My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani

Sometimes we forget: no matter our age, no door is closed if you dare to try. New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul reminds us of that every day. She's the first female governor of the fourth-most-populated state in this country, and more importantly to her, she’s a wife, mom, and grandmother. She tells Reshma how a particular comment from her dad set her on a path of leadership, her journey running for office during early motherhood, and why we need to invest in our children. She reminds us that life is long, so don't close any doors yet; you may be surprised at what you can achieve.  Follow Governor Hochul @govkathyhochul on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors   Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s nice to feel comfortable. But it’s not where a lot of growth happens. Author, actress, and creator Lilly Singh says she’s really grateful to have a high tolerance for being uncomfortable. She tells Reshma about how stepping out of her comfort zone has served her well in her career, why her journey with authenticity hasn’t been a linear one, and the seven-year-long process to create her new movie, Doin’ It.   Follow Lilly @lilly on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors   Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 2 of Yvette Nicole Brown's podcast Squeezed premieres today! So let's listen back to Reshma's conversation with her from last fall. Yvette Nicole Brown says being single with no kids in midlife is something to be proud of. At 53, she’s about to walk down the aisle for the first time and she’s happy she waited. All the while, she’s been busy caregiving for her father. In 2013, her dad first started showing signs of Alzheimer's, so Yvette broke her contract with the beloved comedy series, Community, and took him into her home to take care of him. Yvette and Reshma talk about falling in love at 50, caregiving for elderly parents, and how the decision to leave her full-time acting job was a no-brainer.   Follow Yvette on Instagram @yvettenicolebrown You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sex during midlife – wow, there’s a lot to talk about! And Reshma digs in with sex educator and author Emily Nagoski. They get into what it actually means – and takes – to prioritize sex, why Emily says pleasure is more important than desire, and what you need to know about changes in sexual desire during perimenopause and menopause. Plus, Emily recommends some sex-positive podcasts to add to your media diet! Follow Emily @enagoski on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you sick of the patriarchy? Same. Author Anna Malaika Tubbs says it’s time to break up with it! Anna offers up a definitive history of the way the patriarchy has oppressed women and denied our contributions in her latest book, Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us. She and Reshma have a riveting conversation about the way the patriarchy was woven into the DNA of the nation and discuss real solutions for creating a more equitable society. Plus, the fascinating way that AI is reproducing American patriarchy. Follow Anna @annamalaikatubbs on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Neha Ruch talking about motherhood, work, and shame. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor Day had us thinking back to Reshma's incredible conversation earlier this year with Thasunda Brown Duckett about work-life balance. Thasunda was trying to do it all – be a mom, a wife, and a high-powered CEO – when it hit her: work-life balance is a lie. The President and CEO of TIAA tells Reshma how this realization helped her prioritize the myriad things fighting for her time and caused her to become a more present mom to her four children. Thasunda also tells Reshma that she’s learned to live her life knowing that you rent your title but you own your values. Plus, Thasunda offers some accessible financial advice for women in midlife and convinces Reshma to start a Midlife Money group chat with her girlfriends.  Follow Thasunda Brown Duckett on Instagram @thasunda. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Neha Ruch talking about navigating the shame that so many women feel when they work outside of the home, and away from their kids. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You’ve likely heard of the motherhood penalty – the systematic economic disadvantage mothers face in the workplace. Well it turns out there’s a menopause penalty, too. Leading the research on this is Stanford economist Petra Persson, who talks with Reshma about the economic toll that the menopausal transition takes on women. They also discuss the importance of norms vs policy when it comes to culture change, what Sweden did to get more dads to take parental leave, and how both the government and employers can better support working women during menopause.  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Rasanath Das talking about his journey from working with Playboy to joining a monastery. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midlife can be both the most challenging and exciting time of your life. Perhaps the things you thought would fulfill you no longer do. Or the shiny objects you’ve chased lose their luster. When this happened for Reshma, she turned to Rasanath Das, who became her monk. Today she talks with Rasanath about what it means to live life with an open heart, her lifelong struggles with rejection, and how to identify – and overcome – your inner fears. Plus, she asks Rasanath for advice for midlifers looking to begin a spiritual practice. Follow Rasanath @upbuildNYC on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Rasanath talking about his journey from working with Playboy to joining a monastery. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday Riley doesn’t let the sun touch her. Protecting your skin from the sun is the skincare brand founder’s #1 tip for people of all ages, but especially midlifers. Reshma asks Sunday for a step-by-step skincare regimen and is shocked by what Sunday has to say about sunscreen. The two of them also discuss how society tries to make women feel invisible as they age and how Sunday learned to practice “intentional friendship” from Jane Fonda. Follow Sunday Riley @sundayriley on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Gretchen Rubin talking about seeking connections in a disconnected world. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midlife can do a number on your happiness. It’s a time when your kids are grown, your identity is shifting, and the roles that defined you for so long just don't fit anymore. Bestselling author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin has studied happiness for years and talks with Reshma about burnout, discipline, and whether the habits and goals that used to work for you still serve you. Plus, they get into Gretchen’s “four tendencies” personality framework, which are an incredibly helpful lens in understanding how we move through midlife.  Follow Gretchen @gretchenrubin on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram.  Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.    Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Gretchen Rubin talking about seeking connections in a disconnected world. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.