What if self-doubt isn't a sign to stop — but an invitation to listen more deeply?

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna Levesque sits down with packrafter, educator, and counselor Jule Harle for a thoughtful, grounded conversation about imposter syndrome, purpose, and learning to trust what's guiding you — even when your mind is loud.

Jule shares how feeling "not good enough" has shown up across her life, from moving to Alaska without knowing how to ski, to stepping into leadership roles in paddlesports, education, and community building. Rather than trying to silence that voice, she offers a different approach: non-attachment, kindness toward yourself, and staying connected to what genuinely feels meaningful.

Together, Anna and Jule explore:

• Why imposter syndrome often appears when you're on the right path

• How heart-led desire can be a compass — even when the outcome is unclear

• Letting go of results while still showing up fully for the work

• The parallels between rivers, yoga, Ayurveda, and everyday decision-making

• Why rest, sleep, and seasonal rhythms are foundational for confidence

• How service, authenticity, and joy can coexist — without burnout

This conversation weaves river wisdom, Eastern philosophy, and lived experience into a practical reminder: growth doesn't come from proving yourself — it comes from presence, curiosity, and staying kind to yourself along the way.

🎧 Press play and explore what it means to quiet the mind, open the heart, and keep choosing what feels true — on the river and in life.

What if happiness isn't something you wait for — but something you generate?

In this solo episode, Anna walks you through a moment from the start of her year that offered a clear reminder of how you can create ease — even when things don't go as planned.

Through this real-life moment, Anna unpacks one of the most powerful mindset shifts she knows:

👉 Sometimes the hardest decision is actually the most easeful one.

Using whitewater kayaking metaphors, nervous system awareness, and mental agility tools, this episode explores:

• How to stop labeling your whole day (or year) as "bad"
• Why a "bad 10 minutes" doesn't equal a bad life — or a bad paddling day
• How to interrupt unhelpful stories and return to facts
• What it really means to generate happiness moment to moment
• Why being attached to "wins" creates emotional whiplash
• How to get off the up-and-down roller coaster and into a steadier wave train of life

If you've had a rough start to the year, a missed line on the river, or a moment where plans unraveled fast — this episode is an invitation to reframe, breathe, and choose clarity over fear.

Anna also shares how these practices are taught and trained inside her Mental Agility Mastery program — a live, small-group experience designed to help paddlers and adventurers move from feeling disempowered to grounded, confident, and capable.

🎧 Listen in if you're ready to:

• Paddle past unhelpful self-talk
• Make cleaner, more self-trusting decisions
• Find ease even when life feels hard
• And remember that nothing is ever all good or all bad
• Because just like on the river — it's about learning how to paddle through rapids with skill and self-trust.

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I sit down with Heidi Walsh, one of the most dynamic all-around female kayakers in the world and a 2025 Female Paddler of the Year finalist, for a raw conversation about mindset, resilience, and learning through failure in high-consequence whitewater.

Heidi is known for charging Class V creeks, competing at the highest level of freestyle kayaking, and running massive waterfalls—including 92-foot drops. In this episode, she breaks down what it actually takes—mentally and technically—to keep progressing when the stakes are high and the beatdowns are real.

We dive into the story behind her now-viral switch freewheel off Spirit Falls, and what it was like to follow that iconic moment with a humbling swim while attempting to hand-paddle through Chaos after her paddle was ripped from her hands. Heidi shares the lessons she took from that moment—and why mistakes, when approached with awareness and safety, are essential for growth.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to fail safely while pushing your limits in kayaking

• Why beatdowns don't mean you're doing it wrong—they mean you're learning

• The mental skills required to run big drops and charge hard lines

• How to build resilience and confidence after setbacks

• What "sending it with style" really means beyond the highlight reel

Heidi's grounded, no-nonsense approach to risk, progression, and self-trust offers powerful takeaways for paddlers—and anyone navigating fear, challenge, and growth in their own life.

🎧 If you're ready to rethink failure, build real confidence, and lean into discomfort with more clarity, this episode is for you.

In this encore episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, I'm joined by Sophie Gilfillan, recently named U21 Female Paddler of the Year, for a powerful conversation about mindset training for kayaking, managing fear, and letting go of perfectionism—without losing the joy of paddling.

Sophie is a silver medalist at the Junior Women's World Freestyle Championships and a multi-discipline paddler across freestyle, slalom, and creeking. In this conversation, she shares how she works with pressure, self-talk, and expectations at a high level—while staying grounded and connected to why she paddles in the first place.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to tell the difference between rational and irrational fear on the river

• Why perfectionism can quietly sabotage confidence and performance

• Sophie's "rule of thirds" mindset tool for bouncing back after tough performances

• How extreme slalom is changing the culture of competition

• A refreshing definition of success that isn't tied to medals or results

With wisdom beyond her years, Sophie offers insights that apply to competitive paddlers and everyday river runners alike.

Whether this is your first listen or a return to a favorite episode, this conversation is a reminder that progress doesn't have to come at the cost of joy.

🎧 Listen in and reconnect with why you love paddling.

What if you didn't set another resolution… and instead chose a theme you could actually live into?

In this bonus re-release, I'm joined by my longtime friend and entrepreneur Michelle Tennant Nicholson for a grounded, energizing conversation about creating an annual theme that becomes a true north star — not a January idea you forget by February.

We talk about what it really takes to stay engaged in your life (especially when you're tired, busy, or tempted to drift back into the comfortable shallows). You'll hear stories, laughs, and practical frameworks you can use right away — like reverse-engineering your year from the future, using people / places / things to build momentum, and treating "failure" as feedback instead of proof you're behind.

Michelle also shares how she navigated a major life pivot after Hurricane Helene disrupted her homestead plans — and how choosing a theme helped her realign with purpose when the path got rocky.

If you're craving clarity, courage, and a simple way to steer your attention into what matters most… this episode is your eddy to reset in — before you peel out into the year ahead.

✨ Listen now, and then send me (and Michelle!) your theme for the year.

In this inspiring episode of The Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Makinley Kate Hargrove, two-time Junior World Champion, World Cup gold medalist, and six-time U.S. Junior National Champion, to explore how she leans into discomfort and finds her flow both on and off the river.

We dive deep into: 🌊 How elite athletes reframe pressure into purpose 😊 Why choosing joy is a daily practice — not a personality trait 🤝 The power of community for courage and resilience 💪 Navigating injury with patience, perspective, and grounded mindset tools ✈️ How travel and culture shape who we become as paddlers and humans 💗 The role of authenticity and vulnerability in the competitive world 🌟 What Makinley Shares in This Episode

Makinley opens up about what it was like to compete on the world stage as a teenager, including the moment she first realized that discomfort could actually fuel her growth. She reveals the grounding practices she uses before competition — including visualization and tapping into joyful memories — that help her stay centered under pressure. She also talks about how she releases expectations from others and returns to the simple joy of paddling, especially when competition and travel become intense. And in a powerful segment, McKinley walks us through her shoulder injury journey, how she stayed mentally resilient through forced rest, and the comeback she's building with clarity, patience, and purpose. If you're a paddler, adventurer, or someone learning to navigate your own discomfort zone, this conversation offers courage, clarity, and so much heart.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to paddle past fear and into confidence — one joyful moment at a time.

If you've been stuck in negative self-talk, overwhelm, or the holiday-season hustle, this episode is your fresh breath of clarity.

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Zone, I share two powerful mindset exercises that have helped me peel out of stress spirals, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with ease — even in the middle of a six-month injury that kept me off the river.

Whether you're healing, navigating a busy season, or feeling mentally overloaded, these tools will help you shift from disempowered to empowered — which is exactly what mental agility is all about.

• 🌊 Fact vs. Story — the simple but profound tool that instantly interrupts negative spirals

• 💛 The Feeling Generator Exercise — how to create the emotions you want to experience, even before circumstances change

• 🧠 Why your brain constantly predicts danger (and how to work with it, not against it)

• 🚣‍♀️ How I rebuilt confidence while returning to whitewater after a herniated disc

• ✨ Why shifting your inner state is more powerful than positive thinking

I also share the vulnerable truth about my healing journey: months of not being able to sit, lying on my stomach during coaching calls, and slowly rebuilding strength until I finally paddled my first whitewater run again — and the joy that came with it.

• You're tired, overwhelmed, or stuck in a stress loop

• You want to build a more confident mindset

• You want to shift your inner dialogue from harsh to empowering

• You're ready to navigate the rapids of life with more ease, not force

These exercises are simple, accessible, and truly transformational — and you can start practicing them today.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to flip your internal script, generate confidence from the inside out, and paddle forward with clarity and courage.

What if the real discomfort zone isn't the big rapid, the waterfall, or the leap into the unknown — but the murky middle between who you've been and who you're becoming?

In this powerful, honest conversation, Anna sits down with lifelong adventurer and Color My Outdoors founder Simone Adams to explore what it really takes to navigate fear, identity, and belonging in outdoor spaces. Together they dive into:

🌿 What discomfort actually looks like Simone shares how the discomfort zone isn't the scary new goal itself, but that tender in-between space where you've outgrown an old version of yourself but haven't stepped fully into the new one.

🧠 Journaling, self-awareness & manifesting with action She opens up about using journaling to process anxiety, build self-awareness, and create the kind of intentional, actionable manifestation that actually moves you forward.

🌊 Why your outdoor journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's From bucket lists that evolve to letting go of pressure to chase adrenaline, Simone and Anna talk about choosing the version of adventure that fits you now.

🏞 Reclaiming space in the outdoors

Simone explains how Color My Outdoors helps people of color reconnect with nature, challenge internalized stereotypes, and feel welcome in outdoor recreation — without needing expensive gear or industry "rules."

If you've ever felt pressure to paddle harder, show up a certain way, or push yourself before you're ready, this episode is your reminder that growth doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

This conversation will ground you, inspire you, and remind you that the outdoors — and your growth — are yours to define.

In this episode of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Anna sits down with Laura Zulliger — ACA Level 5 Coastal Kayak Instructor, whitewater paddler, and Saltwater Program Director for California Watersports Collective — for a powerful conversation about surrendering through challenge, trusting yourself in uncertainty, and finding play inside discomfort.

Together, they explore:

🌊 The real meaning of the discomfort zone — why fear, doubt, and imposter syndrome always show up at the edges of growth 🧠 How paddling teaches surrender — and what "going with the current" looks like in everyday life 🤰 Pregnancy, recovery, and whitewater — the surprising overlap between both journeys 💪 Reframing failure as freedom — and why getting wetter might actually mean you're progressing 💫 The role of play in building courage, confidence, and resilience on the water and in life

Anna and Laura weave together lessons from kayaking, surfing, and motherhood, revealing how transformation often comes not from pushing harder — but from letting go, trusting the process, and savoring the experience.

💬 Favorite Quotes "The only way out is through."

"Sometimes you have to surrender to discover how strong you really are."

"If you're getting wetter, you're getting better."

If you're craving courage, connection, and a reminder that you're not alone on your growth journey, this is an episode you won't want to miss.