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In this milestone 100th episode, Jalena Tesanovich, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, board-certified health and wellness coach, and specialist in nervous system health and trauma resolution, joins us to talk about what true nervous system regulation actually looks like and why it does not always mean being calm. Jalena opens by distinguishing between trauma-informed and trauma-trained care, explaining why nervous system work requires a nuanced, bottom-up approach that addresses what is happening in the body rather than relying only on mindset shifts or cognitive understanding. She introduces two central goals of this work: building the capacity to hold life as it is and developing the flexibility to move through different emotional states without becoming stuck. The conversation then turns to perimenopause and menopause, as Jalena explains how hormonal fluctuations, rising cortisol, caffeine sensitivity, and a reduced capacity for stress can leave high-achieving women feeling as though their bodies no longer respond the way they once did. She speaks candidly about chronic overriding, the survival patterns that teach women to push through exhaustion, and why slowing down or taking a break can sometimes feel unsafe. Jalena also offers a practical starting point by encouraging listeners to create brief transition pauses throughout the day, beginning with whatever amount of time feels tolerable. She emphasizes that nervous system healing happens through consistent microdoses rather than quick fixes, reminding us that we cannot “Amazon Prime” our healing. The conversation closes with a deeper look at Somatic Experiencing®, the difference between managing activation and completing the body’s stress response, and a compassionate reminder that our nervous systems are not working against us. They are trying to keep us safe, and lasting change begins when we meet those protective patterns with curiosity, patience, and more love rather than shame. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH JALENA TESANOVICH Website: https://jalenat.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jalenat/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jalenat

In this episode, Dr. JoNeil Conley, nurse, author, and workplace bullying expert with nearly 50 years of experience in healthcare, joins us to talk about what bullying actually is, why our bodies respond to it the way they do, and what we can do about it. Dr. JoNeil opens by introducing the bullying spectrum, drawing a clear distinction between rudeness, intentional bullying, and narcissistic behavior, and explains why lumping them all together leaves us without the right tools to respond. She then takes us inside the nervous system, breaking down polyvagal theory, the amygdala hijack, and why our brain cannot tell the difference between a saber-toothed tiger and a cutting comment in the break room. One of the most powerful takeaways of the conversation: your reaction is not a character flaw. It is biology. From there, Dr. JoNeil walks through her crash cart framework, a four-drawer approach to moving from immediate reaction through de-escalation, documentation, and the ultimate decision of who gets to stay in your life. She also speaks candidly about owning your mistakes, giving yourself grace, and the importance of building a safe tribe, because when your amygdala is off the rails, you need your people. The conversation closes with her Five R framework: reframe, recognize, respond, and rise. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH DR. JONEIL CONLEY Website: https://www.drjoneil.com YouTube: JoNeil Conley, Bully-ologist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.JoNeil/ The Biology of Bullying on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H1LDTH81 Free Biology of Bullying Resources: https://www.drjoneil.com/book-resources

In this episode, Moriah Riona, award-winning luxury brand designer, certified life coach, and founder of Moriah Riona Branding, joins us to talk about what it really takes to build a brand that attracts high-level clients, commands premium pricing, and creates lasting equity. Moriah opens by drawing a sharp distinction between a business and a brand, explaining why a brand is an appreciating asset and the only thing worth selling when the time comes. She introduces her three-part Identity, Strategy, Design framework, making the case that the logo and the website are the last 10% of the equation, not the starting point, and that without the inner identity work, even the most beautiful brand will fall flat. She gets candid about imposter syndrome, pricing confidence, and why she believes it is never the price that loses the client but the person behind the price. The conversation moves into practical territory with tips on visual consistency, building a brand wardrobe, and auditing the full client journey to ensure every touchpoint creates the feeling you want your brand to evoke. Moriah closes by unpacking what luxury branding actually means, not a color palette or a price point, but a premium, remarkable experience that makes clients choose you every time. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH MORIAH RIONA Website: https://moriahriona.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/moriahriona YouTube: https://youtube.com/@moriahriona Free Resource: 5 Figure Clients Mini-Course: https://moriahriona.com/free-course

In this episode, Rosemary Gattuso, trauma-informed family mediator, couples counsellor, and author of It's Not You, It's Me!, joins us to explore how shifting our dominant lens from what's wrong to what's strong can transform the way we navigate relationships, adversity, and personal growth. Rosemary shares how her work as a family mediator revealed a consistent pattern: clients who approached conflict through a strengths-based lens reached resolution faster, made decisions more easily, and found it far less difficult to let go of past hurts. She introduces the core framework of her book, which classifies our thoughts, feelings, and actions as either what's wrong or what's strong, and explains why the goal is not to stay on the strengths-based path at all times, but to learn from the moments we don't. The conversation also touches on what it means to be trauma-informed, how our early experiences shape our default lens, and why building self-worth through a strengths-based relationship with ourselves makes us more resilient when others doubt us. Rosemary then opens up about her upcoming book, Tell Someone Who Cares, which applies the same framework to the caregiving experience, naming the contradicting emotions caregivers carry daily and offering a compassionate guide for those supporting a loved one without losing themselves in the process. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH ROSEMARY GATTUSO Website: https://www.rosemarygattuso.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosemarygattuso/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosemarygattuso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarygattuso/

In this episode, Kristina Katayama, founder of Be Possible and leadership and organizational development consultant, joins us to explore what it really takes to transform workplace culture from the inside out. Kristina opens by reframing how we understand culture itself, describing it not as a policy or a program, but as something we feel the moment we walk into a room or encounter another person. From there, she introduces her whole systems change approach, which begins not with complaints about what isn't working, but with listening sessions designed to surface exceptional moments and uncover the conditions that made them possible. She explains why sustainable culture change cannot be mandated from the top down, and why it begins with sovereign choice: one internal champion, and individuals across the organization who choose to participate. Through the concept of micro-experiments, small, intentional actions embedded in everyday interactions, Kristina illustrates how a single person speaking up in a meeting can shift the dynamic for an entire team. She also walks through Be Possible's five-phase framework for enterprise-wide transformation, from discovery and dreaming to experimentation, evidence-based recommendations, and scaling what works. The conversation closes on the importance of nervous system regulation and emotional intelligence as foundations for any meaningful organizational change, and on Kristina's reminder that contributing to collective well-being has to begin with tending to your own. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH KRISTINA KATAYAMA Website: https://www.bepossible.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-katayama-029834 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be_possible_llc Transformational Stories: http://www.bepossible.com/stories What's Really Driving Tension on Your Team: https://www.bepossible.com/insights/whats-really-driving-tension-on-your-team Leadership Range and Self-Awareness Quiz: https://www.bepossible.com/insights/leadership-range-and-self-awareness-quiz Transforming Conflict into Collaboration: https://www.bepossible.com/insights/transforming-conflict-into-collaboration Team and Organizational Nervous System Quiz: https://www.bepossible.com/insights/team-and-organizational-nervous-system-wise

In this episode, Tanesha L. Moody, speaker, certified coach, and founder of Full Out Coaching, joins us to talk about finding your purpose, navigating rejection, and building the clarity and courage to live life on your own terms. Tanesha opens by describing herself as a multi-passionate, tracing a path from professional theater and Broadway's Mean Girls First National Tour to corporate leadership roles at Disney, Under Armour, and Salesforce, where an unexpected layoff 3,000 miles from home became the catalyst for her deepest personal reinvention. She introduces her powerful reframe, "You weren't rejected. Your offer was," and explains how separating identity from outcomes gave her the courage to keep putting herself out there. From there, she walks through her IGNIS Purpose Framework, a practical tool for uncovering gifts, connecting life experiences, and arriving at a purpose statement you can actually live by, and her C.L.E.A.R. Method for doing so full out, one assignment at a time. She also shares her SAFE Feedback approach for leaders who want to give feedback that is specific, actionable, growth-focused, and empathetic. The conversation closes with a reminder that resonates throughout: purpose leaves breadcrumbs, and you have likely been living yours all along. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH TANESHA MOODY Website: https://www.taneshalmoody.com Instagram/TikTok: @taneshalmoody LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taneshalmoody Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575896310658 Full Out Coaching Instagram: @fulloutcoaching Full Out Coaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/97437246 Full Out Coaching Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552659243143 Find, Name, and Live Your Purpose: https://www.taneshalmoody.com/ignis You Weren't Rejected, Your Offer Was: https://www.taneshalmoody.com/you-werent-rejected Reframe Rejection Free Ebook: https://www.taneshalmoody.com/rejectionebook

