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Welcome to Episode 20 of His & Her Life Hacks!   

Today we will be talking about perimenopause and menopause – a topic that is not talked about enough….and although it’s finally getting the recognition that it deserves from leading experts around the world, women activists and even celebrities, there’s still a lot more work to be done as far as spreading awareness and educating men and women about what truly takes place in a woman’s body while enduring this life changing event, that she has NO control over.  

And yes, we say men because men are going through this with their women/wives/partners and need to be educated, so they can offer love, support and compassion towards her while she’s going through these sometimes-horrible symptoms.

The same compassion that is offered to a woman while pregnant – should be the same compassion that she receives during menopause.  

There is a wealth of time, money and research invested in other areas of women’s health – such as fertility, heart health and cancer, yet very minimal when it comes to menopause.

Yet studies show that many women start to notice the onset of disease around the same time that their hormones are plummeting.  This is not a coincidence; this is because hormones play a crucial role in regulating a wide range of physiological processes in a woman’s body.  These chemical messengers are produced by glands in the endocrine system and travel through the bloodstream to tissues and organs, influencing various bodily functions such as:  Bone Health, Metabolism and Weight Regulation, Mood and Emotional Wellbeing, Sexual Health, Stress Response, Skin and Hair, Sleep Issues and Cognitive Brain Fog, Metabolic Disease and more.

Listen in as Dawne and Larry discuss Dawne’s personal journey with regulating her hormones at the age of 26 due to a malfunction that took place after the birth of her 2nd daughter and then fast forward to today where Dawne describes her and her friends’ personal journeys with perimenopause/menopause, HRT (Human Replacement Therapy) and many unanswered questions as well as natural / homeopathic ways to cope during this time in your life!  We even throw in a few tips for the men!!

Fact:  There are nearly 1.2 billion women who are and will go through this.  No woman escapes menopause.  (Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OBGYN and a world-renowned expert on menopause)

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If you have a student in high school, or even one approaching it, and want to help guide them toward the best opportunity for success after high school, this episode is for you!

It's the right of passage each May/June.  Thousands of high school seniors will graduate and embark on the next step in their journey.  Most are preparing to head off to college at the end of the summer, while others have chosen to pursue a trade, enter the military, etc.  We are experiencing this in our own family with my daughter Faith's graduation.

Next up, the rising senior's are busy making plans to visit the campuses of their top college choices this summer ahead of applying in the Fall.   Visiting colleges is often the first step families take in the process, and it makes sense.   It is tangible, you get to have a real experience...good or bad.  You walk the halls, taste the cafeteria food, imagine yourself playing for or cheering the team on inside the big stadium, or performing on the stage at the art center.  You buy the gear at the campus book store and proudly wear it back home.   But should choosing a college be the first step?

Our guest today, Beth Probst, Founder of At The Core, challenges this notion and flips the college process on its head.   For over 10 years, Beth and her team have been inspiring parents and students to think strategically about how to select the best fit college, major and career so they don't end up wasting precious time and money. 

During his very engaging conversation, we dive into the following topics:

• The order in which you should approach this process...and a hint, visiting colleges is not first!
• Practical strategies for getting our teens to lift their head up from the daily rigors and schedules they are under to consider the possibilities for the future.
• By age 17, our kids have exhibited innate strengths and traits to help guide them toward a career that they have a strong interest and aptitude for without the pressure of having to figure out their entire life.  
• The first job comes rapidly...the importance of focusing on self assessment, getting experience, learning different skills, etc.
• The role of Career Technical Education to evaluate potential careers while still in high school. 
• The rising popularity and economic value of stacking skills/credentials and getting hands on experience as an alternative to a four year degree.
• Why as parents, putting aside our own aspirations for our children and having open and honest dialogue is an approach we should all consider.  

We greatly enjoyed our conversation with Beth, and will certainly be applying what we learned as my youngest daughter Carmel begins this process in earnest.

We encourage you to learn about all the great services, both complimentary and paid, that Beth and her team provide to families across the country at the following website:

https://www.gettingatthecore.com/

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne are joined by special guest, Ethan A Poetic.  In March of 2011, Ethan was involved in a horrific car accident with an 18 wheeler in Lancaster County, PA, and was given a 1% chance of survival.  And survive he did.....after a high risk surgery, woke up a few days later and was declared a walking, living miracle. 

Ethan shares some of the challenges of his life leading up to the accident and the inspiration he took from those he met along the way.   He also discusses his rehabilitation and long road to recovery and the eventual path he took in life, including graduating from Millersville University with a bachelors degree in Speech Communications.    

The more people came to know his story, the more he discovered his purpose to inspire and help others.  Ethan became a self published author and wrote his Autobiography titled "The Inspirational Story of Ethan A. Poetic: Chronicles of Adversities, Education, Sports, Relationships, & Resiliency."

Today, Ethan is the CEO & Founder of Ethan A. Poetic, LLC, to empower people towards overcoming their adversities, life’s challenges & hardships.   In addition to being an author, he is also a keynote speaker, life coach, mentor, and mental health advocate.

Ethan helps bridge the gaps to inspire the youth inside the classrooms, cafes, playgrounds, sports, music, after school programs and community engagement. He sees himself inside the youth relating to their struggles, poverty, single-parent household and needing leadership towards the right direction in life.

Ethan can be contacted through his website:

Website https://ethanspeaks.com/

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne are joined by special guest, Natalie Mullin, a Disruptive Wellness Activist and Holistic Life Coach based outside of Toronto, Canada.  We are excited for you to hear this podcast because it is another amazing story of overcoming life challenges when you did not see them coming. 

Natalie shares her remarkable journey following a marriage separation that she did not want nor expect.   Left to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Natalie ultimately chooses to follow a path of self love, personal wellbeing, and surrendering to God.  While it sounds obvious and ideal, when you are in the midst of devastation and despair, choosing this path takes incredible strength and courage.

Along the way, you will learn about the importance of:

- Accepting what you cannot control
- Surrendering to God even while questioning why this is happening
- The importance of surrounding yourself with family, friends and mentors
- Reconnecting with the person you used to be
- Choosing joy, and the creative way Natalie's friend took to lead her to this point

After working through the pain to find joy, and ready to resume her life, an amazing twist of fate occurs when Natalie and her husband meet by chance and make the decision to give their marriage another try.   Hear the unique approach they took to forgive the past and focus on building a new relationship.   Today they live in Canada with their two and a half year old son. 

Natalie is the host of the "From A Full Cup" Podcast, and uses her profound transformation and now purpose to help others going through a similar experience:

- She runs a Separation to Restoration program to help people focus on healing themselves as they seek to reconcile their relationship.

- She teaches Disruptive Wellness around creating barriers, walking away from toxic relationships, learning to say no, and advocating for themselves.

Natalie can be reached at the following:

Website: https://nataliemullin.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-mullin/ 

Complimentary Coaching Call: https://tidycal.com/nataliemullin/complimentary-coaching

Wellness Audit: https://from-a-full-cup.ck.page/93236e5b48 

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Despite the title of their Podcast, Dawne & Larry discuss the times when you cannot just hack your way through life, or in particular, specific life circumstances.    These circumstances, such as a divorce, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or an adverse health diagnosis...and the personal pain associated with them...require a different approach to overcome and heal from.   

Too often, we are wired to look for the quick fix, to figure out a way to suppress or go around the pain rather than through it.   While the immediate results might feel good in the moment, the quick fix approach often leads to remaining stuck from moving forward and having to deal with these same circumstances that worsen over time.  

From their own personal experiences, some of their recent guests, and many others who they work with on a consistent basis, Dawne & Larry know the best way to deal with significant life challenges is to face them head on and do the necessary work to overcome.

They discuss what it means to actually do the work and they also share practical advice and steps to take for a proactive approach that will help you move forward through the healing process.   Along the way, they discuss topics such as the influence of their faith as a guiding force, the importance of journaling, the decision on whether to take medicine or not, and the role of a coach or therapist to assist your efforts.

The end result of doing the work instead of going around it is clarity.  Clarity to prioritize your life according to what's most important, to make clear decisions, to have meaningful relationships, to live the life you were meant for, and much more!

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In this episode, Dawne & Larry are joined by a very special guest, Dawne's oldest daughter Lexi Jacoby.   Lexi has had quite the health journey over the past few years.  It started with an array of symptoms - sudden unexplained weight gain, problems with her monthly cycle, horrible acne, constantly bloated and sick after everything she ate, sleep issues, constant fatigue, racing heart and much more.  

Her first step was going to her primary care physician to get bloodwork done and discuss the issues to find out what was going on. She had to beg for the bloodwork despite her symptoms, but she finally got it done.

The bloodwork revealed elevated levels in her liver functions to which her doctor suggested that she should lay off alcohol and decrease Tylenol, neither of which she consumed often.

Lexi ultimately felt let down by her doctor so she took matters into her own hands and sought out a holistic physician.  One who would get to the root cause of the issues - not try to put a bandaid on it.  Lexi knew in her heart there was something wrong and thank goodness she was an advocate for her own health because there was a lot wrong....which she shares in great detail on this episode today.

Lexi was on a mission to heal from the inside out and has transformed her health through a lifestyle change which incorporates the food she eats, the products she uses, her exercise regimen, natural calming remedies, and everyday self care.  Her mission is to now help others who have had or are currently having these same issues.

To learn more, you can follow Lexi's Instagram dedicated to this topic @ healing_lifestyle_with_lexi
and her tiktok is linked in her bio as well.

Resources that she mentions in this episode are as follows:

My instagram: healing_lifestyle_with_lexi - tiktok is linked in bio as well 
Holistic Healing in Wayne, PA - Dr. Nadia Ali
Lionville Natural Pharmacy, Lionville, PA - Ben Briggs, and Mike Briggs
Fullscript for high quality supplements physicians use: https://fullscript.com/ - a lot of physicians will have discount codes available through their websites/instagram
EWG Website and App for rating clean/toxic home and self products along with information about what every ingredient and chemical is and does to our body *amazing resource
EWG Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen - which to buy organic, highest/lowest pesticide and chemical amoutns
Dirty Dozen: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.phpClean Fifteen: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
Aldi for cheaper produce (organic if possible!)
Good RX for coupons for medications
Ghia for non-alcoholic aperitif or seltzers: drinkghia.com
Yuka app - easily scan (free version) or type in ($8/year) products to have ingredient list rated for toxic ingredients like endocrine disruptors
Bobby approved app - guide for clean eating / food products
Think Dirty app - another scan or type in products app like Yuka to see if there are any harmful ingredients or "clean"
Flo app - for tracking cycle naturally
Premom app - use the app along with the LH test strips to test ovulation and then log in the app for results so can track cycle along with Flo
Down Dog app - free or paid, amazing at home yoga app with many customizations/various types of yoga practices, focus areas, levels, etc.
Insight timer - free meditation app

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne focus on the difficult topic of suicide awareness and prevention.    Their community outside of Philadelphia has been devastated by teenage suicide over the past six years, and they would like to bring insights and tools to anyone who feels they are at risk or those supporting them.    They are joined by special guest Dennis Gillan, founder and executive director of the Half a Sorrow Foundation.  Dennis turned his tragedy into purpose after losing his two brothers to suicide. He is a highly sought-after speaker and mental health advocate. His candid story of perseverance creates connection, instills hope, and helps break the stigma of talking about mental health. 

Dennis shares the heart wrenching story of his brothers Mark and Matthew, and how that ultimately became the motivation to turn his misery into his mission to help others avoid the same heartbreak that he has endured.  

He talks about the 15-24 age group and the work he does in schools and on college campuses, including a hopeful story about one student who had the courage to raise his hand to say "that's me" as Dennis was going through the warning signs, and how his friends surrounded him and wouldn't let him go anywhere.     Dennis also addresses some of the other demographic groups and their challenges.  

Dennis discloses some of the warning signs to look out for across three groups - talk/text, behavior and mood.   He also shares a very direct way to approach someone who you suspect may be considering suicide.   

He explains the genesis of his "purple file" and how it made it into Entrepreneur magazine.   The size of that file tells you everything you need to know about the impact that Dennis is making in this world.  

Dennis closes with information about his foundation, Half A Sorrow.    We would encourage all of you to go to his site and review the information and services that he provides, and if you are leading a school, organization or company and want to provide your students/members/employee's with critical information in the area of Suicide Awareness and Prevention, please consider bringing in Dennis to give a Keynote or lead a workshop.    

More information, including his highly impactful TEDx talk on combating loneliness, can be found at:

halfasorrow.org

You can reach Dennis directly at:

[email protected]

If in crisis, please call or text 988 to the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne are joined by a very special guest, Dawne's youngest daughter Cierra Jacoby.   Cierra teaches 3rd grade at a local school in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  She takes them through a day in the life of a teacher, intermixing heartwarming and hilarious stories with the serious realities of teaching in 2024.  

Amongst the topics that Cierra discusses:

- The many hats that a teacher must wear each day.
- How the reality of teaching is so much different than her college prep.
- Handling the everchanging emotions of the kids throughout the day.
- Working with parents for the benefit of their children.
- The harsh reality of the topics they need to deal with and be prepared for today.
- The impact of social media and how the kids are growing up too fast.
- How Covid changed the teaching and learning process.
- Positive and negative impact of technology.

They also discuss Cierra's exciting plans for the upcoming year with her fiance Doug and their golden puppy, Missy May.   

Finally, Cierra closes with her advice for all new teachers who are facing a different reality than their expectations - spoiler alert - she loves the joy and fulfillment that she receives from being with the students each day!

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne are joined by special guest and friend, Heidi Watson.  Heidi is a Lifetime Fitness instructor who overcame her own battle with obesity from childhood into adulthood and knew she needed to make a change.  She is here to discuss the importance of health and fitness at every age and share her inspirational story of overcoming, which all started with her courage to walk through the door of a Zumba class one day, at the height of her pain.

Larry & Dawne picked this topic because it's something they are passionate about and it's a way of life for them.  They share their personal benefits to exercise as parents, entrepreneurs and active participants in life.

Heidi's journey started with the tragic passing of her adoptive mother at age two and the chaos that ensued, leading to a childhood of binge eating and being bullied.   

These patterns continued well into her 30's when her "why"...her two daughters... provided the impetus for change.    Wanting to be active and strong for them and to let them know she cared, she accepted an invite from her cousin to join her at a Zumba dance class.   Overcoming the flashbacks to the trauma from her childhood, she summoned the courage to walk in the door and face all the "perfect" people...who just so happened to be perfect, but not in the way she imagined.   Coming from all different shapes, sizes and backgrounds, they welcomed her with open arms and she had a blast.   It was the spark for change she needed, and she never looked back.

You will be inspired by her path toward healing her childhood wounds while also healing her overall health, including seeking professional input from a nutritionist and therapist, highlighting the importance of gathering input from experts to assist you in making life altering changes. 

Motivated by her new found love for fitness, Heidi invested in herself by taking additional fitness classes, ultimately leading to a career change from hair dresser to a full time instructor role at Lifetime Fitness's first location in the State of Pennsylvania.   She now teaches all of Lifetime's classes in multiple locations and brings high energy, expertise and enthusiasm to her students...completing a truly remarkable journey of transforming her pain into her purpose to serve others.   

You can follow Heidi on Instagram @scribegirl18 and Facebook @Heidi Watson.

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In this episode, Larry & Dawne encourage anyone who is thinking of starting a Podcast to go for it!

Starting a podcast can be scary and intimidating, at least it was for them.  But after producing their first 10 episodes of the His & Her Life Hacks Podcast, they tear down this preconceived notion and take you through the straightforward steps to produce a show.

With the caveat that there are certainly more advanced and sophisticated methods, they walk you through their relatively simple hardware setup.   Then they explain the software platforms that they use to record and edit both the video and audio version of the podcast and distribute to YouTube, Apple, Spotify, etc. 

They divulge their secret for how they prepare for each episode and some of the emotions they have gone through right before filming...how they show up on screen isn't always how they looked moments before!   Then there are the challenges of handling the noise interruptions, like when the landscapers start up their engines a few minutes into filming!

They also share some of the awesome feedback they received from the listeners during the first season, from the direct messages, texts, emails and in person exchanges.   You told them that there is value in their content and to keep going.   So they are onto Season 2!

Season 2 will be a mixture of more of their own life hacks, along with bringing on special guests.   They have received requests for topics beyond their own expertise, so they will be inviting experts on to share their knowledge, best practices and unique inspirational stories of overcoming.    There may even be a few special guests with the same last names!  The calendar is being developed now, so stay tuned for an exciting new episode each week.  

Finally, they would like to thank you for all of your support and engagement throughout Season 1.   Your feedback and positive reaction to each episode made the effort to produce the show well worth it!   

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