Messy Middlescence
by Tara (Conti) Bansal and Christina (Conti) Donovan
Latest episode
Blooming in Middlescence with Trish Ryan
Blooming in Middlescence with Trish Ryan
About this podcast
Like adolescence – "Middlescence" is a time of tremendous change touching most aspects of our lives. There are the physical and hormonal changes but also many of the rhythms, relationships and frameworks that have dominated our lives for decades all start to shift in ways that are unbalancing at best – seismic at worst.
Our podcast will explore the challenges and opportunities of these unique “middle” years. However – ours will be different because it is one of sharing, exploring and figuring things out together.
It is "messy" because we do not have answers but we hope to discover some.
We hope to motivate and / or guide listeners to actively change both their perspective and day-to-day reality of this unique time. We also aim to create a supportive connected community of listeners with similar struggles and questions.
We truly hope you will join us!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 65 episodes
- Blooming in Middlescence with Trish Ryan · 48 min · Season 4 Episode 3One of the wonderful benefits of modern technology is the ability to connect and communicate with others, often finding communities of people who share our experiences…
- Joy: Are we Trying Too Hard? · 39 min · Season 4 Episode 2We are all familiar with the word “joy”. It is hard not to be these days. The word seems to be everywhere, from advertisements and cleaning philosophies to countless books…
- Season 4 Premiere: What Does It Mean to Transform? · 50 min · Season 4 Episode 1It is hard to believe, but today we launch Season 4 of Messy Middlescence with our 63rd episode! As we have done for the past few seasons, we begin by looking back at our…
- Little p's (Re-release) and The Power of Small Experiments · 34 min · Season 3 Episode 22As we continue to revisit some earlier episodes of Messy Middlescence this summer, we're bringing back an episode from Season #2 called "Little P's." It explores an idea that…
- Err on the Side of Presence (Re-release) · 38 min · Season 3 Episode 21We decided the summer break is an ideal time to re-release some earlier Messy Middlescence episodes. Maybe you are a new listener and unfamiliar with our earlier seasons. Or…
- MM Season 3 Finale: Connection and Reflections · 25 min · Season 3 Episode 20As we wrap up the third season of Messy Middlescence, Tara and Tina take some time to look back on the conversations, guests, and ideas that stayed with us long after the…
- Shareapy: Real Conversations and Connection · 1 h 2 min · Season 3 Episode 19Our season-long theme of “connection” couldn't be more timely. In September of 2025, the Surgeon General declared loneliness and isolation a national epidemic as many people…
- "First Best Destiny": A Conversation with Janet Robertson · 55 min · Season 3 Episode 17If you are not a Star Trek fan, you may not recognize the often-quoted line, “Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny. Anything else… is a waste of material.” Spock…
- The Conversations that Matter Most: Estate Planning with Paul Stafford · 1 h 0 min · Season 3 Episode 18On a recent walk with a close friend, Tina learned that her friend and her husband had an upcoming appointment to complete their wills. Tina replied how reviewing and updating…
- Broken Open: Grief, Healing, and Hope with Linda Henderson · 1 h 0 min · Season 3 Episode 16After losing her daughter Andrea in a tragic car accident, Linda Henderson found herself navigating every parent’s worst nightmare. In this deeply moving conversation, Linda…
- What An Injury Taught Me In Mid-Life · 38 min · Season 3 Episode 15As we age, we’re often reminded to stay active. And yet, aging also makes us more vulnerable to injuries that can unexpectedly disrupt that effort. Last October, Tina injured her…
- Messy Middlescence Talks About Life Coaching · 42 min · Season 3 Episode 14Imagine having someone in your life whose main focus is to help you reach your goals—someone who really listens and supports you along the way. It’s a powerful idea. And it’s…
- Connecting through Games · 25 min · Season 3 Episode 13As we continue our Season 3 theme of connection, we’re talking about something simple that we both enjoy—games. Growing up, some of our most consistent and memorable family…
- Lisa Kramer and the Little Miracles of Change · 58 min · Season 3 Episode 12To us here at Messy Middlescence, when we hear the word “reinvention”, it has a magical connotation to it. We are not sure why. Because when you look closely, reinvention isn’t…
- Our Earliest Money Memories · 24 min · Season 3 Episode 11Earlier this season, in Episode #44, Tara and Tina interviewed Carl Richards — bestselling author, speaker, and host of the Behavior Gap Radio and 50 Fires podcasts. During that…
- Learning about Long Term Care with Victoria Beerer · 55 min · Season 3 Episode 10Tina never could have imagined that Long Term Care (LTC) would be a frequent conversation topic within her social circles. But this past year – it seems to come up time and time…
- Favorite Books of 2025 · 45 min · Season 3 Episode 9Tara and Tina are big readers. They come from a family of readers and books are always a part of their conversation when they are together. They love to share opinions about…
- Our Themes for the New Year · 13 min · Season 3 Episode 8There’s something compelling about the idea of a clean slate or fresh start as we begin a new year. Rather than setting long lists of goals or resolutions, many people find that…
- Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness: A Conversation with Cynthia Conti · 57 min · Season 3 Episode 7Most of us know someone who seems to defy aging – a friend or relative who is around our age -- but appears many years younger and who radiates vitality and good health. We look…
- Favorite Things of 2025 · 27 min · Season 3 Episode 6It is that time of year when “busyness” abounds. The days are short — and feel even shorter — as our to-do lists loom large. In recognition of the time constraints that December…
