Ladies in Progress Podcast

Meet Miran McCash, Founder of nonprofit Sweat & Sneakers: Kicks for Kids, mom to Hayden, middle school PE & Health Teacher, and high school track coach. On this week’s episode we speak to Miran about all of the impactful work that she has been doing across Washington state to support youth — and all of the hurdles that comes with it!

Starting off her career as a Geriatrics Trainer and Fitness instructor, Miran saw the ripple effect of not including movement into one’s lifestyle early on. It was then she decided to return to school to become a PE & Health Teacher to help encourage youth to incorporate movement and physical activity into their daily lives today so they can grow older and lead more active lives in the future. Miran gives us a peek into her career as a middle school teacher and all the funny conversations she has with her kids in class. Let’s just say her students love to spill the tea with her!

In 2021, Miran became a new mom, and her life changed forever as she quickly adjusted to this new addition to her many identities. Miran shares not only the good but the hard times that she experienced as well, and we appreciate her vulnerability as she discusses parenting topics that are normally kept behind-the-scenes. Being Hayden’s mom has been one of the best things to happen to her, and she shares how she balances caring for Hayden while still caring for herself.

We close out our episode sharing how she founded Sweat & Sneakers: Kicks for Kids in the midst of a global pandemic. What started off as a school project soon developed into creating the nonprofit that has grown to provide athletic shoes to kids not only in the founding city of Spokane but now in Seattle as well. With more than 300 pairs of shoes donated since 2019, Miran continues to spread the mission of the organization and remove barriers kids face in order to lead an active lifestyle.

Hearing about Miran’s journey in her career, as a new mom, and as a nonprofit founder has inspired us so much and we are excited to share with our listeners as well. Tune in to give our episode a listen!

website: sweatandsneakers.org

IG: spo.seakfk

If you haven't had a chance to listen to our first AITA Analysis, be sure to check it out! 

In this week's episode, Ana, Lynn, and Leanna bring back taking turns reading selected "Am I the Asshole?" (AITA) posts submitted on Reddit.

Listen as they discuss their take on each situation before giving their final verdicts. Do they think like the hivemind? Tune in and find out!

What did you think about these AITA submissions? Did your verdict match LPPs? Share your thoughts in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast.

Read along:

Trigger warning: This episode mentions miscarriage. 

Meet Karen Rafchiek, owner of 4 Corners Merchants, a boutique filled with locally-sourced goods in the Fairwood neighborhood of Renton, WA. 

Listen to this inspiring episode as Karen shares her experience as an immigrant from Malaysia who lived a life working to fulfill other business owners' dreams, gaining skills while supporting a catering business, restaurant, funeral services, and more until she realized her true dream in life was to start a business of her own.

Fast forward to January 2020 and Karen signs the lease on her storefront; then we all know what happened just two months later -- a global pandemic hits and kicks off nearly two years of shut downs, extensions, and reopenings. Needless to say, Karen certainly had to learn how to pivot her new business fast. 

Now, 4 Corners Merchants has stabilized in an ever-changing world. It not only serves as a place for community members to gather and share their skilled crafts, but it's also a place where Karen can apply everything she's learned over the years to coach everyday makers toward a more business-savvy mindset. Karen's story proves that it's truly not about the destination, but the journey. No matter what corner of the world you come from, this episode will leave you wondering how you can take that first step toward your purpose. 

What are some ways that you plan and visualize your dreams? Let us know in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast.

Be sure to visit Karen at 4 Corner's Merchants for your next gift or goodie! 

If you grew in the South Seattle area, this episode is for you! 

After a recent car ride through their old neighborhood, Ana, Lynn, and Leanna were dumbfounded by the changes and started to talking about all their favorite places they went to as they grew up in Seattle. 

This episode is their dedication to the cruise spots they drove to after getting their licenses, the favorite places to park and smoke weed before it was legal (which may have also served as their favorite make out locations as well!), and the stores they used to shop at for back-to-school clothes, soccer cleats, and Christmas trees. They round out the episode talking about the scariest supposedly-haunted locations they went to during high school and wonder if kids nowadays tell the same spooky stories. 

Do you have memories at any of the 1990s and 2000s Seattle spots mentioned in this episode? Let us know in the episode post and see photos we've gathered from around the internet of our favorites mentioned on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast. 

In this week's episode, Ana, Lynn, and Leanna take turns reading selected "Am I the Asshole?" (AITA) posts submitted on Reddit. 

Listen as they discuss their take on each situation before giving their final verdicts. Do they think like the hivemind? Tune in and find out! 

What did you think about these AITA submissions? Did your verdict match LPPs? Share your thoughts in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast. 

Read along:

A note from LPP: While we recorded this lighthearted episode as a means to cope with reality with a bit of humor, we want our listeners to know that our hearts are with the people of Ukraine and Russia, many of whom are dragged into a war for which they never chose to be part of <3 

Meet Teresa (Frederickson, WA), owner of Stillness GEMS Hypnotherapy & Boutique and the first guest of season two!

Tune in as she shares how a melt down over laundry years ago led to an interest in learning about meditation to help manage daily stresses. Fast forward to today, and Teresa is now a Certified Meditation Coach, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in training, and entrepreneur selling crystals and air plants in her online boutique - all while being a wife and mother to five little ones! Teresa's story will inspire you to listen to your heart through life's joys (and pains) and answer the whispers of your true calling. 

Later in the episode, Teresa leads Ana, Lynn, and Leanna through the unboxing of their geminaire sets, beautiful containers filled with symbolic elements and a personalized guided meditation letter that are uniquely designed by Teresa for the recipient based on their chosen intention. Teresa walks the ladies through each element and shares the selection process to create a meaningful, grounding display for 2022. You'll leave with a new appreciation for crystals and will open your eyes to symbols all around. 

What are your favorite ways to stay grounded? Let us know in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast. 

Be sure to follow Teresa on IG @stillnessgems to check out her latest crystals on IG Live, learn about hypnotherapy services, and to pick up a geminaire set of your own! 

Last year, Ana, Lynn, and Leanna celebrated February AKA The Hallmark Month of Love and Romance, by inviting their significant others on to discuss Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages, which was first introduced to the world in 1992. 

Since then, Ana stumbled upon posts from Dr. Nicole LePera (@theholisticpsychologist) on what she dubbed, "The 5 (New) Love Languages." These tenets, which range from "Understanding your partner's trauma" to "Commitment to each other's freedom," are quite different than the (what some may call outdated) originals. A few of them can be challenging to grasp at first, too. 

Tune into this week's episode as Ana, Lynn, and Leanna dive deep into the new love languages, reflect on their own growth through self-development and therapy, and how they have come to recognize how their past patterns have influenced their current relationships -- and how they have since started to make changes. Light some candles and grab a box of chocolates, because this is an episode about relationships that you won't want to miss! 

Which of these new 5 love languages resonated with you the most? Let us know on the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast. 

School's in session for Ana, Lynn, and Leanna, and in this episode, they share their experiences as adult learners in their thirties choosing to continue their education in the midst of the Omicron variant in 2022. 

For Ana, she's in her first quarter of a nine-month project management certificate after learning about a project manager role at her work and thinking, "I could do that!" 

For Lynn, she's a quarter ahead of Ana in the same project management program and contemplated this certificate for a couple of years; find out the catalyst that finally made her take the leap and how she's able to apply what she's learning in her current job. 

And lastly for Leanna, hear why she decided to utilize a tuition waiver through her work to take a Spanish class for fun, and how she may have underestimated her first fully-online class experience. 

You'll hear them talk about what it's like being in school today compared to when all three were last in school at the same time during undergrad over ten years ago. From new technologies and first day of class fears, to work-life balance and dreaded group projects, this episode just might give you the push to apply and enroll into your next learning opportunity!

It's season 2 of LPP and they're back, baby! 

Tune in to the first episode of 2022 to hear about all of the podcast plans and updates since the December retreat. There are some changes coming to LPP this season that you won't want to miss.

Then Ana, Lynn, and Leanna share what they've learned about intention setting vs. resolutions for the year and take a stab at creating their own. From intentions they reveal their goals before unveiling their #oneword for 2022. 

Do you believe in setting resolutions for the New Year? What's your One Word? Let us know in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast or on Facebook @ladiesinprogresspodcast. 

ICYMI: Catch the last episode, "It's a Wrap for 2021 & Season 1 of LPP!" to hear how the ladies did on their goals from last year. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, and any other major podcast streaming platform. 

Tune in as Ana, Lynn, and Leanna tie up the year with a pretty little bow of reflection while they look back to the episode that rounded out last year, "Goodbye, 2020! Hello, 2021!" Listen as they recall their One Word of focus for 2021, recap their personal goals, and recount their highs and lows before drawing oracle cards for individualized mini-readings to end 2021 strong and welcome 2022 with a bang. They go from woo-woo level 1 to 100, so buckle up.

Ladies in Progress Podcast will be on a break for the remainder of December. Have a happy holiday season and fantastic New Year. 

Share your highs and lows for 2021 in the episode post on IG @ladiesinprogresspodcast and stay tuned for season 2 in January!