How to Trust Yourself: Overcome Imposter Syndrome, Feel Confident, and Let Yourself Be Seen

Episode Description / Show Notes:Ever feel like your story is messy, scattered, or unclear—and that’s holding you back from stepping fully into your purpose? In this episode, I share a metaphor from my 10 years working in reality TV—soft scripting—and how it taught me to find the through threads in the chaos.I’ll break down how this concept applies to your life and work:How to sift through the raw material of your experiences to discover your unique voice.Why trying to force your story or follow someone else’s blueprint backfires.How to nurture your emerging story so it grows naturally into its fullest expression.Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, stepping into visibility as a sensitive creative, or exploring a new identity, soft scripting is a practical, nervous-system-friendly approach to clarifying your purpose and showing up authentically.I also share a new opportunity to practice this in community: my Seen & Safe group membership, a supportive space for sensitive creatives, coaches, and entrepreneurs to grow in visibility without burning out.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The reality TV concept of soft scripting and why it’s a powerful metaphor for life and work.How to find the through threads in your experiences and start shaping your story.A gentle, collaborative approach to visibility that respects your nervous system.Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:Join Seen & Safe: AnnaHoltzman.com/seenandsafeEmail me with your thoughts or reflections: anna@annaholtzman.comWho This Episode is For:Sensitive creatives, coaches, healers, and entrepreneurs who want to show up authentically, discover their voice, and step into purpose without burning out.Follow & Connect:Instagram: @annaholtzman

Welcome to the 20th episode of From Chronic Pain to Passion. This is the last episode in season 1 and after this I’m going to take a 3 week hiatus, because rest is important! But don’t worry, I’ll be back in September with more interviews that I’m excited to share with you, including conversations with chronic pain experts Dr. John Stracks and Dr. Lilia Graue as well as many more.   In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a recording of a Facebook live in which I had the honor of chatting with chronic pain expert Georgie Oldfield, and this time I was the one being interviewed.   Georgie is a physiotherapist practicing in the UK and she’s the founder of an organization called SIRPA, which stands for Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association. SIRPA is a really important hub of information, education and patient and practitioner resources in the field of mind-body medicine. You can find those resources on their website at sirpa.org and on Instagram @sirpa_uk In the conversation you’re about to hear, Georgie interviewed me about my experience of recovering from chronic migraine and I talked about some more recent developments in that journey, which continues to unfold. You can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

Thank you so much for joining me on this chronic pain to passion journey. One of the things I really like doing on this podcast is having conversations with people who don’t necessarily identify as someone who has experienced or worked with chronic pain, but they do have a story of transformation to tell that carries a lot of the same themes that show up in the chronic pain recovery journey.   One of those themes is questioning our belief systems. If you grew up in a society that is influenced by the western medical model, as I did, then you probably learned to view physical pain as totally separate from emotional pain. And it can be a real mind-bender and even an identity shift as we embark on the path of mind-body healing and start to see our pain journey through a very different lens. Along the way, a lot of us find that questioning the belief system that we’ve held for most of our life is complicated and it can be quite challenging.   Today, I got to speak with someone who knows a lot about questioning belief systems. And she comes at it from a totally different starting point than chronic pain. My guest, Joy Vetterlein is a spiritual coach and writer who is engaged in reimagining life after faith. As a pastor’s kid, a good Christian girl, a Bible college grad and a former worship pastor, she now helps post-evangelicals to find freedom from oppressive religious programming and to discover their own unique spiritual path. Joy lives in Orange County, California, with her husband and two children. I wanted to speak with Joy because I find that through having interdisciplinary conversations about topics like questioning our belief systems, we can zoom out and widen our understanding of a topic beyond what is accessible to us through just one type of lens. And as Joy shares her story of questioning beliefs with us, I'll relate it back to the symptom recovery journey for you! You can find Joy at: IG: ⁠@joyvetterlein website: www.joyvetterlein.com And you can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

