Magnificent Midlife

Maryon Stewart is known as the pioneer of the natural menopause movement. She created a non-drug but scientifically based program to overcome issues associated with menopause and has helped thousands of women. She's written 28 books and is also a campaigner for education around drugs. She's made it her mission to ensure women have all the information they need to manage menopause effectively witho...

My guest today is Ricki Heller, cookbook author, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. She's the ultimate expert, I reckon, on making dietary restrictions work, whether because you have to for health reasons or you just want to. She's completely plant-based, sugar-free and still eats the most amazing food. This episode covers a wide range of foods you may need or want to restrict in you...

Meet Rebecca Robertson, an independent financial advisor who set up her own business, Evolution Financial Planning specifically to empower women financially. She's passionate about helping women get more financially secure. She's also convinced the world will be a much better place if more of its wealth is in the hands of women, who are then able to make better decisions with it. We talk about: •...

An interview with Elizabeth Solaru, the founder of Elizabeth's Cake Emporium and maker of luxury wedding cakes. Elizabeth has a fascinating story to tell about multiple reinventions including a new one accelerated by the global pandemic. She's the mistress of creating opportunity out of challenge. We talk about: Elizabeth's careers before cake-making Being a microbiologist and working for the heal...

Meet Susan Saunders, co-author of the best-selling book, The Age-Well Project and author of her latest book The Age-Well Plan , a blueprint for how to age well. The Age-Well Project is the book I wish I'd written so I was thrilled to have Susan talk to us. She will inspire you to see that you have so much impact on how you age. We talk about: How Susan's family history lead her to want to age well...

A solo episode with host Rachel Lankester talking about midlife recently, why she does what she does and the launch of her Revitalize Program. She talks about: Her son's graduation Sending off her book draft Getting a second Covid vaccination Why she does what she does Her early menopause and moving on from secondary infertility What women in the Magnificent Midlife community say about how they fe...

Sam Palmer is a menopause fitness expert. She's passionate about getting women in their best shape so they can thrive through menopause and beyond. She's a qualified nurse, teacher, fitness instructor and menopause coach. We talk about: • Dealing with the anxieties of midlife • How we all benefit from being open about menopause • Why taking care of your body is so important • Why midlife fitness i...

My guest today is Becky Quicke who describes herself as the Menopause Psychologist. She's dedicated to helping women cope especially with the emotional aspects of menopause. We talk all about managing anxiety but also about the tremendous power of hormonal change for women. We talk about: • Becky's personal experience of perimenopause. • Connecting with and understanding your menstrual cycle and h...

Kay Newton is the midlife strategist. She's a speaker and author, and she helps women over 50 get their mojo back. She's particularly interested in what it takes to create a more simple life at any age but especially as we get a bit older. We talk about: • What Kay means by a simple life • Why it's important to live a simple life • Kay's journey of moving homes and shedding the weight of stuff • H...

Tania Dalton is a healthy aging coach and fitness trainer who's passionate about redefining age. Tania has a massive following on Instagram, is incredibly inspiring and I knew I just had to share her wonderfulness with you. We talk about: Why Tania became so interested in how lifestyle impacts aging Why she's determined to show women menopause isn't the end so much as a whole new beginning Simple...

Mari Smith is one of the foremost experts in Facebook marketing and is often referred to as the Queen of Facebook. She's been named one of 7 women shaping digital marketing by IBM and one of the Top Ten Social Media Power Influencers many years in a row. She's shared stages with the likes of Eckhart Tolle, Sir Richard Branson, Tony Robbins and Arianna Huffington to name a few. I'm a bit gob-smacke...

Karen Arthur is an educator, fashion designer, dancer and a podcaster. She's the host of the Menopause Whilst Black Podcast set up to amplify Black women's voices. We talk about: • How the BLM movement inspired Karen to create her podcast • Menopause isn't one size fits all • Making sure your workplace is taking care of you through menopause • The different menopause experience of Black women • Ho...

Jacqueline Perez is the founder of Kuel Life, an online magazine and shop for women over 45. Her mission is to redefine midlife for the modern woman and to create relevant content and products for older women. We talk about: • Jack's journey into entrepreneurship in starting Kuel Life • How Kuel Life was a huge pivot for Jack in thinking about the world • Jack's initial struggle in coming to terms...

