Alicia (00:09.358)
Hello and welcome to the Boldly You podcast with Alicia Wolfe. I'm so grateful you found me and that you're here with me today. For those of you who don't know me, I am a Lightyear leadership coach, a retreat leader, an entrepreneur and founder, a mother and wife, and now a podcast host. I worked in corporate America for over 15 years before burning my whole life down and rebuilding it in alignment with my dreams and my vision.
Before I tell you about the podcast and the why and what you can expect, but before I tell you about the podcast and what you can expect and how it came to be, I want to share a bit about everything that led up until this moment of the Boldly You podcast launching, because there's so much that happened and so much deep self -inquiry work on myself and things that happened in the background and...
underground that created the possibility for this show.
I'll never forget, oh.
And I believe it's important to share that because I believe in the power of storytelling and I believe it's important. Before I tell you about the podcast and what you can expect and how it came to be, I wanna share a bit about everything that led up until this moment of the Boldly You podcast launching because there's so much that happened and so much...
Alicia (01:38.734)
in the background work and underground work and deep self work that I did on myself that created this podcast to be possible. And I think it's important to tell that story. And so I'm going to tell you now. And I think it's important to tell that story because maybe you'll relate to it and maybe it will create a new possibility for you in some way. So I'll never forget this moment that I had.
It was September of 2019 and my husband has just.
Alicia (02:19.47)
Hello and welcome to the Boldly You podcast with Alicia Wolf. I'm so grateful you found me and that you're here today. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a Lightyear Leadership Coach, a retreat leader, an entrepreneur and founder, a mother and a wife, and now a podcast host.
I worked in corporate America for 15 years before burning it all down and rebuilding my life in alignment with my dreams and my vision. And this podcast is in line with that. But before I tell you about the podcast and what you can expect and how it came to be, I want to share a bit about what led to this moment of the boldly podcast launching, because there's so much more to it than just choosing to launch a podcast. There's so much.
that happened and so much deep self -inquiry work I did on myself that created the possibility for this show to exist. And I think it's important to share that story so that you as a listener can understand me a little bit more and understand my story a little bit more as we embark on this journey of transformation together. So right now I'm sitting in my house in the jungle overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
in a little town called Camputal, Panama. But my life didn't always look like this. And I'll never forget this one moment that I had. It was September of 2019. Okay.
Right now, I'm sitting in my bedroom slash office slash recording studio in the jungle, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in a town called Cambutal, Panama. And I've been living here for just over under a year. And I run a business here. I'm opening a new business here. And I run an online business from here and I'm opening a new business here.
Alicia (04:28.59)
And my girls go to a Montessori school here. And this moment right here is five plus years in the making, but it didn't always look like this and it didn't always feel like this. And I'll never forget this one moment I had. I want to share it with you. It was September of 2019 and my husband had just pulled out of the driveway with our daughters on their way to school.
after the morning scramble to get everyone out the door. And I was standing at my kitchen sink at my house in Seattle, looking out at the Cascades Mountains, the same incredible view that had sold us on this house eight years ago. And the house was calm and peaceful, but internally, I was spiraling.
I felt lost, uninspired, stuck. I didn't know what to do because everything on paper looked idyllic. But for so many years, I had been desiring a different life. Not with different people, I loved my life. But I was longing for a life of more fulfillment and more purpose and more inspiration.
and more intentional direction, like I was actually working towards something, something that I wanted. I was tired of going through the motions of the day to day. And I was tired of surrounding myself with people who I was trying to fit in with. And I was tired of working a job that I was good at, but was for someone else's dream. And I was tired of doing all the things I thought I was supposed to do that would lead to happiness and fulfillment. It wasn't working for me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want to come across as ungrateful. Like I said, my life on paper was pretty ideal, but it didn't light me up. And I felt like life should light you up.
Alicia (06:34.606)
It didn't feel like it was in alignment or living into my potential. It didn't feel like I was living into my potential. And it wasn't in alignment with my values and the things that I wanted and the dreams I had.
And so I realized in that moment in 2019 that I needed to make some changes.
that I have one life to live and that I should get to decide how to live it. And I should get to decide what success looks and feels like, not other people's expectations of me, not society's version of success and not living into comparison of what other people are doing. And for me, my biggest motivator was thinking about myself 50 years from now and thinking, I wish I'd had the courage to pursue my dreams or my goals or my version of success.
