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Spring just slid into your DMs. Grab that boho. Look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals
Mimi Bouchard
that can keep up with you and hang some string lights to give your
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patio a glow up.
Mimi Bouchard
Spring's calling. Ross. Work your magic.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
This episode of Barely Famous podcast is sponsored by Activations. Get an exclusive 14 day trial plus a huge listener discount right now at activations.com famous welcome to the show. Things are going to get weird. It's your fave villain, Kayla, and you're listening to Barely Famous. If you have been waiting for a sign to become the happiest, healthiest, most confident version of yourself, this is probably it. So I genuinely love using the Activations app because it fits into my real life and actually motivates me to show up differently every single. And you guys can try it completely free for 14 days and get the special barely famous discount@activations.com famous but you have to use the website, not the app store for the discount to work. The link is also in this episode description. I hope you loved this episode with Mimi and I hope you'll check out her app called Activations. Okay, so you are the founder of the Activations app, but that's not all. That's not all of who you are, right? So let's talk about who you are today. You're a business owner. You are about to be a mom. You are kind of the Jack of all trades. Like, tell us about who you are.
Mimi Bouchard
You're so sweet. I really, I appreciate you saying that. I feel like that is a very nice description. So the truth about me and my story is, and how I kind of got to where I am today is I went through a huge transformation in my life about a decade ago. And this is before personal development was cool. This is before, you know, there were a bunch of podcasts to help you live your best life. I was going through this deep transformation when all of that was pretty uncool. So and it wasn't as popular yet. So the transformation I went through was pretty much 360 or 180. I don't know which, which term. Either one. I don't. It's pregnancy. Brain right now is so real. So, you know, it was everything from my mentality, my mindset, my confidence, terrible self image, my terrible negativity towards myself and my body, whole body and health transformation, relationship transformation and financial transformation. I remember when I was, you know, still living paycheck to paycheck, trying to make ends meet, trying to make my entrepreneurial dreams a reality, and I was really struggling and I devoted myself to changing my life because I had reached rock bottom. I was numbing out too much, drinking too much, going out too much, watching you scrolling online too much, just completely a shell of myself. And I had essentially hit this, you know, moment where I was like, I don't. This is not me. This is not who I want to be. This is not how I want to live the rest of my life. So something's got to change. And over the next multiple years, I went on this expedition of how I can actually transform and become that woman that I wanted to be finally, that woman I've been dreaming about. And I did it.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
And where do you start? Like, if you are for someone listening or someone, even me, I feel like I'm kind of in that place right now too where it's like, okay, these are the changes that I would like to see, but I don't even know where to start. So when you're saying that over the next several years after you have this realization that you need to kind of dig deep and figure this out, like, where did you turn?
Mimi Bouchard
Well, the, the first thing that I speak about in my books, I also wrote a book, activate your future self. I know I created the activations as well, but that's really my work, kind of all encompassing of how to transform. So I'm absolutely happy to share what has worked for me and for the thousands of people that have read my work and listen to activations and have done that self image work on themselves, I really tried to simplify transformation because there is so much noise everywhere. There are so many different books and resources and courses that you can dive into. And what I noticed is that really it comes down to two steps. How to transform. The first step is clarity. To become the woman that you want to be, you must first get crystal clear on who she is. You know, we all want a better life, we all have these floaty goals, but actually get crystal clear on who your future self is. This version of you that you want to be. Clarity is number one. Because if you don't have crystal clarity, you don't know where you're going, you don't have an actual goal post. So more than that, you actually need to get crystal clear on her self image, how she sees herself, how she speaks to herself. Okay? The self image thing is one of the most important parts of this entire, you know, world of transformation. Because if you don't see yourself as someone that can be happy and healthy, a good mom, a present person, you know, a career, whatever you want, if you don't see yourself as the kind of person that can do that, that can achieve that, that that's where her future is, then you're never going to do the things necessary to get there. So you need to get crystal clear on your future self. Step one, step two is you gotta become her in everyday moments before you're ready, before the external world has become a reflection of your internal world. The internal world is the first step. You need to become her in everyday moments. Because so many of us think transformation is going to be on this day, six months from now, on this one day, it's going to happen. But the truth is, and this is something I had to learn the hard way, transformation happens in those mundane little tiny moments in your day where you don't really realize, but you're choosing something different. You're rewiring your brain in this small way, but that compounds. So you must become her in everyday moments. Start training yourself to think like her, to act like her, to to be her now. Though that's a three word quote that I am would would tell myself every day during my transformation. Be her now no matter what you're doing. And that's kind of how I invented this new type of audio called activations, an alternative to meditation, because it helps you be her now in everyday moments with your eyes open. It's not traditional meditation where you close your eyes and carve out 20 minutes out of your morning. You listen to activations when you're getting ready in the morning, when you're brushing your teeth, when you're running to go drop off your kids to daycare. You can play it in the background of your life and it just helps you remember who you want to be.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
So that's step one is to become crystal clear about who it is that you want to transform into. Are you thinking like, get a notebook and write it down. Use your notes app on your phone. Are you, are you saying that it's helpful? Like, for example, there are some really big goals that I want to do for the rest of this Year like I writing them down and being very, very specific about each one. Is that what you mean?
Mimi Bouchard
Yes. So any way, shape and form that you want to do it. So for me, I have two mediums that I really like to kind of express myself and plan. The first one is journaling. It is free. It is available to anyone. Just grab a piece of paper, a notebook and a pen and just write. If you want something more guided and structured, you can look up journal prompts online. We also have a whole writing activation category in the app where there are like guided prompts with music that you can listen to. But you don't need any of that, honestly, all you need is just yourself, a piece of paper and a pen and a little bit of discipline to just put your phone away for an hour and get crystal clear. Because we're living in this time where we're so numb. You know, technology numbs us, it distracts us. We're not clear minded. We need to get that clarity. And even if that means putting your phone on do not disturb or carving out an hour in your evening after work just to spend it on you and trying to figure out exactly what you want in your future, that will just be the best setup to this next level chapter of your life. So the first thing is journaling for me that I absolutely love. Just free writing, brainstorming or finding a more structured practice if you don't know what to write about, about. And we have a lot of future self clarity activations on the app, like literally hundreds. So that's a really good place to start if you want to try that. If not, just free write, brainstorm, you got it inside of you, you can do it. Just be disciplined enough to sit down. The second thing that I like to do, I like to multitask a lot. Maybe it's my, you know, brain that doesn't like to sit down, even though I know I probably should. But when I'm doing my walks every day, I walk my dog for an hour every morning and I will often actually put my headphones in and just take voice memo app out on my phone and just talk, you know, it's kind of like a verbal journal entry and I'll just kind of talk about how I'm feeling and then just coach myself on the spot and kind of just, you know, express and visualize and anything I'm needing that day really. So that's another cool thing if you don't like writing. But I do think the writing pen to paper thing is probably the most powerful for this step one, clarity.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
I love that idea. I was just thinking that yesterday. I was like, I just need to do like a brain dump. And I don't know if that's a video for like a tik tok. I don't know if that's a brain dump in a journal entry, but just try to get it out of my brain and on paper or somewhere else, because then I can clear my mind. And then you said the second step is to start doing the things now. So something that came to mind, and don't take this the wrong way, just hear me out. Almost like step two is like, fake it till you make it. Like, essentially you're gonna start even when you're not ready to trick yourself into being ready. Is that kind of like what the. What the goal is?
Mimi Bouchard
It's acting as if it's living in that gray area in between who you were and who you wanna be, right? Because you can't ever get there unless you actually take a step into this gray area. You might have one foot into the old self, one foot into the new self, but you're doing something, you're changing. And what happens when you act as if and you, you know, fake it till you make it, or pretend like you're already that version of you. How you. How your mannerisms are, how your posture is. When you're in line at the grocery store, we have these like grocery shopping errands, activations on the app that you can listen to, and we have some for the grocery store. So it's like doing these mundane everyday things and reprogramming your mind to be that new self in these small moments when you're in line at the grocery store, how does she. How does the best version of you, your future self, how does she hold herself? Is she looking down, crunched, looking at her phone? Or is she present, smiling at the cashier, just feeling alive, you know, feeling good about herself, you know, how is she feeling? So practicing being her in these everyday moments is literally reprogramming your brain.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
This episode of Barely Famous is sponsored by Activations. Get an exclusive 14 day free trial plus a huge listener discount right now@activations.com famous. All right, let's talk about hair really quick because it's summertime and I know how much everyone loves their hair, especially in the summer when there's pictures, events, concerts, all the things. And I'm here to remind you that Neutrophil is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand. And it's the number one hair growth supplement brand personally used by dermatologists. It's everywhere. I've seen it in my injectables like where I go get my injections. I've seen it in their offices, I've seen it in my dermatologist office and I also use it myself. They have shampoo, conditioner, oil supplements. They have all the things. And Nutrafol's hair growth supplements are peer reviewed, they're NSF certified for sport and clinically tested, which is different from a lot of other hair growth products. It's not a one size fits all approach because Nutrafol offers multiple formulas for men and women tailored to different life stages like postpartum or menopause and lifestyle factors. If you are plant based and you need something to support something that's right specifically for you, and adding Neutrophil into your daily routine is super easy. You order online, there's no prescription needed and you get automated deliveries with with free shipping to keep you right on track. For me, that's a game changer because I hate adding something else to my list. If I know I can click this and it's delivered to my door every month, I don't have to think about it. Plus they have a neutral full subscription where you can save up to 20 and get added perks to support your hair health journey along the way. So let hair be one less thing to worry about. You guys can see visibly thicker, stronger, faster growing hair in three to six months with Neutrophil. And for a limited time, Neutrophil is offering my listeners $10 off first month subscription and free shipping. When you visit nutrafold.com and enter promo code famous that's neutrophil.com spelled n u t r a f o l.com promo
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Mimi Bouchard
and the coolest thing about this it's all science based. We've all heard of the Pavlov's dog theory. You know, Pavlov rings the bell, the dog salivates. That's classical conditioning. Essentially we are doing the exact same thing when we listen to activations or we prime ourselves to be that future self version of us in daily moments. Because let's say you're listening to a walking activation every morning when you walk the dog. Soon enough you're not even going to need that activation to be walking with confidence, with positivity, with just this clear excited vision of your life. You're just priming yourself to tie this everyday action with this new self energy. And it's, it's the most amazing hack for transformation. And that is how I transformed. I did this. I was listening to my own visualization audios years before I ever created activations. And this was literally the thing that created this transformation for me. If you look at at it like a graph, there was this bell curve. You know, my growth was kind of steady for a few years. You know, I was reading the books, I was journaling, I was trying all the things. And then I started to naturally just create these visualizations for myself. And I'd add this cinematic music that made me feel like goosebumpy, alive and energized. And then I would listen to these activations and everyday moments because meditation just wasn't really working for me. I found it boring, wasn't for me. And I didn't understand how clearing my mind would help me transform. I think meditation is amazing for stress relief, but it's not for literally this energizing transformation, becoming your future self. So I'd listen to these audios that I create for myself. When I was on the bus going to one of my four jobs at the time I, you know, at the gym trying to get into my best body, whatever I was doing. And it was like a bell curve. My growth exploded so quickly because I was just reprogramming my mind in a way that was almost effortless. It was insane.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Actually have a similar experience. When I transitioned from doom scrolling on my phone, I said, I ha. How do I be more productive? Because I don't feel good, right? Like, I'm just doom scrolling on my phone. All my spare time is all scrolling. And so then I replaced it with reading and audiobooks and Kindle and all of that. And so a big question that I get asked all the time is like, where do you find the time? And I say, well, if you want to make those improvements, you kind of have to decide, like, where do you want to be productive? Because when you're scrolling, I'm probably reading. So the same way that that sort of fits into my schedule. I have seven kids. People are like, kill. How, where, how? This is sort of similar because to your point, sometimes meditation doesn't work because for that, you really do need to carve time out. But I think that on the opposite side of that, activations is more helpful because you can put it into your day. It's not carving out time separate from everything else. It's not waking up early to do these things. It's not going to bed later. It's incorporating activations, whatever way that is into your day. Already on a car drive, on a walk with your dog, maybe, while if you're rocking a baby at night and you're nursing or you're breastfeeding, you can stick in your earbuds and do that. And I think that that is a really good way to incorporate it into somebody's day. Same thing for podcasts, right? Like, people are like, I don't know when to listen to podcasts. Well, if you find time to listen to music, you can listen to activations. If you can find time to listen to music, you can find a way to listen to a podcast. So it's kind of the same thing. So at what point in your journey when you were like, okay, I want to rewire my own brain, I want to feel good about myself. This is what's working for me. At what point did you. Did it click for you that you were like, okay, I need to do this, I need to create this app?
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah, it's a great question, and I'm going to answer your question. But before I do, I just want to say back to the point you were mentioning, it's literally habit stacking and we are busy, we are working women. You know, a lot of us just are overwhelmed in life and personal development and transformation and becoming the best version of you should not be an extra thing you need to add into your calendar. It's about what is sustainable. And it doesn't matter if it's not for two hours a day, just listening to something inspiring and motivating, whether it's an activation or a motivational podcast or something that helps you change, you know, in these pockets while you're habit stacking, it is one of the easiest ways to change and it doesn't require you to carve out, like you said, an hour out of your morning to do the work. It's. It's really for the modern woman. What is back in can you habit stacking? So habit stacking is essentially taking healthy habits and stacking them together so you get them done faster and easier. And you also create these neural pathways in your brain to remember to do them together. So, for example, we have a user of the app that wrote in and she said she uses activations every morning for two minutes. She'll listen to one of our two minute pep talks while she brushes her teeth. So when the activation finishes, she's done brushing her teeth because they're around two minutes long each. And she literally said that's like the main way she uses it. So she's had habit stacking, her oral hygiene and her activation in the morning to help her feel confident and inspired and motivated and beautiful or whatever it is that she's wanting to feel that day. And you could also be doing that while, you know, putting your red light mask on or something. You know, it's habit stacking is essentially bringing together healthy habits, whether that's having your morning coffee with a scoop of collagen in there to get a bit of protein in. If you're going to have your coffee on an empty stomach while listening to, you know, a motivational podcast or something inspiring, it's essentially stacking positive habits.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
I'm 34 years old and I've never heard of habit stacking.
Mimi Bouchard
You're kidding.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
No, I've never heard. But like, how I haven't heard of it. I don't know. That makes so much sense.
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
So also for anyone listening obsessed with this, like collagen or protein in your coffee, also never thought of that.
Mimi Bouchard
So it doesn't taste like anything. It's perfect.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
That makes so much sense.
Mimi Bouchard
And inositol I for me, what really helped me balance my hormones was inositol it really was a game changer. So that was something else that I put in my coffee that is, you know, I look it up. It's not for everyone, but because I had kind of light pcos. Anyway, we're literally. I love how we're on five different topics right now, but inositol and collagen. Amazing. Throw it in your morning coffee, you
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
know, and also listen to activations while
Mimi Bouchard
you're making it, because there's an option that you can. So I had done the transformation. I've always been very entrepreneurial. I've had so many businesses in my 20s, so, you know, I was kind of in between things that I was focusing on. And I had been creating these activations for myself for, like, five years at this point. And it was. I had created because I have a little bit of an Instagram following. So I'd created a platform where I did some Pilates videos and some recipe videos. And I thought, you know what, just to add a little bit more value, maybe I'll create some of these activations with people's goals that they normally have and just throw them on onto the app and let them know that they can listen to it with their eyes open. It's not really a meditation. It's kind of like a new type of audio. And I launched that platform, like, seven years ago, or, yeah, at this point. And it blew up. But only the activations blew up. Like, the recipe videos and Pilates videos were like, fine. But these activations right at the bottom were, like, getting hundreds of thousands of, like, views. And so I quickly pivoted. The entrepreneurial brain in me was like, wait a minute, people need this. So then I created an. And it has blown up since. And I've, like, barely done any marketing. And it's been the snowball effect of people absolutely needing this and telling their friends about it and loving it. We have 30% of our users use it every single day, religiously. It's something that people just needed. And I am very blessed that I was able to find something different that worked for me. That also seems to work for a lot of others. And now we have over 800 activations in the app team. I run things quite unconventionally, being based in the Bahamas and having everyone virtual, but we make it work and it's, you know, it's changed my life.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Is it you on the activations audios?
Mimi Bouchard
Yes. We're now starting to actually bring in some new voices very soon. It's me. It's mostly me, the audios.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
So Yeah, I recognize your voice for the one that I was listening to is step into your power and manifest. Test your next level, which is where I am at in my life right now. Nice.
Mimi Bouchard
Was that a walking one? I think that might be. Or is it in any time activation?
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
It should be in any time.
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah. We have so many different categories. We have like, I think over 16 categories in the app, like walking activations, getting ready in the morning, cooking, cleaning, you know, anytime. But really you can listen to them. Whatever you're doing. It's, it's. Yeah.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Can I share with you my five?
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah, tell me your favorite is.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
So number one is feel empowered to go after what you want.
Mimi Bouchard
Yes.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Number two, attract your next level of wealth. Number three, calm confidence amid seasons of change. Four, calming and feel good weekend affirmations. And then five, golden energy frequency.
Mimi Bouchard
Ooh, that's one of our non vocal ones that you just kind of listen to. It's like a frequency one that's good to focus.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Yeah, I absolutely love this. And then for anyone listening on Barely Famous, you can go into the app. I'm on it right now. I can. You can do it like a screen recording. You can do pep talk ones which are, I think these are. The ones that you were describing are like the 2, 2 to maybe 5 minute range, which is great. And then there's anytime there's walking, health and body. There's so many positive things. And I, I know that this is not geared towards children, but if you are a mom like me, I think that these are a great thing to play in the car if your kids are in the car because there's nothing negative about them. It can help rewire the kids. Kids to think more positively. Especially with me being. I have a mom of. I'm. I am a mom of multiple age groups. And I think that there comes a time in parenting where I think that a lot of kids struggle with, oh, well, they have something that I don't have or no, I can't do it. And it's like this, like this phase of I can't, I can't, I can't. And so this is a great way to kind of remind them subconsciously that yes, you can and yes, this is great and yes, you are capable and all of those things. And so I know that this app is not necessarily for children, but I don't think that it could hurt.
Mimi Bouchard
Honestly, I love that you say that because our head of brand, she has three kids. She writes the scripts for all the activations and she's an Incredible copywriter. And she is just the most real and encouraging and really just like this maternal but motivating energy. And I'm so happy. Since she, she took on writing the activations a couple years back, we've seen like just the best feedback. And she's a mom of three young kids and she listens to them with her kids in the background. And that's something, she was a user of the app for years before ever working for me. And that's something that she does. And you're right, like it helps anyone listening just subconsciously, you don't even need to necessarily listen to every single word, but it's just having something positive going on in the background. It will rewire your brain, your brain will start to pick up, your subconscious will start to pick up on messaging. And I love that you that you listen to it with your kids. It's really sweet. I'm excited to listen to it with, with mine.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
I have not told you guys yet that I have recently been prescribed new medication for my OCD and anxiety. And I'm so thankful for that because I'm seeing someone who actually gets me. And that's why I want to talk to you guys about psychiatry because toxiatry is perfect for people who you need an additional support to talk therapy. Sometimes talk therapy is the first step and then maybe you need medication like I do. Talk I Tree is a 100 online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, diagnosis and ongoing medication management for conditions like adhd, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ocd, ptsd, insomnia and more. And that's what I love about them. Sometimes talk therapy is just not enough. It's just the first step. And all 800 plus clinicians are in network with major major insurer. So you can actually use your existing insurance instead of paying monthly subscriptions or out of network costs, which is what I was doing previously when you could meet with a licensed psychiatrist who takes time to understand what's going on and actually builds a rapport with you to build a personalized treatment plan and they'll support you over time with consistent evidence based care. And I just love that. And I feel like especially now in the economy, the society, everything that everybody is going through on a day to day basis. This, it's worth checking out to see. Okay, could I use a little bit of support here with talk therapy? Could I use a little bit of support over here with medication? And that's where tochiatry comes into play. So they have more than 300,000 patients already and they have high quality psychiatric care through tochiatry. So head over to Tocom barely to complete a short assessment and get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. Minutes that's talky@tree.com barely to get matched in minutes. This one's for all my TV lovers. My entertainment from DirecTV gets you 60 plus channels and Disney Plus, Hulu and HBO Max all in one pack. But here's the thing. With so much great TV in my entertainment, you're going to want to talk about everything you've been watching. Just remember that your friends might not be as well watched as you. Don't be a spoiler and encourage them to get my Entertainment for just 34.99amonth. Month. Go to directv.com genre packs and sign up today. New customers only. Service renews monthly unless canceled. Credit card required Conditions applied to app HBO Max Basic with ads begins after DirecTV 5 day trial. Learn more@directv.com restrictions apply.
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Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
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Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Do you have any advice for people listening who don't really know how to turn off that brain that that non stop loop of just all the things I would? I call it the mental Load. I'm sure a lot of people call it the mental load. Kind of the behind the scenes of being a working person, a working parent, a mom, just all of those things. Because I think that too is like a little bit harder. How do you shut off when you were deciding that you wanted to make changes in your life, how did you ultimately shut off, shut off that loop in your brain?
Mimi Bouchard
It's an amazing question, and honestly, it's something I still struggle with every single day. We're living in a day and age where technology and distract is the norm. So honestly, when I feel like my brain is overwhelmed, which happens most days, to be honest with you, if I'm feeling motivated enough to change that state, because I'm still a work in progress, every single day, I will turn my phone off and I will tell the world, hey, guys, not available for an hour. Or tell my team, tell my husband, hey, guys, I need a minute for myself. And I will turn technology off and try to reduce the activity that make me feel numb and try to increase the activities that make me feel alive. I believe that when we are feeling numb, we are never feeling alive. The things that numb us are like overeating, drinking, drugs, technology, mindless scrolling, which I definitely have had a problem with myself too, I think. Who doesn't, to be honest with you, it's addictive. You know, these. These big tech companies have thousands of people that they employ solely to figure out how to make this more addictive for us, you know, so sometimes we just need to actually turn it off, you know, stop doing the things that numb us, that make us completely disassociated and distracted. It's not actually rest when you're numbing, you feel worse afterwards. So focusing on the activities that make you feel alive, whether that is being in nature with no distraction, having a deep, beautiful conversation, listening to something that inspires you, even if it's certain music, I definitely think activations for me make me feel alive. It could also just be a beautiful playlist of, like, melodies that you listen to all. You're in the bath, having a tea, romanticizing your life makes you feel alive, you know, so just turning off the noise and focusing on the things that make you feel that sparkly feeling of aliveness. You know, that feeling you get when you're in the back of a car and there is a really good song playing on the radio and the windows open, you're just kind of like romanticizing life and you're just kind of like, what if, you know, you're in that energy of potential. I know it's such a random, specific example, but I genuinely feel like that's aliveness. That's the feeling you can get when you start to really just feel clear. So that's my advice, is to reduce the things that make you feel numb because it's very difficult to feel clear when you are surrounded by numbingness.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
And I think too, just to add on to your point, it is. There are so many people that I talk to on a regular basis or message or comments that I get that'll be like, oh, how do you do this? And then I give the advice of, like, turning off your distractions or putting your phone on dnd and nobody wants to do it. So, like, you can't have it both ways. You have to decide, do you want this bad enough to turn off your phone for an hour? Do you want this bad enough that you can put your phone. And it's not going to be easy because in your head, especially for people like you and I and working parents or even moms, is like, the phone is almost like second nature now to just grab it, to mindlessly scroll. Oh, it's not that bad. Oh, it's not this, it's not that. But you literally have to train your brain to put that phone or put it on DND or turn it off completely. But if you're anything like me, it's like, well, if I turn it off and I don't see the notification and then I don't email them back within the hour, and then what? You have to turn it off. Like, it has to be something that you're committed to doing or this stuff doesn't work.
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah. And you'll notice, like, the more that you lean into these things that make you feel better, the journaling, the listening to motivational messaging, the, you know, work on yourself, choosing different choice. Like, the more that I do that, the less that I want to be on my phone. I do feel like, you know, most apps on our phones make us feel like crap. And I really like to think that activations is one of the apps, the only apps that actually makes you feel better. So sometimes I'll block all these other apps or delete some of these other social media apps and just be like, mimi, this is what we're doing. This is what makes us feel better. And the more that I do it, the better I feel it really does work. Like, that transformation is this compound effect. And Kael, honestly, in my. My first trimester of this pregnancy, I went through quite, you know, A dark time. And I allowed myself to just, like, scroll more because I was trying to make the time pass faster. I was extremely sick. I've actually never, like, even talked about this yet, but extremely, extremely sick. Kind of on. I didn't have HG but it was really just the brink of it. And I was, you know, like, in my bedroom all day for weeks, and I didn't leave the house for multiple weeks. It was truly one of the hardest things that I've been through, which is crazy because I've been through a lot in my life. And I noticed that getting out of that hole once the nausea and sickness had passed around the 11 week mark was really. I had to use all the tools in my toolbox that I honestly hadn't used for years because I was really maintaining quite a healthy routine for myself. And entering the second trimester and starting to feel better, I noticed. Oh, my gosh. Okay, Mimi, it's time to start know, eating healthier again and going on some walks again and going outside again and maybe deleting social media again and, you know, or limiting it at least, and journaling again and listening to activations again. I remember the first activation I listened to after that period because I wasn't doing anything positive for myself. And to be honest with you, I just was a shell. It was survival. I was a shell of a human for that time. And it reminded me of. Of, you know, how. How important these things are that I was doing. I forgot how much that changed how I felt. And then I was starting from scratch again from, you know, ground or the. The floor again. And I started to slowly implement. Okay, I'm just gonna listen to an activation while I have a shower. And that was all I did for the first week. Like, it was just. I wasn't. I didn't want to get back into my walking activations yet because I wasn't walking. And. And then I was like, okay, I'm gonna choose to eat a little bit more protein at breakfast. So I feel like my blood sug balance. And I kind of just started these things again. And I'm not back to 100%, to be totally honest with you, but it reminded me fully how much feeling good has to do with those small decisions that we make every day. So it actually inspired me. The past couple weeks, we've been working on a new pregnancy series for the app. So myself and my head of brand, Kate, who I have worked with a lot over the years with our, you know, our brand and our. Our scripts for the activations. We have created the most incredible pregnancy and birth series, a lot of it to help with that first trimester and you know, all the changes and intensity that you experience in this, in this phase. And she has, you know, really helped with the birth activations too, which I'm so excited to listen to. So that's something that we're launching soon. I don't know if anyone listening would resonate with that, but.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Oh, for sure. I. And I just want you to know, like, you're not alone in how you felt for that first trimester. Because I had an entire pregnancy like that. And when I knew that I was a shell of a human being, it was like not just the sickness, the physical sickness, the nausea, no appetite, but it was also like perinatal depression. And I don't think there was anything at that time that I knew about that could have helped me out of that. Maybe activations could have helped me if I knew that was for my son. Now he's three and a half, half. But I struggled so bad with that. So I think that, you know, a pregnancy and birth experience and the activation will really, really help. And this is something that my co host for one of my other podcasts and I talk about all the time is like really trying to create clarity in your mind so that you can move forward and turning your phone off or dnd to go for a walk and just clear your mind. And I think so often, like I was saying earlier, like people want, want these changes but aren't willing to make to take that first step. But this is so easy to fit into your day that I think that it could help so many people that have not heard about it and you've tried everything from your own DIY personal development to this. You know, how, how could a new user fit this into their day and their self growth and their, you know, affirmations of their day.
Mimi Bouchard
Day for sure. Honestly, the most important thing is consistency with everything in life. As we know we offer a two week free trial on the app. Just we wanted to extend that to be quite long, longer than a typical free trial. Because we really just want people to try it and feel the difference before they ever need to commit. So we really just suggest trying it, you know, maybe three to five days a week and it could just start becoming part of, of something else that you do. The habit stacking we were discussing earlier, if you go on little walks, listen to our walking activations, they're my favorite category. They're so transformative. If you spend a bit of time Every morning to get ready for work. You know, whether that's getting dressed or putting makeup on and whatever it is. Listen to our getting ready activations. They're so nice to have in the background. A nice little morning reset. I really love to listen to activations in the morning. When you're like starting the day on the right foot, it really just is this crazy domino effect because your mornings really set the tone for your days. Your days set the tone for your weeks, your weeks set the tone for your months. Your months become your years and your years are your life. So it all kind of starts in the morning for me at least. So really trying to get something in the morning I think is a really great tip. But just try to integrate it and just press play and don't make a big deal about it. Really just press play. That's kind of my version of Nike's just do it, you know what I mean? Like put it on in the background. You don't need to consciously listen. Just have it there. And you'll start to notice after a few weeks of this that your, your thoughts are going to change. You're going to notice that you become a little bit randomly more confident and just more positive in your life. And the more you do it, the better you feel. That really is the gist. So for any new users, just take advantage of the two weeks free that we offer and see for yourself if, if it makes you feel different, because most people say that it does very
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
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Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
And you talk about, about rewiring a lot in your own life. What patterns were you kind of seeing in your life that you were like, I don't really like the way this feels and I need to make a change. Like were there certain things that you noticed besides like oh yeah, overeating.
Mimi Bouchard
That was definitely a big one for me. I had serious just bad relationship with food and I'd use it as like a comfort that you know, was. It just created a lot of eating issues when I was in my, my younger years and. And I truly think that rewiring my brain is the reason why I now today can maintain a version of my body that I feel really good in without any weird obsession over food. I used to be that girl that I was like, how do people just maintain a great body and a healthy body and feel good? I didn't get it. And I'd be so envious of those people. And I've told myself that I wanted to become one of those people. And over the years I ended up becoming her. And, and it was all about brain rewiring. And it's like it happens one thought at a time. It's really interesting how transformation actually works. I like to use this example of the bunny trail. So think about, there's a big paved road in front of you and these are the thoughts you think every day they take these thoughts. Take this big easy paved road, right? And then when you start to just think something new, once it's the first time you think a new thought and you tell yourself, you know what? Now I'm going to think this way or I'm not going to do that thing. It feels uncomfort because it's so new. But every time you do that, you're taking the bunny trail. Next to this big paved highway, there's a dense forest and there's a little bunny trail. And every time you choose a new thought and you think a new thing, whether it's triggered from listening to something like an activation or journaling and choosing a new reality, every time you do that, you're taking the bunny trail. And the more you take it, the easier it gets and the bigger that trail becomes. It becomes its own sidewalk at some point. And then it gets bigger and bigger and soon enough it's as big old paid paved road that now has trees growing in there and cobwebs. You don't want to take that road anymore. So that is really what transformation looks like as a visual. It's Uncomfortable at first, but it doesn't happen in this like big crazy way. It happens in these small moments. And we are all strong enough to choose a different thought in these small moments. We just don't realize how effective and important choosing a new thought in these small moments actually is. But it is everything and eventually it
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
will become second nature. It remind that actually that exact example kind of reminds me of what my therapist taught me when you. When I. I have really bad anxiety, when I'm having like an anxiety attack or, or just feeling really anxious. She always taught me to do like the five senses. Okay, what can I see, what can I smell, what can I hear? And she was like, don't just do this when you're having anxiety, right? She's like, when you're just driving in the car, car, do it randomly to teach yourself to do it. And so I actually committed to doing that. And now it works. Literally, it is second nature for me to just look around and see what it is in those moments. And so similar to that, that that's how this works, you know?
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah. That's awesome.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Do you feel like through this whole transformation process in your life that your relationships with people in your day to day also changed? Improved, or you let go of. Of, we'll say, I don't want to say toxic, because I think that's a little bit too harsh, but maybe unhealthy or relationships where you felt like they weren't really fulfilling you and you weren't fulfilling them, or was it easier to let go once you kind of made these transformations?
Mimi Bouchard
100%, there's, there's no doubt about it. I am a big believer that you're an average of the five people you surround yourself with most. And one of the first things I did, the beginning, beginning of my transformation information was I actually just started letting go of these friendships with people that did not bring out the best in me. And it's not that they were bad people per se, but they were just not who I wanted to be an average of, to be honest with you, partying a lot, doing a lot of drugs, negative gossiping, blah, blah, blah, all that kind of stuff. Not who I wanted to become. So I had learned this principle in some of the work that I was studying at the time. And I decided to, you know, lovingly let go of these relationships. And then over the next decade of continuing to improve my life, improve my life, transform, become this version of me that I was aiming to be. It's just you naturally just start to only attract people on that wavelength. It doesn't mean that all your friends need to be millionaires and, you know, super healthy. No, it's just about people with good hearts that, that actually want to applaud you and you do well. And some. There. There's a lot that can be shown about a person when you are doing well in life. Right. Are they genuinely happy for you? Just like, are you genuinely happy for the people in your life when they're doing well? Or do you feel. But maybe a bit of jealousy inside and it projects. Right. So we all have to self reflect. But I was definitely wanting to surround myself with people that actually were very encouraging and wanted the best for me. And so, you know, I also wanted to be that for them. So naturally you. You start to just attract people on that wavelength. And the beautiful thing, actually the most consistent person or one of the most consistent people in my life over the past decade, other my closest friends and family is my husband. I actually met him at the beginning of my transformation, which is kind of cool because he's seen every version of me and we've kind of just grown in the same direction. I. When I was making my own homemade activations in my tiny 200 square foot apartment, I remember recording one. I was 21 years old and I recorded an activation describing who my ideal partner was. And I basically described my husband to a T. I recorded that activation October 12, 2017. And on October 13, 2017, I met my husband, which is freaking wild. I think that's a bit of a coincidence, but yeah. And then we. He was my first boyfriend and we've been together.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Are you serious?
Mimi Bouchard
I swear.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
What has his reaction been to all of this?
Mimi Bouchard
Well, he's just in awe, you know, of what's happened over the past decade. Like, you know, we've, it's. Everything has changed. Both of us have become really the best version of ourselves. We've helped each other get there. It's really choosing the right partner. It's like they don't need to be perfect at the beginning. You know, you grow together, you create a soulmate. You don't just find one on the side of the road. You create it together. We've been through so many ups and downs, as every couple of days says. It's not, you know, like we've never had issues, but, you know, like, we just. We've just grown in the. In the same direction. We could have not, but we did. And we make each other better. And I'm very blessed to say that, you know, we've had like, many deep, you know, issues that we've had to surface and fix and figure out, and we've grown up together. So it's definitely not been perfect, but, gosh, it's been amazing being able to. To grow with. With him over the past decade and. And him actually see me when I was, quote, at my worst, when I was, you know, unhealthy and overweight and broke as hell and just really unconfident and hated myself. And I. I was just not who I am today at all. And he loved me then and he loves me now as the best version, I think, that I've ever been of myself, I can proudly say. And I think there's something really special about that, too. So to anyone that's like, I say this to my sister times because she's single and she's wanting to find a husband, and I'm like, listen, you don't have to wait until everything's perfect to go find them. Like, be who you are now and find a great guy who can love you with every. And with every version of you, you know, like, you're always going to try to improve. Don't just wait till you're perfect to go out there. That. Go out there now, you know, it's.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Again, fake it till you make it. Because you have to trick your mind into. To believing it, and then you eventually start to believe it, right? It's like you have to cut. You have to start somewhere. And I struggle with that, too. Like, I go. I have ebbs and flows with, like, confidence and things like that. And so adding this. I really want to do the habit stacking that you mentioned in the beginning. Like, if I. Because I listen to a lot of podcasts and I also listen to audiobooks sometimes. So sometimes, like, listening to all the things is hard to fit in, but, like, listening to it while you're brushing your teeth or getting ready in the morning sounds like the perfect time. And I feel like there are so many, I don't know, women. Like, what you're describing with your sister is like, we want all women to feel that way because we want to encourage each other, right? Like, we want to be the best version of ourselves. What advice do you have for someone who maybe has ideas like this and wants to create an app or start a business and they're not feeling like their best self? Like, you kind of figured that out along with your transformation journey. Do you have any tips for people that are kind of in that same area of life?
Mimi Bouchard
It's a really good question. I think the landscape now of starting a business is very different to even five, six years ago when, you know, when I started this. Nowadays you can use technology and AI to like, really just create an app quickly and ship it out and, you know, test it out. The thing that I think my success in this business has really hinged on is an obsession with the user. It has to come. Come from a place of, like, genuinely wanting to help people and make people's lives better or easier, because that's what good products do, right? And when that happens, when you can crack that code and offer something different, because that's the other thing. Don't try to copy what someone else has done, because then you'll just be a bad copy of something that already exists. Like, really try to create your own lane because then you just stand out by it, by just being or just having a business that the business stands out by itself. Right? It's like easy marketing, creating something that's never been created before. So what I would say is create something new and create a new category if you can, because that really does stick out. And focus. Be obsessed with your user. Like, make sure that every single thing that gets out there, whether it's a new feature, a new product, or for, in my case, a new activation, like, it goes through diligent steps of like, auditing and making sure it's perfect. Like, I have spent hours, you know, with my audio engineer team making sure that, like, the word that I say in this one point is like, right before the bridge of the song, for the emotive experience, experience to be heightened and, like, just make it your craft and you can't force that to come to you. You kind of have to, you know, live your life and see what you need and just be a curious human and then test things and if they work for you, then maybe you start sharing it. But another piece of advice I would give to aspiring entrepreneurs is like, don't invest a ton of money into something until you see product market fit. Don't go crazy and just because your mom says it's a good idea. You're like, it has to work. No, you have to see if people actually like it first. That's a big thing. So many of us, you know, don't do that. There's a book called the Mom Test that you can read. Someone recommended that to me once about that. But yeah, it's just about finding something that has actually changed that can change a life, is my experience. Because then your users become your marketing and it just becomes like this easy snowball effect.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
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Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
I mean I think that in some ways AI can be really helpful if you're trying to start a business and then if you, you use it the proper way. But market research is going to be the biggest thing. It's so hard now, everything is so saturated. But again like making sure you love it and you have the ability and the bandwidth to tap into what your audience is asking for. And I think to your point is like when a company really loves and values their users and it's not just a money grab, I think it changes the entire landscape of starting a business. If your main goal is just to make money, you are not going to chop happen to where you exactly. It has to be like user focused or consumer. Like you have to focus on, you know, your audience and I think that's a great place to start.
Mimi Bouchard
And being an entrepreneur is not for everyone by the way. I think, you know, we romanticize it a lot and sometimes just a stable solid income with a great company is just as good. You know what I mean? Like the ups and downs. Being a business owner is not for the faint of heart and I've definitely questioned it, to be honest with you, multiple, multiple times over the years. But it ends up, it's definitely for me, but it's, it's not for everyone and it, it can be a very isolating, difficult thing.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
I could not have said it better myself. I've literally been struggling with that over the last like three months. I'm like, I am, I cut out to be a business owner. Like is this what I've been doing it since 2017 and just like you. And so now I'm starting to be like, wow, like on one hand I want to because it provides stability and flexibility for my kids and I'm able to take off of work to be with my kids appointments and go to their school events and do all of the things. But on the other hand it's a completely, it's almost like a second full time job run the business. And so in some ways I'm like, I don't know if I'm actually cut out to do this, but I also wouldn't have the flexibility. But to anyone listening to this episode of Barely Famous podcast, if you, you're wondering if you're not doing something right because you don't own a business or you're not an entrepreneur, do not second guess yourself because just like Mimi just
Mimi Bouchard
said, sometimes, trust us, sometimes the grass
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
is greener, sometimes the grass is not. Greener. And I can promise you that if you have a job, like if you have a job that creates stable income and it's not completely miserable, like sometimes that is perfectly fine. And you should not be wondering if the grass is greener on this side because I promise you, sometimes I'm looking at the opposite. And so to Amy's point, like, do not beat yourself up over that and listen to an activation that will help you rewire your brain around that. I do want to mention something about manifestation if you're comfortable with it. I feel like man manifestation can get a little bit misunderstood, especially online and it can get a little bit convoluted with like religious beliefs and things like that. But do you think that manifestation works? And do you think things like vision boards and journaling and creating that clarity about who you want to be, do you feel like that actually works?
Mimi Bouchard
I think the way that a lot of people explain what manifestation is is actually not what I agree with or teach at all really. What I. Because I had from the book that I wrote a couple years ago with Hay House, activate your future self. Um, for, for that book I had to do a ton of research and everything is cited and I had to really understand like what is the actual, you know, view that I'm trying to share here. And what I've realized is a lot of this is just science backed. A lot of this work of self image psychology, of, of reprogramming your mind to start thinking like your future self and acting like her and feeling like her. It's not woo woo, it's science. Right? So that's the kind of work that I teach. It's a bit more practical and practical dogmatic. And it's all about becoming your best self, your future self by reprogramming your mind, especially with things like audio that are easy to listen to every day. So I don't personally think that if you do a vision board, you're going to manifest that if the vision board helps you get into this, this energy, this mentality of being your future self and you stare at it all day, maybe it will help you make a different decision or have a new belief. But I personally don't really ever, ever do vision boards. I think it's a nice, fun activity. It's not a negative thing to do, but I don't know if that's going to help you. You know, I don't believe and like thinking a thought a hundred times and trying to force an outcome and it just popping out of nowhere like the whole Traditional, the secret movie way of manifesting. I don't, it's not really what I subscribe to. For me it's a lot more psychology and science based and I think that's just a lot more reputable. So it depends on how people describe it. I guess my work could be focused on, on the word manifestation but I, I'm a more pragmatic science backed manifestor.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Yeah, I mean I would agree. I think, think that you know, doing a vision board is really cool if that's what you're. If you want to sort of get some clarity about what you're wanting, but you have to act on it as well. It can't just be like I'm cutting out this quote out of a magazine and now that's manifesting. That's not how that works. I think you have to put the work in as well.
Mimi Bouchard
Yeah, you just got to show up as her and become her. Because you know, it's funny, you hear all these stories of these very wealthy people that lose all their money but then they make it all again, you know what I mean? Or someone that you know, um, has like someone that works out a lot, that breaks their ankle and they can't work out for months but then they get back into it. You know, it's, it's all about how you see yourself. If you see yourself as the kind of person that is healthy or wealthy or confident or successful, like you're going to end up kind of taking a life path that aligns with that identity. That's really the gist of my work. I believe that full heartedly that your self image and your identity ends up creating your life more than anything else. And that is just the core concept of everything I teach.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Well, I love that. Where can people find your book and how can people download Activations?
Mimi Bouchard
Oh well, we actually created a special discount link for your audience if you want me to share. If you guys go to activations.com famous you can get the biggest discount we offer on our subscription. Two week free trial, all that good stuff and try it out for yourself. It's not on the app Store. The discount, you have to go to the website to get it just because Apple doesn't let us do discounts. So if you want to grab the discount, just go to activations.com famous and you can grab that there. I also think my team mentioned that we're going to have like your. A playlist of your favorites on that website too. So you guys can go check out Kale's favorites and My book is on Amazon. It's just called Activate your future self by Mimi Bouchard. And yeah, I'm not really on Instagram much. I'm kind of mia, but I am sometimes on there and that's just Mimi Bouchard.
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Perfect. Thank you so much for coming on Barely famous podcast. And I will be sharing your book on chapter seven book club as well. So over there. Yeah, of course. And good luck on your motherhood journey and I hope that you have a smooth pregnancy for the remainder of your time.
Mimi Bouchard
I'm so ready for this to end,
Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
Sam. Okay guys, we're back. You asked for it. And we're delivering. Killer is going on tour. We're super excited for the fatherless behavior tour. 23 cities, three countries, all in one summer. And you guys can check out tour dates and see if we're coming to a city near you on klow.com and if you want early access to information and announcements, head over to Patreon because you might get it before everyone else.
Mimi Bouchard
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Kayla (Host of Barely Famous Podcast)
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Mimi Bouchard
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Mimi Bouchard
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Mimi Bouchard
this is a paid message from GoFundMe. Meet Juan Naula. When his son was hospitalized for a viral infection, Juan started a gofundme to pay for my medical expenses.
Juan Naula
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Mimi Bouchard
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Mimi Bouchard
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Host: Kail Lowry
Guest: Mimi Bouchard (Founder of Activations app, Author)
Release Date: June 5, 2026
This episode of Barely Famous features a candid and insightful conversation between host Kail Lowry and Mimi Bouchard, entrepreneur, transformation coach, and creator of the Activations app. Mimi shares her personal journey of transformation—from hitting rock bottom to building a business focused on self-image and sustainable change. The discussion is packed with actionable advice for anyone feeling stuck, seeking clarity, or wanting to regain confidence and purpose. Together, Kail and Mimi explore the fundamentals of personal growth, habit formation, the science of rewiring your brain, and how small daily actions can create profound change.
This episode offers practical strategies for transformation, grounded in both lived experience and science. Mimi and Kail keep it real—acknowledging the messiness of change, the struggle with digital overwhelm, the reality behind both entrepreneurship and motherhood, and the power of clarity and small daily actions. Their message: feel the spark again, start with who you want to become, and make space in your day-to-day for the habits and thoughts that make you come alive.