The next few days, weeks, and months are going to challenge us—a lot. Actually, the next twelve to eighteen months are going to be quite the ride, but let’s just start here with where we are, today. Having everything suddenly shift and having our lives disrupted this much is a huge deal. How can we process and deal with it? In this episode I go over seven things to keep your mental sanity amidst all of this. Here are a few ideas to hold onto sanity amidst all the volatility.
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Coronavirus: Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Calm, Stay Kind — Episode #145
My family is currently working from home and practicing social isolation measures. We’ve been home from school and daycare and work since Thursday, March 12th. In this episode, I’ll walk through why we’re doing this, what the outbreak looks like, and what you can do to prepare.
Should You Take That Online Course? How To Sign Up For The Right Courses (And Get Your Money’s Worth) — Episode #144
When it comes to online courses, it seems that we can learn anything these days through the power of the internet. But what courses should you take, and what do you do if you suffer buyer’s remorse? Here’s how I think about what to learn, when to invest in a course, and when to skip it. Also, my two cents on why it’s okay to only do a fraction of the course curriculum. If you learned what you came for, you got what you needed!
ASK SARAH #6: How Deep Listening Is Healing
In the last episode, we looked at how to become a better listener, and my two favorite questions you can use to have better conversations. I want to dig deeper and share a workshop all about how deep listening can be healing.
Overwhelmed, Scared, Exhausted: A Note For You — Episode #143
Parenting can challenge us to the ends of the earth—and those early years often leave you feeling overwhelmed, scared, and frustrated. Here’s a short note for you: stick with it, keep going, and you’ll be surprised at your capacity. And yes, it’s really hard.
Setting Boundaries and Saying No: A Simple Phrase You Can Use Everywhere — Episode #142
What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed with invitations and requests? Setting boundaries and saying no can feel impossible and get the best of us stuck. Well, I’ve got five words for you, and you can use them to say no simply, easily, and cleanly in almost any situation. Yup, it’s a script for you to use—steal these words and keep them in your back pocket for the future.
Open House Q/A Call: A Replay Of Our Facebook Live Event — Episode #141
Last week, we hosted an Open House in our Facebook Group all about the upcoming Wise Women’s Council. I was joined by Michelle Florendo, one of our coaches for this year’s group of women. We chat about The Wise Women’s Council, the impact it has, the reason she joined for two years in a row (and why she’s back for a third). Together, we answered common questions people have about the program and the process.
Building Masterminds and Facilitating Communities: An Inside Look At How I Design Them — Episode #140
What does it take to nurture and grow community? In this episode of the podcast, I share what I’ve learned about building communities, growing them, and designing online gathering places in a deliberate way. Not everything is as easy as it appears—getting the nuances of timing, logistics, and people right can take a lot of iterations before it comes together. Here’s what I’ve learned about facilitation, group programs, and creating a deliberate space and practices that allow people to come together in community.
ASK SARAH #5: Becoming A Better Listener
A listener reached out with a question that was so thoughtful—and I am so excited to answer it: “How did you become a better listener, and were there certain tools, programs, or books you used to study the art of listening?” In this episode of our new podcast, Ask Sarah, I share the process I’ve used to listen more deeply. I also unpack the exact structure I use on my podcast and why the framework I use sets the stage for great conversations.
Parenting Logistics: Why It’s Such A Nightmare — Episode #139
Lately I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from people about what to expect in the shift from non-parenting to the parenting world. Personally, I find it really challenging when people smile at you and say things like, “Wait and see,” or “You’ll get it when you become a parent.” No thanks—please tell me now! On this episode, I decided to dive straight into the daily tangle that is the parenting logistics required of managing small humans. It is in these daily nuances—and the morning pitter patter of tiny feet—that our work lives and our careers begin to explode.
Toddler Germs: Why Does My Kid Keep Getting Sick? — Episode #138
One of the things I wasn’t expecting as a new parent was how much my kid would get sick. Then someone explained to me how the kiddos are building their new immune system, and I started collecting tips and tricks for how to deal with the onslaught of the cold and flu season. Here’s what’s helped us keep SOME of those colds away.
Broadway and Pregnant — Episode #137 with Tanya Birl-Torres
There are so many ways to work—what happens if you’re a performer, and your body, image, and athleticism are your livelihood? Tanya Birl-Torres is a dancer, performer, and choreographer who spent a decade on stages, performing in Broadway shows like The Lion King. She performed throughout her first pregnancy and was back on stage quickly after the birth of her daughter. Here’s her story.
My Entire World Changed Overnight—Episode #136 with Priti Krishtel
The process of adopting a child can be long, laborious and fraught with uncertainty. You never know when you’ll get the call or how long it will take, or when you might become a parent. For Priti Krishtel, she got the call late one night that her kid was here, and she jumped on a plane to be at the hospital on the other side of the country just 24 hours later.
Minimalism, Motherhood and Doing Less — Episode #135 with Cary Fortin on Decluttering in Life, Home, and Work
Behind all of our stuff are a series of questions: What is the purpose and the joy of the space? Who is it serving, and why? What are the meanings behind the things you have, and what do you want the space to do for you? Cary Fortin is joining us again today to talk about minimalism, motherhood, and decluttering.
Career Twists and Turns: Unconventional Career Paths — Episode #134
When your career takes a sudden twist, what do you do? Today we tell two stories around career pivots: Brea, who found herself pregnant and unemployed—so she started a consulting practice while in her third trimester. And Tara, who left the work world to raise kids and then, eight years later, wanted to return to work. How did they do it? Here’s what it looked like.
Are You An Entrepreneur? An Inside Peek At The Wise Women’s Council — Episode #133
We need more places to grapple with the reality of entrepreneurship and parenting: the grief, the rage, the sadness, the confusion, the joy, the sorry, the changes. The journey to figuring things out, creating new life, and building new businesses can be scary, overwhelming, and hard. Today we listen in as three women share their journeys over the last year, and what they’ve learned about themselves through the process.
ASK SARAH #4: Designing And Facilitating Groups, Masterminds, and Communities
What does it take to build, run, and facilitate a group program? In this episode, I dig into how the Wise Women’s Council is put together and my personal experiences in designing and facilitating groups, masterminds, and communities. The Wise Women’s Council is my sixth run at a mastermind. In this AMA episode, I answer how I planned out the group’s structure, created goals, figured out what works for me (and what I hope works for you) and how we can get better at creating other mastermind groups over time.
ASK SARAH #3: A Deep Dive Into Content Marketing
On this episode of Ask Sarah: The Podcast, I got a very specific and challenging question from a business owner looking to use content marketing as a lead generation tool for business. Here’s the first part of the question: What should you focus on if you’re using content marketing as a lead generation tool for your business?
ASK SARAH #2: Do You Want More Children?
You asked: Does your family feel complete now that you’ve had two kids? Do you know how many children you want to have? Do you want more children? How did you decide? Oh gosh. This is a really hard question to answer. I don’t mind talking about or sharing these things, but this one isn’t an easy one for me, and you’ll hear me get close to crying on this episode. This is part of our new podcast, Ask Sarah, where you can ask me questions about your business, my life, or anything in between.
ASK SARAH #1: Staying Organized, Rest, And Restoring Yourself
Did you know we have a brand-new podcast? Ask Sarah: The Podcast is a place for you to ask anything you’d like—about your life, my life, business, parenting, or whatever is on your mind. This is a teaser of our brand new show. In this episode, you asked: What did I do to get my kids to sleep? How do I take care of myself? What do I need to rest and recharge? I also talk about how I’ve added specific restorative practices to my life, and share a glimpse inside my partnership and how my partner and I try to make time for each other with two kids—not an easy feat.
How To Streamline Your Business — Episode #132
This Fall, I took a break from podcasting for three months to focus on writing projects. It turns out “doing it all” isn’t possible, not here, not anywhere—not for me, at least. In my experience, there is always a priority, and you either choose or it chooses for you. This Fall, I took a hiatus from podcasting to focus on writing. Here’s the latest update—and our newest minibook.
ASK SARAH: A New Podcast For Patreon Backers
Want to ask me anything? We have a new podcast for that. Ask Sarah: The Podcast is a place for you to ask anything you’d like—about your life, my life, business, parenting, or whatever is on your mind. To listen to these full-length Q/A episodes and get your own access to Ask Sarah: The Podcast, read on. This is a private bonus podcast for podcast supporters that we record every month.
Short and Sweet — Episode #131
What happens when three weeks go by and you make no progress? I’m a little nervous to share because I feel like I haven’t made any significant strides yet. But I’ll still account for what I have done, and why the space has been useful (even if I don’t have anything to show for it yet).
Goal Setting, Making Progress, and Minibook Updates — Episode #130
For the fall podcast hiatus, I’m on a break so I can focus on writing. This is my second writing update, and I have big news for you! We shipped our second minibook and I’m even reading an excerpt out loud on the podcast. Hip hip hooray!
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