Grace Notes and Messy Chords

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.