The Change Effect - Inspiration and Strategies for Creating Success on Your Own Terms

There’s a kind of grief nobody prepares you for. The grief that comes from outgrowing a version of yourself. 

A career you built your identity around.

A relationship that slowly stopped feeling like home.

A future you pictured so clearly,  until life moved in a different direction.

In this episode of The Change Effect, we explore the quiet grief that often hides underneath major life and work transitions especially for high-achieving women who are used to moving quickly into “what’s next” without stopping to process what was lost along the way.

This conversation is about the emotional middle most people skip over. The flatness that can follow a big decision. The strange guilt that comes with moving on. The way unprocessed grief can quietly keep you tethered to an old version of yourself long after you’ve left it behind.

If you’ve been feeling restless, emotionally stuck, disconnected from your next chapter, or quietly mourning something you can’t fully explain… this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why grief often shows up during reinvention and identity shifts
• The hidden ways unprocessed grief impacts your ability to move forward
• Signs you may be carrying grief you haven’t acknowledged yet
• Practical ways to process transition without getting stuck in the past

We've attached a powerful reflective exercise below called The Letter You Never Wrote designed to help you process the version of your life you thought you’d have, and begin making space for what comes next. 

🖊️ The Letter You Never Wrote — a guided reflective writing exercise to help you process unspoken grief and release the version of life you thought you’d have.

Worksheet + Exercise Link:

Listener Exercise Worksheet

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

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In this week's Encore Episode, we bring back one of our listener favorites - Carly Catherine who guides us into the world of tapping to help calm anxiety and overwhelm.

When life feels like an endless list of demands, how do you find peace and safety in your own body? 

Carly shares how nervous system regulation and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) tapping helped her move from exhaustion and hyper-independence to a life of emotional expansion, creative joy, and authentic self-trust.

Get 20% off your Day by Daybook®  with the discount code NEW20 here. 

Carly is an Ontario Certified Teacher and EFT Practitioner who helps women and educators move from survival mode to emotional expansion through nervous system regulation and EFT tapping. 

After years of people-pleasing, over-functioning, and pouring everything into her students, family, and work, Carly hit a breaking point—realizing she’d built a life that looked “successful,” but left nothing for her. 

Through the practice of EFT tapping and nervous system work, she began unwinding patterns of hyper-independence and self-abandonment, learning to feel safe in her body, express her emotions, and reclaim joy, creativity, and purpose. Now, she teaches others to do the same, bridging science and soul to help women and educators regulate stress, build emotional capacity, and lead from self-trust instead of burnout. 

Carly is the founder of The Healing Hive, a global EFT tapping membership and community for women, and she also leads workshops in schools and organizations focused on emotional regulation, well-being, and embodied leadership.

In this episode, Carly and I discuss:

• Carly’s journey from chronic people-pleasing and burnout to reclaiming her voice and joy with nervous system regulation.
• The science and practice of EFT tapping
• Practical ways to use tapping in everyday life
• How modeling nervous system regulation in the classroom helps students (and teachers) break cycles of dysregulation and discover emotional safety early.
• Why asking for help and setting boundaries aren’t signs of weakness, but the ultimate acts of strength and self-honor.

Whether you’re new to EFT tapping or searching for real tools to navigate stress, anxiety, or burnout, Carly’s story offers practical insights and encouragement to find safety and possibility within.

Connect with Carly:

Website

Instagram

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

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Everybody talks about the leap. The bold decision. The announcement. The beginning.

And eventually, people talk about the outcome when the new chapter finally starts to make sense.

 But almost nobody talks about the middle.

The long stretch between deciding to change and actually feeling grounded again. The phase where the old version of your life no longer fits, but the new one hasn’t fully formed yet.

 In this solo episode, Noelle Van explores what the “messy middle” of change really looks like, why so many high-achieving women quietly struggle here, and how to stay steady when clarity, momentum, and certainty feel far away.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why uncertainty feels so exhausting
• The hidden signs you’re in the middle of a real transition
• How to stop measuring progress the wrong way
• Why small setbacks hit harder during change
• Practical ways to stay grounded when life feels in-between

If you’ve been questioning yourself lately, feeling emotionally stretched, or wondering why change feels harder than expected, this episode is for you.

Because the middle isn’t proof something is wrong.

The middle is where transformation happens.

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

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In this Encore Episode of The Change Effect, I selected this little treasure because of the tenacity and strength Lorna York had in moving to San Diego post divorce and starting her own studio. 

When we think about reinventing ourselves or starting over, especially later in life, it can feel daunting like stepping into a world of unknowns with nothing but a dream to guide us. 

Lorna talks about her incredible journey from humble beginnings and personal upheaval to becoming a powerhouse in the contemporary art scene. 

