I'm Speaking...with Elizabeth West

Elizabeth West

I'm Speaking...with Elizabeth West is a heart-led podcast for women exploring self-love, self-awareness, and personal growth. Hosted by Elizabeth West — energy guide, self-love mentor, and curator of conversations — each episode features intimate interviews and solo reflections designed to help women stop dimming their light and start living fully. New episodes every other Wednesday. https://www.westelizabeth.com

  1. 2 days ago

    Ep. 185 | What Drains You?

    Ep. 185 | What Drains You? Have you ever finished a day feeling completely depleted and wondered, Where did all my energy go? In this episode of I’m Speaking... with Elizabeth West, I’m asking a simple but important question: What drains you? Self-awareness is a part of self-love. When you become aware of the people, environments, habits, and activities that deplete your energy, you can start making choices that help you protect it. I’m sharing some of the things that drain me—from pushy and negative people to constant notifications, crowded grocery stores, and watching too much news. I’m also sharing some practical ways I’ve made changes to help protect my energy. Because energy is everything! Why self-awareness is an important part of self-love Identifying the people, places, and habits that drain your energy How constant notifications and interruptions affect your focus Why busy stores and crowded environments can feel depleting Ways to make grocery shopping less draining, including delivery and pickup Being mindful of when you schedule errands Limiting news consumption and taking it in bite-sized pieces Making a mental note, writing down, or recording what drains you Protecting your energy so you have more of it for the things that light you up Recognizing what drains you is one way to practice self-love. In my upcoming audiobook and guide, From Selfless to Self-Love: A Guide for High-Achieving Introverts to Go from Depleted to Dynamic, I explore self-awareness, protecting your peace, and learning to put yourself first. If you’d like to follow along and be the first to know when new chapters become available, join the waitlist: 👉🏽 https://www.westelizabeth.com/audiobook What drains you? What depletes your energy? Take a moment to think about it. You might be surprised by what you notice. self-love, self-awareness, protecting your energy, energy management, what drains you, what depletes you, introvert self-care, high-achieving introverts, highly sensitive people, empath self-care, boundaries, self-care, personal growth, protecting your peace, emotional energy, burnout prevention Website: https://www.westelizabeth.comPodcast: https://pod.link/1589007063📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist: https://www.westelizabeth.com/audiobookNewsletter: https://www.westelizabeth.com/newsletterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/imelizabethwest/ If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps more people discover the podcast! Cheers to speaking up and for making your voice heard. Elizabeth

  2. 21 Oct

    Ep 184 | Do You Really Know Who You Are?

    Ep. 184: Do You Really Know Who You Are? Who are you really? And do you truly know yourself? In this episode, I'm sharing part of my own journey of self-discovery, including how I spent much of my life thinking I was an extrovert before realizing I was an introvert. I also share how learning that I’m a highly sensitive person (HSP) and discovering my ADHD helped me understand myself in new ways. Sometimes, we can be hard on ourselves without realizing how much it affects us. We can spend years trying to fit expectations that don't actually work for us because we haven't yet learned what we need, how we recharge, or what makes us who we are. I'll share some of the resources and self-assessments that helped me learn more about myself, along with a reminder that self-awareness is a part of self-love. Because when you know yourself better, you can begin making choices that better support who you are. 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Self-awareness is the focus of Chapter 1 of my upcoming audiobook and guide, From Selfless to Self-Love: An Audiobook + Guide for High-Achieving Introverts to Go from Depleted to Dynamic. If you're ready to learn more about yourself and practice self-love in ways that honor who you are, join the audiobook waitlist to hear when it's available: https://www.westelizabeth.com/audiobook Resources mentioned in this episode 16Personalities — Explore your personality type. The Highly Sensitive Person — Learn more about high sensitivity and explore Dr. Elaine Aron's resources. Introvert, Dear — Podcast and Website. Articles and resources about introversion. ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka — A podcast about ADHD and women. Jovian Archive — Explore Human Design. Dr. Judith Orloff — Resources for empaths and highly sensitive people. Dr. Michael Breus — Resources about chronotypes and sleep. Other episodes you might enjoy Self-Awareness Is a Part of Self-Love What Energizes You? What Depletes You? Do You Have ADHD? How the Traits Overlap with Being a Highly Sensitive Person What the Eff Is Human Design? Find these episodes on I'm Speaking... with Elizabeth West. Connect with Elizabeth Website: https://www.westelizabeth.com Podcast: https://pod.link/1589007063 Join the From Selfless to Self-Love audiobook waitlist: https://www.westelizabeth.com/audiobook Join the newsletter: https://www.westelizabeth.com/newsletter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imelizabethwest/ If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a five-star rating or review. It means so much to me! Thanks for listening. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know 💛 Cheers to speaking up and for making your voice heard.

  3. 7 Oct

    Ep 183 | I Was Working Against Myself: How Self-Love Helped Me Rethink My Approach

    Ep 183 | I Was Working Against Myself: How Self-Love Helped Me Rethink My Approach Have you ever realized that you're making something harder for yourself than it needs to be? That's what happened to me while finishing From Selfless to Self-Love. I wasn't being very kind to myself. I was letting Patty the Perfectionist and Petra the People Pleaser take over—and I was trying to create my business and my book the way I thought I should instead of the way that actually works for me. In this episode, I'm getting honest about what happened, how I got burnt out, and the light-bulb moment that reminded me to work with myself instead of against myself. 👉🏽 How perfectionism and people-pleasing were influencing how I approached my book 👉🏽 Why self-awareness is a part of self-love 👉🏽 What happened when I tried to work in a way that wasn't aligned with how my brain works 👉🏽 Why “fun and easy” are important words for me when I'm working 👉🏽 How getting burnt out slowed down the process instead of making me more productive 👉🏽 Giving myself grace because this is the first time I've created and published an audiobook 👉🏽 Creating self-care breaks between chunks of work 👉🏽 Simple self-care ideas like listening to a favorite song, dancing, or doing face yoga 👉🏽 Why I don't have to create my business or my book the way everyone else does 👉🏽 Letting go of the idea that I have to create an ebook or paperback book right now 👉🏽 Why sometimes “good enough” is what allows us to actually finish 👉🏽 How I'm choosing to make finishing SLSL fun, easier, and more sustainable This episode is a real-life example of the message behind my upcoming audiobook and guide, From Selfless to Self-Love: An Audiobook + Guide for High-Achieving Introverts to Go from Depleted to Dynamic. I'm not just talking about self-love—I'm practicing it while I create the book. And sometimes self-love looks like stopping, reassessing, giving yourself grace, and choosing a different way forward. If you'd like to follow along as I finish the audiobook and be the first to know when new chapters become available, join the 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who needs the reminder that you don't have to work against yourself to get things done. And if you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review. It really does mean the world to me. Website — https://www.westelizabeth.com I’m Speaking... with Elizabeth West — https://pod.link/1589007063 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist — https://www.westelizabeth.com/audiobook Newsletter — https://www.westelizabeth.com/newsletter Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/imelizabethwest/ Cheers to speaking up and for making your voice heard. Elizabeth

    Ep 183 | I Was Working Against Myself: How Self-Love Helped Me Rethink My Approach

  4. 23 Sept

    Ep 182 | I Got Burnt Out: When You Stop Wanting to Do What You Love

    Ep. 182 | I Got Burnt Out: When You Stop Wanting to Do What You Love Have you ever gotten so burnt out that you stopped wanting to do something you normally LOVE? That happened to me. In this episode, I’m talking honestly about how I got burnt out in the spring of 2026 after juggling podcast interviews, work, and too much time “on”—and how I eventually realized that I needed to make some changes. One of the biggest red flags for me? I didn’t want to do podcast interviews anymore. And I LOVE talking with people, asking questions, and having conversations. When something I normally enjoy suddenly feels like something I don’t want to do at all, that’s a pretty big signal that something is going on. I’m sharing what burnout looked like for me, what I learned, and why rest really is part of the work. 👉🏽 How I ended up burnt out after doing too much 👉🏽 Why having no energy can affect creativity and motivation 👉🏽 The connection between overworking, creativity, and my mental well-being 👉🏽 The red flag that helped me recognize I was burnt out 👉🏽 Why I wish I had spoken up sooner when I was being overworked 👉🏽 How moving my podcast to a biweekly schedule helped me recover 👉🏽 Why batching podcast interviews may be a better fit for my energy going forward 👉🏽 Working with yourself instead of against yourself 👉🏽 Why self-love doesn’t mean you’ll never get burnt out again 👉🏽 Remembering that we are all works in progress This conversation connects closely with From Selfless to Self-Love: An Audiobook + Guide for High-Achieving Introverts to Go from Depleted to Dynamic. One of the things I talk about in the book is how energy is everything. When we are depleted, it can affect so much more than our ability to get through the day—including our creativity, motivation, and ability to do the things that light us up. If you’d like to follow along as the audiobook develops, join the 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist. burnout, burnout recovery, signs of burnout, recognizing burnout, self-care, self-love, rest, rest is part of the work, overworking, energy management, creative burnout, creativity and burnout, motivation, high-achieving introverts, introvert burnout, work-life balance, working with yourself, personal growth, self-awareness If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with someone who may need the reminder that rest is part of the work—and that you don’t have to wait until you’re completely depleted to listen to what your energy is telling you. And if you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving a 5-star review. It truly means so much to me. Connect with Elizabeth Website Listen to I’m Speaking... with Elizabeth West 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist Newsletter Instagram 📕 Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale Thank you for listening. I appreciate you more than you know. 💛 Cheers to speaking up and making your voice heard.

    Ep 182 | I Got Burnt Out: When You Stop Wanting to Do What You Love

  5. 9 Sept

    Ep 181 Timeless Marketing & Human Connection on Instagram with Shannon McKinstrie

    Ep 181: Timeless Marketing & Human Connection on Instagram with Shannon McKinstrie What if the best social media strategy isn't chasing the latest algorithm hack—but simply making people feel seen, heard, and understood? In this episode of I'm Speaking… with Elizabeth West, I'm talking with Instagram marketing expert Shannon McKinstrie about timeless marketing, authentic content, storytelling, and the power of human connection on social media. Shannon helps business owners, creators, and brands create Instagram content that doesn't just attract followers—it builds relationships and drives sales. And her approach is refreshingly human: instead of constantly trying to figure out what the algorithm wants, focus on what people want. We talk about why Shannon compares Instagram to an airport lounge, how storytelling builds trust, and why relatable, authentic content can be more powerful than perfectly polished posts. Why human connection is at the heart of effective social media marketing The timeless marketing principles that matter regardless of algorithm changes How to create Instagram content that makes your audience feel seen and heard Why storytelling is such a powerful way to build trust Creating authentic content when you're camera-shy or don't want to share everything publicly How simple photos, text posts, carousels, Reels, and Stories can all create connection Using comments and DMs to build a genuine Instagram community Ways to make social media marketing easier and less overwhelming Neurodivergence and creating a social media strategy you can actually sustain Balancing automation and authenticity—including AI-generated content Using Instagram Stories to connect with your audience and sell How real-life conversations and experiences can inspire great content Why you don't have to reveal your entire personal life to show up authentically online One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is the reminder that marketing is ultimately about people—not algorithms. And that connects directly to the message behind my audiobook, From Selfless to Self-Love. For many introverts, empaths, and highly sensitive people, being visible can feel uncomfortable. We may be used to taking care of everyone else, staying behind the scenes, or questioning whether it's okay to take up space. But self-love also means learning to be seen, use your voice, trust yourself, and show up in a way that feels authentic to you. You don't have to become someone else to market your business. You don't have to be on camera every day. And you don't have to sacrifice your boundaries or your energy to build meaningful connections. You can market in a way that feels like you. 📕 FROM SELFLESS TO SELF-LOVE My Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale is open! As a Founding Listener, you'll receive access to the audiobook content as new chapters and sections are completed. Get the Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale First-time purchaser reminder: Your purchase/access email may land in your spam, junk, or promotions folder. Be sure to check those folders and add my email address to your contacts so you don't miss future audiobook updates. Learn more about Shannon's work, her Good Content podcast, free Content Strategy Course, and Reels Lab membership through her online community and resources. 🌐 Website🎙️ Listen to the Podcast📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Audiobook📩 Join the Newsletter📸 Instagram Thank you for listening. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know. 💛 Elizabeth

    Ep 181 Timeless Marketing & Human Connection on Instagram with Shannon McKinstrie

  6. 26 Aug

    Ep 180 Receiving Help Is a Part of Self-Love

    Ep. 180 | Receiving Help Is a Part of Self-Love Two summers ago, Elizabeth talked about why asking for help is a part of self-love. But what happens after you ask? In this episode, Elizabeth continues that conversation by exploring another important—and sometimes uncomfortable—part of self-love: receiving help. Many of us have been taught that needing help means we're weak, incapable, or not independent enough. We may pride ourselves on being the person who can handle everything on our own—but constantly doing everything yourself can leave you exhausted, isolated, and disconnected. Elizabeth shares a personal story about relocating and realizing that she hadn't asked for—or accepted—enough help during a major transition in her life. She reflects on what that experience taught her about independence, isolation, and allowing other people to show up for us. Because self-love isn't just about taking care of yourself. Sometimes self-love looks like letting someone else take care of you, too. • Why receiving help can feel just as uncomfortable as asking for it.• Some of the cultural and personal beliefs that make accepting help difficult.• Why doing everything yourself isn't always a sign of strength.• How refusing help can leave you feeling isolated and depleted.• The difference between asking for help and actually allowing yourself to receive it.• Why letting people support you can be an act of self-love.• How to become more comfortable with receiving. Learning to receive is an important part of moving from selfless to self-love. 📕From Selfless to Self-Love is Elizabeth's guided audiobook for introverts, empaths, and highly sensitive people who are ready to stop living for everyone else's expectations and start creating a life aligned with who they truly are. From Selfless to Self-Love is now available for pre-sale! 📕By becoming a Founding Listener, you're pre-purchasing the audiobook and joining Elizabeth on the journey. You'll get access to your own Teachery account, where you'll find each chapter as she completes it—including the two introduction chapters that are already available. 📕 Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale Not ready to pre-purchase yet? Join the From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist for updates about the audiobook. If you're working on asking for help, receiving support, setting boundaries, or simply making life feel a little easier, Elizabeth offers one-on-one mentoring conversations designed to give you encouragement, perspective, and support. 🌿 Website🎙️ I'm Speaking... with Elizabeth West Podcast📕 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist💌 Newsletter📸 Instagram📕 Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need the reminder: You don't have to do everything yourself. And you don't have to earn the right to receive help. Cheers to speaking up and for making your voice heard! Elizabeth

    Ep 180 Receiving Help Is a Part of Self-Love

  7. 12 Aug

    Ep 179 From Best Kept Secret to Visible Brand: PR, Podcasts, and Backlinks with Lydia Bagarozza from Visibility on Purpose

    What if building your visibility didn’t mean constantly creating content for social media? In this episode, I’m talking with Lydia Bagarozza, co-founder of Visibility on Purpose, a PR strategy and consulting studio helping small business owners, founders, and emerging CPG brands get featured in the media without traditional agency prices. Lydia has generated 4,000+ press features throughout her PR career. And this conversation is about so much more than getting your name in a magazine. We’re talking about building visibility that lasts. Lydia explains why PR and earned media can be such a powerful long-term strategy, how backlinks from media features can support SEO, why podcasts can build credibility and relationships, and why strategic, consistent pitching can create momentum over time. We also talk about why authors can benefit from podcast tours—and how being a guest on the right shows can help you build awareness around a book while creating genuine connections along the way. Why PR can be more valuable for long-term brand growth than relying solely on social media What earned media is and why it builds credibility How backlinks can support your SEO Why podcasts and editorial features are powerful visibility tools How to create a strategic pitch instead of simply pitching yourself everywhere How to leverage timely events and trends to make your story newsworthy Why consistency matters when it comes to PR How media features can create social proof and credibility Why relationships are such an important part of visibility Why podcast tours can be especially valuable for authors How to use PR to create a visibility strategy that continues working for you As Lydia and I talked about visibility, I kept thinking about something that applies to From Selfless to Self-Love too: What are you building that can continue to work for you after you've stopped actively promoting it? That’s part of what I love about creating a book. 📕 From Selfless to Self-Love isn’t just something I’m launching. It’s a resource I hope will continue finding the people who need it long after the initial launch. And the conversations I’m having around the book—like this one—become part of that visibility too. Because sometimes visibility isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about creating more places for the right people to discover you. And just like the message of From Selfless to Self-Love, you don’t have to do visibility the way everyone else tells you to. You get to discover what works for you. From Selfless to Self-Love is now available for pre-sale!📕By becoming a Founding Listener, you're pre-purchasing the audiobook and joining me on the journey as I bring it to life. You'll get access to your own Teachery account, where you'll find each chapter as I complete them—including the two introduction chapters that are already available. If you’re ready to move from putting yourself last to choosing yourself, I’d love to have you join me. 📕 Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale Not ready to pre-purchase yet? Join the From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist to hear about the full audiobook release and future updates. 🌿 Website 🎙️ I'm Speaking... with Elizabeth West Podcast 📖 From Selfless to Self-Love Waitlist 💌 Newsletter 📸 Instagram 📕 Founding Listener Audiobook Pre-Sale If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use the reminder that meaningful marketing—and meaningful relationships—begin with authenticity. I appreciate you more than you know. Elizabeth

    Ep 179 From Best Kept Secret to Visible Brand: PR, Podcasts, and Backlinks with Lydia Bagarozza from Visibility on Purpose

  8. 29 Jul

    Ep 178 Batch Everything: How to Save Your Energy and Make Life Easier

    In this episode, Elizabeth breaks down the concept of "batching" — doing similar tasks together in one sitting instead of tackling them one at a time. Just like baking a full tray of cookies instead of one at a time, batching lets you save time, protect your energy, and get more done with less mental friction. Elizabeth shares how she uses batching in her own life, from recording and editing her upcoming audiobook From Selfless to Self-love in Descript, to prepping meals by chopping ingredients in bulk. Whether you're a high-energy go-getter or someone who runs on a slower rhythm, batching is a tool anyone can use to work smarter and conserve energy. What batching really means — grouping similar tasks together instead of switching back and forthThe cookie analogy — why doing things "in bulk" saves more time and energy than doing them individuallyBatching creative work — how Elizabeth records and edits her audiobook From Selfless to Self Love using DescriptBatching everyday life — meal prepping by cutting ingredients in bulk to save time during the weekBatching works for everyone — practical for any work style, energy level, or scheduleEnergy conservation — using batching as a strategy to protect your time and mental bandwidth Get my Making Things Easier PDF [here] From Selfless to Self-Love: A Guide for High-Achieving Introverts to Go from Depleted to Dynamic — coming soon. → Join the audiobook waitlist: [⁠here⁠] → Follow me on Instagram: [⁠here⁠] → Visit my website: [⁠here⁠] Thank you for listening. I appreciate you! 💛 Elizabeth

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I'm Speaking...with Elizabeth West is a heart-led podcast for women exploring self-love, self-awareness, and personal growth. Hosted by Elizabeth West — energy guide, self-love mentor, and curator of conversations — each episode features intimate interviews and solo reflections designed to help women stop dimming their light and start living fully. New episodes every other Wednesday. https://www.westelizabeth.com

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