Girl, Choose Yourself!

Eimear Zone

Girl, Choose Yourself!Hosted by Eimear Zone, author of The Little Book of Good Enough and the newly released Choose Yourself, Girl, Choose Yourself! is the podcast for women ready to reclaim their power, break free from the expectations that have held them back, and live life on their own terms. Each week, Eimear shares heartfelt conversations and gritty truths that challenge the stories we've been told by society, our families, and even ourselves. This podcast is all about reconnecting with the truth of who you truly are, embracing your powerful magnificence, and boldly creating a life that reflects your dreams, not your fears. If you're ready to choose yourself, show up fully, and live unapologetically, hit play and join the movement.

  1. 4D AGO

    What Do You Want? Reclaiming Desire After Years of Putting Everyone Else First

    If someone asked you right now what you want — truly want, for yourself, not for anyone else — could you answer? For so many women in midlife, that question lands like a small panic. Not because life is bad. But because somewhere in the years of partnering, mothering, working, and showing up for everyone else, the thread back to yourself got very thin. This episode is about finding it again. There is a belief at the heart of this conversation — that we arrive in this life already knowing something. That our desires, the ones that persist even when we try to silence them, are not random or selfish or self-indulgent. They are the soul's way of remembering. Whispering — look over here. This belongs to you. This is an episode about desire as something sacred. About the difference between what numbs us and what calls us forward. About the muscle that atrophies when we spend too long leaving ourselves out — and what it takes to bring it back. You didn't lose yourself. You just got very practiced at ignoring yourself. That is something you can unlearn. Mentioned in this episode: Choose Yourself — available at https://eimearzone.com/books/ Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    21 min
  2. She Quit at 47, Chose Herself, and Built a Life She Loves

    MAR 19

    She Quit at 47, Chose Herself, and Built a Life She Loves

    What does it look like to walk away from a nearly decade-long career — no backup plan, no degree, just a gut feeling that something had to change? For Sarah Magnoni, it looked like burnout, a text sent on a Saturday morning, six months of napping, and eventually... a sold-out trip to France in 18 hours. Sarah is the founder of Cobblestones and Castles, which runs small-group trips to Europe for women — curated around historical feminism, literary icons, and the kind of immersive travel that changes how you see yourself. In this conversation, we talk about the long, slow drain of doing everything right on the outside while running on empty inside, and what it actually took to choose differently. In this episode: Why burnout can look like "having it all" — and what finally made Sarah actThe golden handcuff feeling, and how she moved through itHow a healing journey into intuition and self-love became the foundation for a businessWhat makes women-only group travel so different — and why it mattersThe trips she has scheduled in 2026 (there are still spots!)Her answer to what "choosing yourself" really meansAbout Sarah: Sarah Magnoni is a travel advisor and writer who creates small-group women's trips across Europe. Her immersive journeys blend historical feminism, literature, and culture. After a career in leadership development, she began coaching women — and it was that career change that led to hosting retreats and ultimately founding Cobblestones and Castles. Sarah is a pilot wife, mom to 4 amazing adults and 2 furbabies, and Mimi to 3. Connect with Sarah: https://www.cobblestonesandcastles.com/Facebook Community: The Cobblestone CollectiveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cobblestonesandcastles/Resources mentioned: Mary Magdalene Revealed by Megan WattersonHow to Kill a Witch by Claire Mitchell, Zoë Venditozzi (featured on the Scotland trip)Ready to stop waiting for your own life to begin? Done Waiting is a 14-day audio course designed to help you finally take the leap — on your own terms. https://stan.store/eimearzone/p/done-waiting- Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    46 min
  3. MAR 12

    The Cost of Being Easy to Be Around: The People-Pleasing Pattern Nobody Talks About

    Are you the one who volunteers first? Who over-delivers without being asked? Who smooths the awkward silences, anticipates what everyone needs, and makes herself indispensable — in friendships, at work, in her family? Most of us were never taught that being easy to be around is a pattern worth examining. It looks like warmth. It looks like generosity. But underneath it, for a lot of women, is something much older — a quiet fear that if we stop performing, we might not be chosen. In this episode, I get honest about where this pattern comes from, what it's really costing us, and how to start telling the difference between giving from genuine abundance and giving from fear. We explore: Why the "easy to be around" pattern often starts in childhoodWhat it's quietly costing you beneath the surfaceThe difference between generosity and self-protectionOne small experiment to try this week"You never find out if people would show up for you — because you never give them the chance." If this resonated, The Elegant No was made for you — a short audio course with practical scripts for showing up differently. → https://stan.store/eimearzone/p/the-elegant-no-set-boundaries-without-guilt Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear: Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach 💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧 Email: hello@eimearzone.com Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    18 min
  4. All We Want Is Everything: Soraya Chemaly on Male Supremacy, Power & Decentering Men

    MAR 5

    All We Want Is Everything: Soraya Chemaly on Male Supremacy, Power & Decentering Men

    What happens when we finally name the system? In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by award-winning journalist, activist, and author Soraya Chemaly, whose latest book All We Want Is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy, is one of the most important books on gender and power published in recent years. Soraya has spent decades researching and writing about gender, culture, and power — and in this conversation, we explore the structural forces shaping women’s lives, from the subtle ways society centers men to the political backlash against women’s independence happening right now. We talk about why the language of “gender equality” often fails to capture the reality of the system we live in — and why naming male supremacy matters. This episode is a deep dive into the cultural, political, and psychological forces shaping women’s lives today — and what it means to step outside those systems and choose ourselves. In This Episode We Discuss Why Soraya chose to name the system male supremacyWhat it means to decenter menWhy women are socialized to prioritize pleasing over knowingThe hidden ways institutions are structured around menWhy the backlash against women’s freedom is happening nowThe cultural forces shaping women’s confidence and ambitionWhy male flight from “feminized spaces” is reshaping politicsThe myth of meritocracy in elite educationWhy progress has happened — and why backlash follows itHow everyday choices contribute to cultural changeWhy Gen Z women give Soraya hope for the futureA Powerful Moment One of the most striking ideas Soraya shares is that feminism is fundamentally about decentering men — not out of hatred, but to enable women to live lives rooted in dignity, agency, and autonomy. As Soraya explains: “Simply women seeking to be independent is perceived as hating men… which illustrates the degree to which we’re expected to be extensions of men.”  About Soraya Chemaly Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning journalist, activist, and author whose work focuses on gender, politics, and power. She is the author of All We Want Is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy and Rage Becomes Her, and writes widely about the cultural forces shaping women’s lives. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Time, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post, and she writes the Substack newsletter Unmanned, exploring gender, power, and resistance in everyday life. Buy All We Want Is Everything and discover more from Soraya: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Soraya-Chemaly/100698080 Connect With Soraya Substack: Unmanned: https://substack.com/@sorayachemaly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sorayachemaly/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ragebecomesher/ Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    53 min
  5. FEB 26

    What Is Mindfulness? A Simple Introduction + Guided Meditation

    We live in a world where stress, anxiety, and burnout have become normal. According to the World Health Organization, workplace burnout alone was officially recognized as a legitimate occupational phenomenon — and it continues to rise year after year.¹ In the U.S., multiple studies show that more than 75% of adults report moderate to high stress, and anxiety disorders affect nearly 1 in 5 people annually.² You don’t need to be “broken” to feel overwhelmed — you just need to be awake in a culture that is wired for distraction, comparison, and urgency. In today’s milestone episode — Episode 50 — I’m not interviewing a guest. Instead, I want to insert a breath into your life. You may not know this about me, but I’m a certified mindfulness meditation teacher. I trained in mindfulness because I was tired of the “drama department” in my own head, and because I saw again and again how inner tension was undermining confidence, performance, connection, and joy — especially for women who do so much, give so much, and expect so much of themselves. In this episode, we explore: What Mindfulness Really Is Mindfulness isn’t emptying your mind or escaping life — it’s paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, without judgment.³ At its core, it’s a practice that trains your nervous system to notice what’s happening before you react to it — and that is profound. Why It Matters Right Now The research on the benefits of mindfulness is robust. Studies show that regular mindfulness meditation can: Reduce stress and anxietyDecrease symptoms of depressionImprove emotional regulationIncrease focus and cognitive flexibilityLower physiological markers of stressEnhance a sense of calm and well-being⁴For people experiencing burnout or overwhelm — the very things many women are trying to manage with productivity, perfectionism, and performance — mindfulness offers a gateway to presence, and presence is the foundation of creative, sustainable, and integrated living. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness This episode breaks down the core areas mindfulness cultivates awareness: Mindfulness of the BodyMindfulness of Feeling ToneMindfulness of MindMindfulness of Mental Patterns And we use the breath — the most accessible anchor — to begin.A Short Guided Introduction Practice No long retreats. No complicated methodology. Just a practical guided breath meditation you can do right now. Resources & Science Mentioned ¹ World Health Organization — Burnout as an occupational phenomenon  ² APA Stress in America Survey  ³ Jon Kabat-Zinn — definition of mindfulness  ⁴ Multiple peer-reviewed studies showing the benefits of mindfulness practice Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    18 min
  6. FEB 19

    The Comparison Trap: What Social Media Is Really Costing You (And One Protocol That Actually Works)

    Scrolling through social media and feeling that familiar sinking feeling? That's not accidental—it's engineered. But the real cost of comparison goes way beyond just feeling bad for a few minutes. In this solo episode, Eimear reveals three hidden costs of the comparison trap and shares one research-backed protocol that actually works to break free from the cycle. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS [00:00] Introduction: The comparison trap and why it's engineered [02:30] Hidden Cost #1: The opportunity cost of your attention [06:30] Hidden Cost #2: The goal hijacking phenomenon [10:30] Hidden Cost #3: The confidence compound interest you're missing [14:30] Why willpower doesn't work (and what does) [16:30] The Values Clarity & Replacement Protocol - Step 1: The 10-Minute Values Compass [19:00] Step 2: Creating your "Instead Of" list [21:00] Step 3: Implementation intentions that actually work [24:00] Your 7-day challenge KEY TAKEAWAYS Every time you switch your attention to scroll, it takes 23 minutes to refocus on your original task fullyExposure to others' goals on social media actually changes your own goals without you realizing it—leading to "borrowed dreams"Comparison breaks the confidence compound interest cycle—you're gathering evidence of others' success instead of building your ownYou can't just stop comparing—you have to replace it with something that honors your actual valuesImplementation intentions (if-then planning) make you 2-3x more likely to follow through on behavior changeKEY THEMES Understanding the hidden costs of social comparison beyond moodThe neuroscience of attention and distractionValues-based decision making vs. comparison-based livingBuilding confidence through action rather than observationCreating sustainable behavior change through replacement, not restrictionRESOURCES MENTIONED Free and low-cost confidence-building resources: https://stan.store/eimearzoneResearch cited: Dr. Gloria Mark (UC Irvine) on attention residueDr. Albert Bandura's self-efficacy researchLeon Festinger's Social Comparison TheoryPeter Gollwitzer's implementation intention researchCal Newport's work on deep work and attentionKEY RESEARCH SOURCES Mark, G., et al. (2005). "No task left behind? Examining the nature of fragmented work"Festinger, L. (1954). "A theory of social comparison processes"Bandura, A. (1997). "Self-efficacy: The exercise of control"Vogel, E. A., et al. (2014). "Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem"Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). "Implementation intentions and goal achievement"Hunt, M. G., et al. (2018). "No more FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression"Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    33 min
  7. FEB 12

    Women Building the World Women Need With Vanessa Karel, Founder of Greether

    What happens when a woman experiences a problem firsthand — and decides not to tolerate it? In this powerful conversation, Eimear is joined by Vanessa Karel, founder of Greether, an award-winning, global travel platform built by women, for women — centered on safety, trust, connection, and economic empowerment. After being stranded alone during the pandemic and experiencing the vulnerability so many women know too well while traveling, Vanessa didn’t just adapt; she built a solution. Today, Greether connects female travelers with verified local women (“greeters”) in over 100 countries, creating safer, richer travel experiences and paid opportunities for women worldwide. This episode marks the first in a new guest interview series, spotlighting women founders who are actively solving for women — not waiting for permission, not asking to be included, but building what we actually need. In This Episode, We Explore: Why women’s safety and connection still aren’t centered in global travel — and how Greether changes thatWhat it means to solve a problem you’re living, not just theorizingHow Greether works (and why it’s more than a tour guide)Why connection matters just as much as safetyEmploying women globally through ethical, meaningful workThe discipline required to turn an idea into a real companyAsking for help, being a beginner, and choosing yourself before you feel “ready”Why building for women is sustainabilityThis is a conversation about courage, discipline, asking, starting scrappy, and refusing to shrink — even when the path isn’t clear. About Our Guest Vanessa Karel is a Latina entrepreneur, speaker, and the founder of Greether, a women-first travel platform connecting female travelers with trusted local women around the world. Greether has been: Named Best Travel Startup of the YearRecognized by the UN World Tourism Organization as one of the most empowering female-led travel companies globallyFeatured internationally for its impact on women’s economic empowerment and safetyVanessa is passionate about building technology that serves real human needs — and about creating income opportunities for women across cultures, ages, and backgrounds. Ready to experience Greether? Special discount for listeners of Girl, Choose Yourself! Enjoy $10 off with code Chooseyourself valid until December 31, 2026 🌍 Website: https://www.greether.com Connect with Vanessa & Greether  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greet.her 💼 LinkedIn (Vanessa): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessakarel 📧 Email: vanessa@greether.com 📧 General: info@greether.com Interested in becoming a Greeter or traveling with one? All bookings and applications are available via Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    43 min
  8. FEB 5

    The Light Returns: Brigid, Imbolc & the Season of Becoming

    January asks us to reinvent ourselves overnight. But our bodies, and the natural world, tell a different story. In this episode, Eimear invites you into the quieter turning point that arrives in early February, when the light begins to return, and something inside us starts to stir again. Through the Celtic festival of Imbolc and the story of Brigid — goddess, saint, healer, poet, and keeper of the flame — we explore how renewal actually happens: slowly, invisibly, and from the inside out. This conversation is also a reminder that women’s stories, like our own power, are often softened, rewritten, or overlooked — and yet they endure. And maybe parts of you are ready to return too. We also explore how cultures across the world mark this late-winter threshold, including Lunar New Year traditions, all pointing toward the same truth: life awakens quietly before it blooms. If you’ve felt pressure to have everything figured out already this year, this episode is an invitation to soften, listen, and reconnect with what’s ready to grow now. In this episode, we explore: Why January 1 rarely feels like a true beginningWhat the Celtic festival of Imbolc representsWho Brigid was before she became a saintWhy women’s stories often disappear — and how they returnThe connection between seasonal rhythms and personal renewalA simple ritual to mark this turning point in your own lifeA poetic blessing for stepping into what’s nextReflection for this week: What part of you is ready to come back into the light? Next episode: We begin a new season of conversations with extraordinary women who are shaping culture, business, creativity, and leadership in powerful ways — starting next week with our conversation with the founder of the travel app GreetHer, which is changing the way women travel and connect. If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who might need the reminder: the light is returning — and so are we. Share Your Thoughts CONNECT WITH EIMEAR  Free Resources and More: https://stan.store/eimearzone Explore Working With Eimear:  Book a Call: https://eimearzone.as.me/breakthrough 📱 Instagram: @eimearzonecoach  💻 Website: eimearzone.com 📧  Email: hello@eimearzone.com  Subscribe to Girl, Choose Yourself on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.  © 2025 Eimear Zone Coaching. All rights reserved.

    16 min

Trailer

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About

Girl, Choose Yourself!Hosted by Eimear Zone, author of The Little Book of Good Enough and the newly released Choose Yourself, Girl, Choose Yourself! is the podcast for women ready to reclaim their power, break free from the expectations that have held them back, and live life on their own terms. Each week, Eimear shares heartfelt conversations and gritty truths that challenge the stories we've been told by society, our families, and even ourselves. This podcast is all about reconnecting with the truth of who you truly are, embracing your powerful magnificence, and boldly creating a life that reflects your dreams, not your fears. If you're ready to choose yourself, show up fully, and live unapologetically, hit play and join the movement.

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