The beginning of a new year can quietly bring up more reflection than motivation. Instead of doubling down on hustle and pressure, I wanted to offer something softer, deeper, and far more honest. A way of creating change that comes from clarity, self-trust, and joy, not force.

I’m joined by Anna Bates, who made a bold pivot at age 44 after running a successful swim school franchise, stepping into her work as a transformational coach. We talk about what it really takes to walk away from something familiar, how confidence is something you remember rather than manufacture, and why selling yourself does not have to feel pushy or performative. This is an invitation to trust your timing, honor your skills, and choose alignment over urgency.

Topics Covered

• Why January burnout is not a personal failure, but a sign to soften your approach.
• What it really looks like to pivot careers in midlife, without burning everything down.
• How confidence comes from self-trust, not hustle or pretending.
• Letting go of hustle culture and reframing change as an act of clarity.
• Finding the through line between your past work and your next chapter.
• Redefining sales as self-advocacy, problem-solving, and authentic connection.
• Why it is never too late to begin again, and why your timing is perfect.

Connect with Anna!
Website: https://www.room11coaching.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/room11coaching/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-bates-woodhart/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/room11coaching/

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

The start of a new year doesn’t always feel light or clean. Sometimes it feels tender, heavy, or quietly hopeful all at once. As 2026 begins, I wanted to create space for something softer than resolutions, something more honest than reinvention.

In this episode, I’m joined by Kristine Genovese, creator of the Soul Intelligence Method, for a conversation about energetic clearing, subconscious patterns, and what it really means to start fresh from the inside out. We talk about how old beliefs, stress, and unprocessed experiences live in the body, how energy-based healing differs from talk-based approaches, and why true change doesn’t come from forcing ourselves forward, but from gently releasing what no longer belongs.

Together, we explore healing across physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic levels, and how awareness and curiosity can open the door to real transformation. If you’re craving more ease, clarity, and alignment as you move into this new year, this is for you!

Topics Covered

• Why a gentle energetic reset can be more powerful than traditional New Year goals.
• How subconscious patterns shape our lives long before we’re aware of them.
• What energetic clearing looks like without reliving past pain.
• The connection between physical symptoms and stored emotional experiences.
• How awareness and curiosity help interrupt old patterns.
• Healing the whole self, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic.
• Why self-care is sacred, especially for healers and high achievers.
• Simple ways to begin 2026 feeling steadier, clearer, and more aligned.

Connect with Kristine!
Website: https://soulintelligencemethod.com/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinemgenovese/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinemglein/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gcimpactgroup/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ttwY4KG6K1cN3EHNmiOqQ

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

As the year winds down, I find myself in that tender in-between space, reflective, a little emotional, and quietly aware of all that has ended. This episode grew out of that feeling, the question of how we release what no longer fits without hardening ourselves or rushing the process.

In this episode, I’m joined by Christy for an honest, soulful conversation about letting go with grace. We talk about grief, reinvention, entrepreneurship, and what it means to choose softness, self-trust, and courage in the middle of profound change. This one is for anyone standing at the edge of a new year, holding both gratitude and loss, and wondering what it looks like to move forward with compassion for yourself.

Topics Covered

• The emotional weight of ending a year and the pressure to find meaning and closure.
• Letting go of relationships, identities, and expectations without hardening yourself.
• Navigating grief, personal loss, and unexpected life transitions.
• Giving yourself permission to be messy, soft, and human during change.
• Trusting intuition and choosing yourself when life demands reinvention.
• How entrepreneurship can become a healing and grounding force.
• Reframing endings as space for new beginnings and aligned growth.
• Practicing grace in the small, unseen moments of everyday life.

Connect with Christy!
Website: https://cohesiveconfidence.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cohesiveconfidence
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christymeaux
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cohesiveconfidence

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

It’s Christmas week, and there’s a certain hum in the air. A quiet pressure to keep everything moving, everyone happy, and yourself composed, even when you’re running on fumes.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susie Amato-Henderson for an honest conversation about creating real zen during the holidays, not by escaping the chaos, but by meeting it differently. We talk about her journey from caretaking and control to discovering joy later in life, and how mindfulness, nervous system awareness, and adaptive capacity can change the way we move through stress.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, soften your grip, and remember that peace isn’t something you earn once the holidays are over. It’s something you’re allowed to create, right now, exactly as you are.

Topics Covered:

• The emotional pressure and quiet exhaustion that often show up during the holidays.
• Discovering joy later in life and letting go of a lifelong caretaker identity.
• The difference between resilience and adaptive capacity, surviving versus truly growing.
• How mindfulness helps regulate stress and calm the nervous system.
• Releasing control and perfectionism during family gatherings and daily life
  Simple, accessible mindfulness practices that take seconds, not hours.
• Protecting your peace around people who are not emotionally aware
  Choosing presence, self-care, and compassion in imperfect holiday moments.

Connect with Susie!
Website: https://www.sisuzy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susie_ah/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558690847434
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanamatohenderson

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

We’re stepping into one of the most potent thresholds of the year. The winter solstice. The shortest day, the longest night. That quiet hinge in the season when the world slows, the light thins, and many of us feel heavier without quite knowing why. Because creativity can be a lantern in moments like this, I wanted to devote an entire episode to the rituals and tiny practices that help us feel held when the days feel dark.

I’m joined by expressive arts therapist and trauma-informed care consultant Emma Sullivan Uebele for a grounding and deeply human conversation about how our bodies and nervous systems respond to winter, and why so much of what we experience during this season is completely natural. We explore how creativity can meet us gently when we’re tired, anxious, or disconnected, and how simple, accessible rituals can offer steadiness, reflection, and care during the darker days of the year.

Topics Covered:

• The emotional, physical, and ancestral meaning of the dark season.
• How reduced light affects our nervous systems, energy, and creativity.
• Why winter naturally invites rest, introspection, and slower rhythms.
• Creative rituals for people who feel tired, overwhelmed, or uninspired.
• Using expressive arts as a companion rather than a performance.
• Low-stakes creative practices like collage, blind contour drawing, and breath drawing.
• Distinguishing between shadow moments that need compassion and seeds that hold potential.
• Holding both darkness and hope as the light begins its quiet return.

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, I encourage you to think about some creative rituals you can build into your week. Maybe you want to do something specific for the winter solstice.
• If you have 50 minutes, check out Emma’s seasonal expressive arts workbooks in the show notes. They are a beautiful way to navigate winter with intention and warmth. And she pairs them with an accompanying workshop.
  • https://emmasullivan.art/shop/p/winter-wonders-expressive-arts-workbook

Connect with Emma!
Website: https://emmasullivan.art/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmasullivanart/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-sullivan-uebele/
Expressive arts workbooks: https://emmasullivan.art/shop

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

The holidays come wrapped in sparkle and expectations. Joy! Magic! Gratitude! But if we’re honest, it can feel more like running a marathon in heels and a sequined dress.

In this festive episode, I’m joined by body and life coach Courtney Gray for a soulful conversation about rewriting our holiday narratives. We talk about what really happens in our bodies when we override ourselves, how to stop people-pleasing through food and traditions, and why a little discomfort might just be the path to deep nourishment.

Topics Covered:

• The “back burner effect” and how it sneaks into holiday seasons
• Why women often default to doing it all (and how to step back)
• How emotional eating is tied to boredom, guilt, and people-pleasing
• A 3-step tool for making aligned food choices in the moment
• Why discomfort is often the doorway to lasting change
• The truth about time scarcity (and why it’s rarely about time)
• Simple micro shifts that create a more grounded holiday
• How to decide what to keep, toss, or transform in your traditions

Connect with Courtney!

www.modernbodymodernlife.com

www.instagram.com/modernbodymodernlife

www.facebook.com/courtneygraycoaching

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

Well, butter my biscuit and cue the confetti cannons. This is our 100th episode, and I’m joined by one of my favorite humans (and former guest), Hillary O’Dell, to mark this wild, wonderful milestone. It’s tender, it’s unhinged, it’s full of heart, and it’s exactly what I hoped it would be.

We reminisce about how we met (spoiler: it involves embarrassing confessions before hitting “record”), and we take you behind the scenes of what it really takes to make it to 100 episodes. There are pantyliner mishaps, wrestling ex-boyfriends, ghost guests, and plenty of sentimental tangents. At its core, this is an ode to celebration itself. To not brushing past the beautiful, hard-won things we create. To choosing joy. To showing up scared and sweaty, and doing it anyway.

Thank you so much for French kissing life with me for 100 episodes. I wouldn't have gotten to this point without this community. This celebration is as much for you as it is for me. Cheers to the next 100 shows!
xo,
Shawnna

Extras from the Episode:
🎵 French Kissing Life Skating Rink Playlist: Listen on Spotify
📩 Email us: frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com
📩 BCC Hillary (you know you want to): hillary.a.odell@gmail.com

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com

As the holidays get closer, I always feel that familiar mix of excitement and pressure. The menus, the timing, the tiny details that somehow turn into big feelings. Hosting can so easily slip into performance mode, and I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. So in this episode, I wanted to explore what it looks like to bring the heart back into gathering.

I’m joined by Faith Kenzler, an event planner who believes hospitality is really about intention, care and connection. We talk about how to create a dinner party that feels warm rather than overwhelming, and how the smallest choices, from where someone sits to how you greet them at the door, can shift the whole atmosphere. Faith’s stories and insights offer such a grounding reminder that the most memorable moments are rarely the perfect ones, they’re the genuine ones.

Topics Covered:

• The grounding purpose behind any meaningful gathering.
• How intention shapes the flow, mood, and energy of a dinner party.
• Staying present as a host without losing yourself in the details.
• Creating small moments of belonging for guests.
• Simple ways to infuse warmth without adding stress.
• How guests can contribute to connection and ease.
• Why imperfect moments often become the highlight of the night.

Connect with Faith!
Website: https://www.whimsyeventservices.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/whimsyeventservices
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whimsyeventservices

______________________
Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

• DM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or Facebook
• Connect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedIn
• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

______________________

French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!

Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/
Email: shawnna@ampersandcopyandcontent.com