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It's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Season, 3 Podcast Episode 80 The Gift of a Break UpSend a text The Gifts of A BreakupHey Friend,Today on the It’s YOUR Birth Day Podcast, we’re talking about The Gifts of a Break Up—and we want to say this first:If you’re in the middle of one right now, this episode is not about silver linings or rushing your healing.It’s about helping you feel seen, steady, and less alone.In this episode, we gently explore:Why breakups hit our nervous system so deeplyHow clarity ofte...
2026-02-1833 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 79 - "The Gift of YOUR Retreat"Send a textHey Friends!Close your eyes and picture Helene & Christina standing in front of you throwing bright colored confetti into the air, giving out virtual hugs, and inviting you to walk on a rolled out red carpet.We are giddy with gratitude and excitement as we bring to you a labor of love (and courage- you may remember Helene flew on a plane alone for the first time in 25 years) to go to MN where we thought and listened deeply to each of you!
2026-02-1223 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastiIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 78 - "The Gift of Courage"Send us a textHello friend,This week on It’s YOUR Birth Day, we’re talking about The Gift of Courage—a gift that doesn’t always arrive when life feels easy but often shows up right when we need it most.Courage isn’t loud or fearless.It isn’t having all the answers or feeling completely ready.Courage is quieter than that.It’s the moment you tell yourself the truth.It’s setting a...
2026-02-0530 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 77 - "The Gift of Connection”Send us a textHey friend,Have you ever noticed how connected we all are—yet how disconnected many of us feel?In today’s episode of It’s YOUR Birth Day, we’re talking about The Gift of Connection—the kind that goes deeper than busy schedules, surface-level conversations, and “I’m fine” responses.Connection isn’t about doing more. It’s about being present. It’s about feeling seen, heard, and safe—by others and by yourself.
2026-01-2932 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastiIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 76 - "Gifts From Rejection”Send us a textHey friend,Have you ever noticed how connected we all are—yet how disconnected many of us feel?In today’s episode of It’s YOUR Birth Day, we’re talking about The Gift of Connection—the kind that goes deeper than busy schedules, surface-level conversations, and “I’m fine” responses.Connection isn’t about doing more. It’s about being present. It’s about feeling seen, heard, and safe—by others and by yourself.Research continues to affirm what many of us feel in our bones: m...
2026-01-2332 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastiIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 75 - "The Gift of No BS”Send us a textHey Friends,Let’s just say this out loud:There comes a point where the fluff, the people-pleasing, and the over-explaining stop working.And that’s where The Gift of No BS begins.In today’s episode of It’s YOUR Birth Day, we’re talking about what it really looks like to live with clarity, honesty, and grounded confidence—without apology and without burn...
2026-01-1528 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 74 - "The Gift of Community”Send us a textHey Friends!If there’s one thing we’ve learned—both personally and through years of listening to women share their stories—it’s this:We were never meant to do life alone.Yet so many of us are.In today’s episode of the It’s YOUR Birth Day podcast, we’re talking about The Gift of Community—what it truly means, why it matters so deeply, and how it can look different in every season of your life.Community doesn’t always mean a big gr...
2026-01-0833 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 73 - "Our 2025 Gifts to YOU!" Part 2Send us a textHey Friends!Raise a glass to you! 52 weeks, 365 days you showed up for YOU! While we do not know what 2025 was to you, we do know 2026 is right in front of us.If have been with us since the beginning of this season we started with a huge gift from Christina, “The Gift of NO Resolutions!” If you need a reminder go back to that episode (episode 27).Last week’s episode was a light-hearted episode where we showcased the gifts from each episode of Season 2. This season was fu...
2025-12-2924 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Season 2 Episode 70 The Gift of QuietSend us a textHi Friends,Are you someone who thrives on the bustle of the holiday countdown? Long lines, busy parking lots, holiday parties every weekend, and yes, even the elf on the shelf/ mensch on the bench! If those things light you up, we are so excited, and envy you a tiny bit if we are honest.If you just read that and are holding on until the holidays are over, friends, that is okay too. We have been waiting for the right time for the title of this week’s ep...
2025-12-1136 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 69 The Gift of DiscomfortSend us a textHey Friends!As you walk into the holiday seasons for many, you probably were not expecting us to drop “Discomfort” in your lap and call it a gift! We think it is the perfect time because discomfort is about stretching and growing. Maybe that has to do with setting boundaries with family you are soon to see? Maybe it is facing something you have been avoiding? Maybe it is something you want to do, but not sure if you have the courage?Friends, we dropped...
2025-11-2037 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Season 2, Podcast Episode 68 The Gift of Travel with Deborah DirectorSend us a textOh Friends!If you love packing your bags for an adventure as much as Christina does or you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone like Helene, this episode is so much fun. We get to interview Deborah Director as she shares her story of how she became a travel agent for high profile travelers. She explains some fun trips- how she has had to make last minute changes and learn flexibility. She also fills us with her love of travel. Deborah is fun, real...
2025-11-1340 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Season 2, Podcast Episode 66 The Gift of YOU Matter!Send us a textHey Friends!This episode is all about Y O U! It is truly one every human needs- and especially women! We talk about how to realize you are important. As we go through life, we often get caught in the hustle and bustle… and lose ourselves. Maybe we forget to go the gym a few times and then stop, maybe we quit focusing on a good night’s sleep and now we are sleeping 5 hrs a night (ahem, Christina!), or it could be any way that...
