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In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne dives into the topic of creative self-care with Crystal McLain, a licensed massage therapist and host of the Creative Self Care podcast.
Crystal shares her unique approach to “creative self-care,” a practice that harnesses curiosity, critical thinking, and ingenuity to strengthen the mind-body connection. Together, they discuss practical tips, bust self-care myths, and uncover actionable strategies to help you thrive in 2025.
Whether you’re setting your intentions for the year, looking for innovative ways to practice self-care, or seeking a fresh perspective on personal growth, this episode is packed with insights to guide you on your journey.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Resources Mentioned:
About Crystal McLain: Crystal McLain is a licensed massage therapist specializing in trauma-informed care, as well as a stress management and healthy habits mentor. She is a passionate advocate for helping individuals heal from the past and thrive in the present. As a public speaker, blogger, and podcast host, Crystal blends therapeutic practices with creative self-care techniques to promote holistic wellness.
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Today’s episode features one of our favorite guests, Shiloh Minor—a devoted wife, mother, and empowerment coach helping women cultivate deeply connected marriages and break generational cycles of emotional neglect.
In this candid and thought-provoking conversation, Shiloh and I explore themes of imperfection, personal growth, and the courage it takes to step forward boldly—even when we feel unprepared. Inspired by a social media post from Shiloh that deeply resonated with me, we unpack some of our own struggles and realizations, offering relatable stories and actionable advice.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why You’ll Love This Episode:
Whether you’re a content creator, a professional, or someone on a personal development journey, this episode is packed with relatable insights and practical advice. Shiloh’s warmth and wisdom shine as she encourages listeners to embrace imperfection, resist the urge to hide, and take bold steps toward their goals.
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Whether you're looking to simplify your goals, gain clarity, or just live more intentionally, you're in the right place. This week, we're diving into finding a guiding word or theme for the year.
Why Choose a Guiding Word or Theme?
How to Discover Your Word or Theme:
Activating Your Word or Theme:
Hear about Marianne's Word/Theme of the Year
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Today we’re reflecting on some of the most inspiring, thought-provoking, and transformative conversations from 2024.
Menopause: Breaking the Silence - In 2024 we had several important conversations about menopause with guests like Lisa Boate in Understanding Menopause: A Deep Dive and Sarah Stenton in Laughing Through Middle Age Madness. Lisa provided foundational knowledge on menopause, including symptoms and coping strategies, while Sarah used humor to build community and normalize menopause experiences.
Transformation and Personal Growth - From reshaping mindsets to overcoming limiting beliefs, many guests shared tools for personal transformation:
Healthy Lifestyle and Well-Being -Many of our most popular episodes focused on achieving and sustaining a healthy lifestyle:
I’m so grateful for another year of sharing stories, insights, and inspiration. If you missed any of these standout episodes, now’s the perfect time to catch up.
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In this empowering episode of Message In the Middle, I’m joined by Courtney McCarthy, CEO and Founder of LOYOBO (Love Your Body), a transformative community for women tired of shrinking themselves to fit societal standards. As an ACE Certified Fitness Instructor and Body Image & Mindful Eating Coach, Courtney’s mission is clear: rewrite the rules around health, fitness, and self-worth by embracing radical body acceptance, joyful movement, and food freedom.
Courtney shares her personal journey, how she’s helping women redefine fitness beyond weight loss, and why taking up space — physically, mentally, and emotionally — is the ultimate act of self-love.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✨ What “Taking Up More Space” Really Means: Why embracing your whole self leads to greater strength, confidence, and fulfillment.
✨ Challenging Body Norms: How to respond to accusations of promoting obesity while advocating for radical self-acceptance.
✨ Navigating Body Changes & Self-Worth: Strategies for managing body image struggles without letting them impact your relationships or self-esteem.
✨ Redefining Fitness: Why movement is about feeling good, not fitting a certain size — and how 5-minute exercise sessions can make a difference.
✨ Body-Loving Nutrition: How honoring your body with food can be a form of radical self-care.
✨ The LOYOBO Virtual Community: Explore how Courtney’s platform supports women through live fitness classes, on-demand videos, group coaching, mindful eating workshops, and more.
Courtney’s Best Advice: Don’t miss the advice that was most impactful to Courtney's journey.
Connect with Courtney McCarthy:
Visit Loyobo’s Website for more resources and community support.
Get the Free Five-Day Training
Follow Courtney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loyobofit/
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In this deeply moving episode of Message in the Middle, host Marianne welcomes Andy Grant, a Transformational Energy Coach and the award-winning host of Real Men Feel. Known as the King of Authenticity, Andy shares his raw and inspiring story of navigating depression, surviving multiple suicide attempts, and discovering the tools to help himself and others embrace life’s challenges with resilience and hope. This candid conversation is a testament to the power of vulnerability and the courage it takes to keep going.
Together, they discuss:
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about sensitive topics, including suicidal ideation and childhood trauma. Listener discretion is advised.
Learn more at: TheAndyGrant.com
Connect with Andy on Facebook:
facebook.com/AndyGrantLoveYourLife/
facebook.com/realmenfeelshow
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theandygrant/
https://www.instagram.com/realmenfeelshow/
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-men-feel/id1107137758
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/78U5M6iDR2QWkPUl6Ch62c
YouTube
https://www.YouTube.com/realmenfeel
Explore working together with a complimentary Clarity Call. You'll get clear on what you want, what's in your way, and what you can do about it. Visit TheAndyGrant.com/talk.
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In this solo episode of Message in the Middle, host Marianne reflects on her Thanksgiving experience and how she has transformed her approach to holiday gatherings. She candidly shares her journey from chasing perfection to embracing imperfection, creating a more peaceful, meaningful, and authentic holiday season.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by holiday expectations or struggled to “do it all,” this episode may resonate with you. Marianne’s insights, personal anecdotes, and practical strategies will encourage you to prioritize what matters, let go of unrealistic standards, and find joy in your messy, but beauty of life.
Key Topics Covered:
Gratitude and Reflection Prompts:
Marianne shares some thoughtful journaling prompts to help you reflect on what you’re grateful for and how your perspective on the holidays has evolved. Use these to deepen your gratitude practice and shift your focus to the meaningful moments this season.
Key Takeaways:
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The holiday season is here, and while it can be a time of joy and togetherness, it often comes with stress, overcommitment, and a sense of overwhelm. In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne welcomes back productivity coach Lisa Zawrotny, founder of Positively Productive Systems and host of the Positively Living® Podcast. Together, they share practical tips to help you navigate holiday chaos with ease, ensuring you can enjoy the season without sacrificing your sanity.
Lisa’s expertise in time and stress management, life coaching, and positive psychology shines through as she shares actionable strategies to simplify traditions, prioritize what truly matters, and say goodbye to overwhelm. Whether you’re hosting events, juggling invitations, or reassessing commitments, this conversation offers invaluable insights for finding balance and joy this holiday season.
Organizing and Hosting Holiday Events:
Attending Holiday Events and Managing Invitations:
Key Takeaways for a Stress-Free Holiday Season:
Links for Lisa:
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In this episode, Marianne sits down with Dr. Carrie Holland, a board-certified family physician, personal trainer, and health & life coach. Dr. Holland is the CEO of her life coaching practice, and the host of the Strong is a Mindset podcast. With a passion for helping high-achieving, busy women, Dr. Holland focuses on building strong habits in Eating, Moving, and Thinking. Her unique approach combines habit psychology, mindset tools, and deep expertise in nutrition and exercise.
Topics Discussed:
Key Takeaways:
Connect with Dr. Carrie Holland:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-holland-md-cpt-9714304a/
https://www.facebook.com/carriehollandmd/
https://www.instagram.com/carriehollandmd/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_yVoaEhz_TqBpPG5COXtNg
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In this episode, Marianne sits down with Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD—founder of Nutrivore.com and NY Times best-selling author of Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat. With Nutrivore, Dr. Sarah has created a positive and inclusive approach to dietary guidance based in science, using nutrient density and sufficiency as its basic principles.
Dr. Sarah shares her approach to eating called "Nutrivore," which empowers us to enjoy our favorite foods while making small, nutrient-rich additions. Tune in as Marianne and Dr. Sarah explore why most people struggle to meet essential nutrient needs and how small dietary tweaks can lead to big health improvements and long-lasting wellness. They also delve into Dr. Sarah’s personal evolution in dietary philosophy, the importance of staying open to new information, and the role nutrition plays in combating diet-preventable diseases affecting millions today.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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From the publisher's feed
Message in the Middle is a podcast for women navigating the challenges, transitions, and reinventions that often come with midlife.
Hosted by Marianne DeMello-Smith, each…
Whether you're facing a career change, caregiving responsibilities, health challenges, grief, relationship shifts, menopause, identity changes, or simply wondering what's next, Message in the Middle offers encouragement, wisdom, and real-world strategies to help you move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
Together, we'll explore resilience, personal growth, self-discovery, emotional well-being, and the power of turning life's messes into meaningful midlife messages.
Because midlife isn't the end of your story. It may just be the beginning of your next chapter.

19,320 Listeners