About Progress

“It is that moment of complete 100% surrender that we step into that power we never had before.” Tiffany Webster knows a thing or two about surrender. As a lifelong perfectionist, life had a way of showing up and forcing her to slow down, and slow down hard: infertility, chronic illness, brain surgery, and poor mental health. That's just some of what Tiffany faced that helped her see she had to learn how to give in, look outward, and reach up--and in the process of doing that, she found greater strength than she ever knew possible. You might recognize Tiffany from her viral talk on perfectionism given at the Hope Works conference: "The Perfect Lie." Tiffany has recently released the most beautiful book--Embracing the Broken--that goes into great depth with what brought her to her lowest lows, the lessons she learned about the lies of perfectionism, and how we can rise above it. In this interview, we talk about this as well as how Tiffany deals with the messiness of progress, how we can stop wearing masks with each other, and what's on the other side of embracing the broken in your own life. Show Notes: Tiffany's BOOK, website, Instagram, and FacebookRecent interview with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: "Get Over Yourself"Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website and Holiday DEAL!Jennifer's past interviews with About Progress on perfectionism and goodness (doing things for the right reasons)Monica's Facebook and InstagramMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Contact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Comparison is evil . . . Any time you look at someone else's strengths that might be your weaknesses, you'll always come up short." 10 years ago, Tamarynn Bennett was 25 years old and had barely run more than a few miles at a time. So, she reasonably thought she would be a "one and done" with a marathon she signed up for. But after accidentally qualifying for Boston (!), she found herself drawn to the challenge and the thrill of racing.  Like most athletes, Tamarynn has had her fair share of set backs and disappointments. From taking a full six years off of doing triathlons so she could focus on her family, to facing adrenal fatigue and injuries, to not being able to do races she had trained so hard for, Tamarynn has seen it all. Her persistence is admirable, but it's also reachable; Tamarynn likes to make it clear--she is ordinary and credits achieving these big goals just one step at a time and holding strong to the bigger picture.  Tamarynn also discusses the personal trials her family has faced, and how they have both challenged and strengthened her commitment to what really matters. A big piece of that puzzle? Avoiding the trap of comparison and instead embracing the little progress we make each time we try, and then try again. Some recent good news since our interview was recorded: Tamarynn was not only able to finish the Chicago marathon she was nervous about completing due to an injury, but she also completed her first official Ironman!!!! Tamarynn described it as "magical." Congrats, Tamarynn!!!Show Notes:Tamarynn's InstagramLast week's interview with Lisa FunkLisa's new book, The Guide to Mindful LetteringRecent interview with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: "Get Over Yourself"Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website and Holiday DEAL!Jennifer's past interviews with About Progress on perfectionism and goodness (doing things for the right reasons)Monica's Facebook and InstagramMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Contact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We celebrated our year anniversary of the podcast a few weeks ago! To commemorate this time, I have a short, unedited, rambling State of the Podcast episode for you. In it, I share some of our stats, which episodes I think more people need to listen to, and where I see the podcast headed. Thank you for your incredible support!!! XO,Monica Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I meet a ton of people who say, ‘Oh I can’t do that, I'm not creative . . .'  Maybe they will never find that painting or drawing fulfills them, but they ARE creative in the way that they solve problems, or put things together, or organize . . . We can think about creativity differently in that we are created to create.” For Lisa Funk, lettering (also know as calligraphy) isn't just about creating beautiful text--it's about purposefully living a life she loves. Lisa found that by honing her craft and mastering inspirational messages, she was able to better face her inner mental health battles. Lettering changed Lisa's life! Once she started sharing her gift, she was surprised how people didn't just want to know where they could buy her artwork, they wanted to learn how to do it themselves. That's how Lisa became an accidental businesswoman, and one steeped in the goal in improving lives, one letter at a time. Lisa discusses how creativity is innate in all of us and how learning to work hard to develop our gifts can change us as people. She shares more in depth about how her own struggles with depression and more have taught her the importance of self-care and mindfulness, and that an essential piece of facing our demons is growing our gifts. Finally, Lisa teaches us how we can find our own intentions in life and live them more purposefully. Lisa's new book, The Guide to Mindful Lettering, combines instruction on brush lettering as well as how to approach learning this craft in a mindful, meaningful way. On top of the instruction are 50 affirmations to "trace, ponder, and apply."  