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Today's conversation is both fascinating and inspiring on so many levels. After spending 18-years in Scientology today's guest, Anne Hill, escaped with only her purse, a few dollars and the clothes on her back to begin the journey of rebuilding her life from scratch at the age of 48. Escaping cult life is not easy. Not only did she have to figure out how to survive, but she also had to work on undoing many many years of cult conditioning and programming. We have a really candid conversation about her experience and I'm honoured that Anne has shared her story with me and with you. There is so much to learn from Anne’s experience. From living a life where everything in your life is completely controlled to creating a truly kick-ass next chapter.  Words can't describe this episode well enough, it's one of those that you just have to listen to. Enjoy! Learn more about Anne... Anne Hill is a professional content writer who learned her craft in the trenches and honed it with some of the best in the persuasive copywriting business. She’s currently obsessed with completing her memoir about her 18-year experience in Scientology, her escape, and how she rebuilt her life from scratch. You can follow her at instagram.com/annehillwriter or myscientologystory.com.

Have you ever experienced burnout? Or thought you were close to burnout and thought to yourself, "There has got to be a better way!".  I know I had this thought 100’s of times during my career.  I kept asking myself, “What am I doing wrong?”. Today I speak with Natalie Kantor, Women's Empowerment Coach, author and creator of The Powerful Women's Club about a different way to achieve what you want without ending up so fried that you can’t enjoy it.  Natalie shares with us how leaning into feminine energy is key to help us to manifest our dreams with ease and flow. I’m excited to share this conversation with Natalie because it has been something that I personally have been working on after my own experience of burnout.  We have been conditioned in the “hustle and grind“ which for us as women is not a sustainable path to the success we want.  Natalie shares practical tips and advice for tapping into our feminine power to achieve the success we want in life and business.  Grab your coffee and carve a few minutes of 'me' time to dive into this conversation.  I would love to hear what resonates with you.  Learn more about Natalie... Natalie is a Women's Empowerment Coach, author, and the creator of the groundbreaking mastermind “The Powerful Women’s Club”. Divine Feminine coaching centres around unlocking untapped Shakti, Divine Feminine power, balancing masculine and feminine energy to avoid burnout and sustaining sexual chemistry in relationships, connecting more deeply to yourself and ultimately living a life of pleasure. Website: nataliakantor.com Facebook: facebook.com/powerfulwomenclub Instagram: @natkantor Women's Mastermind: nataliakantor.com/women-mastermind

When you find yourself single in your 50’s you may begin to question whether love is still possible for you. Dating seems like a hassle and you might honestly believe that there are no good men left.     In today's episode, I talk to Treva Brandon Scharf dating coach and creator of The Late Blooming Bride (a fantastic and very real blog btw) about her experience of finding love in midlife and becoming a first-time bride at 51. Treva shares how to build dating resilience, overcome limiting beliefs, and eliminate the obstacles to finding love. We talk about the biggest things working against us as midlife women and shares her dating secrets and mistakes with us.   This is a great listen if you have ever found yourself wondering if there are any good men left out there. Treva shares all the secrets to finding your one.   Learn more about Treva Treva Brandon Scharf is an International Coaching Federation certified life coach, fitness professional, writer, and first-time bride at 51. Treva started as a copywriter at BBDO New York, where she created campaigns for Pepsi, Pizza Hut, and Visa, Gillette, among others. Her writing repertoire includes screenwriting, TV programming, web content, and blogging. As a lifelong athlete, Treva turned her passion into a profession, first as a fitness coach, then as a life coach. She gets clients fit from the inside out by first building resilience, confidence, and self-worth. As a post-50 influencer, Treva writes about surviving singledom and finding love later in life at her blog, “The Late Blooming Bride” - trevabrandonscharf.com/blog. She’s also a dating advice contributor to Huffington Post, Hollywood Progressive, Relationship Development & Transformation, Thrive Global, Midlife Boulevard, Medium, BetterAfter50, Medium, Bustle, Romper, and the Intelligencer. Treva co-hosts the podcast “Done Being Single” - donebeingsingle.com - with her husband Robby Scharf, a musician, production executive, and fellow late bloomer. Together, they deliver dating intervention and relationship advice to thousands of listeners all over the world. Website: trevabrandonscharf.com Facebook: facebook.com/treva.brandonscharf Instagram: @trevabme Twitter: twitter.com/trevabme LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trevabrandonscharf

I don't know about you but up until a few years ago, no one was talking about boundaries, let alone how to set and hold them. It just wasn’t a thing.  And because of that, I like many of us fell into the trap of trying to do everything for everyone. For many of us saying yes is a knee-jerk reaction that comes so naturally but often leads us to overwhelm and sometimes resentment.  Been there!  In today's episode, I chat with Master Coach and bestselling author, Nancy Levin about the importance of boundaries and putting ourselves first on our list.   Nancy provides powerful insight and new ways to look at setting boundaries that can dramatically change your life. If you are exhausted from your yes', you'll definitely want to give this podcast a listen and I'd encourage you to pick up a copy of her book "Setting Boundaries Will Set You Free”.  It's full of practical advice and tips for setting effective boundaries. A great read! Learn more about Nancy Nancy Levin is a Master Coach and bestselling author of Setting Boundaries Will Set You Free, Jump … And Your Life Will Appear, Worthy: Boost Your Self-Worth to Grow Your Net Worth, Writing For My Life, and Permission to Put Yourself First. Formerly the Event Director at Hay House for over a decade, Nancy is the creator of Levin Life Coach Academy training & certification program, as well as many in-depth coaching programs guiding clients to make themselves a priority and set boundaries that stick. Nancy received her Masters in Creative Writing and Poetics from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado and she continues to live in the Rocky Mountains. Website - nancylevin.com Books - nancylevin.com/about/#books Facebook - facebook.com/NancyLevinAuthor Instagram - instagram.com/nancy_levin Twitter - twitter.com/nancylevin YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UCrUC6NdbENi1P2bQez1ghRg  

In this episode, we get a little bit woo-woo in this beautiful discussion with Tara Kinden, Coach, Founder and CEO of Worth Camp™ and host of The Worthy Woman Collective podcast. The heart of this podcast is about guiding women back into their worth. We dive into the importance of learning how to rest more and to trust our own intuition. Did you know that all women are creative but how we each express it is different? Discovering our version of creativity is important because creativity and self-worth are tied together. By allowing our creativity to flourish, it allows our worthiness to expand exponentially! Tara is an expert in Human Design readings. Human Design allows us to get to know our true selves, who we are and what we’re here to do. I've had my chart done with Tara and we discuss my experience and how it helped me take back my power and connect with my deepest desires. Prepare to have your mind awaken in this powerful podcast. Learn more about Tara Tara teaches women how to become authentically aligned™ with their worth, feminine power and potential for limitless living.  She uses human design, intuition, years of study & over 2 decades of entrepreneurship, to help women re-calibrate their energy and align with what they deeply desire.   Worth Camp - https://tarakinden.com/worth-camp/ Website - tarakinden.com Instagram - @taralkinden Facebook - facebook.com/TaraKinden Podcast - tarakinden.com/worthywomancodepodcast

Today I have a conversation with author Janis Dougherty who shares how her life was upended through death, divorce and cancer. She explains how feeling completely lost in her life and finding rock bottom lead her on the journey to find herself.  We discuss the 20 questions from her book “Her Within” that we all should be asking ourselves to uncover our most authentic self at this time of life.   She encourages us to connect with the 'HER' within that is hiding in so many of us. To find her, to trust her, to love her. Learn more about Janis: As a woman who set out on her own journey to connect with something that was missing, Janis found that women around the world are facing this same turning point in life. Many women have lost a connection with their HERwithin.  The comfort of finding that place where there is no judgement and plenty of encouragement is HER. That intuitive voice women hear or that nudge that they feel is HER. Janis teaches women how to connect with HER through the steps of Find HER, Embrace HER, Allow HER, Trust HER and Love HER. Janis is a mother of two, a stepmom to three and an advocate for women to follow a path of fulfilment and “Discover the Woman Within”. Author of the book, Find Her - https://herwithin.com/find-her-the-book/ Website - https://herwithin.com/ Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/689890371702377 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/herwithin/

Does your style reflect who you are at a deeper level? Perhaps you've never thought about it. Midlife is a great time to do a self-inventory and help your outer image reflect your inner being. This a super interesting conversation with Soul Stylist and Confidence Catalyst, Amanda Weil. She helps guide women to feel SEEN by infusing fashion, self-growth and spirituality. Such a great mix! Amanda debunks some of the typical 'fashion rules' that the media and even we have set for ourselves. We talk about making changes to the way we look at clothes and our style and how to represent our authentic, soul-self through the way we dress. Amanda challenges the way we think about colour and reviews how working with the chakra system can bring exciting new life into our wardrobe and life. Such a great way to connect with one of my favourite topics, fashion, and blending it with another favourite topic, soul growth. Enjoy! Learn more about Amanda: My speciality is styling businesswomen who feel stuck in a rut with their corporate dress codes. I’ll help you discover the style of your true self so that when you are sitting in a meeting you are not afraid to speak up and you feel more respected. After 14 years as a corporate executive, I know firsthand how stifling and robotic it can feel wearing outfits that do not allow your true self to shine. I have mastered how to infuse a style awakening for my clients so their wardrobe calls forth the most confident and connected version of themselves while maintaining a business edge. A few minor changes in one's wardrobe can make a huge impact on confidence and thus life and work decisions. My clients are successful businesswomen who have had enough of feeling robotic and masculine due to their office dress code and crave to feel alive when they dress for work. I guide them to find their true style and use their newfound confidence to elevate their performance at work.  Instagram: Amandaweilstyle Website: www.styleawakeningacademy.com Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/accentuatedstyle

This episode of the podcast is a little different. It's the very first ever solo episode of the show. This is something that I have been resisting for a while. I made a promise to myself for 2021, to ramp things up a bit and get back to taking some uncomfortable steps for the growth of my mission to help as many midlife women as possible create their kick-ass next chapter. And for my own personal growth as well. Doing the podcast each week is one of my favourite things. I love interviewing guests and hearing their stories about how they got from point A to point B and the lessons learned along the way. But I've had a huge amount of resistance around sharing my own story. It has felt a bit vulnerable to put my whole life out there on the world wide web for everyone to hear. Not to mention listening to myself talk for 30 minutes. Why is it so hard to hear our own voices? So in this episode, I’m sharing all the gory details of how and why my life fell apart at the age of 50 and the process of rebuilding it to create my own kick-ass next chapter as well as all the lessons I have learned along the way. I would love for you to listen and let me know your thoughts. I hope that you can see yourself in some part of my story and that there's a thought or idea that might resonate with your own midlife reinvention journey. Learn more about the voice behind the Old Chicks Know Sh*t Podcast: Jennifer Arthurton is the creator and founder of Old Chicks Know Sh*t, a community and podcast designed to inspire and support midlife women in chasing their dreams and creating their kick-ass next chapter. Jennifer is an empowerment coach, podcast host, writer and speaker, and having made her own midlife course corrections, she is a passionate advocate of the inherent power and wisdom that women possess at a time when they often feel overlooked and doubt themselves most.  Find out more about at www.oldchicksknowshit.com or Old Chicks Know Shit on Instagram and Facebook. Schedule a Clarity Kickstarter Call with Jennifer - oldchicksknowshit.com/claritykickstarter

Today I chat with Susan Niebergall about fitness at any age and getting into the best shape of your life at midlife. We talk about all the benefits of strength training for women and how it is actually the #1 anti-aging tool.  She shares how being obsessed with numbers, either scale weight or calories, could actually be holding you back. Instead, she shares one thing that we should be focusing on to meet our fitness goals. If getting into the best shape of your life is on your midlife bucket list you will want to give this one a listen. Check out Susan's book "Fit At Any Age" here - susanniebergallfitness.com/fit-at-any-age Find her SF Inner Circle here - sfinnercircle.com Connect with Susan on Instagram @susanniebergallfitness or on  Facebook at facebook.com/susanniebergallfitness.  Access her website here - susanniebergallfitness.com Meet Susan: I am a Personal Trainer and Strength Coach. I am in my early sixties and am living proof that anything is possible at any age. I have a passion for helping people, specifically helping people attain their fitness goals, and I love empowering people in the gym and in their life–especially middle-aged women! I am a wife to a fabulous high school band director and Mom to an awesome college-bound young man. I have been in education my whole life. I was a high school and elementary school band director and was a school counsellor for 24 years. I love teaching and helping people!    

Ashley Paré, is a Leadership Coach who helps women ask for what they want in their careers and businesses.  Ashley's experience from her own life as well as working with her clients has helped her identify the roadblocks for women getting what they want and how they can overcome them.  We chat about getting clear on what you want, subconscious beliefs that hold us back and giving ourselves permission.  Whether you want to get a promotion or raise the rates in your business or even if you are re-entering the workforce you will find some valuable nuggets in our conversation to help you own your worth!  Here is a link to Ashley's TEDx Talk we mention in the podcast - https://ownyourworth.org/tedx-talk/ Learn more about Ashley: Ashley Paré is the CEO & Founder of Own Your Worth®, an organization bridging the gap between employees and employers.  As a leadership coach and sought after Speaker, Ashley gives women the tools to own their worth and negotiate for what they want without fear of negative consequences.  Ashley is a TEDx Speaker with more than a decade of corporate experience in global Human Resources.  She’s been featured in The New York Times, Glamour, CNN Money, Good Morning America and more. She resides with her husband and son in Boston, MA. You can learn more about her work at www.ownyourworth.com.

If you have been considering starting a business or some kind of new venture for your second chapter then this is an episode you do not want to miss. In this episode, I speak with Juju Hook who is a former corporate brand strategist turned author, speaker and coach for midlife women entrepreneurs.  It's a super inspiring conversation about why midlife women are actually better equipped than many other groups for entrepreneurship. We talk about the powerful intersection of purpose and mastery, why we downplay our skills and the lies that are sold to midlife women in mainstream advertising. Juju shares how the answer to the question "If you could be doing anything you wanted right now, what would you be doing?” became the inspiration and catalyst for her own business.  This episode reminds us how powerful and capable we are to create the life and business we want at this time of life.  A seriously inspirational conversation that you don’t want to miss.  Are you ready for a midlife remix? Take a listen and get inspired! Learn more about Juju Hook Juju Hook is a consultant, coach, and speaker. For more than a quarter-century she developed brand strategies for corporations. Today, through online programs, live events, and one-to-one coaching, Juju motivates, inspires, and educates PrimeTime women in topics related to business, life, and relationships. She holds a BA in English and an MBA, and is certified as a coach and a yoga teacher. Juju lives in San Diego with her husband and her son. You can find her branding blog at StrategicJuju.com and her program for PrimeTime women at PositivelyPrimeTime.com. Access Juju's website here - jujuhook.com Juju has created a quiz to help people determine their brand archetype called Discover Your Essence of Influence. Access the quiz here - Discover Your Essence of Influence

Today's episode is all about alcohol. From the occasional drink to a glass or two every night, how do you know if alcohol is a problem in your life? I talk with Lori Massicot who is a Life & Sober Coach for midlife women. Lori shares the story of her 30-year journey with alcohol and how she knew that it was becoming a problem for her.  We talk about what it means to be sober curious, societal pressures and self-awareness around drinking. Lori encourages us to look at how our relationship with alcohol is impacting our relationships, careers and even personal goals. We talk at length about how alcohol is impacting the many hormonal changes and menopause symptoms that we experience at this time of life. Lori shares how to navigate social pressures around drinking and create boundaries, along with tips on how to get out of the habit of drinking. Book mention: Atomic Habits by James Clear Learn more about Lori: Lori Massicot is a Life & Sober coach for women over 40 because she knows how tough aging can be, especially when you mix it with alcohol.  She helps women restructure their days to align with a sober lifestyle to give the time and space to process how to think, feel, and do, all in a "NO BS fluffy" kind of way. A Sober Lifestyle is a catalyst to transform all areas of life from health and wellness to relationships to money and career goals and a deeper connection to your authentic self. Her website is www.lorimassicot.com. Check out her Podcast, 'To 50 and Beyond' - lorimassicot.com/to50andbeyondpodcast Her membership community called 'Elevate' can be accessed here - https://www.lorimassicot.com/elevatenow

