NEWSFLASH!!! For the first time ever I’m airing back-to-back weeks with the same guest.

My guest for the next two weeks is Sheila Tully. Sheila spent over 25 years in corporate America before venturing into the world of entrepreneurism.  After leaving her corporate joy in 2018, she redirected her life toward helping women end unnecessary suffering that arises from our relationship with our bodies and ourselves. Through her work Sheila helps women get out of their own way, untangle issues that have kept them stuck so they can realize their full potential.

Sheila is not only an entrepreneur, coach and behavior change specialist, she is my friend. We met when our kids were in elementary school. Though with the hustle and bustle of life, we never really had the chance to hang out and connect as much as I would’ve liked.

Now our kids are in high school, we’ve both launched podcasts and a while back we sat down to catch up. Our conversation flowed from one thing to another. We ended up talking for almost 2 hours. We talked about our kids (Sheila didn’t know about all that had been going on with Linny), her family’s move to Tennessee, her work, navigating the world and so much more. We covered som much juicy stuff, I had to make Sheila’s debut on Living in the Sandwich Zone a double header.

You can learn more about Sheila and her work on her website  https://www.sheilatully.com

Follow Sheila on Instagram: @sheilatully1

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

WIth all that's been going on in the world, this week I just couldn't go with the flow and put out the episode I'd intended. Instead, I'm sharing a little bit of what's been going on in my heart. 

If you'd like to make a contribution to the fund for my friend Kory O'Rourke  CLICK TO DONATE HERE.

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

First of all, I want to profoundly apologize to Dr. Pollak for my extreme delay in airing this episode. I recorded this interview almost an entire year ago. I had just launched my podcast and had a ginormous case of imposter syndrome. As a result, I put this interview in the "vault" to save for when I had more experience with podcasting, had built some sort of audience and gained some traction with this whole thing. The next thing I knew an entire year had passed! 

What I've realized over my first year of podcasting is that the people I talk to are just really nice, generous, kindhearted people. They are people I'd like to hang out and become friends with. They are so much more forgiving of me than I am of myself. As I go forward, I hope to keep this lesson in the forefront of my mind and extend to myself the compassion that Dr. Pollak says is so important to cultivate as we navigate the Sandwich Zone.

My guest this week is Dr. Susan M. Pollak, MTS, Ed.D. Dr. Pollak is a psychologist in private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a longtime student of meditation and yoga who has been integrating the practices of meditation into psychotherapy since the 1980s. Additionally, at the time of our conversation, while managing her psychology practice she was also caring for her almost 98-year old mother.  

Dr. Pollak is cofounder and teacher at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Harvard Medical School / Cambridge Health Alliance and was the president of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy for ten years, from 2010 to 2020.

She is a co-editor of The Cultural Transition; a contributing author of Mapping the Moral Domain; Evocative Objects; and Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, 2nd Edition; co-author of Sitting Together: Essential Skills for Mindfulness-based Psychotherapyand is the author of the new book Self-Compassion for Parents: Nurture Your Child by Caring for Yourself.

Dr. Pollak is the author of the  Psychology Today blog, The Art of Now: Essential Skills for Mindfulness, an exploration of the art of integrating mindfulness into clinical practice and daily life, sharing new insights, reflections, and inspiration.

You can find out more about Dr. Pollak by visiting her website: DrSusanPollak.com

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

My car is one of the few places I can be completely alone. When I record for the podcast in the car, it generally means I'm processing something heavy--which is the case this week. 

In this first month of 2023, I have had some high highs and some very low lows. I unpack some of those lows this week from the safety and solitude of my car. 

Please be mindful of what is best for you and your well-being in this moment. If you're carrying all that you can emotionally hold right now this episode may just be too much. So please, check in with yourself and your heart and do whatever is best for you in this moment.  

UPDATE: At the time of recording this episode, to protect and respect her privacy, I did not refer to my friend by name. Since then, however, I learned that a fund has been set up to support her family. I am posting this here because, if you've been listening to my podcast, you actually have met my dear friend, Kory O'Rourke, who was a guest on the episode of my podcast that aired on November 23, 2022 (Hear Kory's episode here.) 

Only a few months ago, Kory and her family had moved--spending upwards of $7,000 to relocate. In light of the events shared in this episode they will have to move again suddenly. With Kory's permission, I am sharing the link to the meal train and donation site that has been set up to support their family. Even if in just a small amount, please consider making a contribution. CLICK TO DONATE HERE

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In this episode I share about Day 1 of 2023 and how my year got off to a rather bumpy start. I recorded this on January 3, 2023, my first day back to work after the New Year's holiday weekend. 

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

I can hardly believe it's been a year since I launched my first episode of Living in the Sandwich Zone! In today's episode I share my reflections on my podcasting adventure and how it has changed me. 

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In this little bonus episode you'll hear some reflections on my conversation with Sheri Salata and I'll share some of the big gems I've gleaned from her that have helped me start rewriting my story.

To learn more about Sheri and her offerings, check out her website at sherisalata.com and join her free Facebook group The Sheri Salata Community.

Also, be sure to sign up for her FREE Change Your Story, Change Your Life (January 9-13) to light the fire under your dream pot and start stirring big changes for 2023.

To order Sheri's award-winning memoir The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence and Transformation click HERE.

You can follow Sheri on Instagram at: @sherisalata

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

In this inaugural 2023 kick-off episode, we're talking about letting go of old stories that keep us stuck and rewriting them to create the life of our dreams. I can think of no other person I'd rather have this conversation with my friend, mentor and former Executive Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show, Sheri Salata.

During her 20-year career running the Oprah show, Sheri brought us wisdom from the most sought after thought leaders and spiritual teachers. It was the career of a lifetime! Though, in her words, she created her dream career but not her dream life. In this episode we talk about Sheri's reckoning that started her on the path to manifest the life of her dreams that she lives today.

Sheri is an author, world-class producer and transformation doula. She is the founder + CEO of The Support System, a private membership group for women dedicated to creating real-life transformation and Salata + Co, her personal development company offering acclaimed courses + retreats around the world. Her memoir, The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence and Transformation is an Amazon Editor’s Choice Best Memoir and an Apple Must-Listen audio book.

Sheri spent 20 years in the land of Oprah finishing that glorious run as the final Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, President of Harpo Studios and President of OWN as captured in the cable hit series Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes.

Sheri lives in the Napa Valley with her bulldog babies Dolly + Buzz the Wonder Boy. She spends her time manifesting the life of her dreams, appreciating every minute of the joy ride she’s creating + calling in what’s next.

To learn more about Sheri and her offerings, check out her website at sherisalata.com and join her free Facebook group The Sheri Salata Community.

Also, be sure to sign up for her FREE Change Your Story, Change Your Life (January 9-13) to light the fire under your dream pot and start stirring big changes for 2023. 

To order Sheri's award-winning memoir The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence and Transformation click HERE.

You can follow Sheri on Instagram at: @sherisalata

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

Surprise! Didn't expect an episode this week, did ya? Welp, here I am! This week I fill you in on our birthday/Christmas celebrations and my theme for 2023:  INSPIRED ACTION.

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich

With everything going on recently I didn't get around to preparing this week's podcast until (quite literally) the 11th hour. In this spur of the moment episode I let you in on how the holidays are unfolding in the Osborne house and also share some of the more emotional moments for me this past week. 

You can follow me on Instagram at: @karen.e.osborne

Click on this link to join Club Sandwich (the LITSZ Private Facebook Group): LITSZ_Club_Sandwich