What does it really take to rise from rock bottom and create a life you don’t want to escape? In this episode of Hold My Purse: A Self-Care Journey Through Life, Rho sits down with entrepreneur and leader Matthew Stern to talk resilience, purpose, and alignment.

From losing everything at 17 to building purpose-driven businesses in health and wellness, Matthew’s story is a masterclass in grit, perseverance, and redefining success. He opens up about surviving financial collapse, navigating depression, and discovering that true success comes not from money alone, but from freedom, harmony, and showing up fully for yourself and the people you love.

Here are a few takeaways you’ll walk away with:

• Resilience is built by proving to yourself daily that you are capable of more than you ever imagined.
• Purpose fuels perseverance. When your why is strong enough, you won’t quit.
• Harmony, not balance, is the key to showing up for yourself, your family, and your work.
• Protecting your energy starts with creating space just for you, every single day.

🌐 Connect with Matthew and learn more about his work:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• MyStart Health

💡 Want to go deeper? Explore these tools to support your journey:

• Love Yourself Journal: One Day at a Time — a 365-day guide to choosing you every single day.
• Mastering Self-Care: Steps to a Resilient & Peaceful Life— an ebook packed with rituals and strategies to protect your peace.
• 15-Minute Self-Care Ritual Guide — a free resource to help you reset and reconnect.
• Sign-up for our monthly newsletter

✨ Hold your own purse, and hold your peace.
And I’ll meet you right back here in two weeks — same space, same heart, new ways to choose you.

Email address: rho@hold-my-purse.com

Website: https://www.hold-my-purse.com/

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In this episode of Hold My Purse: A Self-Care Journey Through Life, Rho breaks down what karmic loops are, why they repeat, and how to finally close the cycle so you can step into your highest self. Plus, Aria pops in to share her adorable day at the beach — because joy is also part of healing. 🏖️

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✨ What karmic loops and subconscious contracts really are — and how they shape your life
✨ How to recognize repeating patterns in relationships, work, money, and family
✨ Simple, practical steps to break the cycle and choose differently
✨ How to use journaling, shadow work, and forgiveness to uncover the root cause
✨ Why choosing yourself isn’t selfish — it’s sacred

Your Free Gift:
🎁 Download my 15-Minute Self-Care Ritual (linked in the show notes) — quick practices to reset your energy and reconnect with yourself every day.

Go Deeper:
📓 Get my Love Yourself Journal: One Day at a Time — a 365-day guide to help you choose yourself daily and break free from old patterns.
📚 Grab my eBook Mastering Self-Care — packed with strategies to protect your peace and nurture your soul.

Whether you’re tired of attracting the same people and problems or just ready for a fresh chapter, this episode will give you the clarity, courage, and tools you need to rewrite your story.

Email address: rho@hold-my-purse.com

Website: https://www.hold-my-purse.com/

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When you’ve spent years hearing “try harder” or “you’re just not focused enough,” discovering ADHD later in life can feel both heartbreaking and liberating. In this episode of Hold My Purse: A Self-Care Journey Through Life, I sit down with Topeka McClain, the voice behind The Quiet Struggle, to talk about her late diagnosis of ADHD and how it reshaped her identity as a mother, creative, and professional.

Topeka shares the years of self-doubt, the relief of finally having a name for her experiences, and the systems she’s built to stay grounded—like lists, brain dumps, and visual planning. We talk about masking in corporate spaces, emotional regulation, and what it means to pursue ambition while raising a family. At the heart of her story is a reminder many of us need: You are enough.

And for a grounding close, my granddaughter Aria joins in with her own simple self-care practice: a one-minute meditation ritual that anyone—child or adult—can use to reset. Her sweet wisdom reminds us that it’s never too early—or too late—to make space for peace.

Key Takeaways

• Late diagnosis can be both grief and relief — it offers language for what you’ve always known deep down.
• Masking is real — many women with ADHD hide their struggles to appear “professional.”
• Systems bring peace — lists, timers, and brain dumps aren’t just tools, they’re lifelines.
• Your diagnosis is not your identity — ADHD shapes experiences, but it doesn’t define the whole of who you are.
• Vulnerability creates community — sharing openly can empower others to do the same.
• Self-care law to live by: Trust your knowing.
• Meditation can be simple — Aria’s 1-minute ritual shows how slowing down helps reset both kids and adults.

Topeka’s story is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t about perfection, but about honesty, compassion, and creating room for the real you to show up.

👉 Explore more of her writing at The Quiet Struggle and connect on Instagram and Pinterest

Email address: rho@hold-my-purse.com

Website: https://www.hold-my-purse.com/

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