The Alli Worthington Show

Join Me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod
 
What does a neuroscientist actually think women in their forties and fifties should be doing for their brains? Dr. Kay Linker has real answers, and they are probably not what you expect.
 
I sat down with Dr. Linker, a neuroscientist, researcher, and founder of the female longevity supplement brand Aeonian, for one of the most practical and science‑rich conversations we have ever had on this show. We talk about brain health in midlife, the hormones that protect your neurons, the supplements that are worth your time, and the wellness trends that genuinely frustrate Dr. Linker.
 
No fluff. Just real science explained like your brilliant friend who also happens to have a PhD.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain (and why Sudoku isn't cutting it)
What the blood-brain barrier actually is, why it matters, and how omega-3s protect it
The truth about HRT, estrogen, and why timing is everything for brain health in perimenopause and menopause
How dopamine and estrogen work together to shape your mood, motivation, and even your habits throughout your cycle
What creatine does for afternoon energy and cognitive function, and why women actually need more of it than men
The science behind spermidine, autophagy, and why this supplement deserves a better name
What Dr. Linker really thinks about GLP-1s as a longevity drug (her answer may surprise you)
The wellness myth about cycle-syncing productivity that Dr. Linker says is actually harming women
What's inside Dr. Linker's female longevity supplement stack and why she created it
Timestamps:
(03:07) — The dinner party brain fact that makes people put down their forks
(04:04) — Common brain myths smart people still believe (including the 10% myth)
(04:38) — Brain health for women in midlife: creatine, HRT, and what changes at menopause
(06:55) — Alli and Dr. Linker on testosterone: energy, emotional sensitivity, and what surprised them both
(08:33) — The blood-brain barrier explained simply, and why it declines as we age
(10:03) — How omega-3s protect the brain (including from air pollution)
(11:10) — What it means that 90% of brain blood vessels are thinner than a strand of hair
(12:22) — The most damaging things women in midlife are doing to their brains without knowing it
(13:07) — Why leg day is better for your brain than arm day (myokines explained)
(13:45) — The sedentary trap: why working out in the morning doesn't undo sitting all day
(14:51) — Dopamine, estrogen, and why you start new habits in your follicular phase
(16:18) — Why you temporarily cannot stand your husband in your luteal phase (science-backed)
(18:25) — Wellness advice Dr. Linker is tired of seeing spread online
(18:50) — The cycle-syncing productivity trend and the subtle misogyny hiding inside it
(21:09) — Creatine at 10 grams: dreams, afternoon focus, and why women need more
(22:05) — Spermidine vs. urolithin A: autophagy, mitophagy, and longevity explained
(24:41) — Peptides for longevity: the good, the promising, and the ones to know about
(26:01) — GLP-1 microdosing: what the research says beyond weight loss
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Kay on Instagram
Aonian
Kay’s Product Recommendations: One Skin & Azelaic Acid
Function Health
Uplift App
Wise Woman Era
Alli on YouTube
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a thing. And guess what? We're on YouTube! If you're loving the content, show us some love by leaving a review and giving us some stars. It means the world to me! Take care, and stay fabulous! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join Me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod
 
You’ve been told your best years end around forty, that younger automatically means smarter, faster, and better. The truth says otherwise, and so does my life. In this episode, I break down the real science behind midlife confidence and why your brain, your nervous system, and your pattern recognition are actually working for you.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
The difference between fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence, and why the second one is your real competitive advantage after 40
How confidence is built from evidence, not feelings, and why women over 40 are sitting on more of it than they realize
Why your nervous system gets calmer and more capable with age, not less
A simple practice for identifying the wisdom you've already earned so you can start trusting it
 
Timestamps:
(00:00) – The Whole Foods parking lot moment and the 27-year-old founder on Instagram
(00:54) – The story we've been told about aging and why it's wrong
(02:07) – Fluid intelligence vs. crystallized intelligence explained
(03:39) – Confidence comes from evidence, not feelings
(06:05) – Your nervous system's "Becky" (the amygdala) and why it calms down with age
(07:27) – Perspective as a gift of experience and faith
(07:58) – The business hero: what Walt Disney's story teaches about midlife ambition
(08:28) – Why Alli takes clients to Disney for Catalyst Mastermind trips
(11:00) – Your timeline: 20s as information gathering, 30s as testing, 40s+ as the payoff
(11:47) – This week's homework: naming your own evidence of wisdom
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Alli’s TV Recommendation - Hacks
Function Health - Use code AWORTHINGTON10 for a discount on comprehensive lab testing
Wise Woman Method on Substack
Take the Secret Superpower Quiz
Join the Uplift Community
Follow Alli on Instagram
Don’t forget to watch Alli Worthington on YouTube! 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a thing. And guess what? We're on YouTube! If you're loving the content, show us some love by leaving a review and giving us some stars. It means the world to me! Take care, and stay fabulous! 
 
xo,Alli 

Join Me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod
 
If you missed Part 1, go back and listen first. This episode starts exactly where that conversation ended.
Ashley Collins, my chief of staff and resident PhD I love to brag about, is back asking the questions you’ve been waiting for. What you’re going to hear today is rare: me talking about my actual calendar, my real coaching philosophy, my relationship with ambition, and my honest, hopeful take on a season of life the internet keeps trying to convince women is awful.
Spoiler: midlife is not awful. Burnout isn’t caused by working too much. AI still doesn’t have the Holy Spirit.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why burnout is really an input/output problem (and what the right inputs actually look like for high-capacity women)
The difference between needing a new strategy vs. needing to get out of your own way, and how a good coach can tell which one you actually need
Why I wasn't worried about AI replacing my coaching practice (and what I thinks AI genuinely can and can't do)
The "crystallized intelligence" that midlife women have access to that younger women don't
Why our lives quietly shrink in midlife, and the one thing I would tell every woman to fight against
What  I think about ambition as a Christian woman (and why ambition and obedience aren't in conflict)
The simplest nervous-system reset that costs nothing and works every time
 
Timestamps:
(01:01) — What gets better in midlife and the "crystallized intelligence" you earn with age
(04:25) — The #1 mistake midlife women make: letting their world get smaller
(05:03) — Why novelty is not optional in midlife and how to actively expand your territory
(05:41) — Ambition and faith: why ambitious women are not a problem and what we've gotten wrong about ambition for too long
(09:22) — I break down her weekly calendar: coaching days vs. creative days and why she protects each differently
(10:33) — Why I do all her client coaching via phone (not video) and what it reveals about focused attention
(11:56) — Coaching day energy: where it comes from, what it feels like, and why this gift "ends with me"
(14:04) — Strategy vs. self-work: how to tell which one you actually need (and why we always want the strategy)
(16:49) — My honest take on AI: what it's good for, where it fails, and why it lacks taste, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit
(21:35) — How to start using AI if you're nervous about it (her actual on-ramp recommendation)
(22:31) — The Claude project she uses for her husband's health (and why this might be AI's best use case)
(24:02) — "Information is free. Transformation isn't." How this insight shapes everything I build with Catalyst
(25:51) — Why we don't take action: what's really underneath the fear (it's not what you think)
(28:13) — Burnout reframed: it's not about working too hard 
(30:52) — How to start asking yourself what you actually need right now
(31:00) — The simplest input most women are skipping (it's free, it's outside, and it calms your nervous system)
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Catalyst Mastermind
Function Health
Uplift App
Wise Woman Era
Alli on YouTube
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you’re always in the loop. And hey, while you're at it, why not pop over to our YouTube channel and check us out? If you're feeling the love, leave a review and sprinkle some stars because your support truly means the world to me! Take care, and keep shining bright! 
 
xo,
 
Alli
YOUTUBE
 
Episode 426 Show Notes
Alli in the Hot Seat Part 2: I Coached Women for 20 Years. Here's What Actually Works.
Join Alli on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.substack.com/ 
 
If you missed Part 1, go back and listen first. This episode starts exactly where that conversation ended.
Ashley Collins, my chief of staff and resident PhD I love to brag about, is back asking the questions you’ve been waiting for. What you’re going to hear today is rare: me talking about my actual calendar, my real coaching philosophy, my relationship with ambition, and my honest, hopeful take on a season of life the internet keeps trying to convince women is awful.
Spoiler: midlife is not awful. Burnout isn’t caused by working too much. AI still doesn’t have the Holy Spirit.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why burnout is really an input/output problem (and what the right inputs actually look like for high-capacity women)
The difference between needing a new strategy vs. needing to get out of your own way, and how a good coach can tell which one you actually need
Why Alli isn't worried about AI replacing her coaching practice (and what she thinks AI genuinely can and can't do)
The "crystallized intelligence" that midlife women have access to that younger women don't
Why our lives quietly shrink in midlife, and the one thing Alli would tell every woman to fight against
How Alli thinks about ambition as a Christian woman (and why ambition and obedience aren't in conflict)
The simplest nervous-system reset that costs nothing and works every time
 
✨Timestamps:
(01:01) — What gets better in midlife and the "crystallized intelligence" you earn with age
(04:25) — The #1 mistake midlife women make: letting their world get smaller
(05:03) — Why novelty is not optional in midlife and how to actively expand your territory
(05:41) — Ambition and faith: why ambitious women are not a problem and what we've gotten wrong about ambition for too long
(09:22) — Alli breaks down her weekly calendar: coaching days vs. creative days and why she protects each differently
(10:33) — Why Alli does all her client coaching via phone (not video) and what it reveals about focused attention
(11:56) — Coaching day energy: where it comes from, what it feels like, and why this gift "ends with her"
(14:04) — Strategy vs. self-work: how to tell which one you actually need (and why we always want the strategy)
(16:49) — Alli's honest take on AI: what it's good for, where it fails, and why it lacks taste, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit
(21:35) — How to start using AI if you're nervous about it (her actual on-ramp recommendation)
(22:31) — The Claude project she uses for her husband's health (and why this might be AI's best use case)
(24:02) — "Information is free. Transformation isn't." How this insight shapes everything Alli builds with Catalyst
(25:51) — Why we don't take action: what's really underneath the fear (it's not what you think)
(28:13) — Burnout reframed: it's not about working too hard 
(30:52) — How to start asking yourself what you actually need right now
(31:00) — The simplest input most women are skipping (it's free, it's outside, and it calms your nervous system)
 
Listen NOW  :
🎙️  Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alli-worthington-show/id1375727741 
🎙️  Spotify: 
https://open.spotify.com/show/4hjG6zRwqHlAZDNLtdgFMK?si=fb18bfa2f806498d&nd=1&dlsi=17a485cc09e84627
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Catalyst Mastermind https://www.learnwithalli.com/catalyst 
Function Health https://my.functionhealth.com/signup?code=AWORTHINGTON10&_saasquatch=AWORTHINGTON10&d=FHREF25 
Uplift App http://upliftcommunity.co 
Wise Woman Era  https://wisewomanmethod.substack.com/ 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you’re always in the loop. If you're feeling the love, leave a review and sprinkle some stars because your support truly means the world to me! Take care, and keep shining bright! 
 
xo,
 
Alli

Join Me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
It’s 9:47 at night. There’s dark chocolate on the couch. You’ve got seven tabs open, including one about remote jobs in Maine and another about careers where no one can Slack you. You’ve decided you’re going to become a florist, open a coffee shop in Vermont, or move somewhere so small it doesn’t even have a zip code.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what’s actually going on: this isn’t clarity. It’s overload. And overload can feel almost exactly like revelation when you’re trapped inside it.
In this episode of Smart Girl Summer, I’m talking about something I see all the time in the women I coach. The confusion between a panic and a pivot. Because the same overwhelmed nervous system that makes you want to quit your job and start a flower farm can dress itself up as discernment. And getting those two things mixed up has real consequences.
God does not move at the speed of your cortisol spike. He never has. But your survival brain does, and it will hand you a plane ticket to Burlington long before it ever asks whether that’s actually wise.
This episode will help you slow that down and tell the panic from the pivot.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why the fantasy of escaping to Vermont (or Tampa, or a tiny bookshop) is actually information about what your real life is missing
The key difference between panic and a pivot, and the specific physical and emotional signals that tell them apart
Why "relief and wisdom sound identical for about 48 hours" and what happens after that
The three-night rule: the one tool I give coaching clients before any major life decision
How to translate an escape fantasy into a small, concrete craving your actual life can meet this week
Why the healthiest pivots are almost always microscopic and how tiny changes prevent dramatic collapse
 
