Welcome to Plucky Not Perfect—a podcast for women in midlife who want to build resilience, find courage, and embrace life’s messy middle with grit and grace.
Hosted by Carrie Bradley—coach, caregiver, and cancer survivor—this podcast is about showing up as you are, letting go of perfection, and discovering strength in unexpected places.
In Season 2, you’ll hear a mix of solo episodes and interviews with inspiring women who are navigating midlife transitions, health challenges, career shifts, family dynamics, and personal growth. Together, we’ll explore practical tools for resilience, self-care strategies that actually fit into busy lives, and mindset shifts that help you thrive when life doesn’t go as planned.
Whether you’re over 40, caring for others while trying to care for yourself, or simply looking for encouragement to keep going—this podcast will remind you that you don’t have to be perfect to feel worthy and live bravely.
Plucky means “determined courage.” Not perfect? That’s all of us. Join us to find hope, connection, and inspiration for one imperfect step at a time.
Standing Up to Your Inner Critic with Alison Dawn Lee (#45)
That voice telling you that you’re not good enough is a liar, and you don’t have to listen to it.
Leadership coach and spiritual guide Alison Dawn Lee chats with Carrie about confronting the inner critic, reclaiming parts of ourselves we’ve learned to suppress, and discovering who we are beyond the stories we’ve inherited. Alison shares her own “plucky” choices, from leaving a six-figure job before the 2008 financial crisis to moving from Canada to the U.S. to follow her heart.
Alison offers practical ways to disengage from the inner critic, including getting into our bodies, taking up space, naming the messages we hear, and accessing what she calls our “essential strength.” She also explores how perfectionism, cultural messages, and even spiritual beliefs can keep us from fully embracing our power.
Alison invites us to gather up all the scattered “ducklings” within us with love and compassion—and then fiercely protect them from the inner critic. Beneath all the voices telling us who we should be, there is a deeper self that is so much greater than we can imagine.
Connect with Carrie on Instagram
Connect with Alison:Website: Alison Dawn LeeInstagram and Facebook: @alisondawnleeLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alisondawnleeOut Beyond Ideas Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsIf this conversation resonated with you:
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21 Jul 2026
Thinking About Starting a Podcast? Six Permissions to Help You Begin (#44)
Have you ever thought, I'd love to start a podcast... but who would listen to me?
If so, you're not alone.
I share the story behind launching Plucky Not Perfect, despite being shy, hating the sound of my own voice, and wondering if I’d have anything worthwhile to say. Forty-four episodes later, I’m looking back at what it really took to begin.
This isn't a technical guide to podcasting. It's a pep talk for anyone sitting on a creative dream.
Whether you're considering starting a podcast, writing a book, launching a business, or simply sharing your voice more boldly, these six "permission slips" will help you move from fear to action.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why you don't have to feel ready before you begin.
How accountability and community can help you overcome procrastination.
Why every creator needs permission to be a beginner.
How to define success on your own terms.
Why it's okay (and healthy) for your creative work to evolve over time.
The mindset shift that helps quiet your inner critic.
Why courage matters more than confidence.
Books & Resources Mentioned
Teri Holland’s 5-Day Launch Your Podcast Challenge
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (for quieting your inner critic)
The Run Like A Girl Podcast | hosted by Courtney McQueen
If this episode inspires you to start a podcast or any creative project, I would love to hear from you. Reach out with your questions, ideas, or fears. You don't have to figure it all out alone.Instagram: @carriejobradleyEmail: thecarriejobradley@gmail.com
2 Jun 2026
Sensitivity as a Superpower with Joanna Brewster (#43)
What if your sensitivity wasn't a weakness to overcome, but a gift to embrace?
Carrie chats with emotional intelligence coach Joanna Brewster for a deeply honest conversation about courage, self-awareness, and learning to trust yourself.
Joanna shares her journey from a highly sensitive child who learned to suppress her feelings, to a woman who found the courage to leave an unhealthy marriage and rebuild her life. Along the way, she discovered the power of emotional intelligence—not just as a professional tool, but as a pathway back to herself.
Carrie and Joanna explore how our thoughts, feelings, and actions shape our lives, why small courageous steps matter, and how learning to listen to our bodies can help us navigate fear, overwhelm, and change.
Connect with Carrie on Instagram
Connect with Joanna
Website: www.hearttalks.ca
Instagram: @hearttalks_withjoannabrewster
Mentioned in This Episode
The Quiet Courage Challenge A gentle, action-oriented 5-day experience for heart-led entrepreneurs ready to move from overthinking into grounded, courageous action. No hustle. No shame. Just regulated, quiet courage and small brave steps that move your business forward.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
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