The Everyday Awesome Project

Polly Mertens & Samantha Pruitt
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Everyday Awesome Podcast is your mega dose of multivitamins for building your mental muscles, physical body and an empowered life. Your hosts Polly and Sam are on your dream team; lifelong coaches in business, health & fitness and human potential. They are on fire to ignite change in the lives they touch. Subscribe now to your weekly jam session where we walk you through actionable tools, game changing insights and inspiring stories to light the path towards YOUR awesome life.   The Everyday Awesome Project is a movement. We invite you to join our mission to connect and inspire humans to live their full potential and reconnect to themselves and others. Through our coaching programs, live experiences and weekly podcast we explore what is possible for everyday humans.  Their motto is  "Every day is a new opportunity to find your AWESOME!"

  1. 1d ago

    142 : Codependency: Breaking the Pattern of Overgiving in Relationships

    If you’ve ever felt anxious when someone you love is struggling, then caught yourself trying to fix it fast, this conversation lands with a thud. We’re naming the pattern behind the “I’m just being helpful” reflex: codependency, a learned set of survival behaviors where our self-worth and emotional state get tied to someone else’s approval, needs, or crisis. And we connect it to attachment style and the nervous system, because you can’t always think your way out of something your body still reads as danger. We start with clear definitions of attachment and codependency, then move into what codependent patterns look like in real life: people pleasing, overgiving, overfunctioning at work, rescuing in leadership, and the parenting version of emotional bubble wrap. We also talk about why resentment is such a reliable signal and how “forgiveness” can sometimes be fear-based tolerating, not love-based relating. Along the way, we use Internal Family Systems ideas to explain why a protective part can keep running the show even when you’re self-aware. To help you shift, we offer tools you can use immediately: noticing the grip in your body, practicing a pause before you advise or rescue, changing your language from “helping” to “offering,” and having conversations that create new agreements in your relationships. If you want healthier boundaries, secure attachment, and relationships that feel lighter without going cold, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who over-carries, and leave us a review. What’s one place you’re ready to stop managing and start relating? Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  2. Sep 3

    141 : 4 Things Keeping You Stuck: Avoiding Decisions and Hidden Payoffs

    Stuck can look like a weight-loss plateau, a job you keep complaining about, a relationship you keep “thinking about,” or a health pattern you keep normalizing. We get real about what’s actually happening underneath that frozen feeling and why it so often comes down to one thing: a decision that wants to be made, paired with a nervous system that doesn’t feel safe making it. We break the problem into four practical buckets we see constantly in coaching: your emotional state and the story driving it, your nervous system capacity, the hidden payoff you’re not admitting, and the environment that keeps cueing the same identity on repeat. Along the way, we share vivid examples, including how changing your setting can unlock new thoughts, why trying to fix everything at once collapses your capacity, and how “payoffs” like certainty, safety, and belonging can quietly run the show even when you swear you want change. Then we move into how to get unstuck across three planes: physical, mental, and spiritual. We talk about using movement and breath to shift state fast, asking better questions to reopen possibility, and surrendering the outcome to something bigger than your fear-based mind. If you’ve been circling the same intersection for months or years, this is your nudge to stop looping and start choosing. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s been stuck, and leave a review so more people can find the work. What’s one area where you’re ready to choose differently? Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  3. Aug 27

    140: My Post John Muir Trail Debrief; Leaving My Identity in the Wilderness

    Twenty days alone in the Sierra Nevada changes the math on what you think you need. Sam Pruitt returns fresh off a solo John Muir Trail thru-hike: 250+ miles, roughly 70,000 feet of elevation gain, two off-trail resupplies, and a 35 lb pack she carried without sharing a single piece of gear. We talk through the real logistics of wilderness backpacking: permits, water sources, navigation with FarOut and a paper map, high altitude from day one, and the river crossings that can turn from “just water” into a serious safety decision when you’re by yourself. But the most compelling part is what happens inside the silence. Sam went out there to honor her brother Mark, carrying and spreading some of his ashes, and she lets us into the grief process that rose up, moved through, and eventually loosened its grip. With no podcasts, no constant inputs, and very little social interaction, she describes a kind of detox from modern identity: fewer roles, fewer labels, fewer decisions, and more access to an internal compass that feels steady and true. We also get practical about gear and morale, because comfort matters when your “job” is hiking, setting up camp, filtering water, eating, and recovering every day. From camp routines to nutrition, sleep challenges, and the tiny luxuries that kept her grounded, this conversation is equal parts adventure story and mindset training. If solitude scares you, we share a way in: micro-dose silence now, then build toward your own version of a pilgrimage. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review if the message lands. What would your RX nature look like? Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  4. Aug 20

    139 : The Microbiome Is Crazy Cool | Why You Need to Pay Attention for Mind Body Spirit

    I’m heading into the wilderness for a 20-day solo hike across the Sierra Nevada on the John Muir Trail, and before I disappear into miles of granite and sky, I want to share what’s been getting loud inside me: integration. Not the buzzword version, but the real work of becoming a cohesive, functioning whole when your mind has opinions, your body has needs, and your spirit keeps asking bigger questions. We start by defining personal integration in plain language, then get practical about why it matters for mental health, motivation, and joy. When your inner parts work together, life feels like flow. When they fight, you get the familiar mix of overthinking, emotional pain, and that sense that the world is steering your fate. I break the “whole human” down into three elemental pieces: the mental mind with its stories and logic, the physical body with its messy miracle of systems, and the spiritual or soul layer that reaches for meaning and purpose. To make it memorable, I use a puzzle metaphor: border pieces for the mind, the complicated center for the body, and the earth-and-sky background for spirit. Then I share a simple set of steps toward alignment: wake up, build awareness, hold space, remove obstacles, and practice compassion and self-acceptance over the long haul. If you’re craving less suffering and more steadiness, press play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review. What’s one part of you that needs to be heard right now? Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  5. Aug 13

    138 : Microbiome 102 | Game Changing Gut Essentials for A Better Body & Energy

    Your gut can be the quiet reason you feel energized and steady or inflamed, foggy, and stuck in cravings. Today Sam Pruitt goes solo to finish Gut Microbiome 102, pulling key insights from Cynthia Thurlow’s work on the menopause gut and adding real-world guidance you can use whether you are in perimenopause, menopause, or simply trying to feel better in your body. We walk through what a “healthy microbiome” actually means and why diversity is the priority, then get practical about nutrition. You will hear clear targets for protein intake to support hormones, neurotransmitters, lean muscle, and blood sugar stability, plus a grounded look at fats that help and oils that can sabotage gut health. We also unpack carbohydrates without fear, separating whole-food complex carbs from processed simple carbs so you can make choices based on your goals and your body’s tolerance. From there we get into the gut microbiome essentials that change the game: fiber (including the 30 plant varieties per week goal), probiotics from fermented foods, and prebiotics that feed beneficial bacteria and lead to short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. We also talk signaling molecules and polyphenols, hydration, foods to avoid (think processed sugar, seed oils, alcohol, and unnecessary antibiotic exposure), and the lifestyle multipliers that matter just as much: meal timing for digestive rest, exercise for motility and diversity, deep sleep for hormone regulation, and stress reduction to keep cortisol from driving inflammation. If you want a simple, science-informed gut health roadmap that connects food, metabolism, and hormones, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  6. Aug 6

    137 : Microbiome 101| Fascinating Findings Re Your Gut Shapes Hormones & Health

    Your gut is not just where food goes. It is where your immune system trains, where inflammation gets decided, and where your brain’s chemistry gets a huge vote. Coach Sam goes solo and shares the gut microbiome science that has her genuinely fired up, sparked by Cynthia Thurlow’s work on menopause and gut health. We walk through what the microbiome actually is, why microbial diversity matters, and how the gut lining can become vulnerable to permeability (often called leaky gut). From there, we connect the dots between short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, immune regulation, and metabolic health, including insulin resistance and GLP-1 signaling. If you have ever felt stuck with fatigue, brain fog, bloating, food sensitivities, skin flare-ups, frequent infections, or weight loss resistance, this conversation will help you see the gut as a likely root cause rather than a random collection of symptoms. Then we zoom out to the gut brain axis: serotonin production in the gut, plus how GABA and dopamine signaling relate to stress, mood, motivation, and gut motility. We also dig into circadian rhythm and the “gut clock,” because sleep disruption, irregular schedules, and late eating can push the microbiome toward dysbiosis instead of nightly repair. And for women in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, we touch on estrogen metabolism in the gut and why that matters for hormone balance and longevity. If this changes how you think about your health, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review so more people can find the science and start making friends with their gut. Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  7. Jul 30

    136 : Have You Stopped Dreaming? Stop Starving Your Dreams & Learn to Feed 'Em.

    You can have a good life on paper and still feel like your future went quiet. When Polly Mertens and Samantha Pruitt look around, they keep seeing the same pattern: people aren’t “hopeless,” they’re afraid to hope, and that fear slowly starves the ability to dream. We get honest about what that looks like in work teams, family cultures, and our own inner narratives, especially when we’ve been burned enough times to treat hope like a threat. We unpack the real blockers that shut dreams down: survival mode, burnout, financial stress, grief, health scares, and the constant pressure to just get through the day. We connect it to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and talk about how a nervous system in threat mode makes imagination and long-range vision feel impossible. Then we go straight into the human fears under the surface: fear of failure, fear of success, and the deep need for love and belonging that can keep us trapped in the comfort bubble. From there, we shift into what to do next. We introduce dream incubation, a simple, grounded way to create “optimal conditions” for a dream to grow: set a clear intention, write it down, say it out loud, visualize it with sensory detail, and then back it up with a plan and rehearsal. We also make the case for community as a practical tool for personal growth: spend time with dreamers and dream chasers, because possibility is contagious. If you’ve been in a dream desert, this is your permission slip to start small and start now. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs their spark back, and leave a review with the dream you’re ready to feed next. Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

  8. Jul 23

    135: Tour Divide: An Epic 2,716 mile race that changed me forever. GUEST Cary Hayes

    A month alone on a bike will tell you the truth about your limits. Our guest, Carrie Hayes, just finished the Tour Divide, the legendary ultra endurance bikepacking race that follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alberta all the way to the US Mexico border. His final tally is staggering: 2,716 miles with 172,000 feet of climbing in 27 and a half days, often riding 100 plus miles a day through remote stretches of Canada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.  We talk about what you cannot learn from a spreadsheet: the day one shock of cold rain and isolation, the unsexy reality of saddle sores and hygiene, and the mental shift from planning everything to staying present in two hour chunks. Carrie also shares how he met Jerry, a stranger on the trail who became an unspoken teammate, and why that kind of companionship can be the difference between finishing and folding when the wilderness gets loud.  Then the story opens up into something bigger than sport: trail angels who build trust based resupply havens, the “dot watching” world of Trackleaders and Garmin inReach tracking, and the surprising generosity of people who show up with coolers in the middle of nowhere. Carrie ties the ride to purpose by raising nearly $100,000 for the Honnold Foundation, supporting community solar and clean energy projects where they matter most.  If this conversation sparks something you have been putting off, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review. What hard thing are you ready to try next? Send us Fan Mail Follow Coach Polly @getbusythriving and Coach Sam @thesamanthapruitt  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/everydayawesomeproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayawesomeproject Linktree for ALL THE THINGS: https://linktr.ee/everydayawesomeproject Website/About Us: https://everydayawesomeproject.com/about-us/

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About

The Everyday Awesome Podcast is your mega dose of multivitamins for building your mental muscles, physical body and an empowered life. Your hosts Polly and Sam are on your dream team; lifelong coaches in business, health & fitness and human potential. They are on fire to ignite change in the lives they touch. Subscribe now to your weekly jam session where we walk you through actionable tools, game changing insights and inspiring stories to light the path towards YOUR awesome life.   The Everyday Awesome Project is a movement. We invite you to join our mission to connect and inspire humans to live their full potential and reconnect to themselves and others. Through our coaching programs, live experiences and weekly podcast we explore what is possible for everyday humans.  Their motto is  "Every day is a new opportunity to find your AWESOME!"

Information

  • Creator
    Polly Mertens & Samantha Pruitt
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    146
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Everyday Awesome Project
  • Show Website
    The Everyday Awesome Project