Education
**Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide**

Everyone sees a woman who has it together. What they don’t see is everything she’s holding in her head, running the house, the money, supporting everyone around her, with no instruction manual for any of it.
The Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide is for the woman who’s mistaken exhaustion for competence long enough to know busy isn’t the same as steady.
Each episode highlights experts in honest conversations about what actually runs a life: health, home, money, relationships, identity. The goal isn’t one more thing to manage. It’s trading the white-knuckling for a little more ease.
Come find your people.

Latest Episodes:

How to Make Midlife Work for You (It's Possible) Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Forty Thrive Top 10 of Season 2! This week, it's #10!

Meet Catherine Balsam-Schwaber. She’s smart, successful and CEO of Kindra, a company that just might rock your world. Together, Catherine and I bust the lid off menopause, including sleepless nights, hot flashes, mood swings and (believe it or not) the benefits of being a midlife woman in the midst of this change.

About Our Guest:

Catherine Balsam-Schwaber is known as a dynamic, results-oriented leader with a track record of delivering exceptional results in high pressure environments. She has extensive experience in business transformation with complex multi-platform products, strategy, marketing, creative leadership, revenue growth, media + advertising, subscription/OTT/DTC, communications and ecommerce.

Catherine is the CEO of Kindra, an innovative self-care company for women in menopause. A life-long advocate for women’s health, Catherine joined Kindra to break down the stigma surrounding menopause care and support and empower women in mid-life through Kindra’s science-backed formulas and community-building initiatives.

Plus, get 20% off Kindra site wide! Visit OurKindra.com and checkout using promo code: FORTYTHRIVE20

Mentioned in this episode:

Join Kindra’s online community

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You Want Me to Put That WHERE? Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

Why would you start to use cannabis at this age?! Before you judge, just listen. It could seriously change everything for you. We're not talking smokin' out under the bleachers here. Cannabis can be used to manage so many (peri)menopause symptoms and help you feel like yourself again -- without actually getting high.

Meet Carrie Mapes and Patty Pappas, founders of Hello Again! They're busting cannabis myths and answering your questions.

Carrie and Patty go way back – twenty years ago the duo met when their oldest children started preschool. Friends ever since, Carrie and Patty have always been adventurous and open-minded – but it wasn’t until they became empty nesters that they decided to explore local dispensaries.

Quickly, they realized that cannabis was uniquely suited to address many of the challenges they experienced during menopause. Patty and Carrie searched for a single product geared to address these challenges, but there was nothing in sight. Naturally, their problem-solving instincts lead them to take matters into their own hands – by building their own product from the ground up.

Cannabis. Vaginal. Suppository. Some might read those words and think “crazy talk”, but for Carrie and Patty these same words represent the future of women’s wellness.

Carrie’s creativity combined with Patty’s attention to detail make them the perfect pair to spearhead a movement to educate women about menopause and the non-psychoactive use of cannabis for wellness at any age. Carrie and Patty founded Hello Again in 2019, after extensive research and development. The duo is committed to offering solutions for women to improve both mental and physical health and feel like themselves again.

As Carrie and Patty say, their grandmother’s tolerated, their mothers medicated, and they CREATED. Hello Again!

Related Episode: Cannabis and CBS as Midlife Medicine

About Our Guests:

Carrie Mapes is committed to helping women through the challenges of menopause. After struggling with memory fog and energy shortages, Carrie understands how confusing it can be to associate menopause with its symptoms. Through her creativity and relatability, she strives to reach women who face the challenges she once did - and to introduce these women to a product that can make them feel like themselves again.

Carrie currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and has two adult children. When not working at the intersection of cannabis and menopause, Carrie spends time developing her art.

Patty Pappas aims to introduce a product that changed her life into the lives of women everywhere. After experiencing years of uncontrollable mood and temperature shifts, Patty started experimenting with cannabis products to tackle her menopause. Her knowledge of symptoms and personal encounters with relief practices h

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It's Time to Finally Write That Book! May 26, 2021

Show notes

A while back I asked women in the Forty Thrive community something they’ve always wanted to do but just need a little push to do it… and many women talked about finally writing that first book!

Well you’re in luck! Meet Jennie Nash, founder of the Author Accelerator. Jennie has spent 30 years on all sides of the publishing industry and is the author of four novels, three memoirs, and one self-help book for writers. Not only does Jennie’s company coach many people how to write their book, but she also trains people to become book coaches to support writers through the entire creative process. Could becoming a book coach be your next big career move?

Check out Jennie's programs here.

Speaking of books, check out our Forty Thrive bookstore where you’ll find all the books written by Forty Thrive guests — from personal development, to great reads about menopause, money, memoirs, marriage and so much more!

If you prefer to listen to books — like I do — you can also get a FREE month of Audible. I love my Audible books! I listen in the car, on walks, or just doing chores around the house. I mean you already listen to podcasts - its an easy transition. Visit AudibleTrial.com/fortythrive for your free month of Audible and a FREE audiobook download.

About Our Guest:

Jennie Nash is the founder of Author Accelerator, a business that has trained more than 50 book coaches to support writers through the entire creative process, and matches writers with the right coach that can give them the sustained editorial support they need to complete their book projects. Jennie’s book coaching methods bring back the powerful and time-tested concept of artistic mentorship – which has been largely squeezed out of a publishing industry hungry for the next big, fast hit. Jennie has spent 30 years on all sides of the publishing industry and is the author of four novels, three memoirs, and one self-help book for writers. Connect with Jennie on AuthorAccelerator.com or BookCoaches.com.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Escape from Cubicle Nation

Pia Silva

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Get Your Ass into These May 20, 2021

Show notes

Have you ever tried on an outfit and thought "who the heck was this made for?" Today's guest certainly has. But the difference is, she took it a step forward and actually created accessible styles for women of all shapes and sizes.

Caren Lettiere is Founder and President of Democracy Clothing. She's passionate about celebrating women, helping us feel our most beautiful and confident.

Save 25% site-wide at DemocracyClothing.com with promo code: FortyThrive.

We're gifting five Forty Thrive listeners with a pair of Democracy Jeans. Visit our free and private Facebook community to learn more!

About Our Guest:

Caren Lettiere is the Founder and President of Democracy Clothing, the casual lifestyle brand designed for the modern, multitasking woman who grew up with fashion, then got busy with life.

Best known for its “Ab”solution jeans with fit technology, Democracy Clothing embraces women of all shapes and sizes, providing them with confidence-building clothing that helps them look good and feel good, while doing good.

Alongside Democracy, Caren’s proudest accomplishment is the fulfilling family life she’s built with her husband of 30 years, David, and their amazing kids Nicole and Josh.

Connect with Caren and Democracy on Instagram and Facebook.

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Help! My Relationship is Falling Apart May 13, 2021

Show notes

If there ever were an episode that made me go "wait, WHAT?" it's this one. When I heard today's guest helps women fix their marriages with no effort from their spouse, I was like I am ready to debate! But that's not what happened. Take a listen and hear for yourself!

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5 Love Languages

Connie Schultz

About Our Guest: New York Times bestselling author Laura Doyle was the perfect wife...until she actually got married. When she told her husband how to be tidier, more romantic, and more ambitious, he avoided her. So she dragged him to marriage counseling and nearly divorced him.

In desperation, she asked happily married women for their secrets, and that’s when she got her miracle: the man who had wooed her returned.

Laura’s books have been translated into 19 languages in 30 countries and accidentally started a worldwide movement.

Laura’s mission is to end world divorce. She is the founder of the international relationship coach training school Laura Doyle Connect, the star of Empowered Wives on Amazon Prime, the Creator of The Ridiculously Happy Wife program, the host of The Empowered Wife Podcast and she has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America and The View. She has helped over 15,000 women fix their relationships--even the hopeless ones--without their husband’s effort. Connect with Laura on The Empowered Wife Podcast, her website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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What if You Could Actually Find Balance? May 05, 2021

Show notes

What if the whole concept of finding "balance" actually isn’t just a load of BS? What if you could feel better, healthier, more at peace? Today’s episode can help you move just a little bit closer to that.

About Our Guest:

Want to be a rock star at work and at home? Cherylanne Skolnicki has the playbook. As an entrepreneur with a husband and three kids of her own, she knows exactly how it feels to have too much to do and not enough time to do it. It's exhausting, it's stressful, and it can be tempting to just give in to the chaos. Like most children of the 80s and 90s, Cherylanne grew up believing she could have it all. She started her first business while still in high school, and dreamed of one day becoming a CEO. After graduating from Cornell, she went to work for Procter & Gamble where she spent the next 15 years climbing the corporate ladder and managing a portfolio of well known consumer product brands (one had more than $1 billion in global sales). Despite her demanding work schedule, she still traveled, ran marathons, and volunteered like a boss. And then she had 3 children. All of a sudden, the unrelenting pace she was running at felt unsustainable. That’s when she knew she had to reorder her life so all the pieces would truly fit - including not just a thriving career and family life, but also a good night's sleep and some time to herself! It wasn't easy at first, but she finally discovered a set of practices that truly worked. That prompted her to found Brilliant Balance, and her playbook has helped thousands of professional women reclaim rock star status over the last decade. Her company, Brilliant Balance, offers work-life mentorship and coaching programs to help you have a fulfilling career, a thriving family life, and a strong sense of self. Cherylanne is a sought-after speaker and hosts the top-rated Brilliant Balance podcast. Her work has been featured in Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Women’s Day, and Cincy Chic. She appears on TV news shows as an expert on work life balance, productivity, and purpose. Cherylanne graduated from Cornell University in 1995. She holds an MBA from the Goizueta School of Management at Emory University. She is a member of the Female Founders Collective, one of Cincinnati’s 100 Wise Women, a Forty Under 40 Honoree, a happy wife, and a proud mom of three. Connect with Cherylanne on her website, Facebook and Instagram. Grab one of Cherylanne's freebies below:

Learn the 3 Keys to Work Life Brilliance

Stop Feeling so Tired all the Time - 8 Hacks for Working Women that Really Work

Calendar Control - Align your time with your priorities and turn your TO DO List into a DONE list

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The Conversation about Dieting Every Woman Needs to Hear Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

I'm willing to bet you haven't heard a conversation quite like this one. Meet Stephanie Dodier, a Clinical Nutritionist & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, speaker, podcast host and Creator of The Going Beyond The Food Method™️.

In this episode, we tackle so much:

What intuitive eating is… and what it isn’t
Understanding diet culture and how it’s creating needless suffering
How "good girl syndrome" plays into how we show up
Body positivity and why it’s the topic of some major debate
Fat phobia
The problem with BMI measurements

Join us in our free and private Facebook group to continue the conversation.

About Our Guest: Stephanie Dodier is a Clinical Nutritionist & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, speaker, podcast host and Creator of The Going Beyond The Food Method™️ a global coaching and online education platform focused on helping women make peace with food and their body so that they can live a fulfilling life… right now!

Stephanie has been recognized as a leading expert in the field of eating psychology and her weekly podcast Host of The Beyond the Food Show has been ranked a top 25 wellness Apple podcast. Stephanie created The Going Beyond The Food Method™ an integrative and comprehensive approach focus on helping women free themselves from the shackles of diet culture and finally engage with food and their body from a place of compassion and absolute confidence.

Stephanie's first diet was at 12 years old and her last one at 38 years old. Her 25-year dieting career is what is fueling her passion. She shares her personal journey as a source of inspiration while educating and empowering women to reconnect with their power and live their life to the fullest.

Connect with Stephanie on her website, Facebook and on Instagram.

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Why Women Are Afraid to Talk Money Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Meet Leah Hadley, a best-selling author, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), she’s all about helping her us make wise financial decisions as we begin the next phase of life with the strongest possible financial foundation.

Leah wasn’t always a financial wiz, in fact she was an instant parent of three when she and her husband adopted a sibling group. But then it wasn’t soon after that she was going through a divorce. So she gets the struggle. Leah is brilliant when it comes to managing money during and after divorce so stay tuned for that, but I also wanted to talk about managing money as a couple when you’re still together — hopefully well enough that you can avoid that divorce.

We talk setting financial goals, getting on the same page — communication around goals, oh my gosh so important, becoming an entrepreneur after working at a “safe” job for years, and managing finances through huge transitions — most of us have had one or there’s one right around the corner. This isn’t one of those heady or boring financial conversations but Leah provides some super simple real life tactics to empower you to make the most of your money. Oh and how to recognize the red flags when you reach out to a financial planner — when to run like hell

If you like what you hear and want to work with Leah, she’s offering you a free introductory call. Just click HERE.

Just be sure to let her know you were referred by Forty Thrive.

About Our Guest:

Leah Hadley will tell you she's had a lot of challenging financial times in her adult life-becoming a parent of three overnight, getting divorced, and losing her job, to name a few. These have been times when her ability to hunt down appropriate resources and careful financial planning was critical to her peace of mind.

Now a best-selling author, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), Leah is the founder of Great Lakes Divorce Financial Solutions and Great Lakes Investment Management. She uses all of her knowledge and 15 years of experience to help her clients make wise financial decisions so they can begin the next phase of life with the strongest possible financial foundation. Leah is committed to strengthening families through financial wellness.

Connect with Leah: Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook

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10 Things Every Woman Over 40 Should Know Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

50 is here, baby! And I've learned a few things in my 50 years on this beautiful planet. Today, I'm sharing 10 of those hard earned lessons in hopes that they can help you too. Psst: This is a great episode to share with your younger friends. (I'm like the ghost of Christmas future over here).

Mentioned in this episode:

Check out this post in our Forty Thrive FB group!

Join the Forty Thrive Hive!

Check out these reads by Forty Thrive guest authors!

Get a FREE month of Audible HERE.

Top 10 Lessons from (My First) 50 Years

It’s my 50th birthday. The big 5–0. Half a century. Fifty shades of somethin’. As a woman who’s had her fair share of life experiences, I feel like I’ve got some things to say, so sit your young self back and take a listen. The stuff you’ve been through — the challenges, the set backs, the unanswered prayers — they have all brought you to where you are today. And it’s those experiences that provide us the greatest lessons and wisdom. So as a new silver-haired, card-carrying member of AARP, I’ve learned a few things in my 50 years on this beautiful planet and today, I’m sharing 10 of those hard earned lessons in hopes that they can help you too. Psst: Feel free to share with your younger friends, too. (I’m like the ghost of Christmas future over here.)

1. You are not for everyone.

This is something I tell my creative coaching clients all the time. I actually tell my kids this all the time. It is okay if someone just does not prefer you. Just keep being yourself, showing up and doing you. Say it with me: I. AM. NOT. FOR. EVERYONE. The sooner and more often you remember this, you’ll be given a sense of freedom no longer worrying or even wondering what everyone else thinks.

2. You’re leaving a lot of progress on the table.

I love my trainer, Joan. She’s awesome. I see her three times a week. And when I’m there, we do all the s

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Guest Co-host Kim Goldman Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Forty Thrive's 100th episode! 100 episodes featuring experts, resources and badass women (and a couple of dudes) with incredible stories. This week, guest co-host Kim Goldman joins Jackie to talk the one year anniversary of the pandemic and all the non-stop changes that have happened to the ladies in the Forty Thrive community.

In this episode:

• How to foster friendships, even when you want to crawl into a hole

• How to take on changes, even those that blindside us.

• Using our challenges to our advantage -- today and everyday.

Join the Thrive Hive! Become a Forty Thrive supporter!

Related Episodes:

About Our Guest: Known nationwide as a victims' rights advocate after her brother's murder in the infamous O. J. Simpson murder trial, Kim Goldman spent the last 15 years as the Executive Director of The Youth Project, a non-profit organization that provides free counseling, support groups, crisis intervention, and education and outreach to thousands of teenagers, since opening in 2000.

Outside of her work with the Youth Project, Kim travels the country as an impassioned public speaker on victims' rights, the role of the media, judicial reform, and other related topics. Some speaking highlights include: Keynote Speaker at numerous National Victims' Rights Week Events, Parents of Murdered Children Victims Conferences, The FBI National Academy Conference, The Department of Justice (OJP), Speaker at Governor Wilson's Conference for Women, Domestic Violence Symposiums as well as partnered with MLB's Kansas City Royals, and guest speaker/panelist at universities and national events and will be attending CrimeCon in 2021.

In 2016, Kim joined the nationally syndicated, Daytime Emmy nominated show, Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen as a Special Correspondent dedicated to telling stories from a victim's perspective. As an accomplished writer, Kim has appeared twice on the New York Times Bestseller list with His Name is Ron, Our Search for Justice, and If I Did It, Confessions of the Killer. In 2014, Kim authored her memoir Can't Forgive, and in 2015, Media Circus, A Look at Private Tragedy in the Public Eye. Kim is the Executive Producer and Host of Confronting: O.J Simpson Podcast series, which launched in June 2019 and was named #4 of the Best 100 Podcasts of 2019, with more than 8M downloads, and was previously the co-host of Broadscast, a radio show/podcast for and about women and is currently in development for a new podcast/television series.

Kim is the founding Co-Chair of The Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice, the Co-Chair of The National Center for Victims of Crime after serving as Vice-Chair for many ye

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