Sabbatical Scene Report: Chicago

Ever notice how your most profound realizations happen when you're completely out of your element? In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Edila Smith (in-person in Lisbon!) to explore why disrupting your environment might be the fastest way to disrupt unconscious patterns that are running your life. From the reality of working while traveling to building a business that feels like home, this conversation reveals why most of us are sleepwalking through carefully constructed routines without questioning if they actually serve us.Episode themes:Why "perfect" morning routines can become creativity killers and how to build adaptive systems insteadThe reality check on laptop lifestyle myths (spoiler: working by the pool actually sucks!!!)How environment disruption strips away familiar identities and forces growthWhy dropping your "professional mask" makes people want to invest in youMicro-disruptions you can try without booking a flightWhy it might be time to throw the journal outUse life as your mood boardThe case for having way more fun in business and life (and both Chelsea and Edila share their unhinged wishes for having more fun)This episode is for those who feel stuck in routines that no longer serve them, entrepreneurs tired of performing "professionalism," and anyone curious about using environment disruption as a tool for conscious living.Connect with Edila:InstagramHOMECOMING | 1:1 mentorship for the ones building businesses that move with themTHE LINK UP (PORTUGAL 2026) | Where internet friends become IRL soulmates FLIGHT PLAN | The official landing pad for remote life dreamersIG Stories disappear in 24 hours. TikToks fade into a blackhole. But appearing on podcasts, Substacks, guest teaching spots and panels are evergreen — and your voice deserves to echo.Stop burning out on content creation and learn strategic "orbit jumping" - how to land high-impact podcast interviews and speaking gigs that actually convert inside Pitch Perfect!We kick off 10/13 - 9 spots left🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

If you've ever bulldozed through your day on black coffee and determination, ignoring every signal your body sends until you're bent over crippling in a parking garage (literally, in Shantani's case) — this episode is your wake-up call. Chelsea chats with Body Intelligence Coach Shantani Moore about where we learned to ignore our body, why "fine" is the enemy of extraordinary, and how capitalism trained us to ask permission to pee (WTF).Episode themes:Body intelligence vs. wellness overwhelm — Moving from tracking every metric to asking "what does my body actually need?"The utility principle — Training your body for life, not likes (and how Earth is your gym!!)Environment as everything — Why your nervous system picks up 11 million bits of information per second and why black-box gyms feel like a sad mess of Armani Exchange and broken dreamsSleep as non-negotiable — The two-hour cortisol spike rule that changes everythingDecolonizing wellness — How to interrupt capitalist programming one habit stack at a timeThe "so I can what?" framework — The question that separates aligned action from performative productivityFinal reminder: Your body wasn't made for other people to look at — it was made for you to live an extraordinary life. Shantani reminds us that listening to your body isn't luxury, it's leadership.Connect with Shantani:Homecoming 1:1 Mentorship — her business accelerator for ambitious visionariesBook a Spinal Energetics sessionTake her "What wild animal is your subconscious?" quiz to discover your instinctual patternsShantani's WebsiteShantani's Instagram🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

The next stop on the sabbatical train: PUERTO RICOOOO!Chelsea takes us along for the ride through the island: family reunions the size of small weddingsthe beauty and chaos of island timethe night that led to one violent hangover (!!)releasing the grip on making plans for the famthe surprising ways reconnecting with her Latina roots shifted how she wants to show up in life and business (yes, that means big gold hoops are coming back)feeling the Puerto Rican Pride between the Bad Bunny concert kickoff and watching a Latino couple win Love Island while in PROther snippets:Why the sabbatical is likely extending for one more monthIsland time lessons and releasing controlSobriety slip-ups, and why self-awareness matters more than perfectionCultural permission to be “too much” Balancing group travel chaos with non-negotiable hermit timeSome fun Puerto Rican traditions you may have never heard of before!Chelsea left Puerto Rico with a tan, and a mission to reconnect with her Latina side: hello arroz con habichuelas, gold hoops, and extremely animated, expressive, affectionate ways to connect!PITCH PERFECT FALL ROUND IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT (with a generous 5-part payment plan until August 31!!!) Grab your seat here!🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

