The Trophies

Life under military curfew in Sri Lanka has been one of the most intense things I've ever experienced. This episode gives you a peek into what it's been like being in a developing country during COVID, where we weren't even allowed to leave our homes. Now that I'm coming out of the experience, I can look back and share, "Wow, that was some sh*t!!!" This episode is dedicated to all the parents who are wrapping up a school year... you rock! Thanks for listening :) Hugs, Melissa PS: All my 2020 goals went out the window and are being rewritten--rewrite yours too with a Passion Planner from www.YourPassionPlanner.com

At the end of each month, I sit down to assess how the month went, which is an exercise in my Passion Planner. But today as I reflected upon April, I was like, “Wow, that kinda blew!” While it's important to recognize what went well each month and decide what you may want to do differently going forth, it's also okay to completely toss out goals that just aren't working for you. Join me for a 2020 Do-Over, and consider participating in my live goal-setting sesh on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:30 AM Pac/9:30 AM Eastern/7:00 PM India via Zoom. Sign up HERE https://www.melissamccloud.co/2020-do-over or email for deets: heygirl@melissamccloud.co As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Hugs, melissa ___ Today's episode is brought to you by the Passion Planner, which you can check out at http://www.YourPassionPlanner.com/ Grab my free Supermom Survival Guide now with Quarantine Bonus! at https://www.MelissaMcCloud.co/

We’re all in a race for time (or, we were before we found ourselves stuck at home, perhaps…) and the disease of busy-ness and being overscheduled isn’t even relegated to the Western world anymore. (I should know, I live in South Asia!) We are a slave to our overbooked schedules, our pursuit of success, other’s expectations, and our kids’ extracurriculars. We may do things because we think we should, then lose sleep over it, wake up early and/or stay up late in an attempt to accomplish them. The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” philosophy costs us much more than, well, sleep! You’ve heard that we should aim for 8 hours of sleep. According to the CDC, the average American sleeps fewer than 7 hours a night, and almost half of us sleep fewer than six hours per night. In today's episode, I lay out the argument for sleep, which has been well-document and earnestly written about by Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post. As always, join us over in the The Trophies where the real conversation happens! https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTrophies/ Hugs, Melissa PS: Can you hear my family making a ruckus in the background? Geesh! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Your spouse isn’t more annoying than you thought. You’re just around them a LOT more! It’s not often that I discuss the same topic in two consecutive pods, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  If you are homebound with your family and learning to adjust to the new routines of being all together in a confined space, then you understand that it ain't all rainbows and unicorns...  And let’s get real: not all of our marriages are gonna make it! Listen in as we discuss why you're partner is sending you over the edge (and how to deal)! My free class on communication with your partner under stress is at www.HusbandWebinar.com ... check it out, I know you have the time! Hugs, melissa As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women.  Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Grab my free Supermom Survival Guide at https://www.MelissaMcCloud.co/

I recently saw a post that said, "Nine months from now, there will be a baby boom." But with all the time spent with our loved ones right now, I predict another outcome over the next year: divorce. This week marks 14 days on home isolation, and I was about to lose my mind last week as we were just getting started. This episode is how to keep your sanity, and your family unit, intact! For those struggling with their spouses during this time, check out my free class on how to communicate during a crisis at www.HusbandWebinar.com As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Hugs, melissa

Anyone else dealing with emotional eating this month? Many of us are practicing social distancing and adapting to our newly-homebound lifestyle, and it’s easy to find ourselves wandering into the kitchen looking for something to eat to take our minds off the mayhem. Since I cut my teeth as a coach in health coaching, I know the emotional-eating (and drinking!) space well and would love to share how I help clients navigate these episodes... Check out this timely pod to know how to not get carried away in times of stress (and it doesn't involve willpower, PHEW)! As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women, at www.TheTrophies.co Grab my free Supermom Survival Guide at https://www.MelissaMcCloud.co/ Hugs, Melissa

All the newly-initiated homeschooling moms, please raise your hands! The coronavirus crisis is enough to put anyone over the edge... We don’t know what the next month will look like, how many new cases we will have, or if we have enough toilet paper to last a home quarantine… And it’s the “not knowing” that is so tough for me. I bet the uncertainty of the entire coronavirus situation is unsettling for you, too. In this podcast you'll understand why the current COVID-19 climate is so challenging, and what you can do to manage your state. Join me over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women, at www.TheTrophies.co or https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTrophies/ And grab my free Supermom Survival Guide at https://www.MelissaMcCloud.co/ Hugs, Melissa

At the beginning of the year, I asked The Trophies what they wanted to focus on.  “Health & Fitness” was overwhelmingly one of the top topics of interest, and how can I deny my past? For over 16 years I’ve worked as a wellness coach, so this is in my wheelhouse! But instead of sending another diet culture message to the group (which is the last thing you need to hear!) I am going to put my own spin on the topic… Coming off of FOCUS FEBRUARY, where we learned how to “do more by doing less”, I am having the Trophies choose just one thing they want to narrow in on that will have the biggest impact on their health and fitness.  My intention is not to help The Trophies lose weight; it is to help these wonderful women set a goal and see it through to completion. As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women.  Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Hugs, Melissa www.MelissaMcCloud.co

Procrastination chips away at our self-esteem and prevents us from being our best... and it affects us all! Even the best of us suffer from delaying action, whether it's due to overthinking, analysis paralysis, or just laziness. When you procrastinate, you waste time that you could be investing in something meaningful. If you can learn to overcome this fierce enemy, you'll feel so much better about yourself, you will be able to increase your effectiveness, and take the steps you need to achieve your goals, dreams, and desires. The real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Muah, Melissa ___ Today's episode is brought to you by the Passion Planner, which you can check out at http://www.YourPassionPlanner.com/ or on Amazon https://amzn.to/2UvJNGP

My "Mom in the Hot Seat!" Series continues with Robin Meckley, a "mentor mom" of mine whom I've known for the past 16 years. She has an incredible relationship with her husband and two 20-something boys. In this Podcast, Robin talks about what she would have done differently as a mom, how she spoke to her kids about sex, how she built intimacy with her husband after having babies, how she instilled religion at home, and how different Empty Nest life is than she expected it to be! Younger moms won't want to miss this episode...! The real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Hugs, Melissa ___ Today's episode is brought to you by the Passion Planner, which you can check out at http://www.YourPassionPlanner.com/ or on Amazon https://amzn.to/2UvJNGP

We all know good communication is the foundation for a great relationship, but who teaches us "Communication for a Modern Marriage 101"? You and your partner won't be on the same page until you learn to communicate effectively, and in this video I share some tips to get you started... As always, women are invited to join me over in The Trophies for the real conversation! On Facebook at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ Thank you to Passion Planner for sponsoring this pod! Check out my favorite panner-come-goal-setter-come goal-achiever at www.YourPassionPlanner.com Muah! ~melissa

Do these questions make you break into a cold sweat: “What were you born to do?” “Do you know your life’s purpose?” “Are you making your life count?” I have to agree: living with PASSION and PURPOSE can feel like a bit *much*. And for those of you who don’t know what you were “born to do” it can also feel depressing! Kinda like, “How did you make it this long without knowing what you’re supposed to be doing with your ONE life!!?!?!” In this pod, I help you reframe "life's purpose" and and discover what lights you up! As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ ___ Today's episode is brought to you by the Passion Planner, which you can check out at http://www.YourPassionPlanner.com/ or on Amazon https://amzn.to/2UvJNGP

Matana Jacobs of HopeToRecharge.com is on a mission to erase the stigma around mental health. This is a noble cause for anyone, but the fact that she's doing it as a supportive spouse to her business-owner husband, around her five children (count 'em, 1-2-3-4-FIVE!), as a globetrotter who spends much of her time on the road, AND as a multi-passionate entrepreneur herself is BEYOND AMAZING! Hear how she does it in today's episode, which includes her own journey battling depression and top tips and take-aways for moms everywhere. As always, the real conversation happens over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women. Join us at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ ___ Today's episode is brought to you by the Passion Planner, which you can check out at http://www.YourPassionPlanner.com/ or on Amazon https://amzn.to/2UvJNGP

You know those friends that you can sit and chat with for hours and time just FLIES? That's who Wendy Hutchinson is for me :) She and I met in a biz networking group in Houston, TX and we connected right away. She's been a "mommy mentor" to me ever since, and I so admire the relationships she has with her two 20-something sons and her husband of over 30 years. When I polled The Trophies, I found that almost 90% of you are married moms, so what better way to get a perspective on parenting and marriage than someone who's "been there, done that"!? Wendy was raised in a Catholic, Asian household, so you can imagine the pressure that was on her to fit into a box and be a success. She shares about a spiritual shift she had that enabled her to break away from her family's expectations, and begin to parent the heart-centered way she felt was right. She was so gracious to let me pick her brain, share what she wished she'd done differently, and show the mommies with younger children the light at the end of the tunnel! Take a listen, share with your mommy friends who are breaking their backs being perfectionists, and join us over at http://www.TheTrophies.co/ for the real conversation! And go find Wendy at http://AlineaLifeCoaching.com/ Muah, Melissa Grab my free Supermom Survival Guide at https://www.MelissaMcCloud.co/

A dream board is a visual representation of your goals, displayed in an area where you see it daily. The idea is that you look at your goals often to make them a reality... Sounds like wishful thinking? Olympians have been doing it for decades, and even Oprah encourages you to make a vision board! In this episode I discuss the science behind vision boards, and teach you how to make one that WORKS. I use my dream board in conjunction with my Passion Planner which you can check out at www.YourPassionPlanner.com Muah, Melissa Please sign up for my weekly newsletter if you want to learn more: http://bit.ly/SuperMomGuide and join me over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women, at www.TheTrophies.co

Well that was gutsy! But it's true... If you've been following along, I had you do the "Wheel of Life" (a five-minute exercise from episode 15 that helps you take stock of where you are in life) and then discover your personal core values (from episode 16), which is a code of conduct, a standard of living, and what you stand for. Assuming you've done the pre-work, goal setting becomes simple, because you know what's important to you and what you want to make happen! Furthermore, you come up with goals that are easier to stick with, because they are so meaningful. So grab a pen and paper and let's get cracking... As always, women are invited to join the real conversation in The Trophies, my free life coaching group at www.TheTrophies.co ~melissa

What do you stand for? What's important to you? Most people will never take the time to discover their core values, and are living a life based on what they think "sounds good" or they "should" be doing. Discover your personal core values in this week's pod! You'll want to grab a journal or pen-and-paper as you brainstorm your personal code of conduct. I talk about the Passion Planner in this week's pod, which you can see here (and get a coupon!) http://bit.ly/ThePassionPlanner As always, ladies are invited to join the conversation over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group for women! www.TheTrophies.co Hugs, melissa

Who is chomping at the bit to tackle New Year's Resolutions? WHOA!

You know the line from "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" that goes: "and mom and dad can't wait for school to start again" ?? That's what this is about! The holidays can easily get us turned around, due to our schedule being hijacked, all the magic we want to make happen for our kids, and even the fact that there is less sunlight! Tune in to find out how to manage holiday anxiety, and join the real conversation in my free life coaching group for women, The Trophies, at www.TheTrophies.co Hugs, Melissa MelissaMcCloud.co

Before you start declaring what your New Year's Resolutions are for 2020, you'll want to take the time to review 2019. Unless we look at what went great, where we fell short, and identify what we learned from it all, we're bound to repeat it! In this pod I walk you through some questions to thoughtfully answer as you get complete with not just 2019, but the end of a decade. Join me over in The Trophies at www.TheTrophies.co for the real conversation! And check out my fave planner at http://bit.ly/ThePassionPlanner Hugs, melissa www.MelissaMcCloud.co --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Is your husband as OBSESSED with football as mine? With all the bowl games coming up, I wanted to better understand what the deal is with my husband and his sports... and he was more than happy to enlighten me! Patrick put so much thought into this episode--how can I not get excited about the Cheez-Its Bowl? (Yes, that's a thing...) This episode is for the women who don't understand how their husbands can cry when their Fantasy team loses, but don't cry during "Love Actually" or "The Notebook". Some things just can't be explained! But I'll try anyway... Thanks for listening, and join me over in my free Life Coaching Group The Trophies at www.TheTrophies.co --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Does fighting with your partner lead to contempt, stonewalling, defensiveness, or the silent treatment? I'm four weeks into the beta launch of my virtual course "Husband Rehab" and want to give you a sneak peek into what we're discussing! Fighting can be great for a marriage, *if* you know how to do it. You alone can take your marriage from "meh..." to "MEOW"! Learn more about "Husband Rehab" at https://www.facebook.com/SuccessWithMelissaMcCloud/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

You don't know the color of tea until you put it in hot water! The times I've had the biggest growth is when I've been down in the dumps... Famous failures include Madonna (college drop out), Walt Disney (fired for lack of imagination), JK Rowling (on gov't assistance), Anna Wintour (fired from Harper's Bazaar)... You're not a failure; you're just off course! I've recorded so many Facebook Lives over the years that I'm bringing you some of my most popular ones, re-purposed here as a podcast! (Pardon the interaction with the LIVE participants...) Also, y'all know I work from home, so you get to hear my kids in the background at the beginning of this one #AmateurHour This pod may be old, and my email sign-up has changed (it's now the SuperMom Survival Guide, not My Top 10 Life Hacks) -- but I still offer free 20-min breakthrough sessions.... visit www.MelissaMcCloud.co for all the deets! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Have you heard of the saying, "Everything you've ever wanted is outside of your comfort zone?" This week I was interviewed by Wendy Hutchinson of Alinea Life Coaching for her web series Path to Me, and I ripped the audio so you can hear our scintillating discussion... We discuss manifestation, dreaming big, serving others, and even hot bods! Find Wendy HERE. Hugs, Melissa *** Are you a stressed out, married mom? Join my free life coaching group at TheTrophies.co to get out of your rut! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week I interviewed financial pro Gillian Tarkington to teach us about money--but *not* because she's a financial whiz! The real reason I brought her on was because of her personal story around MONEY MINDSET... Gillian was able to change her money mindset after going through a personal trial, which changed her relationship with money and elevated her ability to earn. Check out our chat, and be sure to hit her up for a free consultation if you need help with your taxes or have a home-based business and would benefit from a pro!  You can find her in my free life coaching group The Trophies or just message me on any of my platforms and I'll put you in touch (like I said, we're close)! Now go write your money memories, and burn 'em so you can re-write them! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Do you have any biga** scary goals that you're too afraid to even speak about aloud? This week I did a very scary thing and launched my 6-week online marriage course "Husband Rehab". It's not perfect, and it's not pretty, but I'm facing the fear and doing it anyway! Learn to have your own "throw up" moments and live the life of your dreams! ...and the cart closes Sunday if you want to be one of the pioneers in the course! www.HusbandRehab.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We all have early childhood memories about money that made a huge impression on us... But now that you're over 18, you can't blame your parents anymore for hijacking your beliefs about money! Let's uncover our earliest money memories, and reprogram ourselves so that we don't have negative connotations around money. You get to re-write your money story! If you want to do this with a community, join us in www.TheTrophies.co where we are taking a deep dive into our relationship with money... all women welcome! chow, melissa --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Do you have the busyness disease?? Do you feel like there aren't enough hours in the day, like you're spread too thin, or that other people hijack your time? We just wrapped up a month of PRODUCTIVITY over in The Trophies, my free life coaching group on Facebook (find us at TheTrophies.co)... While productivity may sound snor-inggggggg, learning to be effective is what will help you do what you want to do with your life, without neglecting what's happening on the home front. And the best advice I got on the topic was from my old friend David Beckham. (Kidding, he's a new friend.) Take a listen, and join the convo on Facebook. Muah!

Have you ever had a dream come to fruition, but it wasn't like you thought it would be? Today marks 6 months exactly since my family moved to Sri Lanka. I'm so grateful to be in this beautiful country, and the adventure has been full of ups and downs... This episode is about how I've come to embrace my family's time here. It's been the biggest growing experience of my LIFE! Take a listen to learn how to handle disappointments and find the silver lining... Visit me over on MelissaMcCloud.co and/or sign up for my Supermom Survival Guide here: http://bit.ly/SuperMomGuide

In this episode I chat with Kathryn Cicoletti, the most fun and refreshing voice in the financial education space! Kathryn has worked in the financial industry for over 15 years and runs her company, https://mscheatsheet.com/ to teach YOU about personal finance and investing with a fun twist: she weaves pop culture into the mix to keep you super engaged! She wrote the book on investing... literally people, she wrote a book on investing, and you can read it HERE. We decided to narrow our focus and discuss just one aspect of personal finance: BUDGETS. Kathryn shares an exercise you can do IMMEDIATELY to get your arms around what's coming in and what's going out $$$ When Kathryn and I connected, I told her she was the ONLY financial person I follow online--so I hope you find her online and follow her, too! Be sure to join us over in The Trophies group to continue the discussion... "see" you there!

Time for all the "New Year, New You" BS! I know, I know (sigh) I get just as excited about New Year Resolutions as the next girl... (eyeroll)!! But unless you've taken time to review the previous year, your 2019 is at risk of being a repeat of 2018... Take the time to jot down what went great this year, what you want to acknowledge yourself for in 2018, and also what SUCKED. Heads up, I mention my Passion Planner in this pod and you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/passionplan2019 Hugs, melissa (I'm a hugger)

As women, we are so good at putting others first. You may have put your dreams on hold because they seemed unrealistic, or to raise kids, or to take a backseat to your partner's career... You may even resent your family because of it--I sure did! Today I'm sharing my story of being stuck in the Mommy Rut. My intention is to identify with other women who are "going through the motions" and slowly walking away from their dreams. Thanks for listening, and share with any woman you know that has stopped dreaming! ************************************ Join Melissa McCloud, a life coach with over 15 years experience, so you can show up differently at home and win at LIFE! Connect with Melissa at MelissaMcCloud.co and find the Trophy Community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheTrophies/