In this week’s episode, my guest Amy Kelly, is the creator and host of In the Middle of It Podcast. She’s a born-and-raised Texas girl with a passion for the next generation. She’s also a Mom, a writer, an educator, and a voracious reader who is dedicated to helping people connect with the teens in their life.

Amy is passionate about supporting middle school parents and teachers on the front lines with teens. shares actionable strategies and relevant resources that create results for the teens in your life. She also loves discovering the stories of teens and what’s shaped them so far.

In this episode, Amy and I talked about:

• How helping her husband with his dream, made her realize she needed her own dream
• The importance of good boundaries
• Helpful tips for all parents (and grandparents!)

Amy lives with her husband and two teens. You can find her listening to U2, watching Gilmore Girls for the millionth time, or hanging on the patio with...

As I watch my students inside the Second Half S.P.A.R.K. School™ making huge changes, which I find so inspiring, I thought that change would make an excellent topic today.

I found two recent examples of change in my life. One is very recent and something I took on this past week. Another is one I am contemplating but haven't made yet.

The first example exemplifies my first point: Change is hard! (at first!) I share how I experienced that firsthand and talk about what happened when I stuck it out, even though it was not easy. And how the hard was so worth it!

The second example highlights my second point: We tend to view change through the lens of our past experiences and what we *think* will happen and fail to see the change as something that could be way better than we can even conjure up - because it's hard to imagine what we haven't yet experienced! Makes total sense, right?!

If you enjoy episodes, like this, where I share topics and examples about...

In this episode, I had a wonderful chat with Elizabeth Henson, founder of The Messy Success Podcast, and Shine The Light Society membership, who has become the go-to expert in community management and leadership.

If you have an online business or are thinking about starting one, or just have a desire to create a like-minded community of people you share similar interests with, Elizabeth wants to help you feel confident and excited about creating and growing your own Facebook Group and spending more time on Facebook to build that community.

In this episode, Elizabeth and I talked about:

- How she ended up becoming a Facebook groups expert

- The most important tip to growing your audience and keeping them interested

- An important trick about Facebook groups and engagement you don’t want to miss

- Great ideas for how to build your Facebook group

Elizabeth believes in the power of relationships and finding our own version of success and desires to be creative and operate from...

This episode was inspired by my new students who are going through some powerful work that requires them to dig deep because this work typically brings up lots of emotion. While it's hard to see abundance in the experience of the emotion, I know that only good comes from this emotion.

I've learned, not only through my experience as someone who has done her own deep work, but as a coach who guides people through this work, that the emotions are a part of the process. And what I have found is that the breakthroughs are usually right on the other side of tears. Tears open channels and bring answers. 

I also share an incredible insight I gained about my own resistance to negative emotions because I found this affecting my work as a coach - until I got to the root of it. That was a powerful moment of clarity that I got from the universe and helped me see how important (and abundant!) negative emotions are.

So embrace the tears!!! Let them flow and the answers will follow!

Enjoy...

My guest today is Leslie Pearlman, a yoga teacher, spiritual resiliency mentor, and founder of Good Ground Yoga. She’s a former domestic violence attorney and discovered the connection between personal empowerment and self-healing that catapulted her on her mission today of turning ordinary people into “Spiritual Warriors” through yoga.

Over the last 20+ years, Leslie has taught thousands of students how to stand their ground, heal their chronic pain, and take charge of their life. Leslie is also a wife, mom of 1, stepmom of 3, and step-grandmother of 1.

In this episode, Leslie and I talked about:

• Why she became a domestic violence attorney but ultimately found it unsatisfying.
• How yoga was introduced to her and played a key role for most of her life.
• The retreat that led to her major life pivot and quitting law for good.
• Her 5 spiritual practices she used to overcome her fears when her dream to start her own yoga studio was still a dream, and they likely...

Since I'm about to turn one more year older, I thought an episode about how I've learned to "handle" my birthdays as I've grown older and wiser would be useful...

I share a couple of tips that have given me a whole new perspective about turning another year older. Adding a year to my life is no longer something that I frown upon or even dread.

I also share why my birthday is always so special and why I feel February 14th is the best day to be born!

Enjoy this episode and I hope you get value from it. If you do I'd be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star rating or a review. I also love comments too!  #activatingabundance #notyouraveragelivespodcast

If you'd like to connect or reach out to ME, you can find me at:

Website: www.notyouraveragegrandma.com       
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurieColvinWright       
Instagram: www.instagram.com/not_your_average_grandma       
Youtube: ...

Today’s guest is Debbie Viola and one interesting thing about her story is that she really didn’t have a business plan… just a burning desire to figure out a way to make money with her art or else she’d have to get a “real” job if I wasn’t successful.

Debbie first picked up a paintbrush at age 40, and hasn’t put it down since. Her local art & decorative painting business has won seven awards, and is still going strong. 

In this episode, Debbie and I talked about:

• The day her whole perspective shifted
• How art evolved into her life
• The ‘live’ art project she did during the start of the pandemic
• Her story of writing her own book

In addition to creating art for corporate and residential clients, Debbie’s greatest joy is teaching others how to find comfort through art. She’s taught thousands locally, and now hosts virtual workshops and a learn to paint club, where women are enjoying video...

This was a fun and light-hearted episode to do. It came about because I truly was feeling so grateful about my life right now, especially that I’m not raising little ones. I see my adult daughters trying to navigate jobs, kids, childcare, school, and the pandemic and it’s just not a pleasant experience.

It’s kind of crazy because for so much of my life being a mom was my favorite job in the world, and I was so sad when my girls went off on their own. Isn’t it funny how things can change so much because it’s not a job I’d ever want again. Been there, done that!

So that thought led me to think about what other things I’m grateful for that I have now that I didn’t have when my kids were around the same age as my grandkids, or things I had that I don’t have now! In other words, reasons why I’m grateful to be living in this very moment, at this age, and in this stage of my life.

Of course you’ll have to listen to the...

More quality time with my students!!! I can think of nothing better than spending 30 minutes chatting with them! 

It's so much fun to walk down memory lane, hearing how they found me on the internet, some stranger offering a free training... And now, because they decided to take a leap of faith, look where they are! Or actually FEEL where they are!!!

It just makes my heart swell with joy to see how much their energy has shifted now that they are living as Sparked Second Half Souls!

Seeing my students get sparked, makes me even more sparked by what I do!!! (Crazy how that works!) And now, hopefully you can be a little sparked from listening to our chat!!!

If you want more of what they have, check out the the following link to learn more -> Second Half S.P.A.R.K. School

If you're being nudged to join, hurry because doors close in just a few hours and I'll be switching gears to help my new students get started on their sparked second half adventure.

You can...

This is the last Q&A Student Panel I did this week to share the results that my students have had by investing in the Second Half S.P.A.R.K. School™.

Kim and Gail are two of my students whose have turned their gifts into businesses. They are operating in the Sparked Soul role I refer to as "Difference Makers" - people who have taken what they love doing and monetized it which is the highest level of contribution and impact to the world.

Difference Makers are a rare breed, especially ones who start their businesses after entering their second half. But they are successful because they are focused on a goal that is bigger than them.

They don't let their fears or limiting beliefs get in the way. They conquer those things and commit to the process of learning, adventure and service!

I love how these two women have very different businesses and are great examples that it doesn't matter what your gift is, just that it sparks you! I'm so proud of them and what they are...