In this episode of The SunDaze Journey Podcast, host Alexis Carthan explores the concept of a 30-day no-spend challenge, sharing her personal journey with her husband to reset their financial habits. Alexis explains that a no-spend month is a powerful tool for cutting out non-essential spending and rethinking your relationship with money. She shares how this challenge helped them reset emotional spending habits and cultivate gratitude for the things they already had.

Throughout the episode, Alexis emphasizes the importance of personalizing your no-spend challenge. Whether that means setting a few exceptions or identifying specific spending triggers—such as emotional or social spending—Alexis walks listeners through how to tailor the challenge to their own needs. She also shares how she and her husband created a roadmap to ensure they stayed on track with their financial goals. Alexis dives into dealing with common spending triggers, including emotional spending and the pressure to spend during social activities. She offers creative, cost-free alternatives for socializing and practical tips, such as doing a pantry challenge or borrowing instead of buying.

Finally, Alexis encourages listeners to reflect on their no-spend journey once the month is over. She suggests taking time to assess what worked, what didn’t, and how they can implement long-term changes to improve their financial habits. This episode is packed with actionable advice and personal insights for anyone looking to reset their relationship with money and build healthier financial habits.

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We appreciate your willingness to step into these vulnerable topics with us—please rate, review, and subscribe to The SunDaze Journey Podcast for more episodes, and follow along with all our content for more real talk on unfiltered issues. 

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Content Warning: This episode contains a discussion of sexual assault. Please take care of yourself while listening. 

Welcome to the second installment of our two-part series. In this episode of The SunDaze Journey Podcast’s “Unqualified Hour,” co-hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher talk about the harsh reality of unfulfilled goals and the emotional journey that accompanies them. 

It’s human nature to search for meaning in the aftermath of a broken dream. But to embrace the lesson, we must allow ourselves to feel the pain. Falling short of an outcome we hoped for is not a sign of failure or weakness—sometimes it’s just an inevitable part of living in a messy world. 

In this episode, Alexis and Mary-Beth discuss the non-linear path of healing, the value of honest self-reflection, the strength and resilience of community, and the power of redefining success. They also chat through what it means to transform adversity into new opportunities.

Then, Mary-Beth has some words of gratitude for Madam Vice President Kamala Harris (always the VP of our hearts!) in today’s “Shining Light” segment. Harris’ concession speech after the 2024 U.S. presidential race was the inspiration behind this conversation, after all. 

No matter our experiences or backgrounds, everyone can relate to the raw disappointment of goals that feel out of reach due to forces beyond our control. If this describes the season you’re in, we hope you’ll be encouraged to reframe the setback as a launchpad for growth. 

We appreciate your willingness to step into these vulnerable topics with us—please rate, review, and subscribe to The SunDaze Journey Podcast for more episodes, and follow along with all our content for more real talk on unfiltered issues. 

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Today on The SunDaze Journey Podcast’s “Unqualified Hour,” we bring you the first installment of a two-part series. In this episode, co-hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher dive into the complex nature of goals—how to pivot back to them if we meander off-course, and when it’s time to move on from a goal that doesn’t resonate anymore.

We all encounter crossroads in life—whether through personal circumstances, professional choices, or tense political climates (yeah…sound familiar?). These experiences can shatter our illusion of control, forcing us to re-evaluate the aspirations we hold onto. Whether we’ve allowed external pressures to deter us from our goals, or we need to release ourselves from the pursuit of an ambition that no longer serves us, this can be an invitation to grace, acceptance, contentment, and self-discovery in the face of uncertainties.

Alexis and Mary-Beth explore the discomfort (or even grief) that can surface in the midst of this process, and why it’s beneficial to celebrate each milestone of the journey—whether or not it turns out like we envisioned at the starting line. Finally, our hosts offer some actionable steps for dreamers to overcome challenges and reclaim motivation as they pursue the goals that matter. Then, we’ll “Shine a Light” on folks who inspire us to dream.  

Also mentioned in the episode: Staying Motivated When Your Dreams Seem Far-Fetched by Mary-Beth Meagher

As usual, we hope you will rate, review, and subscribe to The SunDaze Journey Podcast—and be sure to tune in next time for part two of this conversation. If you want more of The SunDaze Journey (because of course you do!), peruse our content below:

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In this week’s episode of The SunDaze Journey Podcast’s “Unqualified Hour,” co-hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher explore the nuances of work-life balance. This term can feel buzzwordy at times—but as freelancers who know just how easy it is blur those personal and professional lines, we’re diving beneath the surface to unpack the benefits of work-life balance, along with the barriers and misconceptions that come with it.

Using our favorite blend of personal stories and scientific insights, we’ll look at what balance actually means. Hint: it’s not an equal distribution of time—it’s about focusing on what truly matters in life, then orienting both our personal and professional commitments around those core values. We’ll discuss how the cultural glorification of performance and achievement can pressure us into burnout. We’ll also chat through the need to prioritize boundaries, cultivate space for relationships, lean into self-awareness as we navigate expectations, and make adjustments until we reach our own definition of a healthy work-life balance.

Next, we’ll share a handful of actionable techniques to maintain that balance, whether it’s in a corporate or freelance environment—or some combination of the two (Alexis knows all about this!). Finally, we’ll “Shine a Light” on some work-life balance resources, influencers, and best friends who help us integrate this practice into our own daily routine.

Also, mentioned in the episode: Read 4 Productivity Methods for Your Workday to learn more about time blocking.

Please rate, review, and subscribe to The SunDaze Journey Podcast, so that you won’t miss an episode. We hope you’ll tune in next week for another installment of “The Unqualified Hour,” and follow our content at the links below:

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It’s been a few years since our voices last filled your ears (2021, to be exact), but we’re thrilled to be back on the mics with an all-new podcast flow and format we hope you will love! In this inaugural episode of The SunDaze Journey’s “Unqualified Hour,” co-hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher offer their unfiltered, but not necessarily…ahem…qualified takes on what it means to cultivate and maintain healthy boundaries in relationships. 

Whether it’s with a partner, friend, relative, or coworker, boundaries are essential for both your mental health and the well-being of those relationships. Our hosts will debunk a few common misconceptions about boundaries (hint: they’re not selfish or insensitive), and explore how setting boundaries can enhance multiple areas of your life—from personal growth and familial dynamics, to professional success and even technology habits. 

They’ll also discuss how to leverage communication, compassion, and consistency to establish boundaries, built on reciprocal trust and mutual respect. Finally, our hosts will close out with a new segment called “Shining Light,” in which we send love to a person or platform doing the real work to embody our topic of discussion in a meaningful way. 

This week, Alexis shines a light on Nedra Glover Tawwab, licensed therapist and bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself. Mary-Beth shouts out Standing Together, a unified grassroots movement that helps nurture common ground between Palestinians and Israelis in the pursuit of equity, justice, and peace. We hope you’ll take some time to learn more about these incredible resources. 

Please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to The SunDaze Journey Podcast, so you never miss an episode. You can also follow along with all of our content at the links below:

• Visit our Website: SunDazeJourney.com
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In a patriarchal culture that so often tells women who they can and cannot be, it's hard to honor your authentic self and trust the voice inside that whispers, "You're on the right path." In this episode of The SunDaze Journey Podcast, hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher talk to a woman who knows firsthand what it means to be fully and unapologetically herself in the face of cultural, social, and religious opposition. The pair are thrilled to welcome Bethany Gaddis, a pastor, ministry leader, social media manager, and justice advocate—who also happens to be Mary-Beth's personal friend and mentor. (Fun fact: MB's husband gave Bethany the nickname Queen B, and it's stuck for the past five years!). Learn more about what Bethany is doing in this world at the links below:

Inspire. Empower. Be. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspire_empower_be/
Design373 Website: https://design373.com/
Design373 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dthree7three/
Design373 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d373marketing/
Conscious Communicators Website: www.communicatelikeyougiveadamn.com/
Conscious Communicators Instagram: www.instagram.com/consciouscommunicators   

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With the current rising food prices, combined with supply chain shortages all over the world, many of our bank accounts feel the pinch of these elevated grocery costs. But for some of us, the issue runs deeper than a temporary financial strain. Today’s guest on The SunDaze Journey Podcast is helping to raise awareness and create holistic, community-driven solutions for those who experience food insecurity in her own backyard. 

In this episode, hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher welcome to the mic Victoria Hasselbring, volunteer coordinator at All Faith’s Food Bank in Sarasota, Florida. The three discuss how food insecurity is a year-round, systemic problem (not just something to be aware of as the holidays approach and we gather around our tables); how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate this disparity; and what we can do to help make food more accessible to our neighbors and communities.  

Oh…and we should also mention that Victoria is Mary-Beth’s twin sister, so if their voices sound similar, now you know the reason! Support the food bank’s mission at these links below: 

All Faith’s Website: allfaithsfoodbank.org/
Partner Website: feedingamerica.org/
Instagram: instagram.com/allfaithsfoodbank/
Facebook: facebook.com/AllFaithsFoodBank/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/all-faiths-food-bank/

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What if we all tried to infuse just a little more hope, light, inspiration, and humor in this world by turning our stories of pain into beautiful works of art? That’s exactly what our latest guest is out there doing!

On today’s episode of The SunDaze Journey podcast, hosts Alexis and Mary-Beth are joined by Sam Simone, an NYC-based actress, who is using her creative medium as a performer to raise awareness for the daily realities of life with an invisible illness. This conversation is full of sincerity and vulnerability, mixed with just the right amount of laughter. We’re thrilled for you give it a listen! 

Follow Sam on social media and her website at the links below: 

Facebook: facebook.com/SamanthaSimoneActor
Instagram: instagram.com/samisims21/
Website: samanthanicolesimone.com/

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In countless households across the globe, "money" is among the handful of topics you should steer clear of at the dinner table. But with so many people lacking basic financial literacy skills and the ability to ask for fair wages, are we doing ourselves a disservice by worrying about being polite?

As a follow-up to last week's episode on the power of negotiation hosts Alexis Carthan and Mary-Beth Meagher chat about why it's important for us to be more transparent when it comes to topics surrounding money. The pair also explore ways we can become more comfortable to make sure future generations can truly reap the benefits of our labors.

Mentioned in today's show:
Indra Nooyi says asking for a raise is ‘cringeworthy.’ Women are doing it anyways | Fortune
The Great Resignation Is Accelerating | The Atlantic

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Whether it’s boundaries in relationships, salaries in the workplace, or any other aspect of daily life, negotiation is a crucial skill to develop. In this episode of The SunDaze Journey Podcast, hosts Alexis and Mary-Beth delve into the art of negotiation with accounting and finance and expert negotiator Maria Crawford. This conversation is full of practical insights and experiential wisdom on how to advocate for what you’re worth, both in the personal and professional sense. If you want to negotiate with confidence, boldness, strength and finesse, this episode is just for you! Give Maria a follow on social media at the links below: 

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn

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Support the show