Thinking About Podcast

Kirsti McNabney

Thinking About podcast is your digital equivalent to late night chats with good friends that keep you thinking. Join host Kirsti McNabney as we have deep, meaningful conversations with interesting people to help level up our lives, offer actionable outcomes and keep us thinking for days to come. Expect to hear from entrepreneurs, coaches, thought leaders, health and wellness experts and more! Every week, we cover things all the things that keep women thinking – including connections with others, building a business, friendship, mental health, wellness, boundaries, relationships, growing up, skincare, and more. No topic is off-limits and you're at a table with friends. We've saved you a seat and poured you a cup – welcome to the deep conversations that keep us growing. Subscribe to hear new episodes every Tuesday.

  1. 1D AGO

    Happy For Your Friends but Hurting For Yourself — When Your Friends Are in a Season You're Not [SOLO Episode]

    Right now, it seems like everyone is pregnant. And just writing that sentence takes me back to the years when everyone around me was getting engaged, buying houses, and starting families. Meanwhile, I was starting a business and quietly wondering if I was the only one not following the same path. And of course I wasn't, but that didn't make it any less hard. In this episode, I'm getting into the very real, very human feeling of being on a different timeline than your friends. We don't talk about this enough, and I think we should. In this episode, I’m talking about: The Christmas I was convinced I was getting engagedWhy grief and joy can coexist, and all the forms grief actually takesWhy you're allowed to have the "but" and who you should be sharing it withNot putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to friendship, and finding your people for each season you're inProtecting your peace at milestone events while still showing up for the people you loveThe milestones you're discounting because you're too focused on the ones you feel like you're missing Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Links from the episode: Pathpal Grief Summit Send us Fan Mail

    20 min
  2. APR 28

    Rom-Coms, Reality TV, and Why Women's Stories Deserve to Be Told with Romance Author Shelly Thorne

    For 12 years, Shelly Thorne had a book living in her head, a story she always knew she'd write, just never knew when. And then one day, she decided it was time to start drafting. She finished the whole novel in SIX WEEKS! Shelly is a former TV and communications pro, and someone I actually used to work with — who just published her debut novel, Cruising, a rom-com set in the world of reality TV production on a cruise ship, and it is exactly as fun as it sounds. But beyond the book itself, we talked about what self-publishing costs (emotionally and financially), what it looks like to squeeze creativity into the pockets of a very full life, and why the romance genre is doing something way more important than people give it credit for. In this episode, we’re talking about: The difference between traditional publishing and self-publishingFinding an editor, designing a cover, and building a street team when you're doing it all yourselfThe "coming of self" moment, and why we need more stories that follow women through itRom-coms and reality TV are doing something culturally importantThe "s****y first draft" (and why getting something imperfect onto the page is the only way to start)AI in publishing and what it means for writers who are putting their whole selves into their workBalancing writing, a career, and kids (Shelly says having children actually made her a more efficient writer) Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Connect with Shelly Thorne: Follow Shelly on Instagram and Threads Buy and read her novel, Cruising! Links from the episode: Old episode with the last author I spoke to: The Journey To Self-Publishing Your First Novel With Elizabeth Monier-Williams Reedsy Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need Story Genius Quinn Send us Fan Mail

    1h 4m
  3. APR 21

    I'm Always My Best Self on Vacation — So How Do I Bring That Home? [SOLO Episode]

