Flip Flops and Freedom

What does estrangement look like when you're living it and helping other women heal from it at the same time? This week, Susan sits down with Nancy Wagner — a Transformational Life Coach, estranged parent, and grandparent — for an honest conversation about estrangement from adult children, and what it actually takes to keep moving forward. Nancy brings both her personal story and her coaching lens...

What does freedom actually look like when the relationship is still broken? Susan Metzger closes out the estrangement series with the distinction at the center of her own journey, fine is not the same as free, and shows what it means to live unbroken even while a relationship remains unresolved. This finale brings together everything the series has named and lands on what it actually looks like to...

What do you do when someone else starts telling a completely different story about who you are? Susan Metzger names a layer of estrangement grief that rarely gets talked about, losing your child not just to silence, but to another narrative, a spouse, an ex, or even a well-meaning counselor becoming the voice that reshapes how your child sees you. This episode is about reclaiming your identity whe...

Episode Description What do you do when someone you trusted turns on you overnight, after years of closeness? Susan Metzger tells the story of how jealousy fractured David's closest relationship, and teaches his response, a practice she calls Strategic Silence, choosing peace over forcing a resolution someone else isn't ready to give. This episode closes with one simple, actionable step for anyone...

What Do You Do When Love Gets Rejected: Naming the Pain of Parental Estrangement What do you do when the love you gave your child gets met with silence instead? Susan Metzger sits with the specific ache of parental estrangement, the kind of grief that most people around you were never taught to understand. Drawing on national research alongside her own twenty-three years walking this road, Susan g...

Do you feel stuck in life, even though you know you need to make a change? In this episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan explores why so many people struggle to move forward—and the surprising difference between pain-driven motivation and desire-driven transformation. Pain can push you to take the first step, but it rarely keeps you moving. Real, lasting change happens when your desire for a be...

What if the secret to better mornings has nothing to do with your morning? Most of us wake up already behind—hitting snooze, scrambling to make decisions, skipping healthy habits, and wondering why we never seem to get ahead. But what if tomorrow's success is determined by the choices you make tonight? In this episode, Susan shares the simple mindset shift that has transformed her own routine. Bac...

Who are you when everything else is stripped away? Most of us answer that question without even realizing it. We build our identity on our roles, relationships, accomplishments, or even our pain. But what happens when those things change? In this episode, Susan explores why your identity is the foundation of everything else in your life. Blending biblical truth with insights from psychology, she e...

Have you ever noticed that Monday feels different than Thursday? Or that January 1st feels packed with possibility? There's a reason. In this episode, Susan explores the Fresh Start Effect—the psychology behind why meaningful dates can help us break old patterns, pursue goals, and create lasting change. You'll learn how to create your own fresh starts, why your brain loves new beginnings, and why...

Have you ever felt like you're behind in life? Like everyone else got the memo except you? In this episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan Metzger explores the powerful question: Who told you there was a deadline? If you've ever struggled with regret, feeling stuck, starting over, fear of failure, or the belief that you've missed your chance, this episode is for you. Through personal stories, bib...

Do you have a friendship that leaves you feeling exhausted, anxious, or emotionally drained? Not all friendships are healthy—and not all unhealthy friendships are obvious. In this episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan Metzger explores the difference between life-giving friendships, ministry friendships, and unhealthy friendship dynamics. You'll learn how to recognize one-sided relationships, fr...

Can you actually rewire your brain? According to both neuroscience and the Bible, the answer is yes. In this episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan Metzger explores the fascinating connection between Romans 12:2 and neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to create new neural pathways and change old thought patterns. If you've ever struggled with negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, self-doubt, fee...

Feeling invisible, overlooked, or forgotten? This encouraging episode of Flip Flops and Freedom is for anyone who feels unseen in family relationships, friendships, work, ministry, or seasons of estrangement. David was the youngest son, left in the fields while his brothers were noticed and celebrated. But God used David’s hidden faithfulness to prepare him for his calling and purpose. In this epi...

Struggling with identity, self-worth, rejection, or shame? In this powerful episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan Metzger explores the life-changing difference between the words “I have” and “I am” — and how those two phrases shape your identity, emotional healing, and spiritual freedom. If you’ve experienced heartbreak, family estrangement, abandonment, loss, or deep disappointment, this episo...

That voice that says you are not enough — not smart enough, not thin enough, not a good enough mom — where did it come from? And why do we believe it? In this episode Susan Metzger gets fired up about the lies we have agreed with for far too long and what God actually says about you. Spoiler: it is so much better than what the voice has been saying. This episode is about freedom in Christ and gett...

Susan Metzger takes you off the pavement and into her happy place — a teal-accented Jeep with rubber ducks on the dashboard and geocaching coordinates loaded up. In this episode she talks about why having something just for you is not selfish, it is survival. And why God did not save you to survive. He saved you to live. Fully. Freely. Right now.   In this episode: What geocaching is and why Susan...

One in four families experiences estrangement between a parent and adult child. And a growing cultural movement is making it worse. In this episode Susan Metzger names what is actually happening — the TikTok influencers, the toxic parent label, being convicted without a trial — and speaks directly to the guilt and shame that estranged parents carry in silence. You are not the villain in your child...

80% of people over 45 want to make a significant change in their life. Only 6% actually do it. In this episode Susan Metzger makes the case that it is never too late to start over - and gives you the three steps to take today. From building a customer service department at In-N-Out Burger to founding a new ministry, Susan knows what it looks like to say yes to a new season even when you cannot see...

What would your life look like if you actually felt free? Not someday free. Right now free. In this first episode of Flip Flops and Freedom, Susan Metzger introduces herself, shares how she went from fine to fully alive, and tells the unexpected story of how a step of faith led to a viral moment, a new ministry, and this podcast. If you are a woman who is ready for more than fine, you found the ri...