Thriving by Nature

Thriving by Nature is a podcast for people who are growing, leading, and carrying a lot, and want to do it without burnout. Hosted by Bethany Stone, a mindset and life skills coach with a Montessori-informed approach, this show explores emotional awareness, self-care as a skill, and sustainable personal growth through real life stories and practical insights.

Website: https://www.thrivingbynature.com

Drop-In Group Coaching: https://www.thrivingbynature.com/special-offer

Latest Episodes:

12 Steps of Liberation: Setting Your Inner Life Free Oct 30, 2026

Show notes

Do you keep bumping into the same pattern, no matter how many books you read or goals you set? That loop is not a character flaw. It is a pattern you have not learned to see yet.

In this episode I walk you through the 12 Steps of Liberation, a framework rooted in Buddhist philosophy that maps how we move from living on autopilot to living with wisdom. You do not have to be Buddhist, or religious at all, for this to land. And if you have a faith background, it may even deepen it.

In this episode I share:
1. The story of a smart, driven woman who keeps pulling back right before she gets what she wants
2. All 12 steps, from knowledge and observation to action, energy, and wisdom, and how Dr. Daniel Siegel's research on mindsight lines up with them
3. Three things to carry with you: find where you are on the path, pick one next step, and be patient with yourself, because growth spirals upward

Your next step: If this opened something up and you are ready to break the pattern, not just see it, let's work on it together. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Connect with me
Email: bethany@thrivingbynature.com
Website: https://www.thrivingbynature.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriving_by_nature_coaching
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-stone-speaking-leadership

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

The Self Care Revolution: Why Self Care Is a Leadership Skill Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

If you're a business owner or leader who keeps pushing but still feels like you're running on empty, this episode is for you.

Burnout isn't a time problem. It's a life skills problem. In this episode I walk through the five areas of self care most leaders overlook, and how neglecting them quietly holds you back in your business, your leadership, and your life.

In this episode I share:
1. Why working more isn't producing better results
2. The golden goose, and how you might be sabotaging your own success without realizing it
3. Simple, practical ways to rebuild your energy, clarity, and direction

This isn't surface level self care. It's the foundation of how you show up, lead, and grow.

Your next step: If you saw yourself in the golden goose, this is where we rebuild. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Join my free Self Care Masterclass, where we walk through all five domains together: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/self-care-masterclass

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

The Life Skill Nobody Taught You: How Leaders Actually Communicate Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Most of us were taught grammar, manners, and to raise our hand before speaking. Very few of us were taught how to listen so someone feels safe, or how to say the hard thing without shutting down or blowing up.

In this episode I share why communication is a life skill, not a personality trait, and what it looks like to learn it as an adult and as a leader.

In this episode I share:
1. The story of two people having the same conversation over and over, and ending up further apart every time
2. Dr. John Gottman's Four Horsemen of communication breakdown, and the learnable antidote to each one
3. Dr. Brené Brown's research on vulnerability and the armor we wear when honesty feels risky
4. What Harvard Business Review research says about listening and leadership
5. What Montessori has known for over a century about teaching communication, plus three practices you can use in your very next conversation

Your next step: If your voice has been waiting, this is where it grows. The Executive Presence Speaking School is for adults and business owners who want to speak with clarity, stay steady in hard conversations, and lead in a way people trust.
Learn more: https://www.thrivingbynature.com/executive-presence

Not sure it is the right fit yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

When Life Feels Heavy but You Still Show Up Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

This episode is different. It isn't polished or structured. It's real.

Life can feel heavy and beautiful at the same time. In this episode I share what it looks like to hold both, grief and hope, pressure and purpose, and how to keep showing up when your heart feels full and tired all at once.

If you lead people, run a business, or care for a family while carrying something heavy, this one is for you. You don't have to choose between strength and softness. You are allowed to hold both.

Your next step: If you are carrying a lot right now, you do not have to carry it alone. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Chapters
00:00 Showing up real instead of perfect
00:30 When life feels heavy and overwhelming
01:10 Watching someone you love struggle and holding hope
01:50 Grief, loss, and the weight of real life
02:30 Why we think we can only feel one emotion at a time
03:00 Holding grief and gratitude at the same time
03:40 Hope in the middle of hardship
04:15 Being present in loss
04:45 The urge to stay busy instead of feeling
05:10 Simplifying when everything feels like too much
05:45 Letting go of perfection and just showing up
06:10 What "happiness is a choice" really means
06:45 How to keep going when your heart feels heavy
07:15 Holding strength and softness
07:40 Closing thoughts

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

Is Your Soil Prepared? Why Your Environment Shapes Everything Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

You can't expect a seed to grow in soil that hasn't been prepared. And you can't expect yourself to thrive in a space that's quietly working against you.

If you've been pushing harder and still feel scattered, tired, or stuck, the problem may not be your discipline. It may be your environment.

In this episode I share what 20 years as a Montessori educator taught me about the prepared environment, and what the research on choice architecture says about how your space shapes your choices, your stress, and your health.

In this episode:
1. Why your surroundings make decisions for you before you ever choose
2. What the kitchen, the cake, and the clutter taught me about getting ready to grow
3. Three practical steps to prepare your soil this week

Your next step: If your effort isn't matching your results, the Five Domains Business Reset is where we find out why. It's 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

Coming Home to Yourself: What Happens When You Stop Living for Everyone Else’s Approval Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever felt lost even when life looks good on the outside? Sometimes the problem isn't what you're doing. It's who you're doing it for.

In this episode I talk about what happens when we spend our lives chasing approval instead of living in alignment with who we really are. I share the story of a woman who built her whole sense of worth on gold stars and praise, and what happened when the world stopped handing them out.

In this episode:
1. The story of the gold stars, and what happens when the applause stops
2. The science of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and why high achievers fall into the shiny object trap
3. Three practical steps to start making decisions from the inside out

Your next step: If you've been feeling scattered or disconnected, or like something is just off, let's find where you've drifted from yourself. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

What the Elderly Still Teach Us: A Reflection on Ageism and Connection May 20, 2026

Show notes

What do we lose when we stop listening to the people who have lived the longest?

In this episode I reflect on ageism, multigenerational living, and the wisdom that comes from staying connected across generations. Fresh off my presentation at the Utah Montessori Conference, I share stories from my classroom, my family, and my own life in a four generation household.

In this episode:
1. What happened when I invited elderly guests into my classroom
2. Growing up alongside my Swiss grandmother, and what she taught me about patience and perspective
3. The research on intergenerational connection, including lower anxiety and better mental health for younger generations

Thriving doesn't happen in isolation. It happens in connection.

Your next step: If you've been leading, parenting, or building on your own for too long, let's look at where connection fits back into your life. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

The Body Keeps the Score: What Overextension Is Costing You May 19, 2026

Show notes

Your body is always talking. The question is whether you're listening before it has to shout.

In this episode I share what happened when I pushed my body too far through a season of weddings, travel, business, dance, fitness, family, and nonstop responsibility. This is physical self care, but not the fluffy kind.

In this episode:
1. My own story of overextension, and the signs I ignored
2. What running on empty really costs your immune system, your emotions, your clarity, and your energy
3. Why listening to your body earlier is wisdom, leadership, and self respect, not weakness

Your next step: If you've been telling yourself “just one more thing,” let's look at where you're stretched too thin before your body makes the decision for you. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

Staying the Course When Progress Is Quiet May 01, 2026

Show notes

Staying the course is easy to talk about and hard to live, especially when the results haven't caught up with your effort yet.

If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or leader who feels discouraged because progress feels slow or invisible, this one is for you. I talk about what it actually takes to keep going without burning out.

In this episode:
1. Why motivation fades, and why progress often feels invisible right before it becomes obvious
2. The science of grit and neuroplasticity, and how repetition changes the brain
3. How to tell the difference between quitting out of fear and pivoting with clarity

Your next step: If you're doing the work and wondering whether it's working, let's look at it together. The Five Domains Business Reset is 90 minutes, just you and me, finding where your energy is leaking and building a plan that fits your life.
Book your Reset: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/book-my-5-domains-reset

Not ready for that yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

What You Say to Yourself Matters: Affirmations That Actually Work Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

What you say to yourself matters more than you think. It becomes the voice you lead with.

In this episode I talk about affirmations, not the fluffy, surface level kind, but the kind that actually shift your perspective and change how you see yourself and your life.

In this episode:
1. A personal story about perspective, and how the lens you look through shapes everything
2. Why affirmations aren't about pretending, they're about choosing the words that shape who you're becoming
3. One of the affirmation songs I actually sing in my own life

Your next step: If the voice in your head has been holding back the voice you use with others, let's change that. The Executive Presence Speaking School is for adults and business owners who want to speak with clarity, stay steady in hard conversations, and lead in a way people trust.
Learn more: https://www.thrivingbynature.com/executive-presence

Not sure it is the right fit yet? Start with a free Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/thrivingbynaturecoaching/30min

Thriving by Nature is part of the PodFather Network.

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