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Some nights, everything feels louder. You’re running on empty, the anxious voice is in full swing, and suddenly a text, an email, or a big decision feels like it has to happen right now. In this episode, Chel explores why the tired, triggered, depleted version of you deserves compassion, but not the final say.
If you’ve ever sent something from an activated place and wished you could take it back, this conversation is for you. Chel shares how an old wound can turn a harmless comment into a full spiral, and how to gently trace it back to its root so you can respond from solid ground.
Soul Trip with Chel is your space to stop shrinking, start belonging to yourself, and remember who you’ve always been. This show isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about coming home.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel:
If you’ve ever caught yourself mid-spiral, thumb hovering over send, I hope this episode feels like a hand to hold. Your feelings are real and worth honoring. They just deserve a little time and tenderness before they make any decisions. Let the spiral pass, come back home to yourself, and choose from there.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made Just for You
If today’s episode gave you a new perspective, or just a sense of relief, I hope you’ll check out my ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It’s officially out, and it was designed to help you find power in your kindness without forcing yourself to become someone you’re not. You don’t have to change your nature to stand your ground.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you want somewhere gentle to begin, I made a free guide for you: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the “Nice Girl.” Grab it at https://www.soultripwithchel.com. These are real-life scripts to help you start setting boundaries and honoring yourself with compassion. My gift to you.
🤍 Want to go deeper? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for behind-the-scenes moments, live Q&As, a supportive community, and deeper practices for everything we talk about here: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Stay connected on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a quick review. Your support helps other women come home to themselves, too. Thank you for being part of this community. ⭐
I’m happy you’re here.
It’s easy to slip into the background of your own life. Maybe you replay conversations, wonder how someone will remember you, or start to feel like your story is being written by someone else’s hand.
In this episode, Chel shares a moment from her dating life that sparked an unexpected realization, and a little defiance against being cast as just another “great girl” in someone else’s narrative.
If you’ve ever poured your energy into someone else’s orbit and quietly become a side character in their story, this episode is for you. Chel invites you to reclaim your role as the protagonist of your own life, put your happiness and purpose back at the center, and become so engaged in your own journey that the people you love are meaningful chapters, not the whole plot.
Soul Trip with Chel is your space to stop shrinking, start belonging to yourself, and remember who you’ve always been. This show isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about coming home.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel:
If you’ve ever felt like someone’s friend, partner, daughter, or “great girl” but never quite the protagonist, I hope this conversation reminds you that this is your story, and you hold the pen. The people you love get to add richness to your chapters. Just don’t hand over your power, or let anyone else define your happiness. Let people be meaningful without letting them become the plot. Stay busy loving your life, building, dreaming, and leading your own journey. That’s where the magic happens.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made Just for You
If today’s episode gave you a new perspective, or just a sense of relief, I hope you’ll check out my ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It’s officially out, and it was designed to help you find power in your kindness without forcing yourself to become someone you’re not. You don’t have to change your nature to stand your ground.👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you want somewhere gentle to begin, I made a free guide for you: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the “Nice Girl.” Grab it at https://www.soultripwithchel.com. These are real-life scripts to help you start setting boundaries and honoring yourself with compassion. My gift to you.
🤍 Want to go deeper? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for behind-the-scenes moments, live Q&As, a supportive community, and deeper practices for everything we talk about here: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Stay connected on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a quick review. Your support helps other women come home to themselves, too. Thank you for being part of this community. I’m happy you’re here. ⭐
Every time we board a plane, we hear the same instruction: in case of an emergency, put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. In fact, most of us have heard it so many times we've stopped listening.
But what does it actually mean to care for yourself first when you're used to people-pleasing, overextending, and putting everyone else's needs before your own? In this episode, Chel explores what it looks like to fill your own cup without guilt, and why true generosity comes from overflow, not depletion.
If saying no or putting yourself first feels unnatural, or even selfish, this episode is for you. Chel unpacks the difference between self-care, selfishness, and martyrdom, and shares real-life examples of finding the healthy middle. Along the way, she invites you to see boundaries as an act of love, for yourself and for everyone you care about.
