In this deeply personal and wildly inspiring episode, Nicole sits down with her longtime friend, mentor, and former HGTV superstar Cheryl Torrenueva, a designer turned high performance coach whose life has been defined by bold pivots, unexpected plot twists, and the courage to reinvent herself in her 40s. Together, they peel back the curtain on Cheryl’s extraordinary career journey: From being discovered straight out of universityTo filming 150+ TV episodes across HGTV, the Food Network, and DiscoveryTo nearly signing her dream deal with NetflixTo walking away from the industry entirely when motherhood cracked her open and forced her to redefine everything she thought she wanted.Cheryl shares for the first time publicly her identity crisis, postpartum struggles, health challenges, and the heartbreaking moment she realized the dream she had worked toward for 20 years was no longer her dream at all. And then? She rebuilt. From scratch. Into something more aligned, authentic, and powerful than she ever imagined. Today, Cheryl is the founder of Nueva Rosa, where she mentors interior designers, CEOs, creators, and on camera talent through career and personal goals, life pivots, career shifts, and personal transformation, blending mindset, strategy, data, and deep human connection. This episode is for anyone standing at a crossroads. Anyone craving change. Or anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and thought, “I don’t recognize this version of me anymore.” Cheryl’s surprising entry into television and how she built a 20 year on camera career The pressure, adrenaline, and loneliness behind the scenes of design TV The Netflix opportunity that came at the exact moment she discovered she was pregnant The identity unraveling that happened in early motherhood The postpartum fog, anxiety, and internal “cracked open” moment The painful mourning of her old self and why reinvention requires grief How she redefined success, purpose, and alignment The moment she knew interior design was no longer the path Why pivoting is not failure, it is transformation How Cheryl now coaches designers, creatives, and CEOs through their biggest life transitions The power of choosing yourself, even when it terrifies you Anyone navigating a big life or career pivot Mothers adjusting to identity shifts Interior designers, creatives, or entrepreneurs feeling stuck High achievers who feel lost despite checking all the boxes Anyone craving permission to start over Connect with Cheryl Torrenueva Website: Nueva Rosa Coaching: www.nuevarosa.com Instagram: @nuevarosa_coaching & @cheryltorrenueva To learn more about The Well Lived Podcast @thewelllivedpodcast on Instagram www.thewelllivedpodcast.com To learn more about our interior design firm, Stafford House Studio, follow along at: @staffordhousestudio on Instagram www.staffordhousestudio.com Please rate, review, and share The Well Lived Podcast. It helps us reach more women, mothers, creatives, and entrepreneurs navigating the messy, beautiful, and deeply personal journey of building a life well lived. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.
