Meditate In Style

I talk to my Mom Sandy about my childhood and reminisce about loved ones we've lost and fun times that we have shared together.

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This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

I’m coming to you with a quick update on my time away from the mic with a mini NSD podcast episode so don’t count me out just yet. Why you ask? Because I will be releasing a couple of new episodes:

- 40 things we’ve learned at 40

- What about your friends?

And hopefully a few more because who better to discuss the above titles with than my NSD girls? The Girly Girls, SAS, The Tommy Girls, The Clueless Crew, The Click, and My #1, are just a few titles we're known as.

Stay tuned for more, & for those friends that are reading this join my 'perfect is lame' crew & be a guest! You have my # 😉

💕, your girl Tonya

This week's NSD guest is on a mission to help women create the confidence they need to live their dream lives and accept who they are (sounds pretty darn good, huh?). But even more so, her goal is to make us all loud and proud about it!

Throughout her professional career she's styled for brands, magazines, you name it, and also created makeovers which led to her career as a model agent and model coach. She taught models how to walk, how to dress, and how to act confidently in castings and on photoshoots.

But on the inside she hid a dirty little secret: she felt UGLY pretty much her whole life and didn't love or value herself as she knew she should. Sounds crazy but it's true. Weirdly enough, that didn't stop her from chasing her dreams. However, one day she put a stop to it all and started anew.

Listen in on our conversation as she tells me how she re-blossomed and now helps female solopreneurs ditch the jitters and confidently dominate any stage they're ready to walk. You can also follow her on social media at instagram.com/_jessievo_/ and

facebook.com/groups/highvibepreneur.

After hosting a women’s empowerment event in Louisville last year, I quickly became a huge fan of my next guest's mission to create a space where women with shared values can come together, motivate one another, and truly believe in themselves. Leaving that event, attended by so many like-minded women just like me, I was overjoyed, inspired and hungry for more. So much so that I became a brand ambassador for the organization itself, The Beauty Boost!

Rachel Kerr is the Founder of https://www.thebeautyboost.net/louisville and who for many years searched for a community of inspiring and motivating women but couldn’t seem to find just what she needed. Enter The Beauty Boost, an exciting series of weekend retreats she established where women freely and openly participate and come back feeling like they can conquer the world! These healthy fitness and empowerment events are beyond exhilarating and I promise once you listen to our conversation, you'll feel energized, recharged, and just like me after that first event, totally ready to rule! For more about The Beauty Boost Louisville follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thebeautyboost_louisville/.

I'm totally psyched to share this week's NSD broadcast with my guest Kaitlin Anthony, a life coach who pulls no punches when it comes to helping women take total charge of their lives. With 10+ years of coaching experience, she gives her all when it comes to helping women trade in their "stress for swagger" as she so accurately states. Our conversation covers an array of topics and include how to navigate being a divorced mom, the myriad ways to uplift other women, our takes on style and fashion (c'mon, I gotta be me!), and being a no-hold-barred female podcaster in 2022. And not for nothing, Kaitlin also educated me on what pronouns to use when addressing someone - whether it's her, him, they, or them, after my initial not so darlin faux pas moment with her - when she showed me a heckuva lot of grace and understanding. This take-charge lady has built a community who show up for her "beam hive", which addresses women of all ages and stages of life. I promise you're going to enjoy our chat and be sure to check Kaitlin out on The Beam Life podcast (link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beam-life/id1488275371) and her other social/outreach channels at https://linktr.ee/thebeamlife.

Jetty Nieuwenhuis is a professional speaker, wellness advocate and model. As CEO of her company Trujetty, www.trujetty.com/, she uses her personal stories of invisible illnesses - bulimia, Lyme Disease, and depression — to help women wake up from a life on autopilot to unapologetically go after their most burning desires. Jetty is an IAWP Health/Wellness coach, holds certifications in makeup artistry and image consulting, and has successfully completed two Ironman (I personally think that moniker should be changed to IronPERSON, BTW) competitions.

Rebelling against the perfectly curated influencer image of so so many other women online circa 2022 - complete with ridiculously unattainable standards- she focuses on the real-life contradictions many of us face. From fab fashion over 40; beauty ideals without the heavy edit (bye bye face filters); and having enough while still wanting more, Jetty brings it. Listen to our conversation & you'll be an instant convert to her way of thinking, I promise!

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a social worker's mind? Have you ever, intentionally or unintentionally, passed judgment on a parent whose children are under the care of the state? I have - for better or worse - and I believe that most of us to some degree have been conditioned to think that way for some reason...until I met Jess Hoeper. That said, and as a mother and a parent, I was more than ready to learn more and talk with her in depth about her mission for all of us to 'un-condition' our minds.

Personally Jess is a mother of five who resides with her husband and family in central Minnesota. Professionally she is a licensed independent social worker with 15+ years of human service experience, specializing in child welfare. Jess’s passion is, as she says, "curating curiosity and spending time in wonder". She owns and operates her own human services consulting/training company, Ray of Hope LLC, offering Reflective Coaching to human service professionals nationally. Through her years of experience Jess became keenly aware that the only tangible tool available to actually fine tune those in the social work sector is the professional herself or himself, with professional development focusing on developing that person. Her methodologies to reach that goal include guiding these professional to self-awareness in their work, and rooting them with a deeper understanding of the honor it is to work with those receiving social services.

I urge you to listen in on our eye-opening conversation that digs deep into the world of social work and its impact on children and parents alike, what Reflective Coaching is all about, and how Jess came to realize that the key to helping others is all about H.O.P.E. (the word and the acronym). And for more information about Jess and Ray of Hope LLC, visit rayofhopereflectivecoaching.com, and follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/reflective_coaching/ and Facebook at facebook.com/jrhoeper.

That's exactly what this week's NSD podcast guest Lori Hardacker has been trying to figure out and not just lately, but for the past 20 years. This first-time author has seen the ups and downs of dating for the past two decades and she shares all the laughter, joy, pain and tears in her ebook "Dating: What The F***!", available at datingwhatthefuck.com/. I promise you, it's a must-read/listen to account that'll have you cracking up and crying at the same time. .

Much more than a first-time author, Lori is also an ingenious entrepreneur, dance teacher and RV adventurer...yes, RV adventurer! Originally from Massachusetts, this Southwest Florida resident went to Roger Williams University and received a BA in Dance and a minor in Theater. For four years, Lori owned and operated a successful dance studio and then created a traveling dance and fitness program that she brought to preschools, daycares, recreation centers and YMCAs in the New England area. Today she teaches tap, ballet, jazz, tumbling and creative movement to children 18 months to 6 years old and is known as the “Baby Whisperer”.

Before Lori made Florida her home, she was living in her RV full-time, traveling and working around the country. She began this journey in May 2016 and worked in Maine, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan and Wyoming before taking an exit off the road in 2019. This entrepreneur extraordinaire also has a small event company for which she hosts singles events that cover dating, relationships, sex trivia and “Hound and Human Happy Hours”. And as far as marriage and children go, Lori is perfectly happy being single and taking care of her “kids”: one canine and one feline and she plans on keeping it that way. Take a listen and prepare for a fun-filled - and as Lori would say "honest AF" - conversation!

As the old saying goes, "never judge a book by its cover", and let me tell you that is SO true, especially when it comes to one's looks. Have you ever been judged by your looks? I sure have as has this week's guest, Bridget Sickso. She and I share similar missions to ensure that empowered voices are heard, while breaking the mold on what society tells us we should or shouldn’t look like based on our interests. Bridget helps us find our inner beauty and worthiness with reflection, connection, and community.

She is the founder of Exalted Publishing House, a yoga teacher, podcast host, & leadership coach...this lady is the bomb! Bridget holds various certifications as a holistic health coach, reiki practitioner and has studied ayurveda, vinyasa, yin, restorative, and kundalini yoga. She helps successful entrepreneurs stand out from the crowd, positioning them as leaders in their various industries by sharing powerful stories. This dynamo also hosts women's circles, networking events, and community gatherings where women of all ages, ethnicities and interests can use their voices, connect with like-minded women, and elevate themselves and their businesses. On her “The Gathering MVMT” podcast Bridget has interviewed over 60 entrepreneurs, TEDx speakers, authors, thought leaders, and visionaries whose goals are to uplift humanity.

After her healing experience with Lyme disease at age 15, Bridget's mission was to make sure empowering voices were heard loud and clear. She set out on a path to study holistic healing and yoga, then fell down a rabbit hole of personal development. Empowered (there's that word!), she quit her NYC sales job in 2016 and set forth on an entrepreneurial adventure committed to gathering people together, elevating them, and sharing their powerful voices. Bridget's books, "Legacy Speaks" and "Success Codes" are available on Amazon and further detail her commitment to sharing women's stories while gathering us all together. Please check out her website at www.bridgetaileen.com and follow here on social media at

www.instagram.com/blissfulbridget.

re·sil·ience /rəˈzilyəns/noun

the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness.

That's Merriam-Webster's definition above but my guest this week, Joanna Chanis, knows there's much more to that one word. A professional mentor and resilience expert, she helps young adults and entrepreneurs who have experienced a serious loss catapult into a more productive and holistic life. Joanna is the author of "The Waiting Room: Your Friend to Help You and Your Loved Ones through the Diagnosis", and a breast cancer survivor who is carrying the lessons learned from her journey into every aspect of life.

From young adults to corporate teams, multitudes have found Joanna’s story incredibly powerful and utilize her realistic problem-solving tools and values to obtain healthy resilience, overcome challenges, and increase productivity. Joanna is also the host of the podcast “About Life with Jo” (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/about-life-with-jo/id1575229420) where she connects and helps young adults, creating a space which feels like a night out, with conversations that are real and filter-free. This multi-talented woman has an entrepreneurial background in owning and operating a high-volume restaurant and founding a technology start-up and is also on the board of the Ellie Fund, which provides essential support services for breast cancer patients to ease the stresses of everyday life, and the Philoptochos Society, the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that has offered 90 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs across the world. A proud Greek American, Joanna celebrates her heritage by traveling to Greece each year and cooking Greek food. Along with her love for fine dining, style and travel, Joanna’s main goal in life is to connect people and form deep relationships no matter where she goes.

Joanna and I had a great chat about how as women we both have lied to ourselves and pretend that by putting everyone and everything else before ourselves can be seriously damaging. The two of us have recovered from life-changing health diagnoses and discuss how there IS life after one's diagnosis. Joanna says cancer was her truth teller, actually saved her life, and made her realize she needed to dive deep down and make huge changes within herself. She gives me and all of my listeners the tools and tips needed to overcome our daily struggles, increase our awareness, and live our most fulfilled lives! Be sure to follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/joannachanis/, LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-chanis/, and YouTube at https://bit.ly/32icIns. ​

And last but certainly not least, Merry Christmas to you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a NSD follower!

Xo,

Tonya