Let Your Freak Flag Fly with Lori Pieper

"Taking time for yourself is not selfish. It's critical." – Lori Pieper In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Lori Pieper—meditation teacher, wellness guide, and spiritual rebel—to talk about what happens when you stop living for everyone else and finally take care of yourself. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Lori opens up about her "come to Jesus" moment when she realized that entrepreneurship needed to resonate with her soul—not just be a to-do list of tactics. After retiring from her corporate career, Lori embraced her spiritual side, training in Ayurveda, yoga, and Deepak Chopra's Primordial Sound Meditation. Now, she guides women to shed decades of social conditioning, say no with confidence, and remember who they were before burnout took over. She shares her early creative quirks (Nancy Drew live-action role play in her backyard), her Gen X rebel streak, and what she's learned from watching women in her life push too hard for too long. The conversation gets real about habits, grace, and the danger of confusing productivity with worth. Lori's not afraid to talk about wine, Netflix marathons, and why pineapple does not belong on pizza. This episode is a reminder that rebellion can be soft, self-loving, and absolutely essential. As Lori says, "Taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's critical." Quotable Quotes "Taking time for yourself is not selfish. It's critical." – Lori Pieper "You cannot take care of anyone else if you're not taking care of yourself." – Lori Pieper "Our brains are wired to keep us safe—and to tell us we're doing something stupid." – Lori Pieper "Give yourself the grace you'd give a baby learning to walk." – Lori Pieper "Let your freak flag fly." – Michael Dargie Episode Highlights From Corporate to Conscious | Lori's pivot to entrepreneurship and self-care Primordial Sound Meditation | How Deepak Chopra's method changed her mornings Wellness Work | Ayurveda, yoga, and healing from burnout Rebel Women | Teaching women to say "no" without guilt Creative Childhood | Nancy Drew mysteries in the backyard Networking & Growth | Overcoming fear through Success Champion Network Pizza Preferences | Pineapple is not invited Bookshelf Staples | Bliss Brain and The Miracle Morning Wine + Northern Exposure | Guilty pleasures and cozy nights Advice for Rebels | Take small slices, give yourself grace, and stop trying to eat the whole pie LINKS FROM EPISODE Lori's LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/loripieper) Lori's Facebook (facebook.com/lori.pieper.16) Lori's Instagram (instagram.com/loripieper23) Journey to Inner Joy Website (https://www.journeytoinnerjoy.com) Get Your Copy of Michael's Book: "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable" Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com