Today I have a special guest who agreed to come on the podcast to share the incredible journey she’s had since she signed up for a free training workshop I did earlier this year. Meet Laura Volz, who after that workshop made, what she calls, the very “scary” decision to join the Second Half SPARK School and go deep in the self-exploration, subconscious brain rewiring, and vision-setting work we do there.

That decision has changed the trajectory of her life in ways she could not have even imagined back at the beginning of 2023. In fact, she wrote me an email in just 3 months after she joined and here’s an excerpt: 

“When I watched your free workshops on Facebook, I was at the end of my rope.  I felt like you were talking directly to me. I knew there had to be more for me. But What?? How do I find it??  How do I know??  

I decided to sign up for your Sparked Second Half School. I don't usually do this kind of thing. I didn't know what to expect and It was very scary.  I decided tha...

Today’s guest, Penny Richardson, one of my Second Half SPARK School students, is a great example of how you can drastically change your life no matter how old you are. She shares her transformative journey towards self-discovery and growth and opens up about the pivotal realization that she was hindering her own progress and blaming external factors for her lack of action.

She also reflected on her tendencies to seek validation from others and discussed the moment she recognized the importance of prioritizing her relationship with herself and her faith.

In this episode, Penny shares:

• The pivotal moment where she realized she was holding herself back and blaming external factors for her inaction.
• How she discovered the ability to change her negative mindset into a positive, empowering one, and the impact that had on her actions and lifestyle.
• Her breakthroughs from what she learned in the Second Half SPARK School
• How the changes within her influenced her relationships, especi...

Are you feeling stuck in mud? Like you can't budge in the direction of positive change, even though you're not happy with where you are in life?

Well if that's you, you are likely what I call a "Scared Settler," someone who chooses to settle for the life she isn't happy in because she is more scared of change, of the unknown that she is fearing will be worse - not better.

Because the truth is, she sees other people who have it much worse so she continues to talk herself into staying in the mediocre life she's living, with zero passion or purpose about what she does every day.

She is far from excited about what's on her To Do list, which zaps all of her energy, so she escapes into non-productive, time-wasting activities, like scrolling social media. She ignores these feelings and instead continues going about her days doing the same things she did yesterday that will never get her out of the rut she's in.

And if she's over 50, she is probably blaming menopause for that lack of en...

Today’s guest, Mary Carroll Moore is a multi-talented, Amazon-bestselling author. Mary's journey is nothing short of remarkable as she has worn many hats throughout her life, from being a chef and cooking-school owner to a celebrated cookbook author and syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times. 

Following a breast cancer diagnosis at age 50, Mary made a transformative decision to pursue her lifelong dream of writing fiction. She went back to school and got her Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing  from Goddard College and published her first novel at age 55. And her book was nominated for a PEN/Faulkner award!

In this episode, Mary shares:

• the inspiration behind her latest book
• her transition from a successful and lucrative food journalism career to writing fiction
• how her cancer diagnosis gave her the courage to follow a long-desired dream 

To hear how Mary is embracing this second half of life is awe-inspiring, as she talks about her latest pursuit of yet anot...

Unfortunately, most of us fall into the latter two categories of Dream Delayers or Non-Dreamers. But we all began life as Dream Doers and we can get back into dreaming very easily.

But in order to do that, you must understand the importance of having dreams. You need to know that it's ok to want more. As long as it is what YOU desire and excites you.

Don't make the mistake of going after someone else's dreams for you which is a mistake many of us make. We get into the wrong jobs because our parents dreamed of jobs that would make them proud. And we want that for them so and we think that will make us happy but we get there and BOOM! We realize we don't have any passion for that work.

That is just one simple example of why you need to dream. Dream about work that will drive you with deep passion and purpose. And imagine what that would look like...

To do that, carve out time to think about what you love to do in your spare time. Maybe there's something there that could be turned ...

Today’s guest, Katie Carroll, a compassionate soul whose life has been dedicated to nurturing and helping others shares her story of overcoming burnout and depression. As the eldest of three siblings and the only girl, Katie's love for children and innate desire to assist people guided her towards a fulfilling career in pediatric nursing.

With over 21 years of experience in the field, Katie has become a fierce advocate for her little patients. However, her purpose-fueled journey deepened as Katie decided to help burned-out nurses so she became a certified health coach and personal trainer, and she now empowers individuals in high-stress careers to embrace self-care and overcome burnout.

In this episode, Katie shares:

• Her story of burnout and dealing with depression
• Her thoughts about her failed dream of having a husband and four kids by her mid 30s. 
• What it was that made her friend tell her she was “glowing.” 
• The scariest thing she ever did that turned into a pivotal point...

Today's episode was inspired by a fantastic conversation with a recent guest about why we might not be getting what we want. You know, that dream, that burning desire, that hasn't quite materialized yet?

Well, there are reasons for that, and I'm here to break them down for you. 

Remember that big goal you've had on your wishlist forever? Whether it's a soulmate, a dream job, or a significant life goal—these tips apply.

In this episode, I explain:

• Why clarity about what you desire is so important.
• Why many of us are too future-focused.
• What happens when we become too "needy" about what we want.

What I've come to understand is that the universe has a magical way of delivering when you've made these shifts. So know what you want, don't hesitate to dream big, and start the work to align yourself with what feels good to you today. You might just be surprised by what shows up on your doorstep sooner than you think. 

If you enjoyed today’s topic, don't forget to hit that review...

Today’s guest, Maria Leonard Olsen, shares her captivating life story. A woman of immense talent and ambition, Maria is a lawyer, journalist, author, and devoted mother to two wonderful children. She is also a podcaster and mentor to women in recovery.

Maria's dedication to philanthropy is evident through her involvement in various boards, including those of Children's National Medical Center BOV, the Catholic Coalition for Special Education, GirlsUp, and the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Washington. However, one of her most notable things we talked about in this episode is her journey as a recovering alcoholic.

In this episode, Maria shares:

• Overcoming alcoholism and her gradual emergence from depression
• Her life-affirming journey that led to her helping other women in recovery
• Valuable life lessons she learned about courage, trusting yourself and being intentional
• Finding her true self and how that opened up a more passion-filled and purposeful life.

Maria's commit...

In today's episode I start with a simple question: Who are you really?

It might appear simple on the surface but it's meant to get you thinking about how you are showing up in the world. Are you hiding the real you, playing the roles taking the actions of the person you think you should be - to fit in, to get along, or to be accepted and valued?

If you're not sure, I share in this episode how you can tell so listen in and see what resonates most. I talk about the two versions of the "current you": the one in self denial and the one that is self actualized.

I also talk about the "future you" and how important it is to know that no matter what version of the "current you" is showing up today, you have a choice in who you show up as tomorrow. You can rediscover the real you by breaking the habits that have become so ingrained in you from doing them for so long that you are operating subconsciously.

That means most of us aren't even aware we are walking around as fake versions of ou...

Today’s guest, Laura Strachan, is someone I met 3 years ago when she joined a free training I did on Facebook, because she was so depressed she couldn’t get out of bed. Fortunately she took action that day and signed up for my training which changed her life.

I asked Laura to join me on my podcast today because we recently met in-person at my retreat and I was reminded of how she not only learned new mindset habits that gave her guidance and direction of purpose but how she continues to grow and explore new opportunities that unfold and challenge her. She is a master at continually to expand outside of her comfort zone.

I asked Laura to share her most recent breakthroughs, new lessons learned from the retreat experience and her tips on how she continues to shine her positive light on the world and gets divine guidance on the purpose-driven second half she’s created.

We dive into the importance of embracing change and not settling for complacency in life. Laura also recounts her o...