What happens when you give everything to a role, ask for a fair raise, and get told no? For Madeline Miskie, that moment didn’t end the story—it rewrote it. We dive into how a voice teacher and yoga practitioner turned rejection into a values-led business that helps people reconnect with breath, body, and voice while honoring their worth.

We talk about the power of a “career portfolio” mindset and why diversifying your professional life can make courageous choices more possible. Madeline shares the pruning metaphor and the “fertile void”—clearing space so new growth can emerge. Instead of chasing titles, she mapped the real-world outcomes of each path and chose congruence: a life where inner values and outer work finally match. Along the way, she reframed personal development with practical tools—calming breath, forward folds, mantra and meditation—that dial down anxiety and make clear decisions easier to act on.

You’ll hear how a vocal injury shifted Madeline from achievement chasing to inner awareness, and how that inner work underpins her teaching today—holistic voice training, yoga for singers, nervous system regulation, and embodied communication. We unpack realistic goal setting too: removing barriers first, then building skills, and allowing timelines to flex. Whether you’re navigating burnout, seeking a raise, or contemplating a change, this conversation offers grounded strategies for self-worth, resilience, and sustainable growth.

If you’re ready to take one small step—five minutes of breath, a single journal page, or reaching out for support—this story will meet you where you are. Subscribe for more conversations on aligned careers and embodied confidence, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that a no can lead to a better yes.

Find out more about Madeline's online and in-person yoga and singing classes by visiting her website here:https://windsongvoiceandyoga.com/

Madeline is also available to share her beuatiful voice with you at an event. Find out more here:

Sign up for Madeline’s newsletter for monthly updates and low-cost classes. Email: Madeline@windsongvoiceandyoga.com.

Ready to break through your own “If Only”?
Let’s create your next powerful step together. Visit BrendaMcGregor.com to connect.

What if the belief that “aging is decline” is the very thing keeping you from the freedom you crave? We sit down with Kat Miller MA—counselor, TEDx speaker, and founder of Age Freely—to explore how dismantling internalized ageism can unlock joy, presence, and self-compassion at any age. Her spark came from her If Only of believing she did not matter “enough.” That admission opened a path through therapy, core wounds, and a radical shift in identity that many of us feel but don’t name.

Together, we challenge culture’s script on beauty, productivity, and relevance. Kat offers a fresh lens: declines give rise to expansions. When energy changes, presence deepens. When time feels finite, priorities sharpen. When “youthful beauty” fades, a richer, truer beauty—inside and out—comes into view. We dig into practical tools for making wisdom tangible, including Kat’s conversational card game, Older, A Renewable Life, which helps you reflect on how your view of love, forgiveness, and success has evolved over time.

If introspection feels daunting, Kat’s approach is gentle and actionable: start by asking why it feels daunting. Lower the stakes. Learn for joy, not mastery. Try the thing you’ve postponed for decades without turning it into a performance. We also walk toward impermanence and death with clear eyes, exploring belief systems, family conversations, and how preparation can reduce fear and create the conditions for a good death—so life now can be lived with more ease and intention.

This is a warm, honest conversation about aging as liberation rather than loss, about authenticity as a daily practice, and about turning hindsight into compassion instead of self-critique. If you’ve ever felt “too late,” “not enough,” or stuck inside someone else’s story of who you should be, this one’s for you. Listen, reflect, and share with someone who needs a kinder map for growing older. If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what belief about aging are you ready to retire?

Interested in connecting with Kat? Visit her website here- https://www.agefreely.com/

Are you interested in purchasing the conversational card game Kat mentioned? Find out more and order here- https://www.agefreely.com/the-older-game

Treat yourself and view Kat’s TedX talk here- https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=kat+miller+ageing+freely&type=E210US978G0#id=1&vid=84dbcebab17436dfbc2149d1fb7a277c&action=click

Ready to break through your own “If Only”?
Let’s create your next powerful step together. Visit BrendaMcGregor.com to connect.

When life throws unexpected curveballs, it’s easy to spiral into regret and self-blame. But what if those painful moments were actually sacred invitations—to pause, heal, and transform?

In this deeply moving episode, Brenda L. Balding, a nurse and spiritual guide, shares how losing $60,000—including her late father’s estate—to a sophisticated scam became the beginning of her greatest spiritual awakening. Instead of staying trapped in anger and loss, Brenda found clarity, forgiveness, and purpose through what she calls The Sacred Pause.

She opens up about:

• A firsthand account of a week-long scam that preyed on compassion and intuition.
• How silencing her inner voice led to deeper self-awareness and spiritual growth.
• Two transformative healing frameworks she created:
• GRIEF: Grateful Rebirthing Internal Energy Flow — a process for transmuting pain into gratitude.
• PAUSE: Perhaps Another Unforeseen Solution Exists — a tool for stopping reactivity and opening to divine guidance.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Recognize and respond to the subtle signs of fraud by trusting your instincts.
• Transform regret into growth through mindfulness and emotional healing.
• Embrace forgiveness as a pathway to peace and spiritual freedom.

Brenda’s story is a profound reminder that even in our darkest hours, light can still find us—and lead us home to ourselves.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• 🌐 Connect with Brenda: linktr.ee/winblb2
• 🎁 Brenda’s Gift: tinyurl.com/lovesinnervaice
• 🧠 Learn About Havening: Medical News Today
• 💞 Learn About EFT: WebMD

Ready to break through your own “If Only”?
Let’s create your next powerful step together. Visit BrendaMcGregor.com to connect.