Description

Episode Description

In this inspiring episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas sits down with Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, a California-French educator who made a bold career pivot from 20 years in teaching to founding Big Belly Breathing, her mindfulness and meditation platform.

Vanessa shares her transformative journey from San Francisco classroom teacher to entrepreneur, including a life-changing sabbatical year in the French Alps, her discovery of yoga and meditation during the pandemic, and how she built courage to leave educational stability behind. Learn about her innovative approach to family mindfulness, her bilingual meditation podcasts, and her newest venture co-hosting a WNBA podcast.

Listen for: A bonus guided meditation led by Vanessa that will refresh your afternoon and energize your next brave step!

Key Topics Covered

• Career transitions after 40: How to pivot from a stable 20-year career to entrepreneurship
• Mindfulness and meditation: Building a daily practice and teaching it to families
• Entrepreneurship journey: From idea to execution, testing and iterating products
• Overcoming perfectionism: Embracing the "messy" process of building something new
• Work-life balance: Taking care of yourself while serving others as an "uplifter"
• Bilingual education: Creating resources in French and English
• Sports and community: Finding joy and building connections through women's basketball

Guest Bio

Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely is a California-French educator, writer, and mindfulness advocate based in San Francisco. She's the founder of Big Belly Breathing, where she teaches meditation workshops and creates mindfulness resources for families, kids, and adults. She also co-hosts "Valkyries, Say Less," a podcast covering the WNBA's Golden State Valkyries. After 20 years in education, including time as a PE teacher and instructional coach, Vanessa took a brave leap to build her own platform focused on wellness and joy.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• [02:00] The sabbatical year that changed everything - moving to a French Alpine village
• [06:30] How the pandemic shifted her perspective on education and connection
• [09:15] Getting yoga teacher certification while teaching PE outdoors
• [12:30] The meditation insight that gave her business its name
• [14:45] Testing her first product and learning to scale back based on feedback
• [21:00] The scary but exhilarating leap from stable employment to entrepreneurship
• [24:30] Her "throwing pasta at the wall" philosophy for overcoming perfectionism
• [32:45] BONUS: Guided meditation demonstration - Vanessa leads a calming body scan
• [38:30] Self-care strategies for busy entrepreneurs and "uplifters"

Lift Her Up

Ready to add more mindfulness to your family's life? Big Belly Breathing offers guided meditations in both French and English, plus journals and workshops for all ages. Find the podcast on any platform, visit bigbellybreathing.com for resources, and if you're feeling generous, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

For WNBA fans, check out Valkyries Say Less for pure basketball joy and community celebration. And if you're in the Bay Area, maybe you'll spot Vanessa in her season ticket seats, evangelizing the power of women's...