Cowgirls Over Coffee – Details, episodes & analysis

Health and fitness goals dominate every January conversation, but what if the way we approach them is all wrong? This episode explores how to create sustainable habits that prioritize energy, longevity, and quality of life over quick fixes and societal pressures. Guest Kelly Alshwagger of Western Workouts brings her no-nonsense perspective, tackling the common pitfalls of health and fitness goals, the obsession with weight loss, and the marketing gimmicks that steer people in the wrong direction.

Learn how to start where you are, focus on what truly matters, and build a practice you’ll love for the long term. Whether it’s incorporating simple habits like hydration and walking or finding joy in the process, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to keep your health and fitness goals on track all year long.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why "New Year, New Me" fails and what to do instead.
• The importance of focusing on gains, not losses, when setting health goals.
• Four foundational habits to improve your fitness and well-being.
• Why time invested beats time wasted in health and fitness.
• How to assess and adjust your goals with every season of life.
• The connection between physical health, energy, and long-term longevity.
• Practical tips for balancing a demanding lifestyle with fitness priorities.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with small, consistent actions: 20 minutes, three days a week can change your life.
• Focus on the quality of life you’re gaining, not just the weight you’re losing.
• Prioritize foundational habits: adequate protein, hydration, sleep hygiene, and daily movement.
• Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset and embrace progress over perfection.
• Assess your goals regularly to ensure they align with your values and lifestyle.

Connect with Kelly Altshwager:

• Website: WesternWorkouts.com
• Instagram: @Western_Workouts

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If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Thea:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

This week’s episode digs right into the messy middle of January, a time when the spark of New Year’s goals can feel overshadowed by life’s chaos and demands. This conversation with Thea & Meg tackles the reality of starting a new year amidst change, unpredictability, and the lingering feeling of being “behind.”

Explore the mindset shifts and strategies that high-achieving women can use to embrace change, lean into the discomfort of growth, and redefine their expectations for success. From finding clarity in the chaos to integrating family, work, and personal priorities, this episode offers actionable insights for balancing ambition with presence.

Tune in for candid reflections, powerful reframes, and practical advice to help set the tone for 2025 with intention and purpose.

• Leaning Into the Seasonal Cadence: How January and February offer a natural invitation for reflection, planning, and resetting priorities.
• Reframing the Feeling of Being “Behind”: Turning the discomfort of falling short of expectations into a catalyst for growth and clarity.
• Integrating Life and Goals: Strategies for weaving work, family, and personal goals into a cohesive and balanced vision.
• Releasing Unhealthy Expectations: Recognizing and letting go of self-imposed pressures that drain joy and hinder progress.
• The Power of Rituals and Reflection: Creating meaningful habits and traditions, like Meg’s winter solstice ritual, to anchor growth and connection.
• Finding Ease in the Hard Seasons: Embracing the full range of human experiences (both challenges and triumphs) and finding strength in the process.

1. January is not a race, it’s an invitation to slow down, reflect, and set intentional goals.
2. Feeling “behind” can be a sign of ambition, reframe it as an opportunity for clarity and alignment.
3. Integration, not compartmentalization, is key to balancing family, work, and personal priorities.
4. Let go of unhealthy expectations and focus on what truly matters in your unique season of life.
5. Rituals and intentional pauses, like seasonal reflection, create space for growth and connection.
6. Goals are not just about outcomes, they’re about the process and progress along the way.
7. High achievers thrive when they balance ambition with presence and ease.

Love this episode? Screenshot it, share it, and tag @cowgirlsovercoffee to join the conversation. Share your biggest takeaway or your vision for 2025, and let us cheer you on as you set the tone for your year ahead.

Make sure to subscribe and leave a review to help more like-minded women discover conversations that inspire and empower.

• New Year goals
• Goal setting for women
• Embracing change and growth
• Seasonal reflection
• Work-life integration
• Mindset for high achievers
• Rural women’s lifestyle
• Productivity and balance
• Letting go of expectations
• Family and business balance

If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!



Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee...

Today's conversation is actually a throwback that we felt needed a quick replay before fully shifting into the holiday season. I'm sitting down with Meg Scales to dive into the tough yet essential topic of self-prioritization in high-demand lifestyles. Whether you're balancing ranch life, a growing business, a family, or (most likely!) all of the above - you know that "putting yourself first" isn't as easy as it sounds.

In this episode, Meg and I break down what prioritizing yourself really looks like in the midst of chaos, stress, and competing demands. Together, we get honest about the cost of self-care and how to shift from burnout to balance. You'll hear practical strategies for managing time, avoiding overwhelm, and why the "empty cup" analogy doesn't even scratch the surface.

We also dig into the hard questions: What are you willing to give up? What's holding you back from prioritizing yourself? And how do you manage the constant pressure to "do it all" without losing yourself in the process? This episode is packed with raw honesty, tough love, and insights that will have you rethinking how you manage your day-to-day.

If you've ever felt like you're drowning in responsibilities, this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why self-prioritization isn’t just about “me time” but about reducing stress and aligning with your values
• How to break down the overwhelm and get real about what’s truly taking up your mental and emotional bandwidth
• The power of simple conversations and mindset shifts to reclaim your time and capacity
• Why figuring it out and working it out are two different things—and how to move from awareness to action

If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!



Resources & Links:

• I Know How She Does It by Laura Vanderkam
• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Meg Scales:

• Follow on Instagram @meg.scales

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

In this episode of Cowgirls Over Coffee, Lana Wilkes and I are tackling the subject of fear, not with a specific one-size-fits-all strategy to overcome it, but with an open conversation that invites reflection. As we dive into the different ways fear shows up in life, from the rational (like rattlesnakes) to the intangible (fear of failure), we explore how fear informs our actions, beliefs, and even our limiting behaviors.

This episode isn't intended to provide you with a 5-step plan to crush your fears; it's about starting the conversation. We encourage you to think deeply about what's beneath your fears, how fear impacts your ability to make decisions, and how understanding fear is often the next step toward progress.

Key Takeaways:

• Fear as information and how to recognize what your fears are really telling you
• Why the "feel the fear and do it anyway" advice might be skipping an important step
• How small, consistent actions can help unravel bigger fears
• Recognizing fear's impact on limiting beliefs and decision-making
• Why addressing fear doesn't mean eliminating it but learning how to move with it

This conversation is perfect for anyone who feels stuck or limited by fear but isn’t looking for easy answers. Instead, you’ll leave with the motivation to reflect on your own fears, how they show up, and what they might be telling you about the next step forward.

If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!



Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Connect with Lana Wilkes:

• Follow on Instagram @small.town.preachers.wife

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

In this episode of Cowgirls Over Coffee, I have a no-BS conversation with Amanda Radke - a rancher, mother of four, and independent businesswoman - about the real challenges of balancing family, business, and life on the ranch. This isn't your basic chat about finding balance; it's a raw, unfiltered look at what it takes to juggle multiple roles without losing your sanity.

Amanda shares how she manages her cattle business, fights for property rights, and stays present with her kids, all while navigating the constant demands of ranch life. We dig into the hard truth about why balance isn't about doing it all but about making intentional choices and understanding the cost of every 'yes' and 'no' in your life.

Key Takeaways:

• Why it's crucial to show up for what matters, even when life feels overwhelming
• How to manage competing priorities without sacrificing what's important
• The power of leaning into the messy, unpredictable seasons of life on the ranch
• Thoughts on staying engaged in local issues and making your voice heard
• Tips on how to integrate family, work, and personal growth - without burning out

If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Amanda Radke:

• Check out her websites: www.AmandaRadke.com & www.BidOnBeef.com 
• Follow on FB @SpeakerAmandaRadke
• Follow on Instagram @AmandaRadke
• Follow on X @RadkeAmanda
• Follow on YouTube @RadkeAmanda

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

In this episode of Cowgirls Over Coffee, we're having an honest conversation about a topic every high-achieving woman needs to tackle: discipline. We all know that feeling of knowing exactly what you need to do but struggling to get it done or being so disciplined that it's actually working against you. Today, we're stripping back the layers and getting curious about what discipline truly means, why it's not about being perfect, and how you can build it as a skill rather than treating it like a fixed part of your identity.

Together with Meg Scales, we break down the myths around discipline, willpower, and focus. We explore why hyper-discipline can be just as damaging as lacking discipline altogether and why curiosity is your secret weapon in developing the self-awareness necessary to make meaningful progress. If you've ever found yourself feeling burnt out, stuck in a cycle of inconsistency, or struggling to figure out why you're not reaching your goals, this conversation is exactly what you need.

Key Takeaways:

• The reality of discipline: It’s a skill you can build, not something you’re either born with or without
• Why being “overly disciplined” can sabotage your success and how to strike a healthy balance
• How to identify and plug the energy leaks in your life that are holding you back
• The role of curiosity and self-compassion in creating discipline that supports your goals
• Practical strategies to develop adaptable discipline so you can finally move forward with intention and clarity

Whether you’re someone who prides yourself on being disciplined or you’re struggling to find any consistency at all, this conversation is packed with actionable insights, practical strategies, and raw reflections that will help you take charge of your next steps. It’s time to stop letting discipline be a barrier (or an excuse!) and start using it as a tool to create the life you want.

If this episode resonates with you, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Screenshot this episode, tag @CowgirlsOverCoffee, and share your biggest takeaway or how you’re planning to build more discipline in your life. Let’s keep the conversation going!



Resources & Links:

• Gretchen Rubin’s Book, "The Four Tendencies"
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Meg Scales

• Follow on Instagram @meg.scales

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

We made it through September! As we go through this transitional time of year, I want you to be ready for the holiday season and soak in all the joy. Let's finish this year strong in your purpose! 

September is a prime month for burnout because we're coming off of the chaos of summer and gearing up for the winter season. I hit a wall in September, so I wanted to share five core practices I have used to refuel the tank and overcome burnout, such as writing a triggering journal and focusing on core care. 

By identifying the patterns that put you into burnout in the first place, you'll drive awareness to the root cause so you know how to prevent another cycle of it. So tune in to make an action plan to remedy your burnout and reclaim the season!

Resources & Links:

• Cowgirls Over Coffee Episode 40: Need a Reset? I’ve Got You!
• Ready.Set.Reset Workbook
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

I’m excited to have two incredible women on today’s episode. Jan and Erin Johnson, founders of Trailblazher magazine, join us for a conversation about their mission, storytelling, and fostering connection. 

The mom and daughter team share how they combined their writing, research, and design skills to dream up and create their keepsake magazine. With their sixteenth issue just being launched for fall, we’ll learn how Trailblazher magazine is all about the connection, collaboration, and community between rural women. Their publication is filled with women sharing their stories that are filled with inspiration. You can also find DIY projects, mental wellness help, recipes, business info, and more in each quarterly issue. 

Jan and Erin give a behind-the-scenes look at what balance looks like working together for 25 years and now living together as well. They’ve always worked with female entrepreneurs, and their passion for connecting rural women is evident as they give us details about their online directory, which is going live at the end of September!

Supporting women is their mission, so don’t miss their fall issue of Trailblazher to learn more. 

Resources & Links:

• Fall issue of Trailblazher magazine
• The Trailblazher Podcast
• Cowgirls Over Coffee Episode 46. From Ashes to Action: A Raw Look at Crisis, Community, and Connection
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Jan and Erin Johnson

• Follow on Instagram @trailblazherco
• Follow on Facebook @trailblazherco
• Visit the website
• Follow the new directory on Instagram @discover.rural
• The new Discover Rural Directory (coming soon)

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

Please be aware this episode could be triggering for those who have experienced trauma with fire or loss. 

In today’s episode, Meg Scales is back recounting her recent harrowing experience with the House Draw Fire, which affected her community in Wyoming. This wildfire, ignited by lightning, caused extensive damage to ranches and farms. Today, Meg shares what she saw, felt, and went through with her husband and friends as they raced to fight the fire, save their livestock, and protect their homes.

With a life-altering experience like this, we wanted to reflect on the power of prayer, disaster preparedness, and believing in the good of people. Meg will also share recovery efforts and what’s next. This episode can help drive action to make a plan with your family for priorities and steps to take in the event of a disaster. If you take one thing away from this episode, let it be that hope stayed alive during this tragedy through prayer and manifestation. 

Resources & Links:

• University of Wyoming Wildfire Resources
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Michelle Mensing:

• Visit her website
• Direct link to stock photo membership
• Follow on Instagram
• Follow on Facebook
• Follow on Pinterest
• 5-Day Free Challenge

Connect with Meg Scales:

• Follow on Instagram @meg.scales

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!

I can’t think of any better September discussion than to talk about meals in your fall routine. In today’s episode, Kaylee Stevie joins me for a conversation about meal planning. I am personally not great at it, and I wanted to bring Kaylee on to help with tips for prepping and planning your meals. 

Kaylee homeschools and helps manage her and her husband’s direct-to-consumer beef sales business. She taught herself how to cook and started posting her creations on Instagram. She wants to help take the guesswork out of meal planning and offers a monthly subscription to meal planning ideas. Kaylee strives to take the guesswork out of meal planning and can help you become more efficient when building this routine. 

Her tips include starting small with just a few days a week and including your family in meal ideas to ensure everyone is included. Collaboration is a core value in her home, and that is evident in her meal-planning process. Can you find fifteen minutes each week to meal plan? Kaylee makes it that easy!

Resources & Links:

• Kaylee’s monthly meal plan subscription
• Kaylee’s The Table: Summer eCookbook
• Learn more about Cowgirls Over Coffee Membership Community

Connect with Kaylee Stevie

• Follow on Instagram @kayleestevie
• Visit her website

Connect with Thea and the community:

• Follow on Instagram @CowgirlsOverCoffee     
• Follow on Facebook @CowgirlsOverCoffee

Make sure to hit subscribe/follow so you never miss a convo!