Dear Midlife...

Alright, ladies—let’s get real about our hair! Because if menopause has taught us anything, it’s that your hair can suddenly decide it’s not gonna play nice. I get it—I've been there, struggling to manage my own hair after a thyroid condition left it dry, brittle, and breaking off at the shoulders. My solution? Gorgeous extensions from my girl Tessa at Coco's Style Lounge in Lee’s Summit, Missouri! They give me life and make me feel like I’m rocking my 30s again. But sometimes I wonder, is there a better way to get that fabulous, full look without the extensions?

Enter today’s powerhouse guest: Angela Fields! Angela is an award-winning entrepreneur and Curl Restoration Coach whose story starts with a chemical burn disaster and ends with her creating a fragrance-free haircare empire that’s caught the attention of O Magazine and Black Enterprise. Angela’s on a mission to help us all navigate those tricky hair changes that hit with menopause and beyond. 

In this episode, Angela spills the secrets on haircare for women over 50, offering real solutions for thinning hair, changing curl patterns, and those pesky shrinking follicles. We’re talking products with humectants and moisturizers (applied on *soaking* wet hair!), understanding porosity, and knowing when it’s time to switch up our routine. She even has tips for tracking shed hair (yes, grab your phone camera) and insights on alopecia, which affects so many women but has solutions once you know what you’re dealing with.

Angela’s passion, energy, and insane knowledge will have you feeling empowered to take your hair health into your own hands—no extensions required. Ready to reclaim your crown and feel fabulous in every way? Hit play, and let’s dive in!

In this episode, Angela teaches us

1. Hormonal shifts in menopause have an impact on our hair. They can change the texture and curl pattern of our hair. and even the follicle is getting smaller causing our hair to thin it may take a change in products to repair the damage
2. Using products with humectines and moisturizerrizers is imprative and they must be applied to soaking wet hair when the hair cuticle is lifted. apply a moisturizing treatment 1-2x a month, minimally
3. Perosity is a measure of how well your hsir absorbs and retains moisture. To determine your hairs porosity you can see how quickly your hair air dries. the longer it takes the lower the porosity
4. Accumulate and monitor your shed hair using a trap in your shower and take a pic of it with your cell phone to maintain a dated record. . if you're noticing a singnificant amount of shed, you may need to add a supplement like nutrafol.
5. There are a variety of different forms of alopecia that occur for different reasons. It is important that you spend time with your dermatologist to determine what is the root cause of your hair growth issues and then there are several paths to take to repair and replenish your hair.

To find more of Angela:

https://curlycoilytresses.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CurlyCoilyTresses

https://www.instagram.com/curlycoilytresses_

[email protected]

And if you are like us and struggling with all the ups and downs midlife has to dish out, join us on our journey to figure it all out. Follow this podcast and leave us a review. You can join our tribe of badass women on Facebook or Instagram.

Ladies...Being a mama is HELLA hard. I read this poem by Cameron Poynter recently called "I am the Keeper" and in this poem she says:

"I Am The Keeper....I am the keeper of schedules. Of practices, games, and lessons. Of projects, parties, and dinners. Of appointments and homework assignments.

I am the keeper of solutions. Of bandaids and sewing kits and snacks in my purse. But also of emotional balms and metaphorical security blankets.

I am the keeper of emotional security. Everyone's. 

I am the keeper of worry. Theirs and my own.

I am the keeper of the good and the bad, the big and the small, the beautiful and the hard.

Most of the time, the weight of these things are buoying me with a sense of purpose. It’s what I signed up for. It’s the one thing I am really good at.

But sometimes the weight of these things I keep pulls me down below the surface until I am kicking and struggling to break the surface and gasp for breath."

These are small segments of the poem that spoke to me the most...but, the reality is that we carry a HUGE weight on our shoulders as women and mothers and so, at the end of the night...It feels right to just settle in with a glass of wine to just...breathe, and be. Am I right ladies? I mean, raise your hand if this is YOUR ritual too.

Now, raise your hand if you think the drinking has gone further than you wanted it to in the recent past? Maybe the alcohol has caused you to snap at your kids? Or, perhaps, your partner. Maybe, you've sent a snarky text to a friend? Do you always feel terrible in the morning, because if you're like me just 2 glasses of wine at night can create a massive headache in the morning.

