The Next Phase

Stacey Hutson

I used to be fun. I used to be driven. I used to be sexy. I used to be...young. What happened?  Dear Millennial moms in your late 30s or 40s -- former forces of nature, Are you burned out, overwhelmed, and wondering where your energy (and your old self) went? You’re not alone. The Next Phase is the podcast for overachieving moms navigating perimenopause who are dying to take back their energy, their bodies, and their magic. Here, we will not pummel you with hormone treatment plans or talk about perimenopause as if it's a diagnosis. Instead, we're going to celebrate it. We're going to use it as an excuse to really start taking care of ourselves. As a matter of fact, we're going to find ourselves in our perimenopause era.  Hosted by Stacey Hutson—certified health coach, wellness chef, former co-host of the Mother Plus Podcast, and mom of two—you’ll learn how to: Understand what’s really happening in perimenopause and how to work with your changing body, use nutrition, supplements, and sleep as medicine to restore your energy, get in tune with your cycle and learn practical ways to sync your life with your hormones, and create rituals (with a little woo) that help you slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with yourself. Each episode blends personal stories, expert insights, and actual doable steps you can take right away.  ✨ Subscribe now to The Next Phase and join a community of millennial moms redefining wellness in their 40s. Let’s make perimenopause your most magnetic chapter yet.

  1. 3d ago

    #34: The Holistic Approach to Perimenopause That Helps You Stop Guessing with Dr. Danica Woods

    You’re exhausted. Your sleep is weird. Your period is changing. You’re more anxious, more overstimulated, and your body suddenly seems to have a mind of its own. So you finally make the doctor’s appointment. You wait 30 minutes, get 15 minutes to explain everything, and leave hearing some version of: “Your labs look normal.” So... now what? Welcome back to Season 2 of The Next Phase Podcast. We’re kicking off our Back to Basics season with something I desperately needed in my own perimenopause journey: a different way to understand what was actually happening in my body. In this episode, I’m sitting down with my own naturopathic doctor, Dr. Danica Woods, to demystify naturopathic medicine — what it is, what it costs, what happens during that first (nearly two-hour!) appointment, and why looking at the whole person can sometimes uncover pieces of the puzzle that have been missed. And we get personal. I share what finally drove me to seek another kind of care after years of recurring health issues, urgent-care visits, antibiotics, and buying supplements based on whatever Instagram told me I needed. We also talk about the testing Dr. Woods did with me, what surprised us about my hormones, and why perimenopausal women may need more individualized information than a generic list of symptoms and supplements.  In this episode, we talk about:  What a naturopathic doctor actually does — and how their training differs from conventional medicine  Why a naturopathic intake can take nearly two hours  What naturopathic care and lab testing actually cost  The problem with guessing which supplements your body needs  Why “normal” labs don't always end the conversation  Hormone testing during perimenopause and why timing matters  My own experience with hormone testing — and what I was surprised to learn  When it's time to stop Googling your symptoms and get professional help  How to find a naturopath who actually feels like the right fit for you If you’ve ever left a doctor’s office thinking, “But I still don’t feel right…”, this conversation is for you. This isn’t about rejecting conventional medicine. It’s about understanding that you can ask more questions, get curious about your body, and find care that makes sense for the woman you’re becoming. About Dr. Danica Woods Dr. Danica Woods is a naturopathic doctor with a whole-person approach to health and a particular interest in women’s hormone health, physical medicine, and mind-body care. Her work focuses on looking beyond individual symptoms to understand the larger patterns affecting a patient’s health — from hormones and nutrition to sleep, stress, movement, health history, and lifestyle.  Dr. Woods earned her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and holds a BA in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is also a certified Integrative Holistic Life Coach and an active member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors, where she serves on the board as Legislative Chair. Her philosophy is grounded in helping patients understand their bodies, uncover underlying contributors to their symptoms, and create individualized paths toward better health — rather than simply chasing one symptom at a time. Stay Connected This season of The Next Phase is all about getting back to basics — with our bodies, our homes, our money, and our ADHD brains. And I’ve been working all summer on resources to help you put some of what we’re talking about into practice. Want to know what I’m working on? Join my email list here and get your free Cycle Syncing Map: Stacey's Email List   Find Dr. Woods: Her website Her instagram

  2. May 28

    #33: How to Create a Home That Calms Your Nervous System

    What if your home is affecting your nervous system more than you realize? In this episode, Stacey sits down with interior designer, feng shui master, and author Lisa Morton for a conversation about clutter, energy, burnout, and the surprising emotional impact of the spaces we live in. After experiencing severe burnout early in her own design career, Lisa became fascinated by the connection between our environments and our wellbeing. Today, she blends interior design, feng shui, and energy work to help women create homes that feel calmer, more supportive, and more aligned with the lives they actually want to live. Together, Stacey and Lisa explore: how our homes affect our emotional statewhy so many women in midlife suddenly want to change their homesthe connection between clutter and “stuck” energypractical feng shui shifts anyone can tryhow to create a home that feels grounding instead of overwhelmingand the magic of actually becoming friends with your homeThis conversation is equal parts practical, comforting, and surprisingly emotional — especially for the women who feel overstimulated, scattered, or disconnected from the spaces they live in. About Lisa Morton: Lisa Morton is an interior designer, feng shui master teacher, podcast host, and creator of the Intuitive Home Method. For more than 25 years, she has transformed homes, businesses, and even luxury private jet interiors. She is also the host of the Feng Shui Living podcast and author of the book Aligned at Home. Find Lisa: Website: purelivingwithlisamorton.com Podcast: Feng Shui Living Book: Aligned at Home

  3. May 21

    #32: Midlife Skincare and the Pressure to Age Well

    Micropeels. Botox. Retinol. Peptides. Red light masks. 11-step skincare routines. The pressure on women to “age well” right now can feel completely overwhelming — especially when your skin suddenly starts changing seemingly overnight in your late 30s and 40s. In this episode, Stacey sits down with Stephanie DiPisa, founder of Solara Suncare, for a conversation that starts with sunscreen… and turns into something much deeper. After two of Stephanie’s children experienced severe reactions to traditional sunscreen, and while navigating her own health journey with Lyme disease, she found herself deep in the world of ingredients, inflammation, hormones, wellness, and sensitive skin. What started as one mom trying to solve a problem for her family eventually became an award-winning skincare brand trusted by dermatologists, estheticians, beauty editors, and retailers including Bluemercury, Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods, and Target. But this conversation isn’t really about skincare products. It’s about what happens when women enter midlife and suddenly feel pressure to “fix” every part of themselves. In this episode, we talk about:  why skin changes so dramatically in midlife  inflammation, hormones, and sensitive skin  sunscreen confusion and what actually matters  wellness overwhelm and trying to “age well”  simplifying skincare in your 40s  the connection between stress, nervous system health, and skin  supplements, social media wellness culture, and learning to listen to your body  and why sometimes less really is more If you’ve ever looked in the mirror during this phase of life and thought,  “Who is this woman?”  this conversation is for you. About Stephanie DiPisa Stephanie DiPisa is the founder of Solara Suncare, a mineral sunscreen and skincare brand she created after two of her children experienced severe reactions to traditional sunscreen. While navigating her own health journey with Lyme disease, Stephanie became deeply interested in ingredients, inflammation, wellness, and sensitive skin. Today, Solara is an award-winning skincare brand trusted by dermatologists, estheticians, beauty editors, and wellness-conscious women looking for simpler, cleaner skincare solutions. Find Stephanie + Solara Instagram: @stephdipisa + @solarasuncare Website: https://solarasuncare.com

  4. May 8

    #30: Why Your Hair Changes in Perimenopause (and What You Can Actually Do About It)

    If your hair suddenly feels different in this phase of life… you’re not imagining it. In this episode, I’m talking with Allison Conrad and Jay Small, founders of AREY, about what actually happens to women’s hair in perimenopause — and why so many of us feel completely caught off guard by it. We talk about:  why your hair suddenly feels completely different in midlife  the science behind gray hair (and why it’s not “just genetics”)  how stress and inflammation impact aging hair  why postpartum can accelerate hair aging  the surprising connection between scalp health and overall health  what’s actually happening when your hair becomes thinner, drier, or frizzier overnight  and why changes to our hair can feel way more emotional than we expectThis conversation goes way beyond beauty. It’s really about what happens when we start noticing the physical signs that we’re entering a new phase — and how disorienting that can feel as women who are used to functioning at full speed all the time. And yes… we also talk about what can actually help. Just to be clear: this is not a sponsored episode. AREY is simply something I found while trying to understand what was happening to my own hair in my 40s, and I thought it could help some of you too. 🎉 GIVEAWAY 🎉 I teamed up with AREY to give one listener their AM + PM Duo (a 3-month supply valued at $295). Enter here: Arey + Next Phase Giveaway About AREY: AREY creates products designed to support healthier aging hair by focusing on scalp health, oxidative stress, and long-term hair wellness. Learn more: arey.com Follow them: @areyhaircare If this episode resonated with you, send it to a friend who’s been staring at her hair lately wondering what the heck is happening. Have an idea for the next episode? Email me at stacey@stacey-hutson.com DM me @stacehutson

  5. May 1

    #29: High-Achieving Moms—Are You Losing Yourself? (with Jess Ekstrom)

    What if success isn’t supposed to cost you yourself? So many of us did everything “right.” We chased the goals. Built the life. Hit the big hairy audacious goals. And then somewhere along the way… we started to feel like we were losing ourselves in the process. In this episode, I’m talking with Jess Ekstrom—speaker, founder, and bestselling author—about what happens when high-achieving women realize the finish line isn’t what they thought it would be. We talk about:  the pressure to keep chasing the next “summit”  how motherhood reshapes your identity in ways you don’t expect  why so much self-help leaves us feeling more disconnected, not less  and how to start trusting yourself instead of constantly looking outside for answers This is one of those conversations that doesn’t try to fix you— it helps you see yourself more clearly. About Jess: Jess Ekstrom is a Forbes Top-Rated speaker, bestselling author, and the founder of Headbands of Hope, a company that has donated millions of headbands to children facing illness. She is also the founder of Mic Drop Workshop, where she helps women become paid public speakers and use their voices in a bigger way. Her new book, Making It Without Losing It, explores what it really means to succeed—without sacrificing yourself in the process. If this episode resonated with you… Jess’s new book Making It Without Losing It just released this week, and it goes deeper into everything we talked about today. You can find it here:  🔗 Making It Without Losing It

  6. Apr 23

    #28: Caregiver Fatigue: Taking Care of Aging Parents While Raising Kids

    Many millennial moms are going through something that past generations never had to do: Raise young children while also caring for aging parents. It’s overwhelming, emotional, and (somehow) completely unexpected. In this episode of The Next Phase Podcast, Stacey Hutson sits down with elder care clinician Debra Kooser to talk about what really happens when the roles begin to reverse—and why so many women feel unprepared for this stage. Together, they explore: what it looks like when aging parents begin to need more supportthe emotional impact of role reversal between parent and childwhy so many families wait until a crisis to make decisionsand the very real toll of caregiver fatigue and burnoutDebra explains why caregiver fatigue is more than just stress—it’s a serious, often unrecognized experience that affects both mental and physical health. This conversation also highlights something many women don’t expect: The guilt, emotional exhaustion, and mental load that comes with trying to balance it all. For listeners who are starting to notice changes in their parents—or already feel overwhelmed by the responsibility—this episode offers both validation and a starting point. About Debra:  Debra Kooser has a Masters Degree in counseling with over 30 years in healthcare, the last 18 years in hospice as a Medical Social Worker and Bereavement Coodinator.  Additionally, she has worked as a Geriatric Care Manager for an estate planning lawfirm. She has a specialty in consulting with adult children navigating their aging parents needs. She coordinates senior living placement from a clinical perspective, as well as offering ongoing case management for busy adult children/relatives who benefit from support and oversight for their family members. Resources & Next Steps: Debra Kooser helps families navigate caregiver fatigue, planning, and next steps. You can reach her here: debra.eldersolutions@gmail.com Local to Colorado? Stacey is speaking at the Golden Women in Business Founder’s Day event next week—an evening celebrating women making real impact in the community. Join us in Golden on April 29th: 🔗 https://www.goldenwomeninbusiness.com/upcoming-events/founders-day-2026

  7. Apr 16

    #28: What If You’re Doing Nervous System Work Backwards?

    Are you doing nervous system work… and it’s still not working? In this episode, I’m sharing a realization that completely changed the way I approach anxiety, overwhelm, and “regulation” as an ADHD mom. For years, I did everything I was supposed to do: meditation, breathwork, supplements, EFT, energy work… And yet, I still felt stressed, rushed, and completely out of control in my daily life. Why? Because I was trying to calm my nervous system… while living in constant chaos. Laundry everywhere.  Unpaid bills.  An overpacked schedule.  Always running late. 👉 There’s a disconnect there. In this episode, I’m breaking down why I believe so many of us are doing nervous system work backwards—and what actually needs to come first. This is not about abandoning the “woo.” It’s about putting it in the right order. The new approach: Environment → Logistics → THEN nervous system tools If your life doesn’t feel manageable, no amount of meditation is going to fix that. Want to take this further? I created a simple, no-overwhelm guide to help you start: 👉 The Work Before the Woo Reset This walks you through exactly what I’m focusing on right now to get my life out of chaos and into something that actually feels calm and manageable. No routines. No pressure. Just real-life steps that make a difference. You can download it for free here:  🔗 The Work Before the Woo Reset If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. email me: stacey@stacey-hutson.com

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About

I used to be fun. I used to be driven. I used to be sexy. I used to be...young. What happened?  Dear Millennial moms in your late 30s or 40s -- former forces of nature, Are you burned out, overwhelmed, and wondering where your energy (and your old self) went? You’re not alone. The Next Phase is the podcast for overachieving moms navigating perimenopause who are dying to take back their energy, their bodies, and their magic. Here, we will not pummel you with hormone treatment plans or talk about perimenopause as if it's a diagnosis. Instead, we're going to celebrate it. We're going to use it as an excuse to really start taking care of ourselves. As a matter of fact, we're going to find ourselves in our perimenopause era.  Hosted by Stacey Hutson—certified health coach, wellness chef, former co-host of the Mother Plus Podcast, and mom of two—you’ll learn how to: Understand what’s really happening in perimenopause and how to work with your changing body, use nutrition, supplements, and sleep as medicine to restore your energy, get in tune with your cycle and learn practical ways to sync your life with your hormones, and create rituals (with a little woo) that help you slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with yourself. Each episode blends personal stories, expert insights, and actual doable steps you can take right away.  ✨ Subscribe now to The Next Phase and join a community of millennial moms redefining wellness in their 40s. Let’s make perimenopause your most magnetic chapter yet.

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