You're Welcome with Hilary Rushford

This was meant to be a just 3 min announcement, but based on your reaction to the news Dean Street Society is closing, I felt we needed another moment to just hang and process.   Pay The Value Closing Sale: DeanStreetSociety.com/closing   Also read information shared via email, by clicking “Hear More” at the bottom, and you can catch up on all emails sent since December 1st.

You asked for help choosing joy now and in the new year, after a hard year or season.   Can you relate to any of these?   You're wishing time would go faster to get to something good or past something heavy? Feeling a case of the winter blues? Walking through disappointment? Or feeling energized about making 2024 your best year yet?   Today's 5 Q's with my teaching on each from my own life currently are for you! Review these after the teaching to come up with your own answers: 1. What do I have that others don't have? // Gratitude 2. Who have I seen rebound that reminds me it's true? // Evidence 3. What dark came before my dawns? // Receipts 4. What have I handled well, grown in, how have I healed? // Confidence 5. What is good right now? // Present   And enjoy my list of happy company this season: Knockemout book trilogy No Hard Feelings Zainab Johnson Mike Brubiglia Single All The Way   See you over on Instagram @HilaryRushford for more.   

The closer we get to a due date, the more I'm overthinking the name we have picked.   Here's my advice on naming, plus what I'm looking for in case you have ideas?   Share this one with anyone working on their baby names.   Or to spark some conversation this holiday if you're done with naming in your family.  Links in this episode:   Instagram post to give suggestions once you listen! ← Will be linked when post is live Truly, Internet Aunties (and a few uncles) thank you for your help!  

Sadly, much of a surrogacy journey is bracing for disappointment. However the positive side of that, is when things are easy you feel so incredibly lucky.   This week Jeremy, myself, and my mom all flew out to meet our surrogate's family, our doctor, do a hospital tour, and have our 20-week anatomy scan.   All in a whirlwind 6 hours!   It was hilarious (y'all, our doctor is both an angel and a SNL character), a bit awkward, slightly triggering, and super heartwarming.   May it bring you more compassion, all the good feelings, and make you want to watch Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin this weekend! (wink) Would be so grateful if you'll share this episode with anyone it might bless, tag me @HilaryRushford on Instagram, and take a minute to leave a review.    So grateful you're here!  

A breakdown of my last 24 hours and the choices I made when there was too much on my plate.   Things are a lot right now.    Today I'm sharing exactly what I'm preaching, practicing, and sending in voice memos to my girlfriends.   We're talking about:   How to avoid triggering people and *being* “that person” when someone's struggling How to get out of unsolicited advice convos #palmtoface The #1 action to keep yourself and those around you more safe in the storms of life How to get saved or have something solved when times are tough   I want to help you do better not by trying harder, but by trying more gently.  Links in this episode:   Last chance to get your burnout score! → HilaryRushford.com/13signs Enrollment for Healing Burnout closes Friday Nov 10th! → HilaryRushford.com/burnout My honest IG video I reference at the top The book from the PS section   Please share this episode to bless someone else and tag me @HilaryRushford if on IG Stories so I can see what spoke to you. And thank you in advance for taking one minute to tap the stars and leave a review – it means so much!

I'm watching friends navigate life from a place of burnout vs healing, and the difference is astounding.   Comparison (their grass is greener) keeps us chasing goals harder than we should.   Yet, the opposite of envy is even more destructive to our burnout, and far less talked about.   Today we're healing the crippling mindset that keeps us chasing a dream until it nearly kills us. Anxiety and depression are two manifestations of the same burnout root.   Whether today you're sprinting to keep a million balls in the air, or struggling through a sad fog to get much of anything done – it's burnout.    The great news is that you can heal burnout!    You don't have to stay here.   Let's start creating space for hope today…   Links in this episode: 13 Signs of Burnout Assessment is live for the LAST time with me on November 1st + 2nd at HilaryRushford.com/13 signs ← Get your score + map for healing Enrollment for my Healing Burnout course opens on November 1st as I guide a final cohort through with up to 6 weeks of LIVE coaching! ← HilaryRushford.com/burnout to join us when the doors open Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

What if some of the biggest choices in your life actually came from outside your head, not inside your heart?   That's the hard truth I've been grappling with.   I've been coming up for air a bit after a season of grief (with my book story) that (I see now) was followed by a season of hustle and determination to put life back together again.   I'm remembering how it felt in my body to dream many years ago with more hope, less disappointment, and less outside voices.   And now I understand why choosing the wrong dreams led to burnout and never enough These are the complex choices in life, and this is a safe space to tell the truth to yourself. Links in this episode: 13 Signs of Burnout Assessment is live for the LAST time with me on November 1st + 2nd at HilaryRushford.com/13 signs Then doors for my Healing Burnout course open on November 1st as I guide a final cohort through with 6 weeks of LIVE coaching! Save your seat at the link above to get an invite. Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

So many are struggling lately, both personal friends and members of our community.    I had a different episode planned for today when a friend called with hard, hard news and I wanted to share part of what we discussed.   Listen in to hear:   What to text a friend when you want to help, or need it yourself Two specific steps to make metaphorical winter seasons in our life harder or easier Why these are tools we'll use repeatedly throughout life My mid-episode aha on the deeper issue with “and they all lived happily ever after” Bonus: How I'm applying this to a better mindset around literal winter here in NYC   It's the message you or someone you love needs when the way is feeling dark, and you're wishing to feel more hope and faith.    With all my heart, you're welcome, in advance.  Links In This Episode:   The Healing Burnout Course is coming back this fall for the last time LIVE with Hilary for 6 weeks to coach you through. Join the waitlist to hear more + so you don't miss it: HilaryRushford.com/burnout   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

What advice would you give? Would you want?    The last two weeks while in Italy, I was swept away in the best romantic story.   A dear friend unexpectedly met someone while traveling internationally far from home and texted, “I might have met my husband.”   The wrinkle is that a life with him means a major fork in the road, leaving possibly forever things she's loved, and for various reasons the decision is going to be made quickly.   When you have a major life decision, how can you be confident you won't regret whatever you choose? Over hours of voice messages back and forth I reflected:   The advice I'm giving her is so much different than I would have 10 years ago. What I learned from my IVF, surrogacy, and book journey that gave me wisdom. What we really want to know, and are never going to.  How to avoid self-shame/blame if it doesn't work out. The biggest difference between taking risks in your teens/20's vs your mid-30's and beyond    The questions I guided her through, I found myself asking myself in the very different scenarios I'm walking through personally today.   This is the grown-women's approach to love and life choices that (thank goodness) has less draining drama and more delightful drama that makes life exciting yet empowering.    Curious to hear on Instagram @HilaryRushford what advice you'd give after you listen? If you share it on Stories tag me so I can see!

Join us on the road from Tuscany to the Italian Riviera via Rome on: My 3 biggest takeaways from the 1st trimester of our pregnancy and surrogacy journey  Who we've shared the gender of the baby with and why/why not  The 2 extra special places we found on our first time in Tuscany (will share links on IG after our trip!) The Italian political perspective on surrogacy that I can't help but think about while here  We get lost, have to change audio sources halfway through, and I don't allow for silence so we don't have to make edits once we arrive in Positano so he doesn't have much time to chime in (ha.)  Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

Ciao from Rome! When we're in a bad mood, we know so much we could do to make ourselves feel better.   Yet how often do we not do it in the moment when we're rushing, flooded, frustrated?    Recently I've found a new self-coaching prompt I'm actually remembering to use. I've asked it to myself in those little moments in the day: When you're trying on clothes that don't fit When the commute was exhausting When no matter how hard you work you're still behind When they're upset even though you swore you tried your best I'm asking myself this simple Q when I'm cranky… because it feels light.   It doesn't require as much mental work as past options, and comes with a lot less shame. Try it out for yourself today, and let me know if you agree?   I've been using it in Rome (more on my surprising thoughts about this city, travel, enough, fomo and more in the PS!) and it's making my days sweeter.   Links in this episode: Healing Burnout at HilaryRushford.com/burnout ← coming back this fall, don't miss it when you get on the waitlist! Ep 60 The Wand (how we feel better) Ep 175 Overcoming Mom Shame Ep 18 Identifying Your Travel Personality    Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!

A girlfriend chat going back to the future, around the world, and ending with more ease. (Don't miss the PS!) In today's episode we're talking about how to live in the flow of love.   That sounds hard to pin down, but I'll tell you exactly what to do and it's so simple. The people you love most will thank you the deepest for listening.  Links in this episode: Friday, September 22 enrollment closes! What Makes Women Feel Beautiful → HilaryRushford.com/Beautiful Friday, September 22 replay expires! “How to Finally Feel Confident and at Peace in Your Body (+ save time, energy, and $2,000 per year)” ← HilaryRushford.com/BodyPeace    Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

A few months ago I got messages from 2 women in one week who were both hiding, on opposite ends of the same spectrum, each thinking they had the most to be ashamed of.   As I sat with their stories I realized: we all think we're hiding the most, or more than others. When the truth is everyone is either hiding in some way, or has healed from hiding but used to be there so they can relate.   Today we'll explore exactly how we heal, learn to trust, and why it matters so deeply to our health and happiness. Links in this episode: “How to Finally Feel Confident and at Peace in Your Body (+ save time, energy, and $2,000 per year)” ← HilaryRushford.com/BodyPeace join me TODAY + TOMORROW for a LIVE keynote speech with your free VIP ticket  The doors to What Makes Women Feel Beautiful will be opening today! HilaryRushford.com/Beautiful Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

I went back to the site of past shame and was so grounded in myself, it was noteworthy.   How did I stay more present than self-analytical, despite being in a room of wealthy people I had once felt so much smaller than?   This is a different experience of confidence and freedom (of time, money, energy) than I've felt before.   And I'm sharing exactly what I did to get there! Links in this episode: Sept 13 + 14 join me for a LIVE Keynote Speech with your free VIP ticket at HilaryRushford.com/bodypeace ← “How to Finally Feel Confident and at Peace in Your Body (+ save time, energy, and $2,000 per year)”   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

How often do you double shame yourself? Part of the shame is warranted: we're imperfect and insecure.    Yet from that place how often do we also take on a double helping of guilt, instead of being able to see that the people or circumstances around us were also flawed and problematic?   Sharing a story about a chance meeting that left me with so many insights about myself 20 years ago, and myself today – both how I've grown and what the next level of healing is.   Links in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is opening again soon, get on the list now! Order your Elegant Excellence Journal today to start healing more deeply   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in!   And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!

I had my first experience with mom shame, and I couldn't believe I caved so quickly!   I knew what was and was not a priority for me, but one little sentence… and I took an action purely out of shame and fear. #PalmToFace   I was genuinely flabbergasted that I could feel pressured so easily on a decision I'd made very clearly over a year ago.   I came home determined to shore up my confidence and identified 3 steps to remaining confident in your decisions when others disagree.   This conversation includes how to feel less triggered by the unsolicited advice of others, avoid burnout and overwhelm, and live with less stress, more peace.   Links in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is opening for the 2nd time only and earlier than expected! Open for one week only, don't miss it by getting on the list here: HilaryRushford.com/Beautiful Ep 172: The #1 insensitive Q to please stop asking pregnant people    Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in!   And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

We got a call from our surrogate that she was spotting, shaken, and headed to the hospital.   I've been sharing how much I'm confused by the peace I'm feeling around surrogacy and pregnancy.   As someone who's always been prone to anxiety, how the heck am I SO CALM?!   I'm thrilled I am! But I literally don't recognize this feeling of living in my body.   I wondered if perhaps I just hadn't been tested?   Maybe the peace will prove less strong if something goes wrong?   How I handled the next 12 hours of not knowing whether we were miscarrying, shocked me even more.   The next day I started journaling: I want this same peace in other areas of my life! So HOW did I get here?!   I went back to 2018, followed the path, and identified 5ish steps you'll learn in this episode.   I've taken new steps myself this week from the wisdom in this conversation!    I believe we can both create more almost unbelievable peace for ourselves by the end of 2023.   Let's give each other updates on how it's going in the months to come… Links in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is opening for the 2nd time only and earlier than expected! Open for one week only, don't miss it by getting on the list here: HilaryRushford.com/Beautiful Dr Lucky Sekhon on IG for fertility resources Post on peace day of embryo transfer Post on peace night before pregnancy results Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

For years I've been endlessly making big decisions.   Did we want to have kids or not?    Were we supposed to leave NYC, and if so to go where?   These decisions were the two longest and hardest I've ever had to make, but I'm so grateful for this process that eventually lead me to peace.   As I wrestled with these decisions over the years, I took notes for you. Listen in for the 7 steps that helped me make these big choices in a way that left me with confidence when it came time. Links in this episode: Making big or small decisions in your life, year, priorities? Order your EEJ at ElegantExcellenceJournal.com today!  My new favorite root touch-up stick Earlier episodes on my decision to have kids or not: Ep 112: Motherhood: Yes, no, maybe Ep 113: Motherhood, the things I was afraid to say in the last one Ep 170: Our Fertility Journey (part 1) Ep 171: Our Surrogacy Story (part 2) Ep 172: The #1 insensitive Q to please stop asking pregnant people     Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

I've had 5 years of being asked this question. #PalmToFace   It's one I asked others over the years! It seemed innocuous and I didn't realize how triggering, personal, or just awkward it can be.   This question is asked whether someone is pregnant, using IVF or conceiving naturally, or even had children years ago.   Please note this isn't to shame any of us who have asked (or answered!) over the years.   We did the best we could with what we knew then.   Now we know better, so we'll do better for both parents and children.  Links in this episode: For peace, clarity, and confidence in your life choices, order your ElegantExcellenceJournal.com today! A process cultivated over 10 years, with thousands of customers and 5-star reviews, it's the life coach at your fingertips guiding you to your own inner wisdom. Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

How did surrogacy get on our hearts? What are the misconceptions about surrogates?   Bigger picture, how do you make big decisions (especially when you have no one to ask) and look for clues in the seeds God/the universe has planted around your life?   We're covering all of that plus the 4 reasons to NOT do surrogacy, why we turned down our 1st two matches, and more.   Links mentioned in this episode: Finding out if we're pregnant video The night before “mantra for waiting on a dream” video Danny + Mara's final IVF post My book publishing nightmare   If you're seeking more peace, clarity, and confidence in your own life choices, order your Elegant Excellence Journal today at ElegantExcellenceJournal.com! A process cultivated over 10 years, with thousands of customers and 5-star reviews, it's the life coach at your fingertips guiding you to your own inner wisdom. Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in! And thank you in advance (wink) for leaving a review, they mean so much in helping more people!  

ICYMI my recent announcement on Instagram, we've been on a fertility journey for the last 6 years. From my first appointment about egg freezing when single, through multiple rounds of (failed) embryo freezing, to moving forward with a surrogate (gestational carrier), and our first embryo transfer last week! Today I'm answering Q's you submitted about the process, thoughts, feelings, and decisions along the way.   Links mentioned in this episode: Instagram account for my doctor + friend Lucky Sekhon Ep 112: Motherhood: Yes, no, maybe Ep 113: Motherhood, the things I was afraid to say in the last one Announcement video (image of my face breakout/rash) Fertility story photos  Data in adoption section: Washington Post, NPR, Brookings Institute, John Hopkins Univ My publishing story HilaryRushford.com/BookStory   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know, please share and tag me so I can see and chime in! P.S. Reviews mean the world to a podcast. If you'd take a moment to tap the stars (and bonus add a short thought of why you appreciate an episode or the show) I'd be so grateful!

What if you've worked so hard the last year, only to feel so far from where you hoped you'd be?   You're still in debt, or the business still isn't working; still waiting on the adoption or walking through infertility; still haven't met your person, or aren't over the relationship you lost.   Or in my case, I'm not as healed, as undefined from grief a year ago as I thought just a few months ago I might feel passing the anniversary.   If you feel far from your peak, you're not alone, and I'm on the journey with you. Would love to hear from you on Instagram @hilaryrushford after the episode, and if you think this could make someone else feel less alone, share it and tag me so I can see what spoke to you!  

I'm struggling today. You? I had another episode planned.    Yet for reasons I'll explain, it was feeling heavy. And I'm burned out.   So I asked myself:   What would feel easier today?   I hope my enough will be enough for you today, and that you'll give yourself the same grace. ❤️   Your weariness is welcome here, in an honest chat about how to continue when you're using all your tools and still feel far from really good.   Would love to hear from you on Instagram @hilaryrushford after the episode, and if you think this could make someone else feel less alone, share it and tag me so I can see what spoke to you!

When you say you feel “good” in an area, it's compared to how you used to feel. You feel better. But if this is the best you've felt, can you really know it's good? What if how you feel today is only 40% of what's possible?  You don't even know what great feels like!   Ten-ish years ago I was feeling so much better in my body and beauty. But something in me knew there was more–more peace, more ease, more acceptance, more confidence. In today's personal episode I'm sharing small moments of healing over the years and what I realize caused the shift You can feel better. You simply have to listen to that knowing inside of you that says: this isn't the peak yet. Let me show you how to get there…   Links mentioned in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful closes Thursday, June 29th! Visit HilaryRushford.com/Beautiful to join us today   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in!  

I didn't want you to miss this.    Last week I gave a keynote speech + I just extended the window to watch the recording but it expires THIS Thursday, June 29th.   Watch it here right now to get more depth + understanding with beautiful visuals as you listen:   HilaryRushford.com/2k   How to finally feel confident and at peace in your body PLUS SAVE TIME, ENERGY, AND $2K/YEAR This is a powerful conversation + a pivotal moment. I'm so grateful you aren't missing it.  

I want to introduce you to a new aspiration, belief system, way of living:   Beauty Positive.   My goal is not Body Positive, because you don't need to feel positive about your body to live this way. Importantly, other people don't need to feel positive about their body to join you here. Think about that sentence for a second… __________ “How to Finally Feel Confident and at Peace in Your Body Plus Save Time, Energy, and $2k/Year” LIVE Keynote Speech June 21 + 22! HilaryRushford.com/BodyPeace   __________   OPENING DAY: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful Enrollment opens for the first time ever June 21 HilaryRushford.com/BeautifulWaitlist   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in! Bonus: Leaving a review makes all the difference in the world! One minute of your time can lead many others to listen to a needed message like this. Thank you, in advance!  

An invitation to a special talk I'll call “the podcast 10x” this week only!   I'm giving a keynote speech + still have free VIP tickets available:   How to finally feel confident and at peace in your body PLUS SAVE TIME, ENERGY, AND $2K/YEAR HilaryRushford.com/2k   Join me LIVE so we can talk after + I can help you more personally!

There's no affirmation I use more in my life. And this one actually isn't even about your body. Yet it leaves you feeling better, kinder, more hopeful. And, better about your body. Then inspires you to take the next step to healing. If every woman used this, we could change our culture. Let's start with us.   Links mentioned in this episode: Ep 60: The Wand NEW get a VIP ticket to watch my keynote speech online for free at HilaryRushford.com/bodypeace _____________________________________   Get your free VIP ticket to hear my keynote speech live!  My talk is titled:  “How to finally feel confident and at peace in your body”   (plus save time, energy, and $2k/year)   You get access to the Q&A with me right after, and I'll stay until I've answered every Q so I can connect with you personally! _____________________________________   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in!  

You sent so many messages when I started this convo on Stories a few months ago. Then I had an appointment I wanted to tell you about (yegads) and the two came full circle.   What we get riled up about on social media distracts us from what we should really care about. From false advertising ignoring the biggest factors making women look younger and pretending it's something else. Then we spend the money we do have unwisely, and are disappointed with the results.   I want to help you spend less. I want to help you heal from the inside. I want to help you feel more joy, more easily, on the outside.   Links mentioned in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is coming this June! Don't miss the window when you enter your email now at HilaryRushford.com/BeautifulWaitlist   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in!

When does our rage feel compelling, not repelling? After Part 3 of the podcast series went live II received messages like this: “Hearing this unlocked something in me…” “You awoke an anger inside of me I've been swallowing, and made it feel okay to let it out…” “This was a holy rage and it was exciting, inviting even, to witness, thank you…”   I had been nervous to release that episode, but it turns out the lack of filter was deeply needed.  Today we'll break down 6 elements to consider that increase our chances of being heard and honored when we speak up with passion. And what I realize in hindsight was the recipe to why the Part 3 episode felt so raw yet so safe for you to hear   Links mentioned in this episode: What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is coming this June!

You requested this episode, submitting follow-up Q's you had after listening to parts 1-3.   Today I'm answering your Q's including: How do you move on after that level of betrayal? How many books are ghostwritten? Have you heard from anyone involved since it went live? I also talk about how to: Know when it's better to fight, or walk away (even if you know you're right) Get closure Honor yourself/others who've been through something hard, without defining them as victims, but their whole selves  Links mentioned in this episode: Share the series this series to help someone else at HilaryRushford.com/BookStory Read a free excerpt of the book at that link too What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is coming this June! Get on the waitlist to hear first at HilaryRushford.com/BeautifulWaitlist Instagram reels on 05/22: I feel bad I don't have a happy encouraging ending for you   If you're an author or in the publishing industry and want to share your experience after listening, write to me privately at books@deanstreetsociety.com. All correspondence will remain anonymous.  Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share the links above + tag me so I can thank you + hear what spoke to you!  

You've known gaslighting, rage at disorganization or disrespect, or a traumatic work/community experience.   Today I'll share 7 action ideas to help us protect ourselves in the present or future, those in our inner circle, and more broadly our culture. Use this cheat sheet to journal, discuss, and reflect what you'll do in this season to grow 10% better, leaving you more empowered + confident:   Identify what you loathe in the situation. Anything else you can try to make this better, or accept it's to get out or worth it to stay Pour into your self-aware confidence Heal your burnout (new resources coming this summer at HilaryRushford.com/burnout) Share your story Be a safe person Join a movement   Links mentioned in this episode:   *** JOIN THE WAITLIST: hear when What Makes Women Feel Beautiful is coming this June at HilaryRushford.com/BeautifulWaitlist *** Brightlings BookCamp for Girls (what I gifted my niece) Instagram post on wishing I had a happy ending to encourage you   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in! If this episode helped you or someone you know, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review. They mean so much to creators!  

I want to say it gets better.  In life I've really found that to be true. In romantic relationships, homes, friends, employees. But sometimes it gets worse first. How do you know when it's time to walk away from a dream? From everything you've invested, with nothing–less than nothing, far far less than what you started with? You know it when it happens. The final straw.  HEADS UP: This is a very raw, salty, cursing, no holding back episode.   Links mentioned in this episode: Read the Introduction Chapter of “What Makes Women Feel Beautiful” that you heard the editor's feedback on in the episode at HilaryRushford.com/Chapter. Want to hear what's coming in June? Enter your email for the book download and you'll be invited to the garden, blooming soon. Share this series and read an exclusive chapter of What Makes Women Feel Beautiful at HilaryRushford.com/BookStory.   If you do so on Instagram tag me @HilaryRushford so I can thank you for doing what I wish someone had done for me, and/or hear what parts spoke to you the most. If you're an author or in the publishing industry and want to share your experience after listening, write to me privately at books@deanstreetsociety.com. All correspondence will remain anonymous.  If this episode helped you or someone you know, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review. They mean so much to creators!  

In 2011 I started a business as a stylist. I'd moved to New York City for my career in theater after a Broadway tour, Radio City Rockettes, and all that jazz.   [The below timeline is not covered in the episode and included here for backstory.]   In 2014 a friend who worked at a top publisher told me that my style course, “had to be a book.” She'd told everyone in her office my principles and they were using them daily–women needed this. I told her that sounded like a lot of work for very little money. We were both right.   In 2016 I began writing the book in fits and starts, always “let's just get through one more launch, just a little more income so we aren't burned out and *then* I'll write the book.”   By 2020 I decided *then* was never going to come. I had to take the leap. I hired a book coach and in 2021 they introduced me to a top agent. My book went to auction and my dream was coming true.   For a year I absolutely adored the writing process (which most authors bemoan) yet was traumatized by the publishing process (which I had never heard anyone mention–as explained in the episode now I know why.) One year later, and it was all for nothing.   Worse, it almost cost me everything.   This is part 2 of 3 in sharing that story. Please begin with last week's Part 1: Silent vs Silenced.    This is a story of creative and financial heartbreak, shared to protect others from it.    It's the episodes I have wish I had heard from just one person, to have any idea what I was risking when I decided 7 years ago that maybe I would in fact like to write a book.   Links mentioned in this episode: March 2021 texts about securing literary agents April 2021 video explaining what that validation meant + the respect I instantly attached to them (Instagram is awkward for long videos so you can also listen on YouTube) June 2021 official author celebration The first time I “saw” my book in my local bookstore. (Wild this was so long ago I was still wearing a mask for everyday errands.) Want to learn how I survived this season without burning out? Join the wait list for new free resources coming this summer.   If you know any author, creative, or aspiring this could bless, please share it with them and if you do so on Instagram tag me @HilaryRushford so I can thank you for doing what I wish someone had done for me.   If you're an author and want to share your experience after listening to next week's final episode (I understand the desire to share with someone who can relate), DM above or write books@deanstreetsociety.com. All correspondence will of course remain anonymous..     

The long + layered stories we're all living in.That's what this chat is about--you, us.You've asked for updates on my brother-in-law which I'm sharing here in the most respectful way possible.Yet really, this is about far more than one person's physical healing + rather how we navigate the mental complexities of hope amidst hard things.You can catch up on Aaron's story here: My Instagram post Go Fund Me Ep 155: For the caregivers Aaron's Instagram hopefully going forward from now on If you think this episode would help someone else I'd be grateful if you'd pass it on and if you share on Instagram tag me @HilaryRushford or come DM me to chat more.

For a year I've been asked, “What happened to you? What exactly are you grieving about?”   Each time I would reply, “Unfortunately I'm not legally allowed to share right now, but hope to be able to soon.”   Now I'm able to, and as I've known I would be all along, I feel terrified.    So we're starting with that: The difference between being silent and silenced The holiness of this season I'm sad to see come to an end even though I never would have chosen it The trauma responses I'm seeing in myself that I've never previously experienced   As is always my hope: may you feel seen in your story, or better understand others as they share theirs.  Links mentioned in this episode: August 2022 IG post “this summer was hard” September 2022 IG post “the club of the quietly disappointed” March 2023 IG post “the longevity of grief”   Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see and chime in. 

How do you train your body to be more calm in stress?    Today I'm sharing an anchoring phrase that helps me every time I remember to use it, in hopes this conversation will help us all do so more often.   Recorded from a car outside the hospital visiting my brother-in-law, we'll talk not only big picture gratitude and presence, but practically how we make our lives easier when we build the habit of small mental shifts.   Links in today's episode:   Order your Elegant Excellence Journal today Join our crew! We discuss the week's podcast episode, IG Stories, daily life, how we're using any of the Dean St products or programs inside the Elegant Excellence Community and you're invited to join us!    Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in!

When you're waiting for news, for an answer, for closure… how are you patient, how do you get through the day, what do you occupy your mind with? This wonderful question came from a member of our Elegant Excellence Community. I shared the spontaneous teaching you'll hear in this episode, and am following it up with thoughts through the lens of my brother-in-law's accident that hadn't yet happened when I shared this original teaching. Links in this episode: Ep 149: How to live well Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. If you think this would help someone you know please share and tag me so I can see + chime in!  

Four weeks ago I'd have told you I'm deeply empathetic.   I still am! But I've been humbled as to how much I can declare that in scenarios in which I truly have never walked a similar path.   It's rare we have “overnight change” moments. When they happen we get a clear vision of a before and after of ourselves.   Today we'll chat about:   The difference between sympathy, empathy, and being an empath. Why pity feels gross and how we shift to a much better feeling. (Whether they're feeling it towards you, or you to them.) The 4 H's to know your role in supporting someone. (I love an easy to remember hack!) And the #1 thing I implore you to start doing when people ask how you're doing.

If you love someone who's walked through illness + injury, this “pour a cup” or “let's go on a walk” chat is for you. My 26-year-old brother-in-law (outdoorsy, active, military veteran) was in an accident 2.5 weeks ago, fracturing his C5 vertebrae and paralyzing him from the neck down. He's been given a 1-2% chance of getting out of a wheelchair, and our family is rocked, devastated, fighting, believing, and learning a whole new world.   When I shared the news on Instagram Monday comments and DMs were flooded by the caregivers. I saw a whole demographic that had been there all along, you just hadn't had a reason to share your story with me.   Today's episode is for you. Or for your friends who may not understand what you went through or are going through, because it takes this long to explain it, and these aren't even any of the personal details, just 8 of the different emotions and experiences I've found myself or my family in over the last couple weeks.   I'm sharing from what I call the First-and-a-half Circle of Grief. The wife of the brother. Close enough to watch the trauma unfold, but aware how far my experience is from that of his parents and siblings who've known him every day of his life. Today's conversation is for those who may not have quite heard themselves in the stories from the center on other podcasts about trauma and recovery.    May you feel seen. Love, Hilary Links in this episode:   Ep 59: Permission to heal + Third Circle Grief Ep 149: How to live well, instead of fearing death (reflections on t'Witch, Dave Hollis) (Fourth Circle Grief) Recovery Fund for Aaron Meal Train Sign-up for Aaron's Caregivers Elegant Excellence Community via our Journal shop   Would love to hear your thoughts after today's episode on Instagram @HilaryRushford    

Whether ending a relationship, letting go of a home or a side gig, it can be so challenging to know when a long story has run its course.   And it matters BIG TIME! When we're leaking energy on the wrong thing, we can be missing out on passion and purpose meant for us, in our career or simply in how we live our daily life.   In this episode I guide us back to how we got here, and how we get out with lots of grace, empowerment, and hope.   This is an important episode for any entrepreneur, yet it's about so much more than business or work.   Links in this episode: Choose your Elegant Excellence Journal + join the Community today! A lil dance party for the nervous system advice Start our Healing Burnout Course today with this free workshop! Ep 136: Decision making: when you choose wrong + fate vs planning (part 1) Ep 137: Decision making: when you just cannot decide (part 2) Ep 138: Decision making: do you go with your gut or the data? (part 3)    Come let me know your thoughts on today's episode inside the group and on Instagram @HilaryRushford!   © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

Calming nervous system dates, the simplest path to feeling beautiful + more in today's post-Florida download.    94% of us are in a waiting season. #HandRaised This week I stumbled upon a few ways to support myself in what feels like a Groundhogs Day chapter + broke down why/how they helped so I can look for more.   Join me in a seasonal reset inside our Elegant Excellence Community for April! We'll be Choosing Lightness (hope, ease, releasing, faith) daily together in a special format this month.   Come let me know your thoughts on today's episode inside the group and on Instagram @HilaryRushford!   © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

A light girlfriend chat after a hard week. Anyone else just need to feel lighter? We talk about Prince Harry, Pamela Anderson, habit stacking, winter blues, maman guilt (pet or human) – a grab bag of topics. All tying in to less guilt in our actions or inactions (except when it's warranted as I've been personally convicted of lately) and overall how to stop making things heavier for ourselves or others as we choose more lightness. Links in this episode: The [temporary] Elegant Excellence Journal shop site is open! Get a discount on your Elegant Excellence Community membership when you join with a journal! Reels on the story of the site disappearance Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

What's the thing you keep trying to solve/fix/change in your life? What should I do for work? Why are friendships hard for me? How can I be less anxious or reactive? Today I'm sharing the history of the Elegant Excellence Journal, which is really the history of my evolution in personal growth — how to heal. I say in this chat, “I wanted healing, I wanted breakthrough, but it felt elusive.” Can you relate? This is what helped. Links mentioned in this episode: HilaryRushford.com/Reveal Black pens Zebra Midliner highlighters DiverseBee Highlighters Heart paper clips Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

What's stealing your time? I asked myself that question while using my Elegant Excellence Journal one morning. When we're behind most of us tend to go to one main reason. Perhaps that's beating yourself up, or blaming others. Perhaps it's a sense of failure that makes you procrastinate, or a believe you can solve it through perfection that amps you up into overdrive. What I realized is there are actually 5 different scenarios it could be. By opening up those possibilities, now I opened up my options. I didn't have to just blame myself, but also sometimes I could take that ownership because I wasn't making it “my fault” 100% of the time which is exhausting. I didn't have to just accept it, but also sometimes I could have that acceptance and release because it didn't leave me empowered that 100% of the time there's nothing I can do to feel more safe or less overwhelmed. Suddenly I felt less like a failure or a victim. When we realize the habit groove we've been creating of one narrative isn't the only option, our thinking expands, and we don't keep banging into the same tender spot again and again. Listen in today and see which of the 5 reasons you're behind lead you to the biggest breakthrough of peace, permission, or an action plan. 5 Categories Cheat Sheet: (will make sense once you listen!) This can be avoided in future by X Unwise choice Unplanned but purposeful for my 12-month priorities Planned + honored Life. Happens to everyone. Links mentioned: The Elegant Excellence Journal shop re-opens on Friday, March 10th! Join me LIVE when you save your seat here right now: HilaryRushford.com/Reveal Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

A simple 5-part daily check in on living with peace while surrounded with hard things we can't control. Trigger warning we speak of suicide and loss of life at a too young age. Though we end with hope, with actionable steps to guide us in what it means to live well each day driven not by a fear of death but an appreciation of life. _________________ The 5 Hand Motions: Heart: Show Love Cheeks: Appreciate beauty Head: Keep a sense of the bigger picture Palms out: Give thanks Wrap: Love yourself as a child of God _________________ Links mentioned in this episode: YWP Ep 59: Permission to heal: social media, Covid + community (Circles of Grief) Article: Young people are more likely to die of heart attacks post-COVID, study finds. But why? Rise Together Podcast Ep 229: You are worthy of unconditional love IG post from t'Witch's wife Alison: We will continue to live from joy + love Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

While in a hard season right now there's 2 phrases I keep coming back to. One question, and one statement. They're my mantras, my guides, and goodness are they blessing me. If you're going through something hard right now it can feel complicated to find words of wisdom that really ring true. Don't feel trite, don't fall apart upon further scrutiny and application. Yes. And… sometimes it's the simplest phrases that hold the most impact because we truly remember them. Listen in to see if they serve you as much as they are me. (PS One of them is from Tom Hanks. Though to be fair it's also the wisdom inside a book I'm loving right now. Once you hear good truth, you often start to hear it more places!) Links mentioned in this episode: Get on the waitlist before the shop opens: ElegantExcellenceJournal.com  The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements + Onjuli Datta The Idea of You by Robinne Lee Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

I'm embarrassed to admit this even happened. Yet a recent appointment made it crystal clear: I am a people pleaser in an unexpected way, with unintended consequences for people I care about (not to mention myself!) Furthermore, I experienced in real time when it's worth it to be uncomfortable for a moment, to save yourself hours of discomfort if you stay silent. We could call this: The one where my hair was accidentally died red (again) on a day I just happened to have a call with our community here and therefore I had the beautiful accountability to walk back in and show up better for myself. Links mentioned in this episode: The Elegant Excellence Journal is coming so soon. Make sure you're on the waitlist to hear first!   Journal & discussion Q's: When do you not speak up and why? When do you cause more discomfort for people close to you by doing so? What is and is not rude, or demanding, or high maintenance? What's the story you/culture tells you, and what's the neutral truth? What do you not think is that when a man does it but do when a woman does? Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

Do you have days it feels hard to get out of bed, or you want to climb back in halfway through? That was today for me, and I decided rather than putting on a happier face to talk about what I had planned, I'd just share. From bed, from notes in my Elegant Excellence Journal. Why do we hesitate to be honest we're “still” not “over” what happened to us? That we may never be? With honesty, hope, humor, and more honesty… Links mentioned in this episode: The Elegant Excellence Journal is debuting so soon, better than ever. Get on the waitlist + be one of the first to see! Ep 29: 22 Steps to Feel Better in 1 Day (Easier Than it Sounds) Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. I'll post a reels shortly after this goes live to gather any advice you have for myself + others on the grieving process. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

Culture puts much emphasis on the outside of our bodies. We feel confident or insecure based on what others see.  Hearing from a few students of my Healing Burnout course made me ponder a new layer of feeling beautiful that we're overlooking: how our body feels on the inside, the parts that only we feel. This is inside body kindness, which then becomes more outside body kindness. I'll explain in the episode! But I'll tell you this: You deserve to feel beautiful. You deserve to be beautiful. Inside and out. In that order.  __________ Links mentioned in this episode: Join us inside my Healing Burnout Course + Elegant Excellence Community! You're invited to this safe, supportive place for hope, help, and healing.  __________ Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you! © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford

The root reason you're running so fast may surprise you. There's the first layer fears. Once I dealt with those… I found a second layer, deeper reasons I didn't even realize were there. Then I saw a friend go through the same phases, then students inside my Healing Burnout course started to report the same. Here's the secret: the real magic of life comes when you get past the second layer. It's where everything feels good. Feels like living. Links in this episode: [Free masterclass] 13 Signs of Burnout: Healing for a more beautiful life. Get your quiz score live with me and stick around for 1-on-1 coaching. Join us inside my NEW Healing Burnout Course + Elegant Excellence Community! Stop being harder on yourself in 2023, but softer with healing, help, and hope. ____ Would love to hear your thoughts after on Instagram @HilaryRushford. Thank you in advance (wink) for subscribing, tapping the stars, and even leaving a brief review below!   © 2019 - 2023 Hilary Rushford