Muse Yourself | Women Who Rise

65. The art of getting out of your own way: How to stop blocking the life you actually want, with E.M. Gallagher

If you’ve ever felt scared to start, scared to be seen trying, or like the only person blocking your own next level is you - this is the conversation you need to hear… Hi Muses, What changes when we stop dreaming about doing something… and actually start doing it? This week, I’m sitting down with writer and author E. M. Gallagher to talk about the fear, imposter syndrome, and internal resistance that almost stopped her from writing her hit dating memoir Ugh, Anyway, and what it took to finally get out of her own way and do it anyway. From fear of judgement and perfectionism to chaotic dating stories and life in New York City, this conversation is funny, honest, insightful, and deeply relatable for every woman becoming the version of herself who shows up for her life and her dreams in the way she KNOWS she deserves. Expect talk on: * Imposter syndrome and fear of judgement * Learning to stop waiting until you feel “ready” * Becoming the kind of woman who actually follows through on her dreams * Creativity, courage, and being seen * Turning messy life chapters into stories * Hilarious dating chaos, New York stories, and the art of finding humour in the madness And so much more… I’d love to know your thoughts on this episode, leave me a comment on Spotify or Substack, also please take a second to leave a REVIEW if you loved it! ❤️‍🔥 Until next time X RESOURCES + LINKS: * Connect with Erin on Substack HERE [https://emgallagher.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips], follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/emgwritingthings/]or find the book HERE [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ugh-Anyway-Stories-Heartbreak-Mayhem/dp/B0GQHKF8M2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=10LLY2S9RL60K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.M3QGOzVxI-X3xxeyEN78yVQOwTivMM1Xy_wkeRP09T3GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps._UGC6OQzwTwlBF5dng4M03CiygugwxZQmD_73oZPutw&dib_tag=se&keywords=e.m+gallagher&qid=1779632468&sprefix=%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-2] * For deeper access to my world subscribe on SUBSTACK [https://gemmaj.substack.com/] and I’ll send you a gorgeous monthly edit of the routines, rituals and recommendations elevating my life right now ❤️‍🔥 * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE [https://forms.gle/ystMC6cHZLFmyhs49] * Follow me on Instagram HERE [https://www.instagram.com/museyourselfpodcast/] * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-story/id1725984271] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6crrBEwJRMHt5k5YvYFhNn] Get full access to Muse Yourself at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe [https://gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

64. Future you LOVES to tell the story of this era of your life

Muses, If you’re in a season that feels messy, painful, or uncertain, this is the episode for you… I’m talking navigating identity shifts and ‘ego deaths,’ learning to trust your intuition -even when it makes NO logical sense - walking away from ‘good enough’ to follow something deeper, and why future you isn’t looking back and describing this era as the time your life ended, she’s describing it as your BIGGEST f*cking turning point. Oh, and I’m also taking you behind the scenes of my brand-new era as we step into video for the first time - enjoy! Leave me a comment on Spotify or Substack and let me know your thoughts, also please leave a REVIEW if you loved this episode ❤️‍🔥 Until next time X RESOURCES + LINKS: * For deeper access to my world subscribe on SUBSTACK [https://gemmaj.substack.com/] and I’ll send you a gorgeous monthly edit of the routines, rituals and recommendations elevating my life right now ❤️‍🔥 * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE [https://forms.gle/ystMC6cHZLFmyhs49] * Follow me on Instagram HERE [https://www.instagram.com/museyourselfpodcast/] * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-story/id1725984271] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6crrBEwJRMHt5k5YvYFhNn] Get full access to Muse Yourself at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe [https://gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

63.Muse Moments #4:Dating After Heartbreak... Why the ‘Spark’ Isn’t What You Think

Hi Muses, In this Muse Moments mini episode, I’m sharing another powerful clip from my conversation with relationship therapist Lauren Walsh about dating after heartbreak and what healthy love actually looks like. After experiencing loss, breakup, or deep heartbreak, so many of us struggle to find the balance between protecting ourselves, and not completely shutting ourselves off from finding love again…. In this clip, Lauren shares why taking time to heal is essential, why rushing into the next relationship can sometimes delay healing, and how building a strong relationship with yourself is the foundation for everything. She also unpacks a surprising truth about modern dating: why the intense “spark” we chase can actually be anxiety - not chemistry - and why healthy love often feels very different from what we’ve been conditioned to expect. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Why giving yourself time after heartbreak is essential for healing * The importance of strengthening your relationship with yourself first * How to recognise the signs of a healthy relationship * Why feeling calm and safe with someone matters more than intense chemistry * The truth about the “spark” and what your nervous system is trying to tell you If you’ve ever wondered how to open your heart again after heartbreak — or what healthy love actually feels like — this conversation is for you. Want More? This clip comes from Episode 17 of the Muse Yourself podcast with relationship therapist Lauren Walsh, which you can listen to in full on ITUNES [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/muse-yourself-women-who-rise/id1725984271?i=1000673792299], SPOTIFY [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3f0bLPPdCulJcm4onRz870?si=d0M7HWU6QE2z9qhB-XETNA], or SUBSTACK [https://gemmaj.substack.com/p/25-fear-of-being-single-forever-dating] If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment on Spotify, send me a message, or share this episode with a friend who needs it…and don’t forget to subscribe - it helps this community grow and reach more women who need these conversations and I appreciate it more than you know… Until next time X RESOURCES + LINKS: * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE [https://vip.museyourselfpodcast.com/] to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE [https://gemmaj.substack.com/] to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE [https://forms.gle/ystMC6cHZLFmyhs49] * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-story/id1725984271] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6crrBEwJRMHt5k5YvYFhNn] Get full access to Muse Yourself at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe [https://gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

62.Muse Moments #3: Is It Fear or Misalignment? How To Know When It’s Time To Change Your Life

Hi Muses, Welcome back to Muse Moments — a curated mini-series featuring powerful clips from some of the most downloaded conversations we’ve had on the show. In this episode, we revisit a moment from my very first conversation with coach and energy healer Maria Rei, who shares the story of the moment she realised the life she had built had strayed so far from one that felt like hers, she barely recognised it. On the surface, everything looked right — the job, the relationships, the life she thought she was supposed to want…but internally, everything was deeply misaligned. Maria made a radical decision: walking away from everything she had built and travelling to Asia alone for six months to completely reinvent her life. But the real transformation wasn’t in the geography — it was in the identity shift. In this bite-sized conversation, we explore the moment when you realise something in your life isn’t working anymore… and how to tell whether the resistance you’re feeling is fear or misalignment. If you’ve ever felt like you’re living a life that looks right on paper but doesn’t feel right in your body, this conversation is for you… In this episode we explore: * Why people-pleasing can quietly shape the entire direction of our lives without us even realising * The moment many women realise the life they built isn’t actually theirs * Why changing your environment doesn’t automatically solve deeper patterns * The key difference between fear and true misalignment * How learning to enjoy your own company can transform your life * Why the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life * The power of choosing yourself — even when it means starting over Want More? This clip comes from my full conversation with Maria Rei in Episode 8: ‘How to blow up your life, start over, and master self-love along the way, with Relationship Mentor Maria Rei’ Listen to on ITUNES [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/muse-yourself-self-love-starting-over/id1725984271?i=1000664525631], SPOTIFY [https://open.spotify.com/episode/79pM73oPBUR2ivwuQ28Uqv?si=Ib0J5ZgdQ4y9Fh-LbyDq1A], or SUBSTACK [https://gemmaj.substack.com/p/16-how-to-blow-up-your-life-start] If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment on Spotify, send me a message, or share this episode with a friend who needs it…and don’t forget to subscribe - it helps this community grow and reach more women who need these conversations and I appreciate it more than you know… Until next time X RESOURCES + LINKS: * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE [https://vip.museyourselfpodcast.com/] to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE [https://gemmaj.substack.com/] to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE [https://forms.gle/ystMC6cHZLFmyhs49] * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-story/id1725984271] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6crrBEwJRMHt5k5YvYFhNn] Get full access to Muse Yourself at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe [https://gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

61.Muse Moments #2: Cara Alwill on how to choose YOURSELF, even when it means being misunderstood

Hi Muses, In this second episode of Muse Moments, I’m sharing a powerful clip from my conversation with bestselling author Cara Alwill. Cara has featured in Forbes, Business Insider and Oprah Daily, sold more than 300,000 books to date, and is the founder of Publishing House Pink Ink Press. In this mini episode, Cara opens up about the pivotal moments in her life when she knew something wasn’t right — in her relationships, her career, and the path she was expected to follow — and how finding the courage to choose herself over all the external noise changed everything. We talk about walking away from situations that no longer fit, being willing to be misunderstood, and learning to trust the inner voice that keeps calling you toward more. If you’ve been feeling like you’ve outgrown your current life, you’re craving change but you’re constantly worrying what other people will think, and you KNOW you’ve been ignoring your own intuition - this episode is for you. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: * How Cara found the courage to walk away from a relationship that wasn’t aligned * Why feeling “this isn’t enough” is often your intuition speaking * How heartbreak became the catalyst for her reinvention * Why choosing yourself can mean disappointing others * How to reprogram beliefs that keep you stuck in safe but unhappy lives * What it means to be “willing to be misunderstood” * How to recognise the inner voice that won’t shut up * Why you don’t need validation to change direction Want More? This clip comes from my full conversation with Cara Alwill in Episode 22: ‘Cara Alwill on Choosing Yourself: How to Overcome Fear of Judgment, Reclaim Your Power, and use challenges for growth’ Listen to on ITUNES [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/muse-yourself-self-love-starting-over/id1725984271?i=1000688960849], SPOTIFY [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hjtkXQY14qjC047Cx2QdB?si=C0eHR131R4GVhyS5xkE5QQ], or SUBSTACK [https://gemmaj.substack.com/p/30-choosing-yourself-taking-your] If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment on Spotify, send me a message, or share this episode with a friend who needs it…and don’t forget to subscribe - it helps this community grow and reach more women who need these conversations and I appreciate it more than you know… Until next time X RESOURCES + LINKS: * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE [https://vip.museyourselfpodcast.com/] to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE [https://gemmaj.substack.com/] to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE [https://forms.gle/ystMC6cHZLFmyhs49] * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-story/id1725984271] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6crrBEwJRMHt5k5YvYFhNn] Get full access to Muse Yourself at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe [https://gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]