She Talks
MAGAZINE
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF
“DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE”
EVERYONE DESERVES TO LIVE IN
THEIR BEST HEALTH - NOTHING LESS
DECEMBER 2025 | VOL 2 • ISSUE 12
SHETALKSMAG.COM
MARIA
CAMPOS
PRETTY & SWEET
BEAUTY BITES TO
TREAT AND GIFT
THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON
BAKE UP
YOUR
MAKE UP
CHRISTMAS
THINGS EVERY
SHE TALKS
QUEEN NEEDS
THIS SEASON
THE
EMBODIMENT
OF CERTAINTY
MINDSET
MASTERY
TOP 5
MEMBERSHIP
B2B Networking
Conferences and Speaking
Opportunities
Magazine Spotlights
Private App
Ai Matchmaking for business
opportunities and investments
Reward Points and Giveaways
and much more
Join the movement
$49.99/mo
$24.99/mo
Online Only
Online+On-Ground
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-in-Chief
DR. JULIE DUCHARME
Cover Layout and
Magazine Design
DR. JOSHUA DUCHARME
Contributing Writers
SALLY ANDERSON
LAURA MUIRHEAD
CATHY DOMONEY
KRIS MILLER
DR. JULIE DUCHARME
ALIANA MOSS
LISA E KIRKWOOD
KATIE MORIARTY
KAREN GREY
KAREN WEAVER
TOP 5 CHRISTMAS TRUTHS EVERY
SHE TALKS QUEEN NEEDS THIS
SEASON
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MINDSET MASTERY
HOLIDAY PEACE ISN’T A MIRACLE.
IT’S A POLICY.
07
14
28
10
20
33
THE HOLIDAY CHAOS SURVIVAL
GUIDE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE
DOING THEIR BEST (AND DESERVE A
TROPHY ALREADY)
BAKE UP YOUR MAKE UP
WINTER HOLIDAYS, SEASON'S
GREETINGS, AND GIFT GIVING
NAVIGATING GRIEF DURING THE
HOLIDAY SEASON
39
FEATURE
MARIA CAMPOS 22
THE RISE, THE FALL, AND THE
UNBREAKABLE PURPOSE A LEGACY
OF WEALTH BEYOND TIME
42
GRIEVING THROUGH THE
HOLIDAYS: WHAT LOSS TAUGHT ME
ABOUT LOVE, LEGACY, AND FAITH
45
HOW TO THRIVE DURING THE
HOLIDAYS: A MENTAL HEALTH
GUIDE FOR WOMEN
48
LIVING AWAY FROM HOME AT
CHRISTMAS: FINDING MAGIC
ACROSS OCEANS
52
FROM THE EDITOR
Founder, Lead and Empower Her She Talks
Dear She Talks Family,
As I sit down to reflect on this extraordinary year, my heart is overflowing with gratitude, pride, and
awe for what we’ve built together. 2025 has been a year of expansion, courage, and connection for
She Talks—and every step forward has been powered by the voices, stories, and unstoppable
leadership of women like you.
This year, She Talks Magazine grew not only in readership, but in purpose. We told deeper stories.
We held space for more truth, more vulnerability, and more victories. We showcased voices from
around the world—women rising from adversity, building businesses, healing communities,
innovating in STEM, lifting their families, and choosing leadership in moments when silence would
have been easier.
We launched new international chapters, expanded our ambassador network, and witnessed the
birth of global initiatives like 10,000 Women Rising. What started as a bold idea quickly transformed
into a movement, connecting women across continents through mentorship, education, and shared
mission. The stories featured in these pages aren’t just articles—they are blueprints for what
becomes possible when women link arms and rise together.
We also elevated our She Talks events to new heights—from New York to Australia, Ireland to
California, and now Dubai. Each stage held a different story, but the heartbeat was the same:
women finding their voice, owning their truth, and boldly taking up space. The ripple effect of those
moments is immeasurable, but we see it every day in the women stepping forward to speak, to lead,
to create, and to change their world.
In 2025, our magazine became more than a publication—it became a mirror reflecting the brilliance
within our global sisterhood and a lighthouse guiding the next generation of women leaders.
To every writer, speaker, ambassador, partner, and reader: thank you. Thank you for trusting us with
your stories. Thank you for saying “yes” to using your voice. Thank you for lifting others as you rise.
As we move into 2026, I am beyond excited for what is ahead. New chapters. New leaders stepping
into their calling. New platforms, new opportunities, and the launch of our first She Talks chapter
book series—10,000 Women Rising—featuring the powerful stories of women who chose to rise
against all odds.
My promise to you is this: She Talks Magazine will continue to elevate, amplify, and celebrate the
voices of women everywhere. We will keep challenging the narrative, breaking ceilings, and creating
spaces where women not only belong—they lead.
Here’s to another year of courage, collaboration, and unstoppable momentum.
With gratitude and belief in every one of you,
SCALE UP
BUSINESS INTENSIVE
Join business guru Dr. Julie Ducharme and her specialist team of experts for a life-changing
experience designed to unlock your business's true potential. Spend a full day uncovering the
core reasons your business isn’t scaling as expected, identifying the unseen obstacles
holding your business back.
Many small businesses face unseen challenges—problems they don’t even realize exist.
When time and cash flow are tight, it’s clear that something needs to shift.
With Dr. Ducharme's proven method EMPOWER she and her team will take you step by step
through her revolutionizing process she has used on hundreds of companies to bring them
back to life and find their authentic path in the world of business.
Sign up
@DrJulieDucharme.com
Top 5
Christmas
Truths Every SHE Talks
Queen Needs This Season
Because surviving the holidays isn’t enough — we thrive, sparkle,
slay, and set boundaries with a bow on top.
SHE TALKS | 7
The holidays invite more
opinions, emotions, and
expectations than any other
season — and none of them
should cost you your mental
health. This year, give yourself
permission to protect your
peace with the same energy
you protect your calendar.
Decline what drains you, delay
what overwhelms you, and
delete anything that disrupts
your emotional balance. You’re
not obligated to attend every
gathering, fix every problem, or
absorb anyone’s seasonal
stress. When you anchor
yourself in calm, clarity, and
boundaries, you become the
steady presence everyone else
is trying to find. Your peace is
your power — guard it boldly.
Too many women spend
December performing a perfect
holiday instead of enjoying a
meaningful one. This year, ditch
the pressure to curate the
“magazine moment” and
choose presence over
perfection. You don’t need
coordinated outfits, flawless
tablescapes, or a schedule
packed wall-to-wall to prove
anything. What matters most is
how you feel in your own home,
in your own heart, and with
your own people. Give yourself
permission to do less, feel
more, and create moments that
nourish rather than impress.
The magic isn’t in the décor —
it’s in the connection you allow
yourself to experience.
Every family has that woman —
the one who holds people
together, smooths conflict,
manages emotions, anticipates
needs, and pretends it isn’t
exhausting. If that’s you,
consider this your seasonal
resignation letter. It is not your
responsibility to save
Christmas, mediate drama, or
make sure everyone behaves.
Step back and let adults
manage their own energy. Let
people feel their feelings
without absorbing them. Let
the holiday be what it will be
without making yourself the
glue. Your worth isn’t tied to
how well you hold others
together. This year, choose to
hold yourself.
1. Protect Your
Peace Like It’s
Wrapped in Gold
Foil
2. Stop
Performing
Christmas and
Start Living It
3. You Are Not the
Holiday Fixer —
Release the Job
Title
SHE TALKS | 8
Boundaries are not walls; they are invitations to
healthier relationships. And the holidays are the
perfect time to practice them with grace,
confidence, and consistency. Speak kindly but
clearly. Say yes with intention and no without
guilt. Communicate your limits before
resentment has the chance to grow. If someone
pushes back, that’s simply proof the boundary
was needed. When you honor your capacity, you
teach others how to honor it too. The greatest
gift you can give yourself — and the people
around you — is the version of you who is
grounded, self-respecting, and emotionally
available because she is not overwhelmed.
4. Give the Gift of
Boundaries — They Look
Good on You
The holidays tend to pull us back into old
roles, outdated expectations, and versions
of ourselves we’ve outgrown. This year,
embrace the truth that traditions don’t
define you — you define the traditions. You
get to choose what stays, what goes, and
what gets rewritten. Create rituals that
reflect who you are now: a woman who is
wiser, bolder, softer where she chooses to
be, and stronger than she ever understood.
Your joy matters. Your rest matters. Your
evolution matters. Let your holiday reflect
your highest self, not the past version others
are comfortable with.
5. Remember: You Are
the Traditions That
Matter Most
CHAOS SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR WOMEN
WHO ARE DOING THEIR BEST (AND
DESERVE A TROPHY ALREADY)
THE HOLIDAY
THE HOLIDAY
By Dr. Julie Ducharme
Ah, December.
The month where society collectively decides
women should transform into a magical hybrid of
Martha Stewart, Mrs. Claus, Joanna Gaines, a
Michelin chef, an Olympic-level event planner, and
an emotionally available therapist — all while
maintaining impeccable hair and the ability to
locate lost objects no one else bothered to look
for.
And yet, here we are, showing up with coffee in
hand and glitter on our sweatshirts, trying to make
the season magical without completely losing our
will to live.
An unfiltered, joy-filled, laugh-so-you-don’t-cry December manifesto.
December isn’t just a month.
It’s an experience.
A psychological endurance test wrapped in twinkle
lights.
A choose-your-own-adventure book where every
page involves someone asking,
“Hey, do you mind helping with just one more
thing?”
Let’s break this beautiful madness down — with
humor, honesty, and a few confessions your group
what would definitely relate to.
SHE TALKS | 10
THE DECORATING
DELUSION (A.K.A.
‘THIS WILL ONLY TAKE
AN HOUR’)
You begin the season full of optimism.
You open the storage bins like a woman in a holiday
commercial, confident, glowing, ready to transform your
home into a Pinterest board.
Five minutes later, you’re staring at a knot of lights that
could secure a small boat, wondering which version of
your past self wrapped them like this and why she hated
you.
Somewhere between plugging in the pre-lit tree (which is
never fully pre-lit) and discovering that last year’s
wreath smells a little… off… you begin asking meaningful
questions like:
Who invented glitter and why is it everywhere?
Why do I own seven holiday pillows?
Does decorating count as cardio?
And the answer is yes.
Yes, it does.
You earned that peppermint mocha.
There is a pure, wholesome, Norman Rockwell-type fantasy inside every woman that whispers,
“This year, I will bake cookies that look like the picture.”
And then reality shows up like:
“Here’s a smoke alarm and a kitchen that now needs professional cleaning.”
Holiday baking is the emotional rollercoaster no one warns you about.
One moment you’re happily sifting flour like Snow White.
The next you’re saying things to your oven that require forgiveness and a cooling-off period.
Baking is where you discover your strengths:
Problem solving
Creativity
The ability to pretend you meant for the cookies to be “rustic”
And let’s be honest — even if they look questionable, they still taste like butter and joy. That’s a win.
HOLIDAY BAKING: A LOVE STORY WITH
MOOD SWINGS
Every December, a quiet competition forms within us:
“How beautiful can I make this gift?”
You start strong — crisp folds, matching ribbons, sophisticated tags.
Pinterest would be proud.
But by gift number seven, you’re wrapping things using tape strategies that would alarm engineers.
By number twelve, you’ve switched to gift bags.
By number fifteen, you’re considering handing people the Amazon box and trusting they’ll understand.
If anyone judges your wrapping, may their tape dispenser fail them forever.
Holiday gatherings are where women perform near-
superhuman feats of patience, grace, and selective
hearing.
As soon as you arrive, you enter Observation Mode:
Who brought real food?
Who brought a “creative attempt”?
Who’s already pretending they made something
homemade?
Who microwaved something at 4:59 pm?
Hosting?
Oh, Queen — hosting is an event.
You clean your house only to have people walk in,
remove their shoes, and immediately recreate the chaos
you spent three days eliminating.
And still, we host.
Because we’re magical like that.
And a little unhinged.
But mostly magical.
GIFT WRAPPING: THE ANNUAL HUMBLING
HOLIDAY GATHERING OLYMPICS
HOLIDAY SHOPPING: A
SEASONAL OBSTACLE COURSE
December shopping is the ultimate test of courage.
You walk into a store and suddenly forget how to shop like a normal human:
“What do kids even want anymore?”
“Is this sweater cute or do I just want to go home?”
“Why are there seventeen different types of candles?”
Shopping brings out elaborate mental
gymnastics:
“I’ll get this now… unless I find something better
later… unless they really wanted the first thing…
unless the second thing goes on sale… unless I
panic and buy both.”
Online shopping is supposed to be easier… until
you check your porch and realize 82% of your
holiday budget is en route via various
cardboard boxes.
SOCIAL SEASON: FESTIVE
OR FATIGUED? YES.
December comes with a steady rotation of
“mandatory fun”:
Work parties.
School events.
Neighborhood things.
Friendsgivings that happen in December
because someone miscommunicated.
You show up to everything with equal parts
enthusiasm and exhaustion.
By mid-month, you’ve worn the same three
nice outfits and have perfected the art of
socializing for two hours before needing to
lie down in a dark room.
If you leave early?
It’s not personal.
It’s survival.
THE PART NO ONE TALKS
ABOUT: NEEDING A BREAK
FROM THE HOLIDAY YOU
CREATED
Women often build the entire holiday — the
décor, the gifts, the traditions, the memories —
only to realize halfway through that they
haven’t had a single moment to enjoy it
themselves.
