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!

When we’re living fully into our purpose and passions, it can feel absolutely incredible! There are times in life, however, when we feel like something is blocking our ability to perform to our fullest potential. In today’s podcast episode with Brainspotting Coach and Consultant, Thad Frye, you’ll get to hear about an approach that can help people access creativity and expansion OR help them work through the blocks that are hindering them personally or professionally. Thad Frye is known for his performance-based coaching with athletes and performers, so you’re in for a treat!

During our conversation, you’ll learn:

• About Brainspotting & performance brainspotting

• Ways that you can use performance brainspotting in your personal or professional life

• Common reasons we experience blocks that interfere with our ability to perform at our fullest potential

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!!

When it comes to pursuing our dreams, it can be helpful for us to understand the impact that other people’s beliefs about us can have on our success and outcomes. In the same way, we also need to look at how our beliefs about others and their ability to be successful matters too!

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• The power of belief based on research

• The importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you

• The impact that your beliefs can have on others.

As a result of listening, I hope you’ll carefully consider the people you let in your circle, and I hope that you’ll make an effort to communicate your belief in the people around 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!

Money can be a taboo topic, and yet it’s something that’s necessary for us to look at in our personal and entrepreneurial lives. Today’s guest, Julie Herres, is the Founder of GreenOak Accounting, author of Profit First for Therapists, and host of the Therapy for your Money podcast. In the process of looking at entrepreneur’s money and helping them make financial decisions, Julie gets to witness entrepreneurs’ “money stuff” that comes up along the way.

In this episode, you’ll get to hear Julie talk about:

• How money baggage can get in the way of your dreams

• How tackling money baggage can support your dreams

• Ways entrepreneurs can ground their dreams in a financial reality

• Money and expansion

• Investment & guilt!

And, don’t worry! Julie talks about her own lived experiences around entrepreneurship and money 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!

If there’s one common struggle I regularly see as a therapist, it’s the challenge of accepting ourselves, believing that who we are is good, and allowing ourselves to be our most authentic selves in the world. Joining me on today’s episode is speaker, author, sex therapist, and entrepreneur, Rae McDaniel (they/them), whose book, Gender Magic, is a practical guide to achieving gender freedom with joy, curiosity, and pleasure for transgender and non-binary individuals, gender explorers, and those who love them.

In this episode, you’ll hear Rae:

• Define the concept of gender freedom

• Talk about why it’s an audacious act to live into our most authentic selves

• Discuss the inner work that we can do to achieve gender freedom

• Identify ways that we can create a greater sense of welcome and acceptance in our physical spaces and in our own behaviors

When you have a powerful “why” driving your dream, not only does it provide much needed motivation, but it can cause you to take a good look at your numbers. Nicole Barham, CEO of Design Your Wealth and creator of The 5 Minute Bookkeeper not only has a clear “why” behind her business, but she is mindful of her money mindset and encourages other entrepreneurs to stop being afraid of looking at their numbers.

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

• Reasons entrepreneurs are afraid of looking at their numbers

• The repercussions of ignoring your finances or bookkeeping

• Common money messages and how we can change them

• How we can start taking charge of our finances

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!

We’re likely all guilty of putting our dreams off for “one day.” We say things like,

“One day I’ll…”

“When I have more time I’ll…..:

“When I have more money I’ll….”

“When the kids are older I’ll…”

When we do this, we delay pleasure, and we put off meaningful experiences with the very basic assumption that we will have that “one day.”

In this episode, you’ll be encouraged to:

• Recognize the lines you use for delaying the pursuit of your dreams

• Recognize that putting off your dreams for “one day” is risky business

• Consider ways that you can begin taking action on your dreams now!

You’ll also hear a very personal story that made this lesson hit home for me this past year!

Not everyone will understand your dreams, and not everyone will believe in you or your ability to achieve your dream. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dream it or pursue it!

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

• Reasons people sometimes have difficulty dreaming

• Factors that cause people to experience doubt in themselves and in others’ ability to achieve

• Strategies you can use to ground yourself and overcoming your own self-doubt

• Steps you can take to surround yourself with other big dreamers

• And, my favorite personal experience in dealing with a doubter

Use others’ doubt to drive your dream!

The reality is that not everybody is a big dreamer! You can feel the difference when you’re talking with someone who isn’t a big dreamer and when you’re talking with someone who gets the excitement and optimism of dreaming big! You can feel it!!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The inspiration behind this podcast

• 2 personal stories that highlight the big difference it makes when someone speaks the language of big dreams!

• The need for a community of big dreamers around you!

And…I share a free resource to help you tap into your biggest dream!

Welcome to the very first episode of Dreaming & Doing, a podcast designed to inspire and empower individuals to take action on their biggest dreams. I'm your host, Melissa Wesner—a therapist, entrepreneur, and fellow dreamer who is passionate about helping others unlock their potential.

In this episode, I delve into the essence of Dreaming & Doing, offering insights into what inspired this podcast, what listeners can anticipate, and a bit about myself. This episode is a call to all the big dreamers and doers out there, and it’s your personal invitation to join us on the journey of Dreaming and Doing!

Let’s get started!