My two-part process to help you find clarity, confidence, and calm before any big artistic event

What if preparing for a big performance didn't have to feel overwhelming, rigid, or all-consuming?

In this episode, I'm sharing the exact framework I use with my coaching clients to help them create their own personal process — one that supports not just their playing, but supports them as a whole human — both leading up to a big event and on the day itself.

Whether you're preparing for an audition, competition, recital, solo performance, orchestra feature, or any meaningful creative project, this episode will help you find more clarity, ease, and confidence in how you prepare — without defaulting to burnout or grind.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to identify a target feeling to guide your preparation (instead of letting anxiety run the show)
• What to intentionally bring into your process — and what to leave out
  
• How to structure your prep using a whole-person approach, not just more practice
• How to build a supportive day-of plan that helps you feel grounded and ready, regardless of outcome
• What to include in your personal performance toolkit
  

Also - Come say hi! @mindfulopus on Instagram, or mindfulopus.com

A story of reconnection, self-belief, and coming home to your art.

What happens when you've spent years feeling like your playing is never good enough, you're disconnected from your art, or unsure whether this music-thing you once loved is still right for you?

In this deep and meaningful conversation, violinist Lauren Roth-Gómez — Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony — shares the inner transformation that led her back to herself, her artistry, and her love of music.

Lauren opens up about:

• Nearly walking away from the violin
• The internal pressures and perfectionism that buried her love for music
• Rebuilding self-worth from the inside out
• What it means to cultivate an inner coach
• How freedom became her guiding lighthouse
• The moment she realized her worth wasn't tied to a single note, run, or result
• Her career pivot rooted in creating a life aligned with her values
• How self-compassion — not self-criticism — became her most powerful performance tool
• Whether you're a musician, a creative, or someone who has ever questioned your path, Lauren's story is a reminder that you're allowed to evolve, to reconnect, and to come home to your art — one opus at a time…

Timestamps

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:19) - Interview begins

(04:01) - Why Lauren chose coaching

(07:00) - Ebb and flow of violin journey, and making it her own

(11:30) - Tackling feelings of inadequacy, perfectionism and muddy waters

(13:35) - Self-compassion

(15:25) - Concerto moment: performance shift + self-worth

(20:30) - Audition journey: inner coach + critic, resilience amidst obstacles

(27:15) - The desire to win, balanced with with releasing any outcome

(32:12) - Knowing yourself: self-determination, discipline, perseverance, fierce self-compassion

(35:50) - Create the life you want: career pivot, values work, decisions from self-trust and self-love

(42:10) - How being yourself is the best way to honor your teachers

(45:48) - Rapid fire questions

Also - Come say hi! @mindfulopus on Instagram, or mindfulopus.com

When your worth depends on your results, and how that pressure leads to burnout.

If your inner-critic has been running the show — the one that tells you you're only as worthy as your latest performance, audition result, or practice session — this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I share the real cost of being your own worst critic: how tying your worth to your results quietly fuels burnout, anxiety, procrastination, and overworking. We'll look at what happens in your nervous system when you practice from a place of threat instead of safety, and why "pushing harder" stops working over time.

From there, we start shifting from inner-critic to inner-coach. Drawing on the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, I'll walk you through the idea of self-compassion as inner resilience training — both the tender support that lets you rest, and the fierce support that helps you set boundaries, show up, and take brave action without the whip. You'll be invited to build your own inner-resilience toolbox for body, mind, and music, so you can work in a way that's sustainable and kind.

In this episode, we explore:

• How tying your self-worth to your results is hurting you, on and off stage
• Why harsh self-criticism backfires (and actually blocks learning)
• The difference between judgment and data — and how to actually progress in a healthy way
• Tender vs. fierce self-compassion, and how both ways support your artistry and your life
• How to start creating your own inner-resilience toolbox so you can practice, perform, and live from a place of safety instead of fear

Because when your worth is no longer tied to your artistic product, your nervous system can settle, your curiosity can return, and you create sustainable growth in a way that serves you long-term.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

Also - Come say hi! @mindfulopus on Instagram, or mindfulopus.com