Gen X Women in Business

This episode follows on from our conversation about the invisible load that midlife women carry, and this time we're getting practical. If you're a woman in business navigating perimenopause or the menopause transition, this one is for you.Bel walks through five real-life shifts that can help you manage the invisible load without a new system, a new app, or another thing on your to-do list. From the way you talk to yourself, to how you move between tasks, to how you plan your day, these are small but meaningful changes that work with your energy and your nervous system, not against them. Because sustainable business doesn't come from pushing harder, it comes from working in a way that acknowledges what you're genuinely carrying.If something in this episode lands for you, Bel would love to hear about it. Find her on Instagram and Facebook at Belinda Bayliss Co, or reach out directly at [email protected]. And if you found value here, sharing, subscribing, or leaving a comment helps this podcast reach the women who need it most.

We talk a lot about the invisible load for younger women, but what happens to it as we age? In this episode, Belinda explores how the invisible load shifts for women in midlife from the sandwich generation caring responsibilities to the very real cognitive and physical load that comes with the perimenopause and menopause transition. And for women in business, where there's no HR department, no sick leave, and no one to delegate to that load lands somewhere specific.In this episode:Why the invisible load doesn't disappear in midlife, it just looks differentThe sandwich generation reality and what that caring load actually costsHow perimenopause and menopause directly affect the brain, memory, focus, emotional regulation, and stress toleranceWhy brain fog, disrupted sleep, and shifting energy aren't character flaws,  they're biologyHow scarcity thinking shows up in business decisions during this transitionThe concept of "sageessence" and what it means to lead from wisdom rather than hustleWhy "name it to tame it" might be the most important thing you do this weekKey reminder from this episode:The transition period for perimenopause can be up to 10 years and in Australia, research suggests it can start as early as age 42. If things feel harder than they used to, it might not be you. It might be your biology and that changes everything about how you respond to it.Find Belinda at Website: www.belindabayliss.co, Instagram: @belindabayliss.co,  Facebook: Belinda Bayliss Co, or send her a note at [email protected]

Does this sound familiar? Just one more course, one more webinar, one more credential... it just needs one more edit, and then everything will be ready to go. And then you watch people moving ahead while you continue to plan, perfect... maybe avoid?In this episode, Belinda gets honest about patterns she's noticed in her own business journey, the gap between knowing what she wants and actually doing it, the habit of waiting to feel ready, and the perfectionism that disguises itself as preparation. Spoiler alert: she's pretty sure she's not alone.In this episode:The "procrasti-planning" pattern and why it's so easy to justifyFear of failure (and fear of being a phony) dressed up as due diligenceWhy intelligence and insight don't always move us forward -- and can sometimes keep us stuckThe one thing that actually builds confidence: doing the thingWant to go deeper?The knowing-doing gap is something Bel keeps coming back to in her own work -- and it's shaping something she's building right now. If this episode landed for you, stay close. There's more coming on exactly this topic, and you won't want to miss it. Find Bel at belindabayliss.co to keep the conversation going.Connect with Bel: Instagram: @belindabayliss.co | Facebook: Belinda Bayliss Co | Email: [email protected]

This week I'm joined by Michelle McMahon - Founder and CEO of Flourish Mama and someone who learned the hard way what happens when you consistently put yourself last.Michelle spent years pouring everything into her kids, her family, and her home - quietly dropping all the things that were hers along the way. She didn't notice it happening until her physical health collapsed completely. Migraines, gut issues, and barely functioning. What followed was a long road back and eventually, a business built from her own experience. Flourish Mama exists to give other mums the shortcut she didn't have, reconnecting with themselves through the small, everyday acts of self-care that make the real difference.We also get into perimenopause, the myth of the mum who can do it all, positive ageing, and why Gen X  and Millennial women are very much not done yet.I loved this conversation, and hope you do too. Find Michelle at: Instagram: @theflourishmama Email: [email protected] Belinda at:Instagram: @belindabayliss.coFacebook: Belinda Bayliss CoEmail: [email protected] to www.belindabayliss.co to sign up to our newsletter.

Recorded on the eve of her birthday, Belinda explores two ideas that are deeply connected: nostalgia and positive aging. She unpacks what the psychology research actually tells us about nostalgia, why music is such a powerful trigger for it, and how it links to meaning, gratitude, and belonging. She also takes an honest look at the cultural story around aging, why it skews so heavily towards loss, and what the research shows about women in midlife that largely goes untold.In This Episode•          The origins of nostalgia: from Greek roots to a military medical condition to what it means to us now•          Why music and memory are so deeply intertwined•          Belinda's personal nostalgia: high school, Rockford's, dance, and the songs that still live in her body•          What 25 years of psychology research tells us nostalgia actually does for our wellbeing•          The social element: why nostalgic memories almost always involve other people•          The nostalgia-to-gratitude connection, and why it matters for daily life•          Where nostalgia can become a problem: rumination, avoidance, and getting stuck•          The cultural narrative around aging, and why it skews so heavily towards loss•          What the research on women's personality in midlife actually shows (it's more positive than you've been told)•          The link between nostalgia and positive aging: how looking back can help you go forward•          A closing invitation: the song exercise Key Takeaways•          Nostalgia is not just sentimentality. Research links it to higher life meaning, optimism, self-esteem, and gratitude.•          Music accesses episodic memory in a way few other triggers can. A song doesn't just remind you. It retrieves the whole scene.•          Nostalgia is most powerful when it's social. The memories that move us are almost always connected to other people.•          Healthy nostalgia brings you back to the present enriched. Unhealthy nostalgia keeps you stuck in what was.•          The dominant cultural story about aging, particularly for women, focuses on loss. The research tells a more interesting story.•          How we approach aging genuinely shapes how we age. Attitude is not a cliche here. It has documented impact.•          Looking back with warmth is not the same as living in the past. A good relationship with your history makes the future clearer. Connect•          Website: belindabayliss.co•          Instagram: @belindabayliss.co•          Facebook: Belinda Bayliss CoSomething resonated? Bel would genuinely love to hear from you.

Have you ever caught yourself acting in a way you don't quite recognise, and felt  unsettled by it? In this episode, Belinda explores the identity shift that many women in midlife and the menopause transition experience, and what it means for those of us running a business. She talks about the hormonal science behind why this happens, the situational pressures that compound it, and the difference between shame and accountability when we show up in ways that don't reflect who we know ourselves to be.In This EpisodeWhy identity loss in midlife is a real and documented experience, not a character flaw The hormonal science: estrogen, the brain, and why midlife is a significant transition point Why we extend grace to teenagers and pregnant women, but not to women in menopause The sandwich generation: how caring responsibilities above and below compound an already stretched bandwidth A personal story: the Christmas she became someone she didn't recognise or like The business risk when identity shift goes unaddressed What finding your way back can look like (it's different for everyone) The crucial difference between shame and accountability A closing question to sit with Key TakeawaysIdentity shift in midlife is hormonally and situationally driven. It is not weakness or failure.Estrogen impacts memory and communication. The 'brain fog' of menopause is real, documented, and deserving of the same grace we give to pregnancy and adolescence. For solopreneurs, the nervous system is the business. There is no HR, no sick leave, no backup. The first step is recognition, not correction. Noticing that something has shifted is where movement begins. Shame internalises and stalls. Accountability opens a path forward.ConnectWebsite: belindabayliss.coInstagram: @belindabayliss.coFacebook: Belinda Bayliss CoSomething landed? Reach out. Bel would love to hear from you.

Welcome to the very first official episode of Gen X Women in Business. This is the show for women in their 40s and 50s, or even 60s,  who are building, running, or reimagining a business in the messy, meaningful middle of midlife. In this launch episode, host Belinda Bayliss shares who she is, what brought her to this work, and why doing business as a midlife woman is genuinely different. Not worse. Just different. And once you understand that, everything starts to shift. Midlife doesn't have a crisis. It just has poor marketing.In This EpisodeWho Belinda is and what brought her to this work.Why business in midlife is a different experience to business in your 20s and 30s. The unique challenge facing solopreneurs who can't step back from the business. What it looks and feels like when your capacity starts to shift.Why this podcast exists and what you can expect from it. Why midlife gets a bad rap, and what we're doing about it Key TakeawaysDoing business differently in midlife is about doing it in a way that fits who you are now.The late nights and relentless output of earlier years have a cost that compounds in midlife. For solopreneurs, the nervous system is the business. There's no stress leave, no sick leave, no HR. You are the whole operation.Identity shifts in midlife are real and documented. Wanting to work differently is not failure. Alignment, flexibility, and sustainability are not soft goals. They are the an authentic and sustainable business strategy.ConnectWebsite: belindabayliss.coInstagram: @belindabayliss.coFacebook: Belinda Bayliss CoSomething landed? Reach out. Bel would love to hear from you.

This episode looks at International Women's Day - looking at is it still relevant, why we have 3 themes and what we make of it all. 

Hi - Welcome - the episode allows an insight into who we are and what we are about.