XO Conversations

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sunita Sah — physician and organizational psychologist — to unpack something most of us were never taught: how to speak up when it matters.

Together, we explore:

• Why we struggle to say no (even when we know we should)

This conversation isn’t about becoming louder or more confrontational.

It’s about integrity and values and standing up for what you feel is right. 

I learned a lot from this conversation. 

If you’ve ever felt stuck between being kind and being honest…

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Have you ever noticed how quickly comparison can take over?

One minute you’re feeling grounded…
The next, you see someone else’s post, promotion, relationship, or life update — and suddenly you’re wondering if you’re behind, off track, or not doing enough.

In this episode, we’re talking about the comparison spiral — why it happens, why it feels so personal, and what’s actually going on beneath the surface when someone else’s success makes you doubt your own life.  You’ll learn why comparison isn’t really about them — it’s about the desire, insecurity, or longing that gets activated inside of you. 

And more importantly, I’ll walk you through five practical tools you can use in the moment to stop spiraling.

In this conversation, we explore:

- Why comparison can collapse your confidence in seconds

- The “happiness gap” comparison creates — and how to shrink it

- How curiosity can interrupt self-judgment instantly

- A few simple "resets" that restore perspective

This episode is for you if:

You feel triggered by other people’s success — even when you’re happy for them

You’ve ever thought “I should be further ahead by now”

You’re navigating midlife transitions, identity shifts, or changing capacity

You want to stop comparing without pretending it doesn’t hurt

You want to know how to get off the comparison spiral and back to yourself and your dreams.

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

When was the last time you truly rested?

What happens when you literally can’t do it all anymore? For Jess, it took a broken foot, six weeks off her feet, and a complete pause in her routines to realize how deeply she’d tied her worth to her productivity.

In this episode, we explore the emotional reality of “rest guilt” — the belief that you’re only valuable when you’re doing, helping, performing, achieving, or holding everything together. Jess opens up about the meltdown that made her ask, “Who am I if I’m not doing all the things?” and how she's redefining worth, presence, and capacity.

We talk about:
• Feeling useless or unworthy when you can’t be productive
• How to accept help (even when it feels uncomfortable)
• Why women often tie value to caretaking, tasks, and saying yes
• How Jess learned to rest without shame
• The surprising way slowing down made her more productive
• Redefining movement, connection, and capacity

If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or secretly afraid of slowing down, this episode will help you rethink your relationship with rest — and give yourself permission to be human.

🎧 Listen if you’re craving:

Permission to rest

Freedom from productivity pressure

Emotional resilience and self-compassion

YouTube video:

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Have you ever done all the right things — gone to bed early, canceled plans, rested, even slept well — and still woken up feeling exhausted?

This episode is for the kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix.

We’re talking about emotional exhaustion — how it’s different from physical fatigue, why it’s so common right now, and why so many of us keep trying to solve emotional depletion with physical solutions.

In this conversation, I walk you through how emotional energy gets quietly drained over time — through “shoulds” you don’t agree with, constant responsibility, being needed by everyone, and pretending you’re okay when you’re not. And more importantly, what it actually takes to move from rest to restoration.

You’ll learn:

- How to tell if you’re physically tired or emotionally drained

- Why emotional exhaustion can look like burnout, numbness, or constant tension

- How “shoulds” quietly leak your emotional energy

- The difference between rest and true emotional restoration

- How boundaries, connection, and purpose help you recharge at a deeper level

This episode is especially for you if:

You feel tired even after a full night’s sleep

You’re capable of doing everything — but don’t want to anymore

You feel tense when someone needs something from you

You’re a parent, caregiver, professional, entrepreneur, or helper

You’re tired of powering through and want to feel restored again

If rest hasn’t been working for you, it may not be your body that needs the break. It may be your heart.

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

When life gives you lemons, what do you do?

In this episode of XO Conversations, Dr. Rishma Walji sits down with Rachel Kelly, founder of Make Lemonade, to talk about how she rebuilt her life — and her identity — after closing her dream business during the pandemic.

From launching a women’s coworking space to discovering her passion for floristry, Rachel’s journey is a masterclass in creative reinvention and self-trust.

Together, they explore:
🍋 How to pivot when life doesn’t go as planned
💬 Why “failure” is often just redirection
🌸 What it means to live a truly creative life
🪞 How to separate your identity from your business
✨ Why courage often sounds like intuition

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain, or ready for a change, this conversation will remind you that it’s never too late to make something beautiful out of the unexpected.

Watch on YouTube

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

You don’t have to be fearless to be brave.

In this episode of XO Conversations, Dr. Rishma Walji sits down with Michelle “Mace” Curran, former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird fighter pilot and author of The Flip Side, to explore how courage really works — in the air and in life.

From blacking out mid-flight at nine times the force of gravity to performing in front of millions as one of the few women fighter pilots in the world, Michelle’s story is about more than speed and precision. It’s about what happens after the fear hits — and how to move anyway.

Together, they dive into:
✈️ What fighter jets taught her about failure and control
💭 How to separate self-worth from performance
🪞 Why courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the pause before reaction
🌱 How to build confidence through recovery, not perfection
💡 The real meaning of starting before you’re ready

Whether you’re standing at the edge of a big decision or simply craving more confidence in everyday life, this conversation will remind you that bravery starts with one small, honest step.

🎧 Listen if you’re ready to:

Overcome self-doubt and imposter feelings

Reframe failure as feedback

Build courage in uncertainty

Learn from one of the few women fighter pilots in the world

Watch on YouTube: 

Learn more: macecurran.com

More Resources: livingxo.com/resources

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

We spend years chasing success — the titles, the numbers, the validation — only to realize that achievement isn’t the same as fulfillment.

In this episode of XO Conversations, Dr. Rishma Walji sits down with Meghan Telpner, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, to talk about what happens when you outgrow the version of success you once worked so hard to build.

After leading a multimillion-dollar business with students all over the world, Meghan made a radical choice — to walk away. What came next wasn’t burnout, but a complete redefinition of what it means to live well.

Together, we explore:
✨ How to know when “enough” is truly enough
💬 The emotional toll of achievement and identity
🌱 Why rest and creativity are the new measures of success
💡 How to reconnect with joy and self-worth after success
🪞 What it means to live in alignment instead of autopilot

This isn’t a story about quitting. It’s a story about redefining your goals, and a new kind of success that’s rooted in peace, values, creativity, and purpose.

Watch on YouTube

Learn more about Meghan

Explore tools for intentional living: livingxo.com/resources

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

So many of us grow up hearing: “Save every penny,” or “Don’t waste money.” But what happens when those kinds of money stories start holding us back?

In this heartfelt episode of XO Conversations, Dr. Rishma Walji sits down with Cammie Doder and Sandi Bragar, co-hosts of the Money Tales Podcast, to explore the emotional and practical sides of money. 

✨ How childhood money stories shape adult decisions
💬 Why our values and beliefs about money often get tangled
💡 How to talk about finances with your partner — without tension
🌱 How to redefine “enough” in a world that tells us to keep striving
🧭 The intersection of identity, purpose, and financial wellbeing

This isn’t a technical finance episode — it’s a deeper look at how our money mindset mirrors our emotional life. Whether you’re redefining success, feeling financially stuck, or simply craving more alignment in how you earn, spend, and give, this conversation will help you reconnect money with meaning.

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

Somewhere between deadlines, caregiving, and doing all the things… fun got lost. 

Not just the big, event-style fun — but the kind that makes you forget what time it is, that makes you laugh or relax without needing a reason, that reminds you who you are under all the responsibility.

In this episode, I explore the real reasons fun feels so out of reach for so many women — and why adding more of it back into our lives is less about being silly, and more about reconnecting with presence, lightness, and joy.

You’ll hear from women who tried a weeklong “fun experiment,” what worked (and what didn’t), and what we discovered about joy that surprised us all.

Plus, I’ll walk you through a simple thought process for bringing more lightness into your day — no vacation required.

🎧 What we cover:

Why fun feels harder the more “grown up” you get

The hidden cost of only being productive

How to find joy again in small, unplanned moments

The 5 types of daily fun (yes, even for the serious ones)

What “fun” actually means when you’re juggling everything

Whether you’re craving more laughter, more lightness, or just a way to feel like you again — this one’s for you.

🖐🏻 Want my free list of 50+ ways to add fun back into your life? Find it here: livingxo.com/havefun

And if you’re feeling stuck between who you used to be and who you want to become, I offer free coaching calls. Reach out at [email protected]

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!

If you’ve hit your 40s or 50s and noticed that the workouts you used to do aren’t working anymore, you’re not imagining it.

In this episode, I’m joined by triple-board certified nutrition expert, fitness hall of famer, author of 4 New York Times bestselling books, JJ Virgin.  We’re talking about what really happens to your body in your 40s and beyond—especially when it comes to exercise, hormones, and energy. 

We cover everything from strength training and metabolism to recovery, motivation, and what JJ calls your “metabolic Spanx.” It’s science-backed, practical, and surprisingly encouraging.

Whether you’ve been feeling frustrated with your workouts, unsure how to shift your routine, or just want to feel stronger and more grounded in your body—this conversation is for you.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what works now.

Engage & Connect:

• Want more insights, tips, and personal stories? Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content and updates on upcoming episodes.

Gifts for Listeners:

1. Take your first step towards an extraordinary life with our FREE resources. Check out our free quiz at livingxo.com/quiz and plot your current decision-making process. Discover actionable steps to move closer to your goals.
2. Grab my FREE gratitude challenge: livingxo.com/gratitude
3. Download my FREE handout 5 Must-Ask Questions before making a decision livingxo.com/questions
4. FREE workbook to help you figure out what you really want (not what you think you should want): livingxo.com/mygoals

p.s. If you found value in this episode, please share and leave a 5 star rating and review on your preferred podcast platform!