Embraced Podcast

I am so excited about today’s guest! Lauren Kleban is the creator of LEKfit, a dance-inspired fitness and sculpting method designed to create long and lean muscles. Lauren started LEKFIT out of her garage-turned-fitness studio, and recently launched LEKfit On Demand, which allows you to stream full-body workouts every Wednesday straight from her LA studio. As a mom of two littles, LEKfit workouts have been lifesavers for me. If I can start my day with a LEKfit home workout, I know that I will be the best version of myself for the rest of the day. I am so inspired by Lauren and I knew I wanted to have her on the show because not only is she a badass entrepreneur and mama of two toddlers, but she also has such a positive, down-to-earth energy and is constantly bending over backwards to connect with and empower the women (and some men) that come to her classes and subscribe to LEKfit On Demand. On today’s episode we discuss: Lauren’s background in dance and how she shifted from dance into the fitness world; How

I have been following today's guest on Instagram for quite some time now and I love everything she is doing with her company! Eileen Rosete is the founder of Our Sacred Women, which she started after working with female trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and MFT in training. Our Sacred Women is a company whose mission is to restore women to a place of reverence through specialty gifts that help women feel seen, valued, and honored. Our Sacred Women is best know for its ‘Women are Sacred” t-shirts and muscle tees, and I have been seeing inspiring and powerful women rocking this shirt ALL over Instagram. Eileen is also a new mama and uses her platform to be vulnerable and openly share her struggle to balance work and motherhood. Today we talk about: Eileen's story and how she came up with the idea for Our Sacred Women; Her background as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Yoga teacher working with survivors of trauma; Growing her company slowly as she navigated pregnancy and motherhood; The struggles she has en

Today's guest is someone I have been dying to have on the podcast because I knew that you all would feel so empowered by all of the knowledge that this woman has to share! Nicole Jardim is a Certified Women's Hormonal Health Coach and creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programs that empower women to reclaim their hormonal health. Rather than just treating symptoms, Nicole treats women by addressing the root cause of what's really going on in their bodies. Nicole is passionate about empowering women to take charge of their health and their happiness! Today we talk about: Nicole's personal struggle with her period and hormone imbalance, which inspired her to pursue becoming a health coach; What women across the lifespan should know for optimal hormone health; Suggestions for women using assisted fertility including taking clomid or ovulation trigger shots and the impact this has on hormones; Hormone imbalance involving estrogen and thyroid disease, and her approach to treating this problem holistically; Ho

Meera Lee Patel is an author and self-taught artist whose books focus on different themes of self-exploration, such as creativity, mindfulness, self-motivation and and fear. Her work has been praised by Oprah.com, Teen Vogue, and FLOW Magazine. I found her book Start Where You Are about a year ago and fell in love with her words and beautiful illustrations. This incredible journal/book was full of beautiful artwork and thought-provoking prompts to help the reader work through roadblocks to personal growth and success. Her latest book My Friend Fear addresses how having big fear is an opportunity to make big changes and to discover our true potential. On today’s episode we talk about: -How she got into artwork and writing -Transitioning from artwork/writing as her side-hustle to her full-time job-Emotionally adjusting to leaving her steady, full-time job-Writing her first book Start Where You Are-Her decision to face her fear of traveling alone-Writing her second book, My Friend Fear-The origin of fear-Our rea

Nitika's first line in the 'About' section of her blog reads: "I can be described many ways depending on the day. But, put simply, I’m a woman on a mission to inspire radical self-love." This term can seem cliche in the wellness world, but Nitika talks about self-love from a deep place of knowing. Nitika was only able to arrive at self-love after spending 26 years of battling chronic pain from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, as well as the insecurity, confusion and depression that accompanied it. Now Nitika uses her experience to help others shift their perspective, feel their difficult emotions, offer themselves genuine care and love, and live a beautiful life of purpose. In this episode, Nitika talks about receiving a diagnosis of psoriases at 10 and how this shaped her view of herself and her experiences in the world. She talks about learning ways to offer herself love during some of the darkest times of her life, how she copes with painful emotions, and learning that while she couldn’t control her circ

  I am so excited about today’s guest because she is one of the inspirations for the creation of Embraced Podcast. Danika Brysha is a curve model with IMG Models, CEO of Model Meals (a healthy, Whole 30/Paleo-approved meal delivery business), and a self-care and wellness expert. Danika describes herself as a recovered bulimic, binge-eater, and food/sugar-addict, and has a deep passion for helping people who struggle with food and body issues. Danika’s ultimate goal is to help others reach their highest level of happiness through self-care, self-love, and daily affirmations. Today we talk about: How her body image issues started; Trying every diet out there in the hopes of losing weight and becoming a model; Her struggle with food addiction and disordered eating; Finally stopping the endless diets and letting herself settle in at her natural size; Getting approached by an agent to do plus-sized modeling; Discovering the Whole30 and how it completely changed her relationship with food and with her body; Cultiva

Antonella Zabaglio is a yoga instructor, performer, and mother of two. I came across a short documentary she did with CodyApp, where she tells her story about her journey from getting implants as a young mother, to getting them removed after years of feeling insecure and uncomfortable in her own body. I asked Antonella to tell her story on Embraced Podcast because it is so important for women to hear what can happen for some women when using plastic surgery as a way to seek external sources of validation to increase self-worth. On today's episode we talk about: Being a young mother in an unhealthy and unsupportive relationship; Feeling insecure about her body after having her first child; Being encouraged to get breast implants when she only wanted a breast lift, and not trusting her inner voice; How she immediately felt different after the surgery; Increased feelings of insecurity after getting implants; How she finally came to the realization that in order to feel authentically herself, she needed her impla

Today’s guest is my hero. I met Zabie when I was working at UCLA where she serves as the director of Trauma Informed Yoga programs in Campus Assault Resource and Education (CARE). Zabie has devoted her life to help empower survivors of sexual assault to regain their strength and self-worth. She is the Founder of Transcending Sexual Trauma Through Yoga, an organization with the mission of empowering survivors to heal through the practice of yoga. Her organization offers group and private trauma-informed yoga classes for survivors, trauma-informed yoga trainings, consultation for colleges and agencies interested in implementing yoga therapy programs, survivor yoga retreats, and mentoring for yoga instructors. Today we talk about: Her sexual trauma in college, and how it manifested in her body and in her relationship to her body; How her sexual trauma lead her to yoga; How yoga helped her heal from sexual trauma; Creating a program specifically for survivors of sexual trauma focusing on themes such as healthy bo

"Holy shit!" is all that was going through my mind over and over as I was sweating (and shaking) my way through Aubre's class. I wanted to hate her, but Aubre was impossible to hate: she was supportive AND challenging, positive and bubbly WITH a side of sarcastic humor, and inspirational WHILE down-to-earth. Aubre, a fitness instructor and lifestyle blogger with a keen eye for fashion, has had a rollercoaster of a few years. She came to LA to be a dancer, left the dance world to pursue being a fitness instructor, decided to dip her toes in the world of fashion, and then realized her heart and soul needed to be teaching fitness and blogging full-time. Over the course of that period time she left an abusive relationship, got rid of toxic friendships in her life, gained true confidence in herself, and decided to help other women do the same. Today we talked about: - Growing up in Kansas - The shock of going to college in a big city - The abusive relationship that completely depleted her sense of self-worth and l

Today's guest is my beautiful friend, Jessica Keenan-Wynn. Jessica comes from a long line of actors, and a few years back she took a huge leap of faith and moved to NYC to pursue her dream of acting on Broadway. Leaving her life here was really scary, but it was the best decision she ever made. Jessica ended up landing the lead role of Heather Chandler in Heathers: The Musical, and is now playing Cynthia Weil in Beautiful on Broadway. Recently, she stepped away from Beautiful for a few months to shoot Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (the upcoming sequel to the blockbuster film Mamma Mia!). This girl is seriously on FIRE. Today we talk about: - The end of a relationship that pushed her to finally move to New York to fully pursue a career in acting - Facing the fear of your true potential - How she coped with loneliness and isolation during her first few months in the dead of winter in NYC - Going out for auditions, and finally landing the roles of her dreams - Battling self-judgment and self-criticism after susta

