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In this week's Midlife with Courage Podcast™ Kim talks with Angela Burk, a retired B2B marketer who wrote Real Girls Guide to Midlife after finding a 20-year-old “red folder” of questions. They discuss divorce, grief, perimenopause rage, self-publishing, “together living apart,” and saying no.

- Midlife change, courage, and messy “middle” journeys
- Menopause symptoms, identity shifts, and reclaiming pleasure
- Practical mindset reset: let go of one thing, reclaim one thing; “I’m not available”

00:00 Feeling Alone in Midlife (and the Missing ‘Messy Middle’)
00:34 Podcast Intro: Midlife With Courage + What to Expect
00:52 Meet Angela Burk: Career, Family, and the Book That Came Back
03:23 Courage Moment #1: Ending a Marriage and Choosing Happiness
04:47 Courage Moment #2: Retiring, Finding the Folder, and Writing the Book
06:03 Stop Overplanning: Trust Yourself and Just Start
06:46 Why Women Put Everyone Else First (and How to Unlearn It)
09:11 Midlife Overload: Hormones, Kids, Parents, Career—All at Once
10:36 Reclaiming Yourself After Divorce + Menopause Run-Up in Your 40s
13:56 Strength, Grief, and Letting Go of Shame Around Change
17:10 Why Angela Wrote the ‘Real Girl’ Midlife Guide (Not a Celebrity Story)
19:04 Perimenopause Rage: When It Hits and Why It’s So Scary
21:40 The ‘Wave Three’ Surprise: Symptoms After Your Period Stops
22:45 Letters to Her Boys: Repair, Memory, and Self-Forgiveness
23:38 A Fiancé in Australia: Making Long-Distance Love Work
25:08 ‘Together Living Apart’: Rethinking Midlife Relationships
28:11 Pleasure, Sex, and Being a ‘Whole Person’ in Midlife
31:15 Where to Get the Book + The Manifesto: Let Go & Reclaim
33:14 Practice Saying No: ‘I’m Not Available’ (Final Takeaways & Goodbye)

You can read Angela's blog and buy her book on her WEBSITE.

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Kim Benoy is a retired RN, Certified Aromatherapist, wife and mom who is passionate about inspiring and encouraging women over 40. She wants you to see your own beauty, value and worth through sharing stories of other women just like you.

If this podcast inspires you and makes you think, “She’s talking to me,” there’s a place where these conversations continue. The Midlife with Courage™ community is the podcast—plus deeper connection, encouragement, and support. It’s a safe, uplifting space to be inspired, share honestly, and grow alongside women who truly get this season of life.

Midlife with Courage™ Community

Want to be a guest on Midlife with Courage™-Flourishing After Forty with Kim Benoy? Send Kim Benoy a message on PodMatch, here:

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