We have always loved the way conversations wander. Not because they lose their way, but because they so often find something better.

A story about a first job becomes a story about courage. A memory from childhood becomes a reflection on friendship. Someone mentions a woman named Alice, and suddenly you're talking about the people who quietly change the direction of our lives without ever knowing they have.

It's exactly where this conversation with Denise and Kamesha from Wisdom in Bloom took us.

Together, Andrea, Krista, Denise and Kamesha explore the stories that shape us—the unexpected turns, the friendships that carry us, the mentors who see something in us before we see it ourselves, and the courage it takes to begin something new.

Denise and Kamesha share the story behind Wisdom in Bloom, a podcast created from their shared belief that women’s stories and wisdom deserve to be heard. They reflect on friendship, creative partnership, and the ongoing journey of becoming.

And, as every Half Betty conversation does, this episode eventually arrives at Five Words.

What had originally started as a simple invitation for each guest to gather five words that feel true has become one of the most meaningful moments in every conversation.

There is no right answer. No perfect combination. No expectation to arrive at them quickly. Just curiosity, honesty, and the bravery of reflecting on who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming.

For Denise and Kamesha, this reflection became something much bigger than a question at the end of an episode. They shared how these words will stay with them long after the conversation ends - a powerful declaration of self, shaped by the experiences, challenges, friendships and moments that have brought them here.

Because stories help us make sense of our lives. Conversations help us hear those stories differently. And, Five Words help us remember who we are.

Bio

Denise and Kamesha are the co-hosts and creators of Wisdom in Bloom, a podcast and community celebrating women in midlife through honest conversations about identity, friendship, growth, resilience and the wisdom that comes from lived experience.

Through their conversations, Denise and Kamesha create space for women to share their stories, reflect on the moments that shaped them, and embrace the ongoing journey of becoming.

Their friendship and shared belief that every woman carries stories worth telling are at the heart of Wisdom in Bloom.

References

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

YouTube

Denise’s Five Words
Nurturer, Grace, Brave, Resilient, Worrier

Kamesha’s Five Words
Resilient, Kind, Figure-Outer, Evolving, Spirited

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Guest: Denise & Kamesha | Wisdom in Bloom

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy

Episode sponsors: Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry

In this thoughtful and inspiring conversation, Andrea and Krista welcome their first UK guest to the Half Betty Podcast - writer, wellbeing curator, coach, and podcast host Claire Fitzsimmons.

Claire is the co-founder of If Lost, Start Here, a wellbeing company supporting people as they navigate life’s wilds with greater emotional honesty, clarity, and self-compassion. She is also the host of the podcast A Thought I Kept, where she explores the ideas, moments, and conversations that stay with us long after they happen.

This episode marks more than simply Half Betty’s first conversation with a UK guest; it feels like the beginning of a meaningful bridge between communities, cultures, and shared conversations around midlife, identity, growth and transformation. 

Together, Andrea, Krista, and Claire explore the cultural differences between North America and the UK when it comes to visibility in midlife, emotional expression, and conversations about women’s evolving identities. They discuss the uniquely British tendency to soften discomfort with humour, the challenges of asking for what we need, and why so many of us are still learning how to articulate what we feel.

Claire shares her personal story -  from witnessing her mother’s struggles with mental health in midlife to navigating her own experiences with anxiety and depression - and reflects on how these experiences shaped both her work and her understanding of whole and well-being.

This conversation gently but powerfully challenges the modern obsession with wellness hacks, optimization, and the endless pursuit of self-improvement. Instead, Claire offers listeners a more compassionate and sustainable perspective that our health and wellness may not be something to chase, but something that we shape within the beautifully imperfect reality of everyday life.

At the heart of this episode, there is a sense of unlearning of emotional courage and the moving  truth that midlife is not a finished chapter, but an ongoing becoming.

Sometimes being lost is not a signal that something has gone wrong. But. simply the beginning of a new chapter. And, for some, an entirely new book. 

Bio

Claire Fitzsimmons is a wellbeing writer, coach, podcast host, and co-founder of If Lost, Start Here, a wellbeing company on a mission to help people find their way to a better place.

As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire works with women navigating change, burnout, emotional overwhelm, or an experience of feeling stuck. She helps people untangle what they’re feeling, find clarity, and create a sustainable wellbeing practice that fits the shape of their everyday lives.

