Conversations about women's friendship, belonging, midlife & the power of gathering
We’re more connected than ever—and somehow, many women feel more alone than ever.
I’m Christina Smith,
founder of Circles of Women, coach, facilitator, and longtime believer in the power of women gathering together in meaningful ways.
For more than a decade, I’ve been creating and leading women’s circles and helping other women build communities of their own. My work explores what happens when women stop trying to figure everything out alone and begin creating spaces where they can be seen, supported, challenged, and connected.
I love joining podcasts, summits, workshops, and conversations that explore women’s friendship, midlife, community, personal growth, and everyday leadership.
And I especially love conversations that are honest, practical, a little funny, and leave women thinking maybe I don’t have to do this alone.
My Podcast, Inviting Shift:
Past Guest Podcasts
Speaking & Podcast Topics
1. Stop Waiting for Community. Build It.
Why the community you’re craving may be something you’re meant to create.
So many women are waiting to be invited—to the friend group, the gathering, the book club, the community where they finally feel like they belong.
But what if we stopped waiting?
In this conversation, we can explore:
- Why adult friendship becomes harder as we get older
- Why so many women are craving deeper connection
- The difference between having acquaintances and having a true support circle
- Why women often wait for someone else to initiate
- How surprisingly simple it can be to start gathering women
- Why you don’t have to be an extrovert, expert, or natural leader to create community
Great for: women’s leadership, friendship, loneliness, community-building, entrepreneurship, midlife, and personal-growth podcasts.
2. We Don’t Need More Followers. We Need More Circles.
Why real-life connection may be one of the most important things women can cultivate right now.
We have hundreds—or thousands—of online connections, yet many women still don’t know who they would call when life gets messy.
This conversation explores what we lose when connection becomes primarily digital and what happens when women intentionally create spaces for deeper relationships.
Possible conversation points include:
- Why social media connection doesn’t always translate into belonging
- The quiet loneliness many adult women experience
- Why friendship requires intention in adulthood
- What makes women’s circles different from ordinary social gatherings
- How vulnerability, ritual, and meaningful conversation create depth
- Simple ways women can begin building stronger support systems
Great for: wellness, mental well-being, friendship, lifestyle, women’s issues, community, and culture podcasts.
3. Holding Space Without Having the Answers
We’ve been taught that supporting someone means offering advice, finding solutions, or saying the “right” thing. But often, the most powerful thing we can do is simply create space for someone to hear their own wisdom.
In this conversation, Christina explores what it really means to hold space—how to listen without fixing, ask questions that create insight, and stay present when someone is struggling without taking responsibility for their outcome. She also examines the often-blurry line between supporting and rescuing, and between empowerment and enabling.
What We’ll Explore:
- What “holding space” actually means—and what it doesn’t
- Why our instinct is often to fix, advise, or rescue
- How to listen so someone feels truly heard
- The difference between empowering and enabling
- How to ask meaningful questions that help someone access their own wisdom
- How to support someone through something hard without taking it on yourself
- What to do when you genuinely don’t know what to say
- How boundaries can make us more supportive, not less
- Why trusting someone’s agency can be one of the greatest forms of support
- Simple practices for creating deeper, more honest conversations
Participants will leave with practical tools for supporting the people they care about while letting go of the pressure to have the answers. Because sometimes the greatest gift we can offer isn’t a solution—it’s a space where someone feels safe enough to find their own.
4. Becoming Her: Midlife as an Invitation, Not a Crisis
What if midlife isn’t about reinventing yourself—but returning to yourself?
There comes a point when many women begin questioning the roles, expectations, relationships, and patterns that have shaped their lives.
Who am I now?
What do I actually want?
What feels true for me?
And who do I want beside me for whatever comes next?
Rather than treating midlife as something to fix, this conversation explores it as an opportunity to develop greater self-trust, authenticity, agency, and connection.
We can talk about:
- Why midlife often brings a desire for deeper relationships
- Moving from people-pleasing toward self-trust
- Outgrowing old roles and expectations
- The importance of having women who witness our evolution
- Why personal growth happens differently in community
- Becoming more of yourself rather than creating an entirely new self
Great for: midlife, women over 40, personal development, relationships, empty nest, life transitions, wellness, and coaching podcasts.
Looking for a Guest?
I’d love to join you for a meaningful conversation about women, friendship, community, midlife, personal growth, or redefining what it means to lead.
Interviews can be educational, conversational, personal, or a combination of all three.
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