The Midlife Edit

Jen Weinstein
  • 5.0 (4)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Midlife Edit is for the woman who still has a favorite album from 1994 and a whole second act she hasn't written yet. Hosted by Jen Weinstein — honest conversations, real guests, zero apologies for who you're becoming. 

  1. Garbagemom: On Going Viral, Going Through Perimenopause, and Maybe Starting a Music Festival

    14H AGO

    Garbagemom: On Going Viral, Going Through Perimenopause, and Maybe Starting a Music Festival

    What happens when a classically trained actress, mom, and midlife woman hits perimenopause… and decides to tell the truth about it? In this episode, Jen sits down with Beth Crosby—aka The Garbage Mom—to talk about the messy, hilarious, and very real side of midlife. From viral TikToks to perimenopausal rage, body image healing, and the freedom of not giving a f*ck anymore… nothing is off limits. Beth shares her journey from musical theater and Hollywood auditions to becoming a relatable voice for women navigating motherhood, identity shifts, and hormonal chaos. Together, Jen and Beth unpack what it actually feels like to be in perimenopause—and why more women need to start talking about it. This conversation is honest, funny, validating, and the reminder every midlife woman needs: you are not crazy—and you are definitely not alone. 🔥 In This Episode, We Cover:  How Beth went from actor to viral creator during the pandemic  Why “The Garbage Mom” resonates with so many women  The reality of perimenopause (anxiety, rage, insomnia, and more)  Growing up in 80s/90s diet culture—and healing body image  Why midlife is the most freeing (and loudest) chapter yet  Marriage, motherhood, and navigating hormones at the same time  Talking to daughters about periods, bodies, and perimenopause  Social media, vulnerability, and staying authentic online  The story behind Perimenopausalpalooza (and why we need it IRL)  Why women in midlife are DONE staying quiet 💬 Favorite Quotes “The more you tell the truth, the more people can relate to you.” “I think my favorite part about midlife is not giving a f*ck.” “If you’re getting hate comments, congratulations—you’re doing something.” 🧠 Let’s Talk About It If you’ve ever:  Woken up at 3am with your mind racing  Looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize yourself  Felt rage over something small (like… shaving in a clean sink 😅)  Wondered if this is just you or something bigger This episode is your validation. 🎤 About Beth Crosby (The Garbage Mom) Beth Crosby is an actress, writer, and viral content creator known as The Garbage Mom. With a background in musical theater and comedy (including The Groundlings), she creates raw, relatable content about motherhood, perimenopause, and midlife identity. Her work has resonated with millions of women—and even caught the attention of icons like Alanis Morissette. 🔗 Connect with Beth Instagram @thegarbagemom & TikTok: @garbagemom 💌 Connect with Jen & The Midlife Edit Website: www.themidlifeeditco.com Podcast: The Midlife Edit Instagram: @thejenweinstein ⭐️ If You Loved This Episode Share it with a friend who needs to hear:  “You’re not losing it… it’s perimenopause.” And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review—it helps more women find these conversations.

    1h 5m
  2. The Friendship Recession: Why Midlife Women Are Lonelier Than Anyone Admits

    APR 7

    The Friendship Recession: Why Midlife Women Are Lonelier Than Anyone Admits

    Have you ever looked around at your full, busy life and realized you can't remember the last time you had a real conversation with a real friend? Not a text. Not a reaction on Instagram. An actual conversation where someone asked how you were really doing — and waited for the answer. In this episode, Jen names something that so many women in midlife are feeling but rarely say out loud: the quiet, creeping loneliness that comes not from being unlikable or broken — but from living in a season of life that nobody warned us about. We're calling it the Friendship Recession. And it's more common than you think. In this episode: Why midlife women are experiencing a measurable decline in close friendships — and why it makes complete senseThe three reasons friendship gets so much harder after 40 (hint: it's not you)Why the invisible load we carry leaves almost nothing for the relationships that matter mostWhy vulnerability gets scarier the older we get — and what that's actually costing usWhat genuinely helps — and it's not "join a club"Why grieving the friendships that ran their course might be the most important thing you do this yearThis one is personal. This one is honest. And this one is for every woman who has ever felt lonely in a life that looks full from the outside. DM Jen on Instagram @thejenweinstein or reply to this week's Backstage Pass newsletter and tell her: when's the last time you felt truly connected to a friend? Follow The Midlife Edit: Instagram: @thejenweinstein TikTok: @thejenweinstein Website: www.themidlifeeditco.com Newsletter: Click Here to Join!

    23 min
  3. We Were Taught to Admire Her. Not Be Her.

    MAR 31

    We Were Taught to Admire Her. Not Be Her.

    We celebrate strong women. The bold ones. The loud ones. The ones who take up space and break the rules. But if you’re a Gen X or millennial woman… you probably weren’t raised to be her. You were raised to admire her. To be likable. To be easy. To go with the flow. To say, “I’m good with anything.” In this episode, I’m talking about what that actually did to us— how we learned to fit in instead of figure ourselves out, and why so many of us are just now asking: what do I actually want? As Women's History Month comes to a close, this is a different kind of conversation— about the gap between the women we celebrate… and the way we were taught to be. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been shape-shifting your whole life just to belong— this one’s for you.

    24 min
  4. I’m Tired of Working on Myself

    MAR 24

    I’m Tired of Working on Myself

    Lately, I’ve had a thought I almost didn’t want to say out loud… What if I’m just tired of working on myself? In this solo episode, I’m talking about the constant pressure to fix, optimize, and improve every part of our lives—and how exhausting that can become, especially in midlife. From conflicting health advice to mindset overload, it feels like there’s always something we should be doing better. And at some point, it stops feeling helpful… and starts feeling overwhelming. I’m also sharing a bit about my own reset right now—what I’m changing, why I’m doing it, and how this time feels different. Not from a place of “fixing,” but from a place of wanting to feel like me again. If you’ve been feeling off, overwhelmed, or just tired of trying to do everything “right”… this one’s for you. 🎧 IN THIS EPISODE Why self-improvement can start to feel like pressure instead of growth  The overwhelming amount of conflicting advice in health, mindset, and life  How we internalize the idea that we must be doing something wrong  The reality of perimenopause symptoms and why so many women feel “off”  My personal reset (AIP, hormones, and getting back to basics)  Why not everything needs to be optimized—or even healed  Learning to trust yourself again instead of every voice online 💭 KEY TAKEAWAYS You are not broken—you might just be overloaded  Not everything needs fixing, optimizing, or healing  It’s okay to question the constant pressure to improve  Your experience is valid, even if no one has clear answers  Sometimes the goal isn’t to become someone new—it’s to come back to yourself 🎶 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE “Grey Street” – Dave Matthews Band🫶 CONNECT WITH MEInstagram: @TheJenWeinstein  TikTok: @TheJenWeinstein 🔁 SHARE THE EPISODEIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.  And if you haven’t already—follow, rate, and review The Midlife Edit so we can keep growing this community together. ✨ FINAL NOTEThis is your midlife edit—  so let’s make it a damn good chapter.

    23 min
  5. Reclaiming Your Voice: Riot Grrrl, Motherhood & Midlife Creativity

    MAR 17

    Reclaiming Your Voice: Riot Grrrl, Motherhood & Midlife Creativity

    What happens when two punk-loving rebels from high school reconnect decades later? In this episode of The Midlife Edit, I sit down with musical theatre writer Nicolette Blount and author Sirena Grey to talk about Riot Grrrl, feminism, motherhood, and what it looks like to reclaim your creative voice in midlife. Nicolette is a Chickasaw musical theatre writer, composer, lyricist, and producer whose work includes Savage: The Unconquerable Wanda Savage, a powerful musical inspired by the true story of her great-grandmother - a vaudeville sharpshooter and silent film actress who refused to conform to the expectations placed on women in the early 1900s. Sirena Grey is a writer and editor who spent years raising three boys before returning to her creative work - a journey many women will recognize. Together, Nicolette and Sirena are currently writing Riot Grrrl: The Punk Anti-Musical, a new project inspired by the feminist punk movement that challenged the music industry and gave women a louder voice in the 1990s. In this conversation, we talk about:  • rediscovering creativity after motherhood  • starting (or restarting) a creative career later in life  • the Riot Grrrl movement and feminist punk culture  • what it takes to build a musical from the ground up  • why women’s stories still struggle to find space in the arts  • how music, storytelling, and rebellion often go hand-in-hand We also dive into the behind-the-scenes reality of creating a musical - from writing and development to the hustle of getting a show produced. If you’ve ever felt like you lost a piece of yourself somewhere along the way, this episode is a reminder that it’s never too late to come back to who you are. Links & Resources Follow the Riot Grrrl Anti-Musical journey:  https://riotgrrrlmusical.com Sirena Grey’s writing:  https://thewritingsirena.com Follow Nicolette Blount:  https://nicoletteblount.com Learn more about Savage: The Unconquerable Wanda Savage https://savagethemusical.com Connect with The Midlife Edit Follow the podcast and join the conversation: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejenweinstein Website: https://www.themidlifeeditco.com

    1h 7m
  6. Why So Many Women Wake Up Angry in Midlife: Women’s History, Healthcare Gaslighting & Rewriting the Rules

    MAR 10

    Why So Many Women Wake Up Angry in Midlife: Women’s History, Healthcare Gaslighting & Rewriting the Rules

