My latest reflection came from what I am calling “Adventures in Arizona”, road trips with my hubby Doug exploring our new state.

The GPS took us on the wrong path… or did it?

Listen now or checkout the transcript if you prefer to read vs listen.

Share your Your HigherRelevance™ Reflection by leaving a comment below.

(Note: This recording is fully authentic with my belief in “polished and professional - not perfect” as you will hear my dog barking in the background halfway through. Could I have re-recorded it to eliminate anything that may feel less than perfect? Sure. Did I? No! Really embracing this platform as the authentic come as you are and really connect place to be!)

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And now I can’t stop thinking about it.

Today is 8/8—the day many people celebrate as the Lion’s Gate Portal, a symbolic moment for release, intention, expansion, manifestation and receiving.

I’ve been thinking about what I wanted this moment to mean for me.

And then...I cleaned out my closet.

Not exactly the mystical experience I expected. But maybe it was exactly the one I needed.

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Over the past couple of years, I’ve changed.

A lot.

As part of my Freedom to 50 journey, I made a commitment to myself around Health, Wealth and Self.

And somewhere along that journey, my body changed.

My clothes changed.

But my closet hadn’t quite caught up.

I had all these clothes hanging there that were now way too big. Too baggy. Clothes that belonged to a version of me that I had already moved beyond.

And yet I kept them.

Just in case.

Just in case I gained the weight back. Just in case I needed them someday. Just in case I reverted.

There was something comforting about knowing they were there.

A safety net.

A backup plan.

A way of keeping the door open to a version of myself I no longer wanted to return to.

But I was tired of feeling like a “bag lady” so I finally ordered some new dress shirts!

Shirts that actually fit me.

When they arrived, I almost shoved them in the closet and moved on like I had been doing.

But today I paused. I looked at those old shirts and something shifted.

I thought:

I don’t need these anymore.

Not because they were bad.

Not because that version of me was bad.

But because I’m not going back.

So I started a donation bag.

And as I carried the bag out to my car, I realized what I was actually releasing.

It wasn’t just clothing.

It was the need to keep a physical reminder of who I used to be... just in case I needed her again.

And that felt POWERFUL!

Then something else happened.

I took the hangers from the old clothes...and used them for my new clothes.

And suddenly I saw the metaphor.

I didn’t need new hangers.

I needed to release what was no longer occupying the space.

The same things that had been holding the old clothes...could now hold something new.

And when I finished hanging my new shirts, I realized I still had several hangers left.

Empty.

Waiting.

And for the first time, an empty space didn’t feel like something I needed to fill immediately.

It felt like possibility.

I can bring more newness into this closet when I’m ready.

I don’t have to know what it is yet.

I just have to leave room for it.

And maybe that’s what receiving really is.

We talk a lot about manifestation. About asking for what we want.

About becoming the next version of ourselves.

But what if receiving isn’t about getting more?

Because sometimes the new thing isn’t missing.

There’s simply no room for it yet.

And that brought me back to the question I’ve been sitting with all day:

What does this have to do with relevance?

Everything.

Because I’ve spent a lot of my life believing relevance was something I had to earn.

The right title, role, accomplishment, recognition.

And when those external markers changed, I couldn’t help but ask: Am I still relevant?

Maybe you’ve wondered that too.

After a career change, becoming an empty nester, after a divorce, leaving a company or after your body changes through the years.

After realizing the identity you built your life around doesn’t fit anymore.

We can mistake outgrowing an identity for losing our relevance.

But they’re not the same thing.

And today, standing in front of my closet, I realized something I think I have been trying to articulate for a long time:

My relevance isn’t dependent on whether someone else recognizes my value.

It isn’t something I can gain...

or lose...

by changing clothes.

My relevance is in who I am.

What I’ve lived, learned, how I see things and what I create.

How I connect, make other people feel seen and the wisdom I share.

That’s the woman I have become.

And that means I don’t have to keep the old clothes in my closet to prove that I’ve been her.

I can thank her. I can honor her. I can even love her.

And I can let her go.

Maybe that’s what this 8/8 portal means to me.

Not that some magical doorway suddenly opens and I become someone new. But that I can consciously choose to walk through a doorway I’ve been approaching for a long time.

A doorway where I stop asking:

“What do I need to become?”

and start asking:

“What am I ready to release so I can receive what already fits who I am becoming?”

That’s a different question.

And it feels like freedom.

So tonight, my affirmation is a little different than the ones I’ve carried before.

I’m not asking the universe to make me more relevant.

I’m not asking for proof or permission and I’m not asking to become someone worthy of the next chapter.

I’m simply making room.

And trusting myself enough to say:

And when something new arrives...

I’ll know where to hang it.

Maybe you have a closet of your own (not necessarily a literal one).

Maybe it’s a role, a relationship, a story or an expectation.

A version of yourself you’ve been keeping around...

just in case.

What are you holding onto that no longer fits? What are you afraid might happen if you let it go? And what might become possible if you trusted yourself enough to release it?

Because here’s what I’m learning:

An empty hanger isn’t bad.

It’s an invitation.

It’s space.

It’s possibility.

It’s a quiet declaration that says:

I’m not going back.

I’m ready for what fits now.

And maybe...

I’m even ready for what I haven’t imagined yet.

✨

Remember who you are.

Align with your purpose.

Rise into your power.

And above all...

Don’t chase your relevance.

You ARE the relevance.

Here’s to living a HigherRelevance™ life!

Share in the comments what you are ready to release.

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Not because it was dramatic...

Not because it changed your life overnight...

But because it reminded you of something you’d forgotten about yourself.

That happened to me this week.

Listen now or checkout the transcript if you prefer to read vs listen.

Share your Your HigherRelevance™ Reflection by leaving a comment.

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On the dance floor! Dancing moves me and I feel so “in my element” when I am on the dance floor!

As I was dancing my way up to the dance floor, I waved to several people to join me, but I saw many heads shaking no and my friend laughed and said, “Oh no...I need more drinks! I’m not like you who can go up there with just water!”

I laughed because I’ve heard those words before. Many people are surprised that I don’t need “liquid courage” but that dancing actually brings out my true self!

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As the music played, I found myself watching the lead singer - barefoot and completely in her element! She wasn’t just singing—she was expressing who she was. You could see the joy, the freedom, the confidence that comes when someone isn’t trying to be anyone else.

And it made me wonder...

When did so many of us stop giving ourselves permission to simply be ourselves?

Somewhere along the way, many of us trade freedom for approval and become who others need us to be, quietly leaving pieces of ourselves behind. Not all at once, but little by little until one day, we wonder where that fearless, joyful version of ourselves went.

Over the years, women have often said to me,

For a long time, I wasn’t sure how to answer. Now I do.

I don’t want you to become more like me. I want you to remember who you are.

Being fierce, authentic and bold isn’t something we learn. I believe it’s something we remember.

That’s become the heartbeat of HigherRelevance™.

Not helping women become someone new, but helping them reconnect with the woman they’ve always been. The one who still dreams, has something meaningful to contribute and still has a spark waiting to be reignited.

To me, living a HigherRelevance™ Life isn’t about doing more.

It’s about becoming more fully yourself.

I’ve seen what happens when women are given a space to simply show up as they are - stories are shared, walls come down and strangers become friends. Women begin reminding one another of who they are.

That’s exactly what happened at our first Momentum Monday!

It wasn’t about having all the answers. It was about creating a space where women felt seen, heard, and encouraged.

And that’s the community we’re building - fabulous women sharing their wisdom for the collective good of all! Where women remind one another that they are already enough—and that the world still needs the unique gifts only they can offer.

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve lost a little of yourself...

Or you’ve found yourself standing on the sidelines, wondering if it’s too late to step into what’s next...

Maybe your first step isn’t finding more confidence. Maybe it’s simply finding your own dance floor again! (figuratively of course as I understand not everyone loves to shake their booty as much as I do!)

Your HigherRelevance™ Shift

This week, ask yourself:

Where have I been watching instead of participating because I’m worried about what others might think?

Then take one small step toward your own “dance floor.”

And if you’d like to take that step alongside other women who are remembering who they are, I’d love to welcome you to Momentum Mondays.

Sign up here

Because I have a feeling the world doesn’t need more women trying to become someone else. It needs more women becoming themselves to live a HigherRelevance™ life!

If this resonates with you, please comment below what spoke to you.

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A woman shared that she was a first-generation college student who graduated at the age of 48. Today, she works in a university business office helping students fulfill their own dreams of earning a degree.

As I listened, I wasn’t just hearing her story.

I was remembering my Mom.

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Mom was also a first-generation college graduate. She was a single mother who earned her degree from Missouri Western State University in 1982 at the age of 30…with a seven-year-old daughter watching.

I was that little girl.

At seven years old, I couldn’t possibly understand what her determination would mean for my future. I only knew that Mom was going to school.

Looking back now, I realize she wasn’t just earning a degree.

She was changing the trajectory of our family.

Because she believed education mattered, I grew up believing it mattered too. That belief shaped my choices, my career, and ultimately the opportunities I’ve had throughout my life.

One woman’s courage became another generation’s possibility.

Years later, I had the privilege of creating the Helping Adult Learners Excel (H.A.L.E.) Scholarship in honor of my Mom and the Hale family who believed in her when she needed support the most.

The scholarship exists to help first generation single moms to pursue the same opportunity that transformed our family. It’s a reminder that education is more than a diploma—it is hope, possibility, and often the beginning of an entirely different future.

Listening to that NACUBO story this weekend reminded me that behind every student is a story we may never know.

A single mom attending evening classes.

A first-generation student wondering if they belong.

Someone returning to school after decades away.

Someone taking a chance on themselves.

Sometimes we underestimate the impact of choosing to rise because we can only see today’s struggle.

But years later…

A daughter reflects on her mother’s courage.

A scholarship helps another student.

A woman tells her story on a conference stage.

And someone in the audience remembers why hope matters.

That’s the beautiful thing about HigherRelevance™.

It’s not just about becoming more relevant in our careers or rediscovering our purpose.

It’s about remembering who we are, aligning with what matters most, and having the courage to rise—because we never know whose life will be different because we did.

My Mom probably thought she was earning a college degree.

She was actually creating a legacy.

And for that, I will always be grateful.

Who is someone whose courage changed the trajectory of your life?

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Last Monday, I hosted the very first Momentum Mondays gathering for the HigherRelevance™ Collective.

I had an agenda, slides (of course!), reflection questions and a plan of how this was going to go! But of course, to kick things off, I had tech difficulties. Because apparently no meaningful moment in life can happen without technology reminding me that I am not actually in control! LOL

But somewhere between the agenda, the reflections, the stories, the laughter and the tears...something happened that I could never have put on a slide.

A group of women—many of whom had never met before—began to connect.

Really connect.

Not the kind of connection that comes from exchanging LinkedIn profiles or asking, “So, what do you do?” The kind that happens when we stop talking about what we do...

and start sharing who we are.

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We spend a lot of time building networks.

Especially as professional women. We attend events. We make connections. We collect contacts. We build our personal brands. We introduce ourselves by our titles, our companies, our accomplishments and our expertise.

And there is absolutely value in all of that. I’ve spent over 25 years building a career and a network I am incredibly proud of.

But lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between being connected and actually feeling connection.

Because you can have thousands of connections...

and still feel alone.

You can be surrounded by accomplished, impressive people...

and still wonder if anyone really knows you.

You can spend years building a successful identity...

and one day realize you’re no longer sure who you are without the title, the role, the company or the expectations that came with it.

I know that feeling.

Because I realized how much of my identity had become attached to what I had accomplished, where I worked and the role I played for everyone else. I had spent so many years becoming who I thought I was supposed to be that I had somehow lost connection with who I actually was.

And maybe that is why what happened during Momentum Mondays felt so meaningful to me.

For a little while, we weren’t there to prove who we were.

We were there to remember.

The wisdom was already in the room.

One of the things I believe deeply is that every woman carries wisdom.

Not just knowledge.

That wisdom doesn’t always show up on a résumé.

But it showed up in that room through the stories and reflections. And unexpectedly, it showed up in the music.

I asked each woman to share a song that meant something to her.

Honestly, I thought it would be fun ice breaker. 🎶

I had no idea what would happen next.

Each song carried a story.

A memory.

A person.

A season of life.

There was laughter. There were tears. There were goosebumps.

Women who had never met before were suddenly discovering pieces of themselves in one another. And that’s when I felt it.

The room had shifted.

We were no longer a group of women attending an event.

We were becoming a community.

The first Momentum Mondays gathering of the HigherRelevance™ Collective — July 6, 2026. 💕

Maybe that’s what so many of us are missing.

Not another networking event or place where we have to introduce ourselves by what we do and feel pressure to be impressive.

Maybe we need more spaces where we can simply be real.

Where one woman can share what she has learned and another woman can say:

“I needed to hear that.”

Where women across generations can come together—not because one of us has all the answers, but because every one of us has something to contribute. Some of us come to learn. Some of us come to share.

And at our first Momentum Mondays - we all did both!

Because sometimes another woman sees something in us that we have forgotten. Sometimes her story gives us language for our own and her courage reminds us of ours.

And sometimes, in hearing who she is...

we begin to remember who we are.

This is where a HigherRelevance™ life begins.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really means to live a HigherRelevance™ life. It isn’t about proving your relevance to the world. It is about remembering that you already have it.

Remember who you are.

Not who the world told you to be or who your title says you are.

Not who you had to become to survive a certain season of your life.

Who you actually are.

Align with your purpose.

Use your experiences, your gifts, your voice and your wisdom in a way that feels true to you.

Not because you have every step of the plan figured out.

Trust me... I certainly don’t. 😂

But because you are willing to follow what feels meaningful and pay attention to what keeps calling you forward.

Rise into your power.

Not power over anyone else.

The power that comes from finally knowing who you are.

The power to make different choices, boldly use your voice.

To live a life that feels like your own.

Because when a woman remembers who she is, something changes.

She shows up differently - how she leads, loves, raises a family, mentors or creates.

And she gives another woman permission to do the same.

That creates a ripple.

A ripple that reaches our families, workplaces, communities, and generations we may never even meet.

That is what living a HigherRelevance™ life means to me.

Remember who you are.
Align with your purpose.
Rise into your power.

As when one woman rises, generations rise with her!

I don’t know exactly what this will become yet.

And for once in my life... I’m learning to be okay with that!

I don’t have every part of the HigherRelevance™ Collective figured out, but I realized that as women, we tend to put everyone else before ourselves. Many of us are searching for more meaning or purpose … or shall I say a “higher relevance” in life :)

So what I do know is that I want to create spaces where women can bring the wisdom of who they have been, the truth of who they are and the possibility of who they are becoming.

A place where we don’t have to perform our relevance.

A place where we remember it.

Because maybe relevance was never something we had to earn in the first place but it was always there.

And maybe, every once in a while, we just need the right room...

and the right women...

to help us remember.

Maybe we don’t need more networking.

Maybe we need more connection.

Because connection has a beautiful way of reflecting us back to ourselves.

And when one woman remembers who she is...

generations rise with her. 💕✨

I’d love to hear from you...

What kind of connection are you craving more of in your life right now?

Maybe it’s deeper friendships. A community of women who understand the season you’re in. More meaningful professional relationships. Or perhaps... a deeper connection with yourself.

Share in the comments. I’d love to hear what connection means to you. 💕

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Want to join us?

If you’ve been craving this kind of connection—a space to reflect, learn, share your wisdom and grow alongside women across generations—I’d love to welcome you to the HigherRelevance™ Collective.

Momentum Mondays is our monthly gathering to pause, connect and create momentum for what comes next. Because sometimes the next step isn’t another answer. It’s finding the right room.

💕 Let me know if you are interested in joining us for the next Momentum Mondays.

I'm interested in Momentum Mondays

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What's one definition of success you're ready to declare independence from today?

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What am I really here to do? What is my purpose?

Over the past year, since entering my fabulous fifties era, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery that led me to uncover a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. Along the way, I discovered that significance isn’t found in what we achieve—it’s found in who we become.

That journey began with five simple words that changed the trajectory of my life.

Let me tell you about them.

I attended my first sound bath and experienced an unexpected emotional breakthrough.

As I settled into the vibrations of the sound bowls and allowed my mind to drift into a peaceful state, something within me began to shift. At first, I felt a few tears gently roll down my face. But as the vibrations intensified, so did the emotions. Before long, those tears became uncontrollable sobs.

As I lay there, I started listening to what my soul was trying to tell me.

It was just two weeks before the five-year anniversary of my mom’s passing.

That must be it, right?

My thoughts drifted to our final conversations and everything that led up to that last day. I remembered missing the opportunity to talk with her that final night because I was working late—once again.

Just a month before, I had been promoted to become the first woman Vice President in my company’s history. I remember how proud Mom was of me. And I remember how grateful I was that she got to witness my success after all she had sacrificed as a single mother to give me opportunities she never had herself.

Yet as the tears continued, my thoughts kept returning to all the major shifts that had happened over the previous year.

I had left a seventeen-year career where I was continually being promoted yet still searching for a deeper sense of purpose.

I had made a cross-country move to embrace a new opportunity and, once again, found myself trying to prove my worth.

And underneath it all, I found myself asking a question I couldn’t ignore:

What is my significance now?

I realized that so much of who I believed myself to be was tied to the roles I played for others.

The daughter.

The caregiver.

The leader.

The mentor.

The friend who was always available for a quick lunch, a conversation, or a much-needed hug.

My life had changed dramatically.

I was no longer my mother’s primary support system.

I was no longer leading the team of rockstars I had spent years building and developing.

I was no longer just around the corner from lifelong friends.

Everything familiar had shifted.

I’ve always believed there are no accidents in life and that we are exactly where we are meant to be.

That evening was no exception.

As the event concluded, I approached one of the facilitators and asked why I had been crying so intensely. I briefly explained the past year, the losses, the changes, and the emotions that had surfaced.

She listened carefully and then spoke five words that changed the trajectory of my life:

Wow.

She was right.

In that moment, everything became clear.

I wasn’t grieving my mother.

I wasn’t grieving my career.

I wasn’t grieving my move.

And now, all of those things had shifted.

Those five simple words became a turning point.

They launched me on a journey of self-discovery, alignment, and purpose—a journey beyond success and into significance.

As I continued that journey, I realized I wasn’t alone.

So many women are grieving identities they never consciously chose.

Identities shaped by expectations.

Achievement.

Titles.

Relationships.

Responsibilities.

For years, we’ve been taught that our value comes from what we accomplish, how much we produce, and how well we meet everyone else’s expectations.

We’ve been taught to prove our worth rather than remember it.

But success without alignment leaves us unfulfilled.

Because no amount of achievement can replace the peace that comes from knowing who you are and living in alignment with your purpose.

To help women remember their worth, align with their authentic identity to uncover their purpose, and rise into their power to create lives of lasting impact.

Because I believe every woman is inherently worthy.

I believe significance is found not in what we achieve, but in who we become.

And I believe that when one woman rises into who she was always meant to be, she leads the way for others to do the same.

This becomes a significant legacy. As when one woman rises, a generation rises with her!

Hi, it’s Heather, Founder of HigherRelevance™

If you’ve ever found yourself questioning who you are after a career change, a loss, an empty nest, a life transition, or simply a season where what once defined you no longer fits, I understand you.

HigherRelevance™ was born from my own journey of rediscovering worth, purpose, and significance.

This space is for women who are ready to stop proving their worth and start living from it.

Let’s start Living a HigherRelevance™ Life together!

💜 Heather

Tune in to see exactly why I created HigherRelevance™!

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