Grace Notes and Messy Chords

Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road…

After an abrupt goodbye and the heaviness of losing her support role at Weight Watchers, Emily finds comfort and grounding in small, nourishing rituals—most notably cooking her mother’s apricot chicken. Through memories, music, walks, and community, she reflects on how gentle actions can help us move forward.
She also shares gratitude for her coaching collective, Birch and Stone, and invites listeners to join her in leaning into the simple things that remind us we’re still here, growing and becoming.

Meanwhile, at Macy’s: The Art of Presence

This episode reflects on the magnetic power of presence through a story about the host's mother sparking warm, spontaneous connections in a Macy's dressing room.It explores three layers of magnetism—presence, authenticity, and energy exchange—and invites listeners to bring more warmth, curiosity, and openness into everyday interactions.

Dear Folgers, It’s not you, it’s Me

Emily recounts her struggle with coffee dependence and how a simple, gradual habit tracker helped her understand cravings and make intentional choices.She shares lessons from weaning off caffeine, reintroducing coffee on her terms, and using trackers during recovery to turn setbacks into useful data.This episode invites listeners to try tracking a habit — not to judge, but to increase awareness — and mentions her masterclass at Birch and Stone Coaching for those who want guidance.

The M&M Standoff: Willpower vs. Skillpower

In this episode Emily explores why willpower often fails and how "skill power"—tools, environment design, and self-awareness—creates lasting change. Using a personal M&M standoff she shows how automatic eating becomes feedback and how skillful choices prevent those moments.Listen for practical ideas: pause and notice urges, adjust your environment, plan satisfying alternatives, and treat slips as information rather than failure. Small skills build sustainable habits without guilt.

Shake it Off: The .2 Edition

This episode explores how daily weight fluctuations are normal and not a measure of worth, explains the biology behind those changes, and shares a personal shift from scale-obsession to compassionate habits.
Instead of chasing quick fixes, the emily encourages tracking meaningful health markers, practicing consistent, gentle habits, and redefining the relationship with the scale as a tool—not a test.
Listeners are invited to reflect with three simple questions to help move from criticism to curiosity and keep showing up for their health.

Paulie Walnuts: “What now??”

In this episode Emily shares a personal story about her husband, nicknamed "What Now?", whose playful curiosity and DIY problem-solving—from five-toe shoes to Gorilla Bow workouts—become a model for resilience and creativity.
The host connects those examples to her own post-surgery recovery, encouraging listeners to reclaim control through tiny, practical actions like short walks, habit tracking, and kinder self-talk, asking simply: "What now?"

Brisket is Medicine

From Kale to Cupcakes: Escaping All-or-Nothing Thinking

Coach Emily M. explores how perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking derail health and self-worth, sharing personal stories about diets and journaling to show how the “I’ll start Monday” loop works.She offers simple, practical tools—name the voice, reframe failures, take one small action—and invites listeners to embrace the messy middle where real progress and grace live.

Chasing Perfect

Coach Emily M. introduces the first episode of Grace Notes and Messy Chords, exploring how perfectionism quietly shapes our lives. Drawing from her journey from a classical pianist to Juilliard to embracing improvisation and vulnerability, she shares how the chase for flawlessness followed her everywhere.
Emily reflects on the weight of all-or-nothing thinking, the balance between technique and emotion, and how true beauty often comes from the cracks and imperfections. She invites listeners to notice where perfectionism shows up in their own lives and to practice softening the critical voice with awareness and grace.
Next time she’ll dig deeper into how perfectionism shows up in body and health, and she invites listeners to continue the conversation in community.