The Dive Heart First Podcast

Writing a book as an entrepreneur can grow your business. But what if the biggest impact happens before the book is even published?

How do you know when your story is worth sharing, especially when self-doubt shows up halfway through writing it?

Amanda Wilson-Ciocci, co-founder of The Monarch & Co. and a three-time bestselling author, joins me to explore the personal, professional, and lasting impact of writing a book.

There's a moment in this conversation that challenges the way we think about telling our stories: Amanda believes we're not necessarily the keepers of our stories. We're the messengers.

I love the shift that creates. What if the experience you've spent years making sense of could help someone else make sense of theirs?

We explore why writing a book can be both illuminating and uncomfortable, what Amanda calls the messy metamorphosis of becoming an author, and how focusing on one person you're writing for can help you stay connected to your purpose and inspired throughout the process.

We also get practical about the publishing journey, including the differences between traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing models, why preserving an author's individual voice matters, and how a book can create business opportunities long after launch day.

Because there's a difference between creating content for today's attention and creating something that reflects what you want to be known for.

If you've been thinking about writing a book, building your authority as an entrepreneur, or sharing your expertise in a way that lasts beyond social media, this conversation will give you something to think about.

EXPLORE AMANDA'S WORK

Learn more about The Monarch & Co.: https://www.themonarchandco.com

Masterclass (*NEW DATE* October 28th): https://www.themonarchandco.com/LeadershipBooksBuildYourBusiness

I’ve always been fascinated by the things we use to understand ourselves.

Sometimes we look to psychology. Sometimes we look to our bodies. Sometimes we look to other people. And sometimes we look up.

That’s where this conversation with author and astrologer Shannon Hugman gets really interesting.

Shannon doesn’t approach astrology as a set of predictions telling us what’s going to happen or who we're supposed to be. She sees it as a mirror. The moon, the stars, the cycles and the symbols can give us something to notice, reflect on and explore within ourselves.

Which got me thinking about how easily we can hand our authority over to something outside of us when what we're really looking for is a way to hear ourselves more clearly.

We also got into the changing rhythms of our bodies, menstrual-cycle awareness, journaling, intuition, Shannon's work with young people and her beautiful insight that we are stardust.

Key Takeaways

• Astrology can be used as a tool for self-discovery rather than a system for predicting the future.
• The moon offers a natural metaphor for cycles, change and the emotional experience of being human.
• Journaling can turn an external observation into a practice of listening inward.
• Becoming aware of our body's rhythms can change the relationship we have with ourselves.
• We can engage with astrology without making ourselves passive recipients of planetary influence.
• “You are stardust” becomes a reminder of our connection to something much bigger than ourselves.

If Shannon's approach to astrology sparks your curiosity, you can explore her books, services and Making Sense of the Universe Substack at shannonhugman.com.

Pre-order books here:

Dear Stardust: https://a.co/d/07OCvREk

Moon Cycles & Me Journal: https://a.co/d/00JpAnrB

shannonhugman.substack.com

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share. It truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

The Dive Heart First Podcast has been on a little holiday for the past few weeks.

I started this podcast completely unbridled and unfiltered, following whatever felt alive that week. And I loved it.

But then I felt a shift. It felt time to get clearer about who this podcast is for and what I really want it to offer.

So I’m giving that idea some space to brew.

In the meantime, I’ll be releasing at least one interview episode a month. These are conversations I genuinely want to have with fascinating people, and I think you’ll love them too.

The first one drops next week.

And I’d love to hear from you. What are you curious about? What are you wrestling with? What would you love to hear me explore?

The solo episodes will return once the next idea is fully baked.

Could be January 2027. Could be sooner.

Who knows? 😂

Until then, come join me for some coffee chats.

And I’ll keep you updated!

What if the goal isn't to feel better? What if the greater skill is to get better at feeling?

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn explores what actually happens when a thought, person, memory, or circumstance triggers a powerful response in your body. Instead of treating uncomfortable emotions as problems to eliminate, she looks at them as sensations carrying information, energy, and sometimes a message that is asking to be noticed.

Jenn shares a personal experience with meditation and chronic pain that completely changed the way she understood sensation, emotional responses, and her relationship with her own body. From there, she introduces a simple meditation for sitting with uncomfortable sensations without immediately trying to fix, suppress, label, or escape them.

This isn't about forcing yourself to feel positive. It's about developing a different relationship with what you're already feeling.

Key Takeaways:

• An emotional trigger can be the body's attempt to mobilize you toward something that matters, but not every sensation still has an action attached to it.
• Sometimes the story we put around an emotion becomes heavier than the original sensation itself.
• Paying close attention to a physical sensation can reveal details you completely miss when you're busy trying to get rid of it.
• Acceptance becomes much more powerful when it isn't secretly being used as a strategy to make the uncomfortable thing disappear.
• You may not need to become better at avoiding difficult feelings. You may need to become better at being with them.

There is a fascinating difference between feeling better and getting better at feeling. Sometimes the second one changes your relationship with the first in ways you couldn't have predicted.

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. It truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to get unstuck, the more stuck you seem to feel? It might not be because you lack motivation or discipline. It might be because your brain is trying to protect you with an old pattern that no longer fits where you’re going.

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn Walker explores the psychology of getting unstuck and why movement creates clarity. You’ll discover how simple actions, intentional questions, the language you use with yourself, and tiny consistent steps can begin shifting the patterns that keep you feeling trapped.

Jenn dives into how the brain’s attention systems influence what we notice, why asking better questions can open new possibilities, and how confidence is built through evidence rather than something we need before we begin.

This conversation is for anyone who has been sitting in uncertainty, overthinking their next move, or waiting to feel ready before taking action.

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to get unstuck, the more stuck you seem to feel? It might not be because you lack motivation or discipline. It might be because your brain is trying to protect you with an old pattern that no longer fits where you’re going.

Key Takeaways:

• Why feeling stuck is often a perception created by the brain, not a permanent reality.
• How movement creates distance from problems and allows new perspectives to emerge.
• Why the quality of the questions you ask yourself shapes the possibilities you see.
• How your language influences identity and the actions you believe are available to you.
• Why confidence is created through small wins, not required before you begin.

You do not need to see the entire path before taking the next step. Sometimes clarity does not come before movement. It comes because of movement.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

What if the fear you feel before your next big leap isn’t a sign that you’re making the wrong choice?

What if it’s actually a sign that you’re stepping into something meaningful?

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, we’re exploring the uncomfortable space between having a vision and becoming the person capable of creating it. That messy middle where excitement and fear exist at the same time, where you question yourself, where you wonder if you’re capable, and where your brain starts asking, “Who do you think you are?”

The truth is, becoming great requires something most people avoid.

Being willing to be bad first.

Your brain loves certainty, competence, and familiarity. So when you step into something new, whether it’s building a business, changing your career, creating something meaningful, or returning to something you once loved, your nervous system may interpret growth as danger.

But discomfort does not mean you are incapable.

It may simply mean you are learning.

In this episode, we explore why confidence is built through action, why failure is actually valuable information, and how embracing the beginner stage can completely change your relationship with growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Why fear often appears when your dreams start becoming real.
• How your brain interprets being a beginner as a threat to safety.
• Why “natural talent” is often years of invisible repetition.
• How to use failure as feedback instead of proof you aren’t capable.
• Why being willing to risk being awful is the doorway to greatness.

The person you want to become is built through the moments where you choose curiosity over judgment.

So the question isn’t, “Am I already great?”

The question is, “Am I willing to become great?”

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. It truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

What’s one thing you’ve been avoiding because you’re afraid you won’t be good at it yet?

What if the thing you’re struggling to stop isn’t actually the problem?

What if your phone, food, alcohol, or other habits are not random acts of self-sabotage, but your brain’s attempt to find relief?

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn Walker explores a different perspective on addiction and addictive behaviours. Rather than looking at addiction through shame, judgment, or willpower, Jenn explores the idea that many patterns are actually solutions created by the brain to help us escape uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, or sensations.

Because underneath many addictions is something much more universal:

The desire to feel better.

Jenn shares how understanding the brain’s relationship with relief can completely change the way we approach behaviour change. She also shares her own experience with alcohol and how learning to become comfortable with uncomfortable sensations naturally shifted her relationship with drinking.

This conversation is about compassion, curiosity, and understanding why we do what we do.

Because you cannot transform a pattern you refuse to understand.

Key Takeaways:

• Why addiction may be less about the behaviour and more about the emotional relief it provides.
• How shame can unintentionally keep addictive patterns alive.
• Why uncomfortable emotions do not always require immediate action.
• How nervous system awareness can create more choice and freedom.
• The powerful question that can interrupt automatic habits: “What do I actually need right now?”

The goal is not to become someone who never feels discomfort.

The goal is to become someone who trusts themselves through discomfort.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

Have you ever finally slowed down… only to feel guilty for doing it?

Maybe you sit on the couch, take a day off, or have nothing urgent to complete, and instead of feeling peaceful, your brain starts creating a list of everything you should be doing.

Welcome to Rest Guilt!

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, we explore why rest can sometimes feel unsafe, especially for high achievers who have learned to associate doing, achieving, and producing with feeling secure.

The surprising truth? Your struggle with rest may not be a motivation problem. It may be a nervous system pattern.

When your brain has learned that achievement equals safety, slowing down can feel uncomfortable, even when your body desperately needs recovery.

Jenn explores the psychology behind rest guilt, why awareness is the first step toward changing unconscious patterns, and introduces her very scientific, very sophisticated technique:

"Do it and don't die."

Because sometimes the way we teach the brain that something is safe is by experiencing it and realizing… we're still here.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why high achievers often feel guilty when they rest.
• How your early experiences can shape your relationship with productivity and achievement.
• Why rest can trigger feelings of shame, anxiety, or discomfort.
• How to teach your nervous system that slowing down is safe.
• Why rest is not the opposite of success, but the foundation that allows success to become sustainable.

The goal isn't to stop being ambitious.

The goal is to stop forcing yourself forward from exhaustion and learn how to move from a place of energy, inspiration, and alignment.

Rest is not something you earn after proving your worth.

It is something your body needs in order to create, connect, and thrive.

What pattern has your nervous system learned that you’re ready to rewrite?

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

Have you ever spent more time worrying about a decision than actually making it?

Most of us aren't afraid of making the wrong choice. We're afraid of what it might mean about us if we're wrong. That fear quietly keeps us stuck.

In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn Walker explores one of the simplest yet most powerful decision-making frameworks she's ever come across. Originally shared by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, this idea completely changed the way she approaches uncertainty, risk, and growth.

The question is surprisingly simple:

Is this a hat, a haircut, or a tattoo decision?

When you begin sorting your choices this way, something shifts. You stop treating every decision like it's permanent. You stop waiting for certainty that never comes. And you start collecting real-world evidence instead of living inside imagined outcomes.

Jenn also shares where she respectfully disagrees with the original framework, offering a perspective rooted in neuroscience, meaning-making, and the remarkable ability of the human mind to transform even our biggest mistakes into our greatest teachers.

If you've been stuck in indecision, overthinking your next move, or waiting until you feel "ready," this episode might be exactly what your nervous system needs to hear.

Key Takeaways:

• Most decisions are experiments, not life sentences.
• Overthinking often comes from treating temporary choices like permanent ones.
• Confidence isn't created before action. It's built from the information the action gives you.
• Even your biggest mistakes don't define you. The meaning you give them does.
• Growth begins the moment you stop waiting for certainty.

The most freeing realization might be this:

Very few decisions are permanent. Most just ask you to be willing to learn.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Which decision in your life is actually just a hat... even though you've been treating it like a tattoo?

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

Remember: Your next decision doesn't have to be perfect. It only has to move you forward.

Sometimes the next chapter isn’t something you chase down. Sometimes it literally comes knocking on your front door.

What if the answer you’ve been looking for is already closer than you think?

In this deeply personal episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn Walker shares the real-time story of leaving behind a beautiful waterfront home, stepping into the unknown, and discovering that the next chapter of her life wasn’t something she had to force.

After six years of roots, routines, familiarity, and a place she loved, Jenn found herself facing a surprising truth: it was complete. It was time to move. But knowing something is complete doesn’t mean your nervous system immediately feels safe walking away from it.

This episode explores what happens when we are caught between the comfort of the known and the possibility of the unknown. Jenn shares the unexpected conversation, the connection, and the “breadcrumbs” that led her to a new home in Quebec, reminding us that sometimes opportunities, answers, and next steps are already waiting for us.

Key Takeaways:

• Leaving something good can still be the right choice.
• Your nervous system can crave familiarity even when your intuition knows it’s time for change.
• The unknown isn’t always a threat. Sometimes it’s where life gets interesting again.
• The next opportunity may not require more searching. It may require more listening.
• One conversation or connection can completely change the direction of your life.

Maybe the next step isn’t hidden somewhere far away. Maybe it’s already nearby, waiting for the right conversation, the right moment, or the courage to notice.

If you’re interested in following the unfolding of the unknown with Jenn, join the Monthly Musing Newsletter for real-time stories, reflections, and insights.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!

Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, or hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

What’s one conversation, connection, or opportunity that might already be closer than you think?