Now...ask yourself if this is the way you want to feel? Would you give up the alcohol to live a richer, more full life? That is exactly what our guest today, Stephanie Brislin did. She found herself questioning whether her drinking had gone too far and if she was showing up in life the way she wanted to...She wanted to THRIVE not just SURVIVE and it was then she became determined to ditch the wine glass and break free from the “Mom’s Nightly Ritual”.

In this episode, we're diving into the cycle of stress, wine, repeat—and how it holds us back. Stephanie Brislin, joins us to share her journey and how she found freedom beyond the bottle. We’re talking real solutions, redefining rituals, and reclaiming your energy—no deprivation, no shame, just the confidence to live a life that truly fills you up. Join us as we tackle over-drinking at its root and discover how a life in the middle can be monumental, not just managed. 🥂

This Naked Mind is a book and a movement started by Annie Grace as she found herself getting more curious about WHY she thought she needed alcohol and asking herself how much better life could be without it. It was the book and the movement that inspired Stephanie to become a Certified Naked Mind Coach, and she is guiding women just like us through the process of changing unwanted habits and behaviors at the subconscious level. She focuses primarily on helping people get back control over their use of alcohol, without feelings of deprivation, shame or judgment. It is in that space that she's able to help women to create lasting change by finding awareness in the thoughts and beliefs that control our subconscious behaviors and actions.

In this episode, Stephanie teaches us:

1. The Naked Mind is a book that was written by __ and now it is a movement to get closer to understanding our attraction to alcohol, why we are choosing to drink it and, then, to tackle over drinking at the root cause. 
2. When we falter and "fall off the proverbial wagon", this is not seen as failure. It is seen as an opportunity to collect more data about the why fall into these subconscious patterns.
3. When we drink, it takes our prefrontal cortex offline and our body becomes stressed in its effort to rid our body of toxins. So, while alcohol may feel like it (temporarily) relieves of us our stressors, we're actually putting our body into a state of distress that, consequently, makes us want more alcohol. It is a vicious cycle.
4. It's not really about drinking or not drinking. Ask yourself how do you want to feel in this one beautiful life you have to live.
5. According to the CDC, 10% of people have a physical dependence on alcohol. For the rest of us, we are driven by a psychological desire. Therefore, the first step to resolving the habitual patterns is to bring awareness to them.

To find more of Stephanie:

Book a Free Strategy Call NOW

Learn More https://www.thelifewithincoaching.com/

Follow @coachstephaniebrislin

Register Free Self-care Series

Ladies if you're ready for a change, we are here with you. We are struggling with the same challenges that come with this midlife transition. Let's do life in the middle together...because, let's face it-we are built for connection. We are made for community. we NEED one another to get through this thing called life. If you're looking for a tribe of bad ass women and some tools and resources to help you up-level your life, we've got your back. Follow this podcast for our continued expert advice. Find us on Instagram and Facebook. and let's make life in the middle monumental...instead of a crisis!

Today, we’re diving into motivation...and I'm not just talking about the quick-fix, caffeine-and-panic kind, but the deep, sustainable motivation that actually sticks. And who better to guide us than Dr. Rebecca Block, the former professor, parent of two lively sons, and all-around motivation expert?

Rebecca’s here to break down the four essentials of motivation—her ABCDs—which are all about feeling "A" Able, finding "B" Belonging, being given "C" Choices, and, yes, even getting a "D" Dopamine boost. This framework is profound because we can start to recognize that when one of these is off, our motivation tanks. The real kicker is that Midlife hits us with new challenges everyday like menopause, sleep disruptions, and juggling way too many “shoulds"! So, ladies, getting our ABCDs in order can be a lifesaver.

In today’s chat, Rebecca gives us tools to recalibrate our motivation when life feels off-track. She’s got tips for avoiding those sneaky dopamine-sucking apps, reframing the “have-to’s” (like dinner duty) into “choose-to’s,” and recognizing what’s sapping our energy. Plus, she’ll let us in on what motivated her to tackle this topic after years of seeing teens *and* adults wrestle with it alike.

So whether you’re trying to motivate yourself, your kids, or your team at work, this episode is for you. Get ready to drop the guilt, harness your energy, and get a fresh take on motivation—let’s dive into the ABCDs with Dr. Rebecca Block!

In this episode, Rebecca teaches us:

1. There are 4 things that must be present to attain sustainable motivation. Becca calls these the "ABCDs" of motivation: a. Ability: you feel as if you have the skills and capabilities to be successful, b. Belonging: sense of belonging and support, c. choices: I was able to choose this path, d. dopamine: live a healthy lifestyle to maintain a base-level of dopamine
2. When you know these 4 requirements, when you lack motivation, then you can reflect and evaluate which of these things is missing and make small course corrections. OR you can create an environment in which these things are present so you can increase the likelihood that your children, partner, or employees will be motivated.
3. One of the first steps we can take to regulate is to get more sleep. Most women in menopause are severely sleep deprived especially because hormone shifts are disrupting our sleep and circadian rhythm. In this space we just feel exhausted and. motivation is hard to achieve in this state.
4. Evaluate how much time you're spending in the apps on your phone. Most of these apps are programed to stimulate very fast dopamine release cycles, which depletes your energy.
5. Reframe the things you feel like you "have" to do by examining why you choose to do it. If you know you HAVE make dinner for your family, flip the narrative and ask "why" you choose to make dinner...I choose to make dinner because I want my children to be expose to healthy foods, I want to eat healthy foods, and I prefer to reserve our money for other choices and, therefore, chose to eat at home. This helps provide a greater sense of control over your choices.
6. Sustained motivation comes in a space with a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. When some of the ABCDs are present AND you're focused on an external goal you know that what you're doing is moving you closer towards that goal, this creates a perfect environment for long-term motivation.

To find more of Rebecca:

Website | canyouhelpmegivea.com

LinkedIn | Rebecca-block

We were amazed by this episode! So many revelations...because, we know women in midlife (women like us!) struggle with their own midlife momentum. We are all about brining these juicy tips and resources and making them applicable to your real life. If you want more tips and tools, visit our website at dearmidlife.com or find us on Facebook or Instagram.

What IF you could wave a magic wand and gain clarity on who you are and what you know you do best so that you could harness these qualities and characteristics to live a life with purpose and intention.

We know you're thinking "that would be some magic wand!" But, we our guest today, Mikkel Leslie does just that for her clients. But, there is no magic wand just the magic of a little tool called "Human Design"

Human Design is a holistic system that uses a person's birth date, time, and place to reveal their unique energetic makeup and life purpose. Human design is based on the idea that people can detach from societal expectations and re-establish their individuality. Human Design won't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but it guides you towards the things you are most suited to and helps you do "life" in a way that capitalizes on your strengths and feels good!

What?!?...letting go of societal expectations?? Think you could do that? Let's face it! As women, many of us have lived life being the "good girl" and fulfilling ALL of the societal expectations and then some. We "should" yourselves all day long! I should make a gourmet meal tonight, should be Supermom, should get up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in just a little more work....should do all the things.

We need to step back and evaluate what is most important to us. Cut out the noise and focus on what we each, individually, do best and let life do the rest! Mikkel is a champion, author, coach and business manager for those ready to live their own lives. She has coached hundreds of individuals awakening them to their potential. Before coaching, Mikkel went through her own journey of self exploration, moving from what she was supposed to do, to what she is passionate about. 

We're getting to that point where we are SOO burned out! We're ready to throw the "shoulds" out the window and just take a breath. Let go...and lean into the things we love. Mikkel is here to help us to screw the societal BS that has held so many of us back and guide us to step into our own true selves. Her genius comes in two parts. The first providing inspiration, clarity, and motivation for people ready for their next level to get after it. The second is providing tools, tips, and techniques to help people break through the doubts, fears, and apprehensions about living their truest, best life. 

This episode is packed with human design a touch of sass, and a sprinkle of F-bombs, it’s all about breaking free from guilt, people-pleasing, and perfectionism. 

Today, Mikkel teaches us:

1. To let go of the "should" and false expectations, we first have to start by recognizing that they exist. If your day isn't lighting you up
2. Take stock in all of the things that you do in a day. Evaluate your list and acknowledge that you are choosing to do these things. The more you recognize the decisions you ARE making every day, the more you realize you can control the daily decisions of your life.
3. Start small when letting go of the things that don't light you up and/or try to let it go and see what happens. Does the world fall apart if you say "no" to organizing your child's class holiday party?
4. Human Design is a holistic system that uses a person's birth date, time, and place to create a bodygraph that reveals their unique energetic makeup and life purpose. Human Design is based on the idea that people can detach from societal expectations and re-establish their individuality. It combines ancient and modern disciplines and when you understand YOUR human design, it can help you live life with purpose and intention.
5. Human design isn't going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, it is there to provide guidance as to what things you are best suited to do and to do these things in ways that feels good!

For more of Mikkel

afulfilledlifecoaching.com

Facebook | mikkel.leslie

If you are "shoulding" on YOURSELF, stop the insanity and join us at dearmidlife.com. Break free with the support of a tribe of bad ass women who are going through the same monumental transitions and here to support you every step of the way with toolkits and conversation to guide and uplift you!

In our pre-chat with every guest we have on our show we share a disclaimer with them...Trinity says she's a cusser, and Shelby claims she's a crier. (Though, Shelby often cusses as much as Trinity and Trinity is trying to stop!) The irony of these acknowledgements is that Shelby realized in this conversation with our guest, Tamar Gersh, that she may actually have a hard time CONSCIOUSLY feeling her emotions. The reality is that she can't control the tears sometimes. That is her normal reaction to so many thing...things that are sad, things that make her happy, things that make her upset. However, she's been shamed about these tears her whole life. People tease her that she's "too emotional". So, she's learned to quickly turn off the tears and push her emotions away. Whether she's watching a movie with her kids, in a heartfelt conversation with a friend, or in the middle of an interview with a podcast guest, the shame she experiences when expressing her emotions has taught her to suck it up and move on. Now, she doesn't often give herself permission to feel sad because she doesn't want to dwell in these, perceivably, negative emotions. But, what our guest pointed out today is that, when Shelby denies her feelings and moves through the emotions too quickly, she may be depriving herself of experiencing the truest joy!!

Trinity, on the other hand, NEVER lets herself feel ANY negative emotions. Perhaps, it is because she PRIDES herself in being the strong one. She's always HAD to be the strong one ever since she was a little girl and to fix all the problems around her. She doesn't have time for negative emotions or sadness. She's got shit to do and problems to solve and she can't do that if she's overwhelmed with emotions.

The bottom line is that we've both been programmed to deny our emotions and to quickly bury them and get on with life. However, when that happens, Tamar says instead, we need to slow down and get curious...ask ourselves why we're rushing past a feeling or emotion. What are we afraid of feeling? She reminds us that there is value if we become more aware of our emotions, dig deeper, allow our emotions to move through us and surrender to that. And, ladies, surrendering doesn't mean sitting in the emotion forever...which I think is maybe what we're both afraid of. I think we believe that staying in the headspace of negativity or sadness for too long will hold us back from accomplishing what we want to. 

However, by rushing past the negative emotions and never actually allowing ourselves to feel them or know the depths of sadness or despair or frustration, we are preventing ourselves from, consequently, feeling ultimate joy. Because, just like that old song, "joy and pain, like sunshine and rain." You can NOT have one without experiencing the other. 

Tamar touts herself as the queen of joyful living and says she's an unconventional Life and Business coach and a master of self-discipline. She leverages a variety of tools to lead her clients, who are typically the creatives and healers of the world, to plug back into their own genius so that they can stop showing up to their business like a weirdo and start showing up as their 150% authentic selves. 

In this episode, Tamar Teaches us:

1. In order to live a joyful life we have to be willing to experience ALL emotions, especially pain. We can never know or appreciate the greatest joy without experiencing pain.
2. When you bring awareness to the thing you are trying to "conquer", whether it is breaking a habit that no longer serves you or navigating your emotions, one approach is to bring awareness into the space and to welcome it in (vs. trying to avoid), name it, feel it, notice the thoughts, feelings, sensations, and slow things down and experience it all. When doing so, you are then better able to manage through it.
3. Stop "shoulding" yourselves. This is when we try to convince ourselves that we should be doing, thinking, or feeling something different than we are as a way to avoid the true emotion we are IN. Instead, give yourself permission to feel actually feel that emotion and in that moment, detach any possible negative consequences for FEELING the emotion and JUST feel!
4. Tamar invites to discard our "student hat" we all wear everyday as we take in the world and the societal programming that we consume every day and, instead, put on 3 different hats: the scientist hat, the rock star (or artist) hat, and the monk hat so that you can become curious, confident, and devoted to the journey of your life.
5. Feel happy now. Changing the circumstances in our lives will NOT make you happy. Don't wait until you lose that 100 pounds to choose happy. Choose happy now by putting a conscious awareness on all the things that you are happy about. It is THAT happiness that will carry you where you want to go, not the circumstances that you're in.

To find more of Tamar:

Website: tamarcoaching.com

And you know, we are on the same mission. We want to give you the tools and resources you need to show up as your authentic selves each and every day. So, we're curating toolkits and courses that will do just that. Visit our website at dearmidlife.com. Get ready to meet us in the middle!

