Becoming Your Best Version

Maria Leonard Olsen

Award-winning podcast about living your best life, by Maria Leonard Olsen & her inspiring guests. Maria is a lawyer/journalist/author/two-time TEDx speaker who seeks to amplify women's voices to share about their lives, work & life lessons. She graduated from Boston College & Univ. of Virginia Law. She served in the Clinton Justice Dept. and is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. Her latest book, 50 After 50--Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life, has helped thousands reinvigorate their lives. See MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow @FiftyAfter50

  1. 6d ago

    A Conversation with Wendi Knox, Professional Uplifter, Author and Artist, Who Proves You're Never Too Old to Reinvent Yourself

    Are you too old to reinvent yourself? The answer is no. Wendi Knox is a professional uplifter, author, and artist. In her past life, she was the only female Senior Vice-President/Creative Director at one of the largest advertising agencies in Los Angeles, creating multimedia ad campaigns for brands like Honda and Acura. Her award-winning commercials have been directed by the Academy Award-winning Coen Brothers, starred William Wegman's famous Weimaraners, and were profiled in The New York Times. At 50, Wendi lost her job and found herself sobbing in her backyard, asking the Universe, “Am I too old to reinvent myself?” Her answer came in the form of hundreds of red dragonflies filling her backyard with magic (for four days)! Learning that dragonflies don’t fly until later in life sparked a new purpose for Wendi and inspired her to create a unique paradigm for transformation as we age. Today, she’s on a mission to help women see aging not as a decline, but as an opportunity to grow new wings. Through her “Breaking Out of the Age Cage” illustrated talks and inspiring workshops, Wendi is working to rebrand aging as an opportunity for Becoming More of Who We Are, Not Less of What We Were. Like the dragonfly, she is soaring later in life, having her first book, From Muck to Magic, published and her first solo art show at 65. It is a beautiful picture book for adults that celebrates each person's inner child. Now at 72, she has published her second book, The Way of the Dragonfly: Flight Instructions to Transform the Way We Age. The book is a soulful, witty, and deeply empowering guide for women ready to rise above our youth-obsessed culture and embrace aging on their own terms. Inspired by her life-changing encounter with hundreds of red dragonflies, Wendi reframes the aging process. Blending personal storytelling, spiritual insight, tools, exercises and “Dragonflying Lessons,” this book invites readers to shed old ageist beliefs, reveal their true colors, and soar with purpose and joy at any age. In this episode, we discuss Wendi's book and work, but also get into her experience with a loved one dealing with the devastating effects of marijuana and cannabis induced psychosis. She recommends that anyone whose lives are touched by this situation go to EveryBrainMatters.org. Wendi has so much wisdom to share with us. She talks about the fetches (the word for a gathering of dragon flies) she organizes for women in the Ojai area, making "I've done" lists instead of "to do" lists, talking back to her "bitch Edna" negative voice in her head, how intuition is the voice of her heart and soul, how tears are like rainwater that help your metaphorical garden to grow, and more. One of my favorite quotes of Wendi's, a former executive in the advertising world: "Marketing a book is a pain in the algorithm!" So true! These days, Wendi is blessed to live in magical Ojai with her husband Will (she followed her intuition and married this extraordinary man after only dating him for two months, a decision that may be one of the best she's made, given what I know about him), fur baby Blossom and a colorful assortment of dragonflies. To find out more about Wendi and her work, fly over to WendiKnox.com. Follow Wendi: https://wendiknox.com/ (where there are links to buy her book on her landing page) Instagram: @wendiknoxuplifter: https://www.instagram.com/wendiknoxuplifter/?hl=en Facebook: @WendiKnoxAuthor https://www.facebook.com/wendiknoxauthor/ LinkedIn: Wendi Knox https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendiknox/ Featured Profile in Ageist Magazine: https://www.ageist.com/profile/wendi-knox-71-soaring-after-midlife/ Essay in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: https://mariashriver.com/time-to-break-out-age-cage/ Interview on Mariel Hemingway’s Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBT_WO7e9F4 Interview on NPR’s 51%: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7vjVk_ZQPY

    A Conversation with Wendi Knox, Professional Uplifter, Author and Artist, Who Proves You're Never Too Old to Reinvent Yourself
  2. Sep 18

    A Conversation with Sarah Jakle, Founder of DemocraShe, Training Girls in Resiliency, Leadership and Civic Engagement

    After a devastating health diagnosis, and being told she'd never work again, Sarah Jakle, MSW, MPP picked herself up and changed her life, turning her focus to helping others. She uses her skills and experience to empower young women. Sarah founded DemocraShe to equip high school girls from historically underserved communities with not only civic skills, but also brain-based techniques for overcoming self-doubt and leading boldly. When she shows these young women how to take practical, science-backed steps like befriending their inner critical voice, she sees them begin to see their birthright as leaders. I am proud to say that I became a DemocraShe mentor this year and it is a rewarding way of giving back! Sarah believes in the transformative impact of sharing real stories and building spaces where women feel seen and empowered to choose themselves. Her trainings blend inclusion, neuroscience and social justice. She also guides adults seeking resilience and hope in uncertain times. DemocraShe "offers free online trainings, including a Flagship Program with 10-week cohorts designed to build self-confidence and self-advocacy, cultivate collaboration, nurture ambition and make leadership concrete and accessible. Critically, we arm teen girls with resiliency skills to become transformational leaders, as well as the strategies needed to counter the external barriers and internal negative narratives that so often prevent women from fulfilling their potential." DemocraShe is shaping a new generation of confident, resilient leaders. Her work has connected her with more than 6,000 women activists and leaders who are eager for inspiration and growth. You can apply to serve as a mentor to a young woman via the DemocraShe website. Sarah previously served as the Get Out The Vote Director for the California National Association for Women. Empowering women to hold political office has been a focus of Sarah since she first interned at the Women's Council of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Sarah earned her bachelor's degree from Yale, her master's degree in social work from USC and her master's degree in public policy from UCLA. Sarah has dedicated her life’s work to lifting up communities -- spending the first decade of her career working on behalf of people coping with mental illness and homelessness and bringing compassion-based resiliency skills into her current work with women. She was a 2017 fellow with Organizing for Action, a 2025 How Women Lead Movement Builders fellow, served on the Board of Directors for Urban Partners Los Angeles, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Santa Monica YMCA. In this episode, we talk about using one's inner best friend, inflection points in our lives, societal influences, the importance of grounding, and more. Sarah also shares DemocraShe's remarkable success stories. The young women who apply to participate in DemocraShe are utterly impressive. Sarah is making a difference in the world, one young woman at a time. Learn more and follow: democrashe.org https://www.facebook.com/democrasheorg# https://www.instagram.com/democrasheorg/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/democrashe/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jakle-535617240/ https://www.tiktok.com/@democrasheorg

    A Conversation with Sarah Jakle, Founder of DemocraShe, Training Girls in Resiliency, Leadership and Civic Engagement
  3. Sep 11

    A Conversation with Marie Crews, Certified Grief Guide and Empowerment Life Coach

    In 2017, Marie lost her son suddenly, less than two years after her mother’s unexpected passing. Even in her darkest hours, she refused to let grief define her. For more than 15 years, Marie Crews has guided and empowered women through growth and transformation. Along her 25-year journey of self-discovery, she realized her journal-writing practice was what anchored her healing the most. This led her to create "The Nautilus Way: Write Your Way Free," a proven process that accelerates emotional breakthroughs -- including integrating grief, releasing trauma and navigating life’s transitions. As a coach, speaker and retreat facilitator, Marie helps clients rewire limiting beliefs, gain clarity, develop confidence and shape their lives with intention. Marie’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. Raised in poverty in rural Louisiana, she became a single mother of two at a young age. Her desire to break the cycle for her children fueled her pursuit to create a life of stability. Feeling called to support women's healing, she left corporate America to launch her coaching practice and resumed psychology studies focused on the mind-body connection. Her persistence in rising from profound loss, combined with years of coaching experience, uniquely qualifies her to guide women with compassion, courage and hope. She helps her clients see that grief magnifies the fears and viewpoints that already exist within a person and learn how to hold grief and joy at the same time. Marie has led life-changing women’s retreats for more than seven years. She recently built a Gulf-front home in Florida as a dedicated space to host these transformational experiences. Her retreats focus on deep healing, confidence and personal awakening and she also offers one exclusively for grieving mothers. In every setting, her attendees gain validation, self-trust and a renewed sense of peace and direction. Marie's bestselling novel is Even When...She Rose. The book contains her journey growing up with an absent father and an exhausted, single mother who was trying to work and raise four children. She unknowingly repeated her mom’s pattern by marrying young and becoming a divorced, uneducated mother of two. This contemporary novel looks like a timeless tale of hardship on the surface, but it reaches much farther into the depths of the challenges of motherhood, raising a special needs child, loss and triumph, in ways few writers have. Many readers find validation in this book, and courage to rise. Marie provides an online course as the starting point, which includes two sessions of working with her. She also does workshops for groups. Book a free consultation on her website. Learn more: www.mariecrews.com https://www.facebook.com/marieeurecrews https://www.tiktok.com/@empowermentandgriefguide #griefguide #becomingyourbestversionpodcast #womeninmidlife #fiftyafter50 #navigatinggrief

    A Conversation with Marie Crews, Certified Grief Guide and Empowerment Life Coach
  4. Sep 4

    A Conversation with Mary Smith, Parenting Coach, Speaker and Bestselling Author of The MicroStep Method® for the Overwhelmed Parent

    Do you find yourself repeating things your parents did to you or around you that you vowed never to do? Do you seek more joy in the parenting journey? Listen to this episode. Mary Willcox Smith helps families build strong, emotionally healthy relationships through her keynotes, coaching and courses—one MicroStep at a time. Mary is a speaker, author and creator of the MicroStep Method® — a research-backed framework that helps parents understand why they keep doing the thing they swore they'd never do, and what to reach for instead. A mother of four daughters born within five years, Mary blends lived parenting experience with neuroscience and child development to show why it's not programs, perfection or pressure that create lasting change — but the small, overlooked moments that are already happening every day. She is the author of Small Moments, Big Impact: The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent and speaks nationally for schools, PTAs and parent-education organizations. A Master Certified Life Coach and Positive Discipline Expert, Mary helps navigate the hard parts of parenting so moms (and dads!) can feel empowered, equipped and ready to handle whatever life — and their kids — throw their way. She offers personal coaching, as well. Her MBA is from INSEAD a top business school in France.    Her book guides readers on a transformative journey, showing you how to chart a straight course through the commotion and, at the same time, how to rediscover the simple joys of parenting. Integrating 25 years of experience, the best of child development research and neuroscience, The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent equips parents with easy-to-implement and customizable scripts for connection and growth. We come to parenting with an "emotional backpack that's filled with all the crap that we bring from childhood," Mary says. Mary helps parent unpack their big T and little t traumas to enjoy parenting more fully. Learn more and follow Mary: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-willcox-smith/ https://www.facebook.com/mfrsmith https://www.instagram.com/marysmithparentcoach/ Links mentioned during the interview: Accepting is Not Agreeing: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Accept-not-Agree-MicroStep-Method.pdf The Repair: https://marysmithparentcoach.com/s/Repair-HEAL-MicroStep-Method.pdf

    A Conversation with Mary Smith, Parenting Coach, Speaker and Bestselling Author of The MicroStep Method® for the Overwhelmed Parent
  5. Aug 28

    A Conversation with Jordana Cole, an Igniter of Leadership and Team Potential

    Combining her rich background and expertise in psychology and leadership development, alongside her authentic blend of energy, humor, and strategic questions, Jordana Cole enables leaders to ignite behavioral change and spark transformation that not only sticks, it spreads. As an organizational consultant, workshop facilitator and leadership coach, Jordana has designed and led talent strategy and leadership programs for thousands of individuals across all levels and roles around the globe.  Prior to launching her consulting and coaching practice, Jordana led enterprise learning and development functions for a decade within technology, financial services, e-commerce, and nonprofit industries. Jordana’s worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies and companies on the Best Companies to Work For list. Jordana is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and has served as an instructor for undergraduate and graduate courses related to positive organizations and human strengths & resilience. She is also certified as a PCC level coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a Gallup Strengths Coach, with experience coaching more than 250 leaders worldwide. As a lead faculty member for the Center for Human Potential's Self-Actualization Coaching Program, Jordana equips cohorts of professional coaches with research-backed tools to help clients surface their needs and embrace their whole selves.  Jordana believes that leadership is the most needed and most durable skillset in our changing world, and the one that AI can't replace.  She's been featured on a variety of podcasts and webinars discussing the connections between leadership, well-being, AI, and organizational success. She's on a mission to help everyone lead themselves and others better through uncertainty. Her TEDx talk on this topic: "What to Do When You Don't Know What's Next" currently ranks in the top 10% of views for all TEDx talks globally. She believes that leadership coaching should create thriving leaders and teams, not just fix bad behaviors. "Leadership coaching is for everyone, not only the C-Suite," Jordana says. "My comprehensive coaching approach blends strengths, leadership development, and positive & humanistic psychology. I’m here to help you not only turn the lightbulbs on, but to actually spark personal transformation. By the end of coaching, you'll have more self-awareness, more confidence in your interactions with others, and feel energized and capable to be an impactful leader today, tomorrow, and in the future." Learn more: https://ignitedbyjordana.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/

    A Conversation with Jordana Cole, an Igniter of Leadership and Team Potential
  6. Aug 21

    A Conversation with Sandy Rosenthal, a Civic Activist Who Educates the Public About the Cause of Catastrophic Flooding

    With corporations getting ever larger – and even able to influence the outcome of presidential elections – the power of a single individual might seem lost. But it’s alive and well. Sandy Rosenthal is an experienced community mobilizer, most notable for founding the nonprofit Levees.org, with 25,000 supporters nationwide. Her 2020 book, Words Whispered in Water, explores how she — against all odds — altered the national narrative about the deadly flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. InWords Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina, Sandy gives a first-person narrative of the 2005 flooding and its aftermath, thrusting her into her role as a leading voice for fact-based responses to flood threats. She describes her transformation into an advocate for education on the history of flood control failures after Hurricane Katrina had moved inland, and her subsequent work as a watchdog tracking the responses of government and media in the hours, weeks and years after the floodwalls first gave way. A special Anniversary Edition of her book, featuring a new cover and foreword, went on sale in August 2025, timed with the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe. The catastrophic flooding of New Orleans in 2005 brought levees into the public consciousness. Yet, flooding now seems to be happening almost everywhere. The majority of the nation’s population lives in counties protected by levees. Sandy’s organization brings awareness to the dangers posed by this situation. Her organization has a strong physical presence in New Orleans, including the Flooded House Museum and the Levee Exhibit Hall at a major breach site. The organization has also installed three historic plaques vetted by the state’s preservation office and hosts an annual levee breach bike tour, among other public education efforts. For these efforts, Sandy has received numerous awards, including Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year from Tulane University and Most Influential Woman from Mount Holyoke College. She is an advocate for the 62% of the American population living in counties protected by levees. Rosenthal has been married to Stephen Rosenthal since 1979 and has three adult married children and two grandchildren. Sandy is also the co-host of The Slingshot podcast and host of the former Beat the Big Guys podcast. Points we cover in this episode: ​The igniting moment that made her decide to fight the Army Corps of Engineers​The big mistake that the Army Corps made​Her shining moment in exposing the Army Corps' bad behavior​What she would have done differently in the battle​How her group continues to help people fight bullies and bad actors Learn more: SandyRosenthal.net/   LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/RosenthalSandy

    A Conversation with Sandy Rosenthal, a Civic Activist Who Educates the Public About the Cause of Catastrophic Flooding
  7. Aug 14

    A Conversation with Sarah Dawkins, Natural Self-Healing Expert and Holistic Coach

    Have you considered natural self-healing as an alternative to traditional Western medicine? Sarah Dawkins is a leading authority in natural self-healing, bringing 20 years of clinical expertise as a Registered Nurse to her transformative work. Having personally navigated and healed from decades of health challenges, Sarah uniquely combines her medical background with a profound understanding of mindset, beliefs and holistic coaching. She specializes in guiding midlife professional women from the depths of burnout, overwhelm and chronic conditions like autoimmune issues, fatigue and pain, to renewed vitality. Known for facilitating rapid and profound transformations, Sarah's approach is rooted in compassionate conversations and evidence-based strategies. As the author of an Amazon #1 book, Heal Yourself and the award-winning host of the Mind Body Medicine for Self Healers podcast, she is a trusted voice empowering women to heal their minds, bodies and souls. Her unique blend of medical insight and holistic wisdom provides a credible, empathetic and results-driven path for those ready to reclaim their health, energy and purpose. Sarah joined us from Spain and is originally from the U.K. Learn more:  https://www.sarahdawkins.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdawkins-holistichealthcoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawkinsse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.dawkins.health X: https://x.com/dawkins_sarah YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahDawkinsHealth Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yBLqeIPxkhgymnpGMCcMZ and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-body-medicine-for-self-healers/id1670856549

    A Conversation with Sarah Dawkins, Natural Self-Healing Expert and Holistic Coach
  8. Aug 7

    A Conversation with Victoria Lee Starr, Spiritual Outlaw and Midlife Midwife, Guiding Women Through the Real Work of Reinvention

    Ever thought of hitting the road in a retrofitted van? Victoria Lee Starr did it in midlife and found her true self. She became a guide for women through the sacred season of midlife reinvention, helping them reclaim self-trust, inner safety and their authentic power. Using transformational breathwork, guided microdosing support, somatic ritual and emotional excavation, her work meets women in the places most avoid... the unraveling, the burning, the falling apart...and transforms those moments into a becoming. Victoria’s own awakening began in Costa Rica, when everything she thought she needed to feel loved, safe or worthy started to collapse. What looked like failure was actually her Rite of Passage into self-trust, honesty and the woman you become when you stop abandoning yourself. After leaving an emotionally abusive relationship, Victoria rebuilt her life from the ground up and spent nearly four years living full-time in her Ram Promaster van with her dog, Olivia Grace. Her van became her initiation chamber, a sacred space to learn to trust her body, intuition, truth and the quiet voice that had been waiting decades to lead. Victoria works through psychological wisdom, nervous system healing, transformational breathwork, guided microdosing, intuitive channeling, somatic rituals and emotional excavation. She helps women fully be themselves in midlife, showing them that falling apart is often the beginning of becoming. She calls herself a "spiritual outlaw" because she refuses to heal or lead within the confines of traditional systems, surface-level fixes or fluff. "This work is not about bypassing the hard stuff, it’s about entering the sacred, messy, untamed places where real healing lives," Victoria says. "I walk between realms of emotional, spiritual, somatic and psychological and I'm not here to guide women to think their way into peace. I guide you to feel, to embody and to remember. A spiritual outlaw breaks the rules of what healing is 'supposed to' look like; doesn’t fix you — she walks with you as you unlearn the lies and reclaim your soul; channels deep wisdom that comes from lived experience, intuition and higher intelligence — not just certifications; uses non-linear tools like breathwork, somatic ritual and emotional excavation to guide people back to their power; refuses spiritual bypassing and meets you in the root of it — trauma, lineage, nervous system patterns — and helps transmute them into gold; and is wildly intuitive, slightly rebellious, deeply grounded and divinely guided." In this episode, we talk about: --Midlife as a Rite of Passage --Why women in their 40s, 50s and 60s are unraveling and why this is actually the beginning of their becoming. --Being a Spiritual Outlaw --The future of healing beyond fluffy positivity and patriarchal conditioning --Breathwork + Microdosing using natural, non-addictive medicine for Emotional Reinvention --A grounded, embodied approach for women ready to reclaim self-trust and inner safety. --Living on the Road After Burning Down Your Life --Lessons from four years of nomadic living about freedom, intuition and rebuilding identity. --Rebirth After Divorce, Abuse and Identity Collapse --How to trust yourself again when everything familiar has fallen away. She offers free resources: Her Guided Meditation Collection consists of short, soul-nourishing meditations for midlife transformation: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/free-meditation Breathe with Intention: Your Toolkit Practical breathwork exercises to reclaim calm, clarity and self-trust: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/free-breathe-toolkit Hot Flashes Breathwork A focused practice for navigating menopause with embodiment and empowerment: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/hotflashes Learn more: Website: https://www.victorialeestarr.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorialeestarr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorialeestarr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-starr-68495a280/

    A Conversation with Victoria Lee Starr, Spiritual Outlaw and Midlife Midwife, Guiding Women Through the Real Work of Reinvention
5
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

Award-winning podcast about living your best life, by Maria Leonard Olsen & her inspiring guests. Maria is a lawyer/journalist/author/two-time TEDx speaker who seeks to amplify women's voices to share about their lives, work & life lessons. She graduated from Boston College & Univ. of Virginia Law. She served in the Clinton Justice Dept. and is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. Her latest book, 50 After 50--Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life, has helped thousands reinvigorate their lives. See MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow @FiftyAfter50

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