failure, growth & starting again
56:50 Letting your dreams evolve

personal growth podcast, redefining success, identity shift, leaving your career, motherhood and ambition, self trust, letting go of control, dancing with the stars lindsay arnold, fitness and mental health, evolving as a woman

#142: On today’s episode, Jacq Gold, founder and force behind Your Inner Babe: a self-growth program focused on self connection, joins the podcast to share her personal healing journey and what it actually means to be connected to yourself. This conversation gets into the layers of self trust, the coping mechanisms we mistake for truth, and how self-connection is more than just awareness, it’s finding safety within ourselves.

The girls get into:

• why self connection is a skill, and why most of us were never taught how to be in a relationship with ourselves 
• why we assign ourselves false identities to feel safe, and how those labels disconnect us from who we actually are 
• how protector parts and coping mechanisms are often mistaken for personality traits or authenticity
• the connection between control, eating disorders, and not expressing your truth, even to yourself 
• why self awareness without action is actually choosing to stay the same and why self trust is a requirement 
• the difference between “I am this” vs. “I feel this,” and how that shift creates space for healing and emotional regulation 
• auditing your inner dialogue and actively challenging negative self talk in real time
• the misconception that healing means you’ll one day feel no pain, and why it’s actually about building resilience
• what real vulnerability looks like beyond surface-level sharing, and how telling the truth brings you closer to yourself
• how we’ve learned to present what’s “palatable” to others, and how that can pull us further away from what we actually feel 
• why self connection is a choice, and how everything changes when you decide to show up for yourself differently

This episode is for anyone who feels disconnected from themselves, stuck in patterns they can’t fully understand, or questioning what parts of them are real vs. learned. If you’re ready to step past self awareness and take action in your life, this conversation is for you. 

CONNECT BELOW:

follow Jacq here

Visit her site/work with Jacq here

CONNECT with HAN:

follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

work with Han: [email protected]

#141: On today’s episode, Payton Sartain Ross, creator and podcast host of Note to Self, opens up about living with depression and anxiety, separating mental health from identity, and what it actually looks like to choose hope on a daily basis. The girls get into:

• why not everything in life needs to “lead to something good” and finding neutrality instead of constant highs and lows 
• growing up across completely different socioeconomic environments and how exposure shapes perspective, opportunity, and ambition 
• realizing depression and anxiety were never her identity, just part of her story 
• what it felt like trying medication for the first time and seeing what a “regulated” mind can feel like 
• rumination, overthinking, and how negative thought patterns can become a form of self-protection 
• why talk therapy stopped working and the realization that processing and feeling are not the same thing 
• the pressure to always be motivated, optimizing, and performing and why Payton's rejecting the “girl boss” mentality 
• redefining motivation and allowing yourself to outgrow goals, identities, and timelines 
• navigating femininity, leadership, and creating relationship dynamics that actually feel aligned instead of prescribed 
• choosing a partner who brings stability instead of feeding into emotional chaos 
• learning to accept and even love the darker parts of yourself in order to move forward 
• redefining self-love as a daily practice rooted in commitment to an imperfect person, not a feeling 
• using humor as a coping mechanism through suicidal ideation and long-term mental health struggles 
& MORE!

This episode is for anyone who is struggling to accept the darker parts of themselves, and struggling to navigate their identity within their mental health journey including: anxiety, depression, rumination, and overthinking. We also get into dating, choosing the right partner, navigating relationships when your mind feels heavy, and what it looks like to keep going when you don’t feel motivated to. This episode has a little something for everyone.

CONNECT BELOW:

Follow Payton here

Follow Note to Self here

Listen to Note to Self here

CONNECT with HAN:

Follow Han ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow HOW I SEE IT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shop the podcast merch ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Work with Han: [email protected]