When Terry Tateossian hit her late 30s, she was running a successful marketing agency, raising two kids, and running herself into the ground. Two hospital visits later, she realized her body was sending a message she could no longer ignore. In this conversation, Terry shares her journey from overwork and denial to deep self-awareness and healing. She opens up about escaping communism as a child, building a career from scratch, and finally learning how to slow down and reconnect with herself. Her story is raw, insightful, and a powerful reminder that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop running and start listening.

Guest Bio 

Terry Tateossian—a midlife health coach, certified trainer, nutritionist, and host of How Good Can It Get.Terry’s story of how she lost over 80 pounds in her mid-40s and transformed every area of her life — while running a business and raising a family — speaks directly to women going through midlife transitions. Her message is clear: your most impactful chapter may still be ahead.

Turning 40 and healing the workaholic

Terry Tateossian’s story begins in communist Bulgaria and stretches all the way to the boardrooms of Fortune 100 companies. By her late 30s, she achieved what many would call “success,” a booming marketing agency, two children, and a tireless work ethic. But that relentless drive came with a cost: two hospitalizations, burnout, and a total disconnection from herself. Her midlife transformation began not with another business plan, but with a reckoning with her body. Through deep inner work, Terry learned to stop running on survival mode and instead reconnect with the parts of herself she’d long silenced. 

Episode Highlights

• From refugee to entrepreneur: Terry’s early life in a Bulgarian refugee camp taught her survival, grit, and resourcefulness, skills that would later fuel her success.
• Workaholism disguised as strength: As she built her business empire, Terry’s need for control and constant motion masked deeper wounds from childhood loss and trauma.
• The wake-up call: Two terrifying hospital visits in her 30s finally made her listen to her body after decades of ignoring it.
• The bull and the baby: Terry shares a powerful metaphor for healing the “bull” that once protected her and the “baby” within who needed love and attention to heal.
• Learning stillness: After walking away from her company, Terry began to rebuild her life slowly, learning to sit with discomfort and rediscover joy.
• Healing through feeling: Allowing herself to grieve her father’s death years after learning of it became the turning point that confirmed she was truly healing.
• A new kind of success: Today, Terry finds fulfillment not in hustle but in helping others rediscover wholeness through retreats and holistic coaching.

In this deeply human conversation, Terry Tateossian opens up about the cost of constant striving and the grace that comes with slowing down. From escaping communism to building a thriving agency to walking away from it all, her story is a testament to resilience and rebirth. Midlife didn’t just ask her to change her ways; it invited her to finally feel her feelings. Terry’s insights about self-compassion, emotional honesty, and healing the “bull and baby” within will resonate with anyone who’s ever worked themselves to exhaustion trying to prove their worth.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, follow, and share The Big Four Oh so more people can discover stories like Terry’s.

Guest Resources

Connect with Terry on Instagram

Terry’s website, THOR

Do you have the Midlife Ick? 

Download Stephanie’s guide to the Ick to diagnose whether you or someone you love is suffering from this insidious midlife malaise. www.thebigfouroh.com/ick

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The Big Four Oh Podcast is produced and presented by Savoir Faire Marketing/Communications