Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever looked back at an earlier version of yourself and wondered, "What was I thinking?"

Next week on Transformative Journeys, we're exploring the difference between regret, remorse, and shame - and why our brains are so good at putting our younger selves on trial using information they couldn't possibly have had.

We'll also talk about hindsight bias, emotional "refrigerator boxes," the return of the Qualifications Gremlin... and somehow, a shit sandwich.

Join me next Monday for a conversation about self-compassion, the stories we tell ourselves, and why maybe it's time to stop feeding the demons.

Send us Fan Mail

When I started this podcast, I thought I was creating a space to talk about resilience.

I imagined conversations about grief, rebuilding after trauma, boundaries, mindfulness, and the tools that had helped me navigate some of the hardest seasons of my life.

What I didn't expect… was that creating the podcast would quietly begin changing me.

In this milestone 50th episode - and the launch of Season Two - I take a step back to reflect on the unexpected journey of becoming that has happened alongside the podcast itself.

We explore:

• Why resilience turned out to be a much bigger 'story' than I originally imagined. 
• The episodes I almost didn't publish - and why. 
• Living with Imposter Phenomenon while talking about Imposter Phenomenon. 
• What grief taught me twenty years after losing my son. 
• Why curiosity became one of the most important tools in my own growth. 
• The surprising moment I realized I had quietly become "a podcaster." 
• Why I think we've got the idea of "finding ourselves" completely backwards. 
• How our identity often catches up with our reality long after our lives have already changed. 

This isn't really an episode about podcasting.

It's about permission.

Permission to grow.
Permission to change.
Permission to stop waiting for someone else to tell you that you've earned the right to become who you're already becoming.

Because maybe growth isn't about finding yourself at all.

Maybe it's about uncovering parts of yourself that have been there all along.

If you've been listening since Episode 1 - thank you for taking this journey with me.

If this is your first episode...

Welcome.

I'm really glad you're here.

Resources Mentioned

🌐 Website:
 https://transformativejourneys.ca

📺 Enhanced video version on YouTube:
 Transformative Journeys with Johanna

📷 Instagram:
 @transformativejourneys.johanna

☕ If you'd like to help support the podcast:
 https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys

🧰 Free Resources available on my website:

• Bounce Back Blueprint 
• Essential Resilience Toolkit 
• Mindfulness Anywhere Toolkit 
• Essential Grief Toolkit 
• Insights for Navigating Grief 

Podcast music: "Back Roads" by Will Harrison, licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Transformative Journeys to Growth and Resilience™
© Johanna LeRoux

Send us Fan Mail

When I first imagined Episode 50, I thought I'd be celebrating a milestone.

Instead, I found myself writing about something completely different.

Somewhere along the journey of creating this podcast, something unexpected happened... while I was busy making it, it was quietly changing me too.

In this teaser, I'm giving you a glimpse of next week's conversation about identity, curiosity, imposter syndrome, the episodes I almost didn't publish, why I think "finding yourself" is complete and utter bullsh*t... and how some of the biggest changes in our lives happen so gradually that we don't notice them until we're looking in the rearview mirror.

Pull up a chair with me on Monday for Episode 50: I Thought I Was Just Starting a Podcast...

Because sometimes the most meaningful journeys aren't just about what we create...

They're about who we become along the way.

Send us Fan Mail

A year ago, I thought I was making a podcast about resilience.

Turns out... I was making something quite different.

Somewhere between the stories, the neuroscience, the laughter, and my own curiosity about why we humans do the things we do, Transformative Journeys quietly became a place to make sense of life's messier moments together.

If you're looking for perfect answers or "10 Steps to a Better You"... I'm probably not your person.

But if you enjoy thoughtful conversations, honest stories, practical psychology, a little neuroscience, and the occasional not-so-PG sentence... you might just feel at home here.

Season Two is a continuation of the journey - but it's also a clearer reflection of what this podcast has become.

So grab a coffee.

Pull up a chair.

I'm really glad you're here.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the most important journey you'll ever take isn't about reaching a destination... but about becoming someone you never imagined you could be?

As I wrap up the first season of Transformative Journeys, I wanted to do something a little different.

Rather than simply replaying favourite episodes, I've woven together four conversations that tell a much bigger story - a story about courage, self-trust, questioning old narratives, and allowing ourselves to grow into new versions of who we are.

Together, we'll revisit:

   • What it means to take chances before we feel ready.
   • Why the stories we've inherited about ourselves deserve to be questioned.
   • The uncomfortable, often messy process of unlearning old beliefs.
   • And why growth isn't about becoming perfect - it's about allowing ourselves to become.

This isn't a "greatest hits" episode.

It's a guided tour through the ideas that quietly shaped not only this first season of the podcast... but me as well.

If you've listened since Episode One, I hope you'll hear these conversations in a new way.

And if you're joining me for the first time, I can't think of a better place to begin.

Because the climb isn't really about reaching the summit.

It's about who we become along the way.

In This Episode

You'll discover:

• Why courage usually comes after we begin - not before. 
• How childhood curiosity slowly becomes adult self-doubt. 
• The hidden power of questioning old stories and limiting beliefs. 
• Why insight alone doesn't create change. 
• The role discomfort plays in meaningful personal growth. 
• How repeated small choices gradually shape who we become. 

Resources Mentioned

Throughout this compilation, we revisit conversations from earlier episodes, including:

• Taking Chances 
• Rewriting the Stories You Were Told 
• The Art of Unlearning 
• Exposure Therapy in Real Time 

If this episode resonated...

If today's conversation encouraged you to look at your own story a little differently, I'd love it if you would:

⭐ Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.

⭐ Share it with someone who's learning to trust themselves a little more.

⭐ Leave a rating or review—it really helps more people discover these conversations.

You can also find me at:

🌐 www.transformativejourneys.ca

📸 Instagram: @transformativejourneys.johanna

🎶 Music: “Back Roads” by Will Harrison, via Epidemic Sound.

Disclaimer:
 Johanna is not a therapist, psychologist, or medical professional. She is a public health professional, volunteer, speaker, and human being sharing personal experiences, lessons learned, and evidence-informed insights. Please seek qualified professional support when needed.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the biggest thing standing between who you are today and who you're capable of becoming... is a story you've been carrying for years?

In this week's mini teaser, I'm sharing a glimpse into the final episode of Season One - a reflection on courage, self-trust, questioning old narratives, and what happens when we stop waiting to feel ready before we take the next step.

Sometimes growth means climbing the ladder anyway... even if the slide might burn your ass on the way down.

Join me next Monday for Growth, Grit, and Allowing Ourself to Become.

Until then, remember...

It doesn't matter if you fall. What matters is how well you bounce. 💜

Send us Fan Mail

Apparently, after decades of volunteer work, training in active listening, and supporting people through some of the hardest experiences of their lives... Johanna discovered something uncomfortable:

In her personal life, sometimes when people come to her with a problem, there's a decent chance she's already built a flow chart, identified three root causes, and opened PowerPoint before they've finished the third sentence.

Oof.

In this episode, Johanna explores the difference between helping and fixing, why unsolicited advice often misses the mark, and what she's learning about empathy, support, and simply sitting with someone through difficult experiences.

Along the way, she unpacks:
     • Why many helpers, caregivers, and problem-solvers struggle with action bias
     • The difference between empathy, sympathy, and enmeshment
     • Why "You need to stop beating yourself up" isn't always as helpful as we think
     • The challenge of supporting people who appear stuck
     • How to offer support without taking ownership of someone else's journey
     • Why connection is often more powerful than solutions

This episode is equal parts self-deprecating humour, uncomfortable self-awareness, and a reminder that sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is put down the PowerPoint and simply listen.

🔗 Resources & Links

🌐 Website: https://transformativejourneys.ca/

☕ Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys

💜 Threads of Life: https://threadsoflife.ca

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/

🎶 Music: “Back Roads” by Will Harrison, via Epidemic Sound.

Disclaimer:
Johanna is not a therapist, psychologist, or medical professional. She is a public health professional, volunteer, speaker, and human being sharing personal experiences, lessons learned, and evidence-informed insights. Please seek qualified professional support when needed.

Send us Fan Mail

I recently had one of those painfully humbling realizations...

I thought I was being supportive.

Turns out, somewhere around the third sentence, I'd already diagnosed the problem, developed three possible solutions, and mentally opened PowerPoint.

Oof.

Next week, we're talking about the difference between helping and fixing, why not every conversation is a request for advice, and why people often need connection more than they need our solutions.

If you're a helper, fixer, parent, coach, leader, volunteer - or a recovering people-pleaser - you might recognize yourself in this one.

🎧 New episodes of Transformative Journeys with Johanna are released every other Monday.

🎵 Music: Back Roads – Will Harrison (courtesy of Epidemic Sound)

🌐 Website: https://transformativejourneys.ca

💜 Thanks for listening. And remember... it doesn't matter if you fall. It's how well you bounce.

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever been genuinely proud of something you've accomplished... only to have that feeling disappear the moment you compared yourself to someone else?

In this deeply personal episode, Johanna shares a real-time experience of falling head-first into the comparison trap after reaching a meaningful podcast milestone. What started as a celebration quickly spiralled into self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and some uncomfortable questions about worth, success, and why comparison can feel so painful.

Together, we'll explore:

✨ Why social comparison is a normal part of human psychology
✨ How our brains are wired to seek belonging, approval, and status
✨ The surprising role advertising and marketing have played in shaping our definition of success
✨ Why social media has amplified comparison to unprecedented levels
✨ How comparison can become the "broken mirror" through which we view ourselves
✨ Practical ways to reclaim your sense of worth and define success on your own terms

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, achieving enough, healing fast enough, or measuring up to everyone else's highlight reel, this episode is for you.

Because maybe the problem isn't that you're failing.

Maybe you're using someone else's scorecard.

Resources & Links

🌐 Website: Transformative Journeys

🧠 Free Resources:

• Essential Resilience Toolkit 
• Bounce Back Blueprint 
• Essential Grief Toolkit 
• Insights for Navigating Grief 
• Stress Whisperer Toolkit 
• Mindfulness Resources 

☕ Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys 
 
Come Say Hi on Instagram: @transformativejourneys.johanna

🎶 Music: “Back Roads” by Will Harrison, via Epidemic Sound.

🛑 Disclaimer: Johanna is not a therapist, just a human sharing lived experience.

✨ "I'm just Johanna – a fellow human being on my journey through this thing called life, and your guide on this transformative journey."

Send us Fan Mail

A few weeks ago, I hit a milestone with my podcast.

For about five minutes, I was proud of myself.

Then I opened social media.

Within seconds, I went from celebrating something meaningful to questioning everything I'd worked so hard on over the past year.

In this teaser, I'm sharing a glimpse into the very real (and very human) comparison spiral that inspired next week's episode.

Why do we compare ourselves to others so quickly?
Why does it feel so awful?
And why can our accomplishments suddenly feel smaller when we measure them against someone else's success?

Join me next week as we explore The Comparison Trap, how it affects our self-worth, and why success might have a lot more to do with our own values than anyone else's scorecard.

💜

🌐 Website: https://transformativejourneys.ca

📸 Instagram: @transformativejourneys.johanna

🎵 Music: "Back Roads" by Will Harrison (licensed through Epidemic Sound)