Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport

Rachel Blogg | Athlete Identity Coach · imperfectlyhuman.net

Imperfectly Human™ is the podcast that explores the human being behind the athlete. Hosted by athlete identity coach, performance coach, and therapist Rachel Blogg, this podcast helps current and former athletes navigate the mental side of sport—from performance pressure and confidence to injury, retirement, identity, and life after sport. Each episode features honest conversations with athletes, coaches, sports professionals, and experts about the challenges that don't show up on the highlight reel. Together, we explore athlete identity, mental performance, sports psychology, resilience, confidence, and the transition beyond competition. Whether you're competing at a high level, recovering from an injury, adjusting to retirement, or trying to rediscover your purpose after sport, you'll gain practical tools and real conversations to help you move forward with confidence. Because your performance is something you do, not who you are. <

92 episodes

12d ago latest

fortnightly cadence

English language

Explicit rating

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Episodes 93

When Making the NFL Is Just the Beginning
5d ago · 42:05
What happens when you finally reach the level you worked so hard for, only to realize the pressure is just beginning? Rachel Blogg sits down with NFL player Tyron Herring for an honest conversation about chasing a professional football career, getting cut, changing teams, managing expectations, and learning to separate who you are from how you perform.Tyron shares the mental pressure of knowing every practice could affect your future, the sacrifices people never see, and how faith, mantras, and a commitment to the process have helped him navigate the uncertainty of professional sports. He also
When Being a Fighter Becomes Who You Are
12d ago · 39:57
What happens when the thing you love most becomes inseparable from who you are? Rachel Blogg sits down with professional MMA fighter and former UFC fighter Charles Rosa for an honest conversation about athlete identity, pressure, mental health, trauma, and the complicated reality of imagining life after fighting. Charles opens up about losing his two older brothers, finding an outlet through MMA, battling depression when fighting is absent, and the devastating neck injury that doctors said gave him less than a 1% chance of returning to the cage. He shares how he fought his way back, what losse
Who Are You When Your Athletic Career Ends?
19d ago · 8:07
What happens when the sport that shaped your identity is suddenly gone? In this deeply personal episode, Rachel Blogg shares why Imperfectly Human is entering a new chapter with a focused mission: helping athletes navigate life after sports. Drawing from her work as a therapist and mental performance coach, as well as her own experience recovering from a life-changing injury, Rachel opens up about the emotional challenges that come when competition ends and the next chapter begins. She explores the identity loss that can follow retirement, injury, graduation, being cut from a team, or simply a
How Sharing Your Story Can Turn Pain Into Purpose
26d ago · 1:02:23
What happens when you stop hiding the hardest chapters of your life and start telling the truth? Rachel Blogg sits down with YouTube creator, storyteller, and fashion designer Mrs. Kane for a deeply honest conversation about pregnancy loss, domestic violence, healing, resilience, and finding purpose through vulnerability. Mrs. Kane shares the unimaginable heartbreak of losing nine pregnancies before welcoming her miracle daughter, the emotional impact of surviving abusive relationships and stalking, and how moving to Florida became the beginning of a completely different life. She opens up abo
Running from cancer to the Antarctic!
1mo ago · 49:48
What happens when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and simply decide to begin? Rachel Blogg sits down with endurance athlete, Harvard Business School graduate, engineer, and educator Anthony Simonetti for an inspiring conversation about resilience, purpose, adventure, and choosing experiences over fear. Anthony shares the journey that took him from a childhood shaped by family challenges and his sister's battle with cancer to running seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days, raising thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and building a life
How Telling the Truth About Your Past Can Set You Free
1mo ago · 51:51
What happens when you stop hiding the hardest parts of your story? Rachel Blogg welcomes author, speaker, and content creator Rachel Sobel for a deeply honest conversation about surviving domestic violence, navigating breast cancer, raising resilient kids, and learning that vulnerability can become your greatest source of strength. Rachel shares how years in an abusive relationship slowly eroded her confidence before therapy helped her recognize herself as a survivor. She opens up about the shame that often keeps people silent, why leaving is rarely as simple as it seems, and the importance of
What Happens When Your Identity Disappears Overnight
1mo ago · 27:44
What happens when the dream you've spent your entire life chasing suddenly comes to an end? Rachel Blogg sits down with former NFL running back Montee Ball for an honest conversation about identity, performance pressure, addiction, recovery, and what it means to rebuild your life after everything changes. Montee shares the hidden struggles behind his success at the University of Wisconsin and in the NFL, the pressure to always appear strong, and how alcohol quietly became a way to cope with anxiety, burnout, and the expectations placed on him. He opens up about the mistakes that led to his arr
Why Showing Up as Yourself Feels So Hard
1mo ago · 1:00:02
What keeps so many of us from showing up as our authentic selves? Rachel Blogg sits down with holistic therapist and coach Corynne Carranza for a candid conversation about perfectionism, social media, motherhood, entrepreneurship, boundaries, and the quiet fears that often hold us back from being fully seen. Together they explore why even experienced therapists struggle with vulnerability online, how comparison steals confidence, the pressure to always be productive, and the importance of creating space for joy instead of constantly chasing achievement. They also reflect on the value of women'
When Recovery Becomes About More Than Surviving
2mo ago · 43:19
What happens when recovery stops being about simply staying alive and starts becoming about fully living? Rachel Blogg sits down with comedian, entrepreneur, and recovery advocate Jill Pavlov for an honest conversation about eating disorders, addiction, perfectionism, and the long journey toward self-worth. Jill shares how years of believing she wasn't enough led to an eating disorder, substance abuse, and ultimately a life-changing stay at treatment. Together, she and Rachel explore the lingering voice of an eating disorder, the pressure of perfectionism, why confidence is something we practi
How a Former NFL Player Turned Failure Into His Greatest Success
2mo ago · 33:49
In this inspiring episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with former NFL player, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker Marques Ogden to explore what it really means to rebuild your life after everything falls apart. Marques shares his journey from professional football to becoming a successful business owner, only to lose nearly everything after a devastating business failure. Faced with financial ruin, addiction, and a complete loss of identity, he found himself at rock bottom and forced to make a choice: remain a victim of his circumstances or take radical accountabil
How I didn't Let Fear Control my Decisions
2mo ago · 11:22
Fear doesn't always show up in obvious ways. Sometimes it's loud and easy to recognize, and other times it hides behind perfectionism, self-doubt, and the belief that we're not ready yet. In this solo episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel shares how her fear of the ocean led her to take on a triathlon and eventually complete a Half Ironman. She explores how fear can keep us stuck in our personal lives, careers, and athletic pursuits—and why waiting for everything to be perfect may mean waiting forever. Through personal stories and professional insights, Rachel challenges listeners to identify w
What Do You Hold On To After Surviving the Unimaginable?
2mo ago · 50:38
In this deeply moving conversation, Rachel Blogg sits down with Holocaust survivor Mary Eckstein to explore a life shaped by loss, resilience, courage, and gratitude. Mary shares her firsthand experiences as a child in Nazi-occupied Hungary, surviving fear, hunger, separation from family, and the uncertainty of war while witnessing extraordinary acts of kindness that helped save lives. As the conversation unfolds, Mary reflects on the heartbreak of losing family members in Auschwitz, the challenges of rebuilding a life after the Holocaust, immigrating to America, and later facing the loss of h
Growing Up Oldest of 13, Leaving at 17, and Building a Life Nobody Showed You How to Live
2mo ago · 54:44
Rachel Blogg sits down with Alicia Michelle, founder of The Koi Collective, for a conversation that took a completely unexpected turn. What starts as a business chat quickly becomes one of the most raw and honest conversations about surviving a childhood defined by poverty, abuse, and chaos, leaving home at 17 with nothing, and slowly, painstakingly building something different. Alicia opens up about growing up the oldest of 13 siblings in Section 8 housing, discovering in her mid-twenties that her siblings shared a different father, navigating a physically abusive marriage with no financial s
From the NFL to Real Estate to a TikTok That Went Viral: A Conversation About Kindness, Purpose, and What We Owe Each Other
3mo ago · 50:38
Rachel Blogg sits down with Malcolm, founder and CEO of Langdon Park Capital, whose paths crossed in the most unexpected way — through a TikTok video Rachel posted after helping his college-aged son get home safely following a March Madness game. What started as a simple act of concern from one parent to another became a moment that restored faith in humanity for nearly half a million people. In this conversation, they unpack how that moment happened, what it meant to both families, and why kindness like that feels rare when it really shouldn't.Malcolm opens up about his journey from NFL playe
How Garrison Carter Built Mental Toughness Beyond Basketball
3mo ago · 46:52
In this episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with Garrison Carter for a powerful conversation about identity, discipline, leadership, and resilience. As a senior student-athlete at Illinois Institute of Technology, Garrison shares the realities behind competing at a high level while balancing academics, personal growth, and life beyond basketball. Together, they discuss overcoming injury, losing 40 pounds during COVID, handling pressure as a college athlete, and learning how faith and family helped shape his mindset. Garrison opens up about mental toughness, the fear of failure, and
From Rock Bottom to 15 Years Sober: What Finally Made It Stick
3mo ago · 46:03
Rachel Blogg sits down with Meghan Brooks, a recovery advocate and treatment professional with 15 years of sobriety, who shares the honest, unglamorous truth about what it actually took to get sober and stay that way. Meghan opens up about growing up with addiction in her family, bouncing between cities trying to outrun her disease, and the moment she got kicked out of her own IOP group, which turned out to be the day everything changed. This conversation goes deep on the early struggles of sobriety that nobody talks about, including why the first two years felt awful, how Meghan intentionally
Why Kindness Starts With Saying No
3mo ago · 39:28
Rachel Blogg sits down with Dido Balla, CEO of Kindness Matters, for an honest conversation about what kindness actually means and why it has nothing to do with always saying yes. Together they explore the difference between being kind and being nice, why self-kindness is the foundation, and how setting boundaries can be one of the most generous things you do for yourself and others. Dido shares the four guiding beliefs behind Kindness Matters, including the idea that every human being is born with a capacity for good, and explains how negativity bias quietly shapes the way we see the world an
From Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 to Imperfectly Human: A New Conversation on Strength
4mo ago · 5:30
In this episode, the podcast enters a new chapter as Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 transitions into Imperfectly Human—a name that reflects the deeper conversations that have naturally unfolded over time. What began as a space for growth, self-awareness, and releasing perfection has evolved into something more focused: understanding strength in its most honest and transferable form. Not the kind of strength that is performative or visible on the outside, but the kind that shows up in how we handle pressure, relationships, identity shifts, and the moments no one else sees. This episode explores a c
When You Die, You Look Like Your Decisions
4mo ago · 6:41
What if your life isn’t defined by your past—but by your decisions? In this solo episode, I challenge the idea that your childhood gets a lifetime vote over your future. This isn’t about blame—it’s about agency, and what you choose to do with what you were given. I talk about how your nervous system is shaped not just by trauma, but by repeated patterns, why insight alone won’t change your life, and the hidden cost of staying loyal to old stories. Healing isn’t a one-time realization—it’s a practice. And if patterns are practiced, they can be changed. The question is: if someone met you today,
Why So Many Successful People Still Feel Unfulfilled
4mo ago · 58:37
In this episodeThis is one of those conversations that really stays with you. In this episode, we explore what it truly means to create a life and career that feel aligned—not driven by pressure, burnout, or expectations, but by authenticity and purpose. We talk about the shift away from hustle culture and into a more grounded, honest way of building something meaningful. If you’ve ever felt like there’s more for you—something deeper, more connected to who you really are—this conversation will meet you there. It’s about trusting your evolution, giving yourself permission to grow, and redefinin
When Your Body Forces You To Pay Attention
4mo ago · 58:12
Rachel Blogg sits down with board certified health and wellness coach Debbie Roppo for a real conversation about what happens when your body stops whispering and starts demanding your attention. Debbie shares the moment she woke up in excruciating joint pain, the fear that came with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, and why she refused to believe a single prediction about what her future had to look like.They talk through the slow, layered work of healing that goes beyond food. Water and air quality, chemicals in everyday products, stress, relationships, sleep, and the shift from chasing quick
Anxiety Is Not the Villain (It’s Just Loud, Dramatic, and Bad at Timing)
5mo ago · 7:17
If anxiety had a personality, it would be the friend who means well but absolutely cannot chill. In this solo episode, Rachel dives into the real version of anxiety—the one that turns every little thing into an emergency and refuses to wait and see. She breaks down why anxiety feels so loud, why it convinces you that everything is urgent, and why trying to fight it or force calm often makes it louder. Rachel also shares simple, practical strategies that actually help. From naming anxiety for what it is, to calming the body, reducing false urgency, and responding without spiraling, listeners wi
Surviving The Loss of A Child
5mo ago · 1:20:47
In this episodeWe dive into the realities of grief and why it doesn’t follow a timeline, the transformative power of community during life’s most difficult moments, and the importance of advocating for yourself when you feel most vulnerable. Emily shares her story with remarkable honesty, offering both practical guidance and emotional support to anyone facing loss or navigating grief. This episode is raw, real, and deeply human — a conversation about resilience, connection, and finding your way forward even when life feels unbearably hard.Meet my guestEmily Tosoni is a woman who shows up for w
Lonely in a Loud World (Why Likes, Followers, and “Doing Enough” Mess With Our Mental Health)
5mo ago · 10:57
In this solo episode, I’m talking about a kind of loneliness that doesn’t get enough attention — the quiet, confusing kind that shows up even when you’re surrounded by notifications, followers, comments, and growth. The kind where everything looks “successful” on the outside, but internally you feel disconnected, behind, or like it’s still not enough. I open up about my own experience navigating social media as a content creator — watching the numbers rise and fall, hitting milestones, and still battling the comparison trap that whispers, “Why isn’t it more?”We explore how metrics were never m
Two Black Sheep, One Secret: The "B" Word
5mo ago · 40:25
We looked successful. Strong. Disciplined. In control. Behind closed doors? We were at war with food. In this episode, Janine Stella sits down with psychotherapist Rachel Blogg, LCSW, and for the first time, both women speak publicly about their personal battles with bulimia and disordered eating. Not the version you see in after-school specials — the high-functioning version. The “she just works out a lot” version. The food journals, the rigid schedules, the bathroom escapes, the exercise that wasn’t about health but about control...with no REAL control.They talk about shame at seven years ol

Episodes

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Imperfectly Human™ | Athlete Identity & Life After Sport

Episodes 93

When Making the NFL Is Just the Beginning

When Being a Fighter Becomes Who You Are

Who Are You When Your Athletic Career Ends?

How Sharing Your Story Can Turn Pain Into Purpose

Running from cancer to the Antarctic!

How Telling the Truth About Your Past Can Set You Free

What Happens When Your Identity Disappears Overnight

Why Showing Up as Yourself Feels So Hard

When Recovery Becomes About More Than Surviving

How a Former NFL Player Turned Failure Into His Greatest Success

How I didn't Let Fear Control my Decisions

What Do You Hold On To After Surviving the Unimaginable?

Growing Up Oldest of 13, Leaving at 17, and Building a Life Nobody Showed You How to Live

From the NFL to Real Estate to a TikTok That Went Viral: A Conversation About Kindness, Purpose, and What We Owe Each Other

How Garrison Carter Built Mental Toughness Beyond Basketball

From Rock Bottom to 15 Years Sober: What Finally Made It Stick

Why Kindness Starts With Saying No

From Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 to Imperfectly Human: A New Conversation on Strength

When You Die, You Look Like Your Decisions

Why So Many Successful People Still Feel Unfulfilled

When Your Body Forces You To Pay Attention

Anxiety Is Not the Villain (It’s Just Loud, Dramatic, and Bad at Timing)

Surviving The Loss of A Child

Lonely in a Loud World (Why Likes, Followers, and “Doing Enough” Mess With Our Mental Health)

Two Black Sheep, One Secret: The "B" Word

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Episodes 93

When Making the NFL Is Just the Beginning

When Being a Fighter Becomes Who You Are

Who Are You When Your Athletic Career Ends?

How Sharing Your Story Can Turn Pain Into Purpose

Running from cancer to the Antarctic!

How Telling the Truth About Your Past Can Set You Free

What Happens When Your Identity Disappears Overnight

Why Showing Up as Yourself Feels So Hard

When Recovery Becomes About More Than Surviving

How a Former NFL Player Turned Failure Into His Greatest Success

How I didn't Let Fear Control my Decisions

What Do You Hold On To After Surviving the Unimaginable?

Growing Up Oldest of 13, Leaving at 17, and Building a Life Nobody Showed You How to Live

From the NFL to Real Estate to a TikTok That Went Viral: A Conversation About Kindness, Purpose, and What We Owe Each Other

How Garrison Carter Built Mental Toughness Beyond Basketball

From Rock Bottom to 15 Years Sober: What Finally Made It Stick

Why Kindness Starts With Saying No

From Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 to Imperfectly Human: A New Conversation on Strength

When You Die, You Look Like Your Decisions

Why So Many Successful People Still Feel Unfulfilled

When Your Body Forces You To Pay Attention

Anxiety Is Not the Villain (It’s Just Loud, Dramatic, and Bad at Timing)

Surviving The Loss of A Child

Lonely in a Loud World (Why Likes, Followers, and “Doing Enough” Mess With Our Mental Health)

Two Black Sheep, One Secret: The "B" Word