Permission to Shine: Empowering Women to Overcome Obstacles and Lead with Authenticity

Episode 163: Stop Trying to Be Like Everyone Else: How to Embrace Your Uniqueness and Create a Life That Feels Like Yours

What if the version of success you’ve been working so hard to achieve isn’t actually what makes you happy?

We live in a world that constantly tells us what success should look like, from the money we earn and the careers we pursue to the relationships we have and the milestones we’re expected to reach by a certain age. But when we spend our lives chasing someone else’s definition of success, we can lose touch with what we genuinely want and what makes us feel fulfilled.

In this episode of Permission to Shine, I’m exploring why embracing your individuality, trusting yourself and creating a life on your own terms are so important for your happiness, confidence and personal fulfilment.

We look at how conditioning, comparison and societal expectations can influence the decisions we make, why trying to fit in can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves, and what it means to stop performing the version of yourself you think the world wants to see.

Because being successful doesn’t have to mean following the conventional path. You’re allowed to want something different. You’re allowed to change your mind, question the rules you’ve been living by and pursue the things that genuinely bring you joy, even when they don’t make sense to everyone else.

I also explore the importance of reconnecting with your body, your desires and your authentic self, because knowing what makes you happy requires more than simply thinking about what you should want. It means giving yourself permission to listen to what feels true for you.

To help you put this into practice, I share reflective journal prompts designed to help you take conventional success off its pedestal, question the expectations you’ve inherited and identify what happiness, fulfilment and success actually mean to you.

If you’re a high-achieving woman who has spent years doing what’s expected, striving for the next milestone or measuring your progress against everyone else, this episode is an invitation to pause and ask yourself a different question: What if, instead of trying to become the woman you think you should be, you started creating a life that feels like yours?

You don’t need to follow everyone else’s path to be successful, happy or fulfilled. You get to define what that looks like for you, and you get to give yourself permission to pursue it.

Because the goal isn’t to fit into a life that looks good from the outside. It’s to create one that feels good to live.

Episode 162: From Disability, Addiction + Toxic Relationships to Rebuilding Confidence to Shine

What happens when you reach rock bottom and realise that the life you are living can no longer continue?

In this episode of Permission to Shine, I’m joined by Pamela Dicso for a powerful conversation about overcoming addiction, toxic relationships, low self confidence and limiting beliefs, and learning to accept yourself fully.

Pamela was born with one leg shorter than the other and underwent multiple surgeries throughout her life, experiences that shaped the way she viewed her body and herself. She later found herself navigating addiction, toxic relationships and a period of deep struggle that eventually brought her to rock bottom in New York.

But that wasn't where her story ended.

Pamela shares how discovering Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard prompted her to look differently at what she describes as her “reactive mind” and begin making fundamental changes in the way she thought, responded and lived.

That shift became part of a much bigger transformation. Pamela went on to overcome addiction, meet her husband and build a successful construction restoration company, while developing a much stronger sense of self-confidence and personal responsibility along the way.

We talk openly about:

• Overcoming addiction and breaking destructive patterns
• Leaving toxic relationships and changing the patterns that keep us stuck
• Rebuilding self confidence after difficult life experiences
• Body image, self acceptance and learning to embrace your differences
• The relationship between our thoughts, reactions and behaviour
• Taking responsibility for the life we are creating
• Being transparent and authentic about where we have come from
• Giving yourself permission to shine, regardless of your past

One of the biggest themes running through this conversation is the power of self-acceptance and authenticity.

You don't have to hide the parts of your story that you once felt ashamed of. Your experiences can become part of the reason someone else believes transformation is possible for them too.

Pamela's story is a reminder that your past does not have to define the person you become, and that sometimes the greatest impact we can have is simply being willing to show up honestly as ourselves.

If you are navigating addiction recovery, toxic relationships, low self worth, body image struggles, self confidence or a major personal transformation, this episode offers a deeply personal perspective on what it can look like to rebuild your life and give yourself permission to be seen.

You don't have to become someone else to shine. Sometimes you have to stop hiding who you already are.

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https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

Here is her bio: 

Pamela Dicso is the CEO of ZD Stucco Repair, a multimillion-dollar construction company she and her husband built from a family operation into an Inc. 5000 company two years in a row.

Born in Lima, Peru, Pamela’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by overcoming significant physical and personal barriers from an early age. She immigrated to the United States at 19 and went on to build a successful career in industries where she often had to prove herself in rooms dominated by men.

Today, she leads ZD through its next stage of growth, focused on building strong teams, creating scalable operations and evolving as a leader as the company grows. Her story is one of resilience, ambition and becoming the leader your business requires you to be.

Find Pamela here: https://www.instagram.com/pameladicso?stkn=MTlleW1mZ3lwNmNpdw==

Episode 161: Is This Conflict Worth Your Energy? How to Protect Your Power, Set Boundaries and Navigate Conflict

Have you found yourself feeling more irritated, reactive or ready to speak your mind lately?

With the Aries Full Moon bringing themes of assertion, courage, anger and conflict to the surface, this episode explores what happens when our beliefs, values and perspectives begin to clash.

Aries is the initiator. It is bold, direct and willing to take action. But it is also ruled by Mars, the God of War. So while this energy can give us the courage to stand up for ourselves, it can also pull us into conflict that ultimately costs us more than it gives us.

And this is the question I want you to sit with:

Is this conflict actually worth your energy if there is no possibility of resolution, understanding or harmony on the other side?

In this episode, I explore how to navigate conflict without giving your power away, including examples from workplace environments, relationships and everyday situations where our anger can be telling us that something matters, without necessarily meaning we need to act on every feeling.

Because anger is not something we need to suppress.

Rage can carry information. Irritation can highlight a boundary that has been crossed. Conflict can show us where our values, needs or sense of self are being challenged.

But not every disagreement requires our participation.

Sometimes protecting your power means speaking up. Sometimes it means setting a boundary. Sometimes it means walking away. And sometimes it means recognising that trying to convince someone who is committed to misunderstanding you is simply another way of abandoning yourself.

We also explore the wider astrological themes of this Aries Full Moon, including the tension between Aries energy and Pluto in Aquarius, and how this can bring questions around power, hierarchy, authority, beliefs and whose perspective gets to hold weight to the surface.

The deeper work is not about avoiding conflict.

It is about knowing yourself well enough to discern which battles are yours to fight and which ones are simply asking you to give your power away.

Your values. Your boundaries. Your worth. Your self-trust.

These are the foundations that allow you to navigate conflict from a place of power rather than reactivity.

You do not need to win every argument to honour yourself. Sometimes reclaiming your power is knowing what is worth engaging with in the first place.

Watch the Full Moon Replay here: https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

Episode 160: How can women communicate with more confidence, authority and impact?

In this episode of Permission to Shine, I’m joined by communications and vocal coach Helen von Dadelson to explore women’s communication skills, vocal confidence, confident speaking, leadership communication and the power of your voice.

Helen works with professionals, particularly multilingual professionals in international environments, helping them develop stronger communication skills and understand how their voice affects the way their message is received.

We talk about why tone of voice, pitch, pace, vocal patterns and vocal power matter so much when communicating, and how small changes in the way you speak can influence whether you are perceived as confident, credible and authoritative.

Helen shares a fascinating example of a female firefighter whose intonation patterns meant her message was being interpreted differently from how she intended, showing just how much our voice can communicate beyond the words we choose.

We also explore why women can sometimes struggle to use their voices fully, particularly when they have learned to stay quiet, avoid taking up space, soften their opinions or make themselves more palatable to others.

If you want to speak with more confidence, become more assertive, improve your public speaking, strengthen your executive presence or feel more powerful in your communication, Helen shares a practical exercise you can start using immediately.

She recommends recording yourself speaking and listening back to four key areas:

Message congruence: Does your voice match the message you are trying to communicate?Pitch variety: Are you using enough variation to keep your communication engaging?Pace: Is the speed of your speech supporting your message?Vocal power: Are you using your voice with enough strength and presence?