Lisa's hope is that this book, "can be the creative outlet so many women are looking for and at the same time help them to live an intentional life they love!" You can find The Guide to Mindful Lettering here.Show Notes:Lisa's website, Instagram, and FacebookLisa's new book, The Guide to Mindful LetteringLast week's interview with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: "Get Over Yourself"Jennifer's website and Holiday DEAL!Jennifer's past interviews with About Progress on perfectionism and goodness (doing things for the right reasons)Monica's Facebook and InstagramMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Contact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Those that are most able to deal with their flaws, are most willing to be seen as human . . . That’s real moral courage, and that’s the kind of courage that sets us free." Have you ever heard the saying, "I am my own worst enemy?" If you've thought or said that about yourself, then this episode is for you. (And if you haven't, then this episode is also for you.) All of us carry the innate tendency to mask our own humanity--our flaws--from those we love, work with, and even ourselves. Doing so actually inhibits our growth, creates tension in our relationships, and leads to inner turmoil. The only way to get over all that is to get over ourselves. Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife teaches us what this tendency looks like in action, and what we can do to fix it by facing our own flaws with compassion and true moral courage. She also helps us see what we get out of doing so: a life filled with challenges, certainly; but also a whole lot more love, fulfillment, and freedom.  Show Notes:Jennifer's website and Holiday DEAL!Jennifer's Facebook Jennifer's past interviews with About Progress on perfectionism and goodness (doing things for the right reasons)Monica's Facebook and InstagramMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Contact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"With each thing I tried, every time it failed . . . I failed deeper and the problem got bigger. It got to the point where I no longer felt any control over it. I remember one day thinking, ‘I’m not going to try anymore.’” Julie Taylor was known online for being "real," but only she knew the truth--that she was hiding an addiction, and one especially riddled with shame: food addiction. Julie talks about the transformation she has been through the past few years of identifying herself as someone addicted to food, pursuing help for it, and how in time it made her far more real than she ever had been before. Julie's path unfortunately led her from one form of addiction to another--an obsession with perfection.One particular incident alarmed her husband: After accidentally having a bite of cheese while out to dinner, she sobbed for hours. Julie eventually decided that this other extreme way of living was making her just as unhappy as having no boundaries. The biggest key to Julie's TRUE healing arose as Julie came from a place of healing, rather than a place of punishment; from a place of wanting to change because she loved herself, not hated herself. Julie shares how this lesson can be applied to all of our weaknesses we need to work on, and how doing so will empower us all the better to finally see real results and lasting growth. Show NotesJulie's Instagram and Youtube channelMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Monica's Facebook and InstagramContact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I have worth and it isn’t always looking to the external to try to find validation, because that’s an endless competition that you’re never going to win. It doesn’t bring any happiness." Reachel Bagley is not your normal "fashion blogger." Sure, she has a fabulous sense of style--one that you're going to salivate over. But Reachel loves fashion because of what it can do to really transform someone's confidence, to help them feel more empowered to face their lives and their trials. She loves to really teach her clients and her followers what colors, cuts, and fits look best on their bodies, not just show her own polished outfits. (One of her mantras is: it's not that you aren't fitting into your clothes, it's that your clothes aren't fitting YOU.) Reachel knows what it is like to lack confidence, and in a really dark way. Her own sense of pride and love of her body took a beating after years of infertility. She saw her body as something to be punished, not loved, because of the way she saw it hurting her. But 10 years later and after a lot of work, Reachel has earned that love and acceptance of her body because she knows who she really is at her core. She knows that our worth isn't dependent on a size or a number on the scale--it's innate, and it will never change. Listen to learn about how Reachel came about this transformation, what she hopes to inspire in others, how she views fashion as a tool, how she got her start and developed her business into what it is today, and much more. Show Notes:Reachel's website, Instagram, and Facebook Monat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Monica's Facebook and InstagramContact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"By choosing your habits and staying with them, you are scientifically engraining them in your body . . . setting you on a pace that will help you achieve what you want to achieve." What do you get when you create the perfect mix of zen and science? Greg Karelitz, is what. Greg is the founder of the Positive Vibes Only Society (PVOS), a community with a mission to help people better live in the moment, backed up with science. As a touchstone, PVOSers sport a necklace that act as a physical reminder to live positively. Greg developed a fascination with the science behind positivity when he was at a big low: having just undergone a double hip surgery and with it a big life style change that eventually led to him experiencing anxiety attacks. He had his own necklace--the star of David--that helped him recenter during those moments. And perfectly, the hex in that symbol align with the shapes of the chemicals in our bodies that contribute to our happiness--chemicals that Greg was in the trenches of researching himself. This is how he was inspired to create not only the hex-shaped necklace, but the positive-focused society Greg leads today. Hear what Greg says about what he's learned about the science of positivity, how he got through his own dark times, what change he hopes to ignite in the world, how focusing on good habits contributes to our greater happiness, and how we can live in the moment even when we need to also deal with hard things. Greg is definitely an expert in this field, and it shows. Show Notes:Greg's website (new ladies-specific necklaces being offered!), Instagram, and FacebookReferenced interview with Andy ProctorMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Monica's Facebook and InstagramContact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You don’t really appreciate time unless you’re looking at a diagnosis like cancer. . . You don’t appreciate the time that you have until you know that there could potentially be an end date.”  Danielle Stepp was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma--cancer--as a new mother of a three month old baby girl. Her treatment entailed 12 debilitating rounds of chemotherapy. As Danielle made her way through this very difficult period of her life, she held on to her family, her friends, and what she calls "Prayer Power" to help her arise above the immense hardships. She also used her fighting spirit and treated cancer like a bull, and Danielle "wrestled it to the ground." Now a year cancer free (!), Danielle looks back to see what helped her through this hard chapter, how cancer has changed her, and what she has learned about not taking time for granted. Show Notes:Danielle's blogCompassion that CompellsMonat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Monica's Facebook and InstagramContact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I think the reason we all suffer is because it makes us stronger—it’s a strength, it’s a gift in a way . . . I could not write the music that I write had I not gone through hard things.”  Paul Cardall knows a thing or two about suffering and turning that suffering into a gift. He was born with half a heart and experienced poor health throughout his childhood and well into his adulthood. In 2009, he underwent a full heart transplant that gave him a miraculous new way of living. And yet, it was after his transplant that Paul faced the darkest period of his life: guilt, depression, the ending of his marriage, and more.  But Paul used his pain to create masterpieces that helped him rise above, music that has gone on to transform millions of lives across the world. Yes, millions. Listen to this interview to hear about how this is the case for Paul, how and why he started playing the piano as a late-teen, what the creative process is like for him, and how he believes wholeheartedly that our trials can transform our lives for good and make us stronger. Paul believes that his love of forming connections through his music could not have been as fully achieved had it not been for his suffering. He inspires us to rise through our own trials too, and to believe that there is so much goodness on the other side. If you like the show, please share, subscribe, and leave reviews!! Show Notes:Paul's Website, Instagram, and FacebookPaul's MusicPaul's Production Company, Stone Angel MusicSong Played: "Gracie's Theme"Paul and Tina's Interview on the LifeBeats Project!Monat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and websiteRelated: Monica's views on Sponsorship and WHY she's partnering with MonatFabletics! Get 2 leggings for $24 when you become a VIP member (they're the besssssst!) (Affiliate link)Free Audiobook through Audible! (Affiliate link)Monica's Facebook and InstagramContact MonicaMore Podcasts from About ProgressSong Credit: "Sweet Promise" and "Tonight" by Nicolai Heidlas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices