Nicole Bensen

Personal

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I slid into an MRI machine yesterday…not because I knew something was wrong, but because I wanted to know before something was wrong. The company, Prenuvo, calls it “proactive health.” A full-body scan that can flag issues early, before they become serious. The scan I chose took about 45 minutes. It was loud with beeps and buzzing, […]

I don’t feel like writing a note about happiness and thriving right now. I feel…all kinds of other things. Stuck. Sad. Scared. Angry. So, I thought I’d share what I do when I’m feeling this way in case it helps even one person. We benefit from taking space and processing those negative feelings. Moving through them. And […]

This past weekend I had brunch with a new friend, Jen, and I haven’t stopped thinking about a term she used: ROEI. Return on Emotional Investment. We originally bonded over the fact that we both have Korean moms and American dads who served in the military. Then we found out we share the same birthday—including […]

Are you feeling as steamrolled as I am right now? With all the end-of-school-year stuff and summer chaos layered on top of real life, I’ve been feeling stretched way too thin. Teacher gifts, graduations, birthday parties, snack duty, travel planning—not to mention democracy being at stake and doing my best to run a one-woman business—it’s […]

“Wait…did we sit on the wrong side?”“Do we move? Is it rude to move?!” I whispered to my husband. We were at a wedding this past weekend in beautiful Napa, California, as guests of the bride, a dear friend of mine. So…we sat on the left, following the seating style we’d used at our own […]

We were all huddled around Phyllis’ desk—analysts, admins, and loan officers—leaning in as she described her opulent dinner at a fine dining restaurant called The French Laundry. I’d never heard of it. Another thing I’d never heard of? Sweetbreads. But the way she talked about it made it very clear they were neither sweet nor bread. […]

Today’s my birthday! I’m one of those people who turns a birthDAY into a celebration WEEK, and I kicked off this year’s festivities with a girls’ weekend at the lovely, lakeside Woodmark Hotel and Spa. Two friends flew in from California, and we had pasta and cocktails, spa time, and chats next to the fire pit […]

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As we kick off 2025, you’re probably seeing a lot of “New Year, New You” hype. Maybe you’re setting resolutions, choosing a word of the year, or maybe even creating a vision board. You know I’m a big fan of vision boards, right?! This is me leading a vision board workshop last week: But have […]

As we enter 2025, ask not “What more can I do?” but “What can I let go of?” Release the burdens of others’ expectations, constant availability, and comparison. Growth begins with the courage to let go. Here’s to less pressure and more you.