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Becoming Your Best Version

Author: Maria Leonard Olsen

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Award-winning podcast about living your best life, by Maria Leonard Olsen & her inspiring guests. Maria is a lawyer/journalist/author who seeks to amplify women's voices to share about their lives, work & life lessons. She graduated from Boston College & Univ. of Virginia Law. She served in the Clinton Justice Dept. and is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. Her latest book, 50 After 50--Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life, has helped thousands reinvigorate their lives. Maria has spoken at TEDx CUNY, the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference and more. See MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow @FiftyAfter50
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Wendy B. Correa is a former music industry insider, radio DJ and now author with the release of her new book: My Pretty Baby  (She Writes Press, Nov. 2025). Approximately 64% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) before age 18, and nearly 1 in 6 people (17.3%) report experiencing 4 or more, according to the CDC. Wendy is on a mission to destigmatize and educate about ACEs and their effect on mental health through her new book. Meet former music industry insider, radio DJ and now author Wendy Correa. In My Pretty Baby, Wendy writes about her own riveting journey with ACE, including her time in celebrity circles, spiritual practices and a lifetime of healing from childhood trauma. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and an urgent reminder that healing requires honesty, community and hope. Correa writes about being traumatized as young woman escaping a violent home, moving to California to discover herself, and along the way finds a career in the music industry, dates celebrities – Guns N’ Roses' Slash would sit on the edge of her desk and flirt with her, hangs with music legend Joni Mitchell, meets Beatle’s drummer Ringo Starr at her first AA meeting, and becomes journalist/author Hunter S. Thompson’s assistant - only to uncover a devastating family secret decades later. In this episode we discuss: CELEBRITY ENCOUNTERS & SELF-WORTH: How Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, and Hunter S. Thompson shaped Wendy's journey of self-discoveryRECLAIMING LIFE AFTER TRAUMA: Her 40+ year healing journey using Buddhism, Native American practices, 12-Step programs, EMDR therapy, plant medicine and moreFAMILY ESTRANGEMENT & FORGIVENESS: How uncovering a long-hidden truth brought the closure she had always sought and discovering, finding and getting to know her half-sister.A CULTURAL CALL TO ACTION: Why our society must do more to address ACEs and support trauma recoveryBATTLE WITH ADDICTION: her journey abusing alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, and the turning point to become soberAbout the book: After escaping a turbulent home life, Correa’s path of self-discovery encompasses Buddhism, yoga, meditation, plant medicine, Native American sweat lodges and vision quest, 12-Step programs, and psychotherapy. Along the way, she had extraordinary experiences: singing “Give Peace a Chance” on the Rose Bowl stage with rock ’n’ roll royalty, working at A&M and Geffen Records, and spending time rock legends (mentioned above). Her life changes when she moves to Aspen and becomes a radio DJ and assistant to legendary writer Hunter S. Thompson. There, she meets her future husband and begins to build the family she had longed for her whole life. Despite her newfound peace, she is repeatedly drawn back into her family of origin’s dysfunction. It is only after her mother’s death that Wendy uncovers a painful family secret that finally answers her lifelong question: What really happened to my family?NYT bestselling author Sharon Salzberg says of Wendy's book: “In her deeply personal and candid memoir, My Pretty Baby, Correa's vivid storytelling penetrates the depths of her suffering with honesty and compassion, reminding readers that it is never too late to heal our traumas to live a life based in loving awareness."Wendy is also a yogi, hiker as well as a licensed massage therapist. Wendy holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and theater arts and has contributed articles to Mothering magazine. A wife and mother, she resides in Denver, Colorado. For more info: www.wendybcorrea.comhttps://www.instagram.com/wendybcorrea/https://www.threads.com/@wendybcorreahttps://substack.com/@wendycorrea
Remi (pronounced Ray-me) Gibbs is a certified life coach, positive psychology practitioner and the author of Renovate Your Reality. She helps women in midlife reconnect with their purpose, reignite their confidence and design a life that actually feels good to live. After reinventing her own life multiple times—through career shifts, major moves, loss and midlife awakening—Remi now teaches women how to turn transition into transformation. She’s a speaker and workshop facilitator blending science-backed tools with honest, relatable storytelling.Remi also is a foodie and fierce advocate for real talk over sugarcoated nonsense. Raised in the storm of addiction with two alcoholic parents, she turned pain into power with the understanding that just because we are born into chaos, doesn't mean we have to stay there. Drawing from her own journey, she has created a coaching practice rooted in resilience, empathy and authentic transformation. She’s rewriting the rules for what it means to thrive at 40, 50 and beyond.After the pandemic, Remi, who is based in New Mexico, reinvented her own life by stepping fully into life coaching and the practice of positive psychology. Out of that work came her book, Renovate Your Reality, which guides women through midlife transitions with honesty, resilience and tools to rediscover joy and authenticity.In this episode, we talk about:How reinvention is possible at any stage of life, especially after upheaval.Why midlife can be a powerful turning point for women to align with their true values.Science-backed strategies from positive psychology for cultivating resilience, joy and self-compassion.Learn more:www.renovatedrealities.comOn IG and FB @renovatedrealitieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/remigibbs/
Dr. Erika Rasure — a former financial advisor and university professor turned financial therapist — has helped thousands of people approach their finances in more intentional, healthy ways. She serves as Chief Financial Wellness Advisor at Beyond Finance, where she meets weekly with hundreds of clients working their way out of debt and towards financial freedom.In addition to her work at Beyond Finance, Dr. Erika serves as Chair of the Research Board for the Financial Therapy Clinical Institute. She is a member of the Financial Review Boards for Investopedia, The Balance, VeryWell Family and VeryWell Parents. Her insight and interviews have been featured in prestigious national outlets, such as Barron’s, CNN, Forbes, Fox Business, Marketwatch, NBC News Now, USA Today and Yahoo. Erika holds a doctorate in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University and is a Certified Deep Transformational Coach — an accreditation that surrounds changing patterns in actions and behaviors. She addresses holistic wellness in her treatment, incorporating the practice of yoga (she’s also a registered yoga teacher) into her comprehensive approach to financial therapy.In this episode, we discuss:• Financial wellness and the best way to achieve it• The mental health connection: how credit card debt impacts wellbeing• How to manage (and avoid) excessive credit card debtLearn more:https://www.beyondfinance.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-finance/https://www.facebook.com/MoveBeyondDebt/https://www.instagram.com/beyondfinancedebtrelief/https://www.youtube.com/@beyondfinance5099
Dr. Diane Dreher helps us learn better ways to deal with stress and how to find more hope and joy. She is the author of eight nonfiction books including the best-selling Tao of Inner Peace and her new book, Pathways to Inner Peace. She is an award-winning university professor and positive psychology researcher whose work on hope has been recognized internationally. Her books, workshops and webinars blend the wisdom of the past with powerful strategies from contemporary psychology and neuroscience to help us meet the challenges of our time with greater courage, creativity and hope. She posits that a walk in nature can be as effective as a prescription antidepressant.Diane's books have been translated into ten languages and her work has been featured in USA Today, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Science of Mind, radio and TV talk shows, podcasts, webinars and web sites on leadership and personal growth. She has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as a master's degree in counseling and is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Her research on positive psychology and hope has been published online and in academic books and journals. Diane is currently professor emeritus and associate director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University and a lecturer in the Positive Psychology Guild in the United Kingdom. Diane joined us from Northern California. She encourages all of us to follow our curiosity, as well as our intuition. She reminds us that small moments of connection -- with neighbors and others with whom we come into contact -- can turn into lasting joy and ease the loneliness epidemic.Learn more:www.dianedreher.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/dianeedreher.bsky.socialPathways To Inner Peace: https://amzn.to/4q2SmF9
Eileen Noyes is an author, speaker, mentor, podcast host at The Unsidelined Life, and founder of Lady Bellator. She lives in California with her husband and eight of their combined 15 children. Eileen journeyed through the limelight as a former pro-athlete’s wife in the public eye, escaped cult involvement, established single motherhood to eight children and is now remarried and spearheading the Lady Bellator movement — helping women lost in the shuffle of family life find their identity, their voice and their sense of purpose once again. In her books Rise Up, Lady Bellator, Sidelined No More, Broken Chapters (a multi-author project), and her podcast, The Unsidelined Life, Eileen shares her passion, her wisdom and life lessons to bring a message of hope of God’s redemption, faithfulness and power. Through her authorship, mentoring and podcast hosting, Eileen is lifting women—other Lady Bellators—to move past their limiting beliefs, fears and insecurities so they, too, can live in the fullness of who they’re meant to be. In addition to all her work, she is beginning to offer individual coaching.Learn more and follow Eileen:Website: https://theunsidelinedlife.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unsidelined-life/id1759219138Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/54xYIHjkcIn2wbFFSExkxEYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnsidelinedLifeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileennoyesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileenpnoyes/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileenpnoyes/Website: https://www.ladybellator.comLady Bellator Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lady.bellator/Free Community: https://www.ladybellator.com/calltoarmsProverbs 31 - Lady Bellator Devotional: https://www.ladybellator.com/proverbs31Books: https://www.amazon.com/Eileen-Noyes/e/B0CXD2Y4RP
Wendy S. Meadows is a seasoned family law attorney, former litigator and certified life coach. She is also a mediator and the author of the best-selling book, sparkle & GRIT, a framework that helps high-achieving women break free from burnout and live on purpose. Before expanding into coaching, Wendy spent decades practicing family law, guiding clients through some of life’s most challenging transitions—all while quietly wrestling with her own feelings of overwhelm and disconnection.When two colleagues passed away within months of each other, Wendy was struck by how differently their lives were remembered—one obituary focused solely on legal accolades, the other celebrated a life of depth and meaning. Soon after, the sudden loss of her stepfather made it clear: She didn’t want her legacy to be just about work. That realization sparked a shift. Wendy went solo so she could create space to figure out what truly mattered, away from the grind and expectations of traditional practice. She eventually stepped away from litigation, embraced mediation and began building a life and career rooted in alignment, purpose and presence.Today, Wendy helps women who’ve “checked all the boxes” but still feel stuck. She blends practical strategies with compassionate mindset work to help them reboot their habits, re-ignite their purpose and build lives that actually fit. She also works closely with lawyers— especially those ready to go solo or restructure their practices—offering strategic coaching, systems consulting and speaking engagements for law firms looking to prevent burnout, increase retention and foster sustainable success. Her book, sparkle & GRIT: Live a Technicolor Life by Finally Finding Balance, Escaping Monotony and Beating Burnout, offers a roadmap out of the autopilot “Groundhog Day” cycle that often accompanies high-achieving careers. Learn more:Websites: https://www.sparkleandgrit.com/https://wendysmeadows.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-sare-meadows-ba80285/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072318214998Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_s_meadows/
Sylvie Beljanski wants to share what’s working in integrative cancer care. Sylvie is a French lawyer turned health advocate, author and entrepreneur. She continues her family’s legacy as leaders in integrative health and cancer research, following her father's successful treatment of French President Francois Mitterrand. She devoted her life to continuing her father's legacy and helping those in the cancer community find natural approaches to cancer care and eradication.She is Founder and President of The Beljanski Foundation, a nonprofit advancing natural approaches to cancer, and CEO of Maison Beljanski, a global dietary supplement company. The company's plant extracts can be used with traditional medical treatments or alone and have achieved incredible results for patients suffering from many types of cancer. Her book, Winning The War On Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure, reads like a novel and shares what she has learned about cancer. She is host of the “Beljanski Cancer Talk Show” and producer of the Beljanski Integrative Cancer Conference. Sylvie is a sought-after speaker worldwide, educating audiences on scientific breakthroughs in holistic and integrative medicine. She joined us from New York City.Learn more:The Beljanski Foundation (cancer research nonprofit) - https://beljanski.org Maison Beljanski (supplements) - https://maisonbeljanski.com The Beljanski Integrative Cancer Conference - https://integrativecancerconference.comSylvie Beljanski (speaker) - https://sylviebeljanski.comWinning the War on Cancer (book) - https://winningthewaroncancer.com Facebook - facebook.com/TheBeljanskiFoundation LinkedIn (Sylvie) - linkedin.com/in/sylviebeljanskiLinkedIn (Foundation) - linkedin.com/company/the-beljanski-foundation Instagram - instagram.com/beljanskifoundation YouTube - youtube.com/@BeljanskiFoundationTikTok - tiktok.com/@thebeljanskicancertalk X - x.com/BeljanskiF Free Gifts (eBooks)Beljanski Approach to Cancer - https://www.beljanski.org/the-beljanski-approach-to-cancer-free-ebook
"One binge drinking moment can end a life," Colleen Clifford says.  "Will it be yours?" Colleen is a former binge drinker who knows the struggle firsthand.  For 34 years, she's worked as a commercial fisherwoman, a lifestyle that fueled the drinking pattern of denial she now calls the 95-5 factor.  After losing her husband to an alcohol-related suicide in 2011 and later finding her own path from binge drinking to joy and freedom, Colleen turned her pain into purpose. Her upcoming book, Life Beyond the Binge, blends raw honesty, lived experience and eye-opening facts and insights for anyone ready to break free from destructive cycles. Through her compelling stories of resilience and renewal, Colleen inspires others to discover that it's never too late to change -- and to find joy and meaning beyond the binge. A commercial fisherwoman in Alaska’s Bering Sea turned health coach, Colleen now helps women break free from cravings, binge habits and destructive patterns—guiding them to build a stronger, healthier relationship with themselves, inside and out. From her year of culinary training in Paris to surviving some of the harshest seas, she shares real stories, science-backed strategies and practical tools that help women navigate cravings, emotional eating and redefine what’s possible at any stage of life. This conversation will leave you motivated, empowered and ready to make real change. Start your new year right. Colleen likes to cite this impactful quote: "All we take with us when we die is what we have become."Learn more and follow her:IG - @purepotential.healthLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pure-potential-llc-c-936735245/https://lifebeyondthebinge.comhttps://purepotential.health/Email - Colleen@Lifebeyondthebinge.comShe reminds us about 988 is the crisis hotline in the U.S.
Kellie Grutko, known as the "Spark Strategist," is a transformative leader dedicated to empowering accomplished women to navigate life's transitions with clarity, confidence and purpose. As the Founder and Chief Pivot Officer of Purposeful Pivot, LLC, she leverages her personal journey of reinvention—from a high-level corporate executive to a certified transition coach—to guide women through their own transformative journeys. Her mission is to help women move from burnout to brilliance, rediscover their passions and chart fulfilling paths beyond the boardroom.With over 35 years of executive leadership experience, Kellie has held key marketing and strategic roles across media, advertising and manufacturing industries. She served as Marketing Excellence Leader at Trane Technologies, where she championed innovative marketing training programs across the global marketing enterprise. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President of Marketing at Comcast Spotlight, the advertising division of Comcast Cable Communications, leading brand strategy, demand generation and multimillion-dollar marketing initiatives. She also honed her expertise in consumer engagement and experiential marketing as Director of Marketing at King of Prussia Coventry Malls.Kellie’s impressive career has been defined by her ability to build high-performing teams, rebrand organizations and drive significant revenue growth. She has led customer engagement strategies, marketing innovation and brand transformations, making her a sought-after expert in strategic leadership and purpose-driven marketing.Despite her corporate success, Kellie found herself at a crossroads, questioning what’s next in her own life. Determined to redefine her future with purpose, she pivoted from corporate leadership to certified life coach and founder of Purposeful Pivot, a coaching and retreat-based business that helps accomplished women transition into their next chapter.As a speaker, coach and strategist, Kellie is approachable, engaging and focused on human connection. She believes in the power of sisterhood, reinvention and authenticity, guiding women to embrace change with confidence.Beyond her business, Kellie is a dedicated community leader, actively involved with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Healthy Heart Association and Make-A-Wish Foundation, where she has contributed to long-standing fundraising efforts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from The Pennsylvania State University and has pursued continued education in life coaching, public speaking, Nonprofit Essentials and Women’s Executive Leadership.Kellie’s mission is clear: to help women navigate life’s transitions with purpose, confidence and a bit of sparkle. Through her speaking engagements and coaching programs, she inspires audiences to embrace their next steps—one intentional and empowering move at a time.Learn more and follow Kellie:WEBSITE: www.purposefulpivot.netLINKEDIN PAGE: https://bit.ly/LinkedIn-PurposefulPivotLINKEDIN GROUP:  bit.ly/PurposefulPivotLinkedInGroup PERONAL LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-grutko FACEBOOK PAGE: bit.ly/PurposefulPivot-FB
“The goal isn't to be sober, the goal is to love yourself so much you don't need to drink," Sarah Rusbatch says. Sarah is author of the bestselling book Beyond Booze, How to Create a Life You Love Alcohol Free, a multi-award-winning Health and Wellbeing Coach, an accredited Grey Area Drinking Coach, a menopause coach and a keynote speaker sharing her journey to sobriety and impact of alcohol on mental health to global audiences. Sarah works tirelessly to support women all over the world to create and live their best lives as they age.Sarah is originally from the UK and is now based in Western Australia. She has supported thousands of individuals (mostly women) to change their relationship with alcohol and, consequently, change their lives. Grey Area Drinking describes the place between "every now and again" drinking, and "rock bottom dependent" drinking. This type of drinking in women has increased over 80% in the last 30 years. After an article she wrote for Mamamia (you can read it HERE), 8,000 women reached out to her within 24 hours for help with their drinking. In this episode we discuss:--Why Alcohol Use Disorder in Women has increased more than 80% in the last 30 years--Why ageing impacts a woman’s ability to metabolise alcohol and impact menopause symptoms, yet middle-aged women are drinking the most--The specific health risks to women of drinking at such a significant level--The normalization of everyday drinking--What needs to change in culture and society in order to change drinking patterns--What it takes to create a life you love without alcohol (the heart of her book)--Dispelling the myths that a life without alcohol is boring; and explaining what actually opens up for us when we take a break from alcohol--The peer pressure many people experience when cutting down or removing alcohol and how to handle this--The benefits the thousands of women she has coached have experienced when they removed alcohol."You have full permission to outgrow alcohol," Sarah shares.Learn more and follow Sarah:www.sarahrusbatch.comInstagram - @sarahrusbatch
