Empowered & Embodied Show

The Myth of Pushing Through

Send us a MessageExhausted? You're not imagining it — and you're not alone.In episode 198 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get real about the collective weight so many of us are carrying right now: the bone-deep tiredness, the emotional overwhelm, and the quiet shame that shows up when we think we should be handling it better. We explore what it actually means to honor what you're feeling instead of rushing past it — and why the path forward isn't a massive overhaul, but a series of tiny, honest movements toward yourself.In this episode, we dig into:Why exhaustion and emotional overload are showing up everywhere right now and why that mattersHow shame and guilt compound depletion and make it harder to recoverWhy "fine" isn't neutral, but a slow drain that's harder to escape How survival mode is quietly shrinking our sense of what's possibleWhat it means to honor your "am-ness" by meeting yourself where you actually are instead of where you think you should beWhy micro-movements, micro-joys, and small honest adjustments are enoughKey Moments00:00 Introduction and Connection 04:16 Navigating Emotional Exhaustion 06:48 The Impact of External Energy 09:14 Honoring Our Emotions 11:42 Understanding Exhaustion and Guilt 14:16 Finding Micro Joys 16:54 Survival Mode vs. Thriving 19:16 Breaking Free from 'Fine' 21:51 Micro Adjustments for Change 24:35 The Power of Tiny Habits 27:22 Closing Thoughts and ReflectionsResources mentioned in this episode:Micro-shifts video series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_z45Gwg5RxSHIGzji8rO3q1n3YGfOLCc&si=0lmqL7ByRi-kZKxeSpoon theory explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn5IBsm49RkA note for our listeners: If what we're describing feels like more than micro-movements can reach right now, please know that's okay too, and there is support available.In the US: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) | Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) | NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-6264In Canada: Call 1-833-456-4566 (Crisis Services Canada) | Text 45645 | cmha.ca to find local supportCrisis Text Line also serves the UK and Ireland — text HOME to 85258Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com or therapyden.comInternational crisis center directory: iasp.info/resources/Crisis_CentresJoin a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com 

You Can't Outsource Knowing Yourself

Send us a MessageThere's always another tool. Another framework. Another person telling you this is the thing that will finally make it click.In episode 197 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, co-hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil get honest about why we keep reaching outside ourselves... and why it never quite lands the way we are hoping it will.We talk about the difference between connecting to a big external purpose and knowing what genuinely sustains you. We get into capacity... not as a productivity hack, but as a form of self-respect. And we share two completely different approaches to getting through hard things. Both completely right, because we're different people.This is why you can't outsource knowing yourself.Key TakeawaysThe problem you think you have probably isn't the actual problemHonoring your capacity is how you honor your own humanityWhat works for someone else might not work for you... and that's okay!The closer you are to your own why, the easier it is to stay groundedKey Moments00:00 — Welcome and introductions05:24 — What "all the things" is really about07:44 — The problem you think you have isn't usually the problem09:21 — Coming back to your why11:19 — Capital P Purpose vs. the personal spark16:06 — When the spark is hard to find21:57 — Where does the inner work fit in a full life25:27 — Two completely different ways to get things done 31:04 — Why tools and tactics miss the spot without self-knowledge35:53 — Wrap up and takeawaysJoin a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com 

Why Being Heard Changes Who You Are with Amy & Nancy Harrington

Send us a MessageWhat would change if you stopped hiding your humanity and finally community that could see you for who you are? Sisters and co-founders of the Passionistas Project, Amy and Nancy Harrington, join Kim Romain and Louise Neil in Episode 196 of The Empowered & Embodied Show to explore the radical power of storytelling, why vulnerability is the foundation of real community, and how two introverted sisters built a global sisterhood by simply creating the space they wished had existed.From interviewing Dr. Jane Goodall to leaving high-profile careers at Warner Bros. and Miramax, Amy and Nancy have spent years amplifying the voices of women — especially those from marginalized communities — and turning that mission into a movement.In this episode, we dig into:Why storytelling and being heard changes who you areWhat it costs us to perform professionalism and lock our humanity awayWhat it means to build something that takes on a life beyond youVulnerability is the access point for genuine connection and communityCommunity is a mirror that shows you you're not aloneKey Moments00:00 – Opening and Introductions 07:47 – From celebrity interviews to amplifying unheard voices: How the Passionistas were born 09:02 – How storytelling helps us care more deeply about each other12:27 – Learning to model vulnerability when you were trained to stay buttoned up 15:27 – Why vulnerability transforms even the most "dry" conversations 17:06 – How we lock our humanity away 22:14 – Normalizing the human experience: bodies, health, sexuality, and everything we don't talk about 27:52 – The big dream: women running the world, one story at a time 29:36 – What does it mean to be empowered? 35:45 – The power of listening to yourself and others 45:36 – What's ahead for the Passionistas Connect with the Passionistas Project:Website: thepassionistasproject.comFree 30-Day Journal: thepassionistasproject.com/30-days-journalJoin a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com 

Breaking the Money Taboo: A Conversation on Worth

Send us a MessageMoney is one of the great taboos we're not supposed to talk about. And that silence is costing you more than you think.In episode 195 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get real about the money stories quietly running the show: the scarcity thinking, the shame spirals, the questions of worthiness that keep us stuck in the same patterns, year after year.We unpack why breaking through financially isn't a numbers game... it's an identity game. And why the work of healing your relationship with money is inseparable from the work of knowing who you are.We also call out the predatory tactics that exploit your money stories, the systemic reasons women in particular have been kept financially disempowered, and why talking openly about money isn't just necessary... it's healing.If money has more of a hold on your life than you'd like to admit, this conversation is for you.Key TakeawaysThe pressure to fix everything yourself isn't strength — it's a storyYour income ceiling is your identity ceilingAvoiding money doesn't make the problem smaller — it makes it biggerWhat someone pays you doesn't determine your worthThe silence around money is keeping you stuckPredatory sales tactics target your insecurities — know the signsKey Moments00:00 - Welcome and introductions06:33 - When "it's money" is about more than money09:19 - Whose money stories are these anyway?10:47 - Why we don't talk about money — and what that silence costs15:34 - The systems that kept women financially disempowered19:44 - When a win still doesn't feel like enough22:18 - Your income ceiling is your identity ceiling25:32 - Entrepreneurship as the ultimate personal development tool28:28 - Predatory sales tactics and how to spot them35:45 - Wrap up and takeawaysSome other episodes where we dove into the topic of money:Why Talking About Money Feels So Hard: https://youtu.be/CAGgpgJCFyUBreaking Free from Money Stress https://youtu.be/-tr4PYyN2OIFinding Abundance and Balance Through Life's Messy Middles https://youtu.be/51hfnkuCH5kJoin a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com 

The Stories That Deserve to Be Heard with Anna DeShawn

Send us a MessageWhat does it mean to tell your story when it might not be safe to do so? And what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start creating what doesn't yet exist? Chicago-born social entrepreneur, Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame inductee, and Ambie-nominated podcast host Anna DeShawn joins Kim Romain and Louise Neil in Episode 194 of The Empowered & Embodied Show to explore the power and responsibility of queer storytelling, what it really means to build a business that's deeply personal, and why experimentation might be the most liberating framework for entrepreneurs.From founding E3 Radio in 2009 while still in corporate America, to building The Qube, hosting podcast salons, and pressing Black and Brown voices onto vinyl, Anna is riding media into its next era, one experiment at a time.In this episode, we dig into:Why storytelling is an act of resistance and why not everyone has to tell their story right nowHow finding your community transforms both your confidence and your impactHow adopting an experimentation mindset freed Anna from the fear of failureWhy the future of storytelling might actually be analogWhat it means to create what doesn't exist yet and why you're the one to do itKey Moments00:00 - Welcome and introductions 03:15 - Why storytelling is a necessity, not a luxury 05:00 - Safety, readiness, and the choice to share your story 10:03 - Finding your people and building community 12:18 - Stepping into rooms where you feel like you don't belong 19:23 - On not being able to see yourself as others see you 22:13 - Why business is deeply personal 27:16 - Experimentation as a framework 32:21 - Podcast salons and the power of listening in community 36:35 - Why seeing yourself reflected is never overrated 40:00 - Failure is human and necessary About Anna DeShawn Anna is the founder and host of E3 Radio, an online radio station playing queer music and reporting on queer news with an intersectional lens, and the creator of The Qube, a platform for discovering independent podcasts. An Ambie-nominated podcast host, producer and multi-award winning media creator, Anna was inducted into the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame for her commitment to the LGBTQ community. She has been riding media into its next era since 2009, telling the stories and playing the music that deserves to be heard.https://pod.link/queernews | https://theqube.app | https://linktr.ee/annadeshawn | https://www.youtube.com/@E3RadioJoin a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com