Show Notes
Thursday Dare Day – January Reset Edition January has a reputation problem.
Cold. Dark. Everyone suddenly a productivity expert with a colour-coded planner and unrealistic goals. If you’re already feeling behind — this episode is your permission slip to stop flogging yourself. In this Dare Day episode of the She Who Dares Wins Podcast, Michelle shares a gentler, smarter way to move through January — without burning out by February (again). Drawing on lessons from her years working in construction, Michelle reframes January as a transition month, not a launch pad for pressure and perfection.
In this episode, we cover: Why big goal-setting in January can actually backfire The case for easing into the year instead of going “hell for leather” How nature, seasons, and construction sites all agree: slow is sensible Why focusing inward (not outward) sets you up better for the year ahead The value of reflecting on last year — without turning it into a self-criticism exercise How walking, journaling, reading, and getting outside can genuinely shift your headspace Why stepping back from social media in January might save your sanity This week’s Dare (pick one… or all three): Go for a walk every day — 2 minutes or 2 hours, no phone, no pressure Write a few lines in a journal daily — no structure, no goals, just honesty Read one book that inspires you — self-help, story, or anything that feeds your brain And the big one Michelle wants you to hear:
Be kinder to yourself. With your thoughts. With your expectations. With your pace. January doesn’t need fixing. You don’t need fixing either. Also mentioned: Dare Club — weekly dares delivered straight to your inbox https://stan.store/shewhodareswins Upcoming guests, live events, short films, and community meetups A January sale over on the SWDW shop www.shewhodareswins.com
🎧 New episodes every Monday + Dare Day every Thursday 📩 Join Dare Club via Instagram or the link in the description 🛒 January Sale: www.shewodareswins.com No pressure. Just progress — the sustainable kind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from She Who Dares, Wins.
In this episode of She Who Dares Wiggles, I'm joined by Stephanie, Olympic marathon runner, one-to-one run coach and mum. She never dreamed of the Olympics, but after a marathon ballot she expected to lose, a pandemic and a run of injuries, she ended up on the start line in Tokyo. We talk about the races, the setbacks, and why starting her own business may have been the bigger dare.
This week on She Who Dares Wins, I'm joined by Squash: adventurer, speaker and high-performance coach.
For twenty years, Leesa was deeply immersed in the corporate rat race—running global sales teams, traveling the world, and earning a living in a high-stakes, money-driven career. But behind the scenes, she was pushing herself to the absolute limit. When her mother passed away suddenly from lung cancer just nine months after diagnosis, and lockdown hit, Leesa faced a severe mental breakdown, burnout, and a prescription for one hundred and fifty milligrams of antidepressants that left her feeling like a zombie. Realizing life was far too short to stay trapped in a career that didn't serve her, she walked away from corporate sales with zero safety net.
In this exclusive mini bonus episode, host Michelle Hands catches up with world-record endurance runner Christine Hobson to ask for one simple, powerful dare for women looking to take control of their health without feeling overwhelmed. Despite running marathons, Christine shares her startling discovery after wearing a continuous glucose monitor: even active athletes can experience major blood sugar spikes after regular meals. Christine reveals how experimenting with a simple 20-minute brisk walk straight after eating completely transformed her glucose levels and metabolic health. Together, Michelle and Christine unpack the power of compounding daily micro-habits, why walking around the block while listening to an audiobook beats sporadic workout intensity, and how stepping out your back gate into nature can bring you right back to basics.
In this completely raw, unscripted, and single-take solo episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on a massive internal battle I’ve been fighting over the last six months: the paralyzing trap of external noise, over-strategizing, and quietly losing your true voice in the social media scroll. After 2.5 years of hosting this show and building a career on storytelling—from construction site cabins to high-production film sets—I recently realized I had fallen into a dangerous vortex. I was buying the courses, reading the books, obsessing over "traditional business formulas," and trying to force my creative brain into boxes where it just didn't fit. In the pursuit of perfection, I forgot who I was, how I wanted to show up, and why I started this journey in the first place.