It was my freshman year of high school

when my dad and I packed up our car and drove 1000 miles from our home in rural Wisconsin to our beach house located in Florida’s panhandle. We had only expected to spend two weeks soaking up the sun, but my spring break soon turned into a 5-month staycation due to nation-wide school closures in 2020 (a divine re-routing from freezing temps in the Midwest!). These past few years have been a gift and challenge in itself, allowing us to reflect, unwind, and unpack the emotional baggage we may have been avoiding. 

In between online Zoom classes, I found myself face-to-face with aspects of myself I would have rather avoided, including a lack of self-worth and need for more self-compassion. My mom suggested meditation as a healing outlet, so I (begrudgingly) took 10 minutes out of my morning each day to follow a 30 day guided meditation challenge on Instagram. Keep in mind I was barely 15 years old–I wasn’t interested in embracing silence, let alone facing the many unsupportive, often uncomfortable thoughts I had to learn to process. And, a vision of a monk meditating on a Tibetan peak for hours wasn’t exactly enticing. Little did I know that meditation would kickstart my passion for wellness, and my self-improvement journey was only just beginning.

Soon, my meditation sessions turned into one of my favorite aspects of the day, as I could always count on 10 minutes of complete inner peace. I then began expanding outwards in search of what it meant to live a purpose-driven life. Learning how to pull oracle cards gave my indecisive nature a helpful baseline to make decisions off of.  I fully embraced holistic health by cooking up plant-based goodies in the kitchen, and I loved learning about manifestation techniques and holding a higher vision for my life.

Most significantly, my daily walks with my mom introduced me to the world of personal development podcasts, and I devoured episodes from spiritual teachers like Sahara Rose (Highest Self Podcast) and Jordan Younger (The Balanced Blonde: Soul On Fire). These messages and topics, ranging from conversations on Emotional Freedom Technique (shortly known as “EFT,” a practice which consists of tapping on different meridian points of the body to reprogram our thoughts) to aligned friendships and utilizing your astrological birth chart, deeply inspired me. Yet I could never fully connect to how the information was being presented; all of these podcast hosts were in their 30s or 40s, and I couldn’t relate to them as a teen. This became a similar pattern I encountered in self-help books and other forms of media. I truly believe it’s not that teenagers aren’t interested in wellness, it’s just that there wasn’t a current medium speaking to our generation.

That’s why in September 2021, I started my podcast, The Sunshine Signal, to break down holistic health and wellness for teens, specifically focusing on promoting positive and intentional media for young women. I believe when we authentically share inspiring stories of how to live a passionate and purpose-driven life, we have the radical power to feel less alone, step into the truth of who we are, and feel supported during this time of evolution in our lives. 

On top of this critical period of self-discovery, teen girls are so often surrounded with toxic influences from the media, leading to degrading mental health, comparison, and decreasing levels of confidence. I hope to contribute towards the solution  by providing The Sunshine Signal as a conscious and reliable media outlet, all while featuring a variety of young women in the wellness space and inspirational teens.

Recent guests have included mindset and manifestation mentors like Lucy (founder of Purely Being Meditations) and passionate teens like Emma (an 18-year-old holistic food blogger, @emmas_power) and 19-year-old Sadie Sutton (host of She Persisted, a mental health podcast for teens). I’m also excited to be sharing interviews from young female entrepreneurs who also believe in the importance of wellbeing, like Hannah Ashton (founder of stationary brand, Dream Daily) and Sophia Shapiro, (creator of SNACKWITH Market: snack boxes to make healthy snacking accessible and simplified). 

Each month, I also share life lessons and key messages I’ve been receiving in my own life in “solo episodes.” This allows listeners to hear from a variety of speakers while also tuning into episodes I’ve intentionally created to help you on your self-improvement journey.

I’m so grateful to be able to share these deeply-inspirational conversations and topics to impact the wellbeing of teens globally. I hope each podcast episode leaves your soul sparkling, excited, and ready to up-level your essence to step into the truest version of YOU! Whether you’re tuning in to optimize your wellbeing, learn about holistic nutrition, or hear from inspiring female visionaries, The Sunshine Signal will encourage you to TUNE IN to the truth of who you are and SHINE OUT as the most authentic version of yourself.

To your massive success,

Hailey xo