Courageous Pivot with Meghan Telpner

Textile artist Jen Arron shares her transformative journey from established Toronto photographer to full-time artist, revealing the messy, beautiful process of reinventing your creative identity. In this honest and vulnerable conversation, Jen shares the difference between being good at something and being truly creative, the terror and liberation of change, and the life shift that crystallized her need for work that felt essential. This episode offers practical wisdom about protecting your creative whispers, redefining success metrics, and the courage required to claim "artist" as your identity when everyone knows you as something else. Essential listening for anyone feeling the tension between commercial success and the whispers to follow creative authenticity. Links + Resources * Full show notes [https://meghantelpner.substack.com/podcast]

What happens when standing for your principles means losing everything you’ve built? Dr. Julie Ponesse, an ethics professor for 20 years, faced exactly that choice when her university policies fell out of alignment with her personal ethics. With a newborn baby and no backup plan, she refused—not because the decision was easy, but because staying silent would have meant abandoning who she was. In this profound conversation, Julie unpacks the difference between having “no choice” due to fear versus having no choice if you want to remain in integrity with yourself. She speaks candidly about moral injury, the loss of trust, and the recovery time she now needs. But she also shares the unexpected gifts that came from having clarity about her core values, and a surprising new path helping others achieve financial freedom. This is a story about being faithful to yourself even when the cost is everything. Essential listening for anyone who’s ever wondered if they have the courage to choose their principles over their security. * Full show notes [https://meghantelpner.substack.com/podcast] * Money Mastery [https://fun.meghantelpner.com/MoneyMastery] - A wildly practical approach to financial literacy, empowered money mindset, and wealth building for a life of joy and freedom (use code PIVOT30 at checkout to save 30% on the course).

What if the biggest barrier to your courageous pivot isn't fear of failure, but fear of being truly seen? In this deeply revealing episode, Meghan explores how the masks we wear to feel safe and accepted actually keep us trapped in lives that don't fit anymore. Drawing on wisdom from spiritual teachers like Michael Beckwith and research from the HeartMath Institute, she reveals why hiding our authentic selves isn't just emotionally costly—it's literally making us less intelligent, less creative, and less capable of creating the lives we want. Essential listening for anyone ready to stop managing perceptions and start living authentically. Links + Resources * Full show notes [https://meghantelpner.substack.com/podcast]

What happens when you outgrow the life you worked so hard to build? In this episode, Meghan explores the unexpected grief that comes with positive change—the mourning that happens when you release a successful career, comfortable identity, or accomplished version of yourself that no longer fits who you’re becoming. This isn’t about traditional loss. It’s about the complex emotions of saying goodbye to dreams you’ve achieved, identities that served you well, and the version of yourself that others could easily understand and categorize. If you’ve ever felt guilty for being sad about letting go of something you chose to release, or you’re navigating the tender space between who you were and who you’re becoming, this episode offers validation and wisdom for honoring both your growth and your grief. Essential listening for anyone in transition who needs permission to mourn their former selves with grace. Links + Resources * Full show notes [https://meghantelpner.substack.com/podcast]

This is essential listening for creative professionals and entrepreneurs who have found external success but are discovering that showing up authentically in their work feels more terrifying than any career risk they've ever taken. What if your most successful career moves were actually the easy part, and showing up as your authentic self was the real challenge? In this deeply vulnerable conversation, actress, producer, and director Sarah Carter reveals why launching her new website - simply being honest about who she is and what she does - has left her more terrified than any of her Hollywood pivots. Despite leaving university after booking her first six auditions, starring in hit series like "Falling Skies," and successfully transitioning from actor to award-winning filmmaker, Sarah describes experiencing a "vulnerability hangover" from finally showing up authentically. Links + Resources * Full show notes [https://meghantelpner.substack.com/podcast]