The Prosperous Empath® Podcast

I am putting a brief pause on the series on challenges that empaths and HSPs often face this week to bring you a special, emotional & deeply personal episode. I've just returned from a spending over the last two weeks in Europe celebrating a milestone birthday - I just turned 40! I'm also officially more than halfway through my pregnancy, and it feels like a beautiful moment to pause and honor all of the becoming that it has taken me to get to this point in life. So, I decided to write a love letter to the baby in my belly to honor the version of me I am today and what I hope for them. Somehow, it also ended up being a love letter to myself and all of YOU as I reflect on learning important life lessons, finding answers to some big questions, and learning to deeply love myself along the way. I hope you find something meaningful and of value for yourself in this vulnerable episode!

Topics:

• Catherine's reflections on turning 40 and getting ready to welcome her baby this fall
• Learning to love yourself for being you vs. basing your value on your accomplishments and what you do for other people
• The importance of finding the answers to big questions such as "What do I want?" and "What do I love?"
• Essential mindset shifts Catherine has learned over her journey & what she wants to pass down to her child and you

Episode Resources:

• Join us on May 13th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Community for deep connections and meaningful support.
• Living Nonviolent Communication: Practical Tools to Connect and Communicate Skillfully in Every Situation by Marshall Rosenberg

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here .

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here .

Visit this episode's full show notes page here

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

In this episode of the Prosperous Empath® Podcast, I'm continuing the series on challenges that empaths and HSPs often struggle with and sharing practices, mindset shifts, and tips on how to overcome them. The topic of this episode - expanding your capacity to receive - has been one of the greatest transformations for me over the last decade and it's something I routinely explore with clients. In life, there is an inherent polarity between givers and takers, and the majority of empaths and HSPs overidentify as givers. There are amazing benefits to being a talented giver (which is why many empaths thrive as service providers), but it can also be hard to allow yourself to receive and have your needs met, whether it's in business partnerships or romantic relationships, to name just a few. In this episode, you'll learn why empaths often struggle with giving too much of themselves, the consequences of this tendency, and how to nurture your ability to receive more and better.

Topics:

• Catherine's personal experience with expanding her capacity to receive in business, life, and love & how growing up in a bed-and-breakfast disconnected her from her own needs

• Digging deeper into why empaths often struggle with people-pleasing, high-achieving, excessive caretaking, and authentically expressing their emotions

• Uncovering how you may be creating dynamics in your business, relationships, and life that set you up for giving too much and how to re-train the people in your life on what they can & can't expect from you

• How to prevent burnout, misaligned relationships & partnerships, and stop giving from an empty love tank

• Nurturing more intimacy in life & business and learning how to lean in to nonviolent communication

Episode Resources:

• Join us on May 13th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

• Living Nonviolent Communication: Practical Tools to Connect and Communicate Skillfully in Every Situation by Marshall Rosenberg

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.

• Website

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here .

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here .

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Today I'm kicking off a series of episodes on the Prosperous Empath® Podcast where I will dig into some commonalities that empaths and HSPs experience in entrepreneurship and leadership. In my years of working with empaths from all walks of life, I've noticed that we often share similar struggles and obstacles that we need to overcome to thrive and prosper. In this solo episode, I'm talking about the power of manifestation and the process of reconnecting with your dreams, desires, and creativity. To tell the truth, I have a love/hate relationship with the word "manifestation" - even though I have manifested many things in my life and business. If there's a logical part of you that resists the concept of manifestation, you'll resonate with this episode! I'm sharing nuggets of wisdom on how to become intentional with your thoughts and beliefs as well as my favorite manifestation practices to try.

Topics:

• What manifestation is (and isn't) and the idea that every result is the consequence of a previous thought and belief
• Identifying self-abandonment and the vulnerable practice of reconnecting with your dreams and creativity
• 8 manifestation practices that helped Catherine open her heart, trust her intuition, and start dreaming big again
• Reconnecting with your inner capacity for joy, finding your embodiment practice, and co-conspiring with the universe to create an aligned life
• The power of "acting as if" and embracing your skepticism to get out of your comfort zone and connect with the longings of your heart

Episode Resources:

• Join us on May 13th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Community for deep connections and meaningful support.
• The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
• The Success PrinciplesTM: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
• E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout
• Worthy: Boost Your Self-Worth to Grow Your Net Worth by Nancy Levin
• Blog: Where Are You Headed?

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

If you want your website to rank high on Google but have always been intimidated by the concept of SEO, this episode of the Prosperous Empath® is for you! I'm sitting down with Kelsey Flannery, a Google Certified Expert and CEO of KaeRae Marketing, and UNBOUNDED Mastermind member, to talk about the basics of search engine optimization and how to approach it in a way that aligns with your values as an empath. Kelsey quit her job at a big marketing agency to develop an innovative Google marketing framework that allows you to authentically share who you are while strategically using SEO to your advantage. We're digging deep into how Google really works, breaking down common SEO terms that may have overwhelmed you in the past, and sharing easy steps you can take right after listening to this episode to improve your rankings and visibility. While Google may appear like the cool kid that'll never talk to you, it actually wants to be your best friend. In this conversation, Kelsey and I will equip you with the understanding and tools you need to start making Google your best friend as an empath.

Topics:

• Humanizing SEO and the idea that while it can be intimidating, Google is an introvert's best-kept secret in marketing and can be used in empathetic and values-aligned ways
• The difference between hunting-based vs. harvesting-based marketing and how SEO can help you educate,grow and attract your target audience
• Basic SEO terms (search engine optimization, Google Analytics, conversions, and keywords),what they actually mean and why they are a game changer in the online business world
• Easy steps you can take right now to start growing on Google and when to consider outsourcing to a marketing team

Episode Resources:

• Join us on May 13th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.
• Google My Business

Connect with Kelsey:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram: @kaeraemarketing
• LinkedIn

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

I'm ecstatic to sit down for this insightful conversation with Isabelle Griffith, the Founder of The School Of Somatic Leadership For Women™, on this episode of the Prosperous Empath®. Isabelle is a Somatic and Embodied Feminine Leadership coach. Her life's work is to help women break the internalized narratives that are keeping them feeling stressed, depleted, burnt out, and doubting their worth. After spending 20 years in the corporate world and having two beautiful children, she found herself severely burned out - although her seemingly perfect life "ticked" all the boxes. For Isabelle, experiencing burnout was a doorway to reconnecting with her feminine essence and discovering that a completely different way of life and leadership was possible. Many women live in their masculine energy by default, not tapping into the part of them that's cyclical instead of linear. Through our conversation, Isabelle and I uncover how to find a renewed sense of inner authority, regulate your nervous system, and, most importantly, what it means to be an embodied feminine leader.

Topics:

• Isabelle's story of following the blueprint for the perfect life yet feeling completely broken and self-critical and how burnout was her doorway to transformation and change
• Recognizing where you're living in your masculine and embarking on a tender journey of reclamation of your feminine
• The idea that conventional leadership is portrayed in a very masculine way (a man in a suit) and what it means to become an embodied feminine leader
• Becoming attuned to your body's wisdom, emotions, and fluctuations, and regulating your nervous system to improve and expand your quality of being
• Learning how to trust yourself and the natural unfolding of life instead of being too attached to your goals and certain outcomes

Episode Resources:

• Join us on April 15th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.
• Maureen Murdock's Heroine's Journey
• Human Centric Systems with Amy Mitchell
• Dismantling Internalized Capitalism
• Living a Non-Linear Life while Following Your Intuition with Jill Ferguson

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded Mastermind community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

If you've been a part of my community for a while, you know that intuition is one of my favorite topics to discuss. This is why I'm so excited to sit down with Jill L. Ferguson, serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and international speaker, to talk about embracing your intuition and following a non-linear path in business and, perhaps even more importantly, life. Jill started her first business at the age of eighteen and has been in-and-out of self-employment ever since, authoring dozens of books and exploring different passions, from painting & photography to consulting & coaching. She learned early on that there's no straight path to entrepreneurship, but along the way she has learned the importance of following your gut, saying yes to opportunities, and learning to trust yourself. Jill believes that all of us - especially Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and empaths - were born with divine creativity within us. Yet, in a world that's so focused on "staying on track," cultivating a strong sense of self and giving yourself permission to explore is no easy feat. Jill and I have a vulnerable and insightful discussion today about unpacking people-pleasing, taking creative action, and living authentically. If you find it hard to give yourself permission to do things your own way, you'll undoubtedly learn a lot and walk away inspired from this episode.

