Do Cool Shit Podcast

Transitions are part of life as a human being... ALL of them... the chosen ones, the unexpected ones, the exciting ones, and the ones that feel like everything just got flipped upside down. In this episode, I'm joined again by Marcia (my mom who's also a psychotherapist) for a conversation on navigating life transitions with more self-trust, patience, adaptability, and support. We talk abo...

Today, we're diving into an important coaching concept I use with clients (and myself): The Floor and The Ceiling. Most people unknowingly set their minimum standard (their floor) at the level of their best day (their ceiling). The result? Every imperfect day feels like failure, consistency becomes impossible to maintain, and progress stalls. In this episode, I share: A personal story about a...

Social media can connect us, educate us, and inspire us. It can also overwhelm us, mislead us, and leave us feeling more stressed, reactive, and disconnected from ourselves. In this episode, I sit down with coach, personal trainer, writer, educator, podcast host, and all-around great human being Andrew Coates for a conversation that goes beyond fitness. We talk about how to navigate social media w...

What if the biggest thing holding you back… isn’t a lack of knowledge? What We Talk About In this episode, I’m joined by Quinto (Quinn) Hood, and we go way beyond sets, reps, and macros. We talk about what actually creates change...and why most people stay stuck even when they “know what to do.” Quinto breaks down his 5 Powers of Fitness: a framework that blends strength, nutrition, muscle, intent...

You know what you want to do. You've done the research, made the plan, and set the intention. And then life happens, and somehow you end up somewhere you didn't choose . This isn't a discipline problem. There isn't something WRONG with you. There's a gap in intentionality...and intentionality is a skill, which means it can be built. In this episode, I'm getting into what in...

My husband (Josh) and I just got back from my first real vacation in over 6 years- a week in San Francisco and the surrounding area. Almost 50 miles walked, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Big Sur, Carmel, and probably more pastries than I'd eaten all year. I'm 23 weeks pregnant, up almost 20 pounds this year, and somehow in the best relationship with my body and mind I've ever had. No guilt. N...

Everyone says they just want to be happy… but why does it feel like something you’re constantly chasing—and never quite reaching? In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve ever had around happiness. A few years ago, a mentor asked me a simple question: “Are you happy?” My answer, and what came after, completely changed how I view happiness, growth, and how I support...

In this episode of the Do Cool Shit Podcast , Meryl sits down with strength coach, business owner, and former competitive powerlifter Curtis Miller for a conversation that goes far beyond the barbell. Curt shares his philosophy on “redefining the bond between athletes and strength” —and why true strength isn’t built on competition day, but in the persistence, discipline, and identity you build alo...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by someone incredibly special—my mom, Marcia Binder , a psychotherapist who has deeply influenced how I understand people, behavior, and what it actually means to take care of yourself. She's been on before, but this one is a little different. There’s no rigid structure—just a real, layered discussion around something every single person experiences… but not ever...

You don’t have a follow-through problem. You have a gap. In this episode, I’m breaking down the intention–behavior gap, which is the space between knowing what to do and actually doing it, and why trying to fix it with more discipline, pressure, or guilt isn’t working. If you’ve ever told yourself: “I just need to be more disciplined” “I need to get my shit together” “I just need to be more consis...

Food tracking has a reputation—and not always a good one. For a lot of people, it feels obsessive, restrictive, and honestly… pretty freaking miserable. But what if that’s not because tracking itself is the problem, but because of the way we’ve been taught to use it? In this episode, Meryl breaks down how to reframe food and macro tracking into something that actually supports you instead of worki...

What if the things you’re trying to “fix” about yourself… are actually trying to help you? In this episode, I sit down with Bahia Miller , a conscious relationship coach and Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, to unpack the deeper layers of behavior change, self-trust, and relationships. We go way beyond surface-level advice and into the real work—understanding your patterns, your “parts,”...

A lot of people believe that once they “do the work” on their mindset, nutrition, and habits… they’re supposed to stop having "negative" thoughts or feelings. For example, they think progress means they shouldn’t feel disappointed by the scale anymore. But that’s not how growth actually works. In this episode, I share a real conversation I recently had with a client after she did an InBo...

Life feels a little stressful right now. Maybe personally. Maybe globally. Maybe both. In this episode, Meryl introduces the concept of glimmers, which are the opposite of triggers. While triggers spike your stress response and dysregulate your nervous system, glimmers are those subtle moments that make you feel calm, safe, connected, or inspired. They’re the sun hitting your face after winter. A...

In this short, punchy episode of the Do Cool Shit podcast, Meryl explores how to approach Lent from a behavior change perspective — without turning it into another rigid challenge or deprivation experiment. Rather than focusing only on what you’re giving up, this episode invites you to ask a deeper question: Why? If you’re observing Lent this year (or engaging in any kind of challenge), this conve...

In this episode of the Do Cool Shit podcast, host Meryl Binder speaks with nutrition coach Dal about her transformative journey of losing 120 pounds and the challenges she faced along the way. They discuss the importance of self-compassion, the impact of diet culture, and the role of community and accountability in achieving personal growth. Dal shares her insights on emotional eating, the signifi...

This episode explores the concept of cognitive flexibility, emphasizing its importance in personal growth and resilience. Through personal anecdotes and client examples, Meryl illustrates how adapting to change rather than resisting it can lead to significant transformations. The episode goes over the importance and value of embracing flexibility as a strength, highlighting that true progress come...

In Part 1 of this series, we talked about why stress isn’t actually the problem—and why capacity is. In this episode, we get into the “now what?” Knowing you’re stressed doesn’t automatically mean you know how to regulate it. And being told you should manage stress doesn’t give much direction—especially when life is full. In this episode, I break down what nervous system regulation actually means,...

In this episode of the Do Cool Shit podcast, Meryl delves into the complexities of stress, emphasizing that stress itself is not the enemy but rather a response of the nervous system to various demands. She discusses the difference between acute and chronic stress, highlighting how chronic stress can lead to a range of health issues. Meryl introduces the concept of capacity, explaining how many pe...

Transformation in the fitness industry is often sold as a before-and-after photo, a timeline, or a checklist of "habits"—and that’s one of the biggest reasons people feel stuck, broken, or like they can’t stick to anything. In this episode, Meryl breaks down the truth about transformation in health and fitness and exposes the systems and marketing messages that keep people dependent on q...

The final episode of 2025 takes a different approach to year-end reflection. Let's ditch the performance review mentality and the "good year vs. bad year" binary that erases our actual growth. I share the phone photo method for reflection that puts you back in real moments instead of forcing manufactured lists, explain how reflection builds nervous system regulation (not just feeling...

In this engaging conversation, Meryl and Jeb Stuart Johnston explore various themes related to coaching, personal growth, and cultural insights gleaned from Jeb's experiences. They discuss the importance of community, the role of environment in health, and the shift from traditional nutrition coaching to a more holistic life coaching approach. Jeb shares his journey into coaching, emphasizing...

In this special episode, I sit down with my mom, Marcia, a psychotherapist with decades of experience working in hospitals, private practice, and various clinical settings. This deeply personal conversation explores the intersection of therapy and coaching, the journey from reaction to response, and the lifelong practice of building resilience. Marcia shares insights on yielding versus pushing thr...

In this episode of the Do Cool Shit podcast, we explore the concept of personal narratives and their profound impact on our lives, particularly in relation to food, body image, and self-worth. I discuss how many individuals operate under narratives that are not their own, often shaped by external influences such as family, society, and diet culture. I emphasize the importance of recognizing these...

In this episode of the Do Cool Shit podcast, we discuss the unique stressors of December and explore the physiological and emotional impacts of stress during this time. This episode emphasizes the importance of understanding stress, recognizing its symptoms, and implementing effective management strategies. I highlight the role of self-awareness, breathing techniques, movement, and boundary-settin...