Have you ever looked at the people around you and wondered, How are they not constantly questioning what they're doing here? Because SAME. In this solo episode, I'm diving into Ikigai—the Japanese concept often associated with finding your reason for living—and the modern-day framework that got me thinking about purpose, passion, contribution, and the work we're here to do. I share the questions I've been wrestling with, the grief that can come with outgrowing an old identity, and a big evolution in my work: moving voice empowerment for women from behind the scenes of my writing and coaching work to center stage.I'm exploring how finding our voices in our personal lives can prepare us to use them professionally and more broadly in our communities. If you're in the messy middle of figuring out your own purpose, here's your reminder: You don't have to have it all figured out. You find your way by experimenting, exploring, and being willing to become someone new. And guess what? Your purpose might not be waiting somewhere out in the distance. It might be hiding in the things you're already doing.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Here’s the <a href="https://japanhousela.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ikigai-Article-Chart.png">modern-day diagram depicting Ikigai</a> that I mentionedThe episode of the podcast “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6B7YVD6eZAqgkX8qLYBNJ3?si=Pw8vs6PrQZyrt2QhMVlQcw">Breaking Generations of Silence</a>” where I first mention my work with Ailish!The talk I gave for Creative Mornings Mexico City, titled “<a href="https://youtu.be/CwXrcvHzkGY?si=Nwi4Sn8S5G6Fs_KW">What do you want your legacy to be?</a>”DM me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lollyspin/">Instagram @lollyspin</a>

Finding Your Ikigai & the Courage to Become Who You're Meant to Be

What do mantras have to do with meditation, healing, and getting in touch with the divine within you? In this solo episode of Write Your Path, I’m sharing why I love singing mantras, how they fit into the practice of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion), and why they’ve become such powerful medicine for me. I talk about the monkey mind, the meaning behind chanting to deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi, and how these practices can help us connect with the parts of ourselves that are already wise, abundant, and capable of moving through our own obstacles.I’m also taking you behind the scenes of a creative adventure I never quite expected I’d take: recording my own album of mantras, Kirtan in Kasa. I’m not a professional singer—and I had plenty of nerves about putting my voice out into the world—but after a little help from a friend, an unexpected recording studio discovery, and a whole lot of trust in the process, I went for it. Sometimes you just need a little devotion and creative courage in order to make something beautiful before you know exactly where it will lead.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Learn more about the Hare Krishnas, formally known as the <a href="https://iskcon.org/">International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) here</a>“<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Njxl86N4inxFi5xBuCoR1?si=7bcc02638b7b4b72">My Sweet Lord</a>,” the song by George Harrison (not The Beatles) that includes the Maha Mantra<a href="https://www.estudiosnoviembre.com/">Estudios Noviembre</a>, where I recorded my album of mantras, Kirtan in KasaThe episode of the podcast where I chat with my friend—and producer on my album—Maca, “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4yVyRGaknlk5MhR915YA2m?si=9ecf553327b641cf">Why Perfectionism is Killing Your Creativity</a>”The episode of the podcast where I talk about my classic avoidant tendencies, “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Od5FiG51hUEhyeht1SeUi?si=b5fae627c7504fc8">How Attachment Styles Apply to More than Just Romantic Relationships</a>”

Why I Recorded an Album of Mantras

Let's be real: building a business, pursuing a creative project, or carving out a life that looks different from the traditional 9-to-5 isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you put your whole heart into something and it doesn't work out the way you hoped. You try new things, spin your wheels, and start wondering when all that effort is going to pay off. And when you're a solopreneur, those disappointments can feel especially lonely.In this week’s solo episode, I'm sharing honestly about being in one of those seasons myself and offering a little encouragement if you're feeling disheartened, deflated, or frustrated with where things are with your business or creative project right now. I share how it's okay to feel what you're feeling—you don't have to pretend entrepreneurship is wonderful all the time—and how reconnecting with the practices that ground you can help shift your perspective. Just remember to give yourself grace, reconnect with what supports you, and take the next small step. If you're feeling this way, too, let's connect; we don't have to navigate it alone.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:DM me on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lollyspin/">@lollyspin</a>

The Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster: Giving Yourself Grace When Nothing Seems to Be Working