In today’s episode, I got to chat with someone whose work I’ve admired and been influenced by since my very first training in mind-body medicine. That person is chronic pain expert Christie Uipi, and I knew it would be a pleasure speaking with her, but our conversation surpassed even my expectations, it was such a delight.   Christie is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression and she’s the founder of a clinic called The Better Mind Center.  Christie has been a key collaborator on the development and research of the Pain Reprocessing Therapy treatment modality.  She lectures nationally on psychotherapeutic interventions to treat chronic pain and she is committed to cross-disciplinary collaboration between mental health and physical medicine. Christie is also a recovered chronic pain patient herself. And she says that the healing process was so profoundly transformational for the quality of her life that she has dedicated her career to supporting others through their recoveries. There’s a lot more to Christie’s work in this field that we’ll get into during the interview, and something that I so appreciate about her is that she’s an influential voice in this field — and we often look to influential voices to tell us the absolute truth about their topic of expertise. But what Christie shares is that staying curious and open is not just essential to healing, it’s an essential part of being a practitioner who supports others in healing as well. You can find Christie at: IG: ⁠@better.with.christie website: bettermindcenter.com And you can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

Thank you for joining me today to listen to this episode of From Chronic Pain to Passion. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 4 months since I first launched the podcast. And I wanna ask if you’d be up for helping me spread the word so that more listeners can find the podcast. So, I thought I would do a little fun giveaway. Last month I held a workshop called Soothe Your Symptoms and Unlock Your Creativity. If you would like a free recording of that workshop, I invite you to do any one of these three things: You can post about the podcast on Instagram and tag me. You can post about it on any other medium, and screenshot the post and email it to me. Or you can simply share the podcast with a friend and email to tell me about it. My email is anna@annaholtzman.com And in return, I will send you a recording of the Soothe Your Symptoms, Unlock Your Creativity workshop — and I’ll write you a little note of appreciation. So thank you in advance!   •••   And now for today’s episode! I so enjoyed this conversation with Renee Snijder. Renee is a certified ADHD coach who works from the perspective that nobody is broken; that ADHD is a set of symptoms, not a disorder; and that by working on nervous system regulation and self-compassion through a mind-body approach, it is possible to reduce the intensity of these symptoms while connecting with your authentic self.   You might wonder why we’re talking about ADHD on a podcast that’s called from Chronic Pain to Passion. And the reason I reached out to Renee is that I saw her talking about her approach on Instagram, and I thought, wow, we are talking about many of the same things. We’re talking about the effects of stress on the nervous system. We’re using our own lived experience to inform the way we support our clients. And I just love the clear and compassionate way Renee talks about her work! On top of all that, I find that a lot of the folks who come to work with me on chronic pain recovery also report that they experience ADHD symptoms. So, I’m really glad that I get to share our conversation with you. You can find Renne at: IG (in English): ⁠@rebirth_adhd⁠ website (in Dutch): www.stormvogelcoaching.nl And you can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

Before we start today’s episode, I wanna ask a quick favor! If you’ve been listening to the podcast and finding it helpful, would you be willing to hit pause for a moment and give the podcast a quick rating and review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening on? It would mean so much to me, because your ratings and reviews help other people who are struggling with chronic symptoms to find the podcast. So, thank you in advance for the rating and review! And now for today’s episode! I was delighted to have a chat with Gauri Yardi, someone I’ve been following through social media for a while now. Gauri is a writer and multi-passionate creative, a naturopath and a creative wellbeing coach. Her mission is to help tired and burned out creatives regain the energy they need for their creative dreams using holistic nervous system care.⁠ ⁠ Gauri's approach to burnout involves a model she calls "the four pillars of nervous system care" and it's a beautiful complement to the kinds of tools that I teach for chronic pain recovery — after all, as Gauri and I discussed during the interview, chronic pain and creative burnout are both symptoms of nervous system stress!⁠ Gauri's way of describing her work is so clear, simple and grounding that you might just consider listening to this interview as a part of your nervous system care. You can find Gauri at: Website: ⁠www.gauriyardi.com Instagram: @gauri.yardi And you can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

Before we start today’s episode, I wanna ask a quick favor! If you’ve been listening to the podcast and finding it helpful, would you be willing to hit pause for a moment and give the podcast a quick rating and review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening on? It would mean so much to me, because your ratings and reviews help other people who are struggling with chronic symptoms to find the podcast. So, thank you in advance for the rating and review! And now, I’m excited to share today’s episode with you! I sat down to have a chat with someone I admire very much, Dr. Alicia Batson. Dr. Batson is a double-boarded physician with training in both internal medicine and psychiatry. She has worked in varied medical settings including adult primary care, inpatient psychiatry, outpatient community mental health care and currently, as a staff psychiatrist with Talkiatry, an online behavioral health company. After her medical training, Dr. Batson suffered through 10 years of debilitating chronic pain with over 20 different symptoms including repetitive strain injury, jaw pain, hyperacusis, neck, back and knee pain, anxiety and panic attacks.   She was able to fully recover after receiving mind-body therapy which conceptualized her symptoms as being caused by internal emotional stress and chronic activation of fear-based neural circuits. Since recovering, she is now treating patients with chronic pain and other neural circuit conditions.   She is the Chief Psychiatry Officer and Co-founder of OvidDx, an app-based educational platform teaching health care providers how to diagnosis and treat these conditions and developing office and home-based tools to facilitate care delivery for this patient population. Dr. Batson also serves on the scientific advisory team for Curable, which is an online program and app designed to help people with persistent pain reduce their symptoms and calm their nervous system. I am fortunate to serve as one of the facilitators for Curable Groups, which is their live online group program, and in that role, I get to hear Dr. Batson answer group members’ questions during a live Q + A physician session that’s part of the program. I learn something new every time and I so appreciate Dr. Batson’s openness about her own recovery story and her emphasis on self-compassion and standing up for ourselves. I was honored to interview her, and I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you! You can find Dr. Alicia Batson at: Website: ⁠https://aliciabatsonmd.com/ Talkiatry: www.talkiatry.com/team-members/alicia-batson-md OvidDx: https://oviddx.com/ And you can find me at: Instagram: ⁠@anna_holtzman⁠ Website: ⁠www.annaholtzman.com

Before we start today’s episode, I wanna tell you about a FREE workshop that I’m hosting on Wednesday June 7 at 1pm Eastern Time! This workshop is all about how to soothe your symptoms and unlock your creativity! We’re going to be doing some expressive writing exercises together, I’m gonna host a live Q&A, and I think it’ll be a really fun opportunity to get to know each other, so I hope you’ll join me! To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annaholtzman.com/ creativity-workshop-home And now for today’s episode. I sat down to chat with Rachel Gofman, whom I’ve been fan-girling on Instagram for quite some time. Rachel is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Certified Integrative Life Coach. Her mission is to help women liberate themselves from a life consumed by chronic pelvic pain, and to help them create lives of great purpose, connection, and intention, as they heal through a mind-body approach.   Rachel came into this work through her own journey of recovering from chronic pelvic pain, and one of the many reasons that I’m a fan of Rachel’s is that she is speaking openly, relatably and compassionately about a topic that most of us were raised to be silent about. I personally find Rachel’s perspective on mind-body healing to be so empowering, and I’m honored to be sharing our conversation here with you. You can find Rachel at: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepelvicpaincoach/ Website: https://www.thepelvicpaincoach.com/ And you can find me at: Instagram: @anna_holtzman Website: www.annaholtzman.com

Before we start today’s episode, I wanna tell you about a FREE workshop that I’m hosting on Wednesday June 7 at 1pm Eastern Time! This workshop is all about how to soothe your symptoms and unlock your creativity! We’re going to be doing some expressive writing exercises together, I’m gonna host a live Q&A, and I think it’ll be a really fun opportunity to get to know each other, so I hope you’ll join me! To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annaholtzman.com/creativity-workshop-home And you know what? before you listen to this episode, I invite you to hit pause, check out the workshop page and sign up! I would be so thrilled to see you there! •••   In today’s episode, I sat down to chat with my friend and colleague Dr. Andrea Moore. Andrea is a mom, wife and recovering health perfectionist. Her career path has been based on trying to fix everything wrong with her: from chronic pain & post-concussive syndrome to anxiety & ADHD. While she refused to accept this as her norm, trying to implement what she thought was necessary to alleviate her symptoms felt exhausting, restricting & impossible. Along her 15+ year journey, she became a Doctor of Physical Therapy, an Orthopedic Certified Specialist, Functional Nutritional Therapist, Life Coach and patriarchy & perfectionism smasher! Through years of education, self healing & working with 100s of people, she learned that it is always about coming back to yourself in order to live the life of your dreams. So, she now guides others who are suffering from chronic pain back to their bodies & living in a way that is aligned with the truest version of themselves. You can find Andrea at: Instagram: @drandreamoore Website: www.drandreamoore.com Podcast: Unweaving Chronic Pain And you can find me at: Instagram: @anna_holtzman Website: www.annaholtzman.com

How do you release physical and emotional tension from your body through writing? That’s what we’re gonna talk about today! For a text version of this episode, go to: https://medium.com/beingwell/whats-your-mind-body-relationship-status-b7f315267bbb To learn more about mind-body journaling, check out my online course Writing to Release Chronic Pain at www.annaholtzman/writingtorelease And say hi on Instagram at @anna_holtzman With warmth, Anna

If you've been on the path of mind-body healing for a while, you’ve undoubtedly heard over and over again that it’s important to process and release your emotions. But the question is, how? That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s episode. And just a content warning, I will be using bathroom humor. For a transcript, go here: https://medium.com/beingwell/the-4-stages-of-emotional-release-845a9fb5dbcb Also, I wanna tell you about a pilot program that I’m running called the Chronic Pain to Passion Mentorship. This is an opportunity to work with me 1:1 and get my support with your chronic symptom recovery while you are pursuing a creative project or other passion project. Creatives often think that they need to stop pursuing their passion in order to rest and recover from chronic symptoms. But, as someone who’s been there myself, I have found that creative recovery and symptom recover actually go hand-in-hand. And I would love to support you with that. You can find out more on my website at www.annaholtzman.com/mentorship And if you'd like to try out the Curable app (which I mention in episode 1 as the entry point to my own healing journey), you can use my affiliate link to get a FREE 6-week trial — and during the month of May, get 60% off an annual subscription! www.curable.com/annaholtzman

What is the mind-body connection and how does it relate to pain and other symptoms?   We all know intuitively that emotional stress can be expressed in physical sensations and symptoms.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Some common examples are:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ You have a big deadline at work and you get a stomach ache in reaction to the stress. Or you have a big fight with a loved one and you wind up getting a headache from the fight. ⁠⁠ Or you watch a scary movie and your shoulders get so tight from the fear that you have a stiff neck at the end of watching it. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ These are all examples of physical reactions to mental and emotional stress. In each of these examples, the mind perceives something as stressful, and the body reacts.   That, in a nutshell, is the mind-body connection. And I haven’t told you anything that you don’t already know. Like I said, this stuff is intuitive. But in a culture where we’re encouraged to ignore our stress so that we can keep working and being productive, we don’t tend to talk or think about it a lot. So how do we start paying attention to the mind-body connection? There are an unlimited number of different ways to do this. So, I’m just going to share one of my favorite tools, which is starting a verbal dialogue between your mind and your body through expressive writing. And here are some conversation starters that you can try as journaling prompts: Here are the prompts: 👉 Dear symptom, what emotions are you feeling right now? (List them all out. If you need help with this, you could try scanning the Nonviolent Communication list of feelings .) 👉 Dear emotion, what do you need to feel honored? 👉 Dear emotion, is there a boundary that you need me to set?⁠ 👉 Dear emotion, do you need me to assert myself through self-expression, following my heart, or speaking up?⁠ 👉 Dear emotion, do you need support from allies  or peers? And if so, who should I reach out to? 👉 Dear emotion, do you need rest, nurturing or soothing? If you try these out, I'd love to hear how it goes! For more support with chronic symptoms, find me at: www.annaholtzman.com IG @anna_holtzman

