STRONGirl Podcast| Female Empowerment | Personal Development | Health & Wellness | Mindset

I spoke about Kriss Blevens in my very first episode. She's someone I respect, admire, and credit with opening my eyes and mind to the law of attraction. Kriss is the founder, creator and head makeup guru at Kriss Cosmetics. From her humble beginnings working out of a small makeup kit doing home parties, Kriss has grown to be the go to artist for political and celebrity events. While she always dreams big for herself and her company, Kriss remains intimately connected to her studio serving the local community. On top of owning her own kick-ass business, Kriss is a Certified EMT, an advocate, volunteer, lifesaver (no seriously, she saved a guys life) and a mentor. In this episode Kriss and I talk about what it means to be a business owner (the good, the bad, and the ugly), embracing our unique gifts, and the law of attraction. I could have talked to her for hours. Find Kriss here: https://krisscosmetics.com/ Instagram & Facebook @KrissCosmetics

"Money doesn't grow on trees" "Rich kids are brats" "It's hard to save money" "Money is root of all evil" These are all things we tell ourselves about money. Things that we've grown up hearing over and over. We all want more money, right? Then why do we talk so doom & gloom about it when it comes to making more or saving & spending what we have currently. In this episode I chat with Kelsa Dickey Financial Coach and Owner & CEO of Fiscal FItness Phoenix. Kelsa's passion for helping people with their money started when she was in middle school after witnessing her mother file bankruptcy. She saw firsthand the impact financial stress can have on a person and her desire to change that led Kelsa to obtain a Bachelor's in Finance and a Master's in Accounting. She's started Fiscal Fitness Phoenix back in 2008 and has been meeting with individuals, couples and solopreneuers one-on-one for over 10 years. She brings a positive, practical, future-focus to the stuffy topic of budgeting. https://fiscalfitnessphx.com/ https://www.facebook.com/fiscalfitnessphx https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-dickey/the-saver-and-the-spender

SENSITIVE: In this episode my guest shares some specific details about her past with disordered eating and mental illness. If you're currently struggling with an eating disorder and in a delicate place, please avoid listening to this episode. Christina Ennabe is a body positive health coach, and masters level therapist working toward licensure. Christina specializes in working with adults with eating disorders, body image issues, low self esteem, anxiety, and depression. Through her own personal experiences with fitness competitions, yoyo dieting and mental illness, Christina understands the importance of taking a holistic approach to counseling. Christina is passionate about helping her clients find their purpose and self worth, and to break the stigma around mental health. www.ChristinaEnnabe.com Instagram @christinaennabe

SENSITIVE Amanda Fay is a Pre/Postnatal Corrective Exercise & Diastasis Specialist, head coach for Fit For Birth, the founder and owner of The Functional Bump, LLC (https://thefunctionalbump.com/) and a coach at her local Orange Theory Fitness. At the end of January, she shared her experience with a missed miscarriage. Amanda was ten weeks and three days pregnant when she went in for an ultrasound that pronounced her first pregnancy was no longer viable. Amanda shares her full 12-week experience with me in an incredibly brave & powerful episode. Whether you've experienced a miscarriage or not, this episode is a must listen for any woman. For women who know they’re pregnant, about 10 to 15 in 100 pregnancies (10 to 15 percent) end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. As many as half of all pregnancies may end in miscarriage. We don’t know the exact number because a miscarriage may happen before a woman knows she’s pregnant. Most women who miscarry go on to have a healthy pregnancy later. (MarchOfDimes.org) Connect with Amanda on IG @healthyamandafay

How often do you put things off until tomorrow? And then tomorrow turns into the next day, the next week, and the month. You have a decision every day to either do that "thing" or not. It'll pop up in your head every now and again and you'll be presented with the same decision. As humans, we have so many things going on in our head, many of them decisions we have to make, which undoubtedly leads to stress. This is what we call decision fatigue. In this episode I talk more about this as well as why I think motivation is complete BS. I tell you about my intentions for 2019 and even settle on a "word" for the year. If you heard something you liked in this episode, share it with your friends on your IG story and tag me @samanthalrusso

We've all had and HAVE situations in our life that frankly suck. It's easy to use those as excuses, but not Jill. Jillian Leff is is currently the Managing Editor of celebrity gossip site PerezHilton.com. In this episode Jill and I cover A LOT from post-grad setbacks, career, chronic illness, and self-care. Share this episode on your IG stories and tag @SamanthaLRusso & @JillianLeff Check out Jill's Boss, Please! Podcast on IG @Bosspleasepod and you're favorite place to listen to podcasts!

Do you believe you're meant to do something more or maybe you're just meant to do something else? Stephanie Crededio had spent years building her resume at agencies and big brands in downtown Chicago but one day--she had enough. She knew there was more. She quit her corporate job and Socially Steph was created to deliver real time marketing efforts & quality content management services. In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss everything social media, entrepreneurship, and the power of belief. If you're ready to take the big leap or just want to elevate your social media brand, this episode is for you! Connect with Stephanie @SociallySteph on all social media platforms and by visiting her website www.SociallySteph.com If you liked this episode please rate & review. Share it with your friends on Instagram Stories and tag me @SamanthaLRusso -- I'd love to hear from you!

As we get closer to the New Year, one of the most common New Year's Resolutions has to do with health & fitness. You'll hear about all of the things you NEED to do to make your goals happen, but I'd like to simplify it. These are the 5 things you need to STOP doing to help you reach your fitness goals once and for all. In this episode you'll hear about goal setting, Instagram, supplements, and poop. Let me know what thing you're ready to stop doing in 2019 when you share and tag me in your IG story @SamanthaLRusso Sign-up for the SWEAT LIKE SAM free 3-week fitness & nutrition program: samanthalrusso.com/sweat

In today's episode on the STRONGirl Podcast, I interview my coach and someone I consider to be one of my role models, Janelle Nicolo Monteiro. Janelle is the owner of Body Ambition fitness in Middleton, MA. She's a WBFF Pro and has coached dozens of women to earn their pro fitness & bikini titles as well as state pageant titles. But it's not all about the physical and aesthetic aspects for Janelle. In this episode we talk about debt, bad relationships, and even the loss of a loved one. But we also shine light on perseverance, inner strength, and following your heart & passion. Share & screenshot this episode on your IG story! Tag @SamanthaLRusso & @JanelleMonteiro (www.JanelleMonteiro.com) visit Body Ambition Fitness on facebook, on Instagram @bodyambitionfitness, and on the web at www.bodyambition.com

A beautiful blonde pageant girl from New England meets and starts dating a handsome professional baseball player from Georgia. Fairytale or nightmare? This is the premise of Taylor Higgins' best-selling non-fiction, Between the Stitching, and an actual recounting of her tumultuous relationship with a AA baseball player in the Boston Red Sox organization. This dark, real-life love story gone bad is riddled with abuse; sexual, emotional, and physical. You don't have to have dated a pro athlete to relate to Taylor's stories of cheating, lying, and the need to constantly check social media. We discussed everything from the life of a baseball WAG (wives and girlfriend) to how she was able to turn her situation into her passion and outlet for healing. Purchase Taylor's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Stitching-Taylor-Higgins/dp/1980810281 If you enjoyed this podcast--share it! Tag us on Instagram Stories! @TayHiggins_ @SamanthaLRusso

Too often we put pressure on ourselves to figure out what we should be doing for a career or what our purpose is. But can you imagine what it would be like to just let life lead you to where you're meant to be? Meet Megan Lyman, CEO & Founder of Cannibabe, a California-based CBD company dedicated to creating high quality products made with ingredients your body craves. Cannibabe promotes, educates and publicizes the medical benefits of using cannabidiol (CBD) on a daily basis. Learn about Meg's battle with cancer at a young age to ulcerative colitis as an adult and how it all led her to her passion & purpose of helping others feel good! @officialcannibabe www.cannibabe.com Share this episode on your IG story & tag @samanthalrusso to help this #STRONGirl community grow.

Lauren Lopez is my very first interview on the STRONGirl Podcast. Lauren is a holistic health enthusiast, yogi, part-time realtor, and stage 4 recurrent cervical cancer survivor. Lauren discusses her journey with cancer and how she says it gave her clarity. We discuss finding joy and making happiness a priority, the importance of regular screenings, holistic health approaches she took, and the power of surrender. www.laurenlopezloveandlight.com Instagram: @lmarielopez If you liked this podcast be sure to rate, review, and share it on social media! Tag me @samanthalrusso on Instagram.

My whole life I've been called "strong" both physically and mentally but I haven't always felt that way. Maybe you can relate. In my first episode, I discuss hitting my all-time high and a situation that quickly plummeted me into my all-time low. I talk about the one thing that enabled me to pull myself out of that hole & begin to find the good in an emotionally traumatic situation.