Dog struggles can feel surprisingly personal — and oddly isolating. In this episode, Ruth sits down with Emma Berumen, the founder behind Snout App (built from her own experience supporting her dog Luna through separation anxiety). They talk about what it’s like when your dog’s stress becomes your stress, why “quick fixes” often leave us feeling worse, and how real progress usually comes from small, repeatable steps… plus a lot of self-forgiveness.

This episode is for you if you:

• love your dog deeply, but feel overwhelmed by behaviour struggles

• have tried plans that didn’t fit your real life (or your actual dog)

• notice how easily anxiety becomes a feedback loop — for both of you

• need a reminder that progress doesn’t require perfection

In this conversation, we talk about:

• why dog ownership can bring up so much self-doubt (and guilt)

• separation anxiety: the practical stress and the emotional weight

• the myth of the “quick fix” — and what helps instead

• breaking change into bite-sized steps (and why 10 minutes matters)

• repairing after hard moments: apologizing, resetting, trying again

• building tools that adapt to real life, not ideal circumstances

• walking, sunlight, and getting out of your own head

• the reminder: “Even though it may not look like it, it will pass.”

Guest: Emma Berumen

Emma Berumen is the founder of Snout App, a project inspired by her own dog Luna and their journey with separation anxiety. With a background that includes science and the startup world, Emma is focused on building support that’s practical, flexible, and guided by real expertise — so people don’t feel alone while figuring things out.

Links:

• Join the Snout App beta/waitlist: thesnoutapp.com (as shared in the interview)

Connect with Ruth

• www.groundingwithruth.com

• Ruth’s work: women’s wellness, burnout recovery, self-worth, and grounded growth

If this episode resonated, you can follow the show, share it with a friend who loves their dog (and might need this reminder), and leave a review — it helps more people find us.

Stay Grounded.

This meditation is an invitation to come back to where you are, just as you are. It’s a practice of presence—not as something to achieve or get right, but as something you can return to again and again.

Whether your mind feels busy, your body feels tired, or you’re feeling a bit scattered, this space is open to you. There’s no expectation to be calm or clear your thoughts. This is about noticing what’s actually here and allowing that to be enough.

This meditation supports you in:

• Settling into your body and your breath

• Noticing where your mind naturally goes

• Practising returning to the present moment

• Reflecting on what presence feels like for you

• Remembering that there’s no right way to meditate

You don’t need to do this perfectly. If your mind wanders, that’s part of the practice. Every time you notice and come back, you’re already here.

Stay grounded.

January often comes with a lot of noise—about who we should be, what we should fix, and how quickly we should change. In this solo episode, I share my complicated relationship with the New Year, why resolutions have never really worked for me, and what I’m choosing instead.

This conversation is about loosening the grip of expectation and finding a way into the year that feels more honest, more spacious, and more supportive of real life.

This episode is for you if:

• You feel resistant to New Year’s pressure or “fresh start” energy

• Resolutions tend to leave you feeling discouraged or behind

• You’re curious about setting intentions instead of rigid goals

• You want a calmer, more grounded way to move into a new year

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why New Year’s messaging can feel heavy and unrealistic

• The difference between resolutions and intentions

• How intentions leave room for flexibility and self-compassion

• My personal intention for 2026: presence

• What presence looks like in my work, health, and relationships

Connect with Ruth

• Website: groundingwithruth.com

• Instagram & Facebook: Grounding with Ruth

If this episode resonates, you’re welcome to follow the podcast, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need a little less pressure this time of year.

Stay Grounded.

If you listened to my recent conversation with Anjali, you heard us talk about what happens when we stop performing and start being present. How much energy goes into managing insecurity and trying to be “enough” — and how things shift when we let that go.

This 9-minute meditation is about stepping out of performance and into presence. About loosening the grip of the “not good enough” voice and reconnecting with the part of you that doesn’t need to prove anything.

In this episode, we’ll:

• Use breath to settle the nervous system

• Notice where performance and insecurity live in the body

• Practice releasing the need to prove or earn worth

• Explore what presence feels like as a lived experience

• Remember that your purpose is bigger than your fear

You don’t need to do this meditation perfectly. Just find a comfortable position and give yourself these few minutes to be exactly as you are.

Related Episode: Conversation with Anjali — on presence, authenticity, and not letting insecurity run your life.

I’ll be taking a short break from releasing new episodes over the holidays and will be back in the new year. In the meantime, feel free to revisit any episodes that resonated with you.

Connect with Ruth: Website: groundingwithruth.com Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn: @groundingwithruth

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the show and leave a review — it helps other women find these meditations.

Stay grounded.

In this episode, I sit down with leadership coach Anjali Handa to talk about something so many of us struggle with - showing up authentically instead of performing. We dive into the exhausting cycle of editing ourselves, the stories we tell ourselves about not being good enough, and what shifts when we finally give ourselves permission to take up space and be heard.

Anjali shares her journey from being a quiet, insecure kid who learned to fly under the radar, to becoming a coach who helps female founders and leaders step into their powerful presence. We talk about the difference between presence and performance, why vulnerability isn't weakness, and how our insecurities keep us from making the impact we're meant to make.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and deeply validating. If you've ever felt small in a room, edited your voice, or wondered if you're "enough" - this episode is for you.

Topics We Discuss:

• The difference between presence and performance - and why it matters
• Why we perform instead of being authentic (and what it costs us)
• The common stories women tell themselves: "I'm not good enough," "I don't belong here," imposter syndrome
• How childhood experiences shape our adult patterns of hiding and self-editing
• Why focusing on others instead of ourselves helps us show up more authentically
• The role of purpose in overcoming insecurity
• How to catch yourself self-editing and what to do about it
• Why growth is an ongoing journey (and how to stay light about it)
• The stark difference between how men and women show up in professional spaces
• One simple thing you can do today to start reconnecting with your voice

About Anjali:

Connect with Anjali:

Instagram: @anjali_handa

Register for the Powerful Presence Workshop: Powerful Presence Workshop

Connect with Ruth:

Website: groundingwithruth.com

Instagram, Facebook: @groundingwithruth

Book a free Enough Assessment call: https://pages.groundingwithruth.ca/calendar

Learn more about The Self-Worth Solution:

If this episode resonated and you're ready to do the deeper work of breaking people-pleasing patterns and building authentic self-worth, check out my 12-week online course, The Self-Worth Solution, at groundingwithruth.com.

If you listened to my recent conversation with Shulamit Ber Levtov, you heard us talk about something that doesn't get said enough: there's nothing wrong with you when you're struggling. You're having a normal response to systems that weren't designed to support you.

This 9-minute meditation is about giving yourself permission to struggle without carrying shame about it. Permission to be exactly where you are, feeling exactly what you're feeling, without needing to fix it or hide it or push through it.

In this episode, we'll:

• Use breath work to settle your nervous system
• Acknowledge what you're carrying (the shame, the pressure, the expectations)
• Practice releasing that weight - even just for a few minutes
• Experience what permission actually feels like in your body
• Recognize that struggling doesn't make you broken - it makes you human

You don't need to be perfect or composed. Just find a comfortable position and give yourself these few minutes to be exactly as you are.

Related Episode: Episode 32 with Shulamit Ber Levtov - The Entrepreneur's Therapist: Caring for Your Mental Health in a Relentless World

Connect with Ruth: Website: groundingwithruth.com Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: @groundingwithruth

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the show and leave a review - it helps other women find these meditations.

Stay grounded.

In this enlightening conversation, Ruth sits down with Shulamit Ber Levtov, known as The Entrepreneurs' Therapist, for a deep dive into the critical intersection of mental health and entrepreneurship. This isn't your typical "self-care will fix everything" conversation - it's a raw, honest exploration of why running a business takes such a toll on our mental health, and why that's not actually our fault.

Shulamit brings over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience combined with her expertise as a licensed trauma therapist to challenge some of our most deeply held beliefs about struggle, success, and what it means to be "enough." From her groundbreaking work in financial therapy to her revolutionary take on imposter syndrome, this conversation will leave you questioning everything you've been told about personal responsibility and mental health.

• Why therapists should be part of every entrepreneur's support team • The mental health crisis in entrepreneurship that nobody talks about • Financial therapy and why mental health professionals score lowest on financial wellness measures • How scarcity triggers trauma responses in the body • The myth of self-care as a cure-all for systemic problems • Why women entrepreneurs face unique societal pressures and role conflicts • The truth about imposter syndrome - it's not about you • Reframing trauma as wounds inflicted on us, not something we "internalized" • Finding strength through spiritual practice and connection to something greater • Why vulnerability is actually a superpower

Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCTP, is known as The Entrepreneurs' Therapist. She's a licensed trauma therapist, registered social worker, and entrepreneur with over 30 years of business experience. After experiencing her own mental health crisis from running a business, she exited her group practice and dedicated herself to ensuring no other business owner has to go through what she did.

Shulamit specialises in supporting women business owners to care for their mental and emotional wellbeing in what she calls "an era of relentless stressors that can make you want to flip your lid on the daily." She's also trained in financial therapy, addressing the emotional aspects of money that are so central to entrepreneurial life.

Her unique perspective comes from living both sides - the entrepreneurial rollercoaster and the professional expertise to understand the mental health challenges that come with running a business.

Financial Therapy and Money Trauma: • The Trauma of Money Institute: https://www.thetraumaofmoney.com/ • The Trauma of Money Book: https://www.thetraumaofmoney.com/trauma-of-money-book

Research and Educational Content: • Eldar Shafir's TED Talk on Scarcity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMRcWj_GKxY • "Bicycle Face" Commencement Speech (referenced regarding imposter syndrome): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV1ESN8NGh8 • Sustainable Compassion Training: https://sustainablecompassion.org/

Books and Literature: • Susan Juby's Buddhist Nun/Butler Mystery Series: https://www.susanjuby.com/books • John O'Donohue's "May the Light of Your Soul Guide You" (poem mentioned by Ruth)

Website: shula.ca Newsletter: shula.ca/newsletter (recommended - you can reply directly to connect) Social Media: Find her as "The Entrepreneurs' Therapist"

Website: groundingwithruth.com Social Media: @groundingwithruth on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Podcast: Available wherever you listen to podcasts

1. Mental health challenges are inherent in entrepreneurship - it's not a personal failing when you struggle.

2. The systems we operate in aren't designed for human wellbeing, especially for women and other marginalised groups.

3. Imposter syndrome isn't a syndrome at all - it's a normal response to systems designed to make us feel like we don't belong.

4. Financial shame affects over 90% of people, but it's particularly acute for entrepreneurs who face unique financial pressures.

5. Self-care isn't about fixing ourselves - it's about responding to our organism's call for care in our distress.

6. Having a mental health plan should be as integral to your business as having a business plan.

7. Vulnerability and authenticity aren't weaknesses - they're sources of strength and connection.

8. There's nothing wrong with you when you're struggling - you're having a normal human response to difficult circumstances.

If this episode resonated with you, please follow Inspired Questions and leave a review. It really helps other women find these important conversations.

Stay Grounded.

For more episodes and resources, visit groundingwithruth.com.

In this guided meditation, we explore the impossible pressure of showing up at 100% everywhere, all the time - and why that's complete bullshit.

If you've been carrying the weight of perfectionism, feeling like whatever you're offering isn't enough, or struggling with the voice that says your worth is tied to your productivity, this meditation is for you.

What You'll Experience:

• A gentle body scan that honours your current capacity instead of trying to fix or change anything
• Breathwork focused on releasing the performance pressure and guilt about having limits
• Permission to show up authentically, whatever that looks like today
• Affirmations to remind you that your worth is inherent, not earned

Key Message: You don't have to earn your place here. You don't have to prove your value. You don't have to justify taking up space by being productive every moment. You matter because you exist.

Perfect For:

• Anyone feeling overwhelmed or burnt out
• People struggling with perfectionism
• Those dealing with chronic illness or fluctuating energy levels
• Anyone who needs permission to be human

Remember: Showing up authentically - with whatever you've got, wherever you are - is infinitely better than burning yourself out trying to be perfect everywhere.

Connect With Ruth:

• Join The Enough Project Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1226798815277717/
• Book your free Enough Assessment Call: https://pages.groundingwithruth.ca/calendar
• Website: groundingwithruth.com

Music by Alex Wit from Pixabay