Have you ever felt defeated while trying to achieve your goals? Perhaps you've even determined that making a particular change just isn't in the books for you. Perhaps you've tried to get into an exercise routine, stop biting your nails, or reduce your alcohol intake, and you just haven't had any luck. Today, we've got good news for you! 

In this week's episode, Christine Higgins will be introducing you to the stages of behavior change. Understanding them can take out some of the shame that people feel when they fail to successfully make a change. It can also help us understand some of the steps we can take to increase the likelihood of success when we're trying to make a change.  

As we approach the end of the year, we hope you'll find this helpful if you're feeling eager to achieve the goals you've set for this year. If you're thinking ahead to the new year, this episode will be great for you too! 

Have you ever found yourself in a place where your dreams are too big for others to handle? In this week's podcast episode, you'll meet Laura Mickler, a mindset coach and yoga studio owner, who talks about what it's been like to have big dreams in a small town. You'll also get to hear about unexpected changes in her career journey, taking her from a corporate financial career to opening her own yoga studio. 

In this episode, you'll get to hear Laura talk about:

• embracing the mindset of "Why not?" 

• what it means to manifest your dreams

• the importance of visualizing and embodying your desired outcomes

• balancing passion and work 

• finding joy and setting boundaries

In this episode, I speak with Joseph Heggins, LPC, a therapist in Houston, Texas, about what it means to live a good life.

We discuss how the concept of a good life changes over time and varies for different individuals, emphasizing the importance of health, family, and the ability to curate one's own life. We also explore the role of mental health in pursuing a good life.

Joseph shares his decision to continue working in a nine-to-five job instead of solely focusing on his private practice, highlighting the value of routine, predictability, and the ability to educate and support individuals in the mental health system.

Join us as we discuss what the "good life" means for us, and how you can visualize what the "good life" may mean for YOU!

Have you ever found that perfectionism prevents you from getting started, or that you’re constantly striving and chasing after the next thing? 

Perhaps you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or burned out, not sure which “thing” is the thing you should be pursuing. Or maybe you care too much about what other people think. 

If any of that sounds familiar, you won’t want to miss this episode where I’ll be talking with Dr. Anne Welsh who is a distinguished psychologist & executive coach with a profound affinity for supporting women in leadership, and aiding working parents across diverse career landscapes. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Dr. Welsh talk about: 

• Common concerns that working people bring up in her coaching and therapy practices

• The Ambitious Identity Paradox and how it impacts our careers and homes

• Balancing high expectations with battling perfectionism

Let’s get started!

Have you ever told yourself that achieving your dreams would involve some grand feat? Perhaps you’ve made your dream out to be a gigantic mountain that requires conquering. If so, that doesn’t necessarily make us want to move forward with it, does it? 

If you’re the person who tends to tell yourself just how hard and complicated achieving your dreams is, then this episode is for you. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Personal reflections on how Melissa has fallen into this same trap

• The importance of catching yourself, so you can move forward with your dreams

You’ll also get a sneak peek of what’s to come in our next batch of episodes! Stay tuned! 

Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to witness people’s responses to the opportunities that come their way….specifically how they respond to the opportunities they said they wanted.

In this episode, I’ll be talking about:

• Using discernment to determine whether or not an opportunity is a good one for you

• Recognizing and celebrating the presence of opportunities all around you

• 4 categories of people I’ve seen respond to opportunities (get ready to meet Aspirational Annie, I Didn’t Think I’d Have to Do Anything Debbie, Move Heaven and Earth Maria, and I’m Not Worthy Wanda.)

You’ll also get to hear how I’m shifting my own approach to opportunities, and the types of opportunities I am currently open to receiving!

Who’s ready to talk opportunity??

When you’ve got big dreams, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the actions you need to take to get where you want to be. In this week’s episode, however, you’ll get to hear Stephanie Skryzowski, a visionary Chief Financial Officer, talk about the power of small, consistent actions to achieve your big goals.

In this episode, you’ll hear Stephanie talk about:

• How habits and small steps can help you make significant strides towards your bigger goals

• Books to get you thinking about your own habits

• Habits Stephanie is implementing in her own personal and professional work

• Small, consistent steps you can take to be on top of your financial numbers

If you’re ready to think about bite-sized steps you can take on a regular basis to crush those big dreams, this episode is for you!

