Read the signs, direct your path and get your stride on!

Without emotional contrast, expansion rarely occurs. Embrace your highs and lows to expand your worth, health and strength!

— Mary Tess Rooney

True Stride Podcast

True Stride is that feeling you get when you are aligned with your heart in all that you do, and feel energized and happy with every step you take. This podcast offers thoughtful conversations to help you realize your True Stride at work, at home, during play and with your community.

Ways to Listen and Subscribe

Tune-in every Thursday for wise walks to get your stride on!

(Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Audible, Stitcher and Overcast)

With the idea that realizing your True Stride is a personalized journey, Heart Value expert and fellow Strider, Mary Tess Rooney connects listeners to elevate their value, relationships and joy.

Each weekly episode:

  • Takes Striders on a Wise Walk to self-reflect and surface their own feelings and beliefs on a topic

  • Offers stories, perspectives and practical ideas to encourage Striders to make choices and take action with intention

  • Highlights inspiration and anecdotes to activate more joy and appreciation in your life

Podcast Episodes

EP279: How Love and Impact Live On

Over the past eight months, I’ve lost two dear loved ones who had a profound impact on my life. They lived fully, with vibrant energy, wisdom, kindness, and deep care for others. While I’m heartbroken that I no longer get to experience their physical presence here on earth, I also feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the love I was able to receive from them.

EP278: Release, Readiness, and What Comes Next

I feel like there’s been a lot of conversation lately about the Chinese zodiac and the year we’re moving out of, which is the Year of the Wood Snake. That year comes to an end on February 16, and then on February 17, according to the Chinese zodiac, we move into the Year of the Fire Horse. Even if you don’t follow the Chinese New Year, I’ve really appreciated how this way of marking time gives us an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and check our own reality.

EP277: Shape Your Vision with Creativity and Intention

I’ve been thinking a lot about intention setting lately and how many different ways there are to get clear on what we want to attract. Some people love choosing a word for the year, others don’t resonate with that at all, and that reflection led me to revisit the tools I’ve used over time to stay grounded and inspired.

EP276: Looking Back Through Pleasure and Expansion

The year behind me wasn’t especially easy. There were moments that felt heavy, uncertain, and stretching in ways I didn’t expect. Yet, when I slow down and really look, I can also see where pleasure lived right alongside that expansion. Travel, learning, connection, small moments that mattered more than I realized at the time. It reminds me how misleading it can be to label a year as good or bad when most years are a mix of both.

EP275: A Word to Ground, Guide, and Inspire You

When I think about why this practice matters to me, I always come back to the idea of choosing a word for the year not as something to achieve, but as something to lean and live into. A word that helps me stay grounded when things feel uncertain and reminds me of who I want to be when life gets messy.

EP274: Reflecting on the Year Through One Word


I’ve shared before that I no longer set New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I choose a word that helps ground me in how I want to show up and what I want to experience. This year, that word was co-create. As someone who has always relied on planning, structure, and execution, this word challenged me to loosen my grip and trust timing instead of forcing outcomes. It became a way to check myself when things felt rushed, heavy, or resistant, and to ask whether I was truly aligned or just trying to muscle my way through.

EP273: Leaning Into Your Inner Athlete


It’s funny how aging has a way of quietly changing the conversation we have with our bodies. I notice it when I’m moving or when a familiar pose needs more support, or when strength and flexibility show up differently than they used to. There’s still a part of me that loves a challenge, that enjoys feeling capable and engaged, even if the expression of that looks different than it once did.

EP272: Freedom Waiting Beyond Your Limits

There are moments in life when we feel something calling us forward, even if others do not understand it or caution us to stay put. Sometimes the only way to understand what is possible is to trust our instincts and step into the unknown with confidence and curiosity.

EP271: Honoring Your Rites of Passage


My friend and I wandered into a chat about how we grew up and what shaped us, and it pulled up old memories I had not thought about in a long time. I shared a bit about my upbringing and the sense of community that came with it, but what really landed for me was how many different ways people mark the big moments in their lives. I am realizing that the in-between space is where a lot of the real movement happens.

EP270: What Gratitude Makes Possible

I’ve been reflecting on gratitude and I keep coming back to how much shifts when we look at what’s working instead of what’s missing. When we notice the good in ourselves and in our relationships, it changes the energy around everything else. And whether we’re thinking about moments that made us laugh, the qualities we’re proud of, or the people who show up for us when it matters, there is so much to be thankful for.

“Mary’s unique perspective, ‘that we’re constantly gaining value as we age’ is brilliant! I now see my value in the ‘sum of all of my experiences, not just my professional accomplishments and personal achievements.’ It’s been a game changer Mary!”

– Jeffrey Shaw
Host of Creative Warriors podcast, TEDx speaker and bestselling author of LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible.

“I love Mary’s mindful shift from how the external world perceives your value to how you internally feel about your value. It’s refreshing and empowering!”

– Next Incredible Person
SVP Special Violet Petals

“The wisdom beyond my years portion of Mary’s podcast gives me simple phrases and candid examples that ground me to better handle situations in my own life, and they are fun to pass on to my kids when it’s fitting.”

– Anonymous