Fall in the Right Direction

Episode 14: Fall in the Right Direction

Courtney reunites with longtime friend Emma Yates nearly 20 years after they first met as two tall altos in the back row of middle school chorus.

Their friendship took on a much deeper meaning in high school when Courtney lost her older brother, Landon. Emma had already experienced the loss of her own older brother years earlier, giving them a connection neither of them would have chosen—but one that has followed them through adulthood.

Now, Emma is a farmer, a new mom, a wife, and once again figuring out what she wants the next version of her life to look like.

Courtney and Emma talk about grief and the unexpected ways it can shape us, building a life around work you love without losing yourself to it, the realities of farming, financial stability, motherhood, career pivots, community, and giving yourself permission to change your mind—or not have the next step figured out yet.

Also discussed: middle school uniforms, horse breeding, humbling men with extremely niche agricultural knowledge, a woodchuck roommate, a bread-stealing chipmunk, 3 a.m. piglet emergencies, and the comforting realization that sometimes you don't need to know exactly where you're going—you just need to fall in the right direction.