Well Done with Kat Vong

EP 63. This week, we're exploring the role of intuition in personal transformation with a replay of one of our top episodes! 

I have a conversation with intuitive coach and medium Emma Andrews, and we discuss how learning to trust ourselves can help us make decisions that feel more aligned with who we are and who we're becoming.

We'll unpack what intuition actually is, how to develop it, and how we can use it in making more aligned decisions, whether big (like taking a new job) or small, day-to-day decisions like what to buy at the grocery store.

You'll learn how to distinguish between anxious thoughts and genuine intuitive guidance, why your body is your most reliable intuitive tool, and how to start strengthening your intuitive muscle with simple daily practices. This conversation also gets personal. Emma shares her unexpected journey into mediumship after receiving a premonition about a death of a loved one, and listen to the end because Emma does an impromptu reading that brought me to tears. Even if you're a total skeptic, this episode might help you learn to trust yourself in a whole new way.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The most common intuitive senses and why it's important to identify yours
• The surprising link between grief and intuitive awakening
• How to strengthen your intuition when life feels chaotic 
• How to tell if it's your intuition, mental noise, or anxiety and fear
• Simple ways to practice daily intuitive decision-making
• How to use journaling unlock inner knowing
• Why your analytical brain and chronic stress might be blocking your intuition
• The relationship between intuition and manifestation
• Practical exercises you can do (even at the grocery store) to strengthen your intuition

Resources:

• Emma's Website
• The Intuitive Method 12-week Course

Guest Bio

Emma Andrews is an intuitive teacher, medium, and the creator of The Intuitive Method, an intuition development program launching in January 2026. After her intuitive gifts unexpectedly opened in 2017 following the death of a loved one, Emma dedicated herself to understanding and teaching others how to access their own innate intuitive abilities. Emma offers one-on-one sessions and courses designed to help people reconnect with their inner guidance and build trust in their own wisdom. When she's not working with clients, she's caring for her beloved goats on her property in Charlottesville, Virginia—a practice that keeps her grounded and present in her intuitive work.

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EP 62. We're going back into the archives to replay a popular episode on the fascinating connection between our minds and our skin, and how our thoughts, emotions, and stress responses can influence our physical health.

I break down the science behind the mind-skin axis and explain how stress, anxiety, and chronic inflammation can directly disrupt your skin barrier, trigger flare-ups, worsen acne, and even accelerate skin aging. Drawing from both published research and my own personal experience navigating severe skin struggles, I explore the emerging field of psychodermatology and how our nervous system, immune system, and skin are constantly communicating. This episode is a must-listen for anyone dealing with eczema, acne, rosacea, reactive skin, or chronic inflammation—and for anyone who wants to understand how emotional wellbeing impacts skin health from the inside out.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the mind-skin axis is and the connection between the brain and skin
• How stress hormones can weaken the skin barrier and slow skin repair
• Why chronic stress may contribute to acne, eczema, rosacea, irritation, and premature aging
• What psychodermatology reveals about the relationship between emotional health and skin health
• How inflammation, histamines, and oil production are affected when your body stays in stress mode
• Why the way you think about your skin may influence your healing process and the hidden cycle that can keep you stuck in a loop
• Practical ways to start calming your nervous system to better support your skin

Resources:

• FREE Calm Skin & Flare-up Guide
• 2023 Molecular Psychiatry paper on the skin-brain connection
• 2015 European study on dermatology patients and psychological comorbidities
• Article on The Skin-Brain Axis by Forefront Dermatology
• Psychological Stress & Immune Response
• Serotonin in Skin Cells
• Study using the Trier Social Stress Test and skin barrier recovery

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EP 61. This week, we're revisiting my conversation with Mary Tufano on looking beyond symptoms to understand what may be happening underneath.

Are you constantly reaching for supplements, working out, but still not feeling your best? In this episode of Well Done, I sit down with Mary Tufano, a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) and founder of The Root Cause Solution, to talk about the not-so-obvious ways your body is trying to get your attention. 

We dive into Mary's personal journey with SIBO, why conventional testing often falls short, and how to start uncovering the root cause of chronic symptoms—especially the ones we tend to normalize. As a mom and founder, I’ve been on this same path of figuring out what my body is trying to tell me—and I know so many of you listening are too. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Functional diagnostic testing and how it differs from conventional tests
• Why some chronic symptoms like fatigue, acne, or bloating persist even when your blood work is “normal”
• What exactly is SIBO—and how do you know if you have it?
• A surprising cause of acne!
• What you’re eating that could be the cause of anxiety, brain fog, or even depression
• Why some people “look healthy” on the outside but still feel off inside
• Mary’s go-to morning wellness ritual that supports the liver and gut

Learn more: 

www.therootcausesolution.com

Follow @therootcausesolution on Instagram 

Tool for learning more about the causes behind your symptoms: Mother Nature AI

Supplement brand mentioned: Cellcore

Guest Bio

Mary Tufano, FDN-P, is the founder of The Root Cause Solution, a functional diagnostic lab testing practice based in Long Island, New York. After decades in the wellness and supplements industry—and a personal health crisis that conventional medicine couldn’t solve—Mary discovered functional nutrition and never looked back. Today, she helps clients get to the bottom of their chronic health concerns using diagnostic testing, healing protocols, and her no-nonsense, compassionate approach.

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EP 60. What actually creates lasting change? After 60 episodes of Well Done, I realized that these conversations about skin, stress, the nervous system, mindset, manifestation, burnout and identity, were all pointing toward the same question: why are some changes temporary, while others fundamentally change who we are?

In this special 60th episode, I revisit some of the conversations that have shaped how I think about transformation and introduce the four interconnected layers I believe we need to consider. 

In this episode:

• The 4 interconnected layers of transformation and why they're important for lasting change
• What my eczema journey taught me about looking beyond surface-level solutions
• Why repeated behaviors can keep us stuck, even when we consciously want something different
• How your thoughts and perceptions can influence your behavior and physical responses
• Why it's worth questioning whether the things you want are actually your desires
• What habit change and manifestation surprisingly have in common
• Why changing what you do isn't always enough to create lasting transformation
• How old stories about who you are can quietly shape what you believe is possible

Resources

This episode includes clips and ideas from previous Well Done conversations:

• Episode 2 with Mary Tufano (functional health & root cause)
• Episode 57 with Marie Valmar (the root cause of skin conditions)
• Episode 47 with Ginny Priem (why high-achieving women lose themselves)
• Episode 55 with Cara Chace (social media burnout)
• Episode 51 with Dr. Victoria Rader (manifestation blocks)
• Episode 44: Solo episode on the mind-skin connection
• Episode 24 & 25: Solo episodes on rewiring identity

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EP 59. After nearly four decades working inside the beauty industry at companies including L’Oréal, Victoria’s Secret Beauty and NARS, Alec Batis thought he had seen just about everything, until he met a team of tissue engineers working on regenerative medicine and the rehabilitation of damaged human organs.

That discovery eventually led Alec to found Sweet Chemistry, a skincare brand built around matrikine peptides. In this episode, we unpack the fascinating science behind tissue regeneration, and the difference between the peptides used in his skincare line compared to those commonly used in the beauty industry.

We also get surprisingly candid about the beauty industry itself: how much of an “active” ingredient may actually be in your formula, the difference between true clinical testing and consumer perception studies, and why some impressive skincare claims deserve a closer look. Plus, Alec shares how his own complicated relationship with beauty and aging has changed after nearly 40 years in the industry. 

In this episode:

• How research into organ transplantation and tissue regeneration unexpectedly made its way into skincare
• What matrikine peptides are, and how they differ from the peptides commonly used in beauty products
• The difference between clinical testing and consumer perception studies
• Why dramatic skincare claims may not mean what you think it means
• How brands may use the “marketing levels” of ingredients and why simply seeing an ingredient on a label doesn't tell you the whole story
• Why ingredient quality, sourcing, processing and manufacturing can matter just as much as the formula on paper
• Why Alec risked his home and savings to become a first-time skincare founder in his 50s
• How working inside the beauty industry for nearly four decades changed Alec's perspective on aging, appearance and self-worth

Resources:

• Learn more: 
  • www.SweetChemistry.com
  • www.xylyxbio.com
• Follow Sweet Chemistry: @sweetchemistrylabs

Guest Bio:

Alec Batis is a beauty industry veteran, chemist, marketer and founder of Sweet Chemistry. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, Alec has worked across R&D, marketing and consulting, including roles with L’Oréal, Victoria’s Secret Beauty and NARS.

After meeting the scientists at Xylyx Bio, a biotechnology company spun out of Columbia University research in stem cell and tissue engineering, Alec became fascinated by their work in extracellular matrix biology and regenerative medicine. He ultimately partnered with the team to bring their matrikine peptide technology into skincare and founded Sweet Chemistry.

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EP 58. Is your underwear drawer secretly working against your health? In this episode of Well Done, I sit down with Leila Ismailova, founder and CEO of Lunaleila, an intimates brand built on the idea that what sits closest to our bodies deserves way more scrutiny than it gets. Leila opens up about the fertility and hormone scare that sent her to an Ayurvedic retreat in India, the link between synthetic fabrics and yeast infections, and why "100% cotton" doesn't always mean what you think it means. We get into the toxic dyes and finishing chemicals hiding in mainstream intimates, the fabric certifications actually worth trusting, and how Leila turned her own healing journey into a mission-driven brand built on both safety and joy.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The reason synthetic underwear can trigger infections, odor, and irritation
• Why "100% cotton" doesn't automatically mean your underwear is safe
• The fabric certifications actually worth trusting and the popular one that only tells half the story
• The toxic textile practice hiding behind "wrinkle-free" fabric labels
• Why cotton farming carries a surprising occupational health risk most shoppers never hear about
• How chronic stress and hustle culture show up in women's hormones and fertility
• What an Ayurvedic retreat in India taught Leila about food, rest, and true relaxation
• Why Leila thinks underwear can, and should, be both thoughtful and joyful

Resources

• Get 15% off your order at www.LunaLeila.com with code KAT15
• Follow Leila on Instagram: @lunaleila.intimates
• Book mentioned: To Dye For by Alden Wicker

Guest Bio

Leila Ismailova is a first-generation immigrant from Belarus and the founder of LunaLeila, a health-first, hormone-conscious underwear brand. With a lifelong interest in fashion, she was inspired to create the company after experiencing a reproductive health issue that led her to an Ayurvedic center in India. There, she learned about the importance of wearing natural fabrics and began rethinking what women should expect from the clothing closest to their bodies. That experience became the foundation for LunaLeila: intimate apparel designed to support women’s health without compromising beauty, comfort, or sensuality.

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EP 57. If you’ve tried eliminating foods, changing skincare products, taking supplements, or you find yourself becoming reliant on steroids or other medications—and yet, your eczema still keeps coming back—how do you figure out what’s actually driving it?

In this episode of Well Done, I sit down with Marie Vollmar, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and founder of The Clear Method, to explore the relationship between chronic skin conditions, topical steroid use, gut health, hormones, stress, and the nervous system. Marie and I share remarkably similar experiences with severe eczema and topical steroid withdrawal, including the physical exhaustion, the emotional toll, and the frustrating search for answers beyond another cream.

Marie explains how functional testing helped her identify patterns she couldn’t see from symptoms alone, and we also discuss what functional tests can and cannot tell you, how to find a credible practitioner, and why healing requires more than supplements alone.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How long-term topical steroid use may affect the body’s stress-response system
• What topical steroid withdrawal can look and feel like
• Why itching can reinforce the urge to itch and create a difficult mind-skin cycle
• How gut health, cortisol, digestion, and liver function may contribute to chronic skin inflammation
• The two functional tests Marie most often uses to investigate gut and hormonal health
• What functional testing may cost and how to decide whether it’s worth the investment
• What to look for when choosing a functional health practitioner
• Why supplements are only one part of Marie’s five-part approach
• The risks of staying on a highly restrictive elimination diet for too long
• How eczema-prone skin differs from "normal" skin
• What pregnancy, birth, digestion, and the gut microbiome may have to do with eczema in babies and children

Resources:

• Learn more and book a free discovery call with Marie: www.marievollmar.com
• Follow Marie on Instagram: @marievollmar

Guest Bio:

Marie Vollmar is a certified Functional Health Practitioner who helps people heal chronic skin conditions from the inside out.

After a successful first career in tech sales, Marie's own struggle with eczema — and years of being offered only superficial symptom relief — pushed her toward root-cause healing. Today, she combines her personal experience with advanced functional health training, using data and science to uncover the real drivers of chronic skin inflammation and guide clients toward lasting skin health. 

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EP 56. Imagine going in for a routine skincare treatment and leaving with a severe reaction; this is what happened to Sara Douglas, founder of the regenerative skincare line Cellure, and co-founder of Vitaclean, an innovative shower head brand. In this episode of Well Done, Sara describes her experience trying a skin booster treatment that made her question the safety of newer cosmetic procedures. From there, she set out to create her own line of skincare, Cellure. In this conversation, we also dive into peptides, growth factors, regenerative skincare, and what consumers should know before jumping on the latest beauty trend. If you've ever considered skin boosters, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

• What skin boosters are and how they're different from Botox and dermal fillers
•  The cosmetic procedure nightmare that led Sara to create Cellure  
• The little-known side effect that can turn your under-eye area a visible shade of blue
• The risks of newer injectable beauty treatments and why every procedure deserves careful consideration 
• Why peptides, growth factors, and regenerative skincare are gaining so much attention 
• What to look for when shopping for peptide skincare products 
•  Sara's biggest lessons from building both VitaClean and Cellure 

Resources: 

• Learn more about Cellure: www.cellure.co
• Use code WELLDONE15 for 15% off your Cellure order  
• Follow Cellure on Instagram: @cellurelabs 
• Learn more about VitaClean: www.vitacleanhq.com

Guest Bio

Sara Douglas is the founder of Cellure Skincare and co-founder of VitaClean, an innovative filtered shower head brand. After a cosmetic skin booster treatment left her with a severe reaction, Sara immersed herself in the science of skin repair and regenerative skincare, leading her to develop Cellure, a skincare line built around peptides, growth factors, and evidence-based ingredients designed to support the skin's natural repair processes. 

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EP 55. Social media has become such a constant in our lives that we may not realize just how much our nervous systems get activated from the pressure to consume, compare, create, and stay visible online. I am joined by coach and author Cara Chace to explore the hidden ways social media can affect our nervous systems, creativity, and overall well-being. After years building a successful digital marketing agency, and an earlier career in law enforcement, Cara found herself facing chronic health issues that ultimately forced her to question whether the way we use social media is sustainable. Together, we discuss burnout, boundaries, self-trust, and why creating a business (and a life) that protects your energy may be one of the most important investments you can make. Whether you're an entrepreneur, content creator, or someone who simply feels emotionally drained after scrolling, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on how to use social media more intentionally. 

In this episode:

• How social media burnout can affect your nervous system, creativity, and overall health
• The surprising health realization that made Cara completely rethink her relationship with social media
• How to build a business without relying on constant posting and content creation
• The hidden cost of constantly consuming other people's ideas, and how it impacts your own creativity
• Simple phone habits you can start this week to create healthier boundaries with your phone and social media
• Cara's philosophy for staying visible online without living on the apps
• The signs you could be stuck on the "content treadmill"

Resources:

Cara Chace's website: www.carachace.com

Cara's book (releasing September 2026): The Social Media Burnout Cure

Get Cara's Free Monthly Guide: The Productivity Rebellion

Follow Cara on Instagram: @carachace

Guest Bio:

Cara Chace is an author and burnout coach helping women entrepreneurs build sustainable, anti-hustle businesses without trashing their nervous systems. She built what she wishes she'd had when she burned out — because the planners, the productivity hacks, and the color-coded calendars left her more exhausted and more behind than when she started. She's the host of the Ditch the Chaos podcast, the forthcoming author of The Social Media Burnout Cure (September 2026), and a 10-year entrepreneur who runs her business from home with margin, intention, and a deep aversion to hustle culture.

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EP 54. Have you started noticing fine lines, wrinkles, or changes in your skin and are wondering what your options are, beyond more products, botox, or cosmetic procedures? This conversation offers a very different perspective. My guest is Cathy Goldstein, acupuncture physician, energy medicine expert, and founder of True Energy Skincare. In this episode, we explore the connection between stress, emotions, facial tension, and the aging process. We also discuss how our faces may reflect more than just the passage of time, why beauty and wellbeing are more connected than we realize, and how Cathy's philosophy, functional aesthetics, is challenging the traditional anti-aging and beauty conversation. 

In this episode:

• The hidden system in the body responsible for most of your healing that Western medicine rarely talks about
• How your face reveals your stress levels and emotions and how facial expressions and muscle tension can become long-term patterns 
• The surprising role facial expressions play in communication and human connection 
• What "functional aesthetics" means and how it differs from conventional anti-aging and skincare approaches 
• The connection between emotions, facial tension, and overall wellbeing 
•  Practical ways to release tension in the face and jaw 
• Why healthy aging may be less about looking younger and more about supporting vitality 

Resources

• Cathy's website: www.TrueEnergySkincare.com
• Follow on Instagram @trueenergyskincare

Guest Bio

Cathy Goldstein is an acupuncture physician, energy medicine expert, educator, and founder of True Energy Skincare. After battling Crohn's disease in her twenties, Cathy was drawn toward holistic healing and dedicated her career to studying the connection between health, energy, and wellbeing. With more than four decades of clinical experience, she developed a philosophy she calls functional aesthetics, an approach that blends beauty, wellness, emotional health, and energy medicine to help women support healthy aging naturally. Through her clinical work, skincare products, and educational programs, Cathy encourages women to rethink conventional beauty standards and embrace a more holistic relationship with aging.

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