Midlife at the Mailbox
Dive into Season 3 of Midlife at the Mailbox, where hosts Amy Alexander and Denyse Rabbat explore the secrets to vitality and fulfillment in midlife. With relatable stories and unfiltered conversations, they tackle everyday topics on life, careers, family, and more. Join Amy and Denyse as they question whether it’s happiness or vitality we should be seeking in this transformative stage. Through their dynamic discussions and ”aha!” moments, they’ll inspire you to discover your ”why” and embrace your mid-life journey with humor, heart, and a dash of sass. Tune in to Midlife at the Mailbox – your go-to podcast for navigating the ups and downs of midlife with two hosts who feel like your best friends. Get ready to laugh, learn, and become your best mid-life maven self!
About Midlife at the Mailbox
Midlife at the Mailbox is a lifestyle and entrepreneurial podcast by first-time podcasters, Amy Alexander and Denyse Rabbat Over six years ago, during a chance meeting at the neighborhood mailbox two women met and a friendship ensued. With the girls now in different cities, Amy in Chicago and Denyse in So. Cal they had to do what girlfriends do best, chit chat! The podcast is where they tackle everyday topics on motherhood, friendship, life, careers, entrepreneurship, family, and more. The reality is that no topic is off the table. It’s like listening to two best friends talk, you never know where the conversation is going to end up.
Episodes
Sunday Feb 26, 2023
Sunday Feb 26, 2023
“Breastfeeding is freaking hard. It may be the most natural thing in the world, but it does not always come naturally,” shares Jessica “Jessy” Cummings, owner and creator of Titty City Designs, a body positivity brand that celebrates new moms and breastfeeding while advocating for breast health. Her experience becoming a mom just before the pandemic shutdowns inspired her to create a community for other women struggling with similar challenges. In today’s episode, Jessy joins hosts Amy and Denyse to talk about her experiences with building community by breaking down social taboos.
Talking about breast health and breastfeeding is unfortunately still taboo, in spite of it being the most natural thing in the world. By speaking openly about breastfeeding difficulty and breast health, we can begin to normalize these topics. Breastfeeding and motherhood in general are so hard and women deserve a community that celebrates and supports their experiences. Jessy’s advice to others looking to spark social movements and build community is to keep showing up consistently and be authentic.
Motherhood is a wonderful, yet challenging journey. Often it is made more difficult because no one openly talks about the struggles involved, especially in regard to breastfeeding. By speaking openly about breast health and the difficulty of breastfeeding, we can begin to break down the severely outdated social taboos around titties.
Quotes
“It’s 2023 and it is still so hard for me to believe this is true, but talking about boobs and breastfeeding is still taboo.” (5:59-6:09 | Jessy)
“Breastfeeding is freaking hard. It may be the most natural thing in the world, but it does not always come naturally.” (11:27-11:37 | Jessy)
“Motherhood is hard. Breastfeeding is hard. And talking about it just needs to be normalized.” (19:43-19:55 | Jessy)
“Be authentic. Be yourself. Be you, because that's truly why people are showing up to be there with you.” (55:02-55:13 | Jessy)
Links:
Connect with Jessica "Jessy" Cummings:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tittycitydesign/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalaurencummings/
Web site: https://tittycitydesign.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T1ttyCityDesign
Upcoming Events: https://tittycitydesign.com/blogs/titty-tent-pop-ups-events
Amy & Denyse LOVE to network. Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and personally @AmyLAlex28 and @DenyseRabbat.
Tag yourself listening to our episodes, make us laugh with your midlife moment or share your favorite episode of our show with your friends on Instagram and we will share it back to our community! #midlifemoment
Do you enjoy our podcast? We’d love your help in growing our community. Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Midlife at the Mailbox on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
One last note, both Amy & Denyse offer coaching services. Are you ready to promote your business or yourself? What about just a heads up that we have dropped a new episode? Sign up to receive emails from Midlife at the Mailbox. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/630a92cd2812b898e99a8f06
Thanks for listening, see you at the Mailbox!
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
“When something seems stressful, out of reach, or just a little bit too hard for what you physically can manage at that moment, how do you break that down by half to be able to take that step to move forward?”, asks Amy. In today’s episode, your hosts Amy and Denyse have a conversation about being in the sandwich generation, goal setting, and how to break tasks down into more manageable, bite-sized pieces.
If you are in midlife, you may feel like you are in a caregiving sandwich. This comes from caring for not only your own children, but also your aging parents or other adults in your life that you may be supporting. This can be a very stressful situation because you’re needed on both sides and you don’t want to let anyone down. One way to keep up with your own goals and tasks while still caring for your dependents and older family members is time management. By breaking tasks down until they feel easy, you can reduce stress and keep up with your responsibilities.
Midlife can be a difficult time to navigate because you may feel responsible for many people around you, not just your own kids. But the secret to successfully taking care of yourself and meeting your own goals, all comes down to intentional time management.
Quotes
“Many of you may have felt if you're in midlife or maybe even before it, feeling like you're a part of the sandwich generation. You're in time in your life when you're in a sandwich and that's really a caregiving sandwich.” (10:39-10:52 | Denyse)
“You don't want to let anybody down from your mom, to your dad, to your clients that you're working with, to your husband, to your kids. You want to be able to be everything to everyone.” (19:17-19:30 | Amy)
“When something seems stressful and something seems out of reach or just a little bit too hard for what you physically can manage at that moment, how do you break that down by half to be able to take that step to move forward?” (22:07-22:29 | Amy)
Links:
Amy & Denyse LOVE to network. Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and personally @AmyLAlex28 and @DenyseRabbat.
Tag yourself listening to our episodes, make us laugh with your midlife moment or share your favorite episode of our show with your friends on Instagram and we will share it back to our community! #midlifemoment
Do you enjoy our podcast? We’d love your help in growing our community. Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Midlife at the Mailbox on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
One last note, both Amy & Denyse offer coaching services. Are you ready to promote your business or yourself? What about just a heads up that we have dropped a new episode? Sign up to receive emails from Midlife at the Mailbox. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/630a92cd2812b898e99a8f06
Thanks for listening, see you at the Mailbox!
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
“There are so many people that need my help. They just don't know about me yet,” shares Stephanie German, executive strategist and owner of German Business Consulting. In today’s episode, Stephanie shares how career networking and implementing organizational processes can take your business from ugly to beautiful.
There are community groups for almost everything, you just have to look for them. Find a group where you belong and show up consistently. This will help you to build a referral network within your local community. Then, make sure that you have organizational processes in place to make it possible for you to delegate tasks to employees. Even if you are a solopreneur, you may end up wanting an assistant or social media manager eventually and having your processes written down will help make that transition smoother.
Whether you are a solopreneur or have a larger business, you can benefit from having organizational processes in place that capture leads and enable you to follow up more easily. By building a referral network, you will be able to give back to others and receive genuine leads in return. Tune in to learn more about how networking and organizational processes are the key to taking your business from ugly to beautiful.
Quotes
“If I'm not modeling and doing what I'm telling clients to do, then I have no business telling them to do X, Y, and Z because I'm not doing it.” (14:57-15:08 | Stephanie)
“There are so many people that need my help. They just don't know about me yet.” (27:20-27:24 | Stephanie)
“You really have to find what works for you. What works for me and my personality and how I function isn't going to be the same for someone else.” (30:11-30:19 | Stephanie)
“Create a system that captures leads and allows you to follow up.” (43:50-43:55 | Stephanie)
Links:
Connect with Stephanie German:
So Your Boss Can't Lead: https://www.stephaniegerman.com/so-your-boss-cant-lead/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegerman/
Website: https://www.stephaniegerman.com/
Amy & Denyse LOVE to network. Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and personally @AmyLAlex28 and @DenyseRabbat.
Tag yourself listening to our episodes, make us laugh with your midlife moment or share your favorite episode of our show with your friends on Instagram and we will share it back to our community! #midlifemoment
Do you enjoy our podcast? We’d love your help in growing our community. Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Midlife at the Mailbox on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
One last note, both Amy & Denyse offer coaching services. Are you ready to promote your business or yourself? What about just a heads up that we have dropped a new episode? Sign up to receive emails from Midlife at the Mailbox. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/630a92cd2812b898e99a8f06
Thanks for listening, see you at the Mailbox!
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Episode 1: Pursuit of Happiness Remastered
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
Thursday Oct 20, 2022
In our first episode, Pursuit of Happiness, we debate whether we are searching for happiness or are we searching for something more? Happiness isn’t static, there are always going to be ebbs and flows. Is it happiness or do we want to feel another way?
Recommended book: Everyday Vitality by Samantha Boardman.
During podcast discussions, Amy and Denyse may share a book or product that they recommend to awesome people like you.
The links shared are for products they use and love. If you take action (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, they will earn some podcast money, which will allow them to continue to create funny and insightful podcasts for you to enjoy.
Rate and Review our show + Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and share this episode with a friend!
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Episode 12: Game On, Midlife
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
We live in a society filled with game-playing….sports games, video games, mobile games, dating games, and the list goes on…however, when was the last time you played a real board game?
Our special guest featured in this episode, Brad Smith, creator of the all-new board game, Talkative, was obsessed with the idea that he wanted to design a board game…but life, as it often does gets in the way. Pull up a chair, let’s meet our guest, why he decided to pursue his entrepreneurial dream in midlife, and what it takes to design and bring to market a board game in 2022.
RESOURCES:
You can now find his game on Amazon. Use discount code: 10midlife at checkout and save 10% off of the game, Talkative!
Rate and Review our show + Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and share this episode with a friend!
Thursday Sep 22, 2022
Episode 11: Staying Sharp in Midlife
Thursday Sep 22, 2022
Thursday Sep 22, 2022
Harnessing our brain’s efficiencies could be one of the secrets to keeping vital in midlife and beyond. Some of us might fear that as we age we are “not as sharp” as we were in our teens, 20s, or 30s?! However, fear no more....the good news is that there is a ton of research now showing that there are proactive ways to “flex” your brain in midlife.
In this new episode, "Staying Sharp in Midlife", we want to share with you our six-part stay sharp plan to be proactive about "flexing" your brain in midlife and beyond!
Resources:
Dr. Mark Hyman's Podcast - The Doctor's Farmacy
Blue Zones Advice
Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet
Foster social connections
Set up your surroundings so you move every 20 minutes or so
Rate and Review our show + Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and share this episode with a friend!
Thursday Sep 08, 2022
Episode 10: What comes first the content or the website?
Thursday Sep 08, 2022
Thursday Sep 08, 2022
Our Special Guest this week is our very own co-host and marketing guru, Amy Alexander from A2 Sales and Marketing!
A2 is a boutique sales & marketing consulting company that helps small business owners navigate the noise of marketing their business to help them tell better stories, through content marketing, social media strategy, website design & email marketing.
In today's 10th episode, we discuss WEBSITES with a side of content!
Amy & Denyse discuss, what comes first the content or the website in this nugget of wisdom-filled episode.
Visit our website to check out our FREE download. All you need to do is sign up and away you'll walk with a great document of website wisdom to see if you need to Level Up Your Website!
Do you want more time with Amy? Schedule a complimentary 30-minute connection here.
Rate and Review our show + Follow us on Instagram @midlifeatthemailbox and share this episode with a friend!
Thursday Aug 25, 2022
Episode 9: Resumes in Midlife
Thursday Aug 25, 2022
Thursday Aug 25, 2022
It’s back-to-school time across the country. For a lot of people that also means thinking about career transitions. There’s a multitude of reasons why that is:
Summer vacation is coming to end (people start to think about ending the year with a new job/career)
Parents with young children can focus again on working full-time or part-time now that kids are back in school
COVID-19 pandemic seems to be normalizing in schools or some people want to fulfill their new year’s resolutions about career/jobs.
For employers, it also tends to be a busy hiring season as their own teams are back from vacationing (especially in multinational/global teams) and focused on finishing the year strongly.
It never hurts to look at your resume. In fact, many career coaches recommend updating your resume on a monthly basis to keep it fresh and avoid the stomach-turning feeling of updating your resume before your next job hunt. However, we realize that most people are not that methodical about it).
If it’s been a while since you updated your resume, here are the top trends in the resume world:
1. Branding Statements
Gone are the days of “Objective” statements at the top of your resume!
Branding statements have been around for a while and continue to dominate most modern resume formats.
Your branding statement should reflect the role/job and superpower you have in the professional world.
2. Employers are looking for candidates that share their “Whole Self”
It’s now ok to list skills other than your professional industry on your resume.
Ex. Tea Sommelier for a recent candidate as part of our branding statement
3. Your experience section should reflect an accomplishment-driven resume versus task driven resume.
Write your resume to appeal for online applications, also known as Application Tracking Systems (ATS).
Utilize free online resources like JobScan
If you’re a listener in midlife, here are a few other things to consider for your next resume update:
Please limit your work experience on your resume to the last 10-15 years
It’s as far back as most employers would like to know, as it’s the most relevant to the job.
List any relevant experience more than 15 years old in a separate section called “Additional Experience” if you think it’s important for your current job search.
Remove your home or mailing address - only your city is needed!
There are a lot of reasons for this - privacy, data mining and so much more.
Resources
Since the Mailbox community is so special and personal to us, I’m also going to share a resume template in Microsoft Word that you can use if you’re needing a resume overhaul and don’t know where to start.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute Zoom session with a career transition coach, Denyse Rabbat
Complimentary Resume Guide & Template from Denyse Rabbat Career Coaching
JobScan
Thursday Jul 28, 2022
Episode 8: Power of Yes
Thursday Jul 28, 2022
Thursday Jul 28, 2022
YES & NO!
It’s probably one of the most common responses to questions in the English language. All day long, we find ourselves responding with one of these words. There’s power in each one of them, too.
If you answer “no” more than “yes to the former, then this is the episode you’ll want to listen closely to! We’re going to talk about the power of saying “yes” to the fun and enjoyable things in life. About saying “yes” to making more memories with your family, friends and loved ones that will make your life more fulfilled, more vital.
https://www.midlifeatthemailbox.com
Follow the show:
Facebook
@midlifeatthemailbox on Instagram
Pinterest
Connect with us: midlifemailboxpodcast@gmail.com
Resources:
Children’s Book - Yes Day
Netflix Movie Page
Forbes Article - 5 Reasons Why Saying Yes Can be the Best Move Of Your Career
Shonda Rhimes TED Talk
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Episode 7: Coping with Tragedies in Midlife
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Midlife can be fun and tiring…and also, sad and downright depressing at times. The mass shooting in Highland Park has left us feeling shaken, sad, and searching for answers while watching in amazement how the towns surrounding Highland Park have come together to offer solace as their community grapples with how to move forward from the unthinkable.
In Episode 7, we took a break from the original schedule of topics to discuss the Highland Park tragedies, which hit too close to home for Amy and Denyse, while also welcoming Julie Iser-Schneider, Licenced Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Amy’s sister as our “feelings” expert to ask her questions we’ve been hearing from concerned parents and community members.
https://www.midlifeatthemailbox.com
Follow the show: https://www.facebook.com/midlifeatthemailbox
@midlifeatthemailbox on Instagram
Connect with us: midlifemailboxpodcast@gmail.com
Resources:
I was at the Highland Park Parade, Trauma Resources for you and Me from our friends at Chicago North Shore Moms
Tips from NorthShore Health
Moms Demand Action - grassroots org built after the Sandy Hook tragedies to advocate for public safety with chapters in every state
Gun violence must stop. Here is what we can do to prevent more deaths.
Gun Violence Prevention
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.