Dear Midlife...

Shhhh....listen to that.... (silence). If you're listening, but don't hear anything, that's the Sound of Silence (hello darkness my old friend..) Ok, I'll spare you my homage to Simon and Garfunkel (one of my favorite all time groups), but the message in today's podcast is about getting quiet to hear what the universe is whispering to you. Our guest, Elaine Glass, has written a book called "Get Quiet" which is about her own transformational journey inspired by the structure of a classical labyrinth. In this book, Elaine draws on her own experiences and client transformations to clearly illuminate the path to reconnect with one's body, soul, and the universal forces around all of us, to enable each one of us to live a more joyful and purposeful life. But, what if you're like us?! We have a hard time getting quiet and like living out loud! But, in this context, Elaine is talking about taking the time to slow down, to be present, to LISTEN to the universe and it is even HARDER for me to slow my pace than turn my volume down!

In 1989 our guest, Lise Janelle, made a commitment to herself that she intended to heal the hearts of millions of people using her Heart Freedom Method. She uses this method to help her client's get "unstuck" and accelerate their growth. That's right girls...are YOU feeling stuck!? I mean...who ISN'T feeling stuck in midlife. You know, we have put so much of our time and energy into everyone else that we get to this age where we have more freedom to create a life we love...but, we are too damn tired to do so! OR our own past history is standing in our way and creating this feeling of "stuckness" that is AMPLIFIED. Dr. Lise to the rescue! She is a renowned growth accelerator coach who's been revolutionizing the way people achieve success with her groundbreaking Heart Freedom Method. It's like she's got the secret key to unlocking all those subconscious barriers holding you back. Mind-blowing, right? She's not just some ordinary coach! She's been featured on CBC News, CTV's Canada AM... the list goes on. This woman knows her stuff and has the creds to prove it. And let's not forget, she's the founder of the Centre for Heart Living in Toronto. Plus, she's written these incredible books, "You are Loved" and "Conversations with the Heart." and is turning her attention to co-authoring a NEW book, which will be published later this year, called "Unstuck" with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. Trust me, you'll want to grab a copy of every one of these books! Oh, and did we mention she's a former championship rower and a pioneer in women's Ice Canoeing? And she's even scaled Kilimanjaro! Is there anything this woman can't do. She's literally climbed mountains, both physical and metaphorical. And if that's not enough, she's also a member of the Transformational Leadership Council. This means she's mixing and mingling with the top minds in personal development. Talk about impressive! Exactly! So, buckle up, listeners, because today's episode is going to be packed with wisdom, resilience, and the kind of inspiring stories that make you want to jump up and take on the world. In this episode, Lise teaches us: The only difference between someone living an ordinary life and someone living an extraordinary life is their ability to take action. But, the subconscious mind sometimes stands in our way. There are 3 clues that your subconscious mind is working against you...you know what needs to be done, but you're not doing it, you do what needs to be done but it feels like drudgery, and, finally, those who do the work but are getting the opposite results that they desire. The more intense situations we experience the greater probability that we'll develop a conditioned response to that situation. You will always have an equal amount of support and challenge. You need to use the support to carry you where you need to go and avoid getting stuck by the challenges. When the challenges arise, ask why is this happening FOR me?What am I supposed to learn? If you are able to change your reactions to the events of your past, it will change your future imagination and transform your destiny. We need to listen to and honor the purpose that is in our hearts. Not doing so is to betray ourselves. And then we need to step outside of our comfort zone to pursue our passion and, when we do, we attract support. If we stay in our comfort zone, we attract challenges. To find more of Lise: Website | HeartFreedomMethod.com Website | drlisejanelle.com LinkedIn | drlise Instagram | @drlisejanelle And speaking of inspiration...ladies we need you to join us at dearmidlife.com... We are SOO close to birthing some amazing content out into the world...This episode really reminded us of our true passion and purpose to bring women together in connection and provide new and unique tools that will help all of us navigate this crazy middle together. Go to dearmidlife.com to join us on this journey! Please be patient with us because we are doing it messy! We've had some stops and starts, but we want you to be there with us when the magic happens. So, become a founding member of our community today!

Dear Midlife has always been a podcast where we dive deep into the chaos, comedy, and complexities of our wonderfully messy mid-lives. In today's episode our guest, Author Boo Trundle, causes us to consider what are those deep rooted fears and truths that we've locked into these wide, deep sort of cargo trunks within our souls (or maybe in this case a WWII submarine to borrow from the metaphor our guest uses in her book), that we've gorilla glued and chained and dropped at the bottom of the ocean or the in the depths of our inner spirits...And what happens when life becomes a relentless reminder of all those buried old wounds. You know...just when you think you've got it all together, something bubbles up from the depths and says, “Hey, remember me?” Our conversation with Boo today explores the scattered parts of our lives as women and how so many of us strive at this time in our lives to pick up these fractured pieces of ourselves and puzzle them together so that we somehow feel whole again Boo said something beautiful in this episode and that is that this healing process isn't something that can happen in a week or maybe even a decade, but that the healing process is a journey and one I know I'VE been on and that really resonated with me. In her book, Boo explores Katherine's healing journey, whose story so many of us can relate to. She's an attentive mother, comfortably married, yet battling dark thoughts and fears of intimacy. And girl, we KNOW that no matter how polished our lives appear on the outside that there is often an internal struggle that we're managing. In her book, and in this conversation, Boo beautifully portrays this inner struggle we face. In her novel, these struggles are revealed in alternating short chapters told by Katherine's inner children—Truitt, Star, and Smooshed Bug—each with their own unique strategy for coping with her past traumas. Will they protect her from the truth, or deliver it to her? That's the big question. Her book, and this conversation, is a wonderful rollercoaster of emotions and insights, and a perfect reflection of our midlife journey—where we're constantly sifting through the past, trying to shape our personal narratives, and exploring who we are and who we want to become. In this episode Boo teaches us: Find the support you need to persevere. She shared with us the power of finding that someone to mentor and guide you to achieve your goals. Get out there and connect with like minded women! Don't be afraid to quietly and persistently pursue your dreams...EVEN IF life "gets in the way". Don't use "life" as an excuse. Our "vulnerabilities" are unique and different for each of us. There is a beauty in getting to know the vulnerabilities that each of us hold and providing space and support to another person to help them embrace and move through their own truths. We often live very "linear" lives, along a timeline of happenings...get married, have children, age etc. But, there is also there is the "soul's work" that is not linear and weaves in and out of the timeline of our lives and it is a journey. To find more of Boo: The Daughter Ship: A Novel Website | www.bootrundle.com Boo shares with us her journey and how her life has shaped her and carried her to where she is today as she delivers her first published novel to the world at age 56. And if you find yourself on the same journey of healing and exploration, join us at dearmidlife.com because we have some amazing tools and resource we are creating to help you on your journey and are creating a network of supportive women who will be there to connect with you, lift you up, relate to your challenges and help you to achieve your goals. We can't wait to meet you in the middle.

There is a statistic that states that that the power of positive thinking can literally extend your life by 7 years! And, further, our guest today, Dr. Anna Marie Frank, states in this episode that positive thinking can PHYSICALLY strengthen your body and sites several studies to demonstrate that. If all women could harness a positive mindset, we feel that we could, indeed, rule the world! But, you know what women do? Maybe we're speaking for ourselves here, but it is our perspective that a lot of women put themselves down and cling to old negative narratives about not being good enough, smart enough, thin enough...enough...PERIOD. I mean fill in the blank, right?! As a matter of fact, women bully ourselves everyday. We know we catch ourselves doing it. And (while we don't claim to be geniuses at math), when we put two and two together...the negative thoughts we continue to carry around with us are actually taking a physical toll on our bodies. Today, our mind-blowing guest, Dr. Anna Marie Frank, is here to rock our world as we discuss brain health, self-love, and kicking all that negative self-talk to the curb. Dr. Frank has written a book called “Stop Bullying Yourself!” which is like a bible for anyone wanting to boost their health, wealth, happiness, and success. She is here to help us rewire our way of thinking and start living as our true, authentic selves Now, Dr. Anna Marie Frank is not just your run-of-the-mill doctor. She's a badass Doctor of Traditional Naturopathy with a Ph.D. in Natural Medicine. She's got credentials and training from the Gerson Institute, Amen Clinics, Integrative Nutrition Institute, Mindvalley, National Wellness Institute, and the Wellness Council of America. Talk about a lifelong learner! She's a woman after our own heart. But let's get real here. This woman isn't just book smart. She's lived it. She's battled depression, dyslexia, and ADD and came out on top. She's the founder of Happy Whole You, a brain health-focused wellness center out in Bakersfield, California. And trust me, she's bringing the sunshine to those brains! And let's not forget she's the "brains" behind—pun totally intended—a line of brain nutraceuticals like “Happy You, Calm You, & Bright You.” Oh, and did I mention she just launched a new bioavailable liquid nutrition line? Because, you know, why stop at one incredible achievement when you can have a dozen? In this episode, Dr. Frank teaches us: You are the only person who can make you happy. Our brains look for (and find) evidence to validate what we are thinking. We are witness to our own thoughts. We then have to ask ourselves, what if this (negative) thought were not true? Asking ourselves these questions pulls us away from our Limbic (or emotional) brain and back into our logical brain. Women have a larger hippocampus than men, so we have a strong emotional memory! Your thoughts will directly impact the biochemical makeup of your physical body. If you think positive thoughts, your body strengthens. How you're thinking is everything. The first step in learning to stop bullying yourself and to love yourself instead is to let go and trust that your life couldn't have happened any other way than how it has happened thus far. To find more of Dr. Anna Marie Frank: Website | happywholeyou.com Facebook | happywholeyou Instagram | @happywholeyou YouTube | happywholeyou Apple Podcast | Happy Whole You We want to hear from you out there?! What negative narratives are you clinging to? Have you thought about what kind of toll these negative thoughts are having on you? What if you could have an incredible network of women who are struggling with the same things to connect with and talk to? What kind of impact would that have on your life? We have exciting things coming at dearmidlife.com. We'll have curated content especially for you and a network of gal pals who get where you are and want to build connections. Come join the fun!

Man, we've overcome a lot of adversity! Shelby navigated the death of her mother at age 7 that changed the trajectory of her life. Trinity has..... But, women are resilient! It's like there is some resolve within us that pushes us to keep going. But, our next guest has faced MORE than her fair share of trials. So many it MIGHT just have a girl asking herself...why me??? We are firm believers that the obstacles we face in our lives are meant to make us stronger. We stand in our conviction that life happens FOR us and not TO us. We believe there is purpose to the challenges we endure. Our guest, Alison Jacobson, embodies this unwavering resilience, after navigating the heart-wrenching loss of her baby, weathering bankruptcy following a difficult divorce, and shouldering the role of caregiver for both her son, who has intellectual disabilities and her husband, who battles Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. But, TODAY, Alison calls herself the "Midlife Maverick" because at the remarkable age of 57, she conquered the iconic NYC Marathon (after never running even a mile until the prior year), serving as a living testament that it is never too late for personal transformation. Despite the obstacles in her life, Alison has become a highly accomplished coach, speaker, author, and fellow podcaster. Alison empowers women in midlife to reignite their aspirations, reconstruct self-assurance, magnify happiness, and unlock the abundance they genuinely deserve at any age. Alison's book Daily Inspirations for Midlife Women: A Guide to Peace, Joy, Confidence, and Abundance was published last year. Alison is a dedicated advocate for women in midlife, helping them overcome self-doubt and fear to achieve their goals and live joyful, successful, kick-ass lives in their second chapter. Through her own tragedies and adversities, she empowers women to find life after loss, regain self-confidence to bravely move forward personally and professionally, and take decisive action to make themselves the center of their own lives. In this episode, Alison teaches us to: Ask yourself how do you define happiness! She asks how will you achieve the happiness you seek if you don't even know your own definition of happiness? Start with knowing your why. Having a powerful "why" or reason that is driving you towards a goal will be a powerful motivator. Surround yourself with the people you aspire to be like and who can give you the knowledge and wisdom you need to be successful in your goals. Set small, manageable goals that (collectively) move your forward towards your larger goal. Tracking and celebrating these smaller wins along the way make achieving big goals more realistic and helps maintain your motivation Set boundaries with your loved ones in order to make time for yourself. Give yourself permission for (at least) an hour a day. CONNECT WITH ALISON alison@alison-jacobson.com alison-jacobson.com LinkedIn | alison-jacobson-midlifemaverick Facebook | AlisonJacobsonMidlifeMaven Instagram | @_alisonjacobson YouTube | @AlisonJacobson And, ladies. We are kindred spirits with Alison. We know we all have our struggles...but, girl if we can take the time to lift one another up...think of the power in that. We are on the same mission as Alison. We want to hold up a mirror for you and SHOW you how strong you are. We want to support you through adversity and help you become the best version of yourself. Join us by going to dearmidlife.com and enrolling in our community.

If you could go back to your younger self and offer her some piece of wisdom or advice, knowing what you know today, what would you tell her? Trinity would tell herself that "she belongs" in every room she walks into, every classroom that she takes a seat in, that every space where she feels different, where she doesn't look like the others or have the pedigree...she belongs. Shelby would tell her younger self that life happens for you (not to you). Life leads us where we are meant to go if we are willing to surrender to the pull of the universe. In her book, "I Wish She Knew," our guest, Donna Davis, contemplates this question...what words of wisdom would she share with her younger self? This thought echoes her journey and resonates with women across the globe, offering not just stories but pathways to emotional well-being and self-realization. Donna leads workshops and speaking engagements that are transformative experiences that evoke courage, instill hope, and inspire action as she helps women in midlife embark on a journey of healing and empowerment by making intentional, but incremental shifts. Donna calls herself an "intentional shift strategist" in life and business, Donna's mission transcends beyond mere coaching; it's a heartfelt commitment to help women confront and dispel the shadows of negative emotions and imposter syndrome. Her approach, deeply rooted in holistic healing, addresses the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions, guiding women to reclaim their stories and step into their God-given potential. Join us as we journey with Donna on this transformative path, and become part of a movement that empowers women to break free from their emotional barriers, embrace their strengths, and boldly step into the life they are destined to live. In this episode, Donna teaches us to: Take a step back and make small, incremental shifts in your life that will gradually move you in the right direction. Many of us try to tackle too much change and once and get discouraged when we "fail". Don't be afraid to try. Get out there and do the thing, because there is no progress without trying. THEN...It IS ok to say (in the end) I'm through with trying. There are 3 things we seek safety, love and boundaries. There are things that happen in life that compromise one or all of these things. Our bodies, however, are built to protect us and often the fear that holds us back is rooted in a subconscious reaction to a past trauma. To move beyond that which holds us back, first acknowledge it and bring it from you subconscious mind to your conscious mind. Then you must confront and evict these negative narratives. You can confront the things about yourself that you see as deficiencies and then ask...what have I gained from this or what has this kept me from to seeing these "flaws" in a new light. To find more of Donna: linktr.ee/donnadavispresents If you are ready to make incremental shifts to becoming the next best version of yourself, join our membership at dearmidlife.com. In this membership we are working to curate content that will help you to become your own hero and create a life you love while engaging in a supportive community that will help you to get there. We can't wait to meet you in the middle.

In this episode, our guest today, Jamie Cromer Grue said something so beautiful. You see...she is a board-certified Psychoanalyst and Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been trained to listen to others with purpose so that they feel heard and safe. But, the thing she wants most for us is for us to be able to listen to ourselves and then respond to our own needs. Jamie is a Certified Chopra Ayurvedic Lifestyle Instructor and uses these techniques to teach women a framework for self-care supported by self-discovery to help them build a balanced and purposeful life. Balance and wellness is not a one size fits all journey and Jamie helps you learn the unique ways to care for yourself the way YOU need in order to grow personally and professionally. Jamie is eager and ready to help you build a personalized blueprint for self-care, self-discovery, and living your purpose. It's no secret that Trinity tends to deal with her shit and move on. It's the way she is and it is this resilience that has made her the successful woman she is today. But, she doesn't necessarily want to dig into the deep recesses of her past to "heal". But, while Jamie assures us that's not necessary...she also reminded us that there can also be treasure in that dark trunk where Trinity has buried all her hurt and dumped it at the bottom of the ocean...locked with chains...and guarded by a shark! And Shelby is the opposite. She needed to have someone stand in witness to her story. Because there is power in sharing our stories and having another person empathize with us or VALIDATE our experience or tell us we're NOT crazy! But, we loved that, Jamie reminds us that, regardless of our approach, there is healing in our stories. There are gems in the depths of our souls and subconscious mind if we're willing to mine them. And to our listener out there...what is your story? What if would it mean to you to have a safe place to share your story? We're creating this beautiful community where you have a supportive tribe to lift you up. You know...we appreciate you. All of you beautiful women out there (and 3 guys) who listen. We value your continued support and appreciation. It takes a LOT for us to bring this content to you week in and week out and we're really putting ourselves out there and we're doing it imperfectly right now because we're on a mission! We want to unite women in the middle all over the world because no one needs to be on this roller coaster alone. So, Thank you to those of you who have supported and joined us thus far! Thank you to: Rhonda Osborn Martina Rehm Ami Maxine Debby Cutts (especially for lending us her song a few episodes ago) Maria Gruber Carl E. Ann Damaschino Lauren Napolitano Tanya Greenfield Stefani Tygert Alexandra Faltecini and Birgess Angeles who recently met Shelby during a visit to Houston, TX! We love and respect each of you and value your support! And if you're interested in joining us in the middle, visit our website dearmidlife.com and join us! To find more of Jamie Cromer Grue: https://www.windowstowisdomretreats.com

Those of you who know Shelby knows that she goes non-stop! She's up at 5am to work on this side hustle, she does more before 8 am that some people do in a day and, most of all, she PRIDES herself on the fact that she gets shit done! BUT, she is also SO tired! Girl, listen up out there and raise your hand if you are feeling just like Shelby?! How many of you are feeling like you want to take control of your life, ditch the "good girl story" ...you know, the one where you think you have to take care of everyone else but yourself...and you, instead want to get your stress under control and rediscover your inner spark?! Today, our guest, Jana Fuchs, who is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Soul Coach for burnt out women, helps provide us some practical tips on HOW we can do just that. She has 15 years of experience in private practice treating adults with a special focus on boundaries, and women's stress and burnout. Through her years of training and experience, she has had the privilege and honor of bearing witness to her clients' soul transformations as she helps them reframe their relationship with guilt, give themselves compassion, and taking value based action. She is the host of internationally ranked podcast "She Illuminated" and is here today to discuss with us the resilience of the human spirit. Girl....trust me! You are not going to want to miss this episode today!! And if you are enjoying the value we bring you each week with these episodes, please be sure to follow this show by clicking on the subscribe button in the upper corner of the screen. In today's episode, Jana teaches us that: We lose ourselves in taking care of everyone else. We need to give ourselves permission to take up space in our own lives. We can start to heal by understanding the circumstances that are creating a trigger, then ask what are the thoughts we have about the circumstances and then what are the feelings. we then have to learn to FEEL our feelings. Focus on what you DO want vs what you DON'T. Your brain doesn't know the difference and brings to life just what is top of mind. So the key is to spend more time and energy focused on what is the good you desire. If you need to, write down a short list if the 4-5 values that you want to live by. It is one thing to have values and then LIVE IN ALIGNMENT with those values. To find more of Jana: Website | janafuchscoaching.com Instagram | @janafuchscoaching She Illuminated Podcast And if you want MORE...more tips, more insights, more CONNECTION, visit our website at dearmidlife.com and join our community "The Middle". Here we are really working to curate content that will be most relevant to you as you embark on this journey of midlife. Join us because we are all stronger with our girl tribe behind us.

What if we gave you permission to eat whatever you wanted to? Would you find it difficult to reprogram that little voice inside my head saying "put down the cookie?" Lol. You know, over the decades, women have been fed a LOT of negative body image narratives. We are forced to believe that our worth centers around looking thin, having a perfect figure, or is equated to a number on the scale. Raise your hand if you've ever felt pressure to eat a certain way and look a certain way and if YOU associate YOUR self-worth to "Thinness"! If you feel this way YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Our guest today, Elizabeth Harris, states that girls as young as 3 have been shown to be aware of their body image. She is here to teach us that there is truly a better way. Elizabeth is a registered dietitian, certified Intuitive Eating counselor, speaker, entrepreneur, and co-host of the podcast Wellness Rebranded. She's passionate about empowering people to drop out of diet culture and reimagine their relationship with food, movement, and their bodies so they can prioritize their whole health with Intuitive Eating, gentle nutrition, and body image healing. Elizabeth's motto is “self-care, not self-control.” Because food is meant to be enjoyed, movement should make you happy, and we've all got better things to do than counting carbs or calories! This is sooo true, Elizabeth! Please teach us!! I mean, she even calls the practice of intuitive eating a self-care framework. Well, we all know that's where we both fall down on the job! lol Let's be honest, Shelby, is notoriously bad at self-care practices. And, well...Trinity loves herself so much that she's willing to eat an entire box of Girl Scout cookies to prove it. Lol But, Elizabeth shows us that this is NOT self-care or intuitive eating either. Instead, initiative eating IS living in atunement with your body and is a blend of instinct, emotion and thought. In this episode, Elizabeth teaches us: Intuitive eating is a blend of instinct, emotion, and thoughts and would be what eating were like if diet culture didn't exist and we listened to our bodies instead. Guilt is not a food group, we all have a right to eat things we enjoy. One of the principles of Intuitive Eating is to have unconditional permission to eat any food you want in atunement with your body and it's cues. Diet culture is a pressure to eat a certain way, exercise a certain way and look a certain way so that we begin to equate self-worth with the way we look and health with being thin. These are false narratives we need to let go of. Intuitive eating starts with examining your own relationship with food. "Challenge your own food police". What are the rules that you follow when it comes to food. Making a list of these rules when they pop into your head can give you an understanding of this relationship The first step to implementing an intuitive eating philosophy is to start by setting up a consistent eating schedule by eating your meals at the same time every day. In this way you'll become more aware of fullness and hunger cues. For more of Elizabeth: Website | elizabethharrisnutrition.com Facebook | elizabethharrisnutrition And we loved this conversation because life in the middle is also a blend of instinct, emotion, and thought and we believe these drive not just EATING but, literally, everything we do. How are you feeling about your life these days? Have you ever felt stuck, like you don't know who you are anymore? If the answer is yes...you're not alone! Meet us in "The Middle" at dearmidlife.com to join our community for women in midlife just like you. Here you can build connection and find space to be honored where you are!

Whooo wee! Our next guest brings the heat! And when I say "heat" I'm talking about the one and only "Hot Flash Mama", Pamela Mitchell. Pam is the Host of Hot Flash Mama Podcast and an expert on all things menopause because, where most women go through menopause once, Pam has been through it TWICE. You see, the 1st time she was unintentionally forced into menopause was due to medically prescribed use of synthetic hormones, and now (again) naturally at 54. Needless to say, she's got some tea to spill on why this happened and how to balance and normalize menopausal symptoms naturally. She is incredibly passionate about helping women that are going through menopause and that are wanting to slow the aging process! Pamela is a Certified Nutritional Counselor and has been in the Natural Health industry for over 25 years, specializing in anti-aging and women's health. Girl...have you snapped at your partner or kids lately and thought....wow! who the hell was THAT woman? Or maybe you can't seem to remember ANYTHING! Or if you wake up in the middle of the night and you're soaking wet...Or if you can't sleep at all...We hate to say it, but you are probably in menopause! But, the good news is that you CAN do something about it. In this episode, Pam teaches us: Some prescribed forms of birth control can send women into a "simulated" and premature menopause. So, ladies pay attention to your body, energy and moods. It may not be a mental health issue. Your hormones may simply be out of balance Saliva is the best way to test your hormones because it can provide the most current data about your hormone levels and where you are currently in your cycle. Ideally, you're testing between days 19-21 in your cycle If you're experiencing symptoms or not, a progesterone cream will help you navigate the perimenopausal/post-menopausal effects of declining hormones. (ask for links for saliva tests or other products). When applying, be sure to sync to a "cycle" (or would be cycle), and look for those products brands that give you this guidance. Listen to your body and pay attention to your symptoms. While tests can provide a benchmark for health and start you on the right path, you know your own body best. The symptoms are your tell tale sign if the measures you're taking are working or not. Try one thing at a time. If you try everything at once, it is difficult to know what is or is not working. And remember...you don't have to suffer! To find more of Pamela: IG | @hotflashmamapodcast Hot Flash Mama Podcast And if you're out there listening, please know you don't have to go on this journey alone. We're here every week to support you and we want to give a shout out to Toniy Douglas who left us a 5-star review on Apple podcast and stated "This podcast is a must listen because the two hosts, Shelby and Trinity, are so relatable. They aren't preaching or pretending; they are two real women who show their strength through their vulnerability and life experience. The podcast does a great job of creating a space for its guests to share their journey which, in turn, helps us gain insights into OUR journey. The show's topics vary greatly, but each episode has some humor, information, and most of all some heart. If you are on a journey through midlife, this one is a keeper on your podcast rotation!" Thank you Toniy for your kind words of support. It takes a lot of work to publish this show each week and we appreciate knowing that the content we're putting out into the universe is making an impact on our listeners. So, if you're loving this show, make sure you're suscribed to the podcast. Please take the time to provide a 5-star review like Toniy. Toniy...THIS review was the catalyst we needed to keep going and we can't tell you how much we appreciate you! We also give a shout out to Belladeb, who reached out to us with her song "Midlife Crisis", which is found on Spotify! And if you don't want to do the middle alone...visit our website dearmidlife.com. We are starting a community were we can all connect. And have patience with us gals! We're juggling all the balls right now...but we KNOW this is our calling in life to bring women together in connection. So, join us in the middle and let's get this conversation started!

This episode was fascinating. I think we learned more in this one podcast than maybe any other conversation we've had. Dr. John Neustadt has an international reputation as a Doctor, researcher, and integrative medical expert on the topic of Osteoporosis. He became renowned in his field through his nutritional medicine research, clinical work, books he wrote, and his work with the FDA on evaluating the use of natural products for the potential treatment of rare diseases. He has developed million-dollar businesses, educated physicians on improving patient outcomes and the general public on how to make sure they're getting the care they need and the results they want, and now has his own line of supplements to treat the adverse effects of Osteoporosis. Dr. Neustadt has published more than 100 medical articles, written four health and wellness books and is now a #1 Amazon Best Selling Author in the field of Osteoporosis. His most recent book is, Fracture-Proof Your Bones: A Comprehensive Guide to Osteoporosis. We love the fact that Dr. Neustadt is working to educate other physicians on using functional medicine with their patients. Dr. J (as we like to call him) is a highly sought out speaker at medical conferences he was recognized as one of the Top Ten Cited Authors in the world for his work. Over the years he has specialized in hard-to-treat, chronic degenerative diseases through an integrative approach that emphasizes identifying and correcting the underlying causes of disease. AND He was the first naturopathic doctor to be voted Best Doctor among all physicians in his area. When the award was announced, the local newspaper stated: “It is noteworthy that Dr. Neustadt did not win ‘best naturopathic doctor;' he won best doctor. Today, he is the Founder and President of Nutritional Biochemistry, Inc. (NBI). And let me tell you what...this man, genuinely, want to heal people and educate the general public (and doctors) how to ensure quality care is provided and received. In this episode Dr. J teaches us: Osteoporosis is a disease in which the degenerative forces are "winning" and outpacing your body's ability to build new bone. Essentially, you're losing bone density at a faster pace that new bone can be rebuilt, increasing your likelihood of fracture. The bone is a living and dynamic tissue and there are things what we can to build the bone back up and reverse osteoporosis. We also have to be weary of what breaks bone down. A bone density test is the primary test modern doctors use to measure of the effects of osteoporosis today and the only tool most doctors speak to their patients about. However, new research reflects that the dangers of osteoporosis largely occur due to factors other than loss of density. Many medications we are prescribed today weaken our bones and put us at risk for osteoporosis. These medications include those that treat depression and acid blockers. It is recommended you read the inserts that come with your prescribed medications or ask the pharmacist to see if there is an osteoporosis related side effect. The mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk for osteoporosis by 20% and reduce hip fractures by 21%, the most dangerous type of fracture. With every forkful of food you are either feeding the disease or improving your health. Dr. John has a mission and so do we! We want you to be the best version of yourself. That means we want you to be strong and healthy so you can rock midlife! THIS Is your time! And we want to give you the tools and resources to get unstuck and create your best life ever. So, go to our website at Dearmidlife.com and join our community! Find more of Dr. Neustadt: Website | nbihealth.com LinkedIn | john-neustadt-nd Instagram | @JohnNeustadt

Have you ever stood on the verge of making a big decision that you knew would change your life forever? We can think of only a handful of moments like this is in our lives...when it came to shifting jobs or, perhaps, saying "yes" to marriage...deciding to leave our marriages (lol). These moments are pivotal and, to be honest, we wish we were brave enough to take more of these leaps in life! Today our guest, Laura Ericson, did just that. One day, she found herself with her finger hovering over the "send" button on her computer hesitating only briefly before sending a communication that would forever change her life. Today, Laura is living the life of her dreams as a female nomad and travel influencer to thousands of followers. She's got some serious mojo when it comes to globe-trotting after having played travel guide to over 150 people across 7 countries. She's practically the Pied Piper of travelers, leading her loyal following to exotic destinations while dropping wisdom bombs along the way. That's not just a vacation; that's a movement! And her mantra? "Just do it. Make it happen. No regrets. Laura loves travel because it provides perspective. Traveling opens your eyes to the struggles and triumphs of people worldwide, making you appreciate the heck out of your own situation. Laura inspires us so much with her life's too short attitude. We're seriously ready to grab my passport, pack my bags, and go! Who's in?! But, Laura reminds us that it is also about the journey sometimes and she puts out the rallying cry for camaraderie. Her trips bring people together and create connections that may not have otherwise occurred, reminding us that we don't have to go it alone on this crazy journey called life. Laura's reminds us to find your tribe and to embrace adventure. Life's too short for solo missions. And Laura's living proof that age ain't nothing but a number. Divorce might feel like the end of the world, but she's here to remind us that it's just the beginning of a new chapter, baby! She is like a beacon of hope, shining a light on the endless possibilities that await those brave enough to take the leap. In this episode, Laura teaches us: Just do it. Make it happen. No regrets. You'll miss out on a lot of lessons in life if you don't just take a leap sometimes. Focus on what you DO have, instead of what you don't. Traveling can offer you perspective on the struggles and challenges that so many face around the world. Appreciate where you are and what you have. You don't have to do life alone. There are always people out there to go along for the ride, to do the "thing" with you, to take the adventure, to support your dreams. Find your people. Life goes on! You still have opportunity to live. No matter your age. Divorce may feel like a death. But, there is so much more life to live! To find more of Laura: website | lauraericson.com info@lauraericson.com Instagram | @lolawhiskey To all you listeners out there, what are you waiting for? Embrace the unknown, seize the day, and let's make some damn memories! If you're looking to level up your life and find your tribe go to our website dearmidlife.com. Join our community of like minded women and let's do life in the middle together.

You know, we spend so much of our lives taking care of other people. Many of us are parents and raise and nurture our children. Many of us are not parents, but we care for and nurture spouses, parents, neighbors, and colleagues. Caring for others feels instinctive to women. However, we rarely take the time or have the inclination to care for our own social or emotional needs. So true! It is especially this time in midlife when women long for more emotional depth, connection, and closeness in their relationships with their older children, female friendships, and intimate partners. And yet, if you're like us....we have struggled in so many ways to cultivate the kind of relationships that really feel nourishing and mutually fulfilling. If you're also feeling this way, our guest today, Deb Blum, reminds us that building deep and meaningful relationships with others ALWAYS starts with our relationship to ourselves. Deb teaches us how to use EVERYTHING that happens in life as a way to learn more about ourselves. If we pay attention to our triggers or gaps, we can see reflected back to us those places where we are still not accepting ourselves, where we are defensive, or otherwise resisting ourselves, others, or life. These idiosyncrocies often stem back to our childhood and the way we've interpreted and internalized certain occurrences or consistent messaging from our caretakers. Deb is an expert in reparenting our inner child. She guides her clients to understanding and learning to relate to their emotional triggers in a much more self-compassionate and self-aware way. She advocates a hand to heart technique in which we can all speak to our inner child in a way that evokes a renewed sense of calm and safety so that our protector parts can become less vigilant over time allowing our true self to emerge. Her approach helps us to learn more about what we need what our inner child needs, especially when we really don't even think we have needs or don't know what we need. And THEN the magic happens because when we learn how to start bringing ourselves more into our lives - we can then also start to bring our opinions about little things like what to eat for dinner, what movie to watch and, ultimately, find our voice for the larger more important things in life... We have long recognized the fact that women in midlife have gotten lost somewhere along the way. Maybe we've allowed the past to override our voice. Or, perhaps, we've just given ourselves over to so many other priorities that we've lost ourselves along the way. But, NOW is your time to find yourself and your voice. Deb says her goal is to remove all of the barriers to love so that she eventually becomes love in its fullest and purest form! I think that is so beautiful and if you are in this place and space and don't know where to start, go to our website dearmidlife.com and tap into the resources we have available for you there. In this episode, Deb teaches us... When we are young, do to conditioning or parenting, we are taught that who we are is not "good" or "right" and, as a result, turn away from our authentic selves to become who we believe mommy or daddy want us to be. As an adult, it becomes difficult to break out of those patterns because these were our survival patterns We have many "parts" that live within us. There is the adult self, the protector, the inner child and even a higher self. Oftentimes, the person we believe we are is truly a protector part masquerading as an adult. Put your hand on your heart and you speak to yourself with compassion, in the way you would speak to a good friend. This motion will build a connection to self and demonstrate that you are there to give your inner child a voice. When doing parts work, there are many possible parts that live within you. Meet the one that is there and meet them where they are. There are also shadows that live within you. Although the shadow self can include negative impulses, such as anger and resentment, some believe the shadow also holds the potential for positive impulses, such as creativity and give us an opportunity to explore and unpack the less desirable part of ourselves. To find more of Deb: Website | thewholesoulway.com tiktok | @deb.blum And, if you're like so many of us in midlife and feel lost, stuck, or know you were meant for more, join our community at dearmidlife.com. We're ready to fridge level up our lives. We are tired. Tired of pouring everything we have into others. it is time to pour into ourselves. If you relate to this, we have the tools and resources you need to find yourself, find your voice and start living the life you were meant to live! We have community, education, and connection that will help you make change possible. What are you waiting for?

Our guest today, Lynne Golodner did something brave and bold. She pursued her dreams and stepped into the role of author, writing coach, marketing entrepreneur and host of the Make Meaning Podcast. Lynne writes emotional novels with compelling Jewish characters who are determined to fill their lives with passion, purpose and love. That's right! so many of us have these dreams or beliefs that we are meant for more, but are too afraid to pursue them. We allow our own internal negative narratives to hold us back. But, in this episode, Lynne encourages us to live lives of passion and purpose, just like the strong female characters in her novel. Lynne's first novel, Woman of Valor, debuted on September 26, 2023 and is a story about the courage to love the ordinary and seek satisfaction where you are, while shedding the need to please others. Lynne draws from her life experience as an Orthodox Jew for ten years to allow the reader a glimpse into what that world looks like. Lynne is an inspiration not only in her ability to help others become better writers, but also in her life experiences and own personal career pivots. Lynne found the courage to launch her own business as a single mom, utilize her skills and ultimately, embrace what she's always wanted to do, become a writer, and find success! Lynne has worked hard to hone her writing skills and has had the courage to decide that writing is what she wants to focus on in the future. She is no longer going to listen to those who say she won't make any money at it and she has moved past her own self-doubt to set a goal of publishing a book a year moving forward and she's been featured on Character Development, The Book Marketing Action Podcast, Savvy Social podcast and in a number of other outlets. In today's episode, Lynne teaches us; Become a perpetual student. Allow yourself to pursue creative endeavors. Follow your dreams and do the "thing" (whatever that thing is for you). Do it messy and then...make it better. Don't wait for perfection to get started. Explore the "what-ifs" or the "worst case scenarios" that live in our brain and prevent us from moving forward to step into our purpose. You may just find that these are not as scary as you think! Find your people! Whether you want to write a book or pursue another endeavor, find the people and community to support you. To find more of Lynne: Website | lynnegolodner.com Instagram | @lynnegolodner Twitter.com | @YourPeople Facebook | @lynnegolodner LinkedIn | @lynnegolodner So, here's the thing, ladies. If Lynne can do it...so can you. It is NEVER too late to define and pursue the life of your dreams. It is TIME to step into your purpose and we're here to help you. Go to our website at dearmidlife.com and join our community. There you will find so many tools and resources to help you reclaim who you are and figure out who in the hell you want to become.

Before we ever interview any guests, we share with them this one disclaimer...Trinity raises her hand and says, "I'm the cusser"...and Shelby follows with, "...and I'm the cryer." And, of course, If you have been listening to our pod for any amount of time, you realize that this is true (though, I'm sure Shelby has thrown out a few choice words as well! And Trinity reminds us that this damn podcast has even made her shed a tear or two! Our guest today, Aoife (pronounced "ee-fuh") McCormack, helps us understand that certain people (Shelby may just be one), known as "highly sensitive", have more sensitive nervous systems in which they see, sense, feel, and simply absorb more of the world and people around them. This can make it difficult for their bodies to process all of these feelings and emotions. Further, we've spoken on numerous occasions as to how these emotions can remain stuck in your nervous system and create disease in the body. This manifests itself in many ways such as pain and illness. Aoife is a transformational health coach for highly sensitive women. She teaches her clients how to heal themselves without diets, supplements and health gimmicks. She does this by teaching women how to get laser clear on the real root of their symptoms and make some mental shifts that will help them to reclaim their past, shift limiting beliefs and start to be able to build a future they thought they had lost. In this episode, Aoife teaches us: Highly sensitive people have more sensitive nervous systems in which they see, sense, feel, and absorb things more of the world and people around them and this can make it difficult for your body to process all of these feelings and emotions, which can create disease in the body. when you feel triggered, get curious. Begin to question, what about the situation at hand has made you angry or feel unsafe. Armed with this information, you can start to do the work within your nervous system to begin to create a space of safety. Stop berating yourself. Give yourself compassion. When we are small, we are taught that our gifts of creativity, empathy, joy are not valued. Parents of our generation taught us to be seen, not heard. So, we had no outlet in which to express any emotions. Speaking of building a future you thought you'd lost...this is mid life...not the end of your life! You still have a lot of life left to live. Are you out there living the way you want to. Do you scroll social media wishing you could have someone else's life? Well, this is your chance to recreate your life to be exactly how you want it to be. Here's the beautiful thing...you don't have to do it alone. You have the Dear Midlife tribe behind you. Go to our website dearmidlife.com and join one of our communities to gain access the tools, resources, and community you need to live your best life!

Alright, ladies and our 3 guys out there! buckle up for another episode of the Dear Midlife podcast, where we spill the tea, serve the truth, and keep it realer than reality TV with our guest today, dating coach extraordinaire, Anwar White. Trinity stumbled on Anwar when her sister (shout out to Tanya) shared one of his Tik Tok videos and she was hooked on this man who is a knower and "truth sayer" on all the dating BS...which has been a real struggle for both of us in the years since our divorces 7 and 8 years ago. We are both pretty sure we lost count of how many frogs we've kissed over the years a LOOOONNNGG time ago and BOTH of us are so ready to settle down and find a lasting and LOVING relationship and ya'll know us! Here in our little corner of the internet, we do not do small talk—we do straight talk. And today, Anwar is about to drop some major truth bombs. Anwar's got the inside scoop on all things love, relationships, and dating disasters. And let me tell you, he's not holding back! Anwar is your fairy god brother and he's all about that unapologetic truth-telling and keeping it real, whether you like it or not. THAT is the BEST part about Anwar's advice! He has over 13 years of experience as a dating coach. He's got so many success stories and experiences to share. And let's be real ourselves for a sec—ain't nobody got time for sugar-coated advice. We want the raw, unfiltered truth, and that's exactly what Anwar brings to the table. So, grab your notebooks, folks, because Anwar's about to school us on the dos and don'ts of dating in the modern world. Get ready to laugh, cringe, and maybe even shed a tear or two. It's about to get real up in here! In today's episode, Anwar teaches us: Physical chemistry deteriorates after 18 months. Prioritize the items that spell compatibility for you in a lasting partnership instead of seeking a relationship in which physical attributes are the priority. You can identify your needs (vs. wants) by exploring the things that you wanted from your parents as a child but did not receive. These are different for everyone but can include things like, attention, affection, being. cherished, encouraging your talents....think about what are these things for you? When using dating apps, swipe right if you'd rate the match at a 5 on looks. Chances are, once you get to know the individual, they my rate higher based on their personal qualities and characteristics. When you swipe right on the 9s/10s, these men have 100s of people just like you in queue. You'll get lost in the shuffle. Most guys are not going to have great communication skills. Use the 80/20 rule...for every 5 guys you engage with, 4 of them will not have a strong ability to communicate and ask questions. YOU set the tone for the pace and the emotional depth for all of your relationships and courtships. You being your true authentic self, is one of your best dating strategies. To find more of Anwar: Instagram | @getyourguy_coaching TikTok | @datingcoachanwar And if you are about getting real, honest advice and actionable tips about how to level up life in the middle, go to our website dearmidlife.com and sign up for one of our communities! There we offer learning and support to topics such as building relationships, leveling up your career, gaining control of your health and hormones and so much more. AND...Tomorrow night, we are hosting our VERY FIRST Midlife momentum Happy Hour. Where you can connect and spill the tea with women just like you! To join us, go to our website: dearmidlife.com, open the community from the members button in the upper right hand corner and click on the "Meetups" tab! We can't wait to meet you!

You know, it was appropriate that just prior to recording this interview Trinity received the results of some recent blood work and was surprised to find that her Estrogen levels were at ZERO and my FSH was at 118 and these things together signified that she is "officially" post-menopausal. The funny story is that she sent the results some of her BFFs with a big arrow pointing to "post-menopausal" comment and each had a different reaction...one said, "HOORAY!!!" Another stated, "I don't know how to feel about that." Another, asked HER how she felt about it. This just emphasizes the societal messaging that menopausal women are old, unnecessary, irrelevant, unattractive or that our life...no WE are hopeless and maybe useless as we age! Well, fuck that shit! LOL We, honestly, feel like menopause is a milestone to be celebrated and today our guest, Beccy Freeman, helps us understand that while menopause and midlife can, perhaps, mean an end to an era...it can also be a beautiful beginning to a new adventure and FREEDOM! Beccy is a Women's Health and Lifestyle Coach and supports women who are making this transition to survive and thrive in the second half of life. She is passionate in her belief that perimenopause and menopause don't have to rule your life and that with, holistic supports in place, you can move through this time of change and transition and find ever more purpose, passion and power on the other side. Beccy uses her signature framework of wellness, mindset and meaning to help her clients restore their vitality and redefine their lives and sense of self. In this episode, Beccy teaches us: Perimenopause can sometimes start in mid-30's and go until our late 50's. Menopause is marked by going 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. Essential oils can help alleviate some menopausal symptoms...including lavender for sleep, clary sage for hormonal imbalances (period pain, aches and cramps), geranium for mood and frankincense enhances or amplifies the therapeutic effects all essential oils. Menopause can be a time to grieve and of loss of what was...but, also a time of gain...and that brings with it FREEDOM to not give a shit! To find more of Beccy: Website | breatheandblossom.com.au If you are in this phase of life...and I'm guessing if you're listening to this podcast, you are, girl...this is not the end! This is the beginning of a new adventure. But, we know that can be daunting...for all of us. So, that's why we started the "Middle" a community of women in midlife who will help and support one another as the navigate this new chapter. Visit our website at dearmidlife.com to join. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Our guest today, Siera Sambrosky, brought Trinity to tears in this episode and ya'll and she reminds us...she doesn't like to cry. But, when someone is so intuitive that she can see right through you and calls you to stand in awareness of your Self (with a capital S) and who you are, and shows you that there is little girl inside who is still hurting, damn that is powerful. Like many of us, Siera once found herself in a place where she was disassociated from her emotions, severely depressed, exhausted, constantly struggling with no boundaries and a terrible addiction to people pleasing...sound like anyone out there? But, she took the opportunity to let go of this life and reinvent herself and she now helps other women do the same. One of Siera's gifts is to facilitate self-discovery and support women like us who are navigating pivotal transitions (like uh...midlife) with resilience and while also acknowledging that there is grief that sometimes accompanies these monumental life shifts. In this episode, she teaches us that grief is more than losing a loved one, but entails anything we lose that we held as part of our self-identity and how THAT can show up and impact our lives. Siera fancies herself a trailblazing intuitive, holistic strategist and healer, and we saw the power of her intuition in this episode. Siera supports her clients by combining over two decades of business consulting experience with a rich background in self-directed healing to transform individuals, their lives, and their businesses. She finds immense fulfillment in holding space for healing during life's most challenging moments. Her unique fusion of expertise in grief facilitation, Holistic Health and Counseling. And let me tell you what...thank you, Siera, for holding space for Trinity in this episode as she comes face to face with that little girl inside who so desperately wanted to be seen and for guiding her to find ways to heal that part of herself. In this episode, Siera teaches us: Grief comes from anything we lose that we've held as part of our self-identity. So, transitioning into midlife entails an element of "grief" as you lose parts of who you were or who you wanted to be. We all have a dream or idea of who we were meant to be hidden deep inside of us that puts us in such a place of vulnerability, we're afraid to share. Don't lose sight of these. They may be a touchstone to your past or may just manifest differently than the way you think about them in your heard. Get in touch with your body! When you feel pain or loss, don't dismiss it....acknowledge it. We have to acknowledge these losses, experience and move through the pain to get to the other side and move beyond it. Get shit out of your brain. That could mean journaling about it, talking about it, make a voice note on your phone. When negative narratives remain in your mind, this shows up in all aspects of your life, money, and health. The best way to face and overcome is to, first, get them out of your head. Get creative! It is one way you can connect with your inner divinity and goddess and heal yourself. For more of Siera: Website | alkemai.com Facebook | @sieraintuitivelyknows Ladies, We all have a little girl inside of us who is longing for more and Shelby and I have been a JOURNEY to heal ourselves from our past so we can build a future in which we can step authentically into the best version of ourselves. If you are on this journey too, join us. If this content resonated with you, we ask you to please leave a 5-star review so we can continue to bring this goodness to others. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram and go to our website at dearmidlife.com to join our community where you'll find other women, just like you, going through the same trials and challenges in life. Because no one needs to do "midlife" alone!

You know Trinity was really interested in speaking with our guest today, Jean Border, because her story starts, in much part, with her battle with debilitating migraines from the age of NINE and Trinity and her sister have long suffered from migraines. Jean's story is a familiar one for many of us. She was given countless medications from doctors that relieved her pain, but never actually CURED her of her headaches. She was told she'd just have to wait to "outgrow" them. That is...until one when day she discovered a new approach to identifying and healing the pain in her body. Now she lives pain free, and helps others understand the source of their pain as a Certified Body Code and Emotion Code Practitioner (CBCP, CECP). Jean utilizes gentle techniques to help you rid yourself of emotional baggage that may be negatively impacting your outlook, your health, or your emotional state. She routinely utilizes EFT/Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique), Pranic Healing, the Peace Process, and other powerful techniques to create massive shifts for her clients. Jean is a Holistic Healer, and a passionate coach and mentor for other healers. She is the author of the new book series Energy Healing 101, and host of the podcast called 'The Focused Practical Dreamer's Journey', which combines the power of personal energy work with business growth. In today's episode, Jean teaches us: It takes 72 hours for any chemical to process out of your system. You can monitor you food intake to notice if there might be any one thing that is triggering your body into. 80% of disease that shows up in the body is caused by emotional issues that we didn't process out of the body. Muscle testing is where you use your subconscious to test true or false questions within your belief system and monitor the way your body moves in reaction to a binary question. It moves "towards" the positive and "away" from the negative. Labeling what ails us is a double edged sword. In one way, it can help us find community with others who suffer in the same way and we can find validation. But, the labels can also cause you to remain stagnant instead of finding resolution. Our subconscious brain governs 95% of our lives and behaviors and most of our ideas about life were engrained by age 8 and everything is filtered through a lens of safety. Patterns we forge are often a result of our body trying to protect us from something we perceived as unsafe. To find more of Jean: Website | jeanborder.com Enjoy Jean's Podcast Connect on LinkedIn Find Jean on FB Help you pet! Now is the time to seek healing and create a life full of energy and growth! If this episode resonated with you, please consider leaving a 5-star review and make sure to follow us so that you don't miss an episode. If you are feeling lost or stuck in midlife, we have made available to you some pretty amazing tools for YOUR journey of personal healing and growth. SO, baby girl! If you are fed up with midlife mediocrity, ready to unleash your inner power to find real meaning and the relationships you desire...go to dearmidlife.com to join us on this journey.

Our guest today, Kim Rahir, suggests we look at health on a continuum. If on one side, you can picture yourself laying on a couch eating chips and binging Netflix and on the other side, getting up at 5am, working out for 2 hours and then drinking a broccoli + Kale smoothie, now...find yourself on this continuum and then picture yourself taking just one step toward that positive (more healthy) end of the spectrum, But, be specific about what you'll do. Coincidentally, Trinity just got some bloodwork back...all you ladies out there run your bloodwork. That will light a fire under your booty to take more than just ONE healthy step towards that broccoli kale smoothie, baby. We are both putting a foot forward towards a healthier life and are about to cut out the processed foods, nix the sugar and LIFT WEIGHTS!! We are all IN! Thank goodness for our girl, Kim Rahir, who uses her own personal experiences to put into perspective the importance of fitness! Kim had a fire inside of her too when she was diagnosed with not ONE, but TWO debilitating diseases that are crippling. However, Kim took this as a sign and an opportunity to GET STRONG and went from a wheelchair to winning a European Masters title in Weightlifting this year. Kim's story is enough to inspire ALL of our ladies in the middle to start building muscle...because doing just THIS was Kim's "health elixir" and her road to salvation. Girls, becoming strong is NOT just a pursuit that is exclusive to men AND Kim proves that it is never too late to get started and she didn't let physical or environmental limitations stand in her way of building a better life. Now Kim, who is a former journalist turned health coach and MS survivor, is on a mission to help middle-aged women embrace muscle and strength as the one-stop-solution for most health problems from age 30 onwards. Her approach is to turn scientific knowledge about human health in to actionable tool kits for everyday life! In this episode, Kim teaches us: Building muscle can help resolve a lot of health and medical problems. If you've never lifted weights and or if you haven't lifted for a long time, be gentle with your body as you get started and start where you are at. If necessary find a trainer who has worked with women in midlife Building muscle not only supports your metabolic rate, but improves your bone health, joints, and increases your functional independence. Muscles support blood sugar management. Muscles require more energy to maintain so they enable you to eat more and burn more fat. Muscles are also a place for your body to store excess sugar. If you don't have enough muscles and you don't use them, your body converts this excess glycogen (or sugar) straight into fat. Stop TRYING to eat healthy and DO. It takes just one step in the right direction. If WE can do it, so can you! Find more of Kim: Website | kimrahir.com Facebook | Kim.Rahir Instagram | @Kim.rahir And girl! You don't have to power through the second half of life alone! Follow-this show where we have consistently brought you new tools to tackle midlife week over week and leave us a review. Join our community at dearmidlife.com where you will find additional tools, resources and a community of support to help you not just survive, but THRIVE in the middle. We can't wait to see you!

Our next guest quotes Socrates who says "The years wrinkle your skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles your soul". We love that thought and BELIEVE it! We are 100% certain that little things like finding joy in your life everyday and moving your body will keep you young! And our guest today, Annie Gaudreault shares with us her expertise and wisdom for how to do just THAT. As a nutritionist and health coach, Annie founded VEEV Health & Wellness to support the needs of smart and successful individuals, giving them the confidence to do what they want to do, with the energy that they need. Annie is an endurance athlete with 12 marathons and 3 Ironman® triathlons under her belt, and practices what she preaches. Before she was a nutritionist and health coach, Annie had a 25+ year career as a brand consultant working with executives of Fortune 500 companies and this gave her a solid background to serve the wellness needs of those living busy lives.Now, she focuses on guiding women through menopause by creating a healthy lifestyle from a holistic standpoint. Just like us, Annie believes midlife is a pivotal time for a woman to reinvent herself, overcome limiting beliefs and finally come into her own! She supports her clients with strategies like setting a goal for something that they never have done before (a new hobby, a 10k run, etc) and creating a TO BE list as opposed to a TO DO list. She challenges her clients to put themselves into uncomfortable, yet achievable situations, as a way to gain confidence and grow some wings. In this episode, Annie teaches us: The symptoms of menopause is your body's way of providing you data and information that something is out of balance. It is a call to change and an opportunity for us to listen, acknowledge and take action. Menopause is a natural and unique experience for each individual woman. Many doctors gaslight women into believing there is nothing they can do about their symptoms. The either positive or negative beliefs you have about aging can add (or subtract) 7 year to your life. As we age and our estrogen drops, we are much more susceptible to stress and our cortisol levels are more easily triggered. By increasing our cardio, we are putting more stress on our bodies and our body's natural reaction is to retain weight...not lose it. So, don't overdo the cardio. Instead, do strength and resistance exercises. In midlife, we need to increase our intake of protein. We should have 70-80 grams of protein or more daily. Start your day with a protein rich breakfast. And, ladies, life is too short to feel guilty! Eat healthy 80% of the time and give yourself some grace to enjoy life the rest of the time! And speaking of gaining confidence and growing some wings...now is your time, baby girl! We are here to support you on your midlife journey. Visit our website dearmidlife.com to gain access to our community where you will find an instant group of girlfriends who are there to HEAR you and support you. Thank you to our VERY FIRST FOUNDING MEMBER, Rhonda Osborn! We can't wait to take this journey with you! And don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram! We can wait to meet you in the middle! ANNIE GAUDREAULT BIOGRAPHY You use midlife as a pivotal time in a woman's life as an opportunity to reinvent herself...we are very focused on midlife as being a woman's next chapter. how do you help women do take this time to grow and expand? What are the 6 pillars of healthy aging? What are some first steps we can take to live a healthier LONGER life? You help women overcome long held limiting beliefs what are some tools you recommend for us to be able to do that? When we are growing and stretching ourselves, we're often pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones. You are an endurance athlete, which requires you to mentally AND physically push yourself. How can we become more comfortable with being UNcomfortable?

Let's face it...Our world today can be a SHIT show and all of this negativity can get a girl down. You know it was the end of last year and Shelby found that she was getting overwhelmed and burned out. I don't know about you...but, when this chic is tired, that permeates my day and bleeds into what and how I communicate. Much to her dismay, she suddenly caught herself spewing negativity in conversations with her team and her daughters. She began complaining about customers, traffic, life! And all of a sudden she was like who am I?! This is NOT me and she had to make a conscientious choice to shift my mindset and when she did, things shifted in her....in her relationships...in the way I felt about her day and her life. The famous Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton said "Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive good things and good people will be drawn to you." This is so true. And you know, more often than not, people tend to dwell on the negative, rather than the positive and yet, it takes equal amounts of energy to put out a positive vibe as it does a negative one! Our guest today, Atousa Raissyan, proves this point in her book called "Change Yourself, Change The World: Transform your life from fear-based living to choosing love and seeing magic". Atousa is recognized as a Shaman, Transformational Heart-Centered Healer and Spiritual Guide, Motivational Speaker. She is also a bestselling author, poet and digital artist. Her passion is to help people light up by guiding them to release their traumas and reprogram their fear-based living to a more heart-centered peaceful life. Atousa's extensive experience comes from years of transforming the life of her clients to tap in their truth, heart and experience their desired life, and in turn change the lives of those around them. Because of this transformational experience her clients refer to her as “Guiding Light,” “Life Changing,” “Best Teacher And Mentor,” “Game Changer,”. She has been featured in USA Today, Potomac Lifestyle Magazine, Entrepreneur Herald. She has been a guest speaker at over twenty-five podcasts and summits past two years. If you want to transform your relationships and the people around you, start with transforming yourself by learning to love and accept yourself. The trauma in our lives can be seen as a hindrance and can make us a victim or we can choose to see it as a gift. Healing our traumas and evaluating what we've learned from those experiences is part of the process of growth and transformation Self-love and self-care are different. Self-love starts with looking in the mirror and loving everything about the person staring back at you. Every night choose 5 thing on the outside of your body (your smile, your skin, your collarbones) and 5 things on the inside of your body (your heart, your brain) and tell these things you love them. Some trauma is passed down generationally in the form of the disease that we inherit from our family and ancestors. However, you can be the one to stop the cycle by healing yourself. It's not too late. You can find more of Atousa at: Website | www.atousaraissyan.com Soulystic Art Shop Soulystic Apparel Shop The one most important message that Atousa shared with us today is if you want to transform your life, it starts with transforming and reconnecting with yourself. We are here to go on this journey with you so you don't have to do it alone! Let's face our next chapter with the joy, enthusiasm and magic that Atousa preaches. When we come together with this energy, we can move mountains ladies. And we have the tools to help you remember who you are and figure out who you want to become! So, Please follow this podcast so you don't miss any important news and find us at dearmidlife.com so we transform our lives together.

So, in 2021 Shelby had been divorced for 5 years. She'd held a variety of different jobs within a short frame of time due to the ups and downs of her industry at the time and a variety of reorganizations and acquisitions. She wasn't truly happy in life...nor was she truly DISsatisfied. The best word to describe the way she felt was "stuck". Trinity was also stuck after just leaving a stagnant relationship. So, one day (on a whim and in support of a good friend's school fundraiser) Shelby purchased an 8-week course at an elementary school silent auction written by Brene Brown and delivered by one of her certified partners (also a mom at the school). It felt like a great investment on her part and she thought it would help her move beyond feeling stuck. One of the exercises was around finding your core values. The exercise required you to look at a list of a 50 or so stated values and choose 15 that resonated with you. Then, from there the goal was to continue to narrow the list to 2 that really resonated. The values Shelby selected from that list included words like, "productivity", "accountability", "adaptability", integrity etc. Then the facilitator took the group away from the prescribed content to help participants visualize their values in a different way. She asked the group to write one story about something in life that they had accomplished that they were proud of. This couldn't include things like marriage or children. It had to be something the individuals in the group had accomplished that made us proud. Then she asked the group to recall a specific memory from early childhood or from our past in which they had experienced pure joy. The participants spent some time writing out these memories and then she had them read them to the group. And as the stories were read, the group was instructed to capture noticeable themes from the stories. When the stories were done were done the facilitator and other participants to reflect back the themes THEY pulled out of the stories. You see, it is in these stories in which our TRUE values are visible. When Shelby left that session, her profound revelation was that what she truly valued were things like "community", "impact", "love/ or what Brene calls wholeheartedness". It suddenly resonated why she was feeling so...stuck, disconnected, so...fill in the blank...right. It was because she was living a life that was out of alignment with her core values. Then circumstances brought Trinity and Shelby back together and Shelby started talking about this crazy fucking idea about starting a podcast. Of course, Trinity was like, bitch, I don't even know what a podcast IS...let alone listen to one! lol But, the more Shelby talked about it the more Trinity was drawn to the idea. The goal was to try to connect with and learn from other women in midlife who were struggling to find themselves, just like us. And you know what we learned along the way?!? We learned more about ourselves. We started exploring our passions...we realized there were big and little traumas that were impacting our mindset and heartset that might be holding us back from greatness! We interviewed some pretty amazing men and women and you know what?! We started DOING the shit they suggested. Trinity started working out, having her hormones tested, reflecting on her past...I mean, she definitely didn't give in and started journaling or anything crazy like that...it will take a cold day in hell before she does that... But, Shelby journaled and learned so much about herself and was able to set and achieve some relevant goals and heal in so many ways from childhood traumas. Trinity started on a mission to find her joy. She's always been a spontaneous person who likes to try new things....so, she took a solo trip to Ireland with nothing but a backpack, used a rope swing to catapult herself off a cliff and into a lake-fully clothed. We started living LIFE. And we both have attracted new relationships and inspired others along the way. What we realized along the way is that it is soo easy to get stuck...and STAY stuck...especially during a fucking global pandemic....BITCH! But, we realized that with the right tools and people on your side you CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS and accomplish your dreams. We started asking ourselves some pretty tough questions...Like what are the consequences if nothing changes? AND...are you willing to settle for that? We thought...what if we could capture what we've learned on our journey so far and provide these tools and a supportive community to others who are struggling who have felt stuck, just like us. The podcast is just ONE vehicle where we can share this relevant information out into the world and build community. What if we could actually connect women around the world to help one another. To create a safe place to share our fears, our excitements, to get advice and friendship! So, we distilled our journey into a simple blueprint using the acronym HERO....because we feel like damn if we don't all keep waiting for someone else to be our "hero" and save our asses! but, girl...here's a secret...no one is coming to save you. We have to learn to be our OWN hero. So, what in the hell does it mean to be your OWN hero? It means: Healing the past and move beyond negative narratives. Embracing change. Rediscovering your passions and realigning to your values. Owning the results And, ladies, we are our own guests today! We want to share a little bit about our personal journeys and experiences along the way and at the end of this episode, we want you to ask yourself what are the consequences if nothing changes.... If you want to join us in the middle...please check out our website at dearmidlife.com. We can't wait to see you there. S; and are you willing to settle for that...?

I don't know about you, but we have been taught for our entire lives to eat less and do more exercise if you want to stay fit and lose weight. and girl...we've taken that shit to heart! Is anyone else out there finding it frustrating that, lately, what used to work to help shed a couple of pounds no longer works! Heck! In midlife, it feels like everything...including our metabolism...is dragging. AND, if you're like us, you feel hungry all the time! If you're feeling as though you're at your wits end, don't despair! You will love what our guest today, Sarah Thomas, says about stepping into this chapter in life and looking at the years ahead as a clean slate. We have this new opportunity in midlife to live our best years AND Sarah will convince us today that we can actually ENJOY life FEAST on foods we love while also maintaining a healthy body weight. Sarah is the founder of Burn Fat and Feast, elite comprehensive wellness lifestyle for women across the globe. She is a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Nutrition Coach for women 30+ who are ready to live a healthy and strong lifestyle. For more than 22 years, she has been teaching them how to balance their hormones and metabolism through proper nutrition, mindset training, and quick and effective fitness workouts so that they can take back control of their health and finally feel their best. Sarah, herself, is a 45-year-old personal trainer, fitness instructor, nutrition coach, business mentor, wife, mom of three, and BFF for women who feel stuck and frustrated with weight loss and overall well being. Burn Fat and FEAST provides a proven, step-by-step system that educates and empowers women to finally shed the excess weight, increase metabolism and stop the yo-yo dieting once and for all. At Burn Fat and FEAST we teach women to live life to the fullest by focusing on progress over perfection! Sarah is your girl if you want results without feeling deprived or getting stuck in a plateau. She's been featured in TV and magazine publications such as Nashville's Talk of the Town, Franklin Lifestyle, The Tennessean, Nashville Voyager as well as on Podcasts and as a keynote speaker for national wellness and educational conferences across the country. In this episode, Sarah teaches us: We've grown up being told eat less, put yourself in a caloric deficit and you will lose weight. But, we are not math equations. we are more complex and other things like hormones, metabolism and stress all impact our ability to lose weight. Make it a "feast" day...not a "cheat" day. Ensure you build into your lifestyle the ability to engage socially and enjoy life. This phase of life is like a new beginning or a blank slate. YOU get to choose how you approach this chapter in life and how you want to approach life in a different way in order to live a more vibrant lifestyle. Prioritize protein! Our bodies need more protein as we get older and increasing our intake of protein helps us to better maintain our muscle mass as we face this season of life where everything is slowing down. We also need to be capable to prioritize strength training 3x per week as adding muscle mass will support your metabolism. Then we need to ensure that we are get good sleep to allow ourselves to rest and recover. Find more of Sarah: Facebook | @burnfatandfeast Instagram | @burnfatandfeast LinkedIn | @burn-fat-and-feast So are you ready to turn the page in this next chapter in life? You have an empty page before you and you get to write your own story! What will you manifest this year? If you want to live a healthy and vibrant life so you can do what you love find our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram. You're not going to want to miss out on a single thing that we have in store for you moving forward. We can't wait to introduce you to some exciting new tools that will help you remember who you are and figure out who in the hell you want to become!

This episode is very timely for both of us as Shelby's oldest daughter is about to head off to college next year. She can't even begin to express the variety of emotions she has about that. Perhaps you have a child who is headed to college or children who are starting their own lives and you've also felt pride in your child for the adversity they've faced in High School and the confidence your child has gained to prepare them for college and life. Maybe, you're equally afraid to let go of your child...the world is such a different place now than it was when we were younger and there are so many dangers and unknowns to consider. Then, whether you're a single parent or in a partnership we know this time can be full of new adventures and, simultaneously, daunting! We lose a part of ourselves and our identity when the humans who have been our singular focus for so long are no longer fully dependent on us and we are left with TIME and wondering what the hell we can do to fill it! If you find yourself in a similar place as Trinity and I do, with a child headed off to college or one who boomeranged home and getting ready to "launch" again, you'll love our guest today, Anthony Damaschino, the author of "The Empty Nest Blueprint". The truth is, just as we dove head first into parenthood without a manual when these babies were born, we are now expected to send them off into the world and THEN reclaim our own lives after making our children and families a top priority for so many years! I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't even know who the hell I am anymore! Thank goodness for our guest, Anthony, who has an obsession with what he calls, “The most underrated phase in a parent's life” which led him to create a blueprint for all future and current Empty Nesters to follow. He combines current research, practical advice, and personal experience to help others not just survive, but thrive in their Empty Nest adventure. The Empty Nest Blueprint is more than just a book–it's a journey of self-discovery. Anthony and his wife have successfully launched 3 children into the world (two of whom are still in college). He considers himself a recovering HR exec with a BS in Political Science and an MS in HR and organizational development. It is his goal to utilize his personal and professional experience to put readers on a path of reflection and empowerment while gaining profound insights into your most cherished relationships. By the end of this read, you'll emerge with a tangible blueprint and actionable plans to create a future filled with happiness, motivation, and a renewed sense of intimacy. If you are in our shoes and sending your beloved humans out into the universe, we beg you not to let this precious chapter in YOUR life pass you by–This is your chance to seize the opportunity to create a blueprint for a joyful and fulfilling life and you don't have to do it alone! We are right here with you every step of the way. The "Empty Nest Syndrome" is meant to define the feelings of sadness and loss experienced when children move out and on their own, but can extend farther to concerns such as what is your new purpose as a parent, loneliness and emotional toll, marital stress and parental anxiety. As children leave, there are 3/4 things to explore: what is your relationship to self and new purpose, what is your plan for your relationships, what is your plan for the marriage (if there is a spouse) and what is your new relationship with your child going to look like moving forward. When launching a child, there are gains and losses. The biggest gain is time. And then there is the loss. The empty nest age group is the second largest group suffering depression. The best thing you can do for yourself is to fill the additional time with meaningful activities and people you love. When your child leaves the home it is important to set expectations around grades, money and communication. To find more of Anthony: The Empty Nest Blueprint on Amazon www.anthonydamaschino.comAnthony Damaschino's LinkedInAnthony Damaschino's FacebookAnthony Damaschino's Instagram Anthony Damaschino's YouTube If you are a soon-to-be empty nester...listen up! THIS IS YOUR TIME TO THRIVE! Becoming an Empty Nester opens the door to new opportunity and Dear Midlife has some exciting new tools to share with you to make your next chapter a time in which you reclaim your life and live with authenticity and alignment. We have some exciting new tools coming in 2024 and can't wait to share them with you. Join our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram so you don't miss any of the excitement!

It is sooo hard managing our weight in midlife. I mean...nothing that used to work...minimizing calories and being a slave to cardio seems to be working anymore. We don't know about you, but we're at our wit's end! Further, society does not make it any easier by creating impossible to achieve ideals! Our guest today, Kathy Mead Fronheiser calls this "comparanoia" because we are constantly comparing ourselves to other women and the societal standards projected in the media. But, the reality is that trying to live up to those standards may be the exact thing that is preventing us from being our healthiest selves. Kathy is a health coach who focuses on helping high-achieving women over 40 (i.e. in perimenopause and menopause) achieve their health goals. She has an MS in exercise science and has over 15 years of experience as a health coach. She coaches women to lift heavy shit, not eat like toddlers, have fun and find a supportive community when working towards new levels of fitness in this age and stage of life. And...Don't forget the sleep! Getting enough rest helps our bodies to recover so that we can have more strength and energy to reclaim our future and prioritize our selves and our health. Kathy teaches us that fitness in midlife (while different for each individual) can be a simple formula of working out LESS, resting MORE, enjoying food, and losing inches. That's a win-win-win our book! And girl, if you're a woman in the middle and find you have a tire in the middle (I mean...who doesn't at this age?!) you MUST listen to this episode! As a matter of fact, we want you to join us each and every week as we meet right here in the middle to discuss all the ways in which you can let go of past negative narratives and start the next chapter of your life with purpose and intention. In this episode, Kathy teaches us: The way we used to diet and exercise in the past no longer work in middle age and even puts stress on our bodies. This has a detrimental impact on our bodies by increasing our cortisol levels, which makes it more difficult to lose fat. If there were a hierarchy of health priorities, sleep should be at the top. High intensity and high impact are not the same. There are ways to do high intensity without high impact. We should be striving for high intensity to get our heart rate up while building muscle. Work with a personal trainer just a few times, as necessary, until you have established a routine and understand what exercises work for you. Make sure you are prioritizing fiber and protein in your diet at you age. As we age, we need more protein. If necessary, front load your protein by eating a breakfast that is high in protein so you don't reach the end of a day and not had enough. Strive to eat 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight in a day. i.e. if you weigh 150, eat 150 grams of protein. To find more of Kathy: Website | www.kathymeadfronheiser.com Instagram | @kathy_mead_fronheiser/ New year, new you, baby girl. What will you do to change your life!? It starts with knowing you're worth it. We're bringing you some exciting new tools this year and can't wait to share them with you. Join our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram so you don't miss out on the excitement!

Some of you may know that Trinity's son was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition last year that made him very sick for a very long time. The ultimate diagnosis was Ulcerative Colitis, which prevented him from really keeping anything in his stomach and kept her family up all night for weeks and months on end making them desperate and exhausted. Thankfully, they have been able to find a remedy to maintain his health. But, this experience took a toll on both Trinity and her son's nervous systems and they both always feel a bit on edge whenever he eats something or needs to go to the bathroom. The challenge is now is that they are not really sure how to let go of this trauma. Which is where our guest today, Janis Isaman, comes in. Janis is the founder of My Body Couture, and helps people feel physically, emotionally and mentally better in their body. She is an experienced clinician who combines restorative movement and trauma-informed therapeutic modalities in a one-on-one setting to support people, who experience pain and trauma in their bodies, resolve their trauma and regulate their nervous systems to achieve their therapeutic goals. We discuss the variety of modalities Janis uses in our episode today and which approach to take to down-regulate our nervous systems and which to use to heal trauma that remains stuck in our bodies. Janis walks us through the ways in which she works with her clients to get to know their lifestyle challenges and provide reasonable solutions, underlying education and life-changing approaches that have gained her recognition as a lifestyle expert in Reader's Digest and invited as a guest on over 250 podcasts! In this episode, Janis mentions that our nervous system is meant to adjust up and down all day. However, most of us never find a way to down regulate and live in a space of stress. If you know what we're talking about.... please tune in to this episode! It is our goal to bring you practical advice so that you can live the next chapter of your life to the fullest. And, we hate to break it to you sister, but we know you pride yourself on the amount of stress you can shoulder, but you're on your way to burn out. So, ladies...if this is you, let's listen to Janis, let's learn to slow down and savor every moment because life is just too short. Today, Janis teaches us: We databank our experience with trauma and use it at a reference point for what might happen in the future. In these instances, we sometimes need to move the trauma through our bodies through movement. We need connection with people who are regulated, we need validation and to be shown we are safe through a new set of experiences. Not only have we been taught to ignore our body signals, we've never been taught about our bodies. This makes it difficult to even identify where in our bodies we are actually experiencing pain. Sometimes it takes a 3rd party to help individuals "see" where their body and nervous system is reacting to trauma. When we say trauma "lives in our body" we often picture that trauma sitting somewhere within us (picture butterflies in your stomach), and that we can easily just work on a part of the body to release the trauma. But, what is actually happening is a physiological response to outside triggers that may manifest in various places in your body to remedy this, we need to tackle the root of the trauma to minimize the trauma response. Our nervous system is meant to adjust up and down all day, but most of us put our bodies through so much stress, that our nervous system isn't functioning optimally and is stuck on high alert, which takes its toll over time. Different approaches may be taken in order to down regulate your nervous system versus heal trauma. To down regulate your nervous, you can use restorative practices. To heal trauma, you may need to turn to trauma informed practices to help you heal. To find more of Janis: Website | mybodycouture.com Facebook | @mybodycouture Instagram | @mybodycouture Elephant Journal |@janis-isaman/ LinkedIn | @jisaman YouTube | @janisisaman If you love this show, make sure you follow us so you don't miss an episode or share this episode with a friend. We've got some exciting new things to share with you in 2024 that you're not going to want to miss. So, we encourage you to find us on Facebook and Instagram so you can make the most of your next chapter in life!

We were shocked when our guest today shared the statistic that 63% of Americans don't have enough money in savings to cover a $500 emergency without going into debt. AND, while many people are blaming the current inflation as the culprit, the number was the same 5 years ago, but people were putting the blame elsewhere. The reality is that many of us are living paycheck to paycheck and are simply not good at saving money. Baby girl, if this is you, it is time for a reality check. Today our guest, Brad Nelson, helps to provide an eye-opening outlook on debt and money that challenge today's popular thinking. This man has dedicated his life to helping people with their personal finances and his program "Roots of Personal Finance" has supported so many by helping them pay off tens-of-millions of dollars in debt and, then, to start SAVING money! It is the goal of the Dear Midlife Podcast to help women reinvent and reinvigorate the second half of their life. But, the reality is that (as we've seen by our statistic) so many people struggle with money and debt. Brad teaches a simple process to help people develop a healthier financial mindset, allowing them to take control of their finances so they can do more of what they love. Brad's message comes from the heart and from his own personal experiences. He and his wife decided to become debt free early in their marriage. In 2018, his wife Sarah gave birth to their daughter Avery. Avery was born with a brain injury (due to lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain) and Cerebral Palsy. Being debt-free allowed him and his wife to put all of their efforts into getting the care that Avery needed and being there to support her daily therapy session. Thankfully, today, Avery is thriving and living a normal life, and Brad attributes her progress to the time they were able to spend on Avery's care at an early age. Then, tragedy struck again earlier this year in March 2023 when Brad suddenly lost his wife, Sarah, to a battle with mental illness and suicide. Again, Brad and his financial life were tested, but because of the work they put in on their finances leading up to this tragic event, he has remained debt-free while allowing him and his children to have the time and space to grieve the loss and rebuild their lives. In this episode, Brad teaches us: Start planning your financial future as soon as possible. If you didn't start when you were young, start now. The best first step is to evaluate the last 6-12 months of spending and determine opportunities to shift your spending habits. After reviewing where you're spending your money, imagine what you want to feel like when you think about your finances and then consider what you're willing to sacrifice to get there. The word "budget" has gotten a bad rap over the years. But, the reality is you need to have a plan every month to cover your expenses. But, when building your budget, include some discretionary spending for having fun and enjoying life. After you've gotten visibility into your spending habits, it's time to then start saving money. 63% of people can't afford a $500 emergency expense without going into debt. Ideally you can have a minimum of $1,000 and up to $5,000 (if possible) in savings for emergencies. To find more about Brad and to tap into his programs go to: Website | www.debtfreedad.com Debt Free Dad Podcast Girl....what kind of life are YOU living? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you part of that 63% who cannot pay for a $500 emergency? Don't be ashamed to raise your hand. We are here to support you and to provide you the tools and resources to elevate your life. This is why we need you to follow our show, find us on Instagram and join our Facebook Community. We want you to know you are NOT alone. We are here to take this journey with you every step of the way. We have exciting new adventures to bring you in 2024. Stay tuned for the excitement!

I'd like for us to pause a moment and reflect on and CELEBRATE a major milestone! Today, we are releasing out 100th Episode! We started Dear Midlife on Valentines day of 2022 and we've consistently released 1 episode every week for almost 2 full years! And today we celebrate and honor the women we were when we started this endeavor, and the women that we have become. It is fun to reflect on the growth we've both experienced since beginning our show. Each guest has touched us in unique and special ways and we've taken the tips and tools offered by each to heart and have both evolved a great deal individually and together this past couple of years. One special guest who has made an impact on us is our dear friend Heather Hope Wyszinski. 4 Years ago, after celebrating her 40th birthday, she looked in the mirror and noticed how her body had changed after years of pregnancy, corporate stress, nursing and sleep deprivation. She said she noticed she had bags under her eyes and had decided to attempt a DIY closet makeover to refresh her life when the House of Colour found her. As a franchise owner of The House of Colour, she now gets the opportunity as an image consultant to empower and inspire women, daily, to see themselves in a new light. She helps clients cultivate confidence through a color and style analysis. You see, ladies, we can control the message we convey through our non-verbal communication and the way we show up. When you look good...you feel good. Heather helps her clients develop their own authentic style and elevate their personal brand with intention by helping them understand their personal color palette and the styles that suit them. The thing we love most about Heather and her process is that she helps you to rediscover your own personal beauty. Every one of us is beautiful in our own special and unique way. Heather helps uncover your natural beauty and appearance and step into your light with confidence and authenticity. You don't need to hide behind a lot of makeup, fade into invisible with age, blend in, or get stuck in what's no longer serving you. You simply need the tools to stand out as your most unique and be-YOU-tiful self. Today we speak with Heather about her own midlife entrepreneurial journey and how she's evolved personally and professionally. Heather stepped into a new life chapter after 40 and has changed thousands of people's lives in doing so. In this episode, Heather teaches us: Sometimes we have to start new chapters messy. If we wait for perfection, we'll never get started. We provide freedom to those around us to fail, but avoid failure ourselves. Let's show ourselves the same grace we show others. It's time to operate in your zone of genius. Take stock of what you are passionate about and what you do well and do more of those things. Find opportunity to delegate or outsource tasks and activities that you are not effective or efficient at doing. Social narratives have told women time and time again that we are not enough. But, you ARE enough...and sometimes it just takes someone to show you how to lean into your most authentic self. Call her a sherpa of sass Embrace who you are and where you are now and celebrate! Reflect on what compliments that you've received over the years. They are indicators of how others see you. Gravitate towards replicating the looks and styles in which you've received the most compliments in the past. What is your next chapter? You see, here at the Dear Midlife podcast, we want to give you the tools to grow and evolve, because baby girl...THIS is our time! The second half of your life is just beginning! How will you live it? If you want to do more and be more...join us! Follow our show so you never miss an episode, follow us on Instagram and join our Facebook Community! Exciting things are coming in the new year and you won't want to miss a thing!

We are both single and out there playing the dating game and we both know how difficult it is to get a man to even engage in conversation! So!! to our 2 guys listening out there....conversation is a 2-way street! That means I ask you a question, you respond (hopefully with more than 3 words) then YOU ask ME a question. I don't know if we've lost the fine art of conversation due to the social norms of communicating via texted acronyms LOL, WTF, OMW! etc. But, it is getting harder and harder to strike up conversation. And we're talking like, everyday average conversation! Right?! We're not even talking about deep or intimate conversations about topics that are central to the foundation of any relationship we are forging. Our guest today, Daniela Stevens, helps us to understand how to better have these conversations with an intimate partner (or let's be real, someone we WANT to have an intimate partnership with) in a way that is considerate, authentic and SAFE. For over 20 years, Daniela has worked with thousands of people 1:1, in college classrooms, and in yoga studios using somatic attachment therapy. She leverages neuroscience, holistic healing, trauma resolution and modern coaching blended with ancient tantric and taoist wisdom to support couples and individuals to experience deep sexual connection with themselves and their partner(s). Sometimes it's about removing pressure, guilt, shame, and blame. Sometimes it's about bolstering trust to foster vulnerability and emotional connection. Each person or relationship is unique and the private coaching experience is curated to their journey. She was named one of the best sex & intimacy coaches in 2023 by www.datingadvice.com In this episode, Daniela teaches us: The first step to better sex in midlife is defining what that looks like for you and to learn to articulate what you're looking for. We can start to identify what is the speed, the flavor, the pace, the feeling, the level of intimacy, what are desires and how and where do they come into partnered sex and self-pleasure. A vibrator isn't the only solution to finding your orgasm. It can help, but you have to be in touch and in tune with you body to figure out what works for you. There is opportunity to make an intimate and safe experience when we talk about our needs. We can do this before sex, during sex, and after sex. To do this we have to be radically honest and willing to SAY what it is we're thinking. When trying to understand our needs and our partners intimate needs ask 1. How's the speed?, 2 .How is the pressure? 3. How is the location? 4. How is the style or stroke? Don't be afraid to initiate these conversations! They are a necessary and important part to a healthy sexual partnership. You can find more of Daniela at: Website | danielastevens.com Instagram | @danielastevensnow Daniela is our girl. If you are in the same place as us...in the middle, single, longing for a relationship with true, mind-blowing intimacy and just having a damn hard time finding it. You are in the right place! And if all of these topics are resonating with you, please follow our podcast so you don't miss an episode. And please join our FB Community and follow us on Instagram for more fun engagement and connection!

We waste no time in jumping directly into our conversation with Dr. Marcia Martin and dive deep into dialogue before we even get a chance to properly welcome her to the show! Perhaps, it is because Dr. Marcia Martin has SOO much rich information to share with us. Dr. Marcia goes by many titles: Heart Healer, a spiritual empowerment counselor, metaphysical minister, bestselling author, public speaker, and clairaudient angel communicator. She specializes in helping people heal their relationship with themselves. Dr. Marcia operates under the premise that, by healing the heart of all your past pain and trauma, you will then be able to establish and maintain healthy relationships with yourself and others so you can live a successful life. Her unique, heart-centered, energetic, healing approach, the Angel Heart Healing Technique, enables you to build the perfect relationship with yourself and helps you answer the questions, “Who am I? Why am I here? and Where am I going?” Dr. Marcia will help you release your greatest fear so you can achieve your biggest dreams as you heal your heart and transform your life. So many women in midlife struggle with feeling bound by societal norms and limiting beliefs that prevent us from making choices that allow us to live in alignment with who we are and share our gifts with the world. Dr. Marcia helps us to learn the difference between selfish and selfless, we can lead you to be able to make proactive choices for yourself, while still meeting the needs of others. It is her mission to teach others how to honor those who are important in their lives without putting themselves in last place. Dr. Marcia demonstrates over and over again that, when we learn to heal our relationship with ourselves and give ourselves permission to choose a path that is inclusive rather than exclusive of Self, anything is possible. In this episode, Dr. Marcia teaches us: Go for the usual. It is normal for you to feel strong and to feel accomplished but the UNusual (i.e. feelings of anxiety or fear) catches our attention and disrupts our feelings. YOU get to decide where you stay. Stop doing whatever you're doing when you hit the point of saying I should do more. Take a break and then come back to the task. don't over extend yourself. Show yourself empathy by connecting to your heart and telling yourself "I love you." You can also enhance your relationship to Self and show yourself compassion by apologizing TO YOU when necessary. Give yourself permission to live in alignment with your own energetic heartspace and values vs. what society deems you should be. You will not be perfect in the beginning, but you will experience greater joy than you've ever known when you share your gifts with the world. As you give, you must allow yourself to give and RECEIVE. The difference between selfishness and selflessness is that selfishness is that you give and give until you have created dependency until you have nothing left to give...leaving everyone without. Selflessness is when you allow yourself to be filled until you are overflowing and then give from your overflow. To find more of Dr. Marcia go to: Website | mmhearthealer.com Instagram | @mmhearthealer YouTube | @DrMarciaMartintheHeartHealer Facebook | @marciamartinthehearthealer TikTok | @mmhearthealer Are you wanting to learn how to heal the relationship with yourself? Are you wanting permission to live the life of your dreams, but don't quite know how to get there? Well, honey, you're in the right place. We are HERE FOR YOU! We've been there and are still on this same journey for ourselves. We struggle to know who we are and what we want to become. But, we know we can't do it alone. So, join us. We're your tribe of support as we all work to figure out what this life has in store for us and to answer Dr. Marcia's questions, Who am I, why am I here? Where am I going? Follow this podcast for more great content that will support you on your journey to freedom and join our FB group and follow us on Instagram for ongoing support! We've got your back!

So, this is a very timely episode for Shelby, specifically. Our consistent listeners have gotten to know that Shelby's been divorced for 7 years and that her ex-husband very much fits the definition of a narcissist. What has been surprising since she decided to walk away from her abusive situation, was that her 2 daughters forever keep she and her ex tethered together. And, even though she left her abusive situation...she can never really walk away completely. But, she has grown so strong since she left. And for those of us who find ourselves co-parenting with a narcissist, we have to adopt new skills so that we can make different choices in the way we respond to the continued abuse. This weekend, Shelby's ex sent 29 harassing and threatening texts message and 1 foul rambling voice mail message in

So, not that long ago, Shelby was dating a guy and just kind of knew in her gut it wasn't the right place right time. BUT! He was the first person she'd met in a really long time that she felt completely connected to. There was, literal, electricity between them in the beginning. But, over time she just got a sensation in her body that was telling her that she needed or wanted more from the relationship than he was capable of giving at the time. And...of course! She didn't listen to her body! Instead, she listened to her head! She rationalized the significant connection between them. Even though there were equally as many warning signs (if that's what you want to call them). Shelby was doing my usual "hustle" in the end, trying to get his attention and doing much of the work to keep the connection and flame going. She knew he had many personal hurdles to overcome before he was emotionally available for a relationship....but, she just wanted it so badly she chose to ignore her gut, and continued to rationalize in her head something that wasn't right. Of course, in the end, it sadly fell apart when HE acknowledged that it wasn't the right time or place for him. Then...there was Trinity with her longstanding relationship with a married man. All kinds of signals were there that she chose to ignore...but, we as women have been taught that what our bodies are telling us are untrustworthy!! So, we've become numb to the signals and ignore them. Thank goodness for our guest today, Courtney Edwards, who is a wellness professional, trained counselor, certified coach, and podcaster. She brings to our show 25+ years experience in helping others find “mindful wellbeing in every day life”. In her practice, Alchemy Coaching, Courtney blends feminist theory and cognitive behavioral practice with the Buddhist concept of mindfulness to help women identify the social conditioning that is holding them back and to challenge harmful narratives and use self-compassion as they take steps to live with more genuine authenticity and embrace the truth of who they are. And ladies, Courtney gets YOU! She is a 48 y/o perimenopausal wife and mother who initiated a divorce at age 38, found a healthy and wonderful romance at age 40, and left full time employment within a state agency to establish my own business at age 43. George Eliot says "It is never too late to be who you might have been" and she is choosing to live her life to the fullest and want to support other women in doing the same! If you're feeling stuck...this episode is for you! Courtney reminds us to TRUST ourselves, and follow our hearts and that "knowing" inside of us that we are meant for more! Today she teaches us: "it's never too late to be who you might have been" George Eliot We need to stop just hoping to "be chosen" (i.e. for the team, on the dating apps, for the job) and, instead, get in touch with our bodies and learn to lean into our own intuition about what WE want...in the job, the relationship etc. Somewhere along the way we are taught not to trust our bodies. We need to learn to TRUST our bodies again. You can learn to know how anxiety shows up in your body vs. intuition and to be able to distinguish between these and respond appropriately. Take a piece of paper and draw onto it 5 columns and label each column with one of the senses. The write down all the things that you experience through that sense that brings you joy or calm. This is help you to get in touch with what feels good in your body. You can find Courtney at: Website | shineandsoar.com Instagram | @alchemybhc Now is the time, girl! If you need a tribe to support you...we're on this journey alongside of you. Follow this show so you don't miss an episode and join our FB group. We've got your back.

We've talked so much on this podcast about this idea of feeling stuck in midlife. and you know...I don't know what it is that puts us here...It's like we've spent our whole lives wearing all these hats and, literally, giving over ourselves to do ALL the things for other people that when the circumstances change and the kids go to college and we're no longer an unpaid damn uber driver for our littles and the PTO board is like, "you know most people on the board actually HAVE kids at this school (LOL) don't you want to find something else to do with your time?" that we're like...."well, what the hell am I supposed to do instead? I've been showing up to the damn PTO meeting for like 12 years the first Tuesday of every month!" It's the strangest thing to wake up, without having a kid crawl into bed with you at 5 am and look in that mirror and think..."who the hell are you?!?" Sometimes, it's like I don't recognize myself anymore. I don't know who I am. I don't know what I want. I don't know what makes me happy AND I don't know what to do to figure it all out! Thankfully, our guest today, Marcy McDonald is the author of UnStuck Yourself: Daily Practice with the Right Tools Will Change Your Life and co-author of the internationally best-selling book, Transforming Your Life Volume V: 20 Incredible Stories Showing the Strength of the Human Spirit. Marcy is a powerhouse that is changing lives daily. OR seeing people to the end of their lives in a way that releases regret and preserves the dignity of the dying as an end-of-life doula. She was a guest expert on the TV Show "4 Days to Save the World" and has been featured on numerous podcasts and spoken at multiple summits. She has extensive experience consulting on, envisioning, strategizing, developing, writing, editing, and producing courses and speaking publicly on multiple topics from how to have an emotionally healthy mindset to overcoming negative self-talk to living intentionally and authentically. In addition, she speaks and leads workshops on improving focus to save time and boost productivity. She offers both intensive workshops and 1:1 coaching on mindset. In this episode, Marcy shares with us some of the tools she uses to help her clients get UNstuck and get on with living a live they love that is full of joy and authenticity. In this episode, Marcy teaches us: You have to learn how to notice what is going on and where you feel stuck and THEN find the right tool to navigate that situation. Most people don't even realize they feel bad. The recognition is the start. The rational mind processes 64 bits of information in a second. The emotional mind processes a quadrillion. The emotional brain is "in charge" of your decisioning and to do so, it draws on your most negative memories in order to "keep you safe" Do rational breathing exercises when you notice tension in your body by putting your hands on your belly and watching your hands to see them move in and out. By doing this exercise you will force yourself to breathe more deeply and focusing on your hands pulls you back into your rational mind so you're more capable of making rational choices vs. emotional choices. Notice the negative beliefs about ourselves and how we "beat ourselves up" then, look at the actual facts....if the negative believe is "I'm fat." Then "build a bridge" between the negative thought and the positive fact using the phrase "I'm practicing". For example, I'm practicing eating more healthy. Today may be the only day you have, so you need to live each day fully and authentically. That means you may need to work through the things that are preventing you from living in the present day with gratitude and joy. To learn more about Marcy, check out her books or go to: About Marcy Video: https://vimeo.com/675579361 website | marcymcdonald.com LinkedIn | marcymcdonald If YOU are feeling stuck and looking yourself in the mirror each morning wondering who in the hell is staring back at you, You'll love this conversation. If you love this conversation then please follow us and leave us a review. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram! We need your continued support so that we can birth more amazing content into the world to help move you beyond your sticking points.

Money, Money Money, must be funny in a rich man's world! If I were a rich manYa ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum... You know....why are all these songs about rich MEN?! Our guest today, Eileen Joy, is "The Money Coach for Moms" and founder of Money School for Moms™ that teaches high achieving moms how to create wealth so they can have a healthy relationship with money and stop living paycheck to paycheck. Eileen created an easy system that any busy mom can follow and specializes in working creates a safe and comfortable environment to learn about one of the most avoided and taboo subjects, money. No more Shame, Guilt, or embarrassment Today, we explore with Eileen how to get to the root of our own money stories and how to rewrite those stories to create abundance and financial freedom. Rewriting your own money story stops the subconscious generational patterns and then you get to empower your own children and help them rewrite their own money stories from a place of abundance. Baby ....at the end of this episode, we're all going to be singing a different tune about money...It's all about the money, money, money! If I had a million dollars, if I had a million dollars... In this episode, Eileen teaches us: To create a new money story you must first understand the money story you grew up with, plan and then...rewrite your money story so you can begin to shift your mindset about money. To tune into your current money story ask, "how did your parents and family manage and/or talk about money?" "What did you take from that?" and "How do you manage your money now?" Practice "values-based spending" by allocating your money to those things that are most important to you. Understand that money coaching isn't about the numbers, it's about finding a way to live your dream live through your money. It is about how you spend, save and share, because the more money you have, the more good you can do with it! It's about then feeling GOOD about spending your money instead of guilty. Create a portion of your budget for "guilt free" fun spending so that you DON'T beat yourself up by spending money and enjoying it! To learn more from Eileen, visit her at: Website | momswhomoney.com Instagram | eileenjoymoneycoach Facebook | eileenjoymoneycoach and...download this FREE GIFT: Free Guide 5 easy ways to save $1000 this month

We've heard of physical fitness....and we've heard of physical therapy. But have you ever heard of mental fitness? You may believe mental fitness is about getting your brain in shape. Is there a way I can lift mental weights? Maybe brain squats? Or Benchpress your beliefs? Can you picture a little sweat band around your brain as it strains itself while doing mental jumping jacks? While a fun image to consider, that's not exactly what we're talking about here. Mental fitness is an exercise that our guest today, Jen Uschold, uses to shift our brains from the ruminating negative side (what she calls the saboteurs that "live" in our brain) to the positive, creative, problem solving side (which she calls our Sage Powers) Early in her career, Jen was drawn to helping others by empowering them to help themselves. As a physical therapist, she was drawn to the idea of not only health coaching, but pain science and neuroscience education. Today, she weaves together these complementary disciplines within the practice of Mental Fitness which uses the power of PQ exercises and preparation-choice-repetition techniques to quiet the thoughts that can sabotage or hijack your thinking and, instead, helps her clients draw on their sage powers to navigate the challenges of life. Jan had been using these techniques to help people who have been living with chronic pain. However, she found the combined techniques associated with physical therapy, pain neuroscience education and wellness coaching work in so many walks of life and now focuses on using these techniques with women going through divorce and making BIG life transitions using an app driven program and she's willing to give Dear Midlife listeners a 20% discount!! So, if any of you out there need support, you can claim your discount by going to THIS SITE and using checkout code dearmidlife20. In today's episode, Jen teaches us: The right side of our brain contains our Sage Powers and the Left Side the saboteurs. The Saboteurs are your greatest strengths in and over exaggerated state. We can use PQ exercises to calm the Saboteurs. When your nervous system is activated and your anger and frustration is rising, imagine the other person is a child you are speaking to. Have the conversation from a place of recognition that the other party is doing the best they can with what they know and meet them there with compassion. Play the "yes and...." game as a way to generate creative ideas and solutions. Always look for at least 10% of truth in what the other party says and then build on that! All pain is real, but your brain can choose and/or prioritize when and how you feel pain. Pain can be located in the tissue or can be psychological and is defined with a bio psycho social model. But we are all one system and pain contains all three. Exercise is one of the most important ways to alleviate pain. It calms the nerves If you're interested in knowing more about Jen you can find her at: Website | iriseforme.com https://www.iriseforme.com/mental-fitness-training GET 20% with the checkout code dearmidlife20 LinkedIn | jenuscholdpt If you ARE finding yourself in these big life transitions, know you are NOT alone. We are all trying to figure out how to navigate the messy middle.We are on this journey with you. Please leave us a review and let us know how this content is resonating with you and helping you navigate this crazy time in life. Make sure you click follow. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Have any of you ever heard of or tried "tapping"? We all know Shelby has a theater background and loves her "jazz hands" but, we're not talking about dancing bur, rather, the therapeutic modality of tapping, which is just ONE Of the tools our guest today, Claudia Braun, uses to help women tap into knowing and strengthening their inner selves. You see...Claudia is a coach for women who are great at taking care of others, but are not good at taking care of themselves. Sound familiar?!? Raise your hand if you can relate. Today, Claudia discusses the importance of going within to listen to our own guidance and spiritual connection to uplevel our thinking, experience a mindset that allows us to own our YES AND our NO so we can live a life we love. AND when we can do THAT, we can LET GO! Let go of the guilt, obligations and expectations that have kept us all living a limited life, based on others expectations and INSTEAD, live a life of CHOICE! OUR choice! Claudia has over 25 years of experience in holistic wellness, and is certified in holistic coaching and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), she's a yoga instructor and speaks at women's events has been keynote for several events & national conferences, and recently hosted the Healing summit in which she helps women just like us learn to PRIORITIZE ourselves and our emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. And we know for sure that being well is a decision. In this episode, Claudia teaches us: Einstein says, "the mind that created the problem, cannot fix the problem". The thinking that got you to the current place in life where you may be feeling stuck, will (likely) not get you through to the next stage in life. Sometimes we need another perspective to help us move forward and get unstuck. It is an internal game, not an external game. We often strive to change the external circumstances and still feel stuck. We need to realize that what we are thinking is creating our results and until we shift our thinking, we'll continue to get the same outcomes. Tapping is a technique that is used to change neurological patterning so you can release old stories. It works by tapping on some primary nerve centers/chakras while saying a mantra such as (starting with the negative thought) I know that this job is depleting me, but even though that feels true, I love, accept and appreciate myself (and ending with the new thought). When you are in a fear state, you are operating from a less intelligent state. No one makes good decisions in fear. 3 stages to solve a problem: awareness, acceptance, action. it starts with simply noticing a repetitive, negative thought. If we don't bring it to the light, it cannot be healed. We place a lot of emphasis on external wants and desires when we vision our future. Instead, we need to turn our attention inward and listen to what really want. We need to strengthen our inner selves so much that no one else (not society, family or old inner narratives) has power over us. To find more of Claudia: Website | claudia-braun.com Facebook | @Claudia Braun 30 minute session to love yourself to fabulous: https://calendly.com/claudiabraun/loveyourselftofabulous GIFT: 3 Hacks to own your YES & your NO: https://bit.ly/OWNYOURYES

We don't know about you, but WE still have a hint of a little voice in the very back of our heads that whisper to us that we'll never be enough. not pretty enough, not smart enough, not wealthy enough, not good enough. We firmly believe these are the whispers that hold most of us back in life. What does the voice in you head tell you? You know, this podcast has been so therapeutic because it has helped us to overcome a lot of the negative narratives that live inside of us. But, it was a bold move birth this baby out into the world. And in just THAT action alone, I hope we've proven to ourselves that we ARE capable...and we ARE good enough!! We HAVE felt that sense of accomplishment and with each episode and when we hear feedback from our listeners, it only validates that more and demonstrates that, not only are we capable, but that we are making an IMPACT and THAT is truly important to both of us. And today, we share with you the voice of Alex Falteceni, who also had a little girl inside her telling her that she had nothing to offer. That her voice wasn't worth hearing. But, you know what...? She came onto the Dear Midlife podcast and shared with us her wisdom on how bold moves JUST LIKE THESE can help us heal the childhood wounds from our past. Alex uses past life regression, child regression therapy, and harmonic sound vibration healing to work primarily with those that have had some sort of trauma in their life, where the trauma exists deep within the cells resulting in the brain acting in a certain way. It's all about identifying the trauma where it came from, what age, who put it there, and what was the story. Working through our shadow to release that energy or emotion and the establish a new mindset. Baby Girl...raise your hand if you have a little voice inside of your head telling you you're not enough??? We all have a childhood wounds that occurred early in our development that shaped the way we see ourselves. Alex teaches us how to go back that little girl, to that time when that seed was planted and give love and attention to that inner child so she can close the open loop and finally let that story go and find peace with ourselves. In this episode, Alex teaches us: We all have a "shadow" or negative narrative that we carry around with us from childhood. One possible example could be that I'll never be good enough. Or, my voice isn't worthy of being heard. If we can identify the thread to our story in the past and revisit the moment when that seed was planted as a child, we can close that loop in a different way and start to heal. The brain internalizes the stories it hears over and over again. THAT is why we need to speak into ourselves positive affirmations on a daily basis and continue to repeat these until the brain internalizes them. To move through this process, first, recognize and name the emotion (is it anger? is it sadness? is it frustration?) Then ask why are you feeling this way? Now use breath work to acknowledge the emotion and imagine the emotion pushing out of your body. One way to work through pain and hurt from present or past is to write a forgiveness letter to the person who has hurt you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We all have a story. We ALL are working on ourselves. We all are trying to get unstuck. We all face challenges. BUT, you do NOT have to go it alone. There is strength in vulnerability and in that space, you can find your tribe. Website | divinereconnections.com Facebook | @divinereconnections Girl we are all on this journey together as we strive to overcome our own inner narratives and thrive in midlife. Leave us a review if this episode resonates with you. We'd love to hear from you. Let us know what's been holding you back. We are eager to lift every listener up in support so that you can find and live your dreams. Make sure to connect with us on FB and Instagram!

Let's do a little exercise...just pause for a moment...take a deep breath....allow your chest to rise and your lungs to fill. Then hold the bread at the top for 4 seconds....then slowly blow the breath out pushing all the air out of your lungs. Now say "I can feel the connection to my inner peace" and do the exercise once more..."I can feel the connection to my inner peace". How are you feeling in this very moment? Perhaps, a sense of calm? WOW! Why don't we do more of that!?!? LOL As a matter of fact, our guest today Holly Zajur, did just that as she was logging into our zoom interview. It maybe caused her to be "late" to the interview by 30 seconds or so, but we could feel her calm presence within this interview. Think of what an impact it could have on your daily life if you just did that prior to logging into every zoom meeting you have... And we have a LOT of damn Zoom meetings! lol And I don't know about you, but I could use a little more calm...a little more mindfulness in MY life and Holly is here to remind us of the power of mindfulness. Holly is a wellness educator, entrepreneur, and writer, whose work is centered around empowering others with the tools to live their most authentic lives. She loves speaking to the power of mindfulness, yoga, and compassion as tools for supporting mental health and well-being. She also hosts a podcast, How the Wise One Grows in which every week, she dives into conversations that explore mindfulness, spirituality, wellness, and more to help people tap into their inner wisdom. In this episode, Holly reminds us of a quote from Shin Zin Yung who says "In Life, suffering is pain times resistance." Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. You will suffer to the degree with which you resist." You have to be with what already IS (i.e. who you are today all the good, bad and the ugly) to change it. And THAT my beautiful listener...is mindfulness. Stop resisting. In this episode, Holly reminds us: Mindfulness has many definitions. It is an awareness of and a wise relationship with what we are sensing, experiencing and feeling. It is NOT eliminating the feelings of stress and anxiety. But, it's taking the time to know ourselves. Part of mindfulness is about giving yourself compassion in which you feel lost and confused because, in those moments, are the moments when you find yourself. Mindfulness can be listening to your body and taking aligned action, Don't overthink it. There's no doing it "wrong"...there is just the doing, When you're feeling a bit lost, don't fear that state of mind, instead, celebrate it. It means your not done growing yet. When negative feelings and parts of you bubble up, get curious and ask what you need in the moment. Perhaps this part of you is trying to raise awareness that you are overwhelmed and there are boundaries you need to put into place to protect yourself from the overwhelm. You can find more of Holly at: IG: @hollyzajur @howthewiseonegrows Website And if YOU are ready to face yourself and strive to live your best and most authentic life, follow this podcast by clicking the + sign or follow button on your platform of choice so you will not miss an episode and leave us a review so we can continue to share with you content that resonates with all of us here in the middle. Make sure we're connected on social media: FB | Dear Midlife and IG | @DearMidlife

WE...ARE...SOOO....TIRED. Do you feel it? We have so much SHIT going on at work...then we have no energy to manage our emotions and then say ALL the things that we don't want to say to people because we have no filter and then feel like such a bitch, but we're not a bitches (unless we WANT to be), but we DON'T want to be thought of as bitches with our colleagues because we love them but, we are the coach, the mentor, the leader and we are all learning new habits and sometimes we're so tired we just don't have the energy or the patience to deal. We all started to hustle when we were young. Shelby had a part-time job at the age of 12! Many of us worked our way through college or High School and hustled in those very first jobs because we felt like we had to prove ourselves. Some of us hustle to meet important deadlines and client demands. Some of us work multiple jobs to keep the lights on and food on the table. Then some of us started and worked to "prove ourselves" to our male counterparts that we can juggle ALL the balls...childbirth, being a parent, and a dedicated employee. And now....now, that we're more or less 50--we're just tired. Too tired to hustle any more. Amanda Ortega ...HELP US PLEASE!! Our guest today, is an author, speaker, and certified professional coach. Her mission is to help high achievers (like us) prevent burnout by cultivating a healthy approach to success. Her new book, Inward to Upward: Discover your Blueprint for True Success and Escape the Toxic Success Trap Forever, offers a guidebook for ambitious professionals to redefine success for themselves and achieve greater calm, balance, and fulfillment in their lives. Amanda's mission is to change the way we view our self worth and the collective definition of success in our society. In our episode today, she raises awareness of our state of chronic stress and our underlying belief that stress is the fuel behind our success. Guess what..our level of stress is NOT helping us to be more successful! No it is not. It's actually burning us out and making us sick.We're not the only ambitious high achievers out there who are unhappy. So, why do we call this success? Our guest's definition of the "toxic-success trap" is cycles of achievement in which we pursue external goals at the expense of our wellbeing. As we advance in our careers, the idea of "performance" can pull us out of alignment with our true selves and damage our sense of innate self worth. Amanda wants to help people break free of that cycle. SO....Amanda! TEACH US how to return to our authentic Self (Capital S) and separate ourselves from the external performance and fucking dog and pony show we pull off every day.We're ready to STOP defining success transactionally and honor the fact that we are so much more than what we produce!! In this episode, Amanda teaches us: The "success trap" isn't a place, but rather a mindset and an approach to success that isn't sustainable. The definition includes a perception that stress is necessary for success and that current day suffering is a trade off for future happiness. Trust that "calm presence" can help you enjoy your life more and you can be more successful. Life should NOT be stress, stress, stress....pocket of calm. It SHOULD be calm, calm, calm...pocket of stress. You body is equipped to deal with pockets of stress, but burn out happens when your body faces chronic stress daily. Learn to check in with your body and notice what it is telling you...are your shoulders hunched, do you have a pit in your stomach? This is your body in stress. Learn to recognize it and ask yourself if this level of stress is serving you right now and if you're operating from your "fear center". Then, downshift into a more neutral space by breathing or taking a short walk. When you feel your body move into stress, get curious. Use what you notice as (potential) triggers as data points. Then set up "experiments" (not goals) to put to practice your new theories about how you can show up differently and prove the world won't fall apart. You can find Amanda at: Website | beyondbalancecoaching.com Instagram | @beyondbalance_coach Inward to Upward: Discover your Blueprint for True Success and Escape the Toxic Success Trap Forever Raise your hand if YOU are feeling the same burnout! Please leave us a 5-star review and let us know how this episode helps YOU to stop your own insanity. KNOW we are right there with you. Let's tackle this hustle culture together. Join our Facebook Community or follow us on Instagram.

Whhooo girl! We jump straight into this conversation with our guest Susan Bratton. We were off to the races faster than we could consider what sex would be like if Barbie were in charge instead of Ken! We loved this no holds barred conversation with Susan. Uh can you say "Orgy dome"?! If you want to know what happens IN the orgy dome, you'll have to tune into our stimulating conversation (pun intended) with Susan Bratton, who is a trusted intimacy advisor to millions and sexual wellness expert. As the co-founder of both Personal Life Media and The20, she's an authority in bedroom techniques and communication skills as well as organic supplements and non-invasive treatments that improve vitality for both men and women. Susan stands firm in the conviction that passion is ageless. However, few things bring lovemaking to a screeching halt faster than the inability to…show up, shall we say. Susan's superpower is her courage. She takes a lionhearted stand for our human right to pleasurable connection. And she has the willingness to get nerdy about science/anatomy and very detailed about lovemaking skills so everyone can learn to achieve the pleasure they deserve. She has been featured in the New York Times and on CNBC and the TODAY show; and she makes frequent appearances on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC. In this episode, Susan teaches us: Getting to know what your partner values and honoring that by giving the other person what they need can help you feel like you're in the most perfect relationship. And when you are single and know your values, these can be a litmus test for those you meet and help you determine who you invite into your life.. Try radical honesty with your partner. While it is scary, it is really one path to full and complete authenticity and often reveals your own insecurities and shortcomings so that you can examine those and make more conscious decisions about how you want to show up in the world. People who are not honest with themselves, who don't have boundaries, who don't know what they want are impossible to love because you don't every really get beneath the surface to actually know the REAL person True orgasmic pleasure takes practice! Adopt a "research partner" on which you can practice both delivering and receiving pleasure. Practice "big clit energy". There are a variety of tools available to help you learn to expand your personal pleasure within your zone of arousal to extend and evolve your orgasmic pleasure. Again, Susan is an advocate for sexual wellness. She briefly mentions in the show her affiliation with GAINsWave and FemiWave and we wanted to include these resources if you need help enjoying sex more. Most ED and vaginal rejuvenation treatments are invasive and painful or hinge upon pricey pharmaceutical solutions–and they don't address the root cause of the condition. GAINSWave, on the other hand, is all-natural, completely non-invasive, and uses high-frequency shockwaves to enhance male function, performance, and overall health. For women, FemiWave uses low-intensity sound waves to restore sensation and natural lubrication. Susan can speak to the effectiveness of both In addition, take advantage of the natural wellness products by Foria for intimacy enhancement and menstrual relief. if this episode resonates with you as much as it did us, leave us a review and let us know what stood out to you? We'd love to hear from you and want to keep this juicy conversation going. For more engaging conversations just like this one, like and follow our show so that you won't miss a single episode. You can also find us on FaceBook or Instagram. We can't wait to hear from you! orgasmiccrosstraining.com

Have you ever heard of "Extreme" self-care? And...no. Extreme self-care is not jumping out of a plane into a hot tub where a sexy massage therapist is waiting you, or riding backwards on a motorcycle while painting my toes. No...it's something WAY more dangerous like NOT answering your cell phone or even scarier...turning it OFF completely and plugging it in to charge in the next room! Or NOT spending time with people who don't fill your bucket or love and treat you the way you deserve to be treated (and that includes family). I know you're thinking, "what the hell?!?!" You'd rather jump out of a plane than not answer your cell phone!! LOL Just kidding. Truth is, we could all do with a little EXTREME self-care and our guest today, Steph Palermo, reminds us that when we take care of our own needs first we are then able to show up as our most authentic self for ourselves and others. Steph is a spitfire and grew up in the Boston area in a Sicilian-American household. Her Sicilian heritage has strongly shaped her personal and professional life. A congenital limb difference and numerous spiritual gifts taught her from a young age about overcoming difficulty and navigating life's challenges. These factors instilled in her a level of tenacity that has proven to be a key part of her personality. When she got divorced, her lawyer told her she needed a job. Steph had spent twenty-five years raising her children and hadn't had a job outside the home in a long time! So she decided to take what she loved and made it a business called "Just Steph" and made a fresh start as a “second-lifer.” Today, she calls herself and intuitive should guide and combines her natural and supernatural gifts of empathy, encouragement, prophecy, healing, and discernment, to name a few, to guide clients and audiences toward their own soul's path, purpose, and personal growth. She see clearly into the hearts and emotions of others. Her goal has always been to heal and guide seekers of a more meaningful existence to the life of their dreams. In today's episode, Steph teaches us: You cannot grow or expand unless you are living authentically. Your authentic self is one that is aligned, that feels good and is happy. Our authentic state of being is one of physical health and you're not healthy unless you're also emotionally healthy. It takes time to see and recognize our own self-value. One of the best ways to get there is through extreme self-care. Extreme self-care is saying yes to those activities that feed your soul, it's saying no to what doesn't serve you (or serve you right now), it's turning off your phone, investing in yourself and our future, and understanding without freedom there is no love Life doesn't happen to us. It happens as a result of the choices we make. In the end, we have no one to blame for our choices but ourselves. And if we want to rewrite our story, guess who is writing it? we are! You can find more of Steph at: Website | juststeph.com The Just Steph® Show: Mondays 8-10 pm WATD 95.9 FM Here is the link to a free download: https://learn.juststeph.com/JustStephTheOnlyWayisUp Latest Book: It's not personal, Sonny. It's business. How to run your family, life and business like a Sicilian It is also OUR goal to help guide other "second-lifers" towards their purpose and passion through the expertise of our guest and our community. We are there...Verging on the edge of our second life. We want to link arms with you as we navigate the messy middle together as we weather hot flashes, midlife dating, empty nesting, career changes and finding ourselves. We want you to join us on this journey by checking out our website at Dearmidlife.com and following us on Facebook and Instagram @dearmidlife.

We need to queue Justin Timberlake's "Bringing Sexy Back" as we introduce our next guest, Kim Coffin. So, how is Kim Bringing Sexy Back? She is THE REAL DEAL!! She specializes in Sexuality, Tantric Sex and Relationship Transformation and in this episode she shares with us just a few of the tools we can use to unleash our sexual confidence and unlock profound new levels of self-love, pleasure, empowerment, and intimacy with yourself - and in your relationships! This woman is a certified Trauma Informed, Somatic (body-based) Empowerment, Sex, Love & Relationship Teacher, Speaker {soon to be Author} & Coach, graduate of Layla Martin's Institute of Integrated Tantric Sexuality, and founder of "Get Your Sexy Back". In this episode, Kim shares with us some of her methods for creating deep trust and safety in your body and mind, and she can show you how to RECONNECT to your body, ACTIVATE your turn-on, HEAL heartbreak & shame, and RECLAIM your true SEXY self so that you can fully step into your UNAPOLOGETIC POWER! And honey! You KNOW we are ALL about unapologetic power!! Raise your hand if you've been a victim of sexual assault? Trauma? Betrayal? Burnout? We KNOW you each have experienced at least one, if not more than one of these. Kim helps us identify where these experiences have gotten "stuck" in our bodies and helps us to heal so you can step back into the drivers seat and go after the life they desire by reconnecting to their innate inner wisdom. Her own story and experience of healing is one we call all relate to. She's survived sexual assault and trauma, betrayal, 3 traumatic births (now teens/adults) and postpartum periods, adrenal fatigue, and total burnout. She remained self-employed the entire time (25+ years) and she's here to share with us how she overcame it all and now serves others to do the same. In this episode, Kim teaches us: Our bodies hold the keys to what we want and don't want. However, most of us are living "in our heads" and not following what our bodies are telling us what we desire, what we trust or what is aligned for us. We need to heal to be comfortable to feel, sense and trust our bodies. De-armoring is a practice that releases the sexual or other trauma that we are holding in our body. In this practice we check-in with our bodies and gently massage our bodies and check in by exploring what's going on where we feel these tensions Keep a mirror with you and 3x a day look yourself in the mirror and wink at yourself. It will start to shift your thinking about you. Most women have experienced some kind of sexual trauma at some point in life. It may not have come in the form of an assault It may just be some degree of shame that we've been made to feel about our bodies and therein comes the need to heal that trauma. Somatic, or body-based, work can help us heal these traumas. If we don't do the work to heal our trauma, it can especially take its toll on women later in life and perimenopause. Trauma can manifest itself in more impactful symptoms, depression, hot flashes, back, and joint and muscle pain. And...your body will keep tapping until you're able to come home to heal your traumas and come home to yourself. You can get more from Kim here… Facebook Instagram | @get_your_sexy_back_coach - https://www.instagram.com/get_your_sexy_back_coach/ Private Facebook Group - Get Your Sexy Back Get Your Sexy Back Podcast FREE GIFTS: Free - 8 Tools to Activate Your Turn-On + Practice Free Month to my Sacred Pleasure Membership Use coupon code: FreeMonthSPM If you are LOVING these episodes, join us! Follow our podcast by clicking on the + sign and leave us a review so we can continue to bring you this amazing content. We are working towards building a community of love and support for women in the middle. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Do you believe in reincarnation? Cue the Indigo Girls... "And now you had to bring up reincarnation over a coupla beers the other night..." You know, we're not sure. We've both been exposed to numerous stories that make reincarnation feel very real. To help us ponder the above question, we welcome our guest Corbie Mitlied who really brings to life (pun intended) the idea of reincarnation as an intuitive counselor. She has made her own path, rather than take the one cut out for her by others. The path wasn't easy and consists of t two marriages, which didn't last, a constant search for the "Partner Who Understood", a succession of jobs, and a series of spiritual paths. Then, out of the blue, she got breast cancer...THREE times. Life became a roller coaster with no brakes, asking Corbie to survive divorce, abuse, poverty and life-threatening illness. But through all of this, she learned the value of the "Examined Life", in which she ask herself...what does this mean and what am I meant to learn from this? In today's episode, Corbie teaches us the three important questions to examine our lives and explore our purpose here on this earth. What are we meant to do and learn? How can we meet challenges and always ask the next question and face each new situation with strength, courage and humor. Corbie sees it as her job as an intuitive counselor, inspirational speaker, author, breast cancer survivor to give her clients the tools and courage to deal with any situation. She believes that everything else is free will. So, today Corbie reminds us that we can do what she does! What will YOU do? We want you to follow us in our FB group and leave us a review so we can continue to connect like minded women in midlife together because no one should have to navigate this crazy shit show alone! lol In this episode, Corbie teaches us: Find Karma is 5 things: healing, service, contrast, unbalanced energy and healing of beliefs. The more we know ourselves and our strengths, the more we'll keep when we pass over into our next life. Live the examined life by asking ourselves: what can I learn from this and how can I teach with it ...then consider what is the next thing! Embrace YOU! There's more to go in life and we are more than just a part of our story that took place in our history. Who are you now? You are more than just the contest winner, the divorce, the car accident, the cancer survivor, the miscarriage, Find your sentence of passion...It's not the JOB. Your sentence of passion is the thing that, when you roll up to the pearly gates, hair on fire and fumes in the tank you can say, "I did this!" It's the moments where you were living in your bliss. Ask yourself the 3 most important questions in the world: What am I ____ about? (fill in the blank with your feeling or emotion...angry, sad, confused, frustrated, etc.) Why am I _____ about that? What would happen if I stopped being ____ about that? You can find Corbie at: Website | corbiemitleid.com YouTube Facebook | firethroughspirit Patreon | corbiemitleid Instagram | @corbie_mitleid Medium: https://corbiemitleid.medium.com Do YOU believe in reincarnation? Leave us a review and let us know. We're eager to keep the conversation going. Join us in our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram for more Dear Midlife.

So, today I was in the grocery store and couldn't help but notice that Halloween decorations are already on display. I swear! it seems like big box retailers are pushing consumers towards the holidays sooner than ever before! Then Trinity noticed that Starbucks is making a huge deal about bringing in Pumpkin Spice back into their stores on August 24th! We've started to feel like we can't even enjoy summer because we're being pushed immediately to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on the timescale of the big box retailers!. Next year they will start putting that shit out in June instead of August! we can't tell you the anxiety that creates in our friggen souls! It makes us feel like we're running behind. Oh shit, I haven't even bought my turkey yet...bitch it is the beginning of SEPTEMBER! Our guests today, Natascha Corrigan and Alegre Ramos are badass productivity bitches! They help us to bring more JOY into our lives and holidays. They remind us that we are in control of our holidays and the amount of joy we experience. With a little "pre-party planning" we CAN have a joyful holiday season. You may remember these ladies! We interviewed them in episode 43! Now, We are bringing them back in celebration of the release of their new book "Rock Your Holidays", which came out September 8th. In this book, Natascha and Alegre remind us to keep the "Fun in the Fun", take our control of the holidays back and do what works for US this holiday season so we can turn down the noise and turn up the joy and the jingle in the way that really matters! Not only do Natascha and Alegre share with us amazing tips to rock our holiday season but, also, provide tips and tricks that can be applied universally across your life and they show us how they can be applied in practical ways! In this episode, our girls teach us: Make small course corrections along the way as you start to adopt a new habit. These little adjustments can keep you more in alignment of your goal and prevent you from steering too far off path. Enlist a friend! Doing what may otherwise be tedious tasks with a friend makes it that much more fun and friends can help you see what you can't....they can help point out what is/isn't important and your wins and opportunities for improvement that support small course corrects. List all of the possible things you might want to do this holiday season and give them a rating on a scale from 1-5 and remove those activities that are not the highest priority! Define what intention you want to carry into this holiday season. Is it joy? Is it peace and calm? Define what you want the holiday to feel like and then use that as your litmus or touchstone for all activities by asking yourself is this activity in alignment with my holiday intention. Keep fun FUN!! You can get more of Natascha and Alegra by following them: If you want to learn more about Natascha and Allegre and their programs:

So, today we have a mind-bending, trailblazing conversation with our guest, GIllian Pothier, that changed the way we perceive masculine and feminine presence in our own daily lives. Gillian helps us to rethink society's negative portrayal of masculine and feminine nature and how it is this portrayal that is creating a self-destructive paradox. Gillian holds the belief that we all contain within us a little bit of both masculine and feminine energy. For women, in particular it is only through this complementary union with the masculine that we can learn to be fully expressed in our feminine, as well as, be anchored in our beauty, truth, and creational power. We are not saying you have to change your personal anthem from Katy Perry's "Roar" to "Feelings" by Morris Albert? However, Gillian's perspectives on this topic really caused us pause. We, typically, stand for women rising to overcome the constraints the patriarchy has imposed on us for decades. However, this conversation made us reconsider if there is opportunity for our own personal expansion and growth by exploring more of our feminine energy and gave us insights as to how to do this. Gillian is no stranger to the difficulties of today's dating pool. Just like many of us, she's spent years seeking a lifelong partner, experiencing nothing but heartbreak. But, she found that embracing her femininity was what it took for her to resurrect dull and flatline romantic relationships and harnessing this energy was how she found a partner where erotic sex, joy, and love reign supreme. In this episode, Gillian teaches us: When women start to un-numb and bring back to life the truth of their feelings, women can come home to the aspects of themselves they have discarded in order to survive in a masculine society. We are overdriving the truth of our nature in order to "produce", "perform" or "generate" more and more and women are exhausted and depleted, as a result. We need to massively disrupt and de-armor ourselves in order to come back to our true "yin" nature and re-awaken to our own truth. When women go to work in masculine structures and then bring that energy into the home they may be unconsciously perpetuating the patriarchy. Women are depleted and over-functioning because we are terrified that our male counterparts are not capable of making important decisions. Women have been unconsciously corrupted by masculine energy and that is robbing us of the joy, delight and sensuality of receiving. When we allow ourselves to become vulnerable enough to receive, we honor our feminine and the masculine need to give, provide and protect. Necessity causes women to build up around golden cages of protective armor that prevents us from the living into the vulnerability that is our feminine energy. You can find Gillian at: Website: www.feminineeros.com Special Audience Giveaway: 8 Ways to Cultivate Your Feminine Allure http://www.devotion.gifts Social Media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gillian.pothier Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/feminine_eros Youtube - @feminineeroswithgillianpot1489 - Feminine Eros with Gillian Pothier We'd love to continue this juicy conversation!! Leave us a review or join our Facebook Group and Instagram and let us know your thoughts on the topic of masculine and feminine. We want to build a community where these conversations thrive!

According to a 2020 report from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the US. 45,979 Americans died by suicide and there was 1.2 million suicide attempts in 2020 alone. Further, According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center 2019 Data reports that 33.6% of Females self-reported being in a Depressed Mood, 64% report Mental Health problems and 38% were being treated for Mental Health problems. With all of the above data, we couldn't help but pause to ponder the could these feelings we have of being “stuck” actually be mental health issues worth exploring, understanding and resolving? Similarly to teens who don't run home to report bullying. Women who choose to not allow the robust world to squeeze all of the next chapters of life out of them - may not run home or to a loved one to report symptoms of “silently quitting their lives” while beckoning themselves to get “unstuck” (for the last time or for real this time). So, we explore these themes in our episode today with our guest, James Hayes, to discuss the theory of contextual conceptual therapy, or CCT. CCT looks not at what is broken, but explores what is happening within us that may be just misunderstood, in the way we may be misunderstood if we speak a different language in a foreign country. CCT brings to the surface answers that already exist within us and helps us learn to love ourselves in the way we give love to others. In this episode, James teaches us: Traditional therapy is meant to "fix" what is "broken". Contextual Conceptual Therapy (or CCT) looks at not what is broken, but explores what may be just misunderstood Sometimes we become someone we are not to protect the someone that we are. Then we spend all of our time trying to be worthy...but, the deception is that we always were. Understanding of self give us freedom. We have a life path that has been predestined and laid out before us. In moments when we have a mental health events, our life then feels like a train that has been derailed and just needs to get back on track. CCT is about loving ourselves as much as we love the most important persons in our lives. We give our love away, but don't give it to ourselves. If we took the love we give to others and focused it on ourselves, that is where our greatness would come from. Our emotions are messages from our inner spirit. We need to slow down and hear what they are telling us. Every time we tell a lie to ourselves, our inner spirit takes a blow. Stop saying what you won't do, because that's the next thing life will ask you to do. If you're struggling and need support, please link to the Suicide Therapy Website and know you're not alone. We are here to love you and lift you up as we strive together to be our best selves for the next chapter in our life. If you want to be part of our community, join our FB group and follow us on Instagram.

So, not long ago, Trinity visited her childhood home and it was a surreal experience for her, as you will hear in our show. She stared into the "eyes" of the home (the windows that faced the street) where she endured so much pain and suffering as a child. She surprised herself as she stood in the street doubled over in pain and grief and wept for that little girl she was so long ago. What she realized is that this wound that she THOUGHT she had healed was still very present. Even further, she felt the stress and anxiety in her body for at least a few days after that experience. Thank you, Trinity, for sharing that very personal story and for reminding us that trauma is held in our bodies until we can release it. Our guest today, Alison Rothman, is an expert in the realm of embodiment and sustainable healing. She specializes in working with women in (primarily) in midlife, to help them holistically heal their trauma, and relationships, mind, body and spirit! She is all about bringing tools and practices into everyday life to create potent and lasting shifts and changes. Most of the clients she works with have tried traditional therapies, with no success. The body of work that she has created is unique, deep, and effective in creating sustainable healing and bringing women back into alignment with their most authentic and embodied selves. Alison a Body-Centered Holistic Empowerment Coach, Transformational Group Facilitator, Mentor, Teacher, Emotional Doula, Guide, and Advocate. She is an expert in the somatic healing arts and therapy, yoga and meditation, authentic embodiment, and holistic healing. Through her extensive studies, practices, and experiences she provides clients and students with the ability to access their innate inner resource and release debilitating life patterns in order to access their truth, power, and reclaim their body, mind, heart, and soul connection. Alison, herself, has survived several highly traumatizing life events including a house fire and a near death experience. Additionally, she has navigated divorce and single motherhood for over a decade and has utilized her practices in support of her own embodiment during times of stress and challenge. So, she carries with her an embodied understanding of the wisdom and intelligence of the body and brings to her sessions a deep intimacy with herself, her own process of life experiences, and uses these various embodiment practices, deep self-inquiry, and the exploration of an array of natural health and wellness modalities to help women just like you transform their lives. She leads women's wellness retreats and groups, works one-on-one with clients, is the host of the podcast: Embodied and Awake, blogs, offers online empowering courses, and public speaks sharing her stories and wisdom. In today's episode, Alison teaches us: Meditation does not mean you're in a "blissed out" state. In meditation, your shit will come up. But, this is an opportunity to access yourself in a way in which you are not reacting, but responding while breathing and learning to sit with the discomfort. It's a way to learn to be good at being with yourself. We hold every trauma, every experience in our bodies. Therefore, if we want to fully "heal" ourself, we can not separate the body mind connection. Traditional talk therapy is important, but we have to tap into body, mind and spirit if we want to fully heal ourselves. Our healing comes in layers and we are never given more than we can handle at once. Pace yourself through the process. In those moments when our body is signaling us that we have some unresolved trauma to navigate, we have to learn to lean into it and move through it. Don't suppress your feelings. Take time to discover how to ground yourself and reconnect with your body. You can connect to nature through your senses, take a bath, journal, cry. Find your own means of release...to move the energy up and out. The ongoing goal is to instill different ways of meeting ourselves so that we can rise up repeatedly in this life we've been given not matter what has bubbled to the surface. You can find more of Alison at the following links: READ HER REFLECTIONS WORK WITH ALISON Website | embodymylife.com FB | @embodylifeholisticwellness Alison is a tremendous believer in the potential that each of us holds in our own capacity for wellness and that often what is needed is that person to remind us of our innate goodness. She reminded us of this in our conversation and we are here to remind YOU that you can heal your trauma and transform your life and you don't have to do it alone! We are on this journey together. Today Trinity shares with you her personal trauma as a way to encourage you to remember, and embrace who you truly are. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and leave us a review to tell us what you're carrying with you!

Our guest today, Mayda Poc, is a badass who went from Wall Street to working as an International Life Coach for Executives. She's lived all over the world, Paris, London, New York City (damn is there anyplace this woman hasn't been?) and was living life in the fast lane...until life tapped her on the shoulder and said "'Hey girl! Why don't you slow down a bit?" and handed her a cancer diagnosis that caused her to re-evaluate her place in the rat race and gave her pause to reflect on what really matters to her. It was in that space that she regained balance in her life and how spends her career helping busy women and executives just like us find more zen, fulfillment and purpose in their lives and careers. You know, Mayda, as a typical overachiever, holds multiple certifications and accreditations in Life Coaching, Career and Corporate coaching as well as health coaching and aims to help women heal their mind, body and spirit. She helps women find their feminine essence, even in more 'masculine' settings, and teaches women everywhere that we do NOT need to let go of who we are as WOMEN and can lean into our femininity and STILL be relevant as women in middle age. Hell yes! Women have been so conditioned to believe that youth and beauty is our only asset. But girl, we are here to remind you that you are strong and powerful and, with your years of wisdom and experience you CAN find your place in life and work...AND find yourself! In this episode, Mayda reminds us: Sometimes life just pushes you in the right direction and you're, virtually, forced to do something differently. Other times, the message to make a shift comes with a whisper and requires more intentional planning. Embrace it all. When the time is right, look inside yourself and at all of your resources: time, money, knowledge, and choose a path forward from a place of empowerment vs. lack of choice. It's normal to panic. We see perfection everywhere....in advertising, social media...but, what we don't see is the hard work that went into getting them to that place. Ask yourself what is the panic about...then tackle that fear/concern. Eventually, there will be no more obstacles and you'll know you're accountable to the choices you make. Know your worth and have a plan to continue to progress, evolve and grow. Examine that which you are avoiding as a possible "teacher". Embrace your feminine energy in the workplace. Leverage your "emotional" voice to become the voice of reason in conflict and to show compassion to peers and colleagues, when needed. You can find Mayda at: Website | maydapoccoaching.com LinkedIn | @maydapoc Instagram | @maydapoc Facebook | @maydapoccoaching And if you woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and thought, "Well who the hell is that woman staring back at me in the mirror?!" YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! We are here in the middle going through all this crazy shit with you. It it our purpose to stand together so no woman has to brave midlife alone. That why we bring you these valuable interviews each week! And if you're loving our message...PLEASE leave us a review so we can continue to share these juicy conversations with you each week. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook

Girl...we've been single a looonngg time. And, let's face it, building intimate connections and relationships at this age, ain't easy. I was thinking the other day that there must be some secret key or special sauce that makes it easier to connect with people. The good news is THERE IS! the secret key to building connections is called emotional intelligence! Our guest today, Dr. Patrick Kilcarr is a Georgetown University Professor, Therapist and Author of the book "Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life", He's here to take us on a masterful journey into the power of emotional intelligence. So, if emotional intelligence is the secret to unlocking personal transformation and reaching one's full potential, why are there so few personal guides on how to use emotional intelligence? Well, Enter Dr. Patrick Kilcarr, who has dedicated his life to studying and teaching EI and his latest book, Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life: Expanding Your EI to Make Courageous Decisions and Transform Your Life, is the guide you're looking for. Dr. Kilcarr closes the gap between what is written about Emotional Intelligence and demonstrates what it looks and feels like to achieve and maintain it, especially if our formative years were paved with drama, trauma, and disappointment. This conversation is so thoughtful and riveting in the way Dr. Kilcarr gets us to think about the power of EI. And to tell you the truth, I'm not surprised. He is one of the leading experts in Emotional Intelligence and has been the Director of Georgetown University's Center for Personal Development since 1999. Further, he is a master trainer in emotional intelligence and certifies professionals to use the EQ-i2.0 (the most valid and reliable self-assessment of emotional intelligence). All of his work is directed toward strengthening the individual with respect to his/her innate talents and abilities. You can find more about his teachings on his website. In this episode, Dr. K teaches us that: Emotional intelligence is about understanding your emotions and how those emotions impact the relationships in your life and, conversely, the emotions of others and how they impact you. We can use emotional intelligence to get ahead of those things that may trigger us emotionally. To an extent, there is an emotional vibration that we begin to feel before the trigger occurs, and it is in those moments when we have a choice about how to navigate what is to come. We are sometimes so overly cautious in being politically correct, that it prohibits us from asking the tough questions to really get to know someone else. When you see an emotional cue from someone else, open the dialogue with a question. "Did I just do something to make you uncomfortable?" Conversely, when someone says something that triggers you, call attention to it and invite conversation. One key component of EI is the recognition that we're all imperfect, most people have good intentions and to talk about it when a mistake is made. In that space, we can begin to make conscious changes. There are 4 things that indicate whether or not we're living a balanced, emotionally intelligent life: self-regard, relationships, optimism, and self-actualization in the frame of are we doing what we want in our lives right now? And here we thought we had to start a damn podcast to build connections with you ladies out there. But, since I mentioned it, We DOOOO want to connect with YOU! We love you and hope you love Dr. Patrick's message in this episode about how powerful emotionally intelligent connections can be. We want YOU to join the conversation. Leave us a review, follow us on Instagram and join our FB group.

Girl...we've been single a looonngg time. And, let's face it, building intimate connections and relationships at this age, ain't easy. I was thinking the other day that there must be some secret key or special sauce that makes it easier to connect with people. The good news is THERE IS! the secret key to building connections is called emotional intelligence! Our guest today, Dr. Patrick Kilcarr is a Georgetown University Professor, Therapist and Author of the book "Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life", He's here to take us on a masterful journey into the power of emotional intelligence. So, if emotional intelligence is the secret to unlocking personal transformation and reaching one's full potential, why are there so few personal guides on how to use emotional intelligence? Well, Enter Dr. Patrick Kilcarr, who has dedicated his life to studying and teaching EI and his latest book, Leading an Emotionally Intelligent Life: Expanding Your EI to Make Courageous Decisions and Transform Your Life, is the guide you're looking for. Dr. Kilcarr closes the gap between what is written about Emotional Intelligence and demonstrates what it looks and feels like to achieve and maintain it, especially if our formative years were paved with drama, trauma, and disappointment. This conversation is so thoughtful and riveting in the way Dr. Kilcarr gets us to think about the power of EI. And to tell you the truth, I'm not surprised. He is one of the leading experts in Emotional Intelligence and has been the Director of Georgetown University's Center for Personal Development since 1999. Further, he is a master trainer in emotional intelligence and certifies professionals to use the EQ-i2.0 (the most valid and reliable self-assessment of emotional intelligence). All of his work is directed toward strengthening the individual with respect to his/her innate talents and abilities. You can find more about his teachings on his website: https://theeilife.com/.  In this episode, Dr. K teaches us that:  Emotional intelligence is about understanding your emotions and how those emotions impact the relationships in your life and, conversely, the emotions of others and how they impact you. We can use emotional intelligence to get ahead of those things that may trigger us emotionally. To an extent, there is an emotional vibration that we begin to feel before the trigger occurs, and it is in those moments when we have a choice about how to navigate what is to come. We are sometimes so overly cautious in being politically correct, that it prohibits us from asking the tough questions to really get to know someone else. When you see an emotional cue from someone else, open the dialogue with a question. "Did I just do something to make you uncomfortable?" Conversely, when someone says something that triggers you, call attention to it and invite conversation. One key component of EI is the recognition that we're all imperfect, most people have good intentions and to talk about it when a mistake is made. In that space, we can begin to make conscious changes. There are 4 things that indicate whether or not we're living a balanced, emotionally intelligent life: self-regard, relationships, optimism, and self-actualization in the frame of are we doing what we want in our lives right now? And here we thought we had to start a damn podcast to build connections with you ladies out there. But, since I mentioned it, We DOOOO want to connect with YOU! We love you and hope you love Dr. Patrick's message in this episode about how powerful emotionally intelligent connections can be. We want YOU to join the conversation. Leave us a review, follow us on Instagram and join our FB group