Reframing Me
So many prepare us for the transition to motherhood, but no one prepares us for how hard the transition out is, and once our kids become teens, it also can feel very solitary. The issues we face with teens are often ones we need to talk about, yet feel we can't or shouldn't. Together, we can create a community of women who, faced with growing children and changing families, are relearning how to mom, and relearning who they are as women. Grounded in family communication theory, join Dr. Jennifer Brubaker to have those conversations to help you better understand this new chapter of your life. Episodes focus on both family communication with our teens and reflection and self discovery. Dr. Brubaker has her Ph.D in Communication Studies and is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she has taught for 17 years. Prior to UNCW, she taught at The Ohio State University, Kent State University and the University of Toledo. Originally from Ohio, Jen lives in Wilmington, NC, with her husband, three children, three dogs, cat and a menagerie of small animals. She loves spending time with her family, traveling and all things fitness, sports and wellness. Reach out with your questions, issues or experiences to begin the conversation. Or reach out to say hi and let me know you’re listening :) Join the Reframing Me: The Podcast Community Facebook group to connect with others who are looking to relearn how to parent, now that their kids are teens, and rediscover who they are as women, beyond the framework of motherhood. Send emails to jen@reframing-me.com; or on socials: Reframing Me on FacebookAND join the Facebook group Reframing Me: The Podcast Community; @reframingme on Instagram; Reframing Me on YouTube @reframingme on TikTok
Reframing Me
From Grocery-getter to Business Owner: Amy's Matrenaissance
In this final episode in our Matrenaissance conversation series, we chat with Amy—a nurse, mom, and now med spa owner—who opens up about rediscovering her identity after years of being “just mom.” Amy shares her emotional journey from full-time motherhood to launching a thriving aesthetics and wellness business, all while navigating grief, guilt, and the fear of failure.
Together, we unpack the deep societal messages that tell women they’re invisible after a certain age—and how Amy refused to accept that story. Whether you’re standing in the school pickup line or standing at the edge of something new, this conversation will remind you that your next chapter can be your most powerful yet.
Please help me with my Matrenaissance Identity Theory of Communication research by completing a completely anonymous survey at https://forms.gle/WunxbwZ7L1MmvWEF6
This research has been approved by the UNCW Institutional Review Board.
Keywords: midlife reinvention, Matrenaissance, empty nest, starting over at 40, women entrepreneurs, moms rediscovering purpose, midlife transformation, family communication, female-owned businesses, wellness entrepreneurship
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