So here’s your official permission slip:
Take time for YOU. Not the “five minutes alone
FINAL DECLARATION:
YOU’RE DOING AMAZING,
EVEN IF DECEMBER LOOKS
SLIGHTLY CHAOTIC
If your tree is crooked, your gifts are bagged,
your cookies are slightly burnt, your schedule is
too full, and your patience is running on holiday
fumes — guess what?
You are normal.
You are human.
You are hilarious.
And you are doing this season exactly right.
The magic of the holidays isn’t in how perfect
they look.
It’s in the messy, warm, funny, chaotic
humanity of it all.
And no matter how December unfolds, always
remember:
You are the holiday magic.
The rest is just decoration.
in the bathroom hiding from noise” time —
actual restorative time.
Sit with a hot drink.
Take a night off.
Say no to something.
Opt out of perfection.
Opt into sanity.
Your presence is the gift anyway.
Bake up your
Make Up
Sprinkling treats to those you love is one of the sweetest ways to share holiday cheer.
Baking and beauty go hand in hand,especially this time of year, when both show up in their most
delightful, glittery forms.
From “baking” (letting your setting powder work its magic) to “beating” (when your contour is so
flawless RuPaul would approve), the overlap between the kitchen and the vanity runs deep. Glitters
and jellies shimmer like desserts—so tempting you almost have to ask: is that for a cookie or a cheek?
Try some of my favorite baking and beauty pairings to solve the what to bring? what to wear? what
to gift? question so common this time of year. Take your pick from these easy festive looks to wear,
choose a classic treat that will be a hit, and pair them together for a gift guaranteed to spread cheer
and sweeten up any holiday occasion!
BY ALIANA MOSS
Pretty & Sweet Beauty Bites to treat
and gift this holiday season
SHE TALKS | 14
Holly, Jolly & Jelly:
Recipe for the Look :
Cheeks and lips bitten with bright stains of color are sweet and utterly irresistible. I am in love with
the stained glass effect of Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water Jelly Tint Lip + Cheek Blush Stain. These
multi use jellies go on light and build up for a beautiful pop of color that's totally wearable and will
last all night long. Try pairing two shades together for your own holiday look or as a gift, both will
bring pure joy!
Aliana’s favorite pairings: Fizz (soft peach) + Burst (poppy pink); Spritz (coral orange) + Chill (red);
Fresh (soft pink) + Splash (berry plum).
photo credit: Wil Alexander
SHE TALKS | 15
Recipe for the
Sweet: Jelly
Thumbprints
Ingredients:
2 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour,
spooned and leveled
1 cup almond flour (112 grams) spooned
and leveled
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks (1 cup or 226 grams) unsalted
butter, at room temp
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup raspberry and/or apricot jam
and/or jam of your choice
Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking
sheets with parchment paper.
2..In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and
salt.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter,
sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until fluffy.
Gradually add the flour and mix until combined.
4.Scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough, roll into
balls, and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Gently press down to form disks and use your
thumb to make an indentation in the middle of the
cookies. To create a heart shape, push an indent
with your index finger and then push again with
your index finger at a slight angle to create a heart
shape.
5.Spoon ½ teaspoon of jam onto each cookie.
6.Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are
lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking
sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a
wire rack to cool completely.
* yields 30 cookies. Recipe from love and lemons
SHE TALKS | 16
Directions:
Lips that Sparkle & Spritz :
Recipe for the Look:
Lips that sparkle and shimmer are the real treat of
the party. A shimmery, high shine luscious lip look
just feels right this time of year. Candy Crush x Pat
McGrath Labs Lust: Gloss offers just that. With the
choice of a nude or orchid shade they are gorgeous
on their own or layered over your favorite holiday
lipstick color. Make sure to prep first by exfoliating
with a sugar lip scrub like Fresh Sugar Lip Polish.
This is a winning duo for a super sweet gift idea as
well!
Recipe for the Sweet: Spritz
Ingredients:
1 large egg yolk, at cool room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room
temperature
⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
*Sprinkles or colored sugars for decorating
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with
parchment paper.
2.In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk,
cream, vanilla, and almond extract.
3.In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on
medium-high speed to cream the butter and
sugar until light, fluffy and pale in color (2-3
minutes). Add the egg yolk mixture. Beat until
thoroughly combined. Slowly beat in the flour
and salt until just combined. Do not overmix or
the cookies will be tough!
4.Fit a large reusable pastry bag with a ½-inch
star tip (ex: Ateco #846). Fill with the dough and
twist to close. Pipe rosettes or swirls onto the
prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Garnish with Sprinkles or colored sugars.
*If the dough is warm or soft, pop the baking sheet
in the fridge or freezer until firm to the touch
before baking.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden
brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before
removing to wire racks to cool completely.
*Yields about 60 cookies. Recipe from The Ultimate
Cookie handbook by Tessa Arias, Handle the Heat.
photo credit: Wil Alexander
SHE TALKS | 17
Gingerbread ‘Doe’ Eyes
Recipe for the Look: Nothing says doe eyes like a shimmery glaze of bronze
inspired by gingerbread dough! Softly smokey with a touch of sugared sparkle,
the Natasha Denonana Baby Bronze eyeshadow palette is all you need for this
sweet look. Try pairing with Youngblood Cosmetics Everglow Lip Oil in
Macchiato for a sumptuous monochromatic finish, or the shade Bitten Berry to
spice it up. Bonus-they come with a cute ornament option for the perfect
present.
Recipe for the Sweet: Gingersnaps
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups (354.37 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 ¼ cups (248.1 grams) packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
½ cup granulated sugar
Directions:
1.Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in bowl; set aside.
2.Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to mediumlow and continue to cook,
swirling skillet frequently, until butter is just beginning to brown, 2-4 minutes. Transfer browned
butter to large bowl adn whisk in ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and cayenne. Let cool
slightly, about 2 minutes.
3.Whisk brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger into butter mixture until combined. Whisk in egg and
yolk until combined. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and
refrigerate until dough is firm, about 1 hour.
4.Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300°F . Line 2 baking
sheets with parchment paper. Spread granulated sugar in shallow dish. Divide dough into heaping
teaspoon portions; roll dough into 1-inch balls.working in batches of 10, roll balls in sugar to coat;
space dough balls evenly on prepared sheets, 20 dough balls per sheet.
5.Place 1 sheet on upper rack and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer partially baked top sheet to lower rack,
rotating sheet and place second sheet of dough balls on upper rack. Continue to bake until cookies on
lower sheet just begin to darken around edges, 10-12 minutes longer. Remove lower sheet of cookies
and transfer upper sheet to lower rack, rotating sheet; continue to bake until cookies begin to darken
around edges, 15-17 minutes longer.
6.Slide baked cookies, still on parchment, onto wire rack and let cool completely before serving. Repeat
with remaining dough balls.
*yields 80 cookies. Recipe from The Perfect Cookie by Americas Test Kitchen
Some more ideas to guarantee you're on the Nice list? Double up a batch to drop at a local food bank
so everyone gets a taste of the joy of the holiday season. When gifting, find a fun tin to arrange both
makeup and baking treats, along with a print out of the corresponding recipes to make it easy for
someone else to share in the fun. Or better yet, add in a copy of this month's SheTalks Magazine to
the mix for a gift that is pretty, sweet and empowering!
Makeup artist Aliana Moss is based in Los
Angeles, where she works in the
entertainment industry. A lifelong beauty
junkie, she loves deep dives into products
and loves sharing her favorite finds with
women everywhere. An avid yogi, her
focus is on overall wellness and she
believes beauty should be easy and fun.
About the author
Connect
@alianamoss
www.alianamoss.com
MINDSET
MASTERY
BY SALLY ANDERSON
A high percentage of humans cycle in what I term the
‘Default Looping Matrix’,ie DOUBT, feeds DISBELIEF,
which feeds WORRY, which feeds ANXIETY but I am a
staunch advocate for what I term the ‘Expansive
Trust Matrix’,ie TRUST feeds BELIEF, which feeds
CERTAINTY, which feeds PEACE – the ACCESS point
is awareness through CHOICE, moment by moment.
One produces the same disempowered results and
the other limitless empowered results for there is no
doubt!
The human condition is wired this way – Depleted
SELF WORTH, feeds DYSFUNCTIONAL THINKING,
which feeds DISASSOCATION, which feeds
DISSATISFACTION, which feeds DISEMPOWERMENT,
none of this serves you bar you finding evidence for
your disempowered DEFAULT IDENTITY! The
breakthrough happens when you get PRESENT TO
THE COSTS, which leads to REBUILDING YOUR SELF
WORTH, which leads to CLARITY AND PURPOSE,
which leads to REASSOCIATING, which leads to
FINDING NEW EVIDENCE, which leads to TAKING
NEW ACTION, which leads to feeling SATISFIED,
which leads to feeling EMPOWERED! This is not
rocket science, BUT the power of one’s subconscious
programming says otherwise.
The embodiment of certainty changes the game!
THE EMBODIMENT
OF CERTAINTY
SHE TALKS | 20