Plenty with Kate Northrup

She grew up in a tiny town in Tennessee and fell in love with track and field, practicing high jump using an old sewer pipe that her coach would hold, falling onto an old mattress that they’d found and put in a sand pit. She got herself a full scholarship to college because of her athletic and academic achievements, but a sharp pain in her back one day that caused her to fall to the ground took her out for the season, leaving her wondering if her dreams of being an Olympian were ever going to come to fruition. A counselor told her to try yoga, and even though her Southern Baptist roots made her fearful that doing yoga meant worshipping the Buddha, she gave it a go because she was promised it was "just stretching." This woman’s story of healing injury, coming back to her athletic ambitions, going for it again, becoming injured again, going for it again, burning out again, and then coming back in a whole new way is one of overcoming tremendous obstacles and ultimately, finding wellness and joy in unexpected places. Koya Webb did not go on to compete in the Olympics as she’d dreamed of her whole youth. Instead, she let her first dream die so she could live the true dream: making a difference in the lives of people all over the world. As an internationally recognized yoga teacher, personal trainer, holistic health and wellness coach, motivational speaker, model, and author of Let Your Fears Make You Fierce, Koya is a force of love in the world. This week we have Koya on The Kate & Mike Show and, like a total dork, at the end of the podcast I blurted out, "I just really like you!" This woman is delightful and her joy is infectious. I’m so excited to share her with you today. If you’ve ever pushed yourself so hard that you got injured, this episode is for you. If you’ve been wondering how to grow your influence using social media to get the word out there about what you love, this episode is for you. (Koya has 1M followers, and the strategy she shares on the episode is simple and powerful.) If you’ve ever been afraid of being the first in your family or peer group to go to college, surpass a certain income level, change your diet, prioritize your health, move far away, or have a happy relationship, this episode is for you. If you’ve ever needed to let one dream die in order for another one to live, this episode is for you. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

The number one thing I’ve heard since making the rounds on all the podcasts and launching Do Less is that people’s minds are blown by the information about cyclical living and how we have this inner blueprint for productivity that no one has ever taught you...until now. It’s pretty straightforward if you have a normal, healthy, regular 28-day menstrual cycle, but there are so many reasons that may not be the case. Pregnancy. Menopause. Being a man. Bleeding on the full moon. Hormonal birth control. An IUD. Breast cancer treatment. Nursing. Irregular cycles that vary between 17-43 days. PCOS. Perimenopause. Working in a corporate setting that doesn’t support this whole cyclical living thing. Since Do Less came out, my DM’s and our inbox have been filling up with your questions about your period, the moon, and how this whole cyclical living and planning thing works for your specific situation. So, Mike and I recorded a brand-new, incredibly meaty episode of The Kate & Mike Show to answer all of your cyclical living and planning questions. (Well, mostly I answered your questions and then Mike asked me more.) Here’s what we covered: • How do you plan for your cycle if you’re pregnant, nursing, in perimenopause, or are past menopause? • The cyclical macrocosm of pregnancy and how the trimesters align with the phases of the moon/menstrual cycle/seasons and how that may impact your creativity and productivity. • How does this work if you’re on hormonal birth control or have an IUD? • How do men’s cycles work? How can we support the cycles of the men in our lives? (We really got into this one and answered it a way you probably wouldn’t expect.) • My personal, very efficient period, new moon, and full moon rituals. • What to do when you bleed on the full moon vs. the new moon. • How to change the timing of your cycle if you desire. • Best practices for the luteal phase when you’re feeling prickly and low-energy. • How do you marry your own menstrual cycle with the lunar cycle and what do you do with that information? • And so much more! If you’ve had questions about how your energy cycles, productivity cycles, and creativity cycles work, I’m 99% sure we covered it in this episode. Plus, even if you don’t think you have a cyclical living question, I guarantee we’ll answer a question in this episode you didn’t even know you had. Once you’ve listened, we want to know: What was your biggest insight from today’s episode? Do you have more questions that we didn’t cover? How will you use what you learned in your business and life? Leave us a comment and let us know! You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

A few weeks before Do Less was going to launch, I decided to follow my intuition and reach out to a few women who I was loosely connected with on Instagram to see if they’d be open to receiving a copy. There wasn’t any real strategy behind who I reached out to. I just trusted that if someone popped up in my feed and I felt called to send them a DM that I should. So I did. One of these women responded immediately, and we got into an instant back-and-forth banter that made me smile and felt like I was texting a lifelong girlfriend. It turned out she lived in LA. I was headed to LA during launch week. She asked if I was doing an event. I said no...but then I paused and thought, "Maybe?" She offered to do an "in conversation" (a phrase I’ve seen circulating in the literary world - a world I’m not part of - that means two people talk on stage at an event) to sell books. This woman I don’t know is offering to take time out of her schedule as a mother of a toddler on the eve of her first book being published to help me spread the word about my book. Wow. Sparked by the generosity of this big-hearted new friend, my LA book launch was born. Had it not been for her message, I never would have gotten to throw the party that I secretly really wanted to throw but didn’t think I had the bandwidth, energy, or budget to make happen. This angel of a woman is Jennifer Pastiloff, and she is not only beautifully generous of spirit and freaking hysterical, she’s a damn good writer and is honest AF about her life. It’s a stunning combination. Jen worked as a server for 15 years and then created her own career teaching On Being Human workshops around the world. Her story is so inspiring, and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you. This week we have Jen on The Kate & Mike Show sharing about her incredible debut memoir, On Being Human (I lapped it right up and laughed and cried out loud on many airplanes on book tour as I read it) as well as: • Her tips for getting over social anxiety and truly connecting with strangers (this was based on my questions because, believe it or not, I’m so scared to talk to strangers) • How she programs her workshops and how doing less has made them even more powerful • The super innovative way she activated a big group of people to spread the word about her book • Why she doesn’t read her reviews • The thing she started doing that attracted new customers in flocks • How she cultivates a feeling of enoughness that makes her one of the most generous people I know It was a yummy conversation and when we ended the Zoom call, Mike and I both looked at each other and said, "I love her." You will too. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

You know how some folks were raised to believe in one very specific set of beliefs and don’t ever question where that set of beliefs came from, who came up with them in the first place, and what greater motive getting a bunch of people to believe in those things might be serving? And you know how everything everyone has ever told us came from another human being who has biases, is flawed, and has impacted that knowledge in some way so there’s really no such thing as "pure truth" coming from someone else? I want you to know something: No one else can tell you what’s true. You have to learn to source the truth from within. Learning how to do this will be the single most important skill you’ve ever invested time in mastering. It will save you time making decisions. (Did you know that the average person spends 7 hours and 36 minutes deliberating about their choices every week?) It will ensure you always do the right thing for your highest purpose. It will guarantee miracles in your life because your inner truth can orchestrate magic in a way that your ego couldn’t even fathom. There is a person who lives from the truth she hears within more than any human being I’ve ever met, and I’m so blessed to call her one of my very best friends. She’s a scholar, a theologian, one of the wackiest dancers I’ve ever seen, a total comedian without meaning to be one, a fierce mother, a deeply generous friend, and the author of the game changing book, Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven’t Tried Yet. I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to have Meggan on The Kate & Mike Show, but I know that we were saving ourselves for the very conversation I have for you today. As she always does, Meggan gave us all of her mind, body, heart, and soul as she shared the depths of her own personal journey to find what was missing in the Christianity she was raised with, how she discovered Mary Magdalene, and the healing journey she’s been leading to champion the Christianity we haven’t tried yet. In today’s episode you’ll hear: • The truth about the Bible and what was purposefully left out of it (and why) • The path to truly know God (hint: it’s not what you think) • What happened to all of the women in Christianity and how we can bring them back • How to know the difference between the voice of fear and the voice of your intuition • How the metaphor of resurrection can inform our own daily transformations • A new meaning of the word "death" that opens up profound possibilities for new ways of living • How to connect with the eternal while living in the confines of time and space in a human body • And so much more! We have never had a conversation like this one on The Kate & Mike Show. Prepare to have your assumptions challenged, the beliefs that aren’t serving you shaken up, and to walk away from the episode holding the keys to access the very thing we’ve all been searching for the whole time. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com  \regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

This week Mike and I are talking about my favorite unorthodox tool for ramping up your productivity: prioritizing your body. In it you’ll hear: • An incredibly simple tool for organizing your workflow that will have you palming your forehead with how obvious (yet overlooked) it is • The daily practice that Richard Branson holds responsible for his business success • A revolutionary approach to your work life that will change how you do everything (and make everything way easier and more productive) Once you’ve listened in, we want to hear from you. Which strategy will you try out? What have you noticed already from putting your body first and your business second? What kind of resistant thoughts come up when you hear us talk about body first, business second? Leave us a comment and let’s continue the conversation! Having a body is the great equalizer for all humans. Yes, all bodies are not built the same, nor do they all have the same abilities, but on a fundamental level they all work the same. And they can be the source for all of our best work when we learn how to tap into the supply. Listen to this week’s episode because this perspective shift is critical for sustainable results in your work and life. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

When I read about the heartbreaking things going on around the world (the children in detention centers, the conflict in Sudan, the abortion ban, ICE raids, genetically modified food, police brutality, mass shootings, hate crimes, how seriously Mother Earth is suffering, and more) I often find myself freezing because it all feels so big and so terrible, and I feel very small in comparison to the depth of the problems plaguing our planet. I used to deal with this by not paying attention to what was going on in the world, but I realized that was a privileged opt-out that wasn’t helping at all. Now I deal with the enormity of looking at the world’s problems differently. I don’t scroll the news 24/7. I don’t ever watch it on TV. I get in, get the facts, then I get out. And then I have real conversations with real human beings working to create real solutions to learn from them, see how I can support them, and to be reminded that for every atrocity around the world, there are thousands of good people with huge hearts who care deeply and are taking inspired, healing action. I often find these people on social media, and then I do what I can to move the conversation off the internet because I’ve found that true healing happens eye to eye, and, when possible, heart to heart. One of the beautiful souls I came across on Instagram (my favorite place to discover new people doing good work) is Aaron Rose. I found Aaron captivating from the moment I started following his account, not only because he’s a beautiful writer about topics that are hard to talk about, but because despite having been through so much as a gay transgender man growing up in a devout Cathollic family, light and love shines out of his eyes in a way I can feel radiating out of my phone. We invited him on the podcast to take the conversation out of the comments, so we could hear one another’s voices and go deeper. During this conversation we talked about: • Practical steps to build emotional resilience to keep going and do good work in a world where a lot of sh*t is going down on micro and macro levels • Being a recovering Catholic and how to navigate loving people who think and believe very differently from you • How to stay connected to love when you’ve been through really hard things • What to do when you hear someone you don’t know saying prejudiced things in public and you want to say something but you don’t know how • How to be part of the healing of our crisis of separation that’s truly the root cause of 99.9% of the problems we have, personally and globally Once you’ve listened, Aaron, Mike, and I want to continue the conversation with you. Which one of Aaron’s tools for building resilience resonated with you the most? Which part of the conversation was the biggest a-ha for you? How can you take action on what you learned? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

It’s lovely to hear about folks working 4 hours a week while having their best revenue months EVER or sending one email and making $50K, but do these stories not leave us wondering: Is this person full of sh*t? What’s the real story here? I was asked in a podcast interview the other day whether or not I’d managed to launch Do Less in a "do less" way. Like, was I really walking my walk with this launch? The answer is mostly yes. And a little bit no. (Because we’re all a work-in-progress.) Whether you’re launching a book or a program or a business or a dinner party, getting your creative work out there takes some oomph. But doing good work does not have to do you in. That’s why we recorded an episode of The Kate & Mike Show for you this week that reveals the 7 lessons learned while launching Do Less in a "do less" way. In this week’s episode you’ll hear: • The most important question you need to ask about your life before embarking on a launch • My big secret to self-discipline • How to launch something to sell for the long haul, not just to be a flash in the pan • My top tip for pitching podcasts and other media outlets so you stand out from the crowd • The most important ingredients that prevented me from getting sick or burning out (like I did during my last book launch) despite the fact that my life is way more full than it was 6 years ago Once you’ve listened, we’d love to hear from you: What are you launching right now? How can you apply the 7 lessons I shared to your own situation? You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities.

:I was listening to two friends on a podcast talk about their journey with substances (drugs and alcohol), and then when I came home to have an editorial planning meeting with Mike about our podcast (which looks like me saying, "What do you want to talk about?" to him while we clean the kitchen) he said: Why don’t we talk about alcohol and sobriety? Part of the reason our marriage works is because we have these glorious moments of being totally synced up (and then the other part of it is because we work at making it work). I’ll be honest: I knew this conversation was a long time coming. I knew it would be powerful because Mike and I have somewhat unusual relationships with substances. What I did not expect is that it would be hard to hear about Mike’s past. I assumed that because we’ve talked about his past with drugs and alcohol A LOT, I wouldn’t have a hard time hearing him talk about it on this episode. I was wrong. Today’s episode is pretty different than a lot of our other ones, but it’s really important. You’ll hear: • Why I wasn’t alarmed when I first learned of Mike’s history with making money in illegal ways (and why I actually thought it might bode well for our future). • What my parents taught me about alcohol and why it kept me from wanting to rebel by using it. • Mike’s unconventional approach to getting clean that didn’t involve ever setting foot in an AA meeting. • A few unsettling stories that, even though I’d heard them before, made my stomach turn. If you’ve ever struggled with substances, if any of your loved ones has or is, or if you’re triggered at all by the idea of examining your relationship with alcohol or drugs, this is a must-listen episode. You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities.

Sometimes Mike and I record podcasts after we’ve put the girls to bed, which for us is late, late at night. We’re talking 7:30 or 8pm. Woah. While I’m my brightest and most focused first thing in the morning (because that’s the springtime of the day and springtime energy is my time), some really fun stuff comes out at night. The banter is better. I’m unplugged. My guard is down. I’m punchy. I say things I wouldn’t say when caffeinated. This week’s podcast is one of these late, late show episodes, and we talked about: • Our top tip for making speaking gigs way less scary • How we overcame our resistance (or more my resistance) to speaking together and what I learned about how sometimes I’m wrong • How to work in tandem with your cycle even if your cycle is making it inconvenient to do the work you need to get done • A really exciting event we have that’s starting TODAY  You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.

I woke up to a message from our podcast producer letting us know that the audio file we’d sent him was unusable. Ugh. I know you’ve been there: an hour or more of audio or video presented, only to realize that you were just talking into the void. Mike and I decided it must have been a conversation that we needed to have, just the two of us, and that it was good practice for a future episode. (I promise, we’ll make sure we get the best nuggets to you in a future episode.) 135 episodes in to The Kate & Mike Show with nearly half a million downloads, and this has never happened before. In honor of saving time (yours and mine), we decided to record a super short and sweet episode for you this week (7:41, to be exact) to replace the one that got lost to the tech gremlins. Ever since Do Less came out nearly two months ago, I’ve had you in my heart, feeling into what we could do together next. Today’s episode lets you in on what I’ve come up with. The episode has a special invitation for you if you want my help getting better results by doing less. Enjoy! You can get your own copy of Do Less and still receive incredible bonuses at http://katenorthrup.com/book! Kate wants to hear from you, and you can post about your #DoLess experiences on Instagram, DM her (@katenorthrup) or email info@katenorthrup.com! Would you, or a company you know, be a good fit to sponsor The Kate & Mike Show? If so, let’s talk! You can email mike@mikejwatts.com regarding current sponsorship opportunities. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at http://www.katenorthrup.com/podcast.