It's a Mindset

Have you ever looked at your life and wondered why you feel lost when so much seems to be going well?
You’re getting things done. You’re showing up for the people who need you. But there’s a part of you wondering where your own needs fit, and what you want this next chapter to look like.
In this episode of It’s a Mindset, I’m joined by Faye Evans, psychologist and author of Soulful Simplicity: A Neuro-Spiritual Path to Living with Intention, to explore how we can reconnect with ourselves through change and make more conscious choices about how we live.
Content note: This conversation includes discussion of domestic abuse, coercive control and a brief mention of disordered eating. Please listen with care.
Faye brings more than 30 years of professional experience alongside her own story of rebuilding her life. She shares her journey from Lima, Peru, to Australia, and the courage, faith and support that helped her find a way forward with her children.
We also explore a later turning point, when a successful career and a full life prompted new questions about where she wanted to direct her energy. That reflection became part of the foundation for her book and its three stages: LOST, FOUND and WHOLE.
Faye explains how these stages can help us understand where we are, including the uncertain space of knowing what we no longer want while still discovering what comes next. We talk about reclaiming parts of ourselves, practising discernment and making space to reflect before taking on more.
I was deeply inspired by Faye’s strength of character and the successful, happy life she has created for herself and her family here in Australia. I also loved hearing how she is continuing to reassess what matters to her now. There’s an invitation here to consider our own lives with more curiosity and compassion.
Key Episode Takeaways:
LOST, FOUND and WHOLE can be revisited throughout life. Faye’s framework allows room for uncertainty and ongoing change, including the space between knowing what you no longer want and discovering what comes next.
Reclaiming yourself can begin with recognising what you’ve set aside. Faye explores reconnecting with your voice, values and interests as you move into a different chapter.
Discernment helps us choose where our energy goes. Pausing before another commitment creates room to consider what matters now, what fits and what we’re ready to leave behind.
Feeling profoundly exhausted deserves attention. Faye invites reflection on what may need to shift in our lives, rather than automatically treating our struggle as a personal failing.
Self-compassion matters when looking back. Faye encourages us to consider the knowledge and circumstances we had at the time, and to meet ourselves more kindly as we move forward.
About the Guest:
Faye Evans is a psychologist, author, speaker and Board-Approved Supervisor with more than 30 years’ experience supporting women through life transitions, identity change and personal growth. Her work integrates psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness and meaning-making, with a particular focus on women’s wellbeing, midlife and intentional living.
She is the author of Soulful Simplicity: A Neuro-Spiritual Path to Living with Intention, which explores moving from disconnection, over-functioning and living by expectation towards greater alignment, agency and wholeness. Drawing on professional expertise and lived experience, Faye brings a deeply human perspective to conversations about change, purpose and creating a life that feels more authentic and meaningful.
Show Resources:
Explore Faye’s website
Connect with Faye on LinkedIn
Follow Faye on Instagram: @psychologist_faye_evans
Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmalagerlow
Explore Emma’s website
Explore Emma’s book, Worthy & Wealthy
If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us @emmalagerlow and @psychologist_faye_evans. I’d love to hear what stayed with you.
Yours in reclaiming yourself, Emma. X.

Have you ever held back what you really wanted to say because you were worried about how the conversation might go?
The concern you leave unspoken. The disagreement you brush aside. The conversation you keep rehearsing in your head, but never quite begin.
In this episode of It’s a Mindset, I’m joined by Tim Duggan, author, founder and optimist, to explore how we can get better at conflict and approach difficult conversations with more intention.
Tim co-founded Junkee Media and writes a weekly column on work for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. His latest book, Clear in Tension: How to Get Better at Conflict, grew from his own experience of avoiding conflict and his curiosity about how we can learn to handle it differently.
We explore why we swallow our words, how trust and values shape disagreements, and what it means to listen generously when we’re tempted to jump in with our own answer. Tim introduces his Four Terrains of Conflict and CLEAR method, offering ways to better understand the situation we’re in before deciding how to respond.
Our conversation also takes us into creativity, making space to think, and the choices we make around AI. Tim shares why he uses it for some tasks while protecting the writing and thinking he values doing himself, including the uncomfortable work of a personal apology.
After researching Tim, I was looking forward to hearing how to lean into conflict rather than avoid it, and it didn’t disappoint. He’s a master communicator, and I particularly enjoyed his reflections around AI. There’s plenty here to consider in our relationships, our work and the conversations we’ve been putting off.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Getting better at conflict takes practice. Starting with lower-stakes conversations can help us build familiarity with the discomfort and prepare for more difficult moments.
Trust and values shape how disagreement feels. Tim’s Four Terrains of Conflict offer a way to understand why some conversations allow a productive exchange of ideas while others feel much harder to navigate.
Listening generously means noticing the urge to interrupt or solve. Tim’s CLEAR method invites us to clarify what matters, listen generously, explore what’s underneath, align on a shared direction and reset our story.
Resolution is one possible outcome. Tim also explores what it means to repeat or release a conflict, and why recognising these possibilities can change how we approach it.
Choosing which disagreements deserve our energy matters. Understanding what is important can help us be more intentional about the conversations we take on.
AI raises questions about the skills we want to keep practising. Tim shares his concerns about outsourcing the effort involved in writing, thinking and making a meaningful apology.
About the Guest:
Tim Duggan is an author, founder and optimist. He co-founded Junkee Media, is the Chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance and writes a weekly column on work for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
His work explores complex ideas about how we live and work. His latest book, Clear in Tension: How to Get Better at Conflict, draws on his research into disagreement and communication, alongside his own experience of learning to approach conflict.
Show Resources:
Explore Tim’s book, Clear in Tension
Read Tim’s writing on Substack
Connect with Tim on LinkedIn
Follow Tim on Instagram: @tim_duggan
Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmalagerlow
Explore Emma’s website
If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us @emmalagerlow and @tim_duggan. I’d love to hear what stayed with you.
Yours in courageous conversations, Emma. X.

What if a belief you’ve carried for years no longer reflects what you want for your life?
You want to try something new.
You can imagine what might become possible.
And then a familiar thought arrives: that’s not for me.
In this episode of It’s a Mindset, I’m joined by spiritual hypnotherapist Lynnsey Robinson, founder of the Align Your Mind™ mindset app and co-host of the High Vibin’ It and Spiritual Kinks podcasts.
We explore Lynnsey’s approach to hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind and the beliefs that can influence how we see ourselves and our possibilities. She shares how she works with clients to examine familiar patterns, and explains the distinction between hypnotherapy for personal change and stage hypnosis for entertainment.
Having experienced hypnotherapy and been hypnotised myself, I was curious to understand those differences and hear more about Lynnsey’s work. We also discuss the fear of being seen, the stories we tell ourselves about what we’re capable of, and why those stories can be worth revisiting.
Lynnsey’s own journey brings another layer to the conversation. After becoming a mum, she found herself drawn back to studying hypnotherapy while also feeling the pressure to choose a familiar, financially predictable path. Her story opens up an honest discussion about following an interest, making room for uncertainty and beginning with small steps.
I share how that has appeared in my own life, from changing direction at 45 to listening to the nudge towards yoga teacher training—something I’m enjoying exploring as a hobby.
We also talk about how our definition of success evolves. Can you be grateful for what you have and still want to grow? Can you appreciate where you are without deciding that you’re finished?
This conversation offers a chance to become curious about your inner dialogue, consider what you’d like to move towards, and explore Lynnsey’s perspective on hypnotherapy, intuition and manifesting.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Explore the distinction between hypnotherapy and stage hypnosis, including Lynnsey’s explanation of awareness and choice during a session.
Become curious about familiar beliefs rather than automatically treating them as permanent truths about who you are.
Make an intimidating goal more approachable by starting with a small, practical step.
Consider what you want to move towards, alongside what you’d like to leave behind.
Allow gratitude and ambition to coexist—you can appreciate your life and still be interested in what comes next.
When a discouraging thought appears, ask: “What would I like to believe instead?”
About the Guest:
Lynnsey Robinson is a spiritual hypnotherapist and founder of the Align Your Mind™ mindset app. Her work focuses on helping women explore limiting beliefs, connect with their intuition and move towards a life that feels aligned with them.
She brings a spiritual perspective to hypnotherapy, mindset and manifesting, and co-hosts the High Vibin’ It and Spiritual Kinks podcasts. In this episode, she shares both her approach to working with clients and the personal decisions that brought her into this work.
Show Resources:
Explore Lynnsey’s offerings
Follow Lynnsey on Instagram: @lynnseyrobinson
Try Align Your Mind free for 7 days
Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmalagerlow
Explore Emma’s website
If you explore hypnotherapy recordings, choose a safe place where you can rest undisturbed. Don’t listen to them while driving or operating machinery.
If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us @emmalagerlow and @lynnseyrobinson.
Yours in curiosity and possibility, Emma. X.

What is your body trying to tell you — and how often do you pause long enough to listen?
A little tension. A feeling of restlessness. Tiredness you keep promising yourself you’ll deal with later.
When life is full, it’s easy to brush those feelings aside and keep going. But becoming more aware of them can open up a different conversation with yourself.
In this episode of It’s a Mindset, I’m joined by Melissa Lever, a physiotherapist, Pilates instructor and founder of Body Intuition Collective, to explore interoception: our ability to notice signals from within the body.
Drawing on 20 years of clinical experience, Melissa shares how seeing people return to her practice with recurring discomfort prompted her to explore the relationship between physical sensations, stress and the demands of daily life.
She introduces her four-step approach — notice, interpret, regulate and align — and explains how we can begin asking what we’re feeling, what it might mean in context, and what support or adjustment we might need.
We explore the habit of pushing through, the importance of boundaries, and the added complexity of interpreting how we feel during perimenopause. Melissa also shares how movement, time outdoors and connection fit into her own life, alongside seeking appropriate professional support.
Melissa and I first connected on Instagram, and as I learnt more about her work, I was intrigued. With many of us navigating menopause, perimenopause and busy lives, I wanted to understand how we could become more attentive to ourselves. Our conversation also reminded me that loving what you do doesn’t mean you can do everything.
Beyond her professional work, Melissa reflects on seven months travelling around Australia with her husband, three children and their dog. The experience challenged her love of planning and helped her clarify what she wanted to make more room for at home.
We also talk about the courage involved in building something new after an established career, and how success can evolve from professional achievement to a life with greater connection, wellbeing and presence.
This conversation is an invitation to become curious about how you feel, rather than automatically carrying on.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Interoception is awareness of signals from within your body. Melissa explains how noticing those sensations can become a skill we practise in everyday life.
Pause before you push through. Her four-step approach — notice, interpret, regulate and align — offers a way to consider what you’re feeling and what you might need.
Context matters, particularly during perimenopause. Hormonal changes, sleep, stress and workload can overlap, making curiosity and appropriate professional support valuable.
Boundaries help create room for wellbeing. Saying yes to something can also mean giving up time for rest, connection or another personal priority.
Success can change as your life changes. Melissa shares why good health, time and presence have become central to her definition of wealth.
About the Guest:
Melissa Lever is a physiotherapist with 20 years of clinical experience, a Pilates instructor, clinic co-owner and mum of three based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Her clinical work includes physiotherapy and Pilates, with a focus on helping people move in ways suited to their individual needs.
She founded Body Intuition Collective to help people develop greater awareness of their body’s internal signals. Through education, retreats and online programs, Melissa brings together her physiotherapy experience and interest in interoception, supporting women to explore their wellbeing and make choices that reflect what matters to them.
Show Resources:
Explore Melissa’s website
Follow Melissa on Instagram: @bodyintuitioncollective
Habits Program — Perimenopause Edition
Follow Emma on Instagram: @emmalagerlow
Explore Emma’s book, Worthy & Wealthy
If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us @emmalagerlow and @bodyintuitioncollective. We’d love to hear what resonated with you.
Yours in listening to yourself, Emma. X.

What might become possible if you stopped waiting to feel confident and acted first?

We often assume confidence is something we need before we introduce ourselves, ask a question, extend an invitation or pursue an opportunity. But what if confidence is actually created by doing the very things that make us uncomfortable?

In this episode of It’s a Mindset, I’m joined by speaker, author and social courage expert Nick Bendel. In August 2019, Nick began an ambitious project to have lunch with 500 strangers. What started as a way for a natural introvert to improve his social skills and build relationships became a six-year exploration of courage, confidence, rejection and human connection.

The project eventually inspired his book, The 500 Lunches Effect: How Social Courage Changes Everything. I was immediately intrigued by Nick’s story. I certainly enjoy a long lunch, but meeting 500 strangers is an entirely different proposition. I wanted to understand what compelled him to begin, what kept him going and what he discovered through talking to people from vastly different professions, ages and backgrounds.

Nick explains that social courage means taking action when we don’t feel completely ready or when we risk being judged, rejected, criticised or embarrassed. It might involve asking for a promotion, speaking in front of an audience, approaching someone at an event or inviting somebody on a date. We explore why fear of another person’s reaction can create hesitation, how easily we turn rejection into a judgement about our worth and why somebody else’s “no” is generally far less personal than we imagine.

Nick also shares practical ways to make social connection feel less intimidating. We don’t need a brilliant opening line or an impressive story. A simple introduction, genuine curiosity and thoughtful listening can be enough to begin a meaningful conversation.

Our conversation moves beyond networking to consider the deeper importance of human connection. In a world where so much communication now occurs digitally, it is possible to move through our days surrounded by people without truly connecting with any of them.

Nick’s experience is an invitation to become a little more courageous, a little more curious and more willing to take the small social risks that can open the door to new relationships and opportunities.

Key Episode Takeaways:

Confidence follows action. Waiting until we feel confident can keep us stuck indefinitely. Confidence grows when we take action despite feeling uncertain or uncomfortable.

Social courage is personal. Speaking publicly may feel natural to one person and terrifying to another. Courage isn’t determined by the action itself, but by what taking that action requires from the individual.

Rejection is rarely the judgement we imagine it to be. Someone may decline an invitation because of their time, responsibilities or insecurities. Their answer does not automatically say anything about our worth.

We don’t need to be particularly clever to begin a conversation. A simple introduction and genuine interest in another person can be far more effective than trying to deliver the perfect opening line.

Listening helps people feel valued. Asking thoughtful questions and giving someone room to share what matters to them can create stronger rapport than dominating a conversation.

An imperfect plan can produce meaningful progress. Social courage doesn’t require an enormous leap. Choosing the smallest realistic step and building from there makes change more sustainable.

Connection is an important part of success. Money, status and achievement can feel hollow without meaningful friendships and relationships in our lives.

About the Guest:

Nick Bendel is a speaker, author and social courage expert who helps people overcome hesitation and create more opportunities in their careers and lives.

He is the author of The 500 Lunches Effect: How Social Courage Changes Everything, based on his six-year project to have lunch with 500 strangers. Drawing on his background as a journalist and business owner, Nick explores how small acts of social courage shape relationships, confidence and success. He speaks and writes about social courage, networking, confidence, personal growth and the hidden role hesitation plays in human potential.

Show Resources:

Visit Nick’s website: https://www.nickbendel.com

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bendel

Follow Nick on Instagram: @mrnickbendel

Follow Emma Lagerlow on Instagram: @emmalagerlow

Discover more about Emma and her work: https://www.emmalagerlow.com/

If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share it on your Instagram Stories and tag us at @emmalagerlow and @mrnickbendel.

Yours in courage and connection, Emma. X.