Real Chat with Kat

Kat Polsinelli
  • 5.0 (31)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Real Chat with Kat — the podcast that’s all about real conversations for real transformation. I’m your host, Kat Polsinelli, and here we tackle the tough stuff — the pivots, the challenges, and the victories that shape our lives and businesses. From overcoming trauma and finding your voice to navigating life’s unexpected twists, we get raw, honest, and open with inspiring guests who share their stories of resilience, healing, and growth. Whether it’s breaking through emotional abuse, embracing self-worth, or thriving in entrepreneurship, you’ll find connection, empowerment, and tools to keep moving forward. So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and get ready for stories that hit home and conversations that make a difference. Let’s get real — together!

  1. 5d ago

    How to Create a Financial Plan That Actually Fits Your Life w/ Mike Milligan

    In this episode This conversation dives into what it really means to create a financial plan built around your life—not a one-size-fits-all system. We talk about why traditional financial models often feel overwhelming and impersonal, and how shifting the focus to your unique story changes everything. Mike Milligan breaks down the difference between fiduciary responsibility and suitability, how AI can support (not replace) financial conversations, and why financial planning should be accessible at every stage of life. At the core, this episode is about clarity, empowerment, and redefining how we think about money and planning for the future. Meet my guest I’m joined by Mike Milligan, founder of 1.OAK Financial, with over 30 years of experience in the financial industry. Mike is passionate about simplifying finance and helping people build plans rooted in their “one-of-a-kind” lives. Inspired by lessons from his grandmother, Granny Elizabeth, his approach is deeply personal, transparent, and focused on impact over profit. In this conversation, he brings clarity, heart, and practical insight to an often confusing industry. Quote/Piece of Advice: You are one of a kind. You are unique. You're special. And when you realize that, you'll then determine you need a financial plan that matches that so your money can be put in motion, so you can go do the things you're called to and you're passionate about. So go make an impact. Connect with Mike LinkedIn, Instagram To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    53 min

  2. Jun 5

    Healing Trauma & Codependency Through Self-Awareness w/ Kaja Sokola

    In this episode Kat sits down for a raw and deeply honest conversation about trauma, codependency, self-worth, healing, and the patterns that keep people stuck in toxic relationships. Together, Kat and Kaja explore how childhood experiences, family dynamics, fear, and unresolved emotional wounds can shape the relationships we choose and the way we see ourselves. This episode dives into the connection between trauma and the body, the importance of self-awareness in healing, and how breaking generational cycles starts with being brutally honest about our own motivations, fears, and internal struggles. Kat and Kaja also discuss parenting, emotional healing, and how personal growth can completely transform relationships with our children and ourselves. Meet my guest Kaja Sokola is a courageous survivor, advocate, and Harvey Weinstein accuser who testified against Weinstein during his New York criminal retrial. Despite the personal cost and public scrutiny, Kaja chose to speak her truth in order to give voice to survivors everywhere — especially young women who have felt silenced, unseen, or powerless. Through incredible vulnerability and strength, Kaja shares parts of her personal journey, including her early experiences in the modeling industry, surviving abuse, overcoming codependency, and learning how to heal through self-awareness and honesty. Her story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible, and that speaking your truth can help others feel less alone. Quote/Piece of Advice: Look in the mirror and try to be honest with yourself, all your deepest secrets. And once you're really honest with everything, tell yourself that you love yourself and that you're good and special and beautiful. Connect with Kaja Instagram, Website To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    56 min

  3. May 29

    Human Trafficking, Grooming & Trauma Recovery w/ Alicia Tappan

    In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Alicia Tappan to talk about human trafficking, trauma, healing, and prevention. We unpack how trafficking often happens through grooming and manipulation—not just force—and why it can be so hidden in plain sight. Alicia breaks down the warning signs, the psychology behind exploitation, and why open communication is one of the most important tools for protecting children and breaking cycles of silence. We also explore healing and what it looks like to move from trauma into awareness, empowerment, and change. This episode is both eye-opening and deeply educational, offering real insight into how we can better protect and support one another. Meet my guest Alicia Tappan is a survivor, advocate, educator, and Founder & CEO of Survivor-Led Solutions, a nonprofit focused on human trafficking prevention and survivor-led leadership. After surviving trafficking at 17, she turned her experience into a mission to educate, empower, and create systemic change. She is also the author of Brave Girl Diaries and is currently pursuing her PhD in Forensic Psychology. Quote/Piece of Advice: We have to humanize humans, not objectify them. Connect with Alicia Instagram, Facebook, Website To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    51 min

  4. May 22

    Practical Tools for Healing, Boundaries & Inner Peace w/ Elle Sojourner

    In this episode Part 2 with Elle Sojourner takes us into a powerful conversation around self-devotion, energy management, and what it really means to listen to your body before it forces you to stop. We explore practical, grounded tools you can use in everyday life to regulate your nervous system, shift your energy, and create more balance between your physical experience (3D) and your spiritual awareness (5D). From 5-minute rituals like humming and movement, to understanding how trauma can live in the body—especially the hips—this episode brings both science and spirituality together in a very real and applicable way. We also talk about anger as a signal, not something to suppress, and how unprocessed emotions can quietly impact both your mindset and your physical health over time. Meet my guest Elle Sojourner is a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant™, Soul Guide, Author, and Diviner who brings a deeply grounded yet spiritual approach to transformation and healing. She specializes in weaving ritual, behavioral science, and spiritual practice into meaningful tools that support real-life change. Through her work with Spirit Fire Life Ceremonies, Elle creates heart-centered ceremonies that honor life’s milestones with authenticity, love, and intention. In this conversation, she brings both wisdom and lived experience, offering practical ways to reconnect with yourself, release stored emotional energy, and step into a more aligned way of living. Quote/Piece of Advice: If you believe you can, you will. If you believe you can’t, you won’t. Connect with Elle Instagram, Facebook, https://bio.site/ElleSojourner To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    58 min

  5. May 15

    How to Stop People-Pleasing and Start Prioritizing Yourself w/ Kisha Woods

    In this episode In this powerful conversation on Real Chat with Kat, we explore what it truly means to step out of a “season of default” and into a “season of discipline.” This episode dives deep into the patterns of people-pleasing, burnout, and self-neglect that so many women unconsciously live in—and what it actually takes to break free from them. We talk about the uncomfortable but necessary process of growth, including releasing old identities, setting boundaries, and learning to choose yourself without guilt. You’ll also hear how your values are not fixed, and why regularly re-evaluating them is essential for living a life that feels aligned, intentional, and fulfilling.   Meet my guest Kisha Woods is a transformational mindset coach, author, speaker, and powerhouse entrepreneur dedicated to helping individuals break generational cycles and step into purpose-driven lives. As the Founder and CEO of Upgraded MindsetZ and owner of UPM Business Suites, Kisha creates spaces and tools that support deep personal and professional transformation. In this episode, Kisha shares her raw and honest journey through burnout, job loss, financial hardship, and emotional breakdown in 2020—and how that pivotal season became the catalyst for rebuilding her life from the inside out. Through self-reflection, journaling, and radical mindset reconditioning, she stepped into a new identity rooted in alignment, discipline, and authenticity. Her story is a powerful reminder that even the most painful seasons can become the beginning of your breakthrough.   Quote/Piece of Advice: Be your unapologetic self. Do whatever it takes to get to that point. Understand it's not an overnight switch, but it is a journey that is so necessary.   Connect with Kisha: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Website   To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    53 min

  6. May 8

    Healing the Nervous System Through Breathwork w/ April Wyett

    In this episode of Real Chat with Kat, I sit down with April Wyett for a powerful conversation about coming back to self and learning how to be present in a fast-paced, constantly “on” world. We explore how the body holds trauma—and how it can also release it through Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release. April breaks down how breath, movement, sound, and emotional expression support nervous system regulation and emotional intelligence. We also talk about “pendulation,” a practice that helps the nervous system safely move between stress and safety so real healing can occur without re-traumatization. This episode is a reminder that even small pauses can shift everything. Meet my guest April Wyett is a Somatic Performance Coach and nervous system specialist, and the founder of Living With Intention, CO. With over 15 years of experience in integrative mind-body work, she helps leaders and high-performing professionals restore clarity, confidence, and sustainable capacity from the inside out. Her work centers on nervous system regulation as the foundation for effective decision-making, presence, and leadership. Through her coaching, breathwork facilitation, and restorative retreats, April guides others in reconnecting with their bodies, releasing stored trauma, and building a greater capacity for calm, clarity, and resilience in everyday life. Quote/Piece of Advice: The trauma is an event that happened, but the body's still holding it. Connect with April: Facebook, LinkedIn, Website To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    54 min

  7. May 1

    What Every Parent Needs to Know About Body Safety w/ Alisha Lunsford

    In this episode We dive into one of the most important—and often avoided—conversations around parenting, safety, and child protection. I sit down with Alisha Lunsford to explore how we can create open, shame-free conversations about bodies, consent, and healthy relationships. We talk about why using correct anatomical terms matters, how it can directly support a child’s safety and ability to communicate clearly, and why distinguishing between “private” and “secret” can be a life-changing concept for children. We also unpack how adult discomfort and upbringing can unintentionally pass down shame, and what it really takes to break that cycle so we can show up differently for the next generation.   Meet my guest Alisha Lunsford, a bold and compassionate advocate for child safety and education who is committed to helping families have conversations many of us were never taught how to have. Inspired by deeply personal experiences, Alisha brings both heart and research into her work, encouraging parents and caregivers to step into discomfort for the sake of protecting and empowering children. Her mission is rooted in breaking cycles of silence and shame, and replacing them with clarity, confidence, and open communication that can truly change outcomes for children and families.   Quote/Piece of Advice: On average, a child tells seven different times before they will be believed that something’s going on.   Connect with Alisha: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Website To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    54 min

  8. Apr 24

    Redefine Love and Align with Your True Self w/ Elle Sojourner

    In this episode In this powerful Part 1 conversation, Kat explores what it truly means to be alive, starting with the profound idea that each of us is a 1-in-400 trillion miracle. Together, Kat and Elle dive into how this perspective can completely shift the way we see ourselves, helping us move away from comparison and into deep self-worth and presence. The conversation unfolds into a redefinition of love—not as something external to chase or earn, but as a frequency that must first be cultivated within. From there, they explore the importance of discovering your “true north,” learning to trust your inner compass even when it doesn’t make logical sense, and how imagination, stillness, and liminal spaces can unlock creativity, clarity, and breakthroughs. At the heart of it all is a simple invitation: follow the love.   Meet my guest In this episode, Kat is joined by the inspiring Elle Sojourner, a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant and founder of Spirit Fire Life Ceremonies. Elle creates heart-centered ceremonies that honor life’s milestones with ritual, authenticity, and a touch of magic. Her work is rooted in helping people move through life’s seasons with love, presence, and deeper connection to the divine within themselves. Elle brings a grounded yet expansive wisdom to the conversation, weaving together insight, intuition, and lived experience in a way that invites deep reflection and transformation.   Quote/Piece of Advice: In this time, where the world is right now, just follow the love. Love yourself. Love others.   Connect with Elle Facebook, Instagram https://bio.site/ElleSojourner   To connect with your host Kat: @TheLotusEffect or @KatPolsinelli   My Website: www.the-lotus-effect.com   Subscribe to my Youtube Channel 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@the-lotus-effect

    52 min
See All (216)

5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Welcome to Real Chat with Kat — the podcast that’s all about real conversations for real transformation. I’m your host, Kat Polsinelli, and here we tackle the tough stuff — the pivots, the challenges, and the victories that shape our lives and businesses. From overcoming trauma and finding your voice to navigating life’s unexpected twists, we get raw, honest, and open with inspiring guests who share their stories of resilience, healing, and growth. Whether it’s breaking through emotional abuse, embracing self-worth, or thriving in entrepreneurship, you’ll find connection, empowerment, and tools to keep moving forward. So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and get ready for stories that hit home and conversations that make a difference. Let’s get real — together!

Information

  • Creator
    Kat Polsinelli
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    216
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Real Chat with Kat

You Might Also Like