If you’ve been craving a more soulful connection to your body, your intuition, and the way you lead your life—this episode is a breath of fresh air. It’s not just about horses. It’s about coming home to you.

I’m so delighted to bring you today’s deeply moving conversation with transformational coach and equine guide, Sue Willoughby, founder of Willoughby Coaching and host of the Midlife Strategies for Badass Women podcast.

This episode explores something I’ve been fascinated by for years: the intuitive, spiritual, and healing power of horses—and how they reflect back to us the truth of who we are. My closest friends are horse women. I love the whole intuitive aspect of horses and how they teach us the importance of being grounded, authentic, and transparent.

From my early mentor Kendall Summerhawk’s teachings in her book Brilliance Unbridled, to Sue’s equine-assisted coaching practice, I’ve witnessed again and again how horses become sacred mirrors of our inner lives.

They teach us about leadership, presence, boundaries, and the wisdom of being in a "herd"—a community where everyone matters and connection is everything.

Sue brings her lived wisdom, humor, resilience, and story to this episode in a way that’s both grounding and inspiring. She shares candidly about her path:

· Growing up in hardship and learning to self-soothe through her bond with horses

· Coming out gay as a young woman and navigating her identity through decades of growth and reinvention

· Saying yes to risk, creativity, and change—leaving behind a 6-figure job to follow her calling

· How skydiving became the metaphor (and literal leap!) into her next career

And at the heart of her message is this powerful truth: Horses are intuitive, present, and emotionally honest. When we partner with them, they help us become the same.

You’ll also learn:

• What equine-assisted coaching actually looks like in practice

• Why Sue believes working with horses is not just healing—but life-changing for many women in midlife

• How horses sense and reflect back our incongruence, helping us re-align with our intuition

• The power of somatic awareness in decision-making

• Her involvement in the documentary film Rescued Hearts and what it revealed to her about communal healing

Sue’s work guides women from feeling burned out and boxed in to becoming resilient, radiant, and unshakable.

Sue’s secondary focus and passion is real estate and podcasting. She teaches real estate investors and realtors how to build a podcast platform for their brand. She’s offering you a robust free workbook and download to begin that journey for yourself. Links below.

Tune in now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, YouTube or iHeart Radio.

Let this be your invitation to reinvent your success metrics through presence, community, and intuitive trust.

Resources + Links:
FB: willoughbycoaching
Instagram: sue_willoughby
LinkedIn: suewilloughby

-Sue’s newsletter, tips: https://willoughbycoaching.com
-Download Sue’s free gift in our Portal of Joy: Podcasting for Real Estate Pros” Series + Companion Workbook. Access in the Portal of Joy https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal

Exclusive access to all 21 episodes of Podcasting for Real Estate Pros: Attract Clients, Build Trust, and Stand Out in a Crowded Market—along with the official Companion Workbook to guide your journey. The lessons apply to any entrepreneur ready to add podcasting to their marketing arsenal.

Loved this episode? Unlock all the tools, downloads, and featured guest resources at the Portal of Joy: https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal

Book your Soul-Led Next Chapter call with Marla: https://tinyurl.com/soul-led-call

Who doesn’t love a good, nostalgic piece of homemade pie? It’s the ultimate comfort food. You know the kind—golden, flaky crust… bubbling fruit or creamy filling… the scent filling the kitchen while someone you love pulls it out of the oven. It’s more than dessert. It’s a feeling. A memory. A moment of joy.

In today’s episode, I bring you a guest whose story is as comforting and inspiring as the pies she bakes. Meet Laurie Gray, the steadfast founder and creator of Laurie’s Pie Bar, a beloved pie shop located in the heart of Long Beach, California.

But here’s the twist: Laurie never intended to become a pie entrepreneur. In fact, owning a dessert company wasn’t even on her “life bingo card,” as she says. After a long and fulfilling career in corporate America, Laurie was laid off unexpectedly at age 50—as a single mom of two teens. In the middle of uncertainty, she turned to something familiar, simple, and soul-soothing: baking pies in her home kitchen.

What started as a holiday side hustle to make ends meet quickly blossomed into a full-blown business—and Laurie’s Pie Bar was born.

In this heartwarming episode, you’ll hear:

• The behind-the-scenes story of Laurie’s unexpected reinvention

• How trusting her intuition led her to say yes to entrepreneurship

• The joy and meaning she finds in watching people connect through pie

• Her favorite part of owning a brick-and-mortar business in a digital age

• Why she believes pie holds a special place in people’s hearts and homes

Laurie reminds us that sometimes life’s most fulfilling chapters come when we least expect them—and that sweetness can come out of even the most uncertain moments.

Special Listener Pie Gift! Access in the Portal of Joy https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal

Stop by Laurie’s Pie Bar in Long Beach, CA or inquire online at the site about catering (hello, Cutie Pies!) for weddings, birthdays, corporate events. www.lauriespiebar.com

Follow Laurie and her pie magic:
Instagram: @lauriespiebar
Facebook: Laurie's Pie Bar
TikTok & YouTube: @lauriespiebar

Loved this episode? Unlock all the tools, downloads, and featured guest resources at the Portal of Joy: https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal

Welcome back, creative soul! After a summer of reflection and re-airing several of our most impactful episodes through the Summer Reset Series, I’m returning refreshed, excited to jump back into connecting with you on the show—and a renewed devotion to women’s reinvention.

In this milestone 90th episode, I take you behind the scenes of our sold-out Your Voice Matters: Setting the Stage to Impact Humanity workshop. After nine months of visioning, setbacks, breakthroughs, and co-creation with my brilliant collaborators Laura Chavez Weintraub and Ashley Rivera, we brought to life an unforgettable day of empowerment, vulnerability, and transformation.

You’ll hear how women—from emerging speakers to seasoned leaders—moved through fear, imposter syndrome, and resistance to boldly own their voices and share their stories on stage. What happened in that room wasn’t just a workshop—it was a call to rise, to speak, to lead with soul.

And that’s exactly what this episode is about.
We are not returning to business as usual.
We are taking a Quantum Leap forward to our future selves.

This episode is a love letter to the woman who is:

• Feeling the stirring inside for something deeper

• Questioning the old metrics of success

• Craving more joy, play, adventure, sensuality, and desire in her life

• Tired of the burnout loop and ready to work with her intuition—not against it

✨ I’ll guide you through:

• The origin story of my Creative Achievement Formula — Desires + Goals = Transformation & Results

• My 2017 burnout that catapulted me into a month-long soul-led adventure in Florence, Italy—and completely redefined my identity

• Why we must stop neglecting the feminine gifts of creativity, desire, feelings, and intuitive leadership

• What happens when we build from burnout versus when we create from overflow

• How to embody your next-chapter self by shifting from “doing” to being—from a verb to a noun

You’ll also hear about the upcoming Soul-Led Next Level Portal, my 90-day immersive coaching container beginning October 8th, created for women who are ready to:

• Redefine success from the inside out

• Create aligned income with less push, more pull

• Lead with grace, joy, creativity, and power

• Live and work from the union of feminine energy and productive action

This isn’t about abandoning your ambition. It’s about amplifying it—with alignment, intuition, and divine feminine leadership.

This is your invitation to return to the wisdom of your body, your joy, and your soul’s desires. You’re not stuck. You’re being called to a new chapter. And I’m here to help you design it.

Tune in now and let this episode be your permission slip to redefine what success really means—for you.

Learn more about the Soul-Led Portal: https://marladiann.com/soulled/
Book your Soul-Led-Next-Chapter Call: https://tinyurl.com/soul-led-call

Loved this episode? Don’t stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Click here to access the portal of joy.

We had such a blast on Dayna’s podcast talking about music memories and how they impacted my life so why not bring it to you!

Hosted by Dayna Sol, a national DJ and event host for over two decades, lives her life through music so how dynamic it is to interview guests about their cherished songs that shaped their lives shared on her Soundtrack of Life Podcast.

Remember Monkees’ Daydream Believer song? That is certainly dating me, but it was that song I swooned over during my young girl days. How about iconic Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven? Yep, High School class song. :)

You’ll hear why these songs are favorites of mine and never heard before memories of my young, free-spirited days from childhood to college to my breakdown to breakthrough milestone in 2017 that led to a month-long stay in Florence, Italy all during Dayna’s Soundtrack of Life Podcast interview.

Dayna is not only a dear, cherished spiritual friend, but I was honored to coach her in my Life Design program and her global DJ/Host/MC business for an entire year in 2023. A special result that came out of that year-long experience among many more personal and business successes was HER podcast.

I helped her birth her longtime desire to produce Solful Soundtrack of Life podcast idea and strategize the how and why. I am so proud her! 100% in her zone of genius! Grateful for that.

Enjoy the episode! See if you recognize some songs from your own soundtrack of life.

Show links:
Dayna Sol - Soundtrack of Life Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solful-soundtrack-of-life/id1781458520
@_daynasol_ Instagram @marla_diann

Free Guide: What if you could manifest your one-year goals in 90 days to 6 mos? By using the blend of masculine and feminine energies and traits, imagine what you could accomplish quicker with less stress and more ease. INSTANT ACCESS: https://marladiann.com/prioritizing-desires/

You are invited to begin the transformation with a Next Level Empowerment Call to develop your blueprint for achievement with Marla. Use this link to complete the form and schedule your call. bit.ly/life-reimagined-now

Loved this episode? Don’t stop here, unlock the tools, resources, and free downloads mentioned during the episode. Access the portal here: https://marladiann.com/podcast/portal/

Ready for transformation in business or life or both? I invite you to have a conversation. Click here to schedule: http://www.marladiann.com/contact

If you enjoyed the episode and podcast, I’d appreciate a review on Apple & Spotify.

Let's connect: Instagram: @marla_diann LinkedIn: @marla diann dennis

Prioritizing your desires guide download: https://marladiann.com/prioritizing-d...https://marladiann.com/prioritizing-desires/