she persisted

#259 

🍿 watch on spotify & youtube

💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!

i’ve recently made a big career change and learned a LOT about my mental health along the way… so let’s talk about it! 

in this solo episode, i’m explaining what sparked this transition in my life & how i’m planning on optimizing this period of change to improve my routines, habits, and overall mental health. 

so, if you’re also going through a major life shift in your 20s– or are wanting to figure out whether you should take the plunge into a new chapter of life– here’s how to do so while optimizing your mental health!

i talk about:

1:52 the career shift i’m making & why!

12:56 my advice for college students & post-grads facing career uncertainty

14:47 why new beginnings are the perfect time to work on your mental health

15:57 mental health areas i’m prioritizing in this new season of life

22:42 staying motivated as a post-grad (vs. as a college student)

26:04 a mindset shift for improving your mental health habits

29:25 defining what makes my life worth living

31:22 journal prompts for goal-setting, career planning, & more! 

mentioned:

• succeeding as a psych major (pt. 1)

• succeeding as a psych major (pt. 2)

• dr. angela duckworth’s episode

• mental health book club episode

• how to change

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:

1. leave a review on apple or spotify

2. dm me a screenshot on instagram

📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

@shepersistedpodcast

shepersistedpodcast.com

hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 

© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#258
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!

how can someone have high self-esteem but low self-worth??! today’s guest is dr. marisa g. franco— a psychologist, author, professor, and friendship expert. she writes about how to build relationships with yourself and others for psychology today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like the new york times, the telegraph, and vice.

in this episode, we continue last week’s conversation on self-worth and relationships. this time, we’re focused on the internal factors behind self-worth, such as your emotions, identity, and more!

we talk about:
2:11 why it can be easier to validate someone else's feelings instead of our own
3:28 the two different types of self-esteem (& which one leads to better relationships)
5:04 how to process your emotions to improve your self-worth
7:10 why gaining self-worth can change your life for the better
8:26 ways we reinforce our insecurities without even realizing
12:58 pushing back against our own (& other people's!) insecurities
16:08 misconceptions about self-worth
17:06 if gen z struggles with self-worth more than other generations

mentioned:
• dr. franco’s previous episode
• dr. franco’s instagram
• dr. franco’s website
• pre-order worth

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#257
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!
why do some people struggle to accept love?? today’s guest is dr. marisa g. franco— a psychologist, author, professor, and friendship expert. she writes about how to build relationships with yourself and others for psychology today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like the new york times, the telegraph, and vice.
in this episode, we talk about how our self-worth impacts our ability to love ourselves– and receive love from others. 
we talk about:
01:38 how self-worth and relationships are tied together
05:16 how you can be loved but not feel loved
06:16 how memories become the database of your self-worth
08:50 external vs. internal validation
10:10 how to rewrite the memories that shaped you
14:20 supporting someone who can't accept your love
15:38 low self-worth and feeling misunderstood
18:46 how i found 1% of hope in recovery
20:50 what we get wrong about attachment styles
26:02 the one thing to take away from this episode
mentioned:
• dr. franco’s previous episode
• dr. franco’s instagram
• dr. franco’s website
• pre-order worth
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#256
🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
wanna know what over a decade of therapy, a psychology degree, and my own podcast have taught me about mental health?! in this solo episode, i’m breaking down the key takeaways that i’ve learned throughout my mental health journey.
in honor of it being mental health awareness month, i’m condensing everything i’ve learned from receiving intensive mental health care and years of dbt therapy as a suicidally depressed teenager– combined with my psychology education at upenn and my experience creating this very podcast– to make your 12-step guide to maintaining your mental health.
by the end of this episode, you’ll know all the mental health tips + tricks i wish i’d known when i was struggling!
i talk about:
• why avoidance is impacting your mental health 
• how to start getting better at recognizing your emotions
• my mantra for dealing with conflict more effectively
• relationship changes + how to navigate them 
• the power of secondary emotions 
• effective ways to reach your goals + stabilize your mental health
• a mental health quote that changed my life
• an underrated aspect of managing your mental health 
• whether we can use our mental health to predict our futures
• the mindset that was stopping me from building a life worth living
• how distraction can actually save lives
• what i learned in therapy that changed my self-esteem forever
mentioned: 
• atomic habits
• dr. blaise aguirre episode
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#255
🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
if your mental health is getting worse, but asking for help feels like too much, this episode is for YOU. 
in this solo episode, i explain why so many of us can be reluctant to open up about our mental health before breaking down the techniques you can try to be more vulnerable. 
by the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to lower your anxiety around asking for help– because vulnerability is the key to recovery! 
i talk about:
• why i didn’t ask for help when my mental health started struggling
• how our environment + upbringing shape our mental health 
• the impact of depression on our self worth + anxiety
• using exposure therapy to try actually being vulnerable 
• a communication technique that helped me open up to my parents
• easier ways you can practice being vulnerable on a regular basis
• choosing the right people to share with + setting clear expectations
mentioned:
• ep.254 (why they’re not getting help)
☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!
⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.