Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast

Welcome to Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast, where we explore what it means to thrive and flourish in this complex world we are living in.. Join Julie Fischer, Positive Psychology Practitioner, Coach and Well-Being Advocate for meaningful and lively conversations with experts, thought leaders, authors, business leaders and more. We dive into the “un-well-being crisis” we are experiencing as a collective, and share tools and strategies that foster increased mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and financial well-being. Ready to connect with a community of people who strive to thrive? Tune in every other week for inspiration, insight and maybe what feels like a nudge from a friend to keep moving, keep uncovering and keep transforming yourself, your life and your sense of well-being.

Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast is a health podcast hosted by Julie Fischer, with 73 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Julie Fischer hosts Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast, a health show with 73 episodes published.

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  Episode #74

  Beyond Willpower

  Sep 29, 202621 min

  EPISODE DESCRIPTION Muscling through was never the answer. In this solo episode, Julie unpacks why willpower is a poor foundation for lasting change — at work, in our health, and in the goals we keep setting and quietly abandoning — and walks through four things that matter far more: the environment we build around ourselves, the identity we reinforce with every small action, whether a goal is genuinely ours, and how we treat ourselves when we inevitably slip. WHAT WE COVER Why the “try harder” story about change is wrong — and why willpower gets too much credit Environment over willpower: James Clear's systems thinking and Angela Duckworth's new book Situated, including her Three Box Model and the idea of situational agency Identity-based change vs. outcome-based change Autonomous vs. controlled motivation, and the question: is this goal actually mine? The “what-the-hell effect” — why self-compassion after a slip predicts a faster comeback than self-criticism Four questions to sit with this week REFLECTION QUESTIONS Where are you relying on willpower to fight an environment that's working against you? Is the goal you're chasing actually yours, or borrowed from someone else's expectations? What's one small environmental change you could make this week to take some of the daily fight off your shoulders? The last time you slipped, how did you talk to yourself? What would self-compassion have sounded like instead? Thank you for listening. We are so happy you found us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, follow Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast so our new episodes are automatically delivered to your favorite podcast feed, and please share it with a friend! Reviews and ratings matter We would be so grateful if you left a 5 star rating and a few words about what you liked (or loved) about this episode. Want more tools and strategies for thriving and flourishing? -Check out Julie’s website and subscribe to her monthly newsletter here -Follow Julie on Instagram or LinkedIn

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  Episode #73

  You are Never too Old and It’s Not too Late to Thrive with Ilene Berns-Zare, PsyD, PCC

  Sep 15, 202645 min

  It's never too late to change, pick up something new, or deepen a relationship. Ilene Berns-Zare — psychologist, coach, and author of You're Not Too Old and It's Not Too Late: Weekly Practices of Meaning, Mindfulness, and New Possibilities at Midlife and Beyond — joins Julie to talk about reimagining the second half of life with more curiosity, resilience, and possibility. We dig into what resilience actually means at midlife and beyond, how to question the negative labels our culture attaches to aging, and the daily practices — strengths, gratitude, connection — that support thriving in any season. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT Resilience as a series of realizations, understandings, and choices — not a one-and-done trait Building resilience like a muscle, and why over-rescuing can interrupt that process in the people we love Questioning the negative labels and stereotypes our culture assigns to aging Reframing language: “growing older” instead of “getting old,” “seasoned” instead of “over the hill” Using your character strengths — including the free VIA strengths survey — instead of focusing only on what's wrong Hope theory, agency, and pathways thinking applied to midlife and beyond Self-compassion, flexibility, and adjusting timelines as life circumstances shift Daily gratitude practices, including the “three good things” exercise Thank you for listening. We are so happy you found us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, follow Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast so our new episodes are automatically delivered to your favorite podcast feed, and please share it with a friend! Reviews and ratings matter We would be so grateful if you left a 5 star rating and a few words about what you liked (or loved) about this episode. Want more tools and strategies for thriving and flourishing? -Check out Julie’s website and subscribe to her monthly newsletter here -Follow Julie on Instagram or LinkedIn More about Ilene: Ilene Berns-Zare is a life and leadership coach, psychologist, educator, and author who helps people navigate their lives with resilience, meaning, mindfulness, and well-being. She's the author of You're Not Too Old and It's Not Too Late: Weekly Practices of Meaning, Mindfulness, and New Possibilities at Midlife and Beyond, and writes the blog Flourish and Thrive on Psychology.com. Her work focuses on helping people flourish by bringing mind, body, and spirit into flow with their strengths, purpose, and potential. Website - https://ibzcoaching.com/ Blogs - http://ibzcoaching.com/blog Psychology Today- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/ilene-berns-zare-psyd LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilene-berns-zare-psyd-pcc-cec-9062a39b/ Blue Sky Social - @ileneberns-zare.bsky.social

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  Episode #72

  The Beginner’s Mindset Expertise is supposed to make us

  Sep 1, 202617 min

  Expertise is supposed to make us better — until the moment it doesn't. In this episode, Julie explores beginner's mind: what it actually is, why it's not the same thing as knowing less, and why holding what you know a little more lightly might be one of the biggest advantages you can bring to work, relationships, and change. WHAT WE COVER Why expertise can backfire — the Einstellung effect and how experience narrows what we're able to see The real difference between beginner's mind and growth mindset Cognitive flexibility and intellectual humility — what the research says about staying open How calcified expertise shows up at work — and what a true beginner would notice that you've stopped seeing Why becoming an “expert” on the people closest to you can be a trap Beginner's mind as an antidote to the fear of the unfamiliar Five self-coaching questions to find where certainty might be costing you more than not-knowing would REFLECTION QUESTIONS Where in your work have you stopped asking questions because you're “supposed” to already know the answer? Think of someone close to you — what's one assumption about them you haven't actually checked lately? Where might your experience be narrowing your options instead of expanding them? If you approached this week as a total beginner, what would you notice that you've stopped seeing? Where is certainty costing you more than not-knowing would? Thank you for listening. We are so happy you found us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, follow Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast so our new episodes are automatically delivered to your favorite podcast feed, and please share it with a friend! Reviews and ratings matter We would be so grateful if you left a 5 star rating and a few words about what you liked (or loved) about this episode. Want more tools and strategies for thriving and flourishing? -Check out Julie’s website and subscribe to her monthly newsletter here -Follow Julie on Instagram -Follow her on LinkedIn -Interested in working with Julie? Book an inquiry call here

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  Episode #71

  Processing Grief: An Unspoken Essential for Thriving with Nicole Collins,

  Aug 18, 202655 min

  We live in a culture that recognizes some griefs and quietly overlooks the rest. Nicole Collins — a former tech executive, twice-over caregiver, founder of Bea, and grief educator— joins Julie to talk about grief in all its forms and why processing it is essential to thriving WHAT WE COVER Caregiving for two while leading a team — and the self-abandonment that came with it Grief beyond death: job loss, fractured friendships, family estrangement Why we have rituals for some griefs and none for others Collective grief and what we're still carrying from COVID Why processing grief is essential to thriving, not separate from it Humor as a legitimate grief skill Why the first year after loss is a dangerous financial window Nicole's three regular practices for thriving RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Anderson Cooper's podcast All There Is Tara Brach — Radical Acceptance ABOUT MY GUEST Nicole Collins is the founder of Bea, a voice AI guide that helps widows through the financial decisions of the first year after loss. Before founding Bea, she spent 15+ years leading people and marketing teams in tech, most recently as VP of People and Marketing at Innovasea. She was a caregiver twice over — for her mom and for her partner Christian, who died of brain cancer in 2023 — all while holding down an executive role. She's a certified grief educator and a believer that humor is a legitimate grief skill. CONNECT WITH NICOLE Bea LinkedIn

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  Episode #69

  Self-Compassion and Why We Need More of it

  Jul 21, 202618 min

  We're wired to be hard on ourselves. In this solo episode, Julie unpacks the neuroscience behind our negativity bias and self-criticism, then turns to Dr. Kristin Neff's groundbreaking research on self-compassion — what it actually is, the biggest myths that keep us from practicing it, and why it might be one of the most essential (and misunderstood) tools we have for showing up for our goals, ourselves, and the people we love. What You'll Learn Why self-criticism feels so automatic — and the evolutionary "negativity bias" behind it The difference between a fear response and genuine high standards Kristin Neff's three core components of self-compassion: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness Four common myths about self-compassion — and what the research actually shows Why self-compassion doesn't lower the bar, it changes the fuel Why this matters more than ever in a culture of comparison and optimization Five self-coaching questions to start shifting your inner voice today Key Takeaways Self-criticism is a fear response, not a character flaw. Our brains evolved to scan for threats — including threats to our own sense of adequacy. That inner critic isn't cruelty; it's an outdated safety strategy. Self-compassion has three parts: self-kindness (versus self-judgment), common humanity (versus isolation), and mindfulness (versus over-identification with painful feelings). Self-compassion is not self-pity, selfishness, weakness, or letting yourself off the hook. Research consistently shows the opposite — it's linked to greater accountability, more empathy for others, and more resilience after failure. Care is a more sustainable motivator than fear. Self-criticism burns you out. Self-compassion keeps you going. In a culture of constant comparison, self-compassion isn't optional — it's a form of resilience. Self-Coaching Questions from This Episode What would I say to a friend who was going through exactly what I'm going through right now? Is there a difference between having high standards for myself and being cruel to myself when I don't meet them? What is my self-criticism actually afraid of? What is it trying to protect me from? Where in my life am I mistaking self-punishment for motivation — and what might it look like to try care instead, just for a week? What would it feel like to treat a mistake as evidence that I'm human, rather than evidence that I'm failing? Featured Research & Reccomendations Dr. Kristin Neff — pioneering researcher on self-compassion; creator of the three-component framework (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness) and author of the book Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself A Quote to Sit With "Self-compassion isn't about lowering the bar. It's about changing the voice that's talking to you while you reach for it." Thank you for listening. We are so happy you found us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, follow Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast so our new episodes are automatically delivered to your favorite podcast feed, and please share it with a friend! Reviews and ratings matter We would be so grateful if you left a 5 star rating and a few words about what you liked (or loved) about this episode. Want more tools and strategies for thriving and flourishing? -Check out Julie’s website and subscribe to her monthly newsletter here -Follow Julie on Instagram -Follow her on LinkedIn -Interested in working with Julie? Book an inquiry call here

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