<![CDATA[Hot Flash Pod]]>Hot Flash Pod: Because if we don’t laugh, we’ll melt.

Navigating midlife is a full-time job, but it doesn't look the same for everyone. It’s raising teenagers and managing hormone surges, or it’s navigating widowhood, new love, and business building.

We are your hosts—two longtime friends and a new voice in the mix—coming together to handle the mess and magic of the "sandwich generation" with zero filters and plenty of humor.

We talk:

  • The Biology: Surviving perimenopause and hormone shifts without losing your cool.
  • The Relationships: From parenting teens and caring for aging parents to dating after loss and child-free living.
  • The Pivot: Career shifts, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose in the second act.
  • The Values: Staying fiercely feminist and supportive in an ever-changing world.

Subscribe for your weekly dose of unfiltered advice and commiseration.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 28 May 2026 03:04:24 GMTTue, 13 Jan 2026 04:15:11 GMT60Lisa, Melissa, and Suzanne<p><b>Hot Flash Pod: Because if we don’t laugh, we’ll melt.</b></p><p>Navigating midlife is a full-time job, but it doesn't look the same for everyone. It’s raising teenagers and managing hormone surges, or it’s navigating widowhood, new love, and business building.</p><p>We are your hosts—two longtime friends and a new voice in the mix—coming together to handle the mess and magic of the "sandwich generation" with zero filters and plenty of humor.</p><p><b>We talk:</b></p><ul><li><b>The Biology:</b> Surviving perimenopause and hormone shifts without losing your cool.</li><li><b>The Relationships:</b> From parenting teens and caring for aging parents to dating after loss and child-free living.</li><li><b>The Pivot:</b> Career shifts, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose in the second act.</li><li><b>The Values:</b> Staying fiercely feminist and supportive in an ever-changing world.</li></ul><p>Subscribe for your weekly dose of unfiltered advice and commiseration.</p>episodicLisa, Melissa, and Suzannesuzannemehrlich@gmail.comno<![CDATA[Grief, Menopause and the Future You Didn’t Get | Season 1 | Episode 8 ]]>Melissa opens up about losing her husband Michael suddenly at 47, and what it's like to grieve a whole imagined future while also navigating perimenopause, financial uncertainty, and a complete identity reset. The conversation moves between raw and funny the way real life actually does, touching on anger, changing friendships, and what it means to stop pretending you're fine. Lisa brings in some research on estrogen and the brain that reframes a lot of what these women have been feeling. This episode feels like sitting in a kitchen with three friends who are not going to let you feel crazy or alone.


---


Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome and what we're getting into today

01:04 - Flash and Tell: Melissa's mom's care package (and the beads)

03:25 - Flash and Tell: Suzanne's face, gravity, and group chat honesty

04:33 - Flash and Tell: Lisa's night out and the ladies who got kicked out

07:19 - Deep dive begins: grief, perimenopause, and the future you didn't get

08:06 - Melissa shares her story: losing Michael

13:02 - Processing the loss and figuring out what was grief vs. perimenopause

15:04 - Saying his name: birthday traditions and keeping people alive

17:12 - Changing from the inside out and the people who can't keep up

19:33 - Lisa on leaving her career and the friendships that didn't survive it

21:24 - Being angry is allowed, and what comes after

25:24 - Lisa on the science: estrogen, the hippocampus, and grief stored in your body

29:11 - Hot takes and closing: lean into your people

]]>e13d2f8c-b15d-4d13-a49e-b8d86159b916Fri, 15 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT<p>Melissa opens up about losing her husband Michael suddenly at 47, and what it's like to grieve a whole imagined future while also navigating perimenopause, financial uncertainty, and a complete identity reset. The conversation moves between raw and funny the way real life actually does, touching on anger, changing friendships, and what it means to stop pretending you're fine. Lisa brings in some research on estrogen and the brain that reframes a lot of what these women have been feeling. This episode feels like sitting in a kitchen with three friends who are not going to let you feel crazy or alone.</p><p><br /></p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p>Chapters:</p><p>00:00 - Welcome and what we're getting into today</p><p>01:04 - Flash and Tell: Melissa's mom's care package (and the beads)</p><p>03:25 - Flash and Tell: Suzanne's face, gravity, and group chat honesty</p><p>04:33 - Flash and Tell: Lisa's night out and the ladies who got kicked out</p><p>07:19 - Deep dive begins: grief, perimenopause, and the future you didn't get</p><p>08:06 - Melissa shares her story: losing Michael</p><p>13:02 - Processing the loss and figuring out what was grief vs. perimenopause</p><p>15:04 - Saying his name: birthday traditions and keeping people alive</p><p>17:12 - Changing from the inside out and the people who can't keep up</p><p>19:33 - Lisa on leaving her career and the friendships that didn't survive it</p><p>21:24 - Being angry is allowed, and what comes after</p><p>25:24 - Lisa on the science: estrogen, the hippocampus, and grief stored in your body</p><p>29:11 - Hot takes and closing: lean into your people</p>no00:33:0518Grief, Menopause and the Future You Didn’t Get | Season 1 | Episode 8 full<![CDATA[The Volume is Too Loud | Season 1 | Episode 7]]>This episode is basically a group exhale from three women who are done pretending the small things do not get to them. The conversation moves from whistling and sighing and couch cushions into something much bigger: what happens when everything around you, the noise of perimenopause, the expectations of your family, the flood of information, the pressure to be grateful for support that does not actually help, is just too loud all at once. There is a moment when Melissa talks about her doctor naming a symptom she thought was making her lose her mind, and the room just goes quiet for a second in that good way. It feels like a conversation happening in someone's kitchen at eleven at night, honest and a little messy and completely real.

Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome and Why the Volume Is Too High

02:22 - Melissa's Hot Take: Seeing Perimenopause Reflected in the Media

04:20 - The Doctor's Office Confession and the Symptom Nobody Talks About

06:39 - What Does the Volume of Perimenopause Actually Mean to Each of Us

08:00 - TikTok, ADHD, and the Double-Edged Sword of More Information

10:42 - When Perimenopause Becomes Your Whole Identity Whether You Like It or Not

13:21 - Can Anyone Around Us Actually Do It Right

15:00 - Teenagers at Home, Partners in Closets, and the Swing From Silence to Volume 10

19:44 - The Whistling, the Breathing, the Couch Cushion: Things We Cannot Handle Right Now

23:27 - The Mental Load of Caring About Everything All at Once

24:47 - Hot Flash of the Week: The Estrogen Patch Shortage Is Real

26:21 - What We Are Taking Away This Week

28:44 - Wrapping Up and Finding Your People

#HotFlashPod #Perimenopause #WomensHealth #Menopause

]]>d24d45bb-c266-44ee-8332-90503e2bacfbFri, 24 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT<p>This episode is basically a group exhale from three women who are done pretending the small things do not get to them. The conversation moves from whistling and sighing and couch cushions into something much bigger: what happens when everything around you, the noise of perimenopause, the expectations of your family, the flood of information, the pressure to be grateful for support that does not actually help, is just too loud all at once. There is a moment when Melissa talks about her doctor naming a symptom she thought was making her lose her mind, and the room just goes quiet for a second in that good way. It feels like a conversation happening in someone's kitchen at eleven at night, honest and a little messy and completely real.</p><p></p><p>Chapters:</p><p></p><p>00:00 - Welcome and Why the Volume Is Too High</p><p>02:22 - Melissa's Hot Take: Seeing Perimenopause Reflected in the Media</p><p>04:20 - The Doctor's Office Confession and the Symptom Nobody Talks About</p><p>06:39 - What Does the Volume of Perimenopause Actually Mean to Each of Us</p><p>08:00 - TikTok, ADHD, and the Double-Edged Sword of More Information</p><p>10:42 - When Perimenopause Becomes Your Whole Identity Whether You Like It or Not</p><p>13:21 - Can Anyone Around Us Actually Do It Right</p><p>15:00 - Teenagers at Home, Partners in Closets, and the Swing From Silence to Volume 10</p><p>19:44 - The Whistling, the Breathing, the Couch Cushion: Things We Cannot Handle Right Now</p><p>23:27 - The Mental Load of Caring About Everything All at Once</p><p>24:47 - Hot Flash of the Week: The Estrogen Patch Shortage Is Real</p><p>26:21 - What We Are Taking Away This Week</p><p>28:44 - Wrapping Up and Finding Your People</p><p></p><p>#HotFlashPod #Perimenopause #WomensHealth #Menopause</p>no00:31:2717The Volume is Too Loud | Season 1 | Episode 7full<![CDATA[The Weight of it all | Season 1 | Episode 6]]>What happens when the emotional weight you’ve been carrying finally catches up with you?

In this episode, we talk about the real, unfiltered side of midlife. The pressure. The expectations. The moments where everything feels heavier than it should. We unpack what that looks like, why it happens, and how you start to move through it instead of ignoring it.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you’re holding everything together for everyone else, this conversation will hit home.

What we cover:

  • The emotional load women carry in midlife
  • Why “pushing through” stops working
  • The mental and physical impact of chronic stress
  • Honest conversation around perimenopause and identity shifts
  • What it looks like to start letting go

0:00 Intro
1:12 The weight of it all
4:35 Why burnout hits in midlife
9:10 Perimenopause and emotional shifts
14:22 Letting go of expectations
18:40 What actually helps
22:15 Final thoughts

Subscribe for weekly episodes on midlife, relationships, health, and rebuilding your life with intention.

]]>e40483e1-b10a-491c-ae55-32fd3b9d1af9Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:09:03 GMT<p>What happens when the emotional weight you’ve been carrying finally catches up with you?</p><p>In this episode, we talk about the real, unfiltered side of midlife. The pressure. The expectations. The moments where everything feels heavier than it should. We unpack what that looks like, why it happens, and how you start to move through it instead of ignoring it.</p><p>If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you’re holding everything together for everyone else, this conversation will hit home.</p><p></p><p><b>What we cover:</b></p><ul><li>The emotional load women carry in midlife</li><li>Why “pushing through” stops working</li><li>The mental and physical impact of chronic stress</li><li>Honest conversation around perimenopause and identity shifts</li><li>What it looks like to start letting go</li></ul><p></p><p>0:00 Intro<br />1:12 The weight of it all<br />4:35 Why burnout hits in midlife<br />9:10 Perimenopause and emotional shifts<br />14:22 Letting go of expectations<br />18:40 What actually helps<br />22:15 Final thoughts</p><p></p><p>Subscribe for weekly episodes on midlife, relationships, health, and rebuilding your life with intention.</p>yes00:32:2416The Weight of it all | Season 1 | Episode 6full<![CDATA[Navigating Womanhood | Season 1 | Episode 5]]>The world feels heavy right now. Add aging parents, hormonal shifts, and a packed calendar — and it's a lot to carry.

In this episode, Melissa, Lisa, and Suz dive into the messy reality of the sandwich generation: caring for aging parents while raising kids, managing your own mental load, and somehow trying to carve out time for yourself.

In this episode:

  • Why the current moment feels especially overwhelming — and how we're coping
  • The guilt of being a long-distance caregiver (and holding your own life together with dental floss)
  • Setting boundaries with parents who won't accept help until there's a crisis
  • Finding female friendships that sustain you — and why Michelle Obama is right about that
  • How each generation is rewriting the script on what caregiving looks like
  • Why talking about all of this out loud actually helps

Real talk. No homework. Just three friends figuring it out together.

🎙️ Subscribe so you never miss an episode. 💬 Share this with a friend who needs to feel less alone today.

Hot Flash Pod is the unfiltered space for women navigating the heat of midlife — perimenopause, the sandwich generation, and everything in between.

]]>b111f4d2-1889-4c4c-8e72-ddf3c0cf8dc6Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:00 GMT<p>The world feels heavy right now. Add aging parents, hormonal shifts, and a packed calendar — and it's a lot to carry.</p><p>In this episode, Melissa, Lisa, and Suz dive into the messy reality of the <b>sandwich generation</b>: caring for aging parents while raising kids, managing your own mental load, and somehow trying to carve out time for <i>yourself</i>.</p><p><b>In this episode:</b></p><ul><li>Why the current moment feels especially overwhelming — and how we're coping</li><li>The guilt of being a long-distance caregiver (and holding your own life together with dental floss)</li><li>Setting boundaries with parents who won't accept help until there's a crisis</li><li>Finding female friendships that sustain you — and why Michelle Obama is right about that</li><li>How each generation is rewriting the script on what caregiving looks like</li><li>Why talking about all of this out loud <i>actually</i> helps</li></ul><p>Real talk. No homework. Just three friends figuring it out together.</p><p>🎙️ <b>Subscribe</b> so you never miss an episode. 💬 <b>Share</b> this with a friend who needs to feel less alone today.</p><p><b>Hot Flash Pod</b> is the unfiltered space for women navigating the heat of midlife — perimenopause, the sandwich generation, and everything in between.</p>no00:25:1815Navigating Womanhood | Season 1 | Episode 5full<![CDATA['Fire' Fashion for the Over 40 Crowd | Season 1 | Episode 4]]>The conversation covers the challenges of finding appropriate clothing in the 50s and 60s, the impact of a midlife career change on clothing choices, and the influence of fashion trends and influencers. It also explores innovative clothing solutions and the experience of shopping for clothes in this age group.

Takeaways

  • Fashion in the 50s and 60s
  • Challenges of finding appropriate clothing
  • Fashion influencers and trends

Chapters

  • 00:00 Flash and Tell: Funniest Moments
  • 06:06 Shopping and Clothing Choices
  • 15:56 Fashion Trends and Influencers
]]>47521ba9-ef03-4ecc-9008-7b2eb11f1e06Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT<p>The conversation covers the challenges of finding appropriate clothing in the 50s and 60s, the impact of a midlife career change on clothing choices, and the influence of fashion trends and influencers. It also explores innovative clothing solutions and the experience of shopping for clothes in this age group.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Fashion in the 50s and 60s</li><li>Challenges of finding appropriate clothing</li><li>Fashion influencers and trends</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Flash and Tell: Funniest Moments</li><li>06:06 Shopping and Clothing Choices</li><li>15:56 Fashion Trends and Influencers</li></ul>no00:24:3714'Fire' Fashion for the Over 40 Crowd | Season 1 | Episode 4full<![CDATA[When it's not one thing, it's another. | Season 1 | Episode 3]]>The conversation covers various themes related to perimenopause, healthcare challenges, emotional struggles, and the pursuit of relief. It delves into unexpected medication mishaps, misdiagnosis, and the exploration of perimenopause symptoms. The frustration with healthcare and the pursuit of solutions, as well as the impact of HRT on heart health, are also discussed. Additionally, the conversation touches on emotional struggles, relief, and the use of supplements for relief.

Takeaways

  • Chasing Symptoms and Solutions
  • Navigating Perimenopause Challenges

Chapters

  • 00:00 Flash and Tell: Funniest Thing of the Week
  • 05:26 Exploring Perimenopause Symptoms
  • 14:08 Hot Flash of the Week: HRT and Heart Health
  • 21:10 Supplements and Solutions
]]>5a2d9dfd-ca49-4246-8a32-e1e79e68a75cFri, 20 Feb 2026 19:00:00 GMT<p>The conversation covers various themes related to perimenopause, healthcare challenges, emotional struggles, and the pursuit of relief. It delves into unexpected medication mishaps, misdiagnosis, and the exploration of perimenopause symptoms. The frustration with healthcare and the pursuit of solutions, as well as the impact of HRT on heart health, are also discussed. Additionally, the conversation touches on emotional struggles, relief, and the use of supplements for relief.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Chasing Symptoms and Solutions</li><li>Navigating Perimenopause Challenges</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Flash and Tell: Funniest Thing of the Week</li><li>05:26 Exploring Perimenopause Symptoms</li><li>14:08 Hot Flash of the Week: HRT and Heart Health</li><li>21:10 Supplements and Solutions</li></ul>no00:22:4713When it's not one thing, it's another. | Season 1 | Episode 3full<![CDATA[Aisle of Relief 'It's a very confusing place." | Season 1 | Episode 2]]>In this episode of 'Hot Flashes and Homework', the hosts discuss the complexities of navigating perimenopause and menopause, sharing personal stories and experiences. They explore the challenges of finding effective products, the importance of community support, and the evolving conversation around women's health. The episode is filled with humor, relatable anecdotes, and insights into the changes that come with aging, while also celebrating recent advancements in health care coverage for menopause treatments.

]]>c968b7c0-3f5e-4404-bc2b-bc51cf57f921Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:20:36 GMT<p>In this episode of 'Hot Flashes and Homework', the hosts discuss the complexities of navigating perimenopause and menopause, sharing personal stories and experiences. They explore the challenges of finding effective products, the importance of community support, and the evolving conversation around women's health. The episode is filled with humor, relatable anecdotes, and insights into the changes that come with aging, while also celebrating recent advancements in health care coverage for menopause treatments.</p><p></p>no00:30:07Aisle of Relief 'It's a very confusing place." | Season 1 | Episode 2full<![CDATA[Menopause Is Everywhere (so is my hair) | Season 1 | Episode 1]]>In this episode of Hot Flashes in Homework, the hosts discuss the challenges of navigating midlife, including perimenopause, motherhood, and the chaos of daily life. They share personal stories, medical experiences, and the importance of community and humor in dealing with these changes. The conversation emphasizes the need for open dialogue about women's health and the shared experiences that can help alleviate feelings of isolation.

]]>7851f206-bb92-40a8-8538-2e15a2194e9cTue, 13 Jan 2026 04:17:39 GMT<p>In this episode of Hot Flashes in Homework, the hosts discuss the challenges of navigating midlife, including perimenopause, motherhood, and the chaos of daily life. They share personal stories, medical experiences, and the importance of community and humor in dealing with these changes. The conversation emphasizes the need for open dialogue about women's health and the shared experiences that can help alleviate feelings of isolation.</p>no00:22:4511Menopause Is Everywhere (so is my hair) | Season 1 | Episode 1full