Medium Well

In this episode, I chat with yoga teacher Laura Ahrens about how to cope with what's going on in the world around us. We dive into why the present is really all we have, and how clear COVID-19 has made that for us, how to build your own contemplative practice, why resistance can be a good thing, how to find teachers, and more. It's a beautiful conversation that is so insightful into how to deal with these times, and how to be present with it.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why this situation (COVID-19) is forcing us to be present and face uncertainty

• How to start a contemplative practice right now

• Laura's recommended tools to be present and to give room for your emotions

• Why we feel resistance right now and how it can actually serve us

• How to make meditation work for you

• How to ensure you are investing your attention in the right places

• How to not get overly distracted right now with all the offerings, and why to focus on your practice

• Laura's advice on being intentional in your practices

• How to find great teachers (yoga and beyond)

• Laura's views on the cultural appropriation of yoga

• How to ensure a teacher is in it to serve, not for themselves

• Can we disassociate the teacher from the teachings?

• How to balance being a teacher and not being pushy on your agenda

• Why yoga teachers need to stay in their own lane

Mentioned in this episode:

• Sharon Salzberg's Instagram post on washing hands to a loving-kindness meditation

All the deets:

• Check out Laura's work, her upcoming events and virtual yoga classes on her website.

• Laura is offering 50% off private sessions to make yoga more accessible, and $5 off of the Meditation for Self-Compassion online series with code MEDIUMWELL.

• Say hi to Laura over on Instagram at @ahrensyoga.

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Laura on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

Psychological Astrologer Dani Beinstein's last episode of Medium Well (episode 21, where she read my natal chart!) was my most downloaded episode to date, so I have a feeling you will love today's candid, open, and vulnerable conversation. We talk about astrology and what to expect from 2020, how Dani decided to restructure her work, how innovation and leadership are evolving, her new membership program, how to get into alignment using your chakras, and much more. She even recommends a potential career path for me! I love chatting with Dani because she's incredibly smart, but also down to earth and funny, and we are both open books, so our conversation organically flows into so many interesting spaces.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why the last mercury retrograde was so intense

• How Dani chose to restructure her work, and the importance of unstructured time

• What's the deal with 2020, and what do we need to know?

• The scoop on generalized horoscopes

• Why disruption is helpful even when it's painful

• This year's transits and eclipses, and what to do about them

• Dani's take on how actively involved we should be with aligning with what's happening astrologically

• How Dani personally integrates aligning her day to day with her astrology

• What her new membership community, The Cosmic Compass, looks like

• The cycles and patterns of innovation and the impact on us

• What role Instagram plays in Dani's business and how she uses it

• The differences between being an influencer and being influential

• What are the chakras, and how can they show us where we are out of alignment?

• How to get back into alignment using the external world as a feedback mechanism

• Dani's thoughts on a potential career path for me

• Dani's thoughts of the astrology apps

• We answer some of your questions from Instagram!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dani's first episode on Medium Well, episode 21, where she reads my natal chart

All the deets:

• Check out Dani's work, take her courses, and/or book a session with her on her website.

• Explore Dani's new membership program, The Cosmic Compass

• Say hi to Dani over on Instagram at @danibeinstein.

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Dani on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

I discussed all things sustainability in business with today's guest, Ashley Koller, who is the Sustainability Specialist at Lundberg Family Farm. I visited Lundberg Family Farm back in the fall for their rice harvest, and I really enjoyed learning about how many facets of business they took into consideration for their sustainability efforts— it was quite eye-opening to me. As consumers, we often just see the end product on a shelf, but we don't see the impact that the product does or doesn't make in order to get to the shelf. In this episode we dive into multiple elements of sustainability at Lundberg Family Farm— my hope is that it will help you to consider and understand the holistic view of sustainability in business!

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Ashley ended up working in sustainability

• The history of Lundberg's sustainability efforts

• How Lundberg approaches sustainability and their areas of focus

• How Lundberg prioritizes where to focus their sustainability efforts each year

• Lundberg's sustainability efforts in regards to their farming, energy consumption, lowering waste, and packaging, as well as advocacy

• Why many of Lundberg's products still come packaged in plastic and the impact of packaging waste

• How we can be discerning about the brands we support

All the deets:

• You can visit Lundberg Family Farm's website to learn more about their business and products

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and @lundbergfarms on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

In today's episode, I chatted with Rachelle Robinett, Holistic Health Practitioner, Clinical Herbalist & Founder of Supernatural, for a second time on the pod. Her first episode, episode 4, is one of the most listened to episodes to date— feel free to scroll back and take a listen if you want to hear more about Rachelle's background and approach. In this episode, we dive into balancing wellness with everyday life, evaluating trends, how Rachelle builds relationships in her business, and beyond.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to balance your wellness routine with everyday life

• How to set boundaries with friends and family members

• How Rachelle evaluates trends like The Bean Protocol and the Meat Diet

• How to do your own research on trends

• How Rachelle tests out and evaluates new supplements and herbal products

• Rachelle's tips for relationship building

• How Rachelle sets boundaries and plans her time in business

• Her tips for a mindful relationship with Instagram

• Where Rachelle turns to for sound information

Mentioned in this episode:

• T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies

• Hippocrates Health Institute

• Rachelle's teacher Wendy Green

• PubMed and examine.com for research

• The Game Changers documentary

All the deets:

• Check out Rachelle's website, where you can find her HRBLS, Supernatural Series, and information on her cafe in Brooklyn and wellness sessions

• Rachelle's first episode of Medium Well

• Say hi to Rachelle over on Instagram at @rachellerobinett and at @ursupernatural for her cafe

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Rachelle on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

In this episode, I discuss my thoughts around the importance of having empathy for others, for not judging others based on your lived experience and preconceptions, and why it's important to do what's best for you. The internet and the planet can be such a challenging, hard, lonely, and judgemental place. What if we focused on the things we can control, the life we want to live, and sharing from a place of empathy and understanding, instead of assumptions and judging? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic as well— feel free to message me on Instagram.

All the deets:

• Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well at saraweinreb.com/podcast

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your thoughts!

This week's episode was recorded live with my friend Katie in my home in Denver in the company of some lovely women. We discussed overwhelm, freelancing, sustainability, making money, and so much more in this candid, open conversation between friends.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why we love podcasting

• How to manage overwhelm, especially as a freelancer

• Why making money is confusing and weird, especially on the internet

• The importance of community for freelancers

• How we made new friends while moving to a new city

• Why wellness is challenging

All the deets:

• Check out Katie's work.

• Katie's first episode (ep. 22) on Medium Well.

• Say hi to Katie over on Instagram at @katiedalebout and her course @letapodcastout.

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Katie on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

In this episode, I am answering a question I am asked often: "how did you get started as a freelance writer?" I share my journey with writing, how I got my first clients, relationship building, pitching, pricing and project structure, why sometimes you might take on free work, and more. I spill all my secrets, and while some are specific to writing, I offer tips that will likely help you in any freelance or consulting endeavor.

Topics covered:

• How I started writing

• Why it's so important to put your talents out into the world

• How to build relationships with brands

• How to pitch publications

• How pitching works

• How I price my writing, and what packages I offer

• Why taking free work might be a great idea to start

Mentioned

• Facebook groups: binders, Dreamers + Doers // jobs & gigs

• Episode 18 with Erin Halper— all about consulting

• Episode 15 with Kerry Diamond

All the deets:

• You can find my writing portfolio at saraweinreb.com/writing

• Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well at saraweinreb.com/podcast

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your thoughts!

Erin Claire Jones and I have crossed paths in many different ways over the years, and I am so thrilled to have her on Medium Well to dive even more deeply into Human Design! I am somewhat skeptical of some of these modalities, but the more I learn about Human Design, the more spot-on I find it. Erin is a wealth of knowledge on the topic, and we dive into some of the areas of human design she doesn't speak about much— the gates and the lines (profiles), as well as how she built her business, finding purpose, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is human design?

• Tips for each of the energy types

• The wisdom and shadows of each open center

• How to balance your design with societal expectations

• How Erin does human design in her own unique way

• What lines and profiles mean

• What human design says about finding your purpose

• What is set in your chart, and what is more flexible

All the deets:

• You can find Erin on Instagram at @erinclairejones and on her website at erinclairejones.com

• Order your blueprint with discount code MEDIUMWELL (I just got mine and it was really interesting and helpful!)

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Erin on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

In this episode, I chat with Shannon Scott, an Experiential Marketing Consultant, all about building impactful events, her experience moving and building roots in three cities in three years, working in seasons, and so much more. I really enjoy Shannan's thoughtful, light-hearted, and accessible approach to her work and lifestyle, and I learned a lot from her in this episode about building events that matter!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Shannan's advice for running events

• How to build your offline events using an online presence

• Why Shannan believes events should be simple yet significant

• Shannan's experience with moving to three cities in three years

• How Shannan builds roots in each location she moves to

• How to make friends in a new place

• How Shannan approaches working in seasons

• Shannan's best practices in building amazing events

• How to connect to local community

All the deets:

• You can find Shannan on Instagram at @shannanscott and visit her website at shannanscott.com

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Shannan on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

In today's episode, I chat with Jenni Kayne— you may know her d'orsay flats and cozy sweaters in her namesake brand. We talk about how she built her business to a cult following, what it means to live and work seasonally, why slow, high-quality fashion is pricey, and how Jenni practices self-care as an entrepreneur and mother. Jenni has so much to share as she has been building and growing her business for nearly a decade as a mindful entrepreneur. Dive in and soak up Jenni's wisdom!

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Jenni started her business and acquired her first customers

• How and when she decided to hire a CEO for her brand, and how she built her team

• How Jenni stays motivated after so many years in her business

• Why higher-end, sustainable clothing is more expensive

• How Jenni ensures her business decisions are in alignment

• Jenni's self-care routine

• What living seasonally means to Jenni in her business and personal life

• How everyone can approach effortless entertaining

All the deets:

• You can find Jenni Kayne on Instagram at @jennikayne, and shop her collection on her website, jennikayne.com

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Jenni on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!