Welcome, dear listener, to another episode of The Awakening Woman: Ready to Thrive.
Thank you to those of you who reached out by email, message, and note after hearing about my accident last week; your prayers and well wishes meant a lot. x
In this episode, I’m joined by AJ Smit, a long-time online friend and fellow faith deconstructor. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation that has been a long time coming. You can listen to part 2 on AJ’s website from the 11th of August.
This is the last guest episode, and I can’t think of a better note to end on. I hope you feel the vibrant warmth that AJ brings to our discussion.
Enjoy, and as usual, don’t forget to show some love by liking, commenting, and sharing this episode.
Florence U. x
What if joy wasn’t a luxury — but a lifeline?
In this soul-nourishing episode, I’m joined by intuitive coach, red tent facilitator and joy weaver AJ Smit, whose vibrant presence and lived wisdom light up every corner of this conversation. Together, we explore what it really means to awaken — not just spiritually, but viscerally, relationally, and creatively.
We talk about:
✨ How joy becomes a sacred signal on the awakening path
🌊 What it means to deconstruct your faith and still stay spiritually rooted
🌿 The quiet “hum” that calls you toward more — even when life looks good on the outside
🔥 Reclaiming beauty, visibility, and self-expression as a form of liberation
🌀 Why awakening can feel lonely — and how to find women walking the same path
🌈 The nervous system realities of expansion, embodiment, and soul-level permission
AJ brings honesty, laughter, and depth to this conversation — and reminds us that awakening isn’t always clean, but it is always sacred.
This space is for women—especially mothers, women of colour, and soul-led creatives—ready to remember who they are and rise into deeper truth.
🎧 Listen in + enter the giveaway to win a spot in one of my sacred containers: The Awakening Path or Creatrix Rising.
Resources Mentioned in this episode*
Shareable Quotes for this Episode
🌀 “There’s something that comes before the questions… this kind of missing, this kind of void and emptiness. And we’re like, ‘Hmm… something doesn’t feel right here. Something’s missing. This is not the quality of life that I want to live.’” — Florence
🌀 “You don’t realise, okay—when you bloom, the old buds kind of fall away.” — AJ Smit
🌀 “Who benefits from me not asking this question? Who is made more comfortable by me not asking this question?” — AJ Smit
🌀 “I have to prioritise my joy. Because if I carve myself for other people to make sure they’re happy… I’m screwed.” — AJ Smit
🌀 “We don’t know how revolutionary joy is. How sacred joy is.” — Florence
🌀 “We’re not trying to race to the end. There’s life in each layer that we want to experience.” — Florence
Giveaway Entry Details
You can gain an entry for each of the following:
Subscribe to this Substack — 3 entries
(Includes both new and existing subscribers with at least a 4-star Activity level by the deadline.)Share this episode on Substack or social media — 16 entries max for the giveaway (quote ideas below)
(Please tag me or email a screenshot if sharing off Substack.)Leave a comment on this or any episode — 8 entries max for the giveaway
Write a heartfelt review on Apple or Spotify — 2 entries max for the giveaway
(Email a screenshot of your review to florenceukpabiokwusogu@substack.com)
One female listener will receive a spot in The Awakening Path, another in Creatrix Rising, and everyone who enters will receive a Thank You Bundle filled with beautiful gifts from incredible women.
🕰️ Deadline: Midnight, 15th August (UK time)
I’ll be manually tracking entries via Substack notifications — tagging me and emailing me helps!
If you’d like to contribute to the Thank You Bundle or support this podcast in another way, please reach out. We’re building this together.
About AJ Smit
Aj Smit is an intuitive energy worker, speaker, henna artist, and the author of the book Red Thread: Weaving an Embodied Life of Joy. She is a hot chocolate connoisseur, a glitter enthusiast, and a military spouse in Mississippi, with two pups and a plethora of houseplants. Aj has led various Red Tents, retreats, and workshops internationally over the last 15 years to help others discover how to weave creativity, joy, and wonder into their lives. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram at @TheJoyWeaver and on her website, The Joy Weaver.
