Wise Women's Conversations

About Wise Women's Conversations

Wise Women's Conversations, is a podcast for women who want to thrive in the second half of life. Hosted by naturopath and health coach Angela Counsel, each episode explores health, wellbeing, mindset, purpose and the wisdom that comes from lived experience. Through practical insights and inspiring conversations, you'll discover new ways to age well, stay curious, embrace new adventures and create a future that feels fulfilling and meaningful. Because your story is far from over.

Publisher

Angela Counsel

Category

business · health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Jul 2026

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   I Will Not Die With My Song Unsung: Kareena Glenville on Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be

   Who Are You When the Labels No Longer Fit? Wife. Mother. Business owner. Successful. Then one day, the labels stop fitting. And you’re left with one question: Who am I now? This week on Wise Women’s Conversations, I’m joined by Kareena Glenville, co-founder of ReclaimHer, who supports women in midlife and beyond through some of life’s biggest transitions. We talk about letting go of old identities, what spirituality really means, and how to rebuild trust in your own inner wisdom as you step into your next chapter. Kareena knows transition from the inside. She and her husband built a business to close to seven figures, then lost everything. For six years she waited for something to come along and rescue her, until she realised “no one’s coming, no one’s coming except me.” That lesson in self-responsibility became a turning point. Now in her 50s, she’s taking responsibility for “future Kareena” and the woman she wants to become, determined not to die with her song unsung. We explore why no single identity could ever do a woman justice, and how you can love something you created with all your heart and still choose to let it go. Kareena shares what spirituality means to her: a connection to something greater, closely woven with intuition and her relationship with herself. She describes the dance between receiving guidance and taking action, because staying only in spirit makes you the dreamer, and staying only in your to-do list makes you the doer. For busy women who don’t have an hour a day to meditate, Kareena offers simple, practical steps. Start by getting honest about your values (she discovered her highest value was actually invisibility and comfort, not the expression she wanted to live by). Then add small practices like a weekly writing ritual and a few minutes of connection on waking and before sleep. It all leads back to self-trust: knowing you can move through the unknown and reach the other side. Perhaps the question isn’t who you used to be. Perhaps it’s who you’re ready to become. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why no single identity can hold the whole of who you are How to grieve, honour and let go of something you once loved creating The lesson Kareena learnt when she realised no one was coming to rescue her What spirituality, intuition and connection to self look like in everyday life The balance between receiving guidance and taking action, and why you need both Why getting clear on your values is the first step before making any change Simple daily and weekly practices that don’t become another item on the to-do list Why self-trust is the real gift of the evolving woman, and how your ripple reaches further than you think Questions to reflect on: Which identity have you been holding on to that no longer fits who you are now? What would you need to let go of to become the woman you want to be? Where in your life are you waiting to be rescued instead of taking the next step? What does spirituality, or connection to something greater, mean to you? This week’s invitation is simple: Take five minutes this week to ask yourself: Who do I want to be now, not ten years ago, but now? Connect with Kareena Glenville Kareena’s complimentary Manifesting Journal has already been downloaded by more than 6,000 women. It’s a beautiful resource designed to help women reconnect with themselves, gain clarity on what truly matters to them and begin imagining and creating their next chapter. https://reclaimher.com/manifesting-journal-2/ (https://reclaimher.com/manifesting-journal-2/) Reclaimed is Kareena’s online coaching community for women in midlife and beyond. It’s a space where women come together to explore what’s possible in this next chapter and are supported through meaningful conversations, coaching and connection. https://reclaimher.com/reclaimed/ (https://reclaimher.com/reclaimed/) Website: https://www.reclaimher.com (https://www.reclaimher.com) Instagram: @ReclaimHer Facebook: @ReclaimHer

2. 

   26 Oct 2026

   “Do You Need to Stay?” The Question That Set Her Dream Free

   She had the boat. The date. The perfect weather. And then she couldn’t step off the dock. What happens when the dream you’ve worked toward for years is finally here, and you freeze? This week, Angela sits down with her friend Jackie Campbell, a business coach, a corporate leader, photographer and story collector, who is joining us from a sailboat anchored beside a coral reef in Indonesia. Jackie and her husband Dave have been living aboard their self-built boat, Barefoot Sunset, for almost 540 days. Jackie shares what it took to untangle a life full of contracts, boards, programs and people who needed her, and why choosing yourself over the flattering feeling of being needed is so much harder than it sounds. She tells the story of the morning they left Perth: everything was ready, and she stood frozen on the jetty with the last rope in her hand. She also describes hanging onto a mast in a night-time squall and what it taught her about needing to be “as good as” everyone else. She talks openly about what she misses, from the networking rooms where everyone knew her name to the big ideas she could run with, and about what she gained in their place. That includes a marriage with new magic in it, a slower pace and a business that finally has space around it. Jackie’s message to women who sense there’s something more is simple. You don’t have to burn it all down, and you already know how to trust yourself. We just forget. Perhaps the dream was never too big. Perhaps it was waiting for you to give yourself permission. Perhaps the “shoulds” were only ever a set of train lines, and you’re allowed to change course at the next crossing. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why Jackie’s answer to “Who are you?” no longer includes what she does How constant “what’s next?” thinking can stop us from ever feeling that we’ve arrived What it takes to choose yourself and your dreams when everyone around you needs you Jackie’s story of freezing on the dock, and the question from Dave that changed everything Why the scariest part of her journey wasn’t the weather, it was feeling incompetent What it’s like to leave behind an identity built on success and recognition Why Jackie believes you don’t have to burn it all down, and how to keep the pieces you want The shift from “shoulds” to “coulds,” and how to start trusting your own wisdom again Questions to reflect on: If someone asked “Who are you?”, which words would come up that aren’t your job title? Where in your life are you still saying “yeah, but” to your own success? What dream have you been waiting for permission to start? Which “shoulds” could you swap for “coulds” this week? This week’s invitation is simple: Sit quietly for a few minutes, with a coffee if you like, and ask yourself what you already know you want. Connect with Jackie Campbell: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacquelineccampbell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelineccampbell/) YouTube: @JackieCCampbell (https://www.youtube.com/@JackieCCampbell). Jackie is currently sharing stories in a 100-day challenge, along with her stunning underwater photography. Email: jackie@arcamorai.com.au (mailto:jackie@arcamorai.com.au)

3. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Your Brain Hasn’t Lost Its Edge. It’s Lost Its Buffer

   The email arrives. You read it twice. Then three times. You replay it in the shower. At 2am, you’re still writing replies in your head. This week on Wise Women’s Conversations, we finish my series on the brain after menopause with the hormone that’s been mentioned in almost every episode so far: cortisol. You’re as capable as you’ve ever been. So why can’t you shrug things off the way you used to? It’s not your imagination. Your stress response has changed. I’ve burnt out four times, so stress and adrenal burnout are topics I know from the inside. Late last year I noticed the early signs again, and because I recognised them, I knew how to turn things around. In this episode I explain cortisol as the hormone that keeps you alive, not the bad guy, and how our modern “tigers” (notifications, inboxes, the news, social media) keep it switched on all day. Using Hans Selye’s three stages of stress (alarm, resistance and rest), I show why so many successful women stay stuck in resistance, holding the weight until their body forces them to drop it. I also look at why your adrenal glands become your hormone backup system after menopause, and why stress always comes first. Then we look inside the brain. Long-term high cortisol affects your memory centre (the hippocampus) and your planning and word-finding centre (the prefrontal cortex), while it turns up your alarm centre (the amygdala). I share research from the Framingham Heart Study, Dr Lisa Mosconi’s 2024 study and a University of Southern California study, which together suggest stress shows up in women’s brains more than men’s, and that estrogen once softened that hit. For decades, estrogen and progesterone buffered you without you knowing. Now that job is yours. Perhaps you’re not falling apart. Perhaps your brain has simply handed you the job of protecting it, and that could be a gift. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why cortisol keeps you alive, and why it’s not the bad guy The three stages of stress, and why so many women stay stuck in “resistance” How your adrenal glands become your hormone backup system after menopause What long-term high cortisol does to your memory, focus and word-finding What the research shows about cortisol, women’s brains and memory How estrogen and progesterone buffered your stress response for decades Why poor sleep, sugar cravings, belly weight and brain fog can be stress signals, not “just menopause” Simple ways to calm cortisol: breathing, morning sunlight, mini breaks, the right exercise, regular meals, carbs, magnesium and reframing your story Questions to reflect on: Where in your life are you holding the weight longer than you need to? What are the “tigers” that keep your brain on alert each day? What early warning signs does your body give you when you’re pushing too hard? What story are you telling yourself about a situation that’s upsetting you right now? This week’s invitation is simple: The next time stress hits, stop and take three slow breaths with a longer out-breath than in-breath. Then ask: Is there anything I can change here? If not, can I let it go? Catch up on the brain series: Episode 1: Why “Brain Fog” Might Actually Be an Identity Crisis (https://wisewomensconversations.substack.com/p/why-brain-fog-might-actually-be-an-001) Episode 2: Why Your Sleep Broke After Menopause – And How To Fix It Without Estrogen (https://wisewomensconversations.substack.com/p/why-your-sleep-broke-after-menopause-b62) Episode 3: Hope Molecules: The Surprising Way Movement Grows Your Brain (https://wisewomensconversations.substack.com/p/hope-molecules-the-surprising-way-805) Episode 4: Your Brain Isn’t Broken. It’s Hungry. (https://wisewomensconversations.substack.com/p/your-brain-isnt-broken-its-hungry-397)

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.