Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, and Learning to Breathe with Stephanie Fodor MacDonald

In this episode of The Authentic Creative: Expanding Our Capacity to Feel Good, I dialogue with my neighbor and new friend Stephanie Fodor MacDonald for a deeply honest conversation about motherhood, entrepreneurship, creativity, and resilience.

Stephanie grew up in Hawaii and began acting as a child, eventually building a career across theater, film, television, and digital media. Her life and work have taken her around the world before eventually landing in the Pacific Northwest.

Today she is also the co founder of Authenticity50, an American made bedding company she built with her husband Jimmy, dedicated to supporting U.S. manufacturing and sustainable supply chains.

But behind the success story is a very human journey. In this conversation we talk openly about:

• Growing up in Hawaii and discovering her calling as an actor
• Living and working in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
• Starting a mission driven company supporting American manufacturing
• The real challenges of entrepreneurship
• Postpartum depression and the emotional realities of motherhood
• Navigating grief, family loss, and major life transitions
• Building a business while raising young children
• Learning to find balance in the chaos of real life
• Teaching children emotional regulation through breath
• Why sleep and nervous system care matter more than we think

One of my favorite moments in the conversation is when Stephanie shares how even a simple breath with her toddler can shift an entire day: “Sometimes you just have to laugh, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that it could be worse. We’re going to be okay in the messiness.”

This episode is a reminder that authenticity is not perfection. It is the courage to keep showing up through every season of life.

Instagram:  @stephanie_fodor or @authenticity50 

authenticity50.com Use code AUTHENTIC15 for 15% off.

If this conversation resonated with you and you are curious about experiencing breathwork for yourself, I would love to support you. Ways to work with me:

• Transformational Breathwork infused with Reiki sessions
• Private 1:1 breathwork experiences
• Intimate retreats
• In person group breathwork evenings

Learn more:
www.sageandblushwellness.com

If you are local to the Pacific Northwest, join me for Breathwork and Reiki evenings at Lacamas Lake Lodge in Camas, Washington.

Follow along: Instagram @siribaructhornton

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