Podcasts about annpeck

Due to the threat of titanium mining, the biologically rich and unique Okefenokee Swamp habitat at the GA/FL border has unfortunately been named one of America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2023 (by the organization America Rivers). But there's a wide alliance of bipartisan wilderness and water protectors at https://protectokefenokee.org/ defending this National Wildlife Refuge, including The Georgia River Network. Their Executive Director, ecologist Rena Ann Peck talks to host Carrie Freeman in this 25-minute podcast about why and how so many groups are protecting this delicate and one-of-a-kind ecosystem from damaging mining efforts on the trail ridge (bordering the swamp ecosystem). It's a sacred space to the Muskogee Creek Nation and home to hundreds of plants and unique animals, such as alligators, salamanders, birds, and fish, some endangered. Rena also explains what is being done in the GA Legislature to try to establish permanent protection against future mining (HB 71 Okefenokee Protection Act) and actions to urge the Georgia EPD (Env Protection Division) and Governor Kemp not to issue a mining permit to Twin Pine Minerals company. With overwhelming bipartisan support in favor of park protection, we hope that government listens and acts. Interested citizens can text 52886 with the word SWAMP and it takes you to action items. You can also see the action items and many gorgeous videos at this GA River Network site https://garivers.org/protectokefenokee/  In Tune to Nature is a long-time weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at https://wrfg.org/   Remember to take care of yourself and others, including other species, like the thousands who live in rivers and wetlands. 

One of the most challenging questions I get asked in my coaching conversations is, “When do I know when it's time to add to my team?”  If you're hiring a team member, how do you know what position do you hire for? And is it even possible to hire someone to sell for you?And even when you have all the information and you're ready to make a move, how do you find the right person?It's not an easy decision to make but let's help you figure out your next steps in today's episode with Sales Uprising's Kelly Ann Peck.Sales Uprising | InstagramThis episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul.The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence. -----Looking to save time in writing repetitive emails? Want to improve some of your client experience processes or package offerings?  Grab some of our most coveted templates and course offerings within The Planner's Vault Shop!

Kelly Ann Peck is a business coach and sales strategist at Sales UpRising that is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs develop actionable strategies that turn ideas into profitable 6-figure businesses. With 24 years in the events industry and as a sales expert, Kelly has sold over $23 million in revenue and has helped countless business owners transform their businesses into well-oiled, profit-generating machines. Kelly understands the challenges creative entrepreneurs face. From coaching her clients in her Mastermind to educating on the national stage, she's dedicated to sharing her expertise and experience so others can become the success story they were meant to be. In every way, she is the guide she wished she had when starting out as a new business owner. Show Me The Clients Workshop - Free https://events.salesuprising.com/SMTC Get the details on Halima's mastermind: Wedding Planner to CEO where you will step out of your lead planner role and into your CEO role and thinking like a business owner, get your systems in place, and scale your business. 

Kelly joins Greg for a lively discussion about the importance of Sales and Marketing working hand in hand for a successful business. If you are a small business owner, creative entrepreneur, or a leader in sales or marketing departments, then you don't want to miss this episode!

On this weeks episode, our host Jonathan Aymin sits down with Kelly Ann Peck, owner of Emerson Reese Creative to discuss how to create the perfect pricing structure. She'll also speak to the most effective packaging techniques and how to price your offerings in a way that keeps clients happy and your bank account full. About Our Guest: Kelly Ann Peck, owner of Emerson Reese Creative, is committed to helping event entrepreneurs create their own path in life by translating her experience into actionable strategies that turn ideas into profitable businesses. As a life-long fixer, Kelly has solved countless problems: from helping businesses address budgeting oversights to launching her own business out of a need for more freedom. Her innovative way of thinking has driven not just herself, but those around her, to strive for more and, in turn, reach their full potential. Today, Kelly serves her clients with empathy and understanding, having stood in their places once upon a time. She knows what it's like to feel exhausted and worry about whether a client had a great experience. She's wondered how she'll get enough clients to make a profit. She has seen her entrepreneur father worry about mortgage payments. She has ripped her hair out to produce a successful event. She knows the challenges entrepreneurs face and is committed to helping her clients avoid these common pitfalls. In every way, she is the guide she wished she had when starting out as a new business owner. Her insider perspective allows her to provide foundational business knowledge for every event entrepreneur. For more information about Kelly and her services, visit her at EmersonReeseCreative.com and @emersonreesecreative on social media. Find Her Here: Website: https://emersonreesecreative.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emersonreesecreative/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/emersonreesecreative Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyannpeck/ Thanks for checking out The Venue RX on Youtube. We are a team of content creators bringing you weekly reviews, tutorials, and business coaching videos. For a look at all things motivation, mindset, podcast interviews, and more...this is the place to be! BE A GUEST! If you are interested in being a guest on our show, or you know someone who you would recommend, go to our website and submit a request! We will review your application and get back to you promptly. ► Website http://thevenuerx.com/submit Don't forget to smash that LIKE Button. Remember to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel and click the BELL ICON to set alerts for all our new weekly videos! CONNECT WITH US & SUPPORT!!! ✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thevenuerx/ ✩ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thevenuerx ✩ Website: www.thevenuerx.com ✩ Anchor: https://bit.ly/3gKSshE LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ✩ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3qW7ntS ✩ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3gIz7h3Android: https://bit.ly/3njXOTE

Today I'm chatting with Kelly Ann Peck all about sales scripts that work every time. Kelly and I go over what is a sales script, why is it important, and how to use them in your sales call starting today. A little bit about Kelly is that she is the Founder of Emerson Reese Creative and is committed to helping event entrepreneurs create their own path in life by translating her experience into actionable strategies that turn ideas into profitable businesses. She has made it her personal mission to give back to the event industry by helping business owners avoid the mistakes she made and, ultimately, reach their full potential. Visit Website: https://emersonreesecreative.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emersonreesecreative Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/emersonreesecreative LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyannpeck Podcast Sponsor - Pixpa Pixpa is an all-in-one platform for creators and small businesses to create beautiful professional websites. Whether you want to showcase your portfolio, start your business website, set up your online store, or publish a blog - Pixpa empowers creators to manage their whole web presence from one location, saving time and money. With a host of built-in tools such as an Online Store, Blog, SEO Manager, Marketing Pop-Ups, Announcement Bar, and much more, Pixpa offers you all the tools you need to start growing your business online. Pixpa's affordable, all-inclusive plans start at just $7/month and come with 24/7 support, unlimited bandwidth, SSLs, and much more. Start building your website with Pixpa's 15-day full-featured, free trial. Tea with Jainé listeners get a special 50% Discount. Use code TEAWITHJAINE when you subscribe. Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 ⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts. Our Investment Guide Template for Wedding Photographers is available in our online shop. Need help submitting your wedding to publications? We offer 1:1 and Done for You Wedding Curations + Submission Services - click here to book your spot today! Get our Wedding Submissions E-Mail Templates to help make your next online or print submission easier! Stay Connected: Follow @teawithjaine & @jainekershner on Instagram We are looking for Sponsors just like you! Visit Our Website to Apply: www.teawithjaine.com

Kelly Ann Peck, founder of Emerson Reese Creative, is committed to helping event entrepreneurs create their own path in life by translating her experience into actionable strategies that turn ideas into profitable businesses. She guides creative professionals in developing a roadmap to their version of success, whether that's building a six-figure business or discovering more freedom in entrepreneurship. Growing up with an entrepreneur father and launching her own creative business has taught her the common pitfalls entrepreneurs face. She has made it her personal mission to give back to the event industry by helping business owners avoid the mistakes she made and, ultimately, reach their full potential. You will hear all about Kelly Ann Peck's journey and her tips for​'Pricing During the Wedding Boom.' We will finish up with 'What She Wishes Other Vendors Knew' and her 'Confetti Hour Confession.' Featured Guest: Kelly Ann Peck  Website: https://emersonreesecreative.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emersonreesecreative/  -- Help support Renée and The Confetti Hour show with a small contribution of $3 per month. Your support goes towards the professional maintenance of the show allowing Renée to continue to bring on reputable professionals to share their incredible journeys and tangible tips to help wedding professionals elevate their services. Consider supporting at https://www.patreon.com/theconfettihour Merri is an visualization online platform made for event planning that allows planners to bring their client's events to life in 3D. You can visualize your entire event using models of furniture, decor, flowers, and more, all within renderings of your venue! It also allows you to collaborate with your vendor team for seamless planning and execution of events.If you are a planner and would like to see what Merri can do for you, you can sign up at the link in our bio! For venue or rental companies interested in becoming involved on the platform, you can email ambassador@bemerri.com to get started!

It's a lesson learned during the pandemic that still rings true. Today's world may be digital, but you can't underestimate in-person interactions in building relationships. Kelly Ann Peck is the founder of Emerson Reese Creative, which provides business sales coaching for creative entrepreneurs and event professionals. With over 23 years of event industry and sales... The post WII 099: Kelly Ann Peck Talks You Through Connection-Building Sales Tactics appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Here are the things to expect in the episode:How do adoptees feel about their birth parents?Why is it important for adoptees to know their birth parents?What are the possible long-term effects of adoption on adoptees?How does it feel to be an adopted child?And much more! About Ann:Ann Peck is an award-winning author, independent journalist, and an adoptee. Her bylines include Entrepreneur Magazine—Business Insider—Greenwich Time—Stamford Advocate— Connecticut Post— and many more.She is the creator and instructor at the Adoptee Writer's Experience, where she works with adoptees interested in writing their adoption stories, either for themselves or publication. She offers online and in-person writing intensives, classes, individual coaching, and a membership community for female-identifying adoptees.Ann is the author of three books, including the best-selling, Smiling on the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love, which won six national and international awards in relationships, women's issues, and sexuality and was reviewed by Publishers Weekly.Ann is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Women's National Book Association, and is a member and an ambassador for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. When she's not traveling, Ann enjoys her time at home on the shores of a lake in Minnesota. Business or marketing topic to give actionable strategies/tips for listeners: Seriously no idea what to call it (yet), but I can have it firmed up by the time we connect. ... something along the lines of finding a problem and solving it... the problem I saw was this: The adoptee's voice and experiences are often missing, exploited, or inaccurately portrayed by the media.I wanted to change that, so here are the steps I took: (I will have the steps I outlined and strategies I implemented and I will be able to present it in a way that others can adapt for their own business) I want to promote Adoptee Writer's Experience in all it's forms: the membership community, classes, and my research on the topic. Depending on when you'll be airing this episode, I may be able to offer a special to your listeners — we can discuss timing and availability.Connect with Ann Peck!Website: https://annpeck.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adopteewritersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamannpeck/Connect with Kamie Lehmann!Website: https://www.kamielehmann.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kamie.lehmann.1LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamie-lehmann-04683473Learn more about how to minimize the emotional side effects of cancer: https://adventurefound.org/

There is a point in every entrepreneur or wedding planners life where you can't do it all. If growing your team is on your agenda for 2022, then this episode is for you. I chat with Kelly Ann Peck all all about the prospects of growing your team, what to look for in a candidate and how to vet out the ones who will work with your methods and not their own.   Topics Covered: Train to sell What they handle Personality plays Your vibe attracts your tribe Prospecting Revenue streams Follow-up Hire slow, fire fast