279: Chelsea dishes on her sabbatical starting with Chicago: the extreme sticker shock, the regrets, and the revelations that came with finally not working.Here's what you didn't see on Instagram:A Hallmark movie moment on the airplane that didn't pan outNonstop commentary on Chicago pricesWhy was it so EERILY QUIET?!!?The exhaustion of starting calls at 9 am and going back to back all dayWhat's the point of big cities?Regrets of not leaving the house moreThe $52 BBQ platter haunting Chelsea to this dayOther tidbits:Breaking down the financials: how TF do you actually budget, save, and prep for two months away? Especially in cities that have about a 5X cost of living than you're used toThe emotional rollercoaster: battling productivity guilt and the urge to “earn” your time off.Logistics 101: finding the sweet spot between structured plans and deliciously unscripted days The good news is the to-do list will survive without you. The bigger question? Who are you with no to-do list? 👀P.S. PITCH PERFECT FALL ROUND IS OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT (with a generous 5-part payment plan!!!) Grab your seat here!🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

278: "I am only interested in becoming known for what is true because one day you're going to fucking slip. And I think that is the scariest thing is to paint an entire picture around the most acceptable version of yourself and then fall from that because it's a lie." - Xanthe AppleyardIf you've ever thought you needed 100K followers to "matter" or felt guilty for working weekends while preaching about your “soft girl era”—this episode will rewire your entire approach to online business. Xanthe Appleyard gets incredibly honest about building a successful business on her own terms, from both a financial and energetic lens, ditching the "serious entrepreneur" mask (and why you can still be a silly goose while helping your people), and why leisure and pleasure are just as important as profit and revenue. She may have also single-handedly changed Chelsea’s notoriously anti-social media POV!Episode ThemesWhy impulsivity isn't self-sabotage when you're moving toward what you actually wantMonotasking your way to sanity: how compartmentalizing tasks prevents burnoutThe follower count lie: why 1K engaged people beats 100K passive scrollers every damn timeSocial media as a tool vs. social media as your worth—and how to tell the differenceThe cognitive dissonance of building businesses on platforms we're morally conflicted aboutWhy hiding your "unprofessional" side perpetuates everyone else's shameThis episode isn't about clocking 60 hour work weeks to see results or becoming more palatable—it's about getting so clear on your values that every business decision becomes glaringly obvious. Whether you're sending emails at 5AM or taking two-month sabbaticals, remember: there's no prize for following someone else's blueprint. Your business should energize you, not drain you. PERIOD.Connect with Xanthe Appleyard:Join Xanthe’s content creation membership Social Life (at a special price!) until Friday, July 11th!Xanthe’s Website Xanthe’s IG Xanthe’s SubstackLove You to The Core Podcast 🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

277: "Even though I have these mindset blocks and these patterns I'm trying to break doesn't mean that I can't take time off. And I hope that you realize that too." - Chelsea Riffe In this solo episode, I spill the tea on how I planned to take 2 months off work during the summer, including how much I saved, business logistics, mental breakdowns and the weird feelings that creep up when you realize “wait, I’m not WORKING for 2 months?”Whether you’re dreaming of going off the grid for an extended period of time in an undisclosed location or balling out while border-hopping, this episode is a crash course in making it possible, without draining your life savings or ghosting your business.Episode themes:Breaking down the financials: how TF do you actually budget, save, and prepare for a two-month sabbatical?The emotional rollercoaster: navigating massive productivity guilt and the pressure to "have something to show for it" (hi, capitalism)Logistics 101: planning accommodation, travel, and the flexible, unscripted bits of this journeyReentry strategies: how to transition back to work after time off without operating like a madwomanBuilding a support system: the role of community, mentorship, and therapy during extended breaks and why I will continue to invest in these areasEven seasoned nomads and entrepreneurs stumble through imposter syndrome, logistical tripwires, and the urge to people-please... but with enough Notion docs, tangible support systems, and stubborn personal boundaries, a sabbatical doesn’t have to be a far-off fantasy. Listen in to demystify exactly how to rest, recalibrate, and maybe, just maybeeee, not produce your magnum opus while being Out of Office. 🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

276: “We use numbers, we use status, we use all of these things to justify the hard work we've done. We have something to show for it, and we ultimately look for people to respond to that hard work.” - Jazzmyn ProctorWhat if your worth had absolutely nothing to do with your bank account, follower count, or how busy you appear to be? Chelsea sits down with Jazzmyn Proctor — relational therapist and podcast host of All Our Parts — to dismantle the lies we've been told about success, unpack the exhausting cycle of external validation, and explore what it actually means to live a life worth the journey your ancestors took to get you here.Episode Themes:Morphing yourself into whatever the situation calls for so you can be liked.Not everyone is going to like you. You don't like everyone — it works both ways.We've been trained to justify why we need rest. What a mindfuck!Collective care is our ticket to a more abundant way of living.You don't want the end credits rolling when your story is only ten minutes in.This one’s for every care-giver, high-achiever, recovering people-pleaser, and quiet rebel wondering if showing up online, often, is ‘too much.’ Jazzmyn gives you full-body permission to take up space, speak your truth, and rest without earning it. This is your cue to stop shrinking and hit publish.Connect with Jazzmyn Proctorhealingwithjazzmyn.com/@healingwithjazzmyn IG @healingwithjazzmyn TikToklinkedin.com/in/jazzmynproctor/pinterest.com/healingwithjazzmyn/ Podcast🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

 275: “We have trained our bodies to think that stillness and silence are unsafe, that simplicity isn’t safe, that just resting and softening and simply being is not safe. And although we can, you know, say in our brains that we don’t believe that’s true, our bodies have a lifetime of believing otherwise… It is safe.” - Rachel LevineFeeling allergic to stillness? Same. Chelsea chats with writer, guide, and founder and owner of Intuitively Wild, Rachel Levine, about why slowing down feels terrifying — and why it might be the bravest thing you can do for your nervous system, your career, and your life. Episode themes:Stillness isn’t always soft — sometimes it brings up everything you’ve been avoiding.If you think “ If I stop, I’ll never start again” — that’s how you know you need to stop the most.We’ve trained our nervous systems to believe rest is dangerous.Living in alignment doesn’t mean you quit your job and move to a cottage — it starts with one honest moment.Your shame gets louder the more you hide it. Bring it to the light and watch it shrink.Rest isn’t a reward — it’s a right. Whether you’re drowning in Slack pings, sprinting toward a dream, or wondering why your “wellness routine” feels like a full-time job, Rachel’s words are an invitation to sit still, soften, and listen. Spoiler: you don’t have to move to a lush forest or light sage at your desk to do it. Connect with Rachelhttp://intuitivelywild.com/Substack: https://intuitivelywild.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitivelywild/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hXWRlCjKv9CWujSNLLifBIG Stories disappear in 24 hours. TikToks fade into a blackhole. But appearing on podcasts, Substacks, guest teaching spots and panels are evergreen — and your voice deserves to echo.Stop burning out on content creation and learn strategic "orbit jumping" - how to land high-impact podcast interviews and speaking gigs that actually convert inside Pitch Perfect!We kick off 10/13 - 9 spots left🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

 274: “I gradually started adding back in fear foods. It wasn't like I ate carbs at every meal because that was the thing I was scared of. I would add in like carrots, which is crazy to say! I was scared of carrots. So I would add in carrots at lunch or half a sweet potato at dinner or half a slice of bread. And I would see, oh the world didn't end. That actually satisfied me longer. I'm happier." - Jess SuchanEver feel like eating a buttery, flakey croissant means you’ve committed a crime and could go straight to jail? In this episode, Chelsea sits down with holistic health coach Jess Suchan to chat about food freedom, carb fears, and why you don’t need to earn your brownie with 40 min on the Stairmaster or a grueling Barry’s Bootcamp class.Episode themes:Ditching the all-or-nothing diet mindset and building trust with your body againWhy following someone else’s health plan is like wearing their prescription glassesHow fear of carbs and “food morality” are silently draining your joy (and your energy)The real science behind digestion, stress, and serotonin — yes, carbs boost your mood!!! Rejoice!Why emotional eating isn’t the villain — and what “soul food” really meansThis episode is your official permission slip to stop micromanaging every bite. BYE BYE tracking every possible macro, calorie and barcode. If you’re still scared of cheesy pasta or just tired of calorie math at bottomless brunch, Jess offers a softer, smarter way forward: build trust, invite joy, and eat the freaking croissant!!!Connect with Jess: bodyblissbyjess.com bodyblissbyjess IGOne-time only deal for a 60 minute "power session" & 3 days of telegram coaching at $167 IG Stories disappear in 24 hours. TikToks fade into a blackhole. But appearing on podcasts, Substacks, guest teaching spots and panels are evergreen — and your voice deserves to echo.Stop burning out on content creation and learn strategic "orbit jumping" - how to land high-impact podcast interviews and speaking gigs that actually convert inside Pitch Perfect!We kick off 10/13 - 9 spots left🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE

273: “This is a together kind of thing. I say that 800 times a day and yet here I was doing it alone. And, at the time I had a team and, I had backend support, but not mojo support and not strategy support.” - Abbi Miller If you’ve ever wondered why business advice feels like it was made for childless tech bros… spoiler alert: it probably was. In this episode, Chelsea and WorkWomb founder Abbi Miller get real about building businesses that actually fit your life — kids, naps, messy buns full of dry shampoo and all. Episode themes:The systems we operate in weren’t built with women in mind; let’s stop twisting ourselves to fit them.Motherhood cracked me open in ways that made me rethink everything about how I work.If you build your business without considering your energy, you're building a burnout machine.I wasn’t looking for another productivity hack — I needed a whole new rhythm.Your business should work with your body, not against it.This episode is your friendly reminder to stop trying to squeeze your life into someone else’s business blueprint. Take a breath, trust your rhythm, and remember: building your OWN business YOUR way isn’t selfish; it’s the revolution we need (now more than ever).Connect with Abbi:Workwomb.comThe Workwomb PodcastWorkwomb InstagramBreak Your Biz Training (How to take a sabbatical / mat leave) - Code CHELSEA gets you 50% off!FREE Monday Magic Method™ (Notion & PDF Template for cycle-syncing & time batching)FREE Tech & To-dos Training (26:45 is when I mentIG Stories disappear in 24 hours. TikToks fade into a blackhole. But appearing on podcasts, Substacks, guest teaching spots and panels are evergreen — and your voice deserves to echo.Stop burning out on content creation and learn strategic "orbit jumping" - how to land high-impact podcast interviews and speaking gigs that actually convert inside Pitch Perfect!We kick off 10/13 - 9 spots left🔗 Pitch Perfect starts on October 13th! Grab your earlybird spot for $300 off HERE until Sept 15th! Connect with Chelsea: 💻 Website 🎤 1:1 Podcast Coaching 🎙 Launch your podcast with the ultimate podcast launch course - Mic Drop! 📲 Instagram 📲 ✈️ Slight Turbulence Substack - the travel magazine you wish existed on the back of airplane seats 👀 Ready to launch your very own podcast? Grab my FREE cheat sheet right HERE. ☎️ Want to send a voice note to the podcast and have Chelsea answer you on air? Do so ⁠HERE⁠. 🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share in the group text. This podcast is free and ratings/reviews and shares are our currency. 🙌🏼 Want to contribute to IMNEO to show your appreciation (and keep us going?) Click HERE