Joan Lorraine is a coach, mentor, and guide for women navigating seasons of transition. Her work is rooted in story and not just telling it, but living it, rewriting it, and claiming it as your own. Joan brings a depth of perspective shaped by personal transformation, by choosing her own name, and by holding space for others to do the same.
In this episode of The Stories That Form Us, we explore Joan’s remarkable journey of becoming. We talk about the courage it takes to rename yourself, the thresholds women cross in transition, and why asking better questions is one of the most powerful skills for any entrepreneur.
A Few Themes That Rose to the Surface
Renaming as Reclamation
Joan didn’t change her name for style or novelty. She changed it because the old one no longer carried the truth of who she had become. Renaming herself was both a declaration and a homecoming — an act of alignment that invited her to live fully in her own story.
The Gift of Transition
So often we resist change, but Joan reframes transition as fertile ground. The uncertainty, the in-between, is where clarity begins to take shape. For women standing on thresholds, her perspective offers a new kind of permission: you don’t need to have it all figured out to begin.
Asking Questions That Open Doors
Throughout our conversation, one thread was constant… The power of questions. As entrepreneurs and as humans, the questions we ask shape the stories we hear, the connections we form, and the wisdom we draw out of others. Joan reminds us that asking better questions isn’t just a skill, it’s a practice of presence.
Through the Lens of Story
At Unbridled Form, we believe stories aren’t fixed. They’re alive, evolving with us as we grow. Joan’s journey is a reminder that identity is about accepting the past and also choosing language, names, and narratives that reflect the truth of now.
Sometimes, the most profound story we can tell is the one where we dare to call ourselves by our real name.
What We Loved Most
- The bravery of renaming herself and why it mattered
- Her reframing of transition as a space of possibility
- The emphasis on questions as both entrepreneurial strategy and human practice
- The honesty and resonance of her becoming story
The Stories That Form Us
The Stories That Form Us is a podcast about the narratives shaping our creative work, our brands, and the way we move through the world. It’s a production of Unbridled Form, a brand strategy and design studio helping entrepreneurs tell the story only they can tell.
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