Plenty with Kate Northrup

If you’re new here, there’s something you need to know about me and this space: I’m obsessed with the body and I talk about it a lot. I love to learn about how our bodies work and how they relate literally and metaphorically to everything, specifically our emotional lives and productivity. If you’ve been around for a while, you already knew that. So many important conversations are missing a MAJORLY important piece of the puzzle: We all live in bodies, and they impact everything in our entire lives. One important conversation that often completely skips the topic of bodies (ironically, because it’s inherently about the mistreatment of bodies) is the conversation about racism. When I heard the woman I’m about to introduce speak for the first time, my body felt different than it had ever felt before during conversations about race. My body knew the potential for healing immediately because she was one of the first people I’d ever heard talk about race and racism in the context of how it impacts our bodies and why healing racial trauma needs to start with the body, not exclusively our minds. As a facilitator, author, and speaker, Milagros Phillips has been doing racial healing work for over two decades. When she came to speak in Origin last month, I got several messages from members after to the affect of: I’m in a puddle on the floor integrating the beauty that just transpired at the hands of Milagros. WOW. Several members asked if she was taking applications for niece adoptions because we all want her to be our auntie. Her work is powerful. Her heart is huge. She’s hilarious. And brilliant. If you’re ready to heal racial trauma in your body, be it black, white, or brown, so that you can affect healing in the world, this conversation is for you. Listening to Milagros will change you in the most beautiful way. I can’t wait to hear how this one moves you (and your body). Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

We’ve just crossed the threshold into the second half of the year. Every time I look at this wall we have in our basement of 12 really big monthly planners with a beautiful plan we made for 2020 back before we knew what 2020 was going to be, I chuckle. None of us could have planned for this year, I think that’s clear. This year has been particularly humbling for a planning nerd like myself (who also sells a planner). But it hasn’t made me abandon my planning practices (not all of them, anyway). In fact, I’m leaning hard on the ones that are bringing me peace and solace...and ensuring that I can still pay our team, pay our mortgage, and show up for the places I feel called to effect change. One of these planning practices is a mid-year regroup and planning session. You may be tempted to curl up in a ball under your dining room table and wait for this year to pass at this point, but, if you’re game, I’d love to invite you to join me in a simple exercise that will bring you more joy and results than acting as though this year is cancelled. (It is not, BTW. We have 5 months and 10 days left to infuse with our presence.) This week on The Kate & Mike Show, we’re walking through how to do a mid-year regroup and planning session so that you can really be here for all that life has on offer for you for the rest of the year. I give you the exact steps, and we’re even taking you behind the scenes to share what we’re gleaning from the last 6 months and how we’re integrating these lessons and infusing our dreams and goals for the next 6 months with them. Listen in for a powerful regroup and planning process. Can’t wait to hear what you think! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

So much of the information we take in as humans is based on this idea that when we do or get x, y, or z, we’ll finally feel better and then we won’t have to feel discomfort anymore. We’ve been told that the whole point of being human is to find ways to either feel less or feel better. But what if that were not the point? What if trying to feel a different way than you feel and popping out when you feel a way you don’t like to feel is thwarting your efforts in business, marriage, parenting, and more? What if we’re making it harder than it needs to be? If there’s nothing else this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we don’t know what’s going on and that so much is out of our control. There’s a gift nestled in all of the confusion and angst, should we choose to open it. It’s an invitation to a deeper experience of being human, which offers a deeper experience of everything that being human includes. (Daunting? Yes. Awesome? For sure.) The most impactful thing that Mike and I have been practicing to allow us to unwrap this gift is expanding our capacity to be uncomfortable. The pandemic is uncomfortable (in a variety of ways, depending on who you are). Talking about race is uncomfortable for many. Not being able to plan past the next week, not knowing if kids are going back to school, or if you can go visit your grandmother, or if you can fly over a border to attend a gathering you’ve been looking forward to for more than 12 months is all uncomfortable. We’ve been sold the idea that the whole point is to learn how to avoid or get rid of discomfort as fast as possible (mainly by companies trying to profit off the promise of relief). But, at least in my life, the greater capacity I build for feeling what I’m feeling (whatever it is), the more meaningful everything becomes. This week on the podcast, we’re giving you 3 specific tips to expand your capacity to be with discomfort. If you find yourself crawling out of your skin from time to time or minute to minute, you’re going to want to listen in. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast .

There’s a pattern so many of us have been indoctrinated into that’s depleting our bodies, our relationships, our planet, our innovation, and even our productivity. What makes it so insidious is that we’re celebrated for it, and many of us spend our whole lives in a reward loop that affirms a behavior that’s not doing us any favors. The addiction? Work. Alcohol addiction, drug addiction, sex addiction, shopping addiction, gambling addiction, and more are recognized as problematic behaviors for which treatment and healing can and should be sought. Overwork, however? We just throw each other a parade for that. Today on the podcast Mike and I are talking about our collective obsession with work and how it’s killing us on multiple levels. If you suspect that your addiction to work is holding you back in more ways than one, you’re gonna want to listen in. This episode is likely going to get under your skin in a way that’s simultaneously uncomfortable and necessary. And just in case you think we’re being righteous on our “we’ve already figured this thing out” high horses, we’re not. We share our recent foibles with slipping back into overwork and how we tend to those old patterns on a daily basis so that they don’t get the better of our souls. Can’t wait to hear how this one lands with you. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

There are people called to do the work of pulling people out of the river when they’re drowning. We need these people, and I’m so grateful for them. There are also people called to do the work of going upstream to figure out why they’re falling in in the first place and seeing if something can be done to prevent that. We really need these people too, and I’m extraordinarily grateful for them as well. I recently met one of these people, and his mission is as deeply inspiring as it is practical. (The Maine girl in me loves the practical.) Anu Gupta asked the bold question: Can we live in a world where people—regardless of their identities—feel like they belong everywhere? His answer came in the form of adapting cutting-edge scientific evidence to design a science-backed, compassion-based way for people to break bias, racial or otherwise. Anu realized that at the root of the institutionalized and systemic issues that hold people of different identities back is bias. And he knew that if he could figure out a way for people to break that bias, he could make a huge dent in creating a world where everyone feels like they belong everywhere. Listen in to this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show to hear: • How bias is formed in the brain and why it’s critical that we learn to break it • How Anu’s own journey of battling other people’s assumptions and judgments about him informed the creation of his company • How he overcame being suicidal and turned toward hope and transformation • How stepping more into the spotlight has been critical for his company’s impact (as well as his own personal growth) • What the PRISM framework is and how you can use it to break your bias in a measurable way within 6-8 weeks of regular practice • How breaking bias can become a spiritual experience You’ll also hear a particularly human and hilarious moment during the episode where we got to meet Anu’s family! Press play and listen. Anu’s work around breaking bias is a HUGE part of the solution that we need right now. I’m so excited to be able to share his message (and heart) with you today. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been posting on social media primarily about anti-racism and the collective opportunity we have right now to step into racial healing and liberation. I rarely check my own Instagram stats, but I decided to take a look and found that for the first time in months, I’m losing more followers than I’m gaining each week. These two things coinciding with one another is not just a coincidence. I don’t know why each person is specifically unfollowing (and on a personal level, though it makes me sad for them and the world, I’m good with weeding out the folks who don’t want to be part of the conversation. They’re obviously not my people...at least not right now). However, what I do know is that talking about race is uncomfortable. That’s why people don’t want to do it. That’s why my family didn’t talk about it growing up. That’s why my school didn’t talk about it much. Yet, just like with anything uncomfortable, if we avoid it, it festers. Ignoring discomfort does nothing to relieve the discomfort. It simply ensures it will come out in some other, likely much worse way later. Mike and I have been on a journey of doing anti-racism work internally, within our company, and within our communities for several years, and as more and more people wake up to how necessary this conversation and work is, we thought we’d talk about it on the podcast. Disclaimer: We are in no way anti-racism teachers or experts. We are simply two people talking about what we’re doing, what we’re thinking about, who we’re learning from, what it’s been like, and how we’re navigating this work. Listen in to this week’s fresh-off-the-digital-recording-device episode to find out: • What the natural world and our bodies have to teach us about diversity and healing (yep, biomimicry applies to everything!) • The life-changing encounter I had that shifted my relationship with my privilege, especially as it relates to shame and guilt • How doing the work feels now as opposed to several years ago when we were just getting started • How we’re ensuring that our anti-racism work is sustainable, so we can show up for the long haul (i.e., forever) • Who we’re loving learning from • How to access the hope and healing available for all of us right now Press play and listen in, especially if you’d rather not. I love you. Thanks for being here with us. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

One of the walls of our basement is covered with 12 poster-sized dry-erase calendars showing a truly stunning 2020 business plan. When I look at it, I chuckle. Because so far, 2020 has been the year that cannot be planned (nor planned for). None of us could have planned for sheltering in place. None of us could have planned for the number of things that have been cancelled. None of us could have planned for the racial justice revolution that’s sweeping the world right now. So what about those of us who use planning as a coping mechanism? What about those of us who find safety and calm in calendaring? I started planning as a way of life when I was about 7. It started with a little hand-drawn schedule for playdates after school, evolved into my school agendas where I’d write down my homework, developed into my Daytimer system that became Filofax, and now has made its home squarely with the Do Less Planner system (by far the best I’ve experienced, obviously ;)). Someone asked in the Do Less Facebook group (it’s free - search it and join us!) the other day how to use the Do Less Planner system (or any planner system) during this time when we can’t plan in the ways we used to. I realized that though the planner system I developed can certainly be used in the expected ways of mapping the year and looking months in advance, it was actually really created for times like this when we come right up against our humanity. If you’re a planner and are struggling with feeling out of control because you’re not able to use your normal strategies of planning to cope, I’m so glad you’re reading this. Listen in to this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show about How to Plan When You Can’t Plan to learn: The difference between planning as a trauma response and planning from a place of wholeness What the only consistent thing we have to lean on right now is...and how to use it as a touchstone for safety and calm How to optimize your time right now specifically so that you can still get done the things that need to get done while finding space for everything else that matters to you The 3 elements of the Do Less Planner system that I’m leaning on right now for my sanity Press play and listen. We may not have any idea what’s going to be happening 6 months from now, but we are here, right now, today. That much we know for sure, and it turns out it’s a grain of truth upon which an entire beautiful life can be built. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When I checked in with myself and listened to our community and the pulse of the world right now, what felt right this week was not to publish a new podcast episode, but to point your attention to one of our favorites from the past that features a black woman whose work is devoted to black liberation. In the summer of 2018 I savored every word of Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown. (She’s since published Pleasure Activism, which became a NY Times bestseller and is also incredibly powerful.) Adrienne dances the intersection between spirituality and social justice work in a way that feels really necessary right now. If you’ve noticed spiritual leaders (especially white ones) jumping directly to unity and oneness without first acknowledging the 400 years of oppression that needs repair, and it doesn’t sit well with you, listen in. If you’re feeling immobilized by the reality of the profound limitations of society and our history around race and what it means for you and your people, and you’re grappling with how it could possibly be at all connected to spirituality, listen in. Adrienne’s words, laughter, and ideas are medicine. In this episode that first came out January 1, 2019, but is no less relevant today, you’ll hear: • How Adrienne practices time bending (and how feeling good is part of it) • How she finally answered her calling to be a Doula despite being freaked out by blood • Who she writes for (and who she does not) • How to organize your life around the “YES!” • How to join your spirituality and social justice work together • How to know when to coast and why working hard all the time isn’t the way to go • And so much more! Press play and listen to her brilliance (and prepare to laugh!) Thank you for being here in this community. Over the last week it’s become ever more clear to me that not all communities are places where people feel safe to be themselves and, even more so, affirmed for all of who they are. While I will never get it perfect and I will continue to be humble and ready to fumble (quoting Erika Hines), you have my commitment that you matter to me and you are welcome here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to show up. I’ll continue to do the same. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

The world is heavy right now with the increased awareness of violence and injustice against black people that's been going on for over 400 years here in the United States. To the black people in our community, you are in my heart and prayers but most importantly, my actions. As one of my favorite writers and teachers, Adrienne Maree Brown, said: "Things are not getting worse, they're getting uncovered." I also shared the following words from writer, producer, and performer Sarah Jones on Instagram the other day: Rather than sharing a new episode of The Kate & Mike Show as we’d originally planned this week, we’re talking about anti-racism, healing, and liberation. There’s no other conversation I can imagine having right now. This week I’m directing your attention to a conversation we had two years ago almost to the day with Rachel Cargle, activist, public academic, writer, and lecturer. If you’re new to anti-racism and liberation work, welcome. Listening to Rachel is a great place to start. If you’ve been actively engaged with this work for a long time now, I’m glad you’re here. This episode is for you, too. In this conversation about Unpacking White Feminism you’ll learn: • What’s particularly important for white women to know when it comes to showing up for the movement toward racial healing and liberation • Why it’s so important to take your anti-racism work offline into your real life relationships as soon as possible and as often as possible (and how to do that) • Where capitalism started and how to navigate entrepreneurship in that context • An incredibly important yet often overlooked consideration we need to make when we’re researching who to vote for • How to find out if your child’s school is racist • And so much more Please note that this conversation was recorded 2 years ago and while the salient points are just as relevant today, some of the details about Rachel and our lives have changed. If we were to have recorded this conversation today I would have asked things differently and not said certain things, but we’re sharing anyway because perfectionism and being afraid of messing up can be a bastion of white supremacy that can silence us and can perpetuate violence in some cases. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When the final numbers came in at the end of April, both Mike and I were in awe. Despite working half the amount, having no childcare, not being able to follow through on any of our growth plans, some of our customers having financial difficulty and needing to extend payment plans, and feeling uncertain about the future of our planet and humanity, April was an above-average revenue month. And May is shaping up to be the same. I’m not telling you this to brag. I’m telling you this because I still remain in awe that this whole “do less, achieve more” thing actually works. These past months have been reminiscent of our first year as parents from the standpoint of contraction. It was the pressure of sleepless nights, caring for a sick baby, riding the ups and downs of postpartum anxiety and insomnia, and a total shift in identity that birthed the “Do Less Method” in the first place. And now we’ve been given an opportunity to practice what we preach in an even more devoted way because, once again, Life has given us an opportunity gift-wrapped as a challenge. (Please know that as I write this, I’m aware that there are billions of people not faring well right now from a physical, financial, and emotional standpoint. That’s why I’m even more committed than ever to sharing how we can do less and have more. I would never propose that I have the solution to the global challenges we’re experiencing, but I’m definitely here to put in my shift and add the medicine that I know I’m here to add.) There are 5 key things that we’ve been practicing that have made a huge difference for us these past 2.5 when it comes to keeping our revenue above average, serving our customers, and remaining sane and healthy. (And even thriving on some days!) We outlined them for you with examples in this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show. Listen in to 5 Ways to Make Running Your Business Easier (and Even Improve Your Results) to hear: • The simple thing you can put first every day that makes a HUGE difference in your work output for the rest of the day • The counterintuitive approach to our offerings that we’ve been using to increase our revenue • Why creativity can be a huge time-waster (and how to make sure you don’t fall in that trap) • The 2 things we do more of in our business so that we can do less of everything else Running a business isn’t easy. But a lot of us are making it harder than it needs to be. May this week’s show ease your path on multiple levels. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

On Mother’s Day my husband Mike saw several posts from guys about their wives/partners which said something to the effect of: “I don’t know how she does it all.” While the posts were meant to be in appreciation of these women and the way they show up for their families, something about them didn’t sit well with Mike. As we talked it through and he noodled on it over the next day or so, Mike came back with a pretty revolutionary perspective on why celebrating women for doing so much is so unintentionally harmful. And we started off this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show, which is all about equity in partnerships, with his insight. If you’ve ever felt like: • You’re holding far more than your fair share of the household and childcare responsibilities • You don’t know how to get your partner on board with a more equitable split of sharing the load • The emotional labor of “holding” everything goes unnoticed and you’re sick of it • You’re the partner who’s not holding as much and you feel guilty about it • You really want to create an equitable partnership but you don’t know how and you don’t have any role models for what that might look like in 2020 ...this episode is for YOU! We’ve had lots of requests for an episode where we share the behind-the-scenes of how we share the load of work and home in our marriage, plus our suggestions for building equity in your own relationship, so that’s what we have for you this week! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When you think about something that you want, do you immediately think of all of the different things you’re going to need to do in order to get it? Even if you’re a student of metaphysics and you practice ways of attracting what you want energetically, does manifesting sometimes feel like a slog (or a lie)? The heaviest belief a lot of us are carrying around is: In order to get what I want I have to work hard. And while I’m never one to shy away from devoted, focused attention to worthy tasks, I live in question of the assumption that anything we want has to come through hard work. In fact, I even question the way folks who teach the “easy” way of manifesting seem to make it harder than I think is necessary. That’s why I love the concept of Egg Wisdom that I learned about from my mom, Christiane Northrup, MD. It’s all about the metaphor of our biological blueprint to attract what we want while doing less. If you’ve never heard of Egg Wisdom, if you’ve heard of it but don’t really get it, or if you’ve been practicing it but want to know more, then this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show is for you. Listen in to learn how to attract what you want while doing less with Egg Wisdom. (Plus, you’ll get some insights on the problematic nature of how the Law of Attraction is sometimes taught and why Egg Wisdom applies to anyone of any gender identity or expression.) If you’re anything like the hundreds of folks I’ve heard from who are so excited about their innate abilities of magnetism, aka Egg Wisdom, you’re going to LOVE this concept...and it’s going to make your life and work so much easier! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

The longest chapter I wrote in the first draft of Do Less was the chapter on Asking for Help. It was originally 25,000 words (one third of the contracted total word count) and it ended up becoming both the Receiving Help and Asking for Help chapters. But there’s something super important that I left out of the chapter...because I was today years old when I realized it. Yes, many of us struggle with asking for help because we think we should be able to handle everything ourselves. We struggle because we think we’re the only ones who can do it right. We struggle because we think it’s easier to do it ourselves than show someone else how to do it. We struggle because we feel like we’re inconveniencing others when we ask. But there’s another MAJOR reason that emerged as Mike and I were recording this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show, and it’s critical for us all to realize. This week’s episode about How to Ask for What You Want on Mother’s Day (or Anytime) reveals the critical block preventing so many women from getting what they want. I’ve been studying and thinking about this topic A LOT, and I didn’t even really get it until we recorded this conversation, so I have a feeling it’s going to be new for a lot of our listeners as well. Knowing what the block is may be all you need in order for it to be evaporated. Awareness is always the first step, and sometimes it’s the only step necessary! Listen in to this week’s episode to learn: • The critical block preventing so many women from getting what they want • The 3 simple steps to asking for what you want (and how to make it more likely you’ll get it) • A low-hanging-fruit method for getting more of your needs met immediately without asking anyone for anything • The difference between your needs and your desires and why both are necessary Regardless of your parental status, let this conversation be the starting point for a whole new relationship with what you want. And, if you’re a mother and you live in the USA, let this week leading up to Mother’s Day be your playground to practice a whole new way of being a woman and a mother that makes space for more of you, perhaps ALL of you. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When we were in the first year of doing The Kate & Mike Show, I made a list of “Podcast Unicorns” who I dreamed of having on the show. TBH, I never reached out to ask this week’s guest onto the show, but I held her name close to my heart on my dream list, trusting that the time would come and that when it did, I would know. Well, my friend, the time came, she said yes, and I’m SO thrilled to be sharing a conversation with you that meant the world to me and that I hope you’ll find as nourishing as I did. Glennon Doyle, whose new book Untamed is spectacular and has been a #1 NY Times Bestseller for the last 5 weeks, joined Mike and me for a cozy, after-the-kids-were-in-bed conversation where we talked about: • What to do when you feel like you’re going to die because you’re being publicly criticized (on whatever scale) • How to navigate wanting to tell stories about your kids publicly and the line between public and private in the land of the interwebs • The question it’s critical we ask ourselves about people in positions of authority in our lives so that we don’t lose ourselves • How to raise girls who don’t lose themselves (and/or how to help them come back when they do) • Why raising angry girls is a good thing • How to find yourself again when you’ve noticed you’re lost • And so much more! Glennon’s work has been deeply helpful to me at several critical junctures ever since I first read Carry On, Warrior in 2016, and 4 years later I couldn’t be more thrilled to be sharing this conversation with you. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Life hands us all kinds of hard things. And when we’re going through a hard thing, we have a choice: Run, numb, or stay. Depending on the day, where I am in my cycle, and which way the wind is blowing, I choose differently. Given the intensity of the moment we’re in globally, though, and the number of hard things coming my way lately (I know you’re undoubtedly navigating your own set of hard things and I’m sending you so much love), I’ve been seeing what happens when I stay. Can I stay with myself when I’m crawling out of my skin being with my kids? Can I stay with myself when I’m feeling sensations during an intense workout? Can I stay with myself when Mike and I are in conflict about something going on within our business? Can I stay with myself when I desperately want an answer to unanswerable questions? Can I stay with myself? Staying with ourselves is not easy, and most of us were never taught how to do it. We have a million and three ways to numb or run...but developing a new neural pathway to support staying and mining the gold in the intensity is new for most of us. This week on the podcast, we’re talking about staying with ourselves when we want to numb or run. In the episode we share: • Our favorite numbing strategies and what we’re noticing about them right now during the pandemic (anyone else finding themselves staring into the snack cabinet at night hoping that something in there will fix your problems?) • About the time last week when it felt like my soul had broken out in hives and what I did about it • What birth taught us about staying • The critical difference between a feeling and a sensation and how one can set you free • The opportunity in staying that we lose when we numb or run There’s also a lot of hilarity in this episode because...well...we’re in quarantine and we have the sillies. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I’m writing this to you as my girls sit on the kitchen floor painting giant pieces of paper that I traced their bodies on. It’s risky, but you and your business’s (and psyche’s) ability to thrive during this time are worth all the paint I’m going to be cleaning off the floor and my babies after. Last week I found myself curious about what some of my friends who I admire in business are thinking about this unusual moment we’re in, and what they’re sharing with their communities. So, I asked them. And then I decided I’d share their answers with you because what’s mine is yours. We’ve never done anything like this before on the podcast, and we’re super excited to share the wisdom of the following incredible friends/business experts with you: • Patrice Washington, bestselling author of Real Money Answers for Every Woman and host of the Redefining Wealth Podcast • Rachel Rodgers, Esq., IP lawyer, founder of the Hello Seven Podcast and We Should All Be Millionaires: The Club • Gina Gomez, Business Strategist and Advisor aka “the Olivia Pope of the personal development industry” • Amy Porterfield, host of the top podcast Online Marketing Made Easy and creator of Digital Course Academy • James Wedmore, host of the Mind Your Business podcast and creator of Business By Design • Rha Goddess, bestselling author of The Calling, Entrepreneurial Soul Couch, and founder and CEO of Move The Crowd In this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show, you’ll hear them all answer this simple question: How are you thinking about this moment as a small business owner and what are you sharing with your community? Their answers are as diverse as their backgrounds, and in this episode you’ll learn: • The biggest opportunity to focus on right now for small businesses • The 3 areas you need to consider when making a timely pivot • 3 simple steps to navigating this moment of change to make sure your business stays solid • 2 stories of thriving businesses birthed in the 2008 recession (one of which rose from the ashes of a 7-figure business that was lost) • The paramount question to ask about your business to ensure sustainability • 4 Vital Practices to engage in to ensure you’re getting the message and gift this moment has for you specifically Listening to the wisdom that these 6 humans shared in their messages was salve to my soul. May it be the medicine you need right now, too. After you’ve listened, we’d love to know: Which piece of wisdom resonated with you the most? How are you going to implement it? Leave a comment and let us know. Being in conversation with you during this time (and always) is such a gift. I’m sending you tons of love and lots of strength for navigating this moment in your business and your life with grace, compassion, and power. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Over here at HQ (aka our house), we’ve got a 4 ½-year-old and an almost-2-year-old and a company to run. Plus many of our team members are in the same boat at their houses. There are so many different permutations of how this moment of quarantine is affecting different households, but for those of you who find yourself with the literally impossible task of working full-time while parenting full-time and also possibly guiding homeschooling, this message is for you. (This will also be particularly useful for folks caregiving in any capacity, even if it’s not for kids.) First of all, I will say that I am by no means the world’s leading expert on working from home while parenting. No one should be. This is for the birds. Second, though, I am obsessed with the logistics of time and how our rhythms can either support or deflate our wellbeing and impact. So, when a bunch of folks in our community reached out asking how Mike and I are navigating the fact that we both work and we have no childcare right now, I figured we’d share what we’re doing behind the scenes. You can count on me for one thing always: transparency. I’ll tell you when I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’ll tell you what’s working. That’s my promise. In this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show we share: • The daily conversation we’re having that makes a world of difference in the logistics of working and parenting together during this weird moment • A critical ingredient that any ask for support needs to have during this time (and really anytime) • Mike’s excellent wisdom for those of us who are going a little nuts with no breaks from our children (🙋) Press play if you’re trying to work from home without childcare too. At the very least you’ll know you’re not alone. ;) Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

So, I’m usually someone who recommends not sharing what you’re going through publicly while smack-dab in the middle of going through it. Mostly this is because I think sharing from the messy middle is unearned intimacy and secondly because I’m someone who likes to be useful and usually I don’t have a helpful perspective to share until after a little time has passed. However, this week I went against my own advice. As a recovering achiever, I don’t love the feeling of being out of control and not having my sh*t together. And while vulnerability and I have continued to make better friends over the years, feeling lost in the murk in public feels deeply uncomfortable. But at the end of last week, we recorded our podcast right when I was in the murk of feeling lost and like there was a lot of pressure for me, as someone with a platform, to say the right thing or know how to guide people. In many ways in that moment, I felt out of my depth. When we finished recording, I had a major vulnerability hangover because I didn’t feel like I’d presented the “with it” version of myself that I prefer to be out in the world. But there it was. And Mike assured me that admitting on our podcast that I have no idea WTF is going on would be useful to folks. So, if you want to listen in on a conversation that made me super uncomfortable and witness me in the messy middle, this week’s episode is for you. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

No matter what’s going on in your corner of the world, I want you to know that I’m sending you love. No matter how this global situation has affected you and your family, I want you to know that I’m thinking of you and our entire community. Mike and I are committed to showing up in a way that contributes to this being a healing experience for all of us. So, we recorded a new episode of The Kate & Mike Show for you where we shared: • How we’re navigating self-isolation (including some missteps and how we’re learning from them) • 5 specific tips for tending to your nervous system during this time so you can signal your body to rest, restore, and heal instead of activate fight, flight, or freeze • 6 steps to take stock of what’s happening and pivot your business in an effective, helpful way • Why giving away all of your stuff for free may or may not be the best thing to do right now as a business owner • The way we’re staying informed without freaking out • One perspective on this unprecedented time that’s bringing us a lot of peace and solace If you need some healing thoughts during this uncertain time, this episode is for you. This is weird. We’re here for you. Take really good care of yourself and each other. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Over here in my little corner of the world in Maine, things are kind of weird and weirdly quiet. I know that’s not the case everywhere in the world, and however this odd global moment is affecting you, please know that I’m thinking of you and sending love, healing, and prayers your way. We’d already planned for March to be an exhale month, so it turns out the slowdown is in sync for the most part. Our kiddos are home with us for a minimum of 2 weeks, so Mike and I are doing a bee-bop of parenting, "homeschool Pre-K" (which basically means circle time and coloring), and running our business. I’m changing my expectations across the board, and while I wish this moment had been precipitated by different circumstances, I’m welcoming the mandate to do less. At times like this I really think it’s important for us as business owners to check in on whether our messaging is appropriate for the global temperature. We’ve gotta check in and see if what we’re promoting is relevant and helpful given the moment (while not trying to please everyone, which is ultimately impossible). The big thing we have coming up is the newly revised paperback release of Do Less with a brand-new subtitle, new stories, new data, and some reworking so that it’s now geared toward "ambitious women" instead of "busy moms." In celebration of the revised paperback edition, I’m hosting a free, virtual Do Less Book Club starting the week of April 6th for anyone who pre-orders the new edition. When I checked in with our team and myself as to whether or not it feels appropriate to move forward with our plans given the developing global health situation, I decided it does. Lots of us are home unexpectedly with kids. Lots of us are trying to work and care for loved ones simultaneously and navigating new challenges around managing our time and energy. Lots of us are in a situation where we need to continue to earn money while doing less. Turns out, I wrote a book about how to do that, and I revised it to make it even better. This week on The Kate & Mike Show we’re talking about: • Why I decided to revise Do Less less than 6 months after its release despite people being thrilled with the first version • How to navigate times when marketing wisdom doesn’t exactly align with your inner knowing • Niching down versus broadening out • How to identify your creative process and own it for peak output and joy • What the Do Less Virtual Book Club is going to be all about and how to get in on it During this bizarre time I’m taking the opportunity to simplify, be super present with the people I love the most, serve my existing customers in an even deeper way, tend to my nervous system, and savor the space. I hope you join me in whichever of those sounds useful to you. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Whether you’re new here or have been hanging out with me for a while, it’s important to know that I don’t see any parts of our lives as separate. That’s why the conversation about balance rubs me the wrong way, as though we’re trying to create equal space for different parts of our lives rather than learn how to be fully ourselves in an integrated way-- whether we’re working or playing or doing both at the same time (my favorite). When it comes to the health of your body and the health of your business, I feel like they’re the same conversation in many ways. But so often we allow our business goals to overshadow our physical health, and instead of supporting our goals, like we assume, letting our bodies take the back seat jeopardizes our health as well as our businesses. That’s why I’m excited to share this week’s podcast with you. It’s with Elizabeth Rider who’s been a friend of ours for over 14 years. In many ways, we grew up in business together. Elizabeth is in the business of health, and we dove into the ways we can increase our wellbeing physically and financially through our businesses. Listen in to this week’s episode of the Kate & Mike Show with Elizabeth to learn: • How to ramp up your blog traffic without focusing on keywords (whaaa?) • How to make the most important aspects of your health a habit so you don’t have to waste time and energy trying to make yourself do them • Why "boundaries" is Elizabeth’s favorite word and how she uses boundaries to have thriving physical and financial health Be sure to check out Elizabeth’s book, The Health Habit: 7 Easy Steps to Reach Your Goals and Dramatically Improve Your Life, for practical, non-dogmatic health tips and gorgeous, simple recipes that even someone like me who struggles in the kitchen can make. And, as always, remember: Body first. Business second. When you do it in that order, both things get the care and attention they need. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Two weeks ago I did something I swore I’d never do: I started talking publicly about informed consent, body autonomy, and medical freedom as it relates to immunizations. This message is not about immunizations, though. This message is about navigating speaking up about something controversial, particularly when it appears that you’re on the less popular side. I knew speaking up would mean I would lose followers. I knew speaking up would likely mean we’d lose sales. I did not know that speaking up would wreak such havoc on my nervous system, however. I did not know that 24 hours after my post went live I would want to take it back and crawl in a hole for the rest of my life. And I did not know that on the other side of the initial fallout I would feel stronger, more informed, and more myself than I’d ever felt before. I also had no idea that taking a public stand about something so polarizing would bring gifts beyond my wildest imaginings. This week on the podcast we’re sharing about the journey of speaking out about something we believe in at the risk of losing followers, money, and cache. Listen in to find out: • Why all of the risks of speaking out have been so worth it • How to think for ourselves while swimming in a cultural soup that wants us to do anything but that • How to signal safety in your nervous system so that you can keep standing up for what you believe in • The wild thing that happened on social media from my standing up that I didn’t expect Once you’ve listened in I would love to hear from you. Have you ever spoken out about something you believed in that was unpopular or controversial? What were the risks? What were the rewards? How did you navigate any potential fall-out? Leave a comment and let me know! Know this: If you feel like you can’t talk about something, especially when it questions the mainstream, it’s because someone is benefitting from your fear and silence. But they can’t benefit anymore when you speak up. And the more who speak up, the stronger our voices become. No matter what your stand is, even if I don’t agree, know that I support your right to say something about it and that I’m cheering you on for saying something even if you’re scared. Especially then. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

We certainly record our podcast every week to deliver education, insight, and hopefully some entertainment to you every week, but sometimes the truth is, we do it for ourselves. Sometimes someone says something that makes us see something really clearly for the first time in a long time, or perhaps ever. When we sat down to record the interview we’re sharing this week, that happened to me. There was a moment during the interview with Laura Roeder, who originally founded B-School with Marie Forleo, when she was talking about why she walked away from the gargantuan program and opportunity and my mouth literally began to water. There’s something about the simplicity and clarity with which Laura, also co-founder of the incredible social media scheduling and repurposing software, Edgar, speaks about how to determine what kind of business to create (and then how to create it) that blew my mind. This episode is a MUST listen if you: • feel like you’re just going through the motions in your life and business and haven’t picked your head up to ask, "Is this really what I want?" in a while • want to hear the incredible story of why Laura walked away from B-School (and how leaving ended up making her more money than staying) • want to learn how Laura grew a business that she could walk away from and still make amazing money and how you can apply that to your situation • want to hear what Laura said that made my mouth water (because I know I want more of that!) Not all of us are made for the same kind of business. And sometimes a business model is right only for a season, and then it’s time to pivot or split. Laura is such a brilliant example of this and we’re so excited to share her story with you today. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I just finished leading the first retreat for our 2020 Origin ® Mastermind, and something became so clear to me as I listened to the brilliant women in the group share: Specificity in business is such a turn-on for me! Why? Because when folks are specific about what they offer, who they offer it to, and how people are going to hear about it, they eliminate friction and significantly improve their results. And in full transparency, I get so excited about specificity in other people’s businesses because it’s something I’ve struggled with in my own business for years. I’m getting better and better, but I know I’m not alone when I say that I have to remain diligent to not get sucked down in the quicksand of vagueness in my copy, pitches, and offers. There’s a lady who’s become dear to my heart (even though we have yet to meet in person) who really nailed the specificity game, and no matter how many times I hear about it, I get a little hot and bothered. She co-founded and sold her half of the company Simple Green Smoothies, where she grew their community to over 355k subscribers and 415k+ Instagram followers. And you know how she did it? Simple specificity. They had one product, one platform where they promoted it, one promotional strategy, one plan, and one ideal kind of person who bought it. And then they did it over and over again and grew like bananas. (Pun totally intended. #wordnerd) What was this brilliantly specific and simple promotional strategy? Online challenges. We invited Jadah on the podcast because we wanted to share her incredible story with you so that you could learn how to build your email list in 30 days or less with an online challenge. Plus, Jadah is such a love, and I know you’re going to adore hearing about her journey with Simple Green Smoothies and how she’s made a powerful pivot into what she’s doing now with her current business incarnation, Love Over Metrics. Listen in to this week’s episode to get going with your simple plan to grow your email list in 30 days or less. I’m SO excited for you to catch the specific simplicity wave with us! You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Ever find yourself getting all fired up about something and loving the part of yourself that you access when you get all feisty? I have found myself in this place A LOT lately, and based on our sudden spike in podcast downloads and Facebook live views, you’re on board, too. Thank you for being my feisty friends who are ready to shake sh*t up with me. I’ve always been a stationery enthusiast. Blank journals, papers, pens, and planners have always held a certain mystique for me. I got started creating my own planners when my age was in the single digits, and I graduated to a DayTimer in high school and Filofax in college. Then somewhere along the way, that straight-A student who was so adept at coloring inside the lines started to question the whole idea of creating success through trying to fit more into our days. She craved the structure and grounding of her planning obsession, but something was missing. It turned out what was missing was the entire other half of the energetic polarity we all carry as humans. It turned out what was missing was the exhale. What was missing was the softness. What was missing was the pause. So she listened, and a whole new way of doing things came through. This new way creates: • More ease and more flow while improving results • A process-oriented approach that leads to tremendous joy and satisfaction • Health on all possible levels This week on the podcast, Mike and I are diving into the feminist time management system that will change your life, and we’re really going there. We outlined the 3 ways that traditional time management systems are keeping us stuck and exhausted (plus wasting our lives) and how the feminist approach that came through me 4 years ago gives us our lives, results, and health back. Plus, we talked about why a widened view of feminism is good for everyone. This was a feisty one, and I think you’re going to like it. Here’s to getting fired up about the things that matter. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

One night last week after I’d gotten the girls to bed and washed the 350 dishes piled beside the sink (why did I decide to make a dinner requiring like 6 different bowls when Mike was out of town and it was just me and the girls - and they ate virtually nothing, I might add?), I put my sweats on and cozied up by myself in the basement to do something I’ve never done before: Record a solo episode of The Kate & Mike Show! Despite having spoken on stages in front of thousands and showing up lots on camera live and recorded, I was surprised to find that I was pretty nervous. I get the following question all the time: How much content do I give away for free? In the information marketing world when we’re giving away free content that will eventually lead to people paying us for more content, I can see how it could be confusing. In my first ever solo episode of The Kate & Mike Show, I let you in on: • The 3 reasons we made the bold (and risky) choice to give the Core Lessons of our newest program, Make Time for Business, away for free • How we do the dance between strategy and intuition • Why holding your content back out of fear that giving it for free will mean people won’t buy is preventing you from making the kind of money you want • 3 ways to unlock a flood of new content ideas, so you never wonder what you should talk about next Please be gentle with me. It was so weird to record without Mike! Hats off to people who do solo shows every single week! Once you listen, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on Instagram with your insights and any follow-up questions. As always, thanks for listening. :) You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

It was a sleepy Monday in a sleepy town in Maine. We had our panties in a wrinkle because we found ourselves feeling short on time and long on pressure. And yet again, because old habits die hard, we realized we didn’t need to push so hard. We could give ourselves more space. Then we walked into a random restaurant and...BOOM. There she was. One of the most iconic people in the world. In Maine. 20 minutes from our house. It was a watershed moment on so many levels. A Divine confirmation that we’re on the right track as we diligently work to unravel our default setting of overdoing it. We decided to do less and ran smack dab into one of the biggest personalities on the planet. Talk about doing less to achieve more. This week on The Kate & Mike Show we’re telling you the full story, including who this incredible person is and what meeting her meant for us...and for you. If you find yourself under pressure with more to do than you have time for, and that the pressure is often self-imposed, this episode is for you. In it you’ll learn: • The shift we’d decided to make in our business and why meeting this big icon felt like such an affirmation • The new policy we’ve incorporated into our business as a result of this encounter and how it’s already helped us make powerful decisions • Why setting goals and not achieving them isn’t something you need to be worried about • Why I believe there’s no such thing as wasted action and how to trust the process, even when it’s not linear (because it never is) There are moments that just change everything. The story we’re telling in this episode is of one of those moments. May it be a gift to you as the experience has been for us. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

It was March in Boston. The weather sucked, as it does in New England that time of year. This thing that happened had happened to me only one time before. I saw a woman I hadn’t seen in years for the first time, and without much warm-up or fanfare, something inside me knew I had to hire her. It was as though my body said, "She’s what’s next for you." It happened with the coach I worked with in 2018 who helped me unravel some deep patterns that needed...well...unraveling. And then it happened again in March 2019. I got home after sitting next to Rha Goddess on a panel at Harvard Divinity School and said to Mike, "I need to work with her." I hadn’t even been looking for a coach, but there she was. And just as my book launch dropped me into a postpartum heap of "I don’t know what I’m doing I think I’ll just quit everything," sitting on my living room floor crying amongst my Mastermind sisters, I was off to New York City to spend a day with Rha. I feel so silly saying this now but until I spent that day with Rha, I thought trying to figure out your purpose was a waste of time. Can’t we just all keep doing the next right thing and move it along rather than bothering with trying to articulate our purpose? Who really cares, anyway? Aren’t we all here to be of service and feel good, in the end? We started at 9am and by lunchtime I realized how wrong I’d been. Turns out that for all of us there’s a unique intersection of our gifts and talents, our true nature, and the world’s needs...and it is calling us. I just wasn’t ready to listen until I was. I learned that I’d been living adjacent to my calling but not precisely aligned with it. In the 7 months since that day in NYC, I’ve realized how much friction and discomfort had been created by living very close to but not right on my calling. Just like when you have two magnets really close together so that you can feel the energetic pull between them and it requires concerted energy to prevent them from coming together and aligning, I was living in a constant state of utilizing force to keep myself a few inches from the very place that was calling me. And ever since I let go and let myself rest in alignment with where I’m meant to be, everything has gotten so much easier, so much more powerful, and so much more clear. I want this for you. That’s why we invited Rha on The Kate & Mike Show this week to talk about her game-changing work that guides us all to stay true, get paid, and do good. In this episode you’ll hear: • How it’s truly possible to do good and make great money and allow yourself to be part of the healing of toxic capitalism • Rha’s inspiring story of moving from the world of hip-hop and activism to personal development and entrepreneurial soul coaching • The shift that allowed Rha to triple her income in 8 months • A beautiful moment where both Rha and I are moved to tears by what she has to say (and show) about how to truly love others • Why Rha has held nothing back and put all of her worksheets, exercises, and content into the book, so you can have access to everything for the cost of a library card • Where you can start to identify your calling and stay true, get paid, and do good When I featured Rha as a Maven Masterclass leader in our membership for entrepreneurs who identify as female or with feminine energy, they went bananas for her. In our end-of-the-year survey, her class was far and above the one mentioned most as the favorite. You’re going to get tremendous value out of this conversation. Once you’ve listened in, please share a screenshot of the podcast with us on your Instagram stories and tag us - @katenorthrup, @mikejwatts, and @rhagoddess - so we can witness your insights. I’m so ecstatic to share this woman who’s impacted my life so profoundly over the last 7 months with you. Get ready to be rocked. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When I was a senior in college, Tim Ferriss came out with the first edition of The 4-Hour Work Weekand I was fascinated. As a productivity junkie since the age of 14, I couldn’t get enough. I devoured it. One of the concepts in particular changed something in me forever. The school system had taught me to become well-rounded. The college application process had groomed me to fill in all of the areas and how important it was to excel in academics as well as the arts, athletics, good citizenship, and any other extracurricular activities I could possibly pack into my schedule. The pursuit of being good at all the things all the time left me feeling wrung out. Enter Pareto’s Principle. The concept is simple: 80% of your results will be caused by 20% of your efforts. Wait. I didn’t have to be practically perfect in every way? What a freaking relief! For the first time, I had permission to go all in on only the things that I was the best at that got me results and to stop trying to be good at everything. And, if I did, I would actually get better results. This felt like the closest thing to magic I could have possibly discovered. It wasn't until my early 30’s when I was recording a lesson on Pareto’s Principle (aka The 80/20 Rule) that I realized I’d never found a practical way to apply this theory. I wanted a list of my 20% of activities so that I could stay focused on them and not go back to my old way of being kind of good at a lot of things. I wanted to really rock a few things to amplify my results. Everyone else seemed to just be talking about the theory, so I came up with a simple way to get a list of the 20% of activities that I needed to zero in on to get 80% of my results (and by default a way to get a list of the 80% that I could let go of, outsource, or simply not give my all to). If you want to achieve more by doing less, the single most important thing you can do is get clarity on what the 20% of activities is that gives you 80% of your results. Turns out you can apply this rule to lots of other areas, too. • 20% of your customers will bring in 80% of your revenue. • 20% of your customers will give you 80% of your headaches. • 20% of your revenue streams will bring in 80% of your money. Etc.! Want to know the simple way I came up with to figure out your 20% and all of the ways you can apply this rule to your life and business so that you can reduce the number of things you’re doing while increasing your results? You’re in luck because that’s what this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show is all about! Please don’t just listen to the episode. Do the exercise. It will take you less than 10 minutes and will give you years of your life back. I swear. Once you’ve listened, take a screenshot of the episode and tag Mike and me on social media to let us know what your 20% is. We can’t wait to hear from you! Get ready for some serious life-giving clarity! You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Have you ever had something about yourself that you don’t think is that big of deal, but when you share it, everyone else seems to think it is a big deal? That’s Mike and me with drinking. Or not drinking, as the case may be. Our most popular episode of The Kate & Mike Show of 2019 BY FAR was the one we did about Sobriety, Substances, and Choosing to Live Awake (episode 137) in which Mike shared his sordid journey with drugs and alcohol, and I shared mine (not so sordid but still worth mentioning). That’s why we’re kicking off 2020 with back-to-back episodes on sobriety. Last week we talked with Holly Whitaker about our culture’s f’d up relationship with alcohol and the ways in which the traditional, patriarchal structures of recovery don’t serve everyone. This week we’re back with an equally powerful episode with memoirist Laura McKowen about her journey with addiction, getting sober, and then falling deeply in love with her sober life. As Laura shares, she thought that sobriety was a sentence for a sad existence without fun or sex or truly living. Until her life required her to get sober and discover the truth: that sobriety is an invitation to a truer, more beautiful life, not a sentence. You don’t have to want to get sober in order to get the gold from this episode, though I would totally cheer you on if you do! In the episode you’ll hear: • What Laura did about the shame she was carrying from the things that happened while she was drinking • How we forgive ourselves for things we think are unforgivable • How to actually feel your feelings and why they won’t kill you (and what opportunities lie on the other side) • About the beauty and possibilities of a sober life • Laura’s story of getting a book deal (I always have to ask some business questions) I’m really excited for you to get to soak in the beauty and wisdom of Laura. She’s a gem. So are you. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Wondering if you have a drinking problem? Yeah, I know. That first line is intense. Well, here’s what: Today is the first day of a new year. The first day of a new decade, in fact. Can you think of a better time to talk about the most widely-used, (abused), and normalized drug on the planet (responsible for more deaths than all of the other drugs combined) and your relationship with it? I can’t. If you’ve been wondering if you have a drinking problem, if you’ve dubbed yourself sober-curious, if you’ve tried to reduce your alcohol consumption or have tried to quit, if you’re a non-drinker, have someone in your family who struggles with alcohol, or are sober yourself, have I got something for you! But before I get there, please know this: I come from a family where there’s alcoholism and other addiction, and my husband is sober. It’s estimated that 43% of people in the U.S. grew up with, are married to, or have a blood relative who’s an alcoholic or problematic drinker, so the chances that your life has been affected by this drug and addiction are really high. This topic has impacted my life profoundly, and I’m bringing it up not from a place of judgment or feeling any shred of blame toward you if you struggle with alcohol. I’m bringing it up as a gentle, loving invitation to consider your relationship with alcohol (or that of the people you love) and how it’s adding or detracting from your life. What does this have to do with doing less to have more and/or growing your business, you might be asking? EVERYTHING. Our bodies are our vessels for everything we bring to this world. A whole cocktail of biochemical things are happening inside us at all times that result in wild creativity, incredible energy, bliss, and chutzpah up the wazoo or brain fog, confusion, anxiety, depression, tremendous self-doubt, and an inability to manifest what we actually want. One of the main things that can cause your body to serve up the latter grouping of human experience is drinking ethanol (which is the same substance that you put in the gas tank of your car) and how much of it you’re drinking. It’s my deepest desire and commitment to offer up the best ideas, strategies, experts, insights, and stories for you to access the best of you, so you can light up the world without burning yourself out. So, ignoring the topic of alcohol would be irresponsible on my part. All right, enough with the preamble. I’m so excited to be bringing you an incredible episode of The Kate & Mike Show to kick off this decade with a truly remarkable woman.Ever since I read her new book, Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol, I have told virtually everyone I’ve come into contact with that they MUST read it. We invited Holly Whitaker, founder of Tempest Sobriety School and author of Quit Like a Woman, onto the podcast to have a powerful conversation about: • The bizarre way our culture thinks about alcohol and why it’s critical to our liberation that we question how it’s been normalized (whether we choose to drink or not). • The radical alternative to calling yourself an alcoholic that can grant the gift of a beautiful, conscious, awake life that’s available for problem and non-problem drinkers alike. • How alcohol affects women in a profoundly different way than men and the insidious way it’s used as a tool of oppression (this was the part that made my jaw drop the lowest). And so much more! I know this sounds like a super-heavy conversation, and it certainly was one with gravitas, but the episode is actually really fun because Holly is hilarious and a total firecracker. I think you’ll especially love the part where she talks about how and why she’s raised millions of dollars for her sobriety start-up. Liberation is available to you. I hope this conversation unlocks as much awakening for you as it (and Holly’s book) did for me. Once you’ve listened, we definitely want to hear from you. What did this episode bring up for you? What surprised you? What’s your next step? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

You’re out there serving your people (your clients, community, kids, family, etc.) and making sure they’re living their best lives...but there’s also you. How are you taking care of you? One of my favorite things to learn about leaders is how they take care of themselves because I get inspired with new ideas to enhance my own wellbeing, capacity, and performance. This week on the podcast, we have the extremely good-looking and insightful husband and wife team behind the fitness and adventure brand Bee The Wellness, Vanessa and Adam Lambert. I was on their podcast over the summer, and I resonated with them so much that I invited them on for a conversation with Mike and me. During this episode we covered: • The super-weird wellness trick that has Adam feeling way better than before • How their background as firefighters has helped them dial their business in • Their best techniques for getting ahead of the content machine that online business can become • How their business model is actually one of the ways they take care of themselves • How they use plant medicine to move through their blocks And so much more! Identifying our non-negotiables for taking care of ourselves is so critical not only to our wellbeing, but that of our clients, our family, and our whole community. I know I’m not the first person to say this to you, but I hope that if you’re not caring for yourself right now that this might be the time that it actually sinks in. You matter. Your wellness matters. Your body matters. Your emotional landscape matters. Your mental health matters. As we near the closing of this year, know this: There is nothing worth investing in more than yourself because your wellbeing magnifies your impact in a way that’s not possible when you’re not nourished. I’d love to know what you learned and what inspired you during the Vanessa and Adam episode and/or what your insights or questions are around caring for yourself as a leader. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Last June I had the absolute pleasure of standing in the back of the room watching my husband Mike share his heart and wisdom on a panel of incredible men at the BirthFit Summit. I was so freaking proud of him. Mike shared the stage with a man who spoke about something that really touched me. This man was raised as a woman and transitioned to being a man in his early twenties. He shared that he was the only person on the panel who knew both what it was like to be perceived as female during one time of his life and male after a certain point. As a result, he had a unique perspective because he understood the experience of being a woman in our culture in a way that most other men cannot. Aydian Dowling is a transgender man, a trans activist, a speaker, an entrepreneur, a husband, a dad, and someone who is impressively fit, compassionate, and articulate. His wife, Jenillee, is an intuitive, a healer, a (MSW) social worker, a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur, and someone who is impressively empathic and transparent. Together with their son Antler, they’re a family. Not everyone understands what it means to be a trans person. Not everyone thinks they’re worthy of all of the things that everyone deserves. But everyone deserves to be loved and to feel a sense of belonging and to be a family. We wanted to feature the Dowlings on The Kate & Mike Show for a number of reasons, including that we really resonated with them as parents navigating being independently employed with a young child while also being committed to personal growth and awakening. It’s also important to make configurations of family that challenge the status quo more visible, so the world can see that love comes in all forms and configurations and that everyone is worthy of it. Listen in to this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show to learn: • How Aydian, the first transgender man ever to be on the cover of Men’s Health or any other mainstream magazine, first realized who he was. • What Aydian understands about women that many men don’t because he was raised female. • What the t-shirt that our daughter Ruby wears says that makes Mike uncomfortable and why. • The love story between Aydian and Jenilee and what baking had to do with it. • How becoming parents has challenged them and made them grow. • What’s next for both of them career-wise (they were both beautifully transparent about the moment they’re in right now in co-creating the future). Once you’ve listened in to this important episode, we’d love to hear from you. What did you learn from this episode? How can you apply that to your life and community? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

At Thanksgiving dinner last week around a big table with chosen and biological family alike, we went around and shared something we were grateful for that we couldn’t have said we were grateful for last year. At least 50% of us cried. (That’s how I know I spent the holiday with my people.) A few days later over dinner, my dad noted that almost everyone had gone through some pretty intense turbulence in the last year and that we all somehow seemed to be on the upswing at last. (If you listen to our podcast, you know that I keep finding myself singing the refrain to Gloria Estefan’s "Coming Out of the Dark" for this very reason.) Because the folks gathered that night are some of my nearest and dearest, I’m privy to many of the details of their lives, both the exciting and the mundane. Here’s what I know from knowing them and knowing myself: The reason we’re on the upswing is not because of some gargantuan opportunity that swept in and changed everything. Yeah, there have been chance meetings that led to lifetime dreams being fulfilled. There have been super-exciting doors opened. There’s been some fairy dust. But the thing that’s allowed each of the people I adore to not only get on but, more importantly,stay on the upswing are the things that aren’t particularly sexy (and that they sometimes don’t feel like doing) that they do day in and day out, week in and week out. Another word for these mundane things that seem little but, when done regularly and combined all together, contribute to a beautiful life is: habits. Your habits matter because they create your life. Beautiful lives do not happen by accident. They happen because of things that people do (or don’t do) every day to weave a life they want to live. Mike and I sat down to record an episode of The Kate & Mike Show about our daily, weekly, and monthly habits, and we both chuckled because when we say some of this stuff out loud, it’s actually kind of weird! But it works, so we’re sticking with it. Once you’ve listened, we’d love to know which habits we talked about that you’re inspired to incorporate into your own life and what other weird habits you have. Leave us a comment and let us know! Habits matter. The things you do every day create your life, so choose wisely. (But have fun with it because nothing is worth doing if it feels like punishment!) You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

There’s a little trick I started using in my twenties to determine whether or not I should do things, especially things I was afraid of doing: I would project myself into the future and ask if my 80-year-old self would be happy that I’d done that. Somehow adopting the mindset and life experience of a well-experienced lady crystallized exactly what my not-so-experienced current self should or shouldn’t do. This week is Thanksgiving in the USA, and I find this time of year to be incredibly nostalgic as we meander toward the close of one chapter and the opening of a new one with the new year. There’s a fine line with nostalgia, though. If our lives aren’t what we’d expected, nostalgia can morph into bitterness or regret really easily. And honestly, whose life is exactly what they’d expected? So how do we avoid the spiral of what could have been that tends to stall us out from enjoying the what is that’s right in front of us? We ask older people, specifically people who are on their way out of this particular lived experience in a human body. We ask people who are dying. There’s a woman who has spent a lot of time with people who are dying. She took care of them for 8 years as her career. Her name is Bronnie Ware and when I spoke with her, I found my entire system slowing to the speed of presence. As someone whose tendency is toward action and the next thing, it’s always wild to be in the presence of someone whose mere way of being shifts my whole vibrational rate. This week we have Bronnie on The Kate & Mike Show to talk about regret-free living and what she learned about how to live from spending so much time by the side of people who were dying. She wrote a book about it called The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, and this feels like the perfect conversation to have as we head toward the close of a decade and prepare to start a new one. In this episode you’ll learn: • The critical ingredient you need to alchemize an experience from something you regret into something that you learn from and let go of • The most helpful way to be around people who are dying • How to live regret-free so that you’re making the most of your precious time here on Earth While our culture tends to be really squeamish when it comes to talking about death, I absolutely love how Bronnie teaches us how to live through talking about this subject. None of us knows how long we have here. You don’t have to have more than one loved one gone too soon to realize this. I’d love to know what this episode stirred up for you. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I just saw a meme today talking about how November just feels like this crazy month with 13 looming deadlines and holiday family stress and endless to-do lists...plus it’s DARK. I get that this time of year can be really hard. Maybe you’re approaching the holidays solo for the first time in years after a breakup. Perhaps you’ve overscheduled your promotional calendar, and the pressure of the deadlines is squeezing the joy right out of you. Or maybe there’s a family member who’s incredibly challenging to be around but who you feel like you have to share the holidays with. I want to offer up another possibility for you. One that can change the way you experience this time of year and ensure that every year starting in 2020 and beyond can be even better than the last in terms of your health, joy, abundance, and impact. In 2013 Mike and I bought a really big blank book for a practice that we’ve committed to every year since. We wouldn’t miss this practice for anything, and every year we carve out more and more space for honoring it. It’s our year-end review and annual planning practice, and this single practice has been responsible for: • Feeling more connected to one another and falling more and more in love every year • Buying the home of our dreams with money we earned from sharing our ideas with the world • Creating a family life and environment to raise our daughters in that we’re incredibly proud of • Ensuring that we grow our business with the Do Less principles front and center so that as we grow our audience, revenue, profits, and impact, our personal wellbeing and joy doesn’t shrink but instead grows right alongside This week we’re taking you behind the scenes in our year-end review and annual planning practice and telling you exactly how we do it, step by step. We’re letting you in on: • Exactly how we set goals (and the critical second category we outline at the beginning of the year) • A new practice we’re implementing this year to ensure that reaching our goals becomes inevitable • The critical step we take to ensure we integrate the lessons from the past year to make the next year even better • The 10 key categories we’ve identified in our lives that each get airtime during our annual practice • The single biggest thing we did in 2019 that allowed us to finally break a bad habit that’s haunted us for years, so we’re not carrying it forward into 2020 Whether you already have your year-end review and annual planning time on the calendar for this year, or you don’t even know what I’m talking about, this episode will help you set yourself up for a year that exceeds your wildest expectations. Once you’ve listened in, we’d love to hear from you. Do you do year-end reviews and annual planning already? What elements do you include? What did you hear in this episode that you’re going to incorporate moving forward? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I’m the kind of person who sometimes isn’t sure what she thinks until I’m talking to someone else. Not because I’m looking for their opinion or reaction, but because I’m an external processor and there’s something about being witnessed that helps me understand myself better. Last week Mike and I sat down to talk about something that I’ve been working on since November 2016 that’s finally ready for the world. Until I sat there in our basement with my love and partner in all of the things listening to me, I didn’t really get the magnitude of what I’ve been working on. I finally realized what a big deal this creation is for me—but also how much potential it has to be a big deal for women all over the world. Here’s what I’ve found: When we strike out to make things with the purpose that they become a big deal (or with the purpose that they make us a big deal), they often fall flat or are somehow unsustainable. When we make the things that are so much an expression of ourselves that we cannot help but make them, even if it’s slowly and quietly in the privacy of our own minds or closets (where I get some of my best ideas), they’re often the things that end up being the biggest deal. This week on The Kate & Mike Show, we’re taking you behind the scenes in the making of the brand-new Do Less Planner, and in the episode you’ll hear me acknowledge how major this thing that I made for you is. You’ll also hear: • The things about producing our first digital product that have been trickier than we expected (nothing is ever all rainbows and unicorns) • How this planner will change your relationship to time, your body, your work, and your worth (I know it’s a big promise but I stand by it) • How this planner came to be with some really important nuggets for anyone making anything, digital or physical • What the elements of my planner system are and how you can use the insights behind them to get better results with less stress • Why this planner has the potential to revolutionize your experience of life After you’ve listened in, I’d love to hear from you: What did you hear in this episode that was a new perspective on time and planning for you? How will you implement it in your life? I’m not sure I’ve ever been as proud of something that’s come out of me other than my two girls as I am about the Do Less Planner. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be sharing it with you now. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I love the smell of new office supplies. Going back-to-school shopping at Staples was my heaven. And I love planning so much that I plan my planning. How about you? Do you use an intersecting system of 3 different color-coded calendars, or are you holding on tenuously to your "keeping it all up here" [points to brain] system? Either way, I’m glad you’re here. We officially have 7.5 weeks left, not only in this year but in this decade. I’m officially naming 2020 the year of clarity because...you know...20/20. 👀 One of my favorite quotes is: Money loves clarity. I’m pretty sure my friend Barbara Huson, author of Sacred Success, was the one who coined that phrase. (Although I see it used without credit a lot on the interwebs. Side note: credit your sources folks!) You know what else loves clarity? Your goals! Your dreams! Your desires! And you know what you need for clarity? A plan. Mike and I are already doing some strategic planning for 2020 (super exciting things coming down the pike for you!), so we thought we’d let you in on the behind-the-scenes of some of our process. Today on the podcast we’re sharing 3 ways you can use strategic planning to get the biggest results with the least stress in 2020. Listen in for: • The most important question you need to be asking yourself as you plan 2020 • The map we create for the year to ensure we don’t overschedule ourselves • The formula we use for a pre-launch runway and why it will make all the difference in your launch results • The exact calendar and planning system I’m using in 2020 to ensure we have the biggest results with the least amount of stress possible. Once you’ve listened, we’d love to hear from you: What are your tried-and-true planning practices? What calendar and/or planning systems do you use? Which one of the 3 planning tips are you the most excited to implement? Here’s to making 2020 the best year ever and the start of the most incredible decade so far! You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When one of the women who joined our high-level program told me that the reason she’d joined was because she was sick of being the smartest person in the room, I absolutely loved her honesty. It also made me think of the rooms I’ve been in over the years and the rooms I get on airplanes to be in these days. Why do I wrangle childcare and leave my family for 4 days to go stay in a hotel across the country in a room of almost all strangers? Why do I invest money that feels like a lot to work closely with teachers and coaches? Because expansion. Because growth. Because upleveling. On today’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show, I shared 2 specific things that happened just last week. Both were insights that I received from people who have knowledge and skill sets beyond those I have in certain areas (which, by the way, doesn’t always have to do with revenue). Both insights took less than 3 minutes for me to receive but are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars because of what will happen in our business as I implement the shifts. If you feel stuck, uninspired, or like, "Is this all there is?" I’m going to suggest you get yourself in some new rooms. Rooms where people are being their true selves, not the selves expected of them. Rooms where people are unapologetically celebrating their awesomeness. Rooms where people are taking action according to their dreams, not the normal reality that most people think is possible. Taking courses and getting new content is one way to uplevel, and I’m a big believer in it. But even more powerful than that is connection. Connection with people whose presence calls you to expand is one of the most "do less" ways to uplevel I’ve ever experienced. Getting yourself in a new environment catalyzes growth by osmosis in many cases. I can’t think of many things better than growing my business by osmosis. Listen in to the episode to learn how to uplevel through relationships, for behind-the-scenes stories, insights, and some after bedtime hilarity because this was a "late-night" recording (meaning 7:30pm). You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

If you hang around the planet long enough, you’re going to get sick, and for sure someone you love is going to get sick. A year ago my husband was so sick that he dropped 40 pounds in a month, his skin kept peeling off repeatedly, his entire head swelled, cracked, and was oozing, and he could do little more than sit in a chair all day. This is a screenshot I took while we were on FaceTime when he was spending a week at my mom’s because she was away. I couldn’t do anything to help him, and he couldn’t do anything to help me take care of the girls and our business, so it was easier for him to be somewhere else. I couldn’t allow myself to realize how bad it all was in the moment because I needed to keep it together to take care of our kids and our company, but looking back now, it was really bad. I’m so happy to say that Mike’s health is 95% better and that the dark period we went through a year ago is becoming more and more of a distant memory. But here’s what I’m even happier to say: Mike took the assignment. See, I don’t think illness is simply our bodies needing us to pay attention to something physical going on that needs medication or a procedure. I believe illness is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for awakening, growth, repatterning, presence, and expansion. But only if we’re up for the assignment. Mike is a different person than he was a year ago. Or, perhaps, he’s actually the person he was always meant to be that was hidden under layers that literally needed to fall off in order to reveal his most beautiful self. At the one-year anniversary of the sickest Mike got during his 9 months of struggle, we recorded a conversation about The Opportunity in Illness for the podcast to let you in on: • The surprising way we view illness that helps us embrace it instead of fear it • The critical switch your body needs to make in order to heal, how the medical system hampers this shift, and what you can do to make sure it happens anyway • Practical steps for getting your body into a healing state that have nothing to do with what you put in your mouth • The question that I ask myself every time I get sick that ensures that I uplevel instead of being taken out Once you’ve listened, I’d love to hear what this episode brings up for you. What did you learn? How can you apply it to your own healing journey? Leave us a comment and let us know. Here’s to all of our healing journeys, physical and otherwise. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

So many people who are healers go on to medical school because they want to live out their dream of helping people. But then they discover some of the things that are broken about our medical system, and they don't know where to channel their healing passion. That was the case with Sophie Maffolini, who practices medicine for part of the year in the Arctic and lives between Montreal and Brazil the rest of the year. When she discovered mindfulness to heal her eating disorder and anxiety, a whole new world opened up for her, and she knew she needed to bring this healing to others. Harnessing the power of online business, Sophie has created an impressive business online teaching mindfulness, and it's now making as much as her medical practice. Listen in to hear how this 2019 Origin Incubator member learned to tap into her own intuition to grow the business of her dreams and do the true healing work she's come here to do.

This week we’re bringing you something a little different in our weekly conversation. Ever since the #metoo movement and the uncovering of the toxic masculinity embedded in almost every layer of our society, masculinity has been up for scrutiny, and rightly so. Some men feel scared to open their mouths or have meetings with women one on one at the office. Some are questioning everything they learned about what it is to be a man to decide if they want to carry those beliefs forward or embody something different. And no matter your gender expression, this conversation affects all of us. Whether you’re raising boys, you’re a grown man yourself, or you’re simply in relationship with men as a sister, co-worker, partner, or friend, this conversation is one we all need to be engaged in. What is a version of modern masculinity that we want to be supporting and living into? We brought Jason Rosario, founder of The Lives of Men and host and executive producer of the Yahoo original show, Dear Men, on The Kate & Mike Show to share his perspective on modern masculinity. When I was too sick on the day of the recording to be part of the interview, Mike and I both agreed it was a blessing because we knew the conversation about masculinity would be different with two men talking about their lived experience than it would be with me there. So, we tried something new and had Mike host the episode himself, and after listening to it, I knew we definitely made the right decision. Listen in to this week’s podcast episode for: • An incredible piece of wisdom about what to share with our kids (and what not to) • The one thing we shouldn’t do as co-parents if we want to be supportive of our kids’ journeys • The critical piece that fathers bring to the table (and it isn’t being around all the time as you might assume) • How to deal with your partner making more money than you (especially if you’re in a heterosexual relationship and you’re a man) • An updated concept of masculinity that our world very much needs After you’ve listened in, Mike, Jason, and I would like to know: What did this episode bring up for you? What did you learn or are you now considering differently after listening? Here’s to being, raising, and/or loving great men. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Between a full schedule of postpartum doula clients in her thriving 10-year-old practice and kids with very full plates, Darcy Sauers had a lot going on. She craved long expanses of time to complete the projects she wanted to work on to build out the online portion of her business, so she could help even more moms (outside her local area in NH) and make more income while doing less. But she thought her business wasn't big enough to "deserve" hiring an assistant or someone to help her with household tasks or driving her kids around. So instead, she would work for an hour, drop a kid off at soccer, go see a postpartum doula client, go pick up another kid, and then find herself always regrouping and never getting traction on the projects she needed to get out of the loop of trading hours for dollars. Until she made a super important mental shift. She let go of something that was holding her back, and everything opened up. Listen in to find out how The Doula Darcy - who's helped over 1062 new moms through quite possibly the most difficult transition of their lives - learned how to grow her business while doing less.

Until quite recently I was firmly in the camp of: Any amount of screen time my kids have is not optimal. I’m not a purist when it comes to parenting, and Penelope can watch a show on the weekends and on the days of the week that she’s home. Even with that small amount, I’ve found myself feeling guilty and like maybe we should be a no-screens-at-any-time house. Until I was introduced to the book The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World by Jordan Shapiro. I’ll be honest: I started listening to it with my eyebrows raised, ready to disagree with his ideas that our fear and distrust of technology for our kids is misdirected and, at times, ridiculous. And then, as he presented his well researched, well thought-out ideas about kids and technology and the fact that we need to raise them to interact with technology in healthy ways, not feel guilty any time they use it, I began to soften. I could feel my body relax, and I breathed a sigh of relief because it all made so much sense. We brought Jordan on The Kate & Mike Show to talk about kids and technology because there are so many myths that I personally was buying into, which was causing me unnecessary stress as a parent. And I know that I’m not the only one. If you think all screen time for your kids is bad, you’re terrified of them being on social media, or you’re simply looking for some guidance as to how to navigate the increasingly connected world we live in, you’re going to find this episode so helpful. Here’s what you’ll learn: • Why getting your kids on the internet as early as possible is actually the best way to go • How to prevent your kids from becoming screen-glued zombies who don’t respond to your calls for dinner • Why "closed social media" is important for your kids to get in on early and how to facilitate it • The reason people say disrespectful, awful things to each other online and how to ensure our kids don’t do that or fall prey to it • How to teach our kids to navigate a connected world so that they’re thriving, contributing, happy citizens After you listen, we’d love to hear from you. What was surprising? What did you learn that proved something you’d previously believed wrong? How are you taking action on what you learned? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When you're operating your business under the belief that the right answers lie outside of you, there's a lot of wasted time and energy, and it's nearly impossible to find your center. That makes things feel chaotic and confusing for your customers, too, and it's hard to get traction. Alex Hughes is a Life Coach committed to helping busy mothers carve out headspace and optimize their creative soul nourishing energy, so they can live their life purpose and be the change agents the world needs. Specifically, she helps mothers unravel internalized patriarchal belief systems and bring feminism home by teaching them how to come into healthy, self-honoring relationship with their time, energy, and emotions, and to create conscious equitable partnerships at home. But when she joined the Origin Incubator a year ago, she was lacking the clarity and center that she needed to take her business and clients to the next level. Listen in to this episode to hear how she made the critical shift that allowed her to go from fuzzy to focused and get some serious traction in her business, including having made enough to cover her expenses for the remainder of the year by August.

While I love sharing ideas that are against the grain, I rarely go full-on controversial. But today, I am. To be honest, I’m squirming as I write this because my central nervous system has trouble with the inner explosion that happens when someone has been offended by something I’ve said or an idea I’ve shared. My husband, on the other hand, is built differently. With Scorpio rising, he goes right for the truth in an at-times-shocking way and is far less (and sometimes not at all) concerned about what other people think. So here’s the deal: We have an incredibly important podcast episode for you today that is going to piss off some people in our community and also has the potential to save some of their lives. If you choose to listen in, would you be willing to do the following? • Know that everything shared by our guest is grounded in evidence and if you choose to learn more, you’ll be amazed by how much data backs up these unconventional ideas. • Know that I do not believe there is one right thing for everyone (nor does our guest). So, please know that if what is shared in this episode challenges the choices you’ve made but you feel really good about those choices and they’re working for you, I celebrate that with all of my heart. • Know that if what is shared on this episode challenges some of the choices you’ve made and you are pissed off, but there’s also a part of you that knows that those choices aren’t entirely working for you, then dig into the resources shared. That’s a lot of preamble. That’s how nervous I am. This episode is about mental health and psychiatric drugs and the pharmaceutical industry in general, and there is critical information shared that you need to know as a human to have informed consent about what goes into your body. Also, the beliefs shared in this episode are not in any way the party line. It’s why our guest, the brilliant NY Times bestselling author, Dr. Kelly Brogan, has been launching her revolutionary new book, Own Your Self, in a grassroots way. Her ideas are so groundbreaking (and controversial) that she knew she wouldn’t be waltzing onto The Dr. Oz Show or any other major media (because hi, hello, they’re funded by pharmaceutical advertising dollars). Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: • The truth about chemical imbalances and the shocking discovery made from 6 decades of research • Why the information you get on Google is completely biased and how to find the truth • How to send your body signals of safety to turn on your own healing mechanisms Know this: We are at a critical time in history where we are being called upon to be far more conscious consumers and realize the source and motives of the media we take in. I’m incredibly grateful for the privilege to have a platform to share messages like the one today that may not always be the most popular but are so necessary. After you’ve listened in, I want to hear from you: What did this episode bring up for you? What did you learn? Did it cause you to question anything that you’ve held as truth so far? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Like most entrepreneurs, Beth thought that what she needed to reach the next level in her business was nitty-gritty strategies and marketing plans. It turned out, she needed something far more powerful that she never would have never sought out but she's so grateful she found. Listen in to hear how this videographer, editor, and online business owner cleared her blind spots, pivoted her business, discovered her worthiness, and identified her mission and what makes her unique in 2019 so that she could build an unshakeable business foundation for strong growth.

Years ago I sat in a beautiful theater in Downtown Salt Lake City and was swept away by the stories the energetic woman was telling from stage. I walked out of the session and immediately texted the conference organizer, letting her know that this woman needed to be keynoting on the mainstage next time. Little did I know, when I had the honor of getting all fired up by her captivating brand of storytelling, Kindra Hall was just getting started. Now she’s keynoting conferences in front of 7,000+, teaching the power of storytelling in business, and it’s been so inspiring to see her trajectory. It’s also proof that what she teaches works because she’s one of the best storytellers I’ve ever heard. Somehow over the years, Kindra Hall and I became friends on Instagram, and when I saw she had a book coming out that teaches how to use stories to transform your business through captivating your customers and influencing your audience, I knew we had to have her on The Kate & Mike Show. (Her book, Stories That Stick, is out this week wherever books are sold and it’s AH-MAZING. A must-read for any entrepreneur or person who wants to connect more deeply and effectively with other humans. Oh wait, that’s everyone.) If you’ve struggled with getting people on board with your vision... If you’re not making as many sales as you’d like or making them as easily as you’d like... If you feel like your story isn’t big enough to be worth telling... And if you’re ready to make your brand incredibly sticky so that your customers rave about you to everyone they know and keep coming back over and over again...then today’s episode is for you. Listen in to this week’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show with Kindra Hall to learn: • The 4 critical elements your story needs in order to be compelling • What storytelling, orgasms, and breastfeeding have in common • The obscure connection Kindra and I discovered during the episode that locked in my love for this new friend of mine • Why it doesn’t matter how big your story is, but what does matter instead • How to make sure your stories serve your audience and aren’t just self-indulgent You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

Everyone growing a business is going to fail along the way. What Dr. Cleopatra Abdou-Kamperveen realized is that she wanted to fail as soon as possible, so she could get on the right path even more quickly. As a newly tenured Professor with a proven pre-conception and fertility protocol that has a 97% success rate, Dr. Cleopatra was ready to get the word out there in a bigger way. Listen in to how she was able to shorten her learning curve as she got up to speed in online business and which elements were key for her growth and early mastery. It's been an incredible honor to support Dr. Cleopatra this year as part of the 2019 Origin Incubator, and I'm so excited for you to benefit from her wisdom and apply it to growing your business!

Back in 2012, Mike and I were living in a drafty rental on Long Island figuring out how to live and work together. (Oh wait. Still trying to figure that out, minus the draftiness.) Over lunch at a little golf course cafe, we came up with an idea to give our community something they’d been asking for: access to my methodology on falling in love with your money. Here’s the problem: The methodology was alive and well inside my head and in the manuscript I was working on, but it didn’t live anywhere else yet. I’d taught some of it live before and I’d lived all of it, but I didn’t have proof that people would get out their credit cards and spend money to learn it yet. So, we decided to open the doors to The Money Love Course before the course had even been created. We had a list that was less than 10% of the size it is now. We had never created a course before, and I’d only ever taken one digital course before. We had never sold anything of our own online. We didn’t have any fancy tech knowledge or equipment. I had a lot of doubt as to whether or not what I had to share was valuable enough to sell because I’d only ever taught this material before for free. But we thought, "Well, what the heck? The worst-case scenario is that no one buys and then we’re no worse off than we are right now." So we went for it. And you know what? We made $20,000 in that one week, promoting a course that didn’t even exist yet. There are a lot of things that hold people back from getting started creating digital courses: I don’t know what I’m doing. Who do I think I am to be charging people for my knowledge and expertise? I’m not techy. I have a very small (or non-existent) audience. I’m a solo show and I have tons of other things to do. I don’t have time for this! Well, in today’s episode of The Kate & Mike Show we’re taking you behind the scenes back to 7 years ago when we got started with digital courses, and you’ll hear: • How we knew it was the right time to create a digital course • The incredibly simple setup of our first course launch and delivery • What we did to eventually create $123,000 with the launch of that same course • How we set up an automated system to bring in up to $50,000/month of recurring revenue from that same course, which helped us immensely during our first year of parenthood • How a friend of ours took our same plan and turned it into £18,000 within a week You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email [email protected]. Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email [email protected] regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.