What happens when you wake up one day and realize your life doesn’t look the way you thought it would?

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Debbie Weiss, best-selling author, speaker, and host of the Maybe I Can podcast for a deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to change your life in midlife.

After decades of caregiving, personal loss, infertility, and feeling defined by her circumstances, Debbie reached a turning point at 50. Not because her life suddenly became easier, but because she made a decision to stop waiting for things to change and start showing up differently.

Together, Marianne and Debbie explore:

• What a “victim mindset” actually feels like in everyday life
• How caregiving and self-sacrifice can quietly disconnect you from your identity
• The emotional cost of taking full responsibility for your life
• Why small, intentional changes can create powerful momentum
• When “taking small steps” can actually become a form of avoidance
• What separates women who move forward from those who stay stuck

This conversation goes beyond surface-level inspiration and into the real, sometimes uncomfortable truth about change, identity, and what it means to reclaim your life after years of putting yourself last.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start over, this episode is a powerful reminder that it’s not.

Connect with Debbie: https://www.debbierweiss.com

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

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In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with therapist, relationships coach, and emotional safety expert Diane McDowell to explore a powerful reframe:

What if the challenges in your relationships aren’t about communication or compatibility… but about emotional safety?

Because when emotional safety is missing, everything changes.

You can know the tools.
You can have the awareness.
You can want to respond differently.

But in the moment, none of it seems to matter.

That’s because when the nervous system goes into survival mode, the brain gets hijacked. Logic disappears. And we shift into protection instead of connection.

Diane introduces her Brain-to-Heart Code™, a process designed to help you “turn on the safety switch” internally, so you’re no longer relying on someone else to create the conditions you need to feel secure.

This conversation explores what it really means to feel safe within yourself, and how that changes everything about how you show up in your relationships.

When safety is restored:
You stop reacting from fear
You stop second-guessing yourself in the moment
You stop adjusting who you are just to maintain connection

And instead:
You respond from clarity
You communicate from truth
And connection becomes steady, not something you have to earn

If you’ve ever felt exhausted in your relationships, or like you’re constantly managing how you show up, this episode offers a grounded and hopeful shift in perspective.

Connect with Diane: https://www.emotionalsafetyco.com/free-tools

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

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What does it actually mean to be in a good relationship with yourself? Not the version you perform for the world. Not the one built on how much you get done or how little you ask for. The one underneath all of that. The one that shapes how safe you feel in your own body, how you respond when things fall apart, and whether you extend even a fraction of the compassion to yourself which you so freely give to everyone else.

In this episode of Message in the Middle, I'm joined by Kerisma Vere, holistic wellness coach, author, and founder of Towards Wellness Coaching. Kerisma's work is trauma-informed, deeply compassionate, and built from lived experience navigating trauma, mental health challenges, addiction, and the long, non-linear path back to self-trust. She is the author of The Light Switch Myth: Contemporary Approaches to Creating Lasting Change, the companion journal Ways I Showed Up for Myself, and the creator of the seven-module course From Pressure to Path: A Compassionate Framework for Change.

In this episode we explore:

• Why our self-relationship is the foundation of quality of life and connection with others.
• The real link between self-worth and coping mechanisms like addiction
• What the 'light switch myth' reveals about how we've been taught to approach change.
• Why small acts of self-support often matter more than dramatic transformation
• The practice of self-gratitude and what it means to acknowledge how you've shown up for yourself

This episode is for the woman who has spent years caring for everyone else and is just beginning to ask what it might feel like to turn that care inward. You're not behind. You're not broken. And you're not alone.

Connect with Kerisma Vere:

Website: https://www.towardswellnesscoaching.ca

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

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• YouTube

Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

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If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why do I keep doing this?” or “Why can’t I just change this pattern?” Then this episode is for you.

Because the truth is, most of us aren’t stuck because we’re broken. We’re stuck because we’re trying to change at the level of the conscious mind… while the real drivers of our behavior live somewhere deeper.

In this conversation, I’m joined by clinical hypnotherapist, counseling psychologist, and coach Christine Brodmerkel. Christine helps people understand and work with the subconscious patterns that quietly shape how we think, feel, and respond, often without us even realizing it.

We talk about why insight alone doesn’t create lasting change, how long-held patterns can actually be updated, and what it really looks like to work with your subconscious instead of fighting against it.

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is the idea that many of us are unknowingly operating from a subtle internal question: “Is it safe?”
And that question can influence everything from our relationships to our confidence, to the risks we’re willing to take.

This episode is a grounded, thoughtful look at what real change actually requires and why it’s possible, even if you’ve been carrying the same patterns for years.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why you keep repeating patterns even when you’re aware of them
• The difference between thinking your way out vs. working with the subconscious
• How neuroplasticity supports real, lasting change
• The subtle ways the question “Is it safe?” shapes your life
• What hypnotherapy actually does (and what it doesn’t)
• How to begin shifting patterns that feel deeply ingrained

If you’ve been doing the work but still feel stuck, this conversation might give you a completely different way to understand what’s going on—and what’s actually possible.

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

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• Spotify
• YouTube

Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

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What do you do when everything in the life you knew changes unexpectedly?

In this episode of Message in the Middle, I’m joined by Jo Rye, founder of Clarity & Courage, executive coach, and author, who shares what it really looked like to rebuild her life after surviving a brain hemorrhage just days after losing her grandmother.

This isn’t a story about reinvention. It’s about starting from a place you never expected to be. Not knowing who you are anymore, and figuring it out slowly, in real time.

After years of working inside global organizations helping others grow and lead with clarity, Jo suddenly found herself in a position where the only way forward was to focus on the smallest possible steps; Sometimes that meant just getting through the day.

During her recovery, she began writing a novel inspired by a story passed down from her grandmother. What started as a small, daily practice became something much more, a way to stay connected, to process, and to hold onto something steady when everything else felt uncertain.

If you’ve ever felt like the life you knew no longer fits, or you’re navigating a season where things feel unfamiliar or unclear, this episode offers an honest, grounded perspective on what it means to move forward.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• What it feels like when life changes suddenly and unexpectedly
• Rebuilding your identity after illness, loss, or major disruption
• Why small steps matter more than big plans during recovery
• Letting go of the version of yourself you once relied on
• How to create a sense of forward movement when everything feels uncertain
• The role of storytelling and creativity in healing
• Finding clarity and courage without forcing change

You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward. Sometimes the next step is small, sometimes it’s unclear, but even in the middle of uncertainty, there is a way through, one choice, one moment at a time.

Connect with Jo:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

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Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

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In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Toni LaMotta to explore what happens when we lose trust in our own inner voice and how we begin finding it again.

After spending sixteen years living under a vow of obedience as a Catholic nun, Toni gained a deep understanding of authority, surrender, and the subtle ways our voices can fade into the background. Today, she is a highly regarded spiritual coach, teacher, and internationally acclaimed speaker who has helped hundreds reclaim trust in themselves and make aligned decisions with confidence.

Drawing on decades of experience and training in multiple evidence-based methodologies, Toni shares her six-pillar system for moving from fear-driven decision making to internal navigation. Together, Marianne and Toni talk about how to distinguish true inner guidance from fear or conditioning, why our past patterns are not mistakes but valuable information for the next chapter, and how to reconnect with the inner compass so many women lose touch with along the way.

This is a thoughtful, hopeful conversation for any woman in midlife who feels called toward something more, but isn’t sure how to listen to herself again.

Connect with Toni: https://tonilamotta.com

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

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• YouTube

Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

Keep the conversation going - Join us for more insightful conversations in the Message in the Middle Private Facebook Community & subscribe to Message in the Middle podcas...

For many women in midlife, reinvention feels like something that should happen at the beginning of a new year, after a major life change, or once everything finally settles down. But what if the truth is simpler and harder at the same time? What if reinvention begins with one decision?

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with entrepreneur, executive coach, and author Adriana L. Cowdin to talk about resilience, identity, and the courage it takes to begin again.

Adriana has built and sold a seven figure marketing agency, led Fortune 500 and billion dollar organizations at the C-suite level, and coached thousands of executives around the world. She has been featured in Forbes, ABC News, Fox Business, and The New York Times.

But her story is not just about professional success.

While building companies and leading teams, Adriana was also navigating life with more than thirty chronic illnesses including pancreatic disease, lupus, and Addison’s disease. Experiences that forced her to rethink strength, redefine leadership, and confront the deeper question so many women face in midlife.

Who am I really living this life for?

In this conversation, Adriana shares why resilience is not something you’re born with. It’s a decision you make. Sometimes quietly. Sometimes imperfectly. Often when no one else can see it.

Together, Marianne and Adriana explore what it means to reclaim your energy, challenge the expectations you’ve been living under, and give yourself permission to begin again. Not when the timing is perfect. Right now.

Connect with Adriana:

• Website: www.adrianacowdin.com
• Amazon Book Page: https://a.co/d/39IEPVg
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/adrianalcowdin/
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/adriana.cowdin.2025
• LI: linkedin.com/in/adrianacowdin/

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

• Apple Podcasts
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• YouTube

Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

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In this episode of Message in the Middle, I sit down with Shaun Zetlin, master fitness trainer, author, and creator of Emotional Fitness, for a powerful conversation about redefining strength. After more than two decades helping people build physical strength, Shaun’s work has evolved into something deeper, exploring how emotional fitness shapes the way we think, feel, and show up for our lives.

Born with club feet and faced with early physical limitations, Shaun shares how his journey through self-doubt, shame, and resilience revealed the deep connection between the body and emotional healing. Together, we explore the mind body connection, why the body really does keep the score, and how self-trust, compassion, and alignment with our belief systems are essential to feeling truly strong.

This conversation is not about fixing yourself or pushing harder. It's about recognizing that growth is not you versus the world. It's really all about you versus you.

If you're navigating identity shifts, questioning old definitions of success, or looking for a more honest and sustainable version of strength, this episode is for you.

Connect with Shaun: https:// www.zetlinfitness.com

Buy Shaun's book: https://a.co/d/0j2JQHVh

Connect with Marianne:

• Website: Message In The Middle with Marianne
• Message In the Middle Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlists
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966
• Email: Contact | Message In The Middle with Marianne

Subscribe to Message In the Middle:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Leave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.

Keep the conversation going - Join us for more insightful conversations in the Message in the Middle Private Facebook Community & subscribe to Message in the Middle podcas...