Bridging the Healthcare Gap with Natalie Benamou (Part 1 Beyond Hormones Series)

The Health Impact of Women in Community with Becky Richards

What if the secret to overcoming burnout isn't working harder, but finally letting yourself be genuinely supported by a community that gets it? 💛 In this deeply grounding and insightful episode, I’m joined by psychotherapist and practice owner Becky Richards for a powerful conversation on why women’s well-being cannot happen in isolation.  Together, we unpack how the hidden weight of expectations, unmanaged shame, and juggling dozens of roles can lead to capacity compression, long before any official burnout hits.  If you've ever felt like you're dropping the ball in one area of life just to keep it afloat in another, this heart-to-heart discussion will give you the permission and framework you need to pause, breathe, and reclaim your well-being. Key Highlights from This Episode: * The Eight Dimensions of Wellness: How to use a holistic framework to check in with yourself when life feels off balance, moving beyond just the obvious stressors of work and daily demands. * Decoding Capacity Compression: Discover why women in their 40s and 50s juggle a staggering number of roles (sometimes 45 to 75+) and how unpacking old shame and expectations can help you release what no longer serves you. * Redefining Workplace Culture: An inspiring look at how Becky runs her own mental health practice by replacing restrictive corporate productivity quotas with real, conversational, and human-centered collaboration. Resources Mentioned:  The Hidden Load Map, Life feeling heavier than it used to? Access the first map in my Atlas of Authentic Identity. This guided orientation experience helps you uncover how your roles, identity, and adaptive capacity interact so you can gain clarity, reclaim self-trust, and confidently choose your next step.⁠https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126⁠ [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126]  Meet Our Guest: Becky Richards, MS, LPC, CSAC, C-DBT is a psychotherapist, founder of Summit Your Summit, and an advocate for mental health and authentic leadership who brings a commonsense, trust-first approach to the therapeutic process. Connect with Becky through her website at Summit Your Summit [https://summityoursummit.com/profile-richards/] and on LinkedIn [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-richards-ms-lpc-csac-c-dbt-4079b8250/]. About the Women’s Well-Being Movement This is more than a podcast; it’s a movement. We reject the myth that exhaustion is the price of success. We are women who lead in boardrooms, communities, and families—without losing ourselves. Read our manifesto and join the movement at: https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement]    Together we rise, together we stand, together we lead.

Being Witnessed, A New Type of Body Awareness with Lila Veronica

What if everything you've been taught about health, fitness, and holding your body is actually keeping you stuck in chronic stress?  Grab a cup of coffee and settle in, because in this deeply liberating episode, host Carole Jean Whittington sits down with the incredible Lila Veronica for a heart-to-heart conversation on dropping the armor, redefining well-being through your authentic values, and stepping out of isolation.  If you’ve ever found yourself holding tension from head to toe without even realizing it, this episode is the gentle wake-up call and deep breath you didn't know you needed. We often treat well-being like a checklist or push through exhaustion as the price of success, but Lila reminds us that true vitality requires a completely new paradigm. This conversation dismantles the harmful messaging women receive about making themselves small, tightening up, and powering through. Instead, Lila offers a refreshing, body-centered roadmap to help you unlock higher potential without burning out. Episode Highlights * The Power of Being Witnessed: Discover why being seen in a loving, non-judgmental space is a biological necessity for women to blossom and discover their true gifts. * Softening Over Tightening: Learn why we need to move away from rigid, "tuck and squeeze" exercise culture and embrace a fluid, cat-like posture of opening and strengthening. * The Heart, Hips, and Head Framework: Lila breaks down three actionable physical adjustments—releasing the belly, freeing the hips, and softening your visual gaze—to instantly shift your energy, clear brain fog, and reduce physical pain. Resources Mentioned: * The Hidden Load Map: Life feeling heavier than it used to? Access the first map in my Atlas of Authentic Identity. This guided orientation experience helps you uncover how your roles, identity, and adaptive capacity interact so you can gain clarity, reclaim self-trust, and confidently choose your next step.https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126 [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126]    Meet Our Guest Lila Veronica is a Speaker, Coach, and CEO of The Riverstone Movement School who helps high-performers, business owners, and organizational leaders shift the physical component of their lives. With over 20 years of experience teaching mind-body practices, she integrates movement into the mental-mastery journey so visionary leaders can reach a greater potential faster without stress or burnout.  🌐 Connect with Lila Veronica: https://www.riverstonemovement.com/ [https://www.riverstonemovement.com/] About the Women’s Well-Being Movement This is more than a podcast; it’s a movement. We reject the myth that exhaustion is the price of success. We are women who lead in boardrooms, communities, and families—without losing ourselves. Read our manifesto and join the movement at: https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement]    Together we rise, together we stand, together we lead.

Women Aging Well with Michele Hawkins

Are you feeling lost in the caregiving roles you’ve spent years filling for everyone but yourself? In this episode, we explore what it truly means to break free from the "hidden load" and begin speaking life back into your own spirit. Our guest today is Michele Hawkins, a transformational force in holistic wellness dedicated to helping women 40+ turn midlife into their ultimate power zone. With over 25 years of experience in beauty, wellness, and functional nutrition, Michele empowers women to reshape their mindset and self-image to unlock bold confidence. A recipient of the 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, Michele’s work is about elevation, reinvention, and living a life that is unapologetically powerful. In this episode, we discuss: * Breaking the cycle of losing yourself to your roles. * The profound impact of speaking life into yourself and other women. * A special, deeply moving segment where Michele shares the exact words she speaks to her 12-year-old granddaughter—a message for your own inner child. Resources Mentioned: * The Hidden Load Map: Life feeling heavier than it used to? Access the first map in my Atlas of Authentic Identity. This guided orientation experience helps you uncover how your roles, identity, and adaptive capacity interact so you can gain clarity, reclaim self-trust, and confidently choose your next step.https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126 [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126]    Connect with Michele Hawkins: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelehawkins/ [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelehawkins/] About the Women’s Well-Being Movement This is more than a podcast; it’s a movement. We reject the myth that exhaustion is the price of success. We are women who lead in boardrooms, communities, and families—without losing ourselves. Read our manifesto and join the movement at: https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement]    Together we rise, together we stand, together we lead.

Bridging the Healthcare Gap with Natalie Benamou (Part 1 Beyond Hormones Series)

Stop apologizing for your pain. Too many high-performing women are being told their symptoms are just "part of the process." That ends now. In this powerful conversation, we dive beneath the surface of the current healthcare landscape to address a systemic issue that impacts far too many women: the dismissal of our voices and our pain. Join us as we explore how to move beyond the "surface" symptoms to advocate for our own health, our families, and our future. Key Highlights: * The Power of Being Heard: Discover why being "witnessed"—having your symptoms and concerns truly acknowledged—is a critical, non-negotiable component of healing and overall well-being. * Navigating Systemic Bias: Natalie shares her personal journey of navigating healthcare obstacles and offers strategic insights on how to prepare for medical appointments as you would for a business meeting to ensure your voice is taken seriously. * Redefining Health Advocacy: Learn how to shift from feeling diminished by the healthcare system to reclaiming your agency, ensuring that your health needs are prioritized rather than dismissed as "part of the process". Connect With Our Guest Natalie Benamou is the Founder of HerCsuite® and the Board President and CEO of HER HEALTHX, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the care communication gap to improve health outcomes for women. A serial podcast host and sought-after speaker, Natalie empowers executive women to navigate their next chapters with confidence and strategic alignment. * Learn more about HerCsuite® and connect with Natalie here [https://hercsuite.com/] * Her book, Power of What's NEXT: Bold Moves By Design  [https://hercsuite.com/books/] Whittington Institute & Your Next Best Step Are you currently navigating a transition or feeling the weight of uncertainty? You don’t have to do it alone. Gain the clarity you need to make your next move with ease by exploring The Hidden Load Map [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126], part of The Atlas of Authentic Identity. This tool is designed to help you identify where your energy is truly going, allowing you to stop "powering through" and start stepping into the light of your own authentic leadership. This is more than a podcast, it’s a movement. Join the Women’s Well-Being Movement [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement]and read our manifesto to stand for success without self-sacrifice.

Finding Clarity in the Middle of Transition

I’ve been a keynote speaker and stood on global stages, yet I still find myself hitting moments where the old map no longer works. If you’re at a juncture where you’re excited to shine but uncertain how to step into the light, you’re in good company.  In today’s episode, The Map of the Unseen, we’re ditching the pressure to "power through." I’m sharing my personal tools for staying grounded in the present, finding clarity amidst the noise, and reclaiming your inner wisdom.  Tune in to discover the bridge to our new series, Beyond Hormones, Going Beneath the Surface, and grab your first orientation too, a deep dive into the hidden load behind high performance. Let’s stop falling into the trap of more data and begin by listening within..  I’ve opened up the first map in the Atlas of Authentic Identity. It’s called 'Orientation Experience One - Mapping Your Role Capacity [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/products/courses/view/1195126]' It’s an invitation to stop powering through and to  gently orient you to your current experience by helping you understand how your energy, responsibilities, and identity work together so your own clarity, discernment, and next steps can naturally emerge. Whittington Institute and Whittington Well-Being  This is more than a podcast, it’s a movement. Join the Women’s Well-Being Movement and read our manifesto to stand for success without self-sacrifice. https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement [https://energize.whittingtonwellbeing.com/womenswellbeingmovement]