Why do some versions of us seem to come alive in certain places... and disappear completely in others?

In this episode, we explore how our environments quietly shape our identity, why familiarity often keeps us stuck, and why becoming someone new is about more than simply changing your mindset.

Through stories about school, moving back home after university, and a solo trip to Venice that completely changed my relationship with discomfort, we look at why growth often requires stepping outside the places, routines and identities that once felt safe.

If you've ever felt like you've outgrown your life but don't know why it's so difficult to move forward, this episode is for you.

Inside this episode:

• Why environments reinforce old versions of ourselves
• How social validation shapes identity long after school
• Why familiarity can feel safer than alignment
• The difference between comfort, stretch and real growth
• How one solo trip transformed my relationship with discomfort
• Why the life you want may require becoming unfamiliar to yourself first

The story that changed everything:

The second half of this episode follows my first solo tripto Venice - a story that begins with fear and ends with a completely different relationship to discomfort.

If you've been waiting for a sign to do the thing that scares you, I hope this story lights a fire within you. More than anything, I hope it leaves you feeling excited by the possibility that the life you're looking for might be waiting just beyond what's familiar.

Question of the episode:

Have you ever noticed yourself becoming a different versionof yourself depending on where you are?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment on Spotify or send me a message on Instagram - I read every single one.

Instagram:

Follow along for podcast updates, behind-the-scenes content and more conversations around identity, alignment and personal growth:

@yalaracollective

Support the podcast:

If you're enjoying The YALARA Podcast, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the show and help more women discover it. Thank you for being here, it genuinely means so much.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:18 – Why We Stay the Same

05:05 – When Home No Longer Fits

15:30 – The Behaviours We Reward

18:34 – Stretch Beyond Comfort

19:07 – The Venice Experiment

29:16 – What Changed in Me

30:55 – The Real Lesson

Disclaimer:

This podcast is intended for general informational, educational, and reflective purposes only. The thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and ideas shared are based on personal experiences and reflections and are not intended as professional advice or a replacement for support from a qualified professional.

Please use your own judgement and consider your individual circumstances before taking action based on anything shared on this podcast. Naomi Gershlick (creator of YALARA) is not responsible or liable for any decisions, actions, or outcomes resulting from your use of this content.

In this second episode of The YALARA Podcast, we explore why we can find ourselves repeating the same patterns, even when we consciously want something different. We unpack emotional familiarity, self-protection, and the moments where we have to become honest with ourselves about what we’re choosing and why.

Together, we’ll explore what it looks like to recognise thepatterns shaping our experiences, reconnect with ourselves, and create space for healing, self-trust, and something different.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever looked back atyour life and realised you were repeating a pattern without even noticing? Was there a moment where you became aware of something you needed to change?

For more conversations, insights, podcast updates and behind-the-scenes reflections, find us on Instagram @yalaracollective⁠. My DMs are always open if something in this episode resonated with you.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is intended for general informational, educational, and reflective purposes only. The thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and ideas shared are based on personal experiences and reflections and are not intended as professional advice or a replacement for support from a qualified professional.

Please use your own judgement and consider your individualcircumstances before taking action based on anything shared on this podcast. Naomi Gershlick (creator of YALARA) is not responsible or liable for any decisions, actions, or outcomes resulting from your use of this content.

Something feels off. Not obviously wrong, not bad enough to complain about, just... off.

In this first episode of The YALARA Podcast, we explore why that feeling isn't random, how external expectations can quietly disconnect us from ourselves, and why the answers we're searching for are often closer than we think.

Together, we'll unpack identity, alignment, inherited blueprints, and what happens when we finally stop long enough to hear ourselves beneath the noise.

This is the beginning of the conversation.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever had a period in your life where everything looked fine on the surface, but something still felt off? Or was there a moment in your life where things suddenly became clear and you knew what you needed to do next?

For more conversations, insights, podcast updates and behind-the-scenes reflections, find us on Instagram @yalaracollective. My DMs are always open if something in this episode resonated with you.

Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended for general informational, educational, and reflective purposes only. The thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and ideas shared are based on personal experiences and reflections and are not intended as professional advice or a replacement for support from a qualified professional.

Please use your own judgement and consider your individualcircumstances before taking action based on anything shared on this podcast. Naomi Gershlick (creator of YALARA) is not responsible or liable for any decisions, actions, or outcomes resulting from your use of this content.

I started recording this thinking it was just practice. A little voice note from the bath. Something I’d never post.

But somewhere between the water sounds, the pauses, the overthinking, and the thoughts unfolding in real time, I realised this was actually the perfect way to begin the podcast.

This episode is exactly what I want this space to feel like: honest, reflective, unfiltered conversations about identity, self-trust, growth, emotional patterns, modern life, culture, and the moments where something suddenly clicks.

No performance. No pretending to have all the answers. Just real thoughts, captured as they happen.

Like a late-night FaceTime call, a voice note from a friend, or the conversations we have with ourselves when everything finally goes quiet.

If you’re here, I’m really glad you found this space.

Trust yourself. I’ll see you in the first episode.

Instagram: @yalaracollective for more thoughts between episodes