173. From $250,000 in Tax Debt to Selling Out Rooms of Thousands — And Why She Walked Away From All of It for Her Daughter with Regena Thomashauer (formerly Mama Gena)

What happens when the identity, work, and life you’ve built no longer fit who you’re becoming? In this deeply personal conversation, Kate Northrup reunites with Regena Thomashauer—also known as Mama Gena—to explore the story behind her new book, On Our Knees, and the transformation that followed the end of a defining chapter in her life. Regena shares how she went from being $250,000 in tax debt to growing her work from a living room of ten women into transformational experiences for thousands. But after sixteen years of running her Mastery program, an exhausted team, her daughter’s struggle with an eating disorder, and her own longing for a different kind of freedom led her to walk away from the stage and into the unknown. Together, Kate and Regena explore mother-daughter healing, inherited trauma, the sacred feminine, grief, pleasure, and the erotic life force that Regena believes remains available even in our darkest moments. Regena shares how supporting her daughter ultimately helped heal fractures within her own family—and taught her how to give and receive a kind of love she hadn’t experienced growing up. This conversation is not about bypassing pain or turning hardship into a neat before-and-after story. It’s about allowing grief, rage, devastation, pleasure, and aliveness to exist together—and discovering how the moments that bring us to our knees can also become portals into healing, connection, and greater freedom. “No matter how life brings us to our knees, we are still the source of life itself.” - Regena Thomashauer 🎤 Let’s Dive into the Good Stuff on Plenty 🎤 00:00 The Cyclical Nature of the Feminine 02:47 Mama Gena vs. Regena 05:40 Growing a Dream 07:01 $250K in Tax Debt 10:15 Going Big or Going Home 15:20 Walking Away From Mastery 20:12 Her Daughter’s Healing Journey 25:25 Learning How to Love 30:36 The Power of the Erotic 35:25 Fighting for Her Daughter 40:17 Why Life Brings Us to Our Knees 43:28 Turning Grief Into a Portal 51:01 Permission to Feel Everything 54:46 Healing the Mother-Daughter Lineage 59:24 Finding Freedom Offstage Links and Resources: Kate's Instagram Keira's Free Workshop On Our Knees Connect with Regena Thomashauer: Website Instagram ✨ Have a Story the World Needs to Hear? Writing a book isn't just about becoming an author. It's about giving voice to an idea, a message, or an experience that has the power to change someone's life. Keira Brinton shares how one unexpected act of faith led her to found Joan of Arc Publishing—a company dedicated to helping purpose-driven authors bring meaningful books into the world. Whether you've been dreaming about writing your first book or you're ready to share your expertise on a bigger stage, Keira and her team offer guidance through every step of the publishing journey. If you've been waiting for a sign to start writing, this might be it. 👉 Learn more about Keira Brinton, Joan of Arc Publishing, and her resources at katenorthrup.com/keira.