EP 61: Finding Hope — The Power of Starting Over with Gretchen Schoser

What if your greatest breakdown became the foundation for your most powerful breakthrough?

This week, we’re joined by Gretchen Schoser — suicide survivor, mental health advocate, and co-host of the award-winning podcast Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — for a raw and deeply inspiring conversation about resilience, healing, and the messy beauty of starting over.

At 61, Gretchen launched a new career and a new company, blending technical know-how with lived experience to support others in their mental health journey. In this episode, she gets real about the signs we often ignore (in ourselves and others), why laughter can be just as therapeutic as therapy, and how storytelling helps us feel less alone.

Whether you’ve faced your own battles or want to show up better for someone who has, this episode reminds us:
✨ It’s never too late to rewrite your story
✨ Self-care is a survival tool — not a luxury
✨ Owning your reality is where healing begins

🔑 Topics include:
• Recognizing signs of mental health struggles
• Setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care
• Podcasting as a path to healing
• Reinventing life after 60
• Why finding joy is an act of resilience

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Jess and Claude break down what affirmations really are (and aren’t), how to use them without the cringe, and why positive self-talk can meaningfully shift your mood, confidence, and boundaries—at work and beyond. From overcoming negative thought loops to writing affirmations that actually sound like you, this episode gives you practical language and everyday practices to support your emotional well-being and productivity.

What You’ll Learn

• What affirmations are—and how to make them feel authentic
• How positive self-talk rewires unhelpful narratives at work and at home
• Ways to use affirmations to set boundaries and prioritize self-care
• Simple, repeatable scripts to reduce stress and anxiety
• How sharing affirmations with your work bestie reinforces healthier beliefs

Chapters

• 00:00 The Power of Self-Affirmation
• 01:12 Understanding Affirmations
• 03:24 Personal Experiences with Affirmations
• 06:08 Affirmations in the Workplace
• 08:19 Leveraging Support from Others
• 10:30 Practical Affirmations for Daily Life
• 12:53 Creating Your Own Affirmations

Quick Takeaways

• Affirmations are short, intentional phrases that reframe negative thoughts.
• They can be written, spoken, or silently repeated—do what fits your life.
• Personalization matters: make them sound like you.
• Use them to set boundaries, reduce stress, and build confidence at work.
• Consistency turns affirmations into mindset shifts.

Try These (and Tweak Them to Fit You)

• “I can handle this one step at a time.”
• “My boundaries protect my energy and my impact.”
• “I am proud of the progress I’m making—even if it’s not perfect.”
• “I speak to myself the way I speak to someone I love.”
• “I trust myself to choose what I need today.”

If this episode helped, follow, rate, and review Work Besties Who Podcast. Share your go-to affirmation with us on Instagram @workbestieswhopodcast and tag your work bestie!

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

In this episode, we’re joined by Jen Hardy and Irina Alexander of MotivAction and co-hosts of the Life by Choice podcast to talk about one of the most overlooked truths in burnout: It’s not just internal — it’s relational.

Jen and Irina open up about their personal experiences with burnout, compassion fatigue, and the emotional toll of always saying “yes.” They share their transformative journey toward healing, highlight the importance of emotional literacy, and offer practical tools like their CARES framework to support resilience and self-awareness.

You’ll walk away with:

• A new lens on burnout (it shows up in how we communicate)
• Tools to strengthen your emotional vocabulary
• Strategies to pause before saying yes
• The courage to have more vulnerable, honest conversations at work and beyond

Takeaways:

• Burnout can manifest in many ways, including silence or over-commitment
• Communication style shifts under pressure
• Emotional literacy helps us process burnout, not just survive it
• The CARES model provides actionable healing tools
• Healing happens in connection — not isolation

🎙️ Sound Bites:

• "I had compassion fatigue."
• "Guilt and shame live in silence."

🔗 Resources:

• Learn more about MotivAction https://motivaction.academy/
• Listen to the Life by Choice Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@Life-By-Choice

🎧 Subscribe, share, and send this to a work bestie who might need a moment of real talk.

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

In this refreshing conversation, Jess and Claude sit down with Brea Johnson—founder of Heart and Bones Yoga—to explore how yoga can be reimagined as a sustainable, inclusive, and deeply personal practice.

From burnout prevention to mobility and mindfulness, Brea shares how online yoga has evolved beyond the mat and into everyday moments. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just yoga-curious, this episode will leave you feeling inspired to create a wellness practice that actually fits your life.

Topics We Cover:

• What “Not Yoga” Yoga means
• Burnout, stress relief, and short practices that work
• Mobility, movement, and sustainable habits
• Why accessible yoga is more important than ever
• How online platforms are changing the game
• Building accountability and community in your yoga journey

Takeaways:
✅ Yoga can be short and still effective
✅ You don’t need a mat to be mindful
✅ Movement variety matters more than perfection
✅ Personalized, inclusive practices make yoga sustainable

Notable Quotes:
🌀 “This is yoga, but not yoga.”
🌀 “10 minutes can be enough.”
🌀 “You can do yoga without a mat.”

Connect with Brea and Heart + Bones Yoga:
🌐 heartandbonesyoga.com
📲 @heartandbonesyoga on Instagram

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

In this episode of Work Besties Who Podcast, Jess and Claude sit down with Athena Desai—a holistic trauma specialist, spiritual coach, and former NPR journalist—who shares her transformational journey from acupuncture and Eastern medicine to soulful, whole-person healing.

Together, they explore the power of embracing your true self, the role of emotional wellness at work, and how navigating difficult conversations with compassion can transform professional and personal relationships.

What You’ll Learn:

• How embracing authenticity leads to personal growth
• Athena’s shift from traditional medicine to holistic healing
• Why self-awareness is essential for work-life balance
• The role of acupuncture in emotional and energetic health
• The power of connection, spirituality, and support systems
• Tips for navigating difficult work conversations with grace

Whether you’re seeking clarity, calm, or deeper connection, this episode offers a warm, real conversation on what it means to live—and lead—with intention.

🔑 Keywords: authenticity, holistic healing, self-discovery, emotional wellness, coaching, acupuncture, self-care, work relationships, spiritual growth

Learn more about Athena Desai here:

Website - https://www.soulfulhealingandcouncil.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soulfulhealingandcouncil/

LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/athena-desai-2b0b789/

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

In this heartfelt and practical solo episode, Jess and Claude get real about what work-life balance actually looks like. Hint: it’s not about doing everything perfectly.

They break down:

• Their personal challenges and wins around time management
• How to spot where your wellness is falling through the cracks
• Tips to reclaim your energy and set better boundaries
• The small shifts that can lead to big transformation

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or just need a moment to regroup, this episode is your nudge to pause, reflect, and prioritize what really matters.

🎧 Tap play, then share with your work bestie. Because surviving the 9-to-5 is way easier when you’ve got someone in your corner.

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Episode 55: Using Humor to Heal Workplace Stress with Marcus aka Not Your Average Coward

In this laugh-filled and insightful episode, Jess & Claude sit down with Marcus — content creator, dad of three, and the viral voice behind Not Your Average Coward. They dive into how Marcus went from catastrophe adjuster to comedy relief for burned-out professionals, all while juggling parenting and content creation.

From memes that hit too close to home to breathing exercises that actually help, Marcus shares how humor, boundaries, and community can transform how we cope with modern work life. Whether you're in a cubicle or on a Zoom call, this episode reminds you that laughter is more than a coping mechanism — it's a leadership tool.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Marcus started creating content as a stress relief outlet on Instagram; but really he not so secretly is using this for his auditions for being Survivor!
• His wife (and real-life MVP) inspired his mindset shift and supports his creative journey.
• Humor can build connections, drop guards, and open conversations at work.
• Making fun of stressful situations can be a way to process them.
• Setting clear boundaries is essential for protecting your peace.
• Content creation doesn't have to disrupt family life — it can blend in.
• Walking meetings and breathing techniques help reduce stress.
• Humor isn’t just funny — it’s healing.

Follow Marcus on social:
📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 📘 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube
@NotYourAverageCoward

And don’t forget to rate, follow, and share if this episode made you laugh, breathe deeper, or finally set that out-of-office!

#WorkBesties #NotYourAverageCoward #WorkplaceWellness #ContentCreatorLife #WorkHumor #SetBoundaries #DadLife #HumorHeals #WorkStress

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

This week, Jess & Claude are joined by Alan Lazaros and Kevin Palmieri from Next Level University—two long-time friends and business partners who have recorded over 2,000 episodes and built a movement around personal development and daily growth.

Tune in as we dive into:

• How their friendship is the foundation of everything they’ve built.
• Why being vulnerable and open is essential in leadership.
• The daily grind of content creation—and how they’ve stayed consistent for nearly a decade.
• What’s changed (and what hasn’t) in podcasting since 2015.
• Their mission to help others grow by 1% every day.
• The importance of having a bestie who gives honest feedback and lifts you up.
• How they’re giving back through a charity for single parents.

If you’re building with a bestie or dreaming of launching something with impact—this episode will remind you that the journey is better (and more powerful) when you do it together.

🎙️ Now streaming on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Send us a text

You can watch the full episode on Youtube
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Please rate, comment and provide suggestions for upcoming episodes

Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband