Do It or Don’t

We’re joined by Giana Giarusso, a yoga teacher and creator of Nearly Enlightened, to unpack what it looks like to live as someone who feels the call and actually follows it. She shares her path from early spiritual connection, to shutting her gifts down, to finding her way back through yoga philosophy, prayer, breathwork, and meditation. Gianna explains how, when you strip things down to the core practices, you start seeing the same themes repeating across traditions, and that insight helps her stay grounded in her faith while still embracing modern spirituality. If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing between labels, this will feel like permission to focus on what actually changes your day to day life. From moving on a whim to saying yes to teacher training, building online programs like Meditate to Elevate, and co-owning a physical studio space, Gianna’s story is a masterclass in aligned action. We talk human design, boundaries, imposter syndrome, partnership support, and the moment when “do it or don’t” becomes a decision you make with your whole body. The conversation closes on the deeper driver behind her urgency: loss, mortality, and the refusal to live with regret. If you got something from this, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s stuck in overthinking, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Find Giana on the Socials:@iamgianarosa@nearlyenlightenedhttps://nearlyenlightened.comDon't forget to find us too!@doitordontpodcast@especiallyjessi

Content Warning: This episode includes open and honest conversations about drug addiction, recovery, same sex relationships, and God. This episode may not be suitable for everyone. We respect if these conversations are not for you, no hard feelings if you skip this week. We'll see you back here next week!This week I am talking with my friend, Tiffay Waters. Tiffany and I met when we both lived on Guam. We start our chat with the kind of reunion laughter that only makes sense after you've both survived the same strange season of isolation, “Groundhog Day” routines, and losing yourself in a new location. Then the story turns into something deeper, vulnerable, and far more useful than nostalgia.We talk through what happened after she left: a long divorce, reconnecting with old comfort, and sliding into addiction. She shares what it means to be a functioning addict, how recovery actually worked for her in real life, and why some crossroads are not motivational posters, they are life-or-death. We get honest about faith, Christian recovery, and identity tension.We talk the most practical part... the how: accountability, confession, boundaries, and replacing destructive intensity with life-giving practices. If you are stuck between do it or don’t, this conversation gives you permission to do it scared, do it small, and let the small yeses stack up.If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Find us on Socials:@tiffanymariewaters904@doitordontpodcast@especiallyjessi

In this episode, we sit down with Jessy Pearson-Cheney, an Emotion Code Practitioner and author of The Regulation Remedy, to unpack what it looks like to be a “don'ter” and how to finally shift from looping patterns into clear action. Jessy shares her own turning points, from divorce and moving across the country to completing a painful breakup that instantly changed how her body felt day to day.We get practical about nervous system regulation, somatic work, and why mindset tools can fail when the body is still running an old safety program. Jessy explains how trauma can disconnect you from sensation, why “I feel nothing” can be true, and how she helps clients find the original tripwire that keeps getting triggered in relationships, work, money, and self-worth. If you’ve tried therapy, planning, affirmations, and coaching yet still spiral at the exact same point, this conversation offers a different map.You’ll also hear simple, low-risk ways to rebuild self-trust right now: make tiny decisions without outsourcing them, notice where a choice lives in your body, and even “talk” to a sensation to find what it needs. We also touch on mentorship, comparison in the online space, and how different decision styles can change what just do it really means. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck on the ride, and leave a review so more people can find the tools.Where to Find Us:@doitordontpodcast@jessypearsoncheneyGrab your copy of The Regulation Remedy here: https://a.co/d/0680vLT2

One tiny decision can rewrite your whole life, and I’m living proof. I’m finally doing a formal introduction. Telling the real story behind how I got here: a two-time college dropout who vibed her way through school, moved across the country on a leap of faith, and kept choosing the next right risk even when the plan was blurry. From credit union burnout to military moves, I share how I found my way back to myself through ballet, writing, and saying yes to the opportunities right in front of me. I dig into my writing and self-publishing journey and the turning point where I realize that helping women self-publish could be the business I was looking for. If you’ve ever felt behind, scattered, or unsure what you’re “supposed” to do, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review so more people find the do-it-or-don’t mindset.If you're interested in being a guest and sharing your Do It or Don't moments, email [email protected] and tell us about yourself.Find us on Socials:@especiallyjessi@doitordontpodcast

In this episode we are joined by Drew McConnell. Drew is the founder of What The Hex Design Studio. She is a brand & web design strategist for minority entrepreneurs and underrepresented groups. She’s a wife, mother to a 2-year-old, & an artist specializing in photography & oil pastels. Drew shares her first Do It or Don’t moment, at just 14 years old. And how that’s led to every other Do It or Don’t since then, starting a business, self-publishing her poetry book, and the moments she decided to wear the title of Artist. We discuss the different ways we’re able to trust our intuition, the logistics of taking chances, and how that changes as we get older.  We also work through, in real time, the beginning processes of hashing out a book idea, how writing and the creative process in itself is the healing. Find Drew on Socials: @WhatthehexdesignstudioGrab her poetry book here:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-flags-and-rose-colored-glasses-drew-vincent/1141433987?ean=9798765559116

In this episode, I'm sharing the moment that turned publishing my book from "something I'll do eventually" into something I knew I couldn't leave undone. We talk about the difference between urgency and rushing, why commitment doesn't always look like moving fast, and how we all have a "later" pile filled with the things that matter most.Because sometimes the biggest decisions aren't made when we finally feel ready. They're made when we realize we don't want to spend the rest of our lives wondering what would've happened if we'd simply finished.If you've been carrying something that's been waiting for "the right time," this conversation is for you.

We are joined by Jayme Rose Gray for our first official interview! Jayme is a soul-purpose guide, the founder of Daydream Business School, a Soul-to-Strategy visionary for women, and a soon-to-be published author. In this episode, Jessi and Jayme explore career pivots, entrepreneurship, podcasting, storytelling, and the belief that ideas seek out the people best equipped to bring them to life. They talk about recognizing the moments that will probably change everything, the ripple effects of following your purpose, why storytelling matters, and how one brave decision can impact more people than you'll ever know.This is a conversation you don't want to miss. Let's stay connected! Find us the Socials!@doitordontpodcast@especiallyjessi@authorjaymerosegray

Every meaningful change starts with a decision.In the very first episode of Do It or Don't, I'm sharing why I started this podcast, the story behind my publishing company's "do it or don't" moment, and the concept that our ideas may not stay ours if we don't act on them.What if ideas are invitations?What if they're looking for someone willing to bring them to life?And if we don't act on them... are we okay watching someone else do it instead?If you've ever said, "One day I'll..." this episode is for you.Find us on Socials!@especiallyjessi@bigtimepublishing@doitordontpodcastJoin The Big Time Book Studio: https://app.heartbeat.chat/bigtimepublishing/p/page-a33abcef