Megan Walrod, a women’s empowerment coach, seasoned speaker, and self-proclaimed lover of mermaids, recently released her debut novel It’s Always Been Me. It’s an emotional tale that follows Sabina, a woman confronting a crumbling marriage and the slow loss of her grandmother. With the guidance of mythic Selkies, a paintbrush in hand, and grief in her gut, Sabina begins to reclaim her voice—and her life.

I met Walrod on a sunny afternoon at a café tucked into the west end of Pearl Street. She smiled warmly as I joined her. In the spirit of abundance, she paid for one cacao drink but was gifted two. It felt like the universe already knew what kind of conversation we were about to have. We talked about her new book, of course, but also about the deep inner work she believes women must do to reclaim their own narratives, the mystical symbols that have guided her, and how Boulder, with all its beauty and baggage, became both a backdrop and a mirror for her healing.

Walrod’s love of storytelling began in a second-grade creative writing class in her hometown in New York. She never imagined her path would wind its way to Boulder, Colorado let alone lead her through one of the most transformative chapters of her life. After earning her Master’s Degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University, she faced what she called an implosion: the collapse of her marriage and the internal reckoning that followed.

“Boulder was this place where I have been the most devastated. Losing my sister was devastating. I was devastated, got to grieve, and got to be supported in the beginning of that journey here.

So when Walrod returned to Boulder recently for a reading at the top floor of Boulder Bookstore, several weeks ago it represented a full circle moment for her. She was stepping back into a space that had been a source of both pain and healing. If the weight of the past still burdened her, Walrod didn’t let it show. The room lit up as she arrived, hugging old friends and greeting new readers. There was something magnetic about her presence: grounded, joyful, inviting. She made a point to personally welcome everyone and fostered an atmosphere of warmth and connection. Then, as the crowd settled, she began to speak, first about the novel, and then about the truth underneath it.

“I lived this story here. This is where my husband came to me and said, ‘I want to explore something with this other woman,” She said.

In many ways, It’s Always Been Me is a retelling of Walrod’s own unraveling and rebirth. Sabina, like Walrod, must decide whether she’ll continue silencing her own needs or finally choose herself. That message about choosing oneself is the foundation of Walrod’s life’s work. For over 16 years, she’s helped women undo what she calls the “good girl programming”, the cultural script that teaches women to shrink themselves, to serve others before daring to dream for themselves. 

Walrod speaks candidly about the emotional toll society’s expectations take on women. The promise of a “happily ever after” often leaves women feeling trapped between expectation and desire and ashamed for wanting more than the role they’ve been handed. According to Walrod, that chronic self-sacrifice wears on the spirit and the body. Research shows that women make up 80% of autoimmune disease cases, and many of those conditions have been linked to suppressed emotions and unmet needs.

“When a woman is basing her choices on this usual archetype, there’s frustration, there’s guilt, there’s always the anxiety of ‘Is this all it is? I should be grateful, but I feel completely desperate, like there’s more for me.’ There’s that constant pull because so many women feel ashamed or guilty, so we don’t talk about it as much.”

Now on a cross-country tour with her book, Walrod is bringing that message to readers in Colorado, California, and New York. Her mission is simple but radical: Help women identify what they genuinely desire and give them permission to begin pursuing it before it’s too late.

“Why are we coping when we could be living?” she asked, smiling again. “That’s my whole thing—authoring your own life. Break free of the freaking narrative and what society says.”

It’s Always Been Me is available in paperback and e-book. More about Megan Walrod and her mission can be found on her website. 

The post Megan Walrod’s Novel Is a Love Letter to Women Who Are Done Shrinking appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.