Advertise on podcast: My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani

Journalist and cultural critic EJ Dickson joins Reshma for a candid conversation about motherhood, guilt, and the impossible standards women are expected to meet. Drawing from her new book One Bad Mother, EJ breaks down how the idea of the “good mother” is a surprisingly recent invention, why modern parenting runs on shame and self-policing, and who actually benefits from keeping women feeling like they are failing. Follow EJ Dickson on Instagram at @ejdickson. Her book One Bad Mother is out February 10. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're revisiting Reshma’s conversation with astronaut Christina Koch to mark her historic  Artemis II launch next week, a milestone moment for human spaceflight and a powerful reminder of what’s possible for women pushing boundaries at every stage of life.Astronaut Christina Koch was about to go out on her first spacewalk, staring out into a “big gaping hole of blackness,” when her heart started racing. So she channeled that fear into focus – reminding herself of all the training she’s done to prepare her for this moment – and stepped out of the airlock. Christina tells Reshma all about the 328 days she spent in space (including the mundane chores astronauts have to do on board the International Space Station) and they discuss Christina’s next mission, Artemis II, which will venture around the moon in 2026. Plus, how NASA designed a training program for Christina that takes into account perimenopause. Follow Christina @astro_christina on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Alison Alford joins Reshma for a thoughtful conversation about what it means to be a daughter in midlife. As a psychologist and the author of Good Daughtering, Alison helps name the invisible rules, emotional labor, and guilt that so many women carry in their relationships with their parents. Together, they explore how daughters can move out of enmeshment, redefine care, and stay connected to their families. Follow Dr. Allison Alford on Instagram at @daughtering101. Her book Good Daughtering is out February  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reshma and psychologist Dr. Alison Alford talk about why daughters so often push past their limits and how burnout builds quietly over time. Alison introduces the idea of checking your “battery level” before stepping in, and why seeing a need does not automatically make it yours to handle.

Brad Meltzer, one of the most widely read authors in America, joins Reshma for a candid conversation about midlife, legacy, and learning how to be gentler with yourself. He reflects on breaking up with achievement, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and the teacher who changed his life by simply saying, “you can write.” They also talk about empathy, self forgiveness, and the ideas behind his viral talks Make Magic and How to Write Your Own Obituary, which explore how we shape the lives we are remembered for. The conversation also touches on the inspiration for his new thriller, The Viper, but at its core, this episode is about accepting the early lines, the mistakes, and the parts of ourselves that make the masterpiece possible. Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram at @bradmeltzer. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fighting is not the problem. How we fight is. In this episode, Reshma welcomes back psychotherapist, writer, and divorce group leader Oona Metz for a grounded, deeply human conversation about what actually breaks marriages and what still makes them salvageable. As the new year begins and January earns its reputation as “Divorce Day,” Oona helps unpack why midlife becomes such a turning point in relationships and why so many couples are forced to finally look at what they have been avoiding. Follow Oona Metz on Instagram at @oonametz or at oonametz.com . Oona’s new book, Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women, is out January 13.  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oona tells Reshma how some of her clients are using AI to reality check messages, reduce emotional escalation, and make co parenting more manageable after divorce.

Bozoma Saint John is the newest cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and she has a take-no-shit approach to life that will motivate you to demand everything you deserve. After working in executive marketing positions for companies like Uber, Netflix, Apple and Pepsi, Boz decided to leave corporate America and do things her own way. She had experienced so much loss in her life that she didn’t want to take a single day for granted. She lost her first daughter after a tough pregnancy, and her husband died of cancer. But Boz is not only working through it, she's talking about it. In this episode, she talks with Reshma about her life as a corporate girlie, the conversations she had with Housewives producers and what we can all learn from her book “The Urgent Life.” Follow Bozomo Saint John on Instagram @badassboz. Her book is called The Urgent Life and her Wig and Hair Care company is called Eve by Boz. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.   Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know what your purpose is? Many people do, and that can lead to an incredibly fulfilling life. But so many of us don’t. Business journalist-turned-NYU-professor Suzy Welch says midlife is a terrific time to figure this out for yourself, since you bring to it the wisdom of your years. She’s developed a methodology aimed at crafting an authentic life called Becoming You, and she tells Reshma all about how to identify your values, prioritize them, and live a life in accordance with them.  Follow Suzy @suzywelch on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.   Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Dr. Sharon Malone talking about what drives healthcare disparities in the US. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.    Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abby Phillip joins Reshma for a conversation about what it really takes to stay grounded in a world that is loud, fast, and full of opinions. She shares the freedom she has found in not caring what other people think, why kindness has been her most effective rule for navigating institutions that were not built for her, and how she handles the people who try to torpedo her along the way. They also dig into Abby’s book A Dream Deferred and what Jesse Jackson’s legacy can teach us about connection, trust, and the future of American democracy. Follow Abby Phillip on Instagram at @abbydphillip, and check out her new book A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Get an exclusive 5% discount on NordProtect plans. Go to: https://nordprotect.com/midlife and use the code midlife at checkout. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reshma sits down with world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel to talk about why midlife can feel so lonely — and how to rebuild community from the inside out. They unpack why independence has replaced interdependence, how motherhood turned into a performance review, and why asking for help is one of the bravest things we can do. Esther leaves us with a path back, showing how connection can be rebuilt one honest conversation at a time. Follow Esther Perel's podcast Where Should We Begin? on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and subscribe to Entre Nous with Esther Perel on Substack for exclusive bonus content. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tembi shares with Reshma her creative practice and how she unlocks and unleashes her truest and deepest self in midlife.

Tembi Locke has lived many lives, but midlife has pushed her to introduce herself in a whole new way. She tells Reshma how supporting her husband through illness and losing him reshaped everything she thought she knew about identity, ambition, and love. They talk about grief as a turning point, pulling yourself forward, and the idea of renesting (Tembi’s practice of rebuilding an inner home after life has blown the old one apart). They explore why so many women find themselves doing that work in midlife, and what it means to rebuild from the inside out. They also talk about her new memoir, Someday Now, which traces that evolution with honesty and heart. Follow Tembi Locke @tembilocke on Instagram. Her new memoir Someday Now is out now.  You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Kelly Casperson — a urologist, sex educator, and host of a hit podcast — wants you to have great sex. And she knows you probably aren’t. A lot of that, she says, is because most of what we think we know about sex — especially in midlife — is flat-out wrong! She and Reshma get to the bottom of some fundamentals around libido, desire, and hormones, and also give you some tips on how to improve your sex life.  Follow Kelly at @kellycaspersonmd on Instagram. Check out her book and podcast You Are Not Broken. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani @reshmasaujani on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reshmasaujani/?hl=en Let us know how you’re doing in midlife! You can submit your story to be included in this show at speakpipe.com/midlife  Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.  Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dating coach and author Damona Hoffman joins Reshma to break down the real rules of modern love in midlife. They talk about why dating feels so draining today, how to rewrite the old stories that keep women stuck, and why clarity is more powerful than chemistry. Damona shares her most practical strategies for getting offline quickly, protecting the early magic, and designing a relationship that fits the life you actually want. They also dig into the efficiency trap inside long-term partnerships and why love in this season is less about finding “the one” and more about finding yourself. Follow Damona Hoffman @damonahoffman on Instagram. You can follow our host Reshma Saujani on Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack.  Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia.  Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.  Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors Check out the What Should I Do With My Money? podcast. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.