Girls Night with Stephanie May Wilson

• When You've Done Everything "Right" and it's Still Not Working

  In today’s Girls Night, we’re talking about what to do when you’ve done everything “right” and it’s still not working. Maybe you’ve followed the rules, made the plans, gone to therapy, prayed the prayers, checked all the boxes… and yet your life, career, relationships, or family story still don’t look anything like what you hoped for. It feels like you’re stuck in a giant “this is not what I ordered” moment, especially in this Everything Era where all the big decisions seem to pile up at once. As we wrap up this season of the show (and before I take a break from Girls Night for a good chunk of next year), I’m sharing two things I really want to leave you with: You get to want what you want. You have more agency than it feels like you do. I’ll read a section from my book, Create a Life You Love, and we’ll walk through practical tools for what to do when doors aren’t opening: when to quit, when to keep going, when to change tactics, how to invest in the life you have right now, and how to ask for help when you’re exhausted. If you’re looking around thinking, “I thought I’d be further along by now,” this episode is for you. You are not behind. You are not failing. And you’re not as stuck as you feel. 💛 Podcast Sponsors: - ⁠Antique Candle Co. ⁠ - ⁠BetterHelp⁠ - ⁠NIV Application Bible⁠ - ⁠Piper and Leaf - Please donate today at MercyShips.org/podcast - Visit OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site-wide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, use promo code FUN at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Girls Night # 316: How to Set Yourself Up for Delight (Not Disappointment) this Christmas

  Welcome to Girls Night! We’re down to the final few episodes of the year, and today we’re diving into something so many of us feel this time of year but rarely say out loud: 👉 Why does the holiday season sometimes feel like one big “This is not what I ordered”? Maybe you thought you’d be spending Christmas with someone special this year, or reaching a goal you’d hoped to hit by December. Maybe family dynamics are messy or complicated, or your little family doesn’t look the way you imagined. Or maybe you had big dreams for a magical, cozy December… and somehow you slid into the holidays exhausted and overwhelmed, wondering where the magic went. If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is absolutely for you. Today we’re asking two big questions: ✨ How do we set ourselves up for delight — not disappointment — this holiday season? ✨ And how do we make Christmas magical… when we’re the ones responsible for the magic now? We’ll talk about the moment you realize you’ve gone from experiencing Christmas to creating Christmas, why so many of us approach December like college finals week, and the gentle, intentional steps we can take to build a season we actually get to feel and enjoy. We’ll walk through: ⭐️ noticing the expectations we’re carrying ⭐️ choosing the few meaningful things that matter to us ⭐️ putting them on the calendar so they actually happen My hope is that this conversation feels freeing, grounding, and hopeful — like a deep breath in the middle of a busy month. You deserve to experience the magic you’re so faithfully creating, friend. Let’s build a December that feels more like the one our hearts have been longing for. Mentioned in this episode: 💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife] 💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried] 💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama] 🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/] Stay connected: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/] 🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/] 💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email] Podcast Sponsors: - ⁠Antique Candle Co. ⁠ - ⁠BetterHelp⁠ - ⁠NIV Application Bible⁠ - ⁠Piper and Leaf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Girls Night #315: What I Wish I Could Go Back and Tell Myself Before Kids

  This week on Girls Night, we’re doing something a little different — and incredibly special. As my twins turn five (how?!), I’ve been reflecting on everything I wish I could go back and tell myself before becoming a mom. The fears, the hopes, the questions, the emotions — the moments when I looked around and thought, “This is not what I ordered.” So in today’s episode, I’m sharing four letters I wrote to the woman I was before motherhood — the woman who was wondering… 💌 Who will I be after I become a mom? 💌 What will kids do to our marriage? 💌 What if something goes wrong? What if the world is too scary? 💌 What if I mess this up? If you’re planning, trying, pregnant, or simply wondering if you’ll ever feel “ready,” these letters are for you. They’re honest, tender, hopeful, and full of the things I wish someone would have told me years ago. We’ll talk about what actually happens to your identity, how marriage shifts (and strengthens), how to navigate fear in a world that feels overwhelming, and why motherhood isn’t something you download — it’s something you grow into. And if these letters resonate with you, you can get the full series for free at StephanieMayWilson.com/letters — they’re yours to keep or share with a friend who needs them. At the end of the episode, I’ll also share more about Becoming Mama — the course my best friend Kelsey (a brilliant therapist) and I created to help you prepare emotionally, mentally, and practically for this huge transition. It’s the roadmap we wish we’d had, and enrollment is open for just a few more days. Wherever you are on the path to motherhood, friend — you’re not alone. I’m right here with you. Mentioned in this episode: 💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife] 💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried] 💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama] 🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/] Stay connected: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/] 🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/] 💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email] Podcast Sponsors: - Antique Candle Co. - BetterHelp - NIV Application Bible - Piper and Leaf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Girls Night #314: I Want Both a Career and Kids — But Everyone Says I Have to Choose

  All season long, we’ve been talking about what I call The Everything Era—that season when you have to make so many of the biggest, most consequential decisions of your life all at once. It’s full of possibility, but it’s also full of pressure—especially when some of those decisions don’t seem to fit together very well. And one of the trickiest examples of that is the tension between career and motherhood. What happens when the rhythm that used to work suddenly doesn’t anymore? When the version of success you used to chase doesn’t quite fit the life you have now? Or when your family needs you in one way, but your career seems to demand something entirely different? My guest today is Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever. Through her work, Neha is helping women rethink what it means to take a pause in their careers after having kids—showing that stepping back doesn’t mean stepping away from your ambition. She’s helping us reimagine this in-between space as a powerful, intentional season of reflection and realignment—a chance to build a life and career that actually work together, not against each other. Whether you’re already a mom, planning for motherhood, or just thinking about what your next chapter might hold, this conversation will give you permission to press pause—not out of fear or failure, but as a power move. Alright friends, let’s dive in. Here’s my conversation with Neha Ruch. Mentioned in this episode: 💛 The Power Pause 💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife] 💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried] 💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama] 🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/] Stay connected: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/] 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch] 🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/] 💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Girls Night #313: How to Start Dreaming Again (When life hasn't gone how you thought it would)

  Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we planned. The job ends, the relationship shifts, the dream unravels — and we’re left standing in the in-between, wondering how to trust again. In this episode of our Not the Life I Ordered series, we’re talking about what it looks like to start dreaming again after disappointment. We’ll talk about rebuilding hope, rediscovering curiosity, and learning to believe that the story of your life might still turn out beautifully — even if it looks nothing like you imagined. Mentioned in this episode: 💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife] 💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried] 💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama] 🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/] Stay connected: 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/] 🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/] 💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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