When every celebration feels like a food fest, the aftermath—guilt, bloat, weight gain—can overshadow the joy. In this episode, Dara shares how to shift the spotlight off food and onto true connection, belonging, and meaning.

You’ll hear stories of clients who broke free from the emotional grip food had on their celebrations and finally learned to belong to themselves instead. Dara also shares her own story of navigating her anniversary trip while sticking to a personal goal—not out of restriction, but from love and self-respect.

She'll guide you through:

• Why food has become the default celebration tool—and how to change that

• The simple swaps and mindset shifts that actually work

• How to honor yourself and stay committed to goals without shame

• Why connection, not calories, is what we’re really hungry for

You don’t need to villainize food to stop using it for false connection. You just need to rewire your relationship with celebration—and this episode will show you how.

 

Sign up for my free webinar - Why Weight Loss is Harder After 40

Have a wedding, anniversary, or big event coming up and want to feel amazing in the pictures—but without falling into the shame spiral of diet culture? In this episode, Dara shares a refreshing, no-nonsense 5-step approach to weight loss that actually sticks. She’ll show you why the “how” matters more than the number on the scale, and how chasing validation through weight loss never leads to lasting peace.

You’ll learn:

• Why liking your reason is step one (and why that’s NOT selfish)

• The power of getting the right kind of help (hint: not your fudge-pushing friends)

• What 100% commitment really looks like

• How discomfort is the price of real transformation

• Why coaching, not criticism, is the game-changer

Whether you’re walking down the aisle, celebrating 30 years, or just want to feel proud of how you show up in life—this episode is your loving, firm push in the right direction.

 

Follow Dara on social media for more @dara_tomasson

Sign up for Dara's free webinar "Why Weight Loss is Harder After 40" - HERE

As a bonus, grab her Free Food Swaps guide to help you in making food choices!

 

Watch this episode on YouTube

 

How would you describe yourself? How would you describe your identity if someone asked you? In this episode, we explore how the way you think about yourself affects the successes you have in life. If you're ready to look at how you can change your identity and have the results you want, this episode is for you.

What You'll Learn:

• The shocking story of a young man who received the wrong SAT score and how it changed his entire life trajectory
• Why personality tests are a $2 billion industry (and what that tells us about human nature)
• The difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset - and which one leads to transformation
• How to create powerful identity shifts that make lasting change inevitable
• Why your personality isn't permanent (and how to use that to your advantage)

Member Spotlight:

Celebrating a member who quit her day job to go all-in on her quilting business! She knows she has the support from Dara and the entire membership community, and more importantly, she understands that she's the one who was keeping herself from being successful.

Challenge Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Why do I weigh what I weigh?
• Why do I have as much fabric as I have?
• Why do I watch as much TV as I do?
• What is it about me that's so fixed on over-consuming?

Research & Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Carol Dweck from Stanford University - Growth Mindset research
• The concept "Personality Isn't Permanent"
• Henry Ford's famous mindset quote

Next Steps:

Ready to explore how identity shifts can transform your life? Dara challenges you to book a call and discuss where you want to go and how to get there.

Book a call with Dara HERE

Connect with Dara:

• Website: daratomasson.com 
• Instagram: @dara_tomasson
• Watch this episode on YouTube (and follow Dara there!)

Subscribe & Review:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe to The Quilter's Coach Podcast and leave a review! Your reviews help other quilters and creative women find the show.

Ever feel like you’re halfway through summer and already thinking, “I blew it... I need a do-over”? Whether it’s a new quilt project, a wellness goal, or just trying to keep life on track — the pattern of starting strong, falling off, and wanting to restart can feel never-ending.

In this episode, Dara unpacks:

• Why the urge to “start over” is often a form of self-sabotage

• How perfectionism and fear of failure sneak into your creative process

• What happens when you ditch judgment and embrace curiosity

• How one member used these tools to stand up for herself and rewrite her story

Dara also shares her 90-day process and how simple, consistent actions can change the way you approach food, goals, and even relationships.

🎯 If you’re tired of all-or-nothing thinking and want lasting results, this episode is for you.

Book a call with Dara to find out if her program is right for you!

Follow Dara on social media @dara_tomasson

In this episode, Dara redefines what cravings actually mean — and shows you how they’re not a signal to eat, but a signal to connect. With yourself. With your emotions. With what you actually need.

Through heartfelt coaching stories (including a member navigating the death of her spouse with grounded self-leadership), Dara helps you unpack the difference between desire and distraction. You’ll learn how to stop reinforcing unhelpful patterns and how to develop a new internal dialogue that creates peace, not panic, around cravings.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• What your cravings are really trying to tell you

• Why trying to "resist" or ignore cravings backfires

• How to rewire your brain to want connection over food

• A simple coaching question that transforms late-night eating

• Why discomfort isn’t the enemy — disconnection is

You don’t need more willpower. You need more understanding. This episode will give you both.

Don't wait, book a call with Dara to find out more about how she can help you! Book your free call HERE

 

Watching this episode on YouTube

Follow Dara on social media @dara_tomasson

 

Bonus! Feeling those cravings coming on and want some healthy alternatives to chips, pretzles and ice cream? Grab Dara's free guide for Healthy Food Swaps!

In this episode, Dara shares her personal journey through emotional eating, perfectionism, and body image, uncovering the real reason diets don’t work: they bypass the emotional and identity-based roots of our patterns.

Drawing inspiration from "Personality Isn’t Permanent" by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and timeless movie quests like "The Hobbit" and "Harry Potter," Dara reveals how true change comes from becoming the person who can handle discomfort—not avoiding it with food, clutter, or control. She breaks down the four levers of identity change, explains why chasing “authenticity” can be misleading, and makes a powerful case for life coaching as a tool to claim your future self.

Key Takeaways:

• Why self-help and organizing tools can keep you stuck in the same cycle

• The 4 identity levers that truly shape personality and permanent change

• The myth of the “authentic self” — and why it can actually stunt your growth

• Why emotional resilience—not discipline—is the path to a peaceful relationship with food

• A quilter's real-life win that proves mindset tools beat meal plans every time

 

Ready to lose weight without starting a new diet? Book a call with Dara to find out how!

 

Watch this episode on YouTube

 

Tired of the pressure to “fix” your body before you can enjoy summer? You’re not alone. In this powerful episode, Dara tackles the harmful myth of the “summer bod” and why shame is keeping so many women stuck — mentally, emotionally, and physically. She shares how to shift from body hate to body connection, how to use neuroscience-backed visualization tools like Mind Movies, and how members of her program are losing weight and gaining confidence without relying on guilt.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between guilt and shame (and why one’s helpful, the other isn’t)

• How shame keeps you stuck in sabotage

• Why pursuing weight loss from a place of fear backfires

• What to do instead — using curiosity, connection, and care

Also in this episode:

💬 A personal story about my son’s comment on an old photo… and how I handled it 🧠 A brain hack called “Mind Movies” to help you visualize the life (and body) you want — without shame ❤️ Why one member in her 70s is finally loving herself while losing weight — without dieting

If this episode speaks to you, don’t keep struggling on your own. Book a free 20-minute call with me and let’s get to the bottom of your biggest block.

📞 www.daratomasson.com/contact

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re just not using the right tools yet.

Let’s change that.

 

Do you find yourself dreading summer because you're unsure what to do with it—or yourself? When was the last time you made a goal and actually followed through?

In this episode, Dara dives into the power of summer bucket lists—not just as a fun checklist, but as a tool for intention, growth, and creativity. Whether you're navigating emotional eating, dreaming of more meaningful experiences, or just want to feel something again, this episode will help you reconnect with yourself and your goals.

You’ll discover:

• Why most women stop setting goals (and how to shift that)

• How wonder and curiosity lead to real, lasting transformation

• The creative energy that comes from delight—not discipline

• The connection between purposeful goals and sustainable weight loss

• A moving story of a member breaking through the 200-lb mark (without counting calories or tracking steps)

Plus: Dara also shares a behind-the-scenes look at her coaching calls, where she can spot your #1 self-sabotaging pattern in just 7 minutes — and how to book a free call with her this week.

📞 Book your free call: www.daratomasson.com/contact

This episode is a celebration of intentional living, gentle curiosity, and what becomes possible when you give yourself permission to want more and do something about it.

🪣 Want to join the Summer Bucket List Challenge? We're doing it now inside the membership—and it's not too late to join. Let’s make this summer meaningful, together. Book your call and rediscover joy and wonder this summer!

 

Follow Dara on Instagram for more inspiration @dara_tomasson

Learn more about Dara and her program on her website www.daratomasson.com

Watch this podcast episode on YouTube

 

 

Do you resist the label of perfectionist — or wear it like a badge of honor?

Either way, this episode is going to change the way you think about perfectionism forever.

Because perfectionism isn’t just about straight-A report cards or color-coded closets. It shows up in your weight, your relationships, your to-do list — and most importantly, your thinking.

In this episode, Dara explores the four most common types of perfectionism and how they shape your emotional habits, your body, and your experience of life:

• 🧍‍♀️ The Pleaser

• 🕰️ The Procrastinator

• 🏃‍♀️ The Over-doer

• ❓ The Self-Doubter

You’ll learn:

• How perfectionism is a survival response (not a flaw)

• Why we subconsciously cling to these patterns

• What you can do to retrain your brain with more emotional safety

• How one member shifted from emotional chaos to healing family relationships — just by losing the desire to soothe with food

👉 Plus, don’t miss the 9-question quiz to find out your perfectionist type. Take the quiz and discover the customized support you need to rewire your brain and finally feel free.

What Kind of Perfectionist Are You?

 

Watch this episode on YouTube 

Do you have boxes of stuff in your home that don’t even belong to you… but you still feel responsible for? Do you feel overwhelmed just thinking about where to start — so you don’t start at all?

If the answer is yes, this episode is for you.

Whether it’s fabric you’ve been “saving for later,” photos from your dad’s amateur photography hobby, your great Aunt Sue’s china, or bins of your adult kids’ belongings, the emotional weight of stuff is real. And it’s often tied to self-worth, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and grief.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why letting go of physical clutter is also about letting go of emotional weight

• How cultural and family identity can keep us stuck in our stuff

• The most powerful question to ask when you feel stuck: “What would be delightful?”

• Why generic decluttering systems don’t work for everyone — and how to create your own

Plus, hear a touching member win about a woman in her 70s who finally stopped the pattern of emotional eating (starting with just one lonely cookie 🍪) — and how her mindset shift changed everything.

This is not just about getting organized. It’s about creating peace in your space — and in your mind.

🧠 Mentioned in this episode:

• Quiz: What Kind of Perfectionist Are You? 

🎧 Listen now and take the first step toward a more open, peaceful, and delightful life.