Find Your Lady Tribe

The moment you’re labeled “strong,” the world starts handing you more to carry and you learn to smile while you do it. Today we sit down with Karin Del Maestro, a breast cancer survivor and trauma-aware health coach, to talk about the real cost of being the capable one for decades and what it takes to rebuild after your body and nervous system finally say “no more.” Her story moves through stacked trauma, grief, and the shock of a breast cancer diagnosis plus a BRCA genetic mutation, then into the complicated reality of treatment choices, surgery, hormones, and the pressure to make fast decisions when you’re terrified.

We also go to the place few people talk about honestly: what happens after treatment ends. Karin shares why the “done” moment can feel isolating instead of joyful, how PTSD can show up for breast cancer survivors, and why your nervous system may still be stuck in fight or flight long after the medical plan is complete. If you’ve ever felt like your foot is on the gas but you can’t move forward, this will land. We connect the dots between trauma, workaholism, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the exhaustion so many midlife women normalize.

You’ll leave with practical tools you can use immediately, including Karin’s simple framework “Pause, Check, Choose” to step off autopilot, plus a powerful boundary reframe: you’re not saying no to someone, you’re saying yes to your peace. If you’re navigating breast cancer recovery, midlife healing, nervous system regulation, or burnout, share this with a friend who needs it and subscribe, rate, and review so more women can find this support.

Guide: 7 Boundaries to Safeguard Your Energy: https://karin-del-maestro.mykajabi.com/pl/2148664959

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

You can check every box and still feel like something is missing and that’s the moment we’re naming out loud today. I’m sitting down with Jen Carew, a former corporate leader who spent more than 20 years mastering external success, only to realize at midlife that the life she built didn’t match the peace she craved. What happens next is honest, brave, and deeply relatable: she walks away, creates space, and begins the slow work of remembering who she is beneath the roles.

Jen shares one of my favorite images for midlife transformation: the inner spring. When we’re young, our spirit flows naturally, but over time we drop pebbles into that stream. Expectations, people pleasing, and the pressure to be “useful” can restrict the flow until we barely recognize ourselves. We talk about the dark night of the soul that can follow big change, the grief of letting go of a “good” identity, and why a brief spiritual awakening can be followed by anxiety when the ego fights to stay in control. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your head, we break down ego vs soul in clear, practical terms.

We also go into ancestral healing and epigenetics, including the visibility wound many women carry and how inherited trauma and family patterns can shape your confidence, voice, and sense of safety. You’ll leave with grounded next steps you can try this week. If you’re craving purpose after 40, spiritual direction, burnout recovery tools, or a gentler way to come home to yourself, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s been hustling on autopilot, and if it resonates, leave a review so more midlife women can find our circle.

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

The weirdest part of midlife isn’t the hot flashes or the changing metabolism. It’s the moment you look up and realize you don’t feel like yourself and you can’t explain why. Brenda Ridgley sits down with holistic menopause coach Eliza Riley to name what so many women experience in silence: the sleep disruption, the crushing fatigue, the painful cycles, the brain fog, and even the scary emotional flatness that can show up during perimenopause and menopause.

Eliza shares her personal health journey through cervical cancer, years of confusing symptoms, and the long road to realizing hormones were at the center of the storm. We talk about why the medical system can feel fragmented, why symptom-by-symptom fixes often miss the root cause, and how it’s possible to rebuild trust in your body by learning its patterns. You’ll also hear a grounded take on HRT, including why it’s not one-size-fits-all and why women deserve to understand their full menu of options for menopause support.

Then we get practical. Eliza explains what she means by “losing your rhythm” and how modern life pulls us away from the circadian and metabolic cues that regulate the nervous system and hormone balance. She offers two simple shifts you can try this week. If you’re ready to stop running on fumes and start feeling clear and capable again, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest midlife symptom you want to solve next.

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Are you high-achieving, over-scheduled, and yet... quietly unfulfilled? You’ve mastered the roles—the powerhouse professional, the dedicated partner, the doting mother, the reliable daughter—but somewhere along the way, you lost the woman with the spark in her eyes.

In our Season 4 premiere, I’m stepping into the guest seat to share my own raw journey through the "Midlife Funk." I’m unmasking the truth about what happens when we prioritize our roles over our souls, and how I used my professional background to engineer my own escape from autopilot.

In this foundational episode, I’m sharing:

The "Mom-bot" Trap: The high-stakes trauma of my son’s birth that led me to trade my personal identity for a "protective shield" of motherhood for 18 years.

The Jane Moment: The one vulnerable conversation that gave me the "breath of relief" and the permission to stop faking "okay."

