303 🌈 Peaceful Divorce and Positive Co-Parenting with Gabriella Pomare
In this candid conversation, family lawyer and author Gabriella Pomare shares how to move from conflict to collaboration after divorce. We dig into co-parenting with grace (even with a difficult or narcissistic ex), her four Pillars of Communication—listen, pause, reflect, respond—plus boundaries, parallel parenting, and putting kids at the center (not in the middle). If you’re navigating separation, blended family life, or simply want healthier communication, this episode brings practical tools and real hope.
What You’ll Learn
How to co-parent peacefully using Gabriella’s Pillars of Communication (listen, pause, reflect, respond)
Smart boundaries for high-conflict or narcissistic exes (and when to parallel parent)
Ways to keep kids at the center, build new traditions, and reduce guilt and stress
How age matters: routines for young kids vs. guardrails for teens
Mindset shifts for healing: choosing dignity, de-escalation, and long-term harmony over “winning”
🎧 Tune in now at https://TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Connect with Gabriella!
https://thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au
🌟 Explore All Things Midlife & More
https://wendyvalentine.com
📖 Order Your Copy of Women Waking Up
https://womenwakingup.com
📸 Follow My Midlife Adventures on IG!
https://www.instagram.com/wendy_valentine_/
📝 Get Weekly Midlife Inspiration on Substack
https://wendyvalentine.substack.com/
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302 🌟 Progress Over Perfection: A Journey of Self-Discovery with Monica Packer
In this powerful conversation, Wendy Valentine sits down with habits and identity coach—and recovering perfectionist—Monica Packer to unpack why perfectionism keeps midlife women stuck on the sidelines and how to choose progress over perfection. Monica shares her 2015 “aha” moment, explains the perfectionism pendulum (overachieving ↔ underachieving), and shows how self-compassion—not shame—creates sustainable change.
You’ll hear practical ways to quiet the inner critic, navigate the messy middle, set healthier boundaries, and take brave, bite-sized action with Monica’s simple Do Something List. If you’re tired, busy, or overwhelmed but still want to grow, this episode gives you freeing, relatable tools to move forward—imperfectly and authentically.
What You’ll Learn
The “perfectionism pendulum” and why both all-or-nothing and doing nothing are the same trap
How self-compassion outperforms self-criticism for lasting habit change
A 3C toolkit: Compassion, Courage, Curiosity to navigate the messy middle
How to spot and reframe your inner critic in real time
Why validation ≠ apathy—and how acceptance jumpstarts momentum
Practical steps to start small: create a Do Something List and celebrate micro-wins
How perfectionism strains relationships—and the role of boundaries and invitations to change
Identity shifts: moving from outcome-based worth to values-aligned action in midlife
🎧 Tune in now at https://TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Connect with Monica!
www.aboutprogress.com
🌟 Explore All Things Midlife & More
https://wendyvalentine.com
📖 Order Your Copy of Women Waking Up
https://womenwakingup.com
📸 Follow My Midlife Adventures on IG!
https://www.instagram.com/wendy_valentine_/
📝 Get Weekly Midlife Inspiration on Substack
https://wendyvalentine.substack.com/
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301 🦠 Brain Fog, Fatigue & Lyme: What Doctors Miss with Nicole Bell
In this powerful episode, Wendy Valentine sits down with Nicole Bell, author of What Lurks in the Woods and CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics, to uncover the truth about Lyme disease and tick-borne infections that are too often misdiagnosed or misunderstood.
Nicole shares her deeply personal story of her husband’s tragic battle with a misdiagnosed tick-borne illness that was mistaken for early-onset Alzheimer’s, and how that journey fueled her mission to transform Lyme testing and awareness. Together, Wendy and Nicole discuss why so many people struggle to get answers, the importance of early detection, the connection between Lyme, chronic illness, and hormone shifts, and how to become your own best health advocate.
What You’ll Learn:
Why Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood
The difference between Lyme and other tick-borne infections like Babesia and Bartonella
How traditional Lyme testing fails—and what new diagnostic methods work better
Common symptoms that can mimic menopause, anxiety, or chronic fatigue
How tick-borne illness can trigger neurodegenerative and mental health conditions
Practical steps to protect yourself, detect infection early, and find real healing
🎧 Tune in now at https://TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Connect with Nicole and Galaxy!
Galaxy Diagnostics: https://www.galaxydx.com/
https://www.instagram.com/galaxydiagnostics/
https://www.facebook.com/galaxydx
Nicole:
https://www.nicoledaniellebell.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nicoledaniellebell/
🌟 Explore All Things Midlife & More
https://wendyvalentine.com
📖 Order Your Copy of Women Waking Up
https://womenwakingup.com
📸 Follow My Midlife Adventures on IG!
https://www.instagram.com/wendy_valentine_/
📝 Get Weekly Midlife Inspiration on Substack
https://wendyvalentine.substack.com/
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300 🧠 Brain Health Breakthrough: Sleep Better & Stress Less with Ariel Garten
In this enlightening episode of The Midlife Makeover Show, Wendy Valentine sits down with neuroscientist and Muse co-founder Ariel Garten to explore the fascinating connection between meditation, brain health, and midlife transformation. Ariel explains how neuroplasticity allows us to rewire old thought patterns, strengthen emotional resilience, and even slow brain aging.
You’ll learn how Muse’s brain-sensing headband offers real-time feedback to make meditation easier, more effective, and even life-changing—helping you sleep better, stress less, and take back control of your mind. This episode is packed with science, stories, and soulful wisdom that will leave you inspired to train your brain for a brighter, calmer future.
What You’ll Learn
How meditation changes your brain and boosts neuroplasticity
The simple science behind Muse and real-time neurofeedback
Why just 5–10 minutes a day can improve focus, calm, and sleep
How meditation supports midlife emotional balance and resilience
Ways to heal trauma and rewrite your inner story for lasting peace
🎧 Tune in now at https://TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com or wherever you listen to podcasts!
👉 Connect with Ariel!
Website: https://choosemuse.com
MUSE Instagram: instagram.com/choosemuse
Ariel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariels_musings/
Facebook: facebook.com/choosemuse
Save 15% on the Muse Headband with code: VALENTINE
🌟 Explore All Things Midlife & More
https://wendyvalentine.com
📖 Order Your Copy of Women Waking Up
https://womenwakingup.com
📸 Follow My Midlife Adventures on IG!
https://www.instagram.com/wendy_valentine_/
📝 Get Weekly Midlife Inspiration on Substack
https://wendyvalentine.substack.com/
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299 ☯️ Sleep, Stress & Simple Habits for Thriving in Midlife with Erin Clifford
Wendy Valentine welcomes wellness expert, author, and coach Erin Clifford for a practical, no-hype conversation about creating work-life harmony in midlife. Erin shares why “balance” is a myth, how tiny, realistic habits outpace big overhaul plans, and why values, boundaries, and flexible routines are the true foundations of health. From stress and sleep to movement, nutrition, and corporate wellness, Erin reframes thriving as a personalized, sustainable path—one you can start today with small wins that add up. We also dig into her new book, Wellness Reimagined, a part-book, part-workbook guide to building a wellness plan that actually fits your life.
What You’ll Learn
The difference between work-life balance and work-life harmony—and why harmony wins
How to identify your top values and use them to set healthy, self-honoring boundaries
Simple starter habits for nutrition (think whole foods, fiber, protein) without rigid rules
Easy ways to move more (walks, bands, yoga, pickleball) even if you “don’t like exercise”
Why sleep, stress management, and routines are the glue that hold wellness together
The power of choosing one small habit at a time to build momentum and confidence
How to create a personalized wellness plan using Erin’s “choose-your-own-adventure” approach
Reframing midlife as a fun, freeing chapter for reinvention—not perfection
🎧 Tune in now at https://TheMidlifeMakeoverShow.com or wherever you listen to podcasts!
✨Read the blog: 299 ☯️ Sleep, Stress & Simple Habits for Thriving in Midlife with Erin Clifford at https://wendyvalentine.com/sleep-stress-simple-habits/
👉 Connect with Erin Clifford
https://erincliffordwellness.com/
https://wellnessreimaginedbook.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinwellness/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erincliffordwellness/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@erincliffordwellness
🌟 Explore All Things Midlife & More
https://wendyvalentine.com
📖 Order Your Copy of Women Waking Up
https://womenwakingup.com
📸 Follow My Midlife Adventures on IG!
https://www.instagram.com/wendy_valentine_/
📝 Get Weekly Midlife Inspiration on Substack
https://wendyvalentine.substack.com/
About The Midlife Makeover Show | Women Over 40, Menopause Support, Hormone Health, Divorce Recovery, Empty Nest Advice, Aging Gracefully, Finding Purpose
The Midlife Makeover Show is your go-to podcast for bold women ready to reinvent their second act and live life on their own terms. Hosted by Wendy Valentine—author of Women Waking Up and midlife maven—this show is packed with real talk, inspiring stories, expert advice, and powerful tools to help you navigate everything from menopause to mindset, empty nesting to empowerment.❤️ All the goods: https://wendyvalentine.com🎤 Nominate a Guest: http://midlifemakeoverguest.com
Listen to The Midlife Makeover Show | Women Over 40, Menopause Support, Hormone Health, Divorce Recovery, Empty Nest Advice, Aging Gracefully, Finding Purpose, Begin Again with Davina McCall and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app