What if your discomfort with leadership isn’t a confidence issue — but an old nervous-system story that’s never been updated?In this solo episode, Anna explores the concept of a leadership wound: early experiences that quietly shape how safe (or unsafe) it feels to step into leadership later in life.Drawing from a personal story from fourth grade — when stepping into a natural leadership role suddenly became fraught — Anna unpacks how childhood interpretations can linger beneath the surface, influencing our relationship with visibility, authority, and being seen.You’ll hear:Why leadership can trigger fear even when it feels alignedHow childhood experiences shape our nervous system’s response to leadershipThe difference between a visibility wound and a leadership woundHow old stories can run quietly in the background until we name themGentle ways to begin updating these stories with adult awareness and compassionAnna also invites listeners to reflect on their own relationship with leadership — and offers journaling prompts to help process early experiences that may still be shaping how you show up today.If you’re a sensitive creative, entrepreneur, or leader who feels a pull toward leadership and a simultaneous urge to shrink back, this episode offers a compassionate lens for understanding why — and a softer way forward.Work With AnnaIf you want to explore visibility, leadership, and nervous-system safety in community, Anna’s membership Seen & Safe is currently open for enrollment.Seen & Safe is a twice-monthly group for sensitive creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders who want to practice being seen without overriding their nervous system.Learn more or join here:👉 www.annaholtzman.com/seenandsafe Anna is also hosting a free live workshop, Let Yourself Be Seen, for those who want a taste of this work before committing: www.annaholtzman.com/beseen

In this inspiring conversation, Anna is joined by Stacey Brass-Russell—performer, yoga teacher, studio owner, master-level coach, and creator of the E.V.O.L.V.E. change system—to explore what it truly takes to reinvent yourself at any age.Stacey shares her extraordinary path from Broadway to wellness to coaching, and how she learned to turn fear, uncertainty, and life upheaval into fuel for the next iteration of her purpose. Together, we examine how sensitive creatives can move through overwhelm, trust their desires, and build businesses that feel both aligned and abundant.In this episode, we explore:How to get out of overwhelm and into clear, grounded, doable actionWhy so many people stay stuck in a chapter that no longer fits—and what it takes to choose evolutionHow Stacey helps clients shift limiting beliefs about money, self-worth, and the ethics of abundanceThe emotional and identity challenges of making a midlife career pivotWhy reinvention is less about starting over and more about remembering who you’ve always beenHow to build a values-driven coaching or service-based business using clarity, alignment, and service instead of hustleConnect with StaceyWebsite: https://www.staceybrassrussell.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceybrassrussell/Free resource: 7 actionable steps to shift your mindset, get in gear, and start making money right now www.staceybrassrussell.com/money-mindset-anna-podcastConnect with AnnaWebsite: https://www.annaholtzman.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna_holtzman/

In this short solo episode, Anna explores a gentle, nervous-system–informed approach to getting back into flow when things feel hard.Instead of treating frustration, fear, or burnout as problems to fix, Anna offers a different framework: these states are signals of inner conflict — moments when parts of us want different things at the same time. And it’s that internal tug-of-war, not the emotions themselves, that drains our energy and pulls us out of flow.In this episode, you’ll learn how to stop fighting yourself and start bringing your energy back onto one team.In this episode, we cover:Why frustration, fear, and burnout aren’t the problem — and what actually isHow inner conflict drains your energy (and how to gently resolve it)A simple practice for working with frustration instead of spiraling against itHow to meet fear with care, curiosity, and reassurance — rather than self-criticismWhy burnout is often a signal to rest intentionally, not push harderHow choosing rest can actually bring creativity, motivation, and clarity back onlineWhy practicing these tools in community can create an upward spiral of support and flowAnna also shares how these practices are used inside Seen & Safe, her twice-monthly group for sensitive creatives, practitioners, and entrepreneurs who want to move forward without overriding their nervous system. Work With AnnaSeen & SafeA supportive, intimate group for sensitive creatives, practitioners, and entrepreneurs who want to reconnect with themselves, work with fear instead of against it, and return to flow again and again.Enrollment reopens January 14Join the waitlist for early access:👉 https://www.annaholtzman.com/seenandsafeFree Live Workshop — Let Yourself Be SeenCurious about the work before committing? Join Anna for a live, free workshop where you’ll get a taste of the tools shared in Seen & Safe, including a gentle introduction to the Melt-Through Method.Tuesday, January 20Live + replay availableRegister here:👉 https://www.annaholtzman.com/beseenLIVEQuestions?Sent me an email anna@annaholtzman.com

If you’re a sensitive creative, healer, or entrepreneur, then whether you use the word “launch” or not—you’re always putting something out into the world. A new offer. A group program. A workshop. A book. An idea.And let’s be honest: that visibility can feel vulnerable, overwhelming, and dysregulating.But what if launching didn’t have to feel like forcing yourself into a mold? What if it could feel more grounded, intuitive—and actually energizing?In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Weil, copy and marketing strategist and creator of LaunchFlow®, a methodology that helps expert business owners launch in a way that builds momentum without burnout. Over the past two decades, Danielle has written dozens of 6- and 7-figure launches and generated over $170M in sales—but her approach centers flow, alignment, and ease (not hustle, urgency, or bro-marketing tactics).We talk about:✨ What “energy-aligned launching” really means (and why it matters)✨ How to spot the sneaky signs that your strategy is out of sync with your natural rhythm✨ Why resistance might not be a mindset issue—but a sign that something’s off✨ Common traps sensitive entrepreneurs fall into when launching—and how to shift out of them✨ Client transformation stories that show what’s possible when you launch from a place of flow✨ Why having support to reflect your blind spots can help you come back into alignment✨ Danielle’s “soapbox” message for anyone trying to find their way in business without selling outWhether you're launching a product, a service, a program—or simply yourself—this conversation is here to remind you that you don’t have to sacrifice your energy, your well-being, or your truth to grow your business.✨ Connect with Danielle:LaunchFlow Roadmap: www.dwcopy.com/roadmapPodcast: Market Like a ParentInstagram: @daniellekweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danielleweil✨ Connect with Anna:Free workshop — Let Yourself Be Seen: www.annaholtzman.com/beseenInstagram: @anna.holtzmanEmail: anna@annaholtzman.com

This week, I’m bringing you inside a corner of my work that I don’t usually share publicly — my visibility membership, Seen & Safe.Seen & Safe is where sensitive creatives, coaches, and entrepreneurs come when they want to be visible, but also want to feel safe while doing it. We meet twice a month for nervous-system-safe visibility coaching, and between sessions we stay connected inside a private Slack community.It’s a space where people ask the honest questions, name the fears they usually hide, and practice being seen in real time.In today’s episode, I’m sharing a handful of the voice notes I recently sent inside our Slack channel — anonymized, of course — paired with the questions that inspired them.You’ll hear coaching around:How to find your authentic story when fear feels louder than your voiceWhat motivates creativity when you’re no longer running on survival-mode urgencyHow to hold boundaries (like session time) from a place of care, not guiltWhat it means to “hold the vision” when life throws a curveballWhy visibility aftercare is normal — and how to build capacity for it over timeThese are the kinds of conversations that unfold inside Seen & Safe all the time — slow, real, compassionate, nuanced, and deeply human. My hope is that you hear something today that helps you feel less alone in your own visibility journey.Seen & Safe opens for enrollment again in January.If you want to be the first to know when doors open, join the waitlist here:👉 annaholtzman.com/seenandsafeThanks for listening, and for being part of this work. If this episode resonates, share it with someone who might need it.

