Middle Age Mess

Some people would be interested in Dr. Beck Hoehn's long career in Hollywood as an underwater photographer. Some people would be more interested in her transition to a doctor of acupuncture treating women's fertility problems and establishing her own wellness practice (www.mightyriverwellness.com). Me? I just wanted to talk about her childhood growing up on an island with 30 people that required her to walk across an ice bridge during winter to attend school. Regardless of your interests, you'll enjoy Dr. Hoehn's fascinating journey from a small island off of New York to a thriving medical practice in Southern California.

Penny McGoey is a tremendously interesting human being. First, she lives in Alaska which, let's face it, is fascinating in and of itself. She was a long-time Marine when women weren't really Marines and now she fixes marriages while she's working on her own. And oh yeah, did I mention she lives in Alaska where she fights off bears while she's trying to catch tonight's dinner. This episode went in a whole bunch of different directions that we never expected but we were glad to go. A truly compelling look at a really captivating person. Find her at www.rootedandrisencoaching.com.

Noa Schechter says that you don't have to be a born leader, you can create a leader. She has spent the past 20 years travelling around the world, meeting with CEO's, business owners, students and anybody else who's looking to improve their lives and taught them to take their personal and professional lives beyond any limits they had previously set for themselves. It's an inspiring 30 minutes and, look, if you're a Middle Age Mess, let's be honest, you need some help so maybe give her a call (www.eqvolve.com) and see what she can do. Ya mess.

Alexandra Freeman is clear - dating apps suck!! According to 99% of the free world, she's correct which is why she has gone all in on being a matchmaker for people aged 26 to whatever. She's here to tell you why the whole dating ecosystem has changed, why the apps are on the decline and how, if you just call her, she's going to set you up with the love of your life. For sure! Tonight! She's Canadian so I believe her. Check her out on www.matchmakeralexandra.com and see if you believe her, too.

There's nothing we like better at Middle Age Mess than the story of somebody who grabbed Middle Age by the balls and changed their life. Blanca Rodriguez had a difficult childhood in Puerto Rico followed by a challenging relationship as an adult. Rather than cry about it, she decided to do something so she picked herself up off the island, moved to the United States, went back to school, started a business and now sits at the head of a thriving enterprise. Oh yeah, she also does canine massages. Listen to the latest episode of Middle Age Mess or find Blanca at www.woundedhealer.us.

Wendy Alexander has a successful business coaching middle ager's about changing their lives, succeeding in their later years and just generally improving their entire world. So, naturally, we spent about 7 minutes at the end of the video talking about that. The remainder of our conversation was a fascinating trip through Wendy's childhood growing up in segregated South Africa during the Apartheid years. Wendy, who identifies herself as "colored" (i.e., a mixed-race person in South Africa) speaks eloquently about the hardships of being born a "crime" and living there until she left for Australia in her early adulthood. It's a story everyone should hear.

The first, and maybe craziest, aspect of Rabbi/Cantor Judy Greenfeld is that she's a Rabbi and a Cantor. There are very, very few people who are rabbis and cantors, and even fewer, if any, who are female. But R/C Judy has an even more fascinating and heartbreaking journey that led her to this very interesting position as she suffered through the tragedy of having her father murdered on the streets of Cleveland when she was just 16yo. And oh yeah, she started her professional life as a dancer because don't all rabbis do that??? Anyway, R/C Judy is a one-of-a-kind personality whose story you just have to hear.

Ralph Velasco caught the travel bug early, like, real early. Starting his international escapades in high school, Ralph started a career as a travel photographer, placing his pictures in major magazines and journals around the world. Not satisfied, he then started taking people along with him, setting up luxury vacations 10-12 times a year to create, possibly, the greatest job in the history of mankind. Find him at www.continentaldrifter.co or listen to his stories on the latest episode of Middle Age Mess.

Derrick Carbon graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology and was living the dream with a solid career and great family until his raging alcoholism nearly took it all away. Determined not to lose everything, Derrick rebounded from his "rock bottom", stopped drinking for the last 18 years and now spends his time helping other people find the motivation to forge their own paths away from the perils of alcoholism, depression and anything else that threatens to drag them down. Find him at www.drcmotivation.com or listen to him on this latest episode of Middle Age Mess.

Topping the scales at 380 pounds in his freshman year at college, Eric Johnson decided he had enough. Starting a workout plan, primarily to hang out with a friend he was crushing on, Eric dropped 100 pounds, came out and started living the life he had always dreamed of as a lonely kid on a Minnesota farm. He didn't stop there, though, ultimately shedding another 100 pounds to drop down to 174 pounds, a weight he's been able to keep for more than 20 years. Check him out at www.emotional-eater.com and listen to Eric's inspirational journey on the latest episode of Middle Age Mess.