Episode Details

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In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Meryl Hayton about embracing radical inner change, following intuition, and reinventing life after decades in the same career. Based in a vibrant beach community in New Jersey, Meryl shares her journey from salon owner to inner peace specialist, exploring the intersection of spirituality, self-development, and creating a life aligned with her deepest desires. Listeners will discover the power of small, intuitive decisions, overcoming fear of the unknown, and practical steps for transforming burnout into renewed purpose and joy.

About Meryl Hayton:

Meryl Hayton is an Inner Peace Specialist, Advanced Certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner, and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500). As the creator of The Clearing Method, Meryl has spent years refining an integrative approach to healing that addresses the mind, body, and subtle energy field.

Main Topics Covered:

• How following intuition—rather than logistics—drove Meryl's biggest life changes and career reinvention.
• The emotional challenges of closing a 28-year brick-and-mortar business and saying goodbye to loyal clients.
• Discovering and integrating practices like yoga, energy healing, and EFT tapping for personal transformation and supporting others.
• Facing financial fear, letting go of security, and building trust in uncertainty during major transitions.
• The physical and emotional tolls of service work, and the necessity of self-care and boundary setting.
• The power of micro-decisions and support—from yoga teachers to business coaches—to make impossible-seeming dreams (like moving to the Jersey Shore) attainable.
• How Meryl’s daily life and mindset shifted from fear to freedom, connection, and self-trust after embracing her new path.
• Why sharing her story is essential for inspiring others to take courageous steps toward their own growth, even when the path is messy and non-linear.

Quote from the Episode:

"You really do have a choice, right? You do have a choice to stay stuck where you're at, or you have the choice to take the leap to really what you want to do or be." — Meryl Hayton

Timestamps:00:00 Intro & Amy welcomes Meryl Hayton; New Jersey beach life and what home means01:17 Meryl’s career origins—creativity, familial expectations, and early choices after loss04:07 The impact of her father’s passing and reorienting career ambition06:57 Realizations: grief, intuition, and how loss shaped her freedom08:21 Building a salon business from scratch and sustaining it for nearly three decades10:11 The decision to close the salon, burnout, and the journey to becoming a yoga teacher12:27 Spiritual awakening, training in mind-body medicine, and discovering EFT tapping16:01 The sequence: closing the salon, a physical injury, and learning to trust the next right step18:07 Turning dreams into reality—testing life at the shore and finally making the big move22:22 How long change really takes: fears, financial worries, loyalty, and letting go27:44 Why the salon industry can be so physically and emotionally taxing29:49 Transitioning fully to coaching, energy healing, and yoga instruction29:53 How life, mindset, and relationships look now—living from trust, joy, and abundance33:58 Why sharing this journey matters: inspiring others to take leaps, big and small35:04 Identifying the very first small step that set transformation in motion36:03 Meryl Hayton’s special offer: The Clearing Method Workbook and how to connect37:00 Show & Tell: podcast recommendation (“Wiser Than Me” with Julia Louis-Dreyfus)38:26 Unsupervised online shopping and