Jess Leone

Confession: this is what "self-sabotage" looks like for me

We talk about self-sabotage like it’s some dramatic act. Blowing things up, quitting before it gets good, and making a mess on purpose. But the kind I see most often, Reader (in myself and in the women I work with), is quieter than that. It looks like avoidance. Not because you’re "lazy" (though I know you will tell yourself that). But because your nervous system is learning something new. Case in point: last week, instead of getting ready for my TEDx talk… I painted my pantry. Literally....

2 days ago • 1 min read

TEDx, here I come!

You may have heard the news already, Reader, but if you haven't... In a few short weeks, I take to the TEDx stage at SUNY, New Paltz! Five and a half VERY long years ago when I decided to leave my career behind in EMS, I had a very particular “daydream” waiting for a light by our old apartment. It was me on a stage. 😳 I didn’t know why or what I was talking about, but I envisioned it clear as day. The image stayed with me as I built my online business, worked with clients 1:1, and then...

9 days ago • 1 min read

You Don’t Need to Be Angry to Release

I’ve learned that if I don’t give my intentions somewhere to land, they stay abstract. They live in my head, or on a list, or in a passing thought I revisit when it’s convenient. At some point, I realized I needed a way to be present with what I say I care about, not just talk about it. I needed something that asked me to show up with my body, not just my words. That’s where ritual started to matter to me. Not as a performance, and not as a promise that everything will change overnight, but...

26 days ago • 1 min read

When your body forgets it’s safe (especially this time of year)

The holidays can light up your nervous system like a Christmas tree. 🎄 Family dynamics. Busy schedules. Pressure to “make it perfect.” Even the good things—travel, excitement, nostalgia—can flip the same internal switches that go off when we’re in danger. That’s your HPA axis talking. It’s the stress-response highway that runs from your brain to your adrenal glands, pumping out cortisol and adrenaline whenever life feels “too much.” The problem? Your body can’t tell the difference between a...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Are You Practicing Gratitude... or Performing It?

Let’s be real, Reader. This time of year, everyone’s shouting “be grateful!” like it’s a magic spell that’s supposed to fix everything. 🙄 But what happens when gratitude feels fake? When your nervous system is fried, your boundaries are thin, and you’re trying to convince yourself you’re thankful for things that actually hurt? Yeah… that’s where The Gratitude Myth comes in. In this week’s episode, I sit down with my friend Carrie Kish for a raw, real, and slightly rebellious conversation...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Grief isn’t something we move past; it’s something we learn to move with.

Pictured here: my good friend Michael Mattie’s cup 💕 (The one he’d use every time he was at my home.) He is a dear friend of our community that departed last May. A few weeks ago, I hosted my first Friendsgiving for my Sacred Circle girls and decided to spend some time in quiet reflection... and here is what I realized: The more time goes on, the more I understand duality. How I can hold deep gratitude and even deeper sadness. I’m learning to live in the contradiction … where love and loss...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Can you trust what’s left when everything falls away?

Reader, the trees are teaching again. Every October, they let go without hesitation, releasing everything they don’t need so they can survive the winter ahead. I’ve spent the last few years learning that same lesson the hard way. My version of “falling leaves” looked like outgrowing jobs, relationships, and identities I once thought defined me. It looked like setting down roles that felt heavy but familiar. And for a long time, it felt like loss. There’s something disorienting about watching...

3 months ago • 1 min read

🐝 Hey, I saved you a seat in "The Hive"

*That's Amy to my right & she's AMAZINGGG :)* Reader, I’ll be real with you. I was never much of a 'journaler'. Sitting down with a notebook always felt forced to me. So when I asked my good friend Amy to join me as a practitioner for our space, KNOWING that journaling was her thing... I was intrigued. I have a ton of excuses as to why I don't journal. It's also never been "intuitive for me", and always thought it was supposed to look a certain way. Since I have been in her presence and...

3 months ago • 1 min read

The 2-step reset for any heavy emotion

Reader, You know those moments when an emotion hits hard: grief, anger, anxiety, sadness...and your first instinct is either to shove it down or let it consume you? Neither one really gives us the freedom we’re looking for. Instead of fighting your emotions or getting swallowed by them, try this check-in: Step 1: Ask yourself: Am I willing to accept this?Not “do I like it” or “do I want it here forever,” but simply: Am I willing to allow it to exist right now? This is where we honor what’s...

4 months ago • 1 min read

PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU ARE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY!

Hey hey, Reader, Our Facebook group turned FIVE YEARS OLD a few months ago and it's honestly wild to me...the amount of love and community that have been shared there is so special, and I am really ready to revitalize this space into what's next for all of you.For some time now, this group has been pretty stagnant. Putting the podcast on hold for the last few months has shown that to be true, but I know there is value in having an online space.As I have gotten clear on who I am and what I...

4 months ago • 2 min read