Design Your Joyful Retirement

Estate planning is one of those things many of us keep meaning to get around to. In this episode, attorney Michelle Birschbach joins me for a practical conversation about what Gen X women need to know, why a will may not be enough, and how a few key documents can protect both you and the people you love.

We also talk about healthcare decisions, probate, adult children, and the common assumptions many families make about what happens in an emergency.

This conversation is approachable, informative, and a good reminder that you don't need a perfect plan ~ you just need to start.

In this episode:

• Why estate planning is about more than death
• Why a will may not avoid probate
• Important documents many families overlook
• What parents of adult children need to know
• How to get started without overwhelm

To contact Michelle or attorneys at her firm: SB Law Website Facebook

Additional resources: National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)

What does it look like to begin again when the life you knew no longer fits?

In this episode, I'm talking with attorney, author, and speaker Maria Leonard Olsen about starting over, trying new things, and discovering who you are in a new season of life.

After navigating divorce, recovery, an empty nest, and living alone for the first time, Maria found herself at 50 wondering: What comes next?

Instead of waiting until she had the answer, she got curious. Maria challenged herself to try 50 new things ~ and along the way, discovered new interests, new experiences, and a new way of looking at her life.

We talk about:

• Why you don't need to have your next chapter figured out
• How trying new things can help you rediscover yourself
• What Maria learned from her "50 new things" experiment
• Letting go of what no longer fits
• The difference between being alone and being lonely
• Why curiosity can be such a powerful tool during times of change
• Giving yourself permission to ask, "What do I want now?"

You don't have to wait for a major life transition to reconsider how you're spending your time or what you want more of.

Sometimes the next chapter doesn't begin with a big plan. It begins with getting curious enough to try something new.

Connect with Maria at: Website LinkedIn Instagram

TEDX talks: Turning Life's Challenges Into a Force for Good Should you use a DNA test kit?

Book: 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life

Gen X women are pretty good at figuring things out ourselves.

But when independence becomes our default, asking for help can feel surprisingly hard.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why independence became such a defining Gen X trait
• How "I'll figure it out myself" can become a limiting pattern
• Why asking for help can feel especially difficult for women
• How therapy can give us a place to sort things out without the emotional entanglements of everyday life
• Why good friendships matter as we move into this next chapter

Contact Tracy at:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Huffington Post Article ~ The Most Common Issues GenXers Bring Up in Therapy

In this week's Design Your Joyful Retirement episode, I'm talking with Raquel Durden ~ veteran, cancer survivor, yoga teacher, author of Dial Down: Moving from Chaos to Calm, and proud "wellness weaver."

Raquel shares a simple but powerful idea: wellness isn't something you escape to someday. It's something you gently weave into your everyday life.

We explored how small practices ~ like walking, breathing, journaling, movement, or taking a few quiet minutes for yourself ~ can help you feel more grounded, especially during midlife and retirement transitions.

This conversation is a refreshing reminder that calm doesn't arrive when life finally gets easier. It's built in small moments, one choice at a time.

🎧 Listen now for an encouraging, practical conversation about creating wellness in ways that actually work for real life.

Connect with Raquel at:

Website

Humble Warrior Wellness & Yoga

One of the things I love about midlife is that we start asking different questions.

Do I really want to keep doing this? What would I do if I had more freedom? What might be possible if I stopped doing things simply because they're familiar?

But even when we know we want something to change, that doesn't mean we know exactly what comes next.

In this episode with Alison Lebwohl, we talk about her gradual transition from a 23-year career in state government to building her own consulting business. Rather than having a mapped out plan, her business grew organically, one opportunity at a time.

Maybe there's something you've been thinking about ~ a career change, a new business, a different way of working, more time for yourself, or simply a life that feels more like you.

The next chapter doesn't have to be perfectly planned. It just has to feel true to you.

Connect with Alison on LinkedIn or via email

What if this season of life isn't something to survive, but an opportunity to create intentionally?

In this episode, I'm talking with Marelda Rodrigues, certified health coach, menopause educator, and founder of Sovereign Becoming™, to explore how menopause, retirement, and other life transitions can become powerful invitations to reconnect with yourself and design a next chapter that truly fits.

We talk about:

• Why menopause is more than a physical transition
• The connection between health, identity, and purpose
• How to approach your next chapter with intention instead of autopilot

Reflection: What do you want the next chapter of your life to feel like?

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mareldarodrigues/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignbecoming/ Website: https://mareldarodrigues.com

This conversation with Jess Parvin is an honest look at what it really takes to build a business that reflects who you are ~ without shrinking yourself to fit someone else's formula.

We talk about the myth of "overnight success," why burnout often becomes a turning point, and how entrepreneurship can act as a powerful catalyst for personal and spiritual growth. Jess shares how limiting beliefs ~ not lack of strategy ~ are often the real barrier, and why reconnecting with your authentic self is the foundation for building something sustainable.

We also explore the shift away from hustle culture toward a more aligned, soul-led way of working, the power of community, and how taking small, imperfect steps can create real momentum. If you've ever felt stuck, scattered, or unsure how to turn your experience into something meaningful, this conversation will meet you there.

