In this episode, Nikki sits down with Chelsea Piazza Willsey author of Finding Chelsea: How Cancer Ripped Me Open and Brought Me Home. Chelsea shares her raw, honest journey from a breast cancer diagnosis at 37 — with two small children at home — to the unexpected reckoning that came after treatment ended. They dive into the impossible standards women hold for themselves, the identity loss that comes with being a patient, and how feng shui became the unexpected tool that helped Chelsea rediscover who she really is.

In this episode:

• Chelsea's cancer diagnosis at 37 while balancing motherhood and an HR executive career
• Why life after cancer is oddly harder than treatment
• The impossible standards women set for themselves in today's society
• How donating a kidney to her brother was part of a pattern of over-serving others
• The awakening: "What's the point of life? What do I want to be remembered for?"
• How feng shui helped Chelsea reclaim control and reinvent her space — and herself
• Mind, body, spirit: why you can't ignore one and favor the others
• The mom guilt of not knowing how to talk to your kids about cancer
• Rapid-fire round: Buffy, Practical Magic, mantras, and what wellness means now

Guest Links:

• Book: Finding Chelsea: How Cancer Ripped Me Open and Brought Me Home — available October 1 on Amazon and Barnes & NobleWebsite/business: https://sunbloomawakening.comInstagram (business): @sunbloom_awakeningInstagram (decorating/feng shui): @decoratingw.purpose

This episode on financial literacy, money psychology, and how spirituality and manifestation can coexist with practical money management. She clarifies she is not a financial advisor and critiques “woo” financial advice that encourages people to spend money they don’t have on challenges or expensive coaching by maxing out credit cards. Nikki advocates for building a savings cushion, understanding cash flow, debt and interest rates, and learning about retirement options like 401(k)s (including employer matches), IRAs, and 529 college savings plans.

She frames financial stability as supporting nervous system regulation and wellness.

She discusses Tara Swart’s The Source and summarizes key ideas from Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money, emphasizing spending less than you make, saving consistently, investing long term, compounding, and defining “enough."

Time Stamp:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:30 Money Meets Manifestation

02:12 Why We Need Both Worlds

04:08 Gabby Bernstein Manifestation Challenge

07:18 Calling Out Costly Coaching

10:43 Practical Money Basics

15:01 The Woo Woo Side

17:46 Books and Money Lessons

22:46 Your Next Money Steps

24:04 Be Both Spiritual and Practical

Find Nikki online:

Substack - https://nikkilanigan.substack.com/

Instagram - www.instagram.com/elevate_and_align_podcast

Welcome back to Season 7 of Elevate + Align with Nikki!

This episode is all about navigating September — from sending kids off to college and back-to-school jitters, to the everyday systems that keep home life running smoothly.

Nikki shares her go-to dinner shortcuts, after-school snack ideas, favorite books and planners for teens, and more.

Find Nikki:

Instagram: @elevate_and_align_podcast

Substack: https://nikkilanigan.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Elevate + Align with Nikki (formerly Fit, Fun, and Frazzled Podcast) is a podcast for women navigating real midlife — covering strength, stress, motherhood, perimenopause, wellness, and pop culture. Host Nikki Lanigan brings real conversations for real women, focused on strong bodies, calm minds, and wellness that supports your life instead of taking it over. No perfection, no wellness BS — just honest talk for this next chapter.

• Season 7 is coming — new episodes start Wednesday, September 7th
• Rebrand announcement: the show formerly known as Fit, Fun, and Frazzled is now Elevate + Align with Nikki
• What to expect this season: strength, stress, motherhood, perimenopause, wellness, and pop culture — real talk for real women in midlife

This is a replay of one of our most popular episodes from over a year ago! If you've ever felt burnt out, overwhelmed, or like your worth is tied to your productivity — this one's for you. Nikki dives into the #girlboss era, hustle culture, people-pleasing, and how to finally break free. She also explores whether our parents had it just as hard, and what it actually means to redefine success on your own terms.

In This Episode:

• How the #girlboss era sold us on "doing it all" — and what it really cost us
• The physical, mental, and emotional toll of hustle culture
• People-pleasing: why we do it and how to heal
• 5 practical ways to break free from hustle culture
• Did our parents have it just as hard? Gen X vs. Millennial burnout
• Why slowing down is not weakness — it's growth

Resources & Links:

• Neeshi Protein Powder — Use code NIKKIYOGA20 for 20% off: [www.neeshi.com]
• 🍵 Mantra Matcha — Use link for 15% off: [mantramatcha.com]
• 📬 Subscribe to Elevate & Align on Substack for weekly podcast episodes during summer break: For Paid subscribers {https://substack.com/@nikkilanigan}

Connect with Nikki:

• Instagram: @elevate_and_align_
• Instagram: @fitfunandfrazzledpodcast
• Substack: Elevate &Align https://substack.com/@nikkilanigan

In this episode, host Nikki Lanigan welcomes you into a special summer solstice edition of the show. Nikki opens with a guided Summer Solstice Activation Meditation — and visualization practice to help you release what's heavy and step into the second half of 2026 with clarity and intention.

From there, Nikki dives into the yoga philosophy behind the summer solstice — the longest day of the year and the peak of solar energy — and why it's the perfect midyear checkpoint (no January required).

She walks you through three simple but powerful prompts to use as your mid-year reset:

She's taking July and August off from the main podcast feed, but will continue dropping shorter, bite-sized episodes exclusively for Substack subscribers (Elevate and Align with Nikki).

Links & Resources:

• Subscribe to Nikki's Substack: Elevate and Align with Nikki https://substack.com/@nikkilanigan
• Rate & review the show
• Share this episode with someone who needs a mid-year reset

Summer is beautiful — but let's be honest, it can completely derail the routines that keep us grounded. In this episode, Nikki talks about why you don't need a perfect schedule, you need rhythm. She breaks down how to create your "Summer Three" — the three anchors that keep you feeling like yourself even when schedules go out the window. From exercise and meditation to food and mindset, this episode is your permission slip to enjoy summer fully without abandoning yourself in the process.

Substack article - https://open.substack.com/pub/nikkilanigan/p/how-to-have-an-80s-and-90s-summer?r=usp93&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

* As mentioned in episode, sponsors and affiliates:

Mantra Matacha - 15% off with code NIKKIWELLNESS ⁠⁠https://mantramatcha.com/⁠⁠

Neeshi Protein Powder - 20% off your first order with code NIKKIYOGA20

www.neeshi.com⁠Gloci - Use code ELEVATE_AND_ALIGN_ for 10% off your order

https://getgloci.com/ELEVATE_AND_ALIGN_

Nikki Lanigan shares her personal reading list of 10 books she believes every woman — and teen — should read in 2026. From self-worth and confidence to motherhood and healing, these picks span powerful non-fiction and deeply resonant fiction chosen to help women unlearn scarcity, reclaim their identity, and live more fully.

Sponsors & Affiliates:

Mantra Matcha — The only matcha Nikki uses at homeUse code NIKKIWELLNESS for 15% off → mantramatcha.com

Neeshi Protein Powder — Nikki's go-to protein + their cacao spreadUse code NIKKIYOGA20 for 20% off (first-time orders) → neeshi.com

Subscribe on Substack — Free + paid tiers available