"Joy in the Belly of a Riot" with Poet & Performer Barbara Fant

In this soul-stirring episode, Sara Connell welcomes award-winning poet, performer, and author Barbara Fant to celebrate the launch of her newest collection, Joy in the Belly of a Riot—a book born from prayer, memory, healing, and the radical practice of choosing joy in the midst of pain.

Barbara opens up about the spiritual and creative forces behind her writing, sharing how dreams, images, and intuitive "downloads" shape her poems. She also performs a powerful reading of "I Keep Trying to Write About the Trauma but the Joy Won't Let Me," offering listeners a rare glimpse of her voice, breath, and artistry.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How to access joy—even when life is hard, through the wisdom that joy is not the absence of pain, but "happiness in spite of it."
• The surprising creative process behind Barbara's poems, including how she receives lines through imagery, dreams, and intuitive insights.
• Why writing can be a form of prayer, healing, and reclamation—and how your own story can become an instrument of wholeness.
• The art of writing for both the page and the stage, and how Barbara edits her work using breath, rhythm, and embodied performance.
• How to preserve your voice through trauma and transformation, and why your words have the power to "save the day."
• What it means to reimagine your future, even when your past feels heavy—and how joy can call you forward.

This episode is a masterclass in artistry, resilience, and the sacred power of storytelling. Whether you're a writer, a creative, or someone seeking healing, Barbara's wisdom will invite you to step into light, possibility, and the page that's waiting for you next.

Want more support? Visit https://www.saraconnell.com

#TheRisePodcast #SaraConnell #BarbaraFant #JoyInTheBellyOfARiot #PoetryCommunity #WritersOnWriting #HealingThroughArt #CreativeProcess #PoetLife #StorytellingMagic #WomenWhoWrite #ThoughtLeaderAcademy #WritingJourney #BookLaunch2025 #WritingAsPrayer #SpokenWordPoetry #RiseWithSaraConnell #AuthorLife #EmotionalHealing #WritingToHeal

In this episode, we're diving deep into one of the most overlooked tools in your author brand: your website.

Whether you're launching a book, building a thought leader brand, or growing your expert business—your website is the foundation of your visibility, credibility, and conversions.

Join bestselling author and founder of Thought Leader Academy Sara Connell and special guest Hannah Boeck, conversion copywriter and founder of Amplify Copy, as they unpack what it really takes to build a website that doesn't just look good—but actually works.

You'll Learn:

• What makes an author website stand out and convert

• Common website mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• The #1 element that drives people to take action

• Why traditional "pretty" websites often don't sell

• The strategy behind creating magnetic landing pages, sales pages & opt-ins

• How to position your site as a bridge to your book and brand

Whether you're pre-launch, post-publish, or pivoting to scale your business, this episode is your roadmap to building a website that works as hard as you do.

🎯 Want more support? Visit https://www.saraconnell.com

#AuthorMarketing #WebsiteTipsForAuthors #ThoughtLeaderBranding #SaraConnell #AmplifyCopy #ConversionCopywriting #ExpertBrand #AuthorWebsite #BuildAWebsiteThatConverts #MessageToMovement #BookLaunchTips

If you've ever wondered how to stand out in a crowded online world, this episode is for you.

In Episode 72 of The RISE Podcast, Sara Connell sits down with Rachel B. Lee, personal branding expert and co-founder of Standout Authority, to talk about the REAL keys to building a personal brand that doesn't just look good—but drives real impact and results.

Rachel shares:
✨ The 4 pillars of a magnetic personal brand
✨ Why most entrepreneurs blend in—and how to break out
✨ How to turn your personal story into a visibility superpower
✨ What thought leaders MUST do to connect with modern audiences
✨ Her own journey from corporate marketing at Microsoft to building a multi-six figure brand with her husband

Whether you're a coach, author, or entrepreneur ready to be seen, heard, and PAID—this episode gives you actionable tools to become unforgettable.

