As winter settles in and the days grow shorter, seasonal depression can quietly take hold — especially after long, demanding seasons of burnout. In this episode of Organized Chaos, Chevelle opens up about the emotional weight that often accompanies the colder months and the holiday season, where expectations run high but energy and joy can feel low.
Chevelle reflects on how seasonal depression shows up in her own life, particularly after the intensity of wedding season and while navigating PTSD. She shares why self-care in winter isn’t about perfection or productivity, but about survival — getting outside even when it’s cold, maintaining routines, staying connected, and allowing rest without guilt.
The episode also challenges the commercialized pressure of the holidays, encouraging listeners to shift their focus toward connection, tradition, and quality time over overspending. From experiential gifting to intentional holiday baskets filled with both comfort and practicality, Chevelle explores ways to give — and live — with more meaning during a season that can feel overwhelming.
In a deeply vulnerable moment, Chevelle shares her ongoing journey living with permanent tinnitus after a workplace accident, and how winter, exhaustion, crowds, and silence can intensify both physical and emotional struggles. Through it all, she emphasizes resilience, compassion, and the importance of taking life one moment at a time.
This episode is a reminder that you are not broken for struggling in winter — you are human. Whether the holidays feel joyful, complicated, or heavy, Silent Winters offers honesty, grounding, and hope for navigating the darkest months with softness, intention, and grace.
Behind the Big Curtain: Why Intimate Weddings Matter More Than Ever
In today’s episode of Organized Chaos, Chevelle pulls back the curtain on the wedding industry and explores the unexpected truth so many couples overlook: bigger doesn’t always mean better.
After years of planning and photographing extravagant, show-stopping celebrations, Chevelle has discovered a deeper perspective — one where intimacy, intention, and authenticity often mean far more than grandeur. This episode dives into why small weddings are becoming a powerful choice for modern couples, how milestone moments reveal the true nature of the people around us, and why your wedding day should never feel like a performance for anyone else.
We talk about protecting your peace, honouring your relationship, shifting away from external expectations, and choosing a celebration that aligns with who you really are.
Whether you’re planning a 200-person event or an intimate gathering, this episode will remind you of the one thing that truly matters:
At the end of the day, it’s not the size of the wedding… it’s the size of the meaning behind it.
“The Soft Era” is a warm, poetic, real-talk deep dive into what happens when a woman finally gets tired of living in survival mode. Chevelle unpacks healing your nervous system, choosing peace, letting go of chaos, setting boundaries, accepting soft love, and rediscovering yourself after trauma. This episode is slow, immersive, emotional, and deeply grounding—a full-body reminder that softness isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom
In this raw and deeply personal episode, Chevelle opens the door to the version of herself the world never sees — the quiet, soft, exhausted, stubborn, resilient woman behind the charisma and strength. From being a blue-collar wife navigating the loneliness of life with a partner who works away, to the emotional weight of always being “the strong one,” to the silent battles fought behind closed doors, she shares the truth beneath the sparkle.
This episode dives into the hidden parts of adulthood: the bruises from lifting what she should’ve asked help with, the kitchen-karaoke nights with her heelers, the quiet breakdowns no one knows about, the kindness she gives freely even when she’s hurting, and the heartbreak of living in a world where compassion feels rare.
“The Version of Me You Don’t See” is a vulnerable, honest reflection on identity, independence, love, loneliness, resilience, and the quiet strength that keeps us going. A reminder that behind every bright, bubbly, ‘life of the party’ woman is a storm she’s learned to weather alone — and a softness she’s finally learning to honor.
Christmas used to be simple. Soft. Sacred. A season filled with family, faith, and traditions that didn’t require perfection or a price tag. But somewhere along the way, the holidays became louder, busier, and more commercial than ever — and many of us are left wondering where the real magic went.
In this heartfelt episode of Organized Chaos, Chevelle peels back the glittery layers of modern Christmas to uncover what truly matters: connection, presence, nostalgia, and the traditions we build with the people we love.
She shares stories from her own childhood — sled rides, snow forts, mint treats from Grammy, Christmas Eve pajamas, and even the infamous “activity book incident” (spoiler: she ruined her own gift every year). These memories serve as a reminder that the real meaning of Christmas has never lived in gifts or trends… but in the moments that cost nothing and mean everything.
This episode also features a special guest: Chevelle’s 14-year-old niece, Alyssa, who offers a fresh and honest perspective on what Christmas looks like for a teen growing up in today’s fast, tech-driven world. From TikTok pressure to mismatched gifts, peppermint bark, brown sugar oatmeal, late-arriving presents from Mexico, and creating her own traditions — Alyssa brings the generational contrast full circle in the most grounding way.
Together, they explore:
✨ The overwhelming commercialization of Christmas
✨ Why traditions matter now more than ever
✨ How faith and the true origin of Christmas have been overshadowed
✨ The mental and emotional pressure of “perfect holidays”
✨ The beauty of building new traditions with family
✨ The magic hidden in the simple, ordinary moments
If you’re craving a slower, softer, more meaningful Christmas… this episode will feel like a warm mug of hot chocolate for the soul.
It’s your reminder that Christmas isn’t what we buy —
it’s what we build.
What happens when choosing peace means disappointing people?
In this episode, I talk about the guilt that comes with protecting your energy — the kind that shows up when you stop inviting everyone into your milestones, and start choosing yourself instead.
It’s about learning that boundaries aren’t betrayals, that peace sometimes looks “selfish” to the people who benefitted from your lack of it, and that not everyone deserves a front-row seat to your joy.
If you’ve ever felt guilty for saying no, for closing a chapter, or for protecting your happiness — this one’s for you.
💭 Topics include:
The emotional weight of deciding who gets access to your milestones
Why “selfish” isn’t always a bad word
The guilt that follows boundaries — and how to release it
Finding freedom on the other side of hard choices
Remembering: you don’t owe anyone access to your peace or your joy
🕊️ “Choosing yourself isn’t betrayal. It’s self-respect.”
Listen now on Organized Chaos — where healing meets honesty, and choosing yourself becomes an act of grace.
What happens when the thing you love starts to hurt?In this episode, I open up about my own experience with burnout — the kind that doesn’t scream, but quietly steals your joy. From the morning I poured my coffee down the drain because even the thought of drinking it felt like too much, to the emotional fatigue that comes from therapy, trauma work, and “doing the work” when you’re just tired of healing.
We’ll talk about the real signs of burnout, the myth of hustle culture, and the truth about recovery — that it’s not linear, not glamorous, and definitely not instant.
If you’ve been feeling drained, detached, or like you’re running on empty while trying to keep it all together… this one’s for you.
💭 Topics include:
The anatomy of burnout — emotional, physical, creative, and spiritual
The hidden exhaustion of high-functioning burnout
Therapy fatigue and the weight of healing
Rebuilding your rhythm, peace, and purpose
Redefining “enough” and creating a life you don’t have to recover from
🔥 “You don’t have to burn to be bright.”
Listen now on Organized Chaos — where healing meets honesty, and every story reminds you that you’re not alone.
Sometimes, doing it all isn’t about balance — it’s about becoming.
In this week’s episode, Chevelle dives into the messy, beautiful reality of being a multi-passionate creative in a world that keeps telling her to “niche down.” From wedding photography and planning to charcuterie, music, and podcasting — she opens up about what it really takes to keep chasing growth, even when it gets lonely.
This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about self-investment, purpose, resilience, and learning to clap for yourself when no one else does. It’s for the dreamers, the builders, the over-thinkers, and everyone who’s ever felt “too much.”
Because the truth is, there’s beauty in the chaos — and that’s exactly where we find ourselves.
🎙️ Tune in to hear:
– Why “niching down” can hold you back
– What it really looks like to build without a safety net
– The loneliness that comes with independence
– How to invest in yourself without guilt
– Why you should never apologize for being “too much”
“The Wounds You Can’t See” takes a raw and unfiltered look at emotional neglect — the quiet kind that hides behind screens, exhaustion, and unspoken family patterns.
Chevelle opens up about her own childhood experiences growing up in silence and how the lack of emotional connection created invisible scars that lasted into adulthood.
Using personal storytelling, lived experience, and current statistics from Alberta and across Canada — including shocking increases in youth self-harm, anxiety, and depression rates in Edmonton and Calgary — this episode explores how parental disengagement, technology, and generational trauma collide to create a growing youth mental-health crisis.
This isn’t about blame — it’s about awareness. About learning to see the unseen. About the parents who are trying but don’t realize they’re absent, and the kids who appear fine but are drowning quietly.
You’ll walk away with compassion, perspective, and a renewed belief that showing up matters more than showing off. Because healing starts the moment someone finally says, “I see you.”
🎙️ Organized Chaos — hosted by Chevelle McLennan.
💬 Trigger Warning: This episode discusses emotional neglect, trauma, and self-harm. Please listen with care and reach out for support if needed.
📞 Resources:
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Alberta 211 (Mental Health Support)
Access Open Minds Edmonton / Calgary Connect for Youth
Sometimes the hardest truth is the one you already knew. In this episode, Chevelle dives into the quiet power of realization — the ache of unbalanced friendships, the peace in walking away, and the moment your heart finally admits what your mind has whispered all along.
A soft, soulful reminder that letting go isn’t weakness — it’s freedom. And that peace doesn’t need applause to be powerful.
🎙 Listen now to Organized Chaos: Realization — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you stream.
This week on Organized Chaos, we’re keeping it light, cozy, and a little bit chaotic. After last week’s heavy conversation, I wanted to take a step back and celebrate the little things that make life brighter. From pumpkin spice lattes and football Sundays to playlists that heal the soul and my heelers chasing leaves like velociraptors, this episode is all about finding joy in the ordinary.
We’ll talk fall favorites, music that doubles as therapy, the comfort of cozy rituals, and why imperfection is what makes life funny and memorable. Expect laughter, stories, and a reminder that gratitude doesn’t always have to be about the big wins — sometimes it’s just about your morning coffee, a flickering candle, or a song that hits you at the right time.
So grab a blanket, pour something warm, and let’s dive into the season together. Because even in the chaos, there’s always beauty in the little things.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this is the most personal episode I’ve ever recorded.
“Stay for Tomorrow” is a raw, heartfelt letter to anyone who has ever felt like leaving. In it, I share my own story of surviving ten suicide attempts, the moment my 2½-year-old niece became my “little red lifesaver,” and the reasons I’m still here today.
We’ll talk honestly about what’s left behind after a suicide — the unmade beds, the unread texts, the sweaters still hanging on the chair — and why your absence would ripple far wider than you realize. We’ll also ground this conversation in reality: suicide claims about 4,500 lives a year in Canada, is the second leading cause of death for Canadians aged 15–34, and Alberta’s rate sits well above the national average.
But this episode isn’t just about loss — it’s about hope. Suicide is preventable. There are reasons to stay, even if you can’t see them yet. You are needed. You are loved. Your story isn’t over.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in Canada and the U.S. for immediate help. You are not alone.
We’ve all heard the words: “You handled it so well.” They’re meant as comfort, maybe even praise, but too often they hide the truth of what’s really going on beneath the surface.
In this episode, I open up about the heavy reality behind those words — surviving sexual abuse within family, carrying trauma in silence, watching friends navigate workplace abuse under systems of authority, and the invisible grief of pregnancy loss. I also explore what it means to be a new mom trying to stay afloat without a handbook, the heartbreak of family conflict, and that teenage ache of never quite belonging.
This isn’t an episode about perfection. It’s about survival, resilience, and reframing what it truly means to “handle it well.” From panic attacks behind closed doors to redefining strength as vulnerability, I want you to know: if you’re still here, still breathing, still showing up in your own messy way — you’ve handled it more than well. You’ve survived.
This one is for every survivor, every outsider, every mother, every teenager, every human who’s ever felt unseen. You are not alone, and your story doesn’t need to be pretty to be powerful.
September is my season. It’s wedding chaos, it’s harvest in full swing, it’s NFL football Sundays, and it’s my birthday month — all colliding into one beautiful storm. In this episode, I share what it feels like to live in that rhythm: the exhaustion and reward of wedding season, the science and magic of harvest, the teamwork of football, the beauty of crisp mornings and glowing sunsets, and the gratitude of turning 31 while celebrating eight years in business.
This is a story about chaos, machines, and seasons — and why, when the gears are well-oiled, life itself can be breathtaking.
Episode 31 feels poetic — thirty-one episodes landing just a week before my 31st birthday on September 13. In this milestone episode, I reflect on what thriving really means in this season of life.
From the chaos of my twenties, rebuilding after heartbreak, and navigating healing with PTSD, to love that circled back full circle, the messy grief of infertility and pregnancy loss, the friendships gained and lost, the joy of being a dog mom, and the chaos of running multiple businesses — this episode is both raw and hopeful.
Thriving at 31 doesn’t look like perfection. It looks like laughter, rest without guilt, muddy paw prints, community, honesty, and choosing joy anyway.
Thirty weeks. Thirty episodes. Thirty times of showing up, even when life was messy, heavy, or uncertain. In this milestone episode, I reflect on what it really means to hit 30 episodes of Organized Chaos — not just for the podcast, but for me personally.
I share the growth, the heartbreaks, the healing, and the transformation these past 30 weeks have held. From listeners as young as 12 to as wise as 81, from Alberta to the States and across the globe, this podcast has reached farther than I ever imagined. I talk about the messages that stopped me in my tracks, the collaborations I never saw coming, and the chaos behind the mic that makes this space so real.
This isn’t just about a number. It’s about consistency, connection, and the courage to keep showing up — messy, vulnerable, and honest. Here’s to the last 30 episodes, and to the 30 still to come.
The unhealed version of you will align with people who can’t walk beside the healed version of you.
In this raw and real episode of Organized Chaos, I open up about what it feels like to outgrow circles, lose people you thought were forever, and step into the loneliness — and freedom — of healing. I share stories from the fireline about fear, leadership, and survival, tie in the resilience of being a diehard Buffalo Bills fan, and talk about planning my own wedding while realizing not everyone claps for your joy.
This episode is about grief, growth, and the powerful shift that happens when you stop pleasing everyone else and start honoring yourself. Healing isn’t easy — it costs you people, comfort, and sometimes entire versions of yourself. But it also clears the space for the ones who will truly stay.
Your comeback season has already begun.
Everyone loves the idea of chasing a dream — but no one talks about the bill that comes due. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to go after the life you want, whether that’s starting a business, releasing music, hosting a podcast, buying a home, or building a family.
We’ll get into the late nights, the financial sacrifices, the copycats, the friends who cheer until you pass them, the family members who never support you — and the strangers who sometimes become your biggest fans. I’ll share personal stories (including one about a friend who blocked me the minute I started leveling up), lessons learned, and a reminder that the more you worry about what people think, the less you’ll actually do.
This one’s for the dreamers, the doers, and the “thinking about starting” crew — because yes, the cost is high… but the view? It’s worth every damn penny.
You’re the one who hosts the parties, checks in on everyone, remembers the birthdays, and holds it all together—so why do you feel so alone?
In this raw and reflective episode, Chevelle opens up about the emotional toll of being “the strong one,” the grief of one-sided friendships, and the therapy-fueled realization that the question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?”—it’s “Why am I staying where I’m not valued?”
From outgrowing friend groups to being labeled “too much,” this episode is a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt like they were always giving and rarely receiving. If you’ve ever carried the unseen load, this one's for you.
It’s football season—and whether you’re a diehard fan or just here for the snacks, this one’s for you. In this comeback-inspired episode, Chevelle unpacks what football taught them about healing, leadership, and resilience. From playing hurt to rewriting your playbook, this episode is for anyone rebuilding quietly, setting boundaries, and learning to lead with heart—not hustle. Whether you’re sprinting or crawling into your next season, this one’s your permission slip to try again. One yard at a time.