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We're not doing great and we're not here to pretend otherwise.

In episode 199 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil show up exactly as they are — exhausted, angry, tumbled around by a world on fire. They talk honestly about what it actually takes to find your footing when everything feels like a giant what-the-f**k moment.

They're not looking for the why or the right answer. But what happens when you stop pushing for a minute and let yourself be.

They talk grounding... not as a practice you have to set up perfectly, but as something that can happen on a walk, in a backyard, in five minutes between things. They talk about why the question "why" stops serving us at a certain point, what self-trust actually looks like when there are no clear answers, and why "it depends" might be the most empowering thing you can say right now.

This one's for anyone walking around with their hands in the air wondering "what the f**k?!" Which, honestly, feels like most of us these days.

Key Takeaways:

• You've always been figuring it out as you go. It just feels harder right now because it's more obvious that no one knows.
• Stopping isn't giving up. It's how you find your way through.
• You don't need a meditation cushion, just five minutes in your backyard.
• Asking why can be useful, until it isn't.
• "It depends" is a real answer. Embrace it.
• There's no right answer. There's just the next step that's right for you.

Key Moments:

00:00 Intro and Welcome

01:52 When neither of us are doing okay

03:42 Midlife + world on fire = a lot

06:33 What grounding actually is

10:32 Being held (even when you don't know you need it)

16:54 Just being and why it works

19:05 What to do with a what-the-f**k moment

20:36 Do we always need the why?

24:34 When the right answer doesn't exist

29:49 "It depends" is a real answer

33:41 Taking the next step anyway

37:34 Getting off autopilot

40:16 Coming back to yourself

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Exhausted? You're not imagining it — and you're not alone.

In episode 198 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get real about the collective weight so many of us are carrying right now: the bone-deep tiredness, the emotional overwhelm, and the quiet shame that shows up when we think we should be handling it better. We explore what it actually means to honor what you're feeling instead of rushing past it — and why the path forward isn't a massive overhaul, but a series of tiny, honest movements toward yourself.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why exhaustion and emotional overload are showing up everywhere right now and why that matters
• How shame and guilt compound depletion and make it harder to recover
• Why "fine" isn't neutral, but a slow drain that's harder to escape
• How survival mode is quietly shrinking our sense of what's possible
• What it means to honor your "am-ness" by meeting yourself where you actually are instead of where you think you should be
• Why micro-movements, micro-joys, and small honest adjustments are enough

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction and Connection

04:16 Navigating Emotional Exhaustion

06:48 The Impact of External Energy

09:14 Honoring Our Emotions

11:42 Understanding Exhaustion and Guilt

14:16 Finding Micro Joys

16:54 Survival Mode vs. Thriving

19:16 Breaking Free from 'Fine'

21:51 Micro Adjustments for Change

24:35 The Power of Tiny Habits

27:22 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Micro-shifts video series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_z45Gwg5RxSHIGzji8rO3q1n3YGfOLCc&si=0lmqL7ByRi-kZKxe
• Spoon theory explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn5IBsm49Rk

A note for our listeners: If what we're describing feels like more than micro-movements can reach right now, please know that's okay too, and there is support available.

• In the US: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) | Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) | NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-6264
• In Canada: Call 1-833-456-4566 (Crisis Services Canada) | Text 45645 | cmha.ca to find local support
• Crisis Text Line also serves the UK and Ireland — text HOME to 85258
• Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com or therapyden.com
• International crisis center directory: iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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There's always another tool. Another framework. Another person telling you this is the thing that will finally make it click.

In episode 197 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, co-hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil get honest about why we keep reaching outside ourselves... and why it never quite lands the way we are hoping it will.

We talk about the difference between connecting to a big external purpose and knowing what genuinely sustains you. We get into capacity... not as a productivity hack, but as a form of self-respect. And we share two completely different approaches to getting through hard things. Both completely right, because we're different people.

This is why you can't outsource knowing yourself.

Key Takeaways

• The problem you think you have probably isn't the actual problem
• Honoring your capacity is how you honor your own humanity
• What works for someone else might not work for you... and that's okay!
• The closer you are to your own why, the easier it is to stay grounded

Key Moments

00:00 — Welcome and introductions

05:24 — What "all the things" is really about

07:44 — The problem you think you have isn't usually the problem

09:21 — Coming back to your why

11:19 — Capital P Purpose vs. the personal spark

16:06 — When the spark is hard to find

21:57 — Where does the inner work fit in a full life

25:27 — Two completely different ways to get things done

31:04 — Why tools and tactics miss the spot without self-knowledge

35:53 — Wrap up and takeaways

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What would change if you stopped hiding your humanity and finally community that could see you for who you are? Sisters and co-founders of the Passionistas Project, Amy and Nancy Harrington, join Kim Romain and Louise Neil in Episode 196 of The Empowered & Embodied Show to explore the radical power of storytelling, why vulnerability is the foundation of real community, and how two introverted sisters built a global sisterhood by simply creating the space they wished had existed.

