Feeling lost without your job title? In this raw and honest episode, Lulu reveals what really happens to our self-worth when work disappears—and how to rebuild your identity from the inside out.

Discover Lulu’s original WHOLE Identity Framework—a science-backed, soul-anchored approach to reclaiming your self-worth beyond work, status, and external validation.

Discover the neuroscience behind our attachment to professional identity—and why career shifts can feel as painful as physical injury. Lulu unpacks how to build a more stable, multi-dimensional sense of self by drawing wisdom from stay-at-home parents, young people redefining success, and retirees who’ve already navigated major identity transitions.

If you’re navigating job loss, career change, burnout, or just wondering who you are beyond your role—this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Your brain processes a job loss like physical pain
• Professional success can create addictive “status reward loops”
• The WHOLE Identity Framework builds resilience through five key dimensions:
  • Worth comes from within, not external validation
  • Humanity connects us beyond titles and achievements
  • Openness to multiple identity sources creates stability
  • Legacy is about impact, not position
  • Engagement with life beyond work expands who we are
• Rewiring our identity is possible through neuroplasticity and Tiny Promises
• Multi-dimensional identity = emotional stability

Powerful Quotes

"Accomplishments and accolades are an expression of our worth, but they are NOT where our worth comes from in the first place."

"When we build our identity primarily on professional roles that can change in an instant, we are creating a very fragile and unstable foundation."

"What if instead of asking, 'What do you do?' we asked questions that invite curiosity and the opportunity for real human connection?"

"You are a magnificent, multi-dimensional being whose worth cannot be captured in a job description, no matter how impressive."

🎧 Know someone questioning their worth after a job change or identity shift? Send them this episode. Your share might be the spark they need.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 – Gratitude & Recovery Update
01:57 – The Identity Trap: Why Job Titles Feel Like Our Whole Selves
04:24 – Leaving My Role as Executive Creative Director
06:21 – The Brain Science of Career Attachment
09:17 – Wisdom from Stay-at-Home Parents, Students & Retirees
13:06 – Introducing The WHOLE Identity Framework
14:02 – W: Worth Comes from Within
15:00 – H: Humanity Connects Us
16:00 – O: Openness Builds Resilience
16:28 – L: Legacy Is About Impact, Not Title
17:28 – E: Engagement with Life Beyond Work
19:23 – New Ways to Ask “What Do You Do?”
21:18 – Reclaiming Myself After Career Transition
23:08 – Tiny Promises for Identity Reinvention

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this energizing episode of The Lulu Essey Podcast, Lulu shares how creativity functions as essential neurological medicine—fueling not just artistic expression but emotional resilience, mental clarity, and business innovation.

You’ll discover how tiny, science-backed creative acts can literally rewire your brain (hello, neuroplasticity!) and build the cognitive pathways we need to adapt, solve, lead, and thrive—especially in high-stress environments.

Lulu draws on the work of Dr. Rex Jung, Martha Beck, and Google’s Project Aristotle to show that creativity is more than a talent—it’s a brain-based advantage. And the best part? It doesn’t take hours. Each practice in this episode takes less than two minutes.

Whether you’ve felt disconnected from your creative spark or stuck in overthinking mode, this episode offers a practical, research-backed invitation to reconnect with your joy, your focus, and your inner power—one tiny creative act at a time.

Key Takeaways

• Creativity is essential mental medicine—not just artistic luxury
• Dr. Rex Jung’s research shows creative thinking activates different neural networks than analytical thought
• Neuroplasticity is enhanced through even brief creative engagement
• Martha Beck’s findings: five minutes of creative handwork can reduce anxiety
• The same brain networks used for creativity support emotional regulation and navigating uncertainty
• Google's Project Aristotle found creative risk-taking is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams
• McKinsey found top-quartile creative companies see 67% above-average revenue growth
• “Creativity weaving” = integrating micro-creative acts into daily routines
• The neurological benefits come from the process, not the product—skill is irrelevant
• Segregating “creative roles” from “real work” stunts both business growth and brain development

Powerful Quotes

“When did we decide creativity belongs only to artists? That narrative serves those who profit from your self-doubt.”

“The separation between ‘creative work’ and ‘real work’ isn’t just arbitrary—it’s actively harmful.”

“Your brain doesn’t give a hoot if you create a masterpiece or a mess—it cares that you engaged in the act of creation.”

“Creativity can be woven into the fabric of your life in seconds—not hours.”

“When we reclaim creativity as our birthright, we’re not just making things—we’re making ourselves whole.”

Chapters

00:00 — The Dangerous Myth About Creativity
01:29 — Beyond Artist Labels: Creativity as Essential Medicine
03:18 — Rewiring Your Brain Through Creative Engagement
07:09 — The Time Myth: Creative Weaving in Daily Life
10:23 — The Neuroscience of Creative Practice
14:53 — The Business Case: Why Creative Teams Outperform
19:31 — Five Tiny Creative Practices to Boost Mental Fitness
24:39 — Reclaiming Your Creative Birthright

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this provocative episode of The Lulu Essey Podcast, “Who Gets to Define Creativity?”, Lulu Essey challenges the gatekeeping of creativity and asks the question too few are willing to name:
Why do men still largely define what counts as creative excellence?

With women holding 60% of entry-level creative roles but less than 25% of leadership positions, Lulu explores what we all lose when creativity is filtered through such a narrow lens. You’ll learn how creative leadership, mental fitness, and inclusive creativity are deeply connected — and why reclaiming your creative voice is essential in today’s world.

Creativity isn’t just for designers or artists — it’s how spirit flows through your everyday life. From problem-solving and parenting to making dinner with what you have, it’s a birthright. You’ll also learn how to reconnect with your creativity through simple tools that build confidence, community, and expression — no title required.

If you've ever been told you weren't creative — or felt that way because you don’t have “creative” in your title or don’t do typical creative things — this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Women hold 60% of entry-level roles but <25% of leadership in creative fields
• Creativity is how spirit flows through all of us, not job titles
• Gatekeeping creativity limits our shared potential
• Creativity is a process, not a product
• Consistency matters more than waiting for inspiration
• Women of color face significantly greater barriers
• Mental fitness and creativity are deeply linked
• Who defines creativity shapes what problems get solved — and how

Powerful Quotes

“Creativity is simply how Spirit flows through you.”
“Bold creative approaches can be perceived differently depending on who presents them.”
“When one perspective dominates decision-making, we ALL lose something essential.”
“Your creativity doesn’t need external validation to be valuable.”
“If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison
“I'm not trying to be different. I'm just being myself.” — Erykah Badu
“Creativity exists in the space between confusion and clarity.” — Es Devlin

Timestamps

00:00 — The Gender Gap in Creative Leadership
02:02 — What Is Creativity Really?
04:00 — Creativity as a Birthright, Not Just an Artistic Pursuit
08:25 — Creativity as a Craft: Discipline vs. Spontaneity
11:47 — Who Gets to Decide What "Counts" as Creative?
13:37 — Gender Disparity in Creative Industries
15:29 — The Impact of Race and Age on Creative Expression
18:15 — The Power of Reclaiming Your Creative Voice
21:09 — Creativity, Mental Fitness, and Self-Expression
22:58 — Creating a Future Filled with Beauty, Wonder and Awe

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this heartfelt episode, Lulu Essey honors the unsung heroes who walk beside those facing mental health challenges — often carrying an invisible weight of their own. You’ll learn practical tools like The Permission Question, the 30-second Daily Check-In Method, and boundary-setting strategies that build sustainable support sytems — in relationships, at work, and in everyday life.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Partners, friends, or colleagues supporting someone with mental health challenges
• Caregivers experiencing compassion fatigue
• Leaders seeking better workplace mental health communication
• Anyone navigating the emotional complexity of being “the strong one” in someone else’s healing

Key Takeaways

• The unsung heroes of mental health support often carry their own invisible emotional burden
• Supporting someone through mental health challenges can lead to post-traumatic growth
• Caregivers frequently experience compassion fatigue, stress, and emotional exhaustion
• The Permission Question helps clarify exactly what kind of support someone needs — listening, solutions, or space
• Healthy boundaries create sustainable, mutually respectful support relationships
• The 30-second Daily Check-In Method prevents miscommunication and builds trust
• Supporting others cultivates transferable skills like emotional intelligence and patience
• Workplace mental health support requires compassionate boundaries and clear communication
• Mental fitness is fundamentally a team approach, not a solo journey
• The light supporters hold for others eventually illuminates their own path

Powerful Quotes

• “The unsung heroes don't wear capes. They're the ones who bring groceries when we can't function, who listen without trying to fix.”
• “Boundaries aren't walls that separate us — they're the structures that allow relationships to flourish.”
• “The light you hold for others will eventually illuminate your own path too.”
• “Mental fitness is not a solo journey.”
• “Supporting someone through mental health challenges isn't easy, but it can become one of life's most meaningful connections.”

Chapters

00:00 – The Unsung Heroes of Mental Health Support
03:06 – The Invisible Weight of Caregiving & Post-Traumatic Growth
06:30 – The Permission Question: A Communication Tool for Mental Health Support
08:28 – Boundaries: Creating Sustainable Support
10:53 – The Daily Check-In Method: Building Your Mental Health Support Network
13:51 – The Transformative Power of Supporting Others

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this vulnerable episode, I share my recent relapse and return to medication after 30 years of managing bipolar disorder. But this isn’t just a story about medication — it’s about what real mental fitness looks like beyond the pills.

I introduce the Whole Self Approach to Mental Fitness: a framework that integrates physical wellbeing, emotional regulation, connection, mental practices, and environment care. It’s holistic, honest, and deeply human.

You’ll also hear why medication alone isn’t enough, why relapse isn’t failure, and how tiny daily “deposits” can help rebuild even on the hardest days.

This episode is for anyone navigating mental health challenges, supporting a loved one, or simply looking for a more grounded, compassionate way to heal.

💛 If you're in it right now, this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways:

· Medication is a powerful tool, not the full solution
· The Whole Self Approach supports sustainable mental fitness through 5 interconnected areas
· Relapse isn’t starting from scratch — it’s starting from experience
· Tiny, consistent actions support your nervous system and rebuild self-trust
· Resistance to self-care often holds valuable insights about what needs healing
· Compassion doesn’t mean bypassing accountability — it means holding both
· True mental fitness includes tending your inner environment, not just managing symptoms

Powerful Quotes:

“Mental fitness is like a garden. Medication might be the soil conditioner, but we still have to plant the seeds.”
“You're not starting from scratch. You're starting from experience.”
“Simple does not in any way mean easy to do.”
“I matter enough to take care of myself.”
“Compassion and accountability can co-exist.”
“Healing isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral — and every loop brings new wisdom.”
“Mental fitness means meeting yourself honestly, and still choosing to keep going.”

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Mental Fitness Conversations
03:04 – My Return to Medication After 30 Years
05:32 – Why Record a Podcast During Relapse
07:15 – The Whole Self Approach to Mental Fitness
10:00 – Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
12:17 – Emotional Regulation and Sitting with Discomfort
14:22 – Mindfulness as Daily Mental Practice
17:21 – Creating a Supportive Environment
18:27 – Accountability vs. Self-Compassion with Mental Illness
24:17 – A Day of Tiny Mental Fitness Deposits
30:01 – Working With Resistance to Self-Care
35:05 – Reframing Medication and Looking Forward

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

This isn’t a comeback story. It’s what healing actually looks like when you’re not okay… but trying anyway.

This week, I’m offering a quiet, honest look at what it means to rebuild from rock bottom—through what I call The Gentle Return. This episode continues from Episode 22, where I opened up about my experience with depression. Today, I speak about what happened next: returning to medication, embracing imperfection, and challenging the myth that simplicity equals ease.

If you're navigating the fragile space between darkness and light, this conversation is for you. It's a real, unfiltered look at healing, mental fitness, and the power of tiny, consistent steps.

Key Takeaways:

• The Gentle Return isn't a comeback story—it's the honest middle between despair and recovery
• Doing what’s best for your mental health might feel like failure, but it’s actually the bravest thing you can do
• There is a pervasive myth in personal development that "simple" should mean "easy"
• Grace and self-compassion become lifelines in the face of shame
• Tiny, almost invisible actions are what rebuild trust in ourselves
• Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line—it moves like a spiral
• Small sanctuaries (parks, showers, music, stillness) are powerful anchors

Powerful Quotes:
"This is where grace lives. Where compassion becomes a lifeline."

"The gap between simplicity and ease can feel like a chasm when things are rough."

"Even in our darkest moments, we retain one profound power: the next tiny step."

"If you're in the quiet, messy middle—you're not behind, you're not broken. You're in The Gentle Return."

“The direction matters more than the pace”

Timestamps:
00:00 — Your Messages After Episode 22: Vulnerability Received
01:08 — The Gentle Return: A New Framework for Rebuilding
03:14 — My Medication Story: Letting Go of Shame
05:57 — The YouTube Mistake: Navigating Overwhelm with Compassion
09:02 — Heart vs. Head: The Tension Between Trust and Control
11:02 — Simple ≠ Easy: The Myth That Makes Healing Harder
15:25 — Finding Sanctuary: What Still Holds the Light
17:41 — Re-emergence: A Sacred, Delicate Return
20:57 — Showing Up in the Messy Middle: Direction Over Pace
23:23 — Your Sanctuary Invitation: What Still Brings You Peace

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this raw and deeply vulnerable episode, I share what happened when I found myself in a dark place, unable to access the very tools I teach others to use. After recording an episode about confidence, clarity, and calm, I realized I was feeling none of those things – could I be completely honest with you about my struggles.