Timestamps:
(01:57) — When ordinary life starts feeling wrong, not just hard 
(02:56) — What's happening in your nervous system when you want to escape
(03:38) — The spiritual piece: God doesn't move at the speed of a cortisol spike
(04:00) — How to recognize panic: the physical and emotional signals 
(04:49) — What a pivot actually feels like (and why it survives a calm Saturday)
(05:33) — The women I coach: functioning beautifully while running on fumes
(07:06) — The fear underneath it all: "I'm afraid overload is making my decisions for me" 
(07:51) — Why discernment gets harder when your nervous system never feels safe
(08:41) — Why the healthiest pivots are microscopic, not dramatic 
(09:18) — The three-night rule explained 
(10:22) — What to do when the escape fantasy comes back (and it will) 
(11:07) — The key question: "What is the smallest version of giving myself this?" 
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Alli’s Tool Recommendation - Claude AI
Function Health - Use code AWORTHINGTON10 for a discount on comprehensive lab testing
Wise Woman Method on Substack
Take the Secret Superpower Quiz
Join the Uplift Community
Follow Alli on Instagram
Don’t forget to watch Alli Worthington on YouTube! 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you’re always in the loop. And hey, while you're at it, why not pop over to our YouTube channel and check us out? If you're feeling the love, leave a review and sprinkle some stars because your support truly means the world to me! Take care, and keep shining bright! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
 
 
Something different is happening this week on Smart Girl Summer. I’m in the chair.
Ashley Collins, my chief of staff and a whole PhD holder (yes, I tease her about it constantly), has been quietly collecting the things I say when the mic is off: the coaching wisdom that never makes it to air, the personal stories I usually only share with clients, and the honest parts of building something for 20 years without a map. This episode is Ashley finally making me say those things out loud.
This is part 1 of 2. We talk about 20 years of coaching women, what obedience actually costs, the one thing that keeps women from ever taking the leap, and how the Catalyst Mastermind came to be.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why do the same mindset obstacles that hold back first-time entrepreneurs also show up in surgeons and Fortune 100 leaders, and what Alli's job actually is in the room
The biggest misconception people have about successful women, and why the "golden path" idea is keeping you stuck
What happened when God told Alli to shut down her conference in 2012, and what she would have missed if she'd said no
The beach walk story she's never told before, and why there's a jar of sand dollars sitting in her office
The hidden thing that holds back the women who never quite take the step (it's not fear of failure)
How the Catalyst Mastermind started from a Disney trip and became something Alli calls magical
Why Catalyst isn't just for entrepreneurs  and who it's actually for
Timestamps:
(01:22) — What Alli does all day (and why the answer depends entirely on who's asking) 
(02:16) — 20 years of coaching: what she knows now that she didn't know then
(03:24) — The core issues every woman shares, from first-time author to hospital CEO 
(04:43) — The biggest misconception about successful people 
(06:21) — The decision that changed everything: shutting down the conference in 2012 
(06:48) — Becoming the breadwinner and what came next (Propel Women, new vision) 
(10:01) — The beach walk, the sand dollars, and the fear nobody knew about 
(11:24) — What her therapist said that shifted everything about trusting God with money 
(15:25) — The hidden problem women are afraid to say out loud 
(17:13) — The one thing holding back women who never take the step 
(17:51) — Where Catalyst came from: the retreat origin story
(22:26) — What the Catalyst circles look like, and why women refuse to let them break up 
(24:00) — What Ashley saw at the April retreat (and why women's shoulders look different when they leave) 
(25:56) — Who Catalyst is actually for (hint: not just entrepreneurs)  
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Catalyst Mastermind
Function Health
Uplift App
Substack - Wise Woman Era
Alli on YouTube
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a thing. And guess what? We're on YouTube! If you're loving the content, show us some love by leaving a review and giving us some stars. It means the world to me! Take care, and stay fabulous! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
You’re at your kid’s school event, paper plate in hand, fluorescent lights buzzing loudly overhead. Someone asks what you do. You managed a whole department that morning. You built something real. And somehow the words that come out of your mouth are, “Oh, I just have this little side project I’m figuring out.”
That’s the self‑edit. You’ve done it before. You know it well. You just can’t seem to stop.
In this episode, I’m naming a pattern most women never get language for. It’s the reflex we have to shrink our work, soften our accomplishments, and add qualifiers until the thing we built sounds like something we barely touch on weekends. It isn’t a confidence problem. It’s wiring. And it can be changed only if you start noticing it and stop doing it.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
What the self-edit is and why your brain does it automatically, even when you know better
The specific way women raised in faith communities learn to confuse smallness with holiness (and what biblical humility actually looks like)
Why the story you tell about yourself out loud becomes the story your brain files as true
How to say what you do in one clear sentence and let it land without the qualifier that comes out of nowhere to soften it
The real cost of self-editing over time: how it quietly reshapes your identity until the small version feels like the accurate one
 
Timestamps:
(01:40) — What the self-edit is and why smart women do it constantly 
(03:00) — Why your brain learned to flag visibility as a social threat
 (04:54) — What biblical humility actually is (Deborah led a nation) 
(05:27) — The woman three steps behind you is watching how you carry your calling
(06:32) — Why your nervous system starts believing the edited version if you're not careful 
(08:32) — What actually changed for Rachel (hint: not her resume or her revenue)
(09:03) — How identity works: you become what you practice 
(10:03) — The one practical thing to do the next time someone asks what you do
(12:29) — Closing: You can stop self-editing now. This is your moment. 
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Alli’s Product Recommendation - Shuttle Art Dry Erase Markers
Function Health - Use code AWORTHINGTON10 for a discount on comprehensive lab testing
Wise Woman Method on Substack
Take the Secret Superpower Quiz
Join the Uplift Community
Follow Alli on Instagram
Don’t forget to watch Alli Worthington on YouTube! 
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you’re always in the loop. And hey, while you're at it, why not pop over to our YouTube channel and check us out? If you're feeling the love, leave a review and sprinkle some stars because your support truly means the world to me! Take care, and keep shining bright! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
 
 
If you’ve been building something online long enough to remember when a book deal and a blog following felt like the same thing, listen in for a long exhale. Writer, podcaster, and longtime reader‑advocate Laura Tremaine joins Alli for a conversation that blends honest business reflection with a genuine pep talk about what still matters.
Laura has been at this for years. She co-hosted the wildly popular Sorta Awesome podcast, launched Smartest Person in the Room and 10 Things to Tell You, and wrote two books shaped directly by her podcast community. She’s someone who has lived through all waves of online content, from early blogging to the podcast boom to the celebrity-podcast takeover, and she has real insight on it all.
This is a Smart Girl Summer conversation. Listen as two women who have been in the arena for more than fifteen years talk about what they’ve learned, what surprised them, and what they’re betting on next.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why Laura closed 10 Things to Tell You after years of success, and what it felt like to make that call
How Spotify's audiobook addition quietly reshaped podcast listenership (especially for readers)
What Substack is doing for long-form writing that blogging used to do, and why publishers are now paying attention to it
The case for posting every day on Instagram, even when it feels like shouting into the void
Why stories vs. the grid is actually a question about who you're creating for
What both Alli and Laura see coming next, including a cultural reckoning with online life that may already be underway
Timestamps:
(03:36) - How Laura describes what she does in 2026: reader, writer, podcaster (04:51) - Is there a new book coming? Laura shares where she is in the process (06:45) - Substack as the new blogging, and why long-form writing is back 
(08:29) - Alli's Substack origin story: strategic skeptic to convert 
(09:40) - Do Substack audiences actually buy books? The data question nobody can answer yet 
(10:44) - Laura's full podcasting journey: Sorta Awesome to 10 Things to Tell You (13:47) - The book deal she couldn't get as a blogger, and how podcasting finally opened the door 
(16:01) - How the podcast ad economy changed after the pandemic 
(17:20) - Celebrity podcasts, audiobooks, and the great listenership shift
 (18:35) - Why Laura closed 10 Things to Tell You (and what she's doing instead) (19:35) - On not launching the next thing before you're ready 
(20:59) - Slow Read: Laura's new co-hosted podcast with Sarah Stewart Holland of Pantsuit Politics 
(23:00) - Secret Stuff: the placeholder name that stuck, and why it works 
(25:07) - Social media in 2026: how Laura really feels about it 
(30:59) - Stories vs. the grid, and who each one is actually for 
(33:13) - Feeling "old" in the content world, and what to do about it
 (39:08) - Experiences over content, and why in-person community is more important than ever 
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Laura's Substack
Laura's Instagram
Laura’s Book Recommendations: Yesteryear & Strangers
Laura’s Product Recommendation: Fenty Gloss Stick
Function Health
Uplift App
Wise Woman Era
Alli on YouTube
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a thing. And guess what? We're on YouTube! If you're loving the content, show us some love by leaving a review and giving us some stars. It means the world to me! Take care, and stay fabulous! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
 
You made the decision this morning. Coffee still hot, intention alive. By 9:15, you had talked yourself right out of it.
If that feels a little too familiar, stay with me for this episode.
I’m introducing something I call the self‑negotiation loop. It’s the pattern where you already know exactly what to do, carry the decision for weeks or even months, and let every delay feel perfectly reasonable in the moment. The issue isn’t motivation. It isn’t discipline. It’s the way your brain is wired, and it’s costing you more than you think.
This is a solo episode, so stay with me for the insight that helps you finally do the thing.
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
What the self-negotiation loop is and why every "maybe later" feels like wisdom instead of avoidance
How procrastination quietly drains your self-trust over time (even when nothing specifically goes wrong)
Why confidence isn't the fuel you need before you can act, and what actually builds it
The story of "Sarah," who spent 5 months preparing for something that took 10 minutes to do
Why God's pattern in Scripture is "walk, and I'll reveal the path," not "wait until you feel ready"
The one small, honest step you can take today toward the decision you've been carrying
 
Timestamps:
(01:02) — Naming the self-negotiation loop and why every "maybe" feels so reasonable 
(01:44) — What the loop looks like on an average day (the blinking cursor that feels like a judgment)
 (02:21) — Why your brain will almost always choose familiar discomfort over unfamiliar growth 
(03:05) — Relief vs. peace: the difference that changes everything 
(03:36) — What Alli noticed in coaching: "That was so much easier than I thought it would be"
(04:26) — How hesitation quietly erodes self-trust, one renegotiation at a time
(06:00) — Evidence over confidence: the concept that actually builds a track record
(06:46) — Sarah's story: 5 months of preparation, 10 minutes of doing 
(08:00) — The faith connection: Esther didn't get a guarantee either 
(08:36) — The one practical step to take today 
(10:08) — You are always practicing becoming someone, especially in the small moments 
 
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Alli’s Show Recommendation - Paradise
Function Health - Use code AWORTHINGTON10 for a discount on comprehensive lab testing
Wise Woman Method on Substack
Take the Secret Superpower Quiz
Join the Uplift Community
Follow Alli on Instagram
Don’t forget to watch Alli Worthington on YouTube! 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉If you haven’t already, make sure you tap that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode. And yes—we’re on YouTube now too! If the show has been a bright spot for you, leaving a review or a few stars is such a gift. It truly means the world to me.
Take good care of yourself, and keep showing up with joy. Share this episode with a friend who might enjoy it too!
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack – https://wisewomanmethod.com
What does it look like to walk into a room as your full self, not the version who already decided she doesn’t belong there? Leadership coach and author Selena Rezvani has spent her career sitting with that exact question, and in this conversation, she brings the kind of stories and truth that land deep.
Selena teaches leaders how to build trust and share power, and she does so with credibility that comes only from real life. She has bombed the interview. She has eaten the whole sleeve of Milano cookies. She has gone back anyway and written a completely different ending. That’s why her work sticks. It’s lived, not theoretical.
This episode is for every woman who has ever over-prepared, under-showed, and wondered what might have happened if she had let herself take up the space she deserved. Listen in, and let it remind you that you belong in the room, too.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why your energy, not your to-do list, should be shaping your workday
How to advocate for yourself with the people above you without slipping into the tightrope women are so often forced to walk
The GPS framework for getting a yes, even when the ask feels bold or a little risky
What healthy entitlement actually means and why it matters when you’re negotiating for what you need
Why one of the most surprising research findings about managers will change the way you think about leadership
How to hold a no loosely and still go back two more times when it matters
 
Timestamps:
(01:48) - Selena's crooked career path from social work to executive coaching
(04:39) - How Selena structures her workday around energy, not equal time blocks
(07:28) - Raising twins, recovering from infertility, and what changes when you know what you fought for
(10:00) - Things Selena used to obsess about at work that she's finally let go of
(10:26) - How women can advocate for themselves without paying the "bluntness penalty"
(11:20) - The GPS framework: tailoring your pitch to someone's goals, passions, and struggles
(13:04) - Speaking peer to peer, not up to a pedestal, and the concept of healthy entitlement
(14:36) - What surprised Selena most in her research for her latest book
(15:15) - The study that found your manager's impact rivals your spouse's
(16:13) - The missed opportunity story, the rosé, the Milano cookies, and what happened when Selena went back
(19:35) - The most common misconception women have about vulnerability in leadership
(22:38) - Selena's travel talisman, her skincare secret (it's tretinoin, naturally), and her Poshmark obsession
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Selena’s Website
Selena’s Online Recommendation - Poshmark
Function Health
Uplift App
Read Alli's Substack : Wise Woman Era
Alli on YouTube
 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss a thing. And guess what? We're on YouTube! If you're loving the content, show us some love by leaving a review and giving us some stars. It means the world to me! Take care, and stay fabulous! 
 
xo,
Alli

Join me on Substack - https://wisewomanmethod.com
 
You said yes to something good. Something you actually wanted. And now it’s 9 p.m., you’re standing in your kitchen eating shredded cheese out of the bag, and you’re wondering why the dream you prayed for feels like a low hum behind your eyes and a sudden irritation with every sound in your house.
 
This is not a sign you’re broken. It’s just your body waving a little white flag called an allostatic load. Once you know what’s actually going on, it’s a lot less mysterious and a little less personal.
 
Here’s me being honest: right now, I’m writing a book, wrangling a Substack, juggling a few businesses, and trying not to drop anything important on my own head. Turns out, when you’re carrying work that actually matters to you, it doesn’t feel like a motivational poster. It feels like slogging through mud, second-guessing every decision, and wondering if your brain has been replaced by a fog machine. I’ll talk about the science behind it, what my amygdala (I call her Becky) is plotting, and three things that might help when you’re stuck in the messy middle.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
What allostatic load is and why it explains the specific kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix
Why decisions that used to take five seconds now sit on your desk for two days (and what that actually means)
What your nervous system is doing when a dream that felt exciting in month one feels heavy in month four
Why the growth is happening in the carrying, not the after
3 practical steps for moving through the hard middle without quitting or adding more
 
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction: When the dream costs more than you expected
(00:44) - Where Alli is right now: writing a book, launching a Substack, and the season she's in
(02:53) - What allostatic load is and why it matters
(04:18) - Becky, the amygdala, and why she gets chatty when the load gets heavier
(05:43) - The adaptation tax: what it means that growth happens in the carrying
(08:03) - Practical Step 1: Name the actual cost out loud
(08:48) - Practical Step 2: Stop adding, even small things
(09:20) - Practical Step 3: Decide which version of you is making decisions
(10:02) - A word directly to the woman who stayed
(14:12) - The science of mushrooms, immunity, and Dr. William Lee's research
 
 
Links to great things we discussed: 
Alli’s Product Recommendation - Jake & Amos Marinated Mushrooms
Function Health
Wise Woman Method on Substack
Take the Secret Superpower Quiz
Join the Uplift Community
Follow Alli on Instagram
Don’t forget to watch Alli Worthington on YouTube! 
I hope you loved this episode! 🎉 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you’re always in the loop. And hey, while you're at it, why not pop over to our YouTube channel and check us out? If you're feeling the love, leave a review and sprinkle some stars because your support truly means the world to me! Take care, and keep shining bright! 
 
xo,
Alli