We'd love to know how you're saying yes to yourself! Drop us a note here. Join Wendy for a 90-minute Word of the Year workshop designed to help you discover the word that wants to walk beside you this year—not as a goal to achieve, but as a way of being.Register here.Welcome to the Say YES to Yourself! Podcast—the show for midlife women, empty nesters, and anyone navigating life after divorce, burnout, or big transitions. If you're ready to shed cultural expectations, reconnect with your true self, and put your joy first—you’re in the right place.In this episode, Wendy welcomes Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien, UC Foundation professor and author of The Power in the Middle, for a powerful conversation about reclaiming the version of ourselves we knew before the world told us who to be.After a mentor challenged her on playing it safe, Elizabeth found herself digging through old photo albums, searching for proof that she once knew how to take up space. And there she was—eight years old, mid-swing, mouth wide open, wild and free. That girl didn’t need permission. She just was.They explore:How the behaviors that once protected us may no longer serve us, and how to let them goHow taking a step back from emotional labor lets others lead the way they need to leadWhy silence is scary but necessary, and how self-soothing through discomfort is where the real growth happensThis is a conversation about agency, boundaries, and the sacred return to your original knowing.Connect with Dr. O'Brien:Her website: dreobrien.comInstagram @drelizabethobrienFacebookGet her book, The Power in the Middle: Navigating your Midlife with ConfidenceOn AmazonOn Bloomsbury with discount code: GLR BD8  (for 20% off)Resources Link: The Power in the MiddleReferenced in this Episode:The Num________________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Wendy: LinkedinInstagram: @phineaswrighthouseFacebook: Phineas Wright House Website: Phineas Wright House PWH Farm StaysPWH Curated Experience and Travel Interested in being a guest on the show? Send your pitch to [email protected] Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat! If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a 5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.