Woman to Woman January February 2026 Issue by Nichole DeMario

by Send Media Company, LLC

When she refused to stand still, she built multiple businesses, pursued her passions, and crafted a future for herself and her daughter.

Almost four years ago, I gave birth to twins. As a ﬁrst-time mom and a mom of multiples, my life underwent seismic shifts. From my focus to my work, nothing was left untouched. Nearly two years ago, we added another baby into the mix.

Why am I telling you this in “Woman to Woman” instead of our sister publication, “Mom to Mom”? Because this past year, I felt closer to myself than ever before. More like the woman I was before children. While I still ﬁnd myself working in the margins of the day, I have prioritized myself more than I have in years. It may not sound like much, but for me, it has been life-altering.

For too long, when I found a moment, I would work, do laundry, or start organizing something. Anything but something for me. How often do we do this to ourselves? Whatever your to-do list looks like, how often are you last?

I decided to pat myself on the back for thinking about myself a bit more in 2025. In 2026, I am not going to let that commitment fall to the wayside. I hope you will consider the same and see the impact it can have on your life as a whole.

And I know for certain it has helped me show up in new ways for our publications. We have a lot on our vision boards, but this past year was about driving meaningful action to reach more readers and followers across the Midwest. We published incredible pieces that are real and relatable, with dozens of contributors, including many new voices. Your messages and comments warmed our hearts and conﬁrmed that we are on the right path. 2026 is going to be incredible.

To set the tone for the year, our cover highlights a serial entrepreneur who embraces reinvention and growth at every turn. Self-care, mindfulness, and wellness are cornerstones of her businesses. Our Career Corner feature focuses on intentionality through creation, and she has grown an immense following in the process.

Speaking of vision boards, our Artist Showcase set a goal to attend a unique workshop years in the making and ﬁnally made that experience happen. She shares the lifetime of meaning behind one trip and one piece that will touch your heart and leave you reﬂecting on your own goals.

We wish you an incredible start to the new year. You deserve it. Thank you for all of your love and support every step of the way.

All the best, Nichole & Send Media Company, LLC team

Woman to Woman is always open to story ideas and leads and conversing with talented writers, photographers, makeup artists and hair stylists! Have an interest in advertising sales or marketing? Let’s chat! Reach out to sendmediacompanyllc@gmail.com.

Endless Horizons

SELF CARE

There is a quiet, complicated tension many women carry within but rarely voice. It is the guilt of wanting more from a career that once felt like everything they hoped for. The career you have today may have been your dream, your answered prayer, your family’s pride, and your personal proof that hard work pays off. You earned it. You grew inside of it. You became better because of it.

But sometimes, the very blessing you once celebrated slowly becomes too small for the woman you have become.

We rarely talk about what it means to evolve past a chapter we once adored. Growth is not loud or dramatic. More often than not, it is subtle and easy to miss. It shows up in the mornings when you no longer feel challenged. It appears when your mind wanders to work you wish you were doing instead. It slips into conversations where you realize you have stopped advocating for new opportunities because, deep down, there is nothing left to stretch into.

You have learned. You have grown. You have expanded beyond what this career can offer.

That does not make you ungrateful. And yet, so many women feel guilty even acknowledging this shift.

“What about my degree? If I leave this career, will everything be a waste?”

“What about the network I’ve built? Would I have to start all over?”

“What about my prestigious job title? Who will I be without it?”

There is guilt for wanting something different. Guilt for wanting more responsibility or less. Guilt for craving alignment, balance, or simply something new. And often, there is guilt for desiring a new season when the current one is still good and stable, especially during a time when so many people are struggling to find work.

But here is the truth. Wanting something different does not erase gratitude for what got you here. Growth does not cancel gratitude. The two can coexist beautifully. You can appreciate your current role for all it taught you and still recognize that it is no longer the right container for who you are becoming. You can honor this current chapter and still know it is coming to an end. You can give thanks for the opportunity while feeling a quiet pull toward something more aligned.

