Medium Well

Latest Episodes:

45: Design Thinking: The fundamentals and how to use it to grow your business (solo series) Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

Today's episode is the first in my new solo series! Today I am teaching the fundamental principles and steps in the design thinking process, a creative problem-solving methodology that puts user empathy at the center point of your offerings. This way you are designing for your market and making it inherently desirable, not creating something and then convincing your market that they need it! I have taught and used this tool for 7 years now, and I can say confidently it will change the way you do business. You can skip to 6:40 if you want to bypass the part where I talk about the solo series and why I am launching it!

In this episode, I discuss:

Why I am launching a solo series
What is design thinking? And why is it useful? (Starts at 6:40)
The roles of desirability, feasibility, and viability
What user empathy is and why it's fundamental to your business
The three phases of design thinking: inspiration, ideation, implementation
What happens in each phase of design thinking
Examples of design thinking and how I have used it in my business

Mentioned in this episode:

My offering to you: a live 75-minute design thinking workshop where I will walk you through each of the steps and how to use them in your business
Helpful graphics to reference

All the deets:

Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well on my website.
Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and how you will use design thinking in your work.

Related episodes:

Episode 44: Practical and mystical tools for building and scaling a wellness startup with Michelle Pellizzon of Holisticism

44: Practical and mystical tools for building and scaling a wellness startup with Michelle Pellizzon of Holisticism Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

I am thrilled to have Michelle Pellizzon, founder and CEO of Holisticism, as my first repeat guest on Medium Well! Michelle's first episode (episode 25) on her health and healing journey, her career, wellness, and how she came to start Holisticism was well-loved, and she's back for round two to talk all things business. This episode is a deep dive into how she started Holisticism, what practical and mystical tools she used, her advice for starting something new, and lots of helpful nitty-gritty details on building a mission-driven business. If you are an entrepreneur, someone considering starting a side hustle, or just want to learn about the behind-the-scenes of a fast-growing startup, you will love and learn so much from this episode.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why Michelle is sharing more of her behind-the-scenes at Holisticism
Using KPIs (key performance indicators) to chart your growth
How to determine which KPIs to use in your business
The importance of starting with why
What Michelle's KPIs currently look like for Holisticism
Why entrepreneurship is really a personal development tool
How to build a content business model
Why Holisticism has two business models
How Michelle uses her intuition to run her business
How to use content as a laboratory
The importance of vulnerability in business
How Michelle used user interviews to scale her business
How Michelle integrates mysticism and spiritual tools into her operations
How to not get distracted by all the tools out there
Which tools Michelle used to start her business and which she uses regularly now
The question Michelle asks herself every day to stay in alignment in her business
Michelle's approach to alternative revenue streams and funding options— and why she gave the money she fundraised back
How Michelle scaled her business
The importance of reaching out to your network and strategic partnerships
How to increase your SEO (search engine optimization)
Michelle's productivity tips
How Michelle determines what she wants to focus on next in her business
Michelle's advice for learning new things in business

Mentioned in this episode:

How great leaders inspire action, Simon Sinek's TED Talk
Kirtan Kriya— the Kundalini meditation Michelle used when starting her business
Wild Oat, Bach flower remedies
Human design: read about it on Holisticism, listen to our episode on human design (episode 3)
Akashic records: read about it on Holisticism, listen to our episode (39) with Ashley Wood
Golde superfood company
The soul writing exercise from The Intuitive Way: A Guide to Living from Inner Wisdom by Penney Peirce, or read the recap on Holisticism
Michelle's super helpful pieces on how she runs her business on Holisticism:

All the deets:

Sign up for the newsletter, read the blog, f ind upcoming online workshops and/or sign up to work with a facilitator at Holisticism.com (or sign up as a facilitator!)
You can find Holisticism on Instagram at @holisticism, and Michelle's personal account at @betterbymichelle
Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Michelle/Holisticism on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

Related episodes:

Episode 39: Akashic Records with Ashley Wood
Episode 40: Connecting to your intuition with Jessica Peppler
Episode 6: Tarot reading with Helen Miamii Moon
Episode 21: Natal chart reading with Dani Beinstein
Episode 3: Human design reading with Jaclyn Michelle

43: Connecting with the energies of plants, nature, and our bodies through herbalism with Erin Lovell Verinder Aug 14, 2019

Show notes

You're in for a treat with today's episode, where I chat with the lovely Erin Lovell Verinder. Erin is an Herbalist, Nutritionist, Energetic Healer, and Author, and she is one of the most comforting people to talk to! Her knowledge of plant-based living and medicine is deep, and in this conversation we explored her background in herbalism, how to connect to the energy of nature and plants, gut health, being more present, healing yourself from burnout, and much more.

In this episode, we discuss:

Erin's perspective on herbalism— combining science and tradition
How to tap into the energy of plants
The easiest ways to start taking herbs
Why local herbs are more powerful
What herbal infusions are and how to get started with them
How to truly tap into the power of herbs
Erin's advice for using muscle testing to get to know your body
How to connect to nature and why it's so powerful
Being more present in a digital age
Erin's thoughts on disconnecting and creating digital boundaries, including her nighttime routing
Erin's recent experience with burnout and how she approached healing
Her advice for healing and preventing burnout
How to create space for your wellbeing in your schedule if you are super busy
Erin's tips for gut health
How her business has evolved with the changing times
The trends Erin sees in her work
Erin's advice for aspiring herbalists
How to find your authentic voice - how to unblock and unlock
Erin's recent plant safari when shooting photography for her upcoming book

All the deets:

Learn more about Erin and her work, and book a session with her, on her website, erinlovellverinder.com
Follow Erin on Instagram at @erinlovellverinder (check out her story highlights for info on herbal infusions and muscle testing, as discussed!)

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Erin on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

42: Shifting from functional medicine labs and supplements to breathwork and self-healing with Victoria Albina of Feminist Wellness Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

Today's episode is so packed with useful information about our health and wellbeing! I chatted with Victoria Albina, Functional Medicine Life Coach and Breathwork Facilitator, all about ways to heal. Victoria was my functional medicine practitioner in NYC, and it's been fascinating watching her evolve her practice from externally-focused to internally-focused, helping her clients to be their own healer, which we discuss at length in this episode.

In this episode, we discuss:

Victoria's health journey and how it led to where she is now
Why Victoria decided to become a Nurse Practitioner
How she learned about herbs and nutrition
How Victoria's practice is evolving from external to internal-focused, shifting the power to the patient
How she is moving towards a more feminist healing framework in her practice
What are energy leaks and how do they affect us?
How symptoms are a way of your body telling you something helpful
How Victoria balances science and softer practices
What the vagus nerve is, and what polyvagal theory is, and why they are so important
Victoria's personal practice
How to balance intuitive eating and therapeutic nutrition
Victoria's tips for managing stress
What is breathwork? How it works and what her routine looks like with it.
Victoria's advice for connecting inwards to know what your body actually needs so you can self-heal

Mentioned in this episode:

Victoria's Breathwork playlist on Spotify
Victoria's post on the Vagus Nerve
Episode 40 with Jessica Peppler (who Victoria did her breathwork training with)
The Human Path, Sam Kaufman's herbal school
Victoria's free breathwork workshop on August 14

All the deets:

Victoria's life coaching, functional medicine practice, breathwork sessions, and podcast can be found on her website, victoriaalbina.com
Follow Victoria on Instagram at @victoriaalbinawellness

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Victoria on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

41: Life as multi-hyphenate, the process of exploration, and healing with Seher Sikandar Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

Seher Sinkandar is a multi-hyphenate— she's a photographer, writer, community facilitator, speaker, and creative strategist, amongst other things. In this episode we talk about having various identities, Seher's process to explore what she enjoys and what she wants to offer, how she chooses projects, and her healing journey.

In this episode, we discuss:

Seher's journey into freelance creative work
How she's evolving beyond photography and what she is focusing on expanding into
How she started her writings on Instagram
How her Sudanese Healing Database project came to be
What exploration really looks like and how she structures it
How to be known for anything when you do many things
Seher's healing journey
How she uses Qi Gong for healing

Mentioned in this episode:

Seher's Sudan Healing Database project

All the deets:

Seher's Qi Gong class schedule, in-person events, 1:1 insight sessions, photography work, and upcoming online workshops can be found on her website, seher.co
Follow Seher on Instagram at @seher

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Seher on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

40: Connecting to your intuition and a psychic reading with Jessica Peppler Jul 24, 2019

Show notes

On this episode of Medium Well, I chat with Jessica Peppler, a Psychic Medium & Breathwork Healer, all about intuition. Instead of relying on external advice, Jessica shares how to connect to your own inner wisdom and strengthen your connection to your intuition. In the second half of the episode, Jessica shares a psychic reading for me (starting at 1:08:06), which was very interesting and informative! I think you will love this episode and learn so much.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Jessica came to be a professional psychic and medium, and why it surprised her
How Jessica started as a skeptic
Can everyone be psychic?
What it means to surrender
Jessica's definition of intuition
How to access and strengthen your intuition
How signs play a role in intution
How to differentiate between ego and intuition
The various of methods of accessing intuition, what Jessica calls the "clairs"
The difference between thinking and inution
How to follow your intuition without insulting people
Tips and resources for accessing intuition most regularly
Lifestyle changes that may aid your connection to your intuition
Jessica's psychic reading for me— reading my chakras and answering questions (starting at 1:08:06)

Mentioned in this episode:

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
Jessica's free Awaken Your Intuition course for Medium Well listeners

All the deets:

Jessica's sessions, courses, and upcoming workshops (including her breathwork workshop on 7/31!) are available on her website, jessicapeppler.com
Follow Jessica on Instagram at @jessicapeppler

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Jessica on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

39: Seeking your soul's purpose and exploring the Akashic Records Ashley Wood of Manifest This Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

I was thrilled to chat with Ashley Wood, an International Akashic Records Reader and host of the Manifest This podcast, to learn more about the Akashic records, how they may serve us, and how we can find our soul's purpose, for this week's episode. Ashley also opens my Akashic Records for a mini-reading so you can get a sense of what the experience is like! Ashley has so much wise advice, and is so in her power— she's an expander for me and I hope you'll learn a lot from today's episode as well.

In this episode, we discuss:

What are the Akashic Records? How do they work?
Ashley's approach to skeptics
How nothing is a coincidence.
How Ashley differentiates self-awareness versus soul-awareness
How to find your soul's purpose and why it may look differently than you though
Why Ashley is not afraid to change her mind or pivot
How micro-decisions can make a big impact on your life
How to allow yourself to feel your feelings
Ashley opens the Akashic Records for me for a mini reading

Mentioned in this episode:

To Be Magnetic- Lacy Philip's manifestation and unblocking work

All the deets:

Ashley's work and courses, as well as information about her podcast, are available on her website, ashleywood.life
Follow Ashley on Instagram at @_ashleywood.

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Ashley on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

38: Solo episode: Plastic Free July and getting started with sustainable living Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

In today's episode I talk about Plastic Free July and my tips for getting started with sustainable and zero waste living. It can feel overwhelming at first, but there are so many easy steps you can take to get started on reducing your environmental footprint. Whether you're brand new to this lifestyle or a pro, I hope this episode provides you with some new tips and insight into sustainable living.

In this episode, I discuss:

The Plastic Free July Movement
How to get into the mindset of sustainable living
Why reduce, reuse, recycle isn't a circle— it's a hierarchy, and what it's missing
How to audit your trash
What to include in your zero waste toolkit for reducing waste on the go
How to use your own containers while shopping in the bulk section
How reducing your waste is not the end all, be all of sustainability and what the bigger picture is
Why zero waste "fails", to me, are actually wins
What to do if you can't find something plastic-free
How to help others get on board with your sustainable lifestyle
Why composting is another useful tool and a helpful tip
Prioritizing multi-use over single-use
Why you should give yourself grace in the process
How getting into nature is important for your sustainability practice

Mentioned in this episode:

A handy PDF guide to the topics I discussed in the episode
Plastic Free July

All the deets:

Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well on my website.
Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and what you want to try.

Related episodes:

Episode 7: Sustainable living, global health, and building an impact-driven business with Megan Faletra
Episode 15: Building a brand that sticks, celebrating women in food, and going green with Kerry Diamond
Episode 16: Grounded wellness, adapting through adaptogens, and living with curiosity and empathy with Lopa Van der Mersch
Episode 26: Living a zero waste lifestyle, sustainable events, and green business with Leslie VanKeuren Campbell
Episode 33: Reconnecting to mother earth, financial responsibility and healing, mindful confrontation, and conscious consumption with Deborah Hanekamp of Mama Medicine
Episode 35: Taking the pressure off your passions, rooting sustainability in nature, setting boundaries, and managing burnout with Rebecca Magee

37: Astroplanning and eclipse season with Emmalea Russo of Avant Galaxy Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

Emmalea Russo is an astrologer and a writer. In this episode, we discuss astroplanning, what she calls planning your schedule, life events, and more around astrology, and get into what astrology is really about. We also talk about the upcoming eclipse season and what you need to know about it!

In this episode, we discuss:

Emmalea's path to working with astrology
Her favorite astrological and spiritual tools
How to incorporate astrology in day to day life
How the moon is a grounding element of astrology, and how to plan around the moon
Emmalea's approach to astroplanning
How does Astrology actually work?
What to know about the upcoming eclipse season
How the eclipse season effects my chart

Mentioned in this episode:

The Alphabet Versus the Goddess By Leonard Shlain
Get your own chart at astro.com

All the deets:

Learn more about Emmalea and her services: emmalearusso.com (use code MEDIUM for 15% off her services)
Listen to Emmalea's podcast, Avant Galaxy
Follow Emmalea on Instagram at @avant_galaxy

36: What you need to know about CBD, and what it's like to start a business in cannabis with Amy Duncan of Mowellens Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

We dive into all things CBD in today's episode, where I chat with Amy Duncan, Founder and CEO of Mowellens. Amy launched Mowellens last year after her husband was diagnosed with brain cancer, and we talk about her journey with her husband, launching the company, and deep dive into the world of CBD. Is it the cure-all it's being touted as? And so much more.

In this episode, we discuss:

Amy's career path
How her husband discovered he had a brain tumor
Why Amy decided to launch Mowellens
What it's like to make your personal story your business
Amy's experience with being a caregiver, and her advice for caregivers
What is CBD?
Why the CBD industry has exploded
Is CBD a cure-all?
How CBD is the movement of our generation
Why low-quality CBD can be dangerous, and how to find a good brand
How to evaluate CBD lab tests
The best ways to take CBD
Who should not take CBD and why some people have adverse reactions
How CBD can become more accessible
What Amy does for fun
How to do your own research on wellness trends

Mentioned in this episode:

PubMed for research
Growth Hacking with Vin Clancy
Natural Products Expo West

All the deets:

Check out Mowellens and use code MEDIUMWELL for 10% off your purchase
Keep up with Amy's personal story on her website
Follow along with Amy at @livingduncan, and Mowellens at @mowellens on Instagram
Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Amy/Mowellens on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

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