The Cinnamon Effect - Supporting Women's Health, Emotional Resilience and Personal Growth

Does feeling burnt out mean you're living the wrong life?

In this solo episode, I'm getting honest about the working mom burnout that caught up with me this summer, even though I love what I do.

I talk about the signs of burnout that told me something had to change and the creative burnout that hit right when I needed ideas most. I also share the questions that helped me figure out how to recover from burnout while still working, raising my son, and building something new.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why burnout doesn't always mean you're doing the wrong things
• How to prevent burnout by paying attention to your everyday reactions
• What a forgotten violin taught me about the signs of mom burnout
• What two-letter word can get your life moving again
• How to recover from burnout when rest alone isn't helping
• Why a disciplined schedule can leave you with a lack of creativity
• What you can edit when mom burnout hits and quitting isn't an option
• What questions to ask yourself when it's time for a life edit
• How to simplify your life with the one question that decides what makes the cut
• What keeps me going through entrepreneur burnout on the hard days
• How to reconnect with yourself as you grow into the next version of you
• If you're tired in a way sleep doesn't fix, wondering how to deal with burnout without quitting everything, or ready to learn how to get your spark back, this episode is for you.

Here's to finding your spark again, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Resources mentioned

Bellicon Rebounder (use code TCE): https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Ballroom dancing

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dance-benefits-nobody-mentions-to-midlife-women/id1714519337?i=1000782671307

Shop the episode

https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615853

If this episode gave you a question to sit with this week, follow The Cinnamon Effect so the next one finds you on Tuesday. And if it helped you feel less alone in it, I'd love for you to leave a review so another woman can find the show when she needs it.

Have you ever stood in the beauty aisle, or the wine aisle, and wondered when the choice stopped being yours?

In this episode, I'm back in the hot seat for part two of my Q&A with my producer Amber, and this time the questions are about my body, my face, and the last drink I ever had.

We get into quitting alcohol as a way back to yourself, the one situation where I still want a drink, and how nearly five years of an alcohol free lifestyle changed more than I expected.

We talk through aging naturally vs botox, the botox alternatives I use every day, and why facial acupuncture and gua sha facial massage earned a permanent spot in my routine. We close on low tox living, why I stopped calling it non toxic living, and where I still bend my own rules.

Our conversation touches on:

- What two glasses of wine told me about my body at 41

- How my sleep and skin changed after giving up alcohol

- Why my son was part of my decision to become a sober mom

- Why moderation was a losing game for me

- Where the sober curious conversation is different from a harder one

- What natural alternatives to botox look like in my daily routine

- Why I've never touched my face and how I talk about it without judging anyone

- What I can smell from the street that I won't put on my skin

- Which wellness rituals I'd never skip, and the one I've kept for ten years

- Where the line sits between informed and obsessive

If you've ever wondered what life without alcohol would actually feel like, or whether aging naturally is still an option when everyone around you is booking the appointment, this episode will give you a picture of both from someone who's living them.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Products I love:

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something. Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Keep Listening:

If you want to hear the conversation that impacted me most, start with Marie Crews:

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-cinnamon-effect/2918311

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdoFBHs6iZc

Have you ever told the polished version of your story so many times that you started to wonder what you'd say if nobody was editing?

In this episode, I hand the questions over to Amber, my producer for the past year, and let her ask me anything she wants with no list and no heads up.

Amber has watched me interview doctors and authors all year, and she's the one who sees what happens the second we click cut. That's the version she went looking for here. We talk about everything from overcoming insecurity to the Argentina hunting trip that brought me back to my husband.

Our conversation touches on:

- What nobody tells you about how to have self confidence after 40

- How to stop caring what people think without pretending you don't care at all

- How to reconnect with your husband when your season together feels more like logistics than love

- Why the secrets to a long marriage have less to do with 50/50 than with two people each giving 100

- What building confidence really looked like for me, including confidence building activities for adults as small as one phone call I'd been avoiding

- How getting out of your comfort zone led me to ballroom dancing for adults and to a python I still can't believe I grabbed

- Where helicopter parenting and snowplow parenting get in a kid's way

- Why forgiveness in relationships is still the thing I'm working on

- How to trust your gut when you're the one making the call for someone else

- What midlife reinvention actually looks like

- What I wish we'd known about date night ideas for parents when our son was a baby

If you've been searching for marriage advice that isn't rehearsed, how to have self confidence on the days it doesn't come easily, or a reason to start getting out of your comfort zone at an age when everyone tells you to settle in, this episode is your invitation to hear the unedited version.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Products I love:

Recharge your energy and recovery with targeted frequencies. See how the BioCharger works here: https://biocharger.com/learnandearn/?business=Kimberly%20Hand&ID=

Better sleep, faster recovery, real relaxation, all from home. Shop my HigherDOSE picks here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=86123&awinaffid=1785436

Have you ever sat in a doctor's office, heard the words "everything looks normal," and driven home knowing in your gut that it wasn't?

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Alexandra Volo, a family doctor with additional certification in menopause care, who's made it her mission to help the women other providers dismissed.

Dr. Volo and I talk about the hormone shifts that can begin as early as your late 30s, and why so many women in their 40s walk out of appointments with an antidepressant prescription instead of answers. She breaks down what the Women's Health Initiative study actually got wrong more than twenty years ago, and how that one flawed headline kept generations of women away from treatment that could've changed their lives.

Our conversation touches on:

- Why irritability and 3AM wakeups arrive long before the first hot flash

- The reason normal hormone levels can't rule out perimenopause, no matter what your labs say

- What bioidentical hormones actually are, and why the term gets used as marketing

- Why Dr. Volo prescribes the patch and progesterone over pellets you can't take out

- How vaginal estrogen addresses painful sex and the UTIs so many older women suffer through silently

- The simple formula for setting your protein intake based on your ideal weight

- Where hormone disruptors hide in your kitchen, and the swaps that reduce them

- The lifestyle changes Dr. Volo prescribes as often as any medication

- How to find a certified menopause doctor who takes your symptoms seriously

Whether you're deep in the hormone shifts yourself, watching a friend struggle through them, or simply want to understand what's ahead, this conversation will help you walk into your next appointment informed and ready to advocate for yourself.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Dr. Alexandra Volo:

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

Products I love:

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean:https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Have you ever looked around your life and wondered why the things you once chased don’t feel as impressive anymore, and why some of the people you once made space for no longer feel right?

In this episode, I'm joined by Margaret Luce, a model, actress, investor, and editor at large of Vivant Magazine, who has built a career across fashion, publishing, and wellness.

Margaret and I talk about what happens when you stop shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable, why certain female friendships become harder to hold onto as you evolve, and how intuition often speaks long before your mind is ready to catch up.

We also get into luxury wellness, aging, beauty treatments, wellness biohacking, and the growing pressure to constantly optimize, improve, buy, inject, fix, and keep up.

Our conversation touches on:

- Why protecting your energy can change the way you approach friendships and social situations.

- How to recognize when a relationship may no longer belong in your life.

- What true luxury can look like beyond labels, status, and buying more.

- Why timeless purchases and quality can matter more than following trends.

- How Margaret thinks about anxiety, intuition, and listening to your body.

- Why water, movement, and simple rituals can become powerful tools during difficult seasons.

- Which wellness and beauty treatments Margaret believes are worth paying attention to.

- Why she thinks we should be more careful about jumping on every wellness trend.

- How cosmetic trends can change the way we see beauty and individuality.

- What Margaret means when she says she is entering her “villain era,” and why that shift has changed the way she lives.

If you have ever felt pressure to make yourself smaller, questioned whether a friendship still fits, or wondered what is actually worth your time, money, and energy, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Connect with Margaret:

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

Products I love:

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something. Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Is your wellness routine actually built for your body?

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Mitch Ghen, a functional medicine physician and educator with 44 years of experience, who counts hundreds of physicians among his own patients and has written four medical textbooks.

Dr. Mitch and I talk about why hormones work as a family, how a compounding pharmacy tailors prescriptions to your blood work, and what he looks for when patients arrive with mold exposure, heavy metals, or reactivated Epstein Barr. We also get into his in-or-out list on everything from creatine and keto to cold plunges and saunas.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why bioidentical hormones differ from the conjugated estrogens used in older studies

- Why women may need estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone together

- What to ask your practitioner before starting bio identical hormone therapy

- Why estrogen metabolism matters as much as the hormones themselves

- How to spot red flags at med spas and drip bars offering IV therapy

- Why blood work should come before any IV drip or peptide

- Why sexual wellness can support your hormones, stress levels, and sleep

- What to know about zeolite, toxic metals, and everyday toxin exposure

- How to use fermented foods and probiotics to support your gut

- Why a stool analysis may reveal more than a colonoscopy

- What to consider before trying keto, creatine, or intermittent fasting

If you've been searching for hormone balance, advanced integrative medicine, and honest answers about hormone therapy, this episode is your invitation to get to know your own biochemistry.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Dr. Mitch:

Website: https://ghenmed.com/

Products I love:

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Have you ever looked at someone who seems confident, successful, and completely comfortable putting herself out there, then wondered what it actually took for her to become that person?

In this episode, I'm joined by Chelsea Paine, a female entrepreneur who owns a yoga studio, runs a social media marketer business, manages multiple businesses, travels often, and has built a strong online presence. From the outside, she looks fearless. But Chelsea is also very open about social anxiety, the pressure of being visible, and what it has taken to keep pushing herself beyond what feels comfortable.

We also talk about what life really looks like as a yoga studio owner, how Chelsea uses her online presence to support her businesses, and why entrepreneurship can be very different from the freedom-filled version we often see on social media.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Chelsea discovered about herself through solo travel and why she now thinks more women should experience a solo trip.
• How overcoming social anxiety can start with doing small things that make you uncomfortable.
• Why you do not have to travel across the world to get out of your comfort zone.
• What Chelsea has learned from running multiple businesses and being a yoga studio owner.
• How she built an online presence that became an important part of growing her businesses.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Chelsea:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseaannepaine/?hl=en

The Village Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/thevillageyoga

The Blading Babes: https://www.instagram.com/thebladingbabes/

Influence Florida: https://www.instagram.com/influenceflorida/

Products I love:

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something.

Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Bounce for ten minutes a day and feel your energy and lymphatic flow wake up.

Shop my rebounder here and use code TCE: https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Have you ever stood at the edge of a dance floor and wished you could join in? Do you tell yourself you're past the age for it, or that you'd need a different body, a different history, or some talent you were never given?

In this episode, I'm joined by Louis Alves, a professional dancer, choreographer, and internationally trained teacher, who trained in Europe, taught at prestigious performing arts schools, and now coaches pro-am students in the American ballroom world.

Louis and I talk about what it takes to walk into ballroom dancing with no background at all, and what shifted for me when I competed for the first time in Prague at 46, alongside women whose ages ranged all the way to 92. He shares how he was discovered at eight years old, the training that followed in Europe, and what he's building now in the American ballroom world. We get into age, body image, the myth of natural talent, and the stories women tell themselves about why they can't start dancing again.

If you've been searching for ballroom lessons, a dance community, or permission to start something new in midlife, this episode is your invitation to book the first lesson and see what happens.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Louis:

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

Products I love:

Better sleep, faster recovery, real relaxation, all from home.

Shop my HigherDOSE picks here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=86123&awinaffid=1785436

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

What if the college process starts years earlier than anyone told you?

In this episode, I’m joined by Bekka Goldberg, a college counselor who spent her career in admission and student advising at independent schools including the School of American Ballet and the Benjamin School before stepping into entrepreneurship.

Bekka and I talk about the difference between a kid who’s giving up and a kid who’s outgrowing something, and why she pushes families toward genuine interest instead of resume building. She tells me about one student whose passion for mangroves turned into something no one saw coming. We also get into what she promised herself she’d never do as a parent, and why parent support sometimes means stepping back when everything in you wants to step in.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- When to push your kid to stay with something and when to let them walk away

- How to help a child find the thing that lights them up without steering them

- What admission officers read first and where the essay actually lands

- What signing early decision commits your entire family to

- What colleges are quietly prioritizing that applicants never get to see

- Where AI belongs in college applications and where it gets caught

- Why a “pointy” kid can be as compelling as a well rounded one

- The parenting habit Bekka watches for in herself

If you’ve been searching for college counseling that fits your family, a calmer way through the admissions process, or a clear explanation of holistic admissions, this episode is your invitation to slow down and let your child lead.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

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

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Bekka:

https://www.instagram.com/blade.and.stitch/

https://www.bladeandstitch.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bekkagoldberg/

Products I use and love:

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Bounce for ten minutes a day and feel your energy and lymphatic flow wake up. Shop my rebounder here and use code TCE: https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

When was the last time a celebration actually surprised you? Have you hosted the dinner parties, booked the private rooms, and planned the getaways, only to wonder what's next? What if your next anniversary, birthday, or afternoon with your closest friends happened aboard a private yacht cruising past Jupiter Island?

In this episode, I'm joined by Dhardra Blake, a luxury yacht charter broker and founder of LuxuryDayCharters.com in Palm Beach, who books boats for high-end clients around the world.

Dhardra and I talk about how she went from ESPN in New York City and years in the hospitality industry to working on yachts, and how she turned that world into her own company at 40.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- How to book yacht charters when you have the means but not a full week

- What to expect when a broker curates the boat, crew, and menu around you

- Why the intracoastal from West Palm to Jupiter is one of Dhardra's favorite routes

- How to plan corporate events and milestone celebrations on the water

- What to know about the passenger limit before planning a larger gathering

- How wellness gifting and organic menus are shaping modern yacht vacations

- Why crew gratuity should be split evenly, and how to calculate it

- What happens when weather threatens your luxury travel plans

- Why the yachting industry runs on relationships, referrals, and discretion

- What women entrepreneurs can learn from Dhardra's decision to start over at 40

If you've been searching for a luxury yacht experience you can trust, a new way to celebrate, or your next unforgettable day on the water, this episode is your invitation to experience it for yourself.

Hit play and let's grow together, Kimberly

Charter your day on the water at LuxuryDayCharters.com:

Website: https://www.luxurydaycharters.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuxuryDayCharters

Connect with Dhardra:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dhardra/

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

Connect with Dhardra:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luxurydaycharters.com

Better sleep, faster recovery, real relaxation, all from home. Shop my HigherDOSE picks here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=86123&awinaffid=1785436

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect