Ever wonder if the way you’re feeling in midlife is just “how it’s supposed to be now”—or if something deeper is going on? In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, I’m sharing my own hormone replacement therapy (HRT) journey and what ultimately led me to say yes to exploring it.

I’ve interviewed experts on menopause and hormones before, but this time, I’m telling my story. From unexpected physical symptoms to mood changes, low energy, and a surprising high cholesterol wake-up call, this episode is about listening to your body, advocating for yourself, and realizing that feeling “not great” doesn’t have to be your new normal.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ The menopause and perimenopause symptoms I didn’t realize were hormone-related
✔ Why my cholesterol results became a turning point in my decision
✔ How estrogen levels can affect far more than hot flashes
✔ What actually changed for me after starting HRT
✔ Why getting the right medical support in midlife matters so much

🎯 OMG Moment: Just because your symptoms are common doesn’t mean you have to live with them. Feeling “off” is information—and you’re allowed to do something about it.

Take Action

If any part of this episode sounds familiar, start by paying attention. Track your symptoms, notice patterns, and don’t downplay how you’re feeling. Then, talk with a medical professional who is trained in menopause care and willing to listen. You deserve options—and informed ones.

• Listen to episode 50 - how to talk to your doctors
• Listen to episode 18 and episode 41 about sleep issues
• Take the menopause quiz!

Why This Episode Matters

For women over 40 and 50, midlife health conversations are often minimized or oversimplified. This episode is about reclaiming your voice, understanding the role hormones play in your physical and mental health, and recognizing that self-care in midlife includes advocating for your well-being. You’re not broken—and you’re not alone.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Are you a woman over 40 or 50 feeling stressed, behind, or unsure about money, retirement planning, or your financial future? You’re NOT alone — and you’re not stuck. In this episode of Mind Your Midlife, financial advisor Shari Rash joins me to break down money mindset, retirement planning, financial confidence, and the real emotional side of finances for midlife women navigating career changes, aging parents, kids leaving the nest, and the fear of not saving “enough.”

If money makes you anxious — or if you’re ready to feel more empowered, confident, and informed — this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

✔ How money mindset affects financial decisions for midlife women
✔ Why women over 50 often feel behind on retirement planning
✔ Practical steps to build financial confidence in midlife
✔ What women REALLY need to save for retirement (and how to understand it)
✔ How to balance enjoying life now with planning for long-term financial wellness

🎯 OMG Moment:

Your mindset about money matters just as much as your bank balance. When you shift how you feel about money, you transform what becomes possible.

Take Action Today:

• Connect with Shari at gwawealth.com and listen to Everyone's Talkin' Money podcast
• Listen to Shari on OMG Teach Me and learn more about money mindset
• Review your retirement accounts; check whether you're getting your full employer match; start or revisit an emergency fund
• Choose ONE small step to build your financial confidence this week

Why This Episode Matters

Midlife is a powerful turning point. It’s when so many women feel the weight of money stress — from paying for college to caring for aging parents to wondering whether retirement will be possible.

You don’t need perfection — you just need a starting point.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

In this Changemakers episode of Mind Your Midlife, Cheryl sits down with Tori Rittinger, founder of Talk Tiles to Me, the first Mahjong studio in the DMV area. And this conversation isn’t just about a game. It’s about what midlife women are craving most: community, joy, and real brain exercise, all wrapped into one playful, addictive hobby.

Tori shares how a simple lesson with friends turned into a thriving business and a growing movement of women (and plenty of men too!) who are using Mahjong to connect, laugh, and keep their minds sharp. If you’ve been feeling stuck in the same routine or wishing you had something just for you, this might be your next favorite thing.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ Why Mahjong is exploding in popularity with midlife women — and why it’s about so much more than tiles
✔ How Tori turned a fun side interest into a full business and community in midlife
✔ The surprising brain benefits of Mahjong (strategy, memory, and staying mentally sharp)

🎯 OMG Moment: If it brings you joy, try it.
Tori’s gut-check for everything — from hobbies to business to even which jeans to buy — is simple: Does it bring you joy? And in midlife, that question can change everything.

Take Action
If you’ve been craving more connection, more fun, or a hobby that feels like true self care, give Mahjong a try. Take a beginner lesson, invite a few friends, or look for a local group. And if you’re anywhere near Washington DC, go check out Talk Tiles to Me — you might walk in alone and leave with a whole new circle of friends. Find Tori on Instagram at @talktilestome.

Why This Episode Matters
Midlife women don’t just need more “healthy habits.” We need joyful habits. We need places to belong, reasons to laugh, and activities that keep our brains engaged. Mahjong is one of those rare things that hits all three: fun, community, and mental fitness. And Tori’s story is a reminder that it’s never too late to create something new — even if it starts at your kitchen table.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Have you ever noticed how fast your brain can spiral into worst-case-scenario mode, focused on the worries, the fears, the what-ifs? And yes, you’ve heard that gratitude can help you shift out of that… but maybe it’s felt a little too simple to be real.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why gratitude isn’t a personality trait — it’s a practice — and how it can literally calm your nervous system and pull you out of fear. I’m also joined by my longtime friend Jennifer Richwine, Executive Director of the Wake Washington Center of WFU and author of With Gratitude: The Power of a Thank You Note, to talk about the kind of outward gratitude that strengthens relationships, boosts confidence, and makes people feel seen.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ Simple ways to build an internal gratitude habit, even if you are not a gratitude-journal person
✔ Why expressing gratitude out loud (and especially in a handwritten note) has a bigger impact than you think
✔ The truth about thank-you timing — including why it’s never too late to tell someone they mattered
✔ How anonymous gratitude and giving can be surprisingly powerful for both you and the person receiving it

🎯 OMG Moment: You have the power to positively impact someone’s life — and your own — simply by saying thank you and naming what you appreciated.

Take Action
Pick one tiny gratitude habit you’ll actually do.

• At night: write down one thing you’re grateful for and one small win from the day.
• During the day: pause when you see a “glimmer” and think, wow, that was good.
• This week: send one thank-you note to someone who made your day easier or brighter.
• Get the book!

Don’t overthink it. Just start.

Why This Episode Matters
Midlife comes with real challenges — changing bodies, shifting roles, aging parents, career pivots, and days that feel heavy. Gratitude doesn’t erase any of that. But it does train your brain to notice the good alongside the hard, which changes your baseline state over time... hello success mindset! And when you express gratitude outwardly, you strengthen connection and remind people (including yourself) that what they do matters.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Ever wonder why the empty nest hits so much harder than anyone prepared you for? One minute you're cheering your kids on, feeling proud and excited for their new life chapters… and the next, you’re staring at their empty bedrooms wondering how your heart can feel full and broken at the same time.

In this heartfelt episode of Mind Your Midlife, I get real about the emotional roller coaster women over 40 and 50 experience when their kids grow up and move out. Whether your adult kids live across the country, down the street, or boomeranged back home for a while, the empty nest season brings a complex mix of joy, sadness, pride, grief, and yes—self-doubt.

Using my own story, real client experiences, and practical mindset shifts, we’ll walk through what’s normal, what’s healthy, and what actually helps you move through this transition with confidence, connection, and compassion for yourself.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ Why midlife women experience BOTH joy and grief when their kids leave
✔ How your own experience of leaving home shapes how you see your kids’ choices
✔ The real reason comparison makes the empty nest feel harder (and how to stop doing it)
✔ A simple way to love your kids in THEIR love language—not yours

🎯 OMG Moment: Your kids living their own lives isn’t a rejection—it’s proof you raised confident humans who know how to fly.

Take Action

This week, reflect on this question: How does my child love to be loved?

Use their “love language” as your guide—whether that’s words, phone calls, small gifts, quality time, or simply a long hug when you’re together. Just one small shift can completely change how connected you feel in this new chapter.

Check out the book Moms Never Stop Momming as well!

Why This Episode Matters

Midlife women are carrying all the things—menopause, aging parents, career pivots, relationship shifts, and now the empty nest. This episode helps you understand your emotions, release the guilt, stop comparing your family to others, and honor the woman you are becoming in this new phase.

Your identity isn’t disappearing.
It’s evolving.
And you deserve to feel supported, grounded, and proud of the life you’ve created—and the children you raised to thrive on their own.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Ever feel like you’ve been doing all the right things at work—but somehow, you’re still not being seen? You’re showing up, doing great work, but the next opportunity just isn’t coming? You’re not imagining it—and you’re not alone.

In this powerful episode of Mind Your Midlife, I sit down with Mary Tribble of the Wake Women Podcast and Tiffany Tate, CEO of Career Maven Consulting, to talk about leadership, visibility, and confidence for midlife women who want to grow in their careers. We explore how to move past the “invisible ceiling,” why kindness and authenticity matter in leadership, and what it really takes to be seen, heard, and valued in your work life.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

✔ What the “invisible ceiling” is and how it quietly holds back midlife women at work
✔ Why being visible—and not just good at your job—is the key to career advancement
✔ How to lead from where you are, even without a big title
✔ The truth about kindness in leadership (and why it’s not weakness)
✔ How to find support and community when leadership feels lonely

🎯 OMG Moment: You don’t need a fancy title to lead—you just need to start where you are and make your work visible.

Take Action

Ask yourself: Who in my organization knows about the great work I do? If it’s just your boss, it’s time to expand that circle. Build relationships sideways and diagonally—connect with peers, mentors, and leaders who can help amplify your visibility.

Connect with Mary on Instagram.

Connect with Tiffany and Career Maven Consulting on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Why This Episode Matters

Midlife women bring wisdom, experience, and emotional intelligence to the workplace—but too often, we're overlooked. This episode is a call to step into your leadership mindset, advocate for yourself, and create opportunities instead of waiting for them to appear.

🎧 Hit follow now and join me next week as we talk about empty nesting—and what happens when your role at home starts to shift just as your work life does, too.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Body image — it’s one of those topics that every midlife woman can relate to, yet few of us talk about honestly. Why does it get so hard to like what we see in the mirror in our 40s and 50s? And what can we do about it?

In this episode, Cheryl gets real about body image in midlife — where our insecurities come from, why they’re so hard to shake, and how to start changing the conversation in your own head.

Spoiler: this isn’t about “fixing” your body. It’s about noticing the outdated stories that shape how you see yourself — and learning to replace them with gratitude and truth.

Cheryl shares how early messages, comparison culture, and shifting identities all play a role in how women see themselves at this stage of life. From perimenopause changes to social media filters, she unpacks why midlife can stir up old self-criticism and what it really takes to feel confident again.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How childhood comments and early experiences can shape your body image for decades.
• Why your brain holds on to old beliefs — and how to begin updating them.
• The hidden influence of social media and why most of what we see isn’t real life.
• How midlife transitions — career, relationships, parenting — can change how we feel about our appearance.
• Why “anti-aging” culture is a problem.

OMG Moment
Your body has carried you through 40, 50, or 60 years with strength and resilience. It’s not your body that needs fixing — it’s the way you see yourself. Gratitude and self-compassion are the new beauty secrets.

Take Action

• Join Cheryl for a brand-new four-part private podcast mini-series on body image — how we got here, how to shift what we see, and how to finally feel comfortable in our skin again. Subscribe at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes or on Apple Podcasts.
• Listen to the MYM episode on the comparison trap here.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

Intermittent fasting — it’s one of those topics that lights up every group chat. Is it healthy? Is it safe? Does it even work for women in midlife? In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Integrative Health Practitioner Adrian Mamikonian to get real about what intermittent fasting is and what it isn’t.

Spoiler: it’s not about deprivation or starving yourself — it’s about understanding how to support your hormones, gut health, and metabolism during this season of life.

Adrian shares how fasting can help regulate blood sugar, reduce bloating, and improve energy — when done the right way. She explains why your body needs both feasting and fasting, how to find the right eating window for your lifestyle, and why nutrition (especially protein!) has to come first.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What intermittent fasting really means — and why it’s not a diet.
• How fasting supports gut health, insulin sensitivity, and hormone balance.
• Why sleep, stress, and nutrition must come before fasting.
• How to break your fast for optimal energy and digestion.
• The truth about protein needs for women in midlife.
• Why lifting heavier weights (and eating more food) might actually boost your metabolism.

OMG Moment

Adrian reminds us that change doesn’t have to be drastic. Whether it’s fasting, lifting, or improving your nutrition, lasting progress comes from small, consistent steps — not all-or-nothing overhauls.

Take Action

• Join us in Mind Your Midlife on Patreon or Substack for Adrian’s 5-day meal plan and our bonus conversation about what to actually eat in a fasting window.
• Connect with Adrian on Instagram: @livingwellwithadrian or on her website
• Continue on this theme with Mind Your Midlife episodes on sleep and on hormone balance!

If you’ve ever tried intermittent fasting and felt awful, or if you’ve wondered whether it’s even safe for women over 40, this conversation will help you understand the nuances — and give you permission to take it one step at a time.

Subscribe to bonus episodes at cherylpfischer.com/bonusepisodes.

Support the show

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause support, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transitions?

• Build a mindset for success with the private bonus episodes!
• Book a free Mindset Coaching / Intro Call: cherylpfischer.com/coaching

Let’s talk midlife body positivity, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl, Midlife Coach: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website