Embrace The Encore

The Courage to Evolve: Dr. Kathleen Riley on Meaningful Success in Midlife

What happens when you have done everything “right,” followed your gifts, built a respected career, and still feel called toward something more? For many women, the encore years are not about starting over but about listening more closely to what wants to emerge next. In this episode of Embrace the Encore, Marie Wallace sits down with Dr. Kathleen Riley, a woman whose life has been marked by talent, discipline, and early achievement. From a young age, Kathleen’s path was shaped by capability and opportunity, yet her story challenges the idea that excellence means arriving at a final destination. Instead, she offers a thoughtful perspective on growth as a lifelong practice rather than a single milestone. Marie and Kathleen explore what reinvention looks like when success is not absent, but abundant. They talk about curiosity as a guiding force, the willingness to question even well-built identities, and how purpose continues to evolve when you give yourself permission to stay open. Kathleen reflects on the internal shifts that matter as much as external accomplishments, including discernment, humility, and the courage to keep learning long after mastery has been achieved. Tune in to episode 20 of Embrace the Encore to hear how embracing change is not about rejecting who you have been, but about honoring your capacity to keep becoming. In This Episode, You Will Learn: * How lifelong achievement can still leave room for meaningful evolution (5:00) * Why reinvention is not only for women who feel stuck or dissatisfied (10:00) * How curiosity becomes more important than ambition in later chapters (16:00) * What it means to release fixed identities without losing your sense of self (22:00) * Why staying open to growth is a form of self-respect rather than restlessness (28:00) * How early talent can quietly shape expectations and limit perceived options later in life (34:00) * The difference between external success and internal alignment as life unfolds (39:00) * Why discernment matters more than momentum in the encore years (45:00) * How women can redefine contribution without needing to prove their worth again (51:00) * What embracing the encore means when growth is intentional, not reactive (56:00) Connect with Dr. Kathleen Riley: * Website [https://drkathleenriley.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kathleen-riley-81b29515/] * YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@kathleenriley4707] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/drkathleenriley] * X [https://x.com/drkathleenriley] Let's connect! * Website [https://embracetheencore.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-c-wallace-7a546413b/] * Email: marie@embracetheencore.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Resilience Without a Roadmap: Three Women on Rebuilding Life When Everything Changes

Resilience is often described as strength in motion, but rarely do we talk about what it actually looks like while it is being built. In moments of crisis, loss, or deep transition, resilience is not polished or predictable. It is messy, uncertain, and deeply personal. This episode invites you into that in-between space, where survival becomes intention and forward motion begins without a clear map. In this special episode of Embrace the Encore, Marie Wallace revisits three powerful voices from past conversations to explore resilience through very different lived experiences. Rosie Aiello shares what it meant to rebuild her life after escaping an abusive marriage and how safety, support, and small decisions became the foundation for her future. Pati Rader reflects on navigating grief after the loss of her husband and how writing became both a discipline and a lifeline. Linda Ellen Anderson offers perspective on resilience later in life, reminding us that growth does not end with age and that skills, focus, and health play a critical role in what comes next. Together, these conversations reveal resilience not as a personality trait, but as a practice. They speak openly about fear, grief, healing, and the courage it takes to take the next step without knowing where it will lead. They discuss why resilience often begins with asking for help, how purpose can emerge from pain, and why tending to your health, focus, and inner life is essential during times of change. This episode is a reminder that resilience is built through action, reflection, and choice, one step at a time. Tune in to episode 19 of Embrace the Encore and discover how resilience is shaped in real life, through real challenges, and why it is never too late to begin again. In This Episode, You Will Learn: How resilience is built when safety and survival come first (2:00) Why taking the next small step matters more than having a full plan (6:00) How grief can become a pathway to purpose and self-connection (10:00) Why writing and reflection help process loss and create forward momentum (13:00) How identity shifts after major life changes and how to rebuild it intentionally (17:00) Why focus, health, and skill awareness are essential during midlife transitions (21:00) How resilience strengthens with age and lived experience (25:00) Connect with Rosie Aiello: * Website [https://www.theloveiskindnetwork.com]   * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosieaiello/] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheRosieAiello] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rosieaiello_loveiskind?igsh=cDF0aDNuZ2JyNzhs] * The Love Is Kind Network [https://www.facebook.com/TheLoveisKindNetwork] Connect with Pati Rader: * Website [https://plrader.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patirader/] Connect with Linda Ellen Anderson: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaellenanderson/] * Phone: (916) 508-1677 * Email: skillsetace@gmail.com Let's connect! * Website [https://embracetheencore.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-c-wallace-7a546413b/] * Email: marie@embracetheencore.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This Year, Choose Becoming: Why Letting Go of Resolutions Leads to Real Change

As the new year begins, many of us are caught in the rush of setting resolutions, only to watch them slip away within weeks. But what if true transformation does not begin with a list of goals, but with a deeper shift in how we see ourselves? In this solo episode of Embrace the Encore, Marie Wallace explores why resolutions often fail and invites you to move beyond the cycle of fleeting promises. Instead of focusing on willpower or perfection, Marie guides you toward extraordinary awareness, a place where purpose, creativity, and clarity reside, waiting to be discovered. In this powerful conversation, Marie shares her belief that real change happens not by forcing a new life into an old mindset, but by embracing who we are meant to become. With a focus on identity, legacy, and purpose, she discusses how to align your actions with your soul’s calling and why embracing your deeper purpose is the key to lasting transformation. Marie also reflects on the generational power behind us, how the women who came before us paved the way for us to thrive, and how we can honor their sacrifices by stepping into our true potential. She reveals the principles that lay the foundation for transformation, beginning with personal responsibility and the courage to take small, imperfect steps toward your purpose. Tune in to episode 18 of Embrace the Encore and discover how letting go of resolutions and aligning with your purpose can create lasting, meaningful change this year. In This Episode, You Will Learn: • Why resolutions fail and what you can do instead to create real transformation (5:00) • How embracing extraordinary awareness opens the door to your purpose (8:00) • The importance of owning your life choices and stepping into your personal power (12:00) • Why clarity and action, not perfection, are the keys to living your purpose (17:00) • How to connect with the generations that came before you and honor their sacrifices (25:00) Let's connect! * Website [https://embracetheencore.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-c-wallace-7a546413b/] * Email: marie@embracetheencore.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Quiet Power of Being Seen: Julie Kaplan on Helping Women Reclaim Themselves Through Photography

What if a single captured moment could reconnect you with the woman you thought had faded from view? Many women step into midlife feeling invisible, uncertain, or disconnected from their own reflection. Yet the right photographic experience can reopen that connection and reveal a version of themselves they believed was long gone. In this episode of Embrace the Encore, Marie Wallace sits down with award-winning portrait photographer Julie Kaplan, whose work with women over 40 is rooted in gentleness, honesty, and the belief that beauty deepens with life experience. Julie shares how her guided process helps women let go of the pressure to be perfect and instead allows them to be seen as they truly are. Her sessions invite women to soften, breathe, trust, and rediscover the spark they feared they had lost. Julie and Marie explore the emotional shifts that unfold in the studio, from nervous beginnings to moments of genuine self-recognition. They discuss why this stage of life often brings women to her door, how vulnerability transforms into confidence, and why printed portraits can become meaningful markers of identity, belonging, and legacy. This conversation is a reminder that self-discovery is still possible and that midlife can be a powerful invitation back to yourself. Tune in to episode 17 of Embrace the Encore and discover how choosing to be seen can open the door to your next chapter. In This Episode, You Will Learn: * The moment that inspired Julie to focus on photographing women over 40 (3:00) * What it truly means for a woman to feel seen in midlife (6:00) * How Julie guides clients from nerves to confidence during a session (8:00) * How vulnerability and confidence coexist in front of the camera (and why tears are common) (13:40) * The shift that happens when women stop seeing their insecurities and start seeing their essence (17:30) * Why viewing unretouched images can be a transformative experience (20:00) * How portraits become meaningful memories and legacy pieces (26:00) * Why saying yes to a photo session can be a brave first step toward personal reinvention (30:00) Connect with Julie Kaplan: * Website [http://www.juliekaplanphoto.com/] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/juliekaplanphoto/?hl=es] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/julie-kaplan-photography/?originalSubdomain=ec] * Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.com/juliekapphoto/] Let's connect! * Website [https://embracetheencore.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-c-wallace-7a546413b/] * Email: marie@embracetheencore.com [marie@embracetheencore.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Keep Climbing: Dierdre Wolownick’s Method for Turning Dreams Into Action at Any Age

Most people worry about getting hurt doing something bold. Dierdre Wolownick reminds us that turning into a couch potato can be even more dangerous. At 66, she became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan, one of Yosemite’s most iconic walls. But her real ascent began long before that, when she decided to stop accepting limits and start writing her own story. In this episode of Embrace the Encore, Marie Wallace sits down with Dierdre Wolownick to explore what it truly means to reinvent yourself at any stage of life. A professor, musician, marathoner, author, and lifelong adventurer, Dierdre has lived many lives and built each one through curiosity, courage, and persistence. Her latest book, Success in 7 Steps, turns those lessons into a clear, actionable method for anyone ready to pursue their dreams, no matter how far away they seem. Dierdre shares how running marathons in her 50s and climbing El Capitan in her 60s reshaped her understanding of fear, how journaling became her greatest teacher, and why success isn’t about talent but about having a method. Her story is proof that reinvention is not a one-time act. It is a lifelong habit of saying yes to what calls your heart. Tune in to episode 16 of Embrace the Encore to rediscover what’s possible when you stop asking, “Am I too old?” and start asking, “What’s next?” In This Episode, You Will Learn: * How Dierdre defines reinvention and why it’s an ongoing process (3:20) * The simple method behind her book, Success in 7 Steps (4:20) * Why staying on the couch can be more dangerous than climbing rocks (6:10) * How running marathons at 54 led her to discover a new version of herself (8:10) * The mental shift that helped her see limits as choices, not rules (13:50) * What climbing El Capitan taught Dierdre about trust, courage, and tenacity (15:30) * The three categories that shape her Seven Step Method (24:20) * How journaling can be your greatest tool for clarity and growth (30:20) * What “Embrace the Encore” means to Dierdre and how she’s living it (39:40) Connect with Dierdre Wolownick: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/dierdre_wolownick_honnold/?hl=es] * IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/es/name/nm10491850/] * Get a copy of Success in 7 Steps [https://www.amazon.com/Success-7-Steps-Dierdre-Wolownick-ebook/dp/B0DXMKBRBD?ref] by Dierdre Wolownick Let's connect! * Website [https://embracetheencore.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-c-wallace-7a546413b/] * Email: marie@embracetheencore.com [marie@embracetheencore.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.