315. Out of the Ashes: The Fire That Changed Everything with Melanie Rhora
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Release Date: 01/13/2026
345. Joy as a Default Setting — with Roberta Ravella, Founder of The Joy Experiment
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Roberta Ravella spent 25 years in mortgage origination. She was good at it. She was also, by her own account, a classic case of burnout. She tried coaching. She tried marketing. She even opened an AI business with a friend. Two months in, something in her said no, and she couldn't push past it the way she used to. So she stopped. Her mentor sent her on a six-week break with one rule: shut it all off. What Roberta found on the other side of that break is what she now calls The Joy Experiment. This conversation is about what it took to get there, and what her mornings look like now that she's...
info_outline
344. Why You Struggle to Receive Money (Even When You're Good at Making It)
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Most of us don't actually have trouble making money. It's the keeping of it — the receiving of it — that's the problem. If you added up how much money has passed through your hands over your lifetime, the number would probably surprise you. It comes in, you manage it, you pay bills, and then it's "gone," so you never really see how much you're circulating. That's not a money-making problem. That's a receiving problem, and most women were never taught the skill. In this solo episode, I break down what receiving actually is, why we were never taught to do it, and how you can start practicing...
info_outline
343. Real Estate Investing One Step at a Time — with Abi Horton, Founder of Aros
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
For years, Abi Horton believed real estate investing wasn't for her. Not enough money, not enough experience, not the right background. So she stayed on the sidelines and told herself it was something for later. Then things shifted, not through one big moment, but through a lot of small, unplanned ones. Voice acting taught her she was capable of running a business. That confidence opened a door she hadn't been looking for, and stepping through it eventually led to Aros, a real estate investment technology company built around mid-term rentals. Abi is candid about what that process actually...
info_outline
342. The Energy Drains for Women Entrepreneurs No One Warns You About
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Some days you do everything right, and by 3 p.m. you're still completely wiped out. That's not burnout from working too hard. It's the specific exhaustion of doing tasks that were never yours to carry in the first place. In this solo episode, I walk through the exact questions I ask my own clients when they tell me they should be further along by now, or that something feels harder for them than it looks for everyone else online. Grab a journal, because I want you to actually answer these questions as you listen. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN The exact question to ask when a task drains you,...
info_outline
341. How to Increase Your Capacity for Happiness — with Dr. Peggy DeLong, The Gratitude Psychologist™
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Most of us have been told, at some point or another, to just be happy. Just let it go. Just choose joy. And if you've tried that and found it completely unhelpful, you are in very good company. Dr. Peggy DeLong is back on the podcast for her third visit, and what she shares in this episode about how to increase your capacity for happiness is not what most people are teaching. It's not about ignoring what's hard. It's not about thinking positively until the feeling kicks in. And it has nothing to do with luck or your current circumstances. Peggy discovered the power of gratitude while sitting...
info_outline
340. How to Map a Customer Journey for Your Small Business
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Some women market without even trying, and their posts land, their emails get opened, their offers sell. Meanwhile, you're doing all the right things and still hearing crickets. The difference usually isn't talent. It's whether you've actually mapped your customer journey. In episode 336, I released a free lesson from my signature program, Effortless Sales, and the response was so strong that I wanted to share another one. This lesson is all about the customer journey, from the moment someone meets you to the moment they buy and beyond. Grab a journal for this one. It's short, but it's dense....
info_outline
339. Why Listening to Your Intuition Matters More Than Hustle — with Bron Watson
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Most of us grip tighter when life feels uncertain. We work harder, plan more, and try to control everything within reach. This week I'm joined by Bron Watson, a nurse, educator, and entrepreneur who built a thriving coaching business while a quiet voice kept telling her something wasn't right. She ignored it until a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017 changed everything. Five years later, a second diagnosis followed: an incurable blood cancer. In this conversation, Bron and I talk about what it costs to override your own intuition, and what it actually means to control the controllables when...
info_outline
338. Inside the Wealthy CEO Intensive: Why Capacity Comes Before Strategy
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
You could find fifteen strategies in ten seconds. Ask ChatGPT, ask Claude; they'll hand you every tactic on the internet. Strategy was never the hard part. This week I'm pulling back the curtain on my Wealthy CEO Intensive, a three-day experience I just wrapped with a small group of women. I walk through what happened on each day and why so many smart, capable women hit a ceiling that strategy alone can't explain. This one's for the woman who's already done the work, already seen success, and still feels like the money slips through her hands faster than it should. Pop in those earphones....
info_outline
337. Why Pausing Is the Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs Right Now — with Kami Guildner
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
If the pace of running your business has felt heavier lately — more noise, more pressure, more competition for attention — this episode is for you. This week I'm joined by Kami Guildner, a business coach for high-vibe women entrepreneurs. Last year, she put her usual work aside and spent months just listening — having real conversations with hundreds of women business owners about what was actually going on for them. What she heard surprised her, and it might surprise you too. We get into what she learned, how it's showing up in the businesses that are actually growing right now, and...
info_outline
How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy — Sales Tools That Actually Work
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
When you hear "limited-time offer" or "doors closing Friday," how do you feel? If you're like a lot of women entrepreneurs, one of two things happens. Either you avoid these tools entirely because they feel manipulative — or you use them while holding your breath, hoping you don't come across as pushy. Here's what I want you to know: it doesn't have to feel that way. This episode is actually lesson 10 from Effortless Sales, a 12-week course I used to offer that has since evolved into The Art of Receiving. I was going through the archives with my team, and it was so clear we had to publish...
info_outlineWhat 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, it's not punishment. It's permission.
You'll Hear:
-
What silent burnout looks like (hint: it's not hustle—it's disconnection)
-
Why setting boundaries isn't mean—it's medicine
-
How to release old roles and rewrite your internal definition of "worthy"
-
The one question that changes everything: "I love myself enough to stay safe and open at the same time"
-
Why rest isn't optional (and what happens when you finally allow it)
===========================================
RESOURCES MENTIONED
===========================================
**Free Gift for Listeners:**
Download Melanie's Boundaries Blueprint
https://thephoenixpath.net/free-gift
**About Melanie Rhora:**
Melanie Rhora knows what it's like to look like you've got it all together while quietly unraveling inside. After burning out and losing her home to a fire, she rebuilt everything—her confidence, her relationships, her business, and herself.
Now a trauma-informed facilitator and creator of The Phoenix Path, she helps high-capacity women stop abandoning themselves, set real boundaries without guilt, and rise stronger from the ashes of what no longer fits into lives that finally feel like their own.
**Connect with Melanie:**
- Website: www.thephoenixpath.net
- Instagram: @thephoenixpath
- Book: "The Phoenix Path" (Available on Amazon and through her website)
**About Sarah Walton:**
Sarah Walton is a business coach, podcast host, and mentor who helps women entrepreneurs build businesses they love. She's the creator of the Abundance Academy, Effortless Sales, and the Game On Girlfriend® podcast. Sarah's mission is to put more money in the hands of more women while teaching authentic, heart-centered business strategies.
**Free Gift from Sarah:**
Get Sarah's Freedom Calculator and discover how much your business needs to make so you can finally be free.
Download: sarahwalton.com/freedom
**Learn from Sarah:**
Explore Sarah's online courses and free resources to start building your business with confidence.
Online Courses: sarahwalton.com/online-courses
Free Resources: sarahwalton.com/free-resources
**Work with Sarah:**
Ready to build a business that fuels your life instead of consuming it? Book a free call with Sarah to talk about your business and explore how she can support you.
Schedule your call: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13047670&appointmentType=34706781
**Connect with Sarah:**
- Website: sarahwalton.com
**Related Game On Girlfriend Episodes:**
- Episode 118: Are You a Productive Procrastinator? https://sarahwalton.com/productive-procrastinator-burnout/
- Episode 165: How 'The Walking Dead' Saved My Business https://sarahwalton.com/burnout-self-care-business/
- Episode 109: Help! I'm Trapped In a Job I Hate! https://sarahwalton.com/trapped-job-hate-escape/
Thank you so much for listening. I'm honored that you're here and would be grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking "Write a review." Then, we'll get to inspire even more people!
(If you're not sure how to leave a review, you can watch this quick tutorial.)