The Dive Heart First Podcast

Writing a book as an entrepreneur can grow your business. But what if the biggest impact happens before the book is even published?How do you know when your story is worth sharing, especially when self-doubt shows up halfway through writing it?Amanda Wilson-Ciocci, co-founder of The Monarch & Co. and a three-time bestselling author, joins me to explore the personal, professional, and lasting impact of writing a book.There's a moment in this conversation that challenges the way we think about telling our stories: Amanda believes we're not necessarily the keepers of our stories. We're the messengers.I love the shift that creates. What if the experience you've spent years making sense of could help someone else make sense of theirs?We explore why writing a book can be both illuminating and uncomfortable, what Amanda calls the messy metamorphosis of becoming an author, and how focusing on one person you're writing for can help you stay connected to your purpose and inspired throughout the process.We also get practical about the publishing journey, including the differences between traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing models, why preserving an author's individual voice matters, and how a book can create business opportunities long after launch day.Because there's a difference between creating content for today's attention and creating something that reflects what you want to be known for.If you've been thinking about writing a book, building your authority as an entrepreneur, or sharing your expertise in a way that lasts beyond social media, this conversation will give you something to think about.EXPLORE AMANDA'S WORKLearn more about The Monarch & Co.: https://www.themonarchandco.comMasterclass (*NEW DATE* October 28th): https://www.themonarchandco.com/LeadershipBooksBuildYourBusiness

I’ve always been fascinated by the things we use to understand ourselves.Sometimes we look to psychology. Sometimes we look to our bodies. Sometimes we look to other people. And sometimes we look up.That’s where this conversation with author and astrologer Shannon Hugman gets really interesting.Shannon doesn’t approach astrology as a set of predictions telling us what’s going to happen or who we're supposed to be. She sees it as a mirror. The moon, the stars, the cycles and the symbols can give us something to notice, reflect on and explore within ourselves.Which got me thinking about how easily we can hand our authority over to something outside of us when what we're really looking for is a way to hear ourselves more clearly.We also got into the changing rhythms of our bodies, menstrual-cycle awareness, journaling, intuition, Shannon's work with young people and her beautiful insight that we are stardust.Key TakeawaysAstrology can be used as a tool for self-discovery rather than a system for predicting the future.The moon offers a natural metaphor for cycles, change and the emotional experience of being human.Journaling can turn an external observation into a practice of listening inward.Becoming aware of our body's rhythms can change the relationship we have with ourselves.We can engage with astrology without making ourselves passive recipients of planetary influence.“You are stardust” becomes a reminder of our connection to something much bigger than ourselves.If Shannon's approach to astrology sparks your curiosity, you can explore her books, services and Making Sense of the Universe Substack at shannonhugman.com.Pre-order books here:Dear Stardust: https://a.co/d/07OCvREkMoon Cycles & Me Journal: https://a.co/d/00JpAnrBshannonhugman.substack.comIf you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share. It truly helps more people discover it. Thank you! Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

The Dive Heart First Podcast has been on a little holiday for the past few weeks.I started this podcast completely unbridled and unfiltered, following whatever felt alive that week. And I loved it.But then I felt a shift. It felt time to get clearer about who this podcast is for and what I really want it to offer.So I’m giving that idea some space to brew.In the meantime, I’ll be releasing at least one interview episode a month. These are conversations I genuinely want to have with fascinating people, and I think you’ll love them too.The first one drops next week.And I’d love to hear from you. What are you curious about? What are you wrestling with? What would you love to hear me explore?The solo episodes will return once the next idea is fully baked.Could be January 2027. Could be sooner.Who knows? 😂Until then, come join me for some coffee chats.And I’ll keep you updated!

What if the goal isn't to feel better? What if the greater skill is to get better at feeling?In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn explores what actually happens when a thought, person, memory, or circumstance triggers a powerful response in your body. Instead of treating uncomfortable emotions as problems to eliminate, she looks at them as sensations carrying information, energy, and sometimes a message that is asking to be noticed.Jenn shares a personal experience with meditation and chronic pain that completely changed the way she understood sensation, emotional responses, and her relationship with her own body. From there, she introduces a simple meditation for sitting with uncomfortable sensations without immediately trying to fix, suppress, label, or escape them.This isn't about forcing yourself to feel positive. It's about developing a different relationship with what you're already feeling.Key Takeaways:An emotional trigger can be the body's attempt to mobilize you toward something that matters, but not every sensation still has an action attached to it.Sometimes the story we put around an emotion becomes heavier than the original sensation itself.Paying close attention to a physical sensation can reveal details you completely miss when you're busy trying to get rid of it.Acceptance becomes much more powerful when it isn't secretly being used as a strategy to make the uncomfortable thing disappear.You may not need to become better at avoiding difficult feelings. You may need to become better at being with them.There is a fascinating difference between feeling better and getting better at feeling. Sometimes the second one changes your relationship with the first in ways you couldn't have predicted.If you're enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. It truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to get unstuck, the more stuck you seem to feel? It might not be because you lack motivation or discipline. It might be because your brain is trying to protect you with an old pattern that no longer fits where you’re going.In this episode of The Dive Heart First Podcast, Jenn Walker explores the psychology of getting unstuck and why movement creates clarity. You’ll discover how simple actions, intentional questions, the language you use with yourself, and tiny consistent steps can begin shifting the patterns that keep you feeling trapped.Jenn dives into how the brain’s attention systems influence what we notice, why asking better questions can open new possibilities, and how confidence is built through evidence rather than something we need before we begin.This conversation is for anyone who has been sitting in uncertainty, overthinking their next move, or waiting to feel ready before taking action.Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to get unstuck, the more stuck you seem to feel? It might not be because you lack motivation or discipline. It might be because your brain is trying to protect you with an old pattern that no longer fits where you’re going.Key Takeaways: Why feeling stuck is often a perception created by the brain, not a permanent reality.How movement creates distance from problems and allows new perspectives to emerge.Why the quality of the questions you ask yourself shapes the possibilities you see.How your language influences identity and the actions you believe are available to you.Why confidence is created through small wins, not required before you begin.You do not need to see the entire path before taking the next step. Sometimes clarity does not come before movement. It comes because of movement.If you’re enjoying this podcast, follow the show, leave a rating, drop a comment, and share it. As it truly helps more people discover it. Thank you!Say hi on Instagram @diveheartfirst, join the Monthly Newsletter, and hop into the Community & Conversation over on YouTube.