We also go deeper into the relationship between voice, confidence, self-expression and personal power, and Helen shares the pivotal moment of running her first in-person coaching event and giving herself permission to fully shine.

Because finding your voice isn't only about communication technique.

It can also be about giving yourself permission to be heard.

If you are a woman who wants to communicate with confidence, speak up in meetings, improve your public speaking, strengthen your leadership presence, stop shrinking yourself or feel more comfortable being visible, this conversation is for you.

Your voice carries your message. But it also carries your presence. Are you allowing both to be heard?

Join Sherisse’s Free telegram space: https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

About Helen

Helen von Dadelszen is a communication and vocal coach, speaker and author who helps smart, thoughtful professionals express their ideas with clarity, confidence and impact. Through Present Potential, she provides practical coaching and training in public speaking, vocal presence and confident communication. Her clients include professionals and teams working across technical, scientific, academic and humanitarian fields. Helen is also the author of Courageous Action, a practical guide to building communication confidence by taking small, achievable steps.

• ​Social media links
• ​LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-von-dadelszen
• ​Instagram https://www.instagram.com/present_potential?igsh=a3p0NXNxMnlwYzM5
• ​YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB_2NMosqJQBBiv5ux3mYHg
• ​My book: https://courageousaction.ch/
• ​My business: https://academy.presentpotential.ch/

Episode 159: The Power of Your Self Talk: How Your Thoughts Shape Your Reality

Have you ever noticed how quickly an old belief can come back when you’re tired, overwhelmed or moving through something intense?

That happened to me this week.

The eclipse portal brought an old pattern to the surface that I thought I had already released. But because of the intensity of what was coming up, I found myself believing that old story again.

And it reminded me of something so simple, yet so powerful: the way we speak to ourselves matters.

Our words influence our beliefs. Our beliefs influence the way we see ourselves, the choices we make and the reality we create.

So when I caught myself slipping back into an old way of thinking, I made a conscious decision to change the conversation I was having with myself. Instead of feeding the old story, I began speaking to myself with encouragement, motivation and positive intent.

And almost immediately, something shifted.

In this episode, I’m exploring the power of self talk, the beliefs we unconsciously reinforce through our thoughts and how we can begin to consciously reshape the way we see ourselves and our lives.

I also share a reflective practice you can use to notice what you are currently feeding with your thoughts and words, and I reference my friend Nicola Noel’s TED Talk, where she asks are you nourishing your monster mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKamFupOEQ8

We have far more power than we often realise.

You are not powerless over the thoughts that come up. You can choose what you give your attention to. You can question the story. You can speak differently to yourself. And with intention, you can begin to reshape your beliefs, your actions and ultimately your reality.

Your thoughts become things. So what are you creating with the way you speak to yourself?

Join my Free telegram space here:

https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

And if you are ready to do this work drop me a DM here 🧡

https://www.instagram.com/sherisse_bisram?stkn=MWdlODl4d2Z1eG50bg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Episode 158: The Energy We Inherit: How Birth Stories, Family and Intergenerational Trauma Shape Us

What if some of the patterns you carry aren't actually yours?

In this fascinating conversation, Sherisse is joined by energetic therapist Avril to explore birth stories, intergenerational trauma, inherited energetic patterns and the ways our family history can continue to influence us, sometimes across generations.

Avril shares her personal journey into energetic therapy, inspired by her father's pioneering work in bioenergy and her mother's own challenging childhood, and explains how she works with women, parents, babies and children to identify and release patterns that may have been carried through the family line.

We explore what happens when we begin to look beyond our individual experiences and consider the emotional and energetic patterns we may have inherited, as well as the importance of parents doing their own inner work and creating greater energetic alignment for themselves and their children.

In this episode, we talk about:

• ​Birth stories and the potential impact of our earliest experiences• Intergenerational trauma and inherited family patterns• How energetic patterns can influence our relationships and wellbeing• Why today's children may be experiencing and expressing the world differently• The importance of self awareness and energetic alignment for parents• The collective shifts in consciousness many people have felt since COVID• What it means to reconnect with your own rhythm, truth and identity• Avril's approach to energetic healing and her Becoming Me programme

This is a conversation about remembering that you are more than the patterns you inherited.

Because healing isn't always about fixing what's wrong with you.

Sometimes it's about understanding what you've been carrying, deciding what is no longer yours to hold, and giving yourself permission to become who you truly are.

Avril's soul to soul message is simple:

Be true to yourself and recognise your own light.

Join my free Telegram space here: https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

About Avril

Hi my name is Avril. I am a Pre and Peri Natal energy practioner.

I help women uncover and transform the patterns holding them back from experiencing their full potential in life!

https://www.instagram.com/avril_science_soul_transform?stkn=MWZ1dzRiNXF6eWtqZw==

Episode 157: The Cost of Perfectionism: What Being "The Woman Who Has It All Together" Is Really Costing You

What if the woman you've been trying so hard to become is actually the woman exhausting you?

As September approaches, many women find themselves slipping straight back into an old identity. The productive one. The responsible one. The woman who has everything organised, everything handled and never drops the ball.

But after a summer of more space, rest, freedom or simply being a little more present, you might suddenly realise that you're not actually ready to go back to the way you've been living.

In this solo episode, Sherisse explores the hidden cost of perfectionism, micromanaging and the pressure to constantly have it all together.

Because perfectionism isn't always about wanting things to be perfect. Sometimes it's about trying to create safety through control. It's about proving you're capable, avoiding disappointment, staying ahead of everything and becoming the version of yourself you believe you are supposed to be.

And eventually, that comes at a cost.

Your energy. Your relationships. Your creativity. Your ability to receive. Your capacity to rest. And perhaps most importantly, your aliveness.

Sherisse explores how the pressure to perform an ideal version of yourself can disconnect you from your actual wants, needs and truth, and shares practical tools to help you move through the next chapter with more awareness, intention and ease.

Inside this episode:

• The hidden cost of perfectionism for high achieving women
• Why micromanaging can be a form of trying to create safety
• How societal expectations shape the woman you think you "should" be
• Why September can trigger a return to old patterns of productivity and control
• How perfectionism impacts your energy, relationships and ability to receive
• Questions to help you separate your own desires from inherited expectations
• A simple practice to help you create a more sustainable and grounded Q3

You don't have to return to the woman you were before summer.

You don't have to sacrifice softness for success.

And you certainly don't have to abandon yourself in order to achieve your goals.

This is your invitation to enter September differently.

Not perfectly.

But consciously.

What happens when the life you built no longer exists?

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Linda Varisco, whose life journey has taken her through experiences that could have broken her completely.

Linda spent 30 years married to an addicted husband, lost her medical licence and her chiropractic practice, and ultimately served 10 months in federal prison following a healthcare fraud conviction connected to her former husband's business partners.

But this isn't a story about what happened to Linda.

It's a story about who she became because of it.

We talk about rebuilding your identity when everything you thought defined you has been stripped away, the difference between fighting your way through life and learning to soften into vulnerability, and why sometimes the greatest transformation happens when we stop living entirely from our heads and come back into our bodies.

Linda shares how she learned new skills, rebuilt her life and found a deeper sense of purpose through helping others, which eventually became the foundation for her three part book series, The Girl with the Million Dollar Smile.

In this episode, we explore resilience, vulnerability, identity, purpose, adversity and what it really means to begin again.

Because sometimes life doesn't ask you to become stronger.

Sometimes it asks you to become more honest, more vulnerable and more connected to who you really are beneath everything you've built.

If you're navigating a chapter where something you've built, believed in or identified with is changing, this conversation is a reminder that the end of one version of your life doesn't mean the end of your story.

