What if success isn’t supposed to cost you yourself?

So many of us did everything “right.”
We chased the goals. Built the life. Hit the big hairy audacious goals.

And then somewhere along the way…
we started to feel like we were losing ourselves in the process.

In this episode, I’m talking with Jess Ekstrom—speaker, founder, and bestselling author—about what happens when high-achieving women realize the finish line isn’t what they thought it would be.

We talk about:

• the pressure to keep chasing the next “summit”
• how motherhood reshapes your identity in ways you don’t expect
• why so much self-help leaves us feeling more disconnected, not less
• and how to start trusting yourself instead of constantly looking outside for answers

This is one of those conversations that doesn’t try to fix you—
it helps you see yourself more clearly.

About Jess:

Jess Ekstrom is a Forbes Top-Rated speaker, bestselling author, and the founder of Headbands of Hope, a company that has donated millions of headbands to children facing illness. She is also the founder of Mic Drop Workshop, where she helps women become paid public speakers and use their voices in a bigger way.

Her new book, Making It Without Losing It, explores what it really means to succeed—without sacrificing yourself in the process.

If this episode resonated with you…

Jess’s new book Making It Without Losing It just released this week, and it goes deeper into everything we talked about today.

You can find it here:
🔗 Making It Without Losing It

Many millennial moms are going through something that past generations never had to do:

Raise young children while also caring for aging parents.

It’s overwhelming, emotional, and (somehow) completely unexpected.

In this episode of The Next Phase Podcast, Stacey Hutson sits down with elder care clinician Debra Kooser to talk about what really happens when the roles begin to reverse—and why so many women feel unprepared for this stage.

Together, they explore:

• what it looks like when aging parents begin to need more support
• the emotional impact of role reversal between parent and child
• why so many families wait until a crisis to make decisions
• and the very real toll of caregiver fatigue and burnout

Debra explains why caregiver fatigue is more than just stress—it’s a serious, often unrecognized experience that affects both mental and physical health.

This conversation also highlights something many women don’t expect:

The guilt, emotional exhaustion, and mental load that comes with trying to balance it all.

For listeners who are starting to notice changes in their parents—or already feel overwhelmed by the responsibility—this episode offers both validation and a starting point.

About Debra:

Debra Kooser has a Masters Degree in counseling with over 30 years in healthcare, the last 18 years in hospice as a Medical Social Worker and Bereavement Coodinator. Additionally, she has worked as a Geriatric Care Manager for an estate planning lawfirm. She has a specialty in consulting with adult children navigating their aging parents needs. She coordinates senior living placement from a clinical perspective, as well as offering ongoing case management for busy adult children/relatives who benefit from support and oversight for their family members.

Resources & Next Steps:

Debra Kooser helps families navigate caregiver fatigue, planning, and next steps.
You can reach her here: debra.eldersolutions@gmail.com

Local to Colorado?
Stacey is speaking at the Golden Women in Business Founder’s Day event next week—an evening celebrating women making real impact in the community.
Join us in Golden on April 29th:
🔗 https://www.goldenwomeninbusiness.com/upcoming-events/founders-day-2026

Are you doing nervous system work… and it’s still not working?

In this episode, I’m sharing a realization that completely changed the way I approach anxiety, overwhelm, and “regulation” as an ADHD mom.

For years, I did everything I was supposed to do:
meditation, breathwork, supplements, EFT, energy work…

And yet, I still felt stressed, rushed, and completely out of control in my daily life.

Why?

Because I was trying to calm my nervous system… while living in constant chaos.

Laundry everywhere.
Unpaid bills.
An overpacked schedule.
Always running late.

👉 There’s a disconnect there.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why I believe so many of us are doing nervous system work backwards—and what actually needs to come first.

This is not about abandoning the “woo.”
It’s about putting it in the right order.

The new approach:
Environment → Logistics → THEN nervous system tools

If your life doesn’t feel manageable, no amount of meditation is going to fix that.

Want to take this further?

I created a simple, no-overwhelm guide to help you start:

👉 The Work Before the Woo Reset

This walks you through exactly what I’m focusing on right now to get my life out of chaos and into something that actually feels calm and manageable.

No routines. No pressure. Just real-life steps that make a difference.

You can download it for free here:
🔗 The Work Before the Woo Reset

If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you.

email me: stacey@stacey-hutson.com

Messy. Overwhelmed. Always behind.

At some point, you start to wonder…
Is this just who I am?

In this episode, I’m talking to Dana K. White — creator of the No Mess Decluttering Process and author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life — about what it actually takes to get your home (and your life) under control… especially if you’re not naturally organized.

Because here's the thing you need to remember:
You don’t need a perfect system.
You need a system that works with your brain.

We talk about:

• Why clutter feels so moral (and why that’s not helping you)
• The mindset shift from “done” → “better”
• Where to start when your house feels completely overwhelming
• Why dishes matter more than making your bed
• The real reason laundry feels never-ending (and how to fix it)
• How to handle a partner or family who isn’t on board
• And why decluttering might be the missing piece for your nervous system

If you’ve ever felt like:
“I should be better at this by now…”
This episode is for you.

✨ Want more support with this?

If this episode hit something for you…
If you’re tired of trying to fix yourself and just want a way to support your real life…

I’m working on something for you.

It’s not ready yet — but you can join the “First to Know” list here:
👉 Get on the list

📚 Resources + Links

Dana K. White:

• Books (start here): https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/books/
  
  
• Podcast & Blog: https://www.aslobcomesclean.com
  
  
• Find a certified decluttering coach: https://declutteringcoaches.com
  
  

From this episode:

• Try Dana’s method: Start with trash in your most visible space
• Mindset shift: Better > Done

Do you feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up in your own life?

Like no matter how many times you promise yourself you’ll “get it together”…
you’re still forgetting things, missing things, and starting every day already behind?

In this episode, Stacey breaks down why high-achieving women—especially moms—can feel completely scattered… even though they’re capable, smart, and doing all the “right” things.

This isn’t about discipline.
It’s not about laziness.
And it’s not because you suck at adulting.

It’s because your life isn’t set up to support you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why being “good at school” didn’t prepare us to run a life
• How constant self-improvement can actually make you feel more scattered
• The hidden reason you feel like you’re always behind
• Why listening to yourself matters more than fixing yourself
• A simple 10-minute “Night Before Reset” to make your mornings calmer and easier

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, behind, or like your life is harder than it should be—this episode will help you finally understand why.

🧠 Try This:

The Night Before Reset
→ Take 10 minutes tonight to prepare for tomorrow morning
→ Pack lunches, set out clothes, prep what usually stresses you out
→ Notice how different your morning feels

📩 What’s Next:

If this episode resonated with you, Stacey is building something specifically for women who feel this way.

Make sure you’re on her email list so you don’t miss it.

Sign up here

If you’ve ever been curious about tarot… but also a little skeptical… this episode is for you.

Today, I’m joined by tarot reader and teacher Rosetta Magdalene for a grounded, beginner-friendly conversation on what tarot actually is — and how you can use it as a tool for clarity, intuition, and even nervous system regulation.

We’re not here to prove whether tarot is “real.”
We’re here to explore what happens when you open yourself up to something a little more magical in your everyday life.

In this episode, we cover:

• What tarot cards actually are (and where they came from)
• How to choose your first tarot deck
• Simple ways to use tarot in your daily or weekly routine
• How tarot can help with anxiety, overwhelm, and decision-making
• Why midlife can open the door to deeper intuition

🔮 Where to Find Rosetta

Website:
https://tarotrosetta.com

Free Guide:
Read Tarot for Yourself the Easy Way (11-page beginner guide)
https://bit.ly/tarotgo

Free Manifestation Newsletter:
Dispatch from the Magnetic Field
https://bit.ly/sparkle365

Work With Rosetta:
Book a tarot reading or tutorial session directly on her website

🛒 Want to Start Your Own Tarot Practice?

Search this phrase to find beginner-friendly decks Rosetta recommends:
“Rider Waite Smith tarot deck all 78 cards”

✨ Ready to Reconnect With Your Own Rhythm?

Download my free Cycle Syncing Guide — a simple way to support your energy, mood, and metabolism through each phase of your cycle:

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or leave a quick review — it helps more women find the show.

Somewhere in our late thirties and forties, a lot of women start to feel like something isn’t working anymore.

The way we’ve been living.
The expectations we’ve been carrying.
The constant pressure to improve ourselves.

But what if this phase of life isn’t a crisis?

What if it’s a wake-up call?

In this episode, I’m joined by intuitive astrologer, yoga teacher, and shadow work practitioner Jamie DeLuccio for a conversation about self-help, self-acceptance, and what it actually means to understand yourself on a deeper level.

Jamie explains how astrology can offer something many women are quietly craving in midlife: a sense of being seen, understood, and validated for who they already are.

We talk about:

• Why self-help can sometimes make us feel more broken
• The basics of astrology (sun, moon, rising & houses)
• Why so many women start questioning their lives in midlife
• What shadow work actually is
• How astrology can help you understand your patterns and purpose
• The connection between lunar cycles, ritual, and nervous system regulation

If you’ve been feeling that quiet sense that something in your life needs to shift, this conversation may help you understand why.

And more importantly, it might remind you that nothing is wrong with you.

If you’re curious about your own birth chart or want to work with Jamie, you can find her here:

Website:
jamiedeluccio.com

Instagram:
@jamiedeluccio

Jamie offers intuitive astrology readings, shadow work sessions, women’s circles, and transformational retreats designed to help people reconnect with who they truly are beneath conditioning and expectations.

Resources Mentioned

Pull your birth chart:
astro.com

Learn the basics of your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, which are the three core placements Jamie recommends starting with when exploring your astrology chart.

We also discuss shadow work (Carl Jung), lunar cycles, and using ritual and quiet reflection as tools for self-understanding.

If your body suddenly feels harder to live in — you’re not imagining it.

In your late 30s and early 40s, hormones start shifting. Sleep changes. Stress hits harder. The workouts and diets that used to work suddenly… don’t.

But hormones are only part of the story.

In this episode of The Next Phase Podcast, Stacey breaks down what is actually happening in a woman’s body during early perimenopause — and why so many millennial moms feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused by the changes happening to them.

Think of this episode as a masterclass on what’s really going on beneath the surface.

You’ll learn about the four major shifts happening in your body during this phase of life:

• The Calm Dial – why declining progesterone affects sleep and anxiety
• The Metabolism Dial – how fluctuating estrogen changes appetite and fat storage
• The Stress Dial – why your nervous system becomes more reactive
• The Muscle Dial – why strength training suddenly becomes metabolic medicine

But Stacey also explores something deeper: how decades of high achievement, people-pleasing, and constant self-optimization may have left many millennial women living in a chronically dysregulated nervous system — and why perimenopause often exposes it.

If you’ve been trying to “fix” your hormones through food, supplements, or self-help and still don’t feel like yourself, this episode will help you understand why.

Stacey also shares four simple shifts you can try over the next 30 days to begin supporting your hormones, metabolism, and nervous system.

Topics in this episode

• Early perimenopause symptoms
• Hormones and nervous system regulation
• Why stress tolerance changes in your late 30s and 40s
• Strength training and hormone health
• Blood sugar and cortisol regulation
• Breaking the millennial self-improvement cycle
• Simple nervous system resets for busy moms

Interested in working with Stacey?

Stacey is opening a limited number of 1:1 coaching spots for women navigating perimenopause, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle shifts in this next phase of life.

Email Stacey at stacey @ stacey-hutson.com with the subject line “INTERESTED” to learn more.

Or find a time in my schedule for a call.

Follow & Connect

Instagram: @stacehutson
Website: stacey-hutson.com