Living Left

We walked into a Team Canada women’s rugby match as total newcomers and walk out as full believers after watching Canada beat England in front of nearly 19,000 fans at BMO Field. The night sparks a bigger conversation about why women’s rugby is so compelling and what its culture of trust, innovation, and real support can teach all of us. • How a spontaneous plan turns into an unforgettable live sp...

We talk with Candace Sampson about building Girl Trips for midlife women, why we are starving for real community, and how saying yes can change everything. • How women bond quickly when they drop the mask and have each other’s backs • Why Girl Trips is “a connection company disguised as a travel company” • The case for going analog in a world of bots, AI and constant screen time • Examples of cura...

We talk with author Karma Brown about the left turns that shape a life, from a cancer diagnosis at 30 to publishing her debut at 41 to the disorienting quiet of becoming an empty nester. We dig into why some transitions feel harder than the hard parts, especially when the world expects women to follow a script. • The decade-by-decade pivots that redefine identity • Cancer at 30 as a true before-an...

September hits and we admit the quiet can feel sharper than we expect, even when we are proud of our kids and grateful for their independence. We compare how we launch children into university, why the second time can feel harder, and how to let the transition change us without getting stuck. • Revisiting empty nest season as a real life transition • Why second-year university and off-campus house...

We sit down with Louise Gleeson, Registered Psychotherapist, with a niche in neurodiveristy, to talk about the lifelong pattern behind big left turns and how listening to our values can change everything. Louise connects midlife burnout, parenting overload, and “high functioning” success to the hidden reality of high-masking neurodivergence in women.  • Louise’s path from science to near-med schoo...

We sit down with Jennifer Powell to talk about why midlife can push us into bold left turns, from career pivots to divorce to redefining who we are after the kids grow up. We dig into uncertainty, identity, and menopause with a grounded focus on community, self-trust, and practical self-advocacy. • Growing up in the early social media and mommy blogger era and what we lost when content became perf...

We talk with Mary Fearon about the moment a “happy life” stops feeling like enough and how intention turns midlife into an awakening instead of a crisis. We dig into women and entrepreneurship, positive psychology, and why purpose is built through small choices that add up to a scalable legacy. • Building a business as a woman while managing self-doubt and risk • The “full bucket” trap and the cos...

We talk with Julie Ellis, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, about what happens after a major win when you still feel lost, grieving, and unsure of your next move. We unpack Big Gorgeous Goals, midlife left turns, and how to build time freedom and purpose without waiting for life to feel “certain.”  • Leaving a successful business and feeling unqualified anyway  • Grief after an exit and the pressure t...

We kick off season three with a new theme: shining a light on women who are turning left and choosing their next phase with intention. A milestone birthday trip turns into a 10-day London, Bordeaux, and Champagne adventure that strengthens our partnership and clarifies what we want for the next decade of business. • Setting the season three theme around women making bold left turns • Taking a real...

We celebrate a 50th birthday that turns into a full-bodied look at friendship, effort, and what it means to be seen by your people. We also map how intentional gatherings and big trips can become a reset button for midlife joy and gratitude. Follow Living Left for bold conversations by women for women on business, creativity, and comeback energy.  Find us on Instagram @living_left_​​ Because what’...

We talk with Dr Brenda Vrkjlan, an occupational therapist and mobility researcher, about how everyday choices like where you live, how you drive, and who you spend time with shape your health as you age. We zoom out to the sandwich generation reality, then zoom way in to the practical stuff that protects dignity and independence. • Aging parents and the stress of starting the downsizing conversati...

We sit down with Shelagh Cummins, founder and CEO of The Road to Seven, to talk about the career left turns that shape real businesses and the money decisions that make scaling possible. We dig into intuition, mentorship, and the practical math behind building profit, then we unpack why Shelagh built a term-loan fund for women after hearing “no” from a bank. • Early digital entrepreneurship and th...

We talk with family lawyer and mediator Christine Marchetti about why divorce often spikes during major life shifts and how midlife women start refusing the roles that kept them quiet. We break down smarter ways to separate, protect kids and finances, and rebuild without turning your former partner into an enemy. • COVID pressures that magnify existing relationship cracks • Midlife change and meno...

