Her Comeback: Transforming Your Life After 50

Podcast: Her Comeback – Transforming Your Life After 50 Episode https://hercomebackpodcast.com/Title: Strength Beyond “Strong” with Dr. Belinda PaulicinEpisode Summary: What does it really mean to be called “strong”—and is it always empowering?In this powerful and deeply human conversation, host Michelle Thompson sits down with Belinda Paulicin, DSW, LCSW-QS, OSW-C, a seasoned clinical social worker and oncology specialist, to explore resilience, trauma, and the hidden weight many women carry behind the label of “strength.”Belinda shares her journey from working with families, trauma survivors, and domestic violence victims to supporting cancer patients and caregivers. Through her lens as a trauma-informed professional, she reveals how our life experiences shape the way we respond to challenges—and how understanding that can unlock true healing and growth.They dive into the difference between empathy and emotional overwhelm, the importance of healthy boundaries, and how to serve others without losing yourself. Belinda also introduces the concept behind her upcoming book Hot Stone Woman: Strength Beyond Your Strong, redefining resilience as more than just “bouncing back,” but as building the capacity to rise, transform, and find meaning through life’s hardest moments.This episode is a must-listen for any woman who has been told she’s “so strong” but is ready to discover what lies beyond survival—and step into purpose, power, and possibility.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:The difference between empathy and over-identification (and why it matters)How trauma-informed thinking changes the way we see ourselves and othersWhy resilience is more than “bouncing back”How to navigate life’s hardest seasons without losing yourselfThe truth behind the label “you’re so strong”How to turn life’s challenges into purpose and growthKey Takeaway: You are more than what you’ve survived. True resilience isn’t just enduring—it’s transforming, expanding, and becoming.About the Guest: Belinda Paulicin is a Doctor of Social Work, licensed clinical social worker, and board-certified oncology social worker with decades of experience supporting individuals and families through trauma, healthcare challenges, and life transitions. Her work centers on resilience, healing, and empowering women to rise beyond their circumstances.Connect & Learn More: Stay tuned for the release of Belinda’s book Hot Stone Woman: Strength Beyond Your Strong.

Her Comeback | Episode Notes Guest: Randi Crawford, Life Coach & AuthorRandi Crawford is a San Diego-based certified life coach, former entrepreneur, and co-founder of a public healthcare company focused on women's health. After stepping away from her career to raise her two children, Randi found herself at 50 facing the classic empty-nest crossroads — and chose to reinvent herself rather than coast.Her comeback began unexpectedly when she walked into Anthropologie with zero retail experience and landed a job. What started as a way to "get back in the game" became a crash course in humility, resilience, and rediscovering her greatest superpower: connecting with women. She was quickly made a stylist — and realized that everyone brings something different to the table. You just have to give things a real chance before you quit.It was during the post-COVID era that Randi witnessed something that changed her path entirely. Instead of the joy she expected to see as women returned to the world, she saw anger, emotional exhaustion, and women who seemed to have lost themselves. That's when she pursued certification through the Jay Shetty Certification School and became a life coach.Randi also opens up about something deeply personal: being diagnosed with panic disorder at just 6 years old, long before it had a name. She spent years visiting specialists with no real answers — until she found information online in her 20s and finally understood what she'd been living with. Rather than letting it define her, she transformed it into her greatest professional asset. She now helps clients disrupt the mental "highways" that keep them stuck in fear and negative thought patterns.Today, Randi coaches both teen/college-age girls and their mothers simultaneously — because she believes the two are inseparable. With young women, the work centers on navigating social media comparison and building confidence in a performative world. With moms, it's about stepping back, releasing the need to control, and finally living their own lives.Randi also shares her take on the "not enough" epidemic driven by social media, the algorithm's role in feeding self-doubt, and why handing kids a phone without limits is a parenting conversation we can no longer avoid.She's currently working on her upcoming book, The Pickleball Parenting Playbook — a self-deprecating, warmhearted guide that uses lessons from the pickleball court (patience, communication, position over power) as a framework for healthier parenting.Connect with Randi: 🌐 randicrawfordcoaching.com 📱 @randicrawfordcoaching on TikTok & Instagram 📅 Book a free 30-minute Zoom call via her website

Guest: Beth Mazza | Entrepreneur Like a MotherBeth Mazza is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience building businesses — including two consulting firms she built and sold for a combined value of more than $40 million, all while raising four children. Now at 57, she's launched her third venture: a mission-based business co-founded with her business partner Victoria, dedicated to helping 10,000 moms build 7-figure businesses. Together, they created the Entrepreneur Like a Mother system — a step-by-step playbook for women who want to grow a real business without losing themselves or their families in the process.What We Cover in This EpisodeStarting from a legacy of entrepreneurship Beth grew up surrounded by immigrant entrepreneurs — her father, grandfather, and brothers all ran their own businesses. Her dad never treated her differently from her brothers when it came to business ambition, a gift she credits as foundational to her confidence as a founder.Launching a mission-based business after 50 After selling her second company, Beth lasted "a day and a half" in retirement before the pull to build something new took over. What started as writing for a blog evolved into a book, a content platform, and now masterminds and one-on-one coaching — all aimed at showing women that scaling to 7 figures is within reach, and that they can likely work less than they did in corporate.Three mindset tools Beth uses every single dayWrite down a victory — big or small, recent or years ago — to remind yourself you've already done hard things.Focus on the one thing that moves the needle today, not the overwhelming big goal.Channel your inner "Sammy Lee" — her 25-year-old son who walked into Goldman Sachs with a B+ average and got the job. Walk into every room like you belong there.The two biggest blocks keeping women below 7 figuresUnderpricing their time and failing to think like a CEO about revenue — women who track a P&L and revenue projections are the ones who scale.Trying to do it all alone. The solopreneur model has a ceiling. Hiring is a 2–3 month trial, not a lifetime commitment.When to pivot vs. push through If you're stuck in the messy middle, you're in one of three situations: doing all the right things and just need to wait; doing mostly the right things and need a micro-pivot; or selling to the wrong market and need a bigger change. The key is diagnosing which one honestly.The "Kitchen Cabinet" strategy Beth's closing advice: build a personal advisory network made up of three types: Cheerleaders (emotional support), Compensators (experts in areas you're not), and Connectors (people who open doors). Spend just 30 minutes a week cultivating this network, and within a year you'll have a cabinet of people to call when challenges arise. Give everyone who asks 15 minutes — it comes back to you.About the BookEntrepreneur Like a Mother — coming out in September. Equal parts memoir and playbook, the book walks readers from idea to first sale, through the messy middle, and all the way to the 7-figure threshold. Includes real stories, end-of-chapter reflection questions, and full worksheets.📬 Free resource: Subscribe to the Founders File newsletter at their website for weekly how-to content.

Her Comeback Podcast — Episode Summaryhercomebackpodcast.com; https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleThompson-LifeCoachingGuest: Dr. Julie Merriman, PhD, LPC | Host: Coach Michelle Thompson | OverviewDr. Julie Merriman — counselor, speaker, and author with 30+ years of clinical experience — joins Michelle Thompson to reframe burnout as a physiological nervous system response, not a personal failure. Her message: Soul Joy is available to every woman. We just have to stop asking permission for it.What Burnout Really Looks LikeBurnout rarely announces itself with a dramatic crash. More often it arrives as flatness, numbness, and a quiet loss of desire. Dr. Merriman's own turning point came after receiving a standing ovation and feeling absolutely nothing — what she calls being "a floating head of competence," disconnected from her own body.Beneath the surface, burnout is identity erosion: women become so buried in roles — mom, professional, caregiver — that the real self disappears. It's not weakness. It's a dysregulated nervous system stuck in survival mode.The Nervous System FrameworkThe root of burnout is a polyvagal system that has been chronically activated. Running on adrenaline and cortisol, the body shuts down pleasure, digestion, and connection — anything that would "get in the way of running from a saber-toothed tiger." Bubble baths and vacations don't fix this. True healing requires regulating the nervous system first, before mindset work or behavior change can take hold.High-achieving women most often default to the fawn response — people-pleasing, over-functioning, anticipating everyone's needs — which keeps the system perpetually activated. Decades of this rewire neural pathways, and menopause around 50 removes the estrogen buffer that helped women brace through it all. Dr. Merriman reframes that moment not as loss, but as a powerful wake-up call. Practical Tools to Start This Week• Rectangle breathing: Inhale 4 → Hold 4 → Exhale 6 (longer exhale activates the vagus nerve)• Full body scan: Slowly scan head to toe, noticing sensations with curiosity and no judgment• Grounding: Shoes off, bare feet on grass, deep breath, sunlight — research supports it• Shaking: Literally shake the body to discharge tension, just as animals do naturally• Shoulder drop: Check whether you're bracing — most women are, without realizing it• Humming: Throat vibration stimulates the vagus nerve and signals safety• Co-regulation: Seek calm, present people — mirror neurons are always available to us Upcoming BookAre We Gonna Have Sex or What? (Spring 2026) — nervous system regulation for desire and intimacy after 50, including scripts for couples, hormone guidance, and tips to wake up a bored nervous system.Contact Dr. Julie Merriman: https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/

Episode Title: From Woodstock to Wisdom: Discovering Your Purpose at Any Age with Vicki ThomasEpisode Summary In this inspiring episode of Her Comeback, Michelle sits down with Vicki Thomas, Chief Purpose Officer of My Future Purpose, to talk about reinvention, purpose, and creating meaningful work later in life. After a successful career in media and marketing—including leadership roles at ABC TV—Vicki found herself asking a powerful question: Who am I beyond my job title?That question launched a decades-long journey of self-discovery that ultimately led her to helping others uncover their unique purpose. Now in her 70s, Vicki continues to inspire people to live intentionally and create meaningful impact in the second half of life.Vicki also shares insights from her new book, From Woodstock to Wisdom, where she reflects on the lessons learned from the cultural revolution of the 1960s through the wisdom gained over decades of personal growth and purpose-driven work. Her story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to redefine your path and step into the life you were meant to live.About Our Guest Vicki Thomas is the Chief Purpose Officer at My Future Purpose, a membership organization dedicated to helping people discover and activate their life purpose through workshops, speakers, and community.She previously held executive leadership roles in media and marketing, including working at ABC TV and serving as Vice President of Marketing and Advertising for the Credit Union National Association.Vicki is also an award-winning social impact leader. She received a $100,000 Purpose Prize from Encore.org for her work raising awareness for Purple Heart Homes, a nonprofit that provides housing solutions for older veterans.Her creative career has also included producing PBS programming and nationally recognized projects such as the Dancing Grannies exercise videos and programs about retirement and the Senior Olympics.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy many high-achieving women eventually feel something is “missing” despite professional successThe powerful question that changed Vicki’s life: Who am I beyond my job description?Insights from her new book From Woodstock to Wisdom and the lessons that shaped her journeyWhy purpose does not retire—even if your career doesThe difference between a career identity and a purpose-driven lifeHow discovering your purpose can create a powerful second chapterKey Takeaways• You are more than your job title or career role. • Feelings of restlessness can be an invitation to deeper purpose. • Reinvention can begin at any age—even in your 60s or 70s. • Purpose-driven living brings meaning to both personal and professional life. • The second half of life can be the most impactful chapter.Connect with Vicki ThomasLearn more about purpose discovery and the My Future Purpose community: Website: https://myfuturepurpose.comListen & SubscribeIf this conversation inspired you, please subscribe, rate, and share Her Comeback. Your support helps more women discover that it’s never too late to reinvent their lives and create their own comeback.

Her Comeback — Bonus EpisodeRelationship with the DivineHost: Michelle Thompson | Type: Bonus Episode / Book ExcerptEpisode OverviewIn this special bonus episode, host Michelle Thompson shares an intimate excerpt from her upcoming book — a chapter she almost didn't write. The topic? Spirituality. Michelle opens up about her complicated, decades-long journey from fear-based religion to a deeply personal relationship with the divine, and why she believes this transformation has been the greatest of her life."It's not really about God — it's about the beliefs we carry for decades that were never really ours to begin with."What You'll Hear in This EpisodeMichelle takes us through the full arc of her spiritual evolution:Growing up as a preacher's kid in an Independent Baptist household — three church services a week, piano, ensembles, Sunday school, and the unspoken pressure to be perfectWhy she walked away from church after high school and why, for years, religion and God felt like the same fear-based thingHer entry into 12-step recovery and the first time someone distinguished religion from spirituality — a distinction that changed everythingThe pivotal quote from Vine Deloria Jr.: "Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who've already been there."A transformative 10-day silent meditation retreat — and what happened on day eight in solitary meditationThe stories of Corrie ten Boom and Dr. Edith Eger, Holocaust survivors whose unshakeable faith in the darkest imaginable circumstances reframed Michelle's understanding of suffering and trustHow she stopped blaming God for the bad and started seeing her own "track record" — evidence that things worked out, often better than she imaginedKey ThemesOld beliefs vs. your own beliefs — Many of us carry spiritual frameworks that were handed to us, not chosen. This episode invites you to examine which ones still serve you.Control and surrender — Michelle is refreshingly honest about being a self-described "self-sufficient control freak" and the ongoing daily practice of letting go.Faith over fear — Moving from a punishing, fearful concept of God to a loving, guiding presence that strengthens rather than scares.Reflection Questions to Sit WithWhat long-held spiritual or religious belief has shaped your life — and might be worth reexamining?How do you define the difference between religion and spirituality?If you had full permission to define your own higher power, what qualities would it have?Where in your life right now might letting go open new doors?Can you look back at a difficult chapter and see how something good came from it?Connect & Resources🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: Michelle Thompson Life Coaching🌐 Visit: hercombackpodcast.com for notes, resources & community📖 Michelle's book — coming soonYour setback isn't your final chapter. It's the setup for your greatest comeback.

Her Comeback | Episode NotesGuest: Mikki Williams — Global Speaker, Storyteller & Accidental Influencer at 82Mikki Williams is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), inductee of the prestigious CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, and TEDx speaker recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine alongside Tony Robbins and Bill Gates. She's spoken in every U.S. state, every Canadian province, and every continent except Antarctica — always in stilettos. A former award-winning Vistage speaker and Chair Emeritus of two peer advisory boards, Mikki runs Speaker School, Keynote Camp, and her coaching practice from Naples, Florida. Oh, and she recently went viral on TikTok with 1.2 million views. The Defining Moment At 28, Mikki had achieved her dream — married to her college sweetheart, a two-year-old son, a home in the suburbs. Then at 2 a.m., a knock at the door changed everything. Her 29-year-old husband was killed in a car accident. No job, a mortgage, and very little life insurance. That night became the catalyst for a life she never could have planned.Finding Untapped Potential Forced to reinvent herself, Mikki dug into her natural talents — dance and cooking — and built a career from scratch. She taught dance, launched a catering business, grew a health club, and belly danced on the side. (Her son Jason, she jokes, stood behind her and jiggled the furniture.) Her dance school became one of the largest in the country, and her catering business launched at the same time as that of a student named Martha Stewart — Mikki is featured in Martha Inc.Staying One Step Ahead of Pain A turning point came when a no-nonsense mentor pulled Mikki out of her grief and pointed her back toward the stage. She credits the relentless drive to keep moving — for her son, for herself — as the thing that kept her one step ahead of the pain. She also shares that even today, a Beatles song can stop her in her tracks.Experience List vs. Bucket List Mikki doesn't believe in bucket lists — things to do before you die. She creates an experience list — things to do while fully alive. The key? Write each item as a mini-story, not a bullet point. The brain holds onto stories. She manifested driving two laps on the Indy 500 track in front of 300,000 fans, waltzing in Vienna, and attending the Kentucky Derby in Millionaire's Row in an outrageously large hat.The Setbacks That Kept Coming At 50, Mikki was embezzled out of every penny she had and rebuilt from zero — borrowing $5,000 to fly to Arizona for a consultant who changed everything. At 65, breast cancer. Her memoir-in-progress is titled We Interrupt This Life to Bring You — because that's how she sees adversity: interruptions, not endings.Going Viral at 82 A friend suggested TikTok. Mikki hired a 17-year-old to film a casual closet tour. She introduced herself as "an all-natural 82-year-old" — and woke up to 1.2 million views. Her first instinct? Google it to make sure that was a good thing.Key TakeawaysWhen the worst thing happens, you still have choices.Dig into what you can do, not what you've lost.Replace your bucket list with an experience list — write stories, not items.Staying busy isn't avoidance; sometimes it's survival, and survival becomes thriving.It's never too late to disrupt. Mikki became an influencer at 82.Connect with Mikki WilliamsWebsite: mikkiwilliams.comFacebook: Mikki WilliamsInstagram: @mikkiwilliamsunltdTikTok: @mikkigogo

Episode Resources: www.hercomebackpodcast.comGuest: Dr. Antoinette Cruz, Founder of Providence Family Life Center & Mind-Body Movement Living LaboratoryJourney to Body-Centered Trauma RecoveryTransitioned from traditional clinical work at University of Michigan and Columbia UniversityRecognized gap between treating symptoms vs. addressing root causes of traumaDeveloped integrated approach combining mental health, chronic illness, and wellnessHurricane Irma Awakening (2017)Personal experience with hurricane trauma revealed lack of mental health preparednessNo emotional support systems in place for disaster victimsBegan addressing both housing needs and emotional trauma recoveryMind-Body Movement Living LaboratoryTeaches trauma survivors how to understand their nervous systemUses somatic experiencing and yoga to help body release stored traumaFocus: "The body keeps the score" - trauma lives in the body, not just the mindProvides tools for nervous system regulation and stress managementHurricane Ian Response (2022)Worked with FEMA and Red Cross in disaster sheltersHelped 200+ people with housing, repairs, and relocationObserved complex trauma from multiple hurricane experiencesDeveloped disaster support groups and breathwork sessionsProvidence Family Life Center Origins (2008)Started after personal life transformation as single momBegan with 3 bags of clothes, coffee pot, and crock potGrew from 20 people on Thursday nights to 300+ every SaturdayFocus on homeless individuals with undiagnosed mental illnessSuccess Story: Hollywood General MotorsHomeless for 26 years with schizophrenia diagnosisThrough advocacy, became stabilized with housing and benefitsNow employed 6 years, authored book, reconnected with family after 40+ yearsExemplifies lives transformed through integrated care approachResearch & Impact30-day study shows immediate decrease in anxiety, stress, and insomniaParticipants gain motivation for self-care and healthcare engagementCommunity-based model emphasizes partnerships and collaborationPersonal Comeback JourneyCareer changer who returned to education at midlifeEarned degrees from University of Michigan as non-traditional studentNow grandmother pursuing doctorate and running innovative programsLiving example of transformation after 50Vision for FutureIntegration of traditional medicine with holistic/alternative approachesCommunity-based prevention modelsEducation to give people agency over their own healingCollaboration between MDs, alternative healers, and community workersContact InformationWebsite: www.mbmll.live Phone: (239) 676-3159 Social Media: @ProvidenceFamilyLifeCenter (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn)