In this episode, I'm joined by Meredith Markworth-Pollack, founder of holistic wellness space, Palma Colectiva. Meredith spent almost two decades as a costume designer on shows like Gossip Girl, Reign, Hart of Dixie, and Dynasty. After facing major industry burnout, she decided to uproot her life, move to Santa Barbara, and start from scratch in the wellness space.

We chat about success not being enough, struggling with multiple forms of grief, and “wellness” becoming a popular buzzword. Meredith shares the ups and downs of starting and maintaining a business and how there isn’t only one “right” healing modality for someone. She shares about divorce, creating retreats for women, and how listening to herself and choosing health changed everything.

Whether you are seeking clarity, community, or well-being, I believe you will benefit from this conversation that proves vulnerability really is a super power!

Connect with Meredith:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredith_costumes/?hl=en

Palma Colectiva: https://www.instagram.com/palmacolectiva/?hl=en

Website: https://palmacolectiva.com/

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Connect with Betsy:

Visit my website: https://thebetslife.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetslife/

Love the podcast? Subscribe, rate, review and share: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-bets-life/id1644549737

Since 1837, Elizabeth Poett’s family has owned and ranched 14,000 acres of land on the Santa Barbara Central Coast. Elizabeth was raised on Rancho San Julian, one of the oldest cattle ranches in California, and she continues to maintain the land as a 7th-generation cattle rancher.

You may know Elizabeth from the Ranch to Table show on HBO Max and the Magnolia Network or from her cookbook, The Ranch Table. In this conversation, we chat about recipes, Sunday traditions, and hosting, but we also dive into the realities of ranch living. Spoiler: it’s not always as glamorous or as exciting as television shows may make us believe. Elizabeth and I speak about stewardship, community, the lack of work/life boundaries, and how every day on the ranch is different. We also discuss the popular “trad wife” trend and how Instagram isn’t always reality.

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that a meaningful life often takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and a whole village of support.

Connect with Elizabeth:
Website: https://theranchtable.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethpoett/
The Ranch Table Cookbook: https://amzn.to/4xdKe8B
Substack: https://elizabethpoett.substack.com/

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Connect with Betsy:
Visit my website: https://thebetslife.com/
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetslife/
Love the podcast? Subscribe, rate, review and share: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-bets-life/id1644549737

In this solo episode of The Bets Life Podcast, I’m discussing something that I’ve been personally struggling with for a long time: the indecision surrounding starting a family. What if you’re not sure if you want kids? What if you’ve never felt certain about being a mom? What if you feel like your fertility window is quickly shrinking? What if you’ve been waiting for that “aha” moment, but it hasn’t arrived?

This episode is all about being in the “messy middle” and being “on the fence.” Not fully in, not fully out. Just…trying to figure it out.

I share what it’s been like to be asked, “When are you having kids?” constantly, the fear of choosing the wrong path, and why more and more women are finding themselves in limbo over the motherhood decision.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, confused, or even a little guilty for not having a clear answer, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

• What it actually feels like to be a “fence sitter” about having kids
• The pressure I feel in my 30s to become a mom or make a decision either way
• Misconceptions about women who don’t have children
• The reality that both paths can be fulfilling and also challenging
• The fact that grief may come with any life path not taken

Resources:

https://www.elle.com/life-love/a63309605/motherhood-decision-essay-2025/

https://therumpus.net/2011/04/21/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-71-the-ghost-ship-that-didnt-carry-us/

https://www.vox.com/first-person/22370250/should-i-have-kids-a-baby-decide-start-family-parenthood-kids-childfree

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/us/politics/us-birthrate-decline-women.html

https://www.facebook.com/leanincommunity/posts/an-average-of-1-in-4-women-leave-the-workforce-during-their-first-year-of-mother/1157854729708854/

Baby Decision book: https://amzn.to/4s6Fyy8

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Connect with Betsy:

Visit my website: https://thebetslife.com/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetslife/

Love the podcast? Subscribe, rate, review and share: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-bets-life/id1644549737