Podcasts about Childless

Most mainstream tax advice runs on autopilot, and the autopilot assumes you're married with kids, funding a 529, and leaving an inheritance behind. When none of that describes your life, following it can cost you a fortune. Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® and Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC start from a blunter premise: the tax code is built to reward having children, so Childfree people are never going to get those breaks, and the smarter move is to design your own. The throughline is the opposite of chasing a lower bill this year. It's using taxes as one more tool to fund the life you actually want, paying the IRS what's owed without leaving a tip, and knowing when the strategy some influencer swears by simply doesn't fit a life without kids.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why the tax system is intentionally pronatalist, how that shapes everything from the child tax credit to head-of-household status, and why designing your own tax breaks matters when the built-in ones were never meant for youWhy the popular "become a landlord for passive income" advice often breaks down for Childfree people once you factor in the lost step-up in basis, and how a charitable remainder unitrust can turn an appreciated property into lifetime income plus a charitable benefitHow to think through the pre-tax versus Roth 401(k) decision, why your tax bracket, your state's income tax, your student loans, and any dream of moving abroad all change the answerWhy the Roth conversion and backdoor Roth strategies the financial press pushes every November are so easy to get wrong, and when the paperwork simply isn't worth itWhy paying zero tax in a given year is not always the win it looks like, how donor-advised funds let you time your giving for maximum benefit, and why coordinating a CFP® professional and a CPA protects you over a lifetime rather than a single AprilResources Mentioned in this Episode:Early Retirement Tax Planning with Cody Garrett, CFP®, Ep 166: : https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-166Get Dr. Jay's book "The Childfree Guide to Life and Money" here: https://childfreewealth.com/childfree-guide/Learn more about Childfree Wealth:  www.childfreewealth.comLearn more about Childfree Trust: https://www.childfreetrust.com Episode Hosts:Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®, the first of its kind next of kin representation service for Childfree people. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC is an Associate Advisor at Childfree Wealth® and the go-to expert for long-term care strategies and tax planning questions.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is a trusted resource for life planning without children. It explores financial planning, estate planning, relationships, and long-term decisions for adults building a future without kids. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

This week we spoke to Natalie, Following 3 rounds of IVF, the final resulting in a missed miscarriage, Natalie speaks about how she has begun to navigate being childless not by choice. She talks about her experience of fertility testing and IVF and the difficulties she had both physically and emotionally, with medical professionals. We speak about expectations, misconceptions and how to look after yourself properly. As a therapist herself, Natalie learned that she would need to make some changes to protect and restore her mental wellbeing and that those changes would come with guilt. We explore guilt, shame and how it feels to be ambivalent about becoming a parent, before having that decision taken from you. A very thought provoking episode. We are The Worst Girl Gang Ever Foundation. We're all about bringing people together who are going through the tough stuff — baby loss, infertility, and everything in between — and making sure no one has to face it alone. Our community is full of honesty, compassion, and real talk, offering support, understanding, and hope when it's needed most. You can find out more and connect with us over at www.theworstgirlgangever.co.uk

The sharp (and deep) conversation between בְּרוּרְיָה and the Jew for J

There's a particular kind of quiet worry that comes with being Childfree, the suspicion that everyone else received some piece of wiring you're missing. Dr. Amy Blackstone spent her mid-30s certain she was broken as a woman, and she went looking for the research to explain what had gone wrong with her. What she found became her life's work. There is no maternal instinct waiting to switch on, and the majority of Childfree people she interviewed had opted out for a reason that genuinely surprised her: they watched their parents do it well, understood exactly what good parenting asks of a person, and chose to put their energy somewhere else. She joins Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® for a conversation that runs from the political noise around falling birth rates to what the research actually says about regret, and lands on the thing that reframes everything. If you feel wrong, it may be because you've been measuring yourself against the wrong population.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why there is no scientific basis for the maternal instinct, and how the absence of that supposed pull leaves so many people convinced something is wrong with themThe biggest surprise in Dr. Amy Blackstone's research, that most Childfree people she interviewed had good childhoods and opted out precisely because they saw how much good parenting requiresWhat the research actually shows about regret, why the distinction between Childfree and Childless matters so much, which group does report unhappiness later in life, and how that compares to the share of parents who regret having kidsWhy measuring your life against the standard life script guarantees you'll feel like you're doing it wrong, and how comparing yourself to the right population changes the entire pictureHow stigma around the Childfree choice has shifted over the decades, what today's pronatalist politics and policy fights look like, and why roughly a quarter of the country remains almost entirely underservedResources Mentioned: Laura Carroll, Childfree author and advocate who revitalized International Childfree Day: https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-74/ Marcia Drut-Davis, author of Confessions of a Childfree Woman:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marcia-Drut-Davis/author/B08429L4CL The Childfree Path to a Healthier Planet | Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® | TEDxWilsonPark: https://youtu.be/ltZpfHCpHPg?si=38LrZlkf4oMGWyE8 Episode Guest:Dr. Amy Blackstone is a public sociologist who studies and writes about reproductive justice, population trends, workplace sexual harassment, activism and other forms of civic engagement, power and politics, and any other topic that strikes her fancy, hits the news, or gets myopic dingdongs with too much power riled up. In recent years, much of her focus has been dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic and what's been left in its wake: a silent but no less crushing aftershock, an illness known as Long COVID, that has claimed millions, snatching her from public life, while the world carries on as if nothing has happened. Her book, CHILDFREE BY CHOICE (Penguin Random House) enraged pronatalists the world over, a career highlight. Dr. Blackstone worked as a professor of sociology at the University of Maine for a quarter century and she now looks forward to a future of retirement and troublemaking.Connect with Dr. Amy Blackstone:Website: amyblackstonephd.com Instagram: instagram.com/a.maria.blackstone/ Childfree by Choice by Dr. Amy Blackstone https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Blackstone/author/B07T7TM4DT Episode Host:Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® (he/him) is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping people simplify their finances so they can live an amazing Childfree life. Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the book "The Childfree Guide to Life and Money."About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights focuses on planning for solo aging and later life without children. It offers trusted education on financial planning, estate planning, and building support systems for people aging independently. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

When you're Childfree, disability insurance is essential. Bri Conn, CFP® and Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC make the case that your paycheck is the engine behind the entire life you've designed, and protecting it isn't the same as guarding against some freak accident. More than one in four of today's 20-year-olds will become disabled before retirement, and about 90 percent of claims come from ordinary illnesses like cancer, heart conditions, and long COVID, not the dramatic scenarios people picture. The throughline is the one that runs through everything on this show: your income is your freedom, and protecting it on purpose is how you keep the life you built.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why disability is far more common than people assume, with more than one in four of today's 20-year-olds becoming disabled before retirement and about 90 percent of claims coming from everyday illnesses rather than accidentsThe real difference between short-term and long-term disability coverage, and why a solo earner with no partner to fall back on should treat long-term coverage as non-negotiableHow the definition of disability in your policy changes everything, from the restrictive "any occupation" standard to the "own occupation" coverage that keeps paying even if you build a new careerHow occupational class, benefit caps, and riders like residual disability shape what you actually pay and what you actually collect, and why mental health claims are often limited to a set number of yearsThe tax rule that catches people off guard, why a benefit paid for by your employer is taxable while one you fund yourself arrives tax-free, and how that math should shape the coverage you chooseEpisode Hosts:Bri Conn, CFP® is a Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth® and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®. She specializes in financial management, life design, and estate planning, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, drawing on her own early financial challenges and recovery to fuel her work in personal finance education.Scott Barnes, CFP®, TPCP®, CLTC is an Associate Advisor at Childfree Wealth® and the go-to expert for long-term care strategies and tax planning questions.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

“I've been childless throughout our 23 years of marriage, and I believe my husband's poor show in bed contributed to it. Now, he has dumped me for his side chick after I refused to allow my property documents to be used as collateral for his so-called relative.” – Bitter Wife

Childless couples are preferring fur babies to actual babies, students encouraged to skip school to attend protest rallies against Pauline Hanson. Plus, a Gold Coast church says worshippers should use whichever bathroom matches their feelings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the story of Hannah, a woman who experiences God's compassion in her deepest distress. Childless and ridiculed, Hannah prays fervently for a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord. God answers her prayer, and she gives birth to Samuel, who becomes a pivotal figure in Israel's history. We explore Hannah's heartfelt prayer of gratitude, which not only praises God's holiness and strength but also anticipates the coming of the Messiah.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

The Book Of Matthew And The Genealogy Of Yeshua  Part 8:  The Curse Of Coniah, The Childless King  -  English only.  King Coniah is listed as an ancestor of Yeshua, but the Almighty pronounced a curse on the king, declaring that he would be childless. How then can Yeshua be a descendant of King Coniah if Coniah was childless?  Recorded November 3, 2025.

The weird thing Jenny has been seeing Thursday mornings when she drives into work, Would you Rather, Falen's Entertainment Report, Jenny's Been on Reddit: Silly Reasons You Want to be Childless, and more!

A lot of financial advice assumes you're building wealth to pass on to your kids. But what if that's not your path? About 25% of Americans are childless by choice or circumstance, and the financial system largely wasn't built for them. That's why in this episode of the podcast I talk with Certified Financial Planner Bri Conn about what the financial landscape actually looks like for childless couples, and why it requires a different approach. In this episode you will learn: Why traditional financial planning falls short for childless couples and how to fix it What the financial landscape actually look like for childless couples What FILE (Financial Independence, Live Early) is and how it differs from FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) Why estate planning for childless individuals goes beyond a will, and what a Care Plan covers The most common mistakes/missed opportunities childless couples walk away with In speaking to a financial planner.

Psalm 113 opens with the image of a woman weeping over a negative pregnancy test — and it meets her there. This expository sermon explores Psalm 113 through the lens of Hannah, possible author of the psalm and mother of Samuel, uncovering three commands to praise and three blessings of God's condescension: visibility, exaltation, and life. From the origin of "Hallelujah" in Hebrew to the stunning claim that the womb of a virgin is the most barren place in history, this message offers profound hope for the childless, the suffering, and a creation groaning for redemption.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. We're talking with author Jaclyn Westlake! Jaclyn is a former recruiter and career advice columnist who now writes novels about funny, flawed women doing their best to find their authentic way in the world. She is the author of Dear Dotty — a finalist for the Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award — and Lucky Break, whose main character navigates grief, therapy, and the unexpected freedom of a life that didn't go according to plan. Jaclyn lives in California with her husband Brian and their chihuahua mix, Mr. Pickles. TRIPS:Christmas Markets 2026!!! GET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Life After IVF: How to Rediscover Yourself When Fertility Treatment Ends Without a Child What happens after fertility treatments end? If IVF failed, you stopped fertility treatment without becoming a mom, or you're wondering how to rebuild your life after infertility, this episode is for you. When your dream of motherhood doesn't happen, it can feel like your future disappeared with it. You may wonder who you are now, what comes next, or whether you'll ever feel excited about life again. In this episode, you'll hear the deeply personal story behind one of the biggest decisions I've ever made. After spending 20 years in medical device sales and reaching the highest point of my career, I walked away from everything to build resources for women living childless after infertility. Now, two years later, I'm sharing why I'm returning to corporate America and what this experience has taught me about identity, purpose, and creating a meaningful life after infertility. If you've ever believed motherhood was supposed to define who you are, this conversation will help you see that your story is still being written. In this episode, you'll discover: Why the end of fertility treatment doesn't have to be the end of discovering who you are. How to rebuild your identity after IVF, infertility, or pregnancy loss. Why it's possible to create a fulfilling life without becoming a parent. The surprising lesson I learned after leaving a successful 20-year career. Why reinventing yourself isn't giving up. It's giving yourself permission to become someone you haven't met yet. You are so much more than the life you thought you would have. Even if motherhood didn't happen, you still get to decide what happens next. Resources Mentioned Participate in the Northwestern University Research Study I'm honored to be partnering with researchers in the Northwestern University Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility to better understand the experiences of women whose fertility treatment ended without a child. If you've completed fertility treatment, did not have a child, and are no longer pursuing treatment, your experience matters. Take the confidential survey here: https://redcap.nubic.northwestern.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=LM4TX4MJN3HRR7ER The more women who participate, the greater opportunity we have to influence how fertility clinics and healthcare providers support patients when treatment ends. Free Guide Have people ever said things like: "You can always adopt." "Everything happens for a reason." "At least you can travel." Download my free guide: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless (and How to Respond) https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay Connect with Lana If you're ready to stop feeling stuck after infertility and begin creating a life you genuinely love, I'd love to support you. Learn more about coaching, my book, and additional resources at: https://www.lanamanikowski.com If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who is navigating life after infertility. Your review helps more women who are childless after infertility find the support they may not even know exists.

In this episode, Keltie speaks with highschool counselor and content creator, Caroline, about her deeply personal journey deciding to remain childfree. You'll hear about: How Caroline went from dreaming of 3 kids, to thinking she'd have only one, to being fulfilled with none.  What it's like to navigate infertility treatments when you're still on the fence.  Navigating the societal pressures around this choice, including when all your friends are becoming moms. How Caroline broke the news to her family and friends that she and her husband had decided to stop trying. What helped solidify her decision, and why she's decided to start sharing publicly about her childfree choice. (2:25) Meet Caroline & her Kids or Childfree decision (15:01) Trying for a kid, fertility struggles (25:40) Deciding to stay childfree (38:47) Navigating friendship groups (55:30) Embracing a childfree life (1:04:28) Childfree vs. Childless (1:16:06) Posting childfree content as an influencer About Caroline: Caroline is a high school counselor in the New York City public school system with 14 years of experience and a master's degree in counseling. As the creator behind @elsewherewithcare on Instagram, she shares content about life in New York City, travel, personal style, and her journey as a childfree woman. Through her personal experiences and professional insight, Caroline explores the complexities of choosing a childfree life and encourages others to live & find fulfillment on their own terms. By talking about the things many people are thinking but hesitant to say out loud, she helps normalize difficult conversations and fosters a sense of connection for those navigating similar experiences. Her content creates space for honest, nuanced reflection among childfree individuals and the parents and loved ones in their lives.  As mentioned in the episode: Find Caroline on Instagram at instagram.com/elsewherewithcare. Join our August Confidently Childfree Group Intensive that starts on August 4th.  MORE HELP FOR YOUR KIDS OR CHILDFREE DECISION: Start Here: sign up for an upcoming WORKSHOP 

Seth Rogen just told millions of fans that not having kids is the secret to his success — and Marc Cox and Kim St. Onge aren't letting it slide. On this edition of Kim on a Whim, the duo tears apart Rogen's viral podcast moment where he called going childless one of the best decisions of his life, connecting his Hollywood platform to record-low U.S. fertility rates and a culture that increasingly treats children as a burden rather than a blessing. Marc fires back with the real conservative case for having kids — raising them in faith, love of country, and respect for others is exactly how you fight back against the darkness. Then the conversation pivots to New York City's new socialist rent freeze under Mayor Mamdani, Marcus Lemonis bailing on his New York home, and Hassan Piker rallying Denver's newly elected Democratic Socialist — proof that the left's war on families, property rights, and personal responsibility is accelerating. The American family is under attack from Hollywood to City Hall, and Marc and Kim are drawing the line. Hashtags: #MarcCoxMorningShow #KimOnAWhim #SethRogen #ChildlessByChoice #FertilityRateCrisis #AmericanFamily #ProFamily #FaithAndFamily #SocialismFails #NYCRentFreeze #Mamdani #HassanPiker #DemocraticSocialists #DenverElection #MarcusLemonis #ConservativeValues #StLouis