Gilly Smith is an award-winning food writer, broadcaster, university lecturer, a retreat host and most recently podcaster. She's written lots of books and presents and produces a number of food related podcasts including the Right 2 Food podcast for the Food Foundation. We talk about: • How and why Gilly got started with her latest podcast: 'Right 2 Food' • Why Gilly became passionate about food s...

I interview Juju Hook, author of Hot Flashes, Carpools, and Dirty Martinis—The Quintessential Guide for Turning Midlife into PrimeTime. There is so much wisdom in this episode on how to get out of our own way to create a magnificent next chapter. Truth bombs throughout! We talk about: • How Juju took her first steps into writing • How to rediscover yourself at 45 or 60 • The lies we tell ourselves...

A solo catchup episode with Rachel talking about: My joy at the US election result Not taking democracy for granted. Life under lockdown in the UK The roadmap out of lockdown Being able to finally see my mum – I hope How Christmas plans went askew Not having time to waste when you're 86 Making the best of separation Vaccination rollout and accepting the jab My amazing recent podcast guests Finding...

Meet Alisoun Mackenzie, coach, author, retreat leader, yoga teacher and speaker amongst other things. She's passionate about enabling all of us to make more of a difference in the world. We talk about: • How Alisoun went from finance to building schools • Why our values get harder to ignore the older we get • Learning to listen to our inner voice, that niggling feeling • Making a difference as a w...

I interview Makeda Smith, celebrity publicist, and pole and exotic dancer. She began her pole and aerial training at the age of 50 and created her own exotic dance brand called FlyingOver50. A decade later, she's on a mission to enable older women to unleash their inner goddess.  We talk about: • How Makeda came to start pole dancing at age 50 • How pole dancing changed her life • Why sexy never g...

Jackie Lynch is a Registered Nutritional Therapist who's written a very interesting book called The Happy Menopause. It's specifically about how nutrition can help us flourish and I just love the title Happy Menopause. We talk about: Why Jackie believes menopause is a transformational time in a woman's life in a good way Estrogen as the biddable, nurturing hormone Why some women suffer badly in me...

Meet the remarkable Jessica Buchanan, the NYT bestselling co-author of Impossible Odds, a memoir that details her 93 days held in the desert by Somali land pirates, and her dramatic rescue by US Navy SEAL Team VI. I am so inspired by Jess and found this such an empowering story of survival against truly impossible odds that can help all of us cope better under duress. We talk about: How Jess finds...

An interview with Feyi Raimi-Abraham, founder of a fabulous new company called The Black Dementia Company, set up during lockdown and inspired into creation by caring for her mother who has dementia. We talk about: • Why Feyi felt there was a need for this company • How lockdown accelerated that need • What she hopes to achieve with the company • What it's like caring for her mother • When she fir...

Trish Beauchamp is a coach who helps women navigate change in relationships due to divorce, death or disconnection. She spent 35 years as a teacher and then experienced her own midlife unravelling facing personal challenges with health, relationships and her change in career. She joins me today to particularly talk about anxiety, cos I thought we could all do with some help in that particular area...

Clare Josa is an author of 8 books, a speaker, an NLP trainer and a leadership mentor. She started out as an engineer and uses a lot of that discipline in her soul-engineered leadership work. She says that "changing the world isn't so much about what you do, as about who you allow yourself to become. " We talk about: How Clare moved from engineering to doing what she does now Sexism in engineering...

An empowering discussion with Dr Rhoberta Shaler, the relationship help expert. She helps people to recognize and recover from the toxic relationships that can make us crazy! We talk about: • How to define a toxic relationship • The pressure that gets put on relationships • What Rhoberta means by a hijackal in a relationship • How a hijackal looks for power, status and control • How to identify a...

Every season I do a solo episode. I'm in contemplative mood again thinking about the challenging world we're living in right now, and how we can build and maintain our resilience. I talk about: Jacinda Ardern's landslide victory in New Zealand Women leading as women not trying to be men or by burning out The impact of stress on our health Covid making us all depleted and how important it is to rep...