Create Your Best Empty Nest

Marianne Iverson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Your kids are almost gone, or already gone, and nobody told you it would feel like this. Create Your Best Empty Nest is where women figure out who they are now and what comes next. Certified life coach Marianne Iverson helps you move from lost and uncertain to clear, grounded, and genuinely excited about your next chapter.

  1. 2d ago

    No...Is a Complete Sentence. (A Recovering People Pleaser's Guide)

    You just said no to something and then spent the next four sentences apologizing for it. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone, and it's not a personality flaw. It's people pleasing, and it's one of the sneakiest habits keeping women in the empty nest and midlife stuck in a version of themselves they're ready to outgrow. In this episode of Create Your Best Empty Nest, Marianne Iverson breaks down why a plain "no" feels like it needs a resume of reasons attached to it, and what actually happens when you drop the performance. Spoiler: you don't lose the people who matter. You only lose the exhausting act of managing everyone's feelings about your answer. This episode covers: The hidden fear underneath every over-explained "no"The exact moment in your body where you talk yourself out of your own answerWhy "no, thank you" is a full sentence, even when you're tempted to defend itWhat you actually lose when you stop performing for people (it's not what you think)Why this season of life, after the kids leave, is the perfect practice ground for a voice you haven't used in yearsIf you've spent years being the good wife, the good mom, the good friend who always has a reason ready, this is your permission slip to stop earning your own answers. 🌿 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START?If the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet "now what," you've probably thought about this call more than once already. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll find the one place the empty nest has you feeling stuck, and you'll walk away with one small shift you can start today. Not someday. Today. You don't need to have it figured out first. That's what the call is for. 👉 marianneiverson.com/call

  2. Sep 8

    4 Simple Strategies to Connect With Your Adult Child

    Your kid used to need you for everything. Now they need you for almost nothing, on their schedule, in ways you don't control. If that whiplash has you lying awake wondering how to stay close to your adult children without hovering, this episode is for you. Marianne Iverson, certified life coach and host of Create Your Best Empty Nest, breaks down four simple, doable strategies for building real connection with your adult child in this new season of parenting. Drawing on her own experience navigating a son's wedding, a new grandbaby, and a daughter serving a mission overseas, Marianne walks you through the exact shift from worry to trust that changes how your adult child actually experiences your love, not just how it feels to give it. This episode is for you if you've ever wondered how to let go without losing the relationship, how to stop checking in so much it feels like checking up, or how to handle that anxious wait for a text back. Whether you're newly in the empty nest or you've been here a while, these are strategies you can start using today. In this episode, you'll learn: How to tell the difference between checking in and checking up, and why the line moves faster than you thinkWhy worry, even well-intentioned worry, often lands as distrust instead of loveHow to build a boundary that protects your relationship with your adult child in both directionsA simple way to separate your anxiety from how long they actually take to respondWhat it really means to build the adult-to-adult relationship you'll have for the next 40 yearsIf you've been circling this question of how to relate to your grown kids without losing yourself or the relationship, this episode gives you real, practical language and tools you can use this week. 🌿 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START? If the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet "now what," you've probably thought about this call more than once already. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll find the one place the empty nest has you feeling stuck, and you'll walk away with one small shift you can start today. Not someday. Today. You don't need to have it figured out first. That's what the call is for. 👉 marianneiverson.com/call

  3. Sep 1

    4 Secrets to Survival When Your Kids Leave For College

    The car pulls out of the driveway and the silence hits different this time. If you're staring down the season where your kids leave for college, or you're already living in it, this episode is the real talk you actually need. Not the Pinterest list. Not "go find yourself." Just what to do with the grief, the guilt, the pride, and the quiet calendar that comes with empty nest syndrome. In this episode of Create Your Best Empty Nest, you'll learn: Why the empty nest transition hits so much harder than anyone warns you, and why that's not a red flagHow to hold pride in your kid's independence and grief over the quiet house without picking oneWhy filling every open hour in week one works against you, and what to do insteadOne small, doable thing you can actually do today, not a five-year planIf you've been asking "who am I now?" since your kid left for college, or you can feel that question looming before they've even packed the car, this one's for you. 📞 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START?You've been thinking about this long enough.On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll identify one place the empty nest has you feeling lost and give you one small shift you can start today to create your next chapter.Not someday. Today.👉 marianneiverson.com/call

  4. Aug 25

    God Doesn't Whisper 'You're Not Enough,' Now with Hilary Weeks (Part 2)

    Every time Hilary Weeks sat down to write music, the same thought showed up. "You're not good enough. Nobody wants to hear this." It happened so often she almost stopped noticing it. Then her husband said one sentence that changed how she heard that voice for good. This is part two of my conversation with singer-songwriter Hilary Weeks, and it might be the most important thing she says in this whole series. If you've ever felt that quiet voice of self-doubt creep in right when you're trying to build something meaningful, whether that's a career, a creative pursuit, or your next chapter after the kids leave home, this episode will change how you hear it. In this episode you'll learn: What Hilary says the adversary whispers every time she creates something meaningful, and the one sentence her husband said that reframed it for goodThe four minute habit that's kept her marriage strong for thirty four yearsHow her faith and her music have worked together instead of against each otherWhat's still ahead for her in this next season, and the book she wrote to help you find your own purpose in yoursHer final words to every woman listening, wherever she's at right nowIf you're navigating identity after kids leave home, rediscovering purpose in midlife, or just trying to quiet the voice that tells you you're too late or not qualified for what's next, this conversation will give you real language for that voice, and where it actually comes from. 🌿 YOU RAISED THEM. NOW THE HOUSE IS QUIET, AND SO ARE YOU. Join the 3-Day Rediscover You Challenge, starting August 31st for just $27, and walk away with a written page of what you want, what you're good at, and your top 3 intentions for this next chapter. 👉 Save your spot: marianneiverson.com/challenge Find Hilary Weeks:Website + her book, Discovering Purpose: hilaryweeks.comInstagram: @hilaryweeksmusicFacebook: @hilaryweeksYouTube: @hilaryweeksmusic Listen to part one first if you haven't yet, we talk about how she balanced fourteen albums and four daughters, and what she'd say to the woman who feels like she has to disappear into her kids to be a good mom.

    God Doesn't Whisper 'You're Not Enough,' Now with Hilary Weeks (Part 2)

  5. Aug 18

    You Don't Have to Disappear to Be a Good Mom: The 30 Minute Secret with Hilary Weeks

    You Don't Have to Disappear to Be a Good Mom: The 30 Minute Secret with Hilary Weeks She released fourteen albums. Raised four daughters. And never had to choose between the two. If you're in the empty nest season asking yourself "who am I now," or you're standing at the edge of it wondering how you're supposed to want anything for yourself again, this conversation is for you. Hilary Weeks, singer-songwriter, mom of four, and now grandmother of five, joins me to talk about how she built a real music career using thirty minutes a day, right in the middle of bedtime, homework, and everything else motherhood demanded of her. We talk about the moments she felt torn between her family and her gift. What having her own identity outside of "mom" gave her that she thinks she would've lost otherwise. And her answer to every woman who feels like she has to disappear into her kids to be a good mom, or who already built her own thing and still feels the empty nest ache anyway. In this episode you'll learn: How Hilary balanced a real music career and four daughters using just thirty minutes a dayWhat kept her showing up, even on the days nothing came outThe moments she felt torn between her family and her gift, and how she made peace with itWhat having her own identity outside of "mom" gave herHer answer to the woman who feels like she has to disappear into her kids to be a good momWhy the empty nest ache can show up even for the woman who already built her own thingThis is part one of a two part conversation, and it's the perfect place to start if you're navigating identity after kids leave home, rediscovering purpose in midlife, or just trying to figure out what your next chapter looks like. 🌿 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START? If the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet "now what," you've probably thought about this call more than once already. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll find the one place the empty nest has you feeling stuck, and you'll walk away with one small shift you can start today. Not someday. Today. You don't need to have it figured out first. That's what the call is for. 👉 marianneiverson.com/call Find Hilary Weeks: Website + her book, Discovering Purpose: hilaryweeks.comInstagram: @hilaryweeksmusicYouTube + Facebook: Hilary Weeks

    You Don't Have to Disappear to Be a Good Mom: The 30 Minute Secret with Hilary Weeks

  6. Aug 11

    The Cost of Waiting

    There's a version of you standing at the edge of something right now - still deciding whether to jump. If you've been telling yourself you'll start that thing "when the kids are settled," "when life calms down," or "when you finally feel ready" - this episode is the honest conversation you need. Because here's the truth about the empty nest transition that no one says out loud: waiting doesn't feel like a decision. It feels safe. It feels neutral. But every season you wait is still a season - and it's costing you more than you think. In this episode of Create Your Best Empty Nest, I'm sharing five ways the cost of waiting is quietly robbing midlife women of the life they actually want — plus the real, personal story of a bridge, a hesitation, and a decision to jump anyway. We'll talk about why "I'll start when ___" is always a moving target, what you're really protecting yourself from when you keep putting off your dream, and what taking messy, imperfect action actually looks like when you're finding yourself after the kids leave home. If you're navigating empty nest syndrome, searching for your identity after motherhood, or just quietly asking "who am I now?" - this episode will help you stop circling the question and start living the answer. This is your season to jump. Let's go. 🌿 START HEREIf the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet question of "Now what?" — take the "Who Am I After the Kids Leave?" quiz. In about 90 seconds, you'll have more clarity on this season than you've had in months. 👉 marianneiverson.com/quiz 📞 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START?You've been thinking about this long enough. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll identify one place the empty nest has you feeling lost and give you one small shift you can start today to create your next chapter. Not someday. Now. 👉 marianneiverson.com/call

  7. Aug 4

    How to Feel Your Feelings (Before They Explode)

    My shoulders were up around my ears for I don't even know how long before I noticed. My neck was so stiff I could barely move. I'd been stuffing down my feelings about a challenging family issue and telling myself it was fine. And then it wasn't fine. It was an explosion. If you've ever gone numb without knowing why, snapped over something small, or wondered why you're so emotional lately, this episode is for you. So many empty nest women learn to push feelings aside because someone always needed something from us. But a stuffed feeling doesn't disappear, it's like holding a beach ball underwater. You can do it for a while, but the second you let go, it shoots right back up, usually with more force than if you'd just let it float in the first place. In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact body scan I use with every client to process a feeling in 90 seconds, plus the real story of the hourly alarm I set the year my mom passed away, one that helped me feel grief and gratitude at the same time instead of being swept under by either one. Then I walk you through it live, right in the episode, on a feeling of your own, so you finish this episode having actually done the work, not just heard about it. If you're navigating the empty nest transition, trying to process your emotions in midlife, or just quietly asking who you are now, this episode gives you a real tool you can use today, in 90 seconds flat. This is your season to feel it and move forward. Let's go. 🌿 START HEREIf the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet question of "Now what?" take the "Who Am I After the Kids Leave?" quiz. In about 90 seconds, you'll have more clarity on this season than you've had in months.👉 marianneiverson.com/quiz 📞 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START?You've been thinking about this long enough. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll identify one place the empty nest has you feeling lost and give you one small shift you can start today to create your next chapter. Not someday. Now.👉 marianneiverson.com/call

  8. Jul 28

    Your Brain Needs a Summer Job (Before It Finds a Bad One)

    You're not sad exactly. You're just on edge. Irritated at people who didn't do anything wrong. Worried about things that honestly aren't yours to worry about. If you've been wondering why you feel so anxious now that your kids are gone, or why your empty nest has you snapping at your husband over shoes on the floor, this episode is going to make so much sense of it. Your brain doesn't go quiet when the kids leave. It goes looking for trouble. In this episode, I'm breaking down why an idle brain doesn't rest, it riots, backed by a University of Virginia study that found people would rather shock themselves than sit alone with their own thoughts. I'll show you why your mind manufactures problems when it doesn't have a real one to solve, using research out of the University of Arizona on how negative thoughts loop and repeat far longer than positive ones do. You'll learn: Why empty nest anxiety and irritability aren't a character flaw, they're just an idle brain looking for workThe difference between a real problem and a "borrowed worry" your brain picked up because it needed something to carryA simple two-word phrase to interrupt a spiraling thought before it runs your whole dayHow to give your brain a real 90 day assignment instead of waiting for a five year plan to appearI'm also sharing where I'm at with my own 90 day goal, first introduced back in Episode 26, "How to Know What You REALLY Want," plus a pickleball story about what it actually feels like when your brain finally has somewhere good to go. If you want to go even deeper on figuring out your own desires before you set a goal, go back and listen to Episode 22, "Desire Isn't Selfish, It's Sacred Direction." This is for you if you're in the last few years before your kids leave home, or the first year after, and you're ready to stop spiraling and start creating your next chapter on purpose. 🌿 START HERE If the kids have left and you're sitting with that quiet question of "Now what?" - take the "Who Am I After the Kids Leave?" quiz. In about 90 seconds, you'll have more clarity on this season than you've had in months. 👉 marianneiverson.com/quiz 📞 READY TO STOP CIRCLING AND ACTUALLY START? You've been thinking about this long enough. On a free Next Chapter Jumpstart Call, we'll identify one place the empty nest has you feeling lost and give you one small shift you can start today to create your next chapter. Not someday. Now. 👉 marianneiverson.com/call

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Your kids are almost gone, or already gone, and nobody told you it would feel like this. Create Your Best Empty Nest is where women figure out who they are now and what comes next. Certified life coach Marianne Iverson helps you move from lost and uncertain to clear, grounded, and genuinely excited about your next chapter.

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