The Health Hunt: Real Healing Journeys, Everyday Wellness & Expert Tips

Ep 15 - Overwhelmed by Wellness Advice? How to Start Healing with Small, Sustainable Steps with Debbie Roppo

• Sandi Magder and Daniel Schuman • Episode 15

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After a diagnosis or ongoing symptoms, many people are flooded with wellness advice and feel pressure to fix everything at once. In this episode, board-certified health and wellness coach, Debbie Roppo shares how to begin healing with small, sustainable steps, even when you're overwhelmed, exhausted or afraid of getting it wrong.

This is the final conversation in our 3-part series with Debbie. If you are new, spart with episode 13 to hear her full story.

Debbie explains why true healing and lifestyle change doesn’t come from rigid programs or perfection, it comes from baby steps, self-trust, nervous system safety, and learning how to be on your own side.

We talk about the mindset shifts that make healing sustainable, the power of incremental progress, and why feeling supported matters just as much as knowing what to do.

This is an episode for anyone who has ever thought:

“I know what I should do… but I don’t know where to start.”

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

  • Why Debbie doesn’t believe in strict health programs
  • The coaching method she uses to create sustainable change
  • How “baby steps” can transform chronic illness recovery
  • Why shame and perfectionism keep people stuck
  • The importance of feeling safe, seen, and supported
  • How language and identity shape health outcomes
  • Redefining success when you’re navigating chronic symptoms
  • Debbie’s “Inner Empire” approach to health, resilience, and energy
  • A real and raw conversation about self-compassion and progress

This Episode Is Especially Meaningful If You’re Navigating:

  • Chronic pain orchronic illness
  • Autoimmune disease and inflammation
  • Burnout, overwhelm, or nervous system dysregulation
  • Lifestyle changes that feel impossible to maintain
  • Health anxiety and fear of failure
  • Mind-body healing and emotional wellness
  • Habit change and sustainable wellness routines

Connect with Debbie Roppo

Debbie is a board-certified health and wellness coach and founder of The Inner Empire, where she helps women build sustainable health, clarity, and resilience from the inside out.

Text us your thoughts, questions, or takeaways. We read every message.

All views, opinions, and commentary expressed on The Health Hunt Podcast are solely those of the hosts. They are shared in a personal capacity and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of any current or former employer, including any organizations with which the hosts may be professionally affiliated.

Connect with the Health Hunt

Sandi Magder

Welcome

Intro: Baby Steps, Healing, and Grief (Kiko Tribute)

Sandi Magder

back to the Health Hunt, where we talk about health like real people, not a wellness highlight reel. This is part three of our conversation with Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Debbie Rope. And if you've been following the series, you already know Debbie's story started with a life-changing diagnosis, and a moment when doctors tried to rewrite the ending for her. But in this episode, it's about what happens after the shock. Because whether it's an autoimmune diagnosis, chronic pain, anxiety, burnout, or symptom you just can't explain, there's a point where you're staring at your life thinking, okay, now what? In this conversation, Debbie shares what most people really need. It's not another strict plan, not another impossible checklist, but a way to rebuild trust with your body and make changes that actually stick. We talk about baby steps, identity, self-talk, and why feeling safe and supported might be more healing than the perfect protocol. And yes, we somehow end up talking about meatballs, mocktails, and dessert for dinner. Because obviously we do. Okay, now you know I have to say this. The Health Hunt Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. We're not medical professionals, and nothing shared should be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health. Before we begin, I just want to share something personal because Dan and I believe that sharing our raw and authentic selves is really one of the backbones of this podcast. So as I'm recording this, I am moving through the loss of my sweet dog Kiko. We transitioned yesterday. And right now, I have to tell you the grief is all encompassing. Grief has a way of reminding you that even when you're doing all the right things, life still shows up. Your heart still breaks. You still have days where just getting through is enough. So if you're listening to this episode in a season of grief, whether it's the loss of a person, a fur baby, a version of your health, or just the life you thought you'd have, I really want you to know you are not alone. And you don't have to be perfect to keep going. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take the next small step and give yourself grace. Okay, let's get into part three with Debbie Ropeau.

One Thing at a Time: Baby Steps That Stick

Sandi Magder

I want to hear more about how you work with your clients to get them in a mindset of being informational about, let's say, again, mold, toxic product, all like to be able to address these things with them and teach them knowledge, but also at the same time making sure that they understand they could maybe just do one thing at a time. I you saw actually saw something on Instagram yesterday that was like this about small habits or small wins. And I'm I I think it would be valuable for you to share how you bring that into your practice.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah. Um one of the things that I think is really important is that when I first work with a client, I I have a wheel that I created, and there's 12 um, you know, pillars that I look at and I interview them deeply. I want to know if you were a C-section baby. I want to know it all, right? I get all this data and all this information from you. And then I don't choose what you should do. And this is something I think that's different from most health coaches. A lot of coaches have a program. Okay, this is what we're gonna go through. I don't find that to be realistic because every client, again, is bioindividual. So it depends on which client it is. And we go with baby steps. What's the out of I'll give them three or four ideas? What's the lowest hanging fruit? What do you feel is the easiest? Oh, I could do that, no problem. I I I could adjust that. And it's interesting, and I'm gonna share one story with you if it's okay about a specific client. So I had a client who came in and

The Donut Story: Why Small Wins Matter

Debbie Roppo

she was eating a dozen donuts a day. She would eat, yeah, a box of donuts a day. And uh she's we had some things, we talked, we did all these different things. What are we gonna do? We just had this beautiful conversation. What we got to was we are gonna switch out one donut for a piece of fruit. That was our starting point. She goes, she starts doing that whole week, all week long. She switched out one donut for or one piece of fruit for one of the donuts. She went to, she did it for the whole week and she starts the second week. Are you ready to do that? No, I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready to go with two. Okay, all right, stick with your one. Great, good, let's do it. She goes to a church outing, and there's uh someone in the medical field, and they tell her how terrible it is that she's eating all these donuts, and she starts to eat the 12 donuts again. And the point of this story is that that baby step of changing out that one donut for that piece of fruit was huge, even though it maybe physically wasn't that big of a deal. Because mentally she was successful. I could do that, I could do that. This woman reversed it from one piece of fruit. Now she's doing two pieces of fruit. And was it should she be eating 12 pieces of fruit a day? Of course not. But is it better than 12 donuts? Hell yes. And I think that this is a powerful part of this. Baby steps. Choose one little thing. It's kind of like a snowball. You just choose this one little thing that's very doable. I've had clients who I've the no movement, they literally don't move at all. They're uh using scooters, right? And we started with putting your shoes on, your sneakers on. And that's all she did for the first week. She put her sneakers on and then took her sneakers off. Wow. That was it. The next one, she

Sneakers First: Start Movement Without Overwhelm

Debbie Roppo

put her sneakers on and she put a timer on for five minutes. She walked out for five minutes, the timer went off, she walked back in. Then she started walking after a while, then she's walking seven minutes out and seven minutes in. And now she's walking 13 and then she's walking 20. It's better to do it in baby steps than to try to overhaul everything. You can white knuckle it for about three days, and then you quit and you're off the program. That's why I don't do a program because you're either on the program or you're off the program. We're never on a program. We're just making different lifestyle changes that work. Yeah. One baby step at a time. And everyone's different. Some women come in and they're like, give me five things. I'm ready. Let's go. And we can make move much faster, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Dan Schuman

Just a really quick Liam, which part of your or how much of your practice for coaching is on the extremes? You know, 12 donuts a day, um, something akin to that. Is is there a lot of the extremes that come in, or is it people that come in that want to optimize and have are less of that?

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, it's it's not when I first started, it was because when I first started practicing, I was looking, my kind of target woman was women with diagnoses, someone that's been diagnosed. And I've morphed throughout my 10-year career. Uh, I now really work with uh women that are leaders, that are business women, and I work as um your uh as health as part of your business strategy. It's not something we put on the back burner, someday I'll get healthy, but actually part of your uh business strategy. So I don't get as much of that now. Um, but when I first started, I got a lot of very, very extreme cases of people coming in. Um, and that's just one of, you know, part of the coaching that is most powerful is you get people come in and they're really have no hope. They're hopeless. They, and and and you're able to help move, help them move forward. Uh, but most of the time now the women, um, they're not, they're it's not so much a diagnosis, it's a lot of symptoms, a lot of lack of energy. It's I know I'm, I know, I I know that I know that I know that I need to start taking care of myself, but I just keep putting it on the back burner.

Sandi Magder

Um, yeah. So I I

Atomic Habits + Fear of Failure

Sandi Magder

love this conversation about little habits. And you mentioned atomic habits. That's a great book for anybody that's interested in that because it's it's incremental changes and also celebrating wins because it's really easy to say, oh, I failed at doing this thing this week and miss sight of the things that you did well. And I think as a, you know, a good health coach or a coach of any kind knows how to focus on that. And I it probably depends on the people, but I'm someone I talked about in my childhood. I don't do well with anything that has a potential point of failure. I just know this about myself. And so I don't like rigid programs. I don't like anything where I could potentially have to deal with. I have enough self-criticism and shame internally. I'm working on these things, but that's there enough that I can't put myself in a place where there's a potential benchmark of a failure. And so, you know, you and I have talked about this. One of the things that I enjoyed about working with you is that every week I would show up and we would just deal with whatever I felt like dealing with that week. It wasn't like now we're on week three and here's the things. And I also didn't have to feel like, you know, shit, I didn't eat anything red today. Because I think that's, I think that's what makes people stop. And especially even working with a coach, if you feel like you're

Coaching That Works: Questions, Safety, Flexibility

Sandi Magder

gonna be judged or you have to feel shame about something you didn't do or did do, you ate the 12th donut, you're more likely to quit because you don't want to have to face that person. So some people do well and they need accountability, but I think a lot of other people, there's a happy combination of that where you feel like someone's listening to you and you know, you were really great at shifting on the fly and just kind of dealing with whatever. Sometimes I just need to talk. Yeah, you know, and it's that's important. So anyone who's looking for a coach, I mean, obviously go to Debbie, that would be my recommendation, but just in general, you have to find someone that makes you feel good and that you leave your sessions feeling uplifted and not bad about yourself because they know how to like your superpower is listening and listening to the words and understanding what somebody's mindset is and helping them reframe that. But if someone isn't good at that, you're not the chances of success are very low, and you're gonna leave those encounters feeling worse than you did going in.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, you know, I I think that that's it's interesting because I I truly, when I first started working, I was going to fix people. That's what I was gonna do. I'm gonna work with them, I'm gonna tell them what to do, I'm gonna fix them, and then they're gonna be so happy and healthy, and it's gonna be rainbows and sunshine. That's what I planned on. That's what I was hoping for. After working for this many years, what I now know is every person knows themselves best. They know what's best. And and I know that some people think, oh my God, no, I don't. I really don't know what's best for me, right? I know you might feel that way, but that's my job is I help bring that out. So when a client comes in, I say this, and as Sandy knows, the very one of the first things I say each week is I've got some ideas of what we could talk about, but I'm really curious, like, what do you what's up for you right now? Because they know. So let's say, just like you said, I walk into a client walks, sits down, and I want to talk about rainbow eating today. And they just had a death in their family. I could talk about rainbow eating all day long, and that week they're never gonna even think about rainbow eating. They've got to deal with, okay, all right. So I've I've started this process, I started doing these few things, and then this tragic thing happened. How do I still function with this tragic thing? Okay, good. Let's, let's, let's walk through that piece. Right. So that's why it has to be fluid. If it's this set regimented, this is what we're doing today. Oh gosh, you know, you whatever, something came up. Oh, too bad. We're not we're gonna pretend like that didn't happen. We're just gonna go with our program. It makes no sense to me. Do I have an idea? Of course, I always have ideas of what I want to talk about or what I want to bring up, but I always, what is the client? The client is absolutely the wisest. And I think this is important to know it to to really, and I think that you guys do this really well here. You are your best doctor. You know best. You know better than the doctor, you know better than I do. You know. Now, sometimes you might not trust yourself, and that's what a great coach really does is brings out, you know, the empowers you. You feel like shit, wait a minute. Okay, yeah, I actually do know. And I'll ask questions after questions after questions. I'd rather ask you five questions and make you pull out what is the answer than to tell you. Because if I tell you, okay, but if I get you to tell yourself, whole different ballgame.

Sandi Magder

Well, and I think that's the mark of a great coach as well, is bringing because people will say something, and you know, there's an exercise of why. So you say something and you're like, well, but why? And then you take it and you know, you sort of take it like five steps deeper. That's really important because sometimes you see things on the surface and it's not really at the core of the issue. And so you need to be able to extract that. And I think again, that's sort of the mark of a good coach. And if someone had a death in their family telling them to eat a carrot to make sure they got their orange food in, like that's not gonna help. You know, a good coach is somebody who helps somebody receive the information. So A, the timing has to be right and the information has to be right, it has to be addressing what they're dealing in the moment. So it's like what you said is very spot on, and it's it's very important. And I think that's another reason why people fail in what they're doing, because there's just a disconnect between what's happening in their life and the information they're getting. And you can speak as eloquently and as brilliantly as you possibly ever could, but if somebody's not in the space to receive it, you may as well be speaking Chinese to someone who doesn't speak Chinese.

Dan Schuman

So, Santa,

Listening, Validation, and No Judgment

Dan Schuman

you said something about um being a good listener. So powerful. I would tell you from a business capacity, just because it made me think of a story, a little thought bubble I had is um I used to give presentations in in my business capacity. And uh after my presentations, I used to ask everyone, does anyone have any questions? And there were probably six people in the room, five people would ask questions and they challenge me. And there was always one person that was quiet. And I'd be like, he didn't ask any questions. So after the meeting, I'd walk up to him and be like, you know, you didn't say anything. I mean, do you have any questions for me? And he was listening and he asked the best questions and told me and gave me the best advice about how to proceed forward. And he, it's always the person that's the most quiet in the room that's the good listener. And so I just wanted to share that that listening is the superpower.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah. I I to be quite I'll tell you my favorite part about my job is listening. To listen to a woman's story about where she's at and what she's experiencing and how it's showing up for her, I feel I feel like the luckiest human in the world that I get to do that. It's such an honor. And I think that as a coach, if we can feel that way, that we are in a position of we're hearing someone's story about where they're at and where they are physically, mentally, emotionally, all of these things, it's such a uh it's like a gem. It's it's it's this it's this place that you really, really want to hold it with great respect and honor. And I think if you can feel that way and you truly in your heart, uh, I think that will help a client more than all the freaking advice you can give them.

Sandi Magder

Well, that's another weight because I think, especially as women who were taught to just like, you know, put up and shut up and do, do, do, and do all the things and care. And, you know, it doesn't matter if you've got if you're not feeling well, there's something about being heard. And probably women that have opened up to you, maybe the first time they've ever felt safe to do so, and then to have it validated. You know, that's that is uh profound on a level that people, unless you really deeply think about it, might not even understand. But the power of that, just being heard and understood, and again, the validation is like that's that's key.

Debbie Roppo

And not judged. Not judged. I can't tell you how many clients have told me things that would rock your world, shock you, right? Just shock you. And I remember one client, she told me something that a lot of people would have just judged insanely. And I one, I've been through so much and I've seen so much that a lot of things don't shock me. So um, but when I heard her, I don't have any judgment towards her, none whatsoever, zero. And she the next week she said, Debbie, the fact that you heard me and didn't judge me, allow me to forgive myself, right? And that's huge, huge. That's game changing in your mind. I mean, yeah, I I I have no judgment. Holy smokes, the path I've taken, are you kidding me? I have no room for judgment. And I think that that's an important piece to find somebody where you can be really vulnerable and open and feel like I can just spill this out.

Sandi Magder

And they're just there's no judgment, no judgment there. Yeah, because I think if anyone's even a little bit like me, you're carrying around enough self-judgment that this is always like criticism has been hard for me because I already know all the things in the places where I'm terrible. So I don't need you to tell me that, right? So like I'm operating it 100% with the criticism bucket is full. Like there's no I know I know that about myself. Like please don't. And so that's I think when someone shows up and doesn't judge you and add to that bucket that's already full and helps you start to siphon it out. That's the mark of a good coach. And that's the kind of partner that you want on any health journey. Again, whether it's just that you want to feel better, sleep better, or whether you have an actual diagnosis. So I appreciate it.

Debbie Roppo

And you can put that wall down then. You know, you can put the wall down. You can say, okay, oh, I'm gonna maybe I can explore this really honest, right? I can really, I can do this because I'm safe here. And I think that's an important piece to for health. Again, it's not just about the physical stuff, it's about the safety. How do you feel? Do you feel safe? Can you speak to? And we were talking about finding a doctor. Can you can you really talk to your doctor? Can you tell them what you're thinking? Or are you, is it okay for you to ask questions? Do you feel judged if you're asking questions? You need to be able to do that. And I think that's a part of your health plan.

Sandi Magder

Yeah, and I think that's why you're good at really getting down to the nitty-gritty of it, because when you create a safe space, people are going to talk about things that they wouldn't have talked about, right? And so they might just come in and say, I want to lose weight. But, you know, there's a million reasons why that's a even a problem and why they want to do that. And so if you can't get them past the surface level of that discussion, it's really hard to get to the root of the problem. And we talk, you know, we love functional medicines. So we love root causes and digging in, and I just that's very important.

unknown

Yeah.

Sandi Magder

So I want to we circle

Redefining Success + The 12 Pillars Wheel

Sandi Magder

back to something we kind of talked about. And it's about like what does success look like? Because we talked about how it's important to reframe health as a moving target and not a hard and firm goal because then you're setting yourself up for failure. So I'm curious to know sort of your position on how do you get people to be okay with wherever they are at a given time. Yeah. Boy, that's so powerful.

Debbie Roppo

I think that it's boy, another golden ticket, both.

Sandi Magder

Oh my god, I'll give I'll give this one a dance.

Debbie Roppo

Now we both have one. Yay. Right. Because it's it's for me, success is allowing yourself to be where you are. It that it's not uh, oh, you're at this level, you're here, you're eating this well, you're doing this. Okay, once you get to this, then you're successful. To to be where you are and be okay with, okay, this is my starting point, this is where I'm at, this is the step I'm on, I'm good. Let me just look at this step. This is what just like you know, when you're looking at a mountaintop, right? You if you look at how far you gotta go, yay, yay, yay, holy smokes, it's huge. It's that it's ridiculous. But if you're just looking at, all right, I just gotta get right there, just that one little spot. To me, that's what success is, where you, when it comes to how, if you can just be okay, no matter where you're at, and say, This is where I'm at, it's okay. This is my starting point. Let's go. That's it. That to me is success. That's what health success is. Where I'm at right now, do I have further to go? Hell yes. But I don't worry about that. I'm just, how am I doing today? How's today?

Sandi Magder

Yeah. How am I doing right now? That makes it easier. And I think so. You had mentioned the you know, the wheel that you show people when they first start. And you, I think you have it's like different areas of your life and you rate them. Different, yeah, 12 pillars. Yeah. So that that I think is important because if you're implementing the approach that you talk about with very small incremental steps, it's kind of like where you can't see yourself aging, right? You're you you you're looking at yourself day by day. And so if you look at a picture from 30 years ago versus now, then you can see the difference. But on a day-by-day basis, you can't. And so that wheel and that as a tool or any way you would do it, even if you write down where you are on day one, I think that actually helps you look back and reflect on the change that you may not have otherwise seen and be able to then celebrate those wins.

Debbie Roppo

Yes. I I love the wheel because when I have a client do it at the very first, and then we we do it again at the end. And it's incredible to watch. You know, I just had a one woman do it not that long ago. And, you know, if she moved from a three in one area to a nine and right to see the progress and to see your changing. And I think it's another point. What I love about the the wheel and the different 12 pillars is, you know, one of them is uh relationships. Maybe that's the area that you're ready to look at because you're not ready to look at nutrition and movement and this area, right? You just kind of choose which area is best for you, what what's going to work for you. And then feeling, because then you can say, maybe you're starting out with this, and you're well, you know what, I'm really good at this. You do that wheel and you're like, okay, maybe I'm suck here, here, here, here, here, here. But you know what? I'm really good here. I do this well, and we celebrate that. We don't just focus, okay. What do you need to fix? I I I just don't like to fix it. That's not the way I I think. I just don't. I really think about uh we celebrate where you're at. I don't care if you're at a freaking one in that area. We're at a one. And I'll ask clients, they'll say, Oh, I'm I'm at a three in this area. I'll ask them, well, why aren't you a one? Why didn't you choose one? And they always expect me, they always stumble because they always expect you to say, Well, you know, why aren't you a seven? Well, then you have to talk about all the reasons negative. But if I say, Oh, you know, you're a if I say for a zest for life, I'm a five at a zest for life, well, why aren't you a three? Well, because I have. And you start talking about the well, well, gosh, I'm not gonna say three because this, this, this, and this, and that elevates the I love this.

Sandi Magder

I'm sorry, I just got really excited to yell into the microbiotic. I I know because as you're saying it, I'm imagining it, like I I love that. And even just picking something that like, because we always think about all the the deficiencies in our lives. We don't necessarily think that there's actually one area that's positive. And so when you put it in that perspective, then you get to have a win out of the gate. Again, even if you're even if you're only a five and everything else is a one, well, you're still a five somewhere. So yay, there's you're actually doing great somewhere. And that's such a oh, I love that as a perspective.

Debbie Roppo

I think that's because we can, especially, you know, we're we're strong, we're we we want to be successful, we want all these great things in our lives, and we and we have our bodies don't feel that way. And you can say, Oh, I'm not, I'm, I'm failing. But wait, you're not really. There's actually some beautiful things in your life, there's incredible growth and wonderful things happening in your life, and that's part of your health journey. Your health journey is not just your physical body, it's so many, it's so much more than that. We know this now.

Lightning Round: Meatballs, Mocktails, Self-Talk, and Nervous System Tools

Sandi Magder

God, I love this so much. Okay. So something that Dan and I, and this is Dan gets credit for this, but something we decided we want to do with our guests. It's kind of like a get to know you. So we're gonna do a bit of a lightning round of just some questions so we can hear about things about you. So, okay, your favorite food or go-to restaurant.

Debbie Roppo

My favorite food by far is my husband's meatballs. Oh, okay. And he made about 160 of them today. So I was just walking around eating meatballs.

Sandi Magder

Okay, we know what you'll be doing later. Good. Okay, she's gonna get off this call and she's gonna go eat meatballs. I love it. Okay. Uh, a TV show that you swear everybody should watch.

Debbie Roppo

Okay. Um I don't watch television. I knew you were gonna say that. Yeah, I don't watch television, but I recently did watch a movie that most people may, I don't know, many people might, it's sad, but was powerful. It's called uh You're Not You and Hillary Swank. And it's she has a she's diagnosed with ALS. So I I don't watch television, but I do watch movies, and that was a movie that really moved me and was a beautiful, powerful movie that I recently watched. So I throw that out at it.

Sandi Magder

I mean, that literally sounds on topic because you're dealing with someone who got a horrible diagnosis and then had to I haven't watched it yet, but I'm imagining that there's some sort of jerk. So I'm gonna go watch that because there's probably it's sad as hell.

Debbie Roppo

Trust me. I mean, if you're if you don't like, yeah, if you don't like sad movies, but it's powerful. It's so powerful. Okay, well, that's a good one.

Sandi Magder

So favorite uh musician or song that like always hit because I can see you as someone who puts on a favorite song to rev yourself up. So what might that be?

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, that's interesting because um I never need to. I know. Okay, well, there's that. Okay, so where's never mind that? Actually, it's just the opposite. I listen to I'll put Zen music on to help me slow to to lower myself. Because I do, I love what I do. I live and breathe it. I I have to pull, I literally have to like shut the laptop lid and walk away from my job because I I I know the changes, I see the changes in women, and I get so excited. So for me, it really is I put Zen music on to slow it down because I I my rev is not.

Sandi Magder

I I actually really love that. That's such a like out-of-the-box answer, but it it's very fitting. And I I just want to say, I mean, I know your work, and so and I know how much you love it, and I it's like the world's gotta be grateful for all of the people that you're helping because it's it's important work that you're doing, you know. So that's like we appreciate that because we're here to help people in whatever way we can. And that's you know you've made that your life's work and you've out of your own health crisis, which is, you know, it's very special. So moving on to another question a a wellness habit that you genuine genuinely love. What's your like you got something you gotta do for you?

Debbie Roppo

I'm super nice to me. Oh, good one. I out loud say things like, you if I do some fake that I do, I'll be like, you are incredible, you know. Or if I walk past the mirror, I'll be like, uh, I adore you out loud. And I know that might scare people, and I'm maybe a little embarrassed even to admit it, but that's what I do. That's my favorite. I I stroke my ego. I and this was something I did not used to do, but I do now. I am, I adore me. And I think that's my favorite health hack is uh, I really, really am nice to me. I am super new, super nice to me. And if I fall and make a mistake, I used to say, Oh, you're a stupid shit. You stupid shit, right? And now I fall and make a mistake, and I'm like, ah, you're such a good trer. You get the participation award. Yay you. Yay! Good go get a blue ribbon. You could, you, you tried, you good job. So I think that's my favorite.

Sandi Magder

But that just in the work that I do, I understand how powerful that is. So again, I really want to be you when I grow up because that's to get to that shift. And I'm the same thing. I I realize the things that I say to myself, I would never say to anybody else. Just like never, even someone I don't like probably wouldn't say it. Like, but I try and saying it to myself and believing it. So that's I appreciate you sharing that because that's that's important.

Dan Schuman

Okay. I think we're gonna the health hunt might might buy Debbie a parrot to put in her um her office or wherever she is currently, and then we'll take it back for you in six months and we'll know everything you're saying because it'll I'm just thinking of part, just bl blurting out whatever Debbie says. All the affirmations are nice.

Sandi Magder

Go for it. Yeah, I love it.

Dan Schuman

So funny.

Sandi Magder

You're amazing. I yeah, I love it. I let's get that. I mean, I'm afraid of I'm afraid of parents, but never mind that. It won't it can live at your house, Dan, because I don't want to scare me. Okay. Okay, so something that you're currently working on in your own health journey.

Debbie Roppo

That's a powerful one. Um, for me right now, it's stopping. Oh, good. Slowing down, unplugging. Um, again, when you love what you do, uh, it can get, you know, just this last week, I'm on two podcasts and I've had multiple networking events, and I've had brunches, and I'm uh, you know, collaborating and and working with clients, and and we are human and all of it is data. And so to unplug, that's a piece that I'm really, really, really focused on. It's something that I have to consciously pay attention to. Um, I'll get up in the morning and I jump into my office and I'm doing my uh, you know, my rituals that I do in the morning because I always have that, and then I'm supposed to meditate, right? That's what I need to do, and I know I need to do it. And it and and I have to fight sometimes because I just want to get into work. I'm so excited about what I'm doing. And I have to make no stop, let yourselves relax, get yourself slowed down, girl, and then go.

Sandi Magder

So that's stop. That's important. So that's a lesson to everybody, even the energizer, energizer bunny that is Debbie Rope needs to stop and recharge. Yeah. Because that's important. And so you just mentioned ritual, because that's kind of my next question. Like, what's a simple ritual that grounds you? Is that the meditation? Is it the music?

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, it's um uh meditation with humming. So I breathe in, and when I breathe out, I do a little hum noise. Uh the that vibration is the vagus nerve. Yeah, I just missed that. Yeah, I got that vagus nerve run through there. So I really yeah, right, right. So I just breathe in and I mmm and I just very quietly just do that meditation, and it is just the most incredible reset. And I can do it in moments too, right? If I'm uh I I'm blessed, I don't get doing things live or I just don't get nervous. I just just don't. It's just not my, I don't know, it's just not my way. I I don't know, I guess it's because I like myself so much. That sounds so prideful. We were like, oh my God, how rude. You know, but I just, you know, I'm okay with me. My flaws, I'm good with them. It's all right. But when there's a lot, or if I get really stressed or something happens, I'll just a little hum. I like that. And it just, oh, it's incredible how calming it is for me.

Sandi Magder

Yeah. And you just said something too about how I think we're taught to not think too highly of ourselves. Somebody at some point decided that that is boastful and bragging and that you have to be humble. And like I find myself apologizing. I'm I'm working on taking compliments because right now I want to deflect and hide and run away, and I don't think they're authentic, and it's it's it's difficult. And so, you know, again, we were we were taught that somewhere.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah. Yeah. The other day I was talking to a woman and we were discussing some things, and I said something, and oh, we were talking about business, and I was taught we're, you know, you know, there's I've got you, there's two parts to my business, right? So I've got health coaching, the health coaching, and then there's the business side, like, you know, making sure you're doing good job, you know, creating courses and and that challenging side of it. And and I said, I'm an incredible coach. And but the business side, that part is it's challenging and really hard. And the look on her face when I said, I'm an incredible coach, it she was almost like you could see, she was like, Oh, goodness. Right. Had the sense of boy, she's quite prideful over there. And I thought to myself, and I thought up, you know, even later about it. Just what you said, isn't it sad that we're in a society that we can't be proud of what we've accomplished and what we do? Not prideful. That's a whole different ballgame. I don't think I'm better than anybody, but I sure am proud of how far I've come. I'm extremely proud of how far I've come. I I'm a i i'm a different human being. That took an enormous, an enormous amount of work to get this far. So hell yes, I'm proud of myself.

Sandi Magder

You should be celebrated. And that's like, well, let's change that because that's whoever, whoever whoever decided that's an asshole. Yeah, for real. Bory. Okay, last question. It's kind of a fun one. A guilty pleasure treat that makes you happy. So you can circle if it's the meatballs, you know, you can have that for all things, but is there anything? Mocktails.

Debbie Roppo

Oh. I love mocktails. I'm so into them now. My ice cubes, I've got cranberries with rosemary in them. So when I put them in a glass and when I go out, I don't drink alcohol, but I I ask for a mocktail, and I absolutely love them. To me, it's the special treat. Oh, that's fun. I like that. Yeah, it's super fun.

