Mikelann Valterra is a financial psychologist and author who helps women transform their relationship with money to create a life they love. My biggest takeaway from this conversation was that the more you know about your spending, the less you will have to think about money. If you get clear on exactly where your money is going, and then decide what is most important to you, you can create a life where you get everything you need, don't waste money on things you don't care about, and actually think about money less.What a blessing that would be, right?  She combines emotional intelligence with practical money strategies help her clients feel in control of the money, while escaping financial stress and anxiety.We talk about how to get control of your money, the importance of having a passion that brings you joy (hers is Argentine tango), why opposite money personalities tend to partner up, and so much more. Links: Mikelann ValterraFree ebook on how to stop stressing about moneyOn FacebookInstagramTwitter LinkedInPinterestYouTubeSupport the show

I was surprised by this interview so many times: Dry farming with no electricity—what?Founding said farm at 16, and sticking with it for 23 years? Colon cancer diagnosis at 37, and beating the odds with a full recovery, thank heavens. Oh, and gray hair at 18!Jennifer Lee Segale is a professional botanist and founder of Wildflower Farms, an organic landscape design and consulting company specializing in coastal plantings, edible gardens, habitat restoration and unique plant sourcing. She has a rich background in farming and plant propagation, and her design and consulting services focus on plant and soil care.The farm's no-till, dry-farmed medicinal herbs also supply Segale's skincare and wellness brand Garden Apothecary, with two storefronts in Half Moon Bay, CA. "Garden Apothecary is really set apart from other brands by our growing of ingredients and making everything in-house," she says. "We really try to come from the plant's perspective, with gentle growing techniques and minimal harvesting—thus being able to offer unique and sustainable products, with a lot of integrity behind them."Jenn lives by the beach with her husband, two step-children, piles of books and her two sweet dogs, Sorrel and Oolong.Links: Wildflower FarmsGarden ApothecaryWildflower Farms on InstagramGarden Apothecary on InstagramAmerican Cancer Society—Colorectal CancerWhat is Colorectal Cancer—CDCUCSF Colon CancerUCSF Mission BayGarden Apothecary herb teasHalf Moon HoneyGarden Apothecary Higher Ground facial serum Support the show

Dr. Louann Brizendine completed her degree in neurobiology at UC Berkeley, graduated from Yale School of Medicine and did her internship and residency at Harvard Medical School. In this episode we talk about her new book The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond. She also wrote the New York Times best seller The Female Brain and its follow-up, The Male Brain, which continues to be read around the world.This episode is filled with so much great information, enjoy and please review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!Watch the interview YouTubeDr. Louann BrizendineThe Upgrade bookDr. Brizendine on InstagramFacebookTwitterThe Female BrainThe Male BrainThe Women's Health InitiativeI Feel Bad About My NeckSupport the show

Erin Hupp has been creating beautiful ceramics for more than 20 years. But it wasn't until she was knee-deep in a successful career in law that she made ceramics her main gig. After earning her law degree, the San Francisco-based artist practiced land-use and child-welfare law. But the call of her art was always at the back of her mind, and after giving birth to her third child, she decided to make an enormous change: she would pursue her art, but not just as a hobby—as a full time business.  Her focused approach—she marks every ceramics-related task on the family calendar—has paid off. Erin is now a professional artist known for her texturally-rich tableware. She partners with restaurants and interior designers to create site-specific pieces, all by hand on her potter’s wheel. You'll find her work at restaurants including Hilda and Jesse, Californios, Nightbird, Sorrel and Pasta Bar. Listen to our conversation to find out how she made the seemingly unlikely transition from lawyer to potter a very successful one. Links: Erin Hupp CeramicsErin on InstagramAdvokidsCaliforniosHilda and JesseWindy ChienBlink by Malcolm GladwellNoz NozawaErin Hupp + Hilda and Jesse article at ForbesThe Upgrade by Louann BrizendineThe Female Brain by Louann BrizendineVideo and audio editing by Sofija Jovanov.Support the show

