It Has to Be Me

Are you living the life you want or following somebody else’s rules? Julie Hannon, shamanic healer, teaches us how to trust our gut instincts to make choices on our own terms.   Through the lens of her personal experience, Julie illustrates the fulfillment that comes from breaking free of family expectations and societal pressures, and making heart-focused decisions.  After wanting to be...

Struggling with burnout and fatigue and want to feel energized and in control of your life? Ilana Kosakiewicz, one of Australia’s leading kinesiologists, shares strategies for combating stress and listening to your body, to do the things that light you on fire!   Trying to be the ‘good girl’ and following the socially acceptable path as a corporate accountant had Ilana battling chronic f...

Are you playing small because what you want feels too big? Jo Stanley, broadcaster and founder of Broad Radio, shares why leaning into your passion, seeing opportunity in every experience, and sharing your story, are the ultimate antidotes to fear. Jo shares what it was like growing up in a missionary family and how storytelling and performance became her way of breaking free of others’ expectatio...

Kelly Travis, performance and team-dynamics expert, shares how we can use the Enneagram assessment and other tools to understand our fundamental mindsets and beliefs to change behaviors that keep us stuck.    She takes us inside her own journey from collegiate athlete struggling with an eating disorder, to the pivotal “bathroom floor” moment during her pregnancy, to professed “menta...

To mark 50 episodes of “It Has To Be Me,” I’m highlighting insights from our guests about navigating fear and going after what you want.   Starting this podcast, I knew this universal challenge would come up again and again, and that we were in for a masterclass.   An NHL star coached us to see ourselves as always in training, and to find another gear of resilience. CEO and pio...

Are you being proactive about your hormones? Svetlana Kazantseva, CEO and co-founder of Strawberry Health, shares how a combo of home testing kits and concierge support is changing the game in women’s healthcare. With curiosity, adaptability, and relentless problem solving as her superpowers, Svetlana reinvented herself while living all over the world—from Siberia to India, the UK, and the US. Wha...

Looking for a natural way to combat cravings and lose weight—without GLP-1 injections? Sarah Kennedy, founder and CEO of Calocurb, shares how she and a group of scientists brought their revolutionary product to market, and how it’s taking the world by storm.   Sarah recognized Calocurb as a strategic tool to support healthier choices and built the company around that principle. A life-long st...

Do you struggle making the big calls in life? Decision coach Nell Wulfhart gives us practical methods for weighing up our options and making choices that get us what we want and align with our values.   Raised by a father who believed he could do anything and did, and a very successful mother with a more conservative approach, Nell learned early to make decisions with a balance of confid...

Does investing in the stock market look too risky and complicated? Diana Perkins, CPA, equities trader and financial mentor, busts myths about trading, and explains why women make better investors than men.  Even as a kid, Diana had a knack for numbers. As a nine-year-old, she opened her first bank account, learned about compound interest, started making small loans to her sister, and earning...

Does talking about money make you cringe? Syama Bunten, entrepreneur and host of the Getting Rich Together podcast shares how to get comfortable with money, then build wealth in a way that aligns with your values.   With parents who were devout Hare Krishnas, Syama was raised to prioritize community, faith, and purpose. Her mother encouraged success, but often criticized how wealth manif...

Toni, Polly, and Deanna—three members of the Skinny60® community—share how improving their gut health was the key to living their best life over 40.   After years of failed diets and lingering post-pregnancy weight, Toni was exhausted and dragging her way through life. Within five days of starting the program, she was waking up energized and excited to tackle the day. Within two months, she’d...

What if I said that you don’t have to have a period every month? The way we think about birth control and menopause is completely outdated. So says Dr. Sophia Yen, who is revolutionizing access to contraception and menopause care.    Dr. Sophia recounts her pivotal “It Has To Me” moment, volunteering for Planned Parenthood as a teenager. She watched a fellow 15-year-old grapple with...

Struggling to find credible information and a doctor who will support you through menopause?   Melissa Oliveira and Stacey Ulacia—co-founders of HotPause Health share how they are supporting midlife women with cutting-edge resources and access to healthcare practitioners trained in menopause.  When perimenopause hit in their mid 40’s, Melissa and Stacey were disappointed by the lack...

Feeling like your best years are behind you?  Jen Marples—entrepreneur and podcaster—shares how she is helping women in midlife step out of the shadows and go after what they want!   Jen’s big wake-up call came when 25 years in the high-pressure world of corporate marketing and PR left her burnt out, exhausted, and struggling with health problems. Her work and clients were getting t...

Want to understand more about your family and where you came from? I’m getting the scoop on the best way to do it with genealogist Dana Jones.    Dana reflects on how working with her grandfather to follow the breadcrumbs of their family history fueled a life-long interest in genealogy. After 25 years working in communications, Dana pivoted to pursue her passion as a career and help...

Integrative Health Practitioner Melissa Deally explains how Hypnotherapy, Time Line Therapy, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can accelerate physical and emotional healing.     We discuss the difference between traditional psychotherapy and hypnotherapy, and how maximizing the power of the unconscious mind (90% of the brain) can significantly shift your emotional state to over...

Steve Valentine—magician and actor—shares how magic reignites our child-like sense of wonder and play, helping us believe that anything is possible.    He recalls how, as a boy in the UK, he discovered his fascination with magic. In the school yard, a fellow student made a knot disappear. Steve enjoyed the trick, but was captivated by the effect the magic had on him and the other kids. &...

What if you had 6 minutes in the Oval Office to photograph the president—while the communications team is shutting you down and the Secretary Of State and Joint Chiefs are waiting by the door to contain an international incident? Ben Baker, who’s photographed five US presidents, recounts the stories behind his iconic images of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump.   Ben’s story begi...

Looking for creative ways to eat more vegetables? Joe Yonan, food and dining editor at the Washington Post shares ideas from his new book, Mastering The Art of Plant-Based Cooking .  Joe’s take is that veganism is not an identity, but rather, a cuisine that we can enjoy regardless of our dietary stripes. Let go of labels and restrictions, he says, and embrace the diversity and flavors of the...

If life is about showing up, life after 50 is an opportunity to show up in different ways. Janis, Jen, and Julie used the 60-Day Reset to lose weight and get rid of their menopause symptoms, and were shocked by how it helped them show up for themselves, and feel healthier, happier, and 10 years more alive!  Overwhelmed supporting staff during the pandemic, Janis had let her own wellbeing slip...

What’s the deal with gluten and why have all things gluten-free blown up? Meghan Donnelly, lead dietitian for the Skinny60® health programs and director of health communications at the Celiac Disease Foundation does a deep-dive into what gluten is and how it impacts our health.   We get into why gluten is difficult to digest, and how a gluten-free diet has become a recommended strategy f...

Do you find it difficult to trust your intuition in decision making? Intuitive wisdom coach Heather Maguire shares practical tools for how we can tune into the messages from our internal guidance system.  Relating her personal story, Heather shares how listening to our intuition and connecting with our resilience helps us leverage our experiences and act in alignment with what we want. &...

Sara Bird Nelson shares her unique blend of Reiki and Feng Shui, and how we can balance our energy and create physical spaces that align with what we want to bring into our lives.   She recalls how an unexplained numbness in her face, hand, and foot were her wake-up call to listen to her body, manage stress better, and quit the job that was the source of her stress. Reiki contributed to...

Need to reduce overwhelm? Shira Gill, professional organizer and author of LifeStyled takes us inside her proven toolkit to help you edit and elevate your home, career, relationships, finances, or health.   Shira recalls her parents’ combative divorce, and how schlepping her stuff between two homes showed her that more stuff means more anxiety. As an 8-year-old, she taught herself to org...

Jane, Lynne, and Karen share how they are maintaining vibrant health and full active lives in their 70’s. Laughing at the “old lady” stereotype, these bold ladies are embracing new things, and seizing every opportunity to learn, experience joy, and maximize their time.   We dive into each of their stories, and the proactive steps they’ve taken during the 60-Day Reset to overcome health challe...