About Linda

Dr. Linda Varisco is the best-selling author of "The Girl with the Million Dollar Smile," a powerful trilogy that chronicles her journey of resilience, redemption, and self-transformation. Through deeply personal storytelling, she uses the timeless symbolism of the phoenix as a powerful metaphor for rising above adversity and transforming challenges into strength of purpose. After facing profound personal and professional adversity, Dr. Varisco discovered that resilience is not simply about surviving hardship. It is about transforming through it. Her work inspires readers to reclaim their strength, rewrite their story, and find hope even in the darkest moments. A former chiropractor for nearly 30 years, Dr. Varisco now shares her insights as a speaked and author, encouraging audiences to embrace change, persevere, and recognize that setbacks to not define their future. They are simply chapters that do not define our lives. Like the phoenix, we are not defined by the ashes we leave behind, but by the strength with which we rise.  

Episode 155: What Turning 35 Taught Me About Success, Self Worth, Love and Life

What does it actually mean to be successful at 35?

As I entered my 35th year, I had a strange few weeks where I found myself questioning my life, my choices and whether I should be further along by now.

I wondered what I had to show for 35 years.

And then I realised how much of that questioning came from societal expectations and my own ideas about what success is supposed to look like.

Because success isn't always tangible.

Neither are happiness, love, impact or the way you make another person feel.

In this honest solo episode, I share the lessons I've learned through 35 years of living, losing, loving, healing, building, falling apart and beginning again.

I share my lived experience around some of the biggest lessons I've had to learn:

• Asking for help instead of believing I have to do everything alone
• Letting go of control and learning to trust life
• Dropping expectations and choosing joy
• Moving my body and remembering that life is meant to be felt
• Releasing the pressure to have everything figured out
• Redefining what success actually means to me
• Learning that what is intangible can still be incredibly real

And perhaps most importantly, I want to remind you that you are not behind.

Whether you're 25, 35, 45 or 65, there will be moments when you question whether you've done enough or whether you are enough.

You are.

Your life doesn't need to look a certain way for it to matter.

Life is messy, unpredictable and sometimes incredibly hard. It is also beautiful, colourful, hilarious, heartbreaking and filled with moments of extraordinary joy.

That is the polarity of being alive.

You are the captain of your ship. The ocean will move regardless, but you still get to choose the direction you steer.

And perhaps you won't always end up where you thought you would.

But that doesn't mean you've gone wrong.

This episode is an invitation to stop measuring your life against someone else's timeline, come back to yourself, and remember that life is for learning.

If this resonates, come and join me inside my free Telegram space, where we can continue the conversation. 🤍

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Full blog https://sherissebisram.com/blog

Your Worth Is Not Your Productivity: Healing Burnout Through Self Love

What happens when you've built a successful life but still don't feel worthy, fulfilled, or truly connected to yourself?

In this powerful conversation, Sherisse is joined by author and self love coach Jasmyn Quiana to explore the deeper relationship between burnout, self worth, self love, and manifestation.

Jasmyn shares her journey from working more than 60 hours a week in a high pressure corporate career to experiencing burnout so severe that she was placed on short term disability leave. That moment became a catalyst for a profound transformation and ultimately led her to develop a holistic approach to self love, embodiment, and manifestation.

Together, Sherisse and Jasmyn explore why high achieving women can become so attached to productivity and achievement that they unconsciously measure their worth by what they do, rather than who they are.

In this episode, we explore:

• ​Why achievement and productivity can become tied to self worth
• ​The hidden connection between burnout and a lack of self love
• ​What "absolute self love" really means
• ​How embodiment and energy work can support deeper healing
• ​Why manifestation isn't simply about thinking positively or wanting more
• ​How to reconnect with your worth beyond your career, business, success, or achievements
• ​Why true self love requires embracing your whole self rather than only the parts you deem successful

Jasmyn also shares insights from her book, *Self-Love: The Real Secret to Manifesting Your Dream Life*, including her 12 pillars of absolute self love and the practices that helped her move from burnout into a life that feels more authentic and aligned.

This conversation is especially powerful for the woman who has achieved so much, yet knows there's a deeper level of fulfilment available to her.

Because your worth was never something you had to earn.

You were worthy before the achievements, before the success, before the productivity, and before anyone else validated you.

The real transformation begins when you finally embody that truth.

Join my free telegram space here: https://t.me/+HWzed76oBpczNjA8

Find Jasmyn here

• LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/in/jasmynquianna
• Book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJRDZVCY/