say YES to yourself! | Midlife Reinvention: Real Stories, Bold Moves

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
In this episode, Wendy sits down with Angela Burk, author of The Real Girl's Guide to Midlife. Angela spent decades saying yes to everything—yes to things she didn't want to do, yes to explanations and justifications, yes to everyone else's needs before her own. Then she hit a wall. Not one explosive moment, but a gradual awareness that she'd lost parts of herself in the process of trying to be everything to everyone. So she started saying no. And her life changed.
They explore:
How saying no is actually saying yes to yourself, and why "no" is a complete sentence that needs no explanation
Breaking patterns rooted in decades of modeled behaviors and old stories about who you're supposed to be
The simple power of speaking your truth out loud: even saying it to yourself in an empty room interrupts a thought pattern and shifts your entire trajectory
Angela's philosophy centers on one core truth: you are not broken; you've just been operating from old blueprints. Midlife is an invitation to get real about what's working and what isn't. Rest isn't weakness. Boundaries aren't selfish. Your voice matters. And the messy middle part—the part nobody talks about—is where the actual transformation happens.
Connect with Angela:
Get her book, Real Girls Guide to Midlife: Hot Takes, True Stories, and Fearless Advice from Women Who’ve Lived It & Experts Who Get It: amazon.com/Real-Girls-Guide-Midlife-Fearless/dp/1959009338?tag=syty-20
realgirlsguidetomidlife.com
Instagram: instagram.com/realgirlsguide55/
Referenced in this Episode:
Episode 281: Aging Gracefully Vs. Aging Helplessly | Dr. Sofia Din: buzzsprout.com/1872382/episodes/18782263 
A Widow's Fire: An Intimate Memoir of Heartbreak, Survival, and Moving Forward by Diane Pike Heiler: amazon.com/Widows-Fire-Intimate-Heartbreak-Survival/dp/B0F67HJ3HW
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Connect with Wendy:
Linkedin
Instagram: @wendy.harrop
Facebook: Phineas Wright House
Website: Phineas Wright House
PWH Farm Stays
PWH Curated Experience and Travel
Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!
If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
In this episode, Wendy sits down with Karla Freeman, a therapist, somatic experiencing practitioner, writer, filmmaker, artist, tango dancer, and playwright. Karla's life is a masterclass in reinvention. She's lived in 5 countries, traveled to 40, and built multiple careers—each one aligned with creativity and transformation. But her story isn't about constantly running. It's about saying yes. To imagination. To calls. To the next chapter, even when the current one is beautiful.
They explore:
How discovering your voice and realizing you have insight worth sharing changes everything
Reinvention as a spiritual practice: following the call even when you have to leave wonderful things behind
Living outside the box and what happens when you stop trying to fit into your family of origin's mold
Karla's philosophy is simple: fall down, get up, do it wrong long enough to learn the lesson. She's been a social worker, therapist, dancer, writer, and now a playwright—gathering all her experiences into one piece. She's lived in Brooklyn, Manhattan, California, Argentina, and Ecuador. She's followed her teachers, her instincts, and her imagination. And she's discovered that the universe supports the people brave enough to say yes.
Connect with Karla:
KarlaFreemanStoryteller.com
Get her book, Creating Magic in Midlife: 101 Questions and Answers to Reinvent Your Work, Relationships, and Life!: amazon.com/Creating-Magic-Midlife-Questions-Relationships/dp/0976554003?tag=syty-20
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Connect with Wendy:
Linkedin
Instagram: @wendy.harrop
Facebook: Phineas Wright House
Website: Phineas Wright House
PWH Farm Stays
PWH Curated Experience and Travel
Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!
If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
In this episode, Wendy sits down with Edit B. Kiss, a holistic mentor, success habit coach, #1 bestselling author, Humanitarian Award winner, and international speaker. Edit specializes in guiding individuals from misery to peace within 30 days by integrating ancient healing techniques with neuroscience. After a 15-year career in petroleum engineering, she pivoted to holistic healing—a transformation that exemplifies everything she teaches: that evolution is possible at any stage, and that your body's messages are invitations to rise to the next level.
They explore:
How physical symptoms and dis-ease are signals you're meant to grow and release what's holding you back
The power of ancestral and karmic healing: understanding how past wounds shape current struggles, and how releasing those stuck energies opens new creative channels and possibilities
Recognizing synchronicities and signs from the universe as affirmation you're on the right path, and learning to surrender rather than force outcomes
Edit's philosophy centers on continuous evolution. You don't have one purpose in life; you have many, and they shift as you grow. When you stop resisting and start surrendering, when you release the stuck emotions from old memories and honor what your body is telling you, that's when the magic happens. That's when you rise to the next level.
Connect with Edit:
EditBKiss.com
Instagram: instagram.com/editbkiss
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/editbkiss
YouTube: youtube.com/@MagicalKarmaPriestess
Her Books: amazon.com/stores/author/B08JYN71X3/allbooks
Referenced in this Episode:
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361?tag=syty-20
Jessica Hickman-Woolcott's Appearance on the SYTY Podcast: buzzsprout.com/1872382/episodes/16767951
Cognac Jewellery School: cognacjewelleryschool.com
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Connect with Wendy:
Linkedin
Instagram: @wendy.harrop
Facebook: Phineas Wright House
Website: Phineas Wright House
PWH Farm Stays
PWH Curated Experience and Travel
Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!
If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
In this episode, Wendy sits down with Patricia Noel Drain, author of 14 books, podcaster, and business mentor who specializes in guiding women entrepreneurs over 50 to step fully into their value and create the income they deserve. Her signature certification program, Your Gift Is Your Niche, empowers women to discover, own, and monetize their natural gifts, talents, and skills.
They explore:
Why women entrepreneurs over 50 are uniquely positioned to work less and make more, and why authenticity, not hustle, is the real superpower
How to uncover your unique gifts and design a business around what you actually excel at
Saying yes to yourself at any age: Patricia's real-time discovery of new experiences, curiosity, and beginner's mind
Patricia's whole approach centers on a simple belief: thriving in business is less about degrees or credentials, and more about uncovering and monetizing your unique gifts. When women step into authenticity and stop trying to fit into someone else's mold, everything shifts. They make better money, work fewer hours, and most importantly, they get to be themselves. That's when the possibilities become endless.
Connect with Patricia:
PatriciaDrain.com
YourGiftIsYourNiche.com
Women Entrepreneurs Over 50 Podcast: patriciadrain.com/women-entrepreneurs-over-50-podcast
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patriciadrain
Facebook: facebook.com/patriciadrain
Referenced in this Episode:
Health and Wealth: Building the Foundation for Women's Power with Nancy Griffin: buzzsprout.com/1872382/episodes/19350798
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss: amazon.com/dp/0307465357?tag=syty-20
________________________________________________________________________________________
Connect with Wendy:
Linkedin
Instagram: @wendy.harrop
Facebook: Phineas Wright House
Website: Phineas Wright House
PWH Farm Stays
PWH Curated Experience and Travel
Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!
If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
In this episode, Wendy sits down with Cara Lockwood, a USA Today bestselling author. When Cara was diagnosed with breast cancer, she discovered something unexpected: you don't have to be positive to be strong. You can fight cancer salty, sarcastic, and real. In this conversation, she talks about the power of authenticity, the mythology of toxic positivity, and why the universe responds to your vibration, not your words.
They explore:
Why vulnerability isn't weakness, and how being honest about fear, anger, and overwhelm is actually the strongest choice you can make
You still get to decide: how to maintain agency and power even when crisis feels like it's driving the bus
Focus as a superpower: how intentionally looking for joy (an English muffin with jam or a cup of tea) grounds you and helps change what's possible
Cara's whole philosophy is about refusing to choose between authenticity and strength. You don't have to fake positivity to access joy. You don't have to deny the hard thing to focus on what you love. What matters is your vibration, your focus, and your willingness to stay real about where you are while choosing what brings you alive. That's how you keep your power: not by pretending everything's fine, but by refusing to let the hard thing be the only thing.
Connect with Cara:
CaraTheAuthor.com
Her Books: caratheauthor.com/author
Instagram: instagram.com/cara.the.author
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cara-tanamachi-lockwood-benoit-563b5040
Referenced in this Episode:
A Course in Miracles (Wendy's favorite links):
apps.apple.com/us/app/acim-remind/id737568020
amazon.com/Course-Miracles-Combined-Quality/dp/1883360242?tag=syty-20
marianne.com/acim/
________________________________________________________________________________________
Connect with Wendy:
Linkedin
Instagram: @wendy.harrop
Facebook: Phineas Wright House
Website: Phineas Wright House
PWH Farm Stays
PWH Curated Experience and Travel
Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!
If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.