From Treating Symptoms to Changing Lives: What Conventional Medicine Misses for High-Achieving Women

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Catalina Grija, a physician with over 30 years of experience in internal medicine who made a bold shift into functional medicine after realizing treating symptoms wasn’t actually solving the problem.

We talk about burnout, especially in high-achieving women, and why it’s more than just stress. It’s what happens when you keep running on empty while ignoring what your body actually needs.

This conversation breaks down what’s really going on underneath the exhaustion, from inflammation and poor nutrition to hormones, chronic stress, and patterns most people never address. Dr. Catalina shares how her approach focuses on root causes, combining functional medicine, nutrigenetics, and mindset work to create real, lasting change.

We also talk about where to start if you feel burnt out right now and how small shifts in sleep, nutrition, and awareness can begin to turn things around.

You don’t need to keep pushing through something that isn’t working.

You need to understand what’s actually going on and then change it.

About Dr. Catalina GrijaDr. Catalina is a functional medicine specialist, certified nutrigenetics specialist, and certified transformational life coach. She is the founder of The Whole Life Wellness Club and creator of The Whole Life Blueprint Program, where she helps professional women break free from burnout, identify and shift limiting patterns, address the root causes of health issues, and design a life that actually supports them.

Connect with Dr. Catalina:

https://wholelifewellnessclub.com

https://wholelifeblueprint.com

Connect With Avery Crumrine:

Website: ⁠https://averycrumrine.com

https://www.youtube.com/@AveryCrumrine

In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth Barry, executive leadership coach, communication consultant, and author, and we go deeper than surface level mindset.

We talk about her personal story, including loss, and how that completely shifted the way she sees life, control, and what actually matters.

From there, we get into what she teaches now:

how ego shows up, how it keeps people stuck, and why so many people stay in thinking instead of actually moving.

We break down:

What “everything you need is already within you” actually means in real life

Her frameworks like The Kind Communicator and The 5 Energy Empires (in a way that’s actually usable)

How breathwork and somatic tools can help you move through resistance in the moment

Why people stay in awareness but don’t take action

The difference between reflection and real change

This isn’t just about understanding yourself better.

It’s about actually doing something with that awareness.

About Elizabeth Barry

Elizabeth Barry is a communication coach and business consultant who works with executives, founders, and individuals navigating change to think clearly, communicate directly, and make confident decisions under pressure - so they can live a more powerful life.

Connect with Elizabeth:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethannbarry/

Website: https://thekindcommunicator.com/

Connect With Avery Crumrine:

Website: ⁠https://averycrumrine.com

https://www.youtube.com/@AveryCrumrine

In this episode, I talk about how easy it is to make something way bigger than it needs to be, and how that’s what’s making you avoid it.

We think we need more time, a better plan, or more clarity.

But most of the time, that’s not the issue.

It’s avoidance that looks like progress.

Planning. Thinking. Organizing.

All of it feels productive, but none of it actually moves you forward.

I break down why this happens, what’s actually going on underneath it, and how to stop overcomplicating things so you can actually start.

Because you don’t need to make it better.You need to make it real.

Connect With Avery Crumrine:

Website: ⁠https://averycrumrine.com

https://www.youtube.com/@AveryCrumrine

You don’t become a champion by waiting until you feel ready.

In this episode, I sit down with Olympic Gold Medalist Michelle Cameron Coulter to talk about what it actually takes to follow through at the highest level. Not just in sports, but in life.

We get into the pressure to be perfect, the habit of overthinking, and why so many people stay stuck even when they know what they want. Michelle shares what it looked like to keep showing up before the confidence was there, and how real progress comes from deciding to jump in anyway.

This conversation isn’t just about winning a gold medal. It’s about what it means to trust yourself, take action, and keep going even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you’ve been waiting to feel ready, this is your reminder that you don’t need to. You just need to start.

About Michelle Cameron Coulter

Michelle Cameron Coulter is an Olympic Gold Medalist, six-time World Champion, TEDx speaker, and host of the Top 20 global podcast Inspiring Possibilities – The Courage to Jump In. She helps people move beyond overthinking and the pressure to be perfect into aligned, sustainable action. Unlocking their Champion within and tapping into their Gold Medal potential. Her work supports mental wellness and sustained, meaningful success. As a mom of four and married nearly 35 years, Michelle brings a grounded, real perspective shaped by life’s ups and downs and a commitment to coming back to what matters, again and again.

Connect With Michelle: https://michellecameroncoulter.com/

Watch her TEDx: https://youtu.be/w5_l3tzGRRg?si=r0rvqdngL5Otgzj2

Connect With Avery Crumrine:

https://averycrumrine.com

https://www.youtube.com/@AveryCrumrine

Starting isn’t the problem. Continuing is.

Most people can start something. They get excited, they take the first step, and for a moment it feels like progress.

But then that feeling fades.

The next time they’re supposed to show up, it doesn’t feel the same. There’s no urgency, no excitement, no momentum carrying them forward, just something they have to do.

And that’s where they stop.

In this episode, I break down why this happens and why it has nothing to do with your discipline, your motivation, or how badly you want it.

It’s about understanding that starting and continuing are two completely different skills.

And if you don’t learn how to continue when it doesn’t feel good, you’ll keep repeating the same cycle over and over again.

If you’ve ever started something and didn’t follow through, this will show you why and what to do instead.

Website: ⁠https://averycrumrine.com

https://www.instagram.com/averycrumrine/

https://www.facebook.com/averybrennacrumrine/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/averycrumrine/

You’re not starting becasue because you think the first step is bigger than it actually is.

In this episode, I break down why you’re not starting and how to make the first step small enough that you actually follow through.

When you think about doing something, you don’t think about the first step. You think about the end result, everything it’s going to take, and all the steps in between. And your brain sees that and shuts it down before you even begin.

So instead of starting small. You don’t start at all.

This episode is about shifting that.

Because the first step isn’t supposed to be big. It’s just supposed to get you moving. And once you start, things begin to feel different.

If you’ve been putting something off because it feels overwhelming, this will help you break it down and actually begin.

Website: ⁠https://averycrumrine.com

You’re not stuck because you need more motivation.

You’re stuck because resistance shows up, and you stop.

In this episode, I break down what resistance actually is, why it feels uncomfortable, and how to take action before you feel ready.

There’s something deeper going on.

Resistance shows up, and instead of moving through it, we stop.

We overthink, we delay, and we tell ourselves we’ll do it later... but later never comes.

And most people misinterpret that feeling.

They think it means they’re not ready.

But really, it just means they’re stepping into something that matters.

This episode is about changing the way you see that moment.

Because once you understand what’s actually happening, you can start responding differently.

Website: ⁠ https://averycrumrine.com

Most people don’t have an idea problem. They have a follow through problem.

Welcome to the first episode of The Follow Through.

I’m Avery Brenna Crumrine, author of Intention Into Action, and this podcast is about one thing. How to go from intention, to action, to results.

Because the truth is, most people already know what they want to do.

They think about it.

They plan it.

They talk about it.

But they don’t actually do it.

And it’s not because they’re lazy.

There’s something deeper going on that gets in the way and most of the time, we don’t actually understand what that is.

This podcast is about breaking that down.

Through ideas from my book, my own experiences, and conversations with people who actually live this, not just talk about it.

If you’ve been overthinking, waiting to feel ready, or putting things off, this is for you.

New episodes every Monday.

Website: https://averycrumrine.com