Heart of the Story: Recent Episodes
Nadine Kenney Johnstone
Memoirist and writing coach Nadine Kenney Johnstone shares her own stories of healing, hope, and following her heart so that you'll feel inspired to follow yours. Each episode includes prompts to reflect on your experiences and inner longings, because in order to hear the story of your heart, you must first give it room to speak. Tune in every Sunday for these soul-nourishing mini-retreats.
250 Nadine shares her summer break plans for the podcast. Use the time to catch up on episodes you've missed!
If you’d like a highlight reel of the last 5 yrs, we’ve released a “Best of” Heart of the Story compilation almost every year.
- Best of 2025
- Best of 2024
- Best of 2023 Pt 1 and Pt 2
- Best of 2021
Join Nadine at an upcoming retreat:
Let Go Retreat
- June 14-17, Door County WI
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft
- Aug 24-28, 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Heart of the Story producer Michelle Redo has her own podcast, too... Daring to Tell where writers read their true stories of personal daring, then talk about writing and life. Also check out the audiobooks she's produced at her website, michelleredo.com
249 Nadine reflects on an essay she wrote in a time of deep despair.
Join Nadine at an upcoming retreat:
Let Go Retreat
- June 14-17, Door County WI
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft
- Aug 24-28, 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Heart of the Story producer Michelle Redo has her own podcast, too... Daring to Tell where writers read their true stories of personal daring, then talk about writing and life. Also check out the audiobooks she's produced at her website, michelleredo.com
248 Nadine reflects on an essay she wrote about her favorite place to be in the summertime.
Join Nadine at an upcoming retreat:
Let Go Retreat
- June 14-17, Door County WI
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft
- Aug 24-28, 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Heart of the Story producer Michelle Redo has her own podcast, too... Daring to Tell where writers read their true stories of personal daring, then talk about writing and life. Also check out the audiobooks she's produced at her website, michelleredo.com
247 Nadine reflects on an essay she wrote about a friend swooping in just when she needed it and how it inspired her to pay it forward.
Join Nadine at an upcoming retreat:
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft
- Aug 24-28, 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro Memoir Retreat
- October 26-Nov 2, 2026, SPAIN
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Heart of the Story producer Michelle Redo has her own podcast, too... Daring to Tell where writers read their true stories of personal daring, then talk about writing and life. Also check out the audiobooks she's produced at her website, michelleredo.com
246 Nadine reflects on an essay she wrote about anxiety and safety.
Join Nadine at an upcoming retreat:
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft
- Aug 24-28, 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro Memoir Retreat
- October 26-Nov 2, 2026, SPAIN
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Heart of the Story producer Michelle Redo has her own podcast, too... Daring to Tell where writers read their true stories of personal daring, then talk about writing and life. Also check out the audiobooks she's produced at her website, michelleredo.com
245 What is it like to be a midlife mom raising a middle schooler—when time seems to speed up just as you wish you could slow it down? When your child is reaching for independence, but every part of you wants to keep them close?
As her son approaches his 13th birthday, Nadine reflects on the emotional tug-of-war of this stage of motherhood. She revisits an early moment that first sparked the pang of nostalgia—and explores the bittersweet milestones that come with raising an almost-teen.
This episode is a heartfelt look at growing up and letting go, and the quiet, complicated beauty of loving a child who is becoming their own person.
Join Nadine, Molly Wizenberg, and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Check out producer Michelle Redo's podcast, Daring to Tell and sample the audiobooks she's produced at MichelleRedo.com
244 Ten years ago, during a particularly stressful and uncertain time, Nadine started a practice of of gathering good moments as reminder notes she could read when anxious. She compiled them into an essay that she shares in this episode. Now, Nadine looks back on that time and reflects on all that has evolved (and stayed the same) in the decade since.
Join Nadine, Molly Wizenberg, and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Michelle Redo
Check out producer Michelle Redo's podcast, Daring to Tell and sample the audiobooks she's produced at MichelleRedo.com
243 Five years ago, Nadine's father passed away at the age of 57. Nadine looks back on the spring of '21 and the years since, reflecting on all that has evolved. She explores important questions like: How to we go on in the wake of deep loss? How do we overcome the fear of our own mortality?
In this deeply vulnerable episode, Nadine shares a personal essay that is an excerpt from her book, Come Home to Your Heart, and was featured in Good Grit Magazine. She also discusses the life event that prompted her to write the essay, and what she has learned in the years since that difficult period.
Covered in this episode:
- The difficult spring of 2021 when she lost her father
- Why readers have resoundingly chose this essay as a favorite
- The words that changed her outlook on loss
- The behind-the scenes- process of writing this essay
- The wisdom she's gained since this traumatic time
- What it was like revisiting this material 5 yrs later and what gave her hope and healing
Join Nadine, Molly Wizenberg, and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
Check out producer Michelle Redo's podcast, Daring to Tell --True stories read by the writers who lived them.
242 Nadine revisits an Easter-themed essay she originally wrote in 2021 and reflects on what's changed in the 5 yrs since. She also shares the writing process behind the essay and gives some writing tips for how to express emotional depth in a narrative.
Join Nadine, Molly Wizenberg, and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
Check out producer Michelle Redo's podcast, Daring to Tell --True stories read by the writers who lived them...https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daring-to-tell/id1547856931
241 What if a gap year wasn't only reserved for high school grads trying to find themselves? In this encore episode, writer, hiker, and anti-capitalist tiny biz owner, Nic Antoinette, discusses the inspiration behind their grown up gap year, and Nadine opens up about the moment of jealousy that led to her "apprentice year." This is not a new-year-new-you, live-your-best-life episode. Instead, Nic and Nadine talk openly about how they are trying to be real with their plans and expectations. Nic also discusses the other ways they have curated a values-aligned life and career. In this inspiring and permission-granting conversation, you'll feel encouraged to make choices that challenge the norm in order to live a life that is a right fit for you.
Covered in this episode:
- Why Nic writes so transparently about money
- How honesty and privacy can exist at the same time
- Creating a values-aligned approach to work and life
- The burnout that comes from being accessible to too many people
- How we can be honest with ourselves with no pressure to do anything about it
- How Nadine and Nic have pivoted in their lives and careers
- The key question that will help us take imperfect action
- The price of admission that Nic was willing to pay for peace of mind
- How Nic's divorce impacted their outlook on change
- What Nic and Nadine are doing during their gap and apprentice year
- Their worries about how these changes will impact their lives and careers
- Nurturing our off-line lives
About Nic:
Has spent the past 19 years devoted to a public writing and storytelling practice.
Their current writing can be found in a pay-what-you-can weekly newsletter project called Now What? — written for big-hearted, liberation-oriented people who are grappling with the question of who/how we want to be in this collapsing world.
They are also the author of two adventure memoirs: How To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail and What We Owe To Ourselves: a 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail
- Website: https://www.nicoleantoinette.com/
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Oct 26-Nov 2, Spain
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
240 Nadine gives a personal update by sharing her recently written essay, Sometimes It's Just Hard, in which she opens up about her upcoming move, the state of her marriage, and the past events that impact her present day choices. She shares a recent conversation with her husband that inspired the essay and the writerly techniques she used to craft it. If difficult moments have prevented you from feeling hopeful and assured, you're not alone. This episode is for you.
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Oct 26-Nov 2, Spain
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
239 Author Susanna Daniel joins Nadine to talk about her new novel Girlfriending—a deeply personal work of autofiction inspired by heartbreak, midlife reinvention, and the messy joy of dating again. Susanna shares how a breakup and a suggestion from a writer friend led her to begin writing from life for the first time.
Together Nadine and Susanna explore the creative process behind autofiction, the complexities of writing about real people, and how courage in life often leads to courage on the page. They also discuss midlife freedom, coming out later in life, co-parenting after divorce, and the surprising joys that come with starting over.
This conversation is an honest, funny, and thoughtful look at creativity, identity, and the power of telling the truth—even when the truth is still unfolding.
Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Oct 26-Nov 2, Spain
About Susanna:
Susanna Daniel is the author of three novels.Girlfriending, a spinoff of her award-winning short story, "The Goddess of Illicit Choices," is a “a novel to read in a passionate rush, immediately start again in a more savoring way, and then press into the hands of everyone you know,” according to author Amy Shearn and “sexy, page-turning fiction” according to author Catherine Newman.
Her debut novel,Stiltsville, was awarded the PEN/Bingham prize, and her second novel,Sea Creatures, was a Target Book Club pick.
Susanna co-founded the Madison Writers’ Studio with author Michelle Wildgen in 2013. She’s won lots of fellowships and has been published lots of places, but she’s mostly concerned with building clear and engaging stories and helping new writers develop their voices.
Susanna lives in Madison with two terrific teens and adorable mutt. She kayaks a lot and does a lot of hot yoga, and she believes every human deserves human rights.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
238 This encore chat w/ bestselling memoirist Molly Wizenberg covers it all: partnership, parenting, writing, teaching, navigating midlife, and taking brave action. At its heart though, it's a chat about following our desire, even when it disturbs the status quo.
Join Nadine, Molly, and Hallie in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat (just a few spots left). Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
Covered in this episode:
- Why The Fixed Stars had such a big impact on Nadine
- How to develop self-trust even when the path forward is unclear
- Why we must not abandon ourselves
- How to grow as individuals within a partnership
- How Molly and Nadine (both mothers and teachers) prioritize their writing time
- How to become an emboldened writer even when we're afraid
- What Nadine's and Molly's mid-life journeys have looked like
- The impact of books on their lives and on the mainstream conversation around women and mid-life
- Mid-life body empowerment
- The brave action they've taken this past year
About Molly:
Molly Wizenberg is a memoirist, essayist, and teacher of personal narrative writing. She is the author of The Fixed Stars, a Stonewall Honor Book and a 2021 finalist for the Washington Book Award in biography and memoir. Her previous books, A Homemade Life and Delancey, were both New York Times bestsellers. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Bon Appétit, where she was a columnist for three years. She also cohosts the weekly comedy-and-food podcast Spilled Milk, where, with co-host Matthew Amster-Burton, she’s been chewing on-mic since 2010. In other lifetimes, she wrote the James Beard Award-winning blog Orangette (2004-2019) and co-founded the Seattle restaurants Delancey and Essex. Today she writes the newsletter I’ve Got a Feeling, which a very astute person once described as “a chronicle of enthusiasms.” She teaches writing workshops online and around the world.
Newsletter: https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/
Website: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/
Current workshop offerings: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/upcomingworkshops
Podcast: https://www.spilledmilkpodcast.com/
Instagram (though I’m not there much): https://www.instagram.com/molly.wizenberg/
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
237 Nadine shares an essay about a couple’s painting night that went awry and how she went about writing the piece.
Join Nadine, Molly Wizenberg, and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
236 What if the secret to a sustainable creative life isn’t thinking bigger — but thinking smaller?
In this heartfelt and wide-ranging conversation, Illustrator Hallie Bateman, memoirist Molly Wizenberg, and host Nadine Kenney Johnstone explore the power of tiny containers: daily journal comics, glimmers, four-panel sketches, letters, lists, and small true stories.
They talk about:
- Why children naturally learn through words and images — and why adults often abandon that balance
- Creative resistance (and why it doesn’t mean you’re broken)
- The relief of giving your thoughts a place to land
- How constraints can unlock magic
- Falling back in love with your work after seasons of doubt
- And why retreating from daily life can change everything
From postpartum depression to IVF, from manuscript meltdowns to rediscovering joy through humor, this episode is an honest look at how creative practice can sustain not just your art — but your sanity.
You’ll hear how small, repeatable acts of attention — a daily comic, a 100-word love story, a page of “I remember” sentences — can become the foundation for books, healing, and creative renewal.
If you’ve ever said “I’m not an artist,” struggled with resistance, or forgotten that loving your work is even an option, this conversation is your invitation back.
Because sometimes the smallest forms hold the biggest transformation
Join Nadine, Molly, and Hallie in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Molly:
Molly Wizenberg is a bestselling memoirist, James Beard Award-winning essayist, and teacher of personal narrative writing. She is passionate about helping people learn to use writing as a tool to better understand themselves, their experiences, and their stories.
Her memoir “The Fixed Stars” was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book and a finalist for the Washington Book Award in biography and memoir. Her food memoirs, "A Homemade Life" and "Delancey," were both New York Times bestsellers.
Molly’s work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Bon Appétit, where she was a monthly columnist for three years. Since 2010, she has co-hosted the hit comedy-and-food podcast “Spilled Milk.”
In other lifetimes, she wrote the beloved blog “Orangette” (2004-2019), her debut in the writing world, and she co-founded the award-winning restaurants Delancey and Essex, both in Seattle, Washington. She writes the newsletter I’ve Got a Feeling on Substack and teaches writing workshops online and around the world.
Learn more about Molly Wizenberg and her work by visiting her website or her Substack, or find her on Instagram.
Hallie Bateman
Hallie Bateman is a Cincinnati-based writer and illustrator. She is the author of 4 books, and her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Cup of Jo, and many others.
Hallie made art from a young age, but her real artistic journey began in college. She was an English major and took an art class alongside her writing studies. When she drew with a nib pen for the first time, she fell in love, realizing images were what had been missing from her writing.
Hallie’s first book, “Brave New Work,” published by The Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2017, is an inspirational journal meant to guide its readers through an interactive creative journey, helping them get started on creating their own art.
More books followed. “What to Do When I’m Gone” is a 2018 graphic memoir in which her mom, Suzy Hopkins, offers instructions for Hallie to follow, beginning the moment Suzy dies. Their second collaboration, “What to Do When You Get Dumped,” was published in 2025 and traces Suzy’s journey through heartbreak after the end of her 30-year marriage. Like their first book, it is funnier than it sounds.
Hallie’s book portfolio also includes “Directions,” “Eggasaurus,” “Love Voltaire Us Apart,” and “If Our Bodies Could Talk.”
Hallie has made daily journal comics off and on for over a decade and passionately believes they can serve as an accessible foundation for a wider creative practice. They allow us to write and draw in combination, learning how each medium impacts and aids the other, while cultivating an artist’s sense of awareness and aliveness.
Learn more about Hallie and her work by visiting her website and following her on Substack and Instagram.
235 Creativity often feels elusive, especially when life gets busy. How can we prioritize our writing when there's not a minute to spare? In this episode, Nadine shares how you can harness the beauty of small moments through micro memoirs and sketches to enrich your creative journey. Need a pattern interrupt to jumpstart this creative practice? Join Nadine and bestselling authors Molly Wizenberg and Hallie Bateman in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
234 What happens when the opposite traits that attracted you to your partner become the very things that frustrate you?
Nadine revisits an essay she first wrote in 2018 and originally shared on episode 3 in 2021—an essay about her husband and the moments that have exposed their differences, for better and for worse.
Nadine also reflects on what it's like to listen back, now that her kindergartener is a middle schooler and her home address has changed from Chicago to Florida. Yet some things have remained the same: life is as challenging and uncertain as ever.
Through memories of wilderness hikes and a post-couples-therapy stroll that helped rekindle connection, Nadine explores how walking became both a practice and a metaphor for marriage. After the essay, she shares behind-the-scenes reflections on how the piece was written—and offers a gentle invitation to writers to follow objects, memories, and moments of meaning wherever they lead.
Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:
- Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
Five years ago—amid the uncertainty of a global pandemic—Heart of the Story was born. In this special anniversary episode, Nadine reflects on the journey that began in isolation and grew into a deeply resonant creative practice and community.
Looking back at the episode that started it all, Nadine explores how revisiting our own work can reveal surprising truths about growth, desire, and inner wisdom. She pulls back the curtain on what has changed in the last several years and what lessons she's still re-learning. She also shares the inspiration behind the first episode, including a trip to couple's therapy that led to an aha moment.
Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:
- Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
232 Five days. No talking. No technology. Just awareness.
Nadine shares her powerful experience from a five-day silent Vipassana retreat—and what emerged when there was nowhere left to escape. From boredom and resistance to unexpected joy, grief, and clarity, Nadine opens up about the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs that unfolded in stillness.
She reflects on self-compassion, non-reactivity, and the freedom that comes from releasing expectations and the constant desire for things to be different. A moving loving-kindness meditation becomes the catalyst for deep emotional release and insight, revealing a simple but radical truth: happiness doesn’t live in the future—it’s available now.
This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and discover what silence can teach us about presence, peace, and being fully alive.
Get access to the full episode when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
Covered in this episode:
- Why she chose to do a silent retreat for the second time
- What was different (and disappointing) this time
- What it was like to renounce technology
- The rules she broke
- The breakthroughs she had
- The shocking vision that made her weep
Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:
- Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
What happens when you don’t fully step away — but you stop rushing forward?
Nadine reflects on the key takeaways from her semi-sabbatical: a year of working part time, studying deeply, and intentionally becoming a beginner again. Instead of chasing output, she followed curiosity. Instead of mastering, she practiced.
This episode explores what a slower, experimental year taught her about identity, learning, rest, and growth — and why becoming a beginner might be one of the most transformative choices we can make.
If you’ve been craving space to learn, try something new, or rethink your relationship with work and productivity, this episode is for you.
Covered in this episode:
- How jealousy inspired her sabbatical
- What she scaled back on and give up completely
- The silly and scary things she wanted to try in 2025
- How she funded her sabbatical
- What her fears were
- The unexpected experiences that unfolded
- What changed when productivity wasn't driving everything
- The key lessons she learned
Reclaim your writing time in 2026:
- Publish the Personal (Virtual): Fridays Jan 23-Feb 27
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
On the next episode of Heart of the Story, Nadine shares takeaways and surprises from her Sabbatical Year, 2025.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
229 While the show is on a holiday break, catch up on any episodes you missed!
Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:
- Tiny True Stories, Micro Memoir workshop (virtual) Jan 15
- Publish the Personal (Virtual): Fridays Jan 23-Feb 27
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
228 In 2025, Nadine interviewed bestselling authors Catherine Newman, Jen Hatmaker, Molly Wizenberg, and many more! Now, Nadine chats with her producer about their 12 favorite episodes and which bits of guest wisdom impacted them the most. Learn how their personal and creative lives have changed as a result these impactful conversations.
While the show is on a holiday break, catch up on any episodes you missed!
Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:
- Tiny True Stories, Micro Memoir workshop (virtual) Jan 15
- Publish the Personal (Virtual): Fridays Jan 23-Feb 27
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir,Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
225 Want to see your words in print but don't know where to begin? Or maybe the rejections are racking up and you don't know why. The world of publishing can feel illusive at best and cutthroat at worst, but once you know the unspoken rules, you can get published in no time.
Learn how Nadine has gotten her writing in top mags and how she's helped hundreds of writers get published in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, Brevity, Boston Globe Connections, the Chicago Tribune, Hippocampus, Longreads, Writer's Digest, and more (and how they’ve gotten nominated for major awards like the Pushcart Prize).
Covered in this episode:
- Why your typical approach isn't working
- The 4 ways to make your writing stand out
- What has helped Nadine and her students get published in major mags
- What Nadine has learned about publishing in her 20-year writing career (first as a Chicago magazine intern, then as a writing professor, a published writer, and a writing coach)
If you want to finally publish your personal essays, look no further! Sign up for Publish the Personal, which will run on Fridays, Jan 23-Feb 27. In this 6-week intensive, we’ll write, workshop, revise, and submit 2 of your personal essays to major publications.
Success Stories mentioned in this show:
Margaret Ghielmetti
Sally Schwartz
Barbara Phillips
Sarah Robertson
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
224 If you want to feel more vibrant and inspired, this encore conversation is for you. Artist and retreat leader, Flora Bowley, joins Nadine for a conversation about their favorite creative practices and Flora's book, The Art of Aliveness.
Join Nadine at her Revision Retreat on Madeline Island Aug 24-28, 2026.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
223 As we prep for the holidays and turn our attention to food, we're revisiting our chat w/ cookbook author, registered dietician, and culinary school grad Nisha Melvani.
Covered in this episode:
-how living in many places (Jamaica, England, Canada, NY) has impacted her cooking
-how food affects our bodies
-how to eat more plants even if you're not vegan
-how to welcome a career change even while raising kids
-how sharing her recipes led to unexpected writing opportunities
-how to have a healthy relationship with social media
About Nisha:
Cookingforpeanuts.com I @cookingforpeanuts
Nisha is a vegan Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University, an ACCET accredited trained Chef from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, and a published cookbook author of Practically Vegan. She currently lives with her three teenagers in New York City. Nisha uses her professional expertise and personal experience as a vegan to help vegans and nonvegans transition to a plant-based diet and meet their nutrient needs. She enjoys helping her clients with their cooking, nutrition, and health goals.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
222 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that airs monthly throughout the year. In this 10th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from October, which was a month of trying new things and being in community. She shares her recent experiences at a retreat in upstate New York and in a women's entrepreneur group. She also shares her most recent hormone roller coaster.
Join Nadine at her next retreat:
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Covered in this episode:
- What it's been like to tiptoe back into a fuller work life
- The amazing retreat she assisted and attended at Omega
- Why she joined a women's entrepreneur group that is IFS focused
- Recent hormone adventures that will have you laughing
Access the other episodes when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
221 In this hilarious episode, bestselling author Catherine Newman discusses the beauty and torture of parenting and perimenopause. They discuss the balance of humor and fear in Catherine's latest novels, Sandwich and Wreck, in which Catherine gets real about the complexities of everything from family vacations to "reproductive mayhem." Catherine shares her writing process and the personal experiences that've informed her novels. Ultimately. this episode is about how we hold love and terror at once.
Covered in this episode:
- The excerpt that instantly made Nadine a fan of Catherine's writing.
- Nadine and Catherine's ridiculous injuries (one involved a mini-golf incident)
- Maternal anxiety, in all its terror and beauty
- Catherine's approach to writing that sells
- The unexpected symptoms of perimenopause that took both women by surprise
- Why reproductive experiences make intimacy such complicated territory
- How to write about our scariest thoughts without shame
Join Nadine in her community or at her Revision Retreat:
- Writer Workout Membership (virtual): Every Monday, Doors Close Oct 31
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Catherine:
Catherine Newman is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, the kids’ craft book Stitch Camp, the best-selling how-to books for kids How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?, and the novels We All Want Impossible Things, Sandwich, and Wreck. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages. She has been a regular contributor to the New York Times, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cup of Jo, and many other publications. She writes the Crone Sandwich newsletter on Substack and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
220 Writer’s block. How do we overcome it? Nadine shares the 8 tried and true ways to not only break the block, but avoid it altogether. Hear the wisdom she’s gained from her decades of professional writing, magazine editing, university teaching, and manuscript coaching.
Here are the links for her 2025/2026 workshops and retreats:
- Writer Workout Membership (virtual): Every Monday, Doors Close Oct 31
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
219 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that airs monthly throughout the year. In this 9th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from September, which was a month of giving and receiving help. She shares her personal experiences and reflections on the importance of showing up for oneself and others, particularly during significant life transitions, such as new motherhood. She recounts stories of support she received during her own journey and emphasizes the need for community and kindness in times of need. The discussion also touches on the challenges of parenting and the significance of creative pursuits in maintaining mental health.
Here are the links for her 2025/2026 workshops and retreats:
- Writer Workout Membership (virtual): Every Monday, Doors Close Oct 31
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Covered in this episode:
- Nadine became an auntie!
- Nadine's reflections on her struggles during new motherhood
- The acts of support that had the biggest impact
- Navigating identity changes after becoming a parent.
- The ways that people have NOT been supportive during times of need (she can laugh about it now)
- The number one thing her writing group is doing to keep everyone writing
- Nadine's perimenopause struggles and what's helping
Access the other episodes when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
218 To celebrate Sari's 60th bday, we're bringing back this beloved chat, and listeners access to the full-length conversation! Oldster magazine creator, Sari Botton, joins Nadine to talk about the highlights and hardships of “traveling through time in a human body at every phase of life.” As a collector of stories, Sari also shares what she has learned about aging and new beginnings from others. Ultimately, Nadine and Sari explore how to embrace life’s contradictions and feel less alone in the process. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I the only one who feels this way?” this episode is for you!
Covered in this episode:
-What inspired Sari to start Oldster magazine
-What Sari has learned from Oldster interviewees and her own aging process
-Her plans for her 60s and beyond
-Her self-compassion and boundary-setting practices
-Two unexpected life events that made her feel the urgency of time
-Why people love, leave, and come back to NYC
-The benefits of being a community builder and story collector
-Two things that bring Sari great joy
About Sari:
Sari Botton is a bestselling author, editor, and teacher with decades of experience. She is the author of the memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself…Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, which was chosen by Poets & Writers Magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. An essay from it received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick. For five years she served as the Essays Editor for Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NewYork and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Monday, and Adventures in Journalism.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about midlife reclamation on Substack.
217 Bestselling author Jen Hatmaker joins Nadine to discuss her latest book, Awake, which recounts the shocking loss of her 26-yr marriage. Jen reveals all the things she was ignoring (her finances, her codependent behaviors, even her own knowing) and the steps she took to reclaim her agency. She confesses why this book has cost her more sleep than her 13 other books, what it's like to write the whole truth for a public audience, and the rules she follows when writing about real-life characters.
If you've ever looked at your life and wondered, "How did I get here?" this hopeful episode is for you. Ultimately, Jen shows us how she reclaimed not just the life she wanted, but the life she deserves.
Learn more about WriteWELL-Nadine's community for Women Writers, which meets every Monday for a writer workout. Try a FREE class on Oct 6
About Jen Hatmaker:
From the power of her written word across 14 books, including four New York Times best sellers, to speaking on stages, leading her own courses and book club communities, and interviewing countless visionaries on her award-winning For The Love podcast, Jen has an undeniable gift for reaching the hearts and minds of her community.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about midlife reclamation on Substack.
216 To celebrate Dr. Hillary McBride's latest book, Holy Hurt: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Trauma, we're bringing back this beloved conversation about how to hold ourselves when we are hurting.
Why does it hurt so badly when things don't go as we'd hoped? How do we hold ourselves when we're in great pain? How do we talk to others so that we can reestablish loving connections when they've hurt us or we've hurt them? Psychologist and embodiment expert Dr. Hillary McBride answers all these questions and more in this profound conversation that offers deep solace to anyone who's hurting.
Covered in this episode:
- Transitions that Hillary and Nadine are currently navigating
- What's bringing them delight
- Why there is a deep grief when our plans don't play out
- How to tune into our own bodies to see how we're feeling
- How to identify what we need and then self-soothe
- Helpful dialogue for hard conversations
- The 7 words that can lead to great repair
- How to cultivate profound self-trust
About Hillary:
Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out April 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at the University of British Columbia, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada.
www.hillarylmcbride.com
IG: @hillaryliannamcbride
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
215 In this encore episode with bestselling author, Emily P. Freeman, we discuss how to decide whether to stay in or leave a space (a job, friendship, community, home, relationship, etc.) While no one else can choose for us, there are key questions that help us decide from an aligned space. That's why Emily P Freeman's latest book, How to Walk into a Room (which immediately landed on the bestseller list), is the perfect guide for discerning the next step in your big decision.
Covered in this episode:
- Emily and Nadine share personal stories of hard goodbyes
- The scene from the book that gave Nadine permission to be human
- Why Emily’s editor urged her to have more self-compassion
- Why we didn't choose wrong even if something didn't last forever
- What to do when our investment in something makes it hard to say goodbye
- How to give ourselves grace in the midst of transition-shame
- What to do when we experience endings we didn't see coming
- How to give ourselves closure when we haven't gotten it from someone else
- Emily’s favorite 2-word mantra when we're in a seemingly long struggle
- What Emily knows for sure
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
About Emily:
Emily P. Freeman is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books, including The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions. As a spiritual director, workshop leader, and host of The Next Right Thing podcast (more than 25 million downloads), her most important work is to help create soul space and offer spiritual companionship and discernment for anyone struggling with decision fatigue. Emily holds a master’s degree in spiritual formation and leadership from Friends University. She lives in North Carolina with her family.
website: https://emilypfreeman.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilypfreeman/
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
214 In this encore episode, Nadine shares her guest appearance on the Living Centered podcast where she talked about tapping into your innate wisdom through journaling your story. This vulnerable, powerful conversation was one of Nadine's favorite podcast chats as a guest. She also gets practical and shares accessible journal prompts that changed her life and the lives of her workshop and retreat participants. Originally aired in 2023.
The Living Centered Podcast is an invitation to a different way of living. Every Monday, they sit down with mental health experts, artists, and friends for a practical and honest conversation about how to pursue a more centered life—rediscovering, reclaiming, and rooting in who we truly are.
onsiteworkshops.com
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
213 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air monthly throughout the year. In this 8th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from August, which was a month of transitions.
Here are the links for her 2025/2026 workshops and retreats:
- Publish the Personal (virtual): Fridays, Sept 12- Oct 17 (almost full)
- Writer Workout Membership (virtual): Every Monday, Try a class on Sept 8
- Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI
Covered in this episode:
- How Nadine is prioritizing rest and creativity as she transitions back to teaching
- The little moments that've marked her son's transition into full pre-teen territory and what she's doing to foster his autonomy
- How to recognize when you're caught in unachievable back-to-school-routine expectations
- How she's using IFS for self-healing and within her relationships
- How honest conversations are healing old wounds
- The number one question that helps lead to repair
- The trick that's helping her re-establish her writing routine
*This is the eight episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
212 In this encore episode, Nadine chats with literary legend Abigail Thomas about the interesting turns her life has taken, how she accesses hard stories, and her unique approach to structure. In this vulnerable interview, Abby shares painful moments and how she's come to embrace acceptance. In this conversation that covers an array of heartfelt topics, Abby also shares the hilarious thing she does when she's blocked. This wisdom-filled episode will resonate with writers and non-writers alike.
Covered in this episode:
- How Abby never had a plan and the interesting twists life has taken
- What prompts she recommends to get people writing
- The word that changed Abby's perspective about guilt
- The hilarious thing Abby does when she's blocked
- How to capture the human experience on the page
- What she's learned with age and what advice she'd give to her younger self
About Abigail Thomas:
Abigail Thomas has four children, twelve grandchildren, two great grandchildren, two dogs, eleven books, and a high school education.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout membership for women writers here.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular newsletter on Substack.
211 In this encore episode, Nadine shares her guest appearance on the Radically Loved podcast, where she talks about the power of writing in your healing journey.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
206 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air monthly throughout the year. In this 7th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from July, which was a month of contrasts.
Covered in this episode:
- An update on her ongoing areas of study: creativity, perimenopause, and environmental support
- How Nadine adjusts her writing rhythms in the summer
- Nadine's week of day dates with her husband while their son was at camp
- The many new experiences Nadine embarked on
- Nadine's favorite non-alcoholic drinks of the summer
- How supporting your body is like investing in a 401k
- The tension between our individual needs versus our responsibilities as mothers
- Having difficult conversations as a necessary part of growth
*This is the seventh episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
209 In Part 2 of this encore series, Nadine talks to Daring to Tell host, Michelle Redo, about the life-changing impact that journaling has had on her, and she shares an excerpt of her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
208 In Part 1 of this 2-part encore series, Nadine talks to Daring to Tell host, Michelle Redo, about the life-changing impact that journaling has had on her, and how it led her to create her own guided journal. Stay tuned for part 2 of their conversation next week, when Nadine shares a sneak peek excerpt of her new book, Come Home to Your Heart.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
207 This encore episode from when Nadine was a guest on the And So She Left podcast is about perfectionism, pivoting, and persistence.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone has always surrounded herself with words. As a child in the Southside of Chicago, Nadine found herself nose-deep in countless books, drawing strength and understanding from the narratives within. Her local library was where her passion for literature bloomed, where she learned to nurture relationships with her loved ones and make sense of her surroundings. Her resilience in overcoming hardships, including bouts of intense burnout and panic attacks, has been nothing short of inspirational. In recognizing the potential of the written word to forge deep personal connections, Nadine embarked on a journey as a full-time writing coach. She established her organization, WriteWELL, with the mission of uniting wellness and writing through retreats and workshops. Nadine’s podcast, Heart of the Story, amplifies the heartfelt narratives of writers she’s worked alongside. Her goal? To empower as many women as possible, encouraging them to share their most vulnerable moments with the world. In this conversation, Nadine pulls back the curtain on her own experiences with overwork and the invaluable life lessons she learned in her early years about tenacity and perseverance. She also highlights the power of personal narratives and the freedom in being able to pivot at any stage of one's journey.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
206 On this encore episode, Nadine was a guest on The Branding Business School Podcast. Here's the description from the TBBS podcast page:
This enlightening conversation with the extraordinary Nadine Kenney Johnstone, takes you on a journey through her life's narrative, from overcoming academic hurdles to flourishing as an award-winning author and holistic writing coach. Listen in as Nadine unpacks the transformational role writing has played in her life, especially through the challenges of infertility leading to writing her empowering memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure. She also offers invaluable wellness advice for those constantly on the go, ensuring that her insights resonate with everyone, from busy moms to dynamic entrepreneurs.
This episode is a treasure trove of inspiration, particularly for women seeking to harness the power of journaling and wellness to navigate the complexities of modern life. Nadine's transition from academia to creating her business, WriteWELL, is a testament to blending passion with profession. She shares her unique approach to teaching, integrating meditation and yoga with writing, and provides strategies for prioritizing self-care amidst the whirlwind of entrepreneurship and motherhood. Her story encourages you to explore your own creative outlets and the peace that can come from establishing routines that grounds you.
Cap off this motivational experience by discovering how simplifying your life can lead to newfound clarity and focus. Nadine's personal anecdotes, including her minimalist living in an Airstream camper, offer a perspective on decluttering that extends beyond the physical space. She reveals how intentional living and strategic delegation in her business have opened doors to continuous growth and innovation. Moreover, Nadine and Victoria delve into the concept of a solo work retreat, illustrating how dedicated time for reflection can rejuvenate both your business and personal life, a practice that has been pivotal in the development of her latest project, a guided journal. So, sit back and let this episode inspire you to find your balance and clarity through writing and wellness.
Links mentioned in today's episode:
Visit Nadine’s Website
Follow Nadine on Instagram
Of This Much I’m Sure: A Memoir
Come Home to Your Heart: A Guided Journal
Heart of the Story Podcast
For show notes, head to www.thebrandingbusinessschool.com/thepodcast/
Follow BrandWell on Instagram.
Follow The Branding Business School on Instagram.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
205 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air monthly throughout the year. In this 6th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her June area of interest: roadtripping.
Covered in this episode:
- Why she traveled 2000 miles in 3 weeks
- Where she went and who she visited
- The moments that made her emotional
- The 5 things that roadtripping does for your soul
*This is the sixth episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
204 To celebrate Nadine's July masterclass with literary consultant, April Eberhardt, we're bringing back this conversation with April. (find out more information at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/classes)
Nadine talks with her about the rapidly changing world of publishing and new doors of hybrid and self publishing women writers have for how to get their work in front of readers.
About April:
April Eberhardt, a literary change agent and advocate, is passionate about helping authors be published in the most effective and satisfying way. After 25 years as a corporate strategist and management consultant, April joined the literary world, where she saw strategic opportunity to play a role in the changing world of publishing. April advises and assists authors as they choose the best pathway to publication for their work, be it indie or traditional, digital or print. She provides advice and guidance to authors who wish to explore non-traditional paths to publication, including hybrid publishing. If you have questions about how to publish your work most effectively, including which path might be most profitable and satisfying, please email. April serves as a consultant to new publishing startups, and serves on the Advisory Council for The American Library in Paris.aprileberhardt.com
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
203 in this special Father’s Day episode, Nadine chats w/ My Father’s List author, Laura Carney, about the profound journey she went on to complete all the items on her late father’s bucket list. In this vulnerable conversation, the two share what they’ve learned about themselves and their fathers in the wake of their passing and the powerful messages their fathers have shared with them. A must listen.
Covered in this episode:
- How Laura lived our her father's dreams
- The surprising things on her father's bucket list
- The healing power of writing
- How activism can be born from tragedy
- The spiritual side of grief: how Laura and Nadine communicate with their fathers
About Laura:
Laura Carney is a magazine copy editor, writer and illustrator who lives in Montclair, NJ. She copyedits for Vanity Fair, GQ, People magazine, Real Woman magazine, Thriving magazine, Audubon magazine, The Knot and The Bump, Document Journal, Macmillan and St. Martin’s Press on a freelance basis and proofreads college textbooks, home decor books, novels and self-help books from time to time. She’s also a reporter for Diversity in Action magazine. She copyedited full-time for Good Housekeeping for seven years and for Redbook, Woman's Day and Dr. Oz for one. Laura has written for the Washington Post, The Hill, Good Housekeeping, Guideposts, People magazine, Runner's World, the Associated Press, Real Woman magazine, The Fix, OK! magazine, McSweeney’s, Monkeybicycle, Vagabondage Press, various trade magazines, Basket of Kisses and Fashion and Grammar Gripes.
She has worked to raise awareness as an advocate with the National Safety Council, End Distracted Driving, the Safe Roads Alliance, Families for Safe Streets NJ, Act to End Deadly Distractions, NCSR Road Safety Advocacy and the Road to Zero Coalition.
These days she raises awareness via her book, My Father's List, a memoir about her father, who was killed by a distracted driver, and as a marathon runner.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
202 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air monthly throughout the year. In this 5th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her May areas of interest: acknowledging our growth and celebrating in a way that feels deeply meaningful.
Covered in this episode:
- How to take imperfect action
- Why celebration is essential
- How to celebrate in a way that actually feels meaningful
- What GROW meetings are and why they're so impactful
- How unstructured time can be a gift for creativity and self-discovery
- Finding balance between structure and freedom
*This is the fifth episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She has helped those writers publish countless books and hundreds of essays in The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She interviews renowned female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story, and writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
201 To celebrate Nadine's June 18 masterclass with author Peg Conway called "Inviting Yourself Back to the Page" we're bringing back Peg's episode about memoir writing and self compassion.
Registration for the class will be live on June 3 at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/classes.
About the episode:
Nadine talks with memoirist Peg Conway about her book, The Art of Reassembly: A Memoir of Early Motherloss and Aftergrief.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
200 To celebrate 200 episodes and to honor the publication of Jane's new book, we're bringing back this listener-favorite episode!
Writing guru Jane Friedman answers all your burning questions about the business of being a writer (which also happens to be the title of her latest book).
Covered in this episode:
-How the pandemic changed the publishing industry (for the better)
-How to have an honest outlook about getting published and still have hope
-How to give yourself yourself grace when you're burnt out
-Marketing approaches that actually work
-How to write newsletters that people want to read
-The best writing advice books
-The best writing advice given and received
About Jane:
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com
Twitter: @janefriedman
Instagram handle: @janefriedman
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@janefriedman
Jane's upcoming newsletter class
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
199 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, & travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air monthly throughout the year. In this 4th episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her April areas of interest: applying to residencies, untangling her codependent behaviors, and grappling with being enough when she's not trying to prove her relevance.
Covered in this episode:
- Updates on her year-long projects like local food sourcing
- How HRT (hormone replacement therapy) has been going
- Why she's applying to writing residencies
- What she's discovering about high-functioning codependency
- How she's asserting boundaries and taking care of her nervous system
- How to release our desire to prove our relevance
- One important question that's changing everything
*This is the fourth episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She has helped those writers publish countless books and hundreds of essays in The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She interviews renowned female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story, and writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
198 If you've ever felt crippled by loss and utterly uncertain about your next steps, this episode is for you. In her new book, The Mother of All Decisions, Betsy Armstrong navigates the impossible--the early death of her mother, the wrath of her stepfather, chronic pain, and a harrowing adoption journey--with the kind of steadfast resilience that gives us boundless hope. This conversation is no different. It will leave you thinking about the impact we have on each other and the powerful legacy you can create.
Covered in this episode:
- The moments that led Betsy to consider becoming an adoptive parent at age 47
- How her mother's death spurred Betsy to create a powerful legacy
- How she and her children bravely navigated the unknown with hope, even after heartache
- How Betsy stayed dedicated to her book project for more than a decade
- How Nadine' coaching impacted the manuscript
- How Betsy and Nadine have watched each other grow
About Betsy:
Betsy Armstrong grew up on a farm in Minnesota, but Chicago captured her heart thirty-plus years ago, so she stayed. Betsy is a writer, mom, athlete, and philanthropist who wants to change the world. She had careers in sales, counseling, and the non-profit space. Still, her true passion was running, which led her to become the Executive Director of Girls on the Run-Chicago and the Chicago Area Runners Association. Her writing has been published in the Brevity Blog, The Pinch Journal, and WOW-Women on Writing, and she has been recognized in essay contests in Writer’s Digest and WOW-Women on Writing. She and her husband, kids, and pets divide their time between the mountains of Nevada and the lakes of the Midwest.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She has helped those writers publish countless books and hundreds of essays in The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She interviews renowned female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story, and writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
197 To celebrate Melanie and Nadine's collaborative masterclass, Publishing Your Stories, on May 13, we're bringing back this chat with Melanie Brooks. If you can't make it live, you can still register and catch the replay.
Many of us have carried at least one hard story for years, suffering under the weight of secrecy and silence. But what if you didn't have to carry it anymore? What if writing or telling it could not only free you, but deepen your relationships with your loved ones? Melanie Brooks--author of Writing Hard Stories and A Hard Silence--is here to help us write and tell our hard stories.
Covered in this episode:
- The life changing impact that Writing Hard Stories had on Nadine
- Melanie’s surprising experiences with renowned authors as she researched her book
- The benefits of writing a hard story
- How and why it gets easier
- What you discover when you’re writing hard stories and how it’s able to help you process
- The phases we go throughout when telling hard stories
- What prompted Nadine to write and publish her hard story
- The 2 books Nadine reread while writing her memoir
- The hard silence Melanie had to keep for almost 10 yrs
- The long term impact of not being able to speak your truth
- What helps us stay centered while writing hard stories
- The guilty pleasure TV show that Melanie and Nadine both watch when they need to escape
- How it felt for Melanie and Nadine to have their vulnerable books be published
- What it was like for both writers to write about real life characters and what their family's reactions were
- What narrative medicine is and how it’s changing health care
- Hear Melanie read a moving passage that gives anyone permission to share their hard story
About Melanie:
IG: melaniejmbrookswriter
website:
melaniebrooks.com
Melanie Brooks is the author of the memoir A Hard Silence: One daughter remaps family, grief, and faith when HIV/AIDS changes it all (Vine Leaves Press, 2023) and Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma (Beacon Press, 2017) She teaches creative nonfiction in the M.F.A. program at Bay Path University and in the M.F.A. program at Western Connecticut State University and professional writing at Northeastern University. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast writing program and a Certificate in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. She has had numerous interviews and essays on topics ranging from loss and grief to parenting and aging published in the The Boston Globe, HuffPost, Yankee Magazine, Psychology Today, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, and other notable publications. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two children (when they are home from university), and chocolate Lab.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
196 To celebrate the publication of Dr. Hillary McBride's latest book, Holy Hurt: Understanding and Healing from Spiritual Trauma, we're bringing back this beloved conversation about how to hold ourselves when we are hurting.
Why does it hurt so badly when things don't go as we'd hoped? How do we hold ourselves when we're in great pain? How do we talk to others so that we can reestablish loving connections when they've hurt us or we've hurt them? Psychologist and embodiment expert Dr. Hillary McBride answers all these questions and more in this profound conversation that offers deep solace to anyone who's hurting.
Covered in this episode:
- Transitions that Hillary and Nadine are currently navigating
- What's bringing them delight
- Why there is a deep grief when our plans don't play out
- How to tune into our own bodies to see how we're feeling
- How to identify what we need and then self-soothe
- Helpful dialogue for hard conversations
- The 7 words that can lead to great repair
- How to cultivate profound self-trust
About Hillary:
Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out April 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at the University of British Columbia, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada.
www.hillarylmcbride.com
IG: @hillaryliannamcbride
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
195 In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, we're bringing back our conversation with the founder of Humanize Infertility, Hillary Alberta Sherer.
Whether you're experiencing infertility or want to support someone who is, you won't want to miss this profound conversation. In this episode, Nadine and Hillary discuss the emotional impact of infertility, how to support yourself or your loved one, the most important questions to ask when seeking treatment, and how best to self-advocate as a patient. This empowering and hopeful conversation reminds us all that we know our bodies best and have the right to advocate for ourselves. Hillary is the founder of Humanize Infertility and is working to humanize infertility with one woman, one couple, and one story at a time by empowering those struggling with infertility with knowledge, hope, and connection.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
About Hillary:
Hillary Alberta Sherer is a biotechnology researcher with expert knowledge in the policy and ethical conversations around infertility. Utilizing over 15 years of clinical science research experience, she saw a need for more robust, transparent, and accessible research on infertility and infertility technologies. This led to her dissertation work on the ethical guidelines and policies surrounding egg donation. She is an activist for positive change that enables women to make informed and autonomous decisions about their health and wellbeing. She received her B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Public Policy and Ph.D. in Biotechnology Policy and Ethics all from The Georgia Institute of Technology (aka the Georgia Tech Trifecta). Hillary resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two kiddos, and 100-pound goldendoodle.
Website: https://www.hillarysherer.com/
IG: @humanizeinfertility
Resources shared in this episode:
ASRM
SART
Fertility and Sterility
PubMed
Dr Natalie Crawford
The Egg Whisperer
194 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this 3rd episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her March areas of interest: creative writing, garbage time, and perimenopause support.
Covered in this episode:
- How Nadine developed a regular writing practice
- What's inspiring her to stay dedicated to her writing
- The surprising lessons from her recent trips to Illinois, Georgia, and South Carolina
- What garbage time is and why it's so important
- What she's learning about perimenopause
- Why she started HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) & what it's been like
*This is the third episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
193 Disruptor and author of a Well-Trained Wife, Tia Levings shares her journey of escaping a high-control religious environment and reclaiming her identity. Tia roots for women to recognize their worth and reclaim their voices, especially in the face of patriarchal systems. Tia walks us through her daily practices for nervous system regulation and how she got to her "grandma is a bestselling author" era.
Covered in this episode:
- How patriarchy siphoned parts of her identity
- How she was able to question the brainwashing and fight back
- The role grief played in Tia's transformation
- Why reclamation is a long but rewarding journey that requires ongoing effort
- Why understanding the aftermath of trauma is crucial for healing
- Tia's and Nadine's daily practices for nervous system regulation
- Why sharing your true story with the world can be so empowering
- Why midlife is a great time for new beginnings
- Self-care practices for sustaining creativity
About Tia:
Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma, and is quoted in Salon, the Huffington Post, and Newsweek. She also appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. She is mom to four incredible adults and likes to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Find her on social media @TiaLevingsWriter. Her second book, The Soul of Healing, releases with St. Martin’s Essentials in 2026.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
192 To celebrate the release of Maggie Smith's new guidebook for writers called Dear Writer: Pep Talks and Practical Advice for a Creative Life, we're bringing back this beloved chat with Maggie about writing, self-trust, and life in the ellipsis!
What do we do when the future we thought we’d have is wiped clean, and we're stuck in uncertainty? Bestselling author Maggie Smith joins us to talk about life in the in-between and how, even when we’re at a loss, we can still trust ourselves. She also explores the writerly decisions she made in her most recent bestseller (and one of Nadine’s favorite books of all time), You Could Make This Place Beautiful. She closes the conversation with incredible writing advice that will make you want to grab a pen and start writing.
Covered in this episode:
- How to find beauty, even when our lives change in unexpected ways
- The difference between a midlife crisis and midlife recovery
- How to turn up the volume of our inner voice and act on it
- The wise women who’ve inspired Maggie & Nadine in life and in writing
- Why writing hard things is actually enjoyable
- Why Maggie wrote her story in real-time rather than waiting
- What has and hasn’t changed since the publication of You Could Make This Place Beautiful
- Maggie’s favorite small pleasure–how she’s treating herself well
Want more Maggie? Grab a copy of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (now out in paperback), subscribe to her popular Substack For Dear Life, and preorder her forthcoming book, Dear Writer (April, 2025).
Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
191 To celebrate Nadine + Sara's upcoming collaborative masterclass on April 15, we're bringing back this much-loved episode w/ Sara Avant Stover. Register for the class at https://www.nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/classes
If you've ever felt alone in your suffering and uncertainty, this episode is for you. Bestselling author Sara Avant Stover shares her own story of serial heartbreaks and the steps she took towards repair. Through IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapy, Sara discovered how to acknowledge, understand, and heal her parts.
Covered in this episode:
- The midlife transition most of us go through
- Signs/stages of heartbreak
- How to allow & be where we are
- Getting to the root of your suffering and healing our parts
- Asking others for help
- Fully surrendering
- Patience and persistence
- Not giving up on ourselves
- Why everything you’re feeling is normal
- The winding road of Sara's writing journey that ended in deep alignment
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
190 To celebrate Renee's April 25th women's retreat: Tending Your Wild Fire, we're brining back this fan favorite episode.
Award winning author and retreat leader Renee Trudeau joins Nadine to talk about the self discernment practices she does when she feels lost, why she walked away from a book deal, how her life has changed in the last 2 years, and why retreat is so important for women.
Renee and Nadine geek out on why they love leading & taking retreats.
Renee's Info:
- Subscribe to Renee’s weekly Live Inside Out blog where she shares personal stories/support for living intentionally.
- View all Renee’s upcoming retreats
- Tips on Taking a Personal Planning Retreat
- Follow Renee in Instagram @reneetrudeau_
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
189 To celebrate the release of Susan's new book, Inexplicable Joy, we're bringing back this fan-favorite episode!
Buddhist teacher and writer, Susan Piver, talks about the surprising path that landed her on Oprah and the NY Times bestseller list. She candidly opens up about the pitfalls of publishing that lead her to start her own press. Nadine and Susan share the secrets and support systems that help them as authors, and Susan explains the benefits of the Buddhist Enneagram as a tool for understanding ourselves and each other.
About Susan:
Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher and the New York Times bestselling author of The Hard Questions, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart, Start Here Now, The Four Noble Truths of Love, and others. Her latest book is The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship. Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1993. She is founder of the Open Heart Project, a virtual meditation community with 20,000 members all over the world. She lives in Somerville, MA, and Austin, TX.
The Open Heart Project The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship Instagram Facebook
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
188 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this 2nd episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her February areas of interest: creative writing, local food sourcing, and perimenopause support.
Covered in this episode:
- Why Nadine chose to focus on these three topics
- What's inspiring Nadine's writing life
- How and why she's supporting local food growers
- What perimenopause symptoms she's noticing and what she's doing about them
- The thought-provoking video that gave her pause
- How she's taking steps to reclaim her agency in her creative, nutritional, and hormonal life
*This is the second episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
187 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Faith and Nadine's March 11 masterclass: Applying to Residencies and Fellowships. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
Episode originally aired in June 2023.
Want to know how to fulfill your writing and traveling dreams (& receive full or partial funding)? Grab a notebook because this episode with travel memoirist Faith Adiele is FULL of helpful info and resources. In addition to chatting about Faith's memoir, her travel column, her 20+ residencies, and her fascinating experiences as Thailand's first Black Buddhist nun, we discuss:
-How to find writing residency opportunities
-The amazing places you can visit while on residency
-How to make your application stand out
-Why you don't need publication credentials in order to be chosen
-How to ask for the funding and opportunities you want
About Faith:
FAITH ADIELE is author of the memoirs Meeting Faith, an account of flunking out of Harvard and ordaining as Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun that won the PEN Open Book Award, and the humorous The Nigerian Nordic Girl’s Guide to Lady Problems. She has attended 20+ artists’ residencies around the globe and writes a syndicated travel column that appears in Detour: Best Stories in Black Travel and the Miami Herald. Named one of Marie Claire magazine’s “Five Women to Learn From,” Faith speaks and teaches workshops in memoir and travel writing at Esalen, Open Center NYC, InsightLA, VONA/Voices and elsewhere.
Website
Instagram @meetingfaith
Twitter @meetingfaith
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
186 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this kick-off episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her recent two-week trip to California to study conscious dance at Esalen and meditation at a 5-day, device-free, silent retreat.
Covered in this episode:
- What conscious dance is and why Nadine wanted to study it
- The surprising lesson she learned about self compassion via dance
- Why dance has become so important for processing emotions
- What it was like renounce devices and live in silence for 5 days
- Which rules Nadine broke and why
- How her time away impacted her life-outlook and her creativity
- What she's trying to incorporate into her everyday life
*This is the first episode in a series she'll be doing throughout the year for paid subscribers.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
185 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Emily and Nadine's Feb 27 masterclass: Integrating Research into Writing. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
Episode originally aired in Summer 2024.
We want to protect our children but we can sense that our over protection is doing more damage than good. In this eye-opening conversation, parenting expert Emily Edlynn explains why controlling parenting is taking its toll on our kids, and how to make small changes that can make a big difference. This hopeful conversation will help you compassionately release control so that your children can thrive and become the capable, confident, connected humans they were meant to be.
Covered in this episode:
-The signs of controlling parenting
-What autonomy-supportive parenting is and why it works
-How to integrate parenting practices that will encourage our children’s independence
-Identifying how you were raised and the ripple effect that’s had on you
-The pitfalls Nadine is noticing in her previous parenting approach and how she’s trying to change.
About Emily Edlynn:
Her mission is helping families find calm in the chaos of modern parenting. She is an academic, practicing therapist, and mother of 3. She dives deep into complex parenting topics so you don't have to! Her book, Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent, Confident Children, is now available on Amazon or Bookshop!
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
184 This chat w/ bestselling memoirist Molly Wizenberg covers it all: partnership, parenting, writing, teaching, navigating midlife, and taking brave action. At its heart though, it's a chat about following our desire, even when it disturbs the status quo.
About Molly's latest memoir, The Fixed Stars: "At age 36, while serving on a jury, author Molly Wizenberg found herself drawn to a female attorney. Married to a man for nearly a decade and mother to a toddler, Wizenberg tried to return to her life as she knew it, but she felt that something inside her had changed irrevocably. Instead, she would discover that the trajectory of our lives is rarely as smooth or as logical as we’d like to believe."
Covered in this episode:
- Why The Fixed Stars had such a big impact on Nadine
- How to develop self-trust even when the path forward is unclear
- Why we must not abandon ourselves
- How to grow as individuals within a partnership
- How Molly and Nadine (both mothers and teachers) prioritize their writing time
- How to become an emboldened writer even when we're afraid
- What Nadine's and Molly's mid-life journeys have looked like
- The impact of books on their lives and on the mainstream conversation around women and mid-life
- Mid-life body empowerment
- The brave action they've taken this past year
About Molly:
Molly Wizenberg is a memoirist, essayist, and teacher of personal narrative writing. She is the author of The Fixed Stars, a Stonewall Honor Book and a 2021 finalist for the Washington Book Award in biography and memoir. Her previous books, A Homemade Life and Delancey, were both New York Times bestsellers. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Bon Appétit, where she was a columnist for three years. She also cohosts the weekly comedy-and-food podcast Spilled Milk, where, with co-host Matthew Amster-Burton, she’s been chewing on-mic since 2010. In other lifetimes, she wrote the James Beard Award-winning blog Orangette (2004-2019) and co-founded the Seattle restaurants Delancey and Essex. Today she writes the newsletter I’ve Got a Feeling, which a very astute person once described as “a chronicle of enthusiasms.” She teaches writing workshops online and around the world.
Newsletter: https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/
Website: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/
Current workshop offerings: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/upcomingworkshops
Podcast: https://www.spilledmilkpodcast.com/
Instagram (though I’m not there much): https://www.instagram.com/molly.wizenberg/
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
183 In this candid episode, Nadine reviews the highlights and hardships from the past year. She shares the good, bad, and the complicated when it comes to navigating mid-life, parenting a middle-schooler, living in FL, having difficult conversations w/ loved ones, prioritizing fun, and everything in between.
Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
182 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Tamara and Nadine's Jan 22 masterclass: Writing for Major Magazines. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
Episode originally aired in 2021: How does an idea become a book? How do you find the time to write in the midst of working and parenting? How do you overcome fear of what others will think of your writing? Nadine and Tamara talk about all these things and more in this inspiring interview!
About Tamara:
Tamara Belinfanti is a Jamaican writer whose work explores themes of identity, transitions, and belonging. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Barron’s, Brevity Blog, The Jamaica Gleaner, and PREE, a magazine of contemporary Caribbean writing. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she is a professor of law at New York Law School.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
181 What if a gap year wasn't only reserved for high school grads trying to find themselves? Writer, hiker, and anti-capitalist tiny biz owner, Nic Antoinette, discusses the inspiration behind her 2025 grown up gap year, and Nadine opens up about the moment of jealousy that led to her "apprentice year." This is not a new-year-new-you, live-your-best-life episode. Instead, Nic and Nadine talk openly about how they are trying to be real with their plans and expectations for 2025. Nic also discusses the other ways she has curated a values-aligned life and career. In this inspiring and permission-granting conversation, you'll feel encouraged to make choices that challenge the norm in order to live a life that is a right fit for you.
Covered in this episode:
- Why Nic writes so transparently about money
- How honesty and privacy can exist at the same time
- Creating a values-aligned approach to work and life
- The burnout that comes from being accessible to too many people
- How we can be honest with ourselves with no pressure to do anything about it
- How Nadine and Nic have pivoted in their lives and careers
- The key question that will help us take imperfect action
- The price of admission that Nic was willing to pay for peace of mind
- How Nic's divorce impacted her outlook on change
- What Nic and Nadine are doing during their gap and apprentice year
- Their worries about how these changes will impact their lives and careers
- Nurturing our off-line lives
About Nic:
Nic Antoinette is a writer, long-distance hiker, and anti-capitalist tiny business owner. She writes a weekly personal essay series on Substack called Wild Letters, and is the author of two adventure memoirs: How To Be Alone and What We Owe to Ourselves.
Links
- Substack: https://nicantoinette.substack.com/
- Website: https://www.nicoleantoinette.com/
- Gap year essay: https://nicantoinette.substack.com/p/im-taking-a-grown-up-gap-year-in
About Nadine:
Want to write with Nadine in 2025? Try a free class on Monday, Jan 13!
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
180 This was a big year for the show, as Nadine got to interview her writing idols, including Maggie Smith, Abigail Thomas, Dr. Hillary McBride, and more! In this episode, Nadine chats with her producer about their favorite podcast moments from 2024. Learn which life bits of guest wisdom impacted them the most and how their personal lives have changed as a result.
While the show is on a holiday break, catch up on any episodes you missed!
Episodes referenced:
179 Sari Botton
177 Sarah Fay
174 Hillary McBride
173 Patty McNair
172 Maggie Smith
167 Krystal Clark
165 Emily Edlynn
163 Abigail Thomas
158 Sara Avant Stover
155 Heather Adams
153 Melanie Brooks
152 Emily P Freeman
147 Maria Warner
About Nadine:
Write with Nadine in 2025. Learn more here.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
179 Oldster magazine creator, Sari Botton, joins Nadine to talk about the highlights and hardships of “traveling through time in a human body at every phase of life.” As a collector of stories, Sari also shares what she has learned about aging and new beginnings from others. Ultimately, Nadine and Sari explore how to embrace life’s contradictions and feel less alone in the process. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I the only one who feels this way?” this episode is for you!
Covered in this episode:
-What inspired Sari to start Oldster magazine
-What Sari has learned from Oldster interviewees and her own aging process
-Her plans for her 60s and beyond
-Her self-compassion and boundary-setting practices
-Two unexpected life events that made her feel the urgency of time
-Why people love, leave, and come back to NYC
-The benefits of being a community builder and story collector
-Two things that bring Sari great joy
Want access to the full episode? Become a paid Substack subscriber here.
About Sari:
Sari Botton is a bestselling author, editor, and teacher with decades of experience. She is the author of the memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself…Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, which was chosen by Poets & Writers Magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. An essay from it received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick. For five years she served as the Essays Editor for Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NewYork and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Monday, and Adventures in Journalism.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
178 In this candid episode, Nadine discusses her creative and professional successes and struggles of the past year.
Join Nadine & Sarah Fay on Dec 10, 10-12:30 CST for a collaborative masterclass, Knowing Your “Why”: Set Up Your Substack to Grow. Replay sent if you miss. If you'd like automatic access to all of Nadine's monthly masterclasses, as well as her weekly writer workouts for women, you can join her Writer Workout PLUS Membership.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
177 In this empowering conversation, Nadine chats with Substack Growth Strategist, Sarah Fay, about the transformative power of Substack for writers. They share their writing journeys, the challenges of book launching, and why they’ve both turned to Substack to take back control of their writing careers. They discuss Substack’s infinite benefits, including monetization, longer book launches, and even book serialization. Writers who’ve felt discouraged by traditional publishing gatekeepers will love this dynamic, writer-centric approach that allows for greater creative freedom and connection with their beloved readers.
Covered in this episode:
- What Substack is & how it’s empowering writers
- How Sarah exploded on Substack and how she helps others grow
- What helped Sarah land her 6 figure book deal
- What it means to make oneself a pro
- Sarah’s history of mental illness
- How Sarah and Nadine got burned by publicists and the lessons it taught them
- Why you don’t need a huge Substack subscriber list to make an impact
- Who Nadine subscribes to and why
- Growth, paid, and retention strategies
- How writers can use Substack to relaunch and sell a book
- Why and how to serialize a book on Substack
Want access to the full episode? Become a paid Substack subscriber. Save 20% on an Annual Membership now through Dec 2.
Join Sarah & Nadine on Dec 10, 10-12:30 CST for a collaborative masterclass, Knowing Your “Why”: Set Up Your Substack to Grow. Replay sent if you miss. If you'd like automatic access to all of Nadine's monthly masterclasses, as well as her weekly writer workouts for women, you can join her Writer Workout PLUS Membership:, which is on sale now through Dec 2.
About Sarah:
Sarah Fay is the leading Substack Growth Strategist and founder of the Substack Writers at Work membership, a bestselling Substack community with over 20,000 members. She's mentored hundreds of writers—from award-winning journalists to bestselling authors and thought leaders—helping them achieve Substack success. As the creator of two bestselling, featured Substacks and an award-winning teacher at Northwestern University, she's widely regarded as the go-to Substack expert. Sarah is also an award-winning author published by HarperCollins, a freelance writer for The New York Times and other prominent publications, a mental health advocate, and the author of Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses.
Through her signature program, the Substack Writers at Work membership, Sarah helps writers and creatives leverage their unique talents, make money, and build a loyal audience of superfans on Substack. Her singular approach combines platform-specific strategies with professional and personal growth, enabling her clients and members to produce their best work, have a platform, and earn the income they deserve doing work they love.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
176 In this mini-sode, Nadine talks about her doozy of a week and the things that brought her comfort. She also announces 2 big holidays sales, happening now through Dec 2!
20% Discount on her Substack Annual Membership: Moving forward, Nadine's personal essays, reading and watching recommendations, tales of her 2025 adventures, and certain full length Hearth of the Story interviews will be reserved for paid Substack subscribers only. That’s why now through Dec 2, you get 20% off your Substack annual subscription. (Only $48 for the year!)
SALE on her Writer Workout Membership: If you’d like to take a class with Nadine in 2025, there’s 1 place she'll be—in her online community for women writers. Join Nadine for craft talks, writing, support, accountability, and inspiration. Her Writer Workout members are women writers from all over the world who share resources, industry connections, and encouragement. They’ve taken back their creative time and have published countless books as well as hundreds of pieces in places like the New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, and more! Learn more here.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
175 If your calendar keeps filling up, but your own needs are neglected, this episode is for you. Nadine shares the 5 ways she's prioritizing enjoyment, rest, and self-connection, especially as the holidays approach. She also shares a sneak peek for her 2025 plans, personally and professionally.
2 Sales now through Dec 2:
20% Discount on my Substack Annual Membership: Moving forward, my personal essays, reading and watching recommendations, tales of my 2025 adventures, and certain full length Hearth of the Story interviews will be reserved for paid Substack subscribers only. That’s why now through Dec 2, you get 20% off your Substack annual subscription. (Only $48 for the year!)
SALE on my Writer Workout Membership: If you’d like to take a class with me in 2025, there’s 1 place I’ll be—in my online community for women writers. Join me for craft talks, writing, support, accountability, and inspiration. My Writer Workout members are women writers from all over the world who share resources, industry connections, and encouragement. They’ve taken back their creative time and have published countless books as well as hundreds of pieces in places like the New York Times, The Sun, and more! Learn more here.
Two opportunities for women writers:
Nov 18 12-1 CST: Try a WriteWELL class for free. The replay will be sent if you miss.
Nov 19 10-12:30 CST: Join Nadine and her favorite writing professor of all time, Patty McNair, for a Collaborative Masterclass called (Extra)ordinary Content. The replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
174 Why does it hurt so badly when things don't go as we'd hoped? How do we hold ourselves when we're in great pain? How do we talk to others so that we can reestablish loving connections when they've hurt us or we've hurt them? Psychologist and embodiment expert Dr. Hillary McBride answers all these questions and more in this profound conversation that offers deep solace to anyone who's hurting.
Covered in this episode:
- Transitions that Hillary and Nadine are currently navigating
- What's bringing them delight
- Why there is a deep grief when our plans don't play out
- How to tune into our own bodies to see how we're feeling
- How to identify what we need and then self-soothe
- Helpful dialogue for hard conversations
- The 7 words that can lead to great repair
- How to cultivate profound self-trust
Two opportunities for women* writers:
Nov 18 12-1 CST: Try a WriteWELL class for free. The replay will be sent if you miss.
Nov 19 10-12:30 CST: Join Nadine and her favorite writing professor of all time, Patty McNair, for a Collaborative Masterclass called (Extra)ordinary Content. The replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
*"Women" refers to any women-identifying people. WriteWELL is affirming of all non-binary individuals and gender identities.
About Hillary:
Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out April 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at the University of British Columbia, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada.
www.hillarylmcbride.com
IG: @hillaryliannamcbride
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
173 Have you ever encountered a person who changed the course of your life forever? Such was the case when Nadine took Patty McNair's creative writing MFA class 19 years ago. In this episode, the two discuss why Patty's teaching style is so effective, Patty's path to becoming a writer, and the single most impactful component of a creative writing lesson.
Covered in this episode:
- The unique components of The Story Workshop Method that Patty and Nadine were trained in as teachers
- The ways in which Patty changed the trajectory of Nadine's life
- Why Patty resisted writing at first
- The personal experiences that propelled both Nadine and Patty to publish their writing
- The writers that have inspired Patty's writing and teaching
Join Patty and Nadine for a Collaborative Masterclass
Want to experience Patty's magic? Join her (Extra)ordinary Content masterclass on Nov 19 at 10 am CT. The replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
Patricia Ann McNair
Associate Professor Emerita of Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago, McNair was nominated for the Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year. She facilitates adult writing workshops online and in-person, is Artistic Director of Interlochen College of Creative Arts’ Writers Retreat, and is on the faculty of the Yale Writers’ Workshop. She has left Chicago winters behind to live in Tucson with her husband, visual artist Philip Hartigan, and a yard visited by feral cats.
McNair’s first collection of short stories, The Temple of Air, has been re-issued in 2024 as a second edition with new stories and content. Originally published in 2011, The Temple of Air won the Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award, Southern Illinois University’s Devil’s Kitchen Readers Award in Fiction, and was a finalist for the Society of Midland Authors Award in Adult Fiction. Her second story collection, Responsible Adults, was selected for the Legacy Series in Short Fiction by Cornerstone Press and was named a Distinguished Favorite by the Independent Press Awards. And These Are the Good Times, McNair’s essay collection, was a Montaigne Medal finalist.
Website: https://patriciaannmcnair.com/
IG: @patricia.a.mcnair.7
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
172 What do we do when the future we thought we’d have gets wiped clean, and we're stuck in uncertainty? Bestselling author Maggie Smith joins us to talk about life in the in-between and how, even when we’re at a loss, we can still trust ourselves. She also explores the writerly decisions she made in her most recent bestseller (and one of Nadine’s favorite books of all time), You Could Make This Place Beautiful. She closes the conversation with incredible writing advice that will make you want to grab a pen and start writing.
Covered in this episode:
- How to find beauty, even when our lives change in unexpected ways
- The difference between a midlife crisis and midlife recovery
- How to turn up the volume of our inner voice and act on it
- The wise women who’ve inspired Maggie & Nadine in life and in writing
- Why writing hard things is actually enjoyable
- Why Maggie wrote her story in real-time rather than waiting
- What has and hasn’t changed since the publication of You Could Make This Place Beautiful
- Maggie’s favorite small pleasure–how she’s treating herself well
Want more Maggie? Grab a copy of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (now out in paperback), subscribe to her popular Substack For Dear Life, and preorder her forthcoming book, Dear Writer (April, 2025).
Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet.
About Nadine:
Try a WriteWELL class for free on Nov 18!
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
171 Nadine kicks off a new season by announcing the big projects she's been working on behind the scenes. She also shares an in-depth recap of her recent women's writing retreat in CA. In this conversation with retreat participant and podcast producer, Michelle Redo, Nadine shares top tips for hosting intentional gatherings that foster deep connection with yourself and others. If you've ever wanted to bring women together for a profoundly moving experience, this is your go-to guide.
Covered in this episode:
-Her must-have retreat-planning checklists
-The kick-off conversation that will set the tone for your gathering
-How to welcome participants to make them feel held and supported
-The itinerary structure that will cultivate time for creativity and self care
-The little touches that make a big impact
-The key activities that lead to self-discovery and group bonding
-How to collaborate with others in order to sustain your energy as a host
-Michelle's experience as a participant and the moments that had the biggest impact
About Michelle:
Michelle Redo is a podcaster, independent audio producer and writer. She is the creator and host of the Daring to Tell podcast - a place where writers read and talk about memoir and personal essay. And she works with authors to who wish to narrate their own audiobooks. Michelle is also the audio producer for Heart of the Story.
Michelle has been published in Brevity Blog, The Sun Readers Write, and won the Finalist Award in the 2021 Readers Write Personal Essay Competition for her essay called The Wonder, which she read on Daring to Tell. Her appearance on the And So, She Left podcast received numerous awards and was noted by the 2023 International Women's Podcast Award Nomination for the Moment of Touching Honesty Category.
Before becoming a freelancer in 2020, she spent more than thirty years as an award-winning audio producer for WGBH Radio in Boston, has been requested to speak to aspiring voiceover students, and has taught audio production at the Banff Centre, Banff, Canada.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Subscribe to Nadine's Substack.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Check out WriteWELL, her Women's Writing Community.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
170 In this profound encore episode, yoga and meditation instructor, Mae Yoshikawa, talks about how to hold on when you're faced with devastating circumstances. If you feel adrift and in deep pain, this hopeful conversation is for you.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Mae Yoshikawa:
Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, she became the first Japanese woman to be authorized by the founding school of Ashtanga Yoga in India. Since then, Mae has been a trailblazing force in the wellness field throughout the Asia-Pacific region as Japanese Yogini magazine featured her on 42 consecutive covers. Mae also penned a widely popular column for this magazine for ten years. As the face of adidas yoga and the Founder of VedaTokyo.com, Mae was awarded the “Yoga People’s Award” in 2016 for her remarkable social impact in the wellness field. Her upcoming book, Kizuki: Life’s Tidal Waves + Epiphanies = Love Beyond Time and Death encapsulates her life-changing journey of a metamorphosis of identity after the sudden loss of her husband in 2018.
Website: https://maey.live/
IG: @maeyoshikawa https://www.instagram.com/maeyoshikawa/
Studio website: https://vedatokyo.com/
169 In this encore episode, writing guru Jane Friedman answers all your burning questions about the business of being a writer (which also happens to be the title of her latest book). Covered in this episode:
-How the pandemic changed the publishing industry (for the better)
-How to have an honest outlook about getting published and still have hope
-How to give yourself yourself grace when you're burnt out
-Marketing approaches that actually work
-How to write newsletters that people want to read
-The best writing advice books
-The best writing advice given and received
About Jane:
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com
Twitter: @janefriedman
Instagram handle: @janefriedman
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@janefriedman
Jane's upcoming newsletter class
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
168 In this encore episode, writer and astrologist Heidi Rose Robbins explains why understanding our astrological charts helps give clarity to our next steps. As she says "When we know who we are, we know what to do." Heidi shocks Nadine with her spot-on reading of Nadine's chart. Heidi also gives easy tips for understanding our sun, moon, and rising signs.
Want more of Heidi and Nadine? Join "Writing Our Way Home" on Aug 20 10-12:30 CT. Replays sent if you miss.
About Heidi:
Heidi Rose Robbins has been a professional astrologer for 25 years, helping thousands of clients all over the globe live with more authenticity and clarity. She hosts two podcasts, THE RADIANCE PROJECT, featuring poetry, astrology, and good company, and CHART YOUR CAREER, with co-host Ellen Fondiler. Twice a year, she leads Radiant Life Retreats, for people wishing to take a deeper dive into her work.
Website: heidirose.com
IG: @heidiroserobbins
Listeners can find snapshots here: heidirose.com/astrology
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community and her upcoming Women's Writing Retreat in California, Sept 15-20.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
167 Our strengths are our superpowers IF we know what they are and how best to use them. In this fascinating talk with strengths coach Krystal Clark, you’ll learn how to uncover your unique gifts and harness them for personal and professional growth. Krystal is a powerhouse who will leave you feeling empowered and inspired.
Covered in this episode:
-What a Clifton Strengths assessment is and what the results mean
-Why it’s so important to learn how other people experience your strengths
-How to navigate others’ “balconies and basements” so that you can work and live together in harmony
-Krystal’s shockingly spot on interpretation of Nadine’s balconies and basements
-How Krystal uses her own strengths to manage teams and get through difficult life transitions.
About Krystal:
Website: https://www.krystalnclark.com/
IG: @equiptothrive
Link to purchase CliftonStrengths Code online: https://store.gallup.com/h/en-us
Access codes can also be obtained by working with a Gallup-Certified Coach
Bio:
Krystal's mission is to equip others to thrive. As a proven speaker, facilitator, leadership educator, content creator, learning experience designer, and consultant, Krystal founded Equip To Thrive, LLC in 2020. She has worked with colleges/universities, a Fortune 500 company, an Inc. 5000 company, faith-based institutions, law firms, nonprofits, fitness studios, and fraternities and sororities, etc. sharing messages in the area of leadership development, employee engagement, and CliftonStrengths.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community and her upcoming Women's Writing Retreat in California, Sept 15-20.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Listen to Daring to Tell
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
165 We want to protect our children but we can sense that our over protection is doing more damage than good. In this eye-opening conversation, parenting expert Emily Edlynn explains why controlling parenting is taking its toll on our kids, and how to make small changes that can make a big difference. This hopeful conversation will help you compassionately release control so that your children can thrive and become the capable, confident, connected humans they were meant to be.
Covered in this episode:
-The signs of controlling parenting
-What autonomy-supportive parenting is and why it works
-How to integrate parenting practices that will encourage our children’s independence
-Identifying how you were raised and the ripple effect that’s had on you
-The pitfalls Nadine is noticing in her previous parenting approach and how she’s trying to change.
About Emily Edlynn:
Her mission is helping families find calm in the chaos of modern parenting. She is an academic, practicing therapist, and mother of 3. She dives deep into complex parenting topics so you don't have to! Her book, Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent, Confident Children, is now available on Amazon or Bookshop!
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
163 Nadine chats with literary legend Abigail Thomas about the interesting turns her life has taken, how she accesses hard stories, and her unique approach to structure. In this vulnerable interview, Abby shares painful moments and how she's come to embrace acceptance. In this conversation that covers an array of heartfelt topics, Abby also shares the hilarious thing she does when she's blocked. This wisdom-filled episode will resonate with writers and non-writers alike.
Covered in this episode:
- How Abby never had a plan and the interesting twists life has taken
- What prompts she recommends to get people writing
- The word that changed Abby's perspective about guilt
- The hilarious thing Abby does when she's blocked
- How to capture the human experience on the page
- What she's learned with age and what advice she'd give to her younger self
About Abigail Thomas:
Abigail Thomas has four children, twelve grandchildren, two great grandchildren, two dogs, eleven books, and a high school education.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout membership for women writers here.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Sign up for her newsletter here.
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
162 In part 1 of this this travel diary episode, Nadine shares all the details about her big trip plans. Learn when and where Nadine is going, as well as the 7 reasons why traveling is so beneficial for women.
About Nadine:
Sign up for the Writing Hard Stories masterclass on July 9 with Melanie Brooks and Nadine here. Sign up for her newsletter here.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
161 Nadine will be traveling and on a break for a few weeks. Now's the time to catch up on any episodes you've missed and to sign up for Nadine's newsletter so you'll be the first to hear about all of her adventures. Also, if you'd like to get on the waitlist for her upcoming workshops and retreats, you can do so here.
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, helps women tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
159 What does real self care actually look like? What are the practices that truly bring us peace? Nadine shares the books and principles that have made a lasting difference in her life. She also shares the delightful details of her recent trip to Nashville as well as the unexpected events that put her inner-peace practices to the test.
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
157 So many of us yearn to stay in a home, job, or relationship "forever," and there can be deep shame when we don't. And yet, we all know that in order to grow, change is necessary. To be human is to realize that permanence is a myth. So why do we still buy into the forever fallacy? And what do we do when the myth is busted? Nadine explores these ideas in her essay, "Forever Home."
If your heart has ever broken over something that didn't last forever, this episode is for you.
Covered in this episode:
- What Nadine wishes she could say to her 27 yr old self about the idea of "forever"
- The ups and downs she's encountered in the last 13 yrs since then
- How to feel at home even when you're in unfamiliar territory
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
156 How to we go on in the wake of deep loss? How do we overcome the fear of our own mortality? In this deeply vulnerable episode, Nadine shares a personal essay that is an excerpt from her book, Come Home to Your Heart, and was recently featured in Good Grit Magazine. She also discusses the life event that prompted her to write the essay, and what she has learned in the years since that difficult period.
Covered in this episode:
- The difficult spring of 2021 and how it impacted Nadine
- Why readers have resoundingly chose this essay as a favorite
- The words that changed her outlook on loss
- The behind-the scenes- process of writing this essay
- The wisdom she's gained since this traumatic time
- What it was like revisiting this material 3 yrs later and what gave her hope and healing
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
155 As a champion of women writers and entrepreneurs, communications expert Heather Adams has helped launch over 100 NYTimes Bestsellers. Her special sauce is in helping women discern and embrace their unique offerings. If you want to share your story or biz with the world, but you're overwhelmed, self critical, or unclear, this episode is for you. Often we're just too close to our brand of magic to discover or embrace it.
Covered in this episode:
- The childhood ritual that turned both Heather and Nadine into avid readers
- The milestones and mistake Heather made in her professional journey
- How Heather learned to link arms with other women and why it's been so beneficial
- The life-changing advice her husband gave her
- How to demand what we deserve
- How Heather went out on her own
- Why we need to share our stories with the world
- How to discern and embrace your unique offerings
- The clarifying exercise that Heather encouraged Nadine to do in order to hone in on her professional values
- Why Heather created the Summit and why it's so different from other conferences
- The meditation and journaling workshop that Nadine is leading at the Summit
- Want to join Nadine at the Choice Media Summit in TN April 28-30? You can sign up here.
- Get on the waitlist for Nadine's upcoming workshops & retreats here.
About Heather:
Heather Adams is a wife, boy mom, communications expert, and CEO of Choice Media and Communications. It is her greatest passion and mission to link arms with other women as their champion and mentor, in life and in work. Whether you’re a young professional, a mama, an entrepreneur, or all of the above, Heather is here to share her hard-fought wisdom and cheer you on as you design and live a life you love.
https://www.choicemediacommunications.com/
IG: @choicemediacommunications
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
154 So many of us want to live more intentionally, but our rote habits are only producing the same inauthentic results. Today's episode is a nudge to mix things up by making small and big changes to experience different outcomes and to live in more alignment. Nadine shares what recently inspired her to make some changes, what she has been doing differently, and what has resulted from it.
Covered in this episode:
- Upon turning 40, Nadine realized something big was missing from her life.
- The silly things she's integrating into her calendar
- The new movement and meditation practices Nadine has integrated into life
- The feeling that gives a good hint that you're curious to try something new
- The surprising TV show that has changed Nadine's perspective
- Why we need community or mentorship
- The books and podcasts that are inspiring Nadine
- Nadine's upcoming travels
- What help Nadine has reached out for
- How to avoid avoiding
- Mentioned in the show:
- Amy Porterfield
- Renee Trudeau
- Susan Oubari
- Emily P Freeman - How to Walk into a Room
- Sara Avant Stover - Handbook for the Heartbroken
- The Branding Business School Podcast
- Want to join Nadine at the Choice Media Summit in TN April 28-30? You can sign up here.
- Get on the waitlist for Nadine's upcoming workshops & retreats here.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
153 Many of us have carried at least one hard story for years, suffering under the weight of secrecy and silence. But what if you didn't have to carry it anymore? What if writing or telling it could not only free you, but deepen your relationships with your loved ones? Melanie Brooks--author of Writing Hard Stories and A Hard Silence--is here to help us write and tell our hard stories.
Covered in this episode:
- The life changing impact that Writing Hard Stories had on Nadine
- Melanie’s surprising experiences with renowned authors as she researched her book
- The benefits of writing a hard story
- How and why it gets easier
- What you discover when you’re writing hard stories and how it’s able to help you process
- The phases we go throughout when telling hard stories
- What prompted Nadine to write and publish her hard story
- The 2 books Nadine reread while writing her memoir
- The hard silence Melanie had to keep for almost 10 yrs
- The long term impact of not being able to speak your truth
- What helps us stay centered while writing hard stories
- The guilty pleasure TV show that Melanie and Nadine both watch when they need to escape
- How it felt for Melanie and Nadine to have their vulnerable books be published
- What it was like for both writers to write about real life characters and what their family's reactions were
- What narrative medicine is and how it’s changing health care
- Hear Melanie read a moving passage that gives anyone permission to share their hard story
About Melanie:
IG: melaniejmbrookswriter
website:
melaniebrooks.com
Melanie Brooks is the author of the memoir A Hard Silence: One daughter remaps family, grief, and faith when HIV/AIDS changes it all (Vine Leaves Press, 2023) and Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma (Beacon Press, 2017) She teaches creative nonfiction in the M.F.A. program at Bay Path University and in the M.F.A. program at Western Connecticut State University and professional writing at Northeastern University. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast writing program and a Certificate in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. She has had numerous interviews and essays on topics ranging from loss and grief to parenting and aging published in the The Boston Globe, HuffPost, Yankee Magazine, Psychology Today, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, and other notable publications. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two children (when they are home from university), and chocolate Lab.
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
152 At some point, each of us must decide whether to stay in or leave a space (a job, friendship, community, home, relationship, etc.) While no one else can choose for us, there are key questions that help us decide from an aligned space. That's why Emily P Freeman's newest book, How to Walk into a Room (which immediately landed on the bestseller list), is the perfect guide for discerning the next step in your big decision.
Covered in this episode:
- Emily and Nadine share personal stories of hard goodbyes
- The scene from the book that gave Nadine permission to be human
- Why Emily’s editor urged her to have more self-compassion
- Why we didn't choose wrong even if something didn't last forever
- What to do when our investment in something makes it hard to say goodbye
- How to give ourselves grace in the midst of transition-shame
- What to do when we experience endings we didn't see coming
- How to give ourselves closure when we haven't gotten it from someone else
- Emily’s favorite 2-word mantra when we're in a seemingly long struggle
- What Emily knows for sure
About Emily:
Emily P. Freeman is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books, including The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions. As a spiritual director, workshop leader, and host of The Next Right Thing podcast (more than 25 million downloads), her most important work is to help create soul space and offer spiritual companionship and discernment for anyone struggling with decision fatigue. Emily holds a master’s degree in spiritual formation and leadership from Friends University. She lives in North Carolina with her family.
website: https://emilypfreeman.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilypfreeman/
About Nadine:
Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
151 While Nadine usually hosts Heart of the Story, this week she got to be a guest on one of her favorite podcasts for female entrepreneurs: The Branding Business School Podcast. Here's the description from the TBBS podcast page:
This enlightening conversation with the extraordinary Nadine Kenney Johnstone, takes you on a journey through her life's narrative, from overcoming academic hurdles to flourishing as an award-winning author and holistic writing coach. Listen in as Nadine unpacks the transformational role writing has played in her life, especially through the challenges of infertility leading to writing her empowering memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure. She also offers invaluable wellness advice for those constantly on the go, ensuring that her insights resonate with everyone, from busy moms to dynamic entrepreneurs.
This episode is a treasure trove of inspiration, particularly for women seeking to harness the power of journaling and wellness to navigate the complexities of modern life. Nadine's transition from academia to creating her business, WriteWELL, is a testament to blending passion with profession. She shares her unique approach to teaching, integrating meditation and yoga with writing, and provides strategies for prioritizing self-care amidst the whirlwind of entrepreneurship and motherhood. Her story encourages you to explore your own creative outlets and the peace that can come from establishing routines that grounds you.
Cap off this motivational experience by discovering how simplifying your life can lead to newfound clarity and focus. Nadine's personal anecdotes, including her minimalist living in an Airstream camper, offer a perspective on decluttering that extends beyond the physical space. She reveals how intentional living and strategic delegation in her business have opened doors to continuous growth and innovation. Moreover, Nadine and Victoria delve into the concept of a solo work retreat, illustrating how dedicated time for reflection can rejuvenate both your business and personal life, a practice that has been pivotal in the development of her latest project, a guided journal. So, sit back and let this episode inspire you to find your balance and clarity through writing and wellness.
Links mentioned in today's episode:
Visit Nadine’s Website
Follow Nadine on Instagram
Of This Much I’m Sure: A Memoir
Come Home to Your Heart: A Guided Journal
Heart of the Story Podcast
For show notes, head to www.thebrandingbusinessschool.com/thepodcast/
Follow BrandWell on Instagram.
Follow The Branding Business School on Instagram.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
150 Want to see your words in print but don't know where to begin? Or maybe the rejections are racking up and you don't know why. The world of publishing can feel illusive at best and cutthroat at worst, but once you know the unspoken rules, you can get published in no time. Learn how Nadine has gotten her writing in top mags and how she's helped hundreds of writers get published in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, Brevity, Boston Globe Connections, the Chicago Tribune, Hippocampus, Longreads, Writer's Digest, and more (and how they’ve gotten nominated for major awards like the Pushcart Prize).
Covered in this episode:
- Why your typical approach isn't working
- The 4 ways to make your writing stand out
- What has helped Nadine and her students get published in major mags
- What Nadine has learned about publishing in her 20-year writing career (first as a Chicago magazine intern, then as a writing professor, a published writer, and a writing coach)
If you want to finally publish your personal essays, look no further! Sign up for Publish the Personal, which will run on Wednesdays at 10 am CT Apr 3-May 15, skipping May 1. In this 6-week intensive, we’ll write, workshop, revise, and submit 3 of your personal essays to major publications.
Want to journal but don't have time? In this free gift, Nadine shares a quick video and mini-workbook with her favorite 5-minute journaling prompt.
Success Stories mentioned in this show:
Margaret Ghielmetti
Sally Schwartz
Barbara Phillips
Sarah Robertson
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
149 There's so much you want to do but you don't have enough hours in the day, and every time you try to develop a habit, it goes to the wayside after a week. If this is you, Nadine offers great tips for looking at habits differently and doing what you love without over-extending yourself or waking up at the crack of dawn. If you'd like a fresh perspective on habit keeping that doesn't make you feel like a production-crazed robot, this episode is for you.
Covered in this episode:
- The regret test and how it helps clarify your priorities
- Reflecting on what's already working
- Making more meaning from what you're already doing
- Making the activities you love more convenient
- When to leave less time for a habit, and when to block your calendar
- How to give yourself grace when you're overwhelmed
Sign up for Publish the Personal, which will run on Wednesdays at 10 am CT Apr 3-May 15, skipping May 1.
Want to journal but don't have time? In this free gift, Nadine shares a quick video and mini-workbook with her favorite 5-minute journaling prompt.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
148 Whether you've left behind a job, a city, a relationship, or an entire identity, it's not so easy to move forward if you don't know what's ahead. So what do we do when we've left one shore but we're swimming blindly towards an uncertain future? Nadine shares the life-changing advice she received when navigating her own murky middle.
Covered in this episode:
- How to look at the"murky middle" with a different perspective
- What's actually happening in our heads and hearts when we're in transition
- The typical stages we all go through when in transition
- How to support ourselves every step of the way
- What's developing within even when we think nothing's happening
Nadine's winter classes are in full swing, but if you weren’t able to sign up, never fear. You can try her Women’s Writer Workout for free on Feb 26, and you can get on the waitlist for Publish the Personal, which will run on Wednesdays at 10 am CT Apr 3-May 15, skipping May 1.
Want to journal but don't have time? In this free gift, Nadine shares a quick video and mini-workbook with her favorite 5-minute journaling prompt.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
147 So many of us slip into unwanted habits and patterns without even realizing it. Or, once we acknowledge we want to change, we spend a lot of time thinking about doing something different but don't take action. In this episode, writer Maria Warner talks about how to successfully interrupt our patterns. She also discusses her sobriety journey and how writing played a huge part in it. If you love a celebratory cocktail, never fear. This episode is about assessing patterns that have become rote and deciding which ones should stay or go.
Covered in this episode:
- The questions and journal prompts that help assess our habits
- How to interrupt unwanted habits that have become engrained
- How to overcome roadblocks on your way to habit changes
- What happens when we no longer inhabit all of our old roles and why it's so tempting to reach for vices to fill the void
- Maria's sobriety journey
- How writing helped her sobriety and how sobriety helped her writing
- Her most vulnerable moments that led her to make changes
- All the benefits and milestones that have come out of sobriety
- Resources mentioned in the episode include Nadine's guided journal Come Home to Your Heart and Love-Your-Sober-Year-Alcohol-Free/
Nadine's winter classes are in full swing, but if you weren’t able to sign up, never fear. You can try her Women’s Writer Workout for free on Feb 26, and you can get on the waitlist for Publish the Personal, which will run on Wednesdays at 10 am CT Apr 3-May 15, skipping May 1.
Want to journal but don't have time? In this free gift, Nadine shares a quick video and mini-workbook with her favorite 5-minute journaling prompt.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Maria Warner
Maria's love for the Pennsylvania wilderness inspired her first book, Family Camp S'more than a Vacation. She explores her darker side in her flash publications. In her free time, Maria enjoys being outside in the mountains and spending time with her family and friends. In addition to writing, Maria's daily practices include meditation, reading, and being in nature. She completed her first (one and done) 70.3/Half Iron(Wo)Man Tri and is resting!
https://www.mariawarner.com/
IG: Mariawarner3
146 Often times the deep void we feel is the one of missing ourselves, which is why solo time is a necessity, not a luxury. Craving solo time doesn’t mean you don’t still love your people. Instead, it’s a realization that YOU are part of “your people,” and that self-attention is crucial.
Nadine shares all the benefits of solo time, as well as how to plan and get the most out of your solo retreat (without breaking the bank). She also shares the big a-ha moments from her recent "workation" solo trip to focus on her wellness and work.
Nadine's winter classes are in full swing, but if you weren’t able to sign up, never fear. You can try her Women’s Writer Workout for free on Feb 26, and you can get on the waitlist for Publish the Personal, which will run on Wednesdays at 10 am CT Apr 3-May 15, skipping May 1.
Covered in this episode:
- What a solo retreat is
- Why we need it
- The benefits
- Where to go
- When to go
- How to lessen stress and decision fatigue
- How to create your treat-list
- Why we need planned spontaneity
- What not to do on your solo trip
- How to prep your people
- What to bring
- How to maximize flow state
- Top reflection exercises to get you clear
- What it means to have a “for here” attitude
- How to prioritize your needs
Want to journal but don't have time? In this free gift, Nadine shares a quick video and mini-workbook with her favorite 5-minute journaling prompt.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
We start back up Feb 11 with a star-studded line up and deeply intimate heart-to-hearts! You won’t want to miss it. Now’s your chance to catch up on any past episodes you missed before we dive into our next season!
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
143 An encore episode featuring Nadine’s favorite exercises for reflecting on the year that was and being intentional about the year to come.
nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
142 Want to journal, write, or publish in 2024? Nadine explains her exciting new offerings.
nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 141: What were Nadine's favorite conversations and solo episodes of 2023? Get all the behind the scenes info about what episodes made the list and why.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
A frank, honest chat about the Publishing Industry
119 Jane Friedman
A Super Practical Guide to Applying to Writing Residencies:
124 Faith Adiele
Magic and Inspiration:
115 Linda Sivertsen
Chats w/ Nadine’s Students:
106 Charlotte Maya
102 Barbara Phillips
108 Francesca Royster
Solo Eps:
101 Taking a workation
116 Book trailer and book news
Runners up:
105 Secrets of a writing coaching
107 Titles that Hook a Reader
138 8 Things I’ve Learned as an Author & Entrepreneur
Writing Podcasts I’ve been a Guest on
112 & 113 Daring to Tell - The importance of journaling
97 First Words - Being a mama and a writer
Ep 140: What were Nadine's favorite conversations and solo episodes of 2023? Get all the behind the scenes info about what episodes made the list and why.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's 2024 classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Favorite Conversation of the Year
131 Mae Yoshikawa
Favorite Solo Episode:
132 How to Stop Second Guessing: The Rubik's Cube
Runner’s Up in the Solo Ep Category:
127 Power of Simplicity during Overwhelming Times
118 Anti-striving
129 On turning 40 and not having it all figured out
Understanding ourselves:
104 Susan Piver
How to be our own best advocates
130 Hillary Alberta Sheerer
Friendship Breakups
134 Laura Tremaine
Financial Wellness:
123 Kimberlee Davis
Decluttering:
135 Millennial minimalists
Career:
110 Anupy Singla
117 Nisha Melvani
Guest appearances
In 2023, Nadine was a guest on:
139 Millennial Minimalists
126 And So she Left
124 Living Centered
139 Check out Nadine's guest appearance on the Millennial Minimalists podcast where she talks about her big life decluttering in 2021: selling her house and pairing down on most of her things to go on the road for 3 months with her family (3 people, 2 dogs, and a beta fish in a 27 foot camper, what could go wrong?!)
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's classes here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
138 Ever wonder what life is like behind the scenes as a writer and biz owner? In this candid episode, Nadine shares the highs and lows & successes and failures of being a creative and CEO.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Publish the Personal class here.
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
About the Publish the Personal Students:
Margaret Ghielmetti wrote Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist to inspire readers that it’s never too late to live our own lives. She loves solo show, improv, and “live lit” storytelling (winning two Moth StorySLAMs) – and is delighted that The New York Times published her Tiny Love Story! https://margaretghielmetti.com Find her NY Times piece here.
Betsy Armstrong is a writer and mom who earned an Honorary MFA from her writing coach (Nadine). Her essays have been recognized and published by Writer’s Digest, The Pinch Journal, and WOW-Women on Writing. Her memoir is forthcoming from SheWrites Press in spring of 2025. Read her Brevity Blog piece here.
MaryEllen Giombetti is a life and professional development coach, end of life doula, and writer based out of Boston, MA. She runs Empowered by Meg where she helps individuals and teams build stress management and emotional intelligence skills, manage career goals, and navigate transitions. Read her Tiny Love Story here
137 Need a little soul medicine in the midst of hardship? Nadine shares her current favorite podcasts, newsletters, books, etc that offer little doses of healing and hope.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Publish the Personal class here.
136 If you’re in need of a bravery boost, look no further. Gutsy author, Natalie Franke, explains why sometimes the most courageous moments are the quietest. In this candid episode, Natalie shares her most courageous moments and what has helped her find discernment when making big decisions.
Covered in this episode:
-what “being gutsy” really looks like
-the most clarifying moments in Natalie’s and Nadine’s lives
-why Natalie turned down her first book deal
-how to navigate huge professional changes
-how to leave the safety of the familiar in pursuit of something new
-Natalie’s advice for all the entrepreneurs out there
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
About Natalie:
Natalie Franke is an author, entrepreneur, community builder, and mama bear for small business. She is the Head of Community at FloDesk. Natalie currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two small children. When she isn’t writing, she can be found doodling, drinking more caffeine than is appropriate, and rocking out to the Paw Patrol soundtrack with her kids.
Gutsy is your guidebook to uncovering the audacious courage within you and making an impact on this world that only you can make. This book will help you learn to turn off the expectations of others, ask for what you deserve, stick your neck out, and be brave enough to take that next step.
This book is for you if:
- You’ve been putting things off, procrastinating, or feeling stuck
- You’re done letting the opinions of others hold you back
- You’re tired of chasing after approval and hustling for validation
- You know that you are capable of greatness with a little push
- You’re ready to take action and become the boss of your own life
The gap between where you are and where you want to be is never as wide as you think it is. Gutsy will turn your momentary pause into forward progress with a heavy dose of radical curiosity, audacious courage, and abundant grace.
https://nataliefranke.com/
IG: @nataliefranke
Gutsy: Learning to Live with Bold, Brave, and Boundless Courage https://a.co/d/6GQxCl3
135 We all want to live more vibrant and creative lives, but often times clutter--physical, mental, emotional--robs our precious energy. Never fear! The Millennial Minimalists explain how to declutter our homes, brains, hearts, and devices so that we can live expansive lives.
Covered in this episode:
-How Kelly, Lauren, and Nadine have minimalized different areas of their lives for the better.
-What minimalism is and how it benefits you
-Top tips for decluttering a space
-Mental and emotional decluttering
-How to minimize distracting visual and audio input
-How decluttering can make more space for your creativity
-What digital clutter is and how to minimize it
-The incredible life you can lead when your life is decluttered
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
About the Millennial Minimalists:
Kelly Foss and Lauren Morley are two Canadian millennials and minimalists on a mission to live more with less. Join them as they remove life's excess in favor of adopting minimalist lifestyles. Their goal is to inspire you to design a simpler, more intentional life.
Mastersimplicity.com
134 We covered it all in this candid episode, including how to make friends, stay friends, and even write about friends. Laura Tremaine, author of the Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs, discusses the many facets of friendships that change as we change. We discuss the painful topic of friendship break-ups, why it can be one of the most devastating experiences, and how to make-up or move on. This episode is also a delight for aspiring writers. Laura discusses her book writing process, from idea inception to sharing her finished manuscript with her real-life characters (and how they reacted).
Covered in this episode:
-What a Life Council is and why you need one
-The benefits of having each kind of friend
-Why friendships change
-Mending or healing from friendship break-ups
-How The Life Council idea came to be
-The inspiration for the book's structure
-The most vulnerable part of writing the book
-Dealing with real-life characters' reactions to the book
-How non-fiction writers can navigate their own experience of writing about real-life characters.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
About Laura:
Laura Tremaine is a writer, avid reader, and enthusiastic podcaster. She is the host of the 10 Things To Tell You podcast and author of The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs and Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. Laura grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Los Angeles sight unseen when she was 22 years old. She worked in film and television production for many years at MTV, VH1, Fox, and Paramount Pictures before pursuing writing full-time. Laura has been sharing her life online for over a decade. She writes about friendship, anxiety, motherhood, and marriage. Her posts and podcast episodes resonate with women looking for ways to connect more deeply with others as they transform from one era of life into another. Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.
Website & Social Channels:
Website: www.lauratremaine.com
Follow Laura on Facebook & Instagram
Book Info:
Learn more & purchase her first book, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.
Buy her new book, The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs
Secret Stuff Info:
Join her Secret Stuff membership community + book club on Patreon
Subscribe to her free Secret Posts newsletter
Podcast Info:
Website: www.10thingstotellyou.com/podcast
Listen on Apple Podcasts HERE & Spotify HERE
Follow 10 Things To Tell You on Facebook & Instagram
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
132 If you’ve been looping in the woulda-coulda-shouldas, or if you feel like your attempts to make things better have only made things messier, listen in. In this solo episode, Nadine discusses:
-Life’s Rubik’s cube
-The life choices that have made things simultaneously better and worse for her
-The truth about regret and why it’s not helpful
-How to move beyond second guessing and regret
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
131 In this profound episode, yoga and meditation instructor, Mae Yoshikawa, talks about how to hold on when you're faced with devastating circumstances. If you feel adrift and in deep pain, this hopeful conversation is for you.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Mae Yoshikawa:
Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, she became the first Japanese woman to be authorized by the founding school of Ashtanga Yoga in India. Since then, Mae has been a trailblazing force in the wellness field throughout the Asia-Pacific region as Japanese Yogini magazine featured her on 42 consecutive covers. Mae also penned a widely popular column for this magazine for ten years. As the face of adidas yoga and the Founder of VedaTokyo.com, Mae was awarded the “Yoga People’s Award” in 2016 for her remarkable social impact in the wellness field. Her upcoming book, Kizuki: Life’s Tidal Waves + Epiphanies = Love Beyond Time and Death encapsulates her life-changing journey of a metamorphosis of identity after the sudden loss of her husband in 2018.
Website: https://maey.live/
IG: @maeyoshikawa https://www.instagram.com/maeyoshikawa/
Studio website: https://vedatokyo.com/
130 Whether you're experiencing infertility or want to support someone who is, you won't want to miss this profound conversation with researcher and advocate, Hillary Alberta Sherer. In this episode, Nadine and Hillary discuss the emotional impact of infertility, how to support yourself or your loved one, the most important questions to ask when seeking treatment, and how best to self-advocate as a patient. This empowering and hopeful conversation reminds us all that we know our bodies best and have the right to advocate for ourselves. Hillary is the founder of Humanize Infertility and is working to humanize infertility with one woman, one couple, and one story at a time by empowering those struggling with infertility with knowledge, hope, and connection.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Hillary:
Hillary Alberta Sherer is a biotechnology researcher with expert knowledge in the policy and ethical conversations around infertility. Utilizing over 15 years of clinical science research experience, she saw a need for more robust, transparent, and accessible research on infertility and infertility technologies. This led to her dissertation work on the ethical guidelines and policies surrounding egg donation. She is an activist for positive change that enables women to make informed and autonomous decisions about their health and wellbeing. She received her B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Public Policy and Ph.D. in Biotechnology Policy and Ethics all from The Georgia Institute of Technology (aka the Georgia Tech Trifecta). Hillary resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two kiddos, and 100-pound goldendoodle.
Website: https://www.hillarysherer.com/
IG: @humanizeinfertility
Resources shared in this episode:
ASRM
SART
Fertility and Sterility
PubMed
Dr Natalie Crawford
The Egg Whisperer
129 Nadine reflects on how she thought her life would be different, lessons that have come with getting older, new uncertainties that have arisen, and what her favorite age has been so far. These reflective questions will have you thinking about aging, wisdom, and what it means to be human.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
127
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
125 Want to know how to fulfill your writing and traveling dreams (& receive full or partial funding)? Grab a notebook because this episode with travel memoirist Faith Adiele is FULL of helpful info and resources. In addition to chatting about Faith's memoir, her travel column, her 20+ residencies, and her fascinating experiences as Thailand's first black Buddhist nun, we discuss:
-How to find writing residency opportunities
-The amazing places you can visit while on residency
-How to make your application stand out
-Why you don't need publication credentials in order to be chosen
-How to ask for the funding and opportunities you want
About Faith:
FAITH ADIELE is author of the memoirs Meeting Faith, an account of flunking out of Harvard and ordaining as Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun that won the PEN Open Book Award, and the humorous The Nigerian Nordic Girl’s Guide to Lady Problems. She has attended 20+ artists’ residencies around the globe and writes a syndicated travel column that appears in Detour: Best Stories in Black Travel and the Miami Herald. Named one of Marie Claire magazine’s “Five Women to Learn From,” Faith speaks and teaches workshops in memoir and travel writing at Esalen, Open Center NYC, InsightLA, VONA/Voices and elsewhere.
Website
Instagram @meetingfaith
Twitter @meetingfaith
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
In the past 2 years alone, Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish 12 books and more that 200+ pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Learn more about her Women's journaling and meditation
Nadine shares her recent guest appearance on the Living Centered podcast where she talked about tapping into your innate wisdom through journaling your story. This vulnerable, powerful conversation was one of Nadine's favorite podcast chats as a guest. She also gets practical and shares accessible journal prompts that changed her life and the life of her workshop and retreat participants.
The Living Centered Podcast is an invitation to a different way of living. Every Monday, they sit down with mental health experts, artists, and friends for a practical and honest conversation about how to pursue a more centered life—rediscovering, reclaiming, and rooting in who we truly are.
onsiteworkshops.com
Onsite on Instagram &Facebook
Miles Adcox on Instagram
Lindsey Nobles on Instagram
Mickenzie Vought on Instagram
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
In the past 2 years alone, Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish 12 books and more that 200+ pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Learn more about her Women's journaling and meditation retreat at Omega Institute, Aug 20-25.
Follow Nadine on Instagram
123 How is financial wellness a form of self care for women? The fiscal feminist Kimberlee Davis shares her own story of how she went from making money mistakes to becoming partner at a private wealth management firm. She helps women of all ages and wealth levels embrace their responsibility to themselves to achieve solid financial footing in both calm and turbulent times.
Covered in this episode:
-the extra money obstacles women face
-why ignorance is not bliss when it comes to financial knowledge
-why women are better with money
-the money language you speak and how to communicate about money with others
-how money impacts marriages
-what you can do now to take control of your finances
-why it's not too late to make changes
-how to create a safety net for your future
-how to do a little at a time so it's not overwhelming
About Kimberlee:
Kimberlee Davis is the host of The Fiscal Feminist, a podcast and platform about women and their relationship with money and finance. Her mission is to help all women of all ages and wealth levels embrace their responsibility to themselves to achieve solid financial footing in both calm and turbulent times. Kimberlee has more than 25 years of finance, legal, and corporate experience and is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Currently she is Managing Director and Partner at The Bahnsen Group, a private wealth management firm. She is the proud mother of her three daughters, Allison, Claire and Merrill. She lives in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Website: thefiscalfeminist.com
IG @thefiscalfeminist
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
In the past 2 years alone, Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish 12 books and more that 200+ pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Learn more about her Women's journaling and meditation retreat at Omega...
122 Summer is never perfect, and yet we expect it to be. Whether you’re juggling work, family, or unexpected twists, summertime is often anything but a vacation, especially for type A personalities. In this episode, Nadine shares her own summer sh*tshow story as well as 5 approaches for handling summer shenanigans. Covered in this episode:
- How your expectations are ruining your summer
- Discovering the seasonal rhythm that works for you
- How to still love your family and friends even when you’re spending a LOT of time together
- Why “vacation” looks different for everyone and figuring out what your relaxation non-negotiables are
- Why you might still feel exhausted even if you’re getting solid sleep - the 7 different kinds of rest
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
In the past 2 years alone, Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish 12 books and more that 200+ pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here. Membership SALE ends 6/26.
Learn more about her Women's journaling and meditation retreat at Omega Institute, Aug 20-25.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
- Can you actually make a living as a writer? You can, and Allison K Williams shows us how. She's an editor, writer, instructor, retreat leader, and the social media editor of Brevity. Whether your goal is to be a published writer or a professional writing coach, The Unkind Editor (as she calls herself) gives tons of practical, no-nonsense tips. Covered in this episode:
-How to set yourself apart from others in the writing industry
-Strategies for creating a writing-related business
-Authentically growing your audience
-Why we all need an honest edit
-How many drafts you actually need
-Prioritizing your time and saying no
-What Brevity blog is looking for in a submission
-How to deal with rejection
About Allison:
Allison K Williams has edited and coached writers to deals with Penguin Random House, Knopf, Mantle, Spencer Hill, St. Martin’s and independent presses. She’s guided essayists to publication in the New Yorker, Time, the Guardian, the New York Times, McSweeney’s and TED Talks. As Social Media Editor for Brevity, she inspires thousands of writers with blogs on craft and the writing life.
Twitter | Instagram
Madeline Island Retreat
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Want a sneak peak of the prompts from the book? Download her writing for wellness resource guide that includes her #1 most effective journaling exercise. It's a fan favorite at all her workshops and retreats.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
In the past 2 years alone, Nadine has helped writers in her community develop and publish 12 books and more that 200+ pieces in places like The New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Learn more about her Women's journaling and meditation
119 If you've ever wanted o pick a writing and publishing expert's brain, today's your lucky day! Guru Jane Friedman answers all your burning questions about the business of being a writer (which also happens to be the title of her latest book). Covered in this episode:
-How the pandemic changed the state of the publishing industry (for the better)
-How to have an honest outlook about get published and still have hope
-How to give yourself yourself grace when you're burnt out
-Marketing approaches that actually work
-Writing newsletters that people get excited to read
-The best writing advice books
-The best writing advice given and received
About Jane:
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com
Twitter: @janefriedman
Instagram handle: @janefriedman
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@janefriedman
Jane's upcoming newsletter class
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community here.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
118
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
117 Can you create a beloved following by being yourself? Cookbook author, Nisha Melvani, has. Her blog-turned-instagram-handle is cherished by over half a million followers. In this episode, Nisha chats with Nadine about:
-how living in many places (Jamaica, England, Canada, NY) has impacted her cooking
-how food affects our bodies
-how to eat more plants even if you're not vegan
-how to welcome a career change even while raising kids
-how sharing her recipes led to unexpected writing opportunities
-how to have a healthy relationship with social media
About Nisha:
Cookingforpeanuts.com I @cookingforpeanuts
Nisha is a vegan Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University, an ACCET accredited trained Chef from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, and a published cookbook author of Practically Vegan. She currently lives with her three teenagers in New York City. Nisha uses her professional expertise and personal experience as a vegan to help vegans and nonvegans transition to a plant-based diet and meet their nutrient needs. She enjoys helping her clients with their cooking, nutrition, and health goals.
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
116 Nadine shares all the behind the scenes info about her new book, Come Home to Your Heart:
-why she never intended to write this book
-the low point that led her to start writing it
-how this book is different than her other projects
-how it has changed her and how she hopes it will help you
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Interested in Nadine's Door County, WI women's writing retreat June 2-6? Registration closes May 19: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep. 115 Beloved author and podcaster Linda Sivertsen talks candidly about the mystical dream that launched her career and the pitfalls she faced on the way to becoming a bestselling author. She also shares the inspiration behind new book, Beautiful Writers, and how she's been able to foster relationships with the most acclaimed writers of our time (Elizabeth Gilbert, Martha Beck, Cheryl Strayed, the list goes on). If you're wondering how to keep showing up for your creativity and cultivate relationships with people you admire, this honest, inspiring episode is for you!
About Linda:
Linda Sivertsen, “Book Mama,” is in LOVE with books—reading, writing, and selling them. Her titles have won awards and hit all the lists as an author, co-author, and former magazine editor and ghostwriter. But her driving force has been to publish sustainably. Naïve and optimistic enough to believe in magic, she’s on a mission to save forests via her role as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Ambassador. When she’s not fostering literary love matches on her Beautiful Writers Podcast (a favorite stop for writers on tour), writing, and promoting Beautiful Writers, or midwifing books at her Carmel or virtual writing retreats, Linda can be found on the back of a horse or running with her dogs. She and her husband live on their ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Follow Linda on Instagram: @linda_sivertsen
About Nadine:
Her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Interested in Nadine's Door County, WI women's writing retreat June 2-6? It's almost sold out: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
114
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
113 Nadine shares a sneak peek excerpt of her new book, Come Home to Your Heart, in which she writes about one of her lowest moments and how she got out of it.
Come Home to Your Heart, is available for pre-order on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It comes out May 9.
Interested in Nadine's Door County, WI women's writing retreat June 2-6? It's almost sold out: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
112 In Part 1 of this 2-part series, Nadine talks to Daring to Tell host, Michelle Redo, about the life-changing impact that journaling has had on her, and how it led her to create her own guided journal. Stay tuned for part 2 of their conversation next week, when Nadine shares a sneak peek excerpt of her new book, Come Home to Your Heart.
Nadine's latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available for pre-order on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It comes out May 9.
Interested in Nadine's Door County, WI women's writing retreat June 2-6? It's almost sold out: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
111 Nadine shares a replay of her 2021 Easter essay as well as a reflection and meditation. A new version of this essay also appears in Nadine’s forthcoming book, Come Home to Your Heart, which is available for pre-order on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It comes out May 9
Interested in Nadine's CA women's writing retreat April 20-23 or her WI retreat June 2-6? Enrollment is closing soon. nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
109 What have the last 8 months in FL really been like and do warmer winters make any difference on her mood? Nadine tells all and gives a sneak peek of what's in store professionally and personally in 2023. She also fills you in on her recent women's retreat.
Interested in her CA retreat in April or her WI retreat in June? Enrollment is closing soon. nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
108 Nadine interviews Francesca about her powerful new book, Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance. Francesca talks about falling in love with her partner, adopting their daughter, and creating their chosen family. She also discusses how she maintains her identity as a creative while being a professor and parent. This impactful interview inspires us to challenge conventions to create lives of our choosing.
Francesca Royster is a native of Chicago’s South Side and a professor of English literature at DePaul University in Chicago, where she teaches classes on African American literature and culture, Shakespeare, and gender and queer theory. She is the author of two academic books and her essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Chicago Literati, and Feminist Studies, among others. She lives in Chicago.
Find her book here.
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
107 A good title gets your story published and read. A bad title could mean that your incredible tale never even gets considered. Nadine shares her top ticks and trips for titling stories and books.
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
106 Charlotte Maya is a stunning writer who captures the human experience with unflinching truth and love. In this conversation, she talks about new memoir, Sushi Tuesdays, and how she hopes that discussing hard topics will help save lives. She opens up about losing her first husband, the support network that saved her, and how she found love again.
Charlotte Maya writes about suicide loss, resilience and hope. Her writing explores the intersections of grief, parenting and self-care, particularly within the context of suicide. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times (Modern Love), Hippocampus, and The Mighty, and she has been featured on the A2A Alliance and the Your Next Chapter podcast. Her memoir, Sushi Tuesdays, was released in Feb 2023. She lives in Southern California with her husband Tim in their relatively empty nest. She enjoys hiking in the local foothills, as well as downward dogging with her so-called hunting dog. She received her B.A. from Rice University and her J.D. from UCLA. https://www.charlotte-maya.com/ IG: charlottemayawrites
Nadine Kenney Johnstone:
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
105 One of the biggest hurdles writers face is structure—how to take this mess of thoughts and organize them in a meaningful way. Nadine shares the tried and true methods that have worked for her and her writers. Packed with examples, this mini masterclass covers the key approaches to structuring your story or book.
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
104 Buddhist teacher and writer, Susan Piver, talks about the surprising path that landed her on Oprah and the NY Times bestseller list. She candidly opens up about the pitfalls of publishing that lead her to start her own press. Nadine and Susan share the secrets and support systems that help them as authors, and Susan explains the benefits of the Buddhist Enneagram as a tool for understanding ourselves and each other.
SUSAN PIVER is a Buddhist teacher and the New York Times bestselling author of The Hard Questions, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart, Start Here Now, The Four Noble Truths of Love, and others. Her latest book is The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship. Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1993. She is founder of the Open Heart Project, a virtual meditation community with 20,000 members all over the world. She lives in Somerville, MA, and Austin, TX.
The Open Heart Project The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship Instagram Facebook
Award-winning author NADINE KENNEY JOHNSTONE is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Yogi Approved, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
103 Nadine shares all the details of her new book as well as a sneak peek of the first chapter.
Pre-order Nadine's new book, Come Home to Your Heart, on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
102 Nadine sits down with writer and social justice activist, Barbara Phillips to discuss her journey to becoming a creative writer after her career as an associate law professor and a civil rights litigator. Barbara reads her New York Times published essay and discusses her process of writing through grief. She also talks about the impact that place has had on her and her stories. The episode includes 40 minutes of bonus material at the end, in which Barbara shares 2 other stories and the inspiration behind both pieces.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and try Writer Workout for free on Feb 13 at 12CT by emailing Nadine through her website: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
101 Rather than taking a vacation from work, a work-action is a solo trip to focus on your creative projects. Nadine talks about where and why she took a recent work-ation and the unexpected outcomes that came from it.
Registration for Nadine’s Feb womens beach retreat closes Jan 31!
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Nadine talks about unexpected holiday mayhem and announces a short break.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
99 Get clear on the life you want, inspired Nadine's interview with Authority Magazine where she shares her favorite journaling processes for clarity.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out Nadine’s sale on 2023 retreats, membership, and coaching at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
98 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
The meditation itself starts at 10:40, if you've done the set up and want to go directly to the opening chime.
97 Nadine talks vulnerably with Jazmine and Casey about mothering and writing on the First Words podcast. She also reads some of her recent work aloud.
IG: firstwords.podcast
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
While Nadine is on a break, she shares her guest appearance on the Radically Loved podcast, where talks about the power of writing in your healing journey.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com including a place to join the Writer Workouts that Nadine and Tessa talk about in this episode.
Listen to EP 62 Healing When Your Heart is Hurting if you want to hear the essay that Nadine references in this conversation.
95- While Nadine takes a few weeks off, enjoy this conversation she had when she was on Shannon Keating's podcast, Unmasked and Open Hearted, where she talks about giving your heart room to speak
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
94 Nadine shares some big news about creative projects in the works and details about her holiday sale.
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website: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
93 Take a mini retreat during your busy holiday season with this gratitude meditation.
Join Nadine's newsletter community to get all the insider details about her holiday sale!: https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community
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Website: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
92 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
91 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
90 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
89 Rehearsing Joy Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) for the latest retreat and workshop offerings.
88 Nadine Kenney Johnstone talks with https://aprileberhardt.com/ (Literary Agent April Eberhardt) about the rapidly changing world of publishing and new doors of hybrid and self publishing women writers have for how to get their work in front of readers. April Eberhardt has been engaged in the international literary community for the past 12 years. In addition to working with authors to conceptualize, write and publish their stories, she has interviewed authors at literary events, and speaks regularly at conferences to help authors better understand the evolving publishing landscape. She serves on the Advisory Council for The American Library in Paris, and is a reader for the Best American Short Stories series published annually by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Each summer she hosts a series of writers’ retreats at a private chateau in France. aprileberhardt.com Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to learn about Nadine's Dec women’s retreat and Publish the Personal class.
87 -What a brave day is and why we need one per month -How to write a perfect pitch -The #1 thing that will up your chances of getting a yes Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) for the latest on classes and retreat offerings.
86 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and sign up for Nadine's newsletter plus check out about https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreat-inlet-beach-florida (Nadine's "Clarity" Retreat) happening this December in Inlet Beach Florida at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/well-retreats (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep. 85 Nadine shares contemplations about turning 39 and reads an essay-letter she wrote to her 29 year old self. She also shares a meditation for letting go of outcomes. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and go to https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) to check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings.
84 What life lessons is the big move teaching Nadine? On this episode, Nadine talks about the treasures and trials of life transitions. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and learn about her latest retreat and workshop offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/podcast (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
83 Nadine shares her must-read list (as well as her top podcast and tv show picks). Tag her with your fave books on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone Also check out her latest retreat and workshop offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/podcast (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep. 82 During this busy time of the year, it's important to remember REST. Nadine brings back her favorite yoga nidra meditation so you can take a mini retreat. If you want to go directly to the start of the meditation, jump to 12:21 of this episode. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to see the latest retreat and workshop offerings.
81 Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com )to see the latest retreat and workshop offerings.
Ep. 80 In this special update, Nadine shares the details of her recent move. Learn what area her family chose and why, as well as the highs and lows of their big transition. Share this episode on Instagram and tag her @nadinekenneyjohnstone Learn more about her upcoming November retreat and other class offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
If anxiety has taken over your brain and body, this meditation is for you. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community) to get a free Journaling for Self Care download.
Ep. 78 In this special episode, 3 writers from my Publish the Personal workshop share their personal stories about believing in themselves as writers and as women. Find out more about https://laurathomaplaywright.com/index.html (Laura Thoma) https://www.amazon.com/Brave-ish-Memoir-Recovering-Perfectionist/dp/1631527479/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=231c2f22-4b4e-4766-9d7c-b8cb47871064 (Margaret Ghielmetti) https://www.natlockettwrites.com/ (Nat Lockett) Join Nadine’s next cohort of Publish the Personal, which starts Aug 25: https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/publish-the-personal (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to see workshop and retreat offerings.
Ep. 76 Sister Golden’s art has been featured in HGTV mag, Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, and in homes around the world. So what makes this Mother Daughter duo so successful? Vicki and Brooke Rawlins join Nadine to talk about starting the biz 8 years ago and how it transformed from an idea to an online shop and a beloved brick and mortar in the heart of Door County, WI. Vicki shares the behind the scenes details of writing her forthcoming book, The Power of Flowers, and Brooke discusses how they’ve built such a loyal and large social media following. If you’re a female creative looking to take a leap without having it all planned out, you’ll love this episode! http://sistergolden.com/ (sistergolden.com) https://sistergolden.com/collections/flower-art-prints (Flower art prints) https://www.instagram.com/sistergoldenshop/ (Instagram) https://www.amazon.com/Power-Flowers-Turning-Pieces-Transformative/dp/1631068709/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=pzYJb&content-id=amzn1.sym.91202c6f-1c11-4e3d-b51a-3af958cedd30&pf_rd_p=91202c6f-1c11-4e3d-b51a-3af958cedd30&pf_rd_r=QQ3AWBD58WCYSVP0YR0A&pd_rd_wg=L549n&pd_rd_r=20614bdd-e7fa-4539-b586-c2b5853e5b08&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk (Amazon preorder link) A bit about Sister Golden: We began in 2014 as an online-based shop headquartered in sunny San Diego, CA. Two short years later we planted roots as a brick and mortar store in beautiful Door County, WI. Vicki (or ‘V’ as everyone calls her) is the artist behind our unique flower art made completely from Mother Nature. While V creates her art, Brooke manages most other aspects of the business, and we have a lot of help from talented people in between! Fun fact: the name Sister Golden comes from the America song Sister Golden Hair. The title of that song was the inspiration behind a nickname Brooke’s dad gave her when she was little, and the name just stuck. Follow Nadine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nadinekenneyjohnstone/ (@nadinekenneyjohnstone) and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to find her latest workshop and retreat offerings.
Ep. 75 If you've been thinking of writing personal stories or are in the midst of a creative nonfiction project, this one is for you. Nadine debunks some of the most common writerly advice and shares what really works. These are the top 5 tips from her 15 years as an author, professor, and writing coach. Share this episode with a friend and tag Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram Sign up for Nadine’s newsletter at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to be the first alerted about all the latest retreats and workshops.
Ep. 74 In this special episode, 3 writers from my Publish the Personal workshop share their personal stories about navigating transitions: making hard decisions, walking through grief, and embracing love after loss. Find out more about https://betsyarmstrong.com/ (Betsy Armstrong), https://www.robynpassowfisher.com/ (Robyn Fisher) and https://www.wbez.org/stories/my-pandemic-year-to-isolate-to-rest-and-try-not-to-die/ae93e874-6173-4540-a316-47a0eefac8ca (Stan Engelson). Join Nadine’s next cohort of Publish the Personal, which starts Aug 25: https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/publish-the-personal (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep. 73 How do you cure writer’s block? How do you keep writing when you’re uninspired, overwhelmed, or self-critical? Nadine shares 5 sure-fire tips for writing when you don’t want to write. Nadine’s most saught-after class, Publish the Personal, begins Aug 25, and early bird pricing ends July 7. Sign up at Https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/publish-the-personal (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/publish-the-personal) Share this episode with a friend and tag Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram Sign up for Nadine’s newsletter at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) to be the first alerted about her Nov beach retreat!
Ep 72 Nadine shares an essay about her recent travels as well as a meditation for you to get more in touch with who you are. You’ll also hear about an upcoming class she’s teaching. Follow Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) to sign up for the newsletter so you can be the first to know about new retreats and classes.
In this special episode, 3 writers from my Publish the Personal workshop share their personal stories about the cherished moments and the challenges of being partners, parents, and grandparents. https://delloruth.com/ (https://delloruth.com/) https://sallyschwartz.com/ (https://sallyschwartz.com/) https://tonyacoatswrites.com/ (https://tonyacoatswrites.com/) Want to join Nadine’s fall Publish the Personal workshop? Be sure to be part of her newsletter community so you’ll be the first to know when enrollment opens https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
How can you calm your inner critic and fall back in love with your body? Holistic life coach, Shannon Keating, joins Nadine to share practices for creating a positive body image and accessing your intuition. Shannon Keating is a Holistic Life Coach for Women, Teen Girls in Middle/High School, & Young Adult Women in College. She is also a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Guided Meditation Teacher, Human Design Reader, Intuitive, and the host of the Unmasked & Open Hearted Podcast. https://www.shannonkeating.com/ (https://www.shannonkeating.com/) IG: @shannonkeating Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshops at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep. 69 Nadine gushes about the women's writing and wellness retreat she hosted in Door County, WI last week and which components led to the biggest transformations. Curious about what happens at Nadine's WriteWELL retreats? Listen in! Be the first to know about upcoming retreats and offerings by signing up for Nadine' newsletter community at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com/community)
Ep. 68 In this episode, astrologist Heidi Rose Robbins shocks Nadine with her spot-on reading of Nadine's chart. Heidi also gives easy tips for understanding our sun, moon, and rising signs. Heidi Rose Robbins has been a professional astrologer for 25 years, helping thousands of clients all over the globe live with more authenticity and clarity. She hosts two podcasts, THE RADIANCE PROJECT, featuring poetry, astrology, and good company, and CHART YOUR CAREER, with co-host Ellen Fondiler. Twice a year, she leads Radiant Life Retreats, for people wishing to take a deeper dive into her work. Website: http://heidirose.com/ (heidirose.com) IG: @heidiroserobbins Listeners can find snapshots here: http://heidirose.com/astrology (heidirose.com/astrology) Nadine's website https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) Nadine's IG: https://www.instagram.com/nadinekenneyjohnstone/ (@nadinekenneyjohnstone)
Ep. 67 In this candid talk, Nadine shares her own burnout story, as well as the tell-tale signs you're in burnout, and how to recover. For more info on Nadine's summer retreats, visit: https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreats (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreats)
Ep. 66 Nadine and author Ashton August had so much fun talking about road-tripping, book writing, and course-correcting when when life throws you for a loop. Ashton August is the founder of YogiApproved.com, a leading yoga and wellness digital magazine. She is also the Founder of YA Classes, an online yoga and fitness membership platform that plants a food-producing tree for farming communities in West Africa for every class a member completes. Use code ASHTONYOGA for discounts IG: @iamashtonaugust Follow Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Ep. 65 Nadine shares a Mother’s Day essay about wanting to hold onto a moment. The episode ends with a meditation about stamping memories into the gallery of your heart. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and check out the latest retreat and workshop offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Award winning author and retreat leader Renee Trudeau joins Nadine to talk about the self discernment practices she does when she feels lost, why she walked away from a book deal, how her life has changed in the last 2 years, and why retreat is so important for women. Renee and Nadine geek out on why they love leading & taking retreats. Renee's Info: Subscribe to Renee’s weekly http://www.reneetrudeau.com/blog (Live Inside Out blog) where she shares personal stories/support for living intentionally. View all Renee’s http://www.reneetrudeau.com/events-calendar (upcoming retreats) including her May 6-8 Awakening Your Wild Soul in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC and Oct. 14-16 at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health (Berkshire Mountains of MA). https://reneetrudeau.com/2020/07/this-is-the-time-to-take-a-retreat-heres-how/ (Tips on Taking a Personal Planning Retreat) Follow Renee in Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reneetrudeau_/ (@reneetrudeau_)
Nadine's Info: Download Nadine's free https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (soul-centered journaling guide) with her favorite prompts for coming home to your heart. Checkout her upcoming https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreats (retreats), like her Women's Writing Retreat in Camden, Maine Aug 7-11 (journaling, yoga nidra, waterfront venue on a private beach) Follow Nadine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nadinekenneyjohnstone/ (@nadinekenneyjohnstone)
Madeline discusses how she made art into a career by commanding space and respect. She also became an arts activist, calling for inclusivity in the arts world and fostering the careers of many Black artists. Learn more about Madeline and her impactful work at Madelinerabb.com Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) to see my latest workshop and retreat offerings.
Ep. 62 When we are grappling with loss, it feels like heartache might swallow us whole. How do we keep going when we are in deep pain? In this moving essay, Nadine shares the healing realization that helped her during a difficult time. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit her website to see her latest class and retreat offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Bookmark this super valuable How To Episode so you can plan in advance when launching and promotion a big creative project like a book. Nadine details her CASE method she used when launching her Memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, five years ago. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone See Nadine's latest workshops and retreat offerings at her website https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (Nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep. 60 Nadine discusses a recent hardship and the approach that is helping her heal. She also shares five books to help move through times of anxiety and crisis. What do you do to reset your perspective and calm yourself through crisis? Share with Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone Visit Nadine's https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (website) to sign up for the next Publish the Personal class, Podcast Edition! Beginning April 7th.
Ep. 59 If panic and worry are consuming you, this healing meditation will bare witness to your pain and soothe your soul. For Nadine’s downloadable journaling exercise, visit Her website at https://NadineKenneyJohnstone.com/community (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)/ Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
While Nadine is on a short break, she is sharing this flashback episode with you about her favorite self help books. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone Check out the latest workshop and retreat happenings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
The thread of serendipity has led Amy to be a home-birthing doula living on an organic farm in MA and an executive living on Capitol Hill. She is a mother of 5 and was the doula who helped bring Nadine and Jamie's son into this world. In this inspiring episode, Amy talks about the ups and downs in her life and how she has navigated them with grace and resilience. Amy reminds women that we are stronger and more resilient than we think. Amy is president and COO of https://convene.com/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_keyword=convene&utm_campaign=convene-branded-dt-us&utm_term=convene&gclid=CjwKCAiAprGRBhBgEiwANJEY7NJA_9-_H5c1LDGOsQoHAvpUfpFzmT0XCwXdGmWllPWR_ksvsCZjaxoClxMQAvD_BwE (Convene). Her consulting company is called https://www.newfashioned.co/ (New Fashioned). Nadine's https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops/p/publishthepersonal-jkhw3-baypf (Publish the Personal) class starts April 7. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and visit nadinekenneyjohnstone.com to see Nadine's latest offerings, workshops and retreats.
Ep. 56 A spring cleaning for your soul: reflections and rituals for welcoming spring. Every spring we feel the need to purge and declutter but what about tending to our very own spirits? What stale energy is no longer serving you and what new possibilities do you want to welcome in? Nadine shares prompts and a meditation for your Soul’s Spring Cleaning. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and see retreat and workshop offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) Her May retreat has 1 room left. Book mentioned: Hello Goodbye by Day Schildkret https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Goodbye-Rituals-Celebration-Change/dp/198217093X/ref=nodl_ (https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Goodbye-Rituals-Celebration-Change/dp/198217093X/ref=nodl_)
Ep. 55 Nadine and Jenna talk about the surprising moments that led Jenna to the NY Times Bestseller list and what made her switch from fiction to memoir for her latest book, Woodrow On The Bench. Want to know the adventurous things Jenna has done to research her novel topics? Listen in on their conversation! Don’t forget that if you’ve been planning to sign up for Nadine's summer women's writing retreats, 2/28 is the last day to enter code podcastone at checkout to get $100 off of either retreat! The retreats are almost full, so snag your spot! nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreats Find Nadine at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (Nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) and on IG https://www.instagram.com/nadinekenneyjohnstone/ (@nadinekenneyjohnstone). Find Jenna at: https://www.jennablum.com/ (jennablum.com) www.amightyblaze.com. Social Media Starter Kit class on Mar 4 at 12pm ET on IG https://www.instagram.com/jenna_blum/ (@jenna_blum)
Ep. 54 Is the buzz of your brain drowning out the hum of your heart? Nadine shares a story about what recently happened when she gave her heart space to speak. She also guides listeners through a meditation for tuning into your heart’s deepest longings. Follow Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on instagram and see her summer retreat offerings at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com. Enter code podcastone at checkout for $100 off! Sale ends Feb 28.
Ep. 53 Nadine's reads a special Valentine's Day essay to her husband Jamie, and then they answer listener questions about their relationship, both "for better and for worse."
Ep 52. What have been the most surprising and fulfilling moments during Heart of the Story’s 1st year? What have been the most emotional? Nadine and her producer Michelle Redo discuss their favorite moments as the podcast turns one year old! Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone Our Favorite Episodes: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2aurc6Oh7QvnfBxQgrhA0R?si=EUwizf90Sou-96fNSbuf-Q (#4 You Don’t Have to Be Perfect) (Put the Paintbrush Down) https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TD5FiaJWJljiSU8aNleX4?si=MrRJ8iVQS7WpRw1XnkpnPw (#5 How to Have Emotional Endurance) (Grandma’s Irish Bread) https://open.spotify.com/episode/30OWtO9bZsX2xyaNG3Lnqw?si=veujvrdNS2GbcZnGEI8G_w (#9 How Unexpected Generosity Changed My Life ) (My Friend Cheryl) https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rl3rHXiMaETKXea1VNFpo?si=6M3mQ4cARa2iSoIBeW5o-w (10 Creating Self Certainty )(How I Met Jamie) https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Pu1pfgj9GkerjN7Faqae7?si=kIyuvg9ZS9uvvUJRFU91ow (#34 When Things Don’t Go According to Plan) (Relocation Chaos) https://open.spotify.com/episode/77h4gHOshMSIAi67b2qp8P?si=330d649989e54319 (#43: Give Yourself the Gift of Rest: Yoga Nidra Meditation ) https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hxjIE7IHS8HEaHW5pKEiz?si=6uNruAnYTWuzvj_4E7ApPQ (#46 You Are Fierce)
Ep 51. Heart of the Story is one year old! To celebrate, Nadine talks about your top-pick episodes from the past year and shares the behind the scenes info of recording them. She also answers your serious and silly questions. To get her workshop and retreat discount code, sign up for her newsletter at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community). She'll send out the code to newsletter subscribers on Feb 7. Listener Favorite Interviews https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wYPQSALsoOMNctBscXKXc?si=eXL6hbc9QZu6vKCWB_iYSQ (#26 Road Trip Highs and Lows) https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MXBai0GhiBPEoFeO1ojQ9?si=MPmICBvUS9esQvLu9i9aXA (#7 From Seed to Story w/Tamara Belinfanti) https://open.spotify.com/episode/4VJfkV4GvHUq3Dev48Mnph?si=diN5GmeKTO-uU8runYoVEA (#39 On Memoir Writing and Self Compassion with Peg Conway) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2g664mYUgYsGe06DAeRJTv?si=0ei66pl2TN-kn6_kMRvRxA (#45 The Art of Aliveness w/Flora Bowley ) Listener Favorite Meditation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hxjIE7IHS8HEaHW5pKEiz?si=6uNruAnYTWuzvj_4E7ApPQ (#46 You Are Fierce)
Listener Favorite Talks: https://open.spotify.com/episode/30MmUnB95K00km0X3LV0US?si=QPcfIfnXSzqJNV1Vs4tJ_g (#48 How To Ask For Help) https://open.spotify.com/episode/21LH2TBbSs410RutlPWcHC?si=O5naQudrSj-CpWLp6JsJoQ (#29 12 Lessons I Learned About Life from Being a Teacher) https://open.spotify.com/episode/44eYKiXN3aTClX0RIYMKUs?si=HwvOOhY7TwKNRy28avgExg (#33 Living Seasonally) https://open.spotify.com/episode/50zLIY395Yr4YIWXUCkhYW?si=9M35__qARWilEcgnB_0pVA (#23 Remaking Your Life ) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KX8MqbTYOCR3Blts7rJqy?si=jfi0TQXOQAOYC48sHbSnjw (#47 Getting Clear on the Life You Want )
Listener Favorite Essays: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Pu1pfgj9GkerjN7Faqae7?si=kIyuvg9ZS9uvvUJRFU91ow (#34 When Things Don’t Go According to Plan) https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hTTl4Lh6iqdrXSdtQKOpq?si=vG3BrBaBQp-8pDhFHsbYZQ (#8 Finding Joy in Hidden Places) https://open.spotify.com/episode/0TD5FiaJWJljiSU8aNleX4?si=MrRJ8iVQS7WpRw1XnkpnPw (#5 How to Have Emotional Endurance) https://open.spotify.com/episode/1k0W6oYTkX2p2gfE4s1yNJ?si=HvVuum6STZGzc5ku5kgcyg (#6 How To Stay Motivated) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2aurc6Oh7QvnfBxQgrhA0R?si=EUwizf90Sou-96fNSbuf-Q (#4 You Don’t Have to Be Perfect) https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uJxpn29LgrKal2ndjW1EB?si=YF065dyFSTCjpLTX_oL9VQ (#38 Nurturing Your Nervous System)
Follow Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone
Ep 50. Nadine shares her top 10 favorite podcasts! Share what you've loved most about the first year of Heart of the Story by messaging Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 49. Nadine shares an essay about how she’s finding closure these days. She also leads you through a meditation so you can say a proper farewell to the things that are no longer serving you. Think back to your favorite essay, interview or meditation as Heart of the Story gets ready for its one year anniversary. Tag Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone or visit https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) for other workshop and retreat opportunities.
Ep 48. Nadine shares her COVID experience and how she learned to ask for and receive help. What has been one of your favorite moments from Heart of the Story? Let Nadine know, or share your feedback on the comment on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 47. How do you want to feel In 2022? Nadine guides you through her favorite clarity exercise to help you live the life you want. Check out https://medium.com/authority-magazine/author-nadine-kenney-johnstone-how-journaling-helped-me-be-more-calm-mindful-and-resilient-45a83057dd0d (Authority Magazine's) interview with Nadine about journaling. Discussed in this week's episode... https://www.shaunaniequist.com (Shauna Niequist), https://shop.daniellelaporte.com/ (Danielle LaPorte), https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TRBNGScfO2K3RWRIYJedJ?si=Jrx3QSrBTjuaH2XgMURzPQ (Jewel), https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things-with-glennon-doyle/id1564530722 (Glennon Doyle), and https://susie-moore.com/ (Susie Moore) Send Nadine an Instagram voice memo about the podcast @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 46. Amidst overwhelm and anxiety, we sometimes forget that we are powerful beyond measure. If you need a reminder of your innate fierceness, today’s meditation/pep-talk is just for you! Follow Nadine @NadineKenneyJohnstone on Instagram and check out her retreats and workshops at NadineKenneyJohnstone.com
Ep 45. If you want to feel more vibrant and inspired, this is the conversation for you. Artist and retreat leader, Flora Bowley, joins Nadine for a conversation about their favorite creative practices and Flora's new book, The Art of Aliveness. Get 20% off of Flora's https://florabowley.com/ (REUNITE course) by using code HEARTSTORY at checkout. Follow @florabowley and @Nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram
EP 44. When was the last time you celebrated yourself? Nadine walks you through a year-end reflection so that you can recognize proud moments in all areas of your life. She talks about some of her biggest 2021 moments as well as amazing achievements from the women in her writing community.
EP 43. You know you need to relax and rest, but how? This episode is a guided yoga nidra meditation that focuses on relaxing, repairing, and rejuvenating your spirit. Come away with a sense of ease and energy. Have blankets and pillows nearby to set up your space. For the meditation, go 12 minutes in on the episode. To listen to a refresher on setting up your space, start at nine minutes.
Ep 42. The moment Nadine decided on some major life changes and the crucial questions she asked that led to the most clarifying answers Tag Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram Referenced in this episode are https://www.shaunaniequist.com/books (Shauna Niequist) and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things-with-glennon-doyle/id1564530722 (Glennon Doyle)
Ep 41. Nadine talks about the travel experiences that have changed her life, and the 10 ways that travel can benefit you (no airplane ticket or passport needed). Nadine also discusses the travel scholarship that she is establishing to honor her late father. Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone And be sure to sign up to receive Nadine's holiday guide for Cyber-Monday discounts on upcoming workshops and classes at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 40. How can music and dancing enhance your life and your relationships? Nadine shares some of her process. Send Nadine a voice memo in her Instagram DMs @NadineKenneyJohnstone
Ep 39. Nadine talks with memoirist https://www.pegconway.com/ (Peg Conway) about her new book, https://www.pegconway.com/the-art-of-reassembly/ (The Art of Reassembly: A Memoir of Early Motherloss and Aftergrief). Also, listen to Peg read from her book on https://michelleredo.com/podcast (Daring to Tell), the podcast of true stories read by the writers who lived them, from Nadine's very own audio producer, Michelle Redo. Want in on Nadine’s Cyber Monday sale? Sign up for her newsletter at NadineKenneyJohnstone.com
Ep 38. Nadine reads an essay about the metaphorical coyotes in our lives. She also shares a practice and meditation for calming anxiety. Learn more about https://hillarylmcbride.com/the-wisdom-of-your-body/ (Hillary McBride's book The Wisdom of Your Body) Send Nadine your voicemail about Heart of the Story on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 37. How are a book and marathon similar? Nadine ticks off the commonalities and notes how the tools and techniques can be applied to so much in our lives. Only a couple spots left for Nadine’s Nov 6 retreat. Learn more at NadineKenneyJohnstone.com/workshops Send a VM on Instagram to @NadineKenneyJohnstone and share your comments about Heart of the Story and how you achieve your goals.
Ep 36. Nadine talks with Spiritual Mentor and Wholeheath Wellness coach https://annpetrusbaker.com/ (Ann Petrus Baker) about the wisdom that resides in each of our own hearts. They discuss how to come back to center during stressful times and trust your inner knowing. Tag Nadine or send a DM voicemail on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone Check out her upcoming retreat offerings at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/retreat-waitlist (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep 35. Like many women, Nadine grew up in the diet culture of low-fat yogurt and low-cal meals. Until she met Jamie. In this episode, talks about how she fell in love with her chef hubby and how he taught her to enjoy and savor food. Jamie shares his food philosophies and tempts listeners with a taste of what might be coming at their upcoming retreats! Visit nadinekenneyjohnstone.com to learn more about their upcoming retreats. And share your voicemail DMs with Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone - and perhaps she'll share your comments or questions on a future episode.
Ep 34. Nadine talks about the unexpected obstacles in her relocation attempt, how she copes when she’s heartbroken, and the books that got her through. She also offers a meditation for healing. Sign up for Nadine’s free writing workshop on Mon Oct 4: https://:nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops (https://:nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops) Have a review or question for Nadine? DM her on IG @nadinekenneyjohnstone to share your voice memo Connect with books and podcasts mentioned in this episode: https://jenhatmaker.com/podcast/series/series-36/ (Jen Hatmaker) For the Love of Flipping the Script https://www.leeanatankersley.com/books/ (Leeana Tankersley) Hope Anyway https://www.radiantrest.com/ (Tracee Stanley) Radiant Rest
Ep 33. A reflection and meditation on how to live in alignment with the natural world. Send Nadine a voice message @NadineKenneyJohnstone on Instagram and maybe you'll be on the next episode of Heart of the Story! Check out Nadine's latest workshops and retreats at her website https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 32. When was the last time you truly rested? Nadine talks about the importance of honoring your heart by giving it support and space to speak. Nadine just received her certification in Yoga Nidra through YogaView from Sam Bianchini and is adding it to her list of not just credentials but activities that will be part of Nadine's upcoming retreat in late October! Sign up for her newsletter at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (nadinekenneyjohnstone.com) to be alerted when retreat registration opens! Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone and Sam @samdarlin and http://sambianchini.com/ (sambianchini.com)
Ep 31. How to find tenacity pushing towards a goal while knowing when to release control? Like everything in life, it's a balance. In this episode Nadine revisits some of the most resonant stories from season one, and looks at how when you combine them together, it is a formula for success, in writing, and in life. Push towards your writing goals by visiting https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 30. How do you really want to live? Nadine talks about a different, more authentic way to approach goal setting. Nadine's Publish the Personal class starts on Sept 16 and always sells out. Snag your spot at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com) And here are the books and podcasts mentioned on today's episode... https://bookshop.org/books/the-desire-map-a-guide-to-creating-goals-with-soul-9781622032518/9781622032518 (The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte) https://bookshop.org/books/the-four-tendencies-the-indispensable-personality-profiles-that-reveal-how-to-make-your-life-better-and-other-people-s-lives-better-too/9781524760915 (The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin) https://bookshop.org/books/believe-it-how-to-go-from-underestimated-to-unstoppable-9781982157814/9781982157807 (Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima) https://bookshop.org/books/so-you-want-to-start-a-podcast-finding-your-voice-telling-your-story-and-building-a-community-that-will-listen/9780062936677 (So You Want to Start a Podcast by Kristen Meinzer) https://bookshop.org/books/how-i-built-this-the-unexpected-paths-to-success-from-the-world-s-most-inspiring-entrepreneurs/9780358216766 (How I Built This by Guy Raz) And last but not least check out Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg's podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/by-the-book/id1217948628 (By the Book) And check out what's great about Nadine's favorite planner from https://inkandvolt.com/collections/planners (Ink & Volt)
Ep 29. For back-to-school time Nadine shares teaching lessons that work for life too. Follow Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone and remember to get your name on Professor J’s wait list to be the first to find out about the coming fall workshops and retreats. Sign up at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 28. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and ungrounded, this episode will remind you of the everyday experiences that bring calm and joy. Tag Nadine on Instagram @Nadinekenneyjohnstone and be sure to get on the wait list for the first announcement of fall workshops at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (Nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep 27. If you’ve ever felt the weight of failure or regret, this meditation will ease your soul. You’ll see the possibilities inside of your mistakes. Tag Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone and get on her list for fall workshops and retreats at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 26. Nadine and family share the highs and lows of their epic summer road trip from Illinois to Cape Cod. See and share pics on IG @NadineKenneyJohnstone and also sign up now to be on the fall workshops and retreats early notification list at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (NadineKenneyJohnstone.com)
Ep 25. Nadine discusses her hopes and fears about moving from IL to South Carolina. She also shares tips for easing your overwhelm when you’re in the midst of change. Follow her relocation journey on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone. Get on the wait list for early notification of fall workshops and in person retreats on her website, NadineKenneyJohnstone.com
Ep 24. What’s bringing Nadine healing and hope this summer? In this episode, she shares her favorite books, podcasts, experiences and more! What has been bringing you joy lately? Tag Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone to share some of your favorite things.
Ep 23. Is there an area of your life that doesn’t fit you anymore? A job, place, or relationship that no longer matches your needs? If you’ve been sensing a shift or change in your future, this episode is for you. Nadine fills you in on her latest road trip adventures as well as a BIG change she is about to embark on. Listen in to learn if you’re in need of a rejuvenating transition. Interested in Nadine’s upcoming writing & wellness workshops and retreats? Sign up for her the waitlist at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com Where are you when you listen? Tag Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone
Ep 22. How do you listen to your soul’s longings? How do you deem yourself worthy of following your heart? In this episode, Nadine shares the secret to accessing your inner desires and fully receiving the joy that comes from realizing your dreams. Want to learn more about Nadine’s upcoming workshops or retreats? Join her waitlist at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com and be the first to know about her fall offerings. Tag Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone
Ep 21. If you find your inner monologue sounding less than friendly, never fear. You can find healing relief from the burn of shame. In this episode, Nadine shares an important lesson about how to recover from and avoid self sabotage. Tag Nadine on Instagram @NadineKenneyJohnstone Join her workshop waitlist at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Ep 20. Are you feeling restless, frazzled, or unsatisfied? If you’re feeling out of sorts, Nadine shares a 4-step process for identifying and fulfilling your needs. Plus, you’ll learn where Nadine is on her summer road trip and how she used this very process to nurture her own needs. Find Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone on Instagram or at https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com (https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com)
Ep 19. Nadine’s husband, Jamie, joins the show to talk about their hard journey to parenthood, the joys of being a dad, and the best parts of being on the road. Tears and laughter abound. Tag Nadine @NadineKenneyJohnstone on Instagram with the pictures of where you listen to Heart of the Story.
Ep 18. As Nadine reflects on the first part of her road trip, she discusses how her favorite small business owners in Door County follow the 3 Ss to success. Want to see more of Nadine’s favorite spots along the road trip? Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone or sign up for her newsletter at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Ep 17. Want to learn what Nadine’s biggest takeaways are so far from road trip stop #1? Listen in to discover how Nadine’s new surroundings are giving her a different perspective and teaching her some new skills too! @NadineKenneyJohnstone https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/ (https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/)
Ep 16. So many pivotal books have changed my life. Here’s a list of my favorite self help books and why I recommend them to you! What are your favorites? Post your favorites and tag me, @NadineKenneyJohnstone on Instagram.
Ep 15. Self care is not a beauty cream or a pedicure. It is how we save our own lives and relationships. In this episode, Nadine talks about how to identify when your relationship with yourself is suffering and how to course correct so that you can prioritize your needs to live a life of joy and ease.
Ep 14. Do you feel like you and your loved ones are together all the time, but you're not actually spending quality time with each other? Or maybe you're so excited about the world opening back up again that you're afraid of losing the quality time you had with your loved ones during lockdown. In this episode, Nadine will share her approach to creating and maintaining meaningful rituals.
Ep 13. Do you yearn to see and be seen? If you've struggled with being present and processing your emotions, this episode is full of tips and tricks for embracing your current state and the world around you. Plus, this episode was recorded in Nadine's very own backyard, where you'll get to hear spring in all of its glory.
Where do you listen to Heart of the Story? Where do you go on your own noticing walks? Post a picture on Instagram and tag Nadine: @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Ep 12. What inspired Nadine to start Heart of the Story? What exciting episodes are planned for the summer? Nadine answers all these questions and more in this Q and A episode.
Ep 11. If you are lonely, hurting, and in need of support, you are welcome here. In this deeply personal message and meditation, Nadine invites you to come home to your heart and reminds you that you are never alone.
Ep 10. In recognition of National Infertility Awareness week and the publication anniversary of Nadine's memoir Of This Much I'm Sure, Nadine recounts when she first gave herself permission to write about her own personal journey. She talks about meeting her husband, as well as the challenges and rewards of writing about infertility. Ultimately, each experience has revealed the important steps in creating self certainty.
Follow Nadine and share this episode on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone or visit nadinekenneyjohnstone.com to see her latest workshop offerings including Publish the Personal beginning May 6th.
Ep 9. Has a friend or stranger ever offered you generosity when you most needed it but least expected it? Nadine talks about the many times this has happened to her and the powerful impact it has had on her life.
Love this show? Talk about it on Instagram and tag Nadine @nadinekenneyjohnstone to be entered into a giveaway for a free month of Writer Workouts!
Ep 8. In this episode, I talk about this time of transition that we’re in. My hope is that it will allow you to reflect on the year that was and where you’re at now. Can you embrace how you feel, without trying to fix anything? Can you nurture yourself? Can you notice the sadness in your heart as well as the joy right beneath your very nose? Can you let all of your beautiful emotions coexist?
EP 7. How does an idea become a book? How do you find the time to write in the midst of working and parenting? How do you overcome fear of what others will think of your writing? Nadine and Tamara talk about all these things and more in this inspiring interview!
Follow Tamara on IG: @tamarabelinfanti
Follow Nadine on IG: @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Learn about Nadine's upcoming coaching and writing programs: nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/workshops
Ep 6. As humans and creatives, how can we stay motivated when there are so many distractions and responsibilities? Nadine talks about the mental construct she uses to keep consistent with healthy and inspiring habits.
Ep 5. What is emotional endurance and how do we develop it? Nadine shares a story of a trying time in her life that taught her how to keep staying the course in the face of difficulty. She ends the episode with a reflection for listeners to develop their own internal resilience.
Ep 4. Nadine shares a story of when her own perfectionism was robbing her of the present moment, then she guides you in an exercise for embracing your lovely, flawed self.
Ep 3. How do you have hope in the midst hardship? How do you heal from difficult moments? Nadine shares her approach and an exercise for staying optimistic through tough times.
Want to hear about Nadine's latest news and workshops before anyone else? Join her newsletter community.
Ep 2. Nadine discusses her winding road to becoming a writer and what allowed her to finally give herself permission to become an author. She'll lead you through an exercise on giving yourself permission to achieve your deepest desires.
Ep 1. Nadine shares a story of how she coped when everything in her life was not in her control. Then, she leads a reflective practice so that you can tap into your inner wisdom at any time, especially in the face of uncertainty.
Get the bonus handout that walks you through Nadine's favorite journaling practice:
https://nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/community