Midlife Reinvention: From Corporate to Wellness Coach with Michele Folan

Join the Midlife with Courage™ podcast as host Kim chats with Michelle Folan, a midlife health and nutrition coach. Discover Michelle's inspiring journey from the corporate world to coaching and podcasting, and learn valuable tips on midlife health, science-backed strategies, and the importance of self-care.

- Michelle Folan's career transition
- Importance of health and wellness in midlife
- The role of science-backed strategies
- Personal stories of courage and transformation

00:00 Welcome to Midlife with Courage
00:17 Introducing Michelle Folan: A Journey to Health Coaching
00:38 Michelle's Career Transition and Podcasting Journey
03:49 Embracing Courage: Leaving the Corporate World
06:18 Supporting Midlife Women: Michelle's Coaching Approach
13:09 The Importance of Science-Backed Strategies
17:24 The Importance of Muscle Maintenance
17:49 Empowering Midlife Women
18:58 Prioritizing Self-Care
20:28 Overcoming Social Judgments
21:31 Introduction to the Podcast
21:51 Health and Wellness Topics
23:42 The Role of GLP-1 and Peptides
26:20 Long-Term Health Strategies
30:01 Connecting with Michelle
30:43 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

If you want to check out Michelle's podcast Asking for A Friend, click HERE.

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Transcript

 You are listening to the Midlife with Courage podcast. This is where women in midlife come for inspiration, motivation, and sometimes a little education to help them flourish.

After 40. Don't forget to hit that follow or subscribe button to make sure you don't miss an episode. Now, let's get started.

 Hello everyone and welcome back to Midlife With Courage. I am Kim Benoy, your host today. I have a wonderful guest with me. Her name is Michelle Folan, michelle is a midlife health and nutrition coach.

She wasn't always a coach. So we're gonna talk about that. We'll talk about her story. Michele, tell the listeners what you want them to know about yourself a little bit more. Yeah. My career path was not linear. I've done some different things, but I would say the bulk of my career was in the health industry and that being the pharmaceutical and med device world for 25, 26 years.

And that was. Great years, right? I, 'cause I took on different roles during that time, from sales to training to sales leadership. And then decided, you know what? I wanna take my skills and apply them to other industries because I was starting to get a little burned out as we do. And then COVID came along.

But to make a twist here, I lost my job six weeks before everything shut down. Oh, wow. Yeah. So I got cut in a acquisition, restructuring, if you wanna call it that. And so that allowed me some time and, for people that have worked constantly since they graduated from college, to have that gift of.

Some time during the pandemic was so wonderful because Kim, it gave me a chance to really assess what I wanted to do, but what really mattered to me in terms of a company culture and that sort of thing. And it was during that time. That I started listening to podcasts. I never had time to listen to podcasts before.

'cause I was either on a plane or, whatever. Sure. And, and I was like, you know what? I'd love to start a podcast someday. I started formulating the plan, as we do Uhhuh, and, and. What's funny is on my podcast I interview a lot of people who have done that midlife pivot or during COVID came up with the grand idea of writing a book or doing coaching or whatever.

Sure. So I did that, but then I eventually did get another job, so I put the podcast on the , back burner. But it was. Shortly after that that I, I decided, okay, I'm gonna do this podcast. I told my boss, and so I started the asking for a friend podcast. And I know I'm just rattling on here, but that's okay.

But there is a point, there is a point to my story here, is that I worked for that company for three or four years and then decided it was time. So right before my 60th birthday, I left the corporate world. I became a health and nutrition coach, continued to do the podcast, and that is where I am today. So, wow.

Lots of twists and turns, but , it come full circle back to the health world. So yeah, I'm very comfortable here. Wonderful. And we're gonna talk about that too because as I mentioned to you before we started recording, I love your approach to it and people who have listened will know what I'm talking about.

But before we get into that even more, I need to ask you my question. Tell us about a time in your life when you felt courageous or you showed courage. Oh gosh. I would say when it was leaving the cushion of corporate world Sure. And the salary, the really nice salary, the benefits, and then saying, you know what, I've got a limited time here.

Even sixties, not sixties, not old, and it's never too late. But I think it was giving up that security because I'm very much. That person that loves the financial security of my little bubble. And I was scared shitless. I hope I'm allowed to say that. That's okay. Okay. And on the day after I resigned my daughter for my birthday, we went to go see a psychic and I sat down in front of this guy and he's whoa.

Whoa. There is, there is something going on here. I don't know what it is. Oh, wow. And I said, I just left my 40 year career, almost 40 year career yesterday and he's we gotta talk about this so he could feel it. So I was scared to death, but it was. But it, it, yeah, that's probably, that's it.

Yeah. That, that's, that's a big one. That is a big one. Yeah. And I love that you really did do it scared you had to Yeah. And I tell people do it scared. Because if you wait until you're not scared, you're never gonna do the thing. Right? Yeah. The comfort zone is not where you are gonna get anything accomplished.

So, yeah, I love that. So was your family supportive of that or did you have any Yeah, close back. I think my husband wishes I would've slow, played it a little bit because to go from, up here to zero was, kind of a, a hit, I think. But Sure. We, we've adjusted and, he's an entrepreneur.

So, it's, you got the fluctuations of his business and, and whatever. We've made it work and things have actually turned out very well. So Yes, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love, I love asking that because some, some women just, they do like you did and I'm just done. And some of them have a plan and, they gradually transform.

I love both ways. Whatever works for people is awesome. But I love that. Good for you. So let's talk about what you're doing now with women as a coach. Midlife women, as is my passion. I, I want to support and connect with them. That's why I do this podcast and the other things I'm doing.

Tell us about your view of midlife women and why you're specializing in them or focusing on them, I guess would be a better way. This is such an easy question because I had a hysterectomy in 2021. And I was one of those people when people would talk about menopause, I was like, Ugh.

Get over it. Yep. Pull on your big girl pants. Everybody goes through this. I mean, I, because I hadn't really experienced what menopause was until they took everything out, and then I'm like, oh. Oh, this is what it's, that's what they're talking about. Yeah. So I, I started understanding, and it wasn't like I was waking up every night in a pool of sweat.

It wasn't that so much as it was the anxiety, the brain fog, the weight I mean, I always worked out, I've always had a pretty good diet, but it was like, oh my god. Belly fat before. And to the point where when I was walking down the steps. One day, this was my wake up call, walking down the steps and I was like, my stomach's jiggling.

That was nice. Yeah. I, I was like, my stomach is jiggling and my husband and I were talking about this this morning, that skinny fat, whereas to look at me, you wouldn't say. Oh, she has gained a ton of weight, but I was getting really, I was losing my muscle and I was getting fluffy.

So even though my weight. On the scale didn't change that much. My body was changing. So I went and I got some coaching, but I was on Instagram like everybody else. So tell me if this sounds familiar. You're saving recipes, you're saving these different workouts, you're following these different fitness people, and you're trying so hard to piece together a cohesive thing that would work for you.

We still have this mentality of I just need to eat less and sweat it out at the gym. Gonna get on that elliptical and do the hour on the elliptical, but that may have worked when we were 40. 35. But that does not work. Nope. Post menopause. That whole scenario is not gonna move the needle.

Yeah. And so I was like, as much as it pains me, I'm gonna need to get some coaching. I really did my homework. I'm a big researcher kind of person. And fell into the faster way, which people, they're all over Instagram. You can't. Turn your head without seeing a, a faster weight coach doing something on, on Instagram.

But I found a coach through a recommendation of a podcast guest, and it just made sense like this approach of you actually have to feed yourself to lose weight. And the hour long cardio is not gonna do it. You need to lift weights because your muscle is your metabolic currency.

All these things resonated with me. And you have a science background, and we forget how adaptable as women our bodies are. To whatever we throw at it. So if we don't eat, if we starve ourselves, our bodies will say, you think you're smart.

Well, I'm just gonna hold onto that fat because we gotta have something to feed off of. We, we've lived in caves, we've survived famines. And our bodies have not changed that much, so. So anyway, long story short, I love the program so much. I decided to become a coach and, this is while I was still working.

I, so I, okay. I decided I was gonna become a coach and hopefully do both, because a lot of women do. But then I started realizing that this is really my passion. I wanna help other women do what I did. And so that's where it ended. Wonderful. I think there's such a good point to a couple, lots of good points in there, but, looking through Instagram and the quick fixes and, but you found something that you resonated with, that you connected to, and I think, I think that's important for women to hear because.

We wanna go to the quick fix. 'cause it's gonna, we think it's gonna help us so fast, but try different things and take your time. It, there isn't a huge rush to, oh, I gotta go to that one. Nope. Take your time, look around and, and really tune into what your energy is telling you is what you wanna do.

So, yeah. Well, and think about this too. It didn't take us four weeks. To get to where we are. Yes. Let's be honest. Right. This is years and years of accumulation of sometimes some unhealthy habits. Putting ourselves last. Not moving our bodies enough. So let's not expect miracles in four weeks.

Right. We're gonna lay a foundation. That we're gonna say we're gonna be strong over skinny. Because ultimately my goal, and which I hope my client's goals are I want to be mobile and enjoy life when I am 85. I wanna be able to get off the toilet by myself. I wanna be able to play with my grandchildren on the floor and be able to get up.

This is my nursing home prevention program. As you would call it. I love that. Yeah. And so I'm doing all the things that I should be doing for now, but it's really about what do I want the next 20, 30 years to look like because I plan on living another 30 years. Right? So my advice to any woman listening to this is.

You need to start thinking about what you want your next 20, 30 years to look like, because Peter ATTs said it on 60 minutes a couple weeks ago. We have the marginal decade. And the marginal decade is those last 12, maybe 15 years of life. Where the wheels start falling off. Yep. And it's, it starts around the age of 75.

Is when things start to really decline. What you do right now at age 50 60, whatever will determine what you are dealing with at 75. Oh, that's such a good point. Oh yeah. I'm just, I'm thinking my own parents, they're both 79 right now, and you're right, like they both have had. Open heart surgery and, my mom has diabetes and all this stuff is, and yeah, it can see that.

I wanted to talk about the science backed strategies. Michelle, Can you tell the listeners what that means? What do you mean by science backed? I think that's so important. Yeah. So science backed strategies with faster way. And I will say, I wanna give a shout out to a lot of health coaches out there because I've had many of them on my podcast who aren't faster way coaches, but they employ a lot of the same types of strategies.

Is that we're not counting calories. This is not about calories and calories out. This is about. Whole food, macro based nutrition. So your macros are your protein, your fat, and your carbohydrate, and it's a mix of those that are not only going to help you lose fat, build muscle, but also let's think about how we're aging in terms of our metabolic health.

Your fasting insulin levels, your hemoglobin A1C, your. Cholesterol. Let's think about those markers of metabolic syndrome, your waist circumference, your blood pressure, all those things. And so diet, I hate to say this, but probably 80% of are health is what we're putting in our mouths.

I believe it. Yeah. And sugar. And I'm talking added sugar. I'm not talking the sugar in high fiber fruits and that sort of thing. Sugar is gonna be the downfall Yes. Of us if we can't get that added sugar out of our diets and, the American Heart Association weight on this. And women are not to get more than 25 grams of added sugar Hmm.

In their diets. Well, if you're getting a grande vanilla latte, you've, already hit your 25 grams of added sugar. Sure. In just one. In one. Yeah. Let's also, add the little blueberry muffin that you ate with it. And then you're done. Right. So, so when I say science back, that's, that's one thing.

It's, and it's also. The importance of, like we talked about the cardio. , We need cardio, so I don't wanna dismiss cardio at all. But short form cardio, and I'm talking, the walk at a zone two cardio level where you can have a conversation. You and I can have a chat while, but we're not gonna solve world peace.

We're huffing it, but we're not outta breath. Yeah. So doing that sprints. So doing sprint interval training is also a great way to, you get your heart rate way up to your breathless 30 seconds, maybe 45 seconds if you're super fit. And and then you let your heart rate come down.

You don't have to run on a treadmill to do this. You could do this on an exercise bike, you could do it on a rowing machine. You could do it on the elliptical, but the point is you're not doing it for more than 20, 25 minutes. Right. Yeah. And I can give you instructions on how to do that because I don't want anyone hurting themselves or, right.

Going, going full bore if they're not ready to do that. It's all a professional if you're doing this for the first time. Yes, exactly. And then there's the muscle piece. I don't know if you follow, like Dr. Vonda Wright. Stacy Sims. I just interviewed Dr. Vonda Wright for my podcast, and we talked about lifting heavy.

Now again, if you've never lifted a weight in your life, and no, we're not gonna go with the 15 pound weights, but at some point, those little pink five pound weights need to go. To under your bed or in a closet somewhere because we have to start challenging our muscles a little bit and not just for the metabolic reasons.

That muscle does really truly drive your metabolism. But also we talked about the mobility piece. Strength, having the leg strength to get up off the toilet. 'cause that's why people end up in a nursing home. Because they are unable to get themselves up off the toilet. And that seems like such a simple thing.

But , if you're not working the muscles, you're, and we lose one to 3% of our muscle year over year anyway. And so if you're not, if you're not working 'em, they just slowly. They just go away. They shrivel up like everything else. Yeah. Darn it. Oh my gosh. There's so much out there.

And I, what I love about what you do, you are really focused, like I said, a midlife women, but telling us that we matter. We're valuable. And that's my message too, to, to midlife women. We've spent probably most of our lives taking care of everybody else. Yeah. And all the things.

And now it's our time to focus on ourselves. So I love how you do that too. Can you talk about that a little bit? What, besides, your podcast and your coaching, how do you get that message out to women, and I will tell you when I meet with clients often I will come across a woman who has been so incredibly dedicated to her family and her spouse, partner, and.

We'll start talking about like the meal plan, and she's oh, I don't think my husband will enjoy some of these meals. And I'm like, excuse me. And since when is this about him? This is not about him. This is your time and you get this time to focus on you because apparently.

He has mattered Yes. Than you have. And I don't mean that harshly. Right. But, I think it's imperative that women value themselves and their health to say, this is my time. I've got this, I'm an empty nester now. I I've done the job. I've done the stuff.

And maybe I've seen my parents through a horrible illness and , I've launched my kids, I've done all that. Women have to understand that, that we've got this time. This is so important. This should be job number one. Yeah. Is, is our health and our wellness.

And I'm not just talking body, I'm talking mind and soul. Yes. And taking some time for us, whether that's journaling, long walks outside, I'm a big proponent of being outdoors. Maybe it's prayer for you, maybe it's book club with some good friends. Maybe it's once a week. You make a coffee date with friends that you haven't seen in a while.

Those kind of things really recharge your batteries. And I, I just really encourage women to take a pause and do some breath work. Yes. Go Google a yoga class. You've been watching all your friends do yoga. Oh, you go try it. Don't be shy or afraid.

Who cares? And that's the other thing too. And Kim, I did a reel this morning. We gotta stop caring what other people think. Hello. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Look, you started a podcast. Did, did anybody say, Kim, are you nuts? Who's gonna listen to you podcast? They may not have said it to me, but I'm sure it was said.

Yeah. And, and I'm sure people Oh, I know people said it to me. Yeah. Behind my back. Yep. I don't care. I, yeah, I actually had someone, after I had retired from nursing. That was part of the whole thing too, and one day she's so what are you doing now? I'm like, what do you mean?

What's your job? I'm like, okay, I have this podcast. I have my own business. What it was like. Hello. I'm doing all these wonderful things can't you see that? Like I don't, yeah, it's just, yeah, whatever. Yeah, I don't care. And it's, there's always gonna be that one little troll out there too, that, yeah.

Yeah. And I've had a couple here on Instagram recently, and, it's whatever. You just keep, you can't make everybody happy. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So I've listened to a little bit of your podcast. And it's a very health centered, women's health centered podcast.

Tell us about it. Yeah. And so it's morphed a little bit, but, health, wellness, it started with. I had a lot of career topics in there and I decided I needed to really narrow things down. So it is mostly health and wellness, but we do talk about relationships because I think our relationships change in midlife.

And our marriages, our relationships with our kids our sexual. Relationships and how midlife changes that dynamic. And so , I do cover off on those types of topics as well because it's really important and the reason I called the podcast asking for a friend is because I believe I'm asking those questions that I think my friends would wanna ask, but maybe too shy Yes.

To ask. Yeah. And so when I have some of these topics on. When we're talking about vaginal health and lubrication and all that kind of stuff, which can make some people blush. Yeah. It, it takes a lot to get me un unraveled. Yeah. So, I'm very comfortable talking about those things, but I'm trying to make it comfortable for people to have these conversations.

And what's happened, Kim, is that. My friends are very comfortable now picking up the phone and calling me and asking me questions. Nice. They, first of all, they trust the fact that I'm not going to share their concerns, questions with other people. Yeah. Number one. And that I don't bat an eye.

, I'm like, you know what, that's very valid. This is what I think you should do. This is who you should call, blah, blah. So it's made me more of a resource. I love, I think for people in my, circle. And that's, that makes me feel really good. Yeah. That's amazing. And it helps, it just reinforces the idea that you're coming from.

Facts and science I wanted to talk about GLP ones and peptides and all that kind of stuff too. What really bothers me is when I see someone peddling something, a health supplement or something for health, and I know that person has no medical background whatsoever.

They're selling it. They're not, you know what I mean? And I see the peptides and the GLP ones in that vein. Right now I think it's changing a little bit. But I know you share about peptides and GLP ones, correct? Yeah. And just quick background, I won't go too much into it, but I worked for the company that developed the first GLP one.

Oh, okay. Back in 2005. Yes. And they've been around 20 years. They've been around, been around for 20 years. Yes. Yeah. And so when , I managed a sales team and we were number one in the country in sales of, it was called ada. It was a twice a day injection, ah, for diabetes, but it was a GLP one.

And so we've watched over the years, the expanding market. And I knew even back in 2005 that one day it would have an indication solely for weight loss. Knew it, saw it because we saw that happening clinically Yeah. Back then. And so, as I started to become a health coach, I, I didn't see it as competition because , I'm selling.

Long-term health and wellness. And developing healthy lifestyle, not a diet. Not an exercise plan. This is just how we should be living. I don't even think about it anymore. This is just how I live. However, I have seen enough women now, I've had, a couple hundred clients who really struggle.

They have metabolic disease. And I do review people's labs with them just to help them make sense of where their numbers are going. I'm watching their fasting insulin increase. I'm watching their hemoglobin A1C increase. Some of that increases anyway just because of our drop in estrogen.

We, our metabolics change, but, then we're watching their lipids change, the cholesterol. And so I see this and I see that stubborn fat around their middles and I try to explain, well, you decline in estrogen, increase in cortisol, our got increased insulin.

It's gonna make us gravitate that fat to our middles and try to make sense of it. But yeah, if they work really hard and they're still not feeling their best then. Can we throw a micro dose of GLP one on to help either get them started or get them over the finish line? And I would say yes, because if I'm working with a client who's doing all the things lifting weights, because we know that 30 40% of that fat loss that you can get with a GLP one will be your muscle. Hmm. That's a lot. That's a lot. And we don't want that because Right. That our muscle is our metabolic engine. The problem is when people would go off these drugs and they gain their weight back, they're just gaining back the fat.

They're not gaining back the muscle. Which is why I'm so adamant, I'm like, look, yes. I think a micro dose of GLP one could be appropriate for you if that's the route you wanna go. But you need to work with me. 'cause we're gonna lift weights, we're gonna eat a ton of protein even if you're not totally hungry all the time.

Because we're gonna preserve your muscle. Yeah. And because we have this thing going on now called skinny fat or ozempic face where. People are losing fat and muscle, so they're kinda looking like not great. And they're losing a bunch of fat in their face, making them look old. Well, let's try to do our best to do this the smart way.

Yeah. And what has happened is there's been a money grab of people just let's put you on Ozempic, whatever. Yeah. But they're not giving people the coaching. And I wanna be that missing link Yes. For clients. So I do have a resource that I work with. It's a telehealth company where there are licensed doctors in every state. They use only FDA approved. Certified compounding pharmacies. And again, you know me did my homework. Yes. And so I offer this as a add-on tool. Adjunct to healthy lifestyle. So that's where I'm with this. So I, I have to be a realist.

Yes, for sure. And I have to say I love that approach to it. I would much rather have people do that. 'cause that makes sense and I know that's how it should work the best. So I will always if people are asking you about it, I'm gonna go to somebody like you who helps and who knows that you can't just.

Take this treatment and expect miracles. You have to do the work. But sometimes I think it's being portrayed as, oh, this is all you have to do is take this and you're gonna have more energy and do, no, it doesn't work like that. So, yeah. , And you do feel better. I mean, it does turn off the food noise.

People have more energy and that sort of thing, but a lot of that is you are helping with some of that, increased insulin and all of that stuff that makes us feel pretty blah. Honestly, yeah. So there is some of that. But I, when I do caution people, and you'll like, this, is, this isn't about fitting into the dress, the mother of the bride dress.

This is not about looking good for your high school reunion. You have to think of this as a long-term play and to have healthy life, and I don't want the client that wants the quick fix. I, I just, I won't work with them. Yeah. Smart. Yeah. And that's fine, there's plenty of people who will want to work with you and do the work. Yep. I love that. Oh, Michelle, I feel like we could just keep going. Where would you like people to look for you? You mentioned you're on Instagram. Do you have a website that you want them to go and check out?

Really gonna Instagram is, is the best place to find me. Okay? It's asking for a friend. Pod for podcast. Okay. That's really the best place to find me. My podcast is on all the podcast platforms. We're doing well there. I just, I want to just try to reach as many midlife women as I can.Yeah. I love that we're on the same wavelength in so many ways. I love it. Yes. Yes. Love it. Yes. So, before we say goodbye, is there any one last little message or nugget of knowledge you wanna share with our listeners? Michelle, I was at a friend's book signing last night, and. The same thing I said to the women.

There was like, it's never too late. 60 is not old. 75 is not old. You've got a chance right now to do whatever it is you wanna do, whether that's focus on your health or reach out to friends or whatever it is. Like just do the thing. Do it Scared. Yeah, just get out there and do it. Yeah. Love it. Michelle, thank you so much.

This has been an amazing conversation and I am, I feel like we're gonna talk again sometime soon. Oh, I think we are. Okay. All right. Well, you take care and we'll talk to you soon. Thanks, Kim.

Thank you for listening to Midlife with Courage. If you liked what you heard, I would love it if you would leave a review or even better send a link of this episode to a friend.

Until next time, take care of your beautiful self.