The Power of Oxygen 1st

Family isn’t always the people who share your last name. Sometimes the deepest healing comes from the “others” who choose you, love you, and hold space for the life you actually have, not the one you imagined. In this tender, heart-forward episode, I share the concept of “the others," the unexpected parents, children, mentors, neighbors, and friends who become our chosen family. I open up abo...

What if the very thing you’re holding onto is the reason you feel stuck, exhausted, or uninspired? In this episode, I am exploring the art of letting go in business, leadership, and life. From releasing employees who no longer align to ending relationships or routines that drain your energy, I am sharing my powerful Grow or Go method for compassionate, clear, and effective release. You’ll learn wh...

 I’m back and it feels so good to finally say that. After moving across Colorado, going through a divorce, and restructuring my business, I’ve learned firsthand what it means to let go and start again. In this episode, I’m sharing a very personal story about the $100 gym cancellation that taught me a much bigger lesson: sometimes the cost of alignment is worth every penny. Letting go isn’t giving...

Welcome to The Power of Oxygen 1st,  the podcast that helps you stop running on empty and start leading your life and business with intention, joy, and energy. Hosted by Dot Rock, a CPA turned Chief Energy Officer, solo mom, and firm believer that burnout is not a badge of honor, this show is your permission slip to slow down, breathe, and do things differently. Each week, Dot shares real stories,...

Have you ever paused during a major life transition to really honor what it means to you? In this heart-opening episode, I share a deeply personal ritual that's helping my family navigate our move from Durango to Fort Collins, Colorado. The decision to leave our home wasn't made lightly. After feeling increasingly unsafe in Durango, we embarked on a search for a place where we could rebu...

Sometimes the most powerful moments of clarity come when we're surrounded by chaos. In this deeply personal episode, I take you along on my journey of packing up our home for a major move while reflecting on the incredible transformation my son and I have experienced over the past year. The simple act of pausing my packing frenzy to journal revealed insights I hadn't fully processed unti...

What happens when the buck stops entirely with you as a parent? When there's no tag-teaming school mornings, no every-other-weekend off, and every decision—from lunch packing to therapy scheduling—falls squarely on your shoulders? This is the reality of solo parenting that goes far beyond just being single. Drawing from my personal experience raising my son Dominic, I dive deep into the criti...

The moment when honesty breaks through darkness can change everything. After watching my son battle depression for nearly two years following a traumatic divorce and multiple hospitalizations for a toxic appendix, I witnessed a profound transformation sparked by one brutally honest conversation. Standing on the sidelines of a baseball tournament, seeing my 12-year-old son struggle with strikeouts...

Letting go is never just about the physical act—it's about honoring what was while creating space for what's next. In this deeply personal episode, I open up about the emotional journey of selling the home that held me through divorce, single motherhood, and profound personal transformation. The house that witnessed my son's childhood, epic nerf gun battles, and my own rebirth has b...

Gratitude transforms us in ways we rarely recognize. While we often think of gratitude as a polite expression of thanks, its power runs much deeper – it's actually a potent emotional detox that lifts heaviness from our souls and raises our vibrational frequency. In this episode, I share a deeply personal gratitude project that helped pull me from a dark emotional place. After postponing sendi...

Have you ever wondered what happened to that fearless, authentic version of yourself from childhood? The one who didn't apologize for taking up space, who followed curiosity without hesitation, who led with heart instead of fear? This episode takes you on a deeply personal journey of remembering and reclaiming your most authentic self. We explore how returning to our essential nature isn&apos...

Struggling to keep up with the endless demands of entrepreneurship? You're not alone. In this powerful episode, we dive into the heart of what truly holds business owners back—not lack of hustle, but lack of support. As entrepreneurs, we often wear 47 hats while eyeing that 48th one, convinced that delegating is harder than doing it ourselves. This deeply ingrained belief system doesn't...

The moments that test our limits rarely need solutions—they need presence. After weeks of hospital stays with my son Dominic, I've been reflecting deeply on what it means to truly support someone through crisis. That well-intentioned question we often ask—"What can I do to help?"—places the burden of instruction on someone already drowning in overwhelm. True support looks different....

Life has a way of interrupting our best-laid business plans. Just when things seem to be getting back to normal, the universe throws a curveball that changes everything. That's what happened to me recently when my son went from enjoying a beautiful Mother's Day dinner to being critically ill in the hospital within hours. The experience was terrifying - his fourth or fifth hospitalization...

Magnetic energy flows when we align our actions with our vision. This episode reveals how operating as your future self—the one who has already achieved the success you desire—transforms your business strategy and results. When we live in alignment, clarity emerges naturally. Your decision-making accelerates because you stop outsourcing your authority to trends and outside opinions. Your marketing...

What happens when you operate with the confidence and clarity of someone who has already achieved the success you desire? Everything changes. The magnetic energy of alignment might be your most untapped business asset. When we begin operating as the version of ourselves who has already achieved our desired success, our strategy shifts, our confidence transforms, and our results naturally begin to...

What does it feel like when your energy becomes truly magnetic? That space where dreams manifest unexpectedly, where people are drawn to you, and where you feel deeply connected to your authentic self? This isn't about perfect circumstances—it's about alignment. I'm recording this episode from a hotel in Albuquerque where I've brought my son to his baseball tournament despite h...

Sometimes the greatest business transformations emerge from our deepest personal challenges. In this raw and heartfelt episode, I open up about finding alignment and joy amidst the rebuilding phase after my divorce – a process that has been simultaneously devastating and liberating. This experience became what I now recognize as a sacred course correction, clarifying everything about my business a...

Have you ever wondered if it's possible to find genuine happiness while your world is still in pieces? In this raw and heartfelt episode, I open up about discovering deep joy at my core even as I navigate the aftermath of a devastating divorce, complete with rumors, betrayal, and literally moving my life out in trash bags. Contrary to what many of us have been taught, joy doesn't always...

Have you ever considered taking your business on a romantic date? Not to fix problems or create strategies, but simply to fall back in love with what you've built? In this soul-stirring exploration of entrepreneurship, we dive into the surprising truth about business burnout—it often stems not from doing too much, but from losing intimate connection with our vision. When resentment and exhaus...

Imagine slipping into your favorite outfit, making a dinner reservation for one, and walking into a restaurant with the confidence of someone who's completely comfortable in their own presence. This isn't the beginning of a sad story—it's a revolutionary act of self-love that can transform your relationship with yourself. In this soul-nourishing episode, I take you on a sensory jour...

Every entrepreneur faces setbacks - revenue dips, client losses, failed launches - but your ability to recover quickly is what truly defines your success. This episode dives deep into what I call your "comeback rate" - the speed at which you bounce back from business challenges without sacrificing your wellbeing. As a fractional CFO, HR consultant, and single parent, I've learned fi...

Have you ever wondered why some setbacks knock you down for days while others barely register? The difference might be what I call your "comeback rate" – your emotional resilience when life throws its inevitable challenges your way. In this deeply personal episode, I share my journey through divorce and how I've transformed my response to triggers that once left me paralyzed. Where...

Are you quietly killing your business from the inside out? That's exactly what happens when we practice self-abandonment in leadership, putting the business first at all costs until we're running a business that's running over us. As entrepreneurs, we recognize the familiar patterns: saying yes when we mean no, discounting our prices out of fear, taking on misaligned clients for rev...

Are you tired of saying "yes" when you really want to say "no"? Do you find yourself constantly putting everyone else's needs before your own, only to feel resentful and exhausted later? You're not alone. The difference between self-abandonment and self-honoring defines how we show up in our relationships, leadership, and those critical conversations we have with ours...