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by Melissa Murphy
Welcome to Now What, the podcast that dives into the heart of midlife and all its twists and turns. Whether you're feeling lost, bored, or wondering what your next move should be, you're not alone. Join Melis as she explores the ups, downs, and everything in between, offering insights and real talk to help you find your way through this new chapter. Together, we'll navigate the midlife maze and discover what's next. Let's go!
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- 1 weeks ago41 min
(#75) She Lost Her Brain in a Car Crash. Then She Found Herself. - with Martine Cohen
Squad, most of us spend years becoming really good at something — a career, a role, a title — until that thing quietly becomes who we are. My guest today didn't get to ease into that realization. A car accident took the one thing this sharp, strategic corporate attorney depended on most: her brain. Overnight. What she found in that silence, and what she built from it, became a bestselling, award-winning book and a framework that's now helping high achievers everywhere strip back the layers keeping them stuck. Meet Martine Cohen: Two law degrees. A career built on being the sharpest person in the room. Then a 2016 car accident took her cognitive function overnight, and she had to rebuild her sense of self from scratch. Now she's an award-winning author (No More Layers), speaker, and self-leadership coach who teaches people how to do the identity work she was forced into — without the concussion. 🔥 In This Episode We Get Into: 🚗 The car accident that took Martine's brain overnight, and the terrifying question that followed: "Who am I if I'm not this?" 🛁 The bathtub epiphany that started her healing, and the "layers" she found underneath (perfectionism, worthiness, control, and more) 🧠 Why "turn your fear into curiosity" might be the single best brain hack we've ever had on this show — and why fear and curiosity literally cannot coexist 😤 The fight Melis has with her alarm clock every single morning, and why Martine says nobody wins that fight ☕ The cappuccino ritual that sounds silly and isn't — a two-minute reset that changes your entire day 💍 Guilt, motherhood, and why "I love my kids AND I wish I worked at Dunkin' Donuts today" can both be true at once 💥 Plot Twist Takeaway You don't need a concussion to lose yourself. Midlife will do it just fine — a divorce, a layoff, an empty nest, a body that stops cooperating. Martine's plot twist is that the identity crisis isn't the end of the story. It's the invitation to finally ask who you actually are underneath the layers everyone else built. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Martine 📸 @martinecohen_ 🌐 martinecohen.com 💼 LinkedIn: Martine Cohen NML 🎁 Free 2-day Mindset Reset (gift for the Squad!) — martinecohen.com/connectwithme 📚 Grab the book, No More Layers — on Amazon, Indigo, and Barnes & Noble ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- 2 weeks ago39 min
(#74) Men Have a Midlife Crisis Too? Meet Andropause. - with James Davis
Squad, we're going international today. My guest lives in London, and he just informed me that men have their own midlife hormone crisis and nobody bothered to tell us. It's called andropause, and yes, my first reaction was exactly what yours is about to be. Meet James Davis: Coaching psychologist, men's health advocate, keynote speaker, and author of The Midlife Male Handbook: A Man's Guide to Thriving Through Andropause. Spends his days explaining menopause to rooms full of confused men and andropause to rooms full of skeptical women (me). Married to his own midlife journey — he lived through a full andropause dip himself, in Marbella, of all places. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: 🎙️ I ask James point blank if men are just trying to steal menopause now too — his answer changed my mind 📉 What andropause actually is, why it creeps up over decades instead of hitting all at once, and why that makes it so easy for men to write off as "just getting older" 💬 Why most men have zero language for what they're feeling — and how that silence is quietly wrecking marriages and mental health 💍 The real talk on what happens when a menopausal woman and an andropausal man are living in the same house at the same time (spoiler: it's not pretty) 🧠 The "do I want to be right or do I want to be happy" line that's staying in my head rent-free 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY This isn't about men stealing your moment, Squad. It's about realizing your husband, your brother, your dad might be going through his own quiet identity collapse — and he doesn't have the words for it. Start the conversation. It might save more than his mood. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with James 📚 The Midlife Male Handbook — available on Amazon now (buy it for the man in your life, he won't ask for it himself) 🌐 jamespdavis.com 🌐 themidlifementors.com ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- Jun 25, 202656 min
