From Trauma to Triumph

I wanted to share a big announcement with you about what I'll be up to for the summer and moving forward.

There are times in life that you need to listen to your heart and shift focus to what is really calling you. That is what I'm doing and I hope you will be inspired to also do that for yourself.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, my amazing listeners, for allowing me into your homes, cars, walks, exercise time or wherever you love to listen to podcasts. It has been an honour and pleasure to bring you information, fabulous guests, resources and teachings from my own learning.

The time has come though for me to hit pause on this podcast and I will be taking an indefinite hiatus. But this podcast will be here for you to listen to all the past episodes for as long as you like.

I wish you a beautiful summer and hope you embrace whatever peace, joy and love that comes your way.

Farewell for now!!

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about Lia's services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

My special guest today Sarah Hart knows all too well the effects of trauma and has taken what she has learned and applied to her own healing to now help others on their healing journey.

Sarah is passionate about learning as well as spreading knowledge that helps people find growth out of their dark places in order for them to find empowerment in their own healing process. She blends the world of yoga with the science of the nervous system and bases her work off of Dr. Stephen Porges Polyvagal Theory focusing on a root cause approach to healing. She assists people in evolving out of their pain by utilizing yogic teachings and breathwork techniques aimed at nervous system regulation. Sarah does this through educating people about the importance of their nervous system, the role it plays in their experience of life as well as its relationship to the disruption, distress and suffering that stems from trauma.

Sarah is a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher & Life Coach and started her business Evolve to teach people how to set themselves free from emotional pain and suffering. She strongly believes that true healing is possible for everyone no matter what you have been through in life. With knowledge, determination and the right tools, we can all transmute our greatest pain into our greatest strength.

Join us for this really informative episode where you will learn:

• What happens to your nervous system when you’re in a triggered state.
• How your nervous system literally controls your experience of life and what to do to calm it when triggered.
• The connection between the mind and the body when experiencing nervous system disregulation.
• The deep effects of doing breathwork.
• How to get out of the mind and into the body for lasting healing.

You can learn more about Sarah and her work at: https://evolvewithsarah.ca or on social media - Instagram: @evolve_withsarah; YouTube: @evolvewithsarah.

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about Lia's services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

After last week's episode about the loop of disappointment and discouragement that can keep us stuck and feeling depressed and dis-regulated, I also realized that sometimes we can just feel like we've lost our Mojo - refering to your energy, motivation, and confidence. If you feel like you've lost your mojo, I will share some tips that might help you get it back. I will also will delve into:

• Getting back to focusing on Dreams and Desires.
• Some of the blocks stopping us from achieving our goals.
• How we can increase the chances of accomplishing our dreams.
• How determination and discipline can help increase motivation and confidence in several ways.
• How we can get disciplined to achieve our goals.

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

I identified a series of feelings that all start with the letter 'D' that can keep us in a really dangerous loop of hopelessness. This came out of my own recent experience with this and also from hearing similar situations from clients and others in my life. Tune in to see if you have also had this experience. In this episode you will learn:

• The 4 elements of this dark cycle - all beginning with 'D'.
• Unchecked where this cycle can lead and it's not a very nice place.
• How I got unstuck and helped me escape the loop.

If you identified with this and would like to share your experience, please reach out to me.

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

The question I'm answering today is: Why Can't I let go of the anger and hurt from things that happened in the past?

I get variations of this question as well asking how to let go of resentment, fear, guilt, shame and other difficult feelings. The common aspect to all of these is that they always refer to something that already happened and that cannot be changed. So what can change? In my answer you will hear:

• The top reasons that we hold onto to these feelings.
• The best strategy I've ever heard to let go of what you cannot control.
• The #1 thing you have to embrace to truly move on from past hurts.

If this episode resonated with you or inspired to shift your thinking, I would love to hear from you. Or any feedback you have is always welcomed.

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

We have just passed the 3 year annivarsary of the Pandemic landing in our world here in Canada. I have been reflecting on what has changed, what got better and the greastest lessons learned along the way. I will relate some of the specific events and situations that strengthened some of my values and inner traits and what I realized what had been working for me all along in times of adversity and difficulty.

You will hear about:

• What I learned the most fron the challenging times.
• The skills and traits that shifted my experiences.
• What helped me to see the adversity as a positive shift.

What were your biggest lessons from the pandemic?

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

"You're either a victim or creator in any moment, thought or feeling!" This quote inspired me to explore how we communicate to ourselves through our thoughts can either keep us stuck in victim mode or keep us moving forward and living our lives by choice.

In this episode you will learn:

• How changing our thoughts can put the power back where it belongs.
• The link between what we think and how our bodies respond.
• How to create a life by choice.

Let me know what you thought about today's episode and any impact it had on you.

Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

Total I'm answering a common question I hear often and even ask myself from time to time.

The question is: I know what I'm supposed to do but I just keep defaulting to old behaviours that don't work for me - Why is that?

In answering this question I will give you insight into:

• The #1 reason we have a tendancy to default to old behaviours
• Identify what we're getting out of doing old behaviours
• What we need to set up to be able to stick to new or better behaviours

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

There were so many things that went on for me last week that I thought I would share my insights, reflections and learning with you.

From a fantastic event where I was a keynote speaker to my grandson being in hospital, and a few things in between I will share:

• What tools I had to draw on to stay in a good place throughout it all.
• Some big reminders of what is within and what is not in our control.
• A few of my favourite things to do to complete the stress response and get back to homeostasis.

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

The question I'm answering this week is: "How do you handle it when you think you have everything planned and then something happens to mess it all up?

Of course, most people have had this experience and it can feel like it always seems to happen at the worst time and can throw you off your game, big time.

I will use the example from my own life this week to illustrate some things that can help you manage as optimally as possible.

You will learn:

• What has to shift with your thoughts so you don't spiral into a negative hole.
• What NOT  to stop doing and keep going despite your feelings to the contrary.
• The values that will serve you best during challenging times.

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

I am on a renewed mission of living life in a more minimalistic way and to embrace essentialism. If this is something you have thought of or maybe haven't but want to learn more about it, this episode will give you a start to what this lifestyle is all about and why it may be something that many of us can truly benefit from.

In this episode you will learn:

• What the true definition of essentialism is.
• New concepts that can have you living a more joyful and peaceful life.
• Tips to get started that can easily be incorporated in your day to day activities.
• What the 3 assumptions we have to conquer are to live the way of an Essentialist.
• The 3 core truths that have to replace those assumptions.

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

In the new year, people get re-focused on changing habits - letting go of old habits that are no longer working for them and creating new habits that will improve their lives and how they feel.

Yet, by this time of the year many people have already let the new habits go by the wayside - if they even lasted this long. And slowly or sometimes quickly the old "bad" habits are taking their place back in their lives.

I so understand this and have many times fallen into this same pattern. This year though I am staying on course (for the most part, because no one is perfect) with the new improved habits. Well at least most of them.

In today's episode I will share my favourite resource on habit change, which I have spoken about in the past. I will go through just a few of the strategies from this amazing book and  specifically you learn:

• The 4 step process that happens for every single human for every single habit we have.
• The 4 laws of behaviour change.
• How to create habit stacking.
• The 2 minute rule to stop procrastination.
• How I am applying this process in my own habit changes.

That is a lot of information packed into this 30 minute episode. I hope it will help you to get on the permanent path of changing your habits to the ones that will work FOR you and not against you.

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

If you are living in some of the more northern parts of the world you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. There are varying levels of this condition and many people are suffering from some degree of it. 

In today's episode we will explore SAD and how it impacts people. You will learn:

• What the signs and symptoms are and it affects people.
• Causes and risk factors.
• Treatments and helpful actions to take.
• What has worked for me and many others.

There is relief for those suffering and you will get many strategies and tips listening to this episode.

Please reach out - I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, question or review directly on the platform you listen on or you can find me on social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca.

Today I am answering a question I get quite a bit and that is: "How do I stay true to what I want when so many people around me are telling me their way to do things or what they want me to do?"

Learn what to do to stick to what you want and how to gently tell others what that is, despite their objections or their own opinions.

If you have a question you would like answered, I would love to hear from you. On social media: Facebook - @lifelessonsunlimited; Instagram- @butterflylessons or LinkedIn - @LiaBandola. You can email me directly at info@lifelessons.ca.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca. I would love to have a chat with you.

A brand new year!! I always love the fresh opportunity to look at life with fresh eyes and decide what you want to change, keep, enhance or throw out - both literally and figuratively.

This episode I am sharing my reflections, plans and strategies to really live life on my terms and for getting really intentional about what I want to experience moving forward.

You will learn:

• The reframe of the word "goals" that will have you ensuring you achieve success.
• The mindset that needs to be in place to make your desired outcomes happen.
• Resources to help you on your way.

To learn more about my services and to get your free resource, visit https://lifelessons.ca. I would love to have a chat with you.

The year is almost over and a new one is about to begin. It can be an exciting time to think about the possibilities of what the future year holds for us. Now is a great time to do a year review and reflect on what went well, what goals you accomplished and which you didn't.

Think about what you want to let go of and leave behind and what you want to bring into the new year and continue, as well as what you want to add to your life or start new.

Key take-aways from this episode:

• Learn what you need to do to determine what you will let go of, continue, start over or start brand new.
• Why new year resolutions don't work and what you need to do instead.
• How to create an action plan and strategy to achieve your goals.
• The step by step process to ensure success.

Let's finish this year strong and plan ahead for a brilliant start to a brand new year.

Please connect with me through my website: https://lifelessons.ca or on social media: @lifelessonsunlimited, @liabandola, @butterflylessons. And while you're there please leave me a review or leave one on whatever platform you enjoy listening on. I would so appreciate that!

Today's question is: "How do I know when it's time to call it quits?"  This is a question I get quite a bit. People struggle to make the big decision to quit something they know they really need to get out of. Sometimes they have known for a very long time!

My answer to this question may help you to make a decision about quitting a relationship, job, friendship, living arrangement and any number of other things you may be needing to leave.

Key points in today's episode:

• Knowing when quitting is the best decision.
• Feelings are the guiding barometer.
• What the #1 thing is that needs to be in place to make a firm decision.
• What you need to change to make a different choice.

I would love to hear what your questions are! Reach out to me by email to: info@lifelessons.ca or on social media: @lifelessonsunlimited; @butterflylessons or @liabandola. Please visit my website to learn more about everthing I am doing: https://lifelessons.ca.

My guest is someone I really wish I had access to back when my kids were young!! Denise Marek is someone I have known for a long time, though we recently re-connected over her new book, which I am buying for every mom in my life. When you hear this episode, you'll know why.  We are delving into parenting but not in the typical way many people talk about it. We will be deliving into some of the amazing aspects of her book and talking about some of the things parents, especially moms can do to manage their worry and anxiety.

Parenting can be stressfull!! The good news is that you can stress less by learning to worry wisely.  That is exactly what Denise teaches and some of the strategies she will share with us in todays episode.

Key take-aways:

• discover a proven four-step process to move you from worry-filled to worry-free
• through this process you will feel happier, more present and less stressed.
• learn the mindshift experienced through the "possibility vs. probability" exercise
• the important questions to ask yourself when you are experiencing anxiety and worry.

About Denise:

Denise Marek is internationally known as the Worry Management Expert and the creator of the CALM methodology for worry-free living. As a sought-after lecturer, consultant, and writer, Denise equips individuals around the globe with strategies to reduce stress, worry less, and bounce back from adversity.

Denise is the author of CALM for Moms: Worry Less in Four Simple Steps(Familius, November 2022) and CALM: A Proven Four-Step Process Designed Specifically for Women Who Worry (Hay House, 2006). She also teaches CALM Online, an online training program that provides strategies to let go of worry, reduce stress, and create a happier life.

She lives in Ontario, Canada. Denise is the mother of Lindsay and Brianna and the grandmother of Adrian, Azia, and Forest.

Connect with Denise and learn more about the book at: https://calmformomsbook.com

On Social Media: Facebook: @denisemarek and Instagram @thedenisemarek

This week I'm bringing you a new feature - a Question and Answer episode. I will periodically be answering questions I get that I know many of you want answers to. 

This episode I'm answering a timely question: How do I handle the holiday get-togethers when there is conflict in my family?

My answer includes:

• strategies you can plan ahead of time
• suggestions for handling difficult people
• things to focus on to have a smoother experience
• gaining clarity on what you want and how to implement it

If you have any questions you would like answered on future episodes, please send them to me either on social media via Direct Message: Facebook: @Lifelessonsunlimited or  Instagram: @butterflylessons or shoot me off an email at lia@lifelessons.ca.  You an also go to my website: https://lifelessons.ca and leave a comment there. I want to know what your burning questions are!!

This week I changed it up a bit and got a little more personal with you. I read an amazing article, thanks to my friend Michelle Scrimgeour-Brown who posted it on social media. It hit me in such a powerful way, I just had to share it with you and then dissected it a bit - as much for my own benefit as for all of yours.

The author is: Aziza Azura and you can access the article here: https://medium.com/@azizabrown.

She opens with: "The empath without boundaries "holds space" for the chaotic expression of somebody else's fear, shame and negativity, unknowingly absorbing it like rain into her skin, receiving the garment of somebody else's darkness. She thinks she is being understanding and compassionate, and forgets herself in the shadow of somebody else's pain."

I mean - Wow!! And the rest is equally impactful and soooooooo beautifully written. Reads like poetry but has so many mind-blowing insights.

Tune in to hear my reflections and some deep-diving of some of the sections. I also will talk about Co-dependency and Attachment Styles which really form the basis of so many unhealthy relationships and is touched on in Aziza's article in her incredibly eloquent way.

In this episode I continued my conversation with Robin Fricke about her incredible journey as a stroke survivor. If you have not listened to Part 1 in last week's episode, please do that so you can hear her story leading up to today's discussion. We really delve into Robin's insights as to why this happened to her and the early signs she missed. Robin also gets really real about how her life has changed and she truly believes that she has gained so much from her experience and journey which has altered her life in so many wonderful ways.

Robin Fricke comes from a military family that allowed her to travel and experience other cultures and different parts of the world. She lived in the beautiful mountains of Alaska where she admired the native spiritual healing modalities.

She was a very ill young woman and was not able to get the answers she needed to heal. When she began her personal healing journey, she knew something miraculous had just taken place. She had deepened her exploration of the world's holistic healing tradition and started to understand the healing power we hold within ourselves. She made a promise that once she found the secret to this mysterious illness, she would share it with the world.

Robin is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practioner. CEO and founder of Root Cause an online women's holistic health practice and a 12-month personal growth and transformation program: The Goddess Circle.

You can learn more about Robin at: https://RobinFricke.com or on Social Media: @RobinFricke

You can purchase Robin's book, an international best-seller: "My Mess is My Message" on Amazon.

Well all I can say is WOW after having this week's guest come on the show. My guest Robin Fricke has the most incredible story of trauma, illness and shock and then the resilience, healing and growth she received - well that part you will have to tune in next week to hear.

Yes there was so much to share that we had to make it a 2 parter. This week in part 1 Robin will talk about some earlier life events and illnesses that she now believes may have contributed to the BIG life altering event that happened just this past spring. And the many signs that she did not take heed to well before the big medical event.

Robin Fricke comes from a military family that allowed her to travel and experience other cultures and different parts of the world. She lived in the beautiful mountains of Alaska where she admired the native spiritual healing modalities.

She was a very ill young woman and was not able to get the answers she needed to heal. When she began her personal healing journey, she knew something miraculous had just taken place. She had deepened her exploration of the world's holistic healing tradition and started to understand the healing power we hold within ourselves. She made a promise that once she found the secret to this mysterious illness, she would share it with the world.

Robin is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practioner. CEO and founder of Root Cause an online women's holistic health practice and a 12-month personal growth and transformation program: The Goddess Circle.

You can learn more about Robin at: https://RobinFricke.com or on Social Media: @RobinFricke

My guest, Shaelene McInnis and I had a very important conversation about the importance of women in particular needing to have more financial equality in their relationships and why it is especially important that women become more financially literate, particularly when things end.

The unfortunate reality for so many women coming out of a dissolution of a relationship, especially marriages, is that they are not receiving an equitable share of the finances in the relationship. Many women are coming out of abusive relationships where financial abuse was a big part of it, and sometimes are not even aware of the extent of it until they are out of the relationship.

As the CEO of Books in Line, an accounting company serving Durham Region, Toronto and Northumberland, Shaelene McInnis is an advocate for financial education for all boys and girls, men and women.

With COVID the disparity in financial literacy and equality between men and women became increasingly apparent. Financial equality is a key factor in achieving women's equality and many women are not aware of how to create and maintain financial independence. With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, it is essential for women to ensure they are financially protected, for themselves and their children.

Shaelene will speak about key steps to ensuring you are empowered financially. She offers sage advice that we all can use!!

Purchase her book: Divorce Self-Defence for Women - A Practical Guide to Assist Women Pre, During and Post Divorce on Amazon.

Reach out to Shaelene on Social Media: @booksinline or her Page on Facebook: Divorce Self Defence for Women

For more information visit: https://booksinline.ca or contact her at: info@booksinline.ca or info@divorceselfdefence.ca

Call: 905-571-2665

Why does it feel sometimes that there is so much negativity all around us? Today I am discussiong something I touched on last week that is one of the things that prevents us from naturally going to gratitude or noticing all the good things in our lives. 

It is Negativity Bias, an interesting and complicated thing that most if not all humans experience at least some of the time and in many cases, it is the prevalent state. And there is a very good reason for it, that goes back to the early human times.

Tune in to find out why we fall into this pattern and what we can do to shift out of it so we can change the pattern and experience to one of more positivity. Which can lead to more joy and calm. And who doesn't want more of that?

There is a lot of information out there about the benefits of being grateful and expressing our gratitude and I don’t think anyone would dispute any of it.

However, I do know that sometimes it can be very challenging to feel grateful and coming up with anything to have gratitude for. I want to look at the science behind the benefits of gratitude and why sometimes it can be such a hard thing to practice.

Sometimes when we are facing difficult times, have had trauma or have anxiety and depression it can be a real reach finding things to be grateful for. We start off saying we need to count our blessings, feel grateful for all the good things in our lives, but quickly our “stuff” gets triggered and we start to go down a very different path. We tend to remember all the things that are not going well, that we failed at, that we don’t have and basically what's wrong with our lives. 

In today's episode we will look at some of the things that can sometimes make is hard to be grateful. Things like negativity bias, ancestral needs to stay vigilant about potential danger, mental health blocks and the science behind the benefits of practicing gratitude. Then we will look at how to get started with a gratitude practice even when it's difficult or feels impossible.

How often do we hear of very successful people having difficult, humble and even traumatic pasts? People like Oprah, Tyler Perry, Ashley Judd and Mark Wahlberg just to name a few. Quite often the success stories we see today had very trying and tragic beginnings. 

My guest today, Kayann Saunders, is someone who can identify with this and even though she is not a celebrity or well-known in the world (yet!) she is someone who not only chose to take a different path from where she had grown up in, but created a wonderful life and business so opposite from what she experienced as a child and teen.  Kayann is a perfect example of not allowing your childhood experiences to inevitably create more of the same but in fact using it as the motivator to create a completely different life.

Kayann is a wife, Mother, business owner, Mortgage Agent and Personal Assistant in Toronto, Ontario.  Kayann owns and operates her very own Mortgage Business and Personal Concierge Company and combines her passions to help people find solutions to life’s challenging situations. Having been in the financial sector for over a decade, it was a "no brainer" for her to start a business that follows that stream. Kayann is constantly exploring various disciplines to broaden her own passions and pursuits and integrating finances and personal services. Her current areas of interest and exploration are her family, serving her community, everything to do with real estate and wealth building.

You can learn more about Kayann and her business at:  https://vincanpersonalconcierge.ca and on all social media: @vincanpersonalconcierge.

Often we get stuck in situations, jobs, relationships or circumstances that we don't really want to be in but don't feel like we can get out of it or change it. 

Why does that happen? Well there can be many factors but what I have discovered is that typically what is at the basis is fear that is influenced by shame and guilt. 

On today's episode I am talking more about why this happens and am referencing the work of Brene Brown, particularly in her newest book Atlas of the Heart where she really identifies why shame is so influential in what we do or don't do. We will also take a look at Guilt and a couple of other emotions that are closely related.

I will also share some of my recent insights and how I shifted out of doing things that were not really what I want right now and how I have let go of those things.

Today's episode will be the last summer re-run and then we are back with new and fresh episodes September 7th!! New school year and we are bringing you lots of new education and inspiration on the podcast.

This episode was a very special one, not only because Jenn Laforet was my first guest on the podcast, but mainly because Jenn gave us some pretty great insight into when divorce can actually really work well for the whole family. There are many very difficult traumas that we may experience in life and one that I hear about a lot in my work are relationship traumas, particularly divorce and separation.

Jenn Laforet is a writer, author, Founder of Write Current and host of the Bloom Notes in Bloom podcast and this September Jenn is returning to one of her professional passions - teaching. 

Jenn helps women get out of their heads and into their hearts with words that matter so that they can reconnect, reclaim, root and celebrate their sense of self as they navigate seasons of change.

She writes and publishes soothing and supportive life enhancement guided reflection journals, notebooks, digital art prints and Journal to Reconnect audio programs that help women 25-65+.

Her popular Bloom Notes: Celebrating Moments of Joy, Laughter, Strength, Resilience, Care and Compassion life enhancement guided reflection journal is read by women worldwide. Learn more about Jenn at: https://www.writecurrent.com; her books and journals are available on Amazon worldwide. Connect with Jenn on Instagram @jennlaforet.

In this episode we will be discussing the difficulties of going through the divorce process, insights Jenn learned along the way and some of the great strategies Jenn found helped her to come to a place of triumph, especially in the amazing co-parenting she now practices with her children's Dad. This  is a heart-felt conversation that is not to be missed.

I so enjoyed my conversation with Alana McClure earlier this year and the many, many insights she gave us to help us, I just had to make it one of our re-run episodes. Sometimes we end up having experiences and events in our lives we could never have imagined. And sometimes those things lead us to discover who we really are at our core. My guest Alana McClure knows this trajectory all too well. She had a series of opportunities and then some difficult experiences that had her having to pivot and redefine who she was until she finally was able to live life as her authentic self. And she now coaches and teaches others to do that as well and to create the future they truly want.

Alana is a divorced mother of 3,  former -air traffic controller turned serial entrepreneur. She has walked the path of, self-sabotage, divorce, abuse, imposter syndrome, success, motherhood, self-loathing, self-love and connected spirituality all to earn the wisdom to coach high performing, driven, intelligent women through transition. Using her “Ph.D. from the School of Hard Knocks” plus a unique blend of psychology, universal wisdom, and empowerment coaching, she shows you how to embody a deep sense of personal authority, peace, and joy and help you redefine your future.

Please reach out to Alana at: https://alanamcclure.com and on social media: https://www.facebook.com/alana.mcclure; Instagram: @alanalm; Linked In: @AlanaMcClure

This week's summer re-run episode is the one with my guest Ashley Treavajo where she bravely came on to talk about something so many women experience and sadly don't talk about enough. I hope you enjoy this very important conversation we had and hopefully it may help some women to not feel so alone in their experiences.

Ashley's story is one that may resonate with a lot of women - it certainly brought me back to my experience with post partum issues 38 years ago when I had my firstborn and felt so many of things we will be discussing.

Ashley is a busy mompreneur of two small kids and a mortgage agent. Almost a year into her journey as a first time mother, Ashley felt as though she had an undiagnosed Post Partum Depression and Anxiety. Months into 2020 after her daughter was born, she took the leap into seeking help. Two high risk pregnancies later, coupled with fear, a few months of being on Zoloft, and the battles of parenting in a pandemic, Ashley has come to see the power of discussing the challenges and struggles moms face everywhere.

"A better me, physically and mentally, means the whole house is better" is Ashley's take away from her experiences.

Connect with Ashley on Social Media: @Ashleyt.mortgages

This week's repeat is an episode I did with  Rhonda Armour, who spoke about things we can be doing with our health and lifestyle so we can be at our very best. I think summer is a great time to start to implement some healthier practices if you haven't already, though any time is a great time to start.

I know the importance of things like nutrition, exercise, stress management and other lifestyle components, not just because I know how much mental health is affected by these things, but I also know what an integral part this all is of living a life of joy and peace. Rhonda will share her own mental health journey and will be sharing some of the things she has found to help herself and now in her work, helping others. I really love Rhonda's approach of being kind and gentle with yourself while making significant changes for your life.

As a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, as well as a Personal Trainer, Rhonda understands the demands on time for today’s woman feeling torn between career and home life. Nutrition and exercise often fall last on a long list of priorities. She once lived this life and understands it’s not easy putting yourself back on the priority list, especially if you have struggled with programs and diets that have left you feeling frustrated and confused. Rhonda wants her clients feeling empowered and back in the driver’s seat!

She develops a partnership with her clients and, together, they develop habits and strategies to implement those habits, that are meaningful and easily fit into their unique lifestyle. There is no one-size fits all approach. The approach is custom and it’s all about her clients needs. Rhonda wants to end that roller coaster and the shout of internal voices that question your willpower, capability, and commitment from programs that simply haven’t supported your life.

Rhonda's full life coaching style allows clients to partner with her in a holistic approach that satisfies external pressures and personal goals. She enjoys working with the motivated, but stressed-out woman who is ready to live their best life and understands that it’s not a straight line to success. Rhonda's greatest desire is to empower women and restore that flame of confidence, competence, and control!

You can learn more about Rhonda at her website: https://rhondaarmourcoaching.com or on Social Media: @rhondaarmourcoaching. Make sure to take advantage of Rhonda's Complimentary Consultation.

On this week's repeat episode I spoke with Lisa Carberry, owner of Your Empowered Solutions. Lisa and I had a very interesting conversation about how we can use all of our experiences to not only accept the lessons that they bring if we pay attention. but also to have them be the guide for us to embrace and create changes that can transform our loves.

Lisa is an inclusion and diversity expert…with a difference. Lisa’s approach focuses on developing a sense of community and belonging through first embarking on an inward voyage of discovery to become one with self. This paves the way to become one with others, leading to the ability to be inclusive of the diverse range of human presentations and develop real relationships and communities where all feel they truly belong.
Lisa’s goal is to support individuals to develop the awareness, choice and personal power to effect meaningful change in their lives. She uses theoretical, practical, and intuitive knowledge to facilitate transformative experiences for individuals seeking personal and professional excellence.

In her book “Transform Your Life, Transform Your Teaching: Book One: Soul Speak’ Lisa takes the individual on a personal, authentic, intimate, and revealing journey into the depths of the minds creations, to expose the truth of who and what we are as well as the infinite power that lies within to envision, create, and manifest our best life and all that is possible when we are real with ourselves and others.

For Lisa, her work is an exciting adventure through which she enjoys guiding people on their journey towards a deeper sense of self and witnessing the creative power this releases.

Learn more about Lisa and her services at: http://www.yourempoweredsolutions.com or on Social Media: Instagram: @theyescoach; @rainowtransitions; On Facebook visit Lisa's group: @YourEmpoweredSolutions. Or email Lisa directly at: yourempoweredsolutionscoach@gmail.com

This week's re-run episode was one that touched so many people. Tracy Turberfield introduces us to her "Lighthouse" theory of seeking and being a lighthouse from and for others. It was such a powerful conversation we had. Enjoy it again or maybe for the first time.

We all have an inner child that many of us may not be aware of but often this part of us is at the base of many of our ongoing struggles and behaviours. Connecting with this part of yourself can help in our healing journey and relieve us of unresolved trauma from our past.
Tracy Turberfield, my guest for this episode, will share some of her childhood traumas that led her to seek and gain healing of her inner child and now she helps others with her brand new business Honouring Your Human Experience.

Tracy strives to live life in the energy of JOY. In addition to being a proud mom to her 11 year old spunky daughter Brooklynn which brings her great joy, supporting people and being their biggest cheerleaders is her passion! Through Spiritual Mentoring, Energy Healing and Meditation Coaching her mission is to be a lighthouse for people and guide them in honouring their human experience and embrace the knowledge that the light we all seek is within us.

Tracy is the Director of the Durham Region Chapter for H.U.B Inc - Heighten Your Business- where she prides herself in being the leader of this Heart Centred Women’s Entrepreneurial Community and supporting business owners both professionally and personally.

Tracy is also a Luxury Travel Specialist for 20 years and Founder of LIVE Virtual Vacation Experiences.

Connect with Tracy on Facebook and Linked In @TracyTurberfield and visit her brand new page on Facebook @HonouringYourHumanExperience for more great insights.

This week we are bringing you another popular episode we had earlier in the year with the amazing Claudine Pereira.

Claudine is an experienced professional, business coach and consultant who assists people with fundamental behavioural change. Her consistent and captivating approach stretches her clients to move beyond a limiting sense of self and achieve their desired personal and professional goals. An inspirational speaker, emcee and international bestselling author Claudine is passionate about her work! With over 20 years of coaching experience and through engaging one-on-one sessions, Claudine’s boundless energy, fire and compassion catapult people's learning experiences into active self-improvement.

In this episode Claudine and I will discuss how she has experienced and survived her traumas, beginning with a childhood trauma right through to a current trauma she is still navigating. Claudine gives us great insight on how our original traumas, typically in childhood or teens will influence many of our choices through our lives and may affect how we manage subsequent traumas. Claudine also shares some her great coping and self-care skills and how she now helps people as The Pink Coach with what she has learned. I know this courageous conversation will help so many! If you would like to connect with Claudine, please reach out to her on Social Media: @thepinkcoach and through her website: https://www.thepinkcoach.com.

e are in full swing with summer! And here at the podcast we are taking some time to do all the fun summer things as well as taking the opportunity to do some really cool planning for the fall. So we are going to be having Summer Reruns!  Each week for the months of July and August we are going to re-air some of the most popular episodes for you to enjoy again or maybe for the first time. Of course you can go back and listen to all of the episodes any time and get caught up.

This was such an impactful talk with Kathie Andriano Murgel that I really felt it was worth repeating. Kathie shared some of her very personal trauma journey with domestic abuse. And her courage and strength to not only overcome and triumph through a very violent and abusive situation, and then to use her learning and experience to help other women is remarkable. I know that Kathie's sharing of her experiences will resonate with so many.

Kathie's company is Enlighten You, Empowerment Coaching and she is also a Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner and Reiki Master.  Kathie’s dream is to help women awaken the voice within so they can speak and live their empowered truth and that she is truly achieving.

Kathie comes from a background rooted in old world Italian traditions. She lives in Toronto, Ontario. She became deeply affected by the restrictions imposed on her free-spirited mother and eventually on herself. She understood early on that her reality as a girl would be different from that of her brothers. She believed that she would never have the gift of choice and her dreams would be replaced with obligation and duty. Kathie’s marriage was arranged, and with two children she endured 13 years of abuse until she made a decision that this would not be her life story. It was through this adversity that she was able to become the woman she is today.

This is where her love for helping women began. Kathie loves sharing her story authentically, believing that it can inspire other women to find their voice. Her joy comes from helping women transform their life through a cathartic process of self-discovery that will help create a life lived in truth, light, and liberation.

Reach out to Kathie by email: enlightenyou888@gmail.com

Sometimes we end up having experiences and events in our lives we could never have imagined. And sometimes those things lead us to discover who we really are at our core. My guest this week is Alana McClure and she knows this trajectory all too well. She had a series of opportunities and then some difficult experiences that had her having to pivot and redefine who she was until she finally was able to live life as her authentic self. And she now coaches and teaches others to do that as well and to create the future they truly want.

Alana is a divorced mother of 3,  former -air traffic controller turned serial entrepreneur. She has walked the path of, self-sabotage, divorce, abuse, imposter syndrome, success, motherhood, self-loathing, self-love and connected spirituality all to earn the wisdom to coach high performing, driven, intelligent women through transition. Using her “Ph.D. from the School of Hard Knocks” plus a unique blend of psychology, universal wisdom, and empowerment coaching, she shows you how to embody a deep sense of personal authority, peace, and joy and help you redefine your future.

Please reach out to Alana at: https://alanamcclure.com and on social media: https://www.facebook.com/alana.mcclure; Instagram: @alanalm; Linked In: @AlanaMcClure

I am particularly excited to have our guest Rhonda Armour this week as we are going to be talking about something very near and dear to my heart -health and lifestyle. I know all too well the importance of nutrition, exercise, stress management and other lifestyle components, not just because I know how much mental health is affected by these things, but I also know what an integral part this all is of living a life of joy and peace. Rhonda will share her own mental health journey and will be sharing some of the things she has found to help herself and now in her work, helping others. I really love Rhonda's approach of being kind and gentle with yourself while making significant changes for your life.

As a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, as well as a Personal Trainer, Rhonda understands the demands on time for today’s woman feeling torn between career and home life. Nutrition and exercise often fall last on a long list of priorities. She once lived this life and understands it’s not easy putting yourself back on the priority list, especially if you have struggled with programs and diets that have left you feeling frustrated and confused. Rhonda wants her clients feeling empowered and back in the driver’s seat!

She develops a partnership with her clients and, together, they develop habits and strategies to implement those habits, that are meaningful and easily fit into their unique lifestyle. There is no one-size fits all approach. The approach is custom and it’s all about her clients needs. Rhonda wants to end that roller coaster and the shout of internal voices that question your willpower, capability, and commitment from programs that simply haven’t supported your life.

Rhonda's full life coaching style allows clients to partner with her in a holistic approach that satisfies external pressures and personal goals. She enjoys working with the motivated, but stressed-out woman who is ready to live their best life and understands that it’s not a straight line to success. Rhonda's greatest desire is to empower women and restore that flame of confidence, competence, and control!

You can learn more about Rhonda at her website: https://rhondaarmourcoaching.com or on Social Media: @rhondaarmourcoaching. Make sure to take advantage of Rhonda's Complimentary Consultation.

Even though many things have opened up and some of the pandemic anxiety has subsided, there are still a lot of things in the world right now causing stress, overwhelm and anxiety. Rising costs of almost everything, shortages, tragic events, divisions among many groups, and lots of individual challenges and stressors.

For some, it still feels like they are just surviving and getting by and can't imagine how they could ever get to  place of thriving.
This week I wanted to give you some strategies to help you THRIVE through the challenges, trauma and stress you may be experiencing. I am expanding on a free resource I have available for you at my website and I will discuss the different components of it so you can have a handy tool to help you feel so much better.

Go to: https://www.lifelessons.ca to get your free T.H.R.I.V.E.R. Manifesto!

This week's episode will hit all the feels. My guest this week is Jody Swain and she is here to share a tragic event that for every parent is a worst nightmare. Have your Kleenex ready. Jody is so incredibly vulnerable and real as she speaks about this most difficult time in her life. Her courage and strength to navigate the trauma and to now be doing work that is so meaningful for families is a testimony to the work she did to get from surviving to thriving. 

Jody Swain is the Founder of HIRE and FIRE your KIDS. A Gamified Parenting App, that reduces family friction and helps moms, dads & more connect, and digitally communicate with their children and teens while preparing them with household responsibilities, money management and life skills for a successful future.

Jody is a Canadian mom of a blended family who was fed up with cleaning up after her kids and battling behaviors. She created a game of ‘hire and fire’ that leveraged her 20-year leadership experience and began her own technology start-up called Hire and Fire Inc.

She recently oversaw the latest version of ‘Hire and Fire your Kids’ and launch to the App Store, Google Play and most recently Amazon! As a first-time entrepreneur, she won the H.U.B Inc “Game Changer of the Year” entrepreneur award, named "One to Watch" with Mompreneurs Canada, named Top 50 with Canada's Total Mom Pitch, had four offers on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and reached #1 in the Lifestyle section of the App Store.

Jody’s passion for business and success are matched only by her commitment to family. A perfect set-up for the genesis of her mobile app. Jody lives with her husband and children in Whitby, Ontario.

Please visit Jody's website for more information about her and her fantastic business: https://hireandfireyourkids.ca. You can find Jody on social  media @hireandfireyourkids.

I have noticed that intolerance seems to be something that is happening more and more. Not just around the big things like race, gender, sexuality, religion, politics, pandemic. But I’m noticing a train of thinking that basically says “if you’re different from me or what I think is right – you are wrong”. This way of thinking seems to be causing conflict, stress and even dissolution of relationships at rising rates. 

Tune to learn why this may be happening more now and the solutions we can all apply every day to help us focus on our own lives and success, no matter how anyone else is living their life.

I will lead the listeners through an exercise from Byron Katie's book: "Loving What Is". You will be able to apply this strategy to so many different things in your life. It can change your way of thinking deeply which will then impact how you live your life in profound ways.

This week my guest is Lisa Carberry, owner of Your Empowered Solutions. Lisa and I had a very interesting conversation about how we can use all of our experiences to not only accept the lessons that they bring if we pay attention. but also to have them be the guide for us to embrace and create changes that can transform our loves.
Lisa is an inclusion and diversity expert…with a difference. Lisa’s approach focuses on developing a sense of community and belonging through first embarking on an inward voyage of discovery to become one with self. This paves the way to become one with others, leading to the ability to be inclusive of the diverse range of human presentations and develop real relationships and communities where all feel they truly belong.
Lisa’s goal is to support individuals to develop the awareness, choice and personal power to effect meaningful change in their lives. She uses theoretical, practical, and intuitive knowledge to facilitate transformative experiences for individuals seeking personal and professional excellence.

In her book “Transform Your Life, Transform Your Teaching: Book One: Soul Speak’ Lisa takes the individual on a personal, authentic, intimate, and revealing journey into the depths of the minds creations, to expose the truth of who and what we are as well as the infinite power that lies within to envision, create, and manifest our best life and all that is possible when we are real with ourselves and others.

For Lisa, her work is an exciting adventure through which she enjoys guiding people on their journey towards a deeper sense of self and witnessing the creative power this releases.

Learn more about Lisa and her services at: http://www.yourempoweredsolutions.com or on Social Media: Instagram: @theyescoach; @rainowtransitions; On Facebook visit Lisa's group: @YourEmpoweredSolutions. Or email Lisa directly at: yourempoweredsolutionscoach@gmail.com