Amy Dix talks with Ann Peck, an accomplished writer & speaker. Her vulnerability and authentic voice always has a way of connecting with people! Her quest for self-love and growth does not have a last chapter as she continues (as we all should) to learn and put in the effort to be the best version of who she can be! We talk about sex, shame, and Ann meeting her birth mom for the first time at age 54. You'll love how open Ann is during this show! Find Ann Peck here: Website: www.annpeck.com Book: https://amzn.to/3sr23j4 Social: @IAmAnnPeck More about Ann: Ann Peck's resilience proves anything is possible, no matter what hand life deals you. Clawing her way out of multiple adversities and debilitating anxiety, Ann Peck is a women's empowerment advocate and writer on life, health, and happiness. An award-winning and #1 best-selling non-fiction author, this land-locked ocean-lover lives on the shores of a lake near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her articles and essays have appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Insider, Medium, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate, Norwalk Hour, Connecticut Post, Thrive Global, LinkedIn, HuffPost, The Good Men Project, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, and more including multiple corporate newsletters and blogs. Ann's first book, Smiling on the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love garnered her an invitation for a book signing and speaking engagement at Barnes & Noble Union Square in New York City for the book's release, as well as a review from Publisher's Weekly. She has received six national and international book awards, including a gold medal from The Living Now Awards in addition to a writing grant from the Good Samaritan Foundation. Her short film, Journey out of Abuse, was selected for inclusion in Stories of Survival and the internationally best-selling Silence Speaks. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Did you know that you cannot create a soft landing for yourself if you're staying silent about something you really need to talk about? Today, Anna wraps up the series of A Soft Landing with an interview with Ann Peck, who looks at the topic of A Soft Landing in really a unique way. She looks at it from the perspective of releasing shame and solidifying your voice and that cannot be done if you're staying in silence. Listen in to find out more about Ann and the work that she does. Ann is the intelligent and articulate host of the podcast Straight Talk For A Curvy World. She's a Clinical Sexologist, a Sex and Intimacy Coach- but more than that, she's a survivor. She's also written a wonderful book, Smiling On The Outside, Secrets, Sex, Shame And The Search For Self Love. Listen in today, to find out how Ann learned to move forward and how she helps others to do the same. Links: www.AnnPeck.com Her Life Unscripted Facebook Page, give it a LIKE! https://www.facebook.com/herlifeunscripted/ Shine Retreat for Women, Sept 29th-Oct 1st, 2017, www.ShineRetreatForWomen.com Want the full show notes? Get 'em here!

My guest on today’s podcast is the Certified Life Coach at Emerge Now Coaching. Christine Khetarpal helps women who are contemplating divorce make clear, confident choices. Christine learned the hard way, filing for divorce four times before making the final commitment. She offers all of the beautiful women listening to this podcast a free reassurance tool, 5 Small Ways to Bring Peace Back Into Your Life Even if You Have a Decision to Make to help you love yourself during a difficult time.   Why I'm Smiling on the Inside Smiling On the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love is being released on June 6th, and then on June 8th I will be personally signing copies of my book at the Barnes and Nobles in New York City, yes, you read that correctly, right in the middle of Union Square! The signing is a free event. The only thing I ask of you is to share this information. Visit the Straight Talk for a Curvy World Facebook page, and share the event announcement or tell your friends. I look forward to seeing you there and discussing this important topic.   Emotional Pain in the Physical Form During Christine’s uncertainty about staying in her marriage, she began having chest pains, and suffered from shingles. At the time, she was unaware of the physical connection to her emotional distress. She recommends going to a doctor, but also talking with a trusted friend about what ails you. It may uncover that you have been trying to mold yourself into a form someone else wants you to be, instead of who you really are. Practice some self-love, and do some internal work, to help clear your mind.   Why Can’t We Live the Life We Want to Live? Many women spend a lot of time comparing themselves to other women. We see a photo or read a story, and we think the woman we are looking at has everything together. We wonder what is wrong with us, and why we don’t have that certain something. But remember, when you look at a person’s picture, you don’t see a person’s history, you don’t see fear, and you don’t see their anxiety. We all have a past. Women need to talk to each other and say the two magic words, ‘me too’. Because you are not alone and you are not crazy either.   “There is no safety in silence — only isolation and disconnection.” — Ann Peck   There is Life After Divorce It is much easier to settle than it is to step out of your comfort zone and into the life you really want. If you do leave your marriage, Christine recommends spending some time with yourself before you go looking for someone to spend your time with. It’s more important to love and learn more about yourself than it is to run out and find your next knight in shining armor.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me at Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it).

Welcome home, everyone. I am so happy to be back with you on the Straight Talk for a Curvy World podcast. My break was just a little longer than I had anticipated, but I took the time to line up some amazing guests for upcoming episodes. Today, Elaine Turso is here to tell us about her boudoir photography business, and to discuss body image.   Why I'm Smiling on the Outside Because my book is done! My long-awaited book is complete and it has a new title, Smiling On the Outside: Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-Love. It will be available on June 6th, 2017. I’ll be sharing more about it as the launch date approaches.   A Quote to Kick Off the Conversation "A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” — from Tim Ferriss’s book Tools for Titans   Body Image: The subjective picture or mental image of one's own body. Elaine Turso has a rule in her studio, anyone coming in for a photography session must adhere to, they are not allowed to say anything disparaging towards themselves. She calls it being body positive. Many women have a hard time standing naked in front of the mirror. Their first reaction is to let their inner mean girl judge and criticize them. But, Elaine wants to change that. At her boudoir studio, Elaine starts by making women feel beautiful by helping them to dress in a flattering piece of lingerie, then she elegantly lights the scene and she works to capture the woman’s beauty, inside and out. She wants to ultimately capture their soul. Women are subjected to unrealistic ideas of what a woman’s body should look like and Elaine is saying, “enough.” Elaine has lived with a burn on her upper torso since she was 5. It took a long time for her to come into body acceptance, which she says, is a mind shift change. She tried to cover herself at all times at school. She was blessed with having very supportive people in her life. Elaine knows not everyone has that. She has finally accepted her body now that she is close to 40.   Using Photography for Healing Elaine courageously shares her story of being violated as a young girl. She identifies with those who need healing and she tells a story of one woman who wanted to recreate the scene of when she was attacked. Elaine was charged with the difficult task of capturing the hurt and the trauma. “The Uprising of Annie” shoot was followed up by a video, in which the woman told the story of being robbed of her sense of safety at the age of 13.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me at Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). Join the Straight Talk for Curvy World Community on FB and take the survey I mention in the podcast.

Thank you all so much for the anniversary messages you sent me to celebrate this podcast’s one-year milestone last week. When you send in messages and share your stories with me, it validates that we are achieving our goals with this podcast. I know we are making a difference in each other’s lives. You are not alone and You are not crazy either.      Today’s episode is a replay of a previous episode with Monica Tarr. Monica’s deeply engaging episode is a conversation worth hearing again. Follow this link to read the show notes from the original episode, Understanding Your Physical and Emotional Limits.   Don’t worry if next week’s episode doesn’t automatically download in your podcast player, the Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast will be taking a short, one month break to organize and develop some amazing new content for the upcoming, Season 2!   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories Do you need to catch up on early episodes of this podcast? If you do, go to Annpeck.com. You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page or on social media, @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.   Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

Today’s episode marks the one year anniversary of my Straight Talk for a Curvy World podcast. I truly believe in the work we are doing here on the show and all of your generous feedback lets me know you believe in it too. To help me celebrate this milestone, I am speaking today with an amazing woman, Ann Sheybani. Ann was my very first guest on my very first episode of this podcast. During her episode, Sharing Secrets About the Stranger Within, she opens all the way up and shares her secret truths. Her episode is to date, the most popular and most downloaded episode from the past year.   A Great Writing Coach Ann Sheybani is my writing coach. If she tells me I am ready to release my book, I believe her. Ann says there are many people who are not able to share their stories with the world because they have not yet dealt with their emotions around the subject they want to write about. According to Ann, “When you are writing about your past, your feelings come back to you as if you are experiencing them again...” She says, many people dissociate from their feelings which make them hard to access. If they want to write a powerful story they have to think about everything they were feeling at the time and allow the reader to identify with the why behind the what. As a book coach, Ann Sheybani likes to form deep bonds with her clients. She wants the relationship to be a positive one for both parties. She will refuse a client if they are damaged or need more therapy than writing can provide. But she says, when a writer is ready to learn and to be critiqued without getting their feelings hurt, she can help them to uncover their role in their past situation. And, that is when the story gets interesting.   I Thought I Loved Myself While I was revising my still untitled book, there were numerous epiphanies that bubbled up. One epiphany that really stood out was looking back at all the times I thought I loved myself. How do you know if you love yourself anyway? If I thought I loved myself then and I think I love myself now…how is a girl supposed to know? Given the transformative process that this book has had on me, I realize it is much easier to be honest than it is to hide things. There will always be someone judging. It’s unavoidable. The takeaway I want people to get from my book is to remind them they are not alone, they are not the only one, and they are not crazy either.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories Do you need to catch up on early episodes of this podcast? If you do, go to Annpeck.com. You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

I continue my conversation with Carol Egan from last episode, where we discovered how a girl who dropped out of high school to raise her son, made it a priority to get her life and health in order. In this episode, we discuss her entrepreneurship, what happened after she got her college degree and just how far she will go to make her dreams come true.   The Root of Disease  Carol discovered she had a polysystemic problem, resulting in poor digestion and difficulty releasing excrement from her body. It built up so much fermentation and with it came fungus and an overload of yeast. So much, in fact, that it affected her well-being, thyroid and brain. Carol says allowing shit to build up makes your body acidic. An acidic body is a body in need of balance. To achieve balance the body starts depleting the bones of calcium and the muscles of magnesium.   Whatever it Takes Working at a restaurant was squelching Carol’s spirit. The universe told her it was time to focus on her business as a health coach. But getting the business off the ground wasn’t easy. She went through all of her savings, lived with her mother and didn’t have enough money for food. Worrying over her financial situation was diminishing her creativity and passion. Her behavior started to change. Then a friend recommended becoming a driver for Uber. She was hooked after her very first fare. She started driving long hours to make more money. And, because there wasn’t a big enough demand in her area, she started sleeping at a rest stop and showering at her gym so she could be closer to the action.   More Than A Detox Carol is not a medical doctor but she did graduate with a master’s degree from Boston College, attended a nutrition program at Cornell University and is a certified health coach. But more importantly, she is committed to helping as many people as possible. She has clients who have gone off of mood altering medications, who have had their Autoimmune Disease go into remission and clients who have reduced their insulin requirements by 80%. Carol’s More Than a Detox Fall Program is accepting new clients. It is an entry level program that offers a lot of benefits. Visit CarolEgan.com to learn more about her one-on-one coaching, her half-hour free consultations or if you just want someone to talk to.  Carol will always provide affordable access to information because she believes in what she does.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share your review on whichever platform you use to listen.

Today my conversation is with Carol Egan. Carol and I met online in a mastermind club. When she shared her story with me, I instantly thought of how courageous she was. It reminded me of the quote “Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” by Elizabeth Gilbert from her book, Big Magic.   It All Just Fell Apart When Carol was just about to enter high school, her parents got a divorce. They had hidden any troubles they had from their children, so it came as a shock to Carol and her brothers. Her father then lost his job and crumbled to the point of moving to the YMCA and making it his home for a year. She knew she couldn’t cope with the pressures of the private school she was scheduled to attend so she went to public school. In less than a year, Carol became pregnant.  She was sent to an unwed mother’s home in another town, the father denied paternity and Carol, at 18, had to become an instant adult.   She Was Broken  Just after delivering her baby, Carol watched Children’s Services take her baby away. She didn’t know who to be. She didn’t know how to fit everything that she was, into the situation she was in. All she knew was that her baby would grow up with her. After 3 months in a foster home, Carol got her son back. She got an apartment with money from her waitressing job and her son’s father came back into her life. Shortly after moving in, he started to beat her. When she couldn’t take any more, she got a state-provided mover to help her and her son escape into the night.   Waking Up Carol went to school to become a hairdresser and worked to support herself and her son. Her mother gave Carol the family home to live in and everything was well, except for Carol’s health. She was seeing traditional doctors and specialists for her chronic anxiety, her urinary tract infections and her myriad of other health issues. One doctor told her that if she didn’t take the prescribed Xanax 3-times a day she would have panic attacks, which could lead to suicide. This woke her up. Carol knew she had to find someone to help her. She started seeing a natural doctor for her gut problems and she inquired about a college program for non-traditional women who wish to become students.  Life has never asked Carol to step up in such a big way, until she became an entrepreneur. You will hear about that part of Carol’s journey on next week’s Straight Talk for a Curvy World Podcast.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.  

* This conversation involves sex talk, please be aware of who may be listening in with you.   My sister friends Charlie, Leigh and Felicia are back together again for an episode on Pornography. The four of us openly admit to having watched porn and for most of us, it is something best shared with a partner.      Jamaica Me Want to Touch It In addition to having every porn channel available on DIRECTV, Felicia and her husband found themselves in Jamaica during Wicked Pictures’ Pornography’s Fan Appreciation Weekend. She shares insights from her conversations and interviews about the super-nice porn stars she met, including their secrets to playing it safe. Plus, she has photos to prove it.      Soft Is Better Than Hard The ladies all agree soft porn is better than hard porn. The random pizza delivery guy showing up while the kids are at school or the Mr. Fix-It handyman fantasy scenarios are the best for foreplay. Some of us use porn as a way to spice things up and certain scenes may help with role playing activities. One of us hasn’t seen porn since VHS was a thing.   Possible Side Effects    There are some couples whose relationships have been negatively impacted by porn. Most of us agree that when porn becomes a replacement for a human or for those who blur the lines between reality and TV, watching porn may be a sexual addiction instead of a method to reach arousal. For people with existing body image issues or feelings of insecurity, watching the beautiful people have sex may take its toll on their self-esteem. Or, there may be instances of younger people who are not ready to consume pornography and their immature mental states are unable to process it as an adult activity. Barbara G. shares her story, of how pornography was a contributing factor in her family's predicament, in the When the Unimaginable Happens episode.   Send Me Your Questions and Your Stories You can share your comments, questions and feedback with me on the blog page of Annpeck.com or on social media @Iamannpeck. Send me a private email at ann@annpeck.com (I am the only one who reads it). If you would like to send in a voice recording, you can record a voice memo on your phone -including your name- and share your message with me.

As many of you know, I have been planning my book launch, birthday party, and a spectacular Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live event. I decided that on my 50th birthday, I would celebrate the beginning of the second half of my life by sharing the first part of my life in a series of stories and lessons. In preparation for making my book the best book it could be, I sent my manuscript to a group of beta readers. This was a little bit scary. I had read my book over and over, and because I was so close to it, I needed to get feedback from others so I would know if there was anything missing. In this episode, I share the feedback I received from the beta readers and my carefully reconsidered future plans.  I believe with my whole heart that my book should benefit and serve those who trust me enough to read it. I refuse to put out anything that is less than what you deserve. Much like this podcast, my listeners and future readers deserve the best of me. I want to thank all of you for sharing your stories with me and for your love and support. Together we are better. We are here to love each other through our challenges so that we all come out enriched when we reach the next step of our journeys.   As Always If your story needs a compassionate and empathetic place for being shared, you can reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or send me a private email to ann@annpeck.com. And, Annpeck.com is where I share all of my previous podcasts, blog posts and videos. I hope to meet you there.  Past podcasts which focus on self-love are #46 with Sheree Angela Matthews and #44 with Nicole Fende. I know you will enjoy sharing these with someone who may need to hear them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ann Peck is an inspirational speaker, writer and host of the podcast, Straight Talk for a Curvy World for women over 40 where she shares intimate conversations talking with women and a few men,who talk about the things, we don't talk about, things we hide because of guilt, shame or fear. Ann never used to feel like she was enough. She was living life dying on the inside. In this episode, Ann will share with you what she did to turn her life around and realized that she was more than enough to create the life she desired. Check out thetaoofselfconfidence.com for show notes of Ann's episode, Ann's website, resources, gifts and so much more.

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

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

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

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

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