Katy Schnitzler returns to The Full Stop five years on — now fresh off submitting her PhD — to dig into one of the thorniest workplace issues for people who are childless not by choice: holidays, leave, and boundaries. The conversation moves from the personal (the strange non-celebration of finishing a PhD, the "full stop" feeling of an ending without ceremony) into the structural: school-holiday leave bias, rota and shift unfairness, "informal favours" for parents, and the particular pressures faced by teachers, midwives and nurses who are childless. Katy shares findings from her doctoral research and her Pronatalism at Work project, and the group works through practical, non-judgemental ways organisations can make leave, language and culture fairer for everyone, without taking anything away from parents. We're talking about ... Holiday and school-term leave bias against childless employees "Informal favours," rota unfairness and the assumption that childless staff have nothing to rush home for Teaching, midwifery and nursing as flashpoints for childless professionals Ambiguous and disenfranchised grief — why childlessness grief isn't always recognised, even by therapists Pronatalism in the workplace: baby showers, scan photos, "doing it for the kids" culture The intersection of childlessness with disability, chronic illness, singleness and bereavement Practical, low-cost fixes: transparent leave/booking systems, anonymous feedback, external training, first-come-first-served leave policies Takeaways Holidays are emotionally loaded for people without children — naming that openly (without banning the topic) helps everyone. "Gentle challenge" responses ("that's not always how it feels") put the work back on the person making assumptions, not the person experiencing them. Transparent, first-come-first-served leave systems can remove parental status from the equation entirely. Anonymous feedback on workload and leave can surface disparities before they become resentment. External, MIST training takes the emotional load off the person going through it — they don't have to "out" themselves to get change. This isn't bashing parents. It's about making space at the table for everyone's story. Guest Katy Schnitzler — academic and corporate trainer specialising in reproductive health and childlessness (pregnancy loss, infertility, menstrual health, menopause). Founder of MIST Workshops (est. 2020), and author of doctoral research including the Pronatalism at Work project. Listen to the Full Conversation We cover a lot of ground, from anticipatory grief and adoption to the specific dynamics of shift work, IVF and rota fairness. Learn about the Full Stop on our website and donate to our work at KOFI Childless people are invited to join the Full Stop Community for support, episode discussion and conversation. Learn more about Katy's work and book training for your organisation at MIST Workshops. The Full Stop is a podcast for people who are childless not by choice, and for everyone who loves, works alongside, or supports someone who is. New episodes drop regularly — subscribe wherever you listen.  

The Vice-President was on the View, and behold, it was a success for the Vice-President. Who thought otherwise? We also discuss the Rainbow Hat Controversy, which is boiling over into serious freedom of religion and speech issues.

In this episode, Maddy Roche sits down with Sherrill Wayland, Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. Sherrill brings over two decades of advocacy experience, a deeply personal connection to the community she serves, and a clear-eyed understanding of what it means to age as an LGBTQ+ adult in a world that was not always built to support you -- particularly when you are doing it without children.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why LGBTQ+ older adults face a unique set of aging challenges rooted in a lifetime of discrimination, family estrangement, and a legal system that was not designed with their relationships in mind -- and what SAGE is doing at the national level to change thatWhat the Long-Term Care Equality Index is, how it helps LGBTQ+ older adults identify affirming housing and care communities, and what specific questions to ask when evaluating whether a provider is truly equipped to serve your communityHow SAGE Care's cultural competency training is equipping senior centers, assisted living facilities, and area agencies on aging across the country to serve LGBTQ+ older adults with dignity and respectWhat Sherrill's sabbatical to Antarctica with her mother taught her about the freedom that comes with being Childfree by choice, and why building a life on your own terms sometimes means spending it exactly the way you wantEpisode Guest:Sherrill Wayland (she/they) is the Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults. With a career rooted in advocacy for marginalized communities, Sherrill oversees the National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, SAGE Care, SAGE Collab, and SAGE U, and has spent over two decades working to ensure LGBTQ+ elders have access to affirming, dignified care and community.Learn more about SAGE on their website: https://www.sageusa.org/And follow along on social media: https://www.instagram.com/sageusa https://www.facebook.com/SAGEUSA Episode Host:Maddy Roche (she/her) is Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust®. She understands the challenges of being Childfree as it relates to estate planning and is passionate about educating her community about ways to prepare.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

For generations, we've been told that a happy life follows a familiar path: find a partner, get married, have children, and live happily ever after. But what happens when life looks different?In this deeply personal and honest conversation, we explore what it means to build a fulfilling life outside society's traditional expectations.We share their very different journeys with relationships, marriage, motherhood, childlessness, and being child-free by choice.Natalie opens up about the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages, the grief of letting go of the future she once imagined, and the societal pressures women face when they don't have children. Lenka shares why she's never wanted children and how she's found peace in the possibility of living a happy, meaningful life without a long-term romantic partner.Together, we discuss the stigma surrounding childlessness, the growing movement of women choosing not to have children, the freedom that comes from embracing your own path, and why your worth is never defined by your relationship status or whether you become a parent.This episode is a powerful reminder that there is no single blueprint for happiness, and that a life filled with purpose, love, connection, and contribution can take many different forms.If you've ever questioned society's expectations around marriage, motherhood, relationships, or what it means to live a meaningful life, this conversation is for you.Listen now and discover why being child-free, childless, or single doesn't mean living with less; it can mean living authentically, intentionally, and fully.

Mirick Trusts and Estates Attorney Bob Mascali discusses the importance of having an estate plan, even when you have no children

Youth Talk with Bibi Aysha Laher: The childless aunt & uncle by Radio Islam

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There's a profound grief associated with not having kids if you really wanted them, one that's rarely acknowledged, even less understood. But there's also an unexpected joy when you come out the other side. In today's conversation, Good Weekend senior writer Katrina Strickland discusses the ups and downs of her own path into childlessness with Good Weekend editor Melissa Stevens. They traverse what medical developments have given young women today, the potential downsides - and what those worried about the decline in global fertility rates should be paying attention to. They discuss, too, what Strickland wants Millennials and Gen Zs to know: it will be ok, however it turns out for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® brings his TED Conference takeaways directly to the Childfree community for a straight-talking look at what the AI economy actually means for people building a future without children. He does not sugarcoat it. The next recession will likely be the one that takes the jobs and does not bring them back, and the people who will be okay are not necessarily the ones who saw it coming, they are the ones who prepared before it arrived.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why the next recession is likely to be a structural job loss event rather than a temporary one, and why AI replacing 80% of desk jobs is not doom and gloom, it is just mathWhy being the expert in your field is no longer the competitive advantage it once was, and what the one skill is that will actually protect you in an AI economyHow Childfree adults are uniquely positioned to navigate a post-work world, and why not having to worry about your children's job prospects is a genuine advantage when the economy shiftsWhy Dr. Jay is temporarily back on the hustle train and what he is doing personally to build his financial cushion before the window closesWhat the obituary exercise has to do with AI, why your second line will not say "Father of three," and why figuring out what it does say is the most important work you can do right nowResources Mentioned:Leadership Lessons from NASCAR with Drew Blickensderfer:  https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-176/ The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist - Available on YouTube, Apple TV & Amazon PrimeWant to talk more about this? Join us on June 3rd for Navigating the AI Economy a Real Talk with Dr. Jay: https://childfreeinsights.com/event/20260603-realtalk/Can't make it on June 3rd? Check out our other free events here: https://childfreeinsights.com/events/Episode Hosts:Dr. Jay Zigmont, MBA, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Someone told me in my community that it's "bad for a woman to be single in her 30's." Not only did I found this statement to be wild, but it made me question why do we put a time limit on a woman's worth and beauty? And why do we allow society to dictate the lives of women in general?!I caught up with my friend, Lucy Meggeson who is a powerhouse for single and child-free women. Lucy is the Host of Thrive Solo Podcast, author of Shiny Happy Singles (or Thrive Solo if you're in North America). In this episode we explore: 

Birthdays After IVF Failed | Childless and Aging After Infertility What happens when birthdays stop feeling celebratory after IVF failed? For many women who are childless after infertility, birthdays can feel like painful reminders of everything that did not happen: • Another year older. • Another year without children. • Another year wondering what your future is supposed to look like now. In this deeply personal episode of The "So Now What?" Podcast, Lana Manikowski opens up about turning 52 after seven years of infertility, IUI, and IVF treatments that ended without a child. She shares the silent fears many women carry about aging without motherhood, feeling disconnected from themselves, and questioning their purpose, identity, and future after fertility treatments end. This episode explores: • Why birthdays can feel emotionally painful after IVF failed. • The fear of aging without children. • Feeling like your "real life" never started after infertility. • The identity loss that happens when motherhood does not happen. • Fear around legacy, purpose, and who will care for you later in life. • Why women often feel lost for years after fertility treatments end. • What helped Lana stop measuring her life against motherhood milestones. • How to begin creating meaning and connection after childlessness not by choice. If you have ever wondered: "What does aging look like without children?" "Who am I without motherhood?" "How do I stop feeling behind in life after infertility?" …this episode is for you. Lana also shares details about a confidential research study through Northwestern University focused on understanding the experiences and support needs of women whose fertility treatments ended without a live birth. Mentioned in this episode Participate in an anonymous Northwestern University Research Study for women who have left fertility treatments without a child. Researchers are gathering insight about the emotional experiences, unmet needs, and long-term impact of life after infertility so fertility clinics can better support future patients. The confidential survey is open to anyone in the world who meets the eligibility requirements. Click here to participate in the Northwestern University research study   Download "The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless," a free guide to help you respond to painful, awkward, and insensitive comments after infertility without spiraling, overexplaining, or losing yourself in the conversation. Get the free guide here   Read Lana's bestselling book, "So Now What?", the resource she wishes her fertility clinic had given her after seven years of infertility, IUI, and IVF ended without a baby. This book helps women navigate identity, grief, purpose, relationships, and creating a meaningful life after infertility. Read "So Now What?" here   Learn more about Thrive After Infertility, Lana's 12-week coaching program for women who are childless after infertility and ready to stop feeling stuck in grief, disconnected from themselves, and uncertain about the future. Learn more about Thrive After Infertility   Schedule a free 45-minute Thrive Call with Lana to talk through where you are right now, what feels hardest about life after infertility, and what it could look like to begin moving forward without the children you dreamed of. Schedule your free Thrive Call here   Follow Lana on Instagram for conversations about life after IVF failed, childlessness after infertility, aging without children, healing identity after infertility, and creating a meaningful future when motherhood did not happen. Follow Lana on Instagram  

We tend to see the world from where we are. It's only natural. We want everyone and everything else to fit in with us. But God, well, He doesn't quite see it that way.   A Boy Called Sam Last week on the programme we spent some time talking about the fact that when the storms of life hit and they inevitably do, what we need is some solid ground beneath our feet. It's a scary place to be, out on that stormy ocean – we are not made for that. We are made for solid ground. And we began looking at the story of some people: a woman called Hannah and her son Samuel and some priests – Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas. Hannah, now here was a woman who honoured God and He honoured her – the priests, on the other hand, although they should have known better, they didn't honour God. And as we will see on the programme this week, they reaped their just reward. And the reason we are looking at this story of these people, is that when we are in the midst of the storm, as we so often are, we lose our bearings. We so often lose sight of those things that really matter and for me, as I have spent time in that story, it has clarified some things for me – it's brought them into sharp focus and my hunch is that as you and I spend some time together today, well, maybe you will find that too. So let's just recap briefly on this story of Hannah. Hannah married a man called Elkanah and he had two wives: Peninnah and Hannah. And Hannah didn't have children and Peninnah did, so Peninnah would taunt Hannah and there was a lot of pain around that, so Hannah goes to God – she pours out her heart to Him in the temple and she gets God's peace. It is what always happens when we do that. Eli, on the other hand, is the priest that is at the temple at the time when Hannah comes to pour her heart out and he mistakes what Hannah is doing – he thinks she is drunk. And the priest Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas, they are bad dudes – they are plundering the sacrifices, they are not honouring God and there is a real contrast between these two – between Hannah and her family and Eli and his - this nobody Hannah and this priest Eli. See that's what we so often miss in life – God is hidden; He is invisible – we forget about Him – we go on living our lives, wondering why things are going from bad to worse. And in the middle of this story (last week we stumbled across this verse) when God was pronouncing His judgement on Eli and his family – you can read this if you have a Bible, grab it, open it up at First Samuel chapter 2 and verse 30. God said: Those who honour Me, I will honour but those who despise Me shall be treated with contempt. And that's kind of the pivot on which this whole story turns and this week on the programme we are going to look at how things turned out for Hannah and for Eli. There was a sharp contrast to their approach to God and there is a sharp contrast in how things turn out for them. It tells us a lot about God; it clarifies the confusion in the midst of our storm when we can't see God, necessarily. When that happens we know how to put our feet on solid ground. Well let's start today with Hannah – this pain of being childless and the taunts of the other wife. Childless couples the world over, know how painful this is. So she goes to God – let's have a look at it again in First Samuel chapter 1, beginning at verse 9 and she pours her heart out. Once they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. In the bitterness of her soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord as she made a vow saying "O Lord Almighty, if You will only look upon Your servant's misery and remember me and not forget Your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used on his head." Then she went on her way, ate something and her face was no longer downcast. Let's take a look to see what happened next. First Samuel chapter 1, verse 19: Straight after this, early the next morning they rise, they worship before the Lord and then they go back their home in Ramah. Elkanah lay with his wife Hannah and the Lord remembered her so in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named his Samuel, saying "Because I asked the Lord for him." When the man Elkanah went up with his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow, Hannah didn't go – she said to her husband "After the boy is weaned I will take him up and present him before the Lord and he will live there always." "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah, her husband told her, "Stay here until you have weaned him, only may the Lord make good His Word." So the woman stayed at home, nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli and she said to him "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I ask of Him so now I give him to the Lord for his whole life – he will be given over to the Lord and she worshipped the Lord there." See, Hannah had this terrible pain – she came to God with this impossible prayer – it was a humble and heartfelt prayer and God honours that. See we so underestimate the power of humble prayer; prayer from the heart; prayer that just lays it out before God the way we see it and feel it. God honours that! When He honours her with the impossible, she honours God back and gives her son over to God to serve at the temple for the rest of his life. Now that's easy to gloss over that, but can you imagine? I mean, she wanted her son more than anything and now she gives him up to honour God. God honours that – her incredible heart was to honour God, so she does. She honours Him by giving up the one thing that she desired most – her son. And what's more, she gives over her most precious to be under the wicked Eli and his sons. Now figure that out! It's not exactly a great strategic choice – this young, impressionable child, but see, God honours those who honour Him. And God honours her and protects young Samuel, and we will see, raises young Samuel up and makes him strong. See, the more we honour God, the more He honours us. Look at this - First Samuel chapter 3, verse 7: Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And verse 19: The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and He let none of His Words fall to the ground and all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. And the word of Samuel came to all of Israel." You see, God honoured her in her storm! Young Samuel went on to become the chief priest, the prophet, the judge of all of Israel. Why? Because this nobody; this woman Hannah, honoured her God, so simply by pouring her heart out to Him, by trusting Him. I want you to notice how insignificant that may have appeared to her at the time. She had this big hairy giant; this huge storm; the pain of being childless, the taunts of Peninnah, it was impossible but for God nothing is impossible. God honours those who honour Him! She honoured God in her naivety – giving young Sam over to Eli. And even there in that impossible situation, God honoured her and He honoured young Sam. So simple – it's so powerful.   The Contrast Continues I guess intuitively, we understand that the things we say and do, the way we think and behave – well, they have consequences. There is a link between cause and effect. We kind of know that but how easy is it to delude ourselves in this area; to make excuse for ourselves? To live out our own selfish desires and pretend that, well, really, that cause and effect stuff applies to other people but not to me! You know what I am talking about. We deny it, we deny it, we deny it and all along the warning signs grow – the storm clouds start to gather over the horizon. But sometimes it's not till that first clap of thunder that we take any notice and then, so often, it's too late. The storm has gathered momentum and all we can do is brace ourselves for when it hits. We are going to spend some time in that space today with a man called Eli because he was in exactly that situation and he left it too late. Let's make no mistake, there is a definite link in God's economy between cause and effect, especially as it turns out, in our relationship with God. We have been working our way, in this series, through the story of Hannah, this woman who honoured God and Eli, the priest, a man with his sons who did the exact opposite – even though he should have known better. And right now I want to look at how things turn out for Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. These were men who were priests – their job was to be shepherding Israel, bringing them close to their God. Instead Hophni and Phinehas were plundering the sacrifices of God's people, they were sleeping with prostitutes – they were doing anything but honouring God. Look at how God reacts to that. If you have got a Bible, open it at First Samuel chapter 3, verse 1. The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the Word of the Lord was rare. There were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord. Remember Samuel is Hannah's son. He was in the temple where the Ark of God was. Then the Lord called "Samuel" and Samuel answered "Here I am" and he ran in to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." But Eli said "I didn't call you. God back, lie down." So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called "Samuel" and Samuel go up and went to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I didn't call you, go back, lie down." Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." Then Eli finally realised that the Lord was calling the boy so Eli told Samuel "Go and lie down and if God calls you again, say "Speak Lord for Your servant is listening." So Samuel went and lay down in his place so the Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times "Samuel, Samuel". Then Samuel said "Speak for Your servant is listening." And the Lord said to Samuel "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke against his family from beginning to end, for I told him that I would judge his family forever, because of the sin that he knew about. His sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them, therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, the guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice of offering." Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli of the vision but Eli called him and said "Samuel, my son," Samuel answered, "Here I am." "What was it He said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He told you." So Samuel told Eli everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, "He is the Lord. Let Him do what is good in His eyes." Here's the paradox – Samuel is this young kid, he didn't recognise God's voice and finally Eli did. Yet Samuel is the one that listened to God and Eli didn't, even though he knew God's voice. Remember that verse: First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30. "I honour those who honour Me" says God, "but those who despise Me I will treat with contempt." And here it is – it's happening to Eli. Here is this powerful truth working its way out in Eli's life. We can be beetling along in our own selfish ways, ignoring our conscience, treating people with contempt, treating God with contempt, ignoring God but God never stops speaking. And even someone like Samuel can hear Him. If you want to know what He has to say, just listen. He spoke to Eli over and over again but Eli didn't listen. He talks to us over and over again. How? Maybe you were just flicking around, channel surfing today and you happened across this programme – kind of by chance or by accident, it seemed – there you go. God is always trying to communicate with us; to reach out to us but eventually, enough is enough. Eventually we kindle His anger – eventually the time comes when we reap what we have sown and that's exactly what's happened with Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. And here it is coming: the first lightening strike of the storm and what God tells Samuel actually goes on to happen. You can read it in chapter 4, verses 12 to 22. This is a wakeup call! In the storms in life – yea, they happen – and sometimes they are of our own doing, as it was for Eli and his sons. And we keep going and we keep going and we keep going and deluding ourselves, pretending there is no cause and effect, but there is. Eventually, there is a day of reckoning, here in this life and one day, you and I will stand before God and He will judge us and He will! We may not like the idea, but that doesn't change anything. Today is a wakeup call. Perhaps we are in one of those stormy times of life and you know, when things are going badly we are tempted all the more to behave badly. This truth rings out – "I will honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me, will be treated with contempt." Those are the words of the sovereign God, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords who is above all things and there is no solid ground beneath the feet of those who turn their backs on God. None! It might feel like that for a while but it will crumble.   Heading Off Without God I have said a few times that I am a confirmed landlubber – give me solid ground beneath my feet any day – I love good old terra firma. You know, what we have seen with Eli is Eli heading off in the wrong direction and you and I have done that too. How do we stop doing that? How do we not go in that place? Because it is so easy for us to head off there, go in the wrong direction, like Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas and plunder sacrifices and do all the wrong stuff that they did, in our own lives and forget that God honours those who honour Him. There is an executive summary of what God thinks about Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. It's in First Samuel chapter 2, verse 17. It says: The sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt. And remember the central theme – the pivot on which this whole story turns is in First Samuel 2, verse 30. God says: I will honour those who honour Me and those who despise Me, I will treat with contempt. Now there is a great part to this story; a great adjunct that goes with this story and it's about what happens when Israel just takes God for granted. This bad stuff has been happening among the priesthood and Israel ignores it and just expects God to keep on blessing them. Let's pick it up in First Samuel chapter 4. See, the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines, the Israelites were camped at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines deployed all their forces to meet Israel and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines who killed about four thousand of their men. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel said "Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies. So the people sent men to Shiloh, they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Almighty, who was enthroned between the cherubim and Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. And when the Ark of the Lord's covenant came into the camp, all of Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines ask "What are those Hebrews shouting about? When they learned that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. "A God has come into their camp" they said "we are in trouble. Nothing like this has ever happen before, woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong Philistines, be men or you will be subject to the Hebrews as they have been to you – be men and fight." So the Philistines fought and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great. Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers, the Ark of the Covenant of God was captured and Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas died. See, Israel is so used to God being on their side, they just kind of head off, assuming that He was, despite the fact that all this bad stuff was going on. Despite the fact that the two priests Hophni and Phinehas were dishonouring, they were despising God - they were doing what was wrong. They deluded themselves – see, there is a cause and effect. No, no, she'll be right! God is always on my side, He is a good God, and He blesses me. See, we take this mighty God, who created the whole universe and expect Him to become our performing poodle – don't we? He does tricks on our command, He comes along behind us. Their first defeat, they get defeated and they lose three thousand men – what do they do? They go and send for the Covenant of God – "Let's bring God to us, let's make God do what we want Him to do, to protect us against the Philistines." But God is not like that! God is an awesome, mighty, powerful and good God and when we start dishonouring Him let's not expect Him to put our feet on solid ground – let's not expect Him to keep honouring us. He always loves us – He'll always forgive us; He'll always bring us close but on His terms, not ours. We can't sow dishonour in God's direction and expect to receive honour from Him in return. See the humiliation of this story is: they treat God like a performing poodle, by bringing Him to them and in fact the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines. This was the place of the very presence of God Himself and over the next couple of weeks we will discover that people, when they realised what they actually had, these Philistines, all they wanted to do was to get rid of Him. But that's for another day. Today, the simple message of this story is this: we can't go living out a life of stiff necked rebellion and expect God to toddle along behind us on the leash and bless us on cue. We just can't! God is a powerful and mighty God. You know when you put it that way it's pretty plainly obvious, isn't it? And to tell you the truth, that's my agenda today – to make that plainly obvious. It's blindingly, glimpsingly obvious. Let's all take a big wakeup call here. When a storm hits, do you want solid ground beneath your feet? Do you want to know that God is with you? Do you want that certain knowledge that: well, He is going to bless you, no matter what this world throws at you? Gotta tell you – I sure do! And let me get back to the central point; the central theme that the sovereign God wants to get across to us today through His Word. First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30. God says: I honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me will be treated with contempt. God is a sovereign God. God is the King of Kings. God is the Lord of Lords. We had better stop treating Him as thought He is not. You just can't send for God and expect Him to show up when we have been dishonouring Him. Hophni and Phinehas found that out because just as the man of God had prophesied, they were both killed on that same day. And later on in the story we see Eli actually died on that same day as well. God is slow to anger but God does anger and He can't bless our rebellion because if He does, we'll think "Oh great, I can do anything I want and He'll bless it." But anything that I want is not the place of intimacy between God and me any more than adultery is the place of intimacy between a man and a wife. See just to underscore this point, this wasn't some small defeat by the Philistines, it was the mother of all defeats. How many Israelites were killed? Four thousand and then thirty thousand! That is a lot of people! And the irony of it all is that God's people did not understand the power of their Almighty God but the Philistines did. When the Philistines heard that God was in the camp they were afraid. I want to ram this home today – get right in your face with this: if we head off in our own direction, in our strength, in our own selfish ways – on our own without the blessing and covering of the power of God, we are going to come a cropper. We are not going to have any solid ground – if we do that we will reap what we sow and there is no solid ground in that place. None, only trouble! God honours those who honour Him but those who despise Him will be treated with contempt.

Welcome to the portal of power, pleasure, and unlimited potential... And welcome to our monthly series: Rambles + Musings! This is not a polished, linear podcast. This is Crimson sharing what's on her heart and taking you through the wild web of her mind. This month we talk about being single and childless as a woman in my mid 40s (I turn 46 next month!) and how I now see this as my soul's purpose to help usher in a new paradigm. Interested in diving deeper into this new emerging paradigm? Join me for my free "The Threshold: A Dark Feminine Initiation for the New Paradigm" on June 4th! Sign up here: https://www.esoerotic.com/schedule/2026/6/4/the-threshold-a-dark-feminine-initiation-for-the-new-paradigm ******** Learn more at esoerotic.com Crimson's Instagram: www.instagram.com/crimson.minx Minx + Muse Instagram: instagram.com/esoerotic.magick Sign up for our weekly Magick + Musings Newsletter: minx-muse.kit.com/00483e3067 ******** Music “Haunted Hearts” by Noisescape

Divorce After Ten Years Childless

Childless After Infertility? You Still Belong If you've ever felt like everyone else moved forward after IVF while you were left trying to figure out where you fit… this episode is for you. In Episode 205 of The "So Now What?" Podcast, Lana Manikowski shares a deeply personal recap of The Other's Day® weekend in Chicago, where women from 13 states gathered for connection, friendship, healing, and belonging after infertility and childlessness. But this episode is about much more than a weekend event. It's about what happens when you stop seeing yourself as the outsider. You'll hear honest conversation about the emotional aftermath of infertility, the loneliness many women experience after fertility treatments end without a baby, and why so many women quietly question who they are now once the future they imagined never happened. Lana shares: • Why Mother's Day weekend can feel emotionally exhausting when you are childless not by choice. • The hidden identity shifts that happen after IVF failed. • How infertility impacts friendships, marriage, confidence, and connection. • What it was like watching women who once felt disconnected instantly connect during The Other's Day® celebrations. • Why you already belong, even if motherhood didn't happen. • The emotional experience of meeting Thrive After Infertility clients in person after years of coaching together online. • Why healing is not about becoming someone different, but reconnecting to yourself and your life again. • How women are building meaningful, connected, joy-filled lives after infertility. This episode is for you if: • You feel disconnected from friends after infertility. • Mother's Day still feels hard after IVF failed. • You wonder where you fit now that fertility treatments are over. • You are struggling to picture a meaningful future without children. • You want to feel connected, grounded, and hopeful again. You are not broken. You are not behind. And you do not have to keep navigating this alone. ✨ Mentioned in this episode: Join the waitlist for The Other's Day® 2027 in Chicago (May 7–8, 2027): The Other's Day® Waitlist Participate in the confidential Northwestern University research study for women whose fertility treatment ended without a live birth: Northwestern Fertility Treatment Research Study Schedule a free Thrive Call with Lana: Book a Thrive Call Download the free guide: The Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless and How to Respond Get the Free Guide Here Learn more about Thrive After Infertility Connect with Lana on Instagram: Instagram @lana.manikowski

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. Today we are joined by Eva Zu Beck: an adventure YouTuber, host and director of the show Superskilled on NatGeo, and a self-proclaimed feral woman. We ask her about her experiences leaving corporate life to travel the world, her experiences with her dog Vilk, and what it's like to be a woman in this industry. TRIPS:Christmas Markets 2026!!! GET MORE FROM DINKY: Treat yourself to new merch! Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod.Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Sponsored by the Gelb family.

We kick off this episode with some TV banter as well as discussing new AI music tools and The Beatles' White Album. Christian gives an update on his trick back, and then we hear from a younger Millennial about how no one is having kids anymore. We get into issues like sex work and OnlyFans, and then consider some reasons why some films just "feel real" while others don't (and it has nothing to do with setting or genre). We hear from a TikTok pastor about what hell's all about, and then go into another segment of "Pastor Jack's Off."

In this episode, Aimee sits down with Susan Kirshner-Sheldon to discuss her journey through later-in-life dating, making Aliyah, and navigating the challenges of infertility and pregnancy loss. Susan candidly shares her experience of dating, the joy of finding her husband Jeremy, and the subsequent roadblocks they faced while trying to build a family.  Susan walks us through the physical and emotional weight of multiple losses, including a natural miscarriage on Sukkot and the devastating words Ein dofek (no heartbeat) during IVF. She also touches on the unique experience of undergoing fertility treatments in Israel.   Now living a full life in Jerusalem, Susan offers a powerful perspective on finding peace when life doesn't go according to plan. Her story is a testament to resilience, the importance of a supportive partner, and the realization that there are many ways to live a meaningful life. More about Susan Kirshner-Sheldon: Susan Kirshner-Sheldon made aliyah from Chicago to Jerusalem in 2014, where she now lives with her husband, Jeremy. With a master's degree in human resource management and development from National Louis University and a bachelor's degree in communications from Stern College, Susan began her career in the high-tech healthcare industry before transitioning into the nonprofit world in Israel. She is the founder and owner of Gold Star Concierge, a boutique concierge service that helps locals and visitors navigate life in Israel — from logistics and bureaucracy to events and day-to-day needs — with ease, efficiency, and a personal touch. Susan recently went back to school to earn a certificate in animal assisted therapy where she is learning how to train dogs to be guide dogs. When not working, Susan can be found dog sitting, reading or planning her next travel adventure. Connect with Susan Kirshner-Sheldon: Instagram‍ ‍Website‍ ‍Email‍ Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

For Childfree adults building a future without a traditional family support structure, the quality of your later years matters as much as the quantity. In this episode, Dr. Jay Zigmont CFP® sat down with Joshua Herring, President and CEO of the Longevity Science Foundation, to talk about what it actually takes to fund the research that could extend not just how long you live, but how well. In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why 85% of researchers spend the majority of their time looking for funding instead of doing research, and what the Longevity Science Foundation is doing to change thatHow 100% of every donation to the LSF goes directly to research, and why that is possible when most nonprofits allocate 10 to 20% to operational overheadWhy women who go through menopause before 40 face a 43% higher risk of Alzheimer's, and how a menopause clock currently in development could become one of the most impactful predictive health tools ever builtResources Mentioned:Dr. Jyoti Patel | How medicine is failing women and what you can do to fix it | TEDxWilsonParkhttps://youtu.be/z8SXmSi0eGI?si=F20HYvyXOBUlQ0b7 The Diary Of A CEO Female Health Debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kizDk8idpT8 Episode Guest:Joshua Herring is the President and CEO of the Longevity Science Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funding research to expand the healthy human lifespan. Prior to joining the LSF, he managed over $2 billion in assets for ultra-high-net-worth clients at AllianceBernstein. Since taking the helm at LSF, he has launched funding for research at Oxford, Stanford, and the University of Copenhagen, and developed the LSF Education Bank to give everyday people agency in their own health journeys. Connect with Joshua on his website: https://longevity.foundation/ On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-herring-2a6099185/Or send him an email: jh@longevity.foundationEpisode Host:Dr. Jay Zigmont, PhD, MBA, CFP® (he/him) is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Please remember to rate and review our podcast!Check out your YouTube channel @comadresycomics  CHISME DE LA SEMANA: SheroCon 2026 Save the date May 30, 2026 - Remember to follow @sherocomics  for the details to come!ON MY RADAR: Dungeon Crawler Carl on Webtoons - You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Getting stuck on a sadistic alien gameshow with her cat. Join Carl and Princess Donut as they try to survive the end of the world — or just get to the next level of a trap-filled fantasy dungeon. www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/dungeon-crawler-carl/list?title_no=8177BOOK REVIEW: The Childless: a 120 page Comic Book Anthology - A graphic novel set in a dystopian world where children of separated parents are sacrificed in the name of family values.  globalcomix.com/a/oscar-osorio  You can read the first 25 pages free.  @_oscarcomicsJUNTOS Y FUERTES: Local Comic Shop Day Sept 26, 2026 @localcomicshopdayLocal Comic Shop Day - an international event that celebrates Local Comic Book Shops sponsored by @wearecomicsproSALUDOS:  That couple that listens to us!  The whole team of How to Touch Grass. Power & Magic Press – POWER & MAGIC PRESS  www.powerandmagicpress.com Follow us on socials @comadresycomics Visit our website comadresycomics.comProduced by Comadres y Comics Podcast

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. Today, we're talking with Helena de Groot — creator, sound designer, storyteller, and the audio producer behind several beloved podcasts. Originally from Belgium, she's the producer of the Poetry Foundation's flagship interview show Poetry Off the Shelf, and the co-creator of the cult-classic Paris Review Podcast. Her newest project, Creation Myth, is an eight-part audio memoir for CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) — a deeply personal account of her experience wrestling with the decision to have children, or not. The series follows Helena from her certainty in her early years, through a marriage, an abortion, and a divorce, and beyond. TRIPS: Christmas Markets 2026!!! GET MORE FROM DINKY: Treat yourself to new merch!Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

“From the Word to Stone to Flesh: Torah’s Living Covenant,” pt 7 Hebrews 6:13-19 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition 13 When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus […]

Belonging When You're Infertile and Childless What happens when fertility treatments end and there's no baby? It's a question that rarely gets discussed in the infertility world, yet it's the reality so many women face after IVF fails, fertility treatments end, or you make the painful decision to stop trying. In this episode of The "So Now What?" Podcast, I'm sharing the exact speech I recently gave at the Seeds of Hope Fertility Luncheon. What made this event especially powerful is that many women in the room ultimately became mothers after infertility. Their stories looked different than mine, but so many came up to me afterward and said: "I've never thought about what happens when fertility treatment ends without a baby." And that's exactly why this conversation matters. If you're infertile and childless, navigating life after IVF failed, or trying to figure out how to rebuild your identity when motherhood didn't happen, this episode will remind you that you still belong. In this episode, you'll hear: • Why there's a major gap in fertility care when treatment ends without a live birth. • Details about the new research study I'm supporting with Northwestern University focused on women whose fertility treatments ended without a baby. • Why being handed brochures for adoption, donor eggs, or more treatment is not the same as actual support. • The friendship brunch moment that made me question whether I still belonged. • Why so many women feel like motherhood is what makes them feel relevant or included in adulthood. • How one of my clients stopped disappearing from her own life after infertility. • Why creating new traditions and redefining your future matters when motherhood is no longer part of your path. • Why I created The Other's Day® for women who need a place to belong around Mother's Day. • How to stop waiting for life to begin and start creating a life you feel proud of. Your story may not look like what you planned. That does not make your life any less meaningful. And it absolutely does not make you any less worthy of belonging. Links Mentioned in This Episode Participate in the Northwestern Research Study This anonymous survey is open worldwide for women whose fertility treatments ended without a live birth. It takes about 20 minutes. https://redcap.nubic.northwestern.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=LM4TX4MJN3HRR7ER Get Tickets to The Other's Day® (May 8–9 in Chicago) Friday: The Foundation (yoga, guided meditation + sound bath) Saturday: The Other's Day® Brunch Attend one event or both. https://lanamanikowski.com/othersday Read Chapter 1 of "So Now What?" https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/chapter1 Buy "So Now What?" https://www.lanamanikowski.com/book Free Guide: Top 27 Things People Say When You're Childless https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay Book a Thrive Call https://calendly.com/lanamanikowski/strategy-session Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lana.manikowski/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lana.manikowski YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@lana.manikowski   If this episode resonated with you, share it with another woman navigating infertility, IVF failed cycles, or life after fertility treatments end. And if you haven't already, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more women searching for support after infertility can find this conversation. I hope you have a beautiful week. I love you, and remember that it's never too late to discover your meaning. I'll talk to you next week.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Today, we're being BLESSED by the one and only Rachel Cargle. When we started this podcast, Rachel was one of our number one dream guests. Rachel is a founder, an organizer, an author, an activist. Her work focuses mostly on intersectionality and womanhood. She is the creator of the iconic community for childfree women Rich Auntie Supreme. She's the author of A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining which is a very lovely book that I'd recommend to anyone who is working through a new phase of their life. TRIPS:Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika (time is running out!!!) Christmas Markets 2026!!! GET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

This is the episode for anyone who has ever frozen when someone asked an inappropriate question. For anyone who has said yes to something that cost them far more than it should have. For anyone who is tired of absorbing other people's thoughtlessness and is ready to do something about it. Sandy Langhart-Michelet has spent over a decade building one of the most supportive online communities for childless people in the world — The Childless Life, now 3,500 members strong across the globe. She is also an HR professional with decades of experience in inclusion, a speaker at national conferences, and the author of My Family Tree Stops With Me: A Guide to Purpose and Possibility. She joins us from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with warmth, humour and a toolkit that will genuinely change the way you navigate the hard conversations. In this episode we cover: How Sandy went from freezing at inappropriate questions to building a question and answer bank and why preparing your responses in advance changes everything Scripts for the situations that catch us off guard: the baby shower invitation, the family day at work, the colleague who won't stop asking Why saying no doesn't need a reason and how to get comfortable with that The concept of consequences in boundary-setting: not as punishment, but as self-protection Legacy, family trees and what it means to be remembered when there is no one beneath you on the chart Why Sandy's book title My Family Tree Stops With Me is about so much more than genealogy The role of community in building confidence and how watching others find their words helps you find yours Inclusion in the workplace: parental status, leave policies, and the questions we ask without thinking Why "tell me about who matters to you" is a more inclusive question than "tell me about your family" The anger stage of grief, and why it was the easiest chapter of the book to write Finding and nurturing the allies in your life who will one day advocate for you without being asked About Sandy Sandy Langhart Michelet is an author, speaker, musician, and senior HR leader whose work bridges professional expertise with personal advocacy. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, she helps women navigate life when children are no longer part of the future they envisioned. She is the founder of The Childless Life, a global private Facebook community of over 3,500 women offering connection, support, and honest conversation for women without children. Through The Childless Life (including its presence on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram) Sandy shares real stories, encouragement, and perspective for women learning to move forward when life takes an unexpected turn. Believing that humor belongs even in life's hardest moments, she brings honesty and levity to every conversation. Her debut book, My Family Tree Stops With Me, is a bold, soulful guide for anyone learning to live beyond the life they imagined - offering a path forward that honors what's been lost while embracing everything that's still possible. Sandy lives with her husband, Craig, and their goldendoodle sidekick, Ryder. Sandy is … Reading: Brene Brown's Daring Greatly Listening to: MasterClass Mindy Kaling Watching: The Pitt Continue the conversation: Join The Full Stop Community at thefullstoppod.com/fullstopcommunity The Full Stop is a podcast for and about the childless not by choice community. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms Transcript available at https://www.thefullstoppod.com/listen

If you've ever felt like friendships got harder after infertility, you're not imagining it. When IVF failed and your life didn't include children, you didn't just lose the dream of motherhood. You also lost the built-in ways friendships often form. No school drop-offs. No sports schedules. No automatic community. So now you're left wondering… how do you actually make meaningful friendships as a childless woman? In this episode, you hear a real, honest conversation about what it looks like to create connection when your life doesn't follow the traditional path.

In this episode, Bri Conn CFP®, Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP®, and Maddy Roche share four real client stories, the kind that start with someone doing everything more or less right, and then life intervening in ways nobody planned for. These stories are not cautionary tales. They are honest, human reminders that planning is not about predicting the future, it is about being ready for the version of it that actually shows up.In This Episode, You'll Learn:How an inheritance can sit quietly in the background of someone's life for years before a financial planner asks the right question and everything changes.What homeowner's insurance actually needs to cover, why so many people are underinsured without knowing it, and what 80% of home value really means when a tree comes through the roof.Why stock options are often dismissed as monopoly money and what that mindset costs people when an acquisition or IPO creates a narrow, time-sensitive window to save millions in taxes.How one form filed within 30 days with the IRS can protect up to $10 million in stock option gains.Additional Resources Mentioned in this Episode are: Building Your Bench with Maddy Roche and Bri Conn, CFP®https://www.buzzsprout.com/2002436/episodes/18504425 Planning Without Next of Kin | Maddy Roche & Chris Dale, CFP®, CeFT®https://www.buzzsprout.com/2002436/episodes/18748824 What if your Parents Run out of Money | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Bri Conn, CFP®https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-136/ Inheriting Parent Care Responsibility | Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® & Bri Conn, CFP®https://childfreeinsights.com/resources/podcast/episode-137/ Episode Hosts:Bri Conn, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, Childfree Wealth Specialist® at Childfree Wealth®, and Customer Experience Manager at Childfree Trust®.Maddy Roche is Chief Growth Officer at Childfree Trust® and handles all marketing, growth, and prospect engagement. Dr. Jay Zigmont, CFP® is the Founder of Childfree Wealth®, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people, and Childfree Trust®. He is also the author of The Childfree Guide to Life and Money.About Childfree Insights:Childfree Insights is the trusted education hub for people who are Childfree or permanently Childless. It provides guidance on finances, estate planning, relationships, and life decisions for adults without children. Home of Childfree Wealth® and Childfree Trust®, supporting long-term planning for people living without kids.Connect with Us:Ready to work on building better financial habits? Connect with our financial planning team at childfreewealth.com or learn more about estate planning at childfreetrust.com.Follow Childfree Life by Design on your favorite podcast platform and join the conversation on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childfreeinsightsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildfreeInsights/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/childfreeinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChildfreeInsightsDisclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.

Honest conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the spaces in between. Hosted by Daniella Rabbani, Mom Curious is a podcast produced by Hoff Studios featuring culturally relevant conversations with artists, leaders, and everyday women saying the quiet part out loud about the lives we're living. What happens when you don't follow the script? In this episode of Mom Curious, Daniella sits down with comedian and performer Natasha Vaynblat to talk about her show Childless Freak and the complicated, often misunderstood experience of not having children. Through humor, storytelling, and sharp cultural observation, Natasha explores what it means to exist outside one of society's most deeply ingrained expectations. Natasha Vaynblat's show “Childless Freak” is coming to Joe's Pub on April 28th at 9:30pm. GUEST BIO Natasha Vaynblat (@natashavaynblat⁠⁠ ) is a comedian, writer, and performer known for her sharp, thoughtful work exploring identity, culture, and the expectations placed on women. Her show Childless Freak blends humor and storytelling to examine what it means to live outside traditional narratives around motherhood. AFFILIATE LINKS & MENTIONS Tickets for Natasha's performance at Joe's Pub are here: https://publictheater.org/performances-jp/2026/n/natasha-vaynblat-childless-freak/ Book your recording at Hoff Studios $30 off WTHN Acupuncture Booking with code MOMCURIOUS30 More Info on EVOLV GLP-1 Supplements Follow @momcurious and the host @daniellarabbani  on Instagram Subscribe, rate, and review - it helps get the word out about the show and keeps these conversations going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode is for every stepmom who has ever felt something and immediately felt guilty for feeling it. Jen from The Sober Stepmom joins me this week and we go there. Jealousy, grief, nervous system overload, the control trap. All of it. This is the conversation I wished I'd had years ago. Here's what we cover, but honestly, just go listen. This one got personal fast. In this week's episode, Jen and I discuss: How becoming a stepmom inspired Jen's journey with sobriety The emotions that catch stepmoms completely off guard and why feeling them doesn't make you a bad person Jealousy in the stepmom role, what it actually is and why so many stepmoms carry shame around it The nervous system science behind why stepmoms feel so on edge, especially around transition days Grief that stepmoms never name and how it shows up sideways when you least expect it The unique experience of the childless stepmom, including Jen's raw and honest take on navigating infertility while stepparenting Why trying to control everything in your blended family is quietly costing you more than you realize How to create space between the feeling and your reaction and why that gap is where your power lives Practical nervous system regulation tools you can actually use in real stepmom moments I think this one is going to stay with you. Find Jen on Instagram @the_sober_stepmom Masterclass: How to Stop Letting a High-Conflict Ex Hijack Your Life  www.jamiescrimgeour.com/masterclass Get My Ebook -  120 Ways To Be A KICK-ASS Stepmom www.jamiescrimgeour.com/ebook    Episode Sponsors:  Cozy Earth | Head to www.cozyearth.com and use the code JAMIESBOGO by April 18th for my  exclusive Mother's Day BOGO deal. Or, use the code COZYJAMIE anytime for 20% off your order. LMNT | My Go To Electrolyte Drink. Head to www.drinklmnt.com/kickassstepmom to get a free sample pack with any drink mix purchase. Kajabi | www.jamiescrimgeour.com/kajabi to get all the details.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Dinky listeners have been flooding our inboxes lately pressuring us to watch Season 10 of Love Is Blind — because it featured not one, but TWO storylines about women choosing non-traditional paths when it comes to kids. One of those women was Emma Betsinger, who is our guest today!  Emma is a 28-year old who was adopted from China at age three, and raised in a white family in Ohio. Emma endured 10 surgeries before the age of 7 to remove high-risk birthmarks and expressed concerns about having biological kids as a result. She got engaged to Mike Gibney on the show, but their relationship ended at the altar. Today, we'll be talking to Emma about her experience sharing her story on the show and where she stands on kids now.TRIPS:Christmas Markets 2026!!! Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With ErikaGET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Learn more about Maddy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddy-roche-25962032/ https://childfreetrust.com/   Show Notes 

Today, we're re-airing one of our favorite Radio Cherry Bombe episodes. Ina Garten joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about her memoir, “Be Ready When The Luck Happens.” Ina shares what she learned about herself while writing the memoir, why she included stories about her unhappy childhood, overcoming hardships with her husband Jeffrey, and their decision not to have children. She also talks about her “leap before you look” philosophy, how Oprah Winfrey inspired the title of the book, the early Barefoot Contessa days in the Hamptons, and why she's “the worst kind of childless cat lady.”Pre-order our new Mom's the Bombe issueJubilee NYC 2026 tickets hereSubscribe to our SubstackCheck out Cherry Bombe on ShopMyVisit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more.More on Ina: Instagram, website, “Be Ready When The Luck Happens” memoirMore on Kerry: Instagram, “So You Want To Open A Restaurant” essay