Her Comeback: Transforming Your Life After 50

About Her Comeback: Transforming Your Life After 50

Her Comeback is a transformative podcast for women over 50 who've reached their breaking point and are ready to reclaim their lives. Life coach Michelle Thompson delivers raw, authentic conversations with women who've navigated major transitions, combining practical rebuilding strategies with expert insights on reinventing yourself at any stage. Whether you're facing an empty nest, career changes, relationship shifts, or the realization you've been living everyone else's dreams, Michelle's warm, no-nonsense approach provides the clarity and courage you need to move from survival mode to thriving. This isn't just about getting back on your feet—it's about proving that mid-life isn't the end of anything - it's the powerful beginning of everything you were meant to become. New episodes drop weekly. Your second act awaits. https://hercomebackpodcast.com/ (https://hercomebackpodcast.com/)

Publisher

Michelle Thompson

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Aug 2025

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 44 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   What If Your “Someday” Never Comes? with Kristy Halvorsen on Her Comeback

   Her Comeback with host Michelle Thompson, https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/ (https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/) Description What if your someday never comes? Kristy Halvorsen was a firefighter station officer with a home she loved, a good life, and a health scare that made her stop waiting. She sold everything, moved into an Airstream, and has spent almost nine years wandering solo and off grid, rarely knowing where she's headed next. In this conversation, Kristy joins Michelle to talk about the difference between being pushed by pain and pulled by possibility, the hidden belief that her mom helped her uncover (and the two months it took to act on it), and the question she asks at every fork in the road: What would I do if I knew I couldn't get this wrong? She also shares what solo travel taught her, how grief reshaped what it means to live fully, and why it's never too late to follow the tickles of your soul. If you've ever felt a quiet pull toward something more, this episode is for you. You’ll Learn • What it looks like to be pulled, not pushed: why Kristy left a career and home she loved, with no crisis pushing her out. • The sneakiest limiting beliefs: how a single sentence from her mom surfaced a belief she didn’t know she carried. • "What would I do if I couldn’t get this wrong?" a simple question that quiets the chatter and points to the next step. • The tickles of your soul: how to listen to your inner knowing, and why it’s always been there. • Living with the unknown: a roadside breakdown, a stranger, and what happens when you just take one step. • Midlife identity shifts: loosening the labels you hold and seeing who arrives. Grief and living fully: what her mom’s illness and loss taught her about ending "someday." Quotable Moments • "The sneakiest beliefs are the ones we don’t know we have." • "What would I do if I knew everything was going to work out just fine?" • "Age and time is just some made up stuff… it’s never too late." About Kristy Halvorsen is a former firefighter station officer with a master’s in engineering. She is the author of Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open, a transformational memoir about travel, trust, and following your inner knowing. Connect with Kristy • Website: perfectunfolding.com (https://perfectunfolding.com/) (includes a 90-second book trailer and newsletter sign-up) • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristy.halvorsen/ (https://www.instagram.com/kristy.halvorsen/) Resources • Courageously You: Michelle’s book, Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love, available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D) • Work with Michelle: Book a call at michellethompsoncoaching.com (http://michellethompsoncoaching.com).

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Bangs, Botox, and the Never Pause: Aging with Humor with Diane Dean-Epps

   Season 3 kicks off with laughter! Humorist Diane Dean-Epps joins Michelle to talk about the absurdities of aging, why women over 50 need more laughter (not more anti-aging advice), and how humor can carry you through the hard stuff. Diane is the author of four humor books, including BANGS 'N' BOTOX: My Aging Journey Into, Through, and Beyond Denial, Fillers & Human Preservatives, and the host of the Bangs 'n' Botox podcast. Her "sit-down stand-up" style feels like chatting over a drink with a funny friend, and her reinvention story proves there's always another path to what you want. In this episode: The doctor's-office moment ("You're aging") that sparked her book What "sit-down stand-up" really means, and how she found her voice Aging as a non-famous woman: invisibility, limited resources, and why that frees her to say real things The "never pause," hot flashes, and what nobody warns you about Snail mucin skincare and other experiments that were only marginally successful Why humor gets overlooked, and the many forms it can take (memes, funny friends, animal videos) The brain science of laughter and why trying something new matters as we age Turning an embarrassing moment into a story people laugh with, not at Why she keeps writing, and the "Emily Dickinson of humor writing" plan Her comeback: leaving radio and TV, failing a high-stakes teaching exam twice, passing on the third try, and becoming a 30-year English teacher Key takeaways: Humor is a coping tool, and you don't have to be "naturally funny" to use it. Exaggerate the awkward moment and it becomes a better story. If the first path doesn't work, find another. A comeback story is always better when it wasn't easy. You matter, and you're not alone. Connect with Diane: Website: dianedeaneppswriting.com (http://dianedeaneppswriting.com) Instagram: @mswrite Also on Facebook and LinkedIn Book: BANGS 'N' BOTOX on Amazon Podcast: Bangs 'n' Botox on YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms About Michelle Thompson: Michelle is a certified life coach, author of Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love and the host of Her Comeback. Get your copy of Courageously You on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D)) or anywhere books are sold. Ready to stop thinking about your next chapter and start living it? Book a call at michellethompsoncoaching.com (http://michellethompsoncoaching.com). Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs a laugh, and subscribe on YouTube

3. 

   15 Aug 2026

   7 Losses, One Wake-Up Call: Paige Arnof-Fenn Redefines Success on Her Comeback

   Her Comeback with host Michelle Thompson, author of Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love- — available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold Guest: Paige Arnof-Fenn , Founder and CEO Mavens & Moguls This episode features Paige Arnof-Fenn, a Stanford and Harvard Business School graduate, board member, and columnist for Entrepreneur and Forbes, Paige shares the real story behind building a four-dozen-person, multi-city agency — and the personal losses that reshaped how she defines success. Paige started her career in finance on Wall Street before rebranding herself into corporate marketing, spending years at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. From there she jumped into three venture-backed startups during the dot-com boom, Then came September 11th. Marketing budgets froze overnight, and Paige, laid off from the traditional path she thought she wanted, started fielding calls from former colleagues who needed help. Her husband's advice ("send them an invoice") became the accidental launch of Mavens & Moguls, a firm built without a business plan or outside funding that now spans 14 U.S. cities and international teams. The conversation turns personal as Paige opens up about losing seven family members in six years, including both parents and her stepfather, while running her business and caring for aging relatives thousands of miles away. She describes the "Whac-A-Mole" grief of that season, how it forced her and her husband — a two-entrepreneur household with no kids to lean on for support — to rethink a life built on breakfast meetings and back-to-back networking events, and the surprising business lesson that came out of it: giving clients space and following up with patience. Paige closes with practical advice for women rebuilding after a career disruption or personal loss: get clear on your lane, pick one or two platforms that are authentic to you, protect your digital reputation, and resist the urge to be everything to everyone. She also reflects on how she wants to be remembered The episode wraps with Michelle's bonus segment on the F.I.R.E. framework from Chapter 5 of her book, Courageously You. Feel the disappointment, Ignite your power, Reveal your passion, and Execute your path — a practical tool for anyone navigating disappointment, layoffs, or a stalled promotion. In This Episode ● Paige's path from Wall Street finance to corporate marketing at P&G and Coca-Cola ● Lessons from three dot-com-era startup exits ● The 9/11 moment that launched Mavens & Moguls ● Building a firm across 14 U.S. cities without a business plan or funding ● Navigating the loss of seven family members in six years ● Why “giving space” outperforms constant follow-up in business development ● Advice for women rebuilding after career disruption or loss ● Choosing the right social platform for your authentic brand ● How Paige wants to be remembered ● Bonus: Michelle's F.I.R.E. framework from Courageously You Connect With Paige Arnof-Fenn Mavens & Moguls: mavensandmoguls.com (http://mavensandmoguls.com) LinkedIn: Paige Arnof Fenn Connect With Michelle Thompson Website: michellethompsoncoaching.com (http://michellethompsoncoaching.com) Instagram/Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching

Inside a recent episode

Her Comeback with Beth Mazza

Published 20 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Like they totally believe they belong in every room they're in. But it's women. We hold ourselves back so much. And we question and we doubt. Yeah. I mean, Michelle, when I, this was, we were midway of selling the second business. We had sold the first one, we had made money. We had scaled the second one to a point where we had a bunch of suitors. I still would wake up in the morning and think, I can't believe we have a call with a potential buyer. I bet they don't know our business or I bet they don't know us. Like they're going to get off the phone quickly. Like I would have to talk myself out of that. […]

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Apple Podcasts (US)

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