The Charlene Gisele Show

In this guided relaxation episode, I guide you out of constant thinking and into direct sensory experience. This meditation uses memory-based anchoring through all five senses to help you shift from mental overwhelm into embodied calm. This isn't a conversation or interview. This is your personal relaxation companion. I walk you through a scientifically grounded technique that activates your parasympathetic nervous system by anchoring awareness in sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Each sensory memory creates a physiological shift toward ease and presence. Whether you're stuck in analysis paralysis, feeling disconnected from your body after hours of screen time, or simply need a midday reset, this meditation will help you transition from the thinking mind to the feeling body. And the beauty is that these anchors become yours to use anytime, anywhere. What this meditation includes: Breath foundation: Gentle settling through extended exhale Visual anchoring: Recalling a calming place from your own experience Auditory anchoring: Bringing to mind soothing sounds that signal safety Olfactory anchoring: Accessing comfort through remembered scents Gustatory anchoring: Tasting memories of warmth and enjoyment Kinesthetic anchoring: Feeling supported through touch sensations Integration: Blending remembered calm with present moment awareness Grounded return: Coming back feeling steady, clear, and centered

In this raw conversation recorded in New York City, I sat down with James Sexton, a leading divorce attorney and bestselling author with 25 years of frontline experience through thousands of failed marriages. What sets this episode apart is James's unflinching honesty about what actually ends relationships, not the polite narratives people tell themselves. James dismantles the prenup myth keeping couples financially vulnerable. He maps the marriage patterns where high performers consistently fail. And he reveals why understanding the full ecosystem you're marrying into matters more than the romantic connection that brought you together. This is not theoretical relationship advice. This is data from a man who has an unavoidably honest seat to what destroys marriages. From Wall Street titans to A-list celebrities to world-class surgeons, James has identified the patterns most people only recognize when it's too late. What we cover: Everyone has a prenup: the government wrote yours and can change it without your permission The only good reason not to have one: when you're marrying for money and want maximum entitlement High-performer marriage patterns: why two Type-A partners almost always fail The civilian advantage: why actors married to teachers succeed where actor-actor marriages collapse Polarity matters: why lack of balance creates endless unhealthy competition Work as narcotic: addiction isn't just drugs—it's any behavior to avoid feeling The musician's trap: touring schedules that breed sex and substance addiction CEO's stimulant cycle: from Adderall to alcohol to benzos on repeat Sex, money, power: everything is about sex except sex, which is about power The pairing principle: learning what love is by experiencing what it isn't Marriage as technology: a structure we built over love that gives false security Tradition as peer pressure: wisdom from ancestors or pressure from dead people? Red flag #1: any plan contingent on someone changing Red flag #2: any plan contingent on someone never changing Red flag #3: forgetting you marry the ecosystem, not just the person The interview question: "Why are you getting married?" should never be rude 86% remarry: not insanity, but proof of how desperately we want love Divorce as asset: viewing failed marriages as PhD programs in relationships The wine pairing wisdom: learning what works by experiencing what's wrong Chapters not failure: relationships are parts of your life's novel, not pass/fail tests James doesn't sugarcoat divorce. He reveals that sex is always part of the equation—whether it's sexual disconnection, infidelity during connection, or infidelity despite connection. And I share my own perspective as someone who paid for my divorce, lost property, and still views it as my greatest education. Timestamps: [15:30] – The worst time to learn to fight is when you're in a fight [17:45] – Everyone has a prenup: the government wrote it for you [20:12] – The only valid reason not to want a prenup [25:15] – Enough vs not enough: the only two amounts of money [31:20] – 50/50 custody: what men actually mean when they say it [38:15] – Work as favorite narcotic: the addiction question [58:15] – Sex, money, power: which one matters most? [01:02:30] – Everything is about sex, sex is about power [01:08:45] – What percentage of divorces involve sex? All of them. [01:15:20] – Couple archetypes most likely to divorce [01:23:15] – Two Type-A's: the endless competition that kills love [01:28:40] – Marriage as structure over love: the false security [01:36:20] – Three red flags James watches for [01:42:10] – 86% remarry within five years: hope or insanity? [01:48:15] – Wine pairing wisdom: learning by experiencing wrong pairings   Resources: James Sexton's website: https://nycdivorces.com The Sexton Show on YouTube: https://sextonshow.com Instagram: @nycdivorcelawyer Books by James Sexton: If You're in My Office, It's Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together How to Stay in Love: Practical Wisdom from an Unexpected Source 📲 Connect with Me: 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlène-gisèle-bourliout/

