Rachel Johnson’s Podcast ‘Difficult Women’ celebrates the idea that "well‑behaved women rarely make history." But actually she explores themes like fierce advocacy, resilience in the face of personal or professional challenges, and defying stereotypes.
When she asked to interview me, she said she wanted to talk about my difficult times. I hesitated. It can feel indulgent, tone-deaf even, to talk about difficult times when you live in a beautiful house, and have a beautiful life. But the truth is: life has layers, its not always beautiful. And perhaps resilience isn’t about having it all together, but being honest when we don’t.
Fostering Wesley was one of the most important things I’ve done. But I felt painfully inadequate for a long time. There was no roadmap, no manual. Just this small, heartbroken child and the overwhelming sense that I needed to be something for him.
And losing my business? That also was humbling. Navigating the slow, staggering collapse of that company unstitched a part of my identity. The brand I had built from the ground up. Gone. I felt shame and shock.
We also spoke about working with Global Empowerment Mission in Ukraine. A stark confrontation of human vulnerability and strength, where death is not abstract but present, near, and undeniable.
Listening back, to my conversation with Rachel I hear how poorly I have expressed what were, and still are, some of the more emotional chapters of my life. I circled the pain of some of those difficult times without quite landing on it.
But I guess there is no perfect way to tell these stories, just as there is no perfect way to live them.
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