Bold Moves: How Did You Know | Midlife Career Change, Life Transitions & Design for Women

In this special 'Where Are They Now' edition of the Bold Moves: How Did You Know podcast, I reconnect with Ang Barnard, who was originally featured in episode four.

Ang shares her journey over the past two years, including becoming a new mother, giving birth at home, extensive traveling, and her continued passion for speaking engagements on energy-shifting communication strategies.

She also talks about delivering a TEDx talk while pregnant and her plans for launching a children's book and creating impactful courses. This episode delves into Ang's mindset shifts, her bold moves, and how she stays intentional with her goals despite societal expectations.

Get a peek inside the episode:

Revisit Ang Barnard's Journey

Impactful Lessons from the Past

Life Updates: New Beginnings and Travels

Ang’s TEDx Dream Realized

Ang’s Future Bold Moves and Reflections

Listen to Ang’s original episode, “The Skills and Strategies Bold People Practice That You Don’t, Yet”

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Take the listener survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgwwN2dxCqdnGSgIhpiZagKGXdBVEWi4vaoYRXrx_O6e83LQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Connect with guest Ang Barnard

Listen to Ang's Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKHeXR83-_o

The International Mind Podcast

Instagram: @intentionalmindpodcast

What makes a life worth living?

In this thought-provoking episode, I interviewed Mary McGreevy, creator of the TikTok account, 'Tips from Dead People,' to explore this very question through the lens of bold moves. Mary, a video producer and public speaker with a deep interest in obituaries, has garnered over 177,000 followers by sharing the life lessons she’s derived from reading thousands of obituaries.

Our discussion dives into her findings about what makes a life worth living and if there’s any connection to making bold moves, how she has redefined success and failure as a result of the stories she’s learned, and her message for everyone, particularly women, on creating a successful life.

Tune in to discover:

• Tips from dead people about being bold
• How Mary’s interest in obituaries turned into a creative project on TikTok that has amassed over 175,000 followers
• Hear Mary read the obituary of Dot, a particularly bold person, who experiences no less than 6 different life transitions and bold moves over her lifetime!
• And much more

01:01 Meet Mary McGreevy: Creator of ‘Tips from Dead People’

03:55 The Rise of ‘Tips from Dead People’ on TikTok

05:47 The Appeal of ‘Tips From Dead People’

9:34 Redefining Success and Failure

11:45 Mary’s Personal Bold Moves Journey

17:05 Discovering What Lights You Up

27:41 Facing Fears and Trying New Things

29:48 Lessons from Reading Obituaries

38:14 A Bold Life: Dorothy's Story

48:23 What Mary Knows Today About Being Bold

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Take the listener survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgwwN2dxCqdnGSgIhpiZagKGXdBVEWi4vaoYRXrx_O6e83LQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Connect with guest Mary McGreevy

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tipsfromdeadpeople

Website: https://tfdp.notion.site/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsfromdeadpeople/

If you’re struggling to make a bold move, chances are it’s not just external barriers holding you back—it’s your identity: what you say to yourself and how you view yourself.

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Schneider, a professionally certified leadership strategist and executive coach, to uncover the real work behind making bold moves: redefining your identity and embracing self-leadership.

Sarah shares her deeply personal journey of disrupting her own identity to create a life and career aligned with her purpose. Sarah knows firsthand how breaking free from societal roles—like “caretaker,” “high performer,” or “people pleaser”—can unlock the next chapter of your life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why every bold move shakes your identity and how to embrace that shift as part of your growth.
• How to silence external noise and tune into your authentic desires while allowing trusted voices to help you see your greatness.
• The real meaning of self-leadership and how to take ownership of your goals, actions, and mindset—without going it alone.
• Why community is a cornerstone for bold moves and how the right support system can keep you on track.

If you’re ready to challenge the beliefs keeping you stuck and step boldly into the life you desire, this episode is for you.

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Take the listener survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgwwN2dxCqdnGSgIhpiZagKGXdBVEWi4vaoYRXrx_O6e83LQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Connect with guest Sarah Schneider

Website:  sarahschneiderco.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahschneidercoach/

https://www.instagram.com/sarahschneiderco/

Resource: https://www.sarahschneiderco.com/decisions

In this special 'Where Are They Now' edition of the Bold Moves: How Did You Know podcast, I reunite with Emmagness Ruzvidzo, managing director of VAKA Consulting.

Em shares the progress of her Bold Moves journey over the past 19 months since her last appearance on this podcast. From redefining her business strategy to fitting in large-scale brand projects and advocating for inclusive marketing, Em brings us profound insights from her look back on the past year of building a business.

This check-in episode delves into unexpected challenges and successes she faced, the lessons she learned, and her contributions to personal branding and inclusive leadership.

Don't forget to check out her original episode (#3) called "Bravely Confronting A Career Setback With Emmagness Ruzvidzo of VAKA Brand & Marketing Consulting"

00:00 Welcome to the ‘Where Are They Now’ Edition of the Bold Moves: How Did You Know podcast

00:22 Re-introducing Emmagness Ruzvidzo

01:12 Catching Up After 19 Months

03:04 Defining Business Focus

05:28 Lessons Learned in Business

08:53 Navigating Unsolicited Advice

11:44 Em's Speaking Journey

14:13 Final Thoughts on Being Bold

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Join Bold Moves Podcast Club: https://www.kristenrocco.com/bold-moves-podcast-club

Website: kristenrocco.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with Emmagness Ruzvidzo

LinkedIn: /emmagness

Website: https://vaka.com.au/

Have you ever faced an unexpected layoff, experienced low job satisfaction, or dealt with a career setback and wondered how to rebuild your career and find your purpose? My guest today proves that career reinvention after a layoff isn’t only possible—it can propel you toward a more fulfilling and purpose-driven future.

Scott Merritt is a strategic PR and media expert with over 25 years of experience. After being left out of a succession plan at his previous company, he faced an unexpected choice: stay stuck in a career rut or build something new. He chose the latter and founded Strategic Global Media.

Along the way, he’s interviewed over 160 people who have successfully navigated career reinvention on his Webby-nominated Second Act Stories podcast. Through these conversations, he’s learned what it truly takes to recover, pivot, and thrive after a career setback.

In this episode, Scott and I explore how bold moves are intrinsically linked to second-act careers and how they can lead to greater job satisfaction and a renewed sense of purpose.

If you’re feeling stuck, questioning your job satisfaction, wondering what’s next, or doubting whether you can find your purpose, this episode is for you. It’s never too late to rebuild toward a more fulfilling future.

Get a peek inside the episode:

• Meet Scott Merritt
• Scott's Bold Move: Starting His Own Firm
• The Reluctant Entrepreneur
• Facing Job Loss and Finding New Opportunities
• Joining Second Act Stories Podcast
• Remarkable Second Act Stories
• Exploring Bold Moves in Second Act Careers
• Unexpected Benefits of Unplanned Leaps
• Starting a Second Act: From Idea to Execution
• Accidental Success Stories
• Misconceptions About Second Act Careers

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

JSubstack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Take the listener survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgwwN2dxCqdnGSgIhpiZagKGXdBVEWi4vaoYRXrx_O6e83LQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Connect with guest Scott Merritt

Website:  strategicglobalmedia.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmerrittpr

Podcast: https://www.secondactstories.org

We see the accolades when someone “makes” it as an author. They come in the form of bestselling lists, press features, book club picks by well-known celebrities and experts, book deals from multiple publishers, and plots of movies.

But I wanted to cover the less examined stories of how authors do it. How do they write a 200+ page novel? What do they do when their book gets rejected? How do they take feedback? How do they advance the plot? What's the publishing progress?

It’s an intriguing industry, but what’s more intriguing are all the bold moves writers make to become authors.

There’s no one more exciting to talk with about this topic than New York Times bestselling author, Andrea Bartz, who wrote four highly acclaimed books with one on the way – and who has received all the aforementioned accolades and then some.

If you have a dream of writing – whether that’s to become an author or as a creative practice, you can’t miss this episode!

Andrea gives us a view of her world, where she is consistently making bold moves to create a life as an author beyond her wildest imagination:

[0:57] Meet Andrea Bartz

[02:40] Andrea's Writing Journey

[09:25] Facing Rejection

[12:20] The Power of Feedback

[18:35] Andrea's Writing Habits and Tips

[25:45] Unexpected News: Reese's Book Club Pick

[29:40] Netflix Adaptation and Staying Grounded

[32:31] Andrea’s Boldest Move: Writing 'The Spare Room'

[40:35] Navigating the Publishing World

[46:15] Advice for Aspiring Authors

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Andrea Bartz

Website: https://www.andreabartz.com/

IG: @Andibartz

Substack: https://andibartz.substack.com/

Threads: Andibartz

Read her books: The Lost Night, The Spare Room, We Were Never Here, The Last Ferry Out (May 2025)

How do you turn your vision for your Bold Move into an executable plan?

In the final episode of the three-part season 2 finale, listen in as I revisit the stories of 8 bold movers from this season who share how they did it – how they took action to make their Bold Move become their new reality!

They stopped thinking and planning and started DOING – and continued progressing one micro-action at a time even when it got hard, even when they confronted roadblocks, and yes, even when they wanted to give up.

Then, they share why making their Bold Moves matter. What do they know on the other side of pursuing their Bold Moves that can encourage you to continue navigating yours?

Push play now and join the conversation!

Episode Resources

Part 1 of this finale series: “If You Have a Recurring Desire, You Are Capable Of It”

Part 2 of this finale series: “‘Who’ Not ‘How’: The Missing Link to Achieving Your Bold Move

Guest interviews mentioned in this episode:

• Courtney Benjamin of the episode, “The Listing Life: Getting Uncomfortable to Grow Yourself and Your Career”
• Katherine Knight of the episode, “How to Become Promotable”
• Polina Ruvinsky of the episode, “Finding a Supportive Tribe for Your Bold Move”
• Morli Desai of the episode, “Do You Regret Making Your Bold Moves?”
• Diana Murphy of the episode, “Do It Your Way”
• Julie Stoltman of the episode, “Rock Your Career Pivot”
• Nancy Davis of the episode, “How Bold People Get Unstuck”
• Matt Cross of the episode, “Building a Chocolate Factory”
• Julie Randall of the episode, “How ‘I’ll Fix It’ Turned Into Beating Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer”
• Allison Hare of the episode, “Late Learning to Make Bold Moves”

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

We're exploring the significance of finding the right people (the 'Who') to propel bold moves in today's second part of the season two finale,

This episode revisits guest stories to underscore how connecting with the right people is the key to achieving your ambitious goals.

I share insights from “Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan and real-life examples from previous guests who highlight that progress on your Bold Move is best achieved by building and relying on supportive networks – your “Who’s!”

Episode Resources:

Listen to part 1 of this finale series called “If You Have a Recurring Desire, You Are Capable Of It”

Check out the other guest episodes we discussed:

• Julie Stoltman of the episode, “Rock Your Career Pivot”
• Katherine Knight of the episode, “How to Become Promotable”
• Amy Nelson of the episode, “The Power of Telling Your Story”
• Courtney Benjamin of the episode, “The Listing Life: Getting Uncomfortable to Grow Yourself and Your Career”
• Kate Grantham of the episode, “An Introvert’s Guide to Pursuing Bold Moves – from an “Occupational Extrovert”
• Nancy Davis of the episode, “How Bold People Get Unstuck”
• Matt Cross of the episode, “Building a Chocolate Factory”

If you’re interested in the book I mentioned in this episode. It’s called Who Not How by Dan Sullivan.

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

In the season 2 finale of the 'Bold Moves: How Did You Know' podcast, I revisit insightful Bold Move stories my guests shared throughout the season.

One of my strengths is seeing the patterns in these stories about how people approach their bold moves. That's how I came to distill the Bold Moves Recipe, which I presented in the very last episode last year.

For this year's season finale, I wanted to show you rather than tell you how I distilled it. So I went through the 17 interviews I conducted this year and pulled out my guests' experiences and insights that speak to each one of these three ingredients.

In part 1 of the three-part series, we're examining ingredient number one of the Bold Moves Recipe: You or Your Desire through my guests' Bold Moves stories. Learn how their authentic desires guided their decision-making to make their next Bold Move!

[00:35] Reflecting on Season Two Highlights

[02:13] The Bold Moves Recipe

[03:19] Ingredient One: Identifying Your Desires

[04:35] Guest Insights on Discovering Desires

[25:57] Final Thoughts and A Preview of Season Finale Part 2

This episode features:

• Mikkel Leslie of the episode, “Ditch Your Unhealthy Expectations and Rewire Your Brain for Your Bold Move”
• Julie Stoltman of the episode, “Rock Your Career Pivot”
• Imran Syed of the episode, “The Future of Work: How to Hire and Get Hired”
• Morli Desai of the episode, “Do You Regret Making Your Bold Moves?”
• Allison Hare of the episode, “Late Learning to Make Bold Moves”
• Nancy Davis of the episode, “How Bold People Get Unstuck”
• Matt Cross of the episode, “Building a Chocolate Factory”
• Courtney Benjamin of the episode, “The Listing Life: Getting Uncomfortable to Grow Yourself and Your Career”
• Carli Sidoti of the episode, “From Corporate to Consulting”
• Kristen Rocco and Kate Weschler of the episode, “How Creativity Restores Balance in Our Lives”
• Julie Randall of the episode, “How ‘I’ll Fix It’ Turned into Beating Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer”

Thank you to the season 2 guests who shared their stories openly and authentically to empower us all on our Bold Move journeys!

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

When I feel off balance in life, it’s usually because I’m not being creative. I’ve stumbled into this lesson many times. Then, I start a new creative project, and pretty soon, I feel more energized!

I’ve been thinking more about how creativity gets me back to my flow zone and how it has unlocked more fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness in my life.

My creative self is the part of me that discovers my bold moves!

I invited my friend Kate Weschler, host of Root to Bloom podcast, who is also leaning into her creativity more and more to join me for a conversation about:

• What creativity means to us
• How we express our creativity
• What we get out of expressing our creativity
• Does American society value achievement over creativity?
• How being entrepreneurial ties into creativity

I know for sure that if you’re overwhelmed and burnt out, creativity can help you restore the balanced you.

Join us for a meaningful discussion that we hope ignites the creativity within you!

Then, we’re having a vibrant convo with you and other listeners over on Instagram about how we express our creativity. Come on over and share your creative side with us: @kristenrocco and @roottobloom_podcast.

Like this episode? There's a whole community of Bold Movers over on Substack. Join us and build your bold moves muscle with us! kristenrocco.substack.com

Connect with host Kristen Rocco

Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com

LinkedIn: /kristenrocco

Instagram: @kristenrocco

Connect with guest Kate Weschler

Instagram: @kweschtionsne1 + @roottobloom_podcast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/roottobloom_podcast

Please help me create a great show and take the "Bold Moves: How Did You Know” podcast listener survey right here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgwwN2dxCqdnGSgIhpiZagKGXdBVEWi4vaoYRXrx_O6e83LQ/viewform?usp=sf_link