Have you ever looked at old photos of yourself in your 20s and realized you actually look and feel younger, lighter, and more energized today?

In this episode, Michelle is diving into what it means to truly come into your own as you approach 40. Inspired by a raw, eye-opening conversation with Josh during a rainy walk around Quidi Vidi, Michelle unpacks why aging is actually a beautiful glow-up of confidence, self-assuredness, and freedom from the insecurities that hold us back when we are younger.

But "real talk" on this podcast means going beyond the surface. Michelle gets hilariously candid about the unsexy parts of wellness, her daily routines, and the lifestyle changes that have her feeling better than ever.

Episode Timestamps;

00:00 Welcome to Bombshell

00:32 Rainy Newfoundland Vibes

01:15 Podcast Behind the Scenes

02:28 Finally Sharing Links

05:37 Confidence Compliments

07:03 Supplements and Routine

09:25 Josh on Getting Older

13:17 Gut Health Real Talk

14:27 Vaginal Health Chat

19:19 Movement and New Goals

20:23 Dance Class Leap

21:23 Wrap Up and Goodbye

This one’s for the women who are finally coming into themselves, owning their confidence, and realizing that the older we get, the better it truly gets!

If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to follow the podcast and share it with a friend who might need to hear this conversation too.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Shop with Me: https://go.shopmy.us/join/michellestokes

Three years. 145 Mondays. Michelle takes a moment to thank everyone who's shown up, sent DMs, shared episodes, and trusted her with the messy parts of their lives before diving into the most relatable fashion crisis she's ever faced: a husband who deliberately wears the tropical palm tree hoodie just to prove a point. From the Gander parking lot incident where he showed up without his beard and she genuinely didn't want to look at him, to the quarterly solo shopping trips that come home with stripes, prints, and bright colors that sit in his closet with tags still on—this is Michelle processing the very specific pain of being someone everyone trusts for fashion advice except the one person she lives with.

Episode Timestamps;

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:30 Three Year Milestone

02:12 Meet and Greet Idea

03:33 Real Life Reality Check

04:37 Real Estate Gratitude

05:57 Today’s Episode Tease

06:21 August Life Update

07:01 Husband vs Fashion

12:14 Beard Drama Storytime

15:24 Affiliate Links and Finds

18:05 Why He Pushes Back

18:59 Final Sign Off

If you have a partner who dresses himself just to test your limits, share this—and know you are not alone.

If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to follow the podcast and share it with a friend who might need to hear this conversation too.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Shop with Me: https://go.shopmy.us/join/michellestokes

Michelle records on a Monday (applause, please) and opens with Scarlet on a steep hill in the freezing wind, saying "I can't" for the first time—and Michelle sees herself so clearly it hurts. Then she gets into the real thing: a meme that stopped her cold. "My toxic trait is that I want to stay home with the kids, but I also want a job, but not so many hours I miss the kids, but I also need a break from the kids, but I don't want anyone else watching the kids." That's the whole episode. From sneaking away from the office to grab Ben's X-ray requisition because she couldn't let Josh just handle it, to booking Brooklyn for the summer and then going home at 2 PM anyway because she wanted to be the one taking them swimming, to trying to secure a buyer inquiry from the passenger seat on the way to the pool—this is Michelle not knowing which version of herself she actually wants to be, and being very honest about it.

Episode Timestamps;

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:41 Last Week Reflection

01:00 Bike Ride Challenge

03:40 I Can't vs I Should

06:11 Dance Off Redemption

06:57 This Week's Topic Intro

07:16 Toxic Trait Post

08:02 Mompreneur Tug of War

08:59 Forgetting the X-Ray

09:55 Control Freak Confession

12:44 Summer FOMO Spiral

15:05 Real Estate Flexibility Myth

16:02 Working on the Way Swimming

17:01 Can You Have Both

18:23 Summer Plan and Wrap Up

19:37 Final Goodbye

If you're stuck between boss mode and mom mode with no idea which one wins, share this with a friend who's fighting the same battle—misery loves company and so does self-awareness.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Michelle records from the physio parking lot with energy she hasn't had in weeks—because she's talking about clothes. This episode is part fashion therapy, part origin story. She unpacks why she still shows up every day, sharing outfits with no affiliate links, no store, and no financial incentive: because a habit built in a basement four years ago never went away, and because getting dressed is still the thing that sets her day. From the local boutique collab, she waited three weeks to accept until she had spent money saved, to stepping on a scale for the first time in four years (183 pounds, and she'll take it), to the real reason Bombshell closed—she bit off more than she could chew the same year she left nursing and started real estate. And if you need one thing for your summer wardrobe, it's a skort. She's very serious about this.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Beyond

00:30 Feedback and DMs

01:02 Hauls and Links

02:26 Gifting and Values

08:23 Quality Over Fast

09:35 Why I Share

12:00 Bombshell Origins

14:51 Summer Skort Must

17:24 Closing Bombshell

19:48 Final Thanks Outro

If you've ever felt judged walking into a boutique or down on yourself scrolling someone else's outfits, share this—and then go get a skort.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Michelle records outside her office unpacking two phrases that are quietly doing damage—one she never says, one she says a million times a day without realizing it. She doesn't say "I can't." She figures it out, she does the thing, she makes it work. But then she gets stuck in the aftermath, replaying everything she should have done differently, should have bought, should have said. Josh finally called it out: every "I should have" is just self-blame in disguise, keeping her mentally stuck in the past instead of planning for the future. The reframe? Replace "I should have gotten hot dogs" with "next time I'll get hot dogs." Simple, but it changes everything. If you're an "I can't" person or an "I should have" person—or somehow both—this one's the mirror you didn't know you needed.

Timestamps:

00:00 Two Phrases, Two Problems

03:14 I Don't Say "I Can't"—Here's Why

06:28 But I Say "I Should Have" Constantly

09:42 What "I Should Have" Actually Does to You

13:17 Josh Called It Out

16:44 The Reframe: "Next Time I'll..."

20:33 What Happens When You're Both

23:18 Take It Out of Your Vocabulary

If you know someone stuck in "I should have" or "I can't," share this—sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else before it actually lands.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Michelle records from her driveway in pajamas on Canada Day, coffee in hand, waiting for the fog to roll in—and this episode is exactly that kind of morning. Raw, unfiltered, still figuring it out. She unpacks the week: Scarlet didn't make the tumbling team and handled it better than Michelle expected, Michelle got pulled on stage at the dance gala by her daughter's tiny fist and absolutely bombed it (and has been practicing in the mirror ever since), and somewhere between crying in a leadership meeting and flopping in the chair telling Josh she can't be all-in at work this summer, she landed on the thing she actually needs to let go of. Not just things in her calendar—but the version of summer she keeps holding onto that her kids have already outgrown.

Timestamps:

00:00 Pajamas, Driveway, Canada Day

02:18 ChatGPT Told Me to Reflect More

05:44 Two of Us Can't Both Drive the Ship This Summer

09:12 Scarlet Didn't Make the Team (And Was Fine)

13:27 Have a Backup Plan Ready

16:48 She Pulled My Arm and I Said Yes

20:33 I've Been Practicing in the Mirror Ever Since

23:14 We Only Have 13 Summers, Not 18

26:07 What Do I Need to Let Go Of?

If you're holding on too tight to a summer that your kids have already moved on from, share this with a mom who needs permission to slow down and let them lead for once.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

What happens when you come off a vacation high, try to pull off a birthday sleepover for six eight-year-olds, and then somehow completely fail at Father's Day? You hit your "quarterly crash".

In this incredibly candid episode, Michelle sits down to process what burnout actually looks like when it sneaks up on a high achiever who has been doing all the "right things". She realizes that a lack of her usual over-planning is exactly what led to the weekend's chaos—from losing it at Ben over an iPad ranking, to floating stiffly at the pool instead of doing a cannonball. It all culminated in a Tuesday afternoon when she canceled her plans, closed the blinds, put on Scarlet's sleep mask, and slept for two hours in the middle of the week. Oh, and Josh came home with a cherry blossom tree because he didn't know what else to do to help.

Timestamps:

00:00 Post Father's Day and Already Apologizing

03:14 Swimming Was Not the Plan

06:28 The iPad Incident

09:42 Why I Think It All Went Wrong

12:17 Lack of Control Is My Kryptonite

15:33 The Quarterly Crash Nobody Saw Coming

19:48 Josh Bought a Cherry Blossom Tree

22:06 Permission to Crash Before Summer Starts

If you held it all together this school year and you're starting to feel the cracks, share this with a friend who needs permission to close the blinds and sleep—burnout doesn't care how many supplements you're taking.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Bombshell. In this episode, Michelle reflects on the emotional transition of returning to her daily routine after a refreshing girls' trip to Montreal. She describes the struggle of maintaining a "vacation high" while navigating the professional and personal pressures of running a business with her husband. She also emphasizes the importance of intentional self-care, such as morning walks and making choices that spark joy, to prevent feeling deflated by adult responsibilities. Throughout the episode, she highlights the value of female friendships and the shared experiences of "oldest daughter syndrome" among her peers. Ultimately, she encourages her listeners to reclaim their authentic selves and prioritize time away from work and family to recharge.

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:30 Recording on the Road

01:08 Vacation High Crash

03:47 Recreating Vacation Energy

06:08 Back on the High

07:53 Friends and Busy Seasons

09:53 Trip Out of the Group Chat

11:52 Montreal Highlights and Vibes

13:53 Permission to Just Go

14:49 No Guilt and Feeling Alive

17:26 Solo Mornings and 5:51

18:09 Deep Talks and Oldest Child

20:13 Wrap Up and Next Trip

20:55 Outro and Final Thoughts

If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to follow the podcast and share it with a friend who might need to hear this conversation too.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Michelle records from the parking lot outside physio with Bambi whining in the backseat, coming off a dance recital weekend that cracked something open in her. Two things she can't stop thinking about: Scarlet shining on that stage—not because she was scouted or handpicked, but because two parents asked questions, took a gulp, and said yes—and the realization that she spent almost all of 2025 driving in complete silence, thinking it was self-care when really it was just her shutting down. Scarlet fixed that. Now it's Benson Boone on full blast, five minutes before school, singing at the top of their lungs, and Michelle wondering why it took her this long. This is a candid episode about giving people opportunities before they're ready, showing up before you know what you're walking into, and asking yourself what your life would look like if you just did the thing without overthinking it first.

Timestamps:

00:00 Bambi in the Backseat, Supplement Update

03:12 Montreal Girls Trip Is Coming

05:18 Almost All of 2025 in Silence

08:44 Scarlet and Benson Boone Fixed Everything

12:27 Shelly Doesn't Need Alcohol to Come Out

15:33 Watching the Recital and Seeing What Almost Didn't Happen

19:48 What If We Never Asked the Questions?

23:16 Apply That Same Concept to Your Own Life

If this hit home, share it with the woman in your life who keeps waiting until she's ready—remind her Scarlet had no idea what she was signing up for either.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle

Michelle records from her car at Topsail Beach (it snowed yesterday, it's June, welcome to Newfoundland) and opens with the most candid supplement review you'll ever hear. After getting targeted by Arrae supplements one too many times, she ordered the combo—and let's just say Josh is very happy about it. From there, she gets into the real stuff: surviving the last three weeks of school without losing your mind. Teacher gifts, birthday parties, tryouts, recitals, end-of-year parties she decided not to throw, and a summer childcare plan that came together from one 7 AM SOS in a community Facebook group. This is Michelle giving you full permission to divide, conquer, and ask for help—whether that's your friend Amanda cooking HelloFresh, a neighbor's university-age kid keeping an eye on your kids at the pool, or just letting another mom take on the class gift so you don't have to.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:30 Beach Recording Chaos

01:22 Targeted Ads Rabbit Hole

05:14 Unfiltered Supplement Review

10:14 June Overwhelm and Parties

12:35 Divide and Conquer Help

15:40 Summer Childcare Game Plan

20:41 Final Pep Talk and Outro

If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to follow the podcast and share it with a friend who might need to hear this conversation too.

And if you want to stay connected, you can find me on social media and on my website via the links below. I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about jumping into my DMs.

Let’s Connect!

Follow Michelle Stokes on;

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/bombshell.by.michelle