What does it actually mean for a child to belong somewhere? Not to succeed there. Not to be the best there. But to walk in and feel completely, quietly safe to be themselves.

In this episode, I share the story of how a community of dedicated music teachers transformed my sons' experience of school — and of themselves. From a 2nd grader who almost missed his chance at the orchestra, to a senior year that could have broken my son Danny, to the word that stopped me in her tracks: haven. This episode is about what belonging really does — and why its absence is where so many adult patterns of people-pleasing, over-performing, and emotional exhaustion begin.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

→ Jonah in 2nd grade — the moment I almost closed a door she didn't even see

→ Who Rachel Saldana is, and what she saw that I didn't

→ How belonging in the music department changed both boys — not just musically, but as people

→ Danny's senior year: the weight of it, and how his teachers reached in when it mattered most

→ The one word Danny used that I had never forgotten: haven

→ Why belonging matters more than achievement for long-term emotional health

→ How the absence of belonging in childhood creates the people-pleasing patterns I sees in her adult clients

→ The letter I wrote to the school district — because I wanted them to know what they had

Resources & Links

Join The Reset Info Session — free live event, June 16th: jennymcoaching.com/group

Not sure if people pleasing applies to you? Take the 2-minute quiz: bit.ly/notapeoplepleaser

Follow Jenny on Instagram and LinkedIn: @jennymcoaching

This episode directly answers: 'Why is belonging important for children?' · 'What does belonging do for a child?' · 'How does childhood environment affect adult behaviour?' · 'Why do kids need emotional safety?' · 'Where does people pleasing start?' · 'How do teachers impact student wellbeing?'

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com

What does it actually cost to raise a child on someone else's timeline? In this episode, Jenny Maxwell gets honest about the pressure parents feel to keep their kids 'on track' - the sports schedules, the AP classes, the invisible race nobody signed up for. Drawing on her own experience watching her two boys find their own paths later than most, Jenny explores what happens when kids are pushed to perform before they're ready — and why those early patterns of saying yes, pushing through, and ignoring what they feel show up decades later in exhausted, people-pleasing adults.

This episode is for every parent who has quietly wondered whether they're doing too much — and for every adult who is only now starting to recognise where their people-pleasing patterns actually began.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

→ Why nearly 70% of kids drop out of organised sports by age 13 - and what that number is really telling us → Jenny's sons Jonah and Danny: what starting late actually taught them (and why they still love their sports) → The real financial and emotional cost of over-scheduling children → How childhood pressure to perform plants the seeds of adult people-pleasing → The difference between reacting automatically and pausing to choose your response → What Jenny actually wanted for her kids - and why it had nothing to do with grades or trophies

Resources & Links

Join The Reset Info Session — free live event, June 16th: www.jennymcoaching.com/group

Not sure if people pleasing applies to you?

Take the 2-minute quiz:

https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/816991/188539643660076178/share

Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn: @jennymcoaching

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com

Have you ever found yourself thinking:

👉 "I don't know what I want anymore…"
👉 "Why do I feel so stuck?"
👉 "I used to be decisive - what happened?"

In this episode, I take you inside a real coaching conversation where a client said something that stopped me in my tracks:

👉 "I don't think I've had conviction about anything… since college."

What we uncovered wasn't a lack of confidence or direction.

It was a loss of connection to the version of her who trusted herself.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why feeling stuck doesn't mean something is wrong with you

• How overthinking quietly replaces self-trust

• The shift from "trying to get it right" → trusting yourself again

• A simple way to start moving forward (without blowing up your life)

The real shift:
You don't need a full plan.

You need to reconnect with the version of you who already knows how to take the next step.

✨ A simple question to take with you:
👉 Where have you started to believe "that's not me anymore"?
👉 And what would that version of you do next?

💛 Want to go deeper?
If this episode resonated, the best place to start is my People Pleasing Quiz.

https://forms.gle/hs6wa6N6Q6iqKYBt9

It will help you see your patterns clearly - especially if you tend to:

• overthink decisions

• say yes when you don't want to

• feel stuck between what you want and what you "should" do

You'll also get access to my emails where I share simple, real-life ways to shift from reacting to responding.

Follow the show
If this episode helped you, make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss what's coming next.

I'm sharing more behind-the-scenes coaching moments like this… and introducing a new way to work with me soon.

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com

Life is full of transitions.

Some we expect.
Some we don't.

And even when they're good… they can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, I share a personal moment I'm moving through right now:

• my youngest graduating

• my oldest starting her next chapter

• and the shift into a quieter home

Alongside that, I take you inside a powerful experience from an equine therapy workshop that brought everything into focus.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why transitions can trigger overwhelm—even when nothing is "wrong"

• What actually causes that frozen, stuck feeling

• How to stay grounded instead of trying to figure everything out at once

• The unexpected lesson a horse named Pebbles taught me about trust

The real shift:

Overwhelm isn't about doing too much.

It's about trying to hold everything at once.

When you slow things down… and come back to one step… everything starts to move again.

✨ A simple question to take with you:
👉 What's one thing you're trying to figure out all at once?
👉 And what's the next small step instead?

Want support with this?
If you're in a season of change and feeling stretched, this is exactly the work I'm leaning into more right now.

Start with my People Pleasing Quiz to understand your patterns around:

• overthinking

• overgiving

• and trying to keep everything together

https://bit.ly/notapeoplepleaser

You'll also get access to my emails where I share simple ways to reset and respond differently in real life.

Follow the show
If this episode resonated, follow the podcast.

I'll be sharing more real-life moments like this… and opening up a new group experience soon.

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com

Think you're "bad at art"? This episode will help you release perfectionism, reconnect with creativity, and use simple art practices to calm your nervous system.

Have you ever said, "I'm not creative," or "I'm bad at art"?

I have. And in this conversation with art teacher and creativity guide Jen Velansky, we explore where those stories begin - often in childhood and how they can quietly shape what we allow ourselves to try as adults.

This episode is not about becoming "good" at art. It's about giving yourself permission to create without pressure, judgement, or perfection. Jen shares how art became an anchor through difficult seasons, how simple creative practices can help us pause before we react, and why creativity already exists in the everyday ways we solve problems, parent, cook, dress, garden, doodle, and connect.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in your head, this episode is your invitation to come back to yourself - one doodle, one pause, one small creative moment at a time.

What You'll Learn
• Why saying "I'm bad at art" can keep you stuck in an old story
• How creativity helps you move from trigger-react to pause-respond
• Why art is about process, not performance
• How doodling can calm your nervous system in just a few minutes
• How to reconnect with your child through curiosity about their creativity
• Why creating, not consuming, can help you feel more grounded and alive

Resources & Links

Grab Jen's Doodle Sheet
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/PfFSz50

Connect with Jen

Website: bewellbecomecoaching@gmail.com
Instagram: @artwithjenniev & @arthappenshere.vt

Share the Episode

If this conversation reminded you that you don't need to be perfect to begin, share it with someone who needs permission to create again.

Remember

This is your reminder that you don't need fixing - you just need tools, space, and permission to come back to yourself.

Work With Me 1:1
If you heard yourself in this episode - the "I'm not creative," the fear of getting it wrong, the old story that you're just not good at art, I currently have one space open for private 1:1 coaching in May.

This isn't about being told to calm down or think more positively. It's about slowing things down enough to notice what's really happening underneath your reactions, so you can find simple tools that help you feel more grounded, connected, and in control.

If you're curious, go to the link below or simply DM me on Instagram @jennymcoaching. No pressure. Just a conversation.

https://jennymcoaching.com/contactme/

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com

"Why won't they just listen to me?"

If you've ever said that (out loud or in your head), you're not alone.

Because here's the truth… most of the time, you're not wrong.
Your idea makes sense. Your intention is good. You are trying to help.

But if people keep pushing back, shutting down, or ignoring you, it's not about what you're saying.

It's about how it feels to hear it.

In this episode, I'm taking you inside a real client session to show you the subtle ways communication breaks down—without you even realising it. We explore why even the best advice can create resistance, and how one small shift can completely change how your message lands.

This is where communication stops feeling like a battle… and starts creating connection, trust, and teamwork instead.

What You'll Learn
• Why people resist, even when your advice is right
• How "helping" can accidentally come across as control
• A simple 3-step communication shift that softens resistance instantly
• How to speak up confidently without sounding like you're bragging
• Why over-explaining is draining your relationships (and what to do instead)
• How to catch yourself before you react and choose connection instead

Work With Me 1:1

If this episode hit home, the frustration when people don't listen or the urge to fix, explain, or control - you're not alone. And this is exactly the work we do together.

I currently have one space open for private 1:1 coaching this April.

This isn't about better scripts. It's about helping you pause, understand your triggers, and communicate in a way that actually lands calmly, clearly, and without resistance.

If you're ready to stop repeating yourself and start seeing real change in your relationships, this is your next step.

👉 https://jennymcoaching.com/contactme/

Or DM me "RESET" on Instagram @jennymcoaching

No pressure. Just a conversation.

Listen & Subscribe

If this episode resonated with you, make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss what's next.

Your next breakthrough might be one episode away.

Remember

This is your reminder: communication isn't about being right… it's about being heard.

And when you learn how to shift how your words land, everything starts to change.

You don't need to work harder, you just need the right tools.

And I'm right here with you.

You've explained it calmly, clearly, maybe even nicely… so why aren't they changing?
Because the more you tell, the more they resist. This episode shows you what actually works.

Have you ever found yourself repeating the same thing over and over - hoping this time it will land?

I've been there. Explaining more. Trying harder. Saying it nicer.
And somehow… it still doesn't work.

In fact, it often makes things worse.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what I call "the telling trap", that exhausting cycle of explaining, correcting, and trying to fix other people… only to be met with resistance.

Because here's the truth most people miss:
People don't change when they feel pressure. They change when they feel safe.

And safety doesn't come from what you say.
It comes from how you show up.

I'll walk you through the powerful shift from trigger → react → control
to trigger → pause → respond

This is the work. This is where everything changes.

If you've been feeling frustrated in your relationships, your communication, or even with yourself, this episode will show you a simpler, calmer way forward.

What You'll Learn
• Why "telling" people what to do actually creates resistance
• The hidden pressure behind over-explaining (and how it backfires)
• How to break the cycle of reacting and move into intentional responding
• Real-life examples (work, friendships, family) you can apply immediately
• How to model the behaviour you want, without saying a word
• The simple pause that can completely shift your relationships

Work With Me 1:1
If you heard yourself in this episode, the over-explaining, the frustration when nothing seems to land, the urge to fix or control how others behave, I currently have one space open for private 1:1 coaching this April.

This isn't about giving you better scripts or telling you what to say. It's about slowing things down so you can understand what's really happening underneath your reactions and learning how to respond in a way that feels calmer, clearer, and more like you.

If you're ready to stop repeating yourself and start seeing real change in your relationships, this is your next step.

If you're curious, go to the link below or simply DM me on Instagram @jennymcoaching. No pressure. Just a conversation.

https://jennymcoaching.com/contactme/

Listen & Subscribe

If this episode resonated, make sure you're following Who Do You Think You Are Talking To so you don't miss what's coming next.

Your next breakthrough might be one episode away.

Remember

This is your reminder:

You don't need better words.

You need a different way of showing up.

And that starts with one pause.

They're being kind… thoughtful… going out of their way for you.
So why do you feel overwhelmed instead of grateful?

If you've ever found yourself thinking,
👉 "This is a bit much… but I don't want to hurt them" and then saying nothing…

This episode will show you why that happens - and how to handle it without guilt.

Have you ever felt uncomfortable when someone is being really nice to you?

Maybe they're always checking in, doing things for you, or going above and beyond… and instead of enjoying it, you feel pressure, guilt, or even a little trapped.

I know this one well, because I used to be that person too.
The people pleaser. The over-giver. The one trying to keep everyone happy.

But here's what I've learned:
It's not the kindness that's the problem…
it's what happens when you don't say what you actually need.

In this episode, I'm sharing the simple shift that changes everything, the difference between something being hard and something being uncomfortable.

Because when you stop avoiding those small moments… you stop building resentment and start creating more honest, calmer connections.

What You'll Learn
• Why kindness can sometimes feel overwhelming (and what that really means)
• How staying silent leads to frustration and resentment
• The powerful shift from "this is hard" → "this is uncomfortable"
• A simple 3-step way to express what you need without hurting someone
• How to catch yourself before you shut down or overthink
• Why awareness is the first step to any real change

Remember

It's not about saying everything perfectly.

It's about being honest… even when it feels uncomfortable.

Because that's where the real shift happens.
That's where your power is.

Work With Me 1:1

If you heard yourself in this episode, the overthinking, the holding it in, the "it's fine, I'll just say nothing", I currently have one space open for private 1:1 coaching this April.

This isn't about learning how to say the perfect thing or forcing yourself to be more direct. It's about slowing things down enough to understand what's really happening underneath those moments - so you can express what you need with calm, clarity, and confidence (without the guilt).

If you're ready to stop bottling it up and start showing up more honestly, you can go to the link below or simply DM me on Instagram @jennymcoaching.

No pressure. Just a conversation.

https://jennymcoaching.com/contactme/

This podcast is produced by www.keystepsupport.com