If you're navigating midlife and think it's time to give up rocking (or trying to rock) a smokey eye look, this episode with disabuse you of that thought (also see Carine Roitfeld.)I met makeup artist Brigette Caille through the #silversisters network on Instagram, and quickly invited her onto the show to get her valuable tips on easy makeup when you're 50-ish. And I'm so glad I did because I finally know how to create a smokey eye look in less than 5 minutes! To be honest I never really had the confidence to try a smokey eye before. In fact I'm so intimidated by eye makeup in general that I had resigned myself to using only mascara. I just didn't feel I had the time or energy to experiment, especially when I was sure it would end in me washing my face and going back to the mascara-only look. If you feel the same way, I promise you'll change your mind after checking out Brigette's tips. Please let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes, good or bad!Links:Brigette CailleBrigette Caille on InstagramSupplies that could come in handy for creating a smokey eye: 1. Eye crayonNYX Jumbo Eye Pencil, $5.50Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Pencil, $29Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener, $24Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color, $292. Fluffy blending brushe.l.f. Mint Melt eyeshadow brush set, $6.50Laura Mercier Finishing Ponytail Brush, $32Makeup by Mario EF1 Makeup Brush, $22Fenty Beauty by Rhianna Tapered Blending Brush, $243. Small blending brush (or us a Q-tip)e.l.f. Mint Melt eyeshadow brush set, $6.50Laura Mercier Smudge Brush, $26Sephora Collection Makeup Match Smudge Eyeshadow Brush, $84. Eyelash CurlerSephora Collection eyelash curler, $14Laura Mercier Artist eyelash curler, $22Lash Star Stardust lash curler, $245. MascaraSupport the show

The fact that spellcheck still doesn't know how to spell perimenopause kind of says it all. A wide-ranging lack of knowledge and utter confusion (even among gynecologists) around perimenopause, menopause and women's health during this transitional time of life are why today's guests, Gwendolyn Floyd (CEO) and Julie Kucinski (CMO)—along with founding partners Judy Greer (yes from Arrested Development!) and Corey Scholibo—founded Wile Women. Wile Women makes products to support women's health after 40ish. Using plant medicine supported by clinical studies, the brand demystifies and embraces hormonal health. Products support and regulate the big three: estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol, with tinctures, supplements and drinks. Instead of using single ingredients to tackle symptoms, the brand says: "Wile looks at women and formulations holistically, because that’s how our bodies and nature really work."That's why, for example, their Drinking Your Feelings, Un-Anger, and Tranq Drank, products contain a blend of ingredients that work together to combat unwanted symptoms. In this episode, we discuss the flawed Women's Health Initiative study of 2002, which, incredibly, 20 years later is still scaring us away from hormone treatments. We also discuss naturopathy, medical gaslighting and so much more. I learned so much from these two during our conversation and I hope you will too!Wile has also offered a generous 20% discount to Mean Mag readers! Use code MEAN20 for 20% off your entire order. Links: Wile WomenGwendolyn FloydJulie KucinskiJudy GreerSupport the show

Introducing: Brad King, the first man on The Mean Show podcast!I talk in my recorded intro a lot about Brad being supportive of women, which is obviously awesome. He gave female authors a platform when Covid descended upon us all and no one could do book tours.  Really awesome.But what I neglect to mention in the intro is his support of BIPOC communities. His self-awareness and introspection about his status and role as a white man in America is inspiring and all too rare. Not that he would ever say any of that. Brad and I worked together long ago at Wired—in the intro I say early 2000s but I think it was actually the late '90s if you can believe that. We talk about writing, therapy, Ted Lasso, and so much more. LINKS:Brad KingThe Downtown Writers Jam podcastKP on the Downtown Writers Jam podcastVendettas: Clay County WarThe 'Lost Tribe' of AppalachiaThis episode is sponsored by Hydronique Hydration, a new wellness brand crated by a  healthcare worker to help hydrate and ease the frequent headaches experienced by him and his fellow frontline workers due to dehydration during the pandemic as a result of aggressive PPE, overwork and burnout. Check it out on Amazon!Support the show

