Meet the Experts Guiding You Through

The Comeback Season Summit

27 Industry Leaders • 250+ Years of Combined Experience

JoDee Hecko

Transformational Speaker

Transformational speaker, MSW-RSW social worker, and founder of Soulful Conversations. JoDee helps women navigate personal and professional transitions using her SHIFT Cycle and Becoming Zone framework. Her work supports self-leadership, resilience, and rewriting the stories that shape identity and growth.

If you feel stuck in the messy middle of a major life transition, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to embrace the "in-between" without rushing to the finish line
Practical ways to turn discomfort into self-trust and growth
Why slowing down is the fastest way to gain clarity and direction

Kellie Grutko

Certified Life & Transition Coach

Certified life and transition coach known as “The Spark Strategist.” Founder of Purposeful Pivot, Kellie helps accomplished women move from burnout to reinvention with clarity and confidence, blending 30+ years of leadership experience with strategic and heart-centered coaching.

If you feel paralyzed by a major life change or like you have to figure it all out alone, this session is for you.

You will learn:

Why community and "strength in numbers" accelerate your personal growth
Practical strategies to break through the fear of a major life pivot
How to turn overwhelming transitions into clear, actionable steps

Tracy Simonetta

Hypnotherapist & Mindset Coach

Chicago-based hypnotherapist and mindset coach specializing in nervous system regulation and subconscious change for moms. Tracy helps women break reactive patterns, regulate emotions, and create calm, connected homes through compassionate, practical tools.

If you feel like you’re repeating the same family patterns despite your best efforts, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to identify inherited emotional triggers and subconscious behaviors
Why "interrupting" a family cycle is the key to personal freedom
Practical tools to stop personalizing trauma and start choosing differently

Jennie “AdrenaJen” Milton

Keynote Speaker

Adventure athlete, keynote speaker, and courage expert. From Australian Kitesurfing Champion to three brain surgeries, Jennie teaches women over 40 how to turn fear into forward motion using her signature Fear Formula.

If you feel like a setback has derailed your entire story, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to turn career-ending hits into your greatest contribution
Practical tools to shift from fear to unshakable confidence
Why your struggle is the catalyst for your most meaningful chapter

Jennifer Polly

Internationally Trained Trichologist

Internationally trained trichologist and founder of Saskatoon Hair Loss Clinic. Jennifer bridges science and compassion to help people uncover root causes of hair loss—including stress, hormones, and inflammation—while restoring clarity and confidence.

If hair loss has left you feeling confused, dismissed, or alone, this session is for you.

You will learn:

Why “normal” hair loss isn’t the full story
The emotional side no one talks about
Practical next steps you can take right now

Amy Haydak

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, and parent coach. Amy helps women break generational trauma patterns through nervous-system-based emotional regulation work, empowering mothers to heal, build self-trust, and create lasting change for their families.

If you feel invisible beneath the roles you’ve carried for years, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to recognize trauma responses that are masquerading as “just who I am”
Why midlife often surfaces buried identity wounds and worth struggles
Practical ways to reconnect with your voice, confidence, and true self

Shazia Warsi

Life Coach

Life coach, speaker, and Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist. Shazia helps midlife women transform breakdowns into breakthroughs by releasing limiting beliefs and reconnecting with purpose, power, and confidence.

If you’ve been feeling like your body is betraying you, like everything from your mood to your metabolism feels out of control, this is where we realign.

You will learn:

What is actually happening in your brain and body during perimenopause and menopause, and why it’s not a malfunction.
How mindset and cultural narratives shape your physical experience of symptoms.
Simple lifestyle shifts and healing practices that help you move from survival mode into clarity, confidence, and renewal.

Anita Sparks

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, and founder of A Beautiful Life Institute. Anita helps high-achieving women uncover hidden emotional neglect, soften survival patterns, and create emotionally safe, deeply fulfilling lives.

If you’ve built a strong, successful life, but still feel emotionally unseen or disconnected, this session is for you.

You will learn:

• How invisible childhood emotional neglect can quietly shape your adult relationships and nervous system

• Why independence and over-functioning may actually be armor — and how to soften survival patterns safely

• The first step toward creating emotional safety and learning to nurture yourself in a way you may have never experienced

Carmen Dunn

Certified Nutritional Practitioner

Certified Nutritional Practitioner and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. Carmen helps women in their 40s restore metabolic and hormonal balance to regain steady energy, mental clarity, and emotional stability through targeted nutrition and lifestyle support.

If metabolic struggles have you feeling stuck, exhausted, or overlooked, this session is for you.

You will learn:

Why traditional nutrition fails women over 40
How to identify hidden hormonal and gut barriers
Practical shifts to reclaim your metabolic energy

Shelley Meche’tte

EmpowHERment Speaker

EmpowHERment speaker, life strategist, bestselling author, and three-time stroke survivor. Shelley equips faith-driven women to release burnout, set healthy boundaries, and build purpose-aligned lives using her S.M.I.L.E. Framework.

If life has knocked the wind out of you and you’re questioning who you are now, this is where rebuilding begins.

You will learn:

How to move through identity loss and emotional paralysis after major disruption.
Use micro-wins and simple challenges to rebuild self-trust and confidence.
Reclaim your agency through small, intentional commitments that create momentum.

Dr. Tamara White

The Divine Disruptor™

Known as The Divine Disruptor™, Dr. White is a burnout recovery and resilience strategist with 25+ years of experience. She helps high-achieving women conquer stress, heal emotional wounds, and live courageously in career and relationships.

If you’re tired of knowing you’re capable of more but still feeling held back by doubt you can’t quite explain, this is where we begin.

You will learn:

How to identify the limiting stories and childhood conditioning that keep you stuck in self-doubt.
Why surface-level confidence and external validation fail to create the lasting identity change you need.
Practical daily strategies to silence imposter syndrome and make decisions from a place of self-leadership.

Michelle Stiff

Metabolic Health Expert

Metabolic health expert helping women 35+ lose fat in bodies that no longer respond to traditional dieting. Michelle identifies hidden stressors like thyroid issues, blood sugar instability, and cortisol imbalance to rebuild metabolic capacity through phase-based strategies.

If you’ve been feeling like you’re doing all the “right” things but your body still won’t

cooperate, this is where we get clarity.

You will learn:

Why “normal” labs can still miss the patterns causing low energy, stubborn fat loss, and hormonal chaos.
How chronic stress and under-eating quietly push your body into survival mode.
Simple, nervous-system-first steps to rebuild results without white-knuckling.

Kathryn Eipl

Emotional Strategist, Reiki Master

Emotional Strategist, Reiki Master, and founder of E.I.P.L. Healing. Creator of the Neuro-Resonance Method™, Kathryn helps women regulate their nervous systems, release stored emotional energy, and create embodied, lasting transformation.

If you’ve tried to “think” your way into healing but still feel the stress living in your body, this is where we begin to work at the root.

You will learn:

Why surface-level solutions fail — and how to regulate your nervous system for real change.
How sound, yoga, and movement release stored emotional patterns.
Simple micro-practices to reduce reactivity, even when you’re overwhelmed.

Raylynn Van Oort

Author, Motivational Speaker

Author, motivational speaker, and health coach. After her own life-changing transformation, Raylynn now supports others in overcoming obesity and emotional mismanagement, offering hope and liberation through her redemptive story.

If you’ve ever felt like your struggles go deeper than willpower— like something unseen is quietly shaping your choices, your habits, and even your health — this experience is for you.

You will learn:

How to recognize the deep-seated conditioning from your past that allows others to control your life.
How to safely unmask and address the hidden scars of shame and trauma that drive self-destructive habits.
Why your body may be manifesting physical illness as a direct result of suppressed emotional wreckage.

Kym Coco

Author, Yogi, Wellness Educator

Author, yogi, and wellness educator with a Master’s in Sports Kinesiology. Through her book Miracle on the Mountainside and her teachings, Kym shares tools for resilience, movement, and well-being inspired by nature and lived experience.

If life has knocked the wind out of you and you’re questioning who you are now, this is where rebuilding begins.

You will learn:

How to move through identity loss and emotional paralysis after major disruption.
Use micro-wins and simple challenges to rebuild self-trust and confidence.
Reclaim your agency through small, intentional commitments that create momentum.

Bonnie Brindle

The Anxiety Avenger™

The Anxiety Avenger™, speaker, and mental wellness expert. Bonnie helps people break free from anxiety using practical, evidence-based tools. She is the author of Cracking the Crazymakers’ Code and founder of the Calm Your Chaos community.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by constant mental noise, waking at 3 a.m., spinning in worry, or questioning your ability to handle this season of life, this is where calm begins.

You will learn:

How to recognize hidden anxiety patterns and generational stress that may be driving your reactions.
Simple, in-the-moment nervous system tools to regulate fear, anger, and worry.
Practical ways to rebuild safety, clarity, and self-trust during major life transitions.

Angela Devani

Founder, Elemental Magick & Energetic Embodiment Guide

Founder of Elemental Magick and energetic embodiment guide. Angela helps women reclaim inherent self-worth by releasing shame, perfectionism, and survival conditioning, guiding them back to the truth that they are already enough.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself — like you know there’s more for you but can’t quite access it — this is where we realign.

You will learn:

How to spot the beliefs and patterns keeping you stuck.
Daily grounding practices to move past hesitation and reclaim your power.
Simple micro-actions to build steady momentum, even when life feels overwhelming.

Jamie Rockymore Bess

Founder & Visionary - Helpful Living Magazine

Jamie Rockymore Bess is the founder and visionary behind Helpful Living Magazine, a publication dedicated to empowering individuals and families with practical resources, inspiring stories, and real-life solutions. With a passion for community impact and accessible education, Jamie has built a platform that bridges information with action, helping readers create healthier, more connected lives. Her work focuses on elevating everyday voices while providing tools that truly make a difference.

If you’ve been pushing through exhaustion, telling yourself to “just stay positive,” yet still finding yourself overwhelmed and stuck in survival mode, this is exactly where we need to look.

You will learn:

How to identify the “hope blockers” and survival patterns
keeping you stuck.
Why positive thinking alone doesn’t heal burnout or grief.
Simple daily habits to break negative spirals and protect your peace.

Mary Crayston

Dedicated Advocate for Personal Growth & Purposeful Living

Mary Crayston is a dedicated advocate for personal growth and purposeful living, known for her thoughtful approach to leadership and transformation. Through her work, Mary empowers individuals to navigate life’s transitions with clarity, resilience, and confidence. Her insights blend lived experience with practical wisdom, inspiring others to step into their next chapter with intention and strength.

If you’re constantly exhausted from saying yes when you mean no — and quietly carrying resentment because your needs aren’t being honored — this is where clarity beg.

You will learn:

Why weak boundaries lead to burnout and mental overload.
How to spot resentment and triggers as signs your limits are being crossed.
Simple ways to say no calmly — without guilt or overexplaining.

Irina Portnova

Manifestation Coach

Manifestation coach and creator of a practical, energy-aligned success system. Irina blends Universal Laws with strategic action to help women manifest aligned love, purpose, and thriving businesses in a grounded, repeatable way.

If you feel stuck in a cycle of unrealistic expectations and self-doubt, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to identify if you are living out of alignment and why it is draining your energetic battery.
How to overcome the mental blocks like fear and judgment that prevent you from manifesting change.
Practical strategies to shift your frequency and reclaimyour power after feeling stuck or burned out.

Dr. Selma S. Gladney

Acupuncture & Functional Medicine

Dr. Selma Gladney has helped thousands of people heal naturally through acupuncture, nutrition, functional medicine, and BHRT. She specializes in pelvic floor acupuncture, neuro-acupuncture, and men's and women's hormone health.

If you feel overwhelmed by hormone therapy advice — and you’re not sure who to trust, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to tell when hormone care is “one-size-fits-all” instead of truly individualized
What safe monitoring should include, and why follow-up labs matter
The questions to ask so you can feel confident in your provider and your plan

Brendaliz Acosta

Embodiment & Energetics Coach

Brendaliz is an Embodiment and Energetics Coach, Business Mentor, and the creator of Grow Profits Fast. Known by her clients as The Mind Whisperer, she helps high-achieving, soul-driven women entrepreneurs and CEOs release the internal weight they’ve carried for years so they can scale their income, impact, and influence without sacrificing their well-being.

If you feel like you’re doing all the mindset work but still not seeing results, this session is for you.

You will learn:

Why affirmations often fail—and what actually rewires subconscious patterns
How hidden identity beliefs are quietly capping your income, confidence, or impact
A powerful way to shift from efforting and proving into embodied certainty

Drew Deraney

Coach, Author

Drew Deraney is a coach, author, and advocate dedicated to empowering caregivers and families of individuals with autism. As The Caregiver Coach, he helps parents and caregivers find balance, build resilience, and care for themselves as compassionately as they care for their loved ones. Drew is the proud father of three children, including a son with autism, which inspires his mission to provide guidance, education, and community support. Through coaching, speaking, and his podcast From Caving In To Crushing It, Drew encourages others to live authentically, rise with strength, and lead with purpose.

If you feel like caregiving has swallowed your identity and you don’t recognize yourself anymore, this session is for you.

You will learn:

How boundaries reduce resentment and protect the relationship with the person you love
How people-pleasing shows up in caregiving and quietly fuels burnout
Practical ways to widen your support system—even if you don’t have family nearby

Gillian Jakob Kieser

Data-Driven Style Coach

Gillian Jakob Kieser is a data-driven style coach and the founder of the Style Mojo Dojo. She helps women over 40 reclaim their style mojo and feel incredible in their clothes. Using proven frameworks that help anyone develop personal style (even if you're not naturally creative) - she shows you how to build a style based on your body architecture and personality so you feel at perfectly home in your clothes, every day.

If you feel like your closet no longer fits your life this session is for you.

You will learn:

How to stop chasing trends and start dressing for who you are now
Why common advice like “dress for your body type” often creates more confusion
A practical framework to rebuild your style in a way that feels aligned and authentic

Lisa Barwise

Creator of the Wellness Alchemy Triquetra TM

Lisa Barwise is the creator of the Wellness Alchemy Triquetra TM and founder of Warrior Goddess Kettlebell Training. Known as a Catalyst for Unarmouring, she helps spiritual, high-functioning women over 40 release the Armour Weight they’ve carried for decades — the emotional, energetic, and identity weight no diet can touch. Through a unique fusion of biology, psychology, and spirituality, Lisa guides women to regulate their nervous system, build real strength, and finally feel safe, powerful, and sovereign in their own skin.

If you feel like your body is resisting you and nothing works the way it used to, this session is for you.

You will learn:

Why what looks like stubborn weight gain may actually be nervous system protection
How shame, over-discipline, and perfectionism keep you stuck in survival mode
A safer, more sustainable way to approach strength, health, and identity in midlife

Summit Co-Hosts

Nichole McLeod

Fitness Trainer, Mindset Coach

Nichole McLeod is a fitness trainer, mindset coach, and co-host of The Comeback Season. She blends strength training, neuroscience, and mental resilience to help women break self-sabotage patterns and build a strong internal foundation. Nichole teaches that lasting transformation isn’t just physical—it starts in the brain and is sustained through emotional regulation, identity shifts, and consistent action.

Christi Kelsey

Tranformational Macro Coach

Christi Kelsey is a certified transformational macro coach and co-host of The Comeback Season, who helps women over 40 rebuild their metabolism, lose fat, and build strength in a sustainable way. After overcoming multiple major health challenges, including cancer and autoimmune disease, she shifted from chasing skinny to building strong. Through macronutrient education, habit formation, and identity work, Christi empowers women to fuel their bodies with confidence and create lasting change from the inside out.