Gloss Squad… today's guest is proof that sometimes the algorithm understood the assignment.

I discovered La-Toya (aka Toy Toy 💁🏽‍♀️) on Instagram after reposting a mindset clip about Olympic skier Eileen Gu — and two days later? She's on the pod. That's how we move.

La-Toya is the founder of Girl Talks Sports, a growing global media platform and community created by women who love sports — and who are done waiting for permission to take up space.

We talk about: • Growing up between Jamaica 🇯🇲 and Canada 🇨🇦 and falling in love with hockey • Why women have always been sports fans — the media just hasn't reflected it • Periods at the Olympics (yes, we went there 👏) • Why Serena Williams is the GOAT. Pregnant Australian Open win. End of debate.

And the mic-drop moment?

"We're not trying to play catch up. We're trying to surpass."

Chills.

La-Toya created Girl Talks Sports because she didn't see a welcoming, judgment-free space for women who love the game. So she built one. Global. Inclusive. Engaged. And growing.

Now What for her?

Sponsors. Expansion. More women's voices in sports. Bigger rooms. Louder conversations.

Gloss Squad — if you love sports, mindset, confidence, or powerful women building tables instead of waiting for invites… this episode is your vibe.

Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's just a plot twist. 💄✨

🔗 Connect with La-Toya

📸 IG: @girl_talks_sports

🎙️ Now What?! Podcast by Motivate with Melis 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple 📸 IG: @motivatewithmelis 📺 YouTube: @MelissaMurphyNowWhatPodcast 🌐 https://motivatewithmelis.com 📩 [email protected]

If your sex life feels more like a chore than a connection, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Elana Auerbach, author of The Sure Thing, to talk about how a simple weekly pleasure practice can rebuild intimacy — on purpose. This isn't about pressure or performance… it's about presence. ✨ In This Episode:

• The difference between spontaneous desire vs. responsive desire (game changer)

• Why scheduling intimacy can actually make it hotter

• The 3 essentials for a lasting practice: commitment, effort & devotion

• How pleasure fuels connection, confidence, and courageous kindness

Grab Elana's book + learn more: 👉 SureThingExperiment.com 📖 Available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble (online only)

—

See you next time on Now What?!, and remember…

Midlife isn't a crisis — it's just a plot twist. 💄✨

xoxo melis

🎙️ Now What?! Podcast by Motivate with Melis 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple 📸 IG: @motivatewithmelis 📺 YouTube: @MelissaMurphyNowWhatPodcast 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📩 [email protected]

💖 Valentine's Week Special Show Notes

Gloss Squad… it's your girl Melis — but after this episode, you can just call me Cupid. 🏹✨

This Valentine's Day special is not just cute. It's not just romantic. It's not just "awww."

It's actual, real-life, midlife magic that started… right here on Now What?!

In this Valentine's Week Special, you'll hear:

✨ How a podcast episode sparked a real-life relationship ✨ Why friends setting you up might be the move ✨ The surprising truth about "butterflies" vs. feeling safe ✨ And why Christmas wrapping paper in April might actually be a green flag

If you've ever wondered: 💭 "Should I let my friend set me up?" 💭 "Why doesn't this feel dramatic… is that bad?" 💭 "What does healthy love actually feel like in midlife?"

This episode is your Valentine.

Because sometimes love doesn't come from an app. Sometimes it comes from hitting play.

Happy Valentine's Day, Gloss Squad. 💕

And remember…

midlife isn't a crisis — it's just a plot twist. 💄✨

xoxo melis

✨ Episode Highlights

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Christina and I unpack why so many smart, capable women still struggle with self-sabotage, procrastination, and feeling "off" — especially in midlife.

In this episode, we talk about:

• 🧠 Self-sabotage & procrastination — why they're not character flaws, but subconscious protection patterns

• 🔁 The internal dialogue & stories we tell ourselves ("I'm always tired," "I should know better") — and how repetition becomes belief

• 🧘‍♀️ Why calm can feel unsafe when stress and pressure have become familiar

• 🌱 Midlife awakenings — feeling grateful for your life, yet knowing something is missing (and why that doesn't make you ungrateful)

• 🔓 How hypnotherapy helps rewire old beliefs and create new neural pathways for lasting change

If you've ever thought "Why do I keep doing this when I KNOW better?" — this episode is for you.

Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. 💄✨

xoxo, melis

If it's a 5-star vibe, please click below and leave a review 💄✨ 👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis

🔗 Connect with Melissa

• 🎙️ Podcast: Now What?! Podcast (available on Apple & Spotify)

• 🌐 Website: motivatewithmelis.com

• 📸 Instagram: @motivatewithmelis

• 📩 Email: [email protected]

🔗 Connect with Christina

• 🌐 Website: ChristinaLWoods.com

• ✨ Free Clarity Call: A space to gain clarity and explore next steps for support 👉 https://BookChristinaRTT.as.me/30ClarityCall

• 🌀 The Reset Room: A free hypnosis and healing space to reset and reconnect 👉 https://christinalwoods.mykajabi.com/theresetroom

💫 About the Guest

Christina L. Woods is an internationally recognized Clinical Hypnotherapist, Subconscious Expert, Energy Healer, and Author. She's the founder of Wise Woods Hypnotherapy and creator of the Wise Woods Method™, helping women reconnect with their intuition and create deeply fulfilling lives.

💄 About Your Host

Melissa Murphy is an ACE Certified Group Fitness Coach, Nutrition Coach, and FMG Competitor. She's the creator and host of the Now What?! Podcast, a space for honest conversations about midlife reinvention, mindset, health, confidence, and asking the question so many women quietly carry: Now What?!

Hey Gloss Squad — returning guest alert! 🚨✨ You met Jodi Echakowitz back in March 2024 on Episode 21 (From Weight Watchers to Wonder Woman)… and since then? This woman has been BUSY becoming her strongest self. 💪🔥

In this episode, Jodi gets real about the part of transformation people whisper about but rarely say out loud: plastic surgery after major weight loss — and why choosing it wasn't "cheating," it was reclaiming her body, confidence, and athlete identity.

In this episode, we dig into:

✨ When Jodi first started considering surgery (and the exact moment she couldn't unsee the loose skin) 🧠 The mindset shift that changed everything: "Why can't my scars be my reminder?" (GOOSEBUMPS) 🔍 How she researched surgeons like a CEO (Facebook groups, RealSelf, before/afters, ALL the receipts) 👙 What she actually had done (tummy tuck + breast lift) and how she decided what was right for HER

This one is empowering, informative, hilarious, and honest — and if you've ever wondered, "Is this for me?" or "Am I allowed to want this?" …you're going to feel so seen.

And remember Gloss Squad...midlife isn't a crisis… it's just a plot twist. 💄✨

xoxo melis

👉 Don't forget to leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify (because you're THE BEST!) 👉 Tag me @motivatewithmelis and share with a friend

🎧 Listen Now On: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

👯‍♀️ Guest: @jodi.echakowitz

📧 [email protected] 🌐 https://motivatewithmelis.com

Hey Gloss Squad — I'm kicking off 2026 with a simple question that might change everything: what's the hard thing you've been avoiding… and why? 👀✨

Yes, I finally did the scary thing I'd been talking myself out of for years (👙), but this episode isn't about the stage — it's about what came after.

Because doing the hard thing is only half the story. The real magic is standing in it… and asking yourself, now what?!

In this episode, we dig into:

🔥 Why confidence isn't loud — it's built quietly by showing up for yourself 🧠 How discipline is actually self-respect (not punishment) 😂 Laughing through fear instead of waiting to feel "ready" 👯‍♀️ Why the people you surround yourself with either expand you or keep you stuck ✨ Why midlife is the perfect time to choose yourself without apology

📌 The challenge I'm giving you for 2026: commit to one hard thing — not because it's easy, but because it's yours

If you've been playing small, waiting for permission, or telling yourself "maybe next year"… this episode is your sign.

You don't need a perfect plan. You don't need to be fearless. You just need to decide.

Midlife isn't a crisis… it's just a plot twist. 💄✨

xoxo melis

👉 Don't forget to leave a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify (because you're THE BEST!) 👉 Tag me @motivatewithmelis and share with the friend who needs this nudge

🎧 Listen Now On: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

📧 [email protected] 🌐 https://motivatewithmelis.com

Why is self-love the hardest love to give? You can hype your kids, cheer on your friends, support your partner… but when it comes to YOU? Suddenly the inner critic takes over.

In today's episode, I'm joined by intuitive empath and seven-time author Karen Blaine to break down what real self-love looks like—beyond the quotes, the memes, and the "just be kind to yourself" advice we all roll our eyes at.

We get into: • Why women (especially in midlife) struggle to give themselves the compassion they give everyone else • How being "too sensitive" can actually be your superpower • Practical tools to stop negative thought loops in their tracks • The grounding + gratitude practices you can start TODAY • And why self-love isn't a mood… it's a muscle you build

If you've ever felt stuck, unworthy, or like your own worst critic—this convo will help you shift the energy and finally show yourself the love you've been giving away for years.

PLUS: Karen answers the signature "Now What?" question… and shares a surprising update about what's coming next for her.

Enjoy! xoxo

melis

✨ Connect With Karen Blaine

Website: https://karenblaine.com Instagram: @karenblaineauthor Books on Amazon: Search "Karen Blaine"

✨ Connect With Me (Melis)

Website: https://motivatewithmelis.com Instagram: @motivatewithmelis Email: [email protected]

Episode Description

Today Melis is joined by Marie Crews—certified health & wellness coach, retreat facilitator, and bestselling author of Even When… She Rose—to talk about the healing power of journaling, her four-step Nautilus Way, and how she rebuilt her life after unimaginable loss.

In This Episode, We Explore: The Nautilus Way: Write Your Way Free

• Why you don't need to be a "writer" to journal

• The four steps of her method:

  • Reveal: Stream-of-consciousness writing

  • Review: Spotting pain points & patterns

  • Rewrite: Giving yourself permission, validation & compassion

  • Rewire: Practicing new thoughts and responses

Journaling Through Grief

• How writing supported Marie through the sudden loss of her mother

• Why she couldn't journal immediately after losing her son—and what happened when she finally could

Loss, Healing & Self-Compassion

• Acceptance vs. "giving someone a pass"

• Why staying stuck is often more painful than starting to heal

Retreats for Moms Who Have Lost a Child

• Marie's Gulf-front retreat space in Navarre Beach, Florida

• Why grieving mothers need a room of women who truly get it

Connect with Marie Crews

• Website: www.mariecrews.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marieeurecrews

  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@empowermentandgriefguide

• Book: Even When… She Rose

Connect with Melis

• Website: motivatewithmelis.com

• Email: [email protected]

• IG/TikTok/Facebook: @motivatewithmelis

Hoops & Glossers… grab your gloss and maybe a fan — because this one's spicy. 🌶️

In Part 2 of The Midlife Flame, Melis and Aimee Ames turn up the heat and get real about physical intimacy, body confidence, and what happens when you decide midlife doesn't have to mean "meh."

Aimee opens up about her Somatica coaching practice — yes, including the now-famous "throw me against the wall" exercise — and how learning new ways to connect can reignite passion in long-term relationships. They talk about shame, kink, curiosity, and the beauty of being fully seen (clothes on or off).

If Part 1 was therapy, this is your permission slip to get bold, curious, and maybe a little wild.

In this episode, we talk about: 🔥 Why desire shifts in midlife (and how to find it again) 💋 The power of Somatica work — fully clothed, deeply connected 💫 The link between body confidence, pleasure, and trust 🖤 How kink and BDSM can actually be healing and nurturing ✨ Inside The Rekindle Program: retreats, group calls, and relationship rebrands 💥 Why it's time to invest in your love life — not a lawyer

Aimee's new Rekindle Program for couples launches this month, and it's all about helping midlife couples rebuild emotional attunement, intimacy, and fun — together.

xoxo

melis

Connect with Aimee:

• Rekindle Program Info & Application → www.aimeeames.com

• Podcast → There She Is (on Apple & Spotify)

• Instagram → @aimeeamescoaching

Connect with Melissa:

• Website → motivatewithmelis.com

• Instagram → @motivatewithmelis

• Email → [email protected]

Hoops & Glossers, this one's a must-listen. 💋

In this first half of The Midlife Flame series, Melis sits down with Aimee Ames — a Somatica-trained Sex & Relationship Coach, Breathwork Facilitator, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and host of the There She Is podcast — to unpack what actually happens in long-term relationships once midlife hits.

They dive into everything from perimenopause and the emotional load of motherhood to that weird "parallel lives" phase where you realize you and your partner are running the household but forgetting to actually connect.

It's real, hilarious, and surprisingly hopeful. If you've ever wondered whether your relationship is stuck… it might just need a rekindling.

In this episode, we talk about: 🔥 Why so many couples start feeling disconnected in midlife 🧠 How hormones and perimenopause actually affect relationships ❤️ The myth that you're "broken" if your marriage feels off 🔥 The "embers" metaphor that will change how you see your relationship

Make sure to come back next week for Part 2, when we get into physical intimacy, desire, kink, and what actually happens in a Somatica coaching session. Trust me… it gets good. 😉

And remember, midlife doesn't have to be a crisis-it can be your identity rebrand!

xoxo

melis

Connect with Aimee:

• Rekindle Program Info & Application → www.aimeeames.com

• Podcast → There She Is (on Apple & Spotify)

• Instagram → @aimeeamescoaching

Connect with Melis:

• Website → motivatewithmelis.com

• Instagram → @motivatewithmelis

• Email → [email protected]