Today's episode features Nina Lorez Collins, chief creative officer for Revel, an events and community platform for women over 40. She's also the founder of The Woolfer, which Revel acquired earlier this year. In 2015 she started a closed Facebook group called What Would Virginia Woolf Do?, which eventually became The Woolfer. That led to a book with the same name, plus the subtitle: As I Attempt to Age Without Apology. As we discuss in the podcast, the idea of aging without apology resonates for me because as I  get older, I feel like I should be sorry for getting old—like I'm letting people down somehow. But things are changing: Revel was founded (with VC funding)  by two women in their thirties who saw the value in women in our 40s and 50s. Nina is a graduate of Barnard college and has a master's degree from Columbia narrative medicine. She has a long professional background in book publishing both as a literary scout and an agent. She serves as a trustee of the Brooklyn Public Library, and board member of the publishing house Spiegel and Grau. Nina also manages the literary estate of her late mother, the filmmaker and writer Kathleen Collins. Links: Kathleen CollinsNina Lorez CollinsNina Lorez Collins on InstagramRevelRevel on InstagramThe Woolfer on FacebookWhat Would Virginia Woolf Do? And Other Questions I Ask Myself As I Try To Age Without ApologyWomanessKindraNo. 6BeklinaWeight WatchersThe Fuck It DietTabuSupport the show

Karen Randall helps women at midlife explore the questions that not many on Instagram are talking about. As we look at our changing faces in the mirror, many of us ask: What's next for me? What path do I take when it feels like my best years are behind me? I have so many ideas, how do I pick the right one when time feels so short? While it's wonderful that we're seeing more midlife women on social media, and that we're all encouraging each other to embrace our age with empowering mantras, (Own it! Do you! Don't give an F what anyone thinks!), for many of us, it's so much easier said than done. In this episode, Karen discusses how you can explore those questions to actually get to that chill-AF-about-aging state of mind. It was really fun digging into all of this with Karen, I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!Find out more about Karen's work at her website! Support the show

This is a super-long one, but I just could not bring myself to make it shorter because I loved every minute of this conversation.To make it easier to navigate, I have broken it down for you below. Listen to it beginning to end (which, you know, I totally recommend because it's good), or pick and choose the topics that interest you most.I highly recommend not missing the Vivienne Westwood section, as well as the yoga and trends parts, oh, and the part about what Andrea loves about this phase of our lives. And if you'd like to watch the video, please click here.Please let me know what you think! Video and editing by Sofija Jovanov. Jump to Key Topics3:22: Girl in Transition + Timbuk2 9:30 A designer’s business sense and entrepreneurship 16:44 Chicago origins (she wasn’t always a fashion girl) 26:10 First fashion gig with the legendary Vivienne Westwood (and how she got it with a the craziest resume) 32:57 Being open and spontaneous and also a responsible adult 35:42 AGING and being an overgrown teenager and planning to live until 139 and dating younger men 46:45 Mentee and mentorship over the years 51:46 YOGA 1:00:33 TRENDS! Loved and hated 1:09:09 “Genderless fashion is the NOW of fashion” 1:16:28 What she loves about this phase of our lives (don't miss this one!) Key quotes“I”ve never moved for a job.”“Genderless fashion is the now of fashion.”“Sometimes I look like a grown up woman, sometimes I look like a teenager, sometimes I look like a hight school skater boy.”"The time has gone by when only certain people are allowed to have certain experiences.”LinksAs Timbuk2 turns 30, its female executives are building a lifestyle powerhouseAnti-aging ads are out Podcast with Wini Linguvic my yoga instructorThe Spring/Summer 1993 Vivienne Westwood show with the last-minute dyed dress as the finalePharrell on the cover of Vanity Fair, November 2019Support the show