The Create Yourself Podcast Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:07:53 +1300 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2633027 en-us © 2026 The Create Yourself Podcast yes 3b6569df-6df5-5be1-be6b-34a5b1b60b63 rachael@createyourself.co.nz Rachael Thomas episodic true For women starting again after divorce or separation who know there’s more for them in this one precious life, but feel scared, stuck or unsure where to begin.


I’m Rach Thomas, an ICF certified coach and guided visualisation practitioner. In my late 30s my relationship ended, my career was gone and I had a toddler. I imagined my way into a new life before I had any proof it was possible.


Each week I share honest conversations about backing yourself after a relationship ends, the beliefs that keep you small, and how imagination opens the doors logic keeps shut. Because it’s not about finding more courage. That comes after you see the life you want.


New episodes every Wednesday. Start with my free guided visualisation at createyourself.co.nz.


]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Rachael Thomas rachael@createyourself.co.nz https://storage.buzzsprout.com/dctm04mhin3eifyap2cgx98bbrh7?.jpg The Create Yourself Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2633027 Being hacked and getting jacked. Being hacked and getting jacked. This week I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I've spent the last week trying to solve the Rubik's Cube that is getting hacked and locked out of my social media accounts, and spoiler alert: I'm still locked out, and it's not looking promising. So this episode is about what I do with that. I walk you through the process I've built over years of navigating big change and major problems, from letting myself move through the grief cycle, to finding acceptance. Because if I fight acceptance, I stay stuck in the problem, and I've worked too hard to stay stuck.

Then I get into the mindset that gets me moving again. It comes down to one simple question I'd give any coaching client: what's one thing I can do? Victim or victor, it's two sides of the same coin, and the "it's not fair" story keeps you exactly where you are. The irony isn't lost on me that my business is called Create Yourself and here I am, creating myself all over again. I've done it before and I'll do it again.

I also share why all of this was the little push from the universe I needed to rejoin the gym, and what moving my body every day last week has done for my energy (honestly, a revelation). Plus a few practical tips to lock down your own accounts so this never happens to you. 

You can find me on my new Instagram at @createyourself.nz

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> This week I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I've spent the last week trying to solve the Rubik's Cube that is getting hacked and locked out of my social media accounts, and spoiler alert: I'm still locked out, and it's not looking promising. So this episode is about what I do with that. I walk you through the process I've built over years of navigating big change and major problems, from letting myself move through the grief cycle, to finding acceptance. Because if I fight acceptance, I stay stuck in the problem, and I've worked too hard to stay stuck.

Then I get into the mindset that gets me moving again. It comes down to one simple question I'd give any coaching client: what's one thing I can do? Victim or victor, it's two sides of the same coin, and the "it's not fair" story keeps you exactly where you are. The irony isn't lost on me that my business is called Create Yourself and here I am, creating myself all over again. I've done it before and I'll do it again.

I also share why all of this was the little push from the universe I needed to rejoin the gym, and what moving my body every day last week has done for my energy (honestly, a revelation). Plus a few practical tips to lock down your own accounts so this never happens to you. 

You can find me on my new Instagram at @createyourself.nz

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19944603 Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +1300 2458 1 12 full true Help! I got dumped by a robot? Help! I got dumped by a robot? Imagine waking up one day to find that something you love has vanished. There might be a way to get it back, but the only route is a quest through an endless maze of robots, and not one of them will listen to you, because they've already decided you're the bad guy. That has pretty much been my week. After my son's eighth birthday party, while I was lying in bed not even touching my phone, my Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts were suspended and then permanently disabled, all within about five minutes. Seventeen years of photos, my contacts, and the Create Yourself community I've spent years building, gone. And no human anywhere to talk to about it.

This episode sits with that feeling of total powerlessness, when something big has happened and there's nothing you can do to change the outcome. I talk about lying awake at night thinking "what am I going to do", why I refuse to slide into "why me", and how I ended up fighting a robot with a robot.

Then my son went back to his dad's, and the sadness hit hard. I've been co-parenting for over five years and that moment still doesn't get easier. First you crave a bit of space, then you feel guilty about it, and then there's a hole in your heart the second they're gone. Solo mums, you'll know this ache.

Fair warning: this one is full of expletives and a good dose of existential crisis. So strap in for a bumpy ride, and maybe pop your AirPods in if the kids are around.

Please leave a review and rate the show if you liked the episode! Your support means everything to me!

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Imagine waking up one day to find that something you love has vanished. There might be a way to get it back, but the only route is a quest through an endless maze of robots, and not one of them will listen to you, because they've already decided you're the bad guy. That has pretty much been my week. After my son's eighth birthday party, while I was lying in bed not even touching my phone, my Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts were suspended and then permanently disabled, all within about five minutes. Seventeen years of photos, my contacts, and the Create Yourself community I've spent years building, gone. And no human anywhere to talk to about it.

This episode sits with that feeling of total powerlessness, when something big has happened and there's nothing you can do to change the outcome. I talk about lying awake at night thinking "what am I going to do", why I refuse to slide into "why me", and how I ended up fighting a robot with a robot.

Then my son went back to his dad's, and the sadness hit hard. I've been co-parenting for over five years and that moment still doesn't get easier. First you crave a bit of space, then you feel guilty about it, and then there's a hole in your heart the second they're gone. Solo mums, you'll know this ache.

Fair warning: this one is full of expletives and a good dose of existential crisis. So strap in for a bumpy ride, and maybe pop your AirPods in if the kids are around.

Please leave a review and rate the show if you liked the episode! Your support means everything to me!

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19917516 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +1300 2430 1 11 full true What if you could manifest the life of your dreams? What if you could manifest the life of your dreams? Welcome to this week's episode. It's a little bit different, and I'm so excited for you to experience it.

It's the school holidays and my son's birthday, so I have less time at the mic this week. I wanted to find a way to offer you something special while still honouring my time with him while he's off school. The idea that came to me was to gift you a sample of one of my guided visualisations. So this episode is 50/50: half of it is me talking, and the other half is an original guided visualisation for you to experience.

This one is all about connecting with your future self and imagining the life of your dreams. It is incredibly powerful, and when you use it with some regularity it has even more potency and potential to create real change in your life. How do I know? It's very similar to the guided visualisation I listened to for a whole year while I was in a really challenging time, trying to rebuild my life. It made a huge difference for me, and it's what got me hooked on visualisation as a tool for coaching and for changing your life.

I've talked about what I do in previous episodes, and today is your chance to actually experience it. I'd love to hear how you find it, so please send me any feedback. There's another one dropping next week with a similar flavour, but until then, I hope you have an awesome week and I'll see you next time.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome to this week's episode. It's a little bit different, and I'm so excited for you to experience it.

It's the school holidays and my son's birthday, so I have less time at the mic this week. I wanted to find a way to offer you something special while still honouring my time with him while he's off school. The idea that came to me was to gift you a sample of one of my guided visualisations. So this episode is 50/50: half of it is me talking, and the other half is an original guided visualisation for you to experience.

This one is all about connecting with your future self and imagining the life of your dreams. It is incredibly powerful, and when you use it with some regularity it has even more potency and potential to create real change in your life. How do I know? It's very similar to the guided visualisation I listened to for a whole year while I was in a really challenging time, trying to rebuild my life. It made a huge difference for me, and it's what got me hooked on visualisation as a tool for coaching and for changing your life.

I've talked about what I do in previous episodes, and today is your chance to actually experience it. I'd love to hear how you find it, so please send me any feedback. There's another one dropping next week with a similar flavour, but until then, I hope you have an awesome week and I'll see you next time.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19872912 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +1300 1711 1 10 full true Bullies and B.S. beauty standards. Bullies and B.S. beauty standards. Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!


This week I'm talking about something I've wanted to cover since day one: beauty, and the mask I've worn around my appearance my whole life.


Growing up as the redheaded, freckled, skinny kid who didn't look like her three sisters, I copped some pretty intense bullying, first as a young girl, then all through high school from the boys. It shaped how I felt about myself for decades.


It wasn't until my late thirties that I actually started healing that wound and figured out what beauty really means to me. This week I get into that journey, and I unpack the impossible standard women are held to: stay thin, stay young, stay beautiful, as if our only value is how we look.


It's personal, but I think it's going to be relatable for basically every woman listening. If you've ever felt insecure about your appearance, this one's for you.


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!


This week I'm talking about something I've wanted to cover since day one: beauty, and the mask I've worn around my appearance my whole life.


Growing up as the redheaded, freckled, skinny kid who didn't look like her three sisters, I copped some pretty intense bullying, first as a young girl, then all through high school from the boys. It shaped how I felt about myself for decades.


It wasn't until my late thirties that I actually started healing that wound and figured out what beauty really means to me. This week I get into that journey, and I unpack the impossible standard women are held to: stay thin, stay young, stay beautiful, as if our only value is how we look.


It's personal, but I think it's going to be relatable for basically every woman listening. If you've ever felt insecure about your appearance, this one's for you.


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19837134 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +1200 2881 1 9 full true If you don't jump, you get pushed. If you don't jump, you get pushed. This week's episode is basically the playbook I wish someone had handed me back in 2020, when I lost my job as a flight attendant after seventeen years and had no idea what came next. 

I walk through the actual process I went through, not the tidy version, the real one: the grief that shows up even when the loss was your own choice, the trap of asking "what can I do" instead of "what do I want to do," and the exact moment things started to shift for me.

If you've ever lost a job, or you're sitting with the itch to change careers and can't figure out how to move, this one's built for you. I get specific about the stages I went through and why skipping the grief part just delays everything else. I also talk about the scarcity mindset that keeps most of us stuck looking backward at what we're already qualified for, instead of forward at what we actually want.

Guided visualisation is the other big piece of this episode. I found it almost by accident, using it just to sleep during the hardest stretch, right as I was also going through a separation and becoming a solo mum with no financial safety net. It ended up being the thing that let me build a sense of worthiness I didn't have the words for yet, long before I had any evidence it would work out. I share exactly how I used it and why I think it's one of the most underrated tools for anyone trying to move through real uncertainty.

I did come out the other side. I changed careers, I got through solo parenting in the thick of it, and everything I learned in that process became the reason I do what I do now. Helping other women find their way through their own version of change and challenge is genuinely my purpose, and I don't think I'd be doing it without having lived it first.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> This week's episode is basically the playbook I wish someone had handed me back in 2020, when I lost my job as a flight attendant after seventeen years and had no idea what came next. 

I walk through the actual process I went through, not the tidy version, the real one: the grief that shows up even when the loss was your own choice, the trap of asking "what can I do" instead of "what do I want to do," and the exact moment things started to shift for me.

If you've ever lost a job, or you're sitting with the itch to change careers and can't figure out how to move, this one's built for you. I get specific about the stages I went through and why skipping the grief part just delays everything else. I also talk about the scarcity mindset that keeps most of us stuck looking backward at what we're already qualified for, instead of forward at what we actually want.

Guided visualisation is the other big piece of this episode. I found it almost by accident, using it just to sleep during the hardest stretch, right as I was also going through a separation and becoming a solo mum with no financial safety net. It ended up being the thing that let me build a sense of worthiness I didn't have the words for yet, long before I had any evidence it would work out. I share exactly how I used it and why I think it's one of the most underrated tools for anyone trying to move through real uncertainty.

I did come out the other side. I changed careers, I got through solo parenting in the thick of it, and everything I learned in that process became the reason I do what I do now. Helping other women find their way through their own version of change and challenge is genuinely my purpose, and I don't think I'd be doing it without having lived it first.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19806676 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +1200 3389 1 8 full true Curate your feed, curate yourself. Curate your feed, curate yourself. This week (after some chit-chat and life updates), I'm diving into social media and the challenge screen time has become in my own life. I get honest about what's actually showing up in my feed, how it makes me feel, and why we have to bring a lot more conscious awareness to the way we use our phones.


Left unchecked, we end up on a dopamine treadmill we can't get off. And that's what leaves us feeling washed up, unhappy, and pretty miserable about our own lives.


It's not all doom and gloom though. I do think we can use social media in a healthy way, but it takes getting smart about our own restrictions: the times we're on our phones, and what we're letting into our feeds. None of it is random. It's curated based on wherever our attention goes the most.


If you struggle with screen time or find yourself on your phone more than you'd like, this episode should resonate. I share some of what I've been doing to monitor my own usage. It's not about ditching our phones altogether, because let's face it, we're going to be on them. So the real question is how we protect our energy and the way we feel, without mindlessly ending up doom scrolling?


Create Yourself Socials:


Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/createyourself_co/


TikTok: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@createyourself_co


Website: www.createyourself.co.nz

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> This week (after some chit-chat and life updates), I'm diving into social media and the challenge screen time has become in my own life. I get honest about what's actually showing up in my feed, how it makes me feel, and why we have to bring a lot more conscious awareness to the way we use our phones.


Left unchecked, we end up on a dopamine treadmill we can't get off. And that's what leaves us feeling washed up, unhappy, and pretty miserable about our own lives.


It's not all doom and gloom though. I do think we can use social media in a healthy way, but it takes getting smart about our own restrictions: the times we're on our phones, and what we're letting into our feeds. None of it is random. It's curated based on wherever our attention goes the most.


If you struggle with screen time or find yourself on your phone more than you'd like, this episode should resonate. I share some of what I've been doing to monitor my own usage. It's not about ditching our phones altogether, because let's face it, we're going to be on them. So the real question is how we protect our energy and the way we feel, without mindlessly ending up doom scrolling?


Create Yourself Socials:


Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/createyourself_co/


TikTok: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@createyourself_co


Website: www.createyourself.co.nz

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19775444 Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +1200 2326 1 7 full true Pivots, piercings and living without regret. Pivots, piercings and living without regret. This week I talk about how my forties have become what I call "the reinvention decade" - a revolving door of change that hasn't let up: a new career at nearly 40, a separation, repeated house moves, major surgery, and, for good measure, an economic gut-punch that took out my biggest contract. And I'm a Taurean. (We don't do change well...)

The real theme isn't any single pivot: it's what it actually takes to keep choosing the unknown when certainty was never coming.

I also get into the fun I've been having reconnecting with my identity in my 40s, including revisiting teenage Rachael's energy. (Think piercings, rock music, and dressing for joy, not approval.)

It's a rollercoaster of a conversation this week, so settle in and enjoy the ride.


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> This week I talk about how my forties have become what I call "the reinvention decade" - a revolving door of change that hasn't let up: a new career at nearly 40, a separation, repeated house moves, major surgery, and, for good measure, an economic gut-punch that took out my biggest contract. And I'm a Taurean. (We don't do change well...)

The real theme isn't any single pivot: it's what it actually takes to keep choosing the unknown when certainty was never coming.

I also get into the fun I've been having reconnecting with my identity in my 40s, including revisiting teenage Rachael's energy. (Think piercings, rock music, and dressing for joy, not approval.)

It's a rollercoaster of a conversation this week, so settle in and enjoy the ride.


If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19733204 Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +1200 3092 1 6 full true Nobody has their sh!t together all the time. Nobody has their sh!t together all the time. Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I’m diving into the topic of having a shit week. Lately, I’ve had a few more of these than I’d have liked to, and whenever they hit it can honestly feel like I’m going to be stuck in that state forever. The self talk is really a massive contributor to this - I just can’t switch the negativity off sometimes. 


I know I’m not the only one that ebbs and flows in and out of a rut, and so I wanted to share with you all of the little actions and habits I deploy to move through a shit week with less resistance and more grace. These little shifts aren’t ground breaking or complicated, and they're not meant to be. Because the last thing you need when you're feeling like this is another complicated routine that you'll never get around to. 

It's absolutely normal to feel like shit sometimes, and I hope this episode helps you to be a little kinder to yourself when it happens.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I’m diving into the topic of having a shit week. Lately, I’ve had a few more of these than I’d have liked to, and whenever they hit it can honestly feel like I’m going to be stuck in that state forever. The self talk is really a massive contributor to this - I just can’t switch the negativity off sometimes. 


I know I’m not the only one that ebbs and flows in and out of a rut, and so I wanted to share with you all of the little actions and habits I deploy to move through a shit week with less resistance and more grace. These little shifts aren’t ground breaking or complicated, and they're not meant to be. Because the last thing you need when you're feeling like this is another complicated routine that you'll never get around to. 

It's absolutely normal to feel like shit sometimes, and I hope this episode helps you to be a little kinder to yourself when it happens.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19689861 Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +1200 2444 1 5 full true Saying yes to everyone but me. Saying yes to everyone but me. Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I'm talking about people pleasing, and the part of me that, for most of my life, didn't even realise saying no was an option.

I get into how growing up as the girl who wanted to fit in and be liked shaped basically every yes I've ever given. The jobs I was good at but didn't actually want. The relationships where I wanted to be wanted more than I wanted the other person. The family dynamics where saying no felt riskier than staying quiet and letting myself be walked over.

I talk honestly about what that costs over time -  the resentment you don't say out loud, the exhaustion of holding up a version of yourself that isn't really you, and the moment that quiet "something's not right" feeling gets louder than your fear of losing the relationship altogether.

I share what's actually helped me start doing it differently, and the way saying no has actually given me this huge shift in confidence and energy. I’ve had to accept that choosing me might make my circle get smaller - and that some relationships have to fall away in order for me to be in alignment with myself. And that’s hard - but it’s also ok.

This one might sting a bit if people pleasing is familiar territory for you, and honestly it stung a bit to record it, but it also felt really good to say it out loud. 

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I'm talking about people pleasing, and the part of me that, for most of my life, didn't even realise saying no was an option.

I get into how growing up as the girl who wanted to fit in and be liked shaped basically every yes I've ever given. The jobs I was good at but didn't actually want. The relationships where I wanted to be wanted more than I wanted the other person. The family dynamics where saying no felt riskier than staying quiet and letting myself be walked over.

I talk honestly about what that costs over time -  the resentment you don't say out loud, the exhaustion of holding up a version of yourself that isn't really you, and the moment that quiet "something's not right" feeling gets louder than your fear of losing the relationship altogether.

I share what's actually helped me start doing it differently, and the way saying no has actually given me this huge shift in confidence and energy. I’ve had to accept that choosing me might make my circle get smaller - and that some relationships have to fall away in order for me to be in alignment with myself. And that’s hard - but it’s also ok.

This one might sting a bit if people pleasing is familiar territory for you, and honestly it stung a bit to record it, but it also felt really good to say it out loud. 

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19662105 Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +1200 1562 1 4 full true You don't have to hit rock bottom. You don't have to hit rock bottom. Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I'm talking about alcohol. Not the "rock bottom, blackout drunk, ends up in rehab" story. That was never mine. And for years, that's exactly why it was so hard to admit alcohol was actually a problem for me at all.

I get honest about the real timeline. Quitting cold turkey the first time, right after my separation, when a couple of big glasses of red wine a night were the only thing numbing the pain of being away from my son. 

Then, a year later my 40th birthday rolled around. I told myself I'd "reset my relationship with alcohol," but one drink at a girls' weekend put me straight back in the cycle. 

I also get into why just "cutting back" was never going to work for me, and why building an actual identity as someone who's alcohol-free, not someone who's trying to be, is what's finally making it stick. 

As always, I lay it all out there, no filters or frills - and it's my hope that my story will help you if there's something you're feeling ready to let go of. 

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome back to the Create Yourself podcast!

This week I'm talking about alcohol. Not the "rock bottom, blackout drunk, ends up in rehab" story. That was never mine. And for years, that's exactly why it was so hard to admit alcohol was actually a problem for me at all.

I get honest about the real timeline. Quitting cold turkey the first time, right after my separation, when a couple of big glasses of red wine a night were the only thing numbing the pain of being away from my son. 

Then, a year later my 40th birthday rolled around. I told myself I'd "reset my relationship with alcohol," but one drink at a girls' weekend put me straight back in the cycle. 

I also get into why just "cutting back" was never going to work for me, and why building an actual identity as someone who's alcohol-free, not someone who's trying to be, is what's finally making it stick. 

As always, I lay it all out there, no filters or frills - and it's my hope that my story will help you if there's something you're feeling ready to let go of. 

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19589612 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +1200 1910 full false Confessions from a singles night Confessions from a singles night In this episode I get honest about dating in my 40s, and about the night I almost talked myself out of going to an over 40 singles night. I share how I nearly said no outright, and how I only agreed once I could frame it as "just being my friend's wing woman," so I didn't have to admit I was actually putting myself out there.

I dig into why dating apps have left so many of us exhausted, why almost everyone at that singles night said the exact same thing when I asked what brought them there, and what happened when I stopped performing a "dateable" version of myself and just let myself be blunt, funny, and completely unfiltered. I also share the surprise connection I walked away with, and the question I'm sitting with about the stories we all tell ourselves to avoid the things that scare us.

Please give the show a thumbs up if you liked it, and follow me so you never miss an episode!

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> In this episode I get honest about dating in my 40s, and about the night I almost talked myself out of going to an over 40 singles night. I share how I nearly said no outright, and how I only agreed once I could frame it as "just being my friend's wing woman," so I didn't have to admit I was actually putting myself out there.

I dig into why dating apps have left so many of us exhausted, why almost everyone at that singles night said the exact same thing when I asked what brought them there, and what happened when I stopped performing a "dateable" version of myself and just let myself be blunt, funny, and completely unfiltered. I also share the surprise connection I walked away with, and the question I'm sitting with about the stories we all tell ourselves to avoid the things that scare us.

Please give the show a thumbs up if you liked it, and follow me so you never miss an episode!

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19596638 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200 1264 1 2 full true Letting go of perfect to unlock your true self. Letting go of perfect to unlock your true self. Welcome to the very first episode of the Create Yourself podcast! 

In this episode I  open up about why this launch took so long: perfectionism. As a self-described perfectionist, I almost let the fear of getting it "wrong" stop me from starting at all - which ironically is completely at odds with a podcast about being yourself.

I dig into why we chase perfection in the first place, how social media has hijacked our self perception, and how years of "performing" a polished, professional version of myself online and in business left me totally exhausted. I share what it looks like to be fully myself, the fear that made me feel like I needed to wear a mask, and why I'm finally done performing.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Welcome to the very first episode of the Create Yourself podcast! 

In this episode I  open up about why this launch took so long: perfectionism. As a self-described perfectionist, I almost let the fear of getting it "wrong" stop me from starting at all - which ironically is completely at odds with a podcast about being yourself.

I dig into why we chase perfection in the first place, how social media has hijacked our self perception, and how years of "performing" a polished, professional version of myself online and in business left me totally exhausted. I share what it looks like to be fully myself, the fear that made me feel like I needed to wear a mask, and why I'm finally done performing.

If you liked this episode and want to support the show, please like, share, and give it a 5 star review. Your support means everything to me!

Instagram: @createyourself.nz

TikTok: @itsrachthomas

YouTube: ItsRachThomas 

Website: https://www.createyourself.co.nz 

Email: Rachael@createyourself.co.nz

]]> Rachael Thomas Buzzsprout-19560026 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +1200 1041 1 1 full true