The Unspoken Cycle with Leah Vaughn

306: The Unspoken Wisdom: Driven By Feelings

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

I recently had a difficult conversation with a friend about a decision that she made…and quickly came to regret. And she said to me, “I wish I hadn’t acted on my feelings”. I understood exactly what she meant. We’ve all been there done that…questionable actions or choices fueled by intense emotions. Why is this even a struggle? Because we are emotional beings by nature. AND as women, we also have intricately woven webs of hormones flowing through our bodies that influence our emotional state…this can be a tricky recipe for less than favorable emotional decisions. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast as I explore the complexity of acting on our emotions and talk about healthy and effective ways that we can validate our feelings while avoiding impulsive emotional reactions that often lead to regret.

305: The Unspoken Gamble: The Truth About IVF

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

After 3 long years of trying to grow our family to no avail, my wife and I were at what we thought was going to be the end of that grueling road. Embryo transfer day arrived and our hope quickly blossomed into excitement and anticipation for our little ones who we just knew were nestling snuggly into my womb…until we got the call, “Your pregnancy test is negative, I’m sorry but your transfer wasn’t successful.” Those words still sting, and our hearts still long for what we thought was…and what we desire so much to be. IVF brings so much hope and happiness to couples like us all the time, but this wasn’t OUR time. And the grief that it brought into our lives wasn’t what we were prepared for. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast as I talk about my journey with IVF, the irony of the hope it restores AND diminishes, and how we can nurture our hearts back to a place of hopefulness again.

304: The Unspoken Reminder: Wear Your Courage, Believe In Your Strength

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

Wear your courage, believe in your strength…what does that even mean? It means that today you’re in need of a reminder that you ARE a badass woman! It means that your courage is greater than you acknowledge it to be, and it means that your strength is profound. It means that I understand what it’s like to feel weak, defeated and consumed by life’s hurts, challenges and monotonous days and that we MUST give ourself credit, and grace, where it’s due. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast as we are reminded of the incredibly strong, courageous women we are and as we celebrate every bit of badass we are intended to be.

303: I'm Your Mother, Not Your Friend: The Unspoken Bond

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 05:00:00 GMT

As a mother I want to nurture my daughters, teach them, guide them, love them and send them off into the world as strong, independent women who build their own tribes filled with close friends that they can turn to when life gets tough. And I believe that it is my responsibility as their mother to be their parent, NOT their friend. Unpopular opinion? Probably! Can these two roles be intertwined? Absolutely! Yet, there’s a disturbing trend that I see today that blurs the line between what our children need in a parent and what our children need in a friend. And today, I’m here to put my two cents in! Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast, as I explore the bond of the bestie child.

302: The Unspoken Struggle: Work From Home Woes

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:00 GMT

For many people, COVID opened the door to a major shift in the ability to work from home. I'm one of those people. I quickly realized that I had all of the tools and equipment needed to create a cozy space in my home to get my work done, rather than have to trek into the office every day. Then I relocated far away from my flagship office...and here I am today with the work from home woes. It takes a great deal of discipline, consistency and routine to "enjoy" working from home...in my opinion. And it's seriously just not that enjoyable. Join me on today's episode as I share my common struggle, and love-hate relationship, with having the ability to work from home...and as I also share what's working for me now (spoiler alert: it involves getting OUT of the house!).

301: The Unspoken Resolve: Evolving With Purpose

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:00 GMT

A wise woman (my wife), recently said to me “if your passion feels like an obligation, then it’s just another unfulfilling job”…her words rang so true to my ears. 2023 was adventurous, joyous, disappointing, painful and everything in between…and rather than feel excitement and passion for The Unspoken Cycle podcast and online platform that I've created, it felt consuming, demanding and underwhelming. Needless to say, I’ve learned some precious lessons about myself AND my passion over the last few months and things are-a-changin! Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast as I loosen up my ridged edges and introduce to you a platform that’s all about being our real, vulnerable, messy selves with a dash of fun, laughter and a little chaos along the way.

115: The Unspoken Feeling: Ho Hum For The Holidays

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:00:00 GMT

My year was breezing along, having created amazing memories and also celebrating a ton of successes both personally and professionally along the way...until a failed IVF cycle and sudden loss of our furry loved one right before Thanksgiving catapulted me into a cocoon of grief that I wasn't expecting, at a time of year that I look forward to the most. Join me on today's episode as I get vulnerable and honest with y'all about life's recent disappointments, and how I'm surviving...and restoring my joy...during an extremely difficult holiday season.

114 Part 4: Their Unspoken Story: A Voice For The Voiceless

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 13:27:33 GMT

Approximately 30-60% of children who live in homes where domestic violence occurs, are abused by the abuser and/or a parent in the home.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared my testimony of domestic violence survival…but today I’d like to talk about the silent victims of domestic violence…the children.

Join me as we learn how to identify the red flags of child abuse, explore valuable resources that can help, and most importantly as we give a voice to the voiceless.

114 Part 3: My Unspoken Story: Under The Influence

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT

I was on top of the world, having done the necessary work on myself to heal from past relationships. I had just finished my degree program, had a great career and had just returned from taking my kids on a Disneyland vacation…when a high-functioning meth addict charmed her way into my world…and threw it for a complete tailspin.

Join me as I share my story of abuse at the hands of a drug addict, how it turned my world upside down and how I literally had to flee in the middle of the night to save my life.

…but it didn’t stop there.

Tune in.

114 Part 2: My Unspoken Story: Paranoia Made Him Do It

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Over 15% of abusers have a history of mental illness. But, does this excuse their abusive behavior? Absolutely not! On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, I bring you Part 2 of My Unspoken Story: Paranoia Made Him Do It…a personal recollection of abuse at the hands of a diagnosed schizophrenic. Join me, as I talk about the prevalence of mental illness among abusers, how to spot the red flags, and share my testimony of survival from a very horrifying relationship.

211: Fertility Fridays: Their Story Is Not Your Story

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT

When support groups and online resources cause MORE anxiety and stress, it's time to kick them to the curb! With immediate access to all of the sad stories and worse case scenarios in the world, these online forums and blogs can be less than encouraging and just a downright bummer! Today I'm here today to tell you that "their story is not your story"...wise words that were once told to me by a brilliant fertility specialsit! Join me as I talk about how to find the right tribe for you, and how to let go of what is no longer serving you.

114 Part 1: My Unspoken Story: Teen Dating Violence

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Nearly 1.5 million high school students in the United States are physically abused by dating partners every year. In 1997, at the age of 17, I became part of that statistic. Dating abuse is not something that’s regularly taught in schools, yet over 57% of teens know a peer who has been physically, sexually or verbally abused in a relationship. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I bring to you a 4-part series where I will share my testimony as a survivor of domestic violence, break the stigma of silence that many victims and survivors feel bound to, and share helpful resources for those in need.

Tune in for Part 1 on Teen Dating Violence

SEASON 1 INTERMISSION

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Season 1 is on an intermission! Join me as I recap the exciting first season of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast and give a sneak peak of what's to come! Regular episodes will resume on October 2nd...but stick around! New episodes of Fertility Fridays will continue streaming each Friday!

210: Fertility Fridays: A Tale of Two Medicines: Eastern Vs. Western Fertility Treatments

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT

When it comes to the various types of fertility treatments, I like to think that there are three groups of people: those who believe in Western Medicine, those who believe in Eastern Medicine and those who combine the two. Personally, I'm the latter. On today's segment of Fertility Fridays, I'm digging into a Tale of Two Medicines...or rather talking about Western Vs. Eastern medicine when applied to fertility treatment. Join me as we learn about the pros and cons of both, and talk about the importance of making the best decision for yourself, your body and your unique situation.

112: The Unspoken Seat: A Woman's Position At The Man's Table

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT

It's no secret that women have had to fight their way up the ladder of success, while being pushed down by the men at the top. It's also no secret that women hold more power and wealth in their careers and lives today than ever before. I've always thought I was born with a leader's mindset, as I bulldozed my way up the corporate ladder in my early 20's and never looked back. Join me on today's episode, as we talk about the courage and confidence it takes to SOAR to the top, not climb! And as we learn just how to wear professional empowerment with our heads held high in order to claim OUR stake at OUR table.

209: Fertility Fridays: Down & Dirty: All The Deets on At Home Insemination

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT

It's no secret that many lesbian couples who are trying to conceive, can do so in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. Single mothers by choice and even heterosexual couples with male-factor infertility can do the same! With today's advanced tools and resources, countless couples have skipped the fertility clinic altogether and successfuly conceived using at-home insemination methods. But what does that process really look like? Let me tell you, it's calculated, precise and can get pretty spicey! Join me on today's segment of Fertility Fridays as I unpack all the dirty deets of at-home insemination.

111: The Unspoken Gift: Learn How to Speak Your Love Language

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:43:29 GMT

When we love someone, we want to be able to express our love for them in all the right ways, right? And when someone loves us back, we certainly want to feel their love in all the right ways too, right? Have you heard of the 5 love languages? Maybe you have, but are in need of some refreshing, or maybe you’re not sure what I’m talking about at all. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast as I express my love for love languages. I’ll introduce you to, or reintroduce you to, the 5 love languages and talk about why learning your love language is so important. Most importantly, I’ll explore why as women, it’s so essential for us to be able to speak and receive love in the most intimate ways.

208: Fertility Fridays: Stronger Together: Navigating Fertility Stressors in Your Relationship

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

It's no secret that fertility struggles cause heavy strains on relationships. In fact, approximately 26% of couples diagnosed with infertility end up separated. How can something that we desire so strongly WITH our partners, be the very thing that drives us apart? Join me on today's segment of Fertility Fridays as I get real and raw about fertility stressors, the impact they have on relationships and explore how to remain hopeful and committed to the process TOGETHER.

110: Toxic Positivity: The Unspoken Opinion

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

In a world where negativity surrounds us every day, is it really possible to be positive in a TOXIC way? Yes my friends, it is! On today's episode, we are talking about toxic positivity, how it's very possible to be overly positive and how that creates unrealistic hope. Unrealistic hope? Yes, that's a thing too! Join me as we walk the fine line of realistic vs. unrealistic optimism and learn how to embrace hope in a beneficial way.

207: Fertility Fridays: Sperm Donor #5

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

The process of choosing a sperm donor can be grueling, intense and super overwhelming! With all of the various options of sperm banks and donors, it can take hours upon hours to do the necessary research to narrow down the best options for you and your situation. On today's segment of Fertility Fridays, I help take some of that stress off of your shoulders, share the techniques that my wife and I used in choosing our sperm bank and donors, and give helpful tips on how to make the process as swift and seamless as possible!

109: The Unspoken Feeling: Today I'm Not OK

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Sometimes we wake up on the wrong side of the bed or maybe we’re going through a really tough situation, maybe PMS is raging or maybe we don’t know why but we just aren’t feeling it. Each day is different, and when we’re in the thick of a bad day, it can feel unbearable. The good news is, it’s OK to not feel OK. And we don’t have to put on a “happy face” for anyone just to hide it. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, where you’ll find a safe space to NOT be OK, and where together we’ll learn how to embrace all the feels and care for ourselves even on the hardest of days.

206: Fertility Fridays: Endocrine Whobie Whatie?

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Our endocrine system controls many functions and hormones in our bodies. But what we don't hear about often enough is how the Thyroid function directly correlates with our reproductive function, and how a low-functioning thyroid can complicate fertility or cause infertility altogether. On today's segment of Fertility Fridays I'm sharing my difficult journey with Hashimoto's, Thyroid Cancer, how it's impacted my ability to conceive and my lifelong battle to keep hypothyroidism at bay. I'll also share helpful tips and information on how to enance your overall health to optimize Thyroid function.

108: The Unspoken Mentality: Letting Go Of Victimhood

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

We all suffer at the hands of adversity at some point in our lives. Some will be much more traumatic than others. Often times that trauma will convince us that we will continue to be victimized by unfortunate circumstances and this victimized menality becomes easy to embrace; however, living in victimhood does not allow us to heal, nor does it allow us to move forward from tragic circumstances. On today's episode, I talk about the dangers of a victimized mentality, why we should NOT embrace it, and how we can become the survivors we are intended to be.

205: Fertility Fridays: Embracing Perimenopause

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Have you heard of perminopause? I was new to this term until it became a reality for me. Menopause is inevitable for all women and perimenopause is a transitional stage that many women experience as the onset of menopause. On this episode of Fertility Fridays, I talk about the difficult stage of perimenopause, explore the signs and symptoms and share my experience with it. Did you know that women are still fertile and can concieve during perimenopause? I'm excited to share with you how those of us who are trying to conceive at an older age in life can still hold on to hope.

107: The Unspoken Conversation: Navigating the Social Waters of Politics and Religion

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT

On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast I’m exploring the faux pas

of social conversation surrounding politics and religion. Why do these two topics almost always result in intense discussion? And better yet, How can we navigate these tricky waters civilly when our friends and loved ones are at odds with our personal views? Do we have to lose friendships because we’re on opposite sides of the fence or can we all just simply get along?!

Dare we find out?

204: Fertility Fridays: IUI 101

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

There are many fertility treatment options that can help us become successfully pregnant. One of them is IUI treatment. I've undergone IUI treatment several times and found the process to be less intimidating and costly than IVF. Many women who are TTC start with IUI. On today's episode of Fertility Friday's I dish the deets about IUI, what the process looks like, why its a favorable option and how it turned out for me. I'll also provide helpful resources from the best Doctors in the world of fertility, whom I had the pleasure of treating and guiding me along my IUI journey.

106: The Unspoken Battle: War With A Narcissist

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 19:22:13 GMT

On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast we're talking about journeying to a land where no woman ever wants to go…into a relationship with a narcissist. We’ll identify the red flags of narcissism, shed light on the destruction that narcissists cause and most importantly, we’ll learn just how to rid our lives of that nasty narcissist so that we can repair the damage and move on. Let's get to healing ladies!

203: Fertility Fridays: Grieve the Process

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Grief shows up in many ways while trying to conceive. It's important for those of us who are TTC to know what grief looks like, that it's absolutely OK to embrace it and how to use our grief to find hope again. In today's episode I talk about that heaviness of grief, why we should welcome it, and how we can use it to empower ourselves along the way.

105: The Unspoken Sexy: Classic Femininity in a Progressive Society

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

As a woman, it seems like everywhere I turn, there’s a new pressure to step up my game and how I express my femininity. I’m constantly being challenged to wear the perfect outfit, have the perfect hairstyle, be calmy composed at all times and even find the perfect solution to stop aging in its tracks. But this only creates an unrealistic journey to perfection that I know I can’t achieve. On Today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, I explore the topic of classic femininity (think Audrey Hepburn), in a progressive society (think Kim Kardashian). How can we better embrace who we are as feminine women at all ages and stages of life and love ourselves in the skin that we’re in on a deeper level?

202: Fertility Fridays: How Do I Know What I Should Know?

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Sometimes the most intimidating part of the fertility journey is figuring out what you should know or should've know along the way. In this episode I explore the basic foundation of information that we should equip ourselves with, as well as share tools and resources that have been incredibly helpful to me in making this journey a much less intimidating process. Knowledge is power mamas!

104: Hi, I'm an Empath: Identifying the Unspoken Trauma

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Do you consider yourself an empath? I know many people who do, including myself! However, according to some, identifying as an empath leads to red flags indicitave of severe childhood trauma. Today I'll explore what it means to be an empathic person, if it truly is a representation of unhealed trauma and how we can best care for ourselves in meaningful and healing ways.

Fertility Fridays-Fearless Fertility

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Welcome mamas, aspiring mamas and mamas who can relate to all fertiity related struggles! Join me for Fertility Fridays each week as we talk about the raw and real fertilify battles that exist when trying to start a family and trying to grow a family. Through my journey of secondary infertility, I learned that SO many women had shared experiences and SO many women desire more community, support and transparency around this difficult life issue for women.

103: Generational Trauma: How to Break the Unspoken Cycle

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

On this episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast we’re talking about the cycle of generational trauma. We’ll explore what it is, what it looks like and how it specifically impacts the lives of women. We’ll dig into real life examples of just how deep generational trauma flows and most importantly, we’re going to learn how to break that cycle once and for all!

102: The Empowered Struggle: What Does an Empowered Woman Look Like?

Wed, 31 May 2023 15:07:12 GMT

On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast we’re going to dive deep into the meaning of being an empowered woman. We’ll revisit some of the most pivotal moments in history for women, we’ll define what empowerment looks like and we’ll learn how to embrace our individual empowerment every day, through the great days AND the tough days. Are you ready to evolve YOUR empowerment?

Introduction: Meet Your Host

Wed, 31 May 2023 14:15:07 GMT

Get to know the host of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, Leah Vaughn during this brief introduction.