Solving For Joy

This episode explores the powerful connection between stress, the nervous system, trauma, and skin health with board-certified dermatologist and trauma-informed physician Dr. Keira Barr.

While many of us think of skin concerns as something happening on the surface, Dr. Barr invites us to consider a different perspective: what if our symptoms are not problems to fight, but messages to understand?

Together, we explore how stress and trauma can show up through the skin, why healing often begins beneath the surface, and how learning to listen to our bodies with curiosity rather than criticism can create more ease, well-being, and joy.

**A quick note for listeners: this conversation includes a small amount of profanity and a large amount of wisdom. Consider it nervous system regulation through authenticity. We regret neither.**

We talk about:
• Dr. Barr's personal journey into dermatology and how her own experiences shaped her approach to healing
• The connection between the nervous system, stress, inflammation, and skin health
• Why symptoms can be valuable sources of information rather than signs that something is wrong
• The role of touch, connection, and safety in healing
• How building self-trust helps us reconnect with our bodies
• Why curiosity may be more helpful than criticism when it comes to our health and well-being

Whether you're navigating a skin condition, chronic stress, burnout, or simply looking for a more compassionate relationship with your body, this conversation offers a refreshing invitation to slow down, listen, and trust the wisdom that's already within you.

Connect with Dr. Keira Barr:
• Website: https://drkeirabarr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkeirabarr/
• Calm Mind, Calm Skin™: https://drkeirabarr.com/calm-mind-calm-skin/

Stay Connected:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
Podcast Website: https://www.solvingforjoy.com
Chrissie’s Website: https://www.chrissieottmd.com

🩺 For Physician Coaches & Healthcare Leaders
Physician Coaching Collective:
https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
Physician Coaching Summit:
https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Today, we're revisiting one of my favorite episodes on Solving for Joy.

This episode explores menopause, movement, running, grief, self-trust, and what it means to reconnect with yourself through joyful movement.

Physician, running coach, and fellow physician coach Dr. Michelle Quirk shares how running helped her navigate burnout, loss, and major life transitions, and why movement can be an act of care rather than another place to strive for perfection.

We talk about:
• Why so many women believe they're "not runners" and how those stories shape us
• How movement can support grief, emotional well-being, and resilience
• Menopause, musculoskeletal pain, and considerations for women in midlife
• Why high-achieving women often struggle to approach exercise with self-compassion
• How to start small and build a sustainable relationship with movement

Whether you're a runner, a walker, or simply curious about moving your body with more kindness and less pressure, this episode offers a refreshing invitation to begin exactly where you are.

Connect with Dr. Michelle Quirk:
• Website: https://mindful-marathon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.marathon
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellequirkmd/

Stay Connected:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
Podcast Website: https://www.solvingforjoy.com
Chrissie’s Website: https://www.chrissieottmd.com

🩺 For Physician Coaches & Healthcare Leaders
Physician Coaching Collective:
https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
Physician Coaching Summit:
https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Today’s conversation is about teenage girls, social media, anxiety, perfectionism, emotional resilience, and protecting joy in a culture of burnout and comparison.

What happens when girls begin losing connection to themselves younger and younger while navigating pressure, performance, comparison, and constant digital noise?

In this episode, I’m joined by Jamie Shannon, certified life coach and founder of Girl Reimagined, a coaching program supporting teenage girls and families navigating anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, and emotional overwhelm.

We talk about:
 • How social media impacts girls’ confidence, identity, and emotional well-being
 • Why many adult women are still learning the skills girls need most today
 • How coaching can help girls build resilience, boundaries, and self-trust before crisis
 • Jamie’s concept of a “happy prescription” and helping girls reconnect with joy
 • What parents can do to better support girls in a world of comparison and overstimulation

This conversation is about more than raising daughters. It is about helping the next generation stay connected to themselves while many adults are still finding their way back there too.

If you’ve been thinking about the girls in your life, navigating burnout or perfectionism yourself, or longing for more connection and joy, this episode is for you.

Explore Social Media Mindfulness, the resource Jamie created specifically for the Solving for Joy community to help girls build a healthier relationship with social media:
https://girlreimagined.com/ssm_solving_for_joy.html

Learn more about Girl Reimagined’s coaching program and one-week trial experience for girls and families:
https://www.girlreimagined.com/1weektrial.html

Learn more about Jamie Shannon and Girl Reimagined:
https://www.girlreimagined.com

Follow Girl Reimagined on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/girlreimagined

Stay Connected:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
• Podcast Website: https://www.solvingforjoy.com
• Chrissie’s Website: https://www.chrissieottmd.com
• 🩺 For Physician Coaches & Healthcare Leaders
• Physician Coaching Collective:
• https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
• Physician Coaching Summit:
• https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Today’s conversation is about physician burnout, survival mode, emotional exhaustion, communication strain, leadership pressure, boundaries, career sustainability, and what it actually takes to stay connected to yourself in medicine.

What happens when physicians stay in survival mode for too long and slowly begin losing connection to the parts of themselves that once felt grounded, present, and alive?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Anne Hirsch, retired internal medicine physician, physician career advisor, coach, and healthcare leadership and clinician communication strategist.

We talk about:
• The subtle signs of burnout physicians often miss
• How stress shows up in communication, relationships, and team dynamics
• Why so many physicians quietly withdraw instead of reaching for support
• The role of shame, awareness, and boundaries in burnout recovery
• How coaching can help physicians identify blind spots, reconnect with their values, and create a more sustainable way of living and practicing medicine
• Why community, support, and honest reflection matter so much in physician well-being and leadership

Whether you are personally considering coaching, supporting physicians as a coach, or simply wondering why medicine has started feeling harder to sustain, this conversation offers a deeply human look at what physicians are carrying beneath the surface and what actually helps.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself…

If you’ve been operating in survival mode for longer than you want to admit…

Or if you’ve simply been longing to feel a little more human again…

This conversation is for you.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:
• Maslach Burnout Inventory
https://www.mindgarden.com/117-maslach-burnout-inventory-mbi

• Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine
https://www.positiveintelligence.com

• The Business of Friendship by Shasta Nelson
https://shastanelson.com/book/

• DISC Behavioral Assessment
https://www.discprofile.com

Learn more about Dr. Anne Hirsch & Connect:

• https://www.physiciancoachingwithanne.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-m-hirsch-md-facp-4a681790/

 Stay Connected:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
• Podcast Website: https://www.solvingforjoy.com
• Chrissie’s Website: https://www.chrissieottmd.com
• 🩺 For Physician Coaches & Healthcare Leaders
• Physician Coaching Collective:
• https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
• Physician Coaching Summit:
• https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Today’s conversation is about what happens when something deeply personal changes the way you see everything and quietly reshapes the way you show up in the world.

I want to ask you something.

Have you ever had an experience that shifted your perspective so much that you couldn’t go back to who you were before?

Maybe it changed how you think about your work, your purpose, or the way you care for the people in your life.

And maybe, somewhere along the way, you’ve wondered:

Why do I hold back from sharing what I know?

Why does it sometimes feel easier to stay quiet than risk being seen the wrong way?

What might actually change if more of us spoke up?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Bret Gregory, founder of DrTalks, to explore the story behind a platform built to amplify doctors’ voices and the very real, very human experience that led him there.

We talk about what it looks like when personal loss becomes a catalyst for purpose.

Why access to the right information can completely change someone’s life.

And how you can begin sharing what you already know in a way that feels grounded, honest, and true to you.

Here’s what I think will really stay with you:

•  Some of the most valuable voices are the ones we are not hearing. 
•  Sharing your expertise can deepen connection, not inflate ego. 
•  Conversations and podcasts are one of the most powerful ways to reach and help more people. 
•  A simple way to start sharing what you already know. 
•  What it means to stop waiting to be discovered and instead discover yourself. 

If you’ve ever questioned whether your voice matters…

If you’ve ever held back because you didn’t want to come across the wrong way…

Or if you feel that quiet pull to share more but aren’t sure how…

This conversation is for you.

🔗 Resources & Links

If you’re curious to explore more about DrTalks and what Bret is building, please visit: www.drtalks.com

🌿 Stay Connected

If you want to stay in this space with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd

Podcast Website: https://www.solvingforjoy.com

My Website: www.chrissieottmd.com

🩺 For Physician Coaches

If this work is part of your world:

Physician Coaching Collective: https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com

Physician Coaching Summit: https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Have you ever been asked, “What’s your why?”… and found yourself unsure how to answer?

Maybe you’ve thought about purpose before. Maybe you’ve even done the work.
But something about that question still feels a little abstract… or just out of reach.

In this episode, I sit down with Kelsey Vaughn for a behind-the-scenes look at the Why Discovery process inspired by Simon Sinek’s Start With Why.

Together, we explore what it actually means to uncover your why, not as something you have to create, but as something that has been there all along.

This conversation is about recognizing patterns, naming what’s already true, and understanding how your purpose connects to the way you experience joy in your life and work.

Because when you are living in alignment with your why, things start to shift.
Your work feels more meaningful.
Your decisions feel clearer.
And your capacity for joy expands in ways that are hard to ignore.

In this episode you will learn:
• What “finding your why” really means and why it is not about becoming someone new
• How early life experiences and stories reveal patterns that shape your purpose
• Why your why is more about impact than the roles or titles you hold
• How to recognize when you are in or out of alignment with your why
• The connection between authenticity, integrity, and joy
• How identifying your “hows” can help you set boundaries and make aligned decisions
• Why awareness is the first step toward meaningful change

Resources & Mentions
Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Stay Connected
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
Podcast Website - https://www.solvingforjoy.com
Website - www.joypointsolutions.com

For Physician Coaches
Physician Coaching Collective - https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
Physician Coaching Summit - https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Hello, my friend. 

If you are a physician, coach, or high achiever who has ever wondered whether it is possible to leave a career you worked your whole life for and actually land somewhere better, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I sit down with my dear friend Dr. Manuela Powell, a former cancer surgeon turned entrepreneur and founder of Doctors Pivot, who helps physicians and professionals build online businesses without the overwhelm of figuring out all the tech and systems on their own. Manuela is also a devoted West Coast swing dancer, a mom of two boys, and someone who has built a life that is unapologetically designed around joy.

This conversation goes deep. We talk about what it actually means to feel all your emotions, why allowing sadness is the doorway to more intense joy, and how Manuela's experiences with her father's cancer and a dear friend's metastatic breast cancer diagnosis shaped her philosophy around emotional permission. We also talk about the practical side of pivoting: why putting financial pressure on a brand new business is a trap, how to use your current job as a runway, and why knowing what you want your life to look like has to come before you choose what work to do next. And we close with Manuela's most non-negotiable joy practice — partner dance — and why she considers it her antidepressant.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why accepting difficult emotions is the key to feeling more joy, not less
• What "don't say at least" means and why it matters for anyone supporting someone through hardship
• How Manuela identified four non-negotiables that shaped the business she built after medicine
• Why premature financial dependency on a new business creates burnout instead of freedom
• How to use your current job as a runway while you build something new
• Why dance is one of the most evidence-backed tools for mental health and how to find your own version of it

Resources & Mentions

Doctors Pivot — https://www.doctorspivot.com

Physician Coaching Summit Playback Series — https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com/podcast/

Connect with Manuela Powell

Website — https://www.doctorspivot.com

Instagram —  https://www.instagram.com/drmanuelapowell/

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/thedoctorspivot/

Linkedin— https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmanuelapowell/

Stay Connected

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd

Website — https://www.solvingforjoy.com

 For Physician Coaches

Physician Coaching Collective — https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com

Physician Coaching Summit — https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

 Music by Denys Kyshchuk (AudioCoffee): https://www.audiocoffee.net

Hello, my friend.

If you are a physician, coach, or high achiever who dreams of giving a TEDx talk or keynote and sometimes wonders whether you are truly credible enough to stand on that stage, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with speaker coach, TEDx speaker, and author Cesar Cervantes, whose book Great Speech is a must read for anyone ready to give transformative presentations. Cesar shares the mindset shifts and practical tools that help speakers stop proving their credibility and start embodying it, so that the gift they have to give can actually land.

Because a great keynote or TEDx talk is not about you. It is about the gift you are there to give.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why trying to prove your credibility on stage actually diminishes it
• How storytelling structure creates emotionally resonant, memorable talks
• Why making yourself the hero of your own talk works against you
• What your body, voice, and cadence communicate beyond your words
• How to frame every talk as a gift to your audience

Resources & Mentions

Cesar's book: Great Speech — https://www.amazon.com/Great-Speech-Blueprint-Crafting-Signature/dp/1636804187
Physician Coaching Summit Playback Series — https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com/podcast/

Connect with Cesar Cervantes Website — https://www.cesarcervantes.tv/
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/mrcesarcervantes
LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrcesarcervantes/

Stay Connected
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd 
Website — https://www.solvingforjoy.com

For Physician Coaches
Physician Coaching Collective — https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
Physician Coaching Summit — https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com

Music by Denys Kyshchuk (AudioCoffee): https://www.audiocoffee.net 

Thank you for being here with me.

This is a tender season in my life. I am loving my mom while also slowly letting her go. There is no clean way to talk about that. No script for how to do it well.

There are moments of sitting at her bedside and feeling everything at once. Love, grief, gratitude, exhaustion. Somehow even laughter still finds its way in.

If you have been in a space like this, you know.
And if you have not, you probably will someday.

I am so grateful to share honestly with you in real time, and even more grateful to be witnessed in it. Your messages, your presence, your quiet listening all matter more than you know.

Wherever you are, whatever you are holding, I hope you feel less alone.

And somehow, even here, we keep finding our way back to joy.

Hello, my friend.

If you are a high-achieving mom raising an autistic child and sometimes feel overwhelmed by the constant balancing act of caregiving, work, expectations, and your own nervous system, this episode is for you.

Parenting in the context of autism can bring extraordinary love, insight, and connection. It can also bring moments of exhaustion, uncertainty, and the quiet pressure to keep performing at a high level in every area of life.

In this conversation, I sit down with physician and neuroscientist Dr. Yolanda Bogaert, who shares the grounded practices and perspective shifts that helped her move from relentless striving toward greater presence, calm, and joy.

Yolanda speaks candidly about her own journey through perfectionism, burnout, motherhood, and raising an autistic son. She also offers simple, practical ways to regulate your nervous system, reconnect with what matters most, and find moments of joy even on the hardest days.

Because parenting an autistic child does not require perfection.

It requires presence, compassion, and small practices that help you come back to yourself again and again.

In this episode you will learn:

 • Why high-achieving moms can feel intense pressure while parenting an autistic child
 • How perfectionism and constant striving contribute to burnout and emotional exhaustion
 • Why nervous system regulation is essential for both parents and autistic children
 • The concept of “detached attachment” and how letting go of outcomes can create more peace
 • Small grounding practices that help you reset during stressful moments
 • How simple rituals and moments of “micro-joy” can transform the parenting experience
 • Why living the questions instead of chasing perfect answers can lead to deeper joy

Resources & Mentions

Connect with Dr. Yolanda Bogaert
Website - https://www.yolandabogaertmd.com

High Achieving Moms of Autistic Kids Community
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/highachievingmomsofautistickids

Stay Connected

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrissieottmd
Podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/solvingforjoypodcast
Website - https://www.solvingforjoy.com

For Physician Coaches

Physician Coaching Collective - https://www.physiciancoachingcollective.com
Physician Coaching Summit - https://www.thephysiciancoachingsummit.com