The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels
Welcome to the BITE SIZE Podcast! 🎙️✨
This is the podcast for high-achieving women ready to renew their minds, optimize their health, and confidently walk in their God-given calling.
Here, we talk about faith, mindset, and holistic health—helping you break through self-doubt, overcome limiting beliefs, and step fully into the life you were created for. Through real conversations, expert insights, and transformational stories, you’ll learn how to heal from the inside out—mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Your story isn’t over. Your mess can become your message. Let’s do this together! 🔥
👩⚕️ Functional Nutrition | Wellness Coaching | Faith-Based Mindset | Speaking & Teaching
The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels
Betting on Yourself Will Change Everything You Thought Was Possible
Ever felt that gentle whisper urging you toward something greater? That persistent feeling you're meant for more? What if those aren't random thoughts but divine signals guiding you toward your purpose?
Fresh from Lindsay Marie's Powerhouse Women's event in Scottsdale, I'm sharing the profound difference between my experiences attending the same conference one year apart. Last year, I arrived alone, insecure, and desperate for connection—convinced I didn't belong yet knowing I needed to be there. This year? I returned confident, purposeful, and clear about my mission to empower others through coaching and speaking.
The most powerful concept I discovered was understanding how life communicates with us through "the knock, the nudge, and the rhino." The knock is that subtle whisper easily ignored. The nudge comes stronger, pushing you toward your calling. But if you resist both, eventually comes the rhino—an undeniable, life-altering event forcing change. Three weeks ago, I experienced my rhino moment when I was unexpectedly fired from my functional medicine job, which ultimately revealed itself as divine redirection toward my true purpose.
What struck me most was witnessing how showing up authentically impacts others in ways we can't imagine. When a young woman named Kaylin approached me, sharing how my courage at last year's event inspired her to pursue speaking and secure a TEDx talk, I realized the ripple effect of betting on ourselves. Our willingness to step into our purpose doesn't just transform our lives—it gives others permission to do the same.
If you're feeling that tension between knowing you're meant for more and actually doing the work to get there, this episode offers practical guidance: surround yourself with people living expansively, prioritize your health alongside your success, maintain a positive mindset through gratitude, and love who you are while becoming who you're meant to be. Remember, God didn't waste a day on you—so don't waste an opportunity to live fully in your purpose.
Ready to stop waiting for life to push you and start taking bold action? Listen now, then make an audacious ask today. Your dream is waiting, and someone needs exactly what only you can give.
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Email Me: LorayneMichaels22@gmail.com
Hey friends, welcome back to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, Lorraine Michaels, and today I am going to be doing my infamous recap. I recently went to Lindsay Marie's the Powerhouse Women's event in Scottsdale, arizona. That was was it two weeks ago? It was October 15th or October. Hello, I'm already looking forward to my birthday, as you can tell. No, it was just a couple of weeks ago in August. She puts this on every year in August in Scottsdale. It was last weekend.
Speaker 1:I just got back last weekend and normally I do the recap right after I come back, because I'm on such a high and I've got momentum and all the things, and I want to share everything that I got from it. Not that I wasn't and not that I wasn't excited or, or you know, on fire, or all the things. I just showed up different to this event and I came back different my energy, and I talked about this at the event. I said that last year I went to this event very to be completely transparent with you very insecure. I went alone, I didn't know anyone. I knew of a couple women there but really wasn't connected with them and so I knew of them but we weren't like really good friends. Like I said, I went alone.
Speaker 1:I went into it thinking I don't belong here, but I know I need to be here. And I also went into it thinking I have to find someone, I have to meet people, I have to connect, I have to see if there's something here for me, you know, looking for partnerships, collaborations, opportunities, all the things. I came to last year's event with an energy of I have to make this work, so desperate for connection, so desperate for opportunity and making something work, making this business. I was going into it thinking there's got to be something here, something's got to click. My business will take off if I just, if I just whatever fill in the blank, you know. And at the same time my subconscious was telling me you don't belong here, you're not a girly girl, you don't know these women. All the things, all the negative things, were running in my mind. But I also had this feeling of I'm supposed to be here and I'm so glad I went, because last year I joined Six Figure School and it helped me immensely. It helped foster those connections. I met these amazing women and I made these connections and I got way out of my comfort zone. Because I got out of my comfort zone and I went last year and I got way out of my comfort zone. Because I got out of my comfort zone and I went last year and I got out of my comfort zone and I spent the money on the program and made these connections and this year was completely different. This year I was pumped to go. I was so excited to come back and see these women again and the ones that I met and that I did the course with or that I met last year that were coming back again this year. I was so excited to see and connect with again and because I got to watch them expand and evolve and see all the amazing things that they were doing in their business. So this year I came back with such a fire and energy and I would also say that my business, with coaching and personal training and speaking and showing up, I have been showing up different. And so here are some of the top things that I took from this conference and, um, I want to share them with you because I want to encourage you. So, hang on, buckle up. Here we go.
Speaker 1:The biggest thing that I took from this conference Lindsay's Powerhouse Conference is the knock, the nudge and the rhino. And in our life I feel like the Holy Spirit shows up in those three ways right, or whatever you want to call it. However you want to refer to it, life, you will find that there's a knock, a nudge and a rhino, and I'll get into that. But basically the knock is what I would say is the Holy Spirit that's whispering to you. Hey, you should do this. The knock is that subtle little whisper, the little God wink, that something happens and it's just little. And if you're in tune with your, you know your divine, your God, um, the Holy spirit, if you're in tune with it, you'll hear it. You'll hear that little knock.
Speaker 1:And then there's the nudge where, if you miss that, the first one, next thing, you know you're going to get pushed a little bit. You're going to something bigger is going to happen, something is going to show up a little bit louder. You know it's going to be that push into something. Maybe someone notices that you've been, you know, coaching someone, or you've been really mentoring someone, and they say, hey, like that really helped me. Or you know, you encouraged me this, or you told me that, or you taught me this and that really helped me take the next step.
Speaker 1:Or then there's the rhino, and that is the undeniable red flashing stop sign, the freaking, life-altering event that happens, that you're like, okay, I need to make a move. And I feel like in my life there has been all three, and again I'll go into that deeper in a minute but so those are the three things that show up in your life that try and get you to do what you are called to do. And if you don't listen to the knock, eventually you're going to get the rhino, and it might be painful, it might be something that you didn't expect to happen and you might have to do something because you're put in a hard spot. So throughout this, I want you to keep that in mind and think about those things where something shows up in your life, either by the nudge, the knock or the knock, the nudge or the rhino. Something else that I heard that really spoke to me and that I want to remember and also share with you there's a difference between studying personal development and actually living it. So there's a difference between when you're consuming all the podcasts and you're going to the events and you're reading all the books and you know all the things but you're not actually living it out, and I want to encourage you to actually put that to use.
Speaker 1:They say knowledge is power, but that's not. That's not it. The real power is in the action, just I mean. Take, for instance, the word. You can know God's word, you can know the Bible like the back of your hand, but if you don't live it out, then what's the point of it? There is none. You can have all the knowledge, but the real power is in the movement. The real power is in your actions, your daily habits, your choices, how you show up for yourself and how you show up for the world.
Speaker 1:And something that really I had to sit with was the tension or it is the tension of knowing that there's more for you, but actually doing the work. So you might be struggling and thinking, man, I really can't stand my job, like I don't love what I'm doing, or you love what you do, but you don't love where you're at, or, even further from that, you don't love it at all and you're not doing the right thing. But maybe you're really successful and so the job that you have. You it at all and you're not doing the right thing, but maybe you're really successful and so the job that you have you hate, but it pays the bills. And I just want to challenge you.
Speaker 1:If you have that inner knowing, or you have that still small voice that's telling you you're made for more, follow that. That's the intuition, that's your Holy Spirit, that is something that is put in you for a reason, because it is the truth. You are made for more and you should be living a life that is fulfilling and brings you joy. And I'm not saying that in a self-satisfying, selfish way, right, because true joy comes from living in your purpose and helping other people. I don't think you can think of a time where you've helped someone and you felt like crap, like you were, like I shouldn't have done that, like that was a bad decision, like when you help people, it makes the world a better place, it makes you a better person and it gives other people hope, and so I just I loved that. I love that about it because I have been feeling that for so long I'm made for more and I really have been getting curious of what does that look like? How can I show up for other people in a way that is making them better? And, bonus, I feel better also because I'm making a difference.
Speaker 1:Like I said, this year I showed up and I knew that I belonged there. I knew that there was a reason why I was there and it wasn't until the last day and it really it made me emotional there and it just really excited me. There was this girl, this young lady, kaylin. She was in six figure school with me and she stopped me after I had stood up and spoke in front of everyone and told them you know, the same thing that I basically said here about how I showed up last year versus how I showed up this year, and one of the things that I realized is that I need to start betting on myself rather than showing up for everyone else and encouraging everyone else, whether it be in personal training or coaching but how I show up for everyone else and I encourage everyone else, but I don't bet on me, and there's that insecurity that hangs out in the back of my mind of whatever's holding me back and not playing full out and not doing like the fullest, a hundred percent that I can. And I said, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to change that and I need to show up different and I really need to play full out and I really need to give it all I got.
Speaker 1:And so, after it was all said and done, I'm walking to the bathroom and she gets up and stops me. She's like oh my God, lorraine, I'm so glad you stood up again. You are the reason why I started speaking. You're the reason why I? She's like I got a Ted talk and I was like, oh my God, are you serious? And she reminded me that she was in six figure school and at first I didn't recognize her and I felt so bad. But I was so excited for her and she was like you know, I was in six figure school but I never raised my hand, I never spoke up, I never said anything.
Speaker 1:And when you said that you want to get on more stages and you want to speak more, you really encouraged me to do it and I knew I needed to bet on myself and I knew I needed to just go for it. And she's like when I got back, I applied for all these um Ted talks and she's like I didn't get it, but I told them, if anything changes, to call me. Well, she ended up getting a call because someone canceled or dropped out or whatever and they gave her that opportunity and she did get on that stage and she's been killing it. She's been just making the audacious ask and going after her dream and really her business has taken off and she's taking on the challenge of doing the ask, doing the work, getting on stages, and she's like it's because of you, because you stood up and because you raised your hand and because you out, you encouraged me and it was just so. I don't want to say gratifying, it just filled my heart so much that when I am living in my purpose, I am encouraging other women to live in their purpose. And because of what I did and because of my courageousness, because of my boldness, it encouraged another woman to take a next bold step and she's been. It has catapulted her, she got an opportunity from there, she connected with other people there and it just really encouraged me to keep going, to keep following my intuition, my gut, my feeling and my calling. And so, whatever that is for you, whatever that nudge is because years ago in 2019, I got a knock and I started to pursue coaching and speaking, but at the time I didn't know it was coaching and speaking.
Speaker 1:In 2019, I went to an event in Atlanta, georgia, and I saw all these speakers and this was for a multi-level marketing company that I was with and I was successful in it. But it wasn't like I didn't want to be doing that thing, and so I was trying to figure out what was it, and at the time I didn't know. But it was speaking and it was coaching. But I didn't know it then because then I was selling a product and there was a whole bunch of goods and services that that company sold and it required building a team and whatnot. And I didn't want to do that and I was like this is not what I want to do, but something inside of me, that knock, you know. God told me like hey, this is where you need to be. But I couldn't figure out what capacity and what that really looked like. Lo and behold, it's coaching and speaking.
Speaker 1:That was the knock and I leaned into it and I had a rough time and I had, you know, bumps and hiccups and setbacks and I got discouraged and I kind of fell back and so by me not playing full out, I would fall back to my safety zone, which was getting a job and going back into medicine. And so I went back into medicine and then there was a nudge of when I was in medicine I didn't. When COVID hit, I didn't want to be in Western medicine, so that nudge led me to functional medicine and that nudge led me to getting certifications and really diving into functional nutrition and getting my certification for personal training and wellness coaching. So I followed the knock, but then I fell back and then there was a nudge and I kept going with that Fast forward. Years later, here we are. I'm in South Carolina and I landed a job at a functional medicine clinic and it was amazing and I absolutely loved it. So I really stopped focusing on the personal training and wellness coaching and I stayed up on my social media and then I started doing it on the side and I started getting momentum again and I really started enjoying the connection again. Three weeks ago I got fired from that functional medicine job.
Speaker 1:So that was my rhino and it came out of the blue and it was a blow to my heart, to my ego. You know all the things I'm like. Why, god Like what? What did I do? And their reason for letting me go if you listened to last week's or the previous podcast, their reason was because we feel like we're holding you back, we feel like we're stifling you and, in hindsight, that was my rhino. God is like hello, lorraine, you are not supposed to be working a W-2 job. You need to focus at home. You need to steward your home and make sure that's a sanctuary. You need to be focusing on coaching and speaking Like that was my rhino.
Speaker 1:So what in your life has been the knock, the nudge and the rhino? And where in your life are you not playing full out? And are you listening to all the podcasts and reading all the books, but you're not living it out? What is it? Where is it in your life that you're not playing full out and what do you need to do? Here's some of the things that I have done that have helped me is making sure the people that I surround myself with are doing the things that I want to do, living the life that I want to live, and I don't mean this in a comparison, I mean this in you need to be able to touch your dream. You need to surround yourself with people that are going to expand you, not keep you held back and held down, because those aren't friends, that's not a circle of friends, that's a jail and they're holding you back. So make sure that you're surrounding yourself with the people that are living the way that you want to live and I don't mean in a materialistic way, I just mean in an expansive way. People that are going to encourage you to keep going, keep trying, keep learning, keep growing. People that are going to push you in your faith, who are going to pray with you, pray over you. People that are going to really help you. Live in your purpose and you should be doing the same thing. Live in your purpose and you should be doing the same thing.
Speaker 1:Also, I want to touch on a couple of things about like busyness and so many of the high achieving women that I work with and that I surround myself with. They strive so much for success but they are neglecting themselves at the same time, and that kind of goes along with what I started off with about how there's a difference between studying the personal development and actually living it, and a lot of personal development talks about your health and your wellness. Right, so you can be successful and your business can be booming. You can be an amazing stay-at-home mom and you're doing all the things, and you have beautiful Pinterest parties and you're so good at all the things that you do, but you neglect yourself and you neglect your health, and, at the end of the day, if you don't have your health, you're not going to have anything. All the success won't matter because you're neglecting yourself, and so I really want to encourage you also to take your health into consideration and make that a top priority.
Speaker 1:Get the lab work done. Figure out what's going on, you know, as we're approaching our 40s and beyond done. Figure out what's going on. As we're approaching our 40s and beyond, everything starts changing and shifting and your hormones change. I would encourage you to maybe find a functional medicine practitioner or a functional nutritionist, because they look deeper, they look beyond the normal basic labs. You might have lab work done and it might seemingly say it's normal, but you don't feel right. That doesn't mean it's normal. There's something else going on. So, taking a deeper look, a deeper dive into your lab work, changing your nutrition, changing the way you work out, but ultimately you're showing up for yourself and you're pouring back into yourself and your health.
Speaker 1:Another thing that you can do to help step into this purpose and to lean into your gifting um is to maintain that positive mindset, and what I mean by that is look for ways that you're qualified. Look for things to be grateful for and the things that you have. You know there's breath in your lungs. God didn't waste a day on you, so don't waste an opportunity to give back to God in a way you know. But find three wins each day.
Speaker 1:I want you to, at the end of the day, journal out what happened that day that you're grateful for and what happened that day that you want to remember and never be settled Like. Don't settle. There's a difference between settling and being content. I want you to be content, yes, for what the Lord has given you and what you have built, but don't settle. I want you to keep growing and keep evolving.
Speaker 1:Figure out what it is that you really truly love. Ask yourself what excites you, what do you absolutely love to do? And start doing that, that dream that you have. You got to touch the dream. So, if it's a big house, go in a neighborhood with a bunch of big houses and just drive around and envision yourself living there. If it's, you want to travel more. Book a weekend away and go somewhere you've never been before and journal, journal, journal, journal out what the life that you want to live looks like and what does it feel like, and really envision it and feel it. Because when you have that visceral reaction and you think about these things, eventually they will start to come, because if you can think it, you can achieve it. I promise you that.
Speaker 1:And while you're doing all this, I want you to love who you are while you're becoming who you are becoming Again. God did not mess up on you. You are not a mistake and you were divinely created for a divine purpose. And this whole time that we're here, if you're a believer, you are being sanctified. So, instead of being so hard on yourself, on what you don't have, what you haven't accomplished, um, where you're not at, I want you to love who you are while you're becoming who you are becoming and invite God on that journey and what you're supposed to be doing. What does that look like? Ask him to give you wisdom on who you're supposed to be helping, how you're supposed to be helping them. You're supposed to be helping how you're supposed to be helping them, but just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen. I want you to remember that, because God is always working. God is always moving, and just because your dream hasn't come to fruition doesn't mean God is not in it. God anointed David as king 20 years before it had happened. Think about that. You might have been given a dream, you might have been anointed somehow or someone prophesied over you, you might have had a vision. But it's not happening it doesn't mean it's not working and it doesn't mean that God is not in it. So I want you to hold onto that.
Speaker 1:Think of it often, journal it out and ask God what is the next step? What do you need to be doing in order to get to the place where he has shown you or told you, or where you're wanting to go? And imagine what could happen if you fully committed to it. If you burn the bridge not the bridge, burn the boats, don't burn your bridges. But if you burn the boats and you stop going back to plan B, plan C, my backup plan, stop doing that, burn it, burn it all down and go for it. But imagine what could happen if you played full out, if you gave it all you got.
Speaker 1:And when you don't want to show up, when you don't want to do it, just remember that there's someone waiting for you. There's someone who needs to hear it, who needs to hear what you're going to say, what you want to say, what you're supposed to say, who needs to see you do it. If you're going to the gym and you get up and you don't want to go, there's someone there that sees you and notices you and when you're not there, you're missing out on that opportunity and your calling cannot be governed by your circumstance. So bad things happen. Bad things happen often. That's inevitable.
Speaker 1:But you can't stop just because an obstacle came or an adversity.
Speaker 1:Trust me, I've been knocked down plenty of times. I've got an 11 year old son that's watching me and he knows when I stop or when I quit. And I don't want him to become an adult where, even in his teenage years, and I tell him he can be or do anything he wants to be or do, and I don't want him to turn around and look at me and be like, well, why didn't you, why aren't you doing it? You know you did this coaching thing for a while and then he stopped, like, I want him to know and realize that I can be and do anything, that I want to be and do, and that I can get through hard things and so can you. So make an audacious ask Today. This week, I want you to do something big and bold and audacious, out of your comfort zone, whatever that is. Do it and don't give up on yourself and don't give up on your dream. Listen to the knock, maybe even the nudge, but I hope it's not a rhino that gets you to move.