The Art of Badassery with Jenn Cassetta: Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment for Women

What if grief isn’t just about death, but an energy that can transform your life?

This week, Jenn Cassetta welcomes back intuitive medium, author, and consciousness coach Deborah Hanlon to discuss her book Reassembling Yourself: Turning Grief into Growth and expanding grief to include “micro griefs” like breakups, career changes, unmet dreams, and empty nesting. Deborah shares how Neale Donald Walsch unexpectedly wrote the book’s foreword after they connected through coaching, including a full-circle link to an event with Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. She explains how unprocessed grief is stored in the body and can become identity, introduces “inherited grief,” and outlines her non-linear stages—drop, daze, cocoon, goo phase, breakthrough, and echo—emphasizing presence over trying to “fix” grief. They close with rapid-fire questions, Deborah’s meditation routine, favorite books, and where to find her online. 

Connect with Deborah Hanlon

• Website: https://deborahhanlon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deborahmhanlon/

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

Have you ever wondered, “Why am I so exhausted when I’m doing everything right?” What if burnout isn’t a personal failure, but a sign that something in your life or work is out of alignment?

Jenn Cassetta sits down with burnout expert, host of the Fried podcast, and author Cait Donovan (The Bouncebackability Factor and Mismatch: Why Good People Burn Out in Good Organizations) to unpack why good people burn out and what it really takes to recover.

Cait shares her own years-long journey through burnout, the symptoms she struggled to explain, and the support that finally helped her heal. Together, they explore the WHO’s definition of burnout, the hidden roots of chronic stress, and why boundaries and resilience aren't always the simple solutions they're made out to be.

From the impact of childhood experiences and constant digital overwhelm to the role of community, access to resources, and workplace culture, this conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about burnout.

Plus, discover how to recognize the mismatch between your values and your reality, identify what's draining your energy, and start creating the conditions you need to truly thrive.

Connect with Cait Donovan:

• Website - https://caitdonovan.com/
• New Book - Mismatch: Why Good People Burn Out in Good Organizations - https://caitdonovan.com/mismatch
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/caitdonovanspeaks

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

When was the last time you felt triggered by the news, a text, or your own inner critic and wished you could stay calm instead of spiraling?

In this solo episode, host Jenn Cassetta shares why she’s been in creation mode for her new book, Secrets of the Sensei: Emotional Self-Defense to Protect Your Peace and Reclaim Your Power, and explains the goal: becoming the steady, discerning “sensei” of your life. 

Drawing from martial arts, she offers three practical moves to protect your peace: build awareness by noticing body cues before a reaction takes over, regulate your nervous system with “stop, drop, and breathe” (three slow breaths), and choose your next right step by asking how your future self would respond. She also introduces a free Resilience Reservoir Assessment measuring physical, mental, emotional, and vision/flow reserves, with personalized prescriptions to refill them. 

Links Mentioned:

• Resilience Reservoir Assessment
• Jenn’s TED Talk - How to Fight a Bully Without Using Your Fists

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

How do we raise confident, resilient kids when social media, anxiety, and constant stimulation are shaping the way they see themselves and the world?

Jenn Cassetta welcomes back clinical psychologist and Conscious Parenting Movement founder Dr. Shefali to unpack her urgent new books, Raising Conscious Daughters and Raising Conscious Sons. Drawing from anxious parents and conversations with more than 100 kids, Dr. Shefali explores what children need most in a world with less stillness, boredom, space, and delayed gratification. She shares why girls need to be raised to be heard, not good, how perfectionism and external validation can quietly erode confidence, and why boys need physicality, mentorship, and shame-free conversations about puberty. She also tackles self-harm, the influence of red-pill content, the risks of early social media access, and the powerful role parents can play by building presence, connection, and community around their kids.

Connect with Dr. Shefali:

• Website: https://www.drshefali.com/
• Book: Raising Conscious Daughters: https://www.drshefali.com/raisingconscious-daughters-sons/
• Book: Raising Conscious Sons: https://www.drshefali.com/raisingconscious-daughters-sons/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorshefali

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

What if trusting your instincts just 10% more could help you live with more confidence and less fear? 

On the Art of Badassery podcast, host Jenn Cassetta talks with women’s safety educator and Sharp Women author Kelly Sayer about “sharpening” intuition dulled by social conditioning to be nice, ignore red flags, and avoid setting boundaries. Kelly shares how she built practical, non-physical, proactive safety training, translating situational awareness, communication, and body-language skills into everyday tools for moms, travelers, and professionals, including corporate workplace violence prevention. 

They discuss common scenarios like romantic interest disguised as business, gaslighting, and the shame that keeps women silent, plus travel tips such as researching locations, being discreet at hotel check-in, and using taxis. Kelly recommends a high-lumen flashlight and a non-metallic “Sharpie” tool, and previews her personal safety subscription box. 

Connect with Kelly Sayre:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thediamondarrowgroup
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thediamondarrowgroup 
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/thediamondarrowgroup 
• Website: https://www.thediamondarrowgroup.com 

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

Ever wonder how to stay kind and grounded when the world feels angry, divided, and unsafee, specially as a woman carrying so much? 

On The Art of Badassery podcast, Jenn Casseta interviews mindfulness teacher and author Oneika Mays about her book Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation, unpacking metta (loving-kindness) and how it’s practiced by extending care from yourself to loved ones, strangers, difficult people, and all beings, without abandoning boundaries. 

Oneika shares her path through trauma, grief, career identity loss, and rediscovering herself through therapy, yoga, and meditation, including pivotal lessons on the “middle way.” She also describes teaching trauma-informed mindfulness at Rikers Island, the sensory intensity of jail, and breakthroughs like choosing tree pose instead of violence. They close with a practical 15-second mindfulness reset using the hands as an anchor. 

Connect with Oneika Mays:

• Website https://www.oneikamays.com/
• Instagram @oneikamays
• Book “Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation”
• Substack: oneikamays.substack.com

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

Ever wonder how to stay ambitious without tying your worth to your work? 

On The Art of Badassery Podcast, host Jenn Cassetta reunites with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop and author of Chasing the Bright Side and Making It Without Losing It, to talk about starting young, trying before you feel ready, and learning through setbacks. 

Jess shares how Headbands of Hope began after seeing kids with cancer want headbands, how a fraudulent manufacturer nearly derailed her, and how later she spent six figures on an app idea before cutting her losses and reframing it as “tuition” for the lesson. They discuss separating output from self-worth, building confidence through evidence, focusing on problems over outcomes, and Jess’s “purpose test” for intrinsic motivation, plus Mic Drop’s mission to help more women land paid speaking opportunities. 

Connect with Jess Ekstrom:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom/
• Website - https://jessekstrom.com/
• New Book Making It Without Losing It - https://jessekstrom.com/makingit/

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

Have you ever wondered if turning 40 could actually be the beginning of your most authentic chapter yet?

For generations, women have been handed a script: get married, have children, build a career, stay youthful, and somehow do it all on a prescribed timeline. But what happens when you decide to write your own story instead?

In this episode of The Art of Badassery, I sit down with multimedia journalist and author Stacy Lindsay to discuss her book, Being 40: The Decade of Letting Go and Embracing Who We Are. We explore why so many women are finding greater freedom, confidence, and clarity in their 40s by releasing expectations around aging, success, relationships, and identity.

Stacy shares her own journey through a challenging period while writing the book, along with insights on unlearning shame, embracing change, and navigating the realities of perimenopause and hormonal shifts. This conversation is a powerful reminder that getting older isn't about becoming less—it's about becoming more of who you truly are.

Connect with Stacey Lindsay:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/staceylindsay
• Website - https://www.staceylindsay.com/
• Book Being 40 - https://www.staceylindsay.com/book

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

Have you ever wished your partner truly “got it” when perimenopause, mental load, and everyday stress hit?

In this episode, I welcome Matt Hyams as the first male guest in Art of Badassery history, a comedian whose perimenopause videos went viral by helping women feel seen through humor, empathy, and honest communication. Matt shares how a “Tips for Men Whose Wives Are Going Through Perimenopause” video unexpectedly exploded into millions of views, how reposting and following “cosmic breadcrumbs” led to more viral wife-themed content (including Mel Robbins reposting one), and why reading comments has shown him the deeper impact. We talk about common partner mistakes, the need for patience and self-awareness, and what’s next for Matt, including a podcast with his wife, Nicole, tentatively titled “Whatever, It’s Fine.” 

Connect with Matt Hyams:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/matthyams
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-hyams/

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com

What if the most powerful safety tool you have is the one you already carry…your intuition?

On this episode of The Art of Badassery, Jenn Cassetta returns while editing her upcoming book, Secrets of a Sensei (releasing February 2027), for a powerful conversation about women’s safety, awareness, and reclaiming calm, confident power.

Jenn dives into the difficult reality that most assaults against women are committed by someone they know, often inside the home, referencing the shocking Gisèle Pelicot case and recent investigations into online networks where men share tactics involving drugging and assault. She also explores the connection between women’s safety, bodily autonomy, and the importance of using your voice, including at the ballot box.

But this conversation is ultimately about empowerment, not fear. Jenn shares practical tools to help women move through the world with greater confidence, including her “Sensei Scan” practice: one breath, one 360 scan, one right action. She explains how to strengthen intuition, increase situational awareness, and develop a grounded sense of personal power. You’ll also hear practical recommendations for self-defense resources, safety apps, and wearable tools like InvisiWear jewelry.

This episode is a reminder that awareness is not paranoia: it’s preparation, presence, and power.

Links Mentioned:

• InvisWear - use this link for a discount https://invisawear.com/?growi=jenn399
• Episode 02: Not Today Moth******er! Kelly Lieberman’s Story of Survival = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3-not-today-moth-er-kelly-liebermans-story-of-survival/id1692809626?i=1000640469258

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Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jenncassetta or her website www.jennifercassetta.com