Claire’s writing on mental health, emotions, and midlife wellbeing has appeared in Happiful, Breathe, The Simple Things, and others, with features in Stylist, Red, and Psychologies. Her first book, If Lost, Start Here: Wellbeing for the anxious, disconnected or uncertain, co-authored with Amanda Sheeren, is available now.

Claire is also the host of the podcast A Thought I Kept, where each week she speaks with guests from across creative, academic, business, and wellbeing fields about the ideas that stay with us for a lifetime. (Andrea was a guest on Claire’s podcast with her conversation found here: A Library made of Moments ) 

Book

If Lost Start Here - Wellbeing for the Anxious, Disconnected or Uncertain

Created by Amanda Sheeren and Claire Fitzsimmons

References

Website https://www.ifloststarthere.com/ 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ifloststarthere

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ifloststarthere

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@AThoughtIKept

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-fitzsimmons-4130aa100 

Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2521342 

Substack https://moregooddays.substack.com AND https://itsalotactually.substack.com 

Claire’s Five Words 

Emotional

Curious (thoughtful)
Creative
Loyal
Tenacious

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Guest: Claire Fitzsimmons

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

What happens when the career you’ve built no longer fits the life you want? This week, Andrea and Krista sit down with Dr. Kelly Kasteel—emergency physician, Mum, and founder of Emerge Wellness.

After 17 years in emergency medicine, Kelly found herself facing burnout, questioning her identity, and navigating the very real challenges of perimenopause. She shares how the pressures of COVID, coupled with a traumatic workplace incident, became the catalyst for stepping away and reimagining her future.

What started as an interest in aesthetics quickly revealed something much bigger: women in midlife (including herself) were struggling to find support, answers, and care. Determined to fill that gap, Kelly immersed herself in learning all the information she wasn’t taught in medical school and now helps women navigate hormones, perimenopause, confidence, energy, and overall wellbeing.

We dive into the symptoms so many women experience but rarely talk about, the evolving conversation around testosterone, and why self-advocacy is one of the most important tools we have. It's an honest, empowering conversation about reinvention, resilience, and taking ownership of your health—because, as Kelly reminds us, no one's coming to save you.

Whether you're curious about hormones, feeling stuck in a season of change, or simply wondering if what you're experiencing is "normal," this episode offers practical guidance, reassurance, and plenty of reasons to keep asking questions.

Bio

Dr. Kelly Kasteel, MD, CCFP-EM, known as Dr. KK, is the founder of Emerge Wellness MD in New Westminster, BC, Canada. After 17 years in emergency medicine, she built one of the most in-demand aesthetics practices in Vancouver's Lower Mainland, the kind of place where you finally feel like you have a girlfriend who also happens to be your doctor. She's known for a boutique, natural-outcomes approach at accessible price points that leaves women looking like themselves, just better. She believes aesthetics and hormone health belong together, and her own perimenopause journey and testosterone therapy is what brought those two worlds under one roof. You can find her candid, evidence-based take on midlife women's health on her Substack, Dr. KK: Hot and Informed, and on Instagram at @drkellykasteel, where she shows up with the same warmth and radical honesty she brings to her clinic every day.

Website https://www.emergewellnessmd.com/ 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drkellykasteel/
Substack https://substack.com/@drkellykasteel 

Dr. Kelly’s words - Radically authentic, warmly disruptive, refreshingly real, unapologetically direct, brilliantly approachable

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Guest: Dr. Kelly Kasteel

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy

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Some people find that their entire lives are about learning how to read a room. Christina Pitts Jazzar built a career learning how to care for the people inside of it.

Long before she became an intimacy coordinator (IC) at 45 years old, Christina had spent years working as a performer, actor, and choreographer, instinctively attuned to the emotional energy, vulnerability and unspoken dynamics on both the stage and the screen. So when a friend suggested she explore the emerging field of Intimacy Coordination, something in her immediately and wholeheartedly responded. As Christina shares in this conversation, it was a full-body and resounding “yes”.

In this episode of Half Betty, we explore the deeply human work behind Intimacy Coordination and the growing importance of care, communication, consent, and emotional safety within storytelling. From scenes involving romantic intimacy to the tenderness between parents and children, friends, partners, or chosen family, Christina shares what it means to support actors and crews through moments that require trust, boundaries, clarity, and compassion.

