SwissCast Shows: Where Swiss Life Meets English Voices

How do you become a coach (and actually make it work) without having it all figured out first?

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to be a coach, but I’m not sure I’m qualified… and also I have no idea how the business side works,” this conversation is for you. Megan and Danna sit down with Ben Fox to unpack what it really looks like to grow into coaching, build credibility (even when you’re young), and create a sustainable path that doesn’t require perfection, a polished brand, or seven social platforms.

Ben shares how he went from calling himself a broad “life coach” at 25 (boldly, as one does) to becoming a career transformation coach working with people navigating big professional pivots. A big theme is that coaching skill isn’t the same as industry expertise. Listening, reflecting, and helping someone move forward are transferable skills, and in many cases, the thing that makes someone a great coach is less about knowing the “right answers” and more about being able to hold space and ask the right questions.

Then we get into the part most new coaches quietly dread: marketing. Ben doesn’t sugarcoat it, but he does make it feel doable. He talks about focusing on one platform (LinkedIn, in his case), using consistent outreach, and understanding the funnel. Not everyone responds, not everyone is your client, and that’s normal. The goal is reps, clarity, and a system you can keep doing when you’re tired, busy, or doubting yourself.

Finally, the conversation zooms out to a freeing reminder: you can be a coach without being a full-time entrepreneur. Megan reflects on realizing that solo entrepreneurship wasn’t the right fit, while coaching still absolutely is. You can coach in a corporate job, in your community, inside a larger organization, or as a contractor. The question isn’t just “How do I become a coach?” but “What version of coaching actually fits my life, values, and nervous system?”

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

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00:00 — Intro: rebooting Becoming a Health Coach + why Ben’s story matters

01:45 — Ben’s coaching identity: life coach → career transformation coach

03:45 — Age vs credibility: earning trust when you’re young

07:10 — Do certifications matter (and what programs can really give you)

10:00 — “Just go coach”: learning by doing and getting comfortable sucking first

12:00 — Finding a niche: from scattered marketing to a clear focus

15:30 — First paying clients: why charging changes everything

20:45 — The marketing mindset shift: LinkedIn outreach + consistency

24:15 — One platform wins: why omnichannel made Ben miserable

29:00 — Rejection rates and funnels: what conversion can look like

32:10 — “Who Not How”: hiring help to learn marketing and business

34:30 — Coaching as a contractor: tradeoffs of “just showing up to coach”

38:00 — Ben’s current offer: 1:1 package + building community

39:30 — One piece of advice: how do you know you want to be a coach?

41:00 — Megan’s reflection: coaching without entrepreneurship + experiment first

47:00 — Biggest myth: you don’t need expertise to be a great coach

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

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Institute for Integrative Nutrition Special Deals

IIN is expensive but they always have special deals going on.

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Are you So Frickin' Healthy?

Check out the other podcast I co-host with Danna Levy Hoffmann from Organilicious.ch. We are both IIN Health Coaching graduates who got together for our love to talk about all things health related.

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Final Thoughts: An Inside Look at Health Coaching - Joanna's impressions one month later

In this wrap-up episode, Joanna reflects on her experience working with Danna and shares what surprised her, what stuck, and what she would tell someone who is thinking about hiring a health coach. She talks about coming into coaching feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health advice and wanting personalized support that could help her figure out what mattered for her real life, not just what looked good on the internet.

Joanna also shares the small but powerful changes that made the biggest difference, including the mindset shift that every day, and even every meal, can be a fresh start. No dramatic lifestyle overhaul required. No wellness fairy dust. Just practical, human-sized shifts that actually fit into family life.

We also talk about finding the right coach-client chemistry, why food logging can be deeply annoying and annoyingly useful, and how tiny habits, like keeping “safety foods” on the table, can make healthy choices easier without turning dinner into a full-time negotiation with your children.

If you’ve ever wondered whether health coaching is worth it, how a health coach can help, or what kind of results you can realistically expect from coaching, this episode gives you an honest behind-the-scenes look at the process.

If you want to hear the all of the coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

If you want the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Website

Leave us a Voicemail

Join the So Frickin' Healthy Community

Watch us on YouTube

Connect with us on Substack

00:00 Final Thoughts on Health Coaching Series

05:09 What convinced you to work with a health coach?

06:18 How was your coaching experience different than you expected it to be?

09:00 What advice would you give to someone looking to hire a health coach?

10:26 What would you have wished would've happened during your coaching?

11:25 What have you been able to achieve since you worked with Danna?

14:16 Was there something that you learned about yourself that surprised you?

Mentioned in this episode:

So Frickin' Healthy is a proud member of and produced by the SwissCast Network

Discover more great podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

Beyond the Proof-Of-Concept: How HealthSeed Is Scaling Healthcare Innovation Across Borders.

In the final episode of Narratives of Purpose's special series from the 2026 HIMSS European Health Conference, host Claire Murigande speaks with Safia Agueni, the COO and co-founder of HealthSeed.

HealthSeed is a Swiss healthcare venture studio helping biotech, medtech, diagnostics, AI drug discovery, and digital-health companies launch and scale across Europe, North America, and MENA.

In this interview, Safia shares her journey from nearly two decades in Big Pharma to launching HealthSeed, and why so many European health startups end up leaving the continent. She also discusses bridging innovation ecosystems across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and the power of community and trusted networks in building impactful ventures.

A must-listen for health tech entrepreneurs, impact investors, and anyone curious about what it really takes to bring healthcare innovation to patients worldwide.

Be sure to visit our podcast website for the full episode transcript.

LINKS:

• Connect with Safia Agueni on LINKEDIN
• Learn more about HealthSeed at healhseed.vc
• Follow HealthSeed on social media: LinkedIn
• Listen to all our HIMSS26 Europe episodes at bit.ly/himsseu26

• Follow our host Dr. Claire Murigande: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN
• Follow us: LinkedIn
• Connect with us: [email protected] | subscribe to our news
• Tell us what you think: write a review

CHAPTERS:

00:19 - Introducing the HIMSS Europe 2026 Special Series

01:35 - Safia Agueni's background and why she co-founded HealthSeed

04:50 - HealthSeed's three pillars, their target and focus

07:08 - The European startup exodus

10:15 - How HealthSeed supports companies

12:10 - Regional nuances: scaling in Africa and the Middle East

15:52 - HealthSeed's unique value proposition

17:57 - The HIMSS 2026 InnovationXchange

20:30 - The power of community and network to drive business

22:26 - Safia's advice for aspiring purpose-driven entrepreneurs

Mentioned in this episode:

Narratives of Purpose is a proud member of the SwissCast Network

Discover more great podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

Most people never ask what happens to their estate plan, their prenup, or their inheritance if they move to another country, and that assumption can cost families everything. This episode digs into exactly that gap. International tax attorney Christine Concepción joins Arielle to unpack how residency rules, inheritance tax, prenups, and trust structures behave differently once a US family crosses a border.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

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00:00 - Cross-border Estate Planning: Who Needs It and Why

05:55 - US Estate Tax vs. Inheritance Tax Abroad

09:30 - How an Unplanned Inheritance Becomes Taxable in the US

12:38 - Why Your Prenup Might Not Hold Up After Moving Abroad

18:09 - Dividing Foreign Company Shares in a Divorce Settlement

26:20 - Why US Trust Structures Often Fail Once You Move Abroad

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ABOUT THE GUEST

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Christine Concepción is an international tax attorney whose practice covers cross-border tax planning, estate planning, pre-immigration planning, expatriation, FBAR compliance, and tax controversy for individuals, families, and closely held businesses.

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ABOUT YOUR HOST

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Arielle Tucker, CFP® & IRS Enrolled Agent with Connected Financial Planning, is a cross-border financial planner based in Switzerland helping Americans living abroad navigate U.S. taxes, international investments, and cross-border financial planning.

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LOVE THIS EPISODE?

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Follow the show and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it's the single biggest thing you can do to help other cross-border families find this show.

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ABOUT PASSPORT TO WEALTH®

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Passport To Wealth® is the platform for current and aspiring US expats. We connect globally mobile Americans with vetted, licensed cross-border financial advisors, tax professionals, and relocation experts who understand the financial and legal complexities of life abroad.

STAY CONNECTED

Connect with Christine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineaconcepcion

Website: https://www.passporttowealth.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passport-to-wealth/

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This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances vary. Consult a qualified cross-border financial professional before making any financial or tax decisions.

Mentioned in this episode:

Order "The Expat Money Playbook"

Passport to Wealth is a proud member of the SwissCast Network

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Find your cross-border expert on the Passport To Wealth® directory

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Click to start your Business Reality Check

FAQ 2: "At what point is my business actually ready for structure - and how do I know I'm not just adding bureaucracy?"

Worried that “more structure” will kill your scrappy edge and turn your business into a slow corporate machine? In this episode, Linda breaks down the real difference between structure that creates clarity and bureaucracy that creates drag, plus a quick test to make sure anything you add actually replaces friction.

What You'll Learn:

The Hook: Why founders fear structure will erase the speed and creativity that made the business work.

Reality Check: Bureaucracy usually comes from the wrong structure at the wrong time for the wrong reasons, while useful structure removes decisions and clarifies ownership.

The Shift: Readiness isn’t about size. It’s about friction: repeated conversations, inconsistent decisions, and slow onboarding because nothing is written down.

The Move: A simple test before you build any new process:

• Name the decision or conversation this process is meant to replace
• If you can’t answer clearly (or it’s just “we should have a process”), pause
• Build just enough to solve one friction point, then reassess

The Wrap: Structure doesn’t kill scrappy energy. Chaos does. Structure gives that energy somewhere to go.

Key Takeaway: If it isn’t replacing time, confusion, or rework, it’s not structure. It’s weight.

Ready to build structure without bureaucracy? Visit https://www.lindavanegmond.com/ and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Our mission is simple: to create a space where Swiss life and English voices connect, bringing you meaningful conversations, expert insights, and compelling stories from all over the country.

Our podcast shows are made by, for, or in Switzerland and range from Health, Business, Career, Travel, and more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Click to start your Business Reality Check

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SwissCast Network

Got 10 Minutes? IBS vs IBD — Your Gut Is Trying to Tell You Something

You've heard of IBS. You've probably said "I have IBS" at some point — maybe even without a formal diagnosis. But do you know what it actually means? And do you know the difference between IBS and IBD? Because they are not the same thing, and mixing them up could mean missing something your body really needs you to catch. Danna breaks it down — what each one is, how to tell them apart, what the warning signs are, and why your gut symptoms might be a lot more connected to your food choices than you think.

Spoiler: IBS is basically medicine's way of saying "we see you're suffering and we have absolutely no idea why." Welcome to being a woman with a gut.

What You'll Learn:

1. The actual difference between IBS (functional disorder, invisible on tests) and IBD (real inflammation, shows up in scans)
2. The symptoms that should send you straight to a gastroenterologist — not just bloating, but blood, fever, and things that wake you up at night
3. How untreated IBS could potentially set the stage for something more serious down the line
4. The five foods functional medicine most commonly links to autoimmune gut conditions (gluten and dairy are just the beginning)
5. Why you might react to a "healthy" food like carrots — and why that doesn't mean you're broken, it means you need to dig deeper
6. Why an elimination diet paired with a food diary is still one of the most powerful tools available

That's your 10 minutes. And yes, Megan's husband would very much like her to have fewer gut issues too. She mentioned it herself.

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Website

Leave us a Voicemail

Join the So Frickin' Healthy Community

Watch us on YouTube

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00:00 IBS vs IBD Intro

00:58 What IBS Really Means

02:14 IBD Explained and Red Flags

05:54 Can IBS Become IBD

07:57 Elimination Diets and Wrap Up

Mentioned in this episode:

So Frickin' Healthy is a proud member of and produced by the SwissCast Network

Discover more great podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

How Africa Is Reimagining Healthcare with AI.

