Marriage, Mindset, and Change: How to Build Strong, Lasting Relationships
Release Date: 08/20/2025
Turning Pain Into Wisdom, Beauty and Power
Life Check Yourself
In this episode of Life Check Yourself, I sit down with writer and self-healing advocate Alexis Leigh, author of Pain Is a Portal to Beauty: Stunning Discoveries After Loss, Psychedelics and Feeling It All. With roots in Wharton, law school and the corporate world, she shares how a single moment in the woods cracked open a life that looked “perfect” on paper but felt empty inside, and how following that inner voice led through divorce, deep emotional work and psychedelic journeys into a life of authenticity, love and radical self-trust. About The Guest Alexis Leigh is a...
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How To Set A Living Boundary without Starting a Fight
Life Check Yourself
Today’s conversation features Lionel Moses—family man, veteran of Desert Storm, coach, and author of The Marriage Seed. We dig into relationship mastery across home and work: self-awareness over blame, trust over suspicion, and communication that lands (not just “gets said”). 3 Main Takeaways Start with self. Lasting change begins by checking beliefs, tone, and patterns before judging a partner. Choose trust over suspicion. Misunderstandings shrink when curiosity and clarity lead the interaction. Weed the garden, consistently. Relationships thrive when small problems are pulled...
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How to stop a checklist love and start a real connection
Life Check Yourself
Today I’m joined by April Davis, founder of LUMA Luxury Matchmaking—and yes, she’s married to a divorce attorney, which gives her a razor-sharp lens on what actually lasts. We dig into modern dating beyond the apps: values vs. chemistry, paradox of choice, readiness, standards, gender roles, and commitment—so real love stops feeling impossible and starts feeling inevitable. 3 Main Takeaways Values beat vibes. Chemistry fades; aligned values keep relationships stable long-term. Choice overload kills connection. The app era fuels paradox of choice and “dating for dismissal.”...
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From Skin Care to Soul Care: how energy healing ikigai created a purpose driven business
Life Check Yourself
Guest intro: Mayumi Pachkoski is a U.S.–based aesthetician and energy-healing practitioner who blended Eastern and Western skincare to build a thriving six-figure studio in Maryland. A former flight attendant who pivoted in her 30s, she now helps practitioners grow healing businesses rooted in purpose and service. 3 Power Takeaways Leap early; build skills on the way. Use “no-brainer” offers to get in the room and learn from pros. (20:07–22:36) Let purpose lead the model. When work sits at the intersection of talent, joy, and need (ikigai), consistency becomes easy....
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From Fear to Fulfillment: Unlocking Your Ikigai and Creating a Life You Love
Life Check Yourself
Mary Olson-Menzel is a nationally recognized expert in career and workplace success with over 30 years of leadership experience across media, tech, healthcare, and even the NFL. As the founder and CEO of MVP Executive Development, she’s coached everyone from Fortune 500 leaders to parents reentering the workforce—helping them find purpose, confidence, and a plan to do what truly lights them up. In this inspiring episode, we unpack the mindset and tools to thrive through massive change, find your “reason for being,” and design work—and a life—that truly lights you up. ...
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Rising Strong: Finding Gratitude, Courage, and Reinvention After Life’s Messiest Moments
Life Check Yourself
Today’s episode features Rachel Gitlevich, author of What in the Actual Fck: Life’s a Hot Mess—How to Find Gratitude Anyways* and founder of Ray of Consciousness. Through her writing and consulting work, Rachel fuses raw storytelling with wellness and strategy, helping people and organizations grow with authenticity. Her story is one of resilience, transformation, and radical gratitude—even in the face of unimaginable challenges. 💫 Episode Overview In this episode, Rachel shares her extraordinary journey through multiple cancer diagnoses, near-death experiences, and...
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Reclaim Your Desire, Rewrite Scripts, Rediscover Pleasure, Confidence, and Connection
Life Check Yourself
This week’s conversation is all about rewriting outdated scripts and reclaiming intimacy with confidence, connection, and joy. Lauren Elise Rogers—certified holistic sexuality educator and embodied intimacy coach—shares her empowering approach to navigating desire, healing from harmful narratives, and reigniting long-term relationships. With warmth and clarity, Lauren unpacks how to release the scripts that no longer serve, nurture your own sense of pleasure, and bring curiosity back into love. This is a reminder that nothing is broken—you have the right and the power to create...
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When Therapy Doesn't Work: How To Unlock Change Using The Solution Focused Approach to Transformation
Life Check Yourself
Guest: Elliott Connie — psychotherapist, best-selling author, and global leader in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). In this episode, Elliott breaks down how asking the right questions can create powerful shifts in healing, relationships, and life direction. With over 20 years of experience, he shows why focusing on strengths and desired outcomes leads to transformation faster than traditional models of therapy. 3 Powerful Takeaways The questions you ask shape your future. Change begins by focusing on outcomes, not problems. Lasting relationships thrive on...
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Career Reinvention Secrets: What This Executive Coach Wants You To Know Now
Life Check Yourself
In this episode of Life Check Yourself, Marni Battista interviews Steven Miyao, an executive coach and entrepreneur, about navigating midlife career changes and personal reinvention. They discuss the challenges faced by midlife professionals, the importance of aligning careers with personal values, and practical strategies for overcoming fear and taking action. Steven shares insights from his coaching practice, including the eulogy exercise to reflect on one's values and the significance of experimentation in making life changes. The conversation emphasizes the need for intentional living and...
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Career Reinvention Secrets: What This Executive Coach Wants You To Know Now
Life Check Yourself
In this episode of Life Check Yourself, Marni Battista interviews Steven Miyao, an executive coach and entrepreneur, about navigating midlife career changes and personal reinvention. They discuss the challenges faced by midlife professionals, the importance of aligning careers with personal values, and practical strategies for overcoming fear and taking action. Steven shares insights from his coaching practice, including the eulogy exercise to reflect on one's values and the significance of experimentation in making life changes. The conversation emphasizes the need for intentional living and...
info_outlineIn this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Corey Allan—husband, father, author, speaker, and seasoned marriage and family therapist—to unpack the truth about long-term love, personal growth, and staying connected through change. We go beyond surface-level advice to talk about what really keeps relationships alive, why personal responsibility is non-negotiable, and how to navigate shifts in yourself and your partner without losing the bond.
3 Main Takeaways:
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Face the relationship you have—not the one you wish you had.
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Personal growth will shift the relationship—be ready to adapt.
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Strong connections are built on presence, self-respect, and shared growth.
3 Main Topics with Timestamps, Citations, and Explanations:
1. Work with Who Your Partner Really Is (05:03)
"I'm fighting for the spouse I wish I had… rather than I'm actually working with who they are."
Explanation: Real progress comes when energy is spent on understanding and relating to the actual person in the relationship—flaws, strengths, and all—instead of chasing an idealized version that only exists in imagination.
2. Change in One Partner Shifts the Entire System (13:25)
"One person makes a change, so it's going to impact the system… The other person is left with a couple of choices."
Explanation: Every change—whether intentional growth, a lifestyle shift, or a new boundary—ripples through the relationship. How each person responds determines whether the bond strengthens, adapts, or drifts apart.
3. Presence Beats Time Quantity (33:25)
"My wife benefits… from 20 minutes of a hundred percent of my presence more than she does of an hour of 50% of my presence."
Explanation: Deep connection is built through focused, intentional engagement rather than simply being in the same space. Quality attention fuels emotional closeness far more than distracted time together.
Connections:
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