Woman of Influence Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: From Waiting to Walking: Stepping Boldly Into Purpose
Host: Julie Solomon
Guest: Joy Shaw
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the transition from waiting for permission to take action, to boldly walking in one's purpose. Julie Solomon and her longtime friend and collaborator Joy Shaw delve into themes of influence, shadow work, fear, healing, and authenticity in leadership. Drawing from Joy’s experiences as a doula, plant medicine facilitator, and coach, the discussion emphasizes embracing discomfort, disrupting personal patterns, and reclaiming self-sovereignty for authentic growth and influence.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Defining Influence & Integrity in Leadership

• Influence as Inspiration:
  Joy identifies true influence as living with such intention and presence that it naturally inspires others.

  "I live my life in such a way as to inspire others to the highest expression of themselves." — Joy Shaw [01:36]

• Not Fixing Others:
  Both hosts reflect on moving from codependent “fixer” tendencies toward holding loving space for others’ growth.

2. Shadow Work & Embracing Discomfort

• Alchemizing with the Shadow:
  Julie and Joy discuss how real growth comes from integrating, not avoiding, the uncomfortable or “shadow” parts of self.

  "If I can be with these parts of myself, I can be in the space of discomfort. I can become one with it." — Joy Shaw [06:48]

• The Medicine Is in the Stay:
  Joy recounts a plant medicine journey where she learned to stay present with discomfort, which unearthed deep grief and ultimately healing.

  "So much of the discomfort that I have been pulling away from has been masking this deeper well of grief." — Joy Shaw [07:29]

3. Fear, Presence, and Reclaiming Safety

• Fear Stories vs. Present Moment:
  The importance of distinguishing fear as imagined narratives versus real, present experiences.

  "Most of what I try to invite people to do is just come back here, right? ... Figure out how to be present." — Joy Shaw [11:18]

• Tools & Strategies:
  Techniques such as breathwork, somatic movement, and meditation are discussed as routes to build presence and befriend inner fears.

4. Patterns, Integration, and Breaking Cycles

• Pattern Disruption as Growth:
  Joy shares her work helping others identify, disrupt, and update patterns of codependency, control, and victim mentality.

  "Pattern disruption is really my job, right. That's how we evolve and expand." — Joy Shaw [20:49]

• Codependency & Narcissism Spectrum:
  Recognizes all are on a spectrum, and progress requires recognizing and taking responsibility for one’s patterns.

  "The biggest thing that I recognize that blocks people from updating their patterns is not being able to shift out of a victim consciousness." — Joy Shaw [23:28]

5. Healing, Help, and Receiving

• Learning to Ask for Help:
  Joy discusses personal struggles with asking for and receiving help, and the burnout cycle among women and healers.

  "If I need to hear that, then I'm gonna work my ass off all the time to continually feed this way of getting this feedback." — Joy Shaw [28:26]

• Energetic Self-Care:
  The necessity of energetic boundaries and self-care to sustainably serve others.

6. Integrity in Plant Medicine & Healing Spaces

• Importance of Ethics:
  The conversation covers ethical risks and lessons in the plant medicine space, including the need for personal integration for practitioners.

  "These are non-specific amplifiers... If your integrity with your own practice is not really solid... it all gets amplified in that space." — Joy Shaw [33:23]

• Choosing Safe Spaces:
  Guidance for seekers: work with those who demonstrate self-awareness, accountability, and integrity beyond their “healer” identity.

7. Collective Healing & Global Consciousness

• Evolving Past Victimhood:
  They discuss collective trauma, shifting narratives from victimhood, and the role of leaders as shepherds through societal upheaval.

  "It's never about what happens. It's always about the story you tell about what's happening and the relationship you're gonna decide to have with the experience." — Joy Shaw [44:16]

8. Personal Evolution & Stepping Into What's Next

• Embracing Freedom & Authenticity:
  Joy shares about her new “untethered” season—her daughters grown, embarking on a solo road trip, embracing possibility rather than loss.

  "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. ...I consciously worked to build a life like this." — Joy Shaw [46:33]

• Dreaming & Visioning:
  Encourages listeners to follow inspiration, trust the unknown, and see themselves as artists in the alchemy of life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Influence:

  "It's the quality of attention and presence that we give as women that allows others to sort of bloom in that direction, almost like a sun and a sunflower."
  — Joy Shaw [02:46]

• On Shadow Work:

  "The shadow is always just an aspect of the light expressing itself on the other side of the object."
  — Joy Shaw [05:34]

• On Integration:

  "We don't have on your brain, in your system, you can't be like update my iOS and it just like does it in 10 minutes. You have to actually manually update every single program."
  — Joy Shaw [21:21]

• On Self-Love & Boundaries:

  "The only thing we have to do is love ourselves. And when we are coming from that place of feeling like I am lovable and I am loved... then we're able to work with integrity."
  — Joy Shaw [36:12]

• On Collective Evolution:

  "Collectively that's what we're doing right now. Which means it's gonna suck for a little while and we may go through a couple years of hell... because it's causing us to... build this pressure to this breaking point where we can either evolve or die."
  — Joy Shaw [40:26]

• On Reframing “Untethered”:

  "I am untethered. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. ...I consciously worked to build a life like this."
  — Joy Shaw [46:33]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• What Does Influence Mean? [01:30-03:10]
• Alchemizing the Shadow, Plant Medicine, Grief [04:07-07:44]
• Overcoming Fear by Staying Present [09:27-13:30]
• Pattern Disruption & Codependency [20:49-23:30]
• Receiving, Asking for Help, and Burnout [27:20-31:12]
• Ethics in Plant Medicine & Integration [32:41-37:13]
• Collective Healing & Macro Consciousness [39:10-44:33]
• Stepping into Freedom and Next Season [45:17-47:37]
• Alchemizing Your Story [48:08-end]

Where to Find Joy Shaw

• Social Media: @alchemizedwithjoy (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
• Website: joyshaw.com

For Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in stepping into your next era of leadership with soul, surrender, and integrity. Joy’s journey—from birth work to plant medicine, through patterns of control and into personal sovereignty—offers a blueprint for anyone grappling with fear, burnout, or feeling “untethered.” The conversation flows with candor, warmth, and encouragement, inviting you to stay with discomfort, disrupt old narratives, and alchemize your life into something luminous and deeply your own.