On today’s episode Em sits down with Megan Hamill aka @soulfullyginger to chat all things pushing comfort zones, building resilience and proving to yourself you can do hard things. In 2022, Megan taught herself to swim using YouTube and set out to complete a 70.3 Half Ironman. After that race, a chance conversation with a local family sparked a fire in her belly when a dad said, “You’d have to change your gender to do a full Ironman.” Megan took that challenge head-on - not only finishing a full...
Aug 13, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Guess who's back, back again? ;) This ep is a catch up, a candid chat about EVERYTHING that I've been thinking about since sharing my story on ig and it going bananas AND an overdue pep-talk from your bestie. Because seriously, fear of judgement? in the bin - and my friend, it is time to pick back up the pen and become the author of your own life again. PLUS - we're talking all that's coming on the podcast and in my brand new membership! We chat: how I ghosted my own podcast and why feelings sin...
Aug 06, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Turning 31 has me feeling way more relaxed than when I hit 30—no more freaking out, just embracing the process. In this episode, I’m catching you up on life, reflecting on the pressure we put on ourselves to have it all figured out, and diving into the truth that everybody starts somewhere. If you've ever felt stuck, scared to start, or like you're behind in life, this is your reminder that no one begins as an expert. Every big success story had a messy "Day 1," and the only way forward is to ta...
Feb 18, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Follow Katie on Instagram: @fromwifetowidowtomum In this deeply moving episode, Em sits down with Katie Thompson for an unfiltered conversation about love, loss, and resilience. Katie had just married the love of her life, Tim, and was pregnant with their first child when tragedy struck—Tim was killed in a shark attack while surfing. Katie opens up about that devastating day, the overwhelming grief that followed, and the complexities of navigating widowhood while raising their daughter, Elka. Sh...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
WE'RE BACK! In the first episode of season 2, Em dives into a personal experience that changed the way she approaches both running and life: collapsing 400 meters from the finish line of a race. While it felt like a setback, it became a powerful lesson in resilience, failure, and avoiding the comparison trap. Em shares how this experience led her to reevaluate her goals for 2025 and shift her mindset. Em explores the impact of failure—how it’s often seen as a setback, but can actually be the cat...
Feb 01, 2025•46 min•Season 2Ep. 1
FREE GRATITUDE GUIDE & EMAIL CLUB In this episode Em chats all things burnout and overwhelm in a candid conversation about her own experience and how to see the warning signs that might indicate you're on the way there. Em highlights the need to tune in to your own alarm bells that might indicate you need to pump the brakes a bit, rather than the accelerator and explains how we think burnout comes out of nowhere but it truly builds over time. Ultimately, she reminds us that taking care of ...
Apr 29, 2024•19 min
On this episode of the podcast Em sits down with Kirsten Morrison to chat all things Human Design! They cover everything from what human design is, how it can help you find clarity and purpose in life and how it can help create confidence in your unique talents and gifts. Kirsten also gives Em a live reading of her human design chart and shares how listeners can find and explore their own human design profile. QUICK LINKS: Free Human Design Chart: www.kirstenmorrison.co/free-human-design-chart H...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 8 min
In this episode, Em discusses the mindset shift of choosing your hard and the importance of making intentional choices in life. She shares a powerful takeaway from a speaking event she attended and emphasizes the need to apply the same level of care and intention to the future as we do to the past. Em highlights the finite nature of time and encourages listeners to consider the cost of staying where they are versus the cost of pursuing their dreams. She explores the concept of fear versus regret...
Apr 07, 2024•24 min
In this episode, Em explores how always wanting "more" and never being satisfied with where we are is stealing our joy. We dive into the importance of being present and soaking up every moment and how ambition and being content with where we are can work in tandem and are not mutually exclusive. Highlights: Ever feel like you're on a hamster wheel of goals and the finish line just keeps moving or things never quite feel how you'd imagined when you arrive? Em gets real about the problem with tyin...
Apr 01, 2024•24 min
In this episode Em dives into all things morning routines and how she went from someone who struggled to implement daily practices to having a foundational morning approach that serves her. Em shares her top 4 actionable tips to creating a morning routine that helps you thrive and creates a foundation to help you personally thrive. We dive into everything from losing comparison, tuning into what suits you and your life, habit stacking and how the secret to the success of your morning routine rea...
Mar 25, 2024•32 min
Celebrate good times! C'mon! In this high vibe episode, Em is talking all things celebrating your own milestones and achievements and soaking in that mountain top moment! She shares her personal journey and the emotional significance of reaching a recent personal milestone and how we much celebrate ourselves rather than relying on external validation. Em encourages listeners to prioritize self-celebration and offers practical suggestions for scheduling future celebrations. Takeaways: Take the ti...
Mar 18, 2024•38 min
In this conversation, Em sits down with Nabula Brdar, founder of the Supermarket Swap app. They discuss Nabula's journey from working in magazines to becoming a mum and her journey in entrepreneur and creating the app. They also talk about the importance of being real and relatable on social media, the power of community support, and overcoming imposter syndrome. Nabula shares her insights on taking the leap and trying new things, as well as the value of making small steps towards positive chang...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr
In this episode, Em discusses the universal struggle of feeling pulled into other people's expectations and the importance of defining success on your own terms and chasing your own definition of happiness. She emphasizes the need to measure yourself against your own checklist rather than external standards and spent time considering what success means to you. Em encourages listeners to appreciate the life they're living and focus on abundance rather than lack. She also highlights the significan...
Mar 04, 2024•23 min
In this episode, Em discusses the common struggle of self-doubt and the inner critic. She emphasizes that self-doubt is a normal experience and not exclusive to any individual. Em explains that self-doubt is a learned behavior and gives listeners 3 tools they can implement today to take back control and lower the volume of their inner critic. Takeaways Self-doubt is a common experience and not exclusive to any individual. Successful people also experience self-doubt. Self-doubt is a learned beha...
Feb 26, 2024•23 min
In this episode, Em dives into her biggest lessons in her 30 years as a celebratory birthday edition episode - and throws a few of her own stories and reflections that bought her to these takeaways in for good measure! These lessons cover a wide range of topics, including the importance of asking for help, the power of vulnerability, the impact of perspective, the value of self-care, and the significance of following your intuition. Em emphasizes the importance of being present, prioritizing you...
Feb 20, 2024•54 min
In this episode, Em discusses strategies for staying consistent and motivated when pursuing goals and dreams. She emphasizes the importance of taking baby steps and focusing on one step at a time rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture. Em also introduces an exercise that helps listeners find their why that they can then use as an anchor to stay motivated and consistent in the pursuit of their goals. Em shares her tips for not getting stuck in the imposter syndrome and self-doubt cycl...
Jan 29, 2024•25 min
In this episode, Em discusses the pressure and anxiety that can arise when approaching milestones and cutoffs, particularly in relation to age. She also touches on how she's feeling approaching thirty and how anxiety and pressure can arise as we reach milestones and a new decade. Em explores the societal programming around specific ages and the expectations that come with them. She emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and reflection, as well as staying true to one's own timeline and value...
Jan 22, 2024•29 min
In this conversation, Em chats with her friend Bridget and gives you a fly on the wall look at a coffee style chat with all the depth you know and love. Em and Bridget discuss the importance of choosing challenges over goals and how challenges serve as opportunities for growth. They emphasize the need to view challenges as part of the journey towards achieving goals and not as setbacks. They also explore the concept of finding the purpose and lessons in challenges, even when the why is not immed...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In this episode, Em reflects on the new year and encourages listeners to embrace their own unique experiences and feelings about entering 2024. Em talks through her own intentions for the new year and how she's approaching setting goals and intentions, along with her word for the year and her 'in's and out's'. Em also discusses the tendency to compare ourselves to others during the new year and encourages listeners to focus on their own journey. She reminds listeners to celebrate their accomplis...
Jan 08, 2024•43 min
This episode is part two of Em's conversation with Laura Carney as they discuss her book 'My Father's List' and the journey of completing her late father's bucket list. In this second half of Em's chat with Laura, she reflects on the irony of the bucket list being both a result of her father's story and a catalyst for completing the items on the list. Laura believes that her father's list was always meant for her and that it unconsciously influenced her upbringing. She shares her experience of w...
Dec 25, 2023•38 min
In this episode Em sits down with Laura Carney, as she shares her transformative journey of completing her late father's bucket list and the profound impact it had on her life. From the discovery of the list to overcoming personal challenges, Laura discusses the healing power of pushing one's comfort zones and the unexpected lessons learned along the way. Key Points: Background and Struggles: Laura opens up about her father's passing and the emotional struggles she faced, including depression. S...
Dec 18, 2023•41 min
In this episode, Em discusses the challenges and pressures that come with the holiday season, particularly the tendency to compare ourselves to others and the unrealistic expectations set by social media. Em emphasises the importance of embracing imperfections and finding joy in our own unique celebrations. She also encourages listeners to reflect on their personal growth and changes throughout the year, rather than solely focusing on tangible goals. Finally, Em highlights the power of looking b...
Dec 11, 2023•26 min
In this conversation, Em is interviewed by her friend Abbey Sanderson-Milera as she shares her journey and growth as a writer and content creator. She discusses her background, values, how she is perceived by others and the biggest challenges she’s faced. Em also talks about astrology, human design, and her love language. She explains her writing process and the importance of authenticity. Em shares her experience of revealing her writing to family and friends and the internal processing and fea...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to the Dare to Thrive podcast! In this episode Em shares all things about the podcast launch, what you can expect and an unfiltered recap on the journey to get here. Em runs through all things Dare to Thrive, why she decided it was time to step into podcasting, and explains how Dare to Thrive represents an invitation and opportunity to be bold and brave in pursuing a fulfilling life. The podcast aims to encourage listeners to go after the life they dream of and provide tools and inspirat...
Dec 11, 2023•17 min
Welcome to the Dare to Thrive Podcast with Em Manuel. On this podcast, myself and my guests will cover everything from self-development, to unfiltered conversations, the messy middle we often navigate behind the scenes, to comfort zones, confidence and gratitude. This podcast is everything you need to feel empowered to create the life of your dreams, the tools you need to go after it and an occasional firm, but loving kick up the butt as you take steps to get there. Launching December 12th. Hit ...
Nov 27, 2023•58 sec
