The Uplifters

Lisa Congdon built one of the most recognized independent art careers on the internet: work at MoMA, U.S. postage stamps, ten published books, twenty years of a thriving retail business. Then, while it was still in its prime, she closed the business. This episode is about why, and about what it actually takes to end a chapter with integrity instead of letting resentment end it for you.We talk about:-How Lisa went from first-grade teacher to full-time working artist in her late thirties-What it was like to build a business from a single Etsy shop in 2007-Why she closed a thriving 20-year business at its peak, not its low point-How she told her employees, her audience, and herself the real reason-What "success" looks like for her now versus twenty years ago-Living and creating with ADHD, and her forthcoming book on the subject-What structure looks like when you're rebuilding your days from scratchChapters: 0:00 — Welcome and sponsor 2:56 — Introducing Lisa Congdon 6:07 — From first grade teacher to full-time artist 14:46 — How to claim a creative identity, at any age 19:57 — Finding your "why" once the medals stop coming 23:18 — Redefining what success means, twenty years in 32:42 — When too many people depend on you 36:01 — Closing a 20-year business with integrity 45:45 — A new book, new collaborators, and life as a free agent 51:07 — How to support Lisa right nowResources Mentioned:Lisa's website: lisacongdon.comLisa on Instagram: @lisacongdonHer forthcoming book, The Art of Finishing Things: Actually Useful Productivity Tools for Artists, Misfits, and EccentricsJoin the Tryb (sponsor): jointhetryb.com, code UPLIFTER20Connect with Aransas and The Uplifters: theuplifterspodcast.com | @aransas_savas | @the_uplifters_podcast Subscribe to the Monday Substack newsletter at theuplifterspodcast.com Join us Fridays for Co-Working Cocoons on Zoom: intention-setting, deep work, and a closing dance party.Keywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

Three years ago, Heike Yates had to stop running. After qualifying for Boston in her first marathon and finishing the JFK 50 Miler, an arthritic knee said no, and she spent a year grieving the identity that went with it. In this conversation, she shares what it took to let go, what she built from the change, and why she thinks midlife is the perfect time to rebuild, not from scratch, but from right where you are.We talk about:Why process goals beat outcome goals for staying motivated in midlifeHow to tell when you are stuck in grief for an old version of yourselfThe SPARK Framework, a strategic way to take action on your fitness goalsResetting your goals every ten years without discarding what you learnedShifting the conversation from belly fat and thigh gaps to strengthWhy "I want to feel like myself again" does not mean your 25-year-old selfHeike Yates is a Midlife Fitness Expert, author, and creator of the SPARK Framework. She helps midlife women stop dimming their light and rebuild strength, energy, and confidence without guilt, extremes, or starting over. With 35+ years in fitness, nutrition, and mindset coaching, she supports women stuck in the cycle of trying and quitting with an approach built for real life, not ideal days. She hosts the Pursue Your Spark Podcast and is the author of Pursue Your Spark.Nominee: Heike nominated Cat Coluccio, New Zealand-based host of The Rocking Midlife Podcast, business coach, author, and fellow saxophonist.Resources Mentioned:Pursue Your Spark: Your Guide to Escaping Midlife Traps, Reclaiming Confidence, and Living Fully by Heike Yates (paperback, e-book, audiobook): https://amzn.to/4mD5xL7Website: https://heikeyates.com/The Pursue Your Spark Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursue-your-spark-midlife-fitness-nutrition-mindset/id1231586317Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/ | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pursueyoursparkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heike-yates/ | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIeOesGLGAOD5RhI2KYjcAJoin the Tryb: jointhetryb.com, code UPLIFTER20 for 20% off your first orderConnect with Aransas and The Uplifters: theuplifterspodcast.com | @aransas_savas | @the_uplifters_podcast Subscribe to the Monday Substack newsletter at theuplifterspodcast.com Join us Fridays for Co-Working Cocoons on Zoom: intention-setting, deep work, and a closing dance party. Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

What happens when the identity you worked so hard to build stops feeling like you? Faye McCray spent nearly a decade as a federal attorney, the first lawyer in her family, a title her whole community held onto. She left anyway. Within five years she tripled her salary and built something entirely hers.In this conversation, Faye and I talk about what it actually takes to stop living a single-story version of yourself in midlife, and why expanding your identity is both harder and more urgent than anyone tells you it will be.We talk about:How the government furlough that shook Faye's sense of stability became the beginning of her expansionThe "curated identity" trap and what it costs us to keep performing a version of ourselves that no longer fitsHow to follow joy as data when you're not sure what you actually wantThe "pilot" framework for making scary moves feel survivableWhy you should negotiate your job title as hard as you negotiate your salaryThe grief that comes with letting go of an identity you worked hard to earnHow Faye built multiple income streams rooted in her whole self, not just one roleFaye McCray is a former health attorney turned executive and entrepreneur who has navigated career pivots across federal service, media leadership, and entrepreneurship. She is the founder and CEO of Culture & Quill, where she partners with organizations including The Washington Post and Goldman Sachs on storytelling, leadership communication, and change strategy. She also serves as Chief Communications Officer of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Previously she was VP and Head of Content at Well+Good and Livestrong.com and Editor-in-Chief of Psych Central at RVO Health. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and Newsweek, and she has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, Ad Week, and Reuters Total Health. Her forthcoming book, "More Than Your Job: Four Practices for Keeping Your Identity Bigger Than Your Career," publishes June 2027.Find Faye:Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn: @heyfayemccraySubstack: What If It All Works OutBook: More Than Your Job (June 2027)Faye was nominated by Dria Barnes.Connect with Aransas and The Uplifters:theuplifterspodcast.com | @aransas_savas | @the_uplifters_podcast Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

In this special episode, three extraordinary women explore fulfillment in midlife guided by the MOVE framework from Dr. Helen Krug von Nidda's forthcoming book Closing the Fulfillment Gap. What emerges is a conversation about midlife reinvention, second-act courage, and why women over 40 are primed for meaningful work.About the Guests: Dr. Helen Krug von Nidda is an executive coach, international speaker, and author of Closing the Fulfillment Gap, releasing September 15, 2026. With over 20 years of global HR experience spanning the United Nations and Fortune 500 companies, she coaches female leaders navigating complex work dynamics and teaches at Stanford University. Risa Crandall spent 38 years as a media and technology sales and marketing leader before founding Love Is, an in-person program connecting people over shared home-cooked meals. Sue Moser is the founder of The Visceral Edge and a keynote speaker and mindset activator who helps high-capacity leaders stop performing and start leading from what's actually alive in them.Resources and Links:Dr. Helen Krug von Nidda: with-helen.com | Substack: withhelen.substack.com | Instagram: @with.dr.helenClosing the Fulfillment Gap (Post Hill Press, September 15, 2026) — pre-order nowRisa Crandall: love-is.com | Instagram: @love.is.community.suppersSue Moser / The Visceral Edge: thevisceraledge.com | Instagram: @susan_moser17 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/susan-moser-thevisceraledgeAbout Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.Connect with Aransas:Instagram: @aransas_savasPodcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcastTikTok: @theuplifterspodcastFacebook: Aransas SavasWebsite: theuplifterspodcast.comYouTube: @theuplifterspodcastLinkedIn: Aransas SavasKeywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, fulfillment gap midlife women Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe

What if the most motivating thing you could do for your midlife was think about your death? In this episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas sits down with bestselling author and behavioral change expert Karen Salmansohn, who has spent decades helping people stop waiting for permission and start living as their most authentic selves. Karen has sold over two million books and courses worldwide, because she has never once been willing to sound like anybody else. This conversation is a masterclass in midlife reinvention, courageous creativity, and the gutsy practice of beginning again and again.In this episode, Karen shares the research-backed philosophy she built around mortality awareness as a midlife motivation tool, the seven core values she reverse-engineered from the top regrets of the dying, and the Lion King moment that snapped her back to herself after ten years of playing it safe. For any woman over 40 who has been letting someone else's doubt shrink her vision, this is the conversation you need to listen to.At 65, Karen is still stretching, still beginning, still building things she has never built before. She is the living argument that midlife reinvention is not a one-time act. It's a practice.What You'll Learn:How to use mortality awareness for midlife motivation — why Karen's eulogy-writing practice is the most clarifying thing you can do for your second actWhy progress beats perfectionism for women over 40 — the Aristotle-inspired philosophy that reframes mistakes as the whole pointHow to find your youiest authentic self — what self-alienation research reveals about the real cost of not living true to yourselfIdentity-based action for midlife women — how "I am, and so I do" statements are backed by behavioral scienceSeven core values to avoid dying with regrets — Karen's A through G framework reverse-engineered from top death doulas and the research on end-of-life regretsHow to trust your vision when everyone says no — the story behind ten years, one agent, and the book she almost never wroteThe noticing journal practice — a simple daily habit to develop an irreplaceable, deeply human creative voice."You feel most alive when you're a beginner. When you're scared and unsure, you're more self-aware, and you're growing." — Karen SalmansohnResources and Links:Karen's Substack, Stand-Up Philosopher: https://notsalmon.substack.com/Karen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsalmon/"Your To Die For Life" by Karen Salmansohn — available everywhere"How to Be Happy Dammit" by Karen Salmansohn — available everywherewww.jointhetryb.com, code UPLIFTER20About Karen Salmansohn: Karen Salmansohn is a bestselling author, behavioral change expert, and Substack philosopher who has sold over two million books and courses worldwide. She pioneered a category of feisty, psychology-meets-humor self-help that landed her columnist roles at oprah.com and Psychology Today and made her latest book, Your To Die For Life, a bestseller. Her Substack, Stand-Up Philosopher, is a top-ranked philosophy publication with over 80,000 subscribers. Karen also coaches authors and entrepreneurs on branding, marketing, and platform growth, and she is still, at 65, enthusiastically beginning again.About Your Host: Aransas Savas is a wellbeing and leadership coach specializing in helping women over 40 navigate midlife transitions, career changes, and second-act reinvention. With 20+ years of behavioral research experience partnering with companies like Disney, Weight Watchers, and Best Buy, she hosts The Uplifters Podcast, featuring women doing transformative work in the second half of their lives. Aransas brings both research rigor and personal experience to conversations about courage capital, midlife transformation, and building meaningful second acts.Connect with Aransas:Instagram: @aransas_savasPodcast Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcastTikTok: @theuplifterspodcastFacebook: Aransas SavasWebsite: theuplifterspodcast.comYouTube: @theuplifterspodcastLinkedIn: Aransas SavasKeywords: perimenopause career change, women over 40, midlife reinvention, menopause second act, starting over at 40, women changing careers 40s, midlife transition women, second half of life, courage capital, midlife transformation, women entrepreneurs over 40, female founders midlife, perimenopause motivation, starting business during menopause, midlife purpose women, second act career women, women 40s new career, building confidence after 40, midlife dreams women, perimenopause fresh start Get full access to The Uplifters at www.theuplifterspodcast.com/subscribe