The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook

The FEEL Podcast
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  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

The FEEL Podcast is for women who know they’re overextended, need to say no more, and want to stop allowing everyone else’s needs and expectations to determine their choices, but struggle to actually do it. Hosted by Melissa Crook, creator of the FEEL Framework, conversations explore people-pleasing, boundaries, self-worth, relationships, emotional wellness, and self-trust. Learn to recognize what you need and want, communicate your boundaries and expectations, and make choices based on your values, bandwidth, and capacity. You’re valuable because of who you are, not what you do.

  1. 11h ago

    Living Out of Your Own Expectations Instead of Others with Dr. Amanda Wilson

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠ . How much of the life you're living is actually yours—and how much has been shaped by what you've been told you should want, do, or be? In this Empowerment Tuesday conversation on The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook is joined by Dr. Amanda Wilson for a candid conversation about what it really means to live out of your own expectations instead of everyone else's. Amanda's story challenges the idea that there is one right way to build a career, raise a family, define success, or create a fulfilling life. Together, Melissa and Amanda talk about the myth of “having it all,” the hidden pressures women carry, raising gifted children, old trauma that can continue influencing our choices, and the coping mechanisms we sometimes develop before we fully understand what we need. Amanda also shares why her no-BS approach to consulting works for her, and what can happen when we stop trying to make ourselves fit expectations, systems, or definitions of success that were never designed for us. At the heart of the conversation is a question worth asking: Whose expectation is this? And then: Does it still align with who I am, what I value, and the life I actually want to live? Melissa and Amanda explore the pressure on women to “have it all,” recognizing when expectations aren't actually our own, parenting and the hidden challenges of raising gifted children, how past trauma can continue shaping present choices, neurodivergence and understanding ourselves more fully, coping behaviors without shame, creating a career around the life you actually want, and why living by your own expectations doesn't mean rejecting everyone else's. Ways to Engage Identify one “supposed to” in your life.Ask: “Whose expectation is this?”Choose one expectation to examine instead of automatically following it.You don't have to reject every expectation that came from someone else. You just get to decide whether you still want to carry it. Topics: living out of your own expectations, expectations vs reality, women and expectations, how to stop living for others, people pleasing, self-trust, women and success, having it all myth, gifted children, neurodivergence in women, trauma and personal growth, women entrepreneurs, work life balance, Dr. Amanda Wilson, Straight Smile Solutions, Melissa Crook, The FEEL Podcast, Empowerment Tuesday #SelfTrust #IntentionalLiving #WomensEmpowerment #PersonalGrowth #FEELPodcast ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad⁠⁠⁠⁠ In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations. For more Support reach out to Melissa here - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact

  2. 5d ago

    Beyond Nutrition: Food, Culture, Self-Care & Healthy Habits You Can Actually Live With with Leonila Campos

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ What if caring for your health didn't require separating yourself from the foods, culture, traditions, and experiences that are part of who you are? On this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook is joined by Leonila Campos for a practical conversation about nutrition, self-care, cultural foods, sustainable habits, and caring for ourselves as whole people. From “Add yourself to the lunchbox list” to challenging the belief that “I'm a lost cause,” Melissa and Leonila explore what can happen when women move away from shame, perfection, and all-or-nothing expectations and toward habits that can actually fit into their lives. They also discuss why food can't always be separated from culture. Food can carry family, tradition, memories, connection, and identity, and honoring those layers can be part of caring for ourselves too. This conversation asks us to consider a different approach to health: Can we nourish ourselves without judging ourselves? Can we make changes without believing everything has to change at once? Can healthy habits be sustainable enough to actually live with? And while we're caring for everybody else, have we remembered to put ourselves on the list?  Because caring for yourself doesn't have to mean losing the parts of yourself that matter to you. Topics: Women's Nutrition • Sustainable Healthy Habits • Self-Care for Women • Food and Culture • Cultural Foods • Healthy Relationship with Food • Whole-Person Wellness • Women’s Empowerment • The FEEL Podcast Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 3:10 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 5:24 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 9:59 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 16:03 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 19:41 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 24:44 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 34:26 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 43:02 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 47:08 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 48:21 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

