Her Comeback with host Michelle Thompson, author of Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love- — available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold

Guest: Paige Arnof-Fenn , Founder and CEO Mavens & Moguls

This episode features Paige Arnof-Fenn, a Stanford and Harvard Business School graduate, board member, and columnist for Entrepreneur and Forbes, Paige shares the real story behind building a four-dozen-person, multi-city agency — and the personal losses that reshaped how she defines success.

Paige started her career in finance on Wall Street before rebranding herself into corporate marketing, spending years at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. From there she jumped into three venture-backed startups during the dot-com boom,

Then came September 11th. Marketing budgets froze overnight, and Paige, laid off from the traditional path she thought she wanted, started fielding calls from former colleagues who needed help. Her husband's advice ("send them an invoice") became the accidental launch of Mavens & Moguls, a firm built without a business plan or outside funding that now spans 14 U.S. cities and international teams.

The conversation turns personal as Paige opens up about losing seven family members in six years, including both parents and her stepfather, while running her business and caring for aging relatives thousands of miles away. She describes the "Whac-A-Mole" grief of that season, how it forced her and her husband — a two-entrepreneur household with no kids to lean on for support — to rethink a life built on breakfast meetings and back-to-back networking events, and the surprising business lesson that came out of it: giving clients space and following up with patience.

Paige closes with practical advice for women rebuilding after a career disruption or personal loss: get clear on your lane, pick one or two platforms that are authentic to you, protect your digital reputation, and resist the urge to be everything to everyone. She also reflects on how she wants to be remembered

The episode wraps with Michelle's bonus segment on the F.I.R.E. framework from Chapter 5 of her book, Courageously You. Feel the disappointment, Ignite your power, Reveal your passion, and Execute your path — a practical tool for anyone navigating disappointment, layoffs, or a stalled promotion.

In This Episode

● Paige's path from Wall Street finance to corporate marketing at P&G and Coca-Cola

● Lessons from three dot-com-era startup exits

● The 9/11 moment that launched Mavens & Moguls

● Building a firm across 14 U.S. cities without a business plan or funding

● Navigating the loss of seven family members in six years

● Why “giving space” outperforms constant follow-up in business development

● Advice for women rebuilding after career disruption or loss

● Choosing the right social platform for your authentic brand

● How Paige wants to be remembered

● Bonus: Michelle's F.I.R.E. framework from Courageously You

Connect With Paige Arnof-Fenn

Mavens & Moguls: mavensandmoguls.com

LinkedIn: Paige Arnof Fenn

Connect With Michelle Thompson

Website: michellethompsoncoaching.com

Instagram/Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching

Bonus Episode: Michelle Goes Behind the Mic — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network

This week's episode is a little different. Instead of interviewing a guest, I was the guest — sitting down with host Steve Wormer on the You Are Worthy Network for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation. I'm sharing that full interview with you here as a bonus episode of Her Comeback.

Steve and I covered a lot of ground: my roots as a native North Carolinian who moved to Southwest Florida in August 2020, my two grown sons and our shared love of NC State football, and a rapid-fire round of "this or that" questions that revealed a few surprises (Dunkin' over Starbucks, hotels over camping, and yes — I love both dogs and cats).

But the heart of this conversation goes much deeper. I opened up about my journey from a directionless college senior with a double major in economics and sociology, into two decades of corporate project management — and the darker chapter that ran alongside it. I talk candidly about my history with alcoholism, the 2008 family intervention that led me into treatment, losing custody of my boys during that time, and the long, gradual process of moving from denial and victimhood into real accountability and change.

I also share the twist I didn't see coming: a job offer rescinded over a 20-year-old DWI, and how that setback led me right back to the employer — and the second chance — that put my life back on track. From there, we trace the throughline to today: earning my MBA at 47, the corporate crossroads that pushed me toward coaching, and the whirlwind timeline that took me from deciding to write a book last Thanksgiving to publishing Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love on June 25, 2026.

Steve asked me the question I didn't expect: what would today's Michelle say to the 38-year-old walking into treatment? My answer is in the episode — and it's rooted in a Robert Frost line that's become a personal anchor: "The only way out is through."

Plus: The R.I.S.E. Framework

At the end of this bonus episode, I walk through the R.I.S.E. framework from Courageously You — the one that speaks directly to the hardest chapter of my story:

• Recognize the denial
• Inventory the impact
• Seek support
• Execute the commitment

If you're stuck in a season where denial is keeping you from moving forward, this framework is your starting point. It's not about shame — it's about telling yourself the truth and taking one small action within 48 hours.

