In this episode, I talk about the unobvious reasons planning feels hard — the tiny, hidden parts of a plan that quietly derail our follow through. I share real examples from life, business, and the holiday season, and show how supporting ourselves differently makes everything feel more doable. If you’re stepping into a full month or year and want planning to feel easier and more aligned, this is for you.

I’m talking about the power of the pause, how it’s not a break from life, but an essential part of how we live, plan, and create. When I give myself space to pause, I reconnect to what matters most. In this episode, I share how pause has become my most important practice, how it shapes the way I plan, and why it’s the key to moving forward with more intention, ease, and alignment.

​​December can be the rush… or the reset. In this episode, I’m sharing why I’m so passionate about making December matter—how I went from hanging on to the season to aligning it with what my family and I actually need. I tell the stories: the year we cozied and decorated everything for a kid who needed softness, the year we all agreed to travel, and the year I dreamed a whole new chapter from my couch.

If you’re craving a gentler, more intentional season, press play. We’ll talk about pausing now, planning from clarity, and letting December become a portal into who you’re becoming. And yes—I’m inviting you into Make December Matter, my 4-part guided experience with a comprehensive workbook and replays if you can’t come live. Join me and let’s design a December that feels like you. (https://plansimple.com/makedecembermatter)

“At some point, feeling good wins over old thoughts.”

–VJ Hamilton

Struggling with autoimmune disease — or uncomfortable symptoms that you’ve just learned to live with? What if you could reverse your symptoms? I’m so excited to talk with VJ Hamilton, registered nutritionist and a functional medicine practitioner who specializes in autoimmune disease.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease fairly late in life. When I was diagnosed, it just made so much sense and explained so many things. It also led to change. And that can be hard to navigate on your own.

Perimenopause and menopause symptoms and those of autoimmune diseases — like brain fog, joint aches, and fatigue — can be signs of both. Plus shifts in hormones can certainly trigger changes or unmask hidden inflammation. Testing and treatment can help.

We talk about: 

• Autoimmune disease 101 — what we’re actually talking about
• Triggers vs. root causes and how to find the root cause
• How to advocate for yourself with doctors and what other practitioner you might want to see
• Simple changes you can make to improve your health
• Focus not on what you have to cut out for food or what exercise you have to do, but what you need and what you like
• Eating whole foods instead of prepared meals and how to navigate restaurants and special events

ABOUT VJ

VJ Hamilton is the founder of The Autoimmunity Nutritionist and an expert in autoimmune disease, specialising in skin disorders, chronic fatigue, joint health, and digestive issues for both men and women.

As a Registered Nutritionist with a Medical Science degree (BSc) in Biochemistry & Immunology and having completed the full certification programme at the renowned Institute for Functional Medicine, VJ uses evidence-based nutritional therapies to support her clients in transforming their health.

LINKS

• https://theautoimmunitynutritionist.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/theautoimmunitynutritionist/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/theautoimmunitynutritionist/ 

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens. 

But here's the thing: when we have a goal, a wish, a desire bubbling up in us, it can feel really huge. Sometimes we stop ourselves in our tracks based on how huge our desire feels. Change needs action, but it doesn't need huge action. When we focus on the next step, the next Doable Change that we can integrate into our lives, we don’t get stuck and we create momentum. 

Choose one Doable Change that resonates with you today and really play with it. Fit it into your life, your days, make it work for you — then move on to your next Doable Change. 

Here are Three Doable Changes from this conversation: 

• MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO. Changing your lifestyle doesn’t have to be terrible! Make a list of things you love to do. Ways you like to be active, rest, connect with others. Make a list of things that make you feel good! Plan for more of those things in your life. That might look like swapping dancing for a gym session or eating food that gives you energy or going to bed on time.
• RESET IDEAS AROUND FOOD. Here are a few ways to try this Doable Change. First, instead of asking, “What do I have to cut out?” think about what foods you can eat that you enjoy. When you do have to give something up, like cake at a party, remember how you would feel if you ate the cake. Finally, when it comes to eating with others, think about why you are going out? Is it really about the food or the company? Put the food in perspective.
• BE A DETECTIVE. Notice how you feel when you eat certain foods. Do you feel sluggish or heavy? Do you feel gassy or bloated? Does it seem to affect your sleep? Tracking this kind of information can help you see patterns you might not notice and these patterns can be clues to foods that might not serve you.

“People want human connection more than anything. They want the transformation.”

–Amanda Kijek

I’m really excited to talk with Amanda Kijek, who has helped me so much with launches and challenges. She moved from a brick and mortar business to the line world and helps entrepreneurs launch and make 10K months and beyond.

After her own deep dive on marketing and spending too much money learning about it, she decided to create something for women who too busy, don't have a team, and don’t know how to hire someone and train them — but want results and need the money.

We get clear on what launching is — maybe not what you think — touch on building cold leads, and really zooming in on your message.

We talk about: 

• What a launch is — something you can do over and over
• Getting past the trust recession by letting people try you on in person
• Explaining what you do in the simplest terms — and in relation to what people actually need
• Adding “So you can …” to the ends of you description of what you do
• Starting conversations and leading people to the next conversation point
• Sharing vulnerable things from your life

ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Kijek helps already-successful coaches stop hustling for one-off sales and scale to consistent 10K+ months without ads, overwhelm, or tech headaches.

She’s a best-selling author, CEO of Amanda Kijek Coaching, and the creator of the 5-phase Peaceful Launch framework and Profit Accelerator Mastermind—programs that have helped hundreds of coaches build stable 6-figure businesses with repeatable, timeless strategies.

With 23 years of entrepreneurial experience—from brick-and-mortar to online—Amanda built the system she wished existed as a new mom: one that gets clients now and is actually done-for-you and with you. She runs her multiple 6-figure business in under 15 hours a week and is passionate about helping other coaches scale without sacrificing family, freedom, or peace.

LINKS

• https://amandakijek.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablemompreneur
• https://www.instagram.com/amandakijek/?hl=en
• https://ca.linkedin.com/in/amandakijekcoach

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it. 

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• MAKE YOUR MESSAGE REALLY CLEAR. Think about what’s keeping your clients up at night, what they are Googling. Don’t use your expert language. Keep it really simple. And add “so that you …” to the end of your message to help the client see the results.
• SHARE SOMETHING VULNERABLE. We all want deeper connection, and when we share something vulnerable, it helps people connect with us. Aim for once or twice a month. But your first step: Make the first vulnerable post.
• PRACTICE BEING CONSISTENT. Instead of trying to come up with something new to post, seek different examples, anecdotes, or other ways to tell people again what you you do. Your message should be consistent. It might even bore you, but you want your audience to really get it. It’s the human piece around it that keeps people engaged.

“It's normal that athletes hit adversity and they're nervous, but they don't typically have the skills to navigate through all of that.” – Coach Bre

Does your kiddo spiral after one bad play or mistake in their sport? Do they lack confidence in themselves? Breanne Smedley, or Coach Bre, who helps girl athletes improve their mental game — and helps moms support their athletes.

I never expected to be a sports mom, but here I am with a high school volleyball player, trying to find the right way to help her. Unfortunately, most coaches aren’t trained to help kids in face adversity or develop resilience, so you can’t rely on your kid’s coach to help them develop their mental game.

As moms, we want to help them manage the pressure, but don’t know what to say. Coach Bre works with both athletes AND moms to grow a new generation of confident girls who excel and find joy in their support.

We talk about: 

• What to do if your kids don’t want to talk after a practice or game
• The LOVE framework — let her lead, open the space, validate the emotion, encourage reflection
• Making sure we don’t only focus on the amazing achievements when we give praise
• Helping kids see their identity beyond being an athlete
• Teaching kids snapback routines
• Dealing with coaches — looking at tough vs toxic

ABOUT COACH BRE

Breanne Smedley or Coach Bre is the co-founder of the Elite Competitor, where she’s changing the game by making mental training accessible and effective for girl athletes. Coach Bre is a former college athlete and four-time state championship volleyball coach. She combines her background as a longtime educator with a proven system that helps girls build confidence, bounce back from mistakes, and play with resilience under pressure. Through her signature program, The Elite Mental Game, she’s helped thousands of athletes—and their moms— transform how they show up in sport and life.

LINKS

• https://elitecompetitor.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/elitecompetitorcoach
• https://www.instagram.com/elitecompetitorcoach
• More on the LOVE framework 

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Change comes from action. 

Doable changes are things that you can add into your life, one at a time to make micro shifts and really create a ripple effect that will create a big change over time. Choose one that really piques your interest and roll with it. 

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• LISTEN WITHOUT FIXING. We all want to fix things for our kids, assure them that they are good at what they do, but that doesn’t really help. Try validating their feelings and making space for them to talk more instead of offering solutions or praise.
• RESET YOUR POST-GAME EXPECTATIONS. Your kiddo might be grumpy or want space after a tough game or practice. They might not want to analyze every play. They may not feel like going to dinner and being polite. Adjust your own expectations and let them take the lead on that ride home.
• SHIFT YOUR PRAISE. We can unknowingly set expectations for our kids by lavishing praise for major achievements. When we praise hard work, effort, leadership, not giving up even when things aren’t going right, we help set the bar a different way.

“It's not time that heals, it's what we do in that time.”

–Dawn Michele Jackson

We don’t do grief well. And unprocessed grief has consequences. I’m talking with grief specialist Dawn Michele Jackson about what we get wrong about grief and processing loss. 

Grief isn’t just about death — it is a natural reaction to any kind of loss. Your kids leaving home, changes in your body, moving, changing jobs, divorce, losing a close friend,  … and yes, death. We can grieve very personal losses or public and collective losses.

You’ve probably heard that time heals, but it isn’t that simple. Let’s talk about how to actually face loss and work through our grief.

We talk about: 

• Not saying “I know how you feel” and what to do instead
• What happens when you don’t deal with grief — and why we often don’t address it
• How even happy things can cause grief
• How losses can compound
• Giving people an opportunity to talk about who or what they’ve lost
• Why you shouldn’t hand a grieving person a tissue — and other ways to allow people to have their emotional response

ABOUT DAWN

Dawn Jackson draws on three decades of nursing experience and her expertise as an Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist to help others heal their hearts, transform their lives, and rediscover joy. She is the bestselling author of Journey to Peace and Healing and Journey to Self Discovery: 100 Days of Soulful Reflections, as well as a contributing author to multiple international bestselling anthologies.

LINKS

• https://www.dawnmichelejackson.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-michele-jackson/
• https://www.facebook.com/dawnmichelejackson
• Pause magazine (Find Dawn in issue 2): https://plansimple.com/magazine

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• FEEL YOUR OWN GRIEF. What have you lost recently? Have you allowed yourself to feel it? Are you staying busy and numbing? What if you opened up to your feelings?
• BECOME A LISTENING HEART. Next time somebody mentions a loss to you, instead of telling them you know how they feel or giving them a platitude to make them feel better. Try listening. Ask them about the person or pet or thing they lost. Give them a chance to talk.
• MODEL GRIEVING TO OTHERS. You don’t have to be strong and keep your emotions in. Show your kids and others around you that it’s okay to feel and express your feelings. That might mean crying about a loss or letting people around you know you are having a sad or hard day.

“In the world of AI, people are hungry for honest, authentic conversations.”

–Dolores Hirschmann

If you’re posting all the time on social media, and wondering where the clients are you’ll want to listen to this conversation with Dolores Hirschmann, who helps people harness the power of speaking to grow their businesses.

She shows us the difference between speaking and having an intentional, strategically built talk that takes people from point curious to client. This is different from telling your story. Once you create your talk, it’s rinse and repeat. Creating new messaging, new content, new talks every day can actually hurt your business.

Even if you can’t picture yourself on stage or in front of the mic, putting your talk together creates clear, focused, tight content that you can use in other ways in your business.

We talk about: 

• Authenticity to build trust with your audience
• Have your key point and give people multiple ways to engage with that idea
• How creating a framework lets you really delve into your creativity
• The things you need to think about when looking for speaking gigs
• How to measure the success of your talk (it’s not applause)
• Using technology to streamline the process of securing speaking gigs

ABOUT DOLORES

Dolores Hirschmann is an investor, strategist, speaker, and founder of Masters in Clarity, a strategy and business coaching firm. She helps service professionals grow their businesses and establish thought leadership. A former TEDx organizer, she specializes in positioning experts, authors, consultants, and coaches for success.

Dolores recently sold a company to Pete Vargas and Grant Cardone, supporting its growth to multiple 8 figures in four years. She built a software platform to help speakers get placed on stages and advises businesses on preparing for profitable exits. Masters in Clarity provides fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) services to help companies design and execute marketing initiatives and set up automated marketing systems. As an investor, Dolores acquires and scales small businesses, ensuring their legacy and long-term success.

LINKS

• writeyourtalk.com
• www.mastersinclarity.com

DOABLE CHANGES

At the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.

Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.

Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:

• ASSESS YOUR SPEAKING. Do you find yourself stumbling when you try to say what you do? Do you ramble too much on sales calls? Do you have your story down pat, but don’t know what to do with it? Are you at a loss when it comes to how to get in front of an audience? What’s getting in your way of speaking?
• UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF SPEAKING. Think about a powerful speaker you’ve seen. Think about how seeing some one talking built your trust or interest in working with them. Remember this when you start to wonder if speaking is for you.
• GET HELP FROM A PRO. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or figure this out on your own. Getting support creating your talk and finding speaking gigs can make the process so much easier. A lot of us worry about getting in front of an audience; being prepared helps. See the links for Dolores’ webinar and program.

In this companion episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, Mia sits down with four more FLOW365 members—Eve, Kelly, Kiyomi, and Susan. Each of these women is building a very different kind of business, from creative ventures to service-based work, yet they share a common thread: the desire to grow with alignment, balance, and follow-through.

You’ll hear how they are weaving business growth with family life, health, and self-care—and what makes FLOW365 the support system that keeps them moving forward. Their stories reveal that there isn’t one “right way” to build a business; there’s your way, with the right accountability and community beside you.

If you’ve been curious about FLOW365 or are craving a more aligned way to move into fall, this episode will give you a glimpse of the community, accountability, and practical planning support that make lasting change possible. (https://plansimple.com/flow365)

In this special episode of the Plan Simple Podcast, Mia introduces four incredible FLOW365 members—Jen, Heather, Kelley, and Roxanne—who share what it really looks like to juggle careers, families, and personal wellbeing while still moving toward their big dreams.

You’ll hear how each of them is navigating this busy season, what tools and support have made the biggest difference, and why they chose to stop going at it alone. This conversation is an honest look at what it means to plan in a feminine-first way, follow through on what matters most, and find balance when the world feels overwhelming.

If you’ve been curious about FLOW365 or are craving a more aligned way to move into fall, this episode will give you a glimpse of the community, accountability, and practical planning support that make lasting change possible. (https://plansimple.com/flow365)