This week on Girls Night, we’re doing something a little different — and incredibly special.

As my twins turn five (how?!), I’ve been reflecting on everything I wish I could go back and tell myself before becoming a mom. The fears, the hopes, the questions, the emotions — the moments when I looked around and thought, “This is not what I ordered.”

So in today’s episode, I’m sharing four letters I wrote to the woman I was before motherhood — the woman who was wondering…

💌 Who will I be after I become a mom?

If you’re planning, trying, pregnant, or simply wondering if you’ll ever feel “ready,” these letters are for you. They’re honest, tender, hopeful, and full of the things I wish someone would have told me years ago.

We’ll talk about what actually happens to your identity, how marriage shifts (and strengthens), how to navigate fear in a world that feels overwhelming, and why motherhood isn’t something you download — it’s something you grow into.

And if these letters resonate with you, you can get the full series for free at StephanieMayWilson.com/letters — they’re yours to keep or share with a friend who needs them.

At the end of the episode, I’ll also share more about Becoming Mama — the course my best friend Kelsey (a brilliant therapist) and I created to help you prepare emotionally, mentally, and practically for this huge transition. It’s the roadmap we wish we’d had, and enrollment is open for just a few more days.

Wherever you are on the path to motherhood, friend — you’re not alone.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife]

💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried]

💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama]

🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/]

Stay connected:

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/]

🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/]

💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email]

Podcast Sponsors:

- Antique Candle Co.

- BetterHelp

- NIV Application Bible

- Piper and Leaf

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All season long, we’ve been talking about what I call The Everything Era—that season when you have to make so many of the biggest, most consequential decisions of your life all at once. It’s full of possibility, but it’s also full of pressure—especially when some of those decisions don’t seem to fit together very well.

And one of the trickiest examples of that is the tension between career and motherhood. What happens when the rhythm that used to work suddenly doesn’t anymore? When the version of success you used to chase doesn’t quite fit the life you have now? Or when your family needs you in one way, but your career seems to demand something entirely different?

My guest today is Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever.

Through her work, Neha is helping women rethink what it means to take a pause in their careers after having kids—showing that stepping back doesn’t mean stepping away from your ambition. She’s helping us reimagine this in-between space as a powerful, intentional season of reflection and realignment—a chance to build a life and career that actually work together, not against each other.

Whether you’re already a mom, planning for motherhood, or just thinking about what your next chapter might hold, this conversation will give you permission to press pause—not out of fear or failure, but as a power move.

Alright friends, let’s dive in. Here’s my conversation with Neha Ruch.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 The Power Pause

💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife]

💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried]

💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama]

🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/]

Stay connected:

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/]

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch]

🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/]

💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email]

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Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we planned. The job ends, the relationship shifts, the dream unravels — and we’re left standing in the in-between, wondering how to trust again.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife]

💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried]

💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama]

🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/]

Stay connected:

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/]

🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/]

💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been feeling disconnected lately — like everyone else has their people and somehow you just… don’t — you’re not alone.

In this episode, we’re talking about why friendships fade, why loneliness doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you, and how to start again.

Stephanie shares the five most common kinds of disconnection, what science says about why friendship really matters, and a simple recipe for rebuilding the kind of circle every woman needs.

💛 Listen in, share this episode with a friend who might need it too, and remember: you’re not behind — you’re just between circles.

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This season, we’ve been talking about what to do when you look around at your life and think, “Wait… this is not what I ordered.” Maybe things didn’t turn out the way you thought they would — and now you’re asking those big, scary, beautiful questions: Who am I now? What do I want? Where do I go from here?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever woken up one day and thought, “I don’t even know who I am anymore?”

Maybe it’s after motherhood, a breakup, a big move, burnout, or even after finally reaching a goal you worked so hard for — and suddenly realizing it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would. Somewhere along the way, between the to-do lists and expectations, you lost touch with the person underneath it all.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to find your way back. 💛

We’ll talk about:

This isn’t a “self-care” conversation — it’s a coming home to yourself conversation.

So grab a cozy drink and join me — let’s reintroduce you to you.

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This week on Girls Night, we’re asking one of the biggest — and maybe most important — questions we can ask ourselves:

Do you like your life?

So many of us have followed all the rules, checked all the boxes, and built the kind of life we thought we were supposed to want — only to look around and wonder why it doesn’t feel like home. In this episode, we’re slowing down, taking inventory, and learning how to remodel the parts of our lives that no longer fit.

We’ll walk room-by-room through your “life house” — your relationships, your body, your work, your faith, your family, your joy — and ask some simple but powerful questions:

This isn’t about burning it all down. It’s about noticing what’s working, what’s not, and making small, thoughtful changes that help your life feel like you again.

If you’ve been trudging along a path that feels uphill and exhausting, this episode will help you find a new route — one that’s easier, freer, and a lot more beautiful.

Resources Mentioned:

Love Your Single Life

Just Married

Becoming Mama

Stephanie’s Journals & Guides

Let’s be friends!

Instagram

Website

Join the Girls Night Community

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Have you ever felt like you were doing everything “right” — checking every box, following every rule — and still ending up restless, disappointed, or wondering, Is this really the life I want?

In today’s episode, we’re talking about something many of us rule-followers were never taught how to do: questioning authority.

We’ll unpack:

Where the formulas and “life scripts” we’ve been following actually came from

How to recognize when a leader, community, or cultural voice doesn’t deserve authority in your life

A practical vetting process for deciding who should get a seat at your table

What to do when a leader you trusted lets you down

How to quiet the noise of other people’s expectations and hear your own voice again

If you’ve ever felt crushed by the weight of doing what you’re “supposed” to do, this episode will help you take a deep breath, release the old scripts, and start writing a life that truly fits.

✨ Resources & Links

📘 Create a Life You Love (my newest book)

💻 My online courses & journals

💍 Newlywed couples course — Just Married: StephanieMayWilson.com/JustMarried

❤️ Free resource to find a counselor you can trust: StephanieMayWilson.com/Counseling

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s ahead this season — because together we’re going to keep unpacking how to let go of other people’s expectations and rebuild a life that feels like home.

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Season 22 is here — and Girls Night just turned 8! In this special kickoff, Stephanie introduces our new series, Not the Life I Ordered, a single, long, rolling conversation about what to do when your life doesn’t look or feel the way you thought it would — especially in The Everything Era, when all the biggest decisions arrive at once.

You’ll hear the origin story of Girls Night, why this season is different, why so many of us feel disoriented and isolated right now, and a simple practice to turn down the noise so you can hear (and trust) your own voice again. Stephanie also guides you through three clarifying questions and leaves you with four grounding reminders — including this one: It’s not too late.

In this episode:

Resource mentioned:

What to Say Script Guide — practical, word-for-word responses for uncomfortable family questions (marriage, kids, timelines & more): stephaniemaywilsonshop.com

If this resonates, please follow/subscribe and leave a quick rating & review — it helps more women find the show. And say hi! DM or email me — I truly write back.

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What happens when two of the biggest parts of your life collide—your career and your desire to start a family?

That’s exactly what we’re talking about in today’s Girls Night episode. I’m joined by my dear friend Jena Dunay—a mom of two, business owner, and career strategist who has spent years helping women navigate big transitions in their work lives.

Jena knows firsthand what it looks like to juggle both career ambitions and motherhood dreams, and she’s here to share the wisdom she’s learned along the way.

In this conversation, we cover:

How to prepare your career for baby before you’re even pregnant

What to do if you love your job but also know you want to start a family soon

Whether you should “pull back” at work before baby—or lean in until it’s time to pivot

How to know if your workplace will really support you as a mom

The truth about maternity leave (paid vs. unpaid, how it works, what to ask your HR team)

When and how to tell your employer you’re pregnant

Practical ways to set boundaries and actually enjoy your maternity leave

How to define “success” in your career during different motherhood seasons

This episode is full of encouragement and practical advice for anyone who’s in what I call The Everything Era—that stretch of life when so many big decisions seem to come at once. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold space for both a career you love and a family you’re dreaming of, this conversation will be such a gift.

Resources & Links:

Connect with Jena: Instagram / Company

Listen to Jena’s past Girls Night episodes on dating, singleness, and career transitions.

More encouragement + resources for navigating The Everything Era: stephaniemaywilson.com

✨ If you loved this conversation, would you take 30 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? It means the world and helps more women find the show.

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