Be Freaking Awesome Podcast

Send us Fan MailYou've got a story you've been sitting on, the one that feels too small, too messy, or too “someone's already talked about this” to bother sharing. What if that's exactly the one worth telling?Sami and Angela get into why storytelling matters this week, and it's not the pep talk you'd expect. The story you tell about what happened to you shapes who you become more than the event itself does. Sharing your story helps you actually notice your own growth instead of only fixating on how far you still have to go. And hearing that somebody else survived something similar can be the exact thing that breaks someone else's sense of being alone in it. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to tell a story even if you think everyone's already heard some version of itWhy the story you tell about what happened to you matters more than the thing itselfA simple weekly practice for noticing your own growth before you forget it happenedLanguage for supporting a friend's hard day without turning it into a competitionWhy listening to your kid's tiny stories now is what earns you their big ones laterAngela and Sami debate Freudian versus Adlerian psychology by way of the book The Courage to Be Disliked, then unpack the “two-ounce cup, forty-four-ounce cup” metaphor for meeting people where their actual capacity is instead of turning pain into a contest. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Sami's four-year-old decides that lipstick means it's meeting time, and the logic somehow checks out.If you've ever held a story back because you assumed it wasn't dramatic enough to matter, this episode makes the case that sharing it isn't bragging or oversharing. It's connection. And recognizing your own growth, instead of only measuring the gap between here and your goal, is its own reward.Press play on this one, and then go tell somebody one of your stories. Even the small ones.Related EpisodesEP191 — Own Your Story, Build Your Brand (with Sara Losey): the episode Angela and Sami reference by name in this one, the deeper dive into storytelling as both a connection tool and a business skill.EP144 — Replacing Limiting Beliefs: for more on the idea that the story you tell yourself about what happened matters more than the event itself, this episode unpacks the mechanics behind it.EP64 — The Belonging Belief ("I Belong"): the flip side of this week's third reason for storytelling, why hearing that someone else survived something similar is often what breaks the feeling of being alone in it.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou've said what you need. You've been clear. And now you're just... waiting. Watching to see if anything actually changes. Sound familiar?This week picks up where last week left off. If growth can make the people around you uncomfortable, what do you do when you're the one waiting on somebody else, a spouse, a business partner, a friend, to do their own growing? Sami and Angela dig into the messy, undefined stretch between naming a need and having it met, and what to actually do with yourself while you wait. In this episode, we dig into:Two questions to ask yourself when you're stuck in the “wait and see” phase (one of which isn't “what do you want”)Why the hardest part of change isn't the first apology, it's the eighteenth oneA working definition of boundaries that has nothing to do with controlling anyone else's behaviorPermission to take a break from a friendship without a dramatic goodbyeA reminder that patience during this waiting period is doing more work than it feels like it isAngela tells the real, thirteen-year-old story of telling her husband she had healed as far as she could inside their marriage, and how it took him months (and his first pair of bifocals) to actually decide to change for himself instead of for her. Sami brings in the “start, stop, continue” framework from her team-building workshops as a practical tool for anyone stuck on the question “what do you actually want.”If you're in the middle of this waiting room right now, this episode gives you a way to track whether the gap between an old pattern showing up and someone catching themselves is actually shrinking, and permission to hang on a little longer if it is, or let a relationship go quiet without setting it on fire if it isn't.Press play on this one if you're stuck watching to see whether someone else is actually going to change. You don't have to have the answer today, you just need to know what you're watching for.Related EpisodesEP236 — When the People Who Loved the Old You Don't Like the New You: last week's conversation on what happens once you start changing; this week picks up the other side, what to do while you're waiting on somebody else to.EP215 — The Let Them Theory (Mel Robbins): the episode this conversation directly builds on. That one is the “let them” half. This one is the “let me” half.EP56 — Marriage Advice & Conflict Resolution: for more on the day-to-day mechanics of navigating a strained marriage, this is the deeper dive.EP148 — Setting Personal Boundaries: the practical follow-up once you've figured out your own answer to “if this continues, what will I do.”You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou started doing the work. Therapy, boundaries, actually feeling your feelings instead of stuffing them down. And somehow that's made things harder with the people who are supposed to love you.Sami and Angela get into what happens in your relationships once you actually start healing, because here's the part nobody warns you about: some people liked the old version of you better. The one who people pleased, who never made anyone uncomfortable, who could be counted on to fold. When that version of you starts to change, it doesn't always go over well, even with people who love you. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to keep growing even when the people around you preferred your old coping mechanismsA way to tell the difference between someone who just needs a different pace and someone who needs a boundaryWhy repair, not perfection, is the number one relationship skill either of us has learnedLanguage for grieving relationships that don't fit anymore without needing to end them dramaticallyReassurance that the loneliness of growth is a normal part of the process, not a sign you took a wrong turnAngela shares what happened this week when her nervous system “melted” in a meeting after years of only ever feeling anger or professional-normal, and what it took to say “I need a minute” out loud. Sami tells the story of a close friend whose dysfunctional family is threatened by her therapy and a new job in a new city, and reaches for the image of Indiana Jones' leap of faith to describe how lonely healing can feel once you take the step other people aren't ready to take.If you're in the middle of becoming a new version of yourself and it's straining relationships you didn't expect it to strain, this episode gives you permission to keep going without needing to fix or cut off everyone around you. Growth costs something. You get to grieve that cost without treating it as proof you're doing it wrong.Press play on this one if the people around you are struggling with who you're becoming. You're allowed to keep going anyway, and you're allowed to be kind to yourself while you do.Related EpisodesEP235 — Is People Pleasing Always a Bad Thing?: Last week's conversation on the fear driving people pleasing sets up this week's question directly: what happens to those relationships once the people pleasing stops.EP63 — Why Friendship Matters for Longevity: The “five people you spend the most time with” episode Sami references (and pushes back on) in this one. Start here for the fuller take.EP198 — Mom Guilt & Parenting Boundaries (with Dr. Juhi): The other side of the boundary Angela describes with her own adult kids, holding a boundary with someone who's used to you not having one.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou said yes again. And this time, instead of feeling good about it, you feel a little resentful, a little tired, and a little confused about why. Sound familiar?We've been sitting with this question for weeks: is people pleasing always a bad thing? Turns out the answer isn't as clean as “yes, obviously.” Sami and Angela dig into the messy line between people pleasing, codependency, and genuine generosity, and why the exact same action (saying yes, showing up, cooking the meal, throwing the party) can be healthy in one moment and a warning sign in the next. It all comes down to motive: are you doing this because you're afraid of what happens if you don't, or because you actually want to? In this episode, we dig into:Permission to stop assuming that saying yes automatically makes you a people pleaserA simple gut check for telling generosity apart from fear (does it fill you up, or leave you resentful?)Real language for negotiating the how of a request without abandoning the yesWhy “let me check and get back to you” might be the most underused boundary phrase you haveA different way to read your own “indicator lights” before you agree to something bigAngela walks through a friend whose parent is turning 90 and wants a very specific kind of celebration (think a six month memory book, not just cake and candles), and how her friend is learning to say yes to the celebration without saying yes to every single ask inside it. Sami brings it home with her own holidays, a women's retreat invitation she said yes to without hesitation, and the husband who somehow always knows the difference between “that's an honor, we'll make it work” and “are you sure you want to add that to your plate?”If you've ever felt guilty for setting a boundary, or wondered whether the resentment building up in you means you need to say no more, this episode gives you a real framework instead of a guilt trip. You get to want to show up for people. You just get to be honest about why.Press play on this one before you say yes to the next thing on your plate. You might find out you've been harder on yourself than you needed to be.Related EpisodesEP6 — Self-Awareness & People-Pleasing: The episode this conversation traces back to, on the gap between your internal self and the self you perform for other people.EP148 — Setting Personal Boundaries: The practical toolkit for holding a boundary out loud, once you've figured out which ones actually need holding.EP198 — Mom Guilt & Parenting Boundaries (with Dr. Juhi): A deeper dive into holding a boundary without the guilt spiral, especially relevant if the resentment you're noticing shows up most with your own kids.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYour kid tells you the room is clean. Your intern tells you the project is finished. Your business partner tells you the email is ready to send. And then you look closer and it is very much not done. If you have ever stood over a pile of craft supplies that got shoved into the middle of a bedroom floor and been told, with total sincerity, that this counts as clean, you already know exactly what this episode is about.This week Sami and Angela get into the messy space between perfectionism and excellence, and why so many of us confuse the two. We talk about what it actually means to set a standard of excellence, why that standard is not the same thing as chasing perfect, and how a seven-year-old’s version of "done" turned into a full parenting standoff over a pile of craft supplies. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to have a personal standard without turning it into judgment of everyone else's homeA simple way to define "done" so people around you actually hit the mark the first timeRelief for recovering perfectionists who think having any standard at all means the addiction is backA gut check for knowing when one more hour of effort is actually worth spendingFreedom to say no to a volunteer ask without over-explaining yourselfSami tells the story of her son Henry insisting a three-foot-wide pile of craft supplies in the middle of his bedroom floor was, in fact, clean. Angela admits to a recurring email mistake that has some longtime colleagues questioning her credibility, and talks about the intern who once said, out loud, that a client would have approved work Angela had sent back for a redo. They also get into the cart corral (Sami has feelings), the intern who spent 30 hours on a project budgeted for four, and the volunteer situation where Angela had to get honest about what she actually agreed to do.By the end of this one you'll have a real answer to the question perfectionism never lets you settle: when is something actually finished. You'll hear why a standard of excellence, not perfectionism, is what lets you sleep at night, delegate without micromanaging, and let a hobby like embroidery just be a hobby. You don't have to be excellent at everything. You get to decide what excellent even means.Press play on this one before you finish another task wondering if you did enough, or before you hand something off and brace for it to come back wrong. Sami and Angela are in your corner on this one, craft pile and all.Mentioned in this episode:Brené Brown’s "painting done" concept, from her book Dare to LeadYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailEP233 Healing Changes What Hurts You: How Old Wounds Shape Your ReactionsHealing does not always look dramatic.Sometimes it looks like realizing something that would have crushed you five years ago just... doesn’t.And that can be disorienting.In this episode, Angela and Sami talk about what actually changes when you do the work of healing old wounds. Not in a polished, “I’m healed now” kind of way, but in the very real experience of noticing that your reactions are different, your relationships feel different, and you are starting to see yourself and other people more clearly.Angela shares a conversation that led to a powerful question: Is it possible your wounded self interpreted someone’s actions differently than your healed self would?That idea opens up a bigger conversation about the invisible lenses we carry from our earliest hurts. Angela compares them to wearing tinted sunglasses for so long that you forget they are changing what you see. Sami shares the story of a colorblind friend who saw the full vibrancy of the sky and trees for the first time, without ever having realized what he had been missing.They also talk about the difference between healing and dissociating, why feeling more is not necessarily a sign that the work is failing, and why the coping mechanisms we developed deserve more compassion than shame.Angela shares one of the most meaningful things a therapist ever told her: he was glad she had encased her heart in concrete when she was young, because that protection helped preserve it until she was safe enough to uncover it. The goal was never to judge the protection. The goal was to recognize that she might not need quite so much of it anymore.In this episode, we dig into:How old wounds shape the way we interpret other peopleThe difference between emotional healing and emotional numbnessWhy coping mechanisms can be protective before they become limitingHow healing can make criticism hurt lessWhy someone else’s reaction to you may say more about them than it does about youHow to hold compassion for people who hurt you without excusing their behaviorWhy deeper relationships require vulnerability and the willingness to risk being hurtWhat can happen when you stop protecting yourself the way you once had toAngela also shares an update on The Invisible Edge and why the book was never only about selling books. It was created to help people recognize the deeper work they may be ready to do.That leads into the first look at EPIC Impact, a new mastermind for business owners and leaders who are asking, “What’s next?”It is designed for people who have built experience, solved hard problems, lived through difficult things, and are beginning to wonder whether what they know could help someone else. Through stories, speaking, community building, offer development, and potentially even a book, the goal is to help people become known for what they know and turn what they have learned into meaningful impact.Because healing is not about becoming someone who never gets hurt.It is about becoming someone who can see more clearly, recover more quickly, connect more deeply, and choose how they want to show up.And sometimes one of the clearest signs that healing is happening is simple:The same things just do not hurt the way they used to.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela BelfordTraveling Light: Free Yourself from the Crap in Your Head by Angela BelfordSuperfans by Pat Flynn (referenced for the "you only need a hundred people" idea)You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou had a plan. You worked for it. And it didn't go the way you thought it would. So now what? Do you push through the disappointment and slap on a smile, or do you sit in it and risk getting stuck there? Most of us have never been taught a third option.This week Sami and Angela dig into something they're calling hopeful anticipation, the thing that's different from just "having a positive mindset" and different from the expectations-versus-agreements conversation they've had before. It's not about ignoring how you feel. It's about learning to hold disappointment and hope at the same time, without letting either one win. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to feel your disappointment for as long as you actually need to, not just ten tidy minutesA way to hold hope and hard feelings at the same time, instead of picking oneLanguage for the moments when things don't work out and you don't know why yetA gentler way to challenge someone (or yourself) who's stuck saying "it's always like this"Relief that you don't have to jump straight to the silver lining to be doing it rightAngela walks through the pinball-machine image that's been rattling around in her head lately (things really are that random sometimes), the client she turned down honestly by saying "I can't figure out how to market for you," who sent her four referrals over the next year instead, and the very real 45 minutes she spent trying to reason with her toddler after a wellness visit where her daughter didn't get a shot she didn't need, and was furious about it. Sami pushes back on whether this is really "anticipation" or just plain hope, and shares what it's like to hold onto hope with less life experience to draw from.You'll walk away with permission to actually feel your disappointment, even if it takes longer than ten minutes, and a new way to respond when you (or someone you love) gets stuck insisting things never work out. Angela's hula hoop and ladder metaphors give you language for holding space for someone without rushing in to fix them. This is the reframe for anyone who's tired of choosing between fake positivity and staying stuck.Press play now, especially if you're in the middle of a disappointment you haven't let yourself feel yet. This one might be the permission slip you needed.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou know that person. The one whose calendar makes your chest tighten just looking at it. Rental properties, a business, a podcast, three kids, a full social life, and somehow they still seem like themselves. You've asked them how they do it. Maybe you've even asked yourself why you can't.Sami and Angela get this question constantly, and this week they're finally answering it for real. Not with a productivity hack or a 5am routine. With the actual, sometimes uncomfortable truth about what capacity really means, why some people have a dinner plate and others have a dessert plate, and how big rocks, batching, and a whole lot of outsourcing keep two very full lives from falling apart. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to stop feeling guilty for hiring out the things you hate doingA new way to think about why some weeks feel impossible and others don'tClarity on the difference between a busy life and a full oneFreedom to say no to things that don't bring you joy, even the ones you're “supposed” to doA practical way to decide what actually gets your time firstAngela walks through the rocks, pebbles, and sand story that's shaped how she plans her entire year, and gets honest about the two things she credits most for her capacity: outsourcing (she's had help with her schedule and her house for almost her whole marriage) and simply not doing things that don't bring her joy. Sami shares the moment she realized she'd been quietly hiding parts of her life from a close friend, not out of dishonesty but out of care for what that friend could handle, and what happened when she decided to let her all the way in. They also get into the meal-planning fight nobody wins at 5pm, why batching the things you don't love saves more than just time, and Barry's blunt “go do something joyful” moment that didn't land the way he meant it to.If you've ever felt like capacity is something you either have or you don't, this episode is going to feel like relief. It's not about doing more. It's about deciding, on purpose, what gets to take up space in your life first, and giving yourself permission to let everything else be optional.Press play on this one now. If your calendar has felt heavy lately, you need the reminder that a full life and an overwhelming one are not the same thing.Related episodes:EP152 — Intentionality and the Sailboat Metaphor: If today's episode got you thinking about your rocks, this is the deeper dive on setting impact goals and checking in on your wheel of life.EP204 — Doing Hard Things on Purpose (with guest Dominique Blake): For the listener wondering whether saying yes to a full life means saying yes to being tired sometimes, this episode makes the case for choosing your hard on purpose.Support the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou know the voice. The one that shows up after the fact and tells you exactly what you should have done differently. Should have stayed home. Should have known better. Should have been more patient, more prepared, more together. It doesn't show up to help you. It shows up to grade you on a test you already turned in.This week Sami and Angela are calling out should and should have, the phrase that sounds like accountability but actually just adds emotional weight to something you can't change. They dig into where the pattern comes from, why it feels so hard to let go of, and what actually happens in your brain when you swap self-judgment for self-compassion. Angela shares the moment she caught herself quoting her own advice back to herself (and didn't even realize it), and Sami gets honest about a Sunday afternoon that ended with her kids on the couch watching Inside Out as punishment. In this episode, we dig into:Permission to stop grading your past self on a test you didn't know you were takingA simple word swap that turns self-criticism into something you can actually useWhy wanting something feels lighter in your body than shoulding on yourselfThe real difference between owning a mistake and shaming yourself for itHow mental rehearsal (yes, the free throw study) actually changes your future patternsAngela traces the should pattern back to a Facebook memory that stopped her in her tracks, and the two of them talk through why should have is really just judgment wearing a practical-sounding disguise. Sami shares the hindsight-is-2020 version of should (the rained-out concert with her kids) versus the more insidious version, the one with a specific voice attached to it, usually someone else's. And there's a real, tender story from Angela about a friend's health diagnosis and what it looks like to take responsibility without spiraling into self-punishment.What you'll walk away with is relief. Relief that you don't have to keep replaying yesterday to prove you care about doing better. Relief that wanting to change and criticizing yourself into changing are two completely different things, and only one of them actually works. If you've ever caught yourself mid-should and felt that familiar tightening in your chest, this episode is for you.Press play now. The should have voice has had the mic long enough. Let's give it something better to say.Support the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou've done the work. Read the books. Had the realizations. And somehow, the same old patterns still show up. The same knot in your stomach before a hard conversation. The same voice telling you not to raise your hand, not to join the group, not to try. If you've ever wondered why growth doesn't feel like it sticks, this episode is going to land somewhere real for you.Sami and Angela wrap up their three-part series on Angela's book The Invisible Edge by getting into what it actually looks like to deepen the work once you've started it. Not bypass it. Not white-knuckle through it. Deepen it. They talk about why the younger versions of you that formed your beliefs in the first place aren't the enemy, how risk tolerance is shaped earlier than most of us realize, and why the goal isn't to silence the inner critic but to stop letting it sit in the driver's seat. In this episode, we dig into:Why trying to "kick" the critical voice out of your head usually backfires, and what to do insteadHow your childhood risk tolerance is quietly running your adult decisionsPermission to thank the part of you that kept you safe, even if it's been slowing you downWhat a tree inside a windless dome has to do with why adversity is not something to avoidA simple question to ask when an old pattern shows up: does this still serve me?Angela shares a client story about a seventh grader who never wanted to feel left out again, and how that same drive to belong is what makes that person an incredible friend today. Sami brings it home with the story of her kids screaming in the rain at a concert, and what it looks like to be the calm, reassuring presence to your own scared inner child. These are the kinds of conversations that don't sound like therapy but quietly change the way you see yourself.You don't have to overhaul everything. You don't need months of excavation. As they close out this series, Sami and Angela give you something simple: a way to work with what comes up, appreciate what served you, and make a new choice when something no longer does. That's the whole thing. And it's more doable than most people think.If any of this landed, press play. And if you know someone who is in the middle of doing the work and keeps wondering why it keeps coming back up, send this their way.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela Belford — bfreakingawesome.com/the-invisible-edge-preorderThe Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz (Harvard Study of Adult Development) — the-good-life-book.comWork with Angela and Sami:1:1 coaching (6 sessions, BFA coaching methodology) — bfreakingawesome.comYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou did the work. You went to therapy. You did the coaching. You identified the belief. You thought you had handled it. And then one day it shows back up, like an uninvited guest who didn't get the memo. If you've ever looked at something coming up in your life and thought "wait, I already dealt with this" — this episode is for you.This week Sami and Angela pull back the curtain on one of the most disorienting parts of personal growth: the moment you realize healing isn't a finish line you cross. It's a process that spirals deeper as your life, your success, and your circumstances grow. They dig into why beliefs don't just disappear after one round of work, what it actually means to "feel your feelings" (and why so many of us are terrible at it), and why hitting a new level of life sometimes means unearthing a belief you thought was long buried. In this episode, they get into:Why doing the work once doesn't mean you're done with a belief foreverWhat it looks like when a belief you never knew you had suddenly activatesHow the stories we make up as kids quietly shape what we believe about ourselves as adultsPermission to still be in progress, even after years of growthWhy your nervous system's response to overwhelm is not a character flawAngela gets real about an unexpected season of anger and what her therapist told her about grief she was sure she'd already resolved. Sami shares how the belief "I have what it takes" wasn't even on her radar until she became a business owner, and how her childhood impressions of what entrepreneurship looks like have quietly been running in the background. They also get into the Peter stories (yes, the bunnies) and why a four-year-old's explanation for where the dad bunny went is actually a perfect illustration of how all of us make sense of the world.What you'll take away from this episode isn't a five-step plan. It's something better: the relief of knowing that having to revisit something doesn't mean you failed. It means you're growing. The roots of your tree are going deeper. And the contaminated water that used to stop you doesn't have to stop you this time.Press play. You've probably been carrying something that needs to hear this today.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela Belford — bfreakingawesome.com/the-invisible-edge-preorder/Traveling Light by Angela Belford — amazon.com/dp/0999186221A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas (the mirror scene Sami references)Inside Out 2 (the anxiety scene at the control panel)You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou worked for it. You hit the goal. The promotion, the milestone, the finish line you've been running toward for longer than you want to admit. And then you got there. And your inner critic did not say, 'We did it. We're good. We can rest.' It found something new to say. Something new to pick apart. Maybe it even got louder. If that's happened to you, nothing is wrong with you. But it is worth understanding.Angela and I have both lived this, and we get into all of it in this episode. We're kicking off a short arc connected to Angela's latest book, The Invisible Edge, exploring what actually drives our behavior when achievement keeps moving the goalpost on us. We dig into:Why hitting your goals can sometimes make the inner critic louder, not quieterWhat Angela's Mary Kay pink Cadillac story has to do with your current success plateauThe difference between working toward something and outrunning a beliefWhy procrastination is a perfectionism move (yes, really)How your body knows something is off before your brain catches upWhat 'bounce back ability' actually looks like in real lifeAngela shares the story of earning her first car in Mary Kay before she was twenty-five, achieving a goal she'd dreamed about in vivid detail every single night, and still feeling like an imposter the day she got there. That pattern followed her for another twenty-plus years, through a nervous breakdown, through therapy, through building and rebuilding her business, all the way to writing this book. And I share my own version of it: how I finally understood that procrastination isn't the opposite of perfectionism. It is perfectionism. It's our brain setting up an exit ramp so we don't have to face the question underneath: what if I try my best and it's still not enough?What you're going to walk away with from this episode is permission to stop treating your inner critic like an enemy who needs to be fired and start treating it like an indicator light on your dashboard. It's not telling you something is broken. It's telling you it's time to refuel. That reframe alone changes how you move forward.Press play right now. The version of you that keeps moving the goalpost deserves to understand why.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela Belford -- amazon.com/dp/0999186248Audiobook: Sami mentions it's available on Spotify Premium and other platforms -- verify current availability link before publishingbfreakingawesome.comYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou shared something you were excited about. And instead of getting the reaction you hoped for, you got a critique. The air went out of the room. That stinging feeling when someone icks on your wow is one of the most quietly corrosive things that can happen in a close relationship.This week, Sami and Angela get into the real mechanics of what's happening in those moments, why our brains default to finding what's wrong, and what it actually costs us when we can never just be excited first. They dig into the difference between being a cheerleader and being a yes-man, why the trust you build in the good moments is exactly what buys you permission to tell the truth in the hard ones, and how to read the room well enough to know which one someone actually needs.In this episode, they dig into:Why being the person who always spots what's wrong quietly destroys your influenceThe difference between someone needing to be hugged, heard, or helped (and why mixing them up wrecks the moment)How to earn the right to give hard feedback by being a real cheerleader firstA permission structure for limited judgment without sacrificing honestyWhy saying yes every chance you can makes your no actually mean somethingAngela shares the story of showing her husband the 11 Labs AI voice she'd been testing for her new audiobook, The Invisible Edge, and the conversation that followed when his first response was a comparison, not a celebration. Sami counters with the story of a friend who got a promotion and a raise she was thrilled about, and why Sami couldn't bring herself to celebrate it with her. Both moments are the same problem from different angles: someone showed up with something precious and the other person reached for their critique before their cheer.The episode lands on something simple but not easy: when you know someone trusts you enough to show you their exciting thing, that trust is a gift. Treat it like one. The person who can be genuinely happy for you when the thing is small is the one you believe when they tell you the thing is actually a problem.If you've ever been on either side of this, press play right now. This one will stick.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela Belford (her new book, available on Spotify Premium in audiobook format as she tests the 11 Labs AI narration)ElevenLabs AI voice platform: elevenlabs.io"Hugged, Heard, or Helped" framework for reading what someone actually needs"Limited judgment zone" (vs. no judgment zone) conceptYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailThis episode is technically about grandparenting. But it is really about something most of us deal with every day: how to correct someone you love without making them feel like something is wrong with them. That shows up in how you give feedback at work, how you argue with a partner, how you talk to yourself when you mess something up. And yes, how you talk to a kid when they are driving you absolutely crazy.Sami and Angela use grandparenting as the lens because it is where the stakes feel especially clear: you love these kids completely, you only get so many reps, and the patterns you absorbed from your own upbringing have a way of showing up without permission. Their conversation centers on the difference between guilt (I did something wrong) and shame (there is something wrong with me), a distinction borrowed from Brene Brown that is one of the most practically useful frameworks in the episode. Once you have it, you will start noticing it everywhere. In this episode, they dig into:Why shame shows up in grandparenting even when no one intends itHow telling a child to "be careful" all the time might be quietly building their anxietyThe difference between correcting a behavior and attacking an identityAngela's ABCs (and Sami's three Rs) for interacting with grandkids without shameWhy repair matters just as much as getting it right in the first placeSami and Angela get personal here. Angela talks about the very real capacity limits of grandparenting (and why "I love my grandkids but send them home" is not a character flaw). Sami talks about what it is like to watch a grandparent say something she also says, and realize the two are not that different. They walk through the backpack metaphor, the sleeping-grandchild test, and why knowing better is not the same as saying you did it wrong. If you grew up hearing "be careful" constantly and have spent your adult life with an anxiety you cannot fully explain, this one might give you a word for it.You do not need a grandchild, or even a child, to walk away from this one with something real.Press play. The kid who grew up being told to be careful might need to hear this one.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBrene Brown's work on shame vs. guilt (brenebrown.com)The motivational triad (avoid pain, seek pleasure, be efficient) -- referenced in discussionYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou know that feeling where you did something wrong and instead of fixing it, you just... keep feeling bad about it? Like feeling bad is the apology, the penance, and the plan all rolled into one? Yeah. That's not guilt doing its job. That's guilt overstaying its welcome, and there's a difference.In this episode, Sami and Angela get real about guilt: what it's actually for, what it looks like when it goes sideways, and how to tell the difference between guilt that's moving you toward repair and guilt that's just becoming your whole personality. They dig into mom guilt, survivor guilt, the guilt you pick up on behalf of other people for things you had nothing to do with, and the sneaky habit of dumping your guilt on the very person you wronged and asking them to make you feel better about it. In this episode, we dig into:Why guilt is only useful if it's pushing you to do somethingThe difference between guilt (I did something wrong) and shame (I am something wrong)How to offer a real repair without making the other person comfort you in the processWhat to do with guilt when the relationship can't be repairedHow to feel your feelings fully without turning them into everyone else's burdenSami shares why she rarely experiences mom guilt and what Angela modeled that made that possible. Angela gets honest about her own anxious attachment history, the time she raged at her husband over a text message misunderstanding, and the friend with a hard medical diagnosis who taught her something important about allowing someone to offer a sincere apology. These are real stories, not tidy examples.The takeaway from this one is simple but not easy: guilt is an emotion, which means it's designed to move you. When it motivates repair, it's working. When it just sits there and collects weight, it's a drain on you and everyone around you. You don't have to be perfect. You do have to be willing to do something about it.Press play. This one is going to resonate.Mentioned in this episode:Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown: brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/Next week's episode: Guilt vs. Shame (part two of this arc)You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailNobody talks about disappointment long enough to actually help you with it. Most advice amounts to "lower your expectations" — which, as a life strategy, sounds a lot like choosing to feel nothing.This week's episode is a follow-up to EP211 (you asked for it, literally — thank you), and we're going deeper. Sami admits she does not want to talk about this one. Angela shares that she's spent most of her life trying to outrun it, and that the bus metaphor she uses to describe finally sitting with disappointment might be the most accurate description of what this emotion actually feels like to live with. We also get into something that doesn't get said enough out loud: disappointment, when it gets weaponized, is one of the least effective persuasion tools that exists — and most people doing it don't even realize that's what they're doing.In this episode, we dig into:Why "just lower your expectations" is terrible advice and what actually helpsThe difference between expectations that shrink your life and ones that protect your relationshipsWhat it looks like when disappointment gets used as a control tactic (and why it never works long-term)A real moment from the first Family Business Forum where disappointment and perspective collided in the same afternoonA practical reset you can use when big feelings show up right before you have to performSami walks through what she's learned about season-appropriate expectations, using her own experience of going to the beach with three small kids and actually not being disappointed about it. Angela gets honest about a relationship situation where the disappointment she keeps sitting with hasn't resolved itself neatly, and what she's learning about the difference between communicating a need and weaponizing a feeling.If you've been using disappointment to try to get someone to do something different, this episode might be a little uncomfortable. That's okay. If you've been on the receiving end of someone else's disappointment and you're exhausted by it, there's something here for you too. Mostly this episode is permission to feel the thing without letting it run the show.Hit play. The disappointment will still be there when you're done, but you'll have a few more things to do with it.Mentioned in this episode:EP211 — When You Get What You Wanted and It's Not What You Expected (the episode that started this conversation)EP80 — Feeling your feelings and emotional cyclesEP98 — More on emotional cycles and processing hard emotionsThe TV show Shrinking (the 15-minute timer for feelings — look it up, it's a great scene)Connect with us: bfreakingawesome.comInstagram: @bfreakingawesomeYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailMost people who write a book are terrified when it comes out. Angela was, too the first time. And the second time, she was more settled but still working through it. This time? Something is genuinely different. And that difference is kind of the whole point of the book itself.The Invisible Edge is Angela's third book, and it is a leadership fable five fictional business owners, one executive coach, and a mastermind that slowly unpacks the hidden beliefs each of them has been carrying since long before they ran a company. The premise sounds familiar if you have been around this podcast for a while: the seven core limiting beliefs, the nervous system, the idea that what fuels your success might also be what quietly makes that success unsustainable. But the format is completely different -- it is a story, not a framework, and it was designed to make the Traveling Light concepts feel more like something you can inhabit rather than something you have to study. In this episode, we dig into:What it actually feels like to release a book from a nervous system that is no longer activatedWhy Angela thought she would never be type-A driven again after doing the belief work -- and what happened insteadThe two and a half years these characters spent wandering around in her head before hitting the pageHow the five fictional businesses each serve as a metaphor for one of the seven core limiting beliefsWhat changed between Be Freaking Awesome, Traveling Light, and this one -- and why it matters for readers of all threeSami and Angela also get into the rabbit-trail energy that makes this podcast what it is (yes, they fact-checked whether car ozone sensors are real mid-episode -- they are), the story of a family that passed Traveling Light between three generations, and what Angela is building toward as she looks ahead to book four and the ten-year anniversary of Be Freaking Awesome.If you have ever wondered what it looks like to actually integrate the internal work -- not just learn it, not just teach it, but live inside it -- this episode is a really good window into that. Angela is not performing calm. She is calm. And the difference is worth hearing.Press play right now. Not because it is a book launch, but because this is one of those conversations that will make you think about your own check engine light -- and whether you have just been driving around with it on.Mentioned in this episode:The Invisible Edge by Angela Belford -- bfreakingawesome.com/the-invisible-edge-preorder and on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart.com, and Target.com (paperback and hardcover available)Traveling Light by Angela Belford -- amazon.com/dp/0999186221Be Freaking Awesome by Angela Belford -- available on AmazonAngela Belford -- angelabelford.comRelated episodes:EP95 -- Limiting Beliefs and the Nervous System Toolbox: The foundational episode for understanding the seven core beliefs that every character in The Invisible Edge is working through.EP144 -- How Thoughts Create Feelings: Angela breaks down the belief replacement framework that becomes the teaching methodology in the book.EP207 -- The Inner Critic: The book's characters are all navigating some version of the inner critic -- this episode is the deep-dive companion.EP178 -- Workaholism and Core Beliefs: Angela and guest Moyra Gorski explore how "I have what it takes" gets weaponized as workaholism -- directly relevant to the subtitle of The Invisible Edge.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailThere's a season in life where everything you've been leaning on just... isn't there anymore. The neighbor moves. The sister takes a second job. The husband travels. The parents are across the ocean. And you're standing in the middle of what feels like a very loud, very clear message that you are on your own. What do you do with that?Angela and I have been circling this topic from a few different directions over the past several months, through disappointment, expectations, friendships, and this week it all converged in one conversation. Stoicism, Mel Robbins' Let Them Theory, Tara Brach's Radical Acceptance. Three different sources, same essential truth: there is a kind of freedom that only becomes available when you stop spending energy trying to control what you were never going to be able to control anyway. And the equally important flip side, that accepting what someone else does is not the same as condoning it. In this episode, we dig into:Why acceptance takes more courage than fighting, and why it's not the same as giving upThe "let them / let me" two-step, and why skipping the second part is where things go sidewaysHow stoicism has been quietly showing up in Angela's life for years, especially after a trip to AthensThe connection between forgiving someone and not drinking poison yourselfHow to set limits on someone without needing to be furious to do itSami shares the Christmas story (yes, that Christmas story, two separate years, no gift, being sent to find it herself) and what finally shifted when she stopped trying to orchestrate a different outcome. Angela gets into the roots of stoicism, Marcus Aurelius, Ryan Holiday, and why the ancient philosophers weren't telling us to feel nothing, they were telling us to stop white-knuckling every wave. The image we kept coming back to: you don't get less battered in the storm by having a smaller boat. You get a bigger one.You can influence people. You can guide them, persuade them, set limits with them, and reach agreements with them. What you cannot do is control what they do. And the most exhausting part of trying is that it doesn't work — and it costs you, every single time. This episode is permission to put that particular weight down. Not because it doesn't matter. Because you matter more.Press play. Especially if you've been white-knuckling something lately and you're starting to suspect it's wearing you out.Mentioned in this episode:The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins: https://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach: https://www.tarabrach.com/books/radical-acceptance/The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan HolidayThe Daily Stoic by Ryan HolidayCourage is Calling by Ryan HolidayYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou've thought about it. Maybe more than once. Maybe every time things get heavy and you tell yourself "I should really talk to someone." But then life picks back up and you don't. This episode is for you.Sami and Angela dig into the part nobody really talks about when it comes to therapy: how do you actually find a good one? Not just "any therapist," but one who works the way your brain works, who fits your situation, and who you can afford. They've both been in therapy. They've had mediocre experiences and transformative ones. And they have some very specific thoughts about what makes the difference, starting with what's on a therapist's website.In this episode, they get into:Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alone may leave you feeling like nothing really changedWhat Emotionally Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method actually are, and why Angela thinks they're rock-solid scienceHow to use a therapist's practice as a resource even if you don't share them with a friend or partnerReal options for making therapy affordable, including income-qualified practices and university student therapistsThe tiny baby step they're inviting you to take this week (it does not involve calling anyone)Angela shares her own history with the U of A counseling center—one great experience, one mediocre one—and explains exactly what she looks for on a therapist's website before she'd ever recommend them. Sami makes the case that therapists, like coaches, operate from a place of collaboration, not competition. There are so many people who need support and so few ways to get it that a good therapist will help you find a fit even if that fit isn't them.If you've been sitting on the idea of therapy, this episode gives you permission to start small. You don't have to call. You don't have to book. You just have to look. That's the whole invitation. And sometimes that one tiny step is the one that actually changes everything.Press play. Seriously.Mentioned in this episode:Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): https://iceeft.comThe Gottman Method: https://gottman.comFind a Gottman-trained therapist: https://gottmanreferralnetwork.comFind an EFT therapist: https://directory.iceeft.comUniversity of Arkansas Counseling & Psychological Services: https://uacaps.uark.eduYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou have a problem. Maybe a big one. And you keep staring at it like if you think hard enough, the answer will finally show up. But here's what nobody tells you: most problems aren't actually complicated. They're just missing one of three things.This week, Sami and Angela break down a surprisingly simple framework that cuts through the overwhelm and gets you to the actual question you should be asking. Whether you're drowning in logistics, exhausted from carrying everything alone, or watching your bank account and your to-do list fight for your attention, the answer is almost always one of three things: money, time, or community. In this episode, we dig into:A practical framework for diagnosing what your problem actually needsWhy building community isn't a nice-to-have, it's a literal survival strategyPermission to spend money on a problem when money is actually the answerHow to be more intentional with each resource so you're not running on emptyWhat to do when two values you hold (hello, community and saving money) pull in opposite directionsAngela tells the story of the day Sami called her in a panic, pregnant with her second baby, toddler underfoot, husband out of town, and closing on a house in 21 days. The framework wasn't just helpful in that moment. It was the thing that made the chaos manageable. And Sami shares how she and her husband have started running real-time decisions through it, like choosing to go out to dinner with their kids' friends' family even when they'd committed to tightening up the budget, because they know how their own flowchart goes.They also get real about the things this framework doesn't fix, such as the privilege required to access money or community, the seasons of life when none of the three resources feel available, and the role of energy as a quiet fourth variable nobody talks about. This isn't a tidy episode. It's an honest one.If you've been spinning on a problem lately, this episode is going to reframe the whole thing. Press play.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou have somewhere between 6,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day. Nobody agrees on the number. But here's what most researchers do agree on: a significant chunk of them are negative, and a startling number are repeats from yesterday. Your brain is running the same playlist on loop, and a lot of those tracks were recorded a long time ago by a much younger version of you who was just trying to stay safe.Last week we introduced metacognition as the practice of watching your thoughts. This week, we get into what you'll actually find when you start watching. Cognitive distortions are the biased thought patterns that warp how we see reality, and they're not a character flaw or a sign that something is broken in you. They're patterns your brain got good at, often for very good reasons. Naming them is the first step toward not being completely at their mercy. In this episode, we dig into:A clearer picture of what cognitive distortions actually are (and why calling them "distortions" doesn't mean you're broken)All-or-nothing thinking: why high achievers are especially prone to this oneCatastrophizing: what to do when your brain fast-forwards to the worst possible outcomeShould statements: the sneaky way they disguise themselves as high standardsLabeling: why the words you use about yourself (and others) carry more weight than you thinkPermission to be in-progress without labeling yourself as a failure for still working on itSami shares the story of getting called to the principal's office in high school, expecting the worst, and finding out there was a snapping turtle in her car. Angela talks about the should statements she thought she'd healed from, only to realize she'd just changed the language ("I need to" and "I meant to" turn out to be the same trap with a different label). They catch themselves doing all-or-nothing thinking and overgeneralizing in real time, which is maybe the most honest advertisement for why this work matters.If you've ever told yourself you're bad at something after one rough moment, jumped to the worst-case conclusion when your boss asked to see you, or slapped a permanent identity label on yourself or someone you love, this episode is the one. These patterns feel true because your brain is very convincing. They're also not the whole truth.Press play. It's a little chaotic in there, but you're in good company.Mentioned in this episode:EP216 — Metacognition: Thinking About Your Thinking (last week's episode in the series)EP212 — Expectations vs. Agreements (referenced by Sami in the should statements discussion)Liven App — nervous system support tool Angela mentioned: theliven.comBe Freaking Awesome by Angela Belford — referenced throughout as the source of the BFA coaching methodologyTraveling Light by Angela Belford — referenced in the labeling and identity statements discussionYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou know that moment when you say something and immediately think, “Wait, where did that even come from?” Most of us brush right past it. This episode is about what happens when you don't.Angela and Sami are diving into metacognition: the skill of thinking about your thinking. It sounds deceptively simple. It's also the thing that makes every other communication and leadership skill actually work. If you've ever wondered why you keep reacting the same way even when you know better, this episode is going to give you some answers. In this episode, we dig into:Why self-awareness and metacognition aren't the same thing (and which one most of us are actually missing)The difference between reflecting on something after the fact and catching yourself while it's still happeningA four-question framework that can interrupt a thought spiral before it takes overWhat it looks like to practice this skill in real, everyday momentsYou'll walk away understanding something that most people never learn to name, let alone use. And once you see it, you can't unsee it.Press play. This one's a foundation piece.Mentioned in this episode:Loving What Is by Byron Katie: thework.com/loving-what-is-revised-editionTraveling Light by Angela BelfordTasha Eurich - research on self-awareness: https://www.ted.com/talks/tasha_eurich_increase_your_self_awareness_with_one_simple_fix You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou sent the text. You waited. Two days passed and nothing. And your brain went straight to the worst possible explanation.That spiral is not a character flaw. It is what happens when a deeper belief is running in the background: the belief that you do not quite belong. And when that belief is active, even the smallest social interactions can feel loaded. Not texting back becomes rejection. A short response becomes evidence. A friend who moves away becomes proof that closeness does not last.This week, Sami and Angela get honest about why adult friendships are so much harder to build than they should be, what the research says about why relationships are literally keeping us alive, and the invisible cycle that keeps lonely people lonelier. They dig into the concept of "bids for attachment," the poker chip theory of connection, and why the fear of rejection is not just about the other person rejecting you. In this episode, they get into:Why the stories we tell about an unanswered text reveal more about our beliefs than the other person's behaviorThe clinical concept of "bids for attachment" and how it explains why reaching out can feel like a gamblePermission to grieve a friendship that changed, even when no one did anything wrongTwo friendship skills worth actually practicing: curiosity and remembering the detailsWhy deciding you want a different kind of connection is the actual first stepAngela shares a story from 28 years ago about a moment at church that has stuck with her ever since: a friend who thought she was being cold, and the person who quietly redirected her toward what was actually going on. Sami gets personal about the friendship she built with her next-door neighbor during a hard season of early motherhood, what it felt like when that friend moved to Colorado, and why she still thinks the risk of closeness is worth it every single time.If you have ever found yourself waiting for someone else to go first, or telling yourself you are just not a person who makes friends easily, this episode is for you. It is not about being more extroverted. It is about deciding what you actually want and then going toward it on purpose.Press play. You are more belongable than you think.Mentioned in this episode:The Harvard Study of Adult Development (longest running study on happiness and relationships)The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (coming up next episode): melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/Be Freaking Awesome book by Angela BelfordBFA Episode 23 (abandonment issues and attachment): bfreakingawesome.com/ep23You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIf you've ever thought your vote doesn't really matter, that politics is too confusing, or that the whole system is just... too much, this episode is for you. A lot of us are carrying around this low-grade exhaustion with national politics right now, and it's easy to let that feeling bleed into disengagement. But there's a whole level of government that most people skip over completely, and it's the one that fills potholes, sets school policy, and shapes what your actual daily life looks like.This week we're stepping away from our regularly scheduled programming to participate in Podcasthon, a global event where thousands of podcasters dedicate one episode to a charity that matters to them. Ours was an easy choice: the League of Women Voters. Angela is the vice president of the Washington County chapter and secretary of the League of Women Voters of Arkansas Education Fund C3, and this conversation gave us a chance to dig into what this organization actually does, how it operates, and why it matters right now more than ever. In this episode, we get into:Why the League is nonpartisan but absolutely political (and why that distinction matters)How the League protects democracy by actually suing the government when it breaks its own rulesWhat direct democracy means and the ballot initiative Arkansans can sign right nowA real picture of how local elections are won by fewer votes than you'd thinkConcrete ways to get involved, from $20 memberships to volunteering at voter registration drivesAngela shares what it was actually like to stand on the hill in Athens where the very first democratic assembly happened, why she thinks Arkansas's unexpected ranking in social connectedness matters, and the story of a candidate in Fort Smith who ran unopposed and still lost because not a single person, including himself, voted. Sami gets into her own personal mission: getting Arkansas off the bottom of voter turnout rankings. This episode is part civic education, part pep talk, and a whole lot of two Arkansas women who genuinely care about this stuff.You don't have to run for office. You don't even have to understand how every piece of the system works. You just have to show up. Press play, and let's talk about why that actually means something.Mentioned in this episode:Podcasthon (global podcasting charity event): podcasthon.orgLeague of Women Voters (national): lwv.orgLeague of Women Voters of Arkansas: lwvar.orgLeague of Women Voters of Washington County, AR: lwvarwc.orgVOTE411.org (nonpartisan voter information): vote411.orgYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou have expectations of the people in your life. And they have expectations of you. The problem is that half the time, nobody actually said any of that out loud. And then someone ends up disappointed, resentful, or quietly fuming on the drive home.In this episode, we dig into a reframe that might just change how you navigate every relationship in your life: the difference between expectations and agreements. Because if you're expecting something from somebody who never agreed to it, you're not frustrated with them, you're frustrated with a story you made up in your head. We talk about why unspoken expectations are a relationship landmine, what it actually looks like to turn an expectation into an agreement, and how to handle it when someone else's expectations land on you uninvited. In this episode you'll gain:Permission to stop managing other people's disappointment when they expected something you never agreed toA practical framework for turning unspoken expectations into real agreements before resentment buildsClarity on what to do when someone's expectations of you feel unfair or unreasonableTools for having these conversations without it turning into a confrontationA check engine light for when setting expectations feels impossibly hard, and what that might be telling youAngela shares real examples from running The Belford Group, including how she learned to put "bonus" work on client invoices so people actually understand what they're getting versus what they paid for. Sami opens up about navigating the unexpected web of expectations that came with her daughter's open adoption, and how getting clear on agreements with the birth parents early has made all the difference in keeping things grounded.If you've ever felt the slow burn of resentment toward someone who "should have known," or found yourself on the receiving end of expectations you never signed up for, this episode is going to give you language and tools you can use immediately. You'll walk away with a new operating system for the relationships that matter most, and a lot more grace for yourself and the people around you.This one is practical, personal, and a little bit overdue. Press play right now.Mentioned in this episode:The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbinsvote411.org - voter research tool by the League of Women VotersSteve Toth, team facilitator - crestlineleaders.comYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailFive countries. Six cities. Olympic tickets. A two-star Michelin restaurant. A near meltdown over very expensive seats. And more walking in the cold than Angela would normally tolerate.This is the full story.In this extended version of episode 211, we let you behind the curtain of the trip and of our friendship. We unpack the moments that did not make Instagram, the history nerd rabbit trails, the money conversations, the unexpected disappointments, and the small mindset shifts that changed the entire experience.Inside this episode, we talk about:Working remotely from Greece and what that experiment taught usThe reality of Olympic logistics and managing expectationsSpending real money on meaningful experiencesWhat nervous system growth looks like in actionHow leadership, history, and travel intersectWhy some seasons allow for big adventures and others look very differentLiving for your future self does not mean everything goes perfectly. It means you show up intentionally anyway.This conversation is thoughtful, layered, a little nerdy, and very real. If you love behind-the-scenes stories with depth, honest processing, and the long version of how growth actually unfolds, settle in and listen all the way through.Someday, 80-year-old you is going to want stories worth telling. This might be the episode that helps you start living them.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhat if the person you should be trying to impress isn’t the internet, your boss, or even the people around you, but 80-year-old you?Fresh off a whirlwind Europe trip that included five countries, Olympic events, freezing mountain tops, and one very heavy backpack, Angela came home with more than stories. She came home with confirmation that growth doesn’t happen accidentally. It happens because you decide in advance who you are going to be and then you practice.In this episode, we talk about what it really looks like to live intentionally in the moment. Not just when everything is magical and photogenic, but when you are cold, disappointed, uncomfortable, or comparing your season of life to someone else’s.We unpack:What it means to decide who you are going to be before you walk into the situationWhy flexibility is a skill you build, not just a personality traitHow to regulate disappointment in real timeThe difference between expectations and reality when you are chasing big experiencesWhy your 80-year-old self might be the most important audience you will ever haveThis is not just a travel recap. It is a conversation about identity, perspective, and becoming the person you keep saying you want to be.If you have ever felt stuck in comparison, overwhelmed by disappointment, or unsure how to close the gap between who you are and who you want to become, this one is for you.Press play. Your future self will be glad you did.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou worked hard, you stayed focused, you finally got there. So why doesn't it feel the way you thought it would?Nobody talks about this part. We spend so much time chasing our goals that we never stop to ask what happens when we actually catch them. Whether it's the dream job, the business you built, the house you wanted, or the milestone you sacrificed for, sometimes you arrive and realize the view from here looks a lot different than you imagined.In this episode Sami and Angela get refreshingly honest about what it really feels like to achieve your goals and still feel empty. Angela shares her journey of chasing professional speaking for decades, earning recognition and still feeling unfulfilled, and finally making peace with what she actually wants. Sami opens up about becoming the business owner she swore she never wanted to be and learning that every dream comes with its own version of hard. If you have ever questioned whether you are doing it wrong because success feels harder than you expected, this conversation will completely change how you think about goals, success and what you actually want from your life.Stop waiting for the next goal to finally make you feel like you have made it. Hit play right now because this might be the permission you have been waiting for to redefine success on your own terms.Key TakeawaysAchieving a goal does not automatically fix how you feel about yourselfThe pursuit of a goal is often just as valuable as achieving itYou are allowed to change your mind about what you want even after you get itHard is unavoidable so the real question is which hard are you willing to chooseSuccess looks different up close than it does from a distance and that is completely okayResources Loving What Is by Byron KatieYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailYou've been told your whole life that if you don't call someone out, you're letting them get away with it. But what if that's completely wrong and it's actually making things worse?Most of us are exhausted from trying to change the people around us. Whether it's a frustrating family member, a difficult coworker, or a friend with completely different values, we pour energy into trying to fix people who never actually change. And somehow we end up feeling like the problem.In this episode Sami and Angela unpack one of the most liberating ideas you'll ever hear in a relationship context: accepting someone is not the same as approving of them. You'll discover why calling people out rarely works, how to know the difference between someone being frustrating versus genuinely toxic, and how to stop carrying other people's "dog poop" around like it's yours to deal with. This conversation will completely reframe how you show up in even your most difficult relationships.Key TakeawaysAllowing someone to be who they are is not the same as condoning their behaviorCalling people out feels satisfying but rarely leads to actual changeThere is a real difference between someone being frustrating and someone being genuinely toxicThe grace you give others is usually a direct reflection of the grace you give yourselfYou cannot control other people's behavior, only how you respond to itStop white-knuckling relationships that are draining you. Hit play right now and find out why letting people be who they are might be the most powerful thing you can do for them and for yourself.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailEvery time we go after something meaningful, a new goal, a big conversation, a leadership role, or personal growth, fear and resistance seem to show up right on cue.In this episode, Sami Kinnison and Angela Belford explore why resistance is not a sign you are doing something wrong, but often a signal that you are getting close to something important.Together, they unpack how fear shows up in the body, why resisting discomfort actually makes it stronger, and how learning to lean into sensations and emotions can help you move forward instead of staying stuck.You will hear real coaching stories, personal experiences, and powerful metaphors that reframe resistance as part of the process, not the problem.In this episode, we talk about:Why fear and resistance show up when you are pursuing growthHow your nervous system responds to goals, change, and riskThe difference between discomfort and actual dangerWhy avoiding fear often makes it worseHow resistance can be a sign you are close to a breakthroughPractical ways to stop fighting your feelings and move forwardWhat it looks like to enter the cave instead of running from itIf you have ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or frustrated by your own reactions when trying to grow, this conversation will help you see resistance in a completely new way and give you permission to keep going.Support the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailEver walked into a networking event or professional gathering wondering if you're wearing the right thing, saying the right things, or even supposed to be there? You're not alone. In this episode, hosts Sami Kinnison and Angela Belford reveal a simple mental shift that can transform how you show up in any room—and it has nothing to do with what others think of you.Angela introduces the powerful concept of "host energy vs guest energy" and explains why belonging isn't something others grant you—it's something you claim for yourself. Learn how shifting from waiting for validation to actively creating welcome can change not just how you feel, but how everyone around you experiences the space.What You'll LearnThe difference between "guest energy" (waiting for confirmation you belong) and "host energy" (owning your presence and welcoming others)Why belonging is a decision you make, not permission others giveHow abandonment issues can impact your sense of belongingPractical ways to make others feel included (even when you're uncertain yourself)The "empty chair philosophy" and other subtle gestures that create belongingWhen it's healthy to leave rooms where you no longer want to belongWhy being the smartest person in the room might mean you're in the wrong roomKey Takeaways"I belong to me" - Angela's breakthrough realization that belonging starts with self-acceptance, not external validationThe host energy shift - When you walk into any space focused on making others feel welcome, you automatically claim your own belongingFake it till you make it (sort of) - Even if you're uncertain about your own belonging, affirming others' belonging creates a positive feedback loopSmall gestures matter - From making space in circles to always having an empty chair, little acts of inclusion compoundChoose your rooms wisely - You get to decide which spaces align with who you want to be, and it's okay to consciously leave communities that no longer serve youResources MentionedTraveling Light - Angela's program featuring the seven core beliefs, including belongingBelief Assessment - Tool used in Angela and Sami's executive coachingBob Goff's Writers Conference - Example of host energy in actionGallup StrengthsFinder - Assessment that identified Sami's "inclusion" strengthAbout the HostsSami Kinnison naturally scores high on belonging and has "inclusion" as one of her top Gallup strengths. She's passionate about making sure everyone has space in the circle.Angela Belford has deeply studied belonging through the lens of abandonment and teaches the seven core beliefs in her Traveling Light program and executive coaching practice.Support the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever tried to silence your inner critic by sheer willpower, only to end up overwhelmed, anxious, or spiraling into imposter syndrome, this episode is for you.This week, Angela and Sami unpack the truth about the inner critic. Spoiler alert: it’s not about getting rid of it. In fact, trying to push that voice away can sometimes make it come back louder and stronger. So instead of firing your inner critic, what if you gave it a new job?In this honest and insightful conversation, they explore how the inner critic actually forms as a protection mechanism, how to recognize when it's driving your decisions, and how to reframe your relationship with it. You’ll learn how to stop letting fear and self-doubt take the wheel without swinging into toxic positivity or avoidance.Plus, you’ll hear why Angela thinks of her inner world like a nonprofit boardroom (complete with term limits), how Sami gives a voice to the quieter parts of herself, and why both believe your eight-year-old and your 80-year-old selves should absolutely have a seat at the table.Key takeaways from this episode:What the inner critic really is and why it shows up when you try to growWhy suppressing self-doubt often backfires and leads to panic or burnoutHow to invite other helpful voices into your mental space, not just the loudest oneA powerful mental exercise to identify the "board members" in your mindThe difference between resisting the inner critic and reframing its roleWhy having compassion for all parts of yourself is crucial for personal growthThis episode is packed with mindset wisdom, real-life examples, and practical tools to help you shift from self-criticism to self-leadership. Whether you're chasing a dream, stepping into something new, or just trying to quiet the noise in your head, this conversation will give you a fresh perspective on what it really means to be mentally strong and emotionally safe.Listen in and start making peace with your inner critic, so you can take the next step toward being freaking awesome.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailHave you ever made a decision and still felt bad afterward? No matter what you choose, there is guilt, second-guessing, or that lingering feeling that you are letting someone (or yourself) down.In this episode of Be Freaking Awesome, Sami Kinnison and Angela Belford unpack one of the most common but least named challenges people face: conflicting values.This is not about being indecisive or doing something wrong. It is about what happens when two things that both matter deeply collide in a specific season of life.What We Talk About in This EpisodeWhat conflicting values actually are (and what they are not)Why guilt, angst, and indecision are often clues that values are collidingHow competing priorities show up in work, parenting, relationships, and leadershipWhy you can care deeply about multiple things and still have to chooseHow seasons of life change which values need to come firstThe power of deciding what matters most right nowWhy being fully present where you are matters more than doing everythingHow to stop outsourcing your decisions to guilt or other people’s opinionsWhy naming the conflict helps you move forward with clarity and self-trustAngela shares personal stories about navigating family, finances, career, and commitments, while Sami reflects on capacity, parenthood, and the reality of not having enough energy to give 100 percent everywhere. Together, they normalize the discomfort of hard choices and offer practical ways to approach them with intention instead of shame.Key TakeawayIf you feel guilty no matter what you choose, you are probably not failing. You are likely holding conflicting values, and the work is not to eliminate the guilt, but to name the conflict, choose intentionally, and be where you are.Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeThe Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi(Including the principle “Decide what matters most” and the idea that priorities can change by season)The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kendra AdachiBig Little Feelings (especially the “10-Minute Miracle” for intentional connection with kids)Coming Up NextNext week, Sami and Angela dig into the Inner Critic, and why trying to “fire” it might actually make things worse. They will talk about a healthier, more realistic way to work with your inner voice instead of fighting it.If this episode hit close to home, you are not alone.Thanks for listening, and until next time, we hope you go Be Freaking Awesome.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhat if growth doesn’t make life easier… at least not right away?In this episode of Be Freaking Awesome, Sami Kinnison and Angela Belford get real about the unexpected side effects of emotional healing, like crying more, feeling stretched thin, questioning your capacity, and realizing that growth doesn’t mean you never struggle again.This conversation is a follow-up to The Nonlinear Journey of Growth, but instead of theory, this episode lives squarely in the messy middle. From therapy breakthroughs to perfectionism flare-ups, from running out of emotional bandwidth to redefining what “enough” actually means, Sami and Angela unpack what growth really looks like when you’re in it.You’ll hear:Why emotional healing can actually bring more feelings, not fewerHow growth changes your nervous system, your expectations, and your coping mechanismsWhat it means when you realize you don’t have “enough of you to go around”Why bounce-back-ability (not perfection) is a better measure of growthA powerful story about letting go before you drown, and why holding on can be the real dangerIf you’ve ever thought:“I’m doing the work… so why is this still hard?”“Why am I crying more now than before?”“I thought growth meant I wouldn’t feel like this anymore”…this episode is for you.This is an honest, compassionate conversation about personal growth, emotional healing, capacity, burnout, and resilience, and a reminder that having hard days doesn’t mean you’re failing. It might actually mean you’re healing.✨ Growth isn’t about eliminating struggle.✨ It’s about how you recover, recalibrate, and keep going.Listen in, and if this episode resonates, send us a DM or share where you’re at in your own growth journey! We’d love to hear your story.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIn this conversation, Olympic medalist and entrepreneur Dominique Blake joins Angela and Sami for an honest, high-energy look at what it means to stay committed to growth when life doesn’t go as planned.Dominique shares how setbacks in her athletic career sparked a powerful evolution—from running on the track to building businesses, leading wellness communities, and mentoring others through their own journeys. You’ll hear her take on personal responsibility, emotional regulation, and what it really takes to create lasting change.She also offers perspective on raising confident, resilient kids and reflects on how her own upbringing shaped her drive and discipline. This episode is full of sharp insight, contagious motivation, and practical wisdom for anyone ready to show up fully for their life.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • How to turn failure into fuel • What discipline looks like in real life • Building confidence by doing uncomfortable things • Navigating perfectionism with clarity and compassion • How childhood experiences shape future resilience • The mindset shift that helps you keep going when things get toughReady for a dose of grit and growth? Hit play now and hear Dominique’s powerful take on doing the hard things that lead to an extraordinary life. Whether you're in a rut or ready to level up, this episode will challenge and inspire you in all the right ways.Connect with Dominique Blake:Instagram: @dominiqueblakeFacebook: Dominique Blake OlyYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailLet’s be honest. Working with your family can be equal parts beautiful and bananas. And when the holidays hit? Whew. That’s when the lines between pass the gravy and circle back on that project get real blurry.In this episode, Angela and Sami get vulnerable and hilarious about what it actually looks like to navigate work and personal relationships within a family business. From setting boundaries around when to talk shop (spoiler: not at Christmas dinner) to knowing when you need your mom versus your business partner, they break down real-life tools for keeping your sanity and your relationships intact.What you’ll hear:- Why it’s so easy to slip into work talk at family events and how to stop it- How to clarify which "role" you're in (parent, boss, sibling, coworker)- What healthy conflict actually looks like in close relationships and how to repair it- A behind-the-scenes peek into Angela and Sami’s family business dynamics (yes, even the tears and awkward moments)Whether you work with your family or just want to create healthier relationships with the people closest to you, these tips are for anyone looking for more clarity, better boundaries, and fewer stress-fueled conversations.Let’s keep the conversation going. Do you work with your family? What’s been the hardest or most beautiful part? Message us on Instagram @BeFreakingAwesome or leave us a review with your thoughts.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Be Freaking Awesome, Angela and Sami dive deep into the world of coaching, what it is, what it isn’t, and why it can be such a powerful catalyst for personal and professional growth.Together, they explore the difference between coaching and consulting, why your brain naturally resists change, and how nervous system regulation plays a foundational role in leadership, decision-making, and confidence. Angela shares her journey from consultant to executive coach, including how public speaking coaching, emotional intelligence, and business strategy all intersect.From executive coaching to public speaking fears, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what actually creates sustainable growth, and why skill-building alone is rarely enough.If you’ve ever felt stuck, resistant, overwhelmed, or unsure why “knowing what to do” still isn’t helping you move forward, this episode will help you understand what’s really happening beneath the surface.In this conversation, we talk about:- The difference between coaching and consulting, and when each one is actually helpful- Why your brain resists growth and how that shows up in work and leadership- How nervous system regulation impacts confidence, decision-making, and public speaking- Why emotional intelligence and core beliefs are key drivers of long-term successIf this episode resonated, share it with a friend, colleague, or leader who’s navigating growth or feeling stuck. You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever sat through a workplace training that sounded great in theory but didn’t change a thing, this episode is for you.Angela and Sami are pulling back the curtain on why team trainings often fall flat, what “improving communication” actually means (hint: it’s not just talking nicer), and how to approach development that truly sticks. From metaphors about runny noses to real-world stories of transformation, this episode is packed with practical insights and a fresh take on what it really takes to build stronger, healthier teams.Sami also shares her approach to team training and why one-time workshops rarely work. Instead, she’s helping teams move from friction to flow through a layered, series-based model that actually builds new habits.Whether you're a manager, business owner, or just someone tired of the same old “we need to communicate better” conversation, this one’s going to hit home.🎙️ In This Episode:Why “communication problems” are often symptoms, not root issuesThe dangers of one-and-done team trainingsHow to diagnose what’s actually wrong with your team dynamicsThe role of repetition and real-world application in lasting changeThe “communication doctor” metaphor and how it reframes team developmentEncouragement for leaders and individuals to create small but powerful shifts🛠️ Resources & LinksWant to improve communication and connection on your team? Visit bfreakingawesome.comSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Episode 200, our first ever live episode! We’re celebrating a huge milestone, giving major shout-outs, reflecting on what this podcast has meant so far, and sharing what’s next for the journey of Be Freaking Awesome.What’s Inside This EpisodeLive recorded energy and community vibe: This is our first time doing a live broadcast, complete with real-time chats, emojis, and surprise guest drop-ins. We love you all for being here.Reflections on success: What does success really mean for a podcast, a business, or your life? We talk about how we define success (spoiler: it’s not just numbers) and why sharing value and joy matters.Behind-the-scenes gratitude: A huge shout-out to everyone who helps make this podcast possible, from our technical crew to our editing team and our listeners. You keep this bus rolling.Guest catch-ups: We brought on past guests, including DonJay Rice, Gary Ware, and Josh (our original host), to hear what they’re up to now and ask, "What are you doing these days that’s freaking awesome?"Live messages and advice on being “freaking awesome”: Real-life wisdom from our guests, from rediscovering childhood passions (like magic) to embracing authenticity and knowing it's never too late to reboot your path.Major announcement: Be Freaking Awesome is becoming its own standalone brand. We’re leveling up with more coaching, training, speaking, and maybe even books.Looking ahead: We asked each other (and our listeners) to record a “time capsule” message to our future selves. What do we want to thank ourselves for one year from now, when we hit five years?Why This One MattersEpisode 200 isn’t just a milestone. It’s a marker of growth, gratitude, and intention. It reminds us (and you) that doing the work, showing up, and staying true to yourself matters. It shows a podcast evolving from a side project into a mission-driven brand.Key TakeawaysSuccess isn’t just a number. Sometimes it’s a message sent, a life changed, a mindset shifted.It’s OK to show up messy, imperfect, and human. That’s where connection happens.You don’t have to monetize everything. Sometimes the thing that brings you joy is worth doing just because.It’s never too late to change course, try something new, or rediscover something old.Community, consistency, and authenticity are where real impact lives.Want More?If you enjoyed this live celebration, consider:Revisiting some of our favorite episodes (like Episode 64 on taming the inner critic)Signing up for our email list to stay in the loop on what’s next for the BFA brandSending us a “time capsule” voice note of your own—what you want to thank your future self for a year from now: bfreakingawesome.com/messageYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful and personal episode, Angela and Sami sit down with speaker, leadership trainer, and PhD researcher Summer Jelinek to talk about what it really means to be neurodivergent in the workplace.From masking and burnout to emotional intelligence and late diagnoses, we explore how modern work culture often fails to support neurodivergent thinkers and what we can do about it. Summer shares her journey of being diagnosed with autism later in life and how that led her to research how neurodivergent women lead, mask, and navigate professional spaces differently.Sami and Angela get honest about parenting, people-pleasing, crying in the office, and learning to feel your feels without shame. Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, love someone who is, or just want to create a more human-centered workplace, this episode will open your eyes and soften your heart.In This Episode- What “neurodivergent” really means and why it's more than just ADHD or autism- How masking impacts performance, connection, and burnout- Why neurodivergent women often go undiagnosed for decades- The emotional labor of “being professional” at work- How leaders can support team members who think differently- Why curiosity beats judgment every timeIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with a friend, a teammate, or your boss. Conversations like these are how we make change.Resources and Mentions- Get the first 3 chapters of Summer’s book: unlockingthemagicofleadership.com/myf- Connect with Summer Jelinek:- Website: summerjelinek.com- LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram: @SummerJelinekYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan Mail🎙️ EP198: Mom Guilt: Let’s Talk About ItYou know that feeling when you're serving up mac & cheese for dinner (again) and thinking, "Am I totally dropping the ball as a parent?" That creeping sense of mom guilt shows up in the quiet moments and the loud ones, making you question if you're doing enough or getting it all wrong.In this episode, Angela and Sami are joined by Dr. Juhi, a pediatrician and parent coach, who shares how she went from disconnected and frustrated with her teen to building real connection through small shifts and a lot of grace. Together, they unpack how guilt can hold us hostage and how choosing compassion instead can actually make us better parents.Here’s what we talk about:Why mom guilt is so common and how to stop letting it define your daysThe "awkward, mechanical, natural" framework that makes new habits stickWhy setting boundaries doesn't make you a bad parent, it makes you an intentional oneHow self-care is not optional if you want deeper connection with your kidsIf you're feeling stretched thin, stuck in guilt, or just need a reminder that your parenting doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful, this episode is your permission slip to breathe, reflect, and reconnect.This is your reminder that showing up, even imperfectly, is more than enough. You’re not alone.💛 Links + Resources:Follow Dr. Juhi on Instagram @DoctorJuhiDM her the word “guide” for a free download: 30 Ways to Connect with Your Kids Without Adding More to Your PlateLoved this episode? Share it with a fellow mom, leave us a review, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an honest conversation that keeps you grounded and growing.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhen life hits hard—really hard—how do you get back up?In this raw and powerful episode, Angela and Sami sit down with Nick Morrison, a former professional bull rider whose life was dramatically altered by more than 50 concussions. From chasing rodeo dreams to losing the ability to speak, Nick’s story is one of unimaginable setbacks and unshakable resilience.Nick walks us through the highs of living his dream, the brutal reality of repeated head trauma, and how faith, grit, and a 15-minute rule helped him rebuild again and again. Whether you’re in a season of rebuilding or just feeling knocked around by life, this conversation is a must-listen.In this episode:How Nick faced losing multiple identities and found purpose againWhat it really takes to forgive and let go of bitternessThe "15-Minute Rule" that can change how you process hard thingsWhy emotional honesty beats toxic positivity every timeHow he relearned to speak and now inspires thousandsThis one is for anyone who’s ever thought, “I don’t know if I can keep doing this.” Spoiler: You can.Connect with Nick Morrison:Book: Knocked Out, But Not Down – Buy it on AmazonWebsite: NickMorrisonComedy.comInstagram: @nickmorrisoncomedyYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailLet’s be real. “Fine” is not the goal. And yet, so many couples find themselves stuck in the land of just-okay, coasting through life like roommates instead of staying deeply connected.In this episode, Angela and Sami sit down with marriage coach and licensed counselor Karen Maloney to talk about how to wake up your relationship before it hits a breaking point. Karen shares her signature “Marriage Jolt” approach and why small, intentional shifts can reignite connection in powerful ways.Whether your marriage feels stale or solid, this conversation will help you want more, reach for more, and create more in your relationship.What we cover in this episode:Why being “fine” isn’t good enoughHow marriages drift into autopilot without us even noticingThe difference between marriage therapy and coachingWhy discomfort is sometimes the key to connectionWhat a “Marriage Jolt” is and how to know when you need oneHow to invest in your relationship before it becomes a crisisIf you're feeling disconnected, tired of the same old patterns, or just craving more joy and intimacy in your marriage, this episode is your sign to take the next step. Go hit play and start your own Marriage Jolt today.Resources:Learn more or schedule a free curiosity call with Karen at karenmarriagecoaching.comYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhat if self-care wasn’t just a luxury, but a life-saving, community-shifting, revolutionary practice?In this episode, Angela and Sami sit down with the extraordinary Dr. Joi Lewis, a community healer, liberation facilitator, and author of Healing: The Act of Radical Self-Care. Dr. Joi introduces her signature Orange Method, a healing framework that includes meditation, mindfulness, emotional liberation, and conscious movement. She also shares how radical self-care is not about escaping life, but learning how to show up fully, with love, even when life is chaotic.This conversation will challenge what you think self-care is supposed to look like. It’s not about checking out or being perfect. It’s about staying connected to yourself, to your community, and to your purpose.💬 What We Talk About:Why self-care is not selfish, soft, or optionalThe four core elements of the Orange MethodEmotional liberation and why it’s key to healing old woundsThe importance of community in self-careHow to reconnect to your humanity when the world feels heavyPractices to regulate your nervous system and build resilienceGrief, friendship, and how to stay open when connection feels riskyThis episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like they were running on empty and needed permission to slow down. Dr. Joi’s wisdom will inspire you to not only care for yourself, but to see that act as a powerful form of resistance and healing.To learn more about Dr. Joi’s work and how to order her book Healing: The Act of Radical Self-Care or her affirmation card deck, May the Revolution Be Healing, visit her website at www.joiunlimited.comYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWelcome to a delightfully unfiltered episode where Angela and Sami get grumpy, but not without a purpose.This week, we’re talking about the everyday annoyances that poke at our peace and why those irritations often point to something deeper (hint: it’s not actually about pineapple on pizza).From workout pain and pizza judgment to unhealed trauma and limiting beliefs, we explore what it means to hold space for people without letting them bleed all over your emotional carpet. It’s funny, it’s real, and it might hit a little close to home in the best way.In this episode:Why it's not actually judgy to notice someone’s limiting beliefsThe difference between whining and expressing emotions (and why it matters)What to do when people refuse to grow and it’s affecting youThe sugar-mood connection no one wants to admit (thanks a lot, Angela)Why personal growth sometimes makes you the “bad guy” in someone else’s storyWhether you're deep in your healing era or still figuring out how to set boundaries without setting bridges on fire, this episode gives you permission to be both self-aware and a little grumpy about it.This isn't your typical self-help chat. It's real, it's hilarious, and it might just change the way you handle your own triggers and tough conversations. If you've ever felt drained by someone else's drama or caught yourself avoiding growth, this episode is your mirror and your motivation. Watch now, laugh with us, and let’s go deeper together.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhat if competition isn’t the problem? What if it’s how we’ve been thinking about it?In Part 2 of our conversation with Jake Thompson, keynote speaker, leadership coach, and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, Sami and Angela dig into what healthy competition really looks like in everyday life. From comparing yourself to others, to keeping score in relationships, to the subtle ways ego shows up in our drive to win, this episode is packed with honest stories and powerful takeaways.Jake shares why striving to be your best often leads to better outcomes than trying to be the best. Together, they explore how competition can be fuel for growth, how to surround yourself with people who push you higher, and how to know when your drive has started costing too much.You’ll hear practical ways to:Compete in a way that sharpens, not drains, youBalance ambition with empathy and curiosityUse comparison as a tool for growth instead of shameBuild community that celebrates winning togetherIf you’ve ever struggled with comparison or felt like your worth was tied to the scoreboard, this episode will help you reset your mindset and rediscover what success really means.Listen now to learn what healthy competition truly looks like and how to use it to become your best self.🎙️ This is Part 2 of our conversation with Jake Thompson. If you missed Part 1, check out Episode 192: “I Stopped Competing With Everyone, Here’s What Happened.” Start there to hear how Jake shifted from chasing others to growing from within.💡 Resources and Links MentionedConnect with Jake Thompson Website: https://www.competeeveryday.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakethompsonspeaks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakethompsonspeaksYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailWhat if the person standing in your way isn’t your competition at all but you?In this episode, Sami and Angela sit down with Jake Thompson, keynote speaker, leadership coach, and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, to talk about what it really means to compete with yourself instead of everyone else. Jake opens up about how years of chasing other people’s success left him feeling drained and unfulfilled, and how shifting his focus inward completely changed his perspective.Together, they explore how to balance ambition with peace, drive with gratitude, and growth with rest. This conversation is about redefining what winning looks like, learning to enjoy the process, and realizing that self-care is not selfish, it is strategic.You will walk away knowing how to push yourself without burning out, find satisfaction without settling, and build habits that help you show up as your best self every day. If you have ever felt like you are always running but never arriving, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and rediscover what it means to grow in a healthier way.Listen now to learn how to stop competing with everyone else, start growing into your best self, and go be freaking awesome.🎙️ This is Part 1 of our conversation with Jake Thompson. Part 2 drops next week and dives into how competition shows up with others and how to turn comparison into connection.💡 Resources and Links MentionedConnect with Jake Thompson Website: CompeteEveryDay.comInstagram: @JakeThompsonSpeaksLinkedIn: Jake ThompsonPodcast: Compete Every Day PodcastYou've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailHave you ever stopped yourself from telling a story because you thought, “Well, that’s not important enough” or “That’s too small, nobody cares about that”? Or maybe you’ve worried that if you share your story, people will think you’re being too vulnerable, too much, or (worst of all) a little bit “woe is me.”That’s exactly why Sami and Angela were so excited to sit down with Sara Lohse on this episode of Be Freaking Awesome. They first met Sara at PodFest and instantly knew she needed to be on the show. Sara is a storyteller, podcast producer, and author who can take something as simple as a pen and turn it into a powerful connection moment that sticks with you. (And yes, she shares a pen story in this episode!)What makes Sara stand out is how approachable she makes storytelling feel. You don’t have to have some giant, traumatic, dramatic event in your past to be a storyteller. You don’t need to sound like a polished keynote speaker. You just need to notice the everyday moments and share them in ways that make people say, “Oh my gosh, me too.”In this conversation, listeners will discover:Why the everyday, ordinary stories connect better than the “headline” ones.How to strike the right balance between too many details and not enough.The mindset shift that takes the pressure off: your story isn’t really about you.Practical tips for practicing storytelling without feeling like you’re “performing.”And plenty of laughs about exaggerating stories just a little for effect.If you’re a business owner, a coach, a speaker, or just someone who wants to connect more authentically, Sara’s wisdom and humor will help you see your stories in a whole new light.So grab your coffee, pull up your notes app (or your favorite pen 😉), and press play right now. By the end of this episode, you’ll feel inspired to stop waiting for the “perfect” story and start sharing the ones you already have, because your stories are freaking awesome.You can find Sara Lohse and grab her book Open This Book at openthisbook.com. You’ll also find her socials and more resources there.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailEver feel like you’re stuck in that “in-between” space where life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or just plain messy? You’re not where you were, but you’re not where you want to be yet. That’s the messy middle, and it can be one of the hardest seasons to walk through.In this episode, Angela and Sami sit down with Amy Wilkins, Messy Middle Mindset Coach, to talk about what it really takes to find strength in the middle of life’s transitions. Together, we unpack why pausing isn’t weakness, how perfectionism keeps us stuck, and why you don’t have to do this season alone. You’ll hear personal stories, practical mindset shifts, and the reminder that growth often happens right in the thick of the mess.If you’ve been feeling like you’re just surviving instead of thriving, this conversation will give you hope, tools, and encouragement to reframe your messy middle as a season of transformation.👉 Tune in now and discover how to let go of perfection, embrace rest, and start moving forward with resilience and clarity.You've done the work. The retreats, the books, the coaching. And the pattern is still there. The Invisible Edge Foundation 1:1 Coaching is where that changes. Six sessions, one-on-one, body-based belief work that gets underneath what nothing else has touched. bfreakingawesome.com/invisible-edge-foundationSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].

Send us Fan MailSami returns to the podcast with an honest look at what life has been like after becoming a mom of three through an unexpected guardianship that is now on the path to adoption. She shares the emotional highs and lows of bonding with a toddler, navigating work transitions, and leading a major community project all at once.This episode unpacks what it means to follow through on something meaningful even when it’s incredibly hard. Sami also tells a powerful story about a simple act of kindness that made a big impact during one of her toughest days.If you've ever found yourself in a season where you’re stretched thin, trying to do what’s right while barely holding it all together, this conversation will make you feel seen.What We Talk AboutParenting a third child with very little prep timeBalancing family, work, and leadership responsibilitiesThe return of TEDxFayetteville and the tension of timingLearning to let go of old parenting rulesThe emotional impact of being seen in a hard momentWhy small kindnesses matter more than we thinkThis episode is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and find meaning in the moments that often go unnoticed. Whether you are leading, parenting, or just trying to make it through the week, you will walk away feeling encouraged and a little less alone.Resources and LinksLearn more at TEDxFayettevilleWant to learn more about coaching with Sami? Book a free 30-minute call: calendly.com/tbg_sami/30-minSupport the showSign up at bfreakingawesome.com to get the latest news, insights, and episodes straight to your inbox.Follow Be Freaking Awesome on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Instagram.Let us know what questions you want to be answered and discussed by emailing us at [email protected].