SHE STARTS NOW with Jackie Dumaine – Details, episodes & analysis

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

 If you catch yourself falling into the comparison trap, you're going to get something out of this episode and if it feels like you may not be living as authentically as you’d like to be, I’ll share 5 questions that will lead you toward knowing yourself in a more connected way.
 
Get ready to head on a trip down memory lane, especially for any GenXers listening. I can pretty much guarantee a few laughs and some head nods as you think “yeah, I remember that”. 

In this episode:

• 5 questions to ask to create deeper self-connection
• Blast from the past, the GenX generation wish list
• Comparing our lives - back then and now
• What happens when three 50+ women get together
• How social media prevents us from knowing who we are
• What the aging process does to our sense of self

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

(listen to the episode to learn how to use these for maximum impact)

1. What is really important to you? 
2. Who are you with when you most feel like yourself?
3. What are you doing when you most feel like yourself?
4. What are you wearing?   (crystals in bras vs power suits) 
5. What part of your life feels most true to who you are?

If this or any episode has made an impact in your life, I’d love to hear from  you. DM me @jackiedumaine on Instagram or email hello@jackiedumaine.com

Need a boost of encouragement? Download this free Manifesto of Encouragement (I wrote it just for you). www.jackiedumaine.com/poem

Find the podcast show notes at:  jackiedumaine.com/podcast

Check out the Okanagan - so beautiful! 

BELONGING: What is true belonging? Why is it that so many of us feel incredibly alone even when surrounded by family, colleagues and friends?

In this solo episode, I get real, raw and vulnerable and openly share some of the struggles I’ve experienced for most of my life by confusing what it means to belong with the appearance of fitting in and the desire to be understood.

Thanks to Brené Brown's powerful and very important work on belonging, you'll learn the difference between true belonging and fitting in and how courage play an important role in fully owning who we are.  

I also reference The Breakfast Club movie as an incredibly accurate representation of the quest to belong and how we all face the same challenges behind the curtains - regardless of what it looks like on the outside.  GenXers, you're gonna love this.

Look, I don’t have life or myself all figured out and despite what you may see on social media, I struggle too. I really, really do. Some days a little. Some days a LOT.

I struggle with things like self acceptance, comparison and fully embracing every complex fraction and layer of what makes me who I am.

If you’ve ever struggled to belong, this one’s for you my friend.

In this episode:

• The difference between belonging and fitting in
• The quest to belong isn’t just for teenagers 
• My personal struggles with belonging and why I resisted being accepted
• Brené Brown’s work on belonging 
• What The Breakfast Club movie can teach us about real connection 

 
Learn more about She Starts Now here: https://www.jackiedumaine.com/she-starts-now 

If you have ever wished for more passion in your life OR maybe you think you’re living with a ton of it right now, you’re going to be blown away by what you’ll learn about what passion really means.

In this solo episode, I put my research hat on and dive into the history and the roots of the word passion and its connection to the words suffering and enthusiasm (this will shock you!) 

I also share 5 action steps you can take right now to immediately bring more passion into your life. These action steps were inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, you know the guy who painted the Mona Lisa which I’m sure was done with a whole lot of passion. 

And lastly, we’ll explore if passion and security can co-exist.

Can a wildly passionate life be lived within the walls of your comfort zone?

In this episode:

• The number one thing all of my coaching clients and event guests say they want more of (but can’t define)
• How we put too much pressure on the word passion
• Why meaningful passion can’t be found in a career, experience or another human
• The roots of the word passion and the clue as to why we’re confused by it 
• Why passion isn’t a destination 

The 5 Action Steps Suggested in this Episode (full details on how to practice them in the episode) 

1. Look Near/Look Far
2. Layered Listening
3. Smell the Day
4. Make Love to Your Food
5. Touch Like An Angel

Book: How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
FREE Download:  A Poem of Encouragement
Official Podcast page:  Head here  

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month and to recognize this, I've recorded a special "HE" Starts Now edition of the She Starts Now podcast.   

If you have a boy, young man or adult man in your life or if you are one yourself, please listen to this intimate conversation with my friend Zak about the struggles men face when it comes to grief, shame, loneliness, addiction and vulnerability.

Zak is a tech and digital media entrepreneur based in Calgary, host of the CanadianPodcast and founder of a brand new initiative he recently launched with a team of men from across Canada.

This initiative is MenTell.ca  

Their aim is to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health and to encourage men from all walks of life to use their voice - either in person or online - by sharing strategies on what’s helped them on the path to mental and emotional wellbeing. 

Through storytelling, education and open conversations, the objective of MenTELL is to inspire at least one individual to realize they are not alone in this. 

Zak believes that when men share what’s real for them, they become a beacon of hope not only for themselves but for todays and for tomorrow’s generation.


In this episode Zak openly shares about his own struggles and what helped him climb out of a very dark hole (and what can help you too). 

