Monkey Chatter

In a special landmark 50th episode of the  Monkey Chatter  podcast, Amy, Lara, and Michelle are getting serious about rest! We're not just talking about a long weekend—we're talking about the deep, meaningful breaks that truly fuel creativity and avoid burnout. We’re making a big announcement: the  Monkey Chatter  crew is taking a much-needed sabbatical for the holiday season! Think of it...

This week, the hosts of the  Monkey Chatter  podcast—Amy, Michelle, and Lara—get real about the habit they know all too well:  procrastination . Michelle owns up to it being "one of her things," while even the organized Amy struggles with the occasional task. Lara, however, wonders if a little pre-deadline chaos might actually be a productivity hack! They dive into the psychology of delay, making...

Menopause is no longer a conversation whispered behind closed doors! It's finally having its moment in the cultural spotlight, and we're swinging through the jungle of midlife to talk about it! In this episode, we celebrate the "We Do Not Care" (WDNC) movement spearheaded by the hilarious Melani Sanders (1.87M followers on Instagram!). We explore why this message of radical authe...

Welcome back to part two of our Gut Health series,  "Mood, Food, and More Poop."  If your brain feels a bit like  monkey chatter  when it comes to gut health, don't worry—we're here to help! This week, we're diving into the resources that have shaped our gut health journey: the books  The Mind-Gut Connection  and  Fiber Fueled , along with the Netflix documentary  Hack Your H...

Welcome to the jungle, friends, and get ready for some serious gut talk! In this two-part series, your favorite monkeys — Amy, Michelle, and Lara — are swinging from the vines to make sense of all the chatter about gut health. It seems like everyone’s talking about it, but is it really the key to everything? What’s all the hubbub? We’ll be your guides on this wild ride, exploring everything from d...

Join Amy, Lara, and Michelle for a lively discussion on the true meaning of  wellness . It turns out there's more to it than you might think. The trio dives into the four main categories of wellness, and Michelle, ever the curious chimp, gets everyone to open up about their personal definitions. The conversation takes some unexpected swings, from exploring the connection between wellness and h...

Are you feeling utterly drained by the endless choices you face, like a monkey swinging through a never-ending jungle of decisions? Join Amy, Lara, and Michelle as they chat about  decision fatigue , that sneaky vine that trips up even the most agile minds. We'll explore why your brain's capacity for making sound choices is as finite as a banana supply, and how that can lead to some truly...

The Mid-Year Reset - Taking Stock of Your Wellness Journey Feeling like the first half of 2025 flew by in a blur of "monkey chatter" and forgotten resolutions? You're not alone! Join us for a much-needed  Mid-Year Reset  on the Monkey Chatter Podcast, where we're hitting pause, reflecting on our intentions, and setting ourselves up for a thriving second half of the year. In this...

Get ready to swing into some serious sunshine and laughter with the latest episode of  Monkey Chatter ! It's finally  summertime , and we're literally going bananas reminiscing about our most memorable childhood and young adults summers. Think summer camps, lakeside adventures, amusement park thrills, plus our favorite treats! This episode is a true jungle of nostalgia! Join us as we chatt...

In this episode of Monkey Chatter, we're diving into Jeff Krasno's book  Good Stress ! Join us as we explore the book's insights, from Krasno's unique writing style (get ready for a ton of dad jokes and big words!) to the crucial distinction between "hard" and "uncomfortable" that we make in our discussion! Did we love the book? Maybe not, but we found plenty to...

Join Amy, Michelle, and Lara as they swing through the digital jungle, grappling with everything from vintage tech like Blackberries and (still!) faxes to the anxieties of a rapidly evolving landscape.  What pisses Michelle off about technology? Digital anxiety and fear of change Is Lara writing bad checks? Amy's 97 year-old great Aunt can use Facebook, why can't we? Technology advances (or annoya...

In the last of our Meet the Hosts series, Michelle and Amy interview Yoga and Wellness Monkey Lara! Lara's journey is a testament to the idea that it's never too late to find your true calling and create a space for healing and well-being. We'll dive into her incredible transition, exploring what sparked this profound shift, the challenges she faced, and the salty wisdom she's gathered along the w...

In this episode, the 2nd in our Meet the Monkeys series, we interview Amy, certified fitness and nutrition coach, owner of Bit by Bit Nutrition, and founder of Faithfully Fit, a community workout group at her church. Amy is also an avid trail runner, dog lover and rescue pet supporter, whose husband Tony created Archie's Blankets Across America.  Listen as Amy discusses: How she handles resist...

In this first of three episodes where we interview each other, Michelle chats with us just in time for International Coaching Week, May 12-18th.  Learn all about how Michelle went from sales and marketing guru to being the curious monkey in our circus! We'll hear about: Finding balance with a job in which she felt stifled and pursuing her interests How she went from Ag Leadership in New York to Eq...

It's a barrel of monkeys as Amy and Michelle travel to Lexington and the monkeys are reunited! This episode is recorded in one location (Lara's couch), and we get to laugh and chatter in person together about transitions and growth, as well as how each of us has navigated these changes throughout our lives. And stay tuned to our socials @monkeychatterpodcast for some branding updates too!

Digital Hygiene with Nishaan Sandhu. Join the monkeys as we welcome mind -body coach Nishaa Sandhu of Nourish Mind Body Spirit for a fascinating discussion about the effects our digital devices have on our lives! Learn about ways to reduce the negative impacts, and become more mindful, effective, and focused! Visit Nishaan's website at  www.nourishmindbodyspirit.com

The Monkeys chatter about all things podcasting. How we met, why we decided to start a podcast, whose idea it was to start, lessons learned and the list goes on. We also get a little side tracked from time to time, shocker, and discuss 75 Hard, learning a foreign language, and the fact that we are just "normal" people trying to encourage others that they can do amazing things in life. Li...

Check out the Monkey’s ideas for a bucket list, how our lists have changed as we’ve aged, and things we’ve done or think we want to do! And have you heard of a reverse bucket list? Find out which of us wants to fund a cat sanctuary, learn Italian, and go to Turks and Caicos!! Well, let’s face it; we all want to go to Turks and Caicos!

What is it about the beach? Is it the salty water in the ocean in the air? Is it the field of the sand between your toes? Is it just the idea of getting away from your local grind and experiencing something new and tropical? It's been a long and cold February and the Monkeys decide to chatter about all things, islands; lush and green and beachy! Totally off the cuff, we have fun discussing some of...

Join the Monkeys as they spend some time with Psychotherapist, Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor, Cindy Reed.   The Monkeys get introduced to another Amy ( amy gdala), as Cindy helps them better understand how their brains work, why anxiety isn't something we can just get rid of, and how to use our senses to turn the thermostat down when we need to.   Listen to the end for a special bonus and join t...

Welcome to our second episode of 2025 where we chatter about clutter and how it makes us feel. Listen and laugh with us as we talk about how we deal with it. Each of us falls into a little different category with our clutter clearing efficiency and Amy is clearly the winner! She and Lara turn the coaching tables on Michelle in order to help her get started "bit by bit"! This is a deep to...

Join the three monkeys for their first podcast of 2025, where we reveal each of our New Year’s intentions and phrases that we hope will help shape the next 12 months! We chatter about getting unplugged, being not doing, living life in color, nourishing and flourishing! And what do we think about the Funky AI Nanas and their hair color? Listen and find out!

Laugh with the Three Monkeys as we recap our first full year of podcasting! We chatter about some of our favorite episodes and guests, our plans for the future and of course, topics for 2025! This was originally our Podcast + Wine episode, but two monkeys showed up sans vino, so only one got tipsy (just kidding, no monkeys were harmed during the recording of this podcast!). Join us while we crack...

Welcome to our penultimate episode of 2024, focusing on setting intentions! Michelle, our curious monkey starts us off with a summary of her mentor Lorin Beller's Intention Wheel practice. We discuss setting goals or making resolutions versus creating intentions and how intentions can be touchstones for making decisions throughout the whole year, helping us to meet goals. Amy reviews her recent in...

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys! Join the Three Monkeys as we discuss “Letting Go”, what that means to each of us, and how we deal with the Three Ring Circus that most people deal with in their everyday lives. For some, letting go is releasing control of things we can’t control. For others it’s not sweating the small stuff. It could mean allowing past regrets or actions to stay in the past, in other...