293. Detours Are Inevitable, Suffering Is Not
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Release Date: 08/12/2025
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Only 3% of venture capital funding goes to women-owned businesses. But here's the thing—it's not because your idea isn't good enough. It's because of foundational mistakes you're making before you even apply. Business strategist Ms. Cat (Catherine Mitchell) joins Sarah to break down exactly what keeps women entrepreneurs from accessing the billions in funding that's actually available. From choosing the wrong business name to using your personal Gmail account, these structural errors are disqualifying you before funders even look at your pitch. Ms. Cat walks through the NAICS code trap, why...
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Have you ever felt burned out? Not the "I don't feel like working today" kind—but the deep burnout where you're gaining weight you can't explain, nothing brings you joy, and you're hanging on by your fingernails just trying to get through each day? Former family law litigator Wendy Meadows knows this intimately. After years of fighting in courtrooms and bringing that combative energy home, she made a shift that changed everything. She became a health and wellness coach, discovered how coaching could transform her legal practice, and eventually left litigation for collaborative law and...
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You're posting consistently. Writing newsletters that take hours. You've got the degrees, certifications, and experience. But when someone searches for what you do? You're nowhere. If you've ever thought, "I've tried everything and nothing works," this conversation is for you. Sarah sits down with Carrolee Moore, founder of the Podcast Pitching Society, to unpack what it actually means to be visible—especially as a woman entrepreneur in a digital world full of noise. From the Currency of Visibility framework to using AI without losing your voice, Carrolee shares why authentic visibility...
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What happens when your whole world burns down—literally—and it turns out to be the start of your real life? In this deeply personal episode, Sarah sits down with Melanie Rhora, founder of The Phoenix Path, to explore how burnout, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can mask as success—until something forces you to pause. Melanie shares how a devastating house fire cleared the way for profound transformation, how she rebuilt her life by honoring her truth, and how she now helps high-capacity women recognize burnout signs and set real boundaries without guilt. Because when life burns down,...
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Happy 2026! Welcome to your first episode of the year. If you're tired of tearing everything down and rebuilding from scratch every January, this episode is for you. We're building on momentum this year, not starting over. In this New Year's solo, I'm sharing my word of the year and why it took me forever to land on it. You guys, this word is shaping not just my business, but the energy, strategy, and focus behind every decision this year. But this episode isn't just about one word—it's about honoring what's already working and building from it. Whether you're craving clarity in your...
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Turning the calendar doesn't reset your nervous system. All the vision boards in the world won't rearrange your limiting beliefs about money. So what about the money? In this final episode of 2025, I'm getting vulnerable about the money fears that keep women entrepreneurs stuck financially—including my own. You'll hear exactly what happened when I confronted my hidden fear: "If I become truly wealthy, will people think I'm a bad person?" The truth? You can only earn at the speed of safety. When your nervous system feels unsafe, you physically cannot show up at the level required to grow your...
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What if money isn't as "real" as we think it is? This week, Sarah talks to spiritual coach, tour leader, and money mindset mentor Halle Eavelyn about the deep, often hidden beliefs that shape women's relationships with wealth. From a life-changing awakening in Egypt to writing The Passive Income Power Plan, Halle shares how she helps women remember their power—and step fully into it. Here's something wild: women couldn't open their own bank accounts until 1974. Today, we still receive only 3% of venture capital funding. These aren't just statistics—they're symptoms of deep programming...
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In this quiet but powerful close-to-the-end-of-the-year episode, I'm inviting you into a deeper kind of reflection: not a noisy checklist of goals, but a wholehearted look at what your life and work have really been built on—and what needs to shift. I'm writing this after attending a funeral, and after finding out my Aunt Wendy passed away. Some of you met her in episode 148. Through these stories of grief and loss, I'm exploring how pause can bring clarity, and how to choose a slower, more intentional path into the new year. Whether you're a business owner, a creative, or simply someone...
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You know that idea pulling at your heart? The one you immediately follow up with "who am I to do this?" Carrie Rich had one of those ideas while mopping hospital floors as a graduate student. She didn't wait until she had it all figured out. She cracked a joke in an attendance meeting. Made one bold ask. Then another. Then another. Now? Her work has impacted 11.6 million lives across 70 countries through the Global Good Fund. But here's what really changed everything for Carrie: a stack of napkins pushed across a desk and one question - "Do you have a financial life plan?" At 25 years old, her...
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What does it take to build your dreams when the path isn't easy? In today's episode, I sit down with Sarai Martinez—a rising voice in beauty and TV—to chat about perseverance, passion, and what it really takes to build something meaningful as a woman of color. Sarai shares her natural love for self-care and fashion, how those early interests evolved into public-facing work, and how she's navigating the challenge-heavy path of entrepreneurship with power and grace. We dig into identity, confidence, and what happens when you don't wait until you "have it all figured out" to go for it. ...
info_outlineWhen Sarah's car breaks down on the highway with six teenage girls after their perfect Martha's Vineyard vacation, what could have been a disaster becomes an unexpected lesson in joy and resilience. In this vulnerable and insightful episode, Sarah shares how these young women taught her that suffering through life's setbacks is optional, not mandatory. That joy doesn't have to be earned through struggle-it's our birthright when we stop demanding life follow our script.
What You'll Learn:
- How to shift from automatic suffering to conscious joy when plans fall apart
- Why teenagers often demonstrate better resilience than adults in crisis situations
- The difference between toxic positivity and genuine emotional flexibility during setbacks
- How to maintain access to joy even when circumstances aren't ideal
- Why releasing control over outcomes can lead to unexpected breakthroughs
- Practical strategies for turning detours into adventures in business and life
- How to model healthy responses to disruption for others in your care
- The mindset shift that transforms obstacles into opportunities for deeper connection
In this powerful episode of Game On Girlfriend®, Sarah Walton transforms a highway car breakdown into a masterclass on resilience and joy. When her vehicle dies while driving six teenage girls home from Martha's Vineyard, what begins as every parent's nightmare becomes an unexpected adventure filled with TJ Maxx perfume testing, Starbucks phone charging sessions, and parking lot volleyball games.
Through this raw and honest storytelling, Sarah explores how these young women demonstrated something profound about approaching life's inevitable detours: suffering through setbacks is a choice, not a requirement. While adults often automatically shift into stress mode when plans fall apart, these teenagers showed her how to maintain access to joy regardless of circumstances.
The episode delves deep into the cultural conditioning that teaches us we must "earn" happiness through struggle, and how releasing our grip on control can open us to experiences more beautiful than our original plans. Sarah shares practical insights for business owners and parents about modeling healthy responses to disruption, finding community in chaos, and choosing adventure over anxiety when life doesn't go according to script.
This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine-it's about recognizing that our response to disruption matters more than the disruption itself. That joy is our birthright when we stop demanding the universe follow our timeline.
Work with Sarah:
- Abundance Academy-Transform your money mindset and business results-https://sarahwalton.com/abundance-academy/
- One-on-One Coaching-Personalized guidance for ambitious women leaders-https://sarahwalton.com/1-on-1-business-coaching/
- Heart-Centered Sales Course-Authentic selling strategies that feel good-https://sarahwalton.com/heart-centered-sales/
- Effortless Sales-Comprehensive group coaching for women entrepreneurs-https://sarahwalton.com/effortless-sales/
Connect with Sarah Walton:
1. Website:https://sarahwalton.com/
2. Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/thesarahwalton/
3. You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton
Ready to turn your next detour into an adventure? Connect with Sarah and discover how to find joy in the journey, not just the destination.
Catch these additional episodes from the Game On Girlfriend® Podcast:
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