I'm sharing 53 hard-won lessons from the messy middle of adulthood, with a focus on self-trust, menopause, friendships, marriage, parenting grown kids, and letting go of what no longer fits. It's part pep talk, part permission slip, and part reality check for women navigating midlife change.In this episode, I talk directly to you about what gets easier, what gets harder, and what finally stops mattering. The big themes are self-care, relationships, and reclaiming joy without apology.I wrote all 53 myself, in honor of turning 53, one for every year. The full list is also up as a blog post at grownishwomen.com.

A few years ago, my dad passed away suddenly, and my family hadn't had the conversations we needed to have. There was no trust in place, no plan. My mom moved in, and almost overnight, I was raising my daughter and caring for my mother at the same time. If that sounds familiar, you're living the sandwich generation, and you're far from alone.In this episode, I sit down with Joy Holte to talk about the realities of family caregiving, from spotting burnout and navigating sibling dynamics, to understanding what kind of outside help actually exists. Joy shares why caregiving is a growing crisis, how to tell when a parent needs help, and what families should ask before hiring in-home support. We also break down the difference between medical care and in-home care, the financial surprises families often face, and why end-of-life support requires both planning and rest.This is a conversation we'll keep coming back to, because so many of us are in the middle of it right now, and it deserves more than one episode.In this episode, we cover:Why family caregiving has become a growing crisis, with roughly 53 million caregivers in the U.S. and about 60% reporting burnoutWhy adult children often miss the signs that their parents need supportThe difference between medical care and in-home care, and what insurance may or may not coverThe most important question to ask a care agency before hiring themWhat happens when a parent refuses help but the family knows support is neededEnd-of-life care, the paperwork that follows a death, and why rest matters just as much as practical helpGuest: Joy HolteJoy Holte was the owner of one of the leading providers of trusted in-home senior care and companion care. With more than 17 years in the healthcare industry, her passion lies in not just offering in-home care, but in uplifting the lives of clients and employees alike. Her leadership philosophy centers on empathy and positive reinforcement, and she remains committed to innovating and elevating the standards of care, with the wellbeing of clients and employees at the heart of everything she does.

Hair thinning in your 40s and 50s is not "just aging" — and it's definitely not something you have to quietly tolerate.In this episode, I sit down with my hairstylist of 20+ years and co-owner of Copacetic Beauty Lounge, Missy Browning, and her longtime client and now friend, Dr. Jen, a family practice doctor. Between the salon chair and the exam room, they see this every single day. Literally both of them told me women come in asking about hair loss every day.We're breaking down what's actually happening to your hair during perimenopause, menopause, high stress, medication changes, and GLP-1 weight loss drugs and what you can do about it before it gets worse.In this episode, you'll hear:Missy's 30-second read and how she spots hair loss the moment a client sits in her chair, and what brittle texture and break lines actually revealWhy stylists are often the first line of defense for women who are too embarrassed to bring up hair loss with anyone elseDr. Jen's personal hair loss story what triggered it, and how she went from panic and trial-and-error to an actual planThe medical side: protein, nutrient deficiencies, medication side effects, and how perimenopause and menopause factor inThe role of GLP-1 weight loss drugs in hair sheddingSalon-side fixes that work fast like blunt cuts, the right products, and when it's time to consider a topper or wigWhen it's time to bring the conversation to your primary care doctorWhy this episode matters:If you've been staring at your part in the mirror, panic-buying products online, or wondering if anyone else is dealing with this, this conversation is for you. No shame, just the truth, and a real path forward.About our guests:Missy Browning is a hairstylist and co-owner of Copacetic Beauty, where she's worked with clients navigating hair loss for years including offering a dedicated hair loss service.Dr. Jen is a family practice doctor who brings both professional expertise and personal experience to the conversation on hair loss and its underlying causes.

Have you ever wondered if it's too late to start over? In this episode of Grownish Women, Holly sits down with Hollie Geitner, APR, a communications strategist with nearly 30 years of experience, to talk about her midlife career change at fifty. After leading communications through utility crises, shaping messaging for regional economic development, and counseling executives across healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and the nonprofit sector, Hollie walked away from her corporate title to start her own firm, Anchored Voice Consulting.This is a conversation about corporate burnout, career reinvention, and what it actually feels like to lose the "corporate shield" of a title after two decades. Hollie shares why she believes reputation and network outlast any title, how she learned to trust the timing of her own life, and what she wishes someone had taught her about boundaries earlier in her career.If you're a woman in the messy middle of a career pivot, questioning whether it's too late to bet on yourself, or just quietly exhausted in a job that no longer fits, this episode is for you.In this episode, we talk about:The moment staying in corporate America felt riskier than leaving itWhat it's like to lose your professional identity after 25 years in one fieldWhy reputation and network outlast any job titleTrusting the timing of your life, even when it doesn't make sense on paperBoundaries, burnout, and building something that's actually yoursAdvice for women in their 20s and 30s navigating the early years of their careersAbout Hollie Geitner:Hollie Geitner, APR, is the founder of Anchored Voice Consulting, LLC, helping organizations and leaders find their voice and tell stories that actually land. Learn more about her work at anchoredvoice.com.

Season 2 Premiere: The Messy Middle Just Got MessierWelcome back, y'all, it's been a hot minute! I'm easing back in with a full life update, because so much has shifted in just a month. My mom moved out, and it cracked open a revelation about triangulation I didn't even have a name for until now. My daughter came back home after the roommate thing didn't work out, so we're not quite empty-nesting after all. And I launched a business, Spoken Over Her, iincluding the wild post-it-note moment in my car that led to a whole Bible journal app I never saw coming.I'm getting honest about the wins too: my marriage is solid, I've healed so much with my stepdaughter, I'm loving being a grandma, and at 52 I'm finally learning what boundaries actually feel like. But I'm also sitting in the messy middle of things like I still haven't worked out (SOS, send help), still wrestling with not being the breadwinner anymore, still figuring out what my day-to-day even looks like now.And I'm giving you a sneak peek at everything coming this season: career pivoting after 40, hair loss in perimenopause, getting an ADHD diagnosis later in life, why our sleep falls apart, triangulation, and parenting the parent, plus a solo episode on my birthday.Grab your coffee (or your post-it notes) and get comfy. This one's a lot, in the best way.

We made it to the end of Season 1, and Holly is wrapping it all up solo and she's got feelings about it.In this season finale, Holly reflects on every episode from the past season, from the unexpected grief of sending a kid to college, to the soul sisters who made her rethink friendship, to the conversations about midlife style, skin care, sex after 40, and blending families that nobody else seems to be having out loud. She also gets real about her own confessions including being judgy about Botox (she's sorry), and being genuinely nervous about the sex therapist episode (she was wrong about that too).Holly also shares what's coming in Season 2, why she believes this podcast is actually her version of mission work, and why she's unapologetic about talking about taboo topics as a Christian woman.In this episode:A look back at every Season 1 guest and why each conversation matteredHolly's personal confessions from the seasonWhy she's convinced normalizing the hard stuff disarms the enemy (yes, really)What's coming in Season 2 including hair thinning, cannabis moms, parenting your parent, and what she knows at 53A big thank you to everyone who listened, shared, and reached outGrownish Woman returns August 7th. Until then savor July, hit Holly up on Threads or Instagram, and please, please leave a review. 🙏

Episode DescriptionFor so many women in midlife, getting dressed has gone from something fun and creative to something that feels like a chore. Or worse, a daily reminder of everything that has shifted in your body and your life. The wardrobe full of different sizes. The default uniform of whatever is comfortable. The avoidance of mirrors and dressing rooms and anything that requires too much thought before 8am.In this episode, Holly sits down with personal stylist and color analyst Joanna Heyman for a conversation that starts with clothes and ends somewhere much deeper. This one is about self-discovery, reconnection, and finally getting dressed in a way that actually feels like you.About Our GuestJoanna Heyman is a personal stylist and color analyst who helps women align their outward appearance with who they truly are and where they want to go. Her approach goes beyond trends, focusing on each client's unique coloring, body shape, style personality, and lifestyle so they can create a wardrobe that feels authentic and effortless.Learn more about working with Joanna or get your colors done at JoannaHeymanStyling.com and follow her on Instagram @JoannaHeymanStylingWhat We Talk About in This EpisodeWhy so many of us stopped having fun getting dressed and what it actually says about where we are in life. Why your closet tells a stylist everything she needs to know about how you see yourself. The difference between dressing to hide and dressing to show up. Why color analysis is one of the most freeing things you can do. What to spend money on and what to save on. And whether there is such a thing as dressing your age.Holly also gets fully transparent about her own complicated relationship with clothes, shopping, and her body. And Joanna shares something at the very end that reframes the entire conversation.Resources & LinksJoannaHeymanStyling.com @JoannaHeymanStyling on Instagram

What if the harshest critic in your life isn't your mother, your boss, or your ex — it's you?For most women raised in the Gen X era of buck up, push through, and handle it, the inner voice can be relentless and punishing. And we don't even notice it anymore. It's just the soundtrack.In this episode, Holly sits down with Wendy Wahlquist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, for a conversation that is equal parts eye-opening and deeply personal. Wendy was Holly's own therapist — and this episode came from Holly's honest realization that somewhere along the way, she let the tools she'd worked so hard to build quietly collect dust. Life got full. The practice slipped. Sound familiar?This is the conversation that brought those tools back out. And it might do the same for you.In this episode we talk about:— Why everything you shove down doesn't disappear — it waits, and in your 40s and 50s it starts coming back up in your body as weight changes, sleep problems, brain fog, anxiety, hormone issues, and mood swings out of nowhere— Why the way you've always done things stops working during perimenopause — and what actually needs to change— Why anger is not the enemy — it's a message worth listening to— What self-compassion actually is (hint: it is not a spa day) and why Kristin Neff's research proves it is one of the most powerful tools your nervous system has— How being kinder to yourself is directly connected to setting boundaries — and why guilt shows up every time and what to do with it— How to practice this when you are sandwiched between aging parents, kids, and a mental load that never ends — and you have about thirty seconds to spare— A four-part somatic grounding practice you can do in under a minute when anxiety spikes and you need to tell your nervous system I am safe right nowAbout Wendy Wahlquist, LMFTWendy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, LLC in Cranberry Township, PA. She specializes in trauma and PTSD using Somatic Experiencing®, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. She also sees clients online throughout Pennsylvania.🌐 becomeyourhappy.comBooks & Resources Mentioned:📚 Both books by Kristin Neff 📚 Anything by Brené Brown 🎙️ Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 📚 The Body Keeps the Score 📚 Hilary McBride — quoted in this episode

Between 40 and 70% of women in midlife are dealing with real changes in their sex lives like desire, dryness, disconnection and most of us are suffering in complete silence. Not telling our partners, not telling our doctors, and definitely not telling our girlfriends.So Holly did what any good podcast host would do. She brought in a sex therapist.In this episode, Holly sits down with Baliegh Butler, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, to have the conversation most of us have been avoiding. Spoiler: sex therapy is nothing like that Sex and the City episode. Nothing.In this episode we talk about:Why so many women in their 40s and 50s are experiencing changes in desire, arousal, and intimacy — and why it is NOT a personal failureWhat perimenopause actually does to your sex life (and why nobody warned us)What sex therapy really looks like and why you might wish you'd gone soonerWhy we don't talk to our partners, our doctors, or even our girlfriends about thisThe importance of knowing your own body and how to communicate that to your partnerVibrators as self-care tools, water-based lube, and yes, Bluetooth optionsQuality vs. frequency and why pressure kills desireThe one conversation every couple needs to have but keeps avoidingRapid fire answers from a sex therapist:Best kept secret for keeping the spark alive after 40Vibrator: essential self-care tool or still taboo?Frequency vs. quality — which wins?Connect with Baliegh Butler:Balance & Bliss TherapyIn-person in Wexford, PA | Virtual throughout PennsylvaniaFollow her on Facebook.

Eight years ago, Holly said yes to Mike and to a life that was going to be more complicated, more beautiful, and more challenging than either of them expected. In this special anniversary episode, Holly and Mike sit down together for the first time on Grownish Women to talk honestly about what it really takes to blend a family.Did you know that 60 to 70 percent of blended families end in divorce? Holly and Mike did and they walked down the aisle anyway. In this episode they pull back the curtain on the things nobody warned them about and the things that have held them together through eight years of building something real.In this episode they talk about:Why blended family divorce rates are so high and what nobody tells you going inThe unnamed expectations that almost broke themNavigating two completely different parenting styles under one roofParenting a child with special needs inside a blended familyWhy they hit a wall and how couples counseling and a church marriage program helped them through itMoney, communication breakdowns, and the debt dragon they slayed togetherHow faith has been the foundation and what that looks like practically for couples who don't share the same beliefsWhat grace actually looks like inside a marriage, day after dayWhere they are now, eight years in, and what the next chapter looks likeThe three things they'd tell any couple about to blend their families: Mike: Communicate openly. Define your expectations. Never stop working. Holly: Don't go to bed angry. Set your boundaries early. Give each other grace.