Finding Balance: From Science to Self-Sufficiency with Ruth

Episode 10: From Burnout to Business — Building Soak Head & Foot Spa with Stephanie Korczynski

In Episode 10 of Be Well and Ground, Emily sits down with Stephanie Korczynski, founder of Soak Head & Foot Spa, to talk about her journey from corporate burnout to building a wellness business centered on intentional rest and nervous system healing. Stephanie shares how burnout, anxiety, and a life-changing moment with intentional rest led her to create Soak — a luxury head spa and foot soak experience opening in Huntersville, NC. This conversation explores burnout recovery, slowing down in motherhood, the rise of modern wellness experiences, and what it really takes to rebuild life from the ground up. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:44 Episode Guest Preview 00:59 Father's Day Deal 01:34 Meet Stephanie 03:02 Soak Origin Story 03:37 Burnout Panic Attack 04:44 Foot Soak Breakthrough 05:52 From Idea to Leap 07:15 LLC and Timeline 08:10 Finding the Space 11:09 What Soak Offers 12:52 Learning the Craft 14:21 Why Copper Basins 15:10 Designing the Vibe 16:21 Luxury for Everyone 17:20 Men at Soak 17:53 Design Background 19:08 Head Spa Trend Explained 19:34 Fresh Water Difference 20:13 Stress and Hair Health 20:44 Stress Hair Loss Explained 20:58 Head Spa Soil Analogy 22:16 Self Care Breakthrough 22:46 Intentional Rest Habits 25:42 Why Slow Wellness Now 27:21 Dropping Mom Guilt 29:40 Entrepreneur Wins Challenges 31:18 Do It Scared Advice 32:55 Opening Dates Deals 3:48 Rapid Fire Favorites 35:20 Grounding Rituals Sunflowering 36:52 Underrated Wellness Habit 38:07 Where To Find Soak 38:43 Podcast Closing Message ✨ Special note: Soak is currently offering discounted gift cards ($115 value for $100 and $230 value for $200). Booking is now live at soakheadandfoot.com, and their grand opening is June 16th. 🔗 Links & Socials Soak Head & Foot Spa Website: https://soakheadandfoot.com [https://soakheadandfoot.com] Instagram: @soak_lakenorman Be Well & Ground Podcast Website: https://wellandground.com [https://wellandground.com] Instagram: @bewellandground Host: @uflowgirl P.S. Love the merch I’m wearing in this episode? Shop the yoga merch here → https://uflowyoga.com/

Finding Balance: From Science to Self-Sufficiency with Ruth

What happens when a Cambridge-trained geneticist trades her lab coat for a homestead, a curriculum binder, and an unexpected calling that grew out of grief? In this episode, I sit down with Ruth — a former genetic researcher at Cambridge University and the Sainsbury Laboratory — who moved to the U.S. seven years ago as an Air Force spouse and completely rebuilt her life from the ground up. From culture shock and identity crisis to sourdough starters, oyster mushrooms, and homeschooling her four-year-old, Ruth's journey is one of the most unexpected and beautiful I've had the privilege of sharing. We talk about: • Leaving a career in whole genome sequencing and plant genetics for the NHS • Finding a small piece of land outside Charlotte that sparked everything • Growing oyster mushrooms and making ginger bug probiotic soda • Fermenting garlic honey safely (and why it works) • Hatching chicks and the plan to add dairy goats and bees • Homeschooling with Critical Thinking Child and Blossom and Root curriculum • How science and faith can coexist beautifully • An unexpected calling that came after losing her grandmother • Advice for women in the middle of a big transition Ruth is warm, whip-smart, and refreshingly grounded. I think you're going to love her. 🎙️ Be Well & Grounded is a podcast for moms and women in transition — honest conversations about wellness, homemaking, community, and becoming. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome 00:43 Meet Ruth 04:03 From genetics to homestead 06:42 The house that changed everything 08:32 Homeschool calling 11:03 Culture shock and identity 13:23 New skills and fixations 15:11 Mushroom growing basics 17:07 Garden plans and ginger bug 19:50 Ferments and garlic honey 22:28 Chickens and hatching chicks 25:27 Next goals: dairy and bees 30:19 Plant medicine priorities 31:35 Choosing homeschool curriculum 33:58 What a structured chaos day looks like 38:38 Sourdough and starters 41:44 An unexpected calling 47:30 Motherhood and stewardship 50:48 Advice for women in transition 54:46 Rapid fire questions 58:43 Final encouragement and wrap Follow along: 📍 Emily: @bewellandground 📍 Ruth: @heirloom.crochet 🎥 YouTube: BeWellGroundPodcast 🌿 TikTok: @bewellwithemily

Baby Sleep, Gentle Sleep Training & Postpartum Wellness with Molly

Sleep is one of the biggest challenges new parents face — and it can impact everything from postpartum healing to mental health. In this episode of the Be Well and Ground Podcast, I’m joined by Molly, a former labor & delivery nurse, midwife-trained professional, and founder of Sweet Sleep & Wellness. Molly now helps families gently guide their babies toward better sleep while supporting moms through the postpartum season. We talk about why sleep is so essential for both babies and mothers, common myths around sleep training, and how families can create healthy sleep habits without using harsh methods like “cry it out.” Molly shares her gentle Rest, Recover, Thrive framework, explaining how prioritizing sleep supports nervous system regulation, postpartum recovery, and family wellbeing. If you’re navigating newborn sleep, toddler bedtime battles, or simply feeling exhausted as a parent, this episode will offer encouragement, practical tips, and a reminder that you don’t have to figure it all out alone. ✨ Gentle sleep shaping for babies ✨ Why sleep is essential for postpartum healing ✨ Common baby sleep myths ✨ How routines support healthy sleep habits ✨ What healthy baby sleep hygiene looks like ✨ How to navigate sleep regressions ✨ When it might be helpful to work with a sleep consultant Molly also shares how her experience as a mom and healthcare professional shaped her passion for helping families thrive through better sleep. 00:00 Welcome to Be Well and Ground 01:40 Meet Molly and Sweet Sleep 03:28 From Nursing to Sleep Work 04:44 Gentle Sleep Consulting 05:44 Rest Recover Thrive Framework 06:41 Attachment and Nervous System 07:39 Sleep Training Myths 09:39 Postpartum Wellness and Sleep 12:33 Where to Start With Sleep 14:18 Routines and Independent Sleep 15:54 Handling Regressions and Teething 17:42 Working With Molly One on One 19:03 Custom Schedules vs Online Plans 21:30 Choosing the Right Package 22:10 Two Week Sleep Plans 22:27 Sleep Red Flags 23:29 Bedtime Boundaries 24:48 Who She Helps Most 25:31 Postpartum Support Packages 27:14 Building Your Tribe 28:22 Raising Great Sleepers 30:34 Sleep Culture Reality Check 32:40 Nervous System And Sleep 34:05 Rapid Fire Fun Questions 38:28 Where To Find Molly 39:27 Podcast Closing Message Connect With Sweet Sleep & Wellness: Website: sweetsleepandwellness.com Instagram: @sweetsleep.midwife.molly Host of the Be Well and Ground Podcast, Emily is a yoga teacher, mom, and wellness advocate passionate about helping families find balance through motherhood, movement, gardening, and simple living. 🌿 Website: bewellandground.com 🌿 Instagram: @bewellandground If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with another mom who could use a little more rest and support.

The Balanced Life Recipe: Lisa’s Ingredients for Strength, Nutrition & Real Wellness

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Lisa, a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and founder of Balanced, a wellness business built around the belief that true health comes from balancing fitness, nutrition, and stress management. Lisa shares her powerful journey from being a competitive dancer caught in the cycle of overtraining and restrictive dieting to discovering a healthier, more sustainable way to care for her body. What started as a personal transformation eventually turned into a mission to help other women break free from extreme fitness culture and find a balanced approach to wellness. In this conversation we talk about: ✨ Why strength training is one of the most important things women can do for long-term health ✨ Common nutrition myths (including surprising “healthy” foods that may not be so healthy) ✨ Why under-eating can actually work against your fitness goals ✨ How to break the guilt spiral around workouts and food ✨ The importance of rest, mindset, and realistic routines for busy women and moms ✨ What sustainable progress actually looks like over months and years Lisa also shares practical advice you can start using today to build healthier habits without burnout. If you’ve ever struggled with finding balance between movement, nutrition, and real life, this episode is for you. Connect with Lisa: Instagram: @balancedwithlisa Website: balancedwithlisa.com If you enjoyed this episode of the Be Well and Ground Podcast, please share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps this community grow and reach more women on their wellness journey.

Books, a Baby Blue Truck, & Finding Yourself Again: Leaving Corporate Life to Build Something That Actually Fills Your Cup

What does it really look like to trust your gut, lean into your faith, and build something that actually fills your cup? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Hannah Emme, founder of Mood Reader Books, a mobile bookstore run out of the most adorable vintage baby blue 1949 Ford truck right here in Charlotte, NC. Hannah shares how a dream she'd been quietly carrying for years finally became real, how faith guided her through one of the biggest transitions of her life, and what it's like to build a business from scratch as a mom of two. She went from a six-figure corporate marketing career to doing something that lights her up every single day — and her story is equal parts inspiring, honest, and deeply relatable. We talk about anxiety, identity, mom guilt, marketing your own dream, and what it really means to choose fulfillment over comfort. This one is so good, friend. You don't want to miss it. ✨ In this episode we cover: * How Hannah turned a years-long dream into a real, thriving business * The moment faith and timing aligned to bring her vintage truck right to her doorstep * Building Mood Reader Books from the ground up in Charlotte * Navigating anxiety and perfectionism as a mom and entrepreneur * Why community matters more than follower counts * Rapid fire book lover questions! 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:43 Meet Hannah and Mood Reader 03:27 The Leap From Corporate 05:29 Faith and Quitting Story 09:00 Finding the Vintage Truck 11:26 Renovation and Color Choice 14:04 Setup and Community Mission1 8:02 Hannah’s Career Background 19:56 Marketing Skills as a Founder 22:48 Naming Mood Reader Books 25:04 Curating New and Used Books 28:37 Customer Feedback So Far 29:30 Curated Book Variety 30:46 Mobile Inventory Planning 31:51 Instagram And Community 34:53 From Burnout To Joy 39:49 Kids And The Truck 42:25 Hard Lessons On Events 44:29 Reading Habits And Genres 46:36 Rapid Fire Book Talk 50:27 Advice For Big Leaps 53:12 Where To Find Them 54:26 Podcast Farewell 📍 Find Hannah & Mood Reader Books:Instagram: @moodreaderbooks 📍 Find Emily & Be Well & Grounded:Instagram: @bewellandgroundWebsite: bewellandground.com If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs a little encouragement today. It means so much and helps this community grow! 🤍