Solo Episode - The Final Episode, A Bittersweet Goodbye!

In this final episode of The Root of Our Health, Elizabeth Latocha reflects on her journey of podcasting, the personal challenges she faced, and her decision to transition away from the podcast to focus on health coaching. She shares insights on resilience, the importance of community, and the need for more conversations around women's health, particularly during menopause. Elizabeth expresses gratitude for her listeners and emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's health and well-being.

Chapters

00:00 Farewell to The Root of Our Health

04:04 The Journey of Starting a Podcast

06:58 Personal Growth Through Challenges

09:51 The Evolution of the Podcast

13:13 Moving Forward: New Beginnings

16:06 Focus on Coaching and Wellness

18:59 Transitioning to YouTube and Future Plans

Transcript

Elizabeth Latocha (00:01)
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Root of Our Health. This is actually going to be my last episode.

I have decided to move away from this podcast as much as I love doing this podcast. It just does not fit into my schedule and I'll go through that in just a moment. But yes, this is a sad bittersweet actually day.

in terms of recording the last episode, which is a solo episode, short of course of this podcast. I believe I, and I know I did actually go through the how it got started in past episodes. So of course, if you heard it, no, if not,

You know, I started this podcast back in 2020, actually October of 2020. Obviously it was the time of the pandemic. were still, well, no, I was living in Dallas. So lockdowns are actually uplifted. Not entirely, obviously, but in terms of working from home, when I was in an office job,

And at the same time, I was getting certified as a functional medicine health coach. And I was sitting at my, so the island of my kitchen, which actually served also as the podcast area. So that was, that was fun. But I was sitting there and I'm like, you know, at this point, also podcasts were getting extremely

well known and popular and I was listening to some of them and I figured why not start a podcast and I again, my mind was going towards women over 40 because I am and was at the time also a woman over 40 going through her own health.

journey and so to speak and you know obviously learning at the same time I figured why not why not now and and I think that is a question we all should be asking ourselves in general why not now what is stopping you from doing the thing right so we're all scared or

We all tell ourselves some excuse one way or another, again, in anything in life. It could be what you're starting a project. It could be going to school. It could be taking the job. could be a relationship. It could be anything. And what we tend to do is put it off because we are scared, but that being scared is actually the push toward to doing it at that moment.

So I, I actually, paid and also kind of free me in terms of how to do it. Right. So it's not as easy. It is easy. I, it's not hard, but it's not as easy as just plugging in and talking. It could be, of course, there's so much behind it. And that's another reason why, you know, I've decided to, to,

go away from this podcast, there's so much behind it. There's a lot of recording and promoting and editing and putting things together. again, it is maybe in the early days, it's in early days of starting and early days of podcasting. It was just putting out there and that was it. Great. Obviously you'll see or you'll hear my

earlier episodes how maybe cringe-worthy they were. And I tend to think that I got a little bit better. Actually, I think in the last four or five months or maybe even six months, my interviews have exponentially gotten better in terms of conversation. I still was trying to find my voice.

still was trying to understand the format of the episodes and some of the guests, you know, in terms of being more scientific or being more above my head a little bit, I should say, maybe doing a little bit more research was something that I could have done, but have, you know, done.

since then. But you have to start somewhere, right? So I started on my kitchen counter and was there until I moved to Indiana. So I started in Dallas, moved to Indiana and brought the show with me and did actually do two episodes a week, only because I was working on my own

my own company and the podcast was part of that company and I had more time to interview and put out episodes and do all the things. You know, still again, trying to find my voice. So, you know, 2021 and then 2020 until last year, I was in Westfield, Indiana, and then moved to Indianapolis just to get a different

area and different, you know, I don't want to say point of view, but just different area, different environment. Obviously, well, I shouldn't say obviously, it's not the right word, but I got divorced three, you know, three years ago or separated and divorced. So went through a lot and went through a lot of change, a lot of finding myself in it as you know,

as a woman, as a human being, as just in general. And, you know, was for the best for both of us, but in general, you know, I put it out on this podcast. So a lot of my solos, you know, here and there were me having this platform to put out what's going on in my life. I lost my mom.

and I put out an episode on that. I lost my dad before I started this podcast, so really didn't have parents and then grieving. Loss of anything is a grieving, right? So just divorce if it was good or bad, parents, things like that. So I used this platform as a...

getting things out there and off my chest, so to speak, for people listening and really to, to put it is inspiration, I think out there that, or at least that we're not alone in all of this. And you know, it's just a, we're going through hard times regardless of what it is. we're, not alone. And I wanted to kind of use again, this platform to

put out what I was going through at the time as a release. I, course, know, journal, that's been my number one release. Therapy, of course, that's been my number two release. And then this podcast has been my number three release of just getting things out there and going through my own life. And for people to understand that, again,

we're not alone. And we of course, as an individual need to be health and well being is front and center regardless. I've had my ups and downs the last, in general, through alcohol, just again, stress through a lot of things. But of course, all through that I've also been

grateful. I've been grateful for the gift of who I am, what I do, and who's in my life now. So had to go through hard times, still go through hard times. It's never easy. It just gets easier. We get resilient. We're able to face the fears, face the hurdles.

a little bit easier because each and every time we get that resiliency, we get that bounce back. And that's why I think, and I know we need to go through hard times to get to the good. There has to be that balance. There has to be that yin to the yang. If we have a cushiony and very easy in life, first of all, that's fricking boring. I would hate that. I guess that's just how I operate.

or how a lot of people I know and coach through operate as well. Like we gotta do the hard things to appreciate what we have and to also appreciate either the luck or what we do get in our lives, how the universe does conspire with us and not against us.

So yeah, I, of course have used whatever I could to move through and to grow in, these hard times. So that is how it started. Okay. So this is like, and plus last October, you know, in the four year anniversary or going into the four years, I did a, a relaunch.

So thinking that, I wanted this to be more than what it is. Each and every year I tried that and I tried to strategize and yes, I needed people to do the either editing or the producing and the videoing. I had a mindset or a vision on what I wanted this podcast to be and very well.

It has a great theme, topic, everything. So the root of our health speaks to what this platform is, what this podcast is. It's functional medicine, meaning the root. We're getting to the root cause of our health. And I figured, you know, that was just a general title for it. And then focusing in on women over 40. And I

At one point, this even into the fourth year anniversary, I wanted it to then encompass everybody, right? So some of my interviews can help everybody, but I realized that really we need to kind of literally focus in on a demographic. Because if I focus in on, you know, put it out there for every single person, young, old, male, female, whatnot.

I lose the listeners, because I want everybody to listen, which is fine. But at the same time, focusing in on a demographic is more, it's beneficial to a podcast versus just out there for everybody. So yes, I definitely had a vision.

to make this bigger. And it wasn't just this past year, but each year I was like, okay, well, I'm going to do this bigger. However, life dictates otherwise as it should or as it does, right? I don't know if I put it out there, probably not, just because it's not public.

But I'm moving back to Chicago June 1st. this is a move that I'm from Chicago, by the way, born and raised all my family, all my friends. I do have some friends, you know, a friend here and there. I'm sorry, here in Indiana. I

It was time. It was time for me to move back. It is time for me to move back. I say that, you know, I when I moved to Indianapolis a year ago, I moved into a big two bedroom, two bath, nice, nice apartment, two balconies, know, very huge space.

I felt more isolated and alone in this big space than I do in the small space I'm going to be getting, you know, when I move. But space to me does not matter at this point. Again, I'm one person and one cat. So, you know, I'm good with a smaller space if...

I am surrounded by people that I love and that love me, know, family, friends, just the environment alone. could walk literally I was there a couple days ago and walked around the neighborhood and I yes, I'll miss, you know, the

walking in nature, but I'll find eventually around there. However, I just, it just felt home. I felt home, like a warm blanket, right? Comfort. And given what I was telling you in terms of what I was going through, grieving and loss and just everything in general, even, you know,

the company I work for is going to be closer.

It's, I, you know, again, I'm not getting any younger and I think it's just time for me to realize that Chicago was and always will be my home. And I say this and then of course, again, I don't know if I've said this in the past, but Italy will be my resting place in terms of my end, home.

So that is why, well, one of the reasons why this podcast is gonna be no longer enclosed. The other reason is that I want to focus more on, so I'll have a full-time job or a regular job.

but I also want to focus in on my coaching. just got certified as a mental pause health coach. So I have functional medicine certified health coach, board certified health and wellness coach and a mental pause health and wellness or health coach. Soon also I'm thinking about going into employee, I don't know the exact name.

I think it's workplace wellness coach, something like that, certified in that, so I can get a full round of what I love to do. And so that is what I'm focusing in on. Again, I thought this platform could elevate my ability to get coaching clients, which actually a funny thing it did.

when I did send out my email blast and things like that. But I felt also that I was not giving 100 % in both. I was doing the bare minimum for podcasts, doing what I was always doing, recording and then just slapping things together, making sure that the audio sounded cleaner.