I reveal my journey through a mental health challenge, why accepting darkness instead of fighting it was the key that began to shift things, and how we can embrace the messy reality of being human. This unfiltered conversation explores what it truly means to find your way when you can't see the light, and why self-compassion matters.

Key Takeaways:

• Sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer isn't a perfect solution, but the truth of our journey
• Mental health struggles can manifest physically – affecting speech, clarity, and cognitive function
• The mantra "I will NOT abandon you" can be a powerful anchor in darkest moments
• Acceptance without judgment is what creates the first crack for light to enter
• The path through darkness isn't usually a lightning bolt moment
• We can simultaneously be coaches, leaders, parents AND struggling humans
• Confidence is a knowing that lives in your heart
• What helps: intentional language ("I feel" vs "I am"), gratitude for small things, movement
• Dark is not wrong and messy is not bad

Powerful Quotes

• "I wasn't showing up as my best self. I was showing up as my real self."
• "The moment I stopped resisting what I was feeling, the moment I just accepted that I was in a really dark place – that is when things started to shift."
• "I will NOT abandon you." Those words became my lifeline when everything else felt like it was exploding."
• "Many truths can exist at the same time. I can be a life coach to other people, a creative leader, and struggle at the same time."
• "Dark is not wrong and messy is not bad."
• "When life cracks us open, let's do what we can to let go and accept, one moment at a time. Because like the Japanese believe, the crack is where the light comes in."
  
  

Chapters & Timestamps:
00:00 – A Different Kind of Episode: Recording in the Dark
03:10 – The Shame of Not Feeling What You Teach
07:42 – Can I Be This Honest With You?
10:32 – A Crack of Light
14:14 – What Mental Health Struggles Actually Feel Like
17:38 – The Mantra That Became My Lifeline: "I Will Not Abandon You"
20:52 – The Courage to Be Seen
24:27 – Letting Go
27:19 – Rethinking Confidence, Clarity & Calm
30:42 – Darkness Isn’t Failure
32:43 – The Crack Where the Light Comes In

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. Clarity doesn’t come from overthinking. And calm isn’t waiting on the world to settle down. In this episode, Lulu flips the script on three traits we often think are fixed and unreachable. She reveals how Tiny actions are the true key to building unshakable confidence, deep clarity, and a grounded sense of calm—starting exactly where you are. Whether you’re stuck in self-doubt, overwhelmed by indecision, or just longing for some peace, this episode will show you how to step into more of your power with tools that are deceptively simple and deeply effective.

Key Takeaways:

• Confidence is not the absence of fear—it’s the result of taking action while afraid.
• Clarity doesn’t come from thinking more. It comes from real-world feedback.
• Calm is an inner state, not a reward for having a perfect life.
• Taking Tiny actions rewires your brain for trust, courage, and momentum.
• The 3 Cs (Confidence, Clarity, Calm) work together as a feedback loop.
• Action leads to confidence, which leads to clarity, which creates calm—and then it loops.
• Tiny steps can shift your state and direction more than giant leaps.
• You don’t need to feel ready. You need to get moving.
• Mastery is built in the doing, not the planning.
• The path reveals itself after you begin.

Powerful Quotes:

"Confidence doesn’t come before action. It follows it."

"The feedback loop between confidence, clarity and calm is real—and Tiny steps are how you activate it."

"Clarity isn’t found in your head. It’s found in motion."

"Calm isn’t the absence of chaos. It’s the presence of self-trust."

"If you’re waiting to feel confident before taking action, you’ll be waiting forever. Confidence is the reward for showing up."

Timestamps:

00:00 – The Magnetic Myth: What Confidence, Clarity & Calm Really Are
03:30 – The Confidence Lie: Why Waiting to Feel Ready Doesn’t Work
07:15 – The Science of Tiny Action & Self-Efficacy
10:45 – Clarity Is a Byproduct: Why Overthinking Keeps You Stuck
14:10 – Real-Life Example: Finding Direction Through Doing
17:00 – Calm Isn’t External: It’s the Outcome of Confidence + Clarity
21:00 – The Spiral Staircase: How the 3 Cs Build on Each Other
24:00 – Choose Your Entry Point: Wherever You Start Is Enough
27:00 – Tiny Steps Shift Everything—Even If They Feel Insignificant

Join the Conversation:
DM Lulu on Instagram @lulu.essey with the word ACTION and tell her: What Tiny action are you taking today? And if this episode helped you, share it with 3 people who could use a little confidence, clarity or calm. It could change their day—or their life.

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!