The Designed Life

Hollis M. M.
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I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits, behaviors and choices, and inevitably start aligning your daily decisions to create a more empowered and fulfilling life. In every episode you'll find stories, resources, and contemplations, from me and other entrepreneurs, curated to help you gracefully navigate a life that comes with no guide book.

  1. 1d ago

    Eps 060: The Addicting Trap of Social Media + Why I'm Back on Instagram After 11 Months Away

    Last summer, I stepped away from Instagram. At the time, it felt like a necessary experiment, and an opportunity to understand who I was, how I created, and how I connected with people outside of a platform that had been part of my daily life for over a decade. What began as a response to creative exhaustion and ethical questions about social media quickly became a much deeper exploration of community, attention, identity, and the subtle ways these platforms shape our inner worlds. This episode is a reflection on what I learned by stepping away, why I decided to come back, and how I'm approaching social media differently moving forward. It's a conversation about creativity, consumerism, belonging, self-expression, and the very human desire to be seen and understood. Most of all, it's an invitation to consider your own relationship with social media and whether the ways you're showing up online are truly aligned with the life you're trying to build offline. In this episode, we explore: Why I left Instagram for nearly a yearThe ethical questions that initially motivated my departureWhat happened to my community, business, and relationships while I was awayAlternative spaces for connection and meaningful conversationThe impact of visual stimulation on creativity and attentionSocial media, influence, and consumer cultureThe pressure to be visible onlineCreative expression versus content creationWhy your business may not need social media as much as you thinkThe desire to be seen, known, and understoodBuilding a private inner life in a public worldHow I'm approaching social media moving forwardHow some parts of life become more meaningful when they're allowed to remain private.Mentioned Social Life by Xanthe AppleyardSupernova by Chelsea RiffeThe Apprenticeship with Gianna

    39 min
  2. Cancer Season 2026

    Jun 19

    Cancer Season 2026

    Cancer season begins in the body. After the movement, insights, and connection of Gemini season, Cancer invites us to slow down enough to feel what everything we've gathered actually means. This is a season of nourishment, intuition, emotional intelligence, and learning to trust the subtle language of the body. It's about recognizing what helps us feel safe, supported, and resourced—and building deeper relationships with those foundations. But this Cancer season arrives during a particularly intense stretch of astrology. As Mercury stations retrograde, Mars enters Gemini, Jupiter moves into Leo, and several major outer-planet alignments reshape the collective landscape, many of us may find ourselves navigating periods of uncertainty, disruption, mental overstimulation, and emotional tenderness. This season asks us to pay close attention to our needs, our reserves, and the practices that help us remain grounded when life feels unpredictable. Between the Capricorn Full Moon, the Cancer New Moon, Mercury Retrograde, Mars conjunct Uranus, and Jupiter's entrance into Leo, this season becomes a lesson in both surrender and stewardship. It reminds us that resilience isn't built by pushing harder; it’s cultivated through care, replenishment, and a willingness to honor our humanity in the midst of change. In this episode, we explore: Cancer Season themesThe Summer Solstice as a midpoint of the yearListening to the wisdom of the bodyMercury Retrograde in CancerMars entering GeminiThe Capricorn Full MoonJupiter entering LeoMars conjunct UranusChiron in Taurus and resource-based healingVenus in VirgoThe Cancer New MoonEmotional resilience, nourishment, and self-trustMajor outer planet alignments shaping the second half of 202600:00:20 Cancer Season 2026 Overview 00:04:12 What Cancer Energy Teaches Us 00:11:06 Week 1 (June 21–27) 00:17:09 Week 2 (June 28–July 4) 00:23:47 Full Moon in Capricorn 00:31:54 Jupiter Enters Leo 00:38:14 Mars Conjunct Uranus 00:44:19 Week 3 (July 5–11) 00:57:49 Venus Trine Chiron 01:01:15 Week 4 (July 12- 18) 01:03:10 New Moon in Cancer 01:07:05 Major Outer Planet Alignments & The Bigger Collective Story

    1h 22m
  3. Eps 059: Recovery & Self-Trust w. Sage Roundtree

    Jun 12

    Eps 059: Recovery & Self-Trust w. Sage Roundtree

    What happens when yoga becomes less about pushing harder and more about learning to rest? In this conversation, I sit down with yoga teacher, author, endurance coach, and educator Sage Rountree to explore the deeper purpose of yoga beyond the poses. Together we discuss recovery as a radical practice, the underrated value of comfort, teaching as an act of service, entrepreneurial intuition, and how yoga philosophy can guide us toward greater freedom in everyday life. Sage shares stories from her own path – from academia to endurance sports to owning and eventually releasing a yoga studio – and offers practical wisdom from her new book, Yoga Off the Mat, on bringing ancient teachings into modern life. Find Sage on: Her websiteHer InstagramHer podcastHer books Mentioned: Giana CerasiaChelsey Riffe

    49 min
  4. Eps 058: Life Update - Crossing a Threshold

    Jun 5

    Eps 058: Life Update - Crossing a Threshold

    In this semi-impromptu and transparent episode, I reflect on a season of transformation that's unfolding in my creative life, relationship to astrology, business, identity, and upcoming marriage. Speaking not as a coach or astrologer but simply as a human in transition, I explore what it means to outgrow the systems, labels, and structures that once offered me safety and direction. Through reflections on creativity, personal branding, commitment, trust, and the uncertainty of becoming, this episode becomes a meditation on identity dissolution and reinvention. This is my very honest exploration of what happens when the containers that once defined you no longer fit — and how to navigate the messy, sacred space before clarity arrives. While this is my declaration that this podcast and my other creative spaces are in the midst of change, I am committed to continue to showing up here as I process this change in my identity and creative work. Themes explored: Identity dissolution & reinventionCreativity beyond systemsMarriage as threshold ritualExpansion requiring more space before reconfigurationRejection of personal branding cultureThe sacredness and fear of not knowing Mentioned: Creative LivingLois MacXimena

    39 min
  5. Gemini Season 2026

    May 21

    Gemini Season 2026

    Gemini season begins in the mind. After the grounding and embodiment of Taurus, this is where things begin to move again — ideas multiply, conversations quicken, curiosity returns. Gemini is mutable air: curious, connective, restless, and alive with possibility. It gathers information, follows threads, asks questions, and searches for meaning through movement, dialogue, and exchange. But this Gemini season is going to feel different. For the first time in over 80 years, Uranus is in Gemini, initiating an entirely new collective era around communication, technology, learning, identity, and the way we relate to information itself. The weeks surrounding this shift feel electric, mentally stimulating, and full of unexpected insights, conversations, and turning points that will continue unfolding over the next eight years. This season asks us to rethink what consistency means, to follow curiosity instead of certainty, and to explore the versions of ourselves emerging through change. Alongside the mental expansion, there’s also a deep emphasis on the body and emotional intelligence as Mercury moves into Cancer and Venus-Jupiter offer some of the most nourishing astrology of the year. Between the Sagittarius Full Moon, the Gemini New Moon, and a series of major outer planet transits, this season becomes a bridge between old ways of thinking and entirely new possibilities — inviting us to imagine different futures, new forms of leadership, and more value-led ways of living, creating, and connecting. In this episode, we explore: Gemini Season themesUranus in Gemini beginning an 8 year eraEmotional intelligence with Mercury in CancerLeadership & Collective ResponsibilitySagittarius Full MoonVenus Conjunct JupiterChiron in Taurus YOU’RE INVITED to SPACIOUS: *Empty Houses & How to Work With Them*In this workshop we'll explore what your empty houses mean for you personally – the areas of life they represent, why these areas of life show up in a certain style, and how you can simply and practically integrate these parts of yourself. Time Stamps: 00:09:49 Week 1 (May 20-23) 00:16:49 Week 2 (May 24-30) 00:30:25 Full Moon in Sagittarius 9º 00:39:32 Week 3 (May 31-June 6) 00:47:57 Week 4 (June 7-June 13) 00:58:42 New Moon in Gemini 24º 01:03:43 Week 5 (June 14-June 20) Mentioned: Orienting to Summer workshop waitlist Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website

    1h 13m
  6. Eps 57: Introduction to the astrological houses

    May 15

    Eps 57: Introduction to the astrological houses

    The houses are one of the most essential parts of astrology, but they're also often one of the most confusing. In this Astrology 101 episode, I break down the 12 houses in simple, accessible language so you can better understand what you’re actually looking at when you pull up your chart. We explore the houses as the “where” of astrology: the different areas of life where your experiences, relationships, desires, fears, work, creativity, and growth unfold. I walk through each house one by one – from the body and self of the 1st house all the way through to the subconscious and hidden life of the 12th – while also explaining how signs, planetary rulers, and even empty houses shape your relationship to these different parts of your life. This episode is an invitation to begin building a real relationship with your chart: not just memorizing meanings, but understanding how your life is patterned, connected, and expressed through the architecture of the houses. YOU’RE INVITED toSPACIOUS: *Empty Houses & How to Work With Them In this workshop we'll explore what your empty houses mean for you personally – the areas of life they represent, why these areas of life show up in a certain style, and how you can simply and practically integrate these parts of yourself. Mentioned: Jess Ellen astrologyHouse Division Calculations in Astrology Explained - TAP How to Synthesize Your Big 3Kira SutherlandKira RybergThe astrological houses image

    1h 5m
  7. Eps 056: Tangible Liberation w. Giana Cerasia

    May 8

    Eps 056: Tangible Liberation w. Giana Cerasia

    My conversation with Giana explores the deeply personal nature of systems change – revealing how true transformation begins within. Giana shares her journey from navigating unsafe early environments to working across education, government, and corporate systems, ultimately arriving at a powerful truth: we each hold agency within the systems we inhabit. Together, we unpack co-ownership, inner liberation, and the courage required to face ourselves fully. This episode reframes “doing the work” as an unglamorous but profound process of self-awareness, compassion, and choice—where even the smallest acts of rebellion can become catalysts for meaningful change. Connect with Giana:• ⁠Her website⁠• ⁠Her Instagram⁠• ⁠Her Free Monthly Women’s Circle• ⁠Her Podcast‍ Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website

    1h 1m
  8. Eps 055: How I plan my time using astrology

    Apr 24

    Eps 055: How I plan my time using astrology

    Astrology is a phenomenal tool for helping a person piece together and define who they are. It’s a system that can explain what shape of the universe we’re embodying while in this lifetime – and I love it for that. But astrology is also a timing tool, one that helps us understand when certain events are going to occur, and where in our lives they will unfold – and that part of astrology is a part I find exceptionally valuable. In a world in which time is our most precious resource, wouldn’t it be helpful to have a system that tells us how we’re going to be activated ahead of time? Where our attention will be focused? What things we’ll be called to do, and learn about, and respond to? So that we could better plan and choose how we show up – with less guilt, less questioning, less confusion? In this episode I to share with you the ways I utilize the planetary movements to help me plan my time – in alignment with my moods, my energy, my interests, and to support my larger goals and visions, and from a yearly, seasonal, monthly, week and daily viewpoint. Mentioned: How I plan my time using astrology substackTrusted Timing waitlistEps 42: How to work with all the phases of the moon Spacious (empty houses) workshopConnect with me: ‍⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings⁠ · ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching⁠ · ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ · ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠ ·⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠

    58 min
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About

I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits, behaviors and choices, and inevitably start aligning your daily decisions to create a more empowered and fulfilling life. In every episode you'll find stories, resources, and contemplations, from me and other entrepreneurs, curated to help you gracefully navigate a life that comes with no guide book.

Information

  • Creator
    Hollis M. M.
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    103
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hollis M. M.
  • Show Website
    The Designed Life

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