Happy New Year, Bold Movers! I hope your 2026 is off to an incredible start. As we step into this fresh chapter, we’re setting intentions, resolutions, and goals, often relying on that inner voice to steer us right. But today, I want to flip the script on a piece of advice we usually accept as a universal truth. This is a vital conversation because it challenges a well-known convention, particularly if you struggle with anxiety.

You’re told constantly to trust your gut. It is the golden rule of intuition—if something feels wrong, don't do it. But what happens when your gut is driven by anxiety instead of wisdom?

For Rachel Lipson, founder of Blue Balloon Songwriting School and Brooklyn Family Travelers, learning not to trust your gut was the key to her bold move. As a child battling agoraphobia, Rachel’s intuition screamed at her to stay safe and stay home. If she had listened to that feeling, she never would have left Michigan or her reputable teaching job for something more that was calling to her.

In this episode, Rachel shares how she rejected the instinct to seek safety and moved to New York City to force herself out of her comfort zone. She reveals why “trust your gut” might be problematic advice for anyone with anxiety, and how she learned to proceed with caution instead of paralysis.

Rachel also walks us through her 17-year journey of entrepreneurship, sharing her brilliant metaphor for sustaining a business. Plus, we cover her latest pivot into Brooklyn Family Travelers, where she teaches families how to use credit card points to explore the world.

Hit play now and learn why you might need to stop trying to trust your gut to finally make your bold move!

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! https://kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with Guest Rachel Lipson:

Brooklyn Family Travelers: brooklynfamilytravelers.substack.com

Blue Balloon Songwriting School: blueballoonschool.com

Connect with Host Kristen Rocco

On Substack: https://kristenrocco.substack.com/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenrocco/

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