Start Scared

I cannot believe my baby is 8 today!! Help me wish him a BIG happy birthday as he shares with you 8 lessons he has learned in 8 years! Ps... This conversation was not rehearsed beforehand and was not scripted, so please enjoy my thoughtful and silly guy for this fun episode! Also, not to self... Video recording is very distracting for those of us with ADHD! WAYS WE CAN CONNECT ~ - Come hangout wit...

Happy happy 2nd birthday, Start Scared! To YOU: The biggest, most massive THANK YOU for being here, supporting our mission, sharing the podcast with others and for celebrating with me! Today, we are taking some time to reflect on the last two years and the incredible Angel numbers surrounding today, all while sitting in immense gratitude for YOU! And I wouldn’t be a teacher if I didn’t give you so...

I am so excited to introduce you to our our guest today… She slid into my DMs one day saying she felt connected to me and our mission of starting scared, as well as being an example for other women to feel empowered!   She told me she knows that she can provide value to YOU and, girl let me tell you, she is NOT wrong!  Savannah Robertson is a health and body image coach who helps women get unstuck...

I never wanted to be a Mom.... It's hard to say that when I know some people want to be sooo badly... But it was never something that was on my radar... Until it was. Today, I open up about becoming a Bonus Mom and the process we took for me to get pregnant after swearing I would never have kids. Never say never... WAYS WE CAN CONNECT ~ - Come hangout with me on Instagram - https://www.instag...

This was such a FUN conversation that you are NOT going to want to miss! I had the honor and privilege of sitting down and chatting with Maria Failla who was forced to start scared on something new during the pandemic.  We talked about how she went from being a successful Broadway performer, plant killer to a plant lady and how she is on a mission to help everyone successfully care for plants and...

Sometimes the feeling of overwhelm is just an everyday feeling, right?! But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?! What if, as busy working moms, we can FINALLY get the tools to ditch that uncomfortable overwhelmed feeling once and for all so that we can actually ENJOY the season we are in?! You are going to LOVE this conversation with Jen Larimore who is a Mama of 5 and a Lawyer turned Life Coa...

Today we are celebrating 100 weeks together! HOLY MOLY! I took to Instagram last week to get YOUR questions to be answered on today's episode. I also thought it would be fun for one of my favorite people to ask me the questions! THANK YOU for supporting our podcast! THANK YOU for listening each week! THANK YOU for sharing it with your friends! We wouldn't be here 100 weeks later if it we...

I am so pumped to have Ashley Johnson on the podcast today! I  had the joy and honor of getting to meet her at EmpowerHER live in Phoenix back in October. I feel so incredibly connected to her as a Mama and as a teacher and really just her mission behind helping other teacher mamas set boundaries, so that they can be the best they can be without experiencing burnout. Ashley Johnson is a mom, a wif...

Happy New Year and happy first episode of 2023! I personally do not make resolutions, but I do choose a word for the year and create a vision board of some things I want to implement or accomplish during the year. Today, I want to share some questions to ask yourself before setting new goals for the year. These help to not only create gratitude but also help you to identify the things that really...

Here we are wrapping up the most challenging years of my life... But I am also feeling a lot of gratitude for the lessons learned and memories made… Today, is a replay of the most listened to episode of the year. THANK YOU for listening to Start Scared and for being a part of our community. Even if you have already listened to this episode, I encourage you to listen again because you may get a new...

Did you know the probability of your existence is like the population of Chicago (2 MILLION people) rolling a TRILLION-sided dice and rolling the EXACT SAME number at the exact same time?! 🤯 You are a miracle. You are exceptional. Your dreams matter. SPONSORS OF THE SHOW ~ Are your gut issues making you feel defeated? Maybe you're tired of setting goals every January that never seem to stick...

My husband, Frank, and I spent the weekend at our annual couple's retreat, and although the timing in December is never the best, we make going a priority. Not only does it help strengthen our marriage, but it also helps us become better parents and models for our kids. Today, we are sharing some of the things we learned about having a grace-filled marriage and some of the things we are hopin...

I have never been more excited for a month to change then I was to flip the calendar from November to December, because November was literally the worst month of my life... But in alllll things there are always lessons to be learned... Today, I am sharing all about the November from HELL... It is literally too crazy for a movie script... But, I am also sharing what I learned while in the trenches....

GIRL! GET READY TO GO TO CHURCH ON A WEDNESDAY! Jerakah Heady is a podcaster, author, multi-passionate entrepreneur, speaker and self proclaimed Target Shopping Connoisseur on a mission to help ambitious women make themselves a priority. Jerakah is your internet BFF. She keeps it real, raw, honest and graceful. We recorded this back in September before many people knew my dad was sick, and it hit...

I am in the HARDEST season of my life, but I am finding myself stopping and sitting in GRATITUDE. I am forever thankful for YOU for allowing me to share this journey. I am forever thankful for those who came to celebrate my dad. I am forever thankful for the amazing stories shared at his celebration. I am forever thankful for my family and friends who have been so strong for us. So. Much. Gratitud...

My dad, Geoff Leighton, was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in August 2022, and he died peacefully in his sleep on November 6, 2022, with my mom and me by his side... Although we are left to grieve on Earth, I am filled with peace that we will see him again in Heaven. Please don't forget that we are raising money for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for earlier detection to save lives! You c...

At the time of this recording, my sweet daddy has taken a turn for the worse and instead of bringing you the golden nuggets that I learned from Amber Lilyestrom at the EmpowerHER Live event back in October, I am bringing real and raw and what is on my heart... Girl... don't waste the time you have on this Earth... Stop waiting and start living. Tell the people you love that you love them. Do...

After attending the EmpowerHER Live personal growth conference a couple of weekends ago, I wanted to take the time to share some of my biggest takeaways from each speaker over the next several episodes of Start Scared. Today, I am sharing some takeaways from the event host, Kacia Ghetmiri. [@kacia.ghetmiri on Instagram] Things we discussed today: ~stop dulling your sparkle ~gratitude and sadness c...

GIRL! Buckle on UP! You are NOT going to want to miss this episode! Katrina McMurtry is a wife, momma, educator, podcaster, coach & your biggest cheerleader! She wears ALL of the dang hats!   She is teaching you to put yourself first, so you can show up as your best self! It is her dream to make a positive impact in the lives of other women and she wants to help others discover that putting yo...

Nothing in me wanted to get muddy that day…  I was planning to just watch him and take pictures, but when Bruce, my 7-year-old, asked me to go down the slide with him, I reminded myself that I only have so little time…   And then I couldn’t say no…  Because THIS is when moments turn to memories. So Mama… Get muddy.  Wear the swimsuit.  Get your hair wet.  Toss the football.  Ride the bike.  Whatev...

Lindsay Helm is a professional writer, speaker, and international best-selling author. Her memoir, Vixen released in October 2021 and became a #1 new release and topped the Amazon bestseller charts in multiple categories. Lindsay is also a well-loved wife and mother who resides in western Washington with her family. She is here to light a fire under your butt to pursue your dreams, be a “selfish”...

Rebecca Santos is a mama to two littles, a certified health coach, and a self-proclaimed hot mess mom! She is passionate about providing inspiration, education, and accountability for hot mess moms who are wanting to reclaim their health. Buckle on UP because you are going to be OBSESSED with this one, and don’t forget to tag us on IG with your favorite takeaway! WAYS TO CONNECT WITH  REBECCA ~ In...

This episode was inspired by TWO amazing women, Kacia Ghetmiri and Diana Keller. Today, I am sharing how that rumble in your gut or that tug on your heart could take you from good to great or to even better! But, girl, you'll never know until you TRY. What are YOU going to Start Scared on?! THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ~ - Kacia's IG: https://www.instagram.com/kacia.ghetmiri/ - Diana...

Yes... Unfortunately, the C word has entered the chat, so I am giving you the information I can, but being slightly vague, out of respect for the parties involved... But I am also putting the health care system on blast and begging you to love your people hard because we have a TBD amount of days here. I LOVE YOU, GIRL! 🏼 WAYS WE CAN CONNECT ~ - Come hangout with me on Instagram - https://www.ins...

For sooooo many years, I PUSHED myself hard to work out... I would either follow my workout calendar to a T no matter what or if I didn't wake up in the AM to workout, I thought the day was a lost cause or I would feel that if I wasn't dripping with sweat, the workout didn't count. Can you relate? Today, I am sharing how learning about my hormones and how out of whack they are have...