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

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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!

Join Wendy for the 2027 Summer Solstice White Party at the Phineas Wright House. A celebration of community, intention, and connection. Save your seat here: phineaswrighthouse.com/the-shop/p/summer-solstice-white-party-2027

In this episode, Wendy sits down with Kim Costa, a real estate professional and author who believes your home is far more than a financial transaction—it's a reflection of your soul. After years in real estate and a background in residential construction and design, Kim has developed a framework for making conscious housing decisions aligned with who you actually are. She's written a book featuring the Wheelhouse Assessment, a tool that helps people understand the 8 areas of their life and what their home needs to support.

They explore:

• Why your home is a spiritual alignment tool, not just a practical one, and what happens when it's out of alignment
• How to use the Wheelhouse Assessment and Maslow's hierarchy to distinguish between real needs and aesthetic wants
• Why knowing yourself is the foundation for choosing a home that actually serves you

Kim's philosophy is simple: life transitions, whether forced upon us or chosen, are opportunities to recalibrate and ask the hard questions. Your home can either support that process or resist it. The work isn't just about finding the right house. It's about understanding who you're becoming and whether your living space can hold that version of you. That's conscious choosing.

Connect with Kim:

Website: lifestylefoundations.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kim.e.costa

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimecosta

Her Podcast, Live in Your Wheelhouse: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-in-your-wheel-house/id1853930729

Get her book, Live in Your Wheelhouse: amazon.com/Live-Your-Wheel-House-Empowering/dp/B0GKTB5Z7C?tag=syty-20

Referenced in this Episode:

Books by Gay Hendricks: 

• The Genius Zone: The Breakthrough Process to End Negative Thinking and Live in True Creativity: amazon.com/Genius-Zone-Breakthrough-Negative-Creativity/dp/1250246547?tag=syty-20
• The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level: amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361?tag=syty-20

Wendy's HGTV Appearance: New House New Life, Season 1 Episode 3: amazon.com/New-House-Life-Season/dp/B091HZQ912

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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!

Join Wendy for the 2027 Summer Solstice White Party at the Phineas Wright House. A celebration of community, intention, and connection. Save your seat here: phineaswrighthouse.com/the-shop/p/summer-solstice-white-party-2027

In this episode, Wendy sits down with Nancy Griffin, who has spent nearly three decades exploring the intersection of health and wealth, and how both are foundational to women's self-worth, power, and legacy. Nancy started Women Worth & Wellness 30 years ago when women were beginning to earn real money but didn't know how to think about it strategically. Over three decades, she's evolved the mission: it's no longer just about building net worth. It's about women stepping into the power they've earned and choosing what to do with it.

They explore:

• Why health and wealth belong together and how integrating them fuels women's power
• What it means for women to step into the opportunity they're in of more earning, more inheriting, and longer life expectancy
• How knowing your uniqueness and delegating allows you to invest your greatest asset of time in what matters most

Nancy's philosophy is simple: women have already achieved an incredible amount. Now the question is: what are you going to do with that power? Not from a place of obligation or guilt, but from genuine alignment with your values. She talks about twinning health and wealth in every conversation, because you can't show up powerfully in the world if you're not taking care of yourself. And once you're grounded, the real work begins: stepping in, stepping up, and amplifying your impact through generosity, philanthropy, and legacy.

Connect with Nancy:

Email: [email protected]

Website: WomenWorthWellness.com

Instagram: instagram.com/womenworthandwellness

Facebook: facebook.com/womenworthandwellness

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/womenworthandwellness

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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 Jan Goss, executive consultant, bestselling author, and founder of Show Up Well Consulting. Jan teaches a comprehensive framework for showing up as your whole, aligned self—not just at work, but at home, in relationships, and in every role you hold. She's spent decades building businesses, raising foster children, and discovering that true success isn't about shiny exteriors. It's about alignment, wholeness, and leading with love.

They explore:

• Why self-love and alignment are the foundation for showing up well everywhere
• How love brings cohesion, and the two-degree shifts that help you move toward it
• What it means to show up whole as a parent, partner, executive, and human being

Jan's philosophy is simple but radical: all of you is delicious, including the parts you'd rather hide. She talks about facing fear with compassion, making tiny shifts toward alignment, and discovering that love is a universal protocol that works in the boardroom and the bedroom, in parenting and in marriage. The roadblocks are comparison and fear, but the tools are practical: self-discovery and the willingness to show up as yourself, fully aligned, in every relationship that matters.

Connect with Jan:

Get her book, Bedroom Etiquette: How to Show Up Well Behind Closed Doors: amazon.com/Bedroom-Etiquette-Behind-Closed-Doors/dp/B0DXV7W8S1?tag=syty-20

ShowUpWell.com

Instagram: instagram.com/showupwell

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/showupwell

Referenced in this Episode:

A Course in Miracles Links:

amazon.com/Course-Miracles-Combined-Quality/dp/1883360242?tag=syty-20

marianne.com/acim/

apps.apple.com/us/app/acim-remind/id737568020

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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 Karen Mayer Cunningham, special education advocate and author of Epic IEP, a framework that transforms the complicated federal special education law into actionable steps. After years of doing 500 IEP meetings annually, Karen realized her greatest pain in motherhood had become her biggest calling: helping families navigate special education when the system feels impossibly complicated.

They explore:

• What it means to advocate WITH schools, not against them, and why that partnership matters
• Why children with disabilities have capacity, but they need the right intervention and support to reach equity
• The scope of need: why individual advocacy alone isn't enough

Karen's approach is fundamentally collaborative: she works alongside teachers, administrators, and families because she knows they're all navigating a system that's overwhelming for everyone. Her conviction is simple: when we start seeing each other as partners working toward the same goal, that's when children actually get what they need. 

Connect with Karen:

Get her book, The Epic IEP: amazon.com/Epic-IEP-Educators-Advocates-Navigating/dp/1637635125?tag=syty-20

SpecialEducationAcademy.com

Instagram: instagram.com/specialeducationboss

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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 Lynn Harris, founder of Gold Comedy and an industry veteran who's spent her career at the intersection of entertainment and social change. After 5 years of eldercare and other demands, Lynn is saying yes to herself again by setting boundaries, scheduling creative projects, and pursuing her own work.

They explore:

• How comedy works as a delivery system for challenging conversations and cultural shift
• Why the specificity of storytelling creates unexpected connection across difference
• What it means to set boundaries and reclaim your creative life after burnout

Lynn talks about the social contract of comedy and when you attend a show, you're required to listen to someone, even if they don't look like you or share your background. That simple act normalizes different perspectives and creates the possibility for cultural change. She's built Gold Comedy to help women and underrepresented voices succeed in comedy and entertainment, because the industry hasn't evolved enough since the 90s. Her insight is clear: it's not that women need to speak up more. It's that people need to listen.

Connect with Lynn:

GoldComedy.com

Discount Code: GOLD20PERCENTOFF

Youtube.com/GoldComedy

Instagram: instagram.com/goldcomedy

Referenced in this Episode:

Boundary Boss by Terri Cole: amazon.com/dp/1683647688?tag=syty-20

A Course in Miracles Links:

amazon.com/Course-Miracles-Combined-Quality/dp/1883360242?tag=syty-20

marianne.com/acim/

apps.apple.com/us/app/acim-remind/id737568020

________________________________________________________________________________________

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 [email protected]

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!

Join Wendy for her dreamy Summer Solstice White Party on Saturday June 20, 2026 —an al fresco evening of delicious food, intention-setting, and celebration at the Phineas Wright House. Wear white, gather at the long table in the field, and toast to the season ahead. 

Save you seat here: phineaswrighthouse.com/the-shop/p/summer-solstice-white-party

In this episode, Wendy sits down with Rebecca Olson, a working mom coach who spent 2025 in a deep dark hole. Despite having all the coaching tools and personal development strategies she knew worked, depression had her stuck. She eventually got professional help—a therapist, her doctor, and a low-dose antidepressant—and the difference has been life-changing.

They explore:

• Why your coaching tools and personal development practices might not be enough (and why that's okay)
• How clarity emerges when you stop trying to figure it out alone
• The magic of following the breadcrumbs when you can't see the whole picture

Rebecca talks about asking for help, receiving support in unexpected ways, and the moment the fog lifted. She's speaking openly about the stigma around antidepressants and mental health, and saying yes to herself by getting the professional help she needed. Now she's following aligned action and trusting the next logical step without needing to see the entire plan. This is a conversation about getting honest about what you need and being willing to ask for it.

Connect with Rebecca:

RebeccaOlsonCoaching.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebolson

Instagram: instagram.com/rebeccaolsoncoach

Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambitious-and-balanced-working-moms/id1557563892

Referenced in this Episode:

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood: amazon.com/Untangled-Guiding-Teenage-Transitions-Adulthood/dp/0553393073?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 [email protected]

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.