Becoming Your Best Version
Becoming Your Best Version

Becoming Your Best Version

Maria Leonard Olsen

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Episodes

Details

Award-winning podcast about living your best life, by Maria Leonard Olsen & her inspiring guests. Maria is a lawyer/journalist/author who seeks to amplify women's voices to share about their lives, work & life lessons. She graduated from Boston College & Univ. of Virginia Law. She served in the Clinton Justice Dept. and is a lawyer in Washington, D.C. Her latest book, 50 After 50--Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life, has helped thousands reinvigorate their lives. Maria has spoken at TEDx CUNY, the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference and more. See MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow @FiftyAfter50

Recent Episodes

A Conversation with Spiritual Guide and Author, Aline Ghorayeb
FEB 27, 2026
A Conversation with Spiritual Guide and Author, Aline Ghorayeb
Aline Ghorayeb is a visionary and spiritual guide whose work bridges inner alchemy, ancient wisdom and modern depth psychology. Her path is rooted in personal experience and years of study in the Science of Spirituality, the teachings of the Magdalene and the soul’s sacred journey of awakening.Certified in Applied Jungian Psychology and accredited as a coach, psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, Aline is also a devoted student of A Course in Miracles, integrating its living principles of love, forgiveness and inner peace into every aspect of her work. Aline describes A Course in Miracles as a way to discern between ego and spirit to reach love. She guides people who are seeking to achieve inner alchemy.A Change of Heart with Mary Magdalene is her first book, a mission born of revelation and living Gnosis. Through her offerings, Aline invites seekers to remember their wholeness and return to a life guided by the Heart. In this episode, we talk about the female archetype, the meaning of the Magdalene and Gnostic gospels, and her personal transformation.Aline provides one on one spiritual mentoring to her clients. She calls it a Path to Wholeness, an intimate 1:1 spiritual mentoring journey, rooted in the wisdom and vision behind A Change of Heart with Mary Magdalene. This is not coaching. This is not therapy. It is a sacred mentoring: a direct, quiet, transformative initiation into the remembrance of your true Self.Aline is from Lebanon and joined us from Dubai, where I was fortunate to meet with her in January. She exudes an uncommon centeredness and beautiful spirit.Learn more:Website: www.vitalitybyaline.comInstagram: @vitalitybyalineLinkedIn: Aline Ghorayeb***Becoming Your Best Version Podcast was voted number one on The Pod Radar this week! Thank you for your support! https://thepodradar.com/best-podcasts/Health%20%26%20Fitness***
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30 MIN
A Conversation with Tanya Boggs, Host of the You Are Here Podcast and Visual Strategist
FEB 20, 2026
A Conversation with Tanya Boggs, Host of the You Are Here Podcast and Visual Strategist
Tanya was diagnosed with HIV when she was 21 years old, at a time when it was viewed as a death sentence. She began speaking at this time about resilience, sharing her story with medical professionals and more. As a speaker decades later, Tanya brings the same insight, empathy and authenticity to live audiences, guiding professional women and entrepreneurs to embrace visibility, clarity and confidence. Tanya hopes people will stop waiting for “someday” and remember that TODAY is always the best day to take small steps toward big, bold moves.Tanya Boggs is a personal brand photographer, visual strategist, storyteller and speaker who helps women step boldly into their next chapter — whether in business, life transitions or leadership. She creates imagery and experiences that don’t just capture a moment; they reflect identity, ambition and the truth of who her clients are becoming.For women seeking an intentional, high-impact refresh, Signature Shot Sessions offers a focused, transformative portrait session designed to elevate visibility and clarify presence. For leaders and entrepreneurs whose brands evolve constantly, Signature Shot Creative provides a year-long, residency-style partnership with quarterly sessions, ongoing visual strategy and seasonal content that ensures their visuals always match their momentum. Her You Are Here Portrait Experience is a deeply transformational space for women reclaiming their narrative, honoring their past and stepping fully into the life and brand they are creating.Tanya is also the host of the You Are Here Podcast, sharing conversations with women who have navigated reinvention, resilience and transformation — amplifying stories that inspire listeners to show up boldly and intentionally. She especially highlights stories of overcoming trauma and difficulties. I was honored to be a guest on Tanya's podcast!Being bi-coastal between Charleston and Southern California, Tanya blends refined artistry with strategic heart. Her work is for women who are done hiding, done playing small and ready to be unmistakable — in business, in leadership and in life.Learn more and follow Tanya: tanyaboggs.comInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tanyaboggsphoto⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theyouareherepodcast⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheYouAreHerePodcast⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/TanyaBoggs.Photographer⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/tanya.boggs⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyaboggsphotographer/⁠Podcast List: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6eGfSl7zjcBJMpGD7N6KXb⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here-a-grateful-twist-on-lifes-disruptions/id1804677562⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@You_Are_Here_Podcast⁠⁠https://theyouareherepodcast.substack.com/profile/posts
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34 MIN
A Conversation with Remi Gibbs, Life Coach and Author of Renovate Your Life
FEB 13, 2026
A Conversation with Remi Gibbs, Life Coach and Author of Renovate Your Life
Remi (pronounced Ray-me) Gibbs is a certified life coach, positive psychology practitioner and the author of Renovate Your Reality. She helps women in midlife reconnect with their purpose, reignite their confidence and design a life that actually feels good to live. After reinventing her own life multiple times—through career shifts, major moves, loss and midlife awakening—Remi now teaches women how to turn transition into transformation. She’s a speaker and workshop facilitator blending science-backed tools with honest, relatable storytelling.Remi also is a foodie and fierce advocate for real talk over sugarcoated nonsense. Raised in the storm of addiction with two alcoholic parents, she turned pain into power with the understanding that just because we are born into chaos, doesn't mean we have to stay there. Drawing from her own journey, she has created a coaching practice rooted in resilience, empathy and authentic transformation. She’s rewriting the rules for what it means to thrive at 40, 50 and beyond.After the pandemic, Remi, who is based in New Mexico, reinvented her own life by stepping fully into life coaching and the practice of positive psychology. Out of that work came her book, Renovate Your Reality, which guides women through midlife transitions with honesty, resilience and tools to rediscover joy and authenticity.In this episode, we talk about:How reinvention is possible at any stage of life, especially after upheaval.Why midlife can be a powerful turning point for women to align with their true values.Science-backed strategies from positive psychology for cultivating resilience, joy and self-compassion.Learn more:www.renovatedrealities.comOn IG and FB @renovatedrealitieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/remigibbs/
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29 MIN
A Conversation with Dr. Erika Rasure, Financial Wellness Advisor
FEB 6, 2026
A Conversation with Dr. Erika Rasure, Financial Wellness Advisor
Dr. Erika Rasure — a former financial advisor and university professor turned financial therapist — has helped thousands of people approach their finances in more intentional, healthy ways. She serves as Chief Financial Wellness Advisor at Beyond Finance, where she meets weekly with hundreds of clients working their way out of debt and towards financial freedom.In addition to her work at Beyond Finance, Dr. Erika serves as Chair of the Research Board for the Financial Therapy Clinical Institute. She is a member of the Financial Review Boards for Investopedia, The Balance, VeryWell Family and VeryWell Parents. Her insight and interviews have been featured in prestigious national outlets, such as Barron’s, CNN, Forbes, Fox Business, Marketwatch, NBC News Now, USA Today and Yahoo. Erika holds a doctorate in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University and is a Certified Deep Transformational Coach — an accreditation that surrounds changing patterns in actions and behaviors. She addresses holistic wellness in her treatment, incorporating the practice of yoga (she’s also a registered yoga teacher) into her comprehensive approach to financial therapy.In this episode, we discuss:• Financial wellness and the best way to achieve it• The mental health connection: how credit card debt impacts wellbeing• How to manage (and avoid) excessive credit card debtLearn more:https://www.beyondfinance.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-finance/https://www.facebook.com/MoveBeyondDebt/https://www.instagram.com/beyondfinancedebtrelief/https://www.youtube.com/@beyondfinance5099
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29 MIN
A Conversation with Dr. Diane Dreher, Positive Psychology Expert and Author
JAN 30, 2026
A Conversation with Dr. Diane Dreher, Positive Psychology Expert and Author
Dr. Diane Dreher helps us learn better ways to deal with stress and how to find more hope and joy. She is the author of eight nonfiction books including the best-selling Tao of Inner Peace and her new book, Pathways to Inner Peace. She is an award-winning university professor and positive psychology researcher whose work on hope has been recognized internationally. Her books, workshops and webinars blend the wisdom of the past with powerful strategies from contemporary psychology and neuroscience to help us meet the challenges of our time with greater courage, creativity and hope. She posits that a walk in nature can be as effective as a prescription antidepressant.Diane's books have been translated into ten languages and her work has been featured in USA Today, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Science of Mind, radio and TV talk shows, podcasts, webinars and web sites on leadership and personal growth. She has a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from UCLA as well as a master's degree in counseling and is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Her research on positive psychology and hope has been published online and in academic books and journals. Diane is currently professor emeritus and associate director of the Applied Spirituality Institute at Santa Clara University and a lecturer in the Positive Psychology Guild in the United Kingdom. Diane joined us from Northern California. She encourages all of us to follow our curiosity, as well as our intuition. She reminds us that small moments of connection -- with neighbors and others with whom we come into contact -- can turn into lasting joy and ease the loneliness epidemic.Learn more:www.dianedreher.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/dianeedreher.bsky.socialPathways To Inner Peace: https://amzn.to/4q2SmF9
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37 MIN