Second Breaks

IN THIS EPISODE: What stress really is and how our body responds to stress Chronic vs Acute stress Three principles of stress relief Why Shula prefers to talk about principles rather than specific techniques for stress relief Examples of what these principles may look like in practice ABOUT MY GUEST Shulamit Ber Levtov is a mindset and resilience consultant. She uses her background as a trauma the...

IN THIS EPISODE: Dr. Mickey Barber explains the phrase “successful aging” and how we can achieve it Why it’s important to look for a physician who specializes in age management and what we should look for Why she believes in a shared responsibility of the patient-doctor team How to talk to our doctors to have a better chance that our health concerns are heard The most important factors to staying...

IN THIS EPISODE: Level-setting definitions: what is peri-menopause (and how long it can last); what and when is menopause; and what and when is post-menopause Strategies for making the peri-menopause and post-menopause years “easier” on ourselves & our bodies The truth about common perceptions and “truths” about menopause  Why Lorraine believes our post-menopausal years can be a magical time o...

IN THIS EPISODE: How to craft the "best story" for your midlife reinvention How to tell the story that you want to tell, with authenticity and vulnerability Why Hillary does not encourage the typical "hero's journey" format Selecting the "right" stories to include in your overall narrative Why you'd want to have a prepared story in your back pocket ABOUT MY GUEST: Hillary Rea is the founder of Tel...

IN THIS EPISODE: Strategies for returning to your previous career after a long break Strategies for career pivots in midlife What to do when you’ve been let go in midlife How to approach networking when you haven’t been keeping in touch with your contacts How to address the “years and years of experience” in your resumé ABOUT MY GUEST: Sarah Baker Andrus is the founder and CEO of Avarah Careers, a...

In This Episode: How memoir-writing can be a transformative and healing process Why Janelle Hardy tells her students to be open to being "wrong" about their life patterns Writing versus thinking about our past stories The good and bad about "reframing" past stories Janelle's writing prompts to get us started About My Guest: Janelle Hardy is a writer, artist, and host of the Personal Mythmaking Pod...

IN THIS EPISODE: Why our midlife can be the most powerful years of our life Strong habits that we can develop so we can not just enjoy but thrive in midlife Practical applications of these habits in our day-to-day Common situations where we can feel resistance as we apply these habits ABOUT MY GUEST: Sara Smeaton is a certified coach, writer, workshop and group leader, and creator of the interview...

IN THIS EPISODE: Gail Gensler's pro-aging stance and philosophy Why and how she prioritizes fitness and a healthy lifestyle The legacy that she wants to leave behind How we too can embrace fitness in our midlife — even if we've never been "athletic" ABOUT MY GUEST: Gail Gensler is a 60-year old pro-aging fitness enthusiast living in Miami. Gail's goal is to change the narrative about aging through...

IN THIS EPISODE: - Why self fragmentation occurs and why it shows up at work and home - What is a “wholeness journey” and what is its end goal - Self-advocacy: what it looks like and how it sounds - The idea behind small brave YESes - Where to begin our wholeness journey ABOUT MY GUEST: Shawn Fink is the founder and host of The Brave Yes Show and a coach for Gen X women who want to redefine themse...

IN THIS EPISODE: Why we all need a personal contingency plan What goes into our plan Analog vs Digital Where to start — the basics ABOUT MY GUEST: After 30+ years in corporate financial services, Mary Beth Simon now uses her strategic talents as a keynote speaker and to coach entrepreneurs and individuals on creating their contingency plans to empower their second-in-command to keep business and l...

TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: It's easy to rationalize our way OUT and convince ourselves we don't need a career change. Asking for help at the outset can make all the difference. The transition to a new career can take different forms; there isn't one way to do this. A midlife career change doesn't mean starting from Square 1. We take with us all the experiences, skills, and perspectives that can...

IN THIS EPISODE: The concept of “Body Peace” and how we can achieve it The diet culture: how to recognize it, name it, and create healthy boundaries How we can approach weight loss, if that is our goal, and increase our chances of achieving what we really want Embracing our bodies in midlife Listening to our bodies ABOUT MY GUEST: Nina Manolson is a board-certified health and wellness coach. She h...

IN THIS EPISODE: Limiting Beliefs: where they come from and how they develop The limiting beliefs that are most damaging Why Lana doesn’t say that we “overcome limiting beliefs” and what she teaches her clients instead When fear and limiting beliefs intersect How to reframe old narratives ABOUT MY GUEST: Lana Hernandez is a Mindset and Empowerment Coach who guides her clients through the mindset t...

It’s been almost 4 years since I started this podcast, the first episode with my guest Shannon Davis airing in June 2017. Since that episode, I have been through a lot and have grown quite a bit, in a way that only our lived experiences can do for us. The podcast has also changed over the years, in terms of frequency and the stories we cover here on the show. And now, the world itself has changed...

IN THIS EPISODE: Why and how Shara’s search for natural solutions for her husband led to her plant-based diet and lifestyle change What’s been easy/hard about her transition How the initial decision to stop eating meat led to other lifestyle changes Various tricks she learned and adopted to stick to her plant-based lifestyle Former teacher, Shara Haberman began her diet and lifestyle change somewh...

IN THIS EPISODE Making ourselves small doesn’t help anyone, least of all, ourselves What ‘living small’ looks and feels like in real life The internal changes when we work on ourselves do affect how we show up in the world The concept of borrowing someone else’s belief in you How 2020 became the catalyst for Mara to finally do the work that allowed her to step out and take up space Mara is an intu...

Highlights of Episode 154: How does living and working "on the move" actually work Unique challenges and benefits of living in a really small space Where they park, what they do for electricity, internet access, water, among others! How this experience is changing her and how she engages with people The responsibilities of traveling during a pandemic Brigitte Lyons is the founder of Podcast Ally,...

IN THIS EPISODE: Why and how podcasting is a natural fit for Yvonne Marchese How her personal experiences and passion drove her transformation The steps she took to fully embrace her new role and be “all in” How being a storyteller is always a part of who she is Where Yvonne sees her podcast growing ABOUT MY GUEST: Yvonne Marchese is a professional photographer and a former actress. She’s also a m...

Highlights of Episode 152 The real reason behind Tara McMullin’s decision to start a new fitness habit How Tara was able to maintain her motivation and stick to her fitness habits What Tara was tracking at the beginning of her journey to track her progress How and when she realized she had become a different person Tara’s fitness routine now Tara McMullin is a business leader. She is the founder o...

Like so many people, I love starting a new year. The idea of turning over a new page, starting a new chapter in my life, fills me with such excitement and drive. Many would point out though that there’s nothing magical about a new year. It’s simply another day on the calendar. And we can decide to change ourselves and set out for new directions at any time in the year. This is true, of course. Sti...

In This Episode: Dr. Nayla Bahri and Lou Blaser chat candidly about their 2020 and how they are approaching 2021 Why and how, in the year that made things so complicated, many things also became simpler Lessons learned and surprising insights about themselves New habits to incorporate, old habits to re-enforce in 2021 How they are planning for a year of continued uncertainty and hope Dr. Nayla Bah...

Well, my friend. Here we are. We made it to the end of this extraordinary, unbelievable year that was 2020. I'm not going to pretend that I can imagine what kind of year you had. I have this sense that we're in this situation where we're all experiencing the same thing - but we're having different kinds of experiences. I will hazard a guess though that the kind of year you had was quite different...

Donald Christian is a senior partner at PwC. He sits on the Board of the firm and currently leads the US East Region Advisory practice. If I remember correctly, he’s one of – if not THE youngest ever admitted to partnership. Since his admission in 1997, Don has served in a number of roles in the firm, served on several committees, and is an active and visible leader in PwC’s efforts around diversi...

Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She has written over 30 books published in 149 countries and 6 languages. Her award-nominated podcast, The Creative Penn Podcast , has been downloaded over 4 million times in 220 countries and is one of the longest-running and most popular podcasts for writers. Joan...

Bonnie Gillespie has been working in the film industry for decades, both in front of the camera (earlier on in her career) and then later, as a casting director. In addition, she has been helping fellow actors by demystifying the casting process and illuminating the business side of pursuing a creative career. She writes, coaches, and teaches on enoughness and cultivating an empowering mindset for...