WORDS MATTER with Deanna Ley

"You Are Most Powerfully Positioned To Serve The Person You Once Were.”

Deanna Ley Season 1 Episode 8

Your story has the power to transform lives. In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, reflects on Rory Vaden’s powerful quote: “You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”

Deanna shares her deeply personal journey of transformation, from a moment of self-reflection to creating the NO SUGAR! NO FLOUR! NO PROBLEM! Facebook group that has grown into a thriving global community with over 76,000 members. Through relatable stories and practical tools, she explores how the pain, lessons, and breakthroughs of your past can become a roadmap of hope and change for someone else.

What Listeners Will Learn:
• How to use your personal journey to inspire and support others.
• Why owning your story and sharing it authentically matters.
• How to reflect on your challenges and identify who you are uniquely positioned to serve.
• Practical steps to turn your experiences into someone else’s breakthrough.
• The power of taking one small step to share your light and spark transformation.

Memorable Quotes:
“You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”
“Your story doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.”
“Even the smallest amount of courage can inspire a world of change.”
“Turn your breakdown into someone else’s breakthrough.”
“You are the living proof that change is possible.”

This episode is a rallying cry to step into your power, share your story, and create a ripple effect of hope and transformation in the lives of others.

To join Deanna's NO SUGAR! NO FLOUR! NO PROBLEM! Facebook group, go to https://facebook.com/groups/nosugarnoflournoproblem .

To read more about Deanna's health journey and to see the photo she references in this episode, visit https://deannaley.com/about-deanna .

Your WORDS MATTER, because YOU MATTER.

❤️❤️❤️

Rory and his wife AJ Vaden are the founders of Brand Builders Group: https://brandbuildersgroup.com . Follow them in all the places. They are up to big things.

❤️❤️❤️

Text Deanna! She'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

❤️❤️❤️

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

Follow Deanna on social media for frequent insights and inspiration, and share your favorite takeaways from this episode on social media. Tag her! She’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TheCatalyticCoach
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/TheCatalyticCoach

Subscribe to the WORDS MATTER by Deanna Ley podcast so you never miss an episode at:
https://wordsmatterwithdeannaley.buzzsprout.com

For more inspiration, coaching, and tools to ignite your Possible, visit:
https://DeannaLey.com

Ready to take the next step? Explore Deanna’s coaching programs and resources designed to help you RISE and IGNITE YOUR POSSIBLE at:
http://TheCatalyticCoach.com

Contact Deanna to have her speak to your group at:
https://DeannaLey.com/Contact

Welcome back to WORDS MATTER, my fantastic friends. Woo, this episode is jam-packed with matterful goodness, so buckle up.

Today's quote is one that speaks directly to the heart of purpose and transformation. It’s from Rory Vaden: “You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”

Take a moment. Let those words settle in.

Who were you? Who are you now? And how can you use everything you’ve been through—all the pain, all the lessons, and all the breakthroughs—to serve someone else?

For me, 2021 was a turning point. Like so many others, I hadn’t taken care of myself during the pandemic. I was drinking way too much wine, eating my way through my emotions—all while feeling numb and directionless. I didn’t recognize myself.

Then, in early August of 2021, my husband and I went to a rock-and-roll bingo night. Now, it was supposed to be a fun evening—and it was, until it wasn’t. See, when the event was over, my friend who had invited us called us up to the front of the room to get a group photo taken, and my heart sank.

I knew exactly what was coming—a full-body photo that I wasn’t prepared for. I’d spent the evening gorging myself on chips and dips and Cane’s chicken strips—and so many desserts—all while taking full advantage of the open bar.

I felt awful—not only on the inside, but I knew it would show on the outside. So when that photo was taken, I might have been smiling, but behind that smile was a massive amount of guilt, shame, regret, and remorse.

The next morning, I woke up to find that photo in my social media feed staring back at me. It wasn’t just a picture—it was a wake-up call.

It was a raw, unfiltered mirror reflecting how far I had let myself go. That image was the moment I realized that something had to change. I had to change. I couldn’t keep living like that.

I needed something life-altering—not just a quick fix. I had done that too many times before. I had to completely overhaul not only how I viewed food but also how I coped with emotions.

From the very beginning of my journey, three mantras became my anchors:

  1. “Just because you feel it doesn’t mean you need to feed it.”
    I had to learn that not every emotion required food as a response. When I felt sadness, stress, or frustration, I practiced pausing and asking myself, “What do I really need right now?” It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.
  2. “You’ve got to deal with it so you can heal with it.”
    Suppressing emotions might feel easier in the short term, but it only delays the healing process. I realized that I couldn’t run from what I was feeling. I couldn’t sweep it under the rug. I had to face it head-on—even when it was hard. Working through those emotions allowed me to release them and move forward.
  3. “It’s not for forever. It’s just for today.”
    Thinking about a lifetime of change felt overwhelming, but committing to one day at a time—one step at a time—was much more manageable.

That single mindset shift helped me focus on the present—on that day, or even that moment—and take intentional steps forward without being paralyzed by the enormity of it all.

It wasn’t easy, friends. I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I also knew I wasn’t the only one who needed this change.

With my gift for building communities where people feel seen, heard, uplifted, and encouraged, I decided to create a space where others could walk this path with me—a space completely free from that diet culture mentality, one filled with support, learning, growth, and thriving.

In November of 2021, I launched my NO SUGAR! NO FLOUR! NO PROBLEM! Facebook group. It started as a small accountability space but quickly grew into something so much more.

Today, it is a thriving worldwide community with over 76,000 members.

Looking back, I realize I didn’t start that group because I had it all figured out. Nope. I started it because I knew what it felt like to stand in that place of pain and uncertainty. I also knew what it felt like to say, “I can’t keep living like this,” while also wondering, “Can I really change?”

That’s why Rory’s words resonate so deeply with me: “You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”

When I see women in that group or in my I CHOOSE ME Challenge, I see the Me who was right there where they are. The Me who needed someone to say, “You’re not alone. If I can do this, you can do it, too.”

And I want to pass that truth on to you.

Your story matters. Whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, whatever you’ve overcome—you have something to offer that no one else can.

There’s someone out there right now standing where you once stood, navigating the same struggles, asking the same questions, and searching for the same hope you once needed.

And you, friend—yes, you—you are the living proof that change is possible.

What if sharing your story could be a catalyst for someone else’s transformation? What if your vulnerability could inspire their courage? What if your lessons could become their tools?

You don’t have to be perfect or have it all figured out to serve others in this way. You don’t need all the answers. You just have to be brave enough to share your story, to shine your light, and to take that first step.

Because even the smallest amount of courage can inspire a world of change.

For someone standing in the dark, your light could be the one that makes all the difference.

So how do you take everything you’ve been through and use it to serve others?

Start by reflecting on your own journey. Take the time to look back—not with shame, but with purpose. Write down the challenges you’ve overcome and the lessons you’ve learned. What tools, habits, or mindsets have helped you along the way?

This reflection isn’t just for you—it’s for the person who needs to hear your story.

Next, identify who you’re uniquely positioned to serve. Think about the person you once were. Who are they? What are they struggling with? What do they need to hear?

Picture them in your mind and let your story speak directly to them. When you see that person clearly, it becomes easier to know how to best reach them and reach out to them.

Then, take one small step to share your story. It doesn’t have to be big or public. Maybe it’s just a conversation with a friend, a post on social media, or volunteering in your community.

The medium doesn’t matter—it’s the connection that counts.

Finally, trust that you are enough—because you are.

Your story doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. And when you share it with authenticity and heart, it will reach the people who need to hear it the most.

Friend, Rory’s words aren’t just a quote to screenshot on your phone for future inspiration. Nope. They’re marching orders. They’re a rally cry. They’re a push to step up, step out, and use your story to light the way for someone else.

They’re a call to action to help turn your breakdown into someone else’s breakthrough.

“You are most powerfully positioned to serve the person you once were.”

Everything you’ve been through—all the lessons, all the pain, and all the victories—they’re not just for you. They’ve shaped you into who you are today so that you can shine a light—BE a light—for someone else.

The person you once were is standing out there waiting for someone to tell them, “You are not alone. If I can do this, you can do this.”

And that someone is you.

You just need to be willing to share.

Turn your struggles into strength and your experience into a roadmap for someone else. Your words, your courage, and your willingness to show up for others—they matter. They CAN spark hope. They CAN ignite action. They CAN create change.

So don’t hold back. Take that first step.

Share your light and let your story become someone else’s reason to believe that transformation is possible, that change is possible, that they are Possible.

Friends, the words we see and read, the words we hear, and the words we say to ourselves and about ourselves—what we’re doing and how we’re doing it—they all matter.

Your WORDS MATTER because YOU MATTER.

Have a great day.

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.