The Art Of Imperfect Adulting
The Art Of Imperfect Adulting
Podcast Description
Real life doesn't come with an instruction manual, and most of our stories don't fit neatly into highlight reels or cautionary tales. Welcome to The Art of Imperfect Adulting, where we explore the beautiful mess of real life decisions that shape who we become.
In a world dominated by picture-perfect social media posts and dramatic reality TV extremes, this show carves out a space for the rest of us – the everyday adults working to figure things out as we go. Each episode features honest conversations with guests sharing their personal stories about the choices, changes, and challenges that defined their journey.
These aren't stories of flawless triumph or epic disaster. They're real accounts of life's pivotal moments – both big and small. From choosing an unconventional path and setting unexpected boundaries to moving across the country or completely reinventing yourself, we dive into the decisions that seemed simple at the time but changed everything.
Host Amy Stone brings warmth and authenticity to each conversation, drawing out the subtle turning points and quiet revelations that make up the tapestry of adult life. Whether it's a career pivot, a personal transformation, or simply choosing to do things differently, these stories remind us that there's no single "right way" to navigate life's challenges.
What makes this show different? We celebrate the middle ground – the space where most of us actually live. Our guests aren't always gurus or influencers; they're real people sharing real experiences. They're the "adultier adults" who've walked similar paths and can offer insights from the other side of change.
You'll hear about:
The small decisions that led to big changes
The moments of doubt and breakthrough
The unexpected wisdom gained from "wrong" turns
The reality of change versus the fantasy of perfection
The ripple effects of choosing your own path
Perfect for listeners who:
Are navigating life's transitions
Feel stuck between where they are and where they want to be
Love hearing real stories from real people
Are looking for inspiration without the pressure of perfection
Want to feel less alone in their adult journey
Join us for conversations that will make you feel seen, understood, and inspired to embrace your own imperfect journey. Because sometimes the best stories come from the moments when life doesn't go according to plan.
Follow The Art of Imperfect Adulting wherever you get your podcasts and join us at http://www.imperfectadulting.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes of personal transformation, resilience, and navigating life's complexities through honest discussions. Episodes cover a variety of topics, such as transitioning through grief, managing chronic stress, redefining success in parenting, and overcoming cultural barriers, with guests sharing their unique journeys and insights.
The Art of Imperfect Adulting is a podcast and streaming YouTube show for anyone who has ever looked at their own face peering back at them from a Zoom screen and thought: how did I get here, and what do I want to do next?
This show is for you if life has taken a turn you didn’t plan for and you’re still working out what it means. Maybe it’s a divorce that rewrote the story you thought you were living, or a health struggle including chronic illness, weight changes, or menopause that shifted everything. It could be a rapid unplanned professional shift like getting fired, laid off, or finally admitting that the corporate grind isn’t compatible with the life you actually want. Perhaps your insomnia comes from worrying that you chose the wrong degree, didn’t get the job, or that the path you were so sure about went somewhere you didn’t intend. Or maybe you feel a sense of drowning in a caregiving season that is quietly consuming you like quicksand, whether you’re showing up for a parent, a child, a spouse, or a sibling. It could be a sneaky adulting decision that feels like it should be easier, like choosing a school or curriculum for your kids that is keeping you up at night. Perhaps your Google search history is full of questions about how to move to a place that finally feels more like you, or how to stop putting down roots altogether and see what a life in motion actually looks like.
If you’ve ever felt behind, off-script, or quietly wondering if you’re the only one who finds this hard, you’re not. This show exists to give you proof that change is possible, to be company for your journey, and offer the quiet relief that comes with being connected to like-minded people.
We all know that real life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. We also know that our real lives don’t match the highlight reels we see on the red carpet or in our social media feeds. In a world where billions of bits of manufactured and altered information deluge us every day, the raw and honest stories of, “how did she do that?” are a welcome breath of fresh air.
Each episode features honest conversations with guests sharing the choices and changes that shaped who they became, from unconventional career moves and unexpected reinventions to rebuilding after loss and choosing happiness on their own terms. These are not pitch decks, academic hypotheticals, or celebrity biopics. These are real accounts from real people who’ve been in the middle of it and stopped to share what they wish somebody had told them when they needed it most.
What listeners come away with isn’t a checklist, a hack or even a strategy. It’s something harder to manufacture: a feeling that you’re not alone, a little more confidence in your own choices, and the quiet sense of belonging that comes from hearing someone else say out loud what you’ve been thinking.
Your host is Amy Stone, a Gen X woman who knows what it means to be overlooked, underestimated, surprised by the impact of both small decisions and sudden life shifts, and expected to just figure it out. It turns out that might be exactly the right training for hosting a show about choices and change. She brings warmth, zero pretense, and a talent for drawing out the quiet turning points that rarely make it into anyone’s highlight reel.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to join the email community at https://www.imperfectadulting.com
If you love the show and you’d like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/support
Never Miss a Moment of Imperfect Adulting
We invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you’ll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.
Why subscribe?
- Stay up-to-date without checking your podcast app
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In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Evelyn Levasseur about breaking generational cycles of body image struggles and the transformative journey to self-acceptance as a woman and a mother. Evelyn, based in Connecticut, shares how her lived experience as a Puerto Rican woman, chronic dieter, and eventually mother of two daughters shaped her understanding of self-worth, health, and identity. Listeners will gain actionable insight into recognizing damaging cultural narratives around body image, the complex intersection of motherhood and self-care, and how Evelyn learned to parent in a way that centers self-love, not self-neglect.
About Evelyn Levasseur:
Evelyn LeVasseur is the host of The Self-Centered Mom Podcast, a speaker, and founder of The Self-Centered Mom, a coaching brand for mothers who refuse to be defined by the roles they were given.
A former educator turned Identity Coach, Evelyn helps mothers rebuild the architecture of their lives so that they can live like they matter, without blowing up their relationships or feeling “selfish”.
Main Topics Covered:
- Generational Impact of Body Image Messaging: How comments from family and pervasive diet culture shaped Evelyn’s early views on self-worth and appearance.
- Breaking the Diet Cycle: Evelyn’s realization of the yo-yo dieting trap, external validation, and what it takes to replace shame-based behaviors with healthy self-acceptance.
- Parenting Through Body Positivity: The intentional steps Evelyn took to raise daughters who love and accept themselves, and how that demanded deep self-reflection—and change.
- The Complicated Role of Food as Love: Exploring food as a signal of family, comfort, and celebration alongside contradictory cultural standards about appearance.
- Navigating Identity and Worth Beyond Motherhood: Evelyn’s journey through pregnancy loss, body changes, and redefining self-worth outside of reproductive identity.
- Moving from People-Pleasing to Centering Yourself: Why self-neglect is not a virtue, and the practical mindset shifts required to break the martyrdom cycle for women.
- Living and Coaching in Alignment: The transformation of Evelyn’s coaching practice to prioritize intrinsic self-worth and authentic connection, moving beyond quick-fix external changes.
Quote from the Episode:
“There’s a difference in me lifting her up and putting myself down. I want her to love herself so deeply. And I’m not showing her how to do that. That is where I was able to say: something’s gotta give.” — Evelyn Levasseur
Timestamps:
[00:00:19] Introduction: Evelyn shares her Connecticut roots and what she loves about her home
[00:01:18] The topic: Body image, raising kids, and body positivity
[00:02:23] Childhood memories: Growing up Puerto Rican, favorite family foods, art, and athletics
[00:03:19] First body image messages and early cultural conditioning
[00:05:02] College, weight gain, crash diets, and the reinforcement of thinness
[00:07:54] Middle school peer comparisons and body talk in athletics/media
[00:10:11] When compliments reinforce unhealthy cycles
[00:12:27] Distinguishing between health and worth, the complex role of food as love
[00:14:36] Becoming a mother and intentionally raising daughters differently
[00:17:00] Pregnancy loss, body trust, and the emotional toll of early motherhood
[00:22:58] Navigating complicated advice, family support, and internalized pressure
[00:24:55] Why self-neglect is mistakenly glorified for women
[00:26:49] The moment Evelyn decided self-love was non-negotiable
[00:28:16] Cycle-breaking as a mother and the pivotal picnic incident
[00:31:18] Practical mindset and behavior changes Evelyn made for herself and her family
[00:36:27] Celebrating intrinsic worth, not external appearance
[00:38:42] The Self-Centered Mom podcast: Naming, intention, and centering the self
[00:41:38] Evelyn’s favorite books and podcasts for further inspiration
[00:43:13] Closing out, offers for listeners, reflection on the power of self-acceptance
ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting shares authentic conversations with and for women about the choices and decisions that shape a life. These are the choices that nobody gives you an instruction book to handle. Topics include: career reinvention, divorce and starting over, caregiving for aging parents, getting sober, menopause, and healing from abuse and trauma and more. These are stories of lived experience, not advice because there’s a difference between being told what to do and hearing how someone else actually navigated a similar crossroads.
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST:https://www.theselfcenteredmom.com/ The Self-Centered Mom, https://feed.podbean.com/evelynlevasseur/feed.xml
If you have a story to share and you’d like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Pitch yourself at https://www.imperfectadulting.com/be-a-guest
Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-)
For livestreaming and recording ECammhttps://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=amy69
Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FMhttps://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ntczmwi
Website hosting with Siteground https://www.siteground.com/?referrer_id=9115590
Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic https://get.castmagic.io/ugrmjjrt8ofj
For Email I recently switched to Beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Amy-Stone
before that I used Kit.
Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/lists/podcast-guest-authors
Disclaimer
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