Message in the Middle: Midlife Women, Reinvention & Personal Growth
Message in the Middle is a podcast for women navigating the challenges, transitions, and reinventions that often come with midlife.
Hosted by Marianne DeMello-Smith, each episode explores the messy, meaningful moments that shape who we become. Through honest conversations with experts, authors, thought leaders, and everyday women, you'll discover practical insights, inspiring stories, and new perspectives on what it means to grow through life's most difficult seasons.
Whether you're facing a career change, caregiving responsibilities, health challenges, grief, relationship shifts, menopause, identity changes, or simply wondering what's next, Message in the Middle offers encouragement, wisdom, and real-world strategies to help you move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
Together, we'll explore resilience, personal growth, self-discovery, emotional well-being, and the power of turning life's messes into meaningful midlife messages.
Because midlife isn't the end of your story. It may just be the beginning of your next chapter.
Message in the Middle: Midlife Women, Reinvention & Personal Growth
Burnout, Reinvention & The Surf Shop That Sparked a Dream with Marcia Heath
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In this episode of Message in the Middle, I sit down with Marcia Heath, professional editor, writer, and founder of Bungalow Hill. Marcia’s career was the kind most people would envy—publicist at Simon & Schuster, executive editor at Harcourt, brand strategist for startups and Fortune 500s. But by her early sixties, she found herself burnt out and questioning what came next.
Then came Aruba and a small, soulful surf shop that changed everything.
Marcia’s debut book, The Little Giant: The Story of Aruba’s Surf Shop and the Rebels Who Built It, is more than a story about a store—it’s a celebration of risk-taking, reinvention, and the surprising places inspiration can live.
💬 In this episode, we talk about:
- How a “successful” career can still leave you feeling unfulfilled—and what to do when burnout hits in midlife
- Why The Little Giant was the book Marcia had circled her whole life, but only found the courage to write now
- The emotional and practical hurdles of publishing your first book later in life
- Self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and starting over at sixty
- The surprising lessons we learn when we step away from our corporate life and toward creativity
- A message of hope and courage for anyone who feels like they’ve missed their chance
- How writing changed Marcia’s perspective—and her life
✨ Whether you're standing at a crossroads or simply looking for permission to dream again, this episode will meet you in the middle—with honesty, wisdom, and warmth.
🔗 Connect with Marcia Heath
Visit Bungalow Hill: https://www.bungalow-hill.com/
Explore The Little Giant: https://littlegiantbook.com
Connect with Marianne:
- Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
- Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
- Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne
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