The Liz Svatek Show

What if instead of waiting for everyone else to change you focused on YOU? What if the most powerful thing you could do for everyone you love… is finally choose yourself?
JOIN LIZ LIVE ON ZOOM for EVOLVE: https://www.lizsvatek.com/evolve-experience
For years, women have been taught that being a “good” mother, wife, daughter, or friend means carrying everyone’s emotions, fixing their problems, keeping the peace, and putting themselves last. But that constant sacrifice often leaves us exhausted, resentful, and disconnected from who we truly are.
In this powerful episode, Liz challenges the rules women have inherited and asks: What would happen if we stopped rescuing everyone and started trusting ourselves?
Discover how choosing yourself can transform your relationships, your parenting, and your entire life. Because putting yourself first doesn’t mean no one else matters—it means you finally understand that you matter, too.
The old way isn’t working. A new season is waiting. Are you willing to be the woman who goes first?
QUESTION: What is one responsibility, expectation, or emotional burden you’re ready to stop carrying?
Join Liz for EVOLVE—a free three-day experience focused on evolving your relationships, your parenting, and yourself.
https://www.lizsvatek.com/evolve-experience
#ChooseYourself #PutYourselfFirst #WomenSupportingWomen #PersonalGrowth #SelfWorth #PeoplePleasing #HealthyBoundaries #EmotionalHealing #WomenOver40 #WomenOver50 #SelfTrust #BreakTheCycle #TransformYourLife #EmpoweredWomen #TheLizSvatekShow #empowerment #transformation #emptynesting #parenting #marriage #relationships #healing #peoplepleasing #relationshipanxiety #controlissues

She started working at Denny's at 16. At 23, Dawn Lafreeda bought her first restaurant using tips and credit cards. Today, she owns more than 62 locations and has built a business generating $98 million in annual revenue.
So how does a woman build that kind of belief BEFORE she has any evidence it's going to work?
In this conversation, Dawn and I go far beyond her extraordinary business success. We talk about childhood trauma, fear, taking messy action, walking into rooms where women weren't welcome, being underestimated, building a reputation through follow-through—and learning to take the risk before you feel ready. How did she go from survival to success?

Dawn shares what she learned about:
Taking action before confidence arrives

Seeing opportunity where other people see risk

Navigating male-dominated rooms

Turning discrimination into action

Building trust by doing what you say you'll do

Why being underestimated can become an advantage

Taking bigger risks at any age

Believing in yourself before you have the evidence

If you've been waiting to feel ready before making your next move, this conversation is for you.
✨ READY TO BECOME LIMITLESS?
If you're ready to understand the patterns keeping you stuck and become the woman capable of creating your next chapter, learn more about LIMITLESS: https://www.lizsvatek.com/limitless
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#DawnLaFreeda #WomenInBusiness #FemaleEntrepreneur #WomenSupportingWomen #BelieveInYourself #TakeTheRisk #EntrepreneurMindset #OvercomingAdversity #Resilience #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #WomenWhoLead #Leadership #ManifestYourDreams #BuildYourLegacy #ItsNeverTooLate #KnowYourWorth #AskForWhatYouWant #womensempowerment #manifestation #selfimprovement

We spend so much time trying to heal, grow, and become the best version of ourselves. But what if there's a hidden trap that actually keeps us stuck?
What if the goal of personal growth isn't to become more spiritual...but to remember how to be both deeply human and deeply connected to the Divine?
In this deeply personal episode, Liz shares a powerful story from a recent trip to Fargo, where she realized she had quietly stopped doing the very practices she teaches. After walking through a difficult season supporting her daughter, she found herself disconnected from her morning rituals, her inner stillness, and ultimately, from herself.
That experience became an invitation to explore one of the greatest misunderstandings in the personal growth world: the tendency to swing between victimhood and spiritual arrogance. What does it really mean to evolve? How do we stay grounded in our humanity while remembering our divine nature? And why do so many of us judge ourselves for simply being human?
In this episode, Liz explores:
Why we were never meant to choose between being human and being spiritual.
The subtle trap of spiritual arrogance—and how it can quietly disconnect us from ourselves and others.
Why your daily spiritual practice isn't something you graduate from.
The neuroscience of identity and how your subconscious shapes your experience of life.
How judging your humanity blocks your next level of growth.
The difference between remembering who you are and trying to become someone you're not.
Practical ways to reconnect with yourself when life pulls you away from your center.

This episode is a reminder that healing isn't about becoming perfect. It's about becoming present. It's about meeting yourself with compassion instead of criticism, choosing curiosity over judgment, and remembering that your soul has never forgotten who you are—even when you have.
If you've been feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or like you've somehow "fallen off the path," this conversation is your invitation to come home to yourself.
Because maybe the goal was never to become less human...
Maybe the goal was to become fully human while remembering you're divine.
I'd love to hear from you!
👇 Comment below:
What's been the biggest trap in your own personal growth journey?

Have you ever felt like you were shaming yourself because you went too far into your human side?

What questions do you have about personal growth, healing, or living in the balance of your human and spiritual side?

Your questions may be featured in a future episode!
Chapters
00:00:00 - Balancing Your Human and Spiritual Sides
00:01:19 - What History’s Great Thinkers Teach About Growth
00:06:16 - Forgetting the Practices That Keep Us Connected
00:08:16 - The Messy, Sacred Middle
00:10:32 - A Personal Return to Humanness
00:13:08 - Growth Requires Compassion, Not Perfection
00:14:10 - Remembering Who You Are Through Daily Practice
00:15:58 - Real Consciousness Is Finding Your Way Back
00:16:58 - The Hummingbird’s Lesson in Stillness
00:17:35 - An Invitation to Come Back
#PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #SelfAwareness #Mindset #HealingJourney #InnerWork #Healing #mentalhealth #lifecoach
#SelfImprovement #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealing #AuthenticLiving #evolution
#FearlessLiving #PersonalDevelopment #MentalWellness #LiveWithPurpose #Transformation

What if the parts of your story you once felt ashamed of were actually preparing you to help someone else? 🔥
Celebrity stylist, author, and founder of The Phoenix Effect, Jen Principe, opens up about surviving childhood abandonment and abuse, using clothing as armor, and learning to transform pain into purpose.
Feeling Stuck? Restless? Take Liz in your pocket on a walk! Try her FREE Walking Transformation Meditation! https://www.lizsvatek.com/walking-meditation
Jen shares how fashion became more than a career—it became a powerful tool for confidence, healing, and rebirth. Through The Phoenix Effect, she now creates transformational photoshoot experiences for young people who have faced cancer, trauma, disability, and other life-changing challenges, helping them see their beauty, strength, and courage in an entirely new light.
This conversation is a beautiful reminder that your pain does not have to define you. It can become the portal through which you discover your purpose. ✨
🎧 Listen now to hear Jen’s inspiring journey and learn how you can nominate, support, or volunteer with The Phoenix Effect.
What part of your story have you transformed into strength?
#ThePhoenixEffect #JenPrincipe #CommonThread #HealingJourney #TraumaToTriumph #PainIntoPurpose #RiseFromTheAshes #WomenSupportingWomen #SurvivorStory #InnerHealing #SelfWorth #ConfidenceFromWithin #FashionWithPurpose #BeautyFromWithin #ChildhoodTraumaHealing #PersonalTransformation #PurposeDrivenLife #WomenWhoInspire #PodcastInspiration #MidlifeReinvention
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:22 - Welcome to the Liz Svatek Show
00:00:40 - Guest Introduction: Jen Principe
00:01:18 - Jen's Story and The Common Thread
00:01:57 - Jen's Interview Begins
00:05:23 - Discussing the Impact of Early Wounding
00:08:33 - Dropping the Armor
00:11:28 - The Journey of Midlife
00:13:14 - Weeding Through Your Closet
00:15:34 - The Power of Clothing and Enclosed Cognition
00:15:39 - The Start of Jen's Styling Career
00:19:56 - Jen's Faith and Coping with Trauma
00:25:36 - The Phoenix Effect: Turning Pain into Purpose
00:25:48 - The Start of the Phoenix Effect
00:30:25 - The Photo Shoot Rebirth Experience
00:32:37 - Reflecting on Little Girl Jen
00:34:46 - Writing the Book: A Journey of Vulnerability
00:37:42 - The Pain of Family Reactions to the Book
00:39:47 - Jen's Legacy: Empowering and Beautifying Relationships
00:41:17 - Connecting with Jen and the Phoenix Effect
00:42:44 - Closing Remarks and Reflections

What if things falling away isn’t proof that your life is falling apart but evidence that you’re ready to rise? 🏔️✨
In this raw and vulnerable episode, Liz shares what happened when fear hit her in the middle of leading one of her mastermind retreats. As friendships shifted, support systems changed, and familiar pieces of her life began falling away, she found herself asking, “Who do I think I am?”and "Can I really do this?"
Join Liz's Finding Your Diamonds Book Workshop! https://www.lizsvatek.com/offers/5L3vUsZH/checkout
Then came a powerful realization: letting go can feel a lot like falling apart...until you recognize that you’re ascending.
For decades, women climb the mountains of careers, marriage, motherhood, achievement, and proving their worth. But what happens when you finally reach the summit and realize the next path looks completely unfamiliar?
The next mountain isn’t about performing, proving, or surviving. It’s about purpose, impact, legacy, and becoming the fullest expression of who you truly are.
Because the top of one mountain may simply be the beginning of your next, and the most beautiful climb of your life could still be ahead of you.
🎧 Listen now and discover why midlife isn’t the end of your story. It’s the beginning of the mountain of you.
What is the next mountain calling you to climb?
#TheMountainOfYou #MidlifeWomen #MidlifeTransformation #WomenInMidlife #MidlifeReinvention #PersonalGrowth #FindingYourPurpose #WomenWhoLead #RiseAboveFear #FearToFreedom #LettingGo #NewBeginnings #PurposeDrivenWoman #WomenSupportingWomen #LegacyBuilding #LifeTransitions #BecomingHer #MainCharacterEnergy #PodcastForWomen #InspirationalPodcast
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:29 - Vulnerability and Change
00:01:05 - Retreats and Growth
00:01:43 - Facing Fear
00:02:29 - Personal Changes and Challenges
00:02:42 - Dealing with Self-Doubt
00:03:08 - The Space Shuttle Metaphor
00:04:15 - Overcoming Fear through Service
00:04:39 - The Other Side of the Mountain
00:04:49 - The Climb and the Descent
00:07:41 - The New Mountain
00:08:57 - Midlife and the Next Chapter
00:10:58 - The Invitation of Midlife
00:12:19 - The Next Mountain
00:13:37 - Conclusion: The Most Beautiful Climb