On today’s solo episode, I dive into the four attachment styles we hear about in the context of romantic relationships—as well as the four wealth archetypes—how they overlap, and how they apply to our relationships with ourselves, our businesses, our creative projects, and more.I share how I became aware of my own propensity for avoidance when it came to my money, and how I then noticed that avoidance rear its ugly head with other important things in my life. I found this especially surprising because in my relationship with others I’m anything but avoidant; I’m incredibly direct and want to have the difficult conversation as soon as possible. I leave listeners with an invitation to look at which attachment styles are showing up in their relationships with others as well as with themselves.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:The <a href="https://personalpsychology.com.au/blog/4-types-of-attachment-styles">Four Attachment Styles</a>An article about the <a href="https://www.aspenwealthmgmt.com/resource-center/blog/what-is-your-money-personality/">Money Archetypes</a><a href="https://www.denisedt.com/quiz">A quiz</a> to learn more about your money personality

How Attachment Styles Apply to More than Just Romantic Relationships

It’s time to stop trying to think your way through everything and start listening to your body. Inga Driksne is a Latvian creative who has built a life around movement, photography, curated experiences, and the art of slowing down. After years of moving between London, Berlin, and a nomadic life, she eventually landed in Mexico City, where she found herself exploring a deeper relationship with her body, spirituality, grief, and creativity.In this conversation, we explore somatic movement, what it actually means to listen to the “language of the body,” why awareness is only the first half of changing a pattern, and how to create a life that gives you enough space to actually hear yourself. We talk about anger, grief, trauma, creativity, play, and the idea that healing doesn't necessarily happen when we're sitting in the pain, but can happen when we make our way back to joy, movement, rest, and presence.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/welcomingrief/">Welcoming Grief</a>, the grief community Inga created<a href="https://deathcafe.com/">Death Café</a>, an agenda-free gathering for talking openly about death<a href="https://milenamay.com/dam2026/">Dance as Medicine</a>, the facilitation training Inga is undertaking, which combines dance, somatic practices, embodiment, facilitation, and community<a href="https://ifs-institute.com/">The IFS, or Internal Family Systems, Institute</a><a href="https://gita.studio/">GITA Studio</a>, a yoga, breathwork, and movement studio in CDMX where Inga leads events<a href="https://milenamay.com/">Milena May</a>, an experienced Somatic Therapist and Functional Practitioner and Inga’s teacherThe <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mBBNsQRO83DSsW40Nxasj?si=c6f0cc9f0a95410b">podcast episode</a> about my Vipassana experienceConnect with Inga on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/inga_maria/">Instagram</a>Check out Inga's <a href="https://ingadriksne.github.io/index.html">photography work here</a>

Your Body Is Talking. Are You Listening?

In this episode, I’m talking with my longtime friend Amelia Chiarenza about the many lives we get to live. Amelia went from Division I rowing coach to a corporate aerospace defense career with Boeing. But after losing her mother, best friend, and father within 16 months—followed by being laid off from her job—Amelia made a hard pivot: She moved back to her childhood home, committed to finishing the book she’d been writing, and began building an entirely new creative and entrepreneurial life around her story.We talk about her work as a death doula and energy kinesiologist, including themes of grief, reinvention, and learning to recognize when a chapter is coming to an end—even when everything looks successful on the outside. Amelia takes us deep into the process of writing and publishing her memoir, Recovered, Alive, including the vulnerability of putting your story into the world and the freedom of creative exploration. If you’re carrying a story you know you’re meant to share, this conversation is an invitation to listen for what’s asking to emerge next.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Rebecca Auman and her podcast, <a href="https://rebeccaauman.com/2025-homepage-1-3">Voices in the River</a>Find Amelia on her <a href="https://www.cultivatebeing.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cultivatebeing/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-chiarenza/">LinkedIn</a>Check out her book, <a href="https://cultivatebeing.myshopify.com/products/recovered-alive">Recovered, Alive</a> and her podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/21i755xetFHXnftCjvu3Ac">Cultivate Being</a>

What to Do When You Outgrow the Life You’ve Spent Decades Building with Amelia Chiarenza

What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you want isn’t a lack of time, money, knowledge, or opportunity—but you? In this episode, I make a commitment to myself: I am no longer my biggest blocker. I talk about the limiting beliefs, fear, self-doubt, procrastination, and resistance that keeps us from doing the things we already know we need to do, and why becoming the person who can actually hold what we say we want requires us to start changing our daily habits now.I also share my work with a business coach and a soul mentor, simplifying my business around my Book Doula + Writing Coach work, and getting brutally honest about where I’ve been getting in my own way. I outline the simple daily habits I’m committing to and why I’m giving myself more grace. But the real shift comes from thinking about these habits not as things we have to do, but as acts of devotion to ourselves; what if taking a walk, journaling, singing, meditating, or doing the thing you’ve been avoiding could become a living, breathing act of self-devotion?Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Check out my coach <a href="https://www.clairesellers.com/">Claire Seller’s work here</a>Ready to Write Your Book? <a href="https://calendly.com/lollyspindler">Grab your *Finish the Effing Book* call here</a>Start building your freelance writing business inside <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/the-6-fig-freelance-writer/">The 6-Fig Freelance Writer</a> self-paced digital courseCheck out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authentically.ailish/">Ailish’s Instagram here</a>, and listen to my episode where I break down <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6B7YVD6eZAqgkX8qLYBNJ3?si=2lI05QPMRb6J88hToGBibw">our first call here</a>The episode where I talk extensively about <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mBBNsQRO83DSsW40Nxasj?si=b22b3f4d589b48d9">my experience sitting Vipassana</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18109765541063246/">Listen to some of my early mantras here</a>!

Stop Getting in Your Own Way: Turning Habits into Acts of Self Devotion

Today’s episode features my longtime friend & serial entrepreneur Neil Goldsmith. Back in 2016, Neil quit his 9-to-5, moved to Thailand, and built a successful e-commerce business selling Viking-inspired products. Since then, he’s traveled the world and turned a single horn mug into a 35-product business. We talk about the wild, messy, and often unexpected path of watching a business grow, decline, and evolve over its first 10 years, and then figuring out what comes next.Neil opens up about the emotional attachment entrepreneurs can develop to their businesses, the challenge of becoming a slave to it, the missed opportunity to sell his company, and his efforts to build systems, teams, and AI-powered tools that give him his freedom back. He also shares the story behind his new SaaS company, Replenly, a failed venture into the kava industry, and why some of his biggest “failures” became some of his best adventures.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:The episode where I talk about the concept of freedom <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2gCsPrU5qCVO1Aj12gTWBb?si=342c17053dea486d">can be found here</a>, and where I talk about productivity <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/18GiVrHCsqbtbwX6DZ72n4?si=3004ac91d36845ae">can be found here</a>.Check out Norse Tradesman’s <a href="https://norsetradesman.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/norse.tradesman/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NorseTradesman">Etsy shop</a> Learn more about Neil’s new SaaS product, <a href="https://replenly.io/">Replenly</a>Find Neil on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/neil.go/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-goldsmith-54b27a347/">LinkedIn</a>

Stop Being a Slave to Your Business with Neil Goldsmith

In this conversation with the impossible-to-categorize Lola Villa, we dive into everything from finding your voice to following your curiosity, and trusting that the more deeply you become yourself, the more aligned opportunities begin to find you. Lola—a creative strategist, musician, curator, and storyteller—shares her journey from working in traditional media and visual storytelling to creating music, working with nature, and eventually being invited to help shape a new version of NASA’s legendary Golden Record, a project designed to tell the story of humanity and the Earth to other intelligent life in the universe.Lola believes authenticity can actually be a trap, as we’re all inevitably shaped by the people, books, music, languages, and cultures that influence us (which is why copying can actually be a powerful part of developing your own creative voice). We explore the creative process, the importance of becoming obsessed with a subject, and what it means to see ourselves as porous beings constantly shaped by the world around us. Essentially, this conversation is an invitation to stop striving for some perfect version of authenticity and simply start creating from your own unique way of seeing the world.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://grist.org/">Grist</a>, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to reporting on climate change.Book recommendations: <a href="https://amzn.to/4cVUJom">Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants</a> by Robin Wall Kimmerer, <a href="https://amzn.to/4c6ZM5c">Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good</a> by adrienne maree brown, and <a href="https://amzn.to/4cyXnQO">The Overstory</a> by Richard Powers<a href="https://vimeo.com/85040589">The Gap</a>, a short video by Ira Glass. The audio is taken from a talk on storytelling he gave; watch <a href="https://youtu.be/5pFI9UuC_fc?si=xIujjWa-BIa88mD4">parts 1</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx2cI-2FJRs">2</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2wLP0izeJE">3</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp_8pwkg_R8">4</a> here (the excerpt is from part 3).<a href="https://www.futuresoundofnature.com/">Future Sound of Nature</a>, Lola’s record label that blends the soul of electronic music with the rhythms of the Earth.<a href="https://atmos.earth/">Atmos</a>, the nonprofit media organization focused on the cross-pollination of climate and culture where Lola worked.<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-golden-record-overview/">NASA's Golden Record</a>, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, first launched in 1977 to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials. Here’s the <a href="https://radiolab.org/podcast/91520-space">Radio Lab episode</a> that talks ab

