Ep. 91 We’re In Couples Therapy! Healing Old Patterns and Building a Healthier Relationship | Me + Ryan

Ep. 91 We’re In Couples Therapy! Healing Old Patterns and Building a Healthier Relationship | Me + Ryan

Yup… we’re doing it. In 2021 I sat across the table From Lewis Howes and his beautiful now-wife, Maria, listening to them gush over their then-new relationship… and how from Day One, therapy was a non-negotiable. Both individually and as a couple, they committed to working on themselves to give such a special union the best chance possible. I’ve never forgotten that. Fast forward to one year ago when I met Ryan, I immediately knew he was special. Our connection was special. And more than anything… it is a thing worth protecting and growing.  Patterns are a real thing. And to be honest, I have more than a bag of destructive patterns…individually and relationally. I’m aware enough to know these days that if I don’t continue to peel back the layers of healing, I will continue to repeat those patterns which have destroyed precious things historically. This podcast is about that. And it’s about how over the last year Ryan and I have both committed to diving in head first. Relationships are mirrors… and sometimes those damn mirrors are hard to look into. But only by allowing the mirrors to be held up, can we become aware of our blind spots and ultimately (hopefully) evolve into two people who can hold a healthy relationship. :) This conversation touches on communication, self-awareness, people-pleasing, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to be fully seen by another person. We explore how our past experiences still shape the way we show up today and why healthy relationships often reveal the parts of ourselves that still need attention. In this episode, we discuss: * Why personal growth doesn't stop when you find the right relationship * The relationship patterns we never want to repeat * How unspoken expectations can create distance and resentment * The challenge of balancing ambition, family, friendships, and connection * What vulnerability actually looks like in a healthy relationship * The fears and insecurities that still show up for both of us * Choosing curiosity over defensiveness during difficult conversations * How growth often begins where comfort ends More than anything, this episode is a reminder that the strongest relationships aren't built by two perfect people. They're built by two people willing to keep learning, keep communicating, and keep choosing each other through every season of growth. Here are the key moments from the episode: 00:00 What Happens When Old Patterns Return 04:03 Why We’re Finally Talking About Long Distance 07:07 Redefining What “Failed” Relationships Really Mean 10:23 Can the Honeymoon Phase Actually Last Forever? 13:19 When Your Partner Notices Every Tiny Shift 16:11 The Fear of Being Fully Seen 18:06 When People-Pleasing Starts Stealing Your Peace 21:56 The Pattern Heidi Refuses to Repeat 26:16 Why We Chose Therapy Before Things Broke 29:21 The Truth About High Expectations in Love 33:36 When Independence Makes Partnership Harder 36:52 Becoming the Average of the Right People 37:43 Losing Yourself to Be Loved 40:10 What Comes Next After the Therapy Intensive 41:47 Why Therapy Is a Tool, Not a Last Resort 43:31 Awareness Is Where Real Change Begins Connect with Heidi: Website: https://heidipowell.net/ [https://heidipowell.net/]Email: podcast@heidipowell.netInstagram: @realheidipowellFacebook: Heidi PowellYouTube: @RealHeidiPowellTrain with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/ [https://www.showupfit.app/]

Ep. 90 Life Update: My Kids, My Late Nights & the Balance I'm Still Figuring Out

This week, I found myself reflecting on the woman I used to be and the woman I'm still becoming. After looking back through photos from the last year and a half, I realized I've slowly let go of some of the habits that help me feel my best. As life gets busier with work, motherhood, friendships, and relationships, I've been asking myself an important question: how do we create space for everything that matters without losing ourselves in the process? In this episode, I share a personal life update and open up about balancing entrepreneurship, parenting, self-care, and the constant challenge of protecting my time and energy. I also reflect on the journey from 18-year-old Heidi, who struggled with self-worth, people-pleasing, and an eating disorder, to the woman I am today. We talk about healing, self-love, creating safe relationships with our children, and one question that completely stopped me in my tracks, what superpower do you have today that was born from trauma? In this episode, we discuss: * Reconnecting with yourself during busy seasons * Why healthy habits matter more than motivation * What I would tell my 18-year-old self * Healing from shame, self-hatred, and people-pleasing * Learning to create safety and trust with your children * Letting go of control as your kids grow up * Why you either win or you learn * Finding the gifts hidden inside difficult experiences If you've ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or wondered if healing is really possible, I hope this conversation reminds you that it gets better. Keep going. I love you guys. Thanks for being here. ❤️ Here are the key moments from the episode: 00:00 Welcome to Heidi’s Lane 04:36 Realising I’ve Been Letting Go of Myself 10:25 The Entrepreneur Struggle No One Sees 13:28 The “Magic” of Movement When You Feel Stuck 15:30 The Moment I Realised No Man Should Love Me More Than I Love Myself 17:12 What 18-Year-Old Heidi Would Think of Me Today 20:25 What I’d Really Tell My Younger Self 24:03 How Cash Is Growing Into a New Role 27:26 The Parenting Advice That Changed How I Listen 30:17 Why You Either Win or You Learn 33:02 The Question That Stopped Me: What Superpower Came From Your Trauma? 36:21 A Challenge to Find the Superpower Inside Your Story Connect with Heidi: Website:⁠ https://heidipowell.net/⁠ [https://heidipowell.net/] Email: podcast@heidipowell.net Instagram: @realheidipowell Facebook: Heidi Powell YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell Train with Heidi on her Show Up App:⁠ https://www.showupfit.app/ [https://www.showupfit.app/]

Ep. 89 Freedom Isn't Free: What My Friends Lost and Found When They Came Out Later in Life

I've been wanting to introduce you to these two for a while now. Chelsea and Emily are two of my favorite people on the planet. They're funny, they're real, they're the kind of women who walk into a room and make everyone feel like they belong. And the moment I started getting to know them, I felt like I'd known them my entire life. But what brought us here — to this couch, to this conversation — is their story. And it's one I think a lot of people need to hear. Both Chelsea and Emily were married to men. Both were navigating life inside a religious community. Both had kids. And both, later in life, discovered something about themselves that changed everything. They came out. And in doing so, they had to lose a lot — their marriages, their identities, their communities — to finally become who they actually were. Freedom isn't free. And this episode is proof of that. This is not just a story about sexuality. It's about what it costs to live honestly. It's about the loneliness of going through something no one around you seems to understand. It's about finding the people who have walked your same road. And it's about what you find on the other side of the hardest thing you've ever done. I walked away from this conversation different. More compassionate. More open. More convinced than ever that the path to real freedom almost always runs straight through the thing you're most afraid of. If you've ever had to lose something — or burn something down — to finally find yourself... this one is for you. We talk about: * What it actually feels like to come out later in life — with kids, a marriage, and a whole identity on the line * How your story can get told for you before you're ready * The loneliness of going through something no one around you has experienced * Finding your people — the ones who have walked your exact road * What it means to finally stop performing your life * How going through hard things makes you less judgmental and more human * Raising kids inside non-traditional families with love, safety, and zero shame * "I reserve the right to change and evolve" — and why that's not weakness, it's growth There's so much laughter in this episode. There's rawness. There are moments that gave me chills. And there are things these two said that I'm still thinking about. This is one of my favorites I've ever recorded. I think you're going to love them as much as I do. Welcome back to Heidi's Lane. ❤️ Here are the key moments from the episode: 00:00 Why This Episode Hits Different  03:14 How Four Strangers Became Inseparable  07:29 Chelsea's Obsession She Couldn't Explain  12:41 Losing Control of Your Own Coming Out Story  18:06 Navigating Divorce, Kids, and Each Other Simultaneously  23:28 Why Emily Kept Saying No to Everything  28:45 Hell Fast-Tracks You to Your Real Friends  34:03 Meeting Someone Who Has Lived Your Exact Life  38:51 The Treadmill Snub That Almost Ended It All  43:17 How Kids Handle Non-Traditional Families Better Than Adults  47:04 Creating a Home Other People's Kids Run To  51:02 The One Phrase That Changes How You Parent  55:30 The People Judging You Are Living It on Delay  59:57 The Airport Security Guard Who Pushed Too Far  01:04:33 The Space Between Reaction and Response  01:09:14 Why Heidi Is Launching a Women's Supplement Line  Connect with Heidi: Website: https://heidipowell.net/ [https://heidipowell.net/] Email: podcast@heidipowell.netInstagram: @realheidipowell Facebook: Heidi PowellYouTube: @RealHeidiPowell Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/ [https://www.showupfit.app/] Connect with Emily and Chelsea: Instagram: @em_moves14

Ep. 88 Heidi + Ryan Sitting In a Tree 💋 Part 2!! The REST of the Truth About How We Met 🩷

The REST of the story you’ve all been waiting for…and the one we’ve been waiting to tell!!🥰 Oh to be young(ish) and in love. One year into this relationship, and it’s only gotten better. It’s only gotten safer. It’s only felt deeper. I honestly don’t even know how to explain this episode. What started as part two of the story of how Ryan and I met somehow turned into one of the rawest conversations I’ve ever had on this podcast. We talk about intuition, trauma bonds, nervous system exhaustion, childhood wounds, emotional safety, and what it feels like when you finally meet someone who doesn’t require you to become someone else to be loved. This episode takes you into the middle of one of the hardest seasons of my life, navigating a relationship I knew deep down wasn’t right for me, while simultaneously experiencing a connection that felt completely unfamiliar, safe, honest, and deeply soul-recognizing. We talk about: * Why I kept returning to relationships that hurt me * The breathwork session that changed how I saw my entire life * Learning how much I had shape-shifted inside relationships * The prayer I started saying every single day * Why emotional safety felt so foreign to me * The chaos that unfolded in Ohio * The moment I realized connection was supposed to feel different There’s laughter in this episode. There’s awkwardness. There’s deep vulnerability. There are things I probably never thought I’d say publicly. But more than anything, this conversation is about finally understanding the difference between attachment and peace. If you’ve ever ignored your intuition, stayed too long, questioned your worth, or wondered if healthy love actually exists, I think this episode might hit home for you. Welcome back to Heidi’s Lane. ❤️ Here are the key moments from the episode: 00:00 Welcome Back to Heidi’s Lane 06:23 Ignoring Intuition to Keep the Peace 10:11 Why Heidi Knew Her Real Match Was Coming 15:01 Trying to Break Free From a 12-Time Breakup Cycle 20:06 The First Time Heidi Felt Emotionally Safe 24:16 The Floodgates Opened: Shame, Secrets & Safety 28:34 Voice Notes, Spirituality & No Flirting 30:01 Telling Kyra About the Instant Soul Connection 35:17 The First Phone Call That Lasted Until 4AM 39:25 The Unexpected Love Triangle Moment 42:00 Why Heidi Almost Walked Away 46:08 Helping Ryan Navigate the Hardest Season of His Life 50:05 Why Ohio Made Their Connection Stronger 54:19 How Heidi Finally Knew What Real Connection Felt Like 61:00 Ryan’s Reaction to Heidi’s Letter 66:00 Feeling Fully Free to Be Yourself 69:30 Family, Fear & Knowing This Was Different Connect with Heidi: Website: https://heidipowell.net/ [https://heidipowell.net/] Email: podcast@heidipowell.net Instagram: @realheidipowell Facebook: Heidi PowellYouTube: @RealHeidiPowell Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/ [https://www.showupfit.app/]

Ep 87: The Truth About How We Met: Heidi + Ryan Sitting In a Tree 🩷 | Part 1

I have been holding this one close for a long time. You've been asking. Every week, in my DMs, in the comments, in voice memos from strangers who somehow feel like old friends, what's the story? How did you two actually meet? Well…Today is the day. This is Part 1 of how Ryan and I found each other, and I'll warn you, we don't even make it to the first date. Because when two people who have lived a lot of life try to trace it back to the beginning, you keep finding more beginning. What I can tell you is this, he almost unfollowed me!!! I almost never replied!!! I thought he was a woman…lol… And somewhere in the middle of all of that, the universe had other plans. :) We talk about: * What it really feels like to go through separation and the first holidays alone * What it means to be in a relationship where you feel so safeThe darkest stretch of Ryan's life * The last-minute trip to Costa Rica that changed everything, and the DM sent from a dirt road in the middle of nowhere that started it all There's also a lot of laughing. Ruby has a proposal for Ryan that left us both speechless. And Keira shows up at the end and says something so beautiful it might just break you open. Grab your coffee. Get on the couch. Part 2 is coming soon. Here are the key moments from the episode: 00:00 Why This Love Story Feels Different 03:57 The Relationship Shift That Made Heidi Feel Safe 09:20 The Hidden Cost of Fame and Starting Over 13:23 Separation, Divorce, and Why Timing Mattered 16:34 The Post About Divorce That Stopped Him Cold 22:22 The DM She Almost Missed and Why It Landed 25:25 Why Heidi Started the Podcast in the First Place 27:57 The Divorce Lesson That Only Pain Can Teach 32:07 How They Healed Each Other’s Trust Issues 35:10 The Upbringing That Shaped His View of Masculinity 39:16 The Question Every Woman Should Ask About a Man 45:31 Why He Never Unfollowed Her 47:24 The Costa Rica Trip That Happened During a Breaking Point 53:40 The First Real Texts That Changed Everything 59:35 When He Realized Heidi Was Different 01:01:01 The IUD Appointment Story She Never Posted Connect with Heidi: Website:⁠ https://heidipowell.net/⁠ [https://heidipowell.net/] Email: podcast@heidipowell.net Instagram: @realheidipowell Facebook: Heidi Powell YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell Train with Heidi on her Show Up App:⁠ https://www.showupfit.app/ [https://www.showupfit.app/]