We’re back, Thrivesters - and this episode is your line in the sand.

As we step into the Year of the Fire Horse, the energy around us is undeniable: momentum, movement, transformation, and bold possibility. But here’s the truth most people miss-
powerful energy without boundaries =burnout.

Today we're talking about how to ride the energy of this year, not be dragged by it.

We’re talking about agency - your ability to choose how you show up, what you tolerate, and what you’re no longer available for.

Because growth without grounding isn’t growth. It’s chaos.

And the tool that makes all of this possible?
Boundaries.

In this episode, we cover:

🔥 What the Year of the Fire Horse really represents -and why 2026 isn’t the year to play small
🔥 Why boundaries are the highest form of self-love (and the most misunderstood)
🔥 How to set boundaries at work without damaging relationships
🔥 The power of behavioral boundaries - when action speaks louder than announcements
🔥 Real-life examples of boundaries with bosses, colleagues, family, friends, and houseguests
🔥 Why resentment is often a signal that a boundary is overdue
🔥 How rituals are actually boundaries you set with yourself - and why honoring them changes everything
🔥 The truth about self-betrayal, burnout, and why we’re quickest to break promises to ourselves
🔥 How protecting your energy improves sleep, focus, peace, and clarity (yes, even 100% sleep scores)

If this year is asking you to move faster, think bigger, and live more intentionally, boundaries are what keep you anchored in your truth while everything else accelerates.

Ready to go deeper?

✨ I’ve linked a simple boundary script in the show notes to help you practice setting clear, kind boundaries that actually stick.
✨ If you’re honoring a ritual that’s changing how you feel or live, tag me on Instagram @nancy_medoff - I love seeing what’s working for you.
✨ If you’re navigating a “what now / what next” season and want support curating this next chapter with clarity and confidence, join the waitlist for my 8-week THRIVE LIVE Lightning Coaching program (link below).

This year isn’t about more effort.
It’s about aligned action, grounded energy, and choosing yourself - on purpose.

Now go thrive like you mean it!

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/cmSdMoh

Thrive Live Coaching Wait List

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9

Thrive Hive Weekly Buzz

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/JkL96cG

Boundary Blueprint

https://www.instagram.com/nancy_medoff/

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OK Thriveters, moment of truth time.

Not the polished, Instagram-friendly kind.

The honest, uh-oh, maybe I’m not who I thought I am, stop-you-in-your-tracks kind.

After weeks of talking about more or less the same, rituals, intention, and choosing on purpose, we land here Thrivesters on the question that quietly drives everything else:

What actually makes you happy?

Not who.

Not the people you love.

Not your family, your partner, your kids, or your dog.

What.

And if your answer comes too quickly… that might be the point.

Links & Resources:

• Podcast episode with Brenda Johnston: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-a-limitless-life-with-brenda-johnston-ep63/id1633529521?i=1000624495141
• Join my Coaching Waitlist here: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/cmSdMoh⁠
• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)

If you’ve ever set an intention, said the words, picked the theme, posted the quote - and then wondered why nothing actually changed - this episode is for you.

Because intention isn’t magic.

It isn’t passive.

And it definitely isn’t a “set it and forget it” moment.

Today, Thrivesters, I’m breaking down the truth most people don’t want to hear:

Intention without awareness is noise.

Awareness without action is self-deception.

This episode explores why intention must be paired with awareness and decisive action to create real change.
Bottom line:

Intention isn’t something you say.

It’s something you live.

Links & Resources:

• Join my Coaching Waitlist here: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/cmSdMoh⁠
• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

I’m coming in hot today, Thrivesters, with hard truth for you this month.  Here it is:

If you haven’t decided what you want more of this year… something else already decided for you.

January gives us a rare window - a pause to step back, be truly honest with ourselves, and decide what we’re no longer willing to carry forward.

I’m not talking resolutions, I’m talking agency.

No overthinking.

No perfection.

Just clear, intentional choices.

I’m sharing with you how the More / Less / Same framework - works so well to:

• Identify what’s draining your energy vs. what fuels it

• Real examples from my own list (boundaries, sleep, travel, wellness - all of it)

• Show us why clarity is a  skill, not a personality trait

This isn’t about judging yourself.

It’s about deciding.

Today’s episode kicks off a January series focused on clarity, intention, and forward motion -without burnout.

Together we explore:

• Turning awareness into action

• Defining what happiness actually looks like for you

• Creating rituals that support your real life, not an ideal one

Because here’s the truth, Thrivesters: 

You don’t need to do more to become more.

You simply need to choose - deliberately.

Now go out there and thrive like you mean it.

