The Merilyn Show

Merilyn Wilson Beretta
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Merilyn Show is what happens when a reformed wallflower and ex-good girl stops obeying the niching rules and lets her late-diagnosed ADHD brain go full tall poppy.  That’s me! Merilyn (not to be confused with a certain blonde named Marilyn).  Expect eclectic, unfiltered banter and ah-ha moments on everything from entrepreneurship, personal brand and being a tall poppy to culture, menopause, spirituality, neurodiversity, parenting - and the occasional road kill. Mostly, we hunt for the wow-flavoured stuff in a world that was always mad (social media just gave us front-row seats). I’m joined by co-hosts and guests I find fascinating. And in further disregard for industry norms, I’ve ditched the paywalls and Zoom logins and started teaching my courses here for free. Merilyn Wilson Beretta is the founder of Tall Poppy Society, Lead Your World, What’s Your Wow and WowArchetypes. The podcast was previously The Tall Poppy Society podcast — and before that, Lead Your Day.  Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

  1. 2d ago

    341. "You're Not Just Somebody's Mother" | singer-songwriter Jenn Howard

    Jenn Howard stood in a music festival in Mexico, tears streaming down her face and knew immediately: "I'm not done”. This episode tells the raw story of the dangers of thinking (and believing) you’ve missed the boat.  Jenn is a singer-songwriter from New Orleans. She knew what she was born to do at four years old, and then spent the best part of twenty years not doing it. This conversation was recorded from her pantry, the only room in the house her kids can't find her in. We cover a lot of ground: a Ouija board, a car park in Texas and the song that sat in a drawer for 24 years.   If you've ever put something down and quietly decided it was too late, listen to how she picked it back up. In this episode, we unpack: Why a four-year-old sang Edelweiss back to her father, and what she knew in that momentThe story she told herself for twenty years (and who she was really angry at)The music festival in Mexico where she cried and said, "I'm not done”.Why the album is called Valiant Women: a Ouija board, white roses, and a car park in Texas.The song that sat in a drawer for 24 years before it found its moment"The hatch is open": how songs actually arrive, and what to do when they don'tWho she made this album for (it isn't who you'd think)What she still wants, and why she doesn't have to be her own cheerleader anymoreWhat significance means to JennEpisode Chapters 00:32 Growing up in New Orleans 02:08 Edelweiss and finding her voice 03:40 La Bamba in a hotel lobby, and her first song 06:11 Project Nim, heartbreak, and 20 years of not singing 10:20 Born with a capacity for hope 12:11 Why "Valiant" — the white roses story 16:49 Making peace with the gap 20:06 "You're not just somebody's mother" 23:40 "The hatch is open" — how songs arrive 27:02 It's not too late 29:19 What she still wants 30:29 What significance means This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Jenn: Website: jennhowardband.com LinkTree: jennhowardband Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    341. "You're Not Just Somebody's Mother" | singer-songwriter Jenn Howard

  2. 5d ago

    340. The Psychologist Who Wants to End Family Court | with Tiffany Rochester

    Tiffany is a psychologist in Australia.  She'd like to see the end of the Family Court. She works with parents the system has already given up on - sent to her by a court that ran out of ideas.  She got tired of arriving too late. This isn't a conversation about separation. It's about what you do when the people you admire are busy, the system isn't going to fix itself, and you're still waiting to feel qualified. In this episode, we unpack: Why a courtroom is "the wrong arena" for a family.Why therapy is "drip feed" - and what should come first.The camp leaders who saved a 13-year-old who didn't fit in.Her 99-year-old grandmother, and what was in the handbag.Why Brené Brown can't do this for you.Stop waiting until you feel extraordinary.What Tiffany wants to be remembered for. Episode Chapters 00:00 - I Never Released These…  00:11 - Karaoke Singer, Psychologist  00:59 - Twenty Years at the Pointy End  01:45 - Mandated Therapy Land  02:28 - One Family, Two Homes  02:59 - Why Co-Parenting?  04:19 - The 13-Year-Old Who Didn't Belong  05:23 - What's in Grandma's Handbag  06:27 - Women Who Bucked the System  08:14 - Brené Brown Is Busy  09:10 - Therapy Is Too Slow  10:21 - The End of Family Court  12:04 - Small Talk Kills Me 12:44 - Tiffany Turns the Question  13:01 - What She Wants to Be Remembered For This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Tiffany: Website: coparentingcompanion.au Socials: @coparentingcompanion Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    340. The Psychologist Who Wants to End Family Court | with Tiffany Rochester

  3. 6d ago

    339. The Woman Everyone Reads Wrong | with Nida Leard

    Out of everyone I've interviewed, Nida Leardprasopsuk is one I never forgot - so I brought her back. We just... connected. And interestingly, that's where her business and brand as evolved to today: relationship os designed to reconnect a disconnected world. Nida was born in Baltimore, moved to Bangkok at ten without being able to write Thai, did her master's in Sydney, went into Fortune 500 corporate life and got out fast. She's a coach, she gets incredible transformations in clients and she's building a reality show with no drama in it. Here's the thing about Nida: almost nobody reads her correctly. Not the people in Bangkok. Not the coaching industry. Not even the clients who see the go-getter. This isn't a conversation about business or personal brands. It's about what happens when you let go of the version of you that everyone admires. In this episode, we unpack: Nida's thesis on why making friends is exactly like dating.Why an introvert can be the loudest person in the room.The reality show she's auditioning people for - and who she wants on it.Why she quit her PhD, and why she has no regrets.The message her body sent that she couldn't argue with.Why she wants her life's work to be free.What she wants to be remembered for (it isn't what you'd guess).Episode Chapters 00:00  I Never Released These… 00:59  A Thesis on Friendship  01:47  Friendship Is Dating  04:13  The Five Who Looks Like a Seven  05:12  Loud Introverts  05:58  Two Days in Bangkok, Just Talking  08:39  A Reality Show With No Drama  10:00  Who Gets On the Show  12:16  Her Learning Edge12:47 Nine Hours Is Not Lazy 14:07  "I Quit My PhD"  16:25  When Quitting Is Deliberate  17:27  You Can't Have It All  18:29  What Her Body Was Saying  21:05  Make It Free  23:48  Remember Me for My Heart  25:29  The Age of Integrity  27:00  Nida Turns the Question  27:58  A Loaded Word This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Nida: Website: nidaleard.com Instagram: @nidaleardofficial Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    339. The Woman Everyone Reads Wrong | with Nida Leard

  4. Sep 4

    338. Bring All of Yourself Into the Room | with Melanie Weller

    A patient once walked into Melanie Weller's clinic with a suicide planned for that night.  She had no protocol for what he was living through. She had herself. Melanie is a physical therapist, a nervous system expert, and something she calls a neurotheologist - a word she'd been looking for long before she found it. This isn't really a conversation about neuroscience. It's about what happens when you stop leaving parts of yourself at the door. In this episode, we unpack: Why hiding parts of yourself creates stress.The difference between expertise and intuition.What "Fearless Presence" really means - and why so many high performers are missing it.Why your body may know before your mind does.A simple breathing practice to calm your nervous system.Episode Chapters 00:00 — I Never Released These... 00:39 — The Patient Who Wanted To Die 02:01 — Discovering Neurotheology 04:55 — Why We Hide Who We Really Are 08:08 — Your Body Knows Before Your Mind 10:02 — A 60-Second Nervous System Reset 11:55 — Why Stories Heal Better Than Facts 12:54 — What My Broken Ribs Were Trying To Tell Me 18:00 — Fearless Presence 19:48 — Remember Who You Were This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Melanie: Website: melanieweller.com Instagram: @embodyyourstart Facebook: @WellerWorld Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    338. Bring All of Yourself Into the Room | with Melanie Weller

  5. Sep 3

    337. Badgers, Glamping in Wales & What Truly Matters | meandering with Hannah Verrall

    Hannah is one of those people who quietly makes you rethink what success actually looks like. I wanted you to meet her. She spends her days helping companies solve incredibly complicated technology problems. Then she spends the rest of her time renovating a 400-year-old farmhouse on the coast of Wales, rewilding a meadow (which has badgers living underneath), and running a glamping business. This isn’t a conversation about escaping work. It’s a meandering chat about creating a life you adore, along side it.  In this episode, we unpack: The beauty and history of life on the Pembrokeshire coast.Why designing your life matters just as much as designing your career.How Hannah accidentally built a career in technology.Why deep work needs space, silence and good design.What restoring an old farmhouse taught her about legacy.Episode Chapters 00:00  I Never Released These… 01:00  Meet Hannah Verrall 01:15  A Life on the Welsh Coast 02:49  A 400-Year-Old Farmhouse 04:36  Glamping, Beaches & Slow Living 08:22  Local Food, Seaweed & Welsh History 10:17  An Accidental Career in Technology 11:42  Working From Home 13:06  Why Home Offices Are Designed Wrong 14:54  Is Design a Feminist Issue? 16:03  The People Who Shaped Hannah 18:08  Three Things She’d Save From a Fire 19:47  What Legacy Really Means This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Hannah: Website: https://hannahverrall.co.uk/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-verrall/ Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    337. Badgers, Glamping in Wales & What Truly Matters | meandering with Hannah Verrall

  6. Sep 2

    336. You’re Not Burnt Out… You’re Just Ignoring This One Thing | with Emma Gray

    I recorded this conversation several years ago… and never released it. Until now. It has changed the way I think about exhaustion. Clinical psychologist Emma Gray argues that many of us aren’t just tired- we have become fundamentally disconnected from our own bodies. If you have ever pushed through deep exhaustion, ignored your instincts, or struggled to know what you actually need, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we unpack: The "Good Girl" Lie: Why women are conditioned to put everyone else first.Somatic Disconnection: How your body tries to speak to you before it burns out.The Self-Care Fallacy: Why standard rest advice fails when you are truly stuck.The 3 Questions: Surprisingly simple prompts to reconnect with your inner wisdom.Episode Chapters: 00:00  I Never Released These... 00:39  Meet Emma Gray 02:03  Why Women Lose Themselves 05:28  The Self-Care Lie 07:36  Why We Always Put Ourselves Last 08:47  The Science of Rest 11:53  How To Listen To Your Body 15:37  The Boundary That Changed Everything 18:07  Values, People Pleasing & Saying No 20:06  When You Can't Walk Away 22:23  The People Who Shaped Emma 22:59  How She Wants To Be Remembered 23:48  One Final Message __________ This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Emma: Website: https://emmagray.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaGrayCoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagray.soulcoach Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    336. You’re Not Burnt Out… You’re Just Ignoring This One Thing | with Emma Gray

  7. Sep 1

    335. The Biggest Risk Isn't Failure - It's Comfort | with Leslie Kuster

    I recorded this conversation in 2022.  Then life happened. It sat on a hard drive for years. Today, it's finally seeing the light of day. I originally thought this interview was about building a seven-figure business. Listening back now, I realised it's really about something much more important. Leslie Kuster shares the decisions that changed the course of her life - from devastating personal loss, to leaving everything familiar behind, to building a multiple seven-figure business. But this isn't a conversation about money. In this episode, we unpack: The Comfort Trap: Why playing it safe is the riskiest decision you can make.Purpose Through Pain: Navigating grief and using it to redefine your path.The 7-Figure Shift: The exact mindset changes required to scale a business.Starting Late: Why your timeline doesn't matter when it comes to reinventing your life.00:00 – Why I Never Released These 01:20 – The Real Cost of Staying Comfortable 06:40 – The Loss That Changed Everything 11:45 – Finding Purpose Through Pain 15:15 – Building a Business from Bali 19:45 – The $\$7$-Figure Decision 24:00 – Why Mindset Beats Strategy 30:00 – It's Never Too Late to Begin Follow Leslie: Website: https://www.lesliekuster.com/ Book:” 7 Keys to 7 Figures - The Women Entrepreneurs' Guide to Money & Freedom” Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.kuster/ This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes, a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

    335. The Biggest Risk Isn't Failure - It's Comfort | with Leslie Kuster

  8. Feb 23

    334. Year Of Fire

    What if the timeline you’ve feared was never a delay… but a promise? Thirty years after blurting out the words, “I won’t come into my own until I’m older,” the spark has landed. Not astrology. Not reinvention. Ignition. Year of Fire isn’t about burning your life down. It’s about finally lighting the match you’ve been gripping for decades... and refusing to shrink at the exact age society expects you to. If it hits, follow. Share it. Let’s light a few more. Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

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out of 5
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About

The Merilyn Show is what happens when a reformed wallflower and ex-good girl stops obeying the niching rules and lets her late-diagnosed ADHD brain go full tall poppy.  That’s me! Merilyn (not to be confused with a certain blonde named Marilyn).  Expect eclectic, unfiltered banter and ah-ha moments on everything from entrepreneurship, personal brand and being a tall poppy to culture, menopause, spirituality, neurodiversity, parenting - and the occasional road kill. Mostly, we hunt for the wow-flavoured stuff in a world that was always mad (social media just gave us front-row seats). I’m joined by co-hosts and guests I find fascinating. And in further disregard for industry norms, I’ve ditched the paywalls and Zoom logins and started teaching my courses here for free. Merilyn Wilson Beretta is the founder of Tall Poppy Society, Lead Your World, What’s Your Wow and WowArchetypes. The podcast was previously The Tall Poppy Society podcast — and before that, Lead Your Day.  Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

Information

  • Creator
    Merilyn Wilson Beretta
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    342
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2025 The Merilyn Show
  • Show Website
    The Merilyn Show