In this episode, we unpack the word focus—in parenting, photography, business, and life—and how it can mean everything from presence to pressure to play. Plus, we get delightfully off-topic in the best way: Jenga, barre class, Instacart, and family dance parties all make an appearance.

In this episode, Nicole welcomes back her very first repeat guest (🥳), Cleoniki Kesidis, copywriter extraordinaire and fellow funnel-skeptic. The two dig into the uncomfortable origins and metaphors behind the word funnel, asking why such a common marketing term so often feels…well, kinda icky.

What does it really mean to write? Is it an act or a process? And can AI truly replicate it? In this episode, writer, editor, and book coach Katie Wolf joins Nicole to break down the layers of the word write — from its ancient roots to the modern fear of simply getting started.

Have you ever wondered if you even had an intuition? Or if it was buried under years and years of people-pleasing, shoulds, etc? That’s how I felt …. before this conversation. But not after.

Lauren Levine—a movement teacher, psychic medium, and someone whose intuition practically glows—opened my eyes to what intuition really is: a skill.

In this episode, we unpack what it means to connect with that quiet knowing inside of us, how to tell the difference between intuition and fear, and why your messy, beautiful life experiences might actually be sharpening your ability to hear it.

What does “design” truly mean, and how does it shape more than just our screens? Sarah Jutras, founder of Huzzah Studio and creator of the "Freelance for Life" Substack, joins Nicole to take a deep dive into the expansive world of design—from user experience and app development to designing a fulfilling freelance life.

When Cody Cook-Parrott joined me to explore the word "landscape," I thought we'd talk about pretty views and garden design. Instead, we discovered poetry hiding in 1800s dictionary definitions, learned that landscape is secretly related to friendship (what?), and somehow ended up having a fascinating conversation about compost. As one does.

So how is trust like a basket of grapes? Guess you have to listen to find out. :)

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Taylor LeCours, a fellow copywriter and brand strategist, to explore the word "trust" - diving deep into its meanings, etymology, and implications for both business and personal relationships. You’ll also get some impromptu (and very valuable!) copywriting lessons!

"We all have it. We all have problems with it. We all want it. And we all also are really terrified of the ways in which we want it."

In this episode, Nicole Cloutier sits down with Shivani Mehta Bhatia, founder of Tulsi Strategies and host of the Intimate Practice podcast to talk about the word "intimacy."

What if the word 'pleasure' has been whispering "approve me" all along?

Today, I'm thrilled to dive deep into a word that's more complicated than it seems: pleasure. In this episode, Sarah Diedrick (writer, sex educator, yoga teacher) and I explore the multifaceted nature of pleasure and its importance in our lives.

These days, "performance" is often used with a negative connotation. We don't want anything we do to look like a performance... we'd much rather be authentic.

But what if performance is necessary for collective growth and acknowledgement and celebration. That's Melinda Beck's argument — and honestly, I'm on board.

In this episode, I sit down with bookkeeper, jewelry designer, and budding mushroom farmer Sarah Loertscher, to explore the poetic (and yet also rather technical) word "fallow." Together, we unpack the complexities of creative rest, the shame often associated with taking breaks, and the natural cycles of productivity and regeneration.

Sometimes a word surprises me with how spiritual it is. Connection is one of those words. It seems to be a word without time or space. A web just connecting everything to everything else. My guest is Kyle Wood, a business coach for group fitness instructors and also a human design coach.

How did a word once meaning "murderer" become the holy grail of modern branding? In this episode, Nicole and guest Leanne Knight trace the surprising journey of "authentic" from its dark origins to its pivotal role in today's business world.

In today’s episode, I sat down with the amazing Podge Thomas, founder of Small Business Co-Pilot. Our word? “Decolonization,” especially how it relates to our workplaces. I know it sounds heavy (and it is), but it’s also important.

One of my favorite things about diving deep into words in these episodes is tracing how the history of the word affects the way we use it today. Even if that old definition feels incredibly different from what we know. “Career” is a perfect example.*

This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lisa Jara, a menstrual and (peri)menopausal health activist for women and non-binary menstruators, to explore the rich and varied dimensions of the word "revolution." Lisa's work helps individuals navigate their cyclical experiences with more ease and self-trust, making her an ideal guest for this truly fascinating conversation.

In this episode of "It's All Poetry," Erin Monahan and I explore the complex and dangerous implications of the word (and construct) that is "wilderness” through history — from the 1200s to present day. This discussion delves deep into the colonial roots and violent connotations associated with "wilderness," as well as its intersection with issues of race, privilege, and systemic oppression.

This week, I was so honored to sit down with Laurnie Wilson, a seasoned hypnotherapist, yoga teacher, and intuitive guide, to explore the history, transformative power, and misunderstood aspects of the word (and practice) “hypnosis.”

You might know Amelia Hruby as the host of 'Off the Grid' or as the founder of the feminist podcast studio, Softer Sounds. But before all that, she earned her PhD in philosophy with a focus on aesthetics. She brought all that knowledge (and so much more) to this deep dive on the word “listen.”