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. 2d ago

    148: Tour du Mont Blanc: 3 Lessons on Being Present and Living Your Way

    A mountain can be stunning in a photo and still completely wreck your expectations in real life. We’re sharing Polly’s Tour du Mont Blanc story from the inside: 10 days hiking around Mont Blanc, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland, and discovering that “circumnavigation” still means relentless climbs, long descents, and rocky trails that demand your full attention. We talk through the on-the-ground reality of the TMB trek, including what it’s like to start in Chamonix, how quickly your brain tries to normalize jaw-dropping scenery, and why weather, terrain, and daily elevation gain make this route feel bigger than its mileage. Polly also gets honest about the practical stuff that can make or break a trip: eating “mostly vegan” in dairy-heavy mountain towns, packing supplements and protein, dealing with late European dinner times, and navigating the strange tradeoff of a guided hiking tour that gives you comfort while taking away some freedom. Then the story turns into something deeper. A rest day in Italy becomes a turning point, finishing “her” way matters more than proving anything, and three takeaways land hard: be where you are fully, do you without trying to become someone else, and deliberately create space for what matters most. If you’ve got a bucket list, an epic list, or a dream you keep pushing out, this is your nudge. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, leave a review, and tell us: what’s your TMB and what one small step will you take this week? 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. Oct 15

    147: Detox Your Life: Clear What Drains You and Reclaim Your Peace

    Detox is not a juice fast. It is the moment you realize your life feels heavy and you decide to clean house on purpose. I am Coach Sam, flying solo today, and I am sharing the detox model I live by: detoxification as a regular, as-needed practice for your environment, your schedule, your relationships, and your body and brain. After turning 50, I got painfully clear about mortality and purpose, and that clarity pushed me toward a simpler question: what am I tolerating that is stealing my peace? We start with an environment detox, because clutter and visual noise quietly raise stress. Your space should reflect your values and support calm daily choices, not distract you at every turn. Then we move into my favorite reset: a calendar detox. I look at commitments the way I look at foods that cause a reaction. What on your schedule stresses you out? What obligations no longer serve your goals? If there is no time to rest and digest, to take care of your mental health, or to invest in the relationships that matter, it is time to get honest and start canceling. We also go deep on relationship detox, boundaries, and non-attachment, plus a practical body and brain detox checklist: rainbow fruits and vegetables, quality protein, less processed food, less added sugar, less alcohol, hydration, deep sleep, morning sunlight, fewer screens at night, daily movement for lymphatic flow and circulation, and yes, regular bowel movements. If you want a realistic wellness routine that improves energy, focus, and mood, press play, then share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find it. What is the first thing you are ready to detox? 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. Oct 8

    146: Non-Attachment: How to Care Without Carrying Everyone Else

    If you’ve ever felt proud of being the one who holds it all together, this will hit close to home. I’m talking about non-attachment, not as indifference, but as a real-life practice that helps us love people deeply without carrying their pain, managing their choices, or tying our identity to their outcomes. I connect the dots across Buddhism, Hinduism, and modern psychology, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We explore why clinging to what is temporary creates suffering, what “right action without obsession over reward” looks like in daily life, and how learning to observe your thoughts without judgment can calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. If you’re navigating grief, burnout, people pleasing, or the pressure of being the “responsible” one, these frameworks offer language and tools that actually work. I also share the personal side: two intense years of loss, illness, injury, and the moment my well-practiced boundaries cracked. A 253 mile solo stretch in the wilderness became a living lab for letting go, rebuilding trust in myself, and remembering that each of us has our own curriculum to live. I close with five practical ways to train non-attachment, including expecting nothing while staying open to everything and catching the ego when it tries to “fix” others. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who carries too much, and leave a review with your biggest non-attachment challenge so we can keep the conversation going. 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. Oct 1

    145: Body Positivity: Make Peace With Your Body as It Changes

    If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt like your body was a problem to solve, this one is for you. I’m Sam Pruitt, and I’m going straight at the tension so many of us live with: wanting confidence and health while still feeling trapped by appearance-based standards we never agreed to in the first place.  We unpack what body positivity actually is (a social movement and a personal mindset) and why it matters for mental health, physical health, and everyday self-care. Then I bring in body neutrality, the practical approach that shifts your focus from what your body looks like to what it can do. When you stop letting your appearance dictate your life experience, you get your energy back and you can start building respect that lasts longer than a “good body image day.”  I also share my own long road from self-judgment to self-investment, including an autoimmune illness at 30, learning to relate to my aging body with gratitude, and the reality that old habits can still show up. The biggest turning points come through performance and recovery: completing an Ironman at 56, breaking my back, rebuilding, and then hiking the 253-mile John Muir Trail solo with 35 pounds on my back. That experience made it crystal clear that your body is home, and body mind integration is where real freedom lives.  If this resonates, listen through to the end and then tell me where you’re starting from: body positivity, body neutrality, or just trying to make peace. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. 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. Sep 24

    144: Tour du Mont Blanc: Moving Beyond Fear Into Adventure

    Something wild happens when you say yes to a challenge that’s bigger than your usual routine. We’re talking about the Tour du Mont Blanc, a roughly 100 mile alpine trek through France, Italy, and Switzerland, done over 10 days of steep climbs, long descents, and nonstop awe. But the miles are just the surface. What we really explore is why we’re drawn to these “grand adventures” and how they become a mirror for self leadership, identity, and the way we choose to live.  We get specific about what it takes to prepare for a multi day hiking trip: building aerobic fitness, doing strength training, practicing back to back long days, and learning to value recovery as much as effort. We also unpack the mindset shifts that make the experience feel expansive instead of punishing, from reframing nervousness as excitement to taking inventory of the personal “resume” you forget you have when doubt shows up. If you’re balancing work, family, business, or a packed calendar, this conversation makes endurance training and resilience feel doable and human.  Then we go deeper into intention: wonder, bliss, presence, authenticity, and the surrender experiment of letting the trip show you what it’s here to show you. We talk about wanderlust as a real calling, the growth that comes from solo travel, and why your inner compass doesn’t get quieter just because you ignore it. If you’ve been craving a fresh season, a new dream, or a bolder version of yourself, this one will hit. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave us a review. What’s calling you 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/

  6. Sep 17

    143: Energy Medicine Explained: Exploring Reiki, Breathwork, and More

    The moment you stop thinking of the body as a machine and start seeing it as an energetic system, a lot of “mysteries” get practical fast. We dig into energy medicine as curious students, not as self-proclaimed gurus, and we talk through what it actually looks like in the real world: acupuncture, Reiki, qigong, breathwork, and the many ways modern clinics already use energy-based inputs like ultrasound, laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and red light therapy. We also zoom in on the biology bridge that makes this conversation click for a lot of people: mitochondria. When your cellular energy systems struggle, everything can start to feel harder, from recovery and mood to focus and long-term resilience. From there we explore coherence and resonance, including heart-brain coherence, why animals and nature can feel instantly regulating, and how “holding the space” shows up in coaching, leadership, and even medical settings where trust is not just emotional, it’s physiological. You’ll hear how to think about “blocked” energy in a grounded way, how to choose an energy healer with discernment (and what red flags to avoid), and why we keep coming back to one core idea: the most powerful form of energy medicine is learning to work with your own system. We close with a self-healing meditation practice drawn from Jill Blakeway’s book Energy Medicine so you can try a simple recalibration for yourself. If this sparked curiosity, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s exploring holistic healing and integrative medicine, and leave us a review. What’s one signal your body has been trying to get you to notice? 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. Sep 10

    142: Codependency: How to Stop Overgiving Without Shutting People Out

    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/

  8. Sep 3

    141: Why You Feel Stuck: 4 Hidden Barriers to Making a Change

    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/

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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
    152
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Everyday Awesome Project
  • Show Website
    The Everyday Awesome Project