Wild and Well – Details, episodes & analysis

This was a fun chat with Maddy Pidel about motherhood, entrepreneurship, making big life changes, creating new habits and thinking bigger. 

Maddy and I chat about:

• How we can pivot when a change is needed 
• The importance of community and support when making big life changes
• Connecting back to your seven year old self to find your purpose 
• Creating more space and being intentional with your time 
• Microshifts to start building better habits 
• An important question to ask yourself to make better decisions and start creating the life that you want 
• Why the last hour of our days is one of the most important 
• How we can achieve bigger goals in motherhood, business and life
• How listening to fear and resistance can be helpful 
• Changing the narrative about motherhood 
• The drawbacks of always being busy and what busyness might be costing us 

The following are the books that Maddy recommended:

• The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months

• The War of Art 

• 10x Is Easier than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less

• I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time

• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
• Atomic habits 

Maddy Pidel is a health, life and business coach focused on supporting and inspiring women and mothers, especially those who are business owners to create lives and businesses they love. She graduated from Notre Dame and has a background in finance and accounting. She worked with non-profits in NYC for many years to support their growth and strategic planning. Maddy then pivoted to a decade of entrepreneurship and learning the ins and outs of being a small business owner. She is partnered with a financial planning firm to further empower and serve the needs of her female clients as they plan and create wealth and a legacy.

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Maddy on Instagram 
• Maddy’s website 
• Fulfillment in 5: Design Your Life course 
• IM Financial website 
• Come say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Read my book The Motherhood Reset or check out my program The Motherhood Reset 

  Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify 

We change so much when we become mothers. Our bodies change. Our brains change. Our day-to-day changes. It is no wonder that our identities and beliefs change too.

It is liberating to let go of unhelpful beliefs that keep us small in motherhood and old, outdated identities that no longer serve us in our current moment. 

In this episode of Wild + Well, I discuss several things that are helpful to let go of in motherhood, including unhelpful beliefs and old identities. 

In this episode, I cover: 

• The three significant stages of creating true wellness in motherhood 
• The missing piece for many moms to step into genuinely living motherhood their way 
• Why letting go is essential for many mothers in their motherhood journey 
• The process of letting go of unhelpful beliefs that are holding you back in motherhood
• Some specific identities that are challenging to hold tightly as a mom 
• Helpful hacks to leave old identities in the past 

Episode Links:

Say hello to me over on Instagram 

Check out my books and program

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify 

Burnout.

It is all too common for us mamas. Our modern world doesn’t make it easy for mothers to thrive
and many are left just getting by.

In this chat with Burnout Therapist and Business Coach Sheena Schuy, we uncover why burnout
is so common. (Spoiler alert: It is not your fault!) Not only does Sheena help us make sense of
this epidemic of burnt out moms from an anthropological frame, but she also shares so many
ways we can shift our daily lifestyles to leave burnout in the past. Sheena also lets us in on a little
secret: business may just be the best way out of burnout and finding more freedom and time with
your family.

Sheena and I chat about:

• Why burnout is so common for moms
• The historical journey that shapes modern day Western society
• Lifestyle shifts we can each make to live a more aligned & fulfilling life
• How we can build the villages that we so need in motherhood
• The unexpected way a business can help you not burn out
• Why being brave and taking action is essential for any progress
• That creating moments of joy and pleasure in your day is essential for overcoming
  burnout

Sheena is a social worker, a mom of two boys, a therapist, social worker, the host of the Four Q
podcast, owner & director of Savasana Collective - Holistic Psychology and Social Work. She is also
the founder of Therapist VA, a service for health professionals.

Sheena is passionate about helping high-achieving women find calm, clarity and purpose. She is all
about normalizing rather than pathologizing people’s experiences and helping them through the ups
and downs of life, relationships and business. It can be easy to lose your way and at times feel lost or
lose a sense of self and purpose. She has worked with hundreds of women in this phase of life get an
understanding of themselves and find meaning and joy again.