Sandi Magder

They've got so many different kinds too. Okay, that's that's a fun one. Okay, so I know you talked about it a little bit, but I really want the audience to understand your work. And I know that you've shifted and you've talked about sort of you're working with women in business and and not so much necessarily focused on chronic conditions. But I I would just love you to in general kind of talk about your work, who it's geared towards, what the programs

Inner Empire: Health as Your Foundation (and Business Strategy)

Sandi Magder

are around.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, yeah. I my concept basically is the outer empire that you build. Whatever that is for you, I don't care what it is, is is only sustained by the inner empire that you create. That inner empire to me is the health of yourselves, what your mind work is, how you speak to yourself, right? All that part of it. And so that's really what I'm trying to help women see is that that outer empire that you want to build, whether it's a business, whether it's, you know, being uh uh living on a farm, I don't care what it is. I don't know what you what your outer empire looks like. We often try to build what we want and we put our health on the back burner. Like someday, as soon as I'm not busy, when I'm when I'm not busy, then I'll take care of myself. And what I really want to try to teach and what I work with women is to that part of your business strategy is taking care of yourself. How much energy do you have? Can you show up all day long with a bunch of energy and clarity and and you know that brain fog that women have and and the fatigue and the little symptoms, like little whispers of aches and pains, and a little the high the blood pressure is going up a little bit, and this is going up a little bit, and oh, I got diagnosed with osteoporosis, all these little things, right? How do we put those, how do we look at those and explore those so that your body is really, it's the foundation. And we it to me, it's it's incredible how we really do just it's kind of like going down the road and your gas, again, I'm in the car again, with analogy. We're going down the road and the gas tank's on empty and it's like, oh, there's a gas tank. Nope, I'm too busy. I'm too busy to get gas. I'm just gonna pass.

Sandi Magder

Yeah.

Debbie Roppo

Right? And then we're out in the desert, and it's like we uh we run out of gas and we're like, oh shit, I'm out in the desert. There's no place to I have no place to renew here. And I want to help women realize if stop at the gas station, get filled up, nourish your cells and your body and your mind and your spirit, and get yourself all jazzed up, your business, that's that's ROI right there. That's how by taking care of your body, and that's what I do. Um, that really outer empire is all determined by your inner empire.

Sandi Magder

I love that because it's it sounds like it should be obvious, but it's not. Right. And I I think even I'm I'm guessing some of your conversations sort of revolve around like the productivity culture. This thing that you have to be working 17 hours a day to be successful and the tool that that puts on you, and just being able to give yourself some grace that first of all, you're not productive for all of that time because you're burnt out. Like you said, you have brain fog. If you could find a way to focus on your own health, you could probably cut that in half and be more efficient, more productive.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah. I have one client just to share that she uh and she's giving me permission to share, of course, anything I ever share about a client, they've always given me permission. Um, she came to me and she was getting paid $25,000 for her keynote speaking events, and she was traveling the world and she just kept pushing. She had a little symptom here, a little symptom here, a little symptom here. And now she crashed. She can't hardly leave her house. She's physically got some very serious things going on because bless her heart, she just, you know, just didn't look and we again just kept putting things on the back burner. Oh, well, someday I'll take care of someday. And now she's she's not out there making that money anymore. That's that's that's she's not, right? And and that's part of what this is all about. Again, it's about being able to, if it's business, if it's being a mom, if it's being a partner, whatever that outer empire looks like, you've got to have this inside you. You've got to have the ability to do it. And and uh, and and we're reversing that now. And now she's in and things are changing

How to Work with Debbie + Inner Empire Group Program

Debbie Roppo

for her. I love that so much. That's okay.

Sandi Magder

So if you are that woman or really anybody with anything they want to improve, how do they work with Debbie Rope?

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, you can find me anywhere on Instagram, I'm on uh Facebook, and I'm on LinkedIn and my website. Everything's Debbie Ropo Health Coach. If you look at any of those, you'll find me there. And um, I actually am, I don't know when you guys are uh we're actually doing this live. I'm we're we're recording this, so I don't know when this will go live, but I have a uh the inner empire first quarter experience starting in January 6th. And I'm inviting six women into a private group, and we will work together weekly for the first quarter to work on the 12 pillars. Each week we have one pillar, and it is all of my work put into this.

Sandi Magder

I am very excited about this. Okay, well, as someone who has taken one of your programs, I can tell you they're very well put together. And just also, if you've never done a group program, there's something extremely special about a collaborative environment like that where you get to see other women on their journey and hear what they have to say and share in like an open forum like that. So like I'm a hard yes on that, is a great thing. And just working with you. So that's a great thing to be doing. And just for everyone, we're gonna put all of Debbie's contact information in the show notes so you don't have to worry about writing it down.

Dan Schuman

Okay. Is that also the meatball recipe in the show notes? Do we get that? The meatball recipes?

Sandi Magder

He's gotta we we need uh authorization to get that meatball recipe. He might be it might be a family secret.

Debbie Roppo

Oh uh I I couldn't, I'm sorry, Dan. I didn't hear, I couldn't hear what you said. Yes. Uh oh man, his meatballs. I'm telling you. Impressive.

Dan Schuman

Arm twist. I mean, we'd love meatballs in the show

One Takeaway + Health Confessions (80/20 Is Perfection)

Dan Schuman

notes.

Sandi Magder

So okay. So I just want to get some kind of last minute listener takeaways. And so just think about like if someone takes nothing else from this episode, what do you think is maybe the most, and we covered a lot of ground, so this might be a tricky one, but like what do you think is maybe the most important takeaway that you would like to share?

Debbie Roppo

You're okay where to start where you're at. That that that's good. You you don't, it doesn't matter where you are, um to just start where you are. Just whatever step you're on is okay, uh, and and that there is a next step. And and that's enough. Uh uh I know that maybe I sh there I could say something grand and exciting and all this bold, but I I think that's the most important thing. That just have just know that it's okay to be where you're at and and and just know that there's one more step. We're just looking to take that one more step and and that that's enough. And that's good because that's how we that's how we do everything, right? One step at a time. You don't take a hundred steps, so you take one step, and that's okay.

Sandi Magder

That's good. I had some other questions, but that really just covered it. So I'm gonna leave it at that. And the last thing we're gonna end on, this is something that Dan and I want to start incorporating into our episodes, is a health confession. So he and I will go first, and you know, because we want you to know, but we know we're advocating for all of these different health things, but we are not perfect. And so mine is that last night I'd ordered some Greek food and I got a bowl, which was a bunch of vegetables and things, so that was healthy. I also got Greek fries because I just really like French fries with fetichies on them. And the place that I ordered from was next to my house, and I let an Uber Eats driver deliver it instead of walking the point five miles there or even walking to my car and driving there. So That's that is my health profession of the week. I love it.

Dan Schuman

Nice. Um as Sandy knows, last night I sent a bunch of text messages out to people, random people, and declared that I was having dessert for dinner. Um I know I oftentimes don't do that, but I had a sweet tooth. I'm like, you know what? Tonight is dessert for dinner. And so I wanted to get some affirmation, some I want people to talk me through it. I'm like, I'm gonna do this. And I did it. And I got Wits Frozen Custard, which is a local custard shop uh down here in South Florida. Um I'm from Wisconsin, so I'm a custard kid. I grew up with it, and uh it was um cookie dough and brownie bites and fudge and a base of the vanilla, and that was dinner, and I loved every second of it.

Sandi Magder

I support that. Like I said to you in my text message when you texted me, I support that. And also that's that is the benefit of being an adult. You get to do that when you're seven and you tell your parents that's what you want to do, you usually get shut down, but good for you.

Debbie Roppo

Yeah, yeah. Um I think my guilt, I one, I don't feel guilty about it at all because I do 20%. So 20% of my diet, I don't care what it is. Yesterday I had some incredible Swiss cake. I was at a brunch and it was sweet and delicious and icing and everything, and I enjoyed it and I had zero guilt about it. Um yeah, I I I'll eat a research, I'll whatever. Who cares? Yay, and I think that's the important part about this, right? It's there's perfection is 8020. 8020 is perfection.

Sandi Magder

Okay, well, I as everything else you said today, I love that as well. So thank you for sharing. And now I I might have uh dessert for dinner tonight too, after those two items. So thank you so much for being here and for being our first guest and for supporting the podcast and me and just being an awesome person, an awesome friend, and I'm grateful for you. And this was just like a delight. And so I hope all of our guests are this lovely.

Dan Schuman

Really, really appreciate it.

Debbie Roppo

Um, I before we I do want to thank the two of you for what you're bringing in to the world, right? We as people that have journeyed through a health diagnosis and that you're sharing yourself so honestly and vulnerable and with without this prideful, like I know it all kind of way, just this really authentic, I think you're truly gonna help a lot of people. And I'm so honored, Miss Monacry. I'm so honored that I got to be the first, very first guest on your podcast.

Sandi Magder

Thank you. And I I'm happy that that's what you're receiving out of it because that's what we want. But when you put something out in the world, you never know if that's how it's gonna come across. So we appreciate it. And by the way, just so you know, put it on your calendar because we're gonna have a lot of these discussions. You're gonna be a regular guest. You might even be a co-host at some point. So I'm ready. It's not the last of Debbie Ropo. We're very excited about this. And so thank you everyone for listening. Thank you. Before

Outro Wrap-Up + Call to Action

Sandi Magder

we wrap up, we just want to zoom out for a second. Because this conversation wasn't really about donuts or sneakers, it was about this. You're allowed to start where you are. You don't have to overhaul your life to be doing it right. And you're not failing. You're learning. If you've been overwhelmed by wellness advice, scared to try again, or stuck in that loop of, I know what to do, but I can't do it. We hope this episode felt like a deep exhale. Because real change doesn't come from perfection, it comes from small wins, safety, and learning how to be on your own side. If this episode resonated, we have two quick acts. Share it with someone who needs hope, or someone who's stuck in beating themselves up. And follow the show and leave a rating or review because it really helps more people find the health hunt. And if you want to connect with Debbie, we're gonna put all of her links in the show notes. And wherever you're listening from, whether you're in a season of healing, change, or grief, we're just really glad you're here. We'll see you next time on the Health Hunt.