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What do you do with the rest of your life when the future you expected suddenly disappears?

In this deeply moving episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Dr. Lynn Banis about grief, identity loss, widowhood, major life transitions, and how women can begin rebuilding their lives after devastating change.

Within three years, Lynn lost her mother, her younger brother, and her husband. These losses did more than break her heart; they changed her relationships, motivation, identity, and sense of purpose. Despite her extensive background in human behavior and coaching, Lynn discovered that grief could not be solved through knowledge alone.

This conversation is for the woman who survived the immediate crisis but is still quietly wondering:

• Who am I now?
• Why am I so exhausted and unmotivated?
• Will I ever experience joy again?
• Is it wrong to laugh, travel, date, or build a business after loss?
• What do I do with the rest of my life?

Julie and Lynn also discuss an important truth: grief is not limited to death. Divorce, retirement, job loss, becoming an empty nester, losing a relationship, and watching an expected future disappear can all leave a woman grieving the person she used to be.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why grief can feel like laziness or lack of motivation
• What happens when the world expects you to “be better”
• How self-limiting beliefs can block your next chapter
• Why women sometimes feel guilty for experiencing joy again
• How divorce, retirement, and job loss affect identity
• When professional mental health support may be needed
• How to stop allowing the past to control your future
• Why connection with other women matters during reinvention
• One small action you can take to reconnect with yourself
• How grief can eventually lead to renewed purpose

Moving forward does not mean forgetting the people or life you lost. It means allowing yourself to carry the love, lessons, and memories with you as you begin creating what comes next.

Your life is not over. You still have value, purpose, and chapters waiting to be written.

ABOUT DR. LYNN BANIS

Dr. Lynn Banis is a transformational guide, grief mentor, speaker, and the founder of Women Rising Together. Drawing from her background in human behavior, decades of coaching experience, and her own journey through profound loss, Lynn helps women move through grief, reconnect with their identities, and create meaningful new lives filled with purpose, connection, and joy.

Connect with Dr. Lynn Banis:

Women Rising Together:
https://womenrisingtogether.org/

Community and resources:
https://app.widowsrisingtogether.com/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-banis-36987b2aa/

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

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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How do you let go of guilt and regret after losing someone you love? And is it possible to move forward without feeling as though you are leaving them behind?

In this deeply honest episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Stephanie Renner about grief, suicide loss, caregiving guilt, self-forgiveness, and finding the freedom to live fully again.

Over six years, Stephanie experienced the sudden loss of her father, the emotional weight of caring for her mother through Alzheimer’s disease, and the devastating loss of her 18-year-old son, Jordan, to suicide.

After Jordan’s death, Stephanie found herself trapped in the painful questions so many grieving mothers carry:

• What if I had noticed something?
• What if I had done more?
• What if one different decision could have changed everything?

Stephanie shares why these “what-ifs” can feel like carrying a backpack filled with bricks—and how releasing them does not mean releasing the person you loved.

This conversation explores:

• How to stop blaming yourself after a traumatic loss
• Why regret becomes so powerful during grief
• The hidden guilt experienced by caregivers
• What genuine grief support looks like
• How to move forward without “moving on”
• Why healing does not require superhuman strength
• How pain can become purpose
• The difference between honoring someone and punishing yourself
• Stephanie’s Regret to Resilience Method™
• The legacy Jordan left in only 18 years

Stephanie Renner is a keynote speaker, writer, attorney, nonprofit founder, and creator of The Regret to Resilience Method™. Her work helps people release guilt, shame, and unresolved regret after trauma or loss so they can move forward with renewed purpose. Learn more about Stephanie

If you are carrying guilt over something you could not control, please hear this: moving forward is not a betrayal. You are allowed to carry the love without carrying the punishment.

Reach out to Stephanie:

https://www.stephanierennerspeaks.com/
https://www.stephanierennerspeaks.com/podcastoffer
https://gillysfriends.com/

Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations about women’s lives, healing, courage, business, visibility, and the stories that shape us.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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Why can a woman appear confident, capable, and successful, yet privately wonder whether she is good enough?

In this powerful episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, host Julie Fairhurst speaks with personal development and success coach Amy Lenius about the critical difference between self-confidence, self-belief, and self-worth.

Many women know how to work hard, achieve goals, care for their families, and carry enormous responsibility. But beneath all that capability, they may be people-pleasing, ignoring their needs, struggling to set boundaries, or living according to everyone else’s expectations.

Amy explains why success does not always create fulfillment, and why another planner, goal, affirmation, or burst of discipline cannot repair a damaged relationship with yourself.

In this conversation, you will discover:

• The difference between self-belief and self-worth
• Why successful women can still feel “not good enough”
• How people-pleasing slowly erodes your identity
• Why women lose themselves in the roles they carry
• How to recognize when your life no longer fits who you are
• Where women learn to doubt their instincts
• Why affirmations do not work for everyone
• How small promises and daily wins rebuild self-trust
• How to set boundaries without destroying important relationships
• Why radical responsibility can give you your power back
• How to create success that feels fulfilling and sustainable

Amy also shares her personal journey from living with endometriosis and chronic pain to becoming pain-free and building a career rooted in holistic wellness, personal development, identity, and sustainable success.

CONNECT WITH AMY

https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/group-coaching/
https://www.facebook.com/amy.lenius
https://www.instagram.com/amylenius

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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She survived the September 11 attacks in downtown Manhattan. Seven years later, she made Lehman Brothers’ final margin call before its historic bankruptcy. But Jane Buyers’ most difficult reckoning was not with Wall Street—it was with herself.

In this powerful episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Jane Buyers, an award-winning author and former managing director and senior banker with JPMorgan Chase.

Jane shares her extraordinary journey from social worker to senior Wall Street executive, young mother, 9/11 survivor, financial-crisis insider, and finally, author of the memoir Eight Septembers: A Woman on Wall Street From 9/11 to Lehman.

This is not simply a conversation about banking or historic events. It is an honest examination of ambition, motherhood, marriage, addiction, burnout, guilt, survival, and the courage required to reclaim your life when success no longer feels like success.

In this episode, Julie and Jane explore:

✦ What Jane witnessed in downtown Manhattan on September 11, 2001
✦ Why she and her colleagues continued working after the attacks
✦ The emotional aftermath of surviving an unimaginable day
✦ Becoming a female leader in the male-dominated world of Wall Street
✦ The pressure of combining motherhood with a demanding senior career
✦ How financial security became a pair of “golden handcuffs”
✦ Making Lehman Brothers’ final margin call before its bankruptcy
✦ The personal crises unfolding behind Jane’s professional achievements
✦ The difference between destructive blame and healthy self-accountability
✦ Why external validation can quietly steal a woman’s power
✦ Walking away from money, influence, and an impressive title
✦ Writing through trauma, shame, anger, and complicated family relationships
✦ Why it took Jane 15 years to complete and publish her memoir
✦ How writing from another person’s perspective can build compassion
✦ What women avoiding their own books need to hear
✦ Discovering who you are after the achievements and titles are removed

Julie also shares parts of her own story—from growing up surrounded by blame to leaving a successful 34-year sales career and rebuilding her identity beyond the work she once knew.

Together, Julie and Jane reveal a truth many accomplished women quietly face: you can look successful from the outside while losing touch with yourself on the inside.

Jane’s memoir, Eight Septembers, offers a rare woman’s perspective on Wall Street, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, motherhood, marriage, resilience, and personal reinvention. Her award-winning manuscript became a published memoir after years of writing, therapy, workshops, honest reflection, and professional editing.

Connect with Jane Buyers

www.janebuyers.com
www.eightseptembers.com

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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What is life like for women fighting for freedom, equality, and the right to use their own voices in Iran?

In this powerful episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Zolal Habibi, an Iranian-American human rights and women’s rights advocate and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Zolal’s commitment to human rights is deeply personal. Her father—a writer and human rights activist—was killed in connection with Iran’s 1988 massacre of political prisoners when Zolal was only seven years old.

Rather than allowing this devastating loss to silence her, Zolal transformed her grief into a lifelong mission. For more than two decades, she has worked to amplify the voices of Iranian women, political prisoners, and others who cannot speak freely without risking their safety.

In this important conversation, Julie and Zolal explore:

✦ The realities facing women and girls in Iran
 ✦ How controlling women’s clothing, choices, and voices becomes a means of controlling society
 ✦ The courage of Iranian women who continue to resist oppression
 ✦ How Zolal’s father’s death shaped her life and purpose
 ✦ Why women’s empowerment is essential to lasting social change
 ✦ The history behind Iran’s continuing struggle for freedom
 ✦ Why education has become a form of resistance for Iranian women
 ✦ What it costs to stand by your beliefs when speaking carries real danger
 ✦ How men can become meaningful allies for women’s equality
 ✦ What women in Canada and around the world can do to raise awareness
 ✦ Why helping another woman discover her power also strengthens your own

This is not simply a conversation about Iran. It is about what happens whenever women are denied the right to choose, speak, lead, and determine their own futures.

Zolal leaves us with a message for every woman who feels powerless, forgotten, or afraid:

Believe in your strength. Respect your decisions. Take one step at a time—and reach back to empower another woman as you rise.

Institutional discrimination and serious human-rights violations affecting women and girls in Iran have also been documented by the United Nations Human Rights Office.

Connect with Zolal Habibi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zolalhabibi/
 Instagram: @ashrafi4ever
X: @Ashrafi4ever
Learn more: Iran Freedom

If this conversation helps you understand the courage of Iranian women more deeply, please share it. Silence protects oppression. Awareness gives truth somewhere to stand.

Content note: This episode discusses executions, political imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, and the loss of family members. Please listen with care.

The views and historical interpretations expressed by the guest are her own. This interview is presented to encourage awareness and conversation about women’s rights and human rights.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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💍💍How do you plan the perfect marriage proposal, and make sure it reflects the person you truly love?

Julie Fairhurst sits down with Ash Fox, one of New York City’s leading marriage proposal planners and photographers. After helping plan and photograph more than 3,000 marriage proposals, Ash knows what creates an unforgettable “yes”—and what can quietly ruin the surprise.

Ash shares how she went from earning $80 photographing New York nightlife to building Ash Fox Proposals, a full-service proposal-planning business serving couples from around the world.

This conversation is about far more than getting down on one knee. Julie and Ash explore love, entrepreneurship, creative pricing, burnout, leadership, perfectionism, delegation, and the courage required to follow an unexpected calling.

In this episode, you will discover:

💍 How to plan a meaningful and personalized marriage proposal
💍 Why curiosity is the secret to understanding your partner
💍The biggest marriage-proposal mistakes people make
💍How Ash keeps proposals surprising and authentic
💍Why a beautiful proposal does not need to be elaborate
💍What more than 3,000 proposals taught Ash about love and commitment
💍How Ash turned photography into a highly specialized business
💍How creative women can begin charging appropriately for their work
💍Why doing everything yourself is not always generous
💍How Ash moved through burnout and learned to lead a team
💍Why perfection is sometimes found inside the imperfections

Ash reminds us that the perfect proposal is not about copying something beautiful from social media. It is about telling your partner:

I see you. I know you. I chose this moment with you in mind.

Whether you are preparing to propose, searching for romantic proposal ideas, growing a creative business, or wondering whether your unexpected path could become your purpose, this conversation will make you think differently about love, work, and the stories we leave behind.

Connect with Ash Fox 💍

Website: https://ashfoxphotography.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashfoxproposals

Ash Fox is a New York City proposal planner, photographer, and founder of Ash Fox Proposals. She and her team have planned and documented more than 3,000 marriage proposals for couples from around the world. Her work combines personalized planning, event production, emotional intelligence, and editorial photography.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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Why do hardworking, highly capable women get overlooked for promotions, even when they consistently overdeliver?

Executive leadership coach Nicole Johnston reveals how invisible labor, workplace bias, vague feedback, emotional labor, and unspoken leadership rules can quietly keep women from advancing in their careers.

Nicole has more than 30 years of senior corporate leadership experience. In this candid conversation with Julie Fairhurst, she explains why doing excellent work is not enough to make a woman promotable, and why your boss may not understand your contributions unless you learn to communicate your value.

We discuss the non-promotable work women are often expected to carry: taking notes, organizing celebrations, managing emotions, cleaning up, supporting everyone else, and accepting responsibilities that provide little recognition or career advancement.

Nicole also exposes the problems hidden inside phrases such as “executive presence,” “be more confident,” “you’re too direct,” and “you’re not quite leadership material.” You will learn how to ask for specific feedback, protect your ideas, reclaim credit, build visibility, and have direct conversations about your next promotion.

In this episode, you will discover:

•  Why hardworking women are frequently overlooked for promotions 
•  How invisible and non-promotable work damages career advancement 
•  Why competence alone does not demonstrate leadership potential 
•  What executive presence should really mean 
•  How gender bias can hide inside vague professional feedback 
•  What to say when someone calls you intimidating or too direct 
•  Why overdelivering can make you less strategically visible 
•  How to stop accepting work that was never yours 
•  The difference between being valuable and being promotable 
•  Why women need coaches, mentors, and sponsors 
•  How to build relationships with people who advocate for you 
•  What to say when someone interrupts you or takes credit for your idea 
•  How to manage your career instead of waiting to be noticed 

Nicole is also the author of Taboo Topics: Things Women Should Talk About But Don’t, a practical guide addressing personal and professional issues women are often discouraged from discussing.

If you have ever worked harder, taken on more, stayed agreeable, and proven yourself repeatedly, only to remain stuck. This conversation may help you understand why.

Your hard work matters. But if no one sees your thinking, leadership, results, or ambitions, your competence can become the very reason they leave you exactly where you are.

Watch until the end to learn the simple sentence every woman can use when someone interrupts her.

Connect with Nicole Johnston

http://www.innate-power.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemjohnston

https://www.instagram.com/innatepowercoaching/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122100179066765813&set=a.122100179132765813    (iP Facebook)

https://www.facebook.com/nicolejohnstoncoach  (nmj Facebook)

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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Starting over after divorce is difficult. Starting over while raising three children alone can feel almost impossible.

In this deeply honest episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, host Julie Fairhurst speaks with Gail Cawley Showalter, an author, coach, speaker, educator, and advocate for single mothers. Known in Southeast Texas as the “Old Bird with Feathers of Wisdom for Women and a Soft Spot for Single Moms,” Gail shares wisdom earned through heartbreak, financial pressure, loneliness, education, motherhood, and rebuilding a life that no longer resembled the one she had planned.

Gail raised three children as a single mother for 16 years. Her marriage ended abruptly, leaving her emotionally devastated and responsible for creating a new future for herself and her children.

During the day, she held herself together. At night, after her children were asleep, the tears came. Gail speaks openly about the pain women often carry behind closed doors—and the strength it takes to keep showing up when no one sees the full weight of what they are carrying.

This conversation explores what happens when a woman realizes no one is coming to rescue her and that she must begin rebuilding her life one decision at a time.

Gail returned to school three times, earned her master’s degree, found ways to create additional income, raised her children, and eventually began using her experiences to guide other single mothers. Her story is not about pretending hardship is beautiful. It is about accepting that life can be difficult while still believing that another future is possible.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to start rebuilding your life after divorce
• The emotional reality of becoming a single mother
• Why rejection and abandonment can affect women for years
• How divorce can create lasting wounds for children
• Why counseling and emotional support matter
• The difference between independence and doing everything alone
• Why women must learn to ask for help
• How to recognize and use the skills you already have
• Practical ways single mothers can create additional income
• Why education or career certification can change a family’s future
• How to return to school as an adult or single parent
• Why you are never too old to learn something new
• How mothers model resilience and determination for their children
• The importance of financial planning and living within your means
• Why healthy boundaries are essential after divorce
• Warning signs that you are abandoning yourself to keep a relationship
• Why disagreement should not make you feel unsafe
• How to stop repeating unhealthy relationship patterns
• Why your messy or ordinary story may help another woman
• How to rebuild your confidence and recognize your worth

Gail also shares an unforgettable story about needing help while her nine-year-old son was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix. She mentioned that she needed someone to move her refrigerator. Instead, an entire church choir arrived and moved everything in her home.

The lesson was simple but powerful: people may want to help, but they need to know that you need them.

Gail encourages single mothers not to solve their entire lives in one day. Gather information. Explore your options. Take one step. Knock on one door and see whether it opens.

You do not need to swallow the whole enchilada at once.

Education and Financial Support for Women

Gail discusses the value of gaining a practical skill, credential, certification, or degree that can help a single mother support herself and her children.

She also mentions P.E.O. International, which offers educational support and grants for women in the United States and Canada, including programs for women returning to school.

Learn more: https://www.peointernational.org

Find Gail Showalter

Website: https://www.gailshowalter.com
Blog: https://www.gailshowalterblog.com

Gail is the author of Living, Learning, Loving: Lessons of Insight and Encouragement on the Path of Motherhood. Her work addresses single motherhood, boundaries, money management, education, relationships, and rebuilding after divorce.

Her book is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and other booksellers.

If you are a single mother who feels exhausted, frightened, lonely, or uncertain about your future, Gail wants you to remember:

You are worthy. You are amazing. You can do this.

Please share this episode with a woman who needs to hear that she is not alone.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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Carol explains that our behavior often reveals what our conscious mind cannot see. We may say that we want to publish a book, speak on a stage, grow a business, earn more money, or become more visible—but if success feels emotionally unsafe, we will unconsciously find reasons to delay it.

The question is not simply, “Why am I sabotaging myself?”

A more powerful question is:

“How is staying stuck protecting me—and what am I afraid might happen if I succeed?”

Carol also explains Emotional Freedom Techniques, commonly known as EFT tapping. This body-based practice involves focusing on a distressing thought while tapping on specific acupressure points. It is designed to send calming signals to the brain and nervous system, helping people feel safer as they face difficult emotions, memories, goals, or situations.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why self-sabotage may actually be an attempt to stay safe
• The hidden connection between procrastination and emotional protection
• Why childhood experiences can create adult fears around visibility
• How people-pleasing and perfectionism develop
• Why women may be especially afraid of being seen, judged, or criticized
• The difference between intuition and fear trying to keep you small
• Why fear of success can be more powerful than fear of failure
• How to identify the possible “downside” of achieving your goals
• What EFT tapping is and how it supports the nervous system
• How emotional safety affects motivation, follow-through, and success
• Why pushing harder can lead to stress, exhaustion, and burnout
• How to identify your next small, emotionally safe “yes”
• The relationship between stress, sleep, anxiety, and physical health
• How gratitude can influence your mindset and emotional well-being
• Why self-care must become non-negotiable
• How to stop shaming yourself for coping strategies you once needed

Carol reminds us that human beings are wired for safety—not necessarily for success. If your next level feels unsafe, your nervous system may resist it, regardless of how badly you consciously want it.

Instead of forcing yourself from zero to one hundred, Carol recommends finding your next yes: one manageable step your nervous system can tolerate. You do not need to leap across the entire canyon today. You only need to take the next safe, meaningful step.

Connect with Carol Look

www.YouTube.com/@carollooksuccess
www.TheYesCode.com
www.TheYesCode.com/thankyou

Carol’s books and resources explore EFT tapping, gratitude, emotional freedom, self-sabotage, and creating greater success from a place of emotional safety.

If this conversation helped you understand your behavior differently, please like the video, leave a comment, and share it with another woman who has been blaming herself for feeling stuck.

Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for powerful conversations with women, authors, entrepreneurs, survivors, and experts sharing the lessons, tools, and stories that help us grow in business and in life.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

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Healing after trauma does not happen all at once. It happens in layers, often resurfacing as life, motherhood, relationships, and identity change.

In this powerful conversation, Julie Fairhurst speaks with Lee-Ann O’Brien, an author, speaker, certified resilience coach, survivor, and police officer with more than two decades of experience. Lee-Ann shares her journey from surviving childhood abuse and gun violence to building a life rooted in courage, service, purpose, and what she calls “headfire.”

What is headfire? It is the fierce inner strength that keeps moving through changing conditions—just like the powerful center of a wildfire. It is more than resilience. It is the force within us that helps turn pain into purpose and a spark into strength.

Lee-Ann opens up about recognizing that her past was still affecting her, returning to therapy, testifying in court, and discovering that healing is not a single destination. A difficult memory or emotional trigger does not mean you have failed or undone your progress. Sometimes it means you have finally created enough space for another part of yourself to be acknowledged and healed.

Julie and Lee-Ann also explore the difference between surviving, coping, and truly living; why strong women often struggle to ask for help; and how boundaries can protect your peace without erasing love or compassion.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why trauma healing often happens in layers
• The difference between surviving, coping, and healing
• How survival mode affects the mind and body
• Why being “the strong one” can delay asking for help
• Simple grounding practices that help regulate the nervous system
• How humming, breathing, movement, and self-talk can reduce stress
• Why resilience is built rather than something you are simply born with
• How writing can help survivors reclaim their stories
• Why forgiveness does not require giving someone access to your life
• How to support a trauma survivor without pushing them to disclose
• Why boundaries, self-awareness, sleep, and daily routines matter
• How Lee-Ann is helping bring resilience training into policing
• What can become possible when you stop seeing yourself as broken

Lee-Ann is the author of Breaking Trail and Raising Fire. Through her books, speaking, and resilience coaching, she helps people recognize the strength already living within them and move from merely surviving to truly living.

Her books are available through Amazon, Indigo, and other major booksellers.

Connect with Lee-Ann O’Brien:  

https://linktr.ee/LeeAnnFOBrien
Website:  https://www.leeannobrien.ca/

If this conversation reminds you of someone who has been carrying too much alone, please share it with her. One story can become the match that helps another woman rediscover her fire.

✨ READY TO TURN YOUR STORY INTO AUTHORITY?

I’m Julie Fairhurst - publisher, executive producer, story and sales strategist, and founder of Women Like Me Media.

After 34 years in sales, helping approximately 3,000 clients, publishing more than 350 women’s stories, and hosting over 400 interviews, I know this:

Your story is not simply something that happened to you. It is part of your wisdom, your credibility, and the work you are here to do.

Whether you are ready to write your story, publish your book, strengthen your message, sell with greater confidence, or become more visible, I can help you take the next step.

Your voice matters. Your experience has value. And you do not need to remain the best-kept secret in your industry.

Visit https://juliefairhurst.com to explore coaching, publishing, podcast opportunities, and visibility programs.

🎙️ Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations with women who are turning what they have lived and learned into purpose, leadership, and lasting impact.

Julie Fairhurst
Founder & CEO, Women Like Me Media
Publisher • Executive Producer • Story & Sales Strategist

Soft heart. Strong voice. Clear invitation.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━