In the fifth episode of Narratives of Purpose's special series from the 2026 HIMSS European Health Conference, host Claire Murigande sits down with Valentine Kamau, the creator and host of AI HealthBeat Africa.

They explore the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and health tech across the African continent. Valentine shares her journey from health sciences researcher to podcaster, her mission to amplify the voices of African health tech innovators, and the groundbreaking solutions she has featured on her show.

Together, Claire and Valentine discuss the biggest challenges facing African health tech startups and reflect on the global push for patient-centered, preventive healthcare. A timely conversation on cross-continental collaboration, Pan-African innovation, and what it truly means to build health technology for all.

Be sure to visit our podcast website for the full episode transcript.

LINKS:

• Connect with Valentine Kamau on LINKEDIN
• Learn more about AI HealthBeat Africa at aihealthdialoguesafrica.substack.com
• Follow AI HealthBeat Africa on their social media channels: YouTube | LinkedIn | X | TikTok | Instagram

• Follow our host Dr. Claire Murigande: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN
• Follow us: LinkedIn
• Connect with us: [email protected] | subscribe to our news
• Tell us what you think: write a review

CHAPTERS:

00:19 - Introducing the HIMSS Europe 2026 Special Series

01:25 - Valentine Kamau's Journey from Health Sciences to Podcasting

04:54 - Innovative Solutions and Broader Impact on the Continent

07:41 - Challenges and Opportunities in African Health Tech

11:03 - Valentine's Take on Global Perspectives and Collaboration

Mentioned in this episode:

Narratives of Purpose is a proud member of the SwissCast Network

Discover more great podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

A safety incident at her kids' school was the last straw. Within months, one family had traded the US for Medellín, Colombia, and started building a life around a completely different set of values.

Alyssa Bolaños grew up between cultures long before she ever considered leaving the US permanently. In this episode, she shares how she and her husband decided where to raise their two boys, why they picked Medellín specifically, what surprised them about safety once they arrived, and how they built their residency status around their children rather than a spousal visa.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

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00:00 – Raising Global Kids: How Expat Families Choose Where Home Is

04:36 – The Safety Incident That Pushed One Family to Leave the US

09:33 – How to Choose a Walkable City with Easy Access to Nature

14:28 – What Daily Life and Safety Actually Look Like in Colombia

20:33 – How to Get Residency in Colombia Through Your Children

23:07 – Healthcare Costs After Leaving the US Healthcare System

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ABOUT THE GUEST

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Alyssa Bolaños is the bilingual Latina creator behind Casa Belanos. She moved with her husband and two young boys from the US to Colombia, by way of a three-month world-schooling program in Uruguay, and shares the realities of raising global, bilingual kids online.

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ABOUT YOUR HOST

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Arielle Tucker, CFP® & IRS Enrolled Agent, is a cross-border financial planner based in Switzerland helping Americans living abroad navigate U.S. taxes, international investments, and cross-border financial planning.

──────────────────────────────────────────

LOVE THIS EPISODE?

──────────────────────────────────────────

Follow the show and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it's the single biggest thing you can do to help other cross-border families find this show.

──────────────────────────────────────────

ABOUT PASSPORT TO WEALTH™

──────────────────────────────────────────

Passport To Wealth™ is the platform for current and aspiring US expats. We connect globally mobile Americans with vetted, licensed cross-border financial advisors, tax professionals, and relocation experts who understand the financial and legal complexities of life abroad.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow Alyssa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casabolanos/

Website: https://www.passporttowealth.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passport-to-wealth/

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This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances vary. Consult a qualified cross-border financial professional before making any financial or tax decisions.

Mentioned in this episode:

Passport to Wealth is a proud member of the SwissCast Network

Discover more podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

Order "The Expat Money Playbook"

Find your cross-border expert on the Passport To Wealth® directory

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter

How Do I Make It Last?

Joanna walked into her final session with the only question that matters: How do I make this stick when things are hard?

Travel. Illness. Holiday season. She's exhausted again—and she knows exactly why. A few months ago, she wouldn't have noticed the difference. Now her body tells her immediately when she's off track. That awareness? That's the win.

She asked about dinner burnout, about the overwhelm of meal prep, about what happens when her partner's default is "let's just order delivery." These aren't exotic problems. This is every parent, every busy person, everyone trying to eat real food while life keeps lifing.

Danna's answer: you don't have to meal prep for the whole week. That's overwhelming and sets you up to resent it. Just think about tomorrow. Just one meal ahead. And Megan's chiming in from the sidelines: get an air fryer, Joanna.

The bigger picture: six sessions isn't the same as six months. Real habit change takes time, and the three-month mark is when life starts testing you. Joanna hit that wall—but she also proved she knows how to climb back over it. She notices the difference now. She wants to get back to feeling good. That's not where she started.

This series showed what health coaching actually looks like: messy, human, full of slip-ups and comebacks. Joanna did the work. Danna held her hand. And now she walks forward on her own.

This is the final debrief of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Overview

02:14 Air Fryer and Kitchen Gadgets Discussion

07:44 Meal Prepping Tips and Tricks

11:07 Joanna's Journey and Coaching Reflections

15:36 Advice for Aspiring Health Coaches

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

You Before Baby and You After Baby Are Not the Same Person ft. Ben Fox

Yes, it's a guy talking about maternity leave. Danna said it before Megan could. But here's the thing — Ben Fox spent five years coaching women through one of the most professionally precarious moments of their lives, and he's genuinely good at it. This episode is for anyone who's pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or just came back from leave wondering why nothing feels the same anymore. Spoiler: you're not the same person. That's not a bug.

About Ben Fox: Ben is a career coach who helps burnt-out and misaligned leaders in tech quit toxic jobs and figure out what's next. He spent five years on the Maven Clinic platform coaching women through maternity leave — before, during, and after. He's also appeared on Back After Burnout (SwissCast Network), which Megan enthusiastically recommends.

What You'll Learn:

1. Why the person you are before your first baby and the person after are genuinely two different humans
2. When and how to tell your boss you're pregnant — and why timing and seniority actually matter
3. The fear of not being "good enough" when you return — and the better question to ask instead
4. How maternity leave laws vary wildly (US vs Switzerland vs Germany) and why you need to know yours
5. The "quit date" strategy for women who know they're done before they even go back
6. Why planning your exit around a baby might actually be the smartest career move you make

Real Talk Moments: Megan shares that a colleague once told her every woman who'd had a baby had eventually left their company — and she'd never even noticed. Danna's take: she was already self-employed by the time her kids arrived, so maternity leave wasn't really a thing — she was just pregnant while hustling. Both admit they'd never really thought about any of this until now, which is probably why they made the episode.

Ben's Parting Wisdom: "There's this you right now, and then there's this you after you have your first child. They're two completely different people. Trust her."

Connect with Ben Fox: Find Ben online and listen to his episode on Back After Burnout on the SwissCast Network.

Ben's Website - https://benfoxcoaching.com

And let's not forget his LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfoxcoaching/

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Website

Leave us a Voicemail

Join the So Frickin' Healthy Community

Watch us on YouTube

Connect with us on Substack

00:00 Pregnancy Stories and Reality

02:44 Why Maternity Leave Matters

08:30 Ben’s Coaching Playbook

15:09 Pregnancy Changes Plans

16:25 Leave Laws And Timing

21:50 Returning To Work Wisdom

Mentioned in this episode:

So Frickin' Healthy is a proud member of and produced by the SwissCast Network

Discover more great podcasts for English-speaking Switzerland

SwissCast Network

Your body's been dropping hints

Time to listen! Check out the Urban Cleanse and give yourself the refresh you deserve.

Organilicious - Danna, Functional Medicine Health Coach