How to Be More Without Doing More: Presence, Growth & the Power of Enough
In this episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil crack open a question that lives quietly inside so many of us:
What if being more of yourself didn’t mean doing more of everything else?
What follows is a layered, compassionate conversation about the tension between presence and productivity, identity and effort, growth and stillness. Together, Kim and Louise invite listeners to explore what shifts when we stop performing, start listening, and allow ourselves to move through life without constantly trying to prove our worth.
Presence Over Performance
The conversation kicks off with a reflection on presence. Kim shares that when she’s truly present, she’s fully herself—not performing, not producing, not striving. Just being.
“When I’m not present, when I’m performing or pre-thinking, I don’t get to be me.” — Kim Romain
For Kim, presence isn’t about what you’re doing—it’s about who you’re being in that moment. And that sense of presence, she says, is where growth actually happens—without even trying.
Louise adds another layer to the conversation: even when we're trying to "be," there’s still a part of us that feels like we have to "do." There are still goals to meet, dreams to chase, and lives to live.
“I still have things I want to do in the world… so how does being get me the stuff I want?” — Louise Neil
The tension between being and doing isn’t something to resolve—it’s something to notice and hold with compassion.
Knowing Yourself Without Judgment
As the episode unfolds, Kim and Louise explore the dance between different parts of ourselves—our inner planner and spontaneous adventurer, our teacher and our wanderer. They talk about the misalignment we feel when we try to force one part of ourselves to dominate the rest, and how understanding our inner landscape helps us move through life with more clarity and grace.
“Knowing yourself means knowing what each part of you needs—and letting them support each other instead of battle for control.”
They unpack how honoring your needs isn’t a limitation—it’s a strategy for sustainability. Whether it’s letting the planner step back or allowing space for rest, the goal isn’t balance—it’s relationship.
Coaching vs. Therapy: Two Seats on the Same Journey
One of the standout segments of the episode is when Louise and Kim clarify the difference between coaching and therapy, using a metaphor that will stick with you:
“In therapy, I unpack the suitcase. In coaching, I choose which train I’m getting on. They’re both necessary.”
Kim builds on this by emphasizing that coaching isn’t about getting to the “why”—it’s about stepping into the “what’s next.” It’s forward-focused, action-based, and rooted in the belief that we already have what we need—we just need space to hear it.
Let the Journey Be the Destination
Perhaps the most profound invitation from this episode is the reminder that we don’t need to arrive to be worthy. We don’t need to hit a goal to be enough. Growth is not a performance—it’s a process.
“Presence lets us drop the act. And when we do, we realize—we were already enough.”
Key Takeaways:
The difference between doing and being (and how to honor both)
What true presence feels like (and why it’s the key to authentic living)
How to grow without burning out or losing yourself
Why coaching and therapy serve different needs—and how to know which you need
How to balance your inner planner and your spontaneous self
What it means to know yourself deeply—without judgment or striving
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome and intro
02:07 Celebrating three years of podcasting and the magic of unscripted conversations
04:33 “When is it okay to just be?”
06:34 How presence reveals the truest parts of ourselves
09:13 What being present really means (and how it differs from productivity)
12:49 The many hats we wear and how to stay authentic while shifting roles
15:05 Baloney sandwiches and school buses: a metaphor for your inner world
19:10 The joy of conversation without an agenda
23:36 Why your planner and your spontaneous side need each other
25:06 Self-trust grows when you honor the needs of all your parts
28:27 Coaching vs. therapy: unpacking vs. choosing your train
32:55 Getting unstuck by releasing the “why” and tuning into the “what’s next”
36:54 Let the journey be the destination
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Share your takeaways in the comments—we love hearing what landed for you!
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