Confidence at Any Age and Learning to Trust Yourself Again with Nichelle Laus
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Trigger warning: This episode mentions childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault. Please take care of yourself as you listen.
You felt something was off about a person or a room and told yourself it was okayt. Or you said yes with a smile while everything in you wanted to say no, and only found the right words in the car on the way home. Maybe you’ve also been the strong one for so long that nobody thinks to ask how you’re doing
It’s easy to assume the women who seem sure of themselves were born that way, but this conversation proves that women’s confidence is built through small, everyday decisions. You can start building it at any age. Nichelle Laus shows what that looks like in real life, from learning to read your own gut to saying no without a long explanation.
Coach Karen sits down with Nichelle, a self-defense instructor and former police officer, to talk about finding her voice after years of childhood sexual abuse and what strength means to her at 52.
Here's what's covered:
How kickboxing gave Nichelle an outlet when her emotions felt too big for anywhere else, and why she still keeps the chains that once held her gym’s boxing bags
Why finding your voice after trauma takes time, and how Nichelle went from sharing in a circle at a bootcamp to telling her story to audiences
What healing from trauma looks like when you’re still in the middle of it
Why the person who committed the crime is always the problem, and you never are
How to learn your baseline, the foundation of situational awareness, so you can tell when something feels off
One of the simplest personal safety tips for women: if your gut says leave, go, without explaining yourself or being polite about it
How to set boundaries as a people pleaser by starting with small, low-stakes nos
What the board-breaking exercise at the end of her self-defense for women classes represents, and how Karen felt walking out of it
How Nichelle rebuilt after losing her gym and the money she and her husband put into it, and what an open mind had to do with it
What reinventing yourself after 50 looks like when you’re tired of the drama and the drive and want to stop forcing things
Why she tells women to keep pushing through and ask for the support they need at the same time
Nichelle, at 52, says she’s still healing. Her strength grew in small moments, like walking into a gym in her teens and sharing her story out loud for the first time. If you’re in the middle of your own version of healing, this conversation is a good hour to spend.
“Trust your gut. It knows best.” - Nichelle Laus
What’s one time you listened to your gut and were glad you did? Tell us about it on social media, and send this episode to the friend who always says yes when she means no.
Meet Nichelle Laus
Nichelle is a former police officer with 15 years of experience, a professor at Humber College, fitness coach, and author of The Safety Blueprint. She shares practical, empowering advice on personal safety and self-defense through her work as a safety educator and media expert. Nichelle is also the co-owner of 416 Tactical Supply and a proud mom of 4 teenage boys.
Connect with Nichelle
Mentioned Resource
The Safety Blueprint by Nichelle Laus
Let’s stay connected!
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This podcast is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
The unedited transcript for this episode of FIT4HER Unplugged
More about FIT4HER Unplugged
You've spent decades building a life. Your career, family, and health…you've shown up for all of it. And somewhere in your 40s or 50s, you started noticing that what used to work no longer does. Your body feels different. Your energy isn't there. You're not sure who you are outside of the roles you've been playing. And nobody seems to be talking about all of it at once.
Fit4Her is a podcast for women in midlife who are ready to stop waiting to feel like themselves again.
Hosted by Karen Gallagher, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Strength and Conditioning Coach with 30 years of experience, this show delivers what most health and wellness content never does: honest, whole-life guidance that covers your body, your mindset, your relationships, and your sense of purpose, without the extremes, the all-or-nothing pressure, or the advice that was never built for a woman at this stage of life.
No single corner of midlife gets left out. Fitness, hormones, identity, relationships, career, empty nest, divorce, purpose - it's all here, and it's all connected.
We'll answer questions like:
What should I eat in perimenopause and menopause?
How do I balance my hormones naturally?
How do I get my energy back in midlife?
How do I find my purpose in midlife?
How do I deal with teenagers while going through menopause?
Is it too late to change careers in my 40s or 50s?
How do I rebuild my life after divorce?
How do I stop feeling invisible as I get older?
This show is for women who are done waiting to feel better and ready to actually do something about it.
If that's you, Karen built this show for you.
