Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable with Michelle Madrid

There's a grief that lives inside graduation season that nobody prepares you for. Because everyone expects you to be happy. And you are. You're proud beyond words. And you're heartbroken beyond words. And somehow, both of those things are true at the same time. In this episode, Michelle kicks off her summer series — The Summer Before Goodbye — by exploring what she calls graduation grief: the invi...

There's a story you inherited about what midlife means. You didn't choose it. You were just handed it. And somewhere along the way, it started to cost you something you couldn't quite name. In this episode, Michelle shares a powerful writing prompt that stopped her in her tracks — and what happened when she began applying it to every narrative she'd been carrying about womanhood, aging, and what m...

Grief changes what you can tolerate. Not just emotionally, but relationally. Spiritually. It strips away your willingness to keep minimizing yourself, to keep accepting less, to keep abandoning yourself for the comfort of others. In this episode, Michelle shares what she learned in one of the hardest seasons of her life — losing both parents within a month of each other — and why she has no desire...

A gentle heads up: this episode includes themes of abuse of power, harassment, and emotional impact related to those experiences. You said, "It's fine," but your body knew it wasn't. In this episode, Michelle shares something personal: what it took for her to finally stop swallowing her own pain, and why so many women have been conditioned to do exactly that. She explores the difference between co...

There's a grief that comes when your children stop needing you the same way. No one names it. No one brings casseroles for it. But you feel it — in the quiet bedroom, the fewer texts, the rhythm of a life that used to revolve around you and now doesn't. In this episode, Michelle explores the invisible loss that lives inside the empty nest season, and why the ache so many mothers feel isn't a sign...

Something shifts when you stop disappearing inside your own life. You start saying things you didn't say before. You stop saying yes when you mean no. In this episode, Michelle explores what happens to your closest relationships — especially your marriage or partnership — when you begin to change. She shares a personal story about a solo trip to England — her birth country — and what one January b...

There's a phrase so many of us have quietly worn as a badge of honor. "I can handle it." But handling everything and living your life are not the same thing. In this episode, Michelle shares a deeply personal story about the moment she realized that being the woman who could handle it all had come at a profound cost — and how feeling the ache she'd been overriding for years became the first step b...

What if “midlife crisis” has never been the right name? In this episode, Michelle reframes what so many women experience in midlife, not as something going wrong, but as something beginning to surface. She explores why this season can feel heavy, unfamiliar, and hard to name, even when life looks “fine” on the outside, and what it really means when the ache you’ve been pushing down starts to rise....

In this opening conversation, Michelle Madrid shares the journey that led to this podcast and the deeper meaning behind living as most yourself in midlife. For many women, midlife brings unexpected questions and grief — identity shifts, empty nesting, changing roles, and the quiet realization that something inside us is asking for attention. In this episode, Michelle explores why that ache matters...

Midlife regret is heavy. It’s the quiet weight of what ifs —the dreams we pushed aside, the choices we can’t undo. Left in silence, they don’t disappear. They grow louder. In this episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable , Michelle shares how her own regret—walking away from a rising news career—once kept her feeling small and stuck, until she learned to unbox it. She shows how regret can becom...

The milestones of motherhood carry a sacred ache—the pride of watching your child grow colliding with the pain of letting go. It’s the moment you realize that every “first” for them is one step closer to goodbye. In this episode, Michelle shares the heart-stirring truth she whispers to herself: every ending for them is also a beginning for me. She invites you to unbox the grief, guilt, fear, and j...

There’s a moment that can take the wind right out of you as a mother—when the child who once ran to you for comfort now longs for space, for distance, for a life far from home. When they look at you and say, “I can’t wait to leave.” In this heartfelt episode, Michelle shares the sting of hearing those words, and how they opened the door to a deeper conversation with herself about motherhood, midli...

In this tender and personal episode, Michelle shares what it feels like to stand in the doorway between holding on and letting go—the summer before goodbye. It’s a season filled with beauty and ache, joy and grief, as she reflects on the quiet moments that carry the weight of an impending goodbye. But this is more than a story about motherhood—it’s about identity, change, and what it means to stay...

