In this solo episode, I’m diving into a question so many of us avoid asking: Am I settling? Whether it’s in your relationships, your career, or the way you show up for yourself, settling can feel safe — but it often means we’re living out of alignment with what we truly want.

I’ll walk you through three powerful questions to help you spot where you might be accepting less than you deserve, and how to shift back into alignment with your worth. We’ll explore why we settle in the first place, how to know if fear is driving your choices, and what it looks like to create space for the life you actually want.

If you’ve been feeling that quiet nudge that there’s more for you, this episode is your reminder. Your body always knows when you’re settling and it’s safe to want more.

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
• Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/
• Resources: https://www.shanettamcdonald.com/free

What happens when the body asks us to slow down — and we finally listen?

In this episode, I sit down with Arielle Díaz, a Peabody and GLAAD-nominated television writer and producer whose career has spanned Netflix, Prime Video, FOX, and Disney+. She’s also an angel investor, former Googler, and passionate advocate for inclusive wellness.

After stepping away from the grind of a high-performing career to heal from chronic illness, Arielle found herself on a deeper journey—through plant medicine, family constellation therapy, nervous system repair, and reconnecting with her roots in Mexico.

Together we talk about what it really means to pivot from achievement to alignment, the courage it takes to untangle old narratives of worth, and the radical clarity that comes from allowing the body to lead. Arielle’s story is an invitation to honor our rhythms, trust the pauses, and remember that healing is its own form of success.

Connect with Arielle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she.is.that/?hl=en

Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Crystal Jones is a licensed therapist, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Trainer, and the founder of Life Source Counseling Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Her work creates sacred spaces where BIPOC women can feel truly seen, valued, and supported on their healing journeys.

As an IFS trainer and consultant, Crystal has mentored therapists and practitioners worldwide, guiding them toward deeper self-awareness and inner harmony. She is also a clinical supervisor, Master Reiki Practitioner, and advocate for holistic healing—integrating tools like prayer, sacred movement, and meditation into her practice.

In our conversation, Crystal and I explore what it means to listen to the parts of ourselves we often silence, the unique power of IFS in BIPOC healing spaces, and how honoring every part of who we are—even the ones we’ve judged or pushed away—can be a revolutionary act of self-love.

Connect with Crystal:
Website: https://lifesourcecounselingcenter.com/staff/about-crystal-jones/

Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Therapy resources:

• Loveland Foundation: https://thelovelandfoundation.org/
• Clinicians of Color: https://www.cliniciansofcolor.org/
• Therapy For Black Girls: https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/
• Manhattan Alternative: https://www.manhattanalternative.com/

In this solo episode, I’m breaking down two of the questions I get asked the most: What is somatics? and What’s the difference between coaching and therapy? We’ll explore how your body communicates with your brain (spoiler: it’s way more than you think), why I weave somatic practices into life coaching, and how coaching and therapy can work beautifully together. If you’ve ever wondered which one you need, or how to listen to your body’s wisdom more deeply, this one’s for you.

Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Chrissy King is a writer, educator, and former strength coach whose voice is helping to redefine wellness—not as a destination, but as a practice rooted in liberation, identity, and radical self-acceptance. In this powerful conversation, Chrissy opens up about her personal path to body liberation and the experiences that inspired her book, The Body Liberation Project.

Together, we explore what it really means to feel at home in your body, the illusion of arriving at "confidence," and why unlearning societal messages about worth and appearance is a lifelong process. Chrissy’s work sits at the intersection of race, body image, and justice, reminding us that healing is both personal and political—and that we are already enough, exactly as we are.

If you’ve ever felt like your body was a problem to solve, this episode will meet you with compassion, truth, and a powerful invitation to take up space.

Connect with Chrissy:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamchrissyking/
Website: https://www.chrissyking.com/
Purchase The Body Liberation Project: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-body-liberation-project-how-understanding-race-identity-and-culture-compounds-the-shame-we-feel-and-how-to-shift-the-narrative-to-reclaim-our-worthiness-chrissy-king/18835036

Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Daria Burke has lived many lives—fashion executive, C-suite leader, trauma survivor, and now, debut author. In this powerful conversation, Daria opens up about the moments that shaped her new memoir Of My Own Making and the healing journey that unfolded in the process. From growing up in poverty with an absent father and a mother battling addiction, to finding freedom through therapy, neuroscience, and deep self-examination, Daria reminds us that we are not our origin stories, we are who we choose to become. This episode explores trauma, resilience, reparenting, and the science behind post-traumatic growth. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can rewrite your story, Daria is proof that you can.

Connect with Daria:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaburke/
Website: https://www.dariaburke.com/
Purchase Of My Own Making: https://www.amazon.com/My-Own-Making-Memoir/dp/1538766809

Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Stay tuned for more updates on Substack and Instagram.

Tapping back in!

Find out what I've been up to and what's in store for the next phase of the podcast.

Thank you for hanging tight and staying loyal.

Stay tuned for more updates on Substack and Instagram.