There comes a point in life where things don’t feel wrong exactly… just off. Like you’re in the middle of something, but you don’t quite know what’s next. That’s where this conversation starts.

Lara sits down with Melissa Melrose to talk about what midlife really brings up—especially for Gen X women who grew up learning to stay small, keep the peace, and put everyone else first. Melissa shares how this stage of life has a way of undoing those patterns, when the roles and coping strategies you’ve relied on for years just stop working.

They talk about menopause, raising teenagers going through puberty at the same time, and why those seasons mirror each other more than we expect. It’s also a conversation about letting yourself feel what you’ve been pushing down, and what happens when you finally start choosing yourself without guilt.

No fixing. No hype. Just an honest look at this phase of life and what it asks of us.

If you have loved today’s episode, please share this with a friend. ❤️

About Melissa:

Melissa Melrose is a nervous system-informed soul coach and rebirthing breathwork facilitator with over 30 years of experience in holistic health and emotional healing. She is the creator of the Foundations of Self framework and the philosophy of Rewiring the New Human, guiding people out of survival-based living and into embodied wholeness through breathwork, somatic awareness, and emotional integration.

Connect with Melissa: https://www.melissamelrose.com/

About Lara Portelli:

As a successful business owner, NLP Practitioner, Midlife Reset Mentor, acclaimed award-winning author, and seasoned professional, Lara understands the challenges of navigating careers, business, and personal growth. She now channels her expertise into mentoring women through midlife and into their bodacious second act, helping ambitious women step into their power and build success on their own terms.

Connect with Lara: https://www.laraportelli.com/

Life doesn’t always fall apart one piece at a time, and sometimes it all hits at once.

Lara sits down for a deeply honest conversation with Holly McCusker, who opens up about losing both parents, her career, and her engagement in a very short span of time.

Holly shares how hitting rock bottom forced her out of survival mode and into a deeper journey of healing, self-trust, and coming home to herself. They talk about dropping the masks, feeling safe in your own body, breaking generational patterns, and shifting from waiting to be chosen to choosing yourself (and your partner). Dating, inner child work, and learning to love yourself in your second act—it’s all on the table.

If you’ve ever felt like midlife cracked you open instead of breaking you down, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

Connect with Holly - https://www.loveprescriptions.com/

If you have loved today’s episode, please share this with a friend. ❤️

About Lara Portelli:

As a successful business owner, NLP Practitioner, Midlife Reset Mentor, acclaimed award-winning author, and seasoned professional, Lara understands the challenges of navigating careers, business, and personal growth. She now channels her expertise into mentoring women through midlife and into their bodacious second act, helping ambitious women step into their power and build success on their own terms.

Connect with Lara: https://www.laraportelli.com/

Laughter is the Best Medicine: How a Daily DOSE of Joy Combats Loneliness and Midlife Stress

In this episode, Lara talks with Cathy Nesbitt about midlife reinvention, the global mental health tsunami, and why laughter is more powerful than we think.

Cathy shares how laughter yoga works as a cardiovascular workout that reduces stress, shifts energy, and boosts immunity by changing our brain chemistry. She also introduces her DOSE method — Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins — the feel-good hormones released when we laugh.

They also explore navigating midlife, setting boundaries with technology, embracing change, and the freedom that comes from putting yourself first.

Connect with Cathy: www.cathysclub.com

If you have loved today’s episode, please share this with a friend. ❤️

About Lara Portelli:

As a successful business owner, NLP Practitioner, Midlife Reset Mentor, acclaimed award-winning author, and seasoned professional, Lara understands the challenges of navigating careers, business, and personal growth. She now channels her expertise into mentoring women through midlife and into their bodacious second act, helping ambitious women step into their power and build success on their own terms.

Connect with Lara: https://www.laraportelli.com/