Blueprint Breakers

In today’s episode of Blueprint Breakers, I’m joined by Debbie Harris, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Hypnotist, author, and founder of Maynestreet Weight Loss, for a deeply honest conversation about why dieting truly does suck for women over 40, and what actually works instead.Debbie shares her personal journey as a lifelong dieter who hit a wall during menopause, struggling not just with weight but with inflammation, bloating, hormone imbalance, and eventually an estrogen-based breast cancer diagnosis. That experience became a turning point, one that led her to completely rethink diet culture, food rules, and the way women are taught to relate to their bodies.We talk about:Why weight loss becomes harder during perimenopause and menopause—and why it’s not your faultHow hormones, cortisol, sleep, and stress all impact weight and inflammationBreaking free from food guilt and perfectionismWhat an 80/20 lifestyle really looks like (and why it’s more sustainable)Why support and accountability matter just as much as informationHow to define your “why” without shame—even if it starts out feeling shallowLearning to stop comparing yourself to other women and tune into what works for your bodyCreating peace with food instead of fear, rules, or restrictionDebbie also talks about her book, Dieting Sucks for Women Over 40, which includes a practical, food-based program (no drugs), self-hypnosis tools, journaling prompts, and guidance for balancing hormones and maintaining weight loss long-term. She shares why community is such a core part of the process and how her Balanced Warrior membership provides ongoing support, accountability, and encouragement for women navigating this phase of life.This episode is compassionate, empowering, and refreshingly real. If you’ve ever felt like your body betrayed you—or like you’re doing everything “right” and still not seeing results—I hope this conversation helps you feel less alone and more hopeful.You can find Dieting Sucks for Women Over 40 on Amazon and learn more about Debbie’s work, free resources, and community at 30toLife.org. https://30tolife.org/About Amy PalmerAs host and facilitator for the Blueprint Breaker podcast, Amy is dedicated to expanding and amplifying the voices of women over 45 who are living a “non-traditional” lifestyle. She believes there is more than one way to do life and we all deserve to be seen, heard, understood and represented.After a lifelong struggle with feeling “outside” the societal norm and longing to live up to perceived expectations, pardon Amy’s French as she says fuck the blueprint! She has found peace, acceptance, and joy as she embarks on the next era of her life as a digital nomadic entrepreneur.Amy was formerly a senior corporate executive, a nationally recognized sales and operations expert, an award-winning actress, a resident of 13 different US cities, and a prize-winning DC blogger. Amy has a vast network of friends and colleagues with whom she enjoys travel and adventures and a close family including six niblings (nieces & nephews), the loves of her life!Amy's Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @amypalmer.todayJoin the Blueprint Breakers Insiders Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community.BlueprintBreakers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Blueprint Breakers, I sit down with Lauren Francisco — global curator, emotional mastery coach, and author of COMPOSED: The Art of Directing Your Emotions. The timing of this conversation couldn’t be more aligned. I just returned from Thailand, where I was navigating my own wave of emotions, and now we’re heading into the holiday season: a time that amplifies stress, joy, nostalgia, anxiety, and everything in between.Lauren and I talk about what it really means to pause and how that pause gives us the power to position ourselves for the life we want. We explore the difference between reacting and responding, how to hear your intuition when the world feels loud, and why solitude isn’t loneliness, it’s where truth and clarity finally have room to land.Lauren also shares how her upbringing shaped her worldview, the moment she learned to take control of her emotions instead of letting them control her, and how travel, service, and connection across cultures have become the core of her mission.This episode is grounding, clarifying, and deeply human. If you’re feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or in need of a reset as we head into the holidays, I think you’ll find something here that meets you right where you are.About Lauren FranciscoLauren Francisco, MSW, is a global curator, emotional mastery coach, mental health professional, and founder of Life Coach On Demand, where she helps high-achieving individuals lead their lives with clarity, intention, and emotional truth. With a background that spans psychology, clinical social work, therapy rooms, boardrooms, and rural villages around the world, she has dedicated her life to helping people rewrite their stories from the inside out. She is also the founder and executive director of DiverseCity, Inc., a global nonprofit that highlights everyday heroes through storytelling and service. Known for her calm, grounded voice and her gift for making complex emotional