Pieces of a Woman

Summary:

In this episode, Cristie shares something she has been sitting with for nearly a year: she is retiring at 56, after thirty-four years in the mortgage industry. And it has been one of the most emotional, disorienting, and surprisingly complicated decisions of her life. She talks about the fear, the imposter syndrome, the identity she is leaving behind, and the chapter she is trying to design on the other side. Because retiring does not mean stopping. It means finally getting to choose. If you have ever thought about what it would mean to walk away from the career that has defined you, this one is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back: episode 111, the Costa Rica bereaved mothers retreat, and the Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation update
• 03:00 Cristie's announcement: retiring at 56, after thirty-four years in the mortgage industry, and why saying it out loud still feels surreal
• 05:30 When the thought first started: the quiet nudge that would not go away, and the moment she realized she might not have the fire for this level anymore
• 08:00 Ten months of knowing and not saying: what it felt like to design her own departure while still showing up every day for the people she leads
• 13:00 What comes next: the book, the foundation, the Lego room, the travel, and the dream trip she and Kenny have been counting down to
• 17:30 The fear that has lived underneath all of it: losing her identity, her relevance, the daily sense of being needed, and how she has been working through it
• 25:00 What she would tell anyone thinking about retirement: the financial piece, the mental preparation, the fear, and the podcasts that helped her start opening up the space

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation
• From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

What does it actually look like to walk away from a thirty-year career and start over from scratch?

In this episode, we turn the mic on DeAnna and she gets real about the decision to step down from her role as a brokerage owner, the identity crisis that followed, going back to school in her fifties, and building Elevated Edge Coaching one client at a time. She also breaks down what coaching actually is, why it is nothing like therapy, who it is for, and why the people who invest in it tend to be the ones who go the furthest. If you have been thinking about a reinvention of your own (a new career, a new direction, a new version of yourself) this is the conversation you need to hear.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back: the Lindsay Clancy trial, postpartum psychosis, and an important resource before we dive in
• 07:24 On a lighter note: Ted Lasso, Theo of Golden, and the Tom Hanks casting rumor we are very on board with
• 10:04 Today's topic — reinvention: what it looks like, what drives it, and why more people in their fifties and beyond are doing it than ever before
• 11:54 DeAnna's story: thirty years in real estate, stepping down from Summit Sotheby's, and the six months of sitting with the question of what comes next
• 15:10 Why she chose coaching, what the International Coaching Federation certification actually requires, and the imposter syndrome she fought through in every Zoom class
• 21:11 The financial conversations, the spousal support, and what it really takes to make a reinvention work as a couple
• 25:41 What coaching is, and what it is not, the difference between therapy and coaching, why the two work beautifully together, and how to find the right coach for you
• 27:00 Why the top performers are always the ones with a coach, and what DeAnna has seen in her own clients that proves it

About the Host:

• Elevated Edge Coaching Website
• Elevated Edge Coaching Instagram
• Elevated Edge Coaching Facebook
• DeAnna Robbins Instagram

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Listen: The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Commonwealth Confidential
• Watch: Ted Lasso (TV Series 2020)
• Read: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
• Listen to previous episode: Leadership Beyond the Title
• International Coaching Federation: Welcome to ICF
• Postpartum Support International - PSI
• 988 Lifeline - If you need emotional support
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

Disclaimer: This episode is not medical advice. Everything we share is our own personal experience. Please talk to your doctor if anything sounds familiar.

Cristie did not ignore her symptoms. She went to the doctor, took the medication they gave her, and followed up. And still, for two years, nobody connected the dots.

In this episode, she shares what has really been going on, the bladder issues that started in 2024, the overactive bladder diagnosis that turned out to be wrong, the IUD she had a feeling about, and the bleeding in Costa Rica that finally led to an ultrasound that changed everything. Multiple fibroids, a uterus the size of a 14-month pregnancy, and a biopsy she is still waiting to hear back from. She is sharing this now, while she is still in the middle of it, because she does not want anyone else to feel alone, or to stop pushing for answers just because the first one did not feel right.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 A note before we start: this is personal experience, not medical advice, and the only goal today is that no one feels alone and no one stops pushing for answers too soon
• 02:13 Where it started: bladder pressure and trickle urination that began in 2024, an overactive bladder diagnosis, medication that did not work, and symptoms she kept living with
• 05:30 The IUD she had a quiet feeling about, the spotting that started in February, and the decision to have it removed even when her doctor said she did not need to
• 09:27 Bleeding in Costa Rica, a vaginal ultrasound, and the results she uploaded into ChatGPT at midnight because she could not make sense of what they said
• 13:51 What postmenopausal bleeding actually means, why any spotting after menopause is always a red flag, and the endometrial cancer statistics every woman deserves to know
• 20:18 Ovarian cancer: the symptoms most of us are dismissing right now, and the one blood test you can ask your doctor for today
• 24:26 Why Cristie had not seen an OB since 2017, what that cost her, and why every woman needs a doctor who will actually listen

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• CA-125 blood test — ask your doctor
• American Cancer Society — Endometrial Cancer
• American Cancer Society — Ovarian Cancer
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

Do you know where your money is? Do you know what you own, what you owe, and how to access it if everything changed tomorrow?

In this episode, we get into one of the most important (and most avoided) conversations in marriage: finances. Who is the CFO? Who pays the bills? Do you have a spending limit? And if your spouse passed away tomorrow, or the marriage ended, would you know where to start? We share how we each structure things, the stories we have never told, and the fire drill every couple needs to run, because no matter how much you trust your partner, knowing your own financial picture is not optional.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back, microneedling updates, and how a bereaved mothers retreat inspired a perfectly timed face peel
• 03:45 Today's topic: who is the CFO in your marriage, and what happens if everything changes tomorrow
• 05:30 The hybrid model, the joint account, the separate accounts: how DeAnna and Cristie each structure their finances and why
• 08:48 Why knowing where your documents are matters as much as knowing where your money is, and the Nokbox that prompted a whole new conversation
• 12:08 The big purchase nobody talked about: Cristie's Lego wall, Kenny's double take, and what that revealed about their communication style
• 18:51 The real risk of turning a blind eye: what Cristie saw in the mortgage industry and why not knowing is never as safe as it feels
• 20:26 The fire drill every couple needs to run: bank accounts, investments, passwords, estate documents, beneficiaries, and automatic payments

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Nokbox® | Home Organization & Estate Planning System
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

Nobody warns you about this part of parenting.

You survived the toddler years, the teenage years, the letting go of high school, and then your kids become adults… and somehow it gets harder.

In this episode, we are getting honest about what it is really like to parent adult children: the decisions that make your gut drop, the moments you want to jump in and fix it, the difference between supporting and enabling, and the work of learning to separate their choices from your peace.

We are not doing it perfectly, but we are figuring it out, and so are you.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back from a summer break: Paris, Bruno Mars, fires in Utah, and Sid heading to grad school for occupational therapy
• 06:25 Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation update: the first bereaved mother reunion retreat in Costa Rica and the upcoming gala in November
• 10:49 Today's topic: adult children making decisions that scare you, confuse you, or break your heart, and how to show up without losing yourself
• 15:26 Every choice is not right or wrong; it is just a choice. How shifting that mindset has changed the way both DeAnna and Cristie parent
• 21:47 DeAnna shares a real example of one of the hardest decisions she ever made as a mother, and why it brought her closer to her son years later
• 23:23 Why every child gets a different version of you, and why that is not a flaw, it is just parenting
• 27:24 How leaning into your friendship circle without shame is one of the most powerful tools a parent of adult kids can have

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Terrie Lund - Ohana Title Insurance Agency
• Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation
• Bereaved Mothers Retreats
• Debbie Gornichec - Soul to Soul Touch
• DeAnna Robbins | Elevated Edge Coaching
• Read: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
• Listen: Leadership Beyond the Title
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

You don't need a title to be a leader. You are already leading something: your family, your team, or your own life. In this episode, we get into one of the topics closest to both of us: leadership. What it looks like when it's done well, what it looks like when it isn't, and everything in between. We talk about the leaders who shaped us, the hardest decisions we've had to make, what it means to lead with character instead of ego, and why the world needs more women willing to step up. If you've ever wondered whether leadership is for you (or if you've been sitting on the sideline waiting for permission), this one is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back, two PSAs: what to do if you get a flat tire on I-15 in Utah, and nine weeks of shingles later, DeAnna shares what she wishes she had known sooner
• 07:42 The leaders who shaped us: Philip Grant, the yelling boss, and what watching both taught us about who we never wanted to become
• 11:03 What drives how we lead today: authenticity, servant leadership, learning from loss, and seeing your people as human beings first
• 15:28 How losing Taylor changed the way Cristie leads: and why real leadership means knowing that everyone on your team is carrying something
• 19:49 The hardest decisions we've ever had to make as leaders: and why doing the right thing is rarely the easy thing
• 28:54 The most important leadership skill right now: connecting over managing, dropping the ego, and leading alongside your people instead of above them
• 31:00 What we would tell every woman considering a leadership role: never play small, never compromise your character, and know that the world needs you in that seat

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)
• Not All Friendships are Meant to Last
• What’s the Dream You Never Chased?
• Brené Brown
• Simon Sinek
• DeAnna Robbins | Elevated Edge Coaching
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

What dream did you quietly let go of without telling anyone?

In this episode, we're turning the mic on ourselves and asking the questions most of us never stop long enough to answer. The dreams we abandoned. The guilt we carried for wanting more. What we're still trying to rediscover about ourselves, and what we want our lives to look like five years from now.

This one is not an interview. It's an invitation to stop, reflect, and ask yourself the questions that matter, because the dream you stopped chasing might still be waiting for you.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back, and a quick laugh about recording a full episode last week, on equipment that didn't save it
• 04:18 What dream did you quietly let go of? Soap operas, gymnastics, dancing, law school, and the ones that still quietly linger
• 08:26 Was it fear, money, confidence, or timing that stopped you, and how much has actually changed for women today
• 14:53 Have you ever felt guilty for wanting something more for yourself? A conversation about worth, working mothers, and finally letting go of that guilt in your 50s
• 17:30 What part of yourself are you trying to rediscover: Cristie's inner little girl, DeAnna's quest to be more carefree, and what grandkids and big puffy clouds have to do with it
• 20:00 Five years from now, what would make you proud? A book, retirement, Paris, a letter to yourself, and the life you are quietly designing right now

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Fired and Free with Jess Ferguson
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

One Monday morning, after nearly 20 years on the air, Jess Ferguson walked out of the radio station for the last time.

In this episode, we sit down with the beloved co-host of the Frankie & Jess Show, and now the Frankie & Jess Podcast, to talk about what happens when the career you built your identity around suddenly ends. The grief of it, and the freedom of it… as she said: the 75% relief and 25% fear, and the faith that carried her through.

Jess opens up about the months of uncertainty, the husband who told her to bet on herself, the listeners and sponsors who followed her out the door, and why she would not trade any of it. She also shares her passion for supporting men's mental health through the I Love You Sis Project, the women's podcast, TheJessConnection, which she built just for herself, and why she is still not done building.

This one will make you laugh, maybe cry, and remind you that the next chapter is always worth the leap.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back and introducing the beloved Jess Ferguson, voice of Utah, co-host of Frankie & Jess, and a woman in the middle of her best chapter yet
• 02:00 The morning they walked her out (75% freedom, 25% fear) and what it feels like when the identity you built for 18 years disappears overnight
• 07:47 How the Frankie & Jess Podcast was born, why Kevin was the one who told them to bet on themselves, and what those three months of planning and waiting actually looked like
• 13:51 How sponsors followed them out the door, why community is everything, and what it means to build a business with people you actually do life with
• 20:18 The Jess Connection: why she finally launched her own women's podcast, what it means to stop hoarding other women's stories, and where to find it
• 22:21 The I Love You Sis Project, decoding the men in our lives, and why being a safe place changes everything, for our kids, our husbands, and ourselves
• 29:55 What she would tell anyone chasing a dream: money and titles are empty, peace is the prize, and the fifties are going to be fabulous

About Jess Ferguson:

Known for her warm personality, real-talk approach, and commitment to using her platform to lift others, Jess developed a reputation for being an authentic, strong female voice in a male-dominated broadcast world, bringing her laughter, empathy, and realness to the airwaves as part of the Frankie and Jess Show on 97.1 for nearly a decade.

Following her radio tenure, Jess and Frankie launched their podcast, the Frankie & Jess Podcast, in January 2024. In the first month of the podcast, they had nearly 200,000 downloads and have continued to connect authentically with followers in their over 350 episodes. Find them on Apple or Spotify.

In addition to her radio and podcast career, Jess has been a Sales Director with Mary Kay for more than 13 years. Through her leadership role as a Mary Kay Sales Director, Jess helps women build confidence, financial independence and champions women’s empowerment.

Hot off the press news! Jess just launched her women’s podcast called The Jess Connection. She shares incredible stories of the women she lives with. You can find it on Patreon.

Jessica resides in West Jordan with her husband, son, and 2 pit bull babies. She also loves Jesus and likes to cuss a little.

Episode resources:

• The Frankie & Jess Podcast
• The Frankie and Jess Podcast Instagram
• Jessica Ferguson Instagram
• Mary Kay Cosmetics
• TheJessConnection Podcast
• I Love You Sis - Mental Health Workshops for Women
• I Love You, Bro Project
• I Love You Bro Project Instagram
• Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

You were not designed to shrink. You were designed to get stronger. In this episode, we sit down with elite athlete, coach, and founder of The Golden Age, Heather Dees, a 6x IFBB Olympian who has spent two decades helping women understand that real transformation starts from the inside out. We talk about why strength training is the single most important thing women can do as they age, why the scale is lying to you, and why you are never too old, too out of shape, or too far gone to start. If you have been putting off getting back into your body because life keeps getting in the way (or because the gym feels intimidating, or because you think cardio is enough), this conversation is your sign to stop waiting and start building.

Learn More About Heather:

Heather Dees is not just a coach; she is living proof of the "Rebuild" philosophy. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Heather has spent over two decades mastering the intersection of external beauty and internal power. Her career began in 2003 as a Master Aesthetician and Cosmetologist. For 17+ years, she specialized in helping women feel beautiful in their own skin. But she knew that true radiance couldn't be achieved with skincare alone—it had to be built from the inside out. At age 24, Heather stepped onto the competitive stage, earning her Pro Card at the 2010 NPC Nationals. Her rise in the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding) was meteoric.

• 6x IFBB Olympian (Top 4 finisher in 2012 & 2013)

• 2x Arnold Classic Runner-Up (2013, 2014)

• California Governors Cup Champion (2012, 2013)

• Competed in over 40 Professional Shows

Her journey wasn't without setbacks. After a severe car accident threatened her career, Heather didn't just recover—she rebuilt. She returned to the highest level of competition, proving that the human body is capable of extraordinary resilience when given the right tools.

Today, Heather combines her elite athletic background with her deep knowledge of aesthetics and women's health. She founded The Golden Age to bridge the gap that the fitness industry ignored: the connection between metabolic health, nervous system regulation, and self-worth.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome and introducing Heather Dees, 6x IFBB Olympian, master aesthetician, coach, and founder of The Golden Age
• 03:37 How Heather went from running half marathons to stepping on a competitive bodybuilding stage, and what weight training taught her about mental and emotional discipline
• 08:55 How Heather's clientele has shifted toward women in their 40s to 60s, why the mental barrier is the biggest obstacle, and why one hour a week is still worth showing up for
• 16:11 Cristie opens up about her own fitness journey, shifting from chasing a stage goal to simply wanting to move without pain, and how hormones changed everything
• 21:06 The biggest misconception about weight training for women, and why you are not accidentally going to wake up bulky
• 23:07 What to do if you cannot afford a trainer, why Heather's app exists, and why strength training is literally cheaper than Botox
• 29:55 Heather at 16 weeks postpartum, practicing what she preaches, and what she would tell her 16-year-old self: everything is temporary, and you are going to make it through

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Heather's Instagram
• Heather's Website
• Customized Workout and Nutrition Monthly Plan
• #1 Surgeon's Advice to Look & Feel Younger (Dr. Vonda Wright at The Mel Robbins Podcast)
• Refinery Gym - Sandy, Utah
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Summary:

Not all friendships end with a fight. Some just slowly… change.

In this episode, we’re talking about friendships that quietly fade – the ones where nothing

dramatic happened, but something is no longer the same, and the friendships that end with

a dramatic ending.

Sometimes it's not about something they did; sometimes you’ve changed. Sometimes a

friendship is for a season.

If you have wondered whether you’re the problem or struggled to let go of a friendship that

no longer fits who you are, this conversation is for you. Because not every friendship is

meant to last forever, and that doesn’t make you a bad person.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Welcome back and diving into one of the most relatable topics, friendship breakups, seasonal friendships, and the ones that quietly dissolve
• 01:43 How divorce can quietly wipe out an entire friend group, and why nobody warns you that when a marriage ends, friendships often do too
• 07:53 Cristie opens up about losing her entire core friend group after Taylor's passing, why it happened, and why she now sees it as perfectly aligned
• 14:23 Cristie shares the story of a friend who blocked her without explanation, and the humbling truth she learned 15 years later at Taylor's funeral
• 20:06 What healthy friendships look like in your 50s, protecting your energy, knowing your friendship pyramid, and letting go of the need to eliminate vs. simply reprioritize
• 23:00 How to handle a friendship that no longer fits, whether you're the one pulling away or the one being left behind

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Pieces of a Woman Podcast Website
• Pieces of a Woman Podcast YouTube
• Pieces of a Woman Podcast Instagram
• Pieces of a Woman Podcast Facebook
• The 6 Month Trip That Changed Who We Are
• How Girlfriends Save You
• Are video podcasts more your style? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
• We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message on Instagram or Facebook.
• Do you want your next vacation to be in luxury? Book your exclusive retreat here.

About the Host:

• DeAnna Robbins | Elevated Edge Coaching
• Cristie North, Executive leader, Founder, and Speaker
• The Taylor Hagen Memorial Foundation

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the Podcast:

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on your favorite podcast app.

Leave Us an Apple Podcast Review:

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.