Welcome to a special, early release episode comin' in HOT and READY, live from Spotify Studios in Los Angeles, California.

Why early? Why now?

Because we didn't come this far.... to forget where we came from.

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This episode we're covering one of my favorite topics in the science of self-actualization. A silent, unbreakable superpower called: IDENTITY. It's the ultimate freedom.

What better time than now to recapture the importance of the values that define us, the life experiences that we've triumphed over and the characteristics we cherish about ourselves that we'll forever hold onto as sacred and true, no matter what the world around us looks like.

I'm honored to cover this topic today with the ever-inspiring and hilarious writer, comedian, and actress London Hughes ⁠@thelondonhughes⁠, best known for her breakout role in Fleabag and her hit Netflix comedy special, To Catch A D*ck. She's the first British black woman ever nominated for Best Comedy Show at the prestigious Edinburg Comedy Festival and most recently, she's published a page-turning memoire called Living My Best Life, Hun.

London joins us today to share all about her journey from the UK to Los Angeles, as she continues to defy all odds and triumph forward in her mission to transform cultural perception of race, gender and identity through media and comedic storytelling.

She's the embodiment of how leading from your truth can lead to a life and career of your dreams.

SMV, get ready. This is the episode to share and lift your friends up, to add to that playlist when you need a motivational ass-kicking-- one that you'll return back to for months and years to come.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars and follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me⁠⁠ ⁠@katiefthomps⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ ⁠@thesmvpodcast ⁠⁠⁠to find more details on guests, future episodes and more

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video editing by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song and musical parodies composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

Welcome to The Menopause Matriarchy.

Just like any well-run, ruling system, we’re all about nurturing power, intergenerational authority and achieving systemic balance– So, what better way to do this, than by merging two perspectives on a single topic?

After last week’s episode, we are more clear on how genetics, nutrition and environment play a critical role in our menopause journey and by establishing positive habits in our lifestyle (and incorporating things like hormone replacement therapy), we can integrate this phase of life from a place of empowerment.

In today’s Part 2, join us as we head East on our trek toward peri and menopausal mastery.

Brooke Taylor of The Road in Austin, TX leads us in our conversation, guiding us on eastern medicinal protocols like acupuncture, herbal medicine and breathwork as supplemental methods to integrate along our menopausal journey.

This is one you don’t want to miss.

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video editing and post-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

Jump on in with us, water’s real warm and clammy...

By 2025, 1.1 billion women will be in the stage of menopause and by 2030, the market is projected to grow to more than $24 billion. The problem? This field has been largely ignored, research has solely been conducted on males, and women suffering for years have felt invisible, isolated and given no resources to aide them in the latter stages of life.

Join us for a timely conversation on all things Pre, Peri, Early and Late Menopause as we get clear on the symptoms we know and avoidantly look past, and the mechanisms in which we can navigate to the promiseland with nutrition, lifestyle, hormone replacement therapy and answers to questions like: "Is this stress, bad choices or am I in early menopause?"

We have come too far to accept things like: insomnia, dry vag, hostile sex drive, extra chin hairs...a couple friendly night sweats... as just a “thing that happens because are women.” Hell no. These are also major signals in our body that ultimately lead to the onset of life-altering diseases like dementia, osteoporosis, cancer, etc.

Dr. Kamilia Smith joins us for Part 1 of our Menopause Miniseries to guide us through the ages and stages, and how integrating these inevitable hormonal shifts through lifestyle, nutrition and a solid physical and mental foundation (along with breakthrough therapies like HRT) will lead toward a happy and healthier lifespan. Her practice Charleston House Gynecology in Dallas, Texas is dedicated to women in menopause and the knowledge she shares on this topic is profound and most importantly, actionable.

This is such an important moment in our history.

Watch and listen, so we can play the long game together.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars and follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me⁠⁠ ⁠@katiefthomps⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ ⁠@thesmvpodcast ⁠⁠⁠to find more details on guests, future episodes and more

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The Founder and Director of Charleston House Gynecology, Dr. Kamilia Smith is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a certified menopausal practitioner through the ⁠North American Menopause Society⁠ and a clinical assistant professor. Dr. Smith believes in the advocacy for better healthcare for all women. She has served the women of Texas by championing for improvement in policies in Washington DC and Austin.

Connect with Dr. Kamilia Smith ⁠@drkamiliasmith⁠ and visit her team at ⁠Charleston House Gynecology⁠ in Dallas, TX.

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video co-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song and musical parodies composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

What is Rich Girl Sober? Well, it’s something I made up, but hear me out….

There’s no better time to be a woman. We are paving the way toward massive female-led enterprises, new inventions, a seat at the billionaire’s table…. the list goes on. And here's where things get interesting.

We are at an intersection in our history where we're witnessing a steady decline in alcohol consumption in younger generations and men of all ages, while at the same time, the fastest rising segment of habitual alcohol consumption lies in :

• Women
• Age 35-44
• High education level
• High individual net worth

So, if I'm getting this straight:

We've worked hard and earned our place in society, and now as a result, we've decided to blindly reward ourselves with a chemical disguised as "status" and "luxury," modeled by past generations of male-dominated success. The key difference here though, is that alcohol has a unique and significantly detrimental effect on a woman's body.

It is scientifically proven that:

• ~6 drinks/week increases our all-cause mortality rate by 10x
• Compared to those who don’t drink, women who have 1 drink/day bump up their risk for breast cancer anywhere from 9-12%

And so, this begs the question(s):

At what point are we willing to decide it's worth our time to pause, lean into our business mindset and start evaluating things like objective data or better yet, risk vs. reward when it comes to alcohol consumption? Aren't we doing this for every other area of life?

Did we really come this far.... to come this far?

It’s time for us to join together and start prepping for a new class of “generational wealth”-- one that comes in the form of friendly women, shared knowledge, healthy habits and….. as a result of the extra free time and gray matter, many dollars generated from our future billion-dollar enterprises.

Welcome. This is Rich Girl Sober.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars and follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me ⁠@katiefthomps⁠ and ⁠@thesmvpodcast ⁠to find more details on guests, future episodes and more

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Jane Ballard, LCSW-S, CEDS, PMH-C, is a licensed psychotherapist and Alcohol Free Life coach. She is the founder of Jane Ballard Wellness, a private practice offering in-person counseling services in Dallas, TX and virtual individual and group coaching to women in the United States and beyond.

Download the SMV-exclusive 30 Day Guide to Rich Girl Sobriety, courtesy of Jane Ballard Wellness.

Connect with Jane at @janewballard and find more detail on how to live your most empowered, sober curious life at janewballard.com.

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video co-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song and musical parodies composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

Where my V’s at? From the front to back? You still with me?

It’s time for Part 2 as we walk the steps toward changing our diet…… in order to change our mind.

We’re back with Dr. Lauryn, rounding out our two-part series dedicated to gut health, rediscovering the brain / body connection and leaning into better micro-decision-making that will ultimately lead to a longer, stronger, healthier life.

Last episode, Dr. Lauryn shared her story, highlighting the correlation between your relationship with yourself and your perception of the world. Dr Lauryn’s story is a very raw and beautiful story about our experiences in life, and through the goodness of humanity and the sheer will of the human spirit (plus concentrated, consistent effort) you can regain control and step into a far more powerful future.

In this episode, Dr. Lauryn is taking us straight into action, where we’re doing less talking (ish) and getting more clear on methods that are effective in resetting our brain and gut, and putting ourselves in the life of Dr. Lauryn’s protocol. The 3-step formula is simple in conversation, but in execution, it's multi-layered and purposely progressive so that you are able to integrate a new way of thinking and thriving that will sustain you for the entirety of your lifespan.

Get to know Lauryn's recommended system-- one that allows your body to reward itself, reset the stress cycle, and to give thanks to the world you are creating around you through helpful thoughts, positive environmental responses and a nutrient-dense lifestyle supporting you and the world around you to win everyday.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars, leave us a comment and better yet, give us a follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me ⁠⁠@thesmvpodcast ⁠⁠and ⁠@katiefthomps ⁠

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Follow Dr. Lauryn Lax ⁠@drlauryn⁠ and connect with her at ⁠DrLauryn.com⁠ to take steps toward healing your mind and body through a custom, multi-step formula, surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals supporting one another in their own individual health journeys.

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video editing and post-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

Today, we demonstrate further that we have no chill and many questions.

Specifically about gut health, the brain, and how these 2 things come together to determine the way we perceive the world and how we function inside of it.

Welcome to Part 1 of our Gut Health Series, led by beloved functional medicine practitioner, Dr. Lauryn Lax.

A Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Clinical Nutritionist and Functional Medical Practitioner with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Lauryn survived a near-death experience after a years long disconnect between brain and gut, ultimately controlling her perception of self, her environment and how she fed the mechanism that drove her experience with the world around her.

Her story, featured on Good Morning America and CBS Evening News, involves a YMCA parking lot, a handful of strangers and divine timing that led her to a hospital minutes before her heart stopped.

This transformational event led her to dedicate her life to educating others on gut health, rediscovering the brain / body connection and developing a formula for better micro-decision-making and lifestyle changes to ensure a longer, stronger, healthier lifespan.

Join us for Part 1 of our series, where we hear her story, learn more about the brain-gut connection and take away meaningful reasoning behind why this matters now and well into our future.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars, leave us a comment and better yet, give us a follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me ⁠@thesmvpodcast ⁠and @katiefthomps

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Follow Dr. Lauryn Lax @drlauryn and connect with her at DrLauryn.com to take steps toward healing your mind and body through a custom, multi-step formula, surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals supporting one another in their own individual health journeys.

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Resources and supportive material:

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/

https://anad.org/get-help/eating-disorders-helpline/

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/24/nx-s1-5018044/gut-microbiome-microbes-mental-health-stress

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I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video editing and post-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

Pencils out, it's time to learn how to sleep your way to the top.... of your health game.

Join us for our season premiere conversation with double board-certified physician and lifestyle medicine practioner, Dr. Brooke Stubbs, as she walks us through the neuroscientific principles of sleep, debunks common sleep myths, and covers surprising sleep nuances that exist between genders and generations.

Most importantly, you'll discover key steps and best practices to adopt now to establish a healthy, consistent sleep routine to maximize your potential and lead you to the top of your health game.

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Follow Dr. Brooke Stubbs @brookiestubbsmd and her practice, Rooted Femme, a whole body, whole person healthcare experience providing Primary Care Medicine, Nutritional and Lifestyle Counseling, with a focus on building healthy, sustainable habits to lessen your risk of chronic disease and add quality years to your life.

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Like what you hear? Leave 5 stars and follow to be first in line for new episodes covering all topics in women's health, lifestyle and more.

What should we cover next? Connect with me @katiefthomps and @thesmvpodcast to find more details on guests, episodes and more

_______

I Shaved My Vag For This is hosted by Spotify.

Written and produced by Katie Thompson.

Video editing and post-production by Atelier Nihel.

Podcast theme song composed and produced by Katie Thompson.

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