In today’s episode, Michelle shares the transformative power of unboxing—releasing the old beliefs, roles, and identities that no longer serve you. On the other side of unboxing, you’ll find more clarity, creativity, and freedom. This is about reconnecting with the real you, stepping into your power, and embracing life without limits. If you're questioning the roles that have held you back, this e...

Unboxing is about freeing yourself from the boxes you’ve packed away over the years, whether it’s fear, guilt, or self-doubt. But how do you know when it’s time? In today’s episode, Michelle shares how to recognize when it’s time to unbox along with what signs to watch for. She walks through the emotional signs—the “rattle” inside that tells you it’s time to let go of what’s been holding you back....

In this deeply personal solo episode, Michelle unboxes the loneliness and grief that often accompany midlife, especially as we face the empty nest. Standing in her shower, reflecting on her daughter’s growing independence, Michelle is hit with a wave of grief for the passing of time and what it means for her role as a mother. This episode is an invitation to understand that these emotions—loneline...

In this heartfelt episode, Michelle sits down with Kendra Erika Leavitt to unbox the deeply-held beliefs and identities she grew up with, many of which are rooted in her experience within the LDS church. Kendra courageously shares her journey of dismantling the teachings she was raised with, facing her own inner conflict, and learning to fully embrace herself. Together, Michelle and Kendra dive in...

In this empowering episode, Michelle sits down with Francine Apy, founder of SoulFilling LLC, to explore how unboxing old stories and letting go of control can lead to resilience and transformation. Francine shares her journey of navigating infertility, the path to adoption, and releasing shame and guilt. She also talks about supporting her children’s emotional growth and encouraging them to unbox...

In this deeply moving and empowering episode, Michelle sits down with bestselling author and powerhouse speaker Becca Powers to talk about what it means to rise through grief, reconnect with your radiance, and reclaim your unstoppable power. Becca shares her journey as the sole surviving member of her family, navigating profound loss while still choosing joy, purpose, and spiritual alignment. Toge...

In this solo episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable , Michelle shares a personal and powerful reflection on what midlife really is: a sacred turning point. One that’s less about decline and more about awakening. She walks you through eight awareness patterns that often surface during this season—each one an invitation to unbox what’s been hidden, honor what’s shifting, and step boldly into wh...

In this heartfelt episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable, Michelle sits down with artist and women’s circle leader Brenda Zappitell to explore the fear so many of us quietly carry—the fear of being truly seen. Together, they unpack how fear shows up as silence, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and pretending—and how breaking that silence can lead to healing, creativity, and a life rooted in tr...

What would it feel like if every part of you felt safe to say it out loud? In this electric and deeply honest episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable , I sit down with Vasavi Kumar — licensed therapist, visibility coach, and author of Say It Out Loud — to explore what happens when we finally stop shrinking, overthinking, and silencing ourselves... and start speaking our truth with clarity, cou...

What happens when you unlearn the rules you were never meant to follow and finally reclaim your worth? In this raw and revealing episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable , I sit down with Dina Scippa, founder of Enough Labs, to explore what it really takes to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the endless pursuit of external validation — and instead, build a life rooted in self...

What happens when you stop masking the pain, unbox your truth, and reclaim your voice? In this powerful episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable , I sit down with Khayla Monique as she shares her deeply personal journey as an adoptee – breaking free from silence, people-pleasing, and self-doubt to become the unstoppable force she is today. We dive into: ✨ The moment she decided to stop hiding...

In the premiere episode of Unboxed, Unburdened, Unstoppable, Michelle Madrid sits down with Christian “BadmanBreezyy” Branch, a visionary artist reshaping the sound of afro and deep house music. From his roots in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to his transformative years in Barcelona, BadmanBreezyy shares the journey of breaking free from the box of comparison to embrace his own creative path. Discover how...