"Just take the next breath"....  sometimes our hand grenade moments are so life shattering that the only thing we can do to start moving ourselves through them is to take the next breath, then the next... & wash, rinse, repeat, until we can figure out some bigger steps that will get us out the other side of 'surviving' & back to 'thriving'.

That was the case for this week's guest Tania Stewart.  

If the School of Hard Knocks dished out degrees, Tania  would be graduating with a Masters majoring in resilience, personal growth & finding joy through loss & grief.  Plus an honorary mention for a wicked sense of play & humour. 

Tania's story is one of hope, heart  & resilience.  It's shared openly in the  spirit of helping anyone who has (or will) suffer loss & therefore grief.   Whether it be loss of a relationship, a job, a child or a parent. 

10 years ago Tania experienced every parents worst nightmare.  She lost her beautiful daughter Enya, who was 2 at the time.  And that's not the only hand grenade moment she's grown herself through.  

Yes, it's a deep conversation,  at the same time it's inspiring and uplifting.  It holds so many gems of wisdom around resilience & personal growth we know you'll find insightful. Plus we  have some laughs along the way too.  

This episode is dedicated to Enya Stewart, a beautiful, bright, shining light. 

If you are in NZ & this episode brings up anything for you, that you need support on please text 1737 any time for trained counsellor support.  

Thanks again for listening in. You can leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, we read all of our reviews and we love our two way convos with you too, so keep reaching out to us on insta or f book @unicornsandhandgrenades.life or contact us at www.unicornsandhandgrenades.com

Big love Kim & Jax x

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*Trigger warning: parts of this episode reference suicide, depression & domestic violence 

This week we're joined by Richie Hardcore.  Richie is an educator, keynote speaker & activist, working in violence prevention, masculinities, mental health & wellness.  So it's no surprise this convo is full of the real, the raw & everything inbetween. 

Our pain, suffering & mistakes can be our best teachers, especially if we look to find our own role in what's gone wrong, vs looking to blame others & outside situations.

We discuss  the tough stuff,  as well as celebrating lessons learned from mistakes made, opportunities missed & heartbreaks suffered.  Because heart-breaks lead to hearts-"full",  full of learning, love & hope.

And all of that stuff,  is the stuff of life.  It's what underpins our growth, our humility & our humanness. 

It's how we deal with the tough in life that defines & shapes us, that will make or break us. 

We explore all this plus:

Moving the needle on traditional definitions of Masculinity
Role modelling as parents
Relationships... until death do us part?!?... OR....
Learning from the past & tools to support our growth
Anchoring ourselves in the past vs shedding the ballast & forward growth
Love is a verb
Talking about & coping with death, feelings, grief & loss
Our personal journeys are ALWAYS a work in progress
Our stories leading to our purpose
Taking ownership of our choices

We all get things right, we all get things wrong, the power is in our learning & growth.  And remember, part of that learning is compassion & forgiveness for ourselves & others travelling along the same road.

To learn more about Richie & his work you can find him at:
www. richiehardcore.com
or follow him on insta @richiehardcore

A shout out & a reminder around some of our support services in NZ:

National Helpline: text 1737 for 24/7 support from a trained counsellor
Lifeline Aotearoa: on 0800 LIFELINE (0800 543 354) or text 'Help' to 4357 for 24/7 trained counsellor support
Women's Refuge: crisis line: 0800 REFUGE or via [email protected]
Safe to Talk: Sexual Harm Helpline: 0800 044 334 or text 4334
Immediate threat or harm contact emergency services on 111.

If you are listening elsewhere around the world, it's always a good idea to be across the support available in your country so you know where to go if you need it or where you can direct friends & family if they need it.

Big love Jax & Kim xx

PS: We love hearing from you so keep it coming...
www.unicornsandhandgrenades.com
Insta and FB @unicornsandhandgrenades.life
We love hearing from you so keep it coming.  

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This is one powerhouse of a convo with a powerhouse of a women. Megan Alatini is a Singer, Performer, Performance Coach, Presenter, MC, Mum, Wife & an all round epic Human.

She's graced our TV Screens on Popstars (as a member of True Bliss), Dancing with the Stars, & as a judge on NZ Idol, amongst other things.

There's so much goodness & gold for the taking throughout this chat. 

When we can be who we want to be and do what we want to do, we get to step into our power & shine our light.  But being true to ourselves sometimes comes at a cost, especially when it involves popping your head above the parapet & into the spotlight.  

We explore how Tall Poppy Syndrome is alive & kicking in NZ & what drives the behaviour that sees people delight in tearing others down.  

Megan shares with us the most transformative moment of her life.  Be warned, eyes may leak.  We also get to yarn about: 

Making the most of our experiences
How to become a little softer & less critical on ourselves
Transitioning from South Africa to NZ 
The importance of family support & connection
Inner Strength through Adversity
Dancing, singing, laughing, crying

...and loads more.  

We hope you enjoy this convo as much as we did,  and as always thanks for listening in & for your feedback.  Keep connecting, we love the two way convos. You can find us on Insta & FB: @unicornsandhandgrenades.life or at 
www.unicornsandhandgrenades.com

If you'd like to learn more about Megan or Au Consulting,  you can find her on Insta: @megan_alatini
FB & Linked in: Megan Alatini 

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We're getting real about getting real in this episode.  Authenticity,  is a word that's been thrown around more than a hot potato of late.  Wouldn't life be easy if we could all just show up as our true selves and trust that others were doing the same?!  No *BS, radars required.  Bringing ALL of us to ALL situations.

Ahhh... Nirvana.  But alas not the case,  that would be way too easy, which is what we explore in this convo.  Because authenticity calls for us to be vulnerable enough to show up as our whole selves on the daily.  

When we do that we're letting people see beyond the veil of the masks we've been  curating for ourselves since childhood.  And that takes some work.  Oh and that freakin pesky thing again, called courage. 

In this convo we jumped of the diving board and into the deep end around: 

• Holding back parts of yourself from others 
• Different levels of authenticy, is there such a thing?
• Dropping the masks & trusting others  to do the same
• What happens when they don't
• Showing up in a way that feels comfortable to you
• Showing up as different "yous" in different situations 
• Evolving your *BS radar when it comes to authenticity
• Re-realising the things that make you feel aligned & alive
• How to bring ALL of you to ALL situations
• Dropping the masks we wear 

And loads more... Plus we leave you with a few questions to mull over. 

We hope you enjoy the convo, and thanks for keeping it a two way one. We've loved hearing from you, so keep it coming.

On... Insta & f book @unicornsandhandgrenades.life or by visiting us at www.unicornsandhandgrenades.com.   

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Adversity can be a bit#h!  It can also be our biggest teacher and the catalyst for some of our most transformative personal growth. 

This is one heart warming, deep and humorous ride of a convo with Mary Haddock-Staniland! She shares with us her journey through the fires of adversity and how those fires helped shape her into the women she is today.   Mary's not only successfully navigated the path to finding her truth she's grounded herself firmly in it.  It's the place from which she lives & speaks and it's the enabler to the amazing work she does today.

Mary is a Keynote Speaker, MC, Lifeline Ambassador, Board Member, a champion for diversity and inclusion and an advocate for the transgender community.  She also knows how to have a damn good laugh and how to not take herself, or life, to seriously!

We yarn about...

• Accepting our true selves & others
• We all have our stages to stand on & shine from
• Using the stage you stand on to be the change
• Diversity
• Seeking help
• The important work of Lifeline Aotearoa 
• The good ole Social Media
• Taking the time to find your truth
• Having the courage to speak your truth
• How our body's never forget trauma
• Shining a light for others
• Laughter, love and so much more...

You can learn more about Mary here: www.maryhadstan.com or you can check her out on insta: @maryhadstan

If you need support or want to learn more about the amazing work Lifeline Aotearoa does you can find them here: www.lifeline.org.nz or on insta @lifelinenz

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Welcome to Part 2 of our Relationship series.  In this episode we have a go at cracking the code on the uncrackable.  You guessed it, relationships.  You'll have to listen in to figure out how close we got! What we can say though is whether you're single or loved up, you're sure to get some insights, tools and tips that will help make life a bit easier in this area of your life.  And who doesn't want that right? Plus we have a few laughs along the way. 

We're joined again by Relationship Counselor, Rachel Hamilton.  Rachel joined us for Part one of this series (Season 1; Episode 17) and it was our most downloaded guest episode. We're  also joined by Courtney McGuigan, whose studied psychology and is curious around what make people's lives more harmonious & happy. 

We dive deep into:

• Jealousy... with an interesting twist
• Singledom; the stigma, the positives & the resistance around entering new relationships 
• Attachment Styles
• Love Languages
• Triggers; unhealthy dynamics in relationships & how to flip them
• Mental loads & the link between doing everything in a relationship, control & resentment 
• What happens when one partner steps into the dominant mode (hint, it's closely related to the above point!)
• Relationships as teachers
• The attraction/can't keep your hands of each other zone & how to navigate what comes next
• Can you start off as friends & develop the attraction/can't keep your hands of each other zone

and much more.

You can find Rachel at www.mountcounselling.co.nz if you want to touch base.  If you'd like to follow us for more insights & what we're up to you can find us on f/book & insta:
@unicornsandhandgrenades.life or www.unicornsandhandgrenades.com

Thanks as always for your support, feedback and the heartfelt reviews you've been leaving us, it means alot.  Jax & Kim xx

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In this ride of a convo we're joined by an honorary third unicorn,  Bree Le Roux.  Bree is host of her own show, "The Human Experience",  she's a speaker, workshop facilitator, holds a bachelor of counselling and is a global coach & business mentor.  She's also just launched her new course "How to have the Relationship you Deeply Desire"

Life can be a bitch at times... she can also be a saint, a sinner and one hell of a rollicking ride.  But one thing's for sure - life, relationships and growth all require work.   Cue the collective groan... We hear ya, doing the inner work is hard,. But the pay-offs are well worth it.   Because work, play & living from a place of aliveness all go hand in hand. 

Bree shines her vulnerability like a light in this episode, sharing with us her personal journey.  She also shared her deep, professional expertise around so many areas including relationships.  We yarned about:

• Relationships (& 6 key areas of focus)
• Burn-out & stress
• You're powerful beyond measure
• Imposter syndrome
• Drink, drugs & advertising
• Balancing masculine & feminine energies
• Inner child work (what that actually means & how to do it)
• How our body is always speaking to us
• Self-compassion
• Hitting the notes & being where you're supposed to be

Plus loads more.  We hope you enjoy this conov as much as we did.

You can find out more about Bree & the work she does by visiting www.breeleroux.com or her youtube channel, insta & f book @breeleroux

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If you've been taking a few metaphorical gut punches of late then you'll love this convo.  Especially if you've also been trying to hold the line & keep the faith around your ability to create a life of expansiveness, creativity, alignment & truth.  Actually, we think you'll just love it, period!

In this powerful and vulnerable convo with Nathan we explore creating a life that reflects what we truly want. What holds us back, and most importantly,  how to move through some of those blocks and  fear of 'perceived' failures!  

Recently back from NYC, Nathan shares with us his story, experience & the wisdom gained along the way.  

Because here's the kicker,  if we want to lean into feeling fully alive, and create the life we want, then we've got to be up for it all... the moments of flow and success, the heart-breaking failures, the punches to the gut (aka ego) and the moments of surrender (aka breaking down).   
We yarn about;

• Failing in the dark vs failing publicly
• Embracing challenge
• Unlearning practised ways of being 
• Working in harmony with Universe
• The sweet spot between discipline & surrender
• The courage it takes to stay on the court, playing the game, in the heat of the moment
• Letting go
• Being the actual change you want to see
• Running out of money
• What holds us back
• Inspired action vs forced action

So much gold, and so much more...

Nathan is a coach who works with entrepreneurs around the world to build out their ideas and businesses in order to create extraordinary lives that make a difference for others.  He's also a podcast host, The Nathan Seaward Show,  Founder of Cockpit Coaches (featured in the NZ Herald) and  in a previous life was a former commercial pilot for 3 major airlines.  

You can learn more about him at www.nathanseaward.com or www.cockpitcoaches.com

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Just when you thought it was safe to go out on the streets...  (insert creepy "Jaws" soundtrack), whoosh, life keeps coming at ya! Well it has for us over the last couple of months. But that's all part of the deal.  So we lean into the suck, learn some more, share some more, grow some more, and dance some more.  That's pretty much the guts of this convo. 

It's our first time back without a guest for over a month and we have a good ole catch up around what happens when life comes back at ya!   

Healing, getting out amongst life and continuing lessons is something we're never finished with,  so we have a bit of a laugh, go deep and meaningful and talk about that plus;

• The unseen order of things
• Asking the Universe for signs
• Trusting the Process
• Shamans, Clairvoyants
• Music and its ability to move us to altered states of consciousness 
• The shifting energies before Christmas

If you're currently leaning into the suck, you're not alone.  Check out Season 1, Episode 8, with Mental Health Advocate Jimi Hunt.  It's a no BS episode about mental health vs mental fitness and is one of our most downloaded guest episodes for a reason. 

Catch ya in the convo!  Dig deep. Big Love. Kim & Jax x

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Chip's a New York Times best selling Author, TEDx Speaker, Boutique Hotel Entrepreneur, Airbnb Strategic Advisor (Leadership & Hospitality), Mentor to Brian Chesky and founder of the world's first Mid Life Wisdom School, located in Baja California Sur.

We kick off by asking Chip to introduce himself with "If you REALLY knew me"... You might be surprised by his answer.  And that won't be the only suprise you get from this convo.  Did you know mid-life starts as early as 35, yup, 35-75 according to Chip. You'll also find out why 47 is typically when we hit the dip in terms of the U curve of happiness study, and what we can do to support ourselves around that.  We also cover:  

• Our primary operating system moving from "ego" to "soul" 
• Accumulating vs editing in our lives
• Shaking up the societal narrative around mid-life and aging, after all life's about growing WHOLE not old! 
• The importance of doing a mid-life edit & bringing ritual to it  
• The anatomy of transitions and how to accelerate growth through the messy middle
• Tips for how to move more into the Human "being" vs the Human "doing" space
• Spying on the Divine 
• His Flatline experience

... And lots more.

Chip's midlife wisdom school teaches people how to cultivate and harvest their wisdom, get clear on their mastery and go out into the world and repurpose that mastery in new ways. 

"On the other side of uncertainty is a door to a room full of wisdom, we just don't know what's in it yet!"  Chip Conley. Never a truer word spoken in this day & age.  Here's to cracking open the door and braving uncertainty. 

You can connect with Chip via linkedin or sign up to wisdom well and learn more about MEA at www.modernelderacadamy.com 

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