Year in Review 2022: Into the Unknown to Live My Story

🎧 👉 Prefer audio? You can also listen to me share my full year in review in podcast episode #035 here.

I stepped “Into the Unknown”… 

2021 was a major transitional year for me, and I wrapped up that year with the song “Into the Unknown” by Idina Menzel and Aurora (from Disney’s Frozen II) as the anthem that carried me out of 2021 and into 2022. My favorite two versions of that song are T.3's America’s Got Talent audition and this performance by Panic! At the Disco.  

…so I could “Live My Story”

I quickly got my bearings, and another Disney song, “Live Your Story” by Auli’i Cravalho, pretty much sums up my 2022. She sings about being an "amazing creator" and "relentless believer" who is ready to set free what's been buried deep inside because she's the only one who can finally "dream, see, write," and live her story. This year has been all about me creating, believing, freeing, dreaming, seeing, writing—and living my story. Listen to it here or read the lyrics here. 

🎧 👉 Prefer audio? You can also listen to me share my full year in review in podcast episode #035 here.

The Numerology

One of my mentors, Felicia Bender–The Practical Numerologist, talks about how your personal year in numerology essentially determines the energy supporting you individually that year.

2022 was a 22/4 personal year for me, which, as Felicia says, is “super-demanding, and you’ll be drawn to get a special project implemented.” Well, YEP! 2022 was all that and more. The 4 aspect means it was about making a concerted effort toward longer-range goals as I set up foundations, systems, and structures to make my life easier and more satisfying in the coming years. And while it's about putting in formidable work through tenacity and endurance, health also becomes a top priority of a 4 year because self-care becomes critical to avoid exhaustion. Was I able to put in enough self-care this year? Usually...not always...yet, I did a whole heck of a lot better than I ever have before in a busy implementation year like this.

Then the 22 aspect brought an extra kick of deep emotions and a spiritual focus…in other words, is what I’m creating in alignment with my spiritual mission? The short answer is Yes!

If you’d like to learn more about Numerology, Felicia has all kinds of free resources on Felicia's site here. She was the first guest on my podcast, and you can listen to that bonus episode here if you want a great overview of numerology, including the “Life Path” and “Personal Year”.

Felicia Bender and I recording a 'Charis Chats' Bonus Podcast Episode

New Business Model

I entered 2022 as I was mid-way through Sigrun’s 12 Days of Masterclasses (that runs annually from Dec. 25-Jan. 5), where I was learning all sorts of things related to online businesses. I was thoroughly impressed by Sigrun and knew she’d be a great mentor to teach me how to utilize my skills as a coach inside a scalable online business model that would suit my lifestyle goals, as well as allow me to help more people.

"SOMBA Kickstart" (SOMBA = Sigrun’s Online MBA) was the first 10-week course I took from her, where I developed and launched the pilot round of my Busy to Balanced™ program. 82 people from 4 countries signed up to join my pilot. It was such an honor to hold space for these individuals as they learned more about themselves and started shifting their lives so that they could find time for more of the things they really wanted to be doing.

Russia's war on Ukraine started during the pilot round of my program, and not only did I have participants who lived in neighboring European countries, but some of my course-mates inside Kickstart also had family members in Ukraine and Russia. Connecting with this global community about their fears was very eye-opening and brought a whole new perspective to the war news. It also brought back memories of when I was a young girl, and my brother was fighting on the frontlines of the 1st Gulf War. When I learned that Sigrun was creating a webpage with all kinds of resources to support people in this challenging time, I jumped at the opportunity to contribute a 5-minute video with tips on dealing with anxiety connected to the war.

After Kickstart, I enrolled in Sigrun’s "Sales Every Day" 10-week course and then her "Launch and Sell" 10-week course…so there were 30 weeks in total that I was a student of Sigrun’s courses this year! And now, I am in her SOMBA Membership so that I can continue to learn from her through her monthly Masterclasses and Hot Seat Calls.

Sigrun gives her students a *loving* kick in the pants to get our online businesses set up and growing rapidly. I had forgotten how much I enjoy and thrive while being a student. After 20+ years as an entrepreneur learning a lot on my own, I loved the change of having Sigrun’s structure of guidance, support, and actionable steps, to develop the core pieces of a business in today's online space. And I got a lot of practice in how to #trusttheprocess!