We examine “give to gain” through lived experience, from financing roadblocks to subtle biases that still shape who gets credit. Practical allyship, better reviews, and showing up for community events become the through line for making equity real. • Meaning of give to gain as shared responsibility • The gap between progress and systemic barriers • Financing hurdles and decision-making gatekeepers...

We laugh our way through the strange shift of midlife—cheering for the Olympians’ parents, noticing the doctors look younger than our kids, and choosing depth over years as our north star. Along the way we explore trust, shedding, neuroplasticity, and the joy of paying attention. • Watching the Olympics as parents, not peers • Feeling “good enough” next to elite achievements • Cataract story and t...

We use Valentine’s Day as a doorway into a frank, funny, and tender look at intentional divorce, gray divorce myths, and designing a life that fits. We reframe a 25-year marriage as a success, talk through legal basics, and share the emotional tools that made the transition kinder. • Choosing intentional separation and still believing in love • Difference between separation agreements and divorce...

We learn traditional mahjong with our longtime friend Anita and uncover why a simple game can rebuild community in midlife. Tiles lead to stories, culture, and a practical blueprint for hosting low-pressure gatherings that spark real connection. • Roots of a 30-year friendship and why cadence keeps bonds strong • Why mahjong lowers social anxiety and invites everyone in • Anita’s heritage and lear...

We explore how declining estrogen reshapes joint health and recovery, why some midlife pains linger, and how modern chiropractic, smart strength work, and informed medical care can change outcomes. Practical steps, clear resources, and a push to advocate for better midlife care. • musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause explained • differences and overlap between chiropractic and physiotherapy • fro...

We talk with sleep expert and coach Alana McGinn about building a sleep business from baby years to midlife sleep, how chronotypes shape energy, and why stress tools matter more than perfect bedtimes. We share practical ways to handle midlife sleep topics like 3 a.m. wakings, napping, snoring partners, and how stress impacts that. • Origins of Goodnight Sleep Site and team growth • Pivot to adult...

We strip the whispers from menopause and perimenopause, connect symptoms women often carry alone, and share how misread science fueled years of misdiagnosis. We offer language, tools, and momentum to help you advocate for care at home, at work, and in the doctor’s office. • Defining the one-day menopause and the long perimenopause • Why HRT fear took hold and what newer evidence shows • Symptoms a...

We trade resolutions for a single guiding word and use reflection to turn a turbulent 2025 into clarity for 2026. One of us chooses Free after a year of shedding and change; the other chooses Gratitude while stepping into fifty with travel, health, and softer expectations. • Swapping resolutions for a year theme that guides decisions • A rapid review of 2025 promises kept and lessons learned • Gla...

We reflect on how holiday traditions evolve as kids grow up, parents age, and priorities shift, and how to honour what still brings joy without carrying the entire mental load. Expectations ease when we calendar the moments that matter and let the rest flex. • Redefining tradition as values shared, not fixed events • Midlife realities of time, aging parents, teens, and adult children • Opting out...

We explore how to turn midlife time into meaningful service, moving from good intentions to simple, repeatable actions that build purpose and community. We share practical ideas, stories from local charities, and ways to make giving feel easy, social, and deeply human. • Difference between community roles and outward-facing charity • Midlife as a window for service and purpose • Easy entry points...

We explore why friendship changes in midlife, how to spot the gap between what we crave and what we live, and the small habits that rebuild real community. We share stories, frameworks, and simple moves to make new friends, protect time, and deepen trust. • Community and purpose as pillars of happiness • Digital touchpoints versus real connection • Releasing family from meeting every emotional nee...

We explore how travel shifts in midlife from family logistics to an intentional tool for creativity, focus, and joy. We map three travel modes—rest, adventure, and living—while challenging restrictive remote work rules and inviting listeners to design mini-retirements now. • Defining travel as a design choice for a beautiful life • Three modes of travel: restorative, adventure, living • The three-...