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My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani

Lemonada

…Is this it? That’s the question our host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted, so why does she feel so unsatisfied? Is this a woman’s version of a midlife crisis? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group chat behind her, she’s calling in reinforcements. From Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to Emily Oster and Cheryl Strayed, to experts, friends, authors and more, Reshma’s going to help us all figure out how we stop trying to just get through this time of life… and actually start living it.

  1. 6D AGO

    One Bad Mother with EJ Dickson

    Journalist and cultural critic EJ Dickson joins Reshma for a candid conversation about motherhood, guilt, and the impossible standards women are expected to meet. Drawing from her new book One Bad Mother, EJ breaks down how the idea of the “good mother” is a surprisingly recent invention, why modern parenting runs on shame and self-policing, and who actually benefits from keeping women feeling like they are failing. Follow EJ Dickson on Instagram at @ejdickson. Her book One Bad Mother is out February 10. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min

  2. JAN 28

    Revisit: Turning Fear Into Focus with Christina Koch

    We're revisiting Reshma’s conversation with astronaut Christina Koch to mark her historic  Artemis II launch next week, a milestone moment for human spaceflight and a powerful reminder of what’s possible for women pushing boundaries at every stage of life.Astronaut Christina Koch was about to go out on her first spacewalk, staring out into a “big gaping hole of blackness,” when her heart started racing. So she channeled that fear into focus – reminding herself of all the training she’s done to prepare her for this moment – and stepped out of the airlock. Christina tells Reshma all about the 328 days she spent in space (including the mundane chores astronauts have to do on board the International Space Station) and they discuss Christina’s next mission, Artemis II, which will venture around the moon in 2026. Plus, how NASA designed a training program for Christina that takes into account perimenopause. Follow Christina @astro_christina on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min

  3. JAN 21

    Good Daughtering with Dr. Allison Alford

    Dr. Alison Alford joins Reshma for a thoughtful conversation about what it means to be a daughter in midlife. As a psychologist and the author of Good Daughtering, Alison helps name the invisible rules, emotional labor, and guilt that so many women carry in their relationships with their parents. Together, they explore how daughters can move out of enmeshment, redefine care, and stay connected to their families. Follow Dr. Allison Alford on Instagram at @daughtering101. Her book Good Daughtering is out February  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min

  4. JAN 21 · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

    What’s your battery level?

    Reshma and psychologist Dr. Alison Alford talk about why daughters so often push past their limits and how burnout builds quietly over time. Alison introduces the idea of checking your “battery level” before stepping in, and why seeing a need does not automatically make it yours to handle.

    2 min

  5. JAN 14

    Making Magic in Midlife

    Brad Meltzer, one of the most widely read authors in America, joins Reshma for a candid conversation about midlife, legacy, and learning how to be gentler with yourself. He reflects on breaking up with achievement, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and the teacher who changed his life by simply saying, “you can write.” They also talk about empathy, self forgiveness, and the ideas behind his viral talks Make Magic and How to Write Your Own Obituary, which explore how we shape the lives we are remembered for. The conversation also touches on the inspiration for his new thriller, The Viper, but at its core, this episode is about accepting the early lines, the mistakes, and the parts of ourselves that make the masterpiece possible. Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram at @bradmeltzer. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min

  6. JAN 7

    How to Fight Better with Oona Metz

    Fighting is not the problem. How we fight is. In this episode, Reshma welcomes back psychotherapist, writer, and divorce group leader Oona Metz for a grounded, deeply human conversation about what actually breaks marriages and what still makes them salvageable. As the new year begins and January earns its reputation as “Divorce Day,” Oona helps unpack why midlife becomes such a turning point in relationships and why so many couples are forced to finally look at what they have been avoiding. Follow Oona Metz on Instagram at @oonametz or at oonametz.com . Oona’s new book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, is out January 13.  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min

  7. JAN 7 · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

    When AI Becomes a Co-Parenting Tool

    Oona tells Reshma how some of her clients are using AI to reality check messages, reduce emotional escalation, and make co parenting more manageable after divorce.

    6 min

  8. 2025-12-31

    Revisit: How to Stop Giving a Fuck with Bozoma Saint John

    Bozoma Saint John is the newest cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and she has a take-no-shit approach to life that will motivate you to demand everything you deserve. After working in executive marketing positions for companies like Uber, Netflix, Apple and Pepsi, Boz decided to leave corporate America and do things her own way. She had experienced so much loss in her life that she didn’t want to take a single day for granted. She lost her first daughter after a tough pregnancy, and her husband died of cancer. But Boz is not only working through it, she's talking about it. In this episode, she talks with Reshma about her life as a corporate girlie, the conversations she had with Housewives producers and what we can all learn from her book “The Urgent Life.” Follow Bozomo Saint John on Instagram @badassboz. Her book is called The Urgent Life and her Wig and Hair Care company is called Eve by Boz. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
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About

…Is this it? That’s the question our host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted, so why does she feel so unsatisfied? Is this a woman’s version of a midlife crisis? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group chat behind her, she’s calling in reinforcements. From Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to Emily Oster and Cheryl Strayed, to experts, friends, authors and more, Reshma’s going to help us all figure out how we stop trying to just get through this time of life… and actually start living it.

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