Straight Talk for a Curvy World®

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  

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

* 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.

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

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. 

  * 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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

This is a place for women to share their secrets, share their stories, and share their shame completely free of judgment. In this safe place, you will be embraced only with love, acceptance, and validation.   A Sisterhood of Sharing  Remembering my Grandmother, Elsie, on the day of her birth reminds me of the stories she would tell me of her own Sisterhood of Sharing. She and a group of supportive friends would meet in church basements, dining rooms or wherever they could find a moment together to talk about their lives. They would share stories of their children, new babies, love, money troubles, men and even share a good cry when they needed some freedom and release. Having a sisterhood does make a difference.   My Vision  My vision was to create a place of support for women who needed it. A sisterhood which is supported and encouraged by the men in our lives. A sisterhood where we would be heard and validated, where we would be loved and no longer silent. A place where women would feel safe to share their stories and secrets, free of judgment. A place where each of us knows we are more than enough. My vision is realized in this podcast and in the upcoming Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live event.   I Am More Than Enough and You Are Too 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 gathering of world-class speakers for a VIP 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. If you attend both the VIP birthday party dinner and the all-day event, use the promo code FREEDOM when you sign up to get 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.      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. They may enjoy one of these past episodes:  Episode #35 with Monica Tarr talking about hormones, aging and sex. Episode #25 with Dr. Theo Tsaousides discussing self-love and self-respect. Episode #42 with Girlfriends exploring blow jobs.    If you have a story you would like to share with this sisterhood, reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com.

*This is an adult conversation so please be aware of who may be listening in with you.   Recording this episode was so much fun. My guests are three of my closest friends, Felicia, Charlie, and Leigh. We sat down in my living room, the day after the summer solstice, to discuss blowjobs while enjoying a bottle (or 2) of wine. Everyone agreed to be open, frank and honest with the hopes that those of you who may not have a friend to discuss this topic with can feel like you are sitting at the far end of the couch with us.   Where, When and How? Several important revelations came from this portion of our conversation. We discovered that a Native American palate is better equipped than a Caucasian palate for natural blowjob selection, that rakers need to watch more porn, older women have the highest STD rates and that you’re not supposed to blow. It is also apparent that when you are younger intercourse almost always follows.   Does Semen Really Come in Pineapple Flavor? This group of ladies was split when it came to swallowing. However, we wholeheartedly decided that a “free shot of protein” is just a ploy to get him on your tongue. Things to take into consideration are a possible gag reflex, the amount of food in your stomach and how quickly you want to get to sleep afterward. Several tools of the trade were mentioned which may enhance her pleasure, they include: Altoids Mint Jelly Peanut Butter Whip Cream And the new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Whipped White Can Frosting You Can Squirt   Listener Questions J asks - Q. Is it about duty or pleasure? A. The longer you are together it becomes dutiful. However, BJ’s can be used as maintenance sex when somebody has the sleepies. Curious asks - Q. What if he doesn’t come? Have I satisfied him? And, how do I know if I am doing it wrong? A. There is no way you can do it wrong. Depending on the man’s age they are probably more worried about performing than you need to be. Anonymous asks - Q. If a woman enjoys giving a blowjob and is good at it, do men think she is slutty? A. Who cares what that kind of man thinks? If he treats you poorly get rid of him. You should always, 100% enjoy whatever it is you are doing.   Dirty Talk Communication really IS all it’s cracked up to be, inside the bedroom and out. I surveyed the ladies to see: Would You Feel Comfortable Saying These Things to Your Sex Partner? Your cock feels so hot on my cunt. - Ladies say NO. Please give me more of your fat rod. - Ladies say NO.  Put me on my knees and bang me ‘til I cum all over your dick. - Ladies say NO.  I want you to put your dick right here between my tits. - Ladies say YES.   You Are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either I am planning more of this type of episode so I really want to know how this one worked out for you. Share this podcast by tweeting your thoughts to me at @iamannpeck, leaving me a Facebook message in the Curvyworld private Facebook group or by leaving a review on iTunes. I’m always here. If you are shy or have a specific subject you would love to hear discussed on this podcast email me at ann@annpeck.com. This email is confidential so you can feel secure in knowing that your information is safe with me. The more we share the better our community will be. Reminder - We are planning a big event for September! The new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair with Joy. We will be working on self-love and loving our business from the inside out. There will be a private VIP dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday and the release of my new book. Everybody who attends will go home with a copy. Special early bird pricing is available, so sign up now!  

*This is an adult conversation so please be aware of who may be listening with you.   My guest Barbara, who will soon be turning 50, is a mother with five kids at home and is currently going through her second divorce. She and her ex-husband have just finished the paperwork after going through the mediation process. She says that anyone who wants to create continuity for the children during this emotional undertaking should consider mediation as a way to save money, time and tears. This powerful conversation with Barbara addresses a subject which is very rarely discussed. That is when sexual relations occur between children in the same family. Barbara exhibits great courage in sharing her story with us today and says that if just one person is helped or one misconception is clarified, then it is worth it for her to share.  “In the darkest moments, in the darkest of days, when it seems there is no hope when everything is going against you, HOLD ON. The light will come, the light will come, don’t give up. And when it comes it brings peace, love and compassion.”  - Barbara G.   Putting Yourself First Barbara realized that through much of her life she had the martyr mentality. She always put spending time with her kids and husband in front of doing things she wanted to do. She realized if she wanted to be the best mother and wife she could possibly be, she needed to take some time for herself. She started by taking 15 minutes to read a book she wanted to read and then little by little she took more time to practice self-care.   When the Darkness Came While Barbara was pregnant with her sixth child, she and her husband were given the news that the baby had the rare, genetic disorder of Trisomy 13. Her child, who was born 9 weeks early, died after only 2 weeks of life. This trauma affected the entire family, and much more than Barbara realized at the time. Shortly after moving to Minnesota and in a fit of tears, Barbara’s 10-year-old daughter told her mother she was having sex with her 13-year-old brother. Barbara was devastated and her whole world went black. She felt like she fell down a black hole into hell. She immediately told her husband. She says it was a miracle that her son was away at camp because she truly believes her husband may have killed him. Family Services advised that they seek out a counselor and the counselor recommended a trip to the police station. The police wanted to charge the 13-year-old with felony abuse, which would have marked him as a sexual predator for the rest of his life.   The Poison of Pornography In addition to the family trauma surrounding the death of the baby, pornography was introduced into the household by neighborhood kids. Barbara believes pornography is the objectification of the human body, which causes a distortion of normal behavior and normal exploration. Her research led her to the understanding that chemical stabilization in the brains of children doesn’t set into its normal state until age 25. She adds that when children view pornography they are stimulated in ways their developing brains shouldn’t be exposed to. She says her son will struggle with not falling back into predatory behaviors for the rest of his life.    A State of Adjudication Her son was not convicted of felony abuse because he was in the range of being rehabilitatable. The judge considered the psychological evaluations, the family’s input, and the intense counseling when he decided to not give Barbara’s son with permanent label. Three different psychologists told the courts that even if the same events happened again it would not trigger him. The recent divorce is cause for concern as it may bring up emotional challenges for both Barbara’s daughter and son. Barbara monitors her son’s behavior for possible red flags and triggers and says “We have more fear of him turning to self-abuse rather than becoming a sexual predator. He is not a predator, he was a little boy looking for comfort after a traumatic situation.”   Barbara’s Healthy Living Business Barbara is a dealer of the SaladMaster products, a 70-year-old company which offers free dinner presentations for those interested in preparing more nutritious and flavorful food for their families. She can be found online at Midwest Healthy Living and she recently opened her own store in her community of Maple Grove, Minnesota. She believes that how people prepare their food is just as important as what they are cooking. The cookware you use can enhance the flavor and nutrition of your food or destroy and detract from it. 99% of the world cooks in cookware that is old and inferior.   You are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either If you found value in this podcast please share it with one other person. You never know who may need to hear it. If you need someone to talk safely and privately with email me at ann@annpeck.com. This email is confidential so you can feel secure in knowing that your truth is safe with me. The more support we all have and can give, the better our community will be. If you just want to connect socially you can join the private Curvyworld Facebook group or on social media @iamannpeck. Reminder - We are planning a big event for September! The new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair with Joy. We will be working on self-love and loving our business from the inside out. There will be a private VIP dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday and the release of my new book. Everybody who attends will go home with a copy. Special early bird pricing is available, so sign up now!

*This is an adult conversation so please be aware of who may be listening with you.   A Special Passage for Lisa “I am worthy. You were born worthy. You don’t have to do anything to make yourself worthy. You are a superhero born into this world and being you is all you need to do. Express yourself and don’t believe the hype that says you need to be anything more than your amazing self. I used to believe I wasn’t deserving of great things but when I began declaring my worth my life changed for the better.”  - from the soon to be best-seller I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to Harnessing SuperPowers   The “I AM” Initiative Even though we live in the same area, the universe wanted Lisa Van Ahn and I to meet in Florida. We both have made it our mission to propagate the “I AM” habits. As a listener of my podcast, you are aware of how I broadcast the message. Lisa chooses to spread the message by empowering 3rd to 8th grade girls with superpowers and the 3 rules of self-defense. She teaches them that the right action is the action you take when you love yourself, you trust who you are, and you trust what you feel.  Lisa often encounters young girls who are bombarded with “this is who you are” and “this is who you need to be” directives. In her workshops and retreats, girls discover they can freely say “No. I know who I am.”   Lisa’s Journey The common thread that is woven through Lisa’s past life is one of feeling unworthy. She succumbed to playing the part of the victim until a final “push” made her reconsider her part in her own life. She says “Your path and your journey begin with what you believe about yourself and that moves into creating your experiences. I truly do believe anything is possible. If you set yourself on the course you want to be on you will get there with the consistent behaviors of self-love, self-care, self-responsibility, and self-compassion. When you bring these things into your life anything is possible.” Lisa loves sharing these experiences because it gives her bright light a chance to shine.    “The truth is, in order to heal, we all need to tell our stories and have them witnessed.” from The Dance of the Dissident Daughter - Sue Monk Kidd Lisa knew she needed to pay forward the kindness she received from the two owners of the kickboxing studio she went to every day after she started living her life with love, forgiveness and gratitude. She made the decision to share, with young girls, the encouragement she so desperately needed when she was young and couldn’t calculate her own value.   So, Lisa is Perfect Now, Right? Even though she adds practices to her life in order to reach a state of mindfulness, Lisa admits she has much farther to go. It’s not like you make one decision and everything is instantly easy. A tendency towards self-sabotage is a fierce dragon which is hard to slay. The ego lives and so do collective expectations of success. Lisa says that when a self-defeating thought takes over, she thinks about things that she loves, things that need to be forgiven and things she is grateful for, so it becomes easier to cope with the trap of “I’ll love myself when”.   The Shadow Dance There is light and dark in all of us. The dark will come and there is no avoiding it. Accepting yourself exactly as you are allows you to release the craving for what you desire. It is the craving of making something last which creates suffering. If you release your desire before the thing you want arrives, you are given the joy of having. No one thing is easy or hard for people to release. It’s based on the individual and for Lisa, it’s her business. She says “it’s a crunchy I can’t get rid of.” Her advice to those of us stuck in our cravings, whether it is to be in a relationship or to find forgiveness for those who may have hurt us is to take a deep breath and then go out and do something today that is going to feel good. It will bring completeness, wholeness, and happiness.   Learn How to Get SuperPowers of Your Own To stay in touch with Lisa and get weekly updates about her new book, her “I AM” initiative and her confidence coaching, enlist at Lisavanahn.com. Her new book I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to Harnessing SuperPowers and accompanying cards will be available very, very soon.   You are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either If you found value in this podcast please share it. If you need someone to talk safely and privately with, email me at ann@annpeck.com. This email is confidential so you can feel secure in knowing that your truth is safe with me. The more support we all have and can give, the better our community will be. If you just want to connect socially you can join the private Curvyworld Facebook group or on social media @iamannpeck. Reminder - We are planning a big event for September! The new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair with Joy. We will be working on self-love and loving our business from the inside out. There will be a private VIP dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday and the release of my new book. Everybody who attends will go home with a copy. Special early bird pricing is available, so sign up now!  

My guest, Theresa Vigarino is a transformational certified life coach, a spiritual teacher, author and professional speaker. Theresa’s work includes changing thought patterns through neuroscience. She is truly the epitome of joy, as you can hear by our conversation today. Her coaching programs are designed to assist women who are ready to live life to the fullest. She says “Just because life has been a certain way in the past doesn’t mean it has to be that way in the future.” When I met Theresa at Tropical Think Tank in the Philippines, 2016, I knew we were kindred spirits right from the start. We were like magnets drawn to each other. I meet the most amazing people at these events.   Repeating the Same Disappointing Cycles Our subconscious mind is powerful. It is responsible for 80% of our daily decisions and behaviors. She says that if you really want to make a long lasting change or to transform a behavior you must hit it from every direction. The brain is diligent about keeping us stuck in patterns because old patterns are considered safe to this part of the brain. People do things over and over again because we have loops in our unconscious minds. Familiarity is safe. Our mind can trick us but its sole purpose is to keep us safe. Theresa describes it as our subconscious mind being an outdated computer system and sometimes needing an upgrade. When we transform, we break through the firewall and update our core system. Failed past relationships are not your conscious mind’s fault. During the initial stages of dating, our subconscious minds are looking for reference points in our past experiences. It’s rummaging through old files and movies and expects this situation to be like the last. It’s a massive projection. Sometimes we manifest our past again because we know we can handle that type of situation. We did it once, we can do it again. And then sometimes, we sabotage a relationship because we recognize certain triggers and because we don’t want to live through something again.   How Can Women Grow Into Their Spirituality? Women should spend some time alone because women are prone to losing their identities in relationships. There is a difference in younger generations. They are a bit savvier but there is still a noticeable change during the start of relationships. It may be a natural way of being, but we are able to adjust. We should trust our internal compass, our guidance system that says “Hey wait a minute my spirituality is important to me and I’m not going to give it up for anybody”. It’s important for us to remember we are examples to our family members, to people we meet, and to everyone around us. Spirituality often means different things to different people. Good places to start your spiritual journey are by reading A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson and A Course in Miracles by Dr. Helen Schucman. If our souls are in alignment, we are better prepared for entering relationships.    How do we overcome our past beliefs which no longer serve us? Trust issues can be overcome but it’s a real challenge to quiet the voice of fear. We need to understand there is a battle going on between our intuition and our mind patterns. When past triggers are pounding our conscious minds with thoughts and ideas which make us feel insecure, we have to choose new beliefs. There are exercises which deliberately create new brain patterns. You need to establish new patterns because if not you will revert back. Step out of the emotional response and observe your thoughts. Both men and women go through the same experience of our conscious mind, relying on the filing system which is our subconscious mind to tell us how to act or respond. There are techniques which allow us to access our filing system. We can change, distort, add new and even delete these files. If you are an imaginative person you can create new files. If you do it in HD, you can implant memories in your brain and the brain cannot tell the difference.   Communication is the Key to Everything There is something about loving another. Sharing love with another human being is a profound experience. We humans are vessels of love for the divine. The best gauge for your own development is in relation to someone else. Relationships cause us to grow. Acknowledging our vulnerability, being open and practicing trust allow our relationships to grow deeper. A great relationship resource is the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It’s about open loving communication.   But What About When a Storm Hits? Some of us, through no fault of our own, grow up in violence along with verbal and physical abuse. Unless we make a shift, those traumatic experiences will enter our adult lives and possibly the lives of our children. In Theresa’s case, she attracted abuse to her, but her faith in God and her dedication to working through the situation got her to where she is today.  She reminds us that the great sages of the world celebrate the hard times because it is through the storms that we find understanding.   You are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either If you know of someone who needs to hear this podcast please share it. If you need someone to talk safely and privately with, email me at ann@annpeck.com. No one else has access to this account. The more support we all have and can give, the better our community will be. If you just want to connect socially you can join the private Curvyworld Facebook group. Big Announcement - We are planning a big event for September! The new Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live - An Affair with Joy. We will be working on self-love and loving our business from the inside out. There will be a private VIP dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday and the release of my new book. And, everybody who attends will go home with a copy. There is special early bird pricing right now, so sign up now.

*This is an adult conversation feel free to share but only after listening to it first, please.   You Have Got to Be Kidney’n Me Katrina Clayton has had a variety of different jobs, and while it seems natural for a native Southern Californian to have actress and waitress listed on her bio, she also has some ‘not so common’ positions like working for Mattel as the Honorary Brunette, Glitter Beach Barbie and Organ Model for an ultrasound company. Her job as a kidney model was the easiest and best-paying job she has had to date. Though she has great veins, she’s not vain.  Katrina is currently the co-host of Bouncing Back Radio, a podcast she does with her partner Bonnie and describes as an eclectic mix of healthy living and being mindful without holding anything back. Her favorite episode is The Power to Forgive and Reconcile. Forgiveness is a process that goes much deeper than many people think.   Carrying the Secret Becomes Destructive The story Katrina shares with us today isn’t a story she has told anyone outside of her group of trusted friends. She has agreed to talk about it with us because she believes this platform is something she would have benefited from as she was going through her journey of living with molestation. When she was a child Katrina spent a lot of time at her Grandmother’s house. This time was marred by the fact that her uncle had been molesting her since as far back as she can remember. In order to protect her from the pain, her brain blocked the molestation from her consciousness until frightening flashbacks started surfacing at the age of 12 or 13. As she started to remember the trauma, she was continually sorrowful and would spend her school lunches crying in her mother’s arms. When she finally confided in one of her best friends she started an emotional ball rolling, which could not be stopped. Her friend told her mother, her mother then told her mentally ill father who already knew, but you must listen to Katrina tell her own story in the podcast.    Betrayal Katrina realizes now that there is no handbook for a mother dealing with this type of situation but her mother’s reaction at the time - “you should have told me” - felt sneaky and condemning to a teenager who was trying to deal with this at the tender age of 15.  Eventually, a social worker was brought in. There was a lot of hurt.   It Haunted Me for a Long Time “I let the molestation own me for a very long time. It haunted me and it followed me into relationships. Like a ghost that was always there.” Katrina says. Even though she carried the weight, Katrina never wanted a pity party. She never wanted people to think of her as “that poor girl”. She chose toxic people to have relationships with and felt unworthy and unprotected because of the low self-esteem brought on by the traumatic experience.   The Big Revelation Katrina realized that everyone is broken and damaged in some way and that she was needlessly isolating herself. At 30, after countless therapists tried to help her to let go, the answer she needed finally came from within her. She chose to regain her life. She says she still mourns for her lost innocence but she is able to box up that period of her life and only open it up when SHE needs to revisit it. Her advice to women who are feeling lonely or depressed is “Don’t isolate yourself, just get your bootay out the door”. Try the Meetup app for your phone and if you are in California get in touch with Girls with Goals. She says “No matter what has gone on in your life you are going to be OK. It may not feel like it right now but you will be OK.”   You are Not the Only One and You Are Not Crazy Either Molestation is rampant with both males and females. It is an incurable mental sickness. If you know of someone who needs to hear this podcast, please share it. If you need to talk to someone safely and privately, email me at ann@annpeck.com. No one else has access to this account. The more support we all have and can give the better our community will be. If you just want to connect socially you can join the private Curvyworld Facebook group.

Lowry Olafson is a multi-faceted human being. He is a songwriter, a performer, a husband, a lover, a father, a friend, an inspiration and a professional speaker who incorporates his music into his keynotes. During today’s podcast, he shares his music, his message, and his secrets.   His Songs and Their Stories Lowry uses songs to connect with others. All of his 9 albums have a different theme which represents the feelings he was having during those periods of his life. He says a songwriter uses a powerful melody to reach a deeper place in people. If Not You Then Who? - This very personal song was written with his friend John Cowell. John and Lowry started writing this song shortly before John died of cancer. Lowry performed this song at John’s Celebration of Life. It stands as a legacy to John’s life. The title came from Lowry’s wife’s high school teacher. Bread & Honey - From the album titled Days that Disappear Too Soon, Lowry wrote this song for his mother who died when he was 13. It was such a shock that he disconnected his heart and put her death out of his mind until he was 25, at a therapy session. He says his mother channeled this piano song to him and when he plays them for an audience it reconnects him to his emotions.  Borderland - This song came to Lowry in a dream while he was sleeping in a cheap motel room. Most of the song wrote itself and then as he was leaving town, he passed a sign that read “You are now leaving the borderlands” and it completed the song perfectly. One of his favorite lines is in this song, which is “My head's so full of dreams I could not hear my heart”. Three Quarter Time - This song was inspired by Lowry’s daughter. He was in a particularly morose mood when she innocently asked him to skip with her. He reluctantly joined in and the act of skipping transformed his mood instantly. Blanket in the Cold - This is Lowry’s favorite song that he has ever written. It is from his Back Again album. During a campfire song circle at Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, every time it came around and was Lowry’s turn to play another song he decided to play this one over and over.  His album Solid Ground was influenced by him becoming a father.   Is There Really Safety in Silence? Lowry shares one of his truths in this episode. He shares his truth because he knows other people may be going through the same thing. And, hearing someone else’s truth may help them to deal with unnecessary feelings of shame. Lowry first knew he was attracted to guys in high school but because of where he grew up, in Canada, he kept this information to himself and never told anybody. He wasn’t comfortable hiding the fact that he was clearly attracted to men and women and it made him feel like he was rejecting part of who he is. But a bisexual is not who Lowry is, Lowry is a warm-hearted, creative human being who just happens to be bisexual. To find out more about Lowry’s full body of work and an opportunity to join one of his workshops you can find him here at LowryOlafson.com

A Special Passage for Karen “My life is not perfect, nor is it close to being perfect. I am not perfect. I am, in fact, a bundle of imperfections. I wish - sometimes I wish with all my heart - that I could correct these imperfections; that I knew what causes my behaviors, what sets up my downfalls, what keeps getting in my way. That’s why I’ve come to You, I guess. I haven’t been able to find the answers on my own. I am glad you came. I have always been here to help you. I am here now. You don’t have to find the answers on your own. You never had to.”  - From Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch   A Prozac Induced Mania  Most of us believe medicines will heal our illnesses. We do not expect a drug to exacerbate our problems, so when one actually does, it’s difficult to know that it is at the root of the problem. Karen Gray shares how Prozac caused a mania which led her down the dark hallways of depression, suicidal thoughts and the disintegration of her marriage to a good man. She says “depression is more than being down. Depression is when your brain gets really messed up.”   Everything was Perfect Until It Wasn’t Karen’s manic side bubbled up and everything seemed perfect. She and her husband were able to quit marriage counseling and her life had never been better. A short while later her scale tipped the opposite direction. Her husband tricked her into moving out of their house under the guise of helping her to heal. In what felt like an instant, he shattered the framework of her life. To their credit, both Karen and her husband continued to keep their daughter’s well-being a priority.   The Value of Continuing on with This Life Despair led Karen to a distorted suicidal place. She had thoughts of how it might benefit her daughter to know that life is hard. She also considered it might be better for her to grow up without a mother than to grow up with a crazy one. It wasn’t until Karen spoke with a deceased woman’s older daughter at a funeral that she thought there is no point when a daughter has had enough time with her mother.   Remembering the Muse Karen’s spiritual practice is really important to her. When she considers the way of God in the world, she feels at home and safe. Karen recommends Harriet Emilie Cady’s Lessons in Truth and Emmet Fox’s books.   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

*Consider who may be listening with you this episode contains fun stuff that only adults should hear.   A Special Passage for Monica From The Call - Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper. Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency, but it always says, “Wake up my love. You are walking asleep, there’s no safety in that.”   Now Where Did I Put That? Aging can be fun if we think about it as a never-ending game of hide-and-seek. The physical aspects of getting older are easier for us to deal with, than the mental and emotional changes taking place within our bodies. We understand a tire with a nail in it isn’t fit to be on the road, but if the same tire just doesn’t feel like going out for a Sunday drive because it may or may not feel flat, we have a hard time accepting that. And it’s not just us. There is a lot of judgement going on between people who see another person being emotional as a weakness. Most of us can remember a time when we have commented negatively about a person who allows their mental state to overwhelm them and take over their life. We may be sorry we said it later, but we have already passed judgement.   Our Ever Changing Hormones If having a five o’clock shadow wasn’t enough, we get to read our prescription bottle for our female dryness medication with our “readers” - If you don’t know, it’s the cool new way to say bifocals. And older sisters, if you are lucky enough to have one, were given to us as gifts from God as town criers to alert us of our next genetic mutation. Realizing that science and chemistry are behind what we are feeling is a great tool for reconnecting with ourselves and to finding balance in our lives by way of proper nutrition. If we fail to pay attention to our bodies, like Monica did, we may find ourselves gasping for breath, thinking today might be our last day. We, women, have the propensity to suffer silently.   It’s Best to Switch to Vodka now Monica shares her darkness, her light and her compassion in today’s call. We also ponder these questions...Does a glass of red wine trigger hot flashes during the night? Are meditations and exercise black magic for curing memory lapses? Monica Tarr of Loveyourcustomers.com, it is our pleasure to engage in this very public, private conversation with you. If any of you listening are interested in building customer or employee loyalty in your business, Monica has a just the program to get you there.   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

A Special Passage “To discover who she is, a woman must descend into her own depths. She must leave the safe role of remaining a faithful daughter of the collectives around her and descend to her individual feeling values. It will be her task to experience her pain. The pain of her own unique feeling values calling to her, pressing to emerge. To discover who she is, a woman must trust the places of darkness where she can meet her own deepest nature and give it voice. Weaving threads of her life into a fabric to be named and given. Sharing it with the women around her as she comes to a true and certain sense of herself.” - from Circle of Stones: Woman’s Journey to Herself by Judith Duerk   About Cas My guest today, Cas McCullough is an author, a small business owner twice over, a podcaster, a mother thrice over and is a person with undiagnosed Asperger’s. I met Caz in the Philippines at Chris Ducker’s Tropical Think Tank. Cas shares that her personal growth has been amazing this year and offers up this advice, saying “We are all human beings and we all struggle. Don’t get in your own way.”   But It Wasn’t the End of the World As part of Cas’s religious upbringing, she attended a religious college. She accompanied other intensely creative students and a professor on an archeological dig in Israel. Everything was going well. She met distant cousins and traveled around but then she had an altercation with another female student. She was hotheaded and walked off without anyone knowing where she was going. When she returned to the bus, the Professor attacked her with words as he reacted to the situation in an unprofessional and downright rude manner. He wanted to send her home. This situation tugged at Cas for years as his destructive, hurtful response to her seemingly innocent trek played over in her mind. Her entire approach to people changed after that day.   Anxiety, There’s an App for That Ok, so it’s cliché but women DO get a little wacky when they exhibit their God given right to menses. Beyond that, there is this pesky little thing called anxiety which makes us worry about screwing up or saying the wrong things, even if it is all in our heads.  A Kahuna massage can be magic, no matter who administers the medicine. It allows you to get out of your brain much like doing the dishes does. Repetitive actions reduce anxiety levels and release oxytocin a hormone that can be shared by others around you once it is released into the atmosphere. As women, we tend to be uncomfortable when we are observed, exposed or placed in a vulnerable situation. Cas recognizes this from her work as a supporter of women who are in labor. Women who are dealing with an exorbitant amount of pain don’t need to be disturbed, yet doctors walk in and out of patient rooms unannounced when what the expectant mothers really need is someone to be quiet and hold their hand. We are so out of tune with our primal brains we forget to take a step back and consider what is really happening here.   Cas’s Brilliant Un-Career Cas has an abundance of resources aimed at making you as brilliant as you can be. Her content marketing website, CasMcCullough.com, helps connect you to your audience through powerful content. Her Your Brilliant Un-Career site and podcast offers up insightful blog posts and the revealing 31 days to Biztopia Challenge where she focuses on small, meaningful changes you can make each day, for 31 days. Keep in contact with her important stuff on her Your Brilliant Un-career Facebook page. She is the author of Your Brilliant Un-Career: Women, Entrepreneurship and Making the Leap and 31 Days to Mumatopia, which will be released in late 2016.   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

*This conversation may include opinions of family law but it should not be considered legal advice.    Special Passages      “Happiness comes more from loving than being loved, and often when our affection seems wounded it is only our vanity bleeding. To love, and to be hurt often, and to love again — this is the brave and happy life.” - by J.E. Buckrose    “Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.” - from The Fear of Flying by Erica Jong   Crossing Relationship Borders    Kim Bell has crossed many borders in her life. She is an Australian who is married to an American she met while in the Philippines and who currently lives in Canada. Both of her husbands, previous and current, had children before she married them. She doesn’t have any offspring. This in combination with her being a Senior Attorney gives her a unique perspective when discussing love, marriage, divorce, the law and more love.   There is a history and a dynamic that exists between a parent and a child, which affects a parent’s new relationship with someone else. Four months after Kim started dating PJ, she made it clear to his daughter that she didn’t intend to take the place of her mother but she would be there for her whenever she needed to talk and she also made it clear to the mother that she would never try to replace her. This allowed for a free and open relationship to grow amongst them all.   The Good Thing about Getting Older   It takes time for women to figure out who they are, what is important to them and most importantly what they decide they will no longer accept in their lives. Once we are well into our 40’s we know ourselves better and we are finally settling into being happy with who we are. In Kim’s own words, “It’s beneficial to learn lessons the hard way because that way we don’t have to learn the same lesson twice” and “This is another precious day in your life you will never get back again. Love yourself and love the people around you. Life is a gift.”   It’s important to take time between relationships to figure things out. If you spend some time alone to get the rest of your life in order, it really helps you to love someone because you love them not because you need them.   It’s Called Legalese But Ain’t Legal Easy   Want to know what’s a hard thing to do? Talking with your fiancé about individual assets before you even get married, but it needs to be done. It needs to be out in the open a few months before you tie the knot. It doesn’t have to be a prenuptial agreement but you should at least have a will in place in case of an emergency. Wills are described as living documents because they can be changed when life changes. Legal documents offer protection for spouses and children alike. Dividing up assets does not have to be confrontational.      Money should be the last reason you stay in a marriage you are not happy in. It’s a recipe for being miserable.    I met Kim in the Philippines at Chris Ducker’s Tropical Think Tank. We met fellow creatives and lifelong friends there.   Work Directly with Me   If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits”, simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

*This conversation includes adult language so be aware of who might be listening in with you.   A Special Passage for Nicole    Art is a spiritual transaction. Artists are visionaries. We routinely practice a form of faith, seeing clearly and moving toward a creative goal that shimmers in the distance – often visible to us, but invisible to those around us. Difficult as it is to remember, it is our work that creates the market, not the market that creates our work. Art is an act of faith, and we practice practicing it. Sometimes we are called on pilgrimages on its behalf and like many pilgrims, we doubt the call even as we answer it but answer it we do. - From the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron    Finding Enlightenment from a Bad Experience Nicole had the unfortunate experience of having her car windows busted out by vandals while she was in San Francisco. She had to drive on the expressway to her art therapy classes for students with autism and Alzheimer’s. As the wind ripped through the car, she found herself angry and disappointed with humanity. Then as the sun was setting during golden hour, she noticed the broken glass sparkling in the back seat of her car. She felt driven to make the glass whole again so she created art with it, spirit art.      Compassion is Not Always There When You Need It Nicole met Mark, the Musician, in Miami. He plugged her in and sparked her creativity. She joined him in Los Angeles and started sharing his fast-paced life. Nicole loved the vibe in LA, she felt valued for her artistry and innovation. They spent four creatively productive years together. Then in an instant, Mark passed away. He was only 39 years old. Nicole felt anguish, guilt, depression and anger before going through the entire cycle of grief as her life suddenly changed. She felt shunned by Mark’s family and mutual friends started falling away. She believes that people fall away because they don’t know what to do and when they see you, you remind them of what they have lost. When his family started coming to the house to collect Mark’s things, Nicole experienced the ugly side of loss. Everything she did became a sad event. Then she met Terri. Terri had recently lost her boyfriend and she was experiencing her own grief. Nicole and Terri validated each other’s pain and eventually became soul sisters.      The Epic Wellness Academy In addition to Nicole’s fabulous website, Nicole Keating Art and her The Art of Epic Wellness Podcast, Nicole is designing The Epic Wellness Academy, which is for entrepreneurs who want to create sustainable business habits and rituals along with a vibrant life. The Epic Wellness Academy includes rich experiences which are enhanced with group coaching and facilitated learning. Use the code #CurvyWorld to get a special rate.    I met Nicole in the Philippines at Chris Ducker’s Tropical Think Tank. We met fellow creatives and lifelong friends there.   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits”, simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

This episode gets raw and honest, so be aware of who might be listening in with you.   A Special Quote for Jennifer    “Don't lament so much about how your career is going to turn out. You don't have a career. You have a life. Do the work. Keep the faith. Be true blue. You are a writer because you write. Keep writing and quit your bitching. Your book has a birthday. You don't know what it is yet.” - From Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed   Running Away from a Bad Country Song In 2013, Jennifer Buchholz wanted to get numb. Her relationship of 10-years was ending, she was caring for her sick father, two of her cats died and she had just turned 40. She, like most of us, thought running away would make her problems disappear. Even though she felt guilty about planning her trip while her father was bedridden, she realized she really could just pick up and take off on her own. She was now single. She didn’t have any children and she could work remotely. So she called a travel agent with her two prerequisites, warm and all-inclusive.   An Unlikely Pick-me-Up Jamaica was fun but during her flight home, Jennifer was confronted by the thought of returning to an empty house. She was embarrassed to find someone staring at her while her uncontrollable tears were thinning the cheese sauce of her airport nachos. The scruffy man asked her if there was something he could help her with and she tenderly replied to him “Can you make me laugh?”   Making Choices In 2014, Jennifer felt lucky to be chosen for a study abroad program in New Zealand. She used her time alone to read books on how to process grief and ponder about what her future might look like. She wrote down what she was feeling and the writing helped her to get unstuck. She found that writing cleared her mind and gave her a freedom she desperately needed.      Feeling Like a Fraud Transitioning from being a “rules girl” to an entrepreneur didn’t feel natural to Jennifer. She found the path of the entrepreneur scary, messy and unclear. She was faced with trying to define who she was and who she wasn’t (I Am Habits #1). Still, she kept writing with the intention of sharing her experiences with others.    Women Aren’t Supposed To Jennifer’s physical needs didn’t subside just because she was no longer in a relationship. She found herself wanting sex with a variety of people in a variety of ways. She didn’t know what sex was supposed to be like after 40 or what it took to release her own pleasure. She DID know she wanted men to want her and her body. She craved validation and she found it through sexual encounters. She was able to let go of her body image insecurities, to let go and enjoy.   Go Solo! A Savvy Woman’s Guide to Transformation and Self-Discovery Through Travel Jennifer’s new book is available now, so grab a copy. If you are interested in self-discovery solo travel, following your passions and living a life with purpose, then Jennifer’s life coach sessions may be just what you need. Contact Jennifer via her Transform via Travel website or find out more about her from her LinkedIn profile.   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com and share with me the impact you have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.

This episode contains inspiration and proof of how we can all get to our fulfilled place. Believing we are not destined to live the script someone else wrote for us, is empowering.   A Special Quote for Cathy    When the pressure is on and you are all alone take a little ride into the Danger Zone. When the moon is up and the skies are clear just show me a sign and we’ll be outta here. Take me up on a wing and a prayer if you need a friend you know I’ll be there. Your time has come, you can stand or you can run but don’t keep it all inside ‘cause you gotta understand that there ain’t no second chance. No one gets out of here alive only the strong survive. - “Only the Strong Survive” by Bryan Adams   Goodbye Old Life, I Am Going on an Adventure Cathy Plotnick mistakenly got married instead of pursuing something she wanted to pursue. She always thought she would go to Japan to teach English but then she found herself married to the wrong guy. It turns out he had anger issues and Cathy was compelled to secretly open a private bank account, and then to make her escape. She quit her sheltered government job and rented a storage unit for her belongings. She left very shortly after for Korea where, without intending to, she lived for four years and where she met her husband in an expat watering hole.   Jewelry, Candles and Tea Although Cathy wanted to work, she couldn’t legally do so until after she received her US green card because she is a Canadian. It was only after a move to Minnesota that she started looking at direct selling opportunities. It started with a jewelry party invitation and then she found her next career experiment in selling candles and then finally she fell in love with selling tea - not just any tea, Steeped Tea.    Surround Yourself with People who are Supportive To move past the script her family had written for her when she was younger, she needed to bring positive people into her life. She joined the Polka Dot Powerhouse Community, an all-female business networking sisterhood. She enlisted a coach to help her recognize her inherent qualities and to push her beyond her pre-existing business knowledge. One important thing she uncovered was that it pays to pay attention to the numbers.   As Soon as I Learned I was #2, I Wanted to Become #1 When Cathy started achieving sales and accolades she thought “What can I accomplish if I were to work intentionally towards a goal?” She was doing so well that the Founder of Steeped Tea brought her on stage to announce that she was #2 in the US in sales and recruitment. Cathy immediately went after the #1 position, which she attained; and she has since become a Senior Group Leader in the organization. Cathy believes negativity is poison and having positive people in your life is the key to obtaining your dreams.   A Shout Out to Ken Cathy’s father, Ken wore a giant belt buckle with his name on it and for that we salute him!   Work Directly with Me If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.   Polka Dot What? Check out Straight Talk for a Curvy World Episode #7 for an amazing conversation with Shannon Crotty the Founder of Polka Dot Powerhouse, a “women’s only” connection company.

A Special Quote for Theresa Boundaries emerge from deep within. They are connected to letting go of guilt and shame, and to changing our beliefs about what we deserve. As our thinking about this becomes clearer, so will our boundaries. Boundaries are also connected to a Higher Timing than our own. We’ll set a limit when we’re ready, and not a moment before. So will others. There’s something magical about reaching that point of becoming ready to set a limit. We know we mean what we say; others take us seriously too. Things change, not because we’re controlling others, but because we’ve changed. - From Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go   The People Pleasing Human Pretzel Is the admiration that accompanies mothering everybody in our lives, worth the giant gaping void we get from not taking care of ourselves? More than likely not, but many women don’t seem to change their sacrificial behavior until they feel like they have lost themselves or some even take it to the edge of dying inside. They twist and bend like a pretzel to make everyone else happy, simply because they are able to. So, how do we step out of codependency and save ourselves? By reprogramming ourselves to follow the IAMHABIT #2: having compassion for ourselves first and then sharing ourselves with others.    Newly Single but Not Ready to Mingle Theresa Nutt was divorced for 7 years before she considered dating again. She used the time to rediscover herself while working with coaches and counselors. She figured out who she was, as an adult. She praises the book, Solemate by Lauren Mackler, which she says gave her guidance and confidence as she transitioned and transformed. When she was finally ready to meet men again, she turned to an internet dating site.   Do Women Really Respond to This? Online dating can be overwhelming for the new female user. As soon as she posts her profile, hundreds of responses from “supposedly” eligible bachelors appear in her inbox. It can take days to sort through the half-dressed or sometimes full-frontal photos. Messages with subjects like “How do you feel about friends with benefits?” and “I feel like an axe murdered today” could be comical if they weren’t such a waste of time. As you know, a woman looking for a life partner is serious business.   Things are Not Always What They Seem Researching someone on the internet seems easy enough but it’s difficult to verify anything. It’s extremely important for women to know who they are dealing with when they communicate using an online dating site. If a recent contact tells you he is going golfing with the guys or a new connection tells you he is a soldier in Syria, you have to believe him or the conversation ends. Police say women are generally trusting of other people and, therefore, must be extra cautious. If you are wondering why the police got involved, listen to Theresa share her very personal story of being deceived online by a man for months to the point of being overwhelmed with all he was asking of her. She opens up about how he tricked her into falling for him and into sending him money.   Thanks to A big Curvy World thank you to Theresa Nutt. It took courage to share your story with us. You just might save another woman from wasted time and disappointment. Listeners, if you would like to know more about Theresa and her coaching services, visit her website Closeted Creatives. If you are in the midst of an online relationship and it is starting to make you uncomfortable or you notice a red flag you can contact Scamwarners to see if your prospective mate is a prospective fake.    Share Your Thoughts If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group and you have direct, private access through my email: ann@annpeck.com and be sure to check out my website, Annpeck.com. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits”, simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk – I love collecting the stories.

This is a special solo episode, which is being released on the one year anniversary of my father’s death. The focus of this episode is the inspirational messages my father passed on to me. I am passing these to you as a gift, so that we may all bask in his guidance and love.   Special Messages from my Dad  “Daughter you amaze me. Although I have known you since before you were born, somehow you still continue to amaze me. I’ve watched you go through change after change and I’ve seen you navigate through some pretty rough times with your heart as a compass and your strong spirit to carry you through. Simply put, I couldn’t be prouder of you. You’ve grown from an adorable girl into a most remarkable woman. A woman I admire, love and respect more every day. When I held you as a baby I knew that you were special. When I see you as a woman, I realize just how special, more so than I ever could have imagined.” “My wish for you is to have pride in yourself for all the wonderful things you have accomplished, for all the goals you’ve met, perseverance to test your limits one day, one challenge at a time, courage to live your truth and honor the amazing person you continue to become and time to make a life so full of joy, it’s overflowing.”   More Dreams to Realize Every day I attempt to see myself the way my father saw me. I am learning to love myself and live with joy. I no longer hide my tender parts and will soon embark on my second big life journey halfway around the world. I will probably start dating again. I look forward to making all the necessary mistakes and ‘faux pas’ needed to horrify and delight my chosen male companions. Wish me luck!   Work Directly with Me I am accepting new coaching clients through the first week of April. If you would like to work directly with me visit my website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at ann@annpeck.com. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits” simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. Let me know how you found out about Straight Talk, I love collecting the stories.   Catch up on What You May Have Missed New to Straight Talk for a Curvy World and want to get caught up? Try listening to episodes #3, #4 and #20 to hear the stuff we talk about that you probably won’t hear anywhere else.

A Special Quote for Bob (from Bob) O Birther! Father- Mother of the Cosmos Focus your light within us - make it useful. Create your reign of unity now- through our fiery hearts and willing hands Help us love beyond our ideals and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures. Animate the earth within us: we then feel the Wisdom underneath supporting all. Untangle the knots within so that we can mend our hearts' simple ties to each other. Don't let surface things delude us, But free us from what holds us back from our true purpose. Out of you, the astonishing fire, Returning light and sound to the cosmos.       Amen.   Sharing Secrets for the First Time Meetings are not by chance. My meeting with Bob Wakitsch was not by chance, it was in fact paid for in advance. We met at the Wizard Academy, a course run by the Wizard of Ads, Roy Williams in Austin, Texas. A small group of eleven of us was asked to share stories with each other. Most of us were sharing things which had never been shared before. The Wizard Academy left a long lasting impact on us, and both Bob and I are now major donors to the organization.   The Devil is in the Details Bob felt free enough in the small group to share his gift, the gift of seeing colors. The first thought for most of us was “oh, you see auras” or “so, you see the colors of the chakras”; but Bob went on to explain what he sees is the color of the individual’s energy flow. When he was a child he had assumed everyone could see the colors. When he made mention of it to family and friends they thought it was a game he was playing. Until one day when he was 8 years old, a nun who taught at the school he attended had drastically changed color overnight. The staunch lady had gone from a frightful red to blue. Bob asked the Sister what had happened to make her color change. The nun made Bob explain in detail what he meant by this comment. After hearing his unbelievable claim she cursed him with the words “You are the Devil and you are going straight to hell!” His mother was waiting for him at the door when he arrived home, gave him a distressed look and said; “Why can’t you just act normal?” Bob started the process of ignoring his colors and they didn’t resurface for decades until when he visited a Sufi healer in Chicago. He now identifies four different main colors along with the colors’ shadows, which signify the person’s soul path.    Ann’s Soul Path I am on the green path of mercy, says Bob. I may lean into the shadows from time to time, but I will stay on my path forever. This podcast is an extension of my soul’s need to show compassion for others. During one of our communications, Bob received an image from my source energy. He saw me as a campfire and he equates it to my Straight Talk for a Curvy World venture. The warm healing energy of the fire is serving those who share my circle. The power of the group provides protection from wild animals that may wish to invade our space.    Embracing Who We Are After spending 25 years in self-development, Bob came to the realization that humans don’t need to improve themselves. They simply need to be who they are. When we are being who we truly are, happiness is automatically a part of our lives. Trying to become somebody “better” only leads us astray from our true purpose. He has written an e-book titled “The Mysterious Truths of Limiting Beliefs”.    Thanks to A big colorful thank you to Bob Wakitsch for joining us today and for sharing his gift. He would like to share his gift with all of you. Simply send an email to bobwakitsch@comcast.net and in the subject line add Curvyworld so Bob knows to send you a free copy of his chapter of Joe Vitale’s book “The Midas Touch”. And be sure to visit his website VisibleLOA and sign up for his newsletter. Thanks also to Roy Williams, the marketing expert behind The Wizard Academy.    Share Your Thoughts If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group and you have direct access through my email: ann@annpeck.com and be sure to check out my website, Annpeck.com. If you would like a copy of my “I Am Habits”, simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222.

A Special Quote for Rick “Embody what you teach and teach only what you have embodied.” - The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman   Acknowledging the Truth Rick Clemons had the guts to tell his parents he was gay while he was in his teens. Whether due to a lack of understanding or social pressures, they did not accept his message and sent him to religious counseling. He was imprinted with the idea that he didn’t understand himself. By the time Rick was 38 he was married to a woman and had children. A trip to London opened him up to the insight that he is able to love a man. The connection felt wonderful at the time but when he arrived home he knew he had to come out to his wife. The burdening guilt and shame of being a cheat was multiplied by the fact that, deep inside, he had always known he was gay. But he had never accepted this understanding from a loving place.   Searching for Acceptance Coming out was bittersweet for Rick. He came out fighting. He tried very hard to get people to accept him, even though he had not completely accepted himself. He wanted them to accept him when he wanted them to, not giving them time to deal with the loss of who they thought he was. He hadn’t realized a grieving period was necessary. Everyone, including himself, needed to go through the 5 stages of grief, as if someone had died. He says, “I don’t want them to celebrate that I found myself but I am inviting them to find a way for me to be in their life as I am now.”   Starting to Shift Three years later, Rick started a relationship with a man who would become his husband. Relationship troubles were creeping in again because he was still making the same mistakes. He was still hiding his true self. Once he started owning his part in the relationship and being true to himself, others responded by being their true selves towards him. Opening up allowed him to get what he wanted.    Working with Others Who are Coming Out He now counsels others who have yet to fully accept themselves. He works hard to not force his perspective on anyone else because that opens the door for them to force their perspective on him. He believes truths should be told. If others want to throw daggers, it is because something in them needs to be healed. In his book he shares his experiences with the hopes that people will take what they need from it and learn to embrace who they are.  Thanks to Thanks to Rick who took time out from working on his podcast, The Coming Out Lounge, to share with us today about his very personal experiences. His new book “Frankly my Dear I’m Gay” is now available electronically and in paperback.    Share Your Thoughts If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas with me, you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and @iamannpeck. On Facebook you can join the private Curvyworld group and you have direct access through my email: ann@annpeck.com. Also, be sure to check out my website. If you would like a copy of my ‘I Am Habits’: simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222.

A Special Quote from Dr. Theo Start with the simplest thing which is a respect, an appreciation, and love for yourself. Start with that.   Worry Holds Us Back When it comes to sex, people generally worry about everything from being comfortable in our bodies to how many partners we have had. We self-impose shame and disgust on ourselves and lack self-confidence from a young age. Wouldn’t it be nice to put aside our worry and be able to enjoy sex with our partners – much like one of Dr. Theo’s favorite clients does? She is 70 years old and has decided to give up dancing for the sake of her health, but refuses to give up sex. It’s a welcomed reminder that life doesn’t have to end when we get older. It really is about our mindset and what we want our lives to be.   Loving Ourselves No matter how much others give us love, we will never have enough if we don’t love ourselves first. We may have a hard time accepting love from others, because we may not feel we deserve it. We find ourselves craving love and becoming ‘love junkies’. It truly is an everyday battle until we can achieve respect and appreciation for ourselves. If the environment you are in doesn’t foster love and growth, change your environment.   Dreams Often, we do not take the time to look around and become aware that we’re living our dream life. What aspects of your life are exactly what you desire them to be? Dr. Theo was working a cool job as a Professor at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He had a great apartment and a relationship with the right partner for him, at the time. He found himself complaining one day about a small thing because he had not taken the time to stop, look around and realize that his previous life dreams were now his reality. Dreams are building blocks for thoughts and thoughts are building blocks for actions. Use visualization to reconcile your reality with your dream. Daydreaming is also helpful as it gives you the freedom to consistently explore your wants and to manifest your dreams. It may be time to put your dream to sleep, if it no longer inspires you towards action. Dr. Theo wants people to fulfill their dreams, which is why he wrote The Brain Blocks: Overcoming the 7 Hidden Barriers to Success. He shares on how to keep the inspiration alive without giving into the impulse. If you would like to learn more about him and his practice, visit his website Dr. Theo. Also, be sure to check out last week’s podcast to hear the first part of our conversation.   What is Your Dream? If you would like to share your dream with me, you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and @IamAnnPeck. On Facebook, you can join the private Curvyworld group and you also have direct access through my email: ann@annpeck.com. March 3rd is a memorable, personal growth milestone date for me. Now it can be the same for you. I am opening up coaching sessions for the entire month of March for those of you who are receptive and ready to make a positive change in your life. I want to help you achieve your dreams. It’s always easiest if you have someone holding your hand. To learn more, please visit my website AnnPeck.com or email me at ann@annpeck.com. And, if you would like a copy of my ‘I Am Habits’, simply text Iamhabits (all one word) to 44222. I look forward to hearing from you.

A Special Passage for Dr. Theo From Brain Blocks: Overcoming the 7 Hidden Barriers to Success - “There is nothing more miserable than constantly living in fear. Challenges are perceived as threats. At the slightest deviation from the safe and familiar, alarms go off and hair stands on end. The space outside the comfort zone feels like a minefield. Fear keeps you confined in the cage of security.”   Understanding Fear We are all born with fear. It’s a complex but natural occurrence in the human existence. Fear alerts us toward risk. Fear tells us to stop what we are doing and to be scared. If we listen to the fear, it will go away; but then the opportunity for growth goes away also. We can stay confined or we can choose to overcome fear and push forward.   Pushing Forward to Realize our Dreams The size of our dreams is directly related to the size of our fear. The bigger our fear is, the smaller our dreams are. If we dream big our fear starts shrinking. As we start to age, our fear grows parallel with our responsibilities. Our dreams need to be adjusted to fit our new realities. If we feel the risk is too big, we may never take the necessary actions to make something happen. There are strategies we can inhabit to reduce our fears. We build our realities within our own minds.   We Deserve Love Loving ourselves can be a struggle. Our survival instincts want to eat our self- esteem to make us safer. If we learn to love ourselves fully, we will overcome fear and experience life to its fullest. A more in-depth conversation with Dr. Theo will follow in my next podcast. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Theo, you can visit his website, Dr. Theo or read his moving book, Brain Blocks: Overcoming the 7 Hidden Barriers to Success. And, I want to hear from you. Email me at ann@annpeck.com, visit my website, Ann Peck or follow me on twitter @iamannpeck. If you would like a copy of my ‘I Am Habits’ simply text IAmHabits (all one word) to 44222. I look forward to hearing from you!

*Take note - This conversation contains a personal medical journey and its content is not meant to be taken as medical advice.   A Special Passage for Sharon From Jonathan Livingston Seagull: “Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly.” – Richard Bach   It All Started with Headaches Sharon Mayers started experiencing debilitating headaches while on a trip to her home country of Barbados. Upon her return to the US, she went to see a traditional Western medical doctor for tests. The doctors told her she might not live to her next birthday because they found an inoperable brain tumor. Following their advice, she underwent 14 months of chemotherapy and radiation to battle the cancer, which was both in her breasts and in her brain. Her tumors eventually shrunk down to 2%, but shortly after quitting treatment she started having seizures. Her life turned upside down and her young son moved in with her to care for her during this time.   Finding Emotional Freedom through EFT & CBD Oil Additional tests were completed and Sharon found herself in another cancer battle as it was now growing throughout her body. This time, she turned to alternative therapies. She found the practice of Meridian Tapping (EFT) gave her strength and allowed her to release her negative beliefs. She also found well-being with regular doses of yoga, meditation, and journaling. She changed her diet completely and used her NutriBullet juicer like a kamikaze. Her life changed after volunteering at a retreat in which Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil was being used as a form of cancer treatment. Her tumor markers started decreasing so rapidly that her traditional doctors did and did not want to know what treatment she was using – for obvious reasons.   Sharon’s Sage Advice Sharon is now living cancer free. Her advice for those who want to live a healthy life is to first change your mindset and change your diet. And, if you do undergo chemotherapy or radiation, it is IMPERATIVE you do a complete body and organ detox and try alternative tests like thermography instead of mammography.   Keep in Touch Be sure to listen to Sharon’s lessons from her cancer journey on her My Big Red Couch series or on Facebook My Big Red Couch. You contact me at ann@annpeck.com and go to AnnPeck.com to get exclusive content from me including access to my private Curvy World Facebook Community. E-mail me with any personal experience with cancer that you want to share.

Close your eyes and picture this... A tropical beach in the Caribbean, on the island of Bonaire. It’s Valentine’s Day. The man of your dreams is standing next to you. He is looking into your eyes and promising his heart and body belong to you and only you until he breathes his last breath. Sounds like a great first chapter to a romance novel or a fairytale – doesn’t it? Well, the story didn’t exactly turn out like most fairy tales do. I know, because it’s my story. This was my life approximately seven years ago. The marriage that started on that day lasted for six years. It collapsed into chaos in less than one month –22 days to be exact. The 528 hours of conflict ended with an e-mail. An e-mail that ended my marriage with the man of my dreams. After some time passed, my coach gave me a writing assignment. The assignment was an essay about the experience. I had been putting it off until now. Now I am ready to own my story and share it with the world. As I look back at the communication, which passed between my ex-husband and I as a form of therapy and research, I realize I was consistent and I shared my feelings with a loving heart. I owned my feelings and for that I am proud. If you have been listening to this podcast, you know from previous episodes that my guests own and share their stories. Stories that include secrets, sex, hormones and depression. By sharing their stories with us, they feel free to move on to their next life journey. Hearing their stories reminds us we are not alone and we’re not crazy either.   You don’t know what you don’t know My favorite attorney friend always says “You don’t know what you don’t know”, and it is so true. It could be something you didn’t know about a situation, about another person or most importantly something you didn’t know about yourself. There is a right time for us to learn our lessons. Habit #1 of the 7 “I Am” habits is clarity. It is clear to me I wouldn’t be here without the experience of my marriage dissolving and it is also clear to me that important things don’t disappear after only 22 days. If you would like to share a moment of clarity you’ve experienced, leave me a voicemail, send me an email (ann@annpeck.com) or send it through twitter (@iamannpeck). If you would like to get the complete “I Am” habits, simply send IAMHABITS in a text to 44222. If you like this podcast please leave me a review and subscribe to Straight Talk for a Curvy World in iTunes.

A Special Passage for Renee “Deep in the wintry parts of our minds we are hardly stock and know there is no such thing as work-free transformation. We know that we will have to burn to the ground in one way or another and then sit right in the ashes of who we once thought we were and go from there.” Originally from Women Who Run with the Wolves  by Clarissa Pinkola Estés and was copied by Angeles Arrien for The Second Half of Life.    The Servant Leader While the title denotes a religious affiliation, being a servant leader doesn’t mean you must give up a life of children and the joys of family. Leading people through the gift of service simply means you give back to your community through your gifts of time, talent and treasure. Women tend to be drawn to this environment naturally, because they inherently put others’ needs ahead of their own. In other words, you are probably already being a servant leader, and there is also a degree available in this discipline if you want to embrace your empathy.   Resentment As with most people, even givers have a tipping point. One day while working at a homeless shelter, Renee helped to prepare a meal that was better than the ones she was able to provide for her family. These experiences made her pause, but not give up her cause. She continued serving others even when the burdens of guilt rested upon her like a heavy blanket.   The Need to be Remembered Knowing she was born to be a worker bee, Renee embraces her gifts. This deep, philosophical understanding led her to her legacy writing project.  She started writing 40 things about herself and quickly realized this information was invaluable. Renee in turn named her journal “The Abundance Journal of Gratitude”. In this journal, she vows to capture the values and beliefs that define her and should be passed on to her children. The timeless author Stephen Covey noted there are 4 needs all people have. People need to: Live Love Learn Leave a legacy Renee Liming started Lessons for Tomorrow to help people fulfill all of those basic needs in 2013. She assists women in extracting life values, lessons and wisdom from their personal journeys in a program designed to share information with the next generation. She is available for retreats, one-on-ones, and long distance workshops.   You You are the reason we are here. If you would like to join the private Curvy World Community on Facebook, we would love to have you. And many podcast subscribers have requested Ann’s “I am habits” document. To receive a copy simply text “I am habits” to 44222.

