This episode is not a typical interview. It’s a curated compilation of conversations I had with Mara Lee Gilbert five years ago — conversations that shaped why this podcast exists. We talk about sex, power, vulnerability, creativity, and topics people are curious about but rarely discuss openly.

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I started this podcast knowing it would be a learning curve, so I thought the fewer people who heard the first episodes, the better. At the time, I not only didn’t expect anyone beyond my very closest people to listen — I somewhat feared it.

And yet, Episode 1, “Speaking to Heal,” remains the most listened-to episode of this podcast.

In Episode 2, “The Waitress — Trauma, Healing, and Finding My True Voice,” I mentioned coach Mara Lee Gilbert and shared that I started this podcast after talking with her. As the title of that episode suggests, I had been through trauma — and trauma makes us cringe. So starting a podcast was a big deal for me, despite my previous experience as a speaker and coach.

As this year was coming to an end, I invited Mara to be a guest on my podcast, and she agreed. The conversation happened, and it was recorded — but this episode is not that conversation.

Instead, Episode 43 is a compilation of conversations Mara and I had five years ago. I wanted to create this episode both to provide context for our more recent conversation and because, listening back, I realized there was real value in what we said — the kind of value that invites reflection on where you stand and how you communicate about complex topics. So I decided to share it.

Some of the topics we touch on include sexuality and innocence, intimacy and power dynamics, vulnerability and creativity, feminine and masculine energies, and other deep subjects that may be triggering for some listeners. Statistics show that these are topics many people are deeply curious about, even if they’re rarely discussed openly. In fact, the episode in which I previously spoke about feminine and masculine energies is the second most listened-to episode of this podcast.

My next episode will be a solo one, in which I plan to talk about adult friendship and money — themes that naturally follow from our discussion of sex and money in this episode — as well as how I plan to develop this podcast further.

The continuation of the conversation with Coach Mara will be Episode 45, where you’ll learn more about what this unique human being can help you accomplish.

You’ll also hear throughout this episode that I am a coach as well. If you’re interested in being a podcast guest or in exploring opportunities to work with me as a coach, please find the intake forms on my website: ilzebe.com.

A note on audio quality:
The sound quality in this episode is noticeably lower than in my recent episodes. I’ve done my best to improve it by evening out the volume, but it’s far from ideal. At the time of recording, our primary goal was simply to get over the anxiety of doing live videos on social media. I hope you’ll listen with gentleness — and enjoy the episode regardless.

E43 | Talking About Sex, Money, Power, and Vulnerability — with Coach Mara Lee Gilbert

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