When my dear friend Debra Hewitt texted me and said, "Jamie, you have got to get Sarah Faulkner on The SavvyCast," I listened. And I am so glad I did!

Sarah is a brain aneurysm survivor, but this conversation is not just a story about surviving. It is a story about what comes after.

After a ruptured aneurysm, Sarah went through emergency surgery and 21 days in the ICU. What she came home to was something none of us could have predicted: a troubled marriage transformed from the ground up, childhood trauma healed that she had carried for decades, and a faith that changed the way she sees everything.

She is also the founder of Milk Velvet Pearls, a jewelry ministry built on the truth that beauty is born from struggle, and Sarah's story is living proof of just that.

• What a brain aneurysm rupture actually feels like, why Sarah did not call 911, and how she spent five days before making it to the emergency room
• Her emergency surgery, her time in the ICU, and what recovery really looked like when she finally came home
• The troubled 20-year marriage she nearly walked away from, how her husband got sober, and what "Marriage 2.0" actually looks like today
• How she renewed her mind and healed not just physically but from years of childhood trauma and abuse she had carried her whole life
• The story behind Milk Velvet Pearls, the pearl as a symbol of beauty born from struggle

• Milk Velvet Pearls website
• Follow Sarah Faulkner on Instagram (@mvpearlgirl)
• Double Portion Earrings | Milk Velvet Pearls
• Debra Hewitt Art

WHERE TO LISTEN

If this episode encouraged you, we would love it if you took a few minutes to rate and review The SavvyCast! It means so much and helps more women (just like you) find the show!

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Stop Dreading Getting Older. This 77-Year-Old Changed Everything I Thought About Aging!

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Am I Becoming Catholic? My Faith Journey Update

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If you have grandchildren or are getting close to that sweet season of life, these are the things you need to know about investing in your grandchildren. I sat down with my husband Zane for a real chat about the steps we are taking to intentionally invest in our grandchildren both financially and in life.

We talk about the kind of legacy we want to leave our two grandbabies (and two more on the way!) that goes so much deeper than money. We dive into the family traditions we hope will anchor them. Plus, we cover the financial tools every grandparent should know right now, including Trump accounts and 529 college savings plans. Zane also shares the compound interest math that will stop you in your tracks!

• How Trump accounts work, what the $1,000 government gift at birth means for your grandchild, and why you need to sign up now
• The compound interest math that will make your jaw drop: how investing $250 a month from birth can build its way up to millions by the age of 65
• Why Zane believes faith, presence, and speaking identity over your grandchildren matter even more than financial gifts
• What grandparent traditions we hope to establish to make lifelong memories: quarterly grandparent weekends, birthday affirmations, lake weeks, graduation celebrations, and more
• How 529 college savings plans work and why grandparents are in a unique position to contribute
• The "multiplier" approach to teaching grandchildren about generosity (and how we used it with our own daughters)
• Why investing in grandchildren by blessing their parents (think date nights, Mother's Day out, and house cleaners for new moms) might be the smartest use of your resources right now

• Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
• Trump Account information

WHERE TO LISTEN

If this episode encouraged you, we would love it if you took a few minutes to rate and review the SavvyCast! It means so much and helps more women find the show!

• Apple Podcasts
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Stop Dreading Getting Older. This 77-Year-Old Changed Everything I Thought About Aging!

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The Marriage Check-In That Reveals More Than You Expect (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats)

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If the thought of getting older fills you with more dread than anything else, this conversation is for you.

I brought back one of my all-time favorite guests, Ally Phillips, for a second visit on The SavvyCast, and if you caught her first episode, you already know why. Ally will be 77 this October, her husband Pop just turned 84, and she will tell you herself that she found her stride in her sixties. She exemplifies what it looks like to age well after 60. Aging can feel like a burden, but Ally is proof that your best years aren't behind you!

In this episode, Ally shares the mindset that has carried her through some of life's hardest seasons, her fitness routine, her three simple eating philosophies, what she has learned about how to stay strong as you age when so many people around her are slowing down, and how she stays fully present with her grandchildren while running her business as a Creator.