In this episode, Prassède Kemp, founder of Numinous, joins us to talk about strategic marketing for small business owners, solopreneurs, and founders who are ready to stop guessing and start growing with intention. Prassède opens with a foundational reframe: marketing is not the same as sales, and understanding the difference is key to building a system that works for you. She introduces a strengths-based approach to choosing your marketing channels, encouraging business owners to consider their natural abilities, available time, and barriers to action before committing to any platform or strategy. From there, the conversation digs into the three pillars of her marketing system: email marketing, social media, and blogging. Prassède makes a compelling case for email as one of the most underrated and highest-converting tools available, sharing her newsletter formula and breaking down the types of emails every business should have in rotation. On social media, she challenges the pressure to post constantly, explaining that for most businesses, the real job of social media is validation, not virality. She closes with a practical breakdown of blogging as a long-form content engine that feeds every other channel, and leaves listeners with one clear piece of advice: choose the one thing you can commit to consistently, get great at it, and build from there. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH PRASSÈDE KEMP Website: https://www.numinouscreative.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/numinous.creative/

In this episode, Naomi Kreske, mindset and confidence coach and founder of Keep Finding You, joins us to talk about breaking free from survival mode, harnessing the law of attraction, and building a life that truly feels good to live. Naomi opens up about what she calls her "big T trauma," the sudden collapse of her white picket fence life when she discovered her husband's infidelity, shattering her identity and launching her into over a decade of unknowingly living on what she calls the hot mess express. She unpacks what survival mode actually looks and feels like from the inside: that sense of forcing life, living one day at a time, and unconsciously sabotaging anything good because your brain has learned to feel safer in the familiar than in the unknown. Naomi shares the pivotal aha moment that brought the law of attraction into sharp focus and forced her to take an honest look at the energy she was putting out into the world. From there, she walks us through her signature question "Does this serve me?" as a daily framework for radical accountability, alongside practical guidance on journaling, affirmations, meditation, and breathwork, including a powerful reframe on how to make affirmations actually work when you're not yet ready to believe the big ones. The conversation closes on the often-overlooked power of community, vulnerability, and asking for help, and why trying to muscle through life alone is one of the fastest roads to burnout. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH NAOMI KRESKE Website: https://www.keepfindingyou.com Instagram & Facebook: @keepfindingu The Get Out of Your Way Guide: https://keepfindingyou.myflodesk.com/getoutofyourway The Aligned Life Workbook: https://keepfindingyou.myflodesk.com/alignedlife

In this episode, Dawn Marie Bornheimer, founder of Mission Inspired Consulting (MIC), certified facilitator, and military spouse, joins us to talk about the realities of self-leadership and growing a business without losing your purpose. Drawing from her 20 years of corporate experience, Dawn breaks down the common pitfalls that founders face—from hitting a growth ceiling due to holding onto every operational task to the isolating pressures of leadership. She introduces the practical power of the fractional team structure, explaining how small businesses can strategically leverage expert support in 90-day blocks without the weight of full-time overhead. Dawn shares critical advice on navigating gap analyses, establishing protective NDAs, and co-creating scopes of work to maintain true alignment. Full of invaluable relational insight, she leaves listeners with actionable strategies to transition away from the grind of daily maintenance and build the infrastructure necessary to make their missions louder. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH DAWN MARIE BORNHEIMER Website: http://missioninspiredconsulting.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-marie-bornheimer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawninspires44/

In this episode, Robyn Harris, well-being mentor and founder of WILD Wellbeing, joins us to talk about redefining safety, breaking free from burnout, and learning to listen to our bodies. Reflecting on her childhood in Belfast during the height of the Troubles and living with a volatile father, Robyn shares how she spent decades wearing a mask and trying to remain invisible—a pattern that eventually manifested physically, culminating in an ME diagnosis that left her temporarily in a wheelchair. She introduces her signature WILD acronym framework: Wonder, Intuition, Loving ourselves, and Dance. Robyn discusses the concept of being "response-able" to reclaim personal agency, digs into what psychological safety actually feels like in our everyday environments, and shares insights from her book, Take a Walk on the Wild Side, offering listeners a compassionate, step-by-step companion guide to shifting from a survival mindset to a life of fluid harmony. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH ROBYN HARRIS Website: https://w-i-l-d.uk Email: [email protected] Substack: https://wildrobyn.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynharris-wildwellbeing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robyn.harris.wild.wellbeing/ YouTube (W-I-L-D-TV): https://www.youtube.com/@W-I-L-D-TV YouTube (VIG-Podcast): https://www.youtube.com/@VIG-Podcast

In this episode, Michelle Lee Steiner, paraeducator, advocate, and founder of Michelle's Mission, joins us to shed light on the realities of living and thriving with an invisible learning disability. Michelle opens up about her personal journey navigating a world where disabilities are often only recognized if they are physical. She shares the challenges she faced growing up labeled as an outcast due to childhood bullying, and how discovering her voice through writing and photography became a powerful catalyst for healing and self-acceptance. Michelle breaks down the practical strategies she uses to teach her students age-appropriate self-advocacy and provides critical advice for adults transitioning into the workforce, including how to honestly navigate job interviews and secure workplace accommodations. From finding her chosen "tribes" outside her immediate community to sharing her beautiful real-life love story, Michelle offers an inspiring reminder that success doesn't always come in the package we expect, but can turn into something even better. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH MICHELLE LEE STEINER Website: https://www.michellesmission.com/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steiner7250/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.steiner.493966/ Facebook (Michelle's Mission): http://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Michelle%27s%20Mission

In this episode, Lauren Goché, a Portland-based realtor and renovation expert, joins us to reshape how we think about homeownership, equity, and breaking out of survival mode. Drawing from her personal background of growing up poor and overcoming $65,000 in credit card debt, Lauren shares how she utilized her first home to completely shift her financial trajectory. She dives deep into the mind shift required to move from the anxiety of renting to leveraging "wise debt" like mortgages and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Lauren emphasizes why marginalized communities are systematically gatekept from these financial tools and how getting "house-ready" requires big-picture planning with the right team. From practical home maintenance tips to the genius bi-weekly mortgage payment strategy that shaves years off your loan, Lauren drops unfiltered truth bombs designed to turn a home into your ultimate financial nest egg. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH LAUREN GOCHÉ Website: https://www.laurengoche.com/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurengoche/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurengocherealtor

In this episode, Janine Lequay, change strategist, author, and founder of Soleil Edge, joins us to reframe how we process personal and organizational transitions. Drawing from over 15 years of experience in organizational change management and her own sudden corporate layoff, Janine addresses a critical gap: why over 70% of organizational change initiatives fail, and why individuals are rarely taught how to navigate change proactively. She introduces her signature acronym framework, The DO IT Change Method™ (Discover, Own, Implement, Transform), explaining how to break the autopilot loop, move past the "depths of despair," and treat change as an evolution rather than chaos. Janine also breaks down the dynamics of her Change Archetype Assessment, showing how different processing styles—from activators to analyzers and regulators—impact team collaboration and personal relationships. Full of refreshing clarity, she offers listeners a practical guide to stepping out of isolation, embracing community, and reclaiming alignment when the ground shifts beneath them. SPECIAL OFFER FOR OUR LISTENERS: J anine is offering an exclusive 20% discount on The Change Archetype Assessment! Use the promo code PENA20 at checkout. This special code is active for 72 hours following the release of this episode (June 8th). LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH JANINE LEQUAY Websites: https://www.doitchangemethod.com https://soleiledge.com https://experience.soleiledge.com Email: [email protected] The Change Archetype Assessment: www.mychangearchetype.com The DO IT Change Method Book: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Method-Practical-Navigating-Confidence/dp/B0GHXKJ6HP Linktree: https://linktr.ee/janinelequay

In this episode, Meghan DeFord, career coach, consultant, and former philanthropy executive, joins us to share her framework for navigating life pivots and pursuing long-held dreams. Reflecting on her own sudden journey through a divorce and a layoff during the pandemic, Meghan dives deep into how women often internalize societal expectations at the expense of their own fulfillment. She breaks down the critical difference between surface-level "hacks" and true, values-driven success, offering a practical roadmap that bridges the gap between what we care about and how we actually spend our time. From retraining our brains to view failure as mere testing to finding the right accountability cheerleaders, Meghan provides a complete toolkit to help you shift your identity, stop living purely to be needed, and finally step into who you want to be. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH MEGHAN DEFORD Email: [email protected] Instagram: @megdeford TikTok: @megdeford Website: www.megdeford.com

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Anne, trauma therapist and founder of the Gravity Point Institute, joins us to kick off Season 4 with a fresh, liberating perspective on stress and trauma. Drawing from her personal journey through severe burnout and her clinical research, Dr. Anne introduces a groundbreaking framework that identifies 20 unique stress responses—moving far beyond the conventional "fight or flight" model. She shares actionable insights from her new book, Gravity Point, explaining how we can shift from basic self-care maintenance to active self-regulation, and details how we can heal in the present by building entirely new neurological bridges rather than re-traumatizing ourselves by digging into the past. LEARN MORE AND CONNECT WITH DR. ASHLEY ANNE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gravitypoint Instagram: @gravitypointinstitute LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyannephd