Why do so many smart, capable women feel like failures when it comes to money? In this episode, I talk with therapist and Hi Money co-author Rachel Davies about the hidden beliefs, shame, and socialisation that shape how women relate to money — and how the patterns are almost identical to diet culture.

Rachel Davies is a therapist, and co-author of *Money Money Money* with Angela Meyer. After realising at 49 that she had no KiwiSaver despite years of "knowing better," Rachel discovered that the missing piece wasn't more financial knowledge — it was understanding what was driving her behaviour with money in the first place.

In this conversation, Rachel and I explore:

- Why women are statistically more likely to retire into poverty, and the invisible "death by a thousand cuts" that causes it 

- How the patriarchy isn't "men" — it's a system, and why that distinction matters for how women relate to both money and their bodies

- The belief that money (or thinness) will arrive in the future and finally make everything okay — and how to come back to the present instead

- Why "you have to work hard for money" is a lie that keeps women stuck in shame

- The role trauma and nervous system regulation play in our ability to manage money, food, and self-worth

- Why shame and silence are the tools that keep both diet culture and money culture in place — and what happens when women start talking about it

If you've ever felt like everyone else got the "how to handle money" manual and you somehow missed it, this episode is for you.

Connect with Rachel Davies:

Hi Money: https://himoney.co/

Book - Money Money Money: https://www.paperplus.co.nz/shop/books/money-money-money-1488946

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hihi_money/

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Want to get know more about my work? Subscribe to Wait, What? — Emma's substack style newsletter: https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

Weight loss drugs are everywhere right now — in ads, in conversations, even being trialled on children as young as six. So what does that mean for how we talk to our kids about food, bodies, and weight?

In this episode I'm joined by Oona Hanson, parent coach and educator based in Los Angeles, who helps families raise kids with a healthy relationship to food, exercise, and their bodies — including families navigating eating disorder recovery.

We talk about:

— What parents actually need to know about how accessible these medications are becoming for kids and teens

— The difference between having a hard day with body image and something that needs professional support — and the signs Oona watches for as a coach

— Why representation matters more than ever, as larger-bodied public figures disappear from our screens — and what this means for kids whose bodies are supposed to be growing, not shrinking

— How to talk to teenagers about diet culture and weight loss drugs without lecturing — including practical scripts for opening these conversations in the car, doing the dishes, or on the couch

— Why "they look healthy" is one of the most dangerous things we can say, and how this kept Emma's own eating disorder hidden for years

— How to advocate for your child at the doctor when you're worried about weight stigma — and the questions to ask your GP ahead of time

— Why Oona believes "we can't just talk about it, we need to be about it" when it comes to modelling body image for our kids

— And why there's real reason for hope, even in a culture saturated with weight loss messaging

This episode follows on from Emma's earlier conversation with Louise Adams on the marketing of weight loss drugs — if you haven't listened to that one yet, it's worth going back to.

Find Oona Hanson: https://www.oonahanson.com/

Substack (Parenting Without Diet Culture): https://oonahanson.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oona_hanson/

 Mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Lauren Hartman's book, Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma:  https://www.amazon.com/Freeing-Children-Adults-Scales-Stigma/dp/1041141009

Eating Disorder Association of New Zealand (EDANZ): https://www.ed.org.nz/

Louise Adams episode on weight loss drug marketing: https://open.spotify.com/episode/46YpLnCFUttZgbOIfq3F8s?si=j5OaiN1lRS-QcdzdMxrerQ

Loved this episode? The biggest thing you can do to help more people find this conversation is share it with someone who needs it.

For more on exiting diet culture — subscribe to Emma's Sunday newsletter, Wait, What? https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

If you keep going around and around on a decision — and no amount of Googling or talking it through is helping — this episode will help.

Confusion feels like an information problem. It isn't. It's a protective strategy your brain uses to keep you from feeling something uncomfortable. And once you understand that, you can actually get out of it.

In this episode, Emma walks you through a four-question tool to get yourself out of the loop — whether you're stuck on something big, like a relationship or a work situation, or something that should feel simple, like what to order for lunch.

You'll learn:

• Why confusion is not a thinking problem — and what it actually is
• Why women in particular get stuck in this loop (and why it makes complete sense)
• What people pleasing has to do with feeling confused
• Four questions that help your brain find a way through
• What to do once you've worked through the questions

This tool works best when you approach it with kindness toward yourself. Emma explains why that's not just a nice idea — it's the only way the tool actually works.

Subscribe to Wait, What? — Emma's newsletter: https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

Talking with Emma is hosted by Emma Wright — certified cognitive behavioural coach, Intuitive Eating coach, author of Body Confident, and holder of a Masters degree grounded in feminist theory. Emma helps high-achieving women build a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

You know what you're supposed to do. Protein. Sleep. Movement. Stress. Fun. Relationships. And yet — underneath all of that knowledge — there is a persistent, grinding feeling that you are behind. That you haven't arrived yet. That you'll get there when the routine is sorted, when you lose a few kilos, when you finally feel on top of it.

SUBSCRIBE TO WAIT.WHAT? https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

In this episode, I unpack what lies underneath why we have so much info about being well, but struggle to put it into action. And how that in itself detracts from our health. 

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

— Why knowing exactly what to do is not the same as being able to do it — and what is actually getting in the way

— The connection between perfectionism and burnout, and why it makes complete sense that high-achieving women end up here

— What "capacity for the human experience" means, and why building it matters more than optimising your routine

— How the emotions we push down in service of getting it right are the same emotions quietly driving the cycle

— Emma's own experience of trying to do her body image work perfectly — and what she understands now that she didn't then

— One practice to try the next time you miss the gym and your brain immediately starts telling you what it means about you 

ABOUT ME, Emma Wright, the podcast host

I'm a certified cognitive behavioural coach, Intuitive Eating coach, and the author of Body Confident. I have a Masters degree grounded in feminist theory. I work with high-achieving women who are done with diet culture and to exit as fast and as well as possible. My approach doesn't involve plans, protocols, or accountability tracking — it starts with understanding what is driving the compulsion to get it all right.

Learn more about my offerings, both free and paid: https://emmawright.co.nz/

WAIT, WHAT? — THE SUNDAY NEWSLETTER

Every Sunday Emma sends out Wait, What? — a newsletter for women who are smart enough to be cynical about wellness culture and still want to feel well.

Subscribe here:  https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

If you've yo-yo'd down and up more than once, this episode is for you.

Emma Wright shares what she learned after 65 (or more) weight loss cycles and what you can do to address it.

She introduces her free upcoming workshop — THE YO-YO SOLUTION THAT ISN'T WELLNESS HOGWASH — where she walks you through the steps to solve yo-yo cycle in way that's specific to your own dieting history.

This episode covers:

— Why weight loss is the most reliable predictor of weight gain (and what the research actually says about long-term dieting outcomes)

— The question nobody in the diet or wellness industry ever asks — and why it's the one that changes things

— A three-step method to end the cycle without giving up on your health

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REGISTER FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP emmawright.co.nz/yoyo

The Yo-Yo Solution That Isn't Wellness Hogwash

12 June | Noon | Replay available

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Before You Take Ozempic, Listen to This — with Louise Adams

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ABOUT EMMA

Emma Wright is a certified Health and Body Image Coach with training in Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioural Coaching and Intuitive Eating. She holds a Master's degree grounded in feminist theory and is the author of Body Confident (HarperCollins).

Find Emma at: https://emmawright.co.nz/

Subscribe to the Wait, What? newsletter: https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

The marketing around Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound is relentless — and is only telling you one very small part of the story.

Louise Adams is a clinical psychologist, author, podcaster and founder of Untrapped. She has spent more than 20 years in the non-diet and Health at Every Size field. She recently co-authored a peer-reviewed paper — GLP-1 Medication for Weight Loss: A Triumph of Marketing Over Patient Care — which cut through the noise to look at what the clinical trials actually show, what the drug companies are not highlighting, and why informed consent is so critical before taking a weight loss medication.

This episode is not about telling you whether to take a GLP-1 medication or not. It is about making sure that whatever you decide, you have the full picture.

In this episode we cover

• Why almost everyone talking about GLP-1s in a positive light has a financial relationship with at least one drug company — and what that means for the information you are receiving
• What the clinical trials actually show about weight loss outcomes — including the significant variation in results, the plateau at around 12 months, and what happens when you stop
• Why GLP-1 medications are weight suppression drugs, not a cure — and why your body's response to that is not a personal failure
• The side effects that are not getting the spotlight they deserve, including gastric paralysis, pancreatitis, and the growing number of lawsuits citing lack of informed consent
• How the framing of larger body size as a disease was built — and why the comparison to how other conditions have been pathologised throughout history matters
• The difference between weight-dependent and weight-independent health outcomes — including why cardiovascular benefits from GLP-1s appear to occur regardless of whether you lose weight
• How to ask better questions of your health provider, and which weight-inclusive resources can help you do that
• A practical framework for making a genuinely informed decision: what do you actually want from this, what are the short and long-term pros and cons, and which of your goals are truly weight-dependent

Resources mentioned in this episode

Louise Adams' paper: GLP-1 medication for weight loss, a triumph of marketing over patient care -- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21604851.2026.2646492

Louise Adams -- meet Louise and her work: https://untrapped.com.au/meet-louise/

Louise Adams untrapped academy, newsletter and podcast All Fired Up:  https://untrapped.com.au

Ragen Chastain's Weight and Healthcare Substack: https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/

AWIM GLP-1 Informed Consent document: https://sizeinclusivemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MSSI-GLP1-Informed-Consent-10.pdf

HAES Health Sheets: https://haeshealthsheets.com/

Association for Size Inclusive Medicine: https://weightinclusivemedicine.org

If this episode resonated with you

Share it with a woman in your life who is being targeted by the GLP-1 marketing machine — and who deserves the full story before she decides.

Learn more about feminist health coaching and a completely different approach to your health and your body. The Wait.What? newsletter is a good place to start.

https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

In this rerelease I dive into one of the most pervasive and exhausting beliefs I see in my coaching practice: the idea that your body is a problem that needs to be fixed. 

Even for those of us who reject diet culture or adopt intuitive eating, this belief often runs deep and unconsciously influences how we perceive ourselves. 

I explore the systems of belief that reinforce the "fix-it" mentality—from diet culture and patriarchy to wellness culture and emotional avoidance.

Plus, I share a client story that beautifully illustrates what it looks like to break free from this cycle. If you're ready to get relief from feeling like you're always falling short and start approaching your health and wellbeing in a more productive way, this one's for you.

Subscribe to the Wait.What? newsletter: https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat-ama/

Links & Resources:
🎧 Download the Midlife Body Image Assessment + audio guide. It helps you see what’s really driving your food and body noise — and what to do to get relief. 

Curious about working together?
I’m currently taking private clients. Book a consultation where we'll create an individualised plan to stop fixing your body and start feeling good enough. Whether we work together or not, you'll know your next steps.

Let’s stay connected:
🌐 Emma's Website
📱 Follow on Instagram, and LinkedIn

Why do women stay in bad relationships — even when they know, in their heart of hearts, that the situation doesn't suit them? This week I'm joined by Sallyanne Hartnell, a divorce coach who helps women navigate every stage of relationship breakdown — from the first quiet question to coming home to themselves on the other side.

We talk about good girl conditioning: the deeply ingrained belief that belonging depends on acting like a girl. Being good. Looking good. Not asking for too much. And what happens when your own values start to whisper that something needs to change — but following that whisper means risking everything you've been trained to protect.

What struck me most was how closely this mirrors what I see with diet culture. The same conditioning that keeps women in relationships that don't fit them keeps them trying to fix their bodies — long after the evidence tells them it isn't working.

In this episode we cover:

- Why women stay in bad relationships — and what good girl conditioning has to do with it

- The "quiet questioning" phase: what it means when you lie awake wondering "is this all there is?"

- How worthiness and self-trust are built — and why they matter more than willpower

- The real cost of staying in situations that no longer serve you

- What the journey from quiet questioning to coming home to yourself actually looks like

- Why leaving diet culture and leaving a relationship that doesn't fit follow a surprisingly similar path

- The one question Sallyanne asks clients that reframes everything: how much of you is it costing you to stay?

- Laura McKowen (links below) and her work on leaving behind the things that no longer serve us 

If you've ever felt like you should be okay with something you're not okay with — in a relationship, in your body, or anywhere else — this episode is for you.

ABOUT SALLYANNE HARTNELL:

Sallyanne Hartnell is a multi-award-nominated divorce coach, podcaster, and blogger who supports women at every stage of relationship breakdown — from the first quiet questioning through to life on the other side. Her work helps women move from performing for belonging to coming home to themselves.

Website: www.reflectcoaching.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reflectcoaching/

Podcast: Reflect, Reclaim & Liberate: https://reflectreclaimliberatewithsallyannehartnell.buzzsprout.com

ALSO MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Laura McKowen — author and writer on recovery, belonging, and leaving behind what no longer serves you.

Substack: https://lauramckowen.substack.com/

ABOUT EMMA WRIGHT:

Emma Wright is a certified cognitive behavioural coach and Intuitive Eating coach, author of Body Confident, and host of the Talking with Emma podcast. She helps high-achieving, resourceful women stop fighting their bodies and start living the way they want to.

Subscribe to Wait, What? — Emma's free Sunday newsletter: https://emmawright.co.nz/waitwhat/

Work with Emma: https://emmawright.co.nz/

Have you ever set a goal, genuinely wanted it, done all the right things and still found yourself not following through? You're not lazy. You're not lacking willpower. And you are not the problem.

>> Subscribe to Wait, What?

In this episode of Talking with Emma, cognitive behavioural coach and Intuitive Eating coach Emma Wright shares the real reason most women struggle to stick to health and wellness goals, and why the usual advice of habit stacking, accountability, and pushing harder almost always makes it worse.

Emma opens with a personal story: years of trying to get to the gym regularly, despite truly wanting to go. She tried every productivity trick in the book. Nothing worked until she stopped trying to force herself and got curious instead. What she found surprised her. She wasn't avoiding the gym because of laziness or lack of discipline. She was avoiding it because it felt lonely.

That insight made going to the gym straightforward.

This episode introduces a simple four-question framework rooted in cognitive behavioural coaching that helps you understand what is actually driving your behaviour around health goals. No willpower required. No shame involved. Just a genuinely different way of looking at why you do what you do.

Emma walks through each question slowly and in depth, with real examples, so you can follow along and apply it to your own life before the episode is even over.

This episode is for you if you have ever felt cynical about your ability to change. If you have tried the plans, the apps, the challenges, and the habit trackers — and you are starting to wonder whether the problem is you. It is not. But understanding what is actually going on is where real change begins.

What you will learn in this episode: why health and wellness goals fail even when you genuinely want them, how diet culture has trained us to treat ourselves like productivity problems rather than human beings, what cognitive behavioural coaching reveals about avoidance and behaviour, the four-question framework for understanding what is really driving your actions, and how to stop fighting yourself and start working with yourself instead.

Topics covered include: goal setting, behaviour change, diet culture, intuitive eating, cognitive behavioural coaching, body image, health and wellness, women's health, motivation, habit formation, and food noise.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman you know who has been hard on herself for not following through on her health goals. She needs to hear this.

Subscribe to Wait, What? — Emma's free Sunday newsletter for the woman who has become cynical about health trends because she has tried so many things. Every week Emma takes you down the diet culture off-ramp with personal stories that will make you think: wait, what — I've been lied to? Subscribe here. 

What happens when life-saving medication changes your weight, but the medical system keeps focusing on it?

Katie Rickson lives with bipolar. She has been hospitalised. She has been through the years of misdiagnosis - depression, anxiety, ADHD - before finally getting an answer that made sense of her life. 

And having been to the doctor, seriously unwell, a psychiatrist noted in a report that she was a "slim young woman."

So we talk about it. 

Katie is now, by her own account, the heaviest she has ever been. She is also the most mentally well. In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes to get there — and what the medical system, and diet culture, gets wrong along the way.

In this episode we cover

• What bipolar disorder actually is — and why it takes an average of 9.5 years to diagnose
• Why Katie's mental health is better now in a bigger body than it ever was when she was slim
• The real reason bipolar medications cause weight gain — and why that is not a side effect to simply fix
• Being offered weight loss injections by a doctor who was not asking the right questions
• How Katie learned to separate nutrition from body size — and what she asked her dietician to focus on instead
• The Spoon Theory — a practical tool for understanding your energy capacity on any given day
• The "grand bargain" Katie has with the people close to her, and why it matters
• Emotional literacy — what it is, why most of us were never taught it, and how to start
• How changes in appetite can be an early signal that something needs attention
• Why food belongs in the coping toolkit — and how to use it consciously rather than shamefully
• Practical ways to protect yourself in medical appointments when you know weight will come up
• The self-compassion practice Katie credits with changing her relationship with food and her body — including the work of Dr Kristin Neff

Find Katie

• Katie's website
• Business in the Bath
• LinkedIn
• Instagram: @katie.writes.edits / @businessinthebath

Find Emma

Emma's website  ·  Follow on LinkedIn

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a woman you love. The more we talk about leaving diet culture, the more women get to stop fighting themselves and start living the way they want to.