You are allowed to outgrow a career you once prayed for.

As a new year begins, you will hear advice everywhere. Set resolutions. Choose a word of the year. Define a big, ambitious goal. But reinvention, the kind that truly shifts the trajectory of your life and career, rarely starts there. It begins with honesty. It begins when you acknowledge that you are constantly evolving and that your next chapter is already in motion.

This season, before making any decisions about what is next, allow yourself space to reflect. Let your gratitude and your growth

Every role has elements that once mattered but no longer serve you. Pay attention to both the spark and the heaviness. What energizes you points toward your next chapter. What drains you reveals what you have outgrown.

Many women evolve far past their job descriptions without realizing it. You may be operating at a higher level, solving problems outside your scope, or carrying leadership and emotional labor that is not formally recognized. Your growth is data. It is the evidence your career needs to catch up with who you have become.

Do you crave impact, creativity, influence, balance, leadership, recognition, or something else? If you crave creativity, you may be stifled. If you crave balance, you may be out of alignment. If you crave impact or leadership, you may be underutilized. Your desires are not random. They are your source of direction.

Women often feel loyalty to their past selves, their families, their teams, or their employers. But loyalty to your past should not limit your future. You do not owe a lifetime to a chapter you have already completed. Identify the guilt and release it.

Reinvention does not always look like a career change. Sometimes, it is a shift in how you show up. Sometimes it is reintroducing yourself to your network. Sometimes it is renegotiating your role or asking for alignment you have already earned. And yes, sometimes it is stepping into an entirely new chapter.

This question is the doorway to reinvention. Reinvention is not about abandoning who you were. It is about making space for who you are becoming. Consider what beliefs need updating, what support you need, what relationships to nurture, and what boundaries to strengthen. Let your next level guide your decisions.

No matter the form, your next chapter deserves the same faith that got you here. You did not arrive at this moment by accident, and you will not enter your next season by accident either.

Give yourself permission to release the idea that you must stay where you started simply because you once prayed for it. Give yourself permission to evolve. To desire differently. To build a life and career that reflects the woman you are today, not the woman you were five or ten years ago.

Take inventory of what this role has sharpened in you, the connections it helped you build, and the strengths you gained along the way. These are assets you can intentionally carry into whatever comes next. You are not starting over; you are continuing from a strong foundation.

You deserve a career that honors who you are now and the growth that brought you here. And that is something worth being grateful for.

Dr. Uzoma F. Obidike is a Career Strategist and founder of She Leads Beautifully. She partners with women to help them shape the next season of their careers through the power of their networks. Dr. Uzoma's expertise extends to her role as Director and Assistant Professor of Undergraduate Career Development at National Louis University, where she prepares college students for their successful career journeys. Beyond her professional roles, Dr. Uzoma enjoys spending time with her family, listening to podcasts, and playing The Sims 4.

AMY SHEREE PHILLIPS | 36 | DESTIN, FLA.

(FORMERLY VALPARAISO, IND.) OWNER

OF AMMA SLIMES

Woman to Woman: First off, why slime?

Amy: At the time, I was running another business as a food and product stylist, photographer, recipe developer, and stop-motion artist. I kept ﬁnding myself drawn to the idea of slime, even though it wasn’t something I actively played with. Out of curiosity, I ordered supplies to experiment and see if it was worth exploring. I ended up having so much fun that I spent the next few months reﬁning recipes and techniques. I launched shortly after, and it quickly grew into my full time focus! Since then, I’ve collaborated with brands including Xbox, Meshki, Bali Body, About You, and WikiHow, and sponsored events such as Rise Up, a trauma-informed conference supporting at-risk children and families.

Woman to Woman: What drives you? Why do you do what you do?

Amy: At the core, I’m driven by the idea of creating safety and joy through small, tangible experiences. I’ve always been someone who feels things deeply, and I know how powerful it is when something simple like texture, color, or a moment of play can calm your nervous system. What keeps me going day to day is seeing customers connect with that. When someone tells me a product helped them relax, focus, or feel grounded, it reminds me why I started. I’m not just selling a product, I’m creating little moments of relief and joy.

Woman to Woman: What’s a decision you’ve made recently (or not) that reﬂects who you are now, not who you used to be?

Amy: I’m being more intentional about what I say yes to. Earlier on, I pushed myself to take on everything, even when it was overwhelming. Now I’m much more aware of my limits, and I choose opportunities I can show up for fully without burning myself out. That shift has made both my work and my life better.

Woman to Woman: How has your deﬁnition of success or fulﬁllment shifted over time?

Amy: Earlier on, I deﬁned success by how much I worked and how much I was producing. That’s shifted. Now success looks more like sustainability, alignment, and impact. It’s about building something that supports my life, not consumes it, and creating work that feels meaningful both to me and to the people it reaches.

Woman to Woman: What helps you feel like yourself when things feel loud or overwhelming?

Amy: Grounding helps me feel balanced. I intentionally step away, create quiet space, and slow things down, whether that means disconnecting from screens, getting outside, or giving myself a moment to reset. Those moments help me regain clarity and move forward with intention.

Woman to Woman: What do people assume about you that isn’t actually true?

Amy: People often assume that what I do comes easily because it’s creative. What they don’t see is how much work and intention goes on behind the scenes, from the planning and problem solving to the constant reﬁnement. It’s very hands on, and that effort is what allows the work to feel seamless on the outside.

Woman to Woman: What’s something you’ve let go of - a role, expectation, or belief and why?

Amy: I’ve let go of the belief that I have to do everything myself to be successful. I’ve learned to allow others to help with the things I can do so I can focus on the things they can’t do. That shift has helped me work with more clarity and intention and build something that’s both sustainable and meaningful.

Woman to Woman: What question are you currently sitting with in your life? What’s next for you?

Amy: A question I’m sitting with right now is how to expand thoughtfully without losing what makes the work meaningful. I’m exploring new product lines and ways to grow, and I’m being very intentional about doing so in a way that stays aligned with my values and the experience I want to create. What’s next is growth that feels creative, steady, and rooted in quality rather than speed.

Woman to Woman: What’s one truth you wish women talked about more openly, and how do you live that in your life?

Amy: We don’t have to say yes to everything or push past our limits to be successful. I try to live that by being intentional with my time and energy, choosing what I commit to, and trusting that rest, boundaries, and discernment are strengths, not weaknesses.

I AM NOT FEELING LIKE MYSELF: REWRITING THE NARRATIVE OF (PERI)MENOPAUSE & WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

WHEN THE MIND CHANGES BEFORE THE BODY

THE SILENCE AROUND MIDLIFE MENTAL HEALTH

is a Northwest Indiana native who is passionate about supporting individuals and families in her community. She earned her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Purdue University Northwest and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Indiana. Hus co-owns a private practice with her wife, Hillary Jones, also an LMHC, where they offer both in-person and telehealth services to individuals, couples, and families.In addition to her clinical work, She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Walden University and currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program at Grand View University, where she helps train future counselors. Hus and her family reside in Crown Point, Ind. Outside of work, she enjoys being in the outdoors, craft projects, and traveling.

Jessica Wilson is the owner and founder of Designed Ledgers, a bookkeeping business dedicated to helping women-owned and creative businesses feel confident and clear about their finances. She specializes in simplifying bookkeeping systems, cleaning up messy records, and helping business owners understand what their numbers are really telling them. Her work focuses on creating systems that feel supportive, approachable, and sustainable, especially for women who are juggling business, life, and everything in between. Wilson works with clients both locally and remotely, offering everything from one-time bookkeeping setups and cleanups to ongoing monthly support. When she is not organizing financial systems, she loves cozy routines, and good coffee.

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