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

Hosted by Melissa Crook, the award-winning FEEL (Finding Empowerment Embracing Layers) Podcast helps women with self-care, emotional wellness, and personal growth. Learn how to set healthy boundaries, manage overwhelm, build confidence, and live authentically using the FEEL Framework. Bi-weekly Episodes include short mindset and empowerment conversations (Tuesdays) and guest interviews (Thursdays). Especially helpful for women struggling with people-pleasing, codependent relationships, and saying no. Be a guest: podmatch.com/feel2021 or embracinglayers.com/contact.

The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook is a education podcast hosted by Melissa Crook, with 277 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Melissa Crook hosts The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook, a education show with 277 episodes published.

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  Episode #1

  How to Live What You Know: Self-Care, Boundaries, Self-Worth & Choosing Yourself | Season 11 Kickoff

  Sep 1, 202619 minS11

  Welcome to Season 11 of The FEEL Podcast! What happens when you know self-care matters, understand the importance of healthy boundaries, and believe your worth isn't determined by what you do, but still struggle to put those things into practice in your own life? That's where we're going this season. In this Empowerment Tuesday kickoff, Melissa Crook shares what's ahead for Season 11 and why The Embracing Layers Network is becoming even more intentional about helping women take the conversations they're hearing and connect them to their own lives. Because hearing another woman talk about setting boundaries is one thing. Setting the boundary yourself is another. Hearing someone talk about self-care, self-worth, trusting herself, or choosing herself can be powerful, but eventually we have to ask: What does this mean for me, and what am I going to DO with what I now know? In this episode: Get a sneak peek at the women joining Melissa for Thursday conversations throughout Season 11 Learn about the new weekly FEEL Calendar dropping every Monday Meet Wednesday's FEEL Connection; a weekly opportunity to explore how that week's conversations connect to the FEEL Framework and resources from The Embracing Layers Network Celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Embracing Layers Unapologetically Book Hear what's ahead for Volume 2 of the book, coming in 2027 with insights from Seasons 5–10 Discover three simple Ways to Engage as we begin the new season Your Ways to Engage: Choose how you want to FEEL this season. Put FEEL on your calendar. Take one conversation into your real life. The conversation may be where FEEL begins—but what you do with it is where FEEL becomes yours. #WomensEmpowerment #SelfWorth #HealthyBoundaries

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

  How to Protect Your Peace, Build Self-Worth & Master Self-Care with Carla Perez

  Aug 27, 202656 min

  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 Welcome to the Season 10 finale of The FEEL Podcast! In this special episode, Melissa Crook welcomes Carla Perez for an empowering conversation about self-care, self-worth, healthy boundaries, emotional wellness, and personal growth . Carla shares how becoming more intentional and self-aware has helped her recognize when she needs to slow down, protect her peace, and prioritize her mental, physical, and emotional well-being. As a naturally empathetic person, she has learned that self-care isn't selfish —it's essential for showing up authentically for yourself and the people you love. Together, Melissa and Carla explore why listening to your body is such an important part of emotional self-awareness. Rather than waiting for burnout or exhaustion to force you to stop, Carla encourages women to recognize their needs, create healthy boundaries, and give themselves permission to rest without guilt. A powerful theme throughout the conversation is building self-worth from within . Inspired by wisdom from her father, Carla reminds us that nobody else gets to determine our limitations or value. Your worth isn't defined by your career, relationships, accomplishments, gender, mistakes, or someone else's perception of you. There is a seat at the table for you. We also explore authentic living and what it means to embrace every layer of yourself—including the imperfect ones. Carla shares how self-awareness has helped her recognize difficult emotions, habits, and triggers without allowing self-criticism to take over. Especially through motherhood, she has learned the importance of giving herself grace while continuing to grow. Whether you're learning how to set boundaries, overcome guilt and self-criticism, build confidence, or simply prioritize yourself again, this Season 10 finale is a reminder that personal growth doesn't require perfection. You can protect your peace, honor your needs, and become more fully yourself one intentional choice at a time. Your self-worth is inherent. You don't have to earn it or prove it. Give yourself permission to rest, grow, make mistakes, set boundaries, and take your seat at the table. #SelfCare #SelfLove #SelfWorth #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalWellness #MentalWellness #HealthyBoundaries #Boundaries #WomenEmpowerment #WomensEmpowerment #EmpoweredWomen #AuthenticSelf #BeYourself #ProtectYourPeace #HealingJourney #Resilience #Mindfulness #Confidence #TheFEELPodcast Timestamps:Prioritizing Self Care - ( 2:19 )Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 4:13 )Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 10:49 )Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 14:54 )Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 22:35 )Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 25:02 )Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 29:57 )Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 36:12 )5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 40:38 )5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 45:20 ) 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. Want to be a guest on The FEEL Podcast? - Send Melissa Crook a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/feel2021⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ or complete our contact form here: ⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact

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  Episode #43

  How to Break Free From Codependency, People Pleasing & Trauma Bonds

  Aug 25, 202632 minS10

  One more week left to join our #Founding500 on Substack! 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 Are you constantly putting other people's needs, emotions, and expectations ahead of your own? In this episode of The FEEL Podcast , Melissa Crook explores how codependency, people pleasing, self-abandonment, and unhealthy relationship patterns can affect our emotional wellness, self-worth, and ability to create healthy relationships. Relationships can enter our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Sometimes a relationship that once provided important support no longer works in the same way as we grow and change. That doesn't necessarily mean the relationship has to end. But healthier relationships require communication, accountability, mutual respect, and a willingness for both people to grow. Melissa also discusses trauma bonding relationship dynamics , why setting boundaries can change relationships, and what can happen when the people around us resist the healthier boundaries we're beginning to create. • Recognizing codependency and people-pleasing patterns • Understanding how people pleasing can become self-abandonment • The connection between self-worth and healthy relationships • Understanding trauma bonds • How to stop feeling responsible for everyone else's emotions • Setting and communicating healthy boundaries • What someone's reaction to your boundary may reveal • Why stepping back doesn't mean you stopped caring • Trusting yourself and your instincts • Building a healthier relationship with yourself One important reminder: Someone else's discomfort with your boundary doesn't automatically mean your boundary is wrong. You can love someone without becoming responsible for them. You can support someone without abandoning yourself. And you can make choices that protect your well-being without requiring everyone around you to agree. Rooted in the FEEL Framework — Finding Empowerment Embracing Layers , this conversation invites you to become curious about your relationship patterns and begin asking: What do I need? What do I value? What boundary haven't I communicated? Am I making this decision because it's right for me—or because I'm afraid of someone else's reaction? You are worthy. You are valuable because of who you are, not what you do. And you get to choose. Think about a relationship where you regularly compromise your own needs to keep someone else comfortable. Identify one boundary you've been wanting to communicate and, if it feels safe to do so , practice expressing it clearly. Then notice what happens when you choose not to abandon yourself. ✨ FREE Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad Ready for deeper support? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute conversation with Melissa to explore healthy boundaries, people-pleasing patterns, self-worth, emotional wellness, and creating healthier relationships: https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact #Codependency #PeoplePleasing #HealthyBoundaries #TraumaBonding #HealthyRelationships #SelfWorth #SelfAbandonment #SettingBoundaries #EmotionalWellness #RelationshipHealing #PersonalGrowth #SelfTrust #WomensEmpowerment #TheFEELPodcast #EmbracingLayers

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  Episode #42

  Learning to Slow Down, Find Yourself & Define Success on Your Own Terms with Marianela Borbon

  Aug 20, 202641 minS10

  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 What happens when you stay busy for so long that your body finally forces you to slow down? In this episode of The FEEL Podcast , Melissa Crook welcomes entrepreneur and community leader Marianela Borbon for an inspiring conversation about burnout prevention, self-care, personal growth, and defining success on your own terms . Marianela shares her journey of realizing that she didn't have to be "on" all the time. After years of moving from one responsibility to the next, she learned that slowing down isn't unproductive—it's an essential part of protecting your mental wellness, managing stress, and creating a healthier work-life balance. Together, Melissa and Marianela explore how intentional pauses can create space for self-discovery and self-awareness . Slowing down gives us an opportunity to ask deeper questions about who we are, what brings us fulfillment, and whether the life we're building actually reflects our values. Marianela also shares how this process led her toward purpose-driven entrepreneurship. In 2020, she founded Uplift Balloons , combining creativity, community service, and her values into work that brings her genuine fulfillment. Her story demonstrates how entrepreneurship can become an extension of authentic living when your work connects with what matters most to you. The conversation also explores building self-trust, balancing business and self-care, and creating sustainable routines without overworking yourself . Marianela shares her approach to quarterly planning—looking ahead while intentionally leaving room for rest, flexibility, relationships, and the unexpected moments life brings. Whether you're experiencing burnout, struggling with work-life balance, or simply wondering what success means to you, this episode is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and build a life around your own definition of fulfillment. Try Marianela's approach and plan your life in quarters. Look ahead at your goals and responsibilities, but intentionally leave room for adjustments and rest. Most importantly, put things on your calendar that matter to you —not just the things you have to accomplish. Your work matters, but so do your health, relationships, joy, and peace. #SelfCare #BurnoutPrevention #MentalWellness #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #WorkLifeBalance #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #MindfulLiving #IntentionalLiving #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalWellness #SelfAwareness #StressManagement #LifeBalance #PurposeDrivenLife #SmallBusinessOwner #CommunityLeadership #TheFEELPodcast Timestamps: Prioritizing Self Care - ( 2:38 ) Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 6:28 ) Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 10:46 ) Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 14:20 ) Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 20:14 ) Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 24:29 ) Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 32:14 ) 5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 35:29 ) 5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 38:22 ) 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. Take advantage of this summer’s special 50% offer with code CLEANSE50 on the Calendar Cleanse to get you started today on honoring your bandwidth and energy daily! Offer good through August 31st, 2026.

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  Episode #41

  How to Prevent Burnout: Honor Your Bandwidth and Protect Your Energy with Melissa Crook

  Aug 18, 202625 minS10

  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 When was the last time you truly checked in with yourself? Maybe it was last week. Maybe it’s been a month, or longer. With busy schedules, constant responsibilities, and the pressure to say “yes” to everything, it’s easy to lose touch with what we actually need. In this episode of The FEEL Podcast , we’re talking about the importance of honoring your bandwidth in your schedule , recognizing your energy levels, setting healthy boundaries, and making space for yourself before burnout takes over. Why regularly checking in with yourself is essential for your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being How to recognize when your schedule is exceeding your emotional and physical bandwidth Why self-care should meet you where you are rather than becoming another obligation The importance of listening to your body and honoring your energy How to give yourself permission to cancel, reschedule, rest, or say no Why pushing through exhaustion can contribute to stress and burnout How communication can help you establish healthier boundaries Why saying “no” doesn’t mean you’re letting people down How to stop overcommitting simply because you feel responsible for everything The connection between self-awareness, boundaries, self-care, and preventing burnout Why your time and energy are valuable and why you deserve to protect them The goal is nourishment, not another item on your to-do list . Your bandwidth can change from day to day and week to week. An emotionally draining conversation, an unexpected responsibility, or an especially demanding schedule can affect how much energy you have available. Checking in with yourself before and after a busy period can help you recognize what you need to replenish your energy. You don’t have to say yes to every project, commitment, invitation, or responsibility. Sometimes the healthiest choice is to say no. Communicating your needs with the people around you can create healthier relationships and stronger boundaries. The people who genuinely care about you will want you to make choices that support your well-being, not choices that leave you depleted. You cannot carry everything on your shoulders. Honor the bandwidth you actually have instead of overloading your schedule based on what you think everyone else expects from you. Burnout doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes it develops slowly as we continue ignoring our needs, overcommitting, and pushing through exhaustion. Regular self-check-ins can help you notice the warning signs sooner. Then, most importantly, give yourself permission to respond honestly. Free Download: Embracing a FEEL Fueled Life Sample Freebie : https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:02ce6c2f-90ed-4741-bdab-e62e20c2e7ad Take advantage of this summer’s special 50% offer with code CLEANSE50 on the Calendar Cleanse to get you started today on honoring your bandwidth and energy daily! Offer good through August 31st, 2026. Ready for deeper support? Visit Embracing Layers to schedule a complimentary 30-minute session or learn more about Honoring Your Bandwidth in Your Schedule with Melissa: https://www.embracinglayers.com/contact Ways to Engage: Check in with yourself regularly. Put it on your calendar to check in with yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Whether it be once a week or once a month, continue finding time to check in and honor your bandwidth in your schedule. Hashtags #SelfCare #MentalHealth #MentalWellness #EmotionalWellness #BurnoutPrevention #SelfAwareness #HealthyBoundaries #WorkLifeBalance #StressManagement #Mindfulness #PersonalGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalHealth #WellnessJourney #IntentionalLiving #SelfLove #HealthyLifestyle #MindfulLiving #TheFEELPodcast

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