The Life Actually Podcast

For years Paola Rosser was punishing herself for her traumatic and abusive childhood. She knew she wanted a better life but she didn't know how to make that happen. After years of falling into the same patterns, Paola realized her fate was in her own hands. She also discovered what it truly means to manifest the life you so desire--and spoiler alert, it isn't just about making a vision board. Paola is now the founder and CEO of the Fearless Female movement as well as a spiritual mentor and life coach. She's also married to her soulmate (whom she met after she was 35) and living a lifestyle she had previously only ever been able to imagine. Paola is proof it's never too late to change or do anything in life--especially when it comes to taking control of that life. 

  Links: 
IG: @laurabbehnke 
@thelifeactuallypodcast 
Website: laurabehnke.com 

  Guest Links: 
IG: @fearlessfemalepodcast 
Website: fearlessfemale.com 
Facebook: @fearlessfemalemovement 
Twitter: @fearlessfemale9
TikTok: @paola.rosser 
YouTube 
Podcast: Journey of a Fearless Female

Cat Cantrill didn't really have a plan for how she wanted her life to go, but she did have a very strong idea about how her life should go. As a result, she found herself married at 22 even though she had doubts about the relationship heading in. Even after divorcing 13 years later and navigating life as a single mom, she still felt the pressure of how her life was supposed to look. It wasn't until years later that she gave herself permission to create her own idea of happiness, and that means helping other women do the same. From dating again before she was ready to opening a burlesque dance studio in Iowa to finding love after 40, Cat's journey to get to this point wasn't easy or quick, but it made her who she is today. 


  Links:
IG: @laurabbehnke 
@thelifeactuallypodcast 
Website: laurabehnke.com 

  Guest Links:
IG: @catcantrill 
Website: Single Women's Society 
Podcast: Single Women's Society 

Sandra Rodriguez Bicknell has found her purpose. And it all began when she finally shared her voice through her bestselling memoir, Cuts of a Diamond. Now she works with others to help them do the same through their own writing. Sandra knows this is the work she was meant to do. But it didn't all come together until she was in her 50s. Which is further proof that there are no time or age limits in life. Sandra is also a mom, a model, an acclaimed jeweler, and so much more. So far her life definitely has not gone according to any plan. And she wouldn't have it any other way.


  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke 
@thelifeactuallypodcast 
Website: laurabehnke.com 

  Guest Links:
IG: @sandrarodriguezbicknell 
Website: cutsofadiamond.com 
Book: Cuts of a Diamond

Alexa Cawley didn't know exactly how her life would go but she did expect a couple of things: she'd be married and have kids. Now in her early 30s she's realized that may not go according to plan.  At least not on her original timeline!  Alexa has been too busy following her entrepreneurial spirit and carving out her own space in the health and wellness industry.  Because while she enjoyed her time in the corporate world, there was something tugging at her heart and urging her to take that scary--but exciting--leap out of her comfort zone.  From there her company, Forever Friday Consulting, was born.  Just as a global pandemic began.  Talk about things not going according to plan!  All the while she was also going through an unexpected breakup.  It wasn't what she expected, but it led to her now being exactly where she knows she should be.


  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke 
@thelifeactuallypodcast 
Website: laurabehnke.com 

  Guest Links:
IG: @foreverfriday.co 
Website: foreverfriday.co

There are certain things we openly celebrate in a woman's life, like engagements, getting married, having kids and getting that promotion. But what about everything else? Lisa Cleary knows all about what she calls the "toxic milestone mentality".  And the feeling that if you aren't checking off those boxes then you are failing. After ending a toxic relationship in her early 30s with the person she thought she would marry, this tough love self-help writer knew it was time to start redefining the idea of life milestones and the things we celebrate. Because there's more to life than just chasing the next societal norms. And being single presents plenty of experiences and achievements that deserve to be acknowledged.

  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke 
@thelifeactuallypodcast 
Website: laurabehnke.com 

  Guest Links:
IG: @lisacleary3 
Website: lisacleary.com 
Book: How To Survive A Breakup: When All Of Your Friends Are Birthing Their Second Child

It has been a long journey, but in this solo episode Laura tells her pregnancy story. She and her husband Marc and so thrilled to be welcoming a baby in December, 2021, but getting to this point has not been easy. From dealing with a rare genetic condition, to educating themselves on infertility treatments, to dealing with a global pandemic and enduring multiple failed rounds of IVF, Laura shares it all. She's also letting you in on the baby's gender. This is an emotional episode that could be difficult for those triggered by talk of infertility and IVF. It's also a real look into one person's path to having a baby which looked nothing like how she had planned.

  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke
@thelifeactuallypodcast
Website: laurabehnke.com

For 27 years Laura Friedman Williams thought she was living out her happy ending. She'd been in a loving relationship with her husband for nearly three decades and had three beautiful kids as a result. It was everything she had planned for. Then one day she learned of her husband's affair and it not only rocked her world but also set her off on a course of self discovery. While she had always loved the life she had, Laura found there was more than one way to create a new happiness for herself. And it just so happened to involve a lot of sex. Because there's no single outcome that gives your life meaning. We all have a choice. And Laura isn't apologizing for hers.



  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke
@thelifeactuallypodcast
Website: laurabehnke.com
Dating, Actually: The Anti-Dating-Guide Dating Guide

  Guest Links:
IG: @laurafriedmanwilliams
The Book: Available: A Memoir of Sex And Dating After A Marriage Ends

Francesca Hogi has never really had a plan.  In fact, she still doesn't! Her main goal has always been to not live an ordinary life. Turns out, that hasn't been a problem. Francesca has been a corporate lawyer, worked in Hollywood, gone back to being a lawyer, been a two-time reality show loser--her words!--tried her hand at matchmaking, and now helps people as a love coach. She also has no interest in getting married or having kids, despite all the questions she still gets asked about it. Francesca doesn't know what's next, but it's safe to say that whatever happens, it won't be ordinary.

  Links:
 IG: @laurabbehnke
@thelifeactuallypodcast
Website: laurabehnke.com
Dating, Actually: The Anti-Dating-Guide Dating Guide

  Guest Links:
IG: @dearfranny
Website: dearfranny.com
Dating Archetype Quiz

Hillary Seiler never wanted to be a person who just checked off a box because that's what someone else told her she was supposed to do. No, Hillary refuses to settle, not only in relationships but in every aspect of her life. Her perspective on life changed drastically when she watched her family struggle for years through her mom's terminal illness and saw the toll it took both emotionally and financially. When her mom passed she knew she wanted to help others understand and establish their own financial ability. And with that her first business was born. She's a certified financial education coach and works with several NFL teams to help their players achieve longterm financial stability. Hillary never expected her life to go this way, but now she couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Links
IG: @laurabbehnke
Website: laurabehnke.com
The Life Actually Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Guest Links
IG: @hillary_seiler
@seilerfec
@financialfootwork
Website: financialfootwork.com

Ceta Walters's plan didn't exactly go the way she expected but the end result was the same: a great job, a husband, and two beautiful kids.  But that's where much of her story begins.  Because in the span of just a few months in 2019 Ceta filed for divorce and then learned she had breast cancer.  That's right, it was the Big C and D, as Ceta calls them.  And she went through the thick of it all right in the middle of a global pandemic.  The last two years have been anything but simple for Ceta, but she knows she can't be the only person who is going through something like this.  Which is why she tells her story of perseverance.  Because no one should feel alone in their own struggles.