Rewriting Your Story: Reinvention, Identity & The Next Chapter with Ellen Baker

Rewriting Your Story: Reinvention, Identity & The Next Chapter with Ellen Baker

What if the key to changing your life wasn't burning it down — but making a small edit to the story you've been telling yourself about who you are? This week I'm sitting down with Ellen Baker, novelist and founder of Next Chapter Studio, and this conversation is one I know you're going to want to come back to. Ellen's own life is a masterclass in reinvention: she landed a two-book deal with Random House at 30, blew up her life anyway, moved across the country, and ultimately found her way back to herself — and to publishing in a major way with her novel The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson. Now she's channeling everything she's learned from writing complex, layered fictional characters into coaching women through their own reinvention — and the framework she's built is genuinely unlike anything I've heard before. In this episode we talk about: * Why so many women in midlife feel like their only options are "burn it all down" or stay stuck — and what's actually possible in between * The "building" analogy that completely reframed how I think about change * How Ellen uses the tools of fiction writing (yes, really) to help women identify and rewrite the hidden beliefs that are quietly running their lives * The most common stories women carry — "I must be quiet," "I must follow the rules" — and how to start unwiring them * Why midlife might actually be the moment women finally stop outsourcing their own authority * Ellen's new novel Summerland Cove (out June 2nd!) and what draws her to writing women's stories across generations * What she's stopped apologizing for — and why it goes all the way back to kindergarten Books mentioned: * The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker - get it here [https://www.ellenbakernovels.com/cecilylarson] * Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker - pre-order here [https://www.ellenbakernovels.com/summerlandcove] Connect with Ellen: * Website & novels: EllenBakerNovels.com [http://EllenBakerNovels.com] * Next Chapter Studio: EllenBakerNovels.com/studio [http://EllenBakerNovels.com/studio] * Summerland Cove Spotify playlist [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ik8VjEplPHD3jE2IGp7sr?si=e07b618b84374619] Connect with The Midlife Edit: * Instagram: @thejenweinstein [https://www.instagram.com/thejenweinstein/] * TikTok: @thejenweinstein [https://www.tiktok.com/@thejenweinstein?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] * Newsletter: The Backstage Pass - join here! [https://themidlifeeditco.myflodesk.com/q0kryznjp5] * Website: themidlifeeditco.com [http://themidlifeeditco.com]

How to Advocate for Yourself in Perimenopause (In a World Full of Experts)

EPISODE DESCRIPTION You're not crazy. You're not lazy. And you're definitely not the only woman who has sat in a parking lot after a doctor's appointment wondering why you somehow left feeling worse. Women are being dismissed in exam rooms, overwhelmed by conflicting information online, and told to "just manage stress" while their bodies are clearly changing. So today we're getting into the how — how to actually advocate for yourself in perimenopause, what questions to ask, what red flags to watch for, who to trust (and who to scroll past), and how to stop feeling alone in the middle of all of it. This isn't me pretending to be a doctor. This is me, a real woman navigating all of this alongside you, handing you the guide I wish someone had handed me. RESOURCES + LINKS MENTIONED 🎁 FREE DOWNLOAD She's Not Crazy. She's Perimenopause. — The free guide that goes with this episode. Symptom tracker, appointment prep, questions to ask your doctor, red flags, trusted resources, and a little "before you spiral on TikTok" gut check. Grab it → here [https://themidlifeeditco.myflodesk.com/sheisnotcrazy] 💊 JEN'S PROVIDER Blair Wellness and Weight Loss — Jen's functional medicine nurse practitioner practice. Joanna and Jenny specialize in perimenopause, HRT, and whole-picture women's health. Currently accepting patients. → Check them out here [https://blairwellnessandweightloss.com/] 🩺 PELVIC FLOOR HEALTH Dr. Taylor Edmiston, PT, DPT — Jen's sister and pelvic floor physical therapist. If you're leaking when you sneeze, dealing with pelvic pain, or just feel like no one has ever actually explained what's going on down there, follow her. → @edmistonphysicaltherapy [https://www.instagram.com/edmistonphysicaltherapy/] 📚 VOICES WORTH FOLLOWING * Dr. Mary Claire Haver — Author of The New Menopause and The New Perimenopause * Dr. Stacy Sims — Strength, fitness, and female physiology * Dr. Jen Gunter — OB-GYN and myth-buster * Dr. Kelly Casperson — Women's sexual health and hormones * Beth Crosby, @thegarbagemom [https://www.instagram.com/thegarbagemom/] — Perimenopause, midlife, and the kind of honesty your group chat needs * Melani Sanders, @justbeingmelani [https://www.instagram.com/justbeingmelani/] We Do Not Care Club — Less perfection, less performing, less apologizing for aging If This Episode Hit Home Send it to a woman in your life who needs it. You know who she is. And if you want the free guide — She's Not Crazy. She's Perimenopause. — grab it below. No email list selling, no upsell, no gimmick. Just the resource I think every woman navigating this chapter deserves to have in her hands. → Get Your Guide Here [https://themidlifeeditco.myflodesk.com/sheisnotcrazy] The Midlife Edit drops every Tuesday. Follow, share, and leave a review if this episode meant something to you — it's the single best way to help more women find this show. themidlifeeditco.com [http://themidlifeeditco.com] | @thejenweinstein [https://www.instagram.com/thejenweinstein/]

Don't Talk Yourself Out of Your Own Life — What Happened When I Finally Sent the Email

This week’s episode is part story, part reminder, and part permission slip. Jen takes you inside a once-in-a-lifetime weekend in Brooklyn that started with one thing: an email she almost didn’t send. What followed was a surreal and deeply emotional experience recording with Tracy Bonham at Grand Street Recording for the 30th anniversary re-recording of Mother Mother — alongside a room full of women who felt like lifelong friends within minutes. But this episode isn’t just about music or nostalgia. It’s about: * Imposter syndrome in midlife * Making yourself smaller to fit into other people’s expectations * Female friendship and authentic connection * Learning to take up space unapologetically * Saying yes before you feel ready * Remembering who you are underneath all the performance Jen reflects on the power of witnessing women fully in their element, the reality that even wildly successful people still struggle with self-doubt, and why midlife can become the chapter where we finally stop asking for permission. If you’ve been sitting on an email, a dream, a boundary, a creative idea, or a version of yourself you’ve been afraid to fully step into — this episode is your sign. IN THIS EPISODE * Recording in Brooklyn with Tracy Bonham * The emotional legacy of Mother Mother * Why women in midlife crave real connection * The truth about imposter syndrome * Learning to stop performing for everyone else * The freedom that comes with aging * What happens when you finally send the email anyway MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE * Mother Mother * Jem * The Midlife Edit Co. [https://www.themidlifeeditco.com/] FREE RESOURCE Jen also shares her free guide: “Nobody Warned Me” — The Honest Midlife Hormone Guide A real, no-BS resource for women navigating hormones, perimenopause, exhaustion, and everything nobody prepared us for. You can download it at: The Midlife Edit Co. [https://themidlifeeditco.myflodesk.com/nobodywarnedmeguide] FAVORITE QUOTE FROM THIS EPISODE > “You don’t have to feel ready. You just have to go.” If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman who needs the reminder not to take herself out of her own life.

The Mother’s Day Industrial Complex (And the Mom I’m Becoming Anyway)

This week on The Midlife Edit, Jen is getting brutally honest about motherhood, stepmotherhood, reinvention, guilt, and why Mother’s Day can feel more like a performance than a celebration. From burnt breakfast-in-bed stories to awkward brunch reservations and the emotional complexity of being a stepmom in midlife, this episode dives into the messy middle so many women are living through but rarely talk about out loud. Jen opens up about raising a son who’s about to turn 21 while simultaneously helping raise younger stepkids, all while building The Midlife Edit and learning how to choose herself without drowning in guilt. This episode is about: * Midlife motherhood and identity shifts * The complicated reality of stepmom life * Reinvention and learning to take up space * Mom guilt, ambition, and choosing yourself * Why women are allowed to want more for themselves * Celebrating Mother’s Day in ways that actually feel meaningful And then… Jen reveals her very nontraditional Mother’s Day plans: heading to Brooklyn to join Tracy Bonham for her Scream Like a Mother experience — including recording vocals for a special 30th anniversary version of Mother Mother and participating in an intimate Mother’s Day brunch with Tracy herself. This episode is raw, funny, vulnerable, nostalgic, and deeply validating for any woman trying to figure out who she is while still showing up for everyone else. IN THIS EPISODE * Why Mother’s Day can feel exhausting instead of celebratory * The invisible emotional labor moms carry * The truth about breakfast in bed and overpriced brunches * What stepmoms rarely say out loud * Watching your kids grow while reinventing yourself * Why pursuing your dreams doesn’t make you selfish * Midlife identity shifts and imposter syndrome * Tracy Bonham’s Scream Like a Mother project * Jen’s upcoming Brooklyn adventure MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE * Tracy Bonham * Mother Mother * Scream Like a Mother [https://www.tracybonham.com/scream-like-a-mother] * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * Grand Street Recording CONNECT WITH JEN * Instagram: @thejenweinstein [https://www.instagram.com/thejenweinstein/] * Newsletter: Backstage Pass [https://themidlifeeditco.myflodesk.com/q0kryznjp5] * Podcast: The Midlife Edit [https://www.themidlifeeditco.com/podcast] If this episode resonated with you, share it with a mom, stepmom, bonus mom, or woman in reinvention mode who needs the reminder that she’s allowed to become something new too.

Bitch, Witch, and Everything in Between: The Long Overdue Comeback of Women in Music

What happened to the women who defined the soundtrack of our lives? In this episode, Jen dives into the rise, disappearance, and long-overdue resurgence of the women in music who shaped the ‘90s and early 2000s. From Meredith Brooks to Tori Amos to Missy Elliott, this is a conversation about truth-telling, industry bias, cultural memory, and why so many iconic women were labeled, dismissed, or erased—while their music lived on. But this isn’t just about the past. It’s about what’s changing now—and why midlife women are leading the charge in reclaiming these artists and giving them the recognition they’ve always deserved. This one is part nostalgia, part cultural critique, and fully fired up. ---------------------------------------- 🎶 WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE * The moment “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks hit differently—and why it still does * The pattern: how women in music were celebrated, then quietly pushed aside * Why artists like Tori Amos still aren’t getting the recognition they deserve * The double standard between male and female artists (and why it still exists) * Missy Elliott’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction—and what took so long * How streaming and TikTok are rewriting the rules of music longevity * Why midlife women are reclaiming the narrative (and refusing to stay quiet) * The question we should be asking: who are we overlooking right now? ---------------------------------------- 💥 KEY TAKEAWAYS * The music never disappeared—the industry just moved on from the women who made it * Women in music have historically been judged differently, labeled faster, and supported less * Cultural recognition doesn’t always come when it should—but it can come later * We’re in the middle of a shift—and women (especially in midlife) are driving it * Two things can be true: progress is happening, and there’s still a long way to go ---------------------------------------- 🖤 A NOTE FROM JEN This episode started with a song on the radio… and turned into something much bigger. Because it’s not just about music—it’s about voice. It’s about being complicated. Loud. Emotional. Honest. And refusing to shrink just because someone decided your moment was over. Spoiler: it’s not. ---------------------------------------- 📣 CALL TO ACTION This week, go back and listen to a deep cut—not just the hit. Then ask yourself: 👉 Who are we doing this to right now? Come tell me: Who deserves more flowers than they’ve gotten? 📲 Instagram & TikTok: @TheJenWeinstein 💌 Subscribe to the Backstage Pass newsletter for a deeper dive ---------------------------------------- 🎤 SHARE THE EPISODE If this one hit for you, send it to: * Your music-obsessed friend * Your sister * Your teenage daughter * Anyone who needs a reminder that women’s voices don’t expire ---------------------------------------- ⭐️ DON’T FORGET Follow, rate, and review The Midlife Edit—it helps more women find these conversations (and keeps them going).