About Progress

“My only approach is to love and strengthen all women, no matter what kind of birth they want to have.”   Laura Dugovic had prepared for a meditative birth with her first child, but what she experienced was gritty, loud, sweaty . . . and still completely transformative.    Laura is a doula and birth educator, but one who strives to help ALL women feel empowered to face birth with an attitude of a...

"It doesn't get easier, but it gets lighter. It gets lighter because we get stronger . . . Your strength is going to help somebody else when they are weak."   When we are facing especially hard times, we've all heard people say that things will get easier. Mandie Sherman disagrees. She knows from her lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis--a terminal disease--that it's not that things get easier,...

"When we attach anything to our goals--our happiness, worth, value, success--our goals are no longer out becoming . . .[they're] just about needing to achieve to feel something."   Sick of never meeting your goals? Too overwhelmed to even make some in the first place? It's not your method that needs some revamping; it's your motivation.   When you are a recovering perfectionist, you'll have a love...

 "If you set aside other people's expectations, set aside the need for permission and live your most authentic self, life is a lot more freeing and you're making better decisions."   Dina Taylor has faced many obstacles in her young life, but the two most recent--infertility and her 35-year-old husband's unexpected death--could have made her give up and give in. Not so, for Dina. Dina chose to per...

“Just like you and I lived at the mall or lived at the football game on Friday night, a lot of our kids are living on social media . . . I want my kids to make their mistakes while still living with me.  You want to give them parameters but also you want to give them the opportunity to make choices.”   We all worry about the incessant draw that technology is having on our children these days. You...

This podcast is in response to an email I received from a listener who was frustrated that all my guests on the show are too "extraordinary." While thoughts swirled about me, I interviewed Melinda Peterson from Melinda Joy Writes to chat about how she has been writing a novel for ten years; but then we magically had a beautiful discussion on seeing the extraordinary within ourselves.    Listen in...

“It is that moment of complete 100% surrender that we step into that power we never had before.”   Tiffany Webster knows a thing or two about surrender. As a lifelong perfectionist, life had a way of showing up and forcing her to slow down, and slow down hard: infertility, chronic illness, brain surgery, and poor mental health. That's just some of what Tiffany faced that helped her see she had to...

"Comparison is evil . . . Any time you look at someone else's strengths that might be your weaknesses, you'll always come up short."   10 years ago, Tamarynn Bennett was 25 years old and had barely run more than a few miles at a time. So, she reasonably thought she would be a "one and done" with a marathon she signed up for. But after accidentally qualifying for Boston (!), she found herself drawn...

We celebrated our year anniversary of the podcast a few weeks ago! To commemorate this time, I have a short, unedited, rambling State of the Podcast episode for you. In it, I share some of our stats, which episodes I think more people need to listen to, and where I see the podcast headed.   Thank you for your incredible support!!!   XO, Monica Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

"I meet a ton of people who say, ‘Oh I can’t do that, I'm not creative . . .'  Maybe they will never find that painting or drawing fulfills them, but they ARE creative in the way that they solve problems, or put things together, or organize . . . We can think about creativity differently in that we are created to create.”  For Lisa Funk, lettering (also know as calligraphy) isn't just about creati...

"Those that are most able to deal with their flaws, are most willing to be seen as human . . . That’s real moral courage, and that’s the kind of courage that sets us free."   Have you ever heard the saying, "I am my own worst enemy?" If you've thought or said that about yourself, then this episode is for you. (And if you haven't, then this episode is also for you.)   All of us carry the innate ten...

"With each thing I tried, every time it failed . . . I failed deeper and the problem got bigger. It got to the point where I no longer felt any control over it. I remember one day thinking, ‘I’m not going to try anymore.’”   Julie Taylor was known online for being "real," but only she knew the truth--that she was hiding an addiction, and one especially riddled with shame: food addiction.   Julie t...

"I have worth and it isn’t always looking to the external to try to find validation, because that’s an endless competition that you’re never going to win. It doesn’t bring any happiness."   Reachel Bagley is not your normal "fashion blogger." Sure, she has a fabulous sense of style--one that you're going to salivate over. But Reachel loves fashion because of what it can do to really transform some...

"By choosing your habits and staying with them, you are scientifically engraining them in your body . . . setting you on a pace that will help you achieve what you want to achieve."   What do you get when you create the perfect mix of zen and science? Greg Karelitz, is what.   Greg is the founder of the Positive Vibes Only Society (PVOS), a community with a mission to help people better live in th...

"You don’t really appreciate time unless you’re looking at a diagnosis like cancer. . . You don’t appreciate the time that you have until you know that there could potentially be an end date.”    Danielle Stepp was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma--cancer--as a new mother of a three month old baby girl.   Her treatment entailed 12 debilitating rounds of chemotherapy. As Danielle made her way thro...

“I think the reason we all suffer is because it makes us stronger—it’s a strength, it’s a gift in a way . . . I could not write the music that I write had I not gone through hard things.”    Paul Cardall knows a thing or two about suffering and turning that suffering into a gift. He was born with half a heart and experienced poor health throughout his childhood and well into his adulthood. In 2009...

“I’m not a professional athlete. I don’t do this to win money and races. I do this to enhance my life and it brings me joy, along with my family . . . As long as I'm putting them first and taking care of them, everything else usually falls into place.”   Heather Jenson says this to describe how she views her "little" hobby as a triathlete. This sport can suck people into perfectionism, obsession,...

“Some of the most challenging, heart-wrenching times of my life have in some ways become the greatest blessings . . . They were the pathways to learning.”   The list of "life lessons" (aka: trials, obstacles, traumas, etc.) that Ganel-Lyn Condie has been through is astounding. And yet this woman walks with a bounce and speaks with a light that is absolutely contagious.   Ganel-Lyn shares deeply ab...

We've made it to 50 podcast episodes. Woohoo!! I am so thrilled about this, and grateful for those of you who have been with me from the beginning and just as grateful for the rest of you are are new to my podcast.   You were kind enough to send in questions for this particular episode: things that you wanted to know about me, the podcast, my parenting, eating, children, where I live (and why), an...

"Fear is not a good reason to not do something. What is the worst that could happen? . . . If I can live with that worst case scenario, then I’m going to do it and stop worrying about failure."   Janssen Bradshaw of Everyday Reading didn't think she was "creative" or "entrepreneurial." And yet, those two words completely encapsulate who she is now as the producer of a successful blog and a co-crea...

Surprise! I have a bonus episode for you this week, and it's Part Two of my series on Food: How to Use it, Not Abuse it. Cultivating a healthy relationship with food has been a huge part of the work I've done for myself the past 11 years. I'm still focusing on it every day, but I see the improvements I have made that have made it all well worth it. I hope to inspire that in others, too!   Part One...

"What it means “to grow” is to practice something—one thing really deliberately—and do it over and over again. And then when you make a mistake, you look back and you close that loop really quickly by recognizing what went well and what didn’t go well, and then you practice it again."   Ralphie Jacobs admits that she was born with an innate love for children and a natural gift of caring for them. ...

“Bravery is being scared, it’s being afraid; but doing it anyway . . . It’s OK to be afraid of something, but own those feelings and rise above.”    You think if you were the masterminds behind a magazine with "Bravery" in the title, that you would be a very courageous person.   Not so for these ladies.   Elyse Beard and Ashley Aikele both profess that they have let fear hold them back for far too...

“You have unique experiences with each one of your children. I think that working to cultivate happiness in your home, even though you could be going through hard things . . . really pays off. What you think about transcends, and it impacts your everyday life.”   Nicole Kalkowski has had to fight for her son throughout his entire life. From a toddler diagnosed with regressive autism then immediate...

“It’s so easy to let the fear take over and have your vision crumble, because you want it to work so much and you need it to work so much . . . [But] you need to stay connected to yourself, you need to stay connected to your vision, you need to stay connected to your higher power.”   Briana Johnson is the genius behind the powerful podcast The LifeBeats Project. Her path to creating this successfu...