Over two decades ago, I failed to protect my son during a pivotal moment in his life. The memory of this experienced weighed on my soul and the guilt wasn't relieved until I took the brave step to engage in a meaningful conversation with him about it. The result was a new level of love, connection and understanding between the two of us.

This is the power of relationship repair and my guest Connie Jakab knows all about this.

From owning a hip hop studio to crusading for change in our education system, Connie Jakab is a maverick on the topic of belonging and how to make our workplaces, schools and homes become spaces for true connection and growth.

Connie recently made the courageous decision to leave the security of a steady income to pursue a full time entrepreneurial venture as a speaker, author and thought leader in the space of mental health awareness.

In this episode, you’ll hear why she made this brave decision and how her son’s struggles with mental health and suicide ideation was a catalyst for her writing the Bring Them Closer book series.

In this episode

• How to make the decision to go all-in on a dream
• Why it’s never too late too late to practice relationship repair with your children (regardless of their age)
• Five steps can do right now to connect more deeply with the people you love
• How meaningful apologies and forgiveness create freedom in the soul
• The connection between belonging and boundaries
• Practicing self-compassion when parenting becomes a challenge and our kids become “too much”
• The mother guilt that shows up when we see our children hurting
• The importance of radical accountability with our emotions and how we manage them

Resources:

https://conniejakab.com/

https://www.instagram.com/conniejakab

Free manifesto of encouragement:

https://jackiedumaine.com/manifesto

What’s your relationship like with money and finances? What does financial independence mean for you and why are so many women struggling to achieve it?

In this episode, I have a real and raw convo with Janine Rogan, Founder and CEO of The Wealth Building Academy, TedX Speaker and author of The Pink Tax: Dismantling a Financial System Designed to Keep Women Broke.
 
 Here’s a glimpse into what we covered:

• The fears women have around building a side hustle for extra money
• Janine’s four foundations of financial feminism (and what that actually means)
• Why becoming a mother is a huge financial risk
• How beauty products can prevent you from becoming a millionaire (we did the math)
• How ageism is incredibly prevalent in our world and how I was basically told my “days were numbered” by a male business coach.  He was referring to my physical appearance and I still cringe when I think about it.
• My recent experience trying to get support for perimenopause symptoms and the realization that aging as a woman is becoming a pay-to-play privilege.

Janine’s mission is to educate and empower women to confidently and profitably grow their wealth so that we don’t have to stay stuck living a life that disempowers us

If you’re already passionate about building wealth, you might gain a new perspective and if the thought of wealth building intimidates you, Janine shares the one thing you can do right now.

Connect with Janine on Instagram

Visit Janine’s website

Visit the podcast page here: https://jackiedumaine.com

What does a 102 year old doctor and practicing life consultant (yes, she’s still working) have to say about love, life, laughter, labour and listening?   You're about to find out. 

In this episode, you’ll meet Dr. Gladys McGarey, a pioneer in the allopathic and holistic medical movements, co-founder of both the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine, and founder of the International Academy of Clinical Hypnosis. 

And most of this happened before women could even open their own bank accounts.

She’s recently published her newest book The Well-Lived Life and shares her 6 Secrets to Health and Happiness at any age. 

We cover topics like:

• The importance of having a purpose in life and how she found hers
• Her theories on MANifestation and FEMifestation
• How she uses dreams as information for her life
• Her disappointment over the diminished connection in our communities
• The power on intergenerational friendships 
• How divorce devastated her (at 70) and how it also propelled her into a new purpose.
• How she finally found her voice…at 93
• Here 10 year plan: The Village for Living Medicine

Dr. Gladys is living proof that it’s never too late to live your life and you’re never too old to find your voice. 

Follow her on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/begladmd/

Buy her book:  https://gladysmcgarey.com/

If you’re in the process of revamping your life, you might want to start with revamping your wardrobe. Why? Because fashion, energy and manifestation are more connected than you think.

In this episode, I have an open conversation with Megan Szanik about how the clothes we wear can either dilute or amplify our energy and how we show up in the world and above all, how we show up for ourselves.

Megan is the owner, visionary and creator of Espy - a more-than-a-clothing boutique in the wonderful city of Calgary and in the amazing community of Inglewood, that specializes in using fashion as a vehicle to empower confidence in all folks of all sizes.

Over the year she’s collected numerous accolades for both her entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors but in today’s conversation we dig below the surface of it all and explore themes like curiosity, authenticity, human connection and how the state of your closet might be a clue as to how intentional you are (or aren’t) with how you live.

In this episode:

• The truth about intention and “fashion energetics”
• The connection between curiosity and confidence
• The one thing that will guide you to the next step in your life
• How to making meaning from being judged (and being the judger)
• The importance of saying YES to life, right now
• How to dress at any size to feel sexy
• How your closet can say a lot about your life

Resources:

Follow Megan on Instagram:

Personal

Espy Experience

Join the She Starts Now Community

Much of the world is experiencing wildfires right now and you might be feeling helpless around what you can do and how you can support. In this impromptu and unedited episode, I share how digging into your memory bank for moments of joy can help shift the collective energy and offer a tribute to the land and residents of these beautiful places being affected.

In this episode:

• The power of our thoughts on the collective energy
• Why sending thoughts + prayers without intention is just lip service
• Social media: how to use it mindfully
• Honouring fear, loss, grief and uncertainty
• Sharing joyful memories as a tribute
• How you can help both on and off the ground

Thank you to all the first responders: law enforcement, paramedics, firefighters and countless volunteers who are risking their lives to protect land, homes and lives.

I was going to share links to various organizations that need support right now, however there are too many to list. Please research the resources available in your community and find out how you can donate and support those who are affected, evacuated and displaced.

You’ve heard of Madonna, but have you heard of Natalie Clifford Barney?

If you’re inspired by women who live bold and unapologetic lives, this episode will give you a historic glimpse into the colourful and spicy world of a woman who, in the early 1900’s, decided to pursue every passionate pull of her heart, even if it meant being criticized and ostracized from of society.

In this episode:

• My small town upbringing and how it fuelled a curiosity for a bigger, bolder life
• Feeling the spark and tapping into the nudges of your soul
• Like a Virgin: Why I idolized Madonna as a young girl
• The unapologetic life of Natalie Clifford Bradley and her Parisian salon
• Challenging the status quo on life, love and liberation
• Self-exploration and imagining your life without restrictions
• An invitation for you to join the She Starts Now community
  
  

Resources:

Your Invitation: Join the She Starts Now community

BOOK: Wild Heart: A Life: Natalie Clifford Barney and the Decadence of Literary Paris

FREE Download: Manifesto of Encouragement

Do you keep repeating a toxic pattern over and over knowing it’s harming you?

Being consciously aware that you’re engaging in (or about to engage in) something that you know going to hurt you later is the most painful type of awareness there is.

However, this pain is almost always a necessary and beautiful catalyst for transformation and change.

In this episode:

• Why I’m calling myself out (I haven’t been practicing what I preach)
• My lack of presence and addiction to distraction
• The effect social media has had on me lately (and why I need a break)
• The dark pit of the not-enough BS comparison trap
• The breakthrough session that blew my mind
• What I’m proud of…and what I’m not

Resources mentioned in this episode:

How To Be More Present & Take Back Your Life

How To Make Life Less Complicated

Overwhelm. Guilt. Regret. Worry. Forgetfulness. Brain fog. If you’re feeling any of these more than you’d like to be and are desperate for some relief, there might be an important factor that you’ve overlooked.

If your energy is being scattered in a million directions, and there never seems to be enough time, chances are you’re living in the past or the future way more than you’re living in the right now (also known as your LIFE).

But what does being “present” mean anymore in a world full of distractions?

In this episode:

• My personal struggles with presence (even though I’ve studied the topic for years)
• What my time in India with Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar taught me about presence
• How my son called me out and made me rethink how I was living
• Why yoga and meditation aren’t always the answer
• Why presence is crucial during a life transition or going after a dream
• How to reflect on the past and plan for the future without being pulled out of the present
• How to create more time (when there never seems to be enough)
• The definition of intentional presence (and how to create it)
• 3 ways to tell if you’re living in the Past Time Zone
• 3 ways to tell if you’re living in the Future Time Zone
• 3 ways to bring you back to the Present Time Zone

Grab a notebook, you'll need it!

Resources:

Need a boost of encouragement? Download this free manifesto: https://jackiedumaine.com/poem

Want to reach out? Email me: hello@jackiedumaine.com

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