French Kissing Life
If you were free to be who you really are deep down and who you were always meant to be, what would your life look like? What does it mean to have a zest for life? Can you *really* invite more joy into your everyday living through doable steps that don’t take a lot of time? Yes, yes, and more yes!
French Kissing Life is an inspirational podcast that guides you toward finding your spark and unleashing it into the world. If you’ve been yearning to celebrate your unique presence and fall in love with who you truly are, then you’ve found your tribe. If you believe the world needs what only you can offer, this community will be your biggest cheerleader. Picture this podcast as your weekly dose of encouragement – a sanctuary where you can escape the noise of the world and embrace the beauty of your own existence.
From skinny dipping in Portugal to auctioning herself off for a date and testing whether a slinky will go down an ancient pyramid, host Shawnna Stiver knows a thing or two about going for it and the hilarious stories that await. Through heartfelt, playful and funny conversations, Shawnna helps you discover what makes your heart race, your soul dance and your spirit soar. You’ll also hear from guest experts who share insights on how to navigate the journey of self-discovery and invite the world to come alive alongside you.
In a world that demands you be anything but yourself, this is your permission slip to be a little more YOU. Together, we’ll make every moment count and create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. If you’re ready to shed the shoulds and welcome in a life that feels uniquely, beautifully, and authentically yours, subscribe now and let’s make every episode a celebration of YOU! Buckle up for an adventure where realness reigns, inspiration thrives and fun is the name of the game. Are you ready to french kiss life?!
Episodes
119 episodes
Ep 118: The Secret Language of Plants (+ Their Names) with Kim Gros
Plants have names for a reason. And once you start learning what those names actually mean, you can't walk past a dandelion or a hawthorn tree the same way again.In this episode, I'm joined again by Kim Gros, a New York City-based clinic...
Ep 117: The Real Reason We Fear Change (It's Not What You Think)
Something has been sitting with me lately, a contradiction I couldn't quite shake. I've always thought of myself as someone who loves change. Enneagram Seven, chases novelty, has a podcast called French Kissing Life. And yet when change actuall...
Ep 116: From Quickies to Bucket List 'Minis' with Lori Blachford
Sometimes life gets so full of hard that you forget you're even allowed to want something light. That's where Lori Blachford found herself after seven years of caregiving and loss, and it's what led her to start snatching up small, slightly unp...
Ep 115: Creative Rituals for the Spring Transition with Emma Sullivan Uebele
Spring doesn't always arrive the way we expect it to. One day it's a blizzard, the next it's pushing 80 degrees, and somewhere in the middle of all that, we're supposed to feel refreshed and ready. But what if the transition itself is the invit...
Ep 114: Nature’s Clues That Spring Has Arrived with Kim Gros
What if the first signs of spring have been whispering to us all along?In this episode, I’m joined by clinical herbalist and educator Kim Gros for a gentle conversation about the plants that quietly announce spring’s arrival. We explore ...
Ep 113: The Color Analysis Plot Twist I Didn’t Expect with Christy Meaux
Color analysis has been having a major moment lately, and after seeing it everywhere online, I finally decided to try it for myself. What started as simple curiosity quickly turned into a bit of a plot twist when my results left me with more qu...
Ep 112: Do Our Pets Come Back? Love and Loss with Ellen Laura
Grief has a way of sneaking into the smallest corners of our day. It shows up in the empty space at the end of the bed, in the leash you no longer reach for, in the routines your nervous system still expects to keep. In this episode, I sit down...
Ep 111: Is Love Possible After 40? Conscious Dating Tips with Sibylle Ansley
There’s a particular kind of vulnerability that comes with wanting love after 40. You’ve built a life. You’ve done the inner work. You know you don’t need someone to complete you. And yet, there is still that quiet, steady longing to share your...
Ep 110: Giddy Up! It's the Year of the Fire Horse with Jillian Rothschild-Scholar
If you have ever felt like you were gripping the reins of your life while the horse had other plans, this one is for you. My personal history with horses includes chaos, near collisions with tree branches, and at least one very stubborn fruit s...
Ep 109: What a Universal 1 Year Really Means in Numerology with Meaghan Alton
If the last year left you feeling tired, reflective, or changed in ways you can’t quite explain, you’re not imagining it. Many of us have been moving through a long season of endings, letting go of identities, relationships, beliefs, and versio...
Ep 108: Solidarity, Not Sunshine (Sitting With the Hard Stuff)
I promised myself when I started this show that I wouldn’t turn pain into a performance or force hope where it doesn’t belong. This episode is me keeping that promise. It’s short, it’s quiet, and it’s an invitation to pause with what feels heav...
Ep 107: 10 Meaningful Resolutions You Can Actually Keep This Year
It’s 2026, and January has already asked a lot of us. Everything feels a little louder lately, a little heavier, like there’s a low hum of intensity moving beneath our everyday lives. I wanted to pause in that space and speak to it honestly, wi...
Ep 106: Giving You Permission to Pivot at Any Age with Anna Bates
The beginning of a new year can quietly bring up more reflection than motivation. Instead of doubling down on hustle and pressure, I wanted to offer something softer, deeper, and far more honest. A way of creating change that comes from clarity...
Ep 105: A Gentle Energetic Reset to Begin the New Year with Kristine Genovese
The start of a new year doesn’t always feel light or clean. Sometimes it feels tender, heavy, or quietly hopeful all at once. As 2026 begins, I wanted to create space for something softer than resolutions, something more honest than reinvention...
Ep 104: Letting Go With Grace as the Year Ends with Christy Ann Meaux
As the year winds down, I find myself in that tender in-between space, reflective, a little emotional, and quietly aware of all that has ended. This episode grew out of that feeling, the question of how we release what no longer fits without ha...
Ep 103: Tools to Create Zen This Holiday Season with Susie Amato-Henderson, Ph.D.
It’s Christmas week, and there’s a certain hum in the air. A quiet pressure to keep everything moving, everyone happy, and yourself composed, even when you’re running on fumes.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susie Amato-Henderson for ...
Ep 102: Creative Rituals for Darker Days with Emma Sullivan Uebele
We’re stepping into one of the most potent thresholds of the year. The winter solstice. The shortest day, the longest night. That quiet hinge in the season when the world slows, the light thins, and many of us feel heavier without quite knowing...
Ep 101: The Most Wonderful Time to ... Rewrite Holiday Narratives with Courtney Gray
The holidays come wrapped in sparkle and expectations. Joy! Magic! Gratitude! But if we’re honest, it can feel more like running a marathon in heels and a sequined dress.In this festive episode, I’m joined by body and life coach Courtney...
Ep 100: BTS of How We Got to 100 Episodes (!!!) with Hillary O’Dell
Well, butter my biscuit and cue the confetti cannons. This is our 100th episode, and I’m joined by one of my favorite humans (and former guest), Hillary O’Dell, to mark this wild, wonderful milestone. It’s tender, it’s unhinged, it’s full of he...
Ep 99: Hosting a Dinner Party with Heart (Not Stress) with Faith Kenzler
As the holidays get closer, I always feel that familiar mix of excitement and pressure. The menus, the timing, the tiny details that somehow turn into big feelings. Hosting can so easily slip into performance mode, and I’ve been there more time...
Ep 98: How to Ease Anxiety and Socialize with Intention with Coach Lee Hopkins
Have you ever walked into a party and felt your chest tighten, or skipped an event entirely because it felt too overwhelming? Even as someone who leans more extroverted, I’ve been there, and I learned so much from this conversation. As the holi...
Ep 97: A Vision for a More Accessible World with Veteran Zach Tidwell
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is survive. And sometimes surviving becomes the doorway to something extraordinary.In this episode, I talk with Zach Tidwell, a Marine Corps veteran who lost his sight in a suicide attempt and then ...
Ep 96: Simple Ways to Embrace the Art of Cozy Living with Sabine Hayes
There’s something magical about this time of year when the air turns crisp and we reach for our softest sweatshirts. But cozy living isn’t about adding more; it’s about noticing more. In this episode, I’m joined by interior designer Sabine Haye...
Ep 95: Halloween Costumes and the Magic of Dressing Up with Kristin Gredys Ihm
When was the last time you truly dressed up, not to impress, but to express?This week, I'm joined by my dear friend Kristin Gredys Ihm for a conversation that’s part Halloween fun and part soulful exploration of self-expression through s...
Ep 94: Why You're Thinking About Retirement All Wrong with Monique Rhodes
We’re told retirement is a golden reward, a never-ending vacation filled with ease and leisure. But what if it doesn’t feel that way? What if the structure, the purpose, the rhythm of your days quietly vanishes, and you’re left wondering who yo...