Why Is Mahjong So Popular? The Women's Craze That's Building Brains and Community

Why is everyone suddenly playing American Mahjong? In this episode of Heavens to Betsy, I sit down with Jamie Dalton, co-founder of Gold Coast Mahjong, to explore why Mahjong has become one of the fastest-growing hobbies and community builders for women.

We talk about the brain health benefits of Mahjong, how the game strengthens memory, strategy, and cognitive fitness, and why it's becoming a favorite activity for women in midlife and beyond. But Mahjong is about much more than tile; it's about building friendships, finding community, reducing stress, and creating meaningful social connections.

Whether you're curious about learning American Mahjong, looking for a hobby that challenges your mind, or searching for new ways to connect with other women, this conversation explains why Mahjong has become such a powerful movement. And how anyone can play it, if you just try. Beginners are always welcome at the Mahj table.

In this episode:

• Why Mahjong is so popular again
• The brain exercise benefits of American Mahjong
• How Mahjong helps build community and friendships
• Why women are embracing Mahjong in midlife
• The social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of playing
• How to get started with American Mahjong
• Where to get your set
• The Mahj table is the great equalizer

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• If you've been wondering what all the buzz is about, this episode is your introduction to the game that's bringing women together one tile at a time.

• For more information on Gold Coast Mahjong and to learn about their upcoming events and retreats, click here.

  Read about Gold Coast in the news to learn what two Moms created from their passion, here.

  Find them on Instagram here.

  
  

We are finally talking about Perimenopause and the way we treat it.

In this episode of Heavens to Betsy: Midlife Podcast, I sit down with The Menopause Coach, Susie Weinberg, to uncover the lesser-known symptoms of perimenopause that many women experience but few people talk about.

If you've been told "your labs are normal" but you're dealing with strange symptoms, this conversation is for you.

We discuss:
• Burning mouth syndrome and other surprising perimenopause symptoms
• Why perimenopause today is not your grandmother's menopause
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): what women need to know
• The role vitamins, nutrition, and lifestyle play in feeling your best
• Why finding a healthcare provider who specializes in perimenopause and menopause matters
• When it's time to get a second opinion if you aren't getting answers
• How women can remain vibrant, energetic, healthy, and confident throughout midlife

Perimenopause doesn't have to mean suffering. With the right information, the right doctor, hormone replacement therapy when appropriate, and personalized care, women can thrive during this stage of life.

Getting older is a privilege. You deserve to feel well while doing it.

To connect with Susie Weinberg, click here. To see her on Instagram, click here.

• Midlife women, women over 40, women over 50, single moms, and widows—this podcast is your go-to for dating, relationships, divorce, empowerment, career pivots, menopause, perimenopause, self-improvement, mental health, and personal growth. Betsy gets raw, funny, and real about midlife messes, dating disasters, financial challenges, career changes, grief, empty nest life, and all the baffling, annoying things people do.

  If you want midlife advice, dating guidance, relationship tips, divorce strategies, empowerment tools, and personal growth insights, you’ve found your new favorite podcast. Women over 40 and women over 50 will love Betsy’s take on midlife reinvention, self-awareness, empowerment, career pivots, menopause, perimenopause, mental wellness, personal finance literacy, and self-improvement.

• Follow, stream, and tune in every Tuesday to laugh, learn, and thrive through midlife challenges, dating adventures, relationship struggles, divorce transitions, career pivots, empowerment journeys, menopause, perimenopause, and personal growth.

  Because better midlife advice, dating guidance, relationship skills, empowerment strategies, career tips, menopause insight, perimenopause support, and personal growth tools create stronger women, stronger relationships, and stronger lives.

  Connect with Betsy: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube @BetsyRonel | Questions & collabs: ⁠⁠⁠HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com

Are you a midlife woman facing a career change or midlife reinvention after the life you planned fell apart?

In this inspiring episode of Heavens to Betsy: Midlife Podcast, I sit down with former CNN anchor, Carol Lin to discuss her powerful new memoir, When News Breaks. Together, we explore the realities of becoming a younger widow, midlife reinvention, navigating a career pivot, overcoming a midlife identity crisis, and rebuilding a life when everything you thought was certain suddenly changes.

Carol shares the highs and lows of a groundbreaking journalism career, being a person beyond the title or the marriage, the challenges of balancing ambition with motherhood, and the difficult choices many women face between being a working mom versus a stay-at-home mom. We discuss how mothering evolves over time, ad how our family history plays a role in how we show up as Mothers; what happens when your children need you less, and how women can rediscover themselves beyond their roles as mothers, wives, and caregivers.

As a fellow widow and single mother, I was especially moved by Carol's reflections on resilience, loss, and finding purpose after life's unexpected detours. Whether you're navigating widowhood, single parenting, an empty nest, a career transition, or simply questioning what's next, this conversation offers hope, wisdom, and practical insight.

This episode is for every midlife woman who has ever wondered:

✨ Is it too late for a career change?
✨ How do I navigate a midlife identity crisis?
✨ Can I reinvent myself after loss, divorce, widowhood, or motherhood?
✨ How do I find purpose after years of putting everyone else first?

If you're interested in midlife reinvention, career change, career pivot stories, motherhood, working moms, stay-at-home moms, single parenting, widowhood, personal growth, and finding your next chapter, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Learn more about Carol Lin now and to order her book When News Breaks, click here.

Follow Carol Lin on Instagram, here. On Linked In, here.

• Midlife women, women over 40, women over 50, single moms, and widows—this podcast is your go-to for dating, relationships, divorce, empowerment, career pivots, menopause, perimenopause, self-improvement, mental health, and personal growth. Betsy gets raw, funny, and real about midlife messes, dating disasters, financial challenges, career changes, grief, empty nest life, and all the baffling, annoying things people do.

  If you want midlife advice, dating guidance, relationship tips, divorce strategies, empowerment tools, and personal growth insights, you’ve found your new favorite podcast. Women over 40 and women over 50 will love Betsy’s take on midlife reinvention, self-awareness, empowerment, career pivots, menopause, perimenopause, mental wellness, personal finance literacy, and self-improvement.

• Follow, stream, and tune in every Tuesday to laugh, learn, and thrive through midlife challenges, dating adventures, relationship struggles, divorce transitions, career pivots, empowerment journeys, menopause, perimenopause, and personal growth.

  Because better midlife advice, dating guidance, relationship skills, empowerment strategies, career tips, menopause insight, perimenopause support, and personal growth tools create stronger women, stronger relationships, and stronger lives.

  Connect with Betsy: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube @BetsyRonel | Questions & collabs: ⁠⁠HeavenstoBetsyShow@gmail.com