The Expansion Collective

Does a cluttered home mean a cluttered mind?

This week, we're talking about the impact our surroundings can have on how we feel. From overflowing drawers and piles of paperwork to the satisfaction of a good clear-out, we share our different approaches to keeping our homes organised and why creating a little more space can sometimes help us feel calmer and more in control.

We also share some simple, practical ideas for getting started, without feeling you need to tackle the whole house at once.

Take our Expansion Wheel: https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com

Gratitude can be a powerful way to shift how we experience our lives. It doesn’t mean ignoring the difficult things or pretending everything is positive, it’s about learning to notice and appreciate what is good, even amongst everything else.

In this episode, we’re talking about our own experiences with gratitude, from the practices that first introduced us to it, to how it’s gradually become part of everyday life.

We talk about noticing the small things, finding gratitude even when life is difficult, appreciating the version of you who got you to where you are today, and why telling someone the impact they’ve had on your life can be such a powerful thing to do.

And if you want to start practising gratitude yourself, we share some really simple ways to begin, no elaborate morning routine required.

Jay Shetty - 8 Simple Mindset Shifts to Feel Gratitude 

Snoop Dogg - Hollywood Walk of Fame

Take our Expansion Wheel: https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com

This week, we’re joined by our very first guest, Emily Randell - Personal Trainer, Nutrition and Mindset Coach to talk about health, fitness and what it really takes to make lasting changes.

We talk about strength training and why it matters, especially as we get older; where to start if exercise has never really been your thing; and why getting stronger doesn’t need to mean complicated workouts or hours in the gym.

But this conversation goes beyond exercise.

Emily talks about the labels and beliefs we carry with us , I’m not sporty, I’m not someone who exercises, I can never stick to anything and how changing the way we think about ourselves can be just as important as changing what we do.

We also get into nutrition, protein, finding movement when you’re short on time, social media comparison and why consistency matters far more than doing everything perfectly.

A really practical conversation about looking after yourself, getting stronger and finding an approach that actually fits your life.

Find Emily on Instagram: @emily.randell

Free recipe book Emily Randell Recipe Book

Take our free Expansion Wheel:
https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com 

This week, we’re joined by our very first guest, Emily Randell - Personal Trainer, Nutrition and Mindset Coach to talk about health, fitness and what it really takes to make lasting changes.

We talk about strength training and why it matters, especially as we get older; where to start if exercise has never really been your thing; and why getting stronger doesn’t need to mean complicated workouts or hours in the gym.

But this conversation goes beyond exercise.

Emily talks about the labels and beliefs we carry with us , I’m not sporty, I’m not someone who exercises, I can never stick to anything and how changing the way we think about ourselves can be just as important as changing what we do.

We also get into nutrition, protein, finding movement when you’re short on time, social media comparison and why consistency matters far more than doing everything perfectly.

A really practical conversation about looking after yourself, getting stronger and finding an approach that actually fits your life.

Find Emily on Instagram: @emily.randell_

Access Emily’s recipe book:  Emily Randell Recipe Book

Take our free Expansion Wheel:
https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com

This week, we’re joined by our very first guest, Emily Randell - Personal Trainer, Nutrition and Mindset Coach to talk about health, fitness and what it really takes to make lasting changes.

We talk about strength training and why it matters, especially as we get older; where to start if exercise has never really been your thing; and why getting stronger doesn’t need to mean complicated workouts or hours in the gym.

But this conversation goes beyond exercise.

Emily talks about the labels and beliefs we carry with us , I’m not sporty, I’m not someone who exercises, I can never stick to anything and how changing the way we think about ourselves can be just as important as changing what we do.

We also get into nutrition, protein, finding movement when you’re short on time, social media comparison and why consistency matters far more than doing everything perfectly.

A really practical conversation about looking after yourself, getting stronger and finding an approach that actually fits your life.

Find Emily on Instagram: @emily.randell

Free recipe book Emily Randell Recipe Book

Take our free Expansion Wheel:
https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com 

Money. 

We all need it, we all think about it, but how often do we actually talk about it?

In this episode, we’re having an honest conversation about our relationship with money – what we learned growing up, the beliefs we’ve carried with us and why so many women still lack confidence when it comes to their finances.

We talk about getting closer to your money, knowing what’s coming in and going out, making your money work a little harder and starting to think beyond simply spending less.

Because financial confidence isn’t just about budgeting. It’s also about asking yourself: what do I actually want to earn? And what could I do to get there?

We’re definitely not financial experts, we’re learning too. But perhaps the first step is simply talking about money a little more.

If you’d like to explore some of the things we mentioned, here are two places to start: Aspire with Emma Grede, a podcast that’s got us thinking about what we want to earn, and Sprive, an app we’ve been using to help make mortgage overpayments.

Aspire with Emma Grede: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Bjt8p13wBdwgvarKCZZdi?si=uZ0sS_i-So6qXywqSMmOQQ&utm_source=whatsap

Sprive: https://linkprod.sprive.com/refer?code=TB24TS41

For UK mortgages check out Fuse Financial: https://fusefinancial.co.uk/

Take our free Expansion Wheel here: https://expansionwheel.scoreapp.com

How well do you really know how other people see you?

In this episode, we’re talking about confidence and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.

We share a conversation that made us realise just how differently we sometimes  see ourselves compared with how other people see us and explore where some of those beliefs might have come from.

From childhood messages and wanting to be liked, to self-belief, people pleasing, finding your voice and understanding what really matters to you, we talk about the experiences that can quietly shape how we see ourselves.

And we leave you with a couple of simple things to try: thinking about what you believe about yourself, asking someone you trust how they see you, and getting curious about whether the story you’ve been carrying is actually the full story.

This week, we’re introducing our book review to the podcast as we'd love to share some of the books that made us think.

Once a month, we’ll pick a book that’s sparked conversations between us and talk about the ideas that stayed with us, starting this week with Start With Yourself by Emma Grede.

We talk about defining what success actually looks like for you, how that can change through different seasons of life and the reality that having it all doesn’t necessarily mean having it all at the same time.

We also get into trade-offs, mum guilt, the invisible load, asking for help, letting go of impossible standards and accepting that sometimes choosing one thing means something else has to give, at least for now.

And as always, we share plenty of our own experiences along the way.

Our question to take away this week:

Where in life are you holding yourself to an impossible standard and what might change if you gave yourself permission to let some of that go?

The things we do regularly can seem pretty ordinary, going to the gym, getting outside, drinking water, changing the sheets, seeing a friend. But when we started talking about our own habits, we realised there was often much more behind them.

In this episode, we share some of the habits that have become part of our everyday lives, why they've stuck and, more importantly, what they give us, from feeling calmer and stronger to creating connection, gratitude and a little more space in a busy day. 

We also asked our friends about theirs and got some answers we weren't expecting, including reflective writing, boxing, clean sheets, gratitude and the simple habit of wishing someone a nice day. 

Along the way, we talk about what our habits might say about what's important to us, the kind of person we want to be, and some of the small things that can make a habit easier to keep, including removing barriers, making things easy and fitting habits into the life you already have. 

And we finish with one question:

What's one habit your future self would thank you for starting today?

What happens when you start paying attention to the things you keep thinking “one day…” about?

 In this episode, we share the very different experiences that first opened up our thinking about what we wanted from life, from friendship and yoga to grief, books, spirituality and self-development.

 We talk about asking yourself bigger questions, why curiosity can get knocked out of us as we get older and how change doesn’t always have to mean turning your life upside down. Sometimes it starts with simply acknowledging what you want and taking one small step towards exploring it.

 A conversation about staying curious, being open to new ideas and seeing what might be possible.