Your gut knew first.

Before you had evidence. Before anyone else saw it. Your gut knew that person wasn't safe, that deal was wrong, that something was off. And you overrode it. You smiled when you wanted to run. You said yes when everything inside you screamed no.

Today's guest spent over a decade in an abusive relationship—and her biggest regret isn't what he did to her. It's how long she ignored what her body was screaming.

Patti Stewart is the founder of Defense in Heels, a published author, and a passionate advocate for women's safety. But what makes her work remarkable isn't just the physical techniques she teaches—it's that she survived by learning to trust the instincts she'd been taught to silence.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The difference between instinct and intuition—and why confusing them keeps you stuck

• The "chest vs. stomach" test for distinguishing fear from true gut wisdom

• Where we first learn to override our intuition (hint: it starts in childhood)

• Why Patti walked away from a job that was paying all her bills—as a single mom

• How to schedule slowdowns so you can actually hear what your intuition is telling you

• The shiny object trap: winning on the outside while feeling empty on the inside

• What "prosperity without compromise" actually looks like in practice

MEMORABLE MOMENTS
From Patti:
"If it's in your chest, that's anxiety and fear. If it's in your stomach, that's your intuition."

"I was winning all the awards. But I went home and felt like crap."

From Anik:
"Instinct keeps you safe. Intuition keeps you aligned. The problem? They can feel identical."

"That's prosperity without compromise. Not making money at any cost. Making money that doesn't cost you your soul."

RESOURCES MENTIONED
Patti Stewart:
Website: https://www.defenseinheels.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defenseinheels

Book - A Woman’s Guide to Self-Defense: https://a.co/d/02wCnZq9

Ready to Go Deeper?
Book a Clarity Call: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/
Your Breakthrough Blueprint (Free quiz): subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint

The You & Your Soul-Led Business Program: https://ascensionacademy.life/product/you-your-soul-led-business-development-program/

CONNECT WITH ANIK

Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
Next week, we're going deep on something Patti touched on today—and it might be the most important distinction you'll ever learn.

E20: Instinct vs. Intuition — The Difference That Changes Everything

One reacts from perceived danger. One response from alignment. And most people can't tell which one is talking. That confusion is costing you—in relationships, in business decisions, in the opportunities you say no to when your gut is actually saying yes.

That week you're trying to "get through"? It's been going on for months. Maybe years. And the exhaustion, the flatlined results, the body that's screaming for attention — those aren't just symptoms. They're a fork in the road.

In this episode, I'm sharing my own breakdown-to-breakthrough story (fibromyalgia at 28, a doctor who told me to "accept" chronic pain forever, and the two-word decision that changed everything) — plus a framework to help you discern whether your resistance is self-sabotage or intuitive wisdom.

In This Episode:

• The moment I heard "accept your circumstances" and something in me said "F*ck that"
• Why you can't outwork a self-defeating pattern (and what to do instead)
• The difference between reactive self-sabotage and unhurried intuitive wisdom
• Three questions to ask when you're at the fork between breakdown and breakthrough
• How one decision — not a plan, not a strategy — opened a path that wasn't there before

Memorable Moments:

"That week you're trying to 'get through'? It's been dragging on for months."

"You set a boundary last week. Then immediately made 'special' accommodations."

"You can't outwork a self-defeating pattern."

"Breakdown or breakthrough. Same signs. Different destination."

Ready to identify the pattern that's keeping you stuck?

Book a Clarity Call: https://bit.ly/AAClarityCall

Connect with Anik:

• Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Coming Next Week: I sit down with Patti Stewart — a self-defense instructor who survived an abusive relationship by learning to trust the instincts she'd been taught to silence. Physical safety starts with trusting your gut. That conversation is going to land.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:46 The week that's been "dragging on for months"

02:47 My breakdown path — fibromyalgia at 28

06:03 The doctor's office and the "F*ck That" moment

12:58 The difference between self-sabotage and intuitive wisdom

12:24 Question 1: What is this feeling trying to tell me?

14:20 Question 2: What am I being protected from?

15:50 Question 3: If I couldn't fail, what would I do?

18:23 The invitation to decide

22:30 Next week: Patti Stewart on trusting your gut

Quick question: What are you waiting for?

That move you haven't made. That conversation you haven't had. That boundary you haven't set.

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

In this episode, I'm naming the pattern I see constantly in smart, capable, talented people: The Permission Trap.

It sounds like "I'll go for it when I've proven myself more." Or "I'll negotiate once I've been here longer." Or "I'll set that boundary when things calm down."

It sounds strategic. It sounds responsible.

But it's not timing. It's avoidance disguised as readiness.

If you've been waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder and say "now you can start" — this episode is your tap.

Because that permission slip you're waiting for? It's never coming. And the only person who can sign it is you.

In This Episode:

• Why "I'll start when..." is sophisticated avoidance (not smart timing)

• The real cost of the Permission Trap (it's not what you think)

• The 3 lies keeping you at the starting line

• The one question that changes everything

• How to move like someone who already has permission

Memorable Moments:

"You're not waiting because you're not ready. You're waiting because you've outsourced your permission slip."

The Permission Trap doesn't just delay your career or your business. It dismantles your self-belief."

"Ready isn't a feeling. It's a decision."

"You don't need permission to be powerful.

Resources:

Book a Free Clarity Call

Breakthrough Blueprint Quiz: https://subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint

Connect with Anik:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

Next Episode: The Self-Imposed Breakdown... or Breakthrough? — If your body is starting to rebel, you're not going to want to miss this one.

She Slowed Down and Scaled Up

Julia Chien did everything right.

She launched her online nutrition practice during COVID. Clients poured in. Revenue grew. She was riding the high — traveling, thriving, loving what she did.

And then 2024 hit. And everything she'd built stopped working.

In this episode, Julia gets radically honest about what happens when first-generation success reaches its expiration date — and why the beliefs that built her first six figures were the same ones breaking her down.

If you've ever wondered why what used to work isn't working anymore... this conversation will hit different.

In This Episode:

• Why rapid early success can set you up for a harder crash
• The moment Julia realized her "hustle" was actually her body screaming for help
• How to know when you need to push harder vs. when you need to rest
• What "slow down to speed up" actually looks like in practice
• The mindset shift that changed everything: "Fuck it. People connect to humans."
• Why your definition of success might not actually be yours

Memorable Moments:

"You have to slow down in order to speed up in business." — Julia Chien

"What is meant for you will never pass you." — Julia Chien

"The beliefs that built her first six figures — work hard, push through, sacrifice rest — those same beliefs were now breaking her down." — Anik Malenfant

Resources:

🔗 Book a Free Clarity Call with Anik:

📋 Your Breakthrough Blueprint Quiz: https://subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint

Connect with Julia:

Website: www.juliachien.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliachien.rd/

The Eczema Warrior Podcast: https://www.juliachien.ca/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliachien.rd/

Connect with Anik:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

Next Episode:

Coming up next week — The Permission Trap: Why "I'll Start When..." Is Killing Your Business. If you've been waiting for someone to tell you you're ready, you're enough, it's time... this one's going to hit a nerve.

You're stuck.

Maybe you know exactly what you need to do—and you're not doing it. Or maybe you ARE doing everything. And it's still not working.

Different flavor. Same feeling.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the two completely different patterns that create the exact same "stuck" feeling—and why they require opposite medicine. Because taking the wrong action (or inaction) can keep you trapped for months.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The two patterns that create the same "stuck" feeling (and why they need opposite medicine)
• Why results sometimes lag behind effort—and when that's actually okay
• Three body-based questions to discern which pattern you're in
• The specific action to take if you're in the Paralysis Pattern
• The specific (non)action to take if you're in the Lag Pattern

Memorable Moments:

• "Readiness is not a feeling. It's a decision. The fear doesn't go away. You just learn to move with it."
• "The same action that looks like failure today looks like genius three months from now."
• “Seeds don't need more seeds. They need time, nurturing, and consistency.”

Connect with Anik:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

A few years ago, I found a journal from 2017. The goals I'd written? I was still writing them. Different year. Same list.

That moment changed everything — because I finally realized this isn't a discipline problem. It's a foundation problem.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the three questions you need to ask BEFORE "what's my plan?" — and why skipping them is the reason your goals keep dying.

In this episode:

• Why the same goals keep showing up year after year (and it's not what you think)
• The difference between relief goals and resonance goals — and why one drains you while the other fuels you
• The three questions that have to come before strategy
• A client story that might sound uncomfortably familiar
• What's actually possible when you build on a solid foundation

Memorable Moments:

"Relief goals run FROM pain. Resonance goals run TOWARD purpose."

"Her soul hadn't been blocking execution because she was undisciplined. It was protecting her from building something she didn't actually want."

Resources mentioned:

• Breakthrough Blueprint Quiz: https://subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint
• You & Your Soul-Led Business Program: https://ascensionacademy.life/product/you-your-soul-led-business-development-program/

Connect with Anik:

• Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Next Episode: When Everything's in Place But Nothing's Moving (January 12)

For six years, Mattanja Lennings tried to fit into a box that was never hers.

She shaved off parts of herself. Followed every rule. Did everything "right" — Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, classical opera training.

And she lost her joy. Her spark. Her reason for singing in the first place.

Until her spirit whispered: "Go paint."

She went to the dollar store. Bought some supplies. And started creating again — this time, with zero rules.

Now she sells paintings for five figures. Not because of strategy. Because she followed her intuition instead of the industry.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How six years of "doing everything right" led to complete emptiness

• The moment her spirit whispered something that changed her path

• Why not knowing the rules became her biggest business advantage

• The Hathor story: when a painting told her to charge €3,333 (and she'd never sold above €200)

• How to expand your nervous system to hold what your intuition already knows

• The question to ask yourself: What's YOUR opera?

About Mattanja Lennings:

Mattanja Lennings is an artist, former opera singer, and mentor from the Netherlands. After six years of classical training left her empty, she followed her spirit to painting — and built a business selling work for five figures without ever learning the "rules" of the art world.

Connect with Mattanja:

• Website: https://www.mycosmicdreams.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattanjalennings/

Connect with Anik:

• Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Resources:

• Your Breakthrough Blueprint (Free Quiz): https://subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint

• You & Your Soul-Led Business Program: https://ascensionacademy.life/product/you-your-soul-led-business-development-program/

Memorable Moments:

• "For six years, I made myself smaller and smaller to try to fit in the box. In the end, I did not fit and I had completely lost myself." — Mattanja Lennings
• "Every year you stay in a box that isn't yours, it gets harder to remember who you were before you started performing." — Anik Malenfant
• "The goals aren't the problem. The foundation is." — Anik Malenfant

If this resonates: Leave a review and tell us — what rules are YOU following that you never actually agreed to?

The Pattern to Leave Behind in 2026

I snapped at my husband over something small. And what came out of my mouth showed me a pattern I'd been running for years.

"I know we joke that you guys can all just access my brain — the family cloud — but I'm exhausted. I'm out of bandwidth."

He didn't see me juggling four calendars. The meal plans. The bedtime routines. The constant "Mom, where's my..." Managing my team while holding the vision for my business. I was the cloud for my family AND my business.

Before you set a single goal for 2026, you need to see what patterns you're dragging with you.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The moment I realized I'd made myself "the family cloud" — and what it cost me

• Pattern #1: Hyper-Independence — why "if you want it done right, do it yourself" is keeping you stuck

• Pattern #2: Conditional Permission — the "once/then" trap that sounds like wisdom but keeps moving the goalpost

• Pattern #3: Time Scarcity — why it's not ambition, it's self-abandonment

• The questions that help you work with patterns (without adding them to your to-do list)

• My challenge for you before the new year

Featured Moment:

"I gave myself maybe sixty seconds of satisfaction before my brain kicked in: 'Okay but what's next? You're behind on this other thing.' Sixty seconds. That's all I allowed myself. And I remember thinking: If I can't celebrate this — if I can't let this land — what's any of it for?"

Connect with Anik:

• Website: https://masteringascension.com/coaching/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anikmalenfant

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikmalenfant/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anik.malenfant

Resources:

• Your Breakthrough Blueprint (Free Quiz): https://subscribepage.io/breakthroughblueprint

• You & Your Soul-Led Business Program: https://ascensionacademy.life/product/you-your-soul-led-business-development-program/

Memorable Moments:

• "I know we joke that you guys can all just access my brain — the family cloud — but I'm exhausted. I'm out of bandwidth."

• "He didn't know it, but he'd just thrown a match into a pool of gasoline."

• "Hyper-Independence is dangerous because it works."

• "That 'once/then' language? That's the tell."

• "It's not ambition. It's self-abandonment."

• "You cannot change what you refuse to look at."

• "2026 will give you exactly what you allow."

If this resonates: Leave a review and tell us — which pattern hit you in the chest? We read every one.