concepts feel accessible and transformative, Lauren brings a rare depth to her work. Her debut book, COMPOSED: The Art of Directing Your Emotions, reflects her mission: to help people lead with peace rather than pressure.Connect with Lauren, including links to her book & her podcast: https://www.laurenfrancisco.com/About Amy PalmerAs host and facilitator for the Blueprint Breaker podcast, Amy is dedicated to expanding and amplifying the voices of women over 45 who are living a “non-traditional” lifestyle. She believes there is more than one way to do life and we all deserve to be seen, heard, understood and represented.After a lifelong struggle with feeling “outside” the societal norm and longing to live up to perceived expectations, pardon Amy’s French as she says fuck the blueprint! She has found peace, acceptance, and joy as she embarks on the next era of her life as a digital nomadic entrepreneur.Amy was formerly a senior corporate executive, a nationally recognized sales and operations expert, an award-winning actress, a resident of 13 different US cities, and a prize-winning DC blogger. Amy has a vast network of friends and colleagues with whom she enjoys travel and adventures and a close family including six niblings (nieces & nephews), the loves of her life!Amy's Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @amypalmer.todayJoin the Blueprint Breakers Insiders Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community.BlueprintBreakers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, I sit down with Andie Eggimann—an artist, a move-abroad mentor, and a woman who has rebuilt her life more than once in pursuit of what feels true and alive.Andie spent years trying to fit into a version of womanhood that didn’t match who she really was. Eventually, she found her way back to herself: downsizing, traveling internationally with her family of seven, and finally following a long-held dream of living abroad. But the path wasn’t smooth. Plans fell apart, jobs changed, borders closed, and she and her husband had to start over multiple times.What inspires me about Andie is how she held onto her dream anyway, and how she kept pivoting, adjusting, and creating something beautiful out of circumstances that could have shut everything down.Today, she lives by the sea in Portugal and helps others reconnect with what lights them up and explore what moving abroad could look like for them.In this conversation, we talk about:Breaking free from the blueprint you were handedRelearning how to trust yourselfHow travel can wake up parts of you that have been quiet for yearsThe mix of joy and sorrow that comes with big changeStaying flexible when the dream keeps evolvingCreating goals that align with your values, not pressureThe emotions behind wondering if life might be better somewhere elseAbout Andie EggimanAndie Eggimann is an artist and move abroad mentor helping people reconnect with what makes them feel alive. After twenty years of shelving her dream, she decided to prioritize her own joy, downsize, and travel internationally with her family of seven. When their move-abroad dream exploded more than once, she and her husband rebuilt from scratch with a stubborn belief that it’s possible to create something beautiful after loss. From her seaside home in Portugal, she makes maps to follow towards hope. Connect with Andie on Instagram: @ onedaringadventureFor Andie’s book, Benediction, and information about upcoming workshops:  https://linktr.ee/onedaringadventureAbout Amy PalmerAs host and facilitator for the Blueprint Breaker podcast, Amy is dedicated to expanding and amplifying the voices of women over 45 who are living a “non-traditional” lifestyle. She believes there is more than one way to do life and we all deserve to be seen, heard, understood and represented.After a lifelong struggle with feeling “outside” the societal norm and longing to live up to perceived expectations, pardon Amy’s French as she says fuck the blueprint! She has found peace, acceptance, and joy as she embarks on the next era of her life as a digital nomadic entrepreneur.Amy was formerly a senior corporate executive, a nationally recognized sales and operations expert, an award-winning actress, a resident of 13 different US cities, and a prize-winning DC blogger. Amy has a vast network of friends and colleagues with whom she enjoys travel and adventures and a close family including six niblings (nieces & nephews), the loves of her life!Amy's Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @amypalmer.todayJoin the Blueprint Breakers Insiders Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community.BlueprintBreakers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

So many of us have been taught to think of menopause as the end of something - the end of youth, energy, possibilities. But what if it’s actually the beginning of one of the most powerful chapters of our lives?In this conversation with Julie Gordon White, Founder and CEO of MenoWell, we discuss how menopause can become the spark for transformation and reinvention. We talk about how to navigate this season with more confidence, how to support your body and mind with simple lifestyle shifts, and why it’s never too late to pivot into something new- whether that’s a business, a dream, or a whole new version of yourself.We also explore the importance of education, advocacy, and community when it comes to menopause, and how sharing our stories not only helps us feel less alone, but also empowers other women to do the same.This conversation is real, honest, and deeply hopeful. If you’ve ever felt like midlife was “too late” for a comeback, this episode is your reminder that your next chapter might just be your best one yet.About Julie Gordon WhiteJulie Gordon White is the founder and CEO of MenoWell Menopause Fiber + Protein Bars, an Oprah Daily Best Menopause product. Julie advocates for women in all stages of "The Pause". Julie is also an award-winning entrepreneur, bestselling business author, and TEDx speaker. In 2023, Julie launched MenoWell after struggling with "Menopause Middle" and watching her friends suffer in silence as their symptoms and increasing weight gain were robbing their confidence. Not letting a pandemic get in her way, she decided to do something about it and created delicious plant-based, nutrient-dense, and low-calorie energy bars with all the goodness a menopausal body needs, along with a MenoLounge community to support women with advice from expert guests! MenoWell Bars are available online on Amazon and www.mymenowell.com. About Amy PalmerAs host and facilitator for the Blueprint Breaker podcast, Amy is dedicated to expanding and amplifying the voices of women over 45 who are living a “non-traditional” lifestyle. She believes there is more than one way to do life and we all deserve to be seen, heard, understood and represented.After a lifelong struggle with feeling “outside” the societal norm and longing to live up to perceived expectations, pardon Amy’s French as she says fuck the blueprint! She has found peace, acceptance, and joy as she embarks on the next era of her life as a digital nomadic entrepreneur.Amy was formerly a senior corporate executive, a nationally recognized sales and operations expert, an award-winning actress, a resident of 13 different US cities, and a prize-winning DC blogger. Amy has a vast network of friends and colleagues with whom she enjoys travel and adventures and a close family including six niblings (nieces & nephews), the loves of her life!Amy's Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @amypalmer.todayJoin the Blueprint Breakers Insiders Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community.BlueprintBreakers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is especially meaningful for me because my guest, Lizzie Merritt, is not only a brilliant life and weight loss coach- she’s also my personal coach.Like many midlife women, I used to believe weight loss was only about eating less and exercising more. Lizzie helped me see that the real change comes from mindset, self-compassion, and learning how to handle stress and emotional eating. With her support, I’ve discovered how to:Release shame and guilt that kept me stuckCelebrate small, consistent wins (even just 10 minutes of movement)Plan for my natural cycles of energy and rest instead of fighting themUnderstand why my nervous system takes over when I’m stressedApproach health with an anti-diet mindset that feels realistic and kindIf you’re a midlife woman who’s tired of the all-or-nothing cycle of dieting, or if you’ve ever felt like you “know what to do” but can’t seem to do it, this conversation will give you hope, tools, and a fresh perspective.About Lizzie MerrittLizzie is a Martha Beck Certified Wayfinder Life Coach and professional weight loss coach specializing in helping people figure out why they don’t do the things they think they *should* do in order to lose weight and feel happy. She believes that diets are just the worst; the only way to lose weight is imperfectly; and that weight loss is much more about what’s between your ears than what’s on your plate. Check out her book You Are a Miracle to learn about all the things that diets don’t tell you. She also runs Spartan races, cries at cheesy commercials, and is a huge Marvel movie nerd. confidentbody.coach  ✵  @coachlizzie.merrittAbout Amy PalmerAs host and facilitator for the Blueprint Breaker podcast, Amy is dedicated to expanding and amplifying the voices of women over 45 who are living a “non-traditional” lifestyle. She believes there is more than one way to do life and we all deserve to be seen, heard, understood and represented.After a lifelong struggle with feeling “outside” the societal norm and longing to live up to perceived expectations, pardon Amy’s French as she says fuck the blueprint! She has found peace, acceptance, and joy as she embarks on the next era of her life as a digital nomadic entrepreneur.Amy was formerly a senior corporate executive, a nationally recognized sales and operations expert, an award-winning actress, a resident of 13 different US cities, and a prize-winning DC blogger. Amy has a vast network of friends and colleagues with whom she enjoys travel and adventures and a close family including six niblings (nieces & nephews), the loves of her life!Amy's Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @amypalmer.todayJoin the Blueprint Breakers Insiders Network: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community.BlueprintBreakers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