What if some of the things you’ve learned to do to keep the peace are actually keeping you from yourself?

In this episode, we’re sharing five things we wish we knew about people pleasing in our twenties and thirties—from learning that everyone doesn’t need to like you, to understanding why saying no can feel so uncomfortable.

We talk about over-explaining, fake yeses and resentment, boundaries, and the ways our nervous systems can confuse discomfort with danger. We also explore what it can look like to slow down, reconnect with what we actually want, practice small boundaries, and build self-trust along the way.

As always, we’re not sharing these as people who have it all figured out. We’re sharing what we’re noticing, learning, and practicing in our own lives.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

Connect with us:
📲 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod
🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod
📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

Were you the “responsible one” growing up? The one who knew what needed to be done, noticed when someone was upset, helped keep the peace, or felt like you had to set the example?

In this episode, we explore the eldest daughter role and its connection to people pleasing, caretaking, parentification, and taking responsibility for everyone around us. We talk about how gender, family dynamics, birth order, and the roles we are given can shape the ways we learn to care for others—and how those patterns can follow us well into adulthood.

Drawing from our own experiences as eldest daughters, we unpack the complicated parts of this role: the pride and purpose that can come from being needed, the positive feedback we receive for being capable and resilient, and the less visible costs of overfunctioning, hypervigilance, self-abandonment, and difficulty receiving care ourselves.

We also explore how these patterns can show up in adult relationships—including the tension between helping and controlling, anticipating other people's needs, struggling with reciprocity, and learning that someone else's journey isn't necessarily ours to manage.

As always, we leave you with a question to reflect on:

Do you look back on your childhood with pride for the skills you developed, resentment for what you missed, or somewhere in between?

We’d love to hear your thoughts in a Spotify comment, an Apple Podcasts review, or over on Instagram.

Connect with us:
📲 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod
🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod
📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

What does it mean to reclaim the Divine Feminine—and what happens when we stop performing who we're supposed to be and start becoming more fully ourselves?

In this episode, we explore femininity, feminine and masculine energy, and the Divine Feminine through the lens of our own experiences, cultural conditioning, people pleasing, and the process of coming home to ourselves.

We talk about what we've been taught femininity is supposed to look like, what it means to reclaim qualities like intuition, creativity, receptivity, softness, strength, and abundance, and how these qualities can exist alongside boundaries, discernment, logic, and action.

We also explore the connection between people pleasing and belonging, the difference between fitting in and truly belonging, and what can become possible when we trust our own inner knowing rather than constantly looking outside ourselves for validation.

And because this is The People Pleaser Podcast, we couldn't talk about reclaiming ourselves without talking about boundaries. We unpack the tension between self-preservation and connection, how boundaries can become rigid or weaponized, and what it might look like to speak our truth while still leaving room for kindness, curiosity, discourse, and relationship.

At the heart of this conversation is an invitation to get curious about the stories we've inherited and ask: Is this who I am, or is this who I've been taught to be?

We'd love to hear what this episode brings up for you, leave us a comment or review letting us know your takeaways or asking questions that are still percolating.

Connect with us:
📱 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod
🌐 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod
📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who might enjoy the conversation, leave us a review, or come find us on Instagram and join the conversation. 🤍

Is there a difference between being nice and being kind?

In this episode, we explore the subtle—but important—distinction between these two ways of relating to others. We discuss how being "nice" is often shaped by social expectations, people pleasing, and the desire to keep the peace, while kindness is rooted in honesty, authenticity, and genuine care—for others and for ourselves.

Together, we unpack why kindness isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it looks like setting a boundary, speaking a difficult truth, or allowing someone to be disappointed. We also reflect on how challenging it can be for people pleasers to receive kindness, especially when our caretaking and manager parts have learned that our value comes from taking care of everyone else.

From both a psychological and somatic perspective, we explore how chronic niceness can contribute to stress, self-abandonment, and resentment, while practicing authentic kindness can support greater connection, regulation, and well-being.

As always, we leave you with a question to reflect on:

What would it look like (and feel like!) to be kind to yourself?

Call to Action:

Notice when you are being nice vs. kind - what shows up for you?

We'd love to hear your thoughts in a Spotify comment, an Apple Podcasts review, or over on Instagram.

Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod

📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod

Turning 40 feels like a good moment to come back to the podcast for a more intimate check-in.

In this solo episode, I reflect on where I’ve grown, where I’m still being asked to grow—especially when it comes to boundaries with family—and what feels exciting about this next stage of life.

I also revisit some of my old beliefs about turning 40. For a long time, I imagined it as the beginning of a downhill trajectory. Instead, I’m finding myself reclaiming this age with more groundedness, confidence, and hope for what’s ahead.

I talk honestly about the parts of the future that still bring uncertainty, including the desire my husband and I share to have a child and the thoughts that come up around my “biological clock.” How do I continue caring for myself while also becoming a mother? I don’t have all the answers, but I’m learning to trust the stability of my marriage, the life we’re building together, and the understanding that there is time for the decisions I want and need to make.

More than anything, this episode is a check-in with myself—and an invitation to recognize that growth doesn't stop at 40. Maybe this isn't the beginning of the decline. Maybe it's the beginning of becoming even more fully myself.

Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod

📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod

What if perfectionism, procrastination, and imposter syndrome aren't separate struggles but different expressions of the same underlying fear?

In this episode, we explore how these patterns can become part of a self-reinforcing cycle, shaped by our nervous system, lived experiences, and the stories we've learned to tell ourselves about success, worthiness, and safety. We unpack the fears that often sit beneath them—fear of failure, judgment, rejection, and not being "good enough"—and examine why these patterns can feel so difficult to break.

Through personal stories and honest conversation, we reflect on where we notice these tendencies showing up in our own lives, the situations that tend to amplify them, and the ways we're learning to build confidence, practice self-compassion, and embrace imperfection. We also explore what happens in the body when we feel threatened or exposed, and how tuning into our nervous system can help us interrupt the cycle before it takes over.

As always, we leave you with a question to reflect on:

Which part of this cycle do you recognize most in yourself—perfectionism, procrastination, or imposter syndrome? And when you imagine that pattern relaxing, even slightly... what feels most at risk?

Share your thoughts in a Spotify comment, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, or send us a DM on Instagram. We'd love to hear from you.

Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod

📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod

What’s the difference between being a people pleaser, a highly sensitive person, and an empath?

In this episode, we take a more free-flowing and personal approach to untangling these identities—and the ways they can sometimes overlap, become confused, or shape how we understand ourselves.

We explore our own experiences with sensitivity, empathy, and people pleasing, including how family upbringing and intimate relationships may have contributed to the nervous system patterns we carry today. We talk about boundaries, self-abandonment, and why learning to care for ourselves is essential—not selfish.

We also reflect on the experience of living in a world that can feel fast, busy, loud, and constantly demanding, and discuss the importance of slowing down, re-centering, and finding ways to come back to ourselves.

As always, we leave you with a question to consider:

How do you see people pleasing, sensitivity, or empathy showing up in your own life—and where might you be ready to create more space for yourself?

Share your thoughts in a Spotify comment, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, or send us a DM on Instagram. We would love to hear from you.

Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod

📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod

What if people pleasing isn't a personality trait—but a survival strategy?

In this episode, we explore the connection between people pleasing and the nervous system, and why so many of us automatically prioritize everyone else's needs while losing touch with our own.

We discuss the psychological signs of a dysregulated nervous system, how chronic people pleasing can show up physically through tension, digestive issues, fatigue, and stress, and why insight alone isn't enough to create lasting change. We also share practical ways to begin recognizing the pattern, regulating your nervous system, and reconnecting with your own needs.

People pleasing may have once helped you stay safe. Healing isn't about caring less about others—it's about learning to include yourself, too.

Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @peoplepleaser.pod

📧 Email: corieandcindy@gmail.com

🔗 Everything in one place: msha.ke/peoplepleaserpod