Education

The Midlife Chrysalis

The Midlife Chrysalis is a one-hour podcast hosted by Chip Conley, bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife and founder of MEA (Modern Elder Academy). Chip and his high-profile guests – including Maria Shriver, Hoda Kotb, Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Franti, and more – dive into raw, vulnerable conversations about the profound transitions they’ve experienced in midlife.

Listeners get a rare look at how even the most successful individuals have to navigate life’s pivotal changes – and gain practical wisdom they can apply in their own lives for a more fulfilling and purposeful next chapter.

Latest Episodes:

Why Deep Listening is the Key to Transformation | Gail Larsen May 25, 2026

Show notes

The parts of ourselves we silence are often the very things that make us come alive.

In this heartfelt episode of Midlife Chrysalis, I sit down with Gail Larsen, transformational speaking teacher, author, and longtime MEA faculty member, for a soulful conversation about authenticity, creativity, aging, and finding your voice.

From growing up in a restrictive religious environment to helping thousands of people discover their “original medicine,” Gail shares the wisdom she’s gathered through decades of transformation and deep listening.

Together, we explore:

Why emotional connection matters more than polished performance
How transformational listening helps us reconnect with ourselves
Why our unique gifts are meant to be shared
How entering the unknown keeps us fully alive
Why transformation comes not from strategy, but from mystery

This is one of those conversations that gently stays with you long after it ends.

Timestamps:

(02:22) Why Her 80s Feel Like the Best Years

(04:18) Escaping a Restrictive Religious Life

(07:19) Motherhood, Divorce, and Unexpected Paths

(8:20) Madame Ovary and Finding Humor in Menopause

(11:43) Her First Speech to 4,000 Women

(13:34) Comfort Zone vs Home Zone Speaking

(17:43) The Heart of Transformational Speaking

(18:37) Discovering Your Original Medicine

(20:13) What Makes a Speech Truly Transformative

(22:43) Getting Out of the Jet Lag of Your Life

(25:00) Why People Lose Themselves in Midlife

(27:21) The Origins of Transformational Listening

(32:15) Feeling Creatively Dried Up After COVID

(34:26) Creativity, Soul, and Transformation

(35:18) Menopause, Reinvention, and Santa Fe

(40:54) Growing Older vs Growing Whole

(43:27) Gail’s Biggest Life Lessons

(45:11) Chip Conley on Cancer, Loss, and Wisdom

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#MidlifeChrysalis #GailLarsen #TransformationalListening #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #TransformationalSpeaking #FindYourVoice #EmotionalHealing #MidlifeTransformation #Creativity #Purpose #DeepListening #SpiritualGrowth #AgingWisely

Why Success Alone Will Never Fulfill You | Brad Stulberg May 22, 2026

Show notes

You hit your biggest goals… and still feel empty?

In this episode, performance expert and bestselling author Brad Stulberg breaks down why success alone doesn’t fulfill us and what actually does.

Drawing from his own experience with burnout, mental health struggles, and years of research, Brad shares a powerful new way to think about excellence, purpose, and what it really means to live well.

Here are a few key takeaways:

Success won’t save you: Chasing outcomes often leaves you feeling just as empty.
Excellence is a practice: It’s about who you become, not what you achieve.
Consistency beats intensity: Real mastery is built over years, not quick wins.
Joy isn’t optional: It’s what makes the journey sustainable.
You don’t have to grow from every struggle: Sometimes, surviving is enough

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or wondering “Is this it?”, this conversation will change how you see success and your path forward.

👉 Watch now and rethink what truly matters.

Timestamps:

(03:01) What True Excellence Means

(04:30) Early Influence and Life Direction

(06:25) Mental Health Crisis & Turning Point

(12:44) What “Gumption” Actually Means

(14:26) Flow State Is Overrated

(18:41) Why Joy Beats Discipline

(25:14) Why Success Feels Empty

(28:45) Enjoying the Process

(31:20) Why Midlife Feels Hard

(33:12) Finding Purpose Again

(36:28) Self-Optimization Culture

(41:17) Don’t Be One-Dimensional

(44:37) Build a Bigger Life

(46:20) Wisdom Bumper Sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#excellence #meaningfullife #arrivalfallacy #selfimprovement #personaldevelopment #consistency #joyintheprocess #mastery #purpose #successmindset #mentalhealth #burnoutrecovery #growthmindset #habits #lifelessons

Why So Many Successful People Struggle With Retirement May 20, 2026

Show notes

Why So Many Successful People Struggle With Retirement What Comes After Ambition but Before Retirement?

The Hidden Midlife Crisis Between Success and Retirement

What happens when you stop chasing success… but you’re not ready to retire?

In this episode of Midlife Chrysalis, Chip Conley and Derek Gehl explore a stage of life many people experience but rarely talk about: feeling caught between ambition and retirement. Chip shares personal stories about aging parents, purpose, and how his own view of success changed over time. He explains why midlife can become less about proving yourself and more about giving back, mentoring others, and finding deeper meaning.

In this episode:

• Why traditional success can start feeling empty

• The difference between ambition and purpose

• Why retirement doesn’t work for everyone

• How to discover what really matters in the next chapter of life

• A simple question that can help you find your calling If you’re rethinking what success, purpose, and aging really mean, this episode is for you.

Watch now.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday

01:14 The Hard Truth About Aging Parents

03:23 The New Life Stage Nobody Talks About

04:01 What Is Post Ambition Pre Retirement?

05:35 Stop Chasing Youth Start Growing Useful

08:17 How Airbnb Changed Chip’s Purpose

10:12 When Success Stops Being About You

12:05 Why Legacy Matters More Than Achievement

15:20 You Don’t Need a Huge Mission

16:00 The Grandmother Bench That Changed Lives

18:12 The Real Meaning of Your Gifts

19:18 Passion Always Requires Sacrifice

22:24 Why Retirement Often Feels Empty

23:30 How to Find Your Calling in Midlife

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#MidlifeChrysalis #ChipConley #PostAmbitionPreRetirement #PAPR #ModernElder #MidlifePurpose #LifeAfterSuccess #RetirementTransition #PurposeAfter50 #AgingParents #MeaningInMidlife #SecondHalfOfLife #PersonalGrowth #WisdomWednesday #FindingYourCalling

Why Modern Life Is Terrified Of Death | Ben Yalom May 18, 2026

Show notes

What do you do when the version of yourself you built for decades no longer fits your life?

In this conversation, Chip sits down with therapist and former theater director Ben Yalom for a warm, honest discussion about reinvention, grief, aging, identity, and the courage it takes to change direction in midlife.

After spending years in experimental theater, Ben found himself at a crossroads during COVID. What followed was an unexpected transition into psychotherapy, where he now combines storytelling, movement, curiosity, and emotional exploration in deeply human ways.

In this episode, they talk about:

Letting go of old identities without losing yourself
Why mistakes often become our greatest source of wisdom
The hidden emotional intelligence of the body
Why modern culture struggles so much with death and aging
How curiosity keeps us alive and growing through change

It’s one of those conversations that stays with you long after it ends.

Listen now if you’re navigating change, rethinking your path, or wondering who you’re becoming next.

Timestamps:

(03:39) Leaving Theater Behind for Therapy

(06:15) COVID Forced a Major Life Shift

(08:00) Growing Up as Irving Yalom’s Son

(12:43) Letting Go of Old Identities

(15:41) Your Body Knows Your Story

(18:56) Life as a Creative Practice

(21:25) Writing Hour of the Heart

(26:13) Aging Parents and Facing Mortality

(30:44) Writing Life as a Fairy Tale

(33:04) Why Modern Culture Fears Death

(35:44) Ben Yalom on Grief and Loss

(36:58) What the Body Knows Beyond Words

(41:16) Wisdom Bumper Sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#BenYalom #MidlifeReinvention #ExistentialTherapy #SomaticTherapy #BodyMindConnection #FearOfDeath #PersonalTransformation #Psychotherapy #EmotionalHealing #MidlifeCrisis #LifeTransitions #Curiosity #Aging #MentalHealth #Mortality

Why Facing Mortality Changes How You Live | Dr. Kerry Burnight May 15, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with gerontologist Kerry Burnight, who has spent decades working with people in their 80s, 90s, and even 100s. And what she’s learned might completely change how you think about aging, and how you choose to live right now.

Kerry introduces a powerful idea called joyspan, the missing piece between how long you live and how well you live. And the truth is, most people are getting this wrong.

Here are a few insights that stayed with me:

Joy isn’t the same as happiness. It’s something you build from the inside
The closer we get to the end, the clearer it becomes what actually matters
People don’t regret not achieving more, they regret not loving more
Even in the hardest moments, joy is still available to us
You always have something to give, no matter your age or stage of life

This is one of those conversations that makes you pause, reflect, and maybe rethink how you’re living your life. Watch now.

Timestamps:

(02:58) From chance meeting to life impact

(08:04) Difference between joy and happiness

(11:34) Lifespan vs. healthspan vs. joyspan

(13:03) Joyspan as a skill you can build

(16:52) Finding joy while facing illness

(19:48) Viktor Frankl and meaning in suffering

(24:18) What older people teach us about life

(28:35) Why aging can make you whole

(30:37) The hidden danger of internalized ageism

(35:00) What really matters at the end of life

(37:09) The midlife anxiety turning point

(41:01) Midlife unraveling and becoming yourself

(44:01) Inside the joyspan retreat experience

(46:25) Why this matters at any age

(48:12) The one life lesson that changes everything

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#joyspan #agingwell #gerontology #longevity #healthspan #midlifetransformation #meaningoflife #deathanddying #endoflife #elderwisdom #lifelessons #purposefulliving #emotionalwellbeing #innergrowth #modernelder

What Keeps You Together When Everything Falls Apart? May 13, 2026

Show notes

What happens when life changes all at once?

In this deeply emotional conversation, Chip opens up about one of the hardest seasons of his life: facing stage 3 cancer again while grieving the loss of his mother, navigating relationship changes, caring for his aging father, and trying to hold onto purpose through it all.

But this episode isn’t about giving up. It’s about what keeps us going when life feels unbearably heavy.

You’ll hear:

What it feels like to face mortality head-on
Why Chip stopped hiding his struggles from the world
The unexpected power of purpose, community, and honest conversation
How grief, fear, and uncertainty can reshape a life
Why staying open during hard times may be the real path to wisdom

This is one of the most vulnerable conversations we’ve ever shared, honest, human, heartbreaking, and deeply hopeful at the same time.

Listen now and share it with someone who might need to hear these words today.

Timestamps:

(00:46) Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday

(02:20) Why Chip Chose Baja California

(04:18) The Culinary Scene in Todos Santos

(06:21) Summer Refresh at MEA

(08:32) Chip Opens Up About His Life Quake

(11:38) What Transitional Intelligence Means

(13:45) Purpose, Calling, and Cancer

(14:42) The Reality of Hormone Depletion Therapy

(15:35) What Changed Since Chip’s First Diagnosis

(19:57) What Chip Learned from Cancer Workshops

(23:45) Living Through Hard Times Publicly

(28:01) Why Chip Rejects the “Perfect Guru” Persona

(32:19) The Biggest Predictors of Longevity

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#CancerJourney #GriefAndHealing #MidlifeWisdom #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealing #LifeTransitions #MentalHealthAwareness #PurposeDrivenLife #Mortality #Resilience #HealingJourney #SelfDevelopment #Longevity #WisdomWednesday #LifeAfterLoss

Feeling Stuck at 50: How to Find Your Magic and Start Again | Matt Ross May 11, 2026

Show notes

The moment everything starts falling apart might be the moment your life finally comes together.

In this episode, Chip Conley sits down with entrepreneur and author of Grow or Fold, Matt Ross, to explore a powerful story of midlife reinvention. From a high-pressure career in radio to building purpose-driven businesses, Matt shares how personal crisis, burnout, and uncertainty became the catalyst for real change.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

Why feeling “stuck” at 50 is often the start of something better
The simple mindset shift that turns breakdown into breakthrough
How to treat your life like a business—and actually redesign it
What it really means to “find your magic” (and how to do it)
Why growth, not comfort, is the key to a fulfilling second half of life

If you’re at a crossroads, questioning what’s next, or just know there’s more out there for you—this conversation will hit home.

Watch now and take the first step toward your next chapter.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(05:00) Breaking into CBS and early career growth

(08:24) Turning around a failing radio station

(11:16) Music strategy and audience targeting

(13:57) Leaving radio and industry decline

(15:35) Joining School of Rock as CEO

(18:15) Launching One River School at 50

(22:18) Writing Grow or Fold and personal crisis

(26:06) Treating life like a business

(29:52) Personal struggles and rebuilding

(30:15) Vision planning and long-term goals

(33:15) Lessons from age 50 to 65

(37:42) Grow vs fold mindset

(41:46) Midlife purpose and transformation

(45:54) Entrepreneurship and self-awareness

(47:54) Final life lesson and philosophy

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#MidlifeCrisis #LifeAfter50 #PersonalGrowth #ReinventYourself #FindYourPurpose #SelfAwareness #MidlifeTransformation #CareerChange #PersonalDevelopment #MindsetShift #StartAgain #LifeRedesign #GrowthMindset #EntrepreneurMindset #PurposeDrivenLife

What Horses, Death, and Nature Taught Me About Being Human | Kelly Wendorf May 08, 2026

Show notes

What if the life you built… no longer feels like yours?

