This week on the Write Your Own Story podcast, Betsy sits down with author and survivor Linda Pevac, a bright, brave voice who turned a nightmare into a masterclass in self-trust. Together, they unpack how “you’re so special” love-bombing morphs into confusion and control, the subtle red flags in therapy and relationships, and the exact moment Linda chose herself and walked out. Then we pivot to the good stuff: healing with Internal Family Systems, emotional sobriety, daily gratitude “sunflow...
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This week on the Write Your Own Story podcast, Betsy sits down with author and survivor Linda Pevac, a bright, brave voice who turned a nightmare into a masterclass in self-trust. Together, they unpack how “you’re so special” love-bombing morphs into confusion and control, the subtle red flags in therapy and relationships, and the exact moment Linda chose herself and walked out. Then we pivot to the good stuff: healing with Internal Family Systems, emotional sobriety, daily gratitude “sunflow...
This week on the Write Your Own Story podcast, Betsy sits down with author and survivor Linda Pevac, a bright, brave voice who turned a nightmare into a masterclass in self-trust. Together, they unpack how “you’re so special” love-bombing morphs into confusion and control, the subtle red flags in therapy and relationships, and the exact moment Linda chose herself and walked out. Then we pivot to the good stuff: healing with Internal Family Systems, emotional sobriety, daily gratitude “sunflow...
This week, Betsy sits down with April Wachtel, founder of Cheeky Cocktails, to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a consumer brand that lasts. No fluff, just the real reels. They go deep on: Why distribution isn’t a sales channel (and how it can kill small brands)Surviving where 90% of beverage brands die in 2 years, cash, MOQs, and ruthless focusThe DTC-first playbook and how to expand without over-leveragingFunding when you’re not “VC cute”: SBA loans, angels, eq...
When a woman remembers who she is, the spiral ends. In this fiercely tender episode, Betsy sits down with holistic mentor Edit B. Kiss to move beyond “coping” and into closure—on anxiety, panic, and the heaviness of depression. We talk body wisdom and energy, nervous system and chakras, and the quiet, disciplined practices that make you unshakeable. Expect straight talk and practical tools: how panic really feels and why it’s not your fault; the non-negotiables (rest, nourishment, iron/B-comp...
We all know the rush of starting something new—the launch of a business, a new season of life, even a bold personal change. At first, the support is loud: friends cheer, followers clap, and sales roll in. But what happens when the applause fades, the algorithm shifts, and the quiet sets in? In this solo episode, Betsy Leonis gets real about the often-unspoken valley of entrepreneurship and life transitions—the messy middle where doubt creeps in and motivation feels scarce. She shares practica...
In this episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy Leonis dives deep with Liz Hansen — founder of Chicago Boudoir Photography and TEDx speaker — to expose the silent confidence crisis women face at every age. In this powerful conversation, Betsy and Liz talk about: The lies society has told us about beauty, aging, and “worthiness.”Why so many women feel like they’re too much — and how to flip that script.The shocking transformation that happens when women see themselves through the lens of boudoi...
This week, Betsy sits down with Sarah Edmondson — actress, author, podcast host, and survivor of the NXIVM/DOS sex cult — for Part 2 of this powerful conversation. After unpacking the red flags in Part 1, Sarah dives into the moment everything snapped, how she planned her escape, and what it took to blow the whistle — from covert calls to the New York Times cover story that ignited a federal investigation. In Part 2, we cover: 🔥 The exact breaking point that shattered the illusion🧷 DOS, bran...
In this week’s episode of the Write Your Own Story podcast, Betsy sits down with Sarah Edmondson — actress, author, podcast host, and survivor of the NXIVM cult — to uncover how she was recruited and why intelligent, ambitious women can be especially vulnerable to manipulation. In Part 1, Sarah opens up about: 🔹 Her early life as a “seeker” and what made her open to self-improvement groups 🔹 The subtle tactics NXIVM used to draw people in and build dependency 🔹 The MLM-styl...
In this powerful episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with author, speaker, and emotional eating expert Tricia Nelson to uncover the truth about food, feelings, and freedom. Tricia’s journey started with fries she could never leave on the plate and ended with a life-changing realization: it was never about the food. From binge-eating in secret to reclaiming her worth, Tricia shares how healing begins when we stop treating food as the problem and start addressing the emotions under...
What if sending your child to college didn’t have to feel overwhelming—but instead became a season of clarity, confidence, and purpose? In this episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with Shellee Howard, bestselling author, certified college counselor, and founder of College Ready, to unpack the truth about preparing teens for higher education. A mom of four who successfully sent each of her kids to college debt-free, Shellee knows the system inside and out—and she’s here to help pa...
What if love isn’t just luck—but something you can actually measure? In this episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with author and researcher Zoey Charif to unpack her groundbreaking book Love Can In Fact Be Calculated, a bold and refreshing look at the science of love, self-worth, and modern dating. From heartbreak and healing to data and destiny, Zoey shares how her personal journey led her to develop a formula that predicts compatibility, highlights the importance of values and ...
Loneliness can arrive quietly — in the middle of a bustling day, in a home filled with people, or even in a relationship where love is present but connection feels out of reach. In this solo episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy opens her heart about the tender truth of loneliness: why it shows up, how it hides beneath busyness or overwhelm, and why no one else can truly fix it for us. Through personal reflection and gentle guidance, Betsy shares the small, intentional shifts that can transf...
What does it mean to mother with joy—not martyrdom? In this heart-opening episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with litigation strategist, writer, and mother Bernadette Catalana, whose book Daughter Lessons began as a private gift to her daughters and turned into a healing manifesto for mothers everywhere. From navigating the heartbreak of divorce in her childhood to raising her own daughters with fierce love and lightness, Bernadette shares how choosing joy, rewriting generationa...
What if recovery isn’t a clean line from sick to healed—but a lifelong dance in the middle? In this honest and beautifully layered episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with author, professor, and mom Mallary Tenore Tarpley, whose debut book Slip sheds light on the overlooked space between full recovery and active struggle with an eating disorder. Mallary shares her deeply personal story—losing her mother at age 11, developing an eating disorder as a way to stay “small and safe,” a...
You’ve checked all the boxes—career, family, beautiful life—and yet, there’s that quiet voice asking, is this really it? In this soul-stirring (and joyfully real) conversation, Betsy sits down with Cherylanne Skolnicki—founder of Brilliant Balance and beloved mentor to thousands of driven women—to unpack the hidden weight of success. Together, they explore the tension between ambition and presence, and how to finally stop doing it all so you can start living fully. Cherylanne’s no stranger to...
If you’re in a relationship that looks fine from the outside — but inside you feel invisible, disconnected, and exhausted — this episode is for you. Whether you’ve tried therapy, countless conversations, or just kept pushing through, it still feels like you’re carrying the emotional weight of it all. This week, Betsy sits down with Sophie Orozco, certified relationship coach and creator of the Relationship Miracle Method, who brings 20+ years of experience in emotional healing and behavior ch...
In this solo episode, Betsy opens up about the heavy anxiety so many of us are feeling right now—amid summer chaos, heartbreaking news out of Texas, and the emotional toll of simply trying to keep it all together. She shares her own experience with anxious spirals and past panic attacks, and offers two simple, powerful tools that helped her move through a sleepless night: conscious breathing and a mindset reframe you can use anytime, anywhere. This episode is not expert advice—it’s real talk,...
Brain fog? Palpitations? Random anxiety, stubborn weight, and sleep that straight-up vanished? Welcome to the chaos we never got the manual for: perimenopause. In this honest, hilarious, and hope-filled episode, Betsy sits down with women’s health expert and truth-teller Dr. Sara Rinala to pull back the curtain on the decade before menopause that no one talks about—but every woman deserves to understand. Whether you’re 35 and confused, 43 and overwhelmed, or deep in the “WTF is happening to ...
What if happiness wasn’t something to chase… but something you create, even on the messiest days? In this deeply personal episode of Write Your Own Story, we’re getting real about what happiness actually is—and what it isn’t. No toxic positivity. No shiny Instagram-filtered illusions. Just honest truths about grief, boundaries, acceptance, letting go, and the radical bravery it takes to choose joy over and over again. Betsy shares her own journey through the “messy middle”—navigating heartbre...
What if LinkedIn wasn’t just for job hunting—and actually became one of your favorite places to learn, connect, and grow your personal brand? In this energizing episode of Write Your Own Story, host Betsy Leonis sits down with LinkedIn strategist and storytelling powerhouse Angie Snowball. Together, they bust the myths around LinkedIn (“Isn’t it just for finding a job?”), tackle imposter syndrome head-on, and unpack why every woman—from stay-at-home moms to small business owners and corporat...
In this deeply grounding episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy Leonis sits down with Erin Morrison—therapist, author, and creator of The Conscious Mom—to explore what it really means to mother from a place of inner clarity, not outer pressure. Together, they unpack the internal tug-of-war so many moms feel: the push to get it right and the pull of emotional overload, perfectionism, and self-doubt. Erin introduces her transformative book Three Minutes for Mom, a daily invitation to reconnect...
This week on the Write Your Own Story podcast, Betsy sits down with author and survivor Linda Pevac, a bright, brave voice who turned a nightmare into a masterclass in self-trust. Together, they unpack how “you’re so special” love-bombing morphs into confusion and control, the subtle red flags in therapy and relationships, and the exact moment Linda chose herself and walked out. Then we pivot to the good stuff: healing with Internal Family Systems, emotional sobriety, daily gratitude “sunflow...
