It’s very likely that if the thought of checking your bank account balance makes you break out in cold sweats, you’ve got quite a few people around you who are reinforcing this. Family, friends, coworkers, media personalities, Money Shame is everywhere. Just like Casual Negativity, money problems can be a way of bonding with others: commiserating over how expensive something is or how you really can’t afford such-and-such or UGH taxes amiright??
It can be a relief to know that you’re not alone…but it can also be damaging if you’re not devising a game plan to shift into a more positive and proactive reality. Here are some tools to break out of financial fears, shift into a rich mentality, and stay…shall we say…ACCOUNTABLE.
Let’s talk about CENTS, baby. Or for a more current pop culture pun…LET'S MAKE MONEY MOVES!
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Need this episode in a bookmark-able version? Read it here: How To Not Freak Out Over Your Bank Account
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This Episode Is Sponsored By: 4 Weeks To Wellness
The 4 Weeks To Wellness program is a plan that ditches quick fixes and helps set you up for long-term wellness success physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's all about finding - REALLY finding - what works for you, putting your wellness puzzle together, and finding a way to do right by your body without giving up your life. It's for anyone looking to make healthy changes (but lacking the framework and structure to actually make them happen) is gonna love this. Added bonus, Phoebe has personal experience with autoimmune diseases, thyroid issues, SIBO, Hashimoto's - so if you do, too, Phoebe might be the accessible coach and cheerleader you need. It all happens online and is completely up to you how fast or slow you go. ****Enrollment closes TONIGHT, APRIL 20TH, so go to thewellnessproject.com to sign up - use the code WANT for 15% off, AND be sure to enter The WANTcast in the How Did You Hear About Us section.***
If you liked this epiosde and everything WANT is throwing down, be sure to head on over to the site and SUBSCRIBE to The GOOD Word, WANT's weekly email love letter where you'll get all the posts and pods delivered directly to your email doorstep, plus first dibs on events, workshops, and the stuff I'm WANTing each week that I think you'll love too. Also head on over to iTunes and subscribe, and leave some stars and a review to spread the WANTcast love, I apprecite it more than you know.
Today's guest started her business from her own personal experience with autoimmune disease. Rachel Winard is the founder of Soapwalla, a indie skincare brand based in Brooklyn that prides itself on being pure, effective and trustworthy. The all-female company is based in Gowanus in a converted canning factory - so cool. After discovering that she had systemic lupus (an autoimmune illness that led to skin irritations), Rachel started creating products that wouldn't irritate her skin. Today Soapwalla is a globally sold and recognized brand, and truly one of the OGs when it comes to the world of natural beauty. Soapwalla is proudly an LGBTQ-run business, an active advocate of gay and women's rights, and works on getting customers involved too.
In this episode we talk about Rachel's crazy career journey from music to where she is now, how to advocate for a more inclusive and just world in both business and life, our mutual love for kind of unexpected things (like dinosaurs) and so much more. She is such a calming force and at the same time, so bright and effervescent - a friend of mine likes to say that certain people are like the "bubbles in champagne" and that's definitely the case with Rachel.
This Episode Is Sponsored By: 4 Weeks To Wellness
The 4 Weeks To Wellness program is a plan that ditches quick fixes and helps set you up for long-term wellness success physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's all about finding - REALLY finding - what works for you, putting your wellness puzzle together, and finding a way to do right by your body without giving up your life. It's for anyone looking to make healthy changes (but lacking the framework and structure to actually make them happen) is gonna love this. Added bonus, Phoebe has personal experience with autoimmune diseases, thyroid issues, SIBO, Hashimoto's - so if you do, too, Phoebe might be the accessible coach and cheerleader you need. It all happens online and is completely up to you how fast or slow you go. Enrollment is open from now till April 20th, so go to thewellnessproject.com to sign up - use the code WANT for 15% off, AND be sure to enter The WANTcast in the How Did You Hear About Us section.
If you liked this epiosde and everything WANT is throwing down, be sure to head on over to the site and SUBSCRIBE to The GOOD Word, WANT's weekly email love letter where you'll get all the posts and pods delivered directly to your email doorstep, plus first dibs on events, workshops, and the stuff I'm WANTing each week that I think you'll love too. Also head on over to iTunes and subscribe, and leave some stars and a review to spread the WANTcast love, I apprecite it more than you know.
SHOW NOTES:
Soapwalla
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Rachel's dino office
ACLU
Call Your Representative
4 Weeks To Wellness
I know. Social media can be frustrating for me, too. And I can't count how many times I've heard my friends say they're going on a digital detox or post a #DeleteFacebook hashtag (especially after all the drama of this week in particular; I'm looking at you Cambridge Analytica).
But the thing is, going cold turkey DOESN'T REWRITE our bad habits.
If you're listening to the WANTcast, you're probably already pretty mindful IRL. You’re present in your conversations, you live for the now, and you’re all about savoring the moment.
But here’s the hard reality: social media, smartphones, and being in-somewhat-constant-contact are not the exception anymore, they’re the norm. Facebook or #DeleteFacebook, there will ALWAYS be some new platform for us to use and abuse.
Whether you’re looking to grow your business or are the average social media user catching up on cute baby/puppy pics and posting funny memes, the social media overwhelm factor is loud and proud and REAL. It’s not just that social media is a distraction – it’s that it makes us question how true our truths really are.
Today on the WANTcast, a few solid social media tips + strategies to follow (ha, no pun intended) so you can have your life and post it, too.
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Like this episode? I’m so glad! Sign up for The (Good) Word, WANT’s weekly email love letter, at womenagainstnegativetalk.com, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews and five-stars, the more our message is spread!), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
Today's guest is one of the coolest chicks I know (and you too, soon!), and a conversation that's a LONG time coming: scholar/writer/teacher/activist Natalia Mehlman Petrzela.
Natalia is a historian of contemporary American politics and culture and is currently writing a book on American fitness culture. She is the author of Classroom Wars: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture, and the co-host of Past Present Podcast, a show that turns hindsight into foresight by examining what's going on in America today through a historical lens. Natalia is Associate Professor of History at The New School, a co-founder of wellness education program Healthclass 2.0 and a Premiere Leader of intenSati, a fitness class that combines cardio with positive affirmations to make the ultimate uplifting workout.
In this episode we talk about (and, we go there) gun violence and talking to kids about what's going on in an "appropriate" way, where a quest for happiness and "following your bliss" really came from and if it's actually serving us, making wokeness more than a gimmick, locker room talk (no, not in THAT way), feminism/activism's place in the wellness industry, and so, SO much more.
Show Notes:
Website
Past Present Podcast
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Choose Love, Not Fear in 2013
How “Empowered” Speech About Your Body Might Mask The Same Old Issues
Derek Beres (introduced us!)
Gerren Liles (asked an awesome question!)
Like this episode? I’m so glad! Sign up for The (Good) Word, WANT’s weekly email group, at womenagainstnegativetalk.com, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews and five-stars, the more our message is spread), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram (and tag Katie and I so we can send you love!). Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
We’re all equipped with a Through Line; something we’re wonderful at and are meant to give to the world. And while some people might suggest mantras or affirmations to learn a new internal language, it’s my FIRM BELIEF that you can’t shift your self-talk without finding your Through Line first.
Learn how to define your Through Line: an important building block when it comes to tackling your negative self-talk. Today on the WANTcast, the #1 tool we've got on Women Against Negative Talk.
(Learn best by reading, not listening? Need to bookmark this for later? Here's the written version.)
Like this episode? I’m so glad! Sign up for The (Good) Word, WANT’s weekly email group, at womenagainstnegativetalk.com, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews and five-stars, the more our message is spread), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram (and tag Katie and I so we can send you love!). Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
We're back in action, baby!! I can’t think of a better guest to kick off Season Three (which, by the way, will be 20 episodes and now run every other week instead of every three weeks) than author and host Katie Dalebout.
In this episode, Katie and I talk about major transitions, navigating change (when you don’t have a high threshold for change), moving across the country and what it’s taught us, why constant growth and goal-chasing isn’t always a good thing, the value in doing what doesn’t feel like yourself, and so much more (including a topic I was really excited to dive into with her: INTERSECTIONAL WELLNESS).
Katie is the host of the Let It Out Podcast and the author of Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling (Hay House 2016). Katie is a writer and podcast host focusing on self-care, self-awareness, and self-expression for the greater good. Through her speaking and writing, she aims to help people develop a positive image of their bodies by embracing their creativity and personality outside of their physicality.
Show Notes:
Katie Dalebout
Instagram
Facebook
Let It Out podcast
Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling
The GOOD Fest
The Dreams We Woke Up From: Navigating transitions on WANT
Like this episode? I'm so glad! Sign up for The (Good) Word, WANT's weekly email group, at womenagainstnegativetalk.com, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews and five-stars, the more our message is spread), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram (and tag Katie and I so we can send you love!). Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
**SEASON TWO FINALE** Ending the year with some THINKING OUT LOUD. In this episode, we dive in and dig deep on: -Letting "WHY" be your guide and how it helped our wedding truly be the best day ever, -Instant gratification and breaking out of being a slave to the mirco moments instead of...well, the bigger picture, -The profound moment that helped me deal with other people's trauma, toxic people, hard conversations, and grief I didn't even know I was processing, -What it means to TRULY run toward something instead of away from something - PLUS, why I am going to "function under 'f*ck-it'" and ask myself this one pivotal, sort-of-scary question this year in everything I do. JOIN ME.
The WANTcast will return in February with new episodes every other week. Happy Happy New Year, WANT peeps! I love you with all my heart and am SO happy you are on this crazy ride with me.
Past episodes/posts referenced:
Thinking Out Loud
The Art Of The Planned Freak-Out
Sarah Britton
Down With The Day Job, Down With The Side Hustle
Nathaniel V Dust
Wellness + Activism
The GOODfest
Anne Hodder-Shipp
We're BACK! In episode 39 of the WANTcast, filmmaker Erin Bagwell and I discuss creative postpartum (aka what happens after you finish a project), setting goals after hitting a BIG goal, speaking up and making your voice heard in the workplace (and world), using your creativity to make a difference, making money and how that relates to feminism, and so much more. Plus, why I've been AWOL, and pick the Season Two finale of the WANTcast!
SHOW NOTES:
Dream, Girl
Creative Money
Feminist Wednesdays
Komal Minhas on the WANTcast
Like this episode? Shoot me a comment on womenagainstnegativetalk.com, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews, the more Erin’s message is spread), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
In the FINALE of The Recovery Myth miniseries, we talk about what recovery REALLY means...plus we've got Katie Dalebout on, who talks all about sustaining, maintaining, body image, the perks and pitfalls of "self care" and "wellness," and how relationships come into play when it comes to a positive and proactive recovery journey.
Like this episode? Shoot me a comment below, leave a review on iTunes, share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
Show notes:
The Recovery Myth Pt 4: What Does Recovery Mean To You? 7 Women on Living The New Normal
The 7 biggest recovery myths
Lynn Chen on The Recovery Myth
Possibly the longest episode title ever - and it doesn't even scratch the surface. Taking a wee pause from The Recovery Myth miniseries right now to do some Thinking Out Loud:
-Wedding planning and how what people say it's like is actually NOT the case for me
-Figuring out your limitations so you don't crash and burn
-A Cheryl Strayed Q+A that changed the way I view the way I work
-My theory about the social media landscape shift
-Some real talk on the real wellness industry
-Tiny tweaks, tricks, and tips to create structure and reclaim your day
...and more!
SHOW NOTES:
- THE GOOD WORD: WANT's weekly newsletter/love note
- Cheryl Strayed: Love, Life and Lessons Learned in “Wild”
- Another interview series I binged on over the weekend (spoiler: Brené Brown interviewing Oprah, Liz Gilbert, etc)
- Instructor pal of mine whose classes I've been loving here in NYC: Gerren Liles, Andrew Slane, Mary Horne, Nikki Bucks, Sarah Girard
- Do Not Disturb on iPhone and Android
Like this episode? Leave a review on iTunes, share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
Today, I'm diving in and digging DEEP with Nathaniel V. Dust, healer and founder of Breathwork For Recovery. Nathaniel has worked as a professional healer for almost a decade, using the power of a person’s breath as a catalyst for positive changes in clients’ lives. Equipped with an arsenal of techniques – with a special focus on breathwork – Nathaniel has helped thousands of people process trauma, disarm negative thought patterns, and maintain healthy and happy relationships with themselves and loved ones.
And while his specialty IS working with treatment centers, it's not just substance abusers or people with eating disorders who are changed by his work: Nathaniel’s client base ranges from those seeking relief from everyday anxiety to people suffering from severe emotional and physical trauma who are desperate for help. Which is why I truly feel this episode is a MUST-LISTEN for everyone.
Nathaniel will BLOW YOUR MIND with his dissection of trauma, his detailed account of his own recovery, and some alternative forms of therapy you might not have ever know existed (one word: HORSES).
Also important: we talk about how to be acutely aware of your recovery journey, and if and when and HOW you can help others who are stuggling if you are still in the thick of it.
If you feel unsettled trauma in your body...if you ever wondered if there was another way to heal...if you have ever been in a toxic relationship or known someone who has...then this is the episode you're meant to hear today.
Show notes:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Breathwork For Recovery
Equine therapy
The 7 biggest recovery myths
Lynn Chen on The Recovery Myth
Like this episode? Shoot me a comment below, leave a review on iTunes, share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
Know someone who might need this miniseries? Forward it along and let them know you care.
Know someone who might be able to contribute something unique to the conversation? I’d LOVE to meet them. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS GONE THROUGH AN ED/ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE ABUSE (**AND HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RECOVERED), OR ARE AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD, shoot me an email at katie@womenagainstnegativetalk.com and we can get to talking.
This is Part Two of THE RECOVERY MYTH: a new four-part miniseries by WANT sharing real-life stories, smashing open misconceptions, and shining a light on what recovery from an eating/body-related disorder or addiction REALLY looks like.
I’ll be talking to experts, healers, and real-life recoverees answering some of the top recurring questions I’ve gotten from you over the last few years. Not just questions about recovery itself, but about the befores, the durings, the afters, and all the in-betweens that can sometimes seem like you imagined them.
To be clear: the point of The Recovery Myth is NOT to prescribe a roadmap or provide a neat-and-tidy picture of what recovery looks like. The point is to dispel myths surrounding recovery and gain multiple perspectives to provide a more inclusive, holistic, and ultimately helpful view of what it looks like to go from the darkness into the light.
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Today on the recovery myth I'm talking to Lynn Chen, actor, host, blogger, and body image activist. If you've been following along for a while you probably remember her from episode 4, where we talked about learning how to accept what is, and then moving forward from there. Today, obviously, we're talking Recovery, but we get into some pretty unexpected topics that I feel like people just don't talk about when they're talking about eating disorders.
I am so proud to bring you THE RECOVERY MYTH: a new four-part miniseries by WANT sharing real-life stories, smashing open misconceptions, and shining a light on what recovery from an eating/body-related disorder or addiction REALLY looks like.
I'll be talking to experts, healers, and real-life recoverees answering some of the top recurring questions I've gotten from you over the last few years. Not just questions about recovery itself, but about the befores, the durings, the afters, and all the in-betweens that can sometimes seem like you imagined them.
To be clear: the point of The Recovery Myth is NOT to prescribe a roadmap or provide a neat-and-tidy picture of what recovery looks like. The point is to dispel myths surrounding recovery and gain multiple perspectives to provide a more inclusive, holistic, and ultimately helpful view of what it looks like to go from the darkness into the light.
So, where do we go? Where do we start? The myths themselves. Because it isn't so much about getting back to normal as it is about creating a new one.
Today’s guest is Phoebe Lapine, food and health writer, gluten-free chef, wellness personality, culinary instructor, and speaker here in NYC. On her award-winning blog, Feed Me Phoebe, she shares recipes for healthy comfort food and insights about balanced lifestyle choices beyond what’s on your plate. Her newly released book, The Wellness Project, chronicles her journey with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and how she finally found the middle ground between health and hedonism by making one lifestyle change, one month at a time.
I have got to say that I was on a little reading freeze for a few months – I know – not ideal – and when I received Phoebe’s book I literally read about 150 pages in one sitting. Not only is she such a personal, down-to-earth writer, but she truly makes each chapter, or wellness experiment, so accessible for anyone no matter where they are on their health and happiness journey.
In this episode we talk about why getting a diagnosis by a doctor is only a small part of the equation, fighting for answers without blowing your entire paycheck, the “cool girl” trope in society, living up to other people’s expectations of you and SO MUCH more. Phoebe and I met through a mutual friend a couple months ago, and I am so happy to be introducing you to her today.
Show Notes:
Feed Me Phoebe
The Wellness Project
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
The Wellness Project Tour
The National Gourmet Institute Dinner (scroll down - get tickets!)
All of Phoebe's Stews
This week’s WANTcast is sponsored by GOOD: A Wellness Festival. GOOD is an all-day event created to ignite your passion for wellness and inspire you to achieve your GOOD life. I’ll be speaking at and MCing GOOD in Los Angeles on February 3rd, 2017 – use code WANT10 to snag $10 off your ticket. I can’t wait to see you there!
On one hand... you’ve got creativity running through your bloodstream. You think outside the box and see the world as one big art project waiting to happen. Whether you’re the kind of creative who writes, draws, sings, sews, photographs, or simply has a right-brained mind that just won’t quit, you have a unique way of looking at life that serves you in any situation.
On the other hand... a girl’s gotta eat. Five (or more) days a week, you do the work to pay the bills, and have a job you’re plugging away at – maybe even a full-blown career you’re carving out for yourself. You’re no stranger to the so-called daily grind: the traffic-jammed commute, the stressors of your job, the responsibilities that loom over your head as you hustle at work. Whether you are in love with your job or are just trying to get by, there’s one thing most creative types have in common when it comes to the daily grind: do I have to give up my identity as an artist just to fit in?
Just because you’re a working girl doesn’t mean that you have to squash your creative impulses. If you’re not used to singing your own praises, this is a really good time to start: you have a special, visionary way of viewing the world that not only serves you, but serves all those around you.
Whether your daily grind is in an artistic field or not, here are four ways to honor your creative work, your 9-5 work…and still end the day feeling like you can do it all, just as you are.
Like this episode? Shoot me a comment below, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews, the more these stories and lessons can be found by others who need them!), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
*This episode is for mature audiences only*
One day back in early January, I saw a post from today's guest that said something unnerving: that every single woman she'd worked on (she's a bodyworker) since November had experienced some sort of trauma related to the election.
Obviously I knew I needed to talk to her on the WANTcast.
This got me thinking about not only the political climate, but trauma in general. How we deal with it, how it lives in the body, and maybe the very most mind-boggling, how many times we don't even know it's there.
Trauma isn't always a car accident or violence. Trauma can take on many forms. So how does that impact us on a daily basis? And do we even realize it?
In this season of the WANTcast, I am determined to be a little bit bolder and expose you to different stories, ideas, techniques, tricks, methods, and practices that are helping others move forward fearlessly in their lives and can maybe do the same for you - or at the very least, which is not something to take lightly, get you thinking outside the box. Some of them might be sort of familiar. Some of them might blow your mind. Some might be toeing the line of what is "acceptable" to talk about and what isn't.
Today's episode with bodyworker Pamela Samuelson details ALL of the above. From how trauma lives in the body to what YOU can do to let go of negative energy to the taboo form of therapy that even I was a little nervous to talk about when Pam brought it up to me....we really go there.
Show Notes:
Embodywork.LA website
Facebook
The Institute for Core Energetics
Dr. Vincent Medici
Hugh Milne and Visionary Craniosacral Work
Carol Downer and The Federation for Feminist Women’s Healthcare
The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy
In this episode, I break down why exactly I have big problems with the terms “Side Hustle” and “Day Job” ...and think they’re stifling, suffocating, and stupid. Plus, a little about my life oustide of WANT, and how I think we should REALLY answer the question of "What Do You Do."
Do you ever feel like everyone else is running circles around you while you're walking through quicksand toward success?
If you're like me, you're probably nodding your head vigorously, right? I thought so. Whether it's business success, achieving that ever-elusive "healthy lifestyle," or making an impact in the world, the pressure to perform is real. A lot of times I find myself all tied up in mixed messages: one day someone's telling me to do what works for me, the next day they're telling me a $500 supplement is the answer to all my problems. One day I'm encouraged to go slow and steady, the next I'm being sold a recipe for overnight success. My life naturally ebbs and flows - sometimes I'm in periods of fast growth and rapid success, but most of the time it's about those small shifts or baby steps.
So when websites, blogs, celebrities, influencers, etc etc etc etc tell me one thing but show me another, it can begin to feel like there's this pressure to keep up. Especially in the "health and wellness" space.
The one site I have always turned to for no-bs advice that actually works for me and respects who I am is Greatist. It's a website and media company that truly talks the walk and walks the talk of living a healthy, happy life in a realistic, authentic, true-to-you way. Have a little too much to drink this weekend? That's cool, we'll help you feel better. No time for a workout today - like, really, no time? Don't stress about it. Having trouble at work or making friends as an adult? We feel you. Greatist never judges, has always "been there too," and never pretends like we need to overhaul our life to make it what we want it to be.
I've been die-hard obsessed with Greatist since they launched in 2011 - you'll hear more about why in today's episode. I know a lot of brands say they're all about this...but Greatist is one of the only ones that actually means what they say. It's not about being the healthiest all the time, it's about being healthy-ish. And as today's WANTcast guest told me, it's not about being the greatest all the time. It's about working on greatness like an artist works on art. It's about being a great-ist.
Derek Flanzraich is an entrepreneur on a mission to give everyone a healthyish attitude. He is the CEO & Founder of Greatist, a next-generation media startup working to make healthy living cool and build the first truly trusted healthy living brand for this generation. Derek's been building brands and organizations that last since his dog-walking business at 10 years old, so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to create something with long-term value and meaning.
I love our conversation so much. In this episode, Derek and I talk about building a brand that lasts, taking hits and making compromises, and the gaping hole in the health and wellness industry that led Derek to found Greatist. We also talk about the state of masculinity, the future of gender neutrality, the three things anyone can do to live a "healthy-ish" life, and why health and wellness can't just begin and end with food or exercise.
We had a blast together - he is truly a WANT Man through and through. So down to earth, so genuine, and so the embodiment of this brand he's created. I mean, anyone that can play Drake-related games with me and not think I'm a crazy person is an A+ human being in my book. Don't ask. Just take a listen.
If you've been following along with WANT for a while, you're probably already familiar with who I'm about to introduce you to - at the very least just because I talk about her all. the. time.
Today's guest is Jessica Murnane, wellness advocate, podcast host, and creator of the One Part Plant movement. She's the author of a brand new cookbook, One Part Plant, and the host of two wildly successful podcasts: One Part Podcast and The Cookbook Deal.
After being diagnosed with endometriosis and receiving a pretty crazy ultimatum from her doctors, Jessica decided to try overhauling her diet to see if she could heal herself naturally. Fast forward to today, and Jessica now has zero of those debilitating endometriosis symptoms and follows a full-on plant based diet.
If Jessica looks familiar, it might be because she’s been on WANT before. First in an interview, next on the tenth episode of the WANTcast, and then lots of guest appearances here and there as she's become a dear friend and a person I feel is truly out there changing the world, on and off-line. In Episode 10, Jessica talked about her brand new cookbook deal, and we casually mentioned her coming back to do a "Part Two" episode...
WELP, little did we know how much could happen in just one year. I won't ruin it for you, but I'll just say her newest podcast's subtitle is "Also, The Weirdest Year Of My Life." That should say it all. I knew we'd have a lot of ground to cover, but what we ended up talking about most actually wasn't the year or the cookbook - it was everything else in between. Her candor, humor, and heart are hallmarks of why her OPP peeps adore her so much...and why her cookbook became a #1 New Release on Amazon after only a day. A DAY.
One Part Plant is so much more than a cookbook - it's a memoir slash self-help guide slash ode to all the reasons eating "one part plant" can enhance your life from the inside out. Think I'm exaggerating? Check it out and we can start a little OPP cooking club from afar.
This episode's title could have been the longest thing ever, because we truly covered so much good ground. In this episode we talk about caring about being "cool" vs just liking what you like, food issues and Jessica's past with not just what put in her body but how she viewed her body, toxic relationships and the need to "fix" others, her relationship with her husband and what makes a healthy relationship in general (especially when you come from having body/food/fixer issues), the crazy way her new Cookbook Deal podcast panned out, asking for what you need personally, professionally, and financially, her beef with people who say they're "too old" for things, the barometer to use when you're deciding whether to say yes or no to a project...oh my goodness, I should probably just stop there so you can listen for yourself.
I'm honored to have her on the WANTcast again and pumped to see what she does next...
Oh, and just for some context: we begin this episode discussing something her husband does for her every year on her birthday: an eight-day lead-up entitled "Murnanukkah."
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Like this episode? Shoot me a comment below, leave a review on iTunes (the more reviews, the more Jessica’s message is spread), share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, or post it on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #WANTcast, #womenagainstnegativetalk, and/or #WANTyourself!
We all have a story of moving forward fearlessly on a big or small scale. Some of us are in the middle of our own right now - and I want to learn about them all. So instead of reading a crapton (I have been) and learning in just a few months what seems like more than I did in an entire year of school (also true) and then regurgitating the information to you (down to do that!), I thought I'd do what I would want to listen to right now: talk to someone who knows a lot more about this stuff than I do and has personally experienced it firsthand.
Brenda Gonzalez is co-host and co-creator of Tamarindo, a socially conscious podcast she hosts with her friend, Luis Octavio. Together, Luis and Brenda discuss politics, food, music and life through a Latino lense. Recommended by NPR's Latino USA, they interview comedians, artist, activist, and those that want to shake things up in their community. Brenda has over 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, most recently with a national Latino civil rights organization, the National Council of La Raza - which is the country's largest Latino nonprofit advocacy organization. She is also the Board Chair of Los Angeles Education Partnership, an education nonprofit working in high poverty communities to foster great schools.
Bonus points - she's my former neighbor!
In the episode we talk about Brenda's experience coming into the United States from Mexico as a four year old, the complications that come with wanting to become a citizen (or even just go to school!), how she began working with non-profits, and how a dark diagnosis in her family led them to the lives they are leading today. We also talk Brenda's experience at the Women's March in Washington D.C, the power of simply having conversations, and what YOU can do to make a difference in your own community even if you don't have a background in politics or civil rights.
This is a must-listen, must-share...all the musts.
If your brand of activism lives on the mat instead of the streets, I am here to assure you: it is still activism. Today's WANTcast is all about the intersection of activism and wellness - what the wellness industry gets right, where we fall short, and the small changes we can make on the regular to make a huge difference in the long run.
Things going on (besides marches) in the next couple weeks around the country: https://womenagainstnegativetalk.com/2017/01/ways-to-make-a-difference-this-week-beyond-if-youre-not-attending-a-womens-march/
Read it here: https://womenagainstnegativetalk.com/2017/01/on-activism-an-open-letter-to-the-wellness-industry/
Today's guest is Sarah Britton - author, holistic nutritionist, certified nutritional practitioner, and artist (you'll hear why later in the podcast) who is based in Copenhagen Denmark. She is the creative force behind MY NEW ROOTS, an award-winning food blog featuring original recipes that taste great, look beautiful, and boast incredible health benefits. She follows the philosophy of making healthy choices every day and has been creating plant based recipes for readers all of the world since 2007. She's the author of the my new roots cookbook and the upcoming cookbook naturally nourished healthy delicious meals made with every day ingredients.
In this episode we talk about overcoming obstacles, manifesting things in your life and how important it is to be mindful of what you wish for, how Sarah completely revamped her relationship with food, and three things that ANYONE can do to remove what Sarah calls the fog from your life and wake up FULLY. Basically, how to realize how good you're meant to feel on a day-to-day basis. Verdict: she's the perfect positive voice to help us ring in the new year.
Going through - or just went through - a major transition? Had a stressful year? You might be in need of a planned freak-out. In this episode I break down my OWN structured, PRODUCTIVE break-down - and how you can do the same.
For this episode, I wanted to talk what's going on post-election - but I didn't want to simply have a conversation about how scary things are over and over. I think that we've all had enough of that. I wanted to have an in-depth conversation with someone who could speak to the nitty-gritty details and logistics of it all way more than I could...someone who (preferably) had an inside look into politics, and also (preferably) was in the business of mindfulness. Because in order to change minds and change lives, we can't speak in vague terms. We need to be able to articulate why exactly things are as terrifying as they are, and we need to be solution oriented and determined to mobilize in a way that works for us.
I knew that Danielle Beinstein would be the perfect person to have this kind of conversation with. Dani is a meditation teacher and astrologer in Los Angeles - and go figure, also has a background in politics! You might remember her from Episode Two, which is still one of the most downloaded episodes...so if you haven't listened to that definitely put it on your to do list.
In this episode, we dive into what's going on in the country, we explore why exactly this is so terrifying (like, actually break it down, not just get worked up about it being terrifying and get ourselves more and more anxious along with you), what we need to know about the way our government is set up, what astrology has to say about this time in history (it's mind-blowing), the dangers of "spiritual bypass," what we can do about it all, and how to talk to those who might have different viewpoints than we do. It's the perfect episode to air right before Thanksgiving and the holiday season kicks - a time during which you might be spending time with people who not only have different views than your own, but with people you usually don't have emotional, impassioned conversations with in the first place. Plus Dani has a fascinating theory on the return of chivalry, and what men's role is during this incredibly fascinating time. I'm so pumped about this conversation and know I'll be listening multiple times to really soak it in. And I was there in the first place!
Abiola Abrams is an award-winning author, advice columnist, motivational speaker, and certified life coach who has given her life-changing advice on networks from MTV and BET to the Discovery Channel and the BBC, as well as being a popular advice columnist for Essence and on sites like Match.com. Her book The Sacred Bombshell Handbook of Self-Love won Best Self-Help Book at the African American Literary Awards. As what she calls the "Midwife for Your Inspired Life," her online empowerment programs help women to answer and rock their callings, by turning self-love to self-launch. She is the founder of the women’s empowerment blog and web series on SacredBombshell.com and the podcast Spiritpreneur School, aka The Goddess Factory. (and yes, I know. She's a master at naming things. Just you wait 'till you listen to the episode)
Flashback for context: seven years ago, I was going through a huge life shift. Or, rather, I was about to go through a huge life shift - I just didn't know it yet. I had just moved to Venice Beach, gotten a steady job at one of my favorite fitness studios, finally gotten over a rough breakup, and was starting to feel more like myself than ever. I was starting to realize that maybe the life I'd planned out for myself wasn't the life I was really supposed to lead...and instead of being scary, that glimmer of a thought was actually starting to feel freeing. Basically, all of my channels were open for change - I just didn't know what was coming next.
It was also around this time I started running. Every week, I'd lace up my New Balances and drive to the long stretch of grass along Ocean Avenue and just go. I'd call them my thinking runs: the time that was just for me, where I could zone out and tune into what my heart was really saying.
One day before a thinking run, I was looking for a way to tune into the radio show I'd been listening to on my drive over (I miss the car radio in NYC!) and came across these new things called "podcasts." My first observation? There weren't a lot of female hosts. Finally, I found one. The Goddess Factory by Abiola Abrams. Looked promising. I could get down with goddess talk.
Well, I ended up becoming HOOKED. I found Abiola's enthusiastic yet no-bs outlook on life just the type of inspiration I needed. It felt like she wasn't just talking directly TO me, but like she was a friend who was giving me permission to be as passionate, deep, silly, funny, and BIG as I wanted to be. It was just what I needed to catapult me into the next stage of my life, which ultimately, has led me right here. It sounds kinda cheesy to say I couldn't have done it without her, but honestly - I couldn't have done it without her.
I LOVE each twist and turn of this conversation, talking everything from what to do when you feel like other people just don't quite GET what you're about yet and sticking to your guns when it seems like everyone else is getting ahead, to getting your voice heard even when other people are trying to manipulate it to their liking along the way. We also talk about being an extroverted introvert and getting swept up in the bigness of whatever's going on around you, and whether you're super extroverted or incredibly introverted, how to stay grounded AND enthusiastic even when life is demanding a lot of you (especially when things are really good and borderline overwhelming, which are the times that can sometimes throw us off the most if you're anything like me).
We seriously could have talked for ages - you'll hear, her energy and genuine enthusiasm are infectious. Make sure you download this one everywhere you listen to podcasts, because you're gonna wanna go back and re-listen later. I know I will.