This isn't the same old "new year new you" email

Happy new year!

Don’t worry, I’m not here with the “NeW YEaR NeW YoU!!!” bullshit we’ve all come to detest.

I wanted to follow up with you about my stand-up comedy endeavor. (If you missed that email or you’re new here, here you go.)

So I told you I signed up for the comedy class. What I didn’t tell you was that the class culminated in a sold-out live show, complete with a couple of legit working comics.

After workshopping my set to death with my teacher and the other amazing women in our class and practicing it about a billion times (driving my car, walking the dog, making dinner, doing laundry, you get the idea), my words stopped sounding even remotely funny to me at least six weeks before it was time to get up on stage and try to amuse an audience full of people.

But people laughed. Not just little chuckles but legit belly laughs. I cannot quite put into words what it felt like to stand up there under the lights and create this experience for (and with) the audience. It was truly magical.

On stage, under the lights, I felt grounded, confident, and truly at home in my body. I had a hard time falling asleep that night because I was so energized.

Diet culture tells us that weight loss is the gateway to truly feeling good about yourself. I call bullshit.

I've tried weight loss but none of the confidence it gave me ever outweighed the anxiety and fear that came with it. (What if I mess up? What if this next piece of cake leads to 200 slices??)

I'm not saying stand-up comedy is the one thing standing between you and your best self... What am I saying is that you might have to look deeper than the number on the scale to find whatever it is that makes you feel truly alive and embodied.

This January, I want you to know that living a rich, juicy life isn’t about inventing some “new you” out of thin air in the new year. It’s about finding ways to come back to yourself… whatever that looks like.

xo,

P.S. Let’s hang out at Xero Shoes in Denver on Saturday, January 13th! Details here. (pssst.. it’s FREE!)

5 things worth checking out

• If you have 12 minutes: and you won’t clutch your pearls over a forgotten tampon, middle-aged sex, or some uterine beachcombing in search of a rogue IUD, here’s my stand-up comedy set.

• If you have 30 seconds: If all your holiday meals end with “OMG I’m so BLOATED,” this is for you.

• If you need a good book: I’ve been DEVOURING Lauren Fleshman’s memoir, Good for a Girl. She expertly weaves her own experiences as one of the most dominant female runners of our time with data on women’s sports and women’s bodies.

• If you’re a Swiftie who is thinking big: I’ve been a fan of executive coach and best-selling author Randi Braun’s work ever since I interviewed her for a story in 2019, and I’m so excited about this webinar she’s hosting; Moving Swiftly into 2024 is a free, one-hour workshop, in which Randi will walk women through five of Swift’s most inspiring leadership qualities — sharing practical advice and tactical tools for how women can translate them into our own (regular, non-celebrity) work lives. It’s on Wed. 1/17 at noon EST over Zoom.

• If you have 5 minutes: I enjoyed writing this piece for Bicycling on the role cycling plays (or doesn’t) in helping you build muscle mass and strength. (I gave you a special link so you don’t have to worry about a paywall.)

Thinking about giving yourself the gift of food freedom in the new year?

Here’s what one of my clients said about working with me:

Did you know I offer a free 30-minute call over Zoom or the phone? It’s a no-pressure chance to get to know each other and see if we’d be a fit.

Upcoming in-person events!

Click on the image below for details…

👂 Give your ears a treat 👂

Need a good listen as you’re going over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house? (Or while you’re jammed up in holiday traffic to see your in-laws??)