The video was done, know, AI, now you can use all of these tools, which is amazing and very, very helpful. But I didn't feel like I was giving my all and I was getting inundated with all of these emails of people wanting to be on my, as a guest on the podcast, which is amazing. At least I don't have to, I can obviously filter out those who,

I wouldn't think would be a great fit, but I don't have to scour and do all the searching just a little bit. And so, yes, I'm forever grateful that the podcast was getting traction in terms of people wanting to be on it. Unfortunately, the listeners was not there and I didn't get the numbers that drove

this podcast to be better than what it is. And I, and Hey, I'll take full responsibility of that because I, you know, the, the, promotion of, of it is way more than just the recording. You have to promote it. You have to get it out there. You have to email blast. You have to do all of that. And it just, it took more out of me than, or I didn't have.

the capacity actually to do it. I was getting more, more responsibility at my full-time job and then plus the certification and plus the website and plus, you know, so I personally, when I move, I really don't want to be spending all my time inside. I'm just going to be honest, right? So I'm moving in, in, summers and summers in Chicago are, are amazing.

And so I don't want to happen or half-ass this. I don't want to have to do replays and to like, you know, so just thinking strategically in terms of what this podcast could have been. And unfortunately I could not put my all into it. And so that is the other reason why I am stepping away.

and focusing on coaching, okay, health coaching. I will put my website and my email address into the show notes as it always is. Again, my coaching is going to be geared towards women who are going through perimenopause and menopause. Okay. Of course, I will take

I can coach in any area because as an employee wellness coach, I coach men, I coach, you know, weight loss and nutritional quality and, exercise and, mental wellbeing, all that stuff. And so I could definitely, if you have, if you need a health and wellbeing coach, please do reach out to me regardless. But my focus.

is on women going through perimetopause and post-metopause. Again, I'll put all of the information in the show notes. Please do reach out to me if you are going through this transition that is obviously affecting many women. And I can't say over 40 because women, mid-30s are even experiencing

early perimenopause. So, you know, please do reach out to me because we do not have to go through the, you know, just the many symptoms and the horrible feelings. don't, we can lessen that so much by taking care of our health and we don't know this, right? I'm learning. I was learning and I'm

currently learning in terms of me going through peri-metapause and then going through, you know, metapause and post. So I'm just in the beginning of this all, but there needs to be more conversation and there also needs to be more health coaches in terms of guiding women through this transition in a healthier manner. The other thing that I wanted to also bring up is I did

a few more interviews that have not been released on, you know, on audio or video yet. I am cutting off the audio completely the end of this month. So this is coming out on the 22nd of April. So at the end of this month, I'm cutting off all audio. that means...

that some of the interview or the balance, which I think is four or five interviews that I have done, I'm not discarding them 100%. They're just not going to be an audio format. I am putting them in on my YouTube channel, which by the way, is not going away. So that is where you can find the root of our health is my YouTube channel, all past interviews,

even solo episodes that I've done on there. And then these new interviews are going to be releasing one at a time. And so please do check back there. Please do actually subscribe so that I am going to continue making videos going forward. It's just not going to be like in an interview portion or...

you know, things like that. But I'll definitely, you know, put more content out there in terms of, you know, health and wellness and, and, you know, everything like that. So it's still there. Just not the audio format. You will have to listen to the video. Obviously you can, you don't have to watch it. You can listen to it and just have it on. But yeah.

So you can find there and it'll also be in the show notes. So please do go and subscribe so you get all of the videos at your fingertips. Again, my website is functionalhealthcoaching.net. Email address is elizabeth at functionalhealthcoaching.net. Please do email me, go to my website and

I'm currently working on a few things, adding and editing my website a little bit. So you'll find things are changing a little at this point. But I have had a blast the last four years doing this podcast and talking to you all. And I wanna thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Those of you that show up each and every episode, the first ones, I know, I see.

The areas I don't know who of course, but the areas that are just always supporting this podcast and the episodes and I Again YouTube is not going away. It'll still be there. So please if you want to continue supporting Please do support that but I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart with with just listening to

these amazing interviews that I've done, which are fun. I've got to meet some amazing professionals, some that I couldn't believe that I actually interviewed. And it goes to show that when you love something so much that it just speaks volumes and people could feel it and they want to be part of it. And Yes is a platform to

promote others as well. I, hey, I'm cool with that. want alternative health and well-being to be out front and center in this world, in this life. And so people can understand that, you know, we don't have to be a sick society. We can definitely thrive in a healthy manner, whatever that looks like for you. And I really hope that this podcast has been

your savior or at least an inspiration for you to take care of your own health and well-being. You're not going to hear the last of me, but I am going to sign off in terms of the Root of Our Health podcast. Thank you so much and you are worth it. Take care.