17. What My Resistance to Instagram Was Trying to Tell Me

17. What My Resistance to Instagram Was Trying to Tell Me

What if your resistance to showing up online is not something to push through, but something to listen to? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly shares a real-time reflection on why Instagram has not been feeling exciting or aligned lately, even as someone who has spent years helping others show up online. After a week unplugged at the family cottage and a difficult personal situation back home, she opens up about the tension between building a business through visibility and wanting to be fully present in real life. Carly explores the difference between fear that is asking you to grow and inner wisdom that is inviting you to shift. She shares how to get curious about resistance instead of judging it, why discernment matters in seasons of change, and how honesty can become the doorway back to connection. This episode is a reminder that showing up online should not come at the cost of your truth, and that sometimes your next level is not about doing more, but about doing it differently. Key Takeaways: • Resistance is not always fear. Sometimes it is a sign that something in the way you are showing up is ready to evolve • It is important to discern whether you are avoiding being seen or whether your current way of being seen no longer feels aligned • Taking space from social media can help you reconnect with your real life, your energy, and what actually matters most • The most meaningful connection online often comes from sharing what is honest and true, not what is perfectly strategic • You do not need to force yourself through misalignment. You can get curious, listen inward, and adjust how you show up • In a louder online world, your truth is what cuts through • Astrology can be a helpful reflective tool for understanding what themes you are being asked to look at more closely, especially around communication, visibility, and personal expression Astrology Chart: https://astro-charts.com/ The Pattern App: https://www.thepattern.com/ Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com [https://www.carlyottaway.com/] / webofwords.ca [http://webofwords.ca] Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway [https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway] / @‌webofwords_ [https://www.instagram.com/webofwords_] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway/] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast]

16. Personal Style, Confidence, and Dressing for Your Next Level with Suzanne Colmer

What if personal style is about so much more than clothes, and is actually one of the ways you step into the version of yourself you are becoming? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with Suzanne Colmer, founder of Your Shop Girl, for a conversation about personal style, confidence, identity, and how what you wear can shape the way you think, feel, and show up. Suzanne shares her human centered approach to style and why building a wardrobe that truly reflects your life goes far beyond trends or buying more. It is about feeling aligned, intentional, and fully like yourself. Together, Carly and Suzanne talk about the difference between looking good and actually feeling good in what you wear, how to reconnect with your style in a way that supports your next level, and why your closet can often reflect who you have been more than who you are becoming. This episode is such a powerful reminder that style can be a practical and meaningful tool for self trust, confidence, and personal evolution. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs this conversation too. Key Takeways:  • Personal style is not just about clothes. It can be a reflection of your identity and the version of yourself you are stepping into • Looking good and feeling like yourself are not always the same thing, and both matter • A supportive wardrobe should reflect your real life, not just your past self or who you think you should be • Buying less and wearing more can create more clarity, confidence, and ease in how you get dressed • Style can be a practical way to build self trust and show up more powerfully in your day to day life Suzanne bio: Suzanne Colmer is a Toronto-based image and style consultant and founder of Your Shop Girl. She helps people feel confident, powerful, and fully themselves in how they present to the world. Suzanne’s work goes beyond clothes, guiding clients to build wardrobes that reflect who they are and who they are becoming. Known for her human-centred approach, Suzanne specializes in closet cleanses and shopping your closet so clients can buy less, wear more, and get dressed with greater ease and intention. Her practical, supportive style has made her a trusted voice in the industry, with features on Global TV, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and internationally with Tourism Toronto. Suzanne links: Website: https://yourshopgirl.com [https://yourshopgirl.com/]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your_shop_girl/ [https://www.instagram.com/your_shop_girl/]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourshopgirl [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourshopgirl/] The Favourite Self Retreat:  https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat [https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat] Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com [https://www.carlyottaway.com/] / webofwords.ca [http://webofwords.ca] Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway [https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway] / @‌webofwords_ [https://www.instagram.com/webofwords_] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway/] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast]

15. The Truth About Joy, Presence, and Sobriety with Jillian Schecher

What if joy is not something you arrive at, but something you return to again and again? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with Jillian Schecher, joy educator, founder of the Academy of Joyful Living, creator of The Joy Method, and a coach who helps people lead, feel, and live from a place that is rooted in truth. What unfolds is a deeply honest conversation about emotional honesty, overfunctioning, sobriety, presence, and what it really means to build a life that feels as good as it looks. Jillian shares how her journey into this work began after getting sober, when everything she had been avoiding rose to the surface and invited her into a different way of living. Together, Carly and Jillian explore the difference between performative positivity and real joy, the importance of listening to your body, and why the life you are creating can only feel as good as your ability to actually receive it. This is such a powerful conversation for anyone craving more truth, more softness, and a deeper connection to themselves. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs this conversation too. Key Takeaways: • Joy is not a destination you arrive at. It is a daily practice of coming back to yourself. • Real joy is not performative or about being positive all the time. It begins with telling the truth about what you actually feel. • Overfunctioning can disconnect you from your body, your emotions, and the life you are trying to build. • The life you desire will only feel as good as your capacity to receive it. • Listening to your body is often the first step toward deeper alignment, honesty, and healing. Jillian’s Bio: Jillian Schecher is a Joy Educator, coach, speaker, author, and founder of The Academy of Joyful Living. She is the creator of The Joy Method™ and helps individuals, leaders, and communities reconnect with joy as a daily practice rather than something to chase or earn. Through her work, Jillian guides people back to themselves so they can lead, live, and create from a place that actually feels good. Jilian’s Links: Website: https://jillianschecher.com/ [https://jillianschecher.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianschecher?igsh=MTB5bHoxcHRoNnEzNA== [https://www.instagram.com/jillianschecher?igsh=MTB5bHoxcHRoNnEzNA==] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianschecher/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianschecher/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jillianschecher [https://www.youtube.com/@jillianschecher] Joy Facilitator Certification: https://www.theacademyofjoyfulliving.com/joy-sessions-facilitator-program [https://www.theacademyofjoyfulliving.com/joy-sessions-facilitator-program] The Joy Nest: https://www.theacademyofjoyfulliving.com/the-joy-nest [https://www.theacademyofjoyfulliving.com/the-joy-nest] Free Resource, The Joy Reset: https://jillianschecher.com/joyreset [https://jillianschecher.com/joyreset] 50% off Intro to Joy: 8 Week Joyful Living Program: https://www.theacademyofjoyfulliving.com/introtojoy (Use code JOY50) The Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat [https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat] Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com [https://www.carlyottaway.com/] / webofwords.ca [http://webofwords.ca] Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway [https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway] / @‌webofwords_ [https://www.instagram.com/webofwords_] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway/] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast]

14. Authentic Storytelling and the Power of Being Seen

What if the story holding you back is also the one that is meant to set you free? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly dives into authentic storytelling, visibility, and why the stories we tell ourselves eventually become the stories we tell the world. She unpacks how the beliefs sitting beneath the surface, about not being enough, being too much, or needing more experience before being seen, can quietly shape the way we show up in business, branding, and content. Carly also breaks down what makes a signature story powerful, why transformation matters more than the event itself, and how to tell stories that actually connect. From understanding your brand as a mirror to learning the difference between sharing your wounds and sharing your wisdom, this episode is a reminder that people do not connect with perfection. They connect with truth, transformation, and the version of you that is willing to let them in. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs this reminder. Key Takeaways: • The stories you tell yourself shape the way you show up in your brand, your business, and your visibility • Your signature story is not just a dramatic event. It is the transformation you have moved through • People connect more deeply with transformation than perfection • Vulnerability in storytelling is not about sharing everything. It is about sharing the wisdom that came from what you lived through • The most powerful stories follow a clear arc: situation, struggle, shift, and solution • Your audience does not need a guru who has it all figured out. They need a guide they can see themselves in • The stories that stick are the ones that act like mirrors and help people feel seen in their own experience The Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com [https://www.carlyottaway.com/] / webofwords.ca [http://webofwords.ca] Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway [https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway] / @‌webofwords_ [https://www.instagram.com/webofwords_] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway/] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast]

13. Renée Warren on Wanting More and How to Stop Apologizing for Success

What if the life and business you want are not built by waiting to feel fully ready, but by trusting yourself enough to go first? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with award winning entrepreneur, angel investor, and Into the Wild host Renée Warren for a bold and honest conversation about confidence, visibility, ambition, motherhood, and what it really takes to stop shrinking to make other people comfortable. Renée shares her powerful concept of confidence stacking and why confidence is never something you are born with or magically arrive at. It is built in the reps, in the evidence, and in the small brave steps you take before you feel ready. Together, Carly and Renée talk about success apology syndrome, doing it scared, building a business alongside a high speed entrepreneurial partner, and the emotional work of being seen in your truth. They also explore the stories women carry around worthiness, support, wealth, motherhood, and success, and why so many women are still minimizing themselves instead of fully owning what they want. This episode is such a powerful permission slip for the woman who knows she is meant for more and is ready to stop apologizing for that. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs this conversation too. Key Takeaways: • Confidence is not something you wait for. It is built through action, repetition, and collecting evidence along the way • Doing it scared is often the path to becoming the version of yourself you are waiting for • Success apology syndrome can keep women downplaying their wins and shrinking so other people feel comfortable • The stories you tell yourself about worthiness, visibility, and success will shape what you allow yourself to receive • Ambition, motherhood, support, and wealth do not have to cancel each other out. You are allowed to want the life and business that truly fit you Renée's Intro: Renée Warren is an award winning entrepreneur, angel investor, and host of Into The Wild, a top rated podcast that empowers women to step into their greatness. She is the creator of The Pink Skirt Project, a sought after event where ambitious women gather to redefine success and rise together. Featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and more, Renée is known for her bold perspective on ambition, visibility, and building a life and business on your own terms. She is also a Canadian mom of two, married to a high speed entrepreneur, and deeply passionate about helping women own their success without apology. Renée's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenrenee/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenrenee/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@renee_warren [https://www.youtube.com/@renee_warren] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renee_warren/ [https://www.instagram.com/renee_warren/]  Website: www.reneewarren.com [http://www.reneewarren.com/]  The Pink Skirt Project: https://www.thepinkskirtproject.com/summit2026 [https://www.thepinkskirtproject.com/summit2026]  Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com [https://www.carlyottaway.com/] / webofwords.ca [http://webofwords.ca] Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway [https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway] / @‌webofwords_ [https://www.instagram.com/webofwords_] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway/] Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast]