Success, stability, and achievement don’t always guarantee happiness. In this deeply honest and transformative episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Chandler Stroud, veteran marketing executive, wife, mom, and creator of The Healing Heroes, to explore what happens when having it all still feels empty.

Chandler shares the pivotal moment she realized that “coping” was no longer enough. Beneath her accomplishments were anxiety, burnout, and unexplained physical symptoms that led her to seek true healing. She opens up about how reading The Body Keeps the Score radically shifted her understanding of trauma—both big “T” and small “t”—and how unprocessed experiences quietly shape our biology, beliefs, and behaviors.

Together, Claudia and Chandler unpack Chandler’s three-part healing framework: tending to the present, intentionally creating a future vision, and courageously excavating past subconscious stories. This conversation highlights the power of self-love, self-empathy, gratitude, and the ripple effect that personal healing creates for families and future generations.

This episode is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken—it’s about remembering who you truly are and reclaiming joy from the inside out.

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

✨ And here’s a special gift for you:
Download Claudia’s free workbook, “Empowered Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance.”

Learn more about The Healing Heroes Podcast and Community by visiting

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

If you’ve been feeling stuck, this episode is your reminder that you’re not, you’re searching. Fear may whisper that you’re not ready or not enough, but the truth is, everything you want begins the moment you believe you deserve more.

Claudia shares how to break free from discouragement, redefine what “enough” means, and give yourself permission to reinvent your life at any age. You’ll learn how gratitude and desire can coexist, why settling often comes from fear, and how courage, not perfection, is what creates real change.

This is your invitation to stop shrinking, start believing, and step into the life you’re meant to live.

Feeling stuck is not a permanent state. It’s a signal that you’re meant for more. Fear is often what stands between where you are and where you want to be.

Through personal reflection and grounded wisdom, Claudia reminds us that awakening doesn’t start with a dramatic moment. It starts with a whisper. A question. A sense that something no longer fits. And from there, everything begins to shift.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• You are never too old, too late, or too far behind to start again.
• Where you are now is not your final destination — it’s a choice point.
• Everything you desire begins with belief, gratitude, and courage.
• This is your permission slip to ask for more — in your work, your relationships, and your life.

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

✨ And here’s a special gift for you:
Download Claudia’s free workbook,

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

Divorce is messy — but it can also become a source of fierce compassion, growth, and a new kind of family. In this heartfelt episode, Judith Weigle speaks with Claudia Noriega Bernstein (author of Brighter Days and abundance coach) about the raw, real steps that led Claudia from shock and betrayal to acceptance, forgiveness, and a life rebuilt with love.

Claudia shares the moment she found proof of her husband’s betrayal, how she protected her daughters from the fallout, why she chose to prioritize their emotional safety over “winning,” and how both parents eventually healed enough to become the best co-parents they could be. This episode is for anyone who’s navigating heartbreak, parenting through separation, or trying to choose dignity over drama.

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

✨ And here’s a special gift for you:
Download Claudia’s free workbook, “Empowered Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance.”

Learn more about The Amicable Divorce Expert by visiting theamicabledivorceexpert.com.

Stay connected with Judith Weigle:

• Listen to her podcast, The Amicable Divorce Expert
• Connect with Judith on LinkedIn
• Watch her TEDx Talk: The Secrets to an Amicable Divorce

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

In this powerful episode of the Award Winning Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega-Bernstein sits down with Aisha Rodrigue; a Latina entrepreneur, healer, and co-founder of the global Human Garage movement, to explore how trauma, emotions, and unspoken stories live in the body and show up as pain, illness, and even weight. Aisha shares her journey from Cirque du Soleil contortionist and chronic pain sufferer to self-healing guide, helping millions reconnect with their bodies without reliance on endless medication or surgery. Claudia also opens up about her own healing experience in Peru and the impact of finally speaking her truth.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• What fascia really is, and why it holds the “memory” of your life
• How unspoken emotions and trauma show up as pain, illness, and extra weight in the body
• A simple organ reset practice Aisha guides Claudia through to help you speak your truth
• Why success is not about being busy, and how to redefine success as freedom of choice
• How cultural and family conditioning (especially in Latin families) teaches us to stay silent and “protect” others at our own expense
• Why we heal faster in community, and why Human Garage focuses on group support, not gurus
• How to start removing everyday toxins and chemicals that quietly overload your body
• Why choosing you first isn’t selfish, it’s the beginning of your healing and your legacy

Aisha and Claudia remind us: your body isn’t broken. When you listen and speak your truth, deep healing begins: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

Have you ever felt guilty for wanting more from your life?
Maybe everything looks good on paper, yet something inside you keeps whispering that this cannot be all there is.

In this episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Alexis Leigh, who shares how she moved through shame, conditioning, and buried childhood pain to reconnect with her inner voice. Their conversation reveals what it really takes to stop performing, stop pleasing, and start living as the most honest version of yourself.

💡 What You Will Discover:
• How the pressure to be grateful keeps women silent
• Why painful emotions are not the enemy but the doorway to clarity
• How to identify emotional triggers and use them as a guide
• What inner child work really looks like and why it matters
• How healing your past allows your creativity, joy, and voice to come alive
• Ways to rebuild your life from the inside without apologizing for it

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

✨ And here’s a special gift for you:

Download Claudia’s free workbook, “Empowered Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance.”

Stay connected with Alexis Leigh:

• Grab a copy of her book, Pain Is a Portal to Beauty

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples—but what if the issue isn’t your body, it’s what’s impacting your body?

In this episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein interviews Dr. Aumatma Simmons, founder of the Holistic Fertility Institute and author of Fertility Secrets: What Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Making Babies.

They dive deep into how stress, toxins, emotional wounds, and lifestyle choices silently influence fertility—and how knowledge can turn fear into empowerment.

💡 What You’ll Learn:
• The real impact of stress and burnout on reproductive health
• What most doctors miss about male fertility
• Why emotional healing is an essential part of conception
• Environmental and nutritional changes that make a difference
• The role of self-compassion and holistic care in the fertility journey

✨ Special Gift from Claudia:
Download Claudia’s free workbook, “Empowered Journey: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance.”

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok

Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

Learn more about Dr. Aumatma Simmons and her groundbreaking work:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Dr. Aumatma on LinkedIn
• Visit her website

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

Have you ever looked at your life on paper, the career, the house, the image, and thought, “Why am I still not happy?”

In this powerful episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with award-winning author Khristin Wierman, winner of the 2024 IPP White Bronze Medal in Popular Fiction and author of Buck’s Pantry and This Time Could Be Different.

Khristin shares her journey from a high-powered, soul-crushing corporate career and a childhood shaped by a mentally ill, narcissistic mother to becoming a novelist who writes about women unwinding the knots of their past and reclaiming their lives in midlife.

Through deep, honest conversation, Claudia and Khristin talk about what it really means to:

• wake up in midlife and realize you have been living everyone else’s script
• break cycles of emotional abuse, overgiving and “being the fixer”
• stop shrinking to make others comfortable and finally choose yourself

If you grew up walking on eggshells, overexplaining, people-pleasing or constantly asking “What is wrong with me?” this conversation will feel like sitting with two women who truly get it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• How a “perfect on paper” life can still feel empty and misaligned
• What it is like to grow up with a narcissistic, mentally ill parent and carry that into adulthood
• Why so many women in midlife are awakening, questioning everything and rewriting their story
• The difference between fitting in and truly belonging to yourself
• How people-pleasing, over-achieving and never saying no are often trauma responses, not personality traits
• Why healing often starts with one brave decision to say “not this” even when you do not yet know what comes next
• How fiction became Khristin’s safe way to heal, process and tell the truth through her characters
• Why setting boundaries can cost you relationships, but give you back your peace, dignity and self-respect
• How to stop assuming something is “wrong with you” and start seeing what was wrong with the environment you were in

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...

Divorce is never easy, but it doesn’t have to destroy your peace. In this eye-opening episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Judith Weigle, divorce mediator, TEDx speaker, and host of The Amicable Divorce Expert podcast, to talk about the power of communication, forgiveness, and self-awareness when a relationship ends.

Judith shares how she went from circus performer to divorce mediator and what she’s learned about turning heartbreak into healing. Together, she and Claudia explore how to separate with grace, navigate emotional pain, and protect your children from conflict and resentment.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• Why forgiveness (including self-forgiveness) is the key to healing after divorce
• How to move from emotional divorce to legal divorce with clarity
• Communication mistakes that fuel conflict—and how to avoid them
• How parents can co-parent peacefully without manipulation or guilt
• Why looking and feeling your best during hard times can help you reclaim your confidence
• The role of intention and empathy in every difficult conversation
• How to pause before reacting and let go of assumptions that create unnecessary pain

Judith and Claudia remind us that divorce doesn’t have to mean destruction. It can be a new beginning built on respect, reflection, and peace—for you, your ex, and your children.

Learn more about Inner-Abundance Coaching by visiting Claudia’s website.

Stay connected with Claudia Noriega Bernstein:

• Follow on Instagram for daily inspiration and insights
• Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn
• Join her community on Facebook
• Watch her empowering videos on TikTok
• Grab her best-selling book, Brighter Days, on Amazon

✨ And here’s a special gift for you:

Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Tired of the BS? You are not alone. I’ve been there, and I’ve helped so many women just like you get out of the funk and start living the life they deserve.

Book your call now—don’t wait. You are meant for more. And while you’re at it, grab my book Brighter Days on Amazon. You’ll love it.

Learn about my freebies and membership below!

Every week, I expand on the podcast topic with practical tools, insights, and tips to help you heal, grow, and stay aligned with your inner abundance. It’s like a little love note in your inbox—just for you. if you want to receive it sign in to mailing list! Ready to Join? Dm me or email me now!

Claudia@claudiaNoriegaBernstein.com - You can also connect with me on instagram @Claudia_Noriega_Bersntein or visit my website at ClaudiaNoriegaBernstein.com, you will learn about my 1:1 coaching, retreat and training.

If you liked this episode please leave me a comment, share it, subscribe and give me a good review. Thank you!

Here is your link for your FREE Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Abundance Workbook:

https://mailchi.mp/claudianoriegabernstein.com/signup_for_free_workbook

Get it now!!

News: Get on the waiting list for my Inner Radiance Collective!
A sacred space for women ready to step into their...