Kelli Jaecks has been speaking nationally and internationally for ten years and is wrapping up work on her book Martinis and Menopause (out later this year). We’re discussing bioidentical hormones to help unshroud some of the controversy you may have heard about them. To start off, bioidenticals are made from plants. This means they cannot go through the same vetting process that chemicals made in a lab go through. The FDA does not grade and test them. Even so, Kelli is a believer and has used them for ten years on her journey through perimenopause and now during her postmenopausal state. Prescriptions vs. Over the Counter A key thing to keep in mind about bioidentical prescriptions is that they are not done through a “one size fits all” method. You usually have a blood draw which comes back with a detailed screen of estrogens, testosterone, and other hormones which your prescription is then tailored to. Your bioidentical is made on site at a compounding pharmacy specific to your prescription, which is vastly different than other prescriptions you may have. So what about over the counter bioidentical cremes? The main difference is in the dosages. The first thing Kelli tells women when discussing bioidenticals is usually to go pick up some from the store, like a phyto-progesterone crème. Just put some on your skin and see if helps you take the edge off some of your irritability. Another symptom these cremes can help alleviate is brain fog – that feeling you get when you can’t remember what you were just doing, writing, or even thinking. Thankfully this is a transient symptom and won’t actually cause any lasting harm, even though it may feel like it at the time. Remember, you’re not alone; there are about 158 women just like you going through perimenopause as well. Knowledge is Power What’s going on when your partner (or even your dog) looks at you the wrong way and you just want to bite their head off? Let’s demystify some symptoms and behaviors you may have experienced. You have estrogen receptors in your brain and if you don’t have enough of the hormone to fill them you can be left feeling extremely irritated. Serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter, is something that often has large level swings and can leave you very agitated when you don’t have enough of it. Doing something relaxing and tactile, like walking outside, listening to a water feature or a favorite wind chime are good ways to stimulate release of serotonin. You may not want to hug someone, but if you do you’ll jumpstart the release of more serotonin as well. Don’t be a hormone hostage! Be honest with your partner, that your irritability stems from you and not them. You’re working on understanding what you are going through better so you can learn to cope with the symptoms. Sex and Desire Kelli was surprised when her desire to have sex waned during perimenopause. Going from a very sensual partner to being consistently turned off was a shock, and something that was not an option for Kelli. She had to find ways to turn her brain on so she could retain some of her sex drive. Thinking back to satisfying sexual memories is one way to go about this. Kelli also found a way to view sex as marriage maintenance, a giving for her partner. She changed her outlook on sex during times of low drive so she could stay in a healthy sexual relationship with her partner. Believe it or not, scheduling in sex on the calendar works too. So when your desire is diminished you can see that the date is coming up, and it gives you time to prepare and get ready in a way that works for you. Being a good partner means understanding what you respond to and what your needs are, so masturbation can be a key component to exploring what ways best arouse and fulfill you. Sex, like anything, is a use it or lose it activity. Kelli and I are here to help you gain knowledge and empower you to get where you need to be on your own time. Links www.kellijaecks.com  

Straight Talk for a Curvy World®

Discussing The Controversy Of Bioidentical Hormones With Kelli Jaecks | STCW 058

My guest on today’s podcast is the Certified Life Coach at Emerge Now Coaching. Christine Khetarpal helps women who are contemplating divorce make clear, confident choices. Christine learned the hard way, filing for divorce four times before making the final commitment. She offers all of the beautiful women listening to this podcast a free reassurance tool, 5 Small Ways to Bring Peace Back Into Your Life Even if You Have a Decision to Make to help you love yourself during a difficult time.   Why I'm Smiling on the Inside Smiling On the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love is being released on June 6th, and then on June 8th I will be personally signing copies of my book at the Barnes and Nobles in New York City, yes, you read that correctly, right in the middle of Union Square! The signing is a free event. The only thing I ask of you is to share this information. Visit the Straight Talk for a Curvy World Facebook page, and share the event announcement or tell your friends. I look forward to seeing you there and discussing this important topic.   Emotional Pain in the Physical Form During Christine’s uncertainty about staying in her marriage, she began having chest pains, and suffered from shingles. At the time, she was unaware of the physical connection to her emotional distress. She recommends going to a doctor, but also talking with a trusted friend about what ails you. It may uncover that you have been trying to mold yourself into a form someone else wants you to be, instead of who you really are. Practice some self-love, and do some internal work, to help clear your mind.   Why Can’t We Live the Life We Want to Live? Many women spend a lot of time comparing themselves to other women. We see a photo or read a story, and we think the woman we are looking at has everything together. We wonder what is wrong with us, and why we don’t have that certain something. But remember, when you look at a person’s picture, you don’t see a person’s history, you don’t see fear, and you don’t see their anxiety. We all have a past. Women need to talk to each other and say the two magic words, ‘me too’. Because you are not alone and you are not crazy either.   “There is no safety in silence — only isolation and disconnection.” — Ann Peck   There is Life After Divorce It is much easier to settle than it is to step out of your comfort zone and into the life you really want. If you do leave your marriage, Christine recommends spending some time with yourself before you go looking for someone to spend your time with. It’s more important to love and learn more about yourself than it is to run out and find your next knight in shining armor.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me at Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it).

EP057: Accepting Ourselves, How We Are, Without Judgment with Christine Khetarpal

Welcome home, everyone. I am so happy to be back with you on the Straight Talk for a Curvy World podcast. My break was just a little longer than I had anticipated, but I took the time to line up some amazing guests for upcoming episodes. Today, Elaine Turso is here to tell us about her boudoir photography business, and to discuss body image.   Why I'm Smiling on the Outside Because my book is done! My long-awaited book is complete and it has a new title, Smiling On the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love. It will be available on June 6th, 2017. I’ll be sharing more about it as the launch date approaches.   A Quote to Kick Off the Conversation "A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” — from Tim Ferriss’s book Tools for Titans   Body Image: The subjective picture or mental image of one's own body. Elaine Turso has a rule in her studio, anyone coming in for a photography session must adhere to, they are not allowed to say anything disparaging towards themselves. She calls it being body positive. Many women have a hard time standing naked in front of the mirror. Their first reaction is to let their inner mean girl judge and criticize them. But, Elaine wants to change that. At her boudoir studio, Elaine starts by making women feel beautiful by helping them to dress in a flattering piece of lingerie, then she elegantly lights the scene and she works to capture the woman’s beauty, inside and out. She wants to ultimately capture their soul. Women are subjected to unrealistic ideas of what a woman’s body should look like and Elaine is saying, “enough.” Elaine has lived with a burn on her upper torso since she was 5. It took a long time for her to come into body acceptance, which she says, is a mind shift change. She tried to cover herself at all times at school. She was blessed with having very supportive people in her life. Elaine knows not everyone has that. She has finally accepted her body now that she is close to 40.   Using Photography for Healing Elaine courageously shares her story of being violated as a young girl. She identifies with those who need healing and she tells a story of one woman who wanted to recreate the scene of when she was attacked. Elaine was charged with the difficult task of capturing the hurt and the trauma. “The Uprising of Annie” shoot was followed up by a video, in which the woman told the story of being robbed of her sense of safety at the age of 13.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me at Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). Join the Straight Talk for Curvy World Community on FB and take the survey I mention in the podcast.

EP056: Creating a Better Body Image

Thank you all so much for the anniversary messages you sent me to celebrate this podcast’s one-year milestone last week. When you send in messages and share your stories with me, it validates that we are achieving our goals with this podcast. I know we are making a difference in each other’s lives. You are not alone and You are not crazy either.      Today’s episode is a replay of a previous episode with Monica Tarr. Monica’s deeply engaging episode is a conversation worth hearing again. Follow this link to read the show notes from the original episode, Understanding Your Physical and Emotional Limits.   Don’t worry if next week’s episode doesn’t automatically download in your podcast player, the Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast will be taking a short, one month break to organize and develop some amazing new content for the upcoming, Season 2!   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories Do you need to catch up on early episodes of this podcast? If you do, go to Annpeck.com. You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page or on social media, @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

EP055: Important Conversations Should Be Heard Again

Today’s episode marks the one year anniversary of my Straight Talk for a Curvy World podcast. I truly believe in the work we are doing here on the show and all of your generous feedback lets me know you believe in it too. To help me celebrate this milestone, I am speaking today with an amazing woman, Ann Sheybani. Ann was my very first guest on my very first episode of this podcast. During her episode, Sharing Secrets About the Stranger Within, she opens all the way up and shares her secret truths. Her episode is to date, the most popular and most downloaded episode from the past year.   A Great Writing Coach Ann Sheybani is my writing coach. If she tells me I am ready to release my book, I believe her. Ann says there are many people who are not able to share their stories with the world because they have not yet dealt with their emotions around the subject they want to write about. According to Ann, “When you are writing about your past, your feelings come back to you as if you are experiencing them again...” She says, many people dissociate from their feelings which make them hard to access. If they want to write a powerful story they have to think about everything they were feeling at the time and allow the reader to identify with the why behind the what. As a book coach, Ann Sheybani likes to form deep bonds with her clients. She wants the relationship to be a positive one for both parties. She will refuse a client if they are damaged or need more therapy than writing can provide. But she says, when a writer is ready to learn and to be critiqued without getting their feelings hurt, she can help them to uncover their role in their past situation. And, that is when the story gets interesting.   I Thought I Loved Myself While I was revising my still untitled book, there were numerous epiphanies that bubbled up. One epiphany that really stood out was looking back at all the times I thought I loved myself. How do you know if you love yourself anyway? If I thought I loved myself then and I think I love myself now…how is a girl supposed to know? Given the transformative process that this book has had on me, I realize it is much easier to be honest than it is to hide things. There will always be someone judging. It’s unavoidable. The takeaway I want people to get from my book is to remind them they are not alone, they are not the only one, and they are not crazy either.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories Do you need to catch up on early episodes of this podcast? If you do, go to Annpeck.com. You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

EP054: Not Everyone is Ready to Write Their Story

I continue my conversation with Carol Egan from last episode, where we discovered how a girl who dropped out of high school to raise her son, made it a priority to get her life and health in order. In this episode, we discuss her entrepreneurship, what happened after she got her college degree and just how far she will go to make her dreams come true.   The Root of Disease  Carol discovered she had a polysystemic problem, resulting in poor digestion and difficulty releasing excrement from her body. It built up so much fermentation and with it came fungus and an overload of yeast. So much, in fact, that it affected her well-being, thyroid and brain. Carol says allowing shit to build up makes your body acidic. An acidic body is a body in need of balance. To achieve balance the body starts depleting the bones of calcium and the muscles of magnesium.   Whatever it Takes Working at a restaurant was squelching Carol’s spirit. The universe told her it was time to focus on her business as a health coach. But getting the business off the ground wasn’t easy. She went through all of her savings, lived with her mother and didn’t have enough money for food. Worrying over her financial situation was diminishing her creativity and passion. Her behavior started to change. Then a friend recommended becoming a driver for Uber. She was hooked after her very first fare. She started driving long hours to make more money. And, because there wasn’t a big enough demand in her area, she started sleeping at a rest stop and showering at her gym so she could be closer to the action.   More Than A Detox Carol is not a medical doctor but she did graduate with a master’s degree from Boston College, attended a nutrition program at Cornell University and is a certified health coach. But more importantly, she is committed to helping as many people as possible. She has clients who have gone off of mood altering medications, who have had their Autoimmune Disease go into remission and clients who have reduced their insulin requirements by 80%. Carol’s More Than a Detox Fall Program is accepting new clients. It is an entry level program that offers a lot of benefits. Visit CarolEgan.com to learn more about her one-on-one coaching, her half-hour free consultations or if you just want someone to talk to.  Carol will always provide affordable access to information because she believes in what she does.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

EP053: Life Asked Her to Step Up – Part 2

Today my conversation is with Carol Egan. Carol and I met online in a mastermind club. When she shared her story with me, I instantly thought of how courageous she was. It reminded me of the quote “Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” by Elizabeth Gilbert from her book, Big Magic.   It All Just Fell Apart When Carol was just about to enter high school, her parents got a divorce. They had hidden any troubles they had from their children, so it came as a shock to Carol and her brothers. Her father then lost his job and crumbled to the point of moving to the YMCA and making it his home for a year. She knew she couldn’t cope with the pressures of the private school she was scheduled to attend so she went to public school. In less than a year, Carol became pregnant.  She was sent to an unwed mother’s home in another town, the father denied paternity and Carol, at 18, had to become an instant adult.   She Was Broken  Just after delivering her baby, Carol watched Children’s Services take her baby away. She didn’t know who to be. She didn’t know how to fit everything that she was, into the situation she was in. All she knew was that her baby would grow up with her. After 3 months in a foster home, Carol got her son back. She got an apartment with money from her waitressing job and her son’s father came back into her life. Shortly after moving in, he started to beat her. When she couldn’t take any more, she got a state-provided mover to help her and her son escape into the night.   Waking Up Carol went to school to become a hairdresser and worked to support herself and her son. Her mother gave Carol the family home to live in and everything was well, except for Carol’s health. She was seeing traditional doctors and specialists for her chronic anxiety, her urinary tract infections and her myriad of other health issues. One doctor told her that if she didn’t take the prescribed Xanax 3-times a day she would have panic attacks, which could lead to suicide. This woke her up. Carol knew she had to find someone to help her. She started seeing a natural doctor for her gut problems and she inquired about a college program for non-traditional women who wish to become students.  Life has never asked Carol to step up in such a big way, until she became an entrepreneur. You will hear about that part of Carol’s journey on next week’s Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.  

EP052: Life Asked Her to Step Up – Part 1

* This conversation involves sex talk, please be aware of who may be listening in with you.   My sister friends Charlie, Leigh and Felicia are back together again for an episode on Pornography. The four of us openly admit to having watched porn and for most of us, it is something best shared with a partner.      Jamaica Me Want to Touch It In addition to having every porn channel available on DIRECTV, Felicia and her husband found themselves in Jamaica during Wicked Pictures’ Pornography’s Fan Appreciation Weekend. She shares insights from her conversations and interviews about the super-nice porn stars she met, including their secrets to playing it safe. Plus, she has photos to prove it.      Soft Is Better Than Hard The ladies all agree soft porn is better than hard porn. The random pizza delivery guy showing up while the kids are at school or the Mr. Fix-It handyman fantasy scenarios are the best for foreplay. Some of us use porn as a way to spice things up and certain scenes may help with role playing activities. One of us hasn’t seen porn since VHS was a thing.   Possible Side Effects    There are some couples whose relationships have been negatively impacted by porn. Most of us agree that when porn becomes a replacement for a human or for those who blur the lines between reality and TV, watching porn may be a sexual addiction instead of a method to reach arousal. For people with existing body image issues or feelings of insecurity, watching the beautiful people have sex may take its toll on their self-esteem. Or, there may be instances of younger people who are not ready to consume pornography and their immature mental states are unable to process it as an adult activity. Barbara G. shares her story, of how pornography was a contributing factor in her family's predicament, in the When the Unimaginable Happens episode.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.

EP051: The Difference Between Fantasy and Reality

My book title needs amending. My book coach and some very good, honest friends told me the title I previously had simply didn’t fit. I resisted and held onto the title for a long time, because I was emotionally attached to it. But, I am currently in the process of discovering a new title.   HuffPo Recently, I had my first article accepted into Huffington Post. They accepted me as a contributor and when I sent in my first article named, 3 Types of Grief Everyone is Going to Face and How to Overcome Them, they added it to the Common Grief, a healthy living editorial initiative. If you would like to read it, go to the Huffington Post and search “grief”, there you will find the original article. It’s gotten a lot of action on Facebook and Twitter. If you know someone dealing with grief, please share the article with them. It helps me to know I reached people who needed to be reached.   One Year Anniversary Believe it or not, Straight Talk for a Curvy World is coming up on the one year anniversary of this podcast! Only through your support and your feedback is this possible. I continue this podcast because our community tells me it’s making a difference. I am putting together a very special episode for the one-year anniversary, which is in just a few weeks.    Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on social media @Iamannpeck or send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com. If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone including your name and share your message with me. I would love to play it on the air. Visit Annpeck.com to hear all of my previous podcasts, read my blog posts and watch my videos. If you just started listening to this podcast, some great episodes to start with are:   Episode #40 with Lisa Van Ahn on Learning to FLY (First Love Yourself) Episode #29 with Teresa Nutt on online dating and scams of the heart

EP050: Accomplishments and Milestones

My guest today, Penny Isaac Nelson, speaks candidly about an affair she had with an older, married man when she was in her 30’s. Now 52, she has been happily married for 10-years, volunteers for the church ministry and creates a video series, Focus Forward, which assists women in finding a work/life balance. Her advice to everyone is “There is value in being single.”   Record the Past as a Present For Your Child Both Penny and I were the caregivers of elderly parents who have since passed on. We both agree that the things we appreciate most in this world are the recordings and journals our parents left for us. Penny still hits replay on a voicemail of her mother, and in a previous podcast I helped fulfill my mother’s dream of having her story published by reading it to my audience. If you have an elderly parent I highly recommend making a video journal of them telling their stories.   A 5-Year Tryst Penny met her older lover at work. They were teachers in the same district. Their first date was something they both had in common - passion for riding a motorcycles. It was only after their second date that the man told her he was married, but that the relationship was failing and a divorce was inevitable. Penny knew she had a decision to make. Penny started bringing him to family events, and once she went fishing with one of his 5 children. Everyone in her family loved him, especially Penny’s mother. And, even though their relationship lived in limbo, she had hopes one day of them being married.   Trust Issues Penny knows now that she has been forgiven for what she has done as God called her back to serve him. She felt compelled to share her story with her church singles group in which her current husband was part of. She thought it was better that he know than to have it hidden. It was during this confession that Penny realized that even though God had forgiven her, she had never forgiven herself. Penny says that being single is better than being with the wrong person. And, there is value in being single.   Send Me Your Questions You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on social media @Iamannpeck or send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com. Visit Annpeck.com to hear all of my previous podcasts, blog posts and videos. 

EP049: Betrayal, Trust and Forgiveness

  * This podcast is a conversation between adults, please be aware of who may be listening in with you.    My friends Charlie, Felicia and Leigh are joining me once again to share intimate details about their sexual preferences and experiences. Today’s honest conversation includes a follow up from last episodes at-home frosting assignment, answering listener questions and finally, we ponder whether or not the bush will actually come back in style.   Inquiring Minds Want to Know Claire lives in New York, is newly single, and starting to date again after being married for 22 years. She asks our group what we think about men calling us sluts or whores while we are having sex with them. Group response: We all agree that communication is the key to this working out and most of us don’t mind it if it is in the moment. Leigh, however, would give the mouthy bastard a black eye and promptly leave.   Shelly is 43 and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She requests that we discuss orgasms.  Group response: One member of our group was the lucky winner, boasting about her 3 different types of orgasms. She has innies, outies and squirties. You’ll just have to listen to find out who it was.  And as far as masturbation goes…we all do it and we like it, very much. Devices that vibrate seem to be the most popular tools, while the “Mr. Spouty” showerhead and the armchair lean-back hand technique are close seconds.    What About Down There? When it comes to oral sex most of us can’t get our minds to shut up long enough for us to enjoy receiving it. Common worries include hygiene, lack of control and vulnerability. Intercourse wins over oral any day. The hair or bare question was mostly about personal preference and what spouses liked better. There was mention of a personal shaver which comes with special holiday designs for those looking for that special gift for their significant other.    Send Me Your Questions I will soon be putting together a panel of men and I hope to ask them intimate questions similar to the questions we discussed today. I need you, the female members of my audience, to send in the questions you really want to have answered. No subject is off limits. You can share them with me on social media @Iamannpeck or send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com. Visit Annpeck.com to hear all of my previous podcasts, blog posts and videos.    Past podcasts you may want to check out are: #20 Monica Tarr - Aging, Hormones and Sex #25 Dr. Theo Tsaousides - Self-Worth and Self-Love #3 Jordan Harbinger - How Men Deal with Grief 

EP048: Knowledge: Carnal and Conditional

As many of you know, I have been planning my book launch, birthday party, and a spectacular Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live event. I decided that on my 50th birthday, I would celebrate the beginning of the second half of my life by sharing the first part of my life in a series of stories and lessons. In preparation for making my book the best book it could be, I sent my manuscript to a group of beta readers. This was a little bit scary. I had read my book over and over, and because I was so close to it, I needed to get feedback from others so I would know if there was anything missing. In this episode, I share the feedback I received from the beta readers and my carefully reconsidered future plans.  I believe with my whole heart that my book should benefit and serve those who trust me enough to read it. I refuse to put out anything that is less than what you deserve. Much like this podcast, my listeners and future readers deserve the best of me. I want to thank all of you for sharing your stories with me and for your love and support. Together we are better. We are here to love each other through our challenges so that we all come out enriched when we reach the next step of our journeys.   As Always If your story needs a compassionate and empathetic place for being shared, you can reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com. And, Annpeck.com is where I share all of my previous podcasts, blog posts and videos. I hope to meet you there.  Past podcasts which focus on self-love are #46 with Sheree Angela Matthews and #44 with Nicole Fende. I know you will enjoy sharing these with someone who may need to hear them.

EP047: Love Yourself Through Your Challenges

In 2015, on a street in London, Sheree Angela Matthews was listening to a podcast. The podcast just happened to be my conversation with Shannon Crotty, founder of Polka Dot Powerhouse. Sheree started crying while listening and decided to reach out. I am so pleased she did. Her journey, which she shares with us today, is personal, touching and transformational.   Those Who Can’t Do, Teach?  Sheree has been writing since she was 6 years old. Her father would give her a notebook and a pencil and tell her to amuse herself. She used to make stories of a little mouse who was always the hero and who always saved the day. During her educational years, there was never any talk of being able to have a career in writing. Students were guided towards more traditional work, like police women or teachers. So, Sheree became a teacher but she was secretly writing the entire time. She now has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, two full-length collections of published poetry, she is an expert in Black, British Women’s Poetry, and she is working on her new book. Once she started to take herself seriously as a writer, others did too.   A Need to Be Needed Sheree knows she has a deep need to be needed by others. Patterns of finding broken people with hopes of mending them started back when she would try anything to get attention from her father. She says she felt she was forever a disappointment to him and she never felt his love.   Socially Challenged Sheree has had a trying time the last couple of years. She experienced something which caused deep wounds in her soul. People she thought were her friends were saying awful things about her. They called her a liar, a cheat and a thief on Facebook. She lost herself in her own guilt, shame and self-hatred. She has since risen up from the abyss and has used her intense feelings to write her book, Rubedo: one woman’s search for her authentic voice. It is a gift she shares with her readers and listeners of this podcast to let them know they are not alone. Sheree acknowledges her fear that there will be vultures swirling around her new book, lying in wait for even the tiniest of mistakes, but that’s OK with her. She doesn’t need their approval. I recommend Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, a great resource for those of you who may be afraid to step out into your triumph. You can also find my conversation with Shannon Crotty here, Straight Talk for a Curvy World Episode #7.   Come Forth and Meet Your Sisterhood If you would like to read my story of overcoming fear, guilt and shame, I Am More Than Enough - Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love, you will have to wait until September. I wrote this book to honor the journey I took during the first half of my life and to celebrate entering the second half of my life, because I am no longer hiding.  On September 20th and 21st, you are invited to be a part of my book launch, my 50th birthday party and a gathering of world-class speakers for a VIP dinner and all-day life changing events in the lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. To register for this inspirational, first annual live event visit Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live. If you would like to be a part of my book launch team, sign up at I am more than enough.  If your story needs a compassionate and empathetic place to share and you cannot make it to Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live, you can reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or  send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com.   Share This Episode on Twitter “People can only take you seriously as a writer when you have taken yourself seriously as a writer.”   “I actively looked for broken men because I had a subconscious need to heal them. It was my personal crusade.”  “My mother died suddenly of a stroke so all my plans were thrown into disarray. I started writing for my life.”

EP046: Raw Feelings Put on A Page Can Heal You

As the date of my book launch gets closer, I find myself going through a lot of emotions. I’ve put myself and my stories out there for everyone to see. It makes me appreciate my guests who have come on this podcast and shared their very personal stories with us, even more so. I didn’t think that was possible. But through all of the emotions, I truly believe that this is important. This release, this freedom, this place of life-changing sharing is beneficial for all of us. This podcast includes a glimpse of one of my stories I share in my book, I Am More Than Enough - Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love.   Saving Face Almost 33 years ago, I was raped in a small town, by small town boys. The “Mandatory Reporters” I talked to about it offered no help to an 18-year-old whose confidence had just been exterminated. Self-destructive behaviors began to take the place of self-love and joy turned into worthlessness. My parents and the school faculty acted in the manner which they believed was best for the community. Women and men who go through this don’t need to be judged. They are judging themselves enough already. Just listen. Listen to this podcast and share it with someone you know needs to hear it.   Come Forth and Meet Your Sisterhood My latest book, I Am More Than Enough - Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love is coming out in September. I wrote this book to honor the journey I took during the first half of my life and to celebrate entering the second half of my life because I am no longer hiding. On September 20th and 21st, you are invited to be a part of my book launch, my 50th birthday party, and a gathering of world-class speakers for a VIP dinner and all-day life changing event in the lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. To register for this inspirational, first annual live event visit Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live.   If you would like to be a part of my book launch team sign up at I am more than enough.      Find Freedom, Joy, and Love for Yourself Remember, freedom is what we receive when we release the stories, the secrets, and the shame. If you are looking to regain your self-worth and to love who you are, join me at my live event and share your story with me. If your story needs a compassionate and empathetic place to share and you cannot make it to Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live, you can reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or  send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com.

EP045: When We Believe We Don’t Matter, We Start Acting Like We Don’t Matter

Today, I graciously hand the controls and my microphone over to my dear friend Nicole Fende. Nicole has promised to be gentle with me and since she has started her own podcast I decided to sit underneath her verbal microscope and field some questions about my new book and live event. A Book Baby It was exactly 3:22 in the p.m. on the 4th of July, 2016 that Ann hand delivered the very last word on the very last page of her new book, I Am More Than Enough. It was very emotional for her. It took her exactly 9-months to write it from start to finish but the stories she shares took a lifetime to create. Ann describes the book as, not a memoir but an inspirational, transformational self-help book. Ann is exceptionally gifted in: Helping people to feel comfortable enough to tell their own stories She gives people permission to have their own similar feelings She gifts others with the tools to move forward. Specifically, the I AM habits. So naturally, each of her chapters is followed up by a reflection on what lessons she learned from each incident. Her goal is to have women see themselves in the pages and see themselves walking through the darkness into the light. The concepts of loss of identity, loss of self-worth and lack of self-love are all tackled. She wants women to know they are not the only ones going through these things and they are not crazy either.    Resisting Joy Ann hired a coach to outline the arc of the book and to define the goal but each word of the book is from her own hand and contains her own blood, sweat and tears. She says she picked the easiest stories to write first and saved the most difficult ones for later. But when later came Ann found herself spending hours cleaning out the garage, going through old purses and weeding the lawn well after most people go to bed. She was actively resisting writing the stories that were hard for her to tell. She may have unconsciously been delaying the fact that once she was finished writing her book, she would have to share it with the world. Now that the book is finished and it has been shared with those she loves, Ann can pass her stories on to others so they can feel free, know they are not their past and that they are allowed to finally give themselves the compassion they deserve. *Nicole, thank you so much for the interview!   The Prosperity Dimension Nicole Fende’s new podcast, The Prosperity Dimension, is launching on July 19th. Nicole, by way of her character Captain Brenna Rain, started her podcast so that small business owners can connect with other small business owners through interviews and expert advice. Her website, ScifiBiz, sits at the intersection of business and science fiction. Get a free chapter of her multi-faceted book just by visiting her site. Nicole’s work was highlighted on an earlier episode of this podcast, Putting the Pieces Together for Profit, Without Ignoring Who You Are.   I Am More Than Enough Book Launch and Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live – An Affair With Joy Event If you want to know more about my book, I Am More Than Enough – Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love which is coming out on September 20th, you are invited to my book launch, my 50th birthday party and my VIP dinner. The entire next day, on September 21st, there will be a gathering of world-class speakers’ dinner and all-day live event in the lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. To register for this inspirational, first annual live event visit Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair With Joy. If you attend both the VIP birthday party dinner and the all-day event, use the promo code FREEDOM when you sign up to receive a $30 savings. And, the first 20 people who sign up will receive wonderful surprises and a free copy of my book, I Am More Than Enough – Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love. If you would like to be a part of my book launch team sign up at I am more than enough.      The Freedom to Share Remember, freedom is what we receive when we release the stories, the secrets and the shame. Freedom is on the other side of secrets. If you are looking to live a life of self-worth and to love who you are, join me at the live event.  If you enjoy the Straight Talk for a Curvy World podcast please share it with your friends or if you have a story you would like to share with our sisterhood reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com.

EP044: I Am More Than Enough is an Inspirational, Transformational Self-Help Book

Straight Talk for a Curvy World is a podcast about life after 40 and the challenges women face. Host Ann Peck, talks to women (and a few men) some you’ve never heard of - and some you have… about the things we don’t talk about… the things we keep inside because we feel ashamed, confused or fear we’ll be judged. These conversations cover the messy stuff, like grief, death, divorce & hormones. Losing the money, losing our minds, losing ourselves… we talk about sex, dating and starting over… the second half of life, building a business, pursuing a passion and following a dream… and we talk about love.

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Straight Talk for a Curvy World®

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