At 75, Melody Harris is just getting started.In this deeply honest and uplifting conversation, Melody—cancer survivor, lifelong learner, devoted caregiver, and proud “child-free by choice” woman—joins hosts Marcia, Lynda, and Rachelle to talk about what it really means to live fully at every stage of life.From growing up on a farm in the 1950s to navigating a 50–year marriage touched by addiction, Melody shares the hard-earned wisdom, humour and grit that shaped her philosophy: “Every day is my birthday.”Together, they explore:Why the small things—coffee, walks, sunsets, clean sheets—matter more than the big milestones.The hardest lesson many women have to learn: what is and isn’t your responsibility.Choosing to be child-free in a generation that expected otherwise.How gratitude, community, and simply showing up can transform despair into hope.Aging with intention, staying curious, and why Melody wears a helmet to go ice skating with toddlers.This episode is a love letter to women in every season of life—especially those feeling stretched thin, unseen, or like it’s “too late” to rewrite their story. Melody reminds us that as long as we’re here, we get to choose how we rise.For more Voices Rising, visit ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://voicesrisingpodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoicesRisingPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠

Saying no can feel uncomfortable, selfish, or evendangerous—especially for women who’ve been raised to please, accommodate, and keep the peace. In this episode of Voices Rising, Rachelle, Marcia and Lynda unpack why “no” is such a powerful word, and how learning to use it can protect your energy, your time, and your mental health.

They explore how people-pleasing leads to resentment, how toset boundaries at work and at home, and why younger generations (especially Gen Z) are rewriting the rules around careers, relationships, and expectations.

With real-life stories—from saying no to social events, to pushing back on extra work, to choosing solo hotel rooms on girls’ trips—this conversation offers practical language and mindset shifts to help you start saying no without guilt.

If you’ve ever agreed to something and immediately regrettedit, this episode is for you.

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In this episode, Rachelle, Lynda, and Marcia sit down with Michelle Gardner—wife, mom of two, CEO, digital creator, and founder of Parent Through Play and Sensory Kids Play, one of Canada’s top 20 YouTube kids’ channels with more than 600,000 subscribers.Michelle shares how she walked away from “Superwoman Syndrome” in corporate life to design a more intentional, values-led version of success rooted in motherhood, connection, and play.

She opens up about the illusion of “doing it all,” the grief and disillusionment she experienced with corporate culture after becoming a mom, and the bold decisions she and her family made to prioritize time with their children.Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VoicesRisingPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@voicesrisingpodcast⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Lynda, Rachelle, and Marcia share stories about juggling careers, parenting, marriage, aging parents, and personal well‑being—without pretending that “having it all” is easy or even realistic.

They explore the idea of the 5 o’clock club and how waking up an hour earlier can feel like adding an “eighth day” to your week, the power of non‑negotiables at home and at work, and why boundaries—not perfection—are the real key to balance.

You’ll hear honest reflections on:

Raising kids while building a business

Using technology to stay emotionally close, even when traveling

Learning to ask for help and accept that others do things differently

Delegating chores to kids and partners without guilt

Using tools, services, and simple systems to reclaim time

Shifting priorities across life seasons, from young kids to retirement and grandkids

This episode is a practical and emotional guide for anyone who’s ever felt stretched too thin and wondered: How do I build a life that works—for me and the people I love?

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Lynda, Marcia, and Rachelle welcome their first guest to the podcast! Tonia Jahshan and her husband built their own successful tea company even before appearing on Dragons Den and becoming one of the most praised pitches in the show's history. She discusses how she built her business from scratch, shifting to a direct sales model due to popular demand, and changing the name to communicate an expanded brand with a wider range of products.Tonia tells us about her personal struggle with how recent political upheaval in the U.S. seems to be setting women back. But it's made her even more determined to bring women together in their living rooms and to help their Voices Rise.

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In this episode of Voices Rising, we dive into the real,everyday lessons that shape effective leadership—far beyond job titles and corner offices. Lynda, Marcia, and Rachelle share hard-earned wisdom from both corporate and entrepreneurial worlds: why decisive leadership matters, how transparency builds trust, and what happens when leaders get stuck in minutiae instead of vision.

You’ll hear stories about:

- The difference between leaders people follow andleaders they simply tolerate

- Building genuine trust through integrity,authenticity, and care

- Handling feedback, resistance, and the realitythat not everyone will like you

This conversation is equal parts practical and personal,reminding us that leadership is a lifelong journey of growth, self-awareness, and courage. Whether you lead a team, a business, or just yourself right now, you’ll walk away with questions to reflect on and actions you can take today.

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In this episode of Voices Rising, we continue ourexploration of personal mantras that guide us through life's challenges.

Marcia shares her mantra, "Find a way or make a way," illustrating it with a personal story about overcoming obstacles to attend a leadership conference in Prague.

The conversation evolves into a discussion about the "tripleDs"—desire, decision, and delegation—where we reflect on the importance of having a strong desire to achieve our goals and the necessity of asking for help when needed. We also touch on the significance of self-awareness and understanding our non-negotiables in both personal and professional contexts.

Rachelle shares her insights on how challenges can be viewed as opportunities, emphasizing the need for perseverance and focus on our goals. We all agree that true growth and learning occur during difficult times, not just during moments of success.

As we wrap up, we encourage our listeners to reflect on their own goals and the obstacles they face, reminding them that with determination and the right mindset, they can find a way to achieve what they truly desire. We invite feedback and questions from our audience, looking forward to continuing thisimportant conversation.

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This episode of Voices Rising unpacks the powerful truth that momentum doesn’t come from motivation—it comes from decisions.

Rachelle shares the major career decision that changed everything for her at age 40, and reveals the life motto she now lives by: “Decisions Create Momentum.”

This candid conversation explores why so many women feel “stuck,” how indecision quietly stalls our lives and businesses, and what it really takes to move from hope to action.

You’ll hear a practical, easy-to-remember decision-making framework, DECIDE:

D – Define the decision

E – Expose the cost of not deciding

C – Choose from identity, not emotion

I – Initiate your first move

D – Detach from perfect

E – Evaluate emotion (build self-trust)

Through real stories from leadership, entrepreneurship, motherhood, marriage, divorce, and burnout, this episode is both a heartfelt encouragement and a practical guide. If you’ve been asking, “How do I get momentum?” this conversation will help you see that you don’t find momentum—you decide your way into it.

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