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If the last couple years have taught us anything, it’s the value of community and relationships in our lives. But relationships aren’t a one size fits all, and like seasons, they are continuously evolving and designed to look different from one relationship to the next. Which is where it’s important to recognize that one person can not do and be everything for another person.    If you just had an “aha” moment, you’re not alone. When we recognize each relationship’s needs and benefits will differ from one to another, we in turn welcome ourselves to show up uniquely as needed for different relationships. You may be the receiver in one relationship, which allows you to be the care giver in another. There’s one friend who you know will lift you up and cheer you on no matter what, and another friend who you can count on to provide the supportive tough love when you need it most.   In this week’s episode, Genevieve discusses the different seasons of friendships. And why it’s normal for even the strongest of relationships to fizzle out over time. She also breaks down the 9 different types of relationships to seek to have in your life, as well as the different ways we can show up for others.   If you’re looking to take off the pressure to be everything to everyone, this is a great episode for you. Or if you’re looking to better understand the relationships in your life, look no further as we dive into how to explore and navigate the variety of relationships and evolution of friendships.

What comes up for you in the absence of distractions? And more importantly, what does your internal dialogue sound like during this?   If you’ve been a long time listener, you already know the importance of affirmations and supportive self-talk (and if you’re a new listener, welcome!). But this week, Genevieve takes a deeper dive into positive and supportive self-talk by first identifying the different forms of negative self-talk and follows up with exercises on how to talk more positively and encouragingly to ourselves.   Take the challenge this week and start to pay attention to how you speak to yourself in different scenarios. How do you set yourself up when you embark on a new goal? How do you handle messing up or experiencing the big “f” word — failure. And how does third party validation affect us.   Looking to live your Zest Life? It all begins with internal dialogue, enjoy this week’s episode!

Ever heard the saying “motivation is garbage”? Okay, maybe “garbage” is a little harsh. Motivation is great when you’ve got it, but what about on the days where you just don’t feel motivated to do the things you know you need to do, to get where you want to be?   While the feeling of motivation is great, being dependent on motivation to reach your goals and achieve your “zest life” is not a reliable game plan. And this week, Genevieve breaks down exactly why motivation isn’t a realistic tactic, and what you can do to get started and stay dedicated with your goals instead.    Learn more about how exactly “motivation” works, the top reasons why we feel stuck or struggle to get started, what you can do to take action, and how to create your personal motivation toolbox in this week’s episode of Your Zest Life.

It’s a packed episode with nuggets of knowledge on all things sensory this week. And we aren’t just talking about your 5 main senses. Pediatric Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and founder of The Sensory Project, LLC, Rachel Harrington, breaks down how our 8 senses contribute to the way we process and live our lives.    Things like sleep, movement, menstruation, pregnancy, anxiety, loud noises, clutter, lack of organization, menopause, and more affect our ability to seek and avoid certain input from our senses. Meaning they also regulate the way we communicate, enjoy life, engage, navigate challenges, focus, and connect with our personal needs - including our body and brain’s ability to process information and experiences.     Prepare to walk away from this conversation better understanding how to identify your own sensory triggers and your personal sensory needs.    Put your sensory goggles on and join Rachel and Genevieve as they discuss how to best navigate this world we live in through our sensory skills!   Resources: https://sensationalbrain.com/free-resources/

Get ready for equal parts belly laughs and inspo this week on Your Zest Life as Genevieve gets to podcast with one of her favorite humans, Lauren Lee from Calm Point.    It’s always a perfect balance of joy, laughter, and positive insight when Lauren gets to join the Life Zesters Community and this week is no different.    Genevieve & Lauren release a very exciting announcement about their involvement with Treefort and recap one of their recent adventures, leading to some contagious laughter. Lauren also shares insight on the importance of our breath - how without it we have nothing. And with it, we truly have everything.   The queen of guiding meditations, Lauren gifts us with a brief meditation that leads into a conversation about intuition. How to follow your intuition, trust your gut, and trust your decisions.   It’s a jammed packed episode gang, that hopefully brings a little zest into your life.

You likely have thought about the life you want to live (your ZEST life, right?), and you may even know what you need to do to create the life you want. But how exactly do you turn your thoughts into actions? The key is in identifying and creating the connection piece to where you’re at now, and where you want to be. Which is easier said (or thought), than done. And the secret just may be in the rewiring of your neural pathways.This week on Your Zest Life, Gen dives into a topic matter she can’t wait to geek out with you about. How your neural pathways can create new habits and beliefs, and how to rewire your brain to support your goals and visions. She also shares step by step tips on how to rewire our brain composition to support your desired habits and routines, and how to simplify the process so the result is both doable and sustainable.Genevieve dives into how to create and act on a game plan, and incorporate new habits that support your desired outcome into your pre-existing day to day routines.Life Zesters, grab your pen, paper, post it notes, and get ready to shift your thoughts into actions.

Holistic nutritionist, owner of Sprouting Vitality, health coach, professional life coach, private chef & yoga instructor, McKenzie Joyner, joins Genevieve on Your Zest Life to talk all things about getting your mind right. And McKenzie oozes with all the inspo and real talk on how to step forward into taking ownership of your best (zest) life.    McKenzie shares how to listen and respond to our body’s cravings, body positivity and what we can learn from the Italian culture about being present with our food, focusing on what makes you happy and prioritizing the little things (like snuggling pups and morning routines). She also shares her newest e-book, Sugar Blues Bootcamp, which includes 50+ no-added-sugar recipes and a nutrition guide created to help kick sugar cravings and take back your health in 2022. In addition, McKenzie shares small steps to cut out sugar, how sugar effects our immune system, hidden sugars in foods, and the benefits of cutting back on added sugars including better sleep, hormone regulation, and boosting energy levels and mood.   Find McKenzie Joyner on Instagram at @sproutingvitality as well as www.sprouting-vitality.com Sugar Blues Bootcamp E-Book sprouting-vitality.com/product/sugar-blues-bootcamp-ebook

It’s the last week of Sober Curious, and Genevieve gets to sit down with Mary Tilson from Bali, Indonesia. Mary is an International Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Retreat Leader and certified Addiction Recovery Coach currently based in Bali, Indonesia. The creator of Sun & Moon Sober Living, Mary wanted to have an inclusive space for those who are sober and sober-curious to access support through online resources, training and free online community gatherings. Mary also hosts the Sun & Moon Sober Living Podcast featuring interviews with leading experts in the fields of Addiction Recovery, Mental Health and Holistic Wellbeing, and a variety of inspiring guests who are thriving in sobriety. Inspired by her own recovery journey and decision to get sober 8.5 years ago, which was the catalyst to profound transformation in all areas of her life, Mary’s aim is to normalize conversations about addiction, and highlight the bright side of sobriety, which is an empowering choice that everyone can benefit from.   This conversation covers the big picture of sobriety as Mary shares a lot of insight on the ups and downs of sobriety as well as the challenges that have come along with it. But with the challenges, just as her podcast focuses on the bright side of sober living, Mary also opens up about the gifts that sobriety has given her. Everything from the importance of community, silencing the external noise so we can go inwards, fighting the social pressure to drink, the honest effects of alcohol on our brain chemistry, and debunking the myth that “sobriety is boring”.    For more resources and support in your own sobriety or navigation with your relationship with alcohol, check out @sunandmoon.soberliving and @marytilson where you’ll find free resources for Holistic Sober Living.   You can still sign up for Sober Curious and gain access to all the course materials and conversations by visiting www.womenesscommunity.com/sober-curious . Course is free with option to donate with 100% of donations supporting the operations of Womeness Community in continuing to provide financially inclusive and accessible content to empower women.

Your Zest Life continues our partnership with Womeness Community as part of the Sober Curious series with this week’s episode. If you’ve been listening or participating, you know Sober Curious is one of Womeness Community’s key empowerment programs designed to support women as they navigate their relationship with alcohol.    Womeness Community is Genevieve’s non-profit that empowers women and their communities through mindfulness, movement, and community impact. Her team has worked together to provide resources such as discussing the spectrum of sobriety, how to navigate everyday life sober including how to enjoy a night out on the town without alcoholic beverages, how to unwind and cope with stress & anxiety through alternatives to substances and alcohol, and which local bars & restaurants offer menus designated to mocktails.   They’ve also created a private space for members in their program to feel supported and can open up about their experience in a safe, non-judgmental and welcoming environment. Here they provide journal prompts, meditations, as well as exclusive additional resources for their Sober Curious members.   In today’s conversation, Genevieve gets to sit down with the owner and host of the Alcohol Tipping Point, Deb Masner, as Deb shares what inspired her to launch her business during a pandemic, the concept of data vs drama when looking to change a habit, explains the effect of alcohol on the brain, what the alcohol spectrum is, and why she chose to “divorce alcohol”. She also discusses the gray space of sobriety, understanding sobriety isn’t black or white for everyone.   As with anything that regards your health and well-being, we encourage you to seek professional guidance if you do sense you have a problem with alcohol.    For additional resources, join the Sober Curious program with Womeness Community at womenesscommunity.com/sober-curious and check out the “The Alcohol Tipping Point” where you’ll find resources including a free dry guide and information on how to join the “30 day Alcoholiday” for a 30 day break from alcohol.    Womeness Community Sober Curious: https://womenesscommunity.com/event/sober-curious/   Alcohol Tipping Point: https://www.alcoholtippingpoint.com

This week, Your Zest Life kicks off a 3 week series in partnership with Womeness Community as part of the Sober Curious series. One of Womeness Community’s key empowerment programs designed to support women as they navigate their relationship with alcohol.In this series, Womeness Community provides resources, support, and guidance to kickstart your sober curious journey in addition to empowering women through mindfulness, movement, and community impact.   Like with any lifestyle change that involves your health, we are not the experts here, merely providing resources, tips, and support. If you do find you have a serious problem, we encourage you speak with a professional counselor.Along the way, Genevieve will also be interviewing and featuring Womeness and their sobriety or sober curious experience.This week, Genevieve gets to interview a very special guest who just celebrated her 3 years of sobriety, her sister.Reba is a visual artist and writer living in the high desert of Nevada. She helps a team of creatives publish evidence-based workbooks in addiction treatment, federal corrections and behavior change. On the side, she loves art and writing, mountain biking, snowboarding, rock-climbing, trail running, and enjoying the outdoors with her dog.    This conversation holds a special space for Genevieve, as she gets to learn from her sister while Reba opens up about parts of her sobriety that Genevieve never knew about. Genevieve finds Reba to be an empowering example of what can happen when you give yourself the chance you’re worth.    Reba also opens up about her recovery, shares what has helped her with her sobriety, provides insight for anyone looking to change their habits and behaviors, and shares what changed everything, allowing her to fully commit to being sober. If you would like to join the Sober Curious series, you can signup by visiting womenesscommunity.com/sober-curious .  

Our mental health plays a massive role in how we show up in our day to day lives. And prioritizing our mental health can make all the difference in our ability to cultivate our zest lives This week, Genevieve is joined by her husband, Luke, to discuss various tangents of mental health and the effect social media has on it. Including the differences in how we see physical health vs mental health show up across social media, how “filters” are contributing to the “highlight reel” impact on our perception of self and others, the effects of the trigger of dopamine on social media addiction, as well as the stigma behind therapy and why conversations around therapy need to take up more space in our day to day conversations.    They also discuss their thoughts on the questions around: How do we shift the health & fitness culture to talk less about what foods they eat to look a certain way and more about what foods and resources they use to feel better and improve their outlook on life? Why don’t we hear more people talking about their therapist just as much as they would talk about their personal trainer?  Is it possible to redirect social media from being this “highlight reel” to being an authentic space for conversations, resources, and support for each other? Genevieve closes off by sharing how to take control of social media usage to support our mental health and provide resources to improve our mental health right now. If you’re looking to expand your mental health awareness and resources, this episode is for you. Enjoy life zesters!

This week marks 8 years since Genevieve packed up her life and moved to the concrete jungle of New York City, committed to making her vision of creating a career for herself in Manhattan a reality.   Since then, Genevieve’s learned a lot about the reality in vision setting, including when to pursue a dream and when it’s time to break up with it.    As a former believer for the idea, “you work hard for something, follow the rules, and stay dedicated, all your dreams will come true”, Genevieve has come to understand that not every goal or vision in our life is meant to be THE vision for us.   So how do you know when to lean into fear, and to take the leap of faith towards your dreams? And what signs should you look for when identifying if a dream or vision is no longer for you?   Genevieve cuts straight to the core on this one. Sharing one of her greatest dreams, and defeats, including details she’s never shared publicly about what it felt like to feel her future crumble on her.   Whether you are ready to take that leap, or trying to figure out if it’s time to invest in another dream, this episode is for you.