Website: www.jessparvin.com

Podcast: Holistic Business Growth

Instagram: Holistic Biz Growth

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't your age, but the invisible rules you've been living by?

In this episode, I'm talking with Jennifer Butz, founder of WonderCrone, to explore what it means to break the societal scripts that shape how women think about aging, purpose, and what's possible after 50.

After decades of living and working around the world, Jen noticed something striking: many cultures honor older women as wisdom holders, while ours often encourages us to become smaller, quieter, and less visible. Together, we explore how limiting beliefs quietly shape our lives, why lasting change happens through small acts of self-trust rather than dramatic reinvention, and how cultivating wonder can open doors to a more authentic next chapter.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking, I'm too old for that, I should have this figured out by now, or Who am I if I'm no longer defined by my career or caregiving?, this conversation is for you.

We explore:

• Why the stories we tell ourselves about aging deserve to be questioned.
• The most common limiting beliefs women carry into midlife and how to recognize them.
• Why meaningful change is evolutionary, not revolutionary.
• How giving yourself small "permission slips" can lead to profound transformation.
• The role of wonder, curiosity, and playfulness in creating a fulfilling next chapter.
• Why your lived experience is one of your greatest strengths.
• How older women can embrace their voice, wisdom, and relevance in a culture that often overlooks them.

Jen's take on aging is irreverent, warm, and deeply human. This one will stay with you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now.

📲 Follow the show so you never miss an episode

Website: Wondercrone.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-l-butz-6a2ab311/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondercrone/

Weekly blogs can be found at wondercrone.com.

Jen has written four books that are available on Amazon:

• Where Wisdom Meets Wonder: A Workbook of Renewal, Agency, and Direction. (2024)
• Rebel Aging: Wisdom, Wonder, and a Few Shenanigans (2025)
• The Wisdom and Wonder of Coloring (a journaling/coloring book to tap the right side of the brain) (2025)
• What Darwin Can Teach Us About Aging in Power: An Evolutionary Lens on Resilience and Thriving (due out early 2027)

In this episode, I talk with Kate Higgins, a therapist-turned-spiritual life coach for unconventional women 40+, who brings 26 years of clinical experience, a decade of burlesque performing, and a hard-won midlife reinvention of her own. It's a rich, expansive conversation that will make you feel seen ~ and maybe a little more ready to claim what's yours.

Kate speaks candidly about the four archetypal phases every woman moves through ~ Maiden, Mother, Empress, and Crone ~ and why understanding where you are right now has a way of shifting everything. She shares her powerful ritual, Craft Your Crown, a hands-on rite of passage designed to help women step fully into who they're becoming.

We also get real about the Empress era ~ what it actually looks and feels like to set a boundary without apologizing or justifying. And we talk about what retirement can look like when you're long on creativity and community, even if you're short on savings.

Kate's reminder that healing doesn't have to be so serious stayed with me. Joy is not a reward for doing the hard work ~ it is the work.

Give this episode a listen ~ you'll walk away feeling more grounded, more crowned, and maybe a little more ready to cross the threshold. 👑

In This Episode We Cover:

• The four archetypal phases of a woman's life
• What the Empress era really looks and feels like
• The Craft Your Crown ritual and why it works
• Setting boundaries without apologizing or justifying
• Alternative retirement models built on creativity and community
• Why healing gets to be joyful, silly, and fun

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Kate's Website: yourmagicalmidlife.com
• Instagram: @yourmagicalmidlife
• Podcast: Your Magical Midlife
• LinkedIn: yourmagicalmidlife.com

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kaye Brundidge, an anesthesiologist and medical intuitive who spent decades in operating rooms before dedicating her work to helping women truly understand their bodies. It's a warm, eye-opening conversation that will make you feel seen and more equipped than ever to take charge of your health.

Dr. Kaye speaks candidly about what she witnessed in her years of practice: women who were brilliant advocates for everyone around them, but had never learned to advocate for themselves. She's here to change that. From the science behind how unprocessed emotions show up in the body, to the very real power of complementary practices like tapping, acupuncture, and mindfulness ~ she makes a compelling, accessible case for treating the whole person, not just the symptoms.

We also dig into the state of women's healthcare in America ~ why only 1-2% of medical research dollars go toward women's health, what the system gets wrong about menopause and perimenopause, and why your intuition is not something to be dismissed. Dr. Kaye leaves us with simple, practical encouragement ~ bring an advocate to your appointments, ask the questions, and carve out quiet time to reconnect with your inner signal.

Give this episode a listen ~ you'll walk away feeling more informed and empowered to advocate for the care you truly deserve

• The intersection of medicine and intuition
• Why women are so often dismissed by the healthcare system
• How trauma lives in the body before it becomes disease
• The science behind our energetic field and emotional health
• Complementary practices that support whole-body healing
• The state of women's healthcare research in America
• Perimenopause, menopause, and why they deserve more attention
• How to advocate for yourself in medical settings
• Why reclaiming your inner signal is one of the most powerful things you can do

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Oshun Energy Medicine
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pivotal Ventures — Melinda French Gates' foundation focused on women's health and equity
• Design Your Joyful Retirement Podcast — subscribe and leave a review!