    There's this moment that happens every time I come home from a trip. I'm on the plane, feeling spacious and happy and like the fullest version of myself, and I start wondering if there’s a way to hold on to that. I just got back from Guatemala, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Between a yoga retreat in San Marcos with my friend Ash, exploring Antigua, and watching a sunrise so beautiful it made me do a hike I absolutely did not think I could finish — I came home with a lot to think about. In this solo episode of Thinking About, I'm unpacking why travel feels so good, the actual neurological and psychological reasons our brains light up when we're somewhere new. And then, because I'm always asking myself how to bring that feeling into everyday life, I'm sharing some practical ways to do exactly that. In this episode, I'm talking about: Why travel feels so good: the brain science behind novelty, dopamine, and your nervous system resettingPsychological zoom out — why seeing a volcano (or just being on a plane) puts everything in perspectiveMy three personal takeaways from the trip: movement as reward, discomfort leading to wonder, and communityPractical ways to access the travel feeling at home: micro adventures, routine shake-ups, printing your photos, and protecting unscheduled time Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Links Mentioned: Past episodes with Devon: Preserving Memories From Life's Biggest Moments & Getting Real About Running A Business With Devon Elcomb-Anzit | Pressed In Time and What You Need To Know Before Turning Your Passion Into A Business With Devon Elcomb-Anzit From Pressed In Time  Past episode with Ashley of The Feelosophy: Answering Your Questions About Starting Therapy & NeuroAffective Touch With Ashley Brodeur Of The Feelosophy Send us Fan Mail

    33 min
  4. MAR 17

    How to Build Confidence Showing Up Online (Even Though the Internet is Scary) [SOLO Episode]

    If I'm being honest, showing up online is something I still have to talk myself into sometimes, and I do this for a living! This month on Thinking About is all about confidence, and this week we’re talking about the confidence to be online. So many of the people I talk to are carrying around the same fears about being online, and most of the time, they're holding themselves to a standard they'd never hold anyone else to. So we're busting some myths, walking through what helps me (and the clients I've worked with), and hopefully leaving you feeling like maybe — just maybe — you do have what it takes to show up online. (I believe you do!) In this episode, I'm talking about: Why showing up online feels unnatural for pretty much everyoneThree myths that are keeping you from showing upWhy editing, practice, and time are the actual secretLowering the bar, finding an accountability buddy, recording on your best days, and treating content like a creative experimentThe "one person" trick Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Send us Fan Mail

    26 min
  5. MAR 10

    It's Not You, It's Your Clothes — How to Reclaim Your Style and Fall Back in Love With Getting Dressed with Suzanne Colmer

    You know that feeling when you open your closet and nothing feels quite like you anymore? Maybe, ever since the pandemic, it's been a few years of sweats and working from home. Maybe your body has changed, your life has changed, and the clothes hanging in there feel like they belong to someone you used to be. That's exactly where I was, and then Suzanne Colmer walked into my closet with her closet cleanse method and literally changed my life! As one of Canada's premiere style and image consultants, Suzanne Colmer works with her clients to ensure they love their clothes and that their clothes love them back. She specializes in closet cleanses, size-inclusive personalized shopping, and Canadian curated capsule wardrobes that allow you to buy less and wear more. Often sought out by the media as a Canadian style expert, Suzanne has been featured locally on Global TV, and CBC and in the Globe and Mail and globally as Toronto's style consultant with Tourism Toronto. Suzanne has a gift for making you feel seen, understood, and genuinely excited to get dressed again. I can’t wait for you to listen! In this episode, we're talking about: The first step to reconnecting with your style when you have no idea where to startCloset cleanses are like cleaning out your fridge before you go grocery shopping“It's not you, it's your clothes"How to handle clothes you're saving for "someday"Suzanne's philosophy for her own closet – and why she shops on a one-in, one-out ruleWhat "style words" are and why figuring out yours is a game-changerHow to actually finish an outfitSuzanne’s take on trendsThe one piece Suzanne thinks almost everyone should own (can you guess what it is?)Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Connect with Suzanne Colmer Follow Suzanne on Instagram! Check out her website Links from the episode: The Diary of a CEO podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast My Friends by Fredrik Backman New York Times Cooking Jenn Eats Goood on Substack Send us Fan Mail

    57 min
  6. MAR 3

    Who Are You When You're Not Being Productive? On Hobbies, Joy & Reclaiming Yourself [SOLO Episode]

    Somewhere between the girlboss era and a world that's constantly telling us to optimize, monetize, and move faster, I quietly forgot how to just... do something for fun. Not because it would make good content or even make me a better person. Just because it felt good! Like, why can’t that be enough? If your days have been blurring together too, or if you feel like you’re so restless you can’t even pay attention to a TV episode anymore, I feel you. Let’s do something about it! I cover a ton of ideas in this episode. In this episode, I'm talking about: My complicated relationship with my phoneDigital anhedonia: the reduced ability to enjoy real-world experiences after too much screen timeWhy hobbies are actually identity work – and what they have to do with your inner childThe two big reasons hobbies matter: mental health and joyEmbracing the beginner's mindset and doing things badly on purposeWhat I'm trying: diamond painting, coloring, craft afternoons, Duolingo, the library, cooking, Pilates, and my hobby wish listThree questions to sit with this weekLet's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Send us Fan Mail

    30 min
  7. FEB 24

    What the Algorithm Can't Do for You, and Why Meta Ads Might Be the Answer with Caley Dimmock

    When's the last time you felt completely free from the algorithm? Not just a good week, not just a post that happened to take off, but genuinely unbothered by whether your content gets seen? In this episode of Thinking About, I'm sitting down with Caley Dimmock – ads expert, teacher at heart, and someone whose brain I deeply trust when it comes to scaling without chaos. Caley is the founder of Meta Ads Academy, a 12-week mentorship accelerator for people who want to learn to run ads themselves (or add them to their client offerings), and she also runs a business mastermind focused on building sustainable, capacity-aware businesses. In this episode, we're talking about: Why intuitive content often connects more than a perfectly planned strategyThe freedom of not being at the whim of the algorithm, and how ads changed Caley's business and lifeWhat needs to be working before you run ads (and why throwing traffic at something broken won't fix it)How to think about your ad budget by reverse-engineering your acceptable cost per lead or purchaseHow to test ads the right way: why it's about data and sample size, not how many days have passedWhat Meta's AI changes actually meanWhy Caley built Meta Ads Academy and her business mastermind – and the fear she had to work through firstLet's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Connect with Caley Dimmock Follow @cjdimmock on Instagram! Join the waitlist for Meta Ads Academy Get 50% off on Ad Spend 101, Caley’s mini-course and templates with code THINKINGABOUT Links from the episode: Data is Beautiful Reddit Most Replayed Moment: Alain de Botton - Individualism Is Making Us Miserable! Send us Fan Mail

    56 min
  8. FEB 17

    The Anti-Resolution Episode: What I'm Actually Taking Into The New Year [SOLO Episode]

    I didn't make a single New Year's resolution this year. Partially because I was sick, partially because I was unpacking a new home, and partially because I was just tired. But somewhere in that accidental pause, I started noticing something. The quiet, undramatic changes I was making for my health and well-being were actually sticking. Tune in if you've been feeling like you're always trying to get your life together but never quite catching up. My life is also not together, for the record, but there are pieces of my life that have felt sticky for a long time and they’re finally coming loose – and I really wanted to share what's helping. In this episode, I'm talking about: Why you don't need more discipline but supportHow changing my environment has been my single biggest game changerHealth habits don't have to be dramatic to workFeeling better as a whole stack, not a single fix – and why some weeks that means a workout and some weeks it means seeing your friendsReflection questions to take with you Let's Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could use a little more mindfulness in their life. Your support helps Thinking About reach more listeners and grow our community of thoughtful, intentional individuals. Continue the conversation with me on IG / Tiktok @thinkingaboutpodcast and @kirstimcnabney. Follow along on Substack for more conversations on the things that keep us thinking. Links from the episode: Follow @jenneatsgoood on Substack Send us Fan Mail

    27 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Thinking About podcast is your digital equivalent to late night chats with good friends that keep you thinking. Join host Kirsti McNabney as we have deep, meaningful conversations with interesting people to help level up our lives, offer actionable outcomes and keep us thinking for days to come. Expect to hear from entrepreneurs, coaches, thought leaders, health and wellness experts and more! Every week, we cover things all the things that keep women thinking – including connections with others, building a business, friendship, mental health, wellness, boundaries, relationships, growing up, skincare, and more. No topic is off-limits and you're at a table with friends. We've saved you a seat and poured you a cup – welcome to the deep conversations that keep us growing. Subscribe to hear new episodes every Tuesday.

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