Welcome to Confessions of a Freebird: The Story Behind the Name

As a mother, divorcée, and recovering caregiver, I've experienced the challenges and joys of navigating midlife. My book Sandwiched documented my struggles of raising four daughters, caring for my elderly parents, and watching my marriage crumble in front of me. Writing was one of many healing modalities and it lead me to become a life and relationship coach. Now I love helping women in midlife develop a stronger sense of self so they suffer less and find more freedom, love, and joy in their lives

I created Confessions of a Freebird  to explore everything from divorce to empty nesting, and all life's messy moments in between. I will offer you ways to heal your past and how to make the most of your second or third act so you can live your best life. Together, we'll embark on this journey towards personal growth because every relationship begins with us.

PLEASE don't forget to subscribe and follow me on social media and sign up for my newsletter for updates on future episodes and offerings. Also share this with others who are ready to spread their wings so we can become freebirds together!

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DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL, MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED THERAPIST IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY MEDICAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.

Transcript

Laurie James: 0:06

Hello Free Birds, I'm so excited to be here. To start, I wanted to share a little bit more about me, how this podcast came to be and what you can expect from this show. I'm Laurie. I'm a mother, divorcée, recovering caregiver turned author and relationship coach. At the heart, I'm a free spirit, lover of nature, my four beautiful daughters and my adopted Husky Lu. I'm also the author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go.

Laurie James: 0:46

I believe my book not only found me, but it saved me during a time in my life when I needed to make sense of all the craziness that was happening. My book is about navigating the sandwich generation, family, adoption, healing, childhood trauma, divorce but at the core it's about my path from loneliness to finding belonging. During a time when I was raising 4 teenage daughters, my mother had a heart attack and my marriage began to unravel and I didn't know where to turn. Writing was very cathartic for me and one of the many healing modalities that I used. As a life and relationship coach, I love to help women in midlife not only live their lives, but to find more freedom, purpose, love and joy in their second or third act, so they can thrive. That doesn't happen overnight and it has to be intentional. But first we need to make sense of what's happening and better understand ourselves, because every relationship begins with us. My inspiration for this podcast is to help others in midlife who might be asking themselves is this all there is? Because when I asked that question to myself several years ago, my answer was no, but I didn't know where to turn. I knew there had to be more to life, and I'm here to share confessions from my past, what I've learned from the University of Life, and have conversations with influential experts so you begin to follow your dreams and continue to create the life you desire, because there's so much more waiting for you. So it doesn't matter if you're going through a divorce, you lost a spouse, you're looking to change career paths, you're retiring, your kids are going off to college and you're becoming a free bird, or you're just looking for more joy and happiness. This podcast is for you.

Laurie James: 3:10

I want to share a quick story of how I came up with my title and I do need to give credit to my friend Marci, because in talking to her recently, she said, "that's a line that I used When my youngest daughters, who are a set of identical twins, were about to leave for college. Many of my friends asked me aren't you sad You're going to be an empty nester? Don't get me wrong. I love staying home with my four daughters and they are still a big part of my life. But after 25 years of raising children, I was ready to turn the tables and put the focus back on me. So I began responding with I'm not an empty nester, I'm a free bird And I was ready to spread my wings. Over the years I used that phrase. I thought it was going to be the title of my next book, and it still might be, but for now I thought it was the perfect name for this podcast.

Laurie James: 4:15

I'm also interested in collaborating with you on topics you'd like to hear, so feel free to reach out. I love feedback from you and I want to know what's on your mind, how this podcast has helped you and how I might support you, because we're in this messy life together. So thank you again for your interest in the show and don't forget to subscribe or follow me on social media. And rate and review this podcast so other free birds can learn about it too. I hope you also sign up for my newsletter so you can stay posted on upcoming episodes and future offerings. Until next time.