Writing Through the Pain: Nina Winther on Infertility, Identity, and Finding Hope

The Hidden Entrepreneur Show with Josh Cary

What happens when a woman who delivers babies for a living is unable to have one herself? That’s the premise of Nina Winther’s debut novel Should It Be This Hard?, and it’s rooted in her own deeply personal experience with infertility. In this raw and emotionally honest episode, Nina opens up for the first time in a public way, revealing the very real shame, guilt, and isolation that comes with struggling to conceive.

But this episode is not just about infertility. It’s about hidden pain, private battles, and the universal human need to express what we can’t say out loud. Whether or not you’ve faced infertility, this conversation will hit home if you’ve ever hidden a part of yourself, felt broken for not meeting society’s expectations, or wrestled with emotions you didn’t know how to share.

Through fiction, Nina created a powerful outlet for her grief—and a lifeline for others. This is a beautiful conversation about healing, hope, and the stories we’re finally ready to tell.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How to Tell a Personal Story Without Telling Your Story: Nina shares how she used fiction to process the pain of infertility while protecting her privacy and why this can be a powerful tool for others navigating sensitive topics.

The Shame of Not Fulfilling Expectations: Why infertility can feel like a personal failure, and how cultural expectations make it even harder for women to open up.

Creating a Character to Heal Yourself: Nina explains why her protagonist, a successful OBGYN facing infertility, became the perfect “mirror” for her own struggles, and how she designed the character to be the version of herself she wishes she could be.

Why We All Need an Outlet: From journaling to private stories tucked away on your hard drive, Nina describes how writing helped her find peace and offers suggestions for anyone dealing with emotional burdens.

You Are Not Alone: Nina’s mission is clear: to remind women (and anyone struggling in silence) that they are not alone. She offers suggestions for finding safe places to speak up, connect, and heal, even if your voice shakes.

Hope Through Humor and Honesty: Discover how her novel strikes the delicate balance between tough emotional truth and uplifting storytelling, because not everything has to be dark to be real.