Ep. 129 Guac, Chips & Trust: The New Buyer Journey Nobody's Talking About

Keri Ford, former Creative Director and ex-corporate leader, now serves as an award-winning advisor to the world's most influential women in business. As CEO & Founder of Elevate with Keri, a global high-performance coaching company, she empowers female founders and executives to achieve new heights through her cutting-edge methodologies in nervous system regulation, peak neuroscience performance, and an embodied approach in leadership. Keri isn't just a coach. She's trained through Dr. Peter Levine's three-year Somatic Experiencing program at the Trauma Institute, and she brings that rare crossroads of nervous system science and high-level business strategy to every client she touches. Because success that looks good but feels like chaos? That's not success. This one will change how you think about your buyers, your business, and your body.   Here's what we play with in this one: The difference between trauma-informed and trauma-trained — and why it matters who you hire The post-pandemic nervous system hangover that's quietly running your buyer's behavior Why the buyer cycle is longer now and what the "trust recession" actually means for your offers The guac and chips model — how to let people date you before they commit Why your low-ticket offer isn't just a revenue stream, it's a nervous system strategy How self-trust (or the lack of it) is the invisible force behind every buying decision What Keri is doubling down on in 2026 that most people are sleeping on The window of tolerance — what it is, why your clients' cups are overflowing, and what to do about it Why in-person events are about to become the hottest commodity in the industry Substack, long-form content, and why slow consumption is making a comeback How to give your clients a quick win from day one — even in a digital program The 86 founder-focused meditations for $27 that helped someone do a $200K launch   Remember, you are so resourced. Here are the ones mentioned in this episode: Follow Keri on Instagram! Follow Keri on Facebook! Learn more about Keri and what she does HERE! Learn more about The Champagne Club HERE!   Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode! Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️ + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!

You know that moment when strategy makes your whole body cringe? When you open the rubric, the course, the "next step" — and everything in you tightens? That's not a sign you're doing it wrong. It's a sign you're doing it out of order. In this quickie solo episode, I'm breaking down the real reason strategy gets such a bad rap — and it's not because strategy is the problem. It's because we try to manufacture energy instead of following where the current already is. I'm sharing two real client moments that perfectly illustrate what happens when you force it versus when you follow the flow — including the woman who sat by the pool with a glass of Prosecco and channeled the best sales copy of her life. Inside this Episode: Why strategy vs. flow is the wrong debate The difference between manufacturing energy and following the current What to do when something feels forced (it's not what you think) How one client was building a product for the wrong person — and didn't know it The order of operations that makes everything feel like flow How I went from hating ads to being obsessed — and brought in 900+ new customers in 6 weeks The only question that ever matters: where's the current? When you follow it, even strategy feels like flow. When you fight it, even "ease" feels like effort. Stop asking "is this strategy or flow?" and start asking "does this have energy right now?" Want to go deeper? Check out The Met Woman for more tools to build the kind of business that moves with you, not against you.   Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode! Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️ + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!

In this episode, I'm joined by the magnetic, wildly talented Chellie Carlson — the woman who went from a retail wage and zero savings to $40,000 styling packages in just a few years. And she did it starting at 40. Chellie Carlson isn't just a stylist—she transforms lives through style. As an LA-based stylist working with top executives, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from around the world. She takes clients from feeling just fine in their clothes to feeling absolutely magnetic every time they walk into a room. With 25 years in fashion and a deep understanding of the psychology and the energetics of style, Chellie created The Method, a game-changing approach that blends closet therapy, strategic shopping, and personalized styling to unlock next-level confidence. Featured in The New York Post and Business Insider, she’s on a mission to help people step into their full power—because when you dress like your most unstoppable self, you become them.   This one will make you look at your closet (and yourself) completely differently.   Here's what we play with in this one: Why your wardrobe is the most underutilized manifestation tool you own The identity shift that took Chellie from $2,500 packages to $40K — and how she held it as a woman Body dysmorphia: the thing every woman deals with (yes, even the powerful ones flying in on private jets) Why "size up, tailor down" is the styling philosophy that changes everything The conditioning from your mother that's still running your closet today How getting dressed every day is neuroscience-backed energy work What happened when Chellie moved to LA with zero clients booked — and had her biggest month ever Style as a daily self-care practice, not a shopping spree The connection between how you dress, what you charge, and who you attract   ✨ Try this: For the next 30 days, get your hot ass dressed every single day — even if you're not leaving the house. Watch how your energy shifts, how people respond to you, and how your confidence compounds. Stack your wins daily. Then DM Chellie and me, and tell us what changed. Remember, you are so resourced. Here are the ones mentioned in this episode: Follow Chellie on Instagram Join The Style Society — Chellie's $55/month membership for women ready to discover their signature look and start dressing as the woman they're becoming.  Book Chellie's private 1:1 styling experience for the full transformation.  The Science of Scaling by Benjamin Hardy Be Your Future Self Now by Benjamin Hardy 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan Want to go deeper? Check out The Met Woman - Get Your Feminine Spark Back for more tools to embody the queen energy that has your desires chasing you.

What happens when two people who've done "all the work" move in together and old blueprints come roaring back? In this episode, Andrea and Keith (the Internet's boyfriend) get raw about what really happened when they moved in together after a year of euphoric connection. Andrea shares how she regressed 20 years into "perform for love, earn your safety" patterns. Keith reveals what it's like when your woman is bracing and you can't figure out why, even when you're saying everything "right." This isn't a cute couples episode. This is the biology of what actually breaks relationships down, and how to repair them by staying in your heart even when you're scared shitless.   Key Moments: "Even though I'm so well trained in emotional regulation and I do this for work...he's not my client, he's my partner. I need to know and trust that he's gonna dig in and do his own inner work." "One of the sexiest fucking things you could do or be for your woman is to be sturdy. Not wishy-washy. A solid, truthful, sturdy message." "I had to ask myself: What are my belief systems about men and why do I want them to be true? My answer: I'll be disappointed. Why? Because that way I can prove that I'll save myself." "I was a runner until I met the man I didn't wanna run from." "The second you're like 'let me say this perfectly' to manage their emotions, all the nonverbal biological signals start saying: I don't trust you. I don't trust us. I don't trust this situation." "No conflict can be resolved from your mind. You'll always say the healthy thing if you can stick in your fucking heart the whole time." "We created this devotional practice: If there's conflict, we can't speak to each other unless we can stay in our heart. And if we pop out, we breathe and drop back in." "The first emotion that comes up when somebody brings you something is not the truth. That's your old blueprint. That's a trigger." "I developed an allergy to defending myself. Every single time I did, nothing good happened." "Become the masterclass. When I started clearing all my triggers (sometimes 10 a day) my spine got straighter and straighter. The second I was decisive and held my Queen posture, he was like 'whatever you need, I'm all in.'"   Resources Mentioned: Sterling Men's Weekend (Sterling Institute of Relationship) - Keith's foundational masculine work Heart wall session (Jennifer - DM Andrea for contact) Spine of a Queen - Andrea's 12-month $25K mastermind for established female entrepreneurs (starts Jan 6, 2026, limited to 25 women) The Met Woman - Self-paced program for any woman wanting to create internal safety and become equally met in every room (launching officially January 2026, early enrollment available)

You know that feeling when you're about to have a hard conversation and your whole body tenses up? Your shoulders shrink, your jaw clenches, or you come out swinging with boundaries because you're terrified of losing connection? That's what Andrea calls "Princess OS"—your girlhood blueprint for how to receive love. And it's fucking up every difficult conversation you're trying to have. In this raw, visceral episode, Andrea breaks down what happened when she moved in with her man and her entire nervous system went haywire. She shares the exact moment in the Denver airport when everything changed—when she discovered that conflict resolution isn't about scripts or steps. It's about biology. This is the science behind why your tone keeps getting called out. Why people can't hear you even when you're being "calm." Why you hit stalemate after stalemate in relationships and business. And exactly how to hold what Andrea calls "The Spine of a Queen"—staying in your heart even when you're scared shitless.   The Four Things Andrea Does Before Any Difficult Conversation: Play out the conversation first and look for collapse - Where does your spine shrink? Where do you brace? Breathe and notice where your body says "we're not okay" - That's your old blueprint screaming Correct your posture literally - Stand tall, shoulders back Get into your heart and stay there even when afraid - This is checkmate, motherfucker   Introducing: Spine of a Queen Andrea's 12-month mastermind for 25 women starting January 2026 ($25,000 investment). Real-time trigger clearing, blueprint updating, and learning to hold sovereign presence in every area of life—business, relationships, visibility, money, all of it. Four core pillars: The art of divine timing Integrating the biology of the magnetic woman Becoming future fluent Vessel for innovation By the end, you'll need new messaging because you'll be a different person. (Andrea's bringing in a messaging expert for this reason.) DM Andrea the word "SPINE" on Instagram to learn more. Key Moments: "The person who understands themselves the best will be the person that leads the emotional tone of the room." "We're not afraid of somebody telling us a difficult truth. We're afraid of what the truth might cost us." "If you're using tears to try to get them to create an external sense of safety, that's control. That's manipulation. We've all done it." "Authority doesn't need to speak that loud. Authority just speaks with fucking certainty." "When you say thank you from like the mushy gushy part of your heart, you fork the other person. They want nothing else." "Every 0.2 seconds we are sending biological cues that either tell people to open up or wall up. Lean in or lean away." "The spine of a queen is like: I trust myself. I trust this. I trust us. And I trust you. But you have to believe that spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically."  

What happens when you know you need to fire someone... but you wait? And wait. And wait some more? In this brutally honest solo episode, Andrea shares the painful truth about delaying a firing decision that cost her $35,000 in additional salary—plus lost team momentum, delayed projects, dropping income, and the biggest cost of all: her self-trust. This isn't your typical "how to fire someone" business podcast. This is about the pattern most feminine leaders fall into: collapsing, people-pleasing, bubble-wrapping the truth, and choosing to be liked over being clear. Andrea reveals how childhood blueprints around receiving love show up in every difficult business conversation and why "being nice" often means disempowering everyone involved. If you've ever hesitated on a hard decision—firing a team member, ending a partnership, closing a program, leaving a relationship—because you were afraid of being the bad guy, this episode will hit home.   Introducing: Spine of a Queen Andrea shares her new 12-month feminine leadership mastermind starting January 2026, limited to 25 women. This container focuses on clearing the micro-triggers that cause collapse in real-time, so you can stand in your truth and lead from presence instead of fear—in business, relationships, and every area of life. Investment: $25,000 (payment plans available)   Resources Mentioned: Spine of a Queen 12-Month Mastermind  The Met Woman Legend AI  Laura Doyle's "The Empowered Wife"

In this episode, I’m joined by my brilliant (and dangerously fun) friend Berkley Sweetapple — attorney, entrepreneur, and the woman making legal protection feel like a power move instead of a panic attack. We’re talking trademarks, contracts, client terms, and how to avoid those “oh sh*t” moments that every coach or creator eventually faces. But we’re also talking dating, manifestation, and the kind of aligned energy that makes business feel like foreplay with the universe. Here’s what we play with in this one: Why contracts are spells that protect your power (and your peace) The biggest legal mistakes online entrepreneurs make — and how to avoid them Trademarks, team hires, and protecting your IP without losing your vibe How to make sure your course or membership doesn’t become someone else’s copy-paste dream The one mindset shift that makes legal work feel like manifestation fuel The wild connection between dating energy, boundaries, and business protection   ✨ Try this: Set a timer, drop into your CEO energy, and ask yourself: “Where in my business am I trusting the vibe instead of protecting the vision?” Then… fix it.   Remember you are so resourced here are the ones mentioned in this episode: Follow Berkley on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/berkleysweetapple/ https://www.thebusinessstudio.com/   Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode!   Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️   + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!

Some stories crack you open — this one rebuilds you from the inside out. In this episode, I sit down with Melissa, author of Scar Tissue: How to Find Relief from the Pain of Your Emotional Wounds Without Toxic Positivity — and what unfolds is part soul confession, part masterclass in alchemy.   Want to go deeper? Check out The Met Woman - Get Your Feminine Spark Back for more tools to embody the queen energy that has your desires chasing you.   After losing her daughter, Melissa learned what it really means to live awake inside your grief. She doesn’t sugarcoat it — she shows us how to name it, move with it, and let it transform you into someone more powerful, more present, more alive. This one will shake something loose in you (and then teach you how to hold it).   Here’s what we explore: The difference between “feeling it” and healing it — and how to tell which one you’re doing The spiritual truth behind grief that no amount of positivity can touch What happens when you stop performing healing and start living it How radical responsibility becomes the ultimate freedom practice Why “the spine of the queen” starts with sacred rage and real surrender How love — even in loss — becomes the bridge to your next purpose   ✨ Try this: Next time your heart aches, resist the urge to fix it. Sit with it. Name it. Ask what it’s here to teach you. That’s where your power hides.   Grab Melissa’s book Scar Tissue wherever you read — and if this episode cracked you open, share it with someone who needs to remember that healing doesn’t mean happy… it means holy.   You are so resourced here are the ones mentioned in this episode: https://www.speakingofmelissa.com Follow Melissa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/melissadlugolecki/ https://scartissuebook.com/     Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode!   Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️   + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!  

Some episodes feel like a full circle moment… and this one? Whew. She’s got goddess energy all over her. I’m taking you behind the scenes of a real convo with my man that turned into a masterclass in feminine communication — not the cutesy kind, the kind that lets you be fully met in love, power, and deep self-respect. You’ll hear how one book, a little AI magic, and a whole lotta truth brought me back to my Dating God experiment — and helped me unlock a level of sovereignty that had my man showing up like the king I knew he was without me collapsing or performing for it.   Book Mentioned - Inspire His Devotion   Here’s what we’re playing with in this one: The moment I realized my “queen energy” still had a kink in the crown How I used AI (yep, really) as my feminine communication coach A somatic cue I swear by to know when I’m abandoning my truth What I did instead of begging, explaining, or collapsing when my heart hurt Why emotional ache might not even belong to your present-day self The secret that magnetizes real leadership from your man (or your bank account) Action step: Try it for yourself — next time you want to defend, explain, or prove... pause. Put your hand on your heart and ask: is this my truth, or is this my trauma? Then speak from the place that keeps your crown on.   Want to go deeper? Check out The Met Woman - Get Your Feminine Spark Back for more tools to embody the queen energy that has your desires chasing you.   Thank you to Faryl Moore for being a Legend Live Sponsor: Website: mooreenergyhealing.com Instagram: @mooreenergyhealing   Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode!   Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️   + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!

In this episode of the More Alive Podcast, I sit down with Kat Torre—The Brand Architect, branding coach & speaker, and founder of Bold Brand Energy—to talk about getting down to the depth of your brand. Kat opens up about losing herself in an abusive relationship, rebuilding from the inside out, and the simple, grounded ways she now helps leaders clarify who they are and how they show up.   This episode is honest and practical. I ask Kat about identity, pricing, and how much of your story to share. She brings clear, doable steps that make branding feel human again—so you can stop second-guessing and start speaking in a voice that actually sounds like you.   What we cover: 00:00 Kat’s background and the spark behind Bold Brand Energy 08:08 Finding—and using—your voice when it feels risky 10:46 Turning adversity into grounded authority 33:50 Imposter syndrome: yes, everyone feels it—here’s what helps 40:03 Building a personal brand and a community that sticks 55:24 Rebranding as personal growth: evolving without losing yourself   Remember you are so resourced here are the ones mentioned in this episode: Legend AI 30 Day Experience Follow Kat on Instagram Bold Brand Energy Membership Not Nice, Clever Podcast https://radiate.online/ use code SIPGLOW   Leave me a voicemail HERE with your question for a chance to have it answered on a future episode!   Get notifications when new episodes drop by tapping the "follow" button! And if you loved this episode, follow me on Instagram @love_andreacrowder & let me know by leaving a review! 👯‍♀️   + Share with a friend you think could benefit from this message! 💋 Create your own private podcast feed like this with Hello Audio! You will even get 2 months free using my link!