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Racquel Reid is a certified This Naked Mind coach with a unique story of recovery. In this episode, Racquel shares her drinking story and explains why her life got smaller 11 years ago when she first stopped drinking, and how after years of feeling “abnormal” and hiding away from the world, she rediscovered her power and magic and has built a life beyond what she could have imagined.

Both in the “zigs and zags” of menopause, Racquel and I discuss how happy we are to be alcohol-free at this stage of our hormonal lives and how we have both discovered confidence and clarity in menopause.

Racquel shares her next big leap: taking her coaching business on the road as she explores South America and Eastern Asia on her own.

As a coach, Racquel works primarily with women who have already stopped drinking but are feeling disempowered and less than magical about their own lives.

More about Racquel: ...

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If you need a good laugh and a little levity, tune into this episode, where Sarah and I share the list of “Pet Peeves” that we’ve been accumulating together over the last year, including petty yet universal annoyances like the perpetual “goaty” smell of dishtowels and empty ice cube trays left in the freezer, but also inexplicable, less rational irritants like mimes (in general, in person or on-screen), books about the Great Depression or riding trains and just about anything “curated, artisanal or bespoke.”

There’s something in this episode for everyone (if nothing else, you’ll feel better about your own cortisol-jacking pet peeves, promise!) Join Sarah and me for a fun conversation about the small things that drive us crazy in midlife. 

I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: ...

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Dr. Brooke Scheller is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and expert in nutrition for alcohol use by impacting gut and brain health. She is a leader in the wellness space, pioneering the understanding of how alcohol impacts the gut, our nutritional pathways, and the brain through nutrient deficiencies.

In this episode, Dr. Brooke shares what led her to challenge her relationship with alcohol and stop drinking during the pandemic.

Brooke and I discuss how drinking affects our hormones in midlife, including our reproductive and thyroid hormones, and our blood sugar management.

Dr. Brooke explains how drinking less can help us feel better and how our food choices can help us to cut back without feeling deprived.

She provides some simple actionable steps you can take now to give your body more of what it needs to create and manage your hormones. It’s a fascinating discussion you won’t want to...

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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

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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...