Have you all jumped on the podcast wagon yet? They are my favorite way to pass the time when I’m out walking the trails in the morning and I’m definitely drawn to ones that make me think. (I’ll do a roundup of all I’ve been listening to next week!) So I was thrilled to learn that one of our very own Lake Foresters launched a podcast this spring.
Her name is Kristel Bauer and this wife and mother of two is one to watch…and listen to…for sure. With her history working as a physician assistant in integrative psychiatry and functional medicine, Kristel has a unique perspective on optimizing mental health to become more resilient. But it was actually the health crisis of a family member that prompted her to start her company, and ultimately her podcast that goes by the same name, “Live Greatly.”
“Four years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer,” she says. “Even though we had all that western medicine could offer working to make my mom better, I was very interested in alternative ways to help her heal.”
Kristel began to explore meditation, Reiki, and what was really behind the mind-body connection that keeps the body healthy.
“I learned so much and really wanted to share this information in a doable and approachable way,” she says. “One of my colleagues said there are three main ways to get your message out there: write a book, start a blog, or record a podcast. Knowing that my ultimate goal is to be in front of a crowd leading lectures and workshops, a podcast seemed like the right place to begin.”
Well, at least it did until Kristel began to work through the logistics of putting a podcast together. She had all the content at her fingertips to help us achieve optimal health in mind, body, and spirit, but the mechanics of putting a podcast out into the universe, at times, seemed overwhelming.
“I wasn’t quite sure where to look for help so I posted on the ‘Moms of Lake Forest’ Facebook page to see if anyone had experience with this,” Kristel says. “Someone connected me with the media lab at Lake Forest Library and they’ve been a huge help. Actually, our community overall has been incredibly helpful.”
Kristel named her podcast “Live Greatly.” “It’s the mind, body, and spirit that have to be in balance for us to break through our fears,” she explains. “That’s where the power is.
“I’ve gone through the anxiety and the stress of starting a business, moving away from being a stay-at-home-mom, and now I’m sharing what I learned,” she says. “In starting this podcast, something totally new for me, I realized that that the anxiety and fear that I was feeling was actually discomfort…I was uncomfortable doing this new thing. It’s not that I’m bad at it, it’s just that I’m just uncomfortable. And I know in these times when I am uncomfortable that I grow the most. It helped me to be able to label these feelings and it’s my mission to help people break free of these beliefs that hold you back.”
Kristel releases a new “Live Greatly” podcast twice a month and has had an incredible lineup of guests, including Kelly Noonan, the writer/director/producer of the Heal Documentary and Colleen Wachob, the co-CEO of Mindbodygreen.
With all of us reeling from the ripple effects of the pandemic, Kristel’s “Live Greatly” message is more timely now than ever.
“I feel so lucky that it’s my job to inspire and lift people up so that they can be the best versions of themselves,” she says.
The “Live Greatly” podcast is available for download. For more information about Live Greatly, click here.
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