The Uplifters

Aransas Savas
  • 4.9 (70)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Uplifters Podcast features inspiring conversations with midlife women making big, brave moves in the second half of their lives. Each episode includes brain science and research on how to work with (not against) your midlife brain, body, and resources + tips and tools for designing your boldest second half of life! www.theuplifterspodcast.com

  1. 4d ago

    The Midlife Fashionista

    Today we're talking about clothes! How they fit in midlife, how updating our wardrobes can upend our identities, and most of all, how donated clothes can give other women a fresh start. In this episode, Susan Kanoff shares how her 25 years in social work led to starting Uncommon Threads, a nonprofit now serving more than 8,000 women a year in Greater Boston through clothing, personal styling, and confidence-building. For women over 40 navigating change, her story is a masterclass in trusting your instincts, starting before you're ready, and building something meaningful from exactly what you have.Through a cancer diagnosis, a new career as a fashion blogger and influencer, and a nonprofit founder with 45,000 followers and 2.4 million blog views she helps women reconnect with their sense of style and self. You'll also learn about the concept of enclothed cognition, which shows that what we wear doesn't just reflect how we feel but actively shapes how we think, perform, and move through the world. This is a midlife conversation that is equal parts practical and inspiring.What You'll Learn:How to build a mission-driven nonprofit in midlife Why overanalyzing is the real enemy of action What enclothed cognition means for midlife women in transition What a cancer diagnosis teaches you about timing How to build a platform from scratch with no background Resources and Links:Uncommon Threads: uncommonthreads.org | @uncommonthreadsboutiqueThe Midlife Fashionista: https://www.instagram.com/themidlifefashionista/Kicking Cancer in Heels: https://kickingcancerinheels.com/CLL Women Strong: https://www.instagram.com/cllwomenstrong/Midlife Private Parts: https://www.midlifeprivateparts.com/Sponsor: Join the Tryb — jointhetryb.com, code UPLIFTER20 for 20% off your first orderAbout Susan Kanoff: Susan Kanoff is a former social worker, wardrobe stylist, and the visionary founder of Uncommon Threads, a nonprofit empowering women in need through clothing, personal styling, and confidence-building since 2016. Known as The Midlife Fashionista, she has built a community of 45,000 followers and 2.4 million blog views sharing fashion, lifestyle, and wellness for women navigating midlife and beyond. She is co-founder of Kicking Cancer in Heels and CLL Women Strong (the first national support group for women with CLL), a contributor to Midlife Private Parts (one of Zibby's Most Anticipated Books of 2025), and a recipient of the 2025 Massachusetts Teachers Association Louise Gaskins Lifetime Achievement Award for Civil and Human Rights. She has been featured in WGBH, WCVB, WBUR, NECN, Woman's World Magazine, The Boston Globe, and Northshore Magazine, among others.About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing meaningful work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.Connect with Aransas:Instagram: @aransas_savasPodcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcastKeywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, enclothed cognition midlife Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    The Midlife Fashionista

  2. Jul 16

    The Highly Sensitive Woman in Midlife

    Have you ever been told you're too sensitive? Too emotional? That you just need to toughen up? For highly sensitive women, those words often start in childhood and follow us straight into midlife, where perimenopause turns up the volume on everything we've been quietly managing for years.In this episode, licensed occupational therapist, certified perimenopause and menopause coach, and functional pelvic health practitioner Dara Steinberg joins Aransas to explore what it actually means to be a highly sensitive person (HSP). Research by psychiatrist and researcher Elaine Aron found that approximately 10% of every species, humans included, shares a nervous system that processes the environment more deeply than most. That's not a disorder. It's a trait. And in midlife, it deserves a whole new relationship.Dara shares her own journey through clinical burnout, the physical toll of overriding her sensitive nature for years, and how she built her methodology Slow Down to Become to serve the women her field was failing. Whether you've always known you're highly sensitive or you're only now starting to wonder, this conversation will help you see your sensitivity not as a flaw to fix but as a superpower ready to be claimed.What You'll Learn:-What makes someone a highly sensitive person and why approximately 10% of every species on Earth shares this trait, according to researcher Elaine Aron-How the highly sensitive nervous system interacts with perimenopause and why estrogen fluctuations can intensify sensitivity for women in midlife-The real difference between everyday exhaustion and clinical burnout — and what recovery actually requires-How to support a highly sensitive person, whether that's yourself, your child, or someone you love-The five stages of Dara's Slow Down to Become framework, from nervous system stabilization to building a life in alignment with who you really areDara's website and free Safety Map: slowdowntobecome.comInstagram and Facebook: @slowdowntobecomeElaine Aron's books on high sensitivity (recommended by Dara in episode)Join the Tryb: jointhetryb.com | Use code UPLIFTER20 for 20% off your first orderAbout Your Host:Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing meaningful work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.Connect with Aransas:Instagram: @aransas_savasPodcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcastTikTok: @theuplifterspodcastFacebook: Aransas SavasWebsite: theuplifterspodcast.comYouTube: @theuplifterspodcastLinkedIn: Aransas SavasKeywords:highly sensitive person perimenopause, HSP midlife women, women over 40 burnout recovery, midlife reinvention women, perimenopause nervous system, highly sensitive women menopause, starting over during menopause, building confidence after 40, midlife transition women, second act career women, women 40s nervous system health, slow down to become, Dara Steinberg, perimenopause motivation, highly sensitive person midlife, Elaine Aron HSP, clinical burnout women, midlife purpose women, courage capital, women over 40 success stories Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    The Highly Sensitive Woman in Midlife

  3. Jul 9

    Protecting Your Brain Health in Perimenopause and Menopause

    In this episode, elite brain health coach Christine Despres shares the science behind perimenopause and brain health, the four areas proven to prevent up to 50% of cognitive decline, and the micro habits that make the biggest difference. Whether you're in the thick of perimenopause or planning for your 90-year-old self, this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. What You'll Learn: The perimenopause brain connection — Why you can lose up to 30% of brain function during perimenopause and what you can do about it right now The POINTER Study findings — The four lifestyle areas that can prevent up to 50% of cognitive decline, even with a genetic predisposition or family history of dementia The MIND diet for cognitive health — What it is, why it works, and the one fruit proven to help prevent cognitive decline Sleep as a brain detox — Why quality sleep is essential for brain health and Christine's top micro habits for protecting your sleep during the midlife transition Reading your brain's signals — Why brain fog and memory lapses are usually data, not disease, and what to do with that information Starting your midlife health baseline — What blood work to request and why knowing your numbers is the first step to protecting your future self Christine on Instagram: @thewellnessnavigator The Wellness Navigator: https://www.thewellnessnavigator.com/ Quiz: "Why Does Everything Feel Harder After 40?" https://www.thewellnessnavigator.com/brain-health-quiz The POINTER Study on lifestyle factors and cognitive decline Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half by Dr. Kerry Burnight Ph.D Function Health Panel (Dr. Mark Hyman's biomarker panel) About Christine Despres: Christine Despres is a registered nurse with more than 30 years of clinical experience, including many years as Director of Nursing at a skilled nursing facility where she oversaw care for patients living with dementia, in hospice, and in rehabilitation. Today she is a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and the founder of The Wellness Navigator, a brain health and metabolic wellness coaching practice serving women in midlife and beyond. She also holds an Elite Brain Health Coach certification through Amen University. Christine lost her own mother at 57 and has family members living with dementia, bringing both clinical expertise and hard-won personal experience to the women she works with. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over during menopause, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, perimenopause brain health, brain fog menopause, cognitive decline prevention women, midlife brain health, MIND diet perimenopause, brain health women over 40, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, women 40s brain health, perimenopause fresh start, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, menopause entrepreneurship women Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    Protecting Your Brain Health in Perimenopause and Menopause

  4. Jul 2

    How to Rest and Reclaim Your Attention

    What if the brain fog, exhaustion, and restlessness of midlife were not problems to fix, but invitations to finally slow down? In this episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas talks with bestselling author and yoga nidra teacher Tracee Stanley about using sacred micro-rituals to reclaim attention, presence, and purpose during perimenopause and the second half of life. For women over 40 navigating midlife reinvention, this conversation is an antidote to hustle culture and a reminder that the path to prosperity runs through the mundane moments we keep rushing past. Listeners will discover Tracee's four pillars of a meaningful life rooted in Hindu philosophy, including a radically expanded view of what wealth and prosperity really mean in midlife. From her years as a Hollywood film producer surrounded by A-list stars to her decades teaching yoga nidra and Tantric wisdom, Tracee brings a rare vantage point on why external success so rarely delivers what it promises, and what actually does. Tracee's new book, Living Ritual: Infuse Each Day with Purpose and Spirit (St. Martin's Essentials), releases August 25th and offers a complete road map for turning ordinary moments into acts of presence and devotion. Whether you are in perimenopause, launching a second act, or simply trying to find five quiet minutes in a chaotic day, this episode offers tools you can use tonight. What You'll Learn: How to reclaim focus during perimenopause — Why brain fog and hormonal shifts may actually be your body's invitation to slow down, and how to work with that instead of against it The four pillars of a prosperous midlife — Prosperity, pleasure, purpose, and spiritual liberation reframed through Hindu philosophy in ways that apply directly to women over 40 Micro-rituals for midlife women — Simple, accessible practices including the analog cocoon and threshold practice that take seconds but change neural pathways over 40 to 62 days How to build a second act with intention — What Tracee learned leaving a high-powered film career to follow her dharma, and the courageous first step she took What real wealth looks like for women in the second half of life — Why rest, radiant health, and the support to pursue your purpose are all forms of prosperity Key Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction and Join The Tryb sponsor read 1:20 — Show welcome and episode setup 2:35 — Guest introduction: Tracee Stanley 3:35 — The four pillars of life rooted in Hindu philosophy 6:20 — Redefining prosperity: rest, health, and support as forms of wealth 10:00 — Tracee's grandmother and the richness of inner abundance 11:40 — Film producer career and witnessing inner poverty up close 14:15 — How to reprogram: slowing down to reclaim discernment 15:50 — Replacing unconscious habits with sacred micro-rituals 18:30 — Perimenopause, natural cycles, and the wisdom of slowing down 19:30 — Becoming the elders: stepping into midlife wisdom 21:45 — Tiny practices for prosperity, pleasure, and purpose 22:50 — The analog cocoon: creating distance from your phone at night 24:05 — The dominant nostril practice from Swara Yoga 26:30 — The threshold practice: using doorways as moments of intention 31:10 — Neuroscience confirms it: 40 to 62 days to rewire a neural pathway 32:15 — Daily ritual recap from bedtime through morning 38:45 — Leaving Hollywood: the courage to follow her dharma 41:10 — What she was afraid of, and how she planned her way through it 43:00 — Pre-ordering Living Ritual and the free 16-day morning ritual experience 44:00 — Tracee nominates Crystal Higgins, herbalist Key Takeaways: For midlife women seeking purpose: Knowing what you are here to do (your dharma) and having the support to pursue it is itself a form of wealth, regardless of what your bank account says. For women in perimenopause: The hormonal shift that slows you down is not something to fight. Your body is preparing you for the wisdom of the second half of life. For midlife career changers: Tracee cut her expenses in half as her first act of courage. Fear is not the end of the sentence. It is information to help you build a strategy. For women over 40 feeling distracted and scattered: Your attention is being deliberately harvested. Micro-rituals placed in the natural transitions of the day are how you take it back. For anyone starting over at 40: Ritual creates a bridge between the mundane and the sacred. You can make your life sacred in just a few moments. Resources and Links: Tracee Stanley's website: traceestanley.com Tracee Stanley on Instagram: @tracee_stanley Living Ritual: Infuse Each Day with Purpose and Spirit (St. Martin's Essentials) — pre-order now, releases August 25, 2026 Radiant Rest by Tracee Stanley The Luminous Self by Tracee Stanley Free 16-day morning ritual experience (20 minutes daily, live and recorded): details at traceestanley.com Swara Yoga (book on nostril dominance practices, referenced in episode) Join The Tryb: https://jointhetryb.com, code uplifter20 for 20% off your first order About Tracee Stanley: Tracee Stanley (age 60) is the author of Living Ritual: Infuse Each Day with Purpose and Spirit (St. Martin's Essentials, August 2026) and the bestselling books Radiant Rest and The Luminous Self. She is the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings rooted in more than 30 years of studentship in Sri Vidya Tantra and the teachings of the Himalayan Masters. Tracee holds certificates from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Advanced Eco-Therapy, New Thinking, Best Practices, and Emerging Modalities, and in Advanced Ecopsychology. Find her at traceestanley.com. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    How to Rest and Reclaim Your Attention

  5. Jun 25

    What Happens After You Sell the $100 Million Company You Built?

    Sarah Kauss bootstrapped S'well with $30,000 of her own savings and built it into a $100 million company, one of the most recognizable consumer brands of the last decade. But this conversation isn't about how she built it. It's about what happened after she let it go, and what that taught her about identity, success, and legacy. In this episode, Sarah and Aransas talk about what it is like to step away from a company you spent years building. They get into the loneliness of being a founder who is learning and leading at the same time, why Sarah said yes to nearly everything for the first few years after her exit, and how she eventually built what she now calls her "portfolio life." This is a conversation for any woman in midlife who has wondered who she is when the thing she built no longer needs her, and the founders who want to build with a dream of selling their company someday. What You'll Learn: Building a company without a master plan — How Sarah grew S'well from one founder with $30,000 to a $100 million brand without ever mapping out an exit. Letting go of a founder identity in midlife — What it felt like when S'well removed her photo from the website, and why that hit harder than she expected. The hidden risk of overcorrecting after a big change — Why Sarah said yes to nearly every board seat offered to her, and what it took to start saying no. How to build a company someone wants to buy — Her advice for founders building toward an exit in their first five years. Defending your brand against copycats — What S'well learned when bigger, better-funded companies started copying the product. Building a portfolio career after 40 — How she moved from founder to investor, advisor, and board member. The midlife shift from founder to mentor role Key Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction and sponsor read [~3:23] — Sarah's S'well origin story and the bootstrapped early years [~6:55] — Building a "portfolio life" instead of pouring into one thing [~11:01] — Learning to share the vision and bring in a team [~17:02] — Community Q&A: building a company someone wants to buy [~20:01] — Defending S'well against copycats and protecting IP [~23:02] — Sending S'well "off to college" and the mourning period after an exit [~28:47] — What scares Sarah now, and her advice for the next generation [~32:27] — Sarah nominates the next Uplifter Key Takeaways: For midlife founders building toward an exit: You don't need every part of the business polished. Show what's working and where there's room to grow, not that you've already maximized everything. For women over 40 redefining identity after a major career change: Not knowing what to say about yourself at a reunion or a party is normal, and it passes. For women building a second act: A portfolio of smaller, meaningful commitments can bring more fulfillment than pouring everything into one thing, even if it looks less impressive on paper. Featured Quote: "I finally realize at this age I actually know a lot of stuff." — Sarah Kauss Resources and Links: Sarah Kauss's website and office hours: sarahkauss.com Episode sponsor, Join The Tryb: jointhetryb.com, code UPLIFTER20 About Sarah Kauss: Sarah Kauss (50) is Managing Partner at Avignon Partners, where she is an investor and advisor to brands in retail, tech, and wellness. As the founder and former CEO of S’well, Sarah is a consumer products leader with a track record of launching companies, building multi-million dollar brands, and assembling high-performance senior leadership teams. She is a product design expert with deep experience developing and implementing successful exit strategies. Sarah held the position of CEO of S’well for ten years, bootstrapping the company with $30k of her savings to reach over $100M in annual revenue. During this time, Sarah created a new category and well-loved brand that helped displace more than four billion single-use plastic bottles and was named by Architectural Digest as one of the 25 designs that helped shape the world. Sarah sold S’well in 2022. Prior to S’well, Sarah was a real estate developer leading large international collaborations and partnerships, and a consultant working across a range of industries. Sarah started her career with EY as a Certified Public Accountant, working in both tax consulting and the auditing function. She provided professional services to public and privately held companies in the technology, healthcare, consumer products, and media sectors. Sarah has been recognized as a Fortune “40 Under 40” honoree and awarded the Harvard Business School Entrepreneurship Award. Under Sarah’s leadership, S’well was named the #1 Fastest-Growing, women-led company by the Women Presidents’ Organization, was honored with the Brand Design award by Inc. magazine, and placement on the Inc. 5000 List (top 100) of fastest-growing, privately-held companies. She is a member of the 2018 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and the 2020 Class of Braddock Scholars within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute. She earned a BS in accounting from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing big, brave work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife reinvention, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: women over 40, midlife reinvention, second act career women, life after selling your business, midlife identity shift, women founders over 40, career change after 40, redefining success in midlife, portfolio career women, midlife transition women, women entrepreneurs midlife, second half of life women, building confidence after 40, midlife career pivot, women over 40 success stories Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    What Happens After You Sell the $100 Million Company You Built?

  6. Jun 18

    Sexual Empowerment in Midlife

    Can getting in touch with your sexuality change everything else about your life? Sarah Nelson thought she had it all figured out. Good marriage, two kids, a high-powered nonprofit career. But underneath it, she'd spent decades editing herself into the good girl she was taught to be, especially when it came to sex. This conversation about women over 40 and midlife reinvention traces what happened when Sarah finally got honest with herself, and how that honesty led to separating from her husband, entering an open relationship, and becoming a sex and relationship coach. Featured Quote: "When you are honest with yourself, you actually make the other person happier." — Sarah Nelson Resources and Links: Sarah's coaching website: sarahnelsoncoach.com Sarah's Substack: sarahnelsoncoach.substack.com About Sarah Nelson: Sarah Nelson is a sex writer and relationship coach trained in the Somatica method of sex and relationship coaching, as well as positive intelligence. After two decades in a marriage built on a good girl narrative, she began a journey of sexual reintegration that led her to interview 50 women about reclaiming their sexuality in midlife. She now coaches women and men toward sexual wholeness, confidence, and self-honesty. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, women over 40 setting boundaries, perimenopause confidence building, midlife self-acceptance, women's sexuality after 40 Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    Sexual Empowerment in Midlife

  7. Jun 11

    Laura LeBleu Lit Her AARP Card on Fire

    What do you do when the midlife magazine you actually want to read doesn't exist? If you're Laura LeBleu, you burn your AARP card, drain your stock options, and build it yourself. In this episode, host Aransas Savas talks with the founding editor of Geezer Magazine about starting a print publication at 54, betting on yourself after a lifetime of betting on others, and what midlife reinvention really looks like from the inside. This is a conversation about creative confidence and how we stop waiting for someone else to give us a green light. If you've ever worried that it is too late to start something bold, this episode will dismantle that story completely. Laura's journey from advertising creative director to tech industry writer to founding editor is a masterclass in enlisting accumulated experience. At 54, she's not slowing down. She's just hitting her stride. What You'll Learn: How to bet on yourself in midlife — The fears Laura had to face to stop creating for others and start creating for herself Starting a creative business after 40 — Why Laura believes the skills, resources, and chutzpah she needed could only have come together now Building confidence after 40 — How a lifetime of "good but not great enough" self-talk finally got quieted How to change careers after 40 — What happens when you stop waiting for permission and take the reins Midlife reinvention in practice — The daily reality of learning something completely new while betting everything on yourself Women entrepreneurs over 40 — Why asking for help and admitting "I don't know what I'm doing" is the move, not the weakness Key Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction and Join the Tryb sponsor read 1:22 — Aransas introduces the episode and midlife peak creativity research 2:57 — Introducing Laura LeBleu and Geezer Magazine 4:09 — Where Laura was before Geezer: burnout, a long marriage ending, writing for others 7:07 — The shower epiphany and the birth of Geezer 9:09 — Was Laura always a "screw it, let's go" person? 10:24 — Why she couldn't have done this at any other age 13:34 — The learning curve: everything she didn't know about making a magazine 16:00 — Asking for help as a strength, not a weakness 17:26 — Betting on yourself after a lifetime of betting on others 18:25 — The inner voice that said "good but not great enough" 20:39 — What happened when she finally put her innards on the line 22:13 — Don't wait for the green light 24:08 — Letting go and what Geezer is becoming 26:30 — How to support Laura and subscribe to Geezer Magazine 27:45 — Nominee: Angela Burt, author of "A Real Girl's Guide to Midlife" Key Takeaways: For midlife career changers: The skills, money, experience, and courage you need for your boldest move are not things you had at 30. They're things you've been building. Now is when they converge. For women over 40 seeking purpose: Waiting for someone to hand you permission is the surest way to never start. Take the reins. For perimenopause entrepreneurs: Admitting "I don't know what I'm doing" is not weakness. It's how you get the right people to help you build something that works. For second act builders: Regret lives in the things you didn't do. Failure at least means you tried. Resources and Links: Geezer Magazine: geezermagazine.com (use code UPLIFT15 for 15% off a subscription) Follow Laura on Substack Nominee Angela Burke: "A Real Girl's Guide to Midlife" Mountain Gazette (mentioned by Laura as a print magazine inspiration) About Laura LeBleu: Laura LeBleu is a writer, actor, Emmy Award-winning TV producer, cabaret performer, and founding editor of Geezer Magazine, a quarterly print publication she co-founded at 54. Geezer is described as the love child between The Atlantic and Mad Magazine, written by and for Gen X, and is utterly disinterested in telling you where to retire. The first print run of 5,000 copies was funded entirely by Laura's stock options. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    Laura LeBleu Lit Her AARP Card on Fire

  8. Jun 4

    How to Find Your Creative Soulmate

    What do you do with the words you never said? Sofia Kavlin built a home for them. In February 2024 she dragged a wooden mailbox into Washington Square Park, asked strangers to drop in a letter they would never send, and handed each person someone else's letter in return. More than 4,000 letters later, the Unsent Letter Mailbox has spread to Austin, Houston, and Chattanooga, and has been featured by The New York Times, NBC News, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. This conversation is about two things that change a creative life: finding the right collaborator, and alchemizing your toughest experiences. Sofia, a Bolivian-Canadian social impact designer, and Bonnie Blue Edwards, an award-winning producer, illustrator, and writer, talk about how they found each other, how they built trust, and how each of them turned private grief into public art. If you have ever longed for a creative partner, sat on an idea because you were scared to ask, or wondered whether your pain could become something useful, this one is for you. What You'll Learn: How to find a creative collaborator who gets it — why intuitive alignment cannot be manufactured, and how to recognize it when it shows up How to ask for the support you need — Sofia's practice of naming exactly what she wanted before she had any idea who would answer How trust actually gets built — the simple, unglamorous behaviors that made these two feel safe with each other How to turn grief into creative fuel — using art and community as a way through the hardest seasons instead of around them Why art is not frivolous — the case that creative expression changes lives, saves lives, and makes lives How to protect a vision while sharing it — holding collaborators with open hands without losing the heart of the work What "worth, not value" means — reframing exchange around human connection rather than a price tag "Turning our tragedy literally into lemonade, and by that I mean art." — Sofia Kavlin Resources and Links: Unsent Letter Mailbox: unsentlettermailbox.com | Instagram @unsentlettermailbox Sofia Kavlin: Instagram @sofia.kavlin Bonnie Blue Edwards: Instagram @bonnieblue952; her book of poems and illustrations, Stressed Out & Scatterbrained @stressedoutscatterbrained Lift and Be Lifted: A huge thank-you to Lia De Feo, who nominated both Sofia and Bonnie for this episode. And keep your eyes on the women they're lifting up next: Kelby Clark, founder of the creative salon Opus House and a brilliant poet and writer, and Catherine Burns, a wildly creative storyteller. We cannot wait to share their stories. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing meaningful work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: unsent letters, anonymous letter project, creative collaboration, finding a creative partner, creative soulmate, art and healing, turning pain into art, expressive writing, public art project, women supporting women, courage capital, doing big brave things, creative entrepreneurship, art as connection, letter writing for healing, women creatives, second act, the Uplifters podcast Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

    How to Find Your Creative Soulmate
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4.9
out of 5
70 Ratings

About

The Uplifters Podcast features inspiring conversations with midlife women making big, brave moves in the second half of their lives. Each episode includes brain science and research on how to work with (not against) your midlife brain, body, and resources + tips and tools for designing your boldest second half of life! www.theuplifterspodcast.com

Information

  • Creator
    Aransas Savas
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    196
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Aransas Savas
  • Show Website
    The Uplifters

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