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From Midlife to Best Life

From Midlife to Best Life

By: Ana Yun & Iris Cai
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 This is a podcast dedicated to celebrating one of the most empowered, fun and challenging phases of life - midlife. Podcast hosts Iris and Ana (proud midlifers) invite their audience in on friendly, authentic and important conversations about anything related to midlife: relationships, career, transitions and other rich topics. They share personal stories, research insights, and learnings from their daily lives to inspire folks approaching or living midlife embrace fulfilling and rewarding lives.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Episode 13: The Power of Play in Reclaiming Joy and Creativity

    Episode 13: The Power of Play in Reclaiming Joy and Creativity
    Oct 9 2025

    Episode Summary:

    In this uplifting episode of From Midlife to Best Life, Ana welcomes Kirsten Anderson, a Play, Communication, and Leadership Coach who is on a mission to bring more playfulness into the workplace and beyond. From owning an award-winning toy store to coaching corporate teams, Kirsten shares her fascinating journey from toyologist to playologist and how she helps people rediscover creativity, connection, and flow through play.

    Together, Ana and Kirsten explore why adults stop playing, how toxic productivity limits joy, and why playfulness isn’t frivolous, it’s essential for innovation, well-being, and meaningful work. You’ll learn how to spot your own “flow moments,” how to integrate playful thinking into your day-to-day life, and how a simple mindset shift can reignite joy and purpose.

    Host: Ana Yun [Instagram | Website: www.anayun.ca | LinkedIn Profile]

    Guest: Kirsten Anderson [website: https://integrateplay.com/ | LinkedIn Profile]

    Key Takeaways

    • Play does not equal less productivity; it's a myth.
    • Play is essential for creativity and innovation.
    • Adults often stop playing due to societal pressures.
    • Toxic productivity can hinder our ability to play.
    • Playfulness can be a corporate value that enhances culture.
    • Midlife is a great time to rediscover play.
    • Barriers to play include fear of judgment and societal expectations.

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction to Playfulness in Midlife

    04:21 The Concept of Prescribing Play

    05:59 Benefits of Play in the Workplace

    08:25 Barriers to Adult Play

    10:49 The Importance of Playfulness

    17:54 Playfulness as a Corporate Value

    20:49 Playfulness and Creativity

    24:42 Overcoming Barriers to Play

    30:22 Final Thoughts and Resources

    Recommended Resources:

    • The Creative Act by Rick Rubin​​
    • Choose your own adventures - playful paths to success playbook
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    32 mins
  • Episode 12: A Journey to Purposeful Living: Layoff to Entrepreneurship

    Episode 12: A Journey to Purposeful Living: Layoff to Entrepreneurship
    Sep 10 2025

    Episode Summary:

    In this episode of 'From Midlife to Best Life', host Ana engages in a heartfelt conversation with her guest Lara Tiro about the journey of purposeful living, especially during midlife. They explore the challenges and opportunities that come with career transitions, the impact of layoffs, and the importance of self-discovery. Lara shares her personal experiences and insights on embracing change, finding her purpose as an entrepreneur, and the significance of living intentionally. The discussion emphasizes the value of resilience, community suppoty, and the non-linear nature of career paths, encouraging listeners to embrace their unique journeys.

    Host: Ana Yun [Instagram | Website: www.anayun.ca | LinkedIn Profile]

    Guest: Lara Tiro [website: www.rebelcpg.com | LinkedIn Profile | podcast website: munchingonmolecules.com

    | Podcast LinkedIn | Streaming Platforms: Spotify and Apple Podcast]

    Key Takeaways

    • Midlife can be a time of clarity and purpose.
    • Purposeful living involves aligning with your passions.
    • Career transitions can lead to new beginnings.
    • Layoffs can be opportunities for reinvention.
    • No career path is linear; embrace the winding journey.
    • Persistence and small steps lead to success.

    Chapters:

    00:00 Introduction to Purposeful Living

    05:46 The Journey of Purposeful Living

    09:10 Navigating Career Changes and Layoffs

    11:59 Embracing Wholehearted Living

    17:51 Finding New Beginnings After Layoffs

    27:15 Transitioning from Employee to Consultant: The Initial Steps

    32:58 The Importance of Mindset in Pursuing Passion Projects

    36:18 The Value of Asking for Help in Entrepreneurship

    40:13 Key Takeaways for Navigating Career Pivots

    43:00 Embracing the Journey: The Non-Linear Path of Entrepreneurship

    Resources for entrepreneurs:

    WeBC: we-bc.ca The Forum: https://www.theforum.ca/

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    32 mins
  • Episode 11: Layoff Experience and Cultivating Resilience

    Episode 11: Layoff Experience and Cultivating Resilience
    Aug 29 2025
    Episode Summary: In this episode of "From Midlife to Best Life," host Ana welcomes career coach Trudy Hallam from LHH Knightsbridge. Together, they explore the emotional and practical aspects of navigating career transitions, especially during layoffs. Trudy shares insights on how to prepare for unexpected changes, the importance of maintaining a "kudo file," and how to leverage personal branding in job searches. Ana shares her own experience with the recent layoff and how she turned it into an opportunity to re-discover herself. Tune in to discover how career coaching can be a vital support system in uncertain times. Takeaways: Layoffs are disruptive but normal experiences. They bring shock, sadness, and identity loss, but they can also create opportunities to pause, re-evaluate, and pivot in one’s career. Be vulnerable. Be kind. Be human. Be proactive before a layoff happens. Keep a “kudos file” with performance reviews, accomplishments, and samples of work stored outside your work computer. This ensures you have evidence of your skills and achievements if access is cut off. Take advantage of outplacement and career coaching services. Many people don’t use these resources, but they provide resume support, interview preparation, training, and guidance on navigating the job market. Think beyond traditional full-time roles. Contract, part-time, or portfolio careers can offer flexibility, new experiences, and pathways into unexpected opportunities. Develop and market your personal brand. Employers look for more than hard skills. Highlight transferable strengths (e.g., leadership, problem-solving, creativity) and communicate what makes you unique. Host: Ana Yun [Instagram | Website: www.anayun.ca | LinkedIn Profile] Guest: Trudy Hallam [LinkedIn Link] Resources: LinkedIn Learning – free with through your local library. Over 16,000 courses and instructional courses on interviewing; resumes; marketing plans; LinkedIn and everything in-between. LinkedIn Learning Role Play: As Career Coaches seek practical tools to boost a candidate’s confidence, LinkedIn Learning’s Role Play offers a game-changing solution. This AI-powered platform simulates real-world interview scenarios, allowing candidates to rehearse responses to common questions in a safe, interactive environment. It provides instant feedback on tone, clarity, and delivery—helping job seekers refine their communication skills and reduce interview anxiety. With customizable scenarios across industries, it’s ideal for candidates at any career stage. Encourage your candidates to use Role Play as part of their interview prep—it’s like having a virtual coach available 24/7 and is a great resource for alumni candidates too. The Job Bank’s “Get to Know Yourself” resource is a valuable tool for Canadian career coaches to guide candidates through self-reflection as the foundation of career planning. It offers quizzes and exercises to help individuals identify their strengths, skills, values, and preferences, enabling them to make informed career decisions aligned with their authentic selves. Coaches can use this resource to facilitate discussions, encourage honest self-assessment, and connect candidates with labour market information and training options. By integrating these tools, coaches empower candidates to explore suitable career paths confidently and strategically, making the transition smoother and more purposeful. LinkedIn Career Explorer is a dynamic tool that uncovers hidden career paths by mapping existing skills to thousands of roles. Why It Matters: Skill Mapping: Reveals a list of skills for a particular role and unexpected career paths by highlighting transferable skills and probability match. Upskilling: Identifies missing skills and links to LinkedIn Learning courses, streamlining professional development Networking & Jobs: Connects candidates to professionals in target roles and local job postings which help to increase a candidates LinkedIn profile and presence. Strengths Finder: Candidates often question their strengths – what are they good at or known for? Have them check out this free survey to discover their character strengths, as a way to discover greater joy in living in alignment with themselves. Strengthen connections by applying what they’ve learned and helping them to answer the interview question – what's your greatest strength? OpportuNext uses Canadian Labor Market Information (LMI) to provide data-driven insights into job roles with strong growth prospects and competitive wages. By entering a current job title, users are presented with relevant career options, highlighting roles that match their skills and offer positive employment outlooks.
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    29 mins
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