Guest on The We Can Do It Women™ TV Show
Attorney Maria Leonard Olsen: 50 New Things at 50 After Addiction, Divorce & DNA Surprise
Maria Leonard Olsen, a civil litigation attorney and seven-time author, joins Debra Morrison to share her extraordinary journey from childhood trauma and alcoholism to sobriety, reinvention, and a shocking DNA discovery at 50 that changed everything she thought she knew about herself. Raised Catholic by an alcoholic father after enduring childhood abuse, Maria escaped through books, became a political appointee in the Clinton Justice Department, then battled her own addiction.
At 50, newly sober, divorced, and living alone for the first time, she tried 50 new things to reframe the next chapter of her life—creating an Amazon bestseller and launching a movement. Then came the DNA test: raised in the most Catholic country's culture, she discovered she's half Ashkenazi Jewish. Her father wasn't who she thought. This is a story about resilience, reinvention, and refusing to let your past define your future.
🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
● How childhood trauma shaped her journey to alcoholism—and recovery through 12-step programs
● Why the fifth rehab finally worked when she was told not to come home
● Trying 50 new things at 50 to determine how to live her next chapter
● The DNA test that revealed she's half Jewish—and finding her biological father at 50
● Using EMDR, trauma-focused therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy for healing
● Shifting from perfectionism and self-loathing to self-compassion and intentional self-care
● Why fostering 20 newborns taught her children gratitude and shaped her daughter's career
📚 ABOUT MARIA LEONARD OLSEN:
● Civil litigation attorney at Pels Law Firm, Washington D.C.
● Seven-time author with eighth book coming November 2025
● Political appointee in Clinton Justice Department, developed first government-wide pro bono program for lawyers
● Two-time TEDx speaker: "Turning Life's Challenges into a Force for Good" and "DNA Test Surprises"
● Host of "Becoming Your Best Version" podcast
● Published journalist in HuffPost, The Midst, and more
MEMORABLE QUOTES:
"The secret kept me sick and led to my own alcoholism and rehabilitation. Now I help women because it's not their fault."
"I was half Ashkenazi Jew. I didn't even know very many Jewish people. My entire identity changed overnight."
"If we stop learning, we stop growing. I'm always seeking new ways to expand my comfort zone."
"At age 50, statistically speaking, we have lived more of our lives than we have ahead of us. So start getting out and doing those things."
"All of us can bloom where we are planted. There are so many ways to make this world better because we're here."
🔗 CONNECT WITH MARIA LEONARD OLSEN:
Website: http://www.MariaLeonardOlsen.com
🔗 JOIN WE CAN DO IT WOMEN:
Website: https://www.wecandoitwomen.com/
Host: Debra L. Morrison, CFP® Women's Rising Wealth Club: https://wcdiw.com/club
Facebook Community: https://www.wecandoitwomen.com/group
👉 SUBSCRIBE to We Can Do It Women for more conversations proving that at 50, 60, 70 and beyond, we're not slowing down—we're just getting started! Make the rest of your life the best of your life.
