Cheers to 100 Episodes: Stories, Lessons, & Momentum for Women

One hundred episodes. One hundred conversations. Countless lessons, laughs, and reminders that women are powerful beyond measure.

In this milestone episode, I look back on the stories that have shaped Penny for Your Shots—from Kami Guildner’s wisdom on raising our voices, to Larissa Banting’s reinvention story, to Frankie Elder Reedy’s fire for justice, to Shirah Benarde’s scrunchie-turned-nightcap invention that’s keeping women safe.

I also share:

• Why you’ll never feel “ready”—and why that’s not a reason to wait
• What I’ve learned about courage, clarity, and imperfect action
• Why women’s stories matter more than ever
• How showing up together makes us unstoppable

Key Topics:

• 100th episode celebration
• Memorable guest moments + lessons
• Courage, clarity, and consistency
• Women supporting women
• Building momentum in business and life

This episode is both a celebration and an invitation—to keep showing up, to keep sharing, and to keep building momentum together.

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Transcript

Cheers to 100 Episodes: Stories, Lessons & Momentum for Women

[00:00:33] Penny Fitzgerald: Hello friends, and welcome to a very special episode of Penny for Your Shots. I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but this is episode 100. That's right, 100. When I hit, published on that very first episode back on November 2nd, 2023, I had no idea the adventure I was stepping into.

Honestly, I only wish I hadn't waited so long to start. Talking with brilliant women, sharing [00:01:00] their stories, hearing about their favorite cocktails, and creating this space for us to learn and laugh together has been one of my greatest joys. So today we're celebrating, we're gonna look back at some memorable moments with past guests, share some of the biggest lessons I've learned along the way, and raise a glass to what's still to come.

Over these 100 episodes, I've had the privilege of sitting down virtually, of course, with women whose brilliance has inspired me in ways I could never have imagined. Like my conversation with Kami Gildner Kami reminded us that when women raise our voices, the ripple effect can reach far beyond what we'll ever know.

She talked about how sharing your story isn't just about you. It's about the lives you'll impact without even realizing it. She reminded me that it's okay to take up space. To be seen and heard gray hair wrinkles, expanding body and all that conversation gave me goosebumps then, and it still does now.

Then there was Larissa Banting, [00:02:00] her episode pivot pitch Repeat is one I still go back to. Larissa showed us that reinvention isn't failure, it's courage. She's a Canadian who started a wedding photography business for destination weddings in Costa Rica. Then she added travel services for the wedding party and guests.

And pivoted again when she realized someone she hired to manage part of the business was embezzling from her. She's proof that you don't have to stick to one path forever. You can pivot, try again and pitch yourself for the life and business you want as many times as it takes, and from whatever position you're in, you can pick yourself up and reinvent yourself and your business.

Your experience and your gifts can never be taken away from you. Frankie Elder Reedy's episode stays with me for another reason. She shared so powerfully how women are often taught to avoid victimization instead of fighting for justice and for change. We're told to keep quiet that boys will be boys, and that's just the way it [00:03:00] is.

We're taught to protect ourselves by staying in groups, not dressing too sexy, not being too loud, not being too much. We're taught to keep ourselves safe.

 I really hope in my lifetime we shift the conversation from expecting women and girls to protect themselves from being harassed and worse to raising expectations of men and boys and everyone to not be people we need protection from, to expecting our sons and brothers to speak up when they see the injustices happening.

That insight and thinking about the conversation hit me hard, and it reminded me why these conversations matter so much. Women's voices and experiences need to be heard raw and real. It was out of her experiences that she developed a product, a sports bra that stops the bounce to keep us comfortable and to keep us safe.

Remember Shirah Benarde? She went on Shark Tank with her product, which was developed to protect women from being drugged without [00:04:00] their knowledge. The nightcap is a scrunchie that doubles as a drink topper. She's marketing the product to college campuses and bars around the world and keeping all of us a little bit safer.

Then there was Liz Hansen. Liz and I talked about how perfection is a myth. She dropped the quote, sexy is not a size, and we talked about how so many of us are uncomfortable in our own bodies. How so many of us hate the vessel we spend our entire lives in. We talked about how to change that with self-care, treating ourselves well, and listening to our intuition.

We talked about how you have to follow your own path and heart. Her friends and family discouraged her from starting a photography business. Nearly everyone around her except her husband, and today she has one of the most successful photography studios in the Chicago area. 

And of course, I can't forget Sara Vezensek our conversation was one of those where the alignment was so strong, we could have talked for hours. Sara, reminded us that building a life that feels [00:05:00] aligned with your values is far more important than chasing someone else's definition of success. As a little girl, she had dreams, and back in the day when she was working as a waitress and would hang out after shifts with her friends who were fellow waitstaff, they would share their dreams for the future.

10 years later, many of them still had the same dreams and the same job waiting tables at the very same restaurant. I'm sure we all have examples of people in our lives who have had dreams and let life get in the way.

It's sad to me, but a reminder to not get so caught up in the busyness of life that we don't move toward our purpose. and if you've been here a while, you know Angel Wilborn has popped in more than once. She's funny, brilliant, and real.

And who can forget the truth bombs that come from her third grader? That's the beauty of these conversations. It's not always polished, but it's always real. And then of course there's the joy of wine camp. Those episodes are some of my favorites because they captured the courage, the [00:06:00] laughter, and yes, the silliness of women just showing up.

Showing up as we are. I'll never forget the "Caf-tailing" video where we were strutting in our pajamas and caftans at a tasting room in Virginia like we were on a Paris of runway. All the while the 12-year-old recording, it was cringing and saying, this is so awkward. That moment was fun, freeing, and apparently for everyone but us a little awkward, and that's exactly what made it perfect.

We were living in the moment and celebrating each other and our friendships. Looking back at a hundred episodes, I've learned a few things, and if you've been with me for any of this journey, you know I can't keep those lessons to myself. First, don't wait to be ready. You'll never be ready until you start.

Action brings clarity. You become ready by doing the thing, not by waiting and planning forever, that busyness of life, it can get in the way so [00:07:00] easily. It's just our nervous system keeping us safe and stuck in comfort. If we don't move out of that and toward our older, wiser selves, we don't grow and we don't serve others.

What's your purpose? Have you sat still long enough to hear it calling? Are you following it? Do just one thing every day that moves you forward. Something that serves someone else. Doesn't have to be big, small acts, build momentum. Second, don't let how you look, stop you from showing up. I can't tell you how many times I thought, Ugh, I don't like how I look on camera.

And at one point I even thought, I'll just lose 20 pounds first and then I'll start. See how that worked out. But here's the deal, people don't care. They care about your voice, your perspective, your heart. Get all over yourself. Your impact matters way more than your ego. Third, don't worry about making it perfect.

The content is what counts. Ask yourself, will this help someone? Will [00:08:00] it lift someone up? If the answer is yes, get it out there. Done is better than perfect 100% of the time. Another biggie, automate whatever you can. podcasting taught me really quickly that if I don't systemize some of the work, I'll spend all of my energy on the behind the scenes stuff instead of the meaningful work that serves others.

I've also learned success takes time longer than you think, so be prepared to keep showing up even when it feels like it's taking forever or like nothing's working. Don't prejudge a guest. Some of my most impactful conversations have come from women whose industries and careers are nothing like my own.

Staying curious has opened doors to perspectives that surprised and inspired me. Here's another one. Women are creating the most incredible outside of the box careers. They're using their gifts in unique ways to serve others, and that inspires me daily to keep asking what's my unique way of [00:09:00] serving?

What's yours? Finally the lesson that ties all of this together. When women use our gifts and come together in support of one another, we are unstoppable. I've seen it again and again through this podcast, and it's the reason I'll keep showing up. So here we are, 100 episodes. I'm so grateful for every guest who said yes.

For every listener who is tuned in on their commute or while folding laundry or sipping a glass of wine. I'm so grateful for the conversations, the laughter, the tears, and the lessons. This podcast has reminded me that your voice matters. My voice matters. Our stories matter. So today I'm raising my glass to you, to the brilliant women who keep me inspired and to the community we're building together.

Thank you for being here, for sharing these moments with me and for reminding me every single week why I love this work so much. Here's to the next 100 [00:10:00] episodes. Cheers, friends.