Bounce Back Like A Badass! with Cat Coley Cat Coley

Cat Coley takes a deep dive into the pervasive issue of imposter syndrome. Drawing from her personal experiences and expert insights, Cat unpacks what imposter syndrome is, why so many of us struggle with it, and how to effectively combat it. 

Cat delves into the roots of imposter syndrome, discussing how societal pressures and personal expectations can contribute to feelings of inadequacy. She shares actionable strategies for challenging negative self-talk, building self-awareness, and celebrating achievements. 

Be prepared to obtain practical advice and motivational tips to help you overcome that little voice saying you can’t!

Claim back your confidence!

Episode Highlights:


Understand the origins and effects of imposter syndrome on our personal and professional lives


Gain practical strategies for overcoming negative self-talk and building self-awareness.


Learn the value of seeking support from a community to bolster self-confidence.



Overcome imposter syndrome and embrace your true potential!

🎙️Host Cat Coley

🎧Produced by Admin Avenger

Cat Coley is back! Bounce Back Like A Badass is BACK! 

Kicking off Season 2, Cat sits down with Marlie Engel Traver to discuss her inspiring transition from a corporate PR rep to a successful cottage country baker with a thriving business. Marlie shares her journey from handling an overwhelming array of cake designs to focusing on exquisite wedding cakes. She opens up about her recent transition to primarily designing wedding cakes and the exciting community engagements she’s involved in, including local pop-ups and farmers' market appearances. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone considering a career pivot and highlights the importance of trusting your gut and embracing the journey, including the mistakes.

Marlie discusses the challenges of managing a diverse menu of cake offerings and how she decided to niche down to wedding cakes, creating a streamlined process for her clients. She also talks about her efforts to engage with the local community through pop-up events and her new regular spot at the local farmers' market. Cat and Marlie delve into the importance of trusting one's intuition and navigating the overwhelming amount of advice on social media. 

If you are on your entrepreneurial journey, this conversation is for YOU! Filled with practical advice and inspiring anecdotes!

Episode Highlights:


Marlie Engel transitions to focusing on wedding cake designs and engages with the local community through pop-ups and farmers' markets.


The importance of trusting your intuition amid the overload of opinions, especially from social media.


Embracing the journey of entrepreneurship, including learning from mistakes and starting from a different place.



Tune in to hear Marlie's inspiring story and gain insights into navigating career transitions and entrepreneurial challenges.



About Marlie Engel Traver

Marlie, a cake artist specializing in elegant and delicious wedding cakes that are designed and made from her home, a licensed cottage bakery, in Northern, NJ.

Marlie’s passion lies with creating cakes that are little slices of edible art - designed uniquely for you - to share your story, and your taste. She loves exploring texture, playing with color and adorning her cakes with beautiful hand painted flowers.

The cakes Marlie creates are much more than dessert - they are a precious memory shared between you, your partner and your loved ones, on one incredible day in your life.



Connect with Marlie

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

www.marliebakescakes.com 





🎙️Host Cat Coley🎧Produced by Admin Avenger

In this deeply personal and heartfelt episode, Cat, takes you on a journey through her own transformative experience. She courageously shares her story, from a place of shame and hiding to one of empowerment and authenticity. Join Cat as she recounts her emotional conversation with her daughter, where she finally opens up about a pivotal chapter in their lives.
Discover the power of vulnerability and how it can lead to healing and growth. Cat explores the importance of sharing our stories, even when they contain difficult truths, and how doing so can liberate us from hiding in plain sight. Through this touching conversation, Cat invites you to consider your own journey of owning your story and the impact it can have on your life and the lives of others.
Don't miss this episode that reminds us all that our stories matter, and that by embracing our authentic selves, we can create a profound impact on the world around us.

Ready to Transform Your Story into Impact? Join the "Story to Impact" Waitlist:
If you're eager to dive deeper into your personal narrative and turn it into an impact-driven empire, we invite you to join the waitlist for our signature program, "Story to Impact." Discover how to harness the power of your story and make a meaningful difference. Visit [waitlist HERE] to secure your spot and be the first to know when we launch!

Why fix what's not broken?

When I first started this podcast it was an outlet to share my story. I had spent nearly 3 years in silence - most of the time dealing with the aftermath of my consequences in my own head. A lot of it was due to the shame of what had transpired and the other part was that there were other people involved and sharing my story would mean that I partially shared theirs too.

I figured that the events that took place would eventually fade into the background and I could resume my life and try to get back to some sort of normalcy. But as we've all collectively seen in the last couple of years when we experience a big shift in our day to day - it's difficult to return back to "normal". Getting back to the subject of going back to basics, in the 40 episodes I've produced of this podcast, I can see how I've shifted the conversation away from my life and more into business. If you've listened to earlier episodes I often share that during the most difficult times in my life, I learned and became really good at compartmentalizing. This served me very well, as some of the events that happened would bring me to my knees each time I would dare to take the lid off. As time passed, it seemed best to just keep swimming ahead and not deal with the things I kept closed off.

But, as you may already know, what we don't deal with has a way of showing back up in the most unexpected ways and times. Putting our heads in the sand and pretending doesn't do us or those around us any favors. This became more and more apparent in my coaching business as a lot of my clients have dealt with their own setbacks - and were experiencing feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unable to move past a stage in their business (and thus life) that they've wanted to get past for years. So, it was during the coaching calls that I began to share more details of my own experiences (beyond what I've shared publicly) and in sharing real and raw situations, my clients would experience one big "aha" moment after another...This was a lightbulb moment for me!

I realized once again (did I mention I'm a bit stubborn?), that a lot of what we go through in life and business are universal. It may not involve the same situations, but the feelings and emotions that we experience are usually very similar. So, just because my rock bottom was going to prison, going through a divorce, overwhelming guilt of missing a significant part of my daughter's early years, losing friends, jobs, trust, credibility, not to mention feeling shame, embarrassment, and so on (if you're new here you may want to listen to the first few episodes to get caught up :), doesn't mean that we didn't experience and share similar emotions while you were going through your own setback. Guilt is guilt. Shame is shame. Regret is regret...no matter how we arrived at those emotional gates.

In all of this, here's one thing I've learned about myself (and those I'm lucky enough to work with) is that I/we are RESILIENT. And so, this brings me back to the podcast and that although I want to talk about business (cause I'm just so damn passionate about what I get to do), I also want to share more about my experiences so that even if you're not a client of mine, that maybe just maybe, you'll also experience your own "aha" moments and it will help you in some way too!

Here's what one new listener sent me after recently finding my podcast:

"....I am deeply touched by your story and thank you for sharing such intimate details. What you went through was really not for you, it was for us. Your testimony has healed me more than any doctor's prescription could have."...

So while this podcast isn’t broken, I know in my heart that going back to why I started it is important, not necessarily for me but for those that I know, it will help. So get ready for more stories that need to be shared! xx Cat

This day (10/10) exactly 8 years ago was the end of one significant time of my life and the beginning of another. I’m reflecting on what’s happened since that time and I’m encouraged to celebrate where I am today and where I’m headed. Time stands still for no one is a reminder for you (and myself) that whatever you do with your time is your choice - we can spend it resentful or angry or full of regret or we can choose to look back in awe of where and what we’ve been thru and what lies ahead. As I witness what’s happening around the globe and right here in my own little corner of the world - I’m realizing more and more that time is promised to no one. And if I want to do the things I say I do and experience the things I want and have the all the things I desire - it’s up to me how I spend my time to make it happen. So, if you’re in a similar spot - give yourself some grace and then get moving in the direction you want your life to go. Time will continue to pass no matter what - you might as well enjoy where you’re going. Thanks for being here friends - I’ll see you inside the episode 🥰

Guess who’s back...yup! I am back everyone! I took a little (well, ok a lot) of time off! Honestly, I just wasn’t sure how to show up here (or really anywhere - my social media took a hiatus too) with so much happening all around us. I’m always mindful of what I put out in the world and what I share adds light and positivity to the conversation. So, I decided to just sit back and re-examine what the purpose of this podcast is and what I want to contribute to the conversation. I’m EXCITED to share with you inside this short episode what’s in store for the next chapter of this podcast and what ended up lighting the fire under my Badass (pun totally intended 😆) to breathe new life and purpose moving forward! Hope you join me inside to hear more and if you feel called to connect and share your thoughts, stories, triumph and failures with me on future episodes - please jump into my DM’s or send me an email at hello@catcoley.com!!