Performing Self-Care vs. Practicing Self-Love

Body Image, Beauty Standards, and Embodiment

Hey so it's getting kinda crazy out here y'all! When every other ad is for a GLP-1 and celebrities are wearing their weight-loss like badges of honor, it can be easy to slip into negative self-talk about our bodies. In fact, dare we say that the whole system is designed to keep us locked in a loop of self-hatred and consumption to keep us controlled and quiet? We do dare indeed! In this episode, we get real as hell about our own experiences in different sized bodies. Join us to deconstruct body image, western beauty standards (and their NASTY origins), and explore how embodiment can rekindle our relationship with our bodies in new and loving ways. Trigger warning ~ in this episode we discuss body image, eating disorders, internalized fat-phobia, and other body related topics that may be triggering or challenging for some folks to listen to. Please make whatever choice is best for you and skip this one if it harms more than helps! Girls Gone Real is a podcast where two besties get real about being girls in a world choked by patriarchy. Follow along for monthly conversations, silly stories, and appearances from our mascot Doug! (iykyk) Follow the girls on IG & TikTok! Girls Gone Real ~ @girlsgonerealpod [https://instagram.com/girlsgonerealpod] Chesy ~ @chesyconnects [https://instagram.com/chesyconnects] Hannah ~ @hannahraestevens [https://instagram.com/hannahraestevens]

"Do You Believe in Life After Love?" and Other Questions Cher Couldn't Answer

WE'RE BAAAAACK! Welcome to season two, baby! Well friends, it's been a cold and unforgiving winter full of lots of things and events and stuff. You get it. We get it. We're all on the same page here. So to breathe some life into things, we decided to make season two more fun, more, unhinged and more chaotic than ever. (you're welcome) In our first episode, we're reading song lyrics that make us giggle, scream, cry, think, and validate our own wild experiences with the magic of someone else's words because at the end of the day, there truly are no unique experiences and for that we are honestly thankful. Shoutout to humanity and shoutout to GIRLS SPECIFICALLY. (see episode 1 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ekaqY8Jq3l8Cu1jKQihMG?si=201eabc3e3874639] for who we mean when we say "girls") To hear all the songs quoted in this episode, check out this playlist. [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Hk8odqL79xJFxmNpyL2v3?si=1d0ab70dc13e41d0] Stay in touch with us on socials! GGR: @girlsgonereal [https://instagram.com/girlsgonereal] Hannah: @hannahraestevens [https://instagram.com/hannahraestevens] Chesy: @chesyconnects [https://instagram.com/chesyconnects]

Performing Self-Care vs. Practicing Self-Love

In this episode of Girls Gone Real, we’re unpacking the difference between performing self-care and actually practicing self-love. We talk about how self-care has been commodified, aestheticized, and stripped of its depth — and what it looks like to return to self-love as a sacred, embodied practice rather than a productivity tool or public performance. Together, we explore: 🌱 What self-care actually means versus how it’s been sold to us 🔥 The relationship between self-love, self-trust, and self-worth 🧠 How self-concept shapes the way we treat ourselves 💸 The systems that benefit from our burnout and disconnection 🕯️ Reclaiming self-care as devotion, not discipline This conversation is for anyone who feels like they’re “doing all the right things” but still feels disconnected, exhausted, or unworthy. Self-love isn’t something you perform — it’s something you practice. Watch this episode on YouTube! [https://youtu.be/_K_pKw_N9lI] Follow us on Instagram! [https://instagram.com/girlsgonerealpodcast] Follow Chesy! [https://instagram.com/chesyconnects] Follow Hannah! [https://instagram.com/hannahraestevens]

MONEY MONEY MONEY: Reclaiming Wealth, Worth, and Autonomy

Have you ever felt shame, guilt, fear, or uncertainty around money? This episode of Girls Gone Real digs into our emotional and systemic relationship with money. We explore why financial literacy often feels out of reach, how many of us were never taught the basics, and what it means to reclaim wealth and autonomy in a world that profits when we stay confused. This is a conversation about liberation, not perfection. We unpack shame, class, access, and the power of reconnecting with the resources that support a life rooted in choice, abundance, and self-trust. In this episode you’ll hear: 💸 Why financial literacy was gatekept from so many communities 🌱 How worthiness and money stories become intertwined 🧠 The impact of upbringing, identity, and systemic barriers 🔑 Frameworks for building confidence with money ✨ Ways to reclaim financial autonomy without overwhelm Connect with us: Social Media: Hannah [https://www.instagram.com/hannahraestevens] | Chesy [https://www.instagram.com/chesyconnects] | Girls Gone Real [https://www.instagram.com/girlsgonereal/] Explore Chesy's Mindful Money coaching group! [https://www.rooted-money.com/services-store/group-coaching] Join the Rebel Daughters community! [https://discord.gg/PxuuN3Z3] Check out the Financial Feminist podcast with Tori Dunlap! [https://herfirst100k.com/]

The Social Media Dilemma: Belonging in the Age of the Algorithm

In this episode, we get real about our complicated relationship with social media — the love, the loathing, and the constant pressure to perform. From the invisible hands of capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy shaping what gets seen, to the paradox of needing these platforms to survive as creators and coaches, we unpack the double bind of being both users and products. We talk about: 📱The ever-present quest for belonging 📱How capitalism and white supremacy shape our algorithms 📱 The tension between authenticity and aesthetics 📱Why it’s okay to feel both grateful and gross about it all We'll be real with y'all - this one isn't as much of a pep-talk as it is a processing session. But as always, we clock in to be real with you about our experience so that you can be real with yourself! ✨ Follow Girls Gone Real for radical honesty about girlhood, identity, and liberation in both the real world and the digital one. Follow HannahRae! [https://www.instagram.com/hannahraestevens] Follow Chesy! [https://www.instagram.com/chesyconnects] Check out Chesy's coaching services! [https://www.rooted-money.com/] Join HannahRae's REBEL DAUGHTERS Discord! [https://discord.gg/bePKrzG2Z]