Chasing Brighter Podcast: Choosing Real Over Perfect

Jessica Colarco and Kelly Fox
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

**2024 PODCAST OF THE YEAR WINNER: BEST FEMALE HOSTED PODCAST** Welcome to the Chasing Brighter podcast;  created as a guide to living brighter, more connected and real. Because real is the new perfect.  Are you ready to embrace the next chapter of your life with confidence and excitement? Whether you’re looking to reinvent your career, improve your health, deepen your relationships, or find your true purpose, Chasing Brighter is here to help. Join us each week as we bring you inspiring stories, expert interviews, and actionable tips to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of midlife. From wellness and personal growth to connection and beyond, we’ve got you covered.

  1. 2d ago

    The Lie of "I'm Not Ready Yet"

    In this episode, they unpack why "I'm not ready yet" sounds responsible but is usually just fear in disguise, why readiness is a decision instead of a feeling, and how the question "Am I ready?" is a lot less useful than "Am I willing?" Jessica shares how she's built almost everything in her life — from her private practice to both podcasts — by starting before she felt ready, and Kelly gets honest about the goals she's been quietly putting off. What We Cover The difference between fear and being unready — and why we so often confuse the two Why perfectionism convinces us that "exactly right" and "not at all" are the only two options The idea that starters, even imperfect ones, tend to outpace people who wait to feel ready Why "I'm not ready" can be less about capability and more about belonging or perfectionism Reframing the question from "Am I ready?" to "Am I willing?" The myth of the perfect starting point, and why the conditions we're waiting for rarely arrive on their own Brighter Moves Kelly's move: Write down one thing you've been saying "not yet" to. You don't need to fix it or plan it — just name it. Jessica's move: Ask yourself, "What would I do this week if I knew being scared was allowed?" Not comfortable, not certain — just allowed. Free Download of the Month: Just One Thing This month's freebie is the Just One Thing starter worksheet — a simple, no-pressure tool to help you name one thing you've been putting off and take one real step toward it.   📥 [Grab your free download here] Connect With Us 🌐 Website: chasingbrighter.com 📸 Instagram: @chasingbrighter 🎵 TikTok: @chasingbrighter 👍 Facebook: @chasingbrighter ▶️ YouTube: @chasingbrighter 📩 Newsletter signup Coming Up Next Week Why do we keep adding credentials, experience, and proof before we let ourselves begin? Why does no amount of qualifying ever feel like enough — and who set that bar in the first place? Join us next week as we dig in. becoming not arriving, season 6, starting before you're ready, fear vs readiness, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, self-sabotage, women and perfectionism, personal growth, starting a business, overthinking, procrastination, willingness vs readiness, Just One Thing worksheet, Chasing Brighter podcast

  2. 5d ago

    The Messy Middle: Chasing Brighter Season 6 Trailer

    Last season, we dug into the gap between who women think they're supposed to be and who they actually are — the expectations, the perfectionism, the invisible rules about what a "good life" looks like. But figuring out who you are was never the finish line. Season 6 picks up where that left off: the messy middle. What happens when you know who you are and have to actually start living that way? This season, Jessica and Kelly explore starting before you feel ready, letting friendships change without needing a villain, saying no without over-explaining yourself, and changing even when the people around you liked the old version of you better. Because maybe the goal was never arriving. Maybe it's becoming — and that's a life that's actually yours. Season 6 of Chasing Brighter premieres September 3rd. Come become with us. 🌐 Website: chasingbrighter.com 📷 Instagram: @chasingbrighter ▶️ YouTube: @chasingbrighter 📘 Facebook: @chasingbrighter 🎵 TikTok: @chasingbrighter   becoming not arriving, chasing brighter season 6, messy middle, personal growth podcast, perfectionism, boundaries, identity, self-discovery, women's empowerment podcast, letting go of perfectionism, changing relationships, comparison, starting before you're ready, real over perfect, growth and rest

  3. Aug 27

    What are you waiting to feel ready for?

    So many of us are waiting for the moment we finally "arrive." When we lose the weight. When the kids need us less. When work calms down. When we're more organized, more confident, more together... then we'll be happy. Then we'll rest. But what if there isn't an arrival point? In this trailer, Jessica and Kelly open up Season 6 with a question that changes everything: what if this is it? Not in a depressing way, but in a freeing one. Maybe your life isn't something you have to perfect before you're allowed to enjoy it. Maybe you can be proud of who you are and still want to grow. Maybe rest doesn't have to be earned, and starting something before you feel ready is allowed too. This season isn't about becoming the perfect version of yourself. It's about becoming more you. Season 6 of Chasing Brighter, Becoming Not Arriving, begins September 3rd. In This Episode: Why the idea of "arrival" keeps so many of us stuck Letting go of the myth that you have to be finished before you can be happy Growth that's real, rest that's earned, and a life that's actually yours What to expect from Season 6 Season 6 begins September 3rd. Subscribe now so you don't miss it. Find us: Website: chasingbrighter.com Instagram/TikTok: @chasingbrighter Keywords: chasing brighter, becoming not arriving, season 6, personal growth, self acceptance, letting go of perfectionism, rest without guilt, women's podcast, sisters podcast, real over perfect, growth mindset, self worth, starting before you're ready, permission to rest, life transitions

  4. Season 6 Trailer

    Season 6: Becoming, Not Arriving

    So many of us are waiting for the moment we finally "arrive." When we lose the weight. When the kids need us less. When work calms down. When we're more organized, more confident, more together... then we'll be happy. Then we'll rest. But what if there isn't an arrival point? In this trailer, Jessica and Kelly open up Season 6 with a question that changes everything: what if this is it? Not in a depressing way, but in a freeing one. Maybe your life isn't something you have to perfect before you're allowed to enjoy it. Maybe you can be proud of who you are and still want to grow. Maybe rest doesn't have to be earned, and starting something before you feel ready is allowed too. This season isn't about becoming the perfect version of yourself. It's about becoming more you. Season 6 of Chasing Brighter, Becoming Not Arriving, begins September 3rd. In This Episode: Why the idea of "arrival" keeps so many of us stuck Letting go of the myth that you have to be finished before you can be happy Growth that's real, rest that's earned, and a life that's actually yours What to expect from Season 6 Season 6 begins September 3rd. Subscribe now so you don't miss it. Find us: Website: chasingbrighter.com Instagram/TikTok: @chasingbrighter Keywords: chasing brighter, becoming not arriving, season 6, personal growth, self acceptance, letting go of perfectionism, rest without guilt, women's podcast, sisters podcast, real over perfect, growth mindset, self worth, starting before you're ready, permission to rest, life transitions

  5. Aug 3

    RE-RELEASE: Real Systems for Real Life

    Ever bought a beautiful color-coded planner and abandoned it in 10 days? Jessica and Kelly get real about why aspirational, Instagram-perfect systems fail — and what actually works instead. This episode is about meeting yourself where you're at: building systems that are low-friction, flexible, forgiving, and repeatable, especially on hard days. Because social media isn't perfection, it's performance — and real systems need to expect a human, not a highlight reel. What We Cover Why perfect systems fail — Instagram and Pinterest systems assume consistency, predictable schedules, and stable moods, while real life includes hormones, travel, burnout, grief, and aging parents. If a system collapses under stress, it was never actually supportive. What real systems look like — low friction, flexible, forgiving, sustainable, and repeatable, not aspirational Trading elaborate for repeatable, with real-life examples: A 10-minute anchor habit (coffee, stretching, reviewing the day) instead of a 90-minute morning routine Three default dinners on rotation instead of an elaborate weekly meal plan A 15-minute nightly "closing shift" where everyone tidies a few things instead of a full nightly reset Two inbox folders — Action and Archive — instead of inbox perfection Three priorities a day (sticky note optional) instead of a complicated goal-tracking system The smallest-version question — asking "what's the smallest version of this that would still move things forward?" to get unstuck on things like replying to an email or text Habit stacking — attaching new habits to something you already do daily (like making coffee), rather than building something from scratch Real examples from Jessica and Kelly's own homes, including: A baby-step lunch habit (grabbing simple protein like turkey pepperonis or trail mix) instead of full meal prep Planning just three meals a week and shopping just-in-time instead of stocking up in advance A shoes-at-the-door system and laying out clothes the night before A weekly family scheduling check-in (including grandparents) to coordinate who's taking whom where The energy system check — asking "what kind of energy do I have today?" and adapting instead of punishing yourself for being human Free Resource The Organizational Style Quiz helps you figure out whether you're a visual organizer, a minimalist, a flexible stacker, or someone who needs more structure. Free when you sign up for the Thrive Guide newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter. Connect With Us 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter | 📷 @chasingbrighter (Instagram) simple systems, organizing your life, real over perfect, low friction systems, sustainable habits, anchor habit, habit stacking, meal planning, default dinners, closing shift routine, inbox management, daily priorities, smallest version strategy, energy check, organizational style quiz, visual organizer, minimalist organizer, flexible stacker, family scheduling, just-in-time grocery shopping, Chasing Brighter podcast

  6. Jul 27

    RE-RELEASE: The Exhaustion That Sleep Can't Fix

    Kicking off their Energy and Overwhelm month, Jessica and Kelly get honest about a kind of tired that sleep cannot touch — the exhaustion that lives underneath an otherwise good, full life. Jessica opens up about six years of intentional self-work — therapy, fitness, nutrition, a 40-pound weight loss journey — and how even with all of that in place, there are still days when something feels off in a way that isn't physical. This episode names that feeling, explores why it's so hard to pinpoint, and offers real, doable ways to start responding to it. What We Cover The tired that sleep can't touch — why doing "all the right things" for physical energy doesn't always reach the deeper layer of depletion The snap-guilt-deplete loop — how low-grade irritability, guilt about being short with the people you love, and further depletion feed each other, and why this is a feedback loop, not a character flaw Why this kind of exhaustion is hard to name — there's rarely one single cause; it's an accumulation of small, individually reasonable asks that add up You can love your life and still be depleted by it — a life that looks full and balanced from the outside can still be exhausting to live Naming it as the first step — saying the exhaustion out loud, treating it as data instead of evidence that something is wrong with you What actually helps in the moment, including: Journaling (paper, phone notes, or voice memos) to help name what's actually going on Canceling plans without guilt-spiraling, and recognizing that honoring your own capacity doesn't cost you relationships Opting out — ordering in, taking something off the plate, choosing rest over obligation Asking for help, even when it feels hard Noticing the difference between numbing (scrolling, binge-watching) and actually replenishing Asking "what would make me feel 5–10% better right now?" Taking a mental inventory — identifying what's taking up space in your head that doesn't need to be there This week's brighter move: Sit with one question — where is my energy going? Not to fix it, just to notice it. Free Resource "Are You Living Your Values or Someone Else's?" — a free values clarity guide with five honest questions and five tips for living more aligned. Takes about five minutes. Available free when you subscribe to the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter. Coming Up Next week: Why capable, high-functioning women keep hitting invisible walls — and why trying harder is the wrong answer. A conversation about capacity that reframes everything. Connect With Us 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter | 📷 @chasingbrighter (Instagram) exhaustion, tired sleep can't fix, energy and overwhelm, emotional depletion, feedback loop, guilt spiral, mental load, emotional labor, naming your feelings, journaling, canceling plans without guilt, asking for help, numbing behaviors, replenishing vs numbing, mental inventory, capacity, values clarity guide, living your values, boundaries, real over perfect, Chasing Brighter podcast, high-functioning women burnout

  7. Jul 20

    RE-RELEASE: Energy First: The Smarter Way to Organize Your Life

    Social media makes organizing look like color-coded bins and perfectly labeled pantries, but Jessica and Kelly get honest about why a one-size-fits-all system rarely works. In this re-released episode, they dig into what it looks like to build your life around your actual energy instead of a list of "shoulds." Expectation-based living — I should wake up early, I should handle more, I should be better by now — builds a life around what looks impressive instead of what's sustainable, and burnout isn't a surprise when that's the foundation. Jessica and Kelly share their own week-long energy tracking experiment and what they learned about themselves. What We Cover Expectation-based living vs. energy-based living — why building a life around "shoulds" makes burnout inevitable, not surprising The four types of energy — physical, emotional, social, and creative — and why they don't all peak at the same time of day A reframe for exhaustion — instead of asking "why am I so tired," ask "what kind of energy is running low right now?" When to loop in a doctor — a pattern of hitting a wall at the same time every day can be worth mentioning at a checkup; things like vitamin D deficiency or hormonal shifts can mimic low energy or even depression The 5-day energy experiment — rating physical, emotional, social, and creative energy 1–10 three times a day to notice your own patterns without judgment Matching tasks to energy levels — using high-energy windows for high-energy tasks instead of "wasting" them on low-energy chores like scrolling or grocery ordering Physical energy isn't always about movement — sometimes it's restorative: a hot bath, a hot tub, a massage, stretching Emotional energy and internal family systems — noticing which "protector" part tends to take over under stress Social energy as an intentional choice — the difference between constant, unavoidable social interaction and choosing a weekly, meaningful connection Creative energy — how it shows up in unexpected places, from meal planning to problem-solving to imagining The self-talk shift — instead of "I suck at planning," try "I need a system that matches my wiring and energy levels" Coming Up This month's free resource: An Organizational Style Quiz to help you find a system that matches your personality instead of forcing a Pinterest-perfect one. Available free with newsletter sign-up at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter. Next week: Simple systems that support real life, not Instagram life — because if a system only works when you're motivated, it's not a real system. Connect With Us 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter | 📷 @chasingbrighter (Instagram) organizing your life, energy-based living, expectation-based living, burnout, physical energy, emotional energy, social energy, creative energy, energy awareness, energy tracking, energy audit, depleting vs energizing, self-talk, internal family systems, protector parts, organizational style quiz, sustainable systems, real over perfect, Chasing Brighter podcast, women's fatigue, hormonal energy shifts, vitamin D deficiency, matching tasks to energy

  8. Jul 13

    RE-RELEASE: Reset Your Nervous System (Without Reinventing Your Life)

    February is all about resetting, resting, and reconnecting — and Jessica and Kelly start with the foundation of it all: the nervous system. If you've been feeling irritable, exhausted, numb, or like you're running on fumes, it's probably not a motivation problem, it's a regulation problem. This episode reframes the conversation from fixing yourself (which brings shame) to regulating yourself (which brings compassion), and offers a full menu of simple, accessible nervous system resets you can use anywhere — no cold plunge or life overhaul required. What We Cover Regulation, not fixing — why "my nervous system needs support" is a more compassionate (and more accurate) frame than "I need to fix myself" The seasonal mismatch — how winter naturally asks us to slow down, and why expecting spring-level productivity from a winter body creates unnecessary shame Signs your nervous system needs a reset — irritability, feeling emotionally flat or checked out, being exhausted yet wired, and everything feeling like "too much" The nervous system reset menu, broken into four categories: Breath: the physiological sigh, hand-on-chest breathing, and an audible exhale (sigh or hum) Body: wall leaning, the shoulder drop reset, and temperature resets (warm mug, cold water) Environment: shifting overhead lighting to lamps or natural light, taking an outside pause, and using a visual anchor (naming three neutral or pleasant things you see) Mental/emotional: name it to tame it, using a permission phrase ("nothing needs to be solved in this moment"), and a one-question check-in ("what would help me feel 5% better right now?") Emergency-level resets for high-stress days — sitting or lying down and doing nothing for 90 seconds, slowly drinking a full glass of water, and closing your eyes to feel your breath without changing it A daily reconnection question — "What does my nervous system need right now?" instead of "What should I do?" Today's permission slip — I don't have to be at my best to begin again Coming Up Next week: Kelly and Jessica talk about rest without guilt — because you don't have to earn your humanity. Connect With Us 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter | 📷 @chasingbrighter (Instagram) nervous system reset, nervous system regulation, dysregulation, winter body spring productivity, self-love reset, seven day brighter challenge, micro resets, physiological sigh, hand on chest breathing, vagus nerve, wall leaning, shoulder drop reset, temperature reset, grounding techniques, environmental reset, visual anchor, name it to tame it, permission phrase, emotional regulation, high stress day reset, rest without guilt, self-compassion, real over perfect, Chasing Brighter podcast

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**2024 PODCAST OF THE YEAR WINNER: BEST FEMALE HOSTED PODCAST** Welcome to the Chasing Brighter podcast;  created as a guide to living brighter, more connected and real. Because real is the new perfect.  Are you ready to embrace the next chapter of your life with confidence and excitement? Whether you’re looking to reinvent your career, improve your health, deepen your relationships, or find your true purpose, Chasing Brighter is here to help. Join us each week as we bring you inspiring stories, expert interviews, and actionable tips to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of midlife. From wellness and personal growth to connection and beyond, we’ve got you covered.

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