Sparkle & Grit: Breaking Free From Burnout & Living in Technicolor with Wendy Meadows
The Selfish Woman
What if burnout isn't evidence that you're doing life wrong? For high-achieving women, burnout can come with an extra layer of shame. We think we should be able to handle it. Mange it better. Be more disciplined. Get it together. In this episode, I'm joined by Wendy Meadows, author of Sparkle & GRIT, for a conversation about creating a life that holds ambition, meaning, joy, and the inevitable harder seasons too. Wendy shares her Sparkle & GRIT framework and we talk about what happens when the balance gets lost, and why women have been conditioned to experience...
info_outline
Ditch Imposter Syndrome And Start Owning Your Spotlight with Christine Blosdale
The Selfish Woman
You feel the pull. The idea keeps returning. Some part of you knows you're meant for something bigger. Then...the other voice arrives. Who do you think you are? What if you're not ready? What if everyone realizes you have no idea what you're doing? In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning media personality, coach, and podcast host Christine Blosdale for a candid conversation about why imposter syndrome follows so many talented, high-achieving women into the very rooms they've earned the right to occupy. We explore how deeply women have been conditioned to doubt...
info_outline
The Friends You've Outgrown (Nobody Warns You About This)
The Selfish Woman
You can love someone and still outgrow the version of yourself that exists around them. And nobody warns you about this part of changing your life. We talk about the habits you'll have to change, the risks you'll have to take, the courage it takes to walk away from something familiar. We don't talk nearly enough about what happens when the people you love are still connected to the person you used to be. This episode is about friendship, growth, and the strange, sometimes painful experience of realizing that a relationship that once fit your life may not fit the life...
info_outline
The Selfish Sex Revolution with Susan Bratton
The Selfish Woman
What if the same conditioning that teaches women to abandon themselves in life is also showing up in the bedroom? In this fascinating and often hilarious conversation, Valerie sits down with intimacy expert Susan Bratton to explore what happens when women reclaim their desire, their pleasure, and their right to experience the full spectrum of who they are. Together, they unpack the impact of cultural conditioning on intimacy, why so many couples struggle to talk openly about sex, and how creating a thriving intimate relationship has less to do with performance and more to do with...
info_outline
How To End A Marriage Without Going To War: With Kate Daly of amicable
The Selfish Woman
Nobody teaches women how to leave. You get handed a lawyer's number, a horror story from a friend, and the quiet impication that if your marriage ended...somethig must have gone wrong. But what if divorce didn't have to become a bloodbath to be real? In this episode, Valerie sits down with Kate Daly, co-founder of Amicable, to talk about the divorce conversation almost nobody is having: How to end a marriage without destroying yourself in the process. This conversation is practial, honest, emotional, and surprisingly hopeful. Especially for women trying to...
info_outline
'Reinvention' is Bullshit: Episode 134
The Selfish Woman
The Confession Booth is open! I'm calling BS on the 'reinvention trend'....one that I was fully participating in for the last few years. Nobody reinvents themselves on purpose. Not the way the industry sells it. Real change doesn't start with a plan, it starts with one thought that won't let you go: I want something different. In this episode, I'm dismantling the whole reinvention myth, and replacing it with something that actually works. It's a confession, a rallying cry, and the most extravagant permission slip I've ever handed out. You'll hear: The...
info_outline
Stress Is Not The Problem...This Is: With Dr. Rachel Goldman
The Selfish Woman
We've all been there: a plan falls apart, a deadline shifts, or a minor inconvenience feels like the end of the world. Or, we spend way too much of our time and energy worrying about 'what if.' We usually blame the situation for how we feel, but today's guest says the 'problem' isn't what's happening - it's how we're wired to react to it. I'm joined by Dr. Rachel Goldman, a clinical psychologist, NYU professor, and a leading expert in the mind-body connection who has shared her insights alongside icons like Oprah and Mel Robbins. Ahead of the April launch of her highly anticipated...
info_outline
The Wrong Life: Ep. 130
The Selfish Woman
I left Spain to figure out what was wrong with me. I had the dream life. The cobblestone streets. The European light. The copper bathtub imported from England that cost eleven thousand euros. And I was miserable in ways I didn't have words for yet. So I left. Convinced I was the problem. I was wrong. In this episode I'm recording from Harrison Hot Springs - sitting in a mineral pool, in the middle of a meditation that turned into a download - and I finally understand what I was actually running from. And why leaving was the most sane thing I ever did. This...
info_outline
You Didn't End Up Here by Accident: Numerology, Patterns & Your Life Path with Ann Perry
The Selfish Woman
What if your life isn't random? In this episode, I sit down with numerologist Ann Perry to break down what your numbers reveal about you, and how they shape your relationships, your patterns, and the way you move through the world. We also dive into: What if your soul chose this life? What if the challenges you've faced weren't random...but selected? And how do you hold that idea without dismissing real pain or turning it into toxic positivity? What You'll Learn: What numerology is, and why it works How your numbers influence your...
info_outline
Why You Keep Overthinking (And What You're Actually Avoiding)
The Selfish Woman
Why do you keep overthinking decisions when you already know what to do? In this episode I break down why overthinking isn't a clarity problem, it's a self-trust problem - and what you're actually avoiding. What you'll learn: Why you say "I don't know" (and what it really means) The hidden reason you stay stuck in indecision How overthinking protects you from uncomfortable truth The identity shift that changes everything One simple question to stop overthinking immediately Key moment from the episode: "You don't say 'I don't know' because...
info_outlineWhat if the same conditioning that teaches women to abandon themselves in life is also showing up in the bedroom?
In this fascinating and often hilarious conversation, Valerie sits down with intimacy expert Susan Bratton to explore what happens when women reclaim their desire, their pleasure, and their right to experience the full spectrum of who they are.
Together, they unpack the impact of cultural conditioning on intimacy, why so many couples struggle to talk openly about sex, and how creating a thriving intimate relationship has less to do with performance and more to do with curiosity, communication, and connection.
Susan shares surprising insights on everything from libido difference and orgasmic potential to the male loneliness epidemic, erotic play, and why great sex can continue to evolve throughout our lives.
Whether you're single, partnered, divorced, dating, or simply curious about your own relationship with desire, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on intimacy, pleasure, and what it means to come fully alive.
In This Episode:
- The hidden impact of cultural conditioning on men and women in the bedroom
- Why living as your full self transforms intimacy
- The intimacy gap many people aren't discussing
- Orgasmic cross-training and expanding your pleasure potential
- Practical ways to get your partner engaged in the conversation
- Why orgasms are the fountain of youth!
About Susan Bratton
Susan Bratton is a leading advocate for passionate relationships and lifelong intimacy. She is known for helping people create deeper connection, greater pleasure, and more fulfilling relationships through practical, approachable education about intimacy and sexual wellness.
Please subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend.