Season one ends the way it began — with radical permission. In this final episode, Nicole compiles the "Dear Rest Rebels" messages from every guest this season, and the result is something you'll want to save, return to, and play on repeat. Hear wisdom from Dana Tenille Weekes, Jordan Maney, Jacki Hayes, Taina Brown, Elaina Ramsey, Ixchel Lunar, Becky Mollenkamp, Malik Turley, and Catharine Montgomery — each offering their own unique reminder that you are enough, you are worthy, and it is safe to rest. And Anna DeShawn gets the final word, because honestly? She earned it. Bookmark this one. Come back to it when the world is loud and your body is tired. This is your permission slip, on repeat.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dear Rest Rebels Compilation Episode

02:39 Dear Rest Rebels Notes

07:13 Season Wrap-Up and Future Plans

CONNECT WITH GUESTS

Dana Tennille Weekes: https://therestofuspodcast.com/
Jordan Maney: https://substack.com/@thejordanmaney
Jacki Hayes: https://www.jackihayes.co/
Taina Brown: info@tainambrown.com
Ixchel Lunar: https://ixchellunar.com/
Malik Turley: https://tapasmovement.com
Catharine Montgomery: https://thebettertogetheragency.com
Becky Mollenkamp: https://beckymollenkamp.com/
Elaina Ramsey: https://www.faithchoiceohio.org
Anna DeShawn: https://queernewspod.substack.com

CONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:

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Thank you to the people who helped make this show happen.

Send me a message via Speakpipe.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

What happens when the host gets interviewed? In this special episode, Nicole hands the mic to friend, coaching colleague, and Messy Liberation podcast co-host Taina Brown — and the result is one of the most honest, wide-ranging conversations yet. From the behind-the-scenes chaos of launching a podcast to the theological roots of rest as resistance, Nicole opens up about what she's learned, what's surprised her, and what's coming next for Just Rest and for her own life. If you've ever wondered what a burnout coach actually believes about rest — and whether she walks her own talk — this one's for you.

What we talked about in this episode:

• What it actually felt like to finally launch a podcast years in the making
• The messy, imperfect reality of building workflows behind the scenes
• Why irregular release cadence hasn't hurt the show
• How guests have expanded Nicole's own understanding of burnout
• The surprising double-edged sword of doing work you're passionate about
• The role of COVID in reshaping how people think about work and burnout
• How Nicole's background as a clergy person and interfaith practitioner informs her approach to rest
• Rest practices Nicole has adopted — or deepened — from her guests
• Why burnout is not a personal failure — it's a systemic one
• The invisible labor carried by people socialized as women and how it compounds burnout
• Why you cannot productivity hack your way out of exhaustion
• Nicole's Friday screen-free practice and the joy of staring out a window while it snows
• What's coming in Season 2
• Nicole's upcoming year of nomadic living — and why she's doing it

Organization(s) doing good in the world:

New American Welcome Center (Champaign-Urbana): https://nawc.universityymca.org/
Amica Center for Immigrant Rights: https://amicacenter.org

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Just Rest and Taina Brown
04:27 Grounding breath
05:26 The Journey of Podcasting: From Idea to Reality
08:54 The Messy Start to Just Rest
13:40 Letting Go of Perfectionism in Podcasting
17:39 Expanding Ideas about Burnout
19:53 The Dual Nature of Passion: A Double-Edged Sword
22:21 Theological Perspectives on Burnout and Rest
25:29 The Radical Nature of Rest
30:38 Seasonal Rhythms and Personal Practices
36:25 Understanding Burnout: It's Not Your Fault
42:44 Naming Priorities in Planning
45:14 The Weight of Perfectionism
47:43 Embracing Rest in Nature
50:58 Supporting Immigrant Rights Groups
52:46 Plans for the Pod and Nomadic Living

CONNECT WITH GUEST INTERVIEWER TAINA BROWN:

Website: https://www.ifthenand.org/

Messy Liberation Podcast: https://messyliberation.com/

CONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA

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Work with Nicole

The Calm Calendar Club is a brain-friendly planning community for neurodivergent adults, ADHD minds, and sandwich-generation caregivers who are tired of systems that don’t fit real life. We help you build a flexible, values-based calendar that reduces chaos and protects your energy. This low-cost, community-based program is ready for you at defythetrend.com/calm-calendar.

Thank you to the people who helped make this show happen.

Send me a message via Speakpipe.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

What does it look like to stay in the fight — week after week, story after story — without losing yourself in the process? In this episode, Nicole sits down with Anna DeShawn, founder of E3 Radio and The Qube, and host of the Ambie Award-winning Queer News podcast, for a rich conversation about burnout, joy as a practice, faith as a foundation, and what it really means to build something that sustains you. Anna's journey from corporate burnout to full-time entrepreneur and queer media powerhouse is a case study in trusting the pivot — and in taking care of yourself first so you can keep advocating for your community.

In this episode:

• How COVID pushed Anna from corporate burnout to full-time entrepreneurship
• What it felt like to relearn how to work on her own terms
• The sacred meditation corner in Anna's home that grounds her before every episode of Queer News
• Why reporting the good news is just as important as bearing witness to the hard stuff
• The difference between battles and wars — and why showing up matters even when you lose a round
• Anna's deeply rooted faith background (Black Lutheran and Baptist — yes, both)
• Joy as a choice and a commitment — and why Anna quits the moment joy leaves
• The new relaunch of The Qube: building the largest searchable database of Black and Brown podcasts, and why discoverability is an equity issue
• Why podcasters are the storytellers and public record-keepers of our time

Organizations you should support:

• Affinity Community Services — serving Black queer women on the South Side of Chicago for 30 years. affinitycommunityservices.org
• Sisters in Cinema — a nonprofit supporting Black women, girls, and gender-expansive media makers with free programming and a 35-seat brick-and-mortar theater on the South Side. sistersincinema.com

P.S. Become part of the joy in Anna’s new community on Substack!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Just Rest and Anna Deshawn
02:45 Moment for a Deep Breath
03:55 Burnout, Leaving Corporate American in COVID
06:33 Redefining Work and Success
09:34 Wellbeing in Entrepreneurship
12:07 Authenticity in Podcast
17:14 Staying Grounded Amidst the Bad News
19:37 Seeing the Big Picture in Activism
20:47 Faith and Identity in Activism
26:33 The Intersection of Faith and Identity
28:03 Faith and the Podcasting Journey
30:51 Letting Go of Control in the Journey
32:19 The Importance of Self-Care
34:09 Finding Joy in Work
39:01 Relaunching The Cube
42:55 Creating Access in Podcasting
44:51 Ways to Rest and Resist
49:41 Dear Rest Rebels
50:22 Highlighting Organizations Doing Good in the World

CONNECT WITH ANNA DESHAWN

Website:https://e3radio.fm

Substack:https://queernewspod.substack.com

Instagram:https://instagram.com/annadeshawn

Facebook: https://facebook.com/annadeshawn

LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/annadeshawn

CONNECT WITH NICOLE HAVELKA:

Newsletter

LinkedIn

Work with Nicole

The Calm Calendar Club is a brain-friendly planning community for neurodivergent adults, ADHD minds, and sandwich-generation caregivers who are tired of systems that don’t fit real life. We help you build a flexible, values-based calendar that reduces chaos and protects your energy. This low-cost, community-based program is ready for you at defythetrend.com/calm-calendar.

Thank you to the people who helped make this show happen.

Send me a message via Speakpipe.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.