Together, we talk about midlife reinvention, advocacy, and what happens when the work you step into feels less like a pivot and more like an alignment with who you have always been. Christina also opens up about her family life, her marriage, motherhood, and growing up with a father who was hard of hearing and later vision impaired -  experiences that profoundly shaped her understanding of communication, emotional awareness, and human connection.

As film and television continue to evolve, Intimacy Coordinators like Christina are helping to redefine what safe, ethical, emotionally intelligent storytelling can look like, not just for actors, but for entire creative communities.

This conversation is thoughtful, deeply grounded and such an important and beautiful reminder that the things we are naturally drawn toward often hold clues to the work we are meant to do.

Bio

With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Christina Pitts Jazzar (she/her) is a celebrated Performer, choreographer, and Certified Intimacy Coordinator (IC). She has been at the helm of Canada’s IC community with extensive training in Movement, Motion Pictures and Mental Health.

When it comes to being an IC, Christina is a true collaborator. She has a fun, natural ability to put people at ease, focusing on Communication, Consent & Boundaries and Care. She creates inclusive, welcoming work environments for both cast and crew during sensitive and vulnerable content/situations. 

As a mother of two, caregiver, partner, and working creative, Christina stepped into intimacy coordination at the age of 45 - in the middle of a global pandemic - and quickly realized something important: productions need care, but so do the people doing the caring. That understanding led her to become a proud board member of the National Society of Intimacy Professionals (NSIP), as well as co-founder of ICU (Intimacy Coordinators United), a Collective prioritizing intimacy coordination as a holistic, sustainable, and community-centred practice.

You can see Christina’s work on Netflix, Paramount+, Disney FX, Hallmark, CBC and CBS with shows like FUBAR, Adults, Umbrella Academy, Miniature Wife, The WESTIES, Sheriff Country, Boston Blue, Devil In Disguise John Wayne Gacy, and The Way Home to name a few. 

And finally, a special thank you from Christina to Dani, for 25 years of love and support, and to Krista Gruen and Laura Adkin for her first intimacy coordination credit on their beautiful film Re: Uniting. 
If you haven’t seen it yet, consider this your sign to add it to the list! 

Website

Instagram

IMDB

Christina’s words - Communication, Curious, Creativity, Collaboration, Capable

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Guest: Christina Jazzar

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

We sat down with Danielle Mika Nagel for a conversation that moved dynamically between both reflection and clarity. A conversation that stayed with us long after it was over and, now, finds its opportunity to be shared with our listeners.

At the heart of this episode is a phrase Danielle often returns to - “effort and ease”. The idea that everything meaningful in life asks something of us, but not everything should feel like strain. And that learning the difference is often how she describes beginning to understand herself more fully.

Danielle speaks to the earlier decades that shape us in ways we don’t always notice at the time - learning boundaries, building courage, figuring out care, and sometimes finding our way back to who we truly are. And how those lessons don’t ever end but simply evolve.

Now in this midlife chapter, Danielle describes being in a season that feels both grounded and expansive - continuing her long-standing yoga practice, leading retreats, and deepening her coaching work. She also co-founded and co-hosts the podcast Coffee Unlimited with J&D alongside her friend Janelle Aaker - a space that reflects much of her honest, lived-in way of seeing the world.

She also speaks to the practices that have supported her along the way - yoga, meditation, and staying in an honest relationship with herself.

It’s a conversation about what we carry, what we release, and what it means to keep choosing a life that fits.

Bio

Danielle Mika Nagel is a wellness coach with over two decades of experience weaving together yoga, Ayurveda, and leadership. A former Director of Leadership Development at lululemon and Vancity, she also spent 14 years as a lead educator with the Chopra Center.

Today, she supports leaders to thrive across all areas of their lives through 1:1 coaching, workshops, and global retreats - bringing a grounded, integrative approach to how people live, lead, and sustain themselves over time.

Website https://www.daniellemika.com/ 

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemikanagel/ 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/daniellemikawellbeing/?hl=en 

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeUnlimitedwithJandD 

Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6bwPMMAfs1wpbIJhp54MZq?si=8be2a07645e540df 

Danielle’s Words - Student (learning), Flexibility, Bossy Guru, bougie 

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Guest: Danielle Mika Nagel

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Alex McCarthy 

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

Last year, in a packed room at the Hello Sunshine Conference, Krista and I listened to Dr. Rachel Goldman speak.

Afterward, we had a brief chance to meet her and share what we were building with Half Betty - a space for women navigating midlife, or what we often call centre life, and all that comes with it. She listened with a nod and what felt like immediate understanding - a kind of quiet recognition in the exchange. She spoke briefly about the work she was immersed in, including her upcoming book, and said she would be happy to support what we were building if the opportunity ever arose.

And here we are.

This conversation is part of something that began before we pressed record - and will continue long after it ends.

We’re so glad to welcome her here.

Dr. Rachel is a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the author of When Life Happens (April 2026). Her work focuses on stress, body image, and sustainable behaviour change - grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a deep understanding of how change unfolds in real life.

Her perspective has been featured in TIME, The New York Times, CNN, and USA Today, and she has appeared on the TODAY Show alongside voices such as Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mel Robbins.

In this episode, we explore what it means when life doesn’t follow the plan - how we respond, what we hold onto, and what we might be ready to shift.

A conversation about the power of the pause.

Website

Instagram

Linkedin

YouTube

Dr. Goldman’s Words

- Focus on what's in your control

- Aligned
- Grounded

- Mom

- Runner
- Pause 

References

When Life Happens - Book launched April 7th 2026

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Guest: Dr. Rachel Goldman

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

What began as an April Fools’ idea has become something much more meaningful.

Half George returns as a space for men to move into honest, open conversations about midlife alongside the stories we’ve been hearing from our guests on Half Betty.

Co-hosts Chris Rathborne and Kyle Gruen are joined by their first guest, Steve Pratt - writer, entrepreneur, and self-described “weird, kind, creative, enthusiast, experimenter.”

At 50, Steve found himself in a strange and profound shift -  leaving the company he built, becoming an empty nester, and questioning long-held definitions of success and identity. Instead of rushing to redefine and make sense of it all, he chose to experiment. Literally. 

Through his Midlife Field Guide, Steve approaches this mid-chapter as a series of real-life experiments - letting go of old metrics and beliefs and exploring what it means to live with more presence, curiosity, and intention.

This conversation is thoughtful, funny, and very honest - touching on identity, purpose, connection, and the evolving nature of work and life in the midlife chapter. 

A reminder that this time  isn’t about having it all figured out, it’s about staying open, staying curious, and, sometimes, embracing the weird.

Bio, Steve Pratt

Steve Pratt is our first Half George guest after our initial Half George episode in 2024 with co-hosts Chris Rathborne and Kyle Gruen. Steve is a midlife explorer navigating what this chapter of life has to offer with curiosity, courage, and a wicked sense of humour. Quirky, candid, and endlessly inventive, he has spent his career helping others find their voice and telling stories that matter.

He is the author of Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers and the founder of The Creativity Business, a hub for helping companies craft content, marketing, and messaging that actually earns attention. He’s also writing the Midlife Field Guide, a Substack project in which he and his friend Geoff experiment with their own lives in public, trying to decode midlife, one adventure at a time.

Steve co-founded Pacific Content, the world’s first branded podcast agency, which he grew from the ground up in 2014 to work with global brands like Ford, Audible, BMW, Shopify, Adobe, and more - eventually being acquired by Rogers Communications in 2019. Before that, he ran a digital audio innovation lab at the CBC, launched one of the first legal music podcasts in the world, and built a highly engaged community for CBC Radio 3.

He lives in Vancouver with his wife, Debbie, and their three kids, Cedar, Dawson, and Charlotte. Always experimenting, always learning, Steve describes himself with his five words, simply as: Weird. Creative. Kind. Enthusiast. Experimenter.

Instagram

YouTube

Linkedin

TikTok

The Midlife Field Guide with Geoff Siskind  

Bio, Chris Rathborne
Chris Rathborne has spent 25+ years in promotional marketing and branded merchandise, building and nurturing relationships, shaping programs, and delivering results for brands including 7-Eleven, A&W Restaurants, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Pepsico, Indigenous Health and more. At BAMKO, he helps clients turn ideas into meaningful branding experiences. Chris is also the co-host of Half George, where he explores midlife with honesty, curiosity, and humour. A sports lover, Vancouver history nerd, music and pop culture enthusiast and lifelong family man, he lives in New Westminster with his wife Andrea and their daughters Sophie and Bridget. 

Bio, Kyle Gruen
Kyle Gruen is a product management executive with 15+ years of experience scaling products across startups and growth-stage companies. He blends strategy, data, and operational insight to create solutions that work and more importantly, last. Kyle co-hosts Half George, sharing thoughtful, systems-oriented reflections on midlife, ambition, and life’s unexpected turns. He lives in Vancouver with his wife Krista and their twin sons, Weston and Foster.

References

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Half George

Guest: Steve Pratt 

Hosts: Chris Rathborne & Kyle Gruen

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

For this episode of Half Betty, Andrea and Krista are joined with Anar Ali an award-winning author, TV creator, and Executive Producer of CBC/NBC Universal’s Allegiance (now on the tail end of Season 3), as she traces her path from Tanzania through small-town Canada, Mexico, the UK, and Toronto. Anar talks through guiding values like freedom over security, kindness as power, collaboration, compassion, and a curiosity that fuels wonder.

She reflects on power amplifying character, “sharing it” through politics, incremental community change, and circular storytelling that honours ancestors. As well, the very raw and real moment she left her Procter & Gamble corporate life and first marriage to pursue writing a debut novel (Night of Power, Penguin Random House), as well as TV, sparked by CBC’s Diverse Creators Program.

Bio

Anar Ali is the Creator & Executive Producer of the hit police drama, ALLEGIANCE (CBC/NBCUniversal), and a critically acclaimed short story writer and novelist. Her first book, BABY KHAKI’S WINGS, was a finalist for multiple awards including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book), and her debut novel, NIGHT OF POWER, was recently published internationally by Penguin Random House. She started her TV career when she won a development deal with CBC’s Diverse Creators Program for her 1-hour serialized dramedy, RUBY'S TURN. Soon after, she was a writer on the hit medical drama, TRANSPLANT (Netflix/NBCUniversal/CTV). She left a successful career as a Business Development Executive at Procter & Gamble to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Anar was born in Tanzania to Indian parents, grew up in small-town Alberta, has lived in Mexico and the UK, and now makes her home in Toronto. She's represented by Altas Literary and Atlas Artists.

Instagram

IMDB

Anar’s Words - freedom, kindness, collaboration, compassion, fearless, adventurous, curiosity and wonder. 

References

Allegiance (Procedural) - A rookie agent working in Surrey, her hometown, who faces the limits of the judicial system as she battles to exonerate her politician father. Now in its third season and can be watched on CBC and NBC Universal.

CBC

IMDB

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Guest: Anar Ali (Screenwriter/ Author/Executive Producer)

Founder/Host/Producer: Andrea Rathborne

Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

Andrea and Krista welcome not one, but two fantastic new guests to Half Betty -  the duo behind the brilliant and fun The Devil Wears SPF podcast, Carolyn Hawes and Diane Brennan. In this episode, we hear from both women about the experiences that have shaped them, the lessons that landed them here, and their visions for full, vibrant, sun-protected futures.

Carolyn and Diane explore themes of self-worth, agency, and the power of women, creating space for honesty and care. They share stories of resilience, transformation, and the courage it takes to live life on their own terms - navigating challenges, redefining freedom, and prioritizing health, joy, and purpose.

Their podcast blends “Skincare and SoulCare,” tackling topics including aging, self-love, wellness humour and insight. Looking ahead, they share dreams of exploring beauty rituals and cultural definitions of wellness around the world - a continuation of their journey together as friends and co-creators.

This episode is a conversation about living intentionally, embracing change, and the ways women support and lift each other while navigating life’s transitions.

Bios

Carolyn Hawes is a former editor and general contractor whose midlife journey led her to rethink health, work, and identity. After years of people-pleasing shaped by childhood and an early marriage that ended in divorce, Carolyn began the work of becoming “self-authored,” learning to voice her own needs and opinions - both for herself and as a model for her daughter. In her late forties, menopause-related symptoms disrupted her ability to work and prompted a year-long pause to focus on healing and learning. With guidance from women’s health specialists, she began rebuilding her health and, at 53, chose early retirement to design a life rooted in purpose, curiosity, and alignment rather than obligation. Today, Carolyn brings her lived experience, honesty, and humour to conversations about aging, self-worth, and what it means to choose yourself in midlife.

Diane Brennan has always taken a nontraditional path, guided by independence, adventure, and a deep trust in her own instincts. She left Canada for the United States without a job to pursue citizenship and later embraced a life without marriage or children, navigating social judgment before arriving at a liberating “who cares” mindset. A pivotal experience with a cosmetic procedure that left her with permanent facial scarring led to a lawsuit and profoundly reshaped her relationship with beauty, aging, and self-advocacy. This moment deepened her interest in skincare and fueled her desire to help other women feel informed and empowered about their choices. Diane brings candour, wit, and compassion to conversations about self-worth, freedom, and redefining beauty on your own terms.

Together, Carolyn and Diane are the co-hosts of The Devil Wears SPF, a podcast blending “Skincare” and “SoulCare” with humour and heart, inviting women to care for both their skin and their inner lives -  without apology.

Diane’s Five Words

Fun, Adventure, Learning, Loving, Laughing

Carolyn’s Five Words

Self Authoured, Intuitive, Design minded, Strategic, Aesthetic, silly

Links

The Devil Wears SPF

YouTube

Instagram

Dianne Brennan

Instagram

Linkedin

Carolyn Hawes 

Website

Instagram

Linkedin

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Guests 

Dianne Brennan & Carolyn Hawes

Founder/Host: Andrea Rathborne

Creative Producer/Co-Host: Krista Gruen

Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

Audio Engineer: Ryan Clarke

Episode sponsors:  Zaleska size-inclusive jewelry 

In this episode of the Half Betty Podcast, Suzanne (Zanne) Hollingshead joins Andrea and Krista for an honest and moving conversation about loss, resilience, and finding purpose through life’s hardest seasons. Zanne shares her experience of losing her mother as a child and her sister in midlife, and how navigating these profound losses became a catalyst for transformation.

She talks about how her journey through grief led her to create supportive communities for motherless children, adults navigating loss, and women moving through perimenopause and menopause. Zanne’s story highlights the power of facing grief with courage, building connection, and turning personal hardship into advocacy. This episode is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is support, understanding, and a path toward meaning and hope.

Bio
Zanne Hollingshead is a trauma-informed well-being advocate, certified life coach, and community-builder with a deeply personal connection to her work. Trained through Martha Beck’s Wayfinder Life Coaching program and certified in Mother Loss Support through Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s professional program, Zanne specializes in supporting individuals and groups navigating loss, grief, and the transitions that arrive with midlife.

Her own experiences - losing her mother as a child, her sister in midlife, and dear friends along the way - inform her compassionate approach and the communities she has built. Zanne walks alongside her clients and participants with insight, care, and practical tools, helping them navigate life’s challenges while creating space for healing, growth, and new beginnings.

In collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Hope Edelman, Zanne co-facilitates weekly Motherless Daughters Community Calls and leads 12-week Support Circles for early childhood, adolescent, and young adult mother loss - programs she helped develop in 2023. Through her work, Zanne is dedicated to making sure no one facing grief or life transitions has to navigate them alone.

Zanne Hollingshead Instagram 

Growingthroughit.life
midlifemagic.community 

Motherlessdaughters.com

Zanne’s Five Words+ 

• Rule Breaker 
• On Purpose 
• Multisensory 
• People Connector
• Unstoppable
• Intuitive
• Soul-diver

References

We know the conversations in this episode may bring up strong emotions around grief, loss, and mental health. If you or someone you love is struggling, please know you don’t have to face it alone.

• In Canada: You can reach out to the Talk Suicide Canada line at 1-833-456-4566 (available 24/7)
• In the United States: Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (available 24/7)

If you’re listening from another part of the world, we encourage you to seek out local support - whether that’s a healthcare provider, community organization, or someone you trust. You are not alone, and reaching out for help is a brave and important step.

Women's midlife health resources:

Dr Lisa Mosconi PhD- Neuroscientist, Author of The Menopause Brain

Tamsen Fadal - Journalist, Women's Midife Advocate, Journalist 

Dr. Kelly Casperson MD - Urologist, Women's Midife Physician 

Dr Kudzai Dombo MD - GYN, Women's Midlife Physician 

Dr Sharon Malone MD - Menopause Expert, Chief Medical Advisor  

Alloy Women's Health Online Medicine Platform

Dr. Jayne Morgan, MD, Cardiologist and Vice President of Medical Affairs, at Hello Heart
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Founder/Host: Andrea Rathborne

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Editors: Andrea Rathborne & Krista Gruen

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