I dressed up for the SOMBA Kickstart Celebration/Completion Call (We all wore red, and without realizing it until later in the day, I honored three prior generations of women in my family with my accessories, which was especially fitting since Sigrun's mission is to improve gender equality as she mentors women in growing their online businesses.)

Early in the year, I also designed and launched my new website, set up a new Instagram profile, new Facebook business page, new Pinterest account, and new YouTube Channel, plus updated my LinkedIn profile.

In the Fall, I hosted a live round of my updated Busy to Balanced 6-week course and started hosting monthly Masterclasses as ongoing support for my Busy to Balanced program members.

The feedback I’ve received makes me phenomenally happy that my work is positively impacting and influencing people’s lives. 

Me with my Havapoo, Heidi, in our most common comfy place together at home.

Launching My Podcast 

It was in the Fall of 2021 when I started feeling the strong pull to create a podcast, and that vision was fulfilled on July 5th this year when I officially launched the Charis Your Life podcast.

I documented my podcast creation journey in a blog post here if you want to read all about it. I cover all the fun stuff outlined below:

Part 1: Getting Set Up 🎙️
Part 2: Decision to Hire an Agency 🤝
Part 3: Field Research 🔬
Part 4: Podcast Description Approved ✨
Part 5: First 10 Episode Titles 📚
Part 6: Cover Art Finalized 🎨
Part 7: Intro and Outro 🎼 🎸
Part 8: Recorded Initial 10 Episodes 🎙️ 🎧
Part 9: Inner Critic 🤨, Self-Doubt 🤷‍♀️, and Fear 😱
Part 10: Planning the July 5th Launch
Part 11: Just 5 Days until it's LIVE! 🎙️
Part 12: Launch Day 🚀
Part 13: Hitting the Charts 🤯

My podcast creation journey was about nine months long...and for me, it really was kind of like giving birth!

It was thrilling to find out that my podcast quickly hit the charts in 4 countries. In fact, on the first day, it hit the Top 40 in U.S. Entrepreneurship and the Top 200 in U.S. Business on Apple Podcasts!! And my podcast consultant told me that is extremely hard to hit those charts without already having a huge following.

I am so proud of myself for listening to the whisper inside me telling me to start the podcast. It required a lot of effort, yet it was created through me with ease because it felt so right. I loved designing it, I loved launching it, and I still love recording the weekly episodes. Yet the best part is hearing from my audience through the reviews, DM's, and emails I receive, sharing how much it is helping them. Go have a listen here and then subscribe to it on your favorite app so you'll be the first to be notified when a new episode drops.

Me in my home office with my original podcast recording equipment.
I've since upgraded my mic to a Sontronics Podcast Pro.

Here's my show's official description:

The Charis Your Life Podcast will help you go from busy to balanced. You're tired of feeling frenetic and out of control, trying to keep all of the balls in the air, with little time for yourself. You know that there is more for you, and you want to become a better version of yourself. To the outside world, it looks as though you have it all together, but you know inside that you're on the verge of falling apart. This show shares how to move into a more relaxed and calm place, no longer stressed and tense, so that you can improve your health, your relationships, and your happiness. Hosted by Life Balance Coach, Charis Santillie (Inspirational Speaker, Certified Fearless Living Coach, Certified Fearless Trainer, Positive Intelligence Trainer, and Entrepreneur) you'll learn actionable tips and deep inspiration to heal your life, take back control, and change your energy. This podcast is the one to listen to if you're ready to Charis Your Life.

My podcast cover art. The hat I’m wearing was my Mom’s. I look pretty good in hats, but my Mom...she could have been a hat model!
— I hope you’re enjoying my podcast ‘from the beyond’ Mom. Love you — 

Special thanks to my dear friend, Paul Souyoultzis, who enhanced and mixed the musical track. Little did we know back in College in the 90s, while my then boyfriend (now husband) and I listened to Paul riff on his guitar, that he’d be helping me decades later give a creative touch to something called a Podcast.

Below is the cover thumbnail for a 1-minute animation of my story that I created to go with the 1-minute intro audio of my podcast. I used to be a graphic designer, so being visually creative is something I love to do, and have plans to do more of during the coming year.

The thumbnail for the 1-minute animation of my story that I created to go with the audio intro for my podcast. 

My podcast has been the primary way I've chosen to get my messages out there to help others. I share actionable tips along with inspiration through my personal stories so that more people can heal their lives and take back control.

I knew from day one that my podcast must include me sharing raw and vulnerable stories from my own life. It's through people sharing their own stories that I find we learn the most, plus it makes mentors more relatable. So I have shared the details of my family's hot air balloon accident that paralyzed my Dad and was the catalyst for my Mom becoming an alcoholic. I also shared details of the aftermath of the accident and how it turned all our lives upside down, including me becoming a workaholic. And just last week, I shared about the pivotal year of 2012, when my Mom attempted suicide, and after finally accepting I couldn't save her, I stepped onto a path of healing myself. I also have shared my connection to abortion through my Mom's journal entries about her traveling to Japan alone for an illegal abortion when she was only 18.

I have also shared some of the lighter times, like Mom's journal about my birth day (including funny stories of my birth and the fact that Dr. Strange delivered me!). I also shared some of my own journal entries, including the time I went skydiving just one year after the accident on a date in college with Don. And I had great fun sharing life lessons from drawing and painting (plus photos of some of my art), as well as life lessons from my time as a dancer (including some photos of me dancing as a kid)!

Inspirational Speaking Competition

In September, I participated in North America's Largest Inspirational Speaking Competition through Speaker Slam®. Again, I followed an internal nudge one day that prompted me to enter this competition. What jumped out at me was the large, bold word "Impact" because that was the competition's theme.

As I saw that word, I immediately thought of the phrase “Bracing for Impact,” which happened to be the phrase that came up during a huge aha moment when I was doing EMDR therapy the prior year (EMDR = Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). I did six sessions, which really supported me in healing at a deeper level around the trauma of my family’s hot air balloon accident. What showed up was the realization that my body was still bracing for impact in many ways in my life, even though the accident had happened 27 earlier. Basically, when I was 19, my brain had wired a coping mechanism of extreme physical tension as a response to just about any stressor in my life, thinking that it was protecting me and keeping me safe—because, at that time, it had appropriately responded to a terrifying crash-landing by having my body literally hold on tight and brace for impact. The problem was that this became a patterned behavior for me, even for little life challenges that were not even close to being life-threatening. Fortunately, EMDR helped me rewire my brain to transform the ingrained belief that nearly every challenge I faced required bracing myself.

So for the speech—this instant idea came to mind, along with a really strong pull to sign up and participate. It came from a place inside me that I associate with my inner compass, which always leads me to the best next step. I have an entire lesson inside my Busy to Balanced program, where I teach how to listen to your inner compass. Learning to do that faster and more frequently has been instrumental in shaping my life so that I enjoy it more fully and experience more peace of mind.

I share more about the experience of preparing my speech, rehearsing it, and competing in a podcast episode titled "Redefining Winning," and in another episode titled "Bracing for Impact," I share my speech. I placed 5th, and while I didn't win a trophy, I was rewarded in numerous ways. I gained deeper connections with my dad, my husband, my friends, and my online community. I experienced healing for myself at a deeper level. I was able to detach from an outcome. And then I uncovered that sneaky, hidden expectation that reminded me how there really is always a choice in everything we do, especially when we assume there isn't. 

Me giving my inspirational speech "Bracing for Impact" that placed 5th in N. America's Largest Speaking Competition

Friends & Family

Don, Heidi, and I visited our friends Paul & Laura in Leavenworth, WA during the winter at the beginning of 2022 and again mid-summer. Those trips were all about connecting, relaxing, and having fun while eating fabulous food (they are great cooks! and I'm more than happy to be on cleanup crew)...plus going skiing (more about that below), playing ping-pong and other games, listening to Paul riff on his guitar, and pretending I was a *rockstar* for a few minutes when Paul so kindly let me hold and pluck a few strings of one of his prized beauties.

Don and I playing ping-pong, Me pretending to be a *rockstar*, Don and Paul hugging Heidi (Heidi likes to be part of hugs, she will bark at the huggers until she's picked up and included in the huddle)

I also reconnected with a local girlfriend, Stacy, after 15 years. Although we have lived within minutes of each other all this time, our lives just took us on different journeys for a while. Three hours for our first visit was barely enough time to catch each other up on the 15-year-long highlight reels for each of us. Having previously been a professional speaker, as well as being an exceptional writer, she helped me tremendously in preparing my speech for final round of the inspirational speaking competition.

This is my 4th year of getting two season tickets to the Broadway shows in San Francisco and taking friends to the shows with me. It is so much fun!!!

In 2022, I saw Hadestown with Tricia, who was my first boss and incredible mentor after graduating college. I saw The Prom and Beetlejuice with Christina, who worked for me for ten years in my prior business. I was Christina’s first boss out of college—so I was to Christina what Tricia was to me. The show Hadestown inspired me to do a podcast episode titled "When Doubt Comes In." The story conveys powerful messages as it intertwines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the tale of Hades, the King of the underworld, and his wife, Persephone.

Caroline, my friend (and bookkeeper of 10 years), went with me to Moulin Rouge! and Ain't Too Proud – The Life & Times of the Temptations. I saw Frozen with Nanci, my friend of 19 years (and prior bookkeeper) and I saw Oklahoma with Carol, my friend of 17 years who I met through the orthodontic industry. 

My favorite show this year was Moulin Rouge. I think this reviewer says it best:
'Moulin Rouge!' on Broadway is one hell of a fun spectacle
From: Mashable | By: Erin Strecker | Date: 07/25/2019
"This is the best of what a jukebox musical can be: a thrilling burst of color and chorus and nostalgia and bold reimagining. There are a whopping 70 songs you know and love in the show - some full numbers, some just snippets. Happily, the songs have been updated to include the present, which means modern hits such as "Shut Up and Dance" sit nicely along classics like Elton John's "Your Song." The tunes feel like they're coming a mile a minute, but rather causing confusion, at the performance I attended, there were gasps of recognition and excited applause breaks of delight as all the various medleys and mashups unfolded."

And my least favorite this year was the revival of "Oklahoma." I don't think I've ever said I absolutely didn't like a Broadway show...until now...but I'm sorry to say that this new version of Oklahoma really was awful. Everyone in the elevator in our parking garage had stunned looks on their faces, and quickly, someone broke the silence and said how horrible it was, and you could sense the relief in the rest of us to know we weren't alone in our thoughts. I'll just sum it up by saying that I personally suggest you pass on this one. Fortunately, Carol and I are great at finding a silver lining in everything, so we have found that it makes us laugh when we think about it because it was so bizarre.

The best part of the shows is making these memories while spending fun-filled days with girlfriends—and they are scheduled months in advance, so I get to look forward to these dates throughout the year. I go to the mid-week matinees so that I don't cut into my weekend time with Don. We go to a fun restaurant for lunch before the show, and there's lots of time chatting in the car on the hour drive there and back. Each of these friendships started out as professional relationships that evolved into special long-lasting friendships.

Christina and I at Beetlejuice. Caroline and I at Moulin Rouge.

Tricia and I at Hadestown. Nanci and I at Frozen.

In the spring, Don and I visited Filoli Historic Garden with my mother-in-law, Ann. Since Don and I have been married for 24 years and together for 27 years...Ann has been a special part of my life for nearly three decades. She's always treated me as her own daughter, and I love her dearly.

Don, my mother-in-law Ann, and I at Filoli Historic Garden in CA

Don, Heidi, and I went to Sea Ranch on the California Coast to celebrate our 24th Wedding Anniversary this summer—I've now been married for over half my life! Don is a very loving, thoughtful, and witty man who makes me laugh every day and makes sure I take time out for fresh air, sunshine, and sunsets. 

Don and I in Sea Ranch, CA for our 24th Anniversary 

Heidi and I visited my Dad in Washington state. Our most recent trip was a few weeks ago and included some fresh snowfall and our annual tradition of attending the fabulous Nutcracker performance by the Mid-Columbia Ballet, directed by my childhood ballet teacher, and put on at the auditorium of my high school...sooo many memories, especially since I was in that Nutcracker 3 years when I was younger. Amy (a childhood friend of 34 years), joined us with two of her daughters. I also visited with friends Julie (a friend of 29 years and my maid of honor 24 years ago) and Stephanie (a friend of 35+ years) when I was visiting.

Dad and I ate yummy food and watched a bunch of great movies (old and new, including my 2nd time watching Maverick, which, by the way, was my favorite movie of the year! I have a fun story I share about the first time I saw the trailer to that movie in my recent podcast episode "Find the Magic in the Moments.")

It has meant so much to me to have my Dad around for this new chapter of my life as I've launched my podcast and started sharing our story in a bigger way. People have asked me if he listens to my podcast and the answer is YES! and he often sends me special text messages after listening to a new episode. 

Me with my Dad, Paul, and childhood girlfriend, Amy, attending the Nutcracker in my hometown.

I made time toward the end of the year to learn from a new friend, Sif the Vet, who is a dog behaviorist in Europe, so that I could do some new types of training with Heidi.

Here is a fun video of a new cup game she loves! She has a strong left paw swipe!!

Health & Well-Being

As I mentioned earlier, the innate energy of my 22/4 personal year (see The Numerology section above) was calling upon my tenacity and endurance while also requiring me to make self-care a priority. I’ll be honest—there were a few times this year when I walked the line of doing too much at once. My body (and a few back spasms) reigned me in and led me to consciously choose again to lighten my load, take naps, ask for help, get some massages, delay some things, and consider simpler options for various things that would better support me. I don’t just teach how to go from Busy to Balanced; I live and practice it daily in my own life.

I made physical fitness a priority and worked out in our home gym five days a week with Don. Going skiing in February for the first time in 10 years was a personal highlight of the year. It was only a few years ago when I had almost given up on that dream. That would’ve been such a sad regret, as skiing has been a lifelong love since I learned it as a young child. You can hear more about the story “Much too young to feel this damn old” in this podcast episode or read this blog article. I recently got new ski boots, and I’m super excited to hit the slopes with happy feet and shins in new, properly-fitted boots this season!

Me with my friend, Laura, on my first day skiing after 10 years! I'm wearing my Dad's jacket from the late '80s that I had tailored to fit me. 

Me in the gym achieving a personal best of 4 pull-ups!

Fun Stats

• Gym Sessions per Week: 5 (average)
• Massages: 11
• Personal Best for pull-ups in the gym: 4 with elastic assist band (video proof here!)
• Broadway Shows: 7
• Podcast episodes: 35 (from July launch to year-end)
• Podcast downloads: 2550
• Email list: went from 34 to 777
• Email newsletters sent: 43
• Instagram followers: went from 0 to 142 (new profile)
• Instagram posts: 155
• Facebook biz page followers: went from 0 to 229 (new page)
• Facebook biz page posts: 201
• Facebook friends: 810
• LinkedIn followers: 592
• Software programs learned/set up for business systems: 33
• Risks Taken: Too many to count!
• Personal Growth: Off the charts!
• Naps: A lot!!! (I may track these next year because they are a VERY important part of my life—in fact, I'd say they're one of the best acts of self-care I do on a regular basis!)  

Forecast for 2023

• Word of the Year: Delight
• Intention for the Year: I am willing to practice discovering more of what delights me.
• Numerology: It is a 5 Personal Year for me, which means it will have the underlying energy of Fun, Freedom, Change, and Facing my Fears
• Podcast: 52 Weekly solo episodes and 12 Monthly ‘Charis Chats’ bonus episodes, plus me as a guest on numerous other shows
• Email newsletters: 64
• Gym Sessions per Week: 5 (average)
• Personal Best for pull-ups in the gym: 5…or maybe 6...
• New gadget: heated ski socks!
• Broadway Shows: 7
  • Dear Evan Hansen
  • Mean Girls
  • Six
  • Tina
  • and the rest are TBD... (whichever shows are booked for the next season that will start in the fall)
• Travel:
  • Vacation somewhere...
  • Visits to Washington to spend time with my Dad
  • Local ski trips to Tahoe, CA, in early 2023 and a ski trip out of state in late 2023 
• Theme song: “Living in the Moment” by Jason Mraz (Listen to it here or read the lyrics here)

🎧 👉 You can also listen to me share my full year in review in podcast episode #035 here.