In this special episode of Boldly Becoming, I welcome my very first guest, Marsha Vanwynsberghe—NLP trainer, speaker, author, podcaster, publisher, and founder of Outspoken. Together, we dive into an honest and deeply personal conversation about the stories we've carried throughout our lives, the identities we've inherited, and how those beliefs quietly shape the way we lead, love, and show up in the world.

Marsha shares the remarkable journey that led her from a career in kinesiology through unimaginable personal challenges to discovering the transformative power of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Along the way, we explore what it means to move beyond proving yourself, embrace your unique gifts, and rewrite the stories that no longer serve you.

• Marsha's journey from healthcare professional to NLP trainer, author, and entrepreneur
• How life's greatest challenges can become the catalyst for purpose and transformation
• The stories and labels we inherit in childhood—and how they continue to influence our leadership
• Why the qualities you were once told were "too much" may actually be your greatest strengths
• The connection between proving yourself and the deeply rooted belief of "not enough"
• How reframing old narratives creates space for confidence, authenticity, and personal growth
• The difference between shining your light and seeking validation
• Why both masculine and feminine leadership energies are essential for healthy, sustainable leadership
• The importance of curiosity, coaching, and self-awareness in rewriting subconscious patterns

If you've ever questioned your worth, felt like you didn't quite fit in, or found yourself constantly trying to prove yourself, this conversation is a powerful reminder that your story isn't your limitation—it's your invitation to grow. The beliefs that once protected you don't have to define your future, and the very qualities you've tried to hide may become the greatest gifts you have to offer the world.

If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who may be ready to see their story through a new lens.

Marsha Vanwynsberghe — NLP Storytelling Trainer, OUTSPOKEN NLP Coaching Certification, Author, Speaker, and Podcaster

OUTSPOKEN QUIZ: https://nlp.marshavanw.com

OUTSPOKEN August Cohort: https://www.marshavanw.com/nlp

UNBOTHERED Mastermind: https://www.marshavanw.com/offers/w8WVE3Pa

Write Your Damn Book Program: https://www.marshavanw.com/writenow

OUTSPOKEN Publishing: https://www.outspokenpublishing.com

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In this episode of Boldly Becoming, I’m diving into a conversation that has been overlooked for far too long: the connection between menopause and leadership. For years, I believed the anxiety, brain fog, exhaustion, and self-doubt I experienced were simply the result of burnout during the pandemic. What I didn't realize was that menopause was also playing a significant role—and no one was talking about it.

Inspired by Dr. Mindy Pelz's groundbreaking book Age Like a Girl, I share how learning the science behind menopause completely changed my perspective. Instead of seeing this season as a decline, I've come to understand it as a powerful upgrade—one that prepares women to lead with greater wisdom, authenticity, and purpose than ever before.

• Why menopause is about so much more than hot flashes and hormonal changes
• How anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, and burnout can impact women in leadership
• The hidden ways menopause can affect confidence, decision-making, and professional identity
• The science behind the "Grandmother Hypothesis" and why postmenopausal women play a vital role in society
• How menopause can become a powerful neurochemical upgrade rather than a decline
• Why this season invites women to lead with greater clarity, intuition, and authenticity
• Letting go of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the need to constantly prove your worth
• Reclaiming your purpose, leadership, peace, and legacy in the second half of life
• The importance of creating safe communities where women can openly discuss menopause and women's health
• How changing the conversation around menopause can empower the next generation of female leaders

If you're navigating perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause, this episode is for you. This chapter of life isn't asking you to shrink. It's inviting you to rise. Your wisdom, experience, and leadership are needed now more than ever, and perhaps the greatest contribution of your life is still ahead of you.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In this episode of Boldly Becoming, I explore a question that's been sitting heavily on my heart: Can we become too focused on personal growth? While self-development has transformed my own life, I've come to realize that true transformation isn't something we achieve in isolation. It happens in relationship with others.

Inspired by the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer and the concept of the gift economy, I reflect on the beautiful balance between looking inward and showing up for community. Through stories from my own leadership journey and the creation of Bloom Leadership Circle, I share why growth isn't just about becoming the best version of ourselves. it's about using that growth to enrich the lives of those around us.

• Why personal development can become lonely when it's focused only on ourselves
• The difference between a transactional mindset and a gift economy
• How generosity, reciprocity, and belonging strengthen both individuals and communities
• Why vulnerability is one of the greatest gifts we can offer others
• The ripple effect that happens when we share our wisdom, experiences, and authentic stories
• How safe communities create space for healing, courage, and meaningful connection
• The value of receiving support without feeling the need to earn it or repay it
• Why coaching, reflection, and trusted relationships help us uncover our blind spots
• How true leadership is rooted not only in personal transformation but also in collective growth
• Why we were never meant to carry the weight of leadership alone

If you've been investing in your own personal growth but still find yourself feeling isolated, this episode is an invitation to widen the circle. Self-awareness is important, but transformation becomes even more powerful when it's shared. We don't just grow for ourselves. We grow so we can lift others, receive their wisdom, and build communities where everyone belongs.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In this episode of Boldly Becoming, I challenge one of the biggest lies we've accepted as leaders: that being busy somehow makes us more valuable. After years of balancing leadership, motherhood, and the constant pressure to be available to everyone else, I've come to believe that “busy” isn't a sign of success, it's often a form of distraction.

I share deeply personal stories from my career in educational leadership, including a painful moment early in my journey that forever shaped my belief that our health and our families must always come before our careers. Together, we'll explore why the idea of work-life balance may be setting us up to fail and what a healthier, more sustainable approach can look like.

• How busyness can distract us from burnout, exhaustion, and the conversations we need to have with ourselves
• The leadership lesson that changed my belief about putting family first
• Navigating motherhood while leading in demanding executive roles
• The hidden emotional labor leaders carry behind the scenes
• How one heartbreaking experience reshaped my boundaries around being constantly available
• Why the traditional idea of work-life balance doesn't work
• The difference between balancing your life and intentionally blending the parts that matter most
• How prioritizing your health and relationships creates a more meaningful legacy than any job title ever will

If you're a leader who feels stretched too thin, caught in the cycle of constant busyness, or wondering whether it's possible to lead well without sacrificing yourself or your family, this episode is for you. Your greatest contribution isn't how much you accomplish. It's how fully present you are for the people who matter most—including yourself.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In today’s episode of Boldly Becoming, I reflect on the unexpected lessons I've learned since leaving a 31-year career in education to become an entrepreneur. While my title has changed, my purpose hasn't. This transition has challenged my assumptions about success, productivity, health, relationships, and legacy, while giving me the freedom to design a life that feels deeply aligned with who I am today.

Through ten personal realizations, I share what this season of reinvention has taught me and why becoming isn't about starting over. It's about bringing your truest self into a new chapter.

• The surprising freedom and responsibility that comes with owning your own time and calendar
• Why prioritizing rest, sleep, and recovery has become a non-negotiable for sustainable success
• Letting go of the "busy" mindset and redefining what a meaningful life really looks like
• Why healthy aging deserves to be part of your professional strategy
• The joy of building deep friendships and meaningful connections later in life
• How reading for both pleasure and personal growth has transformed this season of life
• Why your purpose can remain constant even when your career changes
• Reflecting on the legacy we leave through leadership, mentorship, and service
• The transformative power of coaching and why every leader deserves the opportunity to experience it
• How community building has been the common thread connecting every chapter of my life

If you've ever wondered who you are beyond your job title, questioned what comes next after a major career transition, or felt called to create something new later in life, this episode is for you. Reinvention doesn't require becoming someone different. It invites you to become more fully yourself. Your experience, wisdom, and purpose don't retire. They simply find new ways to serve.

If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with someone who may be standing on the edge of their own next chapter.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In today’s episode of Boldly Becoming, I explore three simple but powerful words that have become anchors in my life: patience, empowerment, and surrender. What started as separate reminders on a sticky note sitting on my desk has evolved into a deeper understanding of how growth, transformation, and trust work together.

We often talk about waiting as if it’s something passive, but what if patience is actually one of the most powerful practices we can develop? Through personal stories, coaching insights, and hard-earned lessons, I share how learning to release control, trusting the process, and discerning when to act versus when to wait has transformed the way I approach both life and leadership.

We explore:

• The difference between impatience, patience, and waiting
• Why impatience often stems from our desire to control outcomes
• How patience helps us regulate emotions and respond rather than react
• What coaching has taught me about trusting people’s growth journeys
• The connection between patience, empowerment, and surrender
• How fear and perfectionism can disguise themselves as "waiting for the right time"
• The important distinction between wise waiting and staying stuck
• Personal stories of forcing outcomes versus trusting the timing of life
• How discernment helps us know when to move forward and when to pause
• Why growth is often happening even when nothing appears to be changing

If you've been delaying a dream, waiting for more certainty, or feeling frustrated by circumstances you can't control, this episode is for you. Sometimes the next step requires bold action. Other times it requires the courage to wait, the wisdom to trust, and the patience to let life unfold. The challenge is learning the difference.

If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with someone who may need this reminder today.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In this episode of Boldly Becoming, I’m shining a light on something many leaders experience but rarely talk about openly: loneliness. Leadership often looks successful and connected from the outside, but behind the title can be a profound sense of isolation. Drawing from my own experiences as a school principal, superintendent, executive coach, and leadership mentor, I explore the invisible weight leaders carry and why authentic connection is essential for our well-being.

We explore:

• The hidden loneliness that can come with leadership, even when you're surrounded by people every day
• Why leadership roles often create emotional isolation and chronic stress
• The impact of carrying difficult decisions, confidential situations, and the emotions of others
• How leaders can avoid becoming emotional sponges while still leading with empathy and compassion
• Practical strategies for emotionally decompressing after challenging conversations and high-stress situations
• The difference between psychological safety and true belonging
• Why authentic connection, trusted relationships, coaching, and supportive communities are powerful antidotes to isolation
• The importance of finding spaces where you can remove the armor of leadership and simply be yourself

If you've ever felt alone in your leadership journey, carried burdens you couldn't share, or wondered why success can sometimes feel isolating, this episode is for you. Leadership was never meant to be a solo journey. The weight you carry is real, but you don't have to carry it alone. If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with a leader who may need this reminder.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In today’s episode of Boldly Becoming, I explore one of the most universal human experiences: fear. From launching this podcast to navigating life's uncertainties, I share how fear has shown up throughout my journey and the powerful mindset shift that has helped me move forward anyway. What if fear isn't a sign to stop? What if it's actually evidence that something matters deeply to you?

We explore:

• Why fear and excitement often feel remarkably similar in the body and how reframing one as the other can change everything
• The ways our subconscious seeks safety, predictability, and familiarity, even when growth is calling us forward
• Personal stories of overcoming fears around surfing, ziplining, public visibility, and launching a podcast
• How fear can keep us stuck in situations, relationships, or routines that no longer serve us
• The deep fears that come with loving others, especially as parents, and learning to surrender what we cannot control
• Why courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to move forward despite it
• How to recognize fear as an invitation to growth rather than a barrier to success

If you've been putting off a dream, avoiding a difficult conversation, or holding yourself back from an opportunity because of fear, this episode is for you. The edge of fear is often the edge of growth. When we stop letting fear make our decisions, we create space for possibility, courage, and transformation.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with someone who needs this message today.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In this episode of Boldly Becoming, I’m sharing a very real and personal reflection on what happens when your body forces you to slow down. As high achievers, many of us are used to pushing through challenges, staying productive, and keeping everything moving forward. But what happens when your body has other plans? Through my own experiences with migraines, injury, hormonal changes, and recovery, I explore the lessons that come from listening to our bodies instead of fighting against them.

We explore:

• The challenges of navigating chronic health concerns, injury, and aging while maintaining a high-achieving mindset
• Why asking for help and building a supportive wellness team is an act of strength, not weakness
• The importance of keeping grounding routines and daily anchors during difficult seasons
• How to shift from resisting your body's messages to partnering with it for healing and growth
• Why your worth is not tied to your productivity, performance, or physical capacity
• Finding courage in vulnerability and allowing others to support you through difficult times

If you've ever felt frustrated by your body's limitations, struggled to slow down, or questioned your value when you can't perform at your usual level, this episode is for you. Healing requires patience, self-compassion, and the willingness to trust that rest is sometimes the most productive thing we can do. If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with someone who may need this reminder today.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135

In today’s episode of Boldly Becoming, I share the deeper story behind why I started this podcast and what it means to finally use my voice in a way I never have before. After decades of living within expectations, systems, and roles that shaped who I thought I needed to be, I'm learning what it looks like to step fully into my truth. This conversation is about courage, authenticity, and giving yourself permission to stop shrinking and start becoming.

We explore:

• Why I felt called to launch this podcast at this stage of life despite fear, self-doubt, and uncertainty
• Growing up in a strict household and how early messages about obedience and conformity shaped my identity
• Navigating leadership roles in education while balancing authenticity, professionalism, and personal truth
• The ways women often dim their light to meet expectations and why it's time to change that
• Embracing vulnerability through conversations about body image, menopause, health, grief, faith, and personal growth
• Learning to speak openly, take up space, and release the need for perfection

If you've ever felt confined by expectations, struggled to share your truth, or sensed there is a more authentic version of yourself waiting to emerge, this episode is for you. Becoming isn't about fitting into someone else's idea of who you should be. It's about having the courage to honor who you truly are.

If this episode resonated with you and if Boldly Becoming is supporting your journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with someone who needs this conversation today.

Connect with Angie:

Website: Bloom Leadership Circle: 25-26 Series

Instagram: Angie Mercier (@angiemercier_) • Instagram profile

Facebook: Thrive with Angie; Professional & Personal Coach | Cambridge ON

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mercier-m-ed-54753135