Don't Shrink to Fit: Empowering and inspiring women one story at a time.

As we step into 2026, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters. This episode isn’t about doing more or moving faster—it’s about cultivating courage, protecting your attention, and honoring your humanity in a world accelerating toward speed and automation. Claudia shares how small, brave actions build courage, why giving your ideas space leads to clarity, and how embracing y...

Success, stability, and achievement don’t always guarantee happiness. In this deeply honest and transformative episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Chandler Stroud, veteran marketing executive, wife, mom, and creator of The Healing Heroes, to explore what happens when having it all still feels empty.

Chandler shares the pivotal moment she realized that “coping” was no longer enough. Beneath h...

If you’ve been feeling stuck, this episode is your reminder that you’re not, you’re searching. Fear may whisper that you’re not ready or not enough, but the truth is, everything you want begins the moment you believe you deserve more.

Claudia shares how to break free from discouragement, redefine what “enough” means, and give yourself permission to reinvent your life at any age. You’ll learn how gratitude and desire can coexist, why...

Divorce is messy — but it can also become a source of fierce compassion, growth, and a new kind of family. In this heartfelt episode, Judith Weigle speaks with Claudia Noriega Bernstein (author of Brighter Days and abundance coach) about the raw, real steps that led Claudia from shock and betrayal to acceptance, forgiveness, and a life rebuilt with love.

Claudia shares the moment she found proof of her husband’s betrayal, how she pr...

In this powerful episode of the Award Winning  Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega-Bernstein sits down with Aisha Rodrigue; a Latina entrepreneur, healer, and co-founder of the global Human Garage movement, to explore how trauma, emotions, and unspoken stories live in the body and show up as pain, illness, and even weight. Aisha shares her journey from Cirque du Soleil contortionist and chronic pain sufferer to self-healing guide,...

Have you ever felt guilty for wanting more from your life?
Maybe everything looks good on paper, yet something inside you keeps whispering that this cannot be all there is.

In this episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Alexis Leigh, who shares how she moved through shame, conditioning, and buried childhood pain to reconnect with her inner voice. Their conversation reveals what it really takes t...

Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples—but what if the issue isn’t your body, it’s what’s impacting your body?

In this episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein interviews Dr. Aumatma Simmons, founder of the Holistic Fertility Institute and author of Fertility Secrets: What Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Making Babies.

They dive deep into how stress, toxins, emotional wounds, and lifestyle choices silently influence fe...

Have you ever looked at your life on paper, the career, the house, the image, and thought, “Why am I still not happy?”

In this powerful episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with award-winning author Khristin Wierman, winner of the 2024 IPP White Bronze Medal in Popular Fiction and author of Buck’s Pantry and This Time Could Be Different.

Khristin shares her journey from a high-powered, soul-crushing cor...

Divorce is never easy, but it doesn’t have to destroy your peace. In this eye-opening episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Judith Weigle, divorce mediator, TEDx speaker, and host of The Amicable Divorce Expert podcast, to talk about the power of communication, forgiveness, and self-awareness when a relationship ends.

Judith shares how she went from circus performer to divorce mediator and wha...

What if your productivity, emotions, and energy weren’t random, but deeply connected to your natural rhythm?

In this empowering episode, Claudia sits down with Alyx Coble-Frakes, social entrepreneur, wellness educator, and founder of The Agenda. Period., to explore how understanding our cycles can transform the way we live, work, and lead. From menstrual cycles to menopause, Alyx shares how aligning with our body’s natural flow help...

 When everything you’ve built suddenly falls apart, how do you find the strength to begin again?

In this emotional and empowering episode of the award-winning Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein talks with Tara, a mother of four who experienced one of life’s most painful betrayals, finding out her husband was having an affair with a close friend. What followed was a long journey through heartbreak, loneliness, and ul...

What happens when the doctor becomes the patient, not once but twice?

In this deeply moving episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, host Claudia Noriega Bernstein sits down with Dr. Tali Lando, a pediatric ENT surgeon, author, and two-time breast cancer survivor, whose story will transform the way you think about strength, purpose, and healing.

A high-achieving doctor, wife, and mother, Dr. Lando was used to being the one others depended on ...

Have you ever asked yourself: “Why do I keep ending up in the same painful relationships?” Or felt stuck in a cycle of heartbreak, ghosting, or toxic partners—no matter how much inner work you’ve done?

In this episode, transformation coach and trauma-conscious practitioner Riana Malia explains why toxic relationships repeat themselves and how to finally break free. With her expertise in neuro-somatic healing and unconscious mind rew...

Have you ever asked yourself: “Why do I keep ending up in the same painful relationships?” Or felt stuck in a cycle of heartbreak, ghosting, or toxic partners—no matter how much inner work you’ve done?

In this episode, transformation coach and trauma-conscious practitioner Riana Malia explains why toxic relationships repeat themselves and how to finally break free. With her expertise in neuro-somatic healing and unconscious mind rew...

Are you a new mom struggling with anxiety, irritability, exhaustion, or constant self-doubt after giving birth? You’re not alone. In this inspiring episode, Gabriella Borres, Licensed Therapist and Founder of Moms Mind Matter Coaching, shares her personal journey and professional insights on postpartum anxiety, maternal mental health, and the transformation known as “matrescence”—the becoming of a mother

Gabriella opens up about her...

 Do you ever feel held back by self-doubt, limiting beliefs, or cultural conditioning? You’re not alone. In this empowering episode, Fatima Bey—international Mindshift Coach, podcast host, and mentor for teens and adults— shares how to break free from negative conditioning, build unshakable confidence, and reclaim your purpose.

Fatima’s mission is clear: help people shift their thinking so they can rise above fear, conditioning, and...

Are you holding back your emotions—thinking vulnerability makes you weak? Suppressing tears could be silently harming your health, relationships, and even your longevity.

In this episode, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and breathwork teacher MJ Renshaw, founder of The Being Method shares insights from her book How to Cry. She opens up about her personal journey through trauma and grief, revealing why embracing your emotions is on...

Are your menopause or perimenopause symptoms disrupting your life, fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, mood swings, or bloating? You’re not alone.

In this episode, Amanda Hinman, Founder of the Hinman Holistic Health Institute, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, writer, and speaker, reveals how hormones shape women’s health and what you can do to restore balance naturally. Amanda is also the author of Vibrant Child: 7 Steps to Increase ...

Have you ever stayed in a relationship even when something inside of you knew it wasn’t right? You’re not alone. Many of us confuse the highs and lows of a trauma bond with love.

In this episode of Don’t Shrink to Fit, I dive into:
✨ What a trauma bond really is and why it feels so powerful
✨ Real-life examples of couples who confuse chaos with connection
✨ The signs that reveal you may be stuck in a trauma bond
...