Trying to figure out how to go back to work after years at home? Or maybe you’re burned out and secretly Googling “career change ideas for women over 40.” A restart in midlife doesn’t mean starting from zero—but it can feel like standing at the edge of a pool: do you cannonball, wade in, or head to the snack bar? In this episode, Chrissi and her longtime friend Amberly Lopez dive into the honest, funny, and practical side of career pivots. From turning mom-life multitasking into résumé gold to surviving job searches in the age of LinkedIn and AI, this conversation is your pep talk + playbook for what’s next.

(00:45) Meet Amberly: oldest daughter energy, Enneagram 3, and high-achiever vibes 🌟

(03:00) Narrow escapes and interview nightmares 💼

(09:45) The stay-at-home mom “gap”: why your skills matter more than you think 👩‍👧‍👦

(12:00) The Hollywood myth of stumbling upward (Devil Wears Prada lied to us) 🎬

(12:50) The path and plan for a midlife career pivot 🛞

(16:45) Why networking and LinkedIn aren’t optional anymore 🔗

(20:30) Breaking into the job market when hundreds apply overnight 📑

(24:15) What to do if you’re “too late to the party” to restart your career ⏰

(26:00) Pivoting after decades in the workforce: burnout, lateral moves, and ego checks 🔄

(30:00) The COVID midlife crisis: when Amberly almost left corporate 🩺

(35:00) Building a resume that AI will actually notice 🤖

(38:00) Interview prep: making connections and answering “tell me about yourself” 🎤

(40:00) Why women need to apply for jobs they’re only 60% qualified for 💪

(42:00) Finding flexible work that still fits your family life 🏡

(48:00) Final takeaways on authenticity at 40 🌱

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

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What starts as a food blog for family recipes doesn’t usually turn into a career—but Melissa Griffiths is not your usual story. With Bless This Mess, she flipped simple dinners into serious business, proving that sometimes the thing you do “for fun” is actually the thing you were built for. At 40, she’s mixing entrepreneurship with everyday life—and reminding us all that midlife is the perfect time to rewrite the recipe.

(00:00) Meet Melissa: Mom, food blogger, and the entrepreneur you didn’t see coming 👩‍🍳

(06:15) How a food blog began as a side hobby and grew 📝

(09:30) When Bless This Mess started gaining traction 🚀

(11:00) Pulling back the curtain on food content creation 🎥

(14:45) Inside the Bless This Mess editorial calendar 📅

(16:20) Has she had her Rachel Green Friends cooking moment? 🍳

(18:30) When a successful online business flips gender roles 👏

(21:30) Melissa’s real Little House on the Prairie moment 🌾

(23:30) Facing imposter syndrome as a midlife entrepreneur 😅

(25:15) Wanting more than the cultural script you were sold 📖

(26:20) Let’s talk money, honey 💵

(27:50) Looking back at old content (and cringing) 🙈

(30:50) How AI is reshaping the content creator landscape 🤖

(33:45) How to support your favorite creators (instead of bots) ❤️

(36:45) My massive recipe fail from Allrecipes.com 🍲

(40:50) Turkey, Italy, Israel, New York… chasing the world’s best food 🌍

(42:20) The true meaning of food 🍽️

(43:30) What Melissa would tell her 27-year-old self ✨

(45:20) Final 4 questions with Melissa Griffiths 🎤

🥧 Find Melissa at https://www.blessthismessplease.com/ or @blessthismessblog on Instagram

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

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If you’ve ever lost a friendship and felt like there should’ve been a funeral, this one’s for you. In this episode, we’re talking about the heartbreak, awkwardness, and surprising silver linings of friendship breakups in midlife. I’m joined by my sister Sarah (back for her third appearance!) to swap stories, share what we’ve learned, and dig into how to protect your peace while still keeping your heart open. Think of it as group therapy meets coffee date—with zero pressure to pretend everything’s fine.

(00:00) 🪦 Opening thoughts: mourning a friendship like a death and why the math isn’t mathing
(01:00) 👋 Welcoming Sarah back for her third appearance and catching up on her big move
(04:30) 💔 Why friendship breakups in midlife hit differently
(07:15) 🎭 Sarah’s story: a dramatic friendship ending and what led up to it
(13:20) 📍 Hello, am I the problem?

(15:00) 👭 Elle Magazine Article: We Need to Talk About Our Ex-Best Friends

(17:08) 😮An attempted Coup d'état?

(20:28) 🚪 Where’s our rom-com, Nancy Meyers?! + A brand new therapy angle
(24:40) 🕊️ How friendship breakups affect the other friends in the group

(26:40) The celebrity friendship breakup that has become Chrissi’s Roman Empire
(31:00) 🌱 Making space for new connections after letting go of old ones
(33:15) ✨ Mel Robbins’ PTE friendship theory + The Tree Metaphor
(45:20) 💖 Closing thoughts: What did Sarah learn + what would she say to her ex-best friend today?

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

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Elle Magazine Article: We Need to Talk About Our Ex-Best Friends

Mel Robbins Episode:  It’s Not You: The Real Reason Adult Friendship Is So Hard & 3 Ways to Make It Easier

Midlife is wild. One minute you’re running the school carpool, the next you’re signing up for the police academy in your 40s. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Sara to talk about what it takes to completely reinvent yourself—while also navigating motherhood, marriage, perimenopause, and the power of true friendship. It’s raw, hilarious, and exactly the kind of conversation that reminds you: it’s never too late to start over, and you don’t have to do it alone.

(00:00) Meet Sara: Mom of five, police academy cadet, and longtime friend 💪
(03:30) When you wake up and realize the plan is… no longer the plan 🚨
(07:20) Applying for the police academy at 43: the nudge, the nerves, the push-ups 🏃‍♀️
(10:45) Learning how to be a beginner again in midlife 🎯
(14:30) Navigating identity shifts when your role at home changes 🏡
(17:00) Why Sara is ready to help people on their worst day 💔
(19:30) When you are suddenly sidelined from your dream 🛑
(23:10) The moment Sara knew she was on the right track 🛤️
(28:30) The timeline we are so stuck on ⏳
(31:00) Why Sara’s next 40 years are going to be so different from the first 40 🔁
(35:00) The two words Sara wants to eliminate from our vocabularies 🚫
(40:25) Why female friendships are so important at this stage of life 👯‍♀️
(44:45) Our husbands absolutely don’t want to talk about this… which is convenient, because we don’t want to talk to them about it anyway 🙈
(47:45) Coming into cougar puberty like a freight train 🚂
(49:30) The two newest members of the “I don’t care” club and why car tweezers are essential 🧖‍♀️
(50:45) A moment of hope while at a cooking class in Italy 🇮🇹
(55:00) A career aspiration I was happy to abandon 🚀
(55:40) Final 4 Questions 🎤

You don’t have to believe in ghosts, tarot, or anything of the woo-woo nature to enjoy this episode—but it definitely helps. Chrissi sits down with her soul sister and supernatural sidekick Heather to talk about all things unseen. From childhood ghost stories to aura photography and near-death experience rabbit holes, this one’s equal parts spooky, soulful, and side-splitting. Also, yes, there is also an epic poop story that has to be shared. 

(00:00) Meet Heather: twin, duck mom, and horror movie terrorist 🐥

(02:00) The Woo Woo Scale: from Bigfoot to secret combinations 👻

(04:00) Childhood ghost stories & twin telepathy 🎭

(06:00) 90s sleepover chaos: Ouija boards, Bloody Mary, and Scholastic trauma 📚

(08:00) Nostalgia break: Now & Then, Christina Ricci, and Devon Sawa 💞

(09:00) Tarot 101 + our very different readings 🔮

(15:00) Aura photography + what your vibe says about you 🌈

(18:00) Spirit guides and ghost etiquette 🕊️

(21:00) Alfie the angry frat house ghost (and why he needed a name) 🧟‍♂️

(25:00) Who’s haunting Chrissi’s bedroom? Heather investigates 🕵️‍♀️

(28:00) Guardian angels, whisper warnings, and parenting miracles ✨

(34:00) Near-death experiences & what they might reveal about the afterlife ☁️

(37:00) Heather’s wild adoption dream & the craziest coincidence ever 🧬

(40:00) Chrissi’s Hattie B’s moment and a Nashville nudge from the universe 🌆

(42:00) Why staying open to the unseen makes life richer 💫

(43:00) The iconic poop story: FaceTime trauma & a very bad vaccine 💩

(47:00) Final 4 questions

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

One minute she thought they were headed to dinner. The next? Divorce. In this episode, Chrissi’s sister Sarah is back to talk about what happens when your marriage ends and your new life begins—ready or not. We cover midlife heartbreak, financial whiplash, going back in the dating pool, and the brilliance of the divorce shower. If you ever had to rebuild your life in midlife, this one’s for you.

(01:00) 🚛 Sister catch up: Moving, the DMV, and a terrible day

(07:00) 💔 The emotional shock of a sudden divorce

(08:00) 📊 Midlife divorce statistics + why the 40s are peak breakup years

(14:30) 💵 The financial whiplash + becoming the sole provider overnight

(20:00) 🧾 Why divorce is so expensive (and why attorneys always win)

(25:00) 📱 Dating after 40: apps, awkwardness, and Jeff Bezos' silver lining

(30:45) 🥂 The joy (and healing) of a post-divorce shower

(36:00) 🧠 Rebuilding your identity + managing life solo

(39:00) 👀 When your ex moves on—and your kids meet the new partner

(42:30) 👩‍👧 Navigating co-parenting without losing your mind

(46:00) 💬 The advice she’d give her younger self (and you)

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

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📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

At a certain point, you just know what’s worth your time—and what’s absolutely not. In this episode, Chrissi and her dear friend Christy Williams unpack the midlife magic of opting out, dialing in, and letting go of things that no longer serve (or entertain) us. From questionable concerts to clean kitchens, it’s time to stop being polite and start getting real (iykyk).

(00:01) 👋 Meet Christy: the Nashville mom who does all the things
(03:00) 🎤 A strong opinion about music festivals (and porta-pottys)
(08:00) 💪 Midlife wisdom: why we don’t do backflips anymore
(13:00) 📺 A reality TV hot take that might ruffle feathers
(19:00) 🏕️ A passionate rant about camping
(24:00) 📱 The app that’s secretly saving long-distance friendships
(27:00) 💧 Our non-negotiables when we’re on the go
(30:00) ⏳ The rule that keeps us from losing our minds
(34:00) 🧼 What happens after a deep clean?
(35:00) ✈️ A harrowing tale of a middle seat to Rome
(39:00) 🚶‍♀️ Small joys, Costco fashion, and what we’ve really found at 40

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

Is it too late to start over at 40? Spoiler: nope. In this episode, singer-songwriter Chelsey Stallings shares how she built a thriving music career in midlife—after kids, career changes, and a literal leg-shattering fall. We dive into midlife reinvention, songwriting after 40, and the power of starting when the world says you're “too old.” If you're craving a second act (or third), this one's your pep talk in podcast form.

(00:00) 🎤 Meet Chelsey Stallings — powerhouse singer-songwriter, horse whisperer, and mom of three. She’s the kind of friend who’ll write a song that makes you ugly cry and then crack a joke that has you snort-laughing through your tears.

(03:00) ✈️ We talk about how she traded in hair school for home studios, Utah mountains for Tennessee dreams, and how the Nashville hustle really goes down — spoiler alert: it’s less “glam squad” and more “grit, grace, and a broken leg courtesy of a rescue horse.”

(08:00) 🛠️ We dig into the detours, delays, and divine redirections (including one that came in the form of, you know, emergency surgery). This is midlife reinvention with boots on the ground — literally.

(13:00) 🚫 Chelsey opens up about what it feels like to chase a dream in your 40s when the world says you’re “too old” and “too mom” — and why she’s not having any of it.

(17:00) 👶 We talk songwriting, motherhood, and why early motherhood is just Groundhog Day in yoga pants. Spoiler: your arms really will ache to hold them little again.

(22:00) 🎶 She shares the behind-the-scenes of her song “Mom Needs a Minute,” how co-writing sessions are basically musical therapy, and what inspired her newest tearjerker.

(26:00) ✨ We chat about the myth of aging out, the beauty in battle scars, and why “Pretty Old” might be your new favorite anthem.

(30:00) 🌟 From Garth Brooks giving her a compliment she’ll never forget (!!!!) to industry insider scoop about how songs actually “make it,” Chelsey pulls back the curtain on it all.

(36:00) 🤖 Plus: the influence of AI in music, why TikTok is a wild card, and how middle age has made her both tougher and more tender.

(46:00) 🧭 And of course — what Chelsey has found at 40.

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re too late to chase a dream, this episode will lovingly slap that idea out of your brain. You’re not too old, too mom, too anything. You’re right on time.

🎧 Listen in, laugh hard, and maybe cry a little (in a good way).

Find Chelsey Stallings at @chelseystallings on Instagram and YouTube, @chelseystallingssings on TikTok

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

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📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

Welcome to the very first episode of Found at 40 — the podcast for women navigating midlife transitions, identity shifts, and the question we’re all asking: What’s next?

In this kickoff convo, host Chrissi (married at 20, three kids, now asking big life questions) is joined by her older sister Sarah (divorced at 40, roller derby queen, in the middle of a major life transition) to talk about what it really feels like to hit your 40s and realize… you’re ready to pivot.

Whether you’ve been a stay-at-home mom, a career woman, or some hybrid of both, this episode explores the messy, funny, and very real experience of rediscovering yourself in midlife.

What we cover:

(0:00) 👯 Meet your midlife guides: Chrissi & Sarah
(03:00) 💍 One was married at 20, the other was divorced at 40, and what that teaches you
(08:00)  🧠 Midlife reinvention: identity loss, purpose panic, and redefining success
(13:00)  🎬 Movie moments that get midlife almost right (looking at you, Crazy Stupid Love)
(22:00)  💄 Botox, body changes, and the beauty standards we’re still unlearning
(29:00)  🦢 The myth of “having it all together” in your 40s
(38:00) 🔥 Midlife crisis vs. midlife awakening — and why one might actually be helpful
(41:00)  🎧 Why this podcast exists and what’s coming next for Found at 40

This show is for women in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s who are ready to stop people-pleasing, start asking deeper questions, and embrace a new chapter with humor, honesty, and the occasional overshare.

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📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

🎤 Music by @chelseystallings

Hey, I’m Chrissi Harris — and after years of being the scheduler, the snack packer, the cheerleader, the peacemaker (and let’s be honest, the one who knows where literally everything in the house is)… I realized something: I’m just getting started.

Found at 40 is a podcast for women who are ready to explore what’s next — with curiosity, excitement, and So. Much. Laughter. We’re diving into the real stuff: midlife reinvention, identity shifts, changing relationships, perimenopause popping off like an unwanted surprise party, and the joy (yes, joy!) of starting something new.

Every Tuesday, I’ll be talking to incredible women who are navigating this chapter with honesty, grit, and zero interest in pretending they have it all figured out. Because midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s just well-researched content. And we’re doing it together.

Welcome to the group chat you didn't know you needed.