Heart of the Story

Dr. Hillary McBride is a therapist, researcher, speaker, and writer, and talks with Nadine about how to hold ourselves when we are hurting. About Nadine: Her book, Come Home to Your Heart, is available on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Award-winning author Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s most impactful female creatives. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Follow Nadine on Substack

195 In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, we're bringing back our conversation with the founder of Humanize Infertility, Hillary Alberta Sherer. Whether you're experiencing infertility or want to support someone who is, you won't want to miss this profound conversation. In this episode, Nadine and Hillary discuss the emotional impact of infertility, how to support yourself or your loved one, the most important questions to ask when seeking treatment, and how best to self-advocate as a patient. This empowering and hopeful conversation reminds us all that we know our bodies best and have the right to advocate for ourselves. Hillary is the founder of Humanize Infertility and is working to humanize infertility with one woman, one couple, and one story at a time by empowering those struggling with infertility with knowledge, hope, and connection. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack About Hillary: Hillary Alberta Sherer is a biotechnology researcher with expert knowledge in the policy and ethical conversations around infertility. Utilizing over 15 years of clinical science research experience, she saw a need for more robust, transparent, and accessible research on infertility and infertility technologies. This led to her dissertation work on the ethical guidelines and policies surrounding egg donation. She is an activist for positive change that enables women to make informed and autonomous decisions about their health and wellbeing. She received her B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Public Policy and Ph.D. in Biotechnology Policy and Ethics all from The Georgia Institute of Technology (aka the Georgia Tech Trifecta). Hillary resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband, two kiddos, and 100-pound goldendoodle. Website: https://www.hillarysherer.com/ IG: @humanizeinfertility Resources shared in this...

194 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this 3rd episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her March areas of interest: creative writing, garbage time, and perimenopause support. Covered in this episode: *This is the third episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers. Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

193 Disruptor and author of a Well-Trained Wife, Tia Levings shares her journey of escaping a high-control religious environment and reclaiming her identity. Tia roots for women to recognize their worth and reclaim their voices, especially in the face of patriarchal systems. Tia walks us through her daily practices for nervous system regulation and how she got to her "grandma is a bestselling author" era. Covered in this episode: About Tia: Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of Christian fundamentalism, evangelical patriarchy, and religious trauma, and is quoted in Salon, the Huffington Post, and Newsweek. She also appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. She is mom to four incredible adults and likes to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Find her on social media @TiaLevingsWriter. Her second book, The Soul of Healing, releases with St. Martin’s Essentials in 2026. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack 

192 To celebrate the release of Maggie Smith's new guidebook for writers called Dear Writer: Pep Talks and Practical Advice for a Creative Life, we're bringing back this beloved chat with Maggie about writing, self-trust, and life in the ellipsis! --- What do we do when the future we thought we’d have is wiped clean, and we're stuck in uncertainty? Bestselling author Maggie Smith joins us to talk about life in the in-between and how, even when we’re at a loss, we can still trust ourselves. She also explores the writerly decisions she made in her most recent bestseller (and one of Nadine’s favorite books of all time), You Could Make This Place Beautiful. She closes the conversation with incredible writing advice that will make you want to grab a pen and start writing. Covered in this episode: You Could Make This Place Beautiful Want more Maggie? Grab a copy of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (now out in paperback), subscribe to her popular Substack For Dear Life, and preorder her forthcoming book, Dear Writer (April, 2025). Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the...

191 To celebrate Nadine + Sara's upcoming collaborative masterclass on April 15, we're bringing back this much-loved episode w/ Sara Avant Stover. Register for the class at https://www.nadinekenneyjohnstone.com/classes If you've ever felt alone in your suffering and uncertainty, this episode is for you. Bestselling author Sara Avant Stover shares her own story of serial heartbreaks and the steps she took towards repair. Through IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapy, Sara discovered how to acknowledge, understand, and heal her parts. Covered in this episode: About Nadine: Download Nadine's mini-retreat reset for busy women here. This guided meditation creates calm and clarity so you can listen to the directions of your heart. Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

190 To celebrate Renee's April 25th women's retreat: Tending Your Wild Fire, we're brining back this fan favorite episode. Award winning author and retreat leader Renee Trudeau joins Nadine to talk about the self discernment practices she does when she feels lost, why she walked away from a book deal, how her life has changed in the last 2 years, and why retreat is so important for women. Renee and Nadine geek out on why they love leading & taking retreats. Renee's Info: Live Inside Out blogupcoming retreatsTips on Taking a Personal Planning Retreat@reneetrudeau_ About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

189 To celebrate the release of Susan's new book, Inexplicable Joy, we're bringing back this fan-favorite episode! Buddhist teacher and writer, Susan Piver, talks about the surprising path that landed her on Oprah and the NY Times bestseller list. She candidly opens up about the pitfalls of publishing that lead her to start her own press. Nadine and Susan share the secrets and support systems that help them as authors, and Susan explains the benefits of the Buddhist Enneagram as a tool for understanding ourselves and each other. About Susan: Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher and the New York Times bestselling author of The Hard Questions, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart, Start Here Now, The Four Noble Truths of Love, and others. Her latest book is The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship. Piver has been a student of Buddhism since 1993. She is founder of the Open Heart Project, a virtual meditation community with 20,000 members all over the world. She lives in Somerville, MA, and Austin, TX. The Open Heart Project The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship Instagram Facebook About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

188 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this 2nd episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her February areas of interest: creative writing, local food sourcing, and perimenopause support. Covered in this episode: *This is the second episode in a year-long series for paid subscribers. Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

186 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Faith and Nadine's March 11 masterclass: Applying to Residencies and Fellowships. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live. Episode originally aired in June 2023. Want to know how to fulfill your writing and traveling dreams (& receive full or partial funding)? Grab a notebook because this episode with travel memoirist Faith Adiele is FULL of helpful info and resources. In addition to chatting about Faith's memoir, her travel column, her 20+ residencies, and her fascinating experiences as Thailand's first Black Buddhist nun, we discuss: -How to find writing residency opportunities -The amazing places you can visit while on residency -How to make your application stand out -Why you don't need publication credentials in order to be chosen -How to ask for the funding and opportunities you want About Faith: FAITH ADIELE is author of the memoirs Meeting Faith, an account of flunking out of Harvard and ordaining as Thailand’s first Black Buddhist nun that won the PEN Open Book Award, and the humorous The Nigerian Nordic Girl’s Guide to Lady Problems. She has attended 20+ artists’ residencies around the globe and writes a syndicated travel column that appears in Detour: Best Stories in Black Travel and the Miami Herald. Named one of Marie Claire magazine’s “Five Women to Learn From,” Faith speaks and teaches workshops in memoir and travel writing at Esalen, Open Center NYC, InsightLA, VONA/Voices and elsewhere. Website Facebook Instagram @meetingfaith Twitter @meetingfaith LinkedIn About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around

187 Nadine is taking a semi-sabbatical this year to study, try new things, and travel, and she's sharing her adventures with you in a podcast series that will air multiple times throughout the year. In this kick-off episode, she shares the highlights, challenges, and takeaways from her recent two-week trip to California to study conscious dance at Esalen and meditation at a 5-day, device-free, silent retreat. Covered in this episode: *This is the first episode in a series she'll be doing throughout the year for paid subscribers. Access for the full episode is available when you become a paid subscriber on Substack. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

185 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Emily and Nadine's Feb 27 masterclass: Integrating Research into Writing. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live. Episode originally aired in Summer 2024. We want to protect our children but we can sense that our over protection is doing more damage than good. In this eye-opening conversation, parenting expert Emily Edlynn explains why controlling parenting is taking its toll on our kids, and how to make small changes that can make a big difference. This hopeful conversation will help you compassionately release control so that your children can thrive and become the capable, confident, connected humans they were meant to be. Covered in this episode: -The signs of controlling parenting -What autonomy-supportive parenting is and why it works -How to integrate parenting practices that will encourage our children’s independence -Identifying how you were raised and the ripple effect that’s had on you -The pitfalls Nadine is noticing in her previous parenting approach and how she’s trying to change. About Emily Edlynn: Her mission is helping families find calm in the chaos of modern parenting. She is an academic, practicing therapist, and mother of 3. She dives deep into complex parenting topics so you don't have to! Her book, Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent, Confident Children, is now available on Amazon or Bookshop! About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her

184 This chat w/ bestselling memoirist Molly Wizenberg covers it all: partnership, parenting, writing, teaching, navigating midlife, and taking brave action. At it's heart though, it's a chat about following our desire, even when it disturbs the status quo. About Molly's latest memoir, The Fixed Stars: At age 36, while serving on a jury, author Molly Wizenberg found herself drawn to a female attorney. Married to a man for nearly a decade and mother to a toddler, Wizenberg tried to return to her life as she knew it, but she felt that something inside her had changed irrevocably. Instead, she would discover that the trajectory of our lives is rarely as smooth or as logical as we’d like to believe. Covered in this episode: About Molly: Molly Wizenberg is a memoirist, essayist, and teacher of personal narrative writing. She is the author of The Fixed Stars, a Stonewall Honor Book and a 2021 finalist for the Washington Book Award in biography and memoir. Her previous books, A Homemade Life and Delancey, were both New York Times bestsellers. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and Bon Appétit, where she was a columnist for three years. She also cohosts the weekly comedy-and-food podcast Spilled Milk, where, with co-host Matthew Amster-Burton, she’s been chewing on-mic since 2010. In other lifetimes, she wrote the James Beard Award-winning blog Orangette (2004-2019) and co-founded the Seattle restaurants Delancey and Essex. Today she writes the newsletter I’ve Got a Feeling, which a very astute person once described as “a chronicle of enthusiasms.” She teaches writing workshops online and around the world. Newsletter: https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/ Website: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/ Current workshop offerings: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/upcomingworkshops Podcast: https://www.spilledmilkpodcast.com/ Instagram (though I’m not there much): https://www.instagram.com/molly.wizenberg/ About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir,

183 In this candid episode, Nadine reviews the highlights and hardships from the past year. She shares the god, bad, and the complicated when it comes to navigating mid-life, parenting a middle-schooler, living in FL, having difficult conversations w/ loved ones, prioritizing fun, and everything in between. Access the full episode by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

182 We're bringing back this encore episode to celebrate Tamara and Nadine's Jan 22 masterclass: Writing for Major Magazines. Replay will be sent if you can't make it live. Episode originally aired in 2021: How does an idea become a book? How do you find the time to write in the midst of working and parenting? How do you overcome fear of what others will think of your writing? Nadine and Tamara talk about all these things and more in this inspiring interview! About Tamara: Tamara Belinfanti is a Jamaican writer whose work explores themes of identity, transitions, and belonging. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Barron’s, Brevity Blog, The Jamaica Gleaner, and PREE, a magazine of contemporary Caribbean writing. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she is a professor of law at New York Law School. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

181 What if a gap year wasn't only reserved for high school grads trying to find themselves? Writer, hiker, and anti-capitalist tiny biz owner, Nic Antoinette, discusses the inspiration behind her 2025 grown up gap year, and Nadine opens up about the moment of jealousy that led to her apprentice year. This is not a new-year-new-you, live-your-best-life episode. Instead, Nic and Nadine talk openly about how they are trying to be real with their plans and expectations for 2025. Nic also discusses the other ways she has curated a values-aligned life and career. In this inspiring and permission-granting conversation, you'll feel encouraged to make choices that challenge the norm in order to live a life that is a right fit for you. Covered in this episode: About Nic: Nic Antoinette is a writer, long-distance hiker, and anti-capitalist tiny business owner. She writes a weekly personal essay series on Substack called Wild Letters, and is the author of two adventure memoirs: How To Be Alone and What We Owe to Ourselves. Links https://nicantoinette.substack.com/https://www.nicoleantoinette.com/https://nicantoinette.substack.com/p/im-taking-a-grown-up-gap-year-in About Nadine: Want to write with Nadine in 2025? Try a free class on Monday, Jan 13! Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with...

180 This was a big year for the show, as Nadine got to interview her writing idols, including Maggie Smith, Abigail Thomas, Dr. Hillary McBride, and more! In this episode, Nadine chats with her producer about their favorite podcast moments from 2024. Learn which life bits of guest wisdom impacted them the most and how their personal lives have changed as a result. While the show is on a holiday break, catch up on any episodes you missed! Episodes referenced: 179 Sari Botton 177 Sarah Fay 174 Hillary McBride 173 Patty McNair 172 Maggie Smith 167 Krystal Clark 165 Emily Edlynn 163 Abigail Thomas 158 Sara Avant Stover 155 Heather Adams 153 Melanie Brooks 152 Emily P Freeman 147 Maria Warner About Nadine: Write with Nadine in 2025. Learn more here. Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

179 Oldster magazine creator, Sari Botton, joins Nadine to talk about the highlights and hardships of “traveling through time in a human body at every phase of life.” As a collector of stories, Sari also shares what she has learned about aging and new beginnings from others. Ultimately, Nadine and Sari explore how to embrace life’s contradictions and feel less alone in the process. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I the only one who feels this way?” this episode is for you! Covered in this episode: -What inspired Sari to start Oldster magazine -What Sari has learned from Oldster interviewees and her own aging process -Her plans for her 60s and beyond -Her self-compassion and boundary-setting practices -Two unexpected life events that made her feel the urgency of time -Why people love, leave, and come back to NYC -The benefits of being a community builder and story collector -Two things that bring Sari great joy Want access to the full episode? Become a paid Substack subscriber here. About Sari: Sari Botton is a bestselling author, editor, and teacher with decades of experience. She is the author of the memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself…Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, which was chosen by Poets & Writers Magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. An essay from it received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2023, edited by Vivian Gornick. For five years she served as the Essays Editor for Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NewYork and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Monday, and Adventures in Journalism. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest...

178 In this candid episode, Nadine discusses her creative and professional successes and struggles of the past year. Join Nadine & Sarah Fay on Dec 10, 10-12:30 CST for a collaborative masterclass, Knowing Your “Why”: Set Up Your Substack to Grow. Replay sent if you miss. If you'd like automatic access to all of Nadine's monthly masterclasses, as well as her weekly writer workouts for women, you can join her Writer Workout PLUS Membership. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S. Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack

177 In this empowering conversation, Nadine chats with Substack Growth Strategist, Sarah Fay, about the transformative power of Substack for writers. They share their writing journeys, the challenges of book launching, and why they’ve both turned to Substack to take back control of their writing careers. They discuss Substack’s infinite benefits, including monetization, longer book launches, and even book serialization. Writers who’ve felt discouraged by traditional publishing gatekeepers will love this dynamic, writer-centric approach that allows for greater creative freedom and connection with their beloved readers. Covered in this episode: Want access to the full episode? Become a paid Substack subscriber. Save 20% on an Annual Membership now through Dec 2. Join Sarah & Nadine on Dec 10, 10-12:30 CST for a collaborative masterclass, Knowing Your “Why”: Set Up Your Substack to Grow. Replay sent if you miss. If you'd like automatic access to all of Nadine's monthly masterclasses, as well as her weekly writer workouts for women, you can join her Writer Workout PLUS Membership:, which is on sale now through Dec 2. About Sarah: Sarah Fay is the leading Substack Growth Strategist and founder of the Substack Writers at Work membership, a bestselling Substack community with over 20,000 members. She's mentored hundreds of writers—from award-winning journalists to bestselling authors and thought leaders—helping them achieve Substack success. As the creator of two bestselling, featured Substacks and an award-winning teacher at Northwestern University, she's widely regarded as the go-to Substack expert. Sarah is also an award-winning author published by HarperCollins, a freelance writer for The New York Times and other prominent publications, a mental health advocate, and the author of Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses. Through her signature program, the Substack Writers at Work membership, Sarah helps writers and creatives leverage their unique talents, make money, and build a loyal audience of superfans on Substack. Her singular approach combines platform-specific strategies with professional and personal growth, enabling her clients and members to produce their best work, have a platform, and earn the income they deserve doing work they love. About Nadine: Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of