Meditate In Style

"I've got a girl crush, Hate to admit it but I got a hard rush,

It's slowin' down,

I got it real bad, Want everything she has,

That smile and that midnight laugh,

She's givin' you now."

This week's podcast makes me sing these unforgettable lyrics from @LittleBig Town's hit "I’ve Got a Girl Crush" over and over and you know why? It's true when it comes to this week's NSD podcast guest! Even though I recently acknowledged I'm not a huge country music fan (sorry, not sorry), I am a HUGE fan of this woman who is a rock star (er, country rock star?!) in every sense of the word in my book.

Meet Natasha Lacy, a true English rose & rockin' UK mum (enter my British accent) who I recently met and befriended on Instagram (link https://www.instagram.com/_natashalacy/). This gorgeous, formidable, powerhouse of a woman just turned 50 and has style, confidence and riotous sense of humor you'll swoon for. She radiates confidence, beauty & a sense of youth inside and out, empowering us all over 40 to feel our most confidant with great finesse plus those Not So Sarlin topics like menopause (don't roll your eyes, it's coming sooner or later). From a fashion and style standpoint I adore her flair for making vintage fashion look fabulous no matter what era it's from and I urge - no, implore! - you to check out her life and style tips at instagram.com/_natashalacy/ and her website at https://www.natashalacy.com/.

Meet Steve Adams, A Man Who Metaphorically Wears a LOT of Hats

As a father, real estate agent, investor, speaker, and the author of “Now What: A Divorced Dads Guide To Parenting Excellence" Steve Adams is a busy man but at the end of the day his most important role by far is being a dad to his two children. After his own divorce he decided he wanted a more meaningful role in the their lives. Over and over he pondered how fathers can remain active and relevant with their kids once the ink dries on the divorce decree. Steve turned around his priorities and focused on parenting, establishing a set of principles which worked well for him and which he wanted to share with other men (and women). This led him on his path to pen "Now What", which he firmly believes will work for any divorced father. "Being a committed father isn't rocket science," he says. "It's much harder!"

Are you all - men and women alike - out there ready to take this on? I think you are, as it's super important for those who've been divorced or are going through it now. Listen in as Steve and I I chat about how divorce affects all family members for a variety of reasons, most notably the fact that in the majority of cases mothers receive full custody while fathers, more often than not, become 'weekend dads' or end up totally nonexistent. I know from personal experience how divorce can cripple one's self-esteem, especially as it relates to the children, as I too am a daughter of divorce with practically a nonexistent father who when I was around only complained about money he had to pay my mom; who never taught me how to drive; missed out on my high school graduation; and didn’t even walk me down the aisle at my wedding. That's some tough stuff that and Steve and I tackle it, along with a lot more you won't want to miss. And be sure to check out Steve's book at https://bit.ly/stevensd21.

How many of you have dreamed of walking away from your daily job and starting your own business? Meet Laura Watkins, a woman who did just that. Upon earning her bachelor's degree in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Louisville, she entered the corporate workforce. However, her true goal had always been to open her own business. When a co-worker asked her, "If you could do absolutely anything, what would it be?" the answer seemed to fall out of Laura's mouth: "I would quit my job, go to hair school and open an Aveda salon." And within a year, that's exactly what she did. At age 30 Laura resigned her corporate job and began the journey to get her cosmetology license. Fast forward to 2021 and Laura's salon, Pure Salon Spa, an Aveda salon and spa on Bardstown Road in Fern Creek, which will celebrate its 13th year in business and has been ranked among the top 200 salons in North America by Salon Today Magazine for the past 10 years.

Married for 18 years with two daughters, her other passions include empowering women, garnering more respect for careers in the beauty industry, and very importantly for Laura from a personal standpoint, ending the stigma associated with mental illness. Her passion around ending the mental illness stigma comes from her own struggles with severe depression, with which she was first diagnosed in 2015 and continues to seek treatment to stay mentally well to this day. Laura had many misconceptions about mental illness until it happened to her, and she firmly believes there is still a long way to go with ending those preconceived notions, which means talking more and more about it to raise awareness. One in four people struggle with mental illness in her/his lifetime and that means there are a LOT of people out there struggling alone. Laura wants to change that!

I recently had the opportunity to discuss all of her passions on this week’s Not So Darlin podcast. Please listen in on our conversation and visit the Pure Salon Spa website at puresalon-spa.com (link https://puresalon-spa.com/), on Instagram at @puresalonlou (link https://www.instagram.com/puresalonlou/) and Facebook at facebook.com/puresalonspalou (link https://www.facebook.com/puresalonspalou).

Emily Elizabeth created the "Wondering Mind" podcast in February 2020 after going through a series of hardships and mental health challenges. Her goal with the podcast is to have candid conversations about mental health and the challenges people face daily, which helps to break stigmas and normalize conversing about mental health. I first met Emily at a photoshoot & we started chatting & discovered that both of us local Louisvillians had something in common: podcast hosts, often with similar subject matter. After she shared with me what her mission was all about, I knew she had to be one of my guests! Let’s face it mental health has a bit of a not so darlin stigma & we both want to break that.

Listen in as Emily & I chat about her own personal mental health issues from which she suffers including anxiety, ADHD, & depression, & why she decided to start her podcast. Also, Emily invited me to be a guest on her podcast to share my mental health & eating disorder story, which was a great honor; please take a listen to that episode here (link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/52-fearing-food-with-tonya-phillips/id1513841558?i=1000528121257).

These two dynamic ladies are the co-owners of Louisville Lush Aesthetics, a mobile, private event and in-clinic injectable aesthetic services business. They’re both independent nurse practitioners trained in aesthetics and love to laugh and learn together. Jana and Ashley have the same enthusiasm for providing quality, ethical care to make you feel like the best version of yourself by enhancing your natural beauty.

Jana is a full-time, local Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist. Originally from New Orleans, she transplanted to Louisville when she was three. She graduated Valedictorian of DuPont Manual High School (along with 11 others) in 2000 and went on to pursue a career in nursing at the University of Louisville before attending the University of Cincinnati for her Master’s of Science in Nursing with a focus in Anesthesia. Jana and her husband Josh have five kids between them plus two Great Danes, Woodford and Emmy. Ashley is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, originally from Oldham County, and graduated from the University of Louisville Nursing School. She started her nursing career in the Neonatal ICU where she worked while she pursued her Masters in Family Nurse Practitioner. She continued with her love of children working as a Nurse Practitioner in the emergency setting. Ashley and her husband Kevin have one daughter, as well as a golden retriever puppy, Penny.

I sat down with them both to discuss all things aesthetic (and more!) on this week’s Not So Darlin podcast. Please listen in on our conversation and check out their website at louisvillelusheasthetics.com (link https://www.louisvillelushaesthetics.com/) and on Instagram at @louisvillelushaesthetics (link https://www.instagram.com/louisvillelushaesthetics/) and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleLushAesthetics.

Picture this: Small town girl with a college degree in Hospitality moves to Louisville to pursue her career, but a global pandemic has other ideas for her future. Pre-March 2020 Olivia was working as a successful event planner until COVID-19 put the brakes on that: no events = no job. But this creative lady had a lot of fun ideas and loads of imagination. After all, as a youngster she dreamed of owning a 1950s-style candy shop and driving a pink Cadillac! Those childhood dreams and her fearless determination prompted her to 'go for it' and start her own business, Electric Indigo Boutique. A little boho, a little rock 'n roll with a lot of super cool merchandise, her Crescent Hill store at 2235 Frankfort Avenue, and full-service online boutique at shopelectricindigo.com/, serve up some seriously stylish fashion, accessories and more, all hand selected by Olivia herself. A long-time lover of everything style-related, she stays on trend and keeps her clientele in the loop by sharing what’s up and coming on her Instagram (link to https://www.instagram.com/shopelectricindigo/) and Facebook (link to https://www.facebook.com/shopelectricindigo) channels. She's also a firm believer that no woman should be defined by her age as it relates to fashion and style (AMEN). Listen in on our recent conversation here and get ready to be inspired...and shop!

I first met Katilynn Wetherbee at my favorite safe space/keep-your-butt-in-shape workout spot, barre3 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, KY & we became fast friends. I was blown away by her energy and spirit, but if wasn’t until I ultimately learned about the complexities of her life and her love story with her now-husband Matt that I was able to imagine and live a life of love such as theirs, which so many might miss out on.

Together for nine years, five of which were back then seemingly normal for Kaitlynn and Matt, they lived their lives in Boston in bliss; then in an instant everything changed. Five years ago, three days before his 29th birthday, Matt suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury while playing basketball, his go-to favorite sport. Then came two months at Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by three months of recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital before he could return home. Matt ultimately launched the MW Fund when he realized how important it was for those living with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to have access to daily exercise and therapy. Once leaving a rehab hospital and being discharged from outpatient therapy, insurance often does not cover the cost of exercise facilities specializing in SCI, typically costing a minimum of $100 per hour. This is difficult for most to afford given the extra costs associated with SCI, which is why the sole mission of the MW Fund is to award scholarships to deserving individuals in order to offset these financial burdens.

Although he remains paralyzed below his shoulders, Matt has made huge progress since his injury and guess what? This beautiful couple recently got married! I knew I had to share their story with everyone I possibly could via my Not So Darlin podcast and luckily for everyone, they both agreed to come on board. Please listen in on our conversation, check out Matt’s amazing website at www.mwfund.org and please follow Kaitlynn and Matt on Instagram at @kkiely14 and @mwetherbee.

I first came across Hadley after she posted a super funny Instagram reel of what it’s like to be a boy mom, to which I could totally relate LOL! After contacting and getting to know her we discovered we had so much in common, including our love of fitness, I knew then I had to invite this interesting and totally cool lady to be a guest on my podcast.

Hadley is a wife and as she says, "a mom of three beautiful and crazy boys", and a devout Christian. An avid reader and dedicated runner, her love of fitness turned that passion into her career. She left her job in the mortgage business be a stay-at-home mom for her boys 7 years ago, and have loved every minute of it (well, most minutes as she'll tell you!) As my sons started getting older, she found myself stressing about what to do when they were all in school full time. And while she loved being a full-time mama, something was missing. Hadley needed something that was exclusively for HER, so she began her fitness and coaching gig in earnest.

"This job is a dream come true!" she exclaims. "I LOVE helping other women learn to appreciate and enjoy exercise and healthy lifestyles. I have always been very into exercise but have long struggled with my relationship with food. Starting this coaching business has helped me learn to make lifestyle changes right along with my clients and they hold me accountable as much as I do them." And what exactly does she do as a coach? It is so much bigger than workouts and eating right. It’s about a healthy lifestyle, being on a growth journey, having the ability to inspire and help others, and surrounding yourself with the most positive, supportive community you’ll ever find.

Please listen in on our conversation about the importance for women to be comfortable in their own skins through self-love, improved health and fitness, and a powerful support network. I promise if you aren't already committed , she'll make a convert of you! And to learn more about Hadley and her fitness/lifestyle philosophy and programs, visit her website at hadleysorensenfitness.com

From hair sprouting on every surface of a teenage boy's body, to navigating the waters - literally - of a daughter's period, being a teenager is hard. But being the parent of a teenager is even harder. Which is why I have Teen Life Coach expert Renee Sinning, my guest on this week's 'Not So Darlin' podcast, to share her expertise on how to survive raising teenagers & keep one's sanity! I’ve been listening to her podcast "The Empowered Parent Podcast" for some time now & it's been a terrific help for me to educate & inform myself on how to be a better parent to my 14 yo son. I have discovered all she shares to be super helpful & insightful, & I know you will too, whether you're a parent, grandparent, or friend of a friend to a teen. And believe me, anything I can do to help my son Brax in any way as he navigates the next few years, I'm gonna do whatever it takes. And I know you will too. Check out www.reneesinning.com for free tips, tricks, advice & challenges!

The Write Stuff - Meet Lynette M. Smith of goodwaystowrite.com

“With a bit of reflection and planning, you can inspire others with your writing,” says Lynette M. Smith, the owner and operator of allmybest.com a copyediting and publishing service she founded in Yorba Linda, California in 2004. Good Ways to Write, the publishing arm of All My Best, helps by providing everyday people with tools and other resources to write their own heartfelt personal letters and business communications to special people on special occasions.

In today’s hurry-up world of smart phones, tablets and more, thoughtful writing is fast becoming a lost art. As Lynette states, “That’s a shame—thoughtfully written communications mean so much to those who receive them! Besides, written communications last longer than spoken words alone.” She believes – and I think she’s absolutely right – that with a bit of reflection and planning, we can all inspire others with our writing.

Lynette helped me to finally go for it and compose a heartfelt letter I had been holding back on. When my son Braxton turned 13 last spring, I asked everyone with whom we are close to write him a heartfelt letter for him to open on his 18th birthday in 2025. A challenge for some but especially for me, as I am certainly no writer and, well, I suck at grammar! But thanks to her comprehensive reference book and websites, I was able to create a meaningful, heartfelt letter from mother to son that I hope Braxton will treasure forever four years from now and throughout his entire life.

I asked this lovely, very knowledgeable lady to join me on my Not So Darlin podcast so I could learn more from her and share it with all of you. Please listen in on our conversation here, be sure to visit goodwaystowrite.com and allmybest.com, and follow her on Facebook (link is https://www.facebook.com/GoodWaysToWrite).