Networking is about relationship building, and despite our best efforts, relationship building is not always what happens after attending networking events. In this episode, you’ll get to listen in on my conversation with Jeff Borschowa whose entire business has been built around building authentic professional relationships. He’s also big on Tech and has some big ideas on AI and ways that it can be used….you guessed it….authentically!

In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about:

• Reasons traditional networking doesn’t always work (despite our best efforts)

• Building authentic professional relationships

• Meetings Jeff is willing to get up at 2 AM for

• Ways that relationship building for business has been done on the golf course (for years!)

• Jeff’s thoughts on use of AI and authentic voice

If you’re looking for a new approach to professional relationship building, tune in to this episode.

On the outside, it looks like you’ve got it together! The people in your professional world see that you’re poised, controlled, and successful! Behind closed doors, however, things are a little more messy! Sound familiar? If so, know that Dr. Paris Love, today’s guest, is here to the rescue! She is known as the Drill Sergeant of Productivity, and today she’ll be talking with us about the trends she sees with professional women, the 3 kinds of clutter that show up in our lives, and ways that we can clean it up!

We’ve all heard people talk about social media as a place where people share their “highlight reels,” and the same can be true of business. As an entrepreneur, people get to see your new projects, but they don’t always get to see what’s going on behind the scenes. After a real-world conversation with Cody Robinson, Founder of HOMEFIT, about appreciation for spaces where we can be honest and transparent, I knew I needed to invite him on the podcast to talk about this very topic.

In today’s episode you’ll hear us talk about:

• The need for spaces where we can be honest and transparent

• The realities of what others see vs. the behind-the-scene realities in entrepreneurship

• Cody’s work in home fitness, reasons getting into a fitness routine can be so challenging, and why accountability matters

If you’ve ever fallen into the trap of glamourising someone else’s success without seeing what’s going on behind the scenes, this might be the episode for you!

Do you relate to the saying, “leadership is lonely?” If so, you’ll be able to appreciate today’s episode where we talk about:

• Loneliness in entrepreneurship

• Health risks associated with loneliness

• The impact that our social circles have on our success, failure, and health and well-being

• Ways that you find community or create the community you need

If you like research, I hope you’ll enjoy some of the stats shared in this episode. If you’re looking to experience supportive community right away, be sure to check out the retreat I’m hosting for entrepreneurs and leaders in Costa Rica this April!

Are you the person who is regularly encouraging others to take action on their dreams? If so, this episode is for you! In this episode, I am encouraging all of the cheerleaders and dream supporters to check in with themselves to see if they are actively pursuing their own dreams. There are many reasons why we may not have been able to pursue our childhood dreams, and there are many reasons why we may not be giving ourselves permission to pursue our present-day dreams.

In today’s episode, however, we’ll be talking about:

• What it looks like when we are supporting others’ dreams but not our own

• Ways that pursuing our own dreams can benefit ourselves and others

• Self-reflecting on your own dreams and ways that you can begin taking action now

You’ll also get to hear some behind the scenes stories about how I have challenged my own family members to pursue their own dreams too. If you are a parent, today’s episode is most definitely for you!!

Have you ever stopped yourself from pursuing an exciting opportunity because you thought that doing so would be selfish? Or, have you ever stopped yourself from pursuing your dream because you felt guilty for pursuing something that was for yourself, and doing so would take away time, energy, or resources from the other people in your life? If so, this episode is for you!

In this episode, you’ll hear Melissa talk about:

• Ways that guilt that can show up as we pursue our goals

• Ways that guilt can impact women in particular

• Ways that we can distinguish between true, valid forms of guilt vs. unnecessary guilt

I’ll be keeping it real with you and sharing from my own personal experiences and my own experiences working with others! We’ve got important decisions to make about how we live this life, so I hope you’ll find this episode valuable! Let’s travel light and leave unnecessary guilt behind!

When we think about pursuing our dreams, the conversation can often be very personal and focus on the things that we need to do as individuals to make our dreams a reality. In this episode, however, we’ll be talking about how we can leverage community and let other people support us when we need it the most.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of signaling

• How you can signal in your personal, professional, or entrepreneurial life to get the support you need

• To take risks for the sake of surviving and thriving

I love the concept of signaling, and I hope you’ll find it helpful too!

Have you ever found yourself talking about something you’d really like to do, only to find that you never actually take action on it? Whether we’re talking about wanting to achieve a new goal, pursue a big dream, or discontinue an unhealthy habit, we can probably all think about things that we want to do but haven’t taken action on!

In this week’s episode, you’ll hear 5 common traps that we can fall into that prevent us from moving forward with our dreams. Of course, you’ll also get to hear some real and relatable stories of how I’ve been there too! And, I’m excited to share about one of my big dreams, and how I’m living into it RIGHT NOW!! In this episode, I’ll be inviting you to join me too!

Ever have the impression that some people just pursue their big dreams with such ease? That’s one of the reasons I wanted to invite Jake Sasseville, a visionary and CEO at the Imiloa Institute on the show. At this very moment, Jake is taking the exciting new leap to expand the Imiloa Institute by opening up a 2nd campus which is no small feat! This episode is a reminder that dreams of all sizes can be both scary and exciting!

In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about:

• A mindset Jake has adopted that helps him move forward in his life and business

• How Jake handles hard days as a visionary and leader

• Perception vs. reality–what it looks like when you peel back the curtain

I’ve seen Jake’s work live in action which is why I was so eager to talk with him on the show!

If you’re curious about the Imiloa Institute, you can join me there on a retreat for entrepreneurs and leaders this April 14-19, 2024!

Some might say that Patrick Casale has created a dream job! Over the past few years, he’s become known for hosting off the beaten path retreats for therapist entrepreneurs that sell out within days! Patrick’s decision to host international retreats has allowed him to pursue his own passions while helping others’ travel dreams come true too! Even though Patrick’s retreats have been incredibly successful, he’s also completely up front about the challenges of doing this work as an AuDHD therapist and entrepreneur.

In this episode, you’ll get to hear:

• What inspired Patrick to start hosting retreats.

• How he came to embrace the motto “Doubt Yourself & Do It Anyway.”

• How Patrick strives to lead with authenticity

• The most transformational aspects of attending retreats.

If you’ve never attended a retreat before, we hope this episode will inspire you to give one a try.

Burnout has certainly been a hot topic over the past few years, and it’s a term that typically doesn’t have any positive associations with it. In this episode, however, you’ll hear Gabrielle Juliano-Villano, a licensed clinical social worker and entrepreneur share about her personal experiences with burnout while running her group therapy practice and how that experience led her to make impactful changes that led her to a whole new dream.

In this episode, you’ll hear Gabrielle talk about her personal experience with burnout as a group practice owner, how burnout led her to sell her group practice, how burnout led her to a new dream that allows for location independence and freedom to schedule her day according to her body’s own needs and preferences, and life after burnout and how she uses her experience with burnout to help other therapists and entrepreneurs too!

Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world with your family? Jessica Tappana is doing just that! As a mom of 2 school-aged children and owner of 2 businesses, she faced all of the same barriers that anyone else in her shoes would face, but what makes Jessica’s experience unique is that she and her family decided to troubleshoot and find a solution to each of those barriers rather than letting them stop the pursuit of their dreams.

Jessica loves traveling so much that she has also found ways for her team to have amazing travel experiences while getting work done! If you are interested in traveling with your family or team, this episode is for you!!

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• The inspiration for the Tappana family’s 6 month world cruise.

• Strategies Jessica and her family used to ensure that her partner and school-aged children could have this amazing experience on board a cruise ship for 6 months.

• Ways Jessica approached 6 months of travel with her team (and her team’s response!)

• Cruising with your team and navigating those logistics

To pursue big dreams, we have to be aware of our mindset and how it plays a role in the outcomes we experience. In today’s episode, you’ll get to hear from elite Executive Coach, Keren Eldad, who is known for her mindset work with clients. In this lively episode, you’ll be inspired to take your dreaming one step further, so you can pursue your personal, professional, or business aspirations!