A LOT with Audra

Have you ever accomplished something big — or even something small — and immediately moved on to the next thing without stopping to celebrate?

That's exactly what happened to a group of leaders at a recent learning event, and it sparked a conversation that changed everything. We were all feeling that mid-afternoon slump when someone said, "I've just been running for months straight, and I really just need a day for me." That moment led to creating what I'm calling a Celebrate Me Day — a dedicated day to pause, reflect on your wins (big and small), and intentionally pour into yourself. We talk about why we skip celebrations, how humility and self-pride can coexist, and how a simple weekly practice of tracking three wins can rewire the way you see your life. I also share exactly what my own Celebrate Me Day looked like and how you can make this a quarterly ritual.
Highlights
The mid-afternoon slump that sparked the idea of a Celebrate Me Day
How we move from one win to the next without stopping to acknowledge the good
Why blanket advice about "staying humble" can keep us from celebrating ourselves
Each and every one of us has things to celebrate — we just have to pause and look back
The weekly practice of pulling out your top three wins from the Full Focus Planner
What a Celebrate Me Day actually looks like: slow mornings, yoga, a massage, and Harry Potter
Making it a quarterly ritual: pick a day at the start of a month and pour into yourself
Share your own Celebrate Day in the comments
Chapters
0:00 — Midday Slump Reflection
2:20 — Why We Skip Celebrations
3:14 — Introducing Celebrate Me Day
3:24 — Humility and Self Pride
4:43 — Weekly Wins Practice
6:03 — How I Spent My Day
7:16 — Make It a Quarterly Ritual
7:49 — Share Your Celebrate Day

Resources
Full Focus Planner — mentioned as the tool used for the weekly three-wins practice

What if the thing you want most is the thing you keep talking yourself out of?

This weekend, a walk with my husband turned into a full-on dissection of why we resist our own desires. Whether it's a bigger house, a new role, a book we want to write, or even something as simple as ordering a certain dessert — we are so quick to tell ourselves all the reasons we don't really want it. But what if underneath that dismissal is something worth listening to? What if the real reason we push our desires away isn't logic, but fear — specifically, the fear of how we'll feel if we go for it and don't get it? That's what we're unpacking today: how to get curious about what we truly want, examine the stories we tell ourselves, take aligned action, and build the emotional capacity to handle whatever outcome comes our way. Because the journey toward something we genuinely desire? That's what it's all about anyway.

Highlights:

Why we don't trust our own desires — and how influenced we might be by outside voices
The common stories we tell ourselves to talk us out of wanting what we want
Using the "bigger house" example to dig down to the real why behind a desire
How fear of failure (and fear of the feelings that come with failure) keeps us from trying
Why resilience matters — and how this applies to business owners, entrepreneurs, and aspiring authors
How emotional agility work (inspired by Susan David) changed the way I see feelings and action
The practice of getting curious about a desire, finding the core intention, and taking aligned action
Why failure is part of the game — and why the journey itself is the reward

Chapters:

1:03 — The Walk That Sparked It All
1:55 — Why Is It So Hard to Admit What We Want?
3:04 — Examining the Stories We Tell Ourselves
3:39 — Fear of Failure and the Bigger House Example
4:10 — Why We're Really Not Trying
5:52 — Resilience, Business, and the Book You Want to Write
6:15 — Emotional Agility and the Power of Managing Feelings
7:55 — Get Curious and Take Aligned Action
8:39 — Failure Is Part of the Game
9:44 — Farewell and Happy October

Resources:

Susan David — Emotional Agility
Want to learn more?
The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

Has your relationship with health and fitness become more about punishment than care? That's the question at the heart of today's conversation. Kendra Moody returns to the show—not in her role as COO of The Thread, but as founder of Restore Health Coaching—to talk about what it really takes to build a sustainable wellness lifestyle, especially for women navigating their second act. We cover why so many women put their health on hold, the mindset shift from punishing your body to nourishing it, and practical steps for eating more protein, moving daily, and staying hydrated. Kendra also breaks down GLP-1 medications and what women in their 40s and 50s should prioritize for longevity.

HIGHLIGHTS

Why women tend to neglect their health while raising families or climbing the career ladder—and when that pattern finally shifts
The mindset shift from "how hard can I go and how little can I eat" to "how do I care for my body, not punish it"
Why eating more protein (not less food) is one of the most common changes Kendra helps women make
How meal prepping is really about making it easier for your future self to stay committed to your goals
Why the all-or-nothing mindset is a trap—and how to enjoy treats without throwing in the towel
Three priorities for women in their 40s and 50s: protein, movement, and hydration
What GLP-1 medications actually do, why they aren't a forever solution, and why building foundational habits alongside them matters
A rapid-fire round of "Do This, Not That" covering intermittent fasting, hard workouts, lifting weights, and rest days
Why lifting weights won't make women bulky—and why it's essential as we age
How to find 20 minutes you didn't know you had (hint: check your phone)

CHAPTERS

1:38 — Why Health Gets Neglected
3:48 — What Wellness Really Means
5:35 — Mindset Shift to Restore
7:36 — Eat More Protein
9:00 — Meal Prep and Treats
13:32 — All or Nothing Trap
15:29 — Where to Start Today
17:57 — Protein, Movement, Hydration
21:51 — GLP-1s Explained
26:26 — Do This, Not That
32:19 — Find Restore Health

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Restore Health Coaching — Kendra Moody's health coaching practice 
(also on Instagram at @restore.healthcoaching)

Want to learn more?
The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What happens when achievement starts costing you aliveness? Dr. Kristen Strom joins the show to share her story of chasing success as a professor, wife, and mother—only to realize that the life she'd built was slowly draining the life out of her. From missing her kids' sporting events to feeling numb at the mention of a university teaching award, Kristen opens up about the red flags she ignored, the wake-up calls she couldn't, and the small, daily habits that quietly rewrote her entire future. We talk about what it really takes to stop hustling, start listening to your body, and build a life where you don't have to sacrifice the people you love to do the work you love. If you've ever looked in the mirror and not recognized the woman staring back, this conversation is for you.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kristen's realization that she was succeeding professionally but losing herself personally—missing her kids' events, running on empty, and ignoring years of physical red flags
The numbness that set in even after receiving a student-nominated teaching award and a national publication—achievements she'd worked her whole career for
How her son's words in the car one morning became a mirror reflecting her own stress back at her
The two wake-up call moments: a vacation photo where she didn't recognize herself, and a mirror moment at 38 wondering what her 40s would feel like if nothing changed
The health reset Kristen and her husband undertook together—from nutrition and fitness to mindset and emotional wellness
Kristen's 10-minute power practice: brain dumping, setting three intentions, and expressing gratitude before the day begins
Why high achievers should think smaller, not bigger, when creating change—and how tiny habits compound over time
The identity work required to believe you're worth the investment—and to envision a future self worth becoming
How fear and discomfort are not signs to stop but signals that you're in the growth process
Kristen's transition from professor to speaker and transformational life coach, and her mission to help women thrive without turning healing into another achievement
The power of getting quiet enough to hear what you actually want—and the freedom of saying no to good opportunities that don't align

CHAPTERS

2:22 — Professor Life Pressure Cooker
3:59 — Red Flags And Burnout
5:56 — Numb To Achievements
7:54 — Kids Mirror The Stress
11:02 — Restoring Marriage And Home
11:56 — Health Reset And Mindset
15:38 — Two Wake-Up Call Moments
17:16 — What Do You Want Instead
18:37 — Small Habits That Stick
21:21 — Ten Minute Power Practice
23:45 — Dream Smaller, Compound Wins
26:52 — Identity, Beliefs, And Future Self
29:22 — Fear, Peaks, And Resilience
31:13 — Turning Healing Into Purpose
35:07 — Quiet Clarity And Saying No
38:04 — How To Work With Kristen
39:08 — Final Thanks And Wrap-Up

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Dr. Kristen Strom's website

Want to learn more?
The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

Have you ever felt that subtle shift — the one where something inside has moved, but you can't quite name it yet?

That feeling is exactly what today's guest, Keveney Avila, founder of The Interior, helps people navigate. After a decade practicing law — including pro bono work with unaccompanied immigrant children and human trafficking survivors — Keveney's life pivoted in a way she never could have planned. Her dog's seizures became a wake-up call that her own stress and frustration were literally affecting the energy around her, and that moment set her on a completely new path.

We talk about what energy work actually means (in language that's accessible whether you come at it from science, faith, or somewhere in between), the low-grade grief that so many high-achievers carry without naming it, and why the journey has to eventually turn inward. Keveney shares what it means to build an inner container strong enough to hold both joy and sorrow at the same time, why you can never outthink the energy in your gut, and one simple practice you can try today the next time you feel stirred up. If the life you've built no longer fits, or you're standing at a crossroads wondering what comes next, this conversation is for you.

HIGHLIGHTS

How a lawyer's decade of practice — including work with human trafficking survivors — led her to energy work
The story of Keveney's dog having five seizures overnight and how it became the catalyst for leaving corporate
Why Keveney made more money her first year as an entrepreneur than she ever did in corporate
How energy can be understood through science, faith, prayer, or quantum physics — and why it's accessible no matter your belief system
Who Keveney's clients typically are (most are in their 50s to 60s) and why they seek her out
The concept of "low-grade grief fever" — grieving an identity you thought you'd have
Why we need people who can sit in the darkness with us without flinching
The law of sacrifice and why we can't have everything, even in a culture that says we can
The "golden thread" — how seemingly unrelated chapters of your life connect
Why you can never outthink the energy in your gut, no matter how many affirmations you do
Building an inner container to hold both the greatest joy and deepest sorrow simultaneously
Discernment: how to tell whether you're intuiting from your ego or your body
The simple pause practice — how to check in when you notice your body stirred up
Why meditating while stressed can actually amplify that energy, and what to do instead

CHAPTERS

1:52 — From Law to Intuition
2:37 — Dog Seizures Wake Up Call
4:32 — Quitting Corporate Leap
5:10 — Animals to Human Healing
7:44 — Energy Made Practical
10:36 — Success That Stops Fitting
12:21 — Naming Hidden Grief
14:48 — Sitting In The Dark
17:04 — Choosing One Life
19:10 — Sacrifice And Flow
23:19 — Gut Energy Over Mindset
25:46 — Building The Inner Container
28:57 — Discernment And Old Stories
31:28 — Simple Pause Practice
36:18 — Rinsing Off Energy
38:17 — Where To Find Keveney
39:46 — Closing Thanks

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Keveney Avila’s Website - keveneyavila.com
Keveney Avila on LinkedIn 

Want to learn more?
The Thread

Be sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedIn

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.