The Toxic Life of an Educator: Why Midlife Women Are Burning Out Faster Than Ever

Midlife Fashion: How to Find Your Style After 40

Trying to squeeze into old jeans while quietly grieving the woman you used to be? Same. This honest, funny, and deeply relatable conversation about midlife fashion dives into what happens when your body changes, your lifestyle shifts, and suddenly nothing in your closet feels like you anymore. Karen and Lisa are joined by fashion-loving educator Kate LaPlaunt, who brings warmth, humor, and zero judgment to the conversation. Together, they unpack the pressure women over 40 feel around aging, style, confidence, and “fashion rules” — while sharing real-life stories about closet crises, thrift-store wins, stilettos on icy Alaska sidewalks, changing bodies, and finally giving themselves permission to wear what makes them feel good. This episode is for any listener navigating midlife reinvention, menopause body changes, empty nesting, confidence shifts, or the feeling that they’ve somehow lost their style along the way. Because midlife fashion isn’t about dressing younger. It’s about dressing like yourself again. _____________________________________________________________ 👉Join the Podsquad here! [https://lisacorricello.activehosted.com/f/41] Subscribe for show notes & episode goodies, delivered weekly, spam free! 🎙️Guest: Kate La Plaunt 🍸☕ What We Were Drinking: Kevita Probiotic Refresher in Tangerine [https://kevita.com/tangerine/] Naked Swim Sparkling Green Tea and Red Fruits Glorious Herbal Tea [https://www.ergonfoods.com/shop1/greek-food-products//p/naked-swim-green-tea-red-fruits] San Pelligrino Selzer [https://www.sanpellegrino.com/us/sparkling-drinks] What Kate wished she was drinking: Pear Martini  French 75 - Champagne, Gin, Lemon, Simple Syrup   ____________________________________________________________________ 💬 Takeaways — What Do YOU Think? We want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us an email at drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com]. Whether it's a story, a laugh, or a “yep, been there”—we love hearing how our episodes land with you.  📲 Stay Connected Follow, like, and join the conversation: Instagram: @drinkswiththegirlspod [https://www.instagram.com/] Facebook: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562302816308] Pinterest: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.pinterest.com/drinkswiththegirlspodcast/] YouTube: Drinks With the Girls Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@DrinksWiththeGirls] Website: www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com [http://www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com] 💌 Reach Out Got a question, idea, or just want to say hi? We’re all ears. Email us anytime: drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com] Connect with your hosts: ✨ Karen Shatafian – www.karenshatafian.com [http://www.karenshatafian.com] ✨ Lisa Corricello-McDowell – www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com [http://www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com]

100 Episodes Later: What Midlife Women Learn When They Show Up Messy

Karen and Lisa are celebrating 100 episodes of Drinks With the Girls — and the truth behind the milestone is way messier, funnier, and more emotional than anyone sees on social media. From recording through grief, burnout, parenting chaos, tech disasters, and “life lifing,” they share the real story of what it takes to keep showing up in midlife when everything feels hard. This conversation is a love letter to women over 40 who are reinventing themselves, building something new, healing, setting boundaries, and learning that consistency matters more than perfection. With hilarious behind-the-scenes podcast moments, honest reflections on friendship, and the unfiltered reality of doing life together, Karen and Lisa prove you do not need to have it all figured out to create something meaningful. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late, too messy, or too scary to start — this episode is for you. _____________________________________________________________ 👉Join the Podsquad here! [https://lisacorricello.activehosted.com/f/41] Subscribe for show notes & episode goodies, delivered weekly, spam free! 🍸☕ What We Were Drinking: Diet Squirt [https://www.kdpproductfacts.com/product/a0e3h000003LK8dAAG/squirt-zero-sugar-grapefruit-flavored-soda-12-fl-oz-us]with Vodka Sparkle Hops - Pelican Brewery [https://pelicanbrewing.com/sparklehops/] ____________________________________________________________________ 💬 Takeaways — What Do YOU Think? We want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us an email at drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com]. Whether it's a story, a laugh, or a “yep, been there”—we love hearing how our episodes land with you.  📲 Stay Connected Follow, like, and join the conversation: Instagram: @drinkswiththegirlspod [https://www.instagram.com/] Facebook: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562302816308] Pinterest: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.pinterest.com/drinkswiththegirlspodcast/] YouTube: Drinks With the Girls Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@DrinksWiththeGirls] Website: www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com [http://www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com] 💌 Reach Out Got a question, idea, or just want to say hi? We’re all ears. Email us anytime: drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com] Connect with your hosts: ✨ Karen Shatafian – www.karenshatafian.com [http://www.karenshatafian.com] ✨ Lisa Corricello-McDowell – www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com [http://www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com]

