Women, Addiction and Recovery with Patti Clark | 324

Addiction doesn’t look the same for everyone — and for women, it often comes with an extra helping of shame, silence, and stigma. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, we’re unpacking how addiction and recovery show up differently for women, why the traditional recovery narrative often falls short, and what it actually takes to reclaim your life in a way that feels true, honest, and yours. I’m joined by Patti Clark—award-winning author, speaker, and middle-aged woman in long-term recovery—who knows this road from both the inside and out. In her newest book, Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home, Patti shares stories and tools that help women not just survive addiction, but heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves. We talk about purpose, connection, creative healing, and why recovery is about so much more than sobriety—it’s about coming home to yourself. Whether you’re on this road or know someone who is, this episode is packed with truth, tenderness, and the reminder that there’s always hope. Connect with Patti:  Website: https://www.patticlark.org/ Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Recovery-Road-Trip/Patti-Clark/9781647427740 FB: https://www.facebook.com/PattiClarkAuthor IG: https://www.instagram.com/patticlarkauthor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@recoveringwoman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PattiKClark Substack: https://patticlarkwriter.substack.com/ Related Podcast Episodes: Normalize It: Breaking The Silence & Shame That Shape Women’s Lives with Dr. Jessica Zucker | 303 Sober Curious with Amanda Kuda | 270 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some patterns are inherited. Some are learned. And some are just plain outdated. So how do you figure out which is which—and what the hell to do about it? In this episode, we’re diving deep into how to identify and rewire the invisible patterns that are no longer serving you with the help of Judy Wilkins-Smith. Judy is a world-renowned expert in systemic work and constellations, the author of Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint, and a coach to high-performers and legacy leaders alike. She uses tools like epigenetics and genealogy to help people understand what they’ve inherited—emotionally, behaviorally, and even spiritually—and how to transform it into something that actually works for them. Because newsflash: just because it runs in the family doesn’t mean it gets to run your life. Whether you’re feeling stuck in self-doubt, repeating relationship drama, or carrying old money stories like hand-me-down jeans from the 90s, this episode will help you ask the right questions, uncover the real source, and start rewriting the script. Connect with Judi:  Website: https://judywilkins-smith.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/judywilkinssmith/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/judywilkinssmith  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judywilkinssmith/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2deofVCmw7Fxdq866SpJbQ  Related Podcast Episodes: Grown-Up Goals: The 5 Pillars Of Being A Healthy Adult with Michelle Chalfant | 317 Unlocking Your Hidden Genius: How to Harness Your Innate Talents with Betsy Wills & Alex Ellison | Ep. 289 How To Defy Expectations with Dr. Sunita Sah | 271 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really mean to live a meaningful life—and how do you know if you're doing it? In this episode, we're cutting through the noise, pressure, and Pinterest-perfection to get to the heart of it. Because purpose doesn’t have to be loud to be life-changing. It doesn’t have to trend to be true. Meaning is found in the relationships we build, the values we live, and the courage it takes to make choices that align with who we actually are—not who the world told us to be. So let’s talk about how we build a life that, at the end of it—whenever that may be—we know it mattered. Our guest today is Marni Battista—entrepreneur, author, and transformational coach who helps women, especially in midlife, stop chasing the “have it all” myth and start living with radical alignment. Her new book, Your Radical Living Challenge: 7 Questions for a Meaningful Life, offers a framework to help you stop performing and start mattering, on your own terms. Whether your life’s impact is massive or modest, visible or quiet, it still counts. And it’s never too late to ask better questions—and start living more meaningful answers. Connect with Marni:  Website: marnibattista.com  Book:  radicallivingchallenge.com  Quiz: decodeyourdestinyquiz.com  Related Podcast Episodes: Your Guide to a More Organized & Intentional Life with Shira Gill | 304 How To Have A Good Death with Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN | 292 How Is Your Spiritual Health? with Dr. Lisa Miller | 287 Abundance: Secrets to Prosperity and Ease with Cathy Heller | 260 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We live in a world that talks over people instead of listening to them. Debate has replaced understanding. Volume gets rewarded over vulnerability. And somehow, we’ve confused interrupting with intelligence. In this episode, we’re flipping the script. Because deep listening—the kind that transforms relationships, diffuses conflict, and actually builds connection—isn’t soft. It’s a power skill. A leadership skill. A humanity-saving skill. And there’s no one better to guide us through the how than today’s guest… Our guide today is Emily Kasriel, award-winning journalist, former BBC executive, and creator of the Deep Listening approach. With two decades of media experience, a role as Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, and a new book (Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes), Emily is here to show us how to stop talking... and actually hear each other. Listening—truly listening—isn’t passive. It’s active, intentional, and strong as hell. And in a culture that values being loud over being present, choosing to listen might just be the most rebellious, relationship-healing thing we can do. Connect with Emily:  Website: https://www.emilykasriel.com/  Book: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/deep-listening-transform-your-relationships-with-family-friends-and-foes-emily-kasriel?variant=41459770884174 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykasriel/ Related Podcast Episodes: The Icelandic Art of Intuition with Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir | 307 The Power of Conscious Connection with Talia Fox | 263 Gentleness: Cultivating Compassion for Yourself and Others with Courtney Carver | 282 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s talk about women in sports—and not just the headline-makers or the occasional viral moment. We're talking about the Olympians, the Paralympians, and the elite athletes around the world who are changing the game… even if you’ve never heard their names. In this first (but definitely not last) episode on the topic, we’re shining a spotlight on the stories that deserve more air time. Because representation in sports matters—and so does who’s telling the story. Jamie Mittelman is our guest today, and she’s made it her mission to elevate women athletes on a global stage. She’s the founder and host of Flame Bearers, the first international media platform dedicated to women Olympians and Paralympians. With a background in media, a Master’s from the Harvard Kennedy School, and experience managing a $30M portfolio for Yahoo, Jamie is using her superpowers to amplify diverse, overlooked voices in elite women’s sports. Because every time we tell these stories, we challenge outdated norms, push representation forward, and create a ripple effect for the next generation of athletes. And if you’ve been sleeping on women’s sports… consider this your wake-up call. As the saying goes: Everyone watches women’s sports. And everyone should. Connect with Jamie:  Website: https://flamebearers.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/flamebearers/?hl=en  FB: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=flamebearerspodcast  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flame-bearers  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flame_bearers  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVnEbCOeOvNlK6Bocw9ZSdA/featured  Related Podcast Episodes: 7 Keys To Unlock Your Dynamic Drive with Molly Fletcher | 229 How To Build Girls’ Confidence with Cyndi Roy Gonzalez | 308 How To Chase Your Dream with Broadway's Mandy Gonzalez | 281 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we unpack the assumptions, the history, the marketing machine behind the myth of being a genius. Does being brilliant give you a free pass to be an a-hole? Should success in one area automatically make someone untouchable in all others? We’ve been sold a very narrow definition of genius—usually male, usually white, usually arrogant—and it's time we ask harder questions about who gets labeled brilliant, who doesn’t, and what we’re really celebrating when we throw that word around. Joining us to dissect all of this is Helen Lewis—staff writer at The Atlantic, host of Helen Lewis Has Left the Chat and The New Gurus, and author of The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. Together, we’re challenging the idea that genius must look like isolation, ego, or cruelty—and exploring what it could look like instead: collaboration, curiosity, and collective brilliance. Because genius shouldn’t be a party favor handed out with a TED Talk and a net worth. It’s time we redefine what brilliance really means—and who gets to own it. And maybe it’s time we stop obsessing over the genius and start recognizing the value in the collective brilliance all around us. Connect with Helen:  Substack: https://substack.com/@helenlewis The Genius Myth Book Related Podcast Episodes: How To Defy Expectations with Dr. Sunita Sah | 271 Women’s Role in Defining Masculinity with Moe Carrick | 252 The Resilience Myth with Soraya Chemaly | 249 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re flipping the script on your career mindset - because you’re not just looking for a job, you’re shopping for the right fit. Today’s guest, Madeline Mann, is here to help you ditch desperation and embrace discernment. Madeline is a former HR and recruiting insider, career coach, and the brilliant brain behind Self Made Millennial. With her new book Reverse the Search, she’s helping people stop chasing jobs and start choosing them. She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, ABC News, and was named a LinkedIn Top Voice — and for good reason. This episode is your no-BS, highly caffeinated guide to getting strategic in your job search. Whether you’re recovering from a layoff, eyeing a career change, or just wondering WTF is next, Madeline shares tactical tips and refreshing perspective on how to stand out, stop settling, and land a role that actually fits your life (not just your résumé). You’re not here to get picked. You’re here to pick well. Connect with Madeline:  Website: https://www.madelinemann.com  Book: https://www.ReverseTheSearch.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/self.made.millennial/  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@selfmademillennial  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinemann/  YouTube: www.youtube.com/selfmademillennial  Related Podcast Episodes: How To Pitch Yourself (And Get A Yes) | 300 Belonging (At Work) with Dr. Beth Kaplan | 286 How To Know When It’s Time to Quit with Goli Kalkhoran | 266 If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Share the Love: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s talk about adulting—actual adulting. Not just paying bills or keeping a houseplant alive, but the kind that involves emotional maturity, healthy boundaries, and conscious self-leadership. Because let’s be honest, most of us weren’t taught how to be fully functioning adults… and it shows. Joining us is Michelle Chalfant, licensed therapist turned holistic life coach, creator of The Adult Chair® model, and author of the new book The Adult Chair: Get Unstuck, Claim Your Power, and Transform Your Life. With millions reached through her podcast, coaching programs, and retreats, she’s here to walk us through the five pillars of being a healthy, grounded adult. Here’s the truth: being an adult isn’t about checking boxes or pretending you’re fine. It’s about owning your truth. Feeling your feelings. Practicing compassion without letting yourself off the hook. It’s about setting firm boundaries—with no need for justification—and recognizing that your triggers are not flaws, they’re clues. None of us were handed a guidebook for how to grow up emotionally. We inherited patterns from people who were figuring it out as they went. But what Michelle shares today is empowering: it’s never too late to unlearn what no longer serves you and become the adult you were meant to be. Whether you’re starting this work or knee-deep in your personal development era, this episode will meet you where you are—and help you move forward with clarity, self-trust, and strength. Connect with Michelle:  Website: https://theadultchair.com/  Book: https://theadultchair.com/book IG: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant/?hl=en FB: https://www.facebook.com/@TheMichelleChalfant/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/michellechalfant Related Podcast Episodes: How To Build Emotionally Mature Leaders with Dr. Christie Smith | 272 Boundaries vs. Ultimatums with Jan & Jillian Yuhas | 297 Gentleness: Cultivating Compassion for Yourself and Others with Courtney Carver | 282 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s face it—rejection sucks. Whether it’s a gut-punch text, a polite but painful “no,” or the opportunity you swore was yours slipping through your fingers—it all sucks. But if you’re putting yourself out there (pitching, applying, risking anything at all), rejection isn’t a bug in the system. It is the system. Enter: Alice Draper. She’s the host of the My Rejection Story podcast, founder of Hustling Writers, and a woman who knows how to turn every “no” into a bigger, better “hell yes.” Her work makes podcast guesting and publicity accessible for anyone brave enough to try—and yes, that includes you. In this episode, we’re talking about flipping the rejection script. We explore the concept of “rejection goals” (like actually tracking your no’s), the power of micro-rejections, why a rejection community might be your secret weapon, and how embracing rejection can build the kind of confidence that doesn’t crumble the minute someone doesn’t like your pitch, post, or personality. Alice doesn’t do fluff, fake positivity, or waking up early (same, friend), but she does deliver actionable, unfiltered insights for anyone ready to stop fearing rejection and start using it. So grab your strongest coffee and join us—because if we’re gonna get rejected, we might as well make it worth it. Connect with Alice:  Website: https://hustlingwriters.com/  Podcast: https://hustlingwriters.com/podcast/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/alicedraper/  Related Podcast Episodes: How To Build Courage with Dr. Margie Warrell | 273 Perfectionist Burnout with Dr. Tiffany Moon | 306 The Ambition Trap with Amina AITai | 309 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re done pretending health only comes from hacks, trends, or the latest supplement that costs $72 and tastes like sadness. Today’s episode is all about tuning into the real expert—your own body. Joining us is Nidhi Pandya, a NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Doctor with a fierce commitment to blending ancient wisdom with modern life. She’s taught thousands through OneCommune and the Shakti School of Ayurveda, wrangled 3.5 billion views on TikTok (yes, billion), and just dropped her new book: Your Body Already Knows: Intuitive Ayurveda – 21 Days to Reset Your Gut, Sleep, Mood, and Health. Here’s the deal: your body is constantly sending messages. The question is—are you listening? From gut feelings to energy crashes, emotional outbursts to that “off” vibe you can’t quite explain… your body already knows what it needs. And spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve green juice that tastes like lawn clippings. This episode is your permission slip to stop outsourcing your wellness. Tune in to learn how to reconnect with your natural rhythms, trust your inner signals, and cut through the noise to feel better—without burning out or buying another health trend you don’t need.  Because the loudest, most accurate, and most important voice in your life? Is your own. Connect with Nidhi:  Website: https://www.nidhi.me/  Book: https://www.nidhi.me/nidhi-book-pre-order-new  IG: https://www.instagram.com/my_ayurvedic_life Related Podcast Episodes: The Stress Paradox: Why We Need Stress (and How to Make It Work for Us) with Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist | 294 How To Breathe: Breathwork, Intuition and Flow State with Francesca Sipma | 267 How Is Your Spiritual Health? with Dr. Lisa Miller | 287 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices