This season we are exploring “the right kind of hard,” which is all about identifying and doing the most relevant and useful work for personal and professional growth. So, I am thrilled to sit down with my dear friend, Lindsay Boccardo, who is perfectly suited for this topic.   As someone who makes her living developing leaders and teams and great work environments, Lindsay is acutely familiar with key questions around motivation, mindset, and self-awareness—many of the same questions we’re...

I hope you have a teacher in your life who means as much to you as Dr. Michael O’Hara means to me. He is a wonderful mentor and a lovely person. If you’re wondering why I gush over him in my introduction, you will understand as our discussion unfolds.  Michael and I can easily pick up where we left off even when we haven’t seen each other in a while. That’s how we begin this interview, but trust me, our talk of the theatre dovetails perfectly into “The Right Kind of Hard.”  We explore so...

In a recent substack, I wrote about “Falling, Farting & Misspelled Words.” Why? Well, because our fears and insecurities are not unique to us. We are all special, but our hangups are not. It’s an important topic, but kind of a funny one, too! We tend to think that our pain is too deep and personal to share. We think others simply won't understand or can’t know how we feel. So, we bury our pain. We mask it, self-medicate, go shopping—anything to avoid it. But, in doing so, we also avoid...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're avoiding a topic or a task? You feel an uncomfortable twist in your gut or maybe you notice it in someone else, like when they're fidgeting or avoiding eye contact at the start of a conversation.  Trust me, we've all been there. And often, we're not quite sure if we're avoiding the thing because we're just not ready to face it or if we're actually preparing ourselves for the challenge ahead.   The good news is there’s a way to make...

Welcome back to a brand new season of “Don’t Cut Your Own Bangs!”  Diving back into podcasting after a bit of a hiatus—actually, diving back into anything after a hiatus—can prompt procrastination and cold feet, especially when life has dramatically changed in the meantime. Have you experienced that, too? Late last year my husband and I had a second child—a baby boy—and his older sister is now a “threenager!” So, as I sit down in front of the microphone again, well, there is a lot going on....

We’re wrapping up our "Journal Your Way to Clarity'' series with an examination of purpose, which can feel like a very heavy weight for many of us. You are not alone if you’ve struggled with questions like, "What am I supposed to do with my life?" or "How do I make my life meaningful?"  As a therapist, I've observed that people often struggle with defining their purpose because it's not just about a career or a role—it's about the totality of our experiences and values. And purpose evolves...

Family. The dynamics can be so very complex. As we dive into the next-to-last life theme in our series from The Treasured Journal, we look at how structured communication exercises can uncover new perspectives and deepen interactions with family.  We also explore the importance of curiosity. A shared history can create a trap that leaves you feeling like there is nothing new to know, nothing new to learn. But, setting your assumptions aside and digging a little deeper can have tremendous...

Sex is the focus of Part 5 in our “Journaling Your Way to Clarity” series, which follows the seven life themes from The Treasured Journal:  career, relationships, money, love, sex, family, and purpose. Because sex is such a broad topic, we'll narrow the scope to our relationship with pleasure and give special emphasis to the idea of worthiness. Do you believe you are worthy and deserving of the experiences you want to have?  Sex is an especially good topic for journaling because an honest,...

Hello! If you’ve been following along you know that I’ve been away having and taking care of our new baby boy. I am so excited to be back in front of the microphone again bringing you fresh, new content. In a future episode, I will share more on our unexpected but welcome pregnancy, the labor and delivery, and the unexpected but welcome challenges that arise in caring for two young children instead of only one!  Until then, we’re continuing the “Journal Your Way to Clarity” series with the...

They say that “money makes the world go round” because it’s necessary to meet our basic needs. But another truth lurks within financial transactions:  money carries with it a tremendous amount of emotional weight. Our upbringing and our experiences with money shape our perspective and perception of its worth. So it’s useful to examine how money influences our moods and behavior, our relationships, and even our own sense of self. Toward the end of the episode, use the thought exercises to...

Hello! Grab a warm beverage and settle in. We’re continuing our discussion of relationships as part of the Journal Your Way to Clarity series. Relationships can cover a lot of territory. But, for now, I want to focus on two specific concepts:  (1) how relationships are like mirrors, and (2) the relationship fear loop. The complexities of relationships can be confusing and maddening and difficult to sort given the intense emotions attached to the people in our lives. But I have found that...

Welcome to the next installment in the Journal Your Way to Clarity series. This is the first of a two-part look at relationships, a topic that tends to dominate our thoughts and conversations.  Whether it's the heartache, frustration, or anger that we feel toward a partner or someone else in our lives, these emotions usually reveal the need for work that looks inward, not outward.  The desire to be seen and heard—to connect with others on a meaningful level—is universal. But achieving that...

Hello! Well, a lot has happened since we last connected. Let me bring you up to date. In January of this year, I decided to devote a series of podcast episodes to the seven life themes found in The Treasured Journal:  career, relationships, money, love, sex, family, and purpose. I recorded and published episodes on three of the seven themes and invited listeners to journal along with me.  The ideas and questions discussed in each podcast supplied listeners with guided exercises that helped...

Even with all of the progress we’ve made in our attitudes toward mental health and therapy, many people still find it hard to admit that they need help. And often, if they do ask for help, they’ve waited far too long.  Granted, therapy is not the only modality for emotional healing. Talking with friends, exercise, travel, and dozens of other things can help the healing process. But, only therapy is therapy.  Most of us look long and hard for reasons to avoid therapy. But, ultimately,...

Lauren Rieker, RDN, is a registered dietitian and owner/manager of Collaborative Counseling & Nutrition, an outpatient nutrition and body image counseling center in Indianapolis. I talk with Lauren about her own history with food, exercise, and health—and how it led her to pursue an approach to eating disorders, body image, and intuitive eating that emphasizes compassion, mindfulness, and holistic treatment. This is not a typical discussion about our bodies and food-related struggles. In...

Women have always known that building community with other women creates a powerful force for good. Leslie Bailey, the co-founder and CEO of Indy Maven and Maven Space, has transformed that knowledge into a lifestyle media company and community for women that epitomizes her spirit of collaboration, support, and inspiration.  I love the wisdom and vulnerability that she brings to our discussion on managing success, giving away too much of yourself, setting boundaries, asking for help, and...

My guest is an absolute powerhouse of a woman, Betsy Murphy. Betsy is the author of several popular books, including the "Autobiography of an Orgasm" and "Write On: A Daily Writing Practice for Anyone with a Story to Tell."  Betsy is a screenwriter, performer, speaker, writing coach, and guide for women to help retrieve the hidden parts of their stories. She discusses the things most people don't want to talk about, but does so in a way that makes you feel comfortable being part of the...

Kate Kennett is a mother, SCUBA diver, whale enthusiast, content creator, entrepreneur, and life and business coach who wants to help you realize your passion and expand your reach so that you can live a life you deserve. She is a disruptor in the best sense of the term. As a coach, Kate speaks from experience. She knows the value of taking risks, facing change head-on, learning from mistakes, and saying “yes” even when you don’t feel ready. She believes in asking yourself “why” until no...

Hello. I invite you to join me as I revisit one of my favorite episodes—a discussion of compassion fatigue and empathy with Liesel Mertes. Liesel is a workplace empathy consultant and founder of Handle with Care Consulting.  The need for compassion and empathy after loss or disruption is vital to every aspect of our lives. Even though this can be a heavy topic, our discussion is light and gentle. I’m confident that anyone whose life and worldview have been disrupted over the last several...

When doing the emotional work toward healing and recovery, you will at times wonder whether you’re on the right path. Eventually and inevitably, you'll ask how you will know when you are “done” or healed. This is an important question, so I want to revisit a discussion that explores what it means to heal, how we can identify areas that need attention, and how we can gauge our progress. I delve into how our bodies can help us pinpoint areas that need healing as well as the nuances that...

We are inundated every day with images and messaging and even well-intentioned remarks that we are not beautiful enough or thin enough or good enough. The cost of consuming, comparing, and self-criticism in our beauty culture is far too high.  But, the good news is that each of us can learn to re-think the images and re-frame the messaging. We really can get to a place where we love the person we see in the mirror. Marianne Talkovski is a licensed acupuncturist and esthetician. As the owner...

At the time of this interview, Corey Sleet worked his magic as a Senior Stylist at Bobby Cooper Salon. Now, Corey is co-owner and Master Stylist at Lux Lab Hair + Body in Carmel, Indiana.   Corey describes how, as a kid growing up in Gary, Indiana, he knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a stylist, but he struggled with how others might perceive that desire so he kept the dream to himself for a long time. Today, Corey is one of the leading professionals in his field and I love the...

Tanorria Askew is a DEI consultant and coach, personal chef, cookbook author, public speaker, podcast co-host, and social justice activist. She is passionate about creating connections and community by gathering people around a dinner table to share a memorable meal and unforgettable conversation.  Growing up, she learned to associate food with community and then, as an adult, worked as a corporate trainer focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). But her appearance on season 7 of...

"becauseOne" is an online platform that connects people's passions with the needs of those served by non-profit organizations. This remarkable initiative sprang from the collaborative vision of sisters Stephany Dolan and Stacia Jones and was driven by their family's desire to strengthen community and make it easier to help others.   We look at how to use becauseOne to get involved with organizations that match your specific areas of interest. And, as part of our discussion about the...