– Nancy

Links & Resources:

• Get the More / Less / Same framework here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ZqzLmZQ
• Join my Coaching Waitlist here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/cmSdMoh
• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

Happy New Year, Thrivesters!  Today we’re diving into one of my favorite rituals: choosing the one word (or phrase) that becomes your True North for the year ahead. Not a resolution. Not a list. Not pressure in disguise. Just a single grounding idea that guides how you show up, move, and make decisions.

I’ve been using a “word of the year” for over a decade, and when I tell you it works…it works. One of my past words, Thrive, ended up inspiring my vision board, my daily screensaver, a feature in Thrive Global, and eventually – yes - the Thrive Hive Podcast. That’s how powerful aligned intention is.

I’ve had missteps too. Some words fall flat. Some years fall apart. And that’s all part of the process.

This year my word is FRESH.

And the story behind it is equal parts hilarious and incredibly insightful. (Spoiler: it started with my husband insisting on “showing up fresh” and me being a bit bratty about it.)

Then I thought about this idea of “fresh”.   What if fresh wasn’t a luxury… but a choice? A mindset? A way of living where you stop powering through and start choosing presence, boundaries, rest, clarity, and a fresh approach to the things that matter?

Imagine giving yourself:

✨ fresh perspective

✨ fresh habits

✨ fresh grace

✨ fresh energy

✨ fresh beginnings—even in places that feel old

Think of fresh as the antidote to “just push through.” It’s not perfection. It’s renewal.

We’re stepping into 2026 with fresh energy - shedding the old like the Year of the Snake, and galloping into the new like the Year of the Horse (because yes, we’re talking Chinese astrology too).

This year is going to move.

And I want all of us ready Thrivesters - not exhausted, not depleted, not dragging yourself to the starting line.

Fresh. As. A. Daisy. 

Welcome to 2026, Thrivesters. Let’s ride.

Let’s go thrive like we mean it. 

Links & Resources:

Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠

Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD

Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)

Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… and also the messiest, the noisiest, and the most likely to send even the calmest among us into a full emotional tailspin.

This week Thrivesters,  I’m coming to you surrounded by oyster-shell ornaments, cookie crumbs, and homemade wine toppers - because apparently, I still over-commit even while teaching YOU not to.  It’s festive chaos over here, but it’s also exactly why today’s episode matters.

If you love the holidays and find yourself bracing for impact as soon as the extended family walks through the door, this one’s for you.

Here’s the truth we don’t talk about nearly enough:

Family dynamics have a special way of pulling us back into childhood roles faster than you can say “Who made this sweet potato pie?”

So today,  I’m breaking down three ways to navigate all of it with clarity, humor, boundaries, and actual grace - not the kind you force through your teeth.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

1. Remember: It’s Not About You (Yep, I Said It)

2. Boundaries: Set ’Em, Say ’Em, Stick to ’Em

3. Go Inward: What’s Your Role Here?

You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll definitely recognize a few holiday characters in your own life… and you’ll walk away with a plan to actually enjoy the season without losing yourself in the process.

Because Thrivesters  - the holiday drama doesn’t get to control your experience.

YOU DO.

✨ Ready for stress-free holidays (for real)?

Join the Weekly Buzz for gifts, boundary scripts, and my favorite little holiday surprises.

Link in show notes.

✨ Thinking about Thrive Coaching?

January spots are open now, and the investment increases soon.

Click here to get the details. 

Go out there and thrive like you mean it. 

Links & Resources:

• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

It’s December, Thrivesters, which means we are officially in the season where six months of living gets crammed into three weeks and somehow we’re all expected to smile, sparkle, and simultaneously attend 47 events with matching pajamas and homemade cookies.

Spoiler Alert: You cannot do all the things.

And neither can I.

In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the years I used to run myself ragged hosting full-blown holiday extravaganzas - ice sculptures, champagne fountains, disco lights, custom cocktail napkins. Yes, in a Boston apartment. Yes, while I was flying around delivering keynotes and eating airport dinners.

And they were FUN…

Until they weren’t.

Eventually, the holidays became less “joyful celebration” and more “why am I sweating through December while everyone else is sipping mulled wine?” So I stopped. And wow, did people have feelings about it. (I still get the Devil Wears Prada up-and-down look every year. You know the one.)

Truth bomb for you Thrivesters:

You’re allowed to say no.

You’re allowed to protect your energy.

And you’re allowed to enjoy a holiday season that doesn’t leave you looking like the cat who touched the light socket.

Today I’m giving you five no-BS, drama-free ways to say NO - with kindness, with clarity, with confidence, and without ghosting people or offering panicked explanations.

December wants to pull you in a thousand directions and this episode hands you the scripts, the confidence, and the permission to choose where your energy goes this season -  and where it absolutely does not.

Because protecting your peace is not rude, selfish, or dramatic.

It’s leadership.

It’s maturity.

It’s growth.

And it’s exactly how you step into 2026 as the YOU, you actually want to be.

