Whole & Unleashed

Do not give your autonomy to this framework ⛔️ As much as I love this system, it's important we don't blindly just follow what it says.

I just saw an ad leveraging Human Design to find your soulmate. And it obviously triggered something in me, because I’m coming in HOT 😡🥵 Some energetics might look like a “match” on paper but in person they feel off. It's dangerous to give our autonomy away to any system, beliefs and override our inner knowing.

Some episode highlights:

• Why we shouldn't outsource our decisions to Human design (or any other framework, no matter the industry you're at)
• The importance of discernment
• Responsibilities as service providers, some questions to ponder on
• Our responsibility as a client, how to find the right guides for us

In today’s Expansion Session with Kim we explore:

• What it’s like to be a self-projected projector and how her self projected authority plays out for her
• Her 43-23 channel and staying true to herself even when it’s been isolating at times
• Her 1/4 profile: her current foundations and how the people she knows is already leading her to her next step
• Her current community needs and wants
• The channel 33-13 channel of the prodigal and her pull to history and sharing stories
• Opportunities as a 4th line: recognition, invitation and authority plus friendliness fatigue and sassiness
• Gate 42, Gate of Growth in her Venus and Mars
• What does it mean to be “non-emotional”, not having the solar plexus defined?

Links in the episode:

https://wholeandunleashed.com/coming-home

Mallory Nunes plays many roles in her life. She’s a writer, friend, mother, wife, real estate agent among many more Mallory grew up in Utah where she currently resides with her lovely husband and their four beautiful boys. She works as a Realtor and absolutely loves helping others. In her spare time you can find her practicing Strala yoga, working out, studying culinary nutrition, reading and starting new house projects.

In this episode she shares her experience navigating motherhood, how she came to write her book and her journey of rediscovering herself. She is someone who beautifully embodies what she believes in, walks her talk.

• How a retreat helped her come back to herself and what's unraveled ever since
• Moving through motherhood and re-discovering herself
• How her book 'The fart that lied' came to be
• Becoming a nutritionist expert and learning about allergies
• On community and finding hers
• Getting her real estate license and how the family dynamics are shifting
• Her experience with breast implants and why she removed them

Expansion sessions are 90 minute coaching sessions where you, as a listener get to be a fly on the wall as I guide my guest through whatever they’re holding tension or seeking clarity on.

In today’s Expansion Session we touch on:

• What it means to be a projector, waiting for the invitation. The surrender piece of it all
• Moving towards the second phase as a 6/3 projector
• How to feel safe when we’re in a period of uncertainty
• Identity, fitting in and sense of self as an adoptee
• The shock of finding ease in a retreat and then coming back to an environment that doesn’t feel as good
• Experiencing the highs and lows as an emotional authority and her Channel 39-55
• Questions about the open centers and the benefits of amplifying them
• And also noticing and how to hold and move through our emotions instead of trying to problem solve them

In todays episode, I’m here with Maggie Hilpisch. A dear friend who I met during my Human Design training.

Maggie is a human design guide, a mother to three young boys, and a lifelong explorer of the big, unanswerable questions of life. She loves to bring the divine into the everyday and offer her clients practical tools for radical self-acceptance.

Maggie is a 2/4 Splenic projector. Fun fact, we share a very similar chart! We’re single definition, with one channel defined through the spleen to ego (the channel of surrender. It’s always so fascinating to see how different and similar our experiences has been. Maggie shares about parenting and relationships through the lens of human design. We also talk about some powerful lessons of the undefined G center, learning about connection charts with our partners and more.

In today’s episode Maggie shares:

• The paths her undefined G has taken her through
• Being a projector and discerning through the right types of recognition
• How she’s been able to release the expectations to show up
• Parenting through the lens of human design as she watches her toddler and twins express themselves
• Her 2/4 profile and how that shows up for her. The tension of wanting to do her own thing while also needing community
• How Human Design can empower couples, friends to honour their energies and understand each other‘a communication styles
• Surrendering to her gate 47, the gate of realization, which is her personality sun and her struggles with it
• Her experience with her design sun, gate 45 and her experience navigating and releasing the grips of control

Hi everyone! This week on the podcast, Human Design with Courtney is back! I love these episodes because we just show up, connect and talk about Human Design. Specially as two completely open heads, undefined minds we hold a lot of questions! So it’s fun to move that energy in a way that’s supportive and fun.

Our relationship with Human Design has changed so much in the few months, years since we first learned about it. From the way we share it, deepen into concepts and how we relate to them.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• How our Human Design readings have shifted
• How the pressure of turning something we love into a business can cloud us
• The temptation of turning Human design into a rulebook, into a prescription
• The realization, fear of doing life wrong
• The ebbs and flow of our energies, the phases we get pull into
• Jes watching her family through the lens of Human Design
• What an online and in person community feels like for Courtney

Expansion sessions are 90 minute coaching sessions where you, as a listener get to be a fly on the wall as I guide my guest through whatever they’re holding tension or seeking clarity on. In today’s episode, Mayu wrote to me about feeling overwhelmed about starting her business. She loves yoga and teaching but when it’s viewed as a job, a business she feels a paralyzing pressure.

And as we dive deeper you’ll notice how it takes some time to actually get to the root of her tension and that there are many layers intertwined with each other.

English is not her first language so I can’t even imagine how that also adds more complexity to the situation but I’m so proud of her for taking this step and being open to being guided because I’ve seen how much she’s expanded ever since (it’s been close to a year since this section took place) and I’m wondering if I should do a follow up episode to check in with her (let me know in the comments if this is something you would like to see of as well)

In today’s Expansion Session we explore:

• What’s preventing Mayu from expressing herself fully
• How to trust herself when she’s experiencing a lot of fear
• Navigating health imbalances (eczema, low energy)
• Feeling the limitations and how they box her
• Recognizing her intuition vs. people’s fears projecting onto her

Téo Montoya is a Human Design Analyst, Metamodern Myth Mender, and Indigenous Futurist living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His work focuses on synthesizing cosmological and spiritual systems, myths, archetypes, and modalities to find ways of supporting an emerging world in crisis through human development, ecological literacy, and reciprocity with our more-than-human kin.

In today’s episode Téo shares:

• His experience as a 2/4 Mental Projector and outer authority
• What spiritual wellness spaces are lacking and why that needs to change
• Human design, the collective development and holding the complex
• Identity, myth mending and masculine archetypes
• What happens after our healing process and how to integrate that with the collective

Meghan has always known that she wanted to help and support people. Being a humanitarian by volunteering and giving back to the community in various ways over the years has breathed life and joy into her being. She wanted to help change people’s lives and give them a light in the darkness. She is a certified Positive Psychology Practitioner with over 15 years experience working with women leaders and has bridged this experience with teachings from shamanism, druidism and energy healing to help people step into their own light. By providing resources and tools for people to shed what is holding them back and truly become who they were always meant to be.

In today’s episode Meghan shares:

• About her path back to her spiritual roots
• The tension between her logical side and spiritual side
• The origins of shamanism and druidism and the similarities between them
• How she uses energy work, druidism and shamanism to support others
• Her full moon circle ceremony

After a few months off I'm back with season 2 premiere. This episode I share about surrendering to my inner seasons and tuning in to my cycles. 

Today, my guest Sonja McGillicuddy talks about her experience connecting to her body as she recovered from postnatal depression, her experience with perimenopause and how she helps her clients manage and cope through peri-menopause symptoms.

After a successful career in the Hotel Industry Sonja discovered yoga and began the journey that  led her to where she is today. Three years ago she wanted to serve more people and completed a year long Health Coaching certification with IIN. While studying, she began to experience hormonal imbalances and struggled with depression, weight gain, poor sleep and low energy. So she started researching and learning about perimenopause in order to support herself and move beyond the unpleasant symptoms. As she healed herself, she realised there is so much that we can do to support ourselves during this time, yet it’t not something that’s talked about enough and so many women suffer in silence. Today, her intention to support women through her work to not only survive perimenopause, but also thrive during this time. Changes are inevitable, but we don't have to suffer along the way.

In today’s episode Sonja shares:

• How postnatal depression lead her to slow down and reconnect to her body
• Going through Perimenopause and going at war with her body until she surrendered
• Her journey becoming a health coach, reclaiming her power through food and nutrition
• The signs of perimenopause and what she’s done to manage those symptoms
• How to support your body through hormonal changes
• How she creates a sustainable lifestyle for her clients

In this episode of Human Design Series with Courtney, we talk about:

• The importance of going through our own process and holding space for others
• Courtney's previous life as a facilitator and the lessons she's weaved in with human design
• Embracing our need for foundations and embodying what we learn
• Jes's experience moving around as she grew up and how the open head and mind came into play
• Noticing our designs and our dynamic as an MG with Defined Sacral + Throat + G Identity center and a Projector with Defined Heart + Spleen 
• How our Open Centers are so much more than our "vulnerable parts"
• What does it mean to be in a relationship with ourselves

And so much more!

Laura Iu, RD, CDN, CNSC, RYT, is a anti-diet dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, Strala yoga guide and owner of Laura Iu Nutrition, a private practice in New York City where she helps people learn how to eat intuitively & live life with more balance and ease. Her mission is to help people ditch the diet and nourish a positive relationship with their mind, body and food. She believes that true health is all encompassing — physical, emotional and mental wellbeing — not an external measure via shape or size. 

In today’s episode Laura talks about:

• How weight loss doesn't equal health
• What is intuitive eating and it's benefits 
• Reinventing our relationship to food and our bodies 
• Subliminal marketing messages that feed into diet culture
• The importance of embracing our cultural foods
• How to invite curiosity in our food journey

Welcome to the Human Design Series w/Courtney Ball as my co-host. So excited to introduce her today and share about our journeys on how we found human design, the origins & brief intro to the 9 centers.

Today's special guest is a a social media expert. Her name is Mallory Hank Johnson, also known as MJ. MJ talks about how social media helped her connect and find her community as she coped with infertility struggles and eventually leading her to transition from a great but unsatisfying 9 to 5 job to full time entrepreneurship doing what she loves.

In today’s episode Mallory shares:

• What lead her to walk away from her 6 figure job in pursuit of something more aligned, how that journey was for her. From her struggles to breakthroughs
• What happens after you make the leap. We often hear about people quitting their jobs and it all amazing but sometimes things get worst before they get better. We talk about how our bodies reacted and the space it needed to recalibrate
• How we often override our inner knowing based on a false sense of security
• How you can leverage social media to your advantage, with practical tips to get started
• The importance of choosing a platform that's also fun for you

Expansion sessions are coaching sessions where I help somebody through their resistance and guide them back to themselves

Today’s episode with Janelle we talked about fears. From recognizing what they are to identifying if it’s really a fear that’s coming from within as opposed to amplifying someone else’s.

There is a difference and you’ll notice the moment through it with Janelle. And on the topic of fear, they can offer so much insight and even wisdom on what’s holding us back. We could try to logic them away but sometimes it’s not about approaching them directly. Because there’s usually so many layers underneath.

This episode is for you if you’re sensing some doubt into a new venture you’re starting, even if you’re in the middle of a transition and you’re trying to gain clarity or simply because you want to understand and hold space for your fears.

We talk about what’s holding Janelle back, connecting to her body wisdom and how you can do it too

Today's podcast is a solo episode where I share a little bit more about my process on stepping into my self-worth—including footage I've never shared before—and how starting this podcast helped me heal.

This episode is a reflection on what this podcast journey has been for me. You see, I never realized how much I needed this outlet. Or clued in on how therapeutic this entire ordeal would be. This medium has helped me reclaim my voice. It healed my throat chakra and unblock some energies I didn't even realized were blocked!

But it isn't all rainbows and butterflies. So I thought it might be helpful to share this audio/video footage I recorded of myself after the first interview I did for the podcast. To be frank, I didn't expect to share this because well, it's vulnerable, it's a bit messy, I rambled, I might've cried and the audio is not the best...but I think it's important to show also the messy parts so you too can see more of the process.

• From believing in myself to fully owning my essence
• Realizing the stories I held onto were keeping me behind
• Recognizing my fears and what they were stopping me from doing
• How I finally started to embrace my desires and believe that I was worth it
• Questions and prompts you could journal on

What does it mean to live courageously? To show up even when things are hard?

I'm so delighted to share today's conversation with a dear friend, Kristen Esquivias where we talked about what it means to live with courage, authenticity and grit

Kristen is an executive and personal coach, supporting individuals to reach their next level of success in their careers and beyond.

Clients often seek Kristen’s support at times of change - expanding responsibilities, seeking a new position, pivot careers, or wanting something to shift but uncertain of where or how to start.

She helps her clients connect to an authentic path forward, one aligned with what matters to that person, and discover new possibilities to achieve their goals.

Kristen’s coaching experience ranges from corporate clients to entrepreneurs, emerging leaders to seasoned managers and c-suite executives, and spanning across functions, departments and industries.  She brings all of her experiences as a corporate leader, yoga teacher, mom of two, committed student of personal growth and leadership development into her coaching work to create trust, connection, and empathy. She’s grateful to get to do this purposeful work in the world and make an impact in others’ lives, one conversation at a time.

In today’s episode Kristen shares:

• The ABC method approach where she goes from hyper-reactive to being more mindful and present
• Her relationship with her grandfather and how it inspired her to find what she's passionate about
• The importance of pausing and celebrating how far you've gone
• How she connects to her inner compassion when the self critique gets loud
• How she incorporates the enneagram system frameworks to support her clients

Brenne Hali is a communication coach, educator, and secret weapon to thousands of big-hearted go-getters around the world.

Her greatest passion, and "the why" behind everything she does, is to empower people to show up (and speak up!) as the versions of themselves they most want to be. She provides teams and individuals with the practical tools and coaching they need to overcome nerves, express themselves clearly, and exude authentic confidence in ALL of their interactions.

Brenne founded SelfSpoken with a mission to share the most valuable and practical skills she gained from both her acting career (which began with the national tour of a Broadway musical), and the near-decade she spent facilitating communication and leadership trainings in the U.S. and abroad.

Nothing lights Brenne up more than empowering people (from every background, industry, and career stage) to stop trying to "prove themselves" when they speak, and to start communicating with real, undeniable confidence from the inside out.

Outside of work, Brenne enjoys few things more than long, delicious meals with friends, traveling with her husband, Eli, and dancing full-out in her living room.

In today’s episode Brenne shares:

• On why we feel nervous when we're put on the spot and how to overcome that
• On being self spoken, finding your voice and honing it
• The importance of intentionality and how to establish that
• What gentle authority is and how she incentivizes her clients to apply it
• How to change your relationship to nerves

Geri Coria is the owner of Apothegeri. She started as a project manager for most of her career until 2020 when she decided to pursue Apothegeri full time. Also known as APG, it started as a side hustle in 2018 which sprang from a place of depression. She was searching for a medium she could create within, but also an alternative to explore self-care. She had been working so much and was feeling disheartened by how her days looked like.  2020 was a year that truly taught her to pause, to appreciate what she has and it gave her the time and space to grow Apothegeri. Each product is made with gratitude, and good intentions. And making candles was ultimately her healing process in reconnecting to herself and recovering from burnt out.

In today’s episode Geri shares:  

• How she felt disconnected in her corporate job and didn't have time for self-care 
• How the name Apothegeri came to be - Her appreciation for candles and how her father inspired her to create them 
• The beauty of community and how her candles started to spread some light in dark times 
• Her process in creating different fragrances and the memories behind them 
• On letting go, trusting the process and timing

Nikki McKnight has over a decade of experience working with companies to improve processes, drive communication and performance, and build a rockstar team. She’s worked with multi-billion dollar retailers, million dollar entrepreneurs, and startup boutiques looking to start off on the right foot. Nikki loves working with the artistic, creative, and spiritual personalities because she truly believes they will be the ones who will change the world for the better.

Nikki loves cycling, pop culture podcasts, romance novels, and hanging with her dog, Riesling.

In today’s episode Nikki shares:

• How she became a backend coach/operations magician
• The importance of having solid systems in your business so you can move through shiny object syndrome
• On mental health, her experience with bipolar II disorder and how she takes care of herself
• Such as creating space and flexibility in her business that allows her to step back whenever she needs to and how you can so so as well
• On the false sense of urgency and why it's important to recognize when it's running the show
• How she learned to streamlined her business with the minimum effect dose, inspired by a mentor of hers

In today's episode, my guest Grace Duong talks about strengthening your intuition through tarot and why it's so important to release expectations

Grace Duong is the founder, artist, and author of Mystic Mondays, a popular tarot deck and app expanded to include the Crystal Grid Deck and the upcoming Cosmic Creatures deck. Grace is on a mission to empower people to connect with their own intuition, no matter where they are. She combines metaphysics into a vibrant visual language that transcends ancient esoterics for today's modern generation, using modern metaphysics to enhance self awareness, inner wisdom, and deeper connection. She believes that the more inner work we do, the more we can show up in the world as our most empowered and authentic selves.

In today’s episode Grace shares:

• How an energy session helped her realize the blocks she was holding onto
• How she turned challenges into opportunities, from experiencing shipping damages to cold emailing a publisher and get published in the same year
• Her intention behind her company Mystic Mondays and how she's making metaphysics more accessible while empowering others to connect with their inner wisdom through her art, colour and tech.
• Learning to release expectations to make space for messages, lessons and abundance
• Choosing to carve her own path to honour her inner truth despite facing many kinds of resistance

Cate is a passionate, driven woman and mother who has worn many hats throughout the years, including: marketing director, childbirth doula, kickboxing instructor, TV series executive producer, and serial entrepreneur (current: UnstuckCo). She attributes her personal/professional growth to her failures and most painful experiences, not her victories.

• Why it's OK to change your mind, to continuously be learning and unlearning
• What gets a lot of entrepreneurs stuck and stops them from taking the leap
• The narratives we hold onto and in what ways they hold us back
• The types of overwhelm and how to move through them
• The difference between fixing and healing ourselves
• The beauty and lessons she learned from "failure and mistakes"

Kat Herro is a COO and integrator for 7-figure visionary female entrepreneurs. She supports the entire inner workings of their business by supporting team hiring and management, systems, automations, and operations. She has managed 6 and 7 figure online course launches, and loves helping visionaries step into their full zone of genius.

She is also the co-founder of TTC Society, a community and podcast to support those who identify as women who are going through a fertility journey.

When she’s not working, she loves to spend time outdoors with her little family and french bulldog.

In today’s episode Kat shares:

• The moment she realized the career she studied and invested in wasn't for her
• How it felt to walk away from that path and let go of the identity
• The lessons she learned from allowing herself to explore and try new things
• Her "unconventional path" which might not make sense on paper but ultimately gave her clarity on what her zone of genius is
• The importance of boundaries and how motherhood helped her stop overextending herself
• How she manages multi-million dollar businesses and their teams with ease
• How to ask the right questions to get the answers you need
• What inspired her to create her podcast TTC society and what she hopes to achieve

And a lot of great nuggets of wisdom. I probably highlighted the entire episode.

Grab a warm beverage, some snacks if you want, get cozy and join our conversation!

Diana's passion for entrepreneurship and collaboration is at the heart of all of her work. As a critical thinker, design instructor and ecosystem connector, Diana contributes to the startup and innovation landscape in Montreal by forging strong relationships with the various communities to enhance the positive impact in Quebec. From hardware for physical wellness to educational frameworks for entrepreneurs, Diana's passion is less the medium and more about the message.

Diana has the fire to build things from the ground up, but above everything, she aims to use her design and technical skills to foster collaboration and creativity to support people working on problems that really matter.

Diana is also now completing her Executive MBA at Concordia University while raising her first child and building Go Coconut, a start-up manufacturing play couches for kids in Canada.

• About her career journey, the incident that helped her own her story and expertise
• How she started a business in the middle of a pandemic
• Common mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting a business
• The importance of diversity and collaboration
• How daily check-ins help her tune into her inner alignment and find balance
• How motherhood has impacted her life and being ok with figuring things out

Brooke Nielsen is a trauma-informed psychotherapist and the founder of the Therapeutic Center for Highly Sensitive People. Over 15 years, she's helped hundreds of people find freedom from anxiety and self-doubt. With advanced training in trauma therapy and relationships, she's spent thousands of hours helping Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) thrive. She's also the founder of Intuitive Warrior, an online learning community which helps HSPs discover the gifts that lie hidden in what they thought were the worst parts of themselves.

In today’s episode Brooke shares:

• How being a highly sensitive person is not a disorder
• The gifts of being an HSP and the downfalls if it's not used in alignment
• The traits and different spectrums of being an HSP
• Some common challenges HSP face growing up
• The healing aspects of trauma work and how sometimes we get lost in comparative suffering when in fact there is no trauma hierarchy
• Her experience in learning she's an HSP and how that knowledge helped her go from being constantly anxious on high alert all the time to being better equipped in handling her triggers
• The importance of energetic boundaries and how to set them

Elizabeth Marx is a luxury wedding photographer and the founder of Almond Leaf Studios. Over 16 years, she’s captured hundreds of weddings around the globe and now helps other wedding professionals build profitable, sustainable businesses with the work life balance they’ve only dreamed possible.

In today’s episode Elizabeth shares:

• How inner work allowed her to embrace and integrate her sensitivity into her business
• Creating space to have the awareness on what's working and what's not made a difference in life and business
• Her journey into motherhood and what her children is teaching her
• On almost hitting rock bottom in her business and leading her to reevaluate the way she was operating
• The realization that it's not about the destination
• And what's become possible once she started to lean into her strengths, align her business to her and let go of expectations

Welcome to the under-cover series. In between guests interviews you’ll find me here, under a blanket sharing some reflections and lessons.

In this episode I shared about:

• What is inner alignment and what it feels to be aligned
• My signs of not feeling aligned, getting the cues from the universe and in my body
• On relearning how to be, apart from the doing and accomplishing things
• Don't give your power away, honouring your truth while learning and being open

Karolina has been alcohol-free since February 2018, and has used her empowering AF identity to achieve her greatest dreams, including working for herself while making an impact, building her passion business, and writing a book (Euphoric will be out in bookstores in January 2022). In addition to working with soul-seekers to transform their relationships with alcohol, she also specializes in the beautiful aftermath of finding freedom: giving voice to new dreams and goals. Karolina lives in San Diego with her husband and sweet Samoyed.

In today’s episode Karolina shares:

• How alcohol became this magical elixir for her as a teenager to be more open and extroverted
• Noticing how her weekend drinking was affecting other areas of her life
• Getting into the root of her limiting beliefs associated with alcohol
• Stumbling upon scientific studies that explained why she felt the way she did from alcohol (hint hint it affects our pleasure system)
• The social pressure, stigma and dialogue around alcohol
• How giving up alcohol has opened her up for more possibilities and ways of being

Rather you're interested in an alcohol free life or just curious about it, come join this inspiring conversation!

Welcome to the under-cover series. In between guests interviews you'll find me here, under a blanket sharing some reflections and lessons. Today's episode I talk a bit more about my story, how I got into advertising, realizing I was out of alignment, the magic of slowing down, how to make space to hear yourself and lessons I learned from walking away from my career.

*Hello dear viewers today's topic is a sensitive one. We talk about body image, eating disorders and recovery.*  

Mary Jelkovsky is the author of The Gift of Self Love, a workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself. Written like a letter to a close friend, this self-improvement book provides practical advice and exercises that will help you finally love yourself.

Mary is a published author, TEDx speaker, and women’s self-love retreat host. Her story has also been featured in places like Teen Vogue, TEDx, and Health Magazine because unfortunately, too many women know what it’s like to struggle with self-love and body-image. Mary is committed to changing this trend by inspiring thousands of women through her book, social media, podcast, online courses, and worldwide self-love retreats. 

**In today’s episode Mary shares:**

• How her body image issues started at a young age, training for bikini fitness competitions.
• How her body rebelled and started to say no.
• Her recovery journey moving to Canada and tuning out the external voices.
• How her relationships with her friends and family changed.
• What she's learned from her younger sister.

and how she hopes to help other women embark on their journey of self love.

I am so excited for today's conversation. I feel like this topic should be in school curriculums. My guest today is Raven Rose.

Raven is a reproductive health herbalist and traditional medicine practitioner. She has studied women’s Herbalism and traditional healing practices in Denver, Colorado, the Yucatán, and the Peruvian Amazon. In her journey, Raven was able to overcome debilitating period pain through embracing her cyclical body, restoring ancestral wisdom, and connection to nature. In her work she helps others bring balance to their cyclical bodies through connection with plants, ancestral guides, and grounded spiritual practice.

In today’s episode Raven shares:

• Her own journey in healing her menstrual cycle
• Learning to recognize when your body is trying to tell you something
• Her experience with Kambo and how it helps her clients detoxify spiritually, mentally and physically
• How our menstrual phases are connected to the phases of the moon and how we can leverage that energy to our advantage and get into a state of flow as opposed to pushing
• How we go through different cycles of creation and destruction
• How to connect with your cycle wisdom

Farihah Begum, also known as Shukie, is an engineer, yoga guide, and food blogger. She loves to share wellness tips, not just through meditation, movement, and nutrition, but also through her experiences in improving her mental health. Shukie shares candidly about her experiences such as growing up in the south asian community in Brooklyn, mental health stigmas and overall wellness. This is another conversation where we could've chatted for hours!

• Her grandma's memory and influence on her
• Dealing with anxiety and depression and how yoga helped her
• How therapy benefitted her
• Mental health and beauty standards in the South Asian community
• Toxic positivity in the wellness industry and how it's shifting
• Her detox from social media to make space for herself
• How we make rules to feel better but end up restricting ourselves

Electric. This is how I'll describe today's guest. For nearly two decades, Karen lived a double life: writer by day, singer by night. She gradually realized that her two worlds were not worlds apart (though the outfits might be). Both words and songs have the power to inspire, inform, connect, and comfort us. And, to Karen, powerful writing and singing share the same goals: to Be candid. Be clear. Be compelling.

That’s why she's passionate about Communication that sings™

She launched Karen Gross Enterprises, in 2013 to connect—and help others connect—with audiences through words, songs, and speeches. She's collaborated with some of the most influential, pioneering leaders and organizations, crafting messages that resonate and get results. Before starting her own company, Karen spent over a decade as a communications manager, magazine and newspaper editor, reporter, and publicist. Simultaneously, she was also performing and studying voice, cabaret, and comedy in New York City and Philadelphia. She's been singing since she can remember and performing professionally since graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University. 

In today’s episode Karen shares:

• Her passion and love for words.
• Her journey integrating writing and singing in a way that's aligned to her.
• Working through imposter syndrome, why perfectionism is an illusion.
• Opening herself up for help and support.
• The power of asking (and receiving!)
• How things are getting more interesting with age. 

And a lot more! come join this juicy conversation!

You know how sometimes you get this inner voice, this nudge from within? And while it might not be logical you can feel it in your bones that it's leading you somewhere.

In today's episode, Nadine shares the magic of becoming still, listening to her higher self and allowing her path to unravel.

I was introduced to Nadine through a mutual friend of ours, Karla and we hit it off right away! We could've talked for hours.

Nadine is an Intuitive Energy Healer and Coach. Even though she started her spiritual journey and worldwide holistic therapies training over 25 years ago, she fell off her path for about a decade and became spiritually disconnected, mentally overwhelmed and physically exhausted. It took closing her business, losing her marriage, and selling her home, (all within 3 months) to learn the value of embracing stillness in her mind and body, to begin listening to her inner wisdom, and eventually re-connecting and finding her way back to herself. Now she helps anxious and sleep deprived high-functioning women deeply restore and connect to themselves, reclaiming their inner peace and rebuilding energy.

In today’s episode Nadine shares:

• What she thought her initial path was and what what took her out of it.
• How she followed her curiosity, leading her to learn about Ayurveda and holistic therapies.
• Why she launched a custom dress business that championed body acceptance.
• How she got swept up in the busyness of doing and got disconnected from herself.
• The devastating 3 months that served as a catalyst her into stillness.
• The resistance of being in flow state at first and how she learned to embrace.
• Her adventures in following her inner voice.

Today’s guest is a dear, dear friend of mine. We met at university a while back and have remained friends ever since. We’ve seen each other grow, change paths and try new things. It’s an honour to call Jonathan Agomaa my friend.

Jonathan is a creative designer and art director who specializes in designing interactive experiences, products and brand development initiatives. He spent his career leapfrogging across Canada, working as a creative for various industries from advertising agencies, to broadcast/TV, to bricks and mortar retail design.

From working on beer and cheese, to cars and banks, and everything in between, Jonathan has prided himself on diversity and curiosity above all else. Never choosing to stay in one spot, in 2019, he chose to leave the life of 9-5, to begin exploring his own personal and professional ventures.

• How he fell into design even though he had another career in mind
• How things were great on paper but not aligned to what mattered to him
• How burnout made him reevaluate everything he was doing
• The importance of taking a step back
• The lessons he learned from being a digital nomad
• How adopting a curious mindset has helped him create a life around what he values the most

"Fifty. It’s not what I imagined, what I thought it would be like… I am not afraid of Fifty - I embrace what it has to offer.

I’m selfish, I guess. In that I have tried to live my fifty years, mostly by my own desires, motivations, and interests. There are things I might do differently but regrets …. Fuck that!

I find inspiration every day. I am still learning, exploring; dreaming and creating. There is always something to do and never enough time - so much to learn; so much that I do not know; that I am interested in.

I am enamoured by this quest of exploration. In following my curiosities. At being surprised by what lay behind each new door, around each corner and over and beyond the distant horizon. To see what is revealed. To ask new questions; have new dreams, and inspirations... there is little greater for me than the journey of learning, exploring and dreaming.

There are things that I have learned along the way - most recently from the Pandemic – that have become more clear to my personal sensibilities; the people that I surround myself with for example and the importance of my family and of caring for others and of helping those who are in need and are vulnerable.

The closer I got to Fifty - the more I began to question my life and the truths of my motivations. The things that were important to me and why. and I began to question what type of society I wanted to live in and how I could make an impact. I thought about inequality and how lucky I am because of the absolute advantages that I have been given and have experienced – and I try to acknowledge this each day – often failing – by consciously attempting to be a decent and good person. [...]"

Today's guest is someone I met in my ad days. His name is David Bastedo and he is a Creative Technologist, Photographer, Artist & Speaker. 

His personal story is about passion. And you'll be able to see throughout our chat, David is passionate about exploring and following his curiosities. About having and following dreams, chasing ideas and creativity. Making and creating things. Taking chances. Pushing himself and often failing. Constantly questioning how he wants to live today, tomorrow and throughout the next part of his life.

His Professional story is rooted in the world of digital communications. For over twenty years David worked in advertising agencies. He's been an independent Digital Consult in various guises, developing online strategies and creating content for clients ranging from Car companies, to Alcohol and Marijuana Producers, Politicians and Rock Bands – to name a few.

As a photographer, he shoots still and moving images of people and things; documentary and events. With a particular fondness for working with musicians. He's worked with one Canadian band in particular, called the Tragically Hip and documented them for almost fifteen years, as well as their Lead Singer – Gord Downie. The images he made of The Tragically Hip have been published in print and online by every major newspaper in Canada and many international papers. They've appeared in ad campaigns, on band merchandise; movies, tv, magazine covers, books and posters and are available for purchase as Fine Art Prints and Licensed Music Collectables.

In today’s episode David shares:  

• About his unconventional path and the ups and downs that followed.
• Why he refuses to specialize - Seeing failure as an opportunity for growth. 
• How he's never satisfied, seeing it as a curse and blessing.
• His appreciation for street art.
• What photography means to him, specially working with musicians.
• The famous "the hug" photo he took of Gord Downie and how that lead him to meeting the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

And David made a special gift for us! He recorded his 50 birthday refleciton piece on audio, adding this as our bonus episode on the podcast.  

David, I am grateful for you and let's dive in!

Today's episode is with someone I've been following and learning from for years. Her name is Melyssa Griffin. She's a former school-teacher turned entrepreneur, Melyssa leads a community of over 300,000 entrepreneurs and 25,000 students in her paid courses and mastermind program, where she helps conscious leaders create profitable, purpose-driven companies, as well as heal from the old mental programming and thought patterns that keep them from feeling aligned, whole, and fulfilled.

I had the huge privilege of meeting Melyssa when I joined her Bold Abundance Mastermind this year. And let me tell you, she is as warm and vibrant in person (well, zoom) as she is in her videos and social media.

She's been such an incredible guide in holding space for us to grow, expand and heal. And let me tell you, this podcast wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for her and everyone in the mastermind.

You are in for a treat!

In today’s episode Melyssa shares:

• About her burnout and what she did during her 6 months sabbatical.
• On re-aligning her business to herself.
• Practicing inner connection so you don't get lost in the noise.
• Experimentation, taking the time to see what works and letting go of any attachment.
• Walking away from something "successful" because it wasn't aligned.
• On creating connected, honest, vulnerable communities where people can thrive.
• Money mindset and self worth.

And so much more. I highlighted almost the entire episode as I was skimming through the transcript. This call was so nourishing for me, I am grateful I get to share Melyssa's wisdom with you all. Let's dive in!

A 20-minute guided meditation with the intention of honouring your wholeness. You were born and remain whole and when you connect to that truth you become unleashed. This guided meditation was created as a gift for the Whole & Unleashed podcast listeners by Stephanie Major (episode 6 guest)

I’m so excited to share today’s conversation. I met Stephanie during my career transition period. It was one of those serendipitous moments where I asked the universe for a sign and then one thing lead to another. Maybe one day I’ll share that story, but it lead me to meeting a lot of extraordinary people and Stephanie Major is one of them. She’s been on a beautiful unravelling journey in the past couple of years and I’m so grateful she’s sharing it with us today. And she also made us a gift, for Whole & Unleashed listeners! Aaah im so excited and touched by her generosity. It’s a 20-minute guided meditation with the intention of honouring your wholeness. I’ll link it in the shownotes for ya.

So who is Stephanie Major? She’s the Director of Community Success for Archangel, the co-host for the Better! With Dr. Stephanie Podcast and a Master Reiki Practitioner.

Energy is the language she is most fluent in and she brings that expertise into everything she does to amplify the impact she is making in this world. Finding the safety of a supportive community, dream career and compassion for herself has propelled her into deepening her relationship with her superpowers and developing new ways to bring this beautiful healing to others.

Part of her mission is to guide beautiful souls to reconnect with the vital magic of life through Reiki, energy work and creative expression.

She is committed to her personal and spiritual voyage and invites anyone who feels called to come along.

• Learning to receive
• how healing is not the only thing in our journey
• in learning forgiveness and growth after trauma
• leaning more into her feminine energy
• her spiritual journey back to herself
• the type of reiki she practices
• trying quiet meditation for the first time
• and her number 1 grounding tool, it’s a good one come tag along and join our beautiful conversation!

Kelly is an award-winning creative director, designer, and writer with deep roots in communication design, marketing, and advertising, and a special focus on ethical and inclusive creative practice. Kelly holds a master’s degree in design where their research focused on design ethics, social impact, social innovation, and sustainability.

Currently serving as executive creative director at Grassriots Inc., Kelly is committed to applying their 15+ years of commercial experience to exclusively supporting progressive, impact-focused clients.

Kelly’s book, The Conscious Creative: Practical Ethics for Purposeful Work, published by House of Anansi Press, is a collection of over 100 actions for ethical creative practice. It is the culmination of Kelly’s research in their pursuit of a more humane, values-driven and inclusive creative industry.

• The final straw that lead them to reevaluate their approach in advertising
• How the grass is not greener on the other side and how empowering that realization is
• Some of the practices that help them stay focused and present in their process
• The good days and the bad and learning to quiet their judgy inner critique
• Their overall experience of writing their first book
• and so much more!

Meet Emily Peilan, she designs and codes modern, stylish websites for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the creative and online digital space. She found her calling in Web Design after taking a coding course and fell in love with this combination of art, science and business.

Trading in her previous life in corporate business 4 years ago for the promise of nothing but adventure and youthful freedom... she travelled extensively throughout Europe, living the digital nomad life as a freelance photographer, travel blogger and kayak guide in the Norwegian Fjords.

Emily recently moved to Seville, Spain with her partner. When she's not dreaming up new business ideas and website designs, you'll find her travelling wide-eyed with a camera in hand, eating tapas, and learning new languages.

In today’s episode Emily shares:

• How she tried to fit into the "mold" of who she was supposed to be
• How she left a high paying job in pursuit of something more aligned while facing the disappointment of her loved ones
• How she had nothing yet felt enriched
• How travelling helped her get in touch with different sides of herself
• How she grew into her voice
• How she went from being a perfectionist to learning to let go and trust
• How journalling helps her connect to her heart

And so much more, this episode is packed with wisdom. Emily is wise beyond her years and I'm so excited to dive in with you!

Da Eun is a Korean-Canadian art therapist practicing on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples aka Vancouver. She works with women of colour living in Canada to navigate what their identity means to them through art making. She strives to bridge interpersonal, cultural and social gaps through the expression of art. She is currently in Vancouver with her husband and rescue dog for the past 5 years. She loves a good noodle soup and plans to drink many london fogs through the upcoming winter weather.

In today's episode we talked about:

• Da Eun's journey in fully embracing her name and identity
• How her experiences from moving around a lot impacted her sense of self and belonging
• How she realized she wasn't aligned to the career she graduated from
• The comparison game that happens with social media and how it can echo our insecurities
• How she discovered Art therapy and in the process find her purpose and healing
• and how she's coming home to herself

Jenn is a respiratory-therapist-turned-Breath-coach and the founder of Orange Sky Wellness. She helps women harness the power of breath to start living a more connected life. She spent 16 years as a respiratory therapist helping sick people breathe. After experiencing a crisis in her own life, she realized her true calling was to help other humans harness the power of their greatest resource – The BREATH to heal emotionally, find real peace, and live a more fulfilling life.

In today’s episode Jenn shares:

• How a retreat removed the noise and helped her listen to herself
• How she went from being in acute health care to a more holistic setting and approach
• The healing and grounding powers of the breath
• The inner work that she’s taken and continues to nurture
• The importance of making space for integration to digest and heal from your breakthroughs
• Her 3 prong approach to coaching: breath, self care and neuroscience
• How she fills her cup everyday with meditation, breathwork and journalling
• How she turns misadventures into opportunities
• And she shares some amazing breathing tips

Tara Stiles is a global yoga, movement and wellness expert, author and founder of Stråla Yoga. Named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara brings a revolutionary approach to being, moving and healing to inspire millions around the world with her relatable perspective to yoga, meditation, exercise, awareness, nutrition, and everyday well-being.  Through her books - including the upcoming “Clean Mind, Clean Body” - and both in person and online classes, Tara offers an important reset button, providing tools, guidance and immersive experiences in mental and physical self-care to transform daily routines and habits and ease into our wellness where we can truly feel and be our best selves. Her work has been used in a case study by Harvard University, she is a sought-after speaker on topics of entrepreneurship, health, and wellbeing, and she has lectured at venues that include Harvard and New York University.

In today’s episode Tara shares:

• How her dance journey lead to yoga
• The resistance she encountered as Strala Yoga grew 
• The ripple effect that came along with it, in a way it helped trigger a movement on ease and softness
• How sometimes drinking green juices is not enough
• How to stay in our centre to set better boundaries
• The importance of defining why you want to be of service so you don’t get swept up in the noise
• How carving time to make space for herself helps her stay in the flow