2025-10-3033 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Season 2 Podcast Episode 64 The Gift of AdultingSend us a textHey Friends,Are there times that you think adulting sucks, wish you could go back to childhood or wish you could just take a break from all the money drains?! We hear you and sometimes feel the same. Adulting- known as taking responsibility for your own life- can be stinking hard and it can be totally amazing! Whether you are needing to share this with a young adult in your life or are needing a reset for yourself- t...
2025-10-1639 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 63 The Gift of Menopause with Dr. Erin WardSend us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina here! We are so excited for this episode which is all about MENOPAUSE! Yes- we talk about perimenopause and menopause. How amazing is it that this is a real, regularly and openly talked about topic for women?! That alone is a gift that the women before us did not have in life and we, as empowered women, have used our voices to make this loud and clear. In this episode, we are given the knowledge and wisdom of Dr. Erin Ward, MD, FACOG, DABOM, MSCP, wh...
2025-10-0837 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 62 The Gift of AssertivenessSend us a textHey Friends!Are you someone who struggles to give your opinion or share something for fear of hurting others? Are you afraid others won’t like you if you are bold? Are you always looking for the P-C way to say something?! Then this episode is a Hell Ya! For Y O U! It is a must listen even for those of us who tend to be more bold, but still struggle in some situations to use our voice… because let’s face it… communica...
2025-10-0240 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 60 The Gift of ADHD for Adult Women, Part ISend us a textHey Friends!This episode is the 1st of a 2 part series on Adult ADHD. This is a super hot topic and we are all about understanding Adult Women with ADHD! In this episode, we get “sciency” with explaining the terms of ADHD, neurodivergence, Autism and more so that you are able to know the lingo and understand both your girl tribe and the social clips that are coming your way. We also dig into the research about what it loo...
2025-09-1745 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 58 The Gift of RelaxationSend us a textHey Friends!This episode timed itself beautifully! Helene was just in Greece on some much needed R&R with her husband and Christina was with her family in London and Paris on some much needed R&R with her family! Does travel mean relaxation to you? Or is it quiet time? Or a good book with a big blanket? Do you allow yourself R&R? In this episode, we dig deep in discussing what is truly relaxing, what p...
2025-08-2835 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 57 The Gift of Self Care for the CaregiverSend us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina here. Are you a caregiver to others? Maybe you are in the depths of parenting or caring for a relative, a friend, a spouse? Maybe you find yourself drawn to people who need TLC. Then this episode is for you!As a caregiver- burnout is REAL. It is exhausting work to care for someone else, whether it be someone who is healthy or someone who is ill. Oftentimes, caregivers put themselves on hold- ignore the...
2025-08-0740 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 56 The Gift of Accepting LoveSend us a textHey Friends!This episode can be hard and good. We are challenging you to dig deep into yourself to figure out how you accept or don’t accept love. We talk about the foundation of attachment with our families growing up as to how you were taught that you were loved. For many, they grew up with “transactional” love and how that can lead to toxic relationships or an inability to accept love if you are not “producing.” We are here...
2025-07-3144 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 55 - "The Gift of the Loving Others"Send us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina here and we are so excited about this episode…maybe because we LOVE to love on others! This episode is sweet, fun and full of joy! Christina shares a special story about Helene loving on her when she moved her office to the same building as Helene. Helene shares about those in her life who have taught her how to love others.This is a positive, summer easy listen filled with tidbits of sound advice and how to maximize your joy...
2025-07-2337 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 54- "The Gift of Your Health!"Send us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina, here to chat about the gift of health! How often do you take the time to truly notice your body- not in critique or annoyance- rather in appreciation? We are on a mission to teach YOU how to truly celebrate yourself. So how do we do that without taking care of our entire body?! In this episode, we discuss different areas of health- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. We take you on a journey of how to work through these areas...
2025-07-1646 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 53 - "The Gift of Strength Training"Send us a textHey Friends,This episode is positive and encouraging. If you are starting to think about strength training, hearing the research on it or wondering what all the hype is- then take a listen! Helene & Christina meet with Jamie Rhodes, of Capital Fitness in Fort Myers. Jamie has made it her life passion since she was in her early 20’s (we won’t out her age) to maintain a healthy body. She has turned that passion into helping others too and it shows as you hear and watch her glow as...
2025-07-0933 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 52 - "The Gift of Knowing Your Sex Needs"Send us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina here. This is an episode that would have been total taboo for our parents. However, we are here to be real and meet you in your messy middle. If this episode triggers you- head to therapy before listening. If this is something that you are trying to figure out, as you grow up (like us)- then it is for you.This episode is all about getting comfortable with your body and your sexuality because it is NORMAL! Join us as...
2025-06-2640 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 51 - "The Gift of YES!"Send us a textHey Friends!This episode is so fun! Ever want to try something new but you are in your head and can’t make yourself do it?! Then this episode is for Y-O-U! We talk about the hard obstacles and fears that keep us from doing things we love or trying something new or thinking outside the box. Both Helene & Christina struggle with this one naturally with their perfectionistic personalities. They share some of their hard moments that blocked them from saying YES! and how the...
