Dear Midlife...

Amy Denson is a retired professional athlete who was diagnosed with her 2nd autoimmune disorder in 2016. She went from playing professional basketball all over the world to battling professional fatigue and not even recognizing herself in the mirror. From her rock bottom moment, she felt that there had to be a better way and relied on the mindset she built as a professional athlete to pave the way to feeling like herself again--and even better! Currently, she is certified as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP), specializing in thyroid health, striving to support women in advocating for their health, getting their energy back, and feeling like themselves again.

This is a message that is near and dear to my heart. I am confident that so many women are needlessly suffering. Please listen to Amy's words of wisdom and key takeaways and become an advocate for your own health:

1. The most important key to good health is stress management
2. Be an advocate for your own health. You are the only expert of your own body
3. Focus on whole, single-ingredient foods
4. Weight loss should be a biproduct of you gaining energy
5. Getting to the root cause of your issues will take time and is often trial and error. Be patient. You're worth it.
6. Its not ONLY about what you eat, but also about how you eat. Listen to your body and eat mindfully
   1. Eat in a calm state
   2. Chew your food. Put your fork down between bites
   3. Have a savory breakfast
   4. Drink coffee only after you've had water in the morning
   5. Eat starchy foods and carbohydrates last

You can reach Amy for coaching support at:

[email protected] or find her on Instagram @coachamyrae

1. We all have our own “lists”. In other words, everyone’s life is full of difficulties. We choose how we face those struggles.
2. Who you are becoming is more important than who you’ve been
3. Treat a child as if they already are the person they are capable of becoming
4. There is power in asking “why”…don’t be a “whyner”
5. Look to your past for proof that the struggles you’ve endured so far have shaped who you are as a person. This will help you to overcome future hardships by knowing there is a purpose behind them
6. We have to influence our subconscious mind with our conscious mind and make deliberate choice.

You can find Mesha on Instagram  @myfriendmesha and listen to her podcast “Mindset Check With My Friend Mesha”

Be sure to subscribe to the Dear Midlife podcast and leave us a review to tell us what topics interest you!

1. It takes time….time to learn how to slow down….time to learn how to rest.
2. No one knows you like you know you and sometimes the only way to heal, is to go within
3. Sometimes past traumas get "stuck" somewhere in our bodies and we just need to do something to move that negative energy
4. The universe and your body is trying to tell you...and you need to listen to the signals.
5. We need to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first and prioritize your own health.

6. We are responsible for our own happiness and we've got to do the work to heal and elevate yourself to higher vibration living.

Please take time to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review to let us know what topics interest you!

Tianna Miller was always physically active however, she credits genetics for her constant struggle with weight, even at a young age. After several comments from friends and family members about her size, she decided to pop in her mom’s old Jane Fonda video and completed her first workout at age 7. It was then that she turned her aspirations to becoming a fitness instructor one day.

Tianna achieved her objective of becoming a personal trainer and threw herself into supporting and guiding her clients to achieve their goals. However, when asked about her own ambitions, she realized that she’d been pouring so much of her energy into others, she had been neglecting herself.   She turned her sights on entering a bodybuilding competetion and placed in 3 categories in her first show.  

She’s a firm believer that hard work beats talent and that grit pays off. She wants  listeners to know that she is committed to this way of life, but it has not been easy. Like many of her clients, she’s been there. She’s cried and canceled dates because none of her clothes fit. She’s been chastised by friends, family members, co-workers, acquaintances, and people on social media about her size and body. And she says “IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT.”  Her favorite “Tianna Tip” is, “You’ve got what it takes, but it’s going to take everything you’ve got.”  So, Let’s dive in to hear more amazing tips from Tianna on how you can transform your body including:

1. Strong is the new skinny

2. The hardest part is getting started. You don’t have to be great to start…but, you have to start to be great

3. If you’re sick, you go to a doctor. If you want to be fit, you need a fitness trainer

4. Make an appointment on your calendar with yourself to ensure you get in your workout every day

5. Abs are made in the kitchen! Get rid of the sugar…No more twinkies or bon bons, ladies.

6. Its all about balancing diet, cardio, yoga and weightlifting.  Cardio burns fat while you’re doing it. Weightlifting helps you to continue to burn fat, even once you’ve stopped working.

7.  Get it in where you can fit it in.

8. Hiring a fitness trainer can cost less than Starbucks…so get out there and invest in YOURSELF!

Christina Tinker is a learning and development leader, leadership coach and facilitator, a published author and continues to explore and evolve herself. Her tremendous and diverse career includes traveling the U.S. and Europe implementing corporate training programs for some of the most prestigious global organizations and spending more than a decade as a senior Sales Executive and top performing revenue contributor in three of the most revered technology firms in the world. However, like many of us, while Christina was successful in her roles, she felt somewhat unfulfilled and continued to open her mind and her heart to accept new opportunities that felt more authentic and generated more contentment.  Christina reminds us that we are all able to re-write our stories if we can quiet the noise enough to hear the call to what is next. In the last decade, Christina launched a non-profit organization, speaking to hundreds of young people, teachers, and coaches on the topics of work-life integration, mental health awareness, and the link between wellness and productivity. Her recently published book, Hope for Recovery: Stories of Healing from Eating Disorders is now available through all major book outlets. A native Texan, Christina and her husband Jonathan, along with their three children Alex, Andrew, and Anastasia, have lived in Virginia for the last five years. In her next chapter, Christina and her family will be relocating to Nashville, Tennessee this summer as Christina and Jonathan tackle new professional opportunities in the healthcare industry. Christina approaches the tough but joyful tasks of marriage and motherhood with the same tenacity and fierce love she brings to her work life every day. And she is here today to help walk us through these transitions she’s made in life, how she’s gotten grounded and clear on her authentic self and to share her perspective on how she’s been able to find her own inner light.  In this episode, Christina will teach us to:

1. Experience lifelong learning, which is entirely possible (if you're willing) and is enjoyable and fun.

2. Get quiet, Listen and intentionally follow when the invitations are offered

3. Discover what is the “Unmet need” for why you think it (life) has to be hard?

4. Find like-minded women and communities

5. Learn to be still so that you can reflect on what feels good and authentic to you

6. Learn to play again

Today we welcome Danessa Knaupp to the show. Danessa is the CEO and Founder of Avenue 8 Advisors, guiding the strategic direction of the firm and shifting the global conversation on leadership. She has coached hundreds of executives across every major industry and has developed a reputation as a candid, compassionate and courageous leadership partner. She is the author of the best- selling leadership book, Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity. Danessa is a fresh, positive voice on leadership and authenticity who has become so successful by LEARNING HOW TO FAIL. She has leaned into failure in order to learn the lessons that come with tackling fear and grabbing life by the reins - ultimately always leading to her next greatest success.  In this episode, she shares practical tips with us on how to show up as who WE WANT TO BE as women in midlife, own our stories and connect in truly powerful ways by: 

• Confidence comes with both color AND style and discusses how to identify these for ourselves
• We wear about 15% of what is in our current wardrobe. When evaluating YOUR wardrobe, ask these 5 questions
  • Does it fit me RIGHT NOW?
  • Is it in a great color that makes you look healthy and vibrant
  • Does it play well with others?
  • Is it authentic to you?
  • How would I rate it on a scale from 1-10?
• Shop with a list. Know what you need and what your lifestyle demands and shop with intention!