Grownish Women

Holly Teegarden
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Grownish Women is a podcast for women in the thick of midlife, when everything you thought you had figured out suddenly changes. Hosted by Holly, and occasionally joined by friends or experts when things get really complicated, this podcast dives into the real conversations women in their 40s and 50s are actually having. Or texting each other about at 10:47 pm. Or in Holly's case, 5:05 am. We talk about the stuff no one prepared us for. Watching our kids grow up and move out while our parents start needing more from us. The mental load that never seems to turn off. Perimenopause doing whatever it wants to our bodies. Career pivots. Marriage evolutions. Friendships that save us. And the random moment when you realize you have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. This is the messy middle. The stage of life where you are holding everyone else together while quietly wondering what just happened to your own life plan. Some episodes are thoughtful. Some are a little unhinged. Most involve a lot of laughing because honestly it is the only way to survive half of this. The goal of Grownish Women is not just to make a podcast. It is to build a community of women who are finally saying the quiet parts out loud and giving their friends permission to do the same. Because if we are all going through it, we might as well talk about it. Preferably loudly. Grownish Women A podcast about the sh#% we are all going through but are afraid to talk about. Find us at grownishwomen.com.

Episodes

  1. The Meanest Voice in the Room Is Yours. Let's Change That. S1 E7

    6d ago

    The Meanest Voice in the Room Is Yours. Let's Change That. S1 E7

    What if the harshest critic in your life isn't your mother, your boss, or your ex — it's you? For most women raised in the Gen X era of buck up, push through, and handle it, the inner voice can be relentless and punishing. And we don't even notice it anymore. It's just the soundtrack. In this episode, Holly sits down with Wendy Wahlquist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, for a conversation that is equal parts eye-opening and deeply personal. Wendy was Holly's own therapist — and this episode came from Holly's honest realization that somewhere along the way, she let the tools she'd worked so hard to build quietly collect dust. Life got full. The practice slipped. Sound familiar? This is the conversation that brought those tools back out. And it might do the same for you. In this episode we talk about: — Why everything you shove down doesn't disappear — it waits, and in your 40s and 50s it starts coming back up in your body as weight changes, sleep problems, brain fog, anxiety, hormone issues, and mood swings out of nowhere — Why the way you've always done things stops working during perimenopause — and what actually needs to change — Why anger is not the enemy — it's a message worth listening to — What self-compassion actually is (hint: it is not a spa day) and why Kristin Neff's research proves it is one of the most powerful tools your nervous system has — How being kinder to yourself is directly connected to setting boundaries — and why guilt shows up every time and what to do with it — How to practice this when you are sandwiched between aging parents, kids, and a mental load that never ends — and you have about thirty seconds to spare — A four-part somatic grounding practice you can do in under a minute when anxiety spikes and you need to tell your nervous system I am safe right now About Wendy Wahlquist, LMFT Wendy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Become Your Happy, LLC in Cranberry Township, PA. She specializes in trauma and PTSD using Somatic Experiencing®, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. She also sees clients online throughout Pennsylvania. 🌐 becomeyourhappy.com Books & Resources Mentioned: 📚 Both books by Kristin Neff 📚 Anything by Brené Brown 🎙️ Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 📚 The Body Keeps the Score 📚 Hilary McBride — quoted in this episode

    27 min
  2. Sex After 40: No Filter With a Sex Therapist S1 E6

    May 29

    Sex After 40: No Filter With a Sex Therapist S1 E6

    Between 40 and 70% of women in midlife are dealing with real changes in their sex lives like desire, dryness, disconnection and most of us are suffering in complete silence. Not telling our partners, not telling our doctors, and definitely not telling our girlfriends. So Holly did what any good podcast host would do. She brought in a sex therapist. In this episode, Holly sits down with Baliegh Butler, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, to have the conversation most of us have been avoiding. Spoiler: sex therapy is nothing like that Sex and the City episode. Nothing. In this episode we talk about: Why so many women in their 40s and 50s are experiencing changes in desire, arousal, and intimacy — and why it is NOT a personal failureWhat perimenopause actually does to your sex life (and why nobody warned us)What sex therapy really looks like and why you might wish you'd gone soonerWhy we don't talk to our partners, our doctors, or even our girlfriends about thisThe importance of knowing your own body and how to communicate that to your partnerVibrators as self-care tools, water-based lube, and yes, Bluetooth optionsQuality vs. frequency and why pressure kills desireThe one conversation every couple needs to have but keeps avoiding Rapid fire answers from a sex therapist: Best kept secret for keeping the spark alive after 40Vibrator: essential self-care tool or still taboo?Frequency vs. quality — which wins? Connect with Baliegh Butler: Balance & Bliss TherapyIn-person in Wexford, PA | Virtual throughout PennsylvaniaFollow her on Facebook.

    23 min
  3. Eight Years In: What Nobody Tells You About Blending Families - S1 E5

    May 25

    Eight Years In: What Nobody Tells You About Blending Families - S1 E5

    Eight years ago, Holly said yes to Mike and to a life that was going to be more complicated, more beautiful, and more challenging than either of them expected. In this special anniversary episode, Holly and Mike sit down together for the first time on Grownish Women to talk honestly about what it really takes to blend a family. Did you know that 60 to 70 percent of blended families end in divorce? Holly and Mike did and they walked down the aisle anyway. In this episode they pull back the curtain on the things nobody warned them about and the things that have held them together through eight years of building something real. In this episode they talk about: Why blended family divorce rates are so high and what nobody tells you going inThe unnamed expectations that almost broke themNavigating two completely different parenting styles under one roofParenting a child with special needs inside a blended familyWhy they hit a wall and how couples counseling and a church marriage program helped them through itMoney, communication breakdowns, and the debt dragon they slayed togetherHow faith has been the foundation and what that looks like practically for couples who don't share the same beliefsWhat grace actually looks like inside a marriage, day after dayWhere they are now, eight years in, and what the next chapter looks likeThe three things they'd tell any couple about to blend their families: Mike: Communicate openly. Define your expectations. Never stop working. Holly: Don't go to bed angry. Set your boundaries early. Give each other grace.

    1h 5m
  4. Aging Gracefully: What Does That Even Mean? S1 E4

    May 22

    Aging Gracefully: What Does That Even Mean? S1 E4

    About This Episode I thought doing anything "anti-aging" was a bad thing. I was wrong. This week I sat down with Licensed Master Esthetician Carrie Cohen, founder of Swoon Aesthetic Spa, and she completely changed how I think about aging. We talk about the stuff nobody told us, why we're all secretly doing things but refusing to talk about it, and why your aging strategy needs to be yours not your mom's, not your feed's, yours. Fair warning: my 11s showed up to this conversation too. About Carrie Cohen In the midst of a 16 year career in finance and raising 3 kids, Carrie Cohen made a major midlife pivot. As the granddaughter of an Avon Lady, skincare has always been part of her story growing up surrounded by beauty, exploring creams, and learning early the power of self-care. But it was her own journey with dry skin, along with her daughter's struggles with acne, that truly sparked her passion and purpose. Frustrated by the lack of real results at traditional spas and the clinical feel of many med spas, Carrie envisioned something different where advanced, results-driven treatments meet a warm, welcoming experience. From that vision, Swoon was born. What We Cover Why "aging gracefully" doesn't mean what our moms meant anymoreWhy we're all doing things but nobody's talking about it — and why that needs to stopHow to find a strategy that fits YOUR comfort level, timeline, and budgetThe treatments Carrie says are worth every pennyWhat she'd skip completelyThe one thing we're all overthinkingFacial hair during perimenopause, yes, we went thereWhy your provider should never be pointing out flaws you didn't walk in withThe red flags to watch for no matter where you liveWhat Carrie has grown to love about getting older Carrie's Rapid Fire Answers Treatment worth every penny: Sculptra, Botox, and laserTrend she'd skip: At-home red light therapy masksWhat to start earlier: Sunscreen every single day and retinolWhat we're all overthinking: What everybody else is doing Connect with Carrie Swoon Aesthetic Spa or on social media @theswoonspa Connect with Holly Grownish Women or on instagram at @grownishwomen  New episodes every Friday on your favorite podcast platform.

    26 min
  5. Soul Sisters: The Friends Who Feel Like Home - S1 E3

    May 15

    Soul Sisters: The Friends Who Feel Like Home - S1 E3

    Have you ever been around a group of women and thought how do they do that? That ease, that realness, that "I don't have to perform here" kind of friendship? That's what this episode is about. I sit down with Jaci, Amanda, and Tori, three women who found each other during the pandemic and built something they now call their Soul Sister circle. They talk about navigating friendship across different seasons of motherhood, why the trips they take together have no agenda on purpose, and what it actually feels like to be in a friendship where nobody is keeping score. But Holly gets personal first. She shares the loss that quietly made her guard her heart for years and why watching these three women together made her realize she hadn't fully let people in. Or shown her daughter how. If you've been craving that kind of friendship but don't know where to start or you have women in your corner but haven't made the time, this one's going to hit. About our Guests: Amanda is a mother, storyteller and lifelong collector of meaningful moments. She spends her days exploring the intersections of friendship, healing, creativity and what it means to come home to yourself. You can usually find her studying astrology, slowly penning her memoir, chasing sunshine somewhere along the river, or planning her next weekend getaway in the woods. Professionally, she works behind-the-scenes as a project manager and event planner for organizations like Listen, Lucy and Big Brothers Big Sisters, creating experiences rooted in connection, storytelling and community. Read Her Latest Essay on Substack 🪐 Tori wannabe chef | comfy pants connoisseur DIYer | mediumalist | house manager @eleanorparksquare | @manyhatspgh | @storiesoftoriiii

    30 min
  6. The Grief Nobody Warns You About When Your Kids Leave - S1 E2

    May 8

    The Grief Nobody Warns You About When Your Kids Leave - S1 E2

    Nobody warns you that watching your child leave, whether it's for college or the military, can feel like grief. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Heidi Iliff, Pittsburgh's only high-school-seniors-only portrait photographer, for an honest and heartfelt conversation about exactly that. Heidi has been through it more than once. Two kids enlisted in the Air Force, a daughter at Baylor, and another one heading there this fall. She has lived this transition in every direction and she still says it's brutal. This conversation actually started the podcast. After I dropped my daughter at school and came home completely wrecked, I called Heidi. She said yeah, it's brutal. And I said why didn't you tell me?! We get into all of it. The goodbyes that hit different every time. The identity shift nobody prepares you for. The unexpected emotions that show up whether your kids are thriving or struggling. And the wisdom you can only get from someone who has been through it and come out the other side. If you're about to send a kid off, in the middle of it right now, or still processing an empty house, this one is for you. Our guest today, Heidi Iliff, is a Senior Portrait Photographer in Pittsburgh PA. She own’s and operates the city’s only “high school seniors ONLY” full service boutique portrait studio. Her studio is located conveniently in Pittsburgh within the Penn Brewery Building. She photographs student’s all year round & specializes in custom curated products that preserve your student’s photos like works of art! Heidi’s years of focusing on working with high school student’s has made her in-tune with what the youth want in their photos- as well as what will be the most precious images the mommas will want to hang in their homes. She walks along side her client’s all school year offering an epic experience.  Heidi live’s in Sewickley with her husband and 5 remaining at home children. Heidi’s two oldest children are enlisted in the Air Force. She has a daughter in School at Baylor University, and her daughter who is graduating this year will be following her sister to Baylor in the fall. www.largerthanlifefamily.com  insta- Largerthanlifephotography  Facebook- Larger than Life Photography

    28 min
  7. Welcome to the Messy Middle - S1 E1

    May 1

    Welcome to the Messy Middle - S1 E1

    Welcome to Grownish Women — the podcast where we finally talk about the sh#% we're all going through but afraid to say out loud. In this first episode, Holly Teegarden introduces herself the only way she knows how: by being uncomfortably honest. She opens up about her mom moving in at 87 after losing her dad, her daughter's surprise boomerang home from college in New York City, the weight she gained when she stopped moving entirely, and going gray before COVID and never looking back. If you've ever felt like everyone else has it together and you're the only one falling apart, this one's for you. Welcome to the tribe. You can find us on Instagram here.

    12 min
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Grownish Women is a podcast for women in the thick of midlife, when everything you thought you had figured out suddenly changes. Hosted by Holly, and occasionally joined by friends or experts when things get really complicated, this podcast dives into the real conversations women in their 40s and 50s are actually having. Or texting each other about at 10:47 pm. Or in Holly's case, 5:05 am. We talk about the stuff no one prepared us for. Watching our kids grow up and move out while our parents start needing more from us. The mental load that never seems to turn off. Perimenopause doing whatever it wants to our bodies. Career pivots. Marriage evolutions. Friendships that save us. And the random moment when you realize you have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. This is the messy middle. The stage of life where you are holding everyone else together while quietly wondering what just happened to your own life plan. Some episodes are thoughtful. Some are a little unhinged. Most involve a lot of laughing because honestly it is the only way to survive half of this. The goal of Grownish Women is not just to make a podcast. It is to build a community of women who are finally saying the quiet parts out loud and giving their friends permission to do the same. Because if we are all going through it, we might as well talk about it. Preferably loudly. Grownish Women A podcast about the sh#% we are all going through but are afraid to talk about. Find us at grownishwomen.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Holly Teegarden
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Holly Teegarden

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