In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Alan Lazaros, speaker, coach, and co-host of the global top 100 podcast Next Level University. At 26, Alan survived a head-on collision that became the wake-up call he didn’t know he needed. It forced him to face the trauma, insecurity, and people-pleasing patterns that shaped his life and pushed him into a deeper, more meaningful kind of personal growth.

Alan breaks down his “four buckets of life,” how external success can hide deep internal emptiness, and why fulfillment requires honesty, consistency, and a willingness to look inward. He talks openly about trauma responses, the pressure to be “enough,” and the challenge of aligning your purpose with what the world actually pays for.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’ve outgrown the life you’re living, this conversation gives you clarity, courage, and practical insight on what real transformation looks like.

 00:02:20 – Alan’s early life, loss, and the roots of his trauma responses

 00:07:20 – The car accident that changed everything

 00:12:20 – From externally successful to internally empty

 00:16:20 – Discovering personal development and questioning everything

 00:20:20 – The four “buckets” of life and where people get stuck

 00:25:20 – Trauma, insecurity, and why people stay in the wrong identity

 00:30:20 – Aligning purpose with your real strengths

 00:35:20 – Building fulfillment: habits, metrics, and self-awareness

 00:40:20 – What real growth feels like over time

✨Connect with Alan Lazarus:

• Website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/
• Podcast: Next Level University

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• LinkedIn: Michele Simms
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

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In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, Michele talks with Melissa Kramer, founder of Live UTI Free, a global patient-led initiative reshaping how urinary tract infections and pelvic health are understood and treated.

After years of chronic UTIs, misdiagnosis, and dismissal, Melissa transformed her pain into purpose. She built one of the world’s most respected patient advocacy and research platforms, connecting medical professionals, researchers, and patients around the world.

Melissa shares how she went from being unheard to leading a movement for better science, better care, and more compassionate healthcare. This conversation shines a light on the gender gap in medicine, the power of lived experience, and how advocacy can grow from the most personal places.

If you’ve ever been dismissed by the medical system or felt like no one was listening, Melissa’s story will help you find your voice again.

•  [00:02:15] Melissa’s story: from chronic UTI sufferer to advocate
•  [00:07:15] Why women’s symptoms are often minimized or misunderstood
•  [00:12:15] The founding of Live UTI Free and the power of community research
•  [00:17:15] How to advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office
•  [00:22:15] The emotional and physical toll of chronic illness
•  [00:27:15] What real progress looks like in women’s health
•  [00:32:15] Building bridges between patients, science, and policy
•  [00:37:15] Finding hope through purpose and shared experience
•  [00:42:15] Closing thoughts: breaking stigma and driving change

✨Connect with Melissa Kramer:

• Website: https://liveutifree.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveutifree/#
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-kramer-93714224/

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• LinkedIn: Michele Simms
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

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In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, Michele talks with Doris Efford, a writer, speaker, and coach who helps women reclaim identity, self-worth, and emotional wholeness. Doris opens up about growing up disconnected from her true self, performing for approval, and the moment she realized she had to stop living for everyone else and start living honestly. She shares what identity healing actually looks like, why self-worth is at the core of change, and how faith, grace, and emotional resilience brought her back to herself.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt invisible, unworthy, or stuck in survival mode.

00:02:10 Doris’s early story and losing herself to expectations

00:06:10 Identity, survival mode, and faith during hardship

00:10:10 “Motivation isn’t enough” – why habits need a deeper why

00:13:10 Self-worth and why people don’t choose themselves

00:16:10 What healing actually looked like for Doris

00:20:10 People-pleasing, shame, and being honest with yourself

00:25:10 The role of God, grace, and emotional maturity

00:30:10 How to stop performing and start being present in your life

00:35:10 Final thoughts — identity, love, and choosing truth

✨Connect with Doris Efford:

· Email: hello@promptedcollective.com

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• LinkedIn: Michele Simms
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

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In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Dana Sherwin, a healthcare executive turned patient advocate, who brings over 35 years of experience in healthcare administration, and a deeply personal story of survival. After facing a life-threatening illness and undergoing a stem cell transplant, Dana gained a rare perspective: what it’s like to move from managing care systems to navigating them as a patient.

She shares what it truly means to take ownership of your health, from asking the right questions and building stronger communication with your providers, to organizing your own care and advocating for yourself when it matters most. Dana’s message is clear: you are the CEO of your own health.

This episode is both practical and deeply human. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt lost in the medical system, overwhelmed by a diagnosis, or ready to take a more active role in their wellbeing.

 [00:02:25] Dana’s journey from healthcare executive to patient

 [00:06:25] The day everything changed

 [00:10:25] Facing fear and finding strength through uncertainty

 [00:14:25] How to communicate effectively with your doctor

 [00:18:25] Becoming your own advocate in a complex system

 [00:22:25] Coordinating your care and building a support team

 [00:27:25] What it means to be prepared before a crisis hits

 [00:33:25] Lessons from both sides of the healthcare system

 [00:38:25] Finding gratitude and growth through survival

 [00:43:25] Final reflections on courage, hope, and advocacy

✨Connect with Dana Sherwin:

· Email: dana.sherwin@gmail.com

· Resource: The Journal of Patient Experience (Open Access)

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desherwin/

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• LinkedIn: Michele Simms
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

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In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Nisha Srivastava, the Director of Pilates Manchester & Northwest Pilates & Yoga Centre, who brings over 30 years of experience in movement, mindfulness, and holistic health.

Nisha shares her story of how physical and emotional healing are deeply connected, and how true wellness begins when we stop ignoring the signals our bodies send us. From her own challenges with stress and imbalance to decades of helping others, she explains why we can’t separate the body from the mind, and how awareness, breath, and self-compassion can transform both.

This conversation dives into what stress really does to the body, how to move through it with intention, and why slowing down is often the most powerful medicine of all. Nisha also leaves listeners with simple, practical tools to restore balance, whole foods, clean water, breathwork, and rest.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected, exhausted, or out of rhythm, this episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to be honest.

 [00:02:20] Nisha’s journey from dancer to holistic healer

 [00:06:20] How Pilates and yoga helped her rebuild from burnout

 [00:10:20] The connection between emotions and physical health

 [00:14:20] When the body whispers—and when it starts to scream

 [00:18:20] The cost of pushing through stress

 [00:23:20] How awareness creates space for healing

 [00:28:20] The power of breath as the body’s first medicine

 [00:33:20] Releasing perfection and returning to balance

 [00:38:20] Simple, everyday habits that build real wellness

 [00:43:20] Final thoughts on self-love, presence, and rest

✨Connect with Nisha Srivastava:

· Website: https://www.pilatesmanchester.co.uk

· Studio: Northwest Pilates & Yoga Centre

· Instagram: @northwestpilates

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• LinkedIn: Michele Simms
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

#TheBeautyInTheMess #NishaSrivastava #HolisticHealing #MindBodyConnection #WellnessJourney #Pilates #HealingFromWithin #SelfAwareness #AuthenticLiving

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In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Chris Abdey, a procrastination coach who helps people stop beating themselves up and start getting things done with compassion and clarity. Chris shares how procrastination isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline, it’s often your brain’s way of protecting you from discomfort or fear.

Drawing from his own burnout story and years of coaching experience, Chris breaks down what’s really behind chronic delay, why motivation doesn’t work the way we think it does, and how to start creating momentum by working with your brain instead of against it.

This conversation digs into the emotional roots of procrastination, the difference between avoidance and rest, and why self-compassion might be the most productive mindset shift of all. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated by your own inaction, this episode will help you see procrastination not as a flaw, but as a message that something deeper needs your attention.

 [00:02:30] Chris’s journey from burnout to breakthrough

 [00:06:30] What procrastination really is (and isn’t)

 [00:10:30] The emotional root of avoidance

 [00:14:30] Why fear and perfectionism keep us stuck

 [00:19:30] Learning to work with your brain, not against it

 [00:24:30] When procrastination is actually protection

 [00:29:30] How self-compassion creates momentum

 [00:34:30] Chris’s simple reset steps for when you freeze up

 [00:39:30] How to stop judging yourself and start moving again

 [00:44:30] Final thoughts: finding progress in imperfection

✨Connect with Chris Abdey:

· Website: https://www.procrastinationstation.ca/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisabdey/

· Community: Procrastinator’s Pitstop

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

💬 Rate & Review

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#TheBeautyInTheMess #ChrisAbdey #ProcrastinationCoach #StopProcrastinating #SelfCompassion #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth #BurnoutRecovery #ProductivityTips #Motivation #EmotionalHealth #Wellbeing #AuthenticLiving #Mindfulness #RealTalk

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In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with David Lederman, a speaker, author, and executive coach, who helps high-achievers find real fulfillment without burning out.

After years leading in the tech world, David hit a breaking point trying to live up to all the advice about how to “do it all.” Be ambitious but stay calm. Lead selflessly but take care of yourself. It sounds doable—until you actually try to live it. That struggle nearly cost him everything, but it also pushed him to find a better way.

David spent eight years diving into neuroscience, psychology, and ancient wisdom to figure out how peace and purpose fit into modern life. Now, through his coaching and his upcoming book Trust Life?, he teaches people how to align what they do with who they really are—what he calls the Zone of Fulfillment.

This conversation gets real about burnout, paradox, and how to finally feel grounded even when life’s moving fast.

 [00:02:20] When success stops feeling successful

 [00:06:20] The contradictions that drain high-achievers

 [00:10:20] The moment David hit burnout and what changed

 [00:14:20] How neuroscience and ancient wisdom overlap

 [00:18:20] What fulfillment really looks like today

 [00:23:20] The 4 Life Paradoxes explained

 [00:27:20] The “Zone of Fulfillment” and how to find it

 [00:33:20] Learning to trust life again

 [00:38:20] Behind his upcoming book and TEDx Talk

 [00:42:20] Final thoughts on slowing down to move forward

✨Connect with David Lederman:

· Website: https://magicandawe.com/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelederman/

· TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/59230?utm_source=chatgpt.com

· Book: Trust Life?

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

💬 Rate & Review

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#TheBeautyInTheMess #DavidLederman #Leadership #Fulfillment #Burnout #TrustLife #RealTalk #AuthenticLeadership #Growth

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Arma Benoit has spent more than 25 years shaping stories in film, television, and now comedy. She started out producing iconic Atlanta rap videos for Outkast, Ludacris, and Goodie Mob, moved into eight seasons on The Vampire Diaries, and worked on projects like Genius: Aretha and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Today, she’s also the owner of Atlanta Breakaway, the only female-owned rubber glass and breakaway bottle company on the East Coast, and a rising stand-up comic using humor to reclaim her own voice.

In this conversation, Arma shares her early spark for filmmaking at age eight, the reality of breaking into a male-dominated industry, and the resilience it takes to keep chasing goals even after decades of success. We cover her philosophy of creating opportunities, why comedy has become a powerful outlet, and what it really looks like to balance creativity, business, and life.

 [00:02:15] Arma’s childhood dream of filmmaking and first steps into the industry

 [00:04:15] Breaking into sports broadcasting and music videos in Atlanta

 [00:07:15] Producing iconic rap videos and the whirlwind of the 90s scene

 [00:11:15] The long run on The Vampire Diaries and raising kids alongside a TV career

 [00:15:15] From Genius: Aretha to Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis

 [00:18:15] Facing fear, anxiety, and learning to focus on the process

 [00:22:15] Directing her own short film Amaia and lessons from the festival circuit

 [00:26:15] Turning to stand-up comedy as a way to tell her own stories

 [00:31:15] Building Atlanta Breakaway and creating movie magic props

 [00:37:15] Teaching at Georgia Film Academy and mentoring new talent

 [00:41:15] The truth about meritocracy and why “nobody’s coming”

 [00:46:15] Self-love, resilience, and redefining success on your own terms

✨Connect with Arma Benoit:

· Website: https://www.armabenoit.com

· Website: https://www.atlantabreakaway.com

· Production Company: group129.com

· Instagram: @armabenoit | @group129

· YouTube: Group129

✨ Connect with Michele Simms:

• Website: thebeautyinthemess.com
• Instagram: @the.beauty.in.the.mess
• Facebook Group: The Beauty in the Mess Podcast

#TheBeautyInTheMess #ArmaBenoit #WomenInFilm #FemaleFilmmakers #ComedyLife #CreativeJourney #Outkast #TheVampireDiaries #Storytelling #WomenInComedy #WomenInEntertainment #StorytellingMatters #Resilience #FilmIndustry #Group129

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