(#73) "The Fury Is the Fuel": How Comedy Unlocks the Creative Dream You've Been Sitting On - with Lynn Harris
Squad, I have a confession — I have always wanted to be an actress. Always. And today I'm sitting across from someone who has literally helped women bust down the doors of Hollywood by making people laugh first. Meet Lynn Harris: culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, author of six books, former Tonya Harding lookalike (yes, we get into it), and founder of Gold Comedy — the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary creators build real entertainment careers, find their people, and make funny stuff that actually gets seen. This conversation is not just for people who want to do stand-up. It's for anyone who has an idea — a show, a podcast, a business pitch, a creative dream — stuck in a drawer on their heart. Lynn's message is simple and it wrecked me: you already have everything you need. The skills you build through comedy unlock every other thing you want to create. And the only thing stopping you? Probably the patriarchy. (Her words. I love her.) 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: 🎭 The Tonya Harding lookalike saga — figure skates, Geraldo, Ricky Lake, and a feminist crisis in her 20s 😂 Why comedy is an art form that doesn't get the credit it deserves — and what the cast of Somebody Somewhere has to do with it 🔑 The skill that changes everything: "noticing that you're noticing" — and why it makes you funnier AND more creative in everything you do 🏆 Why your life being "boring" is actually the perfect starting point (not the excuse you think it is) 💥 What Gold Comedy actually is — and why it's built for women in midlife who have a creative idea they've been putting off for 10 years 🚀 The one class that women 40+ keep gravitating toward — and what it really teaches you (hint: it's not how to write a pilot) 🎤 "The fury is the fuel" — Lynn's drop on why frustration with the status quo is actually your greatest creative asset 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY You don't need more confidence. You don't need more time. You don't need to wait until your kids are grown, your schedule clears, or you feel "ready." You have lived to this point in the world — that's the material. The idea in the drawer on your heart? It's been waiting long enough. Comedy school, pilot pitch, podcast, talk show — whatever it is — you're already ready. Now go do it. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Lynn Harris & Gold Comedy: 🌐 goldcomedy.com 📸 Find Lynn at goldcomedy.com — free trial + annual membership available 🎓 Ask about the "Develop and Pitch Any Idea" premium class with Ryan Elizabeth Cunningham (former producer on Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Search Party) ☕ Free consultation with Lynn available at goldcomedy.com ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- Jun 20, 202641 min
(#72) "Happy Father's Day, Papi (Now Apologize)" - with Shannon "Papi" Murphy
Squad, it's Father's Day, which means Papi is back in the chair — and within the first 90 seconds I'm already mad at him for something he did in my dream last night. Welcome to marriage. Meet Papi: Husband. Father of three. Professional avoider of feelings until cornered on a podcast. Wore a visor through two birth experiences for reasons he still cannot explain. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: 🎙️ The microphone confession nobody asked for (you'll know it when you hear it) 😴 Why I woke up furious at my own husband over something that happened in a dream — and he's still paying for it 👶 Rapid-fire dad questions: favorite kid, most expensive kid, who gave him the most gray hair (he answered honestly, mostly) 💍 The real talk on co-parenting, therapy, and the years it took us to stop attacking each other and start listening 😭 Papi gets emotional talking about losing his own dad — and what he hopes our kids take from watching him 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY Father's Day isn't about the perfect gift or the perfect dad. It's about showing up, owning your fails, and letting your kids watch you keep trying. Papi's no hero in my dreams — but he's the real deal when it counts. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Papi: 📸 Find him hiding behind the camera, never in front of it 🌐 He lives at motivatewithmelis.com whether he likes it or not ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- Jun 11, 202637 min
(#71) Your Home Should Set You Free — Stay, Go, or Reno - with Kim Costa
Squad, we talk a lot about reinventing ourselves in midlife — new career, new mindset, new body. But what about the actual physical space you come home to every single day? Because if your environment isn't aligned with who you are becoming, it is quietly working against you. Kim Costa is here to fix that. 🏠 Meet Kim Costa: She's a top 5% realtor, author of Live in Your Wheelhouse, and creator of the Wheelhouse Method — a framework that helps women figure out whether to stay, renovate, or move when life shifts. This isn't just a real estate conversation. This is about identity, intention, and why your home might be the missing piece of your reinvention. And yes — she broke her back falling off a horse to figure this out. So you don't have to. 😄 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: 🏠 The Wheelhouse Method — the 8-spoke framework that helps you figure out if your home is aligned with who you're becoming 🛑 The "Stay, Go, or Reno" decision — and how to know which one is right for you RIGHT NOW 📸 Why the wall of kids' photos might be holding you back — and what to put up instead (spoiler: it's YOU) 🎨 The Divine Goddess painting that changed Kim's life after divorce — and why your artwork should reflect who you're becoming 🚴 The one thing in your home that's giving you guilt every single day — and why you need to get rid of it NOW 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY You've been putting everyone else on the wall. Your kids. Your wedding. Your family. But where are YOU? Your home should reflect who you are BECOMING — not just who you've been. Stay. Go. Reno. But whatever you do — put yourself on the wall. 🔥 Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Kim Costa: 📸 @kimecosta 🌐 lifestylefoundations.com 📚 Live in Your Wheelhouse — available on Amazon AND at lifestylefoundations.com (get free bonus chapters + a masterclass with your purchase!) ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- Jun 4, 202641 min
(#70) Your Skin Isn't the Problem - Your Relationship With It Is - with Zhanna Gavrilov
Squad, if you've ever looked in the mirror, seen one breakout, and immediately questioned every decision you've made since 1997 — this episode is for you. Zhanna Gavrilov is about to completely change how you think about your skin, your self-talk, and what's actually going on beneath the surface. Meet Zhanna Gavrilov: She's a European-born, California-based holistic skin specialist, licensed esthetician, certified life coach, meditation instructor, Reiki practitioner, and founder of Integrative Esthetics and Radiance Coach. With over 25 years of experience, Zhanna helps women end what she calls "Skin Exile" — that quiet separation from your own confidence because of what you see in the mirror. She's not just treating your skin. She's helping you come home to yourself. ✨ 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: • ✨ What "Skin Exile" actually means — and why so many women are living in it right now without realizing it • 🧠 Why your skin is a messenger, not the enemy — and what it's trying to tell you • 🌿 The holistic approach to skin health that goes way beyond products — connecting skincare, nutrition, stress, mindset and emotional wellness • 💧 The surprising thing you should be thinking about when you apply your skincare products every single day • 🛑 The biggest mistake women make when they get a breakout — and what to do instead 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY Your skin isn't broken. It's talking. And the way you talk BACK to it — in the mirror, in your head, while you're applying your products — matters more than any cream you'll ever buy. Stop exiling yourself. Start coming home. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Zhanna Gavrilov: 📸 @radiancecoach 🌐 radiance-coach.com (online platform) 🌐 integrative-esthetics.com (in-studio skincare — Newport Beach, CA) 📘 Facebook: Radiance Coach 🎵 TikTok: @radiancecoach 🎁 FREE Radiance Reset Guide — download at radiance-coach.com. 3 science-backed daily habits for healthier skin, glow-boosting recipes and simple holistic skincare resets. No harsh chemicals. Just real results. ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- May 28, 202634 min
(#69) Your 401k Shouldn't Become a 201k - Let's Fix That with Mike Milligan
Squad, we are talking about money today. Your money. Your next chapter. Your plan. And I brought in the guy who makes this stuff actually make sense — without the intimidation, without the jargon, and without making you feel behind. This conversation is going to fire you up in ways you did not expect from a money episode. Meet Mike Milligan: He's a certified financial planner, fiduciary, founder of Ideas by Mike and One Oak Financial, and author of The One-of-a-Kind Financial Plan. Mike has spent 30 years helping people turn financial chaos into a real plan — and he lives in Puerto Rico because taxes are THAT big of a deal to him. Yeah. He's that good. 💸 🎉 This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Squad, our friends at Cozy Earth are hooking you up — use code MELIS at cozyearth.com for up to 30% off now through June 1st. And make sure to mention Now What?! in the post-purchase survey so they know we sent you. 