A Season of Me: Living Life on Your Terms

I didn’t want to record this episode. But if I’m going to stand behind Believe Women, I can’t stay silent when the conversation gets uncomfortable.

In this episode, I’m discussing the Cornell allegations, rape culture, the history of silencing women, and the responsibility we all share in creating change. Through personal stories and my evolving feminist Christianity, I’m exploring what it means to move beyond fear and toward accountability.

I’m also celebrating the women who refuse to be silenced and inviting you to join me in taking one small action every week through Thursdays in Black.

Because believing women isn’t just something we say. It’s something we practice.

Learn more about Thurdays in Black: https://www.oikoumene.org/what-we-do/thursdays-in-black

For anyone needing support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) website: https://rainn.org

I missed a week of the podcast. I came home from vacation feeling overwhelmed, fall feels a little gloomy, plans changed yet again, and there’s a whole lot of uncertainty in the air.

Then I saw a coffee mug that said, “Stop expecting things of me.” And honestly? I felt that.

In this episode, I’m talking about what it means to live seasonally when you don’t particularly like the season you’re in. Maybe choosing yourself right now isn’t about staying positive or getting back on track. Maybe it’s about letting the version of you who is actually here be enough.

There’s something about September that feels like a fresh start. But what if, instead of using that back-to-school energy to do more, we used it to ask what this season is actually inviting us into?

In this episode, I’m exploring our natural need for rhythms and seasons, what hustle culture has taken from us, and why fall might be the perfect time to release what no longer fits and choose yourself—for a season.

You don’t have to choose yourself forever. Start with a season.

A Season of Me Fall Collective

I’ve recently become certified in Ignite Her Frequencies, a feminine-centered approach to Human Design, and it feels like a piece of my work has clicked into place.

In this episode, I’m sharing why this framework resonates so deeply with my fascination with energy, intuition, feminist Christianity, and inner authority—and why I don’t see Human Design as another label or rulebook.

Because maybe you don’t need another system telling you who you should be. Maybe you need more ways to understand and trust who you already are.

As we remember Dolly Parton, I keep thinking about why her life resonates with so many of us. She found her voice and used it. She succeeded in male-dominated spaces without surrendering her femininity. She supported the generations coming behind her, made unapologetic choices about her own body and appearance, and lived her faith in a way that felt authentically hers.

In this episode, I explore what Dolly’s life might teach us about the cultural shift I believe we’re experiencing—from external authority, hierarchy, and obligation toward intuition, authenticity, collaboration, and inner authority.

Maybe Dolly knew something we’re all beginning to remember: you don’t need the world’s permission to become fully yourself.

We arrived in the Canadian Rockies with an incredible vacation planned—only to discover that wildfire smoke and poor air quality meant some of those plans needed to change.

In this episode, I reflect on what happened when our family chose to center the most vulnerable among us, and what that experience taught me about patriarchy, matriarchy, interdependence, and expectations. It’s also a conversation about seasons: knowing when to adapt, allowing ourselves to give and receive, and discovering that different doesn’t have to mean disappointing.

Because a beautiful life isn’t one where everything goes according to plan. It’s one where we keep making room for one another when it doesn’t.

How many times have you told yourself, “After this busy season...”?

As I prepare to leave on vacation, I found myself falling into a familiar pattern—waiting for life to calm down before giving myself permission to rest, celebrate, and simply receive. But what if that perfect time never comes?

In this episode, I explore why receiving can feel so much harder than giving, especially for women who have spent a lifetime caring for everyone else. Together, we’ll unpack the myth of “someday,” the courage it takes to receive joy without earning it, and why choosing yourself isn’t about always saying no—it’s about trusting yourself to say yes to what your soul needs in this season.

Because maybe your life doesn’t need to become less busy before you start fully living it.

Years after the pandemic, we’re still wrestling with more than the events themselves—we’re wrestling with what they revealed about us.

In this episode, Coach Heidi reflects on how our desire for certainty can keep us from learning, why science depends on the courage to revise our thinking, and what the COVID years taught us about community, compassion, and caring for one another. From stories of neighbors making masks to conversations about leadership, collaboration, and the end of guru culture, this episode invites us to embrace curiosity over certainty.

Because perhaps the strongest leaders aren’t the ones who never change their minds—they’re the ones humble enough to keep learning.

As I looked around the room at my 80s prom-themed party, I realized I wasn’t just surrounded by guests—I was surrounded by every season of my life. My parents, still married after more than 60 years. My husband, with whom I’ve shared 36 years of marriage. My daughters, wearing dresses that carried stories across generations. Friends from college, motherhood, ministry, and my newest adventures at the gym. And my grandson, reminding me that the greatest gift we can give each other is our presence.

In this episode, I reflect on legacy, gratitude, and the beautiful truth that our lives are woven together by the people who love us, shape us, and walk beside us through every season.

As I begin this new decade, my heart is simply full.

I thought my birthday week would be all about me. Then life happened. People I love needed me, plans changed, and I found myself facing a familiar question: What does it really mean to choose yourself?

In this episode, I explore the difference between people-pleasing and true agency. Sometimes choosing yourself means saying no. Sometimes it means joyfully saying yes. The freedom isn’t found in the answer—it’s found in knowing the choice is yours and releasing the guilt that so often follows.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re setting healthy boundaries or simply reacting out of obligation, this conversation is for you.