Turning 30 Podcast

Starting April 6th we're kicking off a live run-through of the Next Chapter program inside the Turning community and this episode is the story of exactly where it came from.The Next Chapter is Emma's signature coaching program: 20+ videos, a 100-page workbook, four workshops, and a community to go through it all with. It has previously been available for up to $1,000 — right now you can access it as part of your Turning membership for just $83/month, along with live coaching, guest expert sessions, daily resources and so much more.If you've been listening to the podcast and wondering what it would look like to actually do the work, this is it.👉 Join Turning here: https://turning.circle.so/checkout/your-turning-membershipThe doors are open until midnight on April 5th.This week's episode is a solo one, and it's a story Emma has never told in full before on the podcast.It's about what happened after the big 2020 breakup (not the breakup itself, but what came next). And it's the story that explains exactly where the Next Chapter program was born.It’s all about how you need to be a little more delusional and a little less realistic in order to build the life that you want.In 2020, within the space of one week, Emma lost her relationship, her job, and her home — with zero savings and no idea what was coming. A few months later, despite being in debt and genuinely questioning everything, she said yes to a last-minute trip to a hilltop villa in Greece. Something told her she had to go.That week changed everything.In this episode:What rock bottom actually looked like (and why she was still trying to date through it)The journaling breakthrough that happened on a balcony overlooking the sea in SiphnosThe bold, slightly delusional decision she made that week — and why it workedThe link between building a life you love and finding a relationshipWhy looking for love from a low energy place keeps you stuckHow exactly two years later, she met EllieThis episode is for you if you're in a transitional moment right now. Maybe you're coming out of a breakup, questioning your career, thinking about solo travel, or just feeling like something needs to shift but you don't know where to start.Sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is the thing that looks irresponsible from the outside.https://www.turning30coach.com/turning-lp

This week I'm joined by Cole Zesiger, a breakup and relationship coach who has helped over 2,000 people navigate heartbreak. After going through a divorce at 23 and jumping into a rebound relationship that also ended, Cole rebuilt his life from scratch and now teaches others how to do the same. He also just released his first book, Exes and No's: The Breakup Advice You Don't Want to Hear.This is one of the rare episodes where we have a male guest, and I loved getting Cole's perspective on breakups, rebounds, and what it actually takes to be ready for love again.What we cover:Why breakups are so devastating. It's not just losing the person, it's losing the entire future you imagined with them.The science behind heartbreak. Studies show that romantic rejection activates the same brain patterns as withdrawing from hard drugs. This explains why we do irrational things after a breakup.The truth about no contact. Why treating a breakup like a detox is often the fastest path to healing, and why it's also the best strategy if you genuinely want to get back together.Can you actually get back with an ex? Cole shares when reconciliation works, when it doesn't, and a story about a couple who reunited after divorce and are still going strong years later.The rebound trap. Why jumping into a new relationship too quickly often just delays the grief, and how Cole learned this the hard way.How to know when you're ready to date again. Not "fully healed" but "happy enough" with your life that you won't just take the first person who shows interest.The dating rules that keep you single. Why building a rigid checklist after heartbreak often backfires and screens out great people for meaningless reasons.How to talk about your ex on early dates. The difference between making your ex the main character of the story versus making yourself the main character.Resources mentioned:Cole's new book, Exes and No's: coachcolezesiger.com/exsandnosWork with Cole: coachcolezesiger.com/bookingCole on Instagram: @coachcolezesigerConnect with Emma:Instagram: @turning30coachJoin the Turning Community: https://www.turning30coach.com/turning-lpIf this episode helped you see breakups differently, please subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Think you need fireworks on the first date to know they're the one? In this episode, Emma challenges everything we've been taught about how love is supposed to feel at the start.What we cover:The difference between a fast burn and a slow burn, and why rushing through the early stages of dating often means skipping the check-ins that actually matter.Why those "I just knew" stories you see on Instagram aren't the full picture, and what most love stories actually look like behind the scenes.The dating masks we all wear. Even if you think you're being your authentic self, Emma explains why it takes time for the real versions of both people to show up.How Emma and Ellie navigated the early days of their relationship, including why a three-week trip apart actually helped them.Practical tips for slowing down without dragging things out, from choosing better date activities to reframing how you ask important questions.Why going slow at the start often leads to things speeding up later, and how to trust that process when you're feeling the pressure of your 30s.Connect with Emma:Instagram: @turning30coachJoin the Turning Community: https://www.turning30coach.com/turning-lpIf this episode shifted something for you, please subscribe, rate, and share it with a friend who's in her dating era.

Ever caught yourself saying "I'm doing everything right, so why isn't it working?" You're not alone. In this episode, Emma unpacks that phrase so many women use when they join the Turning community, and what it often reveals underneath.What we cover:Is there really such a thing as "doing all the right things" when it comes to love? Emma challenges the idea that love works like other areas of life where effort equals results. Unlike your career or friendships, love has an element of randomness and divine timing that we simply can't control.The difference between wanting love and being open to it. Emma shares her own story of how she turned down Ellie two years before they got together, not because she didn't want a relationship, but because she had deep inner work to do first. Desire and openness aren't the same thing.How to tell if you're truly ready. Emma offers a simple thought experiment: imagine someone handed you an envelope containing a real, past-the-honeymoon-phase relationship starting tomorrow. What comes up for you? Your honest reaction might reveal more than you expect.What to actually focus on during this chapter. Instead of treating single life as a waiting room, Emma encourages you to get curious about what genuinely lights you up and to do the inner work that opens your heart to receive love when it does arrive.Resources mentioned:Free journaling guide: https://chipper-builder-227.kit.com/journal-guideThe Turning Community for women in their 30s calling in loveComing soon: a workshop on how to open your heart and call in your next chapterConnect with Emma:Instagram: @turning30coachJoin the Turning Community: https://www.turning30coach.com/turning-lpIf this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and share it with a friend who needs to hear it xo

This is a special bonus episode following the Love After 35 email series, where I’ve been sharing real stories from women who met their partners later than expected (many in their late 30s and early 40s).After collecting dozens of submissions over the past year and interviewing women on this podcast for over six years, I've noticed clear patterns in how women find love after 35. In this episode, I'm breaking down the seven most common patterns and what you can learn from them.The 7 Patterns:The struggle before the shift - What every woman experienced before meeting their partnerDivine timing and serendipity - The unexplainable moments that led to loveBuilding a beautiful single chapter - What women were actually doing while singleThe work that preceded love - What changed internally before they met their personSurrender and acceptance - The mindset shift that opened them upIt felt different - Why the right relationship doesn't always feel how you expectThe advice they all give - What every woman says to her younger selfJoin the Turning CommunityIf these stories resonate with you and you're thinking "I want that to be me," come inside the Turning Community. This is where you do the work these women did: the internal healing, the mindset shifts, the building of a beautiful single chapter.Inside you get:The Turning Curriculum (two full courses on dating and building your thirties chapter)Live group coaching with EmmaA 24/7 community of over 100 women from around the worldExpert guest workshops on relevant topicsDaily accountability challengesSupport from women who understand exactly what you're going throughJoin Now: https://www.turning30coach.com/turning-lp