This one's a big exhale.

If you've ever looked around your studio, full classes, busy recital nights, smiling families… and then gone home to stare at a credit card statement wondering why it still feels tight… this episode is for you.

This week we're joined by our dear friend Kim Fields, owner of Valley Dance Theater in Virginia, who shares the real story behind her studio turnaround. Not the highlight reel. The real one.

Kim talks about the ego check of closing a second location. The painful realization that cutting prices to "compete" was actually costing her everything. The years of working harder, not smarter. And how she went from financially stretched and exhausted to profitable, debt free, and finally able to breathe again.

We talk about:

• Why pricing based on competitors is a dangerous game

• The emotional cost of running a studio in survival mode

• What it really looks like to audit your business

• The trap of "artists shouldn't make money"

• Why profit doesn't mean you've sold out

• How debt free equals freedom, not restriction

• The confidence shift that happens when your numbers align

Kim's honesty is refreshing. Her growth is inspiring. And her reminder that artists deserve to make money too might be the mindset shift you didn't know you needed.

If this episode hit home, share it with a studio friend. You might just save someone's business.

And if you're ready for a new approach instead of another exhausting season, this is your sign 💛

Money.
Just reading that word might make you want to close the app, grab a latte, and pretend everything's fine.

This week on No Bras Required, Patti and Meghan kick off February's theme, Finding the Stronger You, by diving headfirst into something many women avoid like a haunted house, money.

This is not a budgeting lecture.
No spreadsheets.
No latte-shaming.
And absolutely no "just stop spending" nonsense.

Instead, this episode is all about financial confidence, where it comes from, why so many women don't feel it, and how our relationship with money is deeply emotional, especially once motherhood enters the picture.

They unpack the money stories we inherited, the scarcity mindset so many of us grew up with, why avoidance isn't laziness, and how understanding money can actually be a safety issue for women.

If you've ever felt capable running a household, a studio, and everyone's emotional wellbeing, but totally overwhelmed by finances, this one's for you.

• Why money reflects beliefs, fear, worth, and power, not just numbers

• The real reason women avoid their banking apps

• How upbringing and scarcity mindset shape spending habits

• Why financial literacy is a safety issue for women

• How motherhood adds pressure, guilt, and emotional weight to money

• Teaching kids money confidence without shame

• Why having any plan is better than avoiding it altogether

• The first step toward financial confidence, awareness, not perfection

No fixing. No judging.
Just notice your money story and when emotions show up around spending.

Next week, Patti and Meghan dive into what financial confidence actually looks like, even when your numbers aren't perfect, and they welcome their first-ever podcast guest.

Bras optional. Awareness required.

Growth isn't quiet.
It isn't polite.
And it definitely doesn't keep everyone comfortable.

This week, Patti and Meghan are digging into the real, rarely talked about truth of personal growth, especially for mums, leaders, and women who are done playing small to keep the peace.

If you've ever been told "you've changed," felt guilty for setting boundaries, or noticed people pulling away the moment you got clearer, more confident, or more self-respecting, this episode is for you.

We're talking about the social cost of living boldly, why some people miss the old version of you, and how letting others be uncomfortable might be the most loving thing you can do for yourself and your kids.

This isn't about becoming cold or unkind.
It's about choosing peace over performance, and self-respect over staying recognizable.

• Why growth changes how people treat and respect you

• The unspoken agreements women are expected to keep, and what happens when we break them

• Why boundaries often get labelled as "attitude" or "being intimidating"

• Losing relationships as a natural part of leadership and business growth

• Modeling courage and self-respect for our kids

• Why peace is a better measure of success than praise

• Letting go of permission, approval, and over-explaining

If this episode hits a nerve, you're probably doing something right.

🎧 Listen now, and remember, bras are optional, but comfy pants are non-negotiable.