In this episode:

• The harmful messages we send boys and men
• Why the stats on men and depression are all wrong
• How men cope with grief, shame and vulnerability
• Depression + Addiction: the importance of community and asking for support
• Zak's weekly ritual to grieve the passing of his mother and the message he wants to send to those that are struggling right now
• A study on loneliness and aging men (and what some countries are doing about it)
• The Compassion Prison Project: how unresolved trauma is hurting men and our world
• Toxic Ambition: masking pain through distraction and the pursuit of success
• The Mentell.ca movement: why it started and how you can get involved

Learn More & Get Involved:

www.mentell.ca 

https://www.instagram.com/mentell.ca/

"Step Into The Circle: The Compassion Prison Project

https://compassionprisonproject.org/

Have you ever let money shame hold you back from learning about investing? You’re not alone. This episode will help you shatter the beliefs that you don’t know enough, don’t have enough or that it’s too late.

From buying her first home at 20 to now owning 9 properties (and counting), Victoria Cluney is passionate about mentoring regular everyday women, just like you and me, on the rewards of building wealth through real estate.

In this heart-to-heart conversation you’ll learn how Victoria’s military background has helped her foster discipline and resilience, how she juggles motherhood alongside her dynamic career all while pursuing a master's degree in organizational psychology.

(hint, it’s all about values and boundaries!).

AND - you’ll learn why her most recent project of renovating a very dated ocean front motel in Nova Scotia is lighting her up (and it has nothing to do with money).

Victoria serves on the board of directors for Ottawa Real Estate Investing Organization and currently leads the Ottawa chapter of Real Estate InvestHER meetups, when she empowers women from all walks of life with the education and the community needed to invest in their first property and more importantly in their financial future.

In this episode:

• The thoughts that went through her mind while laying in a ditch during military training
• How being controlled in her younger years contributed to her desire for freedom
• What she wished she would have known earlier (about investing and about life)
• The value of networking and the right community 
• The power of emotional control (and how it can be learned)
• What she teaches her son about investing and mindset 
• The vision she has for The Breeze Motel and the surrounding community
  
  

Learn more about Victoria and her projects at jackiedumaine.com/podcast

{Solo} Explore five ways you might be negotiating your dreams, your goals, your happiness and yourself. You’ll learn the most important question to ask to determine if you’re negotiating your self-worth (your answer will confirm if you are or not).

If it turns out you ARE negotiating yourself, you’ll get one actionable tool you can start using today to change this AND I have a gift for you - it’s something that will give you a daily spark of courage and encouragement on the road to non-negotiable living.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What does it mean to be negotiable?
• What IS negotiable in life and what ISN’T (a quiz for you)
• 5 telltale signs you’re negotiable
• Why the feeling of resentment is a wake up call
• How to live a non-negotiable life
• A printable, beautifully designed poem to encourage you along the way (free gift) 

GET YOUR FREE  MANIFESTO DOWNLOAD HERE:

https://www.jackiedumaine.com/manifesto

Or on instagram @jackiedumaine.com

If you believe in the power of music to help us heal our nervous systems and feel our emotions, this episode will have you humming sweet harmonies in your soul.

I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Desiree Dawson, an award winning recording artist, singer, songwriter, producer, yoga teacher, sound healing facilitator, CBC radio favorite, Key Change Artist and a Juno award nominee. 

And, she’s so much more than that. 

Desiree is an incredibly joyful and introspective young woman who is wise beyond her years. We explore what it takes to pursue a calling, the lessons she learned from deciding to live in an RV and the inspiration behind her soul touching and nervous system soothing lyrics.

And, a treat for you, she wraps up our time together with a special a capella performance of her brand new single, I Am Blessed.  

In this Episode, We Discuss:

• How our subconscious tries to keep us safe
• The struggle between ambition and sabotage
• When you know there’s no turning back 
• Healing our nervous system through yoga, nature & music
• The importance of confidence and taking up space
• How it felt to be nominated for a Juno Award 
• The relationship between money and creative flow 
• Waiting for perfection will keep you waiting forever
• Community, connection and how we’re all living in harmony
• The song that was conceived and born in 5 minutes 
  
  

Get the show notes and links to follow Desirée at www.jackiedumaine.com/podcast

Why would a woman want to quit her very successful corporate career at the age of 51, in the middle of a pandemic, to pursue a career as an online influencer and image coach for women over 40? Because the desire to fully express her creativity and explore the bigness of her potential was far greater than the need for safety and security.

This isn’t a sugar coated episode that makes “quitting your job to follow your dreams” seem like a glamorous inspirational story worthy experience. It’s scary and it’s hard. And we dive into the truth of it all…

Jen Polt is the star behind the @ makingupforglossedtime Instagram account which she started as a passion project but it soon exploded into one of the leading resources 40+ women turn to for light hearted beauty, image and radical self-love midlife guidance.

In this Episode, We Discuss:

• Jen’s decision making process when she prepared to leave corporate America (and a stable income) to pursue a new path as an image and confidence coach for women over 40
• A social media influencer over 50? YES, it is possible.
• Why we stop dreaming as we age and how to start again
• The importance of surrounding yourself with visionaries
• The one thing that keeps her going when she feels like quitting
• The truth (and the lies) behind why online creators do what they do
• The unexpected conversation with her husband that sideswiped her (3 weeks after she quit her corporate job)
• Why betting on yourself is the safest bet there is 

If you’ve been considering making a career shift after 40, this episode will give you the inspiration to see that it is possible and that above all, you fully deserve to step into the fullest expression of who you are - at any age.

All show notes are available at jackiedumaine.com