Women Like Me Stories & Business

Send us Fan MailYour website is either working as your storefront or it is sitting online like a locked door. We sit down with Lisa Blankert, founder of Lab Online Agency in Coquitlam, British Columbia, to get brutally clear on what actually makes a small business website perform: user experience, fast load times, conversion-focused design, and calls to action that make it easy for the right people to contact you. If you have ever thought, “I have a site, so why am I still invisible,” this conversation gives you practical answers. We also unpack SEO in plain English and why “set it and forget it” does not work. A website that cannot be optimized, tracked, or improved over time becomes an expensive redo waiting to happen. Lisa explains why platform choices like WordPress vs Shopify matter, how brand authority builds trust, and why relying only on referrals can cap your growth when you need consistent lead generation. Then we zoom out to what is changing right now: AI tools and AI search. More people are looking for services through ChatGPT and other platforms, which means discoverability is no longer only about Google rankings. We talk about how to use AI as a tool without losing authenticity, plus quick wins you can do this week like updating your Google Business Profile, asking for honest reviews, and getting a no-cost website audit to spot technical fixes. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs more visibility, and leave a review so more women can find the show.Reach out to Leesa:https://labonlineagency.com/[email protected] covered in this episode:Small business website strategy, SEO for business, AI search, website visibility, lead generation, Google Business Profile, website audits, WordPress, Shopify, calls to action, brand authority, and online marketing for women entrepreneurs.If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA breast lump is easy to dismiss when life is already full — and that is exactly why this conversation matters.In this powerful episode, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Rangoli Gupta, founder of Inner Beauty Mastectomy Wear, about the moment she discovered a breast lump, told herself it was “probably nothing,” and later received a breast cancer diagnosis that changed everything.Rangoli shares her personal breast cancer journey, including choosing a mastectomy, going through chemotherapy, and facing the emotional reality of looking in the mirror after surgery. She also opens up about the importance of early detection, self-exams, clinical breast exams, and mammogram screening.This conversation goes beyond diagnosis and treatment. Rangoli explains the emotional and practical side of post-mastectomy recovery, including the importance of properly fitted breast prostheses, wigs, mastectomy bras, compression garments, drain-holding shirts, recovery pillows, and swimwear designed for breast forms.She also shares her journey of moving to Canada, realizing her medical degree and clinical experience did not transfer easily, and rebuilding her life from the ground up. From working entry-level jobs to learning computers, building her own website content, and becoming an immigrant entrepreneur, Rangoli turned her personal experience into a mission to support women after breast cancer surgery.This episode is for breast cancer survivors, women facing treatment decisions, caregivers, health advocates, immigrant entrepreneurs, and anyone who believes in the power of resilience, reinvention, and women supporting women.Please share this conversation with someone who may need hope, guidance, or the reminder that they are not alone.For more information, reach out to Rangoli Gupta. She's here to help!Website:  https://www.innerbeautywear.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/innerbeauty_breastcare/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575768007520If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful interview, author Zee shares the deeply personal story behind her contribution to the Women Like Me book The Space Between Before and After. This is an honest conversation about childhood survival, family secrecy, generational trauma, grief, displacement, identity, and the long road to healing through writing.After the loss of both her parents, one core memory rose to the surface and pushed Zee to finally write the story she had carried for years. She reflects on growing up during apartheid-era South Africa, where political unrest, fear, secrecy, and survival shaped everyday life. Zee explains how her grandparents protected her, how silence affected her body and emotions, and what it means to grow up with both love and abandonment living in the same story.We also talk about the meaning of samosas as a symbol of culture, sacrifice, scarcity, memory, and healing. What once held fear became part of a grounding, meditative ritual she now shares with her son. This episode explores how writing can uncover hidden truths, create closure, and help us make sense of the past.If you have lived through family separation, displacement, silence, grief, identity struggles, or generational trauma, this conversation may give language to what you have felt.In this episode, we discuss: childhood trauma and survival  apartheid South Africa  family secrecy and political activism  grief after losing parents  displacement and belonging  generational trauma and healing  writing as closure and emotional release  memory, food, culture, and identity  the story behind The Space Between Before and After Women Like Me authors and true-life stories Connect with Zee:  holisticsoletosoul.comhttps://www.holisticsoletosoul.com/Facebook ; Holistic Sole to Soul:https://www.facebook.com/p/Holistic-Sole-to-Soul-61562724601752/Istagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticwellnesswithzee/reels/?__d=11Book Mentioned: The Space Between Before and After https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0GQ1X2WJ1Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories and Business for more powerful interviews on healing, truth, storytelling, women’s voices, resilience, and real-life transformation.If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailTracy Emanuele loved woodworking as a child, but, like so many girls, she was told that working with tools and building with her hands was not meant for her. In this episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Tracy shares how she found her way back to the trades, discovered where she truly belonged, and built a life that finally felt right.We talk about the jobs that looked fine on the outside but slowly drained her on the inside, the moment she stepped into a workshop and knew she was home, and what it is really like to be a woman working in male-dominated spaces. Tracy opens up about the difference between being treated like a problem and being welcomed like family, and why meaningful work can bring peace amid the noise.She also shares the story of a serious table saw injury, the emotional weight of recovery, and how she kept moving forward through fear, frustration, and healing. One small but unforgettable turning point was a $20 ukulele from a yard sale that helped her rebuild confidence, purpose, and joy.This episode is for anyone interested in women in trades, woodworking, recovery after injury, overcoming gender stereotypes, resilience, career change, and finding work that feels like home.Subscribe for more powerful conversations on Women Like Me Stories In Business. Share this episode with someone who needs permission to take their unconventional dream seriously. Leave a review and tell us what dream you are finally ready to claim.Find Tracy Here:  https://linktr.ee/tracye368If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when control is disguised as care, concern, or good manners? In this episode, Christina Ditchkofsky joins Julie Fairhurst for a powerful conversation about emotional abuse, coercive control, love bombing, childhood trauma, shame, and the slow erosion of self-trust.Christina is a nurse, author, and trauma-informed writing guide. She shares both lived experience and professional insight as we explore the warning signs of coercive control, including isolation, loss of financial freedom, pulling away from work, neglecting yourself, and constantly second-guessing your instincts.We also talk about Christina’s book Burnt Letters and how writing can help survivors process trauma, reclaim their voice, and begin healing — even if they never publish a single word.This episode is for survivors, for women questioning what they lived through, and for anyone who loves someone trying to find their way back to themselves.Subscribe for more Women Like Me Stories and Business conversations that bring truth, healing, and real-life transformation to light.Grab Christina's book:    https://amzn.to/41hrvu9Christina's Website:  https://christinaditchkofsky.com/Free Gift:  https://tinyurl.com/y82m77tn If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA doctor tells you that you have one year left to become a mother… and you hear it while your marriage is ending.That’s the reality Kelly-Erin Ketchen faced at just 27. In this deeply personal conversation, we explore what it means to stand in the space between heartbreak and becoming, and the courage it takes to choose yourself when everything is falling apart.Kelly-Erin shares how endometriosis and infertility didn’t just challenge her ability to have children—they challenged her identity, her belief in “the plan,” and her sense of safety after divorce and losing her home.She opens up about the moment she stopped waiting and chose to pursue motherhood on her own. From facing judgment in the 1990s to walking into a fertility clinic as a single woman, to the surreal experience of choosing a sperm donor from a few lines on paper, this is a story of quiet strength and bold decisions.But getting pregnant wasn’t the end of the journey.Kelly-Erin shares the reality of hyperemesis gravidarum, how it nearly shut down her kidneys, and what it feels like when medical professionals dismiss your pain. We also talk about miscarriage, self-advocacy, and raising a child with honesty about donor conception, including DNA searches and donor sibling connections later in life.If you’ve ever faced infertility, questioned your path, or felt like time was running out—this conversation will stay with you.Connect with Kelly-Erin:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kellyerinketchen_excellence/?hl=en👉 Subscribe for more real stories from women who have lived it 👉 Share this with someone who needs to hear it 👉 Leave a review to help more women find these conversationsWhat part of Kelly-Erin’s journey stayed with you most?If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA lot of people think the hardest part of domestic violence is leaving. What if leaving is only the first step… and the next step is a cliff?In this powerful conversation, Kay Bohemier returns to share the reality behind the “90-day cliff” in emergency shelters and what happens when survivors of domestic violence leave abuse but still have nowhere safe to go.Kay opens up about what homelessness after abuse really looks like: living in a car, then a tent, finding places to wash, and taking risks just to afford food. She also sheds light on the hidden barriers survivors face, including financial abuse, PTSD, stalking, and how missing documentation or citizenship status can prevent access to housing, support programs, and safety.When people say “just leave,” they often don’t understand what comes next. Kay explains why so many survivors are forced back into dangerous situations—and what needs to change.We also talk about solutions. Kay shares her vision for Courage House Incorporated, a nonprofit focused on long-term transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence. Her model includes a two-year housing program with onsite mental health support, financial education, and 24-hour childcare so survivors can rebuild their lives with stability and dignity.If you care about domestic violence awareness, survivor safety, homelessness after abuse, and real systemic change, this is a conversation you won’t forget.👉 Subscribe for more real stories from women who have lived it 👉 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it 👉 Leave a review to help more women find support and resourcesConnect with Kay:  Website:  https://kaywood95.wixsite.com/courage-houseFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KaybohemierIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA single moment can shape a lifetime… but it doesn’t have to define it.In this deeply human conversation, I sit down with Jenny Siddall, mom, creative, and performer from Nova Scotia, whose story moves from childhood trauma to a grounded, hard-won peace through art, music, writing, and play.Her philosophy is simple: keep running. Not to escape, but as proof that you made it, and you still get to choose what comes next.In this episode, we explore: • Healing trauma through creativity (art, music, writing, play) • Why creative expression works when words fall short • Inner child healing and reparenting yourself • Letting go of “being too much” and embracing emotional truth • How trauma can live in the body (tension, stress, feeling stuck) • Simple, real-life routines for hard days • Building confidence through small creative acts • Why releasing others’ opinions is a powerful form of self-respectIf you’ve ever felt like your emotions were something to manage instead of something to understand… this conversation will shift that.Your feelings aren’t the problem.  They’re the message.  And maybe, just maybe, they’re pointing you home.Connect with Jenny:Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/852791401722063 Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.robicheau.5           TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jennaysiddall🎧 Subscribe for more real conversations. 💬 Share this with someone who needs a gentle nudge forward. ⭐ Leave a review if this episode speaks to you.After you listen… what’s one small creative thing you’ll try this week?If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailYour body isn’t broken. It’s speaking. The question is, are you listening?Fifteen years of daily pain changes a person, but what if the turning point isn’t another treatment… It's a new relationship with your body?In this powerful episode, I sit down with counselor and energy practitioner Amanda Meggait, who shares her journey through autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and the emotional weight that comes with it all.After years of specialist visits, medications, and feeling disconnected from her own body, everything shifted when she stopped seeing her body as the enemy, and started listening to it as a guide.We talk about: • Living with chronic pain and autoimmune illness • The emotional roots of physical symptoms • Why women disconnect from themselves early in life • The truth about people-pleasing and burnout • How anger can signal a broken boundary • Practical “micro moments” to reconnect with yourself • Creating safety within your body and emotionsThis conversation is for any woman who feels exhausted, out of alignment, or like her body is trying to tell her something she hasn’t been taught how to hear.🎧 If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find this kind of support.Connect with Amanda:http://www.horizonenergetics.com/https://quintessencecounselling.ca/1242-2/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailPeace can feel uncomfortable… even unsafe… when your life has been built in survival mode.In this powerful episode, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Colinda Laviolette, who shares her journey of healing as an Indigenous woman reconnecting with her roots, traditions, and community after trauma, addiction, and abuse.Colinda shares her journey into sobriety, the impact of motherhood, and raising her two sons, with Down syndrome, while navigating her own healing. She opens up about CPTSD, survival conditioning, and how alcohol once became “liquid courage.”We talk about: ✔️ Why peace can feel unfamiliar after trauma ✔️ Breaking generational patterns for your children ✔️ Sobriety, shame, and emotional healing ✔️ Indigenous healing, ceremony, and identity ✔️ Setting boundaries without guilt ✔️ Rebuilding self-worth after abuseThis conversation is for anyone walking through trauma recovery, domestic violence healing, or learning how to live without chaos.If you’ve ever felt like calm doesn’t feel normal… this will hit home.Follow Colinda here:  https://www.facebook.com/colinda.laviolette👉 Subscribe for more real conversations that heal and empower 👉 Share this with someone who needs it 👉 Comment your biggest takeawayIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailEver feel like you’re doing everything “right”… but something still feels off?In this powerful conversation, educator, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Darlena Swan shares what happens when you stop chasing success and start asking a better question: what actually matters to me?We dive into burnout, anxiety, and the pressure women feel to be everything to everyone. You’ll hear how stress shows up in the body, why your mind won’t shut off at night, and what real wellness looks like when you include your mind, body, and soul.This episode also explores: The truth behind the “superwoman” myth  How to set boundaries without guilt  Why self-kindness is a strength, not a weakness  Turning hard seasons into growth instead of self-blame  Starting over, even when you feel behind Darlena shares her journey from customer service to education and purpose-driven work, proving that every step—even the messy ones—builds the life you’re meant to live.If you’re feeling stuck, exhausted, or questioning your direction, this conversation will help you reconnect with yourself and move forward with clarity.REACH OUT TO DARLENA HERE:  https://bossladyenterprise.org/👉 Subscribe for more real conversations 👉 Share this with a woman who needs a reset 👉 Comment: What question will you start asking yourself today?If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan Mail What if getting laid off… was the exact moment your next level began? And what if AI isn’t as complicated as you’ve been told? A layoff can feel like the floor disappears. For Michelle Hamilton, it became a door opening, and that choice changed everything.After 30 years as an executive, Michelle stepped into artificial intelligence early, testing real-world use cases and learning how to translate AI into human language that actually makes sense. In this conversation, we break down AI, leadership, reinvention, and how to move forward when everything shifts.We talk about: ✨ Why most AI initiatives fail inside companies (and it’s NOT the tech) ✨ The real problem: change management, fear, and lack of training ✨ How leaders can implement AI in a way that actually works ✨ Why fear-based policies create “shadow AI” in organizations ✨ How to train executives vs. frontline teams differently ✨ What a people-first AI strategy looks like tied to real KPIsThen we make it practical and fun: ✔️ Using AI to plan trips from conversations ✔️ Voice mode as your hands-free assistant ✔️ Preparing for interviews and drafting documents ✔️ Comparing health insurance by uploading files ✔️ Using multiple AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for better resultsWe also cover what you need to watch for: ⚠️ AI hallucinations ⚠️ Verifying sources ⚠️ How to safely use AI in your daily life and businessIf you’ve felt behind on AI, or unsure where to start, this episode will give you language, confidence, and real tools you can use immediately.👉 Subscribe for real conversations on reinvention, leadership, and personal growth 👉 Share this with someone ready for their next chapterFIND MICHELLE HERE:  https://sparkaistrategy.com/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if the patterns you can’t break… aren’t about willpower at all?What if your body is protecting you in ways you don’t even realize?Some conversations don’t just inform you… They slow you down long enough to feel what you’ve been carrying.In this episode, I sit down with Anya Lewis, founder of Angel Wears Prana, to explore trauma healing, nervous system regulation, intuition, and the deeper patterns that quietly shape our lives.With over 25 years in beauty, massage therapy, and corporate wellness, Anya shares how working with the body reveals what people don’t say out loud—fear, shame, grief, and the emotional patterns that keep repeating.We talk about:✨ What prana (life force energy) really means✨ Why so many people live disconnected from their bodies✨ The hidden forms of trauma that still impact your nervous system✨ Why numbing behaviors like drinking continue—even when we want to stop✨ What actually helps you break patterns and create lasting change✨ Simple ways to start healing (meditation, body awareness, and nervous system support)If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles you can’t explain, this conversation will meet you where you are.Find Anya:  👉 Subscribe for real conversations that help you heal, grow, and tell the truth about your life👉 Share this with someone who needs a softer way into healinghttps://theangelwearsprana.com/the-healer/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailMigraine disease is not “just a headache.” It can take your vision, your balance, your words, and leave you trying to explain something invisible while the world minimizes what you’re going through.In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, we sit down with Arleen Davis, who joins us from China, as she shares her chapter, “Migraine Disease, My Journey of Discovery.” What begins as unexplained symptoms—dizziness, sensory overload, nausea, and cognitive confusion—quickly turns into a frightening reality that mimics serious neurological events.Arleen opens up about:Sudden vision loss and terrifying migraine attacksHemiplegic migraine symptoms that can feel like a strokeBrain fog so intense that words disappear mid-sentenceThe long road to diagnosis and being dismissed along the wayWhy women’s health concerns are often minimizedWe also dive into real-life migraine triggers and management, including weather changes, barometric pressure, light sensitivity, crowds, and motion sickness, and how proper diagnosis, preventive medication, and support can change everything.If you’ve ever been told “it’s just a headache” but felt something deeper was wrong… this conversation might give you the language, validation, and direction you’ve been searching for.✨ Your story matters. And sometimes, hearing someone else’s is what finally helps you understand your own.👉 Subscribe for more real, raw conversations 👉 Share this with someone who needs to feel seen 👉 Comment if this resonates with your experienceReach out to Arleen here:  Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/open_up_to_light?igsh=dmRzZ2h1OXIydDZuFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/arleen.t.davis?If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailEver feel like you’re living on the sidelines of your own life?In this powerful episode, Lisa Huppee shares her journey from self-doubt and feeling like the “black sheep” to rebuilding her life after divorce, illness, and unexpected setbacks. From starting over at 40 to launching a home care business after 50, right before COVID, this is a story about resilience, reinvention, and finally listening to the voice within.If you’re navigating a life transition, questioning your path, or ready to step into your next chapter, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.Reach out to Lisa:  Website:  https://justlikefamily.ca/fraservalley/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lisa.huppeeIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan Mail People pleasing and codependency are often trauma responses rooted in nervous system dysregulation, not personality traits. If you’ve built your identity around being “the calm one,” “the helpful one,” or “the strong one,” there may be a hidden cost: exhaustion, resentment, and losing yourself in the process.In this powerful episode, we sit down with Nicky Yazbeck, a trauma-informed therapist, EMDR practitioner, psychodynamic therapist, and yoga teacher with over 20 years of experience, to uncover what’s really underneath people pleasing and codependency.This conversation goes deeper than surface-level advice. We explore how these patterns are often rooted in trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and early emotional conditioning.Inside this episode:• What people pleasing really is (and why it’s not kindness) • The difference between caring and rescuing • How codependency forms and why it’s hard to break • Trauma beyond the obvious: neglect, bullying, and emotional wounds • Core beliefs like “I’m not lovable” or “I’m not worthy.” • How EMDR therapy helps process unresolved trauma • Nervous system healing and somatic awareness • Spiritual bypassing and avoiding real healing • Why growth disrupts relationships and family dynamics • The role of yoga and body-based healing • What Kambo (frog medicine) is and why safety mattersIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot, set boundaries, and reconnect with yourself, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on healing, truth-telling, and personal transformation.Reach out to Nicky:  https://nickyyyoga.com/https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TheConnectedCommunity⁩  If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your body suddenly stops working, and no one believes you?After a tick bite during a dream trip overseas, Allie Chandler’s life changed overnight. Her heart rate spiked to 220, her body felt completely unfamiliar, and doctors struggled to explain what was happening. Like many people living with chronic illness, she was told anxiety might be the cause.But the truth was far more complex.In this powerful conversation, Allie shares her journey through Lyme disease, multiple co-infections, hyperadrenergic POTS, and nervous system dysregulation, and what it feels like to live with an invisible illness that few people understand.We talk about:• The emotional toll of chronic illness • Being dismissed by the medical system • Lyme disease and co-infection testing • Hyperadrenergic POTS and nervous system dysregulation • Functional medicine and root-cause healing • Limbic system retraining and nervous system repair • Trauma healing tools like EMDR • Isolation, resilience, and rebuilding hopeAllie also shares how her health journey led her to create heart-centered marketing for functional medicine practitioners, helping wellness professionals communicate with empathy and trust.Her patient and practitioner archetype quizzes are designed to help people find the right support faster and to help practitioners reach the patients who need them most.If you or someone you love is navigating chronic illness, Lyme disease, POTS, or an invisible condition, this conversation may help you feel seen.👉 Subscribe for more powerful conversations about healing, resilience, and the stories that change lives.Allie's Websitehttps://upsellhealth.com/Take the Quizhttps://upsellhealth.typeform.com/archetypeIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat do people regret most when life is ending?In this powerful conversation, Kandace Stoneman shares the life-changing lessons she learned working in hospice and long-term care at just 24 years old. Kandace joins Julie Fairhurst to discuss her chapter, “The Courage to Live Without Regrets,” from Women Like Me: The Space Before and After, and the emotional realities of caregiving, compassion fatigue, and mental health.Together, they explore the hidden guilt caregivers carry, why perfectionism keeps people stuck, and how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can shift the way we think, feel, and live.Kandace also shares the inspiration behind the project she created with her son, Making Friends with Feelings, helping children understand emotions, nervous system signals, and the needs behind behavior.If you want better self-talk, stronger relationships, and fewer regrets in life, this conversation will speak directly to your heart.✨ Subscribe for more powerful conversations about women’s stories, healing, and personal growth.Connect with Kandace:FACEBOOKhttps://guideyourmind.ca/https://www.facebook.com/kandace.stonemanhttps://www.facebook.com/share/1EYV9aRK6C/?mibextid=wwXIfrhttps://www.facebook.com/share/1EYV9aRK6C/?mibextid=wwXIfrINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/guideyourmindcoach/Kandace StonemanCertified Life & Relationship Empowerment Coach | Emotional Intelligence ConsultantGuideYour MindPhone: 250-808-1151Email: [email protected] this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if Amelia Earhart’s disappearance isn’t just an unsolved mystery, but a reflection of who we are and what we choose to believe?In this powerful conversation, Julie Fairhurst sits down with author Rachel Hartigan to explore the three most debated theories surrounding Earhart’s fate: crash and sink, castaway on Nikumaroro, or capture by the Japanese. But this episode goes far beyond speculation.Rachel shares behind-the-scenes insights from her multi-year investigation—including her journey with National Geographic to a remote Pacific atoll, hiking alongside archaeologists and human-remains detection dogs at a suspected castaway site. Together, we unpack how wartime fear, colonial politics, and technological optimism shaped the narratives that still captivate the world today.More importantly, we restore Amelia as a woman, not just a legend. A determined Midwesterner who valued skill over spectacle. A pilot who endured brutal conditions during her solo Atlantic flight. A leader who advocated for women in aviation during an era defined by deep gender bias.We also examine the barriers faced by early women aviators, including the backlash against pioneer pilot Helen Ritchie, and discuss what courage, preparation, and grit really look like.If you love aviation history, women’s leadership, unsolved mysteries, or longform investigative storytelling, this episode will challenge what you think you know.Listen. Share. Leave a review. Because behind every theory is someone loved and lost.https://rachelhartiganauthor.com/https://rachelhartiganauthor.com/booksIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailPain that gets waved off. Periods that stop, then don’t stop. Labs that don’t tell the full story.In this powerful conversation, Monica Reagor joins us to unpack the reality of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) — from delayed diagnosis and insulin resistance to advocacy and policy change. So many women wait seven to ten years for answers. Monica explains why, and what you can do to shorten that gap.We cover:✨ Early PCOS symptoms: heavy cycles, facial hair, fatigue, brain fog ✨ Insulin resistance, cortisol, and metabolic patterns ✨ Why lean PCOS and inflammatory profiles are often overlooked ✨ What your labs really mean (A1C, testosterone, vitamin D, ultrasounds) ✨ Mental health myths that harm women (“lazy,” “undisciplined”) ✨ How to advocate for better care ✨ Reproductive autonomy & menstrual equity policy goals ✨ The work of the PCOS Awareness Association ✨ Using tech tools to track cycles, stress, and sleepMonica brings both lived experience and leadership expertise, combining data-informed strategy with deeply human advocacy. If you’ve ever felt dismissed by the healthcare system, this conversation will give you clarity, language, and confidence.You are not the problem. And you are not alone.Follow the show, share this episode, and leave a review so more women can find the support they deserve.Reach out to Monica here:Website: www.pcosaa.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicareagor/Podcasts: www.mygrcpov.com | www.thefaithflexpodcast.blogIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhen momentum stalls in your business, the instinct is to push harder. Add more platforms. Try new trends. Hustle louder. But what if the real answer isn’t force… it’s alignment?In this powerful conversation, Julie sits down with returning guest Melodie Dewsbury to unpack what it really takes to relaunch your business from a place of clarity instead of chaos. From saving for tools and leaving a role that no longer fit, to launching a website after clients were already lining up, Melodie shares the honest, unpolished truth about starting again.Inside this episode, we cover:✨ How to pivot your business without burning out✨ Reframing failure as data (not identity)✨ Building confidence through action✨ How to overcome self-doubt as a woman entrepreneur✨ Why your website is your storefront and social media is the living room✨ Simple SEO strategies that turn pages into lead engines✨ Email marketing that compounds results✨ Pricing with authority (and letting silence do the work)✨ Fractional marketing support and smart paid ads✨ Breaking cultural conditioning that keeps women waiting to feel “ready”If you’ve been feeling stuck, stalled, or quietly craving a pivot, this episode offers a grounded roadmap forward.🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on ethical influence, business growth, and women building aligned success.http://instagram.com/thepaperfoxcollectivehttp://thepaperfoxcollective.com/[email protected] this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if the most important travel skill isn’t packing light—but knowing when it’s time to come home?In this episode, we sit down with author and traveler Melissa Rodway to explore the deeper side of adventure: travel ego, judgment on the road, solo travel for women, and the quiet courage it takes to leave, and to return.Melissa shares how travel strips away identity labels and reveals who we really are. We talk about backpacker one-upmanship, solo dining, solo female travel safety, boutique group travel, and why brief connections with strangers can feel more intimate than long friendships at home.You’ll hear how a winter alone in Quebec City became a five-week masterclass in presence, the moment a long trip shifts from joy to job, and how endings matter—not just in travel, but in life.We also discuss: • Solo travel vs small group travel • Travel and aging (including hikers in their 70s and 80s!) • The emotional friction of life on the road • How to create adventure when money or time are limited • Turning raw travel emails into a published bookMelissa is the author of The People You May Meet, a powerful reflection on identity, connection, and growth through travel.If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or restless, this conversation will remind you that sometimes the next adventure begins with a simple one-hour walk.Listen now, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs a nudge toward their next chapter.Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/fly_travel_media/Website and radio/podcast interviews: https://flyrodway.com/Amazon: http://bit.ly/44s5JX9If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when faith no longer fits inside traditional church walls?In this powerful conversation, Irish interfaith minister and spiritual companion Patricia Higgins shares her vision of “rewilding faith” — reclaiming spirituality through ceremony, retreats, sacred dialogue, and inclusive community spaces.We explore: • Why many women feel spiritually disconnected • The difference between religion and lived spirituality • How ceremony and ritual help us reconnect to meaning • What it means to create sacred spaces beyond institutions • How faith evolves as we grow, travel, question, and awakenPatricia is an interfaith minister, author, retreat guide, and founder of Rewilding Faith. Her work invites people to rediscover the sacred in everyday life, without dogma, pressure, or performance.If you’ve ever felt like you believe in something… but don’t know where you belong anymore, this episode is for you.🔗 Connect with Patricia HigginsWebsite: www.patriciahiggins.ie Instagram: www.instagram.com/rewilding_faith Facebook: www.facebook.com/RewildingfaithIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if success stopped being about a paycheck and started being about the people you help rise?In this powerful conversation, corporate sales leader and investor Christine Valdez shares how she shifted from survival mode as a single mom to building long-term wealth through rentals, multifamily investing, LP syndications, and private equity.We talk honestly about: • Growing up in an immigrant family and navigating WIC • Scarcity mindset vs. abundance thinking • Why flipping houses failed the return-on-time test • Real estate strategies that don’t require a huge bank balance • Down payment assistance, set-aside units & city auctions • Why women struggle to ask for the sale or a raise • Charging for high-value work without guilt • Leadership without pretending to be someone you’re notChristine shares a practical three-part reset for anyone feeling financial pressure right now:Upgrade your inputsRewire negative money beliefsChange your circleIf you’re juggling career, family, and ambition, this conversation will challenge you to rethink success, pricing, leadership, and opportunity.Abundance often looks like access. Sometimes it’s just the next step in front of you.✨ Subscribe for conversations about women, leadership, money, ethical influence, and building a life that actually fits you.Tell us in the comments: What belief about money are you unlearning?If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if the real measure of leadership isn’t how much you achieve, but how alive you feel while creating it?In this episode, we sit down with Jaclyn Orent to explore a bold shift in founder identity, from optimization, grind, and quiet burnout to resonance, joy, and sustainable impact. Jaclyn introduces the concept of the cultural catalyst: a leader whose ideal vision fuels change and whose peers amplify momentum.We unpack why so many successful founders feel quietly isolated. Surrounded by employees, contractors, and mentees, they often lack true peers, people who share both their vision and competence. That absence drains energy, limits creativity, and narrows strategic choice. Jaclyn explains how resonant relationships, built on shared vision, compassion, and capability, restore courage and enable contributions that are both larger and more sustainable.We also navigate a common tension for conscious leaders: feeling too evolved for traditional business spaces and too business-focused for spiritual ones. Bridging these worlds, Jaclyn argues, isn’t optional; it’s the missing infrastructure for purpose-led scale.Jaclyn Orent is the co-founder of Cultural Catalysts™, a peer network for established leaders focused on resonance-driven growth, conscious leadership, and cultural impact. As the Frequency Architect of the Cultural Catalyst System, she integrates leadership science, intentional change theory, and transformational coaching to support purpose-led scale and sustainable success. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclynorent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kova.orentLink to Masterclass: The Science-Backed Secrets to Activate Your Highest Impact as a Cultural Catalyst Without Burning Out: https://www.culturalcontribution.com/masterclassIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailPain that no one can see can still define every hour of your day.In this episode, we sit down with Dasha Maslennikova, a kinesiologist who spent 13 years navigating her own post-accident chronic pain. Together, we unpack how movement, mindset, and nervous system regulation can turn a stuck cycle into real, sustainable progress.Rather than chasing quick fixes or waiting for a perfect test result, Dasha explains why active therapy builds resilience, how safety and trust quiet fear in the body, and what shifts when clinicians speak to human experience, not just charts and scans. We explore the bridge her studios create between physiotherapy and personal training, and why graded, evidence-based movement helps the nervous system update its threat response.We talk candidly about invisible pain and the isolation it brings, the language gaps that leave patients feeling dismissed, and the limits of MRIs and lab work for something as subjective and real as pain. In the fibromyalgia segment, Dasha breaks down nervous system sensitivity and altered signaling without overpromising, instead pointing to practical levers such as pacing, strength training, emotional support, and consistency.For older adults and caregivers, the fall-prevention conversation is a must-hear. Dasha explains why balance training alone isn’t enough, and how fast-twitch power and reaction time are essential skills for recovering from a trip or stumble, yet are rarely trained as we age.We also explore how trauma and adverse events can prime the body for chronic pain, and why referrals to counseling or trauma-informed care can accelerate physical recovery. The throughline is hopeful and grounded: movement is medicine, change is possible, and the body often knows how to heal when given the right environment.If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to start, this conversation offers clear steps and a new lens on what your body might be asking for. Listen, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and subscribe for more conversations that blend science, compassion, and real-world tools.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dasha-maslennikova-2547557b/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symmetrixvan/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SymmetrixVanIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailSometimes the hardest stories are the ones we can’t keep inside.In this deeply honest episode, we sit down with Thomasine Snelick—known to friends and family as Tommi, a 27-year-old from rural Pennsylvania, who shares the devastating loss of her brother to suicide, and, just eighteen months later, the death of her stepfather. Two losses. One young life forever changed. What follows is an unguarded conversation about grief, mental health, addiction as a coping mechanism, and the quiet courage it takes to choose life again and again.Tommi paints a vivid picture of her brother — tough, loyal, larger than life, while walking us through the long, uneven search for help: hospital stays, medication changes, and the exhausting hope that things might finally turn. She speaks candidly about the early months after his death, when alcohol felt like the only relief, and the pivotal moment when a coworker’s blunt compassion helped her choose sobriety.We explore the silence that settled over her home, the fear of saying her brother’s name out loud, and the emotional weight of planning a funeral when everyone is already hollowed out by grief. Tommi also opens up about childhood abuse disguised as “help” at a horse farm, how she left horses to survive, and later reclaimed them on her own terms as part of her healing.One of the most powerful moments in this episode is Tommi’s decision to rebuild her brother’s 2003 Ford F-250 as a living memorialm a hands-on act of love that gave structure to chaos and meaning to unbearable loss. Along the way, she shares practical tools that helped her survive: daily journaling to track mood and progress, breaking taboos around men’s mental health, and the simple but lifesaving power of checking in when something feels off.This episode is for anyone navigating life after suicide loss, for siblings who grieve quietly, and for friends who want to help but don’t know how. If this conversation moves you, please share it with someone who might need it, subscribe for more real stories, and leave a review to help others find their way here.Ways to reach Tommi:  https://www.facebook.com/share/18773kZXWR/?mibextid=wwXIfrhttps://www.tiktok.com/@tommileigh98?_r=1&_t=ZP-93SL9qK8UcpIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the life you’ve built looks successful, but quietly starves your spirit?In this episode, author and book coach Amy Bernstein shares her journey from a high-paying, high-stress government career to a creative life built on courage, strategy, and radical self-honesty. What began as a fleeting thought on a train platform became a clear mandate, and instead of burning everything down, Amy chose a series of smart, sustainable pivots that changed her life.We talk about the real mechanics of building a creative life: reclaiming time and energy, stacking small wins, and finding community before making big changes. Amy breaks down why so many aspiring authors stall, how to keep joy alive during endless revisions, and what it truly takes to finish a book.We also dive into her practical guide, Wrangling the Doubt Monster, exploring how self-doubt is shaped by family dynamics and cultural pressures that value titles, money, and visibility over the quiet, unseen work of art. Instead of waiting for confidence, Amy shows how to move with doubt—and still make meaningful progress.Plus, Amy offers a first look at Tent City, her upcoming speculative novel about a family clinging to the American dream during an economic collapse that feels uncomfortably possible.If this episode nudged something awake in you, share it with a friend who needs the same reminder. If you haven’t yet, follow the show, rate it, and leave a review. It helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.Website: https://amywrites.livehttps://linkedin.com/in/amylbernsteinhttps://instagram.com/amylbernsteinhttps://facebook.com/AmyLBernsteinAuthorhttps://amylbernsteinauthor.substack.comhttps://medium.com/@amylbernsteinhttps://bsky.app/profile/amylbernstein.bsky.socialhttps://www.youtube.com/@amylbernstein00authorPre-order Tent City now:https://www.open-bks.com/library/moderns/tent-city/order.htmlIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan Mail What if the patterns repeating in your life are not random, but driven by thoughts you barely notice? In this episode, Julie Fairhurst interviews author and teacher Mikail Maillet to explore how awareness, belief, and imagination shape relationships, careers, and everyday meaning. Drawing from his book Your Mind or Your Life, Mikhail explains why mindset is not mystical thinking but a daily practice that combines imagination with action. Together, they discuss breaking relationship patterns, moving out of victimhood, choosing integrity in small moments, and using self-awareness to create real, lasting change. Get Mikail's book here:  https://www.yourmindoryourlife.com/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailYour mind is already rehearsing your future, often by accident. Your mind is already rehearsing your future—often without you realizing it. In this episode, Julie Fairhurst explains the real science behind visualization and how mental rehearsal shapes identity, behavior, and success. Learn why your brain takes imagined experiences seriously, how worry uses the same mechanism as visualization, and how to consciously use your mind as a tool for leadership, confidence, and purposeful action. www.juliefairhurst.comIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailPromotions don’t hinge on performance alone; they hinge on perception. In this 4-minute video, Julie Fairhurst breaks down the research behind executive presence and translates it into practical, repeatable behaviors ambitious professionals can use immediately, especially women navigating leadership spaces still shaped by old norms.You’ll learn why high-performing women are often admired but overlooked, how quiet contributions lose leverage in meetings, and what actually shifts perception with decision makers. Julie shares a simple system for building a powerful, grounded presence: speaking early to frame conversations, using decisive language without defensiveness, anchoring calm through posture and breath, and designing key moments before they happen.This isn’t about being louder or more aggressive. It’s about structure, clarity, and conviction, signals that communicate leadership before titles ever do.If you’re ready to turn credibility into opportunity, try one tactic in your next meeting and notice what changes.👉 Follow for more insights on ethical influence, leadership voice, and women’s authority 👉 Share this with a colleague who needs a confidence boost 👉 Leave a quick review to help more women find their voiceIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat makes a reader forget the bath is running and the coffee went cold? We sit down with novelist Frank Talaber to map the exact blend of hooks, humor, and hard research that makes escape inevitable. Frank opens his playbook: how to seize attention on page one, how to layer smell, texture, sound, and light so a scene feels walked through, and why a well-timed joke inside a dark moment can keep momentum alive without breaking tension.We dig into the craft choices that build trust—verifiable details from Victoria, Stanley Park, and Haida Gwaii—so the wild stuff can land: urban legends, paranormal threads, and moral stakes that lead to catharsis. Frank writes to be felt, not just understood, and he measures success in raw reader reactions: laughs out loud, closed-eye cinema, and honest confessions of missed alarms. He believes the good must win, not to tidy life, but to give the journey meaning and the payoff weight.You’ll also hear how short stories become novels, why freewriting unlocks flow, and how walks and the edge of alpha state loosen the mind. Frank shares a new short story collection, awards, and a thriller premise with a chilling “what if” that reads like a film. We compare publishing routes, trim sizes, and cover design, and we tackle AI with a clear-eyed take: useful as a tool, risky as a voice. If you need a practical spark today, try this: write a scene you can smell, end it with a choice, and ask what has to be true for your hero to win.Subscribe for more candid craft talks, share this with a writer who needs a push, and leave a review with your favorite opening line you’ve ever read. Your notes shape future episodes and help this community grow.Join Frank's write group online:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/597136418615865Email: [email protected] Webpage: https://franktalaberpublishedauthor.wordpress.comNovels on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Frank-Talaber/author/B00UC407R0https://www.amazon.ca/Autumns-Summer-Felicity-Talisman/dp/1738658376 My Novels on Audible https://www.audible.ca/author/Frank-Talaber/B00UC407R0https://www.audible.ca/author/Felicity-Talisman/B0D322DCBRMy YouTube Channel.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx5ki4gpdokN-9KAIZzu53wIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWe explore how real healing can happen without reopening old wounds by restoring safety in the body, rewiring implicit memories, and taking back power in the present. Kristen Windsor shares her journey from decades of diagnoses to creating embodied practices that make change last.• the limits and harms of retelling trauma as a primary method• the role of implicit memories in nervous system self-regulation• what safety in the body feels like and how to build it• nature, mindfulness, and narration to reconnect mind and body• mapping layers: thoughts, emotions, somatics, nervous system• embodied healing as a lifestyle, not a quick fix• celebrating micro shifts to rewire motivation and trust• moving from wound identity to purpose and dharma• three daily anchors: love, awareness, presenceDownload KRISTIN'S free 20-minute guided mirror practice on my website. Check out the 15-minute story video, message her on Instagram, and explore one-to-one support options:  https://www.instagram.com/kristinsquantumcatalyzershttps://kristinkarina.wixsite.com/healyourselfIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if the life you want starts when you stop apologizing for wanting it? Julie sits down with author and realtor Janie Steele, married at 16, mom by 20, now a grandmother at 50, to talk about reinvention that’s brave, messy, and deeply human. Janie didn’t just write a debut novel at 50; she self-published a 399-page, dialogue-rich story she’s actively pitching for the screen. Along the way, she faced divorce, grief for a chapter that ended, and the rollercoaster of algorithms and one-star reviews, and still chose belief over noise.We dig into the guilt that shadows ambition after motherhood, how to protect your voice from comparison, and why “midlife” is closer to 35 than we like to admit. Janie shares practical insights on creative consistency, building momentum without permission, and turning manifestation into action: pitching city by city, sending physical packets, and treating every step as proof of commitment. We also explore the masks we wear, parent, partner, professional, and the relief of finally feeling like yourself again. The outcome she’s chasing isn’t just numbers; it’s impact, especially for causes she loves, and the chance to show women 50+ that record-breaking dreams don’t have an age limit.At its core, this conversation is a permission slip: you can want a bigger life and still love the one you lived. You can accept guilt without letting it steer. You can be both tender and relentless. If you’ve felt late, tired, or behind, consider this your sign to start anyway. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to tell us the first step you’ll take toward your next chapter.Janie's Book:   https://a.co/d/bUazSzYJanie's Website:  https://janiesteele.com/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if success stopped sounding like a checklist and started feeling like a life that actually fits? Julie unpacks a new, saner playbook for women who are done with proving, pleasing, and sprinting on fumes, and ready for a success that feels grounded, honest, and deeply theirs.Instead of measuring yourself against someone else’s timeline, Julie leans into seasons: building, healing, resting, and reimagining. That shift dissolves the illusion of being late and makes space for strategic patience. From there, Julie explains how your story as a career asset, your lived experience, builds trust faster than any title. She dismantles burnout as a false badge of honor and shows why sustainable success allows room to breathe, think, and live. You’ll hear how a clean “no” becomes a power move, why confidence follows action, and how clarity emerges through motion rather than overthinking.She chose depth over approval and built the support systems that growth requires: mentors, coaches, and honest communities that can hold space while we stretch. Julie talks about the grief of letting go of versions of ourselves that once kept us safe, and the freedom that follows. If you’re craving a practical, human path to meaningful work and a steady life, this is your guide to building without burning out and leading without leaving yourself. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a new definition of success, and leave a review to tell us which principle you’re claiming next.If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailThe ground can vanish in an instant. When Leah Abrams’ 46-year marriage ended without warning, she fell into a full-body grief that shattered identity, routine, and the story she thought she was living. What followed wasn’t a dramatic comeback—it was the tiniest of choices, repeated: notice the sun on a pine, call a friend, take a breath. We sit down with Leah—life coach, grief guide, circle facilitator, and founder of Rise Well—to explore how divorce grief extends far beyond a signed document. She names the hidden losses many carry in silence: a home sold, a community scattered, a career halted, the family unit reshaped. Leah explains why healing must be trauma-informed and whole-body, tending to the physical, emotional, energetic, mental, and spiritual layers that store shock and memory. Lea’s story is also about belonging in a lonely age. She builds “sudden villages” through online circles—Mindful Monday to begin with intention, Thankful Thursday to close with self-compassion and gratitude—because bread doesn’t rise without yeast and warmth, and neither do we. She shares how her book, And Then She Grew Wings, emerged only after she could reread her own poems and recognize an evolution: wings don’t mean perfection, they mean permission to lift.  Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the practice that helps you rise.My website - https://www.risewellcoaching.com/Find me on Facebook at:  FacebookFind me on LinkedIn -  LinkedInMy book - ...and then she grew wingsPublished by Palmetto PublishingFind it online at: AmazonBarnes and NobleBookshop.orgPowells BooksIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat does it take to rebuild when life burns down everything you love? Julie sits with nurse, author, and founder Elisabeth Mack to trace a path from childhood trauma and family estrangement to a joyful marriage, a thriving wine business, and then the unthinkable: a financial collapse and her husband’s suicide. The turning point arrived in a chiropractor’s office, where a cannabis topical eased post-surgery pain and sparked a relentless study of the science. Drawing on decades as an RN and healthcare executive, Elisabeth launched Holistic Caring to translate research into practical cannabis care plans for pain, sleep, cancer symptoms, and autoimmune conditions. She shares the nuts and bolts: how to choose products, layer CBD and THC, and avoid trial-and-error by using clear protocols. We also explore the real-world barriers patients face, why dispensaries can’t offer medical guidance, and how CEU programs are training nurses to close that gap.The conversation takes a tender turn with her mother’s dementia and cancer. Elizabeth offers honest, hard-won counsel on eldercare: tour communities early, choose before a crisis, and protect your options while preserving dignity.  Through every chapter, Elisabeth returns to a simple charge: keep the faith, forgive often, and turn survival into service.If this story lifted you or gave you tools you can use, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review. Your words help others find these conversations.Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse - https://holisticcaring.com/The Green Nurse Substack - https://thegreennurse.substack.com/Wine, Women & Weed Book - https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/869064-wine-women-and-weed Link to Products & Nurse Line: https://bloomhemp.com/ref/[email protected]/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA veteran RN lands in the ICU, faces eighteen prescriptions, and finds relief not from another pill, but from a plant she’d been taught to distrust. That moment, pain plummeting without feeling “high”, sent Sherry Mack deep into the endocannabinoid system and forward into a new mission: make cannabis nursing safe, clear, and stigma-free for patients who want their lives back.We walk through the body’s overlooked regulator, the endocannabinoid system, and why deficiency can amplify pain, anxiety, insomnia, and stress. Sherry explains how phytocannabinoids mimic what the body should produce, why CBD-first approaches matter, and how precise ratios plus microdosing can restore function without impairment. She breaks down modes of use beyond smoking, what “therapeutic” truly means, and how to pair cannabinoids with simple habits, breathwork, sunlight, movement, and nutrition to strengthen outcomes. We also talk candidly about polypharmacy, drug–nutrient depletion, and how careful coaching helps people responsibly taper sleeping pills, anxiolytics, and opioids while staying safe around alcohol and avoiding crossfading.Recognition of cannabis nursing by the American Nurses Association, scope and standards, and patchwork state laws all shape today’s care. Sherry shares pediatric and adult cases, the Charlotte’s Web legacy, and new data on menopause support using CBD, CBG, and THCV to improve focus, energy, and night sweats. Along the way, a family story shows how stigma can soften when results are clear and compassionate guidance leads.If you’re curious about using cannabis as medicine, want to reduce side effects, or need a smarter framework than “more THC,” this conversation offers practical steps and credible resources, including education, CE for clinicians, and a free nurse line backed by a pharmacist. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a gentler path to relief, and leave a review to tell us what you want us to dig into next.Sherri Bio - https://holisticcaring.com/team/sherri-mack/ Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse - www.holisticcaring.com Bloom Hemp CBD - www.bloomhemp.comThe Green Nurse Podcast Living Your Best Life - https://www.youtube.com/@thegreennurse Check out products and the FREE nurse line for help with questions,  link here:    https://bloomhemp.com/ref/[email protected]/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA single Facebook memory changes the course of a mother’s life: a daughter in danger, a family holding its breath, and a community stepping in at the right moment. From that moment, we open a wider lens on the drug crisis—what it looks like inside a home, inside a hospital, and inside the hearts of people who refuse to give up. Our guest, Brenda Lee Hunter, founded The Legacy Mission to turn grief into purpose by collecting stories from families and individuals living through addiction, loss, and recovery. These aren’t headlines. They are maps that lead us toward humane policies and practical help.We talk about adoption and prenatal exposure, and the hard truth that love alone sometimes isn’t enough without support and structure. We push back on stereotypes with a sobering reality: many who die have housing, jobs, and families who love them. Visibility has distorted the narrative, making the street the stage while countless private battles go unseen. Brenda Lee explains why writing heals the writer first and then educates the world. Stories keep the light on for those we’ve lost and make it harder for leaders to ignore evidence.The conversation also tackles thorny questions about involuntary care for minors, brain injury from repeated overdoses, and what a truly humane response should offer. If current approaches were working, deaths would be falling. So we look at strategies that do work: housing-first models with wraparound services, long-term care options, trauma-informed schools, and prevention for children born to exposed mothers. We reflect on programs that succeeded, until politics got in the way, and why courage in policy-making is non-negotiable when lives are at stake.If this crisis has touched you, your voice matters. The Legacy Mission invites you to share your story for an upcoming book at no cost, honoring those who are here and those we miss. Listen, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find these resources. Your story might be the lifeline someone is waiting for.WEBSITE:  https://thelegacymission.com/JOIN US ON FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/4101376083451665If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailYour body says something’s wrong. The room says you’re fine. That tension is where too many midlife women live, and it’s exactly where Sue Bartel refused to stay. After a hysterectomy sent her into a cascade of gut pain, brain fog, anxiety, and sleepless nights, she met a wall of medical dismissal, twenty doctors across two countries, and the same answer: go home. Instead, she built a map. We sit down with Sue, founder of My Unmess, to explore how she turned research, relentless self-advocacy, and community into real relief and a path others can follow.Sue explains how hormone swings disrupt the brain-gut axis, making digestion, mood, and cognition wobble at once. She also calls out the structural gaps: minimal menopause education in medical training and decades of research centered on male bodies. Rather than despair, she offers a blueprint, stack practical habits, track patterns, and use targeted support. Her supplement, Headstrong, combines adaptogens, nootropics, and a bioenhancer to support energy, calm, sleep, and focus over time. No silver bullets, just smart chemistry and consistency.Beyond biology, we dive into the human side of midlife: kids leaving, routines shifting, intimacy drifting, and identity getting blurry when symptoms are invisible. Sue’s weekly coaching circle and Facebook community create space to compare notes, rebuild confidence, and move from confusion to agency. She shares how to prepare for appointments, what questions to ask, and how to spot progress when it feels slow. The message throughout is empowering and clear: believe in yourself, find allies, and keep going. If you’ve been told to stop looking, press play and take back the narrative. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this, and leave a review to help more women find their footing.Visite Sue's website:  https://myunmess.com/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if resilience isn’t about being tough, but learning how to let feelings move through you? That question sits at the center of our conversation with Angela Lee, author, teacher, and guide for families seeking emotional clarity and confidence. Angela opens up about losing her home to wildfire twice, spending 32 years in a toxic marriage, and the courageous choices that followed. Through those experiences, she discovered that material things can be replaced, but our relationships with others and with ourselves shape everything.We dig into the real difference between emotional intelligence and emotional resilience. Angela shares her simple Feel, Name, Allow method and the science behind it: emotions follow a 90‑second biochemical wave, but our minds keep us looping in the story. We also explore cultural scripts that teach repression, “keep calm,” “be a man,” “don’t cry”, and how they disconnect kids and adults from their inner world. Angela explains why she writes fairy tales for middle-grade readers, offers parents and teachers practical tools to build emotional safety, and discusses rebuilding her identity after leaving her marriage. Her message to anyone still walking on eggshells is firm and compassionate: choose yourself, seek support, and step toward the light. The legacy she wants to leave is simple and profound: every child knowing they are magic, found in gratitude, presence, and love.If this resonates, follow the show, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find these tools. Your story matters—and the next ninety seconds can change everything.Here are a few ways to reach out to Angela:Access articles and Children's Lives Matter episodes:  https://angelalegh.com/parenting-resource-centerAccess the Bella Santini Chronicles series: https://angelalegh.com/middle-grade-book-series Website: https://bellasantini.com   Magazine:https://thelosangelestribunemagazine.com/articles/author/alegh/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if love doesn’t end when a life does? Natalie Mosley Klenotic joins us to share a story that begins with a teenage hug, spans oceans of Navy deployments, and lands on a day that shattered the life she was building. Hours after her husband’s fatal accident, the phone rang. The voice on the line was the one she knew better than her own. That moment didn’t erase grief; it gave it a shape and the courage to write it down.We trace Natalie’s journey from an emotionally barren childhood to finding a partner who saw her fully and insisted on “see you later” instead of goodbye. She walks us through the hardest scenes with clarity: the alarms on the ship, the stunned friends, the journal pages that captured every word of an impossible call. Along the way, we explore what it means to carry loss for a lifetime without letting it define every day, how to honor continuing bonds without apology, and why “stages of grief” never tell the whole story.Natalie also opens up about breaking the cycle of narcissistic parenting and choosing to build a different kind of family—one rooted in warmth, honesty, and resilience. We dig into her decision to self-publish six books, from memoir to children’s titles like Daddy’s Not Gone, each crafted to help readers talk about death, signs, pain, and hope in plain language. There’s practical insight here for anyone weighing traditional vs. indie publishing, and powerful encouragement for anyone wondering if their story matters. It does. It can even become someone else’s lifeline.If this conversation moves you, share it with a friend who needs it, leave a review to help others find the show, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. Your stories keep this community alive—what signs have you seen?Find Natalie's Books and more information here:  https://www.nataliemosleyklenoticbooks.com/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailSome stories knock the wind out of you and still leave you standing stronger. We sit down with Shannon Ferguson, co-founder and CEO of FanSaves, to trace how she built an international sports tech company while carrying complicated grief, the end of a marriage, and the quiet that follows when a big family becomes a small circle. Shannon takes us inside rooms where she was the only woman, where ideas landed only after a man repeated them, and where people asked if she was the secretary. She shares the practical and emotional steps that moved her from “cool girl who adapts” to “CEO who leads,” with an ally who redirected credit and invited respect. We break down what complicated grief really means, why the heaviest wave can hit after year one, and how the “backpack of rocks” metaphor reframes progress: the weight stays, you get stronger.We also dig into Shanifesting, Shannon’s community for skeptics of manifesting. Instead of starting with buzzwords, she begins with self-concept: if you believe you are unworthy, no technique will stick. We explore mindset loops, small daily pattern shifts, and why authentic storytelling is a growth engine for founders. If you struggle to post, pitch, or be seen, Shannon’s advice is disarming and doable: begin where you are, keep the imperfect posts, and let your authentic voice do the heavy lifting.Come for the sports tech journey; stay for the resilience, mindset tools, and honest lessons on grief, identity, and impact. If this conversation moved you or helped you reframe your next step, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more people find these stories.FanSaves: www.fansaves.comShannon on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ShannonFerguson12Website:  https://www.shannonferguson.ca/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhen grief stacks up, the mind scrambles for control, and the heart goes numb. We brought on Rhonda Dalvin Gilbert, a spiritual sherpa, author, and coach, to walk us through a month that tested everything: closing her brick-and-mortar shop, losing two family members, and saying goodbye to a beloved cat. What emerged isn’t a silver lining story, but a grounded map for moving through pain with dignity: a sacred pause, honest tools, and a clearer path back to center.Rhonda unpacks why all therapy is grief therapy, because change requires letting go of timelines, identities, and expectations. She shows how to turn ordinary moments into ritual, using the never-ending prayer of daily life to restore presence. We dig into practical practices, talk therapy that names what hurts, mirror work to meet the inner child, tarot as a prompt for hard self-conversations, and energy work to settle the nervous system. The goal isn’t to predict the future; it’s to choose it with open eyes.We go deep on forgiveness: how it differs from condoning, why it’s the most freeing decision you’ll make, and how releasing resentment returns color to your world. Rhonda shares stories that sparked her own shift, and we connect forgiveness with gratitude, intuition, and dreams. Learn how a single, specific nightly gratitude with a clear why can align your conscious and subconscious, and how tracking dreams over ten nights reveals the patterns your waking mind misses. Along the way, we talk agency, owning your past, and the courage to love when anger feels safer.If you’re carrying loss—of a person, a role, a plan, or a past self—this conversation offers tools you can use today. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a gentle guide, and leave a review to tell us: what are you ready to release next?Rhonda on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.devlingilbertGoddess Garage Tarot Parlour :  https://www.facebook.com/thegoddessgarageIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if “too sensitive” is actually highly attuned, and the fastest path to finding your voice? Julie sits down with energy healer and ceremonial photographer Olivia Greenland to trace the arc from survival mode to self-trust, revealing how small somatic shifts and smart reframes can calm the body, quiet the ego, and let intuition lead.Olivia shares early body clues —eczema, pain, and hypervigilance—that something was off, then explains how she learned to read her nervous system like a map. We dig into practical tools you can use anywhere: a 10-second bow that softens ego, a power pose that changes state, and body scans that spot where tension begins and how it spreads. Olivia’s photography becomes a living lab for transformation: “bad photos” aren’t failures, they’re messengers. By surfacing hidden energy through micro-movements and pairing it with compassionate reframes, clients watch alignment return in real time, posture tall, gaze steady, symmetry restored.We also unpack why logic versus intuition is a false choice. Olivia blends neuroscience with energy work to show how posture, breath, and language give the brain the data it needs to trust the first quiet answer. Anxiety often starts in the body, so we work from the body up to interrupt loops before they harden. When scarcity thoughts appear, she honors the protector behind them. If you’ve ever felt dulled out yet overwhelmed, this conversation offers a clear path to reclaim safety, reframe self-critique, and integrate head and heart so your higher self can step fully into the frame.If this resonates, tap follow, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show. Tell us: which simple practice will you try first?Check out Olivia's Website:  https://oliviagreenlandphotography.ca/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailYour body is always talking; most of us were never taught how to listen. With health educator and writer Claire Nielsen, we trace a candid arc from chronic inflammation and a cabinet full of meds to four months later, no flare, no prescriptions, and a blueprint built on food, thought, and grace. Claire shares how she reexamined “healthy” habits, identified inflammatory triggers, and used an anti-inflammatory eating approach to calm pain, gut issues, and fatigue. We also go straight into the heart of menopause. Claire unpacks why estrogen decline and insulin often travel together, how that drives weight redistribution and mood shifts, and what to do about it without shame or extremes. From stabilizing blood sugar and building muscle to sleeping for hormone balance, she offers practical steps that respect physiology. Her take on identity language, swapping “I am” for “I feel,” helps prevent struggle from becoming self-definition. And her frank story on pelvic floor surgery underscores why early pelvic physiotherapy can be a game-changer.Threaded through it all is Claire’s commitment to accessible education. She publishes clear, free articles that translate research into action so you can navigate midlife health, inflammation, and mental wellness with confidence. If you’ve felt invisible, inflamed, or dismissed, this conversation offers a path back to agency and ease, no hacks, no shame, just daily choices that your cells can hear.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more women find the tools and language to heal from the inside out.Reach out to Clarie:https://elixirforlife.ca/Check her many complementary Published Articles by Claire Nielsenhttps://elixirforlife.ca/published-articles-1If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailA health crisis stole sensation from Meg Lush’s right side and gave her a story that wouldn’t let go. What started as a search for identity during an MS relapse became 120,000 words in six weeks, a self-published debut, and a year-long push to 800 sales. Julie sits down with Meg to unpack the exact steps behind her indie romance rise, from finding an editor by serendipity to learning Amazon and Kindle from scratch, and the unglamorous work of talking to strangers at markets until curiosity turned into readers.We explore why she chose open-door romance, how dark themes and real grief shaped her characters, and what happens when you write from the body, not just the brain. When it came to marketing, Meg learned on her own. Suppose you’ve ever wondered how to market a first novel without a platform, her Indigo table stories. In that case, vendor market wins, and the Instagram growth playbook delivers practical, repeatable tactics that are lessons you need to learn.There’s more on craft, too: writing intimacy with respect, depicting mental health with care, and letting lived experience deepen the stakes without exploiting pain. Meg also teases her next project, The One I Hurt, a darker, psychologically rich romance with a dash of mystery. The throughline is courage, saying no to perfection, claiming time to write, and letting passion become purpose. Press play to learn how to ship before you feel ready, connect with the right readers, and build momentum one honest conversation at a time. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to help others find the show.Grab Meg's Book here:    https://a.co/d/2SRHrUs Connect with Meg on Social Media and her website:https://linktr.ee/meglushwrites?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=941e8368-772b-43f7-b449-0de9baec4e2e Follow Meg on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/meglushwrites/ If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if a child’s “cute little booth” is actually the most powerful classroom they’ll ever enter? Julie sits down with Leah Ellis, founder of the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, to unpack how real-world selling, smart storytelling, and low-risk practice can turn kids into confident builders who know how to pitch, price, pivot, and persevere.Leah shares how painful labels in her own childhood led her to therapy, reparenting, and a mission to change the words kids hear about themselves. That clarity drives a unique program where children ages six to seventeen learn entrepreneurship, leadership, and financial literacy through a blend of narrative-based lessons and hands-on fairs. The results are surprising and delightful: a teen jeweler with serious design chops, a 3D-printing creator, a pin maker who sold out at a zoo gift shop, and a 13-year-old book lover curating genre bundles with custom top-10 bookmarks. We also dig into the bigger system. Only a few U.S. states protect kid-run ventures with lemonade stand laws, and Kansas isn’t one of them, yet. Leah walks us through the bill she drafted to expand freedom and safeguard earnings so families can say yes to more than two sales events a year. Along the way, we talk about parents as partners, not sole instructors, and how this education complements school by teaching application, communication, and resilience.If you care about youth empowerment, small business skills, and practical financial literacy, this conversation will shift how you see a child’s idea. Subscribe, share with a parent or teacher, and leave a review to help more families discover hands-on entrepreneurship that starts today.Check out https://societyofchildentrepreneurs.org/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailForget perfect posts. The fastest way to grow a devoted audience is to be someone people actually like, warm, human, generous, and consistent. We dig into the small, repeatable moves that turn a quiet feed into a lively community: micro-stories that carry emotion, comments that feel like real conversations, and visuals that look like life rather than ads. If your content has felt polished but distant, this is the reset.We share a practical language shift: speak to one person using “you,” understand her hopes and fears, and write as if you’re talking to her. When someone thinks “they get me,” likability soars and trust follows. If you’re ready to trade gloss for resonance, press play and bring your audience closer, one honest post at a time.If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who creates online, and leave a quick review so more people can find these conversations.If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website

Send us Fan MailWhat if confidence isn’t a starting point but a result? Julie sits down with CEO Bente Roycroft to unpack how saying yes before you feel ready can change your career, your company, and your capacity. Starting with an English degree and a $20-per-report job, Bente learned HR, finance, and operations on the fly, helping grow a tiny environmental firm to nearly 100 people before stepping into the world of managed IT services.We get into the real stuff leaders face: imposter syndrome that lingers, “valleys of death” on the growth curve, and the difference EOS can make when the visionary and integrator roles are clear. Bente shares how she transitioned from client to co-owner at Accurate, scaled the team to 60 people across Edmonton and Calgary, and maintained a strong culture by hiring, selling, and even firing in alignment with core values. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay authentic while making hard calls, you’ll take notes.Then we shift to practical wins. We define technology debt and why “it still works” is a trap for small and midsize businesses. You’ll hear a simple security stack, MFA, strong passwords, tested backups, timely updates, and cyber insurance that reduces risk without bloat. For founders navigating change, Benta maps a playbook for clarity: explicit accountabilities, tight communication, and an accountability chart that prevents dropped balls. She also reveals a favourite modern tool, using AI as a thinking partner, to pressure test plans and surface blind spots before you roll them out.If you lead a growing team, run a services firm, or just want a braver relationship with the unknown, this conversation will meet you where you are. Subscribe, share with a founder who needs a boost, and leave a review with one action you’re taking this week.https://www.accuratenetworks.ca/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentehallin/If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website