If 2025 felt like a year of letting go—relationships, jobs, identities, roles you used to play—you weren't imagining it. According to the Chinese zodiac, last year was the Year of the Wood Snake. And snakes? They shed. But here's the thing: shedding isn't loud. It's quiet, internal, and it happens on your timeline, not anyone else's. Maybe you let go of being the person who solves everyone's problems. Maybe you stopped chasing validation. Maybe you ended a friendship or left a job that couldn't continue. We break down what we each shed this year, the identities and roles we're leaving behind, and what it means to move into the Year of the Fire Horse—where the energy shifts from quiet reflection to forward momentum. Plus: why Lauren's word of the year is a full sentence and Shannon's is one powerful word. If you're standing between who you were and who you're becoming right now, this episode will help you name what you're leaving behind—and what you're stepping into. In This Episode:

• What the Year of the Wood Snake taught us about letting go
• The identities and roles we shed this year and why it matters
• Moving from the quiet snake energy to the fire horse momentum
• Our words of the year: Focus vs Good Things Keep Happening to Me
• Why saying no is an act of self-preservation, not selfishness
• How to settle into a new chapter without forcing what's next

Ready to name what you're leaving behind? Start with one word for 2026. Listen to Open Doors wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧 P.S. What's YOUR word of the year? Drop it in the comments or DM us on social—we want to hear it.

Everyone sees the beginning—the excitement, the launch, the "I'm doing this new thing!" post. And everyone sees the end—the exit, the success story, the "look what I built" moment. But nobody talks about the middle. The part where you're grinding every single day with no recognition, no pat on the back, and your bank account giving you constructive feedback that honestly feels pretty rude. Here's what nobody tells you: the dip can last 25 years. If you look at any CEO, any elite athlete, any person who's built something meaningful—they didn't get there because they're lucky. They got there because they showed up in the middle when nobody was watching. We break down what it actually means to be in the dip, why you can't quit in the middle, and how to find the small wins when the summit feels impossibly far away. Plus: why working for yourself means your bank account is your only boss—and that's both liberating and terrifying.

If you're in the middle of something hard right now—building a business, stuck in a career transition, working toward a goal that feels far away—don't quit. Just keep going. Listen to Open Doors wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

If you've been telling yourself you "should" meditate but can't find the time, or you've tried it once and felt like you were doing it wrong—this one's for you.

Here's the thing: mindfulness isn't about adding another task to your to-do list. It's not about sitting in silence for an hour while your brain screams at you about everything you should be doing instead.

We break down what mindfulness actually looks like when you're overwhelmed (spoiler: it's not what Instagram makes it seem), how to find those micro-moments throughout your day when life is throwing everything at you, and why watching yourself like you're a character in a movie might be the key to staying sane.

Shannon just did a global meditation with 1,000 people on Zoom (yes, really) and found more peace than she's had in months. Lauren's been shifting her language from "I have to" to "I get to"—and adding why it matters. It's simple. It works. And it might save you this holiday season.

In This Episode:

• Why mindfulness is a muscle (and how to build it without adding to your overwhelm)
• The "I get to" practice that changes everything—plus the extra layer that makes it stick
• How to observe your life like you're watching a movie (and why that's actually healthy)
• The invisible load women carry (and how Fair Play breaks it down)
• One good humiliation a day: why watching your reaction is the practice

If you're heading into the holidays feeling maxed out, burnt out, or just barely holding it together—take a breath. We're all in the dance together.

Listen to Open Doors wherever you get your podcasts! 🎧