Podcasts about so megan

Hey mumma In this episode I interview Megan Moran she shares her top tips to finding the Holy Grail of me time. Megan is not only a Mom to 2 beautiful babies under 2, Jack and Sophia (+ her dog Henry too.) A wife to the most supportive husband ever, Collin. But she's also the owner of The Mompreneur Guide- a company that helps Mom Entrepreneurs add hours back to their day through strategy, community and self-care in her Design Your Perfect Days workshop + Mompreneur Membership. As a child of a mompreneur, Megan's been lucky to experience this lifestyle from both sides- as the child and the mom. She'll be the first to tell you, although it's not the easiest path, it's one impactful decision to make for not only you but your kids too. So Megan combines her experience, education and passion to help mompreneurs navigate this lifestyle with as much ease and support as possible. You can learn more about her at themompreneurguide.com Please go say Hi to Megan and share this podcast in your social media  Love SJ x

Living with a physical disability can come with an entire host of traumatic experiences. This week, Alyssa sits down with Megan Grannan, a warrior who was born with a rare form of dwarfism called Metatropic Dysplasia. Megan is realistic about not only the challenges she has had to face throughout her life, but also her many successes and accomplishments as a result of her refusal to ever give up! Light After Trauma Patreon Megan's Instagram: @littlemeg212 See Megan share her story on YouTube: Metatropic Dysplasia. Megan Elizabeth Grannan is our very special guest. - YouTube   Transcript: Alyssa Scolari: [00:00:00] Hello guys, gals. And they always hope everybody is having a great start to their week. I am just popping on before this delightful episode with Megan, just to congratulate the winner of our very first giveaway. Yeah. Congratulations to Rachel. She has won the first giveaway for the Light After Trauma podcast. So happy for her. Thank you for everybody who reached out and participated in the giveaway. If you did not win. No worries at all. We are going to be doing plenty more giveaways, where that came from. I also wanted to thank Katie Lloyd Artist, who was the donor for our first giveaway. You can find her adorable shop on Etsy. Our next giveaway. I am really excited for if you like coffee, if you like tea, this will be the perfect giveaway for you. We are almost there. We just need a couple more hundred downloads. And in case you are just tuning in every, for every thousand downloads that the podcast gets, I am doing a new giveaway. So yeah, share the podcast, keep on downloading, keep listening writing reviews and let's get there so we can do this next giveaway. Thanks everyone. Hello hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Light After Trauma podcast. I'm your host, Alyssa Scolari and I am excited to have another episode of awesome content for you here today. We have very special guest Megan Grannan with us today. So I have known...M egan and I went to high school together. And I want to say, you were a year younger than me, right? Megan Grannan: [00:02:11] Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:02:12] Okay. So Megan was a year younger than me. We managed the basketball team together, right? Megan Grannan: [00:02:19] Yes we did. Alyssa Scolari: [00:02:21] Yup,Yup. So we managed the basketball team together in high school. And I reached out and asked Megan to come on the show because even the Megan that I knew in high school versus the Megan that I see now is a very different Megan. And in terms of somebody who has taken a lot of hardships in her life and has turned them into beautiful thing after beautiful thing. Megan is the epitome of that. So I will turn it over to you, Megan, so that you can explain more. Thank you again for coming on the show. Megan Grannan: [00:03:01] Thank you so much for having me. Alyssa Scolari: [00:03:04] Yeah. In your presence. I'm a little bit like, Oh, like this is a woman that is so strong. You're extremely inspiring and reading you coming out and talking about what life is like for you has helped me personally, in my own recovery, because I see your resiliency. And while you may not always feel that way you're probably like, okay, but every day is so tough. Sometimes I think that it's important for you to know right off the bat in this interview that you are inspiring people and you are helping people to get through really tough things in life. So Megan Grannan: [00:03:44] That means so much because if I can just help one person, that's my goal in life. That's just even with the kids and just help one of them, I feel accomplished. Alyssa Scolari: [00:03:56] You're doing it. You're doing it. So do you want to start off with, because you also wrote an incredible piece. It was absolutely beautiful on your birth story? Megan Grannan: [00:04:11] I did. On love what matters. Yeah. Can you share a little bit about your birth story so the listeners can understand. Yeah, no problem. My parents got married at a young age. My mom's a NICU nurse and my dad was a UPS driver and my mom always knew medically complex babies and all this, and they both wanted children right away. And that didn't happen. So my moms had to have medicine that helped get her pregnant and she had to give shots herself and stuff like that. And she told my dad that she was only going to go through three rounds because they miscarried a couple of times and they were in the process of adopting and it was, but the mom came back for the baby that they were going to adopt. And she said that was so emotionally hard. So she didn't want to do that again. And so she said three more times, you got three shots for this. So the first time she miscarried and the second time she got pregnant, Twins. And it's crazy to think, but they said that she could have between one and ten babies. And she was like that's not happening, not to them. So she did say if she had more than four, that she couldn't carry because she knew that they wouldn't go to term and everything else. So she was happy. It was just two. And as time went on, they saw that I was smaller, but they didn't know anything. But they thought it was twin to twin transfusion, which they saw that it wasn't. That meant we weren't identical. So they just said I was small and she was hospitalized for her whole pregnancy because she was on bedrest and she couldn't keep anything down and everything else. My dad would go to visit her every night in the hospital. Cause he worked in Philly, but he had to go home every night as well. It was crazy. She does want it to get past 30 weeks because then she knew that we would have survived. And so she got to 32 weeks. And they knew that my sister was a girl, but I always still today they say I'm very stubborn. So she knew off the bat that she was having a girl. So the Monday before I was born, she found out I was a girl. And she was like, of course, because then nursery could have been pink, but instead it's a gender neutral nursery now. So even back then, the way I was. But anyway, and two days later, her water broke and when she had us and I broke the water. I think I was ready for the world, the world wasn't ready for me. But anyway, yeah, that's just the story of my life. So she had to have a C-section and it was a massive snow storm. And my dad just got home and he got the call and he turned around and headed back. My mom was in the operating room and my dad just made it. And so I was being born, but my mom saw me and she saw that I had triangle face and she knew something was wrong and she didn't get to see my sister, but they didn't find out. Cause she got sick, but they didn't find out that there was anything really wrong. So the following Monday, because it was the weekend nobody's gonna diagnose. So the geneticist came up and said, I think that your daughter has Metatropic-Dysplasia, which is a very rare form of dwarfism. And then there's was only about a hundred hundred people in the world that have it, which is crazy. And they'd said, which hospital do you want to go to? And my mom chose DuPont, and the geneticist said good cause that's it a orthopedic hospital. And so I've been going there all my life, but she started reading the literature and stuff like that. They said I wouldn't live past two. And my mom met with the doctors and of course she didn't want to get attached to me because if she was going to lose me. So it was all all in emotions, all there. And the doctor said, no, she's going to be fine. That was a relief. And she, my parents raised me as I could do anything and anything I wanted, but obviously the one thing I wanted to do was play soccer and that was not happening, but that's the context for it. So I couldn't play. I know that's weird, but just things, I get everything from ice skating to dancing, horseback riding, to managing the basketball team with you. Yeah. So growing up was pretty normal, but I never wanted to accept myself that I was disabled. And if you called me that, then I would get offended and I would get in your face and say, I'm not disabled. But even when my mom got the handicap placard card, I did not want her parking there. I didn't want anything, but looking back, It's only because I thought I was like everybody else. And and surgeries were part of my life. I missed a lot of school due to surgeries and that put me in the special education program and I fought my way to get out of there in sixth grade. I did. And that was crazy because it's. You look back and you think that I really did that. Did I really want that? And I really did, but a teacher did say to me in sixth grade. Oh, you'll never make it once. Yeah. And like you think there, you sit there and think what kind of teacher would say that it's Alyssa Scolari: [00:10:19] That's awful. Megan Grannan: [00:10:21] It's awful. And I think that's why I don't ever, I always say you can't judge a student by who they are. You have to get to know them. And you can't just say anything about the kids. So I went to college, I went to community college. And I was like, Oh I'm not getting into college because I got into one college, but I wasn't going out of the state. So when my mom took me to community college and said, "here you go." And I was like, "what's this I'm not coming here."And she's" Are you going to get a job or are you going to school?" I said, "I'll go to school." But that honestly was the best thing for me, because I grew as a person. I became myself and I realized that I could, I didn't have everybody like hovering over me . what's going on? What do you need? You were like everybody else sitting here that you were disabled, they didn't care. Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:11:20] You had a sense of like independence for where people, right? Like you said, weren't hovering over you. They weren't making this massive deal of your disability. Megan Grannan: [00:11:32] Yeah. I get it in school settings, but at the same time, you have to let them read. And I didn't like high school and everybody said, "Oh, I thought you loved .." no, I didn't like high school. I hated high school. I couldn't wait to get out of high school. I just needed to get out. And then everybody's: you're going to wish you were back in high school. I don't wish that at all. Maybe I wish to go back to that age. But that, but at the same time, I didn't start doing things until I was older. Like I didn't drive then. So it didn't matter okay, you got your license, but I didn't like, so it didn't matter. Alyssa Scolari: [00:12:16] There's been such a drastic transformation, where you went from like you said, and maybe in high school, you are still in that spot of I don't want to be called disabled. I don't want to be labeled as different than anybody else. I just want to be the same. Yeah. And it was probably extremely frustrating because like you said, you were seeing other people getting their license and playing like the sports that you wanted to play. So I'm sure high school was totally miserable. Megan Grannan: [00:12:45] It was. So if I told somebody, then I'd be like maybe you need to talk to someone. No, I could talk to anybody, but you're not going to understand unless you know what I'm talking about. And another thing is social media. Wasn't like it is today. They were like, we could go to support groups or this... Yeah. But I wasn't ready for that. And then also in high school, a lot of the teachers are like we want you to share your story. And that's something I didn't want to, I didn't want to share my story at the time. And everybody knew I had surgeries, but it's just I didn't want to. So just when somebody contacted me about a post I made and they said, you need to share your story. And I said, maybe it is time. So that's when it became time. And I was actually in Pennsylvania doing adapted driving lessons. When I did that. Alyssa Scolari: [00:13:50] And this was how long ago? Megan Grannan: [00:13:51] So two years ago, wait, a year ago I shared. And it's crazy because nobody knew really not the true me, but the true me because they didn't know like how I felt about certain things. They didn't know. And even my parents didn't know, and I watched my twin sister go to college and go away and live her dream. And here I'm still living at home, and I'm watching this all unfold and you're like what's next? What are you doing? I, and then everybody also had an opinion on what I needed to do for college. What my major should have been. No, it's not your opinion. So I became a teacher and that was the best thing I could've ever done. Yes. Alyssa Scolari: [00:14:42] So what age do you teach? Megan Grannan: [00:14:45] Kindergarten. So right now I teach Pre-K, but I usually am in kindergarten and they're the best. And. So they're very blunt obviously. And they'll be like why are you so small? And you're like, so we always do a lesson on everybody's different and how everybody's different. And you read a book, then they write a sentence on how they're different. And then I'll share my story with them and they get very protective over me and you hear them in the hallway and it's so sweet and... looking at it. I'm like, Oh, wow. So it's just showing them acceptance and who people are and it's okay to be different and to accept yourself. And I always say to them, if you can take one thing, I know they're in kindergarten, but one thing away from me, I want you to never give up, just don't give up. And I said, yeah, Alyssa Scolari: [00:15:46] They clearly are already getting so much from you. In addition to that, because, and whew, just hearing you talk about that and say, that gets me so choked up because look at the ripple effect that you're having on little kids. You're teaching kids at some of their most malleable year to be all accepting of others, no matter how different one might look and to know that all people look different, all bodies are different. So you have your like, kindergarteners that are out there, yeah. Yeah, that's right. That is amazing thing. It's amazing. It makes me incredibly emotional because you are taking all of the hardships that you went through and you are actually changing, not just one person, like you said earlier, but like the generations of people. Megan Grannan: [00:16:37] And that's what I love about teaching any. And everybody's Oh, it's just kindergarten. No, they understand. They understand way more than they think. And then they were like, what do you do all day? We don't play like we are talking about things. It's fun. And so last year, like I fought for a student, I knew he needed and he would just come over and hug me. And he was like, miss G, I love you. All I can say back is I love you too, because I don't know if he's getting a hug at home. I don't know what's happening. And so that's why I say you never judge a kid. I don't care if the kid's off the wall. You never judge a kid. I don't know if they're getting any love at home. I don't know. But with overcoming things, everybody's:" you are just so happy and positive all the time" and no, I'm not. No people don't understand that either. I've gone into places that I don't think I would have ever been in. Like I had a job that wasn't treating me nice. And so it was awful and I would come home and cry every day and other situations I would just sob for months. And you don't realize it. What people do to you, just regular people. And some of these people will be the closest people to you that do this stuff too. And I can't, sometimes I just can't. And so I will shut down and I'll cry. And, but with pain, I take myself away from everybody because I can't let other people see me in pain. And. It's just tough sometimes and people don't understand that. Alyssa Scolari: [00:18:35] Yeah I think it's important that you're on here and you're, we're speaking about it because it's not just, right, it's not that life is always like rainbows and puppies and butterflies. Yes, you've overcome so much, but it has been so difficult for you every step of the way. And like you said, even people that are closest to you sometimes say things and do things that are extremely hurtful. Megan Grannan: [00:19:00] Yes. And you don't know what to say, or you don't know what to do about it, but you're just sitting there and it could be somebody who's known me all my life. And then you're like, what. What just happened? And my parents have given up a lot to help me get where I am today. And my mom's been the driving force behind this whole thing. And so like hip replacement, this is getting harder and harder, but every surgery, I don't know what, like emotionally I'm fine. I'll say I'm fine, but I'm actually not, but I'm fine though. That's when everybody says she's not fine that she's saying I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. People know. Yeah. You've seen her face. She's not mine say you're fine all you want. But so with my first hip replacement, this is when I realized things are starting to change, but my mom was a mess and she kept saying, You don't realize how big of a surgery this is. And I said, it's fine. What is it? Everybody gets a hip replacement. And she's so the nurse called me and said, this is a big thing. And I kept saying, I'm fine. It's fine. I didn't do any research. I didn't do anything. Everybody says, you're fine. So fine. So before we got there, my mom was blasting Taylor Swift, and I was like, "what are we doing?" And she was like "I just want to listen to this song." And I was like, all all right. And so I said to her, can you take off your sunglasses? We're in the parking garage now? And she's no, I can't. And I was like, okay. And. I was like, Oh, this is bigger than I thought it is. So yeah, it hit me. And the next thing really hit me. She's ...can you get out your phone so I can take your picture? I said, why. Am I gonna die. And she was like, you never know. And I'm like, Oh my God. That's when it hit me. When we got up to the holding area, she just laid across me and sobbed and I thought I was going to get sick. Now I can't say anything because she's upset. I'm like, Oh my gosh. Oh my God. But it changed because now she gets emotional and I have to be her support system. Alyssa Scolari: [00:21:33] Which can be tough for you when you're, you have had, how many surgeries have you had at this point? I'm sure you're keeping track, Megan Grannan: [00:21:38] 27 or 28. Alyssa Scolari: [00:21:42] Then you had your hip replacement when? Megan Grannan: [00:21:44] So I've had both hips replaced, but that one, I was 21 and I woke up and I was like, apparently I said to my mom, "you lied to me." And she was like, "I lied about what," about how much pain I was in because everybody told her it's no pain. You're fine. She'll be fine. The femur broke and I was supposed to move on campus. And I said," I don't understand how did this happen?", so of course I sobbed and I was off my feet for six weeks. And I was like, this has to happen. I cannot not go. So I entered for physical rehab and they said, I don't think you should go. And I said, "I'm going." You need to discharge me by this date because I'm going. Alyssa Scolari: [00:22:35] There's that stubbornness. Megan Grannan: [00:22:37] Yeah. It is. Everybody's like "I don't know why you're so stubborn. Why you don't..." I said, "I paid for that bedding. That bedding is non-returnable," It was .Like, I don't care. And they were like you can use it next year. I was like no, my friends need me there. I got discharged on a Friday, the following Sunday, I was moved to dorm. So should I have push myself that hard? No. Would I do it again? Yes. Alyssa Scolari: [00:23:10] But I was going to say, what'd you do it again? Absolutely. And I, this idea of like stubbornness is....I think sometimes there can be like a negative connotation to being stubborn, but your stubbornness, or in other words, like your willfulness, the way in which you never give up and you never just take it is ultimately what has helped you to thrive. Megan Grannan: [00:23:38] Yeah. It has been, I don't know if I didn't have that in me where I'd probably be sitting in the corner somewhere. Not doing anything. Alyssa Scolari: [00:23:48] Yes. You are driving. So you got your driver's license, like I'm just. At what point in your life did you decide, because you only got your driver's license about a year ago? I think you said. Megan Grannan: [00:24:02] Yes. So I actually started right around 16, started like doing a...I did a driver evaluation where to see if I could drive. And they said, yes. So then I had to wait until I was 18 with the state to help with funding. I couldn't afford the lessons that they were offering. So they sent me up with adaptive driving program. And then, so this is an 11 year journey here, but that's a driving program. So I did that for about a year and then literally one session away from getting my driver's license and my hip went bad and I couldn't sit. So I knew I had to give it up. So then the guy also said, I want you to start doing another program, do another system. All right. All okay. But then it was college, surgery, college, surgery, which was fine, which is fine, but I still wanted to drive. I'd still want it to be independent. I don't want to be driven by my parents everywhere. Still. Alyssa Scolari: [00:25:16] No, you want to take matters into your own hands and have as much control over your life as you possibly can. Megan Grannan: [00:25:23] Exactly. And I want to be independent and it's crazy to think that people would want to keep that away from me. So then I fought with the state for this other program that last year, over the summer, it was a six week intense program. Did I want to spend my summer there for two weeks? No, but I knew I had to. So it was six hours every day driving like a joystick system. So it's almost like a wheelchair system. It's amazing to see what they can do to help you drive. But people don't know about it. People don't know about all this stuff. People don't know that there's programs and state offers that will help you. I wouldn't know. Yeah, the state helped me pay for my car. It's just amazing to see what you can do, but you do have to fight for yourself in that respect. And so this is a huge step of independence. And then I said the next step, I'm moving out. So Alyssa Scolari: [00:26:26] THat's your goal, right? That's your next goal? Megan Grannan: [00:26:28] That's my next goal. And I want to finish my master's and with driving. I will say this after I bought the car and I did everything with the car, people were texting my mom saying, are you really going to let her drive? And of course I was like, "why is everybody in my business now?" If they didn't think I was capable, they wouldn't hand me a car. They would have never said yes. So I don't understand. And then you have all these negative people and stuff like that. So I always say, stay in your lane and if you can't, then don't say anything to me at all. Alyssa Scolari: [00:27:07] Yup. If you can't be supportive of what I'm doing, then don't say anything at all. That's one of those things where people think that they're being concerned, but that's not their place. That is something that has to be celebrated. Like you look at you, like you are a driving, you were told you, you would only live to be about two. You're about to be 28, right? Megan Grannan: [00:27:33] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So looking back now, when you look back on your life and the last, almost three decades, Everything that you have been through. Do you feel more that you identify as being somebody who has a disability because I've seen through your social media, that you tend to embrace it more like this is what I have, but just because I have it doesn't make me any less important than anybody else. Yes, soI have two pages. So I think you're on my private page, but I have another page. Disability World, and I've connected with so many people and it's so amazing just to talk to them and yes we might not have the same thing, but they understand where I'm coming from. They get it. And it's just amazing to talk to them. And did I ever think I would? No! Because I really did not want anything to do with it, but it's not a world to be ashamed of at all. It's not like you see the ADA, you see everything that, and personally, my goal would be to fight for this stuff. And that's where I want to hit next. But I don't know why people put a label on everything. There shouldn't be a label on anything personally. And it's a huge pet peeve of mine. Special needs. I am not special needs. I don't have special needs. I have accommodations. I do things differently. I'm not special needs. That's a huge thing in life. Alyssa Scolari: [00:29:19] Yes. And that's that like where. And I think this is so important. We all need to be aware of what's called like linguistic evolution. So changing our language, you are not special needs. You need, you are a human being who needs accommodations, different accommodations. You know what? I need different accommodations. Like we all do. I haven't met a single person on this earth who doesn't need accommodations. Yeah, I think that's a great point. Megan Grannan: [00:29:49] Like why are we calling these kids special needs and what are they going to grow up and say, Oh, I'm special. No, they just need accomodations. I'm sorry. No, I don't. And the disability world is always changing and the things out there are crazy what's going on. But I truly believe there's more fighting to be done. Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:30:15] Absolutely. And you are going to fight that fight. Megan Grannan: [00:30:19] Yeah, probably everybody's Oh, here she goes at man. I'm like, yeah, that's a problem. Alyssa Scolari: [00:30:26] Oh, I love it. Yep. I love it. You're like kicking butt. Megan Grannan: [00:30:31] Nobody ever sees that side of me because everybody says you're so reserved and everything else I am. But at the same time, I'm not. Alyssa Scolari: [00:30:40] You're a fighter. You're a fighter. You've been a fighter since the moment you came into this world. And like you said, maybe the world wasn't ready for you. You were ready, but you were ready for this world and you're ready to change it. And you are doing that by showing other people that having a disability is not the end of life. Megan Grannan: [00:31:02] No. And I've been called crazy by doctors because I think there's something wrong. No, there is something wrong with my body and don't call me crazy. I'm sorry. I know my body and I wouldn't tell you I was in pain if I wasn't and that's the thing, doctors need to know their place too. Alyssa Scolari: [00:31:21] Yes. There are lots of doctors out there. There are some phenomenal doctors out there, but also lots of doctors who tend to not listen, which is very frustrating. Megan Grannan: [00:31:35] Yeah. So I'll say this now, but this summer I have to go through a whole hip revision on my left side. So they had to take it out and put a new one in. So that's the next battle, but I will be ready for my best friend's wedding in October Alyssa Scolari: [00:31:53] For your best friend's wedding in October? Megan Grannan: [00:31:56] Yeah. But it's just crazy. Cause nobody knows what those online see. Alyssa Scolari: [00:32:02] Yeah. Yep. And how hard you fight every day. Megan Grannan: [00:32:06] It's just emotionally some people think, Oh yeah. It's rainbows and butterflies. Nope. Nope. It's hard. It's draining. Alyssa Scolari: [00:32:17] It's draining. Yes. I hope that it's helpful to share your story. Like now that you're in a place where you're ready to, and you have been. I hope that helps you. And of course, you're always going to get comments from people that are not helpful and that are more like pity oriented, which is extremely frustrating because you're like, I don't need you to pity me. I don't need you don't get Amy, Megan Grannan: [00:32:45] but Alyssa Scolari: [00:32:45] But at the same time, people are seeing it and people are very inspired by it. Does that bring you a little bit of relief? Megan Grannan: [00:32:53] It does because as long as I can help people or one person, like I said it does. And seeing that, I could show a picture like right after surgery, like it's okay. Because would I've done that years ago? No. I have grown into a person that nobody has ever thought. Being, like I said, out of high school in a way, not saying everybody, but the way some people and doing my thing and living on campus and Stockton redid a whole apartment for me. It's crazy to think. And it just happened to fall in my lap at the right time. Teachers thought I shouldn't be a teacher because I was disabled. No, I don't think you would tell me. Alyssa Scolari: [00:33:45] You make that decision. Not other people only you make that decision. Megan Grannan: [00:33:50] Exactly. And I sobbed in my advisor's office because I was having a problem with the professor and she's "don't do this to me again" and "don't you can't" and I went home and cried because she said. So I don't cry in front of other people. I don't it's I wait and wait until it built up. And then I just cried and she was like, you don't cry, you don't do anything. And that's when I saw the emotion. It's hard sometimes and people don't realize it. Alyssa Scolari: [00:34:20] They don't, but I appreciate you coming on here and talking about it and being so open. Megan Grannan: [00:34:30] I would thank you. It was such an honor to be asked to come on you. Alyssa Scolari: [00:34:34] If people want to learn more about your stories is there a certain place that they can go certain website they can go to Megan Grannan: [00:34:44] Instagram is where it's at mostly @littlemeg212 is my handle. Alyssa Scolari: [00:34:52] Its's @littlemeg212? Megan Grannan: [00:34:55] Yes and Love What Matters. And if you just type in Megan Grannan on Google it all comes up. Alyssa Scolari: [00:35:07] Okay, perfect. I will, for the listeners out there, I will link all of that in the show notes and the private Facebook page. And thank you. Thank you again for sharing a very emotional and very inspiring story. Megan Grannan: [00:35:24] Thank you so much. Alyssa Scolari: [00:35:27] Thanks for listening everyone for more information about today's episode and to sign up for the Light After Trauma newsletter, head over to my website at Alyssa Scolari dot com. The really great thing about being a part of this newsletter is that not only do you get weekly updates on new podcast episodes and blog posts, but you also get access to the private face. The community as well as access to all sorts of insider tips, resources, and infographs that supplement what we talk about on the show. You also can connect with me and other trauma warriors. I'm super active on the Facebook community. And I look forward to talking with you.

This was one of the first episodes we recorded, in a celebration of Clare Crawley who was announced as the Bachelorette for 2020… More info on that coming soon. In case you forgot (I mean, how could you??), Megan and Clare are from Sacramento. So Megan covers the many crimes of Sacramento’s most infamous serial killer, Dorthea Puente, who was charged with 9 counts of murder. This case has a surprise personal twist for Megan! (Story starts at 7:08) Clare is a hair stylist in California, so Danielle covers the Seal Beach Salon Meritage massacre. The shooting took the lives of 8 people and affected so many more, including the surviving victim (Story starts at 37:55). Megan also mentioned the movie Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig’s love letter to Sacramento, that everyone should watch. It’s available on Netflix! Check it out ASAP and send us an email with your thoughts. Connect with us at linktr.ee/CrimeandRoses There you can see links to listen and share the podcast and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Email: CrimeandRoses@gmail.com. Send us crime suggestions and any questions or comments you may have. Huge shoutout and thank you to our producer, David Velick! You can find him on Instagram @davidvelick --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crimeandroses/support

What we're talking about in this episode How to heal your PCOS naturally and get to the root cause of your symptoms Why blood sugar should be the first thing on your mind when you wake up Seed cycling and cycle syncing to support your cycle and balance your hormones Which foods you should be eating to support your energy and mood The importance of building your plate around plants to keep your gut happy   Episode Summary After being diagnosed with PCOS at age eighteen, Megan was frustrated by her doctors just handing her pills and telling her to lose weight. So Megan took her health into her own hands and dove headfirst into the knowledge and power that nutrition can have on your body. Since then Megan has healed her PCOS naturally, used food as her medicine, and co-wrote the new book, The Happy Balance Book.  PCOS is one of the most common endocrine disruptors in women and affects all races and ethnic groups. While many doctors offer a one size fits all approach to healing PCOS, Megan is proof of the amazing healing power of education and plant-based foods.  If you are on the PCOS journey and are looking for a resource to educate yourself and figure out what is going on inside your body, Megan is the girl for you. With an information-packed episode filled with things you wish you knew when you were younger, Megan is here to debunk your cravings, help sort out your mood and energy and other PCOS symptoms, and help you get to the root cause of your blood sugar and hormone issues.  What role has food and nutrition played in your PCOS symptoms? Share your journey with us in the comments section on the episode page.   Quotes “During the time that I was on the pill, I started to educate myself to learn a little bit more about PCOS and what is going on. So I was able to make that informed decision that I did want to come off birth control and I guess take my health into my own hands and heal everything naturally.” (14:17) “It is amazing to navigate this space and find someone that really really understands you, and there are people out there.” (16:34) “When you have something like PCOS or you have an issue with estrogen dominance or just the way your body is presenting symptoms that might be suggestive of these things, we really want to focus on ensuring that our blood sugar is stable.” (22:19) “When I was young and when I was a teenager I thought the best thing for my body was to be going to the gym every single day and going to spin classes 5 times a week. Whereas really, I think I would have done so much better if I had acknowledged my cycle.” (29:14) “I do also think there is a lot to be said for having a healthy relationship with food.” (32:52) “It really really is important that we are focusing on our mindset and our happiness and how we are approaching these situations rather than getting too bogged down in what the food is doing to us.” (34:54)   Resources Mentioned The Happy Balance Book by Megan Hallett and Nicole Jardim Megan Hallett Website EY 132: The Four Types of PCOS and How To Heal PCOS Naturally   Other Resources: Register for the Essential Oil Hormone Summit Here Check out the full show notes page Keep up with everything Dr. Mariza Follow Dr. Mariza on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Trigger warning for rape. Because according to Painless, he just slept like a doll last night. So… Megan, Tierney, and guest Kathleen Mocklin have all reached the same awful conclusion. Painless enjoys breakfast, Hawkeye smugly cleans his glasses, and Dish all but shouts “K THX BYEEEEEEE” as she takes off in the helicopter. Lucky her, she’ll never have to deal with these boys again. Meanwhile it’s up to Mom Vollmer and Sandy Koufax to keep us from giving up on males entirely.

On this episode of the Healthy, Wealthy and Smart Podcast, I welcome Dr. Megan Rigby on the show to discuss how she found success with her online nutrition and fitness consulting. Dr. Megan Rigby is a doctorate prepared pediatric GI Nurse Practitioner, IFBB Figure Pro, blogger, macro lover and online coach. She is on a mission to help others become fit, healthy and happy. In this episode, we discuss: -How Megan started her side hustle and when she decided it was time to leave her corporate job -The pro’s and con’s of being an online entrepreneur -The importance of vulnerability and integrity on social media -And so much more!   Resources: Macro Mini Website Macro Mini Instagram Megan Rigby Twitter Macro Mini Facebook Macro Mini You Tube   For more information on Megan: Megan Rigby is a Doctorate-prepared GI Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nutrition Consultant, IFBB Figure Pro, and Owner of MacroMINI. She is passionate about educating others through her coaching, as well as publicly speaking on topics surrounding food, fitness & healthy mindset. Megan has helped hundreds of people experience great physical and overall lifestyle changes. She is on a mission to empower others to become healthier, happier versions of themselves while still enjoying food as one of life’s simple pleasures.  In 2018, Megan left a corporate position as a Digestive Nurse Practitioner to open her own coaching business & has made over 400k+ within her first year. Megan has been featured in Oxygen & Strong magazines as a content creator, along with appearances on News Channel 12. She has been recognized as a top industry leader within her community.   Read the full transcript below: Karen Litzy:                   00:01                Hi Doctor Megan Rigby, welcome to the podcast. I am happy to have you on. Megan Rigby:                00:06                Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to do this with you today. Karen Litzy:                   00:10                Yeah. And so what we're gonna do is we're going to talk about your sort of entrepreneurial journey, your business story, because, as I said in the intro for you, you are a doctorate prepared GI nurse practitioner and a nutritional consultant and a whole bunch of other stuff. But, something that I think the listeners of this podcast can relate to is there's a lot of healthcare workers, things like that who are listening to this podcast who maybe have started their careers in a hospital and clinic, but maybe you want something a little bit more. So I would love for you to kind of share your story of how you made that transition from, I love that you say you were like a corporate girl in a hospital or clinic, but when you're in healthcare, that's kind of the equivalent. So go ahead and tell us your story. How'd you do it? Megan Rigby:                01:03                I never planned on being an entrepreneur having my own business. That's just not something I ever saw in my future. My Grad program, I had focused on family and childhood obesity. It was my dissertation. I love health and nutrition. I think it's the preventative to a lot of health care. So I always tried to teach all my clients that, but I started to get frustrated a few years in just because working for corporate, you're kind of inside a box. And I think there's a time and place for complimentary medicine and modern medicine and sometimes that can be hard when you're working for a hospital. And so I started having more and more people talking to me on the side about health and nutrition and fitness and people would just start asking, Hey, can you give me an advice? Give me tips and I'll pay you. And so slowly I started doing nutrition plans and education on the side. Megan Rigby:                02:05                And over time I was able to build it into an online business. I realized that my limitations that I have within the clinic are able to actually be kind of removed online. I get to spend more time with my clients, educate them, and truly provide a service that's unique to them. So with time it took probably, I mean two years I was doing a lot of my own online stuff, while working full time in clinic. And then I gradually dropped down to more of a part time position once I started picking up online. And then within the two years I was actually able to make more than what I was making clinic with the online business and I transitioned over and I left September 2018 and now I run my own company doing health, fitness and nutrition. Karen Litzy:                   02:57                And I would imagine that there are pros and cons to this. So I'm just going to name one pro and one con. Right. So the pro, obviously you can probably help more people with online programs. Con would be, do you miss having that person sitting in front of you? Megan Rigby:                03:16                I do. I missed that. But the beautiful thing about online is you can still do zoom calls face to face. So there is still that where you can talk to them. So almost like a telehealth. I would say one of my biggest cons is when I used to leave the clinic, it was kind of like my work was done. Like my charts were done, I was done seeing patients. Now, I feel like I'm on a lot more so my day doesn't end nine to five. I work a lot more around the clock. I feel like, and that's something I'm still trying to work on as a new entrepreneur. Karen Litzy:                   03:50                Yes. And that is absolutely true. I think a lot of people when they think I'll just start my own practice, they think you can leave it at the door when you leave, but you cannot. You're always doing something. I mean, there are times like last night it was midnight and I'm working. Megan Rigby:                04:09                Yes. It never goes away because it's now your business, you're responsible for everyone you're taking care of and you're responsible for bringing more clients in. And so definitely you work, I think a lot more being an entrepreneur, but at the same time you have more freedom, which is nice. Karen Litzy:                   04:26                Yes. You have a little more flexibility, you have a little more freedom. So there's pros and cons to all of this. But let's start, how, if you can get even a little more granular into your kind of transition from hospital to on your own. So my first question is how did you have this conversation with your employer? That's a question I get asked all the time. Megan Rigby:                04:51                Yeah. So I think you have to just be honest about it. And that was something that they knew that I loved the nutrition aspect of things. I love being able to teach and spend more time. So when I went down to part time, you know, I let them know that I was, you know, on my side I was, you know, just educating and teaching people about nutrition and health. And that was not going to interfere with my job. And I think that's the biggest thing. If you can, you know, let them know, reassure them that you're not letting it interfere with your work and how you come in every day and interact with your patients there that you know, helps them as well, as well as not ever taking any of the businesses patients. Karen Litzy:                   05:37                Of course I think we say that of course, but maybe people do. I don't know. Megan Rigby:                05:46                Yeah. And that was something where it's kind of drawing, you know, a line in the sand and making sure that both of the jobs stayed away from each other and they never came together. And I think that's something that a lot of people have to remember. Like I would love to have been able to work at work, but you can't do that. I mean, I came home at night and I saw my clients from online at night and there was no crossing that during the day at all when I was clocked in and I was being a nurse practitioner in the clinic. Karen Litzy:                   06:13                Yeah. And I think that's great advice. And it's just dry and clear boundaries for yourself and also being respectful of your employers. Megan Rigby:                06:21                Yeah. Because in the end, if you decide to go back to clinic, you need recommendations and burning bridges is not something you want to do because who knows? I mean the venture that we have or I have, it may, may die down one day and I do need to go back to the clinic. So I never want to slam that door shut because it provided me so many opportunities. Karen Litzy:                   06:42                Absolutely. And I remember when I left the physical therapy clinic I was working at, it was really hard to do because I really loved working there. But they now refer patients to me and I refer patients to them. Right. So it's like you don't want to burn those bridges because guess what, they can help you and you can help them. And I think you want to really make this a win, win for everyone. So you have this conversation with your employer, they're understanding, you go down to part time for you, what was, if you can describe kind of the hours worked in clinics or are you down to like 20 hours a week or less and obviously we know you're working then on the online part, but what was the breakdown for us? Megan Rigby:                07:33                They let me go to three and a half days a week, which was nice. And so that was considered more of a part time position there. So I worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then half day Thursday and I was off Fridays. So I would make sure that all my check ins and my main communication with my clients would be on the weekends. That works best for me. So Thursdays I would do all of my prep when I got off work. And then Friday, Saturday, Sunday, those were my days that I was really able to devote to the actual online business and evenings whenever I, you know, was able to after work I would come in home and I would do what I needed to do. But otherwise it was an 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday, half day. Karen Litzy:                   08:21                And since going completely on your own, do you give yourself a schedule? Because it must be difficult, right? Megan Rigby:                08:28                I'm still close the computer when there's still work to be done and I always want to make sure that everyone is getting the, you know, service and communication that they deserve. And I think that just comes from being a healthcare professional that you know, you want as much time devoted to each and every client. And so it can be hard to kind of turn that off and feel like you still have unanswered questions or things going on. Karen Litzy:                   08:59                Yeah, there's no question. And again, that's where kind of setting boundaries for yourself comes in handy or making sure that you know, you have scheduled times that you're working even with the online clients and that they know that. Not that they're taking advantage because I don't think they are, but if you allow yourself to be available 24 seven then guess what, people will take you up on that offer. Megan Rigby:                09:27                Yeah. So it is, it's creating boundaries too. And that's what I have learned. It's been hard, but yeah, working, you know, maybe nine to like four and allowing lunch in there, is something that I'm striving to be more consistent with. But it is nice because if you have appointments, you know, you can schedule those in and that's where the flexibility has been really good. But also drawing the line of when you kind of cut it off at night. Karen Litzy:                   09:52                Yeah, absolutely. And now how do you advertise? How do you market yourself? Megan Rigby:                09:56                So social media is kind of where it's all at, as exhausting as it can be. I have, you know, my page and that's where a lot of people find me word of mouth has been the biggest thing and I value that the most. I think if people can refer other people to me because they've had great experiences and outcomes, that's where I've actually gotten a lot of my clients. I don't really do a lot of paid advertisement or anything right now. Like I said, it's just word of mouth and then making sure people who do follow me or start following me understand, you know, where I'm coming from and really being open and vulnerable on social media so everyone kind of knows who I am and there's no hiding. Karen Litzy:                   10:44                And what advice do you have for the listeners on how to be vulnerable? Because that's hard. Megan Rigby:                10:50                It is really hard.  I think it's just to be true to you and stand by what you believe in and how you practice. And provide honest, you know, education, advice and share yourself I think with people has been the hardest thing because a lot of people will look up to healthcare professionals, you know, and think that there may be on a pedestal or something. And I think making yourself relatable is the most important thing because we're all humans and so we all have struggles as well. And I think putting those out there so people can relate to you is going to bring more clients in and more, you know, followers as well. Karen Litzy:                   11:30                Okay. So how do you make yourself more relatable? Because isn't social media is supposed to be like, it's your highlight reel. We don’t want to show people that we have any problems. Right. Megan Rigby:                11:40                With me, it's a pretty easy with the nutrition and the fitness and health because I think, you know, as a female we struggle with appearance. We struggle with, you know, day to day eating healthy, making the right choices, preparing food for our family. So I can relate to a lot of that. You know, I've had my own insecurities and I'm not perfect every day with how I eat. There are days that I want to go to dairy queen and have a blizzard. So I'm able to really relate to people in that spectrum and then talking about, you know, different health issues that so many of us women struggle with and it can affect how we lose weight and really making sure that we stay on top of those. So whenever I talk about something, I try to draw in my past experiences with it and I think that usually helps a lot. Karen Litzy:                   12:28                Yeah. I think that's really good advice. And what would you tell people who maybe have these great stories and we know this is what you should do to kind of get people to get to know you, like you and then eventually right purchase from you. Right. What if you're scared to put yourself out there? Like how do you overcome that fear? Megan Rigby:                12:53                I think you have to jump in with both feet. Like if you are truly passionate about starting a business, that's vulnerable in itself and then putting yourself out there on social media. Like you just have to realize that people are gonna love you or hate you. And as awful as that sounds, it's the truth. I mean, people are going to be drawn to you. So just jumping in and sharing it, whether it's just the writing at first. I know a lot of people are camera shy, so sometimes they say like blogging at first is really good. Or just sharing it on your Instagram through words, before going into any of the videos or anything like that. Even you know what sharing with your family sometimes too because you can be vulnerable with them and getting feedback sometimes can be a little bit comforting if you're not ready to just jump. Karen Litzy:                   13:40                Yeah, I think that's great advice kind of sharing with friends and family are sharing within a trusted circle. Megan Rigby:                13:47                Before it's scary. You're going to get judged. That's human nature I feel like so people will judge, but people also will be able to relate to what they hear from you. And those are the people you want following you and interacting with you. Karen Litzy:                   14:05                Yeah. And do you have any sort of memorable comments or notes or things that people have sent to you that have stood out because you've been a little bit more open? Megan Rigby:                14:17                Yeah. So when I do stories I try to talk about topics that have affected me recently. I usually always try to keep things kind of close to my heart. And so when people message me and say, oh my gosh, I needed this today. It's been such a struggle, like it, it's so nice to know someone else's out there going through it with me or I appreciate the advice. So those things always help to kind of reaffirm like there are people listening and what I am saying is holding others. So, you know, it makes me want to keep doing that more and more. Karen Litzy:                   14:52                Yeah. I love getting those notes. I think it's so cool. And I always think to myself, Gosh, you never know who's watching, sitting, listening. You just don't know. Megan Rigby:                15:01                Cause you're always impacting someone. There's always someone out there watching and listening. Like she said, you never know. So if it's something you're passionate about, something you love and you want to be heard, then it's worth sharing. Karen Litzy:                   15:15                Absolutely. I agree. 100%. We’ve been talking that you're in that nutrition, fitness realm, very crowded field. Every time you turn, everywhere you look, someone is talking about nutrition, whether that be good or bad evidence based or not. It's out there. So what advice do you have to stand out amongst all this competition? Because I'm sure it can be applied to almost any industry. Megan Rigby:                15:49                It can. I always say be true to you. So whatever you believe, stay with that. It's so easy to get into the comparison game of you know, what they're doing or you know, this is the new trend, but you have to do your own research. You have to believe in what you believe in and talk about that. I think that's the most important. So many people in the fitness industry just jump from one trend to another. And so it's whatever the hottest topic is. And I think when it comes to, you know, this industry, you have to really stay true to the basics and what is science saying and what you believe in. Because if people hear it consistently and they can expect the same thing from you, which is the honest truth in what you believe in, they will trust you. It's the people who kind of jump all around that, you know, you kind of start to say, Hey, wait, last week you were talking about this. And that was the best thing there was. So that's what I found is people, they expect the consistency from me and they know that I believe in what I'm talking about. Karen Litzy:                   16:52                Yeah. So not jumping on the bandwagon every time something comes out, but rather look at it critically. Megan Rigby:                17:00                And not comparing yourself. I think that derails a lot of us is when we start to look at what other people are doing in the same field and we feel like we need to mimic that or we need to jump on that. And that can be very distracting too. Karen Litzy:                   17:20                But it's so hard. Megan Rigby:                17:24                It is so hard. I do my best actually not to follow a lot of people in my industry. I'll follow the people who I think provide me motivation, but if there's anyone who evokes jealousy, or you know, kind of gets under my skin, I figure that's negative, you know, vibes and I don't need that. So I really tried to just stay with the people who motivate me the most. I think social media should be a positive outlet. And it's so easy to make it negative. And I really tried to avoid that. Karen Litzy:                   17:58                Yes. As a matter of fact, I'm part of a Oxford debate in a couple of weeks at a physical therapy conference. And so the debate topic is social media and it is, we believe that social media can be hazardous to the profession of physical therapy. And you know, people will argue in favor of that and against that and that can easily go either way. But in the end it's a tool. It is a tool and it's not the tool, but it's the user. Megan Rigby:                18:36                It is. It's how we allow ourselves to use social media. No, I agree. I'm curious to hear how that goes. So I hope you will talk about that. Karen Litzy:                   18:48                I will talk about that. I'm curious to see how it goes to, I hope it goes well. I'm a little nervous about it, but I think it's supposed to be this like fun debate, like lively, fun and funny. But you still want to win the debate of course. So we'll see what happens. So is there anything else about kind of your entrepreneurial journey that you really want people to learn from? Megan Rigby:                19:13                I think starting small, and a lot of people when they tried to start a business feel like they have to dump a ton of money into it. And I've learned that you don't, with starting small and using the skills that you have, you're actually able to start a business that may, you know, not be as profitable as you want in the beginning with time you can reinvest that money you make back into it without taking up such a huge loan in the beginning, especially when it comes to the online type of business. I think there's so much that we can do on our own before we have to really start spending money. And I think that's something that, you know, a lot of new entrepreneurs who are wanting to go the online business, just have to remember that it doesn't take a ton of money to get up and going and get clients. It just takes, you know, the passion and the time and the knowledge. Karen Litzy:                   20:09                Yeah, absolutely. And I have one more question for you. The question that I ask everyone and that is knowing where you are now in your life and in your business, what advice would you give yourself, not to someone else, but what advice would you give to yourself at like the day you graduated and we'll say with your doctorate, why not? Because you’ve got like advanced degrees here. So let's go with the doctorate. What advice would you give to that gal? Megan Rigby:                20:40                Okay. My advice would be to not change anything, to enjoy the ride and kind of allow it to take you where it's going to take you. Because there are times that I wondered, you know, why was I where I was and what I was doing and it all led me here. So I think the biggest thing is enjoy the ride. So often we keep wishing the years away and if only I was here, if only I was there. But every step and every moment you have is leading you to where you really need to be. Karen Litzy:                   21:09                Very nice. It's like that sounded like from Game of Thrones and that's not a spoiler or anything for anyone listening. If you haven't seen the finale, it's not a spoiler, but that was very Bran like of you, it was great. Now where can people find you if they want to get in touch with you, if they want to work with you, they want to follow you. Where can they go? Megan Rigby:                21:36                Yeah. So on Instagram, I'm macro_mini. And then why a website is www.themacromini.com. Karen Litzy:                   21:47                Awesome. And just so in case you know, you don't have a pen and paper and you're not taking notes right now, like I am, you can go to podcast.healthywealthysmart.com. We'll have all the links, one click will take you right to all of Megan's info so that you can get to know her, like her, trust her, and work with her. So Megan, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your journey. I think it will give a lot of people in health care a bit of a boost, maybe a little kick in the butt too, and the confidence to go out and kind of do what you're doing. Megan Rigby:                22:23                Thank you. I appreciate that. And thank you so much for having me on. Karen Litzy:                   22:26                Yeah, my pleasure. This is a great conversation and everyone who's out there listening, thanks so much. Have a great couple of days and stay healthy, wealthy, and smart.     Thanks for listening and subscribing to the podcast! Make sure to connect with me on twitter, instagram  and facebook to stay updated on all of the latest!  Show your support for the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes!

Welcome to the Weddings for Real Podcast, hosted by Megan Gillikin, the owner and lead consultant of A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning. On this podcast, we’re going to talk to wedding professionals about the crazy industry that is weddings.  We all have some amazing stories, and we all have some of those, “OMG Is This Really Happening!?!” stories to tell. So Megan interviews other planners, florists, DJs, band members, photographers, videographers, and anyone else in the wedding industry. The first five episodes are ready to go for the first week in April! And it won’t be just stories. We’ll talk about trends in the wedding industry, social media, advice that these other vendors have for people trying to get into the wedding space, what’s changed over the years when it comes to weddings, and how they built their businesses. So if you want to hear about the crazy world of weddings, be sure to subscribe. Also, we’re looking for any brides, grooms, or even attendees of a wedding where something ridiculous happened to come on and share their stories. If you have any stories like that, email megan@weddingsforreal.com. We'll see you soon! Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

Today we are learning more about strength training from the wonderful Megan Benedict. Megan is the cofounder of Fit Kitchen Direct and is regular here on the podcast! She is going to share with us all the amazing benefits of strength training. Welcome Megan and thank you so much for being here!   Before we begin, I wanted to take the time to remind you all that the next round of the 30 Days to Thriving program starts March 1st! Head on over to fitlandiafitness.com/programs to check out everything that is included and sign up. It is all there to support you and to help you get you back on track…and it goes perfectly with today’s episode where we continue our series on the amazing variety of exercise we have available to us. I first just want to point out how amazing it has been to follow your journey and catch your updates on your fantastic Instagram feed…be sure to check Megan and Fit Kitchen Direct out there! So Megan, take us back to when you started strength training and how you got into it. Megan explains that she was always really active growing up and was an athlete in high school but noticed in college she was not as active as she used to be so she took up running. She ran a couple half marathons but began learning through her education that strength training is incredibly important to pair with any cardio. She began teaching herself, despite the intimidating college gym culture, and became more aware of what proper form looked like, different ways of creating workouts and programs, and experimenting due to changing her major to Exercise Sports Science. She got started with Crossfit and made many friends who also were learning and growing in their strength training Megan has been strength training ever since and talks about how for many years she was competing and lifting as much as she could but she noticed it taking a toll on her body and learned a few important lessons that influence her training today: Megan’s Current Strength Goals/Ideals:       Find the balance between lifting heavy and lifting right       Maintain strength without causing unnecessary injury       Create a strong core       Upkeep the main lifts (back squat, dead lift & bench press-daily movements)       Compete against myself, not against others       Give myself permission to be safe and stay in good form So why are we talking about strength training today? Why is it so important and what did you learn in your education that led you to become so passionate about it? Megan explains that strength training is the building blocks to other movements. It helps build muscle, prevent injuries, support other movements and exercises, tone muscles, prevent bone and muscle decay, and supplement all other activities. She explains how she saw many of her fellow runners getting injured for silly reasons, simply for stepping wrong, because they were not doing any strength training to support the movements they loved to do in running. It was nothing they were doing wrong, it was simply that you need to train your muscles to support your activities. Sometimes it seems like many trainers sign on to a certain strength training technique and ignore all the other (ex: bands, free weights, kettlebells, body weight, machines, etc.).  What do all these philosophies mean and what do you recommend? Megan explains how variety is key. It not only helps you develop and build muscles all over your body but it also helps you keep things interesting and avoid boredom. You can try many things, learn a whole lot, and find what you really enjoy. Some other important reasons to use a variety of strength training techniques include:       Using machines as a beginner to avoid injury with free weights       Not all movements/techniques are created equal and you want a well-rounded workout       You can strike a balance between working all your muscles and doing what you love If someone is interested in including more strength training in their workout routines, what sort of advice can you offer to beginners? Megan’s Tips to Remember for Beginners:       Invest in a trainer at first to learn proper from…no injury!       Find the right trainer who helps you develop form and feel confident       Do some serious research before you begin (books/websites/videos)       You don’t need to use huge weights, do what works for you       Find a sense of power in strength training even without large weights       Don’t be afraid…it does not need to be bodybuilding intensity       You can start at any age at any time!       Listen to your body…only in competition with yourself rest is okay!) You mentioned the importance of finding a trainer who help you develop form and confidence, with your experience as a trainer yourself, what does someone who is just starting out with strength training look for in a personal trainer? Megan’s Personal Trainer Choice Tips:       Focus on a successful relationship, be able to connect with them personally and know you get along (they should be kind!)       Find someone who will push you physically and mentally and know when they can push you past mental blocks and nudge you to dig deep       Many PTs are trained to sell, be open that you want to find someone who will teach you proper from, give you confidence, and then let you go on your own       Interview more than one…this is your investment in your health       Make sure they have experience; it takes time for someone to get good at knowing what is best for each individual client       Find someone who will help you conquer self-doubt and self criticism and provide you with the tools and confidence to continue. Well thank you, Megan, for all your amazing tips and for a peek into what strength training is all about. If you want to hear more of Megan, check out her website for Fit Kitchen Direct and follow her on Instagram! As promised, here are some of Megan’s resources for learning more about strength training before you begin on your journey. Megan’s Resource Links: http://blog.trainheroic.com/ https://www.bodybuilding.com/category/training Subscribe to the show, rate us and leave a review on iTunes or Sticker. We'd love to hear what you got out of the show!   

Julia Buckingham: From Stay at Home MOM to Interior Design Powerhouse On this Episode of The Lounge, Nick sits down with Julia Buckingham of Buckingham ID in Chicago at The Public (formerly the Ambassador East). They are both in Chicago attending Neocon. The last time Nick and Julia talked was on an actual chaise lounge with Michel Boyd at the Atlanta Market. Julia currently lives in "Casa Lantana" in Pheonix, Arizona but her office is still in Chicago with her daughters. Her favorite fashion accessory is shoes and her favorite place to vacation is Marrakesh in Morocco, which she visited with the #blondesquad (interior designers Holly Phillips, Cathy Austin, Tami Ramsey, and Krista Nichols). The most moving traveling experience Julia has had though was getting the opportunity to visit the manufacturing plants and homes of the people who manufacture her products. The Business Today Julia is in the process of opening a Modernique boutique shop in Pheonix, Arizona. Her business in Chicago is booming as she guts homes while maintaining their historic integrity and architecture through renovations and add-ons. Her firm consists of 5 people and focuses a lot on business and operations. She has 3 designers plus herself, one operations manager, and one business manager. She and Nick can't stress how important it is to have people to help run the business side of a firm. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: Nick met a student attending an ASID event while in Chicago who was actually interested in working on the business side of interior design. So Megan, if you're out there Julia would love to connect with you because business is what it's all about. Message us to connect! :) Internships Amy Flurry's art from her company paper-cut-project was installed by Julia for a client project in Chicago. Amy also recently asked Nick to talk about Internships on the show. So Nick asks Julia what she thinks: Herrington School of Design was where Julia pooled her interns from before it closed. Having an intern was integral to Julia's business. She herself has hired 3 interns over the past 10 years as a part of her design team. Interns understand that they are starting out at a level where they need to be open-minded and they embrace the tasks of an entry-level position. She does get resumes from students whose schools don't require an internship program, but she knows it can be difficult to put time and motivation into an internship without receiving any credit or compensation. In her opinion, more schools should require an internship. Julia also has people who want to relocate to Chicago to intern for her, but it's difficult to financially commit to their travels and rent expenses without knowing them. With that being said, her firm has at least 2 interns every summer and if SHE has not hired them afterward herself, some of the most amazing firms of Chicago HAVE. Having the ability to intern for a firm is integral to the growth of design students and can lead to potential job opportunities. Julia also suggests reaching out to designers to ask questions and see if they will become your mentor. 5 years ago, Tiffany Brooks who won HGTV Designer of a year, asked to meet up with Julia because she was stuck and didn't know how to have her own design firm. After they talked, Julia became her mentor and now she is rockin' it in the design world. You can talk to and learn from designers, or even go in for a couple days to see what it is that they do and how much work it is. Julia's Story 10 years ago Julia was just a mom at the Jewel. She didn't plan for a new career but she'd always loved shopping and collecting antiques. Julia and her husband have had 15 homes in 30 years of marriage and consider themselves "Cereal Flippers." Her husband handles graphics, branding, and putting spaces together while she designs them. Their love language was/is working together on these projects. Then, someone walked up to her one day and asked to buy her home,

Some time ago I had two ex-Mormons, Bill and Gerald, on to discuss their experience with the church. After hearing that, Megan sent me a message asking if I wanted to get the female perspective on the Mormon experience. I said absolutely! So Megan is here to give us another side of the story. With … Continue reading AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan → The post AS135: Being Raised A Mormon Girl, with Megan appeared first on Atheistically Speaking.

Well, here's the poop. We recorded an amazing podcast this week, but lost it to the computer demons. So Megan and Liza came together to tell the story of the prank played this week. It was just too good not to share. Also, we make an announcement about a tshirt giveaway next week.

So Megan was sick, and Antonio said "Let's play this game!" And Megan was like: *coughhackdie* "Okay!" *voicecrack* And they did. This is part one of that not so smart move.