The Pleasure Project with Dana Skoglund

Why Are We Afraid of Failure? We all know failure is part of success. We know we have to fail our way forward. So why are we still so afraid of it? Because we’re not actually afraid of failure itself. We’re afraid of how it will feel — the disappointment, embarrassment, rejection, shame — and what we’ll make it mean about ourselves. Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe...

Becoming isn’t about turning yourself into someone new. It’s about stripping away everything that isn’t really you. In this episode, I’m sharing a portion of what I taught at my recent Art of Becoming Retreat —specifically, the four ways we leave ourselves and self-abandon in the name of staying safe. We’ll talk about: How your past can quietly shape what you believe is possible for your future Wh...

What if the limits you believe about yourself aren’t actually true? In this episode, I share the incredible stories of comedian Kathy Buckley and disability advocate Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer—two women whose lives were shaped by circumstances that could have easily defined and limited them, but didn’t. Their stories were a powerful reminder that so many of the limits we live inside are old beliefs,...

What if the most important question isn’t What do I want? but Who am I becoming? In this episode, I’m exploring identity evolution—how the way you see yourself shapes the choices you make, the habits you build, and ultimately the life you create. You’ll learn why your identity doesn’t have to be defined by your past, and how to start intentionally becoming the version of you your future is calling...

What if feeling good wasn’t just the reward for success… but part of how you create it? In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a Pleasure Project coaching call to explore the science and practice of hardwiring your brain for more pleasure . We naturally have a negativity bias—our brains are wired to notice problems, threats, and what’s not working. But through self-directed neuroplas...

This week, I learned a lot from one very simple experiment: I stopped consuming podcasts, trainings and nonfiction for seven days. It was harder than I expected. In this episode: What happened when I stopped consuming podcasts, trainings and nonfiction for a week Why the experiment felt a little like a detox The new boundary I’m testing How I’m making the next phase of The Truth Experiment more ta...

In this episode, I’m sharing what I’ve already learned from trying to hold 13 different intentions at once, why I realized I was making the experiment way too complicated, and the simpler framework I’m using going forward. In this episode: Why the beginning of any change can feel exciting… until reality sets in The emotional cycle of change and why “uninformed optimism” eventually wears off What I...

I’m back on the podcast—and I’m kicking things off with a brand-new 60-day project. I turn 50 in two months, and I’ve been thinking a lot about who I want to be as I move into the second half of my life. I want to feel free, alive, vibrant, courageous and fully expressed. I want more adventure—not necessarily through more travel, but by bringing novelty, bravery and unpredictability into my everyd...

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how my coaching certification came to life — including the imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and identity shift that came with saying yes before I felt fully ready. After 13 years of coaching, five different certifications, hundreds of clients, and a lifetime of studying transformation, I realized there was something missing from so many coaching t...

In this episode, I’m sharing a special three-part Ayurveda Summer Camp series that I originally recorded as a video series a few years ago — and the content felt too good not to bring to the podcast. Ayurveda is one of the most practical, beautiful systems for understanding your body, energy, habits, and daily rhythms. It’s not about following a rigid list of rules or trying to force yourself into...

I’m back with a quick personal update and a reflection on something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: the mental load of holding onto things that may no longer fit. Over the past few months, I’ve been deep in the creation of my coaching certification program , which has been a huge and beautiful undertaking. And as much as I love this podcast, I had to make the decision to put regular episode...

How I used ChatGPT to uncover my patterns (and turned it into a Success Playbook) I share a behind-the-scenes experiment that turned into a game-changing self-coaching tool: I uploaded two years of journal entries to ChatGPT and asked it to identify my patterns. What came back was like having an ultra-insightful coach mirror back the exact moments I get dysregulated, slip into fear-based survival...

In this masterclass-style episode, I share the core framework behind Your Year of Pleasure : how to stop white-knuckling your goals and create results with pleasure and ease instead of pressure. You’ll learn the Being & Becoming paradox (loving where you are while loving where you’re going), the two habits to stop immediately if you want real change, and how to work with your nervous system an...

Create Your 2026 Vision Happy New Year! This episode is your invitation to pause before you sprint into New Year goals. In today’s episode, I share pieces from my 2-Day Annual Planning Retreat , including a powerful reframe on why your dream life is closer than you think, how subconscious programming shapes what you believe is possible, and why the real key to transformation isn’t willpower—it’s a...

We’re taught that great decision-making is about logic—more pros/cons, more research, more certainty. But neuroscience tells a different story: we don’t decide with logic alone. We decide with emotion. And when you’re struggling to choose, it’s often because you’re trying to avoid an uncomfortable feeling—regret, failure, judgment, disappointment, uncertainty. In this episode, I break down why ana...

In this episode, I’m finally sharing something that has been 13 years in the making: my brand new coaching certification program . It feels surreal to say that out loud. I start by taking you back to the moment everything changed for me—the night I realized I wasn’t willing to settle for a job just to pay the bills. Thirteen years later, I’ve turned my annual income into my monthly income, and I c...

In this episode, I’m sharing the full keynote speech I delivered at the Beauty & Wellness Conference — a talk that struck a deep chord with so many entrepreneurs navigating the highs and lows of growth. If you’ve ever found yourself hustling harder, doing “all the right things,” and still wondering why it feels so hard… this episode is for you. I take you behind the scenes of my Pleasure Proje...

In this episode, we explore why it's so hard to let go when we deeply want something, and how attachment to the outcome can quietly drain our power, joy, and presence. If you’ve ever found yourself gripping a goal, a result, or a timeline — this conversation will help you soften, breathe, and come back to yourself. We’re breaking down the difference between caring about your desires and needing th...

So many women are exhausted—not just from what they do, but from what they believe they have to do. In this episode, Dana explores one of the most common patterns she sees in coaching: feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions, reactions, and happiness. This episode dives into: Why women are conditioned to believe their worth is earned through selflessness and caretaking How over-responsibi...

In this heartfelt solo episode, Dana shares a behind-the-scenes look at what’s been unfolding in her life and business over the past year — from personal milestones and adventures to powerful new programs and big visions for what’s to come. She reflects on turning 49, creating two transformational programs, deepening her community connections, and finding the balance between being and becoming — a...

What if being at your ideal weight felt easy ? Imagine making nourishing food choices on autopilot, craving healthy meals, loving how you feel in your body, and having energy, confidence, and vitality every single day—without the mental drama of dieting. In this episode of the Pleasure Project Podcast , I walk you through the six simple steps that create a lifestyle where your ideal weight becomes...

Episode 221: Delulu Is the Solulu — Why Radical Self-Belief Is the Real Secret to Success Have you heard the phrase “Delulu is the solulu” ? It may have started as a viral TikTok trend, but the truth behind it is anything but silly. At its core, it’s about radical self-belief, daring to dream bigger, and choosing to believe that your success is inevitable—even when it seems impossible. In this epi...

Have you ever noticed that right after something amazing happens — a big win at work, a loving moment with your partner, or a financial breakthrough — you suddenly feel anxious, start overthinking, or even pick a fight? That’s not random. It’s your upper limit . In this episode, we dive into the hidden ways we cap our own joy, success, and abundance — and how to expand your nervous system, mindset...

What if the path to true confidence, ease, and joy isn’t about doing more or proving yourself—but about aligning with who you really are? In this episode of The Pleasure Project Podcast , Dana Skoglund invites you into a new paradigm for living: one rooted in authenticity, clarity, and aligned action. You’ll discover: Why alignment is the key to confidence, calm, and pleasure. The three pillars of...

If you feel like certain areas of your life are stuck on repeat—same struggles, same results, same frustrations—this episode is for you. This week, I’m sharing an excerpt from a workshop I taught over the summer where we explored why we keep recreating the past and, more importantly, how to break free from those cycles so you can create something new. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: The 5 bigge...