2025-06-1943 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 50 - "The Gift of Self Validation"Send us a textHey Friends!Can you believe we are on Episode 50?!?!?! It is all because of YOU! So Thank YOU for listening and sharing it with all your tribe! We so appreciate and love you for doing this with us! This episode is a hell ya! And it is an evolution. We are here to talk about Self Validation…not the arrogant, egotistical uncle we all know, rather a confident person who is able to internally dialogue and realize her self worth. Join...
2025-06-1147 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 49 - "The Gift of Ditching People"Send us a textHey Friends!This episode is both a “hell ya” AND an “umph”! Helene & Christina talk about the reality that not every friendship is meant to stay in your life. They dig deep in talking about trusting yourself and realizing when a friendship is not healthy. Helene reminds us that we teach people how to treat us. She reminds us the power of healthy boundaries and expectations in relationships. Christina gets candid about how letting go of someone in your life can look like, without it adding d...
2025-06-0439 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 48 - "The Gift of Worry"Send us a textHey Friends,Helene & Christina here to say worry gets a bad rap. All these tiktokers and influencers who are telling you to get rid of worry…Friends, we are here to say… they have it all wrong! Now that we have your attention and you think we have lost our minds…and you are singing songs in your head about washing your worries away… we genuinely and truthfully want to talk about how to appreciate worry in your life.Di...
2025-05-2837 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastEpisode 47 "The Gift of Knowing YOUR Relationship Needs"Send us a textHey Friends!Welcome to this tough and real episode. Helene has over 25 years experience working in marital therapy. She really focuses on what we all need to ask ourselves in what we want from a relationship- whether it be friendship or intimate. This episode is filled with fun stories, truthful tales and a lot of excitement for helping you to be best version of YOU in a relationship. You will learn how to communicate more effectively, when you learn how to know your needs. Hele...
2025-05-2150 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 45 - "The Gift of a Supportive Mother"Send us a textHey Friends! We are in full swing of Mother’s Day season! For Many, this can be joyful and fun and for others, this can be painful and life sucking. We get it- we have been on both sides of the pendulum and support you right where you are at! This episode is mostly positive and encouraging, but also filled with some validation if you are struggling to be a supportive mother and/or you do not have one yourself. In this episode Helene & Christ...
2025-05-0844 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIt's YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 44 - "The Gift of Mothering without a Mother"Send us a textOh Friends!This is a hard episode. If it is feeling to raw, please give your permission to save it for later. Whether you are living without a mother because your mother has passed away, you needed to create hard boundaries or for another reason, this episode is for you.Helene & Christina are real about their own journeys of losing their mother. They share about real stories of what it was like to be pregnant while losing their mothers… which happened to both of them! And then the journey of...
2025-04-2936 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 41 - "The Gift of LOVING your body!"Send us a textHey Friends!This episode… we mean THIS EPISODE! Friends- this is a keeper. We are discussing our bodies in a way that most don’t. We talk about positivity! Our amazing expert Lora Ulrich is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Executive Wellness Coach, Metabolism Specialist, and Menopause Health Coach. She has been in practice for over 30 years, sharing her wisdom and guidance.In this episode, Helene & Christina ask Lora the tough questions that we all want to know as our bodies. Christina jumps right in and as...
2025-04-1039 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 39 - "Gift of No Children"Send us a textHey Friends!This week you are meeting the amazing Julie, aka Christina’s sister (in law)! She is bringing us so many amazing gifts as we discuss how she and her partner made the decision to not have children. Julie is candid and real as we dig into how she dreamed of being a mother as a little girl playing with dolls and slowly over time, realized mothering was not something she wanted in her life. Rather, she shares openly about how she has chosen to live purposely with...
2025-03-2738 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 38 - "The Gift of NO"Send us a textHey Friends!This episode… is really for ALL OF US! Are you someone who says yes, when really you wish you could say no? Can you so relate to those memes that say, “I know I said I wanted to go out 5 days ago, but today I wish I said no?” Or are you adding more to your plate because you are driven by some type of guilt? Helene & Christina dig into the power of NO! We talk about what drives us to constantly say yes...
2025-03-2042 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 37 - "Gifts from Confidence"Send us a textHi Friends!This episode is a bookmark, listen to over and over one! We are talking CONFIDENCE. Is this a hard one for you? Are you contemplating a job and scared to hit apply? Or maybe you are afraid to stand up for yourself in a meeting? Or with family? Maybe you don’t believe you are worth that respect? If any of these are true- it is time for you to dive in and listen! Every human struggles with it at times- some of u...
2025-03-1342 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 35 - "The Gift of Laughter"Send us a textOH Friends!This one is fun! If you are someone who regularly belly laughs like Christina or someone who enjoys slapstick humor like Helene or maybe someone who needs to sprinkle some more laughter into your life, this episode is for you.Did you know that children laugh 300 times per day, but adults only average 20 laughs per day?! How wrong is that? Time to change those statistics, starting with this episode! Just a teaser, we talk about a lot in t...
2025-02-2732 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 34 - "Gifts In Challenging YOUR Fears"Send us a textHey Friends,Helene & Christina Here! This episode is really for everyone- you, your BF, your spouse, your neighbor- all your people. Join us as talk about overcoming our fears- sharing some funny examples and some not so funny.Helene opens up about her fear of flying and the gifts she has used to overcome them, even going so far as to have her daughter open the plane shade during their recent trip to NYC (that is big for her). Christina talks about her fear of...
2025-02-2042 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 33 - "The Gift of Selfing"Send us a textHey Friends!This is is all about Y O U! This episode is a MUST LISTEN for ALL Women. Pause, share with all your girls and then start listening NOW! In this episode we talk about how selfing is different for everyone. See how Ryan is teaching Helene loving boundaries and how Christina has to differently so that she teaches her children the importance of self care. We talk about how quality self care is more powerful than quantity self car...
2025-02-1337 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 31- "Knowing How to Play is a Gift"Send us a textHey Friends! Join us as we talk about the power of play! Did you ever wonder why you are seeing more work places have play spaces? Or wish you could be a kid again? Then this episode is for you! We talk about how we all need to play- no matter our age. We discuss why this is a necessary part of your self care, your relationships and your work. Of course we sprinkle a little pickleball into this (and most episodes... we may be o...
2025-01-3033 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastEpisode 30 - "The Gift of Finding YOURSELF - Interview with Erin the Medium Lady""Send us a textFRIENDS! This episode is soooo full of JOY! We all get the gift of hanging with our friend Erin- the authentic Medium Lady! She is stinking amazing! Join us on this episode to learn why she is called "Medium Lady"- learn how she has come to live that term in her life and how YOU can use it too to be your best self! Both Helene & Christina embraced this term as soon as we learned it because it helps every PERSON to be th...
2025-01-2348 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 29 - "Gifts Found in Heartbreak!"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene and Christina- on a mission to teach you how to celebrate YOU! This can be perceived as a hard podcast episode, but it is one we all can relate to- heartbreak. Whether you are in this season of life right now, have been in the past or are a realist and know it is in your future, this episode is for you! We say in every episode that we promise to talk about the hard stuff and find meaning in...
2025-01-1642 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 28 - The Gift of "AND"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina. We are on a mission to teach you to CELEBRATE YOU! In this episode, we challenge you to see yourself as an AND rather than an or. We dig deep into realizing life is not black and white, rather we are evolving. This is such a fun episode where we discuss how to celebrate how we are mult-faceted individuals and we can learn to celebrate all our different interests and likes. In this episode, Helene opens up about how she has used AND in...
2025-01-0931 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 27 - "GIFTING YOURself NO RESOLUTIONS"Send us a textHey Friends!Welcome to the NEW YEAR! Do you feel inundated with all the “you shoulds”? Time to go to the gym? Time to get rid of xyz in your diet? Time to feel younger? UGH! We are here to tell you, YOU are amazing and don’t need that crap. Join us on the campaign of NO RESOLUTIONS! Yes- Christina feels strongly about this one. You will not find her in the gym in January (or let’s be real any...
2025-01-0231 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 26 - "Our Favorite Gifts for YOU!"Send us a textJoin Us as We Give YOU 25 gifts from the Podcast! Hey Friends! We are Helene & Christina! We are on a mission to empower you to be your authentic self. This episode is jam packed with gifts for you. We go through each episode, highlighting the gifts that are presented and discussing how YOU can use them in YOUR life! This episode is all about YOU, guiding YOU to live your best life- finding joy in the messy middle and laughing along the way! Join u...
2024-12-0527 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 25 - "Gifting YOURself Sanity During the Holidays"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina! We are on a mission to empower you to celebrate yourself each and every day! We know holidays are all about gift giving so we are thrilled to give you this episode- SANITY during the Holidays! As Thanksgiving arrived today and the biggest shopping day of the year- tomorrow- you need this episode to help you focus on what matters, let go of what doesn’t and find the joy in the messiness of the holidays. We are here on t...
2024-11-2852 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 24 - "The Gift of Knowing YOUR Money Story"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina. We are on a mission to empower women to celebrate themselves! This episode is something that many women feel very anxious about- MONEY! Christina shares about how scared and paralyzed she has been about money over the years. We are joining you on this journey- It is time for all of us as women, to learn your money story. We have our friend Jacqueline Crowley, CPWA, Private Wealth Market Leader and a strong advocate for women understanding their mon...
2024-11-2146 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 23- "Gifts YOU Receive When You Stop Playing The Comparison Game"Send us a textHey Friends,We are Helene & Christina, 2 mental health practitioners with combined +35 years experience and we are on a mission to empower, teach and remind YOU to celebrate each day as YOUR Birth Day! In this movement, we are your friends- not your therapist. Picture us sitting at your table and encouraging you in life. This episode is raw and real as we discuss something we all do to well- compare ourselves to others. Whether you do it about your body (like Christina), your genetics (lik...
2024-11-1444 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 22 - "The Gift of Anxiety"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina- on a mission to help YOU live YOUR best life with actionable tips, life stories, laughs, tears and through it all- podcasts that meet you in life with your messy middle moments. We are here to support and encourage you as your friends, not your therapists… although we are mental health practitioners with +35 years combined experience. In this episode, we are taking a totally different spin on anxiety. What if we treated anxiety as a friend?! We know… you are...
2024-11-0737 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 21 - "The Gift of Dating YOUR Self!"Send us a textHey Friends!Helene & Christina here! We are SO SO Excited about this episode because it embodies everything about our mission to empower, teach and remind YOU to celebrate YOU! In this episode, we talk with you about ways that we have worked with others and on ourselves to ensure that we are all dating ourselves. We also talk about how it can be hard and the feelings that may block us from doing so. We know that we are taught to put ourselves last on our to-do list, w...
2024-10-3133 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 20 - "Gifts Found In Grief"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina, on a mission to empower, teach and remind YOU to celebrate YOURself! We come to you with 35+ years of experience as mental health practitioners… however, with It's YOUR Birth Day, we come to you as YOUR Friends, not your therapist. This episode is a hard one. We are here to talk about the uncomfortable, but unavoidable topic of Grief. If you are in the midst of this now and it is too raw for you- please give yourself perm...
2024-10-2458 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 19 - "Gifts in Friendship"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina, on a mission to empower, teach and remind YOU to celebrate yourself! In this episode, we dig deep into talking about the power of friendship- having your tribe of people who support you! Whether it is a group of girlfriends, a few or a smattering of all people, we all need a social circle of our own to live life with! So grab your drink of choice (Christina’s is often iced coffee when recording) and maybe a friend who needs this ep...
2024-10-1740 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 18 - "Gifts From Asking For Help"Send us a textHey Friends! We are Helene & Christina. We are on a mission to teach women to to empower, teach, and remind women to celebrate themselves! In this episode, we are here to talk about something that is REALLY hard for most women… asking for Help! (Gulp). Don’t delete it quite yet. Friend, this episode is so needed to become the best version of you! In this episode, we are real with you in talking about how hard it is to ask for help- whether it be a s...
2024-10-1028 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 17 - "The Gift of Struggling With Who YOU Are"Send us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina, on a mission to empower you! With that, we know that many of our friends are struggling with figuring out who they are. This can be a tough topic. Maybe you feel so much pressure to be a certain way or act a certain way. Maybe there are cultural pressures, family pressures, relationship pressures, work pressures or the more. Are you having guilt for trying to be someone you are not? Or maybe a part of you wants to change? We get you friend, this...
2024-10-0334 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastEpisode 16 The Gift of FlexibilitySend us a textHey Friends,We are Helene & Christina- on a mission to empower YOU! In this episode, we talk about the gift of flexibility! Are you someone who loves your routine, driven by consistency in your life? Does change scare you?! This episode is all for you, friend! And if you are someone, who has been overly flexible and letting the world trample on you? This one is for you, too.This episode is filled with so many gifts:Learn how to be flexible in life or life will...
2024-09-2633 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 15 - "The Gift of Forgiveness - Forgiving a Family Member"Send us a textThe Gift of Forgiving a Family MemberHey Friends!We are thrilled you are here- it is hard to deal with family! These are people that have been put in your life, but may or may not be a gift! We get it! Do you have the family member that you cringe at being around or someone who just continually hurts someone you love or YOU!?! Friend, this episode is all for YOU (honestly for all of us). This episode is full of may amazing Gifts:
2024-09-1954 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 14 - "The Gift of Forgiveness: Forgiving a Friend"Send us a textHey Friends! Let's chat about forgiving a friend! We want to give a disclaimer- if the hurt is too deep or that friend is still really unhealthy- forgiving a friend might mean letting them go! Either way, if you need to have the tough talk with a friend or letting go of that person, let's dive in! Gifts this episode:1. What does it mean to forigve a friend?2. Gifting yourself the ability to think through what this looks like for YOU3. Realistic expectations fo...
2024-09-1253 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 13 - "The Gift of Forgiving Yourself"Send us a textHey Friends! We are launching into a 3 part series on forgiveness. This week's episode is all about forgiving yourself. We get that it is easy to carry guilt as we believe this is the tool to ensure that we don't make that same mistake again. WRONG. It is time to think through the mistakes you have made that you are carrying with you and learn how to forgive YOUrself. We are here with you on this tough journey as you need to truly celebrate you by letting go of thi...
2024-09-0535 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastEpisode 12 Gifts Received When Transitioning Your Child's SchoolSend us a textHey Friends!We are Helene & Christina and we are on a mission to celebrate YOU! If your messy middle right now is all about changing your child’s school, that can be really hard. We get it- both Helene & Christina have changed schools with their children so they know the mix of feelings and fears in making this big choice. We struggled to know if we were making the best decision and talk about the issues that went into this decision as well as how we worked on it w...
2024-08-2942 min
PennedEpisode 31: MercedesChristina speaks with Mercedes about the life she's created with her husband, who is incarcerated in San Diego and serving a sentence of life without parole. Mercedes' perspective shows how difficult it can be to navigate the nuances of loving someone behind bars and coming to terms with the reality of their crime - balancing being in love with that person and simultaneously experiencing strong feelings of empathy for the victim and their loved ones.***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If y...
2024-08-2442 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastEpisode 11 - Gifting Your Child To CollegeSend us a textHey Friends!We know that many of you are in a messy middle stage of sending YOUR kids to college. Oof. This is a tough one for many parents and we get you! Helene launched her daughter and 2nd child so she is in this life stage deeply with you. Whether you are sending your 1st, 2nd or last child off- there are all the feelings. Or maybe launching your 1st child is in your future and maybe distant future like Christina. This episode is all...
2024-08-2241 min
The Graceful WarriorS6 Ep. 1 Empowering the Silence: A Husband’s Encouragement | Christina JollyWhat do you do when your spouse sees God's purpose in you, and you dont? I would be prayin and listening to both spouse and God!!
Hey Graceful Warriors!! Today, I sit with "Believin' Bigger Podcast Host- Christina Jolly. As an introvert woman she didnt see how she interacted with people different than other women. When her husband spoke to her about it that one night on a date...it all changed.
The episode that encourages you to step out in faith and let God gently lead you, where? well, your foot may not touch the...
2024-08-1633 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 10 - "The Gift of Daily Joy"Send us a textHey Friends!Last week was a tough one as we talked through mistakes. This episode, we want to focus on joy! It is easy in life to notice all the things that are not going well- a difficult boss, kids acting out, issues with your partner, a health scare. The world consistently talks about what is bad. As we head into an election in the US, the media is overly focused on negativity. In these times, it is hard to see the joy. This is where...
2024-08-1524 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 9 - "The Gift of Making Mistakes"Send us a textThe Gift of Making MistakEs! Hey Friends!We are so glad you are here! Do you make mistakes? Well then you are in good company! We do too. Hell, everyone does! This episode is all about celebrating your mistakes and seeing them as gifts. We talk about how when we go through really hard stuff or do things that we wish we could go back and erase often leads to growth and positive change.What would it look like if you allowed your mistakes t...
2024-08-0837 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 8 - "The Gift of Decision Making"Send us a textHey Friends!Welcome to the Gift of Making Decisions. It is time to Decide and Thrive! We are thrilled you are downloading this one! Whether you are someone who makes decisions easily or someone who is more indecisive or someone in the middle, this episode literally has something for each of you! It is time to celebrate your Birth Day by learning strategies and tools to make decisions for YOU! You can do this- maybe you are struggling with decisions for older parents, or decisions...
2024-08-0131 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 7 - "Limiting Your Invites"Send us a textHey Friends! We are Helene & Christina, your friends who are here to empower you to live your best life! And that means using the B word- well that one is good too…but.. we mean Boundaries! In this episode, we will teach you what boundaries are (and aren’t) as well as when to set them and how to set them. There are sooo many good gifts in this episode to help you stay on your path of life and help others not to intrude. It is t...
2024-07-2548 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 6 - "Make A Wish Early"Send us a textHey Friends! We are Helene & Christina- on a mission to empower, teach and help women celebrate their life! In Episode 6, we are all about making a wish… early! Christina shares how she is not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because most get broken, which leads to unnecessary guilt. Helene shares about visions she has created and had success! Together, they help you dream big and small by creating your vision for the next few months and a year from now. They also give you an invite to join them on look...
2024-07-1830 minIt's YOUR Birth Day! PodcastIts YOUR Birth Day! Podcast Episode 5 - The Gift of Failure!Send us a textHello Friends!We are thrilled you are here on this journey called LIFE! We are Helene & Christina. We are here to help you learn to celebrate each day as a Birth Day with It’s YOUR Birth Day! As licensed mental health professionals, we bring you our friendship in each podcast where we talk about the tough stuff & the fun stuff.Today’s episode is all about a really tough topic- FAILURE! I know the pit in your stomach just turned. It is a super hard...
2024-07-1133 minPennedEpisode 30: Unconditional FreedomUnconditional Freedom is an organization determined to create massive change within the United States' prison system by introducing a new model for prisons called The Prison Monastery. This radical concept is meant to restore the penitentiary to its roots; a place to contemplate and meaningfully contribute to society while incarcerated. Christina speaks with the organization's Director, Kate Feigin, who has made it her life's work to transform prisons from the inside, and Nancy Coleman who directs The Art of Soulmaking. This program teaches prison residents contemplative practices, along with meditation and yoga. Every student is paired with a...
2024-07-1149 minPennedEpisode 29: AudreeChristina speaks with Audree, a prison wife from Canada, who is in a relationship with Jeffrey, an American currently serving time in a facility near the US/Canadian border. As with most incarcerated relationships, Audree and Jeffrey aren’t without their hardships. However, their love story is reminiscent of a RomCom - from the first letter to the first kiss and everything in between. The love they have for each other is pure and intentional, both of them giving their all to a relationship most would classify as unconventional.***Written and pro...
2024-05-0441 minPennedEpisode 28: PaigeChristina speaks with Paige, a woman living on the opposite coast from her incarcerated husband. She speaks candidly about her life as a prison wife, detailing the ups and downs that come with being married to someone who may never be released into the free world again. Paige is an advocate on issues like the death penalty and people serving life without parole - she and Christina discuss alternative ideas surrounding criminal justice reform and talk about what a world could look like if rehabilitation was the ultimate goal of a prison sentence.
2023-10-2145 minPennedEpisode 27: Danny Pt. 2Christina continues her conversation with Danny, who is speaking from within Waupun Correctional Institution*. He speaks more on the programs in prison, what works and doesn't work, the reality of what it's like to be released and how easy it is to reoffend, especially when there is a lack of support from the community and society. Danny opens up about his goals upon release in the near future and shares his ideas on how a system that is so flawed can change.*Waupun Correctional Institution is still experiencing a form of lockdown and there...