    March is Women’s History Month, and while it’s a time to celebrate the progress women have made, it’s also a time to step back and realize something surprising: Many of the rights women have today didn’t happen centuries ago. They happened in our parents’ lifetime. In this episode of The Midlife Edit, Jen talks about why so many women reach midlife and suddenly feel angry, frustrated, or ready to question everything they were taught growing up. Because for decades, many women were raised with a cultural rulebook that said: Be agreeable. Trust authority. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t question doctors. Don’t speak up too loudly. But midlife has a way of changing that. Jen reflects on several moments in women’s history that reveal how recent many fundamental rights actually are — from financial independence to healthcare research — and shares her own personal experience navigating years of medical gaslighting before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis and receiving a hysterectomy that changed her life. Because sometimes midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s the moment women start rewriting the rules. In This Episode • Why women couldn’t open credit cards or mortgages in their own name until 1974  • Why women were excluded from medical research until the 1990s  • The long history of healthcare gaslighting toward women  • Jen’s personal experience with undiagnosed endometriosis and hysterectomy  • The cultural “rulebook” many women were raised with  • Why midlife often becomes the moment women find their voice If This Episode Resonated If you enjoyed this conversation: ⭐ Follow and subscribe to The Midlife Edit Podcast ⭐ Share this episode with a friend ⭐ Leave a review to help more women find the show Connect With Jen Website:  https://themidlifeeditco.com Instagram: @thejenweinstein TikTok: @thejenweinstein

    30 min
  7. In Conversation with Tracy Bonham: From Mother Mother to Midlife Power

    MAR 3

    In Conversation with Tracy Bonham: From Mother Mother to Midlife Power

    Thirty years ago, Mother Mother became an anthem - raw, emotional, unapologetic. In this episode of The Midlife Edit, I sit down with Tracy Bonham to talk about what it really meant to be labeled “the angry woman” in the 90s - and what it looks like to reclaim that voice in midlife. This conversation goes far beyond nostalgia. We talk about: Taking up space as a woman in the music industryBeing misunderstood, minimized, or told to tone it downThe evolution from 90s rage to midlife clarityMotherhood, divorce, and creative reinventionHer breast cancer journey and advocating for herselfUsing your platform in a time when artists are told to “stay in their lane”The 30th anniversary of The Burdens of Being Upright and her “Where It All Began” residency showsTracy reflects on who she was when she wrote Mother Mother, who she is now, and why using your voice — creatively and personally — still matters. If you’ve ever been told you’re too much, too loud, or too angry… this one is for you. Connect with Tracy Bonham Website: https://www.tracybonham.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracybonham/  🔗 Read the full blog recap here. If you love this episode, share it with a friend and leave a review - it helps The Midlife Edit grow and reach more women who need these conversations.

    53 min
  8. One Year of The Midlife Edit: Confidence, Change & Starting Over at 42

    FEB 24

    One Year of The Midlife Edit: Confidence, Change & Starting Over at 42

    One year ago I hit record on a podcast I thought would be about fitness, weight loss, and midlife health. It turned into something completely different. In this one-year anniversary episode, I’m reflecting on why I started The Midlife Edit, what midlife actually feels like, and how this space helped me find clarity, confidence, and my voice in my 40s. We talk about the narratives women are given once we reach midlife — that we should shrink, stay quiet, or stop reinventing ourselves — and why I don’t believe any of that. I share what changed this year, what didn’t, and how strength, style, career shifts, and honest conversations reshaped how I see aging. And I also share a full-circle moment: interviewing one of my favorite artists growing up — Tracy Bonham — whose episode drops next week. If you’ve ever felt the shift, questioned your identity, or realized you might actually be becoming more yourself — not less — this episode is for you. Midlife isn’t the ending.  It’s authorship. 🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYSConfidence comes after action — not beforeMidlife isn’t a crisis, it’s clarityStrength > thinnessYou don’t lose yourself in midlife — you stop performingReinvention is allowed at any ageWomen don’t need fixing — they need permissionAging can be something to look forward to💬 QUOTE FROM THE EPISODE“Midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s the first time we know ourselves well enough to live on purpose.”  📣If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s feeling the shift too.And if you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a review helps more women find this space. 🔜 NEXT WEEKA conversation with Grammy-nominated artist Tracy Bonham — on creativity, identity, and evolving through every stage of life.

    30 min
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About

The Midlife Edit is for the woman who still has a favorite album from 1994 and a whole second act she hasn't written yet. Hosted by Jen Weinstein — honest conversations, real guests, zero apologies for who you're becoming. 

Information

  • Creator
    Jen Weinstein
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Midlife Edit
  • Show Website
    The Midlife Edit

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