In this episode of The Perfect Place to Start, I sit down with my friend Terry Aubry—a chemist, businesswoman, mother, and mentor—whose life has been shaped by resilience, self-discovery, and powerful awakenings.
Terry’s perspective on life is one that resonates deeply with me. She doesn’t see starting over as a single defining moment or a dramatic turning point. Instead, she views it as a series of awakenings—moments when something inside shifts, when you realize you have more power, more control, and more agency than you ever thought possible.
In our conversation, Terry walks me through three of these awakenings in her life. She talks about growing up in a small rural town, where survival was based on character and honor rather than money or status. She shares what it was like to experience sudden loss, the deep darkness that followed, and the slow, uncertain journey back toward the light. She also opens up about the unexpected moment in a bookstore when she realized, for the first time, that she was truly safe—that she had the freedom to choose what came next.
One of the most moving parts of our conversation is when Terry describes her awakening to connection. After spending so much time in survival mode, she found herself in a moment where simple human touch—something as small as a hand on her shoulder—unlocked a flood of emotions. It was a realization that, despite all she had carried on her own, she didn’t have to move through life alone.
Terry’s advice in this episode is powerful: never close doors, keep walking until you find the right path, and most importantly—be present for yourself. Hold onto the younger version of you, the one who still needs love and protection. Because at the end of the day, the relationship we build with ourselves is the one that carries us forward.
This conversation is real, raw, and deeply personal. I hope it resonates with you the way it did with me.
Listen to the full episode now—because where you are right now is the perfect place to start.