say YES to yourself! | Inspiring Midlife Women to Reinvent & Thrive
For Midlife Women Ready to Reclaim, Redefine, and Rise
This is the podcast for women in midlife who are ready to shed outdated cultural expectations, rewrite their stories, and finally put themselves first without guilt or apology.
This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking:
1. Why do I feel lost as a woman in midlife?
2. Who am I now that my kids are grown and I have an empty nest?
3. Is it too late to reinvent myself in my 40s or 50s?
4. How do I rebuild after a divorce or a major life change?
5. Why do I feel guilty for wanting more for myself in midlife?
6. How do I stop people-pleasing and start putting myself first?
7. How do women reinvent themselves after caregiving or burnout?
8. How do I rebuild confidence and trust myself again in midlife?
9. How do I navigate a midlife transition without losing myself?
10. How do I make a career pivot in midlife that actually feels aligned?
Each week on Say YES to Yourself!, host Wendy Harrop curates soulful, honest conversations with inspiring women who are courageously reinventing their lives. From career pivots and creative dreams to empty-nest awakenings and personal breakthroughs, you’ll hear real stories of transformation, healing, and joy.
If you're craving more meaning, more magic, and more you in your life, this podcast is your permission slip. Saying YES to yourself isn’t selfish. It’s the most generous, revolutionary act of your midlife.
Say YES to Yourself! is a podcast for midlife women navigating reinvention, personal growth, and the next chapter of life.
Tune in and be reminded: your best chapter starts now.
say YES to yourself! | Inspiring Midlife Women to Reinvent & Thrive
Why Midlife Is the Moment to Reconnect with Your Wild, Worthy Self | Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien
Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!
Join Wendy for a 90-minute Word of the Year workshop designed to help you discover the word that wants to walk beside you this year—not as a goal to achieve, but as a way of being.
Welcome to the Say YES to Yourself! Podcast—the show for midlife women, empty nesters, and anyone navigating life after divorce, burnout, or big transitions. If you're ready to shed cultural expectations, reconnect with your true self, and put your joy first—you’re in the right place.
In this episode, Wendy welcomes Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien, UC Foundation professor and author of The Power in the Middle, for a powerful conversation about reclaiming the version of ourselves we knew before the world told us who to be.
After a mentor challenged her on playing it safe, Elizabeth found herself digging through old photo albums, searching for proof that she once knew how to take up space. And there she was—eight years old, mid-swing, mouth wide open, wild and free. That girl didn’t need permission. She just was.
They explore:
- How the behaviors that once protected us may no longer serve us, and how to let them go
- How taking a step back from emotional labor lets others lead the way they need to lead
- Why silence is scary but necessary, and how self-soothing through discomfort is where the real growth happens
This is a conversation about agency, boundaries, and the sacred return to your original knowing.
Connect with Dr. O'Brien:
Her website: dreobrien.com
Instagram @drelizabethobrien
Get her book, The Power in the Middle: Navigating your Midlife with Confidence
On Bloomsbury with discount code: GLR BD8 (for 20% off)
Resources Link: The Power in the Middle
Referenced in this Episode:
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Connect with Wendy:
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Website: Phineas Wright House
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Interested in being a guest on the show?
Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.com
Podcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective
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