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Rachael Layton is a certified This Naked Mind coach from Brisbane, Australia, who is now happily alcohol-free, after years of working as a corporate communications specialist while raising a family and feeling in control of all areas of her life, except for the way she drank.

In this episode, Rachel shares her drinking story and explains why perimenopause made her rethink her drinking. Rachel and I discuss why hitting rock bottom and/or identifying as an “alcoholic” are not prerequisites to leaving alcohol behind, and what Rachel learned after her first attempt to stop drinking that allowed her to achieve full freedom from alcohol the second time around.

Rachel now works with women in midlife who are successful, driven, and who seemingly have their lives together, but are concerned about the amount they are drinking.

More about Rachel: www.inspiredtochange.com.au

Instagram:  ...

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In this short podcast episode, I provide listeners with an update on my abrupt transition to empty nester this fall, including the blindsiding grief I felt this spring and how I worked through it to find the joy on the other side. Since my children are only seven months apart, and in the same grade, they both left their childhood home for university residences the same week.

I share a piece I wrote called “Emptying the Nest” that will resonate with mothers everywhere, where I explore how it feels as your young adult children begin their slow leaving process and then disappear from your home.

If you’ve got children (or nieces, nephews or step-kids or godchildren), don’t skip this one – it’s short and bittersweet but also universal in the emotions involved in this natural transition period in midlife.

Please feel free to share this episode with any moms (or dads!) you know who are in...

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A self-declared ex “Boozy Tragic”, Amy Armstrong is on a mission to normalize alcohol-free drinking experiences in Australia. She’s dedicated her second career to removing the stigma around not drinking and creating the best possible experiences for people by curating the best-quality non-alcoholic wines, beers, pre-mixed drinks, and alcohol alternatives through her online reviews and tasting parties.

Alcohol-free for over two years, Amy shares her drinking story and the personal growth she has experienced since breaking free of it.

No need to be alcohol-free to enjoy this podcast and Amy’s recommendations -- most of her followers are sober-curious, not sober!

More about Amy: https://www.drybutwet.com.au/
Follow Amy on Instagram @dry_but_wet

Better Rhodes (Canada): https://betterrhodes.ca/

Questioning your drinking? Start here (free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Sarah and I discuss a couple of recent news articles about the death of ambition since the emergence of COVID. People are working less or are less invested in their work, with more opting for early retirement than ever. There’s apparently a rebellion happening against “pointless presenteeism”, and Sarah and I are 100% here for it.

We explore and deconstruct the social definitions of success for women and consider how doing less might actually contribute to being more, and lead to an easier, more abundant existence.

Is the conventional definition of success and ambition even achievable?

What happens when we let go of our false idea of control and shift our ambition into “being”?

Might this be the key to life satisfaction and happiness? We believe so.

Don’t worry, it’s not as esoteric as it sounds. As always, we keep our conversation grounded in real life and have a few good laughs.

...

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April Stroink is a Money Coach and Advisor for individuals and entrepreneurs seeking clarity, ease, and abundance with their finances. In this episode, April and I discuss the common limiting money beliefs that many women in midlife have, and why it’s worth the work to shift them.

April draws a fascinating parallel between overspending and other addictive behaviours including drinking, and she and I discuss how stepping into your power around money mirrors taking back control over alcohol. 

We also talk about shopping as an unhealthy coping mechanism, the emotional aspect of money, the patriarchal construct of “retail therapy” and how it is disempowering women, the role of social media in mindless consumerism, and the price our daughters are paying as a result, the importance of a healthy money mindset in preventing burnout, and the connection between your personal values and your financial picture.

Might your...

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Ruby Williams, Senior Certified TNM Coach, shares her story of growing up in Sonoma, California in a family of winemakers, followed by her 19-year career in the wine industry, where her food addiction grew and her drinking progressed, eventually leading to alcohol abuse after bariatric surgery. Ruby and I explore her path to eventual freedom from both alcohol and food and discuss the role of mindset work, meditation, and gratitude in her recovery.

Ruby now works with women who began to abuse alcohol after bariatric surgery and struggle with alcohol-related weight gain. She is a single mother of an adult son and lives an hour north of San Francisco with her dog and chickens, where she practices meditation and yoga. 

More about Ruby: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Ruby’s free Superpower Guide: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/the-superpowerguide-pipeline

Questioning your drinking? Start here...

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Karla Adkins, Senior Certified TNM Coach, shares her amazing death-defying story (for real!) of crippling anxiety, drinking to cope, the acute and terrifying health challenges that ensued, and her subsequent journey to mental and physical wellness and freedom from alcohol. Karla and I discuss the link between anxiety and alcohol for women, the problem with asking “am I an alcoholic?”, the consequences of “giving alcohol a job”, and the reality of living with alcohol-related liver disease. Karla shares her experiences as a patient with alcohol-related liver disease, the impact of shame and judgment by medical professionals on her psyche and mindset, and the difference a clear message of hope and support can make.

Drawing from her own experience as well as her training as a Certified Senior Coach through This Naked Mind, Karla helps put people back in control of their lives by empowering them with the tools and...

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Welcome to Season 3 of Bite-Sized Balance! In today's episode, Sarah and I catch up, sharing what we did this summer and some of the life lessons we both learned this past year.

Sarah opens up about a recent loss and her insight into her instinct to try to control everything, and how it serves her better to hold life’s outcomes more loosely. I share an update regarding my emptying nest and the emotions that have accompanied selling my kids’ childhood home and readying them both to leave for their first year of university.

We discuss the importance of learning to trust your gut in midlife. I also share how I'm feeling about another birthday and how the best word to describe how I'm feeling about my 50s is that I have “agency” again. As always, this conversation will resonate and uplift you, and provide a few nuggets to take away and consider in your own journey...

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In the Season 2 closer, Sarah and I revisit our favourite guests and episodes from the last year, and what we’ve learned from hosting Bite-Sized Balance and from each other. I provide my favourite definition of the “meaning of life”, and we consider how it jives with our own approach to midlife. Sarah shares two recent moments of self-discovery and her decision to explore coach training, and I provide an update on my impending empty nest situation. We consider the patriarchal social norms around self-care for women and how those aren’t serving us, along with the problem with women’s overuse of the words “I’m fine" (us included.)

Join Sarah and me for a spirited, fun conversation with an important undercurrent: it’s totally OK to start focussing on you again as you move into your midlife.

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Christy is a Certified “This Naked Mind” Coach helping moms in their 30s and 40s examine their relationship with alcohol. Christy grew up in Los Angeles but relocated to London in 2008 after completing law school and passing the California Bar Exam. Upon relocating to the United Kingdom, Christy started a hugely popular website to help other ex-pat women navigate the transition across the pond.

Always a social drinker, Christy found the stress of being a working mom caused her drinking to increase. In 2018 she lost her mother and her drinking increased again. Although everything looked fine on the surface, Christy knew she had to regain control of her life, for herself and for her family.

In today’s episode, Christy and I discuss Christy’s path to freedom from alcohol, why “rock bottoms” aren’t necessary and how waiting for them can keep women stuck, how to deal with social expectations...