Are you actually a thriving productivity queen... or is your nervous system running on unaddressed grief, zero real rest, and a bucket of liquid cortisol disguised as iced coffee? ☕️🔥 In this episode of Gettin' in the Grove, Jen Grove sits down with bestselling author, speaker, and whole-self alignment powerhouse Caren Paskel to expose the truth about hustle culture, fake "wellness" quick-fixes, and what happens when your body finally decides to shut down because you refused to slow down. After the sudden loss of her husband, Caren built a wildly successful empire on the outside while her physical body was literally falling apart on the inside. She threw away the hustle, moved to a mountaintop in Colorado, cut out the caffeine, alcohol, and chaotic noise, and completely recalibrated her entire nervous system. If you’ve been searching for an emotional healing podcast, a holistic mental health podcast, or a healing podcast that skips the toxic positivity and gives you raw, actionable truths—this episode is for you.

In this warm and wide-ranging conversation, Gen sits down with Caren Paskel, founder of Caren Paskel Self-Evolution®, author and speaker, who transformed profound loss into a blueprint for radical reinvention. After losing her husband to brain cancer, her yoga studios during the pandemic, and eventually her home in Detroit, Caren didn't just rebuild — she completely reimagined what her life could look like. Now 48 and living in Colorado, she's the author of two books: The Power of Self-Belief and Midlife Crisis to Midlife Creation: The Five Steps to Recreate Your Life and Reclaim Your Power.