In this episode, Anna sits down with Laylee Emadi—educator, speaker, podcaster, and founder of the Creative Educator Conference—to talk about building a values-driven business rooted in authenticity, service, and real community.A former high school teacher turned multi-passionate entrepreneur, Laylee shares how she transitioned into coaching creatives, and how her love for education continues to shape the way she supports others. Together, they explore how to lead with heart in a world that often pushes polish and performance.Inside this conversation:Why community is central to Laylee’s work—and how it fuels connection and longevity in businessHow to break free from the “shoulds” and build a business that reflects your actual selfThe visibility blocks so many creatives face (like imposter syndrome and fear of taking up space)—and how to work through themClient transformation stories that show what’s possible when you lead with clarity, integrity, and courageLaylee’s powerful reminder that you’re allowed to do business differently—and that service is more powerful than egoWhether you're building a business, stepping into leadership, or just trying to find your voice in a noisy world, this episode is a breath of fresh air and a call back to what really matters. Connect with Laylee:🔗 Website: https://layleeemadi.com📸 Instagram: @laylee_emadi🎧Podcast: The Laylee Emadi PodcastConnect with Anna:🔗 Website: https://www.annaholtzman.com📸 Instagram: @anna_holtzman📩 Email: anna@annaholtzman.com

What if your business didn’t have to be built on burnout?In this heart-centered episode, I sit down with Molly Balint—business mentor, speaker, Instagram nerd, and founder of the SOFT Business Movement—to explore what it means to lead and grow from a place of gentleness, sustainability, and soul.Molly’s journey into entrepreneurship began nearly 20 years ago as a blogger and photographer documenting life on a fixer-upper farmhouse with four young daughters. Since then, she’s worked as a social media strategist for a major global parenting brand, been featured in national magazines, and most importantly—built a mentorship practice helping women uncover their meaningful work without hardening themselves to do it.If you’re a sensitive soul longing to turn your passion into a business—or scale the one you already have—this episode will remind you that soft is the new strong.✨ In this episode, we explore:What a “SOFT business” really is—and how it supports your nervous systemWhy ambition doesn’t have to mean overexertionThe most common struggles Molly sees in her clients—and how she helps them move throughHow Molly’s own business has evolved through the seasons of motherhood, creativity, and leadershipEncouragement for sensitive creatives who feel called to something more but don’t know where to startThis conversation is a balm if you’re tired of being told to hustle harder. Molly brings a gentle, grounded presence—and shows us that impact doesn’t have to come at the cost of integrity or wellbeing. 🧡 Connect with Molly:Website: www.mollybalint.comInstagram: @molly.balintJoin her Prep School community: https://www.skool.com/prepschool/about 🌿 Want to work with me?Explore 1:1 coaching or join my newsletter for sensitive creatives, coaches, and entrepreneurs ready to take up space without selling their soul:👉 www.annaholtzman.com👉 @anna_holtzman on Instagram📩 Email: anna@annaholtzman.com

The “messy middle” is the part most of us want to skip—after the rush of a new beginning and long before the satisfying finish. In this solo episode, I share why this season is not a mistake, how it shows up in creative work, business, and relationships, and what actually helps you stay with it instead of self-isolating or burning it all down.I tell two behind-the-scenes stories:Subway Dreams: the indie documentary I stopped promoting after a harsh review—plus the counter-example of a director who kept iterating, resubmitting, and ultimately premiered at Tribeca.Marriage in real life: what it looked like to stay through a rocky, high-conflict period with my now-husband—and the specific supports that got us through.You’ll hear:What the messy middle is (and why it feels like tangled spaghetti)Why the instinct to self-isolate makes it harder—and what to do insteadHow to use pacing, breaks, and co-regulation so you don’t crash and torch the projectWhy holding a clear vision and finding pleasure now keeps you movingThe mindset reframe: care more about connection than “saving face”Try this:Get support (coach or buddy up)Pace yourself and take real breaksKeep your vision close—and let yourself enjoy the process nowWhen fear of “how it looks” spikes, return to connection (clients, audience, partner, community, self)Work with meIf you’re in your own messy middle and want steady support—nervous-system-safe, compassionate, and practical—I offer 1:1 coaching and a small group space.Website: www.annaholtzman.comEmail: anna@annaholtzman.comIG: @anna_holtzmanThanks for listening—and for staying with your process. You’re not behind; you’re in it.