The Present Day Wise Woman

Open your wardrobe. Black, navy, grey, oatmeal? Nobody decides to become invisible. It happens one sensible purchase at a time. In this episode, Jennifer Jefferies looks at the real science behind dopamine dressing: where the term came from, what “enclothed cognition” research does and doesn’t prove, and why choosing colour after 40 is a refusal, not a trend. You’ll also get seven simple ways to start tomorrow morning, with no new wardrobe needed. You are not finished. Stop dressing like it.

You took the holiday. By Wednesday back, you were exactly where you left. If rest fixed burnout, you’d be fixed by now. In this episode, Jennifer Jefferies joins Dr Joe Dispenza’s idea of memorised emotional states with her own work on identity exhaustion. What if you’re not tired from what you do, but from who you’ve been being while you do it? You’ll learn why the “strong one” is wired into your body, and seven small ways to unmemorise her. If you’ve done everything right and still feel flat, this one is for you.

“I’ve always believed that great music never really gets old, it just finds a new way to make you feel something. "You’ve spent decades making it all happen. So why does stopping feel like failing? At 16, Marcia Hines left Boston for Sydney with her mother’s blessing and a six-month promise. Five decades later, Australia’s Queen of Pop is reclaiming ownership of her music under her own label. She talks about refusing to hide, the Mardi Gras night she learned what love is, and the advice every high achiever needs: do nothing, without guilt. CONTACThttps://marciahines.com/https://www.instagram.com/themarciahines/https://www.youtube.com/@themarciahines

The travelling nanas. Around the world at 80When did you last plan something purely because it would be fun?Today's guests did. At 80.Ellie Hamby and Dr Sandy Hazelip are best friends from Texas, both widows, with every reason to slow down. Instead, Sandy asked Ellie, "Wouldn't it be fun to go around the world in 80 days at age 80?"COVID cancelled it. At 81, they went anyway. Seven continents. Eighteen countries. Camels in Egypt. Penguins in Antarctica.The internet calls them the Travelling Nanas. I call them proof that the crone was never meant to sit quietly in the corner.They're 85 now, and nowhere near done.Contact Ellie and Sandy:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroundtheworldat80/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandyandEllie/?ref=NONE_xav_ig_profile_page_web# Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aroundtheworldat80https://www.tiktok.com/@aroundtheworldat80Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/753976/here-we-go-by-eleanor-hamby-and-dr-sandra-hazelip-with-elisa-petrini/

You say yes when you mean no. You smooth the tension before anyone else has even noticed it. And somewhere along the way, someone called you a people pleaser. What if that label was wrong all along?In this Rogue Wisdom, Jennifer Jefferies separates two patterns that look identical from the outside. People pleasing is a social wound, driven by fear of disapproval. Peacekeeping is a survival strategy, wired in childhood to stop the room from blowing up. Get the diagnosis wrong and the fix fails, because no boundary script can retrain a nervous system that still believes conflict means danger.This is where identity exhaustion lives: decades of hypervigilance running in the background, keeping you safe in a room that no longer exists. Jennifer gives you the one question that reveals which driver is in the seat, and why one needs an identity project while the other needs a regulation project your body can actually feel.If you’ve done all the boundary work and you’re still running on empty, this one is for you.Follow me on your favourite platform: 📱 Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.jefferies.10/📸 Instagram – ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thepresentdaywisewoman/⁠ 🎥 YouTube – ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferjefferiesoz⁠ 💼 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferjefferies/🌎 Website - https://jenniferjefferies.com/

You've heard her voice in almost every Australian home. You probably don't know her name.Robyn Moore AM, the voice of Blinky Bill, breast cancer thriver and 33-year Make-A-Wish patron, shares how she fully enters life, no matter the circumstances. Why she's a thriver, not a survivor. The one small word, AND, that lets you be tired and still choose who you are. And why you decide who to be before what to do.Running on empty? Your spark is still there. Press play.Voice of a Generation: Robyn Moore is a legendary Australian voice actor (Blinky Bill, How Green Was My Cactus) whose work provided a "touchstone" of mateship and resilience for children and adults."Thriver" Philosophy: Moore reframes adversity as a source of strength, using the term "thriver" instead of "survivor" to emphasize learning and growth.Power of "And": A core tool for reframing reality is connecting two contrasting states with "and" (e.g., "tired and satisfied"), which allows both to coexist and creates an empowering choice."Be" Before "Do": Moore's work focuses on an ontological shift: first being a chosen word (e.g., "lifeful"), then doing from that state to create desired results.CONTACTWebsite: https://robynmoore.com.au/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robymoore 

At 16, Vicky Feeney told her dad she wanted to be a midwife. He asked if she thought she was clever enough. She shelved the dream for 10 years, then went back and flew through it.Since then she's been a midwife, a Dominatrix for 20 years, a club owner running a team of 54, and now the producer of The Padded Cell Podcast from her own home studio. She's also survived estrangement from her minister father, the death of her mother, and a breakdown after 15 years of 100-hour weeks.Now 51 and menopausal, she's working 40 hours, sleeping properly, and doing what brings her joy. Unapologetically.If you're still giving everything to everyone else and wondering "what if?", this one is for you. Press play.SHOWNOTES:Career Metamorphosis: Vicky's career path, from midwife to dominatrix and club owner, was driven by seeking joy and escaping burnout from the broken NHS system.Resilience from Adversity: A strict upbringing and parental estrangement (her minister father disowned her for her lifestyle) forged a strong character and a commitment to authenticity.Authenticity Over Approval: Vicky prioritizes self-care and joy, focusing on her supportive audience ("the 50% who get me") and advising others to pursue their passions to avoid "what if" regrets.New Chapter of Self-Care: After years of 100-hour workweeks, Vicky has shifted to a 40-hour week, focusing on personal well-being and hobbies like gardening and metal detecting.CONTACTApple Podcasts - The PaddedCell Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-padded-cell-podcast/id1707169404 Spotify - The Padded CellPodcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OwbhaA2Ncqyd6ZgxBnc1l?si=76bd1e404a574c8eYoutube -@ThePaddedCellPodcastMy website www.thepaddedcellpodcast.co.ukMy Merch store www.thepaddedcellpodcast.store   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ThePaddedCellPodcast   Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePaddedCellPodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thepaddedcell_podcast TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thepaddedcellpodcast

Twenty-three years. That's how long the medical establishment buried the truth about HRT while women disappeared from public life.Award-winning filmmaker Alicia J. Rose could've accepted the erasure. Instead, she picked up the camera.Menopunks is her documentary-in-motion: a 23-year reckoning and a refusal to fade.This is what happens when a woman at the threshold chooses expansion instead of shrinkage.If you've built the life you were told to want, and the world is calling you finished, this is your revolution.The 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study's flawed press release created a 23-year health scandal, causing HRT use to plummet from 40% to ~1% and leading to widespread hormone-deficiency illnesses.The FDA recently reversed course, declaring HRT can add 10% to life and that estrogen alone reduces breast cancer risk by 23%, validating the "Menopunks" project's mission."Menopunks" is a documentary and podcast using artists' stories, such as Peaches and Neko Case, to reframe midlife as a powerful era and spark a feminist movement for hormonal access.The project is gaining rapid traction, exemplified by a teaser video featuring artist collaborations that reached nearly 600K views, proving the power of collective storytelling.MENOPUNKShttps://www.menopunks.com/https://www.youtube.com/@MENOPUNKSALICIA J ROSE https://www.facebook.com/aliciajrosehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573935737397https://www.instagram.com/menopunks

There's an exhaustion that has nothing to do with sleep. In early 2025, after 30+ years as a naturopath and activist, Jennifer Jefferies' hit it, hard enough to tell her wife, Alice, "I don't want to live in a world like this." Alice's answer: "We have to fight." What followed: a TEDx talk, "Who Killed the Crone?", and the birth of the Present Day Wise Woman Movement. You are not finished. Press play.Catalyst: A personal crisis in early 2025, sparked by policies eroding women's rights, led to profound disillusionment and a near-abandonment of activism.Turning Point: A reminder from her wife, Alice, and the historical example of the suffragettes reignited her purpose, shifting her from despair to action.Outcome: This journey culminated in a TEDx talk, "Who Killed the Crone?", and the formal launch of the "Present Day Wise Woman" movement.Core Message: The movement reclaims the "crone" archetype, arguing elder women were deliberately erased by systems that profit from their self-doubt, and calls for women to claim their full power.After 30+ years as a naturopath and activist, a crisis of purpose hit in early 2025.Cause: Policies systematically dismantling rights for women and minorities.Impact: A deep, personal sense of loss and exhaustion, leading to a near-abandonment of activism.Wife's Challenge: Alice's direct challenge ("We have to fight") reframed the despair as a call to action.Historical Inspiration: The example of the suffragettes, who endured mockery, imprisonment, and force-feeding, provided a powerful model of resilience and the principle that rights are taken, not given.Result: This dual inspiration transformed her disillusionment into a clear mission.TEDx Opportunity: In July 2025, she pitched her idea to a TED Global Idea Search, securing one of 90 spots from over 5,000 applicants.Talk Recording: "Who Killed the Crone?" was recorded in Sydney in November 2025.Talk Release: The talk was released in late March 2026.Core Argument: The "crone" (wise elder woman) was deliberately erased by systems that profit from women doubting their authority as they age.Novel: During the 11-month preparation, she wrote her first novel, When the Wise Woman Rises, to explore themes too complex for the keynote.Foundation: Built on over a decade of work, evolving through several groups:"Ascendants of the Feminine" (Facebook group)"Smart Sassy Seniors" (2023)Target Audience: Women who feel dismissed by a world that tells them they are "finished" just as they are coming into their own.Call to Action: Stand fully in your power and live your full life. The movement is a mission "with teeth," not a "wellnessKey Takeaways Catalyst: Disillusionment in Early 2025 Turning Point: Reigniting Purpose Outcome: TEDx Talk & Movement Launch The Present Day Wise Woman Movement

When you’re successful on paper but exhausted in your bones, the instinct is to optimise harder. Angela Counsel built that empire. Embrace Menopause was thriving, with hundreds of women getting results. So she walked away from it all.Not because it failed, but because she realised the real crisis wasn’t perimenopause. It was that women had stopped trusting themselves.This conversation moves past the symptom-fixing into something deeper: What happens when the answer you built stops being enough? How do you hear your own wisdom again after decades of listening to everyone else? And what if perimenopause isn’t a problem to solve, but it’s training for who you’re actually meant to become?Show Note: Pivoted from success: Angela Counsel closed her multi-six-figure “Embrace Menopause” business, feeling disconnected and joyless despite its success.Shifted focus to “Reclaim”: The pivot was driven by a need to shift from a “masculine paradigm” of constant growth to a “feminine embodiment of power” focused on helping women reclaim their inner wisdom.Perimenopause as a catalyst: Counsel views perimenopause not as a problem, but as a challenge that trains women to become the “wise woman” through listening to their bodies’ messages.Counsel closed her successful business at its peak, driven by a feeling of disconnection and a lack of joy despite strong client results.The decision was prompted by a mentor’s simple question: “What if you don’t run that program?” This gave her permission to pause and re-evaluate.The pivot was a deliberate move away from a “masculine paradigm” of constant growth and external validation, which she felt led to burnout.The hardest part was letting go of staff who relied on her for income.The new focus is on helping women “reclaim” their inner wisdom, not “reinvent” themselves.This involves trusting one’s own intuition, a concept Counsel now owns with her podcast title, “Wise Women’s Conversations,” after hesitating to use it previously.The new business model must support a lifestyle driven by personal values, specifically allowing for two multi-day hikes per year.Counsel views perimenopause as a challenge that trains women to become the “wise woman.”She suggests many symptoms attributed to hormones are actually caused by adrenal burnout from chronic stress.The key is to listen to the body’s messages during this time, which sets the stage for a fulfilling life post-menopause.The Pivot: From “Embrace Menopause” to the UnknownThe New Direction: Reclaiming Inner WisdomPerimenopause as a Catalyst for Growth.Contact Angela:Substack – Wise Women’s ConversationsFacebook - @angelacounselYouTube - @angelacounselInstagram - @angelacounselLinkedIn - @angelacounselWebsite – www.angelacounsel.com