In this episode focused on holistic skincare and anti-aging, I talk with Chris Gibson, a best-selling author and renowned YouTube personality. Chris, who looks decades younger than his 61 years , shares the powerful strategies he developed after struggling with persistent acne for over a decade. His journey led him to a career as a holistic esthetician and a deep understanding of how internal health, diet, and stress manifest on the skin.   Chris reveals the simple but non-negotiable routine that keeps his skin youthful. He shares the crucial connection between high stress, cortisol, and inflammatory skin conditions (acne, eczema, rosacea) and why "beauty sleep is a real thing". For high performers struggling with skin issues, this is a masterclass in holistic self-care. What We Cover: The Acne Breakthrough: How a simple three-day fast proved his long-term acne was rooted in diet, specifically sugar and antibiotic use. Botox Alternative: How the peptide Argireline acts as "Botox in a bottle" to relax muscles, and the power of facial yoga to reverse muscle weakening from prior Botox use. The Neck Lift: Chris demonstrates the "swallowing" 3-in-1 face yoga exercise to tone the jaw, chin, and vertical neck muscles. Immune Response & Stress: Why ongoing stress and high cortisol trigger inflammation, leading to rashes, flare-ups, and breakouts. Micro-Infusion & Collagen: How at-home stamping stimulates collagen, and the power of daily bovine collagen peptides (amino acids) to aid overnight repair. Sunscreen Safety: Why Hybrid Sunscreens (mineral + chemical) are the safest choice and why you don't need an SPF higher than 45. Skincare Misconceptions: Debunking social media "BS" like using lemon juice and toothpaste on your skin. The Body Routine: The benefits of beef tallow for deep hydration and using a turmeric soap and Goshi shower towel for body exfoliation. Sleep Environment: Why you should switch to a silk or bamboo pillowcase to avoid wicking away skincare products and prevent dynamic wrinkles.   Resources YouTube Channel: Chris Gibson Live (1700+ videos on all things skincare): Clear Revolution Skincare  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisgibsonfriends Facebook: Chris Gibson Friends Fan Page   Connect with Charlene Website: https://charlenegisele.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlenegisele/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/coachedbycharlene/

In this deeply raw conversation, I sit down with Quinn Stanfield Bruce, former corporate executive turned humanness visionary, for the most vulnerable episode we've ever recorded. Quinn shares his decades-long battle with cocaine addiction. And I reveal my own work addiction that enabled my ex-husband's substance abuse. Quinn exposes the uncomfortable truth about enablement: staying with an addict isn't love, it's codependency. I share what it's like to mix drug cocktails at 3am because you're too afraid to call an ambulance. And together we unpack why workaholism is just as destructive as substance abuse—it's just socially acceptable. This isn't a conversation about recovery as a destination. It's about recognizing that any time you use something outside yourself to change how you feel—whether it's cocaine, work, or status—you're running from the same core wound: I am not enough. What we cover: The Core of Addiction: Why the decision to use drugs or alcohol is simply wanting to change how one feels, regardless of the substance. The Escalation: How drug use went from early experimentation (weed) to a cocaine habit, which allowed for staying awake and creating maximum damage. The Deadly Cocktail: The reality of co-addiction, using massive doses of sedatives like Valium to cope with stimulant use. Enabling vs. Love: Why the only loving action for a partner of an addict in active addiction is to leave and shut the door. Workaholism as an Addiction: The "insidious" parallel between drug use and work as a form of escapism and a void filler. The Sneaky High: How sneaking into the office at the weekend provides an adrenaline kick and thrill similar to having an affair or taking drugs. Self-Worth and Conditional Love: The root cause of high-performance addiction and finding worth in professional status rather than unconditional love. The Path to Change: Being willing to change everything in life and what that first step looks like. Quinn doesn't sugarcoat recovery. He reveals that he'd rather have been dead than continue living as a functioning addict with house, car, marriage, kids, and job intact. And I share the painful realization that my work addiction fed his cocaine addiction in a toxic codependent dance.   Timestamps: 05:25 The brutal truth: addiction was never recreational, just a way to change how he felt. 08:16 The breaking point: realizing the rest of his life would be spent routinely taking drugs to cope. 09:39 The drug of choice: why cocaine was "amazing" compared to weed and alcohol. 12:00 The cocktail: taking up to 110 milligrams of Valium in one night to sleep. 16:27 The hard truth about leaving: why anything but walking away is enabling. 19:25 The connection: how a partner's workaholism bred codependency and guilt. 25:26 The amazing parallel: sneaking into the office felt like an affair and gave an adrenaline high. 28:03 The real dishonesty: using work to alter a state and fulfill a void. 31:28 Parenting and pride: learning to tell children you are proud of them just because.   Resources: Quinn's Work: Humanness: Quinn helps leaders and businesses rebuild cultures with empathy, creativity, and purpose. Show Sponsor: CaptureBee.io: A done-for-you outreach service that books warm leads and gets you featured on leading podcasts.   📲 Connect with Me: 🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com  📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/charlenegisele  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl%C3%A8ne-gis%C3%A8le-bourliout/

Burnout, Work Addiction & Marriage: How to Navigate Stress at Home & Work