What if the thing standing between you and your next chapter isn’t your ability, but whether you believe you belong there?

In this episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with Olympic gold medalist Mary Wineberg for a conversation that goes far beyond the podium. Mary shares how she went from questioning whether she belonged on the starting line to representing Team USA and winning Olympic gold, and why one of the most painful failures of her career ultimately became the experience she needed most.

After missing the 2004 Olympic team, Mary had a choice: let self-doubt decide what she was capable of or come back stronger. Four years later, she became an Olympic champion.

Together, Betsy and Mary talk about building confidence before you have proof, turning disappointment into fuel, quieting the voice that tells you you’re not enough, and knowing when perseverance means continuing versus when it’s time to write a new chapter.

Mary also opens up about adoption, motherhood, identity, learning to take up space without dimming herself for others, and how her definition of success has evolved from winning medals to helping the next generation see what’s possible for themselves.

This conversation is a reminder that failure doesn’t mean you’re finished, confidence is something you build, and sometimes the race you don’t win is the one that prepares you for everything that comes next.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re good enough, ready enough, or truly belong in the room, this episode is for you.

Connect with Mary:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wineberg400/?hl=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secureyourgold/

Webiste: https://www.marywineberg.com/

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Website: writeyourownstory.co

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What if the life you actually want starts with deciding what can wait?

In this episode of Write Your Own Story, Betsy sits down with attorney, writer, poet, speaker, wife, and mom of three Whitney Ellison for a conversation about boundaries, reinvention, creativity, and learning to trust where life is taking you.

Whitney’s career has been anything but linear. She started in law, spent nearly a decade building a successful career in corporate sales, and eventually reached a point where she knew something had to change. Without a perfectly mapped-out plan, she began following her curiosity, making space for new opportunities, and eventually found her way back to practicing law in a way that finally felt like her.

Whitney shares why she doesn’t work Fridays, how she learned to protect her peace without apologizing for it, and why being endlessly available doesn’t make you better at your job—or your life. She and Betsy also unpack the pressure women feel to be everything to everyone, and Whitney’s realization that helping people doesn’t mean you have to save them.

They also talk about making room for creativity without needing to monetize it, holding your goals loosely, knowing when something simply isn’t a fit anymore, and remembering that your legacy isn’t just what you accomplish—it’s how you move through the world and how people feel in your presence.

If you’ve been gripping the plan a little too tightly, trying to fix everything for everyone, or wondering whether you’re allowed to choose more space for yourself, this episode is your reminder: you don’t have to have the whole path figured out. Follow what makes you curious, protect what matters, and trust yourself enough to take the next right step.

And according to Whitney, a woman who writes her own rules? Takes a nap every damn day. 😴

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Website: writeyourownstory.co

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What if the rejection that feels like the end is actually redirecting you toward what you’re meant to do next?

After more than 25 years in public education—and rising all the way to interim superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools—Tianay Amat thought she knew what the next chapter of her career would look like.

Then she didn’t get the job she thought she wanted.

That rejection forced her to pause and ask herself a bigger question: What is my purpose really?

The answer led Tianay away from the career she had spent decades building and into an entirely new chapter as President and CEO of Cincinnati Works, where she now helps people move toward economic stability, meaningful careers, and lives built around their strengths and potential.

In this episode, Betsy and Tianay talk about how rejection can become an unexpected redirection—and why changing direction doesn’t mean everything you’ve built was for nothing.

Tianay shares how she uncovered the deeper purpose connecting every chapter of her career, how knowing who you are changes the way you experience failure, and why some of the biggest turning points in our lives begin with a door closing.

They also dive into authentic leadership, building community as an adult, creating workplaces where people feel seen and valued, and why the best leaders aren’t afraid to admit when they’re wrong.

In this episode:

• Why rejection can become an unexpected redirection
• How to uncover the purpose underneath your career
• Making a major career pivot without starting from scratch
• Why failure is something you experience—not who you are
• How to stop looking outside yourself for validation
• Tianay’s approach to authentic, people-first leadership
• Why great leaders create space for their teams to challenge them
• Building community by getting uncomfortable and taking initiative
• Moving from a deficit mindset to seeing people for their strengths and potential
• Why investing in people creates stronger teams and better retention
• Dreaming big, starting small, and giving yourself permission to change direction

If you’ve been feeling pulled toward something new but are afraid that changing direction means walking away from everything you’ve worked so hard to build, this conversation is your reminder: you’re not starting over. You’re starting with everything you’ve learned.

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Connect with Betsy:

Website: writeyourownstory.co

Email: betsy@writeyourownstory.co

Instagram: write_your_own_story_co Or betsyleo

Youtube:writeyourownstorypodcast