When Ash Paraskevas was in her early 20’s she was in a longterm relationship, studying law (as the first person in her family to attend uni) and competing in Miss World. From the outside - it looked like she had it all. But inside she was struggling with severe anxiety, depression, domestic abuse and changing everything about herself to try and fit in and be loved.
In this episode Ash generously shares how she built herself back from rock bottom to a place where she’s now living fully and authentically as herself and proud of it, including stripping back the layer of who she thought she “should” be and stepping into her sexuality as a lesbian woman.
We loved this chat and can’t wait to have Ash back on for a part two BUT you can also hear more from Ash in Liv Rogers’ podcast ‘Tell Me More’ https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-superpower-of-vulnerability-with-ash-paraskevas-part-1/id1716520554?i=1000640936889 
FOLLOW US
Ash @ashparaskevas on Instagram
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Steph Claire Smith @stephclairesmith on Instagram & @steph_claire_smith on TikTok
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
Ash Paraskevas @ashparaskevas on Instagram
Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Ash Paraskevas built her self-confidence back from rock bottom

KICPOD is a D&amp;M with your besties on the stuff that matters. Hosted by Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, founders of Kic, a health &amp; wellness app that focuses on feeling your best, not looking a certain way. To learn more you can find them on Instagram at @kicpod, @kic.app, @stephclairesmith and @laura.henshaw or visit their website kicapp.com

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The decision to have children is a personal one but if you’re in a relationship, the decision is one that you can’t make on your own. So what do you do if you find yourself in a situation where your partner wants kids but you’re not ready…or you want kids and your partner isn’t ready?
Or what if you want children…but you don’t have anyone to have them with?
In this episode Laura speaks with a KICPOD community member Madi who asked, “what if all the good partners are taken?”
Then Laura sits down with relationship coach Megan Luscombe to find out how she helps couples work through this decision. What happens in a relationship when one partner doesn’t want children and has them? Or when one partner does want children and doesn’t have them? Do couples with different desires have to break up? How do you distinguish your wants from your partners’ within a long term relationship? And if you are single and dating with the intention of finding a relationship…how soon do you bring it up?
Then you share your thoughts on the topic ❤️
FIND OUT MORE
Follow Megan https://www.instagram.com/meganluscombe_/
Work with Megan https://www.meganluscombe.com.au/ 
Listen to previous KICPOD episodes with Megan 
My partner is perfect...why do I have doubts? Relationship coach Megan Luscombe is back to answer your questions https://pod.fo/e/22c46d 
Should I break up with them? Relationship coach Megan Luscombe answers your questions https://pod.fo/e/228bb0 
FOLLOW US
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Join Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"My partner wants kids and I don’t. Should we break up?" - with Laura Henshaw

For many women in their 20’s and 30’s, the tick of the biological clock can be deafening. We’re told our fertility falls off a cliff at 35 years old, so if we want children, we’d better get moving. When you add on messaging around the desire to be a “young” mum to keep up with your children, this only adds to the pressure that many women feel to make a decision that they don’t feel ready to make. 
But what if women’s fertility didn’t fall off a cliff at 35? What if it was a gradual decline rather than a sharp cliff? And what if we had role models of women having children later in their life to see that it’s not only possible, but can be just as good (and maybe even better!) than having children younger.
In this episode Laura speaks with two women at different stages in their motherhood journey. Leonie had her first child at 30 years old and wishes she’d waited longer. Sharyn had her first child at 43 years old and has no trouble keeping up with him.
Laura also speaks with Dr Karin Hammarberg, Senior Research Fellow in the Monash University School of Public Health, about the myth that women’s fertility falls off a cliff at 35.
Then you share your thoughts on the topic ❤️
FIND OUT MORE
Read these articles from Karin
‘Women are often told their fertility ‘falls off a cliff’ at 35, but is that right?’ https://theconversation.com/women-are-often-told-their-fertility-falls-off-a-cliff-at-35-but-is-that-right-189978 
‘Don’t believe the hype. ‘Egg timer’ tests can’t reliably predict your chance of conceiving or menopause timing’
https://theconversation.com/dont-believe-the-hype-egg-timer-tests-cant-reliably-predict-your-chance-of-conceiving-or-menopause-timing-207008 
FOLLOW US
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Join Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does our fertility really fall off a cliff at 35? - with Laura Henshaw

It’s a mixed bag this week! Steph has a raspy voice (the sick kind…not the sexy kind) and Laura has a story about a dryer gone wrong and she wants to know what you would do if you were in the same situation.
Then Steph shares the decision she recently made to get her IUD removed.
And we call relationship coach (and friend of the podcast) Megan Luscombe to ask for her advice on the question: “how do I start a conversation with my partner that I don’t want to have?” 
SPECIAL SHARES
Steph: The Idea Of You on Amazon Prime https://www.primevideo.com/dp/0NRT15S2XG06SG5HBV5NQAW3E3? 
Steph: 'Mad About You' podcast with Jadé Tunchy and Lachie Brycki https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/mad-about-you/id1744842826 
Laura: Promising Young Woman on Stan (trigger warning: the film portrays sexual assault) https://www.stan.com.au/watch/promising-young-woman-2020? 
FOLLOW US
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Steph Claire Smith @stephclairesmith on Instagram & @steph_claire_smith on TikTok
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IUD or I-U-Don’t? Steph’s big decision

The most common fear we heard from you while planning this series, was what children would do to your career. Progression, relevancy, loss of superannuation, loss of identity, and comments like "why would you have kids if you're going to go back to work," all contribute to women making the decision to have children. And with increased rates of homelessness among women in Australia, and women retiring with 28% less superannuation than men, these fears are not baseless.
But having children doesn’t have to end or derail your career. Children could even help your career.
In this episode Laura speaks with two women on different sides of the career & motherhood journey.
Founder & coach Janey Martino had three children under 3 in her early 30’s while her career was on a high. She continued working and now that her children are teenagers, she is able to role model to them what working parenthood looks like.
Britt Austin loves her career in sports marketing so she created a plan that would help her return to work four months after giving birth to her first baby in April. 
Then you share your thoughts on the topic ❤️ 
FIND OUT MORE
Check out Janey’s coaching business ‘The Kintsugi Way’ https://kintsugiway.co/ 
Read KPMG’s report ‘The Gender Superannuation Gap’ from 2021 which states “The median superannuation balance for men aged 60‑64 years is $204,107 whereas for women in the same age group it is $146,900, a gap of 28 per cent.” https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/au/pdf/2021/addressing-gender-superannuation-gap.pdf 
Find out more about the increase in homelessness for women in the ABS Estimating Homelessness Census from 2021 which found that of those experiencing homelessness in Australia in 2021, 44.1% were female, an increase of 10.1% from 2016, compared to a 1.6% increase for men in the same period https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/estimating-homelessness-census/latest-release 
FOLLOW US
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Join Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Career + children. Can I have both? - with Laura Henshaw

If you're talking to people about the decision to have children it’s likely you’ve heard a version of this - “parenting is really hard so if you’re not 100% sure that you want children…don’t do it”.
This episode is here to challenge that idea. The reasons people say not to have children are very convincing - you’ll never sleep again, your relationship will never be the same, you’ll never have sex again, you’ll lose your weekends. Basically your life as you know it will be over.
But it's also the best decision some people ever make.
In this episode Laura speaks with three women who didn’t feel an innate calling to be mothers, but now that they have children, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rebecca was adamant she didn’t want children until she hit her 30’s and a death in the family made her reconsider. Alyssa’s pregnancy took her and her partner by surprise. And Melanie faced more hurdles than most conceiving her two children. 
Then you share your thoughts on the topic ❤️
FOLLOW US
Laura Henshaw @laura.henshaw on Instagram & @laura.henshaw on Tiktok
KICPOD @kicpod on Instagram
Join our closed KICPOD Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/630561419185145/
Join Kic @kic.app on Instagram & @kic on TikTok and kicapp.com or download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Ash Paraskevas built her self-confidence back from rock bottom

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