From interviewing Dr. Jane Goodall to leaving high-profile careers at Warner Bros. and Miramax, Amy and Nancy have spent years amplifying the voices of women — especially those from marginalized communities — and turning that mission into a movement.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why storytelling and being heard changes who you are
• What it costs us to perform professionalism and lock our humanity away
• What it means to build something that takes on a life beyond you
• Vulnerability is the access point for genuine connection and community
• Community is a mirror that shows you you're not alone

Key Moments

00:00 – Opening and Introductions

07:47 – From celebrity interviews to amplifying unheard voices: How the Passionistas were born

09:02 – How storytelling helps us care more deeply about each other

12:27 – Learning to model vulnerability when you were trained to stay buttoned up

15:27 – Why vulnerability transforms even the most "dry" conversations

17:06 – How we lock our humanity away

22:14 – Normalizing the human experience: bodies, health, sexuality, and everything we don't talk about

27:52 – The big dream: women running the world, one story at a time

29:36 – What does it mean to be empowered?

35:45 – The power of listening to yourself and others

45:36 – What's ahead for the Passionistas

Connect with the Passionistas Project:

Website: thepassionistasproject.com

Free 30-Day Journal: thepassionistasproject.com/30-days-journal

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Money is one of the great taboos we're not supposed to talk about. And that silence is costing you more than you think.

In episode 195 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get real about the money stories quietly running the show: the scarcity thinking, the shame spirals, the questions of worthiness that keep us stuck in the same patterns, year after year.

We unpack why breaking through financially isn't a numbers game... it's an identity game. And why the work of healing your relationship with money is inseparable from the work of knowing who you are.

We also call out the predatory tactics that exploit your money stories, the systemic reasons women in particular have been kept financially disempowered, and why talking openly about money isn't just necessary... it's healing.

If money has more of a hold on your life than you'd like to admit, this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways

• The pressure to fix everything yourself isn't strength — it's a story
• Your income ceiling is your identity ceiling
• Avoiding money doesn't make the problem smaller — it makes it bigger
• What someone pays you doesn't determine your worth
• The silence around money is keeping you stuck
• Predatory sales tactics target your insecurities — know the signs

Key Moments

00:00 - Welcome and introductions

06:33 - When "it's money" is about more than money

09:19 - Whose money stories are these anyway?

10:47 - Why we don't talk about money — and what that silence costs

15:34 - The systems that kept women financially disempowered

19:44 - When a win still doesn't feel like enough

22:18 - Your income ceiling is your identity ceiling

25:32 - Entrepreneurship as the ultimate personal development tool

28:28 - Predatory sales tactics and how to spot them

35:45 - Wrap up and takeaways

Some other episodes where we dove into the topic of money:

Why Talking About Money Feels So Hard: https://youtu.be/CAGgpgJCFyU

Breaking Free from Money Stress https://youtu.be/-tr4PYyN2OI

Finding Abundance and Balance Through Life's Messy Middles https://youtu.be/51hfnkuCH5k

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What does it mean to tell your story when it might not be safe to do so? And what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start creating what doesn't yet exist? Chicago-born social entrepreneur, Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame inductee, and Ambie-nominated podcast host Anna DeShawn joins Kim Romain and Louise Neil in Episode 194 of The Empowered & Embodied Show to explore the power and responsibility of queer storytelling, what it really means to build a business that's deeply personal, and why experimentation might be the most liberating framework for entrepreneurs.

From founding E3 Radio in 2009 while still in corporate America, to building The Qube, hosting podcast salons, and pressing Black and Brown voices onto vinyl, Anna is riding media into its next era, one experiment at a time.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why storytelling is an act of resistance and why not everyone has to tell their story right now
• How finding your community transforms both your confidence and your impact
• How adopting an experimentation mindset freed Anna from the fear of failure
• Why the future of storytelling might actually be analog
• What it means to create what doesn't exist yet and why you're the one to do it

Key Moments

00:00 - Welcome and introductions

03:15 - Why storytelling is a necessity, not a luxury

05:00 - Safety, readiness, and the choice to share your story

10:03 - Finding your people and building community

12:18 - Stepping into rooms where you feel like you don't belong

19:23 - On not being able to see yourself as others see you

22:13 - Why business is deeply personal

27:16 - Experimentation as a framework

32:21 - Podcast salons and the power of listening in community

36:35 - Why seeing yourself reflected is never overrated

40:00 - Failure is human and necessary

About Anna DeShawn

Anna is the founder and host of E3 Radio, an online radio station playing queer music and reporting on queer news with an intersectional lens, and the creator of The Qube, a platform for discovering independent podcasts. An Ambie-nominated podcast host, producer and multi-award winning media creator, Anna was inducted into the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame for her commitment to the LGBTQ community. She has been riding media into its next era since 2009, telling the stories and playing the music that deserves to be heard.

https://pod.link/queernews | https://theqube.app | https://linktr.ee/annadeshawn | https://www.youtube.com/@E3Radio

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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The world is loud right now. Between social media, the news cycles, and the constant pressure to hurry up and figure things out, it's becoming harder than ever to hear yourself think.

In episode 193 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get honest about the collective exhaustion they're both feeling and witnessing in their clients. The frantic energy that drives people toward a destination they didn't actually choose, and the growing impulse to slow down, simplify, and come back to self before taking another step.

We unpack the deeper reason so many of us say "I don't know." It isn't actually that we don't know. It's that we're afraid of what knowing means. Knowing means taking responsibility. And responsibility feels lonely, risky, and overwhelming when you're convinced you don't have what you need to handle it. Kim and Louise push back on that story by exploring how self-trust is built not by having all the answers, but by asking honest questions.

You don't need perfect clarity. Sometimes there are stepping stones right beneath your feet.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Simplification is a power move, not a step backward.
• "I don't know" is often fear in disguise.
• You already have what you need.
• Responsibility doesn't have to be lonely.
• Clarity doesn't have to be perfect to be actionable.
• Self-trust is built through action, not certainty.

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 — Welcome and opening

04:01 — The Case for Simplification

06:36 — The World Is Loud and It's Affecting Us

09:21 — What Question Are You Asking?

11:57 — The Fear Behind "I Don't Know"

14:30 — Crystal Balls and the Illusion of Certainty

19:29 — Responsibility Doesn't Have to Be Lonely

22:10 — You Already Have What You Need

32:28 — Self-Trust and Kindness

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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What does it actually mean to be free? Not theoretically, but in how you live, choose, and lead every day. Ethical leadership advisor Rebecca Justus joins Kim and Louise in Episode 192 of The Empowered & Embodied Show to unpack autonomy, intentionality, and why the systems designed to make life easier might be the very things keeping you small.

From algorithmic echo chambers to cultural conditioning, we explore how our choices are being curated without our awareness and what it takes to break out of the box you don't even know you're in. Rebecca brings a global lens shaped by living in 12 countries and working in international human rights, reproductive justice, and ethical leadership.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why everyone craves freedom and why it matters that we can't seem to agree on what it means to be free
• How algorithms, social media, and digital curation have become a modern form of oppression
• The relationship between power, privilege, and the fear of sharing freedom
• What cross-cultural perspectives reveal about community, time, and autonomy
• Why intentionality is the prerequisite for autonomy
• How curiosity and simple inquiry is the entry point to breaking conditioning

Key Moments

00:00 Welcome and introductions

03:53 From international relations to ethical leadership

06:43 The birth of Reproductive Autonomy

10:47 Why we crave freedom so deeply

16:23 How autonomy and power play out globally

24:25 No autonomy without intentionality

28:37 How systems put us in boxes and keep us there

30:01 Curiosity as a doorway out of conditioning

37:11 Takeaways and closing reflections

About Our Guest

Rebecca Justus is an Ethical Leadership Advisor & Coach, supporting socially responsible rising leaders and teams to become more strategic and self-aware, stay true to their values, and lead with integrity both locally and globally. She is also the creator of Reproductive Autonomy, an online information hub for trustworthy reproductive resources. Rebecca is a certified anti-racism training facilitator and the Vice President of the Board of Directors for EcoWomen. She holds an MA in Human Rights from the University of Sussex and a BA in International Relations from Boston University. Originally from the U.S., Rebecca has lived in 12 countries and traveled to over 60.

https://www.rebeccajustus.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-justus/

https://www.instagram.com/therebeccajustus/

https://www.pinterest.com/justusadvising/

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com