If you feel like your best years are behind you, this episode will completely change your mindset!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• Why aging well after 60 is not something that just happens to you, and what it actually takes to make it possible
• Her "16 Weeks to 70" challenge series & why she hiked a 14,000-foot mountain at 70
• The mindset that carried Ally through losing a child, the Marshall plane crash, and divorce, and what she wants every woman in a hard season to hear
• What she tells women who feel like their purpose vanished the moment the kids left home
• Her complete weekly workout routine and why doing it early is the only way it gets done
• Her three eating philosophies and how she hits 100-plus grams of protein a day through everyday food
• How she and Pop have kept their spark after decades of marriage and what makes their partnership so easy even now in their seventies and eighties
• How she stops work the moment her grandchildren arrive, and why she believes birth to age ten is your real window with the littles

RECIPES MENTIONED:

• Meaty Pizza Bolognese recipe
• Easy Meatballs recipe
• Chocolate Protein Cake recipe
• Holiday Mac & Cheese recipe
• Sweet Peas Mac & Cheese recipe
• Jamaican Jerk Mac & Cheese recipe

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Ally Phillips on Instagram: @allyskitchen
• Ally's Kitchen website
• Ally's cookbook
• "16 Weeks to 70" challenge series on Ally's website
• FlavCity Protein Powder
• Paleo Valley Bone Broth Protein Powder
• Wild Grain subscription
• Mid-Day Squares
• Portrait painting canvas kit on Amazon

WHERE TO LISTEN

If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to The SavvyCast. It means so much and helps more women find the show!

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Living Your Best Life Beyond 60 with Ally Phillips

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What Every Woman Over 50 Wants to Know About Her Skin (My Dermatologist Answers It All)

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If you have ever sat in the salon chair wondering what if you're making a mistake with your hair, this is for you.

My friend Chris Presley, owner of Fringe Soho Salon, joins me to answer every question I have ever had about hair, and he did not hold back. From the color mistakes that instantly age you, to the products that are not worth your money, to why you should put the Dyson down, this is the most honest and practical guide to better hair over 50 you are going to find.

• The number one color mistake that instantly ages women ( and why going too blonde works against you)
• How to stay beautifully blonde without overdoing it, including why dimension and low lights change everything
• The smartest color strategy if you only want to visit the salon three or four times a year (balayage is the answer)
• Why Nutrafol works for hair loss + how long before you see results
• What to do about cowlicks and widow's peaks without committing to a full Brazilian blowout
• His honest takes on K18, Olaplex, purple shampoo, drugstore shampoo, and whether you really need a Dyson

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Fringe Soho Salon in Homewood, Alabama
• Nutrafol hair growth supplement
• Shark Blow Dryer
• Shark Straightener + Rapid Blow Dryer
• Family Savvy's Shepherd's Pie Recipe

WHERE TO LISTEN

If this episode helped you, it would mean the world if you took a moment to rate and review the SavvyCast! You can find us on:

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What Every Woman Over 50 Wants to Know About Her Skin (My Dermatologist Answers It All)

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Navigating Hair Loss: Solutions for Cancer Patients, Thinning Hair, Alopecia, & More

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I put out a question box asking you to share your most pressing skincare concerns, and the response was everything I needed to see: so many of us are sitting with the same questions and not getting straight answers! Sagging. Crepey skin. Jawline changes. Melasma. Collagen confusion. Lines that seem to appear overnight.

So, I sat down with my dear friend and dermatologist Dr. Jo Herzog to get into the nitty gritty of all of it. We cover what is really happening to your skin after 50, why it is happening, and what actually works to address it. Dr. Jo does not hold back, and that kind of honesty is exactly what our real midlife skin concerns deserve. If you have been looking for real, straightforward solutions, this is the episode for you!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What's really happening to your skin after 50, including the surprising role bone loss plays in sagging, jowls, and those nasolabial folds
• The honest truth about collagen supplements: when they might help, when you're spending money for nothing, and why protein in your diet comes first
• How neuromodulators like Botox and dermal fillers address wrinkles, lip lines, and volume loss (and what they genuinely cannot fix)
• Crepey jawlines and neck bands: treatment options & what a truly "snatched" jawline actually takes
• Brown spots, melasma, and sun damage: causes, treatments, the SPF you actually need, and the sun protection mistake most women are making
• The skin conditions nobody talks about: what lichen simplex chronicus and lichen sclerosus actually are and why Dr. Jo says modesty has to be checked at the door when it comes to intimate skin concerns
• Under-eye bags: when fillers can help, when it's time to see an oculoplastic surgeon, and what a lower bleph actually involves

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Connect with Dr. Jo Lynne Herzog at Elite Skin

WHERE TO LISTEN

The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review--I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!

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Botox, Fillers, Hair Growth, & Skin Texture: What a Dermatologist Really Recommends

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Considering a Facelift? 10 Things to Think About Before You Say Yes

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What if the same framework that helps CEOs find their competitive advantage could help you see exactly where your marriage stands? In this episode of The SavvyCast, I sit down with my husband Zane for another marriage SWOT analysis. The last time we recorded a SWOT analysis on the podcast was six years ago, so we wanted to do an updated marriage self-assessment of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

From navigating Zane's conversion to Catholicism and my aversion to travel, to the joy of grandchildren and the goal of expanding our marriage ministry, this conversation is an invitation for any couple to do a marriage self-assessment and actually take action on what they find.

• SWOT Analysis Outline
• JH Ranch

The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review--I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!

Let's Talk: How to Use SWOT to Improve Your Marriage

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38 Years of Marriage: What We Got Right (& What We'd Do Differently)

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My Husband Converted to Catholicism: How We Navigate Faith Differences in Marriage

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With Father's Day this weekend, we are revisiting one of the most meaningful conversations we have ever recorded on The SavvyCast. My husband Zane sat down with our three daughters, Ellie, Jud, and Emma, for an honest, candid conversation about what it was really like to grow up with him as their dad. What did he get right? What would he change? And what do our girls treasure most? Whether you are hearing this for the first time or coming back for a second listen, I hope it blesses you this Father's Day!

GET TO KNOW MY HUSBAND ZANE

Zane is originally from Montgomery, Alabama, and as of 2026, Zane and I have been married for 38 years. In addition to being an incredible husband and father, Zane works as the managing partner with Founders Advisors. He is also the author of 17 Reasons Your Company is Not Investment Grade & What to Do About It. Zane is an Enneagram 3 wing 2.

WHO ARE THE TARENCE GIRLS?

• Ellie is our firstborn and the typical first child. She is an Enneagram 3, driven, goal-oriented, and independent. She is married to Sean Hiller, and since we first recorded this episode, she has become a mother to my first grandgirl, Anne Parker.
• Jud is our second daughter and an Enneagram 2. She is joyful, a peacemaker, deceptively competitive, and a mother to all. Since this episode first released, Jud has married Owen Carr and become a mother to my second grandgirl, Mary Owen. She is also expecting a baby boy this fall!
• Emma is our youngest and our "unicorn" daughter. She is an Enneagram 4, relational, fun-loving, candid, and direct. Since filming this episode, she graduated from Auburn University, lived out her dream of moving to California, and now calls Nashville home, where she works as a Partnerships Manager for Logo Brands.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What Zane was truly like as a dad, in our daughters' own words
• The things Zane got right that our girls remember and treasure most
• An honest conversation about what he would do differently
• Favorite family memories and the moments that shaped who our girls are today
• What Zane himself wishes he had done differently as a father

LINKS & RESOURCES

• The SavvyCast Mother's Day Episode
• Zane's Book: 17 Reasons Your Company is Not Investment Grade
• JH Ranch
• Vulcan Nutrition

WHERE TO LISTEN

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A Candid Conversation with the Tarence Girls on Having Jamie as a Mom

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38 Years of Marriage: What We Got Right (and What We'd Do Differently)

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If you've ever wondered why Catholics pray to Mary, what purgatory is, or whether Protestants are considered Christians, this episode is for you.

I'm joined again by my son-in-law, Sean Hiller, as we tackle listener-submitted questions and dive into Catholic faith questions answered through Scripture and official Church teaching. From salvation and sin to the personal cost of Sean's conversion to Catholicism, this conversation provides thoughtful insight into some of the most common questions about the Catholic faith.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS EPISODE:

• Do Catholics worship the same God as Muslims? Sean explains what the Catholic Church actually teaches about other faiths.
• Are Catholics and Protestants both Christian?
• Is the Catholic Church the one true church, and what does that mean for salvation? (Including what "extraordinary means" of salvation means)
• Why do Catholics pray to Mary, and is that the same as worship? Sean walks through the historical meaning of the word "pray," and why Mary holds a uniquely beautiful place in the faith.
• What is purgatory, and why do Catholics pray for the dead?
• What spiritual warfare looked like during Sean's conversion, including the strain it put on his marriage and the friendships they lost along the way.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Sean's YouTube Channel (@LectiowithSeanHiller)
• To Whom Shall I Go? by Ellie Hiller
• Catechism in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz

WHERE TO LISTEN

If you love listening to the podcast, one of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review. This genuinely helps us reach more fabulous midlife women!

You can find The SavvyCast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

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From Atheist to Catholic: My Son-in-Law Sean Hiller's Faith Journey

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Am I Becoming Catholic? My Faith Journey

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I'm getting honest about one of the biggest mistakes I made in midlife fashion: letting the size on a clothing tag dictate how I felt about myself and what I was willing to wear. Confidence has far less to do with a number and far more to do with finding clothes that fit and flatter the body you have today.

I'm sharing 10 midlife sizing lessons I learned the hard way so you don't have to—from letting go of comparisons to your younger self to understanding how fit, structure, and fabric can completely transform an outfit.

If you've ever struggled with sizing, body image, or feeling confident in your clothes, I hope this encourages you to embrace where you are today and dress in a way that makes you feel your very best.

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Shop the Family Savvy x Ming Wang collection:

• Dillard's
• Nordstrom
• Ming Wang's website

WHERE TO LISTEN

The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review—I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!

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Tanya Foster: Her New Clothing Line & Best Style Advice for Women

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What It's ACTUALLY Like Working in Fashion

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This week, I'm sharing all the details behind the bedrooms at our lake house. I'm diving into the practical finds that have made a big difference: our favorite mattresses, affordable sheets, mattress pads, box springs, and more. I'm also sharing the beautiful design details that have elevated the look and feel of the rooms, including our bedding, bed frames, custom pillows, rugs, and other cozy touches.

If you love hearing the "why" behind home design decisions and enjoy discovering pieces that are both beautiful and functional, I think you'll love this episode!

DISCOUNT CODES:

• RUGGABLE: Use code SAVVY15 for 15% off!
• HELIX: Use code FAMILYSAVVY for a special discount!
• LEESA: Use code FAMILYSAVVY75 for $75 off!

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Stein Studio (My Interior Designer)
• Elizabeth Fields Designs - Custom Designer Pillows

SHOP THE BEDDING PRODUCTS:

• Nadine Upholstered Standard Bed
• Curved Bed in Performance Velvet - Moss
• 100% Linen Wingback Bed
• Wingback Bed in Performance Velvet - Walnut
• 7 Inch Box Spring For King Bed Bases
• Ruggable Kairos Ivory & Blue Rug
• Ballard Designs Collins Indoor/Outdoor Rug
• Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress
• Helix Cool Mattress Topper
• Leesa Sapira Chill Hybrid Mattress - Medium-Firm
• Waterproof Mattress Pad
• Lands' End 400 Thread Count Sateen Embroidered Sheets
• Giza Cotton Sateen Sheet Set - White
• Pillows Medium Firm
• Organic Ribbed Cotton Coverlet - White
• European Linen Dream Quilt - Mist
• Vintage Wash European Linen Bed Cover
• European Linen Cotton Stitch Quilt - Mist
• European Linen Dream Quilt - Ivory
• Organic Airy Gauze Blanket
• Matelasse Coverlet - Dried Sage

WHERE TO LISTEN:

The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review—I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? CHECK THIS ONE OUT!

A Life Update: The Story Behind Our New Lake Home

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