Needy and Normal Podcast

EP 24 Dream big with Coach Shannon Kiprich

This week on the Needy and Normal podcast, we welcome guest Shannon Kiprich, M.B.A., RPCV, CPC. The joyful American woman who collided with a wild world of culture and business. Meet my friend, global citizen and Coach. Shannon's passion for life truly shines through in this lively interview. 
Professionally, Shannon creates a space for High Achieving Women to go Higher with the Spirit and Community using Coaching and a few other tools. As a serial entrepreneur she has opened and closed a few projects. Most recently she is also the co-founder of New Herizon, a business community for Women in Tallinn, Estonia where she lives.
Personally, Shannon is a self-proclaimed Higher Achiever who loves the water and people. Her roles as wife and mother give her a strong purpose on this earth.
Listen for Shannon's love for international travel beginning in college and continues.
Listen for her take on dreaming big and nurturing exciting life visions.
You'll learn how loving life can be simple even with dreams the size of yachts and pool parties while dancing the night away!
We talk about values and the things that truly matter, and how dreams can be fulfilled in different ways.
We'll discuss spiritual beliefs, and the path and community it takes to find yourself.
Shannon explains how she makes sure that her non-judgemental acceptance is always available to her clients.
As a coach, Shannon’s "sweet spot" is when people are feeling somewhere in the middle of believing traditional spirituality, and figuring it out for themselves with questions of their own beliefs.
Shannon believes that we’re created with our own “need indicator,” our intuition. And overtime our intuition can become harder to trust, because it's less obvious when we overcomplicate life. I agree. See what you think?
That’s where coaches can come in, by helping you tap back into your original intuition, and better trust yourself moving forward. 
Listen for how dreams are easier to make come true by simply taking action and having support. It makes a huge difference in who you are surrounding yourself with, because encouragement needs to be behind the dream.
If you need some good travel stories and encouragement to not wait to make your dreams come true, this is your episode.
You can find Shannon at www.higherachiever.net
Your needs matter, because you matter. 
Thanks for listening! Please don't forget to leave me a review and come back next week!
For information about coaching together and to book your complimentary discovery session, visit www.abllifecoaching.com
 

EP 23 Five tips for more confidence in a social setting

Instead of expecting yourself to feel self-conscience and nervous when heading into a social setting, wouldn’t it be great to feel confident and actually enjoy yourself!?
These five tips are designed to be simple, easy to try, and very helpful in any social situation.
While I’m not a therapist, I am a trained professional coach with a focus in mindset, self-care and life transitions. I’ve been in business since the end of 2019 and I’ve proven these five tips to be effective with several clients over the years!
Pre tips: Don’t go alone! Bring a friend, your partner, or a family member. And breathe...in for 5 out for 8 is a good go-to!
Tip 1: Use the mental reminder that you’re NOT the only one who’s experiencing some nerves walking into the gathering, dinner or event!
Tip 2: Slow down when you talk, whether you’re being introduced or catching up with an acquaintance.
Tip 3: Don’t lock your knees or clinch your fists. Ease your shoulders down and hell, stop squeezing your butt!! Relax your body. It sends a “let’s chill out” message to your nervous system.
Tip 4:  Dress to impress YOURSELF! Worrying about how to dress to impress others will lead you to overthink, be distracted, and quite possibly feel physically uncomfortable. If you feel good (and feel like yourself), you’ll look good and bring confidence with you to the party!
Tip 5: Use your boundaries in conversations or when you’re ready to go home. You’re allowed to be done when you’re done, AND you’re welcome to exit an uncomfortable conversation. At the very least, remember that your boundaries are ALWAYS available to you.
Take with you too, my theory on confidence: It’s 50% bravery and 50% practice! FOR EVERYONE!
Using these tips will definitely give you a road map, but are also meant for you to practice feeling good in your own skin and actually HAVE FUN!
So, your call to action is to give these tips a go!!! "Put them" in your pocket or handbag before heading out! No harm in trying, and these could work beautifully for you!
**These tips are from a certified life coach, not a licensed therapist, so please seek the proper support should calming your social anxiety go beyond using a self-guided practice.**
Thank you for listening to the Needy and Normal podcast! Share it with a friend! And please be sure to leave me a rating and a review, and subscribe so you don’t miss the weekly episodes! Next week, I welcome another special guest!
To follow me on Instagram, find me @ABLlifecoaching. And to learn more about coaching with me, visit www.abllifecoaching.com. Initial sessions are complimentary!!!
Your needs matter, because you matter! Take care.

EP 22 Negative vs Positive Thoughts and Reactions

Are you stuck in a cycle of disappointment? Are you feeling like you're living in a negative head space and/or complaining more lately? Or are you reacting to someone who's sharing their negative energy with you very generously? This is your episode! 
Negativity would love to steer and will try to if you don't combat it with thoughtful and logical control. You are human, and things will upset you understandably. BUT, you do not have to let negatively lead. YOU are leading. You can do things differently.
This episode will teach you how to challenge yourself to do things with a method I call logical response vs emotional reactivity. This handy tool will help you find awareness and eventually gain more control over how you react to people and situations.
Joy and positivity CAN lead with gratitude, the power of being present, and using the LR v ER tool. 
*Full discloser, during this episode, my window was open and the wind was blowing 65 degree summer air. It was bliss, and I couldn't bring myself to close to window. See if you can hear it, and allow it to soothe you as well.*
In this episode, I will also point out that living in a negative head space is typically an indicator that some or several needs are being neglected. It's often simple or basic, like needing more sleep or needing to eat a proper meal. Again, something to bring awareness to first and then CHOOSE better for yourself.
Disappointment, pessimism and negativity will always find you, but you don't have to always give in. Managing your expectations is a real thing. You'll learn that here.
I share personal stories of family dynamics on a vacation and of parenting, per usual, to drive these points home! Let me know if you can relate!
To continue the conversation and to learn how to implement powerful tools in your own life, email me at coachlevering@gmail.com or message me on IG @abllifecoaching.
Your needs matter, because you matter!
Don't forget to share this episode with a friend, rate and review the podcast, and subscribe so you can keep coming back each week! Means so much to have you here. Thanks for listening!

EP 21 Gratitude is essential

Gratitude is a word that is tossed around, and yet it holds its value at the same time. It's an excellent tool, a mood shifter, life changing...it's essential.
In this episode, listen for a couple of my own personal (emotional) stories of gratitude and growth.
Listen for a take away practice to add to your own daily routine, that is proven to uplift your life, help your mindset, and change your perspective to a more positive one.
Gratitude gives us peace in our hearts and helps us connect better in any relationship. Think about it!
No matter what you're grateful for, how big or small it may be, it is very powerful.
If you take nothing else from this episode, take this encouragement: YOU get to be grateful for yourself, for overcoming, for growing, for learning and becoming who you are.
Practicing gratitude, by simply becoming more aware of it in your life, makes things better. This episode imbues a self love opportunity you need.
Your needs matter because you matter.
Thanks for being here. Keep listening each week by subscribing before you go! And thanks for leaving me a rating and a review. Means the world to me!
For information about coaching together, reach out through IG @abllifecoaching or visit www.ABLlifecoaching.com 
 
 

EP 20 Real talk with funny baseball guy Tim Dillard

LISTEN UNTIL THE END! You won't want to miss one laugh or one piece of wisdom! A personality and talent on and off the baseball field, Tim Dillard is as funny as he is real. I am grateful to have him on the podcast. If you don't already know Tim, find him (after you listen to his episode) on socials @dimtillard and prepare to be uplifted. 
In this episode, Tim not only takes us through his experiences as a professional baseball player, but also through his unexpected rise to fame on social media, as a hilarious reminder that life doesn't always have to be so serious. 
Tim also talks about parenting, how his marriage always comes first (especially when the divorce rate in baseball is over 70%), and how he became and remains a broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club.
His ideal mental outlook is positive and free, as he always enters a room without judgment and eager to be everyone's friend. "If you have nothing to hide, you're the freest person in the room," he says. Being real, direct and honest is how Tim rolls, no matter what.
You will hear how in his over 17 years in a professional baseball clubhouse, Tim learned so much about himself, the world, and people around him.
You will learn how creative, likable, talented, honest and smart Tim is, and how "bringing joy to the clubhouse and beyond" is what it's about for this iconic dude.
Tim will also encourage you to create community, bring joy and your best attitude everywhere you go, do more with your own ideas, get out there and TRY things, meet people, and be authentically yourself. 
You will leave this episode feeling like it was just what your needed for the day! There might also be a mini blooper at the end! :)
Thanks for listening, share it with a friend, and remember: your needs matter because YOU matter!
Find Tim on the Brewers Baseball broadcast and on socials @dimtillard. Find me on IG @abllifecoaching and visit www.abllifecoaching.com to learn about coaching with me! Initial sessions are complimentary!
Subscribe, rate, review, and thanks for coming back next week! 
 

EP 19 For the love of dogs, the story of Roy

Roy is our Bernese Mountain Dog, one of my dreams come true, and here's the story. Are you a dog person? You'll love this one. Are you all about learning from your own desires and decisions? You'll love this, too.
In this episode, you'll hear the story of not only how Roy came to our family, but how the decision was made, how the transition was challenging, and how even in our unique life of professional sports, we don't regret it one bit.
If you love and want something enough, perhaps it's important enough to seek it and choose it...to need it.
Even if you're not a dog person, this episode will shed a light on following through, and accpeting that some of the hardest decisions you'll make will be the best decisions you'll make.
Enjoy!
Thank you for listening! Your needs matter, because you matter.
Leave me a rating and review, please and thank you! Share the pod with a friend, subscribe, and keep coming back!
For information about coaching, visit www.abllifecoaching.com, get to know me more on IG @abllifecoaching and ask me about the group transition coaching program coming this fall!

EP 18 Self discovery and your intuition

Are you living an authentic life? Do you ever wonder, am I in the right career or with the right partner? Your authenticity, passion, intuition, and core values are your North Star.
You deserve to thrive in your own life. If you continue to lean into making choices based on what feels "safe" and or following what outside influence tells you to do or feel, this is your episode.
I share stories and examples from my own life and client experiences, to demonstrate how important it is (and not too late), to be led by your own intuition.
Listen for ways to truly become open to what you actually want and need; by discovering or rediscovering yourself, and what matters most to you.
This may be the wake up call you've been needing; to make a change in your life, or finally take action towards that dream or that passion that makes you tick.
Tell me what you connect to most at Ashley@abllifecoaching.com. Or at Instagram @abllifecoaching. To learn about coaching together, visit www.abllifecoaching.com. This is what I love to do. Coaching is my calling, and I can teach you how to find yours, too.
Thanks for listening to the Needy and Normal Podcast. Please leave me a rating and a review! It would mean the world to me.
"Your needs matter, because you matter." -ABL

EP 17 The need to belong, mistakes were made...

Join me in a personal episode of my two greatest mistakes when I was a new mom, that have now taught me two of my greatest lessons in life.
We all NEED to feel connected, to have a feeling of belongingness. If you find yourself feeling disconnected or on the outside, listen to this. You belong here.
In this episode, I share how as a new mom I felt isolated, and how I believe I battled a level of postpartum depression.
Listen for how I was feeling alone because I feared connecting with other moms. I was in a time where I was reluctant to take initiative.
Living in a new location, had quit my job, no family nearby, a new baby, no friends yet, and with my sports broadcaster husband traveling, I allowed all the changes to block me from connecting and thriving. It was tough to be vulnerable. I clung to the belief that I was meant to be doing it all by myself and was afraid to ask for help.
Listen for how I had to intentionally seek out connections and become consistent about showing up. Staying out of isolation helped stabilize the connections I so needed.
Listen for how these "mistakes" turned into lessons, essential for my personal development. I always say to my kids, "the best thing to do with a mistake is learn from it." You can, too...in anything.
I share how I went from doubting authentic offers to help, to trusting vs assuming people are not being genuine.
I share my pain points from childhood that caused some people pleasing tendencies, which also led to survival mode and the "do it all myself" mentality. Can you relate?
I share how I had to change my belief system to "my life requires help, and that's okay." Acceptance is huge and needs an episode of its own.
Without that belief now, I would be causing my life to be so much harder. You may relate to that, too!
Tending to the need for connection and help, did wonders for my life and it can for you too!
Find some relatable mom logistics in this episode with the kids and their activities!
Think about how you can be creating your own support system, however it looks, because it is so important.
Listen until the end for your call to action.
We can build a supportive community right here with Needy and Normal. Please reach out anytime!
Your needs matter because you matter. Thanks for listening!
For information about coaching together, visit abllifecoaching.com and follow me on instagram @abllifecoaching for mindset tips, encouragement and support…and some fun things, too! Send me a message anytime! I mean it.
Take care,
Ashley

EP 16 Life after loss, with guest Carly Ritt.

Welcome to Episode 16: Life after loss with Carly Ritt. Enjoy listening to Carly's journey of finding her way and her voice after losing her mom and brother. She's a Wisconsin native living in Connecticut, mom of two, self published author, marketing and communications professional, and one of my brilliant past clients. 
This episode starts with a question we all need to ask ourselves: What do you want, what do you need?
Listen for Carly's take on processing grief and becoming a mom at the same time.
You'll hear how so much of navigating through the harder times is about prioritizing your needs and asking for what you need. 
Carly confesses that finally establishing a morning routine that works for her made a big difference. And how owning the need to show up for herself has become a great thing her kids to witness. 
Listen for Carly's take on how steering through hard feelings is about relearning to truly feel them. You can allow a bad day to be a bad day, instead of pushing challenging feelings away with work and distractions. This is how you give yourself permission to actually grieve.
Carly shares her heartache in becoming a mom without a mom, and how believing in signs of her mom still near ultimately inspired her to write her book.
Angels in the Sky is a children’s book for comfort and understanding during loss of a loved one. Carly shares how writing the book helped her process her own grief. “I had no idea what I was doing but I was determined,” she says as a mom of tiny humans at the time.
There is a difference between loss of life, and loss of the way you pictured how your life would look, Carly mentions. And you get to learn that how you grieve is personal to you.
As promised in the episode, here are Carly's tips/guidelines on how to offer support to friends or family members when they are experiencing loss:
Don’t compare losses. It’s so unique to that individual.
Help to NOT add decisions to their plate if possible. Just pick up the coffee or make that run to Target, just go. Get the mail, remove daily tasks.
Saying something is better than nothing, like a text saying “thinking of you, no need to respond!”
Ask specific questions, “want to talk about it, or want to talk about something to distract you?” Two options is better than an open ended question. OR
Ask, "how are you doing today or right now?" Make questions smaller, to make them easier to answer depending on the relationship.
Show up, no need to try and "fix" things.
Carly is proof that you can achieve, grieve, learn, and grow all at the same time. And that it’s okay to ask for help, take time off of work, and have a hard day. Carly shares her life on social in order to “normalize everyday lived experiences.”
Bio: Carly Ritt is a mom of two living in Connecticut by way of Wisconsin. She's a Midwest girl at heart but loves life on the east coast. She works in communications and shares more of her unfiltered life on social media — chatting about motherhood, work, grief, mental health and life's everyday chaos. 
Carly self-published a children's book Angels in the Sky in 2021 after welcoming her two children into the world while coping with the loss of her mom and brother. Carly hopes to inspire and connect with others who may be going through similar experiences.
Find Carly on Instagram @carlyritt and order her book, Angels in the Sky at carlyritt.com. 
Thank you for being here. Your needs matter, because you matter.
Please share this episode, rate the podcast and leave a review! It would mean the world to me. Let’s create positive impact together.
Thank you for listening! To get to know Ashley more, visit @ABLlifecoaching on Instagram and to learn about coaching together check out www.ABLlifecoaching.com. 
 

EP 15 The self-care reminder you need!

You may know all about self-care, but how is YOUR self-care going? This is your reminder that you are important, and self-care is something we all NEED!
This episode begins with a self-care game of true or false. Bet you'll ace it! Play along!
Listen for not only self-care explained, but also some TRUTHS about self-care that you can take with you today and always.
Is SELF-CARE actually SELFLESS?? (Spoiler - YESSSSS!!!!!)
Learn (or relearn) why self-care is so important.
This is your episode to help you remember that feeling guilty for self-care is NOT a “should” you need to give into. 
Listen for how society teaches us that self-care is a luxury when in fact it’s a necessity.
This is you REMINDER episode to give yourself permission to self-care, and to USE BOUNDARIES to meet your needs.
As this short episode nears the end, listen for an EXCLUSIVE mindset teaching ABL calls promise setting rather than goal setting. For a deeper explanation about how this works, contact Ashley at coachlevering@gmail.com or Ashley@ABLlifecoaching.com 
Your biggest takeaway needs to be: Take care of yourself, however that looks for you, no matter what! Your needs matter because you matter! 
Need to figure out your own self-care ingredients and needs to thrive and grow!  
Are you going through a life transition? You need self-care even more!
How can I help? Want to learn how to track your best self-care practices? Let’s talk about coaching! Visit www.ABLlifecoaching.com or find me on IG @ABLlifecoaching.
Thank you for being here and for listening to the Needy and Normal podcast. I'd truly appreciate it if you rate, review, and SHARE the pod with someone you care about today! :)