The FitZen Project: Mindset, Energy Management, and Conscious Leadership

What happens when you stop living by expectations and start trusting yourself? In this episode of The FitZen Project, Rachel sits down with author, yoga teacher, and creative spirit Cherie Dawn for a heartfelt conversation about authenticity, intuition, self-expression, and creating a life that feels aligned from the inside out. From her years as a fire performer to becoming an author, teaching yo...

Have you ever felt like everyone else was more qualified to live your life than you were? In this solo episode, Rachel shares the powerful realization that changed everything: she had spent years outsourcing her decisions to friends, family, partners, coaches, and anyone willing to offer advice. From unhealthy relationships to major life choices, Rachel explores why so many of us seek validation b...

What happens when education, compassion, and community come together to support people living with dementia? In this episode of The FitZen Project, I sit down with my longtime friend Alex Jones, whom I met during the Disney College Program years ago. Today, Alex works in dementia-informed education and helps operate a unique community model alongside his family: an adult day program serving indivi...

A couple of weeks ago, I married the love of my life. But this episode isn't really about the wedding. It's about what happened in the weeks leading up to it. Between my son's graduation, teaching at Kentucky Yoga Festival, a surprise incentive trip to the British Virgin Islands, work responsibilities, travel plans, and wedding preparations, I found myself doing what high performers...

What if the life you’re meant to live is already inside of you — waiting to be activated? In this powerful conversation, Rachel sits down with executive coach, speaker, and author Randall Thames to explore purpose, identity, leadership, fulfillment, and what it truly means to rise into the role you were created for. Together, they unpack the difference between happiness and fulfillment, the danger...

What does real performance actually look like as you get older? In this episode of The FitZen Project, Rachel sits down with nationally recognized performance coach, entrepreneur, and founder of the Chris Ryan Fitness app, Chris Ryan, for a conversation that goes far beyond workouts and aesthetics. Together, they unpack the intersection of fitness, leadership, longevity, parenting, entrepreneurshi...

What if the thing keeping you stuck… is everything you keep trying to add? In this powerful conversation, Rachel sits down with author, inventor, Ironman athlete, military veteran, and storyteller Scott Lackey to unpack what it really means to wake up to your life instead of slowly giving pieces of yourself away. This conversation goes deep into self-awareness, identity, resilience, failure, perso...

What if the problem isn’t that you’re broken… but that you’ve been living inside inherited patterns you never consciously chose? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Meher Chahal, author of Unlicensed Medicine , to explore healing beyond conventional frameworks. We talk about trauma, identity, inherited emotional patterns, nervous system awareness, self-leader...

Functioning isn’t freedom. That line? It changed everything for me. In this raw solo episode, I’m taking you into one of the most personal frameworks that completely shifted how I see self-leadership, energy management, relationships, motherhood, and radical ownership: The Victim Triangle. And before you tune out thinking, “I’m not a victim…” — stay with me. Because victimhood doesn’t always look...

Lucy passed. And no—it wasn’t luck. Somewhere along the way, she stopped studying for a test… and started becoming the kind of person who doesn’t miss. This episode is about that shift. Because this isn’t just about passing an exam—it’s about identity. It’s about discipline. It’s about the quiet reps no one sees and the moments no one claps for… that change everything. I’m walking you through two...

What happens when the life you built… disappears? In this episode of The FitZen Project , I sit down with Scott Proposki—a former White House photographer who built an eight-figure photography business working with brands like HBO, the NFL, Google, and Microsoft… …and then watched it all come to a halt during COVID. This conversation goes way deeper than business. We talk about identity loss, star...

I thought I was celebrating a bachelorette party… what actually happened was a full identity shift. In this episode, I’m sharing what it looked like to come face-to-face with every version of myself— the soft one, the wild one, the one who stayed too long, and the one who finally chose more. And for the first time… I didn’t try to change her. Surrounded by 12 women, I saw myself reflected back in...

What if your intuition isn’t broken… you’ve just stopped listening? In this solo episode, Rachel Fitzpatrick breaks down intuition in the most real, practical way—no fluff, no mysticism overload. Just the truth: your intuition is already there. The question is whether you trust it. Rachel shares personal stories of when she followed her gut (and when she didn’t), and how those moments shaped her a...

What if you’re not actually exhausted… you’re just leaking energy? In this solo episode of The FitZen Project , Rachel Fitzpatrick reflects on her one-year podcast journey and the deeper layers of personal growth that have come with it. From navigating major life changes to recognizing where her energy was unconsciously being drained. This episode is a real-time conversation on self-awareness, ali...

This episode is a deep dive into what it really means to be in the business of yourself. I’m joined by Tom Mitchell—performance coach and author of Embrace Your Inner Coach —and we explore the inner game of performance, self-leadership, and what it takes to trust yourself in a world that constantly tells you to look outside for answers. We talk about Tom’s journey from athlete to coach, how yoga a...

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Rachel Fitzpatrick sits down with Leilani to explore the journey from survival mode to embodied sovereignty. Leilani shares her story of self-discovery, healing, and transformation—highlighting how adversity, including episodes of physical paralysis, became the catalyst for reconnecting with her body, her truth, and her purpose. Through her lived exp...

What happens when you remove the labels you’ve carried for years? In this solo episode, Rachel Fitzpatrick reflects on the powerful experience of hosting the Rooted with FitZen Retreat — a weekend centered around self-awareness, authenticity, and remembering who we are beneath the identities we've collected over time. Through yoga, breathwork, deep conversation, and intentional reflection, so...

What if the breakthrough you’re searching for isn’t in your mind… but in your breath? In this episode of The FitZen Project Podcast, I sit down with breathwork facilitator and transformational coach Tabatha Debruyn to explore the power of 9D Breathwork , emotional healing, and nervous system regulation. Tabatha shares her journey from high school teacher to holistic healer — and how breath became...

What is Wu Wei? And how does Taoism apply to leadership, business, and personal growth? In this episode, Rachel Fitzpatrick sits down with Prashanthi Amarnath, author of Embracing Paradox, to explore paradox, authenticity, energy, and effortless action. Then: You’ll learn:  • What Wu Wei really means (it’s not passive)  • How Taoist philosophy changes the way you lead  • Why tension is a signal, n...

What if fitness wasn’t about shrinking yourself — but expanding into who you really are? In this episode of The FitZen Project , I sit down with fitness and wellness coach Nicole Zapoli to talk about what it actually means to live fit from the inside out. And spoiler alert — it has way more to do with mindset, purpose, and strength than calorie counting. Nicole shares her journey in the health and...

In this expansive and deeply honest conversation, host Rachel Fitzpatrick sits down with Heath Armstrong to explore self-evolution, manifestation, inspired action, and the courage required to live as your authentic self . Together, they unpack what it really means to evolve — not by force or hustle, but through expression, play, creativity, and energetic alignment . Heath shares personal stories o...

In this grounding and expansive solo episode of The FitZen Project , host Rachel Fitzpatrick reflects on what it truly means to be Rooted with FitZen — living in alignment with your values while cultivating confidence, clarity, and self-leadership. Drawing from recent conversations on mindset, energy management, financial planning, health, and mentorship , Rachel explores how these areas are deepl...

In this expansive and grounding conversation, Rachel Fitzpatrick sits down with Kris Land , author of the award-winning book The Infinity Within , to explore self-discovery, purpose, and what it means to experience life as a conscious participant rather than a passive observer. Kris shares the inspiration behind his writing, the role mentorship has played in his personal evolution, and how fear ca...

In this powerful and honest episode of The FitZen Project , host Rachel Fitzpatrick sits down with Dr. Laure DeMattia to explore the deeply personal relationship between food, health, mindset, and self-discovery . Together, they unpack the noise of diet culture, the rise of weight-loss medications, and the importance of learning how to truly listen to your body in a wListeners walk away with groun...

What if financial planning wasn’t about chasing a number—but about designing a life that actually feels aligned? In this episode of The FitZen Project , I’m joined by Mike Milligan , author, Certified Financial Planner®, and Founder of 1 Oak Financial —a firm dedicated to helping pre-retirees and new retirees build intentional, values-driven financial futures . As part of the FitZen Regulation Ser...