What if you’re not broken—just exhausted from trying to be palatable?

In this deeply honest January episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Heidi and Ashley opt out of "New Year New Me" and fix-yourself culture that tells women they’re perpetually unfinished. As part of our Goals, Not Resolutions series, we’re challenging the idea that growth has to come from self-criticism, endless healing, or constant self-editing.

Ashley shares what she’s not fixing this year—from her sensitivity and emotional depth to her need for rest, her changing opinions, and her refusal to romanticize resilience. Together, we unpack the Fix-It Industrial Complex, the wellness-to-self-help pipeline that disguises self-rejection as empowerment and rewards women for being manageable, agreeable, and “easy.”

This episode is for the high-achieving woman who’s tired of interrogating every reaction, questioning every boundary, and shrinking herself in the name of growth. If you’ve ever wondered whether healing has turned into another performance—or felt both relief and grief at the idea of stopping—this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

Listener takeaway: You don’t need to be fixed. You need permission to stay.

✨ In this episode, we explore:
– Why January fuels self-improvement pressure and self-worth anxiety
– The cost of constant self-editing and emotional self-surveillance
– Sensitivity, fatigue, and emotional depth as data—not flaws
– Why “being palatable” is not the same as being powerful
– How to name one thing you’re not fixing this year

If this episode resonates, share it with the woman in your life who’s exhausted from becoming.

High heels. Higher standards.

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Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

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January doesn’t have to be about reinvention.
It can be about regulation, steadiness, and coming back to yourself.

Join us for our Goals, NOT Resolutions Series in this quietly rebellious episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Ashley and Heidi dismantle the pressure to “start over” in January and offer a radically calming alternative: stabilization instead of transformation.

If you’re feeling tired, slow, emotionally tender, or resistant to becoming a “new you,” this conversation will remind you that nothing is wrong—you’re not behind. You’re right on time.

We explore why January 1st is not nature’s New Year, how women’s bodies operate on cyclical—not linear—energy, and why winter is biologically designed for rest, consolidation, and nervous system repair. This episode is a balm for burnout, a counterpoint to hustle culture, and an invitation to stop abandoning yourself in the name of self-improvement.

Inside the episode:

• Why reinvention is over-marketed to women—and who profits from it
• How winter, menstrual cycles, and lunar rhythms support slowing down
• Why stabilization is a power move, not a failure
• The difference between chaos and true momentum
• What it looks like to choose a baseline instead of a breakthrough
• How to decide what you’re not changing right now—and why that’s wisdom

This is a grounded, feminist take on goal-setting, self-trust, and honoring your capacity—especially if you’re burned out, sober curious, navigating depression or anxiety, or simply done with “New Year, New Me” energy.

You don’t need a breakthrough.
You need a baseline you can actually live inside.

Because January isn’t about setting the ceiling.
It’s about setting the floor.

✨ You’re not starting over. You’re staying with yourself.

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Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

This New Years Eve ditch the dramatic resolutions and enter 2026 with clarity, confidence, and champagne. 🥂 In this vibrant New Year’s episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Heidi and Ashley redefine what it means to set goals in a way that ambitious, growth-minded women actually achieve. If you’re searching for “personal growth,” “personal development goals,” or “how to set meaningful goals,” this episode is your fast track to success.

We kick things off with a heartfelt year-in-review, sharing the highs, lows, lessons, and glow-ups of 2025. Then we launch into why goals beat resolutions every time and how strategic goal-setting can transform your health, career, wealth, relationships, and lifestyle. This episode is perfect for women who want intentional personal growth, actionable goal planning tips, and a dash of celebratory glamour to start the year right.

Inside this episode you’ll hear about:
✨ Why resolutions fail and grown-woman goals work
✨ A step-by-step goal-setting framework for 2026
✨ The five goal categories that elevate your life with intention
✨ Personal stories on growth, resilience, and self-confidence
✨ How to leave self-doubt, chaos, and comparison behind
✨ Champagne intermissions (Non-alcoholic for the sober-curious), CEO energy, and setting goals that stick

If you’re ready to step into 2026 with strategy, style, and purposeful personal development, press play and start your year the HHHS way—because real growth is about goals, not resolutions. 🍾

Happy New Year, and cheers to women with high heels and even higher standards.

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Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

Home for the Drama-Days: How to Deal with Family and Keep Your Cool at Family Holiday Gatherings (Without Matching Chaos)

The holidays are here and so are the opinions, comments, old stories, and emotionally charged casseroles.

In this laugh-out-loud episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, Ashley and Heidi tackle one of the most universal December dilemmas: going home to family dynamics that haven’t evolved… even when you have.

If you’ve leveled up personally, professionally, or spiritually — and suddenly feel like the calmest person in a very loud room, this episode is your emotional safety plan and holiday family drama guide.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to identify common holiday family archetypes (the lifestyle commentator, the emotional historian, the chaos instigator, and more)
• Why 'matching energy' is a trap and how composure becomes your most powerful boundary
• Easy, Elegant boundary scripts you can actually use at the table (polite, polished, and non-confrontational)
• What to say when relatives comment on your body, career, relationship, food choices, or past self
• How to stay calm when someone gets loud, dramatic, or emotionally volatile
• The hosting mindset inspired by Martha Stewart and Ina Garten how to create environments that naturally regulate behavior
• How to navigate family gatherings when you’ve grown… and they haven’t
• Graceful exit strategies (soft exits, early departures, and the classic British fade)
• Calming composure affirmations to ground you before, during, or after any gathering

This episode is for women who:

• Are tired of shrinking to keep the peace
• Want to enjoy the holidays without absorbing everyone else’s emotions
• Believe boundaries can be set with grace, humor, and authority
• Know that composure is the new flex

Because at High Heels, Higher Standards, we don’t match chaos —
we match composure.

🎧 Press play, pour something cozy, and remember:
You’re allowed to enjoy the holidays with elegance, not obligation.

Keep your heels high, and your standards higher. 👠✨

Support the show

Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

Surviving Difficult Guests: You Can Light the Candles and Hold Your Boundaries, Martha Stewart Would Approve

Hosting holiday guests should feel elegant, warm, and maybe a little glamorous… but let’s be honest: sometimes it feels like emotional survival. In this hilarious, practical, high-glam guide to holiday hosting, Ashley and Heidi break down how to handle difficult guests, family dynamics, boundary breakers, and chaotic energy — without losing your sanity, your standards, or your centerpiece.

This week on High Heels, Higher Standards, the ladies explore:
✨ The 5 archetypes of difficult holiday guests
✨ How to host with Martha Stewart-level ambiance and Michelle Obama-level boundaries
✨ Bulletproof boundary scripts for intrusive questions, early arrivers & guests who won’t leave
✨ Elegant ways to redirect complainers and chaos agents
✨ How to manage family members who trigger you
✨ Tag-team boundary strategies with your partner
✨ Hosting while overwhelmed — without burning out or breaking down
✨ Bougie hostess affirmations to keep you grounded and glamorous

Inside the episode:
• The Early Arriver, the Boundary Tester, the Chaos Toddler (at any age), the Diet-Bringer & the Guest Who Won’t Leave
• “Environment, Expectations, Energy” — the hosting trifecta that instantly calms a room
• Polished boundary-setting scripts that sound graceful but mean business
• What to do when your home becomes a stage for unsolicited opinions
• How to protect your peace when family is the source of stress
• Emotional self-regulation tools for overstimulated hosts
• Creating a “silent retreat room” & other elite hostess secrets
• How to stay gracious without becoming the holiday martyr

If you’re a woman managing holiday stress, hosting pressure, family triggers, or chaotic guests, this episode gives you the humor, confidence, and strategy to run your home like a calm, candle-lit sanctuary — with ironclad boundaries and zero guilt.

Perfect for listeners searching for:
• holiday hosting tips
• managing difficult guests
• setting boundaries with family
• holiday etiquette + emotional wellness
• soft life hosting energy
• women’s empowerment podcast
• holiday stress management
• family dynamics during holidays
• high-value woman habits
• home + lifestyle boundaries
• navigating holiday chaos with grace

Light the candles. Set the tone. Hold your boundaries.
Martha would absolutely approve. It’s a good thing.

Subscribe for more luxe life strategies, elegant boundaries, holiday survival wisdom, and unapologetic high-standards energy. ✨👠

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Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

Emotional Hangovers During the Holidays: Coping with the holiday rush and the post party come down

Ever wake up the day after a holiday party feeling emotionally drained, overstimulated, or low-key regretful — even if you had “fun”? Welcome to the emotional hangover, babe. In this raw, cozy-glam holiday episode, Ashley and Heidi unpack the mental fog, post-party crash, family triggers, and loneliness that hit when the glitter settles and the chaos finally stops.

This week on High Heels, Higher Standards, we’re talking:
✨ Emotional hangovers & post-holiday burnout
✨ Family triggers, boundaries, and “sparkly black sheep” energy
✨ Post-party regret and the morning-after anxiety spiral
✨ Loneliness after the holidays and how to not let it define you
✨ How to decompress, reset, and glow-up your emotional recovery
✨ CEO-level self-care rituals, reflection prompts & luxe healing routines

Whether you overshared at the party, texted your ex, hosted a family gathering that drained your soul, or you’re just feeling the quiet hit a little too hard — this episode is your chic, empowering guide to holiday emotional recovery.

Inside the episode:
• What an emotional hangover actually is and why women get them
• How to handle draining family dynamics without absorbing the chaos
• Why the post-holiday loneliness hits even if life is good
• The difference between “having fun” and performing fun
• A full CEO Glow-Up Recovery Plan to get your mind, energy, and vibe back
• How to reflect without spiraling and reset without shame
• Practical steps to calm your nervous system after overstimulation
• Journaling prompts + mindset shifts for a softer, more intentional season

This is your December detox — part therapy, part girl talk, part glow-up. Think holiday self-care, emotional intelligence, boundaries, healing, and high standards… all in stilettos.

If you’re dealing with holiday stress, emotional exhaustion, family tension, regret, people-pleasing burnout, or just need a calm, empowering reset — this episode will help you feel grounded, validated, and back in your main-character energy.

Perfect for listeners searching for:
• Holiday mental health tips
• Emotional hangover recovery
• Setting boundaries with family
• Holiday loneliness support
• Post-holiday self-care
• Women’s empowerment & glow-ups
• Nervous system regulation
• Toxic family dynamics
• Healing after holiday chaos
• High-value woman routines
• Soft life & self-love habits

Pour a coffee (or a martini), put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and join us for a cozy luxe conversation about decompressing, healing, and keeping your sparkle — even after the party ends.

Subscribe to High Heels, Higher Standards for more empowering holiday episodes, high-value woman energy, glam healing, and the glow-up wisdom you didn’t know you needed.

Support the show

Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

If this is your first holiday, thanksgiving or Christmas without toxic family, a draining partner, or the chaos you grew up with, this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards is your permission slip to protect your peace, protect your energy, and romanticize spending the holidays solo for the softest December of your life.

In “Untangling the Tinsel: Spending the Holidays Alone Without the Toxic Ones,” hosts Ashley Werner and Heidi Hushak dive into the emotional reality of spending the holidays alone — and why solitude can be the glow-up season your nervous system has been begging for. From healing after cutting off toxic ex or toxic family, to rebuilding traditions post-divorce, to navigating your first “solo Christmas” this episode blends humor, honesty, practical tips and high-level empowerment.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

• How to spend the holidays without toxic family members without feeling guilty
• The emotional arc of choosing peace over dysfunction
• The “black sheep glow-up” after walking away from chaotic relatives or unhealthy relationships
• Why spending holidays or Christmas alone can be a reset, a recalibration, and an act of self-respect
• How to create new holiday traditions when you’re starting from scratch
• The surprising moment solitude shifts from “sad” to “luxurious and peaceful”
• How neutrality can feel like a luxury when you come from dysfunction
• How to stop feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or “behind” when you celebrate the holidays solo
• The 5-year glow-up arc of holiday healing — from lonely to empowered
• A survive-and-thrive guide for your first solo holiday

Whether you’re divorced, estranged from family, no-contact, skipping the drama this year, or simply choosing a more peaceful December, this conversation will help you reframe what the holidays can look like — soft, intentional, and completely on your terms.

🎧 Perfect for listeners navigating:
holiday trauma, going no-contact, first Christmas alone, healing family wounds, rebuilding traditions, emotional boundaries, seasonal empowerment, and choosing a peaceful “soft life” holiday season.

✨ This episode will help you:

• Romanticize solitude
• Release guilt and comparison
• Rebuild your holiday identity
• Celebrate without chaos
• Create a version of Christmas that feels healing, not harmful

Grab a peppermint martini, or a non-alcoholic cocktail, wrap yourself in your softest blanket, and tune in for the holiday empowerment episode you didn’t know you needed — but absolutely deserve.

Support the show

Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!

Why does spending time with powerful, aligned women make you feel more confident, creative, and unstoppable? In this episode of High Heels, Higher Standards, hosts Ashley Werner and Heidi Hushak break down the science, psychology, and strategy behind what they call The Girl Gang Effect — the transformative power of female friendship.

This conversation blends neuroscience with real-life girl talk, revealing how supportive women literally change your brain chemistry, stress levels, mindset, and even your success trajectory.

✨ In this empowering episode, you’ll learn:

• The science of female connection and how oxytocin helps regulate stress, boost mood, and strengthen mental health
• Why strong female friendships improve emotional stability, leadership presence, and resilience
• How powerful women “find each other” through energetic alignment, mirror neurons, and social resonance
• The biology behind stress contagion and why the wrong people drain your energy
• How to intentionally curate a supportive inner circle that elevates ambition, confidence, and creativity
• Why your nervous system thrives in healthy sisterhood — and crashes in competition or comparison
• Practical strategies for building a girl gang that feels safe, inspiring, and growth-oriented

If you’ve ever walked away from brunch, a mastermind, or a night out with your girls feeling 10x more motivated, this episode explains exactly why — and how to build more of that energy into your life.

🎙️ Listen now to learn how female friendships can become your superpower — scientifically, emotionally, and energetically.

Support the show

Until next Wednesday, keep your head, heels and standards high! Please follow along for more on TikTok and Instagram: @higherheelspodcast

Thank you for listening, lovelies!