Bronwyn Schweigerdt is a licensed psychotherapist and anger expert. She helps her clients and podcast listeners come back to life through integrating with their inner child, dislodging shame, and healing their relationship with anger. Her podcast is Angry at the Right Things. Instead of fixing peoples’ messes, Bronwyn’s goal is to elicit feelings people are most ashamed to have, such as hatred and rage. She knows that even though feelings are invisible, they don’t evaporate, but store away in our bodies until processed.According to Bronwyn, these feelings haunt us and cause mental and physical illness until we express them into words with someone who can hear and validate them. She especially loves playing midwife in this way, helping her clients – and now, her podcast listeners – externalize painful feelings once and for all. She has experienced success in helping people break free of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, even psychosis, by reconnecting them to their anger, and healing their relationship with anger, and with themselves.Learn more and follow Bronwyn:https://angryattherightthings.com/https://www.youtube.com/@bronwynschweigerdt1382https://www.instagram.com/schweigerdtbronwyn/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwyn-schweigerdt-3124857/https://www.facebook.com/bronwyn.schweigerdt/
Qin (“Ching”) Sun Stubis was born in the rubble of a Shanghai shantytown during the Great Chinese Famine, which killed some 50 million people. She was left alone in her crude bamboo crib for two years while her parents worked to scrape together a few coins each day for their daily handful of rice. Growing up, she and her sisters were at first ignored by the rest of the family for being “worthless” girls, and later shunned as political pariahs when their honest father was imprisoned for speaking out against the injustice he saw around them.Despite extreme poverty, Qin pulled herself up by reading forbidden books and winning admission to one of China’s most prestigious universities, graduating with a degree in English and English Literature. With the help of a U.S. Senator, she emigrated to the United States to further her studies and has sought through her writing to build greater understanding between Eastern and Western cultures and underscore our common hopes, dreams and struggles. Qin is a writer, newspaper columnist, and author of the award-winning book, Once Our Lives, the true story of four generations of Chinese women who struggle to survive war, revolution, and the seemingly unshakeable power of an ancient Chinese superstition. The book, which has been named a best read by Ms. Magazine, Glamour Magazine UK, GRAND Magazine and Readers’ Favorite, and won the Nellie Bly Award for Journalistic Non-Fiction, takes the reader on an exotic journey filled with real stories of luxurious banquets, lost jewels, babies sold in opium dens, kidnappings by pirates and political persecution – seen through the eyes of a man for whom the truth would spell disaster and a lonely, beautiful girl with three identities.For the past 17 years, she has been a newspaper columnist, exploring the rich legacy of Asian culture and the common links we all share. She has just completed a novel and also writes poems, essays, short stories and original Chinese tall tales inspired by traditional Asian themes. Qin has published more than 200 works in such media as The New York Times, USA Today, The Santa Monica Star, GRAND Magazine, Lotus Magazine, Paper Dragon and Mochi Magazine, and speaks to audiences around the world about writing and the need to strengthen the bonds of understanding and humanity that connect us all. You can find out more about her and her book, Once Our Lives, at www.QinSunStubis.com.  Learn more and follow Qin:o   Website: www.QinSunStubis.com o   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qinsun.stubiso   Facebook Fan Page "Once Our Lives by Qin Sun Stubis"o   Instagram: instagram.com/qinstubis/o   Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/22904309.Qin_Sun_Stubis o   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/qin-sun-stubis-5977011a/o   YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLYagaq5R6LPHGn3fsxOVAo   Amazon: Amazon.com: Once Our Lives: Life, Death and Love in the Middle Kingdom (60) (GWE Creative Non-Fiction): 9781771837965: Sun Stubis, Qin: Books
Lynda Samphire is a highly intuitive transformational coach -- a trusted guide for those ready to explore their gifts, creativity and inner wisdom. Fueled by the loss of her mother at a very early age and a lifelong fascination with human behavior and the mystical, Lynda’s journey has been shaped by a profound commitment to inner exploration and self-healing. The more whole she felt the more she desired to support others on their path toward emotional freedom, inner clarity, stress relief and creative flow, which led to certifications in Psychology and Metaphysical Science, Reiki, Energy Psychology, Earth Medicine Mentoring, Transpersonal Hypnotherapy and ICF Coaching.  Lynda blends her strong intuitive insights and deep spiritual wisdom with structured expertise and practical tools to facilitate and support transformational growth and deep remembrance. Microdosing for stress and creativity, guided dream and sleep work, breathwork and embodiment practices, light language and a variety of trauma-informed, spiritually aligned techniques are central ingredients to the alchemy she facilitates. She provides these intentional pathways for transformation in 1-2-1 and group settings, immersive retreats and through online courses. Lynda lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys hiking, yoga and connecting with nature.In this episode, we discuss: From Stuck to Flow - Lynda's journey out of high-functioning anxiety and depression into deep thriving Walking on the Sovereign Edge - How exploring liminal spaces opens doors to divine wisdom When Ego Dances with Heart - How to embrace the polarity of human life  Remembering Who We Are - Connecting with our true nature through microdosing Nightly Messengers – Tapping into our sleep wisdom through unlocking our dreamsLearn more: https://www.lwsamphire.comhttps://www.instagram.com/lyndasamphire/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndawsamphire-301903260/https://www.facebook.com/lynda.weavercarrougher
Princella Seymour’s thirty-year career has solidified her as a preeminent expert on solutions for the aging community. The heartbeat of her mission is love, family and dignity. As a national advocate for revolutionizing elder care and transforming confusion into clarity, she has served as Vice President of the 120,000+ member National Association of Social Workers and as well as a part of the Aging Life Care Association.  Her new book, Everything You Need to Know About Me, is born from decades of experience witnessing the heartache and confusion families face when trying to honor their loved ones’ wishes without having the necessary information.  It is available on Amazon.As CEO of Complete Elder Solutions, Princella has helped thousands. She and her team ensure that families never have to navigate the complexities of aging alone and provide personalized solutions that honor the dignity of every individual.Princella has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in social work from Florida International University. In this episode, we discuss:Strategies for funding long-term care, including insurance options and personal savings.Emotional decisions about whether to age in place, move to assisted living or choose other healthcare facilities.Ways to avoid common estate planning pitfalls, like conflicts over inheritance, the importance of an updated will, durable power of attorney and healthcare directives.How to prevent financial exploitation and scams targeting seniors.How families can approach difficult conversations about aging, healthcare and financial matters with their senior loved ones.Planning ahead by investing in assurance programs to provide access to a team of experienced Care Coaches who work to assess, plan, arrange, coordinate and monitor services to meet the special health care needs of seniors.Learn more:Complete Elder Solutions https://www.completeeldersolutions.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CompleteElderSolutions#Instagram https://www.instagram.com/completeeldersolutions/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/complete-elder-solutions/
Barbara With, age 70, is an international peace activist, award-winning author, composer, performer and workshop facilitator. She has authored six nonfiction books on metaphysics about her research as a psychic channel who works with a group called the “Party,” headed up by Albert Einstein, whom she is able to channel with her intuitive gifts.She also is the co-founder of Conflict REVOLUTION®️, a revolutionary way to resolve conflicts of the psyche as a pathway to global peace, based on this work channeling Einstein. She is currently on a World Peace Tour, seeking the participation of the “willing” to take part in a Worldwide Nonviolent Action to End the Age of War, using Conflict REVOLUTION®️ to make peace within as a pathway to global peace. Conflict REVOLUTION® (Con REV®) is a transformative process that empowers you to resolve inner conflicts, practice self-love and make conscious decisions for the greater good, ultimately fostering peace within yourself and extending to your relationships, communities and the world.Barbara teaches a course on how to channel and does psychic readings. A new class starts each month.Follow Barbara and learn more:https://www.youtube.com/barbwithhttps://www.instagram.com/psychicsorority/https://www.facebook.com/barbara.withhttps://barbarawith.com/https://synergyalliance.llc/https://barbwith.com/Conflict REVOLUTION™️ Challengehttps://barbarawith.com/conflict-revolution-challenge/Bookshttps://synergyalliance.llc/books/Conflict REVOLUTION™️ Laboratorieshttps://barbarawith.com/courses/Musichttps://barbarawith.com/music/Readingshttps://barbarawith.com/readings/If you mention that you heard Barbara on this show, she will extend any half hour readings to full hour readings! Book a half hour on her website for some direction and inspiration.
Heike Yates is a Midlife Fitness Expert, speaker, podcast host and author of Pursue Your Spark. She helps midlife women build strength, energy, and confidence through fitness, nutrition and mindset strategies that fit real life—no extremes, just habits that last.After leaving the 9-to-5 grind and moving to Washington, D.C., Heike found her spark through fitness. What began as a personal transformation turned into a lifelong mission. She lost 50 pounds after her first pregnancy and rebuilt her life as a single mom, raising two kids on just $300 a month. Fitness became her lifeline—grounding her through life’s toughest seasons.In 2010, she developed Pilates with Resist-A-Ball, a joint-friendly, strength-focused program designed for individuals who want to feel strong without experiencing pain. With certifications in Pilates, strength training and nutrition—and real-life experience as a bodybuilder and Ironman triathlete—Heike brings over 35 years of lived and professional expertise to the women she serves.In 2012, she founded Pursue Your Spark, a mission-driven brand that helps women in midlife reclaim their energy, confidence and joy. She’s also the host of the Pursue Your Spark Podcast, where she shares real talk and practical tools to help women stop spinning their wheels and finally thrive.Heike believes midlife isn’t a breakdown—it’s a breakthrough. Through simple, sustainable strategies and personalized support, she helps women feel strong, energized and fully themselves again.Learn more and follow Heike:Website: https://heikeyates.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyoursparkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heike-yates/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIeOesGLGAOD5RhI2KYjcAPodcast - Pursue Your Spark: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursue-your-spark-midlife-fitness-nutrition-mindset/id1231586317Book - Pursue Your Spark: https://amzn.to/4mD5xL7 
Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming grew up experiencing happy birthdays, disappointing birthdays, and downright terrible birthdays until she turned twenty and realized making her birthday happy was entirely up to her. She wrote How To Have a Happy Birthday: Create Meaning, Fulfillment and Joy on Your Special Day to help people find deeper meaning and joy on their birthdays too. Tamar and her book have been featured on NPR for her "invitation to experience the transformative joy a birthday can provide." Tamar draws upon more than thirty years of observation and experience to provide an insightful exploration into why birthdays matter, why they can be hard for many of us, and what we can do to fully put ourselves in the center of our day.In this episode, we talk about why our birthday can be the most powerful day of the year, why celebrating our birthdays matter, why we sabotage our birthdays, how embracing our age helps us live better lives, how we can prepare for our birthdays, why we might buy ourselves a birthday gift, how we can support others in celebrating their days, how we can craft our birthday wish to maximize its manifesting potential, creating a birthday altar for yourself or another person and more. Tamar, who is also a painter, joined us from San Francisco.Learn more and follow Tamar at:https://howtohaveahappybirthday.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Author.Tamar/https://www.instagram.com/author.tamar/https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamar-hurwitz-fleming-a7885515/
Hendrika de Vries is the author of the award-winning memoir When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew, a historical memoir about her childhood in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during WWII that tells a gripping story of resistance, resilience and female strength in the face of brutality and oppression. Her current memoir, Open Turns: From Dutch Girl to New Australian — a Memoir (She Writes Press, Sept. 2, 2025 ), is its coming-of-age sequel. Henny was just a little girl when she experienced brutal violence and hunger in WWII Amsterdam. But she is now a teenage immigrant swimmer in 1950s Australia. She is smart, she swims fast and she has definite opinions about thekind of woman she intends to be––all of which serves her well in her new home, where she must learn to turn challenges into success.Her parents’ wisdom continues to guide her. “Intentions are like prayers; you send them out into the universe and if you pay attention they come back as destiny,” her mother says. And when she walks in the bush with her father, hisreverence for the mysteries of nature helps Henny hear the timeless Australian Land speak and see the Southern Cross as a beacon.She enjoys swimming fame and championship victories, but throughout her coming-of-age years, she is also faced with memories, fears and dashed hopes and dreams. Time and again, she dives into the pool to find her own strength and sense of belonging––until, finally, she begins to see more clearly her unique path ahead.Hendrika’s life experiences have infused her work as a therapist, teacher and writer. After surviving the trauma of WWII, she and her family emigrated to Australia when she was thirteen years old. As a migrant girl in 1950s Australia, with a fierce determination to succeed and a desire to belong, she faced and overcame unforeseen challenges. She earned her place as a South Australian state swimming champion, worked as a secretary to the Chief of Staff of a major newspaper’s Editorial Department, married the paper’s editorial cartoonist and became a young wife and mother.She moved to America in the nineteen sixties, where her husband won the Pulitzer Prize for his biting political cartoons while she gave birth to their third child and embarked on a course of studies that would lead to her interest in Jungian psychology, master’s degrees in theology and counseling psychology and a career as a therapist.A depth-oriented marriage and family therapist for over thirty years, she used memories, intuitive imagination and dreams to heal trauma, empower women and address life transitions. As a graduate schoolteacher she helped students explore the archetypal patterns in their life narratives.Hendrika holds a BA with Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Colorado, an MTS in theological studies from Virginia Theological Seminary, and an MA in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and the LA Times. She currently lives in Santa Barbara, California.Learn more:https://agirlfromamsterdam.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrika-devries-finishline/https://www.facebook.com/HendrikadeVriesAuthor/https://x.com/HENDRIKADEVRIE3https://www.instagram.com/hendrika.devries.92/
Lindsay McIntosh is Juilliard-trained historical oboist with an impressive resume in the music world. She has appeared under world-renowned conductors such as William Christi and Masaaki Suzuki. In 2013, while completing her graduate studies at Juilliard, she founded New Vintage Baroque, an innovative period instrument ensemble dedicated to performing 21st-century repertoire on historical instruments. The ensemble received critical acclaim for its imaginative, cross-temporal programming and vibrant energy – hallmarks of Lindsay’s creative leadership. As artistic and executive director of NVB, McIntosh self-produced 25 distinct programs, fundraised more than $100,000, cultivated the organization’s board of directors, commissioned and performed 17 world premieres, collaborated in three opera productions, recorded and released an album of original works on the VIA label and performed in over 75 performances in the U.S. and abroad.Recognizing her professional strengths beyond that of a freelance oboist, in 2015 McIntosh joined the founding team of National Sawdust, a new, critically acclaimed music venue and non-profit arts Institute located in Brooklyn. There, Lindsay worked on the artistic team creating, implementing, producing and tracking projects at the core of the venue's mission, including ten group residencies and fourteen opera productions. Lindsay’s charisma and experience as a musician led her to become a lead producer for major events and her sensitivity to an artist's needs led her to become a lead artistic liaison to hundreds of professional musicians and ensembles.Life in the NYC arts scene was busy, intense and exciting but, for Lindsay, it was not a pathway to living her best life. She felt a tremendous pull to return home to Truckee, in rural northern California. So, she did just that.Remarkably, following her instincts has resulted in more creative opportunities and a more fulfilling life than ever for Lindsay. The added bonus was providing her two young children the kind of childhood she herself had enjoyed.After relocating to rural northern California, Lindsay created Musica Sierra as an extension of New Vintage Baroque’s programming, with a focus on bringing much-needed music and arts education to rural and underserved communities. Blending her experience in historical performance with a passion for environmental literacy and youth empowerment, Lindsay has grown Musica Sierra into a regional leader in arts integration, offering performances, educational residencies and community programs across Sierra County and beyond. Among Musica Sierra’s multitude of projects, Lindsay and her husband, co-artistic director Owen McIntosh, launched the Musical Headwaters series – a visionary seven-album commissioning initiative rooted in the belief that music can deepen empathy, eco-literacy and environmental stewardship. Through this lens, composers, songwriters and ensembles are invited to create original music that reflects the natural world and supports children’s social and emotional development. Since 2021, Musica Sierra has premiered four albums aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for primary education in California, featuring acclaimed collaborators such as Majel Connery, Fire & Grace & Ash, Time For Three and The Red Hoop Singers, exploring themes like watersheds, trout, mammals and birds. In 2025, Lindsay McIntosh led Musica Sierra in commissioning a fifth nature-inspired album, Garden, for which she served as producer, and which was released on August 1.“We strive to bring cultural diversity to our programming for the benefit of everyone. Since we are a primarily white population in a very rural area with no access to the performing arts, we foster curiosity, joy and exposure through our culturally diverse educational programming."Learn more: https://musicasierra.orghttps://www.facebook.com/musicasierra/https://www.instagram.com/musica_sierra
Amy Cerny Vasterling is a future-focused speaker, teacher and intuitive who, through over twenty-two years of observational research, uncovered how a fixed-pattern system rooted in narcissism suppresses human potential. Her work dismantles this structure, revealing a path to natural equality and genuine self-expression. Amy empowers individuals and communities to reconnect with their true nature and fully thrive.She leads monthly Wisdom Gatherings, which are a thought-provoking place to gain inspiration and explore life’s possibilities through intuition and self-discovery. She also works with individuals and organizations. Her new book, Know: Where the Status Quo Ends and You Come To Life, will be released September 16. Read her substack at https://thefutureofourpast.substack.com/, in which she offers a powerful perspective of life now from 250 years in the future, which highlights where this author sees the patterns leading us. During our conversation, she recommends the book Extraordinary Knowing: Science, Skepticism, and the Inexplicable Powers of the Human Mind, by Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer. She lives all over Europe but joined us from Minnesota. Learn more:https://amyvasterling.com/https://www.facebook.com/amyintuitivepathfinderhttps://www.instagram.com/amyvasterling/https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyvasterling/
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