In this episode, I sit down with Julie Mann — certified life coach, founder of Julie Mann Coaching, and a retired 30-year New York City public school educator who spent 40+ years in her own struggle with binge eating and disordered eating before finding her way out.

Julie brings something rare to the recovery space: the lived experience of someone who has been deep in the struggle, combined with the precision of a master teacher who knows exactly how to bring others with her.

Her approach is rooted not in rules or restriction, but in mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and the slow, patient work of changing the brain.

Here's what we cover in the episode:

Why binge eating consumes 98% of your mental bandwidth — and what becomes possible when you finally stop spending it there Julie's turning point: losing her husband to cancer at 42, becoming a single mom overnight, and how profound grief cracked open a decade-long journey into mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and real healing

How a simple hourly phone reminder to breathe became the foundation of everything she now teaches — and why the nervous system has to come first before any other tool can reach you

How she brought mindfulness and positive neuroplasticity into NYC public school classrooms for immigrant students — and why teaching it to others accelerated her own recovery Why binge eating doesn't have just one cause — and why treating it as a willpower failure keeps people locked in shame instead of opening the door to actual change

The difference between destructive discomfort (bingeing, scrolling, numbing) and productive discomfort — and why everything you want is on the other side of an urge, and everything you don't want is on the other side of a binge

Why urges are opportunities to change your brain, not emergencies to survive — and how greeting them with curiosity instead of dread shifts everything "Tools, not rules" — why a flexible menu of strategies beats a rigid protocol every time, and how Julie's Rewire and Rise community puts that into daily practice

The lessons she has practiced in launching her own business, and the parallels she has noticed between this and the journey of binge eating recovery.

00:00 – Opening

01:20 – Meet Julie Mann

01:41 – Her Story

04:11 – Losing Her Husband & Diving Deeper into Mindfulness

08:22 – Recovering & Becoming "The Brain Over Binge Coach"

09:39 – Building a New Business

11:15 – Meet "Murray": The Lower Brain That Fears Growth

12:36 – Productive Discomfort: Why Recovery & Business Feel the Same

14:19 – Self-Compassion & Turning Mistakes into Learning Moments

17:15 – Owning Your Choice: Internal Leadership in Recovery & Business

19:41 – Nervous System Regulation for Entrepreneurs & Recovery

21:18 – Why You Can't Heal (or Build a Business) Alone

23:14 – Connection as the Antidote to Isolation

25:44 – Moving Toward Something Real, Not Just Away From Pain

27:01 – Inside Rewire and Rise: Julie's New Coaching Program

30:15 – Productive Discomfort / Distress Tolerance

31:07 – The Two Paths: Destructive vs. Productive Discomfort

34:19 – Somatic Tools + Mindfulness Working Together

34:44 – Where to Find Julie Mann

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Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

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Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com More info about Dr. Kristina's upcoming carnivore wellness retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.com

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Connect with Julie here: Main website: https://juliemanncoaching.com “I can do hard things” Free module: https://juliemanncoaching.myflodesk.com/bbejune26

Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.