This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers

Sherry Ehrin and Jodi Chestnut
  • 5.0 (14)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT

This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers  aims to inspire and empower listeners to embrace the lives they have not matter how imperfect. It may be messy at times, but it is your life to live. If this really is it, how do we live in a way that actually matters, especially during difficult times?  We lead with a reminder that you are stronger than you think, you deserve to build a life that actually feels good to live, and that we need each other to thrive.  Hosted by Sherry Ehrin and Jodi Chestnut, we’re sharing honest conversations, helpful resources, and encouragement to keep going and growing because This is It!

  1. S2E4: Let's Talk About Fishburgh and the Kid Who Left Different

    3D AGO

    S2E4: Let's Talk About Fishburgh and the Kid Who Left Different

    A kid catches a fish and suddenly stands a little taller. That moment is why we wanted Phil Papa on the show. Phil is the founder of Fishburgh Outdoors, a Pittsburgh youth fishing program built to help families get outside, get off screens, and feel that rare mix of calm and lit up that happens near the water. What starts as a bluegill at a city pond becomes something bigger: confidence, patience, and a new story about who you can be.  We get into the practical side of urban fishing for beginners, including why “catching” matters more than “waiting,” how small hooks and simple bait set kids up for success, and how Phil’s bamboo catching sticks solve the two things that ruin most first trips: tangles and boredom. Phil also shares the unforgettable “crappie kid” story, where one shy child lands a rare fish and leaves different than he arrived, then comes back ready to teach the next kid.  We also zoom out to Pittsburgh’s waterways and conservation. Phil pushes back on the myth that the rivers are hopeless, talks about proper fish handling and catch and release, and explains why anglers are often the ones funding clean water through the Dingell-Johnson Act and fishing license dollars. Then we tackle the messy part: litter, public trust, and how stewardship gets passed forward one garbage bag at a time. If you feel pulled to help, Fishburgh needs people behind the scenes as much as it needs anglers.  If this conversation hits home, subscribe so you do not miss what’s next, share it with someone who needs a healthy hobby, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show. What is the thing you reach for when life gets heavy? Connect with Phillip Papa & Fishburgh Outdoors Fishburgh hosts free fishing events the last Saturday of every month. No experience needed. →  Website & Event Sign-Up: fishburgh.com →  Follow on Social Media: @FishburghOutdoors Check Fishburgh's social media for the latest events, locations, and everything happening on the water in Pittsburgh. The Conservation Connection In this episode Phil mentioned that part of every fishing equipment sale goes directly to conservation — he knew it was real but couldn't place the name. We found it. •  The Dingell-Johnson Act (1950) — also known as the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act — collects excise taxes on fishing equipment and funnels 100% of those funds into fisheries conservation and restoration. It has been running for 75 years. •  On top of that, 100% of every fishing license sold in this country goes to conservation. By law. Not some of it — all of it. Every cast is a contribution. →  Learn More — Dingell-Johnson Act: https://www.fws.gov/service/sport-fish-restoration Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    39 min

  2. MAY 10

    S2E3: Taking the Wheel: Agency in Hard Times 'N at

    We talk about agency as the small, real choices we can still make when life is unfair, overwhelming, or full of grief. We connect self-awareness to action, name the nervous system “freeze” response, and share practical ways to find one next step without shaming yourself.   • defining agency as influence inside what you cannot change   • why awareness without action turns into shutdown   • Jodi’s story of leaving an unhealthy marriage over time   • what personal responsibility sounds like without blame   • Sherry’s health crash and the grief underneath “staying busy”   • rebuilding with deliberate, small moments of joy   • reframing coping as joy versus avoidance  • understanding fight, flight, and freeze in crisis moments   • sorting “what’s mine” versus “what isn’t”   • choosing one next small move instead of a full plan   • acknowledging real constraints like money and power dynamics   • owning harm you caused with a clean apology and repair   Crisis Support 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, available 24/7National Domestic Violence Hotline — call or text 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), available 24/7 — safety planning, local resources, online chat available if calling isn't safeIf You're Still in It and Not Sure How to Start NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) — nami.org — family support resourcesAl-Anon Family Groups — al-anon.org — for those loving someone through addictionIf You're Ready to Take the First Steps HEARTH Pittsburgh — hearthpgh.org — transitional housing for moms and children rebuilding after homelessness and trauma, with wraparound services including workforce development, childcare, financial stability support, and therapy211 — call or text 211 — connects you to local housing, childcare, food, and financial assistancePA Legal Aid Network — palegalaid.net — free legal help for low-income Pennsylvanians navigating divorce and custody  Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    38 min

  3. APR 26

    S2E2: Ya Can't Change What Ya Can't See - Self-Awareness

    You can’t fix what you refuse to notice and most of us are moving too fast to see ourselves clearly. Season two starts with a small, powerful skill that changes how we handle stress, conflict, and burnout: self-awareness. We’re not here to spiral with the headlines or pretend everything is fine. We’re here to get grounded, put our own oxygen masks on first, and take the next right step with more clarity. We talk about what life chaos does to real people: freezing, snapping, people pleasing, numbing out, blaming, or going silent and white-knuckling it alone. Jodi shares what it feels like to realize she’s spent a lifetime making choices for everyone else, and why the first chance to ask “What do I want?” can be strangely painful. Sherry opens up about the wake-up call that came when the wheels fell off, and how self-sabotage can hide inside “healthy” routines until we finally zoom out. We also break down the two sides of self-awareness: the internal lens (what I feel) and the external lens (how I impact others). That second lens matters in relationships and it matters with kids, who absorb our tone, our energy, and our reactions even when we think they don’t notice. Then we bring it into everyday life, from clenched jaws and tight fists to doomscrolling and rage bait, and we leave you with a simple practice: notice, don’t fix. If you want more emotional regulation, healthier boundaries, and steadier decisions, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s feeling stretched thin, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    28 min
  4. S2E1 Here We Go — Season 2

    APR 12

    S2E1 Here We Go — Season 2

    Three words can change how you survive the hardest seasons of your life: This is it. Sherry opens season two by sharing the message her dad wrote to their family while facing glioblastoma, and how those words kept her steady through compounding grief, sudden medical events, and the long, brutal reality of loving someone through addiction and serious mental health challenges. We don’t sanitize any of it, because real resilience starts with telling the truth.  Jodi brings her own story of loss, nonstop life changes, and the quiet ways friendships can become a lifeline when everything feels out of control. Together, we explain what the “Thriving Yinzer” identity means to us, shaped by Pittsburgh grit but open to anyone who wants to keep showing up.  This isn’t toxic positivity or bouncing back like nothing happened. It’s learning to carry what you’ve lived through and still build a life that feels good to live, even while the hard things keep happening. We sit with the layered truth that happiness can coexist with heartache, and we talk about meaning, purpose, boundaries, wellness, grief, and why asking for help is brave.We also kick off the first theme of the season: self-awareness.  If you’re running on autopilot with the mental list already spinning, we offer a simple practice you can do in ten minutes or even ten seconds. Notice one small moment. That’s the start. We share #4WINS4YINZ as a way to track small wins and keep moving forward, one grounded choice at a time.  If this conversation helps, subscribe so you don’t miss the next theme, share it with someone who's looking for steady ground, and leave a review so more people can find the show. SIGN UP for the TY Community at https://www.thrivingyinzers.com/podcast Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    12 min
  5. "This Is It! Surviving and Thriving: Season One Concludes

    FEB 3

    "This Is It! Surviving and Thriving: Season One Concludes

    We close season one by tracing how small order, honest support, and micro habits help us move from survival toward steadier ground without chasing perfection. The theme is simple and stubborn: accept where you are, build tiny anchors, and keep paying it forward. • defining thriving as mindset, not destination • order over chaos through tiny tools and routines • taking a beat to exit survival mode • shifting from all-or-nothing to micro habits • acknowledging real survival needs and inequity • asking for and offering help without judgment • choosing acceptance, gratitude, and non-comparison • depth over algorithms and sustainable growth • season two focus on steadier foundations  Check out thrivingyinzers.com/store for new merch! Podcast listeners receive a special offer of 20% off of three months of our 4WYNS home reset and laundry services at thrivingyinzers.com. Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    19 min
  6. S1E7: A Sister's Tribute- Humanity in Broken Hearts and Broken Systems

    12/27/2025

    S1E7: A Sister's Tribute- Humanity in Broken Hearts and Broken Systems

    The hardest stories to tell are the ones that matter most. We open our hearts to share a sister’s life, loss, and grief—while confronting the painful truth that love alone can’t solve a complex crisis. What starts as a personal remembrance becomes a wider discussion on addiction, trauma, mental illness, and the limits families run into when care systems fall short. We talk about her early path into substance use, the many attempts at treatment, and the community that showed up to honor her when she passed. Along the way, we reclaim the parts of her that deserve to lead the story: the laugh that lit a room, the fierce love, the playful spirit. We also name what too often goes unsaid—that boundaries can be love, especially when children need safety, and that caregivers carry invisible scars while doing their best in impossible circumstances. From there we wish to widen the lens with a plea for long-term, trauma-informed treatment, how co-occurring mental health conditions complicate recovery, and why stigma keeps pushing people to the margins. Our ask is simple and urgent: see the person, not the label; see the daughter, not the diagnosis. If you’re standing with someone in the thick of it, you’re not invisible. If you’re grieving, you’re not broken. And if you’re struggling right now, your life still matters—today still counts. If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who longs to feel seen. Subscribe for more honest stories, leave a review to help others find the show, and tell us: what does compassion look like where you are? If you or someone you love needs support: CRISIS HELP 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or Text 988 Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741 ADDICTION & MENTAL HEALTH SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357 Find Treatment — https://findtreatment.gov NAMI — https://www.nami.org Al-Anon — https://al-anon.org Nar-Anon — https://nar-anon.org HOMELESSNESS Dial 211 National Coalition for the Homeless — https://nationalhomeless.org CHILD & TRAUMA SUPPORT National Child Traumatic Stress Network — https://www.nctsn.org RAINN — 800-656-HOPE or https://rainn.org Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    9 min
  7. Empowered Relief: Finding Hope in Chronic Pain (Guest: Dr. Leah Flaherty)

    11/15/2025 ·  BONUS

    Empowered Relief: Finding Hope in Chronic Pain (Guest: Dr. Leah Flaherty)

    A life narrowed by chronic pain can make even simple pleasures feel like a threat. We sit down with Dr. Leah Flaherty, a pain psychologist at Allegheny Health Network and certified Empowered Relief instructor, to explore a FREE and practical, two-hour path that helps you change how your brain responds to pain—without pretending it will vanish. Grounded in pain neuroscience education and cognitive behavioral therapy, Empowered Relief gives clear, usable tools that calm the nervous system and interrupt the brain’s habitual pain loops and is accessible to anyone, regardless of insurance or location. We unpack why pain is both sensory and emotional, how stress chemistry keeps the alarm stuck on, and why it’s scientifically valid to say pain can exist even without new tissue damage. Dr. Flaherty explains the guided audio with binaural beats that helps many people relax faster, fall asleep more easily, and de-escalate spikes in real time. We talk through expectation management, the role of daily practice, and the power of reframing catastrophic thoughts into compassionate, realistic self-talk. Small wins count—like getting the kids from the bus stop or finishing one chore—and those wins build agency. You’ll also hear a candid personal story of trigeminal neuralgia, navigating stigma and “it’s all in your head” comments, and finding hope after medical dead ends. If you’ve felt defeated, skeptical, or unsure where to turn next, this is a science-based, accessible option that takes only two hours and costs nothing. Search “AHN Events Empowered Relief” to register and check out AHN’s “Brain Over Pain” videos on YouTube. If this episode resonates, follow the show, share it with someone, and leave a review to help others find these tools. Your story might be the spark someone else needs to try again. Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    33 min

  8. 10/21/2025

    S1E6: Life’s a Mess N’at? Redding Up Chaos with Simple Routines That Work

    Life is messy — between burnout, stress, clutter, and emotional overload, most of us are just trying to hold it together. But you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. In this episode of This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers, we’re redding up the chaos — starting with what’s actually in our control: our daily habits, routines, and physical environment. We break down why chaos overwhelms your brain, how it hijacks executive function, and why it keeps you stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Then, we’re giving you practical tools to restore order — even if life feels like a mess n’at. In this episode: Why your brain craves orderThe connection between clutter and overwhelmExecutive function explained Survival mode vs. intentional livingSimple routines that reduce stress fastThe Pomodoro Technique + small system winsHow to start redding up anything (mind, home, or schedule)This episode is real and full of tools to take back control — one small step at a time.  🎧 Press play.  Let us know how we are doing. Support the show Visit👉 thrivingyinzers.com for resources to help you keep going and growing.  Tackle your to-do list and organize your space with TY Services. Shop our TY Toolkit for practical tools, books, and organizing essentials to help you manage life with more ease and intention.Books referenced on the podcast are available in the TY Toolkit, but here are our top 3 picks. 👉 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (paid link) 👉Atomic Habits by James Clear (paid link) 👉Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (paid link) Help Us By: 1. Share the podcast with your friends and family 2. Rate and Review! 3. Shop our TY Toolkit at thrivingyinzers.com or through Amazon Associates links listed above for books & resources mentioned on the podcast to keep you inspired. We receive a small commission for your purchase which helps support the podcast.  4. Sign up for email updates and special offers at thrivingyinzers.com/podcast. This podcast is a production of Thriving Yinzers LLC. Follow “This is It! The Podcast by Thriving Yinzers” on Facebook F...

    24 min
See All (24)

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers  aims to inspire and empower listeners to embrace the lives they have not matter how imperfect. It may be messy at times, but it is your life to live. If this really is it, how do we live in a way that actually matters, especially during difficult times?  We lead with a reminder that you are stronger than you think, you deserve to build a life that actually feels good to live, and that we need each other to thrive.  Hosted by Sherry Ehrin and Jodi Chestnut, we’re sharing honest conversations, helpful resources, and encouragement to keep going and growing because This is It!

Information

  • Creator
    Sherry Ehrin and Jodi Chestnut
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers
  • Show Website
    This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers

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