The Cinnamon Effect - Your Insider's Guide to Looking, Feeling, and Living Your Best Life After 40

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever looked back at a set of photos and wondered why you don't look like yourself?

In this episode, I'm joined by Kamla-Kay McKenzie, a posing expert who spent fifteen years modeling for some of the biggest names in the fashion industry before turning her focus to coaching entrepreneurs, founders, and executives on how to show up confidently in front of a camera.

We talk about the small adjustments that separate a stiff photo from one that actually looks like you, from finding your best camera angles to knowing what to do with your hands so you're not stuck in one position. Kamla-Kay walks me through her fluid method of posing, where you keep adjusting position instead of holding still, why most women hold too still in front of a camera, and how something as simple as skin prep or photo lighting can change the way your professional photos turn out. She also gets into outfit choices for a brand photography session, how to direct whoever's holding the camera, and what she tells clients to do before a big day of photo shoots.

You'll learn:

• How to stop freezing up and start adjusting your pose in front of the camera
• Why the teapot pose cuts off your torso, and what to do instead
• The clock method Kamla-Kay uses to find flattering angles for your face
• What to ask whoever's taking your photo to do with their phone height
• Why burst mode captures a sequence of shots instead of one stiff pose
• How to adjust lighting before you post a photo
• What to consider when choosing an outfit for business photos
• Why practicing your poses ahead of time changes how you show up on set
• How skin prep fits into getting ready for a big shoot
• Why smizing works better than forcing a smile
• What Kamla-Kay tells clients prepping for entrepreneur photos
• How to pack and plan ahead for better vacation photos

Whether you're prepping for a brand shoot or just tired of dodging the camera, Kamla-Kay breaks posing into techniques you can actually practice.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Kamla-Kay:

Website: https://www.kamlakay.com/

Instagram: @kamlakay

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something. Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Get dressed faster, feel more confident, and stop staring at your closet. Explore Style Society here: https://www.chelliecarlson.com/style-society-special-offer?affiliate_code=7c5771

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

What does it take to say yes to something before you know exactly what you're getting into? That's basically how I ended up in a ballroom dance competition at this stage of life, and it's taught me more than I expected going in.

In this episode, I'm joined by Peter Robbins, a fellow school parent who jokes that he's "29, and holding," and who's stepping into his first ballroom dance competition well outside his comfort zone.

Peter and I talk about how a conversation at a school meeting turned into both of us competing in Battle of the Ballroom, a community fundraising event for the Goldner Conservatory at the Maltz Jupiter Theater. We get into the Broadway songs we each picked, the costume stress that's crept in as the show gets closer, and how his dance instructor built up his muscle memory through repetition, lesson by lesson. Peter also talks about what it's meant to let his kids watch him learn something new in midlife, and how that's changed the way he talks to them about instant gratification and hard work.

You'll learn:

• How a favor at a school meeting turned into a full charity dance competition
• What it's like learning choreography from scratch with a professional dance instructor
• Why picking the right Broadway song changes how hard a routine is to perform
• How yoga benefits and flexibility training helped Peter loosen up before his first dance season
• What moving meditation looks like when you're focused on remembering every step
• How body awareness on the dance floor carries over into everyday balance
• Why trying something new in midlife can be different than it was in your twenties
• What community fundraising for the Goldner Conservatory means for local kids and scholarships
• How watching me practice changed my mother son conversations about hard work
• Why slowing down and preparing early made this personal growth stretch easier to enjoy

If you're in a season of reinvention, or just looking for a reason to try something new after 40, I hope this conversation reminds you that you don't have to be good at something to be brave enough to start.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Peter:

Instagram: @1electricdad

Get dressed faster, feel more confident, and stop staring at your closet. Explore Style Society here: https://www.chelliecarlson.com/style-society-special-offer?affiliate_code=7c5771

Bounce for ten minutes a day and feel your energy and lymphatic flow wake up. Shop my rebounder here and use code TCE: https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Could you name one ingredient on the back of your foundation and say what it's doing there?

In this episode, I'm joined by Kelly Kreusler and Melanie Petschke, the founders of Crunchi, who spent years researching cosmetic ingredients and manufacturing standards before they released a single product.

We talk about how they met at a mom's night out, and about the careers they each left to build this. Melanie explains what ingredient safety comes down to at the level of a single pigment, including why two ingredients printed identically on a label can be purified completely differently, and Kelly lays out the three requirements every clean beauty product has to clear before it ships.

You'll discover:

• How Kelly and Melanie went from sitting next to each other at a mom's night out to launching a company together
• Why Melanie left bedside nursing after years of treating chronic disease, and what she wanted to do instead
• Why they wouldn't release a clean foundation until it stayed on as long as the conventional ones they'd given up
• What EWG verified covers, and what their own "and beyond" list adds on top of it
• Why lip products carry more heavy metal exposure than anything else in your makeup bag
• How manufacturers dose active ingredients below the studied percentage to bring costs down
• What 120 days in an oven told them about the liners inside aluminum tubes
• Why sustainable packaging meant paying for glass when virgin plastic cost a fraction of it
• Where the EWG, Yuka, and Think Dirty ratings hold up, and where user uploaded ingredient lists go wrong
• Which household product Melanie says to check before you look at your makeup

Whether you're reading your first ingredient label or already building a toxin free routine, Kelly and Melanie give you somewhere to start that doesn't require replacing everything you own.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Kelly & Melanie:

Website: https://crunchi.com/

Instagram: @crunchicollection

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Cleaner basics for the part of your wardrobe that touches you all day. Shop NADS organic underwear and use code TCEPODCAST: https://bit.ly/4ogwtBc

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you started taking care of yourself first, so you had something left to give everyone else?

In this episode, I'm joined by Anastasia Ganias, a business owner and founder of Fancy Peasant, a modern Greek pantry brand built on recipes from her father's village in northern Greece.

We talk about her morning ritual, from warm lemon water to her olive oil shot, and why she credits it with changes in her skin, her gut, and her focus. Anastasia walks me through the blue zone traditions she grew up with, why not all Greek olive oil is created equal, and what it's taken to scale Fancy Peasant from a garage full of bottles into hundreds of stores nationwide. She also opens up about the grief that first sparked the brand, what it's taught her about staying present with her kids, and why she credits her 40s with a level of confidence she didn't have earlier in her Hollywood career.

You'll learn:

• How Anastasia's daily olive oil shot supports her gut, skin, and energy
• Why quality ingredients matter when you're choosing an olive oil
• How her father's village in northern Greece shaped her family's greek recipes
• What it took to sell out her first batch of pantry essentials from her own garage
• Why she calls certain daily habits her "pleasure stackers"
• How grief became the unexpected starting point for her business
• What it's taken to grow a company as a mom entrepreneur while raising three young kids
• Why her confidence in her 40s looks different than it did earlier in her career
• How grounding, sauna time, and other wellness rituals keep her steady
• What's coming next for Fancy Peasant, from chili oil to olives

If you've ever wondered whether your morning ritual could change how you feel, or you're building something of your own in midlife while raising a family, Anastasia's story is proof that the small, unglamorous habits are often what carry you through.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Anastasia:

Website: https://fancypeasant.com/

Instagram: @fancy_peasant

Watch Anastasia's full Bounty Uncharted episode, an award-winning look at her Fancy Peasant story, at https://bountyuncharted.com/.

Bounce for ten minutes a day and feel your energy and lymphatic flow wake up. Shop my rebounder here and use code TCE: https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

What does it take to build a grocery shopping experience people can actually trust?

In this episode, I'm joined by Marc Jonna, co-founder of Plum Market in Michigan, a natural grocery brand built on decades of family experience.

Marc and I talk about how Plum Market grew from a family business into a national specialty grocery brand rooted in quality ingredients and honest sourcing.

Our conversation touches on:

• How Plum Market's founders built the brand around family recipes and hands-on grocery experience
• What to know about food sourcing and why it can shift as we get older
• Why regenerative farming is becoming a bigger part of sustainable food production
• How food transparency can help you make more confident choices at the store
• Why Marc sees healthy eating as a lifestyle, not a diet, especially heading into his 60s
• What Marc's daily rituals, like workouts and sauna time, can teach us about aging well
• How local sourcing connects smaller producers to the shelves at Plum Market
• Why food allergies and sensitivities can show up later in life, even if you never had them before
• What to expect from Plum Market's growth into airports and sports nutrition programs
• How mindful eating can look different in your 40s and beyond

If you've been searching for organic grocery options, better food sourcing, and a simpler path to mindful eating, this episode is your invitation to shop with more intention.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Marc:

Website: https://www.plummarket.com/

Instagram: @marc.jonna

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Does your wellness routine actually hold up the second you leave home?

I'm joined by Asha Walker, founder of the Cured App and Health in the Hood, who's built a routine dialed in enough to travel anywhere with her.

Asha and I talk about the snacks and supplements she packs for every trip, the small habits that keep her digestion and energy steady in the air, and why she thinks about her health by decades instead of days. We also get into how she brings her husband along without overhauling his whole life, and why patterns beat perfection every time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why a travel routine counts more than willpower once you're actually on the road
• What to pack to protect your skin health on a long flight
• How a resistance-starch trick keeps her digestion calmer while traveling
• Why she prioritizes glucose control before she ever boards a plane
• What she does to support immune support and hormone health during high travel months
• How travel hacks like blue light glasses and red light protect her sleep on the road
• Why building muscle now supports healthy aging later
• What "crowding out" means and how it beats an all-or-nothing mindset
• Why she believes getting older can mean getting stronger, not weaker
• How midlife travel habits differ from the habits she had in her 20s and 30s

If you're looking for a wellness travel approach that actually holds up between trips, this episode is your invitation to build habits that go wherever you go.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Asha:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ashawalkerwellnes

Website: https://www.ashawalkerwellness.com

Health In The Hood: https://www.instagram.com/healthinthehood

The Cured App: https://www.instagram.com/thecuredapp

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Is your business actually built for the midlife reinvention you're capable of?

I'm joined by Holly Meyer Lucas, a mom of four and serial entrepreneur behind Hype Boss, who built her real estate brand around brand storytelling and turned an empty warehouse into one of the best podcast studios in the country.

Holly and I talk about how an unexpected nickname became the foundation of her real estate brand, and how she used brand storytelling and building brands to grow without chasing every trend. We also get into why she doesn't carry mom guilt, and what it looks like for entrepreneur moms to set big goals without burning out.

You'll learn:

• How to turn challenges of motherhood into fuel for your business
• Why midlife reinvention builds on what you already know
• How to grow brand awareness without chasing every trend
• What to say to yourself when mom guilt creeps in
• Why alienating the wrong audience can grow the right one
• How female entrepreneurs are redefining having it all
• What a business reinvention looks like in your 40s or 50s
• How to set entrepreneurial goals without sacrificing time at home
• How Hype Boss grew out of one brand's storytelling
• What to do when your business outgrows the plan you started with

If you're ready to build something that actually reflects who you are, this episode is your invitation to start.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Holly Meyer Lucas:

Holly Website: https://hollymeyerlucas.com/

Holly IG: https://www.instagram.com/holly.meyer.lucas

Hype Boss IG: https://www.instagram.com/hype.boss_agency

Mothership IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.mother.ship_

Podcast Brilliance IG: https://www.instagram.com/podcastbrilliance

Meyer Lucas Companies: https://www.instagram.com/meyerlucas.companies

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Is your beauty routine actually built for this chapter of your life?

In this solo episode, I walk you through the midlife beauty routine I use for my skin and hair, without needles or injectables.

I talk about the habits I rely on for skin health and hair health in my 40s, from mineral supplementation to a daily circulation boost. I also get into buccal massage and facial acupuncture, which I use as my natural botox, plus the double cleanse that supports my natural beauty at home.

You'll learn:

• How to build a sleep and hydration routine for skin and hair through midlife
• What foods and minerals I rely on for skin and hair health
• Why I do a double cleanse before bed instead of a single wash
• How regular facials and buccal massage boost circulation and drainage
• How facial acupuncture works and why I call it a natural alternative to Botox
• What tools I use at home to support my skin and scalp
• Why I take supplements like collagen, aminos, and molecular hydrogen
• How these habits come together to support my natural beauty in midlife

If you've been searching for natural beauty, honest answers about facial acupuncture, and simple ways to support your skin health, this episode is your invitation.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Have you ever noticed your energy becoming less reliable in your 40s and beyond, and wondered what the fix is?

In this episode, I'm joined by Michael Legel, Co-founder of Axiom H2, who has built a career in the wellness industry since 2012 developing hydrogen inhalation technology used by practitioners from oncologists to massage therapists.

Michael and I talk about how molecular hydrogen supports cellular health, why his own HRV testing showed his biological age drop after a consistent hydrogen therapy routine, and how reverse aging, mitochondrial health, and antioxidant therapy all connect back to the same daily habits.

Our conversation touches on:

• Why hydration can play a bigger role in your energy than caffeine or supplements.
• How molecular hydrogen may support cellular health at a level you can't see.
• What Michael's own HRV testing revealed about his biological age.
• How hydrogen inhalation compares to hydrogen water and tablets.
• Why timing your hydrogen intake can support deep sleep or daytime energy.
• What brain health and hydration have in common.
• How Michael has stayed competitive on the basketball court well into his 40s.
• Why healthy aging may come down to smaller, more consistent habits than most of us think.
• What role scar tissue recovery may play in overall cellular support.
• Why he considers hydrogen an augmentative therapy rather than a stand-alone fix.

If you've ever noticed your energy doesn't stretch as far as it used to, or found yourself curious about what wellness technology can actually do, this episode is for you.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Michael Legel and Axiom H2:

Website: https://axiomh2.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axiomh2

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

What does midlife reinvention actually look like?

In this episode, I'm joined by Maria Konrad, a dance mentor and director of Nashville Ballet 2, who was named International Outstanding Choreographer by Youth America Grand Prix in 2022 for her body of work as a choreographer and mentor to dancers across the world.

Maria and I talk about pursuing passion as a professional dancer in midlife and what it takes to keep choosing a creative life at every stage. She shares the creative meditation she practices before she ever walks into the studio, and how her own dance journey shaped her into a mentor other dancers trust. We also get into why cultivating creativity counts at every age and in every field, not just in dance.

You'll learn:

• How to protect your creative process so you can stay present while you work
• What Maria's creative meditation looks like before she walks into the studio
• Why women dancers of every age still have something new to prove to themselves
• How Maria's own dance journey shaped her into a trusted mentor
• Why cultivating creativity counts in fields far beyond dance
• What it's like navigating elite competition without losing your sense of self
• How to reconnect with your authentic self at any stage of life
• Why discipline and freedom often go hand in hand
• What personal development looks like beyond technical skill alone
• How to recruit and mentor people by getting curious about who they are

If you've been searching for midlife reinvention, career reinvention, and your authentic self, this episode is your invitation to trust your own path.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

To connect with guest Maria Konrad:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/makonrad

Nashville Ballet 2 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nb2_nashvilleballet

Nashville Ballet 2 Website: https://www.nashvilleballet.com/nb2