SHARING OUT LOUD

Well, this was so much fun! A few weeks ago a group of women got together to discuss SEX, specifically the importance of women's sexual pleasure and why we need to start owning it! And how important it is to empower girls at an early age. We are sexual beings and we deserve more than what society has pounded into our brains -- it's not ladylike to talk about sex/pleasure, that a man's pleasure is more important, that once we have babies or get older that sex doesn't matter anymore.

Heather Dillavou is a physical therapist who specializes in the treatment of pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. In 2022, she further expanded her professional skills by completing the Sexual Health Certificate Program through The University of Michigan and is currently working towards AASECT certification to become a Sexuality Counselor and Sexuality Educator. Heather believes that every woman deserves to have an amazing, pleasurable sex life. She hopes to utilize her skills as a physical therapist, educator, and counselor to empower women to connect with their sexuality. 

CERTIFICATIONS: Heather holds professional memberships in the American Physical Therapy Association and the Section of Pelvic Health, The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, and the Global Pelvic Health Alliance.

Heather can be found practicing her skills in Chicago at The Association for Women’s Health.

If you are interested in participating in a future ZOOM call please reach out to me on instagram (@heathermdanby). We are talking about planning a series of these conversations because the feedback has been so positive! And, if you are interested in speaking with Heather further, you can reach out to her on Instagram @maccaheather

There is no greater agony than bearing the story untold in you.

 ~Maya Angelou

Jenese (aka JeeJee, Jee) and I have known each other for a LONG TIME. She and I immediately connected working for the same company, probably because we are both a little "extra" and she knew how to "handle" me, LOL. But the reality is, she embraced that I am passionate in all that I do, and I embraced her for being so confident, so self-assured, and knowing exactly who she is. Jenese has that special intuition where she knows how to take care of people, she knows what they need before even they know. She might tell you she learned some things from me back in the day but the reality is, I learned way more from her and I will be forever grateful.

There are NEW THINGS I learned about my friend during our conversation. I didn't know about the difficulty in her life growing up -- that awkward stage that was more than that. I didn't know she was suicidal. The stories we tell, OUT LOUD, are so powerful and I am so honored that JeeJee felt safe enough to share these things with me.

Outside of her 9 to 5 you will catch Jenese blogging and hosting her podcast, GIRL, BE YOU (she tells us on Sharing Out Loud how the name came to her and then how she proceeded to live her life by this), and enjoying her new marriage!!!

From Jenese:

Life is tough, the world can be loud. We can be even loud repeating our fears to ourselves. Girl, it’s important to find your quiet, embrace your path, and remind yourself of everything you need within you.

You are enough!

It’s my hope that my words and experience inspire you.
 
Don't let comparison rob you of the most beautiful life you can live.

With Every Step, Girl, Be You.

You can find JeeJee on her podcast weekly, and of course on Instagram,  @jee_girlbeyou

Website: www.girlbeyou.com

Well hello again! I decided to take the recording from an Instagram Live conversation Kristi, Tiffany, and I had a few days ago. Whether you are worried about mom judgment for NOT drinking while Trick Or Treating, or judgment from family members over Thanksgiving and Christmas, or other Holidays observed, you will want to give this a listen! And guess what folks, this isn't just for us addicts, this is for the friends and loved ones of anyone with a drinking problem because you need to be there for the person trying to stay sober. They are going to need you more than ever right now❤️and if you truly care for them, you will want to be their lifeline.

Get ready for LOTS AND LOTS OF LAUGHS here but also some amazing tips:

1. Bring your own NA beverage of choice everywhere you go -- NEVER let someone else get your NA cocktail for you. Not everyone will think you are really trying to stay sober or that you have a drinking problem and you don't want to lose days this way. There are SOOOOO many great NA options out there!!!
2. Sparkling water will be your best friend. Have a craving? Grab a can of your favorite bubbly. Try adding frozen fruit to it for flavor and fun!
3. Grab your favorite NA beer and put it in a cozi - no one will even know it's NA (if you are worried about being pressured).
4. For Halloween, carry a hot drink! So nice to have especially when it's always cold in the north!
5. If you are hosting a Holiday party have a bar completely dedicated to NA drinks! You will not be the only one not drinking -- there SHOULD be a designated driver and maybe a few kids who would enjoy it as well😘.
6. HAVE AN EXIT PLAN. Set a time limit for yourself. I am going to stay one hour and then leave. And guess what, you don't have to say goodbye, it is OK to just leave!
7. ALWAYS, ALWAYS drive your own car, and don't offer to drive a family member to and from events. As much as you want to, this is self-preservation.
8. Your drinking might bring up friend's and family member's own issues with alcohol so you might consider alternative plans if you think it might be an issue. If you are in early recovery this could be a critical moment -- YOUR HEALTH, YOUR SOBRIETY is the #1 priority right now.
9. AA ALWAYS has Friendsgiving events and sober Holiday parties! So if you are feeling lonely and having FOMO, call your local chapter to get the scoop!
10. AA has 24-hour in-person meetings during the Holidays. And of course, there are so many online meetings 24/7 as well. https://www.aa.org/meeting-guide-app.

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! Message us if you have questions or need support:

Follow Kristi on Instagram @mocktailmommy. For sober coaching, visit Kristi's website: https://sparkle.blog/

Follow Tiffany @tiffanyleegaston

Follow Heather @heathermdanby and visit her website: www.sharingoutloud.com

You know how sometimes things are just meant to happen? That is how Alexandra and I met. Alexandra works with a woman I have known since I was 4 years old (Nicole Rhea) and one day the two happened to do a ride-along together for business and Alexandra told Nicole about her sobriety... and Nicole mentioned my podcast and then reached out to me and said Alexandra and I had to connect. So yeah, that's what I mean... some things things are just supposed to happen.

In this beautiful conversation Alexandra speaks about her sobriety - how she got there, how challenging it can be to be young and not drink (alcohol is everywhere! Movies, ax throwing😲, bars of course, etc.), but most importantly, how incredible it is to wake up on a weekend and go to an early yoga class (no hangover!), how much clearer she thinks, and basically how much better she navigates life.

So, she's an author? Yes! And she created a character about an alcoholic before she thought she had a drinking problem...

About THE GAME:
Alyssa has seemingly hit rock bottom. She has to do community service, and she is unemployed. When she meets a woman who tells her how she can make some money by never leaving her home, and it has the potential for bonuses, Alyssa is intrigued. The Game is played with a high-tech headset and controller, and it allows her to see, taste, hear and smell the world inside. She can even feel pain, and pleasure. As Alyssa begins to play, she can’t help but wonder if this is the answer to her prayers….though things aren’t always as they seem.

A REVIEW:
This was one of those books that I was so excited to receive. I was worried it would be a little too much like another popular game book, but while similar, it was different – and I it a lot. It is written well and is a fast read. The question that the book focuses on is what would you do for money? It’s an interesting concept, except in the case of the book you’re doing them in a virtual world. However, when you are in the game, it feels so real and your ingrained personality traits and morals don’t necessarily go away. This is something that our main character struggles with, and honestly, I would too. But she can’t just quit because she would have to pay back so much money, so she finds work arounds that aren’t necessarily pleasant. The ending, oh the ending. It’s written in a way that you as the reader can make inferences, but I would love to know how the author solves it.

Alex Bos has created an impulsively readable novel that kicks off right into the action. The novel is short and I read it all in one sitting. I was engrossed, waiting to see how Alyssa's choices might go bad. I was shocked at the cliffhanger and I am ready for the second book!

Everything about the premise is interesting and Bos' prose is simple, yet effective in conveying Alyssa's dilemmas and state of mind. I always find dystopian narratives such as this just grab me by the shirt and don't let go until I plow through them!

Pick up her book today on AMAZON! https://a.co/d/eW32G8e

Follow Alexandra on Instagram @alexandra_bos

And if you're in the Grand Rapids, MI area, you can catch her teaching at Fever Yoga Cycle Strength, or The Funky Buddha Yoga House.

AND if you are in need of any website development services, Alexandra is your gal! She is a woman of many talents🥰.

You are going to LOVE this episode -- it will leave you feeling inspired to take control over what you really want to be doing in life, whether you are 25, 45, or 65! Please share with friends, or better yet, share AND HAVE A DISCUSSION about your passions, and what your heart is telling you you really want to be doing with your life.

Jeana Anderson Cohen shows us how we CAN turn a hobby or a passion into a full-time gig. Instead of waiting 20 years, grinding away at jobs that didn't light her up, Jeana took a gamble, she threw caution to the wind and made things happen...

When (writer/journalist) Jeana started aSweatLife in July of 2012, she was bored with her fitness routine (AND unsatisfied with her day job), so after years of the same elliptical, abs, and arms routine, she set off to try different gyms across Chicago. Not only did she try them, but she TALKED about them in a blog.

This rule of only writing about the things that benefited others became the guiding principle of aSweatLife, especially as the team grew from one personal blogger to an editorial team of dozens of people across the world. Today, aSweatLife is an online publication that helps people (with a focus on women!) live their best lives – their happiest, healthiest, most connected lives – through content and community.

You can find Jeana and her team on instagram @asweatlife

You can listen to the aSweatlife Podcast, WEGOTGOALS, either anywhere you listen to podcasts, or on their website, www.asweatlife.com.

AND, you can learn more about how to become aSweatlife ambassador (visit gyms, build community, grab free swag, and more!) on the website as well! Hint, age doesn't matter!😘

Thank you, Tanya, for honoring me with your story. I feel so privileged and am excited to share it with the universe so more humans can be inspired. I have the utmost respect for you💖.
 
 About Tanya:
Tanya started her medical journey in her early 20s when she was diagnosed with Graves disease (an autoimmune disorder that can cause hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid). Imagine being a teacher and being unable to sit through a staff meeting because you're so jittery you can't physically stay still, or having a metabolism that is so fast you can't eat enough to stay at a healthy weight which in turn also causes extreme fatigue. Imagine trying to hide your diagnosis for fear of what others might think or worse, say about you behind your back. Imagine what this does to a person's mental health -- hint, it isn't great...

