What do you do when your adult children become parents—and you don’t agree with how they’re raising their kids?

In this Mental Freedom® Moment, Kim Olver explores one of the most emotional transitions in parenting: letting go of control while staying connected.

If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to give advice, step in, or question your adult child’s decisions, you’re not alone. This episode looks at the deeper fears underneath those reactions—including the fear that doing things differently might mean you did something wrong.

Through the lens of Mental Freedom®, Kim shares how to shift from control to connection, respect your adult child’s role as a parent, and maintain strong relationships with both your children and grandchildren.

You’ll learn:

1. Why parenting adult children requires a different mindset
2. How unsolicited advice can impact your relationship
3. The difference between safety concerns and simple differences
4. How to replace control with curiosity and trust

Reflection Question:

Where might I be trying to guide in a way that feels like control—and what would it look like to shift that into curiosity and respect?

This episode is for parents, grandparents, and anyone navigating relationships with adult children.

Divorce can be one of the most difficult transitions a family faces, but it does not have to damage a child’s future. In this episode of Life = Choices; Choices = Life, Kim Olver continues her conversation with attorney Christopher Anderson about how parents can navigate divorce while protecting their children’s emotional well-being. Don't forget to check out Part 1.

Christopher shares practical guidance on healthy co-parenting, including why parents should focus less on controlling routines in the other household and more on supporting the child’s relationship with both parents. He explains how parenting plans are meant to guide families—not control them—and why flexibility, trust, and cooperation are often more beneficial for children than rigid adherence to legal documents.

The conversation also explores how parents can avoid common mistakes during divorce, such as questioning children about the other household, competing for affection, or unintentionally placing emotional burdens on their kids. Instead, Christopher emphasizes the importance of creating a hopeful vision for the future and helping children feel secure, loved, and supported during family transitions.

You’ll also hear about Christopher’s innovative approach to family law at New Leaf Family, which focuses on future-oriented problem-solving rather than conflict-driven litigation.

If you’re navigating divorce, co-parenting, or parenting plans, this episode offers thoughtful insight on how to help children remain resilient and emotionally secure while families adjust to new structures.

Learn more about Christopher Anderson and New Leaf Family at https://www.newleaf.family.

In this episode of Life Equals Choices; Choices Equal Life, Kim Olver speaks with family attorney Christopher Anderson about how parents can protect their children’s well-being during divorce.

Divorce is often one of the most difficult transitions a family can face, especially when children are involved. Christopher shares a powerful perspective on how parents can move beyond conflict and focus instead on creating a secure and hopeful future for their children.

Rather than dwelling on past grievances or ongoing disagreements, Christopher explains why a future-focused approach helps children feel safe, supported, and emotionally stable during a major family transition.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why focusing on the future helps children feel secure during divorce

• How parents can avoid putting children in the middle of conflict

• The importance of presenting decisions as unified parental choices

• How honesty and emotional openness can support children’s adjustment

• Ways to maintain stability and positive co-parenting after divorce

Christopher Anderson is the co-founder of New Leaf Family, a law practice dedicated to transforming the way family law supports families during divorce by helping parents move from conflict toward constructive, future-focused solutions.

If you are navigating divorce or supporting someone who is, this episode offers thoughtful guidance on how to prioritize children’s emotional safety and resilience through one of life’s most challenging transitions.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Be sure to return next week for Part 2 as Kim and Christopher continue discussing co-parenting and helping children thrive after divorce.

In this episode, Kim Olver explores how to love yourself whether you are single or in a relationship. Many people tie their self-worth to their relationship status, believing they are more valuable when chosen and less worthy when alone. But true self-worth is not determined by partnership.

Kim discusses how we subtly abandon ourselves inside relationships—minimizing our Needs, shrinking our voice, and sacrificing boundaries to maintain connection. She also addresses the deeper fear of being alone and how that fear can drive unhealthy relationship choices.

You’ll learn:

1. How to build self-worth outside of relationship status
2. Why self-abandonment erodes intimacy
3. How to stop outsourcing your happiness to a partner
4. Ways to heal the fear of being alone
5. What loving yourself actually looks like—single or partnered

Whether you are dating, married, divorced, or navigating a season of singleness, this conversation will help you build emotional strength, healthy boundaries, and deeper self-respect.

Because loving yourself is not a slogan. It is a daily practice.

Listen now to learn how to stay aligned with yourself—no matter who stands beside you.