😌 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: 💸 Why money is just a tool — and how shifting that mindset changes everything about how you earn, save and spend 🏠 The $10,000 gift that could give your kids $500,000 in equity — and why giving money NOW beats leaving an inheritance later 🧾 The Augusta, Georgia tax hack that lets you rent your home tax-free — and yes, it applies to YOU too 😴 The "sleep meter" approach to financial risk — and why there's no one-size-fits-all answer for midlife investing 📖 Why your first memory of money is running your financial life right now — and what to do about it 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY Your financial plan shouldn't be built around a spreadsheet. It should be built around your life — your why, your goals, your laundry preferences. 😄 It's never too late to get this right. And the cost of NOT having a plan is always higher than the cost of getting one. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Mike Milligan: 🌐 mikemilligan.com 📚 The One-of-a-Kind Financial Plan — available on Amazon. Search "Mike Milligan One of a Kind Financial Plan" Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1oakfinancial/ Website: https://1oakfinancial.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemilligancfp/overlay/about-this-profile/ ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
- May 21, 202644 min
(#68) Your Body Isn't Broken...Your Approach Is - with Michelle MacDonald
Squad, if you've ever thought your body was broken, your metabolism was shot, or it was just too late — Michelle MacDonald is about to blow your mind. This conversation is one of the most science-packed, myth-busting, fire-starting episodes we've ever done. Buckle up. Meet Michelle MacDonald: She's a world-renowned strength and transformation coach, four-time FMG champion, founder of The Wonderwomen, and the woman behind her mom Joan MacDonald's viral fitness transformation that took the internet by storm. Michelle helps women over 40 build muscle, reclaim their health, and lead themselves with unshakable discipline. Her mission? End the obsession with shrinking and show women how to rise. She lives between San Miguel and Tulum. And yes — she lifts heavy. 💪 🎉 This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Squad, our friends at Cozy Earth are hooking you up — use code MELIS at cozyearth.com for up to 30% off now through June 1st. And make sure to mention Now What?! in the post-purchase survey so they know we sent you. 😌 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE WE GET INTO: • 💪 The biggest lie women over 40 believe about their bodies — and the truth that will change everything • 🔬 Why Michelle's approach is science-based AND results-proven — and how to spot the difference between real coaching and cheerleading • 🍽️ The real reason you can't out-train a decade of undereating — and what it actually takes to build the body you want in midlife • 💊 The honest truth about GLP-1s — what they can do, what they can't, and what you absolutely must be doing alongside them • 🏆 Why bodybuilding is actually a team sport — and how The Wonderwomen community is changing what's possible for women in midlife 💥 PLOT TWIST TAKEAWAY Your body isn't broken. Your approach was. Your current picture will one day be your before picture — but only if you stop shrinking and start building. Women can do hard things. Michelle just proved it with her mom. Now it's your turn. Because midlife isn't a crisis — it's a plot twist. xoxo melis 🔗 Connect with Michelle MacDonald: 📸 @michellemacdonaldofficial 📸 @thewonderwomenofficial 🌐 michellemacdonaldofficial.com 📧 hello@thewonderwomen.com 🔗 Don't miss Joan: 📸 @trainwithjoan 📱 Train with Joan App — plankk.partners/trainwithjoan 📣 UPCOMING FROM MICHELLE: 🏋️ 24-Week Transformation Program — launching June 15th. Very limited spots. Email hello@thewonderwomen.com to get on the waitlist. 🌴 2027 Annual Retreat — February 21st, Amansala in Tulum. 35 spots only. Waitlist opening next month. Email hello@thewonderwomen.com to get on the list. ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review ONLY (we're not accepting anything less, respectfully 😌) 👉 RateThisPodcast.com/nowwhatwithmelis 📸 @motivatewithmelis ▶️ @NowWhatPodcastwithMelis 🎵 open.spotify.com/show/0MbAB2rFGYnUijWehLtN4C 🎙️ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-what/id1828005485 🌐 motivatewithmelis.com 📧 info@motivatewithmelis.com
About Now What
Welcome to Now What, the podcast that dives into the heart of midlife and all its twists and turns. Whether you're feeling lost, bored, or wondering what your next move should be, you're not alone. Join Melis as she explores the ups, downs, and everything in between, offering insights and real talk to help you find your way through this new chapter. Together, we'll navigate the midlife maze and discover what's next. Let's go!
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