Best Emily Mickus Podcasts (2025)

1
Jamie Spore: Living with a Disability, Body Image Challenges, & Advocating for Inclusiveness 1:05:38

Play Pause

5y ago1:05:38

1:05:38

For the final episode of season one, Jamie joins the podcast to talk about her experiences living life with a disability. Jamie has Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida, and has been paraplegic since birth. As a kid, she felt deeply self conscious, bitter, and angry that she was different than her peers. She talks about body image and her daily struggles…

1
Emma Poole: Being Present, Body Pressures in Dance, & Getting Balanced 44:26

5y ago44:26

44:26

Emma tells us about her childhood and the particular moment when she started feeling expectations around her body. These pressures to look a certain way, “like a dancer”, stuck with her through university as she went on to study dance. Emma talks about having a negative relationship with food, the struggles of looking in a mirror all day, and becom…

1
Aubrey Wall: Body Confidence Coaching, Eating Disorder Recovery, & Gaining Acceptance 48:21

5y ago48:21

48:21

Aubrey joins the podcast to talk about her experiences dealing with an eating disorder (*trigger warning*), being an athlete, and her work as a body confidence coach. She tells us how her body image changed upon moving away from home and becoming a more competitive athlete. Aubrey started restricting her eating and was later diagnosed with anorexia…

1
Oran Leong: Masculinity, Forming a Dance Identity, & Looking Inwards 57:08

5y ago57:08

57:08

Oran talks about his teen years, growing up as many (or all?) of us do, not really loving the way he looked and not feeling like he fit in. Upon starting Irish dancing, gender norms were prevalent and he felt pressure to “be masculine” in his dancing. He talks about his experience in competitive dance - the pressure, criticism, and often unhealthy …

1
Margo Mitchell: Finding a Fitness Community, Battling Brain Cancer, & Feeling your Feelings 54:01

5y ago54:01

54:01

Margo talks about feeling like the biggest, tallest girl growing up, and how it affected her self-image. She restricted her eating from a young age and struggled to stop comparing herself to other girls. We talk about femininity, sports, and the expectations of other people. Margo opens up about dating, and how her body image sometimes held her bac…

1
Annabelle Bugay: Quitting Competition, Dancing and Living with Balance, & Making Your Own Path 46:18

5y ago46:18

46:18

Annabelle talks about her experiences in the competitive Irish dance world. As a teen, she already had body image issues that were made worse in dance class, and she began focusing heavily on her appearance. We chat about wearing booty shorts, associating weight with skill, and disordered eating. Annabelle shares how she struggled with perfectionis…

1
Aleshia Ali: Joyful Movement, Ignoring the Scale, & Realizing Your Power 56:02

5y ago56:02

56:02

Aleshia, a Body Positive Personal Trainer and Movement Coach, tells us her story. She describes growing up as ‘the chubby kid’, and how she started dieting at a young age. Aleshia takes us through the ups and downs of her relationship with fitness, from her academic studies, to using fitness for her own wellbeing, to working in a toxic gym environm…

1
Sam Winter: Being Active, The Universality of Food Struggles, & Co-Existing with your Body 57:32

5y ago57:32

57:32

Sam shares her experiences growing up as an active child and competitive diver. We talk about comparison, feeling that your body is wrong, and the subtle messages that are present in the diving world. As Sam got older and became more aware of her own body, she started forming an unhealthy relationship with food. This relationship became more compli…

1
Danielle Stillman: Learning Your Worth, Eating Disorder Recovery, & Balance in Irish Dance 49:54

5y ago49:54

49:54

Danielle talks about her experiences growing up, and how she received the message that thinness is valued and should be the goal. Upon entering the Irish dance world, Danielle became focused on being strong and healthy, which turned into an unhealthy mindset. We talk about the pervasive ideas in many competitive Irish dance environments, like rampa…

1
Katie Hoad: Exercise Science, Pressure to Change your Body, & Helping Others through Movement 52:08

5y ago52:08

52:08

Katie joins the podcast to talk about her journey as an aspiring exercise scientist. She describes her childhood and the important role that athletics played in her life. In college, Katie started feeling negatively about her body, and she opens up about her ongoing journey with body acceptance. We discuss how studying and eventually working in the…

1
Hayden Moon: Living in a Transgender Body, Irish Dance, & Being Visible 1:01:57

5y ago1:01:57

1:01:57

Hayden talks about his childhood, where from a young age he knew his gender despite those around him insisting otherwise. He describes feeling uncomfortable in his body and wanting to change it, a feeling which intensified upon entering a dance environment. Hayden speaks openly about how this feeling led to negative body thoughts and a battle with …

1
Katie Bean: Running, Body Acceptance, & Gaining Gratitude 52:13

5y ago52:13

52:13

Katie talks about her struggles with body image as a teen, and how this led to disordered eating habits. After numerous weight fluctuations, Katie started to find a weight that feels right for her and more freedom around food. She discusses the impact that a serious injury had on her life and sense of identity. We dive into self-worth, anxiety, com…

1
Mélissandre Tremblay-Bourassa: Body Awareness, Maternity, & The Joys of Dance 49:04

5y ago49:04

49:04

Mélissandre starts by sharing her experiences and struggles in the ballet world - feeling inadequate, always finding things wrong with her body, disordered eating, and teachers equating her weight to her value. Mélissandre eventually moved away from this environment and discovered new dance styles that allowed her to focus on sound and feeling rath…

1
Elle Santos: Self-Worth, Social Media, The Effects of Quarantine, & Finding Balance 1:07:19

5y ago1:07:19

1:07:19

Elle talks openly about her lifelong struggles with negative body image and self-esteem. She explains that at one point, she was obsessively counting calories, comparing her appearance to everyone, and generally feeling unworthy. Elle tells us how social media became an important outlet to process her thoughts, and how she intentionally curates her…

1
Madalyn Staudt: Dance, Rock Climbing, Constant Comparison, & Learning Our Body’s Limits 55:02

5y ago55:02

55:02

Madalyn speaks about growing up as a dancer, feeling that she looked different from everyone else. She describes her struggles with comparison, especially when being compared to her sister. Madalyn talks about PCOS, weight fluctuations, chronic pain, and injuries. We discuss the “shoulds” in our life, particularly the ones about how much and which …

1
May Vutrapongvatana: Fatphobia, Striving for Body Justice, & The Power of Boxing 1:04:18

5y ago1:04:18

1:04:18

May joins the podcast to discuss her own experiences and the larger systems in society that perpetuate fatphobia. She talks about the bullying she faced during childhood, being told that her body was wrong, and learning to defend herself. We both examine the ways we're trying to unlearn fatphobic messages, and just how pervasive these ideas are. Ma…

1
Hannah Bogard Parke: Gender Identity, Learning What Our Bodies Need, & Changing the Culture at Camp 56:58

5y ago56:58

56:58

Hannah starts by sharing her childhood experiences with her body - from growing up in an outdoorsy, freeform environment, to eventually joining public school and facing new pressures related to appearance. She discusses gender fluidity, identity, and trying to fit the ideal body type. Hannah explains how camp impacted her as a kid and led her to fi…

1
Elizabeth MacDonald: Dance for Health, Listening to Your Body, & Movement at Any Age 53:51

5y ago53:51

53:51

Elizabeth shares her lifelong experiences as a dancer, teacher, writer, and researcher. She knows a thing or two about adapting to an aging body - she's been dancing for an impressive 60 years! Elizabeth tells us about teaching, and the body image issues that affect her dance students as well as herself. She talks openly about living with multiple …

1
Emily's Edition: Social Media & Our Bodies #MakeSocialMediaGreatAgain 43:07

5y ago43:07

43:07

I'm going solo this week with the first (official) Emily's Edition! I talk about comparing ourselves, in real life and especially on social media. We discuss angles, airbrushing, and how Covid-19 could have led to even more scrolling. I delve into research relating to social media and body image. We cover #fitspo and how it may make us feel inadequ…

1
Jen Slaght: Exercise, ADHD, Playing Music, & The Physicality of Teaching 51:59

5y ago51:59

51:59

Jen, a musician and music teacher, joins the podcast to share her experiences with her body. She talks about injuries, both from sports and from playing music, and tells us how she discovered a love of fencing as an adult. Jen explains how teaching can be a very physical act, and how movement can help children (and adults) learn and focus better. F…

1
Marie Wilson: Exercise, Holistic Health, & Living Sustainably 57:46

5y ago57:46

57:46

Marie, a sustainability blogger and former holistic health coach, shares her story. She talks about her relationship with fitness and food, and how she dealt with a serious health condition during college. She tells us about her work as a health coach, and the many important lessons that she taught her clients. We talk about veganism, orthorexia, s…

1
Bethany: Fitness, Social Media, & Finding Body Freedom 1:04:14

5y ago1:04:14

1:04:14

Bethany talks openly about her body's story, sharing her many thoughts about food, fitness, social media, and eating disorder recovery. We discuss relationships, racism, the pressure to always be productive and busy, and how we might slow down and rest. Bethany explains how she strives to be truly liberated, and how it's benefitted her in all aspec…

1
Sammie Hershock: Food, Body Image, & Motherhood 43:55

5+ y ago43:55

43:55

Sammie joins us to share her experiences with her body and motherhood. She explains how pregnancy affected her body image, how our clothing choices can help us feel more authentically ourselves, how we might listen to our bodies, and how a boudoir photo shoot altered her perception of herself. Sammie also talks about the happiness that can come fro…

1
Rachel Sheil: Dance, Mental Health, & Defending Joy 56:19

5+ y ago56:19

56:19

Dancer, teacher and choreographer Rachel shares her body's story. She delves into her experience in the dance world, coping with body image issues and anxiety, others commenting on her body, and the many pressures we face as humans. Rachel talks about getting rid of the "shoulds" in life, being kinder to ourselves, and how she chooses to create a m…

1
Podcast Teaser + My Body's Story 34:30

5+ y ago34:30

34:30

In this introduction to Every Body's Story, learn what to expect in upcoming episodes - everything from the topics and guests to the overall vision for the podcast. Plus, Emily Mickus, the host of Every Body's Story, shares the unfiltered story about her own journey. Through her struggles with body image, the dance world, and her mindset around foo…