The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook

Are you listening to what your mind, emotions, and body are telling you? Our mental health, emotional wellness, and physical well-being are connected. But when we're overwhelmed by responsibilities and expectations, it's easy to overlook what we're experiencing and what we might need. In this week's Empowerment Tuesday episode of The FEEL Podcast, host Melissa Crook explores the mind-body connection and why recognizing our mental, emotional, and physical needs is an important part of intentional self-care. As we continue exploring Part Two of Embracing Layers Unapologetically, we're learning to approach ourselves with curiosity instead of judgment. In This Episode: Understanding the connection between mental, emotional, and physical health Recognizing changes in sleep, energy, concentration, and emotional well-being Why listening to our needs is an important part of self-care Approaching our experiences with curiosity instead of self-criticism Making intentional choices that support our overall wellness THREE WAYS TO ENGAGE 💙 NOTICE: What is your mind, body, or emotions telling you? 🩷 REFLECT: Are you giving each area of your well-being the attention it deserves? 💙 CHOOSE: Take one intentional step to care for yourself this week. This Week's FEEL Reflection: What would change if we treated our mental, emotional, and physical health as equally worthy of our attention? Because tending to ourselves isn't selfish. It's recognizing that we matter, too. You're Worth All of It. You're Valuable Because of Who You Are, Not What You Do. And You Get to Choose. 💙🩷 UPCOMING FEEL EVENTS! Before You Say Yes: A Six-Week FEEL Cohort Ready to stop automatically saying yes and start making choices that reflect your values, needs, and capacity? Our six-week guided FEEL Cohort begins November 4! ⏰ Enrollment closes October 30, 2026. 👉 Enroll: https://www.embracinglayers.com/empowerment 🎉 Virtual Kickoff Party — November 2! Join us as we kick off this FEEL experience together! 👉 Register: [Insert Kickoff Party Link] Make your YES as intentional as your NO. 💙🩷 Join our Substack community:⁠⁠https://feelpod.substack.com/⁠✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad

Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠ How can sound help us navigate grief and reconnect with ourselves? In this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook welcomes Jeralyn Glass—singer, sound healing practitioner, founder of Crystal Cadence, and author of Sacred Vibrations—for a heartfelt conversation about music, loss, and self-discovery. Jeralyn shares how sound became a source of comfort and connection following the death of her son. Drawing on her background in Broadway and opera and her work with crystal singing bowls, she reflects on the role music has played in her personal healing journey. This episode also includes a guided sound bath meditation, inviting you to pause, listen, and connect with the present moment. 💛 In This Episode • Jeralyn’s experience navigating grief after losing her son. • The role of sound and music in her healing journey. • Music as a way to connect with emotions beyond words. • Self-discovery through intentional listening. • A guided sound bath meditation with Jeralyn. Put FEEL Into Practice NOTICE: How do different sounds or pieces of music affect the way you feel? REFLECT: What has helped you feel comforted or connected during difficult seasons? CHOOSE: Where could you make space this week for intentional listening or rest? Allow yourself to experience the meditation without pressure to feel a particular way. Connect With Jeralyn Glass Website: https://www.jeralynglass.com/ Crystal Cadence: https://www.crystalcadence.com/ Sacred Vibrations: https://www.crystalcadence.com/sacred-vibrations/ Through the FEEL Framework—Finding Empowerment Embracing Layers—we encourage women to recognize their inherent worth and make intentional choices aligned with their values. Explore The Embracing Layers Network Website: https://www.embracinglayers.com/ Substack Community: https://feelpod.substack.com/ Follow The FEEL Podcast for more conversations about embracing your layers and caring for yourself. Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 2:15 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 7:04 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 9:57 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 31:56 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 37:06 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 50:22 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 55:58 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 1:00:41 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 1:03:58 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Do you know who you are but still struggle to trust yourself? In this Empowerment Tuesday episode of The FEEL Podcast, Founder and Thought Leader Melissa Crook explores how women can build self-trust, move beyond people-pleasing and external validation, and embrace who they are without allowing other people's expectations to determine their worth. As we begin Part Two of our book exploration of Embracing Layers Unapologetically, Melissa shares why self-discovery and self-trust aren't the same thing, and how embracing our identities means acknowledging our past, allowing ourselves to evolve, and making intentional choices aligned with our values. In This Episode: Why knowing yourself and trusting yourself are different How to stop seeking approval and questioning your worth Why personal growth doesn't require rejecting your past How to build self-trust through everyday decisions The connection between healthy boundaries, people-pleasing, and self-worth Why embracing yourself includes compassion and accountability How to recognize your value beyond productivity and accomplishments Three Ways to Engage: Recognize: How have you grown or evolved over the past five years? Reflect: Where are you still seeking others' validation instead of trusting yourself? Choose: Make one intentional decision this week based on your own values and needs. A question to consider: What would change in your life if you trusted who you are instead of continually questioning whether who you are is enough? Join the Before You Say Yes Six-Week Cohort!🎉 Are you tired of automatically saying yes, overcommitting, or feeling guilty when you prioritize your own needs? Join Melissa Crook for "Before You Say Yes": Making Choices Based on Your Values, Capacity & What You Actually Want. Beginning November 4th, 2026, this six-week small-group FEEL experience will help you explore healthy boundaries, people-pleasing, communication, self-trust, and making intentional commitments. Register for the Six-Week Cohort:⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/empowerment⁠ Before You Say Yes Virtual Kickoff Party — November 2nd!Join us two days before the cohort begins to connect and learn more about the experience. Register for the Virtual Kickoff Party: ⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact⁠ Connect & Explore The Embracing Layers Network:⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/⁠ Join our Substack community:⁠https://feelpod.substack.com/⁠ The FEEL Framework: Finding Empowerment Embracing Layers You're Worth All of It. You're Valuable Because of Who You Are, Not What You Do. And You Get to Choose. #SelfTrust #SelfDiscovery #SelfWorth #WomensEmpowerment #PeoplePleasing #HealthyBoundaries #EmbracingLayers

Become a Paid Subscriber and help us continue creating conversations, resources, and community that remind women they are valuable because of who they are, not what they do. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@thefeelpodcast⁠⁠Content Note: This episode discusses infant loss, sexual assault, grief, trauma, and sobriety. Please take care of yourself as you listen. How do you begin healing when life changes in ways you never imagined? Grief, trauma, sexual assault, and loss can profoundly affect how we see ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. But healing isn't about pretending those experiences didn't happen or expecting ourselves to simply move on. In this episode of The FEEL Podcast, Melissa Crook welcomes Nicole B. Gebhardt for a deeply personal conversation about navigating devastating loss, surviving difficult experiences, choosing sobriety, and discovering what it means to rebuild a life with intention. Nicole shares experiences that have shaped her journey, including sexual assault during college, the heartbreaking loss of her baby, and the choices that became part of her healing. We also explore her advocacy for military spouses, her recognition as National Guard Spouse of the Year, and how she has used her experiences to support others. Together, we consider what it means to acknowledge our pain without allowing it to determine our worth or every choice we make moving forward. In This Episode, We Explore: Healing after trauma and loss: Navigating grief and experiences that change our lives. Sexual assault and institutional accountability: The impact of not receiving the support or response we need. Sobriety and coping patterns: Recognizing when the ways we've learned to cope may no longer be helping us. Self-care during difficult seasons: How small rituals and intentional practices can support emotional well-being. Military spouse advocacy: Building community and support through shared experiences. Resilience and finding purpose: Exploring what it means to move forward without minimizing what we've experienced. Personal agency and self-worth: Recognizing the choices available to us as we navigate healing. A FEEL Reflection: Are the ways you've learned to cope still supporting the person you are today? Healing doesn't have to follow anyone else's timeline. And we don't have to turn every painful experience into something positive for our lives to have meaning. You're Worth All of It. You're Valuable Because of Who You Are, Not What You Do. And You Get to Choose. Ways To Engage: Notice how you respond to unexpected challenges. Do you acknowledge what you're experiencing or feel pressure to keep pushing through? Examine your coping patterns. Are the ways you've learned to cope still helping you? Consider what support might look like today. Is there a person, resource, or practice that could help you navigate this season? Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 4:06 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 15:42 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 19:10 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 25:29 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 34:18 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 36:16 ) Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 39:51 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 42:55 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 47:17 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 48:38 ) Original Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis ✨ Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie ✨- https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Why is it so difficult for women to prioritize self-care, even when we know how important it is? Between work, family, relationships, and everyday responsibilities, making time for ourselves often becomes something we'll get to when everything else is finished. But what happens when everything else is never finished? In this Empowerment Tuesday episode of The FEEL Podcast, host and thought leader Melissa Crook explores how to prioritize self-care without guilt, set healthy boundaries, recognize overcommitment, and make intentional choices that support our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Self-care isn't about putting yourself first in every situation or abandoning the people who depend on you. It's about recognizing that your needs matter, too, and making room for them within the realities of your life. In This Episode, You'll Explore: Why self-care isn't selfish: Moving beyond the belief that you must earn time for yourself. How to make time for self-care: Identifying realistic ways to prioritize your needs during busy seasons. Recognizing guilt and people-pleasing: Understanding why women often put everyone else's needs ahead of their own. Healthy boundaries and saying no: Why every commitment involves a trade-off. Aligning your calendar with your values: Examining whether your time reflects what matters most to you. Communicating your needs: Learning to express expectations and ask for support. Mental, emotional, and physical well-being: Recognizing when something needs your attention Three Ways to Engage1. Look at your calendar. Where have you intentionally made time for yourself? 2. Identify what's getting in the way. Is it guilt, overcommitting, or believing everything else must come first? 3. Choose one way to prioritize your care this week. Make time for something that genuinely nourishes you. Self-care isn't another obligation to perfect. It's a conscious choice to recognize that your well-being matters. Join the Before You Say Yes Six-Week Cohort!🎉 Are you tired of automatically saying yes, overcommitting, or feeling guilty when you prioritize your own needs? Join Melissa Crook for "Before You Say Yes": Making Choices Based on Your Values, Capacity & What You Actually Want. Beginning November 4th, 2026, this six-week small-group FEEL experience will help you explore healthy boundaries, people-pleasing, communication, self-trust, and making intentional commitments. Register for the Six-Week Cohort: https://www.embracinglayers.com/empowerment Before You Say Yes Virtual Kickoff Party — November 2nd!Join us two days before the cohort begins to connect and learn more about the experience. Register for the Virtual Kickoff Party: https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact Connect & Explore The Embracing Layers Network: https://www.embracinglayers.com/ Join our Substack community: https://feelpod.substack.com/ The FEEL Framework: Finding Empowerment Embracing Layers You're Worth All of It. You're Valuable Because of Who You Are, Not What You Do. And You Get to Choose.