About Progress

“Just like you and I lived at the mall or lived at the football game on Friday night, a lot of our kids are living on social media . . . I want my kids to make their mistakes while still living with me.  You want to give them parameters but also you want to give them the opportunity to make choices.”   We all worry about the incessant draw that technology is having on our children these days. You see the debates on Facebook and hear the tense conversations amongst parents: How much tech-use is appropriate? How can we limit screen time? When should children be allowed to use technology?   Before we can answer all that, however, we need to be asking the more appropriate question, as posed by Dina Alexander: "How can we empower our children to use technology responsibly and for good?"   Dina is the founder of the non-profit Educate and Empower Kids, which strives to help parents "parent in the digital age" by preparing their children, not scaring them. She is an expert on so many hard topics we need to discuss w

This podcast is in response to an email I received from a listener who was frustrated that all my guests on the show are too "extraordinary." While thoughts swirled about me, I interviewed Melinda Peterson from Melinda Joy Writes to chat about how she has been writing a novel for ten years; but then we magically had a beautiful discussion on seeing the extraordinary within ourselves.    Listen in to hear our conversation on this topic, my own expanded thoughts, my response to this email, as well as a highlight from one my "extraordinary-ordinary" friends--Brittney Hanks from Homegrown Traditions--who has encountered some tough failures as she and her husband navigate running a small business together.   Excerpt from Melinda's email, following our interview (it's amazing!!):   Show Notes Melinda's website, Instagram, and children-centered Instagram Homegrown Traditions website and Instagram Recent interview with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: "Get Over Yourself" Jennifer Finlayson-Fife's website and Holiday DE

“It is that moment of complete 100% surrender that we step into that power we never had before.”   Tiffany Webster knows a thing or two about surrender. As a lifelong perfectionist, life had a way of showing up and forcing her to slow down, and slow down hard: infertility, chronic illness, brain surgery, and poor mental health. That's just some of what Tiffany faced that helped her see she had to learn how to give in, look outward, and reach up--and in the process of doing that, she found greater strength than she ever knew possible.   You might recognize Tiffany from her viral talk on perfectionism given at the Hope Works conference: "The Perfect Lie." Tiffany has recently released the most beautiful book--Embracing the Broken--that goes into great depth with what brought her to her lowest lows, the lessons she learned about the lies of perfectionism, and how we can rise above it.   In this interview, we talk about this as well as how Tiffany deals with the messiness of progress, how we can stop wearing mask

"Comparison is evil . . . Any time you look at someone else's strengths that might be your weaknesses, you'll always come up short."   10 years ago, Tamarynn Bennett was 25 years old and had barely run more than a few miles at a time. So, she reasonably thought she would be a "one and done" with a marathon she signed up for. But after accidentally qualifying for Boston (!), she found herself drawn to the challenge and the thrill of racing.    Like most athletes, Tamarynn has had her fair share of set backs and disappointments. From taking a full six years off of doing triathlons so she could focus on her family, to facing adrenal fatigue and injuries, to not being able to do races she had trained so hard for, Tamarynn has seen it all. Her persistence is admirable, but it's also reachable; Tamarynn likes to make it clear--she is ordinary and credits achieving these big goals just one step at a time and holding strong to the bigger picture.    Tamarynn also discusses the personal trials her family has faced, an

We celebrated our year anniversary of the podcast a few weeks ago! To commemorate this time, I have a short, unedited, rambling State of the Podcast episode for you. In it, I share some of our stats, which episodes I think more people need to listen to, and where I see the podcast headed.   Thank you for your incredible support!!!   XO, Monica Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I meet a ton of people who say, ‘Oh I can’t do that, I'm not creative . . .'  Maybe they will never find that painting or drawing fulfills them, but they ARE creative in the way that they solve problems, or put things together, or organize . . . We can think about creativity differently in that we are created to create.”  For Lisa Funk, lettering (also know as calligraphy) isn't just about creating beautiful text--it's about purposefully living a life she loves. Lisa found that by honing her craft and mastering inspirational messages, she was able to better face her inner mental health battles. Lettering changed Lisa's life! Once she started sharing her gift, she was surprised how people didn't just want to know where they could buy her artwork, they wanted to learn how to do it themselves. That's how Lisa became an accidental businesswoman, and one steeped in the goal in improving lives, one letter at a time.   Lisa discusses how creativity is innate in all of us and how learning to work hard to develop our

"Those that are most able to deal with their flaws, are most willing to be seen as human . . . That’s real moral courage, and that’s the kind of courage that sets us free."   Have you ever heard the saying, "I am my own worst enemy?" If you've thought or said that about yourself, then this episode is for you. (And if you haven't, then this episode is also for you.)   All of us carry the innate tendency to mask our own humanity--our flaws--from those we love, work with, and even ourselves. Doing so actually inhibits our growth, creates tension in our relationships, and leads to inner turmoil. The only way to get over all that is to get over ourselves.   Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife teaches us what this tendency looks like in action, and what we can do to fix it by facing our own flaws with compassion and true moral courage. She also helps us see what we get out of doing so: a life filled with challenges, certainly; but also a whole lot more love, fulfillment, and freedom.    Show Notes: Jennifer's website and H

"With each thing I tried, every time it failed . . . I failed deeper and the problem got bigger. It got to the point where I no longer felt any control over it. I remember one day thinking, ‘I’m not going to try anymore.’”   Julie Taylor was known online for being "real," but only she knew the truth--that she was hiding an addiction, and one especially riddled with shame: food addiction.   Julie talks about the transformation she has been through the past few years of identifying herself as someone addicted to food, pursuing help for it, and how in time it made her far more real than she ever had been before.   Julie's path unfortunately led her from one form of addiction to another--an obsession with perfection. One particular incident alarmed her husband: After accidentally having a bite of cheese while out to dinner, she sobbed for hours. Julie eventually decided that this other extreme way of living was making her just as unhappy as having no boundaries.   The biggest key to Julie's TRUE healing arose as

"I have worth and it isn’t always looking to the external to try to find validation, because that’s an endless competition that you’re never going to win. It doesn’t bring any happiness."   Reachel Bagley is not your normal "fashion blogger." Sure, she has a fabulous sense of style--one that you're going to salivate over. But Reachel loves fashion because of what it can do to really transform someone's confidence, to help them feel more empowered to face their lives and their trials. She loves to really teach her clients and her followers what colors, cuts, and fits look best on their bodies, not just show her own polished outfits. (One of her mantras is: it's not that you aren't fitting into your clothes, it's that your clothes aren't fitting YOU.)   Reachel knows what it is like to lack confidence, and in a really dark way. Her own sense of pride and love of her body took a beating after years of infertility. She saw her body as something to be punished, not loved, because of the way she saw it hurting her.

"By choosing your habits and staying with them, you are scientifically engraining them in your body . . . setting you on a pace that will help you achieve what you want to achieve."   What do you get when you create the perfect mix of zen and science? Greg Karelitz, is what.   Greg is the founder of the Positive Vibes Only Society (PVOS), a community with a mission to help people better live in the moment, backed up with science. As a touchstone, PVOSers sport a necklace that act as a physical reminder to live positively.   Greg developed a fascination with the science behind positivity when he was at a big low: having just undergone a double hip surgery and with it a big life style change that eventually led to him experiencing anxiety attacks. He had his own necklace--the star of David--that helped him recenter during those moments. And perfectly, the hex in that symbol align with the shapes of the chemicals in our bodies that contribute to our happiness--chemicals that Greg was in the trenches of researchi

"You don’t really appreciate time unless you’re looking at a diagnosis like cancer. . . You don’t appreciate the time that you have until you know that there could potentially be an end date.”    Danielle Stepp was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma--cancer--as a new mother of a three month old baby girl.   Her treatment entailed 12 debilitating rounds of chemotherapy. As Danielle made her way through this very difficult period of her life, she held on to her family, her friends, and what she calls "Prayer Power" to help her arise above the immense hardships. She also used her fighting spirit and treated cancer like a bull, and Danielle "wrestled it to the ground."   Now a year cancer free (!), Danielle looks back to see what helped her through this hard chapter, how cancer has changed her, and what she has learned about not taking time for granted.   Show Notes: Danielle's blog Compassion that Compells Monat Natural, Anti-Aging Hair Care: Contact Monica to learn more, OR research via her Monat Instagram and w

“I think the reason we all suffer is because it makes us stronger—it’s a strength, it’s a gift in a way . . . I could not write the music that I write had I not gone through hard things.”    Paul Cardall knows a thing or two about suffering and turning that suffering into a gift. He was born with half a heart and experienced poor health throughout his childhood and well into his adulthood. In 2009, he underwent a full heart transplant that gave him a miraculous new way of living. And yet, it was after his transplant that Paul faced the darkest period of his life: guilt, depression, the ending of his marriage, and more.    But Paul used his pain to create masterpieces that helped him rise above, music that has gone on to transform millions of lives across the world. Yes, millions.   Listen to this interview to hear about how this is the case for Paul, how and why he started playing the piano as a late-teen, what the creative process is like for him, and how he believes wholeheartedly that our trials can transf

“I’m not a professional athlete. I don’t do this to win money and races. I do this to enhance my life and it brings me joy, along with my family . . . As long as I'm putting them first and taking care of them, everything else usually falls into place.”   Heather Jenson says this to describe how she views her "little" hobby as a triathlete. This sport can suck people into perfectionism, obsession, and the comparison trap. But Heather has learned how to resist the negative side of her passion and embrace it for the goodness it brings to her life and to her family.   Heather shares how her love of racing (she started as a swimmer!) increased after dealing with a terrible bout of postpartum depression, that having big and then bigger goals to aspire to helped her regain what she thought she had lost within herself. She is so honest about how hard training can be, but how breaking up a huge goal into small pieces has helped her achieve big dreams.   A favorite example she shared: Her first half-marathon was 10 yea

“Some of the most challenging, heart-wrenching times of my life have in some ways become the greatest blessings . . . They were the pathways to learning.”   The list of "life lessons" (aka: trials, obstacles, traumas, etc.) that Ganel-Lyn Condie has been through is astounding. And yet this woman walks with a bounce and speaks with a light that is absolutely contagious.   Ganel-Lyn shares deeply about how surrendering to these lessons, giving up on perfection, and turning to a higher power have in turn strengthened her to better deal with what life has put in front of her. As an author and speaker, Ganel-Lyn doesn't shy away from hard topics as she's faced it all: parents divorcing, chronic illness, infertility, job loss, perfectionism, and the tragic passing of her sister, Meggan, through suicide.   It's not that Ganel-Lyn doesn't have her hard days; it's not that she's eager to face another big trial; and it's definitely not that she knows the answers while in the middle of the darkness. But it IS a choice t

We've made it to 50 podcast episodes. Woohoo!! I am so thrilled about this, and grateful for those of you who have been with me from the beginning and just as grateful for the rest of you are are new to my podcast.   You were kind enough to send in questions for this particular episode: things that you wanted to know about me, the podcast, my parenting, eating, children, where I live (and why), and more.   This episode was super fun to record because I did it with my sister-in-law, Emily. But it's painful for me to listen to because it's seriously a huge exercise in obsessing over myself. Also, it went much longer than I had anticipated.   If this is just as painful for you, I get it! We'll be back to our regular programming next Wednesday. Otherwise, I'd love to hear about some of YOUR answers to these same questions. Let's connect more! You can comment here or on my Instagram and Facebook, @aboutprogress.   Thanks so much for your support! Show Notes: People I recommended you follow: The Listening Ear Proje

"Fear is not a good reason to not do something. What is the worst that could happen? . . . If I can live with that worst case scenario, then I’m going to do it and stop worrying about failure."   Janssen Bradshaw of Everyday Reading didn't think she was "creative" or "entrepreneurial." And yet, those two words completely encapsulate who she is now as the producer of a successful blog and a co-creator (alongside her husband) of a brand new business--children's rain boots!   Janssen shares how starting one thing propelled her into another, and how even the failures she faced led to more opportunities anyway. Refusing to live based off of "what ifs" and fears has led to a series of Janssen trying new things bit by bit, and doing so has trickled down into all areas of her life. Janssen has learned that you can't just let life pass you by and not try things out of fear of failure or how hard it might be; because time passes anyway, and you'll only be left with regret and "what ifs."   Janssen talks about what it i

Surprise! I have a bonus episode for you this week, and it's Part Two of my series on Food: How to Use it, Not Abuse it. Cultivating a healthy relationship with food has been a huge part of the work I've done for myself the past 11 years. I'm still focusing on it every day, but I see the improvements I have made that have made it all well worth it. I hope to inspire that in others, too!   Part One is here, and there we spent a lot of time talking about what it LOOKS like to have a poor relationship with food and what you can begin to do about it. This episode--Part Two--involves more discussion on specific methods, both of which incorporate embracing a the "grey," ridding ourselves of black-and-white thinking, and moving towards natural moderation with how we view and eat food.   The primary focus overall is Intuitive Eating, which is my very favorite eating philosophy. You can find the book here, and I'd definitely start with that; but I do recommend a coach if you are in the throes of trying to figure this

"What it means “to grow” is to practice something—one thing really deliberately—and do it over and over again. And then when you make a mistake, you look back and you close that loop really quickly by recognizing what went well and what didn’t go well, and then you practice it again."   Ralphie Jacobs admits that she was born with an innate love for children and a natural gift of caring for them. But even she was surprised as a young mom by how her well-informed, highly educated patience could "vanish."    Recognizing this capacity in herself, Ralphie decided to deliberately change how she was parenting, to grow her skill set as a mother just as she would with any other talent, skill, or expertise that requires growth and practice. Now, Ralphie is a parenting expert who passes on the incredible (and I'd say LIFE-CHANGING) things she has learned over the years about how to grow purposefully within your job as a parent. And she makes it clear: the answers are actually quite simple.   Ralphie shares how she beca

“Bravery is being scared, it’s being afraid; but doing it anyway . . . It’s OK to be afraid of something, but own those feelings and rise above.”    You think if you were the masterminds behind a magazine with "Bravery" in the title, that you would be a very courageous person.   Not so for these ladies.   Elyse Beard and Ashley Aikele both profess that they have let fear hold them back for far too long. But when they had the idea to create a publication that inspires courage in children by sharing stories of brave women, they knew they had to be their own kind of brave.    To build something so monumental from nothing entailed a lot of letting go alongside a whole lot of work. Elyse and Ashley talk about how they practiced "fake it 'til you make it," used their different talents, and in the end created something from nothing. Their dream is that ultimately this publication is far more than a magazine; it's a movement.   Elyse and Ashley share how a huge part of being your own kind of brave is figuring out wha

“You have unique experiences with each one of your children. I think that working to cultivate happiness in your home, even though you could be going through hard things . . . really pays off. What you think about transcends, and it impacts your everyday life.”   Nicole Kalkowski has had to fight for her son throughout his entire life. From a toddler diagnosed with regressive autism then immediately after with a myriad of diseases, including mitochondria and epilepsy, Nicole has relied on her intuition and resilience to get doctors to hear her and to help her son. She has literally kept him alive.   Redbook Magazine covered the Kalkowski family for an entire year, documenting what it was like to have a then-three-year old son with autism. (A beautiful picture from the feature is below, with article links in the show notes.) Nicole later became an advocate and got amazing legislation passed that will ensure other parents don't have to face the darkness helplessly, as her family had.    Ryan (now almost a teen!