Dear Midlife...

Our next guest quotes Socrates who says "The years wrinkle your skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles your soul". We love that thought and BELIEVE it! We are 100% certain that little things like finding joy in your life everyday and moving your body will keep you young! And our guest today, Annie Gaudreault shares with us her expertise and wisdom for how to do just THAT.

As a nutritionist and health coach, Annie founded VEEV Health & Wellness to support the needs of smart and successful individuals, giving them the confidence to do what they want to do, with the energy that they need. Annie is an endurance athlete with 12 marathons and 3 Ironman® triathlons under her belt, and practices what she preaches.

Before she was a nutritionist and health coach, Annie had a 25+ year career as a brand consultant working with executives of Fortune 500 companies and this gave her a solid background to serve the wellness needs of those living busy lives.Now, she focuses on guiding women through menopause by creating a healthy lifestyle from a holistic standpoint. Just like us, Annie believes midlife is a pivotal time for a woman to reinvent herself, overcome limiting beliefs and finally come into her own!

She supports her clients with strategies like setting a goal for something that they never have done before (a new hobby, a 10k run, etc) and creating a TO BE list as opposed to a TO DO list. She challenges her clients to put themselves into uncomfortable, yet achievable situations, as a way to gain confidence and grow some wings. 

In this episode, Annie teaches us: 

The symptoms of menopause is your body's way of providing you data and information that something is out of balance. It is a call to change and an opportunity for us to listen, acknowledge and take action.

Menopause is a natural and unique experience for each individual woman. Many doctors gaslight women into believing there is nothing they can do about their symptoms.

The either positive or negative beliefs you have about aging can add (or subtract) 7 year to your life.

As we age and our estrogen drops, we are much more susceptible to stress and our cortisol levels are more easily triggered. By increasing our cardio, we are putting more stress on our bodies and our body's natural reaction is to retain weight...not lose it. So, don't overdo the cardio. Instead, do strength and resistance exercises.

In midlife, we need to increase our intake of protein. We should have 70-80 grams of protein or more daily. Start your day with a protein rich breakfast. And, ladies, life is too short to feel guilty! Eat healthy 80% of the time and give yourself some grace to enjoy life the rest of the time!

And speaking of gaining confidence and growing some wings...now is your time, baby girl! We are here to support you on your midlife journey. Visit our website dearmidlife.com to gain access to our community where you will find an instant group of girlfriends who are there to HEAR you and support you. Thank you to our VERY FIRST FOUNDING MEMBER, Rhonda Osborn! We can't wait to take this journey with you! And don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram! We can wait to meet you in the middle! 

Let's face it...Our world today can be a SHIT show and all of this negativity can get a girl down. You know it was the end of last year and Shelby found that she was getting overwhelmed and burned out. I don't know about you...but, when this chic is tired, that permeates my day and bleeds into what and how I communicate. Much to her dismay, she suddenly caught herself spewing negativity in conversations with her team and her daughters. She began complaining about customers, traffic, life! And all of a sudden she was like who am I?! This is NOT me and she had to make a conscientious choice to shift my mindset and when she did, things shifted in her....in her relationships...in the way I felt about her day and her life. 

The famous Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton said "Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive good things and good people will be drawn to you." This is so true. And you know, more often than not, people tend to dwell on the negative, rather than the positive and yet, it takes equal amounts of energy to put out a positive vibe as it does a negative one!

Our guest today, Atousa Raissyan, proves this point in her book called "Change Yourself, Change The World: Transform your life from fear-based living to choosing love and seeing magic". Atousa is recognized as a Shaman, Transformational Heart-Centered Healer and Spiritual Guide, Motivational Speaker. She is also a bestselling author, poet and digital artist. Her passion is to help people light up by guiding them to release their traumas and reprogram their fear-based living to a more heart-centered peaceful life.

Atousa’s extensive experience comes from years of transforming the life of her clients to tap in their truth, heart and experience their desired life, and in turn change the lives of those around them. Because of this transformational experience her clients refer to her as “Guiding Light,” “Life Changing,” “Best Teacher And Mentor,” “Game Changer,”. She has been featured in USA Today, Potomac Lifestyle Magazine, Entrepreneur Herald. She has been a guest speaker at over twenty-five podcasts and summits past two years.

If you want to transform your relationships and the people around you, start with transforming yourself by learning to love and accept yourself.

