As I mentioned earlier this week, August is about taking a break. I will be re-airing some of my favorite (and on topic) episodes that I know you'll love. If you've heard them before, I bet you'll learn something new this time around. To kick things off, here is my very first interview and it's still so relevant! Heather Fujikawa is a longtime friend that agreed to be my first interview. I was so nervous, and before we began she asked if we could say a prayer. It is evident in her interview that...
Aug 09, 2019•37 min•Ep. 192
I know, I know, it seems a little counterintuitive after our month about dreaming big. But it's true, resting when and where you need to can actually help you grow. This month's theme, Take a Break!, is meant to fill you back up and enrich your life. I'm going to share what inspired me to try this (sort of scary) thing. Take a break! I had a strong impression a couple months back to SLOW DOWN. You can hear the full story in the episode, but as a result here we are! There are so many things in st...
Aug 07, 2019•38 min•Ep. 191
I need to start with a THANK YOU for dreaming big with me this month. It was one of my very favorite themes and I hope you were able to learn and grow as much as I was. In today's episode a few listeners share their big dreams, tune in to be inspired by what they have to say! "Dear Progressor," July Edition I like to check in each month and let you know what I've been up to, as well as what I've learned from this month's episodes. Spoiler: turns out I hate canoeing. But on a more serious note, I...
Jul 31, 2019•27 min•Ep. 190
I'm back on my soapbox again today to gently give you permission, but also enthusiastically cheer you on, in your pursuit of your dreams. If it wasn't for a dream I had, oh, ten years ago then none of this would be here. Not this blog, this podcast, or this incredible community. And certainly none of my own personal growth from it all! So let's talk about you, what are the lies you believe about dreaming? Lies You Believe About Dreaming If you've been tuning in this month you already know what w...
Jul 26, 2019•12 min•Ep. 189
If all of our talk about dreams this month actually has you feeling stuck, that's okay. Let's get back to the basics about why you need a dream and give you a little help on how to find it. This is a no pressure approach, our life coach guest even says so. Why You Need a Dream Janelle Alexandra is a life purpose coach with a clear and faith driven mission to build up women. She believes in passion and purpose and advocates for how dreams can help you find those things. But what about obstacles? ...
Jul 24, 2019•28 min•Ep. 188
You know the phrase "when the going gets tough, the tough get going", right? What does 'going' look like for you? When things get hard do you dig in or do you get out? I think there is a common misconception that just because something is good, it should be easy. A lot of the time that just isn't true, because hard is good. Hard is Good If you think about it, you've probably seen this principle in your life even if you haven't liked it. In personal growth you kind of have to stretch yourself, an...
Jul 19, 2019•13 min•Ep. 187
Maybe one of the reasons we hold back from dreaming big is because it feels too...big! In this week's episode learn how small steps take you big places. Don't believe it? Because of that method today's most instagrammable blogging conference was born before the app even existed. How small steps take you big places Gabrielle Blair, mother of 6 blogging at Design Mom , co-founded Alt Summit 10 years ago and remains a champion for female entrepreneurship. Her motto could be described as dream big, ...
Jul 17, 2019•40 min•Ep. 186
Have you felt intimidated by this month's theme, dream big? Well that was not my intention! But, let's break that feeling down. We sometimes equate big dreams to big numbers - like monetary earnings or Instagram followers or other attributes of fame . I want you to hear me when I say, you don't have to be famous to dream big. You don't have to be famous I hope you felt inspired when I opened up about my 10 big, rarely-said-out-loud dreams, to do the same. Dream them, write them, speak them is wh...
Jul 12, 2019•13 min•Ep. 185
Have you ever asked yourself, what even is self development and where do I start with all that it entails?! It is much simpler than you think and totally achievable with baby steps. This month as we dream big listen to this interview that reminds you that you can be more than one thing. More than likely, you already are. You can be more than one thing. Vanessa Quigley is a mother of 7, founder of Chatbooks, opera singer (you gotta tune in to make sense of that one!), and now podcaster . She bold...
Jul 10, 2019•37 min•Ep. 184
If you're an accomplished athlete, maybe you've heard of this topic. If you're not really an athlete (like me!) this still applies to you. Ready for a sort of cheesy analogy? You are an athlete of growth, and me and our guests are your progress cheerleaders! Today you're going to learn why overloading is the key to growth. Heather Fuller is a personal trainer who really advocates for wellness in all realms. She runs Happier Than Skinny with her sisters, an online platform sharing physical wellne...
Jul 03, 2019•32 min•Ep. 183
With the new month comes a new theme, and I'm starting this episode off asking you to reconsider calling this one "dumb", ha! It's time to allow yourself to dream big. I suggest downloading the Progress Plan so you can work through it as you listen to this episode. I'm going to offer several shifts you can make in the way you look at dreams, as well as get realllly vulnerable and share 10 of my big dreams. Why dream big? I know what you're going to say, really I do. Dreaming big is often met wit...
Jul 01, 2019•33 min•Ep. 182
This month the theme was " You Are Creative ", and you heard guest interviews and my take on what creativity really means and how you can become the creative person you already are. Ashmae Hoiland, who I consider creativity personified, gave us permission to just create even if you might be "bad" at it. In the interview with Womb Sisters we heard from 3 women (so fun!) who gave their perspective on non-artistic creativity - my biggest takeaway was to create intention. Then Heidi Swapp, whose big...
Jun 26, 2019•26 min•Ep. 181
Sometimes I'm here to give you a bit of tough love, a kick in the pants as I like to call it! Today that looks like this: no more excuses! How many times have you pushed aside the spark of an idea with the excuse of laziness? You know what, you are not lazy. It's time to unpack why you're saying that and what to do about it. This month we have focused on creativity - getting started , what it looks like , what it doesn't look like , even how to mimic ! If you have listened in, maybe even worked ...
Jun 21, 2019•12 min•Ep. 180
Do you ever feel down about yourself when really you're just feeling down about your talents and abilities? It's time to stop and figure out what the story is that you're telling yourself . And please, rewrite if necessary to connect to your own creativity story. But what exactly is that ? About connecting to your own creativity story Today's guest is a scrapbooker. You remember the days of scrapbooking don't you?! Well she was scrapbooking before that, and still continues to do so to the tune o...
Jun 19, 2019•46 min•Ep. 179
I used to think being creative meant doing something completely unique, whether it was in performance or product. I can see now the crippling effect that had on simply allowing myself to use my natural abilities and see them as creative. What shifted my mindset? Realizing you are allowed to mimic! If you're still not convinced, let me explain... In this Pinterest era you're hard pressed to find anything that truly hasn't been done before. In fact, we talked about that in this interview . But thi...
Jun 14, 2019•10 min•Ep. 178
I love to paint, but it has been put on the back burner these days with all the other things I juggle. So, does that mean I'm not creative? I still come up with meals my whole family eats , squeeze in my favorite workouts, interview incredible podcast guests (like these ladies!) and I just launched a 10 lesson online podcasting course . And that's not at all to toot my own horn, but it is to say that I DO still create daily. The shift I've had, and hope to teach you, is in cultivating your non-a...
Jun 12, 2019•36 min•Ep. 177
Have you been surprised by discovering something new about yourself recently? So many of us are surprised by where our creativity can take us. Don't stop here if you think you're not creative, because you are . You may just need to give yourself permission to create. Whatever that looks like for you, you can explore it with grace, curiosity, and simply just for you. Ashmae Hoiland shares that, despite writing several works, she only recently became comfortable calling herself a writer. If you ha...
Jun 05, 2019•40 min•Ep. 176
With the new month comes a new theme, and I really hope this one doesn't scare anyone off! We are going to dive into creativity - what it is, what it isn't, and how to have more of it in our daily lives. I suggest downloading the Progress Plan so you can work through it as you listen to this episode where I remind you of something that maybe you've forgotten: you ARE creative. About creativity myths and motivation There are a lot of myths about creativity, for instance saying it needs to be arti...
Jun 03, 2019•29 min•Ep. 175
This month the theme was " Progress is Messy ", and you heard guest interviews and my take on what that looks like in real life. Natalie Norton shared her perspective on " How to Get Out of a Funk " - with simple tips for you and stories from her own life. Patrice Washington discussed " What to do When the Growing gets Tough " - including her own rise and how to deal with resistance. Rachel Nielson let us in on her tips for " Narrowing In and Buckling Down on your Personal Habits " - giving her ...
May 29, 2019•31 min•Ep. 174
Mamas who primarily stay home with their kids struggle to understand how I can work on my podcasting business in addition to taking care of my kids. I get this curiosity, because a few years ago I wondered if I could ever make that possible, too. Whenever I talk about the how-to's with podcasting, people seem to be more interested how I balance my work here as a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM). This episode is my transparent (and I hope helpful) response to that. In it, I share the logistics of what thi...
May 24, 2019•38 min•Ep. 173
Maybe you remember back in March when we talked about habits - motivation , sleep , and time management were a few of the topics. Hopefully you felt inspired to make some real change that would benefit you and, as a result, those around you. If you're still moving right along and keeping up with those new habits then good for you! (Also, give us all your tips !) But maybe you've become stuck, overwhelmed, and realized you need help narrowing in and buckling down on your personal habits. Friend a...
May 22, 2019•37 min•Ep. 172
We're throwing the stale rules of etiquette out the window and answering one of my most asked questions: Do you make money from podcasting? So here's the honest truth: yes! ...and no. This podcast started as, and still is, a passion project. If I didn't love it I would have quit a looong time ago. Maybe the numbers will surprise you, but do you want to know what really surprised me? Even with all the hats I'd worn, I never thought podcaster, coach, or consultant would be my current ones. So I'm ...
May 17, 2019•28 min•Ep. 171
Raise your hand if you have fallen victim to circumstances, or excuses, and your list of "What if's?" seems like the only thing in your life that is growing. Just like the old adage that a diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure, we too can learn how to shine if we push past resistance. The choice is yours, learn how to keep growing or allow self doubt to stop you in your tracks. In this episode, America's Money Maven Patrice Washington weighs in on personal growth with what work...
May 15, 2019•36 min•Ep. 170
We talk a lot about self development around here: making progress, stretching yourself, GROWING. And I know it can be frustrating when those things, even the change you desperately want to happen, take time. If. you feel like you are only able to grow slow, I'm right there with you. In fact, I'm now grateful for my slow grow. Of course, for me, I think about my blog, podcast, and Instagram but it's actually even more than that. In this episode I open up about how my creative pursuits and eating ...
May 10, 2019•14 min•Ep. 169
How is progressing going for you? Is it all over the place, back and forth, kind of a mess? GOOD. Progress is messy. All month long we are talking about what that looks like and how to deal with it. So what if you feel stuck, and need to know how to get out of a funk? The answer is simple - it's you! And this episode contains the tools you need to show up for yourself. Natalie Norton , retired photographer turned podcaster and life coach, holds little back as she reveals the depths of her grief ...
May 08, 2019•47 min•Ep. 168
Thank you for being a part of the About Progress community! I have a small favor to ask of you. Would you take this 30-second survey so that I can better understand this audience's demographics? It means so much to me that you show up here and allow me to produce this meaningful work! xo Monica Here's something you maybe didn't expect to hear around here: failure is not an option. No, really, we will all fail! But, you shouldn't let that be the reason not to TRY. In most cases, the worst thing t...
May 01, 2019•29 min•Ep. 167
Thank you for being a part of the About Progress community! I have a small favor to ask of you. Would you take this 30-second survey so that I can better understand this audience's demographics? It means so much to me that you show up here and allow me to produce this meaningful work! xo Monica It's time to hear from this community! Each month I ask for audio submissions from YOU, the listeners. I invite you to share what you learned, how you've grown, or been inspired. I am sharing something I ...
Apr 30, 2019•26 min•Ep. 166
Some of us dominate our to-do lists every single day and find happiness in checking off one thing after another. But most of us flounder between lists that consume all our waking thoughts and not making them at all. What if we could learn how to make a better To-Do List? Let's be clear, your desire to stay organized or maintain priorities is not wrong. But there may be room for improvement in your approach. If the act of creating and/or completing any items on your To-Do List is crippling your a...
Apr 26, 2019•32 min•Ep. 165
Thank you for being a part of the About Progress community! I have a small favor to ask of you. Would you take this 30-second survey so that I can better understand this audience's demographics? It means so much to me that you show up here and allow me to produce this meaningful work! xo Monica This month has been centered on something seemingly simple, yet seriously powerful: happiness. One of the biggest takeaways has been how to fulfill this need internally, rather than relying on external fa...
Apr 24, 2019•40 min•Ep. 164
Stories are an amazing way that we, as humans, are able to find connection. Have you thought much about your own story? Or maybe this is easier, how do you see your past and present self? Answering these questions about your unique story will put you in charge of your happy ending. I'm opening up about MY story in hopes that you reflect on your own. The chapters of my life are full of ups and downs, like most of us I'm sure! But in this Growth Spurt episode I share how I allowed some really low ...
Apr 19, 2019•11 min•Ep. 163
