40ish & Figuring It Out

Ever stare at a messy room, feel the pressure rise, and freeze anyway? That’s where Katie starts—naming the fog, questioning old assumptions about ADHD, and sharing the small, human tools that finally moved the needle. No scripts, no tidy outline, just an honest walk through midlife brain wiring, why structure soothes, and how a body-doubling app plus swing music turned a chaotic living room into...

Ever wake up tired and wonder how that’s even possible after a full night’s sleep? We go straight to the root and name what so many in their late 30s and 40s are feeling: this isn’t a sleep problem, it’s a capacity problem. Between work, kids, aging parents, and the weight of being “on” for everyone, the mind and body are carrying more than they were built to carry nonstop—and the bill comes due a...

What if “too late” is the wrong question and the better one is “what do I actually want now?” We dig into the midlife pivot with humor and honesty, peeling back the fear of looking foolish, the pressure to be instantly good, and the myth that everyone else got the memo on timing. From career changes to first creative attempts, we explore how to begin again without blowing up your life or your budg...

The waves of grief never truly stop—but they can get smaller when the logistics are clear. Author Lynn Stone joins us to share how her husband’s unexpected passing led her to create a practical, compassionate guide for end-of-life planning that puts love first. This conversation moves past stigma and superstition and into simple actions that protect the people we care about most. We walk through t...

What if the uneasy feeling you can’t name isn’t a problem to fix but a signal that something new is forming? We open up about the midlife identity shift many of us feel around forty and trade the pressure to reinvent for a kinder process of remembering, editing, and choosing with intention. The roles that once defined us grow quieter, and that silence can feel like loss—until we notice the space i...

What if resilience isn’t about being tough—but about letting yourself be seen? Today we sit down with counselor and author Stacy Schaffer to explore how healing starts when we match our insides to our outsides. Stacy opens up about the pivotal moment a childhood friend asked what really happened the year she “disappeared,” and how choosing to own her story transformed her life and practice. We div...

January doesn’t have to shout to matter. We’re kicking off 2026 by pressing pause on the pressure and choosing intention, reflection, and small, steady steps that actually fit a real life. Katie looks back on the quiet wins of 2025—starting the show without perfect timing, publishing through self-doubt, and caring for a sick spouse while keeping the mic warm—and shares how those moments reshaped w...

What if the “missing piece” of your story isn’t a flaw to fix but a new lens that finally makes everything make sense? Katie sits down with coach and community builder Natalie Sharp, who’s preparing for her own ADHD assessment at 40, to unpack why so many women are getting diagnosed later in life and how that knowledge reframes everything from school memories to motherhood. We talk about the reali...

Holiday magic feels different when you’re the one stitching it together. We open the curtain on the unspoken rules that push many of us to overfunction through December and show a livable way to trade performance for presence. From the drawer that won’t open to the calendar that won’t quit, this conversation moves from home organization mindset to holiday expectation triage, with practical steps f...

A stranger’s outrage in a parking lot shouldn’t have ruined our afternoon—yet it did. That jolt of unfairness, the shock that steals your words, and the endless replay afterward can trap even the most grounded among us. We pull the moment apart with honesty and humor, tracing what actually happens in the body when confrontation hits out of the blue and why silence might be the smartest choice your...

What if your forties were the start of your bravest chapter? We sit with marketer-turned-digital-nomad Lindsey Tague, who turned a layoff into a passport-powered reboot. She walks us through the messy middle—burnout, letting go of the “perfect job,” and the scary freedom of showing up online to land her first clients. Then she opens the curtain on real nomad life: Wi‑Fi checks, power outages, disc...

Ever crave people and peace at the same time? That tension sits at the heart of today’s conversation as we unpack why adult friendships feel heavier in midlife and how to keep them honest, warm, and sustainable. We start with a candid detour through skincare—being intimidated by routines, navigating sensitive skin, and laughing at unopened products—because it mirrors the bigger theme: wanting to c...

A black dress, a front-row seat in Milan, and a decade-long lesson in how to turn scrutiny into fuel—this conversation dives into Victoria Beckham’s first documentary episode and why her story hits so hard for anyone 40-ish and ready to rewrite the script. We trace her path from the awkward kid who found belonging on a stage to the woman who learned that silence could be armor and craft could be l...

The house gets quieter, the calendar loosens, and suddenly there’s room to ask bigger questions: Who am I now, and what do I want next? In a warm, honest conversation with book editor and newly published author Jennia D'Lima, we trace the emotional edges of a child leaving for college—those “firsts from afar” that sting and swell with pride at the same time—while finding the courage to write...

If you grew up thinking 40 would come with matching containers and a neat life plan, you’re in good company. We’re kicking off a fresh season of honest, funny, and deeply human conversations about what it really means to be 40-ish: reinventing without apology, parenting through chaos, and choosing progress over perfection. I share the wake-up that came with turning 40 and the decision to create a...

✨ Promo Episode: Welcome to 40ish & Figuring It Out ✨ In this special kickoff episode, Katie introduces the heart and soul behind 40ish & Figuring It Out — a space for women who are navigating midlife with equal parts chaos, laughter, growth, and “oh my gosh, why did no one tell me this?” From shifting identities and raising teens to rediscovering purpose, passion, and who you are beyond...