2023-09-2747 minPennedEpisode 26: Danny Pt. 1Christina speaks with Danny, who is currently incarcerated in Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin*. He's engaged to Katie, a British woman, who was featured in Episode 23 and shares his experience and perspective from the inside about his life, his love, and his plans for the future. Danny speaks on the flawed system designed to keep people down - starting with being a child in foster care, trying his best to fit in, to making choices at a young age that altered his future. In a rare perspective from someone on the inside, Danny takes Christina on a jo...
2023-07-2944 min
Prosperity 101 Podcast hosted by Linda J HansenPublic Square – Where "We The People" Go Public – with Christina Werner – [Ep. 178]For too long, Americans have been unwittingly subsidizing the very values that are destroying our freedom, but people are waking up to create a rising, and much needed, parallel economy – one that does not cancel people due to religious or political beliefs, and one that does not force people to support causes in which they do not believe. How can "We The People" use our resources to help our country and protect our freedom? Each of us can make a difference as we join together to preserve our nation, and even the smallest actions – like buying goods and services – can make...
2023-07-2635 minPennedEpisode 25: Catherine LeggeChristina speaks with investigative journalist, TV show producer, and filmmaker Catherine Legge. Her documentary From Prison With Love (known outside of the US as Met While Incarcerated) tells the love stories of 3 women who are romantically involved with men in prison that have been charged with violent crimes.Catherine's film challenges the stereotypes surrounding these offenders and shows the perspective of women who put it all on the line to love them. You can stream From Prison With Love on TUBIFollow Catherine Legge on Instagram @metwhileincarceratedthefilmhttps://www.metwhileincarceratedthefilm.com/
2023-06-131h 03PennedEpisode 24: DanaChristina speaks with Dana, an artist and educator who works with incarcerated folks in Mankato, MN through the "Art Under Confinement Program", a collaborative between the 410 Project and artists who are currently incarcerated. This program advocates on educating creatives on the professional development side of being an artist as well as pushing their creative thinking and technical skills, to then hopefully be utilized once released. You can check out the 410 Project:On Instagram @410project_communityartthe410project.com
2023-04-0737 minPennedEpisode 23: KatieChristina speaks with Katie, a soon-to-be prison wife who is separated from her fiancé, Danny, by more than just prison walls. There's several states and an ocean between them, she lives in the UK and he is currently serving his time halfway across the world in a Wisconsin prison. Katie's journey has just begun as she prepares to uproot her life and leave the United Kingdom for the United States to be with Danny upon his release. ***This episode sponsored by Magic Mind, The World’s First Productivity Shot.https://www.magicmind.co/pennedGet...
2023-03-1057 minPennedEpisode 22: ChristineChristina speaks with Christine, a recently married prison wife who met her husband, Carlos, through a prison pen pal website during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite Carlos' 25 year prison sentence and living on opposite coasts they couldn't imagine life without each other. Christine and Carlos started prisonpenpalconnect.com - they run the site together working on it from both inside and outside of prison, connecting inmates with pen pals all over the globe and showcasing an array of art created by incarcerated folks on the site's marketplace for purchase. Christine shares what it t...
2022-11-2759 minPennedEpisode 21: Die Jim Crow RecordsChristina speaks with BL Shirelle & Fury Young, Co-Executive Directors of Die Jim Crow Records, a non-profit record label dedicated to producing music from currently and formerly incarcerated artists. BL & Fury have made it their life's work to not only bridge the divide between incarcerated artists and artists in the free world, DJC Records works as a radical creative collective, agency for social change, and overall art power house.Listen to the very end of the episode for an additional song, Black Barbie by B. Alexis + a giveaway opportunity. Details below.****...
2022-09-1041 minPennedEpisode 20: Martin LockettChristina speaks with Martin Lockett, who spent 17.5 years in prison for a DUI fatality that claimed two lives and severely injured another. In Penned's 20th episode Martin shares the story of the tragedy that shaped his entire life and how, post-release, he has devoted the rest of his life to honoring his victims’ legacies.While incarcerated, Martin earned a BS in sociology, MS in psychology, and served as a mentor and role model to other inmates. He acquired state certification as a substance abuse counselor, published two books (Prison to Purpose Pipeline and My Prison Life), and beg...
2022-08-1152 minPennedEpisode 19: BritneeChristina speaks with Britnee who entered into a relationship with an inmate without planning to pursue anything romantically from the start. As their connection progressed and real life issues started to surface Britnee was forced to reevaluate her life, her decisions, and ultimately the future of their relationship. ***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If you or someone you know has a story to share or if you'd like to drop me a note, send an email to: pennedpodcast@gmail.com
2022-07-151h 01
The Reload with Sean Hansen105: Dr. Christina Collins - Mutual Empathy and Seeing Ourselves in OthersIn today's discussion, performance mindset coach, Sean Hansen, gets an education on mutual empathy and unearned privilege from Dr. Christina CollinsDr. Christina Collins holds a PhD in clinical psychology and a Masters degree in Integral Theory. She is currently a member of the faculty at University of Colorado Denver where she both teaches and practices therapy. Her recent doctoral research explored how the process of mutual empathy can unify diverse groups with factors of unearned privilege. Her current pursuits include developing cultural competency trainings for mental health care providers that are founded in connection...
2022-06-171h 35PennedEpisode 18: AundreaChristina speaks with Aundrea, a prison wife who is plugged in to what goes on at the prison where her boyfriend is incarcerated. She shares some insight at the injustices that continue to occur, even after someone is sentenced and gives us a look into her boyfriend's daily life in prison - an outsider looking in.***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If you or someone you know has a story to share or if you'd like to drop me a note...
2022-05-0641 minPennedEpisode 17: TiyaunaChristina speaks with Tiyauna, a prison wife who started a friendship with her now-husband Willie, during his incarceration over a decade ago. The friendship turned into something deeper in the last couple of years and the two were married in 2021. Willie has been serving a life-sentence since he was a minor with no end in sight, until an incredible turn of events happened in his favor. Tiyauna shares their story and gives us a new perspective on what marriage is like with someone on the inside who is waiting to get out.***Learn more about Maryland's Ju...
2022-04-0251 min
Plausible PodcastInterview | Researcher Gary Shaw and Author Jens HansenIn this exciting episode of Plausible, we hear from one of the leading researchers on the JFK assassination, Gary Shaw. We welcome back Jens Hansen as well, author and friend of Gary Shaw and Dr. Charles Crenshaw. Shaw and Hansen discuss further details of conspiracy, Jack Ruby and other people mysteriously affected by the death of JFK.
2022-02-0453 minPennedEpisode 16: JadeChristina speaks with Jade, a TikTok sensation who has gone viral for her videos talking about what everyday life is like being a self-proclaimed prison wife. Jade uses the platform as a means to connect with others like her in the prison wife community; a vent for her frustrations about being separated from her husband; and an outlet for the sense of humor she has living everyday life being married to someone in prison.***Find Jade on TikTok and InstagramWatch her Love Don't Judge Episode on YouTube ***Written and produced b...
2021-10-1139 minPennedEpisode 15: Elizabeth GreenwoodChristina speaks with author/journalist, Elizabeth Greenwood, about her newest book Love Lockdown, in which she follows 5 couples who have met while incarcerated and shares their vastly different experiences. Christina and Liz talk about these featured relationships, prison wife culture, what really goes on during conjugal visits, and how prison relationships endure years of incarceration with sometimes no hope of release.***You can check out Liz's work at: lizgreenwood.comFind her on Twitter: @LizGreenwood4UYou can find her book at one of my favorite Portland bookstores, Broadway Books: https://www...
2021-08-1741 min
Alcohol-Free LifestyleChristina Hansen: New York Carriage Driver, 41, Endures Tragedy, Remains Alcohol FreeChristina Hansen is a New York carriage driver in Central Park whose health and mindset was suffering. Christina stopped drinking, lost 25lbs and gained more clarity. And even after suffering the heartbreak of her best friend's death, Christina has remained alcohol free. Listen to her powerful and inspiring story. ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - (Free Guide) The Alcoho...
2021-07-1350 minPennedEpisode 14: RobertChristina speaks with Robert Kingett, a blind journalist, who began writing to inmates who are serving life sentences and on death row. He thought they would be more accepting than any other sighted person in his life, knowing they would read his words and be able to look past his disability more than most people could.***You can check out Robert Kingett's work at: https://blindjournalist.wordpress.com/***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If you or someone you k...
2021-02-1940 minPennedEpisode 13: EmmaChristina speaks with Emma, a woman who lives in Jackson, Michigan AKA 'Prison City'. She recently started writing to inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic, including one man who is currently on death row. ***This episode contains content that mentions issues pertaining to eating disorders, which might be sensitive for some listeners.***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If you or someone you know has a story to share or if you'd like to drop me a note, s...
2020-11-0642 minPennedEpisode 12: TEDx At Sing Sing Correctional FacilityIn Episode 12, Christina explores the idea of uncertainty and shares the audio from Michael Shane Hale's TEDx Talk about redefining the prison reentry experience from within. This audio was recorded live from Sing Sing Correctional Facility in early February 2020. ***Special thanks to Michael Shane Hale for the permission to share his TEDx talk, and to Sean Gallagher, co-organizer of the TEDx Sing Sing Event, for providing Shane's audio.***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev***If you or so...
2020-10-0216 minPennedEpisode 11: Shane, 'Being Part Of The Solution'Christina speaks with Shane again, an inmate currently serving a life sentence at Sing Sing Prison. As Christina tries to understand the idea of inmates being cancelled out from society, Shane goes into detail about what daily life is like for him on the inside. From pursuing higher education classes, to learning a foreign language and giving a TedX Talk, he is determined to push himself despite his environment.***To hear the music from Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections Program at Sing Sing: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Social-Impact/Musical-Connections***Written...
2020-05-2032 minPennedEpisode 10: Shane, 'We're All Doing Time'Quarantine Edition. Christina speaks with Shane, an inmate currently serving a life sentence in New York State's Sing Sing Prison. He gives a firsthand account of the events developing in the prison during the COVID-19 outbreak and how it's impacting inmate life there. Sing Sing was one of the first US prisons to report positive tests for the COVID-19 virus.***Article referenced:https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/it-spreads-like-wildfire-covid-19-comes-to-new-yorks-prisons***Written and produced by Christina HansenAdditional production and sound editing by: Jason Sissoyev
2020-04-1830 minPennedEpisode 9: Vanessa Pt. 2In the second part of Vanessa's interview, she speaks with Christina about the details surrounding Tyler's crime for which he received a sentence of life without parole.***Show warning: the topics discussed in this episode contain graphic descriptions of violence. Please listen at your own discretion.
2020-01-2323 min