Your Favorite You

Melissa Parsons
  • 5.0 (151)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Your Favorite You, a weekly podcast helping brilliant women like you with beautiful brains to create the life you've been dreaming of with intention so you can find your favorite version of you. Your host, Melissa Parsons, is a pediatrician turned life coach. She holds the titles of wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend of many. She became a certified life coach after discovering that coaching held the secret to the universe, and knew she had to share this magic with everyone in her orbit. This podcast is for you if ... you're stuck in fear and perfectionism thinking that your value comes from what you do or what you don't do, rather than knowing that your value comes from who you are, and this is keeping you from dreaming and trying new things, or from remembering or doing what you used to love. Join Melissa on this journey to figuring out and remembering who you are; a journey to finding and becoming your favorite you. To learn more about Melissa, visit: https://www.melissaparsonscoaching.com/

  1. 2D AGO

    Ep 179: When Standing Out is Your Superpower with Dr. Manuela Powell

    When you’ve spent your whole life trying to fit in, it can feel wildly vulnerable to let yourself stand out. In this conversation with Dr. Manuela Powell, we talk about what happens when “different” stops being a problem to solve and becomes a truth you can build a life around. Manuela shares her journey from cancer surgeon to life coach to business builder, and how a season in Hawaii helped her separate who she is from what she does. We explore the difference between fitting in and belonging, why so many high-achieving women think they “should” be able to do everything alone, and how standing out can become your superpower in work, relationships, and the choices you make next. Dr. Manuela Powell helps doctors skip the overwhelm, tech headaches, and DIY rabbit holes that usually come with building an online business. The Doctor’s Pivot is her fully done-for-you, concierge-style service that takes care of everything, from websites and branding to systems, content, and strategy, so her clients can finally stop spinning their wheels and start moving forward. She works with physicians who know they want more, but don’t know where to start (and definitely don’t want to drown in YouTube tutorials or 17 conflicting opinions from the internet). Dr. Powell brings together everything she’s learned from years in medicine, entrepreneurship, and coaching to create something completely custom. That might include CRMs, social media, podcast setup, you name it. Her clients focus on vision and decisions while she handles the rest. Think of it as “business in a box,” but completely outside the box—and tailored to you. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    38 min

  2. FEB 24

    Ep 178: When All Your Parts Need Your Attention at Once

    If you’ve been struggling with the state of the world lately, you’re not alone. I’m feeling the weight of what’s happening in our country and how people are being treated. In this episode, I’m sharing the parts of me that are showing up in response to all of it, because I’m guessing some of your parts are loud right now, too. You might notice an angry part that wants to scream and stomp her feet, or a hopeless part that wants to hide under the covers. Maybe there’s a righteous part that won’t stop fighting, a sad part that’s mourning, a shameful part spiraling about privilege, or even a hopeful part that quietly keeps showing up. They’re all valid, and sometimes they all want your attention at once. It can be overwhelming, but my message today is that it’s okay for all of these parts to be here. You don’t have to pick one. You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to be inspiring or productive right now. You just have to be human, and when you have the capacity, you can choose one small way to show up—for yourself or for someone else. That’s enough. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    17 min

  3. FEB 17

    Ep 177: The Fun Filter - Deciding What Lights You Up with Jessie Mahoney, MD

    I’m bringing you a conversation with my friend and fellow retired pediatrician-turned-life coach and retreat host, Jessie Mahoney. Jessie and I share a lot in common, and this episode grew out of how we both navigate our relationships with ourselves, our families, and the ongoing question of how we decide what to say yes to. We talk about decision-making through the lens of what would be fun, yoga, parenting, and what it means to have more white space on your calendar. Life isn’t always fun—and it doesn’t have to be—but there’s something powerful about paying attention to what makes you feel alive and lit up. We’ve found that fun is often where we show up and shine the brightest, and this episode is an invitation to explore your favorite version of you through that fun filter, too. Dr. Jessie Mahoney is a pediatrician-turned-coach, speaker, and yoga and mindfulness teacher. She helps thoughtful, high-achieving women trust what makes them come alive. Her work centers on using a “fun filter” to make decisions with more ease, honesty, and alignment—especially during challenging seasons of parenting young adults, career pivots, intimate relationships, and leadership transitions. Through one-on-one coaching, small group coaching, and Pause & Presence retreats, she creates spaces for people to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with joy, clarity, and meaning. Her approach is practical, deeply human, and grounded in the belief that fun, when paired with self-trust, can be a wise and transformative guide. She hosts a popular podcast called Healing Medicine, teaches free yoga on zoom and YouTube, and hosts incredible coaching, yoga, mindfulness and culinary medicine retreats at Nicasio Creek Farm in Northern California. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    47 min

  4. FEB 10

    Ep 176: Re-Made with Love and Science: Choosing Yourself Through Divorce and Infertility with Erica Bove, MD

    This week, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Erica Bove to share her personal story and her journey of founding an organization to help women thrive through infertility. You’ll hear how Erica created Love & Science Fertility after feeling disconnected from clinical medicine so she could focus on guiding women to reconnect with their bodies and trust their inner wisdom. Erica also shares her personal story of going through a divorce and how she made the decisions that led her to become her favorite version of herself, both personally and professionally. We talk about how change doesn’t always require a catastrophic event, and how paying attention to what no longer feels aligned can be enough to pivot your life. Erica Bove, MD, is a double board-certified OB-GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist (REI) physician at the University of Vermont. She is also the CEO and founder of Love and Science: Thriving Through Infertility.  She has a keen interest in marrying an evidence-based approach with intuitive knowing in the context of a trusting relationship. She empowers women physicians and professionals to build their families with confidence, self-compassion and community. Her mission is to heal and support the healers and to create a legacy she is proud of. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    36 min

