Shows
Left of MidlifeTough Guys Don't Cry (And Other Lies)What if 'man up' is one of the most damaging phrases we tell boys?
This week on Left of Midlife, we unpack how patriarchy doesn't just limit women - it cages men too. From emotional suppression and suicide rates to loneliness, economic pressure, fatherhood, and the rise of 'alpha male' culture, we explore how rigid masculinity harms everyone.
This isn't about blaming men. It's about questioning a system that tells them to dominate, provide, and never break - and redefining what real strength looks like.
Because strength without empathy is just fear in disguise.
Resources:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Call or...
2026-02-231h 49Left of MidlifeRunning Toward Change: Tiffanie's Campaign for Indiana State House District 63What happens when you tell people to use their voice, get involved, and demand representation....and then you finally take your own advice?
Apparently, you end up running for office.
This week, the tables turn as Marsha takes the wheel and puts Tiffanie in the hot seat, leading an honest and personal conversation about her decision to run for Indiana State House District 63. She shares the roots that shaped her - and the growing realization that waiting for someone else to fix things was no longer an option.
Marsha digs into the moments frustration became action, realities of running a gras...
2026-02-1644 minLeft of MidlifeHave You Tried Smiling More?Women in politics aren't just fighting bad policy - they're fighting perception, double standards, and a system that still isn't entirely convinced they belong.
In this episode, Marsha and Tiffanie dig into the reality of misogyny in leadership: the tone policing, the appearance critiques, the assumptions of incompetence, and the impossible double bind women are expected to navigate just to be take seriously. From 'calm down' to 'you're too much,' the rules seem designed so women can never quite get it right.
Joining the conversation is special guest Thomasina Marsili, who brings her own firsthand experiences and a real life...
2026-02-101h 11Left of MidlifeWho Told You That?What if the beliefs you 'thought' were yours are really just echoes of someone else's agenda? In this episode of Left of Midlife, we pull back the curtain on propaganda - not as something that only happens in history books, but as a force that quietly shapes emotions, identities, and beliefs every day.
We'll break down:
- What propaganda actually is (and what it isn't)
- How it sneaks in through repetition, emotion, and 'everyone knows' narratives
- Why smart, well-intentioned people fall for it
- How the modern media ecosystem fuels it
- And, most importantly, how you can bu...
2026-02-021h 35Left of MidlifeMinnesota nICE* This is an explicit episode and may not be suitable to all listeners*
In this episode of Left of Midlife, we go beyond headlines to explain what's happening in Minnesota - federal enforcement actions, community response, and why this moment resonates nationwide. This episode tackles tough subjects with facts, context, and what accountability really looks like.
Resources:
standwithminnesota.com
migrawhistlepdx.org
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) aclu.org
National Lawyers Guild (NLG) nlg.org
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) ilrc.org
National Immigration Law Center (NILC) nilc.org
Electric Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
2026-01-261h 18Left of MidlifeMore Than A Dream...Every January, we hear the same Martin Luther King Jr. quotes - polished, familiar, and carefully removed from their context. In this episode, we step beyond the sound bites to talk about the MLK they don't teach in school: the government surveillance and backlash, the fight for labor and economic justice, and why his message was considered dangerous in his own time. We honor Dr. King not by sanitizing his legacy, but by telling the story, asking what it demands of use today - and leaving you with his own words.
2026-01-1918 minLeft of MidlifeLocal Elections, Big ConsequencesNational politics get all the attention - but local elections quietly shape our everyday lives.
In this episode of Left of Midlife, we break down why state and local elections matter more than most people realize, what all those down-ballot offices actually do, and how power often concentrates in low-turnout races most voters skip or don't understand.
We talk primaries vs. general elections, why people tune out local politics, the real impact of straight-ticket voting, and how state legislatures influence everything from schools to courts to voting access. Most importantly, we talk about how normal people can get involved - with...
2026-01-121h 24Left of MidlifeSeasonal, Situational, or Existential?Feeling burned out, low, or just....off?
In this episode of Left of Midlife, we're talking honestly about mental health - the kind that lives at the intersection of political burnout, winter blues, and the quiet emotional shifts of midlife.
We unpack what political burnout and activism fatigue really look like (hint: it's not apathy), why winter can mess with our mood and energy more than we expect, and how midlife depression often shows up as anger, numbness, or exhaustion instead of sadness. We talk about the stacked stress so many of u...
2026-01-051h 38Left of Midlife2025 Was A ChoiceIn the final 2025 episode we're wrapping up a year that somehow managed to be exhausting, infuriating, and meaningful all at once. We talk honestly about burnout (political, personal, existential), the chaos of juggling real life with activism and microphones, and what it took to keep showing up when the world felt deeply unserious.
But it's not all struggle bus. We celebrate the real wins - growth that didn't go viral, conversations that mattered, a community that showed up, and the radical act of staying human through it all.
We check in on what midlife taught us in 2025, and what we're fina...
2025-12-291h 29Left of MidlifeTradwife Aesthetic, Patriarchy AgendaSourdough, soft lighting, and submission...what could possibly go wrong?
This week on Left of Midlife, we're unpacking the rise of tradwife influencers like Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm - and the cozy, curated "soft life" they're selling online, and they hypocrisy of telling women to stay home while building massive influencer careers. We talk about why this content feels comforting in chaotic times - and why it's not just a trend, but a political push with real consequences.
From financial dependence to unsafe relationships, we unpack why women's education, income, and autonomy are never optional. This episode is about ch...
2025-12-151h 28Left of MidlifeSecretary of Actually Important Stuff: Meet Blythe PotterIn this special episode, we sit down with Secretary of State candidate Blythe Potter for a conversation that's equal parts insightful, energizing, and delightfully chaotic in true Left of Midlife fashion.
Blythe breaks down what the Secretary of State actually does (spoiler alert: it's a lot more than paperwork), what it means to run a truly grassroots campaign, and how she navigates the wild world of social-media trolls with grace, grit, and humor. We also dive into why everyday Hoosiers should care about this office - and what authentic leadership looks like outside the political machine.
Left Of...
2025-12-0857 minLeft of MidlifeRED, WHITE & ROE Part 2In Part 2 of "Red, White, and Roe," we dive into the world we now live in: the post-Roe landscape shaped by the Dobbs decision. We break down what has changed for everyday people, how bans are playing out in real time, and why reproductive freedom is now a state-by-state battleground with life-altering consequences.
We talk criminalization, chaos, medical fear, political fallout - and the communities stepping up to protect one another when institutions fail. This episode is equal parts truth-telling, quiet rage, and a reminder that none of us are alone in this fight.
Resources mentioned:
- Free Reproductive Legal Hel...
2025-12-011h 07Left of MidlifeGobble 'Til You're WokeThis Thanksgiving, we're carving into more than turkey. The Left of Midlife trio digs into the messy, myth-busted truth behind America's favorite feel-good holiday. From the sanitized Pilgrim pageants, we grew up with to the real history of colonization, survival, and resistance, we're pulling back the construction-paper curtain.
We unpack how Thanksgiving got rebranded into the national story we tell today, why that narrative matters, and what it means to celebrate the holiday with eyes open and hearts grounded in truth. Expect humor, history, side-eye, and a whole bunch of "wait....school didn't teach us that!"
Come for the gravy. St...
2025-11-2422 minLeft of MidlifeRED, WHITE, & ROEBefore Roe v. Wade, women's reproductive care lived in the shadows. For centuries, midwives and women quietly cared from one another - until the 1800's, when male physicians and morality laws like the Comstock Act of 1873 criminalized birth control, abortion, and even information about them.
In this episode, the Left of Midlife crew trace that history through the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and its successor, Planned Parenthood v. Casey - exploring the people, the politics, and the decades of erosion that thinned those protections to paper.
It's the story of how women's healthcare was taken, reclaimed, and tested again...
2025-11-171h 10Left of MidlifeBurning Bras and Breaking Laws: From the Kitchen to the CapitolAfter the vote was won, America patted women on the head, handed them an apron, and said "You've had your fun - now go make me a sandwich."
In Burning Bras and Breaking Law: Part 3, we unpack the mid-century backlash that tried to shove women back into the kitchen - and the revolution that refused to stay quiet. From Rosie the Riveter to Gloria Steinem, from "the problem with no name" to Roe v Wade, this episode's serving up history and present day with a side of sarcasm - and zero sandwiches.
Left of Midlife Is an Empulse Radio production
2025-11-1056 minLeft of MidlifeBurning Bras and Breaking Laws: Part 2 - Sufferin' Until SuffrageThe fight for women's rights didn't end with Seneca Falls - that's just the opening act.
In this episode, the Left of Midlife crew dives into the post-Civil War era, when the movement for equality got a little messy, and magnificently complicated. We'll trace the long, winding road from the suffrage schisms of the 1860's to the protests, pickets, and prison cells that finally delivered the 19th Amendment.
Grab your metaphorical picket sign and join us in learning about the women history tried to footnote, and be reminded that democracy was never a gift - it...
2025-11-0337 minLeft of MidlifeMini Episode: SNAPpedThis is an emergency mini episode - because hunger can't wait. SNAP funding could stall as soon as November 1st, living millions of kids, seniors, disabled, and working families without the help they depend on to eat.
The Midlife crew cuts through the lies and the stereotypes to tell the truth: most SNAP recipients work, fraud is rare, and $6 a day doesn't make anyone rich.
Get the facts, get fired up, and learn how you can help - because compassion isn't radical, its essential.
Feed My Sheep Food Pantry - 812-254-5429
Free Thanksgiving Meals - daviesscountydem@gmail.com
Call 211 for...
2025-11-0134 minLeft of MidlifeBurning Bras and Breaking Laws: Part 1 - The Founding MothersLong before women were marching in the streets or setting their bras on fire, a few fearless minds were lighting the first sparks of rebellion - one quill stroke at a time.
In this episode, the Left of Midlife crew travels back to the OG feminist era: when corsets were tight, rights were nonexistent, and "well behaved women" were just getting warmed up.
From Mary Wollstonecraft's revolutionary writings to Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton crashing the political boys' club, we're tracing how the earliest troublemakers laid the groundwork for every feminist fight that followed.
Expect laughter, and some side eye...
2025-10-2749 minLeft of MidlifeLeft, Right And Totally WrongIn Left, Right, and Totally Wrong, the Left of Midlife crew tiptoes into the minefield between progressives and centrists — where everyone swears they’re the “reasonable one.” We’re unpacking what divides us, what still connects us, and whether compromise is collaboration… or just surrender with better PR.
Follow us on all platforms @LeftofMidlifePod and reach out at LeftofMidlifePod@gmail.com — we love hearing your thoughts, stories, and opinions.
Left of Midlife is an Empulse Radio production
2025-10-211h 50Left of Midlife*Bonus Episode* Democracy In The StreetsThis week, we ditched the studio and hit the streets — from Boonville to Evansville to Vincennes — for a special No Kings Rally edition of Left of Midlife.
We’re joined by powerhouse organizer Laura King of Boonville Resistance and Hoosier Rise (https://linktr.ee/Hoosiersrise) — the group keeping democracy connected (and color-coded) across Indiana. Laura shares how she turned frustration into action, how protests really come together behind the scenes, and why staying informed is the ultimate act of resistance.
Follow Hoosier Rise for statewide protest updates: https://linktr.ee/Hoosiersrise
Follow Left of Midli...
2025-10-201h 28Left of MidlifeShutdown or Shitshow? Same Difference!The government is out to lunch - AGAIN.
Join Marsha, Lacey, and Tiffanie as they breakdown the latest shutdown drama, who’s actually paying the price (spoiler: it’s not politicians), and why D.C. feels more like daycare than democracy.
We’ll throw some shade, drop some facts, play Real Housewives or Real Politicians?, and still try to find a little hope - because someone has to be the adult.
Listen for the laughs, stay for the rage, because if the government can crash out….why can’t we?
Hosted by: Tiffanie...
2025-10-131h 21Left of MidlifeWho Runs The World?Left of Midlife is where three small-town, liberal women take on the chaos of politics, leadership, and life with sharp insight and plenty of laughs. From staring down the beginning of midlife to wondering what’s left of it, we’ve got stories and opinions worth sharing — and we’re all leaning left. From the quirks of Indiana politics to the national dumpster fire we’re all living in, nothing is off-limits. We’ll rant, we’ll laugh, and we’ll remind you that if we can’t find the humor in all this, we might just lose our minds.
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