Midlife Unplugged TV Show

The “what if” loop can keep you stuck longer than the actual problem. “What if this fails?” “What if I can’t do it?” “What if everything falls apart?” Leah Self knows that loop well. After COVID shut down her career in travel and events, she took a scary leap and started again as a single mum. In this conversation, Leah chats with Lara about fear, business, becoming an empty nester earlier than ex...

Sometimes one small moment can wake you up to the life you’ve been quietly living. For Krissi Marie, it was a 40-degree day, two kids in the back of the car, and the realisation that she had spent years putting herself last. Krissi shares about identity, motherhood, divorce, end-of-life planning, creativity, imposter syndrome, and choosing a rich, full life on your own terms. She also shares the s...

What happens when midlife starts feeling less like a crisis… and more like a quiet nudge to come home to yourself? Olivia de Sousa shares an honest conversation about change, intuition, creativity, and the courage it takes to stop living by other people’s expectations. Olivia shares the moment she decided to close her podcast management business without a safety net, choosing to trust her inner vo...

Some relationships don’t just hurt you… they slowly break you down. Lynn Catalano, Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach, chats about the toxic patterns so many people experience but struggle to explain. From silent treatment and manipulation to "word salad” arguments and always being made to feel like the bad guy. This conversation puts real words to what narcissistic abuse can actually look lik...

Who’s Patrice, and why is she causing so much trouble? In this episode, Sabrina Militello shares how naming her inner critic helped her notice the stories she was telling herself and finally start challenging them. Lara and Sabrina also talk about self-worth, overwhelm, loneliness, and what it takes to reconnect with yourself when life starts feeling heavy. If things have felt a bit “too much” lat...

Rushed to the ER thinking it's over, just to hear "it's stress" and get sent home? We've been there. This week, Lara chats with Terry Tateossian about those wild "am I losing it?" moments in your 30s and 40s. Terry opens up on her fast-and-furious ride through perimenopause—hot flashes that feel like your body's on fire, finally putting yourself first withou...

Midlife can feel like you’re just going through the motions—working, doing chores, taking care of everyone, then doing it all again the next day. In this episode, Lara talks with Rose Wippich about what it looked like for her to make big changes in midlife. After a breast cancer diagnosis at 49, Rose started looking at her life differently. She left a career she no longer enjoyed, started yoga tea...

You’ve built the life you thought you wanted… so why do you still feel drained? Lilli Bewley talks about the hidden burnout so many women carry — doing it all on the outside, but feeling empty on the inside. Lilli opens up about her breaking point and how she shifted from survival mode to real healing. They dive into childhood patterns, self-abandonment, boundaries, and what it actually means to f...

What do you do when life blindsides you… and nothing feels the same after? In this episode, Kristine Genovese shares her unexpected journey—from growing up connected to one of New York’s most well-known mob families to finding her own path in healing and self-discovery. It didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it started with a moment she didn’t see coming—getting fired while sitting in a doctor’s off...

Danyell opens up about the moment her life changed overnight when her husband left, and what it really looked like to keep going while everything felt like it was falling apart. From feeling alone in her marriage to hitting a breaking point she couldn’t ignore, she shares the raw truth of navigating midlife challenges all at once. We talk about rebuilding after disappointment, finding your confide...

This conversation with Michelle Bazinet might be one you needed to hear today. Michelle has spent years in the health and fitness space, but in her early 40s, she hit that “I’m done with this” moment, and everything shifted. We talk about stepping out of the all-or-nothing cycle. No more forcing yourself into plans that don’t fit your life. No more chasing a “perfect” body. Just finding what actua...

On paper, everything looked perfect. But deep down, it wasn’t. In this episode, Laura Aura, keynote speaker and coach, shares what it was like to walk away from her 16-year career, trust her gut, set boundaries, and know her worth. We also dive into that quiet inner voice, the fear of change, learning to say no, and finally putting yourself first. Get to know more about LauraAura: https://lauraaur...

Alysson Richelle shares her incredibly brave story, from being a Senior Sergeant in the police to becoming a powerful voice for people who've experienced domestic abuse. We're really digging into the stuff no one talks about enough: - what coercive control actually means (it's more than just physical abuse) - understanding true consent, and - how sometimes, when you're hurting,...

Certified Holistic Nutritionist Lora Ulrich talks about the moment she stopped accepting feeling terrible as her new normal. After years of chronic illness, a total hysterectomy at 53, and being thrown into forced menopause, Lora shares how she finally said “screw it” to the advice that wasn’t helping, and started finding answers that gave her her life back. She also talks about midlife reinventio...

You’re smiling, you’re polite… but deep down you’re thinking, this isn’t my place anymore. This conversation with Leanna dives into what happens in midlife shift when you stop caring what everyone thinks and finally start listening to your gut. That quiet voice you’ve been pushing down for years gets louder. We talk about fake friendships, why five solid people beat fifteen “sharks,” and what happ...

Hit midlife and suddenly think, “I’m too old for this…”? Yep. This episode is for you. Caroline Bellenger opens up about her wake-up call at 50 — the moment she realized it was finally time to choose herself. She shares her journey through childhood sexual abuse, 20 years of addiction, and mental health struggles — and what happened when she stopped living in survival mode and started focusing on...

Are you sitting on the side of the pool feeling bored, when all you have to do is jump in?  Host Lara Portelli is joined by Julie Hayes, who shares her "F*** it" moment that led her to realize she was bored and had lost herself by always creating social harmony for others. Julie talks about "synapse pruning"—cutting away the things you no longer want to tolerate, and how droppi...

There comes a point in life where things don’t feel wrong exactly… just off. Like you’re in the middle of something, but you don’t quite know what’s next. That’s where this conversation starts.  Lara sits down with Melissa Melrose to talk about what midlife really brings up—especially for Gen X women who grew up learning to stay small, keep the peace, and put everyone else first. Melissa shares ho...

Life doesn’t always fall apart one piece at a time, and sometimes it all hits at once. Lara sits down for a deeply honest conversation with Holly McCusker, who opens up about losing both parents, her career, and her engagement in a very short span of time. Holly shares how hitting rock bottom forced her out of survival mode and into a deeper journey of healing, self-trust, and coming home to herse...

Laughter is the Best Medicine: How a Daily DOSE of Joy Combats Loneliness and Midlife Stress In this episode, Lara talks with Cathy Nesbitt about midlife reinvention, the global mental health tsunami, and why laughter is more powerful than we think. Cathy shares how laughter yoga works as a cardiovascular workout that reduces stress, shifts energy, and boosts immunity by changing our brain chemist...

In this special episode of Midlife Unplugged, host Lara Portelli steps into the guest seat as she’s interviewed by her longtime friend Shar Moore. Together, they dive into Lara’s powerful story and the moments that shaped her midlife transformation. Lara Portelli is a mentor and author of a six-book series, with two books already released, and Your Midlife Edit launching in March 2026. Friends for...

Daniel Lloyd didn’t plan on changing his life—life forced his hand. In this episode of Midlife Unplugged, Lara Portelli invites Daniel to share the painful turning point that followed addiction, chaos, and the murder of his closest friend. What came next was unexpected: detox, distance, and a promise that led him to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. That moment became the foundation for everything Dan...

No One's Coming to Rescue You: Self-Care Tools for Rebuilding Self-Worth and Identity in Midlife Grace Williams, an abuse survivor turned self-love advocate. Grace shares the unexpected “f*** it moment” that changed everything and how it led her to reclaim her worth and create Love Those Vibes, a self-love subscription box designed to help women nurture themselves. You’ll hear about:  Buildin...

From Six Figures to Scratch: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Prioritizing Self-Care in Midlife What if midlife is where you finally come home to yourself? In this episode of Midlife Unplugged, Lara Portelli talks with Amy Head about change, courage, and choosing yourself when life no longer fits. Amy opens up about the moment that led her to start over and redefine what her second act could look l...