The Mean Show: Get older, stay cool Kristen Philipkoski

Mikelann Valterra is a financial psychologist and author who helps women transform their relationship with money to create a life they love. 
My biggest takeaway from this conversation was that the more you know about your spending, the less you will have to think about money. If you get clear on exactly where your money is going, and then decide what is most important to you, you can create a life where you get everything you need, don't waste money on things you don't care about, and actually think about money less.
What a blessing that would be, right?  
She combines emotional intelligence with practical money strategies help her clients feel in control of the money, while escaping financial stress and anxiety.
We talk about how to get control of your money, the importance of having a passion that brings you joy (hers is Argentine tango), why opposite money personalities tend to partner up, and so much more. 
Links:
Mikelann Valterra
Free ebook on how to stop stressing about money
On Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
YouTube


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I was surprised by this interview so many times: Dry farming with no electricity—what?Founding said farm at 16, and sticking with it for 23 years? Colon cancer diagnosis at 37, and beating the odds with a full recovery, thank heavens. Oh, and gray hair at 18!

Jennifer Lee Segale is a professional botanist and founder of Wildflower Farms, an organic landscape design and consulting company specializing in coastal plantings, edible gardens, habitat restoration and unique plant sourcing. She has a rich background in farming and plant propagation, and her design and consulting services focus on plant and soil care.
The farm's no-till, dry-farmed medicinal herbs also supply Segale's skincare and wellness brand Garden Apothecary, with two storefronts in Half Moon Bay, CA. 

"Garden Apothecary is really set apart from other brands by our growing of ingredients and making everything in-house," she says. "We really try to come from the plant's perspective, with gentle growing techniques and minimal harvesting—thus being able to offer unique and sustainable products, with a lot of integrity behind them."
Jenn lives by the beach with her husband, two step-children, piles of books and her two sweet dogs, Sorrel and Oolong.

Links:

Wildflower Farms
Garden Apothecary
Wildflower Farms on Instagram
Garden Apothecary on Instagram
American Cancer Society—Colorectal Cancer
What is Colorectal Cancer—CDC
UCSF Colon Cancer
UCSF Mission Bay
Garden Apothecary herb teas
Half Moon Honey
Garden Apothecary Higher Ground facial serum

 



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Dr. Louann Brizendine completed her degree in neurobiology at UC Berkeley, graduated from Yale School of Medicine and did her internship and residency at Harvard Medical School. In this episode we talk about her new book The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond.

She also wrote the New York Times best seller The Female Brain and its follow-up, The Male Brain, which continues to be read around the world.

This episode is filled with so much great information, enjoy and please review the podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Watch the interview YouTube

Dr. Louann Brizendine

The Upgrade book

Dr. Brizendine on Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

The Female Brain

The Male Brain

The Women's Health Initiative

I Feel Bad About My Neck
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Erin Hupp has been creating beautiful ceramics for more than 20 years. But it wasn't until she was knee-deep in a successful career in law that she made ceramics her main gig.

After earning her law degree, the San Francisco-based artist practiced land-use and child-welfare law. But the call of her art was always at the back of her mind, and after giving birth to her third child, she decided to make an enormous change: she would pursue her art, but not just as a hobby—as a full time business.
 
Her focused approach—she marks every ceramics-related task on the family calendar—has paid off.

Erin is now a professional artist known for her texturally-rich tableware. She partners with restaurants and interior designers to create site-specific pieces, all by hand on her potter’s wheel. You'll find her work at restaurants including Hilda and Jesse, Californios, Nightbird, Sorrel and Pasta Bar.

Listen to our conversation to find out how she made the seemingly unlikely transition from lawyer to potter a very successful one.

Links: 
Erin Hupp Ceramics
Erin on Instagram
Advokids
Californios
Hilda and Jesse
Windy Chien
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Noz Nozawa
Erin Hupp + Hilda and Jesse article at Forbes
The Upgrade by Louann Brizendine
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
Video and audio editing by Sofija Jovanov.
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If you're navigating midlife and think it's time to give up rocking (or trying to rock) a smokey eye look, this episode with disabuse you of that thought (also see Carine Roitfeld.)

I met makeup artist Brigette Caille through the #silversisters network on Instagram, and quickly invited her onto the show to get her valuable tips on easy makeup when you're 50-ish. And I'm so glad I did because I finally know how to create a smokey eye look in less than 5 minutes!

To be honest I never really had the confidence to try a smokey eye before. In fact I'm so intimidated by eye makeup in general that I had resigned myself to using only mascara. I just didn't feel I had the time or energy to experiment, especially when I was sure it would end in me washing my face and going back to the mascara-only look.

If you feel the same way, I promise you'll change your mind after checking out Brigette's tips. Please let me know if you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes, good or bad!

Links:

Brigette Caille
Brigette Caille on Instagram

Supplies that could come in handy for creating a smokey eye: 
1. Eye crayon
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil, $5.50
Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Pencil, $29
Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener, $24
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color, $29
2. Fluffy blending brush
e.l.f. Mint Melt eyeshadow brush set, $6.50
Laura Mercier Finishing Ponytail Brush, $32
Makeup by Mario EF1 Makeup Brush, $22
Fenty Beauty by Rhianna Tapered Blending Brush, $24
3. Small blending brush (or us a Q-tip)
e.l.f. Mint Melt eyeshadow brush set, $6.50
Laura Mercier Smudge Brush, $26
Sephora Collection Makeup Match Smudge Eyeshadow Brush, $8
4. Eyelash Curler
Sephora Collection eyelash curler, $14
Laura Mercier Artist eyelash curler, $22
Lash Star Stardust lash curler, $24
5. Mascara

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The fact that spellcheck still doesn't know how to spell perimenopause kind of says it all.

A wide-ranging lack of knowledge and utter confusion (even among gynecologists) around perimenopause, menopause and women's health during this transitional time of life are why today's guests, Gwendolyn Floyd (CEO) and Julie Kucinski (CMO)—along with founding partners Judy Greer (yes from Arrested Development!) and Corey Scholibo—founded Wile Women.

Wile Women makes products to support women's health after 40ish. Using plant medicine supported by clinical studies, the brand demystifies and embraces hormonal health. Products support and regulate the big three: estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol, with tinctures, supplements and drinks.

Instead of using single ingredients to tackle symptoms, the brand says: "Wile looks at women and formulations holistically, because that’s how our bodies and nature really work."

That's why, for example, their Drinking Your Feelings, Un-Anger, and Tranq Drank, products contain a blend of ingredients that work together to combat unwanted symptoms.

In this episode, we discuss the flawed Women's Health Initiative study of 2002, which, incredibly, 20 years later is still scaring us away from hormone treatments. We also discuss naturopathy, medical gaslighting and so much more. I learned so much from these two during our conversation and I hope you will too!

Wile has also offered a generous 20% discount to Mean Mag readers! Use code MEAN20 for 20% off your entire order.

Links:

Wile Women
Gwendolyn Floyd
Julie Kucinski
Judy Greer


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