Jo's Story

Episode 1: Jo’s Story
“It’s OK to question everything – and it’s OK on the other side.”
 
In our very first episode, Jo from New York City tells the story of how and why she left her parents' church. 

Throughout her twenties, Jo was discouraged from looking closely at childhood religious beliefs that never felt right. After an existential crisis at 25, Jo confronted her doubts head-on and embraced her inner authority. Jo reminds us that it’s okay to question everything and that there’s relief on the other side of confronting our cognitive dissonance.

You’ll relate to Jo’s story if you’ve:

• Struggled to trust your inner authority during your twenties
• Broken with your parents’ expectations for your life 
• Grown up in a religious household but ended up less religious than your parents
• Experienced existential dread or spiritual discomfort
• Found the courage to ask hard questions about your identity or beliefs

Resources from the Episode
 Jo’s Favorite Reads:

• Author Brandon Sanderson: "Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a (wo)man in the process of changing."
• ACOTAR: A Court of Thorns and Roses (aka Faerie Smut)

Jo’s Podcast Rec:

• You Have Permission by Dan Koch — An embracing listen for anyone examining their faith or religious upbringing.

Berkeley’s Book Rec:

• Revolution from Within by Gloria Steinem – An empowering read for women of any age. //"I think the idea of an inner authority is upsetting to those accustomed to looking outside for orders – and certainly to those accustomed to giving them." 

Meet Your Host: Berkeley Joy Mashburn*
Berkeley is a former political campaigner turned PR strategist enjoying the end of her twenties (Berkeley turns 30 in August). After years of private scribbling and longing for the right creative outlet, Berkeley realized nothing inspires her more than intimate conversations with friends about their unique – yet usually relatable – lives. On Exiting Our Twenties, Berkeley interviews old friends and new about pivotal experiences in their twenties. Through exploring these true stories, Berkeley aims to bring hope and self-confidence to women of all ages, while reminding women in their late twenties and early thirties that the best is yet to come.

*In Episode 1, Berkeley reveals a long-held secret: She used to write Harry Potter FanFiction. 

Follow & Subscribe
Don’t miss an episode! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Visit ExitingOurTwenties.com to stay in the loop. And if there’s someone in your life who would enjoy this episode–or a young woman you think would benefit from hearing Jo’s story– please share our show with them!

Share Your Story
If you’re a woman in your late twenties or early thirties with a story to tell (trust us—everyone has one), fill out the guest form linked HERE or at ExitingOurTwenties.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Chapters

• 1:24 Get to Know Jo
• 4:08 Faerie Smut & Harry Potter Fanfiction
• 5:50 Jo at 20
• 8:05 Jo's Story - Growing Up in My Parent's Church
• 14:21 Jo's Story - My Existential Crisis
• 24:58 Jo's Story - On the Other Side
• 30:47 Jo's Story - How My Parents Reacted
• 36:30 Finding Value in Our Upbringing
• 39:09 Jo's Advice for Young Women
• 41:08 Learning to Trust Our Inner Authority
• 51:57 On Finding Empathy
• 54:00 Jo at 29
• 58:09 Outro

Transcript

An excerpt from the show:

“Do you have any parting thoughts about your story that you'd like to share?

I think that coming from some sort of set of beliefs and changing into a different set of beliefs is crucial to having empathy. And I think that if you have had a set of beliefs and you change them or you come out believing something different, but then you can always look back and understand more what people in this other set of beliefs were thinking, I think it's so important. That's why I'm also glad at the end of the day.

I think there is something to be said for... I grew up in a religious conservative household, and I'm non-religious and not conservative. But I think I can look back and see my own self in people who still have those beliefs.

And it makes me have a lot more, in my opinion, empathy and understanding for why you would believe that and not be like a bad person. And it helps a lot whenever you have been through a process like this. So that's why I also think it's important to reevaluate your beliefs, especially the things you had growing up[…]”

From Exiting Our Twenties: Jo's Story, Apr 11, 2025
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jos-story/id1805835041?i=1000703109372
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