Podcast
Your Favorite You
Hosted by Melissa Parsons · EN
Welcome to Your Favorite You, a weekly podcast helping brilliant women like you with beautiful brains to create the life you've been dreaming of with intention so you can find your favorite version of you. Your host, Melissa Parsons, is a pediatrician turned life coach. She holds the titles of wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend of many. She became a certified life coach after discovering that coaching held the secret to the universe, and knew she had to share this magic with everyone in her orbit. This podcast is for you if ... you're stuck in fear and perfectionism thinking that your value comes from what you do or what you don't do, rather than knowing that your value comes from who you are, and this is keeping you from dreaming and trying new things, or from remembering or doing what you used to love. Join Melissa on this journey to figuring out and remembering who you are; a journey to finding and becoming your favorite you. To learn more about Melissa, visit: https://www.melissaparsonscoaching.com/
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 182: Doubt
Mar 2400:20:54Tap to summarizeToday, I’m talking about doubt: the sneaky, shape-shifting, very convincing part of us that has probably cost us more than any failure we’ve actually experienced.Many of us were taught to fear failure, so our protective parts learned to keep us safe by hesitating, overthinking, and second-guessing. But failure is not your enemy—it helps you learn and decide what to do next. Doubt is what keeps you from trying at all.The parts of you that doubt are trying to protect you, and you can have compassion for them while still choosing to move forward. In this episode, I’ll walk you through four common flavors of doubt, why they feel so convincing, and how to work with the protective parts behind them so you can take imperfect action anyway. Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 181: Breaking the Chain- Parenting Your Children and Yourself
Mar 1700:19:28Tap to summarizeDo you ever catch yourself responding to your child in a way that stops you cold? I work with so many brilliant, self-aware, deeply caring women who are doing everything they can to be good moms—including investing in coaching and doing their own healing work. And yet, there are patterns so deeply ingrained in our nervous system that they surface without us even realizing it.In this episode, I share three stories about women doing the difficult and courageous work of breaking generational patterns. These women are parenting their children differently than they were parented, and in doing so, they are learning to parent themselves as well.When we heal ourselves, we change more than just our own lives. We change the trajectory for our children and the generations that will follow. This is how chains get broken, one imperfect, compassionate moment at a time.Click HERE to read the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 180: I Hate the Word Discipline
Mar 1000:19:14Tap to summarizeThe words we use to talk to ourselves and about ourselves matter enormously. They shape our relationship with ourselves and determine whether we approach our growth with kindness and openness or with cruelty and shame.When I hear the word “discipline,” my whole body clenches. I hold my breath, my shoulders rise up to my ears, and I often feel the urge to roll my eyes. I want to explore this today because my reaction isn’t just a personal quirk or stubbornness. So many of us have a complicated relationship with this word, and it’s worth talking about.For years, I believed I needed to be more disciplined—that if I could just control myself better, be stricter with myself, and demand more, then I would finally be enough. What most of us actually need isn’t more discipline. It’s more compassion, more tenacity, more intention, and more self-trust. Today, we’ll talk about how to give yourself those things so you can live as your favorite you, and leave harmful words in the past if you choose to.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 179: When Standing Out is Your Superpower with Dr. Manuela Powell
Mar 300:38:16Tap to summarizeWhen you’ve spent your whole life trying to fit in, it can feel wildly vulnerable to let yourself stand out. In this conversation with Dr. Manuela Powell, we talk about what happens when “different” stops being a problem to solve and becomes a truth you can build a life around.Manuela shares her journey from cancer surgeon to life coach to business builder, and how a season in Hawaii helped her separate who she is from what she does. We explore the difference between fitting in and belonging, why so many high-achieving women think they “should” be able to do everything alone, and how standing out can become your superpower in work, relationships, and the choices you make next.Dr. Manuela Powell helps doctors skip the overwhelm, tech headaches, and DIY rabbit holes that usually come with building an online business. The Doctor’s Pivot is her fully done-for-you, concierge-style service that takes care of everything, from websites and branding to systems, content, and strategy, so her clients can finally stop spinning their wheels and start moving forward.She works with physicians who know they want more, but don’t know where to start (and definitely don’t want to drown in YouTube tutorials or 17 conflicting opinions from the internet). Dr. Powell brings together everything she’s learned from years in medicine, entrepreneurship, and coaching to create something completely custom. That might include CRMs, social media, podcast setup, you name it. Her clients focus on vision and decisions while she handles the rest. Think of it as “business in a box,” but completely outside the box—and tailored to you.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 178: When All Your Parts Need Your Attention at Once
Feb 2400:16:43Tap to summarizeIf you’ve been struggling with the state of the world lately, you’re not alone. I’m feeling the weight of what’s happening in our country and how people are being treated. In this episode, I’m sharing the parts of me that are showing up in response to all of it, because I’m guessing some of your parts are loud right now, too.You might notice an angry part that wants to scream and stomp her feet, or a hopeless part that wants to hide under the covers. Maybe there’s a righteous part that won’t stop fighting, a sad part that’s mourning, a shameful part spiraling about privilege, or even a hopeful part that quietly keeps showing up. They’re all valid, and sometimes they all want your attention at once.It can be overwhelming, but my message today is that it’s okay for all of these parts to be here. You don’t have to pick one. You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to be inspiring or productive right now. You just have to be human, and when you have the capacity, you can choose one small way to show up—for yourself or for someone else. That’s enough.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 177: The Fun Filter - Deciding What Lights You Up with Jessie Mahoney, MD
Feb 1700:47:19Tap to summarizeI’m bringing you a conversation with my friend and fellow retired pediatrician-turned-life coach and retreat host, Jessie Mahoney. Jessie and I share a lot in common, and this episode grew out of how we both navigate our relationships with ourselves, our families, and the ongoing question of how we decide what to say yes to.We talk about decision-making through the lens of what would be fun, yoga, parenting, and what it means to have more white space on your calendar. Life isn’t always fun—and it doesn’t have to be—but there’s something powerful about paying attention to what makes you feel alive and lit up. We’ve found that fun is often where we show up and shine the brightest, and this episode is an invitation to explore your favorite version of you through that fun filter, too.Dr. Jessie Mahoney is a pediatrician-turned-coach, speaker, and yoga and mindfulness teacher. She helps thoughtful, high-achieving women trust what makes them come alive. Her work centers on using a “fun filter” to make decisions with more ease, honesty, and alignment—especially during challenging seasons of parenting young adults, career pivots, intimate relationships, and leadership transitions. Through one-on-one coaching, small group coaching, and Pause & Presence retreats, she creates spaces for people to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with joy, clarity, and meaning. Her approach is practical, deeply human, and grounded in the belief that fun, when paired with self-trust, can be a wise and transformative guide. She hosts a popular podcast called Healing Medicine, teaches free yoga on zoom and YouTube, and hosts incredible coaching, yoga, mindfulness and culinary medicine retreats at Nicasio Creek Farm in Northern California.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 176: Re-Made with Love and Science: Choosing Yourself Through Divorce and Infertility with Erica Bove, MD
Feb 1000:36:16Tap to summarizeThis week, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Erica Bove to share her personal story and her journey of founding an organization to help women thrive through infertility. You’ll hear how Erica created Love & Science Fertility after feeling disconnected from clinical medicine so she could focus on guiding women to reconnect with their bodies and trust their inner wisdom.Erica also shares her personal story of going through a divorce and how she made the decisions that led her to become her favorite version of herself, both personally and professionally. We talk about how change doesn’t always require a catastrophic event, and how paying attention to what no longer feels aligned can be enough to pivot your life.Erica Bove, MD, is a double board-certified OB-GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist (REI) physician at the University of Vermont. She is also the CEO and founder of Love and Science: Thriving Through Infertility. She has a keen interest in marrying an evidence-based approach with intuitive knowing in the context of a trusting relationship. She empowers women physicians and professionals to build their families with confidence, self-compassion and community. Her mission is to heal and support the healers and to create a legacy she is proud of.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 175: A Love Letter to Barney Stinson Parsons
Feb 300:19:31Tap to summarizeAs I’m preparing to go pick up my new puppy, Frank Costanza Parsons, I’m using this episode to share a eulogy of sorts for my sweetest dog, Barney Stinson Parsons. Before I fall in love with Frank the Tank, I want to honor Barney Boo and the almost thirteen years he spent teaching my family about unconditional love and the benefit of caring about another living creature at least as much as we cared about ourselves.I debated writing all of this out and sharing it with you, and I'm so glad the part of me that wanted to tell Barney’s story won out over the part of me that wondered if it would be helpful to anyone but me. If you’re listening while missing a pet of your own, I hope you feel a little less alone.Click HERE to read the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 174: Our Most Precious Resource: Time with Kristine Goins, MD
Jan 2700:42:25Tap to summarizeIf time—not money—were the measure of wealth, would you be rich? This powerful question comes from my friend and colleague, Dr. Kristine Goins, whom I heard speak at the Physician Coaching Summit in November. In this episode, she joins me to share her wisdom about the true wealth of time.So many of us are taught that money is our most precious resource, and we spend our lives trying to accumulate more of it so we can enjoy spending it someday. Kristine offers the powerful reframe that time is actually even more valuable. Today, you’ll hear how it’s possible to live into this idea, and how doing so can change your life.Dr. Kristine Goins is a board-certified integrative adult & pediatric psychiatrist and digital nomad. Having served in several healthcare settings and various leadership positions within academic centers, Dr. Goins has witnessed firsthand the impact that burnout, stress, and work-life imbalance can have on physicians’ lives. Motivated by a desire to make a difference, Dr. Goins founded Nomad MD, where she helps burned-out doctors replace their income abroad and build freedom-first careers.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
Transcribe →Ep 173: It Doesn't Have to Be This Way with Drs. Robin Beardsley, Risa Adams, and Elizabeth Parsons
Jan 2000:53:47Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I’m so excited to talk with three amazing physicians about their book, It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way: A Physician’s Guide to Radical Self-Care. Robin Beardsley, Risa Adams, and Elizabeth Parsons join me to explore what it looks like to get curious about yourself and the parts of you that help you function and succeed in your role.While this book is written by physicians for physicians, its insights reach beyond one profession. Many high-achieving women experience burnout, a loss of purpose, or a longing to feel more alive. If any of that resonates, this conversation offers a lens for understanding how different parts of ourselves can both help and hinder us–and how that knowledge can help you live as a favorite version of yourself.Click HERE to get the full show notes.
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