Amy Berrian of Woodland Hills on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Amy Berrian. Check out our conversation below.

Amy, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think most people struggle with believing that the things they dream about are actually attainable. Their dreams start to feel unrealistic or unlikely, and that mindset alone is enough to stop them from trying. As a result, many people never even attempt the very thing that could bring them the most joy right now.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Amy, the founder of Mom’s Gone Wandering. I help moms turn the money they’re already spending into meaningful, almost-free travel using points and miles — but what I really do goes deeper than travel strategy.

Over the years, I’ve created courses that teach families how to earn and book travel in a way that feels practical, ethical, and empowering. What surprised me most is that the technical side is rarely the real challenge. My clients can learn the systems. They can understand the points. What actually holds them back is the belief that the life they want — more freedom, more adventure, more expansion — is somehow unrealistic for them.

That’s where my work truly lives.

I spend a lot of time helping moms dismantle the quiet, inherited limits they’ve placed on their own dreams. The idea that travel is “too expensive,” that freedom comes later, or that they should want less than they do. To support this shift, I developed a framework called The Identity-Limit Recalibration Method™, which helps women reframe what they believe is possible for themselves and their families.

Because once that internal ceiling is removed, the logistics become simple — and the world opens up in ways they never imagined.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling truly powerful came from a quiet moment, not an external win.

I’ve kept a journal for as long as I can remember. Almost every morning, I wake up and write stream-of-consciousness — letting my thoughts spill out — followed by my goals. It’s always been how I process, dream, and create.

When I was 23, I decided to reread some of my old journals and goal lists. As I flipped through the pages, I realized something that completely stopped me: I had achieved every single goal I’d written down.

What shocked me wasn’t just that they’d come true — it was that I hadn’t noticed. Success didn’t feel the way I thought it was supposed to feel. There was no dramatic moment, no fireworks, no instant certainty that I’d “made it.” So I kept moving forward, unaware that I was already living the life I once asked for.

That realization changed everything.

In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of power — not because I had arrived somewhere, but because I understood something fundamental: our lives can expand quietly, and our beliefs often lag behind our reality. It was an early lesson in intention, awareness, and the law of attraction — and it shaped how I think about goals, success, and possibility to this day.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear that’s held me back the most hasn’t been failure — it’s been success.

I’ve always been someone who feels energy very intensely. When something really mattered to me, the intensity of wanting it could become overwhelming. In my early twenties, that showed up as subtle self-sabotage. I’d get close to landing an audition and then do something to derail it. Or I’d meet someone who completely blew me away and pretend not to notice them — while internally spiraling.

If it was something I truly wanted, part of me was afraid to receive it.

Looking back, I think I was less afraid of not getting what I wanted and more afraid of what would happen if I actually did. Who would I have to become? What expectations would follow? Would I be able to hold it?

I don’t know if that fear ever disappears completely. Even now, I’m sure there are ways I still unknowingly get in my own way. But with time — and especially with parenthood — I’ve become far more grounded and trusting in myself. I’m less reactive, more anchored, and more willing to let good things arrive without questioning whether I deserve them.

Ironically, that’s probably why my marriage worked: I didn’t realize how much I liked my husband until our fourth date, which gave me just enough time to relax and let him actually see me before I got awkward and weird.

These days, I feel steadier in my capacity to hold what I’m building. And that steadiness — more than ambition — is what’s allowed me to keep expanding.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I really admire Dax Shepard — not for his visibility or success, but for his character.

I had the opportunity to work closely with him on a project for about eight months, and what stood out immediately — and continues to stay with me — is his willingness to go deep into his own psychology. He doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable self-examination. He owns his flaws, his patterns, and his mistakes with a level of honesty that feels rare and disarming.

What surprised me most, though, was his curiosity about other people. He could strike up a conversation with a Starbucks barista and, within a minute or two, be asking questions so thoughtful and revealing that I realized I hadn’t even asked them of some of my closest friends. That kind of curiosity can’t be faked — it comes from genuine interest, not performance.

I think that’s also what makes him so funny and such a compelling interviewer. His humor doesn’t come from trying to impress; it comes from really paying attention. His podcast is a reflection of that, but what I admire most exists outside of any platform or public attention — it’s the way he truly sees people and invites them to be fully human in conversation.

That kind of presence feels like character to me.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
One thing I understand deeply — and don’t see talked about enough — is how closely our bodies and emotions are connected.

In my experience, when pain shows up in the body without an obvious acute injury, there’s often something emotional underneath it that hasn’t been processed. We live in a culture that teaches people to suppress their feelings — to stay “professional,” composed, productive — as if emotions are a liability rather than a form of information.

And yet, at the end of the day, many of those same people unwind by watching highly emotional TV: people crying over a baking competition, dramatic storylines, public vulnerability packaged as entertainment. That disconnect has always fascinated me.

What I’ve learned is that when emotions don’t have a place to move, they often show up somewhere else — tight shoulders, back pain, stomach issues, chronic tension. The solution isn’t dramatic. It’s usually very simple: move your body, slow down, and actually ask yourself how you’re feeling and why.

I’m grateful that my first career out of college was teaching Pilates, because it trained me to notice these patterns early. That awareness still serves me — especially now as a parent. Nothing brings a quick reality check quite like throwing out your back while making your kid’s bed in the morning.

It’s usually my cue to step away from the computer, move my body, reset, and get back to neutral — physically and emotionally. That practice of listening instead of powering through has changed how I work, parent, and live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://momsgonewandering.com/
• Instagram: @momsgonewandering
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsgonewandering/

Image Credits
Kevin Schadt