Crappy to Happy

If sex has slowly disappeared from your life - or started to feel like something you dread rather than look forward to - and you're not sure whether to blame your hormones, your relationship, your exhaustion, or just yourself, this episode is going to help.

My guest is Dr Maria Sophocles, a board-certified OB/GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner who has spent 30 years working with women on the clinical frontline of this exact problem. She's the author of the brand new book The Bedroom Gap, and the creator of a TED Talk on midlife sex that has now been watched over a million times.

Maria coined the term "the bedroom gap" to describe the very real and very unspoken difference in sexual expectations and abilities between men and women in midlife. It's not just about low libido, but the physical changes happening in your body that nobody explains to you, the cultural messaging that tells women their discomfort doesn't matter, a medical system that created Viagra in 1998 but left women largely without equivalent solutions, and the shame that keeps so many of us from even raising the subject with our doctors.

In this conversation, Maria breaks down the physiology of what oestrogen loss actually does to your vagina, your bladder, and your capacity for arousal . We talk about vaginal oestrogen, why it's safe for virtually every woman on the planet, and why so many women never get offered it; and what to say to your doctor when sexual symptoms aren't being addressed.

In this episode, you'll learn:
What "the bedroom gap" actually is and why it tends to widen so dramatically during perimenopause and menopause
What oestrogen loss is really doing to your body - and why pain and dryness during sex are physiological, not a personal failing
Why vaginal oestrogen is considered safe for virtually every woman but is still widely under-prescribed
Why your HRT patch or gel alone is often not enough for sexual and bladder symptoms, and what to ask for instead
How Viagra, despite being a genuine breakthrough for some couples, also made the bedroom gap worse for a great many women
What the new FDA approval for female sexual desire actually means - and why it matters that it took this long
The real story on testosterone for women, why it's approved in Australia but not the US or UK, and what it can do
How porn has become the default sex educator for an entire generation,  and the resources Maria actually recommends instead
What to say when you want to start a conversation about sex with a long-term partner, a doctor, or your adult daughter
Resources mentioned:
The Bedroom Gap by Dr Maria Sophocles - mariasophoclesmd.com/book/
Dr Maria Sophocles' TED Talk: "What happens to sex in midlife? A look at the bedroom gap" - ted.com/speakers/maria_sophocles
OMGYES (sex education resource) - omgyes.com
Erica Lust TED Talk on female-forward adult content - search "Erica Lust TED Athens"
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
Dr Maria Sophocles on Instagram: @MariaSophoclesMD
Dr Maria Sophocles on LinkedIn

Beyond Confident 2.0 for Solopreneurs & Service Providers 
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Transform self-doubt & self-sabotage, rewire your nervous system for success, and do the inner healing work, while being supported to create a streamlined, profitable business that supports your lifestyle.

Save $1000 with Founding Member Pricing.
www.cassdunn.com/bc2

Connect with Cass:
www.cassdunn.com
www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo

Contact Crappy to Happy:

Email: [email protected]
www.crappytohappypod.com
www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

We got evicted. The subsequent upheaval has revealed a lot to me about how my own nervous system patterns show up, especially when things feel uncertain or out of control. While my situation is personal, this experience is universal so in this ep, I'm sharing why our default stress response is often to push through, people please, overwork, or avoid decisions, even if we destroy ourselves in the process.

Many of the behaviours we criticise ourselves for are actually safety strategies that we learned early to protect us when we feel emotionally unsafe. I break down the different nervous system stress responses and explain how they show up in everyday life, work, and relationships.

Most importantly, I share why self awareness alone isn’t enough to create change, and why working with your nervous system, rather than against it, is essential if you want to feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control of your choices. What you’ll learn:
How your nervous system prioritises safety over logic and long term goals
The four main stress responses and how they show up in daily life
Why pushing through discomfort often keeps you stuck
How people pleasing, overworking, avoidance, and perfectionism develop
Why insight doesn’t automatically translate into behaviour change
What it actually takes to make decisions from a calmer, more regulated place
If you’ve ever wondered why you keep repeating patterns you’re very aware of, this episode will help you understand what’s really driving them, and where to begin if you want something to change.

Beyond Confident 2.0 for Solopreneurs & Service Providers 
Open for enrolment NOW.

Transform self-doubt & self-sabotage, rewire your nervous system for success, and do the inner healing work, while being supported to create a streamlined, profitable business that supports your lifestyle.

Save $1000 with Founding Member Pricing.
www.cassdunn.com/bc2

Connect with Cass:
www.cassdunn.com
www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo

Contact Crappy to Happy:

Email: [email protected]
www.crappytohappypod.com
www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

Tiff Hall has been part of Crappy to Happy since the very beginning, and she's a woman who knows reinvention better than most. She spent a decade building a powerful, values-driven fitness brand, showing up through pregnancies, injuries, illness, body changes and enormous personal pressure. And then she made a decision that surprised many people, selling TXO to 28 by Sam Wood and stepping out of her CEO role.

This is an honest conversation about identity, grief, relief, and the courage it takes to choose a new chapter even when the old one has been successful. We talk about the emotional impact of walking away from something you've poured your heart into, the backlash and disappointment from a community you genuinely love, and what happens when your capacity, your body, and your priorities shift.

Tiff shares how motherhood changed her, why stepping back is not giving up, and how returning to her roots as a trainer has reconnected her to what she loves most. We also talk about comparison, social media pressure, running an online business as a woman, and what it means to grow in a way that is sustainable rather than impressive.

What you’ll learn:
What really goes on emotionally when you sell a business you built yourself
Why stepping back can feel like grief and freedom at the same time
How motherhood, injury, and illness reshaped Tiff’s relationship with fitness
The hidden pressure of running a values-led business in a highly visible industry
Why being too accessible and too generous can clash with business sustainability
How comparison and social media exposure affect mental health
Why choosing less can sometimes give you more
If you’re in a season of questioning, scaling back, or reimagining what success looks like for you, you'll want to listen to this one.

Train with Tiff on 28 by Sam Wood
https://28bysamwood.com/

Follow Tiff on IG
www.instagram.com/tiffhall_xo

Beyond Confident 2.0 for Solopreneurs & Service Providers 
Open for enrolment NOW.

Transform self-doubt & self-sabotage, rewire your nervous system for success, and do the inner healing work, while being supported to create a streamlined, profitable business that supports your lifestyle.

Save $1000 with Founding Member Pricing.
www.cassdunn.com/bc2

Connect with Cass:
www.cassdunn.com
www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo

Contact Crappy to Happy:

Email: [email protected]
www.crappytohappypod.com
www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

How do you embrace the "new year, new start" energy without overshooting your goals and setting yourself up to fail?

Every January we're bombarded with resolutions, routines, and lofty promises about who we're supposed to become; and every year, many of us quietly abandon them, feeling guilty, unmotivated, and like we've failed.

In this solo ep, I'm sharing my very deliberate anti-resolution approach to 2026, not because goals don't matter, but because the way we usually set them often does more harm than good.

With a background in coaching psychology and my experience of late diagnosed ADHD, this is an honest reflection on what did and did not work for me last year and the much simpler and more compassionate way I'm approaching my goals this year.

The secret is not doing more. It's doing less, with intention.

I explain why setting the bar lower can strengthen your self trust, why consistency matters more than intensity, and how choosing fewer priorities can help you feel calmer, more confident, and more fulfilled as the year unfolds.
What you will learn:
Why I'm not a fan of New Year’s resolutions
How unrealistic goals quietly erode your self concept and confidence
Why consistency beats intensity when it comes to habits and behaviour change
The surprising psychological benefits of choosing just one daily habit
What it means to go deep on one skill or area instead of skimming the surface of many
How focusing on completion, not busyness, can change how you feel about yourself
Simple questions to help you decide what actually matters this year
How to harness fresh start energy without setting yourself up to fail
If you are craving a calmer, more grounded start to the year, and you want goals that support your wellbeing rather than undermine it, this episode will give you plenty to reflect on.

For more on this topic:

What to Do Instead of New Year's Resolutions

Kickstart Your New Year by Setting Goals that Matter

Beyond Confident 2.0 for Solopreneurs & Service Providers 
Open for enrolment NOW.

Transform self-doubt & self-sabotage, rewire your nervous system for success, and do the inner healing work, while being supported to create a streamlined, profitable business that supports your lifestyle.

Save $1000 with Founding Member Pricing.
www.cassdunn.com/bc2

Connect with Cass:
www.cassdunn.com
www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo

Contact Crappy to Happy:

Email: [email protected]
www.crappytohappypod.com
www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

AI is everywhere right now and it’s moving fast, from fake online personas and voice cloning to coaches selling AI versions of themselves. The pace of change is astonishing, and if you don't keep up, you'll be left behind. So what does this mean for small business owners, therapists and coaches?

In this episode, I talk through what I’ve been learning as I’ve gone all in on understanding the potential of AI and the role it can play as a complement to your expertise, not a substitute for it. When harnessed effectively AI offers a way to reduce burnout, remove administrative overload and free up hours of precious time that can be redirected to more meaningful, human centred interactions.

I'm sharing how I’m personally using AI in my business, why training AI properly matters, and where I believe the hard ethical lines still need to be drawn, especially when it comes to mental health and therapy. I think for any ethical business owner, there is an exciting opportunity right now to embrace artificial intelligence in your business and use it to make a meaningful difference in your own life and the lives of people you work with, without outsourcing your judgement, your values or your humanity.

What You’ll Learn
Why AI feels so uncomfortable for people and why that reaction makes sense
The difference between copy and paste prompts, custom GPTs and more advanced AI agents
How AI can genuinely reduce overwhelm for small business owners and solopreneurs (especially if you have ADHD!)
Why women appear to be slower to adopt AI 
The ethical risks of AI being used as therapy and where things can go wrong
How you can train AI "Assistants" to sound exactly like you when they produce content
Why the future of work may actually place more value on real human connection, not less
How to think about using AI in a way that aligns with your values rather than eroding them

Beyond Confident 2.0 for Solopreneurs & Service Providers 
Open for enrolment NOW.

Transform self-doubt & self-sabotage, rewire your nervous system for success, and do the inner healing work, while being supported to create a streamlined, profitable business that supports your lifestyle.

Save $1000 with Founding Member Pricing.
www.cassdunn.com/bc2

Connect with Cass:
www.cassdunn.com
www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo

Contact Crappy to Happy:

Email: [email protected]
www.crappytohappypod.com
www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

This episode includes AI-generated content.