🔗 Learn more about Rachel B. Lee and Standout Authority: https://www.standoutauthority.com

📚 Learn more about Sara's programs: https://www.saraconnell.com

🎧 Listen to more episodes of The RISE Podcast: https://www.saraconnell.com/the-rise-podcast

Follow Sara on IG: @saraconnell

#PersonalBranding #ThoughtLeader #SaraConnell #RachelBLee #StandOutAuthority #BrandStrategy #EntrepreneurLife #BookMarketing #MagneticBrand #WomenInBusiness #OnlineBusinessTips #ContentStrategy #TheRisePodcast

What happens when your story becomes the support you never had?

In this episode of The Rise, Sara Connell is joined by Sarah Cassidy—author, coach, and founder of Postpartum With a Plan. What started as a deeply personal experience of new motherhood turned into a powerful movement supporting thousands of women navigating the unexpected gap between what's promised… and what's real.

Together, they explore how to turn your truth into transformation—not only for yourself, but for your community, audience, and brand.

Sarah is a certified coach and the founder of Postpartum With a Plan, a resource-driven support system and coaching platform that empowers new moms with real talk, expert tools, and emotional support. Her personal story of motherhood inspired her to write the book she needed—and to build a platform that continues to change lives.

Get Sarah's book here: https://a.co/d/4Uz5DIx

• How Sarah turned her story into a bestselling book

• The disconnect between motherhood expectations vs. reality

• What it takes to create a mission-driven brand

• How to build community through storytelling

• The secret to turning pain points into platforms of impact

This episode is a must-watch for:

• Authors ready to share personal stories

• Coaches building impact-driven platforms

• Speakers & thought leaders growing communities

• Entrepreneurs who want to write the book they needed

If you're a coach, author, speaker, or entrepreneur ready to elevate your message and grow your thought leadership—subscribe for more weekly episodes and interviews.

#therisepodcast #saraconnell #thoughtleadership #authorlife #momlife #sarahcassidy #postpartumtruth #buildyourplatform #writetoinspire #bookmarketing #coachingbusiness #purposefulplatform

What if your next level of impact isn't in your mind… but in your body?

In this energizing episode of the RISE Podcast, Sara Connell sits down with Helen Birney, a holistic health expert, to uncover how your physical vitality is the secret weapon behind your success as a thought leader.

Helen shares the truth about burnout, the power of energetic alignment, and how entrepreneurs can nourish their minds and bodies for sustainable impact and creative genius. From nutrition and nervous system regulation to spiritual alignment, this episode is a roadmap to becoming the most energized, magnetic version of yourself.

Whether you're scaling your business, writing your next book, or preparing to speak on the world's biggest stages—this conversation will leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to RISE.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why thought leaders must prioritize energy to achieve visibility and impact

• The surprising connection between food, boundaries, and burnout

• How to regulate your nervous system to unlock your highest vision

• Helen's personal journey from hustle to holistic alignment

• Actionable tips to create energetic rituals that fuel your purpose

This is for you if:

• You're a coach, author, or entrepreneur tired of pushing through fatigue

• You want to build a business from a place of pleasure, not burnout

• You're curious how to integrate health, purpose, and spiritual alignment

• You're ready to RISE as the leader you came here to be

🎧 Listen on the go:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Amazon Music

💛 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with a fellow visionary.

📲 69Tag us on Instagram @saraconnell and let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode.

In this powerful episode, Sara Connell sits down with Carol Look—one of the original EFT Masters in the world—to explore how Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or tapping) can unlock abundance, release blocks, and help authors, coaches, and thought leaders magnetize ideal clients.

This conversation is an invitation to tune into your body, clear out scarcity programming, and create energetic alignment with your most abundant life and business.

If you’ve ever felt stuck—even though you're doing “all the right things”—or you’ve hit an invisible income plateau, Carol reveals the energetics and practical tools to shift your reality.

Whether you're a bestselling author, purpose-driven entrepreneur, coach, speaker, or creative—this episode will show you how to use EFT to call in clients, confidence, and clarity.

• What is EFT and why it works (especially for thought leaders)

• The hidden abundance blockers you might not know you have

• How to use EFT to attract high-aligned clients & sales

• Why your beliefs about “deserving” influence your income

• Real-time examples of tapping to release old stories

• Daily practices to stay in an energy of abundance

Carol Look is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, intuitive healer, and one of the first Certified EFT Masters globally. She is known for helping people clear limiting beliefs and emotional blocks so they can experience abundance in every area of life.

🖥 Learn more at: www.carollook.com

Subscribe to the RISE Podcast with Sara Connell for weekly episodes that empower you to turn your message into a movement—and your movement into a 7-figure brand.

#RISEPodcast #SaraConnell #EFTTapping #AbundanceMindset #ThoughtLeader #AttractClients #CarolLook #HealingTools #MonetizeYourMessage #RISEWithSara

In this episode of The Rise, Sara Connell sits down with Noelle McWard Aquino—therapist, speaker, and author of Anxiety Unpacked: Discover Your Type and Recover Your Peace.

With over 30 years of clinical practice, Noelle has guided thousands of people in healing anxiety. What she discovered through her clients—and her own family's journey—turned into a revolutionary model: anxiety isn't one-size-fits-all. Instead, there are three distinct anxiety types, each with its own root cause, underlying needs, and path to peace.

Noelle earned her Master's in Social Work from the University of Chicago in 1993. Over the course of her career, she has received advanced training in CBT, ACT, Mindfulness, The Gottman Method, EFT, and Relational Life Therapy, and she has a background in hospice care and end-of-life issues.

She served as an adjunct instructor at Loyola University's Graduate School of Social Work and is a Licensed Continuing Education Provider for Illinois social workers and professional counselors, offering professional development training to fellow clinicians.

Through her therapy practice, trainings, and thought leadership, Noelle empowers people to understand their unique anxiety type and transform their relationship with anxiety into one of peace and empowerment.

• The 3 root causes of anxiety: catastrophizing, control, and distorted beliefs
• How to identify your anxiety type and its underlying needs
• Why anxiety often disguises itself as "stress" or "overwhelm"
• The objections anxiety uses to keep itself alive
• Tools to break the cycle and create a more peaceful, empowered life

• You've tried therapy or self-help tools but still feel "stuck" in anxiety
• You want strategies that address root causes—not just symptoms
• You're a therapist or coach looking to bring fresh insights to your clients
• You're ready to rewrite your relationship with anxiety and recover your peace

Pre-order Noelle's book: Anxiety Unpacked: Discover Your Type and Recover Your Peace: https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Unpacked-Noelle-McWard-Aquino/dp/1960876902

Follow Noelle on Instagram: @noellemcwardaquino

Don't miss Sara Connell's upcoming live event:

Women Starting Movements

New York City | October 7–9, 2025

Turn Your Mission Into a 7-Figure Movement While Impacting Millions

saraconnell.com/women-starting-movements

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In this empowering episode, Sara Connell is joined by Stacey Brass-Russell, a former Broadway performer turned coach for thought leaders to talk about why you don't have to start over to rise. They explore what it means to evolve your identity and message without erasing your past, and how to claim your space as a bold, visible, soul-led leader.

Why listen: If you've ever felt like you've outgrown parts of your brand, business, or identity but don't want to throw it all away. This conversation will remind you that every version of you is still worthy. It's not about reinvention. It's about integration.

Who it's for:
Coaches, creatives, speakers, and authors navigating a personal or professional evolution.

What you'll gain:

• Tools for visibility
• Mindset breakthroughs
• Practical steps for turning your past into your power.

🎟️ Join us August 6 for the Monetize Your Book Summit!
For authors, coaches & entrepreneurs ready to amplify their impact through a bestselling book.
Sign up: Click here to register

🔔 Subscribe + Follow for more weekly episodes on building your platform and becoming the leader you're here to be.