Soul Trip with Chel is your space to stop shrinking, start belonging to yourself, and remember who you've always been. This show isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel:
If you grew up believing that putting yourself last was noble, or you feel a wave of guilt anytime you prioritize your own care, I hope this episode helps you breathe a little easier. Filling your cup first isn't selfish. It's necessary. You're allowed to be your own best friend and biggest advocate, and you're allowed to replenish before you pour out. When you give from overflow, your love and presence become a real gift.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made Just for You
If today's episode gave you a new perspective, or just a sense of relief, I hope you'll check out my ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It's officially out, and it was designed to help you find power in your kindness without forcing yourself to become someone you're not. You don't have to change your nature to stand your ground.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you want somewhere softer to begin, I made a free guide for you: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl." Grab it at https://www.soultripwithchel.com. These are real-life scripts to help you start setting boundaries and honoring yourself with compassion. My gift to you. :)
🤍 Want extra stories and support? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for behind-the-scenes moments, live Q&As, a supportive community, and the stories I won't share publicly: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Stay connected on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a quick review. Your support helps other women come home to themselves, too. Thank you for being part of this community. ⭐
I'm grateful you're here.
Your emotions just want to be felt - not fixed, justified, or swept under the rug. Maybe you've shared your disappointment about something small, and someone immediately tried to redirect you and point out all the things you should be grateful for - as if feeling sad cancels out every good thing in your life. If you've ever felt guilty or "bad" for having so-called negative emotions, this episode is for you.
In this episode, Chel reflects on a recent conversation that reminded her how early we learn to sort our feelings into either/or. You're either happy or sad, grateful or ungrateful, as if the two can't live in you at the same time. She invites you to see that true self-love means making space for the whole spectrum of your emotions. Feeling disappointment, sadness, or anger doesn't make you ungrateful; and gratitude that you have to force by pushing everything else down isn't authentic gratitude.
Soul Trip with Chel is your space to stop shrinking, start belonging to yourself, and remember who you've always been. This show isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel:
If you grew up believing you had to hide your disappointment or sadness to show gratitude, know this: your feelings matter. You're allowed to experience the full range of who you are, the highs, the lows, the grays, and all the bright colors in between. You don't have to bypass your pain just because something beautiful exists in your life, too. That's not self-love. That's self-abandonment. I hope this conversation gives you permission to honor every feeling that arises, and to hold both things at once with compassion for yourself.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made Just for You
If today's episode opened up space for your emotions, or just made you feel seen, I hope you'll check out my ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It's officially out, and it was designed to help you find power in your kindness without forcing yourself to become someone you're not. You don't have to change your nature to stand your ground.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you want somewhere gentle to begin, I made a free guide for you: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl." Grab it at https://www.soultripwithchel.com. These are real-life scripts to help you start setting boundaries and honoring yourself with compassion. My gift to you.
🤍 Want extra stories and support? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for behind-the-scenes moments, live Q&As, a supportive community, and the stories I won't share publicly: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Stay connected on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a quick review. Your support helps other women come home to themselves, too. Thank you for being part of this community. ⭐
I'm happy you're here.
Some days it feels like the world is determined to test your peace. Maybe it's a stranger snapping at you out of nowhere, or just a string of small, draining encounters that leave you running on empty. Sound familiar? In this episode Chel unpacks a confusing run-in in the elevator at Trader Joe's, one of those moments that seems small but sits heavy on your spirit, and shares what it taught her about energy, boundaries, and your right to walk away without carrying what isn't yours.
If you have ever replayed an uncomfortable situation in your head, wondering how you could have handled it differently or criticizing yourself for not being more assertive, this conversation is for you. Chel invites you to see the power in guarding your calm and choosing not to absorb other people's mess, even when they try to hand it to you.
Soul Trip with Chel is your space to stop shrinking, start belonging to yourself, and remember who you've always been. This show isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel:
If you find yourself analyzing interactions long after they're over, wondering if you should have said more, or worrying that you "let someone get away" with being rude, I hope this episode reminds you that your peace is sacred, and that sometimes your soft strength is your greatest superpower. Not every battle is worth your time. You get to decide when to engage, when to let go, and when to send their negativity right back where it came from.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made Just for You
If today's episode gave you a new perspective, or just a sense of relief, I hope you'll check out my ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It's officially out, and it was designed to help you find power in your kindness without forcing yourself to become someone you're not. You don't have to change your nature to stand your ground.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you want somewhere gentle to begin, I made a free guide for you: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl." Grab it at https://www.soultripwithchel.com. These are real-life scripts to help you start setting boundaries and honoring yourself with compassion. My gift to you.
🤍 Want extra stories and support? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for behind-the-scenes moments, live Q&As, a supportive community, and the stories I won't share publicly: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Stay connected on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a friend or leaving a quick review. Your support helps other women come home to themselves, too. Thank you for being part of this community. ⭐
I'm happy you're here.
Some lessons stick with us long after the moment has passed, especially when they come with a side of teenage cringe.
In this episode, Chel shares a vulnerable story from her high school years as a new cheerleader - and how giving away her power to people who never cared about her changed the way she sees belonging, self-worth, and approval.
Without spoiling the details, Chel recounts how her desire to fit in made her shrink, silence her own voice, and ask for acceptance from girls who were determined not to offer it.
The outcome? Years later, she realizes it never had anything to do with her - and everything to do with the freedom that comes from keeping your power for yourself.
This episode covers:
An honest look at mean girl culture, exclusion, and the painful lessons learned on the sidelines
How people-pleasing and approval-seeking often lead us to stay small and hand over our power
Why some people simply won't like you, no matter how much you bend to fit their expectations
What happens when you try to change yourself for people who aren't interested in seeing you
The difference between shrinking to fit in and showing up with soft strength and self-belief
Practical ways to keep your sense of self intact, even in the face of cliques, cold shoulders, and mean girl dynamics - at school, at work, or anywhere else
A note from Chel:
If you have ever found yourself molding yourself to become "likable," chasing approval from people determined not to give it, or feeling like the only way to survive a toxic environment was to disappear inside yourself, this episode is especially for you. I promise you are not alone, and you do not need anyone’s permission to belong to yourself.
✨ Before You Go: Two Resources for Your Journey
If today’s conversation resonated, I hope you check out my brand new ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It’s now officially launched and packed with the tools and perspectives so you can find the power in being exactly who you are. I wrote it for women who want to stop shrinking and start coming home to themselves.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you are looking for a gentler way to begin, I have a free resource for you as well: Grab my free guide on 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl" (Without Losing Your Kindness) at www.soultripwithchel.com. This guide will help you start setting boundaries and finding your voice, and it’s my gift to you.
🤍 Want even more? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for extra stories (including the “chisme” Chel won't share publicly), live Q&As, community, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Subscribe on Substack: soultripwithchel.substack.com
Sharing this episode with a friend or leaving a quick review helps more women find their way back to themselves. Thank you for being part of this journey. ⭐
Soul Trip with Chel is a podcast for women who are ready to stop shrinking and start remembering who they have always been. Chel has been walking her own journey of acceptance, trust, and deep self-love for nearly a decade, and now she invites you to come home to yourself, too. Soul Trip isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about coming home.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Some of us spend years shrinking ourselves just to make everyone else more comfortable. But what if the thing that makes you “too much” is exactly what the world needs more of?
In this episode, Chel brings you into a defining moment from her past: one that started on a wedding dance floor and ended in a reckoning with self-worth, boundaries, and the relentless pressure to dim your own light.
Was it a run-of-the-mill relationship squabble? Not quite. What actually happened was a beautiful, uncomfortable masterclass in what it takes to stand up for your unapologetic self, especially when someone you care about tries to box you in.
The truth Chel unpacks is one so many women will recognize: it’s not just about this one boyfriend, or this one wedding - it’s about years (or decades) of being told to take up less space so others can feel secure. The lesson: it’s never you who’s “too much.” And your job isn’t to make yourself smaller for anyone else’s comfort.
This episode covers:
The unforgettable moment her partner told her to “remember, it’s not all about you” (and how she responded)
How being told to dim your light can trigger old patterns of people-pleasing and silence
The long shadow this kind of comment can cast on a relationship, even after an apology
Navigating when to speak up, how to set boundaries, and why standing in your light—and refusing to shrink—is profound self-love
How to recognize subtle (or not-so-subtle) attempts by partners, friends, or even family to put you back in a box - and what to do about it
Why it’s not just brave, but necessary, to claim your space and move people out of your life if they can’t handle your shine
A note from Chel:
If you’ve ever felt like your joy or presence was “too much”… if someone tried to dim your light, put you in a cage, or made you question whether you belonged as you truly are, this one’s for you. You don’t need to shrink for anyone. This episode is a reminder to keep dancing, keep shining, and hold out for the people who want to see you at your brightest.
✨ Before You Go: Two Resources for Your Journey
If today’s conversation resonated, I hope you check out my brand new ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It’s now officially launched and packed with the tools and perspectives so you can find the power in being exactly who you are. I wrote it for women who want to stop shrinking and start coming home to themselves.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you are looking for a gentle way to begin, I have a free resource for you as well: Grab your free guide: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl" (Without Losing Your Kindness) at www.soultripwithchel.com. This guide will help you start setting boundaries and finding your voice, and it’s my gift to you.
🤍 Want even more? Join the Soul Trip Sanctuary on Patreon for extra stories (including the “chisme” Chel didn’t share publicly), live Q&As, community, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/thesoultripsanctuary
🤍 Subscribe on Substack: soultripwithchel.substack.com
Sharing this episode with a friend or leaving a quick review helps more women find their way back to themselves. Thank you for being part of this journey. ⭐
Soul Trip with Chel is a podcast for women who are ready to stop shrinking and start remembering who they have always been. Chel has been walking her own journey of acceptance, trust, and deep self-love for nearly a decade, and now she invites you to come home to yourself, too. Soul Trip isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about coming home.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Some endings don’t need a grand reopening. And some boundaries, when held with kindness, can become powerful acts of self-respect.
In this episode, Chel tells a story straight from a night out in Los Angeles: a chance encounter at a club with people from her past, including someone who hurt her deeply years ago. Presented with an awkward situation and unspoken expectations, Chel faced a familiar old pattern: the urge to make everyone else comfortable, to people-please, to open the door “just to be nice.” But this time, she did something different.
Instead of reverting to old habits, Chel stood firm in her growth and boundaries, kindly but clearly. She shares the behind-the-scenes discomfort, the internal dialogue, and what it looked like (and felt like) to hold her own without losing her softness.
This episode is a guide for anyone who is ready to be both warm and unyielding, generous and self-protective, especially when the people from “the old you” test your new boundaries.
This episode covers:
A candid story about running into people from your past and the pressure to default to people-pleasing
How Chel recognized the subtle “ask” behind a supposedly innocent conversation
What it actually looks like to deliver a gentle, genuine, but firm “no” (and why it isn’t rude)
How to keep your heart soft, even when you are holding the line
Why you do not owe anyone a second chance at your table just because you’ve forgiven them in your heart
The silent power of simply stating your boundary and letting the conversation end, without over-explaining, qualifying, or caving in
How it feels to walk away proud, instead of replaying the interaction on a loop and doubting yourself afterward
A note from Chel:
If you have ever found yourself wishing you could be kind without being a doormat, or if you have wondered whether it’s possible to honor your gentleness and still protect your peace, this episode is for you. The “nice girl” does not have to disappear; she just needs to learn how to stand with her own soft strength.
✨ Before You Go: Two Resources for Your Journey
If today’s conversation resonated, I hope you check out my brand new ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women. It’s now officially launched and packed with the tools and perspectives so you can find the power in being exactly who you are. I wrote it for women who want to stop shrinking and start coming home to themselves.
👉 Get your copy here: https://soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
And if you are looking for a gentle way to begin, I have a free resource for you as well:
Grab your free guide: 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl" (Without Losing Your Kindness) at www.soultripwithchel.com. This guide will help you start setting boundaries and finding your voice, and it’s my gift to you.
🤍 Join the community on Substack: https://soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated with you, sharing it with a friend or leaving a review helps more women find their way here, and that means the world. ⭐
Soul Trip with Chel is a podcast for women who are ready to stop shrinking and start remembering who they have always been. Chel has been walking her own journey of acceptance, trust, and deep self-love for nearly a decade, and now she invites you to come home to yourself, too. Soul Trip isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about coming home.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Hello lovelies, I am so excited to share that my debut ebook, The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women, is officially available! In this short episode I want to tell you about the book, who I wrote it for, and why it means so much to me.
👉 Grab the ebook here: soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
This is the book that I wish someone had handed me when I first started untangling people-pleasing, guilt that was never mine, and the habit of putting everyone else first. It's practical, it's soul-led, and it was written for the woman who is ready to stop shrinking and start belonging to herself again.
If you've been following along, walked through the episodes with me, or felt something stir when I talked about coming home to yourself, this is your next step.
👉 Get your copy today: soultrip.gumroad.com/l/ebook
Soul Trip with Chel is a podcast for women who are ready to stop shrinking and start remembering who they've always been. I've been doing this work for nearly a decade: learning to accept, trust, and love myself on a deep, unshakable level. Now, I get to guide women like you through that same journey, so you can show up as who you were always meant to be and give your gifts to the world. Soul Trip isn't about fixing yourself. It's about coming home to yourself.
I'm so glad you're here.
Some places, rituals, and pieces of ourselves quietly get tangled up with the people we shared them with, until what was always ours starts to feel like it belongs to someone else too.
This is part two of a two-part episode, and it's where the Idyllwild story turns. If you haven't heard part one yet, start there, because this is where the trip finds its bright side, and the whole arc lands best when you have the full story.
Chel picks up the morning everything softened: a power outage that never came, a slow and restful start that taught her rest isn't something she has to earn, a breakfast she almost talked herself out of and circled back for anyway, and an unplanned stop at a quiet Zen center on the way down the mountain. Underneath the side quests is the real work of the episode: what it actually means to take back a place that got muddied by someone else's energy, and how she moves from the story into the lessons.
Sound familiar? Maybe for you it isn't a mountain town. Maybe it's a hobby, a song, a city, or a part of yourself you handed to someone who didn't hold it gently. This episode is about how you reclaim it, not by erasing the past, but by finding your own way back.
This episode covers:
A note from Chel: If you've ever struggled to feel at home in a place, a hobby, or a memory after sharing it with someone who's no longer around, this one is for you. Reclaiming something doesn't mean it suddenly becomes perfect, and it doesn't mean pretending the time you shared it didn't matter. It just means you're not giving up on yourself, or on the thing that was yours to begin with. I'd love to hear whether you think reclamation is possible after hearing my story, and where in your own life you might be ready to do it.
✨ Before You Go: Something I Made for You
If this episode resonated, I think you'll love my debut ebook. The Way Back to Yourself: Soft Strength for Naturally Nice Women is everything I needed when I first set out to reclaim my own life. It's practical, it's soul-led, and it was made for women ready to stop people-pleasing and start belonging to themselves again. It's on presale for just $7 until June 22, and after that it goes to full price. If today's episode spoke to you, this is your next step.
👉 Grab your copy here: soultrip.gumroad.com/l/presale 🤍
📓 Get your free guide, 10 Phrases to Help You Stop Being the "Nice Girl" (Without Losing Your Kindness), at soultripwithchel.com
🤍 Join the community on Substack: soultripwithchel.substack.com
If this episode resonated, sharing it with a friend or leaving a review helps more women find their way here, and that truly means the world.
Soul Trip with Chel is a podcast for women who are ready to stop shrinking and start remembering who they've always been. Chel has been doing this work herself for nearly a decade: learning to accept, trust, and love herself on a deep, unshakable level. Now she gets to guide women like you through that same journey, so you can show up as who you were always meant to be and give your gifts to the world. Soul Trip isn't about fixing yourself. It's about coming home to yourself.
I'm so glad you're here.
From the publisher's feed