Fearless in Pursuit of HappyHer

Have you ever organized a space, only to find yourself right back where you started a few months later? Me too. For years, I thought I just needed a better system... another basket... another organizing method. While those things can absolutely help, I've started wondering if they aren't the whole answer. In this first episode of my four-part Making Space summer series, we're beginning a different...

Have you ever felt guilty for taking a break—even when you desperately needed one? In this episode, Renée explores why so many women feel guilty when they rest, why the to-do list never seems to end, and how the stories we tell ourselves keep us stuck in productivity guilt. Through a simple 24-hour getaway, she shares a powerful reminder: Rest isn't something you earn. It's something you need. If...

Renée was standing in her carport, surrounded by boxes she could name one by one — completely overwhelmed, and not sure where to even start. So instead of cleaning, she got curious. What came out of that curiosity changed how she sees every "yes" she's ever said. In this 10-minute episode, Renée shares the question she now asks herself before taking on anything new — and what actually got her unst...

Episode 42: Why We Resist the Very Thing We Want Most Have you ever wanted something — really wanted it — and still couldn't make yourself move toward it? In this episode of Fearless in Pursuit of HappyHer, Renée breaks down what's actually happening in your brain when you feel frozen — and why resistance doesn't mean what you think it does. This one is for the woman who has been saying "I know I...

Have you looked up lately and realized the last time you really talked to someone who truly knows you was longer ago than you want to admit? You're not alone — and this episode is for you. In Episode 41, Renée digs into why women in midlife neglect their friendships even though we are literally wired for connection. She breaks down the neuroscience behind why your brain and nervous system crave be...

What does retirement actually feel like on the first Monday? Honestly? A lot like summer break — except for one thing. The quiet. In this episode, Renée gets real about her very first Monday as a retired woman — including the fact that she almost missed her own podcast deadline at 8:30 on a Sunday night. No frameworks. No big emotional revelation. Just an honest conversation about what it feels li...

What do a Paint by Number kit, an Easy-Bake Oven, and a Magic 8 Ball have to do with midlife transition? More than you might think. In this episode, Renée reaches back into the toy box of her childhood and discovers that the games and toys she grew up with in the 70s hold some of the most powerful truths she knows about courage, identity, burnout, and trusting yourself. This isn't a retirement spe...

Have you ever noticed that for most of your life, there was always a next thing? School, college, career, family — the path was laid out and you followed it. But what happens when that script runs out? In this episode, Renée gets personal about the revelation she had driving home from her own retirement reception — and what it taught her about the illusion of control, the fear of the blank page, a...

What if the worry you're feeling about a life change isn't a warning sign at all? Renée gets honest about her own quiet what-ifs as she counts down to retirement — and why even a solid plan can't fully silence the noise in your head. If you're facing a change right now, chosen or not, this episode will meet you right where you are. Because the goal was never to arrive at happy. It was always to be...

Have you ever stopped to consider that your thoughts are literally running your life — and most of us don't even realize it? In this episode, Renée shares a funny (and very human) story about sleeping through not one, not two, but three alarms on the morning of her very last evaluation ever — and what that moment revealed about the power of choosing your thoughts. You'll learn why your repeated th...

What happens to your identity when the title you've carried for decades is gone? In this episode, Renée gets honest about the fear — and the excitement — of standing at the edge of a major life transition. With 32 days until retirement, she's sitting with a question that so many women in midlife know well: Who am I without this role? Whether you're retiring, leaving a career, watching your kids le...

What does 30 years of showing up for others actually teach you? In this heartfelt episode, Renée Janes shares five hard-earned truths from her three decades as a school counselor — wisdom that goes far beyond the classroom and speaks directly to women navigating midlife, career transitions, and the courage it takes to start over. Whether you're burned out from giving too much, struggling to trust...

What does it actually look like to show up when you don't feel ready? In this episode, Renée gets real about the fear, doubt, and perfectionism that almost kept her from hosting her first workshop since this little community started growing into something real — and what happened when she showed up anyway. From the wrong microphone to a 3am export, a late replay and a forgotten resource attachment...

Your brain has been keeping you stuck — and it's not your fault. In this episode of Fearless in Pursuit of HappyHer, Renée shares the personal breakthrough that changed everything for her and extends a heartfelt invitation to the Tame Your Brain and Go From Stuck to Empowered Workshop . You'll learn why creativity and play are powerful tools for lasting change, how socialization has quietly shaped...

You didn't lose yourself all at once. It happened slowly — through hundreds of small, ordinary moments that all sent the same quiet message: who you are on the inside matters less than how you show up for everyone else. Maybe you were the responsible one. The capable one. The one who handled things. Maybe you were the quiet one, the peacekeeper, the good girl who never caused trouble. Different st...

Ever wonder why you know what you want but can't seem to make yourself do it? Why change feels so hard even when you're ready? In this episode, Renée pulls back the curtain on what's actually happening inside your brain — and why it has nothing to do with willpower, discipline, or being broken. This one will change the way you see yourself. Ready to go deeper? Join Renée for a free live workshop o...

Have you ever looked back at your past and felt like your mistakes disqualified you from something better? Like the weight of what you've done — or didn't do — is proof that you don't deserve more? In this episode, Renée gets personal about the cycle of self-punishment, why accountability and shame are not the same thing, and what it actually means to extend grace to yourself — not as a concept, b...

You've probably said it before — or at least heard it. You are enough. But if you're honest, it doesn't always feel that way. And there's a reason for that. In this episode of The Fearless In Pursuit of Happy Her Podcast, Renée Janes gets honest about the belief that quietly drives so much of our exhaustion, our people-pleasing, and our inability to let our own wins count — the "not enough" belief...

Do you struggle to make time for yourself? In this birthday week episode, I'm sharing the 4-step plan I'm using to take direction in my own life—and how you can too, whether you're retiring or working full-time for years to come. In this episode, you'll discover: Why we wait for permission to prioritize ourselves (and the massage gift certificate story that proves it) The real reason "I don't have...

That voice in your head — the one that says you're not enough, you don't belong, you should be further along — has been lying to you. And in this episode, we're going to talk about where she came from, why she won't quit, and how to finally start rewriting the story she's been telling you for decades. Host Renée dives deep into healing the inner critic — that persistent voice of negative self-talk...

In midlife, many women are achieving, handling, and growing — yet still struggling to feel proud of themselves. If you constantly dismiss your wins, move the goalpost on your own progress, or compare yourself to everyone else, this episode is for you. In this episode, we explore why midlife women minimize their accomplishments, the fear of arrogance that keeps us from acknowledging our effort, and...

Midlife loneliness doesn't always look like being alone—it can look like a full life that still feels empty. In this episode, we explore why sisterhood isn't a luxury, but a form of self-care. Blending lived experience with nervous system science, this conversation unpacks why women are biologically wired for connection, how co-regulation supports emotional health, and why isolation in midlife can...

You've been told self-love is bubble baths and me-time… but what if it's deeper than that? In this episode, we unpack why self-love feels so complicated in midlife—and what guilt, shame, and boundaries have to do with it. Take the Self-Love survey here: www.reneejanes.com/selflove Follow RJ Coaching & Creations on Facebook HERE Journal Prompts are HERE

In this heartfelt episode, Renee explores what it means to own your truth in your 40s, 50s, and beyond — and why doing so isn't just healing for you, but a gift to the next generation. She shares vulnerable reflections on perfectionism, parenting, legacy, and the freedom that comes when you finally stop hiding and start telling the truth. Whether you're starting a new chapter or simply craving mor...

We often think of legacy as something we leave behind—but what if it's something we're building right now? In this heartfelt episode, I share a personal story from the weekend that reminded me how small, everyday moments can have a lasting impact. From cleaning out my dad's basement to rediscovering old letters, cleats, and a jukebox full of memories, I was reminded that legacy isn't about wealth...