We made it to the end of Season 1, and Holly is wrapping it all up solo and she's got feelings about it.

In this season finale, Holly reflects on every episode from the past season, from the unexpected grief of sending a kid to college, to the soul sisters who made her rethink friendship, to the conversations about midlife style, skin care, sex after 40, and blending families that nobody else seems to be having out loud. She also gets real about her own confessions including being judgy about Botox (she's sorry), and being genuinely nervous about the sex therapist episode (she was wrong about that too).

Holly also shares what's coming in Season 2, why she believes this podcast is actually her version of mission work, and why she's unapologetic about talking about taboo topics as a Christian woman.

In this episode:

• A look back at every Season 1 guest and why each conversation mattered
• Holly's personal confessions from the season
• Why she's convinced normalizing the hard stuff disarms the enemy (yes, really)
• What's coming in Season 2 including hair thinning, cannabis moms, parenting your parent, and what she knows at 53
• A big thank you to everyone who listened, shared, and reached out

Grownish Woman returns August 7th. Until then savor July, hit Holly up on Threads or Instagram, and please, please leave a review. 🙏

For so many women in midlife, getting dressed has gone from something fun and creative to something that feels like a chore. Or worse, a daily reminder of everything that has shifted in your body and your life. The wardrobe full of different sizes. The default uniform of whatever is comfortable. The avoidance of mirrors and dressing rooms and anything that requires too much thought before 8am.

In this episode, Holly sits down with personal stylist and color analyst Joanna Heyman for a conversation that starts with clothes and ends somewhere much deeper. This one is about self-discovery, reconnection, and finally getting dressed in a way that actually feels like you.

Joanna Heyman is a personal stylist and color analyst who helps women align their outward appearance with who they truly are and where they want to go. Her approach goes beyond trends, focusing on each client's unique coloring, body shape, style personality, and lifestyle so they can create a wardrobe that feels authentic and effortless.

Learn more about working with Joanna or get your colors done at JoannaHeymanStyling.com and follow her on Instagram @JoannaHeymanStyling

Why so many of us stopped having fun getting dressed and what it actually says about where we are in life. Why your closet tells a stylist everything she needs to know about how you see yourself. The difference between dressing to hide and dressing to show up. Why color analysis is one of the most freeing things you can do. What to spend money on and what to save on. And whether there is such a thing as dressing your age.

Holly also gets fully transparent about her own complicated relationship with clothes, shopping, and her body. And Joanna shares something at the very end that reframes the entire conversation.

JoannaHeymanStyling.com @JoannaHeymanStyling on Instagram

What if the harshest critic in your life isn't your mother, your boss, or your ex — it's you?

For most women raised in the Gen X era of buck up, push through, and handle it, the inner voice can be relentless and punishing. And we don't even notice it anymore. It's just the soundtrack.

In this episode, Holly sits down with Wendy Wahlquist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, for a conversation that is equal parts eye-opening and deeply personal. Wendy was Holly's own therapist — and this episode came from Holly's honest realization that somewhere along the way, she let the tools she'd worked so hard to build quietly collect dust. Life got full. The practice slipped. Sound familiar?

This is the conversation that brought those tools back out. And it might do the same for you.

In this episode we talk about:

— Why everything you shove down doesn't disappear — it waits, and in your 40s and 50s it starts coming back up in your body as weight changes, sleep problems, brain fog, anxiety, hormone issues, and mood swings out of nowhere

— Why the way you've always done things stops working during perimenopause — and what actually needs to change

— Why anger is not the enemy — it's a message worth listening to

— What self-compassion actually is (hint: it is not a spa day) and why Kristin Neff's research proves it is one of the most powerful tools your nervous system has

— How being kinder to yourself is directly connected to setting boundaries — and why guilt shows up every time and what to do with it

— How to practice this when you are sandwiched between aging parents, kids, and a mental load that never ends — and you have about thirty seconds to spare

— A four-part somatic grounding practice you can do in under a minute when anxiety spikes and you need to tell your nervous system I am safe right now

About Wendy Wahlquist, LMFT

Wendy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, LLC in Cranberry Township, PA. She specializes in trauma and PTSD using Somatic Experiencing®, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. She also sees clients online throughout Pennsylvania.

🌐 becomeyourhappy.com

Books & Resources Mentioned:

📚 Both books by Kristin Neff 📚 Anything by Brené Brown 🎙️ Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 📚 The Body Keeps the Score 📚 Hilary McBride — quoted in this episode