Writing with Purpose podcast, episode 76: How to Rediscover Who You Are Beyond the Roles You Play with Maria Newman
If the role you play every day disappeared tomorrow, would you still know who you are?
In this episode of the Writing with Purpose podcast, I'm joined by Maria Newman, a certified NLP Master Practitioner, hypnotherapist, coach and author who has spent nearly a decade helping working mums rediscover who they are beyond the roles they play. After leaving a long-standing career at Rolls-Royce in 2016, Maria built her own coaching practice from the ground up and has since written two books, founded YaaMas, an online networking community, and launched her podcast, Rising from the Rubble.
Our conversation moves through the roles we absorb as our identity, the life transitions that leave us asking 'who am I now', and why living consciously matters when our unconscious minds run so much of the day. Maria shares how journalling anchors her mornings and evenings, what hypnotherapy and NLP make possible when talking alone isn't enough, and why nature is one of the simplest ways to come back to yourself.
"I'd rather regret something that I've done than regret something I haven't done."
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why the childhood book Back Home became a lifelongmetaphor for life's changing chapters
- The car journey conversation with a senior manager thatplanted the seed to leave a secure career
- Building an online course in 2020 and gettingtumbleweeds instead of a Field of Dreams moment
- Living a balancing life rather than a balanced one, andwhy motion softens the curveballs
- Recognising when you are sleepwalking through life onautopilot
- The shrinking comfort zone, and how small acts of newness keep our world wide
PRACTICAL WISDOM
Maria shares simple, repeatable practices for anyone wanting to live more consciously, including:
- An evening journalling routine using a day-per-page diary, closing with ten things to be grateful for, no letting yourself off the hook
- Writing three priorities and an intention each morning to set the day's direction
- Mindful walking in nature, noticing what you can feel underfoot, see and hear
- Breaking everyday patterns deliberately, from what you eat for breakfast to the route you travel
- Writing a letter from your future self to break through feeling stuck
- Celebrating every win, whatever its size
"It's not selfish to think of yourself as an individual tomeet your own needs."
CONNECT WITH MARIA
Please connect with Maria on social media, visit her website or follow her work to stay connected and find out about her coaching, books, workshops and podcast.
ALSO MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST
- Karmic Management, Geshe Michael Roach
- Back Home, Michelle Magorian
- Can't Hurt Me, David Goggins
- YaaMas networking community
- Maria's workshop From Doubting to Decisive (November 2026)
PODCAST CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to Maria Newman
01:47 Maria's favourite childhood book and its meaning
06:19 Reflections on journaling and gratitude practices
10:48 Leaving a corporate career for coaching and entrepreneurship
19:32 The metaphor of the tightrope and balancing life
29:34 Recognising sleepwalking through life and how to break free
44:32 Maria's second book: a practical guide to letting go of the past
48:08 The importance of nature, outdoor activities, and movement
01:04:05 A technique: writing a letter from your future self
01:05:59 Upcoming workshops and how to connect with Maria
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