Did you notice that I didn’t release a new episode of Toxin Free-ish last week? Well, that should have been a clue that I was working on something new for you. 

This is kind of my coming-out episode, which sounds strange to say because I’ve been podcasting for about two years. This was always something I did in my free time. I showed up here every single week to teach, educate, and share all about toxin-free living.

I knew this space needed something that was less black and white and dramatic. There’s a lot of fear out there. The wellness space has just gotten so crazy! As somebody who has been in this industry for 18 years, I knew what people were saying on the Internet was lacking context or not even true. They were saying things just for clicks.

The goal of Toxin Free-ish was always you. It was always to help the everyday person who wanted a cleaner, more holistic way of living. The person who wanted to get healthier and reduce toxin exposure in their home, but in a very practical day-to-day kind of way. To the best of my ability, with a full-time job in the federal government, I tried to give you that education and advice.

As of the launch of this podcast episode, I will have a few days left of my full-time federal employee job. I’m doing the thing that I swore I would never do – work for myself. I loved working in the federal government and being behind the scenes, trying to change things. 

I still strongly believe that you need strong environmental toxins regulation and people lobbying for that regulation, but you also need to educate people at home so they can take educated and radical responsibility for their individual choices. 

As I close my chapter as a full-time employee and move into Toxin Free-ish full-time, I want you to know what to expect. I have so many exciting things coming! So this episode is just a sneak peek into five things that are changing going forward.

1. Find Me on YouTube

The podcast is going to be video-recorded and posted on YouTube! I refused this idea for so long because I didn’t want to get all cute and put makeup on every time I recorded an episode. That just sounds like so much work. 

My podcast manager finally convinced me that I don’t have to do any of that. People want to see us being authentic and in our real lives, so that’s what I’m doing. Starting in April, my YouTube channel is launching. I’m really excited to have that visual aspect to the podcast. I have some amazing ideas for shorts, education, and series!

2. Brand Breakdowns

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know I’ve already started brand breakdowns. With some brands, you know their products are 100% clean. You don’t need to read labels to figure that out. But, with other brands, some products are clean and others have ingredients that are on my avoid list, so you do have to read labels to find the best toxin-free products.

My first one was Summer Fridays. I went through the entire brand and every product they sell. I pointed out the ingredients on my top 25 toxins to avoid list. Then, I gave a list of the products from this brand that are completely clean.

For people who don’t know how to read labels, the Label Hacking Lab will teach you in 90 minutes. You can look at a label and immediately know what to look for.

It will become a blog category on my website soon! You can quickly look through brands and find out which of their products are clean and which ones aren’t.

3. A New Shopping Guide Experience

This is going to take a little bit of time. Over the years, I’ve added a lot of new categories to my Toxin-Free Shopping Guide.

Now, I have all new categories coming and a better organization of products. I got some feedback that certain things, like deodorant, were hard to find because they weren’t listed in the category that people thought they should be under. I took some time and went through the best way to create a searchable function for my shopping guide that could grow with the business. It’s going to be so simple.

On that page, you’ll also find education. If I have a blog post, brand breakdown, or podcast episode where I have provided something that would be helpful when you’re making a decision, you’ll have that resource right there. I’ve done the work for you. 

One of my goals for 2025 is to create not just a shopping experience but also an education and lifestyle experience. It’s important to me that if you want the education, it is accessible to you.

4. Teach You How to Lobby

As I said at the top of this episode, I do not believe that we can fix the toxic exposure issue in America without stronger regulations around the dumping of environmental chemicals. Radical responsibility cannot be the only solution. You can filter your water all you want, but if toxic chemicals are being dumped into all of our water everywhere, we are not solving a problem.

I am a lobbyist at heart, and I want to teach you how to lobby. I want to keep you informed on what is happening in this country and in specific states, and I want to show you how easy it is for you to take your passion for toxin-free living, pick up the phone, and make a difference.

Once a month, there’s going to be a bonus podcast episode. I’m calling it From the Front Lines. And it is going to be topical and actionable. I can teach you how to be part of the solution. As I talked about in episode #93, pissed-off people can make the biggest difference in legislation. 

And this is not about politics. When you’re a lobbyist and have a passion for something, you’ll work with anyone. Anybody who believes that we need tighter regulations on the dumping of toxic chemicals into our water, soil, and air, I will work with you. This is not going to be political, but you can’t talk about policies without it infiltrating politics. 

You don’t have to listen to this if you’re not interested in it! You’ll still get the regular episodes I put out every week. But if I’m going to walk away from my full-time job and work full-time on fighting for this, then I knew this had to be a part of it. I want to bring you with me and show you that you have a voice and can be a part of the solution.

5. Toxin Free in 3 Course Update

This is something that I’ve put on hold. Toxin Free in 3 is my three-month course that teaches you everything you need to know about:

• Toxic chemicals
• Toxic regulation
• Why apps don’t work
• How to read labels
• Understanding things like preservatives and colorants
• Holistic living, in general
• *NEW* Toxin-free textiles and clothing
• *NEW* How to read food labels

It is a deep-dive program. I’ve been working behind the scenes on a full update, including a membership portion. We have monthly Q&A calls, guest masterclasses, and my new Toxin-Free on Tap membership. There’s an ingredient glossary, and I’m creating an AI Wendy bot that can read labels and answer questions like it’s me (that’s been so fun to build!). 

I won’t be teaching it again until August 2025. You can get on the waitlist right here. This course is for anybody who wants to live a cleaner life. It is the one course that you can take to learn everything you need to know about holistic living. Plus, you get lifetime access to it!

Are You Excited For These Changes?

Because I am! I’m looking forward to building a strong community and the potential it has to make real, positive changes in the world and our individual lives. By resigning from my full-time government job, I can say yes to more things. I always had time constraints around what I could say yes to. Now I get to choose.

Some amazing things are coming in 2025. If you have more ideas, bring them to me! Send me a DM on Instagram or send me a voice message. Just say, “Hey, Wendy, I listened to your episode today. I’d really love it if you’d create XYZ.” I’ve been asked to do an e-book on natural remedies, like what you can use instead of Tylenol for headaches. I’m working on that! 

I take your recommendations seriously and try to implement as many as I can. As I said before, this whole business is for YOU. To help you make better choices for your health. To make impactful changes in legislation. To give you the resources to be an advocate. So please share all your ideas with me! We are all in this thing together.

If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Related Episodes:

Episode 71: Welcome to the Toxin Free(ish) Podcast! The Detox Dilemma Podcast 2.0

Episode 81: From Diplomacy to Toxin-Free Advocacy: My Personal Journey Unpacked, by Unbranded with Suzy Dean