About What's Fear Got to Do With It | Fear, Growth & the Mind
What's fear got to do with it podcast hosted by Jo Wiese and Anne Wicking explores how fear and challenges shape our lives. Through engaging conversations with diverse guests, we uncover how adversity drives growth and transformation..
whatsfear.substack.com (https://whatsfear.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Born Into a Secret: Uncovering Who I Am | Adoption, Identity & Shame
In this conversation, Julee Newberger shares her journey of late discovery adoption. At forty-three, she discovered she'd been adopted at birth but raised as her parents' biological child. Everything she thought she knew about herself shattered. But instead of letting fear and betrayal paralyse her, Julee chose to search for the truth. Through DNA testing, she found her birth family who had lived just miles away from her childhood home on Long Island, met them as strangers, and navigated the complex emotions of connection and loss when her birth mother died before they could meet in person. A powerful conversation about identity, courage, and the quiet strength it takes to break cycles of silence and choose truth.
About Our Guest
Julee Newberger is a wife, mom, and writer based outside Washington, DC. Her story of late discovery adoption and DNA discovery has reached millions of people through HuffPost and an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show. She holds an MFA in creative writing from American University and is currently at work on a memoir.
Read the full show notes on our Substack: https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e8 (https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e8)
00:00 The Revelation of Adoption
03:02 Navigating Identity and Family Dynamics
05:09 The Impact of Family Secrets
07:35 Emotional Turmoil and the Search for Truth
10:09 Pushing Through Fear and Uncertainty
12:13 The Journey of Discovery through DNA
14:18 Connecting with Birth Family
16:51 The First Contact with Biological Family
20:06 Discovering Biological Connections
24:30 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Reunion
29:20 Navigating Loss and New Relationships
33:15 Shifting Sense of Self and Identity
37:57 Lessons Learned and Advice for Others
40:55 It's A Wrap
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatsfear.substack.com (https://whatsfear.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
In this conversation, hosts Anne Wicking and Jo Wiese explore what they've learnt from their first six guests of season three. They unpack the themes woven through Nadia, Mary-Lou, Andrea, Toni, Vince, and Deborah's stories.
They reveal how holding space for these guests' vulnerability has deepened their own understanding of challenge, choice, and what it means to live authentically. They reflect on how silence isolates us, how we paint our own reality, and how fragility can become our greatest teacher. Through their conversation, they explore a central truth: we are not passive recipients of what happens to us, we have agency and we have choice.
Anne and Jo share the wisdom their guests have given them personally, and discuss what becomes possible when you choose differently.
Read the full show notes on our Substack: https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e7 (https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e7)
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Season Three Guests
01:01 Reflections on Nadia's Journey and the Power of Sharing
03:29 Mary Lou's Transformation and the Art of Reality
05:57 Andrea's Insights on Life's Preciousness and Intuition
08:57 Tony's Resilience and the Importance of Hope
13:02 Vinny's Journey of Self-Reflection and Love
15:49 Deborah's Embrace of Aging and Authenticity
16:30 Engagement and Community Building
20:12 Personal Takeaways and Closing Thoughts
24:49 It's A Wrap
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatsfear.substack.com (https://whatsfear.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
23 Sept 2026
Seventy & Unstoppable: Returning to the Wild Self | Aging, Authenticity & Awe
In this conversation, Deborah Grace shares how turning 70 became an invitation to intentional transformation. After decades chasing external achievements and burning out in a high-pressure career, she stepped away at 60. But this milestone felt different. Through a year-long meditative program and sacred personal retreat, Deborah discovered that wellness isn't a destination, but an evolving act of reharmonising with herself.
She reveals how saying no kindly became liberation, how nature became homecoming, and how choosing to see the world through wonder and awe shifted everything. At 70, Deborah stepped into her power as a dangerous old woman, wild and authentically herself. Her story reminds us: we don't have to wait to reclaim ourselves.
About Our Guest
Deborah Grace is a wild wonderer, stepping courageously into her 70s with great daring and aplomb. Her creative expressions have been shaped by a lifelong passion for words ~ their energy, etymology, evolution, and meaning; the infinite ways in which they can be combined; and for the silence that lingers. Deborah can most often be found in the company of other wild wise elder women, scheming and dreaming.
Read the full show notes on our Substack: https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e6 (https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s3e6)
00:00 Embracing Change: The Journey to 70
02:40 Conversations with the Body: Understanding Wellness
08:27 Finding Freedom: The Power of Choice
14:48 Hope and Purpose: A New Perspective on Life
20:18 Embracing Authenticity and the Power of No
22:53 The Journey of Gratitude and Coherence
23:56 The Quest for Harmony in Life
26:43 Reflections on Life Stages and Personal Growth
29:38 The Activation of Inner Wisdom
34:01 Inspirata: The Divine Breath of Life
36:55 Messages to the Younger Self and Life's Gifts
40:10 It's A Wrap
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatsfear.substack.com (https://whatsfear.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
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