Latest / Midlife Glow Up: Simplifying Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Women over 40 / 56. What One Year of Podcasting Has Taught Me

Transcript

56. What One Year of Podcasting Has Taught Me · Midlife Glow Up: Simplifying Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Women over 40

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: One year ago, I sat down behind this microphone to record the very first episode of the Midlife Flow Up Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: I had very little idea what I was getting myself into, but I had a whole lot of passion for helping women in midlife take charge of their health and build strength and confidence and recognize just how much is possible in this next chapter of life.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: And here we are, a whole year later.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've learned how to record and edit podcasts.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I have discovered that I say the word so approximately one million times per episode.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I've developed a whole new appreciation for people who consistently put themselves out into the world.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: But as I have reflected over this past year, I've realized that some of my biggest lessons I've learned have very little to do with actually podcasting itself.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: The lessons I've learned have reinforced so many of the things that I have spent the past year talking about right here, including the importance of just showing up, even if you don't feel ready, being willing to try something new, practicing something consistently, and giving yourself permission to learn as you go.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So today we're celebrating one year of the Midlife Glow Up, and I'm sharing seven things that I have learned from my first year behind the microphone, including a few things that surprised me, some things that made me laugh, and a few lessons that I think apply to just about anything you want to accomplish in life.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the Midlife Glow Up Podcast, where we simplify fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits for women over 40.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Joan Dandino, your midlife health and wellness coach.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are ready to feel strong, consistent, and confident in this season of life, then you're in the right place, my friend.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, can we just celebrate the fact that we've been doing this together for an entire year?
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: I launched the Midlife Globe Podcast on October 23rd of 2025.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: And when I think about everything that has happened since, it feels like a lot.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: There have been some family milestones, some business changes, I've made some new programs, I've had some fun adventures, and most recently a pretty significant knee injury that has challenged me in ways that I didn't really anticipate.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: And through all of it, I am proud of myself for continuing to show up here each week.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I have to say, when I started thinking about this anniversary episode, I thought about looking back over some of the topics that we've covered because we have talked about a lot: strength training, nutrition, menopause, mindset, consistency, confidence, what it means to take care of ourselves in midlife.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: But the more I reflect, the more I realized that creating this podcast has reinforced many of the same principles that I've been teaching for years.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to share some lessons that I have learned from my first year of podcasting.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: And lesson number one is you have to be willing to be a beginner.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: I've been teaching fitness classes for over 30 years, and I'm really comfortable at this point standing in front of a room full of people, demonstrating exercises, encouraging women to really challenge themselves.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: And it is very natural to me.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: But I remember when I was brand new, when I was 18 and I first got certified, my hands were shaking so much as I stood in front of a class of women and tried to pretend like I knew what I was doing.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Podcasting for me is a completely new territory.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I had to figure out equipment and tech, and I had to figure out how to record and how to edit and then how to upload it and where to even go to do all of this stuff.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: I had to write show notes and all kinds of little details that I just didn't even know what I didn't know.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And even though I've spent decades talking for a living, either in teaching classes or in coaching clients, talking into a microphone to myself is a surprisingly different experience.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm teaching a class or coaching a client, I can see people's faces and I can tell whether something is resonating.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: But with a podcast, I'm just sitting here talking to you, but I can't see you.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I think one of the reasons that we sometimes hesitate to try something new, especially in midlife, is because we've gotten pretty comfortable at being good at the things that we already know how to do.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: We have spent decades developing skills and building careers and raising families and figuring things out.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Putting ourselves in a situation where we don't know what we're doing can feel super uncomfortable.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: But I think it's really valuable to continue challenging ourselves to learn new things.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, just last week I went line dancing for the first time with 20 other women from my Yugo Girl community.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And out of all 20 of us, only one woman had ever tried line dancing before.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: We had so much fun, and it was actually a pretty good workout.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: But what surprised me most was how challenging it was for my brain.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Trying to remember the steps and then coordinate with my feet and then keep up with the music and figure out which direction it was supposed to be facing, it was quite the mental workout.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of those wonderful benefits of learning something new.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Challenging our brains to form new neural pathways is so important for maintaining cognitive health as we age.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So whether you're learning to play mahjong or lift weights the first time, or you're crazy enough like me to start a podcast at almost 50, being willing to be a beginner opens up so many possibilities.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really glad I continue to give myself grace as I learned how to become a podcaster.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so I hope you'll continue giving yourself opportunities to be a beginner too, because you never know what you might discover about yourself or what new experiences you might end up just loving.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Lesson number two is you get better by doing the reps.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this might be one of my favorite lessons because it's so closely connected to what I teach in fitness, but you get better at something by practicing it and then practicing it some more.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: So when I listen back to some of my earlier episodes, I can definitely hear the difference.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm definitely more comfortable now.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've gotten better at organizing my thoughts, and the entire process has become easier just because I have continued to practice it.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: I recorded an episode and then I would learn something, and then I would apply that knowledge to the next time I had to record an episode, and I repeated that process week after week.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: And if you think about it, that's super related to building strength.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: When you first start lifting weights, you're learning the movements, you're figuring out which weights to use and you're developing confidence.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: But over time, those movements become more familiar, and then you're able to progress.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: And the same thing happens with food prep.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: What initially feels complicated and overwhelming becomes easier as you develop routines and discover which things work for you and which things don't.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: I think we underestimate how much progress can happen simply by repeating something consistently over time.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: One episode a week might not seem like much, but a year later, I've created an entire library of episodes, and that is the compound effect at work.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Just like two strength training workouts a week might not seem like much, but over 52 weeks, that's 104 opportunities to show up for yourself and get stronger.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Small things repeatedly really do add up.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: So whatever you're working on right now, remember that every time you practice, you are making progress.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: So give yourself the time and the repetitions to get better and let consistency do its job.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Lesson number three, perfection is overrated.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's talk about editing because I have learned a lot about editing myself.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, I had no idea how often I say the word so.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Seriously, so, so, so, so, so, so.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Apparently it's my favorite transition word, and I had no idea before I started creating a podcast.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: What I've learned is I'm painfully aware of every little filler word or every awkward pause or every time that my sentence didn't really come out the way that I intended it to.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it's really tempting to want to fix every single one of those errors.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: But I've learned to recognize when something is good enough.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I recently recorded an episode where I said I had two more things to share, and then I only shared one.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so I debated going back and fixing it, and then I ultimately decided to just leave it.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like the message is there, and the episode is still valuable.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that's an important lesson when it comes to creating healthy habits.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: We spend so much time worrying about whether we're doing everything exactly right that we lose sight of the bigger picture sometimes.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'd much rather have a year's worth of episodes that I'm proud of, even ones that have a few imperfections, than a handful of perfectly polished episodes and a podcast that I abandoned because the progress became too overwhelming.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel exactly the same way about fitness and nutrition.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: So the next time you find yourself getting caught up in trying to do something perfectly, ask yourself whether it's good enough to keep moving forward.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because those imperfect efforts still count and they still add up over time.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Lesson number four is the show must go on.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: So one thing I have learned from podcasting is a whole new appreciation for people who consistently put themselves out there, whether they're creating content or performing for an audience or showing up week after week, because the show must go on.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: So when you commit to publishing a podcast every week, you realize pretty quickly that life doesn't always cooperate with those plans.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Some weeks I have a million ideas and I can't wait to sit down and record.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: And other weeks I'm tired and I'm overwhelmed with everything else on my plate, or I simply just don't feel creative.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I've certainly experienced that over the past few months while navigating my knee injury and also, of course, running my business and keeping up with everything else.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: But here's what I've learned, and it's something that I talk about all the time when it comes to fitness and nutrition.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Motivation is fickle.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: We cannot rely on her.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: Some days you feel motivated, other days you do not.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: And if we only followed through on our commitments when we felt motivated, we'd probably have a pretty hard time making progress towards anything.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: And that is why having routines and a plan and a commitment to yourself is so important because they help you follow through even on the days when you don't particularly feel like it.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: And the funny thing is, sometimes once you just get started, that's all it takes.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: I've had plenty of days when I wasn't excited to record.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: But once I sat down and got going, I ended up really enjoying the process.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I bet you've experienced this with exercise and nutrition as well.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe you weren't particularly excited about your workout, but you showed up anyway and felt so much better afterwards.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: So the next time you're waiting to feel motivated to do something that is important to you, remember that motivation comes and goes.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: The routines and the habits that you build are what are going to help you keep showing up.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And every time you do, you're reinforcing that commitment to yourself.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Lesson number five is apparently, I have a lot to say.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things that I wondered when I started this podcast was whether I would eventually run out of things to talk about.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, how many different ways can you talk about strength training and nutrition and taking care of yourself in midlife?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, apparently quite a few.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Here we are a year later, and I still have a running list of topics that I haven't even begun to cover.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: And the more I talk about these things, the more ideas I seem to have.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: The big part of that comes from the women that I work with.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: So every coaching conversation, every question that somebody asks me in class or in a coaching forum, every discussion inside of one of my communities gives me another opportunity to think about how I can help women navigate this season of life.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And even when we're talking about the same basic principles, the circumstances are always different.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: The woman who's trying to build a strength training routine while raising teenagers has a different challenge than the woman who's already retired and has a lot more time on her hands.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: The woman navigating perimenopause might have different questions than the woman who's been postmenopausal for 15 years already.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And the woman who's exercised consistently for decades may need something very different from the woman who's just getting started.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I've discovered that preparing an episode forces me to think more deeply about what I believe and how I want to communicate it.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I find myself simplifying an idea or looking at something from a different perspective.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, in many ways, I think podcasting has actually made me a better coach.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: It has really helped me hone my message.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's challenged me to take everything that I've learned over my, you know, three decades of coaching and figure out how to communicate it in a way that's clear and relatable and actually useful to the women that I'm trying to reach.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so I hope you'll stay curious too, because there's always more to learn, more to explore, more to discover about yourself, especially in this season of life.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: And if there's a topic that you'd love to hear me cover on the podcast, please reach out and let me know.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always looking for new ideas and I'd love to hear what questions you have or what you'd like to learn more about.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: Lesson number six, you never know who's listening.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: This has been one of the most rewarding parts of podcasting for me.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm recording an episode, I really have no idea who's going to listen.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you are walking your dog or driving to work or making dinner, and I have no idea which part of an episode might resonate with you.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: But one of the coolest things that has happened over the past year is that I have gained two one-on-one coaching clients who found me directly through the podcast.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's pretty amazing.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: One of the reasons that I started this podcast was to share my passion for midlife health and wellness with more women, reaching beyond the communities that I already serve.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I wanted to share what I've learned over the many years that I have been in this industry with women who might never have the opportunity to meet me in real life or even live in the same country as me.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: And knowing that women have listened, have connected with what I'm sharing, and decided that they wanted to work with me without even really knowing me is incredibly rewarding.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I also know that there are women listening who may never become clients.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope the podcast is making a difference to them too.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe something I've shared has helped you feel more confident about strength training or has inspired you to make some changes to your own nutrition or has encouraged you to make your own health more of a priority.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: I may never know about these things, but I do hope they're happening.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope you'll remember that the things that you do and the words that you share may be making a bigger difference in someone's life than you realize.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Never underestimate the impact that you can have on the people around you.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, lesson number seven: consistency changes how you see yourself.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to save this one for last because I think it brings everything together and it really just hits home with the main overall message that I share on this podcast.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: A year ago, I was someone who was starting a podcast.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: I was learning the tech and figuring out the process and wondering whether I could really commit to doing this every week.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: And now, a year later, I am a podcaster.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Part of my identity now is I am a podcaster.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: And it feels a little funny to say still, but it's true.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Somewhere along the way, podcasting has become part of what I do and part of how I see myself.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's one of the most powerful things about creating consistent habits.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Over time, they actually change our identity.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: I see this happen with the women I coach all the time.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Someone starts strength training because she knows it's important for her health.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: Initially, she's just trying to figure out how to fit it in a couple times a week.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: But after she's been doing it consistently for a while, something shifts and she starts to see herself as someone who lifts weights, someone who is strong, someone who makes time to take care of herself.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that shift can influence the decisions that she makes moving forward is so powerful.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think this is especially meaningful for women in midlife because so many of us are navigating changes in our identities.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: For years, we have defined ourselves primarily through our roles as moms, wives, caregivers, professionals.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: And as our lives change, we have this incredible opportunity to think about who we want to become in this next chapter.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: What do we want to learn?
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: What do we want to experience?
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: What do we want to be capable of?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: I love the idea that we can continue becoming new versions of ourselves throughout our lives.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes the way that we would discover what we're capable of is simply by being willing to try something new and sticking with it long enough to see what happens.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to think about the woman that you're becoming and the habits that will help you get there.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Every time you follow through on a commitment to yourself, you're reinforcing the belief that you are capable of creating the life and the health that you want.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: So there are my seven lessons.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: And as I look back on this first year of podcasting, I'm really proud of what I've created and I'm excited for what's still ahead.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: I have still so many ideas for future episodes and topics that I want to explore and guests that I'd like to bring on.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: When I started this podcast, I had no idea where it would lead.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: I just knew I had a message that I was passionate about sharing, and I was willing to figure the rest out.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope that encourages you to think about something that you've been wanting to try or learn or accomplish.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a new exercise routine or a hobby that you've wanted to explore or even a new direction in your career.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine where you could be a year from now if you gave yourself permission to get started, learn as you go and keep practicing.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: We're never too old to try something new, and we don't have to have everything figured out before we begin.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we just have to take that first step and be willing to learn as we go and give consistency enough time to do its job.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: Before I wrap up, I have a little anniversary request.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been listening to the Midlife Glow Up Podcast, whether you've been here since episode one or you just recently discovered the podcast, I would absolutely love to hear from you.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to know how you found the podcast, what episodes you're enjoying, whether there's something that I've shared that has made a difference in your life.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd also love to know what you'd like to hear more about in year two.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: So head over to Instagram at JonesFitZone and send me a message.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: And if you've been enjoying the podcast, one of the best ways that you can help me celebrate this milestone is by sharing it with a friend or leaving a rating or review.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: Both help other women discover the podcast, and I would be so grateful.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Most of all, I just want to thank you for listening, for sharing your time with me and being part of this community.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: I really love what I get to do.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: And knowing that you are on the other side of this microphone makes it even more meaningful.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Here's to another year of learning and growing and challenging ourselves and making the most of this one beautiful life that we get to live.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, my friend.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, progress over perfection and consistency over intensity.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep growing, keep glowing, and bye for now.