Empowered to Exhale

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Santa Monica, CA
Empowered to Exhale

Professional development (coaching, keynotes) to support sustainable wellness and performance

02/13/2026

All I want for Valentine’s day is to pour some love into the world. And for you to drop by to receive a signed copy of the gift that keeps on giving: shame-free wellness that meets you where you are. Because you are worthy, period. Oh yeah and surprises if you pop by … so see you there Saturday from 1-4pm!!

01/14/2026

Meet the Author & Book Signing for “Hustle, Flow or Let it Go?” on Sunday January 25, 1-3pm at on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Hope to see you and your people there!!

Dr. Portia Preston celebrates “Hustle, Flow, or Let It Go?” with discussion
Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, 1:00pm - 3:00pm PST
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062201649-0

ABOUT THIS EVENT

Dr. Portia Preston (Long Beach, CA) is a 2x TEDx Speaker, Author of “Hustle, Flow, or Let it Go?” (Revell, Aug 5, 2025), CEO/Founder of Empowered to Exhale, Associate Professor of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton, and Certified Executive Coach.

Her overall goal is to help individuals and organizations thrive by developing sustainable wellness based on insights from her research and personal and professional experiences, including living with AuDHD and chronic illness, and working for organizations such as Procter & Gamble, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Deloitte Consulting, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As a leading keynote speaker and wellness consultant, Portia has worked with individuals and organizations in almost every sector, including government, higher education, healthcare, nonprofit, entrepreneurship, and more. As an Associate Professor of Public Health, Portia teaches courses on stress management and promoting health in diverse populations.

Discussion Begins: 1pm

Book Signing: 2pm - 3pm

01/06/2026

Sometimes it’s not you…it’s the thoughts that have gotten to you. And you might need to revive your sense of self, to remember who you are. My name is Portia, and I write to remind myself. Grab a copy of “Hustle, Flow, or Let it Go?” and check out the chapter on cognitive wellness. Link in bio or comment “remember” and I will send you a link for a free excerpt and additional resources.

01/04/2026

I have eased myself into this year. I was NOT feeling new year’s resolutions this year. i needed something more shame-free. something that honored my true journey. yes, i accomplished amazing things but life LIFED. I refused to put myself in the position of having to feign I wasn’t going through my own share struggles. I needed time and space to heal through trauma. So that is what I did. Along the way, I realized we look to others to inspire us in ways that disown their humanity. Your favorite leader, teacher, friend, family member, friend is struggling, too. Pray for them. Don’t let your eyes fool you here. Life is hard for every one of us. You don’t need everyone to validate your pain for it to be real. And you get to protect yourself, to not over explain. Please as you enter this year, honor your humanity with tenderness. This is a practice that your ego won’t want you to do. Practice anyhow. Relentlessly.

01/02/2026

There is only now. Meet this moment. Here is grace, love, presence. Here is the invitation to revisit, renew, recommit, reset. You are not anything that you have been or done. You simple are, and that my friend is enough.

12/18/2025

I heard you wanted a meaningful gift that will help you escape the chaos and find yourself. Be like my new friend Paige, grab a few copies for your people and you can read it together. Want autographed copies?Say less! I now have customized nameplates! Go and rest somewhere, its handled.... Link in bio to order from your favorite retailer, or DM me for more info and nameplates.

12/05/2025

Sometimes I lose sight of who I am and how God is operating through me. caught me from this side angle at the Content Retreat and I’m all who see that girl with the cute baby side loc? God always sees greatness within us because we are reflections, parts of a whole that cannot be anything less than worthy. Even when I don’t feel like THAT girl… it’s IN me. You cannot shake who you are, you may not be able to see it clearly but there is no one on earth better than you. I promise you that! So to that little voice inside…. “Hustle, Flow, or Let it Go” baby!!

12/03/2025

Physical wellness: Celebrating a win for my kidneys. This was me cheesing after finding out my eGFR bounced back and is now better than before my recent health struggles. I am still recovering but I will gladly take progress! The second photo I took to let you know that real kidneys look like oddly shaped nuggets.

11/08/2025

When God brings me through… I want to express this clearly: There is nothing I can do as a wellness expert who is actually a fully fallible human being, that can bring me through the darkest seasons in my life. They are too much for me. I don’t have it together and figured out, because no one’s life is that neatly packaged. I fall apart like anyone else, fragile fragments of my best efforts strewn about like humpty dumpty. I don’t come back together again. I break, and I am reborn. This is the truth of each stage of my evolution. The process is intense and not under my control. It isn’t a problem for anyone’s app or program to fix. It is a battle that prepares me for the next stage of my journey.
I didn’t win this battle. My part was to NOT. GIVE. UP. The rest was in God’s hands. I trust the when and how of what comes next. The shadows, the wilderness, they all serve a function. Trust your girl is resting after a long push and in due time, will share more with the world.

11/05/2025

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”– Haruki Murakami

10/21/2025

Big news—I’m the newest columnist for Psychology Today!
My first column is all about making wellness realistic. Instead of chasing perfection, I share 5 practical tips to help you conquer the shame.
My favorite tip? Practice Asking Yourself, “What do I need?”
This took time to get the hang of, but helped me to finally see and show up for myself, rather than minimizing my needs.
Let me know your favorite tip below!! Link in bio.

10/15/2025

We made it!!! Not just through 24 hours of travel but also teaching my course!! Got to enjoy sunrise over the New York skyline, and a glimpse of the beauty of fall in Vermont. I can’t wait to sleep tonight!

Address

1318 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA
90401

Website

http://www.empoweredtoexhale.com/

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