Reclaiming Midlife: Purpose, Identity & the Power to Choose

Somewhere between raising kids, managing careers, caregiving, and holding everyone else together… a lot of women wake up in midlife wondering: Who am I now? Karen and Lisa unpack the identity shifts nobody prepares women for after 40 — the quiet grief of outgrowing old roles, the pressure to stay “relevant,” and the exhausting feeling of disappearing inside everyone else’s needs. Through raw conversation, humor, honesty, and deeply relatable moments, they explore what it really means to rediscover yourself after years of survival mode. From body image and aging to emotional burnout and reinvention, this conversation is for women who feel disconnected from themselves, stuck in transition, or ready to reclaim parts of themselves they thought were gone forever. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought, I don’t even know who I am anymore, this one will hit home. _____________________________________________________________ 👉Join the Podsquad here! [https://lisacorricello.activehosted.com/f/41] Subscribe for show notes & episode goodies, delivered weekly, spam free! 🍸☕ What We Were Drinking: Pierre’s Paloma Green Cheek Seltzer [https://www.greencheekbeer.com/] Sparkle Hops - Pelican Brewery [https://pelicanbrewing.com/sparklehops/] Karen's Reclamation Lounge [https://karenshatafian.substack.com/] ____________________________________________________________________ 💬 Takeaways — What Do YOU Think? We want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us an email at drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com]. Whether it's a story, a laugh, or a “yep, been there”—we love hearing how our episodes land with you.  📲 Stay Connected Follow, like, and join the conversation: Instagram: @drinkswiththegirlspod [https://www.instagram.com/] Facebook: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562302816308] Pinterest: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.pinterest.com/drinkswiththegirlspodcast/] YouTube: Drinks With the Girls Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@DrinksWiththeGirls] Website: www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com [http://www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com] 💌 Reach Out Got a question, idea, or just want to say hi? We’re all ears. Email us anytime: drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com] Connect with your hosts: ✨ Karen Shatafian – www.karenshatafian.com [http://www.karenshatafian.com] ✨ Lisa Corricello-McDowell – www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com [http://www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com]

If Our Moms Could See Us Now: A Mother’s Day Conversation About Love, Loss, and Growth

They were our anchors… and somehow, we’re learning how to stand on our own. This Mother’s Day conversation is honest, funny, and unexpectedly healing—about the women who raised us, the relationships that shaped us, and the versions of ourselves we’ve grown into along the way. Lisa and Karen share what it’s like to move from daughter to friend, to grieve what was, and to finally understand the lessons that didn’t make sense back then. There are moments that will make you laugh (like the things our moms definitely didn’t want to know) and moments that hit deep—like saving a voice recording you didn’t know you’d one day treasure, or realizing strength showed up when you didn’t have a choice. This episode isn’t just about loss—it’s about growth, perspective, and the quiet ways our moms are still part of who we are today. Karen brings the lens of losing her mom young and learning life without her, while Lisa shares what it means to reprocess a relationship and find a deeper, more honest connection over time. Together, they guide a conversation that feels like sitting down with women who truly get it. 🎧 This one is for: * Women in midlife navigating complicated or evolving relationships with their moms * Anyone missing their mom (especially around Mother’s Day) * Daughters becoming mothers—and seeing everything differently * Women doing the work to heal, reflect, and move forward If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I get it now, Mom”… this conversation will stay with you. _____________________________________________________________ 👉Join the Podsquad here! [https://lisacorricello.activehosted.com/f/41] Subscribe for show notes & episode goodies, delivered weekly, spam free!   🍸☕ What We Were Drinking: Basic Beech Pacifico Beer with Lime [https://www.discoverpacifico.com/] Fentiman's Pink Ginger [https://www.fentimansusa.com/products/pink-ginger?_su_rec=q1qSWW1f4oMKsUaGJ1sUpABC0-WS9rTvuus-biql3WGfz-KEAE7Vo0UsefRUiqWno4Z3UjS__ZMnWkGa3iQQ5nO3gDwbfyCXBzZW9scsJAlerURZVzx8aggpTkGtylhKQWfo2YZYFsuiMPAcaqF9q34aqOcRTWdnyCFCcxy8IbkzgkuJJiv9FmPUVoBm2eXYctdkYUxZWw41NnsuyeM0zj8O_XMNaUcRP8dZB1U43arHtXhaGU4TP-cd2XVHUdeRTTtNU1eTfIKdOyk2-ltpb6vtlw3dEv-DgkYC-54ubZJN7x1iJ0JCd1NbIRUykLhw5Gyh0pJrAi9HyaCyw-6HkYcDTB5lseT6650&_su_rec_id=aa481a3f-e192-4317-82a6-fd34954b6953-1777747885] ____________________________________________________________________ 💬 Takeaways — What Do YOU Think? We want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us an email at drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com]. Whether it's a story, a laugh, or a “yep, been there”—we love hearing how our episodes land with you.  📲 Stay Connected Follow, like, and join the conversation: Instagram: @drinkswiththegirlspod [https://www.instagram.com/] Facebook: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562302816308] Pinterest: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.pinterest.com/drinkswiththegirlspodcast/] YouTube: Drinks With the Girls Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@DrinksWiththeGirls] Website: www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com [http://www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com] 💌 Reach Out Got a question, idea, or just want to say hi? We’re all ears. Email us anytime: drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com] Connect with your hosts: ✨ Karen Shatafian – www.karenshatafian.com [http://www.karenshatafian.com] ✨ Lisa Corricello-McDowell – www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com [http://www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com]

The Toxic Life of an Educator: Why Midlife Women Are Burning Out Faster Than Ever

The word was “clusterf*ck”… and honestly? It only gets more real from there. This is the conversation every educator—and every midlife woman holding it all together—has been having behind closed doors. Karen and Lisa sit down with returning guest Amanda to pull back the curtain on the toxic reality of education today—where passion collides with burnout, boundaries disappear, and the job that once felt like a calling starts to feel unsustainable. From the shocking shift in what schools are dealing with now versus 20 years ago, to the emotional toll of being “always on,” this episode doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. You’ll hear raw, unfiltered moments about: * The pressure of being available 24/7 * Why “summers off” is one of the biggest myths out there * How leadership can make—or completely break—the experience * The quiet grief of loving a career that’s slowly draining you But this isn’t just about what’s broken. Amanda brings powerful insight as a leader and coach, helping reframe what’s possible when we start telling the truth about burnout, boundaries, and what we actually need to feel supported again. If you’re a teacher, former educator, or a midlife woman questioning why the life you built suddenly feels so heavy… this one will hit home. Because sometimes the bravest thing you can do is admit: this isn’t working anymore—and start asking what might. 🍸 _____________________________________________________________ 👉Join the Podsquad here! [https://lisacorricello.activehosted.com/f/41] Subscribe for show notes & episode goodies, delivered weekly, spam free! 🎙️Guest:  Amanda Younts https://linktr.ee/amandayounts @midlifecatalyst [https://www.instagram.com/midlifecatalyst]   🍸☕ What We Were Drinking: Wild Wonder Pineapple Paradise PREBIOTIC + PROBIOTIC SPARKLING DRINK [https://drinkwildwonder.com/products/pineapple-paradise?srsltid=AfmBOoqcrFcnSaCoH6PqmCA-I-Z28HrXQy1gUcrwLjzKJZWh54D2SQ4D] Arnold Palmer (Iced Tea/Lemonade) Bundaberg Ginger Beer [https://www.bundaberg.com/en-us/brew/ginger-beer/] Apparently, it’s Australian, not German….oops Lime Bubly [https://www.bubly.com/] ____________________________________________________________________ 💬 Takeaways — What Do YOU Think? We want to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us an email at drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com]. Whether it's a story, a laugh, or a “yep, been there”—we love hearing how our episodes land with you.  📲 Stay Connected Follow, like, and join the conversation: Instagram: @drinkswiththegirlspod [https://www.instagram.com/] Facebook: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562302816308] Pinterest: Drinks With the Girls Podcast [https://www.pinterest.com/drinkswiththegirlspodcast/] YouTube: Drinks With the Girls Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@DrinksWiththeGirls] Website: www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com [http://www.drinkswiththegirlspodcast.com] 💌 Reach Out Got a question, idea, or just want to say hi? We’re all ears. Email us anytime: drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com [drinkswiththegirlspodcast@gmail.com] Connect with your hosts: ✨ Karen Shatafian – www.karenshatafian.com [http://www.karenshatafian.com] ✨ Lisa Corricello-McDowell – www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com [http://www.nextlevellifewithlisa.com]