Welcome to The "So Now What?" Podcast. I am so glad that you're here. I created this podcast because I remember what it felt like after I left fertility treatments without the child that I dreamed of. When I looked around for resources to help me navigate a life I hadn't planned for, I found so few that truly spoke to the experiences of an unexpected childless life.

In 2021, I became a certified life coach and started this podcast because I knew that other women were searching - just like I was - for ways to thrive and feel fulfilled, even without the children that we dreamed of. On this playlist, I'm sharing a few of my favorite episodes just to help you get started, but I also encourage you to dive in to any of the others that might resonate with you. Each week I release about a 10 or 15-minute episode to offer support, acknowledgement, and real life strategies to help you recognize that you are not alone.

Together, we'll look for opportunities to move forward and redefine what a fulfilling life can look like, even though it turned out so differently than you imagined.

If you want to learn more about my coaching practice and the Thrive After Infertility Mastermind, you can visit my website, lanamanikowski. com. And if you're in the Chicago area, I'd love for you to join my meetup group. We have an awesome group of women who are childless and childfree, We get together every so often and connect, share, and support each other.

And if you find yourself wanting to visit the Chicago area on Mother's Day weekend, I would love for you to join me at the Other's Day Brunch, an annual event that has gotten national media attention. It's a celebration I host every year the day before Mother's Day to create connection, awareness and unity for women who don't have children at a time that feels so hard.

All right, so let's dive in.