So, here’s the thing, we all have suffered our own traumas in childhood. Shelby lost her mom at an early age and had to navigate that feeling of abandonment and struggled with forming an unconditional bond with a new mother, which caused her to feel as though the only way she could "prove" herself worthy of love and acceptance was to embody perfectionism.

Trinity's biological father left at a very early age, never to return. Then, when her sister's father stepped into their lives, it was tumultuous. He was threatening and abusive and, as a result, they fled the home at a young age and lived under assumed names. As a consequence, we all grew up with some confusing expectations of who our parents were supposed to be. 

Shelby felt her stepmother was perfect and almost super human and that she, too, had to be flawless to win her affection. Consequently, she's practically killed herself striving for perfectionism in her relationships with her significant other, friends, and children to her own detriment, sacrificing herself in the process.

And Trinity, who lacked that father figure...the "ultimate protector" never felt safe and, instead, she became the protector of everyone herself and feels like she's constantly required to "save" those that I love. I mean, Trinity actually spent time this week learning how to connect her iPhone to satellite so that, when the apocalypse comes, she's prepared and we're not joking! She's constantly looking over her shoulder and living this life has impacted her tremendously.

Living these lives have caused us both self-doubt and created an atmosphere in which we're constantly hustling to the point of burnout and loss of personal identity because I spend so much time trying to please or take care of other people. We don't even know who we are or what makes US happy any more. 

And it is weird because now Trinity suddenly finds herself on her own and looking in the mirror and realizing that SHE the only one that she has to take care of now. She finally has the space to catch her breath and look around and, for the first time ever, she has the time to contemplate these traumas and their impact and begin to come face to face with her own patterns.

And that's where our guest today, Amy Schadt, comes in. She’s all about helping women finally confront and heal these deep, core wounds—especially that ‘Father Wound,’ which, let’s face it, so many of us carry. Amy's not just talking about forgiving your parents and moving on. She has this incredible method that helps you really embrace healing—mind, body, and soul.

She calls it the *Radical Embodiment Method,* and it’s all about reflecting on those old traumas, releasing the anger and sadness, and then re-envisioning your life without those chains. Amy's approach is all about helping women let go of those old patterns we’ve been stuck in for decades, so we can finally live the lives we were meant to.

Honestly, middle age is the perfect time to do this. We’ve spent so long running on autopilot, we don’t even realize how much these unhealed wounds have been shaping our choices. Amy helps us to stop, pay attention, and heal for real—so we can abandon the self-doubt, people-pleasing, and all those ways we’ve been playing small.

Let’s be honest—we’ve been carrying this baggage for way too long, and it’s time to let that shit go. We deserve to step into our power without being weighed down by our past.

In this episode, Amy teaches us:

1. The father wound is a feeling of loss when we have certain expectations of our father figure that go unfulfilled and that leaves us with a sense of wounding or trauma as a result. This can happen when our father is not present at all, present and abusive, or simply a close bond is not formed.
2. The first step in healing the father wound is through empathy. Most parents do the best they can with the knowledge and experience they have. We can be empathetic with our fathers by looking into their past, understanding their wounds, the nature of their relationships with their parents, and the experiences that have shaped them as men and fathers.This gives us perspective WHY they behave the way they do and, perhaps, even recognize they are not capable of being the father we (think) we want and need.
3. On some level, we don’t even know what is missing. When you don’t have something in your life, you are only operating under an assumption as to what you perceive a father should be. We only know what we’ve been told is missing or an “idea” of what a father is based on TV and other narratives or constructs that we’ve been given. Part of healing is letting go of these false narratives and asking ourselves if I’m really missing out on something that we never had.
4. To adopt new behaviors, identify people in your life who embody the behaviors you desire. Then ask yourself what are THEY doing that demonstrates resilience or confidence and then adopt those behaviors yourself. Part of the key is for YOU to determine what these things mean to you.
5. You are where you’re supposed to be! Right in this moment…where is the lesson? What can you do now to be stronger or better. We only live in the present moment. There is not yesterday, there is no tomorrow, only right here and now.

To find more of Amy:

Website | amyschadt.com

radicalembodimentmethod.com

And, girl, if you've been feeling stuck and wondering how to move forward, you are not alone. We've been developing the tools and resources you need to uncover and heal these traumas so you can live your best life. Meet us in the middle at dearmidlife.com to gain access to the tools and resources that will help you level-up your life.

You know, We've both spent the better part of our lives chasing optimal health. Shelby's mother passed away when she was 7. Her mother was just 30 years old and the autopsy suggested that she died of cardiac arrest due to complications with an undetected autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's Hypothyroiditis. And as she reached adulthood and had 2 daughters of her own, Shelby swore she would do everything in her power to remain strong and healthy for her girls. She didn't want to leave them without a mother.

Shelby is not the only one. So Many women struggle with our health and weight. Trinity has had her own struggles. Her mom also died of cardiac arrest and was lost at far too young. She was raised on a diet of comfort food and learned to feed all of her emotions. Then, when she became 100 pounds overweight, she tried all of the solutions from yoyo dieting, to gastric bypass, and all the fads in between. And, now that we find ourselves here...in midlife. We're both happier with our bodies than we've ever been before! Now, health to us is more about being strong and able to do all the things we want to do as we live this next chapter in our lives!

But the problem is that we feel like I've tried EVERYTHING to achieve optimal health and it STILL alludes us! You know, we're all looking for that easy button or the silver bullet, but it feels like there is no PERFECT solution to figure out what are the RIGHT things for OUR (individual) bodies...

OR...What if there IS a perfect solution? What if that solution is in the GENES you wear everyday...But, we're not talking about the jeans you wear, we're talking your GENETICS, girl. Today's guest, Brenda Wollenberg, helps educate us on how to unlock the secret to health with our DNA, ya'll.

That's right, Brenda and her business partner analyze and interpret genetic profiles to design personalized wellness programs that are UNIQUE to you and your genetics. They recognize that 'one-size-fits-all wellness" can be confusing and ineffective. But, with the programs that Brenda offers, maintaining optimal health can be simple, personal, and doable.

WE love the fact that Brenda combines her years of experience as a Social Worker and holistic nutritional consultant to compassionately and uniquely help her clients understand their current patterns of behavior and lifestyle choices that are UNhelpful and that are (possibly) contributing to their current state of health. THEN, helps them to adopt simple, new behaviors that make a BIG impact. 

Because, here's the thing, ladies. Midlife is HARD on our bodies. Things are happening that we can't really understand and that we feel are totally out of our control...I'm talking hot flashes, sleeplessness, inflammation, aches, brain fog. These are ALL things that can be remedied with the RIGHT information and tools. Think about how your life would be different....ELEVATED if you felt great waking up every single day?! What would you do? What could you accomplish? We are here to help you live your best midlife and it starts with your health!

In this episode, Brenda teaches us

1. There are things you can actually do to change the way in which certain genes are expressed to make an impact on our life and health. Genetics can be used to pinpoint the exact lifestyle or dietary shifts that your genetics require to become optimized
2. The two things that have a high impact on the expression of our genes are high levels of stress and inflammation, or high amounts of cortisol, epinephrine/norepinephrine. These create proverbial "power surges" to our system that then inhibits the positive expression of our genes and prevents them from operating in the best possible way for our energy and vitality
3. When we focus on the specific genes that have exceptional levels of data science behind them, are relevant to our health, and are "actionable" i.e. there are lifestyle shifts we can make to alter the expression of these gene to improve our health, and elevate our lives.
4. Most food is processed in some way. We need to avoid ULTRA processed food in which the food is manufactured in a lab and created with a "bliss point" that truly increases our cravings and dramatically impacts our health in a negative way. You should always be able to recognize the ingredients on the label.
5. Ladies, look around you. The obesity epidemic is real and we are ALL DIFFERENT. The paradigms of the past (think the food pyramid) are no longer serving us. We are getting the WRONG fuel mix on our kids plates and drinking liquid sugar. and we're doing it wrong for ourselves in midlife

To find more of Brenda:

Website | inbalancelm.com

And, girl! When we talk about ELEVATING your life, the first step may start with your health, but it take many steps to make the journey to living your best life and we want to be there with you every step of the way! Join our tribe of like-minded women, tap into our toolkits, and indulge in topical expertise to keep you moving in the right direction. It can all be found at dearmidlife.com. Can't wait to meet you in the middle!

You know, we have been on this entrepreneurial journey for what...2 1/2 years? And it's been difficult. We've had to balance managing our side business and very busy day jobs in which we are both executives, we've struggled to make the financial investment, we've felt lost at times (we're still lost) in defining our direction or what exactly it is we offer our customer. Having the conversation with our next guest, Jen Jaciw, was really eye opening.

We've had a lot of conversation about how to get this business going. I think we've both recognized that we have our own unique skills and experiences and, while there may be a lot of overlap there in the space of adult learning and coaching, its still evident that we each just have different things that light our fires or what I like to call our "zone of genius"...

What stood out to us is that Jen is suggesting that working with a coach like her helps women just like us find their "zone of genius" and then supports them in stepping into that space by paving the way to a faster path of success....and when I say "like us" women, in midlife, who are struggling to find themselves and have an entrepreneurial spirit!

Jen is the consummate entrepreneur. She and her husband owned and sold a business of their own. But, then Jen found herself back in the "corporate grind". After being laid off twice in two years and having to prove her worth over and over again to potential employers, she became frustrated. She was tired of trying to find the “right” job that she actually enjoy doing and that would pay her a competitive wage. It was time to create something better for herself, but she wasn’t sure where to start. That is when a friend introduced her to a The Entrepreneur’s Source (TES) coach, and it was a game changer.

She now does what she calls Career Ownership Coaching. She helps people transition from employment to entrepreneurship through a complimentary coaching experience that includes goal defining, behavioral assessment, coaching, and education. .

Now, Jen helps clients identify their super powers and how they can transfer them into a business ownership role. In this episode, Jen shares her difficult path and how she's risen to success having been born to parents who struggled with addiction and then navigating abusive relationships. These experiences and her subsequent path to healing empower herself her to relate to her clients and hold transparent conversations that are a necessary part of the coaching experience.

In today's episode, Jen teaches us:

1. Stepping into owning a franchise can be an excellent solution for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit because your stepping into a proven business model, you avoid the typical phase in which you throw the spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks and are armed with the tools/resources for success.
2. Many people don't realize the transferrable skills that are accessible and applicable when transitioning from full-time corporate employment to entrepreneurship,
3. Brokers are focused on helping a business sell and/or supporting individuals who want to buy a business and bringing the two together. The Entrepreneur's Source is more focused on helping individual's find their path through conversation.
4. Being an entrepreneur requires doing what feels uncomfortable to you and you just have to do it and put yourself out there. The more you do, the better you get.
5. A lot of success comes from trying something, falling down, picking yourself back up, pivoting, adapting and trying again. The more you embrace this method and step into new things the happier and better you will become.

To find more of Jen:

Website | jjaciw.esourcecoach.com

LinkedIn | JenniferJaciw

If you find yourself feeling stuck and burned out from the corporate grind, this episode will really light your fire. And, if you're looking for a tribe of fearless women to help you on this journey of growth and transition, go to our website at Dearmidlife.com.

Our next guest, Aleen Raybin, believes the healing industry has been co-opted - promoting things like self-care and being your best. But, we agree, this just reinforces individualism, self-reliance, the proverbial "hustle" and the illusion that we are not enough and must DO more. This feels like it has been our truth for our whole lives. We're never enough...we must always DO more and BE more!

But, then we step back and ask ourselves where that has gotten us and the answer is we feel lost, stuck, and burned out. We KNOW you are also out there and likely grappling with this same truth. Thankfully, Aleen is here to save us from ourselves. She show us that we can live richer and fuller lives when we choose to be led by our soul, the TRUE parts of ourselves rather than being led by our conditioning.

Aleen calls herself a Medicine Woman. And I don't know about you all, but when I think about a "Medicine Woman" I think of an elderly indigenous woman with miraculous healing powers. But, while Aleen WAS trained by said indigenous woman and was bestowed the title "Medicine Woman"..."medicine" To Aleen means going deep into ourselves to heal our trauma. Her medicine is reconnecting with our truth, and putting the YOU back into your life.

Aleen's work and her mantra is to "help you come home to yourself", which is so beautiful, and her process entails helping us to remember who we are in all of our truth and authenticity...NOT by telling you what to do, but THROUGH you. Aleen helps us slow down and listen to our souls for the answers that are already there. And then supports us in making small shifts to live more as ourselves and less as our conditioned selves. She says her personal medicine is what she learned while waking up to how good her own existence can be - even in the everyday human sh*t of life and she strives to do the same for others by witnessing them on this journey and holding space for their unique truth.

