About Progress

You may have noticed I've been a little quieter these past few weeks, especially on Instagram, and I'm ready to address why. I'm no stranger to critics, but a recent cruel review left on my podcast really shook me. I've decided to share it with you, my personal feelings, as well as how to deal with the naysayers in your life. There are different categories of naysayers, not all with bad intentions either. It's important to distinguish the critics you may be facing in order to appropriately deal with them. In this episode I'm giving specific examples that I've encountered and that may resonate with you. After sharing the words that really brought me down (and crying on air for maybe the first time ever) I wrap things up with a list of ways to help you grow past the critics. At the very end of this episode you'll hear one of Brooke White's newest songs with the most poignant message, thanks so much to her for letting me share! About a few other things If this podcast has ever left you more encouraged to keep trying, to keep growing, to develop your full potential, can I ask you a favor? Will you let others know by leaving a podcast review? When someone stumbles upon these episodes we want them to feel welcome and that the possibility to progress in their own lives is here for them. SHOW NOTES Podcast University is open for enrollment! Get 20% off Promptly Journals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get 30% off the Promptly Journals app with code 'REMEMBER30', sign up here then download the app! 3 Year Anniversary Workshop + Party! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook, Instagram, and by newsletter Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are still a few tickets left for my last live workshop of the year and the big party I'm throwing to celebrate 3 years of About Progress!! I would love to meet you in person there! In-law relationships are a challenge, even the good ones! Because there is always going to be expectations, shifts, comparisons, and allll the things that come with the merging of different backgrounds. But there are so many benefits to more support, more understanding, and more love that can come from these relationships. So let's dive into why it's difficult to relate to your in-laws and how to try. Natalie Clay, podcaster and couples coach, helps you understand why your current relationship with your in-laws is what it is and shares her expertise tricks and tips for cultivating the relationship you want. Here's a huge spoiler, you may learn more about your relationship with yourself than anything else in this episode - and for good reason! Her advice really centers around reframing the story you tell yourself, about others and about you. After you listen you'll be well equipped to move forward and take action, if you need to. Natalie explains that the work we do towards growth creates friction, but we often times enjoy the successes we achieve as a result more than we might have without the work. So, be encouraged to take the necessary steps to improve your relationships and if nothing else, come to know you have to be your biggest fan - important to remember as we cover all types of relationships this month and next. About a few other things BIG NEWS: Podcast University is open for enrollment!! Podcasting 201: How to Grow Your Podcast has launched and doors close on November 1st. You can sign up for just the new course, or bundle with Podcasting 101: How to Start Your Podcast. If you want to sample our teaching style check out these free courses. Promptly Journal has made documenting my children's history so much easier, and now I'm excited to play a little bit of catch up so we can all look back on those fun memories some day. Use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for 20% off this month. If you'd rather use the app, sign up here and get 30% off using code REMEMBER30 (sign up there, then download the app!). SHOW NOTES Natalie's Instagram, Website, Podcast, 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Divorcing BIG NEWS: Podcast University is open for enrollment!! Sign up for a FREE podcast e-course! Get 20% off Promptly Journals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ 3 Year Anniversary Workshop + Party! Use code ‘PROGRESS’ for discount Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm opening up about this important topic, how you can choose courage over comfort and why doing so will benefit you. If you're looking to act on this challenge I have to put in a plug for my last workshop of the year that's coming up next month. Entitled "Rediscover You", I will help you work through discomfort and be courageous. Plus, I'm throwing a big fun party that night and would love to see you there! Choose courage over comfort. A happenstance run-in with Brooke White at the airport last week gave me the push to get my thoughts on this matter into a short and hearty episode for you. It's so easy to stay in our comfort zones, even when we know it can be holding us back. I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on moving forward, and I share a long-time favorite quote of mine that can give you one perspective on that. About a few other things This lash and brow serum has been an Amazon favorite of mine for years, and I always go back to it even if I try something new. It's simple, it's cheap, and it gives me the full and fun lashes that I just love! SHOW NOTES Amazon made me do it: Lash & Brow Serum Sign up for a FREE podcast e-course! Get 20% off Promptly Journals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get 30% off the Promptly Journals app with code 'REMEMBER30', sign up here then download the app! 3 Year Anniversary Workshop + Party! Use code ‘PROGRESS’ for discount Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's an a-ha moment for you: early adulthood is like your third toddlerhood. In this episode you'll understand what that means, why that is, and how it's deeply affecting your relationships. To get started, one of the most requested topics to address this month has been: how to get along better with your parents. How to get along better with your parents. Georgia Anderson, of Know How Mom, has been a guest before and something we touched on then has stuck with me, so we dive more into that topic today. She does workshops, getaways, coaching and online classes about parenting. Today we take on the sometimes under-discussed topic of parent and child relationships when the child is also an adult. There are 3 things to keep in mind as you navigate the evolution of this particular relationship: empathy, communication, and flexibility. Georgia addresses how those play into what can make things feel more difficult, or more comfortable. So if you're struggling to connect with the people who you were once so dependent on, it's probably more common than you think! The unique perspective voiced in this interview will give you something to think about and act on. About a few other things I'm so over the all-or-nothing mindset I used to have when it came to documenting my life. I went years never writing a single thing down because of that approach - can anyone relate? Using my Promptly Journal has made a huge difference because of the little prompts it offers, and I also love the subject specific ones. Use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for 20% off this month. If you'd rather use the app, sign up here and get 30% off using code REMEMBER30 (sign up there, then download the app!). SHOW NOTES Georgia's Instagram, Website Sign up for a FREE podcast e-course! Get 20% off Promptly Journals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get 30% off the Promptly Journals app with code 'REMEMBER30', sign up here then download the app! 3 Year Anniversary Workshop + Party! Use code ‘PROGRESS’ for discount Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This topic is big, so we're doing something a little different and spending the next 2 months covering all of the complex relationships in your life. And don't count yourself out, there will be something for everyone in this "relationships bootcamp" as we start with learning how we treat ourselves. Over the next 2 months you can look forward to expert interviews on relationships with parents, in-laws, friends, spouses, and children. Plus, I'm releasing the second part of my faith crisis in an effort to discuss spiritual relationships. But! We cannot go any further in our learning about relationships until we've addressed the relationship we have with ourself. I hope you listen and apply the 3 principles I discuss in this episode using the progress plan. About a few other things... This month's sponsor is Promptly Journals, which has gotten me to enjoy personal journaling again. I felt like this was the perfect fit as we talk about relationships, because using these prompted journals will give you the guided start you need to getting to know yourself again. Use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for 20% off all month long. November is the 3 year anniversary of the podcast!! We are going to celebrate all month long, and in lots of ways. I'm excited to announce that on Saturday November 16th I'm hosting my final workshop of the year AND having a big party. Get all the details here and I really hope to see you there! Remember you can use code 'PROGRESS' for a big discount through October 15th. SHOW NOTES Get 20% off Promptly Journals with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' 3 Year Anniversary Workshop + Party! Use code 'PROGRESS' for discount Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I hope this month you've been able to narrow in on and make the changes that you deemed necessary to be able to keep growing and progressing in your life. In today's episode we get to hear from community members just like you, who bravely share what they've learned. If you want to be a part of next month's episode here's how. 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. A lot has happened this month, Work In Progress Academy has been moving right along and going so well. My husband and I were able to travel to Texas, where I was able to rest in ways we talked about here. I also spoke at a local conference and a retreat in Utah. I share who I ran into on my flight home from that retreat and what I learned from the beautiful conversation we had. We are also looking forward to some big decisions, and I received a comment on Instagram that helped with my perspective. Lastly, I'm telling you what I really thought about each of this month's episodes and how they directly applied to me. Thank you to this months sponsor, Saranoni Blankets, I hope all of you that wanted one snagged a new cozy blanket for yourself or someone else. You can still use code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ to take 10% off your order, excluding some of their sales. P.S. I announced the podcast review winner for the month! SHOW NOTES Sign up for a FREE podcast e-course! Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ through September Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No flowery intro today, friends, because this episode speaks for itself. When I interviewed Emily she had just returned home from 7 months of world travels with her young family and was planning to enjoy the summer. No more than 2 weeks after we initially spoke, Emily was diagnosed with cancer. You'll hear our conversation in two parts, before and after that diagnosis. Emily, her husband, and three children call themselves the Lost Bells. It's a name they felt described their desire to get lost! Meaning, travel the world together and get out of their comfort zones. The places they've been able to come home vary far and wide, from Hawaii to Costa Rica to Taiwan, and more. No matter the location it was most important to them to push their (and their kids') comfort zones, to grow together. The things that these travels taught Emily, namely her spot on depiction of choosing faith over fear, became chillingly relevant since her cancer diagnosis. Her attitude and perspective on loving her body, while maintaining gratitude and hope is not something to miss out on. About a few other things As this month comes to a close so does your chance to get a Saranoni Blankets at the best discount ever. The last, and maybe most impressive, thing I want to share is about their company and the way they make sure to give back. You can use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' to take 20% off your order all month. SHOW NOTES Emily's Instagram, Website Sign up for free, weekly podcasting tips! Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know I used to be afraid of water? And in fact, kind of still am. Did you know I swim laps a few times a week? I use the word laps loosely, because if I go 2 minutes then have to hang on the side that's still okay, because I'm doing something. Through my own self-development I've realized that my old mindset, all or nothing thinking, is the worst! Going all in on anything usually comes at a cost. If you can't see that cost right away it is probably your own sanity. Because what if you're going all in and something goes wrong? Does that derail you? And consider the opposite, does the fear of starting have you trapped into doing nothing? I still find myself slipping into this habit of all or nothing thinking from time to time. My solution is to tell myself to have a something mindset. I challenge you to attempt the same. In this episode I give you a few prompts that you can ask yourself in order to just keep doing. I also remind you that your worth is not dependent on any outcome, it's the process that transforms you. About a few other things... During these episodes I share my latest and greatest Amazon find. My kids (and me!) have been loving loom bracelet weaving. As a plus, it's been awesome for their fine motor skills. Check out the loom and the mega refill kit here. SHOW NOTES Amazon made me do it! This weeks find. Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven types of rest?! Yep. But don't worry, you're likely not lacking in each of those areas. And actually, if you can see where your bucket needs filling and focus on that area then you will feel real restoration. Our guest actually has a rest quiz you can take to determine those areas! Today's episode looks at why you are so exhausted and how to change that. Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a wife, mother, physician, speaker, and author. As an internal medicine doctor she began to notice that her patients were complaining of exhaustion despite sleeping 8 hours a night. She thoroughly explains this phenomenon in the interview, but essentially there are different areas of rest you need and different ways to restore a lacking area. You will totally relate to Dr. Dalton-Smith's own story of lying on the floor in her foyer, flanked by her young children, feeling at a loss. She offers perspective on the way her life looked, versus how it felt to her. Making the changes to recover your life (her book's tagline) and restore yourself will be hard but is doable. About a few other things Do you like to use a weighted blanket? Personally the traditional type feel too heavy for me, but a little weight does feel good. I think the Saranoni Blankets are juuuust right (this one is my favorite!). They make their own fabric to control the weight and softness, and you feel that difference! You can use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' to take 20% off your order all month. SHOW NOTES Saundra's Instagram, Facebook, Website, Rest Quiz FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before you dismiss the topic of outsourcing, I promise it does apply to you! Consider all of the things you think you need to, are supposed to, HAVE TO do in a day...then consider how that makes you feel. If it's not a good feeling you can and should outsource your normal life. This is something I did not used to understand, because I wasn't raised in a family that outsourced anything! It's only been recently that I've been able to see the huge benefit in asking for help - paid for and not. When I asked the women in our private Facebook group about this it brought up a lot of hesitation, so this episode is to encourage moving past that with practical solutions. Get creative with your outsourcing: my small children can help with chores, my husband can cook dinner, we can all clean together! If money is your concern, trade favors with friends and ask your family to help. I also share the one way I outsourced that I've stopped, well actually changed and I'll keep you posted on how it works out! About a few other things... During these episodes I share my latest and greatest Amazon find. Remember how in this month's intro episode I admit that 'beauty' is one of my top values? Well I love when my nails are done, but don't love everything about going to a salon to have them done. I have found a gel nails system that's been a game changer! It's easy to use, works super well, and allows me to do something more often that brings me joy. LAST CALL! The Progress Program has been officially relaunched and is now more accessible and affordable than before. It is a 12 week program housed under the new Work In Progress Academy and you can read alllll about it at those links. SHOW NOTES Sign up for my NEWLY overhauled Progress Program (enrollment ends Sept. 15th!) Amazon made me do it! This weeks find. Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to face your fears. Not the heights and spiders kind, but the kind that you are creating for yourself. Are you afraid of breaking routine, trying something new, or letting others down? Chances are, the control freak in you has created those fears to do just that...control you. Let's talk about breaking free and finding yourself. Becky Proudfit is a fellow podcaster, mother, and cancer survivor. She is also a self proclaimed perpetual goal-chaser and control freak. Or should I say, she WAS those things. A cancer diagnosis changed her life drastically, and in surprising ways. Once finding herself in the validation of others, Becky was forced to pull back. She talks about the ways she used to micromanage her children, but after she simply could no longer do that they flourished. She details a spur of the moment trip to Iceland and embracing a new way of thinking that embodies more adventure and so much less fear. About a few other things The Progress Program has relaunched and is now more affordable and accessible than ever before! You will receive weekly lessons and a workbook to get you unstuck in ways that stick. This is small group coaching, so enrollment will be capped and ends on the 15th. I am working with Saranoni Blankets this month to bring you the most luxurious blankets for everyone in your family. You can use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' to take 20% off your order all month! SHOW NOTES Becky's Instagram, Facebook, Podcast Sign up for my NEWLY overhauled Progress Program (enrollment ends Sept. 15th!) Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't worry, the title of this episode is meant to be a little dramatic! It's also meant to make you pause, and think. Because it's true, we all evolve or die (ever heard what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?). But I know from experience, this is harder than it sounds. This month we're focusing on CHANGE. How, why, when, and all the messy in-between. Evolve or die. Twelve years ago I was not the person I am today. I'm sharing some of the major struggles that consumed my ability to evolve in hopes that you can do the same for yourself. I also touch on the difference between quitting and stopping, as well as what it means to pivot and keep growing. This has been applicable in my personal development, but also in my marriage and even on this podcast. Speaking of this podcast, happy 200th episode to US! I had no clue where sharing my message via microphone and internet would lead me, I just knew I needed to do it. Thank you for being here old friends and new, and thank you for making this a true community. Tune in today and even hear me stumble over a few words because I hope it goes without saying now, life is about progress, not perfection. About a few other things... During these episodes I share my latest and greatest Amazon find. Today I bring you...pretend makeup! Sound silly? Well the havoc my little boys were wreaking on my real makeup and bathroom was no laughing matter. Now I can get ready in peace while they happily play. Check it out, it looks soooo real! The Progress Program has been officially relaunched and is now more accessible and affordable than before. It is a 12 week program housed under the new Work In Progress Academy and you can read alllll about it at those links. I'm also teaching a FREE online class next week about procrastination - one of the most requested topics, so make sure you join us live or sign up and get the replay. SHOW NOTES Sign up for my FREE class: Why You Procrastinate and How to Change Sign up for my NEWLY overhauled Progress Program (enrollment ends Sept. 15th!) Amazon made me do it! This weeks find. Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a little ironic, but I actually changed this month's theme at the last second. We're going to treat September sort of like the New Year (it feels like it in so many ways, don't you think??) and dig deep to discover what AND how we need to dare to change. Why am I daring you to do this? Because it's going to be hard, but it is going to be worth it. And this isn't some blanket statement where you need to feel totally overwhelmed that you aren't good enough and the only answer is to completely change. Instead, I'm spelling out just 3 areas where you can make changes that fit your values. And of course, I'm spilling my guts about the changes I'm personally making, as well as my top 7 values. One of them I sort of wanted to go back and change, but I didn't! When you do this exercise I'm curious if you find yourself feeling the same. Lastly, I quickly summarize the upcoming podcast guests by sharing just a little about each of them. There is so much in store for all of us this month and I hope you find and take advantage of whatever best guides you towards the growth you deserve. You know how I'm here to give you a hug and kick in the pants? Well this month's sponsor, Saranoni Luxury Blankets, has got the hug part covered. These are the highest quality and softest blankets that come in allll sizes and literally feel like a hug. All month long you can take 20% off your Saranoni Blanket purchase with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS'. SHOW NOTES Sign up for my FREE class: Why You Procrastinate and How You Can Change Join the NEWLY overhauled Progress Program (enrollment ends Sept 15th!) Get 20% off Saranoni Luxury Blankets with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It feels good to be checking back in after taking a break this past month. I love this "Dear Progressor" episode each month because we get to hear from real people, members of this community who have learned something that they want to share. I also share what I've been up to and what I have learned - and this month it was a lot! "Dear Progressor," August 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. Thanks to the break I took around here I was able to spend time on other projects - like painting my whole entire house! It's kind of a funny story and I share it in this episode. This month I also had sort of a mental reset, and I'm sharing the specific boundaries I'm setting for myself moving forward. Did you realize I aired SIX encore episodes this month?? Many of you probably hadn't heard them before, but even if you had I bet you learned something new. Thank you to the women who sent in voice bites for this episode, each takeaway is so valuable. Listen in to these unique perspectives from the month! About a few other things I am speaking at the Happier Than Skinny retreat, which will be in September in Utah, and I would love to meet you there! You might remember Heather, who is one of the women organizing this amazing getaway. You can use code 'MONICA' for $100 off your ticket. Thank you to everyone who has left a Podcast review, I choose a winner each month and announce them on this episode! SHOW NOTES Get 10% off your Monk Manual with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I may let it slip in this episode that this interview is my favorite, which I know is like claiming a favorite child but oh well, I said it! This month I've been able to share several of my verrrry favorite past episodes with you and if it isn't your first time listening I hope you've still learned something new, just as I have. You can still be you when life gets tough. Christopher Clark, father of five and an actor and director with an impressive resume, was recently diagnosed with ALS. He explains a little more about the degenerative disease in the episode, as well as his process of finding that diagnosis. But what's most amazing is that although his health is at the forefront of almost everything he can do (or not do) it isn't his only focus. His passion for the arts has not diminished, and he was working full time when this episode was originally published. His family remains close, and he even details the ways in which all of them have become his caregivers as needed. Amidst the physical need to kind of conserve his energy, Chris makes it clear he chooses to have a happy life. I also share this in the episode, but it's an honor to have this inspirational interview in the archives as Christopher has since lost the ability to speak. If you listen in and learn something I would love to have you share that with our community, here's how! About a few other things Podcast University is off to an amazing start and more courses will be launching this fall. If you’ve wanted to start a podcast, you’re going to want to know when enrollment opens. You can also receive free weekly tips when you sign up right here. P.S. If you want to stay in touch, especially while I'm taking a social media break, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter! SHOW NOTES Christopher's Instagram Sign up for weekly podcasting tips Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're no stranger to big dreams around here! Write them down, say them out loud, chase them with open arms - no matter what they may be. But this month we've been "taking a break", and sometimes our dreams do that, too. Many of us may be in a season where we need to remind ourselves that paused dreams are not dead dreams. Paused Dreams are not Dead Dreams With a voice discovered by her kindergarten teacher, Aubrey Greenan has spent the majority of her life developing her talent for singing. She owes a lot to a high school teacher, too, and of course the conservatory program at Carnegie Mellon. The way she describes it, her dreams of singing in large scale productions were not out of reach. But, she shares some other dreams she had - motherhood. Aubrey details a moment with one of her mentors that changed her perspective. Fast forward to now, she is a mother of 3 and performs in her kitchen. Tune in, the way she describes her life now, though, is still inspiring and beautiful. Will she one day grace an opera stage again? Maybe! She didn't give up on anything, she just shifted her priorities for this season. About a few other things This month I've been taking a break, mostly from Instagram. I feel refreshed and like I have been able to focus my energy on allll the things coming to you in upcoming months. If you want some help with your social media usage make sure to snag my guide! P.S. If you want to stay in touch, especially while I'm taking a social media break, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter! SHOW NOTES Social Media Challenge Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a topic that comes up often and is surprisingly polarizing: asking for help. We each have our own views on what we will or will not ask for help with, but do we know why? Have we considered that asking for help could actually make us stronger? In this interview that was the reality, and it wasn't true for just Cara, it was true for her children and other close relationships around her. Asking for Help Finding herself with 4 young children at 30 years old, and filing for divorce, Cara admits she had been "ground down to powder" when she humbled herself and moved back into her childhood home with her parents. The thing that kept her going was knowing she had to invest in the future of her children, and so also herself. She had to ask her mom to babysit for free for a few years so that after graduating law school she wouldn't have to ask that ever again. Yes, law school. Cara put herself through law school during the lowest point of her life. You just have to tune in to hear the perspective on inner strength that she has now. Many years later her life looks very different, and we did touch a bit more on that the first time this episode aired (this one is just edited for time). Essentially she believes life is what you create, and the one she has now is what she put her head down and worked to get. If one of the ways you need help is with your habits, did you know we spent a whole month on that?? One of the habits I needed the most help with was sleep. Chrissy Lawler and I put together a FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover that has already helped hundreds, so check it out! P.S. If you want to stay in touch, especially while I'm taking a social media break, please subscribe to my weekly newsletter! SHOW NOTES Free 5-Day Sleep Makeover Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes we have to fall, even fail, and in the process of figuring out how and who can help us get back up we find real balance. We can even find real happiness. This episode talks frankly about mental health, suicide, relationships and self-discovery. Our guest's wife was interviewed here and they were both interviewed here. Slow Down to Start Living Matt Davis' mental health struggles started when he was the sophomore football captain, curtailed his LDS mission, and came to a head when he lost his father to suicide at just 19. His outlook on that devastating event is one to be admired. Matt realized how important it is to get help and how set backs move us forward. He is now proudly outspoken about mental health awareness and finding balance. Matt went on to complete his LDS mission, have a family, and become very successful in business. By how own admission he is truly so happy. He is also acutely aware of the depression and anxiety that he will always have to keep in check. Tune in and hear the ways Matt, and his family, have slowed down because of their attitude on really living. Podcast University is off to an amazing start and more courses will be launching this fall. If you've wanted to start a podcast, you're going to want to know when enrollment opens. You can also receive free weekly tips when you sign up right here. SHOW NOTES Matt's Website Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know by now that this month the focus is on taking a break. For me, that's pulling back on Instagram, and a few other things, to refocus my energy in different areas that need it right now. It's not because Instagram is a bad thing, it's an amazing platform for sharing and real connection. BUT, it can consume us, so today's episode is a gentle reminder to stop letting social media hijack your life. Stop Letting Social Media Hijack Your Life Brooke White, mother and American Idol finalist (!!), has an engaging social media platform that she values...and then one day she deleted Instagram from her phone and realized she could still dance even if no one was watching. She also shares a really heartbreaking realization about how our children are affected by parents using their phone. Listen to Brooke's real life experience, which walks that fine line of loving social media without losing yourself in it. You can apply some of what she has done immediately, and if you need a little more guidance I have a little email course just for that and you can get it right here. SHOW NOTES Brooke's Instagram, Website, and pre-order her album, Calico. Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 she often pauses, in all kinds of ways and like she did with me. Heather has experienced, heartbreaking lows (infertility and cancer) but still managed to pursue multiple creative ventures. Since this interview she has released a book and TV show with her twin sister! Tune in to this conversation on learning from burn out, perfectionism, and habits. You can still follow your passions and try new things, while taking the breaks you need. About a few other things Podcast University has been going sooo well (thanks to those who have asked!) and I am excited for the future of it. Enrollment is closed, but if you would like to receive our free weekly podcasting tips please sign up here for the emails! SHOW NOTES Heather's Instagram, Website, and Joyful Living Book Get 10% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 store for this community and in order for me to make them really happen I actually have to let go a little. I'm not abandoning ship, but I am going to ease up in some areas. This month's progress plan will realllly guide you through this. I don't want you to drop your priorities, but I do want you to outsource and make space so you can feel truly restored. Because that's my goal this month! I'm letting go in two big areas so I can essentially rearrange my priorities for the time being. You might be surprised what I'm moving up on my list. Grab this month's progress plan, catch up on your Do Something list, and stick with me here when it serves you. You'll see less of me on social media, so sign up for my weekly newsletter where I'll still check in and am always happy to hear back from you. SHOW NOTES Get 10% off your Monk Manual with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 was able to share some of my very favorite interviews with valuable takeaways. If you're still holding back, remember, you can be more than one thing, start small, and you have the right to dream. Though small in number, the listeners that sent in submissions for this episode really showed up for all of us. From mindset shifts, to pushing themselves, encouraging you to aim high, and totally opening up about their 10 biggest dreams, you can't help but feel inspired. P.S. I've got a slight programming change coming up next month, but that means big things are in store. I hope you enjoy what I've got planned! If you want to know first, then just sign up for my weekly newsletter that's always full of exclusive content. About a few other things It's the very last day (July 31st) for the big, big discount code with Monk Manual, but every day after today you can still get a (little smaller) discount using code 'ABOUTPROGRESS'. I have loved sharing this planner that integrates your goals and values into your daily life. SHOW NOTES Get 10% off your Monk Manual with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 we're talking about, so what's holding you back from doing it?? Dreaming, that is. I think that sometimes we discount our dreams. And this happens to our dreams of all sizes - either we think it's too small to matter or too big to accomplish. Stop discounting your dreams, stop discounting yourself. You deserve to dream, to reach for something greater than yourself. I was reminded of something we talked about last month, that more often than not we would be more sad if we didn't just try. In this episode I'm sharing how I feel about my failures and successes, but most importantly how that taught me to take all dreams seriously. I hope you listen to this short episode because I want that for you too! About a few other things This month when you share the podcast you are entered into a weekly drawing for something from my favorite skincare and beauty line! Just tag me @aboutprogress or DM/email me to let me know you've shared. These Growth Spurt episodes always feature something I like to call "Amazon made me do it!" This week I'm admitting what I bought that made me feel like a true millennial - a selfie light. This little thing is powerful and works wonders while I work from my bedroom/office. All my favorites are always right here. SHOW NOTES Amazon Made Me Do It: the ring light I wish I had gotten 2 years ago to brighten my face while on camera Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? Those can actually be okay, too. Tune in to understand how and why. No matter their size, Janelle believes you were designed with your dreams in mind. She explains a helpful exercise to aid in uncovering those dreams then encourages you to lean in and go for it! So, once you know why you need a dream you'll already be well on your way to achieving it. About a few other things It's not too late to become a planner! Start now with Monk Manual, especially while you can get 20% off with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for the rest of July ONLY (after that the discount is 10%). Remember this month that everyone who shares the podcast is entered into a giveaway of some of my favorite things! If you do this on social media tag me @aboutprogress, otherwise just message me and let me know. One of the prizes is something from my very favorite makeup and skincare line. SHOW NOTES Janelle's Instagram and Website (exclusive free lifestyle guide here!) Get 20% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Makeup favorites: best-selling concealer - share the podcast for a chance to win one! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Send in a soundbite + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs, "Take it Easy" by "Bad Shacks" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, and it doesn't always feel easy. It's hard, but it's good because you're getting somewhere! In this episode I explain why I think life is hard, but not bad. We can simply switch up some of our verbiage to shift our thoughts! I also discuss the ever present comparison traps we all face. Don't assume that the progress you see in others was met without struggle - and don't discount the growth that probably happened during that. And I'm opening up about a recent revelation I had, and will be following, that feels hard but I know is good. As you tune in for this little bit of tough love, remember that your worth is not measured in outcomes and you CAN do hard things. About a few other things This month when you share the podcast you are entered into a weekly drawing for something from my favorite skincare and beauty line! Just tag me @aboutprogress or DM/email me to let me know you've shared. These Growth Spurt episodes always feature something I like to call "Amazon made me do it!" I'm sharing the breathable mesh hats that my kids actually like to wear to keep them protected from the sun when we're doing our favorite things outdoors. All my favorites are always right here. SHOW NOTES Amazon Made Me Do It: the best hats to protect your kids from the sun. Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: DRIVE by Dj Nicolai Heidlas @nicolai-heidlas Music provided by FREE MUSIC FOR VLOGS AND VIDEOS bit.ly/freemusicforvlogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, then execute small. In fact, she admits in this episode that if she had known from the beginning where her dreams would have taken her she probably never would have attempted them. She opens up about the business "failures" turned important lessons, how she moved her family (of 8!) to France for years despite not even having passports to begin with, and speaks aloud her big personal dreams just like you've been encouraged to do this month. The size of your dreams doesn't matter to anybody but you, and your ability to accomplish them isn't up to anybody but you! See a pattern here? Tune in and be inspired to know how small steps take you big places. About a few other things If your to-do list is getting the best of you, you need a Monk Manualplanner. Designed with intentional preparation in mind you can be successful at planning! For the month of July you can get 20% off with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS', after that the discount is 10%. Remember this month that everyone who shares the podcast is entered into a giveaway of some of my favorite things! If you do this on social media tag me @aboutprogress, otherwise just message me and let me know. One of the prizes is something from my very favorite makeup and skincare line. SHOW NOTES Gabrielle's Instagram and Website Get 20% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ Makeup favorites: tinted moisturizer and foundation - share the podcast for a chance to win one! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas, "Role Player" by Au.Ra, "Summer shower" by Quincas Moreira Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 what I'm asking you to do. Why? Because whatever they are, no matter how small or big they seem to you (not others!) they are important. You are important, so whatever it is that you do is important. And yes of course, our life and our dreams have seasons. Let go of any guilt you have created over not accomplishing every little thing right this second. To help with that I share an eye-opening exercise that has worked in my small group coaching and workshops. Just know that often it's not about what you do, it's about how you view what you do. I know that if you think about it, there are probably people in your regular life that are dreaming big without the big numbers. And even though they don't need it to keep being rockstars, let's give them a big shout out this month. Help remind all of us that you don't have to be famous, submit a soundbite for this month's Dear Progressor episode and tell us about the big dreamers in your life. About a few other things This month when you share the podcast you are entered into a weekly drawing for something from my favorite skincare and beauty line! Just tag me @aboutprogress or DM/email me to let me know you've shared. These Growth Spurt episodes always feature something I like to call "Amazon made me do it!" Today I'm talking about the sun hat you see me wearing quite a bit, but all my favorites are always right here. SHOW NOTES Amazon Made Me Do It: the straw hat you always see me wearing outside! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 boldly lists off all of the 'ands' that make up her personality, in hopes to encourage you to embrace your own multifaceted personality. As you start to uncover all that you are, remember you don't need to do all the things all at once. This interview also discusses seasons, meaning that life ebbs and flows and that is okay. So, forget chasing balance and instead allow yourself to be present. Explore your interests and speak your ideas. Vanessa shares how doing that, even in the thick of motherhood, has led to groundbreaking entrepreneurship. Don't be overwhelmed! Own your passions and dig in. Ask for support, instead of permission. Need a community? Tune in and know that you are welcome here. About a few other things I no longer have planner guilt! The Monk Manual planners have daily, weekly, and monthly pages that allow for intentional and purposeful planning. For the month of July you can get 20% off with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS', after that the discount is 10%. Remember this month that everyone who shares the podcast is entered into a giveaway of some of my favorite things! If you do this on social media tag me @aboutprogress, otherwise just message me and let me know. One of the prizes is something from my very favorite makeup and skincare line. SHOW NOTES Vanessa's Instagram, #MomForce Podcast Get 20% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ The game-changing brow gel - share the podcast for a chance to win one! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas, Sea of Ancestry by Jesse Gallagher, Safety Net by Riot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 wellness tips with mindful messages behind them. The overload principle is best explained by Heather's marathon training analogy she gives in this episode. In super short summary it is pushing yourself in order to improve, or grow. This may seem only relevant to sport athletes, but reflect on how you can apply it to areas of your life. Where are you looking to change, perhaps you need a challenge. Where have you become too comfortable, would slight discomfort propel you forward? And before you tune in, rest assured we also talk about the important of rest! There is a takeaway in this episode for each of us that are just trying to become our best selves, with Heather's reminder "You are meant to be you." About a few other things I finally found a planner that keeps me on track and actually wanting to plan. The Monk Manualplanners have daily, weekly, and monthly pages - plus they are truly beautiful! For the month of July you can get 20% off with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS', after that the discount is 10%. I'm honored to be speaking at the Women's Wellness retreatin September, hosted by Heather and Happier Than Skinny. I'd love to see you there! Use code 'MONICA' for $100 off. Remember this month that everyone who shares the podcast is entered into a giveaway of some of my favorite things! If you do this on social media tag me @aboutprogress, otherwise just message me and let me know. One of the prizes is something from my very favorite makeup and skincare line. SHOW NOTES Heather's Instagram, Website for retreat information - use code 'MONICA' for $100 off! Get 20% off Monk Manuals with code ‘ABOUTPROGRESS’ My very favorite lipstick - share the podcast for a chance to win one! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 with resistance - mostly from our own selves. So right away I'm tackling the excuses we're all using when it comes to following our dreams. This includes give you permission to get outside of your priorities. In this episode I also want you to understand that dreams can change, and they certainly look different for everyone. Nothing is too big or too small, so take action and claim them. But how?? I'm going to encourage you to write them down. And then something a little scarier: say them outloud. In fact, I believe so much in this idea that I wrote down my dreams (in present tense!) and read them to you at the end of the episode. Some of them are very specific, "I am a New York Times Best Selling Author." Some of them resonate with many of our dreams, "I am a world traveller." And some are a manifestation of who I want to be, "I am loving, passionate, fun, and stable." If I can share these personal dreams with thousands of you, I know you can do this in a way that works for you. I hope you take my challenge and tune in for the rest of this month's dream big inspired interviews! About a few other things I have always tried to write things down - you know this about my Do Something Lists, Progress Plans and more. But, using a planner has sometimes been a struggle. I found Monk Manuals on my own and this has been the only planner I've found myself totally committed to and really loving. They have been so generous to sponsor the podcast this month, and to offer an extra special (and huge!) discount of 20% off with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for July only. SHOW NOTES Get 20% off Monk Manuals with code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas & Joakim Karud (Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/VF9_dCo6JT4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 heart you can just feel in her interview, shared her surprising creativity story that has benefitted her business and her family. I chose this month's theme because I am so passionate about creativity. Whether it's exercising, interior decorating, making dinner, podcasting, or whatever else I do almost daily I know I can be creative and that has given me purpose. If you don't know where to start, it's okay to mimic. And if you're just making up excuses, let me remind you that you are not lazy. Enough about me and even our special guests, this week's episode features members of our community just like you. Thank you for supporting these women who share their motivation, mindset shifts, and most importantly their hearts in this episode. About a few other things With the new month coming up I will be accepting new applicants to the Progress Program. I would love to have you as part of our small group growth coaching! Our sponsor this month has been Come Follow Me FHE, a $5/month online subscription that provides you with New Testament based lessons every week. My family has really enjoyed learning together using these. You can use code 'ABOUTPROGRESS' for one month free! Thank you for celebrating my birthday all month long leaving a rating and review for the podcast. Next week I'm choosing one review from the month of June and will be spoiling that person with a ton of goodies! There's still time to leave one if you haven't already. Lastly, thank you for the outpouring of support for Podcast U! You can still enroll through June. There is ONE MORE free class, too. SHOW NOTES Podcast University is now live! Enrollment closes at the end of June. Join me live in my FREE class this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 on your progress plan, and had any creativity sparks I sure hope you haven't pushed them aside. And if you have, it's time to figure out why you did that. I'm talking about the real reasons behind the laziness excuse, and maybe one or more will really resonate with you. There have been many instances in my life where I've chosen to pursue something scary, and I know it's hard work. I also know it's okay if you have to fail your way to the top. Remember, you are not lazy, but you may be using some of the tactics I discuss in this episode to talk your self out of your dreams. Apply this topic to almost anything, really. For me it's been a wide range: blogging, podcasting, baking, exercising, and more! Before you think that I think you should do everything all at once, I also believe in owning the things we just don't want that bad - again no excuses, though. I had to accept that I cared enough to put my fears aside and pursue my passions. I believe you can own that same mindset. About a few other things If you feel inspired by something you've learned this month, would you share that with our community? Send me a voice message at [email protected] to be featured on the last episode of the month, the "Dear Progressor" episode. I am also celebrating my birthday all month long by spoiling those that leave a rating and review for the podcast. Each week I'll select a name and send them something fun to say thank you! Lastly, thank you for the outpouring of support for Podcast U! You can still enroll through June. The first of my 3 free classes is tomorrow! Check out the other dates if you are interested. SHOW NOTES -Podcast University is now live! Enrollment closes at the end of June. -Join me live in my FREE class this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast -Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA -FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan -Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE -Join the free and private FB group -Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) -Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram -Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 of a very successful business, while being a mother and podcaster among other things. Heidi Swapp has a creativity story you may not expect by looking at her - she shares that creativity was actually discouraged by her family! Maybe that rings true for you too. Her story also includes losing her teenage son to suicide. And if in those darkest moments she could do it, you also can connect to your own creativity story. Yes, when it came to planning her 16-year-old's funeral Heidi allowed herself to be creative. And even when it wasn't popular, she recognized that her creativity was a gift she could give to her son, and continues to give to her people. All that is to say, don't be intimidated or discouraged, the ability to become creative lies within you, too. Feel free to look for it in moments and in ways that you, and others, may least expect to find it. Also part of Heidi's story? The opportunity to work with her idol, Martha Stewart! ...sort of. Listen in to hear the rest of that story and for the encouragement to let your little creative spark catch fire. About a few other things Podcast University has finally launched and I am excited and grateful for all of your support in making this dream a reality. You can check out the course (enrollment closes at the end of June) or you can take my FREE class offered three times this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast. When it comes to teaching my young children about the New Testament I have been so grateful to use Come Follow Me FHE as a resource for new and interesting ideas. For just $5/month we receive weekly lessons, activities, and pictures that everyone enjoys. SHOW NOTES Heidi's Website, Instagram, Facebook Podcast University is now live! Enrollment closes at the end of June. Join me live in my FREE class this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast Come Follow Me FHE for New Testament lessons meant for the whole family. Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 this isn't anything new; you can find famous works of art, historic architecture, even classic ballet performances that are continually replicated. The point is, this is OK. Tune in because I even share what this looks like in the podcasting world. Plus, the wise advice my mom gave to me that helped lead me to this resolve: you are allowed to mimic. When you feel stuck you can find something that resonates with you, observe it, love it, and then mimic it while making it your own. As I shared earlier this week on Instagram, more often than not, we would not be hurt by beginning. About a few other things: If you feel inspired by something you've learned this month, would you share that with our community? Send me a voice message at [email protected] to be featured on the last episode of the month, the "Dear Progressor" episode. I am also celebrating my birthday all month long by spoiling those that leave a rating and reviewfor the podcast. Each week I'll select a name and send them something fun to say thank you! Lastly, thank you for the outpouring of support for Podcast U! You can still enroll through June. Spots for the free classthis month have also been filling up, so check out the available dates for that if you are interested. SHOW NOTES Podcast University is now live! Enrollment closes at the end of June. Join me live in my FREE class this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your PodcastCome Follow Me FHE for New Testament lessons meant for the whole family. Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress PlanLend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HEREJoin the free and private FB groupApply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-artistic creativity. About non-artistic creativity The Womb Sisters, comprised of sisters Gentry and Bergen plus sister-in-law Sarah, created an online community for women of faith to grow in sovereignty. They do not shy away from complex, even taboo, issues. Instead, they have created a safe place for heartfelt discussion (and with a gorgeous aesthetic to boot!) between women. In this interview all three ladies chime in about what creativity looks like for them. Gentry shares how she creates family time, with inspiring and doable examples. Bergen challenges us to use our energy to create, rather than consume - with a poignant message about the benefits of social media. Then Sarah teaches how creativity can emerge from chaos. You'll see that some pursuits deliver beautiful products, while others may only be identifiable to the creator themselves. Regardless, no one idea of creativity is less than another. You already hold your unique piece to the creativity puzzle, you just need to dust it off and enjoy it for what it is. About a few other things Podcast University has finally launched and I am excited and grateful for all of your support in making this dream a reality. You can check out the course (enrollment closes at the end of June) or you can take my FREE class offered three times this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast. Me and my family have been using and loving Come Follow Me FHE to learn more about the New Testament. For just $5/month we receive weekly lessons, activities, and pictures that everyone enjoys. SHOW NOTES Womb Sister's Instagram. Podcast University is now live! Enrollment closes at the end of June. Join me live in my FREE class this month: 3 Things You MUST Know to Start Your Podcast Come Follow Me FHE for New Testament lessons meant for the whole family. Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 have also struggled to claim your creativity you will feel inspired by her journey towards doing that. She is also an illustrator and a mother, as well as navigating a significant health challenge, which she opens up about in this episode. Perhaps you have given up on being creative, but here is the assurance that creative periods do ebb and flow. It's like any relationship, really! Ashmae encourages you to create for no one except yourself, and see how that feels. Your life is constantly contributing to your ability to create - sometimes you need to take the time to process and acknowledge that, and sometimes you can jump right in and run with it. Either way, tune in for the permission to create you maybe didn't even know you needed. About a few other things If you would like to learn more with Ashmae, check out her course here, where you can use code ABOUTPROGRESS to get $25 off until June 12th. I also share a valuable resource my family loves for New Testament learning, Come Follow Me FHE. With a $5/month subscription you receive weekly lessons meant to inspire and bring families together in a positive way. Sign-up for tips on podcasting and be one of the first to hear my big announcement coming up this month! SHOW NOTES Ashmae's Website (use code ABOUTPROGRESS for $25 off the course) and Instagram. Come Follow Me FHE for New Testament lessons meant for the whole family. Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 artistic, traditionally fun, produce a product, etc. You know the myths and maybe that's why you're nervous. Because as a result you've simply told yourself you're not creative, and that's now the story you believe. But, you are! In this episode I give countless examples of what creativity can look like, and share specifically what works for me. I urge you to consider your natural gifts and interests, to pursue those creatively. For me, a "30 by 30" bucket list along these lines launched everything you're a part of here today. I had no idea that would happen at the time, but I sure am grateful. SHOW NOTES Podcast episode with Lisa Funk "Developing our Creativity and Using it as a Tool to Fight Depression" Book "Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear", Netflix "The Creative Brain", Time Magazine "The Science of Creativity", Cultivate a Good Life Podcast "What Creativity Really Means" Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Give yourself permission to create, and to do so in whatever way it happens to look like for you. Also to redefine what creativity is at this point in your life, if you need to. I'll link several more resources to get those juices flowing below in the show notes. I can't wait to hear from you this month as we progress in our talents and grow in our willingness to try new things. About a few other things You may have noticed something about last month's solo episodes - I opened up a lot about the behind-scenes-of my life and this podcast. There is a reason and I cannot wait to tell you everything on June 13th. If you want to be one of the first to know just sign up here. Last thing, did you hear me read that podcast review? Those mean the world to me, thank you!! I'm celebrating my birthday month by asking you to leave a rating and review if you haven't already, then I'm rewarding one each week with some of my favorite things as prizes. Even something short and sweet will help our community grow, so we can reach everyone who needs to hear these lessons and messages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 take on saying no, and the domino effect of even one good habit. I also got personal this month, with 3 bonus episodes related to my own journey here, as a podcaster! Over the past 2 years my growth has been slow, and I shared my real feelings about that. More specifically related to podcasting, I also finally answered the questions, "Do I make any money from podcasting?" and "How do I podcast as a SAHM?" Hopefully you found inspiration in any one of these episodes to keep moving forward with your growth, because progress is messy - for all of us! About today's episode Each month I ask for listener submissions from you, and every month I am blown away. Real women shared their personal stories and what they learned this month. Tune in and you will feel the community that has been cultivated here, where we truly know life is about progress, not perfection. SHOW NOTES Get your first month + FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Sign up for my weekly newsletter. Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 this looks like for me and my family: my schedule of work vs. family time, who takes care of the kids when I work, what my husband, Brad, thinks about all of this, and more. (See a recent day-in-the-life post here!) In the process, we've simplified some things (quick mealsfor the win!), outsourced others (listen in to hear what!), and sacrificed some important things I want to bring back more of (like reading and sleeping!). Stay until the end to hear more about why and how I'm stepping things up in the work department this summer so I can scale back in the fall. (Psst: Last week, I shared more about how I've made money as a podcaster (spoiler alert: it's not much) and more of my long-term plans for my business, if that interests you as well.) Whether you are a working mama, a SAHM full-time mama, or a lot of both, you matter. I hope my honest take of the behind-the-scenes struggle to stay true to my priorities while also working towards my dream is helpful for you other parents out there who would like to do both, as well. SHOW NOTES Recent posts that go with this episode: Our Go-To Quick Meals and Monica's Day-in-the-Life Amazon Favorite: Portable Garment Steamer! FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Join the FREE 5-Day Sleep Makeover Take part of the FREE Social Media Challenge Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 and fellow podcaster, Rachel Nielson, shares how earlier this year she dreamt up a lengthy lists of habits to change and then went from overzealous to overwhelmed. But she knows progress is messy, so she began to pare down. By narrowing in on TWO personal habits, Rachel shares the domino effect they have had on her entire life. Another hot topic discussed in this episode: social media usage. Rachel took a month long break from her normal business (including Instagram) grind. She opens up about how she did it, what changed, and where she's at right now. Tune in to this episode for that middle-of-the-year-motivation to jump back on board with your goals, habits, and progress. P.S. did you catch our teaser at the end? Here's where you can sign upto be the first to know more! SHOW NOTES Rachel's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA Here's the free 5-Day Sleep Makeover to change your sleep habits! FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 breaking it down for you, year-by-year and dollar-by-dollar, am I making money from podcasting? I've added up all my expenses in almost 3 years of podcasting, everything from babysitters to business coaches, so you can see how much this podcast costs me. And, I've tallied my income (spoiler - my most recent workshop made 100x my first consult), which I share to be as transparent as possible. Of course, after all the numbers are said and done, I'm weighing in on what I see as success and what I see as failure. Because if nothing else, I have grown here on this platform in ways I never expected. So now's as good a time as any to sneak this in: if you have been wanting to launch a podcast I have something big coming. You can sign up to receive podcasting tips from me, and be one of the first to hear my big announcement. SHOW NOTES This week's Amazon favorite - the life-changing steam mop The video I reference "What Teachers Make" Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 works for her and some ideas for you. As a podcaster, author, and speaker Patrice appears to easily have it all. But, she reveals 2 of her lowest business lows, and what she does now every day to keep going. Keeping in line with this month's theme, Progress is Messy, this interview looks at specific ways to push through the resistance that you can meet when trying to grow. There's something for everybody in this episode and the hope is that you feel inspired to turn those "What if's?" into "What is." - whatever that looks like for you. SHOW NOTES Patrice's Website, Instagram, and Facebook See my BeautyCounter favorites or shop here! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 disorder recovery were impacted by slow growth. My habits of perfectionism were taking over my ability to persist, so sometimes I quit. I now know, and can teach you, that worrying about growth takes away from where you are right now. And what about comparison? That's another way you are robbing yourself of joy and confidence. I hope you listen to this short Growth Spurt episode and leave with an understanding that the process transforms us, not the outcome. SHOW NOTES Thank you to these workshop sponsors: Loom Journal, Hello Tosha, Mindful Art Co., Cahoots Fitness, Thoughtful Paper Co., Karion Creating, Amber Martin, Mrs. Call's Candies, Cozy Home Organizing Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 and struggles. From a health crisis, to the death of her son and brother, then a failed adoption, she knows life gets messy. And as a result, she shares her personal insight into how to get out of a funk. Her tips range from personal hygiene to self-awareness, and include steps to achieving both. Yes, sometimes even getting in the shower takes motivation - and that's OK. Natalie also touches on how to know when you're in more than a funk, and where to go from there. But, the center of her message is the same and it really only takes you showing up for yourself. If you're afraid of getting your hands dirty, you're not alone, so here's permission to get messy. Stretch yourself, seek growth, get out of your funk and makes mistakes along the way. Give yourself compassion (Natalie talks about that, too!) as you move forward in whatever way that looks like for you. SHOW NOTES Natalie's Podcast, Instagram, and Facebook Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 that can happen is that a lesson is learned and you find yourself able to grow. The thing is, progress is messy, so let's just jump on in! In this episode I'm getting personal, sharing several stinging examples of failure in my own life. I challenge you to do the same - think of your own failures, and if you're like me it's not even that hard to come up with a few! Then get to work. I will teach you how to figure out what you can learn from failure. Does this sound scary? That's normal! Fear is fear no matter what, and our brains are wired to protect us (more on that in the episode!). I'm giving you 3 ways to push pass fear, so you can dig deep and grow into who you really want to be. One of them I learned back in January, here. SHOW NOTES Take this 30-second survey to help me get to know this audience better! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA The design duo I was inspired by at Alt Summit FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 did this month that I hadn't done in 15 years, largely in part to my #onesmallthing challenge on Instagram and a goal I had on my Do Something List. These are all ways I want to connect with you, and help you progress as well. Tune in and listen to someone who did something scary (and lived to share about it!), a listener inspired by last month's "Dear Progressor" episode to work on all aspects of their well-being, a woman who found true happiness from within by thinking outside the box, and a fresh perspective on developing happiness. If you're looking for more from this inspiring community please join us on Instagram or in the private Facebook group! SHOW NOTES Take this 30-second survey to help me get to know this audience better! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ability to be present in your actual life then it's time to take a step back. Anne Cropper is here to help you find the middle-ground: To-Do Lists that are focused more on the most needful things AND reflective of what TRULY matters in your life. For YEARS, Anne was obsessed with her daily list-making. (She actually opened up here about some of her struggles over two years ago!) But this past year, she discovered that this was no longer serving her--in fact, it was causing her intense anxiety. Anne learned how to reframe her To-Dos to a more abundant mindset and is sharing the effect it had on her AND how you can do this yourself, regardless of where on the list-spectrum you land on. SHOW NOTES Anne's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Take this 30-second survey to help me get to know this audience better! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA Here's the free 5-Day Sleep Makeover to change your sleep habits! FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 factors. If you are still struggling, consider reframing how to choose more happiness as owning your choices. That's right! You can choose happiness. "I don't love my life, but I can't choose otherwise." Has that thought ever crossed your mind? Maybe it's your family, your career, your personal development, or something else entirely that you blame for your unhappiness. If so, you can learn to feel empowered by your choices (even the ones you've already made!). Sacrifice after sacrifice will not lead to happiness, but proper growth and prioritizing will. Psychotherapist, Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife joins us for her sixth (!!) interview to share how you can learn to choose more happiness and why it is so important. If you're new to her, make sure to check out the past interviews here! This episode covers almost everything, from the very extreme to the very specific - she even lets us in on one of her client's recent revelations during a counseling session. Ultimately we all have the agency to make choices, as well as the ability to find happiness within them. This episode comes full circle with much of what you have already learned this month about happiness, priorities, putting yourself first, and finding joy. Tune in for one more push in the direction of finding, and choosing, what really makes you happy. SHOW NOTES Jennifer's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Take this 30-second survey to help me get to know this audience better! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Get your first month+ FREE with Libsyn using code MONICA FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 points to ghost write my story and as a result, dictate my worth. Through a very specific experience over the last month I was able to focus on my role in my story to achieve happiness in a stressful spot. You see, it's easy to let what we know of ourselves based on our past just dictate our futures. BUT, it is far more worth it to acknowledge our past story and rewrite our future. And I just have to tell you, this is something that I value so much so that I teach it to even my very young children. One of the tools I love to use is journaling. Loom Journals offers a parent and child journal that has worked so well as a way to connect with my daughter. I have even started to prepare the journals my younger sons and I will use. If you know storytelling and journaling could benefit your family you can snag a Loom Journal with my exclusive discount code, ABOUTPROGRESS, through May17th. SHOW NOTES Get your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Register for Rediscover You Workshop FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you own your time...or is time owning you? If you have fallen victim to this all-too-common scenario then you need to know there is a better way and an important why. And if this isn't you, think again. Maybe your entire day is filled with what you think are good and worthy things but consider this: should any one thing really fill your entire day? It's time to get messy and get on the other side of being busy. You CAN do this by learning to manage your priorities (maybe start just by identifying what that means!) and making the most of your precious time. Through a more purposeful mindset this type of outlook will connect you to happiness and help you find joy. After leaving her law career behind, Shunta Grant threw herself into long days as a mom and dual business owner. She describes what it was like to busily fill every moment, and then what it was like to get those minutes back into her control. This includes the day she went into her online shop and deleted almost everything. Spoiler alert - Shunta is still all those things, but handling her busy life without ever using the word. She gives you permission to say no, period, (but also reveals the 3 women she'll always say yes to) and shares exactly how you'll feel on the other side of busy. The best part is that you can get started right away. So listen in and get excited, there are no secrets here, just real stories to reach you right where you need it most. SHOW NOTES Shunta's Website, Instagram, and Facebook Check out Shunta's Spring Forward Workshop and use code 'PROGRESS' for a discount! Snag your Loom Journal at an exclusive discount with code ABOUTPROGRESS thru May 17! Register for Rediscover You Workshop - last chance! FREE Printables, including this month’s Progress Plan Lend your voice and experience + be featured on the show HERE Join the free and private FB group Apply for the Progress Program: SMALL-group GROWTH coaching for women (applicants taken monthly!) Join Monica on Facebook and Instagram Songs Credit: Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices