A Beautiful Fix | Midlife Burnout, Human Design & Reinvention
For the woman who looks like she has it all together but secretly feels dead inside—this podcast will wreck your denial, light your fire, and remind you who the hell you are.
Welcome to A Beautiful Fix—ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally and created for women who are done going through the motions. I’m Tracy Hill, a former corporate do-it-all-er turned Human Design guide and mindset disruptor, here to help you reconnect with the beauty in life and within yourself.
Each week, we dive into honest, unfiltered conversations about burnout recovery, midlife reinvention, and the mindset shifts that spark real change. From Human Design insights to soul-shaking personal stories, this show is your permission slip to stop performing and start living fully, intentionally, and on your own terms.
Whether you’re unraveling decades of people-pleasing or just waking up to the truth that something’s off—A Beautiful Fix is here to help you find your way back to you.
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A Beautiful Fix | Midlife Burnout, Human Design & Reinvention
Who Gave Menopause & Midlife the Mic? We Did! (Featuring Midlife Upgrade)
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Who Gave Menopause & Midlife the Mic? We Did! Featuring Midlife Upgrade
This week on A Beautiful Fix, we’re handing the mic to the women rewriting the script on menopause.
Tracy sits down with Pamela DeRose and Julie Fedeli, co-founders of Midlife Upgrade and co-authors of the bestselling Midlife Upgrade: A Girlfriend’s Guide to Finding Your Power and the Pause, to have the kind of midlife convo we wish we’d had years ago.
They’re breaking down outdated narratives, busting open myths, and sharing real stories about hormones, aging, power, sex, identity, and why the hell women have been left out of the conversation for this long. From HRT to body image to the beauty of reinvention—this is midlife in full volume, no filter necessary.
Whether you’re deep in perimenopause or just starting to ask new questions about who you’re becoming, this episode is your invitation to take up space, claim your well-being, and join the rebellion of women aging out loud.
Connect with Midlife Upgrade
Website: midlifeupgrade.com
Instagram: @wearemidlifeupgrade
Menopalooza Is Coming!
Join Julie and Pam in Chicago on September 28 for Menopalooza—a one-day, no-holds-barred, expert-led experience covering perimenopause, sex, hormone therapy, body image, and more. If you’re ready for real talk and radical self-care, don’t miss it.
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Who Gave Menopause & Midlife the Mic? We Did! Featuring Midlife Upgrade
[00:00:00]
I think women were like, oh my God, thank God you're talking about it. Because I think every woman, I mean, I, I feel what you said, I thought, oh, menopause, you're like an old hunched over, you know, totally bones, like the whole thing.
Yes, it like that at all. There are a lot of incredibly vibrant, powerful women in menopause. Welcome to A Beautiful Fix. I'm Tracy Hill. Each week we'll dive into the latest thought gem, recharging and reconnecting with what lights you up and makes you feel alive. Let's discover your next beautiful fix together.
Hey, real quick before we dive in, you're powerful and sometimes you just need someone to remind you what's already in you. That's what human design does. It's the difference between guessing [00:01:00] and knowing so you can stop searching outside yourself and start trusting the answers within. I promise you, they're there.
Grab your free chart@abeautifulfix.com and when you're ready to go deeper, book a one-to-one session with me. Alright, let's get into the episode.
Today we're honored to welcome Julie Fedeli and Pamela DeRose, co-founders of Midlife upgrade and authors of the bestselling book, midlife Upgrade, A Girlfriend's Guide to Finding Your Power And The Pause. These two longtime friends have walked through marriages, motherhood, eight career reinventions between them health challenges and the messy, beautiful middle of life.
And somewhere between the hot flashes and the identity crisis, they realized something was missing. Not in them, but in the conversation, [00:02:00] so they decided to change it. Julie is a certified health and longevity coach whose healing journey from a debilitating autoimmune condition after pregnancy led her to help other women rebuild their vitality from the inside out.
Pamela brings the rare mix of MBA business savvy and wellness wisdom as a certified health coach and raw vegan chef, guiding women to realign with their bodies energy and purpose. Their book described as a bold confession and a girlfriend's guide is packed with unfiltered stories, expert insight, and hard earned wisdom.
It's more than a book. It's a movement sparking deep conversations and active community, and a growing collection of programs designed to help women reclaim their power and rewrite the midlife narrative. Welcome, Pam and Julie to a beautiful fix. Thank you so much, Tracy. We're so happy [00:03:00] to be here. Such a pleasure.
I'm so excited. I'm so excited. So I have to start by a little bit of saying, how did we get to this moment? How did our worlds blend? So, um, Julie and I share a friend Nadia, who I've known since childhood, and she had been listening to my podcast and said, Tracy, I don't know, but I think you should go to this event.
Um, that was held in Chicago. It was called the M Factor. And it was, um, a screening of the, the documentary all about menopause. I went and had the most beautiful evening. The conversation was so rich, you guys brought together an amazing panel of experts talking about this much needed, long overdue, so important topic of menopause.
And it was at a beautiful venue in Chicago, great food, amazing gift bag, and just the women that were there told me so much about you [00:04:00] and, and who you guys naturally attract. And I learned so much that evening. I realized how little I know about menopause and perimenopause and it's so silly. And I thought I would love to have you guys on the show.
And that's when I reached out and you guys said yes, a hundred percent. And then we, we, we did a Zoom with you and you were so super fabulous. Possibly how could we possibly say no, you know? Yes. Well the Zoom, I'm still regretting. 'cause guys it was gold. It was like 45 minutes and I was cracking up and laughing and I thought, ugh, I should have been recording it.
I should have been recording it. It's always the way it is. We laugh and say almost every conversation we have could be a podcast.
Absolutely. So before I jump in, I just, why do you think we are so uninformed about this topic? Hmm. We have a lot of opinions on that. We could, [00:05:00] we could, we could, we could say the umbrella perhaps would be, uh, that we live in a patriarchal culture and, uh, so there's been a lot of information that has been hidden, ignored, um, women's suffering has been disregarded.
You know, it's just so. I mean, there's, there are a lot of reasons That's a, that's a long conversation. Yeah. And I would say that medical community as a whole focuses a lot more money and effort on men's health issues versus women's health issues. So yes, there's still a lot of research that needs to be done to support women and women's health, but, but the code, we are cracking the code really as women and, um, midlife women are really, really moving things forward.
And social media has actually been wonderful in that way, right? There are some leaders [00:06:00] who are sharing their wisdom and really sharing deeply and a lot of medical information so that when women actually do go to their providers, they're very well prepared, right? So, yes. But still, we're only, we've only scratched the surface.
Right? Yeah. Absolutely. I think you guys, you shared a quote that evening that was just mind blowing on how little, I wanna say like 8% or something. Um, is what is allocated to women's research or something really just small, actually surprised that much. Right. What year did they begin doing research, medical research studies on women instead of just using men as the baseline?
It was in the nineties. It was in the nineties. Yeah. That's unreal. So, so prior to the nineties, we haven't been part of it. Women were giving doses of medications that were smaller doses than what they gave men. We were treated like little men, not as biologically [00:07:00] different. Incredibly different being that we are.
Yes, absolutely. Well, and actually let's, let's go back a little bit. Um, so I, you know, introduced you, but can you give us a little bit more color about how you guys landed on this topic, um, and decided that this is what you wanted to, to focus on? Do you wanna, you wanna share our origin story? We can do that, but I'll share, I wanna share first.
I went to an event of Julie's called Love, sex, and Menopause. Love it. So, but prior to that, you know, I, like I said, I, you know, health coach, vegan chef, live a healthy lifestyle, workout, drink, water, all the stuff, and I was having a really, really horrible perimenopause without knowing that's what was going on, because nobody talks about perimenopause, right?
So I was in the hospital multiple times with chest pains. I had put on a lot of weight. My hair was falling out. I had [00:08:00] headaches, I was itchy. I mean, the list just went on and on and on. So by the time I went to Julie's event, I had already thought there needs to be some conversation with this. Because I thought, with all I know and with who I know if I'm struggling, what is the average woman in this country doing?
Right. So Julie Host hosted a post pandemic. Mm-hmm. A lovely event called Love, sex, and Menopause that I went to. 'cause who doesn't wanna know about these things? Right. And on the way out, Julie stopped me and said, I said, um, I need to know, are you having all the different kinds of orgasms? And I mean, we had friends, right.
So it wasn't like I just walked up to a computer Okay. Said that. So, um, and, and Pam responded, yes, yes, yes. And yes. So I was okay. And I was like, okay darling, we have to have lunch. And we really hadn't seen each other for just a couple of years. Right. Because [00:09:00] of the pandemic. So we had lunch and, and Pam was describing to me this beautiful platform that she wanted to create and community and a learning resource for women.
And I said, I had been thinking about the same thing. And so we began to talk and we realized, I mean I have 30, 35 years of background in health and wellness. So both of us really have been in this universe for decades. Mm-hmm. And we had already been very dear friends with a lot of amazing physicians.
Amazing physicians in Chicago. So we, and we had, we had studied a lot about literally endocrinology, right? Mm-hmm. The hormone system. And so we both agreed, like with everything we knew, it was still the dark ages for us. Mm-hmm. Right? So we really wanted to contribute and be of service to other women who did not have the resources that we did.
Right. And things. So that was 20 of 2020. That was May of [00:10:00] 22. 22. So things have changed tremendously since that time. Mm-hmm. So we were very fortunate to be really. A just a little bit ahead of the curve and Yes. Um, and then because we were a little bit ahead of the curve and we're both kind of, um, we have big ovaries, both of us.
We reached out to a lot of people and we became friends with all of these extraordinary women who had already been doing the work like Dr. Kelly Casperson. And she's had a podcast now for five years, but it's just in the past two, two and a half years that she has really, um, just everything has exploded and people really see her as an incredible educator.
So it's been marvelous, actually, this little dream. And we were told, um, it's a longer story, but we were told, like, we were like, let do a lead gen. Do write a book as your lead gen and you can write the book [00:11:00] in three months. And the book took us three, three years. Because I would say when you write about a midlife upgrade, you actually get the midlife upgrade.
Oh. So we lived it. Yeah. And, and we had already, both of us had challenging postpartum that we write about in the book, but nobody, yes. Diagnosed that as perimenopause. And I don't even think that I really knew about the word perimenopause until, I mean, it wasn't part of my vocabulary. Right. I didn't know about, and again, we were very knowledgeable, so nobody, no, I didn't know about perimenopause.
I actually, because of chest pains or I thought were chest pains that I know now were probably heart palpitations, heart problems ran in my family. So when I went to the hospital saying I'm having chest pains, I was in the hospital for days where they're doing an angiogram, putting dye in my heart where I'm running on a treadmill and they're looking at my heart on a screen.
They're doing all of these tests and trying to figure out [00:12:00] what's wrong with me. They're telling me I have the heart of an athlete. But I don't, I'm, I'm still having these chest pains. Well, finally a female cardiologist came into me and said, I think you're in perimenopause. And I was like, what is that?
Wow. It's crazy, but, uh, how many women are like me? So that's the, that's the story most now that we have been part of this world for the past three years. And, and also reflecting on the experiences of our friends and the communities we were a part of. This is a very, Pam's story is not uncommon. You know, it happens very.
The woman who does not have some kind of, I mean multiple symptoms that are dismissed is, is really like, that's that's happening all the time. And again, it's Or you're being gaslit. Well, I mean, yes. It's ultimate. It's all part of the package. Yeah. So, um, I think one of the most beautiful things, I mean, [00:13:00] there's so many beautiful things about.
Where we are now. Um, a lot of the, a lot of the fire swamp is in the rear view, but I really feel like midlife women are really strongly building community. And that's, that's very powerful. Very, very powerful. Yes. You know, you reached out to us, we're so happy to be with you. And then there are circles upon circles of that, and that is going, I, we really feel that's, that's our contribution as elders and that's gonna change the world.
I could say. I mean, I really think we really feel that. And I also think by sharing our stories, our au our authentic stories, it gives women permission to share their stories as well. And every woman you meet has a story. Yep. Yes. And we've been silent for so long. That was one of the things that I took from your evening.
It was one of the most empowering evenings, being in a [00:14:00] room with women of that, I hate to say, of that caliber, but, um, speaking their truth. Mm-hmm. And all the women that were there nodding their heads and listening, it was just, it didn't, when I first heard of menopause as a very young woman, it always felt so ugh.
Like, ugh, that, that it, I didn't know a lot about it, but it was something I wasn't interested in. It just sounded like horrible. And that rhetoric has really stayed true up until maybe a couple years ago. And that was one of the things I was gonna ask you is. Now you guys are in this sweet spot because I feel like the door has been blown wide open.
You have Holly Berry who's like become the, the face of menopause, the spokesperson for menopause. You have all these doctors that are starting to talk about it, books on it. But when you guys first started, when you met and you decided this conversation needs to take place, did you guys run up against, I'm sure it didn't feel the way it feels now.
Did you get a lot of, huh? Or resistance, [00:15:00] or did women. Were they as open to hearing these messages in the beginning or did it take a little bit of time for you to experience this? I think women were like, oh my God, thank God you're talking about it. Because I think every woman, I mean, I, I feel what you said, I thought, oh, menopause, you're like an old hunched over, you know, totally bones, like the whole thing.
Yes, it like that at all. There are a lot of incredibly vibrant, powerful women in menopause. You know, I think, yes. The, here I do think one of the gifts also, again going back to community is Pam and I, very consciously in our forties, began to create deep relationships with women very consciously. Um, and I mean, part of it for me was I looked at women my own age and I saw that they were, that that wasn't.
That wasn't happening. Right. Or my age. Now [00:16:00] that I am, I'm 62. So I felt like I really wanted deeper friendships as my son was. Yes. Older. And um, even though I had friendships from an earlier time, so Pam used to host all these events. I was hosting these things called the Underground Goddess Salons Gathering Women.
Yes. So I really feel like the two of us were already tapped into a community of women who really supported us. And then we became part of something called Thought Leader Academy, which was with a, a lot of alpha females. Mm-hmm. Who were also very supportive of other women. And we write about this in the book that we feel it's really important that, you know, community is a lifeline for women in midlife.
Yes. So I think that was the other beautiful thing about our event was there are all these women who are very open. Very open. Yes. And we're receiving in conversation and everything else beyond just having this [00:17:00] fabulous panel. So completely agree. And let's, let's jump into midlife upgrade. Yay. Your new book.
This book has everything in it. I got this on Saturday and tore it open. First of all, I loved the presentation of it. I mean, my company's literally called a Beautiful fix because I crave beautiful things, moments, presentation, the whole thing. I loved the wrapping, the whole thing. Um, your ribbon was the same ribbon that I used for a beautiful fix.
It was just a beautiful moment. So I tore it open and I had, I read it within like, uh, two days only because I had other things to do. But it's packed with everything you touch on the, the research behind it. Um, food, your diet. Movement, working out, um, self-care, being self-love. I wanna talk about that in a little bit.
Feeling worthy. I mean, you just go through everything. [00:18:00] It has everything in there. I felt so seen reading this, but I wanted to, if I could, I wanted to read a quote. This is from chapter seven. You are worthy. Oh yeah. So many women in midlife find themselves at a pivotal juncture, a time of introspection and awakening when a deeper sense of meaning and purpose and work begins to matter more At the same time, the work landscape itself has shifted dramatically in recent years, especially since the pandemic, the old rules of success no longer apply, and that opens up exciting new possibilities.
People are redesigning their jobs to accommodate work-life balance, including dialing back their work hours or working remotely. More and more people are searching for work with meaning and are choosing to forego traditional achievements like job titles or big salaries in exchange for careers that feed their souls.[00:19:00]
The truth is many of us have inherited a narrow definition of success, one shape by a patriarchal system that offers only a shallow vision of what's possible. One. Every 10 women will leave their jobs due to menopause related symptoms. I almost threw the book I, so I left my career of 25 plus years back during COVID in 2020.
And I've talked about it a lot. You know, I've expressed it was a wonderful career. It was not the job. It was not, the people traveled, the world loved it. I couldn't even tell people why I wasn't happy. I couldn't find the words. I didn't know what was going on with me the entire time I was there. I was there for 10 years.
I never felt like myself and I was so hard on myself. I was trying to get back to, I kept thinking 20-year-old, Tracy would've loved this, this career. I didn't know what was wrong with me. And when I went to your. The M [00:20:00] Factor event. And then when I saw that and read that in the book, I thought, I'm positive.
I was going through perimenopause. Right? I had ne I had never heard of it, but Right. The symptoms that you gave, everything, I thought, oh my God, that explains so much. If I had known Mm, if I had known, I potentially wouldn't have left my job. I would've understood, I would've been kinder with to what I was feeling and experiencing the brain fog, the, the whole thing.
So I just let, let's talk about that a little bit for people that are listening that might be feeling the same. Yeah. So I have to tell you, interestingly enough, I just heard a story today about a woman who, uh, similar to you, had this fabulous career and her, in the back of her head, she was always like, I always wanted to be a teacher.
She quit her job. She's, she's working at a school as a part-time, like a substitute teacher while she's getting her master's degree in education in her mid [00:21:00] fifties because she wants to be a teacher. I was like, I love it. That's awesome. She's following something that her heart has been Yes, ing for so long.
Yeah. But we, you know, society has these expectations, like you gotta have the job, you gotta have the, the big career. Well, and the other issue is yes, there's just, there isn't enough support, which the M factor presented this. Mm-hmm. There isn't enough support at corporations. Right. And maybe more traditional careers.
Traditional, um, where women are really cared for during midlife. Mm-hmm. I mean, we have, we have a passage in the book that's actually from the New York Times, um, article. Um, women have been misled about menopause. Susan, Susan Dominus. Right. And it talks about, I mean, women would bleed out mm-hmm. During board meetings.
I've had two girlfriends who literally that happened to, right. And so that's [00:22:00] happening. So the other thing is. Women, women do wanna stay. Mm-hmm. So if they were cared for properly, but, you know, and what is the, the status? There's um, 35,000 women to every one menopause provider in the United States. So a lot of women have no choice but to stay at a job, really suffering.
Mm-hmm. Right. And again, not knowing what's happening. Mm-hmm. So, um, I think that there's, you know, there are multiple things happening that are being, are now being addressed. Right. More corporations are supporting women with healthcare. And you have these women like you who've had 25 years of experience.
You don't wanna lose you. You are the gem in the, in, in, you know, it's not like these young kids, you know? Yes, maybe they can do all sorts of things a little faster, but we have the wisdom. So that really needs to be honored and, and cared [00:23:00] for. And I think, um, more women would stay. And I, I hope that more, you know, small businesses, large businesses, and.
The, our healthcare system here is another cel, so we won't go there. But you know, so I do feel like women, women wanna thrive, right? So this woman lovely that she left and can afford to go get a master's degree, but that's not the case for everyone. That's right. Absolutely. So our corporations is anyone having this conversation with them?
I mean, 'cause to be fair to them, I didn't even know about my own body to know that I was possibly going this. How could they possibly know or recognize the symptoms in me? So is there any kind of education going on there? I mean there's, there's some, it's still very small, but this is, this is still a topic that needs to be talked about.
And the more we learn about, the more we see this is almost a grassroots movement. Yes. Yes. Where we need to educate women so they can advocate for themselves, [00:24:00] not only with their physicians, but then also with their employers and say, this is what's going on with me. I'm busy. And I, I, I wanna work here, but here are some things I need.
And it's really, it's, you know, it's an educational grassroots movement. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, there are lots of stories that I have heard. Um, there's a woman in the UK who years and years was a top journalist, traveled all over the world, and they actually let her go, you know, and it was a huge.
Like that was her identity. And yes. So again, it's like, oh, you're 50, you have gray hair, you're no longer tamson, fial, you're no longer, you're having a hot flash. Right. You can't be on camera anymore. Mm-hmm. So I, that is changing. And that is also the benefit of having people like Halle Berry and Naomi Watts.
And there are a lot of, I mean, it's just because of the visibility. Mm-hmm. Yes. They're, they're saying, no, we're not leaving. We're staying, we're here [00:25:00] and we're gonna be loud and large. And, and so that everyone can, every woman can really have an opportunity to be cared for and honored. You know? Absolutely.
I mean, we all benefit from it, from totally from them talking about this. Um, and your chapter on self-love. Self-care. Self-care is self-love. It was really interesting to me because I, a lot of what you mentioned in that chapter is people often ask me, well, Tracy, how did you go from being so burned out to where you are now?
And I called them micro shifts, little tiny things that I did that started to pull me. But when I was reading your chapter, a lot of those little micro shifts was what you guys outlined as self-care. And I didn't, it just kinda reframed it. 'cause when I thought back and I thought each one of those things truly is a form of self-care and it's something that I [00:26:00] know I had neglected.
Again, it wasn't the job, it was me. For some reason, I felt like that was the easiest area. To, um, to scratch something off my to-do list. If I looked up and saw I had a doctor's appointment or there, I was gonna go work out, it's like, oh no, I don't have to do that. And oh my gosh, I just gave myself some time back.
I thought it was a brilliant strategy. It was the worst thing I could have ever done. Um, so do you guys wanna talk a little bit about the, the importance of self-care in midlife? Well, well, there should be self-care through your whole life. Yeah. Yes, yes, I do. It's important what you're mentioning because, you know, I mean the self-care, you were just saying micro, micro, you know, like women, women, we don't have to have, you know, 65 different supplements and you know.
Yes. Make sure to work out for an hour and a half every day. I mean, it, it really is again, you [00:27:00] know, like the outer world needs to honor us, but we need to honor ourselves. Right. And make time for ourselves. And that is challenging, right? When you're So it has to be small and incremental, right? If Yes, I mean, even if you are a, you know, fabulously single, there are still things that actually you care for, right?
You have relationships. You may have a girlfriend that has cancer, you're caretaking her. You know, so there, there has to be, as Pam said, your whole life. And I think, um, hopefully we begin modeling more of that for, for all the three of us who are mothers for our children, certainly. But it's a big deal.
Women don't do that. We take care of other people. Totally. A lot. Often. Yes. But talk about self care. 'cause you're, you're, that's that. Yeah, that's my, that's my jam. I mean, there's a reason why on a plane, they tell you to put the mask on yourself before anyone else. Yes. If you are cared for yourself, [00:28:00] you have so much more to give.
Yes. I mean, I, I have become a big proponent of the word no. Yes. We're all over schedule. We're all, you know, you wanna be, we're pleasers. We wanna do for everybody and everyone. And it's like, no, no. You know, I, I'm, I'm, Julie knows me. I, I go to bed early. I need my sleep. That is like, I'm a better person when I'm well, well rested.
Right? It's like the little things like we brush our hair and brush our teeth and shower and those are self-care. But what about like, taking time to rest, taking time for movement, you know, eating healthy. All of these things are important forms of self-care. Yeah. Yeah. Very true. There's a, there's a great social media platform.
Um, oh, is her, is it I am Melanie or something? She has the, uh, yes. We do not care club, so I wanna adjust this a little so it stops, um, the, we Do Not Care club, [00:29:00] and so there's a lot of no in there now, right. So she's like, you know, she's fabulous to, she, she's been, they wrote about her in the New York Times this past week.
That's great. Really? Mm-hmm. So yeah, we do not care. Mm-hmm. I mean, I won't even bother to repeat what she does, because what she says is so brilliant that mm-hmm. Um, yeah. So I do, I think that starts to happen, you know, like, what, what are we going to do to make sure that we are full as women also so that we can be of, you know, uh, I mean truly of greater service.
Mm-hmm. So I think there are things that need to be trimmed, um, in our lives so that we, you know, we do not have to. We do not care if you leave your clothes on the floor, that's where they'll stay, you know, kind of thing. Right, right. And do it with no guilt too. Say no and, and no guilt. 'cause yeah, we're all working on that for sure.
Right. I mean, you have, you have to have boundaries. You [00:30:00] have to protect your energy. Um, key. Yeah. Key. Protecting your energy. That's right. Protecting your energy. We only have so much of it. And, um, you have to feel good about, you know, setting, setting those boundaries. So what, what's next? What have you guys seen?
Um, is there anything new that we should be aware of in this conversation? There's a lot happening. There's one thing that Pam and I are kind of fascinated about that may be somewhat controversial, but is, um, ovarian preservation. So they are doing research, um, actually women, so I'm gonna step in real quick and say menopause happens because you run out of eggs.
Yeah. I read that in the book. Your ovarian life is what determines your, when your menopause is and the ovaries age at twice the rate mm-hmm. As the rest of the [00:31:00] organs. Think, think about that. We, uh, we, we always like to say if, if a man's penis aged at the rate of an ovary, there would be a fix for it. Oh, give, oh, there was fix for, for sure, right.
50 years ago. Right. So, you know, yes, ovarian preservation is somewhat controversial, but it's kind of like, and I mean, there are reasons for sure, but, and why? So it has, it has been studied with women who have had cancer, and I'm, I, I'm not a scientist, so I'm just going to simply say you could, you can Google it.
But our, our I there is, you see if, if they're able to actually take a strip of the ovary and I'm simplifying it, freeze it, and then implant it later, they can extend, first of all, our, our, we will have longer lives because again, the ovaries preserve longevity. Mm-hmm. So we'll have longer lives and women won't, [00:32:00] you know, will not, a lot of women who choose to do hormone therapy, it's what we call exogenous hormones, right?
You're putting hormones on the body, whether it be a patch or a cream or a pill. And so it would just be, um, um, actually a more natural process. Mm-hmm. So, um, there's being a lot of money being invested in it. Um, I think it's actually one of the Google. Men, former partners. She was a genius herself. And so she's doing some research with it.
And it's, it's, it's fascinating. So there, when we started writing the book, we were both really interested in that. And there was very little information. Now there's a lot. You can, so how, how far away do you think that is? I mean, our, we were just talking about it today with someone, what's your guesstimate?
I'm gonna say the next five to seven years. I don't think it's that far. Okay. Yeah. We've missed the boat. Yes. But I guess we pro, I mean, you know, there's, we could probably buy some over, we buy an over, [00:33:00] which is terrible. It's not like you don't buy a kidney in the black market. Right, right. You know, but I think that, um, you know, we were, we were talking earlier today that my son's, three of his friends who are 24 are reading.
He, they bought the book. So, um, these younger Gen Z women, you wouldn't think they would be interested in a book called Midlife Upgrade. Maybe they have issues with their mothers. I don't. I dunno. But, but, um, they're very, he said they, they are, they think the book's amazing. So they wanna know. They're very, I mean, they're intelligent, you know, women, you know, but they wanna know what's happening.
Well, because did, did anyone talk to you in your twenties about aging? Ooh, know, knew You Dunno. Until you're in it. We know about. Puberty. We know about pregnancy, we know about all these. So no one talks about like perimenopause, menopause, what's gonna happen as you age? No one tells you. Right? Right. When Pam, when Pam and I first met, she was like, you know, there's all [00:34:00] these books about what to expect when you're expecting, right?
Yes. Like, right. And um, a girlfriend of mine just texted me they wish that, you know, the Judy Bloom book, what was the title of Judy Blooms book? Oh, are you there? God, it's me, Margaret. Yeah. They wish that there was a book like that for menopause. And I was like, there's about 160 books now. I mean, when Pam started, we started, there were like three.
Yeah. So like, you know, um, you can, it's a movement. Their God, it's me, Margaret Menopause. Yeah. You know, so, um, there's a lot. But I, I think it's wonderful that these young women are reading this because again, if I had. Read this, it possibly would've saved my career. I know it would've saved me a lot of heartache and wondering what is wrong with me?
If you can get in front of this, it's powerful and you can almost look forward to it. 'cause there's a beautiful part to midlife. It's so freeing. It is you. For me, I realized quickly what was truly important to me. The titles, as you mentioned, and the salaries, it [00:35:00] just fell to the wayside. And that's saying something for me.
'cause I was incredibly ambitious, a Capricorn, very driven by money and titles and all of that. It just lost its importance. And it made me sad because I thought, what's wrong with me? If I had read this, I would've realized I'm just, I'm just naturally moving through life and, and maturing and realizing what is important.
But I was gonna ask you with this word, midlife, there's a lot of talk about it and um, I've had some friends that have jokingly laughed and said, I didn't even think that I was in midlife. But apparently I am. Is there an age that you would say. Midlife begins. Hmm. That's a good, that's a great question.
Mm-hmm. I mean, I mean, I mean, I guess like in terms, I'm 58 and I'm still in denial. Right, right. And I'm, I'm 62. I mean, we can confess, I mean, we don't need to confess, but the two of us have been doing hormone therapy for a while. So like, I feel, I haven't tested my biological age. [00:36:00] Um, but I'm thinking both of us are biologically probably younger.
Mm-hmm. Because of, for sure, because of the choices we started making, actually 35 years ago, both of us started eating organic food before people even knew what that was. So, um, you know, but I mean, are we gonna live to a hundred? I, I don't know, you know? Right. Um, my mother is 85 and she thankfully didn't break her hip a month ago, but she broke her femur.
Oh. And she has advanced osteoporosis. And we do know that. Uh, estrogen preserves bone mm-hmm. Is good, you know, preserves cardiac function, right. Brain, it's very important. Preserves the brain so that, that's the thing I just explained to somebody last night. Men, when they go through andropause, it's a steady decline.
When women go, wait, what's, what's, what's andropause? Andropause is male, essentially. Male. They say male menopause male men. [00:37:00] So men have, oh. Men have testosterone, which decline with age. Yes. Men also have estrogen, believe it or not, that also can decline with phage. So, you know, men aren't getting out, you know, easy either.
They need to, they need to take care of themselves. Right. And the first thing that they notice is the decline in libido. Mm-hmm. And by the time the decline in libido happens, that's the last thing to go. Yeah. Because reproduction is very important for our species. Right. So, yes. So, um, but women, when they go through menopause Yes.
Uh, perimenopause, fluctuations of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, fluctuate. Right. So one day you'll be feel so happy and the next day you'll be crying, you know, for 12 hours. No, that's not an exaggeration. No, that does happen a lot. Yes. But what happens eventually is this drop in estrogen. And so, because the ovaries are.
We're, you know, going into retirement. Exactly. So, um, [00:38:00] that's, that they're now, you know, as Pam and I have said, hormone therapy is not for everyone. Um, and you need to find a really great provider, which we talk a lot about. Mm-hmm. And we hope that there are more providers, um, and that is happening. Women who are educating themselves, who are physicians and practitioners, nurse practitioners, dos, et cetera, um, who really wanna support women in having long-term health.
But bottom line is, um, middle age, I mean, I don't know. We live to a hundred, I guess 50 is mid midlife, right? Yes. But I think I would argue it probably starts a little sooner. I mean, yeah. Right. If you're lucky. Yes. I'm wondering if it could be as early as 35. I mean, I, I don't know. Um, especially when you think about perimenopause 30, 35 and up.
Mm-hmm. Interesting. Women who are far. Far into menopause, seventies and eighties are also interested in still learning. It's, which is [00:39:00] great. We, they're very inspiring. I mean, I have an 85-year-old who's so super chic, who came to our event and her husband is 92 and they're using a vibrator. And she checked me the other day that she went to her urogynecologist and she was like, Jules, I need to talk to you because she said that there are some things of some thinning and such, and what do you recommend?
And I said, I hope she recommended vaginal estrogen for you. And she said she did. And so it's really like, I mean, she's 85, he's 92. They're still, oh. So I think, and and you're right about midlife. I mean, here's the thing. Maybe we're, I mean, midlife, yes, it's a phase, but if you're committed to your own personal development and you're curious human.
Maybe midlife is just sort of this always thing. Mm-hmm. Right. These 24-year-old women are interested in [00:40:00] midlife because they're interested in curious women about being a female. Mm-hmm. And also just like, what's, what's life gonna be like? Right. So, I don't know. I think, you know, if you're an explorer, maybe midlife is always kind of a, in the, in the, in the scheme of your life.
I love that. I like to call it midlife curiosity instead of midlife crisis. Oh. Because you just love, that's gorgeous. Yes. You just, you get curious and you follow, hopefully you will follow those, those breadcrumbs. Um, but I, you touched on, um, HRT. Hormone replacement therapy. And you and you guys, um, cover that very beautifully in the book.
I did wanna get just your overall thoughts on it though. 'cause you guys have, sounds like you've been on it for years, it's worked for you. It's something that I've always been a little afraid of. My mom was always kind of, she was a, she felt like she potentially, um, was exposed to, she had cancer in situ too when she was like [00:41:00] 34 and she thought it was from, you know, um, hormones.
And so I've always kinda steered clear of it. So, but in general, you, you guys feel like personally in your own lives, you've seen it's done some, some great things for you. Yeah, you'd have, I always say, you gotta pry my hormones outta my cold dead hands. Julie seen me standing in a, you know, kitchen with a knife complaining about no ripe avocados.
So, a big knife. A big knife. But here's the thing that a lot of people don't even know, you know, you have more estrogen in your body when you're pregnant than at any other time in your life. So, uh, you know, because of a unfortunate study, um, women were taught that estrogen causes cancer. That's just, yes, not.
True. So it is, it is a very personal decision. We would never steer a client one way or the other. We would always educate you to go to your doctor, ask the questions, get your [00:42:00] labs, and read your labs, track your symptoms, because what we're, we're also learning is the, there's, there's no one size fits all when it comes to hormones.
And what the, the majority of doctors who practice menopause care do is they treat symptoms. So if you're having hot flashes and night sweats and joint pain and brain fog, likely there's a hormonal imbalance. So it's really about finding what is it that will work for you that makes you comfortable. Yeah.
And I'm, I'm gonna promo a couple of things. Pam and I recommend practitioners, um, actually through an organization, um, called ishish. So, um, international Society for Sex, uh, women's sexual health, women's sexual Health. Mm-hmm. And they have wonderful practitioners. Mm-hmm. Uh, Dr. Mary Claire Haver [00:43:00] has a, a, a referral list of physicians, not that she has personally refers mm-hmm.
But people who follow her, who have offered referrals with testimonials. That's nice. But, you know, I have a few friends who said to me, you know, I can't afford a hundred dollars a month for hormone therapy or more. And, you know, the concierge fee or the, you know, the intro, $600, my insurance has a big deductible.
All of these things. And so we refer people primarily to my alloy, which Dr. Sharon Malone is the, um, Dr. Sharon Malone was at our event. Mm-hmm. Yes. Tracy. And she's extraordinary. Yes. And she's the, I'm gonna say chief medical director mm-hmm. Of my alloy. Mm-hmm. And both of the, the, I think it's three women or two.
Two, my alloy. And I got a text literally from the girlfriend who had been crying [00:44:00] for months. Like, Julie, I don't know what's happening. I'm crying all the time. I would see her, she'd be crying, and I told her for a few months, you know, you need to do something. And, and then I was like, okay, darling, just go to my alloy.
And really, um, they have Telemed, telehealth, I think it's called, and they'll help you. Literally 48 hours. She texts me, she's like, I feel like a completely different person. I can't believe I waited now. And then my own sister as well. So, um, did the same thing. And so those are great stories. There are lots of stories with women who have more complicated health concerns and, um, you know, we do talk to those women too.
Mm-hmm. And, you know, advise, but we can't really, I mean, we just know our own experience and we have done an enormous amount of research, both of us. Yes. Talked to a lot of doctors and [00:45:00] also have experimented with ourselves. And it has not been, it, I can't, I can't say, so I'm thrilled when it's easy for women.
Mm-hmm. Which, yes, in, in my small, our small circle, it seems that when we do recommend, you know, hormone therapy for women, they are having amazing success. So, um, the two of us are. But it's not for everyone. And I'm also gonna give the caveat, if you're not eating right and drinking water, yes. Right.
Exercising hormones aren't gonna make that big of a difference in your life. You've gotta fix the other stuff first. Yes. Yeah, that's so true. So there's self-care piece. You know, you do really know you're not supposed to drink alcohol. Mm-hmm. You know, alcohol doesn't help. Right. Blood sugar, alcohol actually increases night sweats.
So there are things women can do just to attend to themselves and make sure that, anyway. Yeah. And you [00:46:00] cover all of those things in the book. That's why I loved it because it was, um, you talk about how it's this holistic approach you have, as you said, you have to eat right and exercise and self-care and do all these things for you.
Um, is there a particular form, and I know you said it's very individualized, but is there a particular form of HRT that you like better than the other from all the research you've done? It really depends on just Okay. That, that's what I figured a little highly. I always say bio individual when it comes to food and hormones.
Yes. So what works for one person may not work for someone else. And I, I'll speak for myself personally. The first hormone I went on was testosterone. I knew enough when I started gaining weight out of the blue, and then when my brain went, my brain went completely offline. I knew enough about what testosterone does in the body for me to be like, I think I need to get my testosterone check.
And sure enough, I had like none. So that was the first thing that [00:47:00] I went on that helped me feel better before I did estrogen or progesterone. So it is so individual, it's just very hard to say. Yeah, I, I just started using testosterone. Mm-hmm. As an addition about four months ago when I heard, uh, Dr. Kelly Casper, either maybe she posted on Instagram, it could have been a podcast where she said she had a, a patient who was bilingual German and English.
And that the patient was no longer able to remember German could no longer speak German. And she started testosterone and the German came back and I realized really, even though I had been doing really great, this is the other thing they say aging occurs in spurts. And I should have never heard this 'cause I'm very suggestible, but that there's an aging spurt that happens at 60.
And I noticed my brain was really, and it still, uh, still needs tweaking for sure. Pam will tell you. Mm-hmm. And, um, that it [00:48:00] was just not functioning the way it used to. Right. And testosterone, I was, I'm, I've really noticed that my memory's coming back, my recall. Mm-hmm. Um, my ability to be present with just a little bit a female dose of testosterone.
And that's a bigger subject because you have to get compounded testosterone or a doctor who will prescribe testosterone for women because there is no FDA approved testosterone for women, even though we make testosterone. It's amazing. Don't even get us started. So, um, that's, so it's so, my sister just told me last night that my alloy.
We're so sorry. We can't give you testosterone because there's no, they use f FDA approved hormone therapy. Got it. There's no f FDA approved hormone therapy. So I was like, well, I have someone who can help you, but it's not like black market. Right. But, but what she needs to see a [00:49:00] practitioner who actually can prescribe.
Mm-hmm. You know? So, but that's, again, that's an expense. So it should be fda. Yes. In which case it would be inexpensive. Mm-hmm. Exactly. Or some, or it just should be approved for women and therefore would be inexpensive. But anyway. Yeah. Sorry. This is our passion, you know, so No, this is what opens up a, a whole, yeah.
This is why we're here. I'm learning so much. Just reading about testosterone in the book, you know, I didn't realize how important it was for women. I always think of, you know, I'm a little afraid of it 'cause I'm afraid of all of a sudden growing hair in places and, you know, there's so many misconceptions around it.
Yeah. Yeah. It's true there. There are. But you know, that's, I think, I think in six months we'll have even more information, hopefully. Mm-hmm. Yes. And there are a lot of people who are lobbying to get some of the laws changed with regards to the hormones that women need. Yeah. There's a black box warning Yes.
On estrogen, you know? Yes. [00:50:00] So anyway, it's the whole, it's the whole thing. We're, we're, there's a lot of women working behind the scenes and once they get all these midlife women happier and healthier, whether it's just taking better care of themselves or, or also using hormone therapy. Look out world.
'cause we're, we're, we're raring to go. Right. Abs everyone benefits. If we're happy, the world will be happy. A hundred percent. Exactly. That's so true. Well, well before we move into, um, my, what I call a speed round, which is very slow, but, um, is there anything else? And I'm, I would love for you guys to also take an opportunity just to tell people how they can get in contact with you, um, learn more about what you guys do.
Um, so if you can share that. But also is there anything else that you would like to share with the audience just about what women should do if they're feeling stuck in, in midlife or how to upgrade? Hmm. That's a great question. I mean, you know, we also wrote about money [00:51:00] and we also wrote about relationships, right?
Yes. Not only our relationships with women, but our relationships with our partners. So that's, that's also something that begins. You know, I, I mean, I think, I don't remember the stats we have, but you know, if a woman gets divorced, her chances of poverty are 85% higher or something. The status, yes. I remember that.
There are a lot of women who are going through midlife, perimenopause, menopause, and, um, the divorce rates very high. Mm-hmm. And so that's also something, as you said, regarding your career. If you would've known that you were going through perimenopause, you may have have handled it differently. And it's, it's the same for relationships, right?
That. There are relationships that have been saved because both partners are using hormone therapy. Mm-hmm. This woman may still have a lot of her vitality, maybe not using hormone [00:52:00] therapy, and her husband is like no longer wants to do anything. I had a girlfriend tell me that, and I was like, okay, here are two telehealth for the man.
Like you need to, you know, and she's a breast cancer survivor, so she, I have two friends who are breast cancer survivor, three who are now using hormone therapy. Mm-hmm. So who have very, who have great physicians and have really done the anyway relationships and really, I think women need to start taking care of their financial wellbeing when they're six years old.
I don't know. Like somebody, yes, yes. Getting them really early. Because inevitably for those of us who are mothers, we, you know, we may put our, our career on hold. Yes. And there there's any number of things that can then happen in the future when you're 30, 40, 50, and beyond. So we really, um, empowering women mm-hmm.
Uh, in every single way. Mm-hmm. So that's, that's my [00:53:00] spiel. And I just wanna say if, if women wanna get in touch with this, Julie and I love to do events. Yes. We have some other, we have some events coming up. Um, you can join our mailing list, um, on our website@midlifeupgrade.com. You can follow us on Instagram at We are midlife upgrade.
Um, we'll tell, we'll put it out right now. September 28th. Um, we're having a huge event. We haven't. Pin on the space yet, but Kelly Casper's second book is coming out. She'll be our keynote speaker. Mm-hmm. We'll, also some other amazing physicians coming and it'll be like a half day, we call it a Menno palooza, but great opportunity for women to get some education and learn about some great, um, products from our sponsors in the midlife space because there are some really amazing female owned companies that these women are just doing everything they can to try to help midlife women.
That is so true. [00:54:00] I mean, we were talking about the physicians and the practitioners, but we, we have just these incredible relationships with these women who have pivoted, or as a side gig, are creating these incredible businesses that support women in midlife. So. Yeah. Yeah, totally. Mo. Most of what I have on today is from one of your sponsors, all my lotions and creams and serums, and I just, oh, it's just, you know, we give good goodie bags.
Yeah. We have, we do. Good. Good isn't quite the word for it. It's amazing. It's a Christmas. It is filled with things that you didn't know you needed, that you didn't even real, yes. We love that. I know. We get Christmas in the bags. Yeah. I highly recommend that you guys go to their events. Seriously. It's just, it's such a nice alternative to going to a movie or going out to dinner or all the things you'd normally do.
It's just an evening filled with fun and education. It's, it has everything wrapped [00:55:00] in it. But are they only local or do you guys offer virtual events, or how does that work? Are they only local? We have to figure out how to live stream, so we may, Hmm. Do that for September 28th, that would be really, really powerful.
Mm-hmm. So if anybody in your community wants to help us with that, we're a woman. There are just the two of us that, you know, so we are, we call ourselves like little matchstick girls. We're like, you know, playing all the time. And, um, but again, we've been so fortunate. So it's a total joy. We feel, we feel very committed to the mission.
Yes. Yeah. Well, and it, and it shows. Um, thank you. Well, wonderful. Well, thank you. And the book is available on Amazon or on your website, ES and Noble, Barnes and Noble. Mm-hmm. Go get it guys. Absolutely. We can promote ourselves. Usually we have a hype woman with us. Yeah. But, uh, we made, we are Amazon bestseller in three different [00:56:00] categories, so all like the menopause.
Yeah. That we launched our book last Tuesday. Mm-hmm. And on Wednesday it was an Amazon bestseller in food categories. So, wow. Yeah. Yes. We were pretty excited about that. Yeah, it was lovely. It was really lovely. Congratulations, congrat. It's seriously, it's beautiful. I to, I read this book in a, a day or so.
It's just chocked with wonderful things, so congratulations. It's beautiful. And we have to give a shout out actually to, you know, there were two women who are women owned businesses. One who did the interior design, which was beautiful. Claudine Mansour, ev, everybody's thanked in our acknowledgements. And Susie Schafer, who did a lot of the support regarding there, it was actually quite simple, but you, you do need a couple people and they worked with us and as I said, we're matchstick girls.
So they, we, we were always like, you want a train? But they were fabulous. Um, they were really fabulous. So it takes a, it takes [00:57:00] a village of fabulous women, you know, and, um, absolutely we had a lot of backup. So we're great. You've built a beautiful community. Thank you. Thank you. We're happy to have you part of it.
Yes. We're part of yours, you know. Yes, yes. Oh yes. You guys will see me at your events for sure. I will continue to be a part of it because I learned, I learned so much. Great. So are you guys ready for the speed round? Beautiful. Fixed. Be around. All put on my smarty glasses. Okay. So I'm just gonna throw some questions at you.
Whatever just comes to mind. So what makes you come alive? Can I tell you? You were at our M Factor event. I, when I was looking out at this audience of 200 women. Yes. Oh my gosh. I was just like, I'm in the right place at the right time, doing what my soul wants to do. Like it was just overwhelming. Yeah. Um.
I mean, that, that is so, my [00:58:00] experience, I had a friend say to me, you and Pam, you didn't seem nervous at all, like, how, what, what was going on for you? And I said, oh, that's so interesting. It felt so natural. Mm-hmm. And so normal, you know? And then when the book came out, another girlfriend said to me, oh my God, you must be so excited.
And you know, the, the bestseller thing too. And I was like, that's so wild, because it just feels totally natural. Mm-hmm. Oh, so, and I said to Pam, I was like, all of the stuff that happened to us in the past that feels, and any place where there's not harmony in my life now, it feels like that's no longer normal or natural.
So maybe that's part of what the midlife upgrade is, that we really get more deeply connected to what our, and I wanna speak on a spiritual level, really what our dharma is, our sacred duty. And then [00:59:00] really, you know, like the universe is like, Hey, hey, they're out here. They to wake up universe is like, we've been waiting for you.
Show up. Yes. You're here. Let's, let's do it. Yeah. So I think that, you know, that too is really what makes me like, you know, it's just like, this is what makes us feel alive. So we're really lucky. Oh, that's beautiful. I love it. You guys are completely in alignment and I can only imagine what that must have been like to look out and see a room filled with women and you, this is your work.
You guys created this, this is what you, you brought everyone together. That's it's magical. Well, what's a song that instantly shifts your mood or makes you feel something really knows my song? If I'm feeling down, I'm gonna put on Thunderstruck by AC CDC. 'cause that always, I mean, she's a total gen Xer, right?
That's ac Right. And, and totally. Since I'm a boomer, I'm more Led Zeppelin, rolling [01:00:00] Stones. But I, I lived in New York for many years and I love New York. So my, I would say my fight song is um, uh, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. Empire State of Mind. So I, oh yes. It's like, oh yeah, New York, where it's like, it's just my vibe inside my body, you know?
Oh, absolutely. Such a good question. I love that. Yeah. I just love music. Music is one of those things that can instantly mooch Yeah. Change my mood. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great question. Is there a book. Besides midlife upgrade that cracked you open or stayed with you long after the last page? Um, in college, I don't even know how I got my hands on this book, but I got my hands on the prophet by and read it.
My, this is the eighties. A, a time of like nothing but indulgence, right? Nothing, yes. Reading this book and my friends thought I was completely insane. But I, I will tell you that [01:01:00] book, I still have it and I think it is one of the most powerful books I ever read. It changed my, my view on everything. Really, I'm gonna say on a less deep subject, this is why we, 'cause not only was she reading the prophet, she was also handing out vibrators to all her girls.
All my college conference got vibrators. The fun. We are so different, but in on a very deep, deep level, we are so similar. I mean, you're aligned. When I was in high school, I mean just quickly, I read Patty Smith Babel and William Burrough's junkie and I was at all girls boarding school. So how I found those books.
I, I have no idea how they came into my life, no recollection. But then when I was living in New York, um, I went to a bookstore called East West Books on 14th Street, and it's no longer there, but it was like the mecca for all sort of books. It was even before the New Age's, the title. And I found a book [01:02:00] called Hands of Light by Barbara Brennan, and she was a NASA physicist and she had quantified the energy field and it was like a textbook, hands of light.
And, um, I started practicing meditation and I did a 180 in left finance and began studying with Barbara for four years. So that book was totally like, it literally was like a beacon calling to me, you know? So, um, yeah. So that book was definitely a big, big life change. Those are all new. The prophet I've heard of, but I haven't had a chance to read it.
But the others, those are all things I'll have to add to my, to my list. Well, William Burrows was a heroin addict, so I don't know if that's really, you don't, you can, but, but I mean, he's like, it was an extraordinary artist and he actually, funny, I didn't know this until recently, it was actually good friends with Patty Smith, which makes sense.
But Patty Smith is extraordinary woman, so it's really wonderful to, yeah. Yeah. Awesome. [01:03:00] So what's your favorite little indulgence or guilty pleasure? Something that just brings you joy? Well, I don't know what yours is. I can't remember. Oh, I, I, my little indulgence is a Oh, dark chocolate, salted caramel. Oh, yes.
I like totally remember that because I do remember, um, yeah, and I was just, I was just hearing with Pam, like in the summertime, I love apricots, really sweet blueberries. Oh. And, uh, we have a restaurant downstairs and they had the best homemade strawberry ice cream that I literally had for dinner. I can last eat a lot of sugar, but I would, but it, so those kinds of things, I just, I love summertime in Chicago.
Yes. Love the sun and the water and, yeah. So, yeah. Oh, I have such a sweet tooth. So you had me at all of those. All of them. So what's one thing that always [01:04:00] reminds you how beautiful life really is? I will, I, you know, I, whenever I see an older couple walking down the street holding hands, it like always brings tears to my eyes because it just gives me so much hope.
Yes, you can have love your whole life if, if you allow it. And yet I could cry just saying it. Yes, she's, she's married with her, uh, college boyfriend and there's a beautiful back love story to it. So, um, that's really, and I, and when we shared these earlier, I said, I was at the Botanic Gardens one time and I saw these two beautiful swans together.
'cause she shared with me that was her thing. And I said, and then I saw an older couple holding hands at the same Oh my gosh. And I was like, oh my gosh, I totally want that. And so I'm, I'm, I had a lovely 30 year marriage, not so lovely toward the end. But, um, [01:05:00] we're dear friends now, but, um, we're no longer together, so I still.
I still, I believe that there's, you know, we have, we have soulmates, maybe not only one, you know? Right. And, uh, what, what was the question? Here's my testosterone. That, that, that was just, what's one thing that always how beautiful life really is. For sure. I mean, I adore my son and he's just a magical human.
And I also feel like I love the relationships I have with all of these amazing people in my life. And I feel like it's gotten even more delicious and richer. Agreed. And, um, I just feel like it's great to be resonating. 'cause I was kind of a weirdo, you know? I mean, I was doing healing arts when nobody even, they thought I was a drug dealer.
I told somebody I was a healer, they're like a dealer. I was like, I mean, I never used that term in more healer, but that's what we were using back [01:06:00] in the early nineties, you know? Yes. Um. I do feel like it's really beautiful to be res, like I've got an antenna now that's like, this is who I am, and then all these lovely people are now, um, even more so in our lives.
And I just, that's just a total joy for me. So I just wanna hang out with really amazing people. Totally eat great food, have a lot of, you know what, and, uh, and all, all the good things. Yeah. Oh, that's beautiful. Well, you guys crossed all of 'em off the list, that you just hit everything. That makes life.
Beautiful. Well, thank you so much for coming on. A beautiful fix. I highly urge everyone to check out their book Midlife Upgrade, and if you can try to attend one of their, their gifts, their, I'm sorry, their, their events. Yeah. Gifts are two. Yeah. We have gifts. Gifts, events, gifts. Yep. Absolutely. So thank you so much for having us.
[01:07:00] Tracy. Yeah, Tracy. Amazing. Amazing. Of course. Thank you. Thank you.
Thanks for listening to a beautiful fix. If you. Enjoy today's episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review to help others. Others find us. And if you'd like to share your own beautiful fix. Or join me as a guest, reach out any time at Tracy. At a beautiful fix. Dot com. Looking forward to next time.
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