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Sheena on Instagram or TikTok 
• Check out the Savasana Collective website 
• Listen to The Four Q Podcast

• Take Sheena’s burnout quiz
• The 20 Hr Business Week Academy 
• Say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Sheena’s recommended reading & watching: 
• The Motherhood Reset
• Sapiens 
• Stolen Focus 
• Johann Hari’s Ted Talks 

   Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

Does your child have cavities? 

Do you notice they often breathe through their mouth or snoring at night?

Dental issues like cavities, crowded teeth and breathing issues seem all too common nowadays. Yet, trying to get to the core of what is causing these issues can be overwhelming. 

Lucky for us, I am diving into all of this with Alex Clinton in this episode. She is a biological dental hygienist, myofunctional therapist and holistic dental coach based in Ontario, Canada. She supports parents in preventing oral health issues including cavities, crowded teeth, mouth breathing and poor sleep.

Alex and I chat about: 

• How to find a holistic or biological dental team 
• Why airway and oral health are so important 
• What food and nutrients might be affecting our dental health 
• Free and doable lifestyle shifts for optimal dental health 
• The importance of breathing 
• Why slowing down and letting go of hustle culture is so essential for our health
• Signs of airway issues to look for in our children 
• The epidemic of cavities and what we can do about it 
• The importance of preconception care for offspring’s’ teeth 
• The impact of detox pathways on health and how to support these 

After practicing in British Columbia for 10 years, Alex returned to Ontario to continue studying and building her practice Functional Oral Health. She created this to provide individuals and professionals with the resources and tools all under one roof.

Alexandra realized early on in her career that many patients were feeling discouraged by standard recommendations and wanted to know how their oral health might be impacting their overall health. She then proceeded to train with some of the best airway and myofunctional therapists on the planet and was able to bring these perspectives to the practice. This allowed her to help many patients of all ages understand how these factors impact the growth and development of the oral complex, including their impact on airway, breathing, chewing, speech, orthodontic development, and sleep issues.

Alexandra enjoys teaching healthcare professionals how to integrate breathing and myofunctional therapy programs, including biological dentistry techniques, into their current dental or health care practices.

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Alex on Instagram
• Check out her website Functional Oral Health 
• Come say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset

Resources and recommendations from Alex: 

• The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology website 
• The Weston Price Foundation
• Breathe by James Nestor 
• Oxygen Advantage 
• GASP! Airway Heath - The Hidden Path to Wellness by Dr. Michael Gleb & Dr. Howard Hindin
• It's All in Your Mouth by Dr. Dominik Nischwitz
• Tongue-Tied by Richard Baxter
• Breathe, Sleep, Thrive by Dr. Shereen Lim
• The Dental Diet by Dr. Steven Lin
• Nourishing Traditions By: Sally Fallon
• Detox Rejuvenation
• Boka, Earthpaste and Tanit toothpaste
• X-Lear nasal spray 
• Vivo running shoes
• Dr Seb on Instagram 

  Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

Exhaustion, overwhelm and depletion are all too common in motherhood. If this is how you are feeling at the moment, please know that this doesn’t have to be your future too. 

There are many very real obstacles outside of our control that make motherhood nowadays even harder (think: unhelpful societal beliefs, increased financial strains, lack of a village, and workplaces not being child friendly). 

Yet, there is much that is still within our control and that is exciting. That means that despite the barriers, we can create a better way forward for ourselves and our families. This is what this episode is all about. 

In this episode, I cover: 

• The foundational steps that I use when I work with moms who are burnt out 

• Why visualization is so useful 

• Why, as moms, we must priority

• Why getting clear on our priorities and values is essential 

• Why our needs matter just as much as our children’s
• How knowing your values and priorities is key to making better decisions

If this topic is something you want to explore more, check out my book, The Motherhood Reset, as this is a topic we delve into deeply there. 

Episode Links:

•  Come say hello on Instagram 
• Delve even deeper into your priorities by reading my book, The Motherhood Reset or checking out my online program

  Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

We all want our kids to develop well and hit their milestones. There are endless items marketed to us as parents to buy to ‘help’ our kids start sitting, walking, and doing all the things. 

But what if these weren’t necessary? And perhaps even a hinderance to their development? 

What is there for us to help our kids then? 

Good old physical activity – no fancy equipment required. 

In this episode, I am talking to Lec Bruggisser about the importance of physical activity in the early years and how we can support our kids’ optimal development through movement. 

Lec and I chat about: 

• Lec’s career journey into exercise physiology
• What exercise physiology involves
• Societal pressures around child development and milestones
• Allowing babies to move freely
• Amazing links between aerobic movement and brain function
• Physical activity recommendations for children
• Tips for adding movement into your child’s day
• Ideas for postnatal movement and physical activity

Lec is an Exercise Physiologist with an interest in paediatrics. She is passionate about empowering kids and families to be healthy and active. She is also a Pilates instructor. Lec believes exercise is medicine and is working to get the research out to all of us about how impactful exercise is for our health, mood, mental health and everything really. 

Lec loves to share ways we can easily incorporate more movement into children and our own lives and how we can be more active with our kids. One way she does so is with what she calls exercise snacks. These are quick little ways we can get exercise in our days. I highly recommend you take up the habit of exercise snacking throughout your day too. 

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Lec on Instagram 

• Come say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

Have you heard of Ayurveda? 

Ayurveda is an ancient traditional medicine. But it is so much more than that. It is a way of life, as Kate O’Donnell puts it. 

I have been fascinated with Ayurveda since I first learned about it during my yoga teacher training in 2010 in Byron Bay. So naturally, I was thrilled to talk to Kate about Ayurveda – what it is, how we can access it for improved health, fertility, pregnancy and a better postpartum – on this episode of the podcast. 

Kate and I chat about: 

• What Ayurveda is 
• How the moon influences our energy and moods and how we can use this to our advantage
• The importance of aligning with the rhythms of nature and how we can start doing so even if we are busy 
• Ayurvedic practices for improving fertility 
• Food and drinks to support fertility 
• An Ayurvedic practice for a smoother pregnancy and better postpartum 
• How we can use food and drink to move through the seasons with greater vitality
• Small, doable daily habits that can begin to shift you into greater health 

Kate O’Donnell has spent more than twenty-five years traveling through India in search of ancient, time-tested, healing practices to bring back to the United States. Through her own healing journey, Kate experienced firsthand how a holistic system creates lasting health. She has since emerged as a preeminent expert in Ayurveda and has built her own curriculum customized for modern Americans. 

Her individualized approach, “guiding from disease to ease,” has transformed the lives of thousands of people and made her a respected thought-leader in holistic medicine. Kate’s best-selling books, published in seven languages, continue to be the top resources in the field of Ayurveda. As a highly sought-after speaker and the founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute, she has educated a generation of practitioners. 

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Kate on Instagram 
• Check out Kate’s books, online courses and so much more on her website healwithkate.org
• Read Kate’s newest book, Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health
• Learn more about Ayurveda at the Ayurvedic Living Institute 
• Come say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

Does your child snore or grind their teeth? Do they wake up grumpy or struggle with inattention, hyperactivity or meltdown at the drop of a hat? 

If so, airway health is something worth looking at. 

In this episode, I chat with airway-focused dentist Dr Shereen Lim all about airway health and why  it is so important for our kids’ sleep, development, health and behaviour. 

Dr Shereen Lim is a Perth-based dentist with a postgraduate diploma in dental sleep medicine from the University of Western Australia.

She has been involved in the team management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea since 2011. 

Dr Lim is dedicated to promoting airway health from infancy as an alternative approach to minimize the development of these problems, and is the author of the book “Breathe, Sleep, Thrive: Discover How Airway Health Can Unlock Your Child’s Greater Health, Learning and Potential.”

In her private practice work, Dr Lim focuses on tongue tie management from infancy to adulthood, early interceptive orthodontics and myofunctional therapy.

Dr Shereen Lim and I chat about: 

• What airway health is 
• Why airways health is so important for our children’s health, sleep and development 
• How airway health is connected to emotional regulation, attention and our children’s behaviour 
• The signs to look out for that indicate that your child may have an airway issue 
• Why tongue function and positioning are so important for proper jaw development, breathing and sleeping 
• How we can support our kids to have optimal breathing from a young age and when they are older 
• What we can do as adults if we don’t have optimal airway health 

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Dr Shereen on Instagram 
• Read Dr Shereen’s book Breathe, Sleep, Thrive 
• Check out Dr Shereen’s website to learn more or book a consultation
• Learn more about airway health here 
• Say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset
• Check out other podcast episodes & articles on my website

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

I know firsthand the power of food for health, mood and behaviour. When I feed my family real wholefoods, we are all calmer and healthier. Parenting is easier. 

But life can get busy, and it can be challenging to provide nourishing meals and snacks day in day out. That is why I am talking to Wholefood Chef Vicky Tieche on the podcast today. She is a wealth of knowledge about how to feed our families whole foods without stress and save us time and money. 

After this chat with Vicky, I was batch cooking and baking, freezing meals and meat stocks, and upping my whole food game in the kitchen. I have no doubt that she will inspire you to do the same. 

Vicky and I chat about: 

• Why wholefood eating is essential for our kids health, mood & behaviour 
• The many benefits of wholefood eating for us mamas 
• Simple ways to feed your family more real food 
• How eating real food can save us time and money 
• Helpful ways to teach our kids about food 
• How Vicky helps her kids enjoy real food (including vegetables!) 

Vicky is a mother of 2 boys and Wholefood Chef living in South Australia. She is passionate about helping women use their pantry over pills to feel their best. She supports women to make healthier choices for their families, one small step at a time. Vicky absolutely loves seeing when mothers start to truly nourish themselves amongst the chaos of motherhood, and the happy, calm, peaceful homes that result. She has a Free PDF you can download- "Nourishing Breakfasts to Boost Energy", a new E-book that has just landed called "Lunchbox Legends- Snacks", as well as her signature course "101 Wholefood Wellness" if you are interested in taking a deeper dive into the power of whole foods.

Episode Links:

• Say hi to Vicky on Instagram
• Watch Vicky’s Gut Masterclass
• Grab 3 free nourishing breakfast recipes 
• Get a copy of Vicky’s new ebooks: Lunchbox Legends 
• Check out Vicky’s signature course: 101 Wholefood Wellness 
• Say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast

Have you ever thought about writing a book? 

So many people have told me that they want to write a book. But it seems overwhelming, too big a project or they just don’t know where to start. 

In this episode, my book editor, Laura Benn from Gooseberry Studios and I go in depth on the book writing process including all the insecurities that will inevitably come up. 

Even if book writing isn’t on your agenda, mamas, you’ll get a lot out of this raw conversation. 

“The mother is the centre of a family and if she is in a good space, everything is easier. Everything is better is the family because she is in a better space.” 

Laura and I chat about:

• Why I thought motherhood and postnatal depletion were so important to write about
• How I worked through self-doubt and perfectionism during the writing process 
• My book writing process 
• Why accountability is so key to getting a book or any project done 
• The importance of story and story telling 
• A similarity between writing and motherhood (hint: everything is a process and we are always learning)

“It feels good to not let fear or self-doubt paralyze you or stop you from doing meaningful work or doing whatever it is that you want to do.” 

Episode Links:

• Come say hello to me over on Instagram 
• Grab a copy of my book, The Motherhood Reset
• Start thriving in motherhood with my online program
• Say hi to Laura on Instagram 

• Check out her photography and branding services at LauraLBenn.com

 Listen and Subscribe to Wild + Well on: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast