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

Latest Episodes:

EP #478: Women in Midlife: Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Want To Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

You can, but do you want to? Women over 50 are often incredibly capable. You know how to handle things, solve problems, take care of people and get stuff done. But after decades of being the woman who can, it's easy to stop asking a completely different question: "Do I actually still want to?" In this episode, we explore the difference between capability and desire and also why something doesn't have to become unbearable before you reconsider it.

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EP #477: When a Feminist Judge Writes Her Memoir in Midlife Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Today's guest did something unexpected when she chose to leave her judgeship and follow a new direction in poetry. Her name is Jacqueline St. Joan.

Jackie is a retired lawyer, judge, and law professor, as well as an early feminist activist, community organizer, memoirist and novelist whose path to the bench was anything but planned.

She started her career as a secretary, went to law school at 28 as a divorced mother of two, and ended up representing domestic violence survivors before becoming the first judge in Denver's centralized protection order court. Her outspoken feminism brought public scrutiny though her rulings were consistently upheld and she was voted back into office.

Her shift away from law began after her father's death, when she started writing about their complicated relationship. A trip to a writers' conference in Aspen turned that project into a lifelong pull toward poetry, then fiction. Jackie stepped down from the bench gradually, working part-time as a mediator and law professor to stay financially stable while building a writing career.

Her memoir, Your Verdict: A Judge's Reckoning with Lawand Loss, (Golden Antelope Press) was recently published. Jackie is also the author of two novels, My Sisters Made of Light and The Shawl of Midnight. Jackie served as a Denver County Judge from 1987-1994. Jackie was also recently inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

Please enjoy this fascinating interview here!

EP #476: What Kind of Daughter Do You Want to Be in Midlife? Sep 10, 2026

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Being intentional about the kind of daughter you want to be with your aging parents is important. While we're busy noticing our own aging, our parents are aging too, and that realization tends to sneak up on us.

This episode moves past the logistics of caregiving (appointments, prescriptions, forms) and into the relationship underneath it. We need to ask ourselves an important question and it's not "what does a good daughter do" with senior parents. Instead, a better questions is "what kind of daughter do YOU want to be" with your aging parents.

Discover how my regret-proofing framework can work to support you during this time of your life. Learn how to become intentional in a relationship you can't control, with the person aging in front of you. This is a great way toregret-proof your life!

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EP #475: Creativity and Living a Curious Life with Fredrik Härén Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, you'll learn from Fredrik Härén, "The Creativity Explorer," a Swedish creativity expert who has spent 25 years traveling to 75 countries interviewing people to learn as much as he can about human creativity.

Fredrik is the author of ten books, including "The Idea Book," which was included in "The 100 Best Business Books of All Time," and he has been invited to speak more than 2000 times in 75 countries on six continents. As The Creativity Explorer, he aims to discover more about creativity, be it from innovators in Silicon Valley or nomads in the desert of Mongolia. His latest book is called "The World of Creativity" – a journey across 37 countries to discover the secret of creative minds.

You'll also discover how a mispronunciation from his young son led to his signature nickname, and why he believes "explorer" captures the creative mindset better than "expert" ever could. Along the way, you'll pick up the etymological roots of curiosity across English, Icelandic, and Bulgarian, and understand why questioning, rather than answering, may be the real engine behind creative thinking.

Finally, you'll come away with an unconventional philosophy on timing and opportunity, including the surprising nautical origin of the word "opportunity" itself. The conversation closes with a preview of his new book, The World of Creativity, and his core piece of advice for women navigating midlife.

EP #474: Are You Really Older & Wiser? The Reality of Wisdom Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

Are you really older and wiser? Research suggests that wisdom doesn't automatically increase just because we get older. Age gives us experience, but experience and wisdom aren't the same thing.

Wisdom grows when we pay attention to our experiences, reflect on what they're showing us, and allow what we learn to influence how we understand, trust, and lead ourselves. And this matters so much in midlife because by now, you have an incredible amount of data about yourself. You've had decades to discover what energizes you, what drains you, what you love, what you tolerate, what you regret, what you keep coming back to, and what keeps getting your attention.

Learn more here.

EP #473: Alcohol Moderation, Midlife Reinvention & Resilience with Michele D. Perron, PhD Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Today we're talking to a guest who helps professionals with personal alcohol concerns create a new relationship with alcohol withalcohol moderation coaching as an alternative to abstinence-only treatment.

My guest today is Michele D. Perron.

Michelle was originally a guest on Ep 134 of my sister podcast, the Women in the Middle Entrepreneurs, which is about the reality of running your business after 50. Her story of resilience is so compelling and interesting, I couldn't resist sharing here as well.

Michele's career path has been quite a diverse, unusual journey.

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EP #472: Creative or Not Creative in Midlife Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

For decades, I told myself I was creative. But not really creative. I could do lettering and calligraphy. But I couldn't draw or paint. So being creative became something I did on the side of my life instead of something I let myself really own.

In this episode, I'm tracing that belief all the way back through a bathroom valance I made just because I wanted to, a plain Ikea table turned into a chessboard, and years of doodling whales I love so much I bought a domain for it. Then something happened. It felt like the summer that cracked creativity open. It centered around a cancelled Grand Canyon rafting trip, a friend's art studio, and a decision to create something rather than have a summer with only sadness.

This isn't a story about becoming an artist. It's a story about giving yourself permission and about one of the most common regrets I hear from midlife women: not letting yourself be happy. Please enjoy!

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EP #471: Heal From Within in Midlife with Medical Intuition with Katie Beecher Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

My guest, Katie Beecher, MS, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Medical and Emotional Intuitive with over thirty-five years of experience. She blends clinical training with intuitive readings to help clients get to the root of what's really going on in their lives, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Katie is featured in over 200 media outlets including Goop, Kourtney Kardashian's website Poosh and Miranda Kerr's Kora Organics Blog and has taught a weeklong workshop at the Omega Institute. She has a unique way of working with clients, creating a detailed, individualized, physical, emotional, and spiritual report and symbolic painting, before ever seeing them, talking with them or seeing a photograph, using only their name and age.

For every client, she creates a detailed written report along with a symbolic watercolor "soul painting," then walks through themtogether during a session.

Katie's book, Heal from Within: An Intuitive Guide to Wellness is published by St. Martin's Press, uses the same practical tools and techniques Katie uses in her own medical and spiritual intuitive readings. In addition, the book teaches you to be your own medical intuitive using Katie's revolutionary, step-by-step process for connecting to intuition and spirit, finding self-love and empowerment as well as how to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

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EP #470: 9 Year Anniversary of Women in the Middle Podcast: What Endurance, Discipline, and Letting Myself Be Real Actually Taught Me Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Nine years ago, Suzy hit record on the very first episode of Women in the Middle. She began the show sitting in a cold cedar closet surrounded by clothes from the 90s and had no idea what she was actually starting.

You'll hear a real, behind the scenes look back that includes what it takes to create over 468 episodes. You'll also hear about what nine years of showing up every single week actually took, what it taught her, and what she's still learning right now about how to keep doing it well.

Learn more here.

EP #469: Calming the Cancer Chaos: A Conversation with Dr. Tiffany Troso Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

If you or someone you love has ever faced a cancer diagnosis, you know how overwhelming it can feel to try to understand your options, organize your care, and advocate for yourself while everything in your life is upended.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tiffany Troso-Sandoval, an oncologist with over 25 years of experience treating women with breast and gynecological cancers, including time at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She is the author of her new book, Calming the Cancer Chaos: An Oncologist's Guide for Women to Understand, Organize, and Take Control of Their Cancer Care.

Learn more here!

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