Yarns for the Soul
"Yarns" is a common way for New Zealanders to describe having a chat, a conversation. We might say 'I had a great yarn with Nicole the other day!'. For me, a yarn can go in many different directions, often including multiple tangents and side stories. It also involves having deeper discussions and diving into some vulnerability, before coming back up to a lighter level with some sarcasm or dark humour. Yarns for the Soul was born out of a desire to champion more honest and vulnerable conversation (but also feel like you're sitting on a friend's couch with a cup of tea having a yarn with them- and that friend is me!). I believe in the magic and power of story-telling, and everyone has stories that deserve to be shared with the world. We are all experts of our own lived experiences, and I hope by sharing these we can foster more curiosity and compassion for others and the world around us. I yarn with my guests on a range of topics, often delving into subjects that are still considered socially taboo or not spoken about enough. In my mini-yarns, I also share parts of my own stories, and reflect on things that I'm learning while I continue to muddle my way forward and follow my nose! ... If you'd like to get in touch, or follow my journey, you can find me over in Instagram @yarnsforthesoulnicole. See you there!
Episodes
On this episode I am joined by Kim Davis, an avid crafter and true crime enthusiast, mother, and co-host of the Slaycation podcast. Our yarn begins with the healing power of crafts- how sitting and knitting or stitching can be meditative, as well as how it can be used to disconnect from unwanted social conversations! We talk about how crafting can give you moments to yourself, and the importance of doing something jus...
On this mini-yarn I share some of my recent experiences and learnings from working through stuff with coach Di Foster and EMDR therapy with a local psychologist. I yarn about feeling more future-focused in my current phase of life, and why that feels like such a novelty to me. I reflect on how some of my lived experiences left me stuck in survival mode, and how that can make you forget about any big audacious goals.
I...
On this episode I am joined by the magical Maren Swenson, an intuitive stylist, fashion coach, podcast creator and mother. After leaving a high demand religion, Maren embarked on deep inner work to explore how she wanted to show up and be seen in the world. A key part of this was rediscovering and owning her femininity, which inspired her to create a space for other women to do the same.
Maren shares the backstory to ...
Welcome to episode 50!! I am celebrating this milestone episode with a special mini-yarn all about the origins of the word "yarn".
Most people outside of New Zealand will only associate yarn with wool, and I have to tell people my podcast is sadly not about knitting! So here's an episode to explain what the word yarning means to me, as well as exploring the historical origins behind the use of the word ...
Why is connection with nature just as important as connection with others? And how can we incorporate Mātaraunga Māori and the leadership of wāhine Māori in healing the world around us?
On this episode I am joined by the powerhouse bestie duo that is Cassie Roma and Mandy Kupenga to yarn about their project, "Heal the Hauraki". They share the origin story behind their friendship- from the first email, to co-p...
What is the current model of leadership in businesses and organisations today? Is everyone represented in this model, and who does it serve?
On this episode I had the pleasure of yarning with Ros Cardinal, an executive coach and facilitator, author, and speaker based in Tasmania, Australia. In 2012 she founded her own business, Shaping Change, to help overcome workplace challenges and build positive team cultures. The ...
What is trauma, and why is it important on a collective level that we examine what's going on for us as individuals?
On this episode I yarn with the incredible Amanda Hanna, director and creator of SomaPsych which offers trauma-informed trainings across New Zealand. She also teaches yin yoga, somatic dance, mindfulness and meditation, and is currently studying towards a Masters in Psychology.
Amanda shares her orig...
What if the best way to lead wasn’t about having the right answers—but asking the right questions?
In this episode, I yarned with the ever-curious Paul McGregor, a leadership coach, author and MC based in Nelson, New Zealand. With a background in law, collaboration and engagement, Paul has carved out an unconventional path - one that wasn’t planned but was led by instinct, curiosity and a refusal to settle.
We unpack ho...
Welcome to my first episode of 2025! I'm diving straight into the deep end with this one and yarning about some of the reasons why I have been in perpetual angry feminism mode recently. I discuss the French Mazan rape case, the incredible strength of victim Gisèle Pelicot, and how this case demonstrated a 'spectrum of culpability' behind violence towards women. I draw a parallel between this case and my...
On this episode I am so grateful to be joined again by the incredible Sarah Salter-Kelly. She first joined me in Episode 38, so go back and check out that episode if you'd like to know more about Sarah's story and some context to this second yarn.
Sarah shares her journey towards forgiving her mother's murderer, and what she uncovered about colonial trauma in the criminal justice system during...
On this episode I yarn with the creator and host of 'Our Dead Dads' podcast Nick Gaylord. After the death of Nick's father (and a healthy dose of therapy to help move through the grief, anger and all of the feels), Nick realised we weren't having enough conversations about grief and healing. So he decided to start his own podcast and have yarns about grief and loss with guests from all over the wor...
On this episode I am joined by the incredible Allison Mahoney, a social justice, victim rights and civil rights litigator in America. In 2022, Allison started her own firm ALM Law, which specialises in representing children harmed in the child welfare system, survivors of domestic violence, and survivors of sexual assault and image-based sexual abuse at both state and federal levels.
Allison talks about what ...
On this mini-yarn I share with you part of my creative podcasting process around guest episodes, and explain that I only share with the world whatever my guests are comfortable with. I have some epic guest episodes coming up, and I also plan to get back into more mini-yarns in the new year so watch out!
I also wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that the world feels a bit dark right now, and acknowledge m...
On this episode I am joined by the amazing Vanessa Karel, two-time business founder, entrepreneur and creative producer. Vanessa created the platform Greether, aimed at making travel more accessible, sustainable, and safer for female travellers.
Greether started when Vanessa found herself in Morocco at the start of the 2020 pandemic feeling isolated and wanting to connect with locals who could show her aroun...
BONUS MINI-YARN
On this cheeky bonus episode I yarn about what femininity means to me, and the journey I have taken to feeling confident in my own version of being feminine. I talk about my experiences growing up in a rural part of New Zealand, and the transition from a small primary school to intermediate in 'town' where I was first introduced to what I thought being feminine was "supposed&quo...
On this episode I yarn with the incredible healer, author and speaker Sarah Salter-Kelly. Sarah has been sharing her wisdom for over 16 years through her private healing practice and presenting at conferences and events, as well as facilitating retreats in Canada and Peru, and teaching trauma-focused and shamanic healing workshops.
Sarah speaks about how she was drawn to work with mother nature from a young ...
On this episode I was joined by the awesome duo that is Shelby and Scott, creators and hosts of the Balls Deep podcast. Our yarns go all the way from the origins of their romance to the "why" behind creating their podcast, and many things in between!
Shelby and Scott are both avid travellers, and they share how they approach international adventures while both working full time and trying to make th...
On this episode I yarn with Polina, a medical intuitive holistic wellness coach. She shares how she went from a PhD in Consumer Behaviour in Russia, to a wellness coach based in Colorado, USA. Polina explains how she uses a range of modalities to assist her clients, and how she has learnt to let each body speak to her and guide her towards what needs to be healed.
We chat in more depth about chronic stress a...
On this episode I yarn with Rosie, a business and mindset coach who supports solo entrepreneurs to grow businesses they love. We dive into how Rosie got to where she is today, including stints in the world of corporate marketing as well as running her own floristry business for a number of years.
Rosie shares how her approach to life and business has often been one of 'life's too short', while also lear...
On this guest episode I had the pleasure of yarning with Sarah, burnout recovery coach and recurring guest host of "Fried. the Burnout Podcast" with Cait Donovan. We dive into Sarah's backstory working with acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and Thai massage and what led her to burnout, as well as how she chose to heal and move forwards. We both identify as introverts, highly-sensitive people and recovering...
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