Women in the Middle®: Loving Life After 50 - Midlife Coach Podcast

This episode is about how a family crisis can lead to an "empty nest joyride" and insights into your passion to be a writer. Sometimes you can be surprised by the amount of insight gained from a difficult period in your life. Your empty nest phase can be surprisingly mighty.

My guest today is Linda Hanstra.

Linda is someone who went from being a working mother with four busy kids who felt like she had no time for herself or her passions, to a semi-retired empty nester with more time and more freedom.

Learn More HERE!

Over five years ago, I introduced a concept that has been at the heart of the Women in the Middle show ever since: being the Queen of Your Brain Domain. For women over 50 who want to stop living on autopilot and start living with more intention, that original episode was about learning to watch your thoughts, think on purpose, and take responsibility for your feelings and results. That foundation still holds.

My understanding of what it really means to lead your life has grown and this episode is the upgrade. Building on the conversations from earlier episodes, Episode 461 takes the concept somewhere deeper. We're talking about shifting from managing your thoughts to actually experiencing your life while you're living it.

With real, personal stories about a garden snake, tap-dancing tapioca, a pair of new sneakers, and a quiet morning with my dog, I bring the framework to life in a way that is warm, honest, and genuinely moving.

Please enjoy this interview!

Learn more here.

Are you ready to discover how you can use your past to inspire your customized retirement?

The pre-retirement phase of your life often takes years. Join us today to be a fly on the wall for a conversation about starting to think about what you want your retired life to look like.

My guest is Suzanne Albanese. Suzanne came from a large family in rural Virginia. She went to college at Virginia Tech, where she met her husband. She worked in the furniture world, had a son, and earned her MBA from Averett University.

Learn more here!

This episode is about when you feel stuck in midlife even though everything looks fine. If you've been feeling stuck, unclear, or just slightly off lately…today's show will help you understand why.

Feeling this way at this time in your life is common. But, what many women don't realize, especially when you're over 50 is this: It's probably not a clarity problem.

Learn more HERE

Midlife transitions can be challenging. Have you ever felt like your life looks fine… but something feels off?

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode, we're talking about what a midlife transition after 50 really is and why it often shows up in subtle, confusing ways.

For many women, this stage isn't about a dramatic crisis. It's about a quiet shift in awareness. You start noticing how you feel, how you're spending your time, and what you may want next.

If you've been feeling restless, disconnected, or unsure about your next chapter, this episode will help you understand what's going on and what to do about it.

More info here!

Today you'll discover insight into how writing a book can instigate insight into your own reinvention, especially when it's about midlife women. My guest today is Jennifer Oko.

Jennifer Oko is the author of four books of fiction and nonfiction. Her memoir Lying Together: My Russian Affair was twice named an "Editor's Choice" by The New York Times Book Review. Her novels include Gloss, a satire of morning television hailed as "a rare treat" by The Chicago Tribune; Head Case, a comic mystery about psycho-pharmaceutical trafficking. Learn more: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-457-rewriting-the-story-a-novelists-midlife-reinvention-with-jennifer-oko/

Am I too old to get out of a kayak? This was the question I asked when getting out of a kayak suddenly became difficult; it sparked an unexpected realization about aging, mindset, and decision-making.

Ask yourself, what happens for you when something you always loved suddenly gets harder? Do you give it up or do you typically get curious about how to make it work? After an awkward (and hilarious) kayaking moment, I share how noticing your thoughts and getting curious can help you avoid quietly giving up parts of your life you still want.

You'll also learn how small challenges can quietly shrink your life and how to use "life leadership" to adjust instead of give things up. This is how you regret-proof your life!

Please enjoy this episode!

Learn More: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-456-am-i-too-old-to-get-out-of-a-kayak-in-midlife/

Today you'll discover an intergenerational friendship between two women 76 and 105 years old, that got better with age. Walking and talking with your 100+ year old friend is not something you might think was even possible. But it's their reality and my guest wrote a book about it.

My guest is Merilyn Simonds. She's the younger half of this intergenerational friendship. Merilyn is also an internationally published and award-winning author of three e-born works of fiction and 20 books overall.

Learn more: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-455-walking-and-talking-with-my-100-year-old-friend-intergenerational-friendships-in-midlife-with-merilyn-simonds/

What you'll learn in this episode about how to balance your hormones in menopause and beyond.

Today the show's focus is on how to balance hormones in menopause and beyond with Sarah Haas. It's probably no surprise that we're also diving into weight loss, sleep, balance, stress and more. Menopause can be a confusing time.

My guest, Sarah Haas, is a Women's Weight Release & Body Love Coach, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, yoga instructor, host of the Boss Body podcast, and expert columnist for Aspire Magazine. She empowers women in midlife, menopause, and beyond to create vibrant health, feel good in their bodies, and live a simple, sustainable healthy lifestyle.

Learn more: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-454-how-to-balance-your-hormones-in-menopause-and-beyond-with-sarah-haas/

What if nothing is technically wrong in midlife … but something still feels off?

In this episode, we explore a common but often hard-to-explain midlife experience: when your life looks good on paper, yet feels slightly out of alignment. You're capable, responsible, and productive. Everything works. And yet… something doesn't quite feel right.

Learn more: https://suzyrosenstein.com/podcast/ep-453-when-your-life-looks-fine-but-feels-slightly-off-after-50/