Connect with Michelle:

🌐 michellethompsoncoaching.com 📱 Instagram & Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching 📖 Get Courageously You on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, and hardcover) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D

🎙️ Interested in coaching? Reach out through the contact info in the show notes. https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact

Thank you to Steve Wormer and the You Are Worthy Network for having me, and thank you for being part of this community. Your story isn't done yet either.

Host: Michelle Thompson Guest: Anne van Leynseele

What do a Hollywood producer, a cannabis attorney, an Obama administration federal advisor, and an award-winning chocolate farmer have in common? They're all the same person. Anne van Leynseele joins Michelle to unpack the throughline behind a career built on reinvention as a discipline, not a fluke — and how her years inside the Social Security Administration led her to create Preferment®, a registered alternative to retirement built around lifelong developmental milestones instead of decline.

Anne opens up about a career-defining trauma — a business partner who stole from her and threatened her life — and how that experience became a turning point toward empathy and post-traumatic growth. She and Michelle talk about identity beyond career ("who are you," not "what do you do"), the 67% depression statistic among retirees, and why Anne bought a farm in Hawaii at 48 to build a completely different next chapter. The conversation closes with Anne's chocolate farm, her cookbook Savor Your Chocolate, and her Adaptable House Project reimagining aging in place.

Anne van Leynseele is the founder of Rarified Life and creator of Preferment®, a registered methodology offering an alternative to traditional retirement. Her career spans Hollywood production, Fortune 100 consulting, and service as a federal attorney-advisor in the Obama administration, including time at the Social Security Administration, where she saw firsthand how the traditional retirement model fails high-achieving people. She later founded an early cannabis law practice, co-owns an award-winning cacao farm on Hawaii's Big Island (Pa'ani Farms), and is general counsel for five nonprofits focused on at-risk youth and aging in place. She's the author of multiple books, including one on healthy retirement alternatives, one recounting her experience surviving betrayal and threats within the cannabis industry, a chocolate cookbook, and a book for young women.

Notable Moments

● Anne on why she never had a single career: she followed a passion for stories across law, business, and writing rather than staying in one lane.

● On the SSA years: she noticed a pattern of high-achieving people whose sense of identity collapsed the moment their career ended.

● On Preferment®: she describes retirement as a product with a two-thirds failure rate that deserves a recall, not a rebrand.

● On courage: she credits self-efficacy — proof to yourself that you can learn hard things — as the real engine behind reinvention at any age.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Anne's Website:

RarifiedLife.com

Anne's Books:

• Preferment™ on Amazon https://a.co/d/0cjBn4Uo
• Savor Your Chocolate on Amazon https://a.co/d/0bgptvAj

Her upcoming book is Girls to Rule

Anne's Social:

LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook (search "Anne van Leynseele" or "Rarified Life")

Michelle's Book:

Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love — available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D

Work with Michelle:

michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact

Episode Notes — Her Comeback with Anne Peshka

At 54, Anne Peshka's life looked perfect from the outside — a beautiful home in Southwest Florida, early retirement, beach days. But inside, she felt like a bird trapped in a cage. In this episode, Anne joins Michelle Thompson to share what happened when she finally listened to that inner voice and walked away from her marriage with nothing but her clothes and her dog.

Anne opens up about filing for divorce with no safety net and no plan, taking a $65 Groupon real estate course on a whim, and passing her exam just two weeks before COVID shut the world down. She talks candidly about landing her very first client while hosting an open house at her own home — not knowing where her next meal would come from — and building a six-figure real estate business within her first year, powered by nothing but genuine care for people.

Anne also shares how that success led her to become a certified Core Energy Coach, why she chose to write about the adoption and abuse in her past, and the moment she made a decision she calls "recycling trauma" — transforming her hardest experiences into her greatest source of power and empathy for others.

The conversation turns deeply personal as Anne reflects on waiting her whole life for permission to change, what it felt like to sell her house and everything in it to live free of "the box," and the line she now lives by: home is not a place, it's a feeling.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What it really looked like to leave a marriage at 54 with no plan
• How a $65 Groupon course led to a six-figure real estate business
• Why Anne became a Core Energy Coach after already succeeding in business
• The hardest chapter to write in her book, and why
• What it means to "recycle your trauma" into power
• Why home was never about a place

Connect with Anne Peshka: Website: annpeshka.com Book: Trauma Recycled: buy on Amazon https://a.co/d/0JgbSVS Podcast: Reinvention on Purpose (Spotify & Apple Podcasts)

Connect with Michelle: Grab your copy of Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love on Amazon. Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D

Ready to start living your next chapter instead of just thinking about it? Head to michellethompsoncoaching.com to book a call with Michelle.

HER COMEBACK PODCAST with Host Michelle Thompson

https://hercomebackpodcast.com/

From Fired Twice to Founder: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy on Rebuilding Her Identity

Guest: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy — Author, Entrepreneur, Title Industry Leader & Co-Founder, Rising Tides Foundation

This week Michelle sits down with SWFL entrepreneur Lori Pfeiffer Murphy for a candid conversation about identity, pride, and starting over more than once. Lori shares how being let go twice, first from a director-track role at Aveda and later during the COVID-19 shutdown, forced her to separate her sense of self from her job title and rebuild from the ground up. She talks about the mentors who shaped her, the grandfather whose words became the title of her book, and the mission behind Rising Tides Foundation's new project: converting an Airstream into a traveling salon to bring free haircuts, dignity, and hope to people going through hard seasons. The conversation closes with Lori's honest reflections on faith, forgiveness, and being available to anyone walking through their own uncertainty.

Connect with Lori:

• Facebook: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy

• Instagram: @lpfeiffer1971

• Book: Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life — available on Amazon

Key Topics & Timestamps

• [00:02:00] How all of Lori's roles connect back to one purpose: serving others

• [00:04:00] Getting let go from her director-track path at Aveda after her pride got in the way

• [00:05:00] A second job loss during COVID-19 and the identity crisis that followed

• [00:07:00] The pivot into real estate, title, and becoming a broker — choosing to determine her own income

• [00:10:00] Her "why" — raising three children as a single mom and modeling that you don't stay in failure

• [00:13:00] First steps for anyone in the middle of uncertainty — prayer, quiet, and gratitude

• [00:15:00] Rediscovering herself through solo walks, journaling, and doing things alone

• [00:17:00] Using business — title work and real estate — as a platform to serve, not just earn

• [00:19:00] The Daymaker story and why compassion matters even when you don't know what someone is carrying

• [00:21:00] The mentors who shaped her — her friend Julie at Aveda and her brother's honest feedback

• [00:24:00] The moment she stopped chasing a title and started defining success on her own terms

• [00:25:00] Rising Tides Foundation — its mission, past fundraisers, and the new Airstream traveling salon project

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Lori's book: Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life (Amazon)

• Michelle's book: Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love — amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D

• michellethompsoncoaching.com — book a call with Michelle

Episode CTA

Subscribe on YouTube, and if you're ready to start living your next chapter, head to michellethompsoncoaching.com to book a call with Michelle.

Episode Overview

What happens when the life you built around someone else's blueprint stops fitting who you are? In this deeply moving episode of Her Comeback, Michelle sits down with Audra Phelps — coach, former Mormon mom, and founder of the RECLAIMED program — connecting across the globe from Southwest Florida to Southeast Asia. Audra shares her extraordinary story of leaving a high-demand religion after 13 years, rebuilding her identity across two continents, and creating a coaching program to help other mothers do the same. This conversation is raw, real, and full of insight for any woman who has ever felt like a stranger in her own life.

Audra Phelps is an NLP and neuroscience-based life coach who specializes in supporting former Mormon mothers as they reclaim their identity, redefine their parenting, and rebuild their lives after leaving a high-demand religion.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

• The slow erosion of a life that didn't fit. Audra describes the years she spent inside the Mormon church doing everything "right" while suffering from debilitating panic attacks and depression.
• How moving overseas became the catalyst. Leaving the United States and relocating to Kazakhstan gave Audra something she had never experienced
• Learning who she wasn't — and then who she was. After making the decision to leave the church, Audra knew clearly who she was not, but rebuilding a sense of self from the ground up was a longer, more tender process.
• Parenting as the motivator. Audra's greatest fear after leaving was: how do I raise my kids without the blueprint? That fear became her fuel.
• The word that changed everything: RECLAIMED. Audra explains why this word sits at the heart of her coaching practice.
• The apple pie moment. Eight years after leaving the church, Audra found herself making an apple pie from scratch for Thanksgiving — resentful, exhausted, and realizing she didn't even like apple pie.
• What self-trust actually looks like. Audra describes a woman who has done this work as someone who can observe without engagement
• The NLP framework behind the work. Audra breaks down Neuro-Linguistic Programming in plain language

RECLAIMED is Audra's signature 8-week intensive coaching program designed specifically for former Mormon moms. The program includes a guided curriculum, group coaching, and one-on-one coaching calls

Connect with Audra Phelps

🌐 Website & Free Masterclass: mamaaudra.com 📲 Social Media: @MamaAudra on all platforms

Visit the website to access Audra's free masterclass and schedule a discovery call to explore whether the RECLAIMED program is the right fit for you.

From Michelle:

"Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love" is available now on Amazon. 📚 Get the book: amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D 🎙️ Schedule your call with Michelle: https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact

What Does It Mean to Age with Purpose? | Robin Kencel

What if the next chapter of your life isn't about reinventing yourself — but rediscovering who you were always meant to be?

In this rich conversation, Michelle sits down with Robin Kencel — certified spiritual director, seven-time Pro-Am ballroom champion, hospice volunteer, and the voice behind the Substack Aging with Purpose. Robin brings wisdom earned across six careers, a pageant stage, a broken foot, and a pilgrimage to Lourdes — and she's not slowing down at 68.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• What spiritual direction actually is (and why it's not therapy or Bible study)
• Why midlife is such a powerful turning point — and what happens when the roles that defined us start to fall away
• The biggest lie women tell themselves after 50 ("I'm too old") — and how to rewrite it
• How to begin listening to your inner life again, starting with the practice of stillness
• The difference between reinventing yourself and rediscovering who you were made to be
• Why women over 50 feel invisible — and why Robin refuses to hand that power over
• How improv acting gave Robin unexpected confidence — and what that means for you
• The one habit-building strategy Robin swears by (hint: James Clear would agree)

Robin's challenge to you: Start with a list. What are your non-negotiables? What did you love as a child? What's one thing that's been quietly calling you? Then do a little bit of that thing — every single day.

Connect with Robin Kencel: 🌐 robinkencel.com 📧 Substack: Aging with Purpose 📱 Social: @robinkencel

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by author Patti Brown. You may remember Patti from Season 1 — she left quite an impression, and for good reason. https://youtu.be/xXHI7_0SNpo?si=TCY99pVK67vP45Co

📖 The Quiet Voice — A collection of personal essays about struggling with addiction and finding a way out, not through force, but by learning to follow that quiet inner voice we all carry. A feel-good story of overcoming, gratitude, and hope. 👉 https://a.co/d/0eymx9c8

🐢 Lola and the Sea Turtle — Patti's beautiful children's book, perfect for the little ones in your life. 👉 https://a.co/d/0gzOmlcZ

Look her up. You'll be glad you did.

Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love by Michelle Thompson is available on Amazon starting June 25th. Mark your calendar, set a reminder, and share it with a friend who needs it.

📍 hercomebackpodcast.com

Episode Notes: Her Comeback with Kellie Grutko

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Kellie Grutko, founder of Purposeful Pivot and a North Carolina–based coach for women navigating "post-success reinvention." After 30+ years in corporate marketing, Kellie shares the moment she realized success had become its own trap—and what she now calls "post-success drift," the slow disconnect between external achievement and internal direction.

What you'll learn:

• The "hidden cost of success" — why doing everything right can still leave you feeling stuck, and why no one checks in once you've "made it"
• How to recognize drift even when life looks great on paper (Sunday scaries, fading motivation, pulling back from people and projects)
• Why reinvention doesn't mean starting over — it means using the skills and wisdom you've already built toward something new
• Kellie's PIVOT framework: Prepare your mindset, Identity exploration, Vision crafting, Opportunity mapping, Tailoring your path
• The difference between burnout and a true pivot signal
• Why confidence comes after action, not before — and how small steps build momentum
• A simple two-column exercise to identify what brings you joy (and what doesn't)
• Kellie's free "Hidden Cost of Success" assessment

Memorable moment: Kellie shares a story about a client so steeped in corporate language she couldn't answer a simple question for herself — until Kellie asked her to imagine she'd never worked there at all.

Connect with Kellie: Website: purposefulpivot.net (free assessment on the resources page) Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: Kellie Grutko

A note from Michelle: Courageously You officially launches June 25th on Amazon! If today's conversation resonated, the book goes even deeper into frameworks like this one—with stories, reflection questions, and tools to actually do the work. Sign up for updates at hercomebackpodcast.com so you're first to know when it drops.

https://hercomebackpodcast.com/

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Gayle Todd, a Southwest Florida resident and kindred spirit, who spent decades as a software analyst and project manager for her county government — and then, at 62, quietly planted a brand-new flag. Gayle launched a pet waste removal franchise, Scoop Soldiers, as a side business while still holding down her corporate job, and two and a half years later, she's walking out the door with over 200 customers, her own territory, and retirement plans that start with running, not resting. This conversation is packed with honest talk about fear, identity shifts, asking for help, and what it really takes to build something from scratch when everyone else might expect you to coast. If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start — Gayle's answer is a clear, joyful no.

Key Topics Covered

From Bored to Bold: The Moment Everything Changed

Gayle didn't have a dramatic wake-up call — she had a slow burn. A decade after earning her master's, she found herself restless and concerned about spending another ten years in the same seat. That quiet dissatisfaction was the spark that sent her searching for something of her own.

Why a Franchise — and Why This One

With a love of animals and the reality of a full-time job, Gayle needed something she could run nights and weekends without building infrastructure from scratch. After six months to nearly a year of rigorous due diligence — interviewing three competing franchises — she chose Scoop Soldiers for one reason above all: they were a true partner, not just a franchisor.

The Cost of Building Two Lives at Once

Gayle is refreshingly honest about what those first two and a half years actually required — nights, weekends, burned personal time, a life partner who showed up to her events just so they could spend time together, and a moment, about a year in, when she nearly handed the keys back to the franchise owner. What pulled her through? Asking for help — the hardest thing she's ever done.

Shifting Identity: From Employee to Owner

After decades of building someone else's vision, stepping into ownership felt like freedom — and a little like standing at the edge of a cliff. Gayle talks about how corporate restructuring, salary caps, and position demotions were the final push she needed to stop waiting and start moving.

The Myth That Entrepreneurship Has an Age Limit

At nearly 65, Gayle is proof that "too late" is a story we tell ourselves. She shares the advice that changed her perspective on going back for her master's — and it applies just as powerfully to starting a business: you're going to be that age anyway. Wouldn't you rather have something to show for it?

Asking for Help as a Comeback Strategy

Gayle's biggest comeback moment wasn't a win — it was hitting a wall. Staffing issues, routing problems, a business that felt out of control. Her breakthrough came when she finally called her franchise support team and said, "I need help." The lesson she carries forward: ego is the enemy of progress, and the right mentors will show up when we're ready to receive them.

Connect with Gayle Todd

Website: scoopsoldiers.com

Email: [email protected]

Host Michelle Thompson's book Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create The Life You Love launches June 25!

HER COMEBACK - BONUS EPISODE - "Dreams Delayed, Not Denied"

A Live Talk by Michelle Thompson- hercomebackpodcast.com

Summary

Something different is waiting for you in this bonus episode of Her Comeback. This week, Michelle is sharing a live talk she gave at a women’s networking event she recently co-hosted — and the energy in that room was everything. The talk is called Dreams Delayed, Not Denied, and it pulls directly from Chapter 3 of her upcoming book, Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love.

If you’ve ever wondered what the book is really about, consider this your first real taste.

Michelle shares the story of a dream she carried for fifteen years — living at the beach — and all the detours, heartbreaks, and unexpected pivots that finally led her to Southwest Florida. It’s honest. It’s real. And it will make you think about the dream you’ve been putting off.

She closes with the D.R.E.A.M. Framework from the book — a practical tool for anyone who’s been waiting, rebuilding, or wondering if their dream still has a chance.

It does. And so do you.

📚 COURAGEOUSLY YOU IS COMING — JUNE 25TH

Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love by Michelle Thompson officially launches June 25th on Amazon. Go to hercomebackpodcast.com to sign up for updates and be the first to know when it’s available.

WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Why so many women hold their dreams quietly — and what it really means to give yourself permission to want something

• Michelle’s 15-year journey toward coastal living — including the marriages, the moves, and the rescinded job offer that nearly broke her

• How a global pandemic, an empty nest, and a broken relationship became the exact combination of events that finally set her free

• The cost of NOT pursuing your dream — and why regret is far more painful than failure

• The D.R.E.A.M. Framework: a step-by-step tool for moving toward your dream even when timing, circumstances, or fear are working against you

THE D.R.E.A.M. FRAMEWORK

D: Desire Deeply

R: Resilience

E: Embrace the Wait

A: Adapt

M: Move Boldly

The full D.R.E.A.M. Framework, with reflection questions and deeper coaching tools, is featured in Chapter 3 of Courageously You.

✨ THIS WEEK’S REFLECTION QUESTION

What is one small action you can take TODAY toward a dream you’ve been postponing? Not tomorrow, not when conditions are perfect — what can you do right now to honor what is calling to your soul?

RESOURCES & LINKS

Purchase Courageously You on Amazon — available June 25th:

◦ amazon.com (link active on launch day)

Connect with Michelle:

◦ Facebook: michellethompsoncoaching

◦ Instagram: @michellethompsoncoaching

◦ LinkedIn: michelledthompsonmbapmp