So many of us struggle with body image and weight gain as we age. Imagine loving your body exactly as it is while still achieving your weight loss and fitness goals. In today's podcast, I have a great conversation with Steph Miramontes, a Mind Body Transformation Strategist, about how we can achieve the results we want from a place of love and respect for our bodies instead of hatred and disgust.    Steph shares her own journey of struggling with negative body image and diet and how she overcame it. She shares how diets, even when we do lose weight, actually exacerbate body image issues and leave us still picking our body apart and wishing it was better.    We talk about how the health and fitness industry and media have tricked us into betraying our bodies based on an unrealistic and often unattainable ideal.  Steph shares that the key to lasting transformation is an inside job focused on mind, body, and soul and rebuilding the most important relationship we have, the one with our ourselves.   I hope you enjoy this episode and learn more about how to start having a love affair with your body as it is, now.   Learn more about Steph Steph is the owner of soul-centred Fitness where she takes fitness and nutrition coaching from a mundane task list to inspired action. She’ll help you pull back the curtain on why you want to change while guiding you on a journey that is sustainable. She is also a Desire Map facilitator and blends the perfect amount of no BS coaching with grace and compassion. She has been helping people achieve their fitness goals since 2012.   She's committed to not only helping her clients untangle their relationship to food and end yo-yo dieting but also helps them heal a lifelong battle with their body image.   You can find Steph on Instagram, and listen to her podcast The MindBody Alchemy Podcast here.

I am thrilled to have fitness expert, Amanda Thebe, back to talk about her popular new book called Menopocalypse. It's a hilarious and well-researched book that provides a ton of great information and quite a few chuckles. Amanda chronicles her menopause journey and how that led her to go deep into the research of how nutrition, exercise, stress and other things affect the menopause experience. Her philosophy is that the more we understand what's going on with our body, the more empowered we are to take back our power in this stage of life. Although menopause symptoms can be very different for each woman, Amanda shares the five most common symptoms and how to help deal with them. She also reviews diseases and health issues that post-menopausal women are more at risk for and how we can support our bodies. And of course, she brings her fitness expertise to the discussion as we talk about movement, exercise and the importance of strength training. Did you ever think about menopause as a good thing? Amanda and I discuss how it is important for us to change our view of menopause as a pivotal point or pattern interrupt to re-evaluate our lives instead of as a disruption. The impact of stress and how we think has a big impact on how we experience menopause. This episode will challenge you to think differently about this stage of life. Reference: Amanda mentions the book The Menopause Diet Plan by Hillary Wright and Elizabeth M. Ward Would you like to learn more about Amanda? Amanda Thebe is a force of nature for women who are experiencing menopause hell and want to start feeling healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. With over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Amanda is a highly regarded expert on women’s fitness and health. A popular guest on podcasts and online summits, she brings refreshing humour and no-nonsense approach to subjects usually shrouded in shame. Through her frank articles, hilarious social media posts and inspirational and entertaining talks, Amanda continually inspires the loyal readers of her website, FitnChips.com. Her exercise workouts and fitness tips have been featured in Shape, Prevention, Health Line, Global News Canada, Lifehacker, Breaking Muscle, Girls Gone Strong, and Ultimate Sandbag Training. She lives in Houston, Texas. WEBSITE: FitnChips.com SOCIAL: Podcast | https://fitnchipschats.podomatic.com/ Instagram | www.instagram.com/amanda.thebe Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/fitnchips Facebook community | www.facebook.com/groups/menopausingsohard Twitter | https://twitter.com/fitnchips BOOK: Menopocalypse can be found on Amazon and other large retailers - https://www.fitnchips.com/books/

Today's episode is the second in a series about caring for aging parents. It's an important topic that is impacting so many of my clients and this community. It's something that I am familiar with and am currently dealing with as well. The physical aspects of care are pretty straight forward but what is often unexpected is the emotional impacts it can have on us - fear, guilt, resentment and more.  This conversation with Resa Eisen, a licensed therapist, social worker and mediator, sheds some light on how we as women can take charge of our emotional health while navigating this path with grace for all concerned. We talk about the importance of giving ourselves permission for the feelings that arise as we navigate the complex family dynamics when we go from being the child to the caregiver. During this podcast, we also chat about patterns of conflict that follow us from our families-of-origin and the cultural expectations for women as the primary caregiver, especially while we are in the midst of our own midlife struggles. There is also the added cultural imperative to be "unseen" and “ unheard”. Resa believes that women have the power within them to take charge of their emotional health, and provides her top 3 things we can do right now to make a shift for the positive. Want to learn more about Resa? Resa Eisen is a Social Worker, Therapist and Mediator, who has, over the course of her forty-year career, found her passion for understanding conflict and its impact on our most significant and intimate relationships. Over the years, Resa has launched many training programs in conflict-resolution, co-founded The Essential Conversations Project® to help older adults and their families prepare, plan and make decisions in mid-life and beyond, and has been an active member in her professional associations. In the New Year, Resa plans to launch her newest program, called “Courage My Love: Lifting Your Emotional Health as a Woman Caring for your Aging Parents”. Check out her website at www.marathonmediation.ca or email her at resa@marathonmediation.ca

You're going to love today's episode. It's a hilarious conversation with 77-year-old Hollywood actress Mariann Aalda who appeared in many popular 1980’s television shows. She shares her journey of realizing that she was being “Aged out" of her 30 year Hollywood career when the phone suddenly stopped ringing. But that didn't stop Mariann. She has since gone on to create, produce and star in several one-woman comedy acts about the experience of aging as a woman in our society. Her mission is all about empowering women to stand in their power no matter what age.  We chatted about how we have been hypnotized and conditioned by the media and how that has translated into negative self talk about this time of life. There are so many hilarious one-liners from Mariann in this conversation. Get ready to have a great laugh. Here is the link to her Ted Talk we mentioned titled "Ageism Is a Bully...Stand Up to It!"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcP4UxY_Q9o&feature=youtu.be In the 1980s Mariann Aalda was a daytime television pioneer as one of the first - and still few - African-American daytime soap opera heroines, playing the feisty young criminal defence attorney, DiDi Bannister, on ABC’s EDGE OF NIGHT. Today, at 72 — after being “aged out” of Hollywood after a successful 30-year career in television, she’s blazing new trails...prosecuting ageism! You can find her on Instagram  @mariannaaldathecronecrusader

This episode is focused on all things career and I have a fabulous conversation with Amber Beam who is a Midlife Career Coach. Amber loves what she does and her energy is infectious! She helps us to open our mind and look at our career and skillsets in a whole different way. We review the #1 factor for job satisfaction and how it helps make you happier in your career but also in your life as well. Amber provides tips for finding your 'secret sauce' and offers a free resource to help you discover yours. Another valuable piece we discuss is the difference between your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) versus your 'selling sauce'. Have you ever thought about the 'Opportunity Cost' of staying in the role you are currently in, even though it isn't lighting your fire anymore? Amber gets the wheels turning and helps us shed a light on the vast possibilities available to midlife women. Amber provides some really useful tips on how to make a change of career without starting over or taking a pay cut. She works with midlife women every day to help them love what they do and get compensated appropriately. This book was referenced in the podcast: How Women Rise by Sally Haelgesen Here is the freebie Amber mentioned at the end of the podcast for her 'Complete Roadmap to Advancing Your Career in Good Times and Bad' - amberbeam.com/results Want to learn more about Amber? Amber’s mission is to eradicate soul-sucking jobs everywhere! With 15 years in HR as an I-O Psychologist, she’s seen it all! Now she’s throwing back the curtain to reveal what you really need to know to win-over sceptics in HR. She shatters the “it’s too late” and “I don’t think I have enough experience” myths to show women over 40 how to cash-in on decades of experience and launch a soul-mate career that makes a difference and pays the bills! Her proven coaching programs and courses have helped tons of talented women score five-figure raises and “Summer Fridays” year-round. Her greatest achievement is hearing clients say, “now I look forward to going to work!” Her website is: www.amberbeam.com Connect with her on Facebook @withAmberBeam or on Instagram @withAmberBeam

Today’s podcast is all about how centuries of historical and societal conditioning has impacted how midlife women are perceived in our culture and how we think about ourselves.   I chat with Melanie Klein who is a professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies and a respected thought leader in the areas of self-acceptance, body confidence and empowerment.    We have an amazing conversation about confidence, respect, invisibly and how we find empowerment in this time of life. We also discuss the astonishing statistics about the female image, aging and associated messaging that is so prevalent in our social media culture and how that impacts us through menopause and beyond.   Melanie shares the historical context for why we as women often fear our power and how getting out of our intellect and into the ‘feeling’ helps to us to reclaim it and take full ownership of all that we are and all that we are becoming as we age.   It's a fascinating conversation that sheds so much light on how we got to where we are and how we shift the narratives and perspectives moving forward.    I hope you enjoy this as much I did. Let me know what you thought.    Melanie C. Klein, M.A., is a sought-after empowerment coach and respected thought leader in the areas of authentic empowerment, radical self-acceptance and super-charged confidence. She is also a successful writer, speaker, and Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies. Based on over two decades of professional and personal work, Melanie integrates her backgrounds in mindfulness and embodied wisdom with her academic expertise and advocacy work. In this way, she offers a holistic and unique pathway to personal freedom and prosperity, one that is customized to each individual. melaniecklein.com/       You can find Melanie on Instagram at melmelklein or on her website at www.melaniecklein.com  

Are you a middle-aged woman sandwiched between taking care of your kids and your aging parent(s)? With many of us having kids later in life we find ourselves in what’s known as 'the sandwich generation’. And the demands can feel overwhelming. In today's episode, I speak with Karen Faith Gordon, a gerontologist and elder care advocate about how to navigate the demands of this time of life. We discuss how the older generation is really struggling during the current pandemic and how to help them manage their fear. Karen provides some great tips on how to provide support during this time She shares how it is important to recapture the relationship of being a daughter, while still being the caregiver, and explains how to process the feelings of guilt, overwhelm and even grief that arises to create an open and honest dialogue. This can feel especially challenging when many of our parents come from a generation of suppressing emotions.  As a  yoga teacher, Karen talks about the benefits that yoga brings to her elderly clients and how it can support them in the aging process.  If you find yourself as part of the sandwich generation then this is one episode you won’t want to miss. Karen Faith Gordon helps individuals and families address issues of aging through mental health/grief counselling, patient advocacy, care coordination, real estate and placement guidance to address short and long term care needs, and adaptive yoga for optimal well being. To learn more about Karen visit her website at https://karenfaith.llc/

How do you talk to yourself about the way your body is aging? In today's episode, I have a beautiful conversation with Lorraine Ladish about body image at middle age and beyond. Lorraine shares her personal story about struggling with eating disorders and body image at a young age and how she overcame it in midlife. She now has a strong relationship and love for her body and provides tips on how you can too. We talk about a recent blog post  where she shares photos from an 'honest' photo shoot and how one of the 'real' photos went viral. Here is a link to the blog post we referred to: https://www.vivafifty.com/over-50-birthday-photoshoot-lorraine-ladish-13313/We talk about how an aging body is perceived in the media and how the perception is a 'learned behaviour' and that we 'allow' ourselves to 'believe' certain things that work against us. Lorraine shares some practical optimism about this that you are going to want to hear. Lorraine has fully claimed her power at midlife and is a true inspiration. We also talk about the fear of aging in our culture and how we all have a responsibility to provide positive education and inspiration to younger women about aging.  Lorraine is a 21st. Century Communicator, helping empower women and others to achieve their goals. She is the founder and CEO of Viva Fifty! a bilingual community that celebrates being 50+. She's worked as an editor and social media coordinator for a number of online publications. She is a content creator and regular contributor to NBCNews, Huffpost, AARP, Babycenter and Mom.me. Lorraine has contributed to People en Español, La Palma of The Palm Beach Post,  Purple Clover, Latina magazine and Redbook . Her latest book on embracing age was published by HarperCollins in 2017.    But most of all Lorraine is a woman, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a writer, an entrepreneur, a yogini.