For more than a decade, Sarah Michals woke up before dawn, perfectly put together, ready to tell other people’s stories. As a TV news anchor and reporter, she chased breaking news, worked holidays and lived life on deadline — all in pursuit of what she thought was her dream: reaching the Detroit market she’d idolized as a girl.
“I grew up in Metro Detroit, and ever since I was a little girl, the story goes, my mom would always have the morning news on. We'd watch Good Morning America, ABC Local, Channel 7, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and I just loved it. I was so enamored by it. I loved the conversations, the interviews, I’d take my mom’s coffee cup and pretend I was one of the journalists on TV,” she says. “Ever since I was little, I’ve been inquisitive. I loved the energy, the way journalists could connect with people.”
But the deeper she climbed in broadcast news, the more she felt something inside her shifting.
“Once I hit the Detroit market, I found myself having to change a lot to be the lead reporter here. A lot of the stories that I find myself naturally drawn to are stories of inspiration, or hope, or just people in the community doing really cool things,” she says.
Unfortunately, those stories weren’t the kind that fit into a traditional news time slot.
“To make it to Detroit, you had to have the lead story,” she says. “And in news, the saying is if it bleeds, it leads. That just wasn’t who I was.”
Covering tragedy after tragedy left her emotionally drained.
“Every day, I was covering these heinous crimes — I was talking to people on the worst days of their lives,” she says. “And I only had a short amount of time with them. I didn’t feel like I was doing them justice.”
When she wasn’t on-air, Michals poured her creativity into social media, sharing uplifting community features and glimpses of everyday goodness.
“People started connecting with me more through what I was posting online than what I was doing on TV,” she says. “That’s when I realized my heart had changed.”
So, when her contract ended last summer, Michals did something bold. Despite calls from major networks like CNN and Fox News, she chose to step away.
“I had to make a choice — keep going with something that didn’t feel right, or take a chance on what did,” she says. “So I took the chance.”
Redefining Wellness
That leap led to Water Your Garden, a podcast and lifestyle brand centered on redefining wellness — not as perfection, but as joy. With her natural intelligence and on-air charisma, Michals brings together experts, entrepreneurs and everyday women to explore health in all its dimensions: physical, emotional, financial and spiritual.
“Wellness can mean anything that makes your life better,” she says. “Every episode should leave you encouraged, with something you can use to make your week brighter.”
Her guests include business leaders like Kaylin Sheik, founder of Sweetwater Floral, and Dannie Rogers, Detroit Lions reporter — women who, like Michals, have learned to pivot with purpose.
“I think people tune in because they’re looking for real, relatable encouragement,” she says. “Most of my listeners are women between 20 and 60 who are learning to put themselves first.”
A New Kind of Storytelling
Leaving television wasn’t easy.
“It was my whole identity,” Michals says. “I worked seven days a week, every holiday. I had to mourn that version of myself.”
Still, she’s found joy in creating content that’s fully her own.
“For the first time, I have total creative freedom,” she says. “I get to tell the stories I believe in, without rushing or filtering them through anyone else’s lens.”
She now records from her home studio with her husband, Connor, and their golden retriever, Rosie. The couple recently began sharing mini-episodes together, blending humor and honesty as they talk about marriage, habits and growth.
Michals credits Connor’s unwavering support for giving her the courage to leap.
“I’m not a gambler,” she says. “But he believed in me more than I believed in myself. That’s the only reason I had the guts to do this.”
Today, her content mirrors her personality — bright, thoughtful and sincere. Her followers see her as both a friend and a guide, someone who isn’t afraid to talk about balance, burnout or the beauty of starting over.
“If you feel stuck in your career,” she says, “pay attention to your energy. When you do something that makes you feel alive, that’s your purpose talking.”
For Sarah Michals, watering her own garden has meant slowing down, listening closely and daring to bloom in her own time.
Sidebar:
SARAH’S EVERYDAY WELLNESS RITUALS
Morning Movement: “I start my day at Body of Learning in Beverly Hills. Strength training — lifting weights — is essential for how I feel physically and mentally.”
Mindful Meals: Michals follows the 80/20 rule: “Eighty percent of what I eat fuels my body, and 20 percent is for joy. If I want nachos, I’m going to have nachos!”
Meditation: “Even five minutes a day resets my mind. Meditation has been a total game changer.”
Sleep Routine: “I aim for eight hours every night. It’s not perfect, but rest is key to everything.”
The Big Picture: “Wellness isn’t about perfection — it’s about happiness. Anything that makes my life fuller and lighter counts.”
“Ever since I was little, I’ve been inquisitive. I loved the energy, the way journalists could connect with people.” — Sarah Michals
“For the first time, I have total creative freedom,” she says. “I get to tell the stories I believe in, without rushing or filtering them through anyone else’s lens.” — Sarah Michals