Last week on STRIPPED, we unpacked texting anxiety — that all-too-familiar spiral of overthinking every word, emoji, and pause before hitting send. This week, we’re going deeper: the unspoken, absurd “rules” we’ve all internalized, why our brains go straight to worst-case scenarios, and how modern texting has made real-life conversation harder than ever.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The mental gymnastics of texting “rules” — why waiting hours, double-checking emojis, or overthinking tone keeps connection confusing.
• How your anxiety energy shows up in your messages and can sabotage otherwise promising connections.
• Why abbreviations, gifs, and emojis make it nearly impossible to convey tone authentically.
• Practical strategies to pause, check in with your energy, and text with confidence.
• How to detach from outcomes while still showing genuine interest — so your texts feel fun, magnetic, and real.

I’ll also share a personal (and slightly embarrassing) story from my dating past to show exactly how texting anxiety can derail a connection — and what happens when you finally let go of the mental gymnastics.

Reflect: This week, notice one texting rule you’ve been following obsessively and break it. Send a text authentically — without worrying about timing, emojis, or “right” wording — and observe what happens. Comment or DM me with your results!

Review: Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with anyone who overthinks their texts — let’s help each other connect with more ease!

Reach Out: If you’re ready to stop letting texting anxiety control your love life, check out my free resources or book a Kickoff Call to get personalized guidance for showing up authentically in dating – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

Grab your FREE 5 Minute, Pre-Date Pre Game worksheet and step into your next date calm, confident, and magnetic!

Have you ever stared at your phone, rewriting a text 17 times before finally hitting send—only to immediately regret it? Or sat there watching the little dot-dot-dot bubble… waiting… waiting… and then—nothing?

Welcome to texting anxiety.

In this episode of STRIPPED: Drop Your Patterns, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the biggest stressors in modern dating: the pressure to “get it right” over text. Whether it’s waiting the “perfect” number of hours to reply, second-guessing your emojis, or spiraling when you don’t hear back right away, the truth is—it’s not about the text. It’s about the story your brain is running while you’re texting.

I’ll share a client story that shows how texting anxiety can tank momentum, break down why those unspoken “rules” of texting don’t actually work, and give you simple mindset and practical shifts to bring confidence back into the conversation.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why both men and women secretly play by the same texting “rules” (and why those rules kill connection).
• How your story—not your words—is what’s actually creating anxiety (and how to change it).
• A powerful mindset reframe that instantly shifts your texting energy from needy → magnetic.
• One practical question to ask yourself before hitting send that keeps you grounded and authentic.

👉 If you’re tired of overthinking your messages and want to show up more confident, natural, and connected in dating, this episode is for you.

And don’t miss Part 2 next week, where I’ll unpack the most common texting traps—and how to avoid them.

Reflect: What story are you telling yourself when texting someone you like?

Review: Be sure to like and subscribe to STRIPPED, leave me your comments or questions, and share it with your circles. 

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

Grab your FREE 5 Minute, Pre-Date Pre Game worksheet and step into your next date calm, confident, and magnetic!

Feeling stuck in the same patterns in your love life? In this quick, actionable mini-episode, I guide you through a powerful visualization to help you become aware of the story your brain has been rehearsing — and shift it to attract the connections and experiences you truly want.

You’ll learn how to:

• Spot the self-sabotaging beliefs that are shaping your dating life
• Replace them with magnetic, empowering alternatives
• Step into a mindset that naturally draws in aligned, genuine connections
• Feel more confident, grounded, and at ease before your next interaction

Whether you’re preparing for a date, reflecting on past experiences, or just want a mental reset, this 10-minute exercise will leave you feeling lighter, more magnetic, and in control of your romantic story.

🎧Pro Tip: Listen with headphones and take a moment to really immerse yourself in the visualization — the more you feel it, the more your mind and energy will start to align with it.

Reflect: As you go through the first part of the guided visualization, what sensations do you notice in your body? What is that telling you about the impact of the old stories?

Review: Be sure to like and subscribe to STRIPPED, leave me your comments or questions, and share it with your circles. 💡Listen to this mini mindset shift every day for the next 20 days. After day 20, leave a comment on this episode sharing the biggest insight, shift, or win you noticed over the challenge. I can’t wait to see how your story has transformed!

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

Grab your FREE 5 Minute, Pre-Date Pre Game worksheet and step into your next date calm, confident, and magnetic!

What if the biggest thing standing between you and the relationship you want… is your own brain?

In this episode of STRIPPED: Drop Your Patterns, I’m sharing a surprising story about how I manifested a full backyard makeover — without knowing when or how it would happen — and why that same principle applies to your dating life.

Here’s the truth: most people don’t struggle because love isn’t possible for them. They struggle because their brain has been rehearsing the wrong story — “I’ll always end up with the wrong person,” “Dating is a dead end,” “Maybe love just isn’t in the cards for me.” And the longer you keep believing those stories, the more they quietly shape your reality.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why your beliefs are the foundation of your dating success (or failure).
• How the “yard makeover” story reveals the secret power of mindset.
• The difference between hoping for love and believing it’s possible.
• A simple reframe to start hacking your mind today — so you can create space for the relationship you really want.

If you’ve ever wondered why nothing seems to change no matter how many apps, dates, or self-help books you try — this episode is for you.

Reflect: If you look at the kinds of partners and experiences you keep attracting, what story about love or about yourself might be running the show?

Review: Be sure to like and subscribe to STRIPPED, leave me your comments or questions, and share it with your circles. Together, let’s spread the word that love doesn’t have to be a guessing game — it can be real, intentional, and extraordinary.

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

TW: This episode briefly discusses depression, violence, and suicide.

What really causes relationships to fall apart? Spoiler: it’s not just cheating, fighting, or “growing apart.” After 15+ years of supporting men as a coach and Cuddlist practitioner, I’ve seen the real root cause—and it might surprise you. In this episode, I share why so many men (including married men with families) feel profoundly lonely, how disconnection creeps in long before a breakup, and what you can do differently to build a relationship that lasts.

If you’re serious about creating a partnership that feels connected, passionate, and built to thrive, this one’s for you. 

Reflect: What “cracks in the foundation” have you seen in relationships around you—and what would it look like to repair them before they spread?

Review: Please like and subscribe to STRIPPED, leave me a comment or question, and share it in your communities. Because even if you’re not struggling, someone you know probably is. There are too many lonely people in our world, and together we can help them feel a little less so.

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

You’ve done everything “right,” but something still feels… off. You’ve built your career, your social life, maybe even a steady dating rhythm. And yet, the connection, the spark, the sense that someone truly gets you—that’s still missing.

Think about it: you hire a personal trainer to get fit. You hire an advisor to grow your wealth. You don’t try to navigate those parts of life alone—so why treat your love life any differently?

The truth is, dating isn’t just about swiping or showing up. It’s about clarity, confidence, and having someone guide you to show up as your most magnetic, authentic self. That’s exactly what coaching does. Today I’m sharing the game plan that helps you finally attract the partner you actually want—and keeps you from spinning your wheels doing it alone.

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Kickoff Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

You’ve done the work. And yet… your ideal partner still isn’t lining up. Why?

In this episode of STRIPPED, we uncover the hidden barrier that keeps you from the connection you crave—and the surprisingly simple practices that can change everything.

Reflect: Imagine you forgot your phone at home and had to be without out if for a full day. What would your day be like without your devices?

Review: Please like and subscribe to STRIPPED, leave me a comment or question, and share it in your communities. Because even if you’re not struggling, someone you know probably is. There are too many lonely people in our world, and together we can help them feel a little less so.

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life  and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Blind Spot Audit!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

What do you get when you mix privilege, performance, and a healthy dose of family dysfunction? You get the Ratliffs, in Season 3 of The White Lotus. In this episode, we’re unpacking both the men and women of the Ratliff family, and exploring how generational conditioning, gender roles, and identity performance create disconnects that play out in real life.

What we cover:

• How Timothy, Saxon, and Lochlan embody extreme examples of performative masculinity and the pressure to succeed.
• How Victoria and Piper illustrate female conditioning, privilege, and the push-pull between traditional roles and independence.
• How these fictional family dynamics mirror what I see with clients striving for connection while navigating societal expectations.
• Why awareness, clarification of values, and consistent action are the keys to breaking these cycles.

By the end of today’s episode, you’ll see how unexamined patterns within a family don’t exist in isolation—one member’s masks and performances echo through the household, influencing how everyone relates and connects, and rippling out into our everyday relationships beyond the family unit.

Reflect: Without gender role conditioning directing every move throughout their development, who do you think Timothy and Victoria would have become? Would they have even ended up together? If yes, how would their different life paths have impacted Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan? Notice the generational ripple effect of either perpetuating or stripping patterns - are you ready to drop yours?

Review: Please like, rate, subscribe, and share! Did you notice something in the Ratliffs that hits close to home? DM me or comment with your questions — I’ll answer anonymously on a future episode.

Reach Out: 

Have a pattern or dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Let’s dig into the blocks that are keeping you from the love of your life and create a strategy to dissolve them – schedule a complimentary Blind Spot Audit!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

In this episode of STRIPPED, I answer a listener’s heartfelt question:

“Dear Rachael, I get the ‘You’re such a great guy’ speech more than I’d like to admit. I have good conversations, I listen, I try to be emotionally available. But I still somehow end up in the friend zone. Am I supposed to be an asshole, and why am always attracted to the girls who seem to prefer them?”

We dig into the truth behind the myths that women love bad boys and men love bitches. 

Here’s the real story:

• Why we pick incompatible partners early on – We tend to repeat subconscious patterns that feel familiar, even if they don’t serve us. 
• The work of healing those patterns – I share my own vulnerable story of breaking my old attraction patterns and how doing this opened me up to far more compatible, fulfilling relationships.
• Clarifying your values – Once you know what you truly want and value in a partner, you strip away the old patterns and create space for relationships that actually align with the kind of connection you’ve been craving.

Key Takeaway:

• It’s not that women actually want bad boys or that men love cruel women; it’s that they’re choosing these incompatible partners based on sub/ unconscious fears, insecurities, limiting beliefs, familiar dynamics, etc that serve some beneficial purpose. Once they investigate what the perceived benefit is, they can do the work to strip their patterns. Until then, my friend, they just won’t be ready to receive your greatness.

If you’ve ever wondered why you keep ending up with people who aren’t a great fit—or why the “good ones” don’t seem to spark your interest—this episode is for you.

Reflect: Ask yourself: What is MY dating pattern and how is it serving me?

Review: Please like, subscribe, and share this podcast so that your dating pool gets wider and filled with conscious daters like yourselves!

Reach Out: 

Have a dating question? DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Explore whether private coaching is the right next step by scheduling a complimentary Kick-Off Call!

Download my FREE Speed Dating Survival Guide for Men – for when you’ve only got a few minutes to make a connection and you wanna make them count!

In this episode of STRIPPED, I dive into a common—and often frustrating—contradiction in dating and relationships: women say they want emotionally vulnerable men, but then pull away or shut down when men actually show vulnerability.

Drawing from personal insight, gender conditioning, and a memorable moment from the best sitcom of all time, I explore how decades of cultural programming shape mixed messages on both sides. For men, vulnerability can still feel like a risk with real consequences. For women, old social conditioning can trigger discomfort or fear when emotions get raw.

And finally, we unpack what it really means to be “man enough” today—beyond outdated stereotypes—and how both men and women can start breaking the cycle of misunderstanding and missed connection.

Tune in to hear:

• Why vulnerability still feels risky for many men despite cultural shifts
• How women’s mixed reactions often come from deep-rooted conditioning, not intention
• How men and women both get caught in confusing cycles around emotional expression

Key Takeaways:

• Vulnerability can feel risky for many men because it triggers deep, instinctual fears of rejection or harm.
• Women’s discomfort when men show vulnerability often comes from their own conditioning and isn’t about rejecting the man.
• The definition of “man enough” is evolving—from rigid toughness to embracing emotional honesty and presence.
• Building emotional intimacy takes courage and effort from both partners—not just men.
• Becoming aware of these mixed messages helps create space for more genuine and lasting connection.

Reflect:

For MEN:

• How do you feel when you try to be vulnerable and it’s met with discomfort or rejection?
• What would it take for you to feel safer showing your whole self to a partner?

For WOMEN:

• Can you recall a time when you felt uncomfortable or unsure how to receive vulnerability? What was going on for you in that moment?
• How can you create space for vulnerability in your relationships, even when it feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable?

Review: What’s one mixed message about vulnerability or being “man enough” that you’ve noticed? Drop a comment—I want to hear from you!

Reach Out: 

DM me on LinkedIN or send me an email at [email protected]

Join my free monthly MeetUp: Free Dating Advice for Men From a Woman

Explore whether private coaching is the right next step by scheduling a complimentary Kick-Off Call!