  5. FEB 3

    Ep 175: A Love Letter to Barney Stinson Parsons

    As I’m preparing to go pick up my new puppy, Frank Costanza Parsons, I’m using this episode to share a eulogy of sorts for my sweetest dog, Barney Stinson Parsons. Before I fall in love with Frank the Tank, I want to honor Barney Boo and the almost thirteen years he spent teaching my family about unconditional love and the benefit of caring about another living creature at least as much as we cared about ourselves. I debated writing all of this out and sharing it with you, and I'm so glad the part of me that wanted to tell Barney’s story won out over the part of me that wondered if it would be helpful to anyone but me. If you’re listening while missing a pet of your own, I hope you feel a little less alone. Click HERE to read the full show notes.

    20 min

  6. JAN 27

    Ep 174: Our Most Precious Resource: Time with Kristine Goins, MD

    If time—not money—were the measure of wealth, would you be rich? This powerful question comes from my friend and colleague, Dr. Kristine Goins, whom I heard speak at the Physician Coaching Summit in November. In this episode, she joins me to share her wisdom about the true wealth of time. So many of us are taught that money is our most precious resource, and we spend our lives trying to accumulate more of it so we can enjoy spending it someday. Kristine offers the powerful reframe that time is actually even more valuable. Today, you’ll hear how it’s possible to live into this idea, and how doing so can change your life. Dr. Kristine Goins is a board-certified integrative adult & pediatric psychiatrist and digital nomad. Having served in several healthcare settings and various leadership positions within academic centers, Dr. Goins has witnessed firsthand the impact that burnout, stress, and work-life imbalance can have on physicians’ lives. Motivated by a desire to make a difference, Dr. Goins founded Nomad MD, where she helps burned-out doctors replace their income abroad and build freedom-first careers. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    42 min

  7. JAN 20

    Ep 173: It Doesn't Have to Be This Way with Drs. Robin Beardsley, Risa Adams, and Elizabeth Parsons

    In this episode, I’m so excited to talk with three amazing physicians about their book, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: A Physician’s Guide to Radical Self-Care. Robin Beardsley, Risa Adams, and Elizabeth Parsons join me to explore what it looks like to get curious about yourself and the parts of you that help you function and succeed in your role. While this book is written by physicians for physicians, its insights reach beyond one profession. Many high-achieving women experience burnout, a loss of purpose, or a longing to feel more alive. If any of that resonates, this conversation offers a lens for understanding how different parts of ourselves can both help and hinder us–and how that knowledge can help you live as a favorite version of yourself. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    54 min

  8. JAN 13

    Ep 172: Anticipatory Grief AND Joy with Dr. Tasha Faruqui

    In this episode, I have the absolute pleasure to speak with another one of my new friends whom I met at the Physician Coaching Summit earlier this month. Dr. Tasha Faruqui is a fellow pediatrician, public speaker, medical advocate, and author. She’s here today to talk about her beautiful book, Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief, and how anticipatory grief shaped her journey as both a parent and a physician. We explore what it looks like to parent while navigating anticipatory grief, how Tasha learned to trust her intuition as a guide, and why her family stopped waiting for things to change before allowing joy.  Pursuing joy on purpose can help you hold grief and joy at the same time—and even anticipating joy can be just as meaningful as the moment itself. Inspired by her father, a doctor and surgeon to an underserved rural community, Dr. Tasha Faruqui joined the National Health Service Corps following her graduation from medical school. Her plan was to take over her father’s practice once her commitment was complete, but this was diverted when her second daughter, Soraya, was born with a rare, little-known genetic disorder that remains largely a mystery thirteen years later. Tasha’s focus then shifted to pediatrics, with particular attention to advocacy and support for parents of medically complex children and those with a limited life expectancy. Today, she regularly brings her dynamic message of fierce and loving hope to medical students at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the top pediatric medical facility in the country, Make-A-Wish events, and her Instagram community (@thefaruqui5). Her debut memoir, Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief, was published by Jossey-Bass in September 2025. Tasha was named a top doctor by Cincinnati Magazine in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Click HERE to get the full show notes.

    52 min
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5
out of 5
151 Ratings

About

Welcome to Your Favorite You, a weekly podcast helping brilliant women like you with beautiful brains to create the life you've been dreaming of with intention so you can find your favorite version of you. Your host, Melissa Parsons, is a pediatrician turned life coach. She holds the titles of wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend of many. She became a certified life coach after discovering that coaching held the secret to the universe, and knew she had to share this magic with everyone in her orbit. This podcast is for you if ... you're stuck in fear and perfectionism thinking that your value comes from what you do or what you don't do, rather than knowing that your value comes from who you are, and this is keeping you from dreaming and trying new things, or from remembering or doing what you used to love. Join Melissa on this journey to figuring out and remembering who you are; a journey to finding and becoming your favorite you. To learn more about Melissa, visit: https://www.melissaparsonscoaching.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Parsons
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    182
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Your Favorite You
  • Show Website
    Your Favorite You

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