How to Find Your Creative Soulmate

How to Find Your Creative Soulmate

What do you do with the words you never said? Sofia Kavlin built a home for them. In February 2024 she dragged a wooden mailbox into Washington Square Park, asked strangers to drop in a letter they would never send, and handed each person someone else's letter in return. More than 4,000 letters later, the Unsent Letter Mailbox has spread to Austin, Houston, and Chattanooga, and has been featured by The New York Times, NBC News, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. This conversation is about two things that change a creative life: finding the right collaborator, and alchemizing your toughest experiences. Sofia, a Bolivian-Canadian social impact designer, and Bonnie Blue Edwards, an award-winning producer, illustrator, and writer, talk about how they found each other, how they built trust, and how each of them turned private grief into public art. If you have ever longed for a creative partner, sat on an idea because you were scared to ask, or wondered whether your pain could become something useful, this one is for you. What You'll Learn: How to find a creative collaborator who gets it — why intuitive alignment cannot be manufactured, and how to recognize it when it shows up How to ask for the support you need — Sofia's practice of naming exactly what she wanted before she had any idea who would answer How trust actually gets built — the simple, unglamorous behaviors that made these two feel safe with each other How to turn grief into creative fuel — using art and community as a way through the hardest seasons instead of around them Why art is not frivolous — the case that creative expression changes lives, saves lives, and makes lives How to protect a vision while sharing it — holding collaborators with open hands without losing the heart of the work What "worth, not value" means — reframing exchange around human connection rather than a price tag "Turning our tragedy literally into lemonade, and by that I mean art." — Sofia Kavlin Resources and Links: Unsent Letter Mailbox: unsentlettermailbox.com [http://unsentlettermailbox.com] | Instagram @unsentlettermailbox [https://www.instagram.com/unsentlettermailbox/] Sofia Kavlin: Instagram @sofia.kavlin [https://www.instagram.com/sofia.kavlin/] Bonnie Blue Edwards: Instagram @bonnieblue952 [https://www.instagram.com/bonnieblue952/]; her book of poems and illustrations, Stressed Out & Scatterbrained @stressedoutscatterbrained [https://www.instagram.com/stressedoutscatterbrained/] Lift and Be Lifted: A huge thank-you to Lia De Feo, who nominated both Sofia and Bonnie for this episode. And keep your eyes on the women they're lifting up next: Kelby Clark, founder of the creative salon Opus House and a brilliant poet and writer, and Catherine Burns, a wildly creative storyteller. We cannot wait to share their stories. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing meaningful work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas [https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/] Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/] TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast] Facebook: Aransas Savas [https://www.facebook.com/aransas] Website: theuplifterspodcast.com [http://theuplifterspodcast.com] YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast] LinkedIn: Aransas Savas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/] Keywords: unsent letters, anonymous letter project, creative collaboration, finding a creative partner, creative soulmate, art and healing, turning pain into art, expressive writing, public art project, women supporting women, courage capital, doing big brave things, creative entrepreneurship, art as connection, letter writing for healing, women creatives, second act, the Uplifters podcast Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe [https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

This Is Not As Scary As Cancer

This week on The Uplifters Podcast, two extraordinary women in midlife share what a cancer diagnosis taught them about finally giving themselves permission to do the big, brave things they'd been putting off. If you've ever felt like you're driving through life with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake, this episode is for you. You'll hear from Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson, founder of the Heartwood Leadership Institute and award-winning author of fourteen books, who went through breast cancer treatment in 2020 and came out the other side asking, "What's mine to do?" And from Christy Kercheville, a CEO coach and master facilitator who was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and incurable cancer, in the first weeks of COVID, and has spent six years building her most purposeful, joy-filled chapter inside that diagnosis. Together they show us that midlife reinvention doesn't always begin with a plan. Sometimes it begins with something that strips everything else away and shows you, clearly and without apology, what actually matters. What You'll Learn: How to find purpose after a major life disruption — what both women asked themselves when everything changed, and how those questions led to completely new chapters Why midlife women keep one foot on the brake — the specific fears that show up differently at this stage of life, and how to work through them How to build courage capital after 40 — the daily practices, rituals, and reframes both women use to keep moving when fear shows up How to ask for exactly the kind of support you need — why generic help often misses and how to get specific so the people around you can actually show up Why action over anxiety is a learnable skill — how Christy's goal-setting approach to hard emotions applies to any overwhelming transition, not just illness What "precision manifesting" looks like in practice — how naming exactly what you want, out loud, changes what becomes possible Resources and Links: About Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson: Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson is the founder and CEO of the Heartwood Leadership Institute, one of JPMorgan Chase's 100 Women to Know in America, and the award-winning author of fourteen books. A global speaker and executive coach who has worked with everyone from Olympians to Fortune 100 CEOs, Jacquelyn creates platforms and experiences, including the Gateway Gathering and PitchFest. Connect with Jacquelyn: LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynfletcherjohnson], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jacquelynfletcherjohnson/] About Christy Kercheville: Christy Kercheville is a CEO coach and master facilitator with over 25 years of experience working with Fortune 100 companies. Six years after being diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and incurable cancer, she continues to coach leaders, raise funds for LMS research, and live with a ferocious and practical commitment to joy. Connect with Christy: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@christychronicleslms?_r=1&_t=ZP-93nFsW7pkpq], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christychronicleslms?igsh=MThubzJuZmo0d2Y3Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]. To learn more about Leiomyosarcoma visit: Lmsdr.org [http://Lmsdr.org] and Imermanangels.org [http://Imermanangels.org] About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast Facebook: Aransas Savas Website: theuplifterspodcast.com [http://theuplifterspodcast.com] YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast LinkedIn: Aransas Savas Keywords: midlife reinvention women, courage capital, women over 40 purpose, starting over at 40, midlife transformation, second act career women, building confidence after 40, midlife courage, women over 40 success stories, perimenopause fresh start, midlife awakening women, women changing careers 40s, midlife purpose women, second half of life, midlife dreams women, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife transition women, life after 40 women Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe [https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

When Women Get Sick

Did you know the average professional woman loses 20 to 25% of her annual income to menopause? Not from medical bills alone, but from invisible career costs and compounding retirement losses that most women never see coming. If you're a woman over 40 navigating perimenopause, midlife career decisions, or a second act reinvention, this conversation will change how you think about menopause, money, and your future. Dr. Kim Derezil is a double board-certified physician and certified wealth manager, and the only practitioner in the country combining medical expertise with financial planning specifically for women in menopause. In this episode, you'll learn how menopause affects your career decisions, retirement savings, and long-term financial health, and what to do about it right now, whether you're 25 or 65. Dr. Derezil began her career treating women through the menopause transition and watching them describe, visit after visit, how their symptoms were affecting their work and their money decisions. It wasn't until she went through the transition herself and turned down a contract that cost her $121,000 in retirement savings that she understood what her patients had been telling her for years. That moment became the catalyst for her life's mission: giving women the language, the data, and the strategy to fight back against what she calls the Menopause Tax. What You'll Learn: How perimenopause career change happens invisibly — the small, well-intentioned decisions that quietly cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars The three-part Menopause Tax framework — care costs, career costs, and compounding costs, and how to calculate your own What midlife women over 40 can do right now — from tracking symptoms to building a financial reserve using your HSA Why women changing careers in their 40s often blame themselves — and why the real culprit is hormones, not ambition How to build confidence after 40 as a female professional — using a coach, a doctor, and a financial advisor together Starting over during menopause with a plan — why having a plan is protection, and what a menopause financial audit actually looks like What companies can do to stop losing their most experienced female talent — a clear business case for menopause workplace support Key Takeaways: For midlife career changers: The decisions that feel responsible in the moment (turning down opportunities, leaning out of leadership) can cost you six figures in retirement. See your doctor first, then build your plan. For women over 40 seeking purpose: You haven't lost your ambition. You may have lost your hormones. Getting support, medically and financially, is not a luxury; it is protection. For perimenopause entrepreneurs and 1099 workers: Your menopause tax is approximately 25% of income when you account for the self-employment gap, the benefit gap, and the career decisions you make while symptomatic. Featured Quote: "Your brain, your body, and your bank account just need a different approach, a fresh new perspective." — Dr. Kim Derezil Resources & Links: Free Menopause Tax Risk Assessment: menoandmoney.com [http://menoandmoney.com] Book a Menopause Financial Audit: menoandmoney.com [http://menoandmoney.com] Instagram/Facebook: @menoandmoney LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kderezilmd The Menopause Society (practitioner directory): menopause.org [http://menopause.org] Related Uplifters episodes: Julie Gordon White, CEO of MenoWell: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5v26RRivOJUPakiRba6Emz?si=ARFF70MvSwiaxxp_Oaa5ug] Denise Pines, founder of WisePause Wellness: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VxSqvRC8PdHJMSMzR3YpC?si=WfDPM6LoSAWfdXX7jFR3WQ] Karissa Pfeffer episode: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pXVgkWs6abWHGmonv3RXl?si=3a1810dcf7544277] About Dr. Kim Derezil: Dr. Kim Derezil is a double board-certified physician and certified wealth manager, and the founder of Meno and Money. She is the only practitioner in the country combining menopause medicine with financial planning to help high-performing women over 40 recognize and reduce the hidden financial toll of perimenopause, before it becomes a six or seven-figure loss. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas [https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/] Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/] TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast] Facebook: Aransas Savas [https://www.facebook.com/aransas] Website: theuplifterspodcast.com [http://theuplifterspodcast.com] YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast] LinkedIn: Aransas Savas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/] Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start, menopause tax, menopause financial planning, menopause career costs, menopause workplace, perimenopause retirement savings Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe [https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Menopause Tax

