Becoming Your Best Version

Gail Harris is a certified ghostwriter who drafts deeply healing, compelling, life-affirming memoirs for women authors who don’t want to write their book on their own. An IPNE Book Award Finalist for the memoir Finding Zoe, Gail resonates with authors who, in addition to any professional goals they may have, see writing their memoir as a way to heal—they want to heal and share what they’ve learned about themselves and life and possibly help others. They’ve done enough self-reflection to know they have a powerful story inside and are ready to claim it and start writing. Gail helps her authors connect the dots in ways they may not have seen before. She’s a story doula guiding them to give birth to the story that’s bursting to come alive in them, the one they’re meant to write, that’s universal, and marketable. Viewing her life as a spiritual journey, Gail has been doing her own inner work for a long time and understands what healing is about. This, along with her writing expertise, is what she believes makes being a women’s memoirist her dharma or gift. She understands that when we share our deepest truth, no matter how painful, we bring compassion and healing to ourselves and others. Founder of Golden Ghostwriting, and based outside Boston, Gail is also the author of Your Heart Knows the Answer--How to Trust Yourself and Make the Choices That Are Right for You. It guides women to listen for and live according to their hearts' wisdom.Some gems from the interview include:"Memoir is about being human." "Reading is like breathing in and writing is like breathing out."In this episode, we discuss:• Going inward: understanding healing as a spiritual journey• We are spiritual beings having human experiences• Our inner energy• Learning to let go• Why women write their memoirs• Why work with a ghostwriter• The different publishing paths• How to write a compelling memoir• How to let the story lead• Storytelling’s universal healing powerLearn more:https://goldenghostwriting.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-harris-269a219/

Remi (pronounced Ray-me) Gibbs is a certified life coach, positive psychology practitioner and the author of Renovate Your Reality. She helps women in midlife reconnect with their purpose, reignite their confidence and design a life that actually feels good to live. After reinventing her own life multiple times—through career shifts, major moves, loss and midlife awakening—Remi now teaches women how to turn transition into transformation. She’s a speaker and workshop facilitator blending science-backed tools with honest, relatable storytelling.Remi also is a foodie and fierce advocate for real talk over sugarcoated nonsense. Raised in the storm of addiction with two alcoholic parents, she turned pain into power with the understanding that just because we are born into chaos, doesn't mean we have to stay there. Drawing from her own journey, she has created a coaching practice rooted in resilience, empathy and authentic transformation. She’s rewriting the rules for what it means to thrive at 40, 50 and beyond.After the pandemic, Remi, who is based in New Mexico, reinvented her own life by stepping fully into life coaching and the practice of positive psychology. Out of that work came her book, Renovate Your Reality, which guides women through midlife transitions with honesty, resilience and tools to rediscover joy and authenticity.In this episode, we talk about:How reinvention is possible at any stage of life, especially after upheaval.Why midlife can be a powerful turning point for women to align with their true values.Science-backed strategies from positive psychology for cultivating resilience, joy and self-compassion.Learn more:www.renovatedrealities.comOn IG and FB @renovatedrealitieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/remigibbs/

Dr. Diane Dreher helps us learn better ways to deal with stress and how to find more hope and joy. She is the author of eight nonfiction books including the best-selling Tao of Inner Peace and her new book, Pathways to Inner Peace. She is an award-winning university professor and positive psychology researcher whose work on hope has been recognized internationally. Her books, workshops and webinars blend the wisdom of the past with powerful strategies from contemporary psychology and neuroscience to help us meet the challenges of our time with greater courage, creativity and hope. She posits that a walk in nature can be as effective as a prescription antidepressant.Diane's books have been translated into ten languages and her work has been featured in USA Today, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Science of Mind, radio and TV talk shows, podcasts, webinars and web sites on leadership and personal growth. She has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as a master's degree in counseling and is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Her research on positive psychology and hope has been published online and in academic books and journals. Diane is currently professor emeritus and associate director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University and a lecturer in the Positive Psychology Guild in the United Kingdom. Diane joined us from Northern California. She encourages all of us to follow our curiosity, as well as our intuition. She reminds us that small moments of connection -- with neighbors and others with whom we come into contact -- can turn into lasting joy and ease the loneliness epidemic.Learn more:www.dianedreher.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/dianeedreher.bsky.socialPathways To Inner Peace: https://amzn.to/4q2SmF9

Wendy S. Meadows is a seasoned family law attorney, former litigator and certified life coach. She is also a mediator and the author of the best-selling book, sparkle & GRIT, a framework that helps high-achieving women break free from burnout and live on purpose. Before expanding into coaching, Wendy spent decades practicing family law, guiding clients through some of life’s most challenging transitions—all while quietly wrestling with her own feelings of overwhelm and disconnection.When two colleagues passed away within months of each other, Wendy was struck by how differently their lives were remembered—one obituary focused solely on legal accolades, the other celebrated a life of depth and meaning. Soon after, the sudden loss of her stepfather made it clear: She didn’t want her legacy to be just about work. That realization sparked a shift. Wendy went solo so she could create space to figure out what truly mattered, away from the grind and expectations of traditional practice. She eventually stepped away from litigation, embraced mediation and began building a life and career rooted in alignment, purpose and presence.Today, Wendy helps women who’ve “checked all the boxes” but still feel stuck. She blends practical strategies with compassionate mindset work to help them reboot their habits, re-ignite their purpose and build lives that actually fit. She also works closely with lawyers— especially those ready to go solo or restructure their practices—offering strategic coaching, systems consulting and speaking engagements for law firms looking to prevent burnout, increase retention and foster sustainable success. Her book, sparkle & GRIT: Live a Technicolor Life by Finally Finding Balance, Escaping Monotony and Beating Burnout, offers a roadmap out of the autopilot “Groundhog Day” cycle that often accompanies high-achieving careers. Learn more:Websites: https://www.sparkleandgrit.com/https://wendysmeadows.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-sare-meadows-ba80285/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072318214998Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_s_meadows/

"One binge drinking moment can end a life," Colleen Clifford says. "Will it be yours?" Colleen is a former binge drinker who knows the struggle firsthand. For 34 years, she's worked as a commercial fisherwoman, a lifestyle that fueled the drinking pattern of denial she now calls the 95-5 factor. After losing her husband to an alcohol-related suicide in 2011 and later finding her own path from binge drinking to joy and freedom, Colleen turned her pain into purpose. Her upcoming book, Life Beyond the Binge, blends raw honesty, lived experience and eye-opening facts and insights for anyone ready to break free from destructive cycles. Through her compelling stories of resilience and renewal, Colleen inspires others to discover that it's never too late to change -- and to find joy and meaning beyond the binge. A commercial fisherwoman in Alaska’s Bering Sea turned health coach, Colleen now helps women break free from cravings, binge habits and destructive patterns—guiding them to build a stronger, healthier relationship with themselves, inside and out. From her year of culinary training in Paris to surviving some of the harshest seas, she shares real stories, science-backed strategies and practical tools that help women navigate cravings, emotional eating and redefine what’s possible at any stage of life. This conversation will leave you motivated, empowered and ready to make real change. Start your new year right. Colleen likes to cite this impactful quote: "All we take with us when we die is what we have become."Learn more and follow her:IG - @purepotential.healthLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pure-potential-llc-c-936735245/https://lifebeyondthebinge.comhttps://purepotential.health/Email - Colleen@Lifebeyondthebinge.comShe reminds us about 988 is the crisis hotline in the U.S.