Ridiculously Happy Pplcast

Be yourself. That’s the first piece of advice I want to give you. And the second is not to judge a book by its cover. When I first came across Vanessa’s Instagram, I laughed. She has a flare for the ridiculous, and I love that. And when I reached out to her to ask her if she would be a guest on this show, she was so warm and open. I’ll admit I didn’t expect that, which is only proof that I don’t always follow my own advice. Vanessa Stubbs has transformed her creativity and flare for the ridiculous into a cheeky, sometimes vulgar business. Subversive Sisters makes her clients laugh and challenges everyone who meets her and her work to open their minds.

When you're listening to this, Nikki and her family have added a 3rd bundle of joy to their family. And it's got me thinking about raising kids... Lots of them. And no one knows how to raise a bunch of kids better than Nikki's mother, Nancy Lee. So here she is!

The top pieces of advice that I'm taking from chatting with Nancy is that it's important to set clear ground rules and boundaries and to make sure that your kids feel comfortable talking to you about everything. But first, you're going to need to accept that your kids are different and so they need to be parented differently.

And that's not all she had to say. Listen to this jam-packed episode with this fascinating woman!

Negro Creek was once the site of a vibrant Black settlement, but its history has been unwritten and buried. This digital archive was compiled by direct descendants and community friends, and is a project near and dear to Nancy's heart.

How do you feel about change? Sometimes change is great. But sometimes, despite how much we may be ready to welcome that change with open arms, change can cause some unexpected detours.

In this episode, I'm talking to Rebecca Ogilvie from The Detour Co about how her baby brought an unexpected detour in her life that brought her North to Muskoka and to a whole different way of living.

If you've ever felt lost or stuck or empty... this is the episode for you.

The Detour Co is a truly natural skincare brand created out of a desire for something different. After making her own skincare products for over a decade, Rebecca moved to Muskoka and went looking for skincare that met her standards. She couldn't find anything locally and decided to start selling her own creations. To her surprise and excitement, there was a great deal of interest in the mission of this brand: to create great skin products with earth-grown ingredients from the land, not the lab.

Want to be Mr. T when you grow up? This is not the episode for advice on how to become Mr. T, but what Julia has for us is so much more important: how to be your own Mr. T.

After job hopping for years, Julia has finally found a career that helps her feel creative and fulfilled while allowing her the flexibility she needs to be a wife, a mom, and a whole human being. We talk about imposter syndrome, learning curves, and the reticular activating system.

Julia Walsh is the creative genius behind J Walsh Social Co., a boutique digital marketing agency, who most commonly answers to “Jules” or “Mum”—she’s got many names and talents! For the past five years, Julia has been honing her skills at amplifying the intersection of branding and social media. With her supercharged communication skills and passion for building relationships (and new friendships), she’s busy connecting clients with their ideal audiences. Armed with proven strategies and artistic creativity, she has a solid record of helping brands stand out online.

What theme should our wedding be? Do we need to think about being eco-friendly? What if we can't get everything we want for our budget? These are the questions that Melissa Twist and I are tackling in this episode.

Forget the but-you-have-to's from your family! In this episode, Melissa and I decode some questions you might have about planning your dream wedding. We talk about venues, themes, and entertainment, the vows, the environment, and all the tech you might need.

Melissa Twist is an expert in events and wedding styling, boasting over 20 years of combined work and educational experience. Her extensive background has honed her creativity, allowing her to infuse each event she organizes with a unique flair. When not immersed in work, Melissa can be found meticulously planning her next adventure. With travels spanning six continents, she has cultivated a deep passion for exploration that remains an integral part of her life, promising to never cease her globetrotting pursuits.

Not sure what to say? Listen and learn how to speak about race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.In this episode of Ridiculously Happy Pplcast, Sophia sits down with Shayna Beeksma of ⁠Beeksma Law⁠ to discuss the current, tough social climate. Many in our communities are struggling with the anxiety of what to say to whom, especially concerning race, gender, and sexual orientation. So we discuss how to be a compassionate, kind person who is inherently ignorant--just like everyone else.

Shayna A. Beeksma is an award-winning lawyer and the founder of Beeksma Law. She received her J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2011 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2012, and she founded Beeksma Law in 2018.

A passionate innovator and entrepreneur, Shayna’s main practice area is in estates law (comprised of estate litigation, estate administration and estate planning), while also incorporating business law (including not-for-profit law), real estate law, commercial leasing, construction law and general civil litigation into her practice.

While her clients value her knowledge, experience and legal skills, it’s her firm’s customer-centric approach that sets Beeksma Law apart.

All behaviour is communication. But when a member of the family struggles to communicate directly, it can be difficult for all members of the family to live in harmony. That's where Ariela Koldorf comes in.

In this episode, Ariela and I discuss how everyone is their own normal, the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, and how a child's needs will change as they age. Everyone can learn an important lesson in communication by listening to this episode. So throw on your headphones and hit play.

Founder of Spectrum of Light Support Services, Ariela has spent the past 20 years working in social services. Most of that time, she has been supporting high-needs kids with developmental disabilities and complex behaviour. A mom of a neurodiverse kiddo herself, she is passionate about giving parents and caregivers the perspective and tools they desperately need to confidently support their children and to bring harmony back to their home.

Do we need permits? A liquor license? Insurance? Why would I need insurance for a wedding??

In this episode, Melissa Twist and I discuss the things you need to consider when planning a private property wedding. For example, where is the power coming from for the DJ? It might be cold, so you should consider getting blankets. Depending on where you’re getting married, you should probably rent a tent. Consider family dynamics and how alcohol should be handled. Book your shuttle service early. Make sure you have lights so your guests can see in the dark. And, have you thought about security?

Yes! Having your wedding at home might seem easier… but in reality, it isn’t. So, be sure you know what you want, and if you’re not sure, listen to this!

Melissa Twist is an expert in events and wedding styling, boasting over 20 years of combined work and educational experience. Her extensive background has honed her creativity, allowing her to infuse each event she organizes with a unique flair. When not immersed in work, Melissa can be found meticulously planning her next adventure. With travels spanning six continents, she has cultivated a deep passion for exploration that remains an integral part of her life, promising to never cease her globetrotting pursuits.

When you have big ideas, you need big confidence to make them reality. Especially when social media is ready and waiting to rip you apart. No one knows this better than Nikki Gal, who started her career at just 15.

In this episode of the pod, we talk about balancing modelling, entrepreneurship, and the challenges and judgement she’s faced in her career. We talk about how the fashion industry has influenced her artistic expression, how she has overcome nervousness in front of the camera, and how she advocates for others in her industry. And finally, we discuss embracing creativity, finding empowerment and identity, and overcoming adversity.

Nikki Gal hails from Massachusetts, where she acquired the foundational elements of her life. A devoted animal enthusiast, she has been surrounded by animals since childhood. At present, she shares her home with a Siberian Husky named Rex, affectionately known as "Moogie," who illuminates her life with joy. Beyond her furry companions, Nikki indulges in personal hobbies such as painting, reading books, and collecting vintage fashion magazines. She also cherishes moments spent with her loved ones, finding fulfillment in their company.

Communication is key in any relationship. Romantic, familial, friendly, and professional. And that goes for coordinating with your wedding vendors as well.

In this episode, Melissa Twist and I take our wedding planning series to the next level by discussing what you need from your vendors! And ultimately it boils down to communication. Your vendors should be able to communicate what will happen while you work together, from start to finish. You should also be signing contracts with each of your wedding vendors. Those contracts should clearly outline additional costs that you might incur and why.

Melissa Twist is an expert in events and wedding styling, boasting over 20 years of combined work and educational experience. Her extensive background has honed her creativity, allowing her to infuse each event she organizes with a unique flair. When not immersed in work, Melissa can be found meticulously planning her next adventure. With travels spanning six continents, she has cultivated a deep passion for exploration that remains an integral part of her life, promising to never cease her globetrotting pursuits.

How do you have hope through the catastrophic? I have no idea, but Robyn has seen it over and over again in her line of work.

Robyn is a Registered Physiotherapist and co-owner of The Physio Hub in Collingwood. Robyn has a special interest in neuro rehab and complex care and is a strong advocate for this population. With overwhelm in the healthcare system and the challenges at-home challenges of working with traumatic injuries, Robyn believes that her role goes beyond her treatment table. She works hard to ensure that the people she works with feel seen and to offer hope.

She lives, works, and plays, with her husband, two sons, and their doggo named Nigel in Collingwood, Ontario.

Got laundry coming out the wazoo? Why not just throw it all in the washing machine and wash it all together? This is what I've been doing for years. And any little bit of self-judgement that I felt was washed away when Tamara's reel popped up in my Instagram feed saying just that: you do not have to separate your whites from your colours.

Tamara Ebel had been styling hair for 9 years when the pandemic hit and she was six months pregnant. Seizing the opportunity, she bid farewell to her career. Juggling a new baby and feeling a need for flexibility, Tamara created her residential cleaning business. What started with a few cleaning gigs turned into a two-year whirlwind, booking clients a year and a half in advance, and a waitlist the length of her right leg.

She wasn't one to rest on success, though. Tamara saw a need and created the Clean It Club Podcast, the Balance It program, and other resources to aid families—especially moms—in mastering the art of balancing time and energy. Tamara's businesses are all about the sunny side, never letting hurdles dim her shine. She's dreaming of ridiculous happiness for everyone, even when life spills the milk.

When we first start using our voice, we use it without fear. We scream, we cry, we whine, we coo, we laugh, we barble… we do it all with our voice. But over time, many of us become disconnected from our voice. In walks Lauren Best.

In this episode, my high school friend and I discuss reconnecting with our voices so that we can use them in ways that we may never have imagined.

Lauren Best, a seasoned performance poet and voice coach with 15+ years of experience in musical leadership, extends her creative prowess through projects like her 2023 poetry collection “Just Leaves.” Former Poet Laureate of Owen Sound (2017-2019), she’s currently crafting an audio poetry collection with sound art and intermedia poetry for site-specific installations. Co-creator of the Infinite Improvisation Podcast and host of “Lauren’s Best,” her new podcast dives into creativity with curiosity and care.

Lauren’s mission? Empower fellow podcasters with ACE Voice, her signature method born from a decade of coaching voices and fostering creativity. She champions entrepreneurs to embrace their voices, cultivating bold self-expression and advocating for music as a nourisher of mind, body, and spirit.

Your goals matter the most to you and no one else. How are you going to prioritize them this year? Listen to this convo with Leah Vandolder.

Most importantly, we want you to remember that it is not selfish to practice self-care. In my line of work and working so closely with families for over a decade, I have seen how women, especially, often put their own health to the side day after day. But, as Leah puts it, "No one is coming to save you." If you want to be happy and healthy, you have to figure out where you want to be and make the choices that will get you there. No one else is going to prioritize your health for you.

In this episode, we talk about Leah's "hell no" foods, diet tracking, how stress affects diet, alcohol, sleep, and how to get back on track when you've strayed off your path.

Leah Van Dolder is a women’s health & success coach. She’s also a registered dietitian who specializes in weight loss & behavior change. Leah helps her clients take charge of their health by empowering them with simple strategy, practical solutions, and mastery of their mindset. Leah is the CEO of her virtual coaching business Leah Van Dolder Coaching Ltd., is the host of The Reclaim Podcast, and is a regulated member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario. On a personal note, Leah lives in Collingwood, ON with her husband Chris and cat Gigi. She loves anything outdoors, enjoys investing in real estate, and is an aerial silks student at The Collingwood Circus Company.

Where should you start when planning your dream wedding? Listen to this for the piece that most couples miss.

Kick of 2024 by collapsing time between where you are now and where you want to be one year from now. Paige Royal from Paige Royal Coaching gives us expert advice on how to do just that with visualization practices.

This episode starts out with Sophia experiencing hormonal anxiety after her breakthrough with Paige, and the great advice that Paige had to get through that. Then we get into goal setting and why it is so important for us to really feel our feels when it comes to goal setting.

Paige is an NLP Mindset Coach for Entrepreneurs and a Certified Master Coach and Trainer of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Mental and Emotional Release (MER®) and Hypnosis. She specializes in discovering the limiting beliefs and unconscious blocks and patterns that drive our behaviours and hold us back from what we want. She is also a 20+ years former Corporate Securities Paralegal who took the leap into entrepreneurship. To say she had some unconscious mental and emotional blocks to overcome throughout that process is an understatement. Now, she helps people break free from their unconscious limitations and redesign their unconscious minds so they can create the life and business they want on their terms. AND ultimately reach their full potential in relationship to their personal, financial and business success, with ease and speed.

Do you have a teenage or pre-teen girl in your life? This episode with Tara Filteau from Mother Daughter Empower is a must-listen for everyone who feels passionately about the future for girls.

By the time she turns 14, a girl's self-esteem will be 30% lower than her boy classmates'. That is an awful place for a girl to kick off one of the most hormonal, confusing, and difficult times in her life. And this is why Tara Filteau founded Mother Daughter Empower with her daughter. This Canadian charity helps arm mothers and daughters with the tools to deal with difficult emotions, build confidence, establish friendships, and communicate.

We talk about social media exposure, bullying, friendships, hormones, and more. And most importantly, Tara challenges parents and bonus parents to look at how we are showing up for the girls in our lives. They might not listen, but they do absorb. So we have to be aware of how we are speaking to them and to ourselves.

Tara Filteau is a registered social service worker and the founder & executive director of Mother Daughter Empower, a Canadian Charity on a mission to empower both women and girls. Before launching Mother Daughter Empower, Tara managed events, community outreach, and fundraising campaigns for some of Canada’s largest charitable and not-for-profit organizations. She takes pride in being a wife, mom of three and a parent, education & community advocate who is dedicated to leading a life filled with both passion and purpose.

Here's your 2024 must-read list. These books will entertain you, make you think, and help you connect with your values.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown - https://amzn.to/3NC9Q9R

The Myth of Mornal by Gabor Maté - https://amzn.to/3vckKwY

Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson - https://amzn.to/3v9Ei4Y

Happiness by Matthieu Ricard - https://amzn.to/4anQEXn

Gratefulness by David Steindl-Rast - https://amzn.to/41y1VQJ

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris - https://amzn.to/3tpYaAb

This Is Day One by Drew Dudley - https://amzn.to/3TzM16C

Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner - https://amzn.to/4awPYyI

Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard - https://amzn.to/3TtcSRH

The Pink Tax by Janine Rogan - https://amzn.to/48nxoY8

Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby - https://amzn.to/3RzuWa6

Falling Man by Don DeLillo - https://amzn.to/477gJHh

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer - https://amzn.to/41t0bZ7

Little Fires Everywhere by Celest Ng - https://amzn.to/484hQbP

Becoming by Michelle Obama - https://amzn.to/3v9EuBe

What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey - https://amzn.to/3NAhPo7

You aren't going to get where you want to be by talking down to yourself. So why do you do it? If you're wondering the same thing, you need to listen to this episode with Beki Waples from Small Towns, Big Dreams Podcast.

While pursuing a full-time career, Beki was told she was too "bubbly" to be promoted. She felt like she was constantly being pushed down and wanted a change of personality that would make things easier. But when she was diagnosed with ADHD, her life changed. She got more focus, her impulsivity and distraction faded away, she stopped talking down to herself, and she embraced her bubbly personality.

She hasn't stopped talking, though. And it turns out that that is a great thing. Shortly after leaving her full-time position to work from home, she started Small Towns, Big Dreams Podcast. On her show, she talks with small town creators about the advantages and challenges of living and working in a small town.

Living in Saugeen Shores, Beki lives with her husband and two children. Recently self-employed Beki is navigating being a podcast host and working in digital marketing. She is a self-proclaimed foodie who is working towards tackling a 10K in 2024.

“Why do I self-sabotage?” If you’ve been asking yourself that question or questions like it, you need to listen to this episode.

Paige is an NLP Mindset Coach for Entrepreneurs and a Certified Master Coach and Trainer of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Mental and Emotional Release (MER®) and Hypnosis. She specializes in discovering the limiting beliefs and unconscious blocks and patterns that drive our behaviours and hold us back from what we want. She is also a 20+ years former Corporate Securities Paralegal who took the leap into entrepreneurship. To say she had some unconscious mental and emotional blocks to overcome throughout that process is an understatement. Now, she helps people break free from their unconscious limitations and redesign their unconscious minds so they can create the life and business they want on their terms. AND ultimately reach their full potential in relationship to their personal, financial and business success, with ease and speed.

Prioritize your values and needs and live life on your own terms with boundaries. Listen to this episode to learn how.

By living with our values in mind, boundaries naturally form. Consciously setting our limits allows us to live more healthy and more ridiculously happy. But remember, setting boundaries only works if you enforce them. And when we let them shift, we suffer burnout, health challenges, and mental health struggles.

Want to give more this season? These gifts will help you build strong bonds with the people you love the most. Break out the festive spirit with us as we discuss these wonderful gift ideas that will make you the star of your family this holiday season and will last a lifetime.

It's our Season 1 Recap where we look back at our first season of the pod. Watch this to get all caught up on the show so far.

If your #1 priority is your family, listen to this episode and make sure you give focus to what matters most to you.

We take a closer look at how we want our lives to look and how we're working towards that. This means prioritizing our family and setting boundaries to protect that. So we also get into how to set boundaries and keep work from getting in the way of family time. This includes setting time for work, leaving work at work, using focus settings on our phones to stop the constant notifications, letting voicemail take calls, and saying no more often.

Change someone's day by acknowledging them on a job well done. Catch this episode for more on the power of recognition.

If you're feeling anxious and/or depressed, you're not alone. Listen to this and build mental health coping strategies with us.

Sophia and Nikki open up about our own challenges throughout the years, specifically with depression and postpartum depression, then move onto 6 coping strategies including getting alone time, setting boundaries, exercising, spending time with people, get off social media, and getting professional help.

What we see on social media is not real, but it can cause us a lot of pain. Listen this and recover from social media overload.

Fashion magazines and music videos have made people feel awful about themselves for decades. But now, we have what appear to be everyday people sharing glimpses into their "everyday" lives. But it's actually only a highlight reel, and it makes us feel self-conscious. This is what we discuss in this episode of Ridiculously Happy Pplcast.

If you're struggling with mental health, stop right here and listen to this podcast episode with 5 tips to become more mindful. The ancient wisdom of mindfulness tells us that it is possible to recognize our feelings first and respond (not react) to them second. A practice that can totally change our lives.

Watch this episode to learn what it means to live "ridiculously happy" and why we are so obsessed with it.

Living "ridiculously happy" is about being self-aware and self-accepting. It is about consciously deciding to be yourself at every turn. It's about enjoying the happy stuff through all the ridiculousness. And in this episode, we give a deeper look into who we are, where we came from, and how we came to be where we are. We kick things off with The AVA Solution's Nikki Yeo. Then we move onto photographer, Sophia Lemon's story. And we follow that up with what being Ridiculously Happy really means.

Get your shit together with us in Season 1 of Ridiculously Happy Pplcast. Listen to this for a look at our first set of topics.

Want to live more kindly, more confidently, and more ridiculously happy? We do, too! I, Sophia Lemon, sit down weekly with Nikki Yeo of The AVA Solution and other awesome people to discuss how in the heck to balance life. We talk about it all including family, entrepreneurship, love and friendship, wellness, mindfulness, and mental health. Throw on your sweats (we're already in ours) and grab your favourite drink. Prepare yourself to laugh, cry, and even cringe as we share all of the bullshit that tags along with living ridiculously happy. Subscribe now and get your shit together with us!