In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Joanne Gates about navigating motherhood, career ambition, and the realities of working in the male-dominated tech industry. Joanne, joining from Scottsdale, Arizona, recounts her move from Boston to Seattle, her nearly 30-year career at Microsoft, and the pivotal choices she made as both a mom and a leader. Listeners will discover how Joanne carved out success in corporate America, confronted workplace bias, and now channels her expertise into coaching women to thrive at work and at home.

About Joanne Gates:

Joanne Gates is a certified executive life coach who helps professional women in tech and male-dominated industries unlock their career potential with clarity, confidence, and purpose. After a 30-year career at Microsoft—rising from entry-level to executive—Joanne now empowers women to overcome imposter syndrome, people-pleasing, and perfectionism while building authentic leadership presence. She’s especially known for helping women get promoted into senior leadership roles and then kick ass once they’re there—navigating high-stakes environments with emotional intelligence, strategic influence, and unapologetic power. Joanne blends deep empathy with sharp business acumen to help her clients lead boldly, drive impact, and rewrite the rules of leadership.

Main Topics Covered:

1. The life-altering impact of motherhood on career paths, especially for women in tech and male-dominated corporate environments.
2. Facing and overcoming gender bias and assumptions about working mothers in the workplace.
3. The challenges and family dynamics of being the primary breadwinner and having a stay-at-home dad partner in the late '90s and early 2000s.
4. Navigating pivotal career decisions, missed opportunities, and the trade-offs of prioritizing family vs. pursuing senior leadership.
5. Advocating for oneself in corporate hierarchies, especially when faced with unfair evaluations or lack of managerial support.
6. The evolution (and limitations) of maternity leave policies and the importance of workplace systems that genuinely support parents.
7. Joanne’s transition from a senior leader at Microsoft to executive and life coaching for women, with a focus on helping others define and achieve their own success.
8. Practical tips for protecting your career trajectory, handling performance reviews, and knowing when (and how) to escalate workplace concerns.

Quote from the Episode:

"I felt like I had to, like, shake him by the shoulders… How many guys have to have this conversation? That just pisses me off. We have to because, obviously, it’s pretty apparent that we’re having a child." — Joanne Gates

Timestamps: [00:00:04] Welcome, Joanne’s location, and adjusting to life in the desert [00:00:46] Childhood winter activities and chasing the sun [00:01:37] Introducing today’s topic: balancing motherhood and career [00:02:29] On generational change—and how much (or little) has shifted for working women [00:03:19] The Covid reset and women leaving corporate roles; Joanne’s new passion for helping women succeed [00:04:24] Joanne’s career start, move to Microsoft in the dot-com era [00:07:21] Early influences, engineering in college, and professional aspirations in a male-driven world [00:11:19] On early career choices, family...

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Lilli Bewley about breaking relationship patterns, healing childhood wounds, and rediscovering identity through the lens of love and dating. Calling in from sunny Phoenix, Arizona, Lilli shares her transformative journey as a self-described “cycle breaker,” moving from performing life to authentic alignment and connection. Listeners will gain insight into how childhood experiences shape adult relationships, the power of inner work, and how clarity on needs and self-worth can radically transform one’s dating experience and overall well-being.

About Lilli Bewley: Lilli Bewley is a Dating Coach for Finding Love with over 10 years of experience in personal development. She, herself, went from just surviving in life to thriving in love & purpose. Currently, she is helping single & successful women love dating & find true love.

Main Topics Covered:

1. The role of childhood patterns and family models in shaping adult relationships and self-worth.
2. Recognizing and breaking unhealthy cycles as a conscious, courageous act—and what it means to be a “cycle breaker.”
3. Moving from high achievement and people-pleasing to inner alignment and authentic identity.
4. The importance and challenges of communicating needs rather than just emotions, especially for women who have experienced trauma or dysfunction.
5. How “performing life” and transactional self-worth show up in dating, career, and family—and the work required to shift toward true fulfillment.
6. Faith, spirituality, and overcoming religious trauma as sources of guidance and healing, regardless of doctrine.
7. Why inner transformation is the foundation for success in dating—and how dating apps can be used as a practice ground for self-awareness and boundary-setting.
8. Lilli’s framework for feminine dating archetypes and the “magnetic woman,” and how understanding these archetypes accelerates healing and connection.

Quote from the Episode: “There are parts of us that believe that we have to be bright and shiny, we have to be a certain way, we have to be a certain weight, we have to have a certain number in our bank account. Most women are in this transactional relationship with self, with love, and with performing—meaning, ‘If I’m sexy, then I’ll get love.’”—Lilli Bewley

Timestamps: [00:00:04] Amy welcomes Lilli Bewley and asks about her location in Phoenix, AZ

[00:01:10] Lilli shares her love for Phoenix’s winter weather and outdoor activities

[00:02:10] Pivot to love, relationships, and the theme of alignment and identity

[00:03:26] Lilli describes the impact of childhood patterns, early trauma, and the start of her inner healing journey over a decade ago

[00:06:25] Moving through high achievement, validation-seeking, and emptiness to see root causes of self-worth issues

[00:08:58] Amy and Lilli discuss awareness of recurring patterns and what it means to break cycles, especially as the oldest sibling

[00:10:23] Lilli explains her life situation at the turning point—working in corporate America and in an unfulfilling relationship

[00:12:10] The nuanced challenge of communication: expressing needs and understanding core wounds

[00:14:07] Amy relates mediation and conflict patterns to relationship...

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Susan Hyatt about the realities and myths of diet culture, beauty standards, and the rise of "menopause culture." Broadcasting from Indiana in the Midwest, Susan shares her journey as a life coach and author, unveiling the motivations behind her anti-diet philosophy and the process of publishing her book, "Bear." Together, Amy and Susan candidly explore the evolving influence of social media, the challenge of visibility for women, and how aging and menopause are newly commodified—and what it means to choose self-support instead of self-policing.

About Susan Hyatt: Susan Hyatt is a Master Certified Life Coach, Bestselling Author, and TEDx Speaker. She’s on a mission to ignite 'Big Yes Energy' in women everywhere. From boosting your bank account to supercharging your self-confidence, from elevating your energy levels to amplifying your joy, Susan is the go-to expert for women who want more.

With 18 years of coaching experience under her belt, Susan has guided thousands of women through their personal revolutions. She's a crusader against diet culture and a vocal advocate for closing gaps – in wages, confidence, and yes, even orgasms.

She is also the creator of BARE - a groundbreaking process that’s inspired women all over the world to stop shrinking their bodies and start expanding their lives.

Susan's impactful work has graced national TV, leading podcasts, and top magazines including O: The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Woman’s World, and Call Her Daddy. Her dedication to women's empowerment and entrepreneurship also earned her a spot as a finalist for the prestigious Athena Award.

When she's not hyping up her clients, leading epic retreats, or making a scene, Susan can be found weightlifting, marathon training, globetrotting, or cozying up in her hygge corner. She’s also not shy about advocating for equality at home, regularly reminding her husband about the importance of sharing the "invisible workload," so she can continue to earn big and play big.

Main Topics Covered:

1. How Susan’s anti-diet philosophy was born from personal experience and coaching hundreds of women.
2. Navigating the publishing industry: the challenges, rejections, and creative solutions Susan found on her way to releasing "Bear."
3. Unpacking "diet culture," "beauty culture," and "menopause culture"—what these terms mean and how they impact women.
4. The emotional risk and motivation behind becoming a visible voice for body freedom and wellness.
5. The backlash and online criticism women face when sharing their stories—and how to use privilege for advocacy.
6. Aging, menopause, and influencer advice: noticing the parallels between traditional diet culture and new "menopause fixes."
7. The importance of quality information, body intuition, and skepticism amid wellness fads and changing research.
8. Creating sustainable health and strength in midlife, beyond competitive extremes and compliance for its own sake.
9. Building offline and online communities for support and connection in the age of instant digital feedback.

Quote from the Episode: "I'm not gonna shut up because I have big boobs and blonde hair and blue eyes. Like, that's...