Note sull'episodio
Season 3 kicks off with laughter! Humorist Diane Dean-Epps joins Michelle to talk about the absurdities of aging, why women over 50 need more laughter (not more anti-aging advice), and how humor can carry you through the hard stuff.
Diane is the author of four humor books, including BANGS 'N' BOTOX: My Aging Journey Into, Through, and Beyond Denial, Fillers & Human Preservatives, and the host of the Bangs 'n' Botox podcast. Her "sit-down stand-up" style feels like chatting over a drink with a funny friend, and her reinvention story proves there's always another path to what you want.
In this episode:
- The doctor's-office moment ("You're aging") that sparked her book
- What "sit-down stand-up" really means, and how she found her voice
- Aging as a non-famous woman: invisibility, limited resources, and why that frees her to say real things
- The "never pause," hot flashes, and what nobody warns you about
- Snail mucin skincare and other experiments that were only marginally successful
- Why humor gets overlooked, and the many forms it can take (memes, funny friends, animal videos)
- The brain science of laughter and why trying something new matters as we age
- Turning an embarrassing moment into a story people laugh with, not at
- Why she keeps writing, and the "Emily Dickinson of humor writing" plan
- Her comeback: leaving radio and TV, failing a high-stakes teaching exam twice, passing on the third try, and becoming a 30-year English teacher
Key takeaways:
- Humor is a coping tool, and you don't have to be "naturally funny" to use it.
- Exaggerate the awkward moment and it becomes a better story.
- If the first path doesn't work, find another. A comeback story is always better when it wasn't easy.
- You matter, and you're not alone.
Connect with Diane: Website: dianedeaneppswriting.com Instagram: @mswrite Also on Facebook and LinkedIn Book: BANGS 'N' BOTOX on Amazon Podcast: Bangs 'n' Botox on YouTube, Spotify, and other platforms
About Michelle Thompson: Michelle is a certified life coach, author of Courageously You: 7 Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love and the host of Her Comeback. Get your copy of Courageously You on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D) or anywhere books are sold.
Ready to stop thinking about your next chapter and start living it? Book a call at michellethompsoncoaching.com.
Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs a laugh, and subscribe on YouTube