*Consider who may be listening with you. This episode contains fun stuff that only adults should hear.   A Special Passage for Monica From The Call - Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper. Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency, but it always says, “Wake up my love. You are walking asleep, there’s no safety in that.”   Now Where Did I Put That? Aging can be fun if we think about it as a never-ending game of hide-and-seek. The physical aspects of getting older are easier for us to deal with than the mental and emotional changes taking place within our bodies. We may understand that a tire with a nail in it isn’t fit to be on the road, but if the same tire simply doesn’t feel like going out for a Sunday drive because it may or may not feel flat, we have a hard time accepting that. And, it’s not just us. There is a lot of judgement going on between people who view another person being emotional as a weakness. Most of us can remember a time when we have commented negatively about a person who allows their mental state to overwhelm them and take over their life. We might later be sorry for having said it, but we already passed judgement.   Our Ever Changing Hormones If having a five o’clock shadow isn’t enough, we get to read our prescription bottle for our female dryness medication with our “readers” (If you don’t know, it’s the cool new way to say bifocals). And older sisters – if you are lucky enough to have one – were given to us as gifts from God, as town criers to alert us on our next genetic mutation. Realizing that science and chemistry are behind what we are feeling is a great tool for reconnecting with ourselves and for finding balance in our lives by way of proper nutrition. If we fail to pay attention to our bodies, like Monica did, we may find ourselves gasping for breath, thinking today might be our last day. We, women, have the propensity to suffer silently.   It’s Best to Switch to Vodka now Monica shares her darkness, her light and her compassion in today’s call. We also ponder these questions... Does a glass of red wine trigger hot flashes during the night? Are meditations and exercise black magic for curing memory lapses? Monica Tarr, of Luvyourcustomers.com, it is our pleasure to engage in this very private, yet public conversation with you. For those of you listening and are interested in building customer or employee loyalty for your business, Monica has just the program to get you there. Email me at ann@annpeck.com or contact me on Facebook at Curvy World Community and let me know which topics you want to hear about on an upcoming episode.  Subscribe  to Straight Talk for a Curvy World in iTunes. There is a new episode every Thursday.

This is episode celebrates a very special anniversary. Two years ago today my mother took her last breath. She had been in hospice care for some time and was living in a hospice facility. I struggled internally with visiting her because I was having a hard timing dealing with what I was feeling - and what I was avoiding. I was already ingesting meds to help me confront the imminent circumstances, but I was also taking care of my children, my husband, preparing to sell a business and had spent many years as her caregiver. At the time, I believed I did not want to be with her during her passing, and I will be forever thankful that I was there that day, to hold her hand. From the moment I arrived, I knew those would be our last moments on earth together. I was compelled to make these moments about her, not me. Knowing my mother found solace in her religious beliefs, I firmly held her hand and her rosary and recited each bead to her. My mother then gifted me with a special message, one final gift of guidance, which still drives my behavior today. I welcome you to join me as I recall the final gift my mother gave me and listen as I assist my mother with her dreams by bringing Rae Ellen’s Memories to life.   Get Involved If you would like to share your dreams and stories with me, I am here at ann@annpeck.com. And please subscribe to this podcast to be a part of the Curvy World Community. If you desire a personal mentorship experience, go to my website AnnPeck.com to sign up for our Curvy World Mentorship Experience starting next week.

A single act doesn’t define us nor does a moment in time. When we feel weak or powerless, we search internally for the one version of ourselves that we feel will best cope with the situation we are faced. If our past history includes anxiety, anger or apprehension, we are basically like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. Often, we systematically compare our pain to that of our peers in order to self-judge our normality, but in doing so, we run the risk of gathering all the pain within ourselves, especially if we identify with it. Ultimately, we project our anxiety and anger inwards or outwards. If we understand that both are okay – just different – we take the following necessary steps to emotional freedom.   Key Takeaways: [3:25] A special passage for Cathy [4:27] Being in tune to other people’s vibes [6:23] It can drain your energy [9:20] We don’t give ourselves permission to listen to ourselves [11:32] Comparing pain is common [16:08] Turning anger in on yourself [24:41] Growing up in an emotional and anxious family [28:38] OCD diagnosis [31:45] Coping mechanisms and therapies [38:04] Maybe an act of anger but not a suicide attempt [41:47] How do you tell someone else about this? [46:57] People who help you see you as a whole person [50:28] There is never a perfect way to do it [54:10] Let’s cut each other some slack   Mentions: Curvy World Women’s Mentorship Experience 2016 I Sit Listening to the Wind    http://amzn.to/1O1PH7p Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast Straight Talk for a Curvy World on Facebook ann@annpeck.com @iamannpeck  

*This episode contains adult conversations. Please act accordingly if a child is listening along. A belief from long ago may be shaping your life today without you even knowing it. Past generations considered boys to have more value than girls, but how might the female members of your family have dealt with that understanding. Did they shelter each other to maintain a secret community or did it break sisterhoods apart? Ann speaks with Jackie Thomas of Breakthrough Canada about women who are conditioned to believe one thing about themselves and other women who are shifting their mindsets to accept themselves as they are. Jackie reminds us that women may suppress their sexual self and use sex in an attempt to regain their power, never achieving the ultimate goal of a harmonious natural state of being loved. Ultimately, we are responsible for the expansion of our souls and the writing of our stories. Key Takeaways: [1:14] Jackie’s ‘why’ [2:29] A special message for Jackie from Shel Silverstein [4:02] Women sometimes use sex to get their power back [6:37] Conditioning comes from many generations past [12:30] A belief system created at a young age can impact our adulthood [15:14] Ann shares a very personal story of her upbringing [17:26] Suppressing our female sexual energy to feel protected [23:17] Is it okay for a female to like 50 Shades of Grey? [25:10] Identifying the female orgasm [28:42] Children speak the truth [30:32] Jackie believes we have one purpose in this life and that our soul guides us [33:31] When women are at a crossroads we hold pressure in our bodies [35:59] Notice what you are noticing [37:10] How do we know the difference between a want and an intuition? [40:11] Our perceptions rule our lives, we write our own stories [43:43] Negative self-talk is an addiction [45:42] A Christine Page quote [46:25] Reach out and share your comments Mentions: Breakthrough Canada The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein - link: http://amzn.to/1O3GHBN The Healing Power of the Sacred Woman  - Link- http://amzn.to/1MbBzUz @iamannpeck ann@annpeck.com Ann Peck  

As the year ends and we look back at the beginnings and endings we have experienced over the last 365 days, we take the time to appreciate that we are responsible for those transformations. We make breakthroughs by using our courage, we heal ourselves and others through our compassion and we obtain clarity by being true to our essence. This special highlight episode brings together some inspirational examples of guests who have experienced, overcome and transformed themselves through the simple act of living their truths. Ann reminds us she is here for us and she will continue to inspire us with more episodes of Straight Talk for a Curvy World in the upcoming year. We can do anything together!   Key Takeaways: [1:08] Get your application in now, for a very special 4-month Curvy World immersion program [3:08] Ann Sheybani displays clarity and coming home clearly [8:20] Karen Gray shows us compassion through loving our children [16:00] Lowry Olafson displays courage through his very personal journey [23:33] Shannon Crotty shares a transformational message with us [29:33] Lowry opens up his heart in song [33:25] Get a free and printable copy of The I Am Habits [33:50] Ann’s book and other special gifts are available as of 2016   Mentions: Curvy World Women’s Mentorship Experience Polka Dot Powerhouse link  Coupon Code - CurvyWorld saves you $50 on your membership Ann Sheybani’s book Ann Peck Ann@annpeck.com @iamannpeck  

We all manifest the ability to speak with angels. The programming of being pushed into adulthood may cloud up our perceptive waters, but our spiritual gifts remain in the depths of our soul. Transitional periods in our lives often push our gifts back to the surface as we find ourselves looking for our true paths and confirming our places in the universe.  Maria Peth, the author of Angel Decoding, shares her experience of communicating with her guardian angel and what led her to find her gift. She converses with Ann’s angels during an angel reading included in this show. Ann graciously allows us to be a part of this journey. If you enjoyed this podcast and have a moment, please leave us a review on iTunes. Key Takeaways: [2:39] A special quote for Maria [3:53] Maria finds out the name of her guardian angel [8:30] Training in heart-to-heart communication with Grandma in Brazil [12:57] Being in someone’s heart and mind without giving it a voice [16:42] After death, the communication was stronger [19:32] Signs from angels [22:43] We are all spiritual beings, especially children [25:54] Awareness can bubble up during transitional times [31:37] An angel reading for Ann [49:40] Helping the angels to understand [53:12] Archangel Michael is a powerful essence in relationship work [55:00] How do we know the difference between intuition and a real knowing? [59:00] Angels will reaffirm their answers to you several times [59:59] ‘Yes’ feels clear - ‘no’ feels uncomfortable [1:01:35] Go to Maria’s website for your own angel reading or retreat information [1:02:20] Angelic University will be available soon [1:04:34] A prayer to end the reading [1:05:46] Ann’s final comments   Mentions: Angel Decoding Maria Peth Your Soulful Journey Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast in iTunes Ann Peck @iamannpeck Ann on Facebook  

It's noisy out there and if you want to stand out you need to take action in order to make an impact. Many people sit back and believe that things will just work out. If you want to be heard and recognized, choose the sphere of influence that you wish to impact and follow the steps in Dorie's book "Stand Out". Together, we can help each other climb the ladder of success. Dorie urges us to create an opportunity within a local network or to facilitate a "meet-up" as a way to build bonds between each other, so that when looking for a leg up we can have people in our corner.    Key Takeaways: [3:00] A special quote for Dorie [4:22] Cats are work/life balance enforcers [6:22] Normal grieving takes about a year – Dorie moved to NY to cope [13:00] Running away from grief is OK for a little while [15:22] How to support people in times of loss [17:02] Building a network from scratch with limited information [19:34] Taking care of a partner with cancer while making money [21:54] Lessons learned [26:41] Be sure you are heard and recognized [28:02] Maximize your chances of success with this pattern [30:34] 3 Tips for professional female speakers [34:25] A life changing experience   Mentions: Stand Out Stand Out Workbook Reinventing You Dorie Clark Ann Peck @iamannpeck Audible Curvy World on FB

‘Lucky’ is how Mo Hannah describes herself. And when you consider the profound impacts she has withstood, you can agree that Mo Hannah is indeed lucky. Mo was destined to have found the Battered Mothers Custody Conference. Her personal life gave her the reason and her humanity gave her purpose. Ann and Mo talk about how being in the present can alleviate anxiety, and how taking your time to feel out a problem gives your inner voice a chance to speak. The physical pain caused by grief is not a structured ailment. There is no amount of time when it ceases to be, but it does change form over time. Understanding that when we pass, we just move on to a different realm, to another level of consciousness; where we immerse ourselves in the universe.   Key Takeaways: [00:45] Straight Talk for a Curvy World reviews and comments [04:42] A special quote from Napoleon Hill for Mo [05:50] The definition of success [06:40] Not every woman is ready to pick herself up [08:19] How can women give back and support each other in this realm? [12:55] We have an extremely diverse audience at our Battered Mothers Custody Conference [16:45] Monique was a pure artist with all the emotional depth that comes with it [20:58] After she passed, I realized that I needed to change my level of consciousness in order to thrive [23:21] Meditation is a powerful tool and teaches us so many things [26:00] How long is it okay to grieve? [28:48] Emotions are physical events, and long deep breaths pull the fog out of your thoughts [33:00] Focus on being in the present [34:00] Following your inner guide can be profound [36:44] Take time to feel things through [39:26] If you would like to share your story, send a voice memo to ann@annpeck.com about your encounter with abuse   Mentions: Battered Mothers Custody Conference The Tao of Self Confidence Podcast @iamannpeck annpeck.com ann@annpeck.com Think and Grow Rich - Napolean Hill  

We don’t always plan on being pushed in the right direction and more often than not it takes us by surprise, especially when we are in our 40’s. It usually happens when we take a deep breath and decide to martyr our lives for those we care about. In Ellen’s case, her push came right after she bought her coveted little red corvette. She suddenly found herself needing a new way to support her family. And, instead of wallowing in anxiety she channeled her father’s wisdom and chose to do something that would make her happy for the rest of her life.   Key Takeaways: [2:13] A special passage for Ellen [3:28] How Ellen and Ann met [4:07] Ellen’s big push was unplanned [8:25] There was a thread of confidence, even when I felt small [11:58] Little Red Corvette had to go away [13:55] Starting over and re-grouping in your 40’s [16:00] Ellen focused on fulfilling a need instead of building a business [19:45] It’s not about the money, it’s about what you would be happy doing for the rest of your life [22:15] Eliminating distractions allowed me to focus on my phenomenal workout [28:49] Think, Speak, Be [34:45] Many women don’t support other women [36:55] Reference episode #8 for an additional conversation of people who draw energy from us [38:58] Women put themselves in the role of the martyr [41:01] Ann’s excuse for not working out and her current fitness plan [42:55] Chapter 1 - Why gyms don’t work, but group training does [50:17] The right trainer will change your life [52:04] Get a copy of Ellen’s book, Push [53:02] Ellen’s advice - Wake up and decide to be a better version of yourself [55:14] Join our private Facebook community - Straight Talk for a Curvy World   Mentions: Orangetheory Fitness Inc. Daring Greatly Brainblocks elatham@orangetheoryfitness.com Push - Ellen Latham AnnPeck.com @iamannpeck ann@annpeck.com Straight Talk for a Curvy World (linked to the iTunes review section)  

This truly is the all in one episode. There is music, straight talk, not-so-straight talk, guitar stories and inspiration. Lowry Olafson is a story teller. He shares his gifts with us as a keynote speaker, a singer-songwriter and a melody maker. Listen in to this episode to hear about the memories which are building blocks for the songs and how skipping down the street can transform you.   Key Takeaways: [2:10] A special passage for Lowry [3:27] Music was always in my life but it took me a while to pursue music full time [7:56] A singer needs to find his voice [10:54] “If not you then who?” [15:08] The inspiration came from my wife’s high school teacher [18:30] During my keynotes I get to tell stories which re-connect me to my emotions [20:07] “Bread & Honey” was written for my mother [27:01] Great melodies transport you [29:23] My mother was sick for a long time, but no one talked about her dying [34:39] “Borderland” [40:00] Each of my 9 ½ albums has a theme [41:50] Skipping down the street carrying the weight of the world [43:27] “Three Quarter Time” [48:53] Lowry, are you living fully as you were put here to live? [53:52] The beauty of embracing who we really are and our vulnerabilities [58:00] Lowry’s knee shaking, favorite song on his handmade guitar “Blanket in the Cold” [1:08:15] When serendipity brings us together in front of a campfire   Mentions: Lowry Olafson The War of Art - Steven Pressfield The Artist’s Way Days That Disappear Too Soon on iTunes Kerrville Festival ann@annpeck.com @iamannpeck Straight Talk for a Curvy World  

Many of us are just finding ourselves again in our 40’s. Our relationships up until this point have been with people in which we share similar emotional attributes. We may be trying to recreate our family of origin because it is a familiar place. When we learn to stop living through other people we start to have better relationships with ourselves. We are then able to build upon our losses and take risks which catapult us into clarity. Through meditation, we can tune into our inner wisdom which will guide us in our journey.   If you have benefited from this podcast and think it could benefit someone else, please share this podcast with a friend.   Key Takeaways: [:47] What Susan Sandler shares about herself [2:25] A special passage for Susan [4:58] Susan’s father had a nervous breakdown when she was 8 [7:37] At 20 my therapist was very unorthodox [9:57] Marrying someone you don’t love [12:10] We attract people who have similar emotional attributes [13:26] Wise words from Susan’s therapist [16:32] I decided to stop living through men [19:32] Other events which precipitated Susan’s clarity [22:36] Approaching risks with a new view to encourage character growth [27:20] Researching the science of how the brain works [31:22] Men are simple creatures, they need to be appreciated [35:20] Pick wisely, treat kindly [38:02] Using meditation as a tool to release ourselves from our minds’ control [41:50] How to know distinguish between which is your inner voice of wisdom and the mind [45:08] It’s not our imperfections which make us unlovable   Mentions: Lead Deep The Untethered Soul - the journey beyond yourself Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus  ann@annpeck.com Straight Talk for a Curvy World (Link to iTunes)    

Sometimes conversations about toilets just turn into cry sessions about broken relationships between mothers and daughters. Well, at least on Straight Talk for a Curvy World they do. Ann and Beth discuss toxic family relationships, why becoming estranged from those relationships can be soothing to the soul and how children cope with the issue. Then the soon to be Rachael Ray of DIY gives some amazing household tips and tricks we all should have the confidence to try.   Key Takeaways: [2:06] A special quote for Beth [3:21] Beth teaches women how to screw … and hammer too [5:38] You have to have the basic skills to not feel trapped, panicked and dependent [6:27] Beth’s successful youtube channel [7:48] We fixed things ourselves because we had no money [9:44] My mother taught me everything as a child but the relationship became toxic [16:04] My children have a healthier idea of relationships based on my decision [18:57] Just since starting my business have insecurities from my previous life surfaced [21:07] The Imposter Syndrome [22:07] Rapid Fire DIY questions for Beth [31:00] The top 3 things women call about [32:56] Ann has a woodpecker problem [35:49] Beth would like to become a bridge and be the Rachael Ray of DIY [38:53] Homeowners can be afraid of making mistakes [40:57] “Kid, don’t let anyone screw up your day. They are just not worth it.” [42:33] Don’t underestimate what you are capable of   Mentions: DIY Hip Chicks Rachael Ray Straight Talk for a Curvy World ann@annpeck.com  

Sometimes people give us gifts which don’t always feel like gifts. Many times the gift comes in the form of anger, hurt, or sadness. What if we use those unwelcome gifts as a catalyst to lead a more fulfilling life? What if a character emerges who embodies the strength we always wished we had?   Nicole Fende shares what it’s like to be a math geek and a successful business woman. She also shares what it’s like to be an unplanned and unwanted child. She turns the microphone back in Ann’s direction to gain a clearer understanding of active appreciation and to learn how Ann has given herself the gift of forgiveness.   This episode leaves us with many things to think about.   Key Takeaways: [1:58] A special passage for Nicole [3:27] I always wanted to be in the Sci-Fi movies I was watching [5:00] The Adventures of Captain Brenna Rain [6:50] Brenna has always been inside of me [8:08] I couldn’t be myself in investment banking [12:43] My mother dealt with Alzheimer's for almost 20 years [15:03] Nicole starts with a joke to describe her relationship with her mother [17:46] Unplanned is very different from unwanted [21:11] I never had the chance to her ask questions [22:34] My daughter knows she’s loved and wanted [26:28] I’m never going to fit in, so I decided just to be me [29:06] The gifts from our mothers that don’t feel like gifts [31:29] Human beings do the best they can [34:39] Getting rid of the anger, even if the hurt stays [36:11] Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves [42:11] Well behaved women rarely make history [43:58] I give people permission to be themselves [46:04] Prosperity [48:08] Enabling a psychic vampire in a business relationship [51:16] Women don’t have many empowering influences [56:09] Tell your secret to someone you trust   Mentions: The Numbers Whisperer Straight Talk for a Curvy World ann@annpeck.com How to be a Finance Rockstar by Nicole A Fende