The Favourite Self Podcast

Carly Ottaway

The Favourite Self Podcast is a show about identity, entrepreneurship, and the courage it takes to grow into the version of you who feels most alive, most authentic, and most rooted in your purpose. Hosted by founder, author, and brand strategist Carly Ottaway, this podcast explores how the way you see yourself shapes the way you show up, lead, and scale—and why identity is the foundation of your brand, your business, and the life you create. Each week, Carly shares honest reflections and conversations with founders, creatives, and leaders expanding in real time—from scaling businesses and rewriting limiting beliefs, to balancing ambition and parenthood, to learning how to own your voice and lead without abandoning yourself. If you’ve ever asked: How do I show up authentically online?Why do I keep attracting misaligned clients?Why doesn’t my income match my output?Is it possible to expand my business and still be a present, thriving parent? You’re not alone. This is where we talk about intuition and strategy. Expansion and responsibility. Visibility and vulnerability. It’s where you learn to own your story, trust your intuition, and build a business that reflects who you truly are. Come for the practical insight. Stay for the perspective shifts. And leave feeling closer to your favourite self—in business and in life.

  1. 5d ago

    26. From Burnt Out Teacher to Aligned CEO: How to Manifest Your Dream Life with Nicole Crone

    What happens when you stop building the life you think you should want and start trusting the one you actually desire? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with Nicole Crone, cofounder of My Aligned Purpose, to talk about manifestation, entrepreneurship, identity shifts, motherhood, and the self trust required to follow a vision before you know exactly how it will unfold. Nicole shares her journey from high school teacher to entrepreneur, the pivotal experiences that pushed her to choose herself, and how she and her business partner built My Aligned Purpose into a thriving coaching business. They also explore Nicole’s manifestation process, why getting clear on the feeling behind your desires matters more than obsessing over the outcome, and how asking “why” can uncover what you truly want. They also get into money stories, human design, motherhood, building a million dollar brand, and why the lived experiences that challenge you often become some of your greatest sources of authority. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs a reminder to trust the vision they cannot fully see yet. Key Takeaways • Choosing yourself sometimes means being willing to disappoint others rather than continuing to disappoint yourself • Manifestation starts with getting honest about what you actually want and how you believe having it will make you feel • Asking yourself “why” repeatedly can uncover the deeper desire underneath a surface level goal • You do not need to know exactly how your vision will unfold. The how often becomes clear only after you start moving toward it • Your standards are connected to the stories you believe about what you deserve and what feels available to you • Embodying the feelings you associate with your desired life now can help you create more of those experiences before the external result arrives • Rejection and difficult seasons can become redirection, lived experience, and ultimately part of the work you are uniquely positioned to share • Entrepreneurship, motherhood, and every new level of growth can bring another identity shift that asks you to trust yourself again Nicole’s Bio Nicole Crone is a former high school teacher turned CEO, best selling author, speaker, and cofounder of My Aligned Purpose. Known for her contagious optimism and expansive thinking, she blends the science of manifestation with the neuroscience of mindset to help women rewire how they think, lead, and scale. Nicole teaches ambitious women how to collapse timelines, build wildly profitable businesses, and create success that feels as good as it looks, without burnout or outdated rules. Through her coaching, podcast, and magnetic stage presence, she activates women into their next level, challenging them to think bigger, move differently, and lead unapologetically. Above all, Nicole is devoted to building a life she loves, and her favourite role is being a mom. Nicole’s Links Pre-Order My Aligned CEO Book:  https://www.myalignedpurpose.com/presale My Aligned Purpose Website: https://www.myalignedpurpose.com/ My Aligned Purpose Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myalignedpurpose/ Nicole’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolecrone__/ My Aligned Purpose Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/my-aligned-purpose-business-coaching-for-female-entrepreneurs/id1504392927 Free My Aligned Purpose Quiz: https://www.myalignedpurpose.com/live-quiz Other links:  You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jen-sincero/you-are-a-badass%C2%AE/9780762448319/ The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/ Human Design for Business by Jamie L. Palmer https://www.jamielpalmer.com/human-design-for-business-book/ Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  2. Sep 3

    25. Your Why, Your Vision, and the Business You Actually Want

    Before you set another goal, do you actually know why you want it? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly shares five reflection questions to help you get clear on your why, redefine what success looks like in this season, and make sure the business you are building still supports the life you actually want. She explores purpose, business vision, your role as a founder, your brand promise, and the idea of identifying the one thing your business must do brilliantly. Carly also shares how tools like human design, astrology, journaling, and AI can act as mirrors to help you recognize your strengths, values, desires, and the goals you may have outgrown. Before heading into the final months of the year with another list of things to accomplish, this episode is an invitation to zoom out, reconnect with your North Star, and decide what is still truly yours to pursue. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who may be rethinking what success looks like for them. Key Takeaways • Before setting another goal, ask why you actually want it and what you believe achieving it will give you • Your business should support the life you want to create, not require you to continually build your life around the business • Your why is often already woven through your lived experiences, values, beliefs, strengths, and the problems you feel deeply called to solve • Identifying your business’s core promise can help you make clearer decisions about offers, opportunities, hiring, and growth • Your role in your business is allowed to evolve as your strengths, energy, interests, and vision change • Human design, astrology, journaling, and AI can be useful mirrors, but they should help you see yourself more clearly rather than dictate your path • Revisiting old goals is not evidence that you are behind. You are allowed to change your mind, cross something off, or choose a different direction Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  3. Aug 27

    24. The Astrology of Your Life Purpose with Marina Lynn

    What can your birth chart reveal about your life purpose and the direction you are being called to grow? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with evolutionary astrologer Marina Lynn to explore the North Node, South Node, Chiron, Saturn returns, and the deeper meaning behind your birth chart. Marina explains how evolutionary astrology can help you understand subconscious patterns, natural gifts, life purpose, and the growth edges shaping your next chapter. They also dive into the current astrological shifts, including the North Node moving into Aquarius, and what these transits could mean for business, visibility, community, technology, and personal growth. If this episode resonates, follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast and share it with someone ready to explore their own True North. Key Takeaways • Your North Node can reveal the direction of your personal growth and life purpose • Your South Node represents familiar patterns and strengths you are learning to evolve beyond • Chiron can point to a core wound that may also become part of the work you are here to share • Saturn returns and North Node returns can mark major periods of identity, career, and life transition • The North Node moving into Aquarius highlights themes of community, innovation, collaboration, and new ways of working • Alignment does not always feel easy. Growth often requires moving beyond what feels familiar and comfortable Marina’s Bio Marina Lynn is an evolutionary astrologer and the creator of North Node Guide™, a growing community dedicated to helping people align with their True North through the lens of evolutionary astrology. What began as a tool Marina discovered while navigating her own healing journey eventually became her life’s work. For more than six years, she has helped people find greater clarity, purpose, and direction by understanding the deeper story written in their birth chart. She believes the birth chart is more than a personality profile. It is a practical roadmap for uncovering subconscious patterns, healing core wounds, understanding your natural gifts, and creating a life that feels aligned with who you came here to be. Marina’s Links Website:   https://www.northnodeguide.com/ North Node Guide Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/northnodeguide/ North Node Guide App Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/northnode.app/ North Node Guide App Waitlist / Beta Tester Sign Up:   https://www.northnodeguide.com/ Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  4. Aug 20

    23. You Don’t Need More Proof. You Need More Self Trust.

    What if the friction you are feeling is not a sign that you need to push harder, but a sign that something in your life or business is ready to change? In this solo episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly explores the friction so many entrepreneurs are feeling right now around content, visibility, business growth, and the ways they have been conditioned to define success. After hearing the same sense of exhaustion echoed by other female founders, she began questioning whether the answer is really more consistency, another strategy, or simply trying harder. Carly shares how her own relationship with Instagram, manifestation, ambition, and success has been shifting, and why she is learning to separate responsibility from control. Through reflections on a bird feeder that required patience and a tree in her backyard that had begun choking itself through its own roots, she explores one of the hardest parts of self trust: knowing the difference between something that needs more time and something you have already outgrown. This episode is an invitation to look at what you are really building toward, notice how much of the life you once wanted may already be here, and question the goals, habits, strategies, and identities you may still be carrying simply because they once worked. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who may be questioning what they are ready to carry into their next season. Key Takeaways • Friction is not always a problem to fix. Sometimes it is information that you have outgrown the way you have been doing something • When you have spent years following formulas, trends, and algorithms, showing up authentically can require first letting go of the version of yourself you learned to perform • It is worth questioning the definition of success you are chasing and whether it still reflects what you actually want in this season of your life • Manifestation is not about controlling an outcome. It is about taking aligned action while learning to trust what happens after you have done your part • A result is data. The story you attach to that result is something different, and self trust means learning not to make every slow month, no, or underperforming post mean something about your worth • Sometimes self trust looks like patience and giving the seed more time to grow. Other times, it looks like recognizing that something has run its course and being willing to let it go Jenna's substack: https://substack.com/@jennazoe Episode 17: https://thefavouriteselfpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2597263/episodes/19467397 Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  5. Aug 13

    22. Jen Leigh on Becoming Iconic, Holding Success, and Building a Legacy Brand

    What does it actually take to become the woman who can hold the success, visibility, and legacy she says she wants? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with Jen Leigh, founder of Becoming Iconic, for a powerful conversation about identity, personal branding, wealth, visibility, motherhood, and the internal evolution required to build something bigger. Jen shares the story behind a major career pivot, the season where she was carrying $100K in debt while chasing external proof of success, and the moment she finally trusted the pull toward something more. Together, Carly and Jen unpack why visibility alone does not create success, the importance of building a strong brand foundation before asking for a bigger audience, and the difference between performing a personal brand and fully becoming it. Jen also shares her perspective on investing in yourself, raising children inside an entrepreneurial household, moving through fear of success, and why she believes the greatest ROI often comes from who you become along the way. This conversation is an invitation to stop rushing the lifestyle, stop waiting for more followers to validate your work, and start becoming the woman who can sustain the success you are building. Because the next level is not only about getting there. It is about developing the capacity, self trust, and leadership to hold it. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who is stepping into their own next level. Key Takeaways • Bigger success often requires an identity shift before it requires another strategy • Investing in yourself is not only about immediate financial ROI. Every experience can deepen your standards, discernment, leadership, and self trust • A powerful personal brand is not about performing someone else’s formula. It is about becoming more fully expressed in your own voice, taste, standards, and strengths • Success is easier to sustain when you stop rushing the external lifestyle and give yourself time to become the person capable of holding it • Motherhood and entrepreneurship can work together, especially when your children are able to witness resilience, possibility, creativity, and self belief in real time • Intentionality is a defining part of Jen’s Favourite Self. Leading her day instead of chasing it allows her to show up with more presence, generosity, and purpose Jen's Bio: Jen is the Founder of Becoming Iconic® and the Founder and Editor in Chief of Iconic Magazine® as well as a mom of four.  Jen has helped thousands of women worldwide build successful businesses, resulting in over $100 million in sales through her full service brand that incorporates mentorship and done-for-you creative services. Renowned for her innovative approach to business and her impeccable leadership, her consulting and mentorship consistently generate waitlists. In 2022, after losing her social media, Jen launched Iconic Magazine alongside her top 100 podcast, the Iconic Podcast. This bold move transformed into a globally recognized media powerhouse. Often described as Forbes meets Vogue, the magazine has garnered over ten million impressions and reached 48+ countries. Now an established media company, Iconic Magazine provides a triple-threat PR opportunity for visionary women looking to be seen, heard and remembered. Jen's Links: Website: https://becomingiconic.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingiconic/  Iconic Magazine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iconicmagazine__/  The Iconic Podcast: https://becomingiconicpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  6. Aug 6

    21. The Power of Radical Presence: Building a Life and Business That's True to You with Janette Downie

    What if your sensitivity is not something you need to overcome, but one of your greatest strengths as a leader? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with creative entrepreneur Janette Downie to talk about building businesses that honour your energy, your relationships, and the life you actually want to live. Janette shares her journey from an unfulfilling corporate career to entrepreneurship, and how creativity has remained the through line across photography, her marketing agency Space Creatorz, and her newest venture, The Chill Space. Together, Carly and Janette explore what it means to lead with empathy without allowing others to take advantage of it, why radical presence has been essential to protecting Janette’s energy, and how she learned to stop treating every request like an emergency. They also open up about motherhood, working alongside their partners, making decisions based on clear priorities, and using human design as a tool for greater self-understanding and compassion within relationships. This conversation is a reminder that you do not have to sacrifice your family, humanity, or creativity to build a successful business. When you know what matters most, you can create boundaries, make aligned decisions, and give your full attention to the life directly in front of you. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who is learning to lead, create, and build a business in a way that feels more like them. Key Takeaways • Sensitivity can strengthen your leadership by helping you lead with empathy, intuition, and a deeper awareness of the people around you • Protecting your energy does not require the perfect routine. It begins with giving your full attention to what is in front of you and remembering that not everything is an emergency • Trying to hold every role at once can lead to resentment and burnout, even when you genuinely love everything you are doing • Clear priorities make difficult decisions easier, especially when two meaningful opportunities compete for your time • Choosing your family does not mean you are missing out. It can mean building your business around the life you intended it to support • Working with your partner requires shared values, clear roles, honest communication, and room for each person to operate differently • Human design can offer permission to understand your natural energy, honour your needs, and approach relationships with greater empathy Janette’s Bio Janette Downie is a Nova Scotia based marketing agency owner, photographer, podcast host, and experience designer who has built three creative businesses around one belief: sensitive creatives deserve to succeed without sacrificing themselves in the process. She is the founder of The Chill Space, a pop up event activation, podcast, and content platform created for people who bring the energy and know when to protect it. She is also the cofounder of Space Creatorz, a digital marketing agency specializing in advertising and email marketing. After experiencing burnout, stress addiction, and years of following frameworks that never felt designed for her, Janette found her way back to herself through creativity, community, and unlearning. Today, she helps other sensitive creatives build businesses and lives that feel good through content, events, retreats, photography, and honest conversations. Janette’s Links Website: https://www.janettedownie.com The Chill Space: https://www.thechillspace.com Space Creatorz: https://www.spacecreatorz.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heynettybaby/ Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janettedowniephoto/ The Chill Space Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chillhappenshere/ Space Creatorz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spacecreatorz/ Free Resource: https://thechillspace.myflodesk.com/podcast-freebie Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  7. Jul 30

    20. A Life and Business Update: Expanded Capacity, Big Manifestations, and Holding Both

    What if the biggest transformation isn't changing your circumstances, but expanding your capacity to hold them? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly pulls back the curtain on a full season of family life, business growth, manifestation, uncertainty, and expanded capacity. She shares what this summer has looked like behind the scenes, from working more flexibly while her kids are home to watching their relationship grow and recognizing how differently she is able to hold both motherhood and business compared to just a few years ago. Carly also shares the story behind manifesting Kathleen Cameron as her live podcast guest at the High Vibe Women Full Day Experience, the powerful response to leading a Favourite Self visualization at Gather Self and Style, and why these moments have felt like confirmation that she is stepping deeper into the work she is meant to do. She opens up about creating The Favourite Self Retreat, the evolution happening inside Web of Words, and the personal challenges her family has been navigating after her father-in-law’s serious accident. This episode is a reminder that joy, grief, growth, uncertainty, and beautiful opportunities can all exist at once. Often, the biggest transformation is not that our circumstances suddenly change, but that we become the version of ourselves who can hold more of life without losing our connection to who we are. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who may need this reminder in their own full season. Key Takeaways: • Life does not always get easier, but your capacity to hold motherhood, business, and change can expand • Manifestation becomes more powerful when you stop trying to control every step and begin operating from trust • The work you do on yourself often creates more growth than another strategy, system, or productivity hack • Joy and grief can exist at the same time, and you do not have to diminish one to honour the other • The biggest transformations often happen because you change, not because your circumstances become perfect Links:  High Vibe Women Full Day Experience: https://www.highvibewomen.ca/october-2026-event (use code CARLY50 to save $50 on your ticket) Favourite Self Podcast Episode 3: How to Live and Lead as Your Most Authentic Self with Maria Tassi https://thefavouriteselfpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2597263/episodes/18976012-3-how-to-live-and-lead-as-your-most-authentic-self-with-maria-tassi  Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

  8. Jul 23

    19. Olympic Champion Jennifer Jones on Introverted Leadership, Reinvention, and Life After Curling

    What happens when the chapter the world knows you for ends, and you are asked to meet yourself in a whole new way? In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with Olympic champion Jennifer Jones for a conversation about introverted leadership, identity, visibility, motherhood, and life after elite sport. Best known as one of the greatest curlers of all time, Jennifer opens up about the quieter parts of her story too: the self-doubt, the pressure of leading at the highest level, and the inner work that shaped not just her career, but the person she has become beyond the medals. Together, Carly and Jennifer talk about retiring from competitive curling, writing and publishing her book Rock Star, stepping into new forms of visibility through speaking, broadcasting, and podcasting, and allowing ambition and motherhood to exist side by side. This conversation is a powerful reminder that reinvention is not about becoming someone completely new. It is about allowing more of who you really are to come through in each new season. If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and connect with Jennifer through the links below. Key Takeaways: Why introverted leaders often make the strongest leadersNavigating retirement and identity after elite sportBalancing ambition, motherhood, and personal fulfillmentBuilding a personal brand beyond the career that made you famousWhy reinvention is really a return to yourselfJennifer’s Bio: Jennifer Jones is an Olympic gold medalist, lawyer, mom, speaker, broadcaster, podcast host, and the #1 national bestselling author of Rock Star. Best known as one of Canada’s most accomplished curlers, Jennifer now brings the lessons she learned through elite sport, leadership, and motherhood into conversations that help others stop playing small and start asking themselves, Why not you? Through speaking, broadcasting, and her podcast Rock Stars, Jennifer shares a message rooted in presence, trust, resilience, and the belief that you do not have to choose between ambition and kindness or become someone you are not in order to succeed. Jennifer’s Links: Website: https://jennifer-jones.ca/ Rock Stars Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/rock-stars-with-jennifer-jones-and-brent-laing/id1873345372  Rock Star: https://www.indigo.ca/products/rock-star-6  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjonescurl?igsh=dWJtZDVqbG10dDYz  Carly's Links Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway Favourite Self Retreat: https://www.carlyottaway.com/the-favourite-self-retreat Coming Home: https://www.amazon.ca/Coming-Home-Path-Favourite-Permission/dp/1069218308 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

About

The Favourite Self Podcast is a show about identity, entrepreneurship, and the courage it takes to grow into the version of you who feels most alive, most authentic, and most rooted in your purpose. Hosted by founder, author, and brand strategist Carly Ottaway, this podcast explores how the way you see yourself shapes the way you show up, lead, and scale—and why identity is the foundation of your brand, your business, and the life you create. Each week, Carly shares honest reflections and conversations with founders, creatives, and leaders expanding in real time—from scaling businesses and rewriting limiting beliefs, to balancing ambition and parenthood, to learning how to own your voice and lead without abandoning yourself. If you’ve ever asked: How do I show up authentically online?Why do I keep attracting misaligned clients?Why doesn’t my income match my output?Is it possible to expand my business and still be a present, thriving parent? You’re not alone. This is where we talk about intuition and strategy. Expansion and responsibility. Visibility and vulnerability. It’s where you learn to own your story, trust your intuition, and build a business that reflects who you truly are. Come for the practical insight. Stay for the perspective shifts. And leave feeling closer to your favourite self—in business and in life.

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