Living Left

We talk with Dr Brenda Vrkjlan, an occupational therapist and mobility researcher, about how everyday choices like where you live, how you drive, and who you spend time with shape your health as you age. We zoom out to the sandwich generation reality, then zoom way in to the practical stuff that protects dignity and independence.

• Aging parents and the stress of starting the downsizing conversation
• Planning earlier to avoid the “double downsize” and rushed moves later
• Person-environment fit and why home design affects mobility and safety
• Loneliness as a serious health risk and why community keeps us resilient
• Building routines that create connection after kids leave home
• Driving as identity, access, and participation plus what makes it harder
• Small adaptations that matter like grab bars, non-slip mats, and smart habits
• Reframing aging with “perhaps another unexpected solution exists”

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We sit down with Shelagh Cummins, founder and CEO of The Road to Seven, to talk about the career left turns that shape real businesses and the money decisions that make scaling possible. We dig into intuition, mentorship, and the practical math behind building profit, then we unpack why Shelagh built a term-loan fund for women after hearing “no” from a bank.

• Early digital entrepreneurship and the “mompreneur” era as a launchpad for women-led businesses
• One pivotal moment of feedback that creates permission to step up
• “False starts” reframed as pivots and paid learning
• Risk mitigation while building the next offer
• Removing emotion from numbers and treating finances as data
• The $30K month as a scaling benchmark
• The 30/30/30/10 split for pay, operations, taxes, and profit
• Common pricing traps in service-based businesses
• Why traditional lending algorithms miss how women often build companies
• How the fund works: GP and LP structure, term loans, repayment, and biweekly mentorship
• Why investing can blend returns with real-world impact

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We talk with family lawyer and mediator Christine Marchetti about why divorce often spikes during major life shifts and how midlife women start refusing the roles that kept them quiet. We break down smarter ways to separate, protect kids and finances, and rebuild without turning your former partner into an enemy.

• COVID pressures that magnify existing relationship cracks
• Midlife change and menopause as a catalyst for “gray divorce”
• Mental load dynamics and why imbalance becomes intolerable
• Reframing the idea of a “failed marriage”
• Why the second biggest decision is how you separate
• When court is necessary and when it is avoidable
• Negotiation, mediation, mediation arbitration, and arbitration explained
• Collaborative law basics and how neutral experts can help
• Children and conflict including the damage of silence
• Financial disclosure, records, and planning for post-divorce costs
• Repartnering later in life and why agreements protect everyone
• Choosing kindness over the “shark” approach and making generous assumptions

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We examine “give to gain” through lived experience, from financing roadblocks to subtle biases that still shape who gets credit. Practical allyship, better reviews, and showing up for community events become the through line for making equity real.

• Meaning of give to gain as shared responsibility
• The gap between progress and systemic barriers
• Financing hurdles and decision-making gatekeepers
• Simple ways to give credit and build allies
• Redesigning performance reviews to reduce bias
• Language shifts from apology to agency
• Why visibility and courage from allies matter
• Sharing the mental load at home and work
• Concrete steps to show up and invite others

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We laugh our way through the strange shift of midlife—cheering for the Olympians’ parents, noticing the doctors look younger than our kids, and choosing depth over years as our north star. Along the way we explore trust, shedding, neuroplasticity, and the joy of paying attention.

• Watching the Olympics as parents, not peers
• Feeling “good enough” next to elite achievements
• Cataract story and the “where are all the adults” moment
• Trusting younger professionals and reframing competence
• Kids nearing graduation and our changing perspective
• Shedding obligations to find momentum and play
• Training the mind through neuroplasticity and smaller reactions
• Seeking newness by lowering the noise and raising attention
• Grief, time, and valuing depth over longevity
• Building community through richer, more present conversations

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We use Valentine’s Day as a doorway into a frank, funny, and tender look at intentional divorce, gray divorce myths, and designing a life that fits. We reframe a 25-year marriage as a success, talk through legal basics, and share the emotional tools that made the transition kinder.

• Choosing intentional separation and still believing in love
• Difference between separation agreements and divorce filings
• Why the 20-year mark matters for spousal support
• Covid’s role in midlife identity shifts and gray divorce
• Therapy as a safe room for ending well
• Emotional safety, vulnerability, and depth over “fine”
• Redefining home: renting, downsizing, flexibility
• Honest talks with kids about change and stability
• Balancing independence with a desire to be cared for
• Healing time, boundaries, and support circles

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We learn traditional mahjong with our longtime friend Anita and uncover why a simple game can rebuild community in midlife. Tiles lead to stories, culture, and a practical blueprint for hosting low-pressure gatherings that spark real connection.

• Roots of a 30-year friendship and why cadence keeps bonds strong
• Why mahjong lowers social anxiety and invites everyone in
• Anita’s heritage and learning traditional Hong Kong rules
• American vs traditional differences and what to teach first
• Hosting tactics that mix worlds and create instant rapport
• How table dynamics reveal learning styles and strengths
• Women’s face-to-face bonding and midlife community needs
• Pricing, group sizes, and formats for sustainable meetups
• Turning a one-off night into a recurring circle

Find Anita on Instagram at Mahjong Nights

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We explore how declining estrogen reshapes joint health and recovery, why some midlife pains linger, and how modern chiropractic, smart strength work, and informed medical care can change outcomes. Practical steps, clear resources, and a push to advocate for better midlife care.

• musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause explained
• differences and overlap between chiropractic and physiotherapy
• frozen shoulder, plantar fasciitis and gluteal tendinopathy patterns
• hormones, inflammation and slow recovery links
• HRT as a potential musculoskeletal ally
• strength training with low reps and true sprint intervals
• jumping and bone density for long-term independence
• labs, blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance awareness
• realistic rehab expectations and referrals in a team model
• resources to learn and talk to your doctor confidently

Find Dr. Ashley at burlingtonsportsandspine.com and on Instagram at @ashburlington

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We talk with sleep expert and coach Alana McGinn about building a sleep business from baby years to midlife sleep, how chronotypes shape energy, and why stress tools matter more than perfect bedtimes. We share practical ways to handle midlife sleep topics like 3 a.m. wakings, napping, snoring partners, and how stress impacts that.

• Origins of Goodnight Sleep Site and team growth
• Pivot to adult and midlife sleep coaching
• Understanding lion, bear, wolf, and dolphin chronotypes
• Practical fixes for night wakings and routines
• Intentional tech use and morning habits
• Naps, nappuccinos, and sleep cycles
• Separate rooms, blankets, and sleep apnea screening
• Magnesium, dreams, and changing sleep with age
• Stress bucket, personal pauses, and practiced joy
• Divorce support, sleep as a legal tool, and new programs

Find Alana: AlanaMcGinn.com • Instagram: @alana.mcginn • TikTok: @alana.mcginn

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.

We strip the whispers from menopause and perimenopause, connect symptoms women often carry alone, and share how misread science fueled years of misdiagnosis. We offer language, tools, and momentum to help you advocate for care at home, at work, and in the doctor’s office.

• Defining the one-day menopause and the long perimenopause
• Why HRT fear took hold and what newer evidence shows
• Symptoms across mood, sleep, weight, cognition, and pain
• Misdiagnosis, antidepressants, and the case for individualized care
• Open-minded solutions from HRT to strength training and protein
• Real timelines of early menopause and heavy cycles
• Brain fog, focus strategies, and self-compassion
• Workplace realities, policy ideas, and leadership empathy
• Using community to filter info and find credible experts
• Upcoming guests on sleep, stress, musculoskeletal changes, and supplements

If you felt this one, share it. Because what’s left isn’t less, it’s everything.

Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy. 

Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​

Because what’s left isn’t less. It’s everything.