How to Write Your Life Story Without Reliving the Pain | Memoir Writing for Women

How Historical Fiction Brings Forgotten Women to Life | Cinda Gault

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083529/fan_mail/new] How can historical fiction bring forgotten women back to life—and what can their courage teach women today? In this fascinating episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Canadian author and speaker Cinda Gault to explore historical fiction, courageous female characters, women’s history, creative writing, and the power of telling stories that official records left behind. Cinda shares her remarkable journey from helping establish a rape crisis center and domestic violence shelter to working as a prison guard, earning a PhD in English, teaching Canadian literature, and becoming a published author. Her historical novels celebrate adventurous women who refuse to accept the lives prescribed for them. Through stories inspired by women such as Isobel Gunn and Marie-Anne Gaboury, Cinda reveals how research and imagination can restore depth, humanity, and possibility to women who were barely acknowledged in historical records. In this conversation, Julie and Cinda discuss: * Why brave and unconventional women make compelling characters * How historical fiction can recover women’s forgotten stories * Isobel Gunn’s decision to disguise herself as a man in 1806 * Marie-Anne Gaboury’s journey into Canada’s fur-trade country * Why women’s experiences were often recorded through men’s eyes * Annie Oakley, Gabriel Dumont, the Jesse James Gang, and the Louis Riel Rebellion * The difference between wanting to write and becoming a writer * Why real life cannot simply be placed on a page and called a story * How structure, editing, and professional guidance strengthen a book * What rejection taught Cinda about becoming a published author * Why women sometimes limit themselves through other people’s expectations * The responsibility that comes with personal freedom * Artificial intelligence, critical thinking, and the future of storytelling * What Cinda hopes her granddaughters inherit from earlier generations of women Cinda also shares candid advice for women who want to write their life stories but feel inexperienced, intimidated, or afraid to begin. She explains why there is an important difference between journaling for personal healing, writing one meaningful book, and developing the long-term craft required to become a professional writer. Her message is honest: your story matters, but turning life into a book requires choices, structure, skill, and a willingness to leave some things out. Cinda is the author of: This Godforsaken Place A Small Compass Everything I Hope For Past Convictions Her work blends Canadian history, courageous women, adventure, romance, resistance, and the timeless struggle to build a meaningful life. Her official website lists these novels and describes her work as historical fiction centred on women’s adventures, courage, autonomy, and possibility. If you enjoy conversations about women’s history, historical fiction, writing books, strong female characters, Canadian history, personal freedom, and women finding their voices, this episode is for you. Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for inspiring life stories, practical business tools, writing guidance, and honest conversations with experts and courageous women from around the world. Come for the conversation. Leave with a story, lesson, or idea that helps you move forward. Learn more about Cinda Gault: website: https://www.cindagault.com FB: CindaGault Instagram: @Cinda Gault X: Cinda Gault Story Coaching. Sales Confidence. Podcast Visibility. Linkedin: Cinda Gault Subscribe to Julie Fairhurst and Women Like Me: @juliefairhurstWLM If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website [https://juliefairhurst.com/]

Money Mindset for Women Entrepreneurs: Break Scarcity & Charge More | Scarlett Stanhope

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083529/fan_mail/new] Why do smart, capable women entrepreneurs struggle with money anxiety, underpricing and the constant fear that there will never be enough? In this powerful conversation, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Scarlett Stanhope, also known as The Biz Hippie, to explore money mindset, scarcity, financial safety and why earning more money does not automatically make you feel secure. Scarlett explains that abundance is not simply a number in your bank account. It is a relationship built around three things: • How you think about money • How you feel about money • How you use money Together, Julie and Scarlett uncover the three scarcity beliefs that can quietly sabotage a woman’s business: Not enoughness: The fear that there will never be enough clients, money, time or opportunity. Unworthiness: The belief that you do not deserve to earn more, receive support or charge what your work is truly worth. Starving artist syndrome: The idea that meaningful, creative or heart-centred work should not be highly profitable. Scarlett shares how these beliefs affect pricing, selling, receiving money and everyday business decisions. She also explains why even successful entrepreneurs and seven-figure earners can continue to feel financially trapped. In this episode, you will discover: • How to recognize a scarcity mindset in your business • Why money avoidance creates more anxiety • How tracking your finances can create calm and clarity • The connection between self-worth and pricing • How to stop undercharging for your services • Why financial safety is emotional as well as practical • How to make business decisions from possibility instead of fear • Why earning more will not heal an unhealthy relationship with money • How women entrepreneurs can receive money without guilt or shame This is not another conversation telling you to simply think positively and wait for abundance to appear. It is a grounded discussion about combining mindset, emotional healing and practical financial habits. If you have ever avoided looking at your bank account, questioned your prices, felt guilty receiving money or worked harder while feeling less secure, this episode is for you. Subscribe to Women Like Me Stories & Business for honest conversations about women, entrepreneurship, personal growth, visibility, selling and building a business that supports the life you truly want. Share this episode with a woman who needs to hear that wanting financial security does not make her greedy—and charging appropriately does not make her selfish. About Scarlett Stanhope Scarlett Stanhope, also known as The Biz Hippie, helps entrepreneurs transform their relationship with money, own their value, and create businesses that financially support the work and lives they love. The Biz Hippie LLC https://thebizhippie.com https://instagram.com/thebizhippie If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website [https://juliefairhurst.com/]

Walk Away Without Regret: Leaving Corporate Success to Find Your True Purpose | Kathy Robinson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083529/fan_mail/new] What happens when you've achieved everything you were told would make you happy… but something inside keeps whispering, "There's more." In this inspiring episode, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Kathy Robinson, founder of Athena Wellness, author, and former Fortune 250 Chief Audit Executive and Chief Risk Officer, to explore what it really takes to leave a successful corporate career and create a life that's aligned with who you truly are. Together, they discuss: ✔️ How to know when a chapter of your life is complete  ✔️ The hidden grief of leaving a successful career  ✔️ Fear vs. intuition—and how to tell the difference  ✔️ Why high achievers struggle to slow down  ✔️ Letting go of identity tied to work and achievement  ✔️ Nature-based coaching and "walking with a question"  ✔️ The sailboat metaphor that changes how you think about success  ✔️ Finding clarity through stillness instead of constant striving  ✔️ Practical tools to reconnect with yourself during life's transitions If you're standing at a crossroads, questioning your career, searching for more meaning, or wondering if it's finally time to trust yourself, this conversation will remind you that your next chapter doesn't have to be forced—it can be discovered. ❤️ If you enjoyed this conversation, please Like, Subscribe, and Share. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to women around the world. Athena Wellness https://athenawellness.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathybrobinson-athenawellness/ https://athenawellness.com/sage (a guide that includes three practices to connect to your inner wisdom) If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website [https://juliefairhurst.com/]

One Hour a Week: How Storytelling Helped a Mother and Son Rebuild Their Bond | Kate Markland

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083529/fan_mail/new] One hour a week with your child is a heartbreaking reality — especially when it is court-ordered. For Kate Markland, that painful limitation became the beginning of something unexpectedly beautiful: a mother and son rebuilding their bond through stories. In this episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Kate Markland to talk about parenting connection, children’s creativity, storytelling, writing confidence, and the power of giving children permission to become the hero of their own story. Kate shares how she began reading aloud to her son over FaceTime, and how that simple act of connection grew into published children’s books and a classroom-tested method she calls StoryQuest. We talk about the heart and structure behind her approach, including: * The storyteller and the scribe *  Why open-ended questions matter *  How messy bullet points can unlock creativity *  Why perfect paragraphs are not the starting point *  How illustrations can help reluctant writers *  How AI art tools can support imagination *  Why spelling and grammar should not be the gatekeepers of creativity This conversation goes far beyond children’s writing. Kate explains why the blank page is not only a writing problem — it can also be a self-leadership problem. We discuss what happens when children are constantly corrected, how rules and bias can shrink young voices, and why girls especially may grow into women who silence parts of themselves long before they ever realize it. Kate also shares practical tools for hard seasons, including choosing one thing to win the day and naming three wins at night to build confidence, momentum, and resilience. This episode is for parents, teachers, writers, creatives, and anyone who cares about children’s voices, imagination, emotional connection, and reclaiming the parts of ourselves that were corrected, quieted, or left behind. Because sometimes a story is not just a story. Sometimes it is a bridge back to love. Subscribe for more conversations about women’s stories, writing, healing, parenting, creativity, business, and the courage to be heard. StoryQuest https://www.storyquestglobal.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kate-markland If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website [https://juliefairhurst.com/]

How 30-Year Fixed Mortgages Help Build Wealth During Inflation | Adiel Gorel

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2083529/fan_mail/new] Inflation is hitting hard — at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and even at the movies. But what if one of your highest monthly costs could stay fixed while almost everything else keeps rising? In this episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Adiel Gorel, CEO of International Capital Group, to talk about how everyday people can use US real estate investing to build long-term wealth, passive income, and retirement security. Adiel shares his journey from electrical engineering and Silicon Valley research to buying rental properties and helping others invest in real estate. He explains why he moved from local investing to remote rental homes when the numbers stopped making sense, and how professional property management can make investing easier for people who do not want to become full-time landlords. We talk about why brand new homes may reduce unexpected repair costs, how a “start with one” approach can lower fear for first-time investors, and what happened when Adiel led a group of engineers who collectively bought hundreds of rental homes. A major part of this conversation is the power of the US 30-year fixed rate mortgage. Adiel explains how fixed mortgage payments can become easier to manage over time as inflation rises, why the real weight of debt may shrink, and why early cash flow is not the only number investors should consider. We also discuss the difference between the US mortgage system and Canada’s mortgage renewal risk, the rent-versus-buy question in expensive cities, and the market traits Adiel looks for across the Sunbelt when choosing investment locations. This conversation is for anyone curious about: Real estate investing  Rental property investing  Passive income  Retirement planning  Inflation and debt  US 30-year fixed mortgages  Cross-border real estate investing  Investing from Canada into the US  Long-term wealth building  Starting with one rental property This episode is educational and not financial advice. Always speak with qualified professionals before making investment decisions. If you have ever wondered whether you missed the real estate market, this episode may help you see a different path. Sometimes wealth does not begin with a giant leap. Sometimes it starts with one smart door. Subscribe for more conversations about business, money, visibility, reinvention, and building a life with more courage and choice. Check out Adiel's website; it's full of fantastic information that can help you: https://icgre.com/event/ https://icgre.com/pressroom/ If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website [https://juliefairhurst.com/]