So many childless and childfree women hate this question.  A simple "no" answer often leads to awkward silences or the other party trying to back track or fill the space.  But what if you could answer this question with ease and grace and both you and the person asking the question could walk away from the conversation feeling good?

That's what today's episode is all about.  It's not about coming up with snide or sarcastic comments that will "put the person in their place".  It's about responding with a new perspective and with love and kindness. 

In this solo episode, I'll show you how to:

• get into an empowering mindset 
• shift your perspective on what causes people to ask this question
• be prepared with easy answers 

If you want to find out how to answer ALL the insensitive questions and remarks about women without kids, send me a DM at @sherijohnsoncoaching with the words "episode 120" and I'll give you the next steps!

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

If you are anything like me, you're probably tired of hearing about JD Vance and the comments he made publicly about childless women being miserable cat ladies and having no stake in America's future.  

I'm not even American, and yet angry reactions to this have been filling my feed these days.

The thing is, the majority of them have been simply reactions to his comments.  And my question became, "what good is this doing?"

So I'm taking a different approach on the pod this week and actually showing you how to dissipate any reaction you may have had to JD Vance's comments.

Now let's get clear on one thing. I am not on his side.  I'm not condoning what he said. I just want to shift your own perspective so that you can move on and let it go.

So this is what I'm going to share with you on this episode:

• what these kinds of comments show you about yourself
• how JD Vance's comments show you about him and his beliefs
• how lashing out against him is not actually going to change the way people think about childless women

If you're ready to take take a more empowering stance when it comes to insensitive comments and questions and find out how to let these triggers roll off your back, send me a DM on Instagram to @sherijohnsoncoaching with the word “powerful”.  I’ll give you the steps on how to do it.

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

If you want to be able to answer questions like “do you have kids” with authenticity instead of awkwardness, you must shift your mindset.  It's not enough to just rehearse how you'll respond.  And if you're anything like I used to be, what you're rehearsing might feel more defensive and hurt than empowering. 

When I first realized that I wasn't going to have kids, I just wanted everyone to just stop asking me about kids, stop giving me advice and stop saying things I didn’t want to hear. But once I realized that it was my own mindset that needed a shift, I felt a huge sense of empowerment.  

In this solo episode, I'll share 7 signs that you might be stuck in a mindset that is blocking you from moving forward.  

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

"Time heals all wounds" is the biggest lie we've been told about grief.  I used to believe this lie, myself.  After any sort of big emotion, I thought time would eventually clear it away.  

This is a super-short solo episode where I break down why this common, widely-held belief is actually a myth, and what you can do about it.  

This is the second episode in my summer series on how to answer all the insensitive questions and remarks we get as childless women.  Tune in each week all summer long if you want to have more authentic, less-awkward conversations. 

If you are someone who wants to stop waiting around for time to heal your wounds and take action instead, so you can answer all the questions with grace, send me a DM on Instagram with the word, "grace". 

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Do you have kids?  Who's going to take care of you when you're old?  What's your purpose then?  You can borrow my kids anytime!

You've probably heard them all, or at least some of the questions and comments that bother us women without kids.  Maybe you've thought to yourself, or maybe even out loud, "I wish people would just stop asking questions or saying insensitive things".   And if you have, you might have noticed that there's always someone else who says something that gets under your skin and sometimes it comes right out of left field.

I'll let you in on a secret: it will never end.  There will always be another mole in this endless game of wac-a-mole.  Unless you heal the wound that is continuously being triggered by these questions and comments. 

If you want to find out how to respond with authenticity and grace, have a listen to this episode, the first in a series during which I'll share my secrets.

 And if you really want to go all in, summer is the perfect time to join the Women of Worthy Program!  Your summer is going to get a whole lot better in the few weeks that are left, and you’ll be in a much better position to handle all the social media stuff around back to school and Halloween.  Send me a DM on Instagram with the word SUMMER and I’ll share the details.

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Childless?  Childfree?  Woman Without Kids? Take your pick! 

I've been really curious about how women who don't have kids and wanted them identify themselves.  Some appear to be really attached to the Childless Not By Choice term, and yet my own experience and in the multiple discussions we've had in my group program, childless seems to make us FEEL less.

In this solo episode, I unpack all the different terms, the fact that it's not as black and white as childfree versus childless, and how to detach yourself from the terminology altogether.

If you are someone who wants to have this kind of discussion openly and lovingly with other "childless" women, summer is the perfect time to join the Women of Worth program.  Imagine how much better your summer could look with the right support through grief and to manifest your best life?  Send me an email or a DM with the word "podcast 115" and I'll share the details with you.

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Feeling lonely is one of the most common complaints I hear from childless women so if you're feeling lonely, you are definitely not the only one!

I felt lonely too when I first started down the path to permanently childless, especially once my husband seemed to have moved forward without me and didn't seem to understand what I was going through. 

So I thought it was high time to talk more openly about loneliness and how to dissipate it.  Tune into this solo episode to find out: 

• why retreating and avoiding the situations that make you feel like an outsider is actually making you feel worse
• how shame makes its way into your psyche when you feel lonely
• the one thing that is actually going to shift things for you that you've never thought of doing

If you are done with feeling lonely and ready to have an amazing summer, even without kids, I'm opening up the Women of Worth program to a small group of women.  It's only open to women who are ready to take action.

Send me an email to [email protected] with the word "summer" if you wanna find out more.

 Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

There was a time when I didn't quite feel like I had found a place within the childless community and the reason was that I had not done IVF.  It seemed as though so many of the women there had tried IVF and they had this common language and terms that I wasn't familiar with.  

Then I realized that there are SO many different paths that all converge on leading a life without children and yet perhaps there were other women out there who felt like I did.  So on today's episode, I'm pulling back the curtains on why I chose not to pursue IVF and how I grappled with that choice.  

You'll find out: 

• all the reasons I decided not to do IVF
• the fears that kept me on the fence
• the judgment that came afterwards

If you're struggling with the decision between whether to quit trying to become a mom (in some way, shape or form) and embracing your life without kids, send me a DM on Instagram with the word DECISION.  I'll show you how you can get off the fence.

References from this episode:
Ep. 100: From the Partner's Perspective, with Mike Johnson (my hubby)

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Harrison Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College ruffled a LOT of feathers, especially within the childfree community.  There were a lot of insults thrown at him, arguments started on social media comment sections, even calls to cancel his NFL contract.  Were they justified?  In my opinion, it doesn't really matter. 

What matters is this: how do YOU feel when you hear words like Harrison's and if it's outrage, do you know how to dissipate that?  You might think you don't want to dissipate that anger, because, well, it's justified right?  But what good is it, if everyone just walks away from the comment section feeling angry and nothing has changed?

In this solo episode, I'm breaking it all down:

• why you feel so outraged when you hear words like this and why they make you feel so slighted
• the mistakes that you might be making that are causing you to feel worse
• the first few steps you can take to feel relief
• how to actually close the gap between childless/childfree people and parents

If you want to find your own true purpose and worthy "vocation" as Harrison calls it, download my free PDF,  Finding Purpose Beyond Parenthood: Getting Through Grief and Triggers to a Life of Meaning and Joy!

References from this episode:
Harrison Butker's Commencement Speech

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Download your free guide to Finding Purpose Beyond Parenthood: Getting Through Grief and Triggers to a Life of Meaning and Joy!

Last week I talked about how purpose is not something you "find".  It's also not a singular mission.  It's not a destination.  And it doesn't have to be big.  

Once you begin to practice all the things that I outlined that will bring you a sense of meaning and purpose, you may find that you are still struggling.  It might mean that there is something standing in the way. 

Identifying your personal obstacles is the first step.  In this episode I share:

• 4 possible obstacles that may be standing in the way of your purpose
• 3 counterintuitive ways to remove them
• what do do next to solidify your purpose

If you are an action taker and want to discover more about how to live your purpose-filled life, download my free PDF guide,  Finding Purpose Beyond Parenthood: Getting Through Grief and Triggers to a Life of Meaning and Joy!

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca