Episodes

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Toni LaMotta to explore what happens when we lose trust in our own inner voice and how we begin finding it again. After spending sixteen years living under a vow of obedience as a Catholic nun, Toni gained a deep understanding of authority, surrender, and the subtle ways our voices can fade into the background. Today, she is a highly regarded spiritual coach, teacher, and internationally acclaimed speaker who has helped hundreds ...

For many women in midlife, reinvention feels like something that should happen at the beginning of a new year, after a major life change, or once everything finally settles down. But what if the truth is simpler and harder at the same time? What if reinvention begins with one decision? In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with entrepreneur, executive coach, and author Adriana L. Cowdin to talk about resilience, identity, and the courage it takes to begin again. Adriana ...

In this episode of Message in the Middle, I sit down with Shaun Zetlin, master fitness trainer, author, and creator of Emotional Fitness, for a powerful conversation about redefining strength. After more than two decades helping people build physical strength, Shaun’s work has evolved into something deeper, exploring how emotional fitness shapes the way we think, feel, and show up for our lives. Born with club feet and faced with early physical limitations, Shaun shares how his journey through ...

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne welcomes Anne Karber for an honest and reflective conversation about the midlife moment when everything appears fine on the outside, yet something feels quietly off. Anne is an entrepreneur, author of The Life Hack Playbook, and host of the Let’s Get Naked Podcast. Known for her grounded, no-BS approach, Anne helps people understand how self-awareness, patterns, and unconscious choices shape their lives, especially during seasons of burnout, tr...

Many women reach midlife having done years of personal growth work. They’ve read the books, gone to therapy, practiced mindset tools, and still find themselves feeling stuck. Not broken, exactly. Just not settled. Not at ease. In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne is joined by Ranbir Puar for a conversation that reframes what healing actually looks like. Together, they explore why mindset tools alone can fall short, especially for women who have spent years in survival mode withou...

What if healing from trauma didn’t have to wait until life finally slowed down? What if recovery could happen in real time, right in the middle of uncertainty, responsibility, and everyday life? In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne is joined by Emma Churchman, nationally certified trauma chaplain, leadership mentor, executive consultant, and founder of the Trauma Recovery Certification Program. Together, they explore what trauma really is, how it often lives quietly in the body...

So many women in midlife are craving something they can’t quite name. It’s not another productivity system. It’s not better time management. And it’s definitely not one more thing to add to an already full plate. It’s genuine connection. In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne is joined by Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins, a leadership development expert who believes that when we center human connection in how we learn, lead, and live, everything changes. Mickey’s journey is anything but ty...

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Clinical Hypnotherapist, imagination advocate, and award-winning author Michelle Walters to explore how hypnosis, curiosity, manifestation, and imagination can help women in midlife rewire long-standing subconscious patterns. Michelle shares the deeply personal story that led her from a successful career in digital marketing into hypnotherapy after the sudden loss of her life partner. That heartbreak became the catalyst for an in...

So many women in midlife are quietly carrying an exhausting belief: that their worth is something they have to earn—through productivity, perfection, and putting everyone else first. In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne is joined by registered social worker, meditation and breathwork teacher, and founder of The Self-Worth Solution, Ruth Hirshberg, for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, boundaries, and the hidden beliefs keeping so many high-achieving women stuck. Ruth sh...

What happens to a relationship when chronic illness enters the picture? For many women in midlife, a diagnosis doesn’t just affect the body, it reshapes roles, routines, identity, intimacy, and the emotional fabric of our closest relationships. And without the right support, even the strongest partnerships can quietly shift from connection to survival mode. In this episode of Message in the Middle, I’m joined by Lisa Gray, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in high...

In this powerful conversation, Marianne sits down with author and creative visionary Nikki Allen, whose novel Loved You, Hated You began as a song, became a screenplay, and ultimately transformed into a raw, emotionally charged exploration of heartbreak, identity loss, and choosing yourself again. Nikki opens up about surviving an emotionally abusive relationship, the kind that doesn’t leave physical bruises but quietly erodes your voice, your clarity, and your sense of self. Through creativity...

If you’ve ever felt like your body and your mind were working against you—stuck in stress, burnout, or exhaustion—this episode is for you. Marianne sits down with Kelly Hale, a wellness practitioner with over 25 years of experience as an occupational therapist, restorative movement specialist, and nervous system regulation expert. Kelly’s not your typical wellness voice—she’s a self-proclaimed former meditation dropout who discovered that healing doesn’t come from doing more, but from listening...

What happens when you realize in midlife that your brain has been playing by a completely different rulebook all along? In this episode of Message in the Middle, host Marianne DeMello-Smith sits down with Jorie Houlihan, Your Guide for the Dopamine Deprived™️—an ADHD life coach, speaker, and host of ADHD &... with Jorie Houlihan. After being diagnosed with ADHD at 49, Jorie’s world began to make sense in ways it never had before. But the true transformation came not from the diagnosis itself, ...

In this episode of Message in the Middle, we’re exploring something deeply human and undeniably powerful: the stories we tell about ourselves and how changing them can change everything. I’m joined by Shaunna Lee, bestselling author, coach, and passionate advocate for rewriting your inner narrative so you can step into a life that feels aligned, empowered, and true. Together, we talk about how stories shape identity, influence confidence, and often keep us stuck without even realizing it. Shau...

Many women in midlife begin to question habits they once accepted without much thought, for some that includes their relationship with alcohol. In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with alcohol-free empowerment coach, keynote speaker, and author Lauren Fay for an honest, compassionate conversation about reclaiming your power and choosing a more conscious way of living. Lauren shares what life looked like before she stopped drinking in 2018, and why she doesn’t frame sobr...

As we come to the end of the year and step into a new one, this episode of Message in the Middle is meant to feel like a bridge between seasons. Instead of a detailed recap, Marianne reflects on the themes that showed up again and again in conversations throughout the year and reminds us why they matter so deeply for women in midlife. In this episode, we explore: Why feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or emotional doesn’t mean you’re broken How identity shifts in midlife are not a crisis, but a...

If life has been feeling loud, heavy, or just a little too fast lately, this short, guided reset might be just what you didn't know you needed. In today’s mini episode of Message in the Middle, I’m inviting you to step out of the swirl, take a breath, and settle into the pause between everything you’ve been carrying. This isn’t about meditating “the right way.” It’s simply a few minutes to slow down, soften your shoulders, quiet the noise, and remember you’re allowed to rest, even in the middl...

In today’s episode of Message in the Middle, I’m joined by the one and only Steve Gamlin, speaker, author, storyteller, vision-board expert, and “The Motivational Firewood® Guy.” If you’ve ever felt stuck in the middle of your life, unsure of your next step, or wondering if you’re too late to dream something new, this conversation will remind you just how much is still possible. Steve shares how his own twists and turns, rock bottom moments included, led him to a life built on service, intentio...

Stress, memory lapses, and brain fog aren’t just “part of getting older.” In this powerful conversation, Dr. Leonaura Rhodes, a physician turned executive coach, corporate trainer, author, and host of the Mindful Medics podcast, explains why your brain deserves as much love and attention as the rest of your body, especially in midlife. After a career that began in the high-stress world of medicine, Dr. Rhodes experienced her own wake-up call: suffering from stress was not inevitable, and our br...

What if menopause didn’t have to feel like the end of something and instead could be thought of as the messy, magical middle of becoming someone new? In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Sarah Stenton a UK based comedian, author, and menopause advocate best known as the creator of Middle Age Madness, to talk about how she turned her most difficult season into a movement of humor, healing, and hope. Sarah shares candidly about her own midlife awakening, how hormonal...

What if your relationship with food wasn’t really about food at all? In this conversation Marianne sits down with Jane McGuinness, Registered Clinical Counsellor and author of Always Hungry, to unpack the tangled relationship many women have with food, body image, and self-worth. Jane’s story is both raw and deeply relatable, she lost over a hundred pounds, navigated divorce, and raised three children (one autistic/transgender), all while learning to reject the noise of diet culture and make ...

What do you do when life shatters the story you thought you were living? In this powerful episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Valerie Silveira, a woman who has faced unimaginable heartbreak and somehow turned it into a mission to help others rise. When Valerie’s daughter Jamie was shot at 18, she survived, but only to be pulled into addiction by the very medication prescribed to help her heal. Twelve years later, Jamie was murdered. Nearly a decade after that devastating...

When life throws storms our way, we often think we’re at our breaking point. But what if the storm is the very place, we discover our truest, strongest selves? In this episode of Message in the Middle, I sit down with Felicity Ashley, adventurer, mother of three, cancer survivor, former corporate marketer, and motivational speaker, to explore resilience, courage, and the power of saying yes to impossible dreams. Felicity’s story is extraordinary. She set out with three other moms to row 3,000 ...

What if the bravest thing you’ll ever do isn’t leaping out of a helicopter, but allowing yourself to truly be seen? In this powerful episode of Message in the Middle, I sit down with Angie Hawkins, an Inner Glow Coach and author of Running in Slippers. After 20 years in Corporate America, Angie traded her high-powered IT Finance Operations career for a mission to help high-achieving women stop chasing approval and start radiating fierce confidence. Angie’s journey is raw, real, and deeply rela...