Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport

Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport

By Rachel Blogg | Athlete Identity CoachSportsHealth & FitnessMental Health
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Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport episodes

  • How Garrison Carter Built Mental Toughness Beyond Basketball

    In this episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with Garrison Carter for a powerful conversation about identity, discipline, leadership, and resilience. As a senior student-athlete at Illinois Institute of Technology, Garrison shares the realities behind competing at a high level while balancing academics, personal growth, and life beyond basketball.


    Together, they discuss overcoming injury, losing 40 pounds during COVID, handling pressure as a college athlete, and learning how faith and family helped shape his mindset. Garrison opens up about mental toughness, the fear of failure, and how he learned that success is not just about performance on the court, but about growth, consistency, and staying true to yourself. This episode is an inspiring reminder that we are all more than the titles, achievements, or expectations placed upon us.


    Meet my Guest

    Garrison Carter is a senior at Illinois Institute of Technology from Island Lake and a four-year captain of the men’s basketball team. A Dean’s List student and one of the top scorers in program history with more than 1,000 career points, Garrison has earned First Team All-Conference honors along with multiple all-conference selections throughout his college career.


    Outside of basketball, Garrison serves as President of the Black Student Athlete Association and has previously served as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He is also a Resident Advisor and mentor who is passionate about leadership, community, and helping others grow both on and off the court. Through his experiences as an athlete and leader, Garrison continues to inspire others with his humility, discipline, and commitment to personal development.


    Connect with Garrison:

    Instagram, Linkedin 


    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok


    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    47 min
  • From Rock Bottom to 15 Years Sober: What Finally Made It Stick

    Rachel Blogg sits down with Meghan Brooks, a recovery advocate and treatment professional with 15 years of sobriety, who shares the honest, unglamorous truth about what it actually took to get sober and stay that way. Meghan opens up about growing up with addiction in her family, bouncing between cities trying to outrun her disease, and the moment she got kicked out of her own IOP group, which turned out to be the day everything changed.


    This conversation goes deep on the early struggles of sobriety that nobody talks about, including why the first two years felt awful, how Meghan intentionally surrounded herself with women who had decades of time, and why doing the steps more than once can completely shift your perspective. They also touch on the misconceptions around AA, higher power, and what it really means to protect your recovery without guilt.


    If you or someone you love is waiting for the "right moment" to ask for help, this episode is a reminder that the window of willingness is real and worth walking through.


    Connect with Meghan on Instagram


    Stay connected with Rachel:
    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

     

    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    47 min
  • Why Kindness Starts With Saying No

    Rachel Blogg sits down with Dido Balla, CEO of Kindness Matters, for an honest conversation about what kindness actually means and why it has nothing to do with always saying yes. Together they explore the difference between being kind and being nice, why self-kindness is the foundation, and how setting boundaries can be one of the most generous things you do for yourself and others.


    Dido shares the four guiding beliefs behind Kindness Matters, including the idea that every human being is born with a capacity for good, and explains how negativity bias quietly shapes the way we see the world and raise our kids. From training teachers and parents to taking kindness programs to Cameroon, the work is as practical as it is deeply human.


    The episode closes with a reminder about gratitude that cuts right to the core: if your heart is beating, you have already hit the jackpot. Whether you are a parent, educator, or someone who has been a little harder on themselves than they deserve, this conversation meets you right where you are.


    Connect with Dido:
    LinkedIn, Instagram, Website


    Stay connected with Rachel:
    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

     

    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    40 min
  • From Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 to Imperfectly Human: A New Conversation on Strength

    In this episode, the podcast enters a new chapter as Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 transitions into Imperfectly Human—a name that reflects the deeper conversations that have naturally unfolded over time. What began as a space for growth, self-awareness, and releasing perfection has evolved into something more focused: understanding strength in its most honest and transferable form. Not the kind of strength that is performative or visible on the outside, but the kind that shows up in how we handle pressure, relationships, identity shifts, and the moments no one else sees.


    This episode explores a central question that will guide every conversation moving forward: Is your strength working everywhere in your life, or only where it’s rewarded? Through reflections drawn from performance psychology, endurance sports, therapy work, and lived experience, the discussion unpacks why many high performers appear strong in one area of life while quietly struggling in another. It highlights how discipline can sometimes mask emotional avoidance, how success in sport or career doesn’t always translate to connection at home, and why incomplete strength eventually shows its limits.

    Ultimately, this episode sets the foundation for what Imperfectly Human is becoming—a story-driven space where lessons from sport, relationships, and personal growth intersect. It’s an invitation to rethink strength, not as perfection or constant control, but as something that must be able to transfer across every part of life if it’s going to hold up over time.

     

    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok


    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    6 min
  • When You Die, You Look Like Your Decisions

    What if your life isn’t defined by your past—but by your decisions? In this solo episode, I challenge the idea that your childhood gets a lifetime vote over your future. This isn’t about blame—it’s about agency, and what you choose to do with what you were given.


    I talk about how your nervous system is shaped not just by trauma, but by repeated patterns, why insight alone won’t change your life, and the hidden cost of staying loyal to old stories. Healing isn’t a one-time realization—it’s a practice. And if patterns are practiced, they can be changed. The question is: if someone met you today, would your life reflect your past—or your decisions?


    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

     

    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    7 min
  • Why So Many Successful People Still Feel Unfulfilled

    In this episode


    This is one of those conversations that really stays with you. In this episode, we explore what it truly means to create a life and career that feel aligned—not driven by pressure, burnout, or expectations, but by authenticity and purpose. We talk about the shift away from hustle culture and into a more grounded, honest way of building something meaningful. If you’ve ever felt like there’s more for you—something deeper, more connected to who you really are—this conversation will meet you there. It’s about trusting your evolution, giving yourself permission to grow, and redefining success on your own terms.

     

    Meet my guest


    Camille Miller is a thought leader, 3x bestselling author, and the founder of the Soul Professional® Movement—a global community supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs around the world. With a background in nonprofit leadership, business strategy, and transformational mentoring, Camille is known for blending practical business design with inner identity work. Her approach helps people bridge the gap between who they are and what they do, creating work that is both successful and deeply fulfilling. Through her writing, speaking, and programs, Camille has helped thousands step into aligned leadership and build meaningful, purpose-driven lives.

     

    Connect with Camille:

    Website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Movement


    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok



    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.




    59 min
  • When Your Body Forces You To Pay Attention

    Rachel Blogg sits down with board certified health and wellness coach Debbie Roppo for a real conversation about what happens when your body stops whispering and starts demanding your attention. Debbie shares the moment she woke up in excruciating joint pain, the fear that came with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, and why she refused to believe a single prediction about what her future had to look like.


    They talk through the slow, layered work of healing that goes beyond food. Water and air quality, chemicals in everyday products, stress, relationships, sleep, and the shift from chasing quick fixes to building a lifestyle that actually fits you. Debbie also opens up about the missing link she found after getting 75 percent better and how changing her internal dialogue became part of changing her symptoms.

    Connect with Debbie

    LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

     

    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok


    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.


    59 min
  • Anxiety Is Not the Villain (It’s Just Loud, Dramatic, and Bad at Timing)

    If anxiety had a personality, it would be the friend who means well but absolutely cannot chill. In this solo episode, Rachel dives into the real version of anxiety—the one that turns every little thing into an emergency and refuses to wait and see. She breaks down why anxiety feels so loud, why it convinces you that everything is urgent, and why trying to fight it or force calm often makes it louder.

    Rachel also shares simple, practical strategies that actually help. From naming anxiety for what it is, to calming the body, reducing false urgency, and responding without spiraling, listeners will learn how to regain control without needing to eliminate anxiety entirely. This episode is a reminder that you can feel anxious and still move forward, rest without earning it, and live your life even when things are uncertain. Anxiety can come along for the ride—but it does not get to drive.

     

    Stay connected with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

     

    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    8 min
  • Surviving The Loss of A Child

    In this episode


    We dive into the realities of grief and why it doesn’t follow a timeline, the transformative power of community during life’s most difficult moments, and the importance of advocating for yourself when you feel most vulnerable. Emily shares her story with remarkable honesty, offering both practical guidance and emotional support to anyone facing loss or navigating grief. This episode is raw, real, and deeply human — a conversation about resilience, connection, and finding your way forward even when life feels unbearably hard.

    Meet my guest

    Emily Tosoni is a woman who shows up for women in grief, in business, and in the delicate space where the two often intersect. She’s an Instagram and Business Growth Coach by trade, but supporting women has always been the throughline of her life. After losing her son, Emily’s world shifted in ways that are hard to describe — yet she’s used her experience to guide, witness, and remind other women that they are not alone in their hardest seasons. Beyond business, she creates communities that are honest, supportive, and kind, offering a safe space for women navigating infertility, miscarriage, and child loss.


    Follow Emily’s journey
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilytosoni_


    Stay connected with Rachel:
    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok


    ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    1 hr 21 min
  • Lonely in a Loud World (Why Likes, Followers, and “Doing Enough” Mess With Our Mental Health)

    In this solo episode, I’m talking about a kind of loneliness that doesn’t get enough attention — the quiet, confusing kind that shows up even when you’re surrounded by notifications, followers, comments, and growth. The kind where everything looks “successful” on the outside, but internally you feel disconnected, behind, or like it’s still not enough. I open up about my own experience navigating social media as a content creator — watching the numbers rise and fall, hitting milestones, and still battling the comparison trap that whispers, “Why isn’t it more?”


    We explore how metrics were never meant to be mirrors, yet we often use them to measure our worth. I break down why our nervous systems take social media so personally, how comparison quietly disconnects us from community, and the grief that lives underneath the pressure to constantly perform.

    Through a DBT-informed lens, I share practical tools to help you separate your identity from your impact, ground yourself in your values, and practice real self-validation. If you’ve ever felt unseen in a hyper-connected world or exhausted from trying to keep up, this episode is a reminder: you’re not behind — you’re human.

    Connect with Rachel:

    LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok



    The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

    11 min

About Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport

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Imperfectly Human™ is the podcast that explores the human being behind the athlete.