Growing Up Late

The difference between sacred silence and self-abandonment. How many times have you rehearsed something in your head—not because you did not know what you wanted to say, but because you were trying to say it in a way that would not make anyone uncomfortable? In this solo episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie McIntire explores what it means to say what needs to be said—not as a way to control the ou...

What happens when the life you built no longer fits, but you do not yet know who you are becoming? In this episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie McIntire talks with Ruchika Singhal, reinvention coach, author, and founder of Elevare Advisory, about navigating the unnerving but often transformative space between an old identity and a new one. After more than 25 years in senior leadership roles with g...

What if life is not waiting for you somewhere in the future? Not after you lose the weight, get the job, heal from the hard thing, feel ready, become confident, or finally know enough. What if life is already happening, and the only way forward is to participate in it? In this solo episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie McIntire reflects on a note she wrote in 2013: “Life: Sign Up Now.” More than a...

What’s sitting in your garage? For me, it was a chainsaw. In this episode of Growing Up Late , I share the unlikely story of a chainsaw that sat unused in my garage for years, not because I didn’t own it, but because somewhere along the way, I had decided chainsaws were for other people . You know… Other people use power tools. Other people reinvent their lives. Other people take big risks, speak...

Episode 10: My Mother Invented the Plastic Kite My mother used to say, "I'm not an inventor." Which was interesting, because I'm pretty sure she invented the plastic kite. Or at least she had the idea. In this episode, I revisit three stories from my childhood: a kite, a fireplace, and a trip to the beach, and what they revealed about permission, self-concept, and the gap between having an idea an...

This Is My Teacher. What Is My Lesson? What if the most important lessons in our lives come from the people and experiences we would never have chosen? In this episode of Growing Up Late , I explore a question that has fundamentally changed the way I move through the world: This is my teacher. What is my lesson? Using the ancient story of the Taoist farmer as a guide, I reflect on the mentors, cri...

Your Life is Already Telling the Truth Episode 8 of Growing Up Late explores awareness, avoidance, and the uncomfortable process of waking up to our own lives. Jeannie reflects on a powerful “168 Hours” exercise that revealed the gap between what she said mattered and how she was actually spending her time. From unopened bills to podcast procrastination, she explores the universal human tendency t...

The Human Algorithm Emotion makes memory stick. In this deeply reflective episode, Jeannie explores the “human algorithm”, the way our minds feed us more of whatever we focus on most. After years of believing she would always overcome adversity, a devastating personal and financial collapse shifted her thinking into fear, catastrophe, and certainty that everything would fall apart. Using vivid met...

What Survived the Collapse? What happens after everything falls apart? In this deeply personal episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie reflects on the collapse of the life she thought she was supposed to rebuild — and the surprising things that survived instead. From a crack in the house that now feels symbolic to an emotional breakdown in the grocery store snack aisle, this episode explores identity...

The Humbling In this episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie shares what happened after the house was sold and the life she knew was gone. Sitting alone in a mostly empty house, surrounded by memories, she begins to face the full emotional weight of starting over. Grief, shame, anger, fear, uncertainty. No plan. No clarity. Just the realization that life had changed completely. Then came the bank. Wh...

No Version Left to Believe: When the story stops working Episode Description There comes a moment when the story you’ve been telling yourself stops working, and the truth is no longer optional. In this episode of Growing Up Late , Jeannie walks through the unraveling of a life that once looked picture perfect. From a historic home filled with meaningful memories to a quiet divorce marked by denial...

Episode Summary For years, I believed I had married a white knight. The truth? I didn't marry one, I created one. In this episode, I share the moment I began to see what I had been avoiding for a long time: I had outsourced my power. My finances. My security. Even my happiness. When a simple question about money revealed something wasn't right, I had a choice: seek the truth or stay comfortable. I...

Episode Description Oh, the things I gave up to be loved. In this episode of Growing Up Late , I share the quieter side of my story, the parts that didn’t feel dramatic at the time, but mattered just as much. This isn’t about one big moment. It’s about the small, almost invisible ways I slowly set parts of myself aside. The things that once brought me joy, skiing, travel, and friendships, became n...

Episode Title I Trusted Him With Everything, and He Took It All. Episode Description I trusted him with everything, and he took it all. In this first episode of Growing Up Late , I share the moment my life cracked open. What I thought was a secure, successful life unraveled in an instant when I discovered every account I had was empty. But the truth is, it didn’t happen overnight. This episode isn...

In this episode, Jeannie introduces Growing Up Late and explores the gap between the impressive lives we build on the outside and who we actually are on the inside. A podcast for anyone ready to own their role in their own story and start living authentically.