In this episode Aleen teaches us:

1. Letting go of the societal narrative is a, potentially, impossible. We are swimming in both our own truth and what society tells us we should be and do and to separate the two and fully live only in our truth is unrealistic.
2. When we heal our trauma, as women, we also heal our lineage and the trauma of our ancestors who preceded us as our ability to step into the space of healing and the access we have to the tools and resources to do so is a luxury that was not afforded our mothers and grandmothers
3. Moving closer to yourself happens in the little moments. Small shifts to your habits and rituals can make a big difference. Trying to make big changes too quickly is often what gets in our way.
4. Knowing more about what sets our heart on fire and moving beyond our feelings of being lost or stuck, requires us to start by going inside, we need to get quiet in order to hear our truth.
5. Asking yourself if YOU are satisfied instead of always only considering the way in which you are satisfying the others in your life can be a true measure of self-love. And, what a gift to give to those who love you most...your whole and authentic self.

To find more of Aleen:

Website | aleenraybin.com

Instagram | @aleen_raybin

And baby girl, we are here for you on this journey as well. Make sure we're connected on Facebook and Instagram. We've got your back with a no-nonsense blueprint and a supportive tribe. Visit dearmidlife.com for:

Access to our toolkits and courses that contain expert interviews, curated resources, and actionable steps that demand growth.

Tap into our network of Supportive Problem Solvers: and the fierce friendships of our community, helping you solve any problem, find your purpose and redefine yourself.

Where you can build a strong inner circle that supports, cheers, and holds you accountable every step of the way.

When Shelby was 7 years old, her mother passed away and then Shelby's father passed away at the very end of December 2022. When Trinity lost her mother when she was in her 20's, it was profoundly painful. Needless to say, experiencing the loss of a parent is one of the most traumatic experiences we can have.

Our guest today, Jocelyn Bates, lost BOTH parents within the span of 7 days and under the most distressing circumstances during the COVID pandemic. I don't know if any of you have experienced such loss, but it has taken us YEARS to heal from the loss of our parents who truly had a unique and special place in our lives in so many ways and we, honestly, don't think we'll ever fully heal from that loss. It is something we'll carry with us for ever.

Shelby still tears up when she thinks about losing either parent (no surprise)...whether it has been over 40 years or just a little more than a year the pain of the loss is still very real and raw. Jocelyn knows that pain well and has channeled her grief to creating a space of healing and reinvention for others.

During this period of loss, Jocelyn was really in tune with her body and intuition and leaned into the messages she was receiving and allowed them to guide her actions. It was because of this intuitive path she took that she now helps others heal by encouraging them to get curious about their emotions and then to express those emotions through some form of creativity. 

On this journey, Jocelyn found new meaning and used her grief as a catalyst for transformation. She has so many tools at her disposal...and so many of these were new to us. She's getting certified in Soul Art Healing through Creative Expression, she's trained in Akashic Records and Human Design. She uses Yoga Nidra to balance the nervous system as we move through our emotions. All of which help to navigate through pain, trauma, and grief to find yourself in a place of growth and empowerment.

Trinity was SOO fascinated by these tools that she booked a session with Jocelyn to experience them myself and gained so much insight into the sort of longing she's been feeling.  

In this episode, Jocelyn teaches us:

1. We tend to want to avoid grief or feeling badly. However, this is an opportunity to really get in tune with your body and feel/move through your emotions in a way that resonates with you.
2. When you're truly in touch with your body and emotions, you can hear the subtle messages that you are getting sent. Surrender to your intuition and follow the threads of opportunity that present themselves.
3. Akashic records are a dimension of pure knowledge. Every soul has record of all the life experiences it has had. Everyone has the ability to access these records. Time is not linear. Everything is happening all at once...past, present, and future.
4. There are ways to open the door to our emotions slowly and to feel them incrementally. If we need to, start by writing out your painful experience in the third person and, when the time is right, you can revisit the narrative in first person.
5. Soul Art was developed by Laura Hollick and is a creative process that works with Intention, Somatic Awareness, and channeled creativity to gain insights through your art about an area in your life where you may desire more clarity, healing, or transformation.

To find more of Jocelyn:

Website | Jocelynbates.net

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And you know...if you are feeling lost or stuck, you're not alone. Midlife can be a tricky time, We're fed up, burned out, feeling lost, and trying to remember who we are and figure out who in the hell we want to become. But, we are on this journey with you alongside so many other women. It is our goal to give you space to connect with others on this same path and to give you new tools and resources to navigate this time in life. If you're enjoying this show, please share it with a friend and leave a review so we can continue to bring these tremendous resources to each and every one of you. Then join us in the middle by finding us on Facebook or Instagram or our website dearmidlife.com. We can wait to do life in the middle with you!