Muse Yourself | Real talk on self-love and starting over cover art

Muse Yourself | Real talk on self-love and starting over

Muse Yourself | Real talk on self-love and starting over

By: Gemma James
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About this listen

Muse Yourself is the podcast for the woman ready to reinvent her life from the inside out - the one making her own rules, rewriting her story, and remembering who the f**k she is. Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Undeniable. I’m Gemma James - podcaster & journalist. In 2017 I was about to turn 30, recently widowed, newly jobless, and on the edge of losing my home - trying to figure out who I was without everything I’d built my whole identity around. But what do we do when life throws us the ultimate plot twist? We rewrite the story. This is a podcast about the rewrite. It’s a place for real talk on what it actually takes to rebuild your life from the inside out - and stories from the women who’ve lived it. Because here’s the thing no one wants you to know… You get to have as many new beginnings as you want. No matter how many times you think you’ve failed, how lost you feel, or how ‘late’ you think you are. When a woman owns her story - she changes the world. Muse Yourself isn’t just a podcast - it’s a full frequency shift. It’s where we start living unapologetically as the main character and lead the way for other women to do the same. Expect intimate, unfiltered conversations on reinvention, healing, self-love, and what it really takes to rebuild your life from the inside out. Through raw storytelling and soul-led interviews, we explore the power of starting over, turning pain into purpose, and stepping into the life you were BORN to create. If you're a woman who's ready to rise - unapologetically and on your own terms - you're in the right place. Because it’s never too late to change the plot.

gemmaj.substack.comGemma
Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • 54. From Teen Single Mum to Global Fitness Empire: Transforming Mental Health Through Exercise with Bodybuilding Pro Diane Flores
    Jan 8 2026

    What if you didn’t need to see the entire path ahead before you took the first step?

    Hi Muses,

    I have such an incredible episode for you this week…

    I’m joined by IFBB bodybuilding pro, serial entrepreneur, and host of the hit podcast Boss Bitch Radio, Diane Flores, to explore reinvention, mental health, self-worth, and what becomes possible when you finally decide you’re worth taking care of.

    Diane became a single mum at just 16, raising two children alone by 19, living on food stamps, and navigating life largely without support. Despite everything stacked against her, she knew that she was meant for more than just surviving.

    That inner knowing led her through multiple reinventions: from discovering fitness as a lifeline for her mental health, competing in 16(!) bodybuilding shows, starting an unexpected pole-fitness business with no experience, to building a thriving fitness empire and coaching thousands of women through powerful physical and identity transformations.

    In this conversation, Diane shares how movement became a form of mental health care, how exercise helped her come off antidepressants, and how learning to take care of her body completely changed how she showed up as a mother, a business owner, and a woman.

    This episode is a powerful reminder that:

    * You don’t need the full plan to begin

    * Confidence is built through action, not perfection

    * Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish - it’s the foundation of everything

    If you’re in a season of change, feeling stuck, or craving a version of yourself that feels stronger, calmer, and more aligned - this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

    What You’ll Hear in This Episode

    * Diane’s journey from teenage motherhood and survival mode to purpose-driven success and building an empire that’s helped thousands of women

    * How exercise became her most powerful mental health tool

    * Why movement increases our capacity to handle stress

    * The surprising business that became her first domino moment

    * How the transformation reaches FAR beyond our bodies when we finally start taking care of ourselves

    * Why we DON’T need confidence to start

    * The identity shifts that happen when we finally put ourselves back on our own to-do list

    If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs permission to take the first step - even without knowing where it leads.

    And if you’re ready to start seeing yourself as someone worth taking care of, this episode is your reminder: you don’t need to EARN the right to put yourself first.

    Until next time X

    RESOURCES + LINKS:

    * Listen to Diane’s podcast HERE and connect with her on Instagram HERE

    * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet

    * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox

    * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE

    * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform!

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify



    Get full access to Muse Yourself Podcast at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 53. When Your Growth Is Quiet: Why You Don’t Need a Big Year-End Transformation
    Dec 29 2025

    This episode is for the woman who’s been evolving quietly, making small shifts, choosing herself in new ways, and learning to trust her own timeline…

    Hi Muses,

    In this final Monday Muse of the year, I’m sharing a reminder that your growth doesn’t have to be loud to be real…it doesn’t have to be dramatic…and it definitely doesn’t have to be tied to the calendar.

    If you’re closing out the year softly, and with intention, this episode is for you…

    I’m getting into:

    * the power of slow, quiet, internal growth

    * honouring our pace without comparison

    * letting go of pressure to end the year with a “big win”

    * trusting that our dreams don’t have a deadline

    * choosing soft endings and self-love over hustle

    * remembering that we can begin again anytime, in any moment

    As you step into a new year, let this be your reminder that you are exactly where you’re meant to be - and your evolution is unfolding exactly as it should - even if it’s happening beneath the surface.

    And thank you so much for being part of my world this year…I promise you, the magic is only just beginning.

    Until next year X

    RESOURCES:

    * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet

    * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox

    * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE

    * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform!

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify



    Get full access to Muse Yourself Podcast at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • 52. Permission to Be Fully YOU: How to Own Your Path Without Explaining Yourself
    Dec 22 2025

    This episode is your reminder - no matter the season - that you never need to justify your path, your choices, or the season of life you’re in.

    Hi Muses,

    If you’ve ever felt yourself shrink around certain people, fall back into old versions of yourself, or worry about being misunderstood, the conversation on this week’s Monday Muse mini-episode is for you.

    Whether you’re reconnecting with family, travelling, or navigating environments that test your growth, consider this your invitation to take a breath… a permission slip to stay anchored in who you’re becoming - not who others expect you to be.

    While this message lands with extra relevance around the holidays, it’s a powerful reminder to carry with you all year long: your life is yours. Your timeline is yours. Your vision is yours. And you don’t need to explain your choices to anyone in order for them to be valid, meaningful, or aligned.

    Expect a calm, empowering dose of perspective to help you stay grounded, trust yourself, and move through any room - at any time of year - with confidence and peace.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    * How to stay connected to yourself around others

    * Why you don’t need to explain or justify your life choices

    * How to avoid slipping back into old versions of yourself

    * A grounding reframe for family dynamics and familiar environments

    * A powerful reminder for owning your path with confidence

    * How to honour the season you’re in - without guilt

    If you’re choosing a different path for your life while also navigating family time this month, and need a calm, grounded mindset to see you through - this is the episode for you.

    PS. If this episode spoke to you, please make sure you’re subscribed so we can reach more women who need these conversations 🖤

    Until next time X

    RESOURCES:

    * GET YOUR FREE GUIDED VISUALISATION: Sign up HERE to join the MuseLetter list and receive a FREE 10-minute guided visualisation to help you release old identities and step into your most powerful era yet

    * SUBSCRIBE to my free Substack community HERE to join the conversation and receive new episodes straight to your inbox

    * CONTACT ME: If you’d like to explore how we can work together you can get in touch HERE

    * Make sure you’re subscribed on your favourite podcast platform!

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify



    Get full access to Muse Yourself Podcast at gemmaj.substack.com/subscribe
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
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