For more on loving yourself, check out Kim's book, Choosing Me Now.

In this episode, Kim Olver continues her conversation about couples by exploring the quiet ways we unintentionally hurt our relationships — and what we can do to repair and strengthen connection.

Most relationships don’t fall apart because of dramatic betrayals. They erode in subtle ways: defensiveness instead of empathy, withholding small acts of kindness, quiet scorekeeping, control disguised as concern, and unspoken unmet needs. Over time, these small moments create emotional distance — inch by inch.

Drawing from decades of counseling experience and the principles behind Choice Theory, Kim unpacks:

1. Why explaining can feel like dismissing
2. How small daily kindnesses protect intimacy
3. The hidden fear beneath control
4. How keeping score damages emotional safety
5. Why naming your needs builds connection instead of criticism

If you’ve ever thought, “We don’t fight — we just feel distant,” this episode will help you understand why distance happens and how to close it.

If you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply, Kim’s book Secrets of Happy Couples: Loving Yourself, Your Partner, and Your Life is currently available while remaining copies last. Originally published in 2011, this edition reflects the language norms of its time. A thoughtfully revised edition is planned for the future. You can learn more or order a copy here.

Because love rarely collapses from one catastrophic event — it fades through small, unaddressed moments. And it rebuilds the same way.

In this episode, Kim Olver continues her powerful conversation with Dr. Corey SeeMiller about heartbreak recovery, dating with intention, and how to build healthier romantic relationships after loss. If you missed Part 1, you can listen here: https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/corey-seemiller/

Dr. Corey SeeMiller shares how her own unexpected breakup led her to explore healing, self-worth, and personal growth in a deeper way. Together, Kim and Corey discuss what it really takes to move through heartbreak without becoming bitter, how to rebuild confidence after a relationship ends, and why self-awareness is essential before stepping back into the dating world.

You’ll hear insights about emotional resilience, recognizing unhealthy patterns, attracting aligned partners, and creating intentional relationships rather than reactive ones. Corey also explains how affirmations, mindset work, and personal responsibility can support long-term relationship success.

If you’ve experienced a breakup, are navigating dating after heartbreak, or want to create a more conscious romantic relationship, this conversation offers both practical tools and emotional encouragement.

To learn more about Dr. Corey SeeMiller’s work in relationships, dating, and healing after heartbreak, visit her website at https://www.coreyseemiller.com.

Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this conversation here:

https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/corey-seemiller/

Apple Podcast description

In this episode, Kim Olver continues her conversation with Dr. Corey SeeMiller about healing after heartbreak, rebuilding confidence, and dating with intention. Together, they explore how to move forward after a breakup without becoming bitter, how to recognize unhealthy relationship patterns, and what it really takes to attract a healthy, aligned partner.

If you’ve experienced heartbreak, are navigating dating again, or want to create more intentional romantic relationships, this episode offers practical insight and emotional encouragement.

Listen to Part 1 here: https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/corey-seemiller/

Learn more about Dr. Corey SeeMiller at https://www.coreyseemiller.com

In this episode of Life Equals Choices, Choices Equal Life, Kim Olver kicks off the February focus on couples with an insightful conversation with Dr. Corey SeeMiller about how relationships quietly get stuck—and what couples can do before disconnection becomes irreversible. Drawing on both her academic expertise and lived experience, Corey introduces powerful metaphors like “watering the garden” and “narrowing the tunnel” to explain how small, neglected moments of connection can slowly erode even strong relationships.

Together, Kim and Corey explore why healthy relationships don’t fall apart overnight, how orange lines and red lines serve as early warning signs, and why intentional communication and daily acts of care matter far more than grand gestures. This episode also examines how unmet needs, avoidance of difficult conversations, and loss of curiosity can lead couples into patterns that feel impossible to escape.

If you’ve ever wondered why relationships lose their spark, how to intervene before resentment sets in, or what it really means to sustain intimacy over time, this conversation offers practical wisdom you can apply immediately. Whether you’re dating, partnered, or reflecting on past relationships, this episode provides a grounded, compassionate framework for strengthening connection and preventing emotional drift.

To learn more about Dr. Corey SeeMiller and her work in relationships, dating, and healing after heartbreak, visit her website, where she shares resources as a generational expert, leadership educator, and relationship coach. You can also explore her book, The Soulmate Strategy, and listen to her podcast, Rock that Relationship!, for deeper conversations about love, loss, and personal growth.

In this episode of Life Equals Choices, Choices Equal Life, host Kim Olver continues her empowering conversation with Liz Hansen, owner and photographer at Chicago Boudoir Photography, about how boudoir photography can transform a woman’s confidence, self-worth, and body image.

If you missed Part 1 of this conversation, you can listen here https://life-choices.captivate.fm/episode/liz-hansen/.

Liz talks about what a boudoir session is really like—why it’s important to block out a half day just for you, how the experience often becomes a day of self-care and self-acceptance, and why many women come out of their sessions feeling more confident, proud, and liberated than they ever expected. She explains how seeing your body through a new lens—literally and metaphorically—can shift your self-perception and remind you of your inherent value, worth, and beauty.

Kim and Liz also explore common hesitations women have before a shoot and why those fears often melt away once they see the final images. Liz shares deeply affirming insights about how boudoir can be part of a broader journey of self-love—not because the camera “fixes” anything, but because it reveals something the woman has always carried inside.

Liz also talks about her recently published book, A Year of Body Confidence: 365 Days of Affirmations and Actions for Women, a daily resource for grounding self-love and confidence-building habits (link below).

Whether you’re curious about a boudoir experience or you’re navigating issues with body image, confidence, or self-worth, this conversation offers compassionate perspective and encouragement to see yourself as stronger, more worthy, and more beautiful than you might have believed.

Learn more and connect with Liz at her website: https://chicago-boudoir.com

Check out Liz’s book: A Year of Body Confidence: 365 Days of Affirmations and Actions for Women

In this episode of Life Equals Choices, Choices Equal Life, host Kim Olver continues her conversation on self-discovery with Liz Hansen, owner of Chicago Boudoir Photography. Liz shares her powerful journey from education to photography and explains how boudoir photography can become a deeply transformative experience for women at every stage of life.

This candid conversation explores confidence, body image, self-worth, and the courage it takes to step outside your comfort zone. Liz describes how thousands of women have walked into her studio feeling unsure and walked out feeling empowered—not because their bodies changed, but because their relationship with themselves did. Together, Kim and Liz discuss why worth is not earned through roles, achievements, or appearance, but exists simply because you are alive.

You’ll hear how boudoir photography challenges long-standing cultural beliefs about women’s bodies, beauty standards, and who confidence is “for.” Liz explains what actually happens during a boudoir session, how trust and safety are built, and why seeing yourself—unfiltered and unedited—can be a profound act of self-acceptance. This episode also addresses common reasons women choose boudoir experiences, from milestones and new beginnings to healing after loss, illness, or divorce.

If you’re navigating self-discovery, rebuilding confidence, or learning to honor your inherent worth, this episode offers a refreshing and empowering perspective. It’s a reminder that your body is not something to fix, but a vessel that has carried your story—and deserves to be celebrated.

Be sure to tune in next week for Part Two of this inspiring conversation. You can purchase Liz's book here: A Year of Body Confidence: 365 Days of Positive Affirmations and Empowering Actions for Women: Hansen, Liz: 9798245553634: Amazon.com: Books.

In this episode of Life Equals Choices, Choices Equal Life, Kim Olver continues a powerful conversation on self-discovery, women’s well-being, and living with intention with her guest, Nancy Griffin. Together, they explore why women so often put themselves last—and how prioritizing mental health, physical well-being, and self-worth is not selfish, but essential.

Nancy, founder of Women, Worth, and Wellness, shares how her work with women over the past three decades has revealed a deep connection between health, wealth, and personal fulfillment. Drawing from her mother’s legacy as a trailblazing woman entrepreneur, Nancy reflects on what it means to steward both financial resources and personal energy with integrity and purpose.

This conversation dives into practical ways women can retrain their focus away from chronic negativity, strengthen their mental resilience, and default toward gratitude and possibility—even in challenging times. Kim and Nancy also discuss why women often carry disproportionate responsibility for family wellness, how charitable giving and legacy planning enhance self-worth, and why caring for your own mental and physical health expands your capacity to care for others.

If you’re a woman who feels successful on the outside but depleted on the inside, this episode offers grounded insight, encouragement, and a reminder that your life, health, and joy matter.

Learn more about Nancy’s work and her inspiring 7000 Jars of Jam story at https://womenworthwellness.com/7000-jars-of-jam.