Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @marladiann

For many midlife women, solo travel isn't about checking destinations off a list. It's about friendship, confidence, curiosity, and remembering that life can surprise you in a good way when you least expect it.

In this relatable episode, I'm joined by Gina Cambridge, ICF Certified Travel Coach, retreat host, and founder of Wanderlust Solo Women Tours and Wanderlust Travel Coaching.

After experiencing her own season of reinvention later in life, Gina discovered how transformational travel helped her rebuild confidence, create meaningful friendships, and reconnect with herself.

Today, she's helped hundreds of women experience the same through her curated retreats, tours, and purposeful adventures around the world.

From New Zealand to Bali, Cuba and beyond, Gina's work is centered around helping women embrace freedom, courage, and the joy that comes from stepping outside their comfort zones.

Inside this conversation, we explore:

• Why traveling with fewer expectations can lead to richer experiences
• How women in midlife are discovering new freedom, joy, and confidence through solo travel
• How travel can become a catalyst for healing and reinvention
• Why meaningful friendships often begin outside our comfort zones
• The role intuition plays when planning journeys and creating experiences
• How Gina navigated the uncertainty of the pandemic without giving up on her dream
• The serendipities of life that emerged for Gina from local retreats and unexpected pivots

What I love most about Gina's philosophy is that travel isn't simply about checking destinations off a bucket list. It's about saying yes to yourself.

It's about remembering that life can still surprise you. And potentially, a plane ticket becomes the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

Gina is generously sharing her free guide, Travel Solo with Confidence, filled with practical tips, confidence-building hacks, and encouragement for women dreaming about their own adventures.

You can access her gift inside the Portal of Joy. It's an easy free sign up to have access to our selected high value podcast guest's gifts! Downloads, discount codes, journals, audios, and courses, and so much more.
https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

If you've been longing for more freedom, more adventure, or wondering whether it's too late to reinvent yourself, let this conversation be your reminder:

You never want to miss answering to the call of wanderlust regardless of age or season in your life. Because following your joy starts with the courage to say yes to yourself and the magic of travel.

Resources + Links:
https://wanderlustsolowomentours.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WanderlustSoloWomenTours/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlust_momentum/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlust_travel_coach/

-Marla's Amazon Lifestyle Influencer Store – shop for favorites! Gifts for yourself and others inside my store in the travel section https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

-If your own midlife (40+) reinvention is knocking, let's explore it. What does freedom look and feel like for you? More travel? More creative expression? We begin our connection with a Freedom Chat. Use my Calendly link to get on the calendar. https://calendly.com/successcoach-marladiann/connection

-To request the Reverie + Velvet overview and details for an introductory consideration, email: support@marladiann.com

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

What happens when everything you've built after 18 years no longer feels aligned—and the future is a mystery?

In this deeply personal solo episode of Follow Your Joy, I share the story behind my most significant reinvention in nearly two decades and the unexpected birth of my new company, Reverie + Velvet.

For months, I felt caught between worlds.

My intuition kept telling me something needed to change. The coaching industry was changing in a big way. Technology and AI were disrupting how we work and connect. And despite countless pivots, new ideas, and attempts to find clarity, nothing seemed to really fit.

What looked like an unraveling on the outside was actually making way for something very different. It was transformation and my "real" next identity.

In this vulnerable conversation, I take you behind the scenes of a season marked by uncertainty, loss, grief, identity shifts, and the search for a more authentic way to express who I am at this stage of life.

You'll hear:

• How a chance meeting at a local chamber event became the catalyst for an entirely new business
• Why I reached a breaking point after years of working primarily online
• The profound losses I experienced that quietly reshaped my life and perspective
• What I learned about the "world between worlds" when an old identity is dissolving but the new one hasn't fully emerged
• How intuition guided me when logic could not
• The surprising way my entire three decade long career finally integrated into one unified mission

I also share the story and meaning behind Reverie + Velvet—a creative house devoted to women artists, founders, and visionaries expanding into greater visibility, success, and self-expression.

This episode is a reminder that what feels like unraveling is actually an evolution. Oftentimes the next chapter doesn't arrive when we're trying our darndest to figure things out.

I believe it arrives when we stop thinking our way through it and instead listen very carefully to our intuition and our higher power, and allow life to reveal what has been waiting for us all along.

For me, it was a God thing. God had been trying to show me and lead me where to land, but I was too busy in the weeds trying to figure it out!

This episode isn't really about launching Reverie + Velvet, although I am very excited about this! It's about a woman who spent months searching, pivoting, grieving, questioning, praying, listening, and ultimately surrendering.

It was a return to my:

• Creativity

• Entertainment roots

• Love of artistry

• A gift for storytelling

• A passion for visibility and personal branding

• The intuitive way of guiding women + men creatives even more deeply

• Desire for beauty, artistry, music, conversation, and meaningful connection
  
  

If you're navigating uncertainty, craving reinvention, or sensing that a new chapter is calling your name, this conversation is for you.

The truth is, when you follow your joy, you eventually find your way home.

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @marladiann

Resources + Links:

-Reverie + Velvet is now accepting a limited number of inquiries for artist representation and founder mentorship consideration. If something in this story spoke to you deeply, perhaps that's where the conversation begins.

-To request the Reverie + Velvet overview and details for an introductory consideration, email: support@marladiann.com

IG: marla_diann TT: Marla Diann FB: Marla Diann LI Marla Diann Dennis

Shop Marla's Amazon Lifestyle Store for her favorites – https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Today we're exploring a topic impacting millions of women—yet one that is often misunderstood, overlooked, or quietly endured: women's health, weight struggles, hormones, and the emotional toll that comes with feeling disconnected from your body.

In this episode of Follow Your Joy, I'm joined by entrepreneur and MyStart Health founder, Matt Stern, for a candid conversation about the future of women's healthcare, personalized wellness, and the intuition it takes to build something meaningful in a crowded industry.

Matt's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and trusting his gut instincts against the odds.

From being homeless at 17 and living in a pool house… to building multiple businesses and helping generate over $300M in growth…his entrepreneurial journey has been anything but conventional.

Today, through MyStart Health, Matt and his team are focused on expanding access and affordability to life-changing medications—beginning with GLP-1 weight loss treatments and now strongly expanding into personalized hormone health programs for women over 50.

Inside this conversation, we explore:

• The growing health concerns impacting women today
• Why women's hormones, metabolism, and wellness need more personalized support
• Matt's personal story from hardship to entrepreneurial success
• How intuition helped him go "all in" on MyStart Health despite industry skepticism
• Why impact and personalization matter more than simply scaling a business
• The emotional and physical realities women face with weight, aging, and health changes
• What true success feels like when your work genuinely changes lives

What I appreciated most about this conversation is that it's not just about medications or healthcare trends.

It's about listening—to your body, your instincts, your health, and the deeper knowing that you deserve support, vitality, and solutions that honor your life stage.

Matt is offering Follow Your Joy listeners a special lifetime savings of 25% off all MyStart Health plans.

You can access Matt's savings code details inside the Portal of Joy. Please sign up for access to all of the podcast guest's gifts: https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

If you've been navigating changes in your health, energy, hormones, weight, or overall well-being—or simply want a more hopeful conversation around women's health—this episode is for you.

Resources + Links:

www.mystarthealth.com

www.linkedin.com/company/thesterngroup

-Marla's Amazon Store – shop for favorites. Summer specials & savings https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

-If your own midlife (40+) reinvention is asking to be revealed or supported, let's explore it. What does freedom, more creative expression, success look and feel like for you at this stage of your life? We begin our connection with a reinvention conversation. Use my Calendly link to get on the calendar. https://calendly.com/successcoach-marladiann/connection

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @marladiann

What does it really take to turn a dream into a living, breathing reality?

In this episode of Follow Your Joy, we explore the journey of desire, intuition, resilience, and timing through the story of building a vineyard from the ground up.

My guest, Sarah Lyons, co-founder of Lyons Vineyard in the Los Olivos District of Santa Barbara County, shares the behind-the-scenes truth of what it takes to create a wine business rooted in legacy, passion, patience, and purpose.

What began as a shared dream between Sarah and her husband evolved over years—from corporate careers in the entertainment industry… to planting vines… to producing and finally launching their own wine label.

This is not a story of overnight success.

It's a story of:
• Listening to a long-held desire
• Trusting intuitive nudges
• Navigating uncertainty, loss, and unexpected timing
• And continuing forward—even when the outcome isn't guaranteed

Inside this conversation, we explore:

• What it takes to build a vineyard and wine business from scratch
• The emotional and financial realities behind winemaking
• How intuition guides both creative and strategic decisions
• The power of timing—and recognizing when life is inviting you to act
• Why meaningful work often unfolds in nonlinear, unpredictable ways
• The blend of feminine desire and masculine structure required to bring a dream to life

Sarah also shares the deeper joy behind her work—creating something tangible, building community, and watching her wine become part of meaningful moments in people's lives.

Because in the end…

Wine isn't just something you drink. It's something you experience, share, and remember.

This conversation is a reminder that the dreams placed in your heart are invitations. And when you follow them, step by step, something beautiful begins to take shape.

If you've ever felt called toward a dream that won't leave you alone, this episode will speak directly to you.

Listener Gift: Sarah is offering Follow Your Joy listeners a $15 credit to her online wine shop.

Access details inside the Portal of Joy: 👉 https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube and iHeart or www.marladiann.com/ep102

Resources + Links:

https://www.lyonsvineyard.com

https://www.instagram.com/lyonsvineyard

https://www.tiktok/lyonsvineyard
-----------------------------------------

Join Follow Your Joy Private FB Community Group -> https://marladiann.com/ig/

-Marla's Amazon Lifestyle Influencer Store – shop for favorites! https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

-If your own midlife (40+) reinvention is knocking, let's explore it. What does freedom look and feel like for you? More travel? More creative expression? We begin our connection with a Freedom Chat. Use my Calendly link to get on the calendar. https://calendly.com/successcoach-marladiann/connection

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @marladiann

What if the very thing you've been taught defines success… is the reason you burned out?

In this inspiring episode of Follow Your Joy, we explore the powerful intersection of travel, intuition, and redefining success for women who have achieved — yet know there's much more.

My guest's story is a prime example of how a NEW CHAPTER begins with discontent, uncertainty, a defining moment, and then burnout.

If her journey of being pulled toward something different… more freedom, more adventure, more aliveness… then this conversation will surely resonate deeply.

I'm joined by global travel journalist, author, and entrepreneur Jen Ruiz, whose story is a brilliant example of what happens when you stop following the expected path — and start following your joy.

Jen went from practicing law to taking a bold leap: 12 trips in 12 months before her 30th birthday — a decision that completely transformed her life and career.

Sometimes… the most powerful next step isn't more strategy — it's a plane ticket, a yes to yourself, and the courage to follow what feels true.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

• Why traditional "success metrics" rooted in hustle and logic often lead to burnout

• Jen's personal story of heartbreak, solo travel, and unexpected magic that led to her newest memoir

• How travel becomes a catalyst for clarity, healing, and reinvention

• The importance of blending feminine intuition with masculine structure for true alignment

• The role intuition plays in making bold life and business decisions

• Why women don't need to wait for the "perfect time" to start living fully

Jen shares how she now uses her platform to amplify local and women-owned businesses around the world — combining her background in law with storytelling, advocacy, and global impact.

This conversation is a reminder that:

Success isn't just what you build.
It's how you feel while living your life.

Jen is offering a free 5-Day Travel Writing Challenge to help you craft compelling pitches and land your first paid travel assignment. You can access it inside the Portal of Joy. www.marladiann.com/podcast/portal

If you're in a season of transition, craving more freedom, or ready to redefine what success looks like for you — this episode will open something within you.

Resources + Links:

@jenonajetplane across all socials, jenonajetplane.com, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jen-Ruiz/author/B07B7GSVSL

-Marla's Amazon Lifestyle Influencer Store – shop for favorites! Jen's book is inside my store in the travel section https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

-If your own midlife (40+) reinvention is knocking, let's explore it. What does freedom look and feel like for you? More travel? More creative expression? We begin our connection with a Freedom Chat. Use my Calendly link to get on the calendar. https://calendly.com/successcoach-marladiann/connection

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube

Today we're celebrating a major milestone — the 100th episode of the Follow Your Joy podcast.

To mark the occasion, we're doing something a little different.

Instead of interviewing a guest entrepreneur, I invited my long-time brand manager, good friend, and creative partner Chelsey Marie to join me on the show and flip the script. Chelsey has worked beside me for over a decade behind the scenes producing the podcast and supporting the evolution of my brand.

In this special episode, Chelsey interviews me about the story behind Follow Your Joy — why I started the podcast, what I've learned from 100 conversations with entrepreneurs around the world, and why joy and intuition remain the most powerful strategy for building a meaningful life and business.

Inside this conversation we talk about:

• The origin story of Follow Your Joy and how the idea arrived intuitively
• What happens behind the scenes of producing a storytelling podcast
• How intuition shapes the way I interview and uncover the heart of each guest's story
• The burnout that changed the trajectory of my life and led me to Italy
• Why joy, creativity, and feminine energy are essential to sustainable success
• The pressure entrepreneurs feel to monetize everything they create
• How business owners quietly lose their joy — and how to find it again
• What 100 episodes has taught me about the human spirit

We also talk about the deeper philosophy behind the show: Following your joy isn't just a feel-good idea. It's a life & business strategy.

When you listen to your intuition and act on what lights you up, your path becomes clearer, your work becomes more meaningful, and your life becomes richer.

Thank you to every listener who has been part of this journey. Let's raise a glass of bubbly to celebrate 100 episodes that illuminate the human spirit!

If there's one theme that runs through every episode, it's this: Joy isn't a reward — it's a compass.

Let's discover why following your joy might be the most powerful strategy for your life and business.

Always on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart & YouTube

Resources + Links:

-High value gifts, ebooks, downloads, product specials, journals, and more from my selectively chosen guests accessible ONLY in The Portal of Joy: www.marladiann.com/podcast/portal

-Marla's Amazon Lifestyle Influencer Store – take a peek, shop for favorites! https://www.amazon.com/shop/marla_diann

-If your own midlife (45+) reinvention is knocking, let's explore it. What does freedom look and feel like for you? More travel? More creative expression? I begin our connection with a Lifestyle Design Chat. Comment Freedom with your email. I'll send you my Calendly link to get on the calendar.

P.S. When you book and attend our call, I'm bearing gifts. You'll receive my custom "La Vita Dolce Italy Slow Travel Tips & Reinvention" Guide ($49 value)

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube (insert link)

Women entrepreneurs, see if this feels familiar.

You've built the business.
It runs. It generates revenue.
It makes the impact you desire.

And now… you're asking a deeper question. Who am I becoming next?

In Episode 99 of Follow Your Joy, I'm joined by Luna Battalia — Leadership Mentor, Founder of Caru Creative, and creator of Animist Branding™ — a psychology-driven approach to branding rooted in intuition, intimacy, and feminine leadership.

Luna works with mature women at the intersection of personal evolution and professional legacy. Her clients are no longer chasing growth metrics — they are building bodies of work that matter.

Inside this episode, we explore:

• What happens when ambition softens into wonder
• Why scaling isn't always the answer
• How to relate to your business as a living entity — not just a revenue machine
• The psychology behind powerful brand messaging
• How to "listen between the lines" to uncover your true voice
• Why Luna retired a successful podcast — and what that decision unlocked
• The difference between identifying as your brand vs. tending to it

Luna shares her Business as Entity™ philosophy — a shift from controlling your business to being in relationship with it.

Because when your brand is treated as something living, breathing, evolving…
The pressure dissolves.
The clarity sharpens.
The message deepens.

This conversation is aligned beautifully with my La Vita e Bella brand for women entrepreneurs in their 40s, 50s and beyond who have built stability — and are now ready to lead from intuition, essence, and legacy.

Luna is offering Follow Your Joy listeners 10% savings on her Messenger | Master the Art of Being Heard program, a six-figure step-by-step messaging system rooted in her Animist Branding™ and buyer psychology to become a better storyteller, and get more sales.

Access her program link and savings inside the Portal of Joy www.marladiann.com/podcast/portal

If you're in a season of tending rather than chasing — this episode will meet you there.

----------------------------
Resources + Links:

https://www.lunaloveleadership.com

https://www.facebook.com/lunaloveleadership

https://www.instagram.com/lunabattalia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/luna-battalia-352404248

Luna's gift: Access inside the Portal of Joy → www.marladiann.com/podcast/portal
Messenger | Master the Art of Being Heard (10% savings for FYJ listeners) a 6-figure step-by-step messaging system peeling back the curtain on the proprietary Animist Branding™ and buyer-psychology approach to confidently share your mission, become a better storyteller, and get more sales.

Inspired by the episode? Don't stop here, unlock the vetted tools, resources, and free downloads from Marla's podcast guests mentioned during episodes. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

On the path of reinvention? New chapter? Done with pushing, hustling, living in overloaded, burnout mode too often as a mature woman entrepreneur? Fill out a form to be on a waiting list for the next 90-day Soul-Led Next Level Portal coming soon. https://tinyurl.com/soul-led-call

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube @marladiann

Be ready to open your heart and respond in awe at what this one woman has done in the name of transforming children's lives.

In this deeply heartening episode of Follow Your Joy, I welcome educator and nonprofit founder Sheila Grantham, Executive Director of Adventures to Dreams Enrichment, a Long Beach-based youth garden and enrichment nonprofit creating a safe, imaginative space where children can thrive—through creativity, nature, and community.

Sheila shares how a single startling, yet intuitive moment sparked her mission to help children dream beyond their circumstances. What began as field trips turned into a full-blown movement rooted in gardening, art, and hands-on learning for youth—especially those living in high-risk neighborhoods.

She believes children should be able to dream bigger than their circumstances—and that creativity, nature, and love can lead the way. She is joined by Vivi Goh, her visionary support from the beginning.

Inside this episode:

• The moment that moved Sheila to action by creating a garden of hope for children in underserved communities
• Why "Busy Hands = Busy Minds" is at the heart of her teaching philosophy
• How she blends creativity, gardening, and social impact in her nonprofit
• The power of intuition in running a values-driven mission
• Her beautiful advice to dreamers, givers, and creative entrepreneurs

🌻 Access her Kids Gardening Guide (perfect for parents, teachers & caregivers) inside the Portal of Joy → www.marladiann.com/podcast/portal - Kids Gardening Free Guide inspires young green thumbs with fun, creative, hands-on activities that make growing their first plants easy and playful.

Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon & iHeart

Resources + Links:
FB - https://www.facebook.com/adventurestodreamsenrichment/

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

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/adventurestodreamsenrichment

TikTok: @adventurestodreams Youtube: @adventurestodreamsenrichme4514

Fill out a form to be on a waiting list for the next 90-day Soul-Led Next Level Portal coming soon. https://tinyurl.com/soul-led-call

Loved this episode? Don't stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy. https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/