If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionist or people-pleasing tendencies, this one’s for you.

I’m sitting down with Margaret Ghielmetti to talk about her phenomenal book Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist.

Margaret Davis Ghielmetti is a writer, storyteller, solo performance artist, and photographer who wrote Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist to inspire readers that it’s never too late to learn to live our own lives if we dare to let go of outdated roles and rules we thought kept us safe.  

She has lived on four continents with her Swiss husband. Her journeys inform her rallying cry ("The world is not my enemy!") and her creative work, including winning two StorySLAMs with The Moth.

Margaret loves to entertain readers and listeners with her adventures (and mis-adventures) abroad and is passionate about sharing what other countries and cultures have taught her.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How Margaret’s experiences of being vulnerable in her stage storytelling informed her writing
• Why Margaret had to confront the rules and roles in the “Davis Family Handbook”
• How she learned to let down the mask of the perfect hostess, tour guide, expat and be her authentic self

Learn more about Margaret Ghielmetti:

• Website: www.MargaretGhielmetti.com
• Instagram:  @MargaretGhielmetti     
• Facebook:  @MargaretGhielmetti   
• Connect with Margaret on LinkedIn  
• Twitter: @MargaretGhielm1
• Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist

Learn more about Tracey:

• TraceyCoates.com
• Coaching with Tracey Coates
• Instagram: @iamtraceycoates

As a family law attorney, my clients are often juggling many balls in the air at any given time–their careers, their relationships, their kids, their family and friends, and if they’re lucky, a minute or two for themselves.

They’re exhausted, burned out, and stressed. Not to mention that they’re going through the emotional roller coaster ride of a separation and divorce process.

As a life coach, I have the privilege of working with amazing high-achieving women who are killing it in so many areas of their professional lives, who are what I refer to as “amazing on paper.”

Because they, too, have similar pain points and feel unfulfilled and like they’re failing in their personal lives. 

So many of us work to shield the behind the scenes hot mess of our day to day lives, until it creeps up into other parts of our lives and we have no choice but to deal with it.

Today I’m talking with Tiffany Vaughan and we’re shining a light on what many of us may be going through behind closed doors. Tiffany lets us in on her journey, dealing with everything from struggling with IVF to a mental breakdown, to dealing with ADHD and ODD diagnoses with her children.

It’s so important for us to feel like we aren’t the only ones in a particular situation and to hear from others who totally get it because they’re on a similar journey. 

Tiffany Vaughan is a Soul Coach who is passionate about helping women explore their spiritual awakening and tune into their divine purpose for being here. She also hosts the podcast, Hard Beautiful Journey.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How their fertility struggles took an emotional, mental, and financial toll on Tiffany’s marriage
• How her kids’ difficulties have impacted Tiffany’s mental health
• Why finding the right therapist saved Tiffany’s life
• Why Tiffany feels called to share her experiences, and why she needed her husband to be on board

Learn more about Tiffany Vaughan:

• MsTiffVaughan.com
• Hard Beautiful Journey Podcast
• Instagram: @mstiffvaughan
• Pinterest: @mstiffvaughan

Learn more about Tracey:

• TraceyCoates.com
• Coaching with Tracey Coates
• Instagram: @iamtraceycoates

If you live in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia–or the DMV as it's affectionately called– chances are great that you or someone you know is a federal employee.

It's a lot like being a lawyer in this town, you throw a stone and you hit about five or six attorneys along the way.

And it may come as no surprise to many of you that there are unique considerations for those individuals, married to federal employees, and are contemplating a divorce, particularly in the areas of retirement and health insurance benefits.

It can be an interesting road to navigate if you don't know the ins and outs and are not working with a competent lawyer who is knowledgeable in this area.

So if you or someone you know is in this boat and are considering going through a divorce, you're going to want to have a pen and paper handy during today's episode, because my guest is the perfect person to dive into the nuances of divorce for federal employees and their spouses.

Jessica Markham is the Managing Principal Attorney at Markham Law Firm in Bethesda, Maryland.  She practices all aspects of family law in Maryland and Washington, D.C. She is collaboratively trained and also handles guardianship matters as well as serves as a child privilege attorney and a best interest attorney. She is also the author of Representing Federal Employees and Their Spouses in Divorce.

Ms. Markham and Markham Law Firm have been repeatedly recognized for excellence in the fields of Family Law, Divorce and Alternative Dispute Resolution, with recent top rankings in Best Lawyers in America©, Bethesda Magazine, and Washingtonian Magazine.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Federal pension systems and why it matters even if you were a federal employee for only a short time
• Why federal retirement plans require additional consideration and court orders
• How survivor benefits complicate the math on pension assets
• How pensions and survivor benefits impact access to federal health benefits

Learn more about Jessica Markham:

• Markham Law Firm
• Facebook: @markhamlegal
• Twitter: @markhamlegal, @jessgha
• Instagram: @markhamlegal
• Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn
• Representing Federal Employees and Their Spouses in Divorce

Learn more about Tracey:

• TraceyCoates.com
• Coaching with Tracey Coates
• Instagram: @iamtraceycoates