What does it actually look like to find yourself again in midlife—without pressure, perfection, or a full life overhaul? In this episode of Found at 40, Chrissi talks with Leila Howell of My Kind of Glow about identity loss in motherhood, realistic wellness, nervous system regulation, and the small habits that help you feel like yourself again. Leila shares how one deeply relatable “gentle glow-up” reel went viral, and why her message resonated with so many women in their 40s. If you’ve been feeling invisible, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, this conversation is the reset you didn’t know you needed.

(0:00) ✨ Chrissi shares why Leila’s “gentle glow-up” message hit such a nerve for so many women in midlife

(3:00) 🎥 Leila tells the story behind the reel that went viral—and what was happening in real life when she posted it

(5:00) 🌍 Leila opens up about moving between Australia and Seattle, raising kids, and navigating a major life transition

(8:00) 🎨 How she went from graphic designer to stay-at-home mom to content creator (without planning for any of it)

(10:00) 💥 The moment she realized the typical “glow-up” content wasn’t what she—or other women—actually needed

(12:00) 👻 They talk about identity loss in motherhood and that quiet midlife feeling of “Where did I go?”

(15:00) 🪞 Leila explains what a real midlife glow-up means to her—and why it’s more about self-trust than self-improvement

(19:00) 📱 What it felt like to suddenly grow an audience of women who deeply related to her message

(23:00) 🔁 A conversation about tiny habits, momentum, and how to start feeling better when life already feels full

(27:00) 🧳 Leila shares the emotional side of moving countries, reverse culture shock, and starting over with young kids

(31:00) 🎨 They get into perfectionism, creativity, and why being “bad” at something can actually be healing

(38:00) 🫶 Pillar 1: Leila shares what body respect looks like in midlife (without diet-culture energy)

(40:00) 🌿 Pillar 2: Why nervous system regulation comes before almost everything else

(42:00) 🥗 Pillar 3: What realistic wellness looks like when you’re tired, busy, and in a full season of life

(44:00) 💛 Pillar 4: How self-trust gets rebuilt in small, everyday choices

(46:00) 🚰 Pillar 5: The “life-supporting habits” approach that helps things feel doable (not overwhelming)

(48:00) 🎉 Final Four favorites, funny moments, and what Leila feels she’s truly found after 40

(58:00) 📅 A preview of Leila’s “My Kind of Glow Reset” and the small-steps challenge she’s launching next

Follow Leila on Instagram and TikTok at @mykindofglow_ and stay tuned for her 28 Day Small Steps Guide.

✨ Hit follow, send this episode to your group chat, and leave a glowing review

📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

Keywords: midlife reinvention, finding yourself again, midlife glow up, identity loss in motherhood, motherhood and identity, women over 40 wellness, nervous system regulation, realistic self care, self trust in midlife, midlife burnout recovery, gentle habits for women, Atomic Habits for moms, perimenopause wellness habits, starting over at 40, midlife reset for moms

Middle school can feel like emotional whiplash—one minute your kid wants you close, the next you’re getting an eye roll and attitude that makes you wonder, "What is going on?" In this episode, Chrissi sits down with Instagram’s favorite middle school parent coach Bridget KerMorris to unpack what’s really happening beneath the mood swings, disrespect, and constant tech tension—and how parents can stay steady without becoming permissive. You’ll hear why the parent-child relationship is one of the most protective factors in the tween/teen years, plus a practical framework for responding with calm authority (even when you’re triggered). If you’re parenting middle schoolers—especially if big feelings, ADHD, or neurodivergence are part of the picture—this conversation will help you feel more connected, more confident, and less like you’re living inside a daily power struggle.

(1:05) 🎙️ Meet Bridget KerMorris: attorney, therapist + parent coach + mom of seven raising middle schoolers in real time
(3:20) 😬 Why parents dread middle school—and how to turn down the heat at home
(6:10) 🧠 The most protective factor for tweens + teens: the parent-child relationship (and why it’s not “soft”)
(8:05) 🧭 Authority vs. authoritarian: how to hold boundaries without constant power struggles
(10:45) 🧩 Trauma + meaning-making: why what you say (or don’t say) after hard moments matters
(12:40) 📱 Tech rules, phones, Snapchat: how to set limits without your kid hearing “I don’t trust you”
(14:20) 🛑 Pillar 1: The Update Method: how to pause when you’re triggered so you can respond (not react)
(18:00) 🤝 Pillar 2: Accessible, Responsive, Engaged—what secure attachment looks like in middle school
(23:55) 🍉 The “little things” that build connection fast (and why kids never forget them)
(25:30) 🔁 Pillar 3: Repair: teaching accountability + relationship skills after conflict
(27:10) 💡 Pillar 4: Curious relational parenting: helping kids understand their inner world (before adulthood)
(30:40) 🧠 Parenting neurodivergent middle schoolers: rejection sensitivity, emotional dysregulation, and what helps
(37:10) 🌪️ When your kid is constantly moody: how to get back to neutral ground as a family
(42:10) 🧱 Containment + kindness: addressing eye rolls & disrespect without becoming permissive
(48:15) 🗂️ Free guide + Stay Close cards: daily conversation prompts that help your tween open up
(51:45) 🎶 Fun wrap: concerts, celeb look-alike, and what Bridget has “found” in her forties

Follow Bridget on Instagram at @bridget.parentcoach and get your free guide here: 50 Ways I’m Staying Closer to My Middle Schooler

✨ Hit follow, send this episode to your group chat, and leave a glowing review

📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

Keywords: Parenting middle schoolers, middle school parenting tips, how to stay connected to your tween, tween mood swings, handling disrespect from tweens, how to respond when your child is rude, connection-based parenting, attachment-focused parenting, building secure attachment with teens, repairing after a parent-child conflict, setting boundaries with tweens, screen time limits for middle schoolers, phone boundaries for tweens and teens, parenting a neurodivergent child (ADHD/autism), parenting strategies for tweens and teens.

Why does adult friendship feel so much harder than it used to — even when nothing is “wrong”? In this episode, Chrissi and her sister Sarah unpack why loneliness, disconnection, and friendship confusion are so common in midlife, especially for women navigating busy schedules, shifting priorities, and changing seasons of life. They explore how modern life quietly reshaped the way we connect — and why feeling lonely isn’t a personal failure. If you’ve ever wondered why friendship feels emotional, awkward, or exhausting in adulthood, this conversation will help you feel seen, validated, and less alone.

(0:00) ❄️ A cold-weather catch-up and why everyday conversation still matters
(5:00) 🧠 Texting tone, all-caps conflict, and how adult relationships misread intention
(9:00) 🤝 Why adult friendship feels heavier — and why so many women quietly struggle
(12:00) 📉 The loneliness statistics that reveal a major cultural shift
(16:00) ☕ The loss of “third spaces” and how modern life fractured community
(20:00) 🧸 Parenting stages, aging kids, and the disappearance of built-in friendships
(24:00) 🎧 Feeling isolated in public — even when we’re surrounded by people
(28:00) ❤️ The Harvard study that reframes happiness, health, and relationships
(31:00) 🌱 “Medium friends” — why they matter, where they fit, and why they’re confusing
(35:00) 🧭 Wanting to show up without overstepping — and why silence can hurt more
(40:00) 🔄 Friendship bandwidth, emotional energy, and shrinking circles in midlife
(45:00) 🛒 Reimagining friendship through errand friends, shared activities, and low-pressure connection
(48:00) ✨ Final reflections on effort, vulnerability, and what adult friendship really needs

✨ Hit follow, send this episode to your group chat, and leave a glowing review

📱 Check out @foundat40podcast on Instagram for extras, outtakes, and mild oversharing

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Foundat40

Keywords: adult friendship, loneliness in adulthood, making friends in midlife, female friendship in midlife, why adult friendship is hard, feeling lonely even with friends, modern loneliness epidemic, friendship after 40, losing friends as an adult, third spaces and community, rebuilding friendships in adulthood, emotional labor in friendships, friendship circles and bandwidth, medium friends vs close friends, connection and belonging in midlife