✨ The next episode is a special one, so make sure you’re subscribed… it’s going to be GOOD.

Now go thrive like you mean it. 

Links & Resources:

• Join the waitlist for my free 2025 Holiday Thrive Guide —your permission slip to slow down, savor, and actually enjoy the season. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/BpdMURp

• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

We’ve all said it, Thrivesters - “I’ll deal with it after the holidays.” And let’s be real… this is usually code for “I don’t want to think about it right now.”

In this caffeinated, no-filter episode, I’m diving into the three words that quietly sabotage your motivation and momentum every year. You’ll learn why “after the holidays” isn’t about time - it’s about avoidance - and how to take one small step now to protect your future self from burnout, guilt, and that January regret spiral.

I’m also going back to our roots and talking about the one word women need to drop from their vocabulary ASAP (hint: it’s right?), and why it’s secretly chipping away at your confidence every time you say it.

Get ready for a mix of straight talk, laughter, and my signature Thrive Hive truth bombs - because thriving isn’t something you postpone. It’s something you practice, especially when life gets full.

In this episode:

• The sneaky danger of “after the holidays” thinking

• The one small step to reclaim your time and energy right now

• How to prep yourself for a thrive-style new year - before January

Links & Resources:

• Join the waitlist for my free 2025 Holiday Thrive Guide — your permission slip to slow down, savor, and actually enjoy the season. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/BpdMURp
• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Thrive Live Coaching Early Bird Pricing: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/C3Zwutq

You know I love you, Thrivesters so I’m coming in hot with a quick holiday truth bomb: there are three innocent little words that can absolutely derail your joy this season. And yes… I’ve used all of them.

Today we’re talking about my own personal struggle with overcommitting, and how the three words — “should,” “sure,” and “sorry” — can suck the energy (and joy) right out of your holiday season.

Today is part pep talk, part self - intervention, and all about reclaiming your peace before you hit burnout.

Here’s what you’ll hear about today:

• How the word “should” quietly fuels guilt, comparison, and resentment
• Why “sorry” chips away at your confidence (and what to say instead)
• Simple boundary scripts that help you protect your energy - minus the guilt

This isn’t about saying no to everything, it’s about saying yes to what really matters. Because you can’t thrive if you’re constantly running on empty.

Now – go out there and thrive like you mean it!

Links & Resources:

• Join the waitlist for my free 2025 Holiday Thrive Guide —your permission slip to slow down, savor, and actually enjoy the season. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/BpdMURp

• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Grab my best-selling book Unmute Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Unmute-Yourself-Speak-Stand-Out/dp/B094988YFD
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)

When life starts to feel too small for who you’ve become, it’s not a breakdown - it’s a breakthrough.

This one hit deep, Thrivesters and today we’re talking about what it really means to outgrow your old life and to do so with grace.

I got a lot of comments on the Life Audit recap episode, which was dedicated to this very idea. You know, those moments when everything in your life is great, fine, hitting it on all cylinders and yet - something still feels… off.

This week, I sat down with my childhood friend Carla Greengrass, now a Purposeful Pivot Coach, and we got real about what happens when the life you built doesn’t fit anymore. From the playground to the big PR job, reinvention number 1, 2 and what’s next.

Today you have a front row seat to real, unfiltered talk between two old friends who met on the playground. Today Carla and I unpack what it actually means to evolve - and why this is not a crisis, it’s a calling.

We talk about:

• What to do when you’ve outgrown your own success
• Why nothing is “wrong” with you - you’re simply changing
• How your energy and beliefs create your reality (and how to rewrite them
• The “factory settings” that keep you stuck - and how to hit the reset
• Why reinvention doesn’t have to be scary - and how you can reframe to step into your next chapter with clarity and grace.

And, yes, I share a personal story about my own life audit, and how I realized my compass had shifted from “grow the business” to protect my peace.

Carla breaks down her Energy Leadership Index Assessment, explaining how it reveals the beliefs that drive your reactions - and how to use that awareness to finally choose the life you truly want. She even shares her “Pocket-Sized Pivots,” tiny mindset shifts you can make in real time when life throws a curveball.

If you’ve been asking yourself, “Why don’t I feel fulfilled anymore?” - this episode will shake something loose. You’re not broken. You’re simply evolving. And that’s a good thing.

Now go out there and thrive like you mean it!

Links & Resources:

• Join the Thrive Hive and receive the Weekly Buzz: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/MurXaK9⁠
• Listen to my Life Audit podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-life-audit-without-the-crisis-ep165/id1633529521?i=1000724013847
• Carla’s website: www.carlagreengrass.com
• Connect with Carla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-greengrass/
• Follow me on Instagram: ⁠@nancy_medoff (https://www.instagram.com/nancy.medoff)
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: @nancymedoff (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancymedoff/)