Episode 116: Community Makeover, Body Acceptance, & Living Joyfully (Solo Episode)
In this solo episode I talk about:
The behind-the-scenes design process of our website makeover. Deciding what to let go of, keep, and create for our community.
My relationship with social media right now and where I personally spend my time online.
New gifts for you! Why I created the Body Acceptance Starter Kit and what you can expect to find inside.
My summer bucket list! Where I'm traveling, what I want to cook, hobbies, and inspiration for our community.
Resources I mention in this episode…
Website makeover! www.katelynparsons.com
Our website designer, Jackie Randall
Ready to heal your relationship with food + body?
Grab your FREE Binge Eating Solution Sheet
Get weekly email support from me to help you heal your relationship with food + body image
TRANSCRIPTION Episode 116: Community Makeover, Body Acceptance, & Living Joyfully (Solo Episode)
Katelyn:
Hello, welcome back to the show, I am so excited to record this podcast episode today. I had a completely different idea in my mind for what I wanted to share with you. And as soon as I sat down to get some thoughts out on paper, I just had a completely different inspiration take over me.
And I'm just going to go with that, because there's a lot of things changing in this community and in my life right now. And chances are that if I am going through a shift like this, there is probably a pretty good chance that you are feeling this on some level too. That just tends to be my experience with the community that we are building.
And so I want to bring you into what's been happening behind the scenes in real time and just have a fun conversation with you today.
So I'll get right into it, the first big change that has been happening over the past couple of months, or I guess it hasn't been months, it's been about a month, month and a half is a major website makeover!
And this has been so fun. My website designer, Jackie Randall has been my website designer since the beginning of this business, probably about five years to date. And we have so much fun working together, Jackie is incredibly talented. And you can check out the brilliant creativity and all of the things that she has brought into this community.
Now the website is up and it's live. And I'm so excited about it. But oh my goodness, it has been a huge, a huge process, I was actually emailing Jackie, a couple of days ago. And I was like, Is this a therapy exercise going through all of the blog posts and resources and things on the website that has been there for a long time that has not really don't really reflect where I am today, and what I want to share with this community and how I want to lead.
And it's been so humbling. I've had to sit with so much self-compassion this past week, and I've just been loving on myself and nurturing myself.
And if you have ever been in a situation like this, where perhaps you're going through old pictures, or you have your own blog, and are kind of just sifting through old content, or maybe it's going through old papers that you wrote in college or high school or different parts of your lives.
It's so interesting getting that snapshot of where we were at one part and where we are today.
So I've been going through that and laughing and cringing and just having a lot of fun, fine tuning what is reflective of where I am now. I did not get rid of everything I think it's really important to have a capsule that really shows the evolution of our humanness.
But that being said, I did realize there were a lot of things on the website that were not only not reflecting the message that I really want to instill in this community but were actually harmful.
And that was not by, by my choice. And honestly, it was just a reflection of what I was going through in my own life and struggles that I was facing with food and my body image and my mental health and all of these things.
And that really has always been the case in terms of me leading this community and so I wanted to just make sure that I was cleaning that up as best possible so that it wasn't harming anybody, anybody who came to the site, but also maintained the growth and the evolution and all the things so of course if you go back to like, oh my god five years ago, some of the older blog posts you'll definitely notice a different tone I wouldn't encourage you to do that, but just to let you know they're there.
And there's so many other things that are really exciting on the website, too.
So we're keeping everything super focused, there are going to be lots of diverse blogs coming out, I've been blogging for the past five years, and it's something that I really enjoy. And I am not a like traditional blogger by any sense. But I do love having that library resource that's accessible for you if you'd like. So, that's there. And we'll be continuing to pour into that there.
There's just clear ways to connect and work together if that's something that you're interested in, and just a lot of different ways to stay inspired and stay connected.
And so if you are creating a one stop shop for this community, the website is the best place to do that and that’s just katelynparsons.com.
And also, if you are not a website person, I totally hear you. I know everybody has a different style for connecting with community, the best way that you can stay connected is through this podcast or on my newsletter as well too, which if you go to the website, you can sign up for that you can also find the link in the show notes.
But I just wanted to share that with you and let you know that that's live. And that's something that I am so excited about.
That being said, there are also a few free gifts that I've created for you that I am super excited about. And this was to celebrate this new transition with our community and the birth of the new website, or it's not really new, but just the website makeover in general.
And so if you have not already gotten your Body Acceptance Starter Kit, I can't encourage you more highly to do this is that even a way to say that I don't even know, you get what I mean, I really encourage you to get your hands on this, this is probably the single like the one resource that I've created in the past five years that I am the most excited about when I was putting this together.
I really curated this in a way that I really hoped would land with you in so many stages of your body acceptance journey. And this is a resource that I really think that almost anybody can benefit from.
But in particular, if you are feeling like you are really ready to take that next step in your own personal body image journey, whether you are solo right now or working with support, this is a toolkit for you to come back to. And really something that will hopefully give you some direction in the beginning stages of the journey and also offer inspiration and guidance and resources at various stages as you continue forward.
So I have my favorite body image books linked in this kit I also have my top five favorite articles to just start with if you're interested in reading more. From an article's perspective on body image work, intuitive eating, and self-acceptance. I also have a video library that links all of my YouTube videos that I really love that are reflective of body acceptance work, Health at Every Size, a lot of things that I just mentioned, and my favorite body truth episodes that reflect really powerful body image conversations, and 20 body acceptance ideas, and I put these 20 ideas together with the hopes that you can resonate with even one and it will make a shift for you today and feeling more comfortable in your skin.
And I know we talked about this so many times in this podcast community, but body acceptance is a journey. It's a lifelong journey. And it's because it is a relationship with ourselves. Just like any other relationship that we're in. This is going to ebb and flow and it's going to shift and there's going to be many different chapters of this journey.
And so I really created this body acceptance starter kit with the hopes that you'll be able to take it with you on your journey and come back to it at various stages and I'm even used to doing it as well, too. So you can find that at katelynparsons.com/kit, we'll also link it in the show notes.
You can also find it on the new, fun redecorated website. If you haven't grabbed the binge eating solution sheet that is a new gift that I've also created for you as well, too. I created that in the past couple of months, many of you have already gotten your hands on that and mentioned how much you are feeling supported by that. So I'm really glad to hear that is available on the website as well, too. We'll link that in the show notes.
Okay, other things to mention, before we wrap up today, I am also reimagining what social media looks like in this community right now. And I really would love to hear your input on this and your ideas and really, your personal truth around social media right now and how it's feeling in your life and what you're noticing and your vision for how this is going to evolve for you as well too. You can email me at hello@katelynparsons.com to share your thoughts because I'm not sure if I will be checking my DMs.
But I am in a moment of really just considering a lot of things. I'm not looking to make a rush decision around whether I am staying on social media or leaving it altogether or just taking a break right now.
What I have decided is that I am taking a big step back from social media in general. And really this is because actually this is for a few different reasons.
First of all, I really try to stay as real and as congruent for you as possible in my business. So what you see is what you get, I don't have a business persona and then a personal persona I really am. I really think it's important to show up exactly as I am and not compartmentalize myself for you, whether it's clients that I'm working with this community, my friendships, my family, of course, relationships look different, because humans are different, but I'm really committed to being myself in all of these different areas of my life.
And truth be told, I'm not a big social media person. In general, I really get a lot of information that I seek out through newsletters that I subscribe to, and I'm very intentional about which ones I subscribe to and subscribe to.
And really just make sure that they are filling me up that they're in alignment with what I am interested in learning about or feeling inspired with in my life who I am interested in hearing from and learning from. Podcasts, I love grabbing content and inspiration from podcasts that I also subscribe to or unsubscribe to. And I love Pinterest as well, too. I like Pinterest and blogs. And those are the four main areas of where I stay connected. And where I stay inspired. I occasionally go on YouTube, but on my personal time, I am really not on social media a lot.
So that's really made me take a step back and reflect. If I'm not doing this from a personal perspective, how is this serving me or hindering my authenticity from a community building perspective and in my business.
I also think that there's a lot of challenges with social media right now from a mental health perspective, especially in body image and comparison and authenticity, work and confidence and all of these things.
I think that there are people doing amazing things on social media platforms, and there's no doubt about it. We need accounts who are on social media, who have messages that are really impactful in the body image world and just in the space of creating a really happy, fulfilled, authentic life.
Not things that I think it's a major individual choice and so that is the choice that I am making right now, which is why I'm in the decision of staying on or going off but the decision that I've landed on right now is that I am taking a pretty big step back and really only showing up when I when it feels good for me and when I feel like I have something that I really want to share Whether that's in my stories or on my feed, and to just to just really pay attention to that.
I will say that about a month ago, I did a major social media edit, I went through all of my accounts that I had followed, probably since the beginning of social media. And not to say that I haven't edited who I've followed since I went on Instagram, I'm speaking about Instagram here, specifically. But I really went through every single one and muted or unfollowed. Any account that really just wasn't in alignment with what I wanted to see on my feed, or who I feel like I'm becoming right now how I really want to get information.
It was super triggering. And I'm so glad I did that exercise, because it really allowed me to practice what I preach. And I am a big fan of a social media audit. Regularly, I think it's important to make that choice for ourselves individually, in deciding who we are following and getting information from and allowing into our, our mental space and where we're, where we're really spending our time. But it also takes time going through that type of audit.
So I finally sat down and went through a full on audit, and it feels really good. It's also kind of funny, because I did that. And it feels like a cleaned up area of my life. And I also realized that I would do that process. And I really don't even spend that much time on social media. And so I'm not even sure how worth it it was for me.
But I want to offer that to you. Because if you are somebody who does connect with social media, and it is a resource that you're really enjoying, I want to invite you to really consider doing that for yourself. Just carving out, I would say at least 30 minutes. And if you're able to give yourself a full hour to really go through all of the accounts that you are following right now and just ask yourself is this supporting me isn't holding me back? Does it feel in alignment with the person that I am becoming and who I want to become? Or do I feel like it is creating comparison or a should in my life or it's just not fun anymore, so you can unfollow with love, you can mute the account if that feels better for your nervous system.
But it really is an opportunity for you to take a more empowered step in your life and and choose more intentionally. And the same can be said for newsletters that you're subscribing to blogs that you're on people that you're following podcasts that you listen to all the things I think that it's so easy for us to just get caught up in who we started following years ago, and not really come back to the question of is it still serving me or not. So it's an opportunity to pause, reflect and decide. And you can do that in a lot of different areas in your life as well, too. I think that's it.
I'm excited about summer. I feel like I should just mention that. And I also think that it is so important to note that excitement with all of these changes. Because, again, walking my talk, I just I'm here to live my best life and I'm here to help you live your best life and feel comfortable in your life. Physically, mentally, emotionally have a great relationship with food and your body so that you can experience more life more powerfully, and more joyfully, and more courageously.
And I'll just tell you about some things that I'm really excited about coming up that are more personal than business related. I have some really fun trips on the calendar.
We're actually headed out to celebrate my father in law's 70th birthday this weekend. At the time that you're listening to this I probably will have just gotten back from the trip actually. So I'll have to let you know how it went. But we are going to New York and celebrating him which will be very special and I haven't been to New York since I lived on the East Coast. Almost six or seven years now. So excited about that.
I'm doing a trip with my side of the family in the summer to the Ozarks, which I'm so excited about just being in nature and exploring a part of the country that we've never been to before all of us. So it'll be really fun having that sense of wonder and draw and play all together.
And then in the fall, I have a trip to Europe that we just booked. And I am so excited about this. This was something that my husband and I have been talking about for years. And it's finally happening, my best friend is getting married, and we're going over to celebrate she and her fiance's engagements. And we decided to stay a little bit longer and explore. So I'll have to share more information about plans for that trip, get any recommendations for you, from you, if that's something that you're interested in.
But those are some fun, exciting trips on the calendar. And then I'm excited about really just spending time in this community, especially because everything does feel so aligned right now and fun.
And so just pouring into, to what we're creating here, hearing from you more connecting with you more in all of these really intentional ways.
I'm excited about reading some fun summer novels, I have some ideas around how to reconnect this community in some fun ways this summer that I'll be sharing more about in some future podcast episodes. But one thing that I've had on my mind that I'd love to hear if you're interested in or not, is starting a book club.
This is something I've wanted to do for a while. And in the past, I had thought about starting a book club that was more related to personal development from a body image perspective. And now I'm actually thinking, wouldn't it be fun to just start a book club for the summer with a few summer novels. So I'm going to make this decision in the next week or so. And let you know, but you can definitely let me know if that's something that you're interested in, as we're kind of working through the details and whatnot.
Anyways, excited about reading lots of things this summer excited about making fun things in the kitchen, I actually woke up this morning, and I wrote a list of things that I want to just practice making that I've never made before on my own.
So here's what's on my list, you can take it for inspiration, or you can just leave it right here. And I'll have to come back and share with you if I have actually started any of these things, and how they're going. But I'm really excited about making homemade yogurt, homemade sourdough bread, I want to practice making a chocolate cake. I've never made a cake before. And what else is on the list, I would love to learn how to make a roasted chicken.
So those are, I think I just said four, four things that I really want to at least try once making in the kitchen. And yeah, hopefully I can become decent at them and just practice more and more and more. But I'm a big fan of making just simple, really delicious food in the kitchen and it seems simple enough to at least get creative with and enjoy and just kind of have some fun with the summer.
Aside from that, just being in the sun going on bike rides, dancing, I love a good dance party with friends in the summer, having a dinner party perhaps it's just it's so much fun with life kind of beginning to settle back into what?
Well, honestly, we can't really go back, we can only go forward but some sense of normalcy around the pandemic. And so I'm celebrating that I'm so excited that you're here.
And thanks for hanging out with me today and just hearing everything that's going on in this community.
I want to hear from you. Like I said before, if you have anything else that you are craving in this community or just want to get feedback on or anything going on in your life, you can send me an email directly to hello@katelynparsons.com. That's the best way to connect right now like I said, as I am navigating all things social media, but once again, go to the website, check it out. I think Jackie did such a great job with us. It's katelynparsons.com.
Grab your body acceptance starter kit if you haven't done that already, you can grab it on the website in the show notes or Just head to www.katelynparsons.com/kit, and you'll see it there. I think that's it.
I love you. I am so excited about all of these things change used to scare me so much. And it feels really exciting to just be in this new relationship with change where it's still scary sometimes, but it feels way more exciting and just neutral and calm, not as triggering as it used to.
So we'll leave it there. Have a great week. Bye.
