Becoming Your Best Version

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

In 2017, Marie lost her son suddenly, less than two years after her mother’s unexpected passing. Even in her darkest hours, she refused to let grief define her. For more than 15 years, Marie Crews has guided and empowered women through growth and transformation. Along her 25-year journey of self-discovery, she realized her journal-writing practice was what anchored her healing the most. This led her to create "The Nautilus Way: Write Your Way Free," a proven process that accelerates emotional breakthroughs -- including integrating grief, releasing trauma and navigating life’s transitions. As a coach, speaker and retreat facilitator, Marie helps clients rewire limiting beliefs, gain clarity, develop confidence and shape their lives with intention.Marie’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. Raised in poverty in rural Louisiana, she became a single mother of two at a young age. Her desire to break the cycle for her children fueled her pursuit to create a life of stability. Feeling called to support women's healing, she left corporate America to launch her coaching practice and resumed psychology studies focused on the mind-body connection.Her persistence in rising from profound loss, combined with years of coaching experience, uniquely qualifies her to guide women with compassion, courage and hope. She helps her clients see that grief magnifies the fears and viewpoints that already exist within a person and learn how to hold grief and joy at the same time.Marie has led life-changing women’s retreats for more than seven years. She recently built a Gulf-front home in Florida as a dedicated space to host these transformational experiences. Her retreats focus on deep healing, confidence and personal awakening and she also offers one exclusively for grieving mothers. In every setting, her attendees gain validation, self-trust and a renewed sense of peace and direction. Marie's bestselling novel is Even When...She Rose. The book contains her journey growing up with an absent father and an exhausted, single mother who was trying to work and raise four children. She unknowingly repeated her mom’s pattern by marrying young and becoming a divorced, uneducated mother of two. This contemporary novel looks like a timeless tale of hardship on the surface, but it reaches much farther into the depths of the challenges of motherhood, raising a special needs child, loss and triumph, in ways few writers have. Many readers find validation in this book, and courage to rise.Marie provides an online course as the starting point, which includes two sessions of working with her. She also does workshops for groups. Book a free consultation on her website.Learn more:www.mariecrews.comhttps://www.facebook.com/marieeurecrewshttps://www.tiktok.com/@empowermentandgriefguide#griefguide #becomingyourbestversionpodcast #womeninmidlife #fiftyafter50 #navigatinggrief

Do you find yourself repeating things your parents did to you or around you that you vowed never to do? Do you seek more joy in the parenting journey? Listen to this episode.Mary Willcox Smith helps families build strong, emotionally healthy relationships through her keynotes, coaching and courses—one MicroStep at a time. Mary is a speaker, author and creator of the MicroStep Method® — a research-backed framework that helps parents understand why they keep doing the thing they swore they'd never do, and what to reach for instead. A mother of four daughters born within five years, Mary blends lived parenting experience with neuroscience and child development to show why it's not programs, perfection or pressure that create lasting change — but the small, overlooked moments that are already happening every day. She is the author of Small Moments, Big Impact: The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent and speaks nationally for schools, PTAs and parent-education organizations. A Master Certified Life Coach and Positive Discipline Expert, Mary helps navigate the hard parts of parenting so moms (and dads!) can feel empowered, equipped and ready to handle whatever life — and their kids — throw their way. She offers personal coaching, as well. Her MBA is from INSEAD a top business school in France.   Her book guides readers on a transformative journey, showing you how to chart a straight course through the commotion and, at the same time, how to rediscover the simple joys of parenting. Integrating 25 years of experience, the best of child development research and neuroscience, The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent equips parents with easy-to-implement and customizable scripts for connection and growth.We come to parenting with an "emotional backpack that's filled with all the crap that we bring from childhood," Mary says. Mary helps parent unpack their big T and little t traumas to enjoy parenting more fully.Learn more and follow Mary:https://marysmithparentcoach.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-willcox-smith/https://www.facebook.com/mfrsmithhttps://www.instagram.com/marysmithparentcoach/Links mentioned during the interview:Accepting is Not Agreeing: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Accept-not-Agree-MicroStep-Method.pdfThe Repair: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Repair-HEAL-MicroStep-Method.pdf

Combining her rich background and expertise in psychology and leadership development, alongside her authentic blend of energy, humor, and strategic questions, Jordana Cole enables leaders to ignite behavioral change and spark transformation that not only sticks, it spreads.As an organizational consultant, workshop facilitator and leadership coach, Jordana has designed and led talent strategy and leadership programs for thousands of individuals across all levels and roles around the globe.  Prior to launching her consulting and coaching practice, Jordana led enterprise learning and development functions for a decade within technology, financial services, e-commerce, and nonprofit industries. Jordana’s worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies and companies on the Best Companies to Work For list.Jordana is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and has served as an instructor for undergraduate and graduate courses related to positive organizations and human strengths & resilience. She is also certified as a PCC level coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a Gallup Strengths Coach, with experience coaching more than 250 leaders worldwide. As a lead faculty member for the Center for Human Potential's Self-Actualization Coaching Program, Jordana equips cohorts of professional coaches with research-backed tools to help clients surface their needs and embrace their whole selves. Jordana believes that leadership is the most needed and most durable skillset in our changing world, and the one that AI can't replace.  She's been featured on a variety of podcasts and webinars discussing the connections between leadership, well-being, AI, and organizational success. She's on a mission to help everyone lead themselves and others better through uncertainty. Her TEDx talk on this topic: "What to Do When You Don't Know What's Next" currently ranks in the top 10% of views for all TEDx talks globally.She believes that leadership coaching should create thriving leaders and teams, not just fix bad behaviors. "Leadership coaching is for everyone, not only the C-Suite," Jordana says. "My comprehensive coaching approach blends strengths, leadership development, and positive & humanistic psychology. I’m here to help you not only turn the lightbulbs on, but to actually spark personal transformation. By the end of coaching, you'll have more self-awareness, more confidence in your interactions with others, and feel energized and capable to be an impactful leader today, tomorrow, and in the future."Learn more:https://ignitedbyjordana.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/

Have you considered natural self-healing as an alternative to traditional Western medicine? Sarah Dawkins is a leading authority in natural self-healing, bringing 20 years of clinical expertise as a Registered Nurse to her transformative work. Having personally navigated and healed from decades of health challenges, Sarah uniquely combines her medical background with a profound understanding of mindset, beliefs and holistic coaching. She specializes in guiding midlife professional women from the depths of burnout, overwhelm and chronic conditions like autoimmune issues, fatigue and pain, to renewed vitality.Known for facilitating rapid and profound transformations, Sarah's approach is rooted in compassionate conversations and evidence-based strategies. As the author of an Amazon #1 book, Heal Yourself and the award-winning host of the Mind Body Medicine for Self Healers podcast, she is a trusted voice empowering women to heal their minds, bodies and souls. Her unique blend of medical insight and holistic wisdom provides a credible, empathetic and results-driven path for those ready to reclaim their health, energy and purpose.Sarah joined us from Spain and is originally from the U.K.Learn more: https://www.sarahdawkins.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdawkins-holistichealthcoach/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawkinsseInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.dawkins.healthX: https://x.com/dawkins_sarahYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahDawkinsHealthPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yBLqeIPxkhgymnpGMCcMZ and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-body-medicine-for-self-healers/id1670856549