The Daily Ascent

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 64 | Why Your Work Matters More Than You Think Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about the voice that came in questioning whether my work matters enough when there are such important things going on in the world - and the humbling reminder I got that it's not up to me to decide.

I share why I was second-guessing the form of my offering, what my friend said that changed everything, and why our only job is to give what's ours to give with intention - not to measure its impact or determine its worth.

We'll explore why your highest self knows your clear yeses and nos, why doubt comes from your lowest self, and why your offering extends like a shadow into places you'll never see.

Question to carry into your day: What am I withholding because I've decided it's not important enough - and what would it look like to step out of my own way and just offer it?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Subscribe on YouTube
Instagram: @mollycarmel
Check out my Pocket Sages on my Amazon Storefront
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 63 | Why I Almost Didn't Go to the Shiva (And Why I'm So Glad I Did) Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about almost not going to a shiva because I wasn't on the invite list - and how my friend Jenny reminded me that showing up for people isn't about being invited, it's about being present when someone needs you.

I share the story of old middle school wounds showing up even though I know better, and how pushing past them led to one of the most heart-expanding experiences I've had in a long time.

We'll explore how showing up for people - setting aside our own insecurities and old stories - is one of the most sacred things we can do.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are old wounds or insecurities keeping you from showing up for someone - and what would it look like to set those aside and just be there anyway?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Subscribe on YouTube
Instagram: @mollycarmel
Check out my Pocket Sages on my Amazon Storefront
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 62 | What If We Stopped Obsessing Over the Worst-Case Scenario? Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about what happened when I lost my keys on a walk with my dog and immediately spiraled into worst-case scenario thinking - and what a Buddhist monk on Instagram reminded me about training our brains toward positivity instead of panic.

I share the story of catastrophizing in the forest, only to find my keys safely in my car, and explore why our brains are wired to obsess over what could go wrong instead of what could go right.

We'll explore how we can train ourselves to shift perspective from panic to possibility.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you defaulting to worst-case scenarios - and what would it look like to train your brain toward possibility instead of panic?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 61 | When It's Time to Leave a Room That's Hurting You Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about something vulnerable - getting pulled into drama that brought me right back to 8th grade, and what my friends taught me about listening to your body and knowing when it's time to leave.

I share what happened when I found out someone was talking about me in unkind ways, and how my friends Karen and Betsy helped me see that sometimes you just need to switch schools.

We'll explore why leaving isn't failure - and why protecting yourself is sometimes the bravest choice you can make.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you trying to prove yourself in a room that's hurting you - and what would it look like to just switch schools instead?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 60 | Catching Sadness Before It Becomes Despair Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about what my friend's emergency root canal taught me about feelings - and why we can't postpone pain, no matter how inconvenient the timing.

I share the story of my friend thinking she could deal with her root canal in 2026, and how it connected to a woman in my group who was in despair.

We'll explore why catching ourselves at sadness - and tending to it early - is the only way to keep from hitting despair.

Question to carry into your day: What sadness are you postponing right now - and what would it look like to tend to it before it becomes despair?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 59 | Why the First Time Through Is Always the Hardest Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about what my yoga teacher said that completely reframed how I think about transitions - and why the first time through anything is always the hardest.

I share the story of my best friend Drea starting a new job and feeling disoriented and off-balance, and how something Greg said in yoga class reminded me that rhythm always comes if you keep showing up.

We'll explore why the "first side" of any change feels so hard and how to trust that you'll find your footing even when it doesn't feel that way.

Question to carry into your day: What transition are you in right now where you're still on the "first side" - and how would it feel to trust that rhythm is coming?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 58 | How Telling the Truth Made My Shame Disappear Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about something I learned recently about shame - and how telling the truth to the right people can make it disappear.

I share the story of getting pulled into drama and feeling so ashamed about it that I almost didn't tell anyone. And how my friends became shame eliminators just by listening with empathy.

We'll explore why shame thrives in secrecy and how confession - bringing something hidden into the light - can set you free.

Question to carry into your day: What are you carrying right now that feels too shameful to say out loud - and who in your life might be a shame eliminator you could trust with it?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 57 | The Night I Sobbed in a Parking Lot After a Book Launch Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about the night I hysterically cried in a parking lot after watching someone else launch their book - and how that moment that felt like total failure turned out to be a turning point I just couldn't see yet.

I share the story of grieving my old creative life, feeling completely hopeless about what was next, and how my friend Michelle's words came true months later when I realized my life had been quietly reorganizing itself the whole time.

We'll explore how life unfolds in ways we can't see while we're in the middle of it - and why the absence of answers doesn't mean the absence of movement.

Question to carry into your day: What moment in your life are you treating as proof that something is over - when it might actually be the beginning of something you can't see yet?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 56 | The Moment I Stopped Asking Someone to Become Who I Wanted Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about the moment my ex asked me what it would take to get back together - and how years of healing showed up in one sentence I didn't even plan to say.

I share the story of feeling the pull to give him a list of conditions, to manage what shouldn't be managed, and how I chose dignity instead - telling him he deserved to be with someone who loved him exactly as he is.

We'll explore what it means to love someone without asking them to change, and how real intimacy requires honesty over comfort.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you trying to change someone to meet your needs - and what would it look like if you kept the focus on yourself instead?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Ep. 55 | When Fear Quietly Sabotages the Life You're Building Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm talking about how fear sabotages us - not with drama or rebellion, but quietly, by disguising itself as forgetfulness or procrastination.

I share the story of a client who stopped picking up her GLP medication right when it started working, and what happened when we named the sabotage for what it really was: fear of change.

We'll explore how recognition helps us see what's actually happening underneath our behavior - and how that awareness is what makes different choices possible.

Question to carry into your day: Where might fear be quietly sabotaging something that could actually help you right now?

Want to chat about working together? Me too! Visit https://www.mollycarmel.com to schedule a free call about my Stop Starting Over System.

Let's Stay Connected:

Instagram: @mollycarmel
Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)
Questions or want to share your story? Email me at dailyascentpod@gmail.com

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected