Midlife Remix

Therapist, author, and two-time TEDx speaker Molly Carroll has spent 30 years sitting with people in their hardest moments. In this episode of Midlife Remix, she opens up about her own collapse — losing seven loved ones in 18 months while running at full speed — and the rock-bottom moment that forced her to stop.

Steven and Molly go deep on the loneliness epidemic hiding behind our busyness, why high achievers are the most at risk, and the simple daily practices that can bring you back to yourself. If you've been numbing with productivity, this one's for you.

Molly Carroll is the founder of Cracking Open, a therapist, executive coach, and host of the Cracking Open podcast. Learn more at mollycarroll.com.0:00 Numbing with busyness0:59 Meet Molly Carroll2:09 Learning to be vulnerable2:59 Why givers can't receive4:30 The emotional weight we carry5:52 Staying grounded through fear6:01 Her son's health scare8:30 Awareness, acceptance, action9:24 What breathwork does to your body12:46 Identity fused with work16:22 Getting underneath the underneath19:42 Collapsing on the kitchen floor24:09 Our addiction to distraction26:36 The magic wand question29:35 Why "me time" isn't selfish33:02 The loneliness behind your phone36:18 Reframing a disrupted morning39:40 Gratitude and fear at once43:09 Closing reflections#LonelinessEpidemic #BurnoutRecovery #ConsciousLeadership #MidlifeTransformation #CrackingOpen #MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao #MollyCarroll

What if the most transformative coaching session of your life happened on a 7-day walk through Spain?In this episode of the Midlife Remix, Steven Miyao sits down with Joao Viana, founder of Walking Mentorship, who left a 20+ year corporate career to build something most people would call crazy — a walking-based mentorship where he accompanies executives on multi-day journeys through places like the Camino de Santiago and Via Virginia to Rome.Joao shares how a pilgrimage in 1993 planted a seed that took decades to act on, what it felt like to let go of his corporate identity, and why walking side by side is one of the most powerful conditions for self-discovery. He opens up about loneliness as the hidden epidemic among high achievers, what happens when someone finally feels truly seen, and why silence on the road has a way of being brutally honest.A conversation about courage, faith, purpose, and showing up as your fullest self.If you're a successful professional feeling like something is quietly missing — this episode is for you.CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS0:00 – The slow transformation1:25 – Introducing Joao Viana1:52 – From corporate to the open road5:15 – Letting go of your identity7:30 – Why he tried to kill his own idea8:21 – Faith and the "good crazy"11:25 – Believing in yourself enough to leap13:52 – Faith vs. belief14:50 – What walking reveals about you16:40 – The gift of brutal honesty20:50 – Walking as a path to silence21:39 – What happens when you feel seen25:03 – Patience, purpose, and faith26:50 – Loneliness: the invisible epidemic32:37 – A message to his former self34:41 – Walk and write: two daily practices36:45 – Life is a book you can't turn back #WalkingMentorship #ConsciousLeadership #MidlifeTransformation #ExecutiveWellbeing #FindYourPurpose #CaminoDeSantiago #MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao

Join Steven Miyao in this powerful conversation with Jim Fallon, Managing Partner at Conscious Leadership Group, as he shares his raw and transformative journey from high-achieving executive to conscious leadership coach.

After 25+ years leading companies in software, consulting, biotech, and manufacturing, Jim appeared successful on every traditional measure. But beneath the surface, workaholic patterns, self-medication, and declining relationships told a different story.

When three health crises hit in just three days—prostate cancer, Lyme disease, and a detached retina—the universe forced him to finally stop and face what he'd been avoiding.In this honest dialogue, Jim reveals how stepping away for a year with his kids, deepening his mindfulness practice, and learning the 15 commitments of conscious leadership completely rewired how he leads and lives. He shares practical wisdom on feeling your feelings, taking 100% responsibility, letting go of righteousness, and why the "inner work" is no longer optional for high-performing leaders.If you're a successful executive feeling the strain, questioning what's next, or sensing there's a deeper way to lead—this conversation offers a roadmap.

Chapters & Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction: Two Leadership Chapters

2:02 - First Signals of Unsustainability

3:15 - The Three-Day Wake-Up Call

6:19 - Taking Time Off & Becoming Present

11:04 - The Commitment to Feeling Your Feelings

15:59 - Taking 100% Responsibility

18:26 - Curiosity vs. Righteousness

22:00 - Leading Through Uncertainty & Fear

24:06 - Meditation as Awareness Training

29:06 - Why Inner Work Drives High Performance

31:36 - AI's Impact on Leadership & Humanity

34:04 - Advice to His Younger & Future Self

#ConsciousLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #BurnoutRecovery #EmotionalIntelligence #MindfulLeadership #MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao

Midlife often brings new challenges. The life you built still functions, but it no longer feels aligned. Work, identity, and family roles start to pull apart, and the strategies that once worked stop providing clarity.In this conversation, Steven Miyao speaks with contemplative psychotherapist David Redish about how psychedelics and meditation help in midlife, particularly when identity begins to strain under change. They explore fatherhood as an early catalyst, burnout as a signal rather than a failure, and why holding too tightly to a fixed sense of self creates unnecessary suffering.They discuss psychedelics as tools that can temporarily soften rigid identity structures and create perspective, and meditation as the ongoing practice that trains awareness day by day. The conversation also covers legality, safety, preparation, and integration, with a clear emphasis that insight alone is not enough without sustained work.This episode is for people who are not looking for shortcuts, but for ways to navigate midlife transitions with more honesty, stability, and alignment.Chapters00:00 Wanting a whole different life01:49 Fatherhood as the first identity rupture03:21 When the identity you built stops working06:50 Midlife, aging out, and changing rules07:33 How psychedelics loosen fixed identity11:34 Safety, legality, and responsible use15:47 Set, setting, and integration20:10 Psychedelics and meditation, different roles23:15 Why daily meditation matters27:24 Advice across a lifetime#Midlife#MidlifeTransition#IdentityShift#Psychedelics#Meditation#InnerWork#Fatherhood#PersonalGrowth#Consciousness#CoachingMetta

What happens when the drive that once fueled your success no longer fits who you’re becoming?In this episode of Midlife Remix, Steven Miyao sits down with Ret Taylor, a former founder and entrepreneur turned modern-day guide, to explore why success without alignment eventually stops working, especially in midlife.After decades of building companies and chasing external markers of success, Ret reached a threshold moment that changed everything. Today, he works with leaders, founders, and seekers who feel called to step away from the noise and reconnect with the person beneath the identity. His work draws on modern rites of passage rooted in ancient wisdom, grounded in nature, silence, and deep inner work. This is not about self-improvement or optimization. It is about remembering and aligning with who you have always been.Ret shares a powerful story from a solo expedition on Denali, a moment of loosening his grip, letting go of control, and trusting something deeper. Together, Steven and Ret unpack how early survival patterns shape our relationship to success, why high achievers struggle to pause, and how silence and solitude can help us move from fear-driven achievement toward a more aligned way of living.This conversation is about midlife thresholds, identity shifts, and the courage to choose alignment over momentum.For more information on Ret please visit his Website: https://www.rettaylor.com/ Chapters & Timestamps 00:00 Fear, survival, and the drive to succeed01:53 Early wounds and how achievement is formed05:19 When success stops feeling aligned06:30 Denali, solitude, and stripping away the noise07:33 White-knuckling life, letting go of control09:58 Selling the business and choosing a new path13:22 Noise, distraction, and avoiding our feelings15:44 Vision Quest and modern rites of passage20:19 Reconnect, Refine, Rise24:56 Living intentionally beyond fear#MidlifeRemix#Alignment#RedefiningSuccess#MidlifeTransition#IntentionalLiving#HighAchievers#LeadershipDevelopment#InnerWork#VisionQuest

Episode DescriptionAt some point in midlife, many of us realize that the roles we’ve been playing, at work, at home, in our lives, no longer hold the weight they used to.This episode is the Midlife Remix wrap for 2025. It’s been a tumultuous year for me, personally and professionally. A year where I learned a lot, not just from my own life, but from my clients and from every guest who joined me on the podcast.Across conversations with Jack Swift, Larry Olson, Keith Lawrence, Eric, Paige Scott, Bruno Del Ama, Brett Wright, Mark Hsu, Maryann Bruce, Paul Hatch, Yogesh Chavda, Henry, and Sam Sellers, a set of shared tensions kept emerging. Questions about work becoming identity. About success losing its pull. About fear, grief, ambition, leadership, parenting, and how we define a meaningful life when the old formulas stop working.This episode steps back to take stock of what this year revealed and what shifted in how I think about work, identity, and meaning in midlife.Chapters and Time Stamps00:00 – The Midlife Tension00:48 – The Squeeze of This Life Stage01:23 – Failure Over Achievement02:00 – From Ego to Intuition02:34 – When Work Becomes Identity03:07 – Mourning Old Selves03:48 – The Cost of Pretending04:16 – The Hedonic Treadmill04:41 – Being Seen and Reordering Life05:10 – Leadership and Connection05:42 – Fear, Legacy, and Parenting06:35 – Life Beyond Work07:08 – Acceptance and Freedom08:21 – One Job Can’t Carry Everything08:46 – Risk, Regret, and Discomfort09:14 – The Void and Self-Defined SuccessMain Themes• Work as identity and what happens when it breaks• Failure, fear, and grief as information• Ambition without satisfaction• Leadership rooted in vulnerability and connection• Parenting, legacy, and presence• Meaning beyond a single job• Redefining success on personal terms#MidlifeRemix #YearEndWrap #MidlifeReflection #WorkAndIdentity #RethinkingSuccess #CareerTransitions #LeadershipAndLife #MeaningInMidlife #stevenmiyao #coachingmetta

What happens when you realize the life you built doesn’t match the life you want? In this episode of Midlife Remix, Steven Miyao reconnects with Paul Hatch, CEO of Vestra Financial and former Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, to explore what reinvention really looks like after decades of success.Paul shares the failures that reshaped him, the cost of chasing money and titles, and why purpose is the only sustainable path forward. He talks openly about walking away from corporate prestige, building mission-driven ventures, parenting with more presence, and using Stoicism to navigate adversity with clarity and grit.If you're questioning your next chapter, carrying more than you admit, or trying to build something that actually matters, this conversation offers perspective you can use today.Chapters00:00 Appreciating Life and Failure01:28 After the Reinvention02:41 Evolving Identity and Leadership04:16 Lessons from Recent Failures05:41 Redefining Success07:14 The Value of Struggle08:20 Leaving Corporate Life11:21 Ambition and Purpose16:31 Stoicism in Practice18:59 Fatherhood and Legacy#MidlifeRemix #PaulHatch #SuccessWithoutPurpose #CareerReinvention #Leadership #Stoicism #MidlifeTransitions #Entrepreneurship #PurposeDrivenLife #StevenMiyao #coachingmetta

What happens when you finally hit the goals you spent years chasing, only to realize the feeling you hoped for isn’t there? In this episode of Midlife Remix, Steven Miyao sits down with award-winning creative director Larry Olson, whose journey spans Nike, Apple, Spike Lee, Al Gore, and decades inside the world of top-tier advertising.Larry opens up about the moment he stood in Times Square during a career-defining milestone and felt an unexpected emptiness. That moment sent him into a deep reevaluation of identity, ego, purpose, and what a meaningful life actually looks like in midlife.This conversation explores reinvention, shedding old identities, meditation, grief, intuition, family struggle, ambition, burnout, and the freedom that comes from aligning life with what matters.If you’re a high achiever navigating your own turning point, this will feel like someone finally said what you’ve been thinking.Chapters00:00 - Larry’s early ambitions and three big goals02:00 - Times Square success and sudden emptiness04:20 - Hitting a wall and questioning identity06:30 - The post-it note that shifted everything08:20 - Moving from ego to purpose10:40 - Creating without fear13:00 - Letting go of old identities15:10 - Meditation and inner work17:10 - MS, family struggle, loss, and rebuilding20:50 - Embracing change and loving the journey#MidlifeRemix #LarryOlson #StevenMiyao #MidlifeAwakening #CareerTransition #EgoToPurpose #Reinvention #MidlifeJourney #AuthenticLiving #CreativeLife #PersonalGrowth #Mindfulness #coachingmetta #spikelee #algore #nike #apple

