“Your environment isn’t just the space around you; it’s the foundation of your well-being, success, and connection.” — Rachel Leigh
Brief Summary/Overview:
In this episode of RaDar Love, we dive into the profound impact of environment on every aspect of life—from our physical surroundings to our internal landscapes. Fresh off our trip to Colombia, we reflect on how different settings shaped our experiences, moods, and connections. We also explore the importance of self-awareness in nutrition, the sneaky ways habits can derail progress, and why deep, meaningful resolutions matter more than surface-level goals. And if you’re navigating the complexities of health, relationships, and leadership, this episode delivers practical insights and plenty of laughs to guide you through it.
Key Takeaways:
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Why your environment matters more than you think—for your performance, energy, and relationships.
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The hidden ways food choices and inflammation impact mental health and confidence.
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How to reframe “falling off the wagon” and create lasting habits.
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Why New Year’s resolutions often fail and how to approach them differently.
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The value of experimenting with small, sustainable changes to improve your health and mindset.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 – Welcome to RaDar Love: What we’ll be discussing today.
- 2:00 – Dad Joke Time: Cameras at Kodak. Enough said.
- 3:30 – Traveling to Colombia: Cartagena vs. the jungle retreat.
- 9:00 – The power of environment: Why setting matters for success.
- 11:00 – Language barriers, personal connection, and cultural insights.
- 14:00 – Nutrition struggles: Gluten, dairy, and their sneaky effects on mental health.
- 19:00 – Self-doubt and inflammation: Darren’s candid reflection.
- 25:00 – Rebounding quickly: The art of recovery after setbacks.
- 30:00 – New Year’s resolutions: Going deeper for real change.
- 35:00 – Why chasing shiny objects can sabotage progress.
- 43:00 – Finding peace with food: Rachel’s wish for clients.
- 45:30 – Final challenge: What needs to change within you to achieve your goals?
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Transcript:
Rachel
We’re just coming off a two-week vacation from Colombia, South America. So our brains are not quite as sharp as they normally are. Have some patience with us.
We also decided that December is… You know, it’s kind of a time when we’re all checking out. It’s not really a high-learning period. We just want a little bit of a break, and that includes Darren and me. So for the month of December, we’re going to be sharing some random thoughts—things we’re hearing with our clients, things we experienced on vacation—and we’re going to keep it chill.
In January, we’ll dive back into the “Take Five” series, with very specific topics that you all as leaders can take and implement. But for December, we’re chilling out. Today’s random thoughts are about:
- Colombia — our trip to South America and how the greatest learning lesson was that the environment you’re in really matters.
- All-you-can-eat pizza buffets.
- Surface-level New Year’s resolutions.
- End-of-year closeout and wrap-up—maybe.
- Whatever else comes into our brains that feels worth sharing today.
So, I’m Rachel. I’m the COO and a Women’s Life, Longevity, and Leadership Coach for the Kanthal Group. I specialize in helping women optimize all areas of their lives. And this is my partner, Darren.
Darren
I’m the fearless founder of the Kanthal Group. I’m an executive coach and a professional bad-dad-joke deliverer. So, take it away—here’s the dad joke.
I went to the Kodak store to steal something the other day, but I couldn’t. There were cameras everywhere.
Rachel
I really do love how childish we can be. Bravo—well done. That’s uncommon for us. Okay, let’s talk about Colombia.
Darren
What do you want to know?
Rachel
What was your experience?
Darren
That’s a pretty broad question.
Rachel
Yeah, well, these are just random thoughts.
Darren
Do you want to talk about what we learned about the environment, or are you just asking what I thought about Colombia?
Rachel
Just give everybody a little overview. For anyone wondering what it’s like to travel to Colombia, South America, the question we got over and over was, “Why Colombia? Is it safe? How did you like it? Why did you choose Cartagena? Why go inland to Armenia?” Share a little bit about that.
Darren
Alright. First and foremost, everyone asked, “Did you do cocaine?” And the answer is no. The area where we stayed, and the places we mostly toured around, were full of vendors selling all sorts of things. What they called cocaine there was actually white chocolate—or, sorry, coffee. So, I thought that was pretty funny and kind of cool.
Also, for me, this was the first time flying on Copa Airlines. We had coach seats, and they have this auction system where you can bid to upgrade to first class. We lost our bid on the way to Colombia but won it on the way back to Denver, which was kind of cool.
I thought Cartagena was okay—not my favorite city. One of the things you and I talked about was how, if we were partiers or more into the nightlife, maybe we would’ve had more fun. But we’re kind of old and boring and were in bed by nine o’clock. So, we didn’t experience much nightlife.
Cartagena is the second-busiest port in South America, which I thought was interesting. The city has a lot of little streets and alleys—kind of like Amsterdam but not quite the same. There was plenty of artwork, and the arepas we tried were average.
We also noticed it was the first place we’ve visited where we didn’t feel compelled or even that interested in buying a souvenir. There was one piece of artwork we thought about getting, but we didn’t have enough cash at the time, and we let it go. I don’t know—what did you think?
Rachel
Yeah, I also didn’t love Cartagena. I love being by the ocean, but it didn’t feel safe to go down by the water, walk along the path, or just hang out there. I don’t know why—maybe it was in my head—but we were told not to leave the city center, so we didn’t.
That made it feel confined. You and I like to explore, to have the freedom to go where we want, when we want. We like to go for runs and explore the little nooks and crannies of cities, but you just couldn’t do that there. It felt limiting.
For me, it was also really noisy and chaotic. I’m very sensitive to noise, and for me to relax on vacation, I need things to be quieter and more chill. You’re the opposite, right?
Darren
I’m not exactly a chaos person, but I get what you’re saying.
Rachel
The city was really loud and full of partying, and we just don’t do that anymore. On the positive side, the restaurants were nice. We had some amazing meals. The ceviche was incredible, and I’d recommend a restaurant called Celele to anyone visiting Cartagena. It had a delicious and unique menu.
Still, I never felt settled or really compelled to explore more. I was just waiting for us to move on to the next location. That next location was coffee country near Armenia. We stayed at a biohabitat hotel, and there’s a video of it in your post from yesterday if anyone wants to see it.
The biohabitat hotel was fantastic. The minute we got off the plane, you and I could just breathe. We were in a mountainous area, and it was much cooler. Cartagena was so hot and humid—it was very uncomfortable.
The biohabitat was quiet. You’d walk to your little glass habitat jutting out over the mountainside. You could hear the birds. We had our own hot tub and pool. The food was amazing, and everyone on staff was super friendly.
The only negative was that we still felt a little stuck. But the positive was that you and I got to sit and decompress, which we needed at the end of the year. We got to reconnect as a couple—not just as business partners—and that was necessary and appreciated.
That’s my recap.
Darren
The important thing is what you started off with: the importance of environment. In Cartagena, all these vendors were in your face. As you walked around, they’d try to make eye contact and sell you their stuff.
If you responded to them—even just saying where you’re from—they’d try to start a conversation. If you said Denver, they’d say, “My cousin’s from Denver,” trying to connect.
For me, as much as I’m extroverted, my extroversion is more controlled. I’m not the guy you drop into a strange place or a room full of strangers who works the room. My extroversion is with friends and family I love being around.
When I’m in situations like Cartagena, with people in my face, I clam up. I don’t talk much, and I get in my head. Even though there was plenty to see—artwork and other cool stuff—we weren’t our normal selves.
Rachel
Agreed. Once we got to the jungle, we both asked, “What just happened?” It made us think about how important your environment is for your overall well-being, performance, and success. Whether it’s your work environment, home, or travel destination, it impacts your energy.
In Cartagena, we were so busy managing our own internal stuff that it was hard to connect. For me, I couldn’t decompress. I felt inundated and isolated.
There was also a big language barrier. Even though you’re pretty good at Spanish, the dialect was different and very fast. It made me feel a little isolated, like I couldn’t connect with the locals.
Darren
That’s true. “Can’t” is the right word—we don’t speak Spanish.
Rachel
Yeah, I mean, hola.
Darren
You know, what you just said is a good segue into something we were talking about this morning—the safety of speaking up. For context, without naming names, we were discussing family dynamics.
My family is from New York, and we mostly speak freely. Surely there are some taboo topics, but for the most part, people express themselves. You shared a story about someone in your network whose family isn’t like that. It’s not safe to speak up in their family.
This connects to work environments, too. We see it all the time with our clients. In some workplaces, it’s not safe to disagree or debate. There’s a lot of learning in that—about discomfort and how it makes us act and behave in unnatural ways.
It’s the same thing in corporate America. On teams that aren’t cohesive, where people are reprimanded for speaking up or disagreeing, or if they’re told they’re “too passionate”—as I often was in corporate America—it shuts people down.
If it’s not safe to debate or disagree, people won’t. Period.
Rachel
Yeah, that’s why your environment is so important to your overall well-being. It just is.
Okay, so that’s our trip. Of course, I got sick—that sucked. If anyone’s traveling to a country where you can’t drink the tap water, make sure not to have a smoothie made with fruit washed in that water. PSA for everyone: that’s not fun.
Speaking of getting sick because of the tap water, let’s talk about the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet.
Darren
Alright.
Rachel
So, every year we go to Woody’s Pizza in Golden, Colorado, which has an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. You’re gluten-free and dairy-free—you have to be. If you’re not, there are consequences.
By default, we all kind of live gluten-free. I’m not dairy-free, though, because I’m from Wisconsin and choose not to be.
Every year, we have what we call “the blowout” at Woody’s. We go, drink a couple of beers, and eat copious amounts of pizza.
Darren
Delicious.
Rachel
Right? It’s once a year. We take the family, and then you pay for it afterward. But this year, something was different. This morning, you said something to me that you haven’t said in years past. What was that?
Darren
Alright, I feel like I need to give a little context here because this ties into the story in my head.
Starting January 6, I’m going to do a program called 75 Hard. This is not a plug, but if anyone’s interested, I’d love an accountability partner. The program is tough: two workouts a day, drinking a gallon of water daily, reading ten pages in a book daily, and taking a progress picture every day, among other rules.
Over the last several days, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to approach it. After gorging on gluten and dairy last night, I woke up filled with self-doubt. The conversation in my brain was, “Are you crazy? How are you going to do this? You didn’t even want to wake up this morning, and now you’re going to work out twice a day for 75 days?”
The thoughts were all about self-doubt. Period.
Rachel
As a functional nutrition therapist, that’s not surprising. That’s my background—nutrition has been my focus for decades. When we flood our bodies with foods that create inflammation, like gluten and dairy for you, it affects not just your physical health but your mental health, too. Your brain isn’t exempt from inflammation.
You have an IgE response, which is an allergic reaction, and an IgG response, which is inflammatory. The neurons in your brain aren’t firing the same way. Your neurotransmitters aren’t processing as they should.
For me, it’s alcohol. Gluten gives me a bit of a Buddha belly, and dairy gives me acne, but alcohol really messes with me. If I drink wine, the next day, insecurities or low-level anxieties I’ve worked through start creeping back. I have to remind myself, “This is just the inflammation talking. I’ve already done the work.”
This is relevant because, in December, many of us drink and eat things we shouldn’t—or don’t realize are affecting us. It’s not always an overt reaction like digestive distress. Sometimes it’s sneaky, like being a little more anxious or less patient.
Enjoy December, but pay attention. Then, when January rolls around, you’ll know what changes need to happen. If you don’t, call me or send me a message. I can help you figure it out.
Darren
Yeah. One thing that stood out to me this morning was being an observer of my own mind.
Years ago, when I first heard the concept, it didn’t click. But after practicing meditation, I’ve learned what it means. This morning, as I was sitting with my coffee, looking at emails, these thoughts of self-doubt came up.
Instead of reacting, I observed them. In my brain, I was like, “Oh, hey, self-doubt—there you are. That’s bullshit.” I didn’t engage with it. The thoughts passed, and I didn’t think about them again until I mentioned it to you later.
Rachel
Totally different from how you would have reacted in the past, right? That’s the result of doing the work—your PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient) training, being a coach, getting coached yourself, therapy—all of it. That’s what has built this skill set.
One thing I was thinking about when we were talking earlier is how nutrition overtly and covertly affects us. So many people now are on things like GLP-1 medications—Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro—all of them. You can get them anywhere these days.
Yes, for most people, they help with weight loss, and January always brings this focus on cleanses and diets. But those medications don’t address deeper issues like self-doubt, depression, or anxiety. They’re not going to clear up your skin unless you figure out which foods or drinks are causing inflammation in your body.
I just want people to remember that there’s often more to the story. Sure, quick fixes can help in some ways, but if you’re still dealing with symptoms—whether it’s anxiety, low energy, or something else—it’s time to dig deeper. That’s when you can start identifying the root causes and helping your body heal.
Darren
I was just thinking about “root causes” as you were talking. My brain went all over the place, and it’s interesting how often we chase surface-level fixes instead of addressing the real issue.
For example, I found a back brace that pulls your shoulders back to help correct posture. I was excited about it, and we even reached out to your chiropractic friends, who said they’d heard good things. But when I researched it more, I read a comment saying, “These braces are great, but if you don’t address the underlying issue, you’ll never stop needing the brace.”
That made me pause and think, “I don’t want the brace if it’s just masking the problem.” It’s the same with mental well-being. For years, no one—including myself—ever suggested that my anxiety or self-doubt could be linked to something like gluten and dairy. It wasn’t even on my radar that those foods might be contributing to my mental health issues.
Rachel
Exactly. Think about how many people are on psychotropic drugs for ADD, ADHD, anxiety, or depression. We’re not here to judge anyone’s choices, but there’s often more to the picture.
For instance, we talked just last night about a four-year-old diagnosed with ADHD and immediately being medicated. Again, no judgment, but it makes me wonder: What if the root cause is something like the food they’re eating?
We know that chemicals and toxins disrupt gut health, which impacts neurotransmitters. We know that food allergies and sensitivities cause inflammation, and that can affect mental health. We know that things like food dyes and coloring—still allowed in the U.S. but banned in other countries—are harmful. Yet, many kids rely on foods with those additives because healthier options aren’t accessible.
There’s always a root cause. If you’re curious or believe in this approach, find someone who can help you figure it out.
Darren
Also, be aware of yourself.
Rachel
Yes, exactly. Self-awareness is key. I’ve heard all the stories in 14 years of working as a nutrition therapist. At the end of the day, you have to pay attention to how your body responds.
Sometimes, it’s just a matter of slowing down and noticing. My mom is a great example. A few years ago, she did a cleanse and had broccoli cheddar soup, which upset her stomach. She was convinced it was the broccoli.
I reminded her, “Mom, we’ve done tests. We know it’s the dairy.” She cut out dairy, and—surprise—it was the dairy. But I get it; nobody wants their favorite food to be the culprit.
Darren
It’s always the broccoli! My mom said the same thing once.
Rachel
Right? Poor broccoli. It’s always blamed. But honestly, I’ve run hundreds of food allergy and sensitivity tests, and I can’t think of a single time when broccoli was the problem. It’s almost always dairy or gluten.
Darren
Almost always the broccoli.
Rachel
Well, not always—but like 90% of the time.
Okay, does that wrap up the nutrition talk? Let’s transition into New Year’s resolutions because that’s a big topic this time of year. Most resolutions we hear are about cleaning up diets, losing weight, exercising more, or saving money.
Those are all great goals, and we’re not judging them. But we noticed that resolutions are often surface-level. You don’t hear people say, “I’m going to work on improving my marriage” or “I’m going to focus on becoming a better leader.” You don’t hear, “I’m going to live according to my top values” or “I’m going to make a contribution in my community.”
Darren
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say their goal is to improve their relationships—whether it’s with a spouse, kids, or the community. It’s an interesting thought.
I’ll be mindful of my own goals, too. For example, one of my goals this year was to embrace spirituality, which might be a little deeper. But even with that, a lot of my goals are business-related.
Rachel
That’s a deeper goal for sure. But a lot of resolutions are more surface-level.
I want to go back to something you said about your health and wellness journey while we were in Colombia. We were at our biohabitat, and I told you, “Stop moving the bar and constantly shifting the finish line.” You’ve had moments when you felt good—when your body composition changed, you gained muscle, you had energy, and you slept well.
Settle into that and go back to what works. We’re constantly chasing the next shiny object—the next promise on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook ads. Stop chasing. Go back to what worked and stay there.
The work isn’t in chasing something new.
The work is in staying consistent until it becomes your normal, and you don’t even have to think about it anymore.
So, going back to New Year’s resolutions at a deeper level, maybe that’s part of it. Yes, set a goal, but don’t keep shifting the finish line. Consistency is the real goal.
Darren
Yeah, I’m staying consistent.
Rachel
Good, because when you’re not, you end up asking me a million questions. And I’m like, “Jesus Christ, now we’re back here, now we’re over there.” Just stay in your lane.
But seriously, this ties into resolutions. A lot of resolutions focus on the end result, but if you don’t fundamentally change who you are to achieve that result, the change won’t stick.
If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, that’s the end result of a series of choices and actions. But who do you have to become to stay consistent with your nutrition or exercise plan? What habits, thoughts, or beliefs need to change?
If your goal is to max out your 401(k), but you haven’t been a consistent saver in the past, who do you need to become to make that a reality? What needs to change within you to support that goal?
Darren
I hear you. For me, I rebel against resolutions, so I set goals instead. If anyone else rebels against the word “resolution,” just substitute “goal.”
But you’re right. I’m thinking about my own consistency—or lack of it. When I’ve fallen off the wagon, it’s been easy to slip into processed foods, alcohol, and other things.
It reminds me of a saying you shared once. If you’re running late for work and will be 15 minutes late, you don’t just say, “Screw it, I’m not going to work today.” You show up 15 minutes late.
For me, it’s about reducing how often I fall off and how long I stay off.
Rachel
Exactly. No matter the goal—whether it’s nutrition, finances, or parenting—expect and normalize the fall-off. It’s going to happen. You’re human, not a robot.
The key is to rebound quickly. Don’t beat yourself up about it; just get back on track. Rebound quickly and keep moving forward.
Darren
What’s coming to mind now is experimenting.
When I first started coaching, I used to give clients “homework,” but someone told me, “I’m an adult; I don’t want homework.” So, I shifted to “action items,” but even that felt too structured for some people.
Now, I lean into the concept of experimenting. It feels more flexible and less stressful.
I apply this to myself, too, especially with nutrition. For example, I need to experiment with snacks because I have cravings—salty or sweet. If I don’t eat lunch, I come home ravenous and start raiding the junk drawer. A handful of granola, a few crackers… It’s not just one thing; it’s everything.
I haven’t yet figured out the right experiment to lead to consistency. Yes, I can rebound, but if I’m rebounding 100 times a year, that’s a lot of falling off the wagon.
Rachel
Why are you falling off the wagon?
Darren
That’s what I haven’t figured out yet.
Rachel
By the way, I hate the term “falling off the wagon.” It implies a lack of control.
Darren
So what do you call it?
Rachel
You just go off protocol. But here’s the thing: when we say we “fell off the wagon,” it’s like we’re saying it happened to us. No. You made a choice to go off protocol. Take ownership of that.
Nobody’s putting food in your mouth without your permission. You chose not to eat lunch, knowing the downstream effects. Then you feel bad, complain about your weight, and vow to start fresh the next morning. That’s the cycle we need to break.
Darren
Cookies and crackers taste good, and getting drunk is fun. That’s why I fall off the wagon.
Rachel
Fine. Then build cookies and crackers into your protocol.
Darren
I learned that the term “falling off the wagon” came from people pledging to quit drinking by getting on the “water wagon.” If they broke their vow, they were said to have fallen off.
Rachel
Interesting.
Darren
Maybe we need to explore that because you hate food hacks and phrases like “off the wagon.”
Rachel
I just hate how much power food has over people. It controls so much of our mental and emotional energy.
When we travel to other countries, we rarely hear people talk about food the way we do here. Maybe in Colombia, but even then, we didn’t fully understand what people were saying.
In the U.S., food is this constant focus—especially for women. It has so much power over how they feel about themselves. And it doesn’t have to. A brownie doesn’t have power over you unless you give it that power.
I want people to find peace with food, to stop letting it consume so much of their energy. Imagine what life could be like if you weren’t constantly worried about food, body image, or weight.
Darren
Well, ironically, we’ve spent most of today’s conversation talking about nutrition.
Rachel
True, but these are random thoughts, so you get what you get.
Darren
Fair. Jim Gaffigan has a comedy bit about how vacations are just about figuring out what to eat next. That’s what this reminds me of.
Rachel
I know. Food is tied to everything—culturally, emotionally, socially. But I still hope people can find more peace around it. That’s what I work toward with my clients.
Rachel
Which brings us back to New Year’s resolutions. Go deeper. That’s the moral of today’s tangent: the goal is just the end result. To achieve it, you have to figure out the root cause and make changes within yourself.
Darren
That’s a great challenge to anyone thinking about resolutions or goals. What needs to change within you to achieve the goal you’ve set?
Rachel
Exactly. If anyone is watching or catches this later, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share them publicly or message Darren or me privately. True change happens when the goal becomes part of who you are—not just something you do.
Darren
Alright, let’s wrap on that note. Good talk.
Rachel
See you next Tuesday.
Darren
See you next Tuesday. Bye!