The Connection Experiment is all about human connection - and how everyday people are using connection to change the world.
Join Nathalie Blais, ICF Master Certified Coach and Founder of Coach Academy as she dives into deep conversations about the importance of connection, community, and coaching with guests exploring what's possible when we are open to connection.
Best of Revived | When Menopause Doesn’t Come With Hot Flashes - Is It Menopause?
Kelly Hill had menopause symptoms for years and almost no hot flashes, so every specialist who asked about menopause dropped the subject after one question. She had 18 symptoms that didn't seem to go together, from joint pain to brain fog, and says the hardest part was not knowing what was happening to her.
Kelly, a CPA turned business coach, joins Nathalie to talk about what that stretch of time costs, including the career Kelly's identity was built around. The conversation also covers what helped: a friend who connected the dots and people who understood.
From there the conversation turns to a question that reaches well beyond menopause: when do you advise, and when do you coach? Nathalie and Kelly explain why the two belong in separate lanes. Kelly also shares how she tells her clients which mode she is in. Nathalie explains why a client who says, "I want you to tell me what to do," is a chance to introduce coaching.
Kelly's own path runs from accounting to teaching to coaching with a specialty. Her advice to anyone weighing a similar change is to go where you light up, because, she says, women in midlife are more willing to take risks. She also shares why she believes her fifties can be the best years of her life.
Underneath both halves of the conversation is the same idea: understanding comes before the fix. That holds for a woman trying to name what is happening in her body and for a coach listening for what a client wants.
Mentioned in this episode: The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, How to Menopause by Tamsen Fadal and The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi. Kelly's website: profitandlattes.com
14 Oct 2026
He Lost Three Businesses. Here's How He Started Over.
Career changes rarely go as planned. Simon Levin lost three businesses, started over every time, and is now running a successful coaching practice at 62.
In this episode, Simon shares what he learned from building a garment business from scratch, how he handled major setbacks, and why early business failures forced him to change how he listens and communicates with people.
Nathalie and Simon discuss:
Taking action when you feel stuck: Why moving forward gives you clarity faster than endless planning.
Overcoming fear: What it actually takes to rebuild your career after losing a business.
Building strong relationships: How learning to listen to others shifts your business and life.
This Week’s Connection Experiment:
At bedtime, name one thing you are grateful for so it is the last thought on your mind. In the morning, speak one positive thought about the day ahead.
Simon built his new coaching practice through Coach Academy’s ICF-accredited program. Learn more about our programs at coachacademy.com.
Book mentioned: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt
Connect with Simon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-levin-7a600213/
Research referenced in the FAQ:
Nalis, Kubicek and Korunka (2021), From Shock to Shift: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7952510/
Herminia Ibarra, Working Identity (2003): https://herminiaibarra.com/working-identity-book/
#careerpivot #startingover #resilience #coachacademy
7 Oct 2026
Why "Just Be Yourself" Is Terrible Advice
"Just be yourself" sounds like the safest advice there is. Nathalie hears a version of it all the time, from executives with 25 years of experience and from new coaches: "I just want to be myself."
For most of us, being yourself means falling back on your default communication style. Think of it like the browser that came pre-installed on your computer: it does the job, and you've been running it for 20, 30, 40 years without a second look. We usually call that default being authentic: expressing yourself with whatever comes naturally. Being genuine keeps the sincerity and adds self-regulation, so you stay honest while taking responsibility for how your words land. That's what the conversations that matter most ask of you.
Moving from authentic to genuine takes skill, and any new skill feels unnatural at first. That out-of-your-depth feeling, the one many of us call being an imposter, can be a sign you're learning. In the conscious competence model, that feeling tends to show up at the second of four stages, when you first notice a gap you didn't know existed.
The next step is choosing your words on purpose, which raises a fair question: does that make you fake? Nathalie's answer is that when your intention is to support the other person, being deliberate is a way of caring about your impact. That care shapes teams, too: how a leader responds to a hard question teaches everyone in the room whether it's safe to speak up.
This week's connection experiment brings the idea back to you. Record yourself in a conversation with the other person's knowledge (a voice note works) and listen for habits you didn't know you had. Then, before your next important conversation, ask yourself:
1. What does this person need from me right now in this conversation?
2. What might this person be thinking or feeling that I need to stay connected to?
3. How might my tone, my pace, my choice of words or my silence affect what becomes possible in this conversation?
Being yourself is something you can get better at. Coach Academy's ICF-accredited programs are built around that practice: noticing your defaults, then choosing how you show up. Learn more at coachacademy.com.
The blog post this episode grew from: Authentic vs. Genuine: The Leadership Skill Most People Were Never Taught
https://coachacademy.com/authentic-vs-genuine-leadership-communication-skills/
Connect with Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalieblais/
Who has been a guest on “What?”
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Wanda Brown
Pat Williams
Lisa Rotstein
Gina Perrault
Stacey Kravitz
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
4.9 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
90
Social presence
97
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact “What?”
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