The trauma in our lives can be seen as a hindrance and can make us a victim or we can choose to see it as a gift. Healing our traumas and evaluating what we've learned from those experiences is part of the process of growth and transformation

Self-love and self-care are different. Self-love starts with looking in the mirror and loving everything about the person staring back at you. Every night choose 5 thing on the outside of your body (your smile, your skin, your collarbones) and 5 things on the inside of your body (your heart, your brain) and tell these things you love them.

Some trauma is passed down generationally in the form of the disease that we inherit from our family and ancestors. However, you can be the one to stop the cycle by healing yourself. It's not too late.

You can find more of Atousa at:

Website | www.atousaraissyan.com

Soulystic Art Shop

Soulystic Apparel Shop

The one most important message that Atousa shared with us today is if you want to transform your life, it starts with transforming and reconnecting with yourself. We are here to go on this journey with you so you don't have to do it alone! Let's face our next chapter with the joy, enthusiasm and magic that Atousa preaches. When we come together with this energy, we can move mountains ladies. And we have the tools to help you remember who you are and figure out who you want to become! So, Please follow this podcast so you don't miss any important news and find us at dearmidlife.com so we transform our lives together.

So, in 2021 Shelby had been divorced for 5 years. She'd held a variety of different jobs within a short frame of time due to the ups and downs of her industry at the time and a variety of reorganizations and acquisitions. She wasn't truly happy in life...nor was she truly DISsatisfied. The best word to describe the way she felt was "stuck". Trinity was also stuck after just leaving a stagnant relationship.

So, one day (on a whim and in support of a good friend's school fundraiser) Shelby purchased an 8-week course at an elementary school silent auction written by Brene Brown and delivered by one of her certified partners (also a mom at the school). It felt like a great investment on her part and she thought it would help her move beyond feeling stuck. 

One of the exercises was around finding your core values. The exercise required you to look at a list of a 50 or so stated values and choose 15 that resonated with you. Then, from there the goal was to continue to narrow the list to 2 that really resonated. The values Shelby selected from that list included words like, "productivity", "accountability", "adaptability", integrity etc.

Then the facilitator took the group away from the prescribed content to help participants visualize their values in a different way. She asked the group to write one story about something in life that they had accomplished that they were proud of. This couldn't include things like marriage or children. It had to be something the individuals in the group had accomplished that made us proud.

Then she asked the group to recall a specific memory from early childhood or from our past in which they had experienced pure joy. The participants spent some time writing out these memories and then she had them read them to the group. And as the stories were read, the group was instructed to capture noticeable themes from the stories.

When the stories were done were done the facilitator and other participants to reflect back the themes THEY pulled out of the stories. You see, it is in these stories in which our TRUE values are visible. When Shelby left that session, her profound revelation was that what she truly valued were things like "community", "impact", "love/ or what Brene calls wholeheartedness".

It suddenly resonated  why she was feeling so...stuck, disconnected, so...fill in the blank...right. It was because she was living a life that was out of alignment with her core values.

Then circumstances brought Trinity and Shelby back together and Shelby started talking about this crazy fucking idea about starting a podcast. Of course, Trinity was like, bitch, I don't even know what a podcast IS...let alone listen to one! lol But, the more Shelby talked about it the more Trinity was drawn to the idea.

The goal was to try to connect with and learn from other women in midlife who were struggling to find themselves, just like us. And you know what we learned along the way?!? We learned more about ourselves. We started exploring our passions...we realized there were big and little traumas that were impacting our mindset and heartset that might be holding us back from greatness! We interviewed some pretty amazing men and women and you know what?! We started DOING the shit they suggested. Trinity started working out, having her hormones tested, reflecting on her past...I mean, she definitely didn't give in and started journaling or anything crazy like that...it will take a cold day in hell before she does that... 

But, Shelby journaled and learned so much about herself and was able to set and achieve some relevant goals and heal in so many ways from childhood traumas. 

Trinity started on a mission to find her joy. She's always been a spontaneous person who likes to try new things....so, she took a solo trip to Ireland with nothing but a backpack, used a rope swing to catapult herself off a cliff and into a lake-fully clothed. We started living LIFE.

And we both have attracted new relationships and inspired others along the way. What we realized along the way is that it is soo easy to get stuck...and STAY stuck...especially during a fucking global pandemic....BITCH! But, we realized that with the right tools and people on your side you CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS and accomplish your dreams. We started asking ourselves some pretty tough questions...Like what are the consequences if nothing changes? AND...are you willing to settle for that?

 We thought...what if we could capture what we've learned on our journey so far and provide these tools and a supportive community to others who are struggling who have felt stuck, just like us.

The podcast is just ONE vehicle where we can share this relevant information out into the world and build community. What if we could actually connect women around the world to help one another. To create a safe place to share our fears, our excitements, to get advice and friendship!

So, we distilled our journey into a simple blueprint using the acronym HERO....because we feel like damn if we don't all keep waiting for someone else to be our "hero" and save our asses! but, girl...here's a secret...no one is coming to save you. We have to learn to be our OWN hero.

So, what in the hell does it mean to be your OWN hero? It means:

And, ladies, we are our own guests today! We want to share a little bit about our personal journeys and experiences along the way and at the end of this episode, we want you to ask yourself what are the consequences if nothing changes....

If you want to join us in the middle...please check out our website at dearmidlife.com. We can't wait to see you there. 

S; and are you willing to settle for that...?

I don't know about you, but we have been taught for our entire lives to eat less and do more exercise if you want to stay fit and lose weight. and girl...we've taken that shit to heart!  Is anyone else out there finding it frustrating that, lately, what used to work to help shed a couple of pounds no longer works! Heck! In midlife, it feels like everything...including our metabolism...is dragging. AND, if you're like us, you feel hungry all the time!

If you're feeling as though you're at your wits end, don't despair! You will love what our guest today, Sarah Thomas, says about stepping into this chapter in life and looking at the years ahead as a clean slate. We have this new opportunity in midlife to live our best years AND Sarah will convince us today that we can actually ENJOY life FEAST on foods we love while also maintaining a healthy body weight.

Sarah is the founder of Burn Fat and Feast, elite comprehensive wellness lifestyle for women across the globe. She is a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Nutrition Coach for women 30+ who are ready to live a healthy and strong lifestyle. For more than 22 years, she has been teaching them how to balance their hormones and metabolism through proper nutrition, mindset training, and quick and effective fitness workouts so that they can take back control of their health and finally feel their best. 

Sarah, herself, is a 45-year-old personal trainer, fitness instructor, nutrition coach, business mentor, wife, mom of three, and BFF for women who feel stuck and frustrated with weight loss and overall well being. Burn Fat and FEAST provides a proven, step-by-step system that educates and empowers women to finally shed the excess weight, increase metabolism and stop the yo-yo dieting once and for all. At Burn Fat and FEAST we teach women to live life to the fullest by focusing on progress over perfection!

Sarah is your girl if you want results without feeling deprived or getting stuck in a plateau. She's been featured in TV and magazine publications such as Nashville's Talk of the Town, Franklin Lifestyle, The Tennessean, Nashville Voyager as well as on Podcasts and as a keynote speaker for national wellness and educational conferences across the country.

In this episode, Sarah teaches us: 

We've grown up being told eat less, put yourself in a caloric deficit and you will lose weight. But, we are not math equations. we are more complex and other things like hormones, metabolism and stress all impact our ability to lose weight.

Make it a "feast" day...not a "cheat" day. Ensure you build into your lifestyle the ability to engage socially and enjoy life.

This phase of life is like a new beginning or a blank slate. YOU get to choose how you approach this chapter in life and how you want to approach life in a different way in order to live a more vibrant lifestyle.

Prioritize protein! Our bodies need more protein as we get older and increasing our intake of protein helps us to better maintain our muscle mass as we face this season of life where everything is slowing down.

We also need to be capable to prioritize strength training 3x per week as adding muscle mass will support your metabolism. Then we need to ensure that we are get good sleep to allow ourselves to rest and recover.

Find more of Sarah:

Facebook | @burnfatandfeast

Instagram | @burnfatandfeast

LinkedIn | @burn-fat-and-feast

So are you ready to turn the page in this next chapter in life? You have an empty page before you and you get to write your own story! What will you manifest this year? If you want to live a healthy and vibrant life so you can do what you love find our  Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram. You're not going to want to miss out on a single thing that we have in store for you moving forward. We can't wait to introduce you to some exciting new tools that will help you remember who you are and figure out who in the hell you want to become!

This episode is very timely for both of us as Shelby's oldest daughter is about to head off to college next year. She can't even begin to express the variety of emotions she has about that. Perhaps you have a child who is headed to college or children who are starting their own lives and you've also felt pride in your child for the adversity they've faced in High School and the confidence your child has gained to prepare them for college and life. Maybe, you're equally afraid to let go of your child...the world is such a different place now than it was when we were younger and there are so many dangers and unknowns to consider. Then, whether you're a single parent or in a partnership we know this time can be full of new adventures and, simultaneously, daunting!  We lose a part of ourselves and our identity when the humans who have been our singular focus for so long are no longer fully dependent on us and we are left with TIME and wondering what the hell we can do to fill it!

If you find yourself in a similar place as Trinity and I do, with a child headed off to college or one who boomeranged home and getting ready to "launch" again, you'll love our guest today, Anthony Damaschino, the author of "The Empty Nest Blueprint". The truth is, just as we dove head first into parenthood without a manual when these babies were born, we are now expected to send them off into the world and THEN reclaim our own lives after making our children and families a top priority for so many years! I mean, I don't know about you, but I don't even know who the hell I am anymore!

Thank goodness for our guest, Anthony, who has an obsession with what he calls, “The most underrated phase in a parent’s life” which led him to create a blueprint for all future and current Empty Nesters to follow. He combines current research, practical advice, and personal experience to help others not just survive, but thrive in their Empty Nest adventure.

The Empty Nest Blueprint is more than just a book–it's a journey of self-discovery. Anthony and his wife have successfully launched 3 children into the world (two of whom are still in college). He considers himself a recovering HR exec with a BS in Political Science and an MS in HR and organizational development. It is his goal to utilize his personal and professional experience to put readers on a path of reflection and empowerment while gaining profound insights into your most cherished relationships. By the end of this read, you'll emerge with a tangible blueprint and actionable plans to create a future filled with happiness, motivation, and a renewed sense of intimacy.

If you are in our shoes and sending your beloved humans out into the universe, we beg you not to let this precious chapter in YOUR life pass you by–This is your chance to seize the opportunity to create a blueprint for a joyful and fulfilling life and you don't have to do it alone! We are right here with you every step of the way.

The "Empty Nest Syndrome" is meant to define the feelings of sadness and loss experienced when children move out and on their own, but can extend farther to concerns such as what is your new purpose as a parent, loneliness and emotional toll, marital stress and parental anxiety.

As children leave, there are 3/4 things to explore: what is your relationship to self and new purpose, what is your plan for your relationships, what is your plan for the marriage (if there is a spouse) and what is your new relationship with your child going to look like moving forward.

When launching a child, there are gains and losses. The biggest gain is time. And then there is the loss. The empty nest age group is the second largest group suffering depression. The best thing you can do for yourself is to fill the additional time with meaningful activities and people you love.

When your child leaves the home it is important to set expectations around grades, money and communication.

To find more of Anthony:

The Empty Nest Blueprint on Amazon

www.anthonydamaschino.com
Anthony Damaschino’s LinkedIn
Anthony Damaschino’s Facebook
Anthony Damaschino’s Instagram

Anthony Damaschino's YouTube

If you are a soon-to-be empty nester...listen up! THIS IS YOUR TIME TO THRIVE! Becoming an Empty Nester opens the door to new opportunity and Dear Midlife has some exciting new tools to share with you to make your next chapter a time in which you reclaim your life and live with authenticity and alignment. We have some exciting new tools coming in 2024 and can't wait to share them with you. Join our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram so you don't miss any of the excitement!

It is sooo hard managing our weight in midlife. I mean...nothing that used to work...minimizing calories and being a slave to cardio seems to be working anymore. We don't know about you, but we're at our wit's end! Further, society does not make it any easier by creating impossible to achieve ideals! Our guest today, Kathy Mead Fronheiser calls this "comparanoia" because we are constantly comparing ourselves to other women and the societal standards projected in the media. But, the reality is that trying to live up to those standards may be the exact thing that is preventing us from being our healthiest selves.

Kathy is a health coach who focuses on helping high-achieving women over 40 (i.e. in perimenopause and menopause) achieve their health goals. She has an MS in exercise science and has over 15 years of experience as a health coach. She coaches women to lift heavy shit, not eat like toddlers, have fun and find a supportive community when working towards new levels of fitness in this age and stage of life. And...Don't forget the sleep! Getting enough rest helps our bodies to recover so that we can have more strength and energy to reclaim our future and prioritize our selves and our health.

Kathy teaches us that fitness in midlife (while different for each individual) can be a simple formula of working out LESS, resting MORE, enjoying food, and losing inches. That's a win-win-win our book! And girl, if you're a woman in the middle and find you have a tire in the middle (I mean...who doesn't at this age?!) you MUST listen to this episode! As a matter of fact, we want you to join us each and every week as we meet right here in the middle to discuss all the ways in which you can let go of past negative narratives and start the next chapter of your life with purpose and intention. 

In this episode, Kathy teaches us:

The way we used to diet and exercise in the past no longer work in middle age and even puts stress on our bodies. This has a detrimental impact on our bodies by increasing our cortisol levels, which makes it more difficult to lose fat.

If there were a hierarchy of health priorities, sleep should be at the top.

High intensity and high impact are not the same. There are ways to do high intensity without high impact. We should be striving for high intensity to get our heart rate up while building muscle.

Work with a personal trainer just a few times, as necessary, until you have established a routine and understand what exercises work for you.

Make sure you are prioritizing fiber and protein in your diet at you age. As we age, we need more protein. If necessary, front load your protein by eating a breakfast that is high in protein so you don't reach the end of a day and not had enough. Strive to eat 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight in a day. i.e. if you weigh 150, eat 150 grams of protein.

To find more of Kathy:

Website | www.kathymeadfronheiser.com

Instagram | @kathy_mead_fronheiser/

New year, new you, baby girl. What will you do to change your life!? It starts with knowing you're worth it. We're bringing you some exciting new tools this year and can't wait to share them with you. Join our Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram so you don't miss out on the excitement!

Some of you may know that Trinity's son was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition last year that made him very sick for a very long time. The ultimate diagnosis was Ulcerative Colitis, which prevented him from really keeping anything in his stomach and kept her family up all night for weeks and months on end making them desperate and exhausted. Thankfully, they have been able to find a remedy to maintain his health. But, this experience took a toll on both Trinity and her son's nervous systems and they both always feel a bit on edge whenever he eats something or needs to go to the bathroom.  The challenge is now is that they are not really sure how to let go of this trauma. 

Which is where our guest today, Janis Isaman, comes in. Janis is the founder of My Body Couture, and helps people feel physically, emotionally and mentally better in their body. She is an experienced clinician who combines restorative movement and trauma-informed therapeutic modalities in a one-on-one setting to support people, who experience pain and trauma in their bodies, resolve their trauma and regulate their nervous systems to achieve their therapeutic goals.

We discuss the variety of modalities Janis uses in our episode today and which approach to take to down-regulate our nervous systems and which to use to heal trauma that remains stuck in our bodies. Janis walks us through the ways in which she works with her clients to get to know their lifestyle challenges and provide reasonable solutions, underlying education and life-changing approaches that have gained her recognition as a lifestyle expert in Reader's Digest and invited as a guest on over 250 podcasts!

In this episode, Janis mentions that our nervous system is meant to adjust up and down all day. However, most of us never find a way to down regulate and live in a space of stress. If you know what we're talking about.... please tune in to this episode! 

It is our goal to bring you practical advice so that you can live the next chapter of your life to the fullest. And, we hate to break it to you sister, but we know you pride yourself on the amount of stress you can shoulder, but you're on your way to burn out. So, ladies...if this is you, let's listen to Janis, let's learn to slow down and savor every moment because life is just too short. 

Today, Janis teaches us: 

We databank our experience with trauma and use it at a reference point for what might happen in the future. In these instances, we sometimes need to move the trauma through our bodies through movement. We need connection with people who are regulated, we need validation and to be shown we are safe through a new set of experiences.

Not only have we been taught to ignore our body signals, we've never been taught about our bodies. This makes it difficult to even identify where in our bodies we are actually experiencing pain. Sometimes it takes a 3rd party to help individuals "see" where their body and nervous system is reacting to trauma.

When we say trauma "lives in our body" we often picture that trauma sitting somewhere within us (picture butterflies in your stomach), and that we can easily just work on a part of the body to release the trauma. But, what is actually happening is a physiological response to outside triggers that may manifest in various places in your body to remedy this, we need to tackle the root of the trauma to minimize the trauma response.

Different approaches may be taken in order to down regulate your nervous system versus heal trauma. To down regulate your nervous, you can use restorative practices. To heal trauma, you may need to turn to trauma informed practices to help you heal.

To find more of Janis:

Website | mybodycouture.com

Facebook | @mybodycouture

Instagram | @mybodycouture

Elephant Journal |@janis-isaman/

LinkedIn | @jisaman

YouTube | @janisisaman

If you love this show, make sure you follow us so you don't miss an episode or share this episode with a friend. We've got some exciting new things to share with you in 2024 that you're not going to want to miss. So, we encourage you to find us on Facebook and Instagram so you can make the most of your next chapter in life!

We were shocked when our guest today shared the statistic that 63% of Americans don't have enough money in savings to cover a $500 emergency without going into debt. AND, while many people are blaming the current inflation as the culprit, the number was the same 5 years ago, but people were putting the blame elsewhere. The reality is that many of us are living paycheck to paycheck and are simply not good at saving money. 

Baby girl, if this is you, it is time for a reality check. Today our guest, Brad Nelson, helps to provide an eye-opening outlook on debt and money that challenge today's popular thinking. This man has dedicated his life to helping people with their personal finances and his program "Roots of Personal Finance" has supported so many by helping them pay off tens-of-millions of dollars in debt and, then, to start SAVING money!

It is the goal of the Dear Midlife Podcast to help women reinvent and reinvigorate the second half of their life. But, the reality is that (as we've seen by our statistic) so many people struggle with money and debt. Brad teaches a simple process to help people develop a healthier financial mindset, allowing them to take control of their finances so they can do more of what they love. 

Brad's message comes from the heart and from his own personal experiences. He and his wife decided to become debt free early in their marriage. In 2018, his wife Sarah gave birth to their daughter Avery. Avery was born with a brain injury (due to lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain) and Cerebral Palsy. Being debt-free allowed him and his wife to put all of their efforts into getting the care that Avery needed and being there to support her daily therapy session. Thankfully, today, Avery is thriving and living a normal life, and Brad attributes her progress to the time they were able to spend on Avery's care at an early age.

Then, tragedy struck again earlier this year in March 2023 when Brad suddenly lost his wife, Sarah, to a battle with mental illness and suicide. Again, Brad and his financial life were tested, but because of the work they put in on their finances leading up to this tragic event, he has remained debt-free while allowing him and his children to have the time and space to grieve the loss and rebuild their lives.

In this episode, Brad teaches us: 

Start planning your financial future as soon as possible. If you didn't start when you were young, start now.

The best first step is to evaluate the last 6-12 months of spending and determine opportunities to shift your spending habits.

After reviewing where you're spending your money, imagine what you want to feel like when you think about your finances and then consider what you're willing to sacrifice to get there.

The word "budget" has gotten a bad rap over the years. But, the reality is you need to have a plan every month to cover your expenses. But, when building your budget, include some discretionary spending for having fun and enjoying life.

After you've gotten visibility into your spending habits, it's time to then start saving money. 63% of people can't afford a $500 emergency expense without going into debt. Ideally you can have a minimum of $1,000 and up to $5,000 (if possible) in savings for emergencies.

 To find more about Brad and to tap into his programs go to: 

 Website | www.debtfreedad.com

 Debt Free Dad Podcast

Girl....what kind of life are YOU living? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you part of that 63% who cannot pay for a $500 emergency? Don't be ashamed to raise your hand. We are here to support you and to provide you the tools and resources to elevate your life. This is why we need you to follow our show, find us on Instagram and join our Facebook Community. We want you to know you are NOT alone. We are here to take this journey with you every step of the way. We have exciting new adventures to bring you in 2024. Stay tuned for the excitement!

I'd like for us to pause a moment and reflect on and CELEBRATE a major milestone! Today, we are releasing out 100th Episode! We started Dear Midlife on Valentines day of 2022 and we've consistently released 1 episode every week for almost 2 full years!  And today we celebrate and honor the women we were when we started this endeavor, and the women that we have become. It is fun to reflect on the growth we've both experienced since beginning our show. Each guest has touched us in unique and special ways and we've taken the tips and tools offered by each to heart and have both evolved a great deal individually and together this past couple of years.

One special guest who has made an impact on us is our dear friend Heather Hope Wyszinski. 4 Years ago, after celebrating her 40th birthday, she looked in the mirror and noticed how her body had changed after years of pregnancy, corporate stress, nursing and sleep deprivation. She said she noticed she had bags under her eyes and had decided to attempt a DIY closet makeover to refresh her life when the House of Colour found her. As a franchise owner of The House of Colour, she now gets the opportunity as an image consultant to empower and inspire women, daily, to see themselves in a new light.

She helps clients cultivate confidence through a color and style analysis. You see, ladies, we can control the message we convey through our non-verbal communication and the way we show up. When you look good...you feel good. Heather helps her clients develop their own authentic style and elevate their personal brand with intention by helping them understand their personal color palette and the styles that suit them.

The thing we love most about Heather and her process is that she helps you to rediscover your own personal beauty. Every one of us is beautiful in our own special and unique way. Heather helps uncover your natural beauty and appearance and step into your light with confidence and authenticity. You don't need to hide behind a lot of makeup, fade into invisible with age, blend in, or get stuck in what's no longer serving you. You simply need the tools to stand out as your most unique and be-YOU-tiful self.

Today we speak with Heather about her own midlife entrepreneurial journey and how she's evolved personally and professionally. Heather stepped into a new life chapter after 40 and has changed thousands of people's lives in doing so. 

In this episode, Heather teaches us: 

Sometimes we have to start new chapters messy. If we wait for perfection, we'll never get started. We provide freedom to those around us to fail, but avoid failure ourselves. Let's show ourselves the same grace we show others.

It's time to operate in your zone of genius. Take stock of what you are passionate about and what you do well and do more of those things. Find opportunity to delegate or outsource tasks and activities that you are not effective or efficient at doing.

Social narratives have told women time and time again that we are not enough. But, you ARE enough...and sometimes it just takes someone to show you how to lean into your most authentic self. Call her a sherpa of sass

Embrace who you are and where you are now and celebrate!

What is your next chapter? You see, here at the Dear Midlife podcast, we want to give you the tools to grow and evolve, because baby girl...THIS is our time! The second half of your life is just beginning! How will you live it? If you want to do more and be more...join us! Follow our show so you never miss an episode, follow us on Instagram and join our Facebook Community! Exciting things are coming in the new year and you won't want to miss a thing!

We are both single and out there playing the dating game and we both know how difficult it is to get a man to even engage in conversation! So!! to our 2 guys listening out there....conversation is a 2-way street! That means I ask you a question, you respond (hopefully with more than 3 words) then YOU ask ME a question. I don't know if we've lost the fine art of conversation due to the social norms of communicating via texted acronyms LOL, WTF, OMW! etc. But, it is getting harder and harder to strike up conversation.  And we're talking like, everyday average conversation! Right?! We're not even talking about deep or intimate conversations about topics that are central to the foundation of any relationship we are forging.

Our guest today, Daniela Stevens, helps us to understand how to better have these conversations with an intimate partner (or let's be real, someone we WANT to have an intimate partnership with) in a way that is considerate, authentic and SAFE. For over 20 years, Daniela has worked with thousands of people 1:1, in college classrooms, and in yoga studios using somatic attachment therapy. She leverages neuroscience, holistic healing, trauma resolution and modern coaching blended with ancient tantric and taoist wisdom to support couples and individuals to experience deep sexual connection with themselves and their partner(s). Sometimes it's about removing pressure, guilt, shame, and blame. Sometimes it's about bolstering trust to foster vulnerability and emotional connection. Each person or relationship is unique and the private coaching experience is curated to their journey. She was named one of the best sex & intimacy coaches in 2023 by www.datingadvice.com

In this episode, Daniela teaches us:  

The first step to better sex in midlife is defining what that looks like for you and to learn to articulate what you're looking for. We can start to identify what is the speed, the flavor, the pace, the feeling, the level of intimacy, what are desires and how and where do they come into partnered sex and self-pleasure.

A vibrator isn't the only solution to finding your orgasm. It can help, but you have to be in touch and in tune with you body to figure out what works for you.

There is opportunity to make an intimate and safe experience when we talk about our needs. We can do this before sex, during sex, and after sex. To do this we have to be radically honest and willing to SAY what it is we're thinking.

When trying to understand our needs and our partners intimate needs ask 1. How's the speed?, 2 .How is the pressure? 3. How is the location? 4. How is the style or stroke?

Don't be afraid to initiate these conversations! They are a necessary and important part to a healthy sexual partnership.

You can find more of Daniela at:

Website | danielastevens.com

Instagram | @danielastevensnow

Daniela is our girl. If you are in the same place as us...in the middle, single, longing for a relationship with true, mind-blowing intimacy and just having a damn hard time finding it. You are in the right place! And if all of these topics are resonating with you, please follow our podcast so you don't miss an episode. And please join our FB Community and follow us on Instagram for more fun engagement and connection!