  3. Sep 29

    Today Is My Birthday! How Do You Celebrate Yourself? |With Melissa Crook

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast . ⁠⁠In this birthday edition of Empowerment Tuesday on The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook explores what it means to celebrate yourself; not because of an accomplishment, milestone, or someone else's recognition, but because your life has value. Melissa shares why her birthday philosophy has become simple: What do I want to do for my birthday this year? And then, as much as possible, she chooses it. Some years that's traveling to Ireland. Other years it's favorite foods and floating in the pool. Neither is a better celebration if both are what she genuinely wanted. But this conversation goes deeper than birthdays. Melissa shares how she had to recognize times when she expected other people to celebrate her in a particular way without communicating what she wanted. That realization required accountability, and led to an even bigger one: You can communicate how you want others to show up for you AND take responsibility for celebrating yourself. This episode explores self-worth, self-care, unspoken expectations, communication, self-trust, knowing what you want, allowing yourself to receive, and celebrating the human being, not only the human doing. Ways To Engage: 1. What do you appreciate about who you are, not what you do or accomplish? 2. What actually makes you feel celebrated, and have you communicated that? 3. What's one way you can celebrate yourself without waiting for somebody else to do it for you? Because you don't have to accomplish something extraordinary to be worth celebrating. You're valuable because of who you are, not what you do. And you get to choose what celebrating that looks like. 💛 Topics: Self-Worth for Women • Self-Care • Celebrating Yourself • Communicating Your Needs • Self-Trust • Personal Growth • Women’s Empowerment • Birthday Reflection • FEEL ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- ⁠⁠⁠https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad⁠⁠⁠ In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations. For more Support reach out to Melissa here - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact

  4. Sep 24

    When Life Keeps Changing: Self-Care, Identity & Finding Your Own Needs with Reyna Worthy

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ What happens to your sense of self when your life continually requires you to adapt? This week on The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook is joined by military spouse advocate, advisor, and podcast host Reyna Worthy for a conversation about military spouse life, identity, self-care, and the challenge of continuing to make room for yourself through changing seasons. When so much of your life can be shaped by someone else’s career, your family’s needs, moves, transitions, and responsibilities, it can become easy to adapt so often that you stop asking an important question: What do I need in this season? Melissa and Reyna explore what it means to maintain a sense of identity while navigating change, why self-care has to evolve as our circumstances do, and how women can recognize when parts of themselves have been pushed aside. Ways to Engage Notice where you’ve been adapting to everyone else’s needs.Ask: “What do I need in this season?”Identify one part of yourself you want to make room for again.You can honor the people, responsibilities, and season you're in without abandoning the other layers of who you are. Topics: Military Spouse Life, Military Spouse Identity, Self-Care for Women, Life Transitions, Self-Trust, Healthy Boundaries, Women’s Empowerment Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 5:00 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 7:39 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 10:23 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 17:14 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 21:17 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 26:55 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 32:59 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 46:55 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 51:42 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 54:04 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

  5. Sep 23

    Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself | Empowerment Tuesday with Melissa Crook

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠⁠ What does it actually mean to embrace all of who you are, including the parts you don’t particularly like? As Melissa continues celebrating the two-year anniversary of Embracing Layers Unapologetically, she returns to one of the foundational conversations behind The Embracing Layers Network and the FEEL Framework: accepting the layered aspects of yourself. In this Empowerment Tuesday episode, Melissa explores why self-acceptance doesn’t mean approving of every choice you’ve made, loving every part of yourself, or being grateful for every experience you’ve lived through. Instead, what happens when we replace judgment with curiosity? Melissa discusses accepting past versions of ourselves, acknowledging experiences we never chose, holding compassion and accountability at the same time, and recognizing how our layers can shape our values, boundaries, relationships, and choices. Ways to Engage: Name one layer of yourself you’ve struggled to accept.Ask: What changes when I approach this part of myself with curiosity instead of judgment?Identify one way that layer has shaped who you are today.Because you are not one role, one decision, one mistake, one accomplishment, or one version of yourself. You are layered, and you still get to choose who you are becoming. ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- ⁠⁠https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad⁠⁠ In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations. For more Support reach out to Melissa here - ⁠⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact #SelfAcceptance #SelfTrust #WomensEmpowerment #PersonalGrowth #FEELPodcast

  6. Sep 17

    How Do You Talk to Your Body? Moving from Criticism to Body-Peace with Nina Manolson

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ How do you speak to your body—and would you speak to someone you love the same way? In this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook welcomes Nina Manolson for a conversation about Body-Peace, body image, self-acceptance, and changing the relationship women have with their bodies. Nina shares what it can look like to move away from body criticism, shame, constant body-management, and the pressure to “fix” ourselves, and toward curiosity, respect, compassion, and greater trust in our bodies. Rather than asking, “How do I change my body?” this conversation invites us to consider a different question: “How am I relating to my body?” Melissa and Nina explore the messages women receive about their bodies, the language we use when talking to and about ourselves, and why Body-Peace isn't dependent on loving every part of your body every day. The difference between body criticism and Body-PeaceHow women learn to judge and manage their bodiesBecoming aware of how you speak TO your bodyMoving from judgment toward curiosity and respectBuilding a more compassionate relationship with your bodyWhat it means to listen to and trust your bodyWhy your body doesn't need to be “fixed” before it deserves careHow our relationship with our bodies can change over time💛 Notice how you speak TO your body this week. 💛 Ask: “Am I relating to my body with criticism, or curiosity?” 💛 Choose one way to respond to your body with respect instead of judgment. What might change if, instead of approaching your body as something to criticize, manage, or fight, you began getting curious about your relationship with it? Keywords: Body-Peace, body image, body acceptance, body confidence, body positivity, self-acceptance, self-compassion, women's wellness, women's empowerment, body shame, healthy relationship with your body, intuitive eating, self-worth, emotional wellness, The FEEL Podcast #BodyPeace #BodyAcceptance #BodyImage #SelfCompassion #WomensEmpowermentTimestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 4:21 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 14:23 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 17:41 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 40:26 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 49:37 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 54:14 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 57:27 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 1:01:44 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 1:03:40 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are, beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

  7. Sep 15

    I Think My Story Can Help Other Women: How Do I Tell It? | Empowerment Tuesday with Melissa Crook

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ Could something you’ve lived through help another woman navigate her own story? In this Empowerment Tuesday episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook revisits Chapter 1 of Embracing Layers Unapologetically and the story of how one realization—“I think my story can help other women”—helped launch what would eventually become The Embracing Layers Network. Melissa shares how a Dream Wall exercise with her husband in March 2021 led her to consider what she had learned from years of stuffing emotions, putting others’ needs before her own, and beginning to prioritize her emotional health and self-care. That idea eventually developed into a podcast built around women sharing their lived experiences and what they were learning along the way. More than five years later, Melissa reflects on an important distinction: Sharing your story isn't about telling another woman how to live hers. It's about recognizing that something you've experienced or learned may help someone else become curious about her own life. You'll also explore the boundaries of storytelling; what you want to share, what belongs to someone else's story, what you're still processing, and what you may choose to keep for yourself. Ways to Engage Name one part of your story you’ve learned something from.Ask: “What might another woman need to hear from my experience?”Choose one way to share it—or decide what is yours to keep.Your story has value. And you get to choose what you do with it. Keywords: women’s empowerment, sharing your story, women’s stories, lived experience, personal growth, self-discovery, self-worth, storytelling, women supporting women, FEEL Framework, The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- ⁠https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad⁠ In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations. For more Support reach out to Melissa here - ⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact

  8. Sep 10

    Who Are You Becoming? Self-Trust, Confidence & Embracing What’s Next with Tina B. Coleman

    Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ Who are you becoming, and are you giving yourself room to evolve beyond the woman you've always been? In this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Tina B. Coleman joins Melissa Crook for a conversation about identity, confidence, self-trust, curiosity, life transitions, personal growth, solo travel, and having the courage to explore what's next. As with every FEEL guest, we begin with who Tina is, not what she does. From there, we explore what happens as life changes, our priorities shift, and we begin to recognize that something that once fit us may not fit in quite the same way anymore. Because knowing who you are doesn't mean you have to remain exactly who you've always been. We grow. We change. We experience loss, transitions, unexpected chapters, new beginnings, and moments that invite us to get curious about ourselves again. And sometimes discovering who we're becoming requires enough self-trust to step beyond what's familiar and ask: What do I want in this season of my life? 💛 Who we are, and who we're becoming 💛 Allowing ourselves to grow and evolve through different seasons of life 💛 Building confidence and learning to trust ourselves 💛 Why curiosity can be powerful when we don't know what's next 💛 Recognizing when we've outgrown something that once fit 💛 Navigating loss, change, and new beginnings 💛 Challenging expectations about who we're supposed to be at different ages and stages of life 💛 Solo travel as an opportunity for independence, curiosity, and self-discovery 💛 Rediscovering parts of ourselves we may have lost touch with 💛 Making room for adventure, joy, freedom, and new experiences 💛 Giving ourselves space to want something different 💛 Embracing what's next without dismissing or judging the chapters that came before it 1. Identify one part of yourself you're ready to rediscover or explore. 2. Name something you've outgrown without judging yourself for once choosing it. 3. Finish this sentence: “The woman I am becoming is ready to ______.” You don't have to know exactly what your next chapter looks like. Maybe the first step is simply getting curious enough to ask: Who am I becoming, and what might she be ready for? #WomensEmpowerment #SelfTrust #SelfDiscovery #PersonalGrowth #Confidence Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 2:47 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 8:32 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 11:20 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 18:06 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 36:50 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 39:05 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 44:25 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 56:15 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 1:00:17 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 1:01:26 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

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The FEEL Podcast is for women who know they’re overextended, need to say no more, and want to stop allowing everyone else’s needs and expectations to determine their choices, but struggle to actually do it. Hosted by Melissa Crook, creator of the FEEL Framework, conversations explore people-pleasing, boundaries, self-worth, relationships, emotional wellness, and self-trust. Learn to recognize what you need and want, communicate your boundaries and expectations, and make choices based on your values, bandwidth, and capacity. You’re valuable because of who you are, not what you do.

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