Send us a text It's the very first episode of our brand new podcast, Open Up and Say HA!: Stories from Underneath the Paper Gown. Have you ever had a bizarre encounter with a medical practitioner? An ER visit gone awry? A weird thing you found on your foot that turned out to be a rare species of parasitic insect? Welcome to Open Up and Say Ha! - St…

Send us a text Monique Cupid and Dixie Lincoln-Nichols are menopausal women who met up during the pandemic to talk about work for a project. Without fail, at every weekly meeting, the conversation drifted to menopause, the symptoms each of them was experiencing, and the frustrations they felt about the lack of support, resources, equity, and commun…

Send us a text Lately, as we have gotten older and our preferences have changed, we have been wondering, "What is fun?" Robin Gelfenbien, the self-proclaimed Ambassador of Fun, is the perfect person to answer that question. Right out of college, Robin was chosen out of thousands of people to drive the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, and her experience pr…

Send us a text Katie Fogarty will make you feel like turning 50 is the best thing that could ever happen to you. She is the host of A Certain Age, an age-positive podcast that helps you live your best evolving midlife—loud and proud. She is also the creator of the Age Out Loud movement, a platform which aims to spotlight as many stories of midlife …

Send us a text How does a child of deaf adults who grew up in a tin shed with no running water or electricity witness her father commit a violent crime and then grow up to be the joyful owner of a comedy venue? Kambri Crews will tell you how! Author of the acclaimed New York Times best selling book Burn Down the Ground and sole owner and operator o…

Send us a text We chose this episode with Dr. Rachel Rubin as our final encore of the year because she is the person who has given us the most practical, valuable, and easily shareable information to help women with their genitourinary functions as they age. Dr. Rubin is a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist who dropped so much…

Send us a text For our first encore episode, we chose the inspiring pair of Michelle and Joan MacDonald. Not only are they glorious examples of what a healthy body can achieve after midlife, they seem to have an enviable mother-daughter bond that is beautiful to witness. These women broke the internet after Michelle, a body builder and transformati…

Send us a text Meghann Koppele Duffy is a cofounder of the Neuro Studio, a premier education and movement company helping people living with neurological conditions move better, and teaching movement professionals the best cutting edge techniques to work with people living with Neurological Conditions. Meghann is a fast-talking, zero BS practitione…

Send us a text Germany-based comedian Abigail Paul says that co-host Ellie is her oldest friend. Not her most elderly friend, but the friend she has known the longest. She met co-host Julia a few years later, making all three of them VERY ELDERLY/OLD FRIENDS. That should entice you to listen to this episode, because richness of history makes for ju…

Send us a text Blaire Postman is a comedian who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and then embraced it as a super-power. She created a solo show called Lady ADHD: Hilariously Mind Blowing Observations from a Hyper-Insightful Brain. Due to a current medication shortage, we got to interview Blaire ten days into "going commando", and we talked about…

Send us a text Dr. Kimberly Mangla is a reproductive psychiatrist who works collaboratively with the obstetrics department at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC. She is involved in the teaching and supervision of psychotherapy and medication management during pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. She also happens treat Julia's Adult ADHD, and in honor of AD…

Send us a text Dr. Maria Uloko is fired up, and we are right there with her. As the first ever Black female Urology student at her university, she has been trailblazing for the entirety of her career. Dr. Uloko specializes in comprehensive sexual health which includes the medical and surgical management of ALL genders. She is considered a world lea…

Send us a text Rachel E. Gross is an award-winning science journalist who wrote an incredible book called Vagina Obscura which was a finalist for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Go ahead and be impressed, but do not be intimidated. Rachel will enthrall you with stories of outlandish treatments for ailments that plague p…

Send us a text Leoh Blooms is a queer, fluid, and nonbinary-trans trauma-informed mentor and Pro Dom. Everything they do in their practice focuses on intimacy, mental health, gender, sex, and practical self-care. They help clients aged 21 and up to create lives they don't need to hide from by offering various levels of support in a power dynamic fo…

Send us a text Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of Neural Science and Psychology and author of two incredible books, Good Anxiety and Healthy Brain, Happy Life. Her TED talk, The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise, has more than 60 million views, making it the 2nd most viewed TED talk of 2018. In spite of our awe, we managed to pick her fancy brain…

Send us a text Dr. Aiesha Turman does so many things and she does them with JOY. She is the kind of teacher that students keep in touch with for the rest of their lives, which is a rare and special thing. We totally get the appeal, because we had the best time talking to her about Reiki, Afrofuturism, literature, her work on the incredible award-wi…

Send us a text Singlehood is not a broken state that requires fixing. This is the core message of our guest, Shani Silver, who deleted her dating apps in 2019 and has been infinitely happier ever since. Shani reminds us that dating apps are a for-profit industry that stand to benefit from keeping you single rather than helping you find love, and th…

Send us a text Have you ever heard of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) also known as "Tapping"? Sarah Louise Lilley became an EFT Practitioner after her husband's stroke, and she is here to tell us more about that life-changing day, to explain EFT, and dispel any misconceptions you might have about it. If you're looking for a simple tool that can …

Send us a text Jamie Phillips is a mensch. A seasoned nonprofit professional, she is grateful to have had the opportunity to provide services to uplift immigrants, refugees, isolated older adults, returning citizens, people who are unhoused, those experiencing mental health challenges, and those recovering from addiction. She was diagnosed with ear…

Send us a text When we met Dr. Stacia Alexander at a menopause symposium, we were instantly drawn to her energy, magnetism, and hot-pink-suit-wearing confidence. A seasoned psychotherapist, she has worked with professional women helping them understand that the journey to success does not make them immune to emotional and cognitive changes. Her mos…

Send us a text It's our 50th episode and we are celebrating in style! Lizz Winstead is a name that we have had on our "dream guest" list since we first brainstormed this podcast, and wonder of wonders, our dream came true. Co-creator of The Daily Show and co-founder of Air America Radio, Lizz is a legendary comedian and writer who is a badass in ev…

Send us a text Our loyal listeners know that Ellie has been fretting about her low libido ever since the first episode of this show. She continues to search for answers because she knows she's not alone, and that many of YOU are also grappling with this issue for various reasons. Well... we finally got you a SEX therapist! This episode features Dr.…

Send us a text When we saw Dr. Vonda Wright's medical specialty - orthopedic sports medicine surgeon specializing in shoulder, hip and knee arthroscopy for athletes and active people of all ages - we knew that she would have a lot to contribute to our ongoing conversation about the effects of perimenopause on all of our different body parts. Howeve…

Send us a text Sometimes we bring you medical experts or health and wellness specialists, and other times we interview women with fascinating backgrounds and unique experiences in hopes that you might relate, feel seen, and if something funny comes up, laugh. This is one of those episodes. Sabina Vajrača is a Bosnian-American director/writer/produc…

Send us a text You've heard of CBD, but what about CBG? CBN? PHA? Katelynn Nguyen, founder of Willow Kay, is here to teach us about all of it. Willow Kay is a green and clean wellness and skincare company offering a variety of formulations to help improve sleep, care for problematic skin, and induce calm. Not only are Katelynn's products devoid of …

Beelzebub (Beelzebub's Movie Of The Month) and KidCrusher log onto the internet to talk about movies they love and hate, the main attractions include; Mortal Kombat (2021 & 1995), Fast and Furious 9 (F9), Bill and Ted Face The Music, as well as a plethora of past and present films to review.

Send us a text Margit Detweiler is the epitome of cool. A survivor of ovarian cancer, she embraced her post-chemo white hair, styled it into a punk pixie, and sealed it with a bold lip. But her coolness goes far deeper than her outward style. Margit is the founder of TueNight, a platform dedicated to amplifying the stories of Gen-X women, and presi…

Send us a text March is Sleep Awareness Month. Who knew? Our new favorite sleep expert knew! Morgan Adams is a holistic sleep coach for women, whose clients refer to her as their "sleep soulmate". Poor sleep is one of the major complaints we hear from women in midlife, and Morgan offers us potential solutions that are easy to implement and won't co…

Send us a text Ricki Lake (yes, THAT Ricki Lake) and Abby Epstein have worked together on some groundbreaking documentaries which you should watch immediately if you haven't yet done so. The Business of Being Born changed the way we looked at birthing options and medical interventions, and their most recent collaboration, The Business of Birth Cont…

Send us a text When Emily Barclay learned that the word "perimenopause" applied to her, she went online to seek out help and support and found that it simply didn’t exist. Instead of dissolving into a pool of her own hormonal tears and sweat, she set up Perimenopause Hub, bringing together experts across different disciplines from around the world …

Send us a text We like to think that if we had written a book, it would be Heather Corinna's What Fresh Hell is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You. Heather writes about "the pause" with all of the humor and realness you would expect from a title like that, but what makes the book so unique is its inclusivity. And if that wo…

Send us a text There are so many different issues that can affect us in midlife, and it can be frustrating to try and find medical professionals who can address more than one of these at a time. Modern Age is a New York City-based longevity clinic offering expert, proactive care for how you look and how you feel. Here to tell us more about what the…

Send us a text Listeners... we're really going for it on our year-end wrap-up. At this point, we assume you have been listening regularly and that you don't need us to review every single guest we've loved and every lesson we've learned, so we decided to have a blast going rogue. Join us as we roll a set of sexy dice given to Ellie by her husbo, we…

Send us a text Sari Botton is a bestselling author, editor, and teacher with decades of experience, and we got to benefit from that life experience through engaging in a delightful AF chat with her. We discuss how the idea for Oldster Magazine came to her in a dream, how it took her a long time to stop people-pleasing and come into her own, and how…

Send us a text Ellie was hanging out with a few of her friends when she overheard one of them talking about growing up with a sister who was in a famous rock band. Ellie said, "I didn't know this about you! Who is your sister?" Ellie then learned that her friend, Elizabeth Hanley-Grande, is the younger sister of Kay Hanley, lead singer of the band …

Send us a text Ever heard of Shittens? They are disposable, mitten-shaped moist wipes that were created because "no one wants poop on their hands". Rachel Fine, our dear friend of over 20 years, is one of the inventors of Shittens, but she's so much more than that! You might know her as host of various shows on Howard Stern TV, reporter for Travel …

Send us a text Tamsen Fadal and Jo Lamarca Mathisen call themselves Meno Sisters. They hit it off after a mutual friend "thrust them together" because of how much they both seemed to enjoy talking about menopause, and have remained extremely close ever since. Tamsen is an Emmy award-winning journalist and NYC news anchor who recently created #Menop…

Send us a text Omisade-Burney Scott is the coolest. She is the creator/curator of The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause, a multimedia project engaged in culture and narrative shift work which includes, among other things, a podcast, a zine titled Messages From The Menopausal Multiverse, and the Say More Card Deck, which is a collection of c…

Send us a text Does the idea of meditating make you want to roll your eyes? Take a nap? Punch yourself in the face? We get it, and so does Mark Price. Our first ever male guest humbly joins us to talk about Vedic Meditation, also known as TM (Transcendental Meditation), and how incorporating this practice into your daily routine can help with stres…

Send us a text If you're like us, you have been frustrated with the lack of adequate perimenopause and menopause care provided (or NOT provided) by your current medical team. Enter Elektra Health, a digital health company with a mission to smash the menopause taboo by empowering women with evidence-based education, care & community. We were lucky t…

Send us a text Liz Applegate is a life coach and fellow podcaster, whose show "Midlife Schmidlife" was born when she googled the term "midlife" and what came back was "the wrong side of 40". After talking to Liz, we believe she is on the right side of just about everything. Listen as we discuss the concept of "shoulding", undiagnosed postpartum dep…

Send us a text When we get comedians and storytellers on the pod, they do not hold back. Michele Carlo and Sheria Mattis take us on the most terrific tangents, touching on Nuyorican vs. Jamaican culture, getting pounded by strap-ons after menopause, and the wild world of foot worship, all while dropping deep insightful wisdom that makes us scream Y…

Send us a text Aileen Weintraub is an award-winning author, journalist, and editor, as well as the human home to three giant fibroid tumors. The discovery of these many years ago led to several months of forced bed rest during her pregnancy, but the silver lining (for us) was that the ordeal inspired her to write Knocked Down: A High-Risk Memoir. W…

Send us a text We didn't know it was possible to find a pair of women willing to discuss boobs and vaginas and poop in as vivid detail as we do, but the universe granted us Ashley Hearon Smith and Keri Sotaro, and we couldn't be happier. Co-hosts of the popular Momtourage podcast, these hilarious women are known to drop a plethora of f-bombs about …

Send us a text Our heads have officially exploded, people. Dr. Rachel Rubin is a board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist who dropped so much knowledge and helpful information into one conversation that our puny little brain-sponges got super-soaked. Listen to learn about the two little-known FDA-approved drugs that actually help wo…

Send us a text How many hoops does a lesbian couple have to jump through in order to have a child? What is an intimacy coordinator? Whose hormones pull rank in a two-woman household where one is postpartum and the other is perimenopausal? Brooke Haney and Desi Waters join us to ponder these questions and even answer a few of them. We also discuss i…

Send us a text Georgia Clark is a novelist, performer, and screenwriter. She's the author of the newly released Island Time, as well as It Had To Be You, The Bucket List, and others. She is also the host and founder of the popular storytelling night, Generation Women, which Ellie has performed in and which we wholeheartedly love and recommend. At t…

Send us a text Hilary Russo does everything. She is an award-winning television journalist, producer and multimedia host, a Certified Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach & Havening Techniques® Practitioner, a cast member of Daily Burn 365, professor of Mass Communications at St. John’s University, AND she has her own podcast: HIListically S…

Send us a text Can you use "Covid" and "abortion" in the same sentence? We can and we did. More on that in today's special bonus episode where we talk about Julia's abortion, Ellie's mother's pre-Roe abortion, and Ellie's grandmother's illegal abortion in 1960's London... a discussion that was inspired by the current climate as well as Alison Leiby…

Send us a text Since the launch of this podcast, we have been promising to interview a mental health specialist to talk about perimenopausal anxiety and depression, and just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, we got the best one ever! Donna Klassen is not only a licensed clinical social worker with more than 30 years of experience, she is t…