36. Listen Again: The Truth About Fear (And Why You’re Still Playing Small)

38: The Lie That’s Quietly Running Your Life: “I’ll Do It Later”

There's a quiet lie running through so many women's lives. It doesn't sound dangerous. It sounds reasonable. Responsible, even. It sounds like: I'll start when things settle down. After this busy season. Once there's a little more time. In this episode I'm talking about the most dangerous sentence women say to themselves every single day, and why breaking that pattern has very little to do with motivation and everything to do with what you actually believe you're capable of. I'm getting into the three disguises "later" wears and why they're so hard to see through. I'm talking about what the waiting is actually costing you - not in theory, but in real time, in real years. And I'm sharing my own story of spending two years talking myself out of leaving nursing, watching three months turn into eight, and finally making a decision before I was ready, because the waiting was costing me more than the risk. If you've been deferring the thing that keeps showing up in your head at 11pm when the house is quiet, this episode is for you. 🎧 Inside this episode: * Why "I'll do it later" is a belief problem, not a scheduling problem * The three disguises later wears - responsibility, preparation, and comfort * What the waiting is actually costing you * Why high functioning women in midlife are especially vulnerable to this pattern * Why confidence comes from doing, not from feeling ready * Three micro-actions to start breaking the pattern this week 💬 Let’s Stay Connected: * Check out my Women's Group Trips [https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/mary-5cma2] * Subscribe to UA Wild Chronicles (weekly newsletter) [https://bit.ly/ua_wild_chronicles] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/liveunapologeticallywild/] * Follow me on Substack [https://substack.com/@liveunapologeticallywild] * Subscribe to my Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tHTGWOAdXaHWiyUu11laJ?si=0M41PnTMRSuXRbsLXR9dzQ] If this episode resonated, send it to a woman who needs to hear it. And message me on IG, tell me what's the one thing you've been putting off the longest. Until next time, Stay wild ⛰️💫🌵

37. Listen Again: Am I Enough? (The Fear Most Women Don't Say Out Loud)

Listen Again: This episode resonated deeply with listeners the first time it aired, and with so many new listeners joining the show, it felt like a good time to bring it back. Ever catch yourself thinking something like, “I’d love to do that… but I’m not enough”? Not capable enough. Not confident enough. Not ready enough. Most women never say that fear out loud, but it quietly shapes a lot of decisions. It shows up in the opportunities we pass on, the experiences we delay, and the versions of life we assume are meant for someone else. In this episode, we’re unpacking that story. I talk about where the “not enough” narrative actually comes from, how it shows up in everyday decisions, and why waiting to feel ready often keeps women stuck far longer than they realize. Because confidence doesn’t show up first. It shows up after you move. If you’ve ever stood at the edge of something you want and wondered whether you’re capable of it, this conversation is for you. P.S. My Thailand 2.0 2026 women’s group trip just launched (2 early bird spots) If you’ve been craving an unforgettable adventure with incredible women in one of the most vibrant places on earth, this might be the nudge you’ve been waiting for. Spots are limited. 👉 Click here to learn more [https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/thailand/thailand-with-mary-giordano-dec-2026] 💬 Let’s Stay Connected: * Check out my Women's Group Trips [https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/mary-5cma2] * Subscribe to UA Wild Chronicles (weekly newsletter) [https://bit.ly/ua_wild_chronicles] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/liveunapologeticallywild/] * Follow me on Substack [https://substack.com/@liveunapologeticallywild] * Subscribe to my Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tHTGWOAdXaHWiyUu11laJ?si=0M41PnTMRSuXRbsLXR9dzQ] If this episode resonated, share it with a friend and bring another woman into this wild, unapologetic space. Until next time… Stay wild ⛰️💫🌵

36. Listen Again: The Truth About Fear (And Why You’re Still Playing Small)

This is a replay of one of the most impactful episodes of Unapologetically Wild. Because fear is still the thing so many people point to as the reason they stay where they are. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of getting it wrong. But what if fear isn’t actually the problem? What if the real reason you’re stuck has nothing to do with fear, and everything to do with the identity you’ve been reinforcing for years? In this episode, I break down why fear is often just the surface-level explanation, and what’s actually happening underneath it. Because once you understand this, everything changes. Inside this episode: – Why fear isn’t something you eliminate, and why that was never the goal – The deeper reason you hesitate, overthink, and stay where you are – How your identity, not fear, is what determines your decisions – The three steps to shift how you see yourself so you can finally move forward If you’ve been waiting to feel ready, waiting to feel more confident, or waiting for fear to go away, this conversation will challenge everything you’ve been telling yourself. Fear doesn’t disappear. You just stop letting it decide. Resources mentioned: Mind Magic by James Doty 💬 Let’s Stay Connected: * Check out my Women's Group Trips [https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/mary-5cma2] * Subscribe to UA Wild Chronicles (weekly newsletter) [https://bit.ly/ua_wild_chronicles] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/liveunapologeticallywild/] * Follow me on Substack [https://substack.com/@liveunapologeticallywild] * Subscribe to my Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tHTGWOAdXaHWiyUu11laJ?si=0M41PnTMRSuXRbsLXR9dzQ] If this episode resonated, send it to a woman who needs to hear it. Until next time, Stay wild ⛰️💫🌵

35. The Permission Trap: Why You Stopped Trusting Yourself

Women always feel like they need permission. For everything. And most of us don’t even realize we’re doing it. In this episode, I’m talking about agency - your ability to make decisions about your own life without needing someone else to sign off on them. Where it went, why it’s not your fault, and how to start taking it back. I’m getting into the research on how girls are socialized from a young age to accommodate, defer, and make themselves easier for everyone else, and how that training follows us into careers, relationships, and the way we move through midlife. I’m also talking about why women between 40 and 59 have the highest rates of depression, and why I believe it has everything to do with arriving at freedom we were never taught how to use. And I’m sharing my own experience of leaving my nursing career with no plan and no safety net, and why that was the moment I stopped waiting for permission and started trusting myself instead. If you’ve been waiting for permission to go after what you want, this episode is your reminder that nobody else is coming to give it to you. 🎧 Inside this episode: • The invisible ways women hand over their authority without realizing it • What happens when the roles you built your identity around start shifting • Why midlife is often when your capacity for agency is at its highest • The small decisions that rebuild self-trust - one rep at a time • Why agency isn’t something you lost, it’s something you were trained to stop using 💬 Let’s Stay Connected: * Check out my Women's Group Trips [https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/mary-5cma2] * Subscribe to UA Wild Chronicles (weekly newsletter) [https://bit.ly/ua_wild_chronicles] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/liveunapologeticallywild/] * Follow me on Substack [https://substack.com/@liveunapologeticallywild] * Subscribe to my Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tHTGWOAdXaHWiyUu11laJ?si=0M41PnTMRSuXRbsLXR9dzQ] If this episode resonated, send it to a woman who needs to hear it. Message me on IG and tell me - what’s one decision you already know the answer to? Until next time, Stay wild ⛰️💫🌵

34. Why Your World Gets Smaller in Midlife - And How to Expand It Again

Nobody really talks about this, but there’s a shift that happens to women’s friendships in midlife. Not dramatic. Not explosive. More like a slow fade you don’t notice until one day you realize your world got smaller. In this episode, I’m talking about why friendships thin out as we get older, why most women never replace what they shed, and how easy it is to mistake comfort for alignment. I’m sharing what I’ve witnessed on my trips - women who showed up as strangers and walked away with friendships that expanded how they see themselves and what they believe they’re capable of. And I’m being honest about something I didn’t expect: how watching these women expand changed me too. If your world has quietly narrowed and you’ve told yourself that’s just how midlife works… this episode will challenge that. 🎧 Inside this episode: • Why you can be perfectly content and still be shrinking • The difference between maintenance friendships and expansion friendships • The subtle stories women tell themselves that keep their world small • What happens when women step into environments that challenge them • Why the quality of your relationships predicts your health and longevity Thailand 2.0 is live [https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/thailand/thailand-with-mary-giordano-dec-2026]  and the first trip sold out faster than I expected. Grab your spot HERE [https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/thailand/thailand-with-mary-giordano-dec-2026] 💬 Let’s Stay Connected: * Check out my Women's Group Trips [https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/mary-5cma2] * Subscribe to UA Wild Chronicles (weekly newsletter) [https://bit.ly/ua_wild_chronicles] * Connect with me on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/liveunapologeticallywild/] * Follow me on Substack [https://substack.com/@liveunapologeticallywild] * Subscribe to my Spotify Playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tHTGWOAdXaHWiyUu11laJ?si=0M41PnTMRSuXRbsLXR9dzQ] If this episode resonated, send it to a woman who needs to hear it. And I’d love to know - when was the last time you were in a room that expanded you? Until next time, Stay wild ⛰️💫🌵