NASA Found Her Work, Now She's Curating the Story of Humanity

This solo episode is all about finding peace in the pause. What if the season when it feels like nothing is happening is actually preparing you for everything that comes next? In this episode I talk about my own recent season of pause—especially the anxiety I experienced around money and business—and the realization that ultimately, the universe had my back. Instead of constantly pushing, producing, and trying to make something happen, I decided to trust the pause, root down, and allow myself to rest, reassess, and prepare for whatever comes next.We often forget that nothing in nature blooms year-round. A tree has to grow an extensive root system underground before it can break through the surface, and sometimes we have to do the same. I share a few metaphors that have helped me understand these quieter seasons and offer a reminder that the invisible work you're doing right now may be exactly what allows you to step into your next chapter. You might not be stuck, you might just be rooting down before you can rise up.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Listen to the episode about my experience doing a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mBBNsQRO83DSsW40Nxasj?si=2a5ee7909ef94aec">100-hour Vipassana meditation retreat</a>My first baby business, <a href="https://creacontentmarketing.com/">Crea Content Marketing</a>, is now 12 years old!Check out my second business, <a href="https://www.lollyspindler.com/">Write Your Path Coaching</a>Learn more about my 5-week group coaching program <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/the-write-to-heal/">The Write to Heal</a>Get a copy of <a href="https://mailchi.mp/78533320a678/the-6-fig-freelance-writing-contract">The 6-Fig Freelance Writing Contract for free</a>Check out <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/the-6-fig-freelance-writer/">The 6-Fig Freelance Writer</a>, the self-paced digital course I created for other writers who want to start and scale a business

Root Down to Rise Up: Trusting the Season You’re In

What happens when the ways we learned to survive are no longer the ways we want to live? In this episode I sit down with my friend Claire Macias—an energy worker and Life Alignment practitioner—to explore the stories, patterns, and experiences we carry in our bodies, and what it can look like to come home to ourselves.Claire shares her extraordinary journey as a third-culture kid who grew up between Venezuela, France, and Israel, her mother's battle with terminal cancer, an ATV accident that forced her to question whether she was truly living her own life, and the unexpected path that eventually led her to energy work. We also discuss what Mexico City taught Claire about softness, strength, and belonging, how different environments can bring out completely different versions of ourselves, and whether you're living from your own truth or from the adaptations you've accumulated along the way.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:More about <a href="https://aura-soma.com/pages/about">Aura-Soma</a> and its founder, Vicky WallThe book Claire stumbled upon in Madrid, <a href="https://amzn.to/4xMMP8T">Aura-Soma: Self-Discovery through Color</a>Learn more about <a href="https://www.thejourney.com/">The Journey</a>, a healing method by mind-body-healing expert, Brandon BaysThe <a href="https://life-alignment.com/">Life Alignment system</a> Claire studied and now practicesClaire’s <a href="https://www.clairemacias.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/claire.macias/">Instagram</a>

Following the Wisdom Within: Claire Macias on Soul & Body Alignment

How do you define freedom? What prison cells are you creating for yourself in your daily life? Is it a cell made of stress? Anxiety? Fear? Productivity? Comfort? In this episode, I share how this question was brought into sharp relief during a theatre performance put on by inmates in a prison in Mexico.I also talk about my experience at the prison, how I ended up there, how the inmates put on a beautiful performance, the way it opened every heart in the audience, how it shone a light on our privilege, and the questions I’ve been asking myself ever since.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Learn more about <a href="https://lacana.mx/">La Cana here</a>Listen to the episode about <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BxzlFyDuJlTY1Mo5vCjlV?si=4Fo8ahToSKmv6YfbQjdymg">getting back in touch with my voice</a>Listen to the episode about <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mBBNsQRO83DSsW40Nxasj?si=6f9d13e4241b4c31">my experience doing Vipassana</a>The <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wx2xCuxZnuqJQuF29">photo of the Hanuman statue</a> with Sita and Rama in his heart in Rishikesh<a href="https://www.forthechildren.org/">Royal Family Kids Camp</a> where I volunteered with kids in foster careDonate to the play, called Museo, <a href="https://crowdfunding.recaudia.com/lacana/detail/project/museo">here</a>

What Prison Cells Are You Building For Yourself?

An idea has been knocking on your door for months—maybe even years. A book, an album, a painting, a language, a craft. So why haven't you started it yet? In this solo episode, I share the surprising realization I had while preparing to record my first album of mantras: it wasn't a lack of time keeping me stuck when it came to publishing my poetry book, it was the identity I'd built around being a writer. Sometimes our biggest creative blocks aren't about the work itself, but about the expectations we've attached to who we think we're supposed to be.And this is how the idea for The Creation Project was born, a free creative community built around one simple idea: to finally bring those projects into the world. I talk about the beginner's mindset, detaching from outcomes, why ideas choose us for a reason, and how creating alongside other people can help us move through fear and perfectionism. If you've been waiting for the "right time" to start something that's been calling to you, this episode is your invitation to stop waiting—and begin! <a href="https://mailchi.mp/3d7cd74214fe/the-creation-project">Join us here</a>.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Learn more about <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mBBNsQRO83DSsW40Nxasj?si=Q9DEG-o7Qm6WItwnrHl2oQ">my experience doing Vipassana</a>Learn more about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbWrKWKDyFz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Jupiter Cazimi</a>Listen to Chelsea’s episode, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ynAuE0xOSU0ZayW34Fy9K?si=qW3Vs3yNRsOmGhcV366sEQ">Slowing Down to Power Up</a>Listen to me singing <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18109765541063246/">mantras on Instagram here</a>Listen to Maca’s episode, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4yVyRGaknlk5MhR915YA2m?si=MyEDelFPTsiN4slZJZJMfQ">Why Perfectionism is Killing Your Creativity</a>Sign up for the <a href="http://eepurl.com/gOO6Fj">Write Your Path newsletter</a>Join us inside <a href="https://mailchi.mp/3d7cd74214fe/the-creation-project">The Creation Project here</a>!Corrections to this episode:I wanted to say “counteract” rather than “minimize” the destruction going on in the world.

Introducing The Creation Project: Giving Yourself Permission to Begin

On this episode, I sit down with my friend, pianist, writer, teacher, and composer Macarena Palazuelos. She shares how whenever she didn’t know how to deal with a situation or had trouble expressing herself, she would turn to the piano, and how her relationship with creativity has evolved into something rooted in joy, presence, and love.In this beautiful conversation we explore the courage it takes to create without chasing external validation, finding your authentic voice, trusting your intuition, and why the deepest artistic expression comes from being fully yourself. It’s a great reminder that your greatest work doesn’t come from proving yourself—it comes from connecting to what already lives within you. Head to 36:40 to hear Maca recite a beautiful poem from her forthcoming album.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.fermatta.edu.mx/">Centro Universitario de Música Fermatta</a>, where Maca studied“<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3839846/">Ballad of the living dead</a>,” the short film Maca worked on and received a nomination forCheck out my episode about <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iZAbwTtLapartZ7fB2ASA?si=TewVRcRwTyi9BjYlvfJkMQ">how to start noticing synchronicities</a>Beyonce’s visual album for <a href="https://youtu.be/edwh5fIwkMU?si=JbgnBAEY3rKTXexB">Lemonade</a>Learn more about <a href="https://boletopolis.com/en/evento/39190">Rapture</a>, a beautiful performance piece Maca created with painter Anastasia Shi, and get ticket to the last performance on August 15thCheck out Anastasia’s episode of the podcast about how <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4z8oyrUrrVaFCoJ7BLM8gv?si=yvS2lVUMT52T_DiiQbw_Vg">it’s never too late to find your passion here </a>Attend <a href="https://www.macarenapalazuelos.com/event-details/after-the-noise">Maca’s next concert</a> in CDMX on August 8thFind Maca on her <a href="https://www.macarenapalazuelos.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/macarenapalazuelos/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0CyAQRExrWuxEbcXxVCiAy?si=rcFJQzVCR_yZqXGO7qKpaQ&nd=1&dlsi=f2a839449c494a03">Spotify</a>

Why Perfectionism is Killing Your Creativity (and Presence is the Cure) with Macarena Palazuelos

Today I’m joined by my Guatemalan-Cuban-Hungarian friend and Libertarian presidential candidate in Guatemala, Gloria Álvarez Cross. Now a radio and television presenter, author, and political commentator, Glo began her career at a radio station in college which ended up leading to offers to be the community manager of a bank and a PR manager at a telecom company.But everything changed for Glo when she gave a speech at the Ibero-American Youth Parliament in Zaragoza, Spain in 2014, after which many Latin American countries reached out to have her come speak. Eventually, she decided to run for president—even though she wasn’t old enough—in order to bring more awareness to her free market, free minds ideology. In this episode we dive into the emotional cost of speaking your mind online, surviving public criticism, how to stay true to your values, and the importance of protecting your mental health in an increasingly polarized world.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.ufm.edu/">Universidad Francisco Marroquín</a>, where Glo studied in Guatemala CityCheck out <a href="https://youtu.be/Z8fDEjqp4-k?si=pqaQSzsrs0SW84Uc">Glo’s viral speech here</a>Check out some of <a href="https://libertopolis.com/?s=viernes+de+gloria">Glo’s radio shows here</a>The <a href="https://freemarket-rs.com/">Free Market Road Show</a>Check out <a href="https://amzn.to/4yB8wKl">Glo’s most recent book here</a>, and <a href="https://www.buscalibre.com.mx/libros/autor/gloria-alvarez">all of her other books here</a>The TV series <a href="https://www.netflix.com/mx-en/title/81756069">Adolescence</a><a href="https://amzn.to/4yukq8Z">The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness</a>Find Glo on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/glorialvarezc/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdMaYHbP30FT9YhKn0LcPKg">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GloriaAlvarez/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gloriaalvarezpresidente">TikTok</a> and <a href="https://x.com/GloriaAlvarez85?lang=en">Twitter</a> (I’m not calling it X)

What Happens When You Refuse to Stay Silent with Gloria Álvarez

Today I'm breaking down one of the hardest experiences of my life: Vipassana, a 10-day silent meditation retreat. For ten days, I gave up all distractions—my phone, books, workouts, notebooks, conversation—and just sat with my mind.In this episode I share what the retreat was like day by day, how I became hyperaware of how my mind was playing with me, how difficult emotions were the key to my breakthrough, and why learning to observe instead of react is one of the greatest tools we can have in our toolboxes. Whether you're curious about Vipassana, silent retreats, meditation, or simply understanding your own mind a little better, I hope this episode can bring you one step closer to your own breakthrough.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://atmayogamx.com/">Atma Yoga & Energy Studio</a> in Mexico City<a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schmakaranda">Dhamma Makaranda Vipassana Meditation Center</a> where I went for this retreatMore about <a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/goenka">S.N. Goenka</a>Listen to some of my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MTA5NzY1NTQxMDYzMjQ2?story_media_id=3592835556133348180_510069296&igsh=MWpremtxamtxeDZuMQ==">mantras here</a><a href="https://www.forthechildren.org/about-us/camps">Royal Family Kids Camp</a><a href="https://amzn.to/4yf3fYF">The Body Keeps the Score</a>: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

What I Learned from 10 Days in Silence - My Experience with Vipassana

Today I'm joined by my friend, photographer and creative entrepreneur Florencia Franco. Originally from Uruguay, Florencia shares how moving to Mexico transformed not only her business but also her mindset. We talk about building a business that supports the life you want, how her business has grown almost entirely through referrals rather than paid ads, and how genuine human connection has become her greatest competitive advantage.We also explore creativity in the age of AI, the importance of slowing down and embracing seasons of rest, traveling for work on your own terms, and why creating from your own essence will always matter more than chasing trends. Plus, Florencia shares why she exclusively shoots with natural light, what photographing children has taught her about creativity and presence, and why designing a life that's true to you is the greatest measure of success.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Check out the headshots Flor took for me <a href="https://www.lollyspindler.com/">on my website</a>!Sylvia Plath’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7511-i-saw-my-life-branching-out-before-me-like-the">fig tree quote</a>.The <a href="https://www.nyfa.edu/">New York Film Academy</a>, where I almost studied in high school.<a href="https://amzn.to/4wqJVWI">The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness</a> by Morgan Housel Join my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaKvnuly2a_38VY/">Daily Journaling with Lolly</a> channel on Instagram!You can find <a href="https://florenciafrancoph.com/">Florencia’s website here</a> and her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/florenciafranc0/">Instagram here</a>.

Create From Your Essence, Not the Algorithm with Photographer Florencia Franco

No full episode today, as I’m currently sitting Vipassana, but I wanted to quickly jump in and tell you about this thing I’m doing for 10 days!Check out what Vipassana is, who popularized it, and find a center near you in the links below.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/vipassana">What is Vipassana</a>?Who is <a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/goenka">S.N. Goenka</a>?<a href="https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/locations/directory">Find a meditation center</a> near you

I’m Sitting Vipassana This Week!

What if the problem was never that you were too much—but that you've been taught to be less? In this solo episode, I'm sharing the personal experiences that inspired a new direction in my work as a Liberation Coach.I dive into ancestral healing and generational patterns, finding and trusting your voice, releasing the pressure to be small, quiet, or “acceptable,” body confidence and self-worth, and what it means to live fully expressed. Because your life doesn't get bigger when you shrink yourself; it gets bigger when you finally take up space.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ynAuE0xOSU0ZayW34Fy9K">Slowing Down to Power Up with Chelsea Kane</a>”Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iZAbwTtLapartZ7fB2ASA">How to Start Noticing Synchronicities</a>”Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/70fcMnuhge4IBJUM3dJV2X?si=XzULLXJ5SlOr64ykHR0PKQ">Who TF I Am and Why I’m Starting this Podcast</a>”The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DS2xZHbEboH/">Instagram post</a> I mention as I reflected back on the throat chakra work I did in 2025Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BxzlFyDuJlTY1Mo5vCjlV?si=OCA-YEMJTFORcCC0X5ObRA">What Parts of Yourself Have You Hidden Away? My Voice Journey</a>”Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3L0l7W6qJ8GDE3rIpJQioD?si=7uOn5d1jR8uSN3r-Z1JjUw">Coming Home to Your Voice with Coaching Crack Caro Pérez</a>”Check out <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/the-6-fig-freelance-writer/">The 6-Fig Freelance Writer</a>, <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/the-write-to-heal/">The Write to Heal</a> and <a href="https://lollyspindler.thrivecart.com/first-pages-week/">First Pages Week</a>Listen to the episode “<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/62ruVdLT5yDte7JwQMbPiF?si=qIPinXLWRCqAM6_DJuT1qg">Having a Body is a Privilege, So Stop Hating Yours</a>”Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authentically.ailish/">Ailish’s Instagram here</a>

Breaking Generations of Silence: My Work as a Liberation Coach

Today on the podcast I host my dear friend Luis Roberto Perez Aguirre Ruiz (PAR for short), entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Terra Energy, the largest solar company in Mexico. In this episode, we discuss how seeing his mom raise him by herself led to his formidable work ethic and how you can’t just be a dreamer, you also have to be a doer.He also shares the consciousness crisis that took him from working on Wall Street to focusing on entrepreneurship, how he built & grew his solar company at a time when people in Mexico thought solar panels gave you cancer, how he doesn’t have employees, he has collaborators, his plans to run a marathon in Reykjavík, his book Promesas a la Muerte, and how his company has shifted from being focused on the macro to the micro.Resources & sites mentioned in this episode:Find Luis Roberto on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/luisrobertopar/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-roberto-perez-aguirre-ruiz-2a174678/">LinkedIn</a>Check out his new <a href="https://luisrobertopar.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnzyO9Xp4Q7GRxkgeIdrJlcgL5R9HS3pa5lTSKkLLFI_5YFvagmX2_-DtRlyw_aem_9qRJj96j_r9_WI5o9n-t1w">website here</a>Learn more about <a href="https://terraenergy.io/">Terra Energy here</a>Buy Luis Roberto’s book <a href="https://amzn.to/4xEerxY">Promesas a la Muerte here</a>

Get Started

Download the App