How many opportunities have you let pass because you were waiting to be noticed, chosen, or invited? In this episode of the Be S.H.E. Podcast, Heidi Schalk sits down with Janet Heins, Chief Information Security Officer at ChenMed and author of Go Ahead, Ask for It: Make Your Value Undeniable, to talk about what becomes possible when women stop waiting and start asking.

Janet has risen through the male dominated world of cybersecurity and held leadership roles at Biogen, W.L. Gore, Royal Caribbean, iHeartMedia, and Merck, often by asking for roles she had never done before. She opens up about the moment a male colleague dismissed her proactive leadership as self serving, and how she chose to keep showing up anyway, this time making her intentions clear so no one else could define them for her. Together, Janet and Heidi unpack the fear of being judged, the pull to please everyone, and why being seen and heard is an act of service, not vanity.

You’ll hear how Janet made her very first big ask, how to frame a request around the value you bring so your voice carries weight, and why a no is never the end of the story but a source of information that helps you grow. She also shares the simple reframe that helps her step into the unknown with confidence: discomfort just means there’s more to learn.

This conversation is your permission slip to stop shrinking, own your value, and ask for what you want. Find Go Ahead, Ask for It on Amazon in ebook, audiobook, and paperback, with hardcover coming soon

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: https://www.janetheins.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetheins/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janet.heins/

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Ready to grow your biz: https://calendly.com/hlhgrowthsolutions/30minconnectcall

What does it mean to be a gutsy woman and leader?

In this episode of the Be S.H.E. Podcast, Heidi Schalk talks with leadership expert and author Sylvia LaFair about courage, curiosity, intuition, and the patterns that shape how women show up in life and leadership.

Sylvia shares the story behind her award winning book Gutsy: How Women Leaders Make Change and her upcoming book Glimmers at Work, which explores moving from triggers to glimmers and using the head, heart, and gut to make better decisions.

They discuss how childhood patterns can follow us into the workplace, including people pleasing, avoidance, and overachievement, and how recognizing those patterns can help us respond differently.

Sylvia also explains why telling the truth is different from spilling your guts, how curiosity can open unexpected doors, and why listening to your intuition can lead to meaningful change.

Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is an executive coach, leadership expert, and founder of Creative Energy Options. For more than 35 years, she has helped CEOs, senior leaders, and organizations uncover the invisible patterns that shape behavior under pressure. By integrating behavioral science, family systems theory, neuroscience, and decades of executive coaching, she developed The GLIMMERS Effect™, a practical approach that helps leaders transform automatic reactions into moments of awareness, better decisions, and lasting cultural change. Her work enables leaders to spark awareness, align teams, and ignite cultures where people and performance thrive.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: www.ceoptions.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sylvia lafair

Facebook: https://www.facebook/com/ceoptions

Facebook: https:/www.facebook.com sylvialafair

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/ thestressmastery

Instagram: sylviaLafair8

Youtube: https://www.youtube/user/sylvialafair

Connect with me:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

HLH Growth Solutions: https://hlhgrowthsolutions.com/

Ready to grow your biz: scalewithheidi.com

Heidi Schalk sits down with Sara Connell, five time bestselling author and founder of Thought Leader Media, whose work has been featured on Oprah, The New York Times, Good Morning America, and TEDx. Sara shares how a random book grabbed in an airport changed the direction of her life, why she still feels fear every day after 20 years in business, and what she calls the "Gremlins' greatest hits" that play whenever we go for something bigger.

Sara opens up about her upcoming book, The Download: Train Your Brain, Unlock Genius, Create Miracles (Hachette, October 6, 2026), and the science behind those sudden flashes of clarity we all experience. She explains how to recognize a true download, why tracking them builds trust, and her "why try, then AI" rule for protecting creativity and critical thinking in a world where AI is becoming the default. She also gets honest about the jump from six to seven figures, the six figure setback that nearly cost her everything, and how rebuilding her business model took her from 18% to 60% profitability.

Sara Connell is a 5x Bestselling author and the founder of Thought Leader Media where she helps coaches, experts and entrepreneurs scale impact + create 6-7 figures by becoming bestselling authors and in demand/TEDx speakers. She has been featured on/in Oprah, The New York Times, Good Morning America, TODAY, Forbes, Entrepreneur and TEDx. Her upcoming book The Download; Train Your Brain. Unlock Genius. Create Miracles which helps leaders overcome cognitive overload and access clarity, creativity, and innovation in the through human intelligence in the age of AI comes out with Hachette publishing on October 6th, 2026.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Substack: https://substack.com/@saraconnellthedownload

IG: https://www.instagram.com/saraconnell/

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThoughtLeaderMedia

Website: saraconnell.com

Email: sara.connell@gmail.com

🎁 Preorder The Download on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, then send Sara a screenshot on Instagram to receive the download tracker and bonus method. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS7J8V2Q

Connect with me:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Ready to grow your biz: https://calendly.com/hlhgrowthsolutions/30minconnectcall

In part two of her conversation with Dr. Maria Nemeth, Heidi Schalk digs into the topic Maria is best known for: our relationship with money. Featured on Oprah and author of The Energy of Money, Maria reframes money as one of six kinds of energy we get to use in life, alongside time, physical vitality, creativity, enjoyment, and relationship.

The conversation explores why money is so emotional, why capable women still wrestle with deserving it, and how limiting beliefs are just the brain's negativity bias talking us out of leaving the metaphorical cave.

Maria shares two unforgettable client stories: Sally, who went from welfare to running her own business after starting with fifty dollars a month, and a supermarket cashier who funded a cruise once she saw how much money she was quietly leaking.

At the heart of it is Maria's definition of financial success: doing what you said you would do consistently with money, with clarity, focus, ease, and grace. She closes with practical guidance on charging your worth, taking one small sweet step today, and a Mark Twain reminder that twenty years from now you will regret what you didn't do far more than what you did.

Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC, is the Founder and Director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence and has trained thousands of coaches around the world. An accomplished psychologist working with people in crisis, she is also a well-known expert in leadership excellence, personal/professional development, and financial empowerment. Voted one of the 50 most influential people in wealth management in the UK, her work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Inc Magazine. Maria is the author of two highly acclaimed books: The Energy of Money, available in five languages, and its follow-up, Mastering Life’s Energies.


To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: https://marianemeth.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianemeth/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrMariaNemeth
Instagram: @Maria Nemeth
Email: maria@marianemeth.com

Connect with me:
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FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/femaleentrepreneursandleaders
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/
🎁Spotlight to Scale: https://www.spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint
Ready to grow your biz? Schedule a call: https://calendly.com/hlhgrowthsolutions/30minconnectcall

In this episode of the Be S.H.E. Podcast Heidi Schalk sits down with Dr. Maria Nemeth, founder of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, author of The Energy of Money and Mastering Life's Energies, and a coach who's trained tens of thousands worldwide. Dr. Maria shares how a $35,000 scam forty years ago became the unlikely origin of her life's work, and why "your breakdowns hold the key to your breakthrough."

The conversation digs into how to find your purpose by first discovering what it isn't, why contribution (not revenue) should anchor your business, and the neuroscience of fear. Why our 100,000-year-old brain treats going live on social media like stepping out of the cave toward a saber-toothed tiger. Dr. Maria closes with her definition of success: doing what you said you'd do, consistently, with clarity, focus, ease, and grace.

A part two on The Energy of Money is coming soon.

Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC, is the Founder and Director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, and has trained thousands of coaches around the world. An accomplished psychologist working with people in crisis, she is also a well-known expert in leadership excellence, personal/professional development, and financial empowerment. Voted one of the 50 most influential people in wealth management in the UK, her work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Inc Magazine. Maria is the author of two highly-acclaimed books: The Energy of Money, available in five languages, and its follow-up, Mastering Life’s Energies.


To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: https://marianemeth.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianemeth/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrMariaNemeth
Instagram: @drmarianemeth
Email: maria@marianemeth.com

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidischalkcoaching
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/femaleentrepreneursandleaders
Spotlight to Scale: https://www.spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/
Ready to grow your biz: https://calendly.com/hlhgrowthsolutions/30minconnectcall

Burnout is not a personal failure. That single reframe sits at the heart of Heidi's conversation with Wendy S. Meadows, certified life coach, former lawyer, and author of Sparkle and Grit. Wendy's take is refreshingly freeing: burnout is not a sign you did something wrong, it is more like a common cold, something that keeps happening to busy women and moms no matter how many times we swear we have learned our lesson. The real skill is learning to see it coming and knowing exactly how to climb back out.

Wendy shares how she traded the courtroom for coaching by holding onto the part of law she loved most, the human connection, and letting go of the rest. She and Heidi dig into what it really means to live your best life, why finding the silver lining became second nature to Wendy after a childhood shaped by divorce and a demanding stepfather, and how our hardest seasons often carry our biggest growth.

Wendy S. Meadows, best-selling author of sparkle & GRIT, inspires others to live a technicolor life by finding balance and beating burnout. Wendy’s experience comes from her unique career path of family law attorney turned life coach. Recognized for her excellence in family law, Wendy holds the AV Preeminent rating and continues to be honored as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Lawyers and Top 50 Women Lawyers. With over 20 years of combined experience in litigating, mediating, coaching, and consulting, Wendy offers highly relatable and spot-on insight. Today, Wendy leverages her extensive expertise to coach clients, provide strategic consulting for law firms, mediate family law disputes with empathy and precision, and deliver engaging talks at professional events. In her free time, she loves playing in the water with her family and dreaming up her next travel extravaganza.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: https://wendysmeadows.com/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-s-meadows/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.s.meadows

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendy_s_meadows/

sparkle & GRIT: https://amzn.to/4fg9IKo

Pause Time Playbook - https://www.sparkleandgrit.com/playbook

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidischalkcoaching

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Spotlight to Scale: https://www.spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Ready to grow your biz: https://calendly.com/hlhgrowthsolutions/30minconnectcall

This episode dives into her journey from misdiagnoses to full recovery, highlighting how mold impacts health differently for everyone and how to take proactive steps to protect your family.

Aubree is the founder of Mold Free Mom and host of the top 2.5% globally ranked Mold Free Mom Podcast. As a Board Certified Holistic Practitioner and Mold Recovery Specialist, she guides families through the entire mold illness journey, from first suspecting mold is the issue all the way through full recovery. A mom of three boys and former national champion collegiate gymnast and personal trainer, Aubree spent 12 years and more than $250,000 consulting over 30 doctors before finally identifying mold as the root cause of her mystery illness. Years later, a second exposure put her back at square one, and she recovered fully again. What came out of both journeys is a 5-step protocol built on knowing exactly what the body needs to heal, in what order, and what most approaches get wrong. She's on a mission to give families the roadmap she never had, so they can reclaim their health.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: https://moldfreemom.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586676996007

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mold-free-mom-toxic-mold-mold-illness-mold-detox-chronic/id1780459318

Instagram: www.instagram.com/moldfreemom

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidischalkcoaching

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/femaleentrepreneursandleaders

Spotlight to Scale: https://www.spotlighttoscale.com/blueprint

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Ready to grow your biz: scalewithheidi.com

In this episode, I welcome Kim Reynolds of AI Advantage Agency to explore the transformative role of AI in business, especially in marketing and SEO. Kim shares her inspiring journey from early entrepreneurial ventures to becoming a leader in AI-driven marketing solutions, as well as insights on how businesses can leverage new technologies to stay competitive.

Kimberly Reynolds is a seasoned digital strategist and the co-founder of AI Advantage Agency. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she specializes in transitioning brands from traditional search models to Agentic Commerce and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

Website: http://aiadvantageagency.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyannreynolds/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-advantage-agency/

X: x.com/kimreynolds

X: x.com/aiadvantage

Connect with me:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidischalkcoaching/

Ready to grow your biz: scalewithheidi.com