Have you ever gone through something you never thought you would be able to come out of? Have you ever chosen a path in life and then realized you had been going in the wrong direction? If so, this episode is for you. I met Pernilla in our doctoral program at Pepperdine and loved her immediately. She is the kind of girl you know you want to be friends with right away: salt-of-the-earth, warm, open, and kind. Today Pernilla talks going through the motions of what she thought she was supposed to do with her life, and coming to the realization that she had gotten off course. Here are some highlights from the episode: - Taking the traditional path: graduate school and marriage to the "perfect" guy - Knowing she was on the wrong path but staying on it due to shame and guilt - The moment she knew she needed out of her marriage - Hitting rock bottom after her divorce and sustaining a spinal injury from horseback riding - How she worked on rebuilding herself - Tapping into spirituality through different modalities of

Casie Goshow (aka B-Girl 'Tynee') is an anomaly. At first glimpse she is a pretty, tiny (or I guess I should say Tynee), sweet-as-pie, bubbly girl. But I dare you to look her up on Youtube. Casie will full on take your breath away with the power with which she dances. She hits every move so hard and is fully committed in every moment. Not only is Casey a sweetheart and kick-ass hip-hop/breakdancer and choreographer, but she is also a dedicated teacher both locally and nationwide, traveling frequently to teach at dance conventions. Oh, and I can't forget to add entrepreneur to her title. Casie owns her own clothing line, Goshow Yourself, which she created in response to the bullying occurring around the country. Casie wanted a clothing line that would inspire people of all different backgrounds to have the courage and confidence to be themselves. Today we talk about: -Her background in gymnastics -The injury that ended her career as a gymnast -How she found break dancing -Her experience as a Las Vegas Finali

To me, finding a yoga teacher I like is similar to dating. I RARELY find a yoga teacher I am completely into, so when I found Patti Quintero I felt like I had hit the jackpot. Patti is a yoga/meditation teacher and founder of Uma Mother, which aims at connecting, inspiring, and empowering mothers through the rituals of yoga, meditation, and community. As a yoga teacher, she has the ability to simultaneously be deep and spiritual while also being super down to earth and not taking herself or the practice too seriously. I absolutely love this woman and know you will too, so tune in and enjoy hearing her story and her musings on life. Today we talk about: -Growing up in Bogota, Colombia -Her life before yoga -Meditation as the doorway into the world of yoga -The moment she realized she wanted to be a yoga teacher -How she became involved in working with pregnant women and teaching pre/postnatal yoga -Her experience as a 'renegade doula' before being officially trained -Stages of growing as a teacher -Mindfulne

Lily Meyers is a writer and poet whose poem, “Shrinking Women” won Best Love Poem at the 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Her performance of Shrinking Women went viral on youtube gaining over 5 million views. A few months ago I came across this video and was floored. First I cried because there was so much powerful truth in the poem, and her performance of it was breathtaking. Soon my tears gave way to curiosity, empowerment, and inspiration. Lily’s poem made me think about the ways in which I was raised and socialized as a girl and (now) woman and how my fulfillment of the “woman” role affects the amount of space I take up in my relationships and in the world in general. Lily combines her love of writing with her passions for feminism, self-love, and body confidence and she gives talks and readings at high schools, colleges, and organizations around the country. I could have talked to Lily forever about what it means to be a woman in our society, but even in the span of 30 minutes I learned so m

Today is a super special episode to me because I am interviewing one of my best friends, Annie Vovan. Annie was my first mama friend when I had my daughter and since that time we have been through so much together. Annie is one of the most inspiring women I know. She is a full-time mom raising two beautiful children, works as a photographer empowering women by showcasing mamas and girl bosses, she created @avenuemama: an Instagram platform to create a community for mothers, and she manages to be very active in giving back through charities. I seriously don’t know how she does it, and I worship the ground she walks on. Today we talk about: -Growing up the youngest of 7 children in an immigrant family -Working as a pharmacist before fully throwing herself into photography -Getting married in her late 30’s and being a mom of “advanced maternal age” -Redefining her life and career in her late 30’s -Her decision to leave pharmacy to pursue photography -Why she focuses on mamas and girl bosses in her photos -Wher

I was seriously so excited when today’s guest agreed to be on the podcast. Kristen Kish is the second female chef to win the prestigious Top Chef competition (season 10), and has worked as the chef de cuisine in two of Barbara Lynch’s restaurants. Kristen recently wrote her first book, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques, which combines recipes, cooking techniques, and kristen’s story woven throughout. Kristen was so down to earth, thoughtful, honest, and inspiring. We talked about: -Being adopted by a white family and growing up in Michigan -How she spent many years from adolescence to early adulthood trying to be someone she wasn’t -The role perfectionism played in her trying to be someone she wasn’t -Trying to numb herself from the pain of hiding who she really was -Her coming out experience with her family -Learning to be her authentic self -Using perfectionism to grow as a chef -How she got into cooking and how she found herself on Top Chef -Her unintentional coming out experience while on Top C

The time has finally come! The women that inspired me to start my podcast are actually guests on Embraced. Back in October, I was driving to work listening to my favorite podcast, Almost 30 (a health and wellness podcast about the transition between your 20's and 30's…and any age really), when I got the crazy idea that I wanted to reach a larger audience with my ideas about female empowerment through the platform of a podcast. I had learned so much from hearing the guests on Almost 30, and Krista and Lindsey made me feel like I was just hanging with my girls, having a glass of wine, discussing anything and everything. These beautiful, hilarious, down-to-earth women have created something truly special, which is evident in the fact that they have 20,000 followers on Instagram, they've created a large community of dedicated followers (mostly women) in their secret Facebook group, who support one another by being vulnerable and sharing their life struggles and successes, and they were on track to have a million

I met today’s guest when I attended her workshop at La Maida Institute. She exudes positive, peaceful energy and she taught about Ayurveda in a way that was totally fascinating and relatable! Anjali Deva is a NAMA-certified Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher in Los Angeles. She is also the director of culture at La Maida Institute, where she helps plan workshops and events centered on holistic wellness and resilience. I had so much fun talking to Anjali about how she got into Ayurveda and how she helps herself and others find balance through this ancient practice. Today we talk about: -Her family lineage of ayurvedic practice -The health problems she experienced that lead her to ayurveda -Dropping out of college and enrolling in Ayurveda school -How she got involved with La Maida Institute -How La Maida Institute was born, and what it has been like working with this holistic group -How Ayurveda has affected her health, her relationships, and her life in general -Ayurveda as a way to bringing mindful aw

  You know that feeling when you meet someone and within 5 seconds you are in love with them and want them to be your best friend? Yeah, that happened for me with today’s guest, Rachelle Tratt. Rachelle is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur, creator of the Nashama Project (a conscious jewelry company), world traveler, spiritual guide, and life coach. Rachelle lost her mother tragically when she was 9 years old, which she believes completely changed the course of her life and set her on a path of healing, learning, and living her life to the fullest. Our talk today was 100% real, deep, and soulful, just like Rachelle.   We talked about: – The role growing up in nature played in – How the trauma from her mother’s tragic death formed who she is today. – The second trauma that shook her family to the core. – Numbing out to avoid the pain of her mother’s death. – Why she HATED yoga when she first tried it. – What it was like to finally make the decision to follow a path as a yoga teacher. – Falling in love with Los Ange

This may be one of my favorite episodes to date. Today’s guest is the beautiful fashion stylist, Melissa Chataigne. After successfully transitioning from a corporate career in healthcare marketing, Melissa was finally doing what she loved: working as celebrity stylist. Then, her younger sister tragically committed suicide and her life was forever changed. With this loss and her disillusionment with Hollywood’s constant pressure to remain unnaturally thin, Melissa committed her life and career to helping people of all sizes dress with confidence and live full, authentic lives. Her blog, Chataigne Style, aims to inspire the everyday career-minded woman with her advice in fashion, beauty, travel, wedding tips, and body confidence. Today we talk about: - How she got into fashion and styling. - How she had to break barriers, as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, to take a non-traditional path of entrepreneurship. - How her “side hustle” became her paycheck job. - How feeling disconnected to herself and to her cal