On top of a diagnosis like Graves, imagine having a family history of such extreme diabetes that family members have lost limbs because of it and you do everything you can to fight your DNA only to find out that you too are pre-diabetic. Well, you can make a decision to cry and give up or scream a rallying cry and go all-in to ensure you get (and stay) healthy so you can lead a beautiful life as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, and as a coach.
 
You can find Tanya living her best life on Instagram! Be sure to follow her for smiles and inspiration, and if you need some accountability with your health, Tanya is absolutely there to help! Just send her a PM😘. 
 
@health.wealth.ceo

linktr.ee/Core_inspiration

Another unexpected conversation... funny how that happens when two women get together and share their stories💖.

Kiki Hurwitt is a powerhouse I found on the gram. I reached out to her because, at 53 (my age), I was dying to know how she transformed herself into the healthy, happy, BUFF woman she is today! I wanted to know the story behind the face I saw staring out at me in her before photos from 2020. I wanted to know what prompted her to take control of her health, over her life!

I wasn't prepared to learn that Kiki had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and WHY/HOW it started. I wasn't prepared for most of the conversation, actually, but this is exactly why I started the podcast -- for women to share their stories of overcoming adversity, to share their stories of rising from the ashes because if we share our stories, we will (hopefully) inspire others, we will give people hope where they might not have had it before.

My new motto is "If Kiki can do it, so can I"! She is just a ray of light -- her happiness is infectious -- she is quite literally pure joy. Thank you Kiki, for honoring us with your story, for trusting me, someone you didn't know, to have this beautiful conversation.

While she isn't "advertising" it, Kiki has started nutritional coaching for women (she is not coaching for exercise but she can send you some recommendations to pair with the nutrition (her daughter, Claire, I hear is pretty great!😘) so after listening to Kiki's story and checking out her Insta page, should you be interested, send her a DM!

You can find Kiki on the gram @thelykkeviking.  

Please share this episode, and all episodes, with all of the women in your life who need some inspiration to never give up. 

xoxo,
Heather

I "met" Kelly thru insta (of course) and what a cool conversation this was! You might be thinking, "yet another mom with an alcohol addiction" but that just says you don't know what an epidemic this is! AND how freaking hard it is to overcome. Kelly has done the work! Not only has she done it, she continues to do it because getting sober and staying sober is an effort and she doesn't take it for granted.

Everyone's sober story is a little different (sometimes A LOT) so I never say to myself, "oh, I can skip this, I have heard it before". Kelly, while she experienced an idyllic upbringing, experienced some hard-core trauma that would change the trajectory of her life...

I encourage you to listen and see what can be learned from Kelly. I am so happy she was willing to come on the pod, honored in fact.

Please follow Kelly @kelz_living_well on instagram for raw posts and lots of encouragement as well!

xoxo,
Heather

Meet Wendy Green! This conversation was NOT what I was expecting😲. Who I thought I was going to talk with was a top 10 (in her age group) Spartan Racer, and she is! But what was shared/uncovered was a story of one woman's resilience...  teen mom putting herself through college, PPD (postpartum depression), suicidal thoughts, rocky marriage... until one day she heard about a mom's walking group. And it saved her life.

Wendy is such an amazing woman. The conversation was so easy -- it felt like we had been friends our whole lives. I am so very humbled she chose to SHARE OUT LOUD. That she chose to share with me, AND all of you.

Please share this episode with anyone you know who might be at the end of their rope, with any moms you know who are suffering in silence wondering if they will ever feel like themselves again after having children, OR think they can't take time out for themselves. This episode will help a lot of women❤️.

Follow Wendy on Instagram @happy_healthy_mommyoffour

When I first met Anna she was a drinker, but so was I, only I think I might have hid it a little better, or not🙄. I thought she might have a problem but she was(is) younger than me and who was I to judge how much people drank! I mean, we worked in advertising and alcohol was a part of our daily life. Parties in the office, happy hours, parties for Holidays, entertaining clients, you name it, there was ALWAYS a reason to drink.

I won't give the whole story away here but 6 years ago Anna just decided she was done with alcohol, and just like that, she was. It wasn't without work or self-reflection, but she did it on her own, in her own way (no AA but therapy for sure!). After giving up booze amazing things started to happen... she founded a non-profit (The Good Campaign), started her own green packaging company (GOOD GOODS!), launched a podcast (In The Good Company), and just recently, became a certified PRANIC healer! Oh and yeah, she is one amazing mom to 2 girls as well!

CONGRATULATIONS MY DEAR FRIEND! I am so incredibly proud of you and all that you have accomplished. Thank you for celebrating your 6 years with me🥰.

Take a listen for some absolutely incredible inspiration.

You can find out more about Anna through all of the various channels below!

Instagram: @annamaluskitzmann

Click her linktree for links everything else!
https://linktr.ee/annamaluskitzmann