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This episode is a masterclass in doing the work even when you feel like absolute garbage. Kathy Charles didn’t come into my program feeling motivated, hopeful, or even remotely excited about fitness. She came in depressed, deep in menopause, dealing with grief, vertigo, an injured knee, and the kind of emotional exhaustion that makes brushing your hair feel optional.

And yet… she showed up.

Kathy didn’t wake up one day magically inspired. She started when she was grumpy, resistant, and fully prepared to hate me during workouts. She modified everything. She half-assed it when that was all she had. She swore at the screen. And she kept going anyway.

In this conversation, Kathy shares how therapy helped clear what she calls the “traffic jam” in her brain so she could start taking care of herself again, why mental health support wasn’t optional for her progress, and how structure, not motivation, helped her rebuild trust with herself.

She lost 50 pounds and 44 inches, yes. But more importantly, she got her energy, confidence, and sense of badassness back. She zip-lines. She shovels snow. She plans bike trips. She lives in a body she trusts again.

This episode is proof that you don’t need to feel good to start. You just need to start.

What’s Inside:

• You don’t need motivation. You need momentum. Kathy started when she felt awful and let consistency do the heavy lifting.
• Mental health and physical health are not separate. Therapy cleared the path so habits could stick.
• Modifying is not failing. It is how progress actually happens, especially when your body has limits.
• Habits don’t disappear when life gets hard. They are what carry you through it.

Kathy’s story is such a powerful reminder that progress doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from showing up as you are, even when you’re cranky, tired, grieving, or over it. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to keep doing something.
If this episode hit home for you, DM me on Instagram and tell me what your version of a “grumpy workout” looks like right now. I want to hear it.

Mentioned in This Episode:
Join the 28 Day Transformation Waitlist
Oonagh Duncan on Instagram
Fit Feels Good
Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!

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I thought I was recording a tidy little year-end recap. A highlight reel. A greatest hits moment. Easy.

Instead, I found myself staring at this year of conversations and realizing something way more uncomfortable and way more interesting. Certain themes kept showing up. Across guests who had nothing in common. Across topics that should not have overlapped. And somehow, those themes quietly rewired how I think about goals, ambition, self-compassion, and what I’m willing to accept in my own life.

So this episode is not a highlight reel.

It’s a reflection on the three biggest lessons this podcast taught me this year and why they might matter for you too.

One of them completely changed how I look at “stuck” goals and the stories we tell ourselves about why something isn’t possible yet. Another challenged the way I think about self-compassion and why being kind to yourself does not mean settling or giving up. And the third forced me to take a hard look at what I’m letting into my brain every single day and how much low-quality noise we’ve all been normalizing.

I share the moments that cracked these lessons open for me, the guests who sparked the shifts, and the questions that stopped me mid-spiral more than once this year.

This episode is part reflection, part pattern recognition, and part invitation to stop carrying goals and beliefs that feel heavy, obligatory, or vaguely punishing.

If you’re heading into a new season thinking about what you want next or wondering why certain goals just don’t light you up anymore, this one might land closer to home than you expect.

What’s Inside:

• The patterns I couldn’t unsee after reviewing a full year of conversations
• Why some goals quietly drain you before you even start
• A reframing of self-compassion that removes shame without removing choice
• What happens when you stop letting low-quality noise rent space in your brain

This episode isn’t about doing more or fixing yourself. It’s about noticing what keeps repeating and having the courage to question it. I’d love to know which theme made you pause or which one you’re still chewing on. DM me on Instagram and tell me what you’re carrying forward and what you’re ready to leave behind.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Oonagh Duncan on Instagram
Fit Feels Good
Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!

Send us a text

This episode wrecked me in the very best way.

On September 11th, 2001, while most of the world was glued to their TVs watching unimaginable horror unfold, Diane Davis was teaching Grade 3 French immersion in Gander, Newfoundland, an airport town of about 10,000 people that would suddenly become home to nearly 7,000 stranded airline passengers.

What happened next is the part of the 9/11 story you probably don’t know.

Diane walks me through those surreal days when 38 planes were diverted to Gander and an entire community quietly, efficiently, and compassionately mobilized. Teachers turned schools into shelters. Bus drivers walked off strike to shuttle passengers. Churches, camps, and tiny outport towns filled trucks with food, bedding, and toothbrushes. Bulletin boards replaced the internet. Tim Hortons boxes became filing systems. No one waited to be told what to do. People just did what they could.

Diane’s story became part of Come From Away, the Broadway musical inspired by Gander’s response to 9/11. Yes, there is literally a character based on her. But what struck me most wasn’t the red carpets or the Tony Awards. It was her belief that none of this was extraordinary. It was simply people showing up with whatever skills they had.

We also talk about the other side of being a lifelong helper, learning how to receive. Diane shares candidly about her current cancer treatment, the discomfort of accepting support, and how community once again is carrying her through. This conversation is about kindness, grit, humility, and the quiet magic that happens when strangers choose to care for each other.

You might cry. I definitely did. And you’ll walk away remembering what humans are capable of when we’re at our best.

What’s Inside:

• What really happened in Gander when thousands of planes were diverted on 9/11
• How ordinary people self-organized to care for thousands of strangers
• The real-life story behind Come From Away
• Why learning to receive help can be just as powerful as giving it

So here’s what I want you thinking about after this episode. What does being rich actually mean to you? Is it having more than enough for yourself or being so resourced that you can show up for others without hesitation? Diane’s story is a masterclass in emotional wealth, generosity, and community. And look, that kind of life is built one choice at a time.

I want to hear from you. What kind of world do you want to help create, and what role do you want to play in it? DM me on Instagram and let’s talk about it. I read every message.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Give Back To Diane Davis
Oonagh Duncan on Instagram
Fit Feels Good
Leave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!
Goal Setting Workshop