Thrive After 45™
The Thrive After 45 ™ podcast is an empowering show designed for women in midlife who are ready to embrace their next chapter with confidence, purpose, and joy—without guilt, remorse, or shame for prioritizing themselves.
Hosted by Midlife Renewal Coach and former educator Denise Drinkwalter, MEd, this podcast provides a supportive space where women can release self-doubt, rediscover their passions, and create a life that truly lights them up.
Through insightful interviews with experts, thought leaders, and inspiring guest, as well as solo episodes filled with practical strategies, the Thrive After 45™ podcast helps listeners navigate personal growth, relationships, mindset shifts, and career reinvention. Most importantly, it encourages women to take time for themselves, step into their power, and recognize that self-care is not selfish—it’s essential.
If you’re ready to let go of old expectations and start thriving in midlife, this podcast is for you. Because midlife isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something extraordinary.
Episodes
29 episodes
"Menopause Hit Me Like a Truck" - Why Midlife Women Need to Be "Selfish" to Heal - with Jacqueline Perez
This episode is a true gem. I'm so honoured to welcome back Jacqueline Perez, the heart-centered force behind Cool Life and a powerful champion for women in midlife. Jacqueline is the embodiment of everything we talk about here on T...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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26:46
The #1 Block to Your Midlife Reinvention - With Barbara Wood Watson
You know that feeling when you're in midlife and it feels like there's something more for you, but you just can't figure out how to get there? That feeling is exactly what my amazing guest, Barbara Wood Watson, helps people with.&n...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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24:53
From Public Speaking Anxiety to Speaking Mentor - with Dr. Doreen Downing
Some of us are here to teach the very thing we once feared the most. That's the powerful truth at the heart of this week's Thrive After 45™ episode. I sat down with Dr. Doreen Downing, a clinical psychologist who spent dec...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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25:09
From Rowing the Atlantic to Beating Cancer: A Midlife Woman's Story of Resilience with Felicity Ashley
Oh my gosh, friends, you are in for such an incredible conversation this week on the Thrive After 45™ podcast. I am sitting down with the phenomenal Felicity Ashley, and her story is just proof that our midlife years can be the most po...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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27:11
The Unfiltered Truth About Divorce for Parents of Children with Special Needs - with Mary Ann Hughes
In this episode of Thrive After 45™, I'm so honored to welcome back Mary Ann Hughes, a certified special needs divorce coach, family mediator, and parenting coordinator. Mary Ann's journey into this work is deeply personal. After 2...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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22:46
Constipation is the Symptom, Not the Problem - with Melissa Hall Klepacki
What if the secret to feeling amazing was found in the most unexpected place: your poop? It's a real question, and in this week's episode of Thrive After 45™, I sat down with gut health specialist Melissa Hall Klepacki to talk ab...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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41:53
How to Embrace Defiant Joy and Play By New Rules with Tania Carriere
Alright, friend! Grab your favorite mug and snuggle in, because this week’s episode of Thrive After 45™ is going to spark something incredible in you. I had the absolute honour of chatting with Tania Carriere, an "epiphany designer...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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33:29
The Biggest Money Myths Holding Women Back - with Debra Morrison
Alright, friends, grab a cup of coffee and get ready to feel inspired. In this episode of Thrive After 45™, I get to sit down with the amazing Debra Morrison. Debra has spent over 47 years as a Certified Financial Planner and Asset...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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29:34
It's Not Your Fault...It's Your DEFAULT - with Tim Tamashiro
Tim Tamashiro is one of those rare souls who makes you want to slow down, take a breath, and actually feel your own heartbeat again.This episode is a gentle exhale in the middle of all the noise. We talk about what ...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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27:40
Stop Abandoning YOURSELF for Love with Junie Moon
Junie Moon talks about what happens when you finally get honest about the ways you’ve been abandoning yourself in the name of love....Saying yes when your gut screams no.......walking on eggshells to keep the peace....trying to ...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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22:40
What NOT to Say At A Funeral - with Barbara Bowman
Barbara Bowman - author, speaker, and real-life grief whisperer - is turning some of the most awkward, heart-wrenching moments around death into opportunities for connection, compassion, and deep humanity.She has lived through unimaginab...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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33:30
How A Sticky Note Save My Life - with Karen Rudolf
Pull up a seat, grab your favorite mug, and get cozy ... this one’s a soul-nourishing heart-to-heart.In today’s episode, I’m joined by the beautiful force that is Karen Rudolf...a woman whose journey through trauma, burnout, divorce, and...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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39:41
Being Neurodivergent Isn't Something To Fix: It’s a Gift to Understand and Reclaim - with Rachel Radway
Rachel’s story isn’t your typical reinvention tale. After decades of leading, achieving, and people-pleasing her way through corporate life (while slowly burning herself out), she finally hit a wall. And instead of pushing through it like she a...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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24:38
From Shame To Self Worth: Healing After A Decade of Silence - with Tonya Peck
There’s something so magnetic about a woman who’s done the deep inner work - and still shows up with an open heart.That’s exactly who Tonya Peck is.In this episode of Thrive After 45™, Tonya shares her powerful story of healing, p...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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30:25
From Burnout to Psychic Channeler: A Midlife Awakening with Caren Carnegie
Some nudges are gentle. Others feel like a whisper you can’t ignore. For Caren Carnegie, it started with a whisper in her body - symptoms, discomfort, stuckness. But instead of pushing it down or muscling through (like we’re taught ...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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35:59
Crack YOUR Code to Wellness & Heal Your Nervous System with Dr. David Yates
Ready for a soulful mix of science, story, and straight-up perspective shifts? In this episode of the Thrive After 45™, I sit down with Dr. David Yates, a chiropractor who’s part of the rare 2% practicing upper cervical chiropr...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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28:55
From “Perfect Life” to Soul Freedom with Kelle Sparta
Kelle Sparta is a transformational shaman, spiritual coach, and someone who has completely burned her life to the ground more than once...in the most liberating way. She was living the American Dream on paper… ... successf...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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35:11
Choose Your Hard with Lizzie Siegel
What if the version of you you've been holding back is actually the key to everything you want?In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Lizzie Siegel, and wow....Just get ready!Lizzie’s been through it all... trau...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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47:49
Signs Your Body is Screaming for Help: Midlife Red Flags with Jaclyn Downs
What if your chronic symptoms weren’t “just aging” - but your body waving a red flag?In this powerful episode, I sit down with Functional Genomic Nutrition Consultant, researcher, and author Jaclyn Downs ... and lemme tell ya, she...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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22:42
How to Stop Over-Giving & Prioritize YOU - With Dr. Tia Warwick
What if fueling your giving meant finally pouring back into yourself first?Dr. Tia Warwick is a scientist, professor, public health leader, author, and unapologetic boundary-setter. But what truly blew me aw...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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19:51
Find Your True Purpose In Midlife with Dr. Shafer
What if the life you’re meant to live doesn’t show up until after you’ve already lived a few others?Dr. Shafer, a former physician turned transformational coach, author, and speaker - is living proof that it’s never too late to co...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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38:33
From Broke Single Mom to Midlife Millionaire with Jeanne Omlor
What if starting over at 54 didn’t mean settling - but soaring?I sit down with the fierce and fabulous Jeanne Omlor - a woman who went from drowning in debt as a single mom to building a million-dollar business ...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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30:29
Spiritual Clarity with Rev. Christine Davies
What if you could rebuild your spiritual life in a way that actually feels safe, soulful, and completely your own?In this powerful and deeply nourishing conversation, I sit down with Rev. Christine Davies - a hospital chaplain, se...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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27:20
Unretire Your Life with Sharon Rolph
At a time when most people think about slowing down, Sharon Rolph is just getting started - and trust me, her energy is e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.Sharon is a retirement coach, spark specialist (yes, that’s a real thing and it’s amazin...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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29:29
Reconfigure Your Biology with Jenny Powers
This episode is a must if you’ve ever felt like your body was totally working against you, or like no matter how “healthy” you try to be, something still feels off.I sat down with the amazing Jenny Powers, a total powerhouse (an...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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28:59