In today’s episode, Jen throws out the old script - literally. After recording a Christmas episode that felt heavy, drained, and nothing like the woman she’s becoming, she hit delete and started fresh. Because the truth is this:

Midlife women aren’t fading.
We’re not slowing down.
We’re leading the culture.

This episode is a fiery, empowering, laugh-and-gasp-along-with-me deep dive into how women 35–60 are shaping the world around us — from wellness and fitness to music, fashion, TikTok, business, and everything in between. We’re not the Golden Girls (love them, but we’re not them), and we are definitely not the 1950s housewife prototype. We’re redefining midlife with energy, aliveness, creativity, and unapologetic power.

Jen explores:

✨ What midlife used to look like — and how we’ve shattered that image

From “cardigan-wrapped and domesticated” stereotypes to the first generation of women who refuse to disappear, this era is different. We’re louder, bolder, and more intentional than ever.

✨ Why women in midlife are driving today’s trends

Wellness, beauty, skincare, fitness, music, fashion, TikTok, home, lifestyle… we outspend, out-influence, and out-create every other demographic. And brands know it.

✨ The analog-to-digital bridge that gave us superpowers

We grew up without tech, adapted to tech, and now navigate both worlds effortlessly — giving us a unique blend of nostalgia and confidence that younger generations can’t replicate.

✨ The DMB, Swiftie, and music-fandom explosion led by midlife women

Concerts, merch, communities, playlists, travel — we’re keeping the live music industry alive and building whole worlds around the bands we love.

✨ How midlife women became cultural architects

We remix, refine, create, and choose with intention. We’re not trying to be cool — we are cool because we’re real.

✨ Setting trends vs. following them

From clothes to hobbies to fitness to how we show up online — this episode is your permission slip to step fully into your own aesthetic and stop waiting for approval.

✨ The one-trend challenge

Jen invites you to set one trend this week — something bold, fun, expressive, or simply yours. And she wants to celebrate you for it.

✨ A powerful reminder: midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a renaissance.

A cultural rise. A reclamation. A full-body ignition. And we’re just getting started.

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Dave Matthews Band community
• TikTok + millennial women influencers
• Strength training & the “better, not bigger” movement

Set one trend.
Wear the thing.
Lift the thing.
Post the thing.
Say the thing.
Be the thing.

And tell Jen about it — she’s building a community for women who want to live boldly, create, reinvent, and take up space in midlife.

• Instagram: @thejenweinstein
 • TikTok: @thejenweinstein
 • Website: themidlifeeditco.com
 • Message Jen with the trend you're setting this week!

What if midlife isn’t the end — but a second coming-of-age?

In this honest solo episode, Jen opens up about what it really feels like to be 42 and still not feel like an adult. She dives into the Millennial Ache, the pressure of social media “how-tos,” and the emotional weight of reinventing yourself in midlife.

Jen shares:

• Why millennials struggle with identity more than any generation
• How growing up without the internet — but adulting with it — changed us
• The loneliness of adult friendships
• Her honest confession about chasing trends, programs, and roles that weren’t truly hers
• Why she’s done creating from pressure and is ready to build The Midlife Edit Co. from the heart
• What “growing up again” really looks like at 42

If you’ve ever felt behind, overwhelmed, nostalgic, or unsure of who you are “supposed to be,” this episode is a breath of relief — and a reminder that you’re right on time.

In today’s episode of The Midlife Edit, we’re stepping into Week 4 of the Pre-Holiday Reset — and this week is all about reflection: the grounding, self-honoring kind… not the childhood “go think about what you did” version.

Before the holidays sweep in, this week invites you to pause, breathe, and ask:
What’s working? What’s not? What am I ready to release — and what do I want to carry with me into the next chapter?
Jen shares powerful journaling prompts, explores her own patterns and wins over the past few weeks, and talks openly about showing up for ourselves before we show up for everyone else.
And then…
You’re getting a two-for-one today.
Because after we reflect, we dive straight into a short but incredible interview with Pittsburgh-based band Neostem — a fusion of grunge, punk, and metal who prove exactly why music and community matter so much in midlife.
✨ In This Episode:

We explore:

• What reflection actually means
• Why it’s not about shame, guilt, or tallying your failures
• How to check in with your energy and behavior
• What you need more of — and what to release
• How self-awareness prepares you for a calmer holiday season

Jen also shares her own reset takeaways: juggling work, volunteering, family roles, and her podcast — and learning to give herself actual credit for the way she shows up for others.

🎸 Interview with Neostem: Music, Mental Health & Community

We talk about:

• How Ryan, Matt, and Rob met
• How their unique blend of punk/grunge/metal came to life
• Their songwriting process and how their influences collide
• Music as self-expression, self-discovery, and emotional processing
• Why Punk Rock Saves Lives matters — especially for men’s mental health
• Their favorite Pittsburgh venues
• What’s next for the band in 2026

This conversation blends music, community, nostalgia, and real talk about mental health — a perfect companion to this week’s theme of reflection.

📝 Download the Midlife Edit Reflection Workbook, your personal “backstage pass” to deeper self-awareness, clarity, and midlife reinvention. 

🖤Visit Punk Rock Saves Lives

🎧 Listen to Neostem on all platforms and check out their socials:

Instagram: @neostemband

Facebook: Neostem

🛍️ The Feed the People Tour — Support Feeding America

We’re just under $150 raised and aiming for $300 by Thanksgiving!
Grab your tee or crewneck here! 100% of profits go directly to Feeding America, now and forever.

✨ Join the Pre-Holiday Reset

If you haven’t joined yet, it’s not too late.
This reset is evergreen — not just for the Christmas season — and will help you slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect with yourself. Sign up now: Pre-Holiday Reset

In Week 3 of the Pre-Holiday Reset, the theme is breathe—but not the shallow, rushed kind we fall into during stress or multitasking. This week, Jen explores the kind of deep, expansive breath that creates space, clarity, and reinvention.

Fresh off a trip to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jen reflects on the moment everything clicked: music has always been the quiet throughline of her life and her reinvention journey. And now it’s time to let it take up the space it deserves inside The Midlife Edit.

From childhood concerts with her dad, to the nostalgia of Discman-era friendships, to the women artists who model unapologetic evolution, this episode dives into the emotional and creative heartbeat behind Jen’s next chapter.

This isn’t a rebrand. It’s a reveal.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• The power of breathing space
How intentional breath slows the noise long enough for truth to surface—and why clarity is always the starting point for midlife reinvention.

• A pivotal moment at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
What Jen realized while standing among decades of music history, lyrics, and creative eras.

• Why music has always been the backbone of Jen’s story
From her dad introducing her to concerts at age 11, to the songs that shaped her teens, to the lyrics that helped her survive and evolve.

• The childhood dream that never quite died
Jen opens up about wanting to be Jem and the Holograms, realizing she couldn’t sing, and discovering that storytelling became her own musical language.

• Women, reinvention, and owning your next era
Why female reinvention is often questioned—and why women like Pink, Kate Hudson, and everyday midlife creators deserve to be celebrated.

• The future of The Midlife Edit
More music. More midlife stories. More creativity. More conversations with women rewriting their lives through sound, art, and courage.

• A call to listeners
Jen wants your help finding women in music—famous, indie, local, or quietly brilliant—who embody midlife creativity and reinvention.

Resources & Links

• Pre-Holiday Reset: Week 3 – Breathe
  Free email support + breathing exercises
  Click HERE To Sign Up
• Feed the People Tour Tee & Sweatshirt
  100% of profits donated to Feeding America
  Get yours HERE 
• Submit a Woman in Music Guest Suggestion
  Email Jen: [email protected]

Connect with Jen

Website: www.themidlifeeditco.com

 Instagram: @thejenweinstein
 TikTok: @thejenweinstein
 Pinterest: The Midlife Edit Co.

This week, Jen dives deep into the meaning of movement — not just in the gym, but in life. From shifting workouts to listening to her body through gut health challenges, she opens up about how movement can be a reset for your body, mind, and purpose.

She also announces The Feed the People Tour — a special merch drop from The Midlife Edit Co., where 100% of the profits will be donated to Feeding America to help families affected by the current food insecurity crisis.

Because movement isn’t just physical — it’s compassion, courage, and action.

💿 In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s your remix.
• How to move through seasons of change with intention and grace.
• What “movement” really means — from walking away from what no longer fits, to stepping into your power.
• How Jen pivoted her workouts and eating habits after facing stomach issues — and what it taught her about self-trust.
• Why she pressed pause on The Remix Era Collection to launch something bigger — The Feed the People Tour.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

• Shop The Feed the People Tour Drop (100% to Feeding America)
  
  
• Listen to The Midlife Edit Podcast Archive
  
  
• Join the Pre-Holiday Reset Series (Free)
  
  

📝 Quote to Remember:

💬 Journal Prompt:

In this empowering solo episode, Jen dives deep into the misunderstood art of indecision. Often labeled as flaky or unfocused, changing our minds is actually a form of evolution—a sign that we’re growing, learning, and honoring who we are becoming in midlife.

From rebranding her business (again!) to redefining what it means to nourish herself, Jen shares how embracing change has allowed her to live with more alignment, creativity, and joy. She opens up about her ADHD diagnosis, how perimenopause feels like a thousand browser tabs open at once, and why she now sees her “indecisiveness” as imagination in disguise.

Jen reminds listeners that midlife is one big, beautiful edit—a remix of everything we’ve learned, survived, and felt so far. You don’t owe the world the same version of you forever; you owe yourself the chance to evolve.

In This Episode

• Why indecision might actually be your hidden superpower
• How ADHD and perimenopause play into creative chaos
• The pressure women face to “pick a lane” and stay there
• How to nourish not just your body—but your evolution
• What Jen has learned through countless pivots, rebrands, and restarts
• The one thing she’s stayed consistent with (and why it changed everything)

Favorite Quotes

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Pre-Holiday Reset (week one: Nourish)
• The Backstage Pass: Sign Up Here
• YouTube version of this episode (watch and subscribe!)

Listen & Subscribe

🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube
 ✨ Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to help more women discover their midlife power move.

This week on The Midlife Edit, Jen gets real about what it feels like to lose yourself in perimenopause — physically, mentally, and emotionally — especially as the holidays approach. From walking into a store full of Christmas decorations in mid-October to realizing how much women take on this time of year, Jen opens up about exhaustion, stress, and the pressure to “make the magic happen” for everyone else.

If you’ve been feeling off — tired, unmotivated, disconnected, or just not like yourself — this episode is your reminder that you are not alone. Jen talks about how stress hits differently in midlife, why your hormones are not the enemy, and how small shifts in movement, nutrition, and music can help you find your rhythm again.

She also announces The Midlife Comeback Challenge: Holiday Edition — a 4-week reset to help women protect their peace and prioritize themselves before the chaos of the season hits.

Because before you take care of everyone else this year… it’s time to take care of the woman behind the magic.

🧠 In This Episode, Jen Talks About:

• That Target run moment when Christmas shows up way too soon 🎄
• How midlife women end up carrying the emotional and mental load of the holidays
• Losing strength, appetite, and energy — and why it’s not “just stress”
• How perimenopause messes with hormones, moods, and recovery
• Why stress feels heavier now (hint: it’s chemical, not character)
• How music can help you reconnect when you feel “off”
• The four-week Midlife Comeback Challenge: Holiday Edition and how to join

🪩 Challenge Breakdown:

Week 1: Nourish — Eat enough, fuel your energy, and support your hormones
Week 2: Move — Focus on strength and movement that feels good
Week 3: Breathe — Manage stress with intention (and a little grace)
Week 4: Reflect — Practice gratitude, compassion, and calm before the new year

Join Jen inside The Backstage Pass to get weekly playlists, nutrition tips, and challenge updates:
👉 Join the Challenge Here

🎶 Mentioned in This Episode:

• Grey Street – Dave Matthews Band
• You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
• Rage Against the Machine – for those “scream in the car” moments
• Bowling for Soup – for when you just need to dance it out

Follow Jen’s playlists on Spotify:
 🎧 The Midlife Edit Co. on Spotify

💌 Stay Connected

Subscribe to The Backstage Pass for exclusive updates, playlists, and behind-the-scenes content:
👉 Join Here

✨ Quote from the Episode

In this deeply honest and moving episode, Jen sits down with Jaret Reddick, frontman of Bowling for Soup, for a conversation that hits on everything from mental health and midlife to fatherhood, therapy, and finding purpose through music.

Jaret opens up about his personal experience with depression, anxiety, divorce, and the pressure to always be “the funny guy”, and how sharing his story helped others find the courage to get help too. Together, Jen and Jaret talk about the stigma around men’s mental health, how partners can offer support, and why healing starts with talking about it.

