In this powerful episode, I sit down with Whitney Walker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, recovery coach, spiritual guide, and host of the Women Waken podcast. Whitney shares her incredibly raw and vulnerable journey, from a childhood marked by an absent father and an emotionally immature mother to struggling with debilitating low self-esteem, addiction, and eating disorders in her 20s.

She opens up about hitting rock bottom, a moment where she realized "time's run out" on the chaos and just wanted peace, and how that catalyzed her profound transformation. We explore the concept of addiction as a symptom of not feeling safe or "enough" and the societal conditioning that breeds fear and competition instead of connection.

Our conversation delves deep into the power of the Divine Feminine, contrasting it with the "force" of masculine energy, and how embracing flow, intuition, and collective care can heal both individuals and society. Whitney passionately discusses the need for women to trust their inner wisdom, stand their ground with clarity (like the Queen of Swords in Tarot), and create new systems based on love rather than fear.

You'll also hear about:

• (04:03) Whitney's "brutal yet beautiful" 20s, marked by addiction and insecurity, and finding peace and power turning 40.
• (09:44) Addiction as a search for soothing in a world where we don't feel safe or believe we are our own source of healing.
• (14:38) Growing up with an emotionally absent father and the impact of conditional love on a child's sense of worth.
• (17:39) The simplicity of the solution for humanity: knowing we are safe and loved.
• (27:57) How we "play by the rules of the game that we choose to play" and the power of disengaging from dysfunctional systems.
• (36:01) The "Queen of Swords" energy: deliberate action, clarity, and setting boundaries without malice.
• (40:30) Being wary of gurus who claim their way is the only way, and trusting your own intuition.
• (47:19) Whitney's beautiful definition of "Rewrite the Mother Code": recognizing that we all have the ability to mother—to love, nurture, and see others—regardless of whether we have children.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Whitney Walker:

• Learn more on Whitney's Website
• Follow Whitney on Instagram (DM her to connect!)
• Listen to the Women Waken Podcast

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s Substack
• Order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “

In this insightful episode, Dr. Gertrude Lyons welcomes Emily Paulsen, an award-winning entrepreneur, brand strategist through her studio Electric Collab, and host of the Curious Life of a Child-Free Woman podcast. Emily is dedicated to shining a light on the often-overshadowed child-free by choice perspective.

Their conversation centers on the powerful collision of the "mother code" world with the child-free narrative, demonstrating that the essence of mothering is universal, regardless of motherhood status. Emily shares her deep personal passion for empowering women, describing "girlfriends" as her love language. This passion for female community is what Dr. Lyons connects to the core of self-mothering, explaining that while the spark begins within, the "blaze" is ignited and kept alive in sisterhood.

They discuss how patriarchal and over-masculine value systems have historically sought to disempower women by splitting them up and pitting them against each other. The episode also tackles the intense societal judgment placed on women, referencing the shocking death threats received by a woman who dared to write about "regretting having children". Emily also details her work with Electric Collab, which is focused on helping women entrepreneurs and founders articulate their unique value and "secret sauce" to the world through premium branding.

You'll also hear about:

• (03:08) The challenge for women to define themselves beyond statistics (job, marital status, kids) .
• (03:25) Emily's lifelong passion for female community, calling "girlfriends" her love language.
• (03:30) Her frustration as a cheerleader that their job was to root for boys, not celebrate the women's own accomplishments.
• (05:10) Emily's continued commitment to female community through college and career, and her current work to professionally and personally build other women up.
• (06:00) Dr. Gertrude Lyons's distinction between mothering (universal) and motherhood (choice), and the critical importance of self-mothering.
• (07:18) Why the self-mothering flame is amplified in community and how the separation of women is a tool of disempowerment.
• (07:53) How patriarchal and over-masculine value systems intentionally split and pit women against each other to disempower them.
• (20:19) The profound and hostile reaction, including death threats, a woman received for sharing her truth about "regretting having children".
• (29:51) How the word "selfish" is weaponized against women on both sides of the parenting divide—whether for not having kids or for having them.
• (38:40) The importance of normalizing child-free lives beyond celebrities like Oprah and Dolly Parton to show that it is a valid, happy path for everyday women.
• (42:23) The workplace bias that assumes child-free women have unlimited free time and should pick up the slack.
• (49:40) Why parents should include child-free friends in kid-centric events rather than assuming they don't want to attend to avoid creating an "echo chamber".
• (51:40) Emily's work with her brand studio, Electric Collab, to help women entrepreneurs articulate their unique "secret sauce" and value.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Emily Paulsen:

• Learn more on Emily's

In this deeply moving episode, I speak with Ronit Plank, a writer, teacher, editor, and host of the Let's Talk Memoir podcast. Ronit is the author of the award-winning memoir When She Comes Back, which chronicles the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation.

Ronit shares her powerful story of growing up with a mother who left her and her sister to follow a guru in India, and her father who then became a single parent. We explore the profound impact of abandonment, the role of the "parentified" child, and how Ronit navigated these wounds into her own motherhood journey.

Our conversation delves into the transformative power of memoir writing as a tool for healing. Ronit explains how writing her story allowed her to reframe her narrative, understand her parents as complex individuals rather than villains, and move from a place of victimhood to one of agency and acceptance. We discuss the nuances of forgiveness versus acceptance, the importance of taking responsibility for our own patterns in relationships, and why sharing our authentic, messy stories is a vital act of connection and self-mothering.

You'll also hear about:

• (01:39) Ronit's childhood: born on a kibbutz in Israel, moving to the US, and her mother leaving for India to follow Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
• (04:55) The experience of being a "parentified" older daughter and the lasting impact of early abandonment.
• (08:09) How memoir writing helps reframe personal history and create a "redemptive narrative".
• (20:19) Why Ronit prefers the concept of "acceptance" over "forgiveness" when healing family relationships.
• (25:43) Understanding our own role in family dynamics and taking responsibility for our coping mechanisms.
• (33:07) The varied reactions of Ronit's family members to her memoir, including her father's surprising feedback.
• (43:18) Exploring the "mother who leaves" archetype with compassion and understanding the complex reasons behind such choices.
• (52:07) Ronit's definition of "Rewrite the Mother Code": tuning into intuition and not abandoning oneself while nurturing others.

Join us for this insightful conversation about the power of story, the complexity of family, and the healing journey of rewriting our own narratives.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Ronit Plank:

• Learn more on Ronit's Website
• Connect with Ronit on LinkedIn
• Listen to the Let's Talk Memoir Podcast
• Follow Ronit on Instagram

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Diane Ortega, a Certified Nurse Midwife and co-founder of the first nurse-midwife-owned freestanding birth center in Arizona. Diane shares her personal journey from being an office manager to becoming a midwife, a path inspired by her own "profoundly different" and empowering birth experience with midwives after a conventional hospital birth.

Our conversation is a deep dive into the philosophy of midwifery as an act of "mothering the mother". We discuss the "medical-industrial complex" and how the current system often disempowers women through fear-based tactics, taking away their choices in a process that should be empowering. Diane challenges the "healthy mom, healthy baby" narrative, pointing out that it often dismisses the emotional trauma a mother may experience during birth, which she then has to process while navigating new motherhood.

Diane also introduces her podcast and coaching brand, "The Midwife Life" , which expands the concept of midwifery beyond childbirth to support all women "midwifing something in their life" —whether it's new motherhood or a midlife career change. We explore the critical need for a "village," a community of support that is often missing for modern women, and how she is building programs to help women find that connection.

You'll also hear about:

• (01:32) Diane's work making out-of-hospital birth accessible to more families by accepting almost all insurance.
• (03:30) How she views midwifery and mothering as "very similar, if not the same".
• (13:15) The fear-based culture surrounding birth and how it disempowers women from trusting their bodies.
• (22:21) Why birth is "not a medical event until it is," and how hospital protocols are often based on tradition, not evidence.
• (23:20) My personal story of choosing a home birth, which was sparked by the simple, primal desires to be able to eat and control the lighting.
• (27:57) The loss of the "village" for modern mothers and the isolation that comes from being a "transplant" without family support.
• (38:23) The one cultural mother code Diane would rewrite: the "ridiculous" expectation that women should "bounce right back" after giving birth.
• (43:52) My update on my TEDx talk being censored for including information on the high U.S. maternal mortality rate and the "hostile takeover" of birth from midwives.
• (49:43) Diane's final definition of "Rewrite the Mother Code": "releasing the societal norms" and "put[ting] our oxygen mask on first".

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Diane Ortega

• Learn more on her Website
• Follow her on Instagram
• Listen to her Podcast
• Learn more about her Coaching Program

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on

In this deeply personal and full-circle episode, I sit down with my dear friend, creative collaborator, and "sister-daughter," Megan Taylor. I was blessed to be one of Megan’s first-ever life coaches when she was in her 20s, and our relationship has beautifully evolved into a rich, mutual friendship and powerful partnership. Most recently, Megan was the visionary producer behind my Rewrite the Mother Code book tour.

Megan is a globally recognized DJ, music strategist, and producer of transformational retreats, known for her unique ability to fuse sound, frequency, and energy into unforgettable experiences.

Our conversation explores the "mothering journey" of our relationship, from me as her coach to her becoming a mentor in her own right who I now learn from. We pull back the curtain on the book launch, discussing the "come-to-Jesus" moments , the masculine structure required to birth a creative vision , and the unexpected, magical moments along the way (like meeting Beanie Man at Fox News).

Megan also shares her powerful experience attending my Ireland retreat, a journey she helped co-create. She speaks candidly about her initial resistance to "self-mothering" (preferring to "outsource it") , the "hunger" for this nourishment she now sees in the world , and how she worked through her "knee-jerk reaction" to be overly responsible for others—a key part of her own mothering journey.

You'll also hear about:

• (01:42) Megan's story: from being my life-coaching client in her 20s to a globally recognized DJ and transformational experience producer.
• (05:38) My reflections on the "mothering journey" of a mentor: watching a mentee excel beyond you and the relationship evolving into a mutual, adult exchange.
• (08:44) Megan's deep-seated, life-long desire to be "mothered" and her process of getting that need fulfilled.
• (11:10) The "first-time motherhood" experience of launching a book and Marianne Williamson's advice to just "be excited about it and have fun".
• (16:40) The vulnerability of DJing: Megan shares the terror and aliveness she feels, and her process of navigating that energy without seeking approval.
• (21:20) Why the timing of Rewrite the Mother Code felt like a "cosmic birth".
• (31:10) Megan's experience on the Ireland retreat: the "mystical" energy of the land , connecting with the "primordial goddess" , and realizing the world's deep "hunger" for self-mothering.
• (36:01) Her resistance to the concept of self-mothering because she "wanted to outsource it".
• (41:07) Working through the "knee-jerk reaction" to be overly responsible for others' experiences as part of her own healing.
• (50:22) Megan's definition of "Rewrite the Mother Code": becoming aware of the "programmed paradigm" and having a "choice point" to create your own relationship with motherhood.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Megan Taylor

• Learn more on Megan's Website
• Follow Megan on Instagram

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude

In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Anna Lozano, a mom, founder, investor, and host of the Prosperity Playground podcast. Anna shares her powerful story, beginning with her upbringing as a Polish immigrant in Canada, where she was programmed to "work hard, study hard, get good grades, [and] climb that corporate ladder".

She followed that path to an Ivy League business school and a "soul-draining" corporate job , which she intuitively knew was not her purpose. Anna recounts her pivot into network marketing—to her father's dismay, who called it a "pyramid scheme" —where she discovered her love for entrepreneurship and personal development . This led her to co-found Love Powered Company , a brand that brought affirmation cards for children into homes, with the goal of introducing mindfulness to the whole family.

After selling her company , Anna took her family to Mexico for what she thought was a one-month reset. This trip became a profound "initiation" —a period of "deep and uncomfortable" inner work —forcing her to recalibrate her "masculine, very driven" energy. She connects this drive to her immigrant "survival" programming and shares how she consciously learned to balance it by embracing her feminine energy and leading with intuition as the "CEO of all the decisions".

You'll also hear about:

• (03:30) Quitting her "soul-draining" corporate job after an intuitive nudge that she was not living her purpose.
• (04:43) Co-founding Love Powered Co. to bring affirmation cards and mindfulness to children.
• (06:19) Selling her company and moving to Mexico for a "nervous system reset".
• (06:57) Her journey of recalibrating her "masculine, very driven" energy and healing her immigrant "survival programming".
• (18:59) Why Anna believes conscious parenting is the "biggest work" and how our children mirror our unhealed wounds.
• (22:25) The power of apologizing to our children after reacting and the importance of repair.
• (24:40) Dr. Gertrude's discussion of the "Carpenter vs. Gardener" parenting analogy.
• (27:11) How Anna is now applying the "gardener" approach to herself by trying new things, like pickleball.
• (31:30) Making "crazy aligned decisions" based on her core value of "freedom".
• (40:35) The importance of only taking advice from mentors you truly admire (like her "mentors from afar," Sarah Blakely and Jamie KernLima).
• (48:58) Anna's beautiful definition of "Rewrite the Mother Code": "parenting your little self first".

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Anna Lozano

• Learn more on Anna's Website
• Follow Anna on Instagram
• Connect with Anna on LinkedIn
• Listen to The Prosperity Playground Podcast

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on

In this solo episode, Dr. Gertrude Lyons returns to the mic after a couple of months away to reflect on the sacred spaces that shape us - our homes, our communities, and the fires that keep us connected.

Broadcasting from her Chicago home after time in Ireland, Gertrude shares stories from her 2 retreats in Ireland, her 95-year-old mother traveling to Ireland, and even returning to her childhood home in St. Clair, Michigan. These experiences ignite today’s reflection on the symbolism of fire, the interconnectedness of community, and the truth that self-mothering happens in relationships.

Through the metaphor of the hearth, Gertrude explores how our individual flames burn brightest when tended by others—and how discernment, courage, and honesty are essential when choosing the communities that nurture us. She also opens up about her TEDx experience, what she learned about censorship and integrity, and how she’s choosing to fan her own flame through writing, connection, and upcoming retreats.

You’ll also hear about:

(00:35) Returning to solo episodes

(01:20) Two months in Ireland and completing the family home

(03:20) Revisiting her Michigan hometown after 18 years

(05:00) The magic and limits of small-town connection

(06:50) The hearth as a spiritual center

(09:30) Celtic fire traditions and shared flames

(11:10) Self-mothering in community

(13:00) How our flame grows in relationship

(15:00) Choosing supportive communities

(17:00) Lessons from the TEDx experience

(19:40) Reclaiming her voice and moving to Substack

(22:00) Upcoming retreats in Mexico and Ireland

Let’s keep tending each other’s flames. Tune in and reflect on what lights your inner fire - and how the community keeps it burning.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s Website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s Substack
• Order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code”

In this episode, I sit down with the wonderfully multifaceted Stephanie Sprenger—a writer, podcaster, producer of live storytelling and comedy shows, and single mom to two teenage girls. Stephanie shares her journey from being an early childhood music therapist to reclaiming her identity as a writer, a path that led her to create vibrant communities for women to find and share their voices.

Our conversation dives deep into the power of storytelling as a form of self-mothering and community-building. Stephanie, the executive producer of Listen to Your Mother Boulder, explains why sharing honest, unfiltered stories about motherhood—complete with the guilt, ambivalence, and messy moments—is a radical act that combats isolation and challenges the myth of the perfect mom.

Stephanie also opens up about her late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, a revelation that occurred while writing her forthcoming memoir. She describes this discovery as finally getting the right "operating system manual" for her brain, allowing her to reframe her struggles with the practical demands of motherhood and embrace her strengths with newfound compassion. We also touch on her dive into the world of stand-up comedy as a form of healing and the importance of finding supportive, women-centered spaces to take creative risks.

You'll also hear about:

• (03:44) Stephanie’s career pivot from music therapy to writing and creating communities for women storytellers like the Her Stories Project and Listen to Your Mother.
• (09:34) Why sharing our honest, unfiltered stories is a crucial act of self-mothering that builds community and combats isolation.
• (10:25) The importance of being the "main character" in your own life, especially as a mother.
• (24:16) Stephanie’s journey to an adult ADHD diagnosis and how it helped her understand her experience of motherhood.
• (28:58) How her ADHD diagnosis felt like being a "lefty in a right-handed world" and finally getting the right operating system manual for her brain.
• (35:34) How hitting a wall as a solo single mom forced her to let go of the "do-it-all-yourself" code and embrace outsourcing.
• (41:53) Her experience using stand-up comedy as a healing tool, especially within the supportive "womb" of all-women comedy groups.

Join us for an inspiring conversation about reclamation, self-trust, and the profound freedom that comes from telling your own story, your own way.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Stephanie Sprenger

• Learn more on Stephanie's Website
• Connect with Stephanie on Linkedin
• Follow her on Substack at The Reclamation Era
• Listen to her podcast, Perry Normal
• Follow Stephanie on Instagram

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s