Most of us spend decades chasing success—climbing higher, earning more, proving ourselves. But what happens when we get there and it still doesn’t feel right?In this episode, I talk with four leaders who’ve stopped chasing and started listening:• Jack Swift on facing fear, trusting his inner voice, and walking away from prestige for alignment.• Brett Wright on why real leadership begins with listening and vulnerability.• Bruno Del Ama on stepping off the treadmill of constant achievement.• Keith Lawrence on designing a purposeful next chapter built on resilience and fulfillment.We explore the fears that keep people stuck—fear of failure, judgment, or even success—and what it takes to rewrite the story. This conversation is about redefining success on your own terms, finding meaning beyond achievement, and aligning your next chapter with what truly matters.

Chapters & Timestamps00:00 – Introduction01:05 – Jack Swift: Fear, Failure, and the Inner Voice03:56 – Rewiring Fear and Building Clarity05:07 – Walking Away from Prestige06:34 – The Privilege of Listening to Your Heart07:29 – Advice for the Pivot Point07:47 – Brett Wright: Leadership, Vulnerability, and “How Might We”09:33 – Listening Before Leading10:28 – Bruno Del Ama: The Hedonic Treadmill11:55 – Being Seen and Seeing Others13:41 – Redefining Success Beyond Achievement16:05 – Keith Lawrence: Designing the Next Chapter17:03 – Living Intentionally18:30 – Fulfillment vs. Happiness20:17 – Building Resilience and Reframing Adversity22:06 – The Real Currency: Time22:59 – Closing Reflections #MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao #Leadership #CareerPivot #PersonalGrowth #MindfulLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #SuccessRedefined #PurposeDrivenLife

Midlife gets a bad rap. People call it a crisis, but really, it can be clarity. It’s that moment when you realize the status quo no longer works—the career, the pace, or even the version of success you’ve been pursuing.

In this Midlife Remix anniversary episode, Steven Miyao revisits conversations with guests who stopped living by someone else’s definition of success and started building lives that actually fit who they are now.

Hear from Larry Kihlstadius, Paul Hatch, Kim Mustin, and Mike Ma as they share lessons on freedom, leadership, courage, caregiving, and finding meaning through change. These stories are proof that midlife isn’t an ending—it’s a turning point.

Chapters

00:00 – Opening: Midlife as clarity, not crisis

01:23 – Larry Kihlstadius on thriving kids, legacy, and defining freedom through time

02:40 – Steven on leadership by example and vulnerability

02:52 – Larry on why relationships drive everything

03:36 – Larry’s True North: redefining freedom and meaningful work

04:04 – Steven on autonomy, outcomes, and avoiding micromanagement

04:42 – Larry’s Leadership Champion model: start with trust and align on why and how

06:31 – Steven sets up a major pivot

06:39 – Paul Hatch on losing the pilot path and creating a new dream

08:17 – Paul on discomfort as the path to growth

09:08 – Paul on leaving global banks for entrepreneurship

10:27 – Transition to caregiving and purpose

11:10 – Kim Mustin on crisis calls, reevaluating work, and choosing what truly matters

13:13 – The reality of caregiving and career pressure

13:35 – Kim on women in leadership, policy progress, and the practice of “leave loudly”

About Midlife Remix

Hosted by Steven Miyao, Midlife Remix explores how to navigate career pivots, leadership, and life transitions with clarity and purpose. Each episode shares real stories and practical insights to help professionals redefine success and take control of their next chapter.

Connect with Steven Miyao

Website: coachingmetta.com

Podcast: Midlife Remix#MidlifeRemix #StevenMiyao #Leadership #CareerPivot #Reinvention #Purpose #Caregiving #Entrepreneurship #Freedom #WomenInLeadership #MidlifeClarity #TurningPoint #PersonalGrowth #coachingmetta