 The past 2 year have been especially challenging for teachers. Trying to adapt to the pandemic stressors, while still providing an education for our children has not been easy.   We have a good conversation about teachers, what we can do to help, and how educators must not forget to also take care of their personal needs.   We are passionate about our children’s education and supporting those in this profession!  _____________ Our guest Meredith Newlin is the founder of The Transformed Teacher. As a veteran educator who has been teaching for more than 16 years, her passion and purpose are to help motivate and inspire educators to rediscover—and keep—their joy for the teaching profession. Meredith is the author of Captured Fireflies: Truths, Mistakes, And Other Gifts Of Being an English Teacher as well as Freed To Teach: 7 Keys To Thrive In an Era Of Uncertainty. She hosts The Transformed Teacher podcast as well as a variety of workshops, online courses, and programs for teachers.    A North Carolina native, Meredith currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her two children, Eleanor and Oscar   You can find her at: @meredithnewlin www.meredithnewlin.com  

Sharing Her Journey

A Teacher Who Cares | Meredith Newlin

Ripped from the headlines: Golden Girls vs. Sex and the City Reboot ('And Just Like That'). What does being golden today really look like? A photo comparing the two groups of women got this discussion going!  We chat about going gray young and why more women (Kirsten included!) are embracing their gray hair. Sarah Jessica Parker has recently joined the gray club as well. Aging: the cultural fight vs being you!  We feel media needs more Representation of women aging. Those trying to age gracefully love seeing people our age who look like us. (wrinkles and all) Alexis shares some scientific data with aging. We talk about the BILLION dollar anti-aging industry.  There are some Pro-Aging "Ambassadors" starting to appear on instagram these days.  Paulina Porizkova is a former model who said, "I believe our aging faces and bodies are not caving ceilings that need to be fixed. It's only a different kind of beauty which is not quite accepted or seen. It's a kind of beauty to be celebrated and embraced for its change. We all have personal preferences, but it doesn’t negate the beauty of each. We must applaud one another."  @paulinaporizkov @silverstrandsofglitter **We want to reiterate that we feel you should do exactly what makes you feel best about yourself.  *Let's not forget AGEING is a privilege As always we close with our question: Who is a woman past or present, that has impacted your life and HOW? Send us your answer to the question to be shared on an upcoming episode.   ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group  

Aging Your Way

We loved our interview with Katie Davies! Her journey is a beautiful one of self acceptance and learning to live with her mental illness. We talk about her OCD/PD/GAD and Scrupulosity. How to recognize signs, the spectrum of differences in OCD diagnosis, how to support those with the illness. We learn about Exposure Therapy and how she used this specific type of treatment.  We discuss how to help mental health awareness go "from a whisper to a song" and how talking openly and freely is so important. Katie shares about her wedding being postponed, twice. Two were canceled. One permanently, one from covid. She shares how hard this was for her and how she handled the circumstances. We chat about life as a single lady in a culture that encourages marriage. She shares her experience of "35 dates by 35". (You will not believe what one guy did on a date!)  Katie shares what it's like going from working full time as a choir teacher, single and living in Salt Lake City...to a married lady, in a rural Wyoming community to a step mom of 4. She transitioned to being SAHM and now has a new little baby boy! We love all she does advocating for mental health awarness by sharing on her podcast, "Mental Health & Me". She talks about how starting the podcast helped to foster healing and bring hope to others.  Katie has always felt supported by her family through her Mental Health Journey. She has an instagram account where her and her 2 sisters share how to have a JOYOUS, HEALTHY, & HAPPY life. We talk about the time they had an IG Reel goes viral. (Another funny story!) ______________ About Katie: Katie Houston Davies was raised in Southern California. She completed her bachelor’s degree in music education with a minor in English education at Brigham Young University in 2008 following an 18 month church mission to Brazil. Upon graduation, she began teaching junior high school choir in Provo, Utah and moved to high school choir in Salt Lake City in 2011. In 2015, she completed her master’s degree in music education at the University of Utah. Outside of teaching, she performed with various choirs in Utah including the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and did vocal directing for community musicals. In 2018, she did an intensive Exposure Response Therapy program to treat her lifelong OCD illness and it changed her life completely. In 2019, she met her future husband online and moved to Wyoming to start their lives together in 2020, right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and became a stepmom of 4 handsome young men. During the beginning of the pandemic, she began a podcast for people to share their experiences with mental illness as a way to cope with her mental health problems. She got a job as an elementary music teacher for one year before giving birth to her son Rowan in July of 2021. She took a break from public school and opened a piano and voice studio and also began co-directing a children’s show choir.  You can find Katie on instagram at: @joyouslifehealthylife and @mentalillnessandmekt ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Mental Illness & Me | Katie Davies

In this episode we discuss Desire and why it is so important as women to determine our own personal desires. Esther Perel says, "Desire is a fundamental human experience that we want to be present in our lives, and when we lose it, we lose an important connection with ourselves. Living without desire is like living without hope or inspiration." How do we go about understanding Desire? What is it, and what is it not? How do we differentiate our desires from our family's? How can we discover what our desires are? How are our needs different than our desires? We also talk a little about the 2 types of sexual desire and the differences in men and women: Responsive vs Spontaneous   Join the conversation and leave asking yourself what you Desire!   

Tapping into Your Desires

Happy 2022! This year we are hoping to highlight more "helpers" out there and highlight tools and stories around Mental Health. We learned so much today with Ashley Betz.  *We talk about her personal journey with anxiety, and why it led her into her professional counseling career. *We talk about using the Polyvagal Theory in practice and how it is being integrated into healing   *We discuss the Autonomic Nervous System and understanding what your tipping point is *Learn how to help yourself feel calm when you're feeling pushed out of your comfort zone (window of tolerance) *Tips people can use today to cope with anxiety during the ongoing pandemic *Ashley explains QiGong and Kundalini Yoga and how practicing can help bring stillness and quiet to your body and soul *What does it mean to be a "modern day hunter/gatherer" *Learn what you can do to help when someone experiences anxiety *We love her holistic mind/body approach  Our guest Ashley Betz is the owner of Mind Space Mental Wellness in Boise where she specializes in working with teens and adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety. She identifies as a yogi at heart and blends mind/body and spiritual components when appropriate into the work she does with her clients. She loves living in Boise and spending time hunting, gathering, and exploring hot springs with her fiancé. Ashley is currently completing certifications in QiGong and Kundalini Yoga which she hopes to offer in the community this upcoming year. You can find Ashley here: www.MindSpaceID.com FB & IG @mindspace.id   Book recommendations from this discussion: Outsmart Your Anxious Brain  by David Carbonell The 5th Agreement  by Don Miguel Ruiz The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul Try Softer  by Aundi Kolber   ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group 

Befriending Your Nervous System | Ashley Betz

With 2021 coming to a close, we thought it would be good to discuss letting go... -What does it means to Let Go of Something? -How does fear get in the way  -How to Let Go -What we personally plan to Let Go Of -Reasons why letting go is hard -Plans for 2022 Thank you all for a wonderful year! Kirsten & Alexis ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

What Will You Let Go Of?

This weeks episode comes from Alexis. She thought it would be funny to surprise Kirsten with a random topic she had no time to prepare. Alexis chose it in advance without her knowledge and then they recorded on the spot!    She asks her the question...Then they talk about which communication apps they use and what does this tell about you. They also discuss ways in which communication methods have changed and share some stories.  The ending question asked each week: Who is a woman, past or present that has impacted your life and how? A listener shares her woman of impact. **Please submit your answer to the question above so it can be shared on the podcast as well.** Happy Holidays! ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Who Do You Call?

We were extremely honored to be able to interview Jane Clayson Johnson. Jane is an award-winning journalist widely known for her work at CBS News, ABC News, and on the nationally syndicated NPR program, On Point. For more than two decades she traveled the world, covering domestic and international stories and interviewing the biggest newsmakers of the day. At CBS News, Jane was co-anchor of The Early Show, a regular correspondent for 48 Hours, and an investigative reporter for “Eye on America” segments for the CBS Evening News.  At ABC News, Jane reported for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and Good Morning, America. Jane began her broadcast news career as an anchor and reporter with KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah. At KSL, she earned the coveted Edward R. Murrow Award for the station and was honored with an Emmy award. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in broadcast journalism. Jane is the best-selling author of I am a Mother, which chronicles her decision to leave the world of network news to have a family. She is also the author of Silent Souls Weeping where she talks openly about her own experience with clinical depression and goes on to share stories gathered from interviews with more than 150 men, women, and teens who have suffered from depression. Jane and her husband, Mark, live in Boston. They are the parents of five children.  In this episode we talk about all of this and MORE! We love her willingness to shed light on the topic of depression. The strong power of story telling changes lives. Jane also had a very meaningful impact on Alexis in her personal life. You can find more about Jane and order her books HERE ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Journey of a Journalist | Jane Clayson Johnson

Did you even know there was such a thing as a Holly Farm?!  Alexis grew up in Astoria, Oregon on a large holly farm. She spent her childhood picking up pinecones, and loading trucks with holly wreaths!  The story begins with her grandfather immigrating to the United States from Germany. She tells the story about how the holly farm started, what it meant to her, and how selling it was hard for her.  So much can be taken and learned about who we are from our past and where we came from.  ------------------------ Get to know Alexis more! Alexis Morgan Instagram ------------------------ Be sure to follow Sharing Her Journey on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Growing up on a Holly Farm

We had the pleasure of interviewing Rhiana Menen.  This incredible woman grew up in Orange County, California and completed her undergraduate education at Mount Holyoke College, a Seven Sister women’s college where she majored in biochemistry. She attended UC San Diego for medical school, UC San Francisco- Eastbay for general surgery residency, and did a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Since 2016 she has been an attending of breast and general surgery in Boise, ID. Rhiana volunteers at a monthly surgical clinic at a local safety-net medical clinic, she is involved in the health education for homeless and refugee women and girls, and volunteers as a surgeon with the Tiba foundation, focusing on empowerment for women and girls throughout their lives at the hospital in rural Kenya. She has a wonderful husband and two amazing boys who fill her life with joy.  Wow!! As soon as I heard about this very young surgeon, I knew she would be so inspiring to women everywhere. Rhiana is changing the world, and we are honored to be able to share her incredible journey with you all.  Links from episode: Tiba Foundation Street Business School Days For Girls ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Empowering Women | Rhiana Menen

Protecting our peace of mind during the holidays is so important. Let's all get that picture out of your mind of how things are "supposed to be" and just let them be. Yeah we know....easier said than done! In this episode Kirsten and Alexis share some experiences and discuss how they have chosen to let go of expectations (of self and others) and how to be flexible with the holiday "shoulds". What are some of your traditions that you keep and which do you let go? How do you navigate spending time with two families in one city during the holidays? How do you create new memories within your immediate family? What is important and what is not? How do you involve your kids? What are things you might struggle with saying no to? So remember... acceptance, boundaries, compromise, and good communication are how you stay sane and joyful during this time of year! May you all have a wonderful and enjoyable Holiday Season. XOXO Kirsten & Alexis ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Home for the Holidays

Stop looking outside yourself. The Power is in you right now. Why do so many of us struggle to trust our inner knowing? Why do we sometimes rely on others for answers to our own questions? Why do good therapists not tell you what to do, but let you figure it out on your own? Why do women so often feel under qualified, or find it hard to try new things?  In this episode Alexis & Kirsten get personal and talk about why we are so passionate about our new hashtag #inherwetrust and why you should be too. Once you can truly trust yourself you will be unstoppable. Tag us on social media and let us know!  ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Trusting Yourself

With November being National Adoption month, we are so excited to share Amy's story with you! Her story has so many events that weave together her passion and purpose from adoption, to foster care, and beyond.    Amy Curtis wears many hats and rarely hesitates to try on a new one.  She graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master's in Clinical Social Work. In her career, she has worked in mental health and adoption. Advocating for adoption was sparked when she became an adoptive mother. It inspired a desire to create a larger community that could be supportive of her child and others who are affected by adoption. After many years working in adoption, she launched Forever Bound Adoption agency in Idaho in 2019. She later formed the Idaho Adoption Coalition comprising adoption professionals. This organization is dedicated to promoting healthy adoptions in the State of Idaho through education, best practices and professional collaboration. Amy is married with three daughters and one son.    If you have ever thought about adoption, fostering, or helping out in your local community these are wonderful resources below: www.foreverboundadoption.org  www.fosteringidaho.org ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

A Big Heart: An Adoption and Foster Story | Amy Curtis

Sharing Her Journey is so excited to introduce to you our new co-host...Alexis Morgan! In this episode Kirsten talks about how she met Alexis and knew she was an amazing fit for the podcast. We cannot wait for you to get to know her better in her very first episode. Alexis is an all around wonderful woman who is passionate about all that she does. She enjoys volunteering in the community and writing articles for websites. She is fun, playful, kind, and very smart. Alexis recently completed a master’s in Adult/Organizational Learning and Leadership from the University of Idaho. She is also a communication and personal development coach. Her husband, Clinton, and their four children enjoy spending time outdoors, traveling, and cooking and eating delicious food...especially during the holidays.  For more Alexis follow her on instagram at @alexismorganjourney

Hello Alexis

Hello, again friends!!! This episode we share what we have all personally been up to, adventures we have been on, and some big news on what Sharing Her Journey 2.0 will look like moving forward. You don't want to miss this one! ------------------------ Be sure to follow us on... Facebook Instagram And join our Facebook Group

Sharing Her Journey 2.0

Women from all walks need one constant in their life…connection. It’s what brings us together, keeps our hearts full, and shapes us into the women that we are. We are Nicole Goggins, Collette Brunson, and Kirsten Brockner and we started this project with the goal of helping women regain connection with one other. As much as technology has brought us together, many of us have never felt more isolated or alone. Each week we share our stories, our struggles, and our triumphs on our journey to becoming the wives, mothers, sisters, and friends that we are as well as the tools we’re discovering that make our lives more meaningful. We hope that our stories will help you feel more comfortable in sharing your own journey with those that you care about and help you build deeper relationships with the people you love. We can't wait to share our journey with you!

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Sharing Her Journey

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