I didn't want to live with regret or what ifs. And a few months later, I went through my first vision and goals course through work actually, through a program called Light Your Leadership. And the best way I can describe it is that it felt like I looked up for the first time in my life.
Because up until that point, I had my head down and I was going through the motions and I was getting degrees and graduate degrees and jobs and promotions and the house and the white picket fence and all the things that I was told I was supposed to do. But through this course that I did, and when I felt like I actually looked up for the first time, it was because I got clear on what actually mattered to me.
Alicia (08:21.614)
and I released my limiting beliefs that I had about what was actually possible for life. And I created a vision in alignment with my values and my version of success and set goals from that vision to help me achieve it.
And two and a half years later in 2022, my husband and I quit our jobs and we sold our home and everything that we own to pursue our vision and a life that was and design. And two and a half years later, my husband and I quit our jobs. We sold our house and everything we own to pursue our vision and design a life that was.
in alignment with what truly mattered to us and what we actually wanted our life to look like. And now we're doing it. And we're experiencing a level of happiness, fulfillment and ease that I didn't even know existed before. Not easy. It's not easy to go against the grain. They make it pretty difficult actually. It's not easy to build an alternative life. And it's not, there's nothing easy about going after what you want.
but there's ease in knowing that it's purpose -driven and values -led and in alignment with what you want your future to look like. And so to get to this moment, we traveled for a year as a family through the US and in Central America in search of a life that felt connected and aligned with those values and the vision we had co -created for ourselves. And in March of 2023,
We found ourselves in a town called Cambutal, Panama. It is a cowboy surf town at the end of the road. Literally the road turns into jungle about a hundred meters past our house. And the jungle meets the ocean and it's where we've chosen to build our lives in this beautiful community of like -minded individuals who have gone through their own version of the same thing. The next episode.
Alicia (10:30.958)
of this show is with my husband and partner in everything, Kris, and we share more about that story of why and how we chose this life. So definitely check that out if you want deeper insight into that story and into our life now. And that's what each one of these episodes will be. It will be a peek into my story and the story of the guests that I'll have on who have overcome.
the limiting beliefs that they had to pursue a life in alignment with what they want.
And let's talk about limiting beliefs because man are those present. And in fact, after that moment of looking up for the first time and realizing that I wanted something different, the limiting beliefs held that back for two or three years, you know, and continue to in some ways. So what do I mean by limiting beliefs? Limiting beliefs are the thoughts and voices in our head that keep us small, that hold us back from...
our potential or prevent us from going after those things that we want.
These limiting beliefs can span every aspect of our life, especially as women. And they can be anything ever present in career limitations like imposter syndrome, financial independence, body image, relationships, friendships, in motherhood and in leadership. And it's our job to get curious about those beliefs we have, those limiting thoughts and those limiting voices and try to identify where they came from and then challenge them.
Alicia (12:09.934)
And this podcast is a bold act of pushing through my own limiting beliefs. So a voice I have in my head and I've pretty much had for my whole life is that nobody wants to hear what I have to say.
And I know where it comes from. And I know intellectually that that isn't true. It's interesting how we can know something intellectually, but it's still present, you know? And that voice is still present for me. It's getting quieter and quieter, but it still lingers in whispers. And so this podcast is courage in action. It's not only do I think it's going to create, not only do I think it's going to create a lot of value for you as listeners, I've recorded,
seven or eight episodes at this point. And wow, every single one is so inspiring and, and filled with so much information that you can practically implement into your life. So not only is it just beneficial to listeners and I feel calling to share that it's also an act of me working through my own healing and challenging the limiting belief that no one wants to hear what I have to say. I mean, I'm literally creating a podcast where I'm sharing.
things that I have to say. And I'm trusting that even if nobody listens to this, which I don't think is going to happen because the content is good, but even if nobody listens to this, it's still a courage in action. It's me stepping into a version of myself that is free of that limiting belief.
Alicia (13:46.062)
also want to share how the name came to be because it's a, it's actually a pretty special story. It wasn't like I just, you know, picked out of thin air how, what I wanted to call my podcast. It's part of why it's taken, you know, a couple of years to actually get this up the ground, up and off the ground because I wanted it to be so intentional and meaningful. And so the story of how it came to be is back in 2020.
I was doing some goal setting with a friend and fellow coach, Michelle Kost She'll be on the podcast soon actually. And I was reading my goals to her, which were mostly about different places I wanted to travel. So it was like, you know, for my, for our anniversary, Kris and I travel back to Argentina or for my 50th birthday, my daughters and I take a trip to a new to us country. And I'm laughing about that now because.
It's funny to think that that felt like a really big goal back in 2020. And I'm 37 now, and we've traveled to five new countries in the last year and a half. And my daughters are, were three and five when we left. So it's just, it's interesting to reflect on that and how that was such a huge goal at the time. But as I was reading my goals to Michelle, her response was.
Quote, girl, you need to pour some gasoline on those goals and light a match. Your goals read like a travel itinerary.
And what she was highlighting lovingly was that I had an opportunity and a responsibility in fact to set bigger goals, bolder goals that were more in alignment with what I truly wanted and what I actually was at the core of those goals, which through a series of reflection questions, I realized that I wanted to live in a location agnostic life. I wanted to travel.
Alicia (15:49.226)
extensively and immersively and live abroad and experience adventure and learn things about life and about myself that you can only learn through getting out of your comfort zone.
But the limiting belief that I had was that I'm not bold enough to do that. Those were literally the words in my head as I was reading my goals, these bigger goals that I was setting for myself of living abroad and standing on the deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean with my husband.
The voice in my head was, I'm not bold enough to do that. Or that type of life was impossible for me. So through the coaching, sort of the work that we do, so through the work that we do and that I help clients with, she helped me set a declaration that was in opposition of that limiting belief and was in alignment with the future that I wanted that would help support me in the goals I was setting to get to the future that I wanted.
So I created the declaration of my boldness breaks through the impossible.
And I've said that declaration out loud probably every single day since then. When I wanted to start my own business, but had zero idea how to do that and quite a bit of fear around it, I said, my boldness breaks through the impossible. And when we started to really put in action this plan to go live our vision and travel, my boldness breaks through the impossible. And when I -
Alicia (17:27.47)
quit my incredible corporate job to go after something really uncertain, my boldness breaks through the impossible. And even in launching this podcast, where, you know, my limiting voice is saying nobody wants to hear what I have to say, this isn't going to work. My boldness breaks through the impossible. And so little by little, those things that once seemed impossible,
become possible and became my reality. It's really powerful.
And then flash forward to 2023. I'm road tripping with my amazing cousin Claire through Florida while we were back visiting the US, visiting family. And I asked her, if you were describing me to somebody, what would you say? And her first response was, she's really bold.
Alicia (18:30.798)
And that makes me quite emotional to reflect on that because five years ago, I don't know if she would have used that word to describe me, you know? But through the work that I did and through challenging the norms and, you know, boldly going after the things that I wanted in life, I created that reality. I created that person who is bold.
And I've shared with her, I've shared with both of them how meaningful that was to me. And I just knew that when I started this podcast, which has been a goal for almost two years, that it would have the word bold in the title. And it would be all about pushing through the discomfort and having the courage to boldly become the most authentic version of yourself and to achieve the things that you want.
Alicia (19:31.63)
And so my question to you is, what do you want?
What do you want in this life?
What do you want in your life?
In my experience, people sometimes have a hard time answering that question. In fact, I was leading a workshop here in Panama last week with a group of women who were here on retreat. And when I led them through this exercise, which I'll actually do with you in a moment, one of the women shared that she had a really hard time because no one's ever asked her that before.
which is really sad, but also super real. Oftentimes we're so head down, going through the motions, doing the things that we're told are important or a measure of success, and we don't even stop to consider, is this what I truly want? And for me, that moment happened when I was 33 years old or 34 years old. And for you, I hope it happens a little bit earlier if you're not already there.
Alicia (20:39.886)
But I want to share an exercise with you that I think can help you. And it's called the power of knowing what you want. And it's a really critical piece of the puzzle in figuring out what you truly want in your life as you embark on this journey of living your vision or creating your vision and living it through your goals. So this exercise is the first step to a crystal clear clarity about your future. But here's the trick.
You have to focus on the positive, the aspects, the active parts of your desires. Because so often we focus on the things that we don't want. I don't want to be alone or I don't want to get divorced or I don't want to be stuck in a job I don't like. That doesn't create any active action for us to take. So instead of saying, I don't want to be alone or I don't want to get divorced, which doesn't give you any active direction.
Try saying, I want to have a happy, healthy relationship. See the difference? Or instead of dwelling on, I don't want to live a life of regret, try, I want to trust myself and embrace risks.
And instead of fearing I might fail to make a difference in the world, how about saying, I want to pour my energy into making the world and the lives of others better every single day. Or instead of saying, I don't want to be stuck at a job I don't like, consider, I want an inspiring, impactful career.
And those give you something positive to steer your ship towards every single day. And each of those positive statements sounds way more achievable than trying to steer clear of the looming mountains of, you know, loneliness or divorce or regret or complacency, right? It's just all about putting a positive spin on your desires and dreams and manifest the things that you want because what you focus on, you attract. So if you're focusing on all the things that you don't want,
Alicia (22:50.35)
Guess what's gonna happen? You're gonna get more at that.
So let's do an exercise. And this is an exercise I do with clients and friends and myself. And you'll need a piece of paper or a journal or something for it. So on your piece of paper, draw a big circle, like as big as your paper. And inside the circle, write down all the things you want in life. And these can be tangible things like a house, two kids, a Volkswagen bus.
travel to Australia, you know, laughter, a vegetable garden, anything that you want. And they can be conceptual things, ideas or feelings. So confidence, financial freedom, joy, ease. Ease is at the center of every circle that I ever do. You can get as specific as you want. Now remember though, these are things that you want.
not what society tells you to want, not what your mother wants you to want, what you want. And when you're doing this, don't ever think it, okay? Turn the logical part of your brain off and try to silence any limiting beliefs that you have about what's actually possible and write down everything you want in your life.
Then when you're done, on the outside of your circle, you'll write down anything you don't want in your life. Stress, complacency, regret, being tethered to a desk, whatever. And it's like creating a clear boundary or a protective barrier between what you desire and what you'd rather leave behind. And you're pushing out those things that you don't want.
Alicia (24:46.382)
and focusing in on the things that you do want is incredibly powerful. I know because I'm a product of it. The first time I did this, I was blown away at what came up. And the other cool thing about it is you don't have to just do this for your life as a whole. Like if you're having a hard time really seeing what you want for your whole life, start smaller. Do it for this year.
or for this month or this moon cycle, if that's what you're into. You can even do it for a meeting or a conversation that you're going into. It's an intention setting exercise and a manifestation practice that just helps you focus on the things that you want and bring those things in closer. So I used to do it in my early days of coaching, or leading workshops even. I would write down on small post -it note all the things that I wanted. So I want impact. I want...
connection, I want smiles, I want head nods, strong wifi, things like that. And then I would put on the outside the things that I don't want in that meeting or that workshop or that coaching call. I don't want the material to fall flat or disconnection or confusion. I don't want to doubt myself, things like that. I don't want weak wifi or the power to go out, which is a real thing here. Although I'm working on a business to overcome that, so stay tuned for that.
for more about that. But it's going to be an incredibly powerful tool for you to simply start focusing on the things that you want. So it can be a...
So it can be an incredibly powerful practice to start focusing on the things that you do want. And I promise you, if you put this into practical application and you implement into your life and you put it somewhere present, like on your mirror or your computer or somewhere where you have visibility to it, you will start to attract those things because our brain likes a picture of success and this is a way to help you move towards that.
Alicia (26:55.726)
And when I was designing the intention for this podcast, it was the first thing that I did after the name. It was the first thing that I did was write down, what do I want this to be? Who do I want it to serve? What do I, what kind of conversations do I want to have? What kind of tips do I want to give to people? And so here's what you can expect from this podcast. Each week we'll dive in, we'll dive each week. We'll dive deep into the world of personal growth, authenticity, and living boldly.
through stories from people who have inspired me, motivated me, supported me in every aspect. And we'll explore the stories, we'll explore their stories. And these are individuals who are normal, but incredible individuals. And these are people who are normal people, just like you and me, but who have incredible stories.
of daring to be themselves, of stepping out of their comfort zones and pursuing their own versions of success.
And my ultimate intention is to wake you up. Is to wake you up to realize that you have choice in how you want to live your life. And to give you practical tools that you can take away and apply into your own life so that you have the courage, the clarity and the confidence to relentlessly go after it.
My intention is to wake you up. To wake you up to realize that you have choice in how you want to live your life. And to give you practical tools that you can take away and apply to your life so that you have the clarity, the courage, and the confidence to relentlessly go after your most bold and beautiful life. Whatever that looks like for you.