From punk rock to personal growth, this conversation proves that vulnerability is strength — and that even rockstars are rewriting what it means to be okay.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How Jaret Reddick learned to speak openly about mental health
• Why asking for help is an act of strength, not weakness
• What men wish women understood about emotional struggles
• How music can connect, comfort, and heal
• The importance of therapy, communication, and self-care in midlife
• The story behind Turbulence, There Is You, and Holdin’ On to That Hate

🧠 Favorite Quote

🌎 Resources & Mentions

• Punk Rock Saves Lives
  
  
• Amplified Minds (Formally Foundation 45)
  
  
• Tough Enough to Care (UK)
  
  
• BetterHelp
  
  
• Songs Mentioned:
  • Turbulence – Bowling for Soup
  • There Is You – Jaret Reddick
  • Holdin’ On to That Hate – Bowling for Soup

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

Find The Midlife Edit Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Follow, rate, and review to help more listeners join the midlife comeback movement.

Sign up for The Midlife Edit Co Weekly Newsletter here!

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Jen sits down with Shelly Sharon—certified Hakomi therapist, complex-trauma practitioner, and author—to explore a topic that quietly shapes so many women’s midlife journeys: the mother wound. 

Together they unpack what it really means to carry emotional wounds from a complex mother-daughter relationship, how those patterns show up in adulthood, and what it takes to finally begin healing. 

Shelly shares her own story of growing up with a mother who struggled with mental illness, how she learned to re-parent herself, and why so many women in midlife begin to feel old pain rising to the surface. The two dive into guilt, grief, boundaries, ambiguous loss, and the difference between closure and completion. 

This episode isn’t about blaming your mother—it’s about reclaiming your wholeness and realizing it’s not your fault.  

💬 Key Takeaways 

• What the “mother wound” really is and how it can shape your relationships, self-worth, and even your career.
• Why midlife often becomes the time these buried wounds demand attention.
• The emotional difference between closure and completion—and why completion is more achievable.
• How to grieve the relationship you wish you’d had, even if your mother is still alive.
• The power of acknowledging unmet needs without shame or blame.
• The “apology ache” and learning to live without the words you may never hear.
• Shelly’s gentle mindset shift for daily awareness: “Am I making an excessive effort to be loved, seen, or appreciated?”
• Why healing starts close in—one doable, compassionate step at a time.

 
🧠 Midlife Edit Moment
 

 
🔗 Connect with Shelly Sharon
 

• Website & Blog: shellysharon.com
  
  
• Private Podcast: Birth Rite Series
   — three short episodes offering insight and practical guidance on healing the mother wound
• Substack: Women of Ash and Honey – Shelly’s reflections and essays
• Instagram: @unmothered_women
   

 
🪞 Mentioned in This Episode
 

• Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel — explores the “apology ache” and unmet maternal needs
• Start Close In by David Whyte — the poem Shelly quotes as inspiration for beginning where you are

 
💌 Join the Midlife Edit Community
 
If today’s conversation resonated, make sure you’re subscribed to The Midlife Edit on your favorite podcast platform—and share this episode with a friend who might need it.

✨ Let’s make midlife our comeback tour, not a crisis.
 

Some weeks feel heavier than others. This was one of those weeks for me. I wasn’t sure I was even going to hit record-but the truth is, this podcast is part of my own mental health toolkit. And today, I want to talk about why it’s okay to not be okay, how the past has a way of showing up when we least expect it, and why midlife is the perfect time to start building your mental fitness toolkit.

In this episode, we’ll get real about:

• Why midlife often shines a spotlight on old wounds and new stressors
• How to shift from “I should be stronger than this” to “I’m allowed to feel this”
• Why vulnerability is actually strength, not weakness
• A sneak peek at an exciting guest joining the podcast soon (trust me, you’ll want to tune in 👀)

And most importantly, I’ll share 5 tools for your Midlife Mental Fitness Toolkit that you can start using today:

1. Rest Without Guilt – Give yourself permission to pause, nap, or say no without shame.
2. Processing the Past – Use therapy, journaling, or honest conversations to release old pain.
3. Honest Self-Talk – Replace “I should be stronger than this” with “I’m allowed to feel this.”
4. Outlets & Expression – Lean into music, movement, writing, or creative practices as survival tools.
5. Asking for Help – Reaching out is not weakness; it’s proof you’re ready to grow.

🎧 Whether you’re in a season of burnout, facing old wounds, or just trying to keep your head above water, this episode is your reminder that you’re not alone—and that you’re always one step away from your own comeback.

✨ This isn’t a crisis. It’s a comeback.