Sober·ish Uprising

Today I sit down with Shelley Pernot, published author, certified coach and founder of Babes without Babes in Austin. Spending time with like-minded people with whom you don't have to justify your decision is huge when you are doing something different from the norm. You don’t realize you miss a community of people like you, for whatever it is for you want for your life, until you see it. 

We talk about how the organization started out of anger and resentment (like all good causes right?), how it wasn’t until she recognized the complexity of the parent/ child dynamic that she boldly stated her choice of being childfree and how finding your purpose is really a crock of you know what. 

On the fence and struggling with making the decision once and for all if you want kiddos ?  With my free download, "The Kid Question," you'll identify and release your perceived obligations and expectations — your should shackles — so you can decide your future on your terms. www.hollykrivo.com/tools. 

Bryan was making  a great living in the energy industry, not totally fulfilled, but also not sure what else he would do with his life. He would drive by the campus of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and think "man if I could go back I would probably go the medical route".  It never felt like a possibility, just a fun idea. He filled the void in his life running, eventually earning 4 IRONMAN titles after starting out with a work-sponsored 5K.  He had no idea that the 5K would eventually propel him into leaving a secure, comfortable life in his mid-30s to attend med school. 

In today's podcast Bryan shares the similarity of training for endurance sports and going through the med school process and how he is a better student later in the game than he would have been in his 20s. We talk about how the distracting chatter of what he "should" do came from himself and the way he combats those thoughts which still come into play today. We talk about how the power of mindset and showing up every day is key when making a big change and how finding your "reset" button will keep you focused and engaged.

Jessica was checking off the all the boxes for the American Dream. She had the degree, the corporate career, the hip apartment, the nice car and a great group of friends.  She wasn't unhappy but had a nagging sensation there had to be something more outside of society's expectations. She had struggled for a long time with what she thought life had told her what she was supposed to do and what she internally wanted for her life. She was doing what society told her too but she had a voice in her head and heart telling her there was more. 

So in 2017 she left a very nice life to chase that voice in her heart telling her it was time to travel the world and for almost three years, Jessica has lived out of a suitcase living in over 20 countries and exploring more than 30. She made the bold and courageous move to leave the good life to lead her true life. It hasn't always been easy but it's been worth it. 

In today's episode we talk a lot about how self-awareness is key when making a big decision, why she chose to leave a life that was going well and she was happy with to take the chance to follow her heart  and  how the theme to her adventure is shedding the extra baggage both literally and metaphorically to be free in all they ways. 

www.hollykrivo.com 

In her own words, you either love Spanki Mills or you don't. I for one love her. 

She lives unapologetically and admits in her 40s she is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. A creative on many levels, she is constantly exploring what her "day gig" is but at the core it boils down to helping women discover they can do things outside the norm, stand firm in who they are and quit putting other's expectations on themselves.

 When she had her kiddos young she pushed her desires aside to be a mom, thinking her time had passed. After an "adult temper tantrum" in her 30s she has been on fire, doing the work to better herself and to create a life she is proud of on her terms. We talk about how being a people pleaser is a really hard habit to break, how sharing your story and truth no matter how painful is can be such a gift to help heal others and yourself and how she turned down a business opportunity THREE times until she realized she could do it her way.  

“I had played it safe. I could tell you so many stories of ways I have shut myself down to make other people feel comfortable. Once I found my voice, I realized people either really like me or really don’t like me and that’s okay because I know where to invest my energy and efforts. Not everyone needs to like you, not everyone needs to like your message or how you do it but the ones that do are where you add value to them and take into account the value they add to you.”

Krista is a long-time friend of mine and a powerhouse of a woman. Her story read like a romance novel all the girls wanted to read. Successful career, dream husband and youth on her side for kids quickly to follow but one thing remained. Despite accomplishing all the things society told her she needed to, this wasn’t the life she wanted so she had the courage to flip the script.

A self-proclaimed “list maker/check box marker offer” Krista shares her story about how realizing she didn’t want kids led to her divorce, how rebuilding her life required a transition that lasted years and how the support of family and friends is critical when a women talks about not wanting kids.

www.hollykrivo.com 

Elizabeth started the facebook group Childfree World Travelers about 3 and 1/2 years ago and thought she was a pretty big deal when her group reached 100. The group now has over 4,000 members with 11 moderators all over the World. Elizabeth is a helper and connector at heart and understands the importance of seeing and supporting others like you.   We talked about how this was Elizabeth's "coming out" as a childfree woman and how her main message is one of supporting and cheering each other on.  We talked about how a feeling of being dismissed years ago for not having children still irks her, the amazing feeling she had when she firmly stepped into her decision of being childfree and how its so important to Pay Attention to your life. 

On the fence and struggling with making the decision once and for all if you want kiddos ?  With my free download, "The Kid Question," you'll identify and release your perceived obligations and expectations — your should shackles — so you can decide your future on your terms. www.hollykrivo.com/tools

When I created this podcast and my guest wish list, Kristin was on the top of the list.  Kristin Moses is the Founder and Creative Director of Design Good, a full-service, high-vibe design and branding studio. More importantly she is an inspiration and friend to all who know her. 

Kristin honors her truth and what she wants for her life and it is evident in everything she does. Kristin never had the desire to have children and even as a child was drawn more to growing her Snoopy snow cone stand profits as opposed to playing dolls. She has always been drawn to making her mark on the world through connection and creativity as opposed to childbearing. 

In today's podcast we talk a lot about how honoring your truth will always give you the answers you need, how the idea that you have to have a child to mother is weak and what the dating scene has been like for Kristin as a childfree woman. 

On the fence and struggling with making the decision once and for all if you want kiddos ?  With my free download, "The Kid Question," you'll identify and release your perceived obligations and expectations — your should shackles — so you can decide your future on your terms. www.hollykrivo.com/tools

Welcome to 2020!

There is a lot of talk on making the decision if having children is right for you or not but I think this episode is good for anyone looking to disrupt the norm with their own decision. It's for you out there who have a tug on your heart, telling you to do something different than what is expected of you. Honor that voice. 

Raif and Connie are a married, childfree couple in London, who run the Goodlett Guide, a blog dedicated to their childfree relationship, travel and lifestyle. I was drawn to their honesty on their childfree life from joining the mile high club to Raif's decision to get a vasectomy at 25 so that he could take control of his childfree future.  Raif is the first male I have had on my podcast and brought such a new element to the conversation. We discussed the double standard men and women face being childfree, life as a childfree couple in London and how even though they run a blog on being childfree there are still those who believe they will have kids. 

On the fence and struggling with making the decision once and for all if you want kiddos ?  With my free download, "The Kid Question," you'll identify and release your perceived obligations and expectations — your should shackles — so you can decide your future on your terms. www.hollykrivo.com/tools

Drunk Aunt Overseas is not just an instagram page ran by an awesome drunk aunt who loves to travel overseas but for over 3,600 followers is a platform of support, inspiration and community for childfree women. I was immediately drawn to her page for its positive messages, humor and capacity to share her joy of being childfree. We discussed her process of becoming childfree, the importance of supporting the choice of ALL women to have kids or not and our biggest triggers we have when talking to those who question our decision to be childfree. 

On the fence and struggling with making the decision once and for all if you want kiddos ?  With my free download, "The Kid Question," you'll identify and release your perceived obligations and expectations — your should shackles — so you can decide your future on your terms. www.hollykrivo.com/tools