At 65, Lorna is the owner of Madison Gallery, a globally recognized art space in Solana Beach, California. Her story is one of passion, resilience, and the power of betting on yourself, even when you have to do it without a safety net.

As owner of Madison Gallery, a Solana Beach-based contemporary art gallery known for introducing global artists to the Southern California art scene for the first time, Lorna built a $50 million business from scratch - no small feat in the ultra-competitive and male-dominated art industry. 

Proudly woman-owned and operated, Madison Gallery is globally renowned for their curatorial vision and personalized collector experience. As a leading voice in SoCal's contemporary art scene, Lorna's gallery has an established track-record as a platform for budding talent to launch their careers.

In this episode, Lorna and I discuss:

• How Lorna built a $50 million business and became a leading authority in contemporary art starting with nothing but determined passion.
• The challenges Lorna faced breaking into and rising within the male-dominated art industry
• The importance of pursuing work that is driven by joy and passion rather than fear
• Embracing reinvention at any age, and why Lorna believes the “golden years” are the perfect time to be creative, energetic, and committed to making a difference.
• The role of mentorship, intuition, and believing in your vision even when success isn’t guaranteed.

Whether you’re on the brink of a major life change or simply looking for inspiration to fuel your own passions, Lorna’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, community, and the willingness to step boldly into the unknown.

If you enjoyed this episode don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

CONNECT WITH GUEST:

FB: Madison Art Gallery 

IG: Madison Gallery

CONNECT WITH ART:

RETNA “Carta de Amor” Exhibit

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

In this episode of The Change Effect, I sit down with Angelina "Strike" Stephens, a former Air Force officer, speaker, leadership coach, and advisor whose career has been defined by both high-performance leadership and the courage to speak openly about mental health.

Strike spent over two decades in the military, rising through the ranks in aircraft maintenance and global leadership roles. But alongside that professional trajectory, she was quietly navigating something deeply personal. After the birth of her first son, she experienced severe postpartum anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and struggled for nearly a year before recognizing what she was going through.

We talk about why high performers often struggle harder, how stigma breaking creates real institutional change, and what it looks like to lead with clarity, courage, and grounded self-trust, especially in environments where identity and performance are tightly intertwined.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why high performers and leaders often struggle harder, and carry it more silently, than anyone around them realizes
• What it actually takes to break the silence inside a highly structured system, and how honesty can deepen rather than diminish your leadership
• How to navigate a major career transition when you don't yet have the answers, and why treating it like a research project changes everything
• The connection between mental health, leadership, and team culture, and why these conversations belong together, not apart

This episode is a reminder that real leadership isn't built on having it all together. It's built on the courage to be honest, the willingness to be supported, and the conviction to let your lived experience, not just your achievements, lead the way.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Angela Strikes Stephens:

Website: www.strikestephens.com 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/strikestephens 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angelinastephens 

Victory Strategies Webiste: www.victory-strategies.com

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

Have you ever picked up your phone, scrolled through someone else’s life, and suddenly felt like you were behind?

In this powerful solo episode of The Change Effect, I dive deep into the comparison trap, what it really is, why it hits women differently, and how it quietly derails confidence, momentum, and self-trust.

This is not another “just stop comparing yourself” conversation. Instead, I break down the psychology behind comparison, dismantles common myths, and gives you practical, grounded strategies to turn comparison into a tool instead of a weapon.

If you’re building something new, navigating change, or finding yourself stuck in the scroll-and-doubt cycle, this episode will give you clarity, relief, and a new way forward.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The critical difference between comparison and jealousy
• Why comparison is more dangerous and harder to spot
• How women are conditioned to measure themselves relationally
• Why social media amplifies comparison patterns

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

In episode three of the Pros Who Pivot Series, we get into something very real,  how personal trauma can crack a career wide open and point you somewhere you never expected to go.

Cat Climaco is a high-conflict divorce, custody, and co-parenting coach who built a successful marketing career, worked alongside her husband in a thriving company, and from the outside appeared to have it all. But behind the image, she was quietly losing access to her family, her autonomy, and her sense of reality.

Cat shares the patterns she lived through, how the pandemic became the turning point that blew the lid off the control she had been experiencing, and after filing for divorce how she found herself navigating one of the most complex legal systems imaginable, family court, while still deep in survival mode.

Her story doesn't end with leaving. It continues into a two-and-a-half-year battle to protect her son, earn sole decision-making rights, and eventually transform everything she went through into purpose-driven work that is now helping other protective parents find their footing, their voice, and their way forward.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The early warning signs of narcissistic abuse that are easy to miss or rationalize.
• How leaving the work she loved led her to find her purpose in a powerful new career. 
• How Cat's helps clients combine nervous system regulation and legal strategy to build a winning case.
• Why the abuse often intensifies after separation, not before.

This episode is a reminder that the hardest chapters of our lives don't have to be the end of the story. Sometimes they become the very thing we were meant to share.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Cat:

Website: www.peacefulpresencedivorcecoaching.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/peacefulpresencedivorcecoaching

Instagram: www.instagram.com/peacefulpresencedivorcecoach

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catclimaco

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

You worked hard. You proved yourself. And success arrived exactly the way you planned it. So why does it still feel like something is missing?

In this solo episode, I take a candid look at hustle culture, what it really is, why ambitious women are especially vulnerable to it, and the quiet but significant price they pay over time. 

I walk through three archetypes I see repeatedly in my coaching work: the corporate high performer , the entrepreneur and the life hustler.  

But this episode isn't just a diagnosis, it's an invitation. I share what I've personally learned about stepping out of hustle mode, and the three powerful things that return when you give yourself permission to slow down.

In this episode, I discuss:

• What hustle culture actually is and why it's fundamentally different from simply working hard.
• Why ambitious women have been particularly vulnerable to hustle culture's messaging.
• Three archetypes I see in my coaching: the overworked high performer, the entrepreneur recreating the pattern and the life hustler who can't stop doing. 
• The uncomfortable truth about success: why reaching your goals doesn't automatically bring ease, fulfillment or freedom.

Below is a free Hustle Audit, a slowdown challenge and journal exercise designed to help you identify where hustle culture has taken hold in your life, and what might open up when you give yourself permission to slow down.

👉 Download the Small Action Challenge and the Hustle Audit here:

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

What happens when your creative path evolves into something you never originally planned, but feels more aligned than ever?

In this episode of The Change Effect, I sit down with Cheryl B. Engelhardt, a two-time Grammy-nominated composer, artist, and certified trauma-informed coach, for a powerful conversation about creative pivots, nervous system regulation, visibility, and building a sustainable life and career.

Cheryl shares how her journey took her from studying marine biology and working underwater for the U.S. Geological Survey to composing music for commercials, releasing pop albums, and eventually stepping into the world of New Age and ambient music. 

Along the way, she discovered that true creative evolution is not just about changing what you make. It is also about changing how you support yourself while making it.

This episode is an inspiring listen for artists, entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone navigating a major pivot while learning how to trust their voice, regulate their nervous system, and create from a more grounded place.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cheryl’s unconventional path from marine biology to music and composition
• How she moved from pop music into New Age and ambient music
• Why nervous system regulation matters for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone building something visible
• The hidden connection between being seen, old emotional patterns, and creative blocks

This episode is a reminder that your evolution does not need to make sense to everyone else to be right for you. Sometimes the next version of your work asks you to leave behind what is familiar, trust what is emerging, and build a life that supports who you are becoming.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Cheryl:

Website: www.cbemusic.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cbemusic 

Retreat: www.inthekey.co/retreat

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show

What if fearlessness is not about being unshakably confident, totally certain, or free from doubt?

In this solo episode of The Change Effect, I break down what it really means to be fearless and why so many people misunderstand courage. This is a powerful conversation for anyone standing at the edge of change, wrestling with self-doubt, overthinking their next move, or waiting to feel “ready” before taking action.

I share a refreshing and honest perspective: fearlessness is not the absence of fear. It is the decision to stop letting fear make your decisions for you.

If you have been holding back from speaking up, making a move, starting something new, or trusting yourself more deeply, this episode will help you reframe fear, build self-trust, and move forward with courage, even before confidence arrives.

The Fearless Shift Exercise

Here is a short Fearless Shift Exercise designed to help you identify where fear is making decisions for you and how to start taking that power back.

👉Link 

Are you feeling the pull of the "Great Breakup" and ready to redefine success on your own terms? In my new mini series, Pros Who Pivot, you’ll discover how women leaders are trading corporate burnout for true agency and fulfillment. 

If you're ready to take action, connect with me at [email protected] for details on the RESET, an exclusive opportunity I'm offering to a select group of women feeling the pull toward something new. 

In this episode, I discuss:

• What fearlessness actually means and why most people have it wrong.
• Why practicing being willing, not perfect, is where real change begins.
• The difference between discomfort and danger and why that distinction changes everything.
• The #1 reason most people stay stuck and how  it has nothing to do with potential.
• How to build a new relationship with yourself so fear loses its grip.

Ready to step into a definition of success that finally feels like yours? Tune in to gather wisdom, validation, and practical strategies for navigating one of life’s most important internal shifts.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me what resonated with you.

Connect with Noelle:

https://www.noellevan.com

https://www.youtube.com/@noellevanv

https://www.instagram.com/noellevanbeyond

Support the show