The True North Collective Podcast

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Jessica Klatt, founder of Be, a human writing specialist, small biz consultant, + she believes that none of us are on this planet by accident. Jessica founded her soul biz, Be Industries, after a very long career in Title Insurance where the universe continually nudged her into a place of discomfort until she surrendered into what she was being moved into + began taking acting steps in living her full purpose + talents. In this episode, we wrestle with: Being a solar powered humxn Hair + nail phobias Haunted tinder dates Self-awareness + crying on your kitchen floor Perceptions of self Management of time + energy in your relationships Values Speaking your truth Boxes Repeat trigger cycles Facing fears Jessica has an uncanny ability to say so much while saying so little - she packs a big punch. Her grounded presence is backed by the fact that she has genuinely excavated + faced many sides of herself + continues to embrace this practice as a way to fully show up for herself + others. Enjoy the invitation to step more deeply into yourself + be inspired by all of it.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Amy Walz, a wife, mother, mimi (grandma), puppy lover, advocate for the underdog, Christian, hope mentor, cancer registrar, + small biz owner specializing in wedding event planning. She lives with her husband (Nick), silly pup (Oliver), + sweet pup/therapy dog-in-training (Willow Grace)in Minnesota. With a servant's heart + a desire to save others from the many years of struggles + dysfunctions that her family has endured, she remembers feeling very alone + as if no one understood what her family was going through + as a result found a drive + vision to change the world's perception of mental health diagnosis. Amy writes her family's story in Six Hearts, Four Paws, + One Ray of Hope, written from the perspective of one of her dogs. ***TRIGGER WARNING: suicide, sexual bullying, + emotional abuse. In this episode, we wrestle with: Recycled styles Chance encounters Transplants + changing personalities Adoption journeys Being open to non-traditional family structures Finding yourself later in life Normalizing mental illness Compassion + healing across generations Living the facade of the American Dream You are not weak  True rock bottom + crisis-peer-mentor program High functioning trauma survivorship Power of puppies Amy is passionate, sincere, + a welcoming space as she genuinely supports people through mental illness + finding hope. Settle in as we get real, open, vulnerable, + hopeful together in realizing we truly are not alone.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Kenzie Weidman, a 27-year old finance professional + fitness entrepreneur from Wisconsin, working full-time at Robert W. Baird as an Experienced Advisor Recruiter, while also being the sole owner + lead instructor of Evolution Cycle Studio (EVO). Kenzie is a lover of fitness + is passionate about creating inclusive communities around movement in safe + judgment free environments. In this episode, we wrestle with: Compassion + pain + letting go  Starting a studio + keeping your full time job Power of having no plan Bringing back humanity Embracing our weaknesses Internalizing positive feedback + compliments Innovation through unlikely spaces + people Mirror work Body image  Owning the complexities of your reality Cycle of healing + growth Friends of different ages Being a beginner Kenzie is a grounded magnet for those who are ready to start believing in themselves + loving where they are along the way. She has an uncanny ability to hold the beauty in the WIP + inspire you to keep showing up for you. 

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Nicole Lohse, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Feldenkrais Practitioner, and Yoga Teacher. She supports people in shifting out of survival + into flow through her 1:1 work + online programming. Her work is based on emphasizing that you are already whole + her knowledge of body, mind, + soul influences how she supports others from a very intuitive, energetic, + somatic place. Nicole walks us through how to be more connected with yourself by understanding the language of your body + your survival philosophy. By building your capacity + regulation at a nervous system level, your resiliency will increase. It's from here that you'll shift from surviving your way through life to thriving + accessing more of your truth. In this episode, we wrestle with: A quick celebration for our 100th episode!!! Learning to speak German while in a practicum to become a firefighter + smelly raft guides Understanding your body's linguistics + survival patterns Movement as an IN to get to know yourself Numbing out, overriding, distracting, + bypassing Building capacity for activation + discomfort Recognizing your wholeness Feeling your emotions Knowing your somatic experience of living your true north Listening to the body as a more efficient + productive approach to life Living the live experiment of life How connection + relationship fit into somatic work Putting support systems on pedastals Nicole is the most beautiful grounding presence that innately invites a full-bodied exhale. Get ready to be soothed into essential self-inquiry about who you are through your body's natural experience.  

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Ashley Parker, founder of A Splash of Ash, who's made it her mission to inspire individuals to live their best lives while being their best selves. With her master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she shares actionable mindset shifts to help you change your every day, which in turn will change your life. Check out A Splash of Ash Podcast on Apple + Spotify, as well as her blog, newsletter, + merch. And be sure to check out the episode where Ashley interviews THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE! In this episode, we wrestle with: Making friends through fitness Soft, tender strength Putting yourself in a box  Judgment vs preference Making things about you that aren't about you Holding the grey, disrupting old dynamics + having hard convos Be who you want to be Wrestling with our experiences Owning your shit  Ashley is relatable, down-to-earth, + will make you feel like you've been friends forever. Get comfortable, settle into your space, + enjoy this deep, yet light conversation about owning your shit.  

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we have our second conversation in a new series called ADULT SEX ED, where we talk about all the things we never learned in sex ed, now as adults! It's awkward, playful, real, honest, + informative because we ALL deserve to get our sex questions answered in a way that feels empowering + pleasurable. We are honored to again speak with Joy Davis, Canadian-based creator of Full Moon Fertility, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) FAM Educator, trained in the Justiisse Method, + Dr. Emily Kirkwold owner of NFP Pharmacist, NFP + cycle charting in the Marquette Method, to chat about all things masterbation + self-pleasure. This will be an ongoing conversation to normalize sex, pleasure, sexuality, bodies + their fluids, + so much more. DM us if there is a topic you want us to talk about in a future episode!  In this episode, we wrestle with: Stigma around masturbation First self-led orgasm memories Self-advocacy Many ways to masturbate Religion Representation + complexity of the clitoris  Your body is good Pressure Exposure to different types of bodies + confidence Birth control + libido Partners + masterbation Toys, accessories, experimentation - just try stuff! Educate yourself on butt stuff Thank you, Joy + Emily, for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you both so much.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Soheila Hakimi, a lifestyle content creator, self-taught photographer, travel writer, + mental health podcaster, born + raised in Toronto, Canada. Guided by her authenticity, Soheila focuses on connecting to her audience through vulnerable storytelling, engaging conversation, + beautiful photography. In 2019, after years of suffering from PTSD, depression, + anxiety, she opened up to her audience about her mental health struggles + created a podcast called Is That Soh Podcast, which aims to inspire, empower, + provide insights on various mental health + life topics so that others who are also struggling can find support + community. In this episode, we wrestle with: Big families Self-reflection Comparison + the downward spiral Healing journey + finally remembering the truth High functioning PTSD  Rape culture + self-blame Using social media to share your trauma  Self-sabotage + having a good support system Secrets, shame, + control Self-compassion for your younger self Share in safe spaces to empower self + others Becoming who we want to be Delaying the inevitable Relapses Power of language Healing is painful + SO rewarding Emotional hangover Soheila is like the best friend you had growing up. She invites you in with her genuine laugh + makes you want to stay with her honest humxn generosity. This is an episode with some heavy content matter, so take care for yourself as you follow along on this journey of self-discovery.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Zoya Flow (legally Tiff Cochran), a non-conformist who only uses the term since it seems most people need something to describe her. When people ask her who she is, she often simply says “Zoya.” She is gender non-conforming, uses the pronouns she/her/they/them, a grounded dreamer, focused explorer, meditative warrior, + creative thinker. She believes in mastering only what she must so she has space to taste more of life's experiences, including being a certified healing artist focusing on herbalism, energy healing, reiki, divination, + meditation. She's also the host of The Possibility Flow Podcast, a series of explorations to offer fellow explorers the opportunity to see topics from new perspectives to help them release their true selves in being + manifesting quantum possibilities. In this episode, we wrestle with: Trusting intuition Listening to the wisdom of elders Embracing the highs + lows Staying in unhealthy relationships until we learn our lesson Sovereignty Polyamory, bisexuality, + freedom of expression Love + conditioning Internalizing lifestyle differences Quantum possibility + non-conformity Importance of relaxing Cerebral vs embodied experiences Being the master of your own creation Pronouns + gender expression Self-love CAN come from loving others first Gender freedom Zoya is a kind, genuine, non-linear, multi-dimensional being who makes it feel safe to explore the unexplored within yourself  + the world around you. Thank you for your time, space, + energy; you are welcome back ANYTIME! 

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we are introducing a new series called ADULT SEX ED, where we talk about all the things we never learned in sex ed, now as adults! It's awkward, playful, real, honest, + informative because we ALL deserve to get our sex questions answered in a way that feels empowering + pleasurable. In today's conversations, we are honored to speak with Joy Davis, creator of Full Moon Fertility, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) FAM Educator, trained in the Justiisse Method, + Dr. Emily Kirkwold owner of NFP Pharmacist, NFP + cycle charting in the Marquette Method, to chat about all things sex ed. This will be an ongoing conversation to normalize sex, pleasure, sexuality, bodies + their fluids, + so much more. DM us if there is a topic you want us to talk about in a future episode!  In this episode, we wrestle with: Lack of information + conversations Normalizing sexual development + body exploration Doing your own work Starting conversations about sex + bodies young Sex in the media + inaccurate information Consent + open communication Introducing new types of sexual acts Understanding yourself + your partner's body + fertility cycles Birth control Thank you, Joy + Emily, for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you both so much.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we are honored to speak with Chenise Monet, a friend of Jenell's from SLO, recovering people pleaser, avid adventurer, serial hobbyist (surfing, wine tasting, wine making, snowboarding, baking, longboarding), tech nerd, mother to a beautiful on + fiddle leaf fig tree, perpetual student who loves spending time outdoors, observing people, traveling, + reading, in an attempt to better understand the world + what drives our behaviors.  In this episode, we wrestle with: Vulnerability boundaries Changing beliefs + values over time Rebellion Recovering codependency Are you broken or just humxn? Feeling unfit to be a mother Embracing your uniqueness Getting stuck in your identity Projecting a critical self-view onto others Attachment styles Chenise is a wise, loving voice of authenticity. She will invite you to own wherever you're at with a raw, calm, loving, + honest vulnerability.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we have another installment of our UNPACK series where we bring on a mash-up of voices from across North America as fellow travelers with different perspectives to discuss a specific topic. Today's episode is all about how we define success + unpacking all the aspects of this sentiment + statement + experience. We are excited to chat with TIna Ahn - a Canadian ray of sunshine + guest from earlier this year (S4|E7), Allison Forsyth - two-time Canadian Alpine Skiing Olympian, mother of 3, + all-around relatable badass, + David Jacobson (DJ) - inspiring Minneapolis-based connector, season 3 podcast guest (S3|E36), + bridge to much needed change in the world. We wrestle with externally defined success vs internally defined success, living in a box, fear-based thinking, internal pressure, avoiding “success”, the shifting definition of success, success as a mask for abuse + trauma, impact, simplicity, knowing what's enough, co-creation, comparison, expectations, + experiencing as much life as possible. Thank you, TIna, Allison, + DJ for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you all so much.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we are honored to speak with Christina Chrowe, Canadian-born, Texas-raised hockey player, Canadian Registered Psychotherapist, entrepreneur, + relentless health advocate. She founded Dig a Little Deeper Psychotherapy + Counseling, a modern, self-managed, group practice with nine other psychotherapists + counselors. Christina maintains her own private practice, provides clinical supervision to graduate counseling interns, is currently a practicing therapist, + partners with local organizations to provide accessible + free psychotherapy services to some of our most vulnerable community members. And as part of her creative outlet, she creates entertaining tik tok videos about life with ADHD. We talk collectives, boundaries in the workplace, conscious organizations, developing employees as a way to increase retention vs fear-based control, failing faster, feeling like you already have to be a proven product of the thing you are trying to sell, the non-linear path of being mentally healthy, owning what you need, ADHD, to take medication or not, latent diagnoses, neurodiversity, honing your joy, + learning to be proud of who you are. Christina is a calming force of truth. Her presence literally will slow you down so you can truly sit with the essence of you + experience the gifts of all the aspects of who you are.

et ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Lukas Sliz, an Instagram acquaintance from Poland, turned friend. He is a writer, a speaker, a coach, a cruise ship trainer, with dreams of rethinking the education system in support of living authentically, and he helps people embrace who they are, to step into their power, and live the life they want to live. We talk about understanding your ancestry, speaking multiple languages, sitting with your shit, cruise ship life, healing through finding meaning, perspective, compassion, connecting through real stories, projecting your triggers, mirroring + reflecting, resisting parts of yourself, rethinking the current education system, getting into spaces with people who are different from you, the trap of authenticity, advocating for your higher self, and surrendering. Lukas voice will calm you to your bones. His ability to live the words of authenticity so effortlessly will lull you into your own sense of self. Enjoy!

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. In today's episode, we're so excited to talk to Wisconsin-born Whitney Abene (she/her), a lifelong sports + fitness geek, indoor cycling instructor + fitness experience mentor/trainer, two-time marathoner, Marquette University alum with two cats, passionate racial justice + women's health advocate, Schitt's Creek addict, and part of the kickass eCommerce team at LaunchBoom. We talk about finding a partner after a decade of being single, sharing your real story vs creating false narratives, secret shame, vetting people with your authenticity, fucking it up in your 20s - or any age, new levels of loneliness, permission, divorce + learning what to do after divorce, being told to be less of yourself, putting boundaries around the things you love, finding community, saying yes, creating spaces of failure, being the face that you don't see in the arena, believing in the people around you, and knowing what to do when you disagree with someone. We know Whit from our time in Milwaukee, building the SPIRE fitness community from the ground up + we're not kidding when we say Whitney is one of a kind, gives the best hugs, lifts people up exactly for who they are, and has the kindest no-bullshit approach to life we've ever met. Grab your fav snack + get ready to fall in love with this humxn.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today’s episode needs a trigger warning as it contains references to suicide, drug addiction, postpartum, and other sensitive topics. We share with gentleness and thoughtfulness to normalize these things in the world. Please use your discernment in how to care for yourself as you consume this content. We are honored to speak with Megan Sa, former co-worker of Jenell’s at MindBody, working in human resources. Megan is a Beachbody Coach, a cheer coach, a mother of two, and is such a bold, honest, real person, which can be rare in the corporate world, and she does such an amazing job of inviting those around her to step more into their real, honest selves, both professionally and in the world. We play with making time for yourself to truly be with yourself + not have to think or do anything else, disrupting family gender roles, father roles + influence, anxiety + postpartum depression realities, talking about mental health in the workplace, coping skills vs pills, addiction + identity numbing, invisible disabilities, having a supportive partner + support system, grappling with death, asking for what you need, advocating for your mental health in the workplace, and saving yourself. This episode cuts through to the core of being a humxn with mental struggles + Megan has an innate ability to share her story with grounded acceptance that invites you to embrace your own raw story with kindness + vulnerability. Thank you for sharing your powerful voice with us, Megan.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk with David Weiss, an internet connection who reached out to share his story about how he got into Flat Earth. Dave used to be a lifelong atheist who believed that Flat Earth was completely outlandish + silly until he took an honest look at it + to his surprise, it completely turned his life upside down. He quit his job, became an entrepreneur, found divinity, and never looked back. This episode unpacks beliefs + our propensity to simply take information at face value without verifying it or validating it for ourselves, poking holes + asking the hard questions, changing your mind, deception, holding unpopular understandings + how that impacts your interpersonal relationships, disrupting default patterns, NOT forcing people to wake up, and how Flat Earth has changed lives + brought people together into a community of kind + curious folx. We are so appreciative of Dave’s approach to  sharing this provocative + somewhat divisive idea of the earth being flat. His fun, inviting, non-attached passion will draw you in, have you tilting your head,  + taking a beat to consider what you previously thought you knew as truth. Have fun with this one - we did!

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we have another installment of our UNPACK series where we bring on a mash-up of voices from across the country as fellow travelers with different perspectives to discuss a specific topic. Today’s episode is all about chasing happiness + unpacking all the aspects of this sentiment + statement + experience. We are excited to chat with Christie Conochalla, LA-based filmmaker + awesome guest from Season 2 (listen here!), and Brandon Schwitter , podcaster, youtuber, and passionate winemaker based out of San Luis Obispo, CA. We wrestle with how to go from chasing vs walking happiness, not trying so hard, trusting, acknowledging a false sense of control, doing things for the love of doing things, the relationship between money + happiness, the hindrance of ideal feel states, minimalism, carving out happiness with what you have, how happiness relates to shame + money, happiness influence with others, and backing into happiness. This convo is honest + covers the gamut of how happiness + happiness expectations are woven into our lives + culture. Thank you, Christie + Brandon for being so open + giving in your perspectives + truths. We appreciate you both so much.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we speak with Emily Watson, a soul friend + incredible humxn. Rachel first met Emily through Thrive - a humxn development company + they quickly became close friends who could talk about literally anything. Professionally, Emily is a school counselor turned life coach turned helpful hardware folk, helping to run her family’s Ace Hardware business. She’s curious and always learning, has a passion for learning + development, a seeker of new experiences, and she’s a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). We talk about allowing the unfolding, not needing to know what’s next, getting stuck in how you think you want your life to go, learning to trust your intuition, twisting career journeys, revalidating decisions, redefining the definition of finding your purpose, the path of unbecoming, chasing life, controlling, sincere self-compassion, boundaries + resentment, and the Tao. This is a grounded + curious conversation about life + existing through the lens of our everyday experiences. Emily is a wise owl that gently challenges the status quo + we are so grateful for her voice in this world.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we are honored to speak with Lindsay Thomas (aka LT), a self-proclaimed “stranger conversationalist” with a shoe addiction, an advocate for all things primal needs - body image, diet culture, digital wellness, and sex positivity - and taking these basic primal needs + speaking to them in context to today’s societal construct. She’s a lululemon humxn who loves brainstorming + working with teams, her mantra is “just like the fucking spoon!”, and she is proud to be one year into recovery from her eating disorder. We talk about being adopted as an adult, knowing how much is enough stuff, the layers of choice, changing your mind, releasing shame, primal needs, having friends you can talk about sex with without it meaning anything, body acceptance, recognizing your recovery needs, recognizing vices, and choosing joy and tapping into the body’s intuition. LT is an incredibly calming WIP full of wisdom along her journey. Enjoy this episode as we unpack some deep and intimate topics.

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance of the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long. These conversations amplify the ways in which our society + culture has oppressed certain folx from being their authentic selves, as told through the voices of those experiencing the oppression first-hand. We thank every single guest who joins this space to courageously share their story and provide invaluable insight into a perspective that should never have been hidden. Listen, learn, unlearn, donate, support, change, grow, and make right.   This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.    Today, we hear from MInji Lew, a people developer, coach, enneagram 3, child of Korean immigrants, a southern California transplant, partner to a British Australian Expat, and a mother to a sassy silky terrier. We chat about being in service of your people, self-care, balancing being a pusher with allowing others to set their own pacing, breaking stereotypes, making mistakes as a way to learn, not knowing where you fit in, assimilation, how to acknowledge your ancestry, being loved + hated at the same time, blending in, finding the community that looks like you, calling in other cultural ideas around living with your parents as an adult, generational gifts, boundaries with parents, lack of respect for elders, and embracing perspectives + cultures different from your + integrating what feels authentic to you. This is a very honest, work-in-progress conversation about the unfolding realities of what it means to be Asian in America in the 21st Century + Minji says it beautifully, “We are all being woken up right now + we all have a stake in it.” Thank you for your heart, Minji. It’s an honor to hold space with you.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we have Lori Marini, an ICF ACC motivational coach, author, and speaker who specializes in empowering women during their healing journey after a life crisis. She is the founder and owner of Lori Marini Coaching + host of Conversations with Courageous Cancer Warriors (check out our episode here where Rachel shares her story). Lori is a cancer survivor and has a Masters in Health Science as a Pathologist Assistant and has worked in the academic hospital system as a tumor expert for 20 years. We talk about heritage + understanding your ancestral lineage, hiding who you are to avoid being made fun of, following your heart, making little adventures every day, cancer’s impact on authenticity, being in integrity with who you are, sacrificing and letting go to get what you want, the roles we think we have to play, the realities of sharing your story, making choices in alignment with who YOU are, co-triggering those you love, and honesty. This is an inviting episode that begs the question of whether you are operating from your ego or your true self and gives permission to bring some respectful lightness to the heavier subject matter. We are honored to host, Lori, and know you’ll love her as much as we do.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we have Karla Beltchenko and Cindy Luffred. Karla is one of Rachel’s long-time dance friends from childhood in Chicago, IL. Karla is the founder + director of The Narrative Body, a coaching + consulting program that teaches professionals, groups, and businesses about the power of body awareness + non-verbal behavior. As a young professional, she started out as a professional dancer and then transitioned into the arena of movement research, yoga, and other wellness modalities. Karla holds an MFA in Creative Practice from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music + Dance in London, utilizes the Laban Movement Analysis, and has dedicated her life to studying the nuanced intricacies of humxn movement, with a goal of helping individuals uncover the power they hold in their bodies, and giving them the tools to connect + communicate on a deeper level. Cindy Luffred, a self-proclaimed truth doulah, a spiritual medium, intuitive healer, and Founder of Revealing Soul. She’s the co-host of Slightly Spiritual Podcast, co-founder of the Soul Talks Meditation practice, and has a passion of bringing the energy of soul into view in a grounded + relatable way. Cindy uses her mediumship + intuition to reveal the parts of yourself that are hidden to reveal the truth within so you can manifest abundance without. We talk about allowing all parts of ourselves to exist and not forcing ourselves into any one box, resonating with the frequency of joy, somatic-based practices that allow the body to heal, listening to the subtle signals of the body vs just the bigger signals, energetic body awareness, pets as a way to build awareness in your body, plus Jenell + Rachel have channeled readings with Cindy! NOTE: we shorten them for the sake of the show. :)   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @thehoodhealer #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective #amplifymelanatedvoices @thehoodwitch Babette Rothschild  Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Who you are is not what you do. And who you are is a homogenous mashup of things. You are allowed to be many things. You are allowed to be indifferent boxes. You are allowed to straddle many different lanes. You’re allowed to color outside the lines. You are allowed to hold all the parts of yourself without forcing it to fit perfectly into an understandable narrative. If this doesn’t feel true to you, what would be possible if you allowed yourself to imagine that it could be? What might open up for you? What would you do if all of you could exist? We have been taught to only pay attention to the bigger, faster, stronger things. But really, the most powerful stuff is the small nuances + subtleties. Especially when it comes to our bodies, if we wait to only listen when it’s screaming at us, we are oftentimes too late to the game to make the changes we need to change course. If we slow down and listen to the smaller, more nuanced, subtler voices of the body, we can catch things and work with it along the way versus fighting it tooth and nail until it crashes and burns. What can you start to notice within your body each day to start to hear the small differences over time? Can you release your need to control EVERYTHING? What if the universe/divine/God/whatever you call it is trying to support you but it cannot get through because you are holding too tightly to the reigns? What if you released some of that control? What if what is in store for you is WAY BEYOND anything you could ever imagine, but your refusal to loosen your grip is keeping you handcuffed to the limits of your own imagination? If you knew that something so much better was available to you would you be willing to let go a little bit more?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:20] Miley Cyrus look-alikes [2:15] A truth doula  [4:20] Feeling truly whole in a place  [8:00] Doing hard things in new arenas  [9:15] AD:  Get excited for our April workshop, all about CONSISTENCY as a hack to committing to your TRUE NORTH. This 75-minute workshop unpacks the essential life hack of consistency + how we choose to show up for ourselves + the world, again + again. We deep dive as a community on our habits, practices, support systems, and more to support us in living our TRUE NORTH or not. Join us on 4/1/2021 @7:30pm CST by signing up for your spot here. See you there! [10:15] Welcome, Karla Beltchenko! [13:00] Welcome, Cindy Luffred! [15:45] Embracing all the different sides of yourself [20:00] Returning to the truth of my soul [20:50] Getting into resonance with love + joy [22:40] What does happiness + joy feel like in your body? [24:45] Body-based somatic practices to heal trauma [29:50] Listen to the boring body signals [35:00] Energetic body awareness + pet awareness [39:50] Aura [44:08] Rachel’s shortened channeled reading by Cindy [51:26] AD: Check out the latest creation, SEEDS, by Agora Artists (from S3|E18), an online concert of dance works created by 7 dancers + choreographers in Dallas, TX. It’s an opportunity for independent choreographers + small dance companies to come together + get paid for their work during these unprecedented times. The event starts on Saturday, March 27th @5pm PST and runs until Saturday, April 3rd. Get your tickets here! We appreciate you supporting our amazing community! [55:00] How to use channeling to validate + resonate with your truth [58:30] How to take the leap to entrepreneurship? [1:04:00] Jenell’s channeled reading with Cindy [1:13:00] Hope is rooted in fear/Intention is rooted in faith [1:22:00] What does an authentic body look/feel like? [1:24:00] Alignment [1:26:00] You cannot neglect parts of yourself + show up authentically [1:28:10] How do you live your TRUE NORTH in 1 word? [1:30:00]] Connect with Karla via thenarrativebody.com or IG @thenarrativebody or via personal IG @lovekarlabel. Connect with Cindy via revealingsoul.com or IG @revealingsoul.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we have a special episode inspired by a convo we had in a recent COLLECTIVE, our free monthly community gathering, all about where we place our self worth. We bring on a mash-up of voices together from across the country to unpack this topic as fellow travelers looking to better understand and learn and grow from and with each. Kaity Thompson-Semmelhack lives in Milwaukee, WI. She is a Cycle Program manager at Spire Fitness and works for a non-profit called Cure SMA. Jack Nelms lives in Dallas, TX, and is a Producer/Artist doing the electronica indie genre of music. Lizzie Somabut-Collie is also in Dallas, TX, in the midst of another career transition, amidst a pandemic, and she’s trying to figure out what feels good and fulfilling to her in her career, while ensuring the organization she's with also values her. We talk about external validation vs self-worth, recognizing when our identities are tied to things outside of ourselves, the exhaustion of being a “yes” person, how to know when you’re in self-worth, self advocating, releasing the outcome, when ego + external validation are good, the self-worth muscle, and unconditional self-worth. This conversation invites everyone to explore what it means to live from self-worth and what we do when we inevitably forget.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re talking to LuAnne Buechler, CMP, Passionate Business Owner, Author, and Transformational Speaker. She’s a Certified Facilitator of The Passion Test, Director of Business Network International (BNI), and part of the Transformational Leadership Council working team. From the first moment you meet LuAnne, she feels immediately warm, safe, welcoming, and kind, leaving you with an innate smile on your face. We chat about the gift of learning to receive from others, being seen + heard, opening up to those in your life, the masks we wear that stop us from being who we truly are, vibrating joy, being an I HUG volunteer + the scientific power of a genuine hug on your body, discovering your passions, consciously choosing, finding your deeper self, NOT owning your dreams, questioning everything that you think, aligning your actions with your values, and asking yourself if you really love what you’re doing in your life? This is a warm + soft landing place to explore how you might live life with passion in a way that resonates with you. We’re glad you’re here with us.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re doing something a little bit different! Last year (2019), we recorded some audio around Valentine’s Day all about our reflections on love. It never saw the light of day because it included some raw, vulnerable, and really fresh experiences that we weren’t ready to share publicly yet. This year we thought it might be fun to dust off this content and re-listen to it while reflecting on where we are NOW - one year later. So, this episode will be a mix of the original audio coupled with pauses and interjections of our reflections today - how things have changed, how they have remained the same, where we call bull shit on ourselves, and where we celebrate our wisdom. It’s an endearing episode all about the non-linear roller coaster ride of love, soul mates, love languages, dating, relationships, being true to yourself, and showing up for what you believe in. Enjoy!   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @kiergaines #amplifymelanatedvoices @sylvestermcnutt #amplifymelanatedvoices @yung_pueblo SIngle. On Purpose. by John Kim Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: The practice of walking your walk is a HUGE part of the journey. Sometimes we know what we want to do, but we still don’t do it. It’s really normal to have a gap between knowing and doing. And when we realize that there is a gap, it is our responsibility to figure out how to bridge that gap. And it doesn’t have to change over night, but just take small, doable steps that allow you to start to walk your talk. Otherwise we are just unreliable talking heads. Notice the types of people you are wanting to date or are attracted to in your life (in a romantic or non-romantic relationship) and the characteristics that they possess that you want to be around. It may be indicative of the qualities that you are actually looking to amplify within yourself. Can you pay attention to those qualities that you seek in others and start to ask yourself how you can cultivate them within yourself? Don’t outsource your desires to another person, empower yourself to bring them to life within yourself. Relationships aren’t just about getting. They are about giving + getting. They are about giving from a place of wholeness. They are about learning how to show up and experience what it’s like to truly give love to another humxn. It’s not just about receiving love and support (it is also about that), but are you also giving yourself the chance to know giving love unconditionally? That is such a gift + a beautiful part of relationships.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:20] Walking your talk [6:00] Do you like Valentine’s Day? [8:30] Writing a love letter to yourself [18:10] A period of being alone [19:30] Self-love as a practice [22:00] When do you stop thinking/caring/loving yourself? [24:00] Growth takes time [28:00] Cultivating what you want in a relationship, within you [30:00] Running into the fire [35:00] Blame vs accountability [36:30] Choosing yourself is not selfish [44:20] Be the soulmate that you want to be [52:00] Being a picky dater [55:00] Making out for the first time at the age of 20 [1:02:00] I am gorgeous! [1:02:40] Just be yourself + always check-in with yourself [1:05:30] The checklist  [1:09:30] Getting vs giving in relationships [1:14:00] Being in alignment with self [1:16:30] Letting people show you who they are [1:20:00] Making decisions from a grounded place [1:24:20] Knowing you + your nuances [1:26:15] Being proud of self + celebrating self

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re doing something new! On March 4th, 2021 @7:30-8:45pm CST, we are hosting our next workshop called THE CONTRAST: ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR MESSY TRUE NORTH. In this workshop, we dive into our own inner contrast and invite the question of how we hold the extremes of being humxn within and around us, embracing and allowing all of it to co-exist. By building a bridge within ourselves, we can start to build bridges around us, too. To get ready for this workshop, we have created a “best of” CONTRAST compilation reel. We took the best sound bites from previous episodes that truly set the stage for a conversation on what it means to embrace all of you + all of it. No matter what might be there. It’s an invitation that isn’t for the faint of heart, but it comes with the rewards of a lifetime. The chance to truly know + be yourself, fully. Welcome.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re talking to Tina Ahn, a genuine ray of light, one of Rachel’s friends + co-workers, a Store Manager at a lululemon store in Toronto, ON, a former competitive soccer player, has a rescue pup named Lizzie, is a big feeler, has goals to become a life coach, and is just an all around genuine people person with a gift for holding space for self-discovery and exploration of those ah-ha moments. We talk a lot about being professionally photographed for the first time + allowing yourself to be the center of attention, learning to embrace all that shows up even when we’re scared, proving yourself wrong, celebrating  + choosing yourself, giving yourself a fair shot, imagining the worst case scenario, letting go of what’s holding you back, using your life as a mirror, listening to your body, and using your voice to self advocate. This conversation dives right into some real vulnerability + reminds us that we are never alone when we have the courage to show up + share our true stories with the people around us. Thank you, Tina, for modeling this so beautifully.

This podcast is about the real-life documentation of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their TRUE NORTH. That requires raw, vulnerable, unedited content. We're trying something new. Releasing our inner monologues as short quick hits to share the journey.    Let us know what you think and if you can relate. 

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we take a minute to catch up with just Jenell + Rachel to hear where they’re at with their own journeys. A huge passion behind the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE has always been to be in the process of figuring out what it means to be true to ourselves, right alongside each of you. We certainly don’t have all the answers. We might have more data than we did four years ago, but we realize that being our true selves is an ongoing commitment, a lifestyle choice, and a lifelong practice. So, in this slightly shorter episode, we jump right into the middle of a convo that we were having (without the intention to record) and realized that we should be recording it because it was real, raw, in-the-moment, unplanned, and honest. We talk about learning to trust ourselves, NOT hiding behind people, owning the parts of ourselves that we’re ashamed of, conviction + sincerity, not being in a rush, control and self-compassion. We hope this episode reminds you that you are not alone in this and that the journey is life, so dive in and see where it takes you.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @jianpablico #amplifymelanatedvoices @transparentandblack #amplifymelanatedvoices @kierandthem Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Where in your life are you looking for permission from others to do what you know in your heart it’s time for? Can you just trust yourself? What would it look like if you DID trust yourself? What would a person who trusts themselves do? What small things can you start to do each day to build up your trust muscle in yourself, until you are able to trust yourself with bigger choices? Start small if you have to, but never give up on trusting in yourself to know what’s best for you. Let’s normalize the reality of what it means to actually find + be yourself. It seems so obvious + easy at the surface, but really it’s confusing + uncertain + messy + backwards + beautiful + rejecting + annoying + frustrating + so much more. And yet we only talk about the shiny parts of it, which is such a disservice to all of us because then we chase some false reality of what it means to be true to yourself. Let’s give ourselves permission to have the journey of being true to yourself be whatever it looks like for you. And to know that whatever it looks like is probably more normal than you realize because we haven’t done a great job of being honest about how non-linear the path with oneself actually is. Sometimes we don’t need another book or concept or tool, we just need to go live life and experience shit for ourselves. To gather our own proof and data and understanding. So we can know for ourselves, first-hand, experientially. Because no wisdom is as impactful as the wisdom within us and our lived experience.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:00] Trusting yourself [3:00] Letting myself cry  [3:50] Asking for permission [5:00] Demonizing parts of myself [7:50] Making myself small [9:45] Shifting relationship dynamics [12:00] Owning the parts of self that feel shameful [18:00] Are you going to choose to live for them or you? [24:00] How bad do you want it? [26:00] Rites of passage [32:23] AD: We are excited to share that Dr. Emily Kirkwold (from Season 3 of TNC) is offering FREE monthly workshops on natural family planning, held on the 3rd Thursday of each month. As a part of knowing your authentic self, it’s so important to invite yourself to know your body fully, too. Learn more here to start the journey of knowing the nuances of the body as it pertains to natural family planning. [33:50] Experiential knowledge + conviction [35:30] Slowing down + being sincere [39:00] Control + time [44:00] Self-compassion [45:00] AD: If you like these conversations and want more from this community, we highly recommend signing up for our mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming events, experiences and things that are happening with this rad collective of humxns living their TRUE NORTH. We’d love to connect with you there!

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.   This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.    Today, we hear from Kameelah Muhammad, our friend, former co-worker at SPIRE Fitness, TRX, Crew instructor, and lead Brand Ambassador at SPIRE Fitness, a mom to an amazing daughter, poet, and all around uplifting and grounded humxn that the world is lucky to have. We talk about adapting, letting your spirit shine, being willing to learn, embracing the challenge, losses vs lessons, trusting yourself, ego, resilience, the illogical face of fitness + body diversity, loving yourself + your body, gratitude + perspective, acknowledging what society is putting out + what’s actually real, respect, becoming the face of diversity, taking ownership, and learning to just be yourself as a way to change the world. This is a powerful, honest, realistic episode that invites respect, self-love, and movement as a way to better co-exist with one another. We love + appreciate the hell out of you, Kameelah!

This podcast is about the real-life documentation of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their TRUE NORTH. That requires raw, vulnerable, unedited content. We're trying something new. Releasing our inner monologues as short quick hits to share the journey.    Let us know what you think and if you can relate. 

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re talking to Rachel about turning 38!! Her birthday is on this Friday - January 29th. She’s an Aquarius air sign, winter baby with layers and layers of truth, curiosity, openness, beauty, self-proclaimed weirdness, depth of emotion, and wisdom and we are honored to have her in the world. HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, LOTTI!!!! In this episode, we talked about how Rachel got here, what she’s learned, what she’s taking with her into her 38th year of life, what she’s leaving behind, where she’s headed, and what she’s celebrating. It’s a shorter episode where we just love on Rachel for being a badass humxn. Feel free to shower her with love on IG this week and/or on her actual birthday, this Friday. She has historically hated being the center of attention, but this year she is changing it up + embracing the love.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re talking to Ethan Waldman, tiny house author, speaker, and teacher, who built his own tiny house on wheels in 2012 and has been passionately helping future tiny home dwellers on their own tiny home journeys every since. He has a guide called Tiny House Decisions, is the creator and host of the Tiny House Lifestyle podcast - conversations with tiny house luminaries, builders, and DIYers, and currently lives part-time in his tiny home with his wife in Vermont. We talk about being in the suck parts of your dream life, Type 1 vs Type 2 fun, making time to see what’s around you, creating a free form lifestyle, learning as you go, not knowing what to do with your life, dealing with shame, linear + templated living, and the realities of being an entrepreneur and generalist. This is a curious conversation that takes you on a journey through the mindset of tiny house living and will leave you questioning what things are truly needed to make you feel at home?   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @nanggaahlaangstangs #amplifymelanatedvoices @napministry #amplifymelanatedvoices @healyourliving Travels with Willie by Willie Weir Gran Fondo Whistler Couchsurfing True Hue Stargazing candle Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Sometimes when you are in the middle of a hard “thing” - a project, a trip, a goal, a conversation, an experience - it can feel grueling and hard and like, “why did I decide to do this?!” It can be easy to get lost in the short-term pain/uncertainty/discomfort and lose sight of the long-term gains/outcomes/consequences. And when we are able to look back on a thing and see it for all that it is, in context to the whole of our lives, the pain might actually end up seeming small compared to the gains. Where in your life are you in “it” and it’s hard to see the long-term impact that this current discomfort might actually serve + inspire? Can you allow yourself to reconnect to the possibility of the longer term gains, while still acknowledging the parts you’re in that might still suck in the present moment? You’ve got this. It’ll be worth it. Learn as you go. Chunk that thing down that you really want into smaller steps and learn as you go. What are you waiting on because you don’t know how to do it all yet? What if you just got started and trusted that you would figure it out along the way? You will never know everything or be able to be fully ready for all that will come up, so just begin and meet each moment, each step of the process where you are and where it’s at, and figure it out one thing at a time. Until soon enough you have written a book, built a house, started a podcast, created a profitable business, had the conversation, made the dream a reality. What’s your mindset right now? What’s your mindset when you do anything? What’s your mindset most of the time as you’re living? What’s your mindset when you’re going after a dream or NOT going after a dream? Pay attention to what your mindsets are and how they are supporting or not supporting you. Sometimes we think that the way to get what we want is only through how the outside world shows up for us. But in reality, we have a lot of power in experiencing what we want through the mindset that we have. For example, you can have a tiny house mindset without actually living in a tiny house. It’s more of a state of mind vs just a set of external things that look a certain way. It’s both! And sometimes we don’t have control over the external world, but we do have control over our mindset, so why not check-in + start there?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:10] Biking from Seattle to Vancouver [3:20] Couch surfing [6:00] Type 1 vs Type 2 fun  [9:00] Making time to see what’s around [10:40] AD:  In 2021, we’re so excited to be offering live zoom workshops, every month, to support you in the journey of reconnecting to your TRUE NORTH. Join us on Jan 28th, as we kick-off the series with an INTENTION SETTING WORKSHOP - inviting you to reflect, unpack, + get clear on who you want to be + how you want to show up this year. AND, if you want to play with us all year, we are offering a deal to get all 11 workshops for only $99! Learn more + sign up here. [12:30] Welcome, Ethan! [14:00] Creating a free form lifestyle [17:00] Leaving a corporate job [24:00] Being scared of not knowing what to do [25:30] Dealing with shame [30:00] hustle lifestyle [38:00] Feeling unemployable [39:00] The difficulties of being a jack of all trades [41:45] Imposter Syndrome  [45:25] AD: Right now, Soul Care Collective, a Black woman-run virtual wellness center, is taking donations for their Affordable Wellness Initiative, where you can sponsor healing sessions for Black, Indigenous, NB, and Femme people who aren’t able to afford mental health + wellness services right now. Follow @soulcarecollective, spread the word about this initiative, and/or donate if inspired here. [48:00] Linear + templated living [50:00] Tiny house state of mind [53:00] Our relationship to stuff [56:00] What do you REALLY need? [1:00:00] Home [1:07:00] Resources for Tiny Home living [1:08:10] How do you live your TRUE NORTH in 1 word? [1:08:30] Connect with Ethan via thetinyhouse.net, listen to his Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast, or follow him on IG @ethanwaldman

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re talking to Edgar Cholewa-Cardona, a huge fan of Shiba Inu dogs, originally from Guatemala, a language connoisseur (he speaks English, Spanish, Mandarin, Chinese, and is learning German!), on the Strategic Implementation Team at Mindbody, and lover of all plants - currently he has over 300+! We chat about how plants are related to living an authentic life and how they can teach us about diversity and community. We unpack energetic communication, finding the beauty in the little things, trying things just to try them, not taking things for granted, understanding your roots, acknowledging differences, having real friends or just a lot of people you know, blame culture, getting stuck in life, and celebrating experimentations, failures, and endings. This is a relatable episode that will leave you laughing and feeling connected.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re excited to kick off season 4 with Samantha Porter (aka Sam), avid runner, cycling instructor, Beachbody Coach, plant-based consumer, aspiring world traveler, Milwaukee influencer, and all-around awesome, down-to-earth humxn to talk about the intersection of authenticity and social media. As we step into a new year and start to watch the motivational content roll-in, we take a pause to consider the intention behind what we post. Plus, we talk psychic readings, listening to the pain in your body, feeling worthless, noticing the good, getting laid off, pouring into others, not hoarding your wisdom, using social media to help people, redefining success for yourself, staying present, waiting for the data to show up to make the next decisions vs forcing it, and making social media approachable. We love you, Sam!!   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @decolonize_fitness #amplifymelanatedvoices @gingermarieblog Mary Ellen Pride Psychic Costar app Enneagram Pet Psychic Thrive - a human development company TNC S3|E25 - Finding your Authentic Voice Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: When things are feeling bleak, invite yourself to notice any good stuff around you. What lifts you up during your day? Take note of when and what lights you up, even if in the smallest ways and then prioritize those things again and again. Not to distract from reality. Not to avoid your feelings, but to ensure that you aren’t just losing sight of the bigger picture and sinking deeper and deeper into a perspective that might not be serving you and ultimately holding you back. Pay attention to where you find your sense of self-worth. Is it tied to a job? Your looks? Your relationships? Your athletic abilities? Your status? If your sense of self-worth is always tied to things outside of yourself then you will always live at the mercy of that thing, which you cannot truly control. Notice where that worth is and start to see if you can build your self-worth beyond that thing outside of you so that you can maybe start to feel good with or without it. Community help is an essential part of healing and becoming who we are meant to be. Where in your life can you allow someone to pour into you? Where in your life is it time to pour into someone else? We cannot and do not need to do this life alone. We DO need to be able to trust in ourselves and not put our happiness and healing into someone else’s hands, but we ARE meant to do this alongside other people and know we are NOT alone.    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:10] Psychic readings + discernment [6:15] Playing with the unknown [13:00] AD: Shout out to SPIRE Fitness - the first rowing, cycling, TRX studio in Milwaukee, and where Jenell + Rachel first met!! Times are tough for small businesses, so we wanted to invite anyone who feels inspired to support this amazing studio + incredible community through gift card purchases,  class packages, social media follows.

Get ready for THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 4! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re excited to give you a teaser of what’s to come in Season 4 on THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE - for the podcast, for the community, for the year! We’re gonna shake some things up, introduce some new elements and we cannot wait to share it all with you here, first. We of course will be continuing to have amazing conversations with rad, everyday humxns who are fearlessly living their TRUE NORTH each week, and we are going to start to expand these conversations beyond just the podcast so that more people can inspire each other with their real, raw journeys, beyond just the platform of listening to this podcast. We talk about stewardship vs forcing outcomes, transition years, building community, celebrating the WIP (work-in-progress), intention setting and new workshops for 2021. Can’t wait to continue this journey with each of you - happy new year!   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @sonyareneetaylor #amplifymelanatedvoices @kierandthem Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Where can you allow a project you're working on, or a situation in your life, to unfold with you vs forcing it? Sometimes we try to over-control things and push things to where we want them to be vs allowing them to be what they are, which is a big disservice to the thing and to ourselves. What if instead, we allowed the project to tell us what it is ready for? What if we spent some time listening to where it wants to go vs trying to force it where we think it should go? What if we were stewards of a thing vs trying to master it into submission of our vision? The power of community is such a key part of becoming who you are. As we invite people into spaces to be who they truly are, we also invite ourselves in to show up as the realest version of ourselves. Being able to see just how similar we are and normalizing the process of being and becoming more of oneself is so much more fun alongside other fellow travelers. We highly recommend finding community support who can witness and walk alongside you as you live this life. And if you need a community, you are ALWAYS welcome here, just as you are.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we continue our conversation to close out 2020 with part 2 of our reflection episode from Rachel + Jenell, co-creators and co-hosts of the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE podcast. In part 1, we focused on Jenell’s biggest 2020 takeaways around loneliness, and this week we talk about Rachel’s biggest takeaway and learning from 2020 - cultivating inner safety. In this episode we discuss being able to experience life without getting rocked by it, cutting out what is no longer worker in your life, embodied trauma recovery + polyvagal theory, examining the parts of ourselves that are hard to look at, recovery + community help, saving yourself, and the power of conversation.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @narcissismrecoverycenter #amplifymelanatedvoices @theangreytherapist #amplifymelanatedvoices @nedratawwab Polyvagal Theory Dallas Healing House CoDA Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: What in your life needs to fall away in order to continue to expand into who you truly are? Sometimes things can stay and be integrated while we shift and expand. Sometimes the things need to completely get cut out. It’s important to check-in with yourself to see which your heart truly needs right now because either option can be an unhealthy one or very healthy one, depending on where you are and what’s truly needed. Cutting bait before you’re ready might just be running away or it could be choosing yourself. Staying and figuring out how to make something work can be taking responsibility for your change or it could be controlling and manipulative or denying what is there that needs to be addressed. And no matter which you choose, for whichever reasons you choose, there is ALWAYS learnings and growth to be had. It’s all for you. Can you stand grounded in who you are, amidst the things going on around you? Can you be aware and present to what is here (no matter how messy or chaotic) and stay centered within yourself and who you want to be. Can you honor who you are, while you are honoring where other people are, even if the outcome is uncertain or the reactions are coming at you? Can you stay connected to you, regardless of what’s going on around you and choose from that place who you want to be within the broader experience you are having? This is an authentic coexistence. What if we could support people by being with them while they save themselves instead of being with them to try and fix something or trying to save them (or trying to get others to save us)? What if we were able to embody the energy of, “I know you’ve got you, you don’t need me, and I am here with you while you remember that you’ve got you. Cause I am not going to be the one who saves you. You are going to save you. And visa versa.”?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:20] Experiencing life without being rocked by it [2:45] A massive letting go to be able to continue your journey [4:15] Cultivating safety in your body [5:30] Somatic therapy + tools [5:50] Living in survival mode [7:00] Polyvagal Theory [14:15] Quicksand [16:00] Triggers [21:40] Recovery + support groups [23:18] Community help vs self-help [24:35] AD: As you know, Rachel is a life coach, and to wrap up this crazy year, we’re excited to offer our TNC community an exclusive 10% off any/all life coaching packages/sessions purchased with Rachel between now + 1/31/21. Simply email rachel.unstuck@gmail.com + mention promo code TRUENORTHHOLIDAYS.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re excited to bring PART 2 of our final 2020 free, pre-recorded workshop all about PRESENCE. If you haven’t listened to PART 1 yet, we highly recommend you start here and then come back with this follow-up conversation about presence, with our favorite life coach, Judy Dejno, CEO of THRIVE - a human development company. This episode is an open discussion about presence and authenticity, from the perspectives of 3 humxns learning how to be more present. We talk about the cycle of presence, embracing the suck, chasing happiness, fixing self vs embracing self, and presence in connection with others.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @meditationswithsha #amplifymelanatedvoices @narcissismrecoverycenter #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective Narcissism recovery center Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: What if instead of running away, avoiding, or fighting the sucky times, we embraced them? What does that even mean to embrace the suck? To us it means, allowing it to be what it is without making meaning out of it and accepting it as a part of the reality you are living in so that you can take that into account as you choose your next step. If you don’t embrace it, then you are fighting it and it fights back. If you embrace it, maybe you can work with it and put energy towards new solutions that factor the suck into it vs using that same energy to try and hope and pretend that the suck isn’t there - when it clearly is. Also know that acceptance of the suck can take time and there is also a grieving process that might happen concurrently. Know that all of that is ok and nobody expects you to leapfrog your emotions if you aren’t ready to embrace something - but know that when you are ready, that option is always there for you. What are you chasing? Happiness? Success? Is it sustainable? What would be sustainable? What if the only truly sustainable thing was to sit with what is here right now, and now, and now? What if sustained happiness is not about chasing some future state, but in being able to sit with what is, in this moment? To embrace the fullness of life that’s happening right now in all its forms. To savor the moment for what it is. To lean into the depths and aliveness of this humxn experience that only exists right now? What do you think? What if personal development isn’t about fixing you, but instead it’s about learning to embrace EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of who you ACTUALLY are? Are you trying to grow and evolve to fix a perceived deficit or to be a different person? Or are you trying to expand the compassion and acceptance of yourself beyond just what feels comfortable? To embrace the wholeness of the imperfection that is who we all are. What if THAT is actually real personal development work? What if THAT is where the magic is?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:30] The cycle + waves of life [2:40] Embracing the suck  [3:10] Sincerity [4:30] Flow + sustainability [6:20] Chasing good feelings, happiness, joy [11:45] Writing a different kind of cover letter [15:30] Choice [18:00] Fixing you vs embracing you [24:40] How does presence work when you’re in connection with others? [29:00] Allowing another person’s discomfort without taking it on [33:33] How are you living your TRUE NORTH? [35:00] Contact Judy via email at judy@thrivehdc.com or check out upcoming THRIVE programs at THRIVEhdc.com [35:41] AD: We’re excited to announce a new set of workshops around authenticity, going live monthly in 2021. If you have enjoyed these workshops or just want to dedicate more time unpacking your own authenticity alongside others doing the same, we’d love to have you join us! Make sure you are following us on IG + on our mailing list as that is where you can learn more about the workshops, some special promotions, and sign-up. We’ll see you there!    *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we’re excited to bring our final 2020 free, pre-recorded workshop all about PRESENCE. This is a 2-parter with our favorite life coach, Judy Dejno, CEO of THRIVE - a human development company. This first episode is the pre-recording of the actual workshop on PRESENCE, done in real-time so that you can follow along with us from the comfort of your own home. Part 2, next week, is an open discussion about presence and authenticity. So, find a comfortable + quiet space, print out the Presence Worksheet (below), grab your favorite drink, put on some gentle background music, maybe grab a few friends if you want to experience this alongside others, + get ready to connect inward so that you lean into what’s here, now.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @meditationswithsha #amplifymelanatedvoices @thepossibilityflow #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective Presence Workshop (LINK TO PDF) Work with Judy Denjo for life coaching TNC podcast about seeing + being seen: S3|E44 Loneliness: Finding your true north in 2020 (part 1) Elizabeth Gilbert - Big Magic Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Presence isn’t about striving for peace. It is about recognizing where you are right now and being with the depth of what’s actually here without making it right, wrong, good, bad. Peace is almost a derivative of the ability to accept + lean into what is - right now, fully - not just the “good” stuff. When you are outside of yourself, you are actually cutting yourself off from your innate creativity. Being outside of yourself means that you are disconnected from yourself and more connected to something outside of yourself (disempowerment). Start to pay attention to when you are outside of yourself and what got you there. What is it like to be outside of yourself vs connected to yourself in the present moment? What are body sensation differences? What are the experiential differences? What are the voice differences? What are the behavior differences? What are the thought differences? Knowing your unique markers for being connected or outside of yourself can help you to know when you are outside of yourself and that you might not be tapping into your fullest creative potential. Reflection is such a powerful practice to keep learning about who we are and how our system works and what our unique experience is so we can read and understand ourselves better. There is no right or wrong way to reflect, simply allow judgment to settle away if you can and notice the data points that you see and how they trend over time. Notice what throws you off. Notice what is consistently present before, during, and after amazing experiences and not so amazing experiences. Reflection is an invitation to pause + thoughtfully and honestly gather information so you can learn about how you uniquely work.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:40] Experiential workshop around Presence [3:23] Welcome, Judy! [5:50] AD: We’re excited to announce a new set of workshops around authenticity, going live monthly in 2021. If you have enjoyed these workshops or just want to dedicate more time unpacking your own authenticity alongside others doing the same, we’d love to have you join us! Make sure you are following us on IG + on our mailing list as that is where you can learn more about the workshops, some special promotions, and sign-up. We’ll see you there!  [6:51] BEGIN PRESENCE WORKSHOP HERE [24:35] AD: As you know, Rachel is a life coach, and to wrap up this crazy year, we’re excited to offer our TNC community an exclusive 10% off any/all life coaching packages/sessions purchased with Rachel between now + 1/31/21. Simply email rachel.unstuck@gmail.com + mention promo code TRUENORTHHOLIDAYS.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we start to wrap up 2020 with a reflection episode from Rachel + Jenell, co-creators and co-hosts of the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE podcast. This is a two parter where we first focus on Jenell’s biggest take-away and learning from 2020 and then next week we will reveal Rachel’s biggest take-away and learning from 2020. In part 1, we talk about the sudden loss of pets and loved ones, the power of making your own mistakes, exploring how to address trauma in social situations, experiencing loneliness + a lack of connection to self + others, the power of community help, owning our shit, acknowledging elephants in the room,    *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective #amplifymelanatedvoices @reikiandflowhealing Ronit LeMon Ira Glass quote Native American Tribes in North Texas Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: What if making mistakes is actually a gift to the world? When we make mistakes we allow ourselves to be humxn, to experience being fully humxn, and be fully expressed. Mistakes give us a chance to KNOW first-hand what it’s like to feel all that comes with making mistakes vs just having it be a concept in your mind. Making mistakes gives us more depth of understanding of what it’s like to be more fully humxn. When we have a deeper experiential understanding of being humxn, we can be more aware and available for others as they are also learning to be humxn. What lessons are lost when you avoid making mistakes? Where in your life are you allowing yourself to be fully seen? We talk about self-help, but there is so much power in community help that can be missed in our attempts to get all our needs met on our own and be so independent. Don’t get us wrong - that is absolutely important - and it’s also important to find groups of people where we can be fully expressed and witnessed as we are, as well as fully witness others do the same. There is a collective grounding when we can be who we are, and be with who others truly are, too, without trying to change or fix or avoid or rush past anything. Where can you slow down, self manage your own inner world, + acknowledge another humxn exactly as they are? Where can you find + embrace the communities that exist for you to be fully seen as you are? When you’re growing, there will eventually be a gap between how people expect to experience you from the way you used to be to the way you actually are now. It can be jarring, confusing, and frustrating to know that internally you are changed, but external environments still bring you back to your old ways so easily. This is normal and ok! Just keep showing up and practicing being the new you until it becomes your new default. And invite grace when you forget. Because you will - because you’re humxn. :)    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:25] A good cry [2:00] Clearing [4:00] Power of ritual [6:50] Acknowledging + honoring death [11:00] When/how to bring up trauma in social situations [13:50] What if making mistakes was actually a gift for yourself + others? [17:15] Fully seeing + being fully seen [19:00] Feeling like a burden on other people [20:47] AD: As you know, Rachel is a life coach, and to wrap up this crazy year, we’re excited to offer our TNC community an exclusive 10% off any/all life coaching packages/sessions purchased with Rachel between now + 1/31/21. Simply email rachel.unstuck@gmail.com + mention promo code TRUENORTHHOLIDAYS.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Leena Zafary (she/her), fellow Human Potential Institute Coach-in-Training, co-founder of Mind Body + Soul Alignment Center, a Certified Bio-Accoustic Vocal Profiling Practitioner, established the Unani Remedies - a line of healing oils, a happily divorce mother of 3 amazing kids, and a self-proclaimed true creator at heart with big visions and dreams, and some bad habits, too. We talk about following your innate curiosities just because they are interesting, moving around, redefining + embodying love, having a near death experience (NDE), bio-acoustic methodology, coherence + bringing the body back in balance through sound, how frequency affects relationships, and the importance of understanding your own unique spectrum of experiences. Leena is a wealth of knowledge and we are excited to bring her back for PART 2 of this conversation where we (Jenell + Rachel) get our vocals analyzed and learn what anomalies exist that are keeping us in a state of imbalance and disharmony, so we can ultimately get back to center.    *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+ **note: we had some technical difficulties with the audio of this episode, so heads up that it is not you, it’s US!   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective #amplifymelanatedvoices @reikiandflowhealing King Spa Dallas The Angry Therapist - trauma bonding episode Sharry Edwards HeartMath Institute Polyvagal Theory Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: If you’re innately interested in something, then say yes and show up for it. It doesn’t matter if it goes anywhere or the why behind it. What matters is following the genuine curiosity for the thing. If it lights you up, then go for it and see what naturally unfolds. You may be surprised where it leads you. Love is a state of being that you cultivate within yourself. It’s a feeling that we each choose to experience and the experience is as unique as each of us. What does love feel like in your body? How do you perceive love within you? It’s not something that you experience from others, it’s something you tap into + create within yourself; it emanates from you. It’s a vibration that you connect with for yourself. Allow yourself the chance to experience all of life and understand your own spectrum of experiences so that you have a gauge for when you are in balance or out of balance. If you cannot tell where you stand or if you are centered or not, then you cannot accurately read situations or how to self-regulate or how to respond to others because everything is through a blurry lens that just feels confusing and uncertain. Start getting to know yourself simply by paying attention to what different states feel like in your body, for you, over time.    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [0:01] AD: If you love listening to us each week, we would love it if you’d share us with a friend that you think might also love the content! Or leave us a review on iTunes, Apple Music or wherever you listen to us + help us grow this podcast + expand our reach! [2:20] Steam rooms + essential oil facials [7:00] Normalize being naked [12:10] AD: Welcome to last THE COLLECTIVE of 2020 (12/3 @7pm CST)! This month we will chat live + reflect about the gift that has been 2020. Join us via zoom here or sign up to receive our newsletter to get details about this event + more. See you there! [12:40] Welcome, Leena! [15:50] Creating yourself [18:00] Following genuine curiosity [19:20] Moving to the States to escape a war at the age of 7 [21:40] A love for moving + bouncing around [28:30] Savoring exactly where you’re at [30:10] Raising kids that don’t fight [32:10] Love as the secret sauce [34:10] Making space + cherishing the people around you [42:20] Experiencing love + trust within oneself [44:00] Having a near death experience (NDE) [50:50] AD: Jenell has launched a new youtube series called That Girl Got Ghosted - and episode 2 is now live! Think of it like the bachelorette meets ghost stories/haunted hotels.  If you wanna support her new venture, go check it out, like it, share it + show her some love.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Dr. Emily Kirkwold (she/her), Pharmacist, Natural Family Planning Educator, speaker, wife, and mom. She loves having dance parties with her kids and is the host of Wholly a Woman Podcast. We talk about paying attention to our bodies natural cycles, sex drive, numbing our bodies out with synthetic birth control, normalizing female sex organs + fluids, opening up about what’s actually going on in our bodies, 4 natural markers of fertility, listening + building a better relationship with your body, having your period/ovulation synch up with the moon cycle, and choosing to empower yourself to get to know your body one part at a time.    *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @herholisticpath #amplifymelanatedvoices @doulachronicles The Firm Mark Groves Create the Love podcast - “sweetening the pill” Saalt menstrual cup American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Wink Thermometer Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten Dutchess cup Thinx period underwear Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: If you are doing something because you have been told it's the “right” thing to do (like take birth control) but you haven’t done your own research to ensure that is truly the right decision for you and your body, you may be doing more harm than good for yourself. General standards are there to support in lessening overwhelm and decision fatigue, however, when it comes at the expense of listening to ourselves and listening to what truly feels right for us, we are overriding our bodies to make our lives easier, potentially at the expense of our health. Where in your life can you do a little research to ensure that the decisions you are making are truly your decisions and not a societal default? Make the time to understand your body. It is doing incredible things to keep you alive and yet we so often take it for granted that it can just DO what we need it to do. With a little bit of awareness, we can actually become connected to when things are “off” for us and raise our hands before it gets too far down the path. Where in your life are you outsourcing your health to a doctor or a pill when you could be self-monitoring and self-advocating? Both are needed, but potentially we have become overly reliant on prioritizing outside sources/influence  and dismiss our first-hand experiences as real sources of knowledge. Self-advocate, self-advocate, self-advocate. No matter the response you get or any nay-sayers that might exist, give yourself permission to have a voice and speak that voice. Ask the questions, share your experience and truth, raise your hand, make sure you feel heard and understood so that your opinion and ideas are taken into account. Not everyone is exactly the same as you or each other, and so if you aren’t advocating for your unique experience, then who will?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Grand marshalling a Disney parade [5:30] Road or trail running? [8:30] AD: We’re excited to bring back Judy Dejno, CEO of THRIVE, to host our final workshop of 2020 - going live in December! These workshops are free and pre-recorded so you can listen and follow along at your leisure. Grab some friends, nice ambiance, a pen + paper, and you just as you are as we unpack Presence as it relates to living your TRUE NORTH. Check out all our workshop episodes here! [9:00] Welcome, Emily! [11:40] Getting on birth control at a young age  [14:50] What are the other options besides birth control pill  [19:10] How do you find out about Natural Family Planning? [22:40] What is Natural Family Planning (or fertility awareness)? [25:30] Normalizing femxle sex organs + fluids as beautiful + essential [26:30] Numbing our body’s natural cycles  [28:10] Knowing your options so you can make informed decisions [29:10] Finally knowing what it feels like to be horny [30:00] Is birth control really empowering? [32:00] What are the side effects of birth control? [35:30] 4 main markers/signs of fertility [41:00] Building a better relationship with my body [42:00] How to know if something is wrong + how do you self-advocate? [42:55] AD: Did you know that we’re on YOUTUBE now?! With a year full of zooming, we thought it would be fun to show you our fun faces as we record. So, if you are more of a visual content lover, make sure to check us out on YOUTUBE. Enjoy! [45:30] Getting reconnected to my body’s natural + consistent rhythm [50:20] Getting the support you need [52:00] Pre-menopause markers [53:10] Does having your period line up with the moon mean anything? [54:09] The difference between ovulation + your period  [58:00] AD: We have big dreams to grow this podcast + community! If you love this space as much as we do, we’d love if you’d share this podcast, recommend it, leave a review and let people know what we are all creating over here in this small corner of the world. Thank you! [56:30] Window of fertility [1:04:50] Cervical fluid [1:10:00] Panty liners vs pads vs tampons vs cups vs period underwear [1:12:15] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:12:36] Reach out to Emily via nfppharmecist.com or email emily@nfppharmesist.com + make sure to give her podcast a listen Wholly a Woman

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Jordan Mendoza (he/him), father of five, Training + Development Professional for Impulse Consulting, and the creator + host of Blaze Your Own Trail Podcast. We recently joined his community to share about living our true north and realized we wanted to share his story and all life has thrown his way. We talk about freestyle breakdancing, growing up in poverty, moving around a lot as a kid, seeking out the “no’s” in life, how sales relates to life, leaning into generational adversity, experiencing police profiling as a kid, being responsible for your own self-awareness, trust, pivotal moments + stories, almost dying several times, meeting a biological father in the Philippines, and learning from a 3rd world country. This beautiful and endearing soul has experienced lifetimes and is truly a beacon for sharing your stories as a way of bridging a connection to humxnity.     *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @sonyareneetaylor #amplifymelanatedvoices @mrjross My Girl Beat Street Breakin’ Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo Mindbody Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Meyers-Briggs Assessment Clifton Strengths Assessment TKI conflict style Assessment The 5 dysfunctions of a team Stephen Covey Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Instead of looking at rejection and “no’s” as the worst thing in the world, or proof of your valuelessness and lack of self-worth, what if you flipped it? What if a “no” was simply a data point that gives you more clarity around what someone doesn’t want and therefore now you are closer to what they DO want? What if no was an acronym for Next Opportunity and it was an invitation to dig deeper for understanding and nuance so that you might get closer to what is actually a yes? What if no wasn’t the endpoint, but instead the beginning? When’s the last time you actually asked someone how they were doing and honestly, truly listened? We so often autopilot the cordialities of life without much sincerity and with haste to move onto the next thing. Where in your life can you practice genuine curiosity with those around you and stop to pay attention to their words, body language, and energy. How are YOU today? No, really, how are you? You can be amazing and still make mistakes. You can make a ton of mistakes and still be amazing. There is power in realizing that being humxn is not about being 1-sided, but about being multifaceted and contrasting and complex. When we share the real stories of our lives with vulnerability and authentically (versus the perfectly curated versions), we can actually create optimism for the world. We can be a living example for others that it is ok to be exactly who you are and get through all that life throws at you and still blaze your own amazing trail in whatever way that means to you.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Go watch My Girl now, if you haven’t ever seen it! [1:55] Swimming the South China Sea [3:15] Breakdancing to break into a new school [8:05] AD: Jenell has launched a new youtube series called That Girl Got Ghosted - whoo! Think of it like the bachelorette meets ghost stories/haunted hotels.  If you wanna support her new venture, go check it out, like it, share it + show her some love.

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Ryan Stanley (he/him), a life coach, co-creator of Teach me to Sell, lifelong entrepreneur, personal development trainer, former art/music manager, and a recent author of Be Patient, Be Present, Be Joyful. Ryan was a stranger we met from the internet whose energy we adored and we immediately knew we wanted to get a glimpse into his background to learn more about his seemingly endless optimism. From shady club owners to empowering conversations with young musicians, writing screenplays that allow you to meet Tom Marshall from Phish, how tech is evolving humxnity, living each day with purpose, being an A.D.D. entrepreneur, having fun with personal development, should-ing vs could-ing, and building a habit of growth, this episode unpacks and invites each of us to create our life from a place of purpose and choice in a super relatable and doable way. Enjoy!   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @thelovelandfoundation #amplifymelanatedvoices coachingforeveryone.org #amplifymelanatedvoices @innerlightwarrior #amplifymelanatedvoices @soulcarecollective iPEC Phish Amphibian Karmic Juggernaut CB Radio  CC Coletti Africa by Toto Country Roads by John Denver Ram Dass Sapiens  Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: When you get a hit of intuition to take a leap or a step that seems maybe random or disconnected from where you thought your life was heading, pause and listen, especially if it doesn’t go away. This seemingly fleeting idea might not be the ultimate clarity you were looking for, however, what if showing up for it led you down a path that actually got you closer to your clarity - maybe through a side door or an underground tunnel that you never knew existed. How might these seemingly random intuitions actually be invitations to trust and allow the magic of life to co-create with you for your benefit in ways you couldn’t imagine were possible.  We all have the capacity for every single humxn expression and experience. If we only focus on the ones that we think are “good” we will miss out on a depth of life that exists for us within the nuances of expressions that innately exist within and around us? What experiences are you avoiding that could actually give you life? The person you are today is NOT the same person you were yesterday, a week ago, a year ago, 10 years ago. And it’s NOT the same person you will be tomorrow, so to expect yourself to hold true to a purpose that was created by a version of yourself that no longer exists is almost holding yourself back or keeping yourself locked into a very small box instead of allowing your purpose to evolve over time with you, continuing to organically evolve as you do.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Who doesn’t wear sunglasses?!?! [2:36] Sans deodorant [4:10] Where in the world is Jenell? [5:25] Welcome, Ryan! [5:30] AD: Welcome to THE COLLECTIVE for November (11/5 @7pm CST), a live digital community conversation on authenticity - November is all about core desires + core fears via the Enneagram tool. Join us via zoom here or sign up to receive our newsletter to be the first to know about what we’re up to + how you can play with us. And if you’re looking to learn more about Enneagram prior to THE COLLECTIVE, have a listen to S3|E19 as some pre-work (totally optional). See you there! [8:45] Empowering conversations with creatives + entrepreneurs [13:00] Music, passions, + meeting Tom Marshall [18:00] Following seemingly random hits of intuition [21:30] Personal development buzz phrases + fluffy words [27:00] What were previous generations having conversations about around life + authenticity? [28:40] AD: We’re looking for some cool grandparents or great-grandparents to talk to with about authenticity! If you know one, please reach out via hello@thetruenorthcollective.org or IG - we’d love to connect with them for future episodes. And if you wanna check out a recent episode featuring a rad grandma, have a listen to S3|E38 with Barbara Larkin + her family about multi-generational wisdom on authenticity! [32:13] We are all of it [33:40] How technology has helped us evolve [40:00] Being an A.D.D. entrepreneur [43:00] Living each day with purpose [49:50] Should-ing vs could-ing [52:20] Is there a benefit to judgment? [55:00] Choice + being humxn [1:04:45] AD: We have big dreams to grow this podcast + community! If you love this space as much as we do, we’d love it if you’d share this podcast, recommend it, + leave a review and let people know what we are all creating over here in this small corner of the world. Thank you! [1:05:00] The habit of growth takes practice + will probably hurt [1:08:00] Growth as an immune system [1:09:30] Be Patient, Be Present, Be Joyful [1:10:00] Writing a book + creating your reality [1:19:40] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:20:00] Reach out to Ryan via his website ryanstanley.com or IG @rms_ryanstanley. If you want to purchase his book Be Patient, Be Present, Be Joyful, it comes with a complimentary coaching session!

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Ronit LeMon (she/her), an intuitive sounding board and one of Rachel’s coaching mentors from her certification at the Human Potential Institute. Ronit is a life coach, rune reader, board director, mother, dynamic life co-creator,  former teacher, cacao scholar, breathwork practitioner, and a dream work alchemist via Sun + Moon. We chat about being a child of two strong female immigrants, raised in LA, growing up around the reading of tea leaves and coffee grounds while also being expected to be brilliant and beautiful all at the same time, accidental vision quests, self-medicating, intuition, ego, underworld guides, and all things dreamwork. This episode gently unfolds the connection between our dreams and our authentic expression, inviting us to step into the delicious world of the dream maker.    *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @napministry #amplifymelanatedvoices @iamandco #amplifymelanatedvoices @ijeomaoluo Well Groomed Documentary Ronit LeMon Human Potential Institute University of Montana Becoming by Michelle Obama Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown Animas Valley Institute Runes Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Are you in your true and intentional authenticity or are you using authenticity as a weapon (as a fuck you)? Be mindful of where you are throwing your authenticity in people’s faces and using it as an excuse or a shield. Everything can be used for good or as a weapon, even authenticity. Be aware of how you are using yours. In the work of becoming, we must notice where we have left parts of ourselves on the side of the road and eventually gather those parts back up so we can stand in our wholeness. Notice where you are or have shed parts of yourself that got in the way. Maybe some of them really were in the way. Maybe some of them were left with the intention of coming back later and you forgot about them. Whatever was shed, can you invite yourself to take back the parts of you that are essential to being you and leave the parts that truly get in the way of that?  Dreams are a necessary part of being true to yourself. The more you pay attention to your dreams and the more you are in relationship with your dreams, the more you know about yourself and the more you can express your authenticity. Your dreams are a way to connect to aspects of yourself that are below the surface. How do we get a whole picture of ourselves without knowing the dream aspect of ourselves? We spend a third of our lives asleep - this is not wasted time, it is a special part of our lives that gives us glimpses that we cannot connect within the waking world.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:10] Creative grooming [2:00] Shifting energies that shift your voice [3:00] Taking care of self + respecting others to take care of themselves [6:16] Authenticity as a weapon [9:05] Pulling a geographic [9:50] AD: Welcome to THE COLLECTIVE for November (11/5 @7pm CST), a live digital community conversation on authenticity - November is all about Enneagram. Join us via zoom here or sign up to receive our newsletter to be the first to know about what we’re up to + how you can play with us. And if you’re looking to learn more about Enneagram prior to THE COLLECTIVE, have a listen to S3|E19 as some pre-work (totally optional). See you there! [10:25] Welcome, Ronit! [15:20] Confusing life purpose + what you do [17:00] Leaving parts of yourself along the way [20:30] Being in your becoming [25:30] Connecting to your wildness  [27:40] Spirit vs soul [29:00] What if the earth dream’s through us? [34:30] Intuition + clairaudience [37:00] Integrating intuition + analytical  [40:09] Integrating [42:30] Accidental vision quest + underworld guide [45:20] Introduction to dreamwork [49:00] AD: Did you know that we’re on YOUTUBE now?! With a year full of zooming, we thought it would be fun to show you our fun faces as we record. So, if you are more of a visual content lover, make sure to check us out on YOUTUBE. Enjoy! [53:10] Dreams + being your true self [56:20] Dream ego [1:04:00] Lucid dreaming as a form of hyper-vigilance [1:06:30] Routines + seasons of rituals  [1:11:00] Death dreams [1:17:20] Tarot pull for this episode - Queen of hearts [1:18:55] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:19:40] Reach out to Ronit via email at ronitlemon@gmail.com or via her website or IG @ronit.lemon

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we are excited to shake up our format and talk to three generations of females - Kaity Thompson (she/her), Alison Larkin (she/her), and Barbara Larkin (she/her). Kaity is a friend of ours from Milwaukee and the Cycling Program Manager at SPIRE Fitness. Allison (Kaity’s mom) is born and raised in Milwaukee, and is one of the first female Tour Directors at Live Nation Global Touring, always taking the road less traveled. Barb (Kaity’s grandma) is currently living the definition of YOLO. She spent 25 years as an elementary school teacher at University School in Milwaukee, embracing a spiritual life with no limits, is a lover of art, a good book, and her 13 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Barb lost one child to breast cancer and in the last year, she lost both of her husbands within two weeks of each other, which profoundly changed her life. From revamping the education system to doing the hard thing, we chat about what it’s like to making “mistakes”, taking the road less traveled that might seem hurtful to others but actually allows everyone to flourish, truly listening, understanding historical atrocities and wins, embracing death, learning how to be your own person, and not brushing things under the rug so that we can all address what is actually here and not make an even bigger mess of suffering in the long term. This is an honest and sweet episode that reminds us that we can change the world by starting with how we interact and engage with our own families - for better and for worse.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @theconsciouskid #amplifymelanatedvoices @kierandthem #amplifymarginalizedvoices Top Ten Elderly Influencers on Instagram Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Don’t brush things under the rug and keep your authentic truth hidden. Whatever it is that you are going through that is real for your needs to be brought to the open and shared with someone so that you can deal with it or process it or work through it in your own way. Otherwise, those things we are trying to keep hidden will remain and grow and shapeshift and will eventually still come to the surface, but with a whole lot of other stuff entangled with it, and it will be a lot messier and harder to deal with later. Using roadblocks as launching pads versus getting paralyzed in the problems of the past can help to allow you to honor where you’ve been, AND to dig into where you can go FROM here. When we define ourselves by our past, we simply keep repeating it vs finding new ways through and over and under and behind. Do the hard thing, even if you lose friends and people don’t understand. If you have a voice inside that is guiding you someplace new and it won’t go away, consider it. Consider where the voice might be coming from and if it feels like it’s truly from your heart and soul and it’s the thing you really want for your highest self, nothing will fulfill the void that is left by not following that calling. Spread your wings and give it a go, despite the second-guessing and the uncertainty because you never know how things might flourish for everyone in ways you never imagined if you trust that inner guide of your truest self.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:10] PB + salami sandwiches [2:55] Acknowledging the wisdom of older generations [3:30] Welcome, Katie, Allison, + Barb! [7:00] AD: If you love listening to us each week, we would love it if you’d share us with a friend that you think might also love the content! Or leave us a review on iTunes, Apple Music or wherever you listen to us + help us grow this podcast + expand our reach! [8:03] Unconventional families [10:00] What would you like future generations of your family to remember? [16:30] Roadblocks + launching pads [23:30] Making decisions that don’t make sense to anyone but you [25:00] Role models + speaking up for yourself [35:00] Emerging strong women [37:30] Losing two partners in one week [39:50] Not feeling included  [42:09] Dealing with family issues [43:30] AD: Did you know that we’re on YOUTUBE now?! With a year full of zooming, we thought it would be fun to show you our fun faces as we record. So, if you are more of a visual content lover, make sure to check us out on YOUTUBE. Enjoy! [46:00] Parallels between family + country [47:40] Learning to listen [51:00] Appreciation of the innovations + mistakes in history [53:00] Revamping education system to teach kids life + how to survive [57:00] Celebrating failure + mistakes [58:00] What are you most excited about the future? [1:03:15] How do you live your TRUE NORTH in one word? [1:04:27] Reach out to Kaity via IG @kaityt216 

Today, we hear from Lee Chambers (he/his/him), Functional Life Coach, Environmental Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant, and Founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. This conversation pulls in Lee’s perspective from the UK as we dive into being mixed race, losing the ability to walk, struggling with identity and learning to express oneself authentically, navigating the world while navigating yourself, limiting beliefs, being “too” everything, resonating with your values, recognizing that everything is interconnected, taking the pen back to your life, seeing the world in color, cultivating gratitude, listening to your body, being your own culture of you, the black reference point, and the very real and terrifying barriers to being your authentic self in the current world. Lee has a story that will shed light during a time of confusion and uncertainty. With so much gratitude, enjoy this episode of AMPLIFY with Lee.   Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.   This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.  TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to Lee’s selected cause, Well-being Lancasher, a collective of well-being practitioners in England that work from a values-oriented well-being angle to engage the disadvantaged first, in a world that tends to prioritize wellness services to those with money and resources. We are strongly encouraging our listeners who feel inspired to also donate what you can to support. Donate here.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+ RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Vow Essentialise Life Coaching CHARITY OF CHOICE Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Learn to navigate the world while navigating your world. Most of us are not taught the tools for authentically expressing ourselves, especially when we look around and don’t see ourselves in others. It can be lonely and isolating, but it can also be an invitation to reflect on who we truly are, to take ownership and responsibility to chisel your own character, to get out of your comfort zone, and to understand who YOU are.  Take the pen back and write your own story. Don’t live into the stories that have been served to you or the way others see you. Don’t write people into your stories who don’t deserve to be there. Don’t write stories that will make other people feel good, write the story that is true to you, that you want to live. Who do you want to become? What do you truly want? Write your life on your own terms without boundaries and limits, and without taking advice and conforming. Listening to your body is one of the key ways to gaining self-awareness and to heal your life. It’s an amazing feedback loop and tells you literally everything you need to know, but in our current world we have become so desensitized to it as we walk around in auto-pilot. Even when we occasionally feel things, we don’t go deeper to investigate and hear what’s going on. Yet, these sensations are signals that are highlighting something not to be ignored, to stop and reflect and pay attention to what additional awarenesses your body has for whether to stop or go or something in between.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:15] Welcome, Lee! [3:10] Tapping into our own mobility in conversations  [4:20] Struggling to express myself authentically, leading to avoidance + isolation [8:00] Realities of building a successful business that is fueled by negative emotions  [10:30] The gift of losing the ability to walk [12:40] Nothing happens in isolation; everything is interconnected [14:30] Being a hard-aholic [16:20] Being the one diverse person in the room [24:20] Being heart-centered + resonating with your values [27:10] Advice leaves you drained of your own authenticity [28:10] Take the pen back [33:30] Seeing things in color vs black/white [35:30] Listening to your body as a key to healing [37:53] Being your own culture  [41:40] The black reference point [48:45] When authenticity could get you killed [55:00] When good things are exploited for bad + the deep-rooted problems in the wellness industry [1:02:00] The fallibility of an expert society [1:05:40] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:06:00] What does essentialise mean? [1:07:00] Don’t narrow your clients to an avatar [1:23:30] Reach out to Lee via essentialize.co.uk, download his ebook LIVING AUTHENTICALLY for free, or IG @essentialiselifecoach

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.   This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.    Today, we hear from David Jacobson aka DJ (he/his/him), dear friend of Rachel’s from their time in advertising, and self-proclaimed mix of Dave Mathew’s band, Taylor Swift, and a dash of 90s rap. DJ lives in Minneapolis, is from the Midwest, and is on a journey. He is bi-racial, adopted at four month old into a white family, a child of divorces, a fledgling spiritual seeker, and particularly after this year, he is allowing who he truly is to be shown to him. We talk about admitting what you don’t know, the agony + beauty of accepting who you really are, letting go of the roles you play for other people, processing seeing your identity in a completely different way, allowing space for change, choosing whiteness over blackness, living in fear, being a bridge, and so much more. This is a poignant episode from someone courageously acknowledging the experience of taking back the wholeness of himself.   TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to DJ’s selected anti-racist cause, The Coven Minneaplis, a designed co-working spaces for for women, non-binary, and trans people. We are strongly encouraging our listeners who feel inspired to also donate what you can to support action efforts that empower yoga spaces to be consciously inclusive, equitable, and diverse through education, resources, and tools so that ALL people feel welcomed, represented, and that they have equal access to yoga. Donate here.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Dave Matthews Band The Angry Therapist Gary V Braving the wilderness by Brene Brown @thedevinway Move the Middle with Jesse Ross + Ericka Jones The Coven Minneapolis Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Truly seeing yourself can be absolutely horrific and completely beautiful all at the same time. But if you cannot see you for all that you are, then no one can truly see you. And that shit is lonely as hell. Accepting growth from ourselves + others is super important. And on that growth journey, we need to give space for the change to happen...maybe slower than we want or expect or feel is warranted. Before we assume the worst about people because they didn’t change immediately, give them a chance to come back to you differently as they do without writing them off completely. And know that you don’t have to wait around forever or wait at the expense of yourself. Get past the bullshit small talk with people and truly ask those in your life, “how are you doing, really?” This time we are in is an invitation to go deeper. To seek to know each other in new ways. To not take the easy surface conversational way out. To step up and share who  you are and listen to who your people truly are, too. That is how we will build real connections and trust to start creating new solutions that benefit us all.    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:00] Welcome, DJ! [4:20] Not knowing + admitting that you don’t know [8:40] Feeling like a white kid in a black body [10:15] The gift of getting laid off  [14:30] Meeting Oprah [17:00] Truly seeing myself for the first time in George Floyd [20:30] Being a bridge [24:20] I’m gonna shut you down sometimes [27:30] The roles we choose to play in people’s lives + in our own lives [33:30] Becoming a chameleon to my surroundings [41:20] I wanna be the best version of me for me [46:30] How can we create a solution if you don’t see the problem? [51:30] The fear is real + it’s a hard thing to admit to myself  [54:00] Social media has allowed me to feel like part of a community rallying around this cause [58:43] Facts vs real-life [1:01:45] Devin Way clip [1:06:00] I wouldn’t change a thing [1:09:00] Forgiveness + freeing your inner child [1:12:00] Energetic relatability [1:19:00] Donate to the community  [1:20:35] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:23:30] Reach out to DJ via IG @dj_2303

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we catch-up just the two of us, no guests, to share what we’ve been up to over the past four months. Much has changed in the world and we, like all of you, are also on the journey of self-discovery, learning what it is like to be true to ourselves over time and as life evolves. This year specifically has created so much invitation for shaking up our views of the world and we wanted to share how that’s all been unfolding honestly, organically, and without any rights or wrongs. We talk about being a performer, sitting with your reality, vulnerability hangovers, the wobbliness of growing and evolving into new versions of yourself, embracing failure + regret, proactively trusting, and learning into what’s truly important to you.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Some of our fav #amplifymelanatedvoices @sonyareneetaylor Some of our fav #amplifymelanatedvoices @kierandthem #amplifymarginalizedvoices @janellemonae Human Potential Institute Coaching Certification Saalt cup Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee Penny Berman - email for Reiki/coaching at pennyberman@yahoo.com The Change Triangle book Wingtip - “too scared to settle, too scared to try, feeling so feeble at the prime of my life” Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Wherever you’re at right now emotionally, can you allow yourself to sit in it? If you are used to avoiding, denying, distracting, or forcing forward momentum, what if you just stayed with what was coming up and see it through to the other side? Whatever our reasons for not wanting to sit with it, when we avoid feeling something, it just gets stored to be felt later. Over time that stored unfelt stuff gets bigger and bigger and we carry around that weight. Yet, if we just sit with it, welcome it (or if that’s too much, just acknowledge that you are with it) and allow it to share with you the experience of what it is, it will pass. Being humxn is feeling all of our humxness. We think that we can bypass the stuff that is “scary + uncomfortable” but we cannot. It’s always still there until we are willing to sit with it and experience a more full version of ourselves and realize we are ok, and then it will pass on. As we inevitably evolve, know that it is ok to feel shaky with where you are in between who you have been and who you are becoming. You can have a sense of confidence and trust in the person that you knew you were back when you were them and hold onto that confidence while you experience wobbliness in the here and now as you find new legs and confidence in who you are today and who you are becoming. These contrasts are normal and a part of the process of evolving and growing. What if we tried to fail as much as possible? What if failing was living? What if we celebrated putting ourselves out there, learning, growing, failing again, experiencing things, trying things, going for it, and being ok with it? What would you do if you knew failure was a part of the game of life? What would you do if you knew failure + regret were inevitable no matter how hard you try to avoid it?    TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [3:30] Menstrual cup [7:35] Jenell’s current + ongoing road trip adventure [12:08] AD: We are so proud to announce that we just launched AMPLIFY, a mini-series from the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE (TNC) dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding + living their TRUE NORTH amidst systemic realities - past, present, and future. This has been a really important project for us as we continue to learn + unlearn our own conditioning + bias; hear, share, and challenge ourselves to have new + uncomfortable conversations; and build a bridge that inspires action. Each episode will include a TAKE ACTION brought by our guest, so definitely check it out + get involved in a way that feels true to you. #amplifymelanatedvoices [13:40] Owning where you’re at [16:00] Vulnerability hangover [20:20] Reality vs evaluation [25:30] The Change Triangle  [31:00] The grieving process + evolving without shame [39:00] What’s most important to you? [41:00] Can there be an AND? [47:00] Proactive trust vs blind trust [49:00] Control/victim energy vs aligned/integrated energy [50:10] AD: Did you know that we’re on YOUTUBE now?! With a year full of zooming, we thought it would be fun to show you our fun faces as we record. So, if you are more of a visual content lover, make sure to check us out on YOUTUBE. Enjoy! [53:00] Failure + regret [1:04:00] How to handle when a plan that falls apart [1:07:00] Bravely choosing yourself 

Welcome to THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST: SEASON 3! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.  In our own search to discover and live from our TRUE NORTH, we continue to meet many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same. Today, we talk to Emily Ortiz (she/her), the calmest soul you will ever meet with the voice of a grounded, wise angel (seriously!). She’s a yoga + meditation teacher, the Studio Manager of Breathe - Meditation and Wellness, and she’s going through the steps of becoming a Midwife, currently in Doula + Placenta Encapsulation Training, to help womxn holistically move through maternity, birth, and postpartum healing. We chat ultra-independence, sharing your weird secrets, learning to receive love + not just give, finding your soul friends, coming from a place of worthiness, knowing + saying what you want, monogamy + being single, choosing yourself, changing up your typical patterns, finding your equal, being self-fulfilled AND still wanting companionship, and embracing wild transformation.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: #amplifymelanatedvoices @sexuallyliberatedwoman #amplifymelanatedvoices @kierandthem #amplifymelanatedvoices  #amplifymarginalizedvoices @glitz_inc Valkyrie Tattoo Gallery Urban Hippie Yoga Chelsey Charbeneu’s meditation teacher training Expanded podcast Breathe at home (use RACHEL5 for $5 off your first month!) Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Whatever it is that you are going through that you think is “too weird” to talk about, this is your invitation to share it right now with at least one person in your life that you trust. And then when your ready, share it with more than one person. Because most likely the thing you think that only you are wrestling with is what a lot of other people are also wrestling with in silence, too! And if we can all courageously get vulnerable and share what’s going on, we can shed light on the normal humxn shit that we are all dealing with that we all keep hidden that we don’t realize is the stuff that actually connects us and is simply humxn and not some personal flaw. Sharing what’s real connects us in deeper ways and allows us to feel less alone and gives the collective permission to be more real , more true, and less curated, hidden, and isolated. Find spaces + people where you feel safe to practice being the person you want to be + then as it becomes comfortable, allow your new normal to expand into new areas of your life that previously felt difficult. Laying a foundation of finding friends who genuinely love + care about you + are on that same path of seeking or soul searching is a great first step to figuring out who you are + what you want. Consistent baby steps over time are what truly create sustainable change.  Whatever you are used to doing, maybe try something totally different + see what happens. What are you avoiding in doing what you have always done? What do you have to lose by doing something different? What do you have to gain? Give yourself the chance to gain a new perspective + grow confidence + trust in yourself within this new experience or way of doing life.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:10] Prematurely greying hair [3:35] New tattoos + potential piercings [6:58] AD: If you love listening to us each week, we would love it if you’d share us with a friend that you think might also love the content! Or leave us a review on iTunes, Apple Music or wherever you listen to us + help us grow this podcast + expand our reach! [8:00] Welcome, Emily! [12:49] Placenta encapsulation  [14:30] Memories of sex ed + opening up about the realities of female parts + female sexuality + all female shit [19:30] How to be yourself in your intimate relationships? [21:34] Ultra-independence as a trauma response [25:00] Receiving + accepting love [31:00] The rising tide floats all boats - finding your soul friends [36:00] What were your examples of healthy relationships growing up? [38:00] Creating a line of “this is what I need + this is what I want” [42:09] AD: Did you know that we’re on YOUTUBE now?! With a year full of zooming, we thought it would be fun to show you our fun faces as we record. So, if you are more of a visual content lover, make sure to check us out on YOUTUBE. Enjoy! [46:00] Self-worth  [49:00] Evolving in partnerships [56:00] Being single for long periods of time [1:00:00] Do the thing you don’t typically do [1:03:30] Finding your equal [1:07:00] The 3 questions Jenell always asks a new person she’s dating [1:08:20] Why be in a relationship with someone else if you are self-fulfilled? [1:13:50] Giving vs sharing [1:16:30] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:18:20] Reach out to Emily via IG @emilykayortiz or listen to her meditations here

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future.    In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.   This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism.    Today, we hear from Ericka Jones (she/her), friend of Rachel’s and founder of Yoga Coalition, an alliance for combined action bringing inclusion, equity, and diversity to the yoga community. Ericka has spent 11+ years as a Diversity + Inclusion professional, collaborating with key stakeholders to develop comprehensive strategies to increase diversity and build and sustain inclusive behaviors. Currently living in Minneapolis, she is a yoga teacher and lululemon ambassador, passionate about bravery and ensuring all people have access to resources that let them thrive. We talk calling out to call people in, deconstructing default realities, subconscious barriers, transformative conversations, diversifying yoga spaces, slowing down to speed up, being a compassionate disruptor, connecting to joy, and taking a leap for change in humxnity.   TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to Yoga Coalition, Ericka’s selected anti-racist cause. We are strongly encouraging our listeners who feel inspired to also donate what you can to support action efforts that empower yoga spaces to be consciously inclusive, equitable, and diverse through education, resources, and tools so that ALL people feel welcomed, represented, and that they have equal access to yoga. Donate here.   *note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+   RESOURCES MENTIONED: The four agreements Chelsea Jackson Roberts Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home   3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: How can we call someone out in a way that acknowledges where they’re at in their journey and actually calls them IN to the conversation?  How can we allow for nuances of accountability that meet individual's where they’re at and invite them to experience something different versus telling them what is reality? We learn the most and sustain growth the most through experience, so how do we take that into account as we are collectively evolving around racial injustice (and anything, really)? Stop trying to already be at the finish line when you are just starting to crawl. When something must shift, we have to learn to slow down to speed up so that we can make effective, sustainable, and impactful change. If we try to be further along than we actually are, then we miss huge parts of the journey that are necessary for real evolution. Ultimately, those seemingly small skips actually turn into major setbacks as we realize that we have built a shotty foundation on unstable ground and it’s a house of cards.  Are you standing at the puddle in analysis paralysis about what MIGHT/COULD happen or are you jumping over the damn puddle and learning as you go? Keep going. Show up now. Take action. Don’t wait. Brock Armstrong says that action leads to clarity and if we wait for the perfect moment to do anything we miss the moment entirely. What puddle are you ready to jump over, now?   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [3:30] Welcome, Ericka! [6:15] Storytelling + learning from people different from you [8:00] Going from the most diverse high school in the US to a predominantly white college [10:30] Organizational default recruiting + deconstructing the marketing model [14:30] Calling someone out to call them IN [17:00] Slow down [19:45] Clip of a conversation on a bridge in Minneapolis  [25:20] Transformative conversations [28:00] Profiling [33:10] Yoga off the mat  [36:30] The moment of truth + moving the middle [40:00] It’s time to jump [43:30] Subconscious barriers + self-selecting yourself out [45:30] Yoga coalition  [48:00] Using your voice for action vs destruction [53:00] #blackjoymatters  [59:00] Learning the diversity of black stories [1:01:00] How do you live your TRUE NORTH? [1:01:45] Reach out to Ericka via IG @ericka.jones_ + check out Yoga Coalition to learn how you can take action to diversify yoga spaces across the world, or support their efforts via donation here.