Did you know the average professional woman loses 20 to 25% of her annual income to menopause? Not from medical bills alone, but from invisible career costs and compounding retirement losses that most women never see coming. If you're a woman over 40 navigating perimenopause, midlife career decisions, or a second act reinvention, this conversation will change how you think about menopause, money, and your future. Dr. Kim Derezil is a double board-certified physician and certified wealth manager, and the only practitioner in the country combining medical expertise with financial planning specifically for women in menopause. In this episode, you'll learn how menopause affects your career decisions, retirement savings, and long-term financial health, and what to do about it right now, whether you're 25 or 65. Dr. Derezil began her career treating women through the menopause transition and watching them describe, visit after visit, how their symptoms were affecting their work and their money decisions. It wasn't until she went through the transition herself and turned down a contract that cost her $121,000 in retirement savings that she understood what her patients had been telling her for years. That moment became the catalyst for her life's mission: giving women the language, the data, and the strategy to fight back against what she calls the Menopause Tax. What You'll Learn: How perimenopause career change happens invisibly — the small, well-intentioned decisions that quietly cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars The three-part Menopause Tax framework — care costs, career costs, and compounding costs, and how to calculate your own What midlife women over 40 can do right now — from tracking symptoms to building a financial reserve using your HSA Why women changing careers in their 40s often blame themselves — and why the real culprit is hormones, not ambition How to build confidence after 40 as a female professional — using a coach, a doctor, and a financial advisor together Starting over during menopause with a plan — why having a plan is protection, and what a menopause financial audit actually looks like What companies can do to stop losing their most experienced female talent — a clear business case for menopause workplace support Key Takeaways: For midlife career changers: The decisions that feel responsible in the moment (turning down opportunities, leaning out of leadership) can cost you six figures in retirement. See your doctor first, then build your plan. For women over 40 seeking purpose: You haven't lost your ambition. You may have lost your hormones. Getting support, medically and financially, is not a luxury; it is protection. For perimenopause entrepreneurs and 1099 workers: Your menopause tax is approximately 25% of income when you account for the self-employment gap, the benefit gap, and the career decisions you make while symptomatic. Featured Quote: "Your brain, your body, and your bank account just need a different approach, a fresh new perspective." — Dr. Kim Derezil Resources & Links: Free Menopause Tax Risk Assessment: menoandmoney.com [http://menoandmoney.com] Book a Menopause Financial Audit: menoandmoney.com [http://menoandmoney.com] Instagram/Facebook: @menoandmoney LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kderezilmd The Menopause Society (practitioner directory): menopause.org [http://menopause.org] Related Uplifters episodes: Julie Gordon White, CEO of MenoWell: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5v26RRivOJUPakiRba6Emz?si=ARFF70MvSwiaxxp_Oaa5ug] Denise Pines, founder of WisePause Wellness: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VxSqvRC8PdHJMSMzR3YpC?si=WfDPM6LoSAWfdXX7jFR3WQ] Karissa Pfeffer episode: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pXVgkWs6abWHGmonv3RXl?si=3a1810dcf7544277] About Dr. Kim Derezil: Dr. Kim Derezil is a double board-certified physician and certified wealth manager, and the founder of Meno and Money. She is the only practitioner in the country combining menopause medicine with financial planning to help high-performing women over 40 recognize and reduce the hidden financial toll of perimenopause, before it becomes a six or seven-figure loss. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas [https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/] Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/] TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast] Facebook: Aransas Savas [https://www.facebook.com/aransas] Website: theuplifterspodcast.com [http://theuplifterspodcast.com] YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast] LinkedIn: Aransas Savas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/] Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start, menopause tax, menopause financial planning, menopause career costs, menopause workplace, perimenopause retirement savings Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe [https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Motherhood in Midlife

For midlife women, Mother's Day can bring up all sorts of feelings. In this special episode, four midlife women share radically honest stories about motherhood, identity, and the inherited scripts we get to rewrite. Ruthie Ackerman, author of The Mother Code and founder of Ignite Writers Collective, reframes motherhood as a time of transformation rather than self-sacrifice and shows how midlife women can challenge the patriarchal myths that have shaped their choices. Katie Horwitch, founder of WANT (Women Against Negative Talk) and author of WANT Yourself, walks us through the inherited contracts behind our self-talk and how to replace our limiting stories. Sarah Gormley, author of The Order of Things, shares how starting over at 40, through therapy, loss, love, and an art gallery, gave her the life she'd always been chasing when she was climbing ladders. The episode closes with a sound bath from somatic healer and breast cancer survivor Shayla Martin, whose entire life was changed when she healed her Mother Wound. Whatever Mother's Day means to you, I hope you'll see yourself in these stories. "I want to be a mother who believes that there are so many ways to have a worthy and beautiful life, both with and without children." — Ruthie Ackerman Resources & Links: The Mother Code [https://booksaremagic.net/item/ZoOPMvNQhqYM2WlV8AOHpA] by Ruthie Ackerman [https://booksaremagic.net/item/ZoOPMvNQhqYM2WlV8AOHpA] — available wherever books are sold Ignite Writers Collective — ignitewriterscollective.com [https://www.ruthieackerman.com/] WANT Yourself by Katie Horwitch — womenagainstnegativetalk.com [http://womenagainstnegativetalk.com] The Order of Things [https://sarahgormleygallery.com/products/the-order-of-things?srsltid=AfmBOorqVLjgxyg7as5zU5WTWQ55P0mjz_5PRythTlG_n1CyOictAgQp] by Sarah Gormley [https://sarahgormleygallery.com/products/the-order-of-things?srsltid=AfmBOorqVLjgxyg7as5zU5WTWQ55P0mjz_5PRythTlG_n1CyOictAgQp] — available wherever books are sold Shayla Martin — 3bellevolution [https://www.3bellevolution.com/] About the Featured Voices: Ruthie Ackerman is the founder of Ignite Writers Collective, a memoirist and journalist whose work has appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, and the author of The Mother Code — a book that reframes motherhood as a conscious, evolving practice rather than a fixed identity. Katie Horwitch is the founder of WANT (Women Against Negative Talk), a nationally recognized author, speaker, and self-talk activist. Her book WANT Yourself helps women shift their internal narrative by understanding the science of inherited belief. Sarah Gormley spent decades building an impressive career at IMAX, Martha Stewart, Adobe, and Forbes before starting over at 40 through therapy, loss, and reinvention. She now owns an art gallery in Columbus, Ohio and is the author of the memoir The Order of Things. Shayla Martin is a breast cancer survivor, somatic healing coach, and sound healer whose work began with healing her own mother wound. She is the founder of Feel It to Heal It™. About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts. Connect with Aransas: Instagram: @aransas_savas [https://www.instagram.com/aransas_savas/] Podcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/the_uplifters_podcast/] TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.tiktok.com/@theuplifterspodcast] Facebook: Aransas Savas [https://www.facebook.com/aransas] Website: theuplifterspodcast.com [http://theuplifterspodcast.com] YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@theuplifterspodcast] LinkedIn: Aransas Savas [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aransassavas/] Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, midlife identity women, midlife self-talk, building confidence after 40, second act career women, women 40s new career, midlife awakening women, inspiring women over 40, midlife motivation women, perimenopause motivation, women over 40 success stories, midlife glow up, 40+ women entrepreneurs, growth mindset women over 40 Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe [https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]