The Professional Pivot: How I transitioned from a Corporate HR Manager to becoming a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach obsessed with female connection.

The Save the World Sisterhood: Why I believe that a midlife woman who has reclaimed her purpose is the most powerful force for global change.

This episode sets the stage for a powerful season of expert guests and survival stories of reinvention. Whether you are navigating a career transition, an identity shift, or just a heavy dissatisfaction in your gut, this is your invitation to stop being a "placeholder" and start being the hero of your own life.

Subscribe now and join the circle. Your next chapter doesn't just start here—it ignites here.

Save the World, Sister!

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce our Photographer and retreat storyteller Sophia Reamsnyder. Owner/Brand Digital Storyteller of Reamsnyder Media, Sophia focuses on the B-to-B and Non-Profit space. Whether out with family, or working with clients, she strives to capture a moment, a memory, or tell an unforgettable story through portrait photography, event photography, documentary shorts or the written word. Sophia is passionate about her work and believes in continuous growth.

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreat at www.wholeYOUniverse.com​

#womensretreats #photographer #wholeYOUretreat #wholeYOUniverse

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce our culinary caretaker, presenter and retreat success story Suzanne Hernandez. Along with the love of entertaining at her home, Suzanne brings her past experience in catering to the WholeYOU Retreat's kitchen. If you have food allergies or sensitivities, Suzanne has got you covered. Suzanne is the creator/owner of Curious Card Company, which is a sobriety support tool that was brought to life after the skills she gained when she attended the WholeYOU Retreat in May of 2023. Normally you can find her on her little farm with her daughters, husband, 11 chickens, 3 goats, and 2 barn cats. 

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreat at www.wholeYOUniverse.com

#successstory #wholeYOUretreat #caretaker #habithacks #womensretreats 

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce our Yoga instructor & Reiki master Rachel Dirks. With a heart-centered approach and a passion for holistic healing, Rachel is a certified yoga teacher, Master Reiki practitioner, sound healer and yoga therapist in training dedicated to guiding others toward physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Rooted in ancient wisdom and enriched by modern practices, Rachel's teaching blends mindful movement, energy healing, and the transformative power of sound to create a deeply nourishing experience on and off the mat.

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreats at www.wholeYOUniverse.com

#womensretreats #Yoga #Reiki #wholeYOUretreat #wholeYOUniverse

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce our stylist Tori Ward.  For 17 years Tori has walked along side women as a stylist using beaty as a tool for transformation. Her passion goes far beyond the surface - she believes in helping women reconnect with their inner light and reflect that radiance outward. Through intentional hair and makeup guidance, Tori aims to inspire confidence, self-love and alignment with one's highest self. At WholeYOU, Tori will offer beaty lessons that serve not just the mirror, but the soul. 

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreats at www.wholeYOUniverse.com

#stylist #wholeYOUretreat #womensretreat #womensupportingwomen 

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce Stacey Stedman, a Certified Health and Fitness Coach and author of The Un-Diet; The Ultimate Mindset Journal to Living Beyond Diets. Her own journey to finding a healthy lifestyle has provided insight. She brings empathy, respect, and understanding. As a personal trainer and health coach, Stacey's whole body health approach focuses on lifestyle rather than a quick, temporary fix. Stacey will be presenting The 8 Facets of Health, Wellness & Vitality, and leading HIIT workouts. Stacey has been an integral founding presenter at the WholeYOU Retreats 

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreat at www.wholeYOUniverse.com

#healthcoach #womensretreats #wholeYOUretreat #wholeYOUniverse

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood

Over the next week I will be sharing interviews with the Leaders of the October 16-19, 2025 Whole YOU Retreat. In this video I introduce our Guest Thought Leader Kristi Huss, a journey facilitator and expert guide for achieving bucket list goals in life and business. A TEDx speaker, certified high-performance coach, and author, she pairs decades of expertise in planning transformative trips with the impactful strategies of high-performance coaching. By mastering the art of 'time travel'—achieving future goals now—Kristi empowers audiences to unlock their potential, create actionable plans, achieve results faster, and embrace it all with a sense of adventure. Kristi will be leading the workshop The Flip Factor: Reframe, Realign, and Rise: Build Your enCompass to Navigate Life with Clarity, Courage, and Joy . . .

Learn more about the Whole YOU Retreat at www.wholeYOUniverse.com

#womensretreats #highperformancecoach #wholeYOUretreat #wholeYOUniverse

Connect with Brenda and get your FREE Midlife Clarity MAP

Website 

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

Buy Lady and the Tribe; How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles

Join the Save the World Sisterhood