You’ve seen the memes. The TikToks. The instagram posts. The influencers spinning around in a bikini with an iced coffee and calling it “main character energy.”

But what if I told you that real main character energy has nothing to do with being extroverted or seeking attention - and everything to do with knowing who you are, what you value, and being brave enough to live that out loud?

In this episode, we’re reclaiming what it means to be the main character of your own life. We’ll talk about cultivating confidence from the inside out, setting boundaries (without the guilt), and taking small daily steps that build trust in yourself. This isn’t about being selfish - it’s about showing up in the world with your whole heart and helping others shine while you do.

Whether you’re stuck on autopilot or just feel like you’ve lost your spark, this episode will help you come home to yourself - and take the lead role in the story you’re meant to live.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Define your values. You can’t lead your life with intention if you don’t know what matters most. Get clear on your top five values and let them guide how you show up.

• Build self-esteem by doing esteemable things. Start small. Set daily intentions and actually honor them. Every time you follow through, you prove to yourself that you're trustworthy - and that builds real confidence.

• Main character energy isn’t about ego - it’s about alignment. When you stop living for other people’s schedules, needs, and expectations, and start doing things that make you feel alive, you create a life that feels full, not forced. 

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

I know when you think about your favorite fun things to do, networking is at the top of the list, right? 👀Okay, I know networking is usually awkward and uncomfortable, but my guest Todd Buelow swears it doesn’t have to be! In this episode, Todd shares how he built up the skills to network anywhere with anybody, and the incredible opportunities that have come from it, from free international trips to being an extra on a movie set. If you want to get better at connection and find more adventure in your life, this episode is for you! 

Todd Buelow is Co-Founder and Partner at Dualboot Partners, an Inc. 5000 entrepreneur, and 3x Charlotte Business Journal Fast 50 Honoree. He lives with his family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Links mentioned:

• 10% Happier Podcast | How to Network with Jordan Harbinger

• Charlotte Rescue Mission

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Approach networking as giving, not getting. When you approach the conversation from a place of service, you’ll build a genuine connection that could present amazing opportunities in the future. And if nothing comes from it? You still put tons of value and goodness into the world.

• If you’re shy and trying to meet people, go volunteer in your community. If you choose a cause you’re passionate about, you will meet other people who are also passionate about that cause and you’ll have something in common with them. 

• Be genuinely curious about other people and use that curiosity to drive the conversation forward. You will meet so many interesting and inspiring people this way without falling into the boring small talk conversation starters.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

We all have a little voice in our heads that talks to us throughout the day. Maybe your voice is gentle and sweet and cheers you, or maybe your voice is right there whenever you make a mistake or feel jealousy, reminding you that you’re not good enough. In this episode, I want to explore where that voice is coming from, whether what it’s saying is true, and how you can befriend it instead of fighting it. If you’re tired of your inner critic running your day, this episode is for you!

Resources mentioned:

• Watch Ep. 126: The Booty Call to Self-Love Pipeline

• Self-Compassion with Dr. Kristin Neff

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Not everything that you think is true - and thank God for that! Before you try to figure out if your intrusive thought is true or not, first get curious about where the thought is coming from and what exactly triggered it.

• The goal with our inner critic isn’t to shut it down immediately. Actually, befriending that voice instead of fighting it will help it quiet down and not have such a grip on you. What you resist persists. 

• Self-compassion is not the same as making excuses. It is possible to be direct and honest with yourself while doing so with compassion. If you know you’re not making the best choices, you can turn the ship around without bullying yourself about it.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Booty calls, flaky friends, and bosses that take advantage of you are all breadcrumbs, the leftovers that no one wants at the end of the day. But you, my friend, deserve the entire loaf of freshly baked sourdough. In this episode, my producer, Kristen Stegall, interviews me about how I stopped accepting booty calls and started accepting myself, just the way I am. We also talk about getting ghosted by your friends and being too much of a people pleaser at work, so no matter where you’re currently accepting breadcrumbs, we’ll get you back on track by practicing self-compassion. 

Resources mentioned:

• Watch Ep. 120: Calm Your A** Down with Rachel Walt

• Watch Ep. 119: We Are SO Back | Why I Took a Break & Life Updates

• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Don’t settle for breadcrumbs, whether it’s in dating, friendships, work, or any area of your life. Hard times have a tendency to reveal what’s most important to us and who is really in our corner. Everything and everyone else are not worth putting a ton of energy into.

• We can all think of someone who has wronged us in the past, and sometimes forgiveness feels too hard. However, you owe it to yourself to find ways to release the tension and anger you feel about that situation, even if you can’t forgive them.

• Compassion is the name of the game. Whether that’s doing Lovingkind meditations, or simply using gentler words with yourself when you feel activated, practicing compassion lightens the load and makes dealing with life so much easier.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Parenting can be challenging, but parenting tweens and teens is a straight-up Olympic sport. Luckily, my friend Michelle Icard is a parenting expert that specializes in getting tweens and teens to talk to us about… pretty much anything. In this episode, she shares her best communication strategies, her hot takes on overreaching and overreactive parenting, and why “Botox Brow” is your secret weapon for talking to your tweens and teens.

Michelle Icard has degrees in English and Education and has worked with parents, children, and teachers for more than 20 years, creating curriculum, books, and programs that help them better understand and navigate early adolescence. 

Michelle is the author of three books on this subject:

• 8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success

• Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen

• Middle School Makeover

Connect with Michelle:

• Website

• Facebook

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• If you see your child is struggling or having behavioral issues, try Michelle’s 3-step approach: contain, resolve, and evolve. She walks through each step in the episode!

• Microchanges can make a huge difference for your kids, but you can’t force your kids to do them. Let them choose their own microsteps at their own pace, and be open for their questions without nudging them about it constantly.

• Practice what Michelle calls the “Botox Brow” when you’re having an important conversation with your kid. Our kids’ brains can easily misread emotions in our facial expressions, so keeping a neutral expression helps them feel safe to open up.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Let’s talk about sex in perimenopause, baby! Because who doesn’t want to get it on when you’re experiencing hot flashes, weight gain, and mood swings, right? Well, you do! At the very least, you deserve to feel connected to your body and to your partner during this time, and Dr. Alyse Kelly-Jones, MD,  FACOG, IF, is here to tell us how! 

Dr. Kelly-Jones is an OB/GYN and “sexpert” who is on a mission to help more women have better sex in perimenopause and beyond, and not settle for painful, pity sex to keep their partners happy. Whether you’re in perimenopause, postmenopause, or still a young spring chicken, this episode is full of wisdom to improve your sex life!

Resources mentioned:

• OMGYES

• Rosy App

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• The key to better, hotter sex is communication. Based on your upbringing, sex and pleasure can feel shameful to talk about, but keeping open and honest communication with your OB/GYN, therapist, and partner can completely transform your sex life.

• Painful sex in perimenopause is common, but it is not something you have to live with. There are so many options you can discuss with your doctor, from vaginal estrogen products to pelvic floor therapy. Please don’t suffer in silence; let your doctor know so they can walk you through the options.

• Try implementing a “couple’s contract” with your partner if you’re not feeling super aligned in the bedroom. Decide on an interval of how often you’ll have sex, and trade off who initiates so you’re both responsible for getting things going.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Life can be a bumpy ride that we have zero control over - or at least that’s what it can feel like through seasons of transition. Page Fehling has been there. She left her longtime television gig to embark on the not-so-predictable journey of entrepreneurship (and she’s killing it!), and over the last year she’s transformed her health with the help of GLP-1 medication. In this episode, Page graciously shares her biggest lessons learned about leadership, going all in on yourself, and focusing on what you can control instead of what you can’t.

Page Fehling is a third generation speaker and facilitator who grew up just outside of Washington, D.C., and graduated from UNC - Chapel Hill. Her favorite role, however, has always been as a teacher. Helping guide fellow humans into being their best selves both at work and at home makes Page tick.

Connect with Page:

• Website

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• As a leader, you need to clarify the definition of “done.” Whether that’s for your team at work or for your kids at home, be crystal clear about what “done” looks like so they know exactly what is expected of them.

• When it comes to being yourself online, show up as you are, even if you’re unpolished. Release yourself of the pressure to be fully made up and dressed up, and instead focus on bringing energy and value to your audience. 

• If a big decision is on your heart, the people in your life may not automatically be on board with it (even though they love you!). At the end of the day, you have to trust your gut and make the decision that’s best for you - whether that’s finally starting your business, getting on a GLP-1, or investing in training to grow as a leader.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Nicole Sodoma is a marriage-loving divorce attorney, and in this episode, she shares how unprepared she felt navigating your own divorce even though she’s helped so many people through their own separations. She also reveals the secrets to maintaining a strong marriage through developing specific skills, and why you should never say “I’m sorry” to someone going through divorce.

Nicole Sodoma opened Sodoma Law in 2008 to build a different kind of law firm. Fifteen years later, Sodoma Law has grown to include five offices across two states with 28 fearless attorneys and over 60 dedicated employees. In May 2022, she published Please Don’t Say You’re Sorry with the hope of helping people navigate the beautiful yet often messy relationships in our lives.

Connect with Nicole:

• Please Don’t Say You’re Sorry by Nicole Sodoma

• Instagram

• The Space Between. Podcast

• Nicole Sodoma Website

• Sodoma Law Website

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• If someone tells you they’re getting a divorce, don’t say “I’m so sorry.” Instead say, “Is there anything I can do for you?” or “If I see your kids at the end of their baseball practice, I’ll pick them up and bring them home.” 

• Coping skills are crucial for getting through a divorce. It can be so easy to let yourself succumb to self-destructive habits, but prioritizing exercise, doing things that bring you joy, and spending time with close friends can get you through it in one piece.

• Money can’t buy happiness, but it can make for a happier marriage or set you up well post-divorce. Whether you’re happily married or newly single, read up on financial literacy, talk about money openly, build your credit score, and keep a high-yield savings account in your name. 

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

Whether you’re in your dating era, or you just want to hear some matchmaking mishaps, this episode is for you! I’m joined by my friend Laurie Berzack, the Founder of Carolinas Matchmaker, to get the lowdown from a pro on how to date in the digital age (spoiler alert: real life meet cutes are back, baby!), whether politics should be a factor in who you’re dating, and some real talk about whether you’re being too picky.

Laurie F. Berzack, MSW, founded Carolinas Matchmaker with the goal of giving her clients the genuine, lifelong partnerships they deserve. With more than a decade of professional matchmaking experience herself, Laurie has hand-selected a talented team and grown Carolinas Matchmaker into a trusted resource for singles in the Carolinas and beyond.

Connect with Laurie:

• Website

• Instagram

• Facebook

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Nothing is a wasted relationship, ever. Even if your divorce was devastating, it doesn’t negate all the good that came from your relationships. New relationships are the same; you learn something about yourself and what you want with each new person you meet.

• Real talk: you might be a little too picky, especially if you’re exclusively using dating apps. When you meet someone in person first, you get to know them as a person first before criteria like height, weight, even politics get in the way.

• Laurie said it perfectly: “You can manifest anything you want, and you can attract anything you want.” If you believe you’re too old or not pretty enough, or whatever it is, that’s the energy you’ll attract. But if you show up confidently? That’s when an incredible person can walk into your life, and you’ll actually be ready for them.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube

If the word “meditate” makes you immediately feel restless, or you’re tempted to roll your eyes, THIS is the mindfulness episode for you! Our guest, Rachel Walt, brings a refreshingly fun perspective to the topic of mindfulness and meditation to give you quick, easy, and impactful mindfulness practices you can start using today. Whether you’re already a meditation pro, or you’re just getting started, you will get tremendous value from our conversation! Plus, we discuss how meditation can intersect with Christianity even though it seems a bit “woo woo.”

Rachel Hatteberg Walt is a seasoned Speech-Language Pathologist, Chief Energetic Optimizer, Reiki Master, Graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Mindful Mama to 3 kids 8 and under, an involved community organizer, a lifelong learner who sometimes has a potty mouth. She is the Founder and CEO of Craftingood where she uses her unique AMP Method to change the world from the inside out through mentorship, mindfulness, events and more.

Connect with Rachel:

• Website

• Instagram

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Mindfulness is a gateway drug to self compassion. When you use mindfulness and meditation to access pausing in a moment of frustration, you’ll find that you’re nicer to yourself and those around you as a result.

• Part of mindfulness is just getting curious about what your feelings are, what triggered those feelings, and why. In the episode, Rachel gives specific everyday examples (like the kids taking forever to get out the door) that trigger her and how she uses mindfulness to handle them.

• Taking 60 seconds to take deep breaths and get in tune with your feelings is plenty to get started. Before you go into that big presentation, before you have a tough conversation, or just anytime you’re feeling anxiety creep in, give yourself one minute to get curious about it.

Wake Up to Your Life is an award-winning podcast hosted by Colleen Odegaard. On this show, you’ll hear from experts (and learn from my own hilarious stories) on how to rediscover yourself in a new season of life, no matter what that looks like for you. 

Connect with Colleen: 

• Instagram

• Facebook

• YouTube