Topics:

• The idea that we're put on a linear path as small children and that even though many linear notions are ingrained in our brains, entrepreneurship, life, religion, education, relationships - none of it has to be linear
• Recognizing when you're making choices to fulfill other people's expectations vs. your own and learning to trust yourself
• Giving up on the notion that you have to run your business a certain way to be successful and building processes that feel authentic to you
• Living as a human being, not a human doing, and embracing passion, openness, and creativity
• Learning to block out the noise around you, connect deeper with your intuition, and approach life playfully

Episode Resources:

• Join us on April 15th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

Connect with Jill:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram: @ferguson4473
• LinkedIn

Connect with Catherine:

• Apply to join the free Unbounded Mastermind community, a vibrant group of empathpreneurs who are passionate about supporting each other on our entrepreneurial journeys.
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

In this episode of the Prosperous Empath®, I'm sitting down with financial advisor and UNBOUNDED Mastermind Alum, Cris Caruso to talk about a phenomenon that many people have experienced in recent years: lifestyle creep. Cris has been in the financial services industry since 2004 and a financial advisor since 2008. Beyond that, she has pursued additional education in understanding how our behaviors shape financial outcomes by earning the Behavioral Financial Advisor designation from Think2Perform. She also earned the Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor credential prior to 2015 as a way to support her LGBTQIA+bclients and continues to use this knowledge to work with unmarried couples and non-traditional families. You'll appreciate her unique experience throughout today's episode as she speaks on lifestyle creep, or lifestyle inflation, which is overspending on things that you don't actually need as your income increases. When you're early in your career, your spending habits focus on must-haves like housing and groceries. But as your income increases, it's easy to lose track of what is a necessity and what are simply too many luxuries, and to just keep buying more. Cris and I discuss both values-based and practical strategies on how to identify the areas of your life you should spend generously on and where to be more mindful to reach your long-term goals. How do you live in alignment with your money, especially as an entrepreneur and an empath? You'll get an answer to this question as you listen to our thought provoking conversation on purposeful spending, the importance of allowing yourself to have fun & fabulous experiences, and more.

Topics:

• Understanding lifestyle creep and how to identify and avoid meaningless overspending
• The importance of spending generously on things that truly satisfy you and how to identify what they are
• Recognizing how perfectionism, scarcity mindset, and societal expectations are contributing to your relationship with money
• Finding the right balance between lifestyle creep and mindfully increasing your spending as your income grows
• Navigating financial planning as an entrepreneur with a fluctuating income that often grows quicker than expected
• How to start investing in a way that is aligned with your values and vision

Episode Resources:

• The Millionaire Next Door
• The Next Millionaire Next Door
• We Should All Be Millionaires
• BottomLine
• Join us on April 15th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

Connect with Cris:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram: @savoirefinancial
• LinkedIn

Connect with Catherine:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Disclaimer: This episode could be hard for some listeners to hear, especially if you've been struggling with conceiving. I'll share that we are pregnant, and we have been blessed to have NOT had any miscarriages.

On this week's episode of the Prosperous Empath®, I'm continuing to authentically share the behind-the-scenes of my pregnancy journey and the lessons I've learned along the way. Be sure to listen to last week's episode if you haven't already! In the beginning, the process was incredibly challenging for me because I went into it attached to a certain timeline in my mind - getting pregnant immediately - and it just didn't happen that way for us. Instead, I had to stop trying to control the journey, trust the process, and discover ways of getting support that I hadn't considered before. From seeing alternative healthcare providers and sharing my struggles more openly with family and friends to considering IVF and getting a medical procedure that finally helped us conceive naturally, I'm sharing all the details in today's episode. If you've been struggling trying to conceive or know someone who is, I hope that my experience helps you feel less alone on your journey and more empowered to trust your instincts.

Topics:

• The idea that how you show up or get blocked in one area of your life (for example, business) can be applied to other areas of your life (in this case, conception)
• Letting go of unfulfilled pregnancy expectations and surrendering to the process and my intuition instead of holding onto a rigid timeline
• How openly sharing my struggles and getting support, encouragement, and blessings from others created an energetic shift for me
• Working with an acupuncturist + a chiropractor and getting a medical procedure (HCG) to increase our chances of conceiving naturally
• How my habits have (and have not) shifted during pregnancy, from morning routine to cold plunging

Episode Resources

• Dr. Debra Ramsay at Alignment Chiropractic Center
• Kate Zeigler at Tidewater Acupuncture
• Mount Auburn Center for Women in Cambridge
• Unbounded Mastermind
• Join the Private Unbounded Community on Mighty Networks
• Reflections, Ahas and Lessons Learned on Hosting the First Unbounded Mastermind Retreat

Connect with Catherine:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

Disclaimer: This episode could be hard for some listeners to hear, especially if you've been struggling with conceiving. I'll share that we are pregnant, and we have been blessed to have NOT had any miscarriages.

I've been looking forward to recording this episode of the Prosperous Empath® for months now. I'm so excited to share that I'm pregnant! Yet, my journey to conception has been long and full of challenges. In this episode, I'm going to get vulnerable about my experience because there is so much information I wish I had known before my husband Parth and I started trying to have a baby. I mistakenly thought we'd get pregnant immediately, but it took us almost a year to conceive. Over that year, I learned the importance of managing unfulfilled expectations, self-advocating for my wants and needs, breaking down in order to break through, and many other things that I simply wasn't ready for at the beginning of my conception journey. When you want something so deeply, it's really hard to surrender - yet that's just what I had to do. Whether you're thinking about pregnancy or already trying to conceive, I hope that this episode helps you feel more supported as you navigate your own journey.

Topics:

• Going into the conception process thinking that I'm going to get pregnant immediately and working through the heartbreak of unfulfilled expectations
• The importance of self-advocating for yourself, working with empathic medical professionals, and leaning on the practitioners you trust
• How the personal development work I've been doing over the last decade has helped me during my conception journey

Episode Resources

• Mount Auburn Center for Women in Cambridge
• Learn more about the Emerge Mastermind, doors are now open!
• Unbounded Mastermind
• Join us on March 11th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.
• Join the Private Unbounded Community on Mighty Networks

Connect with Catherine:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

As I'm recording this solo episode of the Prosperous Empath®, I'm enjoying a week with no client calls & focusing entirely on working on my business instead of working in it. I block off my calendar like this every last week of the month and instantly feel more spacious and creative. This got me thinking about one of the most popular topics I discuss with clients: Becoming the architect of your ideal schedule. When you're a 9-5 employee, being busy is celebrated as a sign that you're a hard worker or an overachiever, while embracing leisure is frowned upon. When you transition into entrepreneurship and become the CEO of your own schedule, the "busy" mindset has to shift. Why? Because as an entrepreneur, so much of your success is who you're being and how you're showing up - instead of how booked your schedule is. In this episode, I'll unpack the idea of transforming your relationship with time as you grow & evolve and how it's one of the most challenging (and necessary) mindset shifts to make as an entrepreneur. You'll walk away with practical strategies on how to lean into CEO thinking, change your perspective, and master your time.

Topics:

• How to shift your mindset from being a 9-5 employee to becoming the architect of your ideal schedule as an entrepreneur
• How to create energetic space in your calendar & mind to allow for big, intuitive, and courageous thinking to emerge
• Exploring the idea that your ideal schedule as an entrepreneur is going to evolve & look different depending on the season of business that you're in
• Looking at time management as self-management and allowing yourself to invite more leisure, idleness, and pleasure into your life
• How to build a schedule that works for you & prioritizes your energy instead of the energy of other people

Episode Resources:

• Unbounded Mastermind
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
• Join the Private Unbounded Community on Mighty Networks
• Learn more about the Emerge Mastermind, doors are now open!
• Join us on March 11th at 12pm ET for our monthly Non-Networking Power Hour for Empath Entrepreneurs with our UNBOUNDED Mastermind Community for deep connections and meaningful support.

Connect with Catherine:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Sign up to receive my weekly digest on empathic entrepreneurship and hear from voices committed to spreading this message, sent straight to your inbox every Friday since 2016, here.

Work with Catherine:

• Interested in working 1:1 with a certified coach on Catherine's team, or joining her in one of her premium mastermind programs? Schedule a low-pressure call to begin the conversation here.

Visit this episode's full show notes page here.

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The Prosperous Empath® Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.