EPISODE TITLE:
Why Taking Care of Yourself Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do as a Parent
SHOW:
The Extraordinary Purpose Podcast
HOST:
Erin Verdis
EPISODE TYPE:
Solo Episode
YEAR:
2026
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AI OVERVIEW SUMMARY (FOR SEARCH & AI DISCOVERY)
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In this solo episode of The Extraordinary Purpose Podcast, Erin Verdis shares a deeply personal reflection on why self-care, health, and personal growth are foundational—not optional—for parents. Through honest storytelling, Erin explores reflection, celebration, midlife health, identity, partnership support, and empowered decision-making. This episode is especially meaningful for parents of teens and young adults, and for moms who are ready to stop putting themselves last and start leading their families from a place of energy, confidence, and clarity.
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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
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Welcome to the Extraordinary Purpose Podcast, where we explore some of the truly difficult questions and challenges that parents and their families face every day.
Whether it’s the sometimes painful process of parenting teens and young adults, navigating relationships with your partner and children, or discovering your purpose in relationship with yourself, we bring heartfelt and vulnerable conversations to the table to support and empower you.
Our mission is to help you create a lifestyle full of love, passion, adventure, and influence.
Here we go.
Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Extraordinary Purpose Podcast. Erin here, and I’m so excited to be with you today for my first solo episode of 2026.
Chris and I recorded an episode together recently, and during that recording I promised I would be bringing you weekly solo episodes this year. I’m committed to that promise—to you, and to myself.
As we kicked off 2026, Chris and I actually had a pretty rough start. Chris got really sick right as work and school started back up, and when one of us is down, it affects everything—family, business, energy, momentum. I did my best to keep things moving, and then, of course, I got sick a few days later.
But in the middle of all of that, I found myself reflecting deeply on how we wrapped up 2025—and how important reflection and celebration truly are.
Chris and I coach families every single day, and one thing we emphasize constantly is this: do not leave the scene of growth without celebrating. As a culture, we are not taught how to celebrate ourselves. We move immediately to what’s next, what didn’t work, or what still needs fixing.
As 2025 came to a close, I’ll be honest—I was struggling. I felt pressure to have everything figured out. I had high expectations of myself, especially as someone immersed in life coaching and personal growth. And instead of feeling clarity, I felt stuck.
Chris and I noticed that we were spending too much time focusing on what didn’t work in 2025—in business, in life, in goals we didn’t hit. We knew better, and yet we were feeding off that negativity.
So we decided to regroup.
Between Christmas and New Year’s, we set aside a few hours, listened to a guided journaling experience, and reflected deeply on the year. Not just mentally—but on paper. I made Chris get his journal out too.
We wrote about what didn’t go well, because that matters. But we also spent time writing about what we were proud of, what we learned, how we grew, and where we showed up better than ever before.
That reflection changed everything.
What we realized was this: 2025 was actually an extraordinary year. Financially. As parents. As a couple. As individuals. And more than ever before, the work we do as coaches has become deeply anchored in how we parent and live our own lives.
And that reflection helped me recognize something important—a common thread throughout 2025 for me personally.
I felt proud of myself as a woman.
Proud of myself for finally advocating for my health, my wellbeing, my energy, and my longevity. Proud of myself for reaching a point where I said, “I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of things not shifting.”
The area this showed up most powerfully was my health.
As many of you know, I was a model for many years. I never struggled with body image growing up. But as I moved through my forties and toward my late forties, my body changed—and I struggled.
I didn’t feel comfortable in my skin. I avoided photos. I heard myself making comments about my body in front of my daughter, which broke my heart. And while I always followed those moments with honest conversations, I knew something needed to change.
I wasn’t just unhappy with how I looked—I didn’t feel healthy.
Around that same time, conversations around hormones, perimenopause, energy, weight, and mental health started surfacing everywhere. And I resonated deeply.
Despite working out consistently and eating well, my weight had plateaued for years. I wasn’t gaining—but I wasn’t losing either.
Then I started learning about GLP-1 medications.
At first, I dismissed the idea completely. I’m holistic. I’ve never been on pharmaceuticals. I had home births. The idea felt wrong for me.
But as I researched, listened to trusted experts, and learned about microdosing and broader benefits—mental clarity, reduced food noise, addiction support, metabolic health—I became curious.
I didn’t rush. I researched. I asked questions. I listened.
Stories from women I respected—including Serena Williams—shifted something in me. They gave me permission to make a choice that was right for me, without shame or explanation.
Eventually, I made the decision to try it.
And it wasn’t easy. It required conversations with Chris. It required financial investment. It required me to face my own judgment.
But three months in, I feel better. I have more energy. I feel proud. And this journey is about far more than weight—it’s about agency, health, and self-trust.
Around the same time, I made another decision: I switched gyms.
After years of talking about it, I chose a space that supported not just my workouts, but my mental and emotional wellbeing—classes, recovery, community, and space to slow down.
That decision has transformed my routine, my relationship, and my energy.
And here’s the real takeaway:
These weren’t just “health choices.” They were leadership choices.
I stopped putting myself last.
I made room in our budget, our schedule, and our life for my wellbeing. And that choice ripples outward—to my kids, my marriage, my work, and my purpose.
If you need permission to take better care of yourself this year, let this be it.
Your health matters.
Your energy matters.
Your growth matters.
Because when you grow, your family grows.
Thank you for being here. I love you all, and I’ll see you next time.
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CALL TO ACTION
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If you’re interested in life coaching for parents, teens, or young adults, or you’re ready to reconnect with your confidence and purpose, schedule a discovery call with Extraordinary Purpose.
Our mission is to help families find their purpose—and it starts with you.
