Plucky Not Perfect Podcast
Episodes
How to Finally Feel Worthy (Without Achieving More) (#41)
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the thing you’ve been chasing was never the thing that would make you feel worthy? In this episode, I explore the arrival fallacy—the beli...
Seeing Beyond the Darkness with Blind Storyteller Anne Mok (#40)
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be plucky when life keeps throwing the unimaginable your way? Carrie sits down with author, advocate, and newly-trained voice act...
The Secret to the Journaling Routine That Helped Carry Me Through the Hardest Year of My Life (#39)
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this solo episode, I walk through the structured journaling routine that helped carry me through one of the hardest seasons of my life—after canc...
Rewrite Your Life Without Burning It Down with Michelle Hooey (#38)
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it look like to rewrite your life without burning it down? As I sat down with coach, author, and “Goldie’s CEO,” Michelle Hooey, she s...
How to Not Quit on Yourself: Plucky Courage to Keep Going (#37)
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This isn’t about keeping resolutions or trying harder. It’s about not quitting on yourself. In this first episode of 2026, I explain what it reall...
Reclaiming Life After Traumatic Brain Injury with Erika Brouillette (#36)
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when life doesn’t just take a detour—but completely reroutes your future? In this deeply moving episode of Plucky Not Perfect, I’m ...
Instead of “Let Me Know If You Need Anything,” Here’s How to Help a Struggling Friend (#35)
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When someone you care about is facing grief, illness, divorce, or any major life shake-up, it’s easy to worry about saying the wrong thing… and en...
Revolutionary Rest: Living Worthy with Heather Boersma (#34)
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the bravest thing you could do was to slow down? In this episode, Carrie talks with life coach, speaker, and author Heather Boersma about re...
Traveling Through Uncertainty as a Cancer Mom Turned Midlife Explorer with Jennifer Montgomery-Lay (#33)
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s “too late” to start over—or felt stuck between who you’ve been and who you want to become, this is th...
How I’m Approaching Fear of Surgery (#32)
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Carrie shares her personal journey of facing the fear of surgery following her battle with colorectal cancer and past traumatic hospi...
From “Too Shy to Speak” to Top 1% Podcaster with Teri Holland (#31)
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever hold yourself back because you’re afraid to speak up — or worried what people will think? Today’s guest, Teri Holland, knows that f...
Rebuilding Life After Loss: A Young Widow’s Story of Courage with Lindsay Aho (#30)
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie reconnects with her friend Lindsay Aho (Kuehster), who shares her powerful story of loss and rebuilding with courage. Lindsay opens up about li...
Ten Types of Courage: How to Build Your Plucky Muscles in Everyday Moments (#29)
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Courage isn’t one-size-fits-all. In this episode, I share 10 types of courage—from beginning and speaking to resting and persisting—and how smal...
Mental Performance Tools for Building Confidence and Resilience with Ashley Wiles (#28)
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ashley Wiles—founder of Sole Girls, TEDx speaker, Ironman athlete, and mom—joins Carrie to talk about building resilience. Ashley shares powerful ...
Don’t Let Your Candle Melt in the Closet: Stop Waiting and Start Living with Tedx Speaker Gillian Parlane (#27)
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the things you’re saving for that perfect “someday” are holding you back today? In this episode of Plucky Not Perfect, Carrie talks with...
Resilience in the Messy Middle: 3 Practices for Women Navigating Change (#26)
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of Season 2 of Plucky Not Perfect, we get real about what it means to show up in the messy middle of life, especially when thing...
#25 Permission to pause: 4 reflection questions + journal prompts to help you make resolutions that stick
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s embrace the gift of winter—slowing down, reflecting, and preparing for what’s next. In This Episode: The value of honoring the season yo...
#24 The Secret to Change
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Change is inevitable, but that doesn't make it easy! Here is my advice for navigating change. I also give an update about life after surgery, includ...
#23 How rejecting self-pity and embracing self-compassion helped me reach a big goal
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I didn't know if I would be able to complete the 100-kilometer Tour De Cure bike ride and raise funds for research during cancer treatment. But I'm ha...
#22 If you're ill or injured; "let the cat come back"
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the midst of chemotherapy, I haven't forgotten about this podcast and don't want to neglect it for too long. I'm sharing a short little story about...
#21 Two Miles to the Top: Lessons in Perseverance from Simon Marshall
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s hard to keep going without knowing where the finish line is. But you can persevere more easily with some techniques like segmentation (“Two...
#20 Incurable Cancer Doesn’t Define You: Stepping into Courage with Monica Rosenke
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
First doctors told her she would go blind because of a brain tumor, but she didn't. Twenty years later they discovered a massive liver tumor and diagn...
#19 My cancer diagnosis; how I’m practicing courage
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There is no courage without vulnerability as Brene Brown says. Vulnerability involves uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. It feels very vulnerab...
#18 Coaching Corner: A Desire to Run Farther and Faster in Community: Alex Fales
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're starting something new! It's called Coaching Corner. It’s a real coaching session recorded live and shared with you. This is an insider’s lo...
#17 How being plucky like a duck will help you be a better person...whether it's running, writing, parenting, whatever...
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we dive more into the definition of “plucky” –what it is and isn’t. I give examples of plucky people including my friend, Mand...
#16 Slow Down to Speed Up: a Triathlete’s Journey to Self Discovery with Miranda Bush
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve lost a bit of who you are, this conversation with Miranda Bush is for you. She’s a triathlete, mom, coach, and author of a new book, “...
#15 Three Ways to Defeat Discouragement
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discouragement: it's real, and it happens to everyone. We all "fall off the wagon." The trick is getting back on. In this solo episode I share three w...
#14 Empowering strong girls: create a new identity by writing your own story with Molly Hurford
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Molly Hurford is plucky in many multifaceted ways. As a self-described unathletic bookworm/punk kid, she developed a new identity as an Ironman athlet...
#13 Where to look when you don’t know what goal to pick
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you know if you’ve picked the right goal? Whether you’re an avid goal-setter or a skeptic, this episode will help you look in all the rig...
#12 Beyond Endurance: Managing Motherhood, Medicine, and Ultra Running with Lauren Puretz
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My fun, fierce and fabulous friend from Colorado Springs, Lauren Puretz, recently completed Javelina Jundred 2023, placing fourth. She’s an amazing ...
#11 Fear is my best running friend: 5 steps to moving forward with courage
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been held back by fear? The episode explores the idea of befriending fear rather than resisting or ignoring it. We talk about the fi...
#10 It’s the climb: always chasing excellence, occasionally elite with Megan Williams
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Williams is CEO of the Forbes-featured publishing house The Self Publishing Agency. She’s also an award-winning author, occasional elite runne...
#9 5k Every Day: Run Your Life in the Body You Have with Sandra Mikulic
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra Mikulic has completed five marathons and two 50Ks. She works full-time, is a mom of four, and self-publishes her magazine, Run Your Life. Sandr...
#8 Zero running to coaching with endometriosis with Gillian Macgregor-Spurr
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever doubted your body or your ability to be athletic... If you've ever enjoyed running and then had to take a break or reimagine what it mi...
#7 Run Your Own Race; That’s Just the Icing with Zarah Hofer
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’ll be inspired by Zarah Hofer’s story of transformation from non-runner to ultra runner who now helps other athletes nail their nutrition. Eve...
#6 Normalizing Failure: a Barefoot DNF with Rebecca Roache
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Roache is associate professor of philosophy at the University of London, and host of The Academic Imperfectionist podcast. Her book,”For F*c...
#3: Negative Thoughts are Helping You
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that your negative thoughts can help you and your running? This is a follow-up to the episode with Courtney McQueen, founder of Run Like ...
#4: Benefits of Being a Beginner Runner with Becky VanDrunen
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Becky VanDrunen's path from non-runner to half-marathoner will encourage you to lean into the unexpected joy of "being the worst in the room." It may ...
#2: Being Practically Positive Despite a Running Injury with Courtney McQueen
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Courtney McQueen is the owner, director and co-founder of Run Like a Girl (RLAG). She’s a mom of two and an ultra-runner who is currently not able t...
#5: Doubt as Part of the Process: Reflections on my first Ironman 70.3 triathlon
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm peeling back the curtain on my journey to 70.3. Be encouraged as you hear that on the other side of my shiny medal was a messy middle. Learn abo...
#1: Why Plucky Not Perfect?
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode you'll learn who this podcast is for. It's for you if you: Feel “not good enough: Wonder if you’re “too much” Suspect you’...