In this powerful episode, Kelly Wendorf joins Chip Conley for a raw conversation about loss, identity, and the moment everything shifts. From caring for a dying parent to rediscovering yourself through nature, this episode goes straight to the heart of what it means to truly live.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

Why success can still leave you feeling empty
How facing death reshapes how you see life
What “rewilding” really means and why it matters
How nature (and horses) reflect who you really are

If you’re going through a big shift, dealing with loss, or just feeling like something’s off—this one will really hit.

👉 Watch the full episode now.

Timestamps:

(05:13) Kelly’s early life

(06:52) Archaeological sites and sacred Kivas

(09:35) A warrior who redefined masculinity

(14:35) Challenges of depth and relationships

(21:06) Growing older and becoming whole

(23:14) Story of Kelly’s mother and final months

(36:29) What rewilding means

(40:15) Why nature helps transformation

(43:54) Lessons from horses

(49:12) Final wisdom and life lesson

(53:38) Closing thoughts and gift for listeners

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

Free Workshop Gift from Our Guest

Join the Transformative Life Workshop for free: https://www.theequusacademy.org/courses/how-to-lead-a-transformative-life-2026

Use code: Equus100kw

#CaringForADyingParent #FacingDeath #LifeAfterLoss #RewildingLife #MidlifeAwakening #GriefAndGrowth #EndOfLifeCare #IdentityShift #FindingYourselfAgain #EmotionalHealingJourney #LettingGo #MeaningAfterLoss #NatureHealing #HorseWisdom #DeepConversations

AI vs Humans: The One Skill AI Still Can’t Replace May 06, 2026

Show notes

AI is changing work faster than anyone expected… but most people are focusing on the wrong thing.

In this episode, Chip Conley and Derek Gehl break down what AI actually means for your career, especially if you're in midlife and wondering where you fit in.

Here’s what matters:

AI is replacing routine work first, not higher-level thinking
Wisdom now matters more than knowledge in an AI-driven world
Over-relying on AI can weaken your own skills
Curiosity and adaptability are your biggest advantages

This isn’t about fear. Ot’s about knowing where you stand and how to move forward.

👉 Listen now to learn how to stay relevant and think for yourself in the age of AI.

Timestamps:

(00:00) AI and human wisdom

(01:20) How AI frees mental bandwidth

(02:30) Who is most vulnerable to AI

(04:00) Knowledge vs wisdom

(06:39) AI adoption inside organizations

(07:44) Fear and resistance to AI

(09:21) Scaling with AI and team adoption

(10:52) How to stay relevant in the AI era

(11:41) Best AI tools to start with

(12:57) Learning AI through curiosity

(15:07) Don’t lose core skills to AI

(16:45) Practical steps to start using AI

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AIJobs #CareerGrowth #StayRelevant #WorkTrends #DigitalTransformation #AIFuture #HumanSkills #Wisdom #CareerAdvice #MidlifeCareer #AIAwareness #FutureSkills

The New Way Women Over 50 Are Choosing to Live | Elizabeth White May 04, 2026

Show notes

In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth White, author of 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, shares how losing everything during the recession led her to uncover a hidden crisis affecting millions of women over 50… and a bold new solution.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Why financially stable women are quietly slipping into insecurity
Why housing, not healthcare, is the real pressure point in midlife
How “Golden Girls”–style co-living is becoming a practical path forward
What most people get wrong about shared living, and how to know if you’re ready
Why the “wisdom worker” era could redefine aging as an advantage

This episode reframes what it means to grow older and how to do it with more connection, security, and intention.

Don’t Call Them Retirement Communities:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/realestate/modern-elder-academy-adult-co-living-retirement.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

🎧 Listen now and rethink your future.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:46) Meet Elizabeth White

(01:29) Job loss and midlife crisis

(05:41) Book and growing audience

(08:49) Advice for financial survival

(10:29) Using support systems

(12:55) Resilience circles explained

(15:35) Path to co-living idea

(18:00) Housing as main challenge

(19:40) Golden Girls housing concept

(22:11) Growing interest in co-living

(23:23) Demand vs developer gap

(26:41) Retreat insights and readiness

(29:04) Are you ready for co-living

(31:20) Types of shared housing

(32:49) Future of co-living in America

(34:11) Housing crisis and aging

(37:22) Economic challenges and solutions

(39:44) Fear of financial insecurity

(40:38) Wisdom worker era

(41:21) Life lessons and aging well

(43:36) Redefining luxury

(45:09) Challenging age limitations

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#WomenOver50 #MidlifeLiving #CoLiving #SharedHousing #GoldenGirlsLiving #LifeAfter50 #AgingWell #MidlifeReset #HousingCrisis #SoloAging #Over50Lifestyle #CommunityLiving #RetirementPlanning #WomenSupportingWomen #ModernAging

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Midlife Chrysalis

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected