Her Comeback: Transforming Your Life After 50

Michelle Thompson
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Her Comeback is a transformative podcast for women over 50 who've reached their breaking point and are ready to reclaim their lives. Life coach Michelle Thompson delivers raw, authentic conversations with women who've navigated major transitions, combining practical rebuilding strategies with expert insights on reinventing yourself at any stage. Whether you're facing an empty nest, career changes, relationship shifts, or the realization you've been living everyone else's dreams, Michelle's warm, no-nonsense approach provides the clarity and courage you need to move from survival mode to thriving. This isn't just about getting back on your feet—it's about proving that mid-life isn't the end of anything - it's the powerful beginning of everything you were meant to become. New episodes drop weekly. Your second act awaits. https://hercomebackpodcast.com/

  1. 3d ago

    What If Your “Someday” Never Comes? with Kristy Halvorsen on Her Comeback

    Her Comeback with host Michelle Thompson, https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/ Description What if your someday never comes? Kristy Halvorsen was a firefighter station officer with a home she loved, a good life, and a health scare that made her stop waiting. She sold everything, moved into an Airstream, and has spent almost nine years wandering solo and off grid, rarely knowing where she's headed next. In this conversation, Kristy joins Michelle to talk about the difference between being pushed by pain and pulled by possibility, the hidden belief that her mom helped her uncover (and the two months it took to act on it), and the question she asks at every fork in the road: What would I do if I knew I couldn't get this wrong? She also shares what solo travel taught her, how grief reshaped what it means to live fully, and why it's never too late to follow the tickles of your soul. If you've ever felt a quiet pull toward something more, this episode is for you. You’ll Learn • What it looks like to be pulled, not pushed: why Kristy left a career and home she loved, with no crisis pushing her out. • The sneakiest limiting beliefs: how a single sentence from her mom surfaced a belief she didn’t know she carried. • "What would I do if I couldn’t get this wrong?" a simple question that quiets the chatter and points to the next step. • The tickles of your soul: how to listen to your inner knowing, and why it’s always been there. • Living with the unknown: a roadside breakdown, a stranger, and what happens when you just take one step. • Midlife identity shifts: loosening the labels you hold and seeing who arrives. Grief and living fully: what her mom’s illness and loss taught her about ending "someday." Quotable Moments • "The sneakiest beliefs are the ones we don’t know we have." • "What would I do if I knew everything was going to work out just fine?" • "Age and time is just some made up stuff… it’s never too late." About Kristy Halvorsen is a former firefighter station officer with a master’s in engineering. She is the author of Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open, a transformational memoir about travel, trust, and following your inner knowing. Connect with Kristy • Website: perfectunfolding.com (includes a 90-second book trailer and newsletter sign-up) • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristy.halvorsen/ Resources • Courageously You: Michelle’s book, Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love, available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D • Work with Michelle: Book a call at michellethompsoncoaching.com.

    What If Your “Someday” Never Comes? with Kristy Halvorsen on Her Comeback

  2. Oct 2

    Bangs, Botox, and the Never Pause: Aging with Humor with Diane Dean-Epps

    Season 3 kicks off with laughter! Humorist Diane Dean-Epps joins Michelle to talk about the absurdities of aging, why women over 50 need more laughter (not more anti-aging advice), and how humor can carry you through the hard stuff. Diane is the author of four humor books, including BANGS 'N' BOTOX: My Aging Journey Into, Through, and Beyond Denial, Fillers & Human Preservatives, and the host of the Bangs 'n' Botox podcast. Her "sit-down stand-up" style feels like chatting over a drink with a funny friend, and her reinvention story proves there's always another path to what you want. In this episode: The doctor's-office moment ("You're aging") that sparked her bookWhat "sit-down stand-up" really means, and how she found her voiceAging as a non-famous woman: invisibility, limited resources, and why that frees her to say real thingsThe "never pause," hot flashes, and what nobody warns you aboutSnail mucin skincare and other experiments that were only marginally successfulWhy humor gets overlooked, and the many forms it can take (memes, funny friends, animal videos)The brain science of laughter and why trying something new matters as we ageTurning an embarrassing moment into a story people laugh with, not atWhy she keeps writing, and the "Emily Dickinson of humor writing" planHer comeback: leaving radio and TV, failing a high-stakes teaching exam twice, passing on the third try, and becoming a 30-year English teacherKey takeaways: Humor is a coping tool, and you don't have to be "naturally funny" to use it.Exaggerate the awkward moment and it becomes a better story.If the first path doesn't work, find another. A comeback story is always better when it wasn't easy.You matter, and you're not alone.Connect with Diane: Website: dianedeaneppswriting.com Instagram: @mswrite Also on Facebook and LinkedIn Book: BANGS 'N' BOTOX on Amazon Podcast: Bangs 'n' Botox on YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms About Michelle Thompson: Michelle is a certified life coach, author of Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love and the host of Her Comeback. Get your copy of Courageously You on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D) or anywhere books are sold. Ready to stop thinking about your next chapter and start living it? Book a call at michellethompsoncoaching.com. Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs a laugh, and subscribe on YouTube

    Bangs, Botox, and the Never Pause: Aging with Humor with Diane Dean-Epps

  3. Aug 15

    7 Losses, One Wake-Up Call: Paige Arnof-Fenn Redefines Success on Her Comeback

    Her Comeback with host Michelle Thompson, author of Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love- — available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold Guest: Paige Arnof-Fenn , Founder and CEO Mavens & Moguls This episode features Paige Arnof-Fenn, a Stanford and Harvard Business School graduate, board member, and columnist for Entrepreneur and Forbes, Paige shares the real story behind building a four-dozen-person, multi-city agency — and the personal losses that reshaped how she defines success. Paige started her career in finance on Wall Street before rebranding herself into corporate marketing, spending years at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. From there she jumped into three venture-backed startups during the dot-com boom, Then came September 11th. Marketing budgets froze overnight, and Paige, laid off from the traditional path she thought she wanted, started fielding calls from former colleagues who needed help. Her husband's advice ("send them an invoice") became the accidental launch of Mavens & Moguls, a firm built without a business plan or outside funding that now spans 14 U.S. cities and international teams. The conversation turns personal as Paige opens up about losing seven family members in six years, including both parents and her stepfather, while running her business and caring for aging relatives thousands of miles away. She describes the "Whac-A-Mole" grief of that season, how it forced her and her husband — a two-entrepreneur household with no kids to lean on for support — to rethink a life built on breakfast meetings and back-to-back networking events, and the surprising business lesson that came out of it: giving clients space and following up with patience. Paige closes with practical advice for women rebuilding after a career disruption or personal loss: get clear on your lane, pick one or two platforms that are authentic to you, protect your digital reputation, and resist the urge to be everything to everyone. She also reflects on how she wants to be remembered The episode wraps with Michelle's bonus segment on the F.I.R.E. framework from Chapter 5 of her book, Courageously You. Feel the disappointment, Ignite your power, Reveal your passion, and Execute your path — a practical tool for anyone navigating disappointment, layoffs, or a stalled promotion. In This Episode ● Paige's path from Wall Street finance to corporate marketing at P&G and Coca-Cola ● Lessons from three dot-com-era startup exits ● The 9/11 moment that launched Mavens & Moguls ● Building a firm across 14 U.S. cities without a business plan or funding ● Navigating the loss of seven family members in six years ● Why “giving space” outperforms constant follow-up in business development ● Advice for women rebuilding after career disruption or loss ● Choosing the right social platform for your authentic brand ● How Paige wants to be remembered ● Bonus: Michelle's F.I.R.E. framework from Courageously You Connect With Paige Arnof-Fenn Mavens & Moguls: mavensandmoguls.com LinkedIn: Paige Arnof Fenn Connect With Michelle Thompson Website: michellethompsoncoaching.com Instagram/Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching

    7 Losses, One Wake-Up Call: Paige Arnof-Fenn Redefines Success on Her Comeback

  4. Aug 8 ·  Bonus

    Bonus Episode: I Was the Guest — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network

    Bonus Episode: Michelle Goes Behind the Mic — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network This week's episode is a little different. Instead of interviewing a guest, I was the guest — sitting down with host Steve Wormer on the You Are Worthy Network for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation. I'm sharing that full interview with you here as a bonus episode of Her Comeback. Steve and I covered a lot of ground: my roots as a native North Carolinian who moved to Southwest Florida in August 2020, my two grown sons and our shared love of NC State football, and a rapid-fire round of "this or that" questions that revealed a few surprises (Dunkin' over Starbucks, hotels over camping, and yes — I love both dogs and cats). But the heart of this conversation goes much deeper. I opened up about my journey from a directionless college senior with a double major in economics and sociology, into two decades of corporate project management — and the darker chapter that ran alongside it. I talk candidly about my history with alcoholism, the 2008 family intervention that led me into treatment, losing custody of my boys during that time, and the long, gradual process of moving from denial and victimhood into real accountability and change. I also share the twist I didn't see coming: a job offer rescinded over a 20-year-old DWI, and how that setback led me right back to the employer — and the second chance — that put my life back on track. From there, we trace the throughline to today: earning my MBA at 47, the corporate crossroads that pushed me toward coaching, and the whirlwind timeline that took me from deciding to write a book last Thanksgiving to publishing Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love on June 25, 2026. Steve asked me the question I didn't expect: what would today's Michelle say to the 38-year-old walking into treatment? My answer is in the episode — and it's rooted in a Robert Frost line that's become a personal anchor: "The only way out is through." Plus: The R.I.S.E. Framework At the end of this bonus episode, I walk through the R.I.S.E. framework from Courageously You — the one that speaks directly to the hardest chapter of my story: Recognize the denialInventory the impactSeek supportExecute the commitmentIf you're stuck in a season where denial is keeping you from moving forward, this framework is your starting point. It's not about shame — it's about telling yourself the truth and taking one small action within 48 hours. Connect with Michelle: 🌐 michellethompsoncoaching.com 📱 Instagram & Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching 📖 Get Courageously You on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, and hardcover) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D 🎙️ Interested in coaching? Reach out through the contact info in the show notes. https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact Thank you to Steve Wormer and the You Are Worthy Network for having me, and thank you for being part of this community. Your story isn't done yet either.

    Bonus Episode: I Was the Guest — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network

  5. Jul 24

    From Bulletproof Vest to Chocolate Farm: Anne van Leynseele's Radical Reinvention on Her Comeback

    Host: Michelle Thompson Guest: Anne van Leynseele What do a Hollywood producer, a cannabis attorney, an Obama administration federal advisor, and an award-winning chocolate farmer have in common? They're all the same person. Anne van Leynseele joins Michelle to unpack the throughline behind a career built on reinvention as a discipline, not a fluke — and how her years inside the Social Security Administration led her to create Preferment®, a registered alternative to retirement built around lifelong developmental milestones instead of decline. Anne opens up about a career-defining trauma — a business partner who stole from her and threatened her life — and how that experience became a turning point toward empathy and post-traumatic growth. She and Michelle talk about identity beyond career ("who are you," not "what do you do"), the 67% depression statistic among retirees, and why Anne bought a farm in Hawaii at 48 to build a completely different next chapter. The conversation closes with Anne's chocolate farm, her cookbook Savor Your Chocolate, and her Adaptable House Project reimagining aging in place. Anne van Leynseele is the founder of Rarified Life and creator of Preferment®, a registered methodology offering an alternative to traditional retirement. Her career spans Hollywood production, Fortune 100 consulting, and service as a federal attorney-advisor in the Obama administration, including time at the Social Security Administration, where she saw firsthand how the traditional retirement model fails high-achieving people. She later founded an early cannabis law practice, co-owns an award-winning cacao farm on Hawaii's Big Island (Pa'ani Farms), and is general counsel for five nonprofits focused on at-risk youth and aging in place. She's the author of multiple books, including one on healthy retirement alternatives, one recounting her experience surviving betrayal and threats within the cannabis industry, a chocolate cookbook, and a book for young women. Notable Moments ● Anne on why she never had a single career: she followed a passion for stories across law, business, and writing rather than staying in one lane. ● On the SSA years: she noticed a pattern of high-achieving people whose sense of identity collapsed the moment their career ended. ● On Preferment®: she describes retirement as a product with a two-thirds failure rate that deserves a recall, not a rebrand. ● On courage: she credits self-efficacy — proof to yourself that you can learn hard things — as the real engine behind reinvention at any age. Resources & Links Mentioned Anne's Website: RarifiedLife.com Anne's Books: Preferment™ on Amazon https://a.co/d/0cjBn4UoSavor Your Chocolate on Amazon https://a.co/d/0bgptvAjHer upcoming book is Girls to Rule Anne's Social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook (search "Anne van Leynseele" or "Rarified Life") Michelle's Book: Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love — available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D Work with Michelle: michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact

    From Bulletproof Vest to Chocolate Farm: Anne van Leynseele's Radical Reinvention on Her Comeback

  6. Jul 17

    Home Is a Feeling, Not a Place: Anne Peshka's Reinvention After 54 on Her Comeback

    Episode Notes — Her Comeback with Anne Peshka At 54, Anne Peshka's life looked perfect from the outside — a beautiful home in Southwest Florida, early retirement, beach days. But inside, she felt like a bird trapped in a cage. In this episode, Anne joins Michelle Thompson to share what happened when she finally listened to that inner voice and walked away from her marriage with nothing but her clothes and her dog. Anne opens up about filing for divorce with no safety net and no plan, taking a $65 Groupon real estate course on a whim, and passing her exam just two weeks before COVID shut the world down. She talks candidly about landing her very first client while hosting an open house at her own home — not knowing where her next meal would come from — and building a six-figure real estate business within her first year, powered by nothing but genuine care for people. Anne also shares how that success led her to become a certified Core Energy Coach, why she chose to write about the adoption and abuse in her past, and the moment she made a decision she calls "recycling trauma" — transforming her hardest experiences into her greatest source of power and empathy for others. The conversation turns deeply personal as Anne reflects on waiting her whole life for permission to change, what it felt like to sell her house and everything in it to live free of "the box," and the line she now lives by: home is not a place, it's a feeling. In this episode, you'll hear: What it really looked like to leave a marriage at 54 with no planHow a $65 Groupon course led to a six-figure real estate businessWhy Anne became a Core Energy Coach after already succeeding in businessThe hardest chapter to write in her book, and whyWhat it means to "recycle your trauma" into powerWhy home was never about a placeConnect with Anne Peshka: Website: annpeshka.com Book: Trauma Recycled: buy on Amazon https://a.co/d/0JgbSVS Podcast: Reinvention on Purpose (Spotify & Apple Podcasts) Connect with Michelle: Grab your copy of Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love on Amazon. Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D Ready to start living your next chapter instead of just thinking about it? Head to michellethompsoncoaching.com to book a call with Michelle.

    Home Is a Feeling, Not a Place: Anne Peshka's Reinvention After 54 on Her Comeback

  7. Jul 10

    From Fired Twice to Founder: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy on Rebuilding Her Identity on Her Comeback

    HER COMEBACK PODCAST with Host Michelle Thompson https://hercomebackpodcast.com/ From Fired Twice to Founder: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy on Rebuilding Her Identity Guest: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy — Author, Entrepreneur, Title Industry Leader & Co-Founder, Rising Tides Foundation This week Michelle sits down with SWFL entrepreneur Lori Pfeiffer Murphy for a candid conversation about identity, pride, and starting over more than once. Lori shares how being let go twice, first from a director-track role at Aveda and later during the COVID-19 shutdown, forced her to separate her sense of self from her job title and rebuild from the ground up. She talks about the mentors who shaped her, the grandfather whose words became the title of her book, and the mission behind Rising Tides Foundation's new project: converting an Airstream into a traveling salon to bring free haircuts, dignity, and hope to people going through hard seasons. The conversation closes with Lori's honest reflections on faith, forgiveness, and being available to anyone walking through their own uncertainty. Connect with Lori: • Facebook: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy • Instagram: @lpfeiffer1971 • Book: Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life — available on Amazon Key Topics & Timestamps • [00:02:00] How all of Lori's roles connect back to one purpose: serving others • [00:04:00] Getting let go from her director-track path at Aveda after her pride got in the way • [00:05:00] A second job loss during COVID-19 and the identity crisis that followed • [00:07:00] The pivot into real estate, title, and becoming a broker — choosing to determine her own income • [00:10:00] Her "why" — raising three children as a single mom and modeling that you don't stay in failure • [00:13:00] First steps for anyone in the middle of uncertainty — prayer, quiet, and gratitude • [00:15:00] Rediscovering herself through solo walks, journaling, and doing things alone • [00:17:00] Using business — title work and real estate — as a platform to serve, not just earn • [00:19:00] The Daymaker story and why compassion matters even when you don't know what someone is carrying • [00:21:00] The mentors who shaped her — her friend Julie at Aveda and her brother's honest feedback • [00:24:00] The moment she stopped chasing a title and started defining success on her own terms • [00:25:00] Rising Tides Foundation — its mission, past fundraisers, and the new Airstream traveling salon project Resources & Links Mentioned • Lori's book: Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life (Amazon) • Michelle's book: Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love — amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D • michellethompsoncoaching.com — book a call with Michelle Episode CTA Subscribe on YouTube, and if you're ready to start living your next chapter, head to michellethompsoncoaching.com to book a call with Michelle.

    From Fired Twice to Founder: Lori Pfeiffer Murphy on Rebuilding Her Identity on Her Comeback

  8. Jun 26

    I Didn't Even Know What Pie I Liked: A Mom's Journey Back to Herself, Her Comeback with Audra Phelps

    Episode Overview What happens when the life you built around someone else's blueprint stops fitting who you are? In this deeply moving episode of Her Comeback, Michelle sits down with Audra Phelps — coach, former Mormon mom, and founder of the RECLAIMED program — connecting across the globe from Southwest Florida to Southeast Asia. Audra shares her extraordinary story of leaving a high-demand religion after 13 years, rebuilding her identity across two continents, and creating a coaching program to help other mothers do the same. This conversation is raw, real, and full of insight for any woman who has ever felt like a stranger in her own life. Audra Phelps is an NLP and neuroscience-based life coach who specializes in supporting former Mormon mothers as they reclaim their identity, redefine their parenting, and rebuild their lives after leaving a high-demand religion. What You'll Hear in This Episode The slow erosion of a life that didn't fit. Audra describes the years she spent inside the Mormon church doing everything "right" while suffering from debilitating panic attacks and depression. How moving overseas became the catalyst. Leaving the United States and relocating to Kazakhstan gave Audra something she had never experiencedLearning who she wasn't — and then who she was. After making the decision to leave the church, Audra knew clearly who she was not, but rebuilding a sense of self from the ground up was a longer, more tender process. Parenting as the motivator. Audra's greatest fear after leaving was: how do I raise my kids without the blueprint? That fear became her fuel. The word that changed everything: RECLAIMED. Audra explains why this word sits at the heart of her coaching practice. The apple pie moment. Eight years after leaving the church, Audra found herself making an apple pie from scratch for Thanksgiving — resentful, exhausted, and realizing she didn't even like apple pie. What self-trust actually looks like. Audra describes a woman who has done this work as someone who can observe without engagement The NLP framework behind the work. Audra breaks down Neuro-Linguistic Programming in plain languageRECLAIMED is Audra's signature 8-week intensive coaching program designed specifically for former Mormon moms. The program includes a guided curriculum, group coaching, and one-on-one coaching calls Connect with Audra Phelps 🌐 Website & Free Masterclass: mamaaudra.com 📲 Social Media: @MamaAudra on all platforms Visit the website to access Audra's free masterclass and schedule a discovery call to explore whether the RECLAIMED program is the right fit for you. From Michelle: "Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love" is available now on Amazon. 📚 Get the book: amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D 🎙️ Schedule your call with Michelle: https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact

    I Didn't Even Know What Pie I Liked: A Mom's Journey Back to Herself, Her Comeback with Audra Phelps
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About

Her Comeback is a transformative podcast for women over 50 who've reached their breaking point and are ready to reclaim their lives. Life coach Michelle Thompson delivers raw, authentic conversations with women who've navigated major transitions, combining practical rebuilding strategies with expert insights on reinventing yourself at any stage. Whether you're facing an empty nest, career changes, relationship shifts, or the realization you've been living everyone else's dreams, Michelle's warm, no-nonsense approach provides the clarity and courage you need to move from survival mode to thriving. This isn't just about getting back on your feet—it's about proving that mid-life isn't the end of anything - it's the powerful beginning of everything you were meant to become. New episodes drop weekly. Your second act awaits. https://hercomebackpodcast.com/

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