Living Your Sparked Second Half

Today’s guest is Valerie Irons, an artist, sound alchemist, and breathwork practitioner who owns Aumbase (pronounced Ōm-Bās), a Yoga & Sound Studio and Adventure Tour company in Sedona, AZ. Valerie's journey is an inspiring testament to the transformative power of embracing new paths later in life. Ten years ago, at the age of 50, Valerie embarked on a new journey as a Sound Healer,, a decisio...

EP352: Our inner chatter is constant and so much of it is negative, unhelpful, and UNTRUE! And what I've learned from helping so many women over 50 is that we, as a collective group, tell ourselves the same damn lies. Call them myths, unhelpful thoughts, or LIES but the fact of the matter is that continuing to tell yourself these things will not move you to make any positive changes and get you th...

EP351: Today’s guest is Dr. Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey, an abstract artist, transformational coach for creatives, author, podcaster, and organizational psychologist whose mission is all about helping creatives design a life on their terms. Her expertise lies at the intersection of leadership development, creativity, and wellness. During our conversation, we delved into Dr. Clarissa's framework which...

EP350: As I was getting ready to embark on a long-awaited trip to Ireland and Scotland, I thought it would be fun to check out the top travel destinations recommended for women over 50. I came up with a few international locations and several more that are within the United States since I know there are many places in my own country I have yet to see and was curious what would be on the list. So i...

EP349: Today’s guest is Elaine Ambrose, a true embodiment of resilience. First off, Elaine is a bestselling author and has authored an impressive collection of 12 books, 14 eBooks, and 4 audiobooks, and her writing has been recognized with prestigious national awards in humor, memoir, and children’s literature. But what’s even more impressive is what Elaine has been able to accomplish in the past...

EP348: We all want certainty! We are human. Certainty gives us comfort. Uncertainty is scary because it's outside of our comfort zone! But if you want to live the most magical life, you have to take chances and plod into a world of being ok with not knowing a particular outcome. And that is what this episode is all about! I share examples of things that happened in my life that I most likely would...

EP347: Today’s guest is Debbie Weiss, an inspirational author, speaker and podcast host. In her forthcoming memoir, "On Second Thought, Maybe I Can," she shares her remarkable journey of pursuing dreams despite facing numerous obstacles. Not only is Debbie an accomplished author, but she is also a multifaceted entrepreneur. She successfully manages an insurance agency and runs her online store, "A...

EP346: Do you procrastinate? Or worse, do you identify as a Procrastinator? If that's you, I'm here to tell you, you are NORMAL! We all procrastinate!!! So stop making it part of your identity and start being aware of when and what things you are procrastinating. The problem is that we walk around unconscious most of the time. Our eyes are open but our mind is running on autopilot. And when this a...

EP345: Today’s guest is Merle Saferstein, a remarkable individual who has dedicated her life to preserving and passing along the Legacy of Remembrance of Holocaust survivors. As the former director of educational outreach at a Holocaust Center for over two decades, Merle worked closely with hundreds of survivors, helping them share their stories with students and teachers.  Following her retiremen...

EP344: Did you know that within 7 seconds of hearing you talk, the person's subconscious who is listening to you decides whether to tune you out or lean in to hear more?! Pretty remarkable, eh? This and so much more is what I've been learning over the past 10 weeks from a voice coaching program I'm taking. It's such high-value training that everyone would benefit from, but most will never receive....

EP343: Today’s guest is Jane L. Rosen, a multi-talented writer, novelist, and Huffington Post contributor. Jane has an impressive collection of four novels, Nine Women One Dress, Eliza Starts a Rumor, A Shoes story, and On Fire Island. Jane has a unique ability to craft compelling narratives filled with rich characters and intricate plotlines, but what many might find even more compelling is that...

EP342: Today's episode was inspired by a question one of my students asked me this past week and the feedback I gave her because what she is experiencing is very common and may help you. She struggles with overthinking so if you are guilty of this too, then listen up, because what I told her gave her a much greater understanding of why she does this as well as how to stop this unnecessary and unhe...

EP341: Today’s guest is Nicola Kane, a passionate and inspiring individual who is on a mission to save as many family stories and memories as possible. She is a video producer and the founder of Moving Memories, and in this episode, she shares her personal motivation behind her late in life passion. This passion was born from the loss of her father in 2018, when she realized so much of his story w...

EP340: In this episode, I share an incredibly easy way to uncover your hidden desires, which, in case you didn't know, will reveal your BIG DREAMS! So if you are someone, like the old me, who thinks you don't dream, quit fooling yourself because telling yourself you don't have any dreams, is the same thing as saying you don't have any desires. The truth is: All humans have desires. You can't be hu...

EP339: Today’s guest is Janis R. Cohen-Corum, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who calls herself The Intuitive Therapist. In this episode, Janis shares her unique journey of blending therapy with intuition and helping empathic and intuitive women align with their divine path and live confidently. Janis published her first book called The Intuitive Therapist, in 2016. She wrote it for thera...

EP338: In today's episode, I talk about the F-word that people don't do enough of. How's that for an intriguing title? But it's not what you may think!!!  I see this happen with a lot of women as they age. So I wonder if it has happened to you? Unfortunately, the past 3 years have contributed to this problem because we were all forced into isolation with the pandemic and another F word, FEAR, beca...

EP337: In today’s episode, the guest is Rita Black, a clinical hypnotherapist and leading expert in the fields of smoking cessation and weight loss. Not only is Rita the author of the best-selling book "From Fat to Thin Thinking: Unlock Your Mind for Permanent Weight Loss," she also hosts her own podcast called "Thin Thinking." With her wealth of knowledge and experience, Rita has become a trusted...

EP336: In today’s episode I talk about the 3 core needs that drive humans and I share which one was MY biggest driver of the three. As I talk about them, I'd love for you to think about which one most drives you. What are the thoughts you are thinking, and which need do your thoughts align with? What need, in the actions or non-actions you perform are you trying to satisfy most? Many of the belief...

EP335: Today’s guest is Bonny Snowdon, an accomplished Colored Pencil Artist and artists' mentor from North Yorkshire. With a somewhat incongruous background in corporate Britain and International Business coaching, Bonny shares her journey of rediscovering creativity, overcoming adversity, and finding success as an artist and mentor. She describes the pivotal moment in 2016 when she rekindled her...

EP334: Today I'm bringing back another amazing episode I did with two more of my awesome and fully-sparked students, Kim Diede and Gail Johnson, who each share how stepping into their most authentic selves to live from a place of deep purpose has changed their lives. They are both doing incredible things and making an impact in the world by doing what they love.  Kim, is a mom of 3 and a grandma o...

EP333: Today I'm airing a replay of a past episode I did with one of my amazing Second Half S.P.A.R.K. School™ students, Denise Hughes. Denise shares her story of signing up to the Second Half SPARK School™ at a very low point in her life, when she was on medical disability with “long” Covid, with very little energy, and far from living her best life. But fortunately, like all of my students who d...

EP332: Are you tired of feeling stuck, unmotivated, and unsure of your future? Do you long to discover true happiness and wake up excited every day? You're not alone! Millions of women our age feel the same way, but there is a solution. Introducing Awaken Your Inner Spark, a FREE 3-part training series designed to help you unlock incredible insights about what it is you're here to do and what is p...

EP331: In today’s episode I share the story of a woman who lived what she may have believed was a purposeful life but she made one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to finding their true purpose, it was another person, her husband. She had the purpose block I referred to in my last episode as "purpose-oblivious." If you'd like to learn about this and the other 3 purpose blockers, t...

EP330: In today's episode, I describe the 4 main reasons you may be blocked from finding the purpose that you came here to fulfill.  Much like the empty nester identities I spoke about in Episode 330 , these purpose blockers result in certain behaviors and thoughts that prevent you from pursuing your REASON FOR BEING - and in some cases, even believing you have one. Let me be the first to tell you...

EP329: In today’s episode I share real data about how busyness and overwhelm keep the Busy Doers and the Overwhelmed Wingers from taking the very action that will get them unstuck. I explain why a Scared Settler is actually more apt to take action towards positive change and find true happiness! If you are not familiar with these terms, please listen to my last episode where I explain the 6 differ...