In this episode of Surfing the Quicksand, Kathy Vines is joined by leadership coach and writer Gina des Cognets for a thoughtful conversation about redefining success, navigating values conflict, and letting go of expectations that no longer fit our lives. 

Together, they explore how many high-achieving women were rewarded for overgiving earlier in their careers, and how those same behaviors can quietly lead to burnout in midlife. Their discussion of similar experiences sparked a deeper reflection on boundaries, self-trust, and what success actually means now. 

Gina offers a powerful reframe: success isn’t about titles, promotions, or “crushing it” anymore. It’s about autonomy, alignment, and the ability to choose. Whether that choice is attending a child’s game, having coffee with a partner, or simply deciding how to spend your day, defining success on your own terms can be both grounding and freeing. 

The conversation also touches on gratitude as a stabilizing practice, practical tools for facing procrastination (including “Eat the Frog”), and the importance of movement, creativity, and time in nature as ways to reset when life feels overwhelming. 

This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and ask: What does success look like for me now, and what am I allowed to let go of? 

Key Takeaways 

Generosity without boundaries isn’t sustainable. 
What once helped you succeed can eventually drain you if it isn’t re-evaluated. 

Discomfort often signals a values conflict. 
When two important values collide, clarity—not guilt—is what’s needed. 

Your definition of success is allowed to evolve. 
Midlife invites a conscious re-write of what “success” really means. 

Time autonomy is a legitimate measure of success. 
Choosing how and when you show up matters as much as titles or status. 

Momentum beats motivation. 
Simple tools like “Eat the Frog” and built-in rewards reduce procrastination. 

Recharge requires getting out of your head. 
Movement, nature, and creativity restore energy and perspective. 

Mentions and Resources 

Gina’s website: www.leadwithgina.com  

Substack - https://leadwithgina.substack.com/ 

Eat the Frog: https://amzn.to/4j0d0CI  

About Gina des Cognets 

Gina des Cognets is an organizational development advisor and executive leadership coach for growth-oriented companies, helping C-suite leaders and high-performing teams navigate complexity and lead with authenticity. After two decades building organizational cultures and developing leaders at Strava, Boston Beer Company, and Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, Gina launched her own practice, Lead with Gina. She partners with C-suite executives to design and deliver impactful organizational development programs and provides fractional talent development support—bringing a distinctive ability to diagnose team dynamics in real time and create the conditions for leaders to shift from siloed thinking to a unified "first-team" mindset. She's also co-founder of The T'Collective, a fractional executive network, and serves on the Norwich School Board. Gina holds an EdD in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt, an MBA from Tuck, and has completed advanced coaching courses with Co-Active, Tara Mohr, and Designing Your Life. When she's not working with leaders, you'll find her trail running in Vermont or dancing in her kitchen with her husband and two teenage daughters. 

In this episode of Surfing the Quicksand, Kathy Vines sits down with Wendy Buglio, Certified Senior Move Manager and Certified Professional Organizer, to talk about the often-overlooked work of planning for life transitions. Wendy shares her personal experiences helping her own parents and loved ones navigate end-of-life planning, downsizing, and digital afterlife organization, highlighting the importance of thinking ahead, documenting processes, and having difficult conversations. 

From tackling the procrastination that keeps us from organizing important documents to breaking big tasks into tiny steps, Wendy offers practical strategies for getting unstuck. She also shares insights into the tools and resources available (like the Nokbox and Five Wishes) that make planning simpler, as well as how to ensure that your personal and business affairs are handled if you’re incapacitated. 

This episode is packed with actionable advice, gentle encouragement, and relatable stories for anyone navigating midlife challenges. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Planning ahead and documenting processes is key to easing future transitions. 

• Start small: one conversation, one document, or one tiny step can break through procrastination. 

• Resources like the Nokbox and Five Wishes simplify end-of-life and digital planning. 

• Accountability and deadlines can help you finally tackle projects you’ve been avoiding. 

• Recharge by leaning into your passions—like music, live performances, or other creative outlets. 

• Professional networks (NAPO, NASM) can connect you with trusted organizers, even across the country. 

Resources and Mentions:  

Nokbox information management system to keep track of important papers and information. https://www.thenokbox.com/KATHY32689 

Five Wishes – a guide to help facilitate and document end of life care for you or your loved ones. https://www.fivewishes.org/  

Wendy’s company: https://www.wendybuglio.com/  

About Wendy Buglio 

A passionate productivity consultant, move manager, and professional organizer, Wendy Buglio is dedicated to helping clients clarify what is most important and then developing strategies to get everything else out of the way. With her non-judgmental approach and calming energy (combined with a healthy dose of reality and a sense of humor), she works with clients to make decisions and take action to create desired change. Wendy has 16 years of experience managing moves for clients, and has developed strong 
relationships with moving companies, stagers, realtors, and other related services. She manages a team of dedicated organizing and move management professionals who treat each client like a member of their own family.  
 

For her 20th episode, Kathy chats with Michele Lamoureux, host of the long-running podcast and top-rated podcast, The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux, now rebranding with a new title and focus, a movement that could impact women around the world in a meaningful way. 

In this engaging and inspiring conversation, Kathy sits down with Michele Lamoureux, an award-winning podcast host, connector, and champion for women in midlife, to explore what it means to not only highlight other women’s voices, but how she listened to her own along the way.  

Michele shares how she first launched The Good Life almost ten years ago, before podcasting was mainstream, and how her curiosity and love for deep, meaningful conversations kept her going through hundreds of episodes. Together, she and Kathy discuss the behind-the-scenes realities of hosting a long-term show: staying consistent, keeping the content fresh, and building genuine relationships with guests and listeners alike. 

Now, as Michele prepares for her rebranding, she opens up about how the new title reflects her own growth and her desire to spotlight women who are no longer waiting for permission to lead, create, and shine. 

The episode also explores how Michele helps others start and sustain their own podcasts, guiding them through the technical, emotional, and creative sides of the process. Through laughter and lived experience, she and Kathy remind listeners that reinvention doesn’t always mean starting over; sometimes it’s about stepping more fully into what’s already there. 

Themes We Explore 

• Why podcasting is a long game — and how to stay inspired over time 

• The power of curiosity in building authentic conversations 

• What the transition to a new podcast title and focus means for Michele and her audience 

• Coaching others to find their voice and share their stories 

• How creative work evolves as we do 

Resources Mentioned 

• Michele offers free consultations to those looking to explore her podcast coaching offering: https://calendly.com/thegoodlife/20min 

• Sign up for Michele’s newsletter: https://thegoodlifecoach.com/   

• Watch her podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole or listen on  
  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4NlNdhJC4IG2eybBeId03W?si=6d46032a5f3b4724 -  

About Michele Lamoureux 

Michele Lamoureux is a podcast host, coach, and connector who has been producing The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux for nearly a decade. Through hundreds of interviews with authors, experts, and inspiring women, she’s built a community centered on purpose, fulfillment, and joy. With her rebrand in February 2026, Michele continues her mission to help women step confidently into the spotlight of their own lives. 

In this episode of Surfing the Quicksand, Kathy sits down with Jen Greene, an educator and newly minted kindergarten teacher who made a bold midlife shift after nearly three decades in marketing and advertising and life in the technology start up world. Jen shares the intimate story behind her transition, struggling with “what’s next,” to going back to school with students half her age, confronting unexpected academic challenges, and staying the course through fear, self-doubt, and age bias in the job market. 

Jen discusses the realities of grief, the power of community, and how her father’s words, “You can always come home,” gave her courage to take meaningful risks throughout her life. She reveals the mindsets and habits that kept her moving forward, what she learned about ambition and compromise in midlife, and how she ultimately found joy and purpose in the classroom. 

Grounded, funny, and deeply honest, this conversation is a testament to resilience and reinvention. Jen reminds us that it’s never too late to change direction, and that balance - in motion, in care, and in life - is something we build one brave step at a time. 

Key Takeaways 

• Reinvention at midlife requires courage, but not perfection. Jen’s path wasn’t linear, but each step, even the setbacks, moved her toward clarity. 

• Fear often disguises itself as practicality. When you challenge it, options expand. 

• Community and support matter. Family and friends provide the support we need to take risks without shame. 

• Age bias is real, but resilience is powerful. Staying committed to your goal helps you navigate an imperfect job market. 

• Balance is active, not static. Using creativity, rest, and self-compassion, Jen found new grounding in a demanding season of reinvention. 

In this episode of Surfing the Quicksand, Kathy Vines is joined by Kate Jackson, co-founder of Enneagram RX, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about chronic illness, mind-body healing, and reclaiming agency through self-awareness. 

Kate shares her personal journey through cancer and chronic health challenges, explaining how discovering the Enneagram, specifically the three centers of intelligence (head, heart, and body), gave her language for patterns she had lived with for decades but never fully understood. Rather than focusing on personality “types,” Kate’s work centers on recognizing emotional and physiological defaults and how they shape communication, stress responses, relationships, and long-term health. 

Together, Kathy and Kate explore how repressed emotions (especially anger) can quietly influence physical inflammation, chronic pain, and exhaustion, without placing blame or shame on women who are already navigating complex medical realities. Kate is explicit: chronic illness is not something women “do to themselves,” but understanding emotional patterns can create opportunities to interrupt cycles that no longer serve them. 

The conversation also reframes the traditional patient-provider relationship. Kate advocates for an integrative approach to healing, one that values conventional medicine while also honoring emotional, mental, and spiritual health. By doing internal work alongside medical treatment, women can become active members of their healthcare team, rather than passive recipients of care, leading through agency.  

Resources and Mentions:

Kate’s website: https://enneagramrx.com/  

Upcoming Transformative Workshops for Women Living with Chronic Stress, Pain, or Illness using the Enneagram + Mind-Body Science: https://enneagramrx.com/workshops  

The Narrative Enneagram https://www.narrativeenneagram.org/  

CP Enneagram Academy https://cpenneagram.com/ 

Enneagram Minnesota https://mn-iea.org/ 

About Kate Jackson:  

Kate works with women experiencing chronic stress, pain and illness using a combination of Enneagram and mind-body practices through a collaborative project called Enneagram RX. Their aim is to support women to build a personal prescription (RX) using our practical and sustainable framework to shift their relationship to their chronic condition and build agency and ownership of their health journey to live well. 

 
Kate’s personal experience with surviving Stage 4 cancer in 2015 has informed her journey to embrace the Enneagram and its spiritual healing quality. When cancer returned a second time, Kate credits leveraging the Enneagram and mind-body teaching for the transformative impact on her, her healthcare team, and support network.   

• National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach 

• M.A. - Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching - Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota 

• Certified Enneagram Practitioner through The Narrative Enneagram 

• Certificate of Professional Training in Mind-Body Medicine from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine 

• Certified Sound Healing Practitioner through the Sound Healing Academy, UK 

When everything feels harder than it used to - focus, memory, motivation, patience - it’s easy to wonder: Is something wrong with me? 

In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Kathy sits down with Jenny Cervantes Wilson, professional organizer and owner of Sweetgrass Organizing, to explore how her personal experiences, especially discovering her autism diagnosis later in life, have shaped the way she approaches both her work and her world. They discuss the murky intersection of perimenopause, hormones, and executive function. Together, they explore how shifting estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels can impact memory, impulse control, mood, and motivation, and how those changes can mimic or magnify ADHD and autism symptoms as well as autism  

From late-night shopping scrolls to forgotten appointments, from shame spirals to self-compassion, Jenny and Kathy normalize the chaos that often comes with midlife and offer gentle insights on when to seek professional help, what strategies can help right now, and why curiosity (not judgment) is the key to feeling more in control again. 

Jenny shares how understanding her neurodivergence brought her a new sense of clarity and self-compassion, and how it informs the empathy, patience, and flexibility she brings to her clients. The conversation flows from practical strategies for working with neurodivergent individuals to deeper reflections on self-acceptance, burnout, and redefining what “organized” really means. 

Together, Kathy and Jenny unpack the myths of perfectionism, the importance of sustainable systems, and the quiet beauty of giving ourselves (and our homes) permission to just be enough. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Hormonal shifts can mimic ADHD. Drops in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect mood, memory, and focus, sometimes leading to ADHD-like symptoms. 

• Emotional dysregulation is real. The ability to “keep it together” at work or home can slip during hormonal transitions. 

• Shame compounds the struggle. Many women blame themselves for losing focus or control, rather than recognizing physiological causes. 

• Compassion first. The softness we offer others should also be extended to ourselves, especially during midlife transitions. 

• Organizing isn’t just about stuff. Over-acquiring, disorganization, or burnout may be signs of deeper cognitive or emotional overwhelm. 

• Diagnosis as Liberation: Jenny describes her autism diagnosis as a revelation that helped her make sense of lifelong experiences and challenges, and freed her from self-blame. 

• Empathy as a Superpower: Jenny’s lived experience fosters deep compassion and adaptability when working with clients who process the world differently. 

• Letting Go of “Shoulds”: Both Kathy and Jenny reflect on the cultural expectations around productivity and order, and the freedom that comes from defining success on your own terms. 

About Jenny Cervantes Wilson 

Jenny Wilson is a neurodivergent, cancer-surviving, trauma-informed Certified Professional Organizer and coach specializing in neurodivergent clients and executive function challenges. Through Sweetgrass Organizing, she helps clients create systems that support their unique brains and lifestyles. Jenny works virtually and with clients in the Dallas area. Jenny holds multiple certificates of study in subjects like Brain Based Conditions, Chronic Disorganization, and Hoarding. 

In this inspiring conversation, Kathy sits down with longtime friend and fellow Gen X minimalist, productivity coach, and full-time RVer, Aimee Olson, to explore what it really means to simplify your life, not as an aesthetic, but as a path to freedom. Aimee shares the unraveled middle-age moment that pushed her to reevaluate everything she was doing “because she had always done it,” leading her to leave behind a conventional life and embrace full-time RV living. 

Aimee speaks candidly about the challenges that come with radical change, how travel shifts your perspective on time, and why Gen X women are uniquely positioned to redefine what midlife looks like. Together, Kathy and Aimee explore why permission-seeking keeps women stuck, how to experiment with small pilots (instead of permanent decisions), and why simplifying, internally and externally, is often the key to getting unstuck. 

Throughout, Kathy and Aimee keep returning to a core theme: intentionality is the antidote to overwhelm. Whether at home, at work, or on the road, the work is recognizing what you truly value and then creating the space to live it. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Reinvention doesn’t require a crisis, just awareness. 

• Simplifying is less about stuff and more about identity. 

• Permission is the invisible barrier keeping Gen X women stuck. 

• Small pilots are powerful tools for testing big dreams. 

• Productivity is about intention, not volume. 

• Reinvention requires asking better questions, starting with: “What if this were easier?” 

Resources and Mentions: 

Aimee’s website for Life Done Simply and signing up for her “Mindful Minute”: 

https://www.lifedonesimply.com/about  

About Aimee Olson: 

Aimee Olson is a Productivity Coach, speaker, and founder of Life Done Simply, a coaching business focused on strategies that help her clients slow down, cut through the noise, and prioritize their time so they can live like no one else! Aimee is a leader in the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals and currently serves on the Board of Directors and volunteers as a mentor to emerging productivity and organizing professionals. In 2018, Aimee ditched her “sticks-n-bricks” in Minnesota and set off to live on the road in an RV with her partner. Living and working on the road has enabled her to challenge the status quo and inspire others to dream big.  

In this episode, Kathy sits down with Dr. Katie Wadland, PT, DPT, a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist and founder of Healthy Aging Physical Therapy, a home-based PT/OT practice supporting older adults across Greater Boston. Katie shares how her team helps seniors stay safe, mobile, and independent by working with them right inside their own homes where real barriers, habits, and daily challenges are most visible. 

Katie breaks down how functional, goal-driven therapy works in the home, the difference it makes when PTs and OTs collaborate closely, and how she uncovers each patient’s true motivation, the deeper “why” behind wanting to move better. She and Kathy compare notes about navigating older homes, fall risks, clutter, and creative adaptions that help people age in place with dignity. They share how each engage with family members to assemble a team all focused on the success of their patient or client.  

The conversation then shifts into Katie’s personal life as a midlife woman: raising teens, running a thriving business, supporting a mother living with Parkinson’s, and managing the emotional weight of years of caregiving. She talks candidly about overwhelm, guilt, boundary-setting, and the constant recalibration required when home, work, and family needs collide. She also shares the small systems (like her beloved Google Tasks) that keep her grounded, and how yoga, nature, and an unexpectedly perfect Golden Retriever help her recharge. 

This episode is a warm, real conversation about caring for others, caring for ourselves, and finding solid footing in seasons that pull in every direction. 

Key Takeaways  

• In-home therapy reveals the real barriers to aging in place—from clutter and tight staircases to the daily habits and small challenges that aren’t visible in a clinic. 

• Functional, goal-driven care matters most: Katie focuses on what patients actually want to do—like garden, shower safely, or return to social routines—and builds therapy around those practical goals. 

• Collaborative PT/OT support strengthens outcomes, ensuring consistent guidance on balance, fall prevention, equipment, and home modifications. 

• Midlife caregiving brings constant emotional and logistical weight: Katie shares the realities of supporting a parent with Parkinson’s while raising teens and running a business. 

• Recharge rituals restore balance: Yoga, nature, and the grounding presence of her new dog help her reset when everything feels like too much. 

Resources and Mentions 

• Healthy Aging Physical Therapy: https://healthyagingpt.com/ 

• Tons of resources and videos on balance and falls: https://healthyagingpt.com/balance-and-falls  

• Their great monthly blog: https://healthyagingpt.com/toc  

About Katie Wadland 

Dr. Katie Wadland, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Geriatric Clinical graduate of the MGH Institute of Health Professions and the owner/founder of Healthy Aging Physical Therapy (HAPT). She brings over 17 years of experience in inpatient, outpatient, and home care rehabilitation, having worked at many of the region’s top hospitals and home health agencies.  

Since launching HAPT in July 2020 as a solo provider, Katie has grown the practice into a thriving team of 23 clinicians and support staff. HAPT serves older adults across MA with Medicare Part B–covered outpatient-at-home physical and occupational therapy, specializing in Parkinson’s disease, balance and falls, vestibular dysfunction, post-hospital recovery, and other complex neurologic and medical diagnoses.  

Katie is passionate about community health and wellness education, and her team frequently partners with local senior centers and councils on aging to provide evidence-based strength and balance classes, fall prevention workshops, and community outreach programs.     

In this essential conversation, Kathy sits down with Kate Hufnagel, founder of The Digital Wrangler, to unravel the increasingly tangled world of digital and phone scams. From imposter calls and deepfake fraud to phishing emails and fake websites, Kate helps listeners understand how these scams work and what you can do to protect yourself and the people you love. 

Drawing from both her tech background and her personal experiences as a daughter and caregiver, Kate shares the real-world steps we can all take to secure our online lives, safeguard our data, and make smart plans for the digital “what-ifs.” The episode blends practical know-how with emotional insight, especially around helping older relatives navigate technology with confidence and compassion. 

Listeners will come away feeling more informed, empowered, and ready to tighten up their digital safety nets without panic or paranoia. 
 
In This Episode 

• How today’s scammers are getting smarter and sneakier 

• The most common red flags for email, phone, and text scams 

• Why education and awareness are your best defense 

• How to talk to parents or partners about scams without judgment 

• What to do if you suspect you’ve been targeted (or scammed) 

• Kate’s system for organizing digital accounts, passwords, and backups 

• Creating a digital legacy plan for your loved ones 

Resources and Statistics Mentioned 

• The Digital Wrangler website and services, including her free resource “My Estate & Life Organizer” - https://www.thedigitalwrangler.com/  

• Kate’s 10-week program for organizing important life details: https://www.thedigitalwrangler.com/group-program  

• 73% of all U.S. adults have experienced some kind of online scam or attack. Pew research, July 2025   https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/07/31/online-scams-and-attacks-in-america-today/  

• One trillion dollars globally in annual losses in scams: Global Anti-scam Alliance report from November, 2024  
  https://www.gasa.org/post/global-state-of-scams-report-2024-1-trillion-stolen-in-12-months-gasa-feedzai  

Kate’s Top Tips to Stay Safe 

• Never trust caller ID — verify the number independently 

• Don’t respond emotionally — scammers rely on urgency and fear 

• Use passphrases or code words with family members 

• Freeze credit proactively (even for kids!) 

• Back up devices and use a password manager 

• Slow down before acting — even when a situation feels urgent 

About Kate Hufnagel 

Kate Hufnagel, known as The Digital Wrangler, helps individuals and families take control of their online lives. She empowers people to get organized, stay secure, and prepare for life’s “digital emergencies.” A former engineer turned entrepreneur, Kate’s mission is to make technology feel approachable and manageable, especially for those balancing caregiving, aging parents, and the constant changes of the digital world. 

This week, Kathy talks with productivity expert, leadership coach, and author Ellen Faye about what it really means to be productive, and why so many of us have been getting it wrong. They unpack the myths of “doing it all,” the shifting expectations of leadership, and how midlife can be a turning point for redefining success and satisfaction. 

Ellen shares wisdom from her work helping professionals lead more intentionally and compassionately, offering insights that challenge the traditional hustle narrative. Together, she and Kathy explore what happens when we let go of perfectionism, create space for strategic thinking, and learn to trust ourselves again. 

Whether you’re managing a team, running a household, or simply feeling stuck in the quicksand of “shoulds,” this conversation will help you breathe easier and work smarter, not harder. 

Key Takeaways 

• Productivity ≠ Busyness - True productivity is about effectiveness, not hours worked. 

• The Pillars of Productivity - Understanding Ellen’s foundational view of productivity helps people chart their own course towards priorities and productivity.  

• Leading with Your Productivity Style - Ellen shares how a customized approach can help you understand yourself AND how to interact with others when you understand their style.  

• Boundaries are Leadership - Saying no and creating focus time isn’t selfish; it’s essential. 

Resources & Mentions 

• Ellen’s “Unlock Your Productivity Style” Quiz https://www.ellenfaye.com  

• “Productivity for How You’re Wired” is available via in print, ebook, and Audible on Amazon (a 5-star rating!) https://ellenfaye.com/productivity-leadership-books/  

• Ellen’s coaching services, including a free discovery chat: https://www.ellenfaye.com  

• Ellen recommended: Kristen Neff: “The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion” TEDx Talk 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4  

About Ellen Faye 

Ellen Faye is an ICF Professional Certified Coach, Certified Productivity Leadership Coach, and Certified Professional Organizer & Certified Organizer Coach, and author of the book “Productivity for How You’re Wired.”  

From her start as a professional organizer in 2001 in home settings, she quickly evolved into working closely with entrepreneurs and their home-based businesses, not just focusing on their space anymore, but their productivity and success as business leaders. Her business has shifted to focused work with business leaders of all kinds benefit from improved focus, clarity, and productivity.  

In addition to her work with clients, Ellen is committed to the organizing and productivity in many ways, including service to